Mysticism
Louis Jacobs
Beyond Reasonable Doubt March 1, 1999 DOI: 10.3828/liverpool/9781874774587.003.0009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Describes the ascetic practices of Reb Yitshak Masmid and the mystical rite of kidush levanah. |
Abstract
This chapter highlights Jewish mysticism. It talks about Rabbi Yitshak Horowitz, also known as Reb Yitshak Masmid who is a leading exponent of mystical theology in the Habad vein. Reb Yitshak Masmid seemed to be a typical ascetic whose head reached to the heavens. He ate very little but drank heavily in the belief that alcohol could act as a stimulant to the deeper longings of the soul. The chapter also describes the traditional ceremony of the benediction over the moon (kidush levanah), which is considered to be a mystical rite. In this ceremony, carried out preferably in the open, at the beginning of the month, a benediction is recited in which God is praised for the creation of the moon and the other heavenly bodies.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |