Mysticism is one of those things I always think I understand, but when I try to explain it I really can't. This article helped clear up some confusion. The way each person experiences mysticism differs, but according to the article a person will most likely be touched by mysticism at least once. The idea of mysticism was first used in Eastern culture before it spread into Western society. Mysticism is the idea of a person having a direct experience of religious truth. We discussed mysticism in conjunction with The Seventh Seal. The protagonist sees death and is determined to make a connection with God before his end. Or at the very least he wants a definitive answer about the afterlife. The article infers the possible root on the word, "myein" meaning "to close the lips and eyes, and refers to the sacred oath of the initiates, the mystes, to keep secret about the inner workings of the religion". I think the inference was due to the secretive aspect of mysticism. The experience of a person with God is extremely personal. An individual might want to share his or her experience, but since perception of an event like that would be so individualized another person may not fully appreciate the experience. And those people who become professional mystics are selective with whom they share their knowledge. Since our class was designed to examine religious concepts within movies, we didn't explore the non-religious side of mysticism. Non-religious mysticism is usually experienced through nature, however, a religious experience can occur through non-religious mysticism. The nature type of mysticism dissolves any and all boundaries between an individual and nature. The article notes Goddess religion and witchcraft as such practices. I think it would be really cool to experience mysticism. I am not really a religious person, but the nature version sounds very liberating.
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