Exploring Mysticism

by Staal, Frits

• ISBN13: 9780520027268
• ISBN10: 0520027264
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1975-07-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

Until less than a century ago, the two prevailing views of dreams as well as of souls were that they are inconsequential (the scientific view) or of divine origin (the religious view). In either case it was assumed that they cannot be objects of rational inquiry. Similar views still prevail regarding mystical experiences and mysticism in general. Modern Western opinion, whether friendly or hostile, holds that the mystical falls squarely within the domain of the irrational.

Table of Contents

Description of Illustrations	p. vii
Preface	p. xv
Preface to the Second Printing	p. xxi
Introduction	p. 3
Sources of the Indian Tradition	p. 10
A Note on the Pronunciation of Sanskrit	p. 14
The Alleged Irrationality of Mysticism	p. 17
Christian Irrationalism	p. 20
Buddhist Irrationalism	p. 32
Modern Irrationalism	p. 47
Appearance and Reality	p. 54
How Not to Study Mysticism	p. 59
Dogmatic Approaches	p. 60
Mysticism in Christianity and Islam	p. 60
Zaehner on Mysticism	p. 67
Panikkar on Hinduism	p. 69
Philological and Historical Approaches	p. 71
Ruben and Lindquist on Yoga, Shamanism, and Hypnosis	p. 73
Massignon on Sufism and Conze on Buddhism	p. 81
The Structure of the Yogasutra	p. 86
Phenomenological and Sociological Approaches	p. 92
Phenomenology of Mysticism	p. 92
Sociology of Mysticism	p. 98
Physiological and Psychological Approaches	p. 102
Brosse on Yoga and Wallace on Transcendental Meditation	p. 102
Psychology in the Upanisads	p. 110
Contemporary Psychologists on Yoga	p. 112
Deikman on the Psychology of Meditation	p. 116
How to Study Mysticism	p. 121
Effort, Doubt, and Criticism	p. 123
Prerequisites and Methods	p. 135
The Guru	p. 143
Drugs and Powers	p. 155
Superstructures	p. 168
Mysticism and Religion	p. 190
Hallucinogens in the Rgveda, and other Matters	p. 201
Glossary	p. 209
Bibliography	p. 215
Index	p. 225
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