Eyeball Ecstasy
Nathan Wolski
English language notes April 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1215/00138282-4337507 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key points | Argues that the Zohar's account of the soul ascending through seven celestial halls during prayer is accomplished by pressing on the eyeball to generate phosphenes and associated entoptic phenomena, connecting this practice to shamanic and mystical traditions and to observations by Plotinus, Albert the Great, and Isaac Newton. |
Abstract
Abstract: According to the Zohar, the most important work of the classical Kabbalah, in prayer the soul of the mystic ascends through seven celestial halls or palaces as part of its quest to unify the male and female aspects of divinity, and thereby stimulates Ein Sof, the infinite aspect of divinity to pour down its bounty. As the soul ascends through the halls—diverse qualities of being, imagined, and experienced as an array of lights—it travels higher and deeper, finally arriving at the imageless seventh hall, Shekhinah, now primed to receive the flow of higher realms. This article argues that the ascent is accomplished through pressing on the eyeball to generate phosphenes and associated entoptic phenomena. The stimulation of the eye’s inner light has been associated with shamanic practices and mystical experience as well as commented on by such thinkers as Plotinus, Albert the Great, and Isaac Newton. This study thus contributes to the growing appreciation of “ecstatic” states in the theosophical Kabbalah.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differences Between the Mechanism of Action of MDMA, MBDB, and the Classic Hallucinogens. Identification of a New Therapeutic Class: Entactogens | 1986 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Background and Chemistry of MDMA | 1986 | Historical analysis | |
| The origin of MDMA (ecstasy) revisited: the true story reconstructed from the original documents* Original documents in Merck's historical archive in Darmstadt, Germany, years 1900–1960 | 2006 | Historical analysis | |
| Distinct neural mechanisms for the prosocial and rewarding properties of MDMA | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How could MDMA (ecstasy) help anxiety disorders? A neurobiological rationale | 2009 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |