![]() Many mystics write about feeling separate from the world yet simultaneously at one with all things. Another theme in mystical traditions is the simultaneous paradoxical feelings of connection and otherness when ego is dissolved. Mystics emphasize that dissolving the ego results in a deep sense of love and profound sense of connection. One theme in most mystical writing is the discovery of the authentic self and a resulting deep compassion for others. Yoga practices teach participants to drop into “body mind” through physical movement and somatic awareness. Theravada Buddhism posits that the ego self is a delusion and seeks to disband the ego entirely. There are non deistic and atheistic mystical traditions too. Rainer Maria Rilke, and Hilma af Klint are some of the most well known. The list of mystic poets and artists is also long. Hinduism and taoism have mysticism baked into their core teachings. Judaism has Martin Buber and the Qabbalah. Mystics in the religious traditions see the goal of ego dissolution as a oneness with the divine.Ĭhristian mystics include Meister Eckhart, Simone Weil, and Julian of Norwich. While we often think of hierarchies and doctrines when we think of organized religion, there is a mystic tradition in every major world religion. The Ego / Self Axis was described by Edward Edinger Mystical techniques dissolve the protective parts like addiction, anger and stagnation that protect the ego from change. When we dissolve the ego we are able to contact the self as it existed before it was obscured and as it exists in the present moment. Obsession and anxiety turn our focus to regrets about the past and fear of the future. Throughout life trauma, anxiety and negative coping mechanisms pile up and obscure our view of who we are and what we really want. The goal of the mystic is to dissolve the conscious mind and let go of language based cognition. For the mystic the self is not the ego, but the larger unconscious mind beyond the ego. The goal of the mystic is not to identify with the ego and the thoughts and language that come from the ego. The ego is our rigid self image, or idea of what we think we are as well as the thoughts and language that our ego identifies with. Mysticism is belief that truth, divinity and/or, the true self is found by learning to connect with the deepest parts of our self. The mystic finds spirituality in the journey inward into the deepest parts of the self. Mysticism is the belief that self and spirituality are not found through world accomplishment or possessions. To some people mystic means someone who is overly abstract or obscures information but this is a secondary definition. What is mysticism and what does it have to do with therapy? ![]() Through healing and accepting the self we are able to accept the world as it is and see accept our higher purpose. Through this lens, it is our own trauma, fear and undeveloped self that limit our ability to understand truth. Rather Mysticism is often used as a metaphor by mystics for how our ability to understand ultimate reality is limited by our ability to understand ourselves. Mysticism does not have to mean that the self is God. The idea that the search to know the self is also the search to know God is a threatening ideology to many people at first glance, however few mystics believe that the self is God. Mysticism is a philosophical tradition that the search for ultimate knowledge of divinity and truth requires that we discover a deep knowledge of ourselves. Instead it is about going somewhere inside our mind, heart and perhaps soul. The labyrinth is not about going somewhere in the world. The labyrinth is a tool to concentrate on some part of ourselves beneath the ego driven conscious mind. Walking the labyrinth is a meditation practice in that it helps us tune in to a different state of mind. The repetitive actions without the need for executive functions help wind down the ego. We only need to keep walking towards the center. As we are walking the labyrinth we do not need our rational or conscious mind to help us make decisions. The Labyrinth is one example of a mystical practice. If one continues walking then one will come inexorably to the center. ![]() Upon closer examination it becomes clear that the labyrinth is a single path. On a single glance the labyrinth looks like a maze that one might get lost in. The path they would walk was called a labyrinth. Instead they would take a symbolic pilgrimage where they would contemplate the self. ![]() Peasants and minor nobles could not afford such a trip. The labyrinth in the christian church is used as a mystical symbol for self discovery
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