Receptivity to the Numinous

Carl Jung considered that numinous experiences such as visions, mystical experiences, and religious conversions are not uncommon. He emphasized that these experiences are the "real therapy" because they offer a patient an opportunity to become aware of the presence of something beyond the ego. Yet in clinical practice, they may be ignored or discounted, denying their power and potential. This book examines the importance of numinous experiences in the psychoanalytic process and focuses on an exploration of what might be the characteristics of those who are receptive to these experiences. This inquiry is particularly useful in diagnosing unusual experiences to determine if they are pathological or to surmise the cadence of the individuation process and, in Jungian terms, the ego-self axis. The characteristics have been discerned from a study of the developmental themes observed in 10 western mystics interviewed in India and New York, by the historical lives of mystics, as well as case studies. The work is singular in trying to decipher the developmental complexes that may yield sufficient longing to break through into the unknown.