Mysticism and Religious Experience
Jerome I. Gellman
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion September 2, 2009 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195331356.003.0007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that "mystical experience" has multiple meanings and that stipulation is necessary; proposes a wide definition covering experiences in major religious traditions, often of a supersensory reality, while noting a narrow definition common among philosophers. |
Abstract
Abstract In modern usage, “mysticism” refers to mystical experience and to practices, discourse, institutions, and traditions associated therewith. The term “mystical experience” enjoys a great variety of meanings, retaining some of that variety among philosophers. There is no choice but to stipulate meaning for the purposes of this article. A wide definition of “mystical experience” will be more in the spirit of how it figures in general culture, and a narrow definition will echo a meaning common among philosophers. In the wide sense, mystical experiences occur within the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Indian religions, Buddhism, and primal religions. In most of these traditions, the experiences are allegedly of a supersensory reality, such as God, Brahman, or, as in some Buddhist traditions, Nirvana.
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 3
- Consciousness of God as God is: The phenomenology of Christian centering prayer 2017
- Is Rational Mysticism Compatible with Feminism? A critical examination of Plotinus and Kashani UC Research Repository 2006
- PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES IN HERMAN HESSE’S SIDDHARTHA Journal of Nusantara Studies December 28, 2018
Cites 8
- The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience Choice Reviews Online June 1, 2000
- The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy Philosophy East and West October 1, 1993
- Interpretation and Mystical Experience Religious Studies October 1, 1965
- Women and mystical experience in the Middle Ages Choice Reviews Online May 1, 1993
- Reply to Commentators Philosophy and Phenomenological Research December 1, 1994
and 3 more in the library