Mysticism: The Journey Within

by Robert Chaney

Book Overview

If you have ever had a mystical experience, this book is a must-read. Here is a workable approach to mystical awareness. You will be able to develop and apply practical techniques for cultivating... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0918936063
• ISBN13: 9780918936066
• Release Date: June 1979
• Publisher: Astara
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Mysticism: The Journey Within

Robert Chaney is one of the world's leading autorities on psychic phenomena, occupying a position of rare eminence in contemporary religious leadership. As founder and director of Astara, a religious and educational organization which explores the mystical aspects of the world's great religions, he has guided people in over 80 countries on their spiritual quests. Dr. Chaney is responsible for developing some of the most revolutionary techniques for spiritual instruction successfully adapted to the modern age. He is gifted with a special genius for teaching subtle truths of religion and mysticsm, and is justifably recognized as one of the outstanding mystics and philosophers of the west. --- from book's back cover

Mysticism as the human, direct way to God

Mysticism is an experiential awareness of Spirit. This is a book of practical mysticism written by a practical mystic. That is to say that the author has actually experienced the states that he describes and is not merely an academic. This makes it extremely useful to those that are trying to make sense of their own personal experiences. While the book is the outgrowth of a graduate class on Christian Mysticism, the author makes it clear that it could just as well apply to the mystical traditions of any religion ever known. Personally, I am surprised that this book is not better known. When I first found it over a decade ago I considered it a true Godsend (or was it synchronicity?) It has the most down-to-earth, genuine, unpretentious style of any book on the subject that I've found- and yet the author quotes from Bucke's _Cosmic Consciousness_, Tennyson, William James, The Gospel of Thomas, Emerson, the Hermetica, St. Augustine, St. Teresa, Dionysius the Areopagite, Rufus Jones (the Quaker philosopher), Evelyn Underhill, etc., etc., etc. The text itself gives well-organized guidelines that lists specific mystical occurrences, describes methods to attain them, directs the individual towards the methodology best suited to their personality, and gives significant general information to provide a solid foundation for the Great Search. The self-discovery guides at the end of each chapter are especially useful. There is nothing of the "fuzzy-minded" mystic here (which is remarkable given the difficulty in expressing some of the concepts involved.) There are repeated assurances that you are not alone in your experiences, that most people just aren't going to understand you, and that, historically, you are in good company. The genius, the neurotic, and the mystic all share the same receptivity to the mystical. The difference is that the genius is open-minded about the secrets hidden in his special field of interest, the neurotic sees hidden meaning that only he can perceive in almost everything- and the mystic gives his name to it all.