Mystical religious experiences
Alan Page Fiske
November 26, 2019 DOI: 10.4324/9780367220952-12 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Theology |
| Key points | Argues that mystical experiences and those induced by MDMA or other hallucinogens consist of exceptionally strong kama muta responses, generating communal sharing motives that can transform identity and social relations. |
Abstract
What are often called ‘mystical’ experiences of union with divinity or with nature, as well as experiences on MDMA (Ecstasy, Molly) on sometimes other hallucinogenic drugs, typically consist of exceptionally strong kama muta motes. The communal sharing motives that ecstatic motes generate are so strong that they often transform identity and social relations. The phenomenology of mystical experiences often involves gnosis , a sense of deep knowing – though afterwards it’s generally clear just what this knowledge is.
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 |