What is mysticism?
“The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.”
I consider myself a bit of a mystic. The dictionary defines a mystic 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.
Well, to use my friend Carolyn’s expression: “I don’t like how that shirt fits on me.” This definition sounds really intense and frankly sort of pretentious!
I resonate more with Bernard McGinn’s description of mysticism in “The Foundations of Mysticism.” Simply put, he says, mysticism is any time we are prepared for, conscious of, or experience the direct and immediate presence of the divine.
To me, that feels accessible to all of us.
Four things to know about mysticism
Mystics reject simplistic dualism
Mysticism involves paradox
If someone identifies as a mystic, that implies they have a sense of vocation to care for others in some form
Mysticism is the antidote to fundamentalism
A personal mystical experience for reference
Mysticism resources
The Foundations of Mysticism by Bernard McGinn
Mystics and Zen Masters by Thomas Merton
Anam Cara: A Book Of Celtic Wisdom by John O’Donohue
Turning to the Mystics with James Finley
Anam Chara, a blog by Carl McColman
Annnnnd that’s a lot of white men. I’m excited to dive into the work of Black women mystics, specifically. The Center for Action and Contemplation has a great list. There is also obviously St. John of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, Howard Thurman, and the list goes on and on.
I have also found Oak Moon Tarot to be an incredible resource and teacher (she also has a contemplative Christian tarot account, too!)
I tried reading Teresa of Ávila’s Interior Castle, but I am just not quite there yet.
Have you had a mystical experience? I would love to hear about it.
