Mapping mystical experiences in the Voice of the Silence of Blavatsky

Erica Georgiades, MRes in Religious Experience from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David will present a paper based on her dissertation “Categories of Religious Experiences in The Voice of the Silence by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky”.

Abstract

Mystical experiences (MEs), alternatively altered states of consciousness, form the very core of The Voice of the Silence, a literary work that Blavatsky attributed to the Mahāyāna Buddhism tradition, consisting of aphorisms offering second-hand narratives of MEs, such as the one of enlightenment and Nirvāṇa.

Adopting a moderate constructivist perspective, Erica defines MEs as states of perception differing from everyday wake states and attributed to a transcendental source. In her presentation, she will discuss the categories of mystical experiences in the aforementioned work, demonstrating that the four marks masks of ME proposed by William James— ineffability, noetic quality, passivity, and transience are evident in The Voice of the Silence. Additionally, she will introduce two newly identified categories: belief and indifference to sense impressions, offering a new perspective that expands our understanding of practices within esoteric currents.