Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a Catholic writer, theologian, Trappist monk, and mystic. The following is from his book New Seeds of Contemplation, describing his experiences in contemplation...
Tag: darkness
Clark Heinrich’s “First Vision” Account
I shared this account in my introductory paper about mysticism, but I think it should be shared as a stand-alone post as well. This is because it is so stunningly similar in many respects to Joseph Smith's accounts of the First Vision.
AA Co-Founder Bill Wilson’s “First Vision” Account
Bill Wilson, the cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), had a spiritual awakening that involved bright light, sometimes referred to as his “hot flash” or “white light transformation.”
God Wakes
He lays asleep, unknowing Black nothing Emptiness and nowhere No time, no space
Hellen Keller’s “First Vision” Account
"As I wander through the dark, encountering difficulties, I am aware of encouraging voices that murmur from the spirit realm. I sense a holy passion pouring down from the springs of Infinity... Bound to suns and planets by invisible cords, I feel the flame of eternity in my soul. Here, in the midst of the every-day air, I sense the rush of ethereal rains. I am conscious of the splendor that binds all things of earth to all things of heaven—immured by silence and darkness, I possess the light which shall give me vision a thousand-fold when death sets me free."
Increasing Pleasantness “First Vision” Account
During the first few years after I started meditating, the experience of deep silence was absorbing and charming. I would see a dark vastness in front of me. In time this darkness sometimes transformed into a field of brilliant light.