Making Sense of Early Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Mystical Theology: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of History and Mysticism
Philosophy East & West April 1, 2025 Travis Chilcott
Jīva Gosvāmin, a 16th–17th century Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theologian, advanced a theory of mystical pluralism that parallels Steven Katz's constructivist thesis from over four centuries later. Both argue that mystical experiences are shaped by prior learning, conceptual frameworks, and expectations. Research on cognition, learning, and perception supports the idea that practices Jīva described help individuals internalize a specific conception of divine reality, including what it feels like to experience it. As these concepts become deeply internalized, they influence perception and create conditions for experiences that align with what one has learned to expect.