Mysticism and Mind: Using the Cognitive Science of Religion to Explore the Origins of Mystical Experience (original) (raw)
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Mysticism and Meaning: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, edited by Alex S. Kohav
Three Pines Press, 2019
A collection of essays that explores the many dimensions of the mystical, including personal, theoretical, and historical. Kohav, a professor of philosophy at the Metropolitan State College of Denver and the editor of this collection, provocatively asks why mysticism is such an "objectionable" topic and considered intellectually disreputable. Borrowing from Jacques Derrida's distinction between aporia (or unsolvable confusion) and a solvable problem, the author suggests mystical phenomena are better understood through the lens of mysterium, that which is beyond the categories of reason and can only be captured by dint of intuition and personal experience. In fact, the contributors to this intellectually kaleidoscopic volume present several autobiographical accounts of precisely such an encounter with the mystically inscrutable. For example, in one essay, Gregory M. Nixon relates "the shattering moment in my life when I awoke from the dream of self to find being as part of the living world and not in my head." The religious dimensions of mystical experience are also explored: Buddhist, Christian, and Judaic texts, including the Bible, are examined to explicate and compare their divergent interpretations. Contributor Jacob Rump argues that the ineffable is central to Wittgenstein's worldview, and Ori Z. Soltes contends that philosophers like Socrates and Spinoza, famous for their valorization of reason, are incomprehensible without also considering the limits they impose on reason and the value they assign to ineffable experience. The collection is precisely as multidisciplinary as billed. It includes a wealth of varying perspectives, both personal and scholarly. Furthermore, the book examines the application of these ideas to contemporary debates. Richard H. Jones, for instance, challenges that mysticism and science ultimately converge into a single explanatory whole. The prose can be prohibitively dense--much of it is written in a jargon-laden academic parlance--and the book is not intended for a popular audience. Within a remarkably technical discussion of the proper interpretive approach to sacred texts, contributor Brian Lancaster declares: "For these reasons I propose incorporating a hermeneutic component to extend the integration of neuroscientific and phenomenological data that defines neurophenomenology." However, Kohav's anthology is still a stimulating tour of the subject, philosophically enthralling and wide reaching. An engrossing, diverse collection of takes on mystical phenomena. - Kirkus Reviews The volume investigates the question of meaning of mystical phenomena and, conversely, queries the concept of “meaning” itself, via insights afforded by mystical experiences. The collection brings together researchers from such disparate fields as philosophy, psychology, history of religion, cognitive poetics, and semiotics, in an effort to ascertain the question of mysticism’s meaning through pertinent, up-to-date multidisciplinarity. The discussion commences with Editor’s Introduction that probes persistent questions of complexity as well as perplexity of mysticism and the reasons why problematizing mysticism leads to even greater enigmas. One thread within the volume provides the contextual framework for continuing fascination of mysticism that includes a consideration of several historical traditions as well as personal accounts of mystical experiences: Two contributions showcase ancient Egyptian and ancient Israelite involvements with mystical alterations of consciousness and Christianity’s origins being steeped in mystical praxis; and four essays highlight mysticism’s formative presence in Chinese traditions and Tibetan Buddhism as well as medieval Judaism and Kabbalah mysticism. A second, more overarching strand within the volume is concerned with multidisciplinary investigations of the phenomenon of mysticism, including philosophical, psychological, cognitive, and semiotic analyses. To this effect, the volume explores the question of philosophy’s relation to mysticism and vice versa, together with a Wittgensteinian nexus between mysticism, facticity, and truth; language mysticism and “supernormal meaning” engendered by certain mystical states; and a semiotic scrutiny of some mystical experiences and their ineffability. Finally, the volume includes an assessment of the so-called New Age authors’ contention of the convergence of scientific and mystical claims about reality. The above two tracks are appended with personal, contemporary accounts of mystical experiences, in the Prologue; and a futuristic envisioning, as a fictitious chronicle from the time-to-come, of life without things mystical, in the Postscript. The volume contains thirteen chapters; its international contributors are based in Canada, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Psychological and Sociological Aspects of Mysticism
Mystical behavior has some companions. We cannot deny the place of superstitions, myths, and legends in our daily lives. Who can assert that Noah and his ark would not take the place of Gaia of 2300 years past 2500 years from now? How would those from other cultures consider the blue beads, used against the evil eye that we, in Turkey, have around our houses and offices? We can observe mystical behaviors of even scientists whom we can define as rationalist individuals. If we approach the issue from Abraham Maslow's observation, we can say that most of those who are spiritually healthy and successful rely on mystical beliefs and behaviors. Thus, this phenomenon deliberately ignored by some scientists is scrutinized in this paper, examining the psychological and sociological depths of those elements that can be termed mystical using Güleç's framework and a wider literature review to understand how they have become indispensable for societies.
"Unutterable Experiences of Consciousness Alteration" (Introduction, pp. 1-15) , 2020
Any person interested in mysticism will find this book of great value. Although writing about mystical experiences can be likened to “sending a kiss by mail,” there is much to be learned from the essays here. The book covers topics ranging from the anthropology of Mongolian shamanism to psychedelic drugs, symbolic aspects of mystical experiences and attempts to communicate such experiences, attempts to scientifically explain mystical states, and questions of the very possibility of such explanations. Important and provocative questions are raised: What sort of experiences count as “mystical?” Of the variety of such experiences, how can they be explained? Are there only physiological and psychological grounds or is there a transcendent reality that is contacted during mystical experiences? If a transcendent reality, how is it that it appears different to different people? How can such experiences be described if they are ineffable? And, what difference might there be between a mystical experience and the ordinary experience of our everyday world? -- Burton Voorhees, Athabasca University This book is a vast, profound, and modern approach to mysticism. The high-level researchers and authors participating in the book come from philosophy, spiritual studies, cognitive sciences, art studies, psychiatry, and literature, bringing authentic and meaningful interdisciplinary approach to the subject. -- Louis Hébert, University of Quebec at Rimouski "Mysticism and Experience: Twenty-First-Century Approaches" embarks on an investigation of the concept of mysticism from the standpoint of academic fields, including philosophy, anthropology, religious studies, mysticism studies, literary studies, art criticism, cognitive poetics, cognitive science, psychology, medical research, and even mathematics. Scholars across disciplines observe that, although it has experienced both cyclical approval and disapproval, mysticism seems to be implicated as a key foundation of religion, along with comprising the highest forms of social, cultural, intellectual, and artistic creations. This book is divided into four sections: The Exposure, The Symbolic, The Cognitive, and The Scientific, covering the fundamental aspects of the phenomenon known as mysticism. Contributors, taking advantage of recent advances in disciplinary approaches to understanding mystical phenomena, address the question of whether progress can be made to systemically enrich, expand, and advance our understanding of mysticism. The "Introduction: Unutterable Experiences of Consciousness Alteration" is by the volume's editor, Alex S. Kohav.
Science and Mysticism: Possibilities and Limitations in Exploring Mysticism
Spirituality Studies, 2020
In his study, the author scrutinizes possibilities and limitation in exploring mysticism. The first approach of this study focuses on traditional views on mysticism, based on descriptions of mystical states and imaging of developed biofield energy of a mystic. To describe mystical states, he used Teresa of Ávila and her work The Interior Castle, while iconography in Christian mysticism, drawings in the Chinese books of life and drawings by Hōun Jiyu-Kennett served him as a source of information for comparison of energy biofield in mystics. In the second approach he studies possibilities for scientific exploration of mysticism, especially accompanying effects, such as human energy biofield. To measure human energy biofield, we used the device called Bio-Well. This device detects electro-photon emission of fingers and analyses it using computer software. The research results show that there is a direct relation between spiritual practice and increased energy levels. However, it also reveals that biofield research is rather indirect as it is based on energy measurement in individual organs. Despite the fact that the final computerized data shows energy increase in individual organs, both graphically and numerically, it does not present the overall form of developed energy field of human.
The article considers whether, and how, current scientific studies of consciousness might benefit from insights of mystical traditions. Although considerable effort has been expanded towards introducing mysticism into mainstream cognitive science, the topic is still controversial, not least because of the multifariousness of meaning associated with the term (from "illogical thinking" through "visions" and "raptures" to "paranormal" and "psychopathological phenomena"). In the context of the present article, mysticism is defined as a set of practices, beliefs, values etc. developed within a given religious tradition to help the practitioner realize the experiential and existential transformations associated with mystical experiences, i.e. experiences characterized by the breakdown of the subjectobject dichotomy. It is then examined in which areas mysticism so defined might provide beneficial for consciousness studies; broadly, three such areas are identified: phenomenological research (mysticism as a repository of unique experiential material and practical know-how for rigorous phenomenological analyses), the problem of the self (mysticism as a repository of experientialexistential insights into one's fundamental selflessness), and the so-called hard problem of consciousness (mysticism as a unique experiential-existential answer to the mind-body problem). It is contended that, contrary to popular belief, cognitive science could benefit from insights and practices found in mystical traditions, especially by way of grounding its findings in the lived experience and thereby (potentially) demystifying some of its self-imposed abstract conundrums.
International Sociological Association Symposium, 2017
After over a century of neglect, this paper recommends that sociologists reconsider investigating the mysticism dimension of Troeltsch's church-sect-mysticism framework, established over a hundred years ago in 1912 with the publication of Die Soziallehren (Garrett, 1975). Towards that end, this paper underlines the significance of mystical experience, gives reasons for the sociological neglect, offers guidance on operationalizing mystical experience, and provides a blueprint for research and analysis moving forward. While the paper makes a strong case for sociological investigation into this arguably important aspect of human spirituality, the paper also issues a warning against the development of mystocentrism.
Acta Theologica, 2008
The phenomenon of mysticism has been a cause of intense debate for philosophers, religionists, and theologians for centuries. Interest in mysticism is particularly vibrant in the 21 st century, not only among the afore-mentioned, but also from other diverse sectors of society. This is evidenced in the plethora of material dealing with various aspects of mysticism. Negative or apophatic mysticism is eliciting greater attention, both in the academy and in society in general and many of the misconceptions surrounding this concept are currently under scrutiny. It is clear that apophatic mysticism — the “way of unknowing” or “nothingness” — belongs to the essence of the spiritual path. A short survey of this concept in some of the major religious traditions, together with an analysis of the place of apophasis in Christianity, brings this pertinent area of study into greater focus.