THE MYSTICAL BLOSSOMING OF CONSCIOUSNESS

By

CHARLOTTE MELANSON

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, Ph.D.

specializing in

MYSTICAL RESEARCH

On behalf of

the Department of Graduate Studies of

the University of Sedona

This dissertation has been accepted by

Dissertation Advisor

IMM President

September 4, 2018

i

Acknowledgements

To our dearly departed Founder, Dr. Paul Leon Masters, thank you from my heart to

yours for imparting your invaluable teachings, mystical knowledge and wisdom. You are a pillar

of hope and love, and I feel your Presence to be very near to us, supporting us and cheering us

on. You have made a positive impact and difference in my life, and I will be forever grateful.

I also owe my gratitude to Rev. Lynda Exley for her dedication and outstanding work.

Rev. Lynda, you have helped me greatly by offering exceptional and clear guidance on the

preparation of this dissertation. You have also gone the extra mile and would always get back to

me very promptly when I needed your assistance. What would I have done without you! Thank

you so much for all your support.

And my heartfelt thanks to the Dissertation Committee whose encouragement and

feedback meant a lot to me. Your words were life-giving, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness

and warm generosity.

A very special thanks to my dear husband, Jean. You have been my guiding star and my

moral support all throughout this process. Your endless patience, time, listening ear, devotion,

and selfless love have made this achievement possible. My deepest appreciation.

ii

Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1

Review of Literature ..................................................................................................................................... 5

Etymology and History ............................................................................................................................. 5

Sowing the Seeds of Meditation ............................................................................................................... 7

Preparation ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Discursive Meditation ........................................................................................................................... 8

Affective Prayer .................................................................................................................................... 8

Prayer of Simplicity – Acquired Contemplation ................................................................................... 9

Weeding Out Unruly Desires, Fear, Grief and Ignorance ....................................................................... 10

Desires................................................................................................................................................. 11

Fear ..................................................................................................................................................... 14

The Interrelation between Desire, Fear, Grief, and Ignorance ............................................................ 15

Germinating in the Mystical Light: The Illuminative Levels of Consciousness ..................................... 21

What Is the Illuminative Phase of Consciousness ............................................................................... 21

How to Attune to the Mystical Light .................................................................................................. 27

The Prayer of Quiet – Arid Quietude .................................................................................................. 31

The Prayer of Quiet – Sweet Quietude ............................................................................................... 33

Simple Union ...................................................................................................................................... 35

Conforming Union .............................................................................................................................. 37

Harvesting the Blossoms of Pure Consciousness: The Enlightenment .................................................. 39

Weathering the Surge of Nature: How to Apply Practical Mysticism to our Everyday Issues .............. 46

Discussion ................................................................................................................................................... 51

The Blossoming of Consciousness.......................................................................................................... 51

The Meditative Levels of Consciousness ............................................................................................ 51

The Mystical Levels of Consciousness ............................................................................................... 57

The Unitive Level of Consciousness................................................................................................... 61

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 64

Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................ 65

Introduction

From the innate essence of our Being, we are naturally drawn to be in union with God.

But because of ego distortion, we have lost touch with Reality or Consciousness Itself. Finding

our way back to God and our True Nature is accomplished through the evolutionary process of

spiritual growth. In the process of growing and knowing God, He guides us intuitively by the

wayless path – that is, in a mystical manner which is beyond the ego's illusory perception.

Through this wayless path, or practical mysticism, we can make direct contact and

commune with God, discover our ultimate Reality through direct experience and intuition, and

expand our consciousness to attain enlightenment or transformational union with God. This

dissertation will demonstrate how cultivating meditation and mystical contemplation guides us

towards simplicity, peace, love, spiritual wellbeing, inner freedom, fulfillment, and

empowerment. This paper will also show us how the application of practical mysticism can

bless us with the gift of spiritual insight to conquer day-to-day challenges we may face, as well

as transcend unruly desires, fear, grief, and ignorance.

The first chapter of this dissertation introduces how mysticism began, as well as the

meaning of the word and its historical development. Then the chapters that follow show us the

evolutionary steps towards the mystical blossoming of consciousness. In the first stage of the

evolutionary garden of our soul, we will see how we need to sow seeds of meditation to expand

our awareness and prepare us for the higher planes of consciousness – mystical contemplation.

As our awareness expands, we will become conscious of invasive weeds that stunt the growth of

consciousness and sap our energy force. These harmful weeds are unruly desires, fear, grief, and

ignorance. When these weeds are pulled out, our consciousness begins to germinate, pierce

2

through the grounds of self-will, and thrive into the Mystical Light of God. We begin to see

above and beyond the limited mind, gazing and flourishing into the mysteries of Eternal Light.

This mystical stage of growth is called the illumination. In this illuminative stage, we will go

through the different levels of consciousness in their ascending order. Every level prepares us

and leads us to the last and final stage of consciousness, the Enlightenment or Transforming

Union with God. In this fully enlightened state, we will touch on how it yields a harvest of

plenty, nourishing our soul with all of God's divine attributes – peace, love, contentment, and so

forth. We are made One with God, and our consciousness, in full maturation, ever continues to

blossom in this divine union. Finally, in the last chapter of the Review of Literature, we will tie

everything together, by going step-by-step on how we can weather the surge of life's issues and

receive insight for every given moment. Afterwards, all the levels of consciousness will be

discussed, as well as how we can direct ourselves in some of these stages.

"Man has only to look within himself to find God," says the Persian mystic, Attar (Smith

6). In Attar's mystical teachings, we read that human beings have strayed from their true purpose

in life, and the way back home to God is long and arduous. It is only through the growth process

of interiorization that the veils will be removed between themselves and God to see the mystical

vision of Supreme Reality. Through the surrendering of self, they may transcend their lower

nature, and enter into the state of union with God.

But there is only one driving force that is strong enough to compel and motivate man to

pass through all the trials and suffering in life to reach his final desired goal. That driving force

is Love. This disinterested and pure Love is all-consuming. It sets the soul on fire, purifies it,

and transforms it into Everlasting Love. It melts away all self-seeking egoistic activities so that

the soul can at last be united with the Beloved.

3

Attar proceeds to explain that the Ineffable Essence of God is above human reason, and

cannot be known and comprehended in this inferior manner. However, God can be known

through the divine action of His Love within. This Love is His eternal gift to all humankind

where He communicates and reveals Himself. He is the hidden Truth, the mystical Reality and

Mystery, behind all created things (Smith 20-22). Love overturns all afflictions and is the

answer to all that is unresolvable. When reason fails, love enlightens. It is the triumphant force

behind all created things. Attar expresses that even if we were to have all the knowledge in the

world, without Love, we cannot even begin to decode the very first letter of the alphabet in the

mystical realm. Love is our guiding Light that motivates and inspires us to reach our ultimate

goal, union with God. Love tears down the veil of ignorance, for it sees God and knows Itself to

be one with Him. Thus, the soul that possesses this Love no longer sees an imagined version of

reality. It now sees and draws from the very Essence of God (Smith 25-26).

What is mysticism? Evelyn Underhill defines it as "the art of union with Reality." This

divine Reality is hidden from the understanding – that is, from the finite human consciousness –

as we can only comprehend It by uniting with It. We know this Reality through immediacy and

direct experience with things as they really are rather than by analytic thoughts and

representations.

The mystic sees actuality beyond the grasp of the senses, transcends the cognitive

processes while assimilating the pure mystical truth, and is made aware of God's greater purpose.

He is moved by the foreground of Pure Consciousness which enlightens him at every step. The

world of Reality is for everyone. All may unite to this Reality according to the degree of their

desires in God (5-8). This mystical union requires the progressive growth of the many hidden

layers of consciousness which transforms the analytic mind into self-simplification or seeing

4

with the simple vision of God. It is accomplished by mystical means or infused contemplation.

This passive contemplation can be summed up in the following two experiences: finding

permanency with the ever-changing circumstances of life, and union with the Absolute or God

which restore the distorted vision of Reality (15).

Our purpose in life is to spiritually grow and know God. In this dissertation, may we

come to know God intimately and intuitively by uniting with Him and harvesting all of His

Goodness and generous Love that awaits us.

5

Review of Literature

Etymology and History

Although it is not historically known when mysticism began, Swami Abhayananda

believes we can reasonably speculate that mystical experiences and unity with the Absolute

would have occurred in the beginning of primitive times when human beings came to existence.

In primitive cultures before the era of written language, we can find evidence of mysticism in

artifacts and symbols. And upon examining the mythologies of different cultures, we discover

remarkable similarities in the religious symbols which were used to express the origin of the

cosmos. We can observe that these symbols and artifacts represent a Father-God whose first

"Thought" was embodied in the form of a Mother-Goddess giving birth to all creation (6). The

Absolute, which is the One Mind or Father-God, was typified as Male, while His projected

image-power was symbolized as Female (8). However, when experiencing mystical unity, there

is no actual male or female. These were simply representations or symbols that were used to

grasp the two different spiritual aspects: Consciousness Itself and the Creative Force or Creatrix

where all creation flows. It is the duality-in-Unity which was depicted in primitive cultures, and

the earliest signs of mystical manifestations (14).

When and where were the earliest records found of the human race having mystical

experiences? We can trace many findings of primitive artifacts depicting mystical experiences

going all the way back to 20,000 years ago (11). The Nile, Mesopotamian, and Indus valleys

were all advanced civilizations in which we can surmise had already some established mystical

philosophies. But of these three, it is in India where we could find the first definitive physical

signs of mystical philosophies (14). The Vedas (Wisdom) – that is, the songs of devotion and

ceremonial liturgy – are India's earliest written evidence of mystical philosophies. It is thought

6

that the Vedas originated from the Aryans' legacy in 1500-2000 B.C. and were passed on to

India by oral communications. They were only written down centuries later (22). It is also

known that around 700 B.C., mystical experiences of unity with the Absolute were allegorically

written down in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (9).

So, we have established the history of the first substantial evidence of mystical

experiences. Now let us look at the etymology of the word "mysticism," and how it developed

from there. The book entitled Hours with the Mystics informs us that the Suda lexicon derives

the word mysticism "from the root mu, to close: the secret rites and lessons of the Greek

mysteries were things about which the mouth was to be closed." Deriving from Plato's

philosophical process of abstraction – that is, distinguishing between the world of forms or ideas

from the world of experience – the Greek lexicon further describes mysticism as "the practice of

closing as completely as possible every avenue of perception by the senses, for the purpose of

withdrawing the mind from everything external into itself, so as to fit it (raised above every

sensuous representation) for receiving divine illumination immediately from above."

The Neo-Platonist called this branch of mystical science the Greater Mysteries, because it

was known to be above the philosophical principles of reason and of the highest degree of

interior communication with God. Their mystical philosophy was to retreat within, and that the

inner sanctuary of the soul would reveal the most profound and divine secrets. According to the

Greek neo-platonist philosophers, Plotinus and Proclus, the most sublime revelations of divine

things were disclosed in this interior silence from all external perceptions. Thus, the initiation of

the word mysticism was not merely that of closing one's mouth in secrecy, but that of closing the

eyes, the ears, and every other faculties of perception as well, to behold within the eternal

mysteries of God (Vaughan 17-19).

7

From this philosophy came the mystical writings of Pseudo-Dionysius which have

influenced both, the Eastern and the Western cultures. In his renowned work Mystical Theology,

the philosopher expounded on the metaphysical definition of mysticism. Seeing that mysticism

encompasses an infinite mystery, Dionysius would symbolize it as a divine gloom, as it is super-

luminous and transcends the mind's finite vision. It is unknowable and impalpable to the human

senses. Within this celestial gloom lies the absolute and unchanging mysteries of God. This

unprecedented and blinding luminous Light over-flowingly fills the senses with Its eternal beauty

and wisdom (Areopagite 130).

Sowing the Seeds of Meditation

We have explored the lay of the land of the origin and meaning of mysticism. And the

way we prepare its ever-fertile ground is by sowing the seeds of meditation. Although

meditation is not a pure mystical activity – because it is of our active doing through our own

mental processes – it is nevertheless the first required step in the blossoming of human

consciousness that leads us to mystical contemplation, which is God's doing within us. In this

evolutionary process of consciousness, Evelyn Underhill describes meditation as being the "half-

way house between thinking and contemplating" (22).

So, we will go through a general overview of the progressive grades of meditation that

shepherd us into the higher lands of mystical contemplation. The following list of the

progressive levels of meditation serves as a general guideline only. It is not set in stone, as one's

experience in life and ways of attaining mystical union with God vary. However, we may

observe from all walks of life that there seems to be a common order in the evolution of

consciousness.

8

Preparation

In initiating meditation, we may first bring to awareness what we are doing in the 'here

and now', and direct our will and devotion to God, says Jordan Aumann (222).

Discursive Meditation

We can then meditate by applying our reason to some supernatural truth to assimilate its

meaning, embrace it, and then put it into practice with the help of grace. The goal of this type of

meditation is to arrive at the firm conviction of divine truths and to stir love within. When the

will becomes inflamed with love, the soul establishes intimate contact with God (Aumann 223-

224). Applying spiritual affirmations in our routine prayer falls into this category, as we first

engage our understanding which allows the positive effects of divine truths to permeate our

heart.

Affective Prayer

This is a simplified meditation that involves the will – that is to say, affection and love

predominate. It is no longer the reason or intellect that is active, as the way it is with discursive

meditation. It is solely the movement of the will. The will, however, is a blind faculty;

therefore, it is dependent on reason for direction and enlightenment. This type of meditation

deepens the union of the soul with God by awakening the all-powerful source of Love within the

soul (Aumann 227-228).

9

Prayer of Simplicity – Acquired Contemplation

According to Jordan Aumann's theological and mystical research, the term "prayer of

simplicity" was first coined by Jacques Bossuet in the period of Enlightenment. Many mystics

call this simple prayer, "acquired contemplation" or "acquired recollection." While others call it

"the prayer of simple gaze," "the prayer of the presence of God," or "the prayer of the simple

vision of faith." This type of meditation is called prayer of simplicity, because it is extremely

simplified, and the mind or reason is put aside. This meditative prayer consists in

acknowledging and lovingly regarding God in a simple and intimate gaze upon His divine

attributes. The soul is still able to achieve this level of acquired meditation by his own efforts,

but it is the shifting point, the spiritual bridge of transition that guides us to mystical

contemplation. This prayer of simplicity does not require any particular methods. The soul is

simply drawn in a loving gaze at God's creative workings, interiorly and exteriorly, without the

interference of reason (229-230).

There are many examples of this kind of meditative prayer. Dr. Paul Leon Masters gives

us a great example of this simplistic prayer put into practice. To redirect our mind from outward

daily-life thinking into higher awareness, Dr. Masters instructs us that we may if we wish first

silently gaze at the burning flame of a candle. And then in acquired contemplation, with the eyes

closed, we can allow the peaceful effects of this flame to be imprinted or seared within the Eye

of the Spirit or Third Eye. This imprint will continue to still our mind and shift our focal point

inwardly to a higher state of consciousness (Ministers/Bachelor's Curriculum 1:4).

Evelyn Underhill defines this prayer as "an opening of the Eye of Eternity." In this initial

stage of contemplation, the soul does not yet possess mystical insight or vision, but simply

disengages her own patterned thoughts and beliefs by lovingly observing with the naked eye the

10

underlying divine reality of things (22). Once this ethereal peering or observation has been

established, the soul may see her own being in a whole new light of Truth, having now

connected her consciousness with the Ultimate Reality. The soul's gaze has shifted from the

world of appearance to the Universal World of Reality. In this fresh new perspective of things,

the soul may also bring to awareness and surrender willingly to the reactions that arise within

herself – whether it be joy, shame or love, for example. The more one practices this simplicity

of sight, the more one will discover within something beyond the ego's self-limitations and

conflicts of desires. One begins to know oneself in the Absolute. When the soul will have

learned to withdraw herself from the illusory life and will have acquired the knowingness of

Reality, the soul will then stand at the threshold of mystical contemplation (24). Later on, in this

dissertation, we will be able to see more clearly how this mystical contemplation is not of our

doing. It is of God's doing.

Weeding Out Unruly Desires, Fear, Grief and Ignorance

We have seen that we need to sow seeds of meditation in the interior garden of our heart,

so that in due course, we may come to observe by faith the unfolding of the pure forms of

mystical activities. But before we can proceed to explain the higher mystical levels of

consciousness, we need to first understand how the egoistic nature of unruly desires, fear, grief,

and ignorance chokes the mystical roots of our True Being, suppresses our peace and happiness,

and stunts our spiritual growth towards the higher states of illumination and enlightenment.

Thus, to transcend our lower nature, we first need to weed out these unruly desires, fear, grief,

and ignorance with the sharpened tool of awareness. Let us therefore explore their consequential

effects so that we may then proceed to the mystical higher levels of consciousness:

11

Desires

Dr. David Hawkins, a spiritual teacher, psychiatrist, and researcher, states that desires

motivate a good part of our life and move us to reach goals or obtain rewards. Desires may also

create addictions or attachments that make us crave the object of desire more than life itself. The

goal of desire is to acquire and accumulate. But oftentimes, the wanting seems insatiable. When

a desire is satisfied, we often look for more in an endless pursuit, being unsatisfied with what we

have. At opposite ends of the spectrum, healthy and constructive desires and goals can help us

succeed in life and bring us to higher levels of awareness. They can give us a sense of

completion and fulfillment from the good choices and decisions we make based on our reason

and act of will. Desires can also inspire us, spiritually align us with the Divine will of God, and

allow us to let go of any resistances we may have.

Unruly desires, however, lead us to persistent cravings experienced as "needs." These

pseudo needs create anxiety by making us dependent on exterior sources for satisfaction and

happiness. They engender the fear of loss, triggering the ego's survival mechanism of "have to

have," as if life were dependent on these exterior acquisitions. They create the illusion of being

incomplete and lead to chronic wantingness, frustration, fear, greed, and avarice.

The ego, in and of itself, cannot stop this vicious cycle of desire, fear, and slavery.

Desire and fear are only transcended by the interior awakening of spiritual energy. And our will

is the necessary tool to open the channel of intervention with God. Without our will or consent,

the ego always seeks to find many excuses for why it needs to have. The will, in this context,

does not mean willpower. Willpower is often not enough to successfully liberate us from the

chains of desire. Rather we need to take responsibility, humbly recognize and accept our

vulnerabilities, and surrender to the divine power of God. If we fail to take action, it is because

12

of the ego's aversion to let go of the resistance. The ego perceives surrendering as a threat,

except when the pain of the condition becomes too unbearable to carry any longer.

When Higher Consciousness is attained, all wants and needs disappear, as we no longer

depend on any external factors for satisfaction. In this evolved state of consciousness, we realize

the primordial Source of our own existence; thus, we experience joy, contentment, and inner

freedom.

The evolution of consciousness goes from "having," to "doing," to "being." Life's

experiences show us that happiness derived from the ego is transient and illusory. Surrendering

to desires and attachments requires willingness, interior reflection, and contemplation. The

reward in so doing yields many unexpected benefits by transforming us and changing how we

view life. (Transcending the Levels of Consciousness Ch. 6).

The German philosopher and mystic Meister Eckhart observed that some people blame

outer circumstances on why they cannot seem to attain peace with God. They neglect to see that

they are entirely responsible for their state of mind and that their unconscious choices in life are

based on personal gratification or self-will. When the spirit is restless, then the culprit is always

self-will.

There are plenty of obstacles and disturbances in life. Therefore, we must begin by

having the right attitude, by taking our own responsibility, and by learning acceptance. If we

seek comfort in exterior situations without first being resigned to the will of God, all will prove

vain. Interior peace will be lost (487-488).

Dr. Paul Leon Masters in his Kindle Book, Mystical Insights, Knowing the Unknown,

adds that when we employ our personal will as an end goal instead of God's divine will, it will

cause conflict and division. Through the veils of ignorance, we fail to see the mystical reality

13

that there is but one divine Source of Truth, which is the will of God – the egoistic self and will

are illusory. Thus, if we depend on self-will to find the source of lasting happiness and

fulfillment, we will roam aimlessly, seeking contentment in our imagination instead of reality

(Self-Will versus Destiny). When the egoistic illusion dissolves, when there is no more grief and

the needs are satisfied, only the peaceful Presence of God remains (Living in and by Mystical

Grace). In addition, the mystic John of Ruysbroeck reveals that when our self-will is

relinquished, we are indifferent to our personal preferences. As our will is now one with the

Will of God, our soul desires nothing else except God's desires. The soul is then renewed and

possesses true desire (27-28).

As Sri Paramahansa Yogananda expresses it, God is our true purpose in life. The world

is transitory, it is not our permanent home. And unless we return to our true Source, we will

continue to struggle to meet our endless needs. We will not attain true happiness. When we

possess God, we have instant fulfillment. All our desires must be fulfilled in a divine way rather

than in a worldly and transient way which only serve to compound our difficulties. If we were to

see our Higher Self, our true reflection in Pure Consciousness, all our desires would be satisfied.

In this elevated state of consciousness, even if we were to gain the whole world, we would

remain unmoved. Praise would not flatter us, nor would blame hurt us. Therefore, when we

pray or meditate, we should not beg to God to satisfy our transient desires. Doing so keeps us

trapped into finite consciousness and cause us harm and unhappiness (121-122). Mahatma

Gandhi likewise voices that when we focus our energy on our daily wants, we fall away from our

higher purpose and the simple life. Our source of happiness lies in being content with what we

have (Chandler 128). According to Master Hsing Yung, the deep reality is, even if we were to

put all our efforts in trying to attain what we desire, there is nothing to which we can cling to.

14

Because eventually, all will come to pass (qtd. in Bartok 2). Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj expresses

that "desirelessness [is] the highest bliss," and like Yung, he also states that the experiences that

we crave are fleeting. Moreover, he adds that we need therefore to aim higher, as God's energy

is timeless, and He desires nothing for His own sake. When we are like Him, and that we

remain in the peace and infinity of the "I am", all our desires are fulfilled. We need to go

beyond the mind – as unruly desires are of the mind – in or der to have the "direct experience of

being, knowing and loving" (11-12).

Fear

Fear, says David Hawkins, is the driving force in most people: the fear of dying, the fear

of being rejected, the fear of making enemies, and so forth. Living in irrational fear stunts our

spiritual growth process and distorts the perception of reality, which ultimately leads to a

decreased level of consciousness. To reduce the levels of fear, we must choose to be spiritually

aligned with faith. To process negative feelings, we must transcend fear by first allowing its

unpleasant emotional energy to arise within, without struggle or resistance. When we can fully

accept and surrender to God the reality or the possible outcome of what we fear, then fear can

begin to dissipate. We must also come to the realization that our imagination is not reality.

Lingering fear is caused by the ego's persistency to hold on, not wanting to relinquish its

power and control to the will of God. But one has the power to choose and to surrender to God's

will. To mindfully choose to be in alignment with Pure Consciousness and Truth empowers us,

and the personal self is replaced with the Eternal Self where doubt disappears. Enveloping

ourselves with the pure Light of Consciousness results in a surge of confidence, dignity, and

courage, and weeds out self-denigration (Transcending the Levels of Consciousness Ch. 5).

15

The Interrelation between Desire, Fear, Grief, and Ignorance

Desire, fear, grief, and ignorance are so closely inter-related, that if one of these

adventures to stir, the three others will likewise follow. For example, if the personal ego holds

on to a desire, it will also fear to lose the object of desire, grieve over the condition of loss, lose

its peace, and fall into ignorance. On the positive note, if one of these characteristics is restored

in God, the three others will also mend.

In the following examples, the mystics and teachers illustrate the interplay of two or more

of these characteristics, and mystically guide us towards the restorative path of God:

"The sutras say, to seek is to suffer" (Bodhidharma 5). In the same light of truth, Sri

Nisargadatta Maharaj agrees that "all suffering is born of desire." When Love possesses us – that

is, when we truly are in union with the Absolute – we are not enslaved by frustration or grief.

Desires that cause suffering are of the mind (24). Pain is temporal; we are eternal. What is of

the personal mind – that is, pseudo desires, thoughts or sensations – conflicts with Reality, Pure

Consciousness (39). Desire by itself is good when the personal mind does not try to possess it by

"longing" or "wanting." Desire is life itself that stirs within and motivates us (50). But when we

seek pleasure and try to avoid pain, this causes grief. Instead, we need to remain neutral when

these sensations arise – neither asking for them, nor refusing them. When we re-center on the "I

am," our timeless Nature, then peace and happiness which are already the essence of our divine

nature will return (56). Only contentment gives us true joy (57). Acceptance, courage, and non-

resistance to pain cultivate true peace and happiness (64).

Sri Ramana Maharshi perceives that if man were to depend on exterior causes to be

fulfilled, then his happiness would always fluctuate according to what he has. True happiness,

on the other hand, is inherent and does not rely on any external causes (1-2). When we are

16

succumbed by grief, we need to trust God. True surrender is to abide by the Divine Will and to

not make a grievance of what is unpleasant to our senses. Oftentimes, hardship or adversity can

bring us back to faith in God (49-50). The mystic Henry Suso, through the Mystical Voice of

God, Eternal Wisdom, also recognizes that man transcends his egoistic nature in the growing

process initiated by his suffering and grief over losses in life. When man begins to recognize

that his worldly attachments bring him grief and are therefore not of God, he is drawn back

gently to the familiarity and intimacy with God. Becoming aware of the negative consequences

of self-gratification lessens these desires. Through this mystical awareness, suffering becomes

the shortest and surest way back to God (93-94). God also tells Suso that we need to gaze

interiorly with our spiritual eyes and see who we truly are and belong to, that He is our friend

and truly looks out for our best interest. God or Eternal Wisdom then tells us that we are a

mirror of His Divinity, and that the genuine desires He gives us are a reflection of eternity, and

that no man-made transient desire could ever fulfill us or make us truly happy (70-71).

The spiritual teacher, Dr. David Hawkins explains the link between grief and desire in a

rational and spiritual manner. He says when a person receives what he or she desires – such as an

object, a person, or situation – there is an instant gratification that occurs within the ego

mechanism of having received the desired object or relationship as if it had special attributes.

But the value is only perceived by the illusory mind as a sense of ownership and is not intrinsic

to the actual desired object or relationship itself. Attachments and wants cause grief. The source

of true happiness cannot be found exteriorly, only within.

Like Maharshi and Suso, Hawkins also expresses that major losses often bring one to

look interiorly and turn to God for healing, growth, and truth so that one may transcend their

inherent egoistic limitations. Resistance causes suffering, and one can only find relief and

17

transcend emotional pain when there is surrendering in God and acceptance. Grief from the

sense of loss comes in waves, thus relief is found by not resisting and by surrendering in a

continuous manner. While one may perceive that one is grieving from the loss of the object,

situation or person, the reality is that one is really grieving and surrendering to the condition of

attachment and not from an exterior factor. Grief allows one to let go of all attachments, to

surrender the self-will, and to realize that the only source of happiness emanates from within.

God owns everything, while we exercise stewardship only. All objects, relationships, or

situations are transitional and temporary, serving for the spiritual evolution of humankind. Thus,

we need to cling to the principles and truths of Higher Consciousness rather than what is

transitory. We need to have courage, dignity, and compassion for self in the healing process.

Eventually we discover that loss is a "blessing in disguise," guiding us back to our divine

purpose in life (Transcending the Levels of Consciousness Ch. 4).

So, we have seen the interplay of desire, and grief. In his book, "Directions Spirituelles

de Saint Francois de Sale – Des Tentations", the mystic Francis of Sales also adds the workings

of fear in this interrelation. He elaborates further by saying that anxiety comes from an unruly

desire to be delivered from the suffering which we are feeling, or to obtain the good that we

want. Yet, he says, nothing worsens the pain more than anxiety and restlessness. This

counterproductive state of being can be compared to birds that remain entangled in a net, because

they find themselves too caught up in the struggle and haste of trying to free themselves. Their

restlessness and fear only achieve to get them more enmeshed in the net. The remedy for our

eagerness to resolve problems is to first put our mind at rest and tranquility, directing it to the

divine will of God. And then we can gently pursue the issue of desire without restlessness,

trouble, and anxiety (121-124).

18

Lastly, in the book, The Fellowship of the Saints, the mystic philosopher Gerald Heard

explains the cycle of greed, fear, and ignorance, and offers us practical steps on transcending this

negative cycle. When one of these three finds itself in disharmony, the other two will surely

follow. But which of these three came first – desire, fear or ignorance?

According to Heard, the forerunner of this trio is desire. The weeds of selfish willfulness from

greed or personal gain choke our inner consciousness and lead us to grievance and ignorance.

Self-will alienates us from our True Nature and Reality. Therefore, to be liberated and

mystically enlightened, we must begin by first targeting the source that has secretly cut us off

from our sacred life supply and blinded our spiritual vision: desires. Desires, in this context,

does not imply the healthy desires created by God, but the desires created by the illusory or

egoistic mind. When consciousness has become detached from the reality of Pure Consciousness

through the egoistic process, "when the self has become a mirror and not a window," we need not

despair. We can reclaim our mystical power by believing that it is worthwhile, by taking

responsibility for our actions and thoughts, by having the will to change, and by accepting self-

forgiveness.

Or else, if the personal ego in its unstable state of consciousness goes unchecked, the

cycle of greed, fear, and ignorance will continue to perpetuate, cutting us off from intuition and

union with Life. It is a psychic death. When self-gratification goes unchecked, fear of loss will

emerge. In Heard's own resonating words, "Fear is always fossilized greed." And then

ultimately, fear creates ignorance which hides the face of reality (Kepler 725-727). According to

Patanjali, the psychic man who's in ignorance holds on to that which is ephemeral and fleeting

which in turn causes grief. The spiritual man, on the other hand, lives as he was created to be, in

timelessness, purity, and joy. The man in ignorance becomes self-absorbed in exclusion to his

19

True Nature (32). Moreover, Sri Paramahansa Yogananda says although God is omnipresent, we

simply cannot feel His Presence within until we remove all the barriers of ignorance and unite

our consciousness with His (171).

Returning to the mystical teachings of Gerald Heard, he then instructs us that union with

God consists of three stages: The first stage, purging the desires or the self-will, is in our actual

doing. The second and third stages, resolving fear and then ignorance, are passive and are

effectuated by mystical or infused contemplation. This is because greed which is fueled by the

ego exists mainly in the conscious mind. But fear is in the subconscious state, and ignorance in

the unconscious.

In the first stage, the ego dislikes fighting greed, because desire is pleasing to the senses,

and the ego does not have anything yet to compensate for the loss. But one must look beyond

the illusion and treat desire "as a plus or minus in the score of creative living." In the second

stage called "illumination," fear begins to melt away, as one now knows in an experiential way

through Higher Consciousness and that there is a power greater than oneself. In the third stage,

ignorance is transcended through restorative insight (Kepler 727-728). As it is said by Buddha

Gautama, the grace of insight brings wisdom. And wisdom wipes away all ignorance (267).

Let us now look at Gerald Heard's practical solution to the egoistic influences of desire,

fear, and ignorance:

In the first stage – Desire is resolved by taking action or surrendering self-will:

• Love of fame is replaced by anonymity. "The mind is a lens, not a mirror."

• Love of gain is resolved by moderation or contentment. All we have is temporary

to get us to our permanent Eternal Home. The world is not our permanent home.

20

• Love of pleasure is resolved by self-control. The body is a divine instrument of

God, not an object.

In the second stage – Fear is vanquished by intuitive knowledge received by faith:

• Fear of blame or shame is resolved by the dissolution of ego-identity through

God's indwelling presence within us. "We do not reflect ourselves but see

beyond." We receive guidance.

• The fear of lack or loss is resolved by contentment with what is. "In living more

for God and less for self we find supply." We yield to the workings of

Providence.

• The fear of weakness and pain is resolved by forbearance. "We become aware

that once emptied we are filled."

In the third stage – Ignorance is wiped away through direct mystical experience and

understanding:

• The unawareness of who we truly are is fully revealed by the consciousness of the

All.

• The unawareness of our surroundings is resolved by the awareness that we exist

in timelessness.

• And the unawareness of what our body truly is, is resolved by the awareness of it

being the vessel and expression of the God-Self (Kepler 729).

21

Germinating in the Mystical Light: The Illuminative Levels of Consciousness

We have now reached the advanced levels of consciousness where we can begin to treat

the mystical or illuminative phase of contemplation. In order to germinate in the pure Mystical

Light, we have learned that it is first necessary to weed out desires, fear, grief, and ignorance.

Doing so allows the firmly planted stem of our True Nature to perforate through the dark soil of

self-will and thrive into the Divine Light of God.

In this chapter, we will first introduce what is meant by the illuminative phase of

consciousness, followed by how we can mystically attune ourselves to the divine revelations of

God. Thereafter, we will describe in an ascending order the various mystical levels of

consciousness which precede the final phase of consciousness – transforming union with God, or

enlightenment.

What Is the Illuminative Phase of Consciousness

So much so that the abundance of God's Love shines with such luminosity and intensity,

that it would be far easier to stare at the sun, says Hildegard of Bingen. This great Love

surpasses all human understanding and cannot be grasped with our senses. It is invisible to the

eye, and can only be made visible by faith (The Book of Divine Works I - 1). In Hildegard's

words, we can begin to grasp the height and depth of God's Mystical workings. When we

therefore speak of the illumination or the illuminative phase of consciousness, we can already

perceive that it is something so vast and luminous, that it goes beyond our limited understanding

and senses.

So, how can we begin to describe this illuminative phase of consciousness that surpasses

all understanding? Evelyn Underhill begins by informing us that this illuminative phase

22

produces a deep spiritual hunger and thirst to be united with God. In meditation or acquired

recollection, the self endeavors to learn his or her natural human inclinations. And by peeling

away the layers of personality – that is, by surrendering the selfhood – to merge into a larger

realm of consciousness, the self then begins to experience the World of Becoming from within.

The deeper we grow in awareness, the greater becomes the expansion of our

consciousness which ultimately opens our eyes to seeing a greater field that is still beyond our

reach. We no longer identify with our self-limiting views, as we begin to perceive a greater

truth, an instinctive knowledge through direct or immediate experience. We begin to perceive

things as they are in God, beyond all images or reason, in which the mystics call "Naked

Contemplation." (44-46).

Sri Paramahansa Yogananda likewise describes that upon entering the illuminative state,

we go beyond our perception of the manifested Light. We enter Pure Consciousness which is

beyond form and more real and delightful than any sensory perception (167). But when the mind

wanders even slightly or that there is mental restlessness, we cannot experience the illumination.

We must be in what he calls the superconscious state. We need to learn to ignore all distractions

that hinder us from finding God. God is not the one hiding from us. When we dwell in the

subconscious plane, we are hiding from Him (165-166).

When we have learned to ignore all distractions through meditation, we effortlessly begin

to enter the threshold of mystical contemplation, that is to say, the illuminative phase. So, what

is the difference between meditation and mystical contemplation? Peter of Alcantara makes a

comparison between the two. He explains that meditation yields positive results with labor.

Mystical contemplation, on the other hand, yields positive results without labor. In meditation,

we seek, but in contemplation we find. In meditation, we ingest the spiritual food, but in infused

23

contemplation, we savor the food. Meditation requires reflection while contemplation simply

draws one to lovingly gaze upon things, as the soul already possesses love and joy. And lastly,

the role of meditation is to journey and reach the goal. While in contemplation, we have arrived

and have attained our heart's true desire (117). That said, when we have reached this deepest

Center of our soul where the Presence of God indwells within, we should not turn to meditation,

but remain there in this mystical dwelling for the love of contemplation (120).

In The Open Court, A Monthly Magazine, The Greek mystic Plotinus, having himself

experienced illumination or what he calls "the ecstatic state," described it as a divine gift and an

elevated state of consciousness where we are in immediate contact with the Divine. It is a supra-

rational or intuitive state where we apprehend and possess divine truths through union with deity

itself or God. Our elevated mind is liberated from its finite consciousness, and our soul is

stripped to its simplest self. It is by infused contemplation rather than by the intellect that we

become one with God. In this illuminative phase, our elated soul is enrapt in God and we wholly

forget ourselves in the Presence of Divinity, which makes us no longer care for worldly desires

and attachments. Our former mental perceptions melt away. We no longer identify God through

a representation or mental concept, as our Being is wholly absorbed in God Himself (Stearns

359-361).

Following in the footsteps of Plotinus, Dionysius the Areopagite also teaches us that

when we enter this mystical state, we must put aside our own intellectual efforts and sensible

perceptions - including our personal notions of things that have form as well as things that are

formless – in order to attain union with God who in His Divine Essence is beyond form and

knowledge (Areopagite 130). God is beyond all, and to know the Infinite Source, the Divine

Unknown, is to know above mind (132). Thus, to see and know the super-essential properties of

24

God, which is above sight and knowledge, we must extract all that is not of God. Dionysius

compares this to a sculptor who, by making a life-like statue, must begin by extracting all other

parts that are not needed, in order to reveal the genuine beauty that is concealed underneath

(133). God is beyond our sensible and intellectual perceptions. He is beyond form, as well as

beyond imagination, opinions, reasons, and notions (136).

Meister Eckhart further elaborates that we effect with the powers of the will, intellect,

and memory to obtain what we seek. But our True Essence, on the other hand, does not rely on

these three powers, but on the Eternal Source which emanates from the foundation of our Being.

This foundation is called the silent middle or God Center, as it is the ground where God

communicates and unites with our soul (30-31). The mystical teacher, Raynor Johnson, likewise

reveals that within us all, there is a Sacred Center within our soul which immediately identifies

with our mystical Nature or with that which is spiritual and beyond the visible. It is like a sixth

sense (qtd. in Stahl 123). The mystic F.C. Happold describes this Center by expressing that we

have in our possession, an intuitive faculty or spiritual organ where we can sense or discern

spiritual Truth. And we need to rely on this organ of sixth sense, just as much as we rely on our

other senses (qtd. in Stahl 123).

Richard Maurice Bucke calls this illuminative consciousness, "Cosmic Consciousness."

Cosmic Consciousness transcends simple consciousness and self-consciousness. Simple

consciousness in which both man and the animal kingdom possess alike involves being

conscious of things such as their surroundings, their own body, or their limbs for example.

Above that, self-consciousness – possessed by man only, not animals – allows man to reason and

realize himself. But even greater than that, Cosmic Consciousness involves the very

Consciousness of the Cosmos or the Universe Itself in Its divine order upon which man becomes

25

illuminated or enlightened above his own knowledge or intellect. It is an elevated state that is

indescribable, where one is elevated beyond himself. One experiences elation and joy, and is

aware of having eternal life (1-2). In this illuminative stage, one knows through experience that

the Cosmos is not finite – it is a Living Presence, and that the universal laws of God work

together for the greater good of all humankind and His creation (8). Cosmic Consciousness –

that is, the illuminative consciousness – does not rely on reason as we have seen. It relies on

what Bucke calls the supraconceptual intellect which is intuition (13). According to Bucke, the

East calls this Cosmic Consciousness the Brahmic Splendor which can be described as, what

Dante once expressed in his poetic work, "capable of transhumanizing a man into a god" (14).

The effects of this divine illumination purify, exalt and strengthen the soul (56). And one

who passes through this illumination learns more in a matter of a few minutes than one who

would spend years studying. Through this experience, the soul grasps and learns in ways that

studies alone could never teach. One goes beyond the personal limitations of self-consciousness

to reach and assimilate the whole of the universal truth and mystery (61).

Sri Aurobindo, the Indian philosopher and mystic, teaches us that we evolve into the

illuminative plane of consciousness called, "the super-mind," when we have arrived at a point

where we have attained the highest mental evolution of consciousness. The super-mind is the

infinite truth-consciousness, the direct divine manifestation of God within which transcends our

human nature. This evolutionary shift of consciousness is difficult, as we are accustomed to seek

for mystical or divine knowledge, which is above thoughts, in an idea or a mental description.

But by transcending the sublimated and conditioned mind, there arises this shift from mental

consciousness to Higher Consciousness which deviates from our usual way of perceiving and

knowing. Our ignorant nature becomes transformed into the supra-mental nature. In this

26

reversal of consciousness, the usual way we perceive and think is no longer adequate, and it is

difficult for the mental nature to explain and understand the supra-mental or higher nature. This

is because the mental nature relies on the limitations of the finite consciousness, while the supra-

mental nature, on the other hand, envelopes the Consciousness and Power of the Infinite. In this

supra-mental state, i.e. in Higher Consciousness, we perceive all things in this Light of Oneness

and Unity. The will and mind are perfectly synchronized with the Will and Mind of the Oneness

of the Universe. The supra-mental has no limitations and divisions; it is rather spontaneous and

innately draws towards unity. It penetrates into the truth of all things and is stirred by this reality

rather than by the conditioned intellect. This complete shift of consciousness, from the mind to

the supra-mind, does not happen instantly. It is a progressive evolution, an unfolding process

from the mental knowledge to the supra-mental inherent knowledge. In this supra-mental state

of consciousness, we do not lose our humanity or will, as we remain fully human and fully alive

with freedom of choices. But our illuminated will, which is still free and spontaneous, now

works in perfect harmony with Higher Consciousness.

In this higher workings of the supra-mental, the unconscious and subliminal veils of the

mind are lifted, revealing what was once concealed and obscured. What is left of the nature of

ignorance is removed, replacing it with the true revelation of reality and the inflow of divine

mysteries (1000-1003).

Sri Aurobindo also goes on to share that when man is in the state of ignorance, he may

believe that a life lived in Higher Consciousness is bland, empty, and void of variety. He may

visualize that heaven is an eternal sameness and monotonous. But this is a fallacy. For entering

into the realm of Pure Consciousness is also entering into the Infinite. It is a delightful place of

self-creation where the expression of the Infinite comes alive infinitely into forms of being. And

27

the imperishable and abundant pleasure of the Infinite is incomparably greater than the pleasure

of the finite. The infinite Knowledge of God within ever increases and is manifested in countless

and glorious ways. And man in this higher state is constantly being renewed while he draws

from this inexhaustible source of the Infinite. His life, which unravels like a constant miracle, is

fuller, more fruitful, and happier. He arrives to the complete truth of his Being, into the

Absolute. No longer does he experience an unfulfilled life of ignorance in constant search and

failures. He has evolved into the supra-mental which is in its very essence self-finding, and self-

unfolding (1106-1107).

How to Attune to the Mystical Light

When we reach the illuminative state, how can we attune ourselves to the Light or the

divine revelations of God? The mystic John of Ruysbroeck lists three ways to God-Seeing:

1. It is to know that the ground of our Being is eternal; thus, we need to possess it in this

manner.

2. Our meditative practice must be wayless, meaning it must extend beyond the faculty of

reason and yield to the divine indrawing of God's fathomless Love.

3. Our being should be an eternal fruition, emanating from God's Goodness and Riches.

John of Ruysbroeck also points out that the contemplative or mystical life cannot be

taught. "But [he says] where the Eternal Truth reveals Itself within the spirit, all that is

needful is taught and learned" (184-187).

Likewise, the anonymous author of the book, The Cloud of Unknowing, also teaches us

that our practice must be wayless. He metaphorically calls this wayless path, "the cloud of

forgetting," and the mystical activities or communication with God as the "cloud of unknowing."

28

The anonymous mystic, who is believed to be a Carthusian monk, specifies that this mystical

cloud is the absence of knowing through the mechanism of the human mind. What this secret

cloud reveals cannot be seen with the mind's eye, as it is the supernatural communication

between us and God.

The author then goes on to say that if we should ever arrive at this cloud – meaning that if

we should ever reach this mystical or illuminative stage of consciousness – we will likewise need

to place a "cloud of forgetting" between us and everything in the world as we have come to know

it through our natural senses. Although reflecting on God's attributes and His creation are

sometimes beneficial, they do not serve us here in pure contemplation, because as we have seen,

God is beyond our knowledge or conceptual notions. By the stirring of love within through

mystical contemplation, we are able to reach Him, but not by thought. Should our mind enquire

– "what are you seeking, and what would you have?" – we can remind it that it is God that we so

desire and seek (Anonymous 26-28).

In the book The Fellowship of the Saints compiled by Thomas Kepler, The mystic Jacob

Bohme also gives us practical guidance on how we can attune to the mystical life of Pure

Consciousness. In an intimate conversation with His Master, Bohme asked Him for guidance on

how to arrive at the "supersensual life," that is, the life of Pure Consciousness which transcends

the human senses. Bohme recognized our own personal limitations or barriers that obstruct us

from receiving enlightenment. His Master communicated to him that our barrier is self-will

which can only be conformed to the divine will by grace of self-denial. This could not be

achieved by human efforts, but through the illuminative growth process and graces received into

the soul, which in due time will break down all resistance of the personal will.

29

The Master then says to Bohme that we must not resist the grace of God's doing within

by allowing His unfathomable and Divine Light to shine through our Being. We cannot

comprehend higher than our own light of nature. Therefore, we must first attend to this mystical

and superior light within our God Center to receive guidance, and then allow the human senses

or inferior light of nature to be subservient to it. By allowing God to leave His supersensual and

divine impression within our soul, the rational part of our human nature will then be in

conformity to His will and divine order. We must see with what is called "the simplicity of

divine vision" or "single eye;" that is to say, with God's single vision.

When desires, reason or imagination are activated within, the Master says mind them not

nor engage in them, but simply remain recollected in God's divine presence. In resignation,

bring everything before the eyes of God. All that is required is to stand still and to witness the

deliverance of God. Higher Consciousness will make you see that there is nothing to desire,

attract, or imagine in this life, and that you can cast all your cares upon God who will restore

your will. All is in the surrendering.

Whoever achieves this state of consciousness finds all that he can desire and true repose.

The will, once bare, becomes filled with the love of God who is now working through it. It is no

longer the personal will, but the will of God that moves the soul.

When Bohme asked God why so few souls find this, God answered that it is because they

seek in something tangible or through the natural senses. Yet, they will never find it there

because these things are temporal. They do not seek in the naked ground. Rather they seek to

find it with their own will, self-desire, intellect, and imagination. In doing so, they leave the true

divine substance to chase after a shadow. Living the supersensual life enkindles the fire of God's

30

love within which transforms all that it touches and devours all egoistic activity (Kepler 307-

315).

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj similarly lets us know in a simplistic way what devours our

egoistic activity. He says when vices and weaknesses are brought to consciousness, and that we

understand their causes by this illuminative divine action, we transcend them. "The unconscious

dissolves when brought into the conscious" (4). To remain in a conscious state, Maharaj also

points out that we need to just focus on "I am" (13). What is meant by "I am?" The mystic

Julian of Norwich describes it well by saying that God is closer to us than we are to ourselves.

We can only come to fully know God when we know ourselves in Him. This is because our

True Nature is deeply rooted in God's Divine Nature. It is in this Oneness with God that we

know ourselves and likewise know God. In Him we have our Being. Therefore, to know

ourselves, we must take on our True Nature whereby our reason and senses are grounded in His

Substantial Naturehood (136-137).

Now that we have gone through how we can attune ourselves to the mystical Light, let us

now look at the various evolutionary stages of consciousness which will ultimately lead one to

complete union with God. These detailed stages serve to indicate where one is in their mystical

growth, although the order of these stages are not necessarily linear. One may experience an

advanced level of consciousness in one given moment, and in the next, return to experience a

beginning or intermediate level of consciousness. The following evolutionary levels of

illumination are: (1) The Prayer of Quiet – Arid Quietude and Sweet Quietude; (2) Simple

Union; (3) Conforming Union:

31

The Prayer of Quiet – Arid Quietude

When Christian mystics speak of the "prayer" of quiet, they are not referring to a type of

prayer that requires mental recollection or effort on our part. Rather, it is purely mystical, and a

state of being. In other words, we become the prayer. The prayer of quiet ushers the beginning

of mystical activity within our soul. It is the first evolutionary step of God's doing within us,

although not yet in a complete manner. So, it is partly active and partly passive.

Adolphe Tanquerey – acquiring most of his research from the works of the Christian

Mystic, John of the Cross – gives us an explanation of this first entry level of mystic activity

called "arid quietude," or "purgation of the senses". In this initial stage of mystical

contemplation, the Divine Light of God is beginning to be infused within, but its enkindling of

Love is not yet felt. Because one's consciousness has now begun to evolve beyond one's own

personal egoistic limits, one is made aware through Higher Consciousness of the disordered state

of his or her lower nature. So only dryness and emptiness are felt at first because of the ego's

natural resistance to surrender to its Higher Nature, as well as one's greater awareness of being so

opposite to his or her True Nature. Through this passive trial initiated by the Higher Power

within, one longs more and more as one progresses to be transformed into one's True Nature.

During this state of being, one can no longer meditate in a discursive way, because one has risen

above reason, as now God – beyond the grasp of human senses - begins to communicate Himself

within the soul. There is no longer the need of reflective meditation because one has reached

the purpose of meditation. At first, one is not accustomed to this type of mystical contemplation,

having always previously relied on the human senses. The faculty of reason continues to seek or

grasp onto something that it cannot, being purely mystical, and the senses no longer feel

sweetness in the things of God, thus leaving the false impression that one is not advancing or

32

serving God. In this mystical contemplation, the temporal desires and attachments to exterior

things of the world are passively being transformed through Pure Consciousness (667-670).

In this mystical transition, the course to follow is: holy abandonment, perseverance,

patience, and confidence in God (673-674).

Evelyn Underhill writes that some mystics call the emergence of this intuitive awareness,

"the Quiet, the Desert of God, [or] the Divine Dark." This state of mystical quietude, she says,

brings peace and joy to some and fear to others (50).

Evelyn Underhill describes that in the Prayer of Quiet, we are no longer able to rely on

our senses to unite ourselves with God. Because we are drawn inwards, towards the Center of

our soul in an obscure place rather than through images and notions. We find ourselves in a

place stripped away from discursive thinking, and reach a state of simplicity and silence which

mystics call the "Nakedness of Spirit" or "Wayless Love." Yet in this obscure state or "cloud of

unknowing," a hidden knowledge is revealed to the soul, and the meaning of the words from the

Psalmist, "Be still, and know," becomes clear. Although this state of obscurity or wilderness

appears to be bare, there is a deep sense of familiarity, a strange sense of feeling homely in the

heavenly realm. When we dwell in this divine place, we become illuminated and our

questionings are answered without saying a word. This divine place is the "All" in which we are

"within it and take part of it." It enkindles our heart with the fire of Love, and Love is given for

love. We ascend into what the mystics call, "the Freedom of the Will of God" (48-49).

33

The Prayer of Quiet – Sweet Quietude

We may begin to explain this mystical level of consciousness by the Sage Lao-Tzu's

poetry: "The secret waits for the insight of eyes unclouded by longing…" (757). That is, when

we are liberated from our attachments and desires, the secret or mystical communication with

God begins to unfold within. Bodhidharma says, "to seek nothing is bliss" (7). When we are in

this mystical state of consciousness, the seeking is over, and we begin to taste the quietude and

sweetness of God's Love within.

This contemplative prayer of quiet is alternatively called the Prayer of Divine Delights

(Tanquerey 675), the Prayer of Divine Tastes or the Prayer of Silence (Garrigou-Lagrange 402).

In her autobiography entitled, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, The Christian Mystic, Teresa

of Avila, gives an in-depth description of this state of sweet quietude. In this level of mystical

consciousness, Teresa reveals that it is the will which is mostly affected, as it is totally absorbed

and captivated by the loving presence and divine action of God. In this mystical or supernatural

doing, the soul now experiences in its inmost depth of its being ineffable sweetness, joy, peace,

and tranquility, as God makes Himself known experientially to be close within.

The other two faculties – the understanding and the memory – are in a state of

recollection too, but they are not yet captive by the divine action and love of God. They are not

immersed in the mystical "cloud of unknowing" such as the will. Sometimes, these two other

mental faculties are auxiliaries of the will and are engaged in its service. But occasionally, they

hinder and distract the will exceedingly (Avila 86-87).

In her other book, The Way of Perfection, Teresa of Avila explains that the wandering of

the mind may be burdensome, because the faculties of the understanding and memory have yet to

catch up with, or be in harmony with, the will. When this occurs, the soul should remain in its

34

fruition and quietude rather than try with its own effort to draw together the mind's activities to

the will. It should take no notice of the wandering thoughts. Otherwise, the soul will become

restless and will lose the interior peace that God has freely given it (97). This mystical state of

quiet is also not something that one can acquire with one's own effort. It is God's doing (96).

When the soul is drawn in quietude, it experiences deep satisfaction, and all its thirst and

desires are quenched. Nothing distresses the soul, and it has no inclination to see or hear

anything else but what is of God's (95). The happiness received in this state is incomparable to

any exterior or worldly source of happiness. All the joys of the world do not measure up to the

deep satisfaction and peace that the soul now enjoys (98).

In its higher degree of contemplation, the prayer of quiet may be accompanied by what is

called the "sleep of the faculties." In her autobiography, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, Teresa

reveals that this elevated state of consciousness brings even greater fruition, sweetness and

delight than the previous one. The soul is inebriated with divine love, gains wisdom, and seems

to experience a complete death to everything in the world. The faculties are almost in complete

union. By pure mystical means, the will and intellect (that is, the will, understanding, and

reason) are fully engaged and are moved by God's divine doing within them. They remain still,

and on their own accord, are unable to move forward or turn back (Avila 95-96). The soul no

longer belongs to itself, but to God. It can therefore surrender itself in His loving arms and cease

to worry (Avila 98). The memory and imagination still remain free to roam in this state and can

be burdensome. Here too, the only remedy is to pay no attention to them, for only God can set

them free (Avila 100).

In his writing called The Embrace – compiled by Thomas S. Kepler in the Fellowship of

the Saints – the mystic Hugh of St. Victor has also experienced this higher state of consciousness

35

called, the "sleep of the faculty." The memories of his former trials were put to sleep as he

rejoiced in this mystical peace and contentment. He no longer had the need to seek, as he found

the goal of all his desires. With his former desires now totally satisfied, and his heart in a state of

bliss, he felt carried away into a new indefinable place. He described this sweet quietude as

embraces of Love. Yet he could not grasp or understand this ineffable Source with his own

human comprehension, this Source being secret and purely mystic in its infinite nature. He was,

however, aware that this heavenly embrace came from His Beloved, and that His Eternal

Presence was invisible and hidden to the limited human eye. It was the intimate touch and divine

presence of God. In times where the mystic would feel the absence of God, the mystical

impressions left by this touch would serve to console him, renew him and give him courage.

This state gave him reassurance that complete union with God was near (Kepler 118).

In a state of sweet quietude, the mystic Italian poet Dante wrote, "…my desire and my

will were revolved, like a wheel which is moved evenly, by the Love which moves the sun and

the other stars" (Alighieri 259).

Simple Union

Christian mystics call the next degree of mystical growth "Simple Union", or the "Prayer

of Union". It is not the highest grade of union with God, as there are two more advanced levels

that follow. These two other levels – Conforming Union and Transforming Union – are almost

identical to this one, but the force of the effects varies considerably. In her book, The Interior

Castle – Study Edition, Teresa of Avila guides us along this spiritual path. In this union, she

writes, all the faculties – the will, the intellect, the memory, and the imagination – are all

suspended in Pure Consciousness. All our faculties are stilled. They are put to sleep, in a

36

manner of speaking, as God has now entered the very Center of our soul. God does so to leave

His infinite impression upon the soul and impart His true wisdom. In this state, the soul has and

cannot doubt God's union within, because the soul is actively in it. If one is uncertain of being in

God's union within, then one truly is not in union. This mystical union or divine touch is brief –

it last no longer than 30 minutes before one of the faculties return to its natural activities.

Teresa compares this state with that of the silkworm's maturation. At first, the

silkworms feed themselves with mulberry leaves. When they are fully grown, they place

themselves on the twigs, and industriously cocoon themselves with their fine silk. Then they die

and transform into gracious white butterflies. In the same manner, we first begin to live and

sustain with the spiritual food given us until we are grown. Then we begin to build our interior

dwelling in Christ Consciousness where gradually our old self – with our self-will, self-love, and

attachments – dies, and we are made anew, free to fly (161-176).

In her autobiography, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, Teresa also comments that there is

absence of weariness, as it feels like one is not laboring at all in this unitive state of

consciousness. The soul just feels the bliss and consolation given by God (Avila 102). The soul

that possesses this deep peace cannot grasp anything with its own senses, as these are now

transcended into Pure Consciousness. The senses are totally absorbed in God's divine doing

within. The soul cannot grasp what it understands, being purely mystical in nature. As Teresa

puts it, "it is an understanding which understands not" (Avila 104-105). The positive effects and

heavenly blessings achieved in this state are long lasting (Avila 107).

37

Conforming Union

In the previous mystical state of Simple Union, we have seen that all the interior faculties

were wholly recollected in God. But in this next level of infused contemplation called

"Conforming Union," the external senses are likewise partially or fully absorbed in God. Jordan

Aumann explains that the soul that is totally absorbed in God also experiences a kind of mystical

ecstasy. As well, not only does the soul communicates with God in its deepest Center, the soul

also appears to explore the very Essence of God and receives divine revelations. It is as if the

soul was encountering another world, an ethereal realm, being totally illuminated by this divine

Light. Because the soul has ecstatic encounters with God in this state of consciousness, some

Christian mystics alternatively call this prayer the Spiritual Betrothal or Ecstatic Union. When

the soul learns to adjust to this divine illumination and is totally transformed into God's Divine

Essence, there are no longer any ecstasies (242-243).

In the book, Les trois ages de la vie intérieure, this betrothal or unitive state of

consciousness is known by Christian mystics as the spiritual gift of Divine Science where God

teaches the soul. This science is the mystical theology or hidden science of God. In this

illuminative plane, God transforms the soul and delivers it from everything that was not of Him

(Garrigou-Lagrange 719-720).

Evelyn Underhill writes that in this elevated state of consciousness, the soul possesses

certainty and a strong conviction that it is close to God. This absolute certainty brings about the

highest joys to the mystics who experience it. Some souls who have received the grace to endure

the onslaught of Reality becomes so absorbed in the Divine Essence of God that all that

comprises of their lower nature appears to succumb to it. With the magnetic pull of this

transcendent life-force, the soul enters into an ecstatic state of consciousness (53-54).

38

In his work entitled the Treatise on the Love of God, The mystic Francis of Sales further

describes this ecstatic state of consciousness. In an ecstasy, he says, we are raised up above and

beyond ourselves or in our human nature to be united to God. Ecstasies may occur in the

following three ways: 1. through the absorption of divine understanding; 2. through the

affection; or 3. through God's action within:

1. Through the absorption of God's divine understanding within, the soul is stirred up in

deep admiration of receiving new transcendent truths, unknown to it before, accompanied

by their infinite beauty and goodness. When the soul is raised up and illuminated to this

high degree of mystical contemplation, the soul may fall into ecstasy. This is because the

soul comprehends above its own human comprehension, and is discovering a more

sublime beauty then it could ever have imagined.

2. Through the will or affection, God draws the soul unto Himself by His ineffable beauty

and goodness. We recall God's goodness in all of His desired and agreeable creation or

doing, and thus we are innately drawn to Him. In this manner, He moves our will and

pours His love into it. God's love is like a magnet in which our will gets more and more

pulled towards it. The will, being enraptured or ravished in this heavenly Love, forgets

its own insensible condition and thus forsakes all its earthly inclinations. In this kind of

ecstasy through the absorption of the will, the affections are united to God's supreme and

sovereign goodness which induce our hearts to love.

3. It is not within the bounds of our own human strength, but through God's divine action

and operation within, that we are able to live out of and above ourselves. God raises us

above our own strength, natural instincts and inclinations. True inspirations from God

surpass human reason, although not opposite to it, so that we may live a supernatural and

39

devout life, as well as transcend our natural condition. We relinquish our old way of

living to embrace the eminent way of living.

Not all self-actualized or fully enlightened mystics have had ecstasies in contemplation,

but all have overcome their natural or egoistic inclinations (294-302).

Harvesting the Blossoms of Pure Consciousness: The Enlightenment

We have now reached the full mystical blossoming of consciousness: complete union

with God and enlightenment. Our consciousness in this final stage is ever blossoming in the

Divine Light of God and producing new harvests. And with every harvest, which is the full

eternal blossoms of our True Nature in God, we also reap the positive effects of simplicity,

peace, love, spiritual wellbeing, inner freedom, fulfillment, and empowerment. We have become

deeply rooted and established in the ever-fertile soil of God, which no longer leaves any space

for the weeds of unruly desires, fear, grief, and ignorance.

In this enlightened state, we are completely transformed. This is why many mystics call

this final stage of consciousness "Transforming Union," or "Enlightenment."

Dr. David Hawkins, in his book Power Vs Force, defines enlightenment as a state of Pure

Consciousness where one identifies with Consciousness Itself. One no longer identifies with the

self as being finite. Pure Consciousness is timeless, beyond form, and does not perceive

separation. When one is Consciousness Itself, one is beyond mind in a mystical state of

Knowingness. One feels complete as one is beyond the personalized self in the state of wanting

and needing (264). Enlightenment or Pure Consciousness Itself is characterized as "Is-ness,

Being-ness and I-am-ness" (272).

40

In his Kindle book, Transcending the Levels of Consciousness, Hawkins explains that the

rate of spiritual growth to enlightenment depends on the willingness to surrender all resistances.

This is because enlightenment is a divine revelation of our True Nature to be surrendered to

rather than something that needs to be obtained.

In this highest transforming state of consciousness, not only do we lose the illusory sense

of personal self and all forms of mentalization, but we also lose the duality of being the witness

or observer. This also dissolves into Pure Consciousness Itself. The surrendering in God is

complete (Ch. 18).

In her autobiography, the mystic Dina Bélanger shares her experience of being fully

enlightened in Christ Consciousness and in this perfect surrendering. Christ had multiplied His

penetrating light to teach her the perfect practice of absolute surrendering. Before the

enlightenment, she thought she understood this sublime abandonment. But she proceeds to say

that she had not penetrated the abyss of its delight. The relinquishment of the past, the present,

the future, the joys, the pains, the desires, the thoughts, the words, the actions – the

relinquishment of all to His will and mercy, that's what He desired of her. Complete surrender

which, as a result, made her no longer susceptible to any worries or anxieties. By putting

everything in His care, He, in turn, took charge of all: to think, to speak, to act, and not only

with her, but in her place. He became her substitute, and she let Him do so. She realized what a

great privilege it was to understand how to let Christ live in her. And by allowing Christ to

occupy Himself of everything for her, her life was far from being inactive, for her part of work

was Love (182).

Besides calling this unitive state, "Transforming Union" or "Enlightenment", some

mystics call this final stage of consciousness the "Spiritual Marriage", because there is perfect

41

communication and mutual exchange between God and the soul, as well as permanency of union

and love (Aumann 247). There are no more secrets between the lover (the soul) and the

Beloved (God), as the two lives are merged together (Tanquerey 691). The mystic, Richard Rolle

would say, "Love is a life, joining together the loving and the loved." The soul, ravished and

inflamed with Divine Love, experiences cheer delight and has the certitude of being possessed

by Love. The faculty of reason is enlightened by the Light of divine Truth, and the will and

desires– through the interior workings of the burning flames of Eternal Love – merges

completely to the Divine Will and Desires of God (55-56). What is this burning flame of Love?

Walter Hilton describes this burning love as not being the same as the enkindling that can be felt

from our lower senses through our own devotion. Rather, the burning Love in this unitive state

of consciousness is an infusion of the soul with Divine Love. Its divine workings are in the

higher senses and are therefore mystical in nature. This ineffable burning Love is also sweeter,

fully spiritual, and meritorious. The soul has attained perfection and has merged into the image

and likeness of God (10-11). The mystic Thomas A. Kempis exclaims that this burning Love

makes every trial effortless and bears all fault with serenity. It is not weighted down by

adversity and transforms bitterness into sweetness (68).

Joel Goldsmith explains that when our human nature is in Oneness or in mystical

marriage with the Divine, the personal self dissolves. Personal or egoistic love is transcended

into the Love of the Divine. This infinite and transcendent Love is beyond sensuality (252).

When we are experiencing this unitive state, we are more than just conscious of the Presence

Itself – we have transcended into this very Presence (253-254). We have so completely

transcended, that Dogen the Zen Master says once we are enlightened, there is no need to be

aware of it to actually be enlightened. For example, when we are enlightened and doing our

42

daily chores, there is no need to tell ourselves that we are enlightened. We just are

automatically: One with the Supreme Being. There is no split. We simply are, and all we do is

instantly in higher awareness or consciousness. Enlightenment is not something we think of;

enlightenment is something that permeates our very Being (3). As Joel Goldsmith explains it, in

this intimate communion with God, the personal self no longer lives, as it is the infinite "I" that

lives in God, all while maintaining individuality (254).

The mystic Richard Rolle calls this transforming union of God, "Singular Love." It is

called Singular, because there is no "two," just "One." In this Perfect Love, only the comfort and

peace of God suffice the soul. It relishes in no joy, except in that of God's which is everlasting.

The soul in this degree of Love feels an ineffable sweetness and an eternal flame of Love which

penetrates the deepest mystical Center of the heart. In this perfect Oneness, the soul is moved

by God, and God is moved by the soul united to Himself (48-52).

In his sermon on Union with God, the mystic John Tauler also teaches that in union with

God, man is no longer self-conscious or in multiplicity. He is no longer divided or in duality

with God. He loses his personal selfhood, being totally absorbed in the Love of God. His joys,

thoughts and outward life are not his own or for his personal gains. He even recognizes that the

love he has for God or creatures is not his own or of his own doing, but that of God's (242).

Union with God is not something we do, know or love through the personal self with

multiplicity. Rather, it is with what mystics call "simplicity" or "simple vision." When man is

One with God, all action or activity from the divided self ends (247). In this unitive state of

consciousness, Meister Eckhart would often say, "the eye with which I see God is the same as

that with which He sees me." (qtd. in Scott 60). In this same degree of merging with the

Absolute, Peter Sterry expresses that this mystical marriage with Christ is so entwined, that we

43

can only see Christ when we see ourselves in Him. Likewise, we can only see ourselves when

we see Christ in ourselves. Christ makes the mystic one with Himself (Scott 159). And with

what eye does these mystics see? The mystic and philosopher of the Advaita Vedanta School,

Shankara Bhashya, writes that the Mind – that is, the God Mind - is the Eye of our Divine

Nature. This Mystical Eye is where we grasp not through our usual human senses, but through

the Divine. It is free from defects, sees beyond the boundaries of time, and is able to absorb the

"All" (483).

The Islamic mystic Al-Hallaj similarly expresses that to see himself is to see God. And

to see God is to see both of them in one. They are two spirits consummated into One Body. He

has become Him who he loves, and He who loves has become him (Massignon 518). In this

spirit of unity, he praised and lovingly cried out to God, "I call You… no, it is You who calls me

to You. How could I have spoken to You if You have not spoken to me?" He spoke in the

immediacy of God's Presence within, recognizing that God was the essence of his very essence

of existence. He knew in a direct and mystical manner that it was God who made him speak and

that He was the All of his all, his sight and his hearing. Suspended in God's Love and Mystery,

Al-Hallaj would exclaim to Him, "It is the all of your All that seduces me in Your divine mystery

with the desire to express You" (Massignon 519).

In Aumann's work, Spiritual Theology, the mystic John of the Cross elucidates that in

this complete transformation, God communicates his Divine Being to the soul to the extent that

"the soul appears to be God and to have all that God has." God and the soul are One. The soul

becomes like God as it is wholly immersed in God's Divine Nature; thus it is God by

participation. The soul is the transparent window in which the ray of Divine Light shines

through it (Aumann 247).

44

In her book, The Interior Castle, Teresa of Avila compares the mystical union with God

to that of heavenly rain falling into a river. The water from the two sources blend together into

one, thus not being able to distinguish which is which (153). They can no longer be separated.

The affairs of God become the soul's affairs, and the soul's affairs become God's. This mystical

union occurs in the deepest center of the soul. And because there are no longer any separation

and complete union with God, there is not even a need of a door to enter the premises of the

Divine. This door was the reliance on the assistance of the senses and the faculties. But now,

the contact is direct and immediate. The soul now sees and understands in a direct manner that

God has endowed it with Eternal Life. The inner revelations of God are so intense, palpable and

immediate, that the soul possesses a certitude of the things that He communicates to it, yet these

things cannot be described. And in His very Substance, He sustains the soul (151-153).

The soul in its deepest Center remains in complete peace, stability and rest (155). There

are no traces of interior aridity or trials (158). The soul remains undisturbed because the passions

are already vanquished and no longer exhaust themselves by re-opening these closed gates. The

surrendered soul experiences self-forgetfulness and no longer fears any trials in life or suffering.

It now recognizes that everything is a gain and gives it strength (165). As well, the soul in

complete union possesses an everlasting joy and also harbors no animosity against those who ill-

treat it. Instead, the soul is intuitively moved to compassion and seeks to relieve others of their

pain (156-157). This is made possible because the faculties and passions are now regulated and

moved by the divine stirrings of love within the deepest Center of the soul (158).

In this enlightened state of consciousness, there is also no more fear of death because the

soul has tasted Eternal Life (157).

45

"Union with Reality can only be union of love," says Evelyn Underhill. The soul finds

itself in perfect self-abandonment and fuses with the Whole. Instead of making effort to lay hold

of the Universe, the soul now rests in this Whole of the Universe which has taken hold of it.

God's doing takes the place of the soul's doing. The soul which has ceased with its own striving

simply receives (52-53). The mystic's thoughts and actions become expressions of God's doing

within. Now the will, intellect, and love are entirely synchronized with the Greater Will,

Intellect, and Love of the Absolute. The mystic becomes totally consummated and sustained by

God's Eternal Love. The marvelous sacred workings of this union are never-ending.

This highest form of Pure Consciousness has been experienced by mystics of every

religion. In all walks of mystical life, there is a recognizable similarity, a Divine Order or

Transcendent Reality that one can draw from these mystical experiences. No one who has

experienced this mystical state of Pure Consciousness can doubt its authenticity. Experiencing

this mystical Truth becomes the gage upon which all other realities are evaluated.

The mystic knows intuitively that he or she is in complete union with God. He or she

knows experientially from a different level of consciousness which is far beyond notion or ideas.

It is an inner truth or fact that is immanent; yet, it is a transcendent mystery beyond form (55-56).

In describing this transcendent mystery that is beyond concept, The Philosopher Pseudo

Dionysius said, "if anyone saw God and understood what he saw, then it was not God that he

saw, but something that belongs to Him" (qtd. in Underhill 56). The union of the soul with God

is inexpressible (57).

The wondrous effects of transforming union are total abandonment into the hands of God,

perfect peace, serenity, joy, the absence of interior suffering, the lack of needing consolation, and

a great desire to help others towards the same goal (Tanquerey 693-694). In assisting others

46

towards the same goal, the Bodhidharma says when we possess perfect awareness, we are like an

eternal lantern that dispels darkness and self-deception. And with our flame of wisdom, we are

able to light up many other lanterns. In return, these lanterns light up countless others, making

the flame last forever (99).

Weathering the Surge of Nature: How to Apply Practical Mysticism to our

Everyday Issues

We have gone through all the ascending stages of growth in consciousness, and have seen

how we may attain enlightenment or complete union in God. And in this transforming union, we

have seen how we can reap from the harvest of plenty – blossoming joy, peace, love and freedom

in our soul. That is very good. But how may we apply practical mysticism in our everyday

issues? How can we weather the unpredictable storms of life without losing the blossoms of joy,

peace, and love? In this final chapter of the Review of Literature, we will see step-by-step how

we can ride out effortlessly, with peace and serenity, the trials of life to attain our true goal or

purpose. When we are in mystical union in God, the storms in our lives may positively serve to

scatter our precious spiritual seeds and create new Life all around us.

Fortunately, the mystical way of living is the way of life for all humankind. It is

beginning to be more widely recognized and is no longer being portrayed as a sheltered life for

the rare few such as monks or sages. Jim Rosemergy states that the mystical way of life is to be

lived among all people, in our everyday activities, at work, in public and at home (Preface). In

his Kindle book, Living the Mystical Life Today, Jim gives us some principles and practical

insights on how to integrate the mystical life with our everyday activities and interactions with

others. He shows us how to be "in the world, but not of it." These principles allow us to see

47

where we are interiorly in our current mystical position so that we may ground ourselves and

find our true destination (Intro).

The first principle that we need to follow is to "stand still." Jim points out that "we

cannot face the problem on the level of the problem." We need to allow ourselves to be elevated

to a different state of mind. Life is Pure Consciousness. Therefore, we need to shift our state of

consciousness by not acting and trying to solve the problem with the usual approach of the

unconscious mind. We should not label our problem as good or evil and to let go of our

conditioned beliefs. And last, we are to not resist by attempting to change the situation, because

resistance comes from the conditioned mind that first started the problem (Ch. 1).

In his Kindle Book, Mystical Insights, Knowing the Unknown, Dr. Paul Leon Masters

also brings to our attention the mystical Reality that all is resolved in our eternal Being of Pure

Consciousness. It is only in the sense of personal identification, the finite or ego self, where

things remain unresolved. The personal ego thrives on inner conflicts, because without them – in

living the life of Pure Beingness – the personal or egoistic sense of self would cease to exist

(Resolving the Unresolvable).

Along the same lines, White Eagle recommends we need to approach problems with the

help of intuition, with the way of infinite Truth, rather than trying to solve them through our

mortal minds. The help that we seek is already within us through the Spirit of Truth (6).

The second principle, according to Jim Rosemergy, is to "be still, and know God." We

are called to know God. That is, we are to be raised into the mystical Consciousness of the

Divine Presence of God where all our requirements are fulfilled. Our focus should not be on

the problem, as the problem is not the issue. God is our purpose; therefore, our whole focus

should be on God's presence and power. Our goal is not to ask God to help us meet all our

48

human wants. It is to know Him intimately, beyond mind. There is only one answer to all our

problems: Pure Consciousness. In God alone we find contentment. All else passes away. In this

mystical perspective, life is always lived anew (Ch. 2).

The third principle is to "speak the Truth." To speak the Truth, we need to bypass our

senses and the conditioned mental thoughts in our minds that deter us from the Living Truth.

But to do this, we must first not resist them and to welcome them. We allow the flow of our

senses and our thoughts without being drawn in them, which keeps us in the "now", in Pure

Awareness. We observe and remind ourselves that our purpose is to know God beyond mind

(Ch. 2) Swami Shankarananda calls this observance of thoughts "witness-consciousness."

Witness-consciousness works at a deeper meditative plane, as it directs one beyond the mind into

pure mystical activity. In this practice, we observe as a witness our mental activities from a

distance – that is, in Pure Awareness. Our thoughts do not determine who we are. We are

beyond finite thoughts. We are eternal witness. When we witness, we cultivate the Light of

Truth (112-113). Jim Rosemergy also adds that we must not judge or label our thoughts and

feelings and remain in the stillness and peace of the moment. At that moment, we allow the

Truth of the moment to be. We speak the Truth to the level that has been given us. The more we

continue to cultivate the mystical life, the more this Knowledge and Truth will expand. We are

not yet witnessing enlightenment – that is, experiencing the full Presence of God – but we are at

the precipice and are preparing to take flight (Ch. 3).

The fourth principle is "learning to wait." Spiritual Truth is not something that we can

learn with our own human capacities. It is taught by God through mystical revelations. We then

therefore learn to wait for God who imparts within us the Spirit of Truth. We do not wait in

anticipation to hear something. We wait by letting go and letting God which allows our lives to

49

effortlessly unfold with marvel. In this higher state of consciousness, we are being transformed

(Ch. 4).

In the fifth's principle, "let there be," we allow this newly founded Consciousness take

hold and unfold Itself in our lives. We are naturally grateful and thank God for experiencing His

Divine Presence and receiving the Spirit of Truth. We say yes to His Divine Will, and we allow

Him to orchestrate our lives. We therefore place our trust in Him knowing that Life is

Consciousness (Ch. 5).

The sixth and the last principle is "to act or not to act?" Being a mystic does not mean

we are passive. When we look at the lives of mystics, we see that most are very active people.

But we begin by being passive, by standing still, so that we may be drawn to our God Center and

listen to the Spirit of Truth. And when we are lifted in this state of Higher Consciousness, we

can then act according to the manifestation of the Spirit that expresses within our whole being

love, peace and wisdom. Then all we do becomes sacred and God's divine work (Ch. 6).

Dogen the Zen Master teaches us that when we are practicing, we are also expressing.

When we practice the way that is impracticable – that is, beyond mind – we allow Pure

Consciousness to express and unfold the inexpressible within us. Practicing a single day is

worth more than living many idle lives. Therefore, it is important not to waste a single day,

because practicing the way every day is priceless. A lost day cannot be recovered. It is lost for

good. Why does time seem to escape us? Dogen says, "It is, unfortunately, because we have

neglected our practice." We must direct all our attention in the now, in the very moment that is

offered us, rather than looking forward to the future. Tomorrow is unknown, only in the actual

moment can we know Consciousness. When we center on this, practicing becomes easy (101-

102). As White Eagle states, "eternity is now, the future is now." The power of God is within us

50

in the now. When we anticipate the future, fear takes over (14). The mystical way and the

vision of Truth are always in the now and transform all our fears into confidence. Along this

wayless path, our consciousness forever continues to expand and blossom. And in this mystical

union with God, the garden of our soul produces an endless harvest of delight, fulfilling all our

true heart's desires. We reap the benefits of the "All."

We have now come to the end of the Review of Literature, and are ready to begin the

discussion.

51

Discussion

The Blossoming of Consciousness

We have seen in the Review of Literature the stages of growth that lead us to the full

mystical blossoming of consciousness and union with God. We have also looked at the primary

meditative tools to center ourselves when faced with everyday issues. This discussion will

further explore these levels of consciousness and offer practical guidance, so that we may ascend

to the highest level of consciousness and obtain the benefits listed in the statement of purpose:

simplicity, peace, love, spiritual wellbeing, inner freedom, fulfillment, empowerment, and most

importantly, mystical union with God.

To know the mystical Truth, with Its divine and delectable secrets, we need to experience

it or assimilate it in every awakened cell of our Being. Thus, this discussion continues to prove

in a quasi-experimental and mystical way that the more we ascend in consciousness, the more we

receive the boundless benefits that our hearts innately desire. We are no accident of nature. We

are purposefully created for Love, to unite with Love, and to reap the infinite goodness that Love

bestows upon us. Our consciousness is created to ever blossom and diffuse its heavenly

fragrance of Love.

That said, in our blossoming path of practical mysticism, let us now begin to treat how

we may center ourselves through these various levels of consciousness to come to know God

intuitively and attain complete union with our Beloved:

The Meditative Levels of Consciousness

The ascending degrees of meditation that we have uncovered in the Review of Literature

are: discursive meditation, affective prayer, prayer of simplicity, and the practice of inner-

awareness of fear, grief, desire, and ignorance. So, we will begin there.

52

In the first steps towards the mystical life, when we do not yet possess spiritual insight

and intuition, we begin cultivating the mystical garden of our consciousness with what we

already have – our reason, understanding and will. This is because meditation first requires the

use of these natural way of comprehending and sensing, as well as our willing and surrendering

heart. On the opposite end of the scale, with the mystical levels of consciousness, our intellect

and senses are divinely suspended in what some mystics call, the Cloud of Unknowing. This

suspension, in gentle cooperation with our surrendered will and senses, occurs within us through

the action of Pure Consciousness, beyond mind, in comparison to meditation that requires mental

recollection. In brief, to evolve in consciousness, meditation requires the mind and senses;

mystical contemplation, on the other hand, requires awareness.

So, with our human way of comprehending and sensing as initial instruments of God, we

begin our spiritual growth by meditating and interiorizing. Meditation widens our interior field

of vision to the Divine Truth, inflames our hearts with Love, and draws us more and more

towards Pure Awareness and mystical activities. Discursive meditation – such as affirmations –

engages our natural reason and understanding in order to uplift our hearts to God and to begin

experiencing the Living Truth that dwells within our God Center. Once this goal is

accomplished, consciousness is increased, and we are automatically brought into the next state of

meditative prayer called, affective prayer. Here, our reason is put aside, because we have

entered into our God Center that stirs our heart with Love. We have not yet reached our deepest

Center, but we have begun to taste of God's goodness and Love which stimulate us to go further.

As we become more absorbed by this anointing Love, our confidence in God increases, and so

does our desire to surrender all the more to the Absolute Reality. So we begin to abandon

ourselves to God's care and adventure further into the next level of meditative prayer called, the

53

prayer of simplicity, which is the spiritual bridge between meditation and mystical

contemplation, the crossover from mind to beyond mind. In this level of consciousness, we

begin to lovingly observe with a naked awareness, without engaging the mind. It is here where

we practice stillness so that we may come to know God in an experiential, simple, and direct way

rather than with the complex layers or shields of the mind.

While we cultivate stillness, we may also come to the awareness of the background noise

of our mind, the interior mental chatter that just keeps on going. So why are we not able to turn

off this mental chatter? Because the egoistic mind feeds on desires, fear and grief. The ego tries

to resolve or alleviate pain with continual thought processes and defense mechanisms that can

often keep us in ignorance rather than in Truth. So, when we observe the underlying causes of

our automatic mental chatter, we will likely see that they are derived from hidden desires, fear or

grief. We may also experience other complex emotions as well that are branched from these

fundamental emotions. For example, anger may be a form of un-manifested grief – an intense

grief that is too intolerable to bare.

These weeds of unruly desires, fear, and grief, which lead us to ignorance, choke the

Living Consciousness of our very Being. But suppressing our desires, fear, and grief does not

heal them – it is the workings of Pure Awareness that brings about self-compassion and strength.

Therefore, in the weeding process – which is rather contemplative and passive than our actual

doing – we need to be careful to not remove the underlying works of Awareness Itself by

negatively suppressing our interior experience. In the Holy Bible: New International Version,

Jesus said, "… while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both

grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and

tie them in a bundle to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn" (Matthew

54

13:29-30). In this parable, we can assume that if we pull out the weeds without Christ

Consciousness, the Harvest, it will be counterproductive by keeping us in ignorance and by

removing the wheat of Consciousness Itself. Thus, we would not be able to know God in

immediacy and grow with the much-needed waters of humility. As we have stated in the Review

of Literature, our purpose is to know God and ourselves, not to get rid of issues. In the mystical

stages, we do not come to know God by doing, but by being.

Only loving awareness can uproot our unconscious reactions and make us grow into the

divine and mystical knowledge of God. So, when we observe desire, fear, or grief within us, we

can remain at peace knowing that we can use these in a positive way as tools of awareness to

awaken our dormant heart, further grow and come to know God. This does not mean we should

fuel our desires, fear or grief. It means that when we are conscious of them, we can simply allow

the nature of awareness to transform them. Awareness is like a fertilizer, it weakens the weeds

of desires, fear, and grief by strengthening us and making us grow. It makes us willingly

surrender in due time through the grace of strength and fortitude.

The following are four steps in which we can allow Higher Consciousness to take charge

of our unconscious reactions, emotions, or thinking patterns that keep us entangled in our

desires, grief, and fear:

1. In meditation, we may first quietly and humbly observe our thoughts, find the

emotion or reaction behind them, and remain in the awareness and acceptance of what

is. We do not judge our experience, nor do we identify ourselves with it. We simply

remain in the nakedness of our Being and allow Higher Consciousness to transform

our will in its due time. This can sometimes bring about a productive suffering, as

was expressed by the German mystic Jacob Bohme in the Review of Literature. But

55

this particular type of suffering is not in vain, as it helps us to acquire strength and to

surrender.

2. In the Review of Literature, we have also seen how desires, fear, and grief are inter-

related, and that unruly desires cause fear or grief. Therefore, if we are experiencing

fear, stress, anxiety or any other unpleasant emotions, we may allow ourselves to go

deeper into awareness by asking ourselves, "what is the hidden desire within me that

is attached to this emotional state?" If we are experiencing grief, for example, we

may silently observe and ask ourselves, "What is the underlying wantingness that is

behind this grief?" Or, "what am I attached to that is causing this grief?" Getting to

the root cause, without analyzing our situation, enables us to return to our nakedness

of spirit. But we are not there to judge or to fix anything. Consciousness, that

exposes the Infinite Love of God within us, will bring the ego to surrender peacefully

without resistance. Consciousness also increases the hidden knowledge and wisdom

of God within us.

3. After, when we have recognized the desire, need, or attachment within us, we may in

silent awareness observe what it does to us. For example, does it take away our

peace, keep us enslaved, provoke the fear of losing, and so forth? There is no wrong

or right answer. We are just conscious witnesses who allow to admit to ourselves

with honesty what is there within us. With the increased Inner Light and Divine

Knowledge through loving awareness, combined with the consciousness of the

suffering that desires cause us, our ego eventually favors to let go. If there is

lingering resistance, then – like the law of gravity – the just and divine order of the

Universe will continue its course, and consequences or karma will naturally follow.

56

The ego often goes into preservation mode, by stating, "I need, I want, or I must."

But we have within the power to choose. That is our birthright. We can allow to let

go and let God. No one, or any situation, can truly hold us back. Only we can hold

ourselves back. Courage and faith are needed here, but the divine order of Love and

Truth will not deceive us. When we surrender, we instantly receive something much

greater in exchange: contentment, empowerment and peace.

4. In this final step, we may learn healthy responses to our habitual unconscious

reactions to further assist the will to surrender. The more that we evolve into

awareness, these healthy responses come naturally. The following is a table of

helpful responses in consciousness to common unconscious reactions:

Unconscious Reactions

The Egoistic Way

Helpful Responses in Consciousness

The Mystical Way

Desire/Attachment/Needs

Accumulate Grow in the richness of God

Acquire Savor and experience God

Keep Evolve/Grow

Attachment Detachment/Letting go and letting God

Need Already have

Want Contentment

Having Being

Fear/Anxiety/Stress

Control Surrender and accept

Familiarity/Security Wayless/Unknown/Beyond mind

Deny Face

Victim Freedom to chose

Fear of losing Losing = gaining

Resistance Willingness

The future The now

Complacency Act/Taking risks to change

Powerless Empowerment in God

The need to defend the personal self Being your True Self

Grief/Suffering

Sense of Loss Opportunity of growth

Dependant on others or circumstances God suffices

Problems/Issues Invitation to greater Love and Inner Freedom

57

Begging God Listening to God

Self-denigration Acceptance of limitations/Humility

Void/ Empty Being-ness/Possessing the All

Failure Success = Growth in Failing

Justice/Entitlement Peace/Letting go

The past The now

Happiness = exterior circumstances Happiness = interior/Self-actualization

The Mystical Levels of Consciousness

When meditation has reached its goal, our consciousness begins to expand and transcend

beyond the ego's limitations. We go from lower mind to Higher Mind in which mystics often

call, the "illuminative" stage. The veil of ignorance is removed, and we begin to see beyond

seeing; understand beyond understanding. This transcendent understanding is called "secret,"

because God communicates to the soul beyond the boundaries of human understanding. As well,

this mystical understanding is not derived from our baggage of stored knowledge. It cannot be

stored, as it is immediate, spontaneous, and intuitive. It is the divine knowledge and wisdom of

Pure Consciousness Itself that brings about life, love, peace, joy, as well as all other divine

attributes of God. In this mystical realm or in this garden of our soul, our consciousness

germinates – not with human effort, but with Higher Awareness – and evolves into different

states until it reaches full maturation, that is, complete union in God. In that final unitive state,

our consciousness is not only in full blossom, it is likewise continually creating new blossoms

and diffusing a heavenly fragrance of Love upon all that it is in contact with.

In the Review of Literature, we have seen that the mystical states of consciousness are:

the prayer of quiet (arid & sweet), simple union, and conforming union. So these mystical states

will be addressed here as to how they work and how we may conduct ourselves in some of these

levels when we are experiencing them.

58

At the threshold of mystical experiences, the first state of consciousness is the prayer of

quiet. Although this mystical state is called the "prayer of quiet", the word "prayer" in this

context neither implies doing something, nor meditating. It is rather a state of quietude in which

we become the prayer or the medium of Consciousness Itself. It is purely mystical and is often

referred by Christian mystics as "infused contemplation." "Infused," in this frame of reference,

means that is not something that is acquired, but something that becomes part of us. It is the

Divine Light emanating through our very Being. This state of quietude is not permanent at first;

it is experienced intermittently. In this ethereal state, we transcend our self-will.

So how does this occur? How does our will, with all its desires, suddenly become

submissive to God's will and that we feel this incredible peace? The answer is simple and

important to know. This submission or surrendering happens automatically through the repeated

practice of awareness. By repeatedly bringing to loving awareness all our interior activities of

the mind along with their consequential negative effects, the ego comes to surrender willingly.

But if we judge our mind's activities, it will halter the process. Why? Because judgment is

caused by the underlying effect of "wanting" our thoughts to be different. It is a hidden form of

pride, a position, disguised as humility. We don't accept our nakedness which is a true form of

humility and self-compassion. Self-compassion is needed to heal and what is in part needed to

make the ego surrender its position. When we face the truth of where we are, we transcend

through the divine Light of compassion. Then all the unruly desires that we once held so dearly

become nothing to us. These desires were caused by the lack of compassion we had for

ourselves, through non-acceptance. Not knowing how to obtain compassion for ourselves, we

looked outside of ourselves to obtain it.

59

In this state of quietude, where we are filled with self-compassion and compassion for

others through the workings of the Divine Light, we sometimes experience aridity in the

beginning; hence, the name "arid quietude." So why is this? Because, in part, we now see

through the Divine Light of God or with the Eye of Eternity our nakedness or our unconscious

reactions that was once hidden. We are in a sort of limbo. We start losing the self-interest or

desires we once had, yet our unconscious reactions are not yet transformed. When this happens,

we need to remind ourselves that this state is just a transition that will soon come to pass.

Patience is needed. If we try to precipitate this stage, we will cease its divine workings of love

and compassion. We must remind ourselves that it is only temporary, and that we are on our

way to peaceful and delightful union with God. We have to be still and know that He is God,

and that this state is a positive step that increases compassion for self and others within us.

When the unconscious or egoistic reactions finally surrender without resistance, we then

begin to experience the second state of quiet, called sweet quietude. All our unruly desires are

put to sleep. In this sweet and peaceful sleep of desires, our soul is tranquil. We begin to taste

the goodness of God in unimaginable ways, beyond mind, or beyond the enclosed walls of the

ego. This state is a sheer delight, and no desires in the whole world, even combined together,

compares to it. When the desires are temporarily suspended in God through Higher Awareness,

our wandering minds may sometimes catch up, and cease also. Some Eastern philosophies refer

this as the "space" between thoughts. This is because the ego no longer has desires to hold on to.

So, it doesn't need its former mind activities anymore to obtain what it wants. This mystical and

phenomenal happening is called by Christian mystics, the "sleep of the faculties." The duration

is usually brief. Later in the other stages, it will become more permanent. The benefits we

receive in this divine state is inexhaustible and leaves a permanent impression within the soul.

60

We also begin to be empowered in God. No longer do desires rule us, we become, without effort

on our part, in charge or in control of our desires.

This state of quiet then hastens us to the next stage of consciousness called, "simple

union." In this state, we know with certainty to be very close to God, because not only does the

will and the intellect surrender to the greater workings of God, but the memory, and the

imagination also. When we speak of the will, intellect, memory, and imagination, what does

those terms mean? As seen, the will means our desires. The intellect is our human

understanding and reason. The memory, in part, involves recollecting the past which may be

attributed to grief or desire. For example, when we think of past events, oftentimes we go there

because we are experiencing grief or desire in regards to that past situation. And the imagination

oftentimes involves thinking of the future. When we are thinking in the future – for example,

when we imagine what would happen in one scenario or another to give us some sort of security

– then fear is often involved. In brief, the memory may draw us into the past, and the

imagination may draw us into the future. When this happens, we are not drawn into the "now"

where we truly feel the Divine Presence of God. The past (memory) and future (imagination) are

intermingled with desire, fear and grief that keeps our mind stuck in egoistic activities.

So, in this advanced mystical level of consciousness, how does the will, intellect,

memory and imagination all surrender in God's doing? When our desires are under control, in

the previous state of quiet, the secondary unconscious layers of fear and grief will naturally

follow. Hence, the memory and imagination automatically become restored as how God had

intended them to work. Our thoughts do not become totally empty and bare. They become

immediate, spontaneous and intuitive by the greater workings of Pure Consciousness. We

transcend understanding; thus we have an understanding that understands not. We are very close

to being

61

totally transformed into the Absolute. The only thing that we are to do in this state is to allow

God to finish what He wonderfully started. This state of consciousness usually lasts no longer

than 30 minutes at a time. Later, it becomes more habitual and permanent.

The next mystical level of consciousness is called by some mystics, the conforming

union, the ecstatic union or the betrothal. The difference between this level and the former one is

that our sensorial perceptions can sometimes also be absorbed in God. Nothing disturbs our

soul. We experience complete peace, and we know in a direct manner, without doubt, to be

loved by God. Because we have transcended our human limitations, we also receive interiorly

deep insights or revelations of Divine Realities and of the Infinite. It seems in this state that we

have all the answers to life's mysteries. Discernment is perfected.

Sometimes, through God's doing, we become so absorbed into His divine goodness and

mysteries that we are temporarily brought out of ourselves; hence, the initiation of the name,

"ecstatic union." But this is just temporary as our senses adjust from "grasping" to "being."

The Unitive Level of Consciousness

In this final and perfected state, our consciousness, made One with Life Itself, perpetually

blossoms. By grace and perfected knowledge, all trials in life are welcomed and known

intuitively to be opportunities of receiving Love in abundance. The "what is" and "as is," which

was once perceived as a threat by the ego, now becomes the means of continual communion with

God and the unfolding of the greater Truth. We experience in an immediate manner, that all is

well with our soul. There is total surrender with peace and contentment. Nothing lacks, and

nothing troubles the mind. All clouds of illusion are dissipated by the Infinite Light and Love

62

that possesses us. We experience our Being-ness in its fullness, through the secret mystical path

where the ego cannot meddle in.

Our heart swells up with divine mysteries of Love. But unlike the previous state of

consciousness, we do not try to grasp them or keep them in our hold. Instead, we become

expression of those mysteries. We become Love. More so, we become Love unfolding which is

the Divine Breath that our spirit breathes. All is gift of Life, and all is made new through the

renewal of Life. Love unfolding instantly dissolves all unruly desires, fear, and egoistic

suffering. It bestows upon us an immediate Living Knowledge and Wisdom from the Source of

Life Itself. It is not a knowledge from the by-products of our mind. This Knowledge is strength.

We are empowered. No longer are we slaves of life's circumstances. We simply "are," and

savor each moment of having arrived at our marvelous destination that keeps unfolding in

countless ways. It seems all is Love, and we see ourselves and others through God's eyes. We

no longer see God being separate from us, nor do we sense ourselves to be separate from others,

because the egoistic veil has been removed.

The total surrendering that is experienced in this highest state of consciousness is not

something that is acquired by our own will power. It is attained through the growth process of

Higher Awareness that increases our trust and confidence in God. In Higher Awareness, we

receive direct revelation and certitude that surrendering to God's will is our best option for

interior peace and joy. We surrender willingly without resistance. Surrendering to God's will is

Love. Our defense – which was once the many shields of the egoistic mind – is now simply the

uncovering of Love within us. Love conquers all. It is the Universal Truth that remains and

sustains us.

63

So union with God is Living Mystery and Life Itself that keeps on giving and nourishing

our Being. We taste and see His unfathomable Goodness and Love in the Oneness of our Being

with Him. In this heavenly pure state, all that is required of us is to reap from the Harvest of

Plenty, from the Inexhaustible Source of Love. We have it all.

64

Conclusion

We are now at the conclusion of the Mystical Blossoming of Consciousness. Through

union with God, we have seen that we can have everlasting hope, that in no matter what situation

we find ourselves in, we can truly be happy, we can have peace, and we can be empowered. We

can be who God sets us out to be. We can, because all things are possible through Him who

gives us His All for our all. There is nothing that can stop us from receiving the Infinite Source

of Love. The Divine Light emanating from our deepest Center erases the illusion that there is no

Love to be had. In surrendering the search to find love and acceptance outside of ourselves, we

find Love, or rather, Love finds us in the Essence of who we are. We are fulfilled and fully live

our purpose in life. All becomes divine purpose of Love. Reality, beyond the ego's veil, is

revealed in all its splendor and glory.

Not only do we embrace life, but life embraces us in our fearlessness and new-found

confidence in God who continually shows us the way. And this way is wayless. It is the hidden

mystical path to true contentment that already dwells in the garden of our soul. May our

consciousness forever blossom in the transcendent Light and fill the Universe with its heavenly

scent of Love. May we savor the manifested miracles of each moment, and forever taste the

heavenly delights of God.

65

Works Cited

Abhayananda, Swami. History of Mysticism. The Unchanging Testament. United States: Atma

Books. 2012. Print.

Alcantara, Peter of. A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer. Translated by Rev. G. F. Bullock M.A.

and Edited by Rev. George Seymour Hollings S.S.J.E. London. A. R. Mowbray & Co. Ltd. 1905.

Print.

Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Translated by Charles Eliot Norton.

Vol. III. Paradise. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1902. Print.

Anonymous. The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. Translated by A. C. Spearing. Toronto,

Ontario: Penguin Books Canada Ltd. 2001. Print.

Aumann, Jordan. Spiritual Theology. London. Continuun International Publishing Group Ltd.

2006. E-Book.

Areopagite, Dionysius, the. The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite: Translated by Rev. John

Parker, M.A. Strand, London: James Parker and Co. 1897. Print.

Aurobindo, Sri. The Life Divine. The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo. Volume 21 and 22.

India: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publications Department. 2005. E-Book.

Avila, Teresa of. The Interior Castle. Study Edition. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio

Rodriguez. Washington, DC: ICS Publications. 2010. Print.

---. The Life of Teresa of Jesus. The Autobiography of Teresa of Avila. Translated & Edited by E.

Allison Peers. n.p. 1995. E-Book.

---. The Way of Perfection. Translated and Edited by E. Allison Peers. n.p. 1964. E-Book.

Bartok, Josh. Daily Wisdom: 365 Buddhist Inspirations. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications.

2001. Print.

Bhashya, Shankara. The Chandogyopanishad: A Treatise on Vedanta Philosophy. Translated in

English with the Commentary of S'ankara by Dr. Sir Ganganatha. Poona Oriental Book

Agency. 1942. Internet Archive Digital Library. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

Bélanger, Dina. "Autobiographie de Dina Bélanger". Montréal, Québec: Religieuses de Jésus-

Marie. 1984. Print.

Bingen, Hildegard of. Hildegard of Bingen: Selected Writings. Translated with an introduction

and notes by Mark Atherton. Penguin Classics. n.d. E-Book.

Bodhidharma. The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma. Translated by Red Pine. Berkeley, California:

North Point Press. 1987. Print.

66

Bucke, Richard Maurice. Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind.

Philadelphia: Innes & Sons. 1905. Print.

Chandler, Jag Parvesh. Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Lahore: The Indian Printing Works. n.d.

Print.

Dogen. Dogen, the Zen Master: A Search and a Fulfillment. English Discourse Series. n.p. n.d.

Pdf File.

Eckhart, Meister. The Complete Mystical Works of Meister Eckhart: Translated by Maurice O'C

Walshe. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company. 2009. Print.

Garrigou-Lagrange. P. Réginald. "Les trois âges de la vie intérieure: Traité de théologie

ascétique et mystique. Tome II." Montréal, Québec: Les Editions du Levier. 1938. Print.

Gautama, Buddha. In the Buddha's Words. An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon.

Somersville, MA: Wisdom Publications, Inc. 2005. Print.

Goldsmith, Joel S. A Parenthesis in Eternity. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

1986. Print.

Hawkins, David R. Power Vs Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior. Carlsbad,

California: Hay House, Inc. 2012. Ebook.

---. Transcending the Levels of Consciousness. The Stairway to Enlightenment. Carlsbad,

California: Hay House, Inc. 2006. Kindle Edition.

Hilton, Walter. The Scale (or Ladder) of Perfection. Westminster Art and Book Company. 1908.

Print.

Holy Bible: New International Version. Biblica, Inc. 2011.

Kempis, Thomas A. The Imitation of Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal

Library. n.d. Christian Classic Ethereal Library. Web. 1 Mar. 2018.

Kepler, Thomas S. The Fellowship of the Saints. An Anthology of Christian Devotional

Literature Compiled by Thomas S. Kepler. New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press. n.d. Print.

Lao-Tzu. Treasury of World Literature: Edited by Dagobert D. Runes. New York, New York:

Philosophical Library. 1956. Print.

Maharaj. Sri Nisargadatta. I am that. n.p., 2010. advaita.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/1-I-

Am-That-Nisargadatta-Maharaj-Resumo.pdf. Web. 31 Jan. 2018.

Maharshi. Sri Ramana. Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Tamil Nadu, India: V.S. Ramanan.

2006. E-Book.

67

Massignon, Louis. "La Passion d'Al-Hallaj: Martyr Mystique de l'Islam. Tome II." Paris:

Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, 1922. Internet Archive Digital Library. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

Masters, Paul Leon. Ministers/Bachelor's Degree Curriculum. 1 vols. Burbank, CA: Burbank

Printing, 2016. PDF File.

---. Mystical Insights: Knowing the Unknown. Sedona, Arizona: University of Sedona

Publishing. 2016. Kindle Edition.

Norwich, Julian of. Revelations of Divine Love. London: Methuen & Company. 1901. Print.

Patanjali. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – The Book of the Spiritual Man. An Interpretation by

Charles Johnston. New York: Charles Johnston. 1912. Print.

Rolle, Richard. The Form of Perfect Living and Other Prose Treatises. London: Thomas Baker.

1910. Print.

Rosemergy, Jim. Living the Mystical Life Today. Fifth Edition. United States of America: Jim

Rosemergy. 2015. Kindle Edition.

Ruysbroeck, John of. John of Ruysbroeck. The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage. The

Sparkling Stone. The Book of Supreme Truth. Translated by C.A. Wynschenk Dom. London: J.M.

Dent & Sons, Ltd. n.d. Print.

Sales, Francis of. "Directions Spirituelles de Saint Francois de Sale. Des Tentations." Paris: Le

PUY. – Imprimerie M.-P. March essou, n.d. Google Books. Web. 28 Jan. 2018.

---. Treatise on the Love of God. St. Francis de Sales. Translated by Dom Henry Benedict

Mackey. Rockford, Illinois: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1997. Print.

Scott, W. Major. Aspects of Christian Mysticism. London: John Murray, 1907. Internet Archive

Digital Library. Web. 28 Feb. 2018.

Shankarananda, Swami. Happy for No Good Reason. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.

2004. Print.

Smith, Margaret. The Persian Mystic Attar. New York: EP-Dutton and Company Inc. 1932.

Print.

Stahl, Louann. A Most Surprising Song. Exploring the Mystical Experience. Unity Village, MO:

Unity Books. 1992. Print.

Stearns, Wallace N. The Open Court. A Monthly Magazine. Chicago, Illinois: The Open Court

Publishing Co. 1920. PDF File.

Suso, Henry. Little Book of Eternal Wisdom: First American Edition. Boston, Mass.: Thomas B.

Noonan & Co. 1887. E-Book.

68

Tanquerey, Adolphe. The Spiritual Life. A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology.

Translated by Herman Branderis. Tournai, Belgium: Society of St. John the Evangelist, Desclée

& Co. 1930. Print.

Tauler, John. The Sermons and Conferences of John Tauler, the Illuminated Doctor. Translated

by Rev. Walter Elliott. Washington, D.C.: Apostolic Mission House. 1910. E-Book.

Underhill, Evelyn. Practical Mysticism. Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classic Ethereal Library,

1915. Christian Classic Ethereal Library. Web. 22 Feb. 2018.

Vaughan, Robert Alfred. Hours with the Mystics. Vol. 1. London: John Slark, 1888. Google

Books. Web. 28 Feb. 2018.

White Eagle. The Quiet Mind. Sayings of White Eagle. Montgomery, Texas: The White Eagle

Publishing Trust. 2005. E-Book.

Yogananda. Sri Paramahansa. Man's Eternal Quest and Other Talks. New Delhi, India: Oxford

& IBH Publishing Co. n.d. Print.