contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity or identity with or absorption into the Deity or the ultimate reality; spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the understanding; relating to mysterious, awe-inspiring , spiritually allegorical, symbolic or hidden meaning.
doctrine that it is possible to achieve communion with God through contemplation and love without the the medium of human reason"; " knowledge of spiritual truths acquired intuitively via mediation; vague or obscure belief
a conscious (and usually disciplined) quest for direct experience of union with the divine.
the belief in realities or truths beyond the present reach of reason.
Is the field of human experience to which men and women have given witness everywhere and in every age, to the possibility of the human encounter and direct communication with Divine Reality. Described in many languages and by many symbols, it has been universally experienced as an intimate knowing of Transcendence with the whole of one's being.
belief that beyond the visible material world there is a spiritual reality (which may be called God) that people may experience through meditation, revelation, intuition, or other state that takes the individual beyond a normal consciousness.
a religion based on mystical communion with an ultimate reality
obscure or irrational thought
the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective experience such as intuition or insight.
The belief that direct knowledge of God may be achieved by the human apart from both empirical experience and logical revelation; such knowledge generally is incommunicable.
The belief that knowledge of divine truth or the soul's union with the divine is attainable by spiritual insight or ecstatic contemplation without the medium of the senses or reason
A word, of Greek origin, that has acquired a wide array of meanings. Mysticism is the element of religion concerned with attaining a direct experience with God or the Universe.^ to top
generally refers to a personal and non-rational path to God, whereby the soul seeks to join itself to God and become one with Him. Mysticism is much like Zen in terms of being incommunicable and yet written about at great length.
the articulation of experience beyond any symbolization
belief that there is another level of existence other than the three dimensional world we currently live in and although not perceived by the human eye it can be felt in the emotions. NECROMANCY: communicating with the dead in order to divine the future. (see Seance).
The pursuit of the experience of unity. Evelyn Underhill, in Mysticism, says: "Mysticism is seen to be a highly specialized form of that search for reality, for heightened and completed life, which we have found to be a constant characteristic of human consciousness."
disciplined religious behavior aimed at achieving unity with the deity(ies) or ultimate reality; focusing on the deity(ies) to the exclusion of earthly preoccupations
theory asserting the possibility of attaining knowledge, especially direct knowledge of the divine, and of spiritual truth, through immediate intuition or spiritual insight.
a way of interpreting certain types of immediate experience as a direct encounter with God or with 'transcendent' 'reality'. Kant speaks harshly about mystics who tend to be fanatics or who make unjustified knowledge-claims based on such experiences. Ironically, his own philosophical 'System' can be interpreted as an attempt to transform mysticism into a philosophically justifiable (i.e., Critical) way of life.
A multi-faceted term, which can bear a variety of meanings. In its most importance sense, the terms refers to the union with God which is seen as the ultimate goal of the Christian life. This union is not to be thought of in rational or intellectual terms, but more in terms of a direct consciousness or experience of God.
Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mustikos) "an initiate" (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήÏια (musteria) meaning "initiation"The Eleusinian Mysteries, or mystery religions in general, do not necessarily involve mysticism; the present meaning of the term arose, rather, via Platonism and Neoplatonism, which made reference to the Eleusinian initiation as a metaphor for the "initiation" to spiritual truths.) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an important source of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Traditions may include a belief in the literal existence of realities beyond empirical perception, or a belief that a true human perception of the world transcends logical reasoning or intellectual comprehension. A person delving in these areas may be called a Mystic.
