What is it about mysticism that makes me lose hours of my day just pondering it? Mysticism is defined as becoming one with a higher power or being connected to the spiritual aspects of life. I know, I felt that eye roll coming when I started writing this essay. Look it up and the definition right below the first one is “belief characterized by self-delusion or dreamy confusion of thought.” However, I beg you to keep reading and see how I’ve utilized this in my life, I promise I won’t leave in invitation to a cult meeting on this paper. For me, mysticism helps me remember the importance of my motivation, my planet, and my loved ones.
To me, mysticism helps me stay in my right mind and reminds me of who I am. I’ve always dreamed of the world
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Before, the only way I looked at myself was by the A’s on my report card, the vacation photos, the trophies and medals, and all of the material, ego-inflating items I could put on display in my museum of narcissism. Now, I appreciate everything that has come my way, glory and gloom. Life to me is not so much about the results, but the experiences getting them. I’ve learned to build my strength in character off of the bedrock of adversity, so when I am enjoying life, I can remember the challenges I’ve faced and appreciate the present even more. I remind myself that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without every moment of glory and time of trouble, and doing so makes me grateful for each moment I live in this life. It helps me recognize and appreciate the lives around me going through the exact same …show more content…
My parents aren’t just the people who raised me, but people who themselves have overcome struggles, chased their dreams, and embraced every joy in their life. A couple years ago for an english project, I asked my father what one of his goals in life was before he gave it up to pursue something else. He raved on and on about how was going to earn his pilot’s license, and while he recounted his flight lessons, his eyes were emblazoned with that zest he had for flying so long ago. That moment sticks with me to this day, reminding me that everyone has that same gusto for a passion in life. The friends I see each day are dealing with their own hardships, and I appreciate and admire them for still getting up every day to face the world. Believing that we are all in tune with one another helps me remember that I am not alone in my struggles and that I need to always be there for my loved ones in their
Psychedelic drugs affect more then creativity, they are also known to have the ability to increase the users sense of spirituality and religion. In the academic journal, “Voice of The Psychonauts,” author Levente Moro explores the correlation between spirituality, and psychedelic drug use. He claims that when psychedelic drugs are taken in a “supportive” environment they have the ability to induce “deeply meaningful religious revelations and spiritual awakenings” (Moro et al. 190). Psychedelic drug use in hopes of spiritual revelations is not new, and has actually been going on for hundreds of years. The Native American Church has been known to traditionally use psychedelic drugs for spiritual experiences (Moro et al. 190). Some Mexican tribes are also known to ingest psilocybin mushrooms in order to induce religious awakenings (Moro et al. 190). To further prove his argument, Levente Moro conducted an online survey amongst 667 random people. His results suggested that people still take psychedelic drugs in order to have religious experiences, even though it is looked down upon in certain religious groups (Moro et al. 195). Levente Moro is not the only one interested in psychedelic drugs and religion. Many other scientists have also examined this theory. In the article, “Values and Beliefs of Psychedelic Drug Users,” author Michael Lerner also discusses the relationship between psychedelic drug use and spirituality. Lerner also believes that when psychedelic drugs are taken with the correct mindset, they have the ability to increase ones sense of religion. In order to test his theory, Michael Lerner had 183 volunteers fill out a questionnaire. Even though he conducted the survey amongst people from all over the world...
Shamanism has not been a concept with one succinct definition. However, there have been varying extents of specificity within the definition. Mircea Eliade defines shamanism as an archaic technique of ecstasy. In Graham Harvey’s Shamanism: A Reader, he does not unify to one specific construe of shamanism in his writings, preferably he establishes the ambit of controversy and diversity between various definitions to foresight the extent shamanism has in comparison to other definitions. Shamanism, History, and the State by Nicholas Thomas and Caroline Humphrey debate that people have been corrupted with finding one definition of shamanism that they no longer take into account the controversy within the definition. The authors argue that there are two aspects of shamanism that include power and knowledge. More over Atkinson in her writings Shamanisms Today gets ridiculed for defining shamanism in a broader sense. Atkinson defines shamanism as having two main concepts: the psychological state of shamans and the therapeutic value of shamanic healing. Atkinson thinks that the identification of shamanism in relation to altered states of consciousness has become so strong that the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. To this point, it is learnt that shamanism has a broad range of definitions that begins with an altered state of consciousness and can be as specific as identifying the type of altered state, paradigmatic experiences and a shaman’s ultimate goal. The skepticism of the definition leads to the speculation that these traditions have an original source.
ABSTRACT: This paper addresses religious epistemology in that it concerns the assessment of the credibility of certain claims arising out of religious experience. Developments this century have made the world’s rich religious heritage accessible to more people than ever. But the conflicting religious claims tend to undermine each religion’s central claim to be a vehicle for opening persons to ultimate reality. One attempt to overcome this problem is provided by "perennial philosophy," which claims that there is a kind of mystical experience common to all religious traditions, an experience which is an immediate contact with an absolute principle. Perennialism has been attacked by "contextualists" such as Steven Katz who argue that particular mystical experiences are so tied to a particular tradition that there are no common mystical experiences across traditions. In turn, Robert Forman and the "decontextualists" have argued that a certain kind of mystical experience and process are found in diverse traditions, thereby supporting one of the key elements of perennialism. I review the contextualist-decontextualist debate and suggest a research project that would pursue the question of whether the common ground of the world’s mystical traditions could be expanded beyond what has been established by the decontextualists. The extension of this common ground would add credibility to the claims arising out of mystical experience.
With the spread of the Transcendental philosophy, people started to believe that the important things in life are not material but, in a much grander scale, spiritual. In order to live truly spiritual lives one must dispose of all unneeded items and resort to living a simplistic life. This simplicity can be found by using nature. All of nature is pure and in it lives the soul of God. Not only does this soul live in nature it is also built up in every human being, and to free it one needs to find the truth inside oneself. To do this a human being needs rid of all the extra items that keep them from living simple lives and then listening to one's inner-self. Intuition and self-reliance are the paths to true happiness because once someone has freed the spirit of God within, nothing else is needed.
Shamanism is a mix of magic, folklore, medicine and spirituality that evolved in tribal and gathering communities thousands of years ago. Shamanic faith presumes that everyone and everything has a spirit which is a part of a greater whole, and that spirits affect all events, including illness and disease. In the tradition of Shamanism it is believed that certain people named shamans exhibit particular magical specialties at birth; the most common specialization is that of a healer. A Shaman is believed to have the ability to communicate with the ethereal world through trance states. Traditional shamans developed techniques for lucid dreaming and what is today called out-of body experience. Entering trances through ritual drumming, chanting or hallucinogenic plants they journey to another reality; while retaining control over their own consciousness. The Shamans are believed to communicate with “spirit helpers” to heal and divine the future. There are a number of relatively common practices and experiences in traditional shamanism, which are being investigated by modern researches. http://www.herbweb.com/healing/index.html
Mystical traditions hold a secret that not everyone can experience. Stories can be read, pictures can be seen, and accounts of mystics (those who practice these traditions) can be professed, but nothing will compare to emotion and passion in the experience itself. The mind of a mystic can be viewed as one gone mad. Or is that merely the title one gives the unexplained and not experienced?
I have always grown up around the influence of hard work. My mother and father’s life together began off to a rough start. My mother got pregnant at the age of 20 with my brother. Her family was not very supportive of it; therefore, she was on her own. She used to tell me about how she would sit and cry in a one bedroom apartment that she lived in with my brother wondering what she was going to do. Although she had to grow up faster than she
In my early childhood my parents constantly tried to ensure my life was the best it could be. Though they tried as best they could they were still constantly hit with obstacles. These obstacles would be having to live in a total of seven different homes by the time I was age 7, struggled to provide financially and dealing with my dad being in and out of jail because of DUI’s. My Mother struggled to keep a job for more than a couple months and my dad was an irresponsible alcoholic. It wasn’t
The Late Middle Ages saw great theological discrepancies through the progression of Christian mysticism. The exploration into spiritual practices and the unification of the soul during this period led to great philosophical works. The Cloud of Unknowing and The Imitation of Christ are two noteworthy texts that discuss one’s aspiration to attain union with God. The Cloud of Unknowing is an anonymously authored spiritual exercise that accentuates movement toward the contemplative life by acknowledging what is unknown by man. In contrast, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is a spiritual guide which emphasizes that the way to be fully Christian is to live in the imitation of Jesus Christ. While many of the thoughts concerning human reason and withdrawal from the corporal world are similar in the texts, the two are inherently different as the account in The Imitation of Christ is more compelling due to its focus on a humanistic objective while acquiring union and salvation with God.
With the early struggles I had in life, the one thing I learned is that nothing comes easy in life because if so no one would be living in poverty. The way my parents both work to give my brother and me a better life style was important because I would see the hustle they would do for us but I also felt bad. I appreciate all the effort my parents did and there sacrifices but by doing so, I felt I never had the chance to spend as much time with my parents as I wish. Especially with my father, in which every night will come late tired from work and wake up early the next day and repeat only to give us a roof over our head. I always wished for my father to attend to one of my orchestra performance back when I played the violin from the third grade to eighth grade. I would see many of peers with their family after the show while my father was working and never attended to any of my performances. These events during my childhood made me realize that when I grow to be a father in the future, I would do anything possible to attend to my kid’s school performance because it feels bad after the show when most families are united and yours is not together. Other childhood memories that were influncicial throughout the course of my life was the involvement of sports. Playing both basketball and soccer has taught me many life lesson especially discipline. Many other skills were learned from playing sports such as respect and social skills. Being active in these sports made me have a better understanding on how I should respect and benefiting the strengths of others and how I can grow to a better individual. The best thing about these experience is that when I was with my teammates and coaches, I felt like it was a family because we would always look out for each other and the coaches would always want the best for us give us life advice that would come useful. Inside and outside the field
Growing up my mom and dad always showed us unconditional love. They shaped us to learn the right from the wrong and the importance of education. They related the troubles we experienced in America theirs in South America and how education primarily is the root to being successful in America. My dad would always say “we never had the opportunities you all have in America so don’t let it slip away”. Besides education, they taught us that money is easier spent then earned so to value a dollar. The upbringing in life that they had was very hard living and all the struggles they experience moving to a new country just to provide a better living environment for their kids. In their country beating your kids was known to put way word kids straight. My brother and I can contest to those beating but it made us into good kids. We didn’t give into the peer pressure of other kids in school and we learned to walk away from trouble instead of fighting. Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t angels but we stayed out of the ways of trouble. I commend my parents for the person I’ve become and the independence they instilled in my life today. I’ve used the knowledge to shape the person I want to be and some day the mother I want to be for my kids. My parents brought me up with the foundation of kindness, humbleness, and understand with a strong spiritual Christian background. Their parenting styles
Our parents work hard to get us where we are today. Due to the fact that my parents had lack of education and there English wasn 't that good they wasn’t able to get a job that was more relaxing. Though they work in company only they were able to earn enough to raise all of us. Through nurture, now that I’m older I don’t exactly see all the struggles that my parent had gone through to raise me, but I do see and understand more about the struggles. Their love for us, nothing can compare to it. Seeing what my parents had gone through and how hard they have work inspired me to work hard, go to school get a good job so in the future they can depend on me and just rest.
Introduction and Thesis: Spirituality and religion have played a significant role in establishing an individual’s internal and external beliefs, responses, and actions throughout life. Personal experiences and relationships have influenced the definition and understanding of spirituality and religion. People have identified with being spiritual and religious, spiritual and not religious, religious and not spiritual, or neither spiritual or religious. There are alternative views of spirituality and religion and their definitions change as attitudes toward religion and spirituality continue to evolve. When examining my own view of spirituality and religion, I identify as being spiritual and religious. I think the relationship between spirituality
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” According to Buddha, everyone needs some form of spirituality to define his or her life and existence. Webster Dictionary defines spiritualism as “a system of beliefs or religious practices based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, often times through mediums.” Though this is one general definition of spiritualism, this concept is one that does not hold a conclusive meaning. Each and every single person has the ability and right to create and practice their own idea of spiritualism. From ancient times to present day, the term and practice of spirituality has transformed, particularly from region to region. Despite the discrepancies in practices and overall understanding of this idea, spirituality has had an effect and impact upon all of humanity since the creation of time. This religion that is believed to have been established in the early eighteen hundreds, after two little girls claimed to have the ability to talk to spirits, sparked interest in this spiritual movement, allowing it to spread rather rapidly over many geographical locations. Aside from being recognized as a religion, spiritualism is also believed to be a form of philosophy and a science in which spiritualists believe that there is life after death and try to demonstrate this through the ability of attempting to communicate with those that have passed on. Spiritualism was socially different from other religions in existence at the time because it presented followers with a more tolerant belief system that assimilated the principles and facts from a selection the world's religions. Spiritualism also made it acceptable for women to play a disti...