Mysticism - Revision history

PeterWilson at 23:56, 29 December 2017

2017-12-29T23:56:35Z

DavidWalker at 09:56, 11 November 2015

2015-11-11T09:56:39Z

DavidWalker at 09:55, 11 November 2015

2015-11-11T09:55:26Z

DavidWalker at 12:06, 18 December 2010

2010-12-18T12:06:05Z

DavidWalker: New page: '''Mysticism''' is the search for experience of 'ultimate reality', and a person who seeks to have such experience is known as a '''mystic'''. Thus what the '''mystic''' seeks may be contr...

2010-12-18T11:55:01Z

New page: '''Mysticism''' is the search for experience of 'ultimate reality', and a person who seeks to have such experience is known as a '''mystic'''. Thus what the '''mystic''' seeks may be contr...

New page

'''Mysticism''' is the search for experience of 'ultimate reality', and a person who seeks to have such experience is known as a '''mystic'''. Thus what the '''mystic''' seeks may be contrasted , in one dimension, with our 'normal' experience of the everyday world - the '''mystic''' seeks experience not of the everyday world but of 'ultimate reality', e.g. of God or of whatever is taken to be the most fundamental or basic reality - and, in another dimension, with discursive knowledge of 'ultimate reality', i.e., the kind of knowledge that might be acquired by reason and argument - the '''mystic''' seeks not discursive knowledge but experience of 'ultimate reality'.

'''Mystics''' often adopt an austere or ascetic lifestyle to minimise their exposure to the distractions of the everyday world or may even live in a separate community along with other '''mystics''', and typically they engage in distinctive practices - e.g., meditation, the repetition of certain words or phrases, ritual dancing - which they believe will bring them closer to the experience of 'ultimate reality'.

There are many different forms of '''mysticism''', most but by no means all of them with a foundation in religious belief: all the great religions of the world have their '''mystical''' traditions. Thus, within the [[Abrahamic]] religions, [[Sufism]] is a form of [[Islam|Islamic]] '''mysticism''', [[Cabbalism]] is a form of [[Jewish]] '''mysticism''', certain forms of [[Gnosticism]] may be regarded as [[heresy|heretical]] forms of [[Christianity]], while within [[Catholic]] [[Christianity]] well-known mystics include the Spanish nun St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) and the Spanish monk and poet St. John of the Cross (1542-1591). The religious or other beliefs to which '''mystics''' are committed will not only influence the kinds of practices in which they engage in their search for experience of 'ultimate reality', but will shape their conception of the 'ultimate reality' they hope to experience, and thereby their description of any '''mystical''' experiences they may have, e.g., as union with God, loss of the self, complete detachment from the world, etc.

The words ''''mystic'''', ''''mysticism'''', and ''''mystical'''' come from the [[Greek]] Î¼Ï…ÏƒÏ„Î¹ÎºÏŒÏ‚ (''mustikos'', of or related to the mysteries (Ï„Î± Î¼Ï…ÏƒÏ„Î¹ÎºÎ¬, ''ta mustika'', the mysteries or secret rites of the [[Greek]] mystery religions))

[[Category:Religion]][[Category:Culture]][[Category:Etymology]]

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 There are many different forms of '''mysticism''', most but by no means all of them with a foundation in religious belief: all the great religions of the world have their '''mystical''' traditions. Thus, within the [[Abrahamic]] religions, [[Sufism]] is a form of [[Islam|Islamic]] '''mysticism''', [[Cabbalism]] is a form of [[Jewish]] '''mysticism''', certain forms of [[Gnosticism]] may be regarded as [[heresy|heretical]] forms of [[Christianity]], while within [[Catholic]] [[Christianity]] well-known mystics include the Spanish nun St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) and the Spanish monk and poet St. John of the Cross (1542-1591). The religious or other beliefs to which '''mystics''' are committed will not only influence the kinds of practices in which they engage in their search for experience of 'ultimate reality', but will shape their conception of the 'ultimate reality' they hope to experience, and thereby their description of any '''mystical''' experiences they may have, e.g., as union with God, loss of the self, complete detachment from the world, etc.
-The words ''''mystic'''', ''''mysticism'''', and ''''mystical'''' come from the [[Greek]] μυστικός (''mustikos'', of or related to the mysteries (τὰ μυστικά, ''ta mustika'', the mysteries or secret rites of the [[Greek]] mystery religions))
+The words ''''mystic'''', ''''mysticism'''', and ''''mystical'''' come from the [[Greek]] μυστικός (''mustikos'', of or related to the mysteries (τὰ μυστικά, ''ta mustika'', the mysteries or secret rites of the [[Greek]] mystery religions)).
 [[Category:Religion]][[Category:Culture]][[Category:Etymology]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:06, 18 December 2010
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−	'''Mysticism''' is the search for experience of 'ultimate reality', and a person who seeks to have such experience is known as a '''mystic'''. Thus what the '''mystic''' seeks may be contrasted , in one dimension, with our 'normal' experience of the everyday world - the '''mystic''' seeks experience not of the everyday world but of 'ultimate reality', e.g. of God or of whatever is taken to be the most fundamental or basic reality - and, in another dimension, with discursive knowledge of 'ultimate reality', i.e., the kind of knowledge that might be acquired by reason and argument - the '''mystic''' seeks not discursive knowledge but experience of 'ultimate reality'.	+	'''Mysticism''' is the search for experience of 'ultimate reality', and a person who seeks to have such experience is known as a '''mystic'''. Thus what the '''mystic''' seeks may be contrasted, in one dimension, with our 'normal' experience of the everyday world - the '''mystic''' seeks experience not of the everyday world but of 'ultimate reality', e.g. of God or of whatever is taken to be the most fundamental or basic reality - and, in another dimension, with discursive knowledge of 'ultimate reality', i.e., the kind of knowledge that might be acquired by reason and argument - the '''mystic''' seeks not discursive knowledge but experience of 'ultimate reality'.

	'''Mystics''' often adopt an austere or ascetic lifestyle to minimise their exposure to the distractions of the everyday world or may even live in a separate community along with other '''mystics''', and typically they engage in distinctive practices - e.g., meditation, the repetition of certain words or phrases, ritual dancing - which they believe will bring them closer to the experience of 'ultimate reality'.		'''Mystics''' often adopt an austere or ascetic lifestyle to minimise their exposure to the distractions of the everyday world or may even live in a separate community along with other '''mystics''', and typically they engage in distinctive practices - e.g., meditation, the repetition of certain words or phrases, ritual dancing - which they believe will bring them closer to the experience of 'ultimate reality'.