oops! I left my notes at home so you get THIS instead!

I have to eat gluten-free. Before learning I had a problem with gluten, I had been eating pretty healthy my whole life. But what I did not know was that the food my parents grew up eating is no longer the food we eat. The food we eat has been bred to maximize production, withstand pests, and sometimes it has been genetically modified to accomplish these goals. 

This idea that we are messing with the genetics of the plants and animals in our world when we are still trying to understand how genetics works is a big worry. For example we recently learned that what was called "junk" in the cells is actually important information that can turn our genes on or off. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/science/far-from-junk-dna-dark-matter-proves-crucial-to-health.html?hp&_r=0

Now we learn that we are ecosystems for more genetic information than our own cells could ever dictate. The alien life in our bodies use us as their ecosystem and we need "them" in order to work properly.

 

Scientists Try to Measure Mystic Experience

In this 15 minute video, you will hear about what happened with the scientists who went to study people experiencing mystical events that other people could not see or hear.

 Scientists are always looking to prove or disprove measurable events. Brains can be assessed while responding to stimuli. In this way, scientists can measure which parts of the brain are stimulated during specific types of activities.

Imagine the brain in the act of schizophrenic visual or auditory hallucination. There is a heightened degree of visual or auditory stimulus in specific areas of the brain that are related to vision and hearing. Those areas of the brain (receiving visual and/or auditory stimulus) light up with activity far beyond that of normal activity. The heightened brain activity in these areas are directly correlated with the person who is responding to their schizophrenia. The person's own brain's creation of sights and sounds do not exist beyond the brain. The belief is that an imbalance in the brain stimulates extreme auditory or visual stimuli causing people suffering from schizophrenia to become confused, and frightened, by what they are experiencing. They believe that their experiences are "really happening" when in fact they do not exist in anyone's reality except the one suffering from the stimuli.

Mystical experiences were believed to be measurable in the same way as schizophrenia. The video above explains the story of a group of scientists who went to measure the brains of people experiencing mystical events. From what they learned, it appears that scientists still have not been able to capture heightened or unusual levels of brain activity in the visual or auditory parts of the brain with people experiencing mystical events. Instead, the people who were having visions and communications with The Virgin Mary appeared to have perfectly normal brain patterns. How this affected the scientists is very interesting!

Kabbalah (or Qabala) & Science: Yes, "What the Bleep"

I begin with a small rant about Numerology:
Right now I have had my fill of numerology. Just viewing a few conspiracy theory Youtubes using numerology to prove so many events... (I think you can prove anything you want with numerology... )
The only Youtube I was impressed with (so far) regarding the Kabbalah and numerology was one for a music teacher at Emory University.

Kabbalah & Science:
In therapy, the therapist needs to meet the client at the place where that client "is". The client's perception is the key to the client's personal growth and insight. This is how I am (as a client of "life" if "life" is my therapist)  For example, The Tree of Life appears to be similar to the Chakras used in Eastern meditation. That makes sense to me because I have some exposure to that concept.
Kabbalah approaches the science of "being". The teachings of Kabbalah, ancient knowledge about "being", connect to science, especially the eye-opening field of Quantum Physics which has showed us that "reality" as we know it is very subjective. (The perspective of the person viewing/experiencing the reality affects the reality.) It has turned modern, observable science on it's head... how do we now, for example, understand double-blind experiments when something benign can turn powerful or something powerful looses it's power? Traditional modern science still creates a framework of expected outcomes, but it is not all measurable and results can change. How much of the change is affected by each one of us and are we all living in parallel universes that seem the same most of the time and yet they are distinctively different because of the power of our own perception?

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.)

Are Mysticism and Islam like Oil and Water?

Early Islam was born in mysticism. Historically famous Islamic Mysitics included Halaj, Rumi, Shathali, Al-Bistami, and Al-Ghazali.  Great mystic minds meshed their own desire of growing close to Allah (God) into a version of Islam that matched their increased perception of what the mystical experience created in their minds. (Remember how in my own experience I felt an overwhelming love that was not earthly available, ever. I knew it as I experienced it.) These men each discovered their own versions of what I like to call the God-Truth. I admire that they remained true to what they perceived was happening while, in detail, they were actually veering away from the Islam religion through their mystic experiences. Coming back to "rational thought", they struggled with balancing the mystical experience with the strictures of their faith. (The laws, rules and regulations that tell the in-group who is "in", and who is "out".) 
Al-Halaj:858-922 AD  
He was an unusual Sufi because he shared openly what he experienced in his mystical interactions. Most Sufi's would keep these experiences to themselves but Al-Halaj was one who connected mystically with God and felt that all that was left of him was God, he had been absorbed. He was a poet and fearlessly expressed his God-truth... and was executed for his heresy. "I am the truth", There is nothing wrapped in this turban but God." 

Rumi 1207-1273 AD
He was a literary Sufi Persian poet who believed that humans evolved from animals to attain a higher spiritual plane in seeking God. He wrote about love. Rumi's devoted followers began calling themselves Mewlewi Sufi. That order was founded on 1273 following his death.

  Shathali was a Sufi mystic and has a following among the Sufi.

Al-Bistami: 804-87(4)? CE
Bastami was one of the first Open Sufis who spoke of "annihilation of the self in God". (fana fi "Allah") and "subsistence through God". The "annihilation of the self" means the release of the ego to be united with God.

Al-Ghazali:1058-1111 AD

Educated in predominantly Sunnite Islamic teaching, and an interest in Sufi mysticism which was popular in that time,  Al-Ghazali suffered a religious disconnect between the world of reason, worldly cares, and the sensory world of his inner spiritual development. The depth, eloquence and array of his written work, continue to educate Islamic thought today. His writings weakened Greek Teachings and emphasized Islamic teachings, established philosophy as dismissible if it contradicted or challenged Islamic teachings, and put the science of Islam before rational scientific understanding. He also challenged the invincibility of the Imam, or spiritual teacher. He felt that a man should be able to study for himself and find the knowledge that will lead to divine thought and closeness to Allah. Women were considered very weak and of dubious morality and limited intellect. He did believe that women deserved to seek some religious education by asking their father or husband for that opportunity. His writings have been the predominant Islamic view until the recent extremist views evolved in the last 30 years. His focus was: renunciation of this world, seclusion and cultivation of the innermost self. And so he continued until his death in 1111 AD. After the life of  Al-Ghazali, Islam has not had much evolution of thought or further development. 

The Sufi-style Islam that carries the rich history of mysticism is not evident with the militant version of Islam that has increased in popularity with some groups within the past 30 years. There is so much to learn from study of these colorful individuals who affected their rich mystic heritage! Islam does have mystic experience in it's history, but other than with the Sufis, I am not sure it is practiced much. 

Unrelated to the general topic - 

I just have to add: As a woman, I find it a little off putting. I suppose I am too focused on being a person rather than a woman. I just don't see that I am so different from a man. The emphasis in religions over who is what sex seems like the value system used in "high school" to me. My take on it: Let's be responsible adults and monitor our own behaviors and keep our noses out of other people's business. 

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Mystical Experience: What IS it?

If you have 15 minutes, this Youtube with Dr. Andrew Newberg, a participant in the locally (Portland, OR) made documentary movie,  "What the Bleep We Know", speaks to the reaction people have to their own mystical experiences.

(After 4:30 minutes, someone directing the video shot spends 30 seconds mumbling in the background but then the interview gets back on track. FYI ~ If you read my last post, what is said in this video validates my own mystical experience.)

Be Open to Stumbling into Mysticism!

My Own Mystic Experience -

 Personally, I am not called to proselytize, but I have had a personal experience that I would call "mystical". First I want to say that I did not take any drugs or drink alcohol, just so you know my mind was perhaps tired, but not under the influence of anything. I was praying saying to God that whatever the "God of Good" was, I was on that side, if there were sides to take. (I was thinking of acting for God in some capacity, not knowing what that might be.) 

A flash of light appeared before me as I turned to go to bed. The room was dark. The light was about four feet long and vertical, shaped like a sword, made of pure white glowing light. It hovered as it brightened the dark bedroom and then faded after about a minute. I just stood and stared, kind of shocked, not knowing what to do. Then the room was dark again, and I waited a while just standing there. Sure that it was not a trick played by my eyes,  laying in bed afterward, I wondered what it meant. As I was falling asleep, I felt awash with such great love throughout my whole being. It was like nothing I had ever felt before and I believe I will never feel again (unless I have another prayer-response event like that, or maybe after I pass on). My thought was that it was so amazingly wonderful that it was too much to bare! But in the best way possible... it was full-force, honest, pure, accepting loving loving loving without question... absorbing... unearthly in it's completeness... 

Was this a "mystical experience"? I would say "yes"! Did this experience change my life?  Absolutely. I was in that "in between place" where the mystical experience of the metaphysical world can connect to the physical world. 

Looking back, I remember feeling open to an answer from God and receptive to it. However, I was not expecting something so dramatic. I was thinking that God would give me wisdom when I was challenged in the future or something like that. Instead, what I experienced  was something that moved me in a significant manner.  (Perhaps some people might debate that I "made it up in my head". I will not argue with them. For me it was real, and it happened to me, whether I made it up in my brain or a "mystic" event happened.) 

The importance of my own personal mystical experience is that it moved me inside. It changed me somehow. It had a lasting effect on me. It did happen, and even though it was a surreal, inspiring experience, I am not seeking to recreate it, even though I am grateful to have experienced it. It completed me somehow.

"Heaven" is that feeling... of knowing you are loved in some miraculous way, with a love powerful and mighty beyond the imagination of any living human being. It is true for each and every one of us... every moment of every day! This is what I know now, not so much by faith, but by personal experience. A pretty cool gift this mysticism! See? You can just stumble into it without even trying! Requirement? Be open to the possibility!