Jewish Mysticism: Kabbalah & The Tree of Life

Quirky Mystical Experience O.T. Style: One of the most curious parts of the Old Testament for me has been Ezekiel 1:1-28. To make a long story short, Ezekiel has a mystical experience with alien beings of God. Creatures with multiple heads (human, eagle, lion, ox) that moved rapidly about in flashes of light. These living creatures had wheels that moved about on the land and air carrying the multi-headed creatures of God. (For more detail to understand the fear and Majesty of Jewish mysticism read it.) 
The God-Connection: There exists ancient secret teachings written in Hebrew that are not in the Torah (Old Testament) but are part of the Kabbalah. These texts are the Talmud, Midrash Rabba, Sefer Yetzira, the Bahir, (and many other Rabbinic texts). A significant change happened in the study of the Kabbalah in the Middle Ages. There appeared newer text in Old Aramaic called the Zohar. The Zohar defined the Talmud, Midrash Rabba, Sefer Yetzira, the Bahir, and other Rabbinic texts. The Zohar text is extensive with additional information and teachings. In one lifetime of study one could never learn all it has to offer on how to be close to God, please God, and control God. (Yes, I did say "control God".) The Zohar has pretty much become the heart of Kabbalah. 
Controversy:There are a lot of details a student of Kabbalah can follow that seem like superstitious activities to my science-ordered brain: Like wearing a red string around your wrist to ward off evil. The secrets are generally complex and many celebrities in California have picked up the study of the Kabbalah while many Jews argue that in the wrong hands it is misunderstood ideas of bits of ritual for personal gain and even dangerous knowledge. They argue that it was kept a secret knowledge to protect minds who could not manage the information. The Zohar is being translated into English by a student of Kabbalah. It is believed that lacking the original Old Aramaic, it will loose some of the meaning. 

The Tree of Life: The most important part of this knowledge, in my crash course in the kabbalah, is The Tree of Knowledge which is also known as the Anatomy of God. Here is a Youtube featuring the Tree of Life.

This next Youtube is the first of about 5 (or 6) ten minute videos on the history of the Secrets of Kabbalah: (It is a History Channel production. I watched all episodes and recommend it.)