Hello and welcome to the Practical Mysticism Channel. The purpose of the Practical Mysticism Channel is to provide useful insights into the understanding and application of mystical principles, especially as taught in A Course in Miracles and The Infinite Way, as well as in mystical Christianity in general. Both A Course in Miracles and The Infinite Way could be categorized as mystical Christianity or esoteric Christianity as both pathways use biblical references and language, and both take their inspiration from the example of Jesus the Christ. In this first video, I wanted to start out by saying a few words about the term “mysticism.” If you search for a definition of mysticism as I did, you’ll find a broad variety of descriptions. I’ll attempt to describe mysticism in the way it is meant to be applied in the teachings of A Course in Miracles and The Infinite Way, as well as in the way it is used on the Practical Mysticism channel.
Let’s begin with a basic dictionary definition of mysticism that is in line with how I will use the term: “Mysticism is the pursuit of, communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an Ultimate Reality, Divinity, spiritual truth, or God. The believer seeks a direct experience, intuition, or insight into Divine Reality.” A search for the definition of the term “mystic” led me to the following choice: “A person who seeks by contemplation and self surrender to attain unity with, or absorption into, the Deity or the Absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.” I find these to be very good definitions for our purposes, but let’s flesh out some further details.
Firstly, for one on a mystical path, there is a fundamental understanding of the difference between the True and the false, or between Truth and illusion, and the mystical practice is to choose Truth and to release illusion. In order to do this, one must know the difference between Truth and illusion. Stated alternatively, one must understand the difference between Truth and erroneous belief, the difference between Oneness versus duality, and the difference between the Universe of Spirit and the five sense mind universe, and the difference between True Identity and false identity.
Mystical practice is like a two-sided coin. While mystical practice entails choosing a consciousness of truth, it must also include letting go of all thoughts and beliefs associated with humanhood and the false universe. By letting go of all thoughts and beliefs associated with humanhood and the false universe (which, by the way, also releases the subsequent related emotions), this practice brings the mind to stillness. The mind is then a transparency for truth. In this stillness the still small voice is given audience, and Grace flows, dissolving discord and disharmony in the sense universe of images.
The mystical perspective sees that the nature of Reality is infinite and eternal Oneness, and that it is the false “human” mind, through its five senses, that misperceives Reality and sees duality, division and solidity. Mysticism is about trusting in the invisible, ever-present, infinite reality of Oneness that transcends the world of appearances.The mystic understands the human world of opposites to be an unreal dream, a series of unreal mental images. The mystical path never gives any credence or power to evidence of the five senses. Truth proclaims that an invisible, perfect, and complete Spiritual Universe is the Only Reality. This One Reality is the essence of who we truly are and what the universe truly is. We release the false belief in a selfhood apart from Spirit, and release the false belief in a universe of matter. Then the Grace of Spirit outpictures as images free of discord and disharmony.
It could be said that Mystics live from a consciousness imbued withTruth. Practicing mystical principles allows us to rise out of the consciousness of duality and into the consciousness of Oneness, out of the consciousness of humanhood in a material universe and into a consciousness of Spirit Alone. When all worldly beliefs have been laid aside and the mind is still, it is a clear channel for the consciousness of Truth, and thereby has access to the guidance and inspiration inherent in that state of consciousness.The mind of a mystic is still, having risen above the tumultuous human consciousness, thereby knowing its identity as Infinite, Harmonious Spirit. Anything that presents itself to the contrary in the world of images is known by the mystic as a lie.
Finally, I want to take a moment to share my thoughts on Practical Mysticism. The YouTube channel name/website name—Practical Mysticism—was given through internal guidance. I actually think that the term Practical Mysticism is redundant because mysticism is inherently practical. In my understanding and experience, it is the only truly practical way of living. First and foremost, it is a way out of illusion; it is a path of enlightenment, and overcoming this world is the only practical pursuit! But even on the “level of form,” so to speak, mysticism offers a way of effortless living, a way of Grace, of peace, joy, inspiration, a way of effortless abundance, where all needs are met. These are the “added things” that the mystic experiences when he has sought and found the Kingdom of God. The body image, and its body of affairs, outpicture as witnesses to Truth, as testimonies to the presence of Reality right here and now.
I feel that the word “practical” was given by Spirit as a way of making mysticism more approachable, more appealing, and to reveal the inherent practicality of the mystical life.
One final word...It is very important to me to attempt to clarify the definition of mysticism in the way that it is meant to be used and understood in these particular teachings. With the internet as a search tool, truth seekers have access to a plethora of information about spirituality, spiritual paths, spiritual teachers and teachings. And there are many words and concepts that are used by these teachers and in these teachings that are not defined, and where no explanations are given for how the words and concepts are to be interpreted for that particular teaching. For example, some commonly used words in spirituality are “consciousness,” “mind,” “ego,” “reality,” and “universe” just to name a few. These words mean different things in different teachings. As an example, in some teachings the word consciousness is equated with God, and in others the term consciousness is considered the domain of the ego. This is no small difference! The term “mind” can be equally problematic when not defined. In my understanding, it is not so much what words or terms one uses that is of top importance, but offering a working definition of that term is. With that said, I hope the explanation of the concept of mysticism shared here offers some clarity on how the word is intended to be used. And I hope to do my best to clarify important concepts going forward. Thank you.
The audio presentation of this blog post can be found on YouTube:
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