What’s a mystic?

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A mystic is essentially a person who pursues a truth or understanding beyond those normally associated with human experience. He or she may or may not be initiated into any number of spiritual or religious mysteries and may or may not have attained the insight they are pursuing. What unites all these people is faith and the search for a transcendent truth that surpasses purely rational understanding or knowledge.

In the popular conception, a mystic is often a person who embraces esoteric practices, or studies magic or the occult. While the people who do these things may identify as such, not everyone engages in such practices. Mysticism has a surprising number of faces, and trying to define it beyond the search for transcendent truth becomes difficult. There are, however, some important strains of mysticism that have common traits.

Almost all religious traditions have their own strains of mysticism. In many monotheistic and some polytheistic faiths, this person is usually concerned with finding a direct connection with God himself, often through meditation or prayer. In Christianity, mystics often refer to this state as Union or Oneness with God. In Islam, this state is called Irfan, which literally translated means knowing. In Jainism, a state called Moksha parallels this unity, referring to an ascent to a spiritual state in which all reality is seen as illusion.

Within many traditional religions there are varying degrees of mysticism. There are also often separate groups, which may or may not be seen as heretical by the mainstream religious establishment. Within Islam, for example, the Sufi tradition is a mystical tradition which espouses a divine unity and rejects the dualistic conception of self and God as distinct. Within Christianity, Gnosticism is seen by many as a heretical offshoot and predecessor of the traditional Christian churches.

Many modern mystical paths are strongly influenced by ancient Greek rites, especially the Eleusinian Mysteries, dating back to around the 15th century BC. The Eleusinian Mysteries focused on a cycle of myths involving Demeter and Persephone, invoking the concept of death and the resurrection that can come by triumphing over death. They remained intact for nearly two millennia, and in that time they laid much of the groundwork for the mythic cycles that other faiths would adopt.

Many of these faiths, especially those outside the monotheistic tradition, make heavy use of myths and symbolism to convey their deeper meaning. Basically, the knowledge sought cannot be communicated with logic or words, and therefore cannot be transmitted in the same way that traditional religion can be transmitted. Conversely, some rites or symbols are used to help open an initiate’s consciousness to a new level, acting as a catalyst for one’s mystical awakening, rather than conveying information directly.
Beginning in the 17th century, various fraternal organizations incorporating mystical elements began to become popular throughout Europe. The Rosicrucian Order and Freemasonry are perhaps the best known of these groups and continue to enjoy widespread popularity to this day. Beginning in the 19th century, there was a resurgence of mysticism in the West. These paths often used occult elements, such as communicating with spirits, as part of their practice. The theosophical movement is perhaps the best known of these more modern mystical paths. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was another such movement during this period, influencing many other modern faiths, particularly Wicca.

In addition to symbols, mythical structures, meditation and prayer, some of these traditions make use of various psychedelic drugs or entheogens. These drugs are thought to break down barriers in the mind that block deeper knowledge, allowing the initiate to attain a deeper understanding of the nature of the universe, which can then be integrated into one’s life.

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