Mysticism

Bibliographic Data

ID23699004
AuthorsB Markovsky (0000-0001-7925-4297, University of South Carolina), Jake Frederick (University of South Carolina)
Year2015
Pages1-10
Publication date2015-05-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeOTHER
VenueEmerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (JOURNAL)
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/9781118900772.etrds0231
OpenAlexW4242930020
ISBN9781118900772
LanguageEN
References cited20

Mysticism and related concepts have appeared in a variety of academic and nonacademic contexts. We begin by narrowing our focus to several general definitions that emphasize properties that have proved to be of interest to social and behavioral scientists. In such contexts, mystical knowledge typically refers to a special kind of positive, life‐changing sense of comprehending the universe, and a mystical experience is the physical and psychological state in which such knowledge is acquired, and during which the experiencer feels “at one” with the universe and/or a higher power. We review some of the earliest work on mysticism in psychology and sociology, primarily attributable to William James and Max Weber, respectively. More recent work in psychology has focused mainly on the development of mysticism scales, and research in neuropsychology is focusing on, among other topics, how structures and processes in the human brain produce mystical experiences. Sociological research has been relatively meager; however, we do note the potential contributions that sociological perspectives might offer. We close with a discussion of some methodological and theoretical issues that seem to hinder progress in the area, and note several promising lines for future research.

Epistemology · Mysticism · Social science · Sociology · Variety (cybernetics) · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Mathematics · Philosophy · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology

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