Mysticism and psychedelics: The case of the dark night

This study uses a model of consciousness derived from LSD-assisted psychotherapy to illumine an enigmatic set of painful experiences that occur on the mystic's path known in Western circles as the "dark night." It argues that the dark night experiences described in John of the Cross&#...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bache, Christopher Martin 1949- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V. [1991]
In: Journal of religion and health
Year: 1991, Volume: 30, Issue: 3, Pages: 215-236
Further subjects:B Western Circle
B Painful Experience
B Dark Night
B Night Experience
B Transcendental State
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Summary:This study uses a model of consciousness derived from LSD-assisted psychotherapy to illumine an enigmatic set of painful experiences that occur on the mystic's path known in Western circles as the "dark night." It argues that the dark night experiences described in John of the Cross's classic workDark Night of the Soul can be conceptualized in terms of Stanislav Grofs category of "perinatal experience." The discussion examines the implications of this reconceptualization in three areas: (1) our understanding and evaluation of mysticism, (2) assessing LSD's potential for fostering genuine spirituality, and (3) reassessing the ancient claim that the capacity to experience transcendental states of being is innate.
ISSN:1573-6571
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/BF00986399