The Aspiring Mystic: Practical Steps for Spiritual Seekers
When I was sixteen years old, I had an amazing experience of Divine love. It was what the great saints of many religious traditions call "a mystical experience." Ever since then I have been a seeker, committed to cultivating my sense of connection with the Sacred through disciplines such as meditation and contemplative prayer.As part of my journey, I have fallen in love with the wonderful tradition of mystical literature -- the writings of great visionaries like Julian of Norwich, Thomas Merton, and the anonymous author of "The Cloud of Unknowing." It has been my experience that reading the writings of great mystics has been an inspiration for my own spiritual development. That has been one reason why I wanted to become a writer -- knowing how much inspiration I have received from mystical books, I have hoped my words might be of some help to others.I make no claim of being an accomplished mystic like Julian or Merton -- which is why I call this book "The Aspiring Mystic." Maybe you are like me -- you aspire to the transformational love and joy that the mystical life promises. If so, then I hope you might find my little book of use. It is partly a memoir of my own mystical and spiritual experiences, partly a meditation/reflection on the universal nature of mystical spirituality, and partly a list of practical steps that anyone who wishes to cultivate their own mystical spirituality can undertake. My hope is that readers will find it a beneficial tool to guide them on starting, or continuing, their own spiritual practice.