The Mystical and Sublime in Extreme Sports: Experiences of Psychological Well-Being or Christian Revelation?
Studies in World Christianity December 2, 2015 N. Watson, A. Parker 18 citations
Extreme sports athletes sometimes report experiences that resemble mystical or sublime states, but when examined through a Christian theological lens these are not genuine encounters with the Holy. Drawing on theologians like Richard Zaehner and social scientists, the article distinguishes positive psychological states such as 'flow' from theistic mystical experiences described in the Bible and Christian theology. It also considers whether nature–person interaction in wilderness settings can evoke the sublime. The authors conclude that extreme sport does not provide access to the mystical realms of the Holy as articulated by Rudolph Otto, St Paul, Jonathan Edwards, and St John of the Cross.