"Jag lever i tre världar" - Margit Sandemos visioner i ljuset av religionspsykologisk mystikteori

Sammanfattning: The topic of this essay is visions and how they can be viewed in the scientific study of mysticism. A case study of the life and mystical visions of Swedish-Norwegian author Margit Sandemo is conducted. The method used is interview as well as textual studies. The material thus consists of both several autobiographies and the transcribed interview with Sandemo. Through comparisons and rereading of the different texts a short biography is constructed focusing on important events and experiences, particularly visions, in the life of Sandemo. Based mainly on the theories and concepts of Antoon Geels and Mark Freeman the visions of Margit Sandemo are analyzed and discussed. The purpose is to try to understand the visions and decide which of them are to be regarded as mystical experiences. Applied to the material the theories often seem to be in accord, but they provide different levels of understanding. Depending on the theory used different visions may or may not appear as mystical experiences. The viewpoint, particularly of W.T. Stace, that visions are not to be regarded as mystical experiences is also discussed.