Mystical Luminosity Experience - Brill Research Perspectives in Religion and Psychology by Jonathan Dinsmore Paperback

About the Book

This study makes a thorough examination of the phenomenology of mystical luminosity experience, and how it may relate to religious and mystical concepts of divine or transcendent Light. A phenomenologically grounded model is introduced, and early mixed methods investigations summarized.

Book Synopsis

Light of a divine or transcendent nature is widely revered in various religious and mystical traditions around the world, and luminosity with mystical qualities such as love, bliss, peace, and noetic realization is also frequently reported by contemporary experiencers. Despite being described as a profoundly significant, sacred, and transformative experience, mystical luminosity has received relatively little attention in modern scholarship and scientific study, and has only been examined empirically within isolated contexts, such as NDEs or contemplative practices. This study examines the phenomenology which binds mystical luminosity across various experiential contexts to construct a phenomenologically grounded theoretical model. A three-part mixed methods investigation using a new mystical luminosity experience scale based on this model is then summarized, with findings generally supporting and further clarifying the model.