Ivan Frimmel

CATEGORIES OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE

Just as there have been many attempts to define the word mysticism, there have also been many attempts to describe and
organise the wide variety of (often illogical) mystical experiences into some logical categories.

One of the most common ways is to describe and categorise mystical experiences in accordance with the religious or
cultural background of the mystic. Thus we hear about Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Taoist… —and also
Eastern and Western— mysticism.

Next, in the mystical traditions of the East and West, the most prevalent way is to simply put the mystical experiences
into two or more (quite arbitrary) categories, for example:

- the Inward Way (approaching God primarily through solitude, inward work and progress);
- the Outward Way (through doing God’s will, one’s duties and charity in the world);

- the Way of Personal Effort (through fasting, prayer, chanting, meditation, good works…);
- the Way of Grace (the belief that no personal effort will help to save one, only God’s Grace and prayer);

- the Via Negativa (the way of negating self/ego, world, or any attributes of God);
- the Via Positiva (the way of affirmation and exultation of God’s positive attributes);
- the Via Unitiva (striving towards unity with God through internal & external efforts);
- the Via Purgativa (the way to God through purifying one’s body, mind, emotions and character), etc.

The Hindu mystical tradition of Yoga also recognises and encourages many different paths to union with God, the
Supreme Reality, the Ultimate One, Brahman: Raja Yoga (through meditation), Jnana Yoga (through knowledge), Hatha
Yoga (through discipline of body and breath), Karma Yoga (through work and service), Bhakti Yoga (through devotion),
Mantra Yoga (through chanting a sacred formula, mantra), etc. Although in essence all Yogas are interrelated, a
practitioner will often see himself or herself as belonging predominantly to only one or two of these categories.

C. Jinarajadasa classifies mystical experiences into the following categories:

Type Method Obstacle Ideal
Grace Prayer Self-reliance Righteous man
Love Adoration Worry over unworthiness Bhakta or Saint
Pantheistic Affirmation Matter (i.e. Illusion) Yogi
Nature Contemplation Ignorance, superstition Philosopher
Sacramental Ritual Invalid ritual Priest, Shaman
Theosophical Discipleship Ignorance Master of Wisdom

Although many mystical experiences come about quite inexplicably, seemingly unearned and undeserved (through God’s
Grace, karmic influences, etc.) to often unprepared and surprised subjects (e.g. Saul on the road to Damascus,
Mohammed, Ramakrishna, etc.), most aspirants believe that they can increase the likelihood of having a mystical
experience through deliberate spiritual effort and searching (e.g. Siddharta Gautama, Sri Ramana Maharshi, etc.). This
searching may take the form of following a religious or spiritual path (perhaps trying a few at first), surrendering to a
Master, Saviour or Guru, using electronic biofeedback instruments, pendulums, crystals and magic for developing greater
sensitivity, sense of unity with and control over the forces of Nature — and, unfortunately, in some cases, also
experimenting with drugs, to get a glimpse of a ‘spiritual’ or ‘mystical’ experience, or ‘oneness’ with ‘God’, or a ‘high’.

Krishnamurti, Wei Wu Wei, Huang Po, Alan Watts and many other deep thinkers and genuine mystics tell us quite
emphatically that all individual volition, effort and practices can only result in the strengthening of the personal ego and
widening the duality between ’I’ and ’others’, ’I’ and ’God’, samsara and Nirvana... we wish to dissolve, that the best
“doing” is “non-doing” and the best “method” is “no-method” — and that there is no “path”, “master”, saviour” or
“guru” to follow on the spiritual path, only a pure awareness of WHAT IS (REALITY, TRUE SELF, ONE), right now and here, or
as Zen puts it “the practice of non-practice”, or as Krishnamurti puts it “an action without a doer”...