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Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History magazine.

From medieval mystic Julian of Norwich to countercultural figures of the 1960s, across history, various individuals have felt that they have access to spiritual forces beyond

human understanding. But what drives these transcendent and often ecstatic sensations? And how are

people with a deep connection to the divine regarded by wider society. In today's episode,

philosopher and author Simon Critchley speaks to Charlotte Hodgman about his new book,

On Mysticism, The Experience of Ecstasy. Perhaps just first of all, just to set the scene for listeners,

how would you actually explain what mysticism is?

A short definition given by a woman called Evelyn Underhill, who was very famous in the early 20th century.

She wrote a book in 1911 called mysticism, and she defines it as experience in its most intense form. So it's a kind of

experiential intensity of being lifted up and outside yourself into an experience of ecstasy.

There are much more sort of complex ways of defining it. But that's a neat, short definition.

And is it exclusively a religious experience? complex ways of defining it, but that's a neat, short definition.

And is it exclusively a religious experience?

No. It is an experience which we can associate historically with religion.

I think it's a tendency within religion. It's not a religion. Sometimes people think of mysticism as its own thing.

Mysticism is a tendency within religion and every religion that I'm aware of that I can think of has a mystical tendency.

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