Mysticism

Mysticism encompasses religious traditions of human transformation aided by various practices and religious experiences. Popularly, mysticism is used synonymously with mystical experience, a neologism which refers to an ecstatic unitive experience of becoming one with God, the Absolute, or all that exists.

Scholarly research since the 1970s had questioned this understanding, noting that what appears to be mysticism may also refer to the attainment of insight into ultimate or hidden truths, as in Buddhist awakening and Hindu prajna, in nondualism, and in the realisation of emptiness and ego-lessness, and also to altered states of consciousness such as samadhi.

The term "mysticism" has Ancient Greek origins with various historically determined meanings. Derived from the Greek word μύω múō, meaning "to close" or "to conceal", mysticism came to refer to the biblical, liturgical (and sacramental), spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity. During the early modern period, the definition of mysticism grew to include a broad range of beliefs and ideologies related to "extraordinary experiences and states of mind".

Broadly defined, mysticism as a way of personal transformation can be found in a number of religious traditions, including Western mysticism and Western esotericism, Sufism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Additional resources

Articles

• Mysticism, Self-Discovery, and Social Transformation by Beatrice Bruteau.
• The Way of Mysticism by Manly P. Hall. Originally published as an essay in The Silent Encounter edited by Virginia Hanson (Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 1974), 12-17.

Books

• Hanson, Virginia, editor. The Silent Encounter. Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 1974. A collection of essays on mysticism.

Audio

• The Nature of the Mystical Experience by Joy Mills.
• Mysticism: Bridge to Nowhere (8 Parts) by Pedro Oliveira.
• Mysticism: Bridge to Nowhere by Pedro Oliveira. Shorter version.

Video

• Mysticism by Annie Besant.
• Mysticism and Parapsychology by Joy Mills.
• Mysticism: Bridge to Nowhere by Pedro Oliveira. Posted March 25, 2023 by Theosophical SOciety in New Zealand for Wellington TS.
• Mysticism: Bridge to Nowhere by Pedro Oliveira. Posted September 19, 2020 by Theosophical Society in The Philippines.

Bibliographies

• Bibliography on Mysticism from the Henry S. Olcott Memorial Library.