On mystics and mysticism
A mystic is someone who has (or claims to have) direct experience of the divine. Mysticism is practices and behaviors which reinforce that experience.
I’m a little pedantic on the topic of mystics and mysticism because its the closest term I can use for my belief system with the general public. I am not religious, because I don’t need intermediaries on my spiritual experiences anymore, but I do appreciate the root and motivation behind of nearly all religions.
I wish more people were acquainted with the concept of mystics and mysticism because the term spirituality is very vague, I believe people should take ownership of their spiritual experiences, and there is too much unproductive anger about religions.
People can get pretty pedantic on the definition of mysticism, which is not something I am interested in. Most of that shit is like listening to someone from the arctic talk about the tropics. They get that there are flowers and beaches, but they can’t fish, don’t know how to navigate a coral reef, and don’t really understand the idea of liquid water :)
General definitions of mystic and mysticism
A mystic can be described as a person who claims direct religious experience, or defined as “a person who claims to attain, or believes in the possibility of attaining, insight into mysteries transcending ordinary human knowledge, as by direct communication with the divine or immediate intuition in a state of spiritual ecstasy. a person initiated into religious mysteries”
Mysticism can be described as a spiritual belief that a connection with God is attainable, or defined as “the practice of religious ecstasies (religious experiences during alternate states of consciousness), together with whatever ideologies, ethics, rites, myths, legends, and magic may be related to them.”
I’d like to point out that all shaman are mystics because they undergo spirit-led initiations and directly interface with the divine. And lots of mystical practices are cotidian such as prayer and yoga.
Skeptics, mystics and mysticism
Really don’t mix that well. If you think about it, skepticism is basically doubt about the nature of knowledge and a strict adherence to empirically observed consensual reality. By its very nature religious experience is subjective, individual, and often private. So in no way should any good skeptic have any interest in someone else’s spiritual experience.
But religion is basically someone else’s spiritual experience documented or systematized. So it holds value in that regard, as historical qualitative research. I guess you could look at extremely shitty qualitative science correlating self-reports of spiritual experience, but its usually not quantitative and certainly not reproducible so any good skeptic should be a bit… skeptical :)
I’m much more interested in the skeptic like me who suddenly has their own spiritual experience. Because that’s where skepticism shows its true value, as a tool in navigating the spiritual landscape successfully.
So you might say the only religion available to a skeptic is mysticism, and sane mystics are also very well-versed skeptics!
Spiritual awakening and mysticism
Spiritual awakening is by definition mysticism. I wrote a more extensive blog clarifying what I mean by the term spiritual awakening, but you can’t have it without direct spiritual experience. Reading about someone else’s big bang is not having your own. You’re either in or you’re out on this one.
I should clarify that a mystical experience is easy to have, a full-blown spiritual awakening is not easy and much more structured. Its basically an all-systems upgrade on your computer hardware while mystical experience is like a regular update on the current running model.
The good news is that the barriers to individual spiritual experience are really, really, batshit crazy low. You really just need an open mind, a direct question to the cosmos (I recommend stars or ocean if you don’t have a good entre to, or definition of, the cosmos), and some basic observation skills. The divine is always tickled pink when someone wants to talk to it, really. And I’m a very poor mediator for all-that-is, its definitely worth trying every day until you get your answer.
There are all kinds of flavors to mystical experience ranging from the “oh it turned out it was just indigestion” to the “oh my god I’ve seen infinity” to “God I’ll never take mescalin again”. I’m going to be a little opaque and say you will definitely know if you’ve had a real mystical experience, it will be unmistakable, personal, and deeply humbling.
If you have had a mystical experience, congrats. You are now a mystic and you will probably want more because it’s really awesome when life becomes more interactive, more meaningful, and more loving. You’re in good company and you may find that you become more tolerant of all religions, while less dedicated to group ideals of divine connection. Like giving up children’s toys when you become an adult. You can still play with them, and have a certain fondness for children’s play, but you realize they are just toys and there is a much wider world to interact in.
Mystics and mysticism conclusion
Mystics and mysticism are all about direct connection to divine, cosmos, all-that-is, Source, whaddyacallit. Generally mystics are really tolerant of all religions, as a stepping stone toward mystical experience. Its great, so why wouldn’t people be trying to get there? But usually once you get it direct, you don’t need other people telling you how to connect and you’re going to be uninterested in cultural mediators for divine experience. You will probably find that mystical practices then become really important to you, so you can enhance and deepen the connection.
I’m hopeful that I can provide you with some real practical ways to do this in this blog. I think I would say again, that my intent in writing it is to make every reader a mystic, and to give mystical practices some clarity with contemporary language and descriptors.
