Understanding mystical experiences through the lens of entropy: introduction to the special issue on ‘mystical entropy’
Philosophical Psychology April 27, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2026.2662200 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMystical experiences are characterized by ineffability, noetic quality, transiency, and passivity, as outlined by William James. The abstract discusses the long-standing scholarly interest in these experiences within religious studies, noting that they have been a focus of research since James's foundational work. The text describes the key features of such experiences but does not present new empirical findings or a specific argument beyond acknowledging the historical and ongoing academic attention to the topic.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Through-the-lens metering Lens geology Psychology Epistemology |
| Key finding | Argues that mystical experiences are culturally shaped and best understood through historical and comparative analysis rather than universalist frameworks. |
Abstract
Scholars of religion have had a long-standing interest in the study of mystical experiences (Schmidt, 2003), dating back to the work of William James (James, 1902). James listed ineffability, noeti...