Be Cause

After our discussion on mysticism, one of our participants suggested that what cannot be adequately explained in prose can sometimes be better said in poetry. She offered this short poem as a possible insight to the mystical state and how to get there:

Be Cause
A void
No matter
Never mind
Be cause

Thanks, Billie, for that little gem.

To which I cannot resist adding two of my own favorite shorts. The first, by Kobayashi Issa, a Japanese haiku poet, has to do with different ways to find the way (or point the way, if you already know a way)

The man pulling radishes
pointed the way
with a radish.

The next, by the early Zen master, Dogen, illustrates the paradox of being full and empty at the same time. (Isn't that what they say about meditation and mystical states as well?)

Midnight. No waves,
no wind, the empty boat
is flooded with moonlight.

You can find these and more in Jon Kabat-Zinn's book on meditation entitled

Wherever You Go There You Are

Enjoy.

What is Mysticism?

The latest Thinking Out Loud podcast has been released on iTunes. The session was recorded last Wednesday, Oct 3, and the topic was "What is mysticism?" Thank you Billie, John, Mike, U.J., and our cyber participant, Steve Stokes from Atlanta, for a great discussion. Here are some of the questions we wrestled with:

What is mysticism? Why should we believe reports of mystical experiences? What do we mean by the term, "mystical experience"? How can we distinguish between mystical experiences and psychotic experiences or other abnormal psychological phenomenon? Is the mystical experience an experience of a higher state of consciousness? Among the great variety of altered states of consciousness, how are we to judge which is higher or lower than another? What are the distinguishing characteristics that set mystical experiences apart? Is deja vu a mystical experience? What is the relationship between mystical experience and ecstasy? Can drug intoxication induce mystical experiences? Is a loss of a sense of self, always an indication of a mystical experience? Is mysticism a skill that can be taught? What are the benefits of mysticism? Does one gain supernatural powers from being in a mystical state? What are we to make of reports of levitation? Is mysticism at odds with science? What can one see while in a mystical state, that one cannot see otherwise? How does mystical insight affect the way one lives one's life? Is the mystical experience always sudden and intense? Does it have to be a so called "peak experience"? Can the mystical state also be obtained by a gradual process? Will a healthy mind in a healthy environment, naturally progress to a higher state of consciousness given sufficient time to mature? Do age and life experience help create the conditions conducive to mystical awareness? As we reflect deeply on everyday experiences, are they not also mystical?

Once again, Steve has generously volunteered to create a transcript of our dialogue. When it is ready, I will circulate it among the participants for review and then post it online for everyone to enjoy. The transcript for the our last discussion on religion has already been posted, and will remain available for anyone interested, at this link:

What is Religion? [transcript]

To subscribe to the podcast with your podcast software (such as iTunes or iPodder) copy and past the following link into your software:

www.citizenphilosopher.com/rss/tol_podcasts.xml

If you have iTunes, you can find us listed in the Apple Music Store directory under Podcasts/Society & Culture/Philosophy, or just do a search in iTunes on Thinking Out Loud People. The direct iTunes link is:

phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214321935

If you don't have iTunes or other podcast software and just want to download the mp3 file directly, use this link:

Listen to the broadcast (mp3)

You are invited to add your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the lower right hand corner of this post.

The next Thinking Out Loud will be Wednesday, November 7, at 7:00 pm. The suggested topic is "Does loyalty to a friend affect your commitment to honesty?" The final choice of topic will be up to those who show up for the session. Everyone is encouraged to lobby for their favorite topic, so if you have suggestions or comments, send them in.

Cheers,

Steve