Mysticism in Philosophy - What is Mysticism? Are Mystical Experiences Beyond Human Comprehension?

What is Mysticism?
Mysticism and reported mystical experiences, like claims of becoming one with a God or absolute reality, are often dismissed today as interesting, but ultimately unimportant events fully explained by neurological processes in the brain.

However, mystical events, whether real or fictional, have significantly shaped the course of human history. All the world’s major religions have started from reported mystical experiences such as the angel Gaberial manifesting in front of the virgin mary or the Buddha experiencing initial nirvana under the Bodhi tree. Mystical experiences have been reported to radically alter the trajectory of experiencers’ lives, in many cultures and societies, including the non-religious.

Plus, if just naturalistic neural events in the brain fully explain all mystical experiences, this raises a philosophical question.

Does identifying neural correlates of mystical experiences prove they are mere naturalistic brain events or does it just identify the brain activity that occurred during a genuine mystical experience?

Regardless of epistemology, should we put more effort into understanding and experiencing these events to improve our well-being if they indeed, as reported, radically change the way we view our life?

This video will serve as a brief introduction to the philosophy and psychology of mysticism. In it, we’ll cover what mystical experiences are, explore their categories and attributes, examine how beneficial they are, and if they can serve as a doorway to something about reality beyond our comprehension we should seriously explore.

0:00 Introduction
1:40 What is Mysticism?
2:00 'Wide Sense' of a Mystical Experience
3:03 'Narrow Sense' of a Mystical Experience
3:50 Examples of Mysticism
6:18 William James, 'Noetic', & 'Ineffable'
6:44 The Problem of Ineffability
8:13 Perennialism
9:56 Constructivism
11:02 Inherentism vs Attributionism
12:06 Epistemology of the Mystical
13:37 Naturalist Causes
15:50 Mystical Events for Healing
16:56 The Importance of the Mystical

[StevenTrisel]

Mystical experience allows one to transcend the ordinary and appreciate the beauty and wonder of existence, even if only for a brief moment in time.

[willieluncheonette]

" Mysticism itself, by its very nature, is a contradiction, because it is not an ism. It is not a creed or dogma in which you can believe. You can be a mystic, but there is nothing like mysticism. And when one is a mystic the paradox deepens, it does not disappear. When one is a mystic there is no one left. There is a mystery, but with no center to it. It is like a cloud: translucent darkness, infinite darkness.

One of the most important statements about mysticism in the Western hemisphere is the book called The Cloud of Unknowing. The name of the author is not known; it is good that we don’t know who wrote it. It indicates one thing: that before he wrote it he had disappeared into a cloud of unknowing. It is the only book in the Western world which comes close to the Upanishads, The Tao Te Ching, The Dhammapada. There is a rare insight in it.

First he calls it a cloud. A cloud is vague, with no definable limits. It is constantly changing; it is not static – never, even for two consecutive moments, is it the same. It is a flux, it is pure change. And there is nothing substantial in it. If you hold it in your hand just mist will be left, nothing else. Maybe your hands will become wet, but you will not find any cloud in your fist.

That’s what happens to the mystic: he becomes wet, really wet. Those countries where alcohol is prohibited they call dry, and those countries where alcohol is not prohibited they call wet. But the only wet person is the mystic. He is a real alcoholic! He cannot be helped by Alcoholics Anonymous. If a mystic enters there, they will all become alcoholics themselves!

But for Dionysius it is even more a contradiction because he was a theologian. His whole book is written with a disguise, as if it is a treatise on theology; mysticism is just something by the side, secondary, not primary. Hence the name Theologia Mystica – as if mysticism is only a consequence of getting deep into the world of theology. Just the reverse is the case.

The word “theology” means logic about God; theo means God. But there can be no logic about God. There is love about God, love for God, but no logic about God. There are no proofs possible. The only proof is the existence of the mystic. The presence of Dionysius, of Ramakrishna, of Bahauddin – the presence of these people is the proof that God exists, otherwise there is no proof. Because Buddhas have walked on the earth, there are a few footprints of God left behind on the shores of time.

Philosophers have argued for centuries, but all their arguments are utterly futile and impotent; they have not come to a single conclusion.

The mystic has to speak in contradictions because he is speaking about the whole, and the whole contains the contradictions. It contains the day and the night, both. If you call God the day, then it is only half the truth; if you call him the night, that too is only half the truth.

Hence Dionysius calls God translucent darkness – as if the sun has risen in the night.

The whole consists of both life and death. If you call God life, only life, then it is a half-statement. And remember a half-truth is far more dangerous than a complete lie because the complete lie is bound to be discovered sooner or later – just a little intelligence is needed. But the half-truth is very dangerous; even intelligent people, very intelligent people, may not be able to find that it is untrue. That is the danger of half-truths: they look like truths and they are not. They can keep you deceived for centuries.

Mysticism is the whole truth; it has to be contradictory. Somewhere logic and love have to meet, because they both exist. Hence Theologia Mystica. Somewhere man and woman have to meet and merge and disappear into each other because they both exist and they are both halves of one whole. Hence the beauty and the bliss of a real meeting between a man and a woman: the orgasmic joy is possible only because two halves of a single whole have come together. Both were suffering, both were missing something. Suddenly, all that feeling of missing has disappeared. Of course, the meeting between a man and a woman can only be momentary. Again they are separate, and again the misery sets in, and again the desire to be united. Because the meeting is physical it cannot be very deep and it cannot be lasting either.

But the meeting of the mystic with the whole is absolute; there is no coming back. He has gone beyond the point of no return. He has dissolved himself like a dew-drop slipping out of the lotus leaf into the lake. He has become the lake. Then whatsoever he says will be contradictory, because a part of it will be the vision of the dew-drop and a part of it will be the vision of the total lake, a part will be the standpoint of the part and a part will be the standpoint of the whole. Hence all mystics have spoken in contradictory terms.

This is one of the reasons why intellectuals are against them, because the intellectual demands consistency and the mystics cannot be consistent. By the very nature of things that is not possible. He is helpless – he has to be contradictory. He has to say, “I am contradictory because I am vast enough to contain contradictions.”

Logic is a small thing, love is infinity."

[thestandupphilosophers]

I've been lucky enough to have a few of those experiences and I can assure you that they don't begin in the brain, and they are in fact more real than reality itself, beautiful oneness, it's all I can say.

[normanchan]

I have them all the time and they come during the most mundane moments. Usually followed by a lot of incontrollable tears and sometimes even a little drool. It's like have a mental break down but in the most wonderful way. I find it a little weird, but it feels really good so I just roll with it.

[kkiller]

I had a potent mystical experience a few years ago, and it has taken me until now to understand it with any depth. I had rejected my Christian upbringing and the atheistic mindset I had replaced it with, so there isn't a ton of context into which it fits, hence the difficulty in interpreting it.

[arizonaboy]

I think I had what could be classified as a mystical experience once. I was alone at my room past midnight, power had gone off so I was reading a book (maybe something from H.P Lovecraft, idk) with a candle. As stated before, it was already late and so I stopped an decided to go to bed. Can't tell why but as I closed the book, I started directing my view at the candle intensely. I was very focused on the flame, there was just something about the way it flowed. I lost track of time and there were no toughts going trough my head. I was completely clear and felt such peace, such warm in the heart...
Soon after I returned to normal and the first thing I remember thinking about was "I saw the face of God in the middle of the fire". And that was that.
Now, I'm not religious or have ever practiced meditation seriously nor do I think it actually had anything to do with any kind of deity but it was weird nonetheless beautiful.
Sorry for bad english :P

[tejasa]

I appreciate your work man!! I remember back when you were at around 500 subs and it feels great to see you grow. Keep up the good work😊😊

[jackbauer]

The only mystical experience I’ve had was during a (Catholic) Latin mass.

In the middle of a really long litany chant where we were all expected to kneel and chant along, a massive crucifix caught my eye off to the side and sort of jumped out at me.

Nothing visual happened, but how I saw it radically changed. It had always intellectually been an image of a Jesus as he nobly sacrificed himself for us in battle, redeeming us from the demonic powers that once held their grip on the world, but then that sense became real. It was gripping. He **died** to do that. **Him.**

It was like looking at my own brother.

And I wasn’t even thinking about the cross — I was just slightly (ok, really) bored and exhausted while kneeling during an overly long litany at church. And I wasn’t even really a good Catholic at the time. (Well, I’m still not.) I definitely wasn’t in the state of “sanctifying grace.” I was just there to be with friends. So the experience was such an unexpected gift.

[GnosticJ]

Loved your video, even tho you forget to give the mushroom it's due. There is a mystical experience which the mushroom can provide. In the trance, in the visions there is a presence which can communicate in your native language. That which I call the Other, which is truly the Unspeakable...

[alfredguerra]

Very informative. Thank you. Modestly speaking, in accordance with your intro./extro- vertive mystical experience, but not limited there and unto.... I've had both. Although it took me 12 consecutive years of Esoteric training, studies, thought, and reflections. Also not limited there and unto. To include being in complete oneness with all and everything through Universal consciousness. To include Kundalini experience, with the practicing of stern self disciplines and applications. And Qabbala/Kabbalah experiences. And yes there are some variations in studies/applications according to the spellings. Another form is with the word spelling, Cabala. I'm actually a student who has been accepted into the Ancient Mystery schools for 20 consecutive years now. I won't mention what school due to the general publics major misconceptions, etc. I'm 54 yrs old and I'm actually looking for others who have had the same/similar experiences outside of my lodge brothers. Thank You, so much for sharing! LoL HUMANI 18:04 TY! ❤❤❤😇😇😇🖖🖖🖖🌞🌞🌞

[andrewcanady]

People are mystics and don’t even know it. Now and then you bump into them.

[realmsbeyond]

Living as we do, there are forces mounting beyond the horizon. Prepare for a hero's journey. The quest is enormous. Follow me to the depths. I will lead you to an awakening. The Mystic Eye will guide us. I am waiting to hear from you.

[pseudoscynce]

I died once saw something in a coma the being was silent. I was just there a sense of now and rush of dopamine I still feel the feeling, it's like the children's show word world where everything is made of words, I learned that all is one and one is all nothing goes without being connected there is a God there is always one end to the other.

[naakoin]

Thanks for the introduction to all of these concepts

[at-fwtw]

The Mystical and Philosophy are like comparing apples to oranges or night to day because both exist, it doesn't make them the same. Intelligence always tries to explain itself in its limited space. As I write this, auto-correction is trying to write my thoughts for me. All Intenllegene likes to do the same.

[renegadelaw]

Psychedelics are a good way to have these experiences.

[yasinnabi]

Did you know that the rich get richer during economic recessions and niflation, because they use a unique and different investing strategies and they walk against the crowd, ,,, self education is the key to get rich, A fellow creator.., .,

[brandoncurbow]

I have had at least five mystical experiences in my lifetime. And although I have used hallucinogens in the past, I was not under the influence of drugs at the time of any of my mystical experiences. And as far as I know I'm not epileptic.

[Fido-vmzi]

Too much dwelling on other people's thoughts. When you stick to previous concepts--you get stuck in a box. Listen, but think on your own.

[Manuka_]

Too many ads in the middle of the video for me. Gave up trying to finish it.