ABSTRACT
In understanding how Henri Bergson accounts for the potential similarities between mystical experiences and those occasioned by mental illness, it is important to appreciate that Bergson conceives of The Two Sources as a complementary text to his earlier philosophy, one which presupposes the epistemology previously outlined in Matter and Memory, and refined in his later essays. The difference between the abnormal states of mysticism and the morbid states of mental illness amounts to the degree to which the individual is able to reconcile their sudden experiences of a surplus of consciousness with their surroundings and vital requirements. This restoration of equilibrium, and renewed attention to life and action, is central to the part played by the mystic in Bergson’s wider sociobiological analysis. It is through this ‘prophetic discernment of what is possible’ that the inspirational, exemplary qualities of mysticism are displayed, and the dynamic, creative forces that can re-shape society are expressed.
