Psychological and Sociological Aspects of Mysticism

Mystical behavior has some companions. We cannot deny the place of superstitions, myths, and legends in our daily lives. Who can assert that Noah and his ark would not take the place of Gaia of 2300 years past 2500 years from now? How would those from other cultures consider the blue beads, used against the evil eye that we, in Turkey, have around our houses and offices? We can observe mystical behaviors of even scientists whom we can define as rationalist individuals. If we approach the issue from Abraham Maslow’s observation, we can say that most of those who are spiritually healthy and successful rely on mystical beliefs and behaviors. Thus, this phenomenon deliberately ignored by some scientists is scrutinized in this paper, examining the psychological and sociological depths of those elements that can be termed mystical using Güleç’s framework and a wider literature review to understand how they have become indispensable for societies