Sweet Outlaws: Understanding the Archetypal Role of the Mystic in Modern Human Communication (original) (raw)

Historically the mystic has been conceptualized as one who seeks truth. However, the social and political implications of the archetype have been greatly complicated by various social, cultural and ideological forces throughout history. Some of the preeminent thinkers on mysticism conceptualized the term primarily in connection to a religious frame of psychological consciousness. William James (1902; 1909) contributed impressive insight into the philosophy of religion in terms of the mystical experience. However, even James submits that the mystical experience often only holds true for the mystic, and is at best a theoretical idea for the average person who may never experience the altered states of consciousness and divine union the mystic enjoys. Of course mysticism was written about extensively before James’ philosophical approach, however much of the literature is steeped in a shroud of mystery appropriate for the subject matter. Mysticism is by nature, mysterious, because its paths are as varied as those who experience it. St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila and Meister Eckhart are but a few Christian Gnostics who report the “suchness of ultimate reality” and the melting into union with God (Huxley 1944). The perennial nature of mysticsm falls outside of the realm of consensual reality for most Western and even Eastern traditions and therefore inhabits a decisively vague narrative orientation, much to the dismay of modern scholars. Eastern mystics are known world over for their contributions to the cannon; Buddha, Sri Aurobindo, Laozi (translator of the Tao Te Ching), Mansur al-Hallaj and Abraham Abulfafia to name a few in Judaic, Hindu and Muslim traditions (Myss, 2002). Even the great shamans of tribal cultures report similar experiences of a non-dual reality not perceived by the traditional five senses, such as, Amazonian mystic Padrinho Sebastao and South African Zulu mystic Credo Mutwa, whom we will revisit later in our discussion (Myss 2002). Whatever the case, the transcendence of the physical senses into the world of intuition, spirit and oneness has been espoused by various individuals in cultures all over the world. However, the narrative of the mystical experience has one common theme: the elimination of binaries. Through intense introspection, reflection, meditation, prayer, contemplation, asceticism and the relentless destruction of mind made divisiveness, the mystic discovers a world free from the shackles of the Aristotelian dualism that has dominated much of the Western world for thousands of years. However the mystic wasn’t always bound by dualism to begin with, and the freedom from dualism is a decisively Western dilemma complicated by the intellectually focused mysticism that arose in classical Greece. Or perhaps it is the arc of human consciousness to experience the binary in order to transmute it, as this has become a reality for many Non-Western cultures as well, or this could be the monolith influence of the Western paradigm on the whole of the world. In any case, understanding the unfolding of the mystical path is a fascinating glimpse into the archetypal possibilities of the human being. The benefit of understanding the mystic through an archetypal lens helps us to remember that as many archetypal scholars have indicated including Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung, these unconscious roles help to paint a picture of our humanity by understanding our roles in community, and that these archetypes typically function both individually and collectively. As an archetype the mystic tells a captivating story of discovery for the humankind that, if understood in relation to the prevailing consciousness structure as conceptualized by integral philosopher Jean Gebser, can not only provide us with a possibility for growth but act as an important reminder as to the benefits of the non-rational, aperspectival mind in relation to human interconnectivity, creativity and spiritual wholeness. Archetypally the mystic is the stuff of fantasy tales; from the wizard to the alchemist to the ascetic monk, elements of the archetypal mystic are present; and its relevance to the modern human character has been minimized by the insistence upon unquestioning rationality heralded by modern and post-modern skepticism popularized in the 19th century. Through understanding the value of the mystic throughout history, her ways (and the knowledge gained by those ways) can better inform how we approach epistemology in the burgeoning integral structure. In an effort to understand the value of the mystic in modern structures and her epistemological role in the integral structure we can perhaps expose both the benefits of the modern age on mystical paths and the possible ramifications of the scientific paradigm on her continued growth.