Mysticism is present in all religions of the world, philosophical teachings. The thinking of the ancient man was based on the deification of the forces of nature and cooperation with them. With the accumulation of knowledge, people have become more rational, but the belief in divine conduct remains unchanged.
What does mysticism mean?
The meaning of the word mysticism comes from the ancient Greek μυστικός - mysterious - a special world outlook and perception based on intuitive guesses, insights and emotions. Intuition plays an important role in the mystical way of knowing the world, its secret essence. What is not subject to logic and reason is understandable for irrational thinking, based on feelings. Mysticism as a doctrine is closely connected with philosophy and religions.
Mysticism in Philosophy
Mysticism in philosophy is the current that arose from the nineteenth century. in Europe. O. Spengler (German historiosophist) singled out 2 reasons why people became interested in out-church ways of knowing themselves and God:
- crisis of European culture, exhausted itself;
- the rapid growth of intercultural interaction between the West and the East, the Eastern worldview was to the liking of Europeans eager for a "new vision."
Philosophical mysticism - as a combination of traditional Christianity and oriental spiritual traditions - is aimed at the movement of man towards the divine and unity with the Absolute (Cosmic Consciousness, Brahman, Shiva), studies meaning universally meaningful for all people: being, right life, happiness. In Russia, philosophical mysticism developed in the twentieth century. The most famous directions:
- Theosophy - E.A. Blavatsky.
- Living Ethics - A.K. E and A.A. The Roerichs.
- Russian mysticism (based on Zen Buddhism) - G.I. Gurdjieff.
- The historiosophical teaching (Christian and Vedic ideas) - D.L. Andreev.
- The mystical philosophy of Solovyov (the phenomenon of the philosopher of the Gnostic Soul of the World - Sophia).
Jung and the Psychology of Mysticism
Karl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, one of the most controversial and interesting psychoanalysts of his time, Z. Freud's disciple, the founder of analytical psychology , opened the notion of "collective unconscious" to the world. He is considered a mystic rather than a psychologist. The fascination with mysticism in K. Jung began with a young age and accompanied the rest of his life. It is noteworthy that the ancestors of the psychiatrist, he said - possessed supernatural abilities: they heard and saw spirits.
Jung differed from other psychologists in that he trusted his unconscious and himself was his researcher. The psychiatrist tried to find a connection between the mystical and the real, in order to explain the mysterious phenomena of the psyche-all this he considered to be really cognizable. Approaching the incomprehensible, God through a mystical experience (merging) - from the point of view of K. Jung helped a person suffering from a neurosis to gain integrity and promote the healing of a psychotrauma.
Mysticism in Buddhism
Mysticism in Buddhism manifests itself as a special worldview. Everything - from things in this world, to people and even Gods - resides in the Divine Base, and outside it can not exist. Man, to merge with the Absolute, at first, through spiritual practices - to seek to experience the mystical experience, illumination and realize his "I" inseparable from the Divine. According to the Buddhists - this is a kind of "lifeboat", "to swim to the other side, breaking the current and dissolving in the void." The process of interaction is based on 3 conditions:
- overcoming sensory perception: (purification of hearing, sight, taste, smell, touch);
- overcoming the barriers of physical existence (the Buddha denied the existence of the body);
- reaching the Divine level.
Mysticism in Christianity
Orthodox mysticism is closely connected with the person of Christ and gives great importance to the interpretation of biblical texts. A large role is assigned to religious communities, without which it is difficult for a person to get close to God. The union with Christ is the whole purpose of human existence. Christian mystics for the comprehension of God's love sought to transform ("deification"), for this, every true Christian must go through several stages:
- purification ("mortification" of the flesh) - fasting, abstinence, prayers at a certain time, mercy to the suffering;
- enlightenment - the comprehension of Holy Scripture and truth hidden in natural manifestations;
- Unification (Contemplation) - the knowledge of the heart of divine love: "God is love, whoever loves, he abides in God, and God in him."
The attitude of the church to Christian mysticism has always been ambiguous, especially during the time of the Holy Inquisition. A person who survived the divine mystical experience could be a heretic if his spiritual experiences were different from the generally accepted church doctrine. For this reason, people harbored their revelations, and this stopped Christian mysticism in further development.
Mysticism as a way of knowing
Mysticism and mysticism are concepts that are addressed to a person who has encountered an inexplicable, transcendent one and who has decided to start to learn this world in an irrational way, relying on his feelings and intuition. The path of the mystic is in the choice of spiritual tradition, and in the education of mystical thinking:
- deep faith in tradition, system, supreme being;
- the relationship between the internal and external, with phenomena, other people;
- trust in yourself: a deep personal experience is more important than written in books;
- presence here and now;
- question everything;
- spiritual practices and meditations, breathing techniques - tools on the mystical path of cognition.
Mysticism and Occultism
Mysticism and magic are closely related concepts, if the mystic decided to devote himself to the occult sciences. Mysticism is more contemplation and acceptance, and occultism is a practical activity that uses magical techniques of influencing the world. Occult sciences are covered with a veil of mystery and suggest some kind of secret initiation into the cult in closed communities. The most mysterious organizations of interest:
- "The Order of the Rose and the Cross" (Rosicrucians) - was founded in 1600;
- "Golden Dawn" - a magical order of the XIX century;
- Masonic grand lodges. Masons or "freemasons" turn to God as the "Great Architect of the Universe".
Modern mysticism
Mysticism and science share a common point of intuition, but if a scientist can confirm his "insights" in an objective visible expression, then the mystic refers to his subjective experience that can not be seen or touched. This is the contradiction between science and mysticism. Modern mysticism is based on ideological concepts, which several centuries ago, but becomes a popularized commodity commercial, focusing on the needs of people. Without leaving home, a person can "go through initiation", "attract a soul mate", "wealth".