Part Two: Mystical Knowledge

Readings:

Huxley, A. (2021). The doors of perception. Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing.

Shrader, D. W. (2008, January). Seven characteristics of mystical experiences. In Sixth Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities

Key Dilemma of Part Two: Is it possible to reconcile science with mysticism?

Discussion Questions:

1. What is real? What is illusion? What is true? What are lies?

In the mainstream Western tradition, reality and truth tends to be based on physical evidence and strongly held, collective, beliefs. Following this, illusions or lies are experiences that are contrary to physical evidence and contrary to strongly held, collective beliefs.

In older and alternative traditions, reality and truth tends to be based on collective and historical experiences. Following this, illusions and lies are understood as the dogmas that are contrary to collective and historical experiences.

These two worldviews are stated in polarized summations, above, representing two ends of a continuum of the ways that cultures and people understand reality, illusion, truth, and lies. Actual cultures and people fall somewhere in the space between the ends of the continuum, depending on the level of exposure and adaptation they have to alternative views.

2. What is an altered state of consciousness?

It seems to be that, to a certain degree, consciousness is a social construction. On this view, a culture or a person has a somewhat shared “existential reality” (the reality that they experience). If a culture or person has an altered state of consciousness, their altered state is caused by a profound experience or a consciousness-altering drug or substance.

3. Is ordinary consciousness really an altered state, and is an altered state really true consciousness?

Ordinary consciousness is the one that we share with others in a culture. Therefore, for a person from a vastly different culture would consider our ordinary consciousness as an altered state. True consciousness is hard to pin down with language or abstractions. When people experience a state of consciousness that they feel is profoundly true, then they only have their experience to point to—not a linguistic summation—it is therefore an ineffable experience. However, various mystical experiences do have features in common with each other.

4. Is mysticism an element in many religions?

Yes, but not universally so.

5. Does mysticism exist in some forms of atheism?

Yes, as an example, Buddhist mystics are atheists.

6. Do psychedelic drugs engender authentic mysticism?

Some users of psychedelic drugs claim that they engender mystical experience; others claim that these experiences merely create hallucinogenic illusions.

7. Can three days in the wilderness engender authentic mysticism?

Some backpackers claim that prolonged time in the wilderness engender mystical experience; others claim that such experiences are hallucinogenic illusions.

8. Do traditional, pre-civilization, indigenous people live in a mystical reality?

A case can be made that these people live in a vastly different existential reality than modern people. Their connection to nature may be similar to the wilderness experience that backpackers sometimes have.

9. How does mysticism alter our experience of time and space?

As Henri Bergson suggests, without the external framing of time and space, one can experience timelessness (time seeming to stand still; past and future feeling close and connected) and space-less-ness (space losing its expansiveness and feeling intimately close and connected).

10. How does mysticism transform conflict practices?

Conflict resolvers, who have a mystical practice, can feel, and to a degree generate, closeness and connection between disputants. This can help facilitate communication across difference, which is the goal of conflict processes.