The Other Condition
Bence Nánay
June 22, 2026 DOI: 10.1093/9780197694152.003.0007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Aesthetic experience Human condition Foundation evidence Natural archaeology Morality Aesthetics Epistemology |
| Key points | Argues that Musil's "Other Condition" is a fleeting aesthetic experience that can also ground morality and action. |
Abstract
Abstract The Other Condition is a type of experience. It is a way of experiencing the world that is very different from the way we normally experience the world. And a much more valuable one. This Other Condition is what we find ourselves in when we have aesthetic experiences, but also when we have a mystical experience or if we are in what he calls the “ardour of love” (Musil 1925/1990, p. 199). Part of the aim of this chapter is to tease apart the various aspects of this experience. But before doing so, it is important to emphasize that the Other Condition is, above all, a fleeting form of aesthetic experience, and this chapter focuses on the Other Condition as aesthetic experience. Musil also thought that the Other Condition can be the foundation of morality and actions. I will talk about this in Chapter VIII.
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 |