Mysticism is a feeling like no other that is very important and personal so not all of the experiences occurring are reported in any formal location. The exception to this is the archives of the Religious Experience Research Center (RERC) which houses about three thousand reports from mostly women who have reports of a mystical experience.
During an unsolicited mystic experience many reports contain the loss of self and a bright light. The light appears to be a constant in the mystic experience if we define it as an experience that transcends the natural life everyday type of experiences. To find a common thread among reported cases of a mystic experience the light appears, and most feel a sense of loss of self. Other than that the mystic experience is very personal and difficult to express.
If we define a mystic experience as a time of being transcended to a higher state then the Biblical passage of the Transfiguration is a definite example. At the Transfiguration the body of Jesus is "transformed" or "transfigured" into a figure of light and became a glorious figure on a high mountain in front of the three apostles of Peter, James, and John. They are joined by "ghosts" from the past in Moses and Elijah. Since the apostles never saw Moses and Elijah they were told who they were. A voice spoke to the apostles from a cloud whom the apostles reported hearing the voice of God saying "This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Mark 9:7).
After the experience the light disappeared, the people disappeared, and the apostles were alone again with Jesus. This mystic experience is one of the miracles in the Bible and it shows the perfection of Jesus and that He is God and Man and unites for a moment in time heaven and earth. As a mystical experience it contained all the elements that have been reported in modern times of the light, voices, an out of body experience and an ending back to the status quo. One difference is that the Bible only recounts men on the mountain and experiencing the mystic experience. In modern times, women report the experience more often than men.
The mystical experience is not mysticism. Mysticism involves the concept of heaven and earth transcending. The mystical experience is the transcendence of heaven and earth. The mystical experience goes beyond any religion. Most organized religions have some reports of mystical experiences.
A mystical experience is spontaneous and is not related or caused by anything that a human can do or not do at the particular time. A mystic experience is not necessitated upon a religious experience or a medical condition.
Scientific research has delved into the mystical experience especially those offered by the "psychics" or charlatans. The temporal lobe gives a feeling of "I" or familiarity or strangeness to the senses, and the experience is similar to that experienced by an epileptic. The mystic experience builds in intensity similar to an organism in the way that it arrives . The relationship between the mystic experience and epilepsy obviously needs some more research.
The mystical experience is difficult to describe and define but it appears that when one has one they know it. The light, the out of body feeling, and return to the status quo are all indications of the mystic experience.
Works Cited
Maxwell Leadership Bible. Nashville, Tennessee: Maxwell Motivation, 2002. Print
Paper, Jordan. Mystic Experience. Albany: State University of New York Press , 2004. Web. Jan. 2016. <http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/lib/asulib/reader.action?docID=10579078&ppg=17>
Sacco, Francesca." Can Epilepsy Unlock the Secret to Happiness? "World Crunch 19 September 2013. Web. Jan. 2016. < http://www.worldcrunch.com/tech-science/can-epilepsy-unlock-the-secret-to-happiness-/epilepsy-happiness-brain-fabienne-picard/c4s13429/>
