Mystical Ontology or the Lack Thereof: A Hermeneutical Critique of Agehananda Bharati's Conceptualization of Mysticism

Presenter:

· Christopher Helton None (Kosice, Slovakia)

Panel:

25 | Occult South Asia: Rethinking the History of Modern South Asian Religions and Spiritualities Through the Lens of Esotericism Research and Vice Versa

Timeslot:

07/27 | 12:00-12:20 UTC+2/CEST

Abstract

This paper will examine the theoretical reification of the mystical experience put forward by Austrian-born scholar Agehananda Bharati, particularly in his work “The Light at the Center,” from the perspective of the hermeneutic of a Western “convert.” The author aims to contextualize this reification within the Western orientalist-Indological hermeneutical continuum. This critique is intended to contribute to a broader body of research, undertaken by the author, dedicated to the unjustly overlooked life and work of this controversial and unorthodox scholar-sannyasin.