An Introduction to the Study of Mysticism

Richard H. Jones

Description

The purpose of this book is to fill a gap in contemporary mystical studies: an overview of the basic ways to approach mystical experiences and mysticism. It discusses the problem of definitions of “mystical experiences” and “mysticism” and advances characterizations of “mystical experiences” in terms of certain altered states of consciousness and “mysticism” in terms of encompassing ways of life centered on such experiences and states. Types of mystical experiences, enlightened states, paths, and doctrines are discussed, as is the relation of mystical experiences and mysticism to religions and cultures. The approaches of constructivism, contextualism, essentialism, and perennialism are presented. Themes in the history of the world’s major mystical traditions are set forth. Approaches to mystical phenomena in sociology, psychology, gender studies, and neuroscience are introduced. Basic philosophical issues related to whether mystical experiences are veridical and mystical claims valid, mystics’ problems of language, art, and morality are laid out. Older and newer comparative approaches in religious studies and in Christian theology are discussed, along with postmodernist objections. The intended audience is undergraduates and the general public interested in the general issues related to mysticism.

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie de la religion
• Religion
• Christianisme
• Mysticism
• Comparative religion
• Philosophy of religion
• Psychology
• History of religions
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438486345
• Langue: English

Extrait

An Introduction to the Study of Mysticism
An Introduction to the Study of Mysticism
Richard H. Jones
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2021 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.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Name: Jones, Richard H., 1951– author.
Title: An introduction to the study of mysticism / Richard H. Jones.
Description: Albany : State University of New York, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021035255 (print) | LCCN 2021035256 (ebook) | ISBN 9781438486338 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781438486345 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Mysticism.
Classification: LCC BL625 .J66 2021 (print) | LCC BL625 (ebook) | DDC 204/.22—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021035255
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021035256
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Contents
Preface
1 What Is Mysticism?
2 Types of Mystical Experiences
3 Mystical Paths
4 The Diversity of Mystical Knowledge-Claims
5 The Interaction of Experience and Culture in Mystical Knowledge
6 Approaches in the Study of Mysticism
7 Themes in the History of Mysticism
8 Psychological, Sociological, and Cultural Approaches to Mysticism
9 The Scientific Study of Mystical Experiences
10 The Relation of Mysticism and Science
11 Are Mystical Experiences Cognitive?
12 Mysticism and Language
13 Mysticism and Morality
14 Comparative Approaches to Mysticism
15 Theological Approaches to Comparative Mysticism
16 The Importance in Studying Mysticism Today
Notes
References and Further Reading
Index
Preface
I nterest in meditation is exploding today. In November 2014, Time Magazine hailed the “mindfulness revolution” on its cover. Mysticism, however, has fallen into general disrepute. The first definition that the Oxford English Dictionary gives the word in its latest edition reflects the popular view of mysticism today: “Frequently derogatory. Religious belief that is characterized by vague, obscure, or confused spirituality; a belief system based on the assumption of occult forces, mysterious supernatural agencies, etc.” The negative connotations of “mysticism” were set in the seventeenth century when the term was devised: it was first used in English to criticize religious groups seen as overly “enthusiastic” in their devotion, such as the Quakers and Shakers (and thus not properly British). Many people today think mysticism is the “essence” of religion or the most “authentic” religiosity, but theologians in Western religions also criticize it as a distortion of religion that leads only to heresy, antinomian behavior, and a negative impact on society. In the end, many theists agree with G. K. Chesterton’s well-known disparagement of “mysticism” as “starting in mist, ending in schism, with ‘I’ in the middle.” In academia, its study has become unfashionable in religious studies, philosophy, and the social sciences. In philosophy today, about the only time the term comes up is when disparaging an opponent’s reasoning—“Oh, you are a mystic!” accompanied by a dismissive wave of a hand. Cognitive scientists in neurology and psychology are interested in meditation and drug-enabled mystical states of consciousness but only for learning more about how the brain works. Members of the health sciences and psychotherapists are also becoming interested in meditation and psychedelic drugs for their possible effects on limited aspects of our physical and psychological well-being. But scientists are not interested in whether the resulting mystical experiences provide knowledge that enables a person to lead a life more in tune with reality.
In such circumstances, why bother studying mysticism itself? But if we move from treating “mysticism” as a vague general cultural term of derision to restricting its scope to phenomena surrounding certain types of experiences occurring in altered state of consciousness, there are good reasons to study it. If mystical experiences are unique mental states, as neuroscientists are now suggesting, then studying such experiences would be valuable to gain data on the nature of consciousness or at least the operation of the brain. In addition, mystical experiences would then present the possibility that they provide genuine unique insights into reality should be seriously examined. If some mystics in fact experience a transcendent reality, that would be momentous—such experiences would present a challenge to naturalistic beliefs concerning what is fundamentally real on experiential grounds rather than metaphysical or theological speculation. Philosophers thus should address the issue of the possible validity of mystical claims, rather than immediately dismissing them unexamined on grounds of naturalistic metaphysics, and people outside of academia also should take notice. Even without that possibility, people interested in religion or other cultures and eras should be interested in the roles that mysticism has played throughout history in different cultures, including today. Theologians make religious judgments on the status of mystical claims in their own tradition and in others, but it is the role of scholars in religious studies to lay out the world’s mystical traditions without such judgments. Determining that everything connected to mysticism is unique to each culture and era or that there are cross-cultural or even universal phenomena in mysticism would be significant. Matters such as these make the scholarly study of mysticism important, even if the academia study of mysticism may be limited because of the nature of mystical experiences themselves and the incompleteness of the historical record. So too, there is still much to learn about both how the brain operates during mystical experiences and also the social and psychological aspects of the lives of mystics.
On a personal level, there are also good reasons to study mysticism. Mysticism is not a matter of simply adopting certain beliefs —it is a matter of experience and how one lives . People who have had spontaneous mystical experiences or drug-enabled experiences or who meditate may well wonder about the nature of such experiences and should want to know the issues surrounding them and how others have dealt with them. Outside of that context, the study of the practices and ideas of the world’s mystics may lead to enlarging one’s worldview or may affect one’s values or at least may lead to examining one’s own beliefs and values. The religious may be interested in the mystics of their own tradition and also in seeing what mystics of other traditions believe and how they live. Moreover, these experiences occur spontaneously more commonly among the general population than usually supposed—they are not limited to monastics or others who have devoted their lives to a mystical way of life or who have taken psychedelic drugs. And with the practice of meditation among a growing segment of the general population, these experiences have taken on a more prominent presence in our culture today than in the recent centuries in the West. Thus, even people who have not any type of mystical experience or have not experienced awe and wonder at the world may want to know more about mystical experiences.
With that being said, being familiar with mysticism should be part of any well-rounded person’s education. A good place to start, I hope, is the overview of today’s principal approaches to the study of mysticism provided. This book sets forth definitions of “mystical experiences” and “mysticism,” along with descriptions of their general nature ( chapters 1 – 5 ); overviews of the different current approaches to the study of mystical experiences and mysticism ( chapter 6 ) and of the general themes in the world’s major mystical traditions ( chapter 7 ); introductions to the different current social and psychological approaches, including gender studies ( chapter 8 ); an introduction to the neuroscientific study of meditators and participants in psychedelic drug studies ( chapter 9 ); a comparison of mystical and scientific knowledge in light of New Age beliefs ( chapter 10 ); and introductions to the major analytic philosophical issues ( chapters 11 – 13 ) and to comparative approaches in religious studies and theology along with postmodern objections ( chapters 14 – 15 ). Popular misunderstandings of the nature of mysticism as stipulated here are also pointed out along the way.
But be prepared to step out of your comfort zone: studying mysticism involves altered states of consciousness, examining lives transformed by a single momentary experience, and such claims as that something can exist but not be ultimately real, that paradoxes are acceptable and even necessary, that what is experienced is ineffable, that the enlightened are beyond good and evil, and that one ascends to a reality by delving inward.
— 1 —
What Is Mysticism?
T he first issue is getting a handle on what phenomena should be considered “mystical.” The vagueness of the word and the generally negative attitude toward it in our culture has led to the term being used for a wide range of phenomena generally looked down upon today: magic, hallucinations, miracles, speaking in tongues, anything occult or esoteric, paranormal powers and experiences, anything supernatural or otherworldly, anything theological or spiritual, anything nonscientific in nature, any obscure belief, any thinking or speculation deeme