I guess it's a matter of perspective, but my first read was similar, and it made me feel smart. I actually listed all the words I had to look up on a 3x5 index

I guess it's a matter of perspective, but my first read was similar, and it made me feel smart. I actually listed all the words I had to look up on a 3x5 index card and used it for a bookmark. I no longer have it but I definitely remember "numinous" was on there, along with many others.