Egocentricity and Mysticism: An Anthropological Study

Ernst Tugendhat sees mysticism as a response to a deep need for peace of mind. We experience this need in connection to our discursive practices that relate us to and differentiate us from one another and the world we inhabit for a short period of time. This condition, Tugendhat shows, prompts us to “step back” from our egocentric concerns. Mysticism satisfies our need for self-transcendence born from the tensions arising from language, social interaction, and mortality.