/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.6663836]

Can someone explain to me the idea of the"numinous"

I'm reading Otto's 'The Idea of the Holy' and the concept is pretty strange.

What do you guys think of it, any good?

General Otto discussion.

[Anonymous No.6665623]

>>6663836
Haven't read him, but I did attend a seminar about him once.

Basically numinous reminded me of Kant. Otto distinguishes the numinous from the noumenal of course, but the reminder wasn't in that direction but towards Kant's concept of the sublime. Basically it's something scary at first that causes enjoyment after, to simplify it to the utmost.

For example, if you listen to Bach and first feel overcome with joy, but then get scared and anxious at how glorious it is and how inferior and insignificant you are in comparison, if you reverse the order or said feelings you get something like the numinous. So that's how you feel in an indirect encounter with God.

Take all I just said with a pinch of salt though, I haven't actually read him and the seminar was a few years ago. The reason Otto is so appreciated is that basically some of the concepts that we so easily use and recognize have been invented, in their current meaning, by him (forgot which ones exactly, but stuff like sacred and profane I think).