My attitude to ‘learning’ mysticism rather than experiencing it is what I would call biased.
My spontaneous mystical experiences of Reality every year from early adolescence to my mid thirties, with the constant grooming ever since, have made me divinely biased.
I don’t believe the experience can be caught or taught, learned or read. Only Reality reveals Itself. Reality’s security is impenetrable. It does not bargain.
Why It chooses who to reveal Itself to is a mystery. (Eg. I have no discernible qualifications).
So when I see a 330 page book like ‘Mystics and Experience-21st Century Approaches’ edited by David Kohav, offered as a discounted eBook from $184.05 to $147.24, I sigh heavily. This book, like most books on mysticism, carries the message that you can produce the mystic experience of Reality by your own educated efforts. You can’t.
Every book or academic paper on mysticism I’ve come across is full of inexperienced conjecture, second hand human conjecture at that – the human spirit versus the holy spirit as some enlightened Christians might say, intellect versus experience of real cosmic consciousness.
Most such works treat Reality as a human utility. It’s not.
I also don’t read books on mysticism because my experiences are delivered directly. I don’t want anything human to influence their divine provenance.
Direct experience of consciousness is the difficulty that famed philosopher David Chalmers talks about being the most important problem science and academia face today.
I have heard Sadghuru declare he is thankful he was poorly educated. He says he doesn’t read books on mysticism for the same reason I don’t. I’m sure the millions of mystics around the world have the same approach.
Millions of Seekers too might read such material earlier on their path but then give up when they’re given to know the fakery, sincere or otherwise.
Another Indian guru said religions are to be put in the same category, as long as religious people are left alone, because they’re at their station in awakening where they’re supposed to be.
All Is Well.
Mystical Experiences of Reality 