Mahāmudrā is a term for a peak experience, it is not itself a philosophical trend. Its realization begins with the immediacy of vision, the moment before what is seen is distorted by concepts; and in this respect the starting-point has similarities with aesthetic or intrinsic perception. Such a perception is an open possibility offering new ways of development leading to the integration of personality. Consequently Mahāmudrā is both an integrated and integrating experience which is more open to spontaneity and expressiveness. Through the Mahāmudrā experience man creates himself and the world afresh. The experience itself cannot be expressed in words, but some of its aspects can be dealt with from an epistemological point of view, which is the method of the Sūtras, or from an existential or ontological point of view, which is the method of the Tantras.