The Realms, Dimensions and Essence of Mystical Experience

Subject Areas : Philosophy

على  موحدیان عطار ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2007-05-09 Accepted : 2007-07-11 Published : 2007-03-21

Keywords: Mystical Experience, intuition, states, phenomenology, unity of being, mystical quest, mysticism,

Abstract :

This paper is an attempt to provide a clearer and deeper view ofmystical experience. First, it catches a glimpse of this concept fromabove and finds it possessed of different instances, realms, anddimensions. It then delimits the subject to the common applicationof this concept in order to examine the four-fold dimensions of thisstate of disclosure, that is, the epistemic, epistemological,subjective, and emotional dimensions.Giving a brief survey of the descriptions of this state by some wellknownresearchers in this field such as James, Underhill, Suzuki,Stace, and Otto, the writer tries to show that the four features ofmystical experience, that is, epistemicity, intuitivity, subjectivity,and love-centeredness are together qualified as the essence of thisexperience due to their foundationality and universality.Employing a phenomenological approach, the writer tries to provethat the quintessence of middle-path mystical experience consists inthe immediate and direct knowledge of Reality( reality stripped ofall modes), while in the final step of mystical experience, it is thedirect and immediate knowledge of the unitary reality of being(Absolute Reality).The article has dealt with mystical experience from aphenomenological point of view.