The dictionary defines Mystical as “inspiring a sense of spiritual mystery, awe, and fascination; having a spiritual meaning or reality which is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence.”
I heard a variation of the definition recently from the very successful music producer, Rick Rubin, during a
podcast interview, that I highly recommend, Broken Record. Rick was discussing the aspect of creativity, not only in music, but in life as a whole. Rick’s position is a mystical experience will change us in ways we never would have imagined, and he believes an artist’s creativity comes from external forces and mystical experiences, rather than internal ones.
To paraphrase his detailed explanation on a mystical experience, it is a belief in something bigger that takes us out of the ordinary and allows us to see what is possible; allows us to go further than we ever imagined. Reason, or logic, can create a smaller world. A mystical experience can add breadth and depth to our lives. A feeling of ‘expansion’, beyond the boundary of our physical nature.
We need to be open and allow new ideas, solutions, or growth to present itself. Sometimes it is just a matter of getting out of the way. A mystical experience is something unseen, that would never have made sense before it happened. It is something we cannot understand based on someone else’s description. It is an experience that once we feel it, we get it.
Faith, Marriage, and Parenthood are my three best personal examples of mystical experiences. As I let the Holy Spirit’s presence grow in me, I am amazed at the amount of love and grace that fuels and shapes my physical being. I never could have imagined the experiences of being a Husband as well as a Dad. My life is fuller, richer, and more enjoyable based on those experiences. It is a result of being in life as opposed to just doing things; transformational and not transactional.
I have blogged before on my 1981 College football season. This was, without a doubt, a mystical experience. Scholars refer to this type of mysticism as “extravertive” or “eyes open.” I saw the game and my responsibilities more clearly than ever before. I had a keener sense of what was happening and greater insight and anticipation. I played the game at a higher level than ever before or even after.
Personal mystical experiences happen on a smaller scale but are nonetheless significant. On a family vacation at a Chicago aquarium, I was directing the beluga whales, with hand motions. I hosted a preconcert tailgate party at a Jimmy Buffett concert in New Jersey; an event that flowed transcendentally from start to finish. One person sensing this was a once in a lifetime experience, vowed never to attend another Jimmy Buffett concert. In addition, two marriages resulted from people meeting at the tailgate. There is also the 2AM bathroom run while
camping at Great Sand Dunes National Park and being awestruck at the beauty of the Milky Way, so crisp and clear. Common among these experiences are feelings of joy, happiness, and heartfelt positive emotions. A feeling of existing as one with my surroundings.
A mystical experience will not happen amid constant connectiveness and electronic devices. As I researched shared personal stories regarding mystical experiences, the stories noted the person was:
- sitting on a rock.
- watching the trees surrounding me.
- walking through the orchard alone.
- walking alone on narrow path through a field of high, ripe corn.
- walking along the ocean
These experiences are strongly connected with spiritual intelligence, which is a positive psychological quality. Feeling like we are part of something bigger or temporarily losing touch with time and space, can be a sign of healthy psychological functioning. Since we live through the external world entirely through our senses, we can struggle to accept experiences that are not necessarily cut and dry. We tend to trust our physical senses and to believe what our own brain tells us. It is said seeing is believing. But, believing is seeing. We often see what we believe to be there.
The Holy Spirit is that force of life. That football season, I lightheartedly stated “the Holy Spirit wanted to play college football and chose me.” The Holy Spirit creates these supernatural and revealing “lights” to emerge in our consciousness. The revelation is from within, is personal, and beyond words. It is, in the words of George Tyrell, a Catholic Priest (1861-1909), an “act of God with whom the believer came into mystical contact.”
Mysticism, in Christian tradition, is the sense of contact with the Divine, a union with God. Every committed Christian who has been awakened and enlivened by God is a mystic. There are absolutely no exceptions. Mysticism is central to the revealed religion of the Bible. It is the development and continuous renewal at work in our progress towards an ever more intimate union with the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
St. Catherine of Siena is referred to as The Mystic. In her early twenties she experienced a “spiritual espousal” to Christ and was moved to immediately begin serving the poor and sick, gaining disciples in the process. Her mystical marriage to Christ had a powerful impact on her theology. She used this intimate insight with God to not only enrich her spiritual life, but those around her.
Scripture must be experienced as an encounter with the Living Word. Devout and devoted reading and reflection upon God’s written word. It is not about academics; it is about encounter. In St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, (2 Cor. 12:1-4), Paul indicates a mental journey to a nonearthly space, set apart by God, in which secrets, ineffable things, and privileged knowledge were revealed to him. He does not claim to understand the mechanics of the experience.
Scripture is Love’s language and Love is truly the most powerful phenomenon known on earth. It is also the central message of the great mystics. It is the root of mystical experiences.
