Embracing the Mystical: A Journey Toward Heartfelt Knowing
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Chapter 1: The Spiritual Divide
Exploring the thin line between this life and the next has been my journey for almost five decades. I transitioned from understanding through tangible senses to a profound experience that Sufis describe as "God longs to be known." This evolution took me from a materialistic viewpoint rooted in brain science to a more intuitive and heart-centered understanding.
In essence, my quest is to realize that God is not merely an external force but is also present within us. This realization is at the heart of mysticism. The core of this experience is that a quiet, inner voice can guide us, allowing us to transcend rigid dogmas and perceive truth through the heart's eye.
Section 1.1: A Transformative Encounter
My journey began with my psychology professor, mentor, and dissertation advisor, Dr. Lee Edward Travis, a notable figure in the field. At the time, he was the founding Dean of the School of Psychology at Fuller Seminary, where I was pursuing my graduate studies. Lee had been instrumental in establishing speech pathology at the University of Iowa back in 1925.
As I worked on my doctoral dissertation in 1978, which focused on religious conversion and involved interviewing individuals about their direct spiritual experiences, Lee's insights profoundly impacted me. He was the most influential of my educators, instilling in me the idea that our physical existence is just one part of a broader eternal consciousness. He emphasized our innate ability to connect with this reality through intuition.
Lee recounted a significant mystical experience he had fifteen years earlier while teaching at the University of Southern California. Initially grounded in a scientific, materialistic worldview, he was invited by his wife, Lysa, to attend Bel Air Presbyterian Church. They attended for the first time on a Sunday, where the sanctuary was filled to capacity, with a large crowd outside listening to the service.
Lee described the moment he felt transported during the sermon delivered by Pastor Louis Evans, Jr. He shared, "I couldn’t see him and had no idea what he looked like... I sort of walked away and then came back while the sermon was going on." The following week, they arrived early, and Lee was able to see the pastor. He experienced a profound moment, which he characterized as a journey beyond ordinary perception.
"I felt myself being carried away... I was out there in the cosmos," he explained. This experience, he emphasized, was not merely psychological but felt like an encounter with a divine presence. He viewed it as a direct communion with God, which Pastor Evans recognized as a sign of Lee being "a son of the Spirit, not dogma."
Section 1.2: Mysticism in Early Christianity
Years later, I discovered that early Christians, particularly the Desert Fathers and Mothers, routinely experienced divine encounters. These individuals sought solitude in the desert to foster a greater possibility of connecting with the Divine.
Psychology's history also acknowledges the significance of mysticism, as noted by William James in "The Varieties of Religious Experience." However, contemporary science, often fixated on materialism, tends to dismiss experiences that cannot be quantified by the five senses.
During my academic journey, I struggled to articulate my longing to connect with the Divine. However, I later recognized the importance of the human heart in understanding the Eternal One. Cynthia Bourgeault, in her book "Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening," refers to this inner voice as "God’s positioning system," which aligns us with the divine presence.
My heart-centered faith began to manifest through dreams, dance, visions, and interactions with nature. The more I sought to establish a direct connection with the Divine, the more I distanced myself from a culture fixated on rigid beliefs, which often leads to a superficial and unkind form of religion.