Letters - 05 September 2014
From mystical experience to the wonders of technology
Mystical experience
In Jan Arriens thoughtful consideration of Quaker belief (22 August) he emphasises our being a mystical Society and mysticism can cover everything from a simple sense of awe and wonder to a state of bliss. But for many years Quakers have underplayed this aspect of Quakerism. In the index of Quaker faith & practice (Qf&p) there is no mention of mystical experience although, as he points out in his strong appreciation of Rufus Jones’ contribution to our understanding of this subject, Jones’ powerful mystical experience at the time of his eleven-year-old son’s death is recorded in Qf&p 22.84.
In July I led a Wimbledon Meeting discussion on Quakers and Mysticism: We can all have Mystical Experiences and my handout gave examples of many mystical experiences of early and contemporary Friends recorded in Qf&p. I then also recorded two mystical encounters in the Friend recently: that of the editor Ian Kirk-Smith (2 May), who described a mystical experience in Northern Ireland, and that of Jane Pearn of Kelso (16 May), who shares such an experience in Thought for the Week. I then included mystical experiences contributed by two members of Wimbledon Meeting very recently during Meeting for Worship. These all prove that encounters with the ‘Great Beyond’ are much more widespread than is publicly recognised and that, as Jan Arriens believes, they are at the heart of Quakerism. If anybody would like a copy of my handout I will be glad to email them a copy: helericb@gmail.com.
Eric Bramsted
‘Spiritual connectedness’ goes to the heart of my exper-ience of Meeting. As a new attender, I encounter the love and spiritual support of Friends whose testimonies spring both from that of God within and from their faith in action. Whilst making me aware of my value as an individual, Friends show me our connection to a greater whole. I am grateful to Jan Arriens for deepening my understanding of this connectedness and for his challenge to engage with the world.
Catharine Weaver
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