Mysticism
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Mysticism (from the Greek μυστικός (mustikos) "an initiate" (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (musteria) meaning "initiation" is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is one's destiny, purpose, or an important source of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Traditions may include a belief in the literal existence of dimensional realities beyond empirical perception, or a belief that a true human perception of the world transcends logical reasoning or intellectual comprehension. A person delving in these areas may be called a mystic. The term mystical has been applied to writers such as William Blake and certain poems such as "In Memoriam A.H.H." by Alfred Tennyson: the metaphorical approach has often moderated the literalism of religions and is an important component of the interpretation of mystical writing.
