mysticism
/ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/
mysticism means the beliefs, ideas, or thoughts of mystics. It carries an Arena rating of 1343, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, mysticism ranks #2,592 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #3,299 of 14,438 for Most Storied Words, #3,606 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words, #6,676 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words.
mysticism is pronounced /ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/.
Why “mysticism” is a great word
A doctrine or practice centered on achieving direct, intuitive communion with ultimate reality or divinity, from mystic + -ism, ultimately from Ancient Greek μύω (mū́ō, “to close one’s eyes or lips; to initiate into the mysteries”), via μύστης (mústēs, “initiate”) and μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”). Unlike rationalism, which builds its edifice from the stones of reason, or theology, which maps the terrain of doctrine, mysticism is the inward turn away from argument toward unmediated experience—the vow of silence before the ineffable, the darkness of the closed eye that sees more truly than the open one, the soul’s wordless conversation with the absolute. It is the quiet certainty that truth is not built, but entered, like a room no key can open.
Etymology
From mystic + -ism, from Old French mistique (“mysterious, full of mystery”), from Latin mysticus (“mystical, mystic, of secret rites”), from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”), from μύστης (mústēs, “one who has been initiated, initiate”) from μῡ́ω (mū́ō, “to close one's lips or eyes; initiate into the mysteries”). Compare Asturian misticismu, Catalan misticisme, French mysticisme, German Mystizismus, Italian misticismo, Portuguese misticismo, Sicilian misticisimu, Spanish misticismo.
noun
- The beliefs, ideas, or thoughts of mystics.
- A doctrine of direct communication or spiritual intuition of divine truth.“In the history of Christian mysticism the problem how to discriminate between such messages and experiences as were really divine miracles, and such others as the demon in his malice was able to counterfeit, thus making the religious person twofold more the child of hell he was before, has always been a difficult one to solve, needing all the sagacity and experience of the best directors of consci”
- A transcendental union of soul or mind with the divine reality or divinity.
- Obscure thoughts and speculations.
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