Aesthetic and mystical experience according to Abhinavagupta

Abhinavagupta (c. 950-1020) was a famous Indian philosopher, theologist, aesthetician, mystic and poet. Besides being one of the most influential exponents of the so-called Kashmir Shivaism, he took a vital interest in the theory of sanskrit poetics. Abhinavagupta's works on aesthetics cover almost every aspect of the discipline. Above all, he created a coherent aesthetic system, which can be viewed as a continuation and an enhancement of the influential rasa-bhava theory. The aim of this article is to provide a succinct description of Abhinavagupta's theory of aesthetics which encompasses his interpretation of the rasa theory and his views on the nature of aesthetic and mystic experiences as closely related through śāntarasa - a special kind of emotion described by Abhinava as a form of universal bliss of the Self (ātman).