The spiritual world is full of mystics; they are ones who have reached such a depth of spirituality and awakening that they serve as inspiration and teachers to us all. Many, centuries later, inspire the seeker through words and imagery. Rumi, St. Hildegarde, Buddha, LaoTzu and many others have been recognized as individuals who have reached a state of union with the divine that so many seek. While some mystics are associated with religion, many are not but have left behind through teachings and poetry inspiring works for us all. Mystics have a different way of being, doing and looking at this world.
While many seek that state of union through meditation and prayer, there are characteristics of mystics that ordinary people possess. Mystics are not necessarily out of touch with reality, but have rather connected with what is truly real. They prefer to have their own experiences, to learn by doing and by evaluating those experiences themselves. Their truth comes from what they have lived, and they are deeply connected to their personal truth.
One of the common threads among mystics is the search for meaning, the big question of, “Why am I here?” There is a natural curiosity that comes with mysticism, of questioning why each of us exists, and the purpose and meaning behind life. And yet, mystics are also comfortable with the unknown. Not knowing the truth behind why each person is alive, mystics are drawn by the questions, by the seeking, by the inquiry to which there is no answer in this world.
Personal growth is a part of this exploration. A part of the seeking for the truth allows the mystic to connect with parts of the self that may often go untouched. There are not necessarily answers but there are many questions; the mystic goes deep to ask and explore life’s most intriguing questions. They live comfortably in the unexplainable.
There is also an inner knowing of the connection between the person and all of life in a way that is unexplainable. Mystics believe and live by that connection to each other person, to nature, to animals and to all living beings.
Mystical experiences are often unexplainable. The tap on the shoulder, the whispers from the trees, the coincidences and the unexplained, they all weave together the tapestry of the mystic’s story. Through meditation and deep listening, there are opportunities to touch that deep part of ourselves that is a mystery but yet is also our true nature. Mystics do not necessarily associate with a religion, but rather feel the truth is within and, through practices and ceremonies, they can continue down that path to inner wisdom. The path is within, not without; the knowledge is inside, not outside. There are many ways to find that truth. The joy is in the journey, the excitement is in the questions, and the unknowing is what drives mystics to continue searching and questioning.
These are characteristics within many people, many of whom would not consider themselves mystics but yet they appreciate and enjoy the uncertainty and the questioning. There are many ways to live the life of a mystic today. Through insightful inquiry, meditation and stillness, living life and exploring the interconnectedness of all things, each person can live the life of a mystic in every moment. Getting out of our own way, letting life flow and approaching each moment with curiosity, such is the way of the everyday mystic in each person.
The searching can take a lifetime, or it can happen in a moment when a person realizes that there is more to life than what is experienced on the human level. It can happen through a mystical experience. It can come to someone through dreams, or perhaps through feelings that are just too subtle to explain. A day when the trees seem a little greener, the air a little fresher, the birds a bit louder and our senses just a bit more sensitive may bring a new level of wonder to an ordinary day.
Wonder may be where it all begins and where the mystic that lives within begins to wake. With curiosity and willingness to question, the mystic within not only wakes, but come alive and is birthed into the world.