A History of Mysticism

Contents
Abbreviations
Preface
	The Problem of Understanding Mystics
	The Danger in Having a Mystical Experience
	Postmodern Concerns
	Classifications and Essences
	Doing Cross-Cultural History
	The Contextual Approach versus Perennial Philosophy
	The Scope of This Book
1. Mysticism and Mystical Experiences
	Other Altered State of Consciousness Experiences
	Mystical Paths
	Mystical Knowledge
	The Diversity of Mystical Experiences
		Extrovertive Experiences
		Introvertive Experiences
	Extrovertive Mystical Experiences
	Mindfulness
	Introvertive Mystical Experiences
	Depth-Mystical Experiences
	Mystical Enlightenment as a State of Consciousness
	The Enlightened State
	Enlightenment, Conceptualizations, and Language
	Mystical Metaphysics
	The Mystical Traditions of the World
2. The Prehistory of Mysticism
	Shamanism
	Shamanic Altered States of Consciousness
	Psychedelic Drugs in Religious History
	Shamanism and Mystical Experiences
	Shamanism is not Primitive Mysticism
3. Mysticism in Classical Greek Philosophy
	Was There Mysticism in Early Greek Philosophy?
	The Pre-Socratics
	Socrates
	Plato
	After Plato
	Plotinus
	Later Neoplatonism
	Philosophical Texts as Spiritual Exercises
	Key Themes
4. Jewish Mysticism
	Philo Judaeus of Alexandria
	The Hekhalot Visionary Texts
	Cosmogonic Speculation
	Early German Pietists
	Early Kabbalah
	Classical Kabbalah
	Hasidism
	Modern Era
	The Question of Unitive Mystical Experiences
	Key Themes
5. Christian Mysticism
	The New Testament
	Desert Monastics
	The Christian Path
	Greek Influence
	Early Middle Ages
	Eastern Orthodoxy
	Late Middle Ages
	Meister Eckhart
	Antinomianism
	The Reformation Period
	Modern Era
	Key Themes
6. Islamic Mysticism
	The Quran
	Muhammad
	Early Asceticism and the Rise of Sufism
	Early Sufi Ways of Life
	Rabiah and Love Mysticism
	Knowledge and the Annihilation of the Self
	Sufi Theorists
	The Persian Poets
	Sufi Orders
	Influence, Decline, and Revival
	Key Themes
7. Hindu Mysticism
	The Vedic Background
	The Upanishads
	Knowledge in the Upanishads
	Yoga in the Upanishads
	Renunciation
	Brahman/Atman
	Theism in the Upanishads
	Samkhya
	Yoga
	Advaita Vedanta
	Shankara
	Advaita after Shankara
	The Bhagavad Gita
	Bhaktism
	Ramanuja
	Dualistic and Non-Dualistic Bhaktism
	Tantrism
	Modern Hinduism
	Key Themes
8. Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Mysticism
	The Buddha
	Early Buddhist Beliefs
	Early Buddhist Meditative Practices
	Nikaya Schools and Abhidharma
	Mahayana
	Compassion and Insight
	Prajnaparamita and Madhyamaka Philosophy
	The Yogachara School
	The Status of the Phenomenal Realm
	Buddhism and Social Action
	Tantric Buddhism
	Tibetan Buddhism
	Buddhism Today
	Key Themes
9. Chinese Mysticism
	The Early Chinese Worldview
	The Confucian Backdrop
	The Daoist Reaction
	The Daoists’ Dao
	Language and the Dao
	The Dao and Mystical Experiences
	Zhuangzi on the Enlightened State
	Wei Wuwei
	Governing by Wuwei
	Daoist Values
	Daoist Religion
	Neo-Daoism
	Chinese Buddhism
	The Chan/Zen Meditation Schools
	Chan and “Beyond Good and Evil”
	Neo-Confucianism
	Key Themes
10. Mysticism in the West Today
	The Climate against Traditional Mysticism Today
	New Age Mysticism
	Scientific Studies of Mysticism
	Secular Mysticism
	A Mystical Revolution?
	What Are the Prospects for Traditional Mysticism Today?
Appendix: Correcting Some Misunderstandings about Mysticism
	Mystical Experiences and Mystical Enlightenment
	Mystics and Knowledge Claims
	The Problem of Language
	The Question of Mystical Union
	Mysticism and Morality
	Women in Mysticism
	Conclusion
Notes
References and Further Reading
Index