Ken Wilber explains what he calls the pre/trans fallacy as follows:
"Since both prerational states and transrational states are, in their own ways, nonrational, they appear similar or even identical to the untutored eye. And once pre and trans are confused, then one of two fallacies occurs."
"In the first, all higher and transrational states are reduced to lower and prerational states. Genuine mystical or contemplative experiences, for example, are seen as a regression or throwback to infantile states of narcissism, oceanic adualism, indissociation, and even primitive autism."
"On the other hand, if one is sympathetic with higher or mystical states, but one still confuses pre and trans, then one will elevate all prerational states to some sort of transrational glory."
In other words, this is a fallacy that many rationalists are liable to commit. I have to confess that I was one of them when I still worked in academia and mistook Chassidus for something inferior to the rational study of the Talmud.
But many rationalists are not as rational as they think they are. They often have blind faith in their intellect. They also often have blind faith that they have no blind faith. ;-) I know this from my own experience as a former rationalist.
One of the main reasons why I decided to leave academia before reaching the official retirement age was that I encountered Chassidus through a long chain of chance encounters following a life challenge I had experienced.
In retrospect, I had to experience a difficult challenge to become humble enough to appreciate the teachings of Chassidus. It didn't take me long to realize that Chassidus, as Jewish mysticism or nonduality, is not only not primitive but actually transcends rationality.
Not everything that is nonrational is prerational. It can also be transrational. But it's also a fallacy to think that rationality is always wrong. Both rationality and transrationality can serve us in complementary ways.
One major obstacle to studying mystical/nondual teachings is that they cannot always be studied through language alone, using reason. You also have to experience them. In this respect, I was lucky that the particular form of mysticism/nonduality I studied uses language to transcend language. This may sound paradoxical, but you have to experience it.
If you're interested in studying Chabad Chassidus through rational inquiry, ;-) here are some authentic introductory books I'd recommend. I've read all of them and have even taught courses using them.
- The Basics of Chassidus 1 Chabad: Its Origins, Principles, and Purpose by Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov & Rabbi Naftoli Hertz Pewzner
- Reclaiming the Self by Rabbi DovBer Pinson
- It's All the Same to Me by Rabbi Moshe Gersht
- The Jewish Book of Life after Life by Rabbi DovBer Pinson
PS: Ken Wilber is not a Chabadnik, but he could be a good Chabadnik. ;-)
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