My Thoughts on the New Age, and How It Differs from Mysticism

I am not fond of much of the New Age movement. Sometimes my thoughts about mysticism may seem like the New Age, but I think that is because the New Age has adopted a lot of mystical language and concepts, not that classical mysticism inherently belongs to the New Age. They are two different fields, which have some overlap. The New Age developed just in the 1970s. Mysticism has been around for millennia, indeed, for all of human history, in every part of the world.

The Mysticism of Falling into a Black Hole

The unitive mystical experience can be compared to falling into a black hole. When compared this way, it doesn't sound like a nice experience. Likewise, for many mystics throughout history, their divine experiences weren't always a merry venture, sometimes encountering hellish realms along the way (see, for example, St. Teresa of Ávila, or St. John of the Cross's Dark Night of the Soul).

Einstein’s Misquote on the Illusion of Feeling Separate from the Whole

This morning I came across a quote in an excellent essay by Daniel Christian Wahl, frequently attributed to the renowned modern theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Wahl did not misquote him, but it seems to be often misquoted when cited in full.

Philippians 3:7-11 BHT, Knowing Christ and this Resurrection

An addition to the BHT, a passage in which Paul talks about coming to know Christ directly within one's Self, which is the resurrection. (The painting above is "Saint Paul Writing His Epistles," attributed to Valentin de Boulogne, dated 1618-1620.) 7 Whatever things I gained in the world, any advantages and wealth, all of that [...]

“One Song: The Science of Oneness” by JD Stillwater

In my recent move from Utah to Pennsylvania I've had the opportunity to get to know wonderful new people, and one of those is JD Stillwater. He is a wise, affable, loving, and talented science educator, writer, musician, mystic, naturalist, speaker, and much more. As part of his Seven Candles project, a non-profit organization with [...]

Exodus 3 BHT, Moses Meets God as a Fire in His Self

An addition to the BHT, my translation of Exodus 3, one of the signature chapters of the Old Testament and Torah, where Moses first encounters God in a burning bush, which I perceive was a mystical vision of God within Moses' very own mind and heart (cf. Psalm 104:4; Isaiah 33:14).