Thank you so much for sharing this interview. To me, it seems like the perfect follow up to the course on “Varieties of Spiritual Experiences… “. In particular, helpful in adding to the differential understanding between ‘spiritual’ vs ‘mystical’ experiences… not a differential i have come across before. I was left wondering if there were references for the distinction… ‘spiritual’ being more about experiences of ‘Self’ (in the W the psychological); ‘mystical’ being more about experiences of ‘Reality’ (a ‘shock’ of reality… ‘more’ real). (IF… i have understood that 5th Session???)
In the interview, it seems the ‘non-linear’ aspect of your ‘life’ story was about those experiences of ‘more’ real… of ‘getting’ the real in a depth that is illusive to language, yet profoundly influential in living/participating with life. Much appreciation for your comments about the necessity of having a ‘day to day’ grounded in ‘nature’… horses, plants, children… when the ‘mystical’ presents. ‘Conventional’ life perhaps can help ‘preserve’ the ‘day to day’… but nature is perhaps inclusive of the ‘more’ real so is not inherently dismissive?
It occurs to me to ask if the ‘mystical’ experience is related to Gebser’s ‘magic structure’… presenting a ‘shock‘ to the dominant ‘mental structure’? Would even ‘shock’ a dominant ‘mythic structure’?
Just this week (Fr Jeremy Johnson) a new translation by Aaron Cheak:
“Homologies in Spiritual Attitudes”…. fr of a section of Gebser’s “Asia Smiles Different”… this helped clarified my question around ‘structure of consciousness’.( Ha! Kind of a nice synchronicity.)
…
“This common ground is concerned less with what we call the religious phenomenon, and more with the ultimate spiritual reality that both humankind and individual cultural circles participate in according to their corresponding structure of consciousness; and sometimes they are even permitted not only to know this participation, but to experience it as an inalienable grace.”
Loved hearing more about the divinity school at the end. Love the idea that maybe the main thing is just to help more people open their senses. That's a clear directive!
Thank you so much for sharing this interview. To me, it seems like the perfect follow up to the course on “Varieties of Spiritual Experiences… “. In particular, helpful in adding to the differential understanding between ‘spiritual’ vs ‘mystical’ experiences… not a differential i have come across before. I was left wondering if there were references for the distinction… ‘spiritual’ being more about experiences of ‘Self’ (in the W the psychological); ‘mystical’ being more about experiences of ‘Reality’ (a ‘shock’ of reality… ‘more’ real). (IF… i have understood that 5th Session???)
In the interview, it seems the ‘non-linear’ aspect of your ‘life’ story was about those experiences of ‘more’ real… of ‘getting’ the real in a depth that is illusive to language, yet profoundly influential in living/participating with life. Much appreciation for your comments about the necessity of having a ‘day to day’ grounded in ‘nature’… horses, plants, children… when the ‘mystical’ presents. ‘Conventional’ life perhaps can help ‘preserve’ the ‘day to day’… but nature is perhaps inclusive of the ‘more’ real so is not inherently dismissive?
It occurs to me to ask if the ‘mystical’ experience is related to Gebser’s ‘magic structure’… presenting a ‘shock‘ to the dominant ‘mental structure’? Would even ‘shock’ a dominant ‘mythic structure’?
To me, it seems like the perfect follow up to the course on “Varieties of Spiritual Experiences…
Yes, I was at first hoping it would come out before the course, but now realize you are correct -- much better as a follow-up than as a 'primer'
Thanks for the generous thoughts
Just this week (Fr Jeremy Johnson) a new translation by Aaron Cheak:
“Homologies in Spiritual Attitudes”…. fr of a section of Gebser’s “Asia Smiles Different”… this helped clarified my question around ‘structure of consciousness’.( Ha! Kind of a nice synchronicity.)
…
“This common ground is concerned less with what we call the religious phenomenon, and more with the ultimate spiritual reality that both humankind and individual cultural circles participate in according to their corresponding structure of consciousness; and sometimes they are even permitted not only to know this participation, but to experience it as an inalienable grace.”
Loved hearing more about the divinity school at the end. Love the idea that maybe the main thing is just to help more people open their senses. That's a clear directive!