What Is Mysticism

Ivan Frimmel

WHAT IS MYSTICISM? The attempts to define mysticism are as many and varied as the mystics themselves. Majority of writers on mysticism would define it as the efforts of an individual to find union, oneness with God. Hindu mysticism (Yoga), Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah, Hassidism), some forms of Christian mysticism and Islamic mysticism (Sufism) would neatly fit this category. Thus a mystic aspirant would be a person who believes that the chasm (duality) between man and God can be overcome through various practices, such as fasting, prayer, contemplation, meditation, etc. and engages himself in such practices, in order to achieve this union with God. This, however, is not true of all mysticism. For example the Nature mystics (and Taoists) would simply strive for a sense of harmony and oneness with Nature (Tao); the advaitists (nondualists) and pantheists would deny that any such chasm or duality exists—and many Hindus and most Buddhists would rather attempt the release, moksha (liberation) from our present state of ignorance and suffering, without ever mentioning God, or any other supernatural Being. Jnana Yoga (the Yoga of Knowledge) also prefers a purely intellectual and philosophical approach towards the realisation of the Ultimate Reality, impersonal Brahman, Cosmic Consciousness… Some forms of mysticism, for example Bhakti Yoga (the Yoga of Devotion), emphasise the element of feeling rather than rationality. Ramakrishna, a well-known Hindu mystic of the last century, would not disagree with Goethe, who said: ‘Mysticism is the scholastic of the heart, the dialectic of the feelings’. Ramakrishna could fall into a state of mystic absorption (Samadhi) at the mere sight of the icon of Kali, a Hindu deity, or through contemplation on Jesus Christ. Finally, if we accept Evelyn Underhill’s definition of mysticism as ‘the art of union with Reality’ and of a mystic as ‘a person who has attained this union’ then we would be logically obliged to call a mystic also any self-realised / self-actualised and psychologically healthy individual who achieved true and unshakeable insights into the depths (or heights) of his/her reality, as well as any enlightened scientist who developed deep insights into the reality of the Universe. The characteristics of true mystical experience are: a sense of unity, nonduality, oneness; transcendence of time and space, even if only for an instant; positive sensations of love, joy, bliss, harmony, peace, inner or outer light, enlightenment; inability to adequately describe the experience, resulting in paradoxical or poetical expressions, or silence; sense of certitude; and transience: the experience does not last, but has a profound and lasting effect on the person’s life. True mystic is a person who had such an experience of enlightenment, transcendence, divine love and union with God / Self / Nature / Ultimate Reality, and gained some genuine insights into the nature of Reality, including an unshakeable knowledge of who he/she truly is. Considering the variety of definitions of mysticism, it may be helpful to know what mysticism is NOT. Some people confuse the word mysticism with anything that is mysterious, misty, foggy, or difficult to understand. Others mistakenly include under the umbrella of mysticism all kinds of ESP, psychic and occult powers. Although such powers may have manifested themselves quite spontaneously or through deliberate effort in some mystics, the cultivation or existence of such powers alone is not sufficient to call someone a mystic. In fact, many spiritual masters and genuine mystics saw the pursuit of such powers as a detour—a waste of time —on the true mystic path. True mystic should sooner or later experience the elimination of a personal ego, not its strengthening—and the development of humility and love, not pride and a sense of power.