Reviewed by: Modern Mystics: An Introduction by Bernard McGinn Glenn Young (bio) Modern Mystics: An Introduction. By Bernard McGinn. New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2023. viii + 340 pp. $49.95. I admit to having felt some disappointment when Bernard McGinn announced that the seventh volume of his landmark study of Western Christian mysticism—The Presence of God—would bring the series to...
Mental health problems including depression, anxiety, suicide, and burnout are common among health care providers. Resilience and well-being are factors thought to protect against these incidents. Clinical trials and naturalistic studies of psychedelic compounds have shown decreases in depression, anxiety, and suicidality while suggesting improvements in well-being. This secondary analysis of a...
Hallucinogenic mushrooms have been used in religious and cultural ceremonies for centuries. Of late, psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms, has received increased public interest as a novel drug for treating mood and substance use disorders (SUDs). In addition, in recent years, some states in the United States have legalized psilocybin for medical and recreational...
Abstract The self is, at least partially, grounded in bodily processing. In particular, processing the physiological state of the body (i.e., interoception) plays a key role in self‐consciousness and the first‐person experience. The present study examined cultural differences in interoceptive processing. We focused on a behavioral measure of cardiac processing, which was assessed using a...
This study delves into the philosophical and epistemological interpretation of the Heart Sutra, emphasizing the conjunction between rational and mystical thought processes. The paper illustrates how the Sutra promotes an intertwined understanding of reality through textual analysis and comparative discussion involving Eastern and Western philosophical perspectives. The exploration reveals that...
Objective: We used the ChatGPT-3.5 artificial intelligence (AI)-based language program to compare twelve types of mystical, supernatural, or otherwise anomalous entity encounter narratives constructed from material in the publicly available corpus of information, and compared their details to the phenomenology of spontaneous accounts via the Survey of Strange Events (SSE) and the grounded...
Tracing medieval English mysticism back into the early medieval period, this chapter reads Barking Abbey’s mystical experiences as a form of communal resistance. The early medieval nuns of Barking Abbey experience rich visions of their predecessors, in particular Saint Ethelburga, the first Abbess of Barking. In one of these visionary experiences, Abbess Elfgiva experiences being crushed under...
This chapter explores the value of using contemporary art as one way into regenerating the study of comparative mysticism. The field saw marked decline in the wake of Steven T. Katz convincing demonstration of the groundedness of mystical experiences within their cultural and/or religious contexts. As a way of exploring the potential of art to help us find new avenues into comparative...
Abstract Psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) experiences can range from very positive to highly challenging (e.g., fear, grief, and paranoia). These challenging experiences contribute to hesitancy toward psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy among health care providers and patients. Co-use of 3,4-Methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) with psilocybin/LSD anecdotally reduces challenging...
Sacred spaces and holy places anchor cultures to their surroundings, physical and social, and to family and ancestry besides. Sacredness and holiness are brain-deep and fuse emotion and reason, earthiness and heavenliness. Sacred sites are usually associated with religion: cathedrals, temples, pagodas, roadside shrines, and mosques are always high on the list of places to visit for new arrivals...