Archive of Mystical Experiences

The Archive of Mystical Experiences (AME) is a collection of primary-source accounts of transcendent experiences—visions, out-of-body experiences, revelations, apotheosis, and more—covers antiquity to the present and world religions to Indigenous and new-age communities. Balanced with long-form "Encyclopedia entires", these firsthand archival accounts contextualize and analyze the role of extraordinary experiences in particular geographies, traditions, and eras. 

The Center for the Study of World Religions developed and supported the first phase of the Archive of Mystical Experience project between 2023 and 2026. During this period, the Center commissioned more than 70 encyclopedia and archival entries exploring transformative religious experiences across cultures, religious traditions, and historical periods. The project also supported the development of a broader research database documenting and contextualizing accounts of mystical, visionary, and transformative experience.

A selection of these entries is featured here. Additional entries developed during the CSWR phase of the project will continue to be released by the Center over the course of the 2026–27 academic year.

Archival Entries

Archival entries present and contextualize primary source accounts of extraordinary religious, mystical, and transformative experiences drawn from diverse traditions, historical periods, and cultural settings. Each entry introduces the source, situates it within its historical and religious context, and highlights its significance for understanding experiences of transcendence and transformation

Encyclopedia Entries

Encyclopedia entries provide scholarly overviews of key figures, traditions, practices, concepts, and movements relevant to the study of mystical and transformative experience. Together, they offer the historical, cultural, and interpretive context needed to understand and interpret the primary sources.

Magic
Andrea Franchetto and Egil Asprim
Dr. Dee's Engraved Wax Seal, 16th century. London, British Museum, 1232.90.c.

The Archive of Mystical Experience database

The Archive of Mystical Experience database was developed through CSWR's programmatic and financial support between 2023 and 2026. Matthew Dillon, CSWR Research Associate and Program Lead for the project during this period, will continue to expand the database through an independent platform, with a planned public release in Summer 2026. Readers interested in additional entries and future developments are encouraged to explore that resource as it becomes available.