Mysticism — Weaving Understanding

What happens when you try to explain experiences that are mystical?

I have grown up, steeped in logic and reason; yet there are things that happened to me that were not logical and nor reasonable. They had no facts attached. At the time, I did not have the language to describe them. Therefore, I used what language I had. The problem is, that when you explain something in words that do not describe it, the memory or experience looses some of its detail and import. Instead of illuminating the experience, the language has made it a dim reflection of the actual event. Then when I tried to explain it to others, they were even more in the dark than I was.

For example, I always knew of the presence of God in my life. However, I only had the language I learned in church to explain this. Many conversations were like the following:

“Hey pastor John, I know that God is in this church!”

“Yes, he is!”

(Yah, but Pastor John; that is not what I mean!)

“That solo was great. I really felt it all over!”

“Yes, she sang well!”

(Frustration. Again not what I meant!)

I learned over time that if I wanted to feel understood, I would have to weave a story, a background before commenting on my spiritual experiences. I had to pull the audience in, and enchant them in a way, get them into the mindset of the mystical before I felt they would understand.

So, how do you get someone into the Mystical frame of mind?

First, I appeal to their senses. This is really because all of my experiences can be related to one of the five senses, and possibly more.

I had a wonderful experience looking at a tree. (Stay with me!)

The morning sun was just peering over the horizon; casting light and shadow into the branches of this old, majestic oak tree. Where the yellow light hit the bark, a thousand fissures, the patterns of many ridges and valleys were thrown into stark contrast. The branches and leaves were surrounded with a glow from the sun’s back-light. Each branch was like a child of the tree; growing out of the trunk. Yet, each branch was unique. They grew; finding their own place in the sun. No branch was ever so greedy for light, that it blocked out its brother branch. The leaves were as the children of the branches. They grew from the same source, but lived in the sun, unprotected by the dense bark of their parents. They reveled in the wind, rain, and light, without the protection of the rest of the tree. Yet, in this image was the realization that the wind, rain, light, sun, seasons were only to be truly experienced as the naked leaf does. The core needs protection; it needs deep roots. The branches of our lives need the core as a foundation, a growing place, a source. The leaves need to be free to breathe, to rustle, and even to fall if the rest of the tree is to live.

In one moment of illumination I saw my life and the lives of all as that tree. It became a symbol, a living representation of life.

This happened in about 10 seconds and took me the last 15 minutes to put into words. It was a mystical experience, because 90% of it is still unexplainable. The feelings and perceptions are still impossible to put into words.

In part II we’ll look at questions that are asked and answered in a mystical encounter.