What it Means to be a Mystic

 

An Exploration of the Inner Journey and the Quest for the Real

 

Mystic is fundamentally characterized not by idle dreaming, but by an unwavering pursuit of ultimate Truth. Contrary to the misconception that Mysticism is a fog of impractical intellectual or metaphysical speculations, a true Mystic is one who seeks the Real back of the seeming; the Reality back of all outer manifestations. They want to get behind the seen into the unseen, to go back of the outer phenomena of Life and study their causes in order to truly Understand them. Mysticism is, at its core, the pursuit of Conscious Union with God, attained through intuitional experience, guided by trained intellectual processes, and by a Focused Will.

 

"Everybody in the world knows the word "God," but there are few people in the world who know God. For most people God has remained a word, a term, a power outside the self: God, Itself, has not become a Living Reality except to those few people who are known as Mystics." - Joel S. Goldsmith

 

 

The Path of Knowingness

 

Organized religion is often described as the path of seeking God outside of oneself - reading scripture, going to church, and following dogmatic hierarchies. Mysticism, by contrast, is the direct communion with God, effectively cutting out the "middle man." The Mystic approaches this communion not with mere belief, but with a profound and Silent Knowingness.

 

"A Mystic doesn't say 'I believe.' They say 'I know.' A true Mystic will ironically speak with that self-confidence but at the same time with a kind of humility. So, when you see that combination of calm self-confidence, certitude, and humility all at the same time you have the basis for Mysticism in general." ~Richard Rohr

 

This certitude stems from a reliance on internal growth and intuition. Mystics feel uncomfortable with Spiritual hierarchies and the tenuous rituals of structured traditions. Instead, a true Mystic follows nobody's path, rather creates one, knows no authority and bows to nobody. They possess an innate Trust in their own morality and are guided by their Direct Experiences of the Divine.

 

 

The Chamber of Mental Alchemy

 

Because the Mystic understands the interconnected nature of the Universe and the power of Consciousness, they treat their own Mind as a sacred laboratory. They recognize that their Thoughts are not merely fleeting illusions, but Powerful Creative Forces.

 

"The Mystic knows only too well the value and danger, the goodness and the evil, that lies in the Power of Mentally Creating. We know that if we hold in our Minds a picture and give it the vibrations of living possibility... we Create it in the world of actuality. We must keep the chamber of Mental Alchemy so clear and so wholesome and of such a High standard that no evil Thought, no evil admission, no unholy concept of our earthly Imagination may take form there and grow and be born in the world of actuality." ~H. Spencer Lewis

 

In holding this Power, Mystics remain deeply humble. They believe they are a conduit for Power, not the Source of it. They see their insights into the Universe as a borrowed gift, acknowledging that the Universe is Infinite, mysterious, and far too complex for the human Mind to fully comprehend.

 

 

The Mystic and the Madman

 

The pursuit of such unadulterated Truth often isolates the Mystic from the conventional world. The Love of God is mad in the eyes of the world, for God is nothing and the world always Loves something as an object, icon, or new experience. As the Mystic turns inward, shedding the possessive Force of the Psychic self and exposing the madness of the Thinking disease, they walk a precarious line. To the uninitiated, the Mystic's absolute devotion may appear as madness.

 

"The true Mystic is he or she who loves God more than anything else in the world. Such

unwavering devotion attracts Forces in existence that will test the resolve of that person and eliminate any false notions of reality... How long the condition of madness lasts is determined by the diminishing resistance to the call of the Spirit and the surrender to the sanity of Pure Unconditional Love." ~Lance Kelly

 

 

The Ultimate Reality of Love

 

Ultimately, Mysticism is choosing Love, Truth, and Charity. It is the Realization that Love is the Source of Life, and that Love Powers Everything. The experiences of Love in our daily Lives are merely reflections of a larger, all-encompassing DIVINE LOVE that flows through every being. To be a Mystic is to step away from the noise of the world, to endure the crucible of Spiritual Transformation, and to find, in the profound Silence of one's own being, the Eternal Reality of the Infinite.