Many theologians and spiritual thinkers often think that mystical or spiritual experiences have no place in the “real world” and that spiritual people should only think of it as a private matter. This is a common thought in many religious experiences that the experiences of God should have in no way an interference with the regular, day-to-day life. However, many mystics see mysticism in the exact opposite light; they see spiritual experiences of God having a profound and deep relevance for the “real world” of society and even including politics. Mystics like Saint Teresa of Avila and the Sufi mystic, Rumi, present mysticism as an escape from the “real world” while mystics such as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Simone Wei, and the author James
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This mystic famously enraptured her mystical experiences during the Golden Age of Spanish mysticism in one of her most famous texts entitled the Interior Castle. For Saint Teresa, the mystical experiences of God occurred to her when she disconnected from the world and secluded herself in silence to deeply connect with God. Mysticism is an escape because to Teresa mysticism deals with interior concerns of the soul. According to Saint Teresa, becoming close to God requires an immense amount of humility and self-knowledge; without properly understanding these two concepts, harm can come about to the soul. (25) To Teresa, mysticism is a purely private endeavor where are person must be humble in their actions and must completely understand themselves. Without knowing yourself, it will be quite impossible to know God. How could anyone know something that is transcendent and ineffable without first knowing something about themselves? Thus, Teresa sees mysticism as in the private domain of life that others should not interfere with since being concerned with everything and everyone else, one may struggle to find yourself. Great dangers can occur if one openly preaches about the private matters that have occurred in one’s life. Teresa
This mystic famously enraptured her mystical experiences during the Golden Age of Spanish mysticism in one of her most famous texts entitled the Interior Castle. For Saint Teresa, the mystical experiences of God occurred to her when she disconnected from the world and secluded herself in silence to deeply connect with God. Mysticism is an escape because to Teresa mysticism deals with interior concerns of the soul. According to Saint Teresa, becoming close to God requires an immense amount of humility and self-knowledge; without properly understanding these two concepts, harm can come about to the soul. (25) To Teresa, mysticism is a purely private endeavor where are person must be humble in their actions and must completely understand themselves. Without knowing yourself, it will be quite impossible to know God. How could anyone know something that is transcendent and ineffable without first knowing something about themselves? Thus, Teresa sees mysticism as in the private domain of life that others should not interfere with since being concerned with everything and everyone else, one may struggle to find yourself. Great dangers can occur if one openly preaches about the private matters that have occurred in one’s life. Teresa