| Title | : | Mysticism: Initiation and Dream |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2012 |
At the time of his matriculation, Chumbley had already established a solid reputation as an occult author and practitioner of widely varying spiritual disciplines. His highly-acclaimed books Azoëtia (1992) and Qutub (1995) arose not only from the solid foundation of magical practice and theory, but also from a highly complex mystical dream-praxis, perfected for many years. Though forming the core of his coursework, 'Mysticism' - together with the bulk of his SOAS essays - were written in a transcendent dialogist style altogether in concord with the body of his occult work. Drawing upon sources as diverse as the dream-vision of the Christian saints, Sufic oneiric texts, and Bonpo termas, Chumbley here presents an arcane cartography of the dream as the eternal vessel for the perichoresis of matter and spirit.
Three Hands Press Occult Monographs is a new esoteric reference series. The vision of the project is to produce, in limited edition, a serial compendium of authoritative occult monographs by contemporary writer-practitioners. The works are drawn from a deep well of authorial talent, featuring some of the most influential names in magic and occult mysticism today. Each single-author monograph concerns a single subject from the dual perspective of empirical inquiry and magical practice. Many of the titles will not be available elsewhere. 6-8 monograph titles will be released per year. Many titles will be illustrated.
Mysticism: Initiation and Dream Reviews
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This was a nice intellectual snack of a slim book. The slim volume is an essay that Andrew Chumbley wrote as an undergraduate at SOAS University in London in 2001. He was already an established and respected occultist at the time, having penned the Azoetia and Qutub by then. This book most certainly informs the material from those grimoires, shedding some light on the opaque and dense imagery contained in these. However, unlike the grimoires, this essay is written in an academic manner, due in no small part to the circumstances surrounding its conception.
The essay itself treats on exactly what the title says. It is an ambitious examination on the intersection of dreams, mysticism and initiation. He provides many anecdotes and references from many different sources, ranging from ancient Chinese Taoism to Hildegaard Von Bingen to Dr. Freud. He points out how dreams are universally seen as mystical and describes different cultural instances of dream initiation. That is, dreams as an opportunity to connect with the divine. Fascinating and very reminiscent of something C.G. Jung might write. Albeit with more of an Asian slant. -
I was initially attracted to this book because of its physical beauty. It was lying on the counter at Field's Metaphysical Bookstore and it captured my eye, then secured my purchase as soon as I picked it up. Its a true pleasure to hold.
The text itself is equally as beautiful. Its an essay about mysticism, dreams, and initiation, as its title suggests. It is the most intelligent treatment of dreams I have read since Jung. In fact, it was almost too intelligent for me, I needed to look up several words and I'll have to read it again before I can fully express what it conveyed.
Luckily for me, it also sketches out a history of mystical dreams at the same time as expounding its theory, which is still above my head. The history was illuminating and surprisingly complete for such a small book. Strictly as a collection of references and a bibliography, this book is outstanding. -
Excelent work which I will return to and read again in the future. Contains a wealth of information which I hope to absorb over time.
