According to the late Erich Neumann, the Jungian student and psychologist* there are two kinds of mystics, those who return and shed a positive light on everything, and those who are “negative mystics” who reject the world and cast a negative light on everything they touch… they reveal themselves to be “prophets of disintegration.” He says such people, if not properly integrated become nihilists.
Neumann here gives evidence of his ignorance of any personal experience of Reality, the mystical experience. He sounds like an anthropological apologist.
Speaking as a negative mystic, though by no means in the extreme sense Neumann means, “mystics” are not prophets. They shun the very notion of “coming out” to humanity nowadays. The human race cannot benefit from mystics. Those of you who have read Dr.Marsha Sinetar’s book, “Ordinary people as mystics and monks” will get an inkling of what I mean. You can take Jesus’ experience of what can happen to those who try to evangelize the mystical experience …
And as for being nihilist, implying experiencers believe in nothing, that’s only true in the sense mystics don’t have to believe anything, they already understand everything. Even that ‘everything’ has very little to do with humans at this stage of human development; with the exception of mystics of course …
There is no evidence of anyone coming back from the Experience in recent history with any inclination to be a prophet, nihilistic or otherwise. That would imply an inclination to engage with the human experience whereas the opposite is the case. In this regard one of my teachers suggested I should recognize the part of me that remains human, exercise the duties and responsibilities implied thereby, but beware human attachments as distractions from the post-Experience inner work.
Another Neumann assertion that “The mission of man is to sustain identity” is absurdly anthropological too.
The experience of Reality has nothing to do with the human condition, improving it or otherwise. It cannot be found even in the human brain, asleep or awake.**
* “Neumann, Erich, “Mystical Man”, a paper from the Eranos Yearbook, The Mystic Vision, Bollingen Series XXX, Vol 6, p 397.”
**(Weiskrantz, Oxford University).
Mystical Experiences of Reality 