Introduction: Mysticism, Constructivism, and Forgetting
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780195059809.003.0001
Summary
The book addresses the origins and nature of mysticism, questioning its sources, reliability as knowledge, and whether it is consistent across different cultures and traditions. The twelve authors respond to constructivism, which posits that mystical experiences are largely influenced by an individual's beliefs and expectations.
Abstract
Abstract From where-or Whom-does mysticism come? What causes it? What gives mysticism its peculiar but fascinating shape? Is mystical experience a source of reliable knowledge? Is mysticism the same around the world, or nearly so? Or does mysticism differ among various traditions, cultures, and ages? The twelve authors of this book are responding to the recent “received view” on such questions, which may collectively be called “constructivism,” the view that mystical experience is significantly shaped and formed by the subject’s beliefs, concepts, and expectations.