Mysticism: Answering Important Questions

The Pursuit of Spiritual Truth

The term “mysticism” has to do with spiritual pursuits. It is a term used to describe the pursuit of spiritual truth and enlightenment by use of heavenly methods. Most Christians hold the view that mysticism is similar to mysticism and mediation and has nothing to do with Christianity but rather with eastern faiths. It’s because mysticism is a big part of eastern religion. Mysticism, though, is a component of Christianity. It’s just the belief that spiritual truth may be understood through human knowledge. Due to the blissful removal of the self together with everything else, mystical experiences are frequently described using phrases like emptiness, zero, or null experience. It isn’t an experience associated with leading a rebellious life, but one that is regularly considered by those who have had it to be the most blissful, beautiful, profound, positive, and significant experience of their lives.

Seeking Truth Through Mysticism

Mysticism seeks for truth in in a human being, by weighing the perception, feelings, and internal feelings. Mysticism is an experience marked by joy and love. It is an important component in all religions. It is a kind of consciousness which results into one having thee need to build a close relationship with God. Human beings can depart from consciousness in different ways. It can be through dancing together, contemplation, or holding their breath. Despite mystical experience not adding any distinctly new information to your consciousness besides possibly alleviating ones ignorance to the existence of this type of consciousness, mystic scholars and self-proclaimed experiencers rave about the magnitude the event plays in people’s lives.

Personal Experience of Mysticism

Similarly I can attest to this sentiment, my only experience that I consider similar to the mystical experience addressed in Mysticism is without a doubt one of the most memorable events in my life. It occurred during my first term away from Dartmouth. It was probably the most introspective time I’ve been afforded to spend. Many people I associated with were away due to the fact it was winter term of my sophomore year. During this time an older women came in to my life who I met after providing basketball training for her son. Our friendship flourished as we seamlessly gravitated to conversation about my spiritual journey. Furthermore, she continued to provide guidance and book suggestions to deepen my understanding on emerging questions I had about my faith in the interworking of the universe. Thus, I dedicated my off term to disciplining my mind through forms of meditation, study, and stress relief while having someone more than 45 years older who’s pondered similar questions I was currently contemplating at my disposal. In the midst of a late night meditation sessions during the week I was considering the first 6 insights of “The Celestine Prophecy” by James Redfield, I slowly begin to feel something build within the steady deep breathes I was inhaling and exhaling. Starting slow than picking up in pace the room began to blur losing vision of distinct objects to next a wave of overwhelming euphoria and confirmation as I no longer could distinguish my visuals as viewing from self or a specific location in the room.

Religious Mysticism

Like described, I didn’t receive any new divine information; however, I did leave the experience with immense joy and positive affirmation for the stream of thoughts that began to bubble during the deep meditation session. Comparative mystic scholars have commonly attributed the cause for the wave of euphoria to several triggers. These would include near-death experiences, the effects of meditation, the experience of childbirth, the effects of intense prayer or meditation, and the use of psychotropic substances. Whichever methods an individual is capable of performing can often be found in the individual’s culture theology. Most people take such experiences as an encounter from God. It is a type of religious experience that involves having a personal experience from God. World religions have mystical dimension in their faith. At times, such mystical trends are not regarded as part of the religion. The mystical experiences differ from one religion to another. However, there are certain features that the religions share in common concerning mysticism. All religions argue that there is the existence of a supernatural entity. Mystics repeat the name of the divine or even meditation. During such instances, the mystic will be withdrawn from the world. Mystic main aim is to have a kind of merging with God. They also go through spiritual training which is supervised by a teacher.

Mysticism in Different Religions

The mysticism experiences can be written in spiritual texts. The experiences can also be transmitted orally. It can be hard to compare the mystical experiences since they differ from one individual to the next. For a long time, people have tried to have direct relationship with spiritual elements around them. For instance, Hinduism has several traditions that can be categorized as being mystical. Most of them practice yoga. Yoga continues to be practiced in the present day. Yoga focuses on the controlled breathing as to help in meditation and concentration. The main aim of yoga is that the individual get union with Brahman who is the spiritual force of the worlds. The yoga postures are an element of mysticism. Some of the celebrated yoga practitioners are Vivekananda and Ramakrishna. Another form of mysticism is Sikhism whose goal is to have a direct experience. The principal approach in Sikhism is of nam japan. The method was advocated by Guru Nanak. Jainism is yet another Indian religion in which mysticism is practiced. It also puts emphasis on meditation. Vardhamana was the founder of janaism.

The Varying Significance of Mystical Experience

So in summary, we have documentation for an ecstatic experience of nothingness or complete unity, in which the self disappears in bliss, often deemed mysterious and exceedingly rare which numerous amount of people claim to have had. Given that the mystic experience is a common human experience, the understandings and significance of the experience will vary from culture to culture. That’s because as humans we seek to understand what we experience, and we can only do that based on what we already know.