Scientific Assessment of the Validity of Mystical Experiences - Understanding Altered Psychological and Neurophysiological States

In this book the approach of the natural sciences is adopted to confront the ontological question of how far mystical experiences can be considered as reports of an objective reality rather than reports of subjective delusions.

List of contents

Preface
1. Defining Mystical States and Experiences
2. Unintentional and Deliberate Methods of Attaining Mystical States: Religious, Cultural, and Philosophical Perspectives
3. Mystical States achieved through Psychedelics: The Origins, Classical, and Contemporary Use of Psychedelics
4. Questioning the Reliability of Mystical States: Identifying Features
5. Questioning the Validity of Mystical States: Opinions and Objections
6. The Experiencing Subject and Mystical Object: Defining Validity of the Mystical State
References
Index

About the author

Andrew C. Papanicolaou is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Neurosciences of the University of Tennessee, College of Medicine, USA, where he served as Chief of the Division of Clincal Neuroscience.

Summary

In this book the approach of the natural sciences is adopted to confront the ontological question of how far mystical experiences can be considered as reports of an objective reality rather than reports of subjective delusions.

Product details

• Authors: Andrew Papanicolaou, Andrew (University of Tennessee Papanicolaou
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 20.04.2021
• EAN: 9780367686642
• ISBN: 978-0-367-68664-2
• No. of pages: 140
• Series: Routledge Research in Psychology
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > Psychology, esoterics, spirituality, anthroposophy > Psychology: general, reference works; PSYCHOLOGY / Social Psychology, PSYCHOLOGY / General, Spiritualism, PSYCHOLOGY / Neuropsychology, PSYCHOLOGY / Movements / Transpersonal, Religion: general, Social, group or collective psychology, Neurology and clinical neurophysiology, Physiological and neuro-psychology, biopsychology, Psychological theory & schools of thought, Religion and science, Parapsychological studies, Eclectic and esoteric religions and belief systems