Mysticism and Miracles

Wholeness heals because it is of the mind. All forms of sickness, even unto death, are physical expressions of the fear of awakening. They are attempts to reinforce sleeping out of fear of waking. This is a pathetic way of trying not to see by rendering the faculties for seeing ineffectual. "Rest in peace" is a blessing for the living, not the dead, because rest comes from waking, not from sleeping. Sleep is withdrawing; waking is joining.

T–8.IX.3:1–6

No one becomes a mystic by reading a book. Reading a book doesn't hurt, however. A Course in Miracles is, in the first instance, a book. The right book can turn our minds and start the gears moving in a "wholly" new direction. Reading a mystic's writings helps us remember what we already know and provides a link to other mystics. Reading about mysticism is not the same as being a mystic, but it is a clear indication that our feet are on the path. With a little luck, we may be inspired to do the work required to develop a contemplative life. Mohammad said: "A scholar who writes about mysticism without mystical eyes is like a donkey carrying a load of books." Mysticism is available to all — including, or sometimes especially, children. You may not know how close mysticism is to you while driving your car, listening to music, taking a walk in nature, or sharing deeply with a loved one — but it is there.

Almost nothing brings me greater joy than listening to mystics describe their experiences. Mystics naturally enjoy meeting and being with other mystics. They do so freely and in a relaxed manner, being appreciative of whatever gifts their companions bring. Mystics may have any career: teacher, salesman, computer operator, car mechanic — you name it. They can be found among poets, writers, musicians, nature lovers, artists, healers, ministers, philosophers, psychologists, and craftspeople of all sorts. Libraries are filled with mystical poetry and stories, mystical philosophies, and studies on mysticism.

Mysticism is an experience. It is something we live, not something we study or describe or investigate. These experiences can be found everywhere — in profound contemplation or in everyday life. Jeff Mills, a student of the Course, describes this simple mystical experience, which came to him as he was leaving his barber after getting a haircut.

I had not taken ten steps when I saw an elderly woman pass by who reminded me of my mom. All a sudden, I was overcome with an incredible sense of Oneness. I felt a spreading warm feeling in my chest. For a brief moment, it occurred to me to turn around and tell the barber about it, but what would I say? I leaned against the brick building while tears welled up in my eyes. I don't know whether coming across the woman triggered the event or whether it was coincidental, but I felt an incredible sense of connection — that all of us are connected to our Source and to each other. I realized there is nothing to fear because there is absolutely nothing outside of us. I felt so safe and joyful. After a couple of minutes, I headed to my car with a deep peace flowing through me.

Tell somebody who has never fallen in love what it's like to fall in love. You can try, but you can't really explain it — precisely because it is an experience. Magnify that experience tenfold and you may begin to understand something of what a mystical experience is. You may get just a glimmer of it. The Taoists tell us: "The Tao which can be described is not the Tao." The Buddhists put it this way: "The finger pointing to the moon is not the moon." How can you freeze the infinite? Although mystical experiences may fade, however, they are never forgotten; something consistently pulls us Home.

Mystical knowledge is not secret. It is a revelation — a "recognition" — of what already is. The word "mystic" derives from myste, meaning "to close the lips and eyes." Unlike the word "esoteric," which means "secret or hidden," the word mystical refers to knowledge that is not hidden, but simply not available to someone who is "sleeping" — unawakened or unaware. Mysticism is thus both an experience and an ongoing developing awareness. Mahavira, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammad, as well as many other religious leaders, have always given the highest importance to the direct, personal experience of truth.

Something wonderful happens during a mystical experience. A feeling of unity and connectedness and a knowing transcend our ordinary sight. Something impels us to reach out in love for even greater love. Repeated experience with the mystical encourages our attention. Something pulls us to an even deeper seeing, knowing, and being. Fifteenth-century Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci once wrote: "I awoke only to see that the rest of the world was sleeping." Mysticism is an awakening and the discovery of a state of mind that transcends what can be called the "ordinary mind" or the "sleeping mind" or the "dreaming mind." Mystical experiences are transpersonal — that is, they transcend the personal and lead to an understanding of something much greater than the bodily "me" that walks the Earth and has an identity as an individual.

While others may question the veracity of mystical experiences, mystics do not. Profound mystical experiences — what the Course calls "Holy Instants" — are transformative and life-changing. Once the door opens, you cannot shut it completely, and God's love will eventually flood your life. Seventeenth-century English dissenter George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends, better known as the Quakers, said: "God can only be found experientially." We do not need the ideas of others or a book to learn about God. Holy women and men often spend a great deal of time in silence going within. "There is," Fox said, "something of the inward light in everyone, and anyone can make direct contact with God."

Mysticism is also a process of becoming. It is a churning, turning, cooking kind of thing. Like pebbles rolling...