Introduction Mystic traditions are at the core of each civilization. These beliefs and traditions form the root of conscious awareness of self and divine and in turn the knowledge of self and other. Man has always been fascinated by his relationship with the numinous. Over thousands of years he has formulated many different methods for invoking these experiences with the numinous. For the purpose of this paper I will compare two such methods of mystic tradition, namely Buddhism and Judaism. These two methods begun centuries and lands apart but synchronistically move towards the same place; mans desire for and unification with his perception of the ‘divine’ (whatever he conceives that to be). Theoretical Framework It is a great task to try and explain and describe a group of experiences that remain shrouded in mystery. Is this what makes these types of experiences so mysterious and therefore mystical? Mystical experiences occur to mystics, people whom have been granted a mystical experience. This can occur to a religious person or a non-religious person. Although historically speaking, religious people have a larger bank of documented mystical experiences. What is a mystical experience you may wonder? William James classified …show more content…
Utilizing these two working definitions we can surmise that firstly, a mystical encounter is; receptivity to reality which penetrates the nature of reality, thereby causing an expansion of knowledge and secondly it is an insight into the nature of reality. Using William James empirical approach to mysticism, and Carmodys’ working definition of mysticism I aim to compare the mystical experiences expressed in the context of Judaism and the mystical traditions expressed in Buddhism and show where a ‘direct experience of ultimate reality’ manifests within