Five mystical levels

by  Marinus Jan Marijs

Within transpersonal philosophy/psychology, the subtle level and the causal level are sometimes seen as two different levels and sometimes as four:

• Low-subtle;
• High-subtle;
• Low-causal;
• High-causal.

Cross-cultural comparisons show that there are five mystical levels, including the psychic level (nature mysticism), as set out in the list below (the non-dual, which is not a level, is not included). The evidence from such cross-cultural comparison shows that the subtle level should be divided in low-subtle and high-subtle, and the causal into low-causal and high-causal.The list shows the names in seven cultures for five different types of mystics on five different levels

Five mystical levels in different cultures

Psychic level:
Buddhist: Srotapatti
Hindu: Parivrajaka
Islam: Wali
Christian: Nature mysticism
Greek: Pistos
Inuit (Eskimo): Mittat
Tibetan: Theg men
Christian symbolism: Baptized with water
Pythagoreans: Paraskeie
Zen Buddhism: Satori

Low-subtle level:
Buddhist: Sakridagamin
Hindu: Kutichaka
Islam: Ghous
Christian: The holy men
Greek: Psychikos
Inuit (Eskimo): Kahlalik
Tibetan: Snag kyi thegpa
Christian symbolism: Baptized with spirit (pneuma)
Pythagoreans: Katharsis

High-subtle level
Buddhist: Anagamin
Hindu: Hamsa
Islam: Koetoeb
Christian: The wise
Greek: Pneumatikos
Inuit (Eskimo): Kachaxpak
Tibetan: Rang sangyais
Christian symbolism: Baptized with fire
Pythagoreans: Teleiotes

Low-causal level:
Buddhist: Arhat
Hindu: Paramahamsa
Islam: Nabi
Jainism: Arhat
Chinese: Lohan
Christian: Prophet
Greek: Teleios
Inuit (Eskimo): (He or she who will become hlamchoua )
Tibetan: Changchub semspa (bodhisattva)
Christian symbolism: Baptized with blood
Pythagoreans: Epiphania

High-causal level:
Buddhist: Buddha
Hind: Jivanmukta
Islam: Rassoul
Jainism: Jaina
Chinese: Sengjen
Christian: Christ consciousness
Greek: Christos
Inuit (Eskimo): Hlamchoua (enlightened)
Tibetan: Blana med pa thegpa
Christian symbolism: The messiah, the anointed
Pythagoreans:  Theophania

[Alexandra David Néel: “Initiations and initiates in Tibet”. University Books, New York, 1959.
Hazrat Inayat Khan: “ The unity of religious ideals”. Barrie and Rockliff. 1963.
J. H. Van Leeuwen/A.P. Meyer-Gerhard/N.E. Van der Schoot-Groot: Ganesha: Kleine woordentolk der geesteswetenschappen. 1969.
The Bible.]