Monistic Mysticism

mysThe term mysticism, comes from the Greek word meaning “to conceal.” In the Hellenistic world, “mystical” referred to “secret” religious rituals. In early Christianity the term came to refer to “hidden” allegorical interpretations of Scriptures and to hidden presences, such as that of Jesus at the Eucharist. Only later did the term begin to denote “mystical theology,” that included direct experience of the divine. Typically, mystics, see their mystical experience as part of larger undertaking aimed at human transformation and not as the terminus of their efforts.
Mysticism refers to the initiation to spiritual truths and experiences, and is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity,
The objective of monistic mysticism is to seek unity and identity with a universal principle; while theistic mysticism seeks unity, but not identity with God. The ultimate expression of monistic mysticism is perhaps best displayed in the Upanishads of India, as in the concepts of “I am Brahman” (the all-pervading principle) and tat tram asi “that thou art,” meaning that the soul is the eternal and Absolute Being. Monistic mysticism is also found in Taoism, which seeks unity with Tao, the ineffable way. Theistic mysticism, unity with God, characterized Christianity, Judaism (in the Kabbalah), and Islam (the Sufi sect), and is also found in
Theistic mystics seek to unite with God rather than identify with God. “Union” with God signifies various experiences rather than a single experience. “Union” involves a falling away of the separation between a person and God, though short of identifying with God. Saint Theresa Avila admitted that she did not understand the process, and could not make distinctions, such as between soul, mind, and spirit. She believed that she had a Spiritual marriage with God. The marriage between God and an individual means the union between the soul and God. I, being of indigenous faith, have never experienced that aspect of mysticism; being completely absorbed in God that I cannot distinguish between myself and the Spirit. My own faith does not quite follow Christian traditions in the sense that I have never experienced God in any spiritual way whatsoever. I have, however, experienced a moment of insight where I believed that there was something more out in the universe. It was when I was at a ceremony for an accident I experienced (I fell off a tree when I was 14 and bit through my tongue). During the ceremony the ha na tath nee (the singer or the medicine man) asked me if I felt anything wrong within myself, I told him that my stomach hurt and it felt as though I was going to throw up. After the question was posed he got up and walked out of the Hogan and threw up, he came back in and asked if I felt better, I told him