Mystery cults of East Asia
Maria Durova
Schole Ancient philosophy and the classical tradition 2025 DOI: 10.25205/1995-4328-2025-19-1-382-394 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
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| Key points | Argues that Far Eastern mystical traditions prioritized harmonious union with the cosmos and the common good over individual religious experience, unlike Greek mystery cults. Contends that this orientation pervaded most East Asian religious and philosophical teachings and was reinforced by Buddhism. Proposes that kamigakari possession was central to Shinto psychotechnics, and that kagura dances, rooted in agricultural ritual, became temple performances and a source of Noh theater. |
Abstract
The Far Eastern tradition included a variety of religious rites and mystical practices, thanks to which people experienced unity with nature and the universe. Unlike the mystery cults of ancient Greece, the goal of these practices was not individual contact with the sacred, but the maintenance of the universal world order and the common good. Apparently, for the entire vast region of East Asia, the idea of harmonious unification with the universe prevailed over the human need to outline the boundaries of one's own individuality. In various forms, this idea was present in most religious and philosophical teachings in the Far East, and the spread of Buddhism contributed significantly to its rooting. The main forms of mystical practices were (pseudo)shamanic rites, ritual dances, as well as practices of individual psychoregulation, which were widespread among Taoists, for example. Shinto rituals of Japan included the experience of direct communication with the deities kami, expressed, among other things, by possession by the divine essence (kamigakari). It can be argued that kamigakari practices occupied a central place in the psychotechnical complex of Shinto, and the main form of religious worship were the mysteries-kagura, reproducing the plots of solar myths. Subsequently, the dances, originally tied to an agricultural ritual, grew into a temple performance and also served as the source of the classical Japanese Noh theater.