Ellen White and Miki Nakayama: A comparative study of mystical experience.

Abstract

Through comparison between mystical experiences of Ellen White, one of the originators of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and Miki Nakayama, foundress of the Tenrikyo sect, this study intends to (1) describe some of the similarities and differences seen in mystical experiences drawn from different contexts, and (2) analyze and explain the factors responsible for these similarities and differences. Mystical experience has at least three main aspects--natural, cultural, and personal. The first is the element that is very closely linked with human nature; the second refers to the side that is controlled by cultural tradition; the last signifies the totality of the mystic's personality and life history. Broadly speaking, similarities emerge in the natural phase of mystical experience; differences characterize the personal aspect; in the cultural aspect, however, both differences and similarities can be observed. That is to say, the former predominates when the experiences are compared through the prism of different cultures, whereas the latter is, as a rule, found within the same cultural environment. This study will explore the above theses by means of a comparison of the mystical experiences of White and Nakayama.