В европейской культуре мистицизм появился в XIX century at a time of crisis and loss of potential for further development. Interest to him has not faded to this day. It is believed that the origins of mysticism are Eastern religious and philosophical currents. However, this is not quite true. Of course, the East is filled with mysticism and influenced the religious minds of Europeans at the time when it began to seep into the European culture. The influence of Eastern philosophical thought to this day strongly attracts to itself precisely the mystical side of the worldview. But classical religions, including the world religion - Christianity, are not without mysticism.
The concept of mysticism
Judaism, Islam, various religious movements,such as Manichaeism, Sufism and others, have their own mystical school. For example, Sufists of the Shazaliya and Naqshbandiya schools believe that their method of teaching is the quickest way to understand the Islamic faith. By general definition, mysticism is the emergence of a super sense in a person, which gives him the opportunity to contemplate higher powers. Western mysticism is different from the eastern. The first speaks of meeting with God, of his knowledge, of the presence of God in the heart, soul of man. At the same time, he gives him the highest place over the world and over man as the source of all life and being, as the giver of all good. Eastern mysticism is a complete dissolution in the Absolute: God is me, I am God. The word "mysticism" ("mysticism") is of Greek origin and means - "mysterious, hidden". That is, mysticism is a person’s belief in an invisible connection and direct communication with the metaphysical higher powers. The definition of mysticism can represent the practical experience of communicating a mystic with an object of higher powers or a philosophical (religious) doctrine on how to achieve such communication.
Real and cognitive mysticism
Real - is achieved empirically whenhuman actions lead to a special connection with the secret higher forces, independent of circumstances, time and space. She is prophetic and active. Real mysticism is the desire to directly consider phenomena and objects outside a given space and time, this is the domain of soothsayers, fortune tellers, clairvoyants, etc. . Active mysticism is a practice inherent in hypnotists, magicians practicing theurgy, sorcerers, mediums, etc. Among the mystics are many charlatans and deceivers. However, there are cases when scientists record the presence of a real mystical component in the practice of mystics. Yet it is extremely rare to meet such mystics, who are never mistaken. And this suggests that the main part of such people is not on the true mystical path, their minds are under the authority of the fallen spirits, who both want and play with them.
Alchemists and Mystic
Most philosophers and scholars in the field of studyMysticism believes that there is not enough reason to attribute the alchemists to the mystics. It’s all a matter of practical material experience with nature and its components, based on the principle of unity of matter. Alchemy does not fit into generally accepted ideas: mysticism, the definition of which comes from the knowledge of the laws of the spiritual world, subject to other non-material laws, has nothing in common with the goal of transforming nature into a more perfect state. Mysticism always implies the communication of the knower with the object of the knowledge of the highest extraterrestrial forces. No matter how mysterious and mysterious the alchemist was, he always remains the gold miner, the recipient of the "imperfect" metal of the "perfect". And all his activities are not aimed at the knowledge of the Higher Mind, but at creating blessings for earthly life, which is excluded in mysticism, which aims at connecting with the world where spirits live.
Christian mysticism
In Christianity, mysticism occupies a special place, butradically different from different kinds of magic and things like that. First of all, it is real. This is an experienced mystic, without any speculation. Where human speculations are present is called a state of beauty. For people who have not studied Christianity, mysticism in philosophy often seems non-verbal. It should be noted that mysticism in Orthodoxy and Catholicism, not to mention the various sectarian movements, is significantly different. Catholic mysticism is more focused on the sensual feeling of the Divine, as a result of which it is easy for a person, as Orthodox theologians believe, to fall into a state of delight (false knowledge). In such a state, when a person shows a tendency towards mysticism, relying on his feelings, he easily falls under the influence of demonic forces, without even realizing it. The beauty easily appears on the basis of pride, self-love and popularity. Orthodox mystical experience is unity with God through the humility of their passions, an awareness of the sinfulness and pain of the soul, of which only God can become a healer. The experience of Orthodox asceticism is widely disclosed in the patristic literature.
Philosophy and Mysticism
The psyche of a man walking along the path of mysticism, hisattitude and understanding of the world are in a special, mysterious state of communication with the spiritual world. Mysticism itself is directed precisely on the path of knowledge of the object of the spiritual world. By definition, philosophical mysticism focuses on solving universally significant worldview tasks: the meaning of life, the process of modeling the correct way of being, the attainment of happiness, the knowledge of the Absolute. The mystic-philosopher, with the help of his constructions, gives being to the spiritual world. As a rule, the philosophical understanding of mysticism is contradictory: it implies the unity of mythology, religion, science, rational, visual and conceptual.
Wisdom and Philosophy
The concept of philosophy is the search for wisdom, that isthe philosopher is always on the way, he is a seeking person A wise man who has acquired the truth, the knowledge of being, will no longer be a philosopher. After all, he no longer seeks, for he has found the source of wisdom - God, and now only seeks to know Him, and through God - himself and the world around him. Such a path is correct, and the path of philosophical search can easily lead to confusion. Therefore, scientists and philosophers often came to a deep state of religiosity, an understanding of the harmony of the world, on which the hand of the Creator worked.
Philosophical mystical currents
Among the common philosophical trends there are representatives of mysticism, quite famous in Russia:
- "Theosophy of Blavatsky."
- “Living Ethics (Agni Yoga) of the Roerichs”.
- "Russian mysticism of Gurdjieff," based on the Sufi teachings "Chishti" and "Zen Buddhism."
- "Andreev's Historiosophy" is a synthesis of Christianity and the Vedic worldview.
- "Integral Yoga Ghosh."
- "Neovedanta Vivekananda."
- "Anthropology of Castaneda".
- Kabbalah
- Chassidism.
The manifestation of mystical states
In Christianity, mysticism is (briefly) convergence.the grace of God upon man with the permission of God himself, and not by the will of man. When a person tries to attract grace by strong-willed efforts, he risks to be deceived either by his own imagination or by demonic forces that can take on any appearance that could mislead a person. That is why in Scripture it is forbidden to talk with demons even about the holy. “Get behind me Satan,” is the way to speak to unclean spirits. Since the fallen angels are very skillful and excellent psychologists, they subtly lie the lie with the truth and can easily deceive an inexperienced person in asceticism.
Often the mystical state of the human psychefound after brain injury or is associated with its pathology, when there was a threat to life. For example, northern shamanism practices the introduction of his successor to the state of clinical death through hypothermia. According to them, during this state, the soul enters the world of spirits and gains the ability to communicate with them and upon returning to its earthly body.
There are special psychedelic techniques.changes in consciousness, psychological state through breathing and other means. With their help, a person is introduced into a mystical state. For example: LSD, Sufi zikr, holotropic method, the use of certain types of fungi, etc. They seem harmless to many, but in reality these are dangerous techniques, after which a person may not return to the initial state of his own psyche, since it is serious is damaged.
