Mysticism is not dangerous as some Christians without knowledge and proper practice would have you believe.
I could not agree more, although I would probably dispute how some people define 'mysticism' — today it's too infected by notions transposed from Romance Era 'spiritism' and Protestant ideas about magic.
The point is that Christianity is fundamentally a 'mystical religion':
"And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, all things are done in parables" (Mark 4:11)
"Who answered and said to them: Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven: but to them it is not given" (Matthew 13:11).
'Mystical religion' is something of a tautology, unless one places the idea and terminology in its proper context. The word derives from the Greek μυστήριον (
musterion, "a mystery, a secret, a secret rite"), from μύστης (
mustēs, "initiated one"), from μυέω (
mueō, "I initiate"), from μύω (
muō, "I shut").
So a 'mystic' is one who has been initiated into the mysteries, and by that definition, every baptised Christian is a mystic.
St Paul makes this point again and again (about twenty times):
"Now to him that is able to establish you, according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret from eternity" (Romans 16:25).
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom which is hidden, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory" (1 Corinthians 2:7).
"As you reading, may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 3:4).
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (Corinthians 2:13-14)
Here's a problem: without initiation into the Mysteries, man cannot discern the meaning of the Mysteries — so those who stand outside the mysteries (and even refute and belittle them) are really like people looking in through a window and inventing their own narrative for what is going on. How can they know?
And how are things 'spiritually discerned', because the spirit is without form? The answer is they are discerned in faith, and here we approach another great assumption about mysticism.
People assume an experiential dimension of 'the mystic event', if I might put it that way. Close examination of the Scriptures suggests the opposite (the Beatitudes, for example). Close examination of the Tradition would also seem to assert it: the classics of Christian spirituality point to non-experiential modes of knowing:
The Cloud of Unknowing says it all, the sermons of Eckhart explains it all.
Some mistakenly project their fear of contact with the Divinity within...
That's probably more their fear of their own psyche. The Divine is everywhere, this fixation on 'the within' is unhealthy, because in a consumer culture it promotes everything we see wrong with the way which we live, self-serving, self-centred, self-important ... it's a trick of the ego.
... but Christian Mysticism guides one to the soul which automatically relaxes the mind and in turn the body.
Does it? Where does it say that?
I would have rather thought 'Christian mysticism' guides one to discipline the mind and body to allow the soul to 'breathe'?
Joseph Campbell says, “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls”
I rather think this is the 'mysticism' of 'the natural man', as St Paul would say. It's basically 'follow what makes you feel good' which is a dubious piece of advice at the best of time.
Bliss, as the goal of the mystical journey, is a case of 'spiritual consumerism', it's part of the materialist packaging to make it desirable. The pursuit of 'sensible consolations' are not the aim, the goal, nor the point of religion. It is, however, the 'bright cup' of a consumer culture.
