Can a UU be a Mystic?"

Photo by Robert Lukeman on Unsplash

The idea of mysticism has probably been around for as long as our homo sapien species has existed and that is about 250,000 years. So just what is mysticism anyway?

Well, that’s a bit complicated because definitions tend to revolve around the religion or religions present in an existing culture. If you look up the definition in an English dictionary it will say something like “a mystic is one who believes they somehow have a personal relationship and even an understanding of God. The word “God,” of course is really a western term that refers to the deity that created the universe and oversees its workings. This “God” is referred to by various names in the western religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These names include Yahweh, Elohim, God, Allah, and other terms as well. So, for westerners, mysticism is described as a kind of personal relationship with this deity. But this is an ethnocentric definition of mysticism that doesn’t fit a lot of other religions.

How adherents of the western religions reach for and obtain mystical experience is through various rituals, some of which are similar. Perhaps the most common is prayer – not just a casual prayer but deep reflective and emotionally involved prayers which bring a person to that mystical connection. Churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues may facilitate a mystical state but not necessarily at all. History is full of Judeo, Christian, and Muslim mystics who sought solitude away from humanity and the trappings of the world to reach that mystical connection with God. Muhammed himself, the great prophet and founder of Islam, was clearly a mystic and his recitation of the Qur’an was truly a mystical experience. There are numerous stories of Christian saints and hermits who similarly found a direct and personal connection with God, some with Jesus. St Paul’s conversion experience that led him from Judaism to Christianity was a mystical experience – one where he reported that Jesus himself spoke with him in a kind of vision. And Judaism is filled with mystical rituals in the Book of Kabbalah.

Hindus refer to mysticism as the pursuit of ultimate reality. A mystic is one who understands or at least reaches for ultimate truths and one who connects and perhaps understands what is beyond what our senses can perceive of the world. Hindu mystics can be found as gurus whose primary focus is the help others to experience and understand what is the real truth behind the universe and human existence. Ultimate reality for Hindus is what Christians might call God but it is even more.

As you probably know, Hindus appear to have lots of gods and goddesses – Over 300 million of them in fact. How does a Hindu “pick” a god. Well, that depends. Families often have a particular god or goddess that they are partial to and pass the knowledge of this god or goddess to their children. Or a Hindu might select a god who is one that might help them with a particular problem. With 300 million gods and goddesses, there is bound to be one who can help!

But the curious thing is that all these 300 million gods and goddesses are understood by Hindus to be different manifestations of just three gods – Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), or Shiva (the destroyer). This is kind of like the Christian Trinity, but Hindus call it the “Trimurti” which is these three gods. But dig a little deeper and you will find that the Trimurti – these three gods and just manifestations of Brahman – the ultimate reality. Brahman sounds like the creator god Brahma – but it is different. BrahMAN is the universe – all the stars and planets, all the galaxies and nebulae, all life – time and space, you and me. Brahman is everything. So, Brahman manifests itself in all things. (Actually, I find this a most intriguing concept). On a side note – some Hindu mystics are able to perform some incredible physical feats liking walking on fire with no injury that western medicine cannot explain.

So, what about Buddhist mystics? After all, just as Christianity is an offshoot of Judaism and Islam is an offshoot of both Judaism and Christianity, Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama - the Buddha. The word Buddha which means, “The Awakened one.” The Buddha lived around 500 BCE.

Mystical experiences are one of the goals of a Buddhist. These experiences can be a direct and powerful understanding that leads a person to a state of nirvana – ultimate bliss – a state of being beyond attachments to this world and to a state beyond human desires. This leads a person to a state of liberation and an escape from the continual struggles of rebirth.

There is a subtle but important difference in mystical practices and experiences between Buddhists and Hindus. Where Hindus see mysticism as a kind of merging with ultimate realty – a merging with the cause of the universe and the universe itself – a kind of merging with the divine, Buddhists see mysticism as a merging with ultimate reality and a cessation of the cycle of rebirth. In other words, Hindus see the universe itself (Brahman) and all that makes up the universe as divine. Buddhists do not believe in an ultimate sacred reality. They do not believe in a creation or that everything in the world is a manifestation of the divine – as Hindus do.

Mystical experiences in Hinduism and Buddhism revolve around the practice of meditation. To be sure, both Hindus and Buddhists have sacred spaces and temples but for them, these are not necessary for mystical experiences. Going to a temple for Buddhists and Hindus is not generally necessary as it is for Jews and Christians to attend a synagogue or church on a frequent basis. Instead, regular, and usually daily meditation is the best practice to seek mystical experiences.

Mysticism is definitely a part of earth centered religions too – that is – a part of indigenous religions. Of course, there are thousands of religions created by primal peoples throughout human history and many exist today. It is difficult to generalize but most of these type pf religions seek mystical experiences. It is the job of the shaman – the religious leader in most primal societies – to enable followers to seek mystical experiences. Rituals, often guided by a shaman help members of a society to feel connections with the sacred and experience the mystical. These include a variety of practices such as dances, chanting, vision quests, consumption of mind-altering drugs, sweat lodges, trance states, and many more.

To sum it up, mysticism and mystical encounters have been part of the human experience since the dawn of our species. But what about today? How does mysticism fit in today’s culture in America? In a word – for the most part – it does not. And this, in my view, is a terrible situation because it is mysticism and mystical experiences that can connect human beings – all of us - to the magic and mystery of the universe and to that “other” defined in different ways by so many religions and cultures around the world.

It is important to note that mysticism and mystical experiences are personal. A mystical experience can happen to a person even if that person is part of a religious group but it is still personal. Mysticism is an activity – perhaps facilitated by a priest or guru or sage or holy person – but it is an activity performed by the individual. It is the individual who, with the right experiences, has a personal, profound mystical connection defined by their religion or world view.

The western religions have rich histories of mysticism and mystical experiences as noted. Judaism has had various forms of mysticism for over 2000 years. Just one example is the Kabbalah which began in the 12th century. Specifically, the book “Zohar” and its many practices focus on the essence of God and humanity’s place in the creation. Christian mysticism was found almost from the beginnings of Christianity and practiced by monks, nuns, hermits and even lay people.

The Christian mystic generally seeks a union with Jesus through prayer and ritual. There are thousands of Christian writings over thousands of years which portray mysticism. Meister Eckhart, the 13th century Christian Dominican monk and mystic famously stated: “The eye with which I see God is the same with which God sees me. My eye and God's eye is one eye, and one sight, and one knowledge, and one love. Curiously, Meister Eckhart’s description on of God is amazingly similar to that of the Hindu Brahman – not a being or a creature but “ultimate reality.”

Within the Muslim tradition, Sufism is entirely focused on mystical experiences and Sufi writers such as Rumi, Al Halaj and Kabir have written volumes containing an abundance of mystical experiences. In the 9th century, the famous Sufi mystic, Al Halaj, is famously quoted as saying “God and I are one.” This too is similar to the Hindu idea of Brahman or ultimate reality. All things, including, humans are part and parcel of God. Unfortunately, Al Halaj was tortured and beheaded for saying this.

In my view, it is unfortunate that we live in a time where mysticism is not only highly suspect, it is roundly criticized. The criticism found today really began in large measure during the age of enlightenment and the rise of science. It was Baruch Spinoza, a Jewish philosopher of Portuguese origin who lived in Holland in the 17th century who summarized his thoughts on mysticism by saying: “The mystical worldview is the apotheosis of alienated existence. The mystic is a person whose mind has been violently torn from everyday life and delivered into the clutches of irrationalism.”

Harsh words indeed but followed up most assiduously by others for the last three hundred years. Some critics contend that mystical experiences are psychological and indicative of a pronounced pathology. Others say mysticism is an elitist activity where those who claim mystical experiences look down on those who do not experience them. Still others suggest that a search for a mystical experience is just an attempt to understand oneself and is really a deep dive into egotism.

Curiously, critics of mysticism find common ground with Christian evangelicals who despise the idea of mysticism, for different reasons. Evangelicals believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God and if one wants to understand God, understand “his” creation and how to live one’s life, the details are all found within the Bible. There is no need for mystical experiences which are a personal search for ultimate truths. Worse – pursuing mystical practices is a good way to find yourself in league with the Devil.

We live in a world dominated by scientific rationalism and materialism. It is thought by many that everything can be explained or will eventually be explained by humans as we broaden our knowledge of science and the understandings we learn from it. The problem with this kind of thinking is that it is arrogant. Our science does not know a lot and every time we learn something new, we encounter more questions. There are indeed, a sizeable number of scientists who believe humans and science can never answer ultimate questions. Let me give you a case in point. How did our universe begin and how did life begin?

Well, our current science tells us, the universe came into existence from the so-called Big Bang – a time some 13.6 billion years ago (although just recently it is thought this may have happened a lot earlier). In a violent explosion, all energy and later matter came into being. Even time and space came into being. Before the Big Bang, there was no time. There was no space. There was not nothing! (Hard to get your mind around this!)

Well, along with all of these discoveries, physicists have found and proven there are 26 mathematical constants which enabled the universe to exist as it is. Some of these 26 are difficult to understand but simpler examples include the speed of light (186,312.2 m/p/sec), the mass of a proton and a neutron and the electrical charge of an electron. These constants are all consistent in all matter and throughout the entire universe. Using super computers, scientists have found that changing just one of the 26 constants – even a little bit – would mean our universe would not exist and certainly, humans would not exist.

The 26 constants just exactly as they are have made all that we know possible. So, this has created a quandary for some scientists. How and why did the constants occur so perfectly so as to make our universe what it is? The odds are next to impossible. (And I mean really impossible.) To avoid the potential for some kind of mystical explanation behind the creation, some quantum scientists have suggested there are many universes and, therefore, many creations and destructions of universes. If many universes come and go, over countless eons, the scientists who hold this view believe it is probable that in one of these universes, (ours), the 26 constants perfectly emerged. And so, there is no need for some kind of mysticism to reach for another explanation – at least according to scientists who hold this view.

OK – maybe this is the case? But – this is pure conjecture with absolutely zero scientific proof that this is true. In fact, it is no more true than the theory of “Intelligent Design” or the God cause which Jews, Christians, and Muslims contend is behind the creation. All are pure speculation and none of these theories is more factual or likely than the other. It just depends on what you believe – your faith so to speak. Remember, faith is something you believe in of which you have no proof. Scientists have a lot of faith sometimes, just like religious people. Believing in a “multi-verse” is based on pure faith and it is the only way to avoid a more mysterious and mystical explanation which some scientists just cannot accept.

As astronomer and mathematician Fred Hoyle said in the later part of the 20th century, “Once we see, however, that the probability of life originating at random is so utterly miniscule as to make it absurd, it becomes sensible to think that the favorable properties of physics on which life depends are in every respect deliberate…It is therefore almost inevitable that our own measure of intelligence must reflect higher intelligence….event to the limit of God…..such a theory is so obvious that one wonders why it is not widely accepted as being self-evident. The reasons are psychological rather than scientific.”

There is an ultimate reality – an ultimate truth about why the universe was created, how it was created and why and how intelligent life exists in this universe – here on earth and very likely throughout this vast universe. Scientists don’t deny this, it’s just that some scientists have a hard time considering causes and realities that lie beyond the mathematical tools at their disposal. This is what mystics do. Actually, in today’s world, science is a great tool for mystics because it is science that unwraps the magic, the mystery and magnificence of the universe and our own very complex existence. It is science that provides the “awe” that propels a mystical type person to reach for the unknown, to pursue ultimate reality, to try to understand ultimate questions about their own existence.

As the Nobel prize winner and father of quantum physics, Neils Bohr said: “We ought to remember that religion uses language in quite a different way from science….we conclude that if religion does indeed deal with objective truths, it ought to adopt the same criteria of truth as science. The fact that religions through the ages have spoken in images, parables and paradoxes means simply that there are no other ways of grasping the reality to which they refer. But that does not mean that it is not a genuine reality.

So, it seems to me that rather than criticize mysticism as so many have done in the last few hundred years, we ought to consider it. Actually, I truly believe that Unitarian Universalists are in a great position to do this – perhaps more so than any other religious group. This may surprise some but tell me of another religion that is more open, inclusive and one that enables its members to search and seek truths through all the religions, philosophies, and belief systems that humanity has created?

The steps a UU could or would follow to be a mystic are really just like the steps mystics take in any religion. Step one is to be curious about ultimate questions. Rather than just passing through the routines and actions of daily life – a mystic ponders ultimate questions and puts their life in the context of the whole.

The next step is making the effort to take time out from the demands of daily life to spend time in spaces and places that will enable one’s mind to move beyond the mundane realities of the world around them. This may include time walking in nature – along an ocean beach, through the depths of a forest, climbing a mountain of finding new places to explore. It may mean spending time in a temple, a church, a mosque, or a holy site. And in the spaces and places, it will usually include praying meditating, practicing mindfulness, and finding a special stillness with only the sounds of these spaces and places to focus on. And if you cannot do this, there is magnificent programs on TV and on YouTube that can enable you to do this.

Becoming a mystic includes daily practices of compassion toward others, finding the best in people, practicing patience and living a life where love is a paramount activity. And becoming a mystic certainly includes educating oneself on the mysteries of the world, studying science, studying the history of humanity, studying what other mystics have said and done throughout history. And it means deep self-reflection and continually seeking to find a unity with the divine which each person (and particularly UUs) can define in their own terms.

So, what are the benefits of becoming a mystic? Well – there are many. First and foremost is the ability to place oneself in the context of others and in the context of time and space and the universe as a whole. Mystics lose their sense of self-importance and in so doing, personal ego and desires become less demanding. It is much easier to find a sense of happiness and peace when a person feels a connection to that which is the universe, that which is the ultimate reality as the Hindus would say. And mystics can find a deep love for life and a profound respect for the sacredness of human existence. All of these actions enable mystics to find a special kind of happiness, a sense of wonder, a sense of connection, a sense of fulfillment that is difficult to find in other ways.

Mystics often move beyond the confines of a specific religion with its rules and regulations, dogmas, and practices. UUs can do this automatically because of the nature of what UUs hold to be important and true. Just look at our principles that we affirm and promote. And then look at the Living Tradition and Sources UUs draw from. They pretty much cover the gamut of human religious thoughts and philosophies.

Nihilist philosophy is the very opposite to that of a mystic. Nihilists believe the universe just randomly happened – that there is no meaning or purpose in the universe. That human life is equally meaningless. That it has no value. The best a person can do according to Nihilism is to just accept that there is nothing important in life, that it is all meaningless.

And so, mysticism and Nihilism are polar opposites and so too are the people that follow these very different beliefs. Their views will shape how they live their life, and how they relate to others. And certainly, their feelings, their personal happiness, and their abilities to make a difference in the world will certainly be influenced by these very different approaches to reality.

By definition, it seems pretty clear to me that a mystic can simply appreciate and love life more because they find meaning and purpose as they seek the true and ultimate nature of the universe. The pure scientist can speak a language that is exacting and can precisely explain visible and measurable things that make up the universe. The mystic can find other truths, hidden from what we can see and hear and touch and taste. Together, science and religion can lead to the ultimate reality of all there is. This is a reality Unitarian Universalists can find and experience – if only we try.

As the Indian monk Sri Yukteswar said over a hundred years ago, “All creation is governed by law. The ones which manifest in the outer universe, discoverable by scientists, are called natural laws. But there are subtler laws ruling the realms of the consciousness which can be known only through the inner science (of religion) … The hidden (mystical and) spiritual planes also have their natural and lawful principles of operation.”

Reverend Christopher McMahon

UUMH

April 13, 2025