Lives in Spirit

Harry T. Hunt

Description

Lives in Spirit explores the dynamic conflicts that both energized and distorted the spiritual development of key precursor figures of a contemporary secular or "this-worldly" mysticism. With its historical roots in the early Gnostics and Plotinus, this characteristically Western spirituality re-emerges with the secularization and loss of traditional religious belief of modernity. The lives, works, and direct experiences of Nietzsche, Emerson, Thoreau, Jung, Heidegger, Gurdjieff, Crowley, and contemporary feminist mysticism are considered in terms of transpersonal psychology (Almaas), the sociology of mysticism (Weber and Troeltsch), and contemporary psychoanalysis (Winnicott, Bion, Kohut). Spiritual or essential experience is seen as an inherent form of human intelligence, which while potentially and even increasingly impacted by personal dynamics and social crisis, is not reducible to them.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: Psychological and Cultural Bases of Inner-Worldly Mysticism in Modern Western Society

1. Phenomenology and Psychodynamics of Transpersonal Experience

Descriptive Phenomenologies
Personal Development, Psychodynamics, and Metapathology

2. A.H. Almaas and the Synthesis of Spiritual Development and Psychoanalytic Object-Relations Theory

Almaas, Transpersonal Psychology, and Psychodynamic Perspectives
Multiple Forms of Essence: A Cartography of the Numinous
Issues and Controversies

3. The Sociology of Inner-Worldly Mysticism in Max Weber and Ernst Troeltsch

Max Weber on Radical Salvation Movements
Inner-Worldly Mysticism as the "Secret Religion of the Educated Classes"
Dilemmas and Societal Implications of Contemporary Inner-Worldly Mysticism

Part II: The Historical Roots of Inner-Worldly Mysticism: Prototypes of Crisis and Resolution in Plotinus, Epictetus, and Gnosticism

4. Plotinus and Hellenistic Inner-Worldly Mysticism

Epictetus and Personal Presence
Plotinus and the Formless Dimensions
Cognition and Contemplation: The Plotinian Psychology of Silberer and Jung, and the Origins of Transpersonal Psychology
Object-Relational Patterns in Plotinian Contemplation: Mirroring and Splitting
Plotinus on the Metapathologies of the Gnostics

5. Gnosticism: Mystical Dualism and the Metaphysics of Hate

The Elements and Social Background of Gnosticism
Some Specific Gnosticisms: Metapathologies and Implied Dynamics

Egyptian Hermeticism
Barbelites, Cainites, Ophites, and Sethians: Mystical Satirists of the Old Testament
Valentinus and Ptolemy: Heterodox Christian Gnostics and the Redemption of Sophia
Manichaeanism: A Radical Prophetical Dualism

"Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself ": The Problem of Splitting in Mystical Gnosticism
Freud's Gnostic Metapsychology of the Newborn

Part III: Transpersonal Anticipations and Conflicts in Nineteenth-Century Precursors to a Naturalistic Inner-Worldly Mysticism

6. Nietzsche

Aspects of Essence in Nietzsche's Thought and Experience
Nietzsche's Life: Dynamics and Tragedy
Relations between Pathology, Creativity, and Essential States in Nietzsche
The Nietzschean Psychologists and Abraham Maslow

7. Emerson, Thoreau, and Hiram Marble: New England Transcendentalism and a Brief Look at Spiritualism

Emerson's Eternal Moment of Being
Dynamics and Openings to Essence in Emerson's Life
Thoreau: The Woods of Concord as Mirror of the Soul
Thoreau's Life and Dynamics
Hiram Marble and Spiritualism: Kierkegaard's Knight of Faith at Dungeon Rock

Part IV: Some Political Ambiguities in the Development of Presence: Inner-Worldly Mysticism, Metapathology, and National Socialism

8. Jung, Visionary Racial Occultism, and Hitler

Self, Archetypes, and Collective Unconscious
Carl Jung's Dance with the Devil
Narcissistic Vulnerability in Jung's Development
From "Collective Unconscious" to "Objective Psyche": Jung's Shift from Pseudo-Biology to a Cognition of Metaphor
Aryan Racial Occultism: Why Jung Is not a Nazi
Hitler as Charismatic Prophet
Max Weber on Spirituality and Politics

9. "Triumph of the Will": Heidegger's Nazism as Spiritual Pathology

Heidegger as Spiritual Thinker
The Rectorship
Heidegger's Spirit

Sujets

• Mysticism
• System
• Psychology

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791486443
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Lives in Spirit

SUNY series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology

Richard D. Mann, Editor

Lives in Spirit

Precursors and Dilemmas of a Secular Western Mysticism

Harry T. Hunt

S TATE U NIVERSITY OF N EW Y ORK P RESS

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2003 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

Lyric from “Mississippi HalfStep Uptown Toodleoo,” Robert Hunter, © Ice Nine Publishing Company, San Rafael, Calif., used with permission.

Illustration p. 256, The Tree of Life, done for this volume by Laurie HollisWalker.

Portions of chapter 9 appeared in Hunt, H., “Triumph of the will: Heidegger’s Nazism as spiritual pathology,”The Journal of Mind and Behavior 19, 379–414, 1998, ©Institute of Mind and Behavior, with permission.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, N. Y. 12207

Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Fran Keneston

Library of Congress CataloguinginPublication Data

Hunt, Harry T., 1943– Lives in spirit : precursors and dilemmas of a secular Western mysticism / Harry T. Hunt. p. cm. — (SUNY series in transpersonal and humanistic psychology) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0791458032 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0791458040 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Mysticism—Psychology—Case studies. 2. Secularism—Psychology— Case studies. 3. Spirituality—Psychology—Case studies. 4. Transpersonal psychology—Case studies. I. Title. II. Series.

BL625.H85 2003 291.4’2—dc21

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Acknowledgments

Introduction

Contents

Part I: Psychological and Cultural Bases of InnerWorldly Mysticism in Modern Western Society

Chapter 1. Phenomenology and Psychodynamics of Transpersonal Experience Descriptive Phenomenologies/13 Personal Development, Psychodynamics, and Metapathology/22

Chapter 2. A.H. Almaas and the Synthesis of Spiritual Development and Psychoanalytic ObjectRelations Theory

Almaas, Transpersonal Psychology, and Psychodynamic Perspectives/35 Multiple Forms of Essence: A Cartography of the Numinous/44 Issues and Controversies/52

Chapter 3. The Sociology of InnerWorldly Mysticism in Max Weber and Ernst Troeltsch Max Weber on Radical Salvation Movements/57

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vi

Contents

InnerWorldly Mysticism as the “Secret Religion of the Educated Classes”/65 Dilemmas and Societal Implications of Contemporary InnerWorldly Mysticism/71

Part II: The Historical Roots of InnerWorldly Mysticism: Prototypes of Crisis and Resolution in Plotinus, Epictetus, and Gnosticism

Chapter 4. Plotinus and Hellenistic InnerWorldly Mysticism Epictetus and Personal Presence/82 Plotinus and the Formless Dimensions/85 Cognition and Contemplation: The Plotinian Psychology of Silberer and Jung, and the Origins of Transpersonal Psychology/89 ObjectRelational Patterns in Plotinian Contemplation: Mirroring and Splitting/94 Plotinus on the Metapathologies of the Gnostics/96

Chapter 5. Gnosticism: Mystical Dualism and the Metaphysics of Hate The Elements and Social Background of Gnosticism/102 Some Specific Gnosticisms: Metapathologies and Implied Dynamics/106 Egyptian Hermeticism/106 Barbelites, Cainites, Ophites, and Sethians: Mystical Satirists of the Old Testament/108 Valentinus and Ptolemy: Heterodox Christian Gnostics and the Redemption of Sophia/111 Manichaeanism: A Radical Prophetical Dualism/114 “Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself ”: The Problem of Splitting in Mystical Gnosticism/115 Freud’s Gnostic Metapsychology of the Newborn/117

Part III: Transpersonal Anticipations and Conflicts in NineteenthCentury Precursors to a Naturalistic InnerWorldly Mysticism

Chapter 6. Nietzsche Aspects of Essence in Nietzsche’s Thought and Experience/126

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Chapter 7. Emerson, Thoreau, and Hiram Marble: New England Transcendentalism and a Brief Look at Spiritualism

Part IV: Some Political Ambiguities in the Development of Presence: InnerWorldly Mysticism, Metapathology, and National Socialism

Chapter 8. Jung, Visionary Racial Occultism, and Hitler Self, Archetypes, and Collective Unconscious/173 Carl Jung’s Dance with the Devil/177 Narcissistic Vulnerability in Jung’s Development/181 From “Collective Unconscious” to “Objective Psyche”: Jung’s Shift from PseudoBiology to a Cognition of Metaphor/186 Aryan Racial Occultism: Why Jung Is not a Nazi/189 Hitler as Charismatic Prophet/193 Max Weber on Spirituality and Politics/195

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Contents

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Chapter 9. “Triumph of the Will”: Heidegger’s Nazism as Spiritual Pathology Heidegger as Spiritual Thinker/200 The Rectorship/201 Heidegger’s Spiritual Crisis and Its Partial Resolution/203 1924–1927: Spiritual Awakening/205 1928–1932: Purgation/205 1933–1934: False Illumination/206 1935–1944: True Illumination: Direct Manifestations of Essence/208 Vulnerabilities of Character/211

Nietzsche’s Life: Dynamics and Tragedy/132 Relations between Pathology, Creativity, and Essential States in Nietzsche/138 The Nietzschean Psychologists and Abraham Maslow/142

Emerson’s Eternal Moment of Being/147 Dynamics and Openings to Essence in Emerson’s Life/151 Thoreau: The Woods of Concord as Mirror of the Soul/154 Thoreau’s Life and Dynamics/156 Hiram Marble and Spiritualism: Kierkegaard’s Knight of Faith at Dungeon Rock/162

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Contents

Dilemmas of InnerWorldly Mysticism/218 Jung and Heidegger/218 Socrates and Heidegger/219 Heidegger and Weber/221

Part V: Roots of a Contemporary ThisWorldly Spirituality

Chapter 10. George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: A Near Eastern InnerWorldly Mysticism in the Modern West Gurdjieff ’s Life and Teachings/225 Gurdjieff ’s Anticipations of ObjectRelations Theory/232 ObjectRelational Dilemmas in Gurdjieff ’s Life and System/238 The Schizoid Position/239 The Paranoid Position/242 The Depressive Position: Making Reparation and the Capacity for Concern/245 Gurdjieff and Almaas/247 A Final Note on Gurdjieff in NaziOccupied Paris/248

Chapter 11. Aleister Crowley, Sexual Magick, and Drugs: Some Ambiguities of Sex, Will, and Power in InnerWorldly Mysticism Crowley’s System of Mystical Will/251 The Practices: Astral Travel and the Invention of the Speedball/259 Crowley and Spiritual Realization/264 False Will/264 False Love/266 False Power and the Role of Hatred/268 The Horrific Childhood of Aleister Crowley/270 Contrawise: The Avoidance of Essential Power and Will in Jerry Garcia/272 Crowley and the Dilemmas of Contemporary Spirituality/276

Chapter 12. Feminist Spirituality: The Return of Sophia Psychology, Gender, and Transpersonal Experience/279 SocioCultural Bases of a Feminist Shamanism/283 The Feminist Roots of NineteenthCentury Spiritualism and Theosophy/286 Contemporary Feminist Spiritualities/292 The Autobiography of Jean Houston/294 Limitations of a Feminist InnerWorldly Mysticism/298

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Contents

Part VI: Transpersonal Psychology, New Age Spirituality, and the Human Sciences

Chapter 13. Concluding Reflections Reconciling Transpersonal Approaches and the Human Sciences/303 Contemporary Societal Implications/308 InnerWorldly Mysticism and Deep Ecology: The Weberian Dilemma Revisited/308 Consciousness Evolution vs Cultural Globalization/311 A Closing Word from Kierkegaard/316

Notes

References

Index

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