Reflections on "The Baha’i Faith, like all other Divine Religions, is thus fundamentally mystic in character." – Shoghi Effendi

I would like to know what this means to you

Like /r/gs456 I have lots of thoughts on this subject.

In terms of the statement of Shoghi Effendi's, frankly its a relief that it has this kind of recognition and assertion in the writings. I've had a lot of profound and unusual experiences since I declared a very long time ago (some of which would be likely deemed 'psychic', yet I understand this now to be a natural stage in spiritual development, not something to be feared but embraced, within a context of a balanced attitude and relationship to). This is never about a 'me' or 'I' in this case either, and yet one has to resort to referencing ones self to even enter discussion on such matters.. Because this kind of dimension of human experience hasn't been or isn't often referenced or 'witnessed' in community life overtly, or at least this isn't the case in my experience, I've encountered degrees of cognitive dissonance, confusion even disappointment personally, and much misunderstanding in trying to bring this into a wider discourse in Baha'i community (however that endeavour is paradoxical; one becomes awake/aware in conditions that require no discussion nor is it easily accessible to language or a place in everyday life). A journey through the Valleys alters much, drawing into question everything understood as self/other dichotomies and subjectivity inherited, enculturated, as much as the system and pattern of life that Baha'i reveals and organises. It is nuanced and weaves, folds, in and out of individual sites of subjectivity and the collective demands and dynamics in group forms.

There is little point going into the differing kinds of experiences I've known. It's not a competition nor meant to invoke envy or derision. These have been numerous but pertain to a complexity of context that a book would likely be a better site to explore and discuss such matters, a gesture or small contribution to the deeper and wider history of this subject matter in human history. This isn't far off.

I don't know precisely why one person experiences much of this kind of phenomena, entering states and whole differentiated stages that have correspondences to various maps that exist across differing traditions as much as in the Baha'i writings, and another doesn't. Differences of psyche and conditioning perhaps, sociocultural differences, kinds of minds, a purpose greater than the particular individual (because, again paradoxically, when these kinds of 'lands' are entered the self disappears to varying degrees, its centrality and grip is shaken off in terms of identity; one becomes less and God-as-Mystery, as Ineffable, becomes more).

Comments such as Shoghi Effendi's validate the mystical journey and understanding, give it a place, at the center of Baha'i life and evolution of the individuals within it. I hope in time science will increasingly turn more of its lens of attention to this region of human experience and endeavour; if physics has determined what the mystics and teachers of God have often asserted, matter and psyche are interwoven and one in some manner, the implications for our sense of narrow and compressed individual selves is profound, as also our social lives..

When Baha'u'llah's assertions, the metaphysics woven through and underpinning the teachings, as also the system of guidance and community life pattern is added to this mix, well, we have a lot of evolution and revolution in terms of understanding and 'waking up' to do, individually, collectively.

Is Baha'i as a religion then, as religious life and practice, really synonymous with mysticism? Are we all called to become mystics in this day? That is partly how I would read it.

I'm very interested in the phenomenology and psychology of such matters but there doesn't seem yet to be much of an interest in developing a more deepened dialogue about such matters in Baha'i overall (just my perception and opinion presently).

Maybe that will come out of this subreddit?

/r/bahai Thread