The article examines how the film Embrace of the Serpent presents a theory of mysticism that challenges the idea that true mystical experience is unmediated and universal. In the film, two Westerners seek entheogenic mystical experiences guided by an indigenous shaman; the first attempt fails, but the second yields a profound vision. The film argues that transcending culture and healing the trauma of colonization requires not an unmediated experience but a culturally-specific mystical expertise. Only through understanding such expertise can mystical experience foster cross-cultural understanding and deep healing.
Islamic esoteric traditions such as Sufism and Ishrāqī philosophy are often labeled "mysticism," yet scholars of Islam and case studies of Muslim mystics are largely absent from the debates that shape the conceptual understanding of mysticism in religious studies. This exclusion risks perpetuating outdated stereotypes of Islam as a merely legalistic tradition. The article traces how defining a universal mystical experience has led to prescriptive definitions that exclude much of Islamic spirituality, describes how Islamicists have critiqued these models without offering a viable solution, and suggests that bringing Islam into the discourse will enrich theoretical perspectives on mysticism and religion.