“All Shall Be Well”: Several Phenomenological and Metaphysical Insights into a Spiritual Experience of Julian of Norwich

Abstract

In my paper I present several phenomenological and metaphysical reflections on spiritual experience of Julian of Norwich (1342–1416). First, I discuss the meaning of sin, which is qualified as pain, isolation, clash of intentions, misperception, having no essence, as inevitable, and as a “reward”. As unnatural and unreal, sin refrains mind from the perception of the real and the natural and distorts intentional relations toward the world, others and oneself. Within this context, I show how the true sense of personal identity is revealed through the process of mystical transformation. Further, I outline certain ontological and metaphysical claims and questions. Was the medieval mystic taught something about the relation of mind and reality? A possible way how to apprehend the analyzed experiential ontological features is to radically employ and expand the Christian notion of incarnation.

Keywords

• Julian of Norwich
• mysticism
• personal identity
• phenomenology of sin
• incarnation