P.D. Ouspensky as a Russian Follower of W. James and His Classification of the “Mystical”
Общество философия история культура November 19, 2025 Daniil A. Balovnev
P. D. Ouspensky, a little-studied Russian pre-revolutionary philosopher, attempted to develop a rational investigation of mystical experience, continuing the tradition established by William James. His approach demanded experimental verification of mystical phenomena and interpreted them as psychological in nature. The article examines Ouspensky's ideas on the "superman," "eternal return," "fourth dimension," and "third organon," alongside his study of consciousness in unusual, religious states. It presents his teachings within the history of rational understanding of mystical experience.