Explaining Mystical Experience

[tucker58]

We have discussed before as to the validity of "Christian mysticism" but I'm asking how do we explain the phenomena. Is it a brain glitch? There is little doubt that Calvinists deny mysticism so I’m trying to clarify how mysticism is explained.

Sir, may I ask, what is your definition of "mysticism"? Based on what I have been reading on Calvinism ("Wikipedia"), generally they believe that God can communicate with one through Holy Scripture and through the Holy Spirit. And a part of the definition of "mysticism" seems to have something to do with communicating with God.

How do we explain the phenomena? All living things give off electromagnetic radiation as a part of the life processes. If a person or animal is highly empathic they can feel/experience these electromagnetic radiations that living things give off up to and including the electromagnetic radiations that are created by emotion and the thought processes of the brain. Christian mysticism is a phenomena that happens when a Christian human being has an empathic union or connection with God the Father, Lord Jesus our Christ, or the Holy Spirit. And this empathic connection can result in an exchange of information. And this is all with the understanding that one can have an empathic connection to things/entities that are not God the Father, Lord Jesus our Christ, or the Holy Spirit. From there the question always is, "Is what it is that you are connecting with, God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?" Because there are a lot of things out there that will tell you that they are God the Father, Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit and they are not. Now about brain glitches you can have brain chemistry problems that can cause you to think that you are connecting to all kind of things including God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And you are not, it is all just a brain glitch. A glitch caused by brain chemistry.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

To my knowledge the Bible doesn’t speak of the unconscious. That’s a modern way of describing as aspect of our experience. But the Bible, both OT and NT, certainly describes what most people would call mystical experience. The most common seems to be encounters with God in dreams, but Moses and Paul both had them waking.

Reminds me of the one time I can remember waking up from sleeping crying out "Jesus!" and feeling God the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. I don't understand why I had that experience or the meaning or purpose of it, except that it happened and I cannot deny it. I am sure modern Science and Psychology have a technical answer, but even so, it is not so repeatable, that it could be tested with the Scientific method, hence the limitations of Science apply with such phenomena.

I've had other religous dreams that make more sense, dreams of being in different congregations, different Churches, come to think of it, another dream I can remember is one where I am leading a worship service, and end up rebuking a man for worshiping me, and or irreverence for true worship of God. I've not had any of these kinds of dreams that I can remember for quite some time though now.

 

[Eryk]

Evelyn Underhill said, "the business and method of mysticism is love." If a Christian cultivates the experience of God-directed love, this can only be a good thing. Our capacity to love has to be strengthened through practice.

But it has to be remembered that Christianity is a propositional religion. It's the kerygma of the Apostles, not the techniques of meditation. More important than that, the sina qua non is the person of Christ and his will to save us. An over-emphasis on spiritual disciplines could return us to law and flesh all over again if we think that we can be qualitatively different through our own discipline.

Mystical experiences aren't for everyone. The attempt at silent prayer can trigger depression and other problems. The point isn't that we should have specific spiritual experiences. The point is a God-focused life, and for some people that life will look like more time in study, and for other people it will be more acts of service, and others will pray more, and everyone does what they do for the glory of Jesus.

 

[sahjimira]

Coming from an occult background I am very cautious about things. I think to pursue mystysism would b opening the door for potential counterfeiting of God's direction. I do believe God does reveal Himself in this day and
age but iI am careful what I let into my spirit. I don't believe crying or bleeding statues etc. are of God. Even Gideon put out a fleece!

 

[tulipbee]

Twin, how would you understand Acts 2:17?

Personally I believe our body is a little universe. Outside our body is the big universe. Our big universe runs out little universe. We're experiencing the big universe running us. Let's not forget that a single vibrational string has more power than a nuke. We have lots of them going off inside our bodies. That's how big the universe is inside our bodies. We can zoom in forever in our bodies. It never stops. This eastern philosophies confirms Calvinism. God's breath does run us. Those that are deep in meditating and prayers experience the extra powers of the Spirit. Emotions combined with vibrations can feel like the spirit is moving us. There are a lot of physiological explanations of triggering strange events as well as scientific explanations for the vibrations that cause such feelings. Don't tell the Pentecostals that since they want to say that from the devil. I don't go to their church due to low intellence but the experiences are from higher intellence due to evolutions. The universe does move us in strange ways

 

[tulipbee]

Nonsense.

All prayer is mystical; there is nothing dangerous about it.

Mysticism is not about dreams; they are something entirely different. Mysticism is simply turning our awareness to God.

Mysticism is dangerous to low intellence. Pentecostals are like the folks on Jerry springer shows. No so bright.

 

[katerinah1947]

Hi,

I have extremely high perceived intelligence as it is connected to God, and I have seen the connection. I say my intelligence is normal. It is not high.

I have also witnessed first hand, that God directed intelligence to the right answers and the right path, in science.

Could you not find a less confusing way to say what you said, as I am not sure here, whether you are bashing Pentecostals, or stating some truth.

Nobody bashes, Pentecostals with me around, as God is there too. He is in The Pentecostal group. He is.

If you want any thing mystical I have that allows me to say that. Please, did not The Holy Spirit have Mary say these words to all of us. "He sent the rich away empty handed, but the poor He Has Filled with Every Good Thing"

Are not Pentecostals normally those of the poor? If so, is it possible to say, that what you may think is not true, and some in all churches is not true, is it possible to say that all they say is not true, not "Every Good Thing"???

One of my favorite people in the whole world, and yes he does have your statement of high intelligence. His is very high. I wondered for years why he hung around with me and took care of me, even in the oddest moments.

One day, I asked him a question and then I could now guess, why he was around me. The man had mystical experiences. Once I did not know if God was Real or not. Later I did, and he was a part of that.

Also, he could see auras. That means that God allows him to see auras. And the man was destitutely poor by all American Standards, and he was Pentecostal. I used him. He helped me find God.

He is also dead now. I don't know why. It may have been his heart.

LOVE,
...Mary Katie., .... .

 

[Catherineanne]

Mysticism is dangerous to low intellence. Pentecostals are like the folks on Jerry springer shows. No so bright.

Nonsense. As I have already said, all prayer is mystical, and anyone can pray, however intelligent they may be.

I think you have a distorted concept of what mysticism is.

 

[tulipbee]

Nonsense. As I have already said, all prayer is mystical, and anyone can pray, however intelligent they may be.

I think you have a distorted concept of what mysticism is.

When you have the ah ha moment or enlightenment, then mystism reveals itself. Regular intellegence are just everyday people doing everyday things. They don't care to go deeper

 

[katerinah1947]

When you have the ah ha moment or enlightenment, then mystism reveals itself. Regular intellegence are just everyday people doing everyday things. They don't care to go deeper

Hi,
To work for God, is to do what God wants a person to do. At least that is my experience with God.
I have wondered, why me, and I have wondered why not everyone? In the answer to why not everyone, the answer I use for me, it is because not everyone has to know they are working for God, when they are working for God.
As far as for why me? I would say, my answer is this. For me it was in order to answer a single question.
I think this. If God did not desire to ask me that question one day, then He never would have had me learn all that I did.
For others, with mystical experiences with God, not with spirits but with God, I would say the mystical experience for them, is to let them know that God is real.
And I would say for those that know God is Real, any continuation of mystical experiences is to lessen the pain, the loneliness the longing for God.

What the rather highly educated (I am guessing here, but I think I might be correct on her education level in Religion), Catherineanne, this she can probably tell you. Historically it is said, and I think it is Augustine, Saint Augustine who said this, 'People come to God in two ways, either from reading or from Stupefication (a direct contact with God in some fashion). If the only way people came to God, was with reading, then in wouldn't work the way it does now. Too few people come to God by reading.'

Mysticism, and this accidentally happened to me when I was younger, and still did not know if God was Real or not, then, not now, but then, also includes being contacted by all that is of the spirit world. One day, and for eighteen months, I used the church and everyone I could find, to get rid of foul voice that talked to me 24 hours a day, and I wanted was some ability like my mother had, in getting White Dreams at times, and them always coming true.
The version I got of that future telling, was not hers, and it came with a voice that talked to me all of the time, except when I was in church.

It was church that clued me in. Now, I am Bible only, but in those days, I did not know if the Bible was true or not. Today I do.

Mystics, means to me, that everyone can talk to me and I can hear all that exists in the spirit world, but for me God controls this, like in The Our Father, and like in Job, limiting who and what can talk to me. In the Our Father is "...and deliver us from evil....". I figure that is what keeps me from being assailed so much.

The other thing that keeps the bad guys away, is merely doing what God says Biblically, and through what ever church He has assigned me to. Yes, my church is an assignment by God, for and to me. It is to fulfil my regular meetings, which is a Biblical statement.

However, there are times when I just can't take it, and I rest in God, in the ways that there are. I plead. I ask. And, like now the bad guys tell me good lies, and the bad guys tell me bad lies. It is my work to separate the two of them, but I have had much practice, and I am much afraid of making errors.

If this is what you meant by mysticism, fine. But, really I do not understand your intelligence statement, nor see a need for it. If you do fine. I just am confused by that.

LOVE,
...Mary., .... .