Professor Naschak illuminates numerous strands of the world’s esoteric traditions in The Global Mystical Tradition. He skillfully turns and twists through sacred paths to examine all angles of each one, while in the process weaving together stronger cords that serve to reinforce his central argument that by exploring these mystical traditions one can unveil hidden interrelationships. Climbing the cable created from this interweaving allows the reader to ascend to greater heights, ultimately, approaching the divine with both a solid guide and support. This text is a valuable addition to the personal libraries of anyone interested in comparative religious studies, mysticism, or mythology.

Darren Iammarino, Ph.D. author of Religion and Reality

The Global Mystical Traditions, by Bruce Naschak, is the latest example of exploring the esoteric heart of religious traditions across cultures by suspending the dominant social, institutional, and organizational parameters. While introductory and highly accessible, the book makes a strong case for reading the sacred for the sake of discovering the sacred and re-visiting religions in the footsteps of William James, Ninian Smart, Mircia Eliade, or R. C. Zaehner. Encyclopedic in nature, the book makes smooth transitions across traditions in excavating what each examined culture found in their own core of beliefs, and in so doing, the book stays focused on exploring and analyzing their essential texts, introducing central figures from history, and relating one tradition to others in the web of world culture. Bruce Naschak has successfully mastered this ambitious project of addressing mystical traditions across cultures and is a must read for those who are interested in exploring the connecting thread across different mystical traditions.

Sthaneshwar Timalsina, San Diego State University

This is a deeply engaging, intelligent, carefully considered, thoroughly researched, well-written analysis of mysticism as a cross-cultural phenomenon of deep significance to our understanding of not just religion but the very nature of humanity. Naschak incorporates an impressive array of data regarding the majority of the world’s religions, including shamanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Ancient Egyptian and Greek religions, Judaism, Christianity. Across these traditions Naschak perceives a common core grounded in mystical experiences related to the esoteric teachings and practices of each tradition. Firmly rooted in the lineage of Perennialist Philosophy, Naschak shows us how to connect the essentialist dots from shamanic trance to Upanishadic wisdom to Rabbinic exegesis to Buddhist meditation to the rituals of the ancient Egyptians. A fascinating read for anyone interested in religion, esotericism, mystical experience and the connections across the world’s faiths. Perfect book for an undergraduate or graduate seminar on religious experience.

Jeffrey S. Lidke, Berry College