Mysticism, what the heck
is it?


  What the heck is 'Mysticism?' Well... to use an old cliché, mysticism is not anything you can understand, or even think about, or rather; Mysticism is the search for something which cannot be understood. This 'explanation' is really a good one, but it is also a pseudo intellectual combination of words. The fact is that Mysticism cannot be rationally understood, which is to say that reality cannot be rationally understood. The Mystic is interested only in the real world, not in descriptions.

What we think and talk about is only mental images, or symbols, and it is very easy to get entangled in words and the meanings of words. Many examples of this entanglement can be collected from the modern western scientific community, i.e. "can God make a rock so heavy that he can't lift it?" or "If God is all-mighty and all-good, how can there be war/evil in the world?". Steven Hawkings, one of the greatest cosmologists of our time, asks if there are actually a need for a 'creator' in his book 'A Brief History of Time'. Well, speaking about a creator, who created the creator? A Meta Creator? The world is not logical, logic can only be used to describe a very small part of the conceivable universe. Mathematics can handle a slightly larger part, but we still have a large chunk of the known, perceivable universe, which cannot be described with mathematics or any other rational system, although modern science likes to think (hope) otherwise.

Mysticism tries to move beyond what the intellect can grasp. Mysticism tries to perceive the world directly without the filter of ideas, interpretations and rationality. Mystical tradition generally presents a number of techniques to come to this realization. Meditation is one example, and comes in numerous flavours according to tradition. The Castanedian use and redeployment of energy is another such example.

Another allegory which describes the Mystic view of the world, as opposed to the common rational view, and the confusion of words:
 
 

A thirsty man asked another man where he could find water to drink. The second man gave the thirsty man a description of where he could find water.

Now, did the thirsty man get unthirsty by hearing the other mans description? Most certainly not, he had to follow the description to find water he could drink.

It is the same with the Mystic Way, one does not reach enlightenment by hearing about it.

-Freely from a Zen Story

Or:
 

When the Wise points to the moon,
the fool looks at the finger

'Magic' is the use of non rational abilities or properties of the world to achieve something. Some mystical traditions put a lot of emphasis on magic and mystical experiences (Tibetan Buddhism), while other traditions totally reject this (Zen). Castanedianism lies somewhere in between, magical techniques are used (for instance dreaming techniques), but the emphasis lies on optimal use of energy to live as fully as possible, and to seek freedom.
 
 

Mysticism is what separates Religious life from Moral Life.
- Unknown

It is said that across different religions, it is only the mystics who understand each other.

 

  

-oo-
 
 

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