“Where a philosopher guesses and argues, the mystic lives and looks, and speaks the disconcerting language of first hand-experience.”

Evelyn Underhill

Having worked intimately with thousands of people, it is vividly clear to me that each person is profoundly unique and distinctly different in how spiritual awakening and expression arise for that particular person.

Sometimes, we can (and do) waste enormous amounts of time trying to awaken in a path that may be ancient and powerful but innately has nothing to do with who we are and how we are designed. Worse, we can judge ourselves for not being surrendered enough, having enough will and commitment, and feeling a failure, when, in fact, it’s just not the right match for us. It’s not so different from being in the wrong relationship, where no amount of effort and good intentions can create the right harmony and chemistry that would allow for love to flourish.

As we more accurately understand and align ourselves to our particularities, we discover how to give ourselves fully to a path that will actually give us direct access to our full potential.

It’s a blessing to be alive in an era where we are exposed to a plethora of techniques, teachers, and spiritual paths. As we try things out, practice, and expose ourselves to various influences, it’s important to sense what is actually worth your full commitment and energy. You should look at what actually resonates and gives you real results and traction and what doesn’t.

Evelyn Underhill published her classic book, Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness, in 1911.

She makes some interesting distinctions between magic, mysticism, philosophy, and science. The purpose of this blog is to deepen the distinction of what a mystic is – so I will contrast some of the elements of magic (which is a curious word for something you will recognize) and leave philosophy and science to those who have more knowledge in those domains.

My intention in sharing this with you is to illuminate a clearer resonance not only with your own truth (for those of you who are actually mystics) but also with what may lie deeper that is calling to many of us together.

Mystics peer into deeper realities that lie hidden beneath our ordinary experience. They passionately long for being close to something they can’t explain, an ultimate reality, the Divine Beloved. No words really capture this illusive but compelling ONE that is all consuming.

Magic (using Underhill’s definition) is the desire to acquire knowledge of the phenomenal world. Those oriented in this way (magicians) want access to the deeper realities so that the knowledge can be used for different purposes in the world. Many of our thought leaders focus in this way, using supernatural abilities for healing, or worldly pursuits of abundance, love, and power. Magic has to do with accessing the deeper spiritual laws, understanding other planes of existence in order to GET something. It has a STRATEGIC orientation.

Mysticism has to do with surrendering, wanting to GIVE yourself so completely that you dissolve into union with the Divine. Mystics give everything. They passionately dissolve themselves into the Beloved, with their only hope to be close. Mysticism is the science of ultimate union with the Absolute. It’s practical and not theoretical. It’s based on love, surrender, and supreme perception.

Magic uses will and the intellect to aggressively obtain what can be used to extend one’s field of consciousness and knowledge. It is self-seeking transcendentalism. It wants to transcend all limitations and obtain for itself or others something beyond what it already has. It is seeking the nature of Reality for its own purposes or for the world. Vulnerability, passion, and love are not necessary for magic. The techniques, spiritual laws, and accomplishments of magic are vast, can be useful, and are readily available to us everywhere these days. The strategies and techniques have helped individuals and the world in creating the lives they want, etc., but it’s important to see the difference and find for yourself what resonates. Magic is strategic. Mysticism is receptive and surrendered.

The mystic rides the edge of what is unfolding and becomes skillful at staying right where the unknown is emerging. Magic is about discovering something and breaking it down and using it – so one visits the realm beyond and then leaves to use what has been discovered. A mystic wants to live in never ending contact with Reality. As a mystic dissolves and true union is achieved, the mystic is used powerfully in the world to bring the Divine into existence, but it is being used by and a vehicle for, rather than being determined by the individual’s ideas and plans.

There are 4 qualities of mystical experience that William James wrote about in his book, The Varieties of Religious Experience. He was a friend and contemporary of Evelyn Underhill.

Ineffable: In the dictionary, ineffable is defined as “too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words, too sacred to be uttered.” Its synonyms include unspeakable, inexpressible, nameless.

A mystic’s focus is remaining close to the experience, open, available, and intimate. When they do express themselves, it arises more as a kind of poetry that’s meaning is felt beyond the words. The influence is felt through the transmission of feeling and consciousness. Contrast that with the necessary exactness of philosophy and science or the spiritual laws, practices, and rituals of magic (as we are using it in this discussion).

Noetic: “Noesis is the soul’s capacity to be aware of itself not only as pure awareness and not only as the content of experience, but to be aware directly of forms arising in the field of consciousness.” – A.H. Almaas

The quality of a Noetic experience is one of certainty and direct knowing, not something learned from the outside. Famous mystics would often express that the experiences they were having were in fact a contradiction to what they had expected or believed.

Unpredictable & Uncontrollable: One can only surrender, be open, vulnerable, willing to risk anything, and be humble. Of course, practice and exerting effort is within our control. We can become ready and prepare ourselves to be accident prone in this domain. But, like all truly precious aspects of our human experience (like falling in love, cosmic orgasms, pure creativity, birth, and revelation) it is in the end a gift, pure grace. We can’t even claim to deserve the blessing.

Magic is about having control, reliable steps and techniques, and predictability as an important part of its fascination.

So then…… are you a mystic?

In my work with the Evolutionary Collective we have discovered a kind of  collective mysticism or WE-Mysticism. The highest wave of evolutionary potential is currently inviting humanity towards a radically new kind of human existence whereby Divine Oneness is the reality we can live from together.

I speak in depth about these revelations in a talk titled LOVE EVOLVES: What’s Love Got To Do With It? Love has everything to do with being a mystic and everything to do with the direction of evolution. Mystics never fit into the world. They have always been alone, out of step with most of the world. I need more time to fully present how those of us who may be more mystical in nature can live “in the world, but not of it” together. WE-Mysticism is making it possible to resolve the irreconcilable gaps we have between our personal healing, living in a world that is in chaos and wanting to make a difference.

Listen to the recording now by going to:
www.evolutionarycollective.com/loveevolves/

In Unity,    Patricia