RUSSIAN MYSTICISM AS AN IMAGE OF «THE OTHER» FOR WESTERN ESOTERICISM
Вестник Тверского государственного университета. Серия: Философия October 30, 2020 М. Воронкина
Russian mysticism is a distinct philosophical, spiritual, and civilizational phenomenon, not merely a variant of Western esotericism. Including Russian mystics such as H.P. Blavatsky, G.I. Gurdjieff, and P.D. Ouspensky unconditionally within Western esotericism is unjustified, as is diminishing the originality of V.S. Solovyov's mysticism, the founder of Russian mystical philosophy. The article argues for mutual recognition of Russian mysticism and Western esotericism as original but closely interacting forms of thinking, which can illuminate previously forbidden aspects of spiritual heritage and address problems of integrity in modern spiritual culture.