Sander Oosterom, PhD

Mysticism is not an escape from the world, but a different way of inhabiting it.

 

This conviction lies at the heart of my work as a writer, teacher, and contemplative. Drawing on the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic mystical traditions, I explore a form of spirituality that is not primarily about the pursuit of peak experiences or self-actualization, but begins with the reorientation of one’s entire way of life.

 

The great mystical traditions of the West and Near East understood that the path to transcendence does not lead away from ordinary existence, but through it. Sacred art, literature, and place are therefore approached not as historical artifacts, but as living embodiments of these traditions and as guides on the contemplative path.

 

With a doctorate in the philosophy of art from Cornell University and experience as a professor of art history and philosophy, I bring together scholarship and contemplative practice. Through retreats, courses, and writing, I invite others to rediscover the spiritual wisdom embedded within their own cultural inheritance; wisdom that remains available, though is often forgotten.

 

I spend part of each year in solitude on an island off the coast of Istanbul, dividing my time between writing, teaching, and developing a research and retreat center in Turkey dedicated to the study and practice of mysticism across traditions.