REFLECTIONS ON THE STUDY OF MYSTICISM AS A CATEGORY

Mysticism is an important component of religion, representing its experiential dimension. The term itself is of western origin, adopted by Christianity, evolving over time and extending in meaning only in the nineteenth century to include experiences of encounters with the ultimate nature of Reality in religions. Thus, a category of mysticism has developed, which can be studied in a comparative manner. The study of mysticism has further given rise to various questions related to study of mysticism and various perspectives of dealing with the phenomenon. As mystical experiences are essentially associated with states of mind beyond rationality, there is a general attitude of scepticism connected to study of mysticism. However, this scepticism must be overcome. In the present-day context, when mystical practices are gaining a new level of popularity over the world, it is not only necessary but also quite possible to study mysticism comparatively and to some extent, directly.