Introduction: Mysticism, Constructivism, and Forgetting
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780195059809.003.0001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Citations | 57 |
| Key points | Argues that the constructivist view, which holds that mystical experience is significantly shaped by a subject's beliefs, concepts, and expectations, is inadequate for explaining the origins and nature of mysticism. |
Abstract
Abstract From where-or Whom-does mysticism come? What causes it? What gives mysticism its peculiar but fascinating shape? Is mystical experience a source of reliable knowledge? Is mysticism the same around the world, or nearly so? Or does mysticism differ among various traditions, cultures, and ages? The twelve authors of this book are responding to the recent “received view” on such questions, which may collectively be called “constructivism,” the view that mystical experience is significantly shaped and formed by the subject’s beliefs, concepts, and expectations.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Does the Concept of “Altered States of Consciousness” Rest on a Mistake? International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2007
- Redaction Criticism and the Early History of Taoism Early China 1994
- Evidence synthesis indicates contentless experiences in meditation are neither truly contentless nor identical Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences May 24, 2022
- Subjective Experiences of Committed Meditators Across Practices Aiming for Contentless States Mindfulness June 1, 2023
- Redressing a Straw Man: Correcting Critical Misunderstandings of Aldous Huxley’s Perennial Philosophy Journal of Humanistic Psychology July 12, 2021
and 12 more in the library