Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree (1964) has long been read as a simple parable of unconditional giving and human desire. This comprehensive analysis proposes a far deeper reading: the tree as an embodiment of the Shekhinah, the feminine aspect of divine immanence in Kabbalistic theology, whose boundless generosity mirrors the mystical dynamics between God and creation. By juxtaposing this...
Open MindFebruary 19, 2026Seyed Morteza Moossavi
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ABSTRACT This article explores the profound continuity and transformation of Iranian art as a medium of metaphysical vision. Beginning with Zoroastrian fire symbolism and its emphasis on cosmic illumination, Iranian art evolved through successive cultural encounters, preserving ancient motifs while integrating new philosophical and spiritual frameworks. Persian painting, as Basil Gray observed,...
This interdisciplinary study bridges psychology, neuroscience, and mystical theology to elucidate mysticism and spirituality's therapeutic role in mental health, particularly in cultivating resilience, emotional stability, and existential recovery. Through descriptive-qualitative analysis of empirical studies, classical theories, and sacred texts across traditions, it probes neurobiological...
(1848) - has historically been relegated to the margins as mystical or unscientific. However, a contemporary re-examination reveals that Fechner's arguments were deeply rooted in empirical observation and inductive reasoning, anticipating current discourse on plant intelligence, learning, and communication. Regarding plant awareness, for instance, Fechner posits that their intimate physical...
This article analyzes a mystical-themed painting produced in eighteenth-century Puebla by considering the possibility of characterizing its context of production as an esoteric field. The theoretical framework is grounded in the criteria of Western esotericism proposed by Antoine Faivre, in dialogue with William James’s notion of mystical experience and with Victor Stoichita’s studies on...
Although the credit for developing mysticism as a branch of study goes to the Western scholars, it has its earliest roots in Eastern religious traditions, particularly the Upanishads. Because of the diffused nature of mysticism, it has been an arduous task even for the philosophers to define it in precise terms. Yet, for working purpose, mysticism has long been understood less as a doctrine...
This study aims to describe and analyze the construction of holistic health in Sufi dance, which is considered a human effort to preserve the soul. Holistic health, in anthropology, is a social phenomenon associated with the terminology of illness. Anthropology observes various practices related to how society responds to illness and how to overcome it. Sufi dance is known as a model of healing...
Purpose: Tiruvācakam, composed by Māṇikkavācakar in the 9th century CE, stands as one of the most profound spiritual texts in Tamil Śaiva literature. Unlike doctrinal treatises or systematic theological expositions, Tiruvācakam articulates theology as lived experience—embodied through emotion (bhāva), surrender (śaraṇāgati), and mystical intimacy with Śiva. This study examines Tiruvācakam as a...
This research aims to explore, analyze and understand the use of suluk and jawokan in the context of the culture and traditions of the Cirebon-Indramayu community. The type of research used is a qualitative descriptive study with an ethnographic approach to document the use of suluk and jawokan in various traditional ceremonies, rituals, as well as aspects of the social and spiritual life of...
Non-Catholic philosophy speaks about mysticism, but often reduces it to one of the dimensions of human inner life, emphasizing either the human intellect or the will or feelings. As a rule, this experience detaches from God Himself, preaching atheism or agnosticism. He sees religious experience as a subjective human experience that can only be understood from the perspective of...
Mysticism refers to extraordinary experiences that transcend perceived reality and transform the individual. Section 1 introduces key features such as noetic and ineffable qualities, alongside psychological typologies and a fourfold hierarchy of mystical forms. Section 2 explores monistic mysticism, where self and ultimate reality merge in oneness and ego-dissolution, illustrated through...
Most primitive religions originated from the devout worship of celestial deities, earthly spirits, and ghosts. In oracle bone inscriptions, rituals related to praying for rain, temple worship, river deity worship, and the worship of great deities were referred to as “fang” 方 or “yi fang” 以方. The Supreme God was the paramount deity of the Yin Shang Dynasty people; by the early Zhou Dynasty, the...
Findings indicate a "mindset-over-molecule" pattern wherein psychological context ("set") is more strongly associated with psychedelic outcomes than substance type alone.
This article analyzes the mystical experience of Hildegard von Bingen to explore how it can support a worldview that encompasses not only the theological but also the political. From the perspective of medieval philosophy, which is grounded in a philosophical anthropology, three key points are addressed: the clarification of essential concepts of mystical experience, the analysis of Hildegard’s...
This chapter aims to analyse the interest shown by four contemporary representatives of Western esotericism (R. von Sebottendorf, G. I. Gurdjieff, P. D. Ouspensky, and C. Wett) towards Ottoman Sufism. All travelled to the East to adopt Sufi teachings, though they never converted to Islam. They were actually more interested in spiritual exchanges between Western and Eastern esoteric traditions...
Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that mystical experiences mediate the therapeutic effects of psychedelic-assisted therapy. The current study examines associations between mystical experiences and components of “set” (positive mindset, participant intentions, and spirituality) and “setting” (perceived positivity of the dosing environment) in the context of psilocybin-assisted therapy for...
This chapter introduces the convergence of Sufi mysticism and Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology, rooted in the author’s personal journey of spiritual and psychological exploration. While researching the Sufi Master Hazrat Inayat Khan and his teachings, the author encountered interpersonal conflicts within the Sufi community, which prompted an investigation into Jung’s concept of the...
This chapter delves into the shared and distinct dimensions of Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology and Hazrat Inayat Khan’s Sufism, emphasizing their reliance on direct personal experiences as foundations for their teachings. Despite their contrasting cultural and intellectual backgrounds, Jung’s individuation and Inayat Khan’s self-realization converge as journeys of transformation,...
Religious diversities have played a crucial role in shaping the human civilization. Harmony between different religions is integral for the attainment of global peace and social cohesion. This paper seeks to explore the relevance of religious harmony as conceptualized by Ramakrishna Paramhansa, as a pathway for peaceful coexistence in a pluralistic world. A 19th-century mystic of Bengal,...
This paper offers a critical evaluation of Lalla Ded, the fourteenth-century mystic, as a philosopher-saint. Her vaakhs form a body of intellectual and spiritual discourses. Rather than looking at her vaakhs solely through the biographical lens, the paper approaches the vaakhs as a site for philosophical inquiry on the nature of self, divinity, mysticism and social order. The interdisciplinary...