The Wayward Mysticism of Alan Watts
Peter J. Columbus
September 11, 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9781003385936-16 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that Alan Watts' writings are less about mystical experience than about how to describe it, that his literary approach is "fundamentally deviant" from usual mystical philosophy, and that by reducing the spiritual to the material he arrives at an antimystical philosophical position. |
Abstract
The authors contend that Alan Watts’ writings are less concerned with mystical experience per se than with the proper way to describe the experience. Moreover, they argue, the literary character of Watts’ approach to mysticism is outside the bounds or “fundamentally deviant” from what is usually considered mystical philosophy. Watts likewise is charged with reducing the spiritual to the material to the point where they are considered the same thing. Ultimately, the authors conclude, Watts’ philosophical position is antimystical. Originally published in 1980, this chapter is supplemented with a new prefatory note by Alexander H. Catlin.
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 |