Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, [1] but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ultimate or hidden truths, and to human transformation supported by various practices and experiences.

Nov 11, 2004 · Indeed, “mysticism” is best thought of as a constellation of distinctive practices, discourses, texts, institutions, traditions, and experiences aimed at human transformation, variously defined. But this entry will concentrate on the topics philosophers have discussed concerning mystical experiences. 1. Mystical Experiences. 2.

Mar 17, 2025 · Mysticism, the practice of religious ecstasies (religious experiences during alternate states of consciousness), together with whatever ideologies, ethics, rites, myths, legends, and magic may be related to them. Learn more about mysticism in this article.

Mar 17, 2025 · Mystics believe that their experiences disclose the existence of an extrasensory dimension of reality: phenomena whose existence cannot be detected through sense perception become apparent during mystical experience. Mystics differ radically, however, in their claims about extrasensory realities.

Mar 17, 2025 · Mysticism - Spiritual, Experiential, Transcendent: Because religious ideas that are obscure or cryptic may be called “mystical” in popular parlance, mysticism is often mistakenly thought to be essentially irrational.

Scholarly approaches to mysticism include typologies of mysticism and the explanation of mystical states. Since the 19th century, mystical experience has evolved as a distinctive concept.

Nov 11, 2004 · In the Hellenistic world, ‘mystical’ referred to “secret” religious rituals. In early Christianity the term came to refer to “hidden” allegorical interpretations of Scriptures and to hidden presences, such as that of Jesus at the Eucharist.

May 29, 2018 · Mysticism Permeating each of the world's major religious traditions, mysticism may be described as the level of deep, experiential encounter with the divine, or ultimate, however that may be understood, that links religious and spiritual …

Jul 21, 2024 · Mysticism is a profound and transformative path that seeks to transcend ordinary experiences and achieve direct, personal encounters with the divine or ultimate reality. It emphasizes unity, transcendence, and inner transformation, distinguishing it …

Aug 24, 2021 · “Mysticism” is a slippery word. People may use it to discuss medieval Christian saints’ communion with God, 3,000-year-old Vedic texts, or twenty-first-century Wiccan sex magic. Others use it to attack religious practices they see as irrational or unserious.