The essence and strength of Sufism lies in the renaissance of the human soul. The mystical experience of a Sufi ennobles his mind and elevates his spirit to an extent where he reaches an intimate and comprehensive understanding of the Truth and the Universe. This study explores the attainment of that understanding through contemplation and remembrance, or more precisely, reflection (tafakkur)...
The rapid proliferation of large language models (LLMs) has produced a striking cultural practice: using conversational AI for divination. This paper offers one of the first systematic studies of LLM-mediated divination in the context of Xuanxue, an internet-native umbrella term for mystical and spiritual practices on Chinese social media. Using a mixed-methods design, we analyze 23000+ posts...
Recent studies have emphasized the centrality of late medieval mysticism to Martin Luther’s theology of faith. Building upon such research, I argue that Luther’s Freedom of a Christian (1520) preserves a characteristic tension within medieval mysticism: the cohabitation of human agency alongside divine operation. Whereas external agency (good works) is rejected, Luther reintroduces internal...
This essay, an evolving psychoanalytic manifesto, contemplates the “state of the world,” arguing that we are facing imminent symbolic collapse. It invites psychoanalysis to recognize that the loss of conventional, historic anchors and entrenched polarities and hierarchies, while eliciting fear for many, also unleashes a possibly unprecedented acceleration of human and planetary consciousness....
Background: Spiritual and psychotic experiences share overlapping phenomenology, often making clinical differentiation challenging. The growing use of advanced meditation and psychedelics has further blurred this boundary. Methods: A retrospective case series was conducted at the Department of Integrative Medicine,of a tertiary care mental health facility in India. Four individuals presenting...
Mangoni, V. & Robledo, L. (Directors). Compuesto, Alexandra ‘Sasha’ (Producer). 2020. The Song that Calls You Home. Good Docs. 72 mins. The Song That Calls You Home is an informative documentary on plant medicine that focuses on the perceived therapeutic properties of ayahuasca. The film presents itself as an exploration of this psychedelic plant as a pathway to healing and self-discovery. Its...
ReligionsMay 3, 2026Muhammadullah Haji Moh Naseem, Meryem Gürbüz
This study examines the human–nature relationship in the thoughts of Yunus Emre (d. ca. 1320) and addresses the Qur’anic positioning of humanity as laden with responsibility through the idea of amanah (entrustment), while focusing on Yunus Emre’s reflections on this concept as both a mystical stance and a moral state. His poems place humanity not as an absolute claim of ownership over the world...
in: Sergey Pakhomov (ed.), Mystic and Esoteric Movements in Theory and Practice, Fifth International Conference: History and Discourse, Historical and Philosophical Aspects of the Study of Esotericism and Mysticism, Russian Christian Academy for Humanities: St. Petersburg 2012, 113-129.
Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali is one of the finest expressions of Indian devotional poetry, blending personal spiritual experience with universal mysticism. Similarly, Harendra W. Marak’s documentation of traditional Garo poetry, especially Dani Doka, highlights the deep spiritual dimensions of Garo indigenous life, especially during the Wangala festival. This paper explores the thematic...
Paulo Coelho’s Brida portrays the spiritual and psychological journey of a young woman seeking wisdom, love, and self-understanding. This paper examines the novel through the lens of Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy, a psychological approach that identifies the search for meaning as the primary motivation of human existence. The study explores how Brida’s quest for spiritual knowledge reflects...