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1 Extrovertive Mystical Experience

Paul Marshall

Mystical Encounters with the Natural World July 7, 2005 DOI: 10.1093/0199279438.003.0002 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Mystical experience
Key points Argues that extrovertive mystical experiences long pre-date their Romantic expressions and are not necessarily sense-mediated.

Abstract

AbstractKey questions about mystical experiences of the natural world are addressed.What are the experiences like? Some detailed accounts of extrovertive experience, and a feature list of their common or notable characteristics are provided. Are extrovertive experiences necessarily sense-mediated? Unlike many theorists, the author does not assume that extrovertive contact with the world is always through sensory channels. How common are the experiences? The results of survey studies suggest that a small but significant proportion of the US and UK populations have some familiarity with extrovertive unity, at least in its milder forms. Are the experiences a recent development, inspired by Romantic thinkers, or do they have precedents in the world’ s religious traditions? Although not definitive, the evidence suggests that extrovertive experience long pre-dates its Romantic expressions.