Mystic
This is a belief in or the pursuit in the unification with the One or some other principle; the immediate consciousness of God; or the direct experience of religious truth. Mysticism is nearly universal and unites most religions in the quest for divinity. It can also be a sense of mystical knowledge. Dionysius the Areopagite was the first to introduce the concept "unknown knowing" to the Western World. In areas of the occult and psychic it denotes an additional domain of esoteric knowledge and paranormal communication. Even though it is thought that just monks and ascetics can become mystics, mysticism usually touches all people at least once in their lives.
The term "mysticism" comes from the classical Greco-Roman mystery cults. Perhaps it came from myein meaning "to close the lips and eyes, and refers to the sacred oath of the initiates, the mystes, to keep secret about the inner workings of the religion." In Neo-platonism "mysticism" came to be associated with secrecy of any kind. The term mystica appeared in the Christian treatise, Mystica Theologia, of an anonymous Syrian Neoplatonist monk of the late fifth or early sixth century, who was known pseudonymously as Dionysius the Areopagite. In this work mysticism was described as the secrecy of the mind.
Despite the various approaches to mysticism it seems to possess some common characteristics. Such were the findings of the philosopher W. T. Stace, who discovered seven common themes of mysticism when studying Roman Catholic, Protestant, ancient classical, Hindu, and American agnostic mystical experiences. They were (1) a unifying vision and perception of the One by the senses and through many objects; (2) the apprehension of the One as an inner life; (3) and objective and true sense of reality; (4) feelings of satisfaction, joy, and bliss; (5) a religious element that is a feeling of the holy and sacred; (6) a paradoxical feeling; (7) and inexpressible feelings.
From the above is can easily be seen that mysticism is not the same to every person experiencing it. Therefore, there are various kinds or types. Various mystics subscribe to one of two theories of Divine Reality: emanation or immanence. In the emanation view, all things in the universe are overflowing from God. In the immanence view, the universe is not projected from God, but is immersed in God.
Mysticism is usually thought of as being of a religious nature, which can be either monistic or theistic. The objective of monistic mysticism is to seek unity and identity with a universal principle; while theistic mysticism seeks unity, but not identity, with God.
The ultimate expression of monistic mysticism is perhaps best displayed in the Upanishads of India, as in the concepts of "I am Brahman" (the all-pervading principle) and tat tram asi "that thou art," meaning that the soul is the eternal and Absolute Being. Monistic mysticism is also found in Taoism,, which seeks unity with Tao, the ineffable way. Theistic mysticism, unity with God, characterizes Christianity, Judaism (in the Kabbalah), and Islam (the Sufi sect), and is also found in Hinduism.
There are other forms of mysticism throughout the world. Many assume a religious nature according to the beliefs and practices of the practitioners. Most of these states of mysticism commonly possess what is deemed a mystical communion with what is considered sacred which varies from group to group, even subgroup to subgroup, and includes dance, song and chant, the sacred pipe, purifying sweats (a preliminary for undertakings), fasts, dreams, vision quests, and the occasional use of psychotropic drugs.
Mysticism (from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) "an initiate" (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning "initiation)) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is one's destiny, purpose, or an important source of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Traditions may include a belief in the literal existence of dimensional realities beyond empirical perception, or a belief that a true human perception of the world transcends logical reasoning or intellectual comprehension. A person delving in these areas may be called a Mystic.
In many cases, the purpose of mysticism
and mystical disciplines such as meditation
is to reach a state of return or
re-integration to Godhead. A common theme in
mysticism is that the mystic and all of
reality are One. The purpose of mystical
practices is to achieve that oneness in
experience, to transcend limited identity
and re-identify with the all that is. The
state of oneness has many names depending on
the mystical system: The Kingdom of Heaven,
the Birth of the Spirit, the Third
Awakening, Illumination, Union
(Christianity), Irfan (Islam),
Self-Realization, Reintegration, Nirvana
(Buddhism), Moksha (Jainism), Samadhi
(Hinduism), and Gnosis, to name a few.
The term "mysticism" is often used to refer
to beliefs which go beyond the purely
exoteric practices of mainstream religions,
while still being related to or based in a
mainstream religious doctrine. For example,
Kabbalah is a significant mystical movement
within Judaism, and Sufism is a significant
mystical movement within Islam. Gnosticism
refers to both a mystical movement within
Christianity and various mystical sects
which arose out of Christianity. Some have
argued that Christianity itself was a
mystical sect that arose out of Judaism.
While Eastern religion tends to find the
concept of mysticism redundant,
non-traditional knowledge and ritual are
considered as Esotericism, for example
Buddhism's Vajrayana. Vedanta, the Naths
(North India), the Natha (South India),
Siddhar, Nagas are considered the several
mystical branches of Hinduism. Hinduism
being an ancient religion and a rather broad
'all-paths' embracing philosophy has many
mystical branches.
Understanding the mystic
Mystics hold that there is a deeper, more fundamental state of existence hidden beneath the appearances of day-to-day living (which may become, to the mystic, superficial or epiphenomenal). For the authentic mystic, unity is both the internal and external focus as one seeks the truth about oneself, one's relationship to others and Reality (both the world at large and the unseen realm). The mystic's motivation for such an arduous endeavor appears to be unique to the individual and culture, and sometimes a new religion, order or sect may be the legacy. Generally approached through the purification processes of prayer, meditation, contemplation (communion with Reality) and other means, the mystic seeks to transcend his internal duality (struggle/jihad between true self/Atman and ego beliefs/misperceptions of the given) that constrains his direct experience of the divine.
Mysticism is not an opinion; it is not a philosophy. It has nothing in common with the pursuit of occult knowledge .... It is the name of that organic process which involves the perfect consummation of the Love of God: the achievement here and now of the immortal heritage of man. Or, if you like it better -- for this means exactly the same thing -- it is the art of establishing...[a] conscious relation with the Absolute...It remains a paradox of the mystics that the passivity at which they appear to aim is really a state of the most intense activity: more, that where it is wholly absent no great creative action can take place. In it, the superficial self compels itself to be still, in order that it may liberate another more deep-seated power which is, in the ecstasy of the contemplative genius, raised to the highest pitch of efficiency.
"Mysticism: A Study in Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness" by Evelyn Underhill (Public Domain)
Comments
Near Death Experience
Near-death experience, phenomenon reported by some people who have been clinically dead, then returned to life. Descriptions of the experience differ slightly in detail from person to person, but usually share some basic elements: a feeling of being outside one's body, a sensation of sliding down a long tunnel, and the appearance of a bright light at the end of that tunnel. The light is sometimes described as a benevolent "being of light" who directs the person in a review of his or her life so far and ultimately prevents the person from crossing some sort of boundary that signifies death. Most people who have had a near-death experience report that it strongly influences their subsequent lives, relieving anxiety about death and increasing their sense of purpose and their sensitivity to others.
Research into the near-death experience was pioneered by Raymond Moody, who published Life After Life in 1975 after studying 150 people who had had such experiences. He and other scientists, such as cardiologist Michael Sabom, found that possible physiological and psychological causes for the phenomenon, including lack of oxygen to the brain, the influence of anesthetics, disruptions in neurotransmitter release, and prior expectations, could not sufficiently account for the experiences these people described. Their findings and a belief in a spiritual explanation for the phenomenon have been supported by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, who pioneered the study of death and dying in the United States beginning in the late 1960s.
Near-death experience is an emotional issue, believed to be a profound spiritual experience by some and criticized as wish fulfillment by others. Many skeptical scientists believe that it is a simple physiological event misconstrued by people who have a compelling psychological need or who are comforted by interpreting the experience in terms of their religious or spiritual beliefs.
Bibliography
See R. Moody, Life After Life (1975); K. Ring, Life at Death: a Scientific Investigation of the Near Death Experience (1980); M. B. Sabom, Recollections of Death: a Medical Investigation (1982); M. Morse, Closer to the Light (1990); B. J. Eadie, Embraced by the Light (1992); E. Kübler-Ross, On Life After Death (1994).
DVD
Eastern
Mystics is a 4-Disc DVD set containing a series of engaging interviews
with Dr. Huston Smith and mystics from the Buddhist, Hindu, Advaita and
Taoist traditions. The mystics address profound questions about the meaning
of life and love, Ultimate Reality, the path to spiritual awakening, and the
way to true peace in the world.
From
Science to God. Russell,
a prominent thinker in the fields of consciousness and science, asserts that
science cannot explain the fact that humans are conscious. This capacity for
inner experience he calls "the great mystery." According to Russell, who
studied mathematics and theoretical physics before he delved into
experimental psychology, science is locked into the view that consciousness
itself is somehow created by the human brain. He believes that we need to
question this basic assumption and consider instead that awareness is
present to some degree in all living things.
Interest
in psychic phenomena has always been evident. But what does science
have to say about these mysterious matters? Can science explain them? Is
there evidence to prove them? The documentary "Something
Unknown....Is doing What I don't Know" explores the world of
parapsychology
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