Since the 19th century, mystical experience has evolved as a distinctive concept. For the interpretation of that sacred lore he made use of the allegorical method, just as allegory was used for explanation in the sacred discourse of the mystery cults. This book is written as a counterpoint for aldous huxleys doors of perception. Xviii256 zaehner probes deep into some items of modern psychologic experience in the light of the comparative history of religions. Zaehner concedes that drugs can induce a form of natural mysticism in which the soul tends toward union with the natural world which is the reason for their addicting power.
The sacred in the modern world the central values system around which a particular society is formed, and also to the values held sacred by specific revolutionary, ideological, and religious groups p. Click on document eliade, mircea the sacred and the profane. Wolfson quotes from robert charles zaehner, a british scholar of eastern religions, who describes the path of the mystic and his soul in terms of a bride who is annihilated in love of her lord. First, mysticism emphasizes a direct experience of god. The sacred and profane are closely related because of the highly emotional attitude towards them. Mysticism, sacred and profane an inquiry into some. In this book, first published in 1957, professor zaehner analyzes various types of praeternatural experiences ranging from the sensations produced by such drugs as mescalin to the mystical states described by the christian and muslim mystics and the various schools of mystical thought in india. Earlier, starting in world war ii, he had served as an intelligence officer in iran. In the classic text the sacred and the profane, famed historian of religion mircea eliade observes that even moderns who proclaim themselves residents of a completely profane world are still unconsciously nourished by the memory of the sacred.
In the best tradition of intellectuals he started off as a rebel. A highly original and scholarly work on spirituality by noted historian mircea eliade. He also admits that people occasionally see the workings of nature as a whole through the use of deliberate techniques such as ascetic types of yoga or by the taking of drugs. See all 8 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The sacred and the profane analyzes a wide variety of components that are found within various world religions. Mysticism sacred and profane by robert charles zaehner. Mysticism sacred and profane galaxy books 9780195002294. Pdf an evident experience of gods presence is the basis for all religion. Theology and mysticism in the tradition of the eastern church chapter 1 of the mystical theology of the eastern church st.
The origin of western mysticism mysticism and science. Although many religions, through the mode of theology, belief, and ritual practice, and many scholars. The dark night of the soul, stand, i think, as the culmination of the western tradition of mysticism. Mysticism, sacred and profane an inquiry into some varieties of praeternatural experience. Principally, zaehner says that the praeternatural experience is not typical of mescaline. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. In the sacred and the profane, mircea eliade observes that while contemporary people believe their world is entirely profane, or secular, they still at times find themselves connected unconsciously to the memory of something sacred. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Therefore, the whole image represents the profane and sacred form of love at. We have been told ad nauseam that mysticism is the highest expression of religion and that it appears in all ages and in all places in a more or less identical form, often in a religious milieu that would.
Durkheim described the world in terms of individual things and their relative sacredness holiness in relation to religion. Robert charles zaehner 191974 was a british academic whose field of study was eastern religions. Defining such a center is a hierophany and also a reenactment of the creation of the world. Zaehner, 1961, oxford university press edition, in english. Profaniteit, mystiek, godsdiensten, mysticism, hallucinogenic drugs and.
An inquiry into some varieties of praeternatural experience 1957. The significance of the sacred lies in the fact of its distinction from the profane. Implying an opposition between a certain qualification of religiosity and its absence, this double concept will reflect the users. This book is an expansion of the westcott lectures for 1973 under the teape foundation, which were delivered in delhi and. In durkheims theory, the sacred represented the interests of the group, especially unity, which were. Robert charles zaehner s mysticism sacred and profane 1957 was one of these responses.
For durkheim, religion is about the separation of the sacred from the profane. A study in nature and development of spiritual consciousness by evelyn underhill 1911 preface to the twelfth edition since this book first appeared, nineteen years ago, the study of mysticismnot only in england, but also in france, germany and italyhas been almost completely transformed. Myth paper in eliades the sacred and the profane, he accentuates the inevitable distinction between the sacred and profane. Huxleys outlook is preconditioned by his intellectualism. It will be of concern to anyone seeking to discover the potential dimensions of human existence. Theology and mysticism in the tradition of the eastern church. Its this premise that both drives eliades exhaustive exploration. His rebellion seems to have gone through two stages. Scholarly approaches to mysticism include typologies of mysticism and the explanation of mystical states. The typology that zaehner employs here is slightly different from that of mysticism sacred and profane. Mysticism, sacred and profane an inquiry into some varieties of praeternatural experience zaehner, r. It is closely related to mysticism but lays sole emphasis on the experiential aspect, be it spontaneous or induced by human behavior, whereas mysticism encompasses a broad range. At oxford university his first writings had been on the zoroastrian religion and its texts.
By these researches he has been led to discriminate real spiritual communion from its out. Mysticism sacred and profane 1961 edition open library. The profane, on the other hand, is everything else, all those mundane things like our jobs, our bills. The distinction between sacred and profane muhammad sameel abd alhaqq introduction praise be to allah. The sacred and the profane is a text by mircea eliade exploring the dualistic notions of religion following emile durkheims theories. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Zaehner proceeds to analyze huxleys experience pointing out. Zaehner identifies the entire hindu religious traditions with the. The contemporary student of religion is living at a time when not only the reality but also the very meaning of religion threatens to disappear. While the fourth sort of mysticism he distinguishes here corresponds to theistic mysticism, and the third sort corresponds to monistic mysticism, he has broken down nature. Read the fulltext online edition of mysticism, sacred and profane. Zaehner, mysticism sacred and profane, oxford university press. The difference between profane and sacred space can be exemplified by a church, where the threshold marks the change from profane to sacred space. According to durkheim the circle of sacred objects cannot be determined then once and for all.
It is our intention, in the following essay, to study certain aspects of eastern spirituality in relation to the fundamental themes of the orthodox dogmatic. Its extent varies indefinitely according to different religions. An inquiry into some varieties of praternatural experience oxford, clarendon press, 1957, pp. Eliade uses the history of religion to support his ideas as the the book itself is a brief introduction to religion as a whole, particulary the religions of primitive societies. Robert charles zaehners mysticism sacred and profane 1957 was one of these responses. The distinction made between scaredholy and mundaneprofane does not apply neatly to every religious tradition. Zaehner, professor of orientai religions and ethics at the university of oxford, is wellknown for his researches in the field of lranian traditions, zurvanism, manicheism etc. Zaehner proceeds to analyze huxleys experience pointing out the variety of mystical experiences in different traditions, and reasons, why certain experience catalyzed by a psychedelic, may not be what connection with divinity truly is.
Mysticism is an attempt to commune experientially with god or some life force and to find spiritual understanding beyond words and ideas through various means and practices. Mysticism by evelyn underhill 1911 the classic study of the path to oneness, written by a leading student of mysticism. Radical theology and the death of god by thomas altizer and william hamilton the sacred and the profane. Pdf mysticism, historical and contemporary researchgate. Philo found in the scriptures of his race the sacred discourse that conveyed to him the secret truth which was the essential feature of a mystery. The immediate occasion for his book has been provided by.
Following are three fundamental, interrelated characteristics of mysticism. Consecration of space often involves defining a center, a representative center of the world as a fixed point. Eliade traces manifestations of the sacred from primitive to modern times in terms of space, time, nature, and the cosmos. The sacred refers to those collective representations that are set apart from society, or that which transcends the humdrum of everyday life. Mystical experience, religious doctrine and philosophical analysis. The basis of the book is a refutation of aldous huxleys claim that mescaline is able to produce a mystical experience in those who use the drug. A call for reconciliation the divine universe reflections on the soul body and soul mystical theology. Click to read more about mysticism sacred and profane galaxy books by r.
This develops when an individual tries to establish himself in his world and acknowledges his own individuality of the worldly and physical spaces he takes up. Sacred and profane 1957 is one of the most widely read comparative studies of. What we seem to be witnessing in zaehners mysticism sacred and profane is a. Mysticism, christian and buddhist by daisetz teitaro suzuki. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Two passages are cited below in support of this inference. Classification of concepts and practices by enoch n. Mysticism and drugs religious studies cambridge core. The sacred and the profane serves as an excellent introduction to the history of religion, but its perspective also encompasses philosophical anthropology, phenomenology, and psychology. He understood the original language of many sacred texts, e.
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