Mind and "Spirits"

Does the mystic believe in "angels," "demons," and other "spirit-entities"? Mystics are very independent people, so some do, and some do not. But let's take a closer look at the Way: Forget about angels for now. The only thing in which we need to believe to find happiness and joyful lives is the inner Mind. And, since you are thinking about that, it doesn't require a rocket scientist! If Mind did not exist, you could not be thinking about it! You could not be even reading these words.

So, we know that Mind exists. What's next? Much of spirituality occurs in the "Unconscious." So, we have to determine whether the Unconscious exists. There are two powerful reasons for believing this: 1) All psychologists, specialists in Mind, believe in It; and 2) tonight, when you dream, you will touch It directly.

So, the existence of the Unconscious is really as selfevident as is that of the conscious mind.

We also know that Love exists. Yes, it might be imperfectly expressed among people-- downright crummy and lousy, in fact. But that distortion does not deny the existence of Love, and even the potential or possibility of a perfect Love. Although Love might be flawed in a thousand ways, even the most hardened skeptic, if she is a realist, must admit that Love exists. So, the mystic God is known to exist by even "atheists." This perfect Love exists, says the Way, within your own mind, deep in the Unconscious. This is God. This is the Mind that is dreaming up the universe every moment.

Why does the Enllightenment Tradition teach that the "material, external" world is neither material nor external, but all a dream? This is because you cannot prove any object actually to exist without your mind to sense or perceive it. In other words, no object can be proved to exist independently of Mind. (Proof of this is that, in a dream, the same object would seem equally real.)

So, we cannot prove the existence of the "external, material" world, but we can prove the existence of Mind. Since you have a mind, you are, says the Way, irreversibly plugged into the great Unconscious (God).

This is very good news, for, according to the Enlightenment Tradition, this Mind is Love. The Center of the whole cosmos is Mind, and the Center of Mind is Love.

Knowing these few selfevident facts, you do not need to believe in angels, demons, spirits, etc. Of course, you are free, completely and absolutely, to believe in them if you choose to do so. Mystics do not believe in rigid dogma, or "truth" set in concrete. In the mystical life, these things all become optional, not mandatory. Again, according to the Enlightenment Tradition, you are here to love as much as possible, starting with yourself. So, begin right now: Do something kind for someone else, or for yourself. Every act of Love is an act of healing, and makes you feel better!