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Numinous () is a term derived from the Latin ''
numen Numen (plural numina) is a Latin term for " divinity", "divine presence", or "divine will." The Latin authors defined it as follows:For a more extensive account, refer to Cicero writes of a "divine mind" (''divina mens''), a god "whose numen ev ...
'', meaning "arousing spiritual or religious emotion; mysterious or awe-inspiring."Collins English Dictionary -7th ed. - 2005 The term was given its present sense by the German theologian and philosopher Rudolf Otto in his influential 1917 German book '' The Idea of the Holy''. He also used the phrase ''mysterium tremendum'' as another description for the phenomenon. Otto's concept of the numinous influenced thinkers including
Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, ph ...
,
Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religiou ...
, and
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univer ...
. It has been applied to
theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...
,
psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...
, religious studies,
literary analysis Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. ...
, and descriptions of
psychedelic experiences A psychedelic experience (known colloquially as a trip) is a temporary altered state of consciousness induced by the consumption of a psychedelic substance (most commonly LSD, mescaline, psilocybin mushrooms, or DMT). For example, an acid ...
.


Etymology

''Numinous'' was derived in the 17th century from the Latin ''
numen Numen (plural numina) is a Latin term for " divinity", "divine presence", or "divine will." The Latin authors defined it as follows:For a more extensive account, refer to Cicero writes of a "divine mind" (''divina mens''), a god "whose numen ev ...
'', meaning a "deity or spirit presiding over a thing or space." It describes the power or presence or realisation of a
divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...
. It is etymologically unrelated to Immanuel Kant's ''
noumenon In philosophy, a noumenon (, ; ; noumena) is a posited object or an event that exists independently of human sense and/or perception. The term ''noumenon'' is generally used in contrast with, or in relation to, the term ''phenomenon'', which ...
'', a Greek term referring to an unknowable reality underlying all things.


Rudolf Otto

The word was given its present sense by the German theologian and philosopher Rudolf Otto in his influential 1917 book ''Das Heilige'', which appeared in English as '' The Idea of the Holy'' in 1923. Otto writes that while the concept of "the holy" is often used to convey moral perfection—and does entail this—it contains another distinct element, beyond the ethical sphere, for which he uses the term ''numinous''. He explains the numinous as a "non-rational, non-sensory experience or feeling whose primary and immediate object is outside the self." This mental state "presents itself as ''ganz Andere'', wholly other, a condition absolutely ''
sui generis ''Sui generis'' ( , ) is a Latin phrase that means "of its/their own kind", "in a class by itself", therefore "unique". A number of disciplines use the term to refer to unique entities. These include: * Biology, for species that do not fit in ...
'' and incomparable whereby the human being finds himself utterly abashed." Otto argues that because the numinous is irreducible and ''sui generis'' it cannot be defined in terms of other concepts or experiences, and that the reader must therefore be "guided and led on by consideration and discussion of the matter through the ways of his own mind, until he reach the point at which 'the numinous' in him perforce begins to stir... In other words, our ''X'' cannot, strictly speaking, be taught, it can only be evoked, awakened in the mind." Chapters 4 to 6 are devoted to attempting to evoke the numinous and its various aspects. Using
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, he describes it as a mystery ( la, mysterium, links=no) that is at once terrifying ('' tremendum'') and fascinating ('' fascinans''). He writes:


Later use of the concept

Otto's use of the term as referring to a characteristic of
religious experience A religious experience (sometimes known as a spiritual experience, sacred experience, or mystical experience) is a subjective experience which is interpreted within a religious framework. The concept originated in the 19th century, as a defense ...
was influential among certain intellectuals of the subsequent generation. For example, "numinous" as understood by Otto was a frequently quoted concept in the writings of
Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, ph ...
, and
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univer ...
. Lewis described the numinous experience in ''
The Problem of Pain ''The Problem of Pain'' is a 1940 book on the problem of evil by C. S. Lewis, in which Lewis argues that human pain, animal pain, and hell are not sufficient reasons to reject belief in a good and powerful God. Lewis states that his writing ...
'' as follows: Jung applied the concept of the numinous to
psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...
and
psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...
, arguing it was therapeutic and brought greater self-understanding, and stating that to him religion was about a "careful and scrupulous observation... of the ''numinosum''". The notion of the numinous and the ''wholly Other'' were also central to the religious studies of ethnologist
Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religiou ...
. ''Mysterium tremendum'', another phrase coined by Otto to describe the numinous, is presented by
Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxle ...
in '' The Doors of Perception'' in this way: In a book-length scholarly treatment of the subject in fantasy literature, Chris Brawley devotes chapters to the concept in "
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' (originally ''The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere'') is the longest major poem by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–1798 and published in 1798 in the first edition of '' Lyrical Ball ...
" by
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lak ...
, in '' Phantastes'' by
George Macdonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll ...
, in the ''
Chronicles of Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven high fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' has been adapted for radio, telev ...
'' by C. S. Lewis, and ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's bo ...
'' by J. R. R. Tolkien; and in work by
Algernon Blackwood Algernon Henry Blackwood, CBE (14 March 1869 – 10 December 1951) was an English broadcasting narrator, journalist, novelist and short story writer, and among the most prolific ghost story writers in the history of the genre. The literary crit ...
and Ursula Le Guin (e.g., ''The Centaur'' and '' Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight'', respectively).Brawley, Chris (2014). ''Nature and the Numinous in Mythopoeic Fantasy Literature,'' e.g., p. ix and ''passim,'' Vol. 46, Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy (Palumbo, D.E. & Sullivan III, C.W.), Jefferson, NC, USA: McFarland, , se

accessed 17 October 2015.
Neuroscientist
Christof Koch Christof Koch ( ; born November 13, 1956) is a German-American neurophysiologist and computational neuroscientist best known for his work on the neural basis of consciousness. He is the president and chief scientist of the Allen Institute for B ...
has described awe from experiences such as entering a cathedral, saying he gets "a feeling of luminosity out of the numinous," though he does not hold the
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
religious beliefs with which he was raised. In a 2010 article titled "
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...
's Cathedral: Avatar Revives the Religious Spectacle" published in the
Journal of Religion and Film The ''Journal of Religion and Film'' is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal that "examines the description, critique, and embodiment of religion in film". The editor-in-chief is John C. Lyden (Grand View University). It was established in ...
, academic
Craig Detweiler Craig Detweiler (born 1964) is a writer, filmmaker, and cultural commentator. He is dean of the College of Fine Arts and Production at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Early life and career Detweiler grew up in Charlotte, North Caro ...
describes how the global blockbuster movie
Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appear ...
"traffics in Rudolph Otto’s notion of the numinous, the wholly other that operates beyond reason. .. As spectacle, Avatar remains virtually critic proof, a trip to Otto’s mysterium tremendum et fascinans." Cameron himself mentioned this in a 2022 interview with BBC Radio 1 when trying to explain the first movie's success, saying "There was that element that I call — borrowing from
Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ex ...
— the numinous." Psychologist
Susan Blackmore Susan Jane Blackmore (born 29 July 1951) is a British writer, lecturer, sceptic, broadcaster, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth. Her fields of research include memetics, parapsychology, consciousness, and she is best known ...
describes both
mystical experience Scholarly approaches to mysticism include typologies of mysticism and the explanation of mystical states. Since the 19th century, mystical experience has evolved as a distinctive concept. It is closely related to "mysticism" but lays sole emphasi ...
s and
psychedelic experience A psychedelic experience (known colloquially as a trip) is a temporary altered state of consciousness induced by the consumption of a psychedelic substance (most commonly LSD, mescaline, psilocybin mushrooms, or DMT). For example, an acid ...
s as numinous. In 2009, Czech psychiatrist
Stanislav Grof Stanislav "Stan" Grof is a Czech-born psychiatrist who has been living in the United States since the 1960s. Grof is one of the principal developers of transpersonal psychology and research into the use of non-ordinary states of consciousness ...
re-released his 1975 book ''Realms of the Human Unconscious'' under the title ''LSD: Doorway to the Numinous: The Groundbreaking Psychedelic Research into Realms of the Human Unconscious''. In his 2018 book '' How to Change Your Mind'', journalist
Michael Pollan Michael Kevin Pollan (; born February 6, 1955) is an American author and journalist, who is currently Professor of the Practice Non-Fiction and the first Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer at Harvard University. Concurrently, he is the Knight Professo ...
describes his experience trying the powerful
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...
substance
5-MeO-DMT 5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine) or O-methyl-bufotenin is a psychedelic of the tryptamine class. It is found in a wide variety of plant species, and also is secreted by the glands of at least one toad species, the Colorado R ...
, including the following reflection on his experience of
ego dissolution Ego death is a "complete loss of subjective self-identity". The term is used in various intertwined contexts, with related meanings. Jungian psychology uses the synonymous term psychic death, referring to a fundamental transformation of the psych ...
:


See also

*
Analytical psychology Analytical psychology ( de , Analytische Psychologie, sometimes translated as analytic psychology and referred to as Jungian analysis) is a term coined by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, to describe research into his new "empirical science" ...
* Argument from religious experience *
Religious ecstasy Religious ecstasy is a type of altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness, frequently accompanied by visions and emotional (and sometimes physical) euph ...
*
Religious experience A religious experience (sometimes known as a spiritual experience, sacred experience, or mystical experience) is a subjective experience which is interpreted within a religious framework. The concept originated in the 19th century, as a defense ...
*
Sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...
* Sacred–profane dichotomy *
Sense of wonder A sense of wonder (sometimes jokingly written sensawunda) is an intellectual and emotional state frequently invoked in discussions of science and biology, higher consciousness, science fiction, and philosophy. __TOC__ Definitions This entry f ...
* Soul flight


References and notes


Further reading

* Allen, Douglas. 2009. "Phenomenology of Religion § Rudolf Otto." Pp. 182–207 in ''The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion'' (2nd ed.), edited by J. Hinnells. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. . Pp. 192f, '' passim''. * Brawley, Chris. 2014.
Nature and the Numinous in Mythopoeic Fantasy Literature
'' Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy vol. 46, edited by D.E. Palumbo and & C.W. Sullivan III. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. . ritical treatment with extensive reference to and use of the titular concept.** see, e.g., pp. 71–92, "'Further Up and Further In': Apocalypse and the New Narnia in C.S. Lewis's 'The Last Battle';" and ''passim''. * Duriez, Colin. 2003.
Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship
'' Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press. . pp. 1, 179–80. * Gooch, Todd A. 2000.
The Numinous and Modernity: An Interpretation of Rudolf Otto's Philosophy of Religion
'. Berlin, DEU: Walter de Gruyter. . * Miranda, Punita. 2018.
Numinous and Religious Experience in the Psychology of Carl Jung
" ''Diálogos Junguianos'' 'Jungian Dialogues''3(1): 110–33. * Otto, Rudolph (1917). ''Das Heilige - Über das Irrationale in der Idee des Göttlichen und sein Verhältnis zum Rationalen''. Breslau. * —— 1923.
The Idea of the Holy: An Inquiry into the Non-Rational Factor in the Idea of the Divine and its Relation to the Rational
', translated by J. W. Harvey. London: Oxford University Press. Internet Archive: in.ernet.dli.2015.22259. * Oubre, Oubre. 2013.
Instinct and Revelation: Reflections on the Origins of Numinous Perception
'' Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. {{ISBN, 1134384815. Concepts in aesthetics Concepts in metaphysics Concepts in the philosophy of mind Holiness Metaphysics of mind Mysticism Psychological concepts Religious philosophical concepts Religious practices Religious terminology Spirituality