Doing a research paper on mysticism, looking for resources

[solo]

If your interest is more than casual or scholastic, you might start by reading Meditation by Eknath Easwaran.

[johncmcleod]

Thank you all for suggestions.

As for the Thich Nhat Hanh page, it looks like a great resource, but there are well over 50 lectures in there, and each of them seems pretty long. That would be hours and hours of reading to go through. Do you have any suggestions for particular ones to look at?

And as for jstor.org, I went there and I couldn't even browse or search for articles there, everything said I wasn't able to access it from my location. What can I do to just see what they have there?

And does anyone have a suggestion for which topic I should do? I think I am kind of leaning towards the second. I'm just afraid that I might be biting off more than I can chew, especially because this month is the busiest of the year for me.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by johncmcleod
Thank you all for suggestions.

As for the Thich Nhat Hanh page, it looks like a great resource, but there are well over 50 lectures in there, and each of them seems pretty long. That would be hours and hours of reading to go through. Do you have any suggestions for particular ones to look at?

Just download some and search them for what you're looking for. No one actually reads whole articles

And as for jstor.org, I went there and I couldn't even browse or search for articles there, everything said I wasn't able to access it from my location. What can I do to just see what they have there?

Hmmm... didn't realize that. That blows. Maybe if you tell us pricisely what your thesis is we can find some relavent articles... Sorry about that.

[johncmcleod]

Possible thesis 1: Mystics of all religions explain and describe their spiritual experiences with remarkable similarities, the differences mainly occurring when putting the experience in context of their religious philosophy and theology.

Possible thesis 2: Spiritual experiences experienced by mystics of all religions lead them to have similar beliefs despite entirely different religious and philosophical backgrounds.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by johncmcleod
Possible thesis 1: Mystics of all religions explain and describe their spiritual experiences with remarkable similarities, the differences mainly occurring when putting the experience in context of their religious philosophy and theology.

Possible thesis 2: Spiritual experiences experienced by mystics of all religions lead them to have similar beliefs despite entirely different religious and philosophical backgrounds.

If you choose number one, then you might find these sites helpful:

http://www.impulse-music.co.uk/hildegard.htm

http://shop.castleclassics.co.uk/acatalog/Hildegard_of_Bingen__German_1098_1179_.html

http://www.oxfordgirlschoir.co.uk/hildegard/hildegardchronology.html

http://www.medievalchurch.org.uk/p_hildegard.html

There is an excellent essay by Oliver Sacks in his collection 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat' which deals with the physiological and mental aspects of Hildegard's ecstatic visions- she transmuted, or transcended the severe migrainous attacks she sufferred from, into glorious works of art and music.

I know several migraine sufferers who when I introduced them to reproductions of the illuminated manuscripts of Abbess Hildegard and when they heard her music, said it was as if someone were communicating directly with them. Her visions are very similar to some Buddhist and Hindu visions, and her music has simlarities to the music accompanying Islamic mysticism.

[lord of the mark]

gershom scholem on the Jewish mysticism generally - hes not a mystic, but an academic historian of mystics, but hes VERY good. I would read SOMETHING by him before I took on the Zohar, or other Jewish mystical primary sources.

[Saras]

Careful johnmcleod, beware of the Tres!