Samādhi and Peter Wimsey: Mysticism, reading and Bruce Janz
Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses June 1, 1996 DOI: 10.1177/000842989602500205 (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 Janz's book-reading analogy for mystical experience is flawed because it analyzes non-intentional mysticism through intentional experiences. Proposes that non-intentional mysticism, an experience of one's own consciousness, requires dropping the intentional processes involved in thinking and sensing, and that this account aligns with what mystical texts and descriptions frequently report. |
Abstract
Professor Janz (SR, 24, 1 [1995]: 77) proposes an explanation of mystical experience based on an analogy with the hermeneutical process of reading a book. While this model has its advantages, it represents an attempt to analyze non-intentional mysticism on the basis of intentional experiences. Such mysticism, an experience of our own consciousness, is very different from thinking and sensing; it involves dropping the intentional processes that are involved with both. This non-intentional approach represents what the texts and descriptions of mystical experiences themselves frequently say.
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 |