Otto coined the term “numinous,” from the Latin numen (“spirit” or “divinity,” originally referring to a divine or spiritual being). The numinous, he argued, is the quintessential religious experience that is beyond our reason. It is the experience of something “wholly other,” something he called a mysterium tremendum et fascinans. By that he meant that the numinous is (1) mysterious and inexpressible, (2) tremendous or awe-inspiring, and (3) fascinating. The numinous is beautiful and terrible, fascinating and daunting, alluring and overwhelming—all at the same time.
