art and mysticism
I found this quote below in a copy of Ver Sacrum (the official magazine of the Vienna Secession), displayed at an exhibition I went to recently. I wouldn't call myself a religious person, so the part about "God" doesn't particularly resonate with me, but I found it interesting nonetheless.
"The point where philosophy, religion, and poetry touch each other is mysticism. Mysticism [...] is the unmediated feeling of being one with the world and God. Art is applied mysticism. Allegory [in art] is based on the conscious, Symbolism on the unconscious application of mysticism. Both have their limitations [...] where allegory turns into a mere game of the mind and symbolism into mimicry of nature. Between these two outermost points, then, the arts are in constant undulation, moving up and down."
Note: This is a slightly paraphrased translation of the original German text, but I think I managed to keep the main message intact.