Ultrarunning Mysticism: Mind, Body, Spirit and the Sacredness of Overcoming Suffering uses science, ultrarunners' experiences, and philosophy to explore how endurance runners create exceptionally unique experiences for themselves through their sport. Many cultures have used endurance running as a way to attain enlightenment, connect with their surroundings, and become a part of something greater than themselves. Traditional and modern accounts of mysticism in religion and philosophy provide foundations for experiences that are considered mystical, and those foundations are demonstrated throughout the book using athletes' personal stories. Research is showing that mental toughness, environmental effects, changes in neurochemistry, and activation in less-used areas of the brain create unique states that some consider spiritual. Research in neurotheology shows that meditation, and potentially active meditation such as endurance running, can create profound feelings of oneness and a sense of sacredness that transcends the experiencer to new levels of connection and understanding.