mystical experience

(noun)

In the mystical experience, all otherness'disappears and the believer becomes one with the transcendent. The believer discovers that he or she is not distinct from the cosmos, the deity, or the other reality, but one with all of these, as part of an interconnected whole.

Related Terms

Examples of mystical experience in the following topics:

  • Religious Experience

    • Characteristic of the shaman, the goal of this type of experience is to leave one's body and experience transcendental realities.
    • Mystical experiences are in many ways the opposite of numinous experiences.
    • In mystical experiences, all 'otherness' disappears, and the believer recognizes that they are one with the transcendent.
    • Because mysticism emphasizes radical unity, which is the opposite of hierarchy, it is often deprecated or persecuted by members of these institutional faiths.
    • The term "spiritual awakening" can refer to a wide range of experiences, including being born again, having a near-death experience, or achieving mystical liberation or enlightenment.

  • Identity Formation

    • Lastly, a religious identity is the set of beliefs and practices generally held by an individual, involving adherence to codified beliefs and rituals and study of ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as faith and mystic experience.

  • Religion and Other Social Factors

    • Batson et. al. provide a clear summary of the differences in religiosity between men and women (transgender religious experience was not observed in the study): There is considerable evidence that women are more likely to be interested and involved in religion than men.
    • Women rate their religious beliefs as important more than do men, and they are more likely to report having had a religious or mystical experience...
    • Even within the religions that do allow women equal rights and ordination, women experience discrimination.

  • Capitalism, Modernization, and Industrialization

    • Related to rationalization is the process of disenchantment , in which the world is becoming more explained and less mystical, moving from polytheistic religions to monotheistic ones and finally to the Godless science of modernity.

  • The Milgram Experiment: The Power of Authority

    • However, Milgram's experiments relate to any question of obedience and authority.
    • The Milgram experiment—based on obedience to authority figures—was a series of notable social psychology experiments conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram in the 1960s.
    • Some test subjects paused at 135 volts and began to question the purpose of the experiment.
    • In Milgram's first set of experiments, 65 percent (26 of 40) of experiment participants administered the experiment's final massive 450-volt shock, though many were very uncomfortable doing so.
    • At some point, every participant paused and questioned the experiment, some saying they would refund the money they were paid for participating in the experiment.

  • Experiments

    • In order to prove or disprove the hypothesis, scientists must perform experiments.
    • The experiment is a controlled test designed specifically to prove or disprove the hypothesis .
    • Before undertaking the experiment, researchers must attempt to identify everything that might influence the results of an experiment and do their best to neutralize the effects of everything except the topic of study.
    • Of course, an experiment is not an absolute requirement.
    • An experiment is a controlled test designed specifically to prove or disprove a hypothesis.

  • Protecting Research Subjects

    • One of the most infamous was the Stanford prison experiment.
    • Two of the prisoners quit the experiment early and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after only six days.
    • The experiment was criticized as being unethical and unscientific.
    • Two of the prisoners quit the experiment early and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after only six days.
    • The experiment was criticized as being unethical and unscientific.

  • Workplace

    • Employees with certain personality traits and experiences adjust to an organization more quickly.
    • These traits are a proactive personality, the "Big Five" traits, curiosity and greater experience levels.
    • Specifically, new employees who are extraverted or particularly open to experience are more likely to seek out information, feedback, acceptance and relationships with co-workers.
    • Employee experience levels also affect the onboarding process.
    • This is because seasoned employees can draw from past experiences to help them adjust to their new work settings.

  • Prejudice, Bias, and Discrimination

    • Alternatively, prejudice can refer to the formation of a judgment without direct or actual experience.
    • Technically, prejudice should be differentiated from viewpoints accumulated through direct life experience.
    • If the assertion is made that no amount of experience ever entitles a person to a viewpoint then this precipitates a logical absurdity since anyone who opposes strongly-held views must, by their own definition, also be prejudiced, invalidating their own proposition on the grounds of... prejudice.
    • Post-judgments or beliefs and viewpoints derived from experience that maintain unfair or stereotypical perspectives on a group of people is more accurately referred to as bias.
    • Humans express more empathy when members of their own racial group experience pain compared to when individuals of other racial groups experience pain.

  • Aging and Race

    • Individuals with different racial backgrounds tend to have different experiences with old age.
    • Individuals of different racial backgrounds experience aging—and the health issues associated with it—differently .
    • Before turning to the medical concerns that accompany aging, one should note that elders of different racial backgrounds also experience different frequencies of elder abuse.