Conscious Aging with John Robinson, Ph.D.

Misconceptions about mysticism have trivialized or demonized this natural experience for centuries. I hear similar misconceptions directed at mystical activism as well. Mystical Activism: Transforming a World in Crisis was written to rectify them. So here are some of the most common misconceptions and my response:
 
Misconceptions
1.     This crisis is no time for "woo woo" distractions like mysticism
2.     Earth activists are already motivated by spiritual values and commitments
3.     Action is more powerful than prayer or mysticism
 
Responses
1.     Viewing mystical activism as a "woo woo" distraction or waste of time misses its profound gifts, including deep and sustainable motivation, transformational revelations, awakened wisdom and purpose, and divine guidance. The mystical experience of Creation changes us and the way we live, for we instinctively defend that which we experience as sacred. For those who experience it, mysticism is decidedly not a distraction, instead of revealing the very ground of being that supports and guides our work. Native peoples closer to the Earth have always known this right-brain dimension of existence; predominately left-brained "modern" people often lose touch with such direct knowing and conclude that it doesn't exist. Like swimming, the only way to really know what it's like is to experience it firsthand.
 
2.     Some activists are spiritually motivated are and some aren't, but the larger issue is that the majority of people in the world are not yet on board with the level of this crisis, the degree of behavior change required to combat it, or the deeply sacred nature of the world we are fighting for. Yes, time is running out but, as the Parliament of World Religions demonstrated, people from around the world respond through their spirituality. Religious and spiritual appeals bring us together. Mystical activism arises as transformative experiences move us from spiritual seekers to mystics to Earth activists with a singular motivation – caring for the sacred Earth.
 
3.     Action is absolutely necessary, but action divorced from continuous and direct mystical experience can also lead to burnout, endlessly warring narratives and campaigns that impose logical goals in place of an experience Creation's needs. Opening mystical consciousness to the sacred naturally generates acts of spiritual disobedience in the face of the Earth's wounds. We live in a divine world, shouldn't we listen to its voices large and small, here and beyond? This is, after all, a struggle to restore a sacred perception of life now overwritten by modernity, dualistic beliefs, and greed.
 
Conclusions
This is one of those both/and rather than either/or distinctions. We need both sides of the brain to stay balanced – logic and intuition, conceptual thought and sacred awareness, human and divine. Mystical experience actually takes very little time but can yield tremendous benefits in values, motivation, and wisdom. The mystical dimension, as old and humanity itself, provides the antidote to one-sided problem-solving as well as profound support in times of seemingly endless struggle, defeat and suffering. A deeper explanation of these counter-arguments can be found in Mystical Activism. Read it, go deep, and then see if you – and your work – grow in meaning, power and hope.