This book is the first of twelve volumes that will comprise Raimon Panikkar's complete works. It is fitting that the first volume of this series deals with the subject of mysticism, as Panikkar refers to this as the “most important theme of my life” and the “indispensable hermeneutical key” to all of his writings (xiii). In this book, Panikkar considers the meaning of mystical experience and its implications for an understanding of human consciousness of the divine and the encounter between religions.

Two interrelated triads form the foundation of Panikkar's conception of mysticism. The first is represents the corporeal, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions of human consciousness. The second includes the cosmos, the human, and God. Panikkar argues for an advaitic (nondual) understanding of the relationships within both of these triads, in which their constitutive elements can be distinguished from each other but are also inseparably one. The mystical experience is an integral experience, involving the entirety of human consciousness in relationship with the cosmos and divinity. Panikkar thus claims that mysticism is not ultimately about rarefied or unusual experiences. Rather, he envisions a “mysticism within ordinary life,” in which “the mystic is incarnated and deeply rooted in this world because he does not split Life into two parts; he does not separate his own earthly existence from what has been called the ‘other world’” (203).

Panikkar understands this experience as possible for all persons. Mysticism is not limited to any one religious tradition, nor even to a religious rather than a secular perspective; rather, it “belongs to human nature itself” (210). And yet there is much variety in the ways this experience is manifested. In considering this, Panikkar analyzes how the mystical experience consists of the experience itself, as well as language, memory, interpretation, the cultural context in which it occurs, and the way in which it is expressed in practice. Based on these factors, the mystical experience, which is fundamentally a human experience, takes multiple and diverse forms. The issue of what is universal and what is unique among various forms of mysticism is also addressed by Panikkar in his consideration of mystical languages. He discusses the distinctive concepts found in Hindu, Buddhist, secular, and Christian traditions. At the same time, he suggests that all mysticisms share a common vocabulary centered on ineffability, love, and knowledge as constitutive elements of mystical language.

In considering the merits of this book, it should be remembered that Panikkar is articulating the intellectual foundations for his conception of mysticism. In doing this, he relates mystical experience to the whole of human life in and of itself, rather than to its expression in any one particular religious tradition. This can provide a basis for an interreligious and cross-cultural understanding of mysticism. In taking this approach, however, the book presents mysticism as something of an abstraction, rather than as concretely expressed in specific mystical figures and texts. While Panikkar does make passing references to these, they are not the book's focus. This makes it quite different from much contemporary scholarship on mysticism, in which the focus tends to be on analysis of the figures and texts that are particular manifestations of mystical experience. This approach does make it difficult to envision using the book in a context such as an undergraduate introductory course on mysticism. However, the book would have much value for advanced coursework or research in mysticism or comparative theology.

According to Raimon Panikkar, mystical experience is “the experience of Life, a sensory, intellectual, and spiritual experience…. It is the human experience in its fullness” (199). This book's holistic conception of mysticism, and analysis of its expression among the world's religious traditions, make for a significant contribution to scholarship on this subject.