‘perennial philosophy,’ as popularized by the religious scholar Huston Smith and the author Aldous Huxley.
known as 'omnism' as well, the idea that the expressions of a singular Truth are many, but all return to the same sacred source.
there are different concepts of some fundamental spiritual principles, which are seen as the essential reality of the world—the Tao, brahman, dharmakaya, the One, the Godhead, and so on. A perennialist would say these are simply different interpretations of the same spiritual force, which is accessible to all human beings in deep states of meditation, or in higher states of consciousness.
study by the religious scholar Kenneth Rose compared the meditative practices of Theravada Buddhism, Hindu Yoga, and Catholic mystical theology, and found that they describe “virtually identical sets of mystical experience that are induced by the deepening concentration.”
Randall Studstill, found deep similarities between Tibetan Buddhist practices and experiences of medieval German mystics. Both involved “an increasingly sensitized awareness/knowledge of Reality that manifests as (among other things) an enhanced sense of emotional well-being, an expanded locus of concern engendering greater compassion for others”
In 1975, the religious scholar Ralph Hood developed a “mysticism scale” to investigate mystical experiences. The items on the scale tested for characteristics such as a transcendence of the normal sense of self, a sense of the interconnectedness of things, a sense of an ‘inner subjectivity’ in phenomena, and a sense of joy or bliss. Studies using the scale have found that people in different spiritual traditions experience these core characteristics, even if they are interpreted in different ways. As one paper co-authored by Hood puts it, “the phenomenology of mystical experience reveals a common experiential core that can be discerned across religious and spiritual traditions
known as 'omnism' as well, the idea that the expressions of a singular Truth are many, but all return to the same sacred source.
there are different concepts of some fundamental spiritual principles, which are seen as the essential reality of the world—the Tao, brahman, dharmakaya, the One, the Godhead, and so on. A perennialist would say these are simply different interpretations of the same spiritual force, which is accessible to all human beings in deep states of meditation, or in higher states of consciousness.
study by the religious scholar Kenneth Rose compared the meditative practices of Theravada Buddhism, Hindu Yoga, and Catholic mystical theology, and found that they describe “virtually identical sets of mystical experience that are induced by the deepening concentration.”
Randall Studstill, found deep similarities between Tibetan Buddhist practices and experiences of medieval German mystics. Both involved “an increasingly sensitized awareness/knowledge of Reality that manifests as (among other things) an enhanced sense of emotional well-being, an expanded locus of concern engendering greater compassion for others”
In 1975, the religious scholar Ralph Hood developed a “mysticism scale” to investigate mystical experiences. The items on the scale tested for characteristics such as a transcendence of the normal sense of self, a sense of the interconnectedness of things, a sense of an ‘inner subjectivity’ in phenomena, and a sense of joy or bliss. Studies using the scale have found that people in different spiritual traditions experience these core characteristics, even if they are interpreted in different ways. As one paper co-authored by Hood puts it, “the phenomenology of mystical experience reveals a common experiential core that can be discerned across religious and spiritual traditions
The Mysticism Scale (M-scale) was developed and validated by Ralph Hood (1975). It has become the most widely used measure of mysticism. The M-Scale is not only deeply rooted in James´ (1902) account of mysticism, but also clearly reflects the phenomenology of mysticism presented by Stace (1960).
The three-factor structure of mysticism is proposed conceptually and demonstrated empirically: The three-factor solution of the M-Scale has been corroborated by confirmatory factor analysis (Hood, Morris, & Watson, 1993). According to the three factor structure, mysticism includes. . .
Introvertive mysticism as first factor consists of items exploring:
- timelessness and spacelessness („I have had an experience which was both timeless and spaceless.“)
- ego loss („I have had an experience in which something greater than myself seemed to absorb me.“)
- ineffability („I have had an experience which cannot be expressed in words.“)
Extrovertive mysticism is the second factor, which consists of items of:
- inner subjectivity („I have had an experience in which all things seemed to be conscious.“)
- unity („I have had an experience in which I realized the oneness of myself with all things.“)
Interpretation which consists of items associated with the three aspects of:
- positive affect („I have experienced profound joy.“)
- sacredness („I have had an experience which I knew to be sacred.“)
- noetic quality („I have had an experience in which a new view of reality was revealed to me.“)
seven common themes in their depiction of this process:
- Increasing and intensifying awareness
- Moving beyond separateness, towards connection and union
- Cultivating inner stillness and emptiness
- Developing increased inner stability, self-sufficiency, and equanimity
- Moving towards increased empathy, compassion, and altruism
- The relinquishing of personal agency
- Moving towards enhanced well-being
soft perennialist’ model, we don’t need to think in terms of common spiritual absolutes, or to believe that all spiritual traditions are heading along the same path towards the same goal. In the ‘soft perennialist’ model, there is a lot of room for variation
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