Flavors of Ecstasy: States of Absorption in Islamic and Jewish Contemplative Traditions
Religions October 9, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/rel13100935 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Contemplation Islam Judaism Normative Aesthetics Trait Epistemology Absorption acoustics Environmental ethics Theology |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key points | Argues that states of contemplative absorption in Islamic and Jewish traditions, cultivated through sensory deprivation and withdrawal, can be distressing and functionally impairing yet are sometimes considered normative and are set apart as goals of meditative paths. |
Abstract
While the trait of absorption has received a considerable amount of scientific study, states of absorption have been comparatively understudied and even less scholarly or scientific attention has been paid to those that are cultivated within the contemplative traditions of Islam and Judaism. This paper explores canonical descriptions of states of contemplative absorption in Islamic and Jewish traditions, specifically highlighting how they are often cultivated using sensory deprivation and sensory withdrawal, can be distressing and entail functional impairment considered normative in some contexts, and how some are set apart as the goal of specific meditative paths. The import of this survey goes beyond just historical significance, since these traditions assume, and recent research suggests it is plausible, that such states may be hyper-plastic and pivotal in both adaptive and maladaptive directions.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differences Between the Mechanism of Action of MDMA, MBDB, and the Classic Hallucinogens. Identification of a New Therapeutic Class: Entactogens | 1986 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Background and Chemistry of MDMA | 1986 | Historical analysis | |
| The origin of MDMA (ecstasy) revisited: the true story reconstructed from the original documents* Original documents in Merck's historical archive in Darmstadt, Germany, years 1900–1960 | 2006 | Historical analysis | |
| Distinct neural mechanisms for the prosocial and rewarding properties of MDMA | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How could MDMA (ecstasy) help anxiety disorders? A neurobiological rationale | 2009 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Intensive whole-brain 7T MRI case study of volitional control of brain activity in deep absorptive meditation states. Cerebral Cortex January 14, 2024
- Volitional mental absorption in meditation: Toward a scientific understanding of advanced concentrative absorption meditation and the case of jhana. Heliyon May 14, 2024
- Multimodal neurophenomenology of advanced concentration absorption meditation: An intensively sampled case study of Jhana. Neuroimage December 14, 2024
- Deconstructing the self and reshaping perceptions: An intensive whole-brain 7T MRI case study of the stages of insight during advanced investigative insight meditation. Neuroimage 2025
- Investigating the complex cortical dynamics of an advanced concentrative absorption meditation called jhanas (ACAM-J): a geometric eigenmode analysis. Cerebral Cortex February 5, 2025
and 7 more in the library
Cites 11
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990
- Absorption and spiritual experience: A review of evidence and potential mechanisms. Consciousness and Cognition August 1, 2019
- Pivotal mental states Journal of Psychopharmacology April 1, 2021
- Minimal phenomenal experience Philosophy and the Mind Sciences March 24, 2020
and 6 more in the library