Mysticism in Historical Context: A Critical and Analytical Study
International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research February 13, 2026 Devajit Das
Mysticism, though formally developed as a field by Western scholars, originates in Eastern traditions such as the Upanishads. It resists precise definition, understood less as a doctrine than as a spiritual mode emphasizing unity, intuition, and transcendence beyond rational analysis. Mystics seek the underlying oneness of existence and union with Supreme Reality through intuition rather than intellect. Historically, mysticism has shaped major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity—and influenced Western philosophy and literature from Plato and Plotinus to medieval and modern thinkers.