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Mysticism and Religious Experience
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Pantheistic Experience
A type of experience where one feels part of everything, and everything is perceived as part of God. It's significant as it shapes pantheistic philosophical views and impacts environmental ethics.
Illumination
A state of enlightenment and clarity where a person gains new insight or understanding of spiritual truths. It is a key stage in the mystical journey and significant for spiritual development.
Da'at
In Kabbalah, Da'at represents knowledge and is considered a pseudo-sephira, the state where all ten sephirot in the Tree of Life are united as one. Essentials for understanding Jewish mystical practice and theology.
Visionary Experience
Receiving visions that have spiritual or mystical significance typically involving sensory encounters with spiritual beings or symbols. These play a substantial role in many religions as sources of revelation and guidance.
Numinous Experience
A feeling of holy or sacred presence that is both terrifying and fascinating, as described by Rudolf Otto. It's essential for differentiating between ethical and religious feelings and experiences.
Nirvana
In Buddhism, the ultimate goal of moksha or liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth. It signifies the end of suffering and the attainment of spiritual enlightenment.
Satori
A sudden flash of enlightenment in Zen Buddhism, leading to a deep intuitive understanding of reality. It is of great significance in Zen practice and the study of consciousness.
Non-Theistic Mystical Experience
Mystical experiences that do not necessarily relate to a personal god but to an ultimate reality, often experienced as a sense of oneness with the universe. Significant for being inclusive of Eastern religious philosophies.
Moksha
Freedom from the cycle of birth and death (samsara) in Hinduism, which is one of the four main goals in life. It signifies the liberation of the soul from the karmic cycle and ultimate spiritual freedom.
Altered State of Consciousness
Any state significantly different from a normative waking beta wave state, achieved through meditation, trance, psychedelics, or other means. It's relevant for its role in facilitating experiences regarded as mystical or spiritual.
Fana
In Sufism, the passing away or dissolution of the ego and individual traits, leading to union with Allah. It's crucial for understanding Sufi concepts of spiritual development and the end of individual existence.
Dark Night of the Soul
A spiritual crisis that involves feelings of abandonment by God, which can lead to deeper spiritual understanding. It has significance in the spiritual growth and struggle in mysticism.
The Unio Mystica
Latin for 'Mystical Union'; it's an experience where the mystic feels fully one with the divine. It plays a vital role in Christian mysticism and the pursuit of spiritual communion with God.
Theosis
The process of becoming one with God or being made 'godlike', prominent in Christian Orthodox theology. This concept is important to the discussion of deification and human-divine relationship in Christian mysticism.
Samadhi
In Hindu and Buddhist practice, it's a state of deep absorption or contemplation, the highest state of mental concentration that one can achieve while still bound to the body. It's crucial for understanding the goals of meditation and spiritual development in these traditions.
Theistic Mystical Experience
Direct, personal encounters with a divine being, characterized by a sense of union or communion. It is significant as it serves as a basis for many religious testimonies and theologies.
Transcendence
Exceeding beyond the ordinary limits, often in a spiritual sense of going beyond the physical world. It is central to many religious philosophies, signifying the pursuit of a state that lies beyond the material existence.
Ecstasy
An altered state of consciousness, characterized by intense feelings of joy, rapture, and transcendent connection. Its significance lies in its transformative potential in religious life and mystical practices.
Nature Mysticism
An experience of unity or oneness with nature, often leading to a profound sense of awe and interconnectedness. It influences environmental ethics and spiritual ecology.
Mystical Union
The experience of becoming one with the divine or ultimate reality, often described in terms of ecstasy or a loss of individual ego. It's critical for understanding the goals of various mystical traditions.
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