Abstract
The purpose of this article is to expose a basic flaw at the root of perennialism as a method for studying mysticism—its distinction between ‘exoteric’ and ‘esoteric’ components of mysticism and religion. Rather than being distinct, the specific ‘exoteric’ doctrines of a given mystic’s tradition penetrate the mystics’ knowledge-claims. Thus, the ‘esoteric’ dimension in a mystical tradition is permeated by that mystical tradition’s ‘exoteric’ doctrines, not by the transcultural and ahistorical perennial spine that perennialists postulate. Contrary to what the perennialists suggest, there is no one underlying esoteric set of beliefs embedded in all traditional religions that all mystics share. Rather, in the different religious traditions of the world, there are genuinely different mysticisms with different beliefs, practices, values, and goals. Thus, the perennialist approach distorts the history of mysticism. It is better seen as a theology of religions than as an alleged discernment of timeless truths presented throughout the history of mysticism.
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Notes
The constructivist approach to mystical experiences has its own problems (see Jones 2020).
Rose and Taylor are actually ‘essentialists’ concerning the universality of mystical experiences, not perennialists concerning common doctrines. As Paul Marshall says, ‘mystical essentialists, unlike mystical perennialists (the two are often confused, but it is important to make the distinction), do not insist on a common core of teachings across traditions’ (2014: 7). It is important to note that essentialism in any form is not a necessary component of perennialism: there may be universal cross-cultural experiences or phenomenological features, but this does not mean that there must be a universal cross-cultural understanding of the experiences or other doctrines. Robert Forman (1999) and William Parsons (2008) use the phrase ‘psychologia perennis’ rather than ‘perennial philosophy.’ This helps to separate an essentialism of experiences from any perennial philosophy.
The theosophist Helena P. Blavatsky (1831–1891) was less sanguine toward the established religions and attacked their spirituality (see Goodrick-Clarke, 2008, 215–16).
Emanationism actually conflicts with Shankara’s strong nondualism, but it does comport with the nondual metaphysics of the earlier Advaitin Gaudapada (see Jones, 2014b). As in all mystical traditions, doctrines in Advaita have evolved throughout history.
Nor does the fact that those already committed to perennialism take their mystical experiences as confirming it. Huston Smith believed that in his first psychedelic drug experience that he was’ experiencing the metaphysical theory known as emanationism’ that was part of the perennial philosophy he had been advocating for years; he was now seeing what previously had only been conceptual theories for him; his experience ‘supported the truth of emanationists of the past’ (2000, 11). The experience ‘experientially validated my world-view that was already in place’ (2005, 227).
Stoddart adds: ‘The exoterism is the providential expression or vehicle of the esoterism within it, and the esoterism is the supra-formal essence of the corresponding exoterism’ (2005b, 68). Nonperennialists argue that each mystical tradition forms a whole with no deeper universal layer of transcultural esoteric doctrines informing the esoteric dimension of each religion, whether it is the exoteric that influences the esoteric or vice versa or each influences the other. We can abstract commonalities in doctrines between different traditions, but this does not mean that those abstractions informed each particular tradition.
Actually, this analogy breaks down on scientific grounds: each color of the observable spectrum is part of clear light, but the light waves of each light still remain intact and distinct—only collectively do they produce clear light. It is not as if one wave-length of light produces all of the different colors. Nor is experiencing one color to its depths experiencing all the colors. Similarly, each mystical tradition is not reducible to one underlying gnosis but remains distinct to its core.
See Nasr, 1993, 53–68, on perennialism and the study of religions.
Abhyananda is not alone in believing that after his mystical experience perennial philosophy made sense and then concluding that he now understood all the teachings of all mystics East and West since they too must have really espoused perennial philosophy. Huston Smith’s experiences (above note 5) should also be noted again. But the same can be said for most persons having mystical experiences with prior religious commitments: they also see their experiences as confirming their specific beliefs.
Constructivists contend that the conceptual elements supplied by a mystic’s culture penetrate mystical experiences themselves. But even if constructivism is rejected for some or all types of mystical experiences (see Jones, 2020), the exoteric dimension of a mystical tradition still penetrates its esoteric mystical knowledge and doctrines, contra perennialism.
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Jones, R.H. Perennial Philosophy and the History of Mysticism. SOPHIA 61, 659–678 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11841-021-00847-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11841-021-00847-3