Mysticism

Mysticism issupposed experience or exploration oftranscendental realm beyond our Universe. In theistic, pantheistic,panentheistic classical pantheist/cosmotheist metaphysical systems thisunderstood as direct relationGod/Goddess. Mysticismalso defined asprocess wherebymystic plumbsdepths ofselfreality inradical processmeditative self-discoverydiscovertrue naturereality experientially. The sayingsmysticsdifferent traditions show thathave known very similar experiences. Therefore itargued thattrue unityreligion can be foundmystical experience. Another termthis viewPerennial Philosophy.

Elementsmysticismpresentmany religionsphilosophies. Some mystics claim that there iscommon threadinfluenceall mystic philosophies thattraceable back toshared source. The Vedic traditioninherently mystic. Many mystical philosophies thus exhibitstrong tendency towards syncretism.

Examplesmajor traditionsphilosophiesstrong elementsmysticismVedantic Hinduism, Tibetan Zen Buddhism,Christian Gnostic sect(s), Mystery ReligionsCults,Eastern Orthodox hesychasm,Sufi schoolIslam,Judaic Kabbalahmany aspects ofNew Age movement. Quakerism also hasstrong mystical elementits theology.

The 19th Century saw an increaseinterestMysticism linkedan interestOccultismEastern Thought. Major figuresthis movement were Madame Blavatsky Gurdjieff. See Theosophymore information on this movement which hadlater influence onNew Age.

Some examplesHindu mystics:

Andal

Shankara

Lalleshvari

Mirabai

Sri Ramakrishna

Ramana Maharshi

Gopi Krishna

Some Christian mystics are:

St. JohnApostle

ClementAlexandria,

St. AugustineHippo