Mysticism in philosophy: definition, representatives. Mysticism is ...

In the European culture mysticism appeared in the XIX century at the time of the crisis and the loss of potential for further development. Interest to it has not died down to this day. There is an opinion that the origins of mysticism are oriental religious and philosophical trends. However, this is not quite true. Undoubtedly, the East is filled with mysticism and influenced the religious minds of Europeans at the time when it began to seep into European culture. The influence of Eastern philosophical thought is strong to this day, attracting to itself precisely the mystical aspect of the worldview. But classical religions, including the world religion - Christianity, are not devoid of mysticism.

The concept of mysticism

Judaism, Islam, various religious movements, such as Manichaeism, Sufism and others, have their own mystical school. For example, the Sufis of Shazaliya and Naqshbandiya schools believe that their way of teaching is the fastest way to understand the Islamic faith. By common definition, mysticism is the emergence of a person's supersensibilities, which he is given the opportunity to contemplate the higher powers. Western mysticism differs from the eastern one. The first speaks about meeting with God, about his knowledge, about the presence of God in the heart, the soul of man. At the same time, He gives Him the highest place over the world and over man as the source of everything living and existing, as the bearer of all goods. Eastern mysticism is a complete dissolution in the Absolute: God is me, I am God. The very word "mysticism" ("mysticism") of Greek origin and means - "mysterious, hidden." That is, mysticism is a person's belief in an invisible connection and direct communication with metaphysical higher powers. The definition of mysticism can represent the practical experience of communicating the mystic with the object of higher powers or the philosophical (religious) doctrine of ways to achieve such communication.

Real and cognitive mysticism

The real - is achieved by an experimental way, when the actions of a person lead to a special connection with the secret higher forces, not dependent on circumstances, time and space. It happens to be a diviner and active. Real mysticism is the desire to directly examine phenomena and objects that are outside the given space and time, this is the area of fortune-tellers, fortune-tellers, clairvoyants, etc. The second one is also trying to act: to influence various processes at a distance by one's own suggestion, to materialize and dematerialize the spirits . Active mysticism is a practice inherent in hypnotists, magicians practicing theurgy, sorcerers, mediums, etc. Among the mystics, many charlatans and deceivers. However, there are cases when scientists fix the presence of a real mystical component in the practice of mystics. Yet it is extremely rare to find such mystics who never make mistakes. And this suggests that most of these people are not on the true mystical path, their minds are under the power of fallen spirits who, as they want, play with them.

Alchemists and mysticism

Most philosophers and scholars in the study of mysticism believe that there is not enough evidence to attribute the alchemists to mystics. It's all about practical material experience with natural nature and its components, based on the principle of the unity of matter. Alchemy does not fit into generally accepted ideas: mysticism, whose definition proceeds from the knowledge of the laws of the spiritual world, subordinated to other immaterial laws, has nothing to do with the purpose of transforming nature into a more perfect state. Mysticism always involves the communication of the higher extraterrestrial forces with the object of knowledge. However mysterious and mysterious the alchemist may be, he always remains the gold-maker, the recipient of the "imperfect" metal of the "perfect" one. And all his activities are directed not at the knowledge of the Higher Reason, but in the creation of goods for the earthly life, which is excluded in mysticism, which pursues the goal of connecting with the world where spirits live.

Christian mysticism

In Christianity, mysticism occupies a special place, but it differs radically from various kinds of magic and similar things. First of all, it is real. This is an experienced mystic, without any speculation. Where there are human conjectures, is called a state of charm. For people who have not studied Christianity, mysticism in philosophy often appears non-verbal. It should be noted that mysticism in Orthodoxy and Catholicism, not to mention various sectarian movements, is significantly different. Catholic mysticism is more focused on the sensual sensation of the Divine, as a result of which it is easy for a person, as Orthodox theologians consider, to fall into a state of delusion (false knowledge). In such a state, when a person shows a tendency to mysticism, relying on his feelings, he easily falls under the influence of demonic forces, without realizing it. The charm easily appears on the ground of pride, self-love and popularity. The Orthodox mystical experience is a union with God through the humility of one's passions, the realization of the sinfulness and morbidity of the soul, the healer of which can only become God. The experience of Orthodox asceticism is widely disclosed in patristic literature.

Philosophy and mysticism

The psychic of a man walking along the path of mysticism, his worldview and his world view are in a special, mysterious state of communication with the spiritual world. Mysticism itself is directed precisely at the way of knowing the object of the spiritual world. By definition, philosophical mysticism places emphasis on the solution of the universally valid tasks of the world view: the meaning of life, the process of modeling the correct image of being, the attainment of happiness, the knowledge of the Absolute. Mystic philosopher with the help of his designs gives the spiritual world beingness. As a rule, the philosophical understanding of mysticism is contradictory: it implies the unity of mythology, religion, science, rational, visual and conceptual.

Wisdom and Philosophy

The concept of philosophy is the search for wisdom, that is, the philosopher is always on the road, he is looking for a person. A man who is wise and has found the truth, the knowledge of being, will no longer be a philosopher. After all, he is not looking any more, for he has found the source of wisdom - God, and now only strives to know Him, and through God himself and the world around him. This way is true, and the road of philosophical search can easily lead to delusion. Therefore, often scientists and philosophers came to a deep state of religiosity, an understanding of the harmony of the world, over which the hand of the Creator worked.

Philosophical mystical currents

Among the widespread philosophical currents are representatives of mysticism, quite well-known in Russia:

• Theosophy of Blavatsky.
• "Living Ethics (Agni Yoga) of the Roerichs".
• "Russian mysticism Gurdjieff", based on the Sufi teachings "Chishti" and "Zen Buddhism."
• "Andriyev's historiosophy" is a synthesis of Christianity and the Vedic worldview.
• "Integral Yoga of Ghosh".
• "Neveveda Vivekananda."
• "Anthropology of Castaneda."
• Kabbalah.
• Hasidism.

Manifestation of mystical states

In Christianity, mysticism is (briefly) the convergence of the grace of God to a person with the permission of God himself, and not according to the will of man. When a person tries to attract grace through strong-willed efforts, he risks being deceived either by his own imagination or by demonic forces capable of taking any form that could mislead a person. That's why in the Scriptures it is forbidden to talk to demons even about a saint. "Get away from me, Satan," - so you need to speak to unclean spirits. Since the fallen angels are very skilled and excellent psychologists, they subtly intertwine lies with the truth and can easily deceive the inexperienced in the asceticism of man.

Often the mystical state of the human psyche is detected after brain trauma or is associated with its pathology when there was a threat to life. For example, northern shamanism practices the introduction of its successor into a state of clinical death through hypothermia. In their opinion, during such a state the soul passes into the world of spirits and acquires the ability to communicate with them and on returning to its earthly body.

There are special psychedelic techniques for changing consciousness, psychological state through breathing and other means. With their help, a person enters into a mystical state. For example: LSD, Sufi zikr, holotropic method, the use of certain species of fungi, etc. Many of them seem harmless, but in fact - these are dangerous techniques, after which a person may not return to the original state of his psyche, because it is serious Is damaged.