mysticism

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  • a religion based on mystical communion with an ultimate reality obscure or irrational thought

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    Mysticism, from the Greek languageGreek polytonicμυω (''muo'', "to conceal"), is the pursuit of achieving communion with or conscious awareness of ultimate reality, the divine, Spirituality spiritual truth, or God through direct, personal experience (intuition or insight) rather than rational thought; the belief in the existence of realities beyond perceptual or intellectual apprehension that are central to being and directly accessible through personal experience; or the belief that such experience is a genuine and important source of knowledge. In the Hellenistic world, "mystical" referred to secret religious rituals. Mystics claim to experience intuitive knowledge of transcendent dimensions, beyond the phenomenal or material concrete objects of ordinary perception. The mystic claims to see things that are not part of ordinary experience. William James used the words "ineffable" (which means that something cannot or should not be spoken) and "noetic" (from the Greek polytonicνοῦς ''nous'': "relating to consciousness or intuition"), to describe the mystical experience. A more general definition sees mysticism as an attempt to derive some wider meaning from personal experience, surpassing everyday human understanding and tapping insights normally hidden from our mundane selves. While usually understood in a religious context, a mystical experience may happen to anyone, does not require religious training, can occur unbidden and without preparation, and may not be understood as religious at all. (James, 1902) In various circumstances, such experiences may be interpreted non-exclusively as scientific or artistic inspiration, or even dismissed as a psychological disorder.

    Types of mystical experience - The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy features four main common classifications of mystical and religious experiences:
  • Extrovertive:mystical consciousness of the unity of nature overlaid onto one's sense perception of the world.
  • Introvertive:any experience that includes sense-perceptual, somatosensory, or introspective content. An experience of "nothingness" or "emptiness", in some mystical traditions, are examples of introvertive experiences.
  • Theistic:experiences which are purportedly of God.
  • Non-theistic: purportedly of an ultimate reality other than God or of no reality at all.

    Mysticism and epistemology - In the context of epistemology, mysticism refers to using non-rational methods to arrive at belief and assuming that belief to be knowledge. For example, believing that something is true based on subjective feeling or experience would be regarded as epistemological mysticism, whereas believing based on deductive logic or scientific experiment would not.

    Subjectivity and mysticism - theismTheistic, pantheismpantheistic, and panentheismpanentheistic classical pantheist/cosmotheist metaphysical systems most often understand mystical experience as individual communion with a god or goddess. One can receive these very subjectivismsubjective experiences as visions, dreams, revelations, prophecies, and so forth.Thomas Aquinas, a Christian mystic of the 13th century, defined it as ''cognitio dei experimentalis'' (experiential knowledge of God). In Catholicism the mystical experience is not sought for its own sake, and is always informed by revelation and ascetical theology.

    Self-transcending self-discovery - The term Perennial Philosophy, coined by Leibniz and popularized by Aldous Huxley, relates to what some take to be the mystic's primary concern:
    With the one, divine reality substantial to the manifold world of things and lives and minds. But the nature of this one reality is such that it cannot be directly or immediately apprehended except by those who have chosen to fulfill certain conditions, making themselves loving, pure in heart, and poor in spirit. (Aldous Huxley, 1945)
    Some mystics use the term to refer to a manner wherein the mystic strives to plumb the depths of the self and reality in a radical process of meditative self-exploration, with the aim of experiencing the true nature of reality. Historically in some cultures and traditions, mind-altering substances—often referred to as entheogenentheogens—have been used, being considered a guide; others use rituals and methods such as meditation, !Human#Self-reflection_and_Huma nismself-reflection or self-enquiry.

    Mysticism and syncretism - Mystics of different traditions report similar experiences of a world usually outside conventional perception, although not all forms of mysticism abandon knowledge perceived through normal means. Based on extraordinary perception, mystics may believe that one can find true unity of religion and philosophy in mystical experience.Elements of mysticism exist in most religions and in many philosophies. Some mystics perceive a common thread of influence in all mystic philosophies that they see as traceable back to a shared source. The Vedic religionVedic tradition is inherently mystic; the ChristianityChristian Apocalypseapocalyptic Book of Revelation is clearly mystical, as with EzekielEzekiel's or DanielDaniel's visions of Judaism, and Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel inspired the Qur'an in a mystical manner. Indigenous cultures also have cryptic revelations pointing toward a universal flow of love or unity, usually following a vision quest (mysticism)vision quest or similar ritual. Mystical philosophies thus can exhibit a strong tendency towards syncretism. Some systems of mysticism are found within specific religious traditions and do not relinquish doctrinal principles as a part of mystical experience. For example, Christian mystics, through the centuries, have not decided that Jesus is not God after all: in other words, not all mysticism results in syncretism. In some definite cases, theology remains a distinct source of insight that guides and informs the mystical experience. For example, SaintSt. Thomas Aquinas' mystical experiences all occurred squarely within the love of the Catholic Eucharist.

    On the difficulty of defining mysticism - Readers frequently encounter seemingly open-ended statements among studies of mysticism, throughout its history, for example in Taoist thought and in studies of Kabbalah. In his work, ''Kabbalah'', Gershom Scholem, a prominent 20th century scholar of that field, stated: ''The Kabbalah is not a single system with basic principles which can be explained in a simple and straightforward fashion, but consists rather of a multiplicity of different approaches, widely separated from one another and sometimes completely contradictory.'' (Scholem, 1974)In CatholicismCatholic traditions, mystical theology is informed by revelation, which averts an apparent tendency to become lost in formless thought. Christian mystics, too, are obliged to obey the forms of ascetical theologyascetical and moral theology, as following Christ is their primary objective, rather than seeking mystical experiences for their own sake. !chastitysf.guidetopsychology.c om

    Theosophy and Occultism - The late 19th century saw a significant increase of interest in mysticism in the West that combined with increased interest in Occultism and Eastern Philosophy. Theosophy became a major movement in the popularization of these interests. Madame Blavatsky and G. I. Gurdjieff functioned as central figures of the theosophy movement. This trend later became absorbed in the rise of the New Age movement which included a major surge in the popularity of astrology. At the end of the 20th Century books like Conversations with God (a series of books which describes what the author claimed to be his experience of direct communication with God) hit the bestseller lists.

    Examples in major traditions - Examples of major traditions and philosophies with strong elements of mysticism are:
  • ChristianityChristian Gnosticism
  • Christian mysticism
  • Eastern Orthodox Hesychasm
  • Javanese mystical movements
  • JudaismJudaic Kabbalah
  • Mormonism, being founded on visions, revelations, and angelic ordination
  • Mystery religions and cults
  • Native Americans in the United StatesNative American Ghost DanceGhost Dances of the late Nineteenth Century were mystical in origin
  • The New Age movement
  • *Near Death ExperienceNear Death Experiences
  • Religious Society of FriendsQuakerism in its theology
  • Sufi tradition of Islam
  • Sumarah
  • Surat Shabd YogaSurat Shabda Yoga
  • Taoism
  • Tibetan Buddhism
  • TranscendentalismTranscendentalist Unitarianism
  • VedantaVedantic Hinduism
  • Yoga
  • ZenZen Buddhism

    Hindu mystics - Some examples of HinduismHindu mystics::Andal:Adi SankaraShankara:Gopi !Krishna:Lalleshvari:Mirabai:Na rayana? GuruNārāyana Guru(1856-1928):Ramakrishna ParamhansaSri Ramakrishna:Ramana Maharshi:Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji:Tukaram

    Chinese mystics - :Lao Zi (Lao Tze):Zhang Sanfeng:Zhuangzi (Chuang Tsu)

    Christian mystics - Some examples of ChristianityChristian mystics::St. John the Apostle (? -101):Clement of Alexandria (? -216):St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430):St. Gregory I (590-604):Anselm of CanterburySaint Anselm (1033-1109):Hugh of Saint Victor (1096–1141):St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179):Francis of Assisi (1182-1226):Albertus Magnus (206-1280):Mechtild of Magdeburg (1210-1279):St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1275) :Angel of Foligno - (c.1248-1309) ) :Meister Eckhart (c. 1260 - 1327/8):Richard Rolle (c. 1290 - 1349):St. Gregory Palamas (1296 - 1359):St. Saint BirgittaBridget of Sweden (1302-1373):Julian of Norwich (1342-c.1416):Margery Kempe (c.1373-1438):Paracelsus (1493-1541):St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582):St. John of the Cross (1542-1591):Jakob Boehme (1575-1624):Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682):Michael de Molinos (1628-1696):Sarah Wight (1632-?):Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772):William Blake (1757-1827):Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824):Jakob Lorber (1800 - 1864):Rufus Jones (1863-1948):Max Heindel (1865 - 1919):G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936):Aiden Wilson Tozer (1897-1963):Daniil Andreev (1906-1959):Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

    Islamic mystics - Some examples of IslamMuslim mystics (also called Sufi):Persian::al-Ghazali, (d. 1111):al Hallaj (d. 922):Jalal ad-Din Rumi (d. 1273):Hafiz:Sadi:Abdul Qadir Gilani:Abu Yazid Bistami aka ''Bayazid of Bistam'':Abusaeid Abolkheyr:AttarFarid al-Din Attar:Jami:Mahmud ShabistariTurkish::Yunus EmreIndian::Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, aka ''Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz'':Khwaja Nizamuddin Chishti, aka Nizamuddin Auliya or just ''Khwaja Nizamuddin'':Qalandar Baba Auliya:Amir Khusro:Shahbaz Qalander

    Jewish mystics - Some examples of Jewish mystics::Shimon bar Yochai (c.200):Messiah#Abraham AbulafiaAbraham ben Samuel Abulafia (1240-1291):Moses de LeonMoses ben Shem Tob de Leon (1250-1305):Isaac Luria (1534-1572):Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707-1746):Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810):Abraham Isaac Kook (1864-1935):Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994)

    Other mystics - Some examples of other mystics::Plotinus (NeoplatonismNeo-Platonist):Walt Whitman:Heinrich Himmler (Nazi mysticism):Aleister Crowley (magick and Thelema):Gurdjieff:Jiddu Krishnamurti:Chapel Tibet

    See also -
  • Apophatic theology
  • Astrology
  • Christian meditation
  • Esoteric Christianity
  • Esotericism
  • Faith healing
  • Ken Wilber
  • List of dignitaries of mystical organisations
  • List of spirituality-related topics
  • Meditation
  • National mysticism
  • Neo-Tech (philosophy)Neo-Tech
  • The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception
  • Rosicrucian
  • Sufism
  • Surat Shabd Yoga
  • Thelema
  • Western mystery tradition
  • Yoga

    References -
  • Aldous Huxley, ''The Perennial Philosophy'', Perennial 1945, ISBN 006057058X
  • William James, ''The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature'' (1902), ISBN 0300062559
  • Rudolf Otto, ''The Idea of the Holy'', Oxford 1923, ISBN 0195002105
  • Gershom Scholem, ''Kabbalah'', Meridian 1974, Plume Books 1987 reissue: ISBN 0452010071
  • ''FourYogas.com - The Four Yogas Of Enlightenment: Guide To Don Juan's Nagualism & Esoteric Buddhism'' by Edward Plotkin (2002) ISBN 0972087907

    External links -
  • newadvent.org - Mysticism in newadvent.org - Catholic Encyclopedia
  • ''clas.ufl.edu - Who's Who in the History of Mysticism'' by Professor Bruce B. Janz
  • christianmystics.com - ChristianMystics.com includes many short essays covering various aspects of Christian mysticism
  • clas.ufl.edu - Alphabetical List of Mystics
  • digiserve.com - Christian Mysticism
  • ccel.org - Evelyn Underhill's classic work A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness
  • transcendentalism.us - Mysticism in World Religions
  • neo-tech.com - Neo-Tech Neo-Tech (philosophy)Neo-Tech a philosophy that says mysticism in all its forms is the "number one enemy of human life" and whose explicit mission is its total elimination
  • ? thoughtsandplaces.org - ''Mysticism: Good or Evil?''
  • psychovision.ch - Modern Mysticism and the After-Life - an empirical investigation
  • muraqaba.netfirms.com - Islamic Mysticism
  • abstractatom.com - ''AbstractAtom.com'': Information on Buddhism (especially Indian and Tibetan), the philosophy of Brahman, and Buddhist atomism
  • planetbahai.org - Planet Baha'i Mysticism Resources A look at mysticism in the Bahá'í Holy Writings, its relationship to mystical elements in other religions, and its impact on the lives of individual Bahá'ís.
  • newartisans.com - Bahá'í Mystics A collaborative exploration of Bahá'í mysticism using Wiki software.
  • bahaimystics.org - Millennial Mystics Offered by a Bahá'í artist, this site presents studies and study aids on Bahá'í mysticism, emphasizing its connection to the arts.
  • plato.stanford.edu - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry
  • srds.co.uk - How to recognise a mystical experience - criteria, triggers and stagesSpirituality Category:Mysticism !Category:EsotericismCategory:S piritualityCategory:New? !Agebg:Мистицизъмbr:M istissismde:Mystikes:Misticism oeo:Mistikismofr:Mysticismehe: מיסטיקהlb:Mystikms:Mist isismenl:Mystiekja:神秘主 pt:Misticismoru:Мистик sk:Mystikasv:Mysticismzh:密 主義

    • Websites


    Let Us Reason ministries
    Answering the challenges to the Bible and the Christian faith. Explaining the truth from the counterfeits. How to witness to the cults and other relgions.
    http://www.letusreason.org/

    The Spiritual Bookstore
    World religion, spirituality, mysticism, Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age, and more.
    http://www.spiritualbookstore.com

    V72
    V72 is an organization providing access to reliable, non-judgmental information on a variety of subjects including psychoactive plants, chemicals, conspiracy archives, mind, body, soul, nutrition, meditation, mysticism and spirituality. We work with academic, medical, and experiential experts to develop and publish new resources, as well as to improve and increase access to already existing resources.
    http://www.v72.org/

    TAT Foundation's Spiritual Search Site
    An introduction to Richard Rose and his system for spiritual discovery, including links to best spiritual sites on the web, a directory of worldwide solitary spiritual retreat facilities, a listing of worldwide spiritual gatherings, and a monthly e-zine featuring prose and poetry of modern teachers and emerging spiritual voices.
    http://www.tatfoundation.org/

    Invisible House Society
    The Invisible House Society provides resources for Hermetic and Thelemic magical and mystical training, and the establishment of the Law of Thelema.
    http://www.invisiblehouse.org/

    The Cosmic Christ
    The Cosmic Christ is the interdimensional union of the eternal soul with the eternal spirit, in the Kingdom of Christ.
    http://www.cosmicchrist.net

    New Advent
    Besides hosting the Summa Theologica and the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, this site offers a Catholic FAQ, selected writings by the Fathers of the Church, and official Church documents, mostly papal, from approximately the last 250 years.
    http://www.newadvent.org/

    Augustana University College, Camrose, Alberta (ELCIC)
    Contains academic calendar, admission information, faculty profile, student life, history, and contacts.
    http://www.augustana.ab.ca
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