Converging and Convincing Proof of God: Mystical Encounters with the Absolute

11/18/2012

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notoriously subjective. One may sensibly object: what's in the mind of the mystic does not translate to what is reality, and it is a mistake to go from an internal state to an external reality. Against this we might argue that, though subjective in the sense of witnessed only within, the Church's mystics obviously experience something, an intense experience of the presence and union with the transcendent God himself, and we may consider this experience--despite the dangers of confusing such authentic experience with emotionalism or a misguided enthusiasm or even insanity--as a basis beginning a reasonable inquiry into whether God exists.

The reason for this is that the experience is a subjective experience about something objective, the transcendent Object. It may be reasonable for a blind man to believe what someone with eyes tells him about the world he sees, if he believes that the other person has eyes.

A third objection is that it is most difficult, perhaps impossible, to have a common perception of this mystical experience. Mystical experience is not something like a loaf of bread, something which is outside of us, and the concept of which and the language to identity that concept, is shared in common. And yet, by trying to imagine ourselves in the mystic's place, we might sufficiently understand the subjective state of mystic confronting the transcendent Object identified as God. The experience is not altogether foreign. It is a human experience of the divine.

A fourth problem arises from the inexpressible nature of the experience. The mundane loaf of bread is not ineffable, but isn't the mystic's experience by definition ineffable? Yet we see that despite the ineffable nature of the experience, mystics can describe their experience. So it is not that one can say absolutely nothing about God or the mystical encounter with Him, but rather that one can say nothing absolutely about God and that mystical encounter.

Another difficulty is that we must willing to scrap the empirical reason used in the physical, biological, psychological, and empirical sciences and rely on a broader illative sense or what the medieval theologians called intellectus. If we insist on attributing mystical experiences to chemical effluvia in the brain, or self-induced hypnotic states, or a "God gene," or some such natural explanation, similar to what Henry James did in his famous Varieties of Religious Experience, this proof will yield nothing at all.

We have to be willing to expand our way of thinking beyond that of the materialistic Horatio and least accept the possibility that "there are more things in heaven and earth . . . than are dreamt of in your philosophy," as Shakespeare put in the mouth of Hamlet.

Finally, how can a mystic's experience be evidence of God if the mystic, at least if a Catholic mystic is at issue, already believes in the reality of God? In other words, the mystic's faith cannot be the basis of reasonable evidence because the experience is already informed and interpreted by faith, and so is not a naked experience.

But this last problem can be surmounted by what Aidan Nichols in his A Grammar of Consent calls "two moves." The first is to recognize that the mystic's experience is, to some degree, autonomous or in "creative rupture" with the religious tradition, and so give rise to and "additional experience." This "additional experience" of the mystic can provide a basis and demand a response even from those who do not (yet) believe.

When it comes to this "proof," the believer is at an advantage apologetically. A mystic, such as St. John of the Cross, will have an "additional experience" of God's existence. There is no analogous experience available to an agnostic or an atheist. An agnostic or atheist can never point to a mystical experience of God's nonexistence as a real object that draws him into an intense love and bliss.

Importantly, St. John of the Cross's mystical encounter with God was something that seemed completely unattached to his external world and his internal world, wherein all evidence indicated God's absence. All external evidence of God's existence, of God's providence, was absent to St. John when he was imprisoned in the darkness of a dank, foul, dark 6 X 10 foot prison cell in Toledo, suffering from dysentery, lice, and under the threat of being executed. Internally, St. John of the Cross suffered from a tremendous dryness. Emotionally, he felt the emptiness of nada, nothingness. For him it was dark within and dark without.

It was in these absolutely ...
- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: existence of God, proofs of God, mysticism, St. John of the Cross, Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq.

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1 - 4 of 4 Comments

Andrew M. Greenwell
5 months ago
@Eric: Thanks for your comments, and your kind words. While I agree that the Kingdom of God is within us, that is only one dimension of the Kingdom of God as it appears to have been taught by Jesus. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us of the "three dimensions" of the term "Kingdom of God." The first, seized and developed by Origen, is that Jesus himself is the Kingdom of God. That is one reason why Catholic mystics such as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross insist on the humanity of Christ as the key to all authentic mysticism. As Benedict XVI taught in one of his audiences, St. Teresa "has a very clear idea of the 'fullness' of Christ, relived by the Christian. At the end of the route through The Interior Castle, in the last 'room,'Teresa describes this fullness, achieved in the indwelling of the Trinity, in union with Christ through the mystery of his humanity." The second dimension, also developed by Origen and emphasized by you, is that the Kingdom of God is within us. The third dimension is ecclesiastical; here, "the kingdom of God and the Church are related in different ways and brought into more or less close proximity," so that we may say that the Kingdom of God is found in the Church, in her teachings, in her sacraments, and in her liturgical prayer, in particular the Eucharistic Sacrifice. If the kingdom of God is only seen as being within us exclusively (without the other dimensions), we make an end-around Christ and his Body, the Church. This would make Christ and the Church inessential in the spiritual life, which would involve, it seems to me, a rejection of the very Trinitarian God with whom contemplative and mystical prayer seeks union. All three dimensions of the Kingdom of God must be recalled. If we don't recall all three dimensions, we run the risk of finding ourselves, as you so well put it, "in a place where they may not be talking to God at all," and we may fall into a sort of self-divinization, a gnosticism, or pantheism, or even fall prey to a spiritual presence opposed to God. While I am not opposed to other cultures and other religions--we should be open to and recognize all that is good with them--I would insist in the absolute centrality and unique revelation of God in Jesus, the Word made Flesh. If we do encounter God through mysticism, would not this be the same God that became man, the Christ who is all and is in all (Colossians 3:11). Christ was something more than a "favorite teacher," a rabbi or guru. He, after all, is "the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6).
Peace, and may God be with you.
Andrew
J. Bob
6 months ago
Wonderful article. I truly enjoy St. John's books, & how his sketch inspired Sali Dali's "Crucifixion" painting.

There is another book that I have enjoyed for the past 50+ years, "Mysticism" by Evelyn Underhill. It gives a list of many Christian, and other Mystics that have opened up a new world. Three favorites are St. Theresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich & Thomas Mertnn (Inner Experience).

One of the interesting things about the Contemplative Silence, is that it reflects a oriental philosophy in the martial arts. That is called, in Japanese, "mizu no kokoro", or mind like water. In short, it means one must have a calm mind, to reflect reality.
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem
6 months ago
'converging and Convincing proof of God' as the fruit of 'mystical encounter' by Andrew Greenwell is based on " natural law" gradually gaining momentum into " supernatural union and encounter", the experience of a real mystic. As a little child, before anyone began to teach me catechism or God as creator, my mind asked a thousand questions on the universe like who created the sky? why the crow is black while the crane is white and the Rose is red while the Jasmine is white and so on which gradually slipping into the " role of ultimate Reality" ie. God. The " image of God within" is an untaught " spiritual power". This " heart of flesh" is so receptive, the wave length of God, the connecting plug that helps one to burn his light within. This created " image" in so far as in " communion with its source"(God), Revelation takes place in the form of " insight" and " creative ideas", simply in the religious language is termed, " mysticism". As a matter of fact, mysticism need not be any " abnormal or so called supernatural phenomena". It could be experienced in the ordinary events and course of life, but with a sublime intensity. As insight is gained through experience of union with the ultimate, rationality and wisdom begins to shine forth. If the " image of God" is marred by sin and " hard hardheartedness", it cannot establish its connection with God, affecting revelations. The closer you are in touch with yourselves, the better will be your closeness with God. " in you is the source of life and in your light, we see light". Jesus said, " the Holy Spirit dwells within you". That which makes " the image of God" in connectivity is the " child like innocence" and hence Jesus said," unless you become like a child..." and " happy are the pure in heart, they shall see God". Jesus further prayer," Thank you Lord of heaven and earth for hiding it from the wise and revealing to the little children". As a mater of fact, " the mystery and history of mysticism" is a " free gift of God" endowed with " creation" and hence is based on " natural law" upon which the Religious upbringing fosters to grow in faith. As " insight" and " new ideas" are based on "Reason" grounded upon mystical relation, the fruit of faith, " the faith of the Catholic Church is not blind, rather is capable of challenging the atheists". And no wonder, Pope Benedict XVI, the most rational man of our century, put up a " cell for dialogue with the Atheists" in Paris last year. For, Jesus our master was the most rational man ever lived. He said, " here stands someone greater than Solomon" and his rationalism was such he challenged the social customs and beliefs of his time to the extent, " no one dared to ask him questions any more". His " self- awareness of his relationship with the Father" was such that St. John, another mystic could speak of Jesus, " I and the Father are one". As a matter of fact, salvation consists in being one, experience of integrity, "Communion" another name for Eucharist, the true relationship of God becoming man, heaven blending into the earth, the very word, Religion, " relegare" - " relate". Hence, " mysticism is the deep communion, relationship of man with God and with one another", the summary of compendium, love of God and love of neighbor. " That all may be one", the motto adopted by Pope Benedict is the only way the world can progress on the way to progress both spiritually and materially.
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem.
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem.
Eric Nielsen
6 months ago
Hi Andrew,

I truly loved your article. However I just wanted to add a few things.
Jesus stated that the KIngdom of God is within each of us. This is true, because I've had such an experience. When you write about the terrible time the Saints had before seeing God, that simply is the truth describing the importance of the amount of concentration that will be needed, for those in modern times, wanting to succeed as well. Desperate meassures are needed during desperate times.

Many times those who have taken up meditation and centering prayer don't seem to understand that intense concentration and focus is needed to reach what Jesus had promised those that searched for God.

The stories from the Saints don't need to be analyzed as to whether they are real or not. The main benefit from sharing these experiences is that they should simply give hope to the generations that follow, that Jesus was correct--the Kingdom of God is within all of us and if we make an honest effort, as did the Saints, we too can discover these facts.

Mysticism, in our modern times, has been distorted by all those people that are out to make a buck on something that has the interest of the general public. As a result, there are those that are using centering prayer and meditation to discover the truth for themselves.
Unfortunately, where those practitioners are finding themselves, is in a place where they may not be talking to God at all. But instead, they might be conversating with themselves.

A true mystical experience, doesn't take place somewhere between sitting in prayer or meditation and feeling the calmness of relaxation. No, it is when you literally separate yourself from this physical world and stand in the Kingdom of God staring at the infinite from the vantage point of your soul. And yes, the world is left completely behind, as is all your previous concepts of what you thought God would be like when you finally got to see Him.

And like Jesus, you do get the same message that I and the Father are one, or as described by other religons--Thou Art That and I Am That. And yes, because there is only one God, these experiences are of a human concern, more so than a religious matter. So, this would indicate that maybe if a person wanting to know more about these mystical experiences, might come to the conclusion that there are a whole lot more stories about humans stumbling upon God than those of the Christian Saints.

The fact that every person having this same experience, knows that there is only one God and they have experienced Him, takes away the the separation of religions and makes the experience of God the same for all, even though the various cultures around the world and throughout time, have had different ways of explaining these experiences of meeting up with God.

Let us not forget that in school there was always a favorite teacher; one who could get the lesson across to us with ease. Well, the same is true, if we can bring ourselves to venture away from our various religions, to hear the stories told by those from a different culture and religion.

Thanks for the opportunity to share,
Eric Robert Nielsen
The Mystic Post at http://www.EricRobertNielsen.com
Author of "Beyond God's Veil: A True Story of Piercing the Cloud of Unknowing."

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