JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE SOUL: MYSTICISM MADE SIMPLE by Richard Shining Thunder Francis Copyright 2001 by Love Ministries, Inc., Liberty Township, Ohio DEDICATION: To my two closest heartfriends, who have made possible all good in this life, and for whom I am and always remain eternally grateful-- Maria Francis and Pat Fields-- this book is dedicated, with deep, heartfelt Love. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS No work of Love is possible without loving friends. Their support is always invaluable, and deeply appreciated. Every man needs friends to love, even as he needs them to love him. So, it is with the utterly luminous Love of the heart that I respectfully express my admiration and delicious gratitude for the following extraordinary souls (in alphabetical order): Ann Blufeather, one of the most extraordinarily kind, compassionate, selfsacrificing, and beautiful people it has been my honor and joy to know. Mary "Maribee" Butler, whose kind and compassionate heart is matched only by her lucid and brilliant mind, whose friendship I so greatly treasure. Viqi Fairchild, who has taught me so much about the fine, delicate, sometimes unpredictable art of living as a physical being. Pat Fields, who has given with such miraculous generosity to make life possible. When I asked for God in my life, she appeared, and my prayer was answered. Maria Francis, the very best human being whom I have ever met, a woman true, guileless, and impeccably honorable, the sweetest friend of my heart. Karen "Aurora" Ludwick, for whose sharp eye and mind I am always grateful, in proofreading, a real "emerald" of a lady. Frank Merriman, a compassionate, generous man who has taught me much about the "Song of God" in nature and in myself, and a brilliant teacher in his own right. Greg Sexton, whose gentle kindness and magnificent mind have made it possible for me to have a roof over my head. Shirley Sexton, whose sense of refinement and elegance have brought much loveliness and beauty into my life-- and not just the visual kind, for she has a heart overflowing with compassion. ******* May whatever merit is created by this book be shared with all hearts everywhere. May the hearts of all beings be filled with Light and Love, and may all live forever in happiness, joy, and peace. TABLE OF CONTENTS ******* Author's Preface: Why on Earth Another Book About Spirituality? 1/ The Search for Inner Excellence and Splendor: Universal Love and Spirituality 2/ Love as Passionate Obsession: Mysticism 3/ Who Do You Think You Are? The Nature of Self and Soul 4/ The Psyche, the Cosmos, and the Creator: A World of Dreams and Illusions 5/ World and Mind: The Phenomenon of the Psicosmos 6/ The All-good Inner World 7/ Welcome to Heaven or Hell, Your Choice 8/ Mysticism and Your Secret Identity 9/ Mysticism, Love, Identity, and Mindworld 10/ Mysticism and Mind: The Inner Journey 11/ The Mystic as Lover of Love 12/ The Mystic as Psychological Type 13/ The Discovery of the Virtual World of Illusion and the Dawning of Freedom 14/ The Mystical Experience and the Dreamworld or Mindworld 15/ More Notes on the Illusion: The Dreamworld (the Mindworld) and Science 16/ Many Worlds, One Mystical Worldview 17/ Idealism: A Philosophy Friendly to Mysticism 18/ Skepticism: A Philosophy Hostile to Mysticism 19/ The Girl Next Door, the Girl in My Head 20/ Impermanence, Spiritual Genius, and the Gift of the Dream 21/ Bionature, Selfdefinition, Beauty, and Pain 22/ The Mystic and Death 23/ The Suffering Mystic 24/ Brain, the Way of Simplicity, and the Mystical Embrace of Beauty 25/ Everything is Beautiful, in the Mystic Way 26/ The Inner World of Mind, and its Gnosis by the Mystic 27/ Come Fly the Friendly Inner Skies 28/ More Mysteries of the Mystic Mindworld 29/ It's Alive! Mysticism and Vitalism 30/ The Call of the Mystic 31/ The Everyday Life and Behavior of the "Ordinary" Mystic: God "In" the Self 32/ One With the One: Union with the Higher Self through Yoga 33/ One With the One 2: More Notes On Yoga 34/ Singing the Light Fantastic Versus Lethal Materialism 35/ Love Is Like a Melody: Inner Sounds of Silence 36/ Mystical Mysteries: Some More Identifying Marks 37/ Marks of True Mystics and Phonies 38/ Reading, Talking, Writing, and Walking Mysticism 39/ Mindpower, Abundance, the Way, and Magic 40/ The Well and Ocean of Perfect Love: More Signatures of the True Mystic 41/ The Real Mystic: Attitudes and Discoveries 42/ The Superhuman Mystic: Revelations and Keeping the Peace with Religion 43/ Spinning the World of Light or Living Within It 44/ Immersed in the Mystery of Love: Some Notes on the Interior God 45/ Psychocartography: Mapping the Inner Journey to the Center of the Soul 46/ Ghastly and Nightmarish "Truth" 47. From the Many, One: The Multiple Origins of Orthodox "truth": The Word, the Incarnation, and the Trinity 48/ God Inside Out: The Inner Mystic Divine, and the Primitive Projected God 49/ Theopsychology: God and the Inner Trinity 50/ The Clarification of the Mystical Trinity 51/ The Mysteries of Preincarnation and Incarnation 52/ Pantheism and Mysticism, and Jesus as the Archetypal Pattern of the mystic 53/ The Cross in the Rose: The Darknight and the Rebirth 54/ Beginning Babysteps: Identifying with the New Self or Soul 55/ Three Types of Mindmaps 56/ New Values, Integration of Opposites, and Mystical Elevation 57/ Types and Varieties of Mystical Experience 58/ High Ethics and the Mystical Entry into Inner Heaven 59/ Phases of the Mystical Journey: The Seven Valleys Described by Attar 60/ The Mutual Mystic: Lovers and Richard's Four Phases of Ardent Love 61/ Enlightenment, mystical Reality, and the Mysteries of Alchemy 62/ The Alchemical Tale of the Mystic Quest 63/ The Occult, Cults, Magic, and Mysticism 64/ The Teachings and Worldview of Magic 65/ Archetypes, Magic, Power, Healing, and Mysticism 66/ Miraculous Mystic Emptiness, Magic, and the Formal Church 67/ The Mystic: A Composite Portrait of Pneumopsychology and the Phases of the Mystical Experience 68/ The Darknight, Egodeath, and Joy 69/ Becoming God: Utter Joy, or Final Disappearance? 70/ The Absolute and the Nature of Mystical Metamorphosis 71/ The Positive Social Implications of Mysticism 72/ Total Selfmetamorphosis: The Core of the Mystical Experience 73/ Varieties of Mystical Experience: Brief Notes on Various Mystical Types 74/ Cosmic Consciousness, Richard Rolle, and the Two Types of Mystic 75/ Ridding the Life of Evil and Cultivating Humility: The First Steps of Mysticism 76/ Cultivating Invincibility: The Allembracing Mind and the Way of Purgation 77/ Purgation: Purgatory, Pain, Peace, Passion, and Poverty 78/ Mortification, Ultracontment, and the Ways of Renunciation and Simplicity 79/ The Classical Virtues of the Mystic: Using Them to Overcome the Lower Nature 80/ Owning and Being Owned: The Paradox of Mystical Freedom 81/ Living in a Very Good World: Poverty of the Psyche and Resignation 82/ The Discovery of Inner Sanity: A Quick Review of Mystical Principles 83/ Bourignan, Francis, and Theresa Versus Gurus of Ignorance: Opposite Fanaticisms to be Avoided 84/ Notes on Mystical Lifestyles: Ecology, Unbalanced Mystics, and Inner Death 85/ The Crucifixion of Ego and Resurrection of Spirit: Hyperintrospection and the Illusion 86/ Life, Death, and Love, Mystic Style 87/ Mysticism and Masochism: Separating the Mystical Wheat from the Aberrant Chaff 88/ The Perfect World: Abandonment of Preference, and Some Mystic Vignettes of Mortification 89/ Borderline Between the Purgative and Illuminative Ways: Alternations Between Rapture and its Absence 90/ The Illuminative Way: Ecstatic Midpoint of the Journey 91/ The Illuminative Way and the Unitive Way 92/ The Luminous Theophany: God in the Soul, God in the World 93/ Nature, the Perfect Creator, and the Imperfect World 94/ Strange Scents, Visions, and Revelations: Parasensory Experiences and Mysticism 95/ Madness, Visionary Interpretations, the Superconscious, and Audiorevelation 96/ Visions, Revelations, and Exteriorizations 97/ Imaginary Vision, Passive and Active 98/ Automatic Writing, Inspiration, and Mysticism 99/ Introspection, Attention, and Contemplation: The Dynamic Training of a Mystic 100/ The Vanishing of the Self into Love 101/ Mystical Prayer and Stages of the Inner Journey 102/ Review of Some Mystical Stages and Transformations 103/ Quietism: Phony Mysticism 104/ Inner Steps to the Miracle of Contemplation 105/ The Mystery and Ecstatic Beauty of Contemplation 106/ The Paradoxical Desert-Garden: the Inner Dwelling place of the Absolute 107/ Cosmic Closure: Final Ecstatic Union Conscious Mind Pre Conscious Mind Personal Unconscious Soul Collective Unconscious Creator (Dreamer) Spirit (God) Graphics by Dana Pilolli AUTHOR'S PREFACE: WHY ON EARTH ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT SPIRITUALITY? *** Far too many books about "spirituality" overflow from shelves bulging in every bookstore. It often seems as if they are falling out of the racks. They promise everything, often for nothing. The last thing this planet needs is yet another. But the reality is not appearance. Books about true spirituality are few and far between. Many thousands of books discuss religion-- a completely different subject. Religion does sometimes dip into the oceanic mindwaters of real Spirit. A tragic error blinds us, however, if we assume that religion is spiritual. The two can be totally unrelated. For religion involves finances, administrivia, hierarchy, Scriptural dogmas, and a host of other factors unrelated to Spirit. Also, much "bull" passes for popspirituality. This is usually a combination of cheap metaphysics and shabbier psychology. It is designed to stir up greed. It promises the moon and stars. With only the mindless repetition of some simple but "secret," usually "ancient and esoteric" techniques, you can become rich and/or famous overnight. You can have anything that you want, without even working for it. All that you have to do is wish-- as in a b-movie about a genie in a bottle.