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Ecstasy

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An overwhelming feeling of rapture and trance-like joy, often associated with a mystical union with the divine.

Detailed Definition
Ecstasy (from Greek ekstasis, meaning "to stand outside oneself") is the pinnacle of mystical experience, where the self is dissolved in the bliss of God. This is the primary state described by Sufi poets like Rumi, Hindu bhakti poets, and Christian mystics like John of the Cross. The poetry of ecstasy attempts the impossible: to use language to convey a state beyond language. It employs dizzying imagery, circular rhythms, and paradoxical statements to mimic the experience of being swept away by a love that transcends the individual ego.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Sufi poetry, Ecstasy (wajd) is union with the Divine: “I danced until I vanished—only Love remained”; In Rilke’s verse, Ecstasy is terrifying beauty: “Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angelic orders?”; In Pentecostal poetry, Ecstasy is Spirit-filled joy: “Tongues of fire—my mouth sings in unknown grace”; Contemporary poets describe Ecstasy as fleeting transcendence: “For one breath, the world made sense—then it slipped away.”
Additional Notes
Ecstasy (from Greek ekstasis, “standing outside oneself”) describes mystical rapture in Sufi whirling, Pentecostal glossolalia, or Teresa of Ávila’s visions; poets capture it through fragmented syntax, sensory overload, or paradox—conveying the dissolution of ego in divine love or cosmic unity.
Also Known As
Rapture Mystical Union Euphoria Exaltation Bliss
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