The Roshnites (Illuminati) also called “Rokhanian” in Pashto, a sixteenth century religiopolitical movement in the Pashtun dominated regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, effected social mobilization on an unprecedented scale. The movement aimed at doctrinal reforms but soon it turned out to be a political movement. The leader of the Movement, Bayazid Ansari (also called “Pir Rokhan” by his devo...

Mystical experiences relate to a fundamental dimension of human existence. These experiences, which are characterized by a sense of union with God, are commonly reported across all cultures. To date, no electroencephalography (EEG) study has been conducted to identify the neuroelectrical correlates of such experiences. The main objective of this study was to measure EEG spectral power and coher...

JCB • VOLUME 214 • NUMBER 2 • 2016 122 Growing up in the Boston area, Cliff Brangwynne was a kid with distinct interests. He recalls performing one of his fi rst experiments after watching a TV program on quantum mechanics: spending an afternoon bouncing a tennis ball off a wall in an attempt to observe quantum tunneling. Through high school, he read pop-science books about the weirdness of the...

A large body of historical evidence describes the use of hallucinogenic compounds, such as psilocybin mushrooms, for religious purposes. But few scientific studies have attempted to measure or characterize hallucinogen-occasioned spiritual experiences. The present study examined the factor structure of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), a self-report measure that has been used to asse...

This paper proposes to study mystical experience by contrasting it with “ordinary” experience, i.e., standard consciousness. It emphasises the construed nature of consciousness and role that mutual connectedness mental contents plays in its construction. then shows removal factors are responsible for “making” accounts principal features experience; these are, therefore, mainly negative. Underst...

A book called the Zohar emerged during the Middle Ages, giving rise to a Jewish form of mystical speculation known as the "Cabala" and creating strong interest in the system's mystical teachings in both Jewish and Christian circles. During the Renaissance, Pico, Reuchlin, and Ricci led in applying the Zohar's mystical teachings to the OT in defense of Christian doctrines such at that of the Tri...