Value-semantic Foundations of Mystical Experience

Abstract

From the standpoint of the theory of activity, the value-semantic foundations of mystical experience are analyzed. It is shown that such grounds are ultimately determined by the need-motivational sphere of consciousness, which, on the one hand, carries the activity, energy of the subject, and, on the other, gives meaning to the activity of the subject, performs a regulatory function. This duality is reflected in two groups of value-semantic attitudes that permeate the spiritual world of the subject, determine the foundations of forms of consciousness, including mystical experience. In the first group, the dependence of the subject on the external elements (natural and social) of his life world is expressed. The second is the volitional desire of the subject to transform such elements into the internal conditions of his existence, to harmonize his relations with the world, to overcome dependence on it. Mystical experience realizes the need to remove a person's alienation from the world, to immediately, “here and now”, harmonize of his relations with the natural and social environment, to give basic meanings to the existence of his own Self. Such a personalized need is generated by a complex interaction of socio-cultural, personality-psychological, psychiatric, environmental, gender factors, the effects of neurostimulators, etc. Mystical experience performs the function of motivating activities for the “appropriation” of otherworldly reality. The motivational basis explains its essential features such as generalized visual imagery, the impossibility of its unambiguous interpretations, volitional intentionality, improvisationality, creative, renewal potential (within the boundaries of the sensory-emotional experience of the world by the subject), etc. The mentioned features are also inherent in folklore creativity, which allows us to consider mystical experience as a “transformed” form of folklore creativity, which is fundamentally limited by ordinary consciousness with its dogmatism, claims to self-evidence in areas where developed scientific and theoretical thinking is required. In the history of culture the value-semantic foundations of mystical experience are formed in the era of transformation of primitive mythology into folklore, in the course of its genre differentiation on the borders with religious consciousness.