Mysticism and proof

by Marinus Jan Marijs

In “The varieties of Religious Experience”[1], American philosopher and psychologist William James identified four criteria as characteristic of the mystical experience:

1. Ineffability;
2. Noetic quality;

And two other qualities are less sharply marked, but are usually found:

3. Transiency;
4. Passivity.

“The following text is taken from ‘Lectures XVI and XVII: Mysticism’ in ‘The Varieties of Religious Experience’ by William James

Ineffability: The handiest of the marks by which I classify a state of mind as mystical is negative. The subject of it immediately says that it defies expression, that no adequate report of its contents can be given in words. It follows from this that its quality must be directly experienced; it cannot be imparted or transferred to others. In this peculiarity mystical states are more like states of feeling than like states of intellect. No one can make clear to another who has never had a certain feeling, in what the quality or worth of it consists. One must have musical ears to know the value of a symphony; one must have been in love one’s self to understand a lover’s state of mind. Lacking the heart or ear, we cannot interpret the musician or the lover justly, and are even likely to consider him weak-minded or absurd. The mystic finds that most of us accord to his experiences an equally incompetent treatment.

Noetic quality: Although so similar to states of feeling, mystical states seem to those who experience them to be also states of knowledge. They are states of insight into depths of truth unplumbed by the discursive intellect. They are illuminations, revelations, full of significance and importance, all inarticulate though they remain; and as a rule they carry with them a curious sense of authority for after-time.

These two characters will entitle any state to be called mystical, in the sense in which I use the word. Two other qualities are less sharply marked, but are usually found. These are:

Transiency: Mystical states cannot be sustained for long. Except in rare instances, half an hour, or at most an hour or two, seems to be the limit beyond which they fade into the light of common day. Often, when faded, their quality can but imperfectly be reproduced in memory; but when they recur it is recognized; and from one recurrence to another it is susceptible of continuous development in what is felt as inner richness and importance.

Passivity: Although the oncoming of mystical states may be facilitated by preliminary voluntary operations, as by fixing the attention, or going through certain bodily performances, or in other ways which manuals of mysticism prescribe; yet when the characteristic sort of consciousness once has set in, the mystic feels as if his own will were in abeyance, and indeed sometimes as if he were grasped and held by a superior power. This latter peculiarity connects mystical states with certain definite phenomena of secondary or alternative personality, such as prophetic speech, automatic writing, or the mediumistic trance. When these latter conditions are well pronounced, however, there may be no recollection whatever of the phenomenon and it may have no significance for the subject’s usual inner life, to which, as it were, it makes a mere interruption. Mystical states, strictly so called, are never merely interruptive. Some memory of their content always remains, and a profound sense of their importance. They modify the inner life of the subject between the times of their recurrence. Sharp divisions in this region are, however, difficult to make, and we find all sorts of gradations and mixtures.

These four characteristics are sufficient to mark out a group of states of consciousness peculiar enough to deserve a special name and to call for careful study. Let it then be called the mystical group.“

This being the case, if mysticism is ineffable, beyond words and beyond the discursive intellect, will any form of proof relating to the mystical experience ever be possible? While of course there is experiential evidence – someone who has had the actual experience knows what it’s like – the question remains: are other forms of proof possible?

This chapter seeks both to describe the indescribable and to find some theoretical proof or supporting evidence:

– Is mysticism prerational or transrational?
The list of mystics and a description of their works shows that they belong to the category of “Great paradigmatic thinkers”, that mysticism is transrational, and that there is a connection between mysticism and genius.             

– Three forms of mysticism.
Under the heading “Five levels of mysticism”, cross-cultural evidence from seven cultures shows that there are five different types of mystics at five different levels.
Click here for more details.

– Turiya and turiyatita.
Under the heading “Turiyatita vision at a sub-atomic level”, a description is given of the structure of a string. The description of this sub-atomic structure is falsifiable: in a few decades the mathematical models that are now being worked out will show the structure of the string.
If the description given here corresponds with the result of the mathematical calculations, then this will provide proof of the existence of turiyatita vision.
Click here for more details.

– Enlightenment.
Under the heading “The concept of nirvana and enlightenment in different cultures”, descriptions of the concept of nirvana and enlightenment from the perspective of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, Zen, the Kabbalah, Jainism, Meister Eckhart, Taoism and Christianity.
Cross-cultural validation of a universal concept.
Click here for more details.

– Subtle energies: Cross-cultural-, geographical-, historical- and modern data.
The concept of subtle non-physical energies is to be found all over the world, by many different people, in many different countries and cultures and at different periods of history. Figure 17 gives a map of the world which shows different cultures familiar with the concept of subtle non-physical energies.
Click here for more details.

– Kundalini.
Cross-cultural evidence under the heading “Kundalini in different cultures”.
Descriptions of kundalini by Indian yogis, Taoists, Mayans (American Indians), Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert, Iglulik Eskimos, Tibetan Buddhists and Christian mystics.
Click here for more details.

– Chakras.
Cross-cultural validation of the existence of chakras. Descriptions of the chakras from yogis in India, Sufi mystics in Persia, German mystics in Europe, Hopi Indians in North America, Chinese Taoists and eastern orthodox Christian monks in Greece provide cross-cultural evidence from six different regions on earth.
Click here for more details.

– A time constant.
A time constant of 4.7 seconds has been found in the movement patterns of substructures generated in the aura field.
Click here for more details.

– Shaktipat.
Cross-cultural evidence relating to the transfer of highly activated subtle energies. From Hebrew prophets and the Greek philosophers Plato and Plotinus, to physicist and philosopher Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker.
Click here for more details.

– The music of the spheres.
Under the heading “The great classical composers and the source of their inspiration”, gives cross-cultural evidence relating to the inspiration of composers.
Click here for more details.

– The Mind-Body Problem.
The central problem of philosophy. In this chapter a description and explanation on how the non-physical subtle energy fields are connected with the physical body.
Click here for more details.

– Mysticism and EEG.
An exploration of the connection between nirvana and brainwave patterns.
Physiological measurements give supporting evidence for the existence of a totally different state of being.
See here below   ↓

 A method for developing the ability to see subtle energies. A highly effective training method. Phenomenological experiential proof of the existence of subtle energies.

– A cyclical pattern in historical development that forms a time constant (part one).
Cross-cultural evidence taking a group of 370 mystics from more than 30 countries demonstrates a recurring cycle of 425 years in historical development, which is a time constant.
Click here for more details.

–  A cyclical pattern in historical development that forms a time constant (part two).
Gives proof of the Krishnamurti–Bohm hypothesis based on historical evidence.
Click here for more details.

– Meaning of life
“The Kosmic meaning of life” demonstrates that the volumes of the subtle energy fields that are formed during the bhava samadhi states at the different levels increase by a logarithmical constant. Furthermore cross-cultural data are given about the ‘Light body’.
Click here for more details.

Phenomenological description

Somehow looking back, that even as a child, there was the notion that the inner monologue was always absent.                                                                                       
All thought processes were silent except when there was a conscious decision to think, and after that the thought process immediately stopped.                                      
Even at the age of 4 or 5 there was this nirvanic state which was continuous and permanent.                                                                                            
Not some inattentive state of mind but a total silence, in which there was no psychological pressure from the subconscious.                                                                
There was the impression that this was almost visible on a photograph when I was 5 years old.

(see the photograph of me at the age of five here below ↓).

 

This is the condition of permanent jnana samadhi, what is called ‘nirvana’ by the Buddhists, ‘mukti’ by the Hindus and ‘the peace of God that passes understanding’ by St Paul.

Nirvana is not a condition which requires any effort. Once this stage has been permanently stabilized, it remains without any effort.                                                    
This condition has now been permanent,  throughout the years, although it has deepened over the years.

Nirvana means a lot more, it is an union at high-causal level, involving contact with all kinds of subtle energies, the activation of the kundalini and so on…

The high-causal bhava samadhi that was experienced three weeks before the age of 30 lasted about two hours and twenty minutes. Directly after that there was a permanent change. A deepening and a greater stabilization; a state called parinirvana.

In the time of life after forty, the turiya state became a common experience. At forty-nine mahaparinirvana and the turiyatita state were revealed.

At fifty-six Supramentalisation process. 

This process is continuing, with ever-increasing intensity.

See further: Overview addressed philosophical problems addressed on this website

Mysticism and EEG

At the age of thirty, about a year after the high-causal bhava samadhi experience. A neurologist made an EEG, a graphical record of the electrical activity of my brain.

An appointment was made with the neurologist a few days after the EEG was taken. The neurologist’s conclusion, after viewing the results of the EEG, was that there was what he called a ‘remarkable’ difference in brain-wave patterns compared to what is usually the case. When asked what that meant, he said; “I don’t know, I have never seen it before”. He did not know it from literature or textbooks, and was rather puzzled by it.

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Conclusion EEG:

An excess of slow brainwaves.
Irregular basis-trace.
Focal symptoms of hypo-functional and lightly excitatory nature varying
           right and left temporala maximum.
The anomalies increase during/ by quick and deep breathing.
A remarkable but light temporal dysfunction.
No indications/evidence for epilepsy.

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“The temporal lobes have diverse structures and multiple functions including memory, the sense of self in space and time, the attribution of meaning and emotional significance, audition, organization of complex visual patterns, smell, and language.”

So it seems that when somebody is in nirvana, this is visible on an EEG, because of the total absence of thought processes.

The fact that a neurologist with many years’ experience admitted that he had never seen such brainwave-patterns before and had never seen them in the literature/textbooks makes clear that the brainwave patterns during nirvana are different for normal brainwave patterns or those related to a disease.

As this condition – being in nirvana as a permanent stage which has continued uninterrupted – it makes brain research (instrumental demonstrability) related to this condition possible which would otherwise be very difficult with short temporary anomalies such as paranormal perceptions, artistic inspiration or scientific revelations/insights.

This kind of research would probably give additional data relating to the mystical stages.

[1]: William James; “The varieties of Religious Experience; a study in human nature”,  Longmans, Green & Co. 1902.