For the ancients, philosophy, as well as theology, was a way of life, and for some, closely connected to religious mysticism. A person's way of thinking, reading, acting – and praying – were seen as interrelated. Mystical experiences — gods descending to earth and humans ascending to heaven — were seen as an inherent part of a larger philosophical tradition. In the course, the shared Greek philosophical school tradition will be presented, and a variety of forms of reception and transformation of this heritage will be analysed and discussed both diachronically and synchronically.