The Comparative Study of Mysticism

Abstract

Comparative mysticism is a field of academic study that develops from about the mid-19th century. Initially, special attention was given to the study of the psychology and phenomenology of the personal experience cross-religions, generally described as an altered state of consciousness with specific characteristics, processes, stages, effects, and stimulants. Subject-interests gradually moved more towards the dynamics of the socio-cultural contexts of the phenomena. This article outlines key concepts, methods, and issues of the exploration and analysis of comparative mysticism, beginning with its historical origins, definitional frameworks, and epistemological typologies, and then shifting to popular themes and issues that evolved especially in the latter part of the 20th century. This includes topics on mysticism in relation to: psychoactive substances; morality; neuroscientific research; evidential truth claims; feminist concerns; the erotic and other physical phenomena; psychoanalytic and transpersonal psychology; and comparative theology.