Contemplating contradiction: speculative mysticism and the entropic brain
G. Mariotti
Philosophical Psychology November 4, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2025.2583376 (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 deliberately contemplating theological contradictions without resolving them, a practice termed mystical acquiescence, may increase brain entropy and autonomously induce mystical states of consciousness analogous to those produced by psychedelics, offering a testable framework linking historical mystical practices to neuropsychological research. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT This article investigates the neurophysiological basis of autonomously induced mystical states of consciousness (MSCs), with a focus on speculative mysticism, a tradition that centers on intellectual contemplation rather than emotional or sensuous experience. Drawing from historical sources, the paper explores the role of paradox and contradiction in mystical thought. It argues that the deliberate contemplation of theological contradictions challenges the psychological principle of non-contradiction and the drive for cognitive consistency, as articulated in Cognitive Consistency Theory (CCT) and the Free Energy Principle (FEP). The Entropic Brain Hypothesis (BEN) is introduced to propose that resisting the resolution of logical contradictions may increase brain entropy, potentially inducing MSCs analogous to those achieved through psychedelics. The central hypothesis is that mystical acquiescence, the intentional engagement with divine contradictions without resolving them, can serve as a mechanism for the autonomous induction of high-entropy, altered states of consciousness. This hypothesis offers a testable framework for integrating historical mystical practices into contemporary neuropsychological research.
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
Cites 19
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- The default-mode, ego-functions and free-energy: a neurobiological account of Freudian ideas Brain February 28, 2010
- Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2018
and 14 more in the library