The Mystic Experience

Jordan Paper

Description

The mystic, zero, or void experience—the ecstatic disappearance of self along with everything else—is considered by those who have had it to be the most beautiful, blissful, positive, profound, and significant experience of their lives. Offering both a descriptive and a comparative perspective, this book explores the mystic experience across cultures as both a human and cultural event. The book begins and ends with descriptions of the author's own mystical experiences, and looks at self-reported experiences by individuals who do not link their experiences to a religious tradition, to determine characteristics of this universal human experience.

These characteristics are compared to statements of acknowledged mystics in diverse religious traditions. The mystic experience is also situated within other ecstatic religious experiences to distinguish it from similar, but distinct, experiences such as lucid dreams, shamanism, and mediumism. Jordan Paper goes on to look at how the mystic experience has been considered in various fields, such as sociology, psychology, anthropology, biology, and comparative religious studies.

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

An Event
General Characteristics of the "Event"
A Name for the Experience
The Mystic Experience in Cultural Context
A Caution to Readers

2. Phenomenology (Descriptive Analysis) of the Mystic Experience

Naive Reports
Reports by "Professional" Mystics
Conclusions

3. The Varieties of Ecstatic Experience

Human Nature and Ecstatic Experiences
Functional Ecstasies

Visions, Lucid Dreams, and Problem-Solving
Dreams
Shamanism
Mediumism
Prophecy

Nonfunctional Ecstasies

Unitive Experiences
Pure Consciousness
The Mystic Experience

4. Previous Studies

Philosophical Analyses
Psychological Analyses
Sociological Analyses
Anthropological Analyses
Combined Approaches: Anthropology and Psychology
Biological Analyses
Near-Death Experience Studies
Comparative Religion Studies

5. Ethnohermeneutics I: Non-West

Shamanistic and Mediumistic Traditions
South Asia

The Upanishads
Hinduism
Buddhism

Chinese Religion

6. Ethnohermeneutics II: West

Plotinus
Judaism

Christianity
Catholicism

Orthodoxy
Islam
Modern "Secular" Mysticism

Cosmic Consciousness
Absolute Consciousness

7. Conclusions: The Mystic Experience and Human Nature

A Phenomenological Assessment
Comparative Ethnohermeneutics
Summary

Works Consulted

Index

Sujets

• Mysticism
• Comparative religion

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791484289
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

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The Mystic Experience

The SUNY series in Religious Studies edited by Harold Coward

The Mystic Experience A Descriptive and Comparative Analysis

J P ORDAN APER

S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y o f N e w Y o r k P r e s s

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2004 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be uesd 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.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, ALbany, NY 12207

Production by Kelli Williams Marketing by Michael Campochiaro

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Paper, Jordan D. The mystic experience: a descriptive and comparative analysis / Jordan Paper. p. cm. — (SUNY series in religious studies) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6249-7 (hc : alk. paper)—ISBN 0-7914-6250-1 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Mysticism. I. Title.

BL625.P365 2004 204'.22—dc22

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To the grandfather after whom I am named and, accordingly, never met, and whom, I have been told, I resemble more than just physically.

—Yeshua ben Yosef (Jordan Paper)

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Preface

Acknowledgments

Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction An Event General Characteristics of the “Event” A Name for the Experience The Mystic Experience in Cultural Context A Caution to Readers

Chapter 2: Phenomenology (Descriptive Analysis) of the Mystic Experience Naive Reports Reports by “Professional” Mystics Conclusions

Chapter 3: The Varieties of Ecstatic Experience Human Nature and Ecstatic Experiences Functional Ecstasies Visions, Lucid Dreams, and Problem-Solving Dreams Shamanism Mediumism Prophecy

vii

xi

xiii

1 1 3 5 6 9

11 11 23 28

31 33 36

36 38 41 45

viii

Chapter 4:

Chapter 5:

Chapter 6:

Contents

Nonfunctional Ecstasies Unitive Experiences Pure Consciousness The Mystic Experience

Previous Studies Philosophical Analyses Psychological Analyses Sociological Analyses Anthropological Analyses Combined Approaches: Anthropology and Psychology Biological Analyses Near-Death Experience Studies Comparative Religion Studies

Ethnohermeneutics I: Non-West Shamanistic and Mediumistic Traditions South Asia The Upanishads Hinduism Buddhism Chinese Religion

Ethnohermeneutics II: West Plotinus Judaism Christianity Catholicism Orthodoxy Islam Modern “Secular” Mysticism Cosmic Consciousness Absolute Consciousness

46 46 48 50

53 54 57 61 61

64 64 70 72

75 75 80 80 83 84 89

103 103 105 113 113 120 124 129 131 133