The value of mystical experiences

Are mystical experiences just spiritual “kicks” that ultimately lead us nowhere? Or are they maybe an encouragement to keep going on our spiritual paths? Do they bring us closer to God in some sense? Do they have other functions?

Before moving on, I want to clarify that I don’t believe that mystical experiences are necessary for living a rich spiritual and/or religious life. We can live and grow with God through prayer, through consciously allowing God to be with us in our everyday lives or through meditation, for example, without anything extraordinary happening. 

There is a discussion to be had about what constitutes a mystical experience. It could basically be anything from an ecstatic union with God to the simple feeling that an everyday event holds some meaning beyond the actual experience.

In this context though, I wish to talk about experiences that constitute a significant shift, away from our ordinary way of perceiving life and the world. 

An interesting thought in this context, is that dr. Joe Dispenza writes in his book Becoming Superhuman, that mystical experiences alter our way of functioning, because they expand our realm of possibilities. Once we see that there are ways of seeing and experiencing that go beyond our normal state, they become in a sense part of our overall experience. They expand our idea of the possible.

Another writer, James Defranco, says that through these experiences we move ourselves out of our normal frames that we experience the world from, and by doing so we dissolve rigid thought patterns. What does this mean? When we start noticing that we do not just have habits in our outer lives, but also with regards to our inner lives, it’s easier to understand what this means. Our minds have habitual ways of functioning. And when something happens that brings us out of our normal ways of operating, it becomes easier to start thinking in novel ways and thus see things from new and more expanded perspectives.

I would also add that these experiences, while not necessary, adds encouragement and reassurance that God is with us. As such they should be treasured as the gifts they are. And I would see it as more or less a duty to use these experiences to help others in their spiritual lives.