Ecstasy: A Study Of Some Secular And Religious Experiences
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket - some marks on spine and corners
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: Fair - Rubbed edges and bumping on spine and corners
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
What does it truly mean to transcend the boundaries of ordinary consciousness? In Ecstasy: A study of some Secular and Religious Experiences, Marghanita Laski presents a groundbreaking empirical investigation into the nature of ecstatic experience, drawing on an extensive range of literary, religious, and personal testimonies to map the terrain of one of humanity's most profound — and most elusive — psychological states. Laski identifies the triggers, characteristics, and aftermath of ecstatic experiences across both sacred and secular contexts, arguing persuasively that such states are far more widespread than religious traditions alone would suggest, and that they share a remarkable, cross-cultural consistency. A pioneering work that sits at the intersection of psychology, anthropology, and religious studies, this volume distinguishes itself through Laski's rigorously analytical yet deeply humane approach. Her prose is precise without being cold, scholarly without being inaccessible, and she marshals an impressive body of evidence — from mystics to poets to everyday individuals — to construct a portrait of ecstasy as a fundamental dimension of human experience. Decades after its first publication, this remains an indispensable text for anyone seeking to understand the deepest registers of human consciousness — and what, exactly, we are reaching for when we reach beyond ourselves.
Author: Marghanita Laski
Format: Paperback
Published: 1965, Cresset Press
Genre: Psychology
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket - some marks on spine and corners
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: Fair - Rubbed edges and bumping on spine and corners
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
What does it truly mean to transcend the boundaries of ordinary consciousness? In Ecstasy: A study of some Secular and Religious Experiences, Marghanita Laski presents a groundbreaking empirical investigation into the nature of ecstatic experience, drawing on an extensive range of literary, religious, and personal testimonies to map the terrain of one of humanity's most profound — and most elusive — psychological states. Laski identifies the triggers, characteristics, and aftermath of ecstatic experiences across both sacred and secular contexts, arguing persuasively that such states are far more widespread than religious traditions alone would suggest, and that they share a remarkable, cross-cultural consistency. A pioneering work that sits at the intersection of psychology, anthropology, and religious studies, this volume distinguishes itself through Laski's rigorously analytical yet deeply humane approach. Her prose is precise without being cold, scholarly without being inaccessible, and she marshals an impressive body of evidence — from mystics to poets to everyday individuals — to construct a portrait of ecstasy as a fundamental dimension of human experience. Decades after its first publication, this remains an indispensable text for anyone seeking to understand the deepest registers of human consciousness — and what, exactly, we are reaching for when we reach beyond ourselves.