   #copyright

Mysticism

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Philosophy

   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 an important source of knowledge, understanding, and
   wisdom. Traditions may include a belief in the literal existence of
   realities beyond empirical perception, or a belief that a true human
   perception of the world trancends 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 a reach of 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 oneness has many names depending on the
   mystical system: The Kingdom of Heaven, the Birth of the Spirit, the
   Third Awakening, Illumination, Union (Christianity), Self-Realization,
   Reintegration, Nirvana (Buddhism), 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 is considered
   the mystical branch of Hinduism.

Overview

   Only a mystic is truly qualified to write of mysticism for mysticism
   can only be experienced, never understood by the mind. When non-mystics
   try to interpret mystics (Christ and Buddha being two famous mystics)
   or write about their teachings, what results are religions or dry
   intellectual reports that cannot communicate the experience of the
   diety (which is itself ineffable). Non-mystics writing about mysticism
   is like trying to communicate Beethoven's 9th Symphony through a
   written report --and that written by someone who has never heard the
   Symphony itself.

   Mystical doctrines typically refer to religious texts that are
   non-canonical to the major branches, as well as more mainstream canon.
   Within particular religious frameworks, mystical traditions are by
   nature controversial, and may be considered heretical. Most mystical
   teachers typically have some type of history or connection with a
   mainstream branch—controversial or otherwise.

   The term mysticism connotes stepping beyond traditional interpretation
   and mystical traditions are often considered to be more inclusive and
   universalist, rejecting of particular doctrines associated with
   traditionalist, exclusivist, fundamentalist, dualist, or extremist
   beliefs. As such, mystical traditions have historically provided a
   platform by which cultural interchange of religious belief and concepts
   can occur, as well as to present for non-natives an otherwise
   culturally exclusive system in an explanatory manner.

Beliefs

   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
   mystic, the intangible is the focus, and may be perceived in any of
   various ways—as God, ultimate reality, a universal presence, a force or
   principle, psychological emancipation—and be experienced or realized
   directly. Such experiences are spoken of, variously, as ecstatic
   revelation, theosis, direct experience of the divine or of universal
   principles, nirvana, enlightenment, satori, samadhi, etc. They are
   sometimes characterized by a fading or loss of self, or a perceived
   interconnection with all existence, and are often accompanied by
   feelings of peace, joy or bliss, as well as severe cultural alienation.
   In other traditions such as Bhakti the experience is given as one of a
   deep loving interaction with God.

   Mysticism is usually understood in a religious context, but as William
   James and Ken Wilber point out, mystical experiences may happen to
   anyone, regardless of religious training or inclinations. Such
   experiences can occur unbidden and without preparation at any time, and
   might not be understood as religious experiences at all. They may be
   interpreted, perhaps, as artistic, scientific, or other forms of
   inspiration, or even dismissed as psychological disturbances. With that
   in mind, the word mysticism, is best used to point to conscious and
   systematic attempts to gain mystical experiences through studies and
   practice. Possible techniques include meditation, prayer, asceticism,
   devotions, the chanting of mantras or holy names, and intellectual
   investigation. Mystics typically go beyond specific religious
   perspectives or dogmas in their teachings, espousing an inclusive and
   universal perspective that rises above sectarian differences. (see
   interdenominationalism, interfaith, and perennial philosophy).

   James points out that a mystical experience displays the world through
   a different lens than ordinary experience. The experience, in his
   words, is " ineffable" and " noetic"; placed beyond the descriptive
   abilities of language. While there is debate over what this implies,
   and whether the experience actually transcends the phenomenal or
   material world of ordinary perception, or rather transcends the
   capacities of ordinary perception to bring the phenomenal and material
   world into full view. Such debates are not a mainstay of mystical
   teaching. Mystics focus on the experience itself, and rarely concern
   themselves with ontological discussions. (see the discussion below)

Understanding the mystical perspective

The difficulty with definitions

   The mystic interprets the world through a different lens than is
   present in ordinary experience; this can prove to be a significant
   obstacle to those who research mystical teachings and paths. Much like
   poetry, the words of mystics are often idiosyncratic and esoteric, can
   seem confusing and opaque, simultaneously over-simplified and full of
   subtle meanings hidden from the unenlightened. To the mystic, however,
   they are pragmatic statements, without subtext or weight; simple
   obvious truths of experience. One of the more famous lines from the Tao
   Te Ching, for instance, reads:

          My words are very easy to know, and very easy to practise;
          but there is no one in the world who is able to know and able to
          practise them. (Legge, 70)

   Readers frequently encounter seemingly open-ended statements among
   studies of mysticism throughout its history. 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

   Strategies used, and avenues of failure:

   aphorisms, poetry, and etc.
          semi-artistic efforts to crystalize some particular description
          or aspect of the mystical experience in words

          + God is Love (Christian and Sufi in particular), Atman is
            Brahman (Advaitan), Zen haiku, Rumi's love poems (Sufism).
            Often these are taken as slogans or as art, and so lose their
            core meaning as depictions of practical experience.

   koans, riddles, and metaphysical contradictions
          irresolvable tasks or lines of thought designed to direct one
          away from intellectualism and towards direct experience

          + The classic "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" (Zen) or
            "How many angels can stand on the head of a pin?"
            (Christian/philosophical). Sometimes these are dismissed as
            mere incomprehensible silliness (see humor, below); sometimes
            they are taken (erroneously) as serious questions whose
            answers would have mystical significance. In either case, the
            intention is lost.

   humor and humorous stories
          teachings which simultaneously draw one away from serious
          discussion and highlight metaphysical points

          + Primary examples are the Nasrudin tales and Bektashi jokes
            (Islam), and the Animal Spirit stories passed down in Native
            American, Australian Aboriginal, and African Tribal folklore.
            " Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby", for example, is fairly acute
            psychology wrapped in a children's tale. Humor of this sort is
            often corrupted into mere jokes: some Nasrudin tales have a
            clear metaphysics built in, while others are little more than
            depictions of a crazy, dimwitted old man.

   parables and metaphor
          stories designed to teach a particular but unconventional view
          of the world indirectly, by using analogy

          + Christ consistently used parables to teach: e.g. the "Master
            of the House" parables which convey—contrary to the
            conventional reading of the book of genesis—a world belonging
            entirely to God, where man's place is that of a servant whose
            master is away.

   These categories are, of course, intended only as guidelines; many
   mystical teachings cover the gamut. For instance, Yunus Emre's famous
   passage:

          I climbed into the plum tree
          and ate the grapes I found there.
          The owner of the garden called to me,
          "Why are you eating my walnuts?"

   is humor, parable, poem, and koan all at once.

Overlap with nondual traditions

   Mysticism is often found in common with nondual worldviews and many
   mystics, from whichever religion or tradition they originally came,
   also describe in many ways a non-dual view of existence. Ramesh
   Balsekar comments on nonduality and mysticism, that it is in order for
   phenomenae to occur, that the illusion of personal existence and
   doer-ship (ego) is present, and explains mysticism and nonduality in
   fairly accessible (conventional) terms:

          "Consciousness-at-rest is not aware of Itself. It becomes aware
          of Itself only when this sudden feeling, I-am, arises, the
          impersonal sense of being aware. And that is when
          Consciousness-at-rest becomes Consciousness-in-movement,
          Potential energy becomes actual energy. They are not two.
          Nothing separate comes out of Potential energy... That moment
          that science calls the Big Bang, the mystic calls the sudden
          arising of awareness..."

The relation of mystical thought to philosophy

   To an extent, mysticism and modern analytic philosophy are
   antithetical. Mysticism is experiential and holistic, and mystical
   experiences are generally held to be beyond expression; modern
   philosophy is analytical, verbal, and reductionist. However, this
   distinction is peculiar to the modern world. Through much of history
   mystical and philosophical thought were closely entwined. Plato and
   Pythagoras, and to a lesser extent Socrates, had clear mystical
   elements in their teachings; many of the great Christian mystics were
   also prominent philosophers, and certainly Buddha's Sutras and
   Shankara's 'Crest Jewel of Discrimination' (fundamental texts in
   Buddhism and Advaitan Hinduism, respectively) display highly analytical
   treatments of mystical ideas. The rift between mysticism and modern
   philosophy derives mainly from elements of scientism in the latter:
   certain branches of philosophy, influenced by the natural sciences,
   broadly disavow subjective experience as meaningless. That said,
   several areas of study in philosophy address the same issues that
   concern the mystic.

   Furthermore, Continental philosophy, tends to be concerned with issues
   closely related to mysticism, such as the subjective experience of
   existence in Existentialism

Ontology, epistemology, and phenomenology

   The focus on experience in mysticism tends to belie ontological
   questions; mystical ontology is rarely stated in clear affirmative
   particulars. Often, it consists of generalized, transcendent identity
   statements—"Atman is Brahman", "God is Love", "There is only One
   without a Second" — or other phrases suggestive of immanence. Sometimes
   it is stated in negative terms, instead—from the Hindu tradition, for
   instance, the word Brahman is usually defined as God 'without'
   characteristics or attributes. Buddhist teachings explicitly discourage
   ontological beliefs, Taoist philosophy consistently reminds that ontos
   is knowable but inexpressible, and certain 'psychological'
   schools—spiritual schools following after Carl Jung, and philosophical
   schools derived from Husserl—concern themselves more with the
   transformations of perceptions within consciousness than the connection
   of perceptions to some external reality.

   Mysticism is related to epistemology as well, to the extent that both
   are concerned with the acquisition of knowledge. However, where
   epistemology has always struggled with foundational issues—how do we
   know that our knowledge is true or our beliefs justified—mystics are
   more concerned with process. Foundational questions are answered, in
   mystical thought, by mystical experiences. Their focus, thus, is less
   on finding procedures of reason that will establish clear relations
   between ontos and episteme, but rather on finding practices that will
   yield clear perception. At least one branch of epistemology hints at
   this distinction by claiming that non-rational procedures (e.g.
   statements of desire, random selection, or intuitive processes) are in
   some cases acceptable means of arriving at beliefs. The term
   "mysticism" is also used in a pejorative sense in epistemology to refer
   to beliefs that cannot be justified empirically, and thus is considered
   irrational. According to Schopenhauer, mystics arrive at a condition in
   which there is no knowing subject and known object:

     ... we see all religions at their highest point end in mysticism and
     mysteries, that is to say, in darkness and veiled obscurity. These
     really indicate merely a blank spot for knowledge, the point where
     all knowledge necessarily ceases. Hence for thought this can be
     expressed only by negations, but for sense-perception it is
     indicated by symbolical signs, in temples by dim light and silence,
     in Brahmanism even by the required suspension of all thought and
     perception for the purpose of entering into the deepest communion
     with one's own self, by mentally uttering the mysterious Om. In the
     widest sense, mysticism is every guidance to the immediate awareness
     of that which is not reached by either perception or conception, or
     generally by any knowledge. The mystic is opposed to the philosopher
     by the fact that he begins from within, whereas the philosopher
     begins from without. The mystic starts from his inner, positive,
     individual experience, in which he finds himself as the eternal and
     only being, and so on. But nothing of this is communicable except
     the assertions that we have to accept on his word; consequently he
     is unable to convince.

     — Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation, Vol. II, Ch.
     XLVIII<

   Phenomenology is perhaps the closest philosophical perspective to
   mystical thinking, and shares many of the difficulties in comprehension
   that plague mysticism itself. Husserl's phenomenology, for instance,
   insists on the same first-person, experiential stance that mystics try
   to achieve: his notion of phenomenological epoché, or bracketing,
   precludes assumptions or questions about the extra-mental existence of
   perceived phenomena. Heidegger goes a step beyond: rather than merely
   bracketing phenomena to exclude ontological questions, he asserts that
   only 'beingness' has ontological reality, and thus only investigation
   and experiencing of the self can lead to authentic existence.
   Phenomenology and most forms of mysticism part ways, however, in their
   understanding of the experience. Phenomenology (and in particular
   existentialist phenomenology) are pre-conditioned by angst (existential
   dread) which arises from the discovery of the essential emptiness of
   'the real'; mystics, by contrast generally speak of the peace or bliss
   that derives from their active connection to 'the real'.

   Those who adopt a phenomenological approach to mysticism believe that
   an argument can be made for concurrent lines of thought throughout
   mysticism, regardless of interaction

Other perspectives

   The philosopher Ken Wilber who has also studied mysticism and mystical
   philosophies in some depth comments that:

          "There is nothing spooky or occult about this. We have already
          seen identity shift from matter to body to mind, each of which
          involved a decentering or dis-identifying with the lesser
          dimension... consciousness is simply continuing this process and
          dis-identifying with the mind itself, which is precisely why it
          can witness the mind, see the mind, experience the mind. The
          mind is no longer a subject, it is starting to become an object
          [in the perception of] the observing self. And so the mystical,
          contemplative and yogic traditions pick up where the mind leaves
          off... with the observing self as it begins to transcend the
          mind."

          "The contemplative traditions are based upon a series of
          experiments in awareness: what if you pursue this Witness to its
          source? What if you inquire within, pushing deeper and deeper
          into the source of awareness itself? What do you find? As a
          repeatable, reproducible experiment in awareness? One of the
          most famous answers to that question. begins, There is a subtle
          essence that pervades all reality. It is the reality of all that
          is, and the foundation of all that is. That essence is all. That
          essence is the real. And thou, thou art that. In other words,
          the observing self eventually discloses its own source, which is
          Spirit itself, Emptiness itself... and the stages of
          transpersonal growth and development are basically the stages of
          following this observing self to its ultimate abode."

          Q: "How do you know these phenomena actually exist?
          A: "As the observing self begins to transcend... deeper or
          higher dimensions of consciousness come into focus. All of the
          items on that list are objects that can be directly perceived in
          that worldspace. Those items are as real in [that] worldspace as
          rocks are in the sensorimotor worldspace and concepts are in the
          mental worldspace. If cognition awakens or develops to this
          level, you simply perceive these new objects as simply as you
          would perceive rocks in the sensory world or images in the
          mental world. They are simply given to awareness, they simply
          present themselves, and you don't have to spend a lot of time
          trying to figure out if they're real or not."
          "Of course, if you haven't awakened to [this] cognition, then
          you will see none of this, just as a rock cannot see mental
          images. And you will probably have unpleasant things to say
          about people who do see them".

Differences of terms and interpretation

Goals sought and reasons for seeking

   Michelangelo's interpretation of Heaven
   Enlarge
   Michelangelo's interpretation of Heaven

   Theistic, pantheistic, and panentheistic metaphysical systems most
   often understand mystical experience as individual communion with a
   God. One can receive these very subjective experiences as visions,
   dreams, revelations, or prophecies, for example.

   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.

   Enlightenment is becoming aware of the nature of the self through
   observation. By observation of the self (our self) with detachment, we
   can become aware of its processes without being caught up in them.
   Doing such allows one to better interact with others and our
   environment.

          Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you
          need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know
          yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will
          also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor
          yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

                Sun Tzu, The art of war

   Two different terms for a desired afterlife are Moksha (liberation or
   release) and heaven (usually understood as a gathering place for goodly
   spirits, near to God and other holy beings). Nirvana (literally
   extinction), however, is not an afterlife concept. Each of these terms
   is defined very differently by various persons within a given religion,
   and their usage within mysticism is often no less imprecise.

Types of experience

   The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes three 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 of God.

The soul

   Abrahamic religions conceive of a soul that lies within each
   individual, which is of great spiritual significance. However, Judaism,
   placing more focus on this world than others, has resulted in multiple
   views... that man is a partner in God, all the way to the mysticism of
   numerology and the Kabbalah. Christian mysticism has diverse takes on
   the relationship between God, the soul, and the individual. In Islam
   the mystical path is often incorporated within Sufi.

   Jains view soul as a peceivable non-matter which has the ability to
   have infinite knowledge but we cannot see that knowledge of soul since
   it is covered with the blanket of karma but as we loosen the karma
   everything can be seen clearly and finally we achieve
   nirvana(salvation). Pure form of soul can be achieved when all karmas
   are destroyed.

   Quakers view the soul as inner light, an inherent presence of God
   within the individual. Other Christian traditions, such as Catholicism
   and Eastern Orthodoxy, hold a more distinct division between the
   individual soul and God, given the traditional belief that the
   salvation of the soul and union with God will occur after death at the
   resurrection, but these faiths generally hold that righteousness is
   possible during life. Christian mystics seek this state, variously,
   through intense prayer, ascetism, monasticism, or even mortification of
   the flesh.

   In Catholicism, saints and other beatific individuals are said to have
   received the Holy Spirit—a movement of God in their souls that grants
   them miraculous, prophetic, or other transcendent abilities—and this
   belief is taken up in certain charismatic and evangelical faiths that
   seek out testaments to divine revalation through speaking in tongues,
   faith healing, the casting out of demons, etc.

   Islam shares this conception of a distinct soul, but with less focus on
   miraculous powers; the muslim world emphasizes remembrance ( dhikr,
   zikr): the recalling of one's original and innate connection to Allah's
   grace. In traditional Islam this connection is maintained by angels,
   who carry out God's will—though only prophets have the ability to see
   and hear them directly.

   Sufism (the mystical aspect of Islam) holds that God can be experienced
   directly as a universal love that pervades the universe. Remembrance,
   for Sufis, explicitly means remembrance of divine states of love, and
   Sufis are particularly noted for the artistic turn their forms of
   worship often take.

   Eastern philosophies, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism are less
   concerned with the individual, and instead seek dissolution of the soul
   and ego ( moksha) into transcedent reality (generally Brahmanor
   Ishvara). In the mystical aspects of the Vedic tradition Atman
   (something not entirely different from the werstern concepion of the
   soul) is believed to be identical with Brahman. Hindu mystical
   practices aim for God-consciousness and loss of self.

   Buddhist teaching holds that all suffering ( dukkha) in the world comes
   from attachment to objects or ideas, and that freedom from suffering
   comes by freeing one's self from attachments. The doctrine of anatta
   suggests that the soul, or the perception of an unchanging and cohesive
   self, is a mental construct to which one may be attached, and thus a
   source of suffering. While conventional Buddhist religion has an
   assortment of deities and venerated beings, the mystical sects of
   Buddhism at minimum avoid affirming, and in some cases overtly deny the
   existence of a permanent or unchanging soul, or of any permanent or
   unchanging being to the universe.

   Taoism is largely unconcerned with the soul. Instead, Taoism centers
   around the tao ('the way' or 'the path'). The human tendency, according
   to Taoism, is to conceive of dualisms; the Taoist mystical practice is
   to recapture and conform with that original unity (called te, de, which
   is translated as virtue).

   Regardless of particular conceptions of the soul, a common thread of
   mysticism is collective peace, joy, compassion or love.

External or internal divinity

   From the inner light of the Quakers to the Atman of the Hindu, many
   have found a soul or other essential essence within themselves to be a
   centre of focus. Even the buddhist who seeks Buddhahood through anatta
   places a great deal of emphasis on their inner world.

   In contrast some (particularly gnostics and other dualists) see the
   self as wicked and deserving of punishment or extreme neglect through
   asceticism, with positive values placed only upon the transcendent.

Pantheism and acosmism

   Pantheism means "God is The All" and "All is God". It is the idea that
   natural law, existence, and/or the universe (the sum total of all that
   is, was, and shall be) is represented or personified in the theological
   principle of 'God'.

   In contrast Acosmism denies the reality of the universe, seeing it as
   ultimately illusory ( maya), with only the infinite unmanifest Absolute
   as real.

   There are also dualist conceptions, often with an evil (though
   existent) material world competing with a transcendent and perfect
   spiritual plane.

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,
   including those where the majority of the followers are not mystics.
   Some mystics perceive a common thread of influence in all mystic
   philosophies that they see as traceable back to a shared source. The
   Vedic tradition is inherently mystic; the Christian apocalyptic Book of
   Revelation is clearly mystical, as with Ezekiel's or Daniel's visions
   of Judaism, and Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel revealed 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 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. In some definite cases, theology remains a
   distinct source of insight that guides and informs the mystical
   experience. For example, St. Thomas Aquinas' mystical experiences all
   occurred squarely within the love of the Catholic Eucharist.

   See perennial philosophy.

Mysticism and Religion

   Conventional religions, as a rule, are marked by strong institutional
   structures. A religious faith will generally have most or all of the
   following:
     * an established hierarchy
     * a definitive creed
     * a set of approved central texts
     * regular public services
     * an accumulation of rites, rituals, and holy days
     * a clearly stated ethical code or set of moral laws

   Adherents of the faith are expected to respect or follow each of these
   closely. Most mystical paths arise in the context of some particular
   religion but tend to set aside or ignore these institutional
   structures, often styling themselves as the 'purest' or 'deepest'
   representations of that faith. Thus, to the extent that a mystical path
   has a hierarchy, it is generally limited to teacher/student
   relationships; to the extent that they use a central text or ethical
   code, they view them as interpretable guidelines rather than
   established law. Conventional religious perspectives towards mystics
   varies between and within faiths. Sometimes (as with the Catholic
   church and Vedantic Hinduism) mystics are incorporated into the church
   hierarchy, with criteria set up for validation of mystical experiences
   and veneration of those who achieve that status. In other cases,
   mystical paths follow a separate but parallel course. Traditionally,
   Buddhist monks were closely interwoven into the fabric of village life
   through most of Asia, but had no authoritative position in the
   community; likewise, Sufis are somewhat peripheral to Muslim culture,
   viewed by more conventional Muslims as an interesting curiosity. Some
   faiths—including most Protestant Christian sects—find mystical
   practices disreputable; mystic practices and beliefs are restricted to
   specific sects, such as the Society of Friends or certain Charismatic
   groups, which have implicitly incorporated them.

   The mystic's disregard of religious institutional structures often
   lends a quasi-revolutionary aspect to mystical teaching, and this
   occasionally leads to conflict with established religious and political
   structures, or the creation of splinter groups or new faiths.

New Religious movements

   Because of the need to interpret metaphorically, it is often difficult
   to distinguish mystic statements from mere obfuscation, a problem which
   became particularly acute in the occult movements of the 19th and early
   20th centuries and has extended itself into many New Age and New
   religious movements, some near universally regarded as fraudulent
   cults.

   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 twentieth Century books like Conversations with God(abbreviated
   CWG) (a series of books which describes what the author claimed to be
   his experience of direct communication with God) hit the bestseller
   lists. In late 2006, a new science of spirituality, Psycanics, born out
   of the experiences of the mystic, Thomas Michael Powell, became
   available. Psycanics affirms most of the concepts of CWG and provides a
   technology of self-work to apply those concepts to achieve acclerated
   spiritual growth.

Self-transcendence, self-discovery, and entheogens

   The term perennial philosophy, coined by Leibniz and popularized by
   Aldous Huxley, relates to what some take to be the mystic's primary
   concern:

     [W]ith 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.

   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.

   In some cultures and traditions, mind-altering substances—often
   referred to as entheogens—have been used as a guide; the Uniao do
   Vegetal being a notable modern example.

Rosicrucianism and Masonry

   "The Temple of the Rose Cross," Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens,
   1618.
   Enlarge
   "The Temple of the Rose Cross," Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens,
   1618.

   The Rosicrucian Order is a legendary and secretive Order publicly
   documented in the early 17th century. It is generally associated with
   the symbol of the Rose Cross, which is also found in certain rituals
   beyond "Craft" or " Blue Lodge" Freemasonry. The Rosicrucian Order is
   viewed among earlier and many modern Rosicrucianists as an inner worlds
   Order, comprised of great "Adepts." When compared to human beings, the
   consciousness of these Adepts is said to be like that of demi- gods.
   This "College of Invisibles" is regarded as the source permanently
   behind the development of the Rosicrucian movement.

   Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. Members are joined
   together by shared ideals of both a moral and metaphysical nature and,
   in most of its branches, by a constitutional declaration of belief in a
   Supreme Being.

   Freemasonry is an esoteric society, in that certain aspects of its
   internal work are not generally disclosed to the public, but it is not
   an occult system. The private aspects of modern Freemasonry deal with
   elements of ritual and the modes of recognition amongst members within
   the ritual.

Gnosticism

   Gnosticism is a term for various mystical initiatory religions, sects
   and knowledge schools which were most active in the first few centuries
   of the Christian/ Common Era around the Mediterranean and extending
   into central Asia. These systems typically recommend the pursuit of
   special knowledge ( gnosis) as the central goal of life. They also
   commonly depict creation as a dualistic struggle between competing
   forces of light and dark, and posit a marked division between the
   material realm, which is typically depicted as under the governance of
   malign forces, and the higher spiritual realm from which it is divided.
   As a result of these traits, dualism, anticosmism and body-hatred are
   sometimes present within Gnosticism. There is, however, variety,
   subtlety, and complexity in the traditions involved.

Mithraism

   Mithra and the Bull: This fresco from the Mithraeum at Marino, Italy
   (3rd century) shows the tauroctony and the celestial lining of Mithras'
   cape
   Enlarge
   Mithra and the Bull: This fresco from the Mithraeum at Marino, Italy
   (3rd century) shows the tauroctony and the celestial lining of Mithras'
   cape

   Mithraism was an ancient mystery religion based on worship of the god
   Mithras who derives from the Persian and Indic god Mithra and other
   Zoroastrian deities. That the school was a mystery in no way proves or
   even indicates that it did indeed have any relation to mysticism
   defined as personal experience of the deity.

   It is difficult for scholars to reconstruct the daily workings and
   beliefs of Mithraism, as the rituals were highly secret and limited to
   initiated men. Mithras was little more than a name until the massive
   documentation of Franz Cumont's Texts and Illustrated Monuments
   Relating to the Mysteries of Mithra was published in 1894-1900, with
   the first English translation in 1903.

   However, it is known that the centre of the cult was the mithraeum, an
   adapted natural cave or cavern, preferably sanctified by previous local
   religious usage, or an artificial building imitating a cavern. Mithraea
   were dark and windowless, even if they were not actually in a
   subterranean space or in a natural cave. When possible, the mithraeum
   was constructed within or below an existing building.

   In every Mithraic temple, the place of honour was occupied by a
   representation of Mithras killing a sacred bull, called a tauroctony.

   The mithraeum itself was arranged so as to be an 'image of the
   universe'. Members of the cult are thought to have moved about the
   mithraeum in imitation of the sun and constellations through the
   universe. It is noticed by some researchers that this movement,
   especially in the context of mithraic soterism, seems to stem from the
   neoplatonic concept that the 'running' of the sun from solstice to
   solstice is a parallel for the movement of the soul through the
   universe, from pre-existence, into the body, and then beyond the
   physical body into an afterlife.

   Also thought to take place in the mithraeum, and revealed by the relief
   on a cup from Mainz, is the mithraic initiation. In this act, as
   depicted on the cup, the initiate would be led into a location where
   the cult's 'Pater' would be seated in the guise of Mithras with a drawn
   bow. Accompanying the Initiate is a 'Mystagogue', who explains the
   symbology and theology to the initiate. The Rite is thought to re-enact
   what has come to be called the 'Water Miracle', in which Mithras fires
   a bolt into a rock, and from the rock now spouts water.

Mystical Traditions

   An all-seeing Eye of Providence that appears on the tower of Aachen
   Cathedral.
   Enlarge
   An all-seeing Eye of Providence that appears on the tower of Aachen
   Cathedral.

   Examples of major traditions and philosophies with strong elements of
   mysticism are:
     * Bahá'í Faith
     * Christianity
          + Christian meditation
          + Christian mysticism
          + Esoteric Christianity
          + Spanish mystics
     * Faith healing
     * The Fourth Way
     * Ghost Dance ( Nineteenth Century Native American)
     * Gnosticism ( Christian)
     * Hesychasm ( Eastern Orthodox)
     * Kabbalah (Judaism, Christianity, Occult)
     * Mormonism
     * Mystery religions
     * National mysticism
     * Nazi mysticism
     * Near-death experience ( New Age)
     * Occult
     * Religious Society of Friends
     * The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception ( Rosicrucian)
     * Sufism (Islam)
     * Taoism
     * Theistic Satanism
     * Thelemic mysticism ( Thelema)
     * Tibetan Buddhism
     * Transcendentalism ( Unitarianism)
     * Vedanta (Hinduism)
     * Yoga (Hinduism)
          + Bhakti Yoga
          + Surat Shabd Yoga
     * Zen (Buddhism)

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysticism"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
