Niklas Nenzén: Det surrealistiska läsmysteriet: Esoterism, myter och dialektik

Abstract

Scholars have identified significant intersections between surrealism and Western esotericism. It is often assumed that surrealism prioritizes artistic objectives over occult concerns, due to its clear atheism and scientific, left-leaning perspective, which are thought to conflict with religious beliefs. This study explores these intersections through contemporary theories of Western esotericism studies. From a systematic-theological perspective, surrealist experiences are examined in relation to, rather than in opposition to, esotericism and occultism. A surrealist discourse of ineffable experience is identified – one that aligns with both Western mysticism and the type of esotericism (occultism) that seeks to reenchant the world.

It is argued that both surrealists and esotericists use magical and imaginative techniques to express the ineffable, addressing the limitations of our conceptual frameworks for understanding experience. To enrich the analysis of these intersections, an esoteric interpretation of Hegel’s thought is offered – particularly his phenomenology – that elucidates and synthesizes his significance for the intellectual traditions and worldviews central to my research project. By analyzing Hegel’s circular and symbolic method, a connection between surrealist Hegelianism, esotericism, and mythology is established, whereby surrealist reading and writing can be seen as an initiatory process that transforms both the individual and society. It is argued that surrealist experience can be understood as a collectively constructed myth that addresses both occult epistemology and sociopolitical concerns.

The study consists of two case studies: the first one analyzes André Breton’s concept of “the sublime point” and illustrates surrealism’s ongoing discussion of how to handle the demand for absolute and ineffable knowledge. The second one examines surrealism’s collective myth, ”the great transparents”, showing that surrealist mythmaking is tied to an alchemical-hermetic dialectic, also found in Rosicrucianism and post-theosophy, as well as in horror and science fiction literature. The creation of myths here concerns writing the supernatural, which, in turn, writes us — a commitment this study likens to a hermetic reading mystery. The present dissertation thereby contributes to post-Christian theology by discussing art, literature, and poetry from the perspective of surrealism’s atheistic engagement with Christian traditions, particularly the heretical and subversive ones, such as mysticism, hermeticism, alchemy, and post-theosophy.