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M. Shugurov

4 papers in the library · 3 citations · publishing 2022-2023

Papers

Religious Mysticism and the Psychology of Religion: on the Question of the Limits of Reduction. Part 2

Proceedings of the Southwest State University. Series: Economics. Sociology. Management August 3, 2023 В. В. Годован, П. Н. Николаев, M. Shugurov et al. 1 citation

The paper compares reductionist and anti-reductionist approaches to religious mysticism, arguing that each has heuristic value only within interdisciplinary dialogue. It substantiates the heuristic value of examining religious mysticism through the lens of "genuine versus inauthentic" and reveals the significance of demarcating spiritual phenomena that form a three-dimensional space of religious mysticism. Russian religious philosophy demonstrates the prerequisites of an antipsychological attitude toward mysticism in both its religious and non-religious forms, defining the specifics of the Russian psychology of religion. The limits of the anti-reductionist approach are also demonstrated. The authors conclude that the rise of neurotheology creates new perspectives for discussion and raises the question of a new composition of interdisciplinary space for studying both religious and non-religious mysticism.

Understanding the Religious-Mystical Experience within the Framework of Analytical Psychology: Refraction of the Universalist Paradigm

Философская мысль February 1, 2023 M. Shugurov, Sergei Ivanovich Mozzhilin 1 citation

Analytical psychology, as developed by C.G. Jung, conceptualizes mystical experience as a syncretic and trans-confessional phenomenon aimed at resolving the modern spiritual crisis. Unlike religious studies, it engages theology and new religious movements in dialogue, using psychoanalytic practices to revive individuals' mystical experiences and achieve mental health. This approach aligns with the universalist paradigm in religious studies, which holds that all mystical traditions share certain invariants. A consequence of this universalism has been the erosion of the classical Western Christian mystical tradition, replaced by new mystical practices within new religious movements.

Apophatic model of the philosophy of religion of S. L. Frank and Christian religious-mystical experience: fundamentals and results of interdisciplinary synthesis

Философская мысль January 1, 2022 M. Shugurov, Yuliya M. Duplinskaya 1 citation

S. L. Frank's philosophy of religion, framed as a philosophical mystical theology, uses a conceptual matrix of 'wise ignorance' and phenomenological method to examine the religious-mystical experience of Christianity. The authors argue that Frank's approach represents a version of contemplative mysticism, not a special philosophical reflection on the diversity of Christian mysticism, and that it functions within a universal Christian paradigm. His individual mystical experiences and their rational categorization are central to his system. The apophatic model of 'wise ignorance' enables theoretical reflection on deep layers of both mystical-philosophical and Christian religious-mystical experience, revealing an essential archetype underlying the diversity of that experience.

Mystical Experience in the Spectrum of Altered States of Consciousness: Overlapping Discourses of Theology and Secular Sciences

Философия и культура October 1, 2022 Yuliya M. Duplinskaya, M. Shugurov

Genuine mystical experience, such as dissolution in the Deity or cosmic consciousness, can be distinguished from surrogate quasi-mystical states by examining infra-personal processes (where the self dissolves or spreads) and ultra-personal processes (where personal consciousness disseminates into multiple spirits or projections). Both categories correspond to authentic mystical states and to clinical conditions—confused or floating consciousness in the infra-personal range, and schizophrenic-type disorders in the ultra-personal range. Neo-mystical and occult practices aim to achieve mystical states through accelerated programs, but modern consciousness often inverts the view, mistaking destructive processes for a higher evolutionary stage. This fosters perceptions of science as a new religion and a support for contemporary occultism.