Mystical vs Paranormal Experience

I did a consult this weekend and there was some confusion in terminology that was tripping the student up. I laid out the following simple rule, which he thought others might find helpful so I place it here. Is that a synchonicity or just

A Paranormal Experience often causes you to question the reality of that experience. Was that a real voice of a spirit or just my imagination? Did that light bulb explode because of the working or was it coincidence? Is what I am seeing in the crystal real or just my own fantasy?

A Mystical Experience tends to cause you to question the reality of everything you have ever experiences BUT that experience. It seems hyper-real, as if everything till that point had been an illusion or a play that you have been getting too into. Depending on the experience it can shake the foundation of your perception of the outer world, your own sense of inner world, or both.

NOTE: I anticipate a flurry of comments from people with paranormal experiences and magical results who will tell me that nothing about the experience caused them to question its reality, and that they know the spirit/god/angel speaking was real and the vision in the crystal was 100% reality. I am not interested in that argument. Suffice to say that I don’t think unquestioning acceptance of our own experiences is a great idea or good foundation for work.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 8 comments

Oren Nero

No arguments with your definitions there, Jason – I just wanted to post a comment to say thank you for including that terrific Brendan McCarthy panel from “Rogan Gosh”!

Ivy Bromius

This is as good a distinction as any. I definitely have had experiences that were more real and true than reality.

M.G.

What would you consider a mystical experience?

I’ve had conversations with colossal extraterrestrial crystalline intelligences – no drugs involved – which made my brain feel like it was vibrating three speeds too high BUT I’m not exactly sure I could say it was reality shattering because there was still the sense that I was in a deeply altered, if endogenously induced, state.

On the other hand, I have seen people pull off really weird siddhis while I was in a completely unaltered state, which, although perhaps closer to what one might call paranormal, really did leave me feeling uneasy and destroy my sense of what was possible.

Also, would recognizing non-dual awareness/crossing the abyss count as mystical?

Inominandum

Out of the three the non-dual/crossing abyss experience would be mystical.

M.G.

Other than realizing non-dual awareness and the tantric experience of unifying bliss and awareness, what experiences would you call mystical?

Inominandum

Wow, by no means am I able to come up with a comprehensive list but:

– The first moment you sense the veil and something beyond it.
– resting in the natural state.
– the four jnanas
– oneness with diety or fana
– centering awareness.
– Merging of consciousness with plant spirits

There are a lot actually. Some small, some large, but all defined as “hyper Real” rather than simply an experience you are having with ordinary awareness.

M.G.

OK, I get what you’re saying. I’ve heard one crazy wisdom New Agey teacher refer to this as the distinction between a spiritual experience which involves expanded consciousness vs. one which involves a legitimate awakening.

Only thing I’m not getting on your list is merging consciousness with plant spirits. That sounds closer to how you described a paranormal experience.

Stone Dog

If I get his meaning, pretty much any inner ascent on the divine level that carries a sense of dissolution of the boundaries between part and whole, individual and universal, human and god.

Mystical vs Paranormal Experience

Leave a Reply: