mysterium
Sacred secret rite
Mysterium is a Latin term for mystery, used in English primarily in religious and philosophical contexts.
The *mysterium tremendum* is theologian Rudolf Otto's phrase for the overwhelming, awe-inspiring aspect of the divine—that which provokes both terror and fascination.
Outside theology, mysterium lends a formal or archaic tone to discussions of the inexplicable: the mysterium of consciousness.
Concealed from view
- arcaneUnderstood by few
- hiddenKept out of sight
- secretConcealed information
- gnosisExperiential sacred understanding
initiate · ritual · hermetic · alchemical · kabbalah · theosophy · adept · veil
Sacred ritual conveying grace
- EucharistSacramental bread and wine
- communionProfound shared closeness
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- riteCeremonial act or practice
sacred · divine · transcendence · holy · revelation · grace · faith · incarnation
Beyond verbal expression
- unknowableImpossible to understand
- numinousSpiritually awesome, beyond ordinary
- sublimeAwe-inspiring greatness
- wonderAmazement or curiosity
awe · paradox · transcendent · unfathomable · existence · ontological · phenomenology · essence
Theatrical art or turmoil
- atmosphereGaseous layer around planets
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- intrigueSecret plotting or fascination
gothic · mood · tension · shadows · revelation · theatrical · spectacle · uncanny
occult
Concealed from view
gnosis · initiate · ritual · hermetic · alchemical · kabbalah · theosophy · adept · veil · esoterica
sacrament
Sacred ritual conveying grace
- EucharistSacramental bread and wine
- communionProfound shared closeness
- liturgyFormal worship structure
rite · sacred · divine · transcendence · holy · revelation · grace · faith · incarnation · redemption
ineffable
Beyond verbal expression
- unknowableImpossible to understand
- numinousSpiritually awesome, beyond ordinary
- sublimeAwe-inspiring greatness
wonder · awe · paradox · transcendent · unfathomable · existence · ontological · phenomenology · essence · ultimate
drama
Theatrical art or turmoil
- atmosphereGaseous layer around planets
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
intrigue · gothic · mood · tension · shadows · revelation · theatrical · spectacle · uncanny · eerie
board game
Marked-surface group entertainment
clairvoyant · seance · cards · cooperative · deduction · intuition · suspects · locations · weapons · medium
- sacred aweawe, holiness, sacredness, sanctity, reverence
mysteriumrevelation
Surprising disclosed truth
common knowledge · disclosure · proclamation · dogma · transparency
mysteriumordinariness
State of being unremarkable
banality · normality · everydayness · disenchantment · triviality
mysteriumclarity
State of being understandable
explicability · simplicity · perspicuity · transparency · obviousness
- mysterious phenomenaUnexplained strange events
- murder mysteriesFiction centered on solving homicides
- medical mysteriesUnexplained health conditions
- mysterious islandsLand surrounded by water, full of secrets
- mysterious strangerPuzzling person of unknown origin
- mysterious disappearancesUnexplained cases of people gone