Post-Esotericism: Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Phenomenology of Contemporary Russian Web-Mysticism
M. G. Chertovskikh, V. A. Ananko
Abyss 2026 DOI: 10.33979/2587-7534-2026-2-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Identifies stable characteristics of Russian-speaking mystical-esoteric online discourse, including epistemological democratization, psychologization, memeticity, primacy of aesthetics, horrorization, retromania, and lack of ethical neutrality. |
Abstract
The aim of this study is to establish and analyze the qualitative characteristics of Russian-speaking mystical-esoteric online discourse in its metaphysical, epistemological, and phenomenological aspects. The research employs a methodological composite consisting of content analysis, discourse analysis, conceptual engineering, and imagological analysis. The research material comprises a corpus of mystical texts, including contemporary examples of online esoteric discourse as well as computer games. As a result, a number of key stable characteristics can be identified, which include: epistemological democratization and decentralization; the psychologization of esoteric knowledge; memeticity and multiple withdrawal as fundamental ontological characteristics; the primacy of aesthetics; horrorization; retromania; and the absence of ethical neutrality. This study provides a foundation for further development of the analyzed issues within the framework of object-oriented cultural analytics, employing an ontographic approach, while highlighting the existing conceptual intersections within the subject and object of study.
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 |