The Unio Mystica of Teresa of Avila: two classical presentations in the light of psychology

Authors

• Hans Åkerberg

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67147

Keywords:

Psychology and religion, Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582, John of the Cross, Saint, 1542-1591, Experience (Religion) -- Christianity, Mysticism, Altered states of consciousness, Ecstasy

Abstract

It is generally maintained within the Carmelite tradition that Teresa (1515-1582) showed an extraordinary facility in describing the stages of mysticism with experimential vigour and deep intensity, compared for example to John of the Cross, whose mystical presentation is of a more dogmatic and systematic nature. In this sense she would appear to be unsurpassed within the entire Roman Catholic mystic tradition. The author compares two classical presentations by Teresa of the significance of unio mystica, firstly her description of this in the Libro de la vida, and secondly her presentation of the same mystic element in the book Castillo interior o Las moradas.