Mystical Experiencer: Female in early seventies
Submission date: February 4, 2022
Current location: U.S.A.
Age at time of experience: 54
I can only describe my “most significant mystical experience” by describing them all as they seem related and built in power, though they were all three very brief in “standard time” (though while they happened time was irrelevant). Basically, all three involved an experience which when described loses something in the “translation” from experience into words. It was an experience of complete and under Oneness/Non-duality with another living thing/being. The first time as I was walking on a sidewalk and looked at a window box of flowers/vines and all separateness disappeared…was I the plants? Were the plants me? I can’t truly verbalize it.
The second time was walking in a park and a squirrel and I merged. It was the same thing…a Oneness and brief glimpse of what felt like the Truth of existence.
Finally, the one that really has changed me was in, of all places a bathroom of a movie theater in a mall in New Jersey. I know, it sounds crazy. I walked into the bathroom and there was a woman employee cleaning the room and we looked at each other and all duality dropped away. She was still there and I was still there but all that reality, the separateness, the room, the material reality of everything receded despite it all still being there. All that mattered was this amazing Oneness. I always (and rarely do this) dislike trying to tell this because just using words is dualistic; to say “she and I were one” is to still distinguish between us so it’s frustrating trying to describe it. It can’t be described really. We weren’t just One for those moments, it was an experience of knowing we are All One Always. It felt and still feels like I was suddenly given a gift of knowledge that was incredibly important and precious. I still carry that sense with me all these years later. For several weeks after that experience I kept having all these small opportunities to do little kindnesses or helpful things for total strangers…things that I know I would not have noticed were there to do prior to this experience.
A few months later I happened to stop by a meditation center not far from where I live and saw they were offering a week long retreat on Non-Duality…with a teacher of Advaita Vedanta. The word grabbed me. I felt so relieved that there was a word for it and maybe other people who knew about it. So I went and finally felt what I had experienced could have a context of understanding. I have always been interested in spiritual teachings. I had learned to meditate years before and studied Buddhism. I had been raised protestant but converted to Judaism and was interested in Kabbalah. So, I became immersed in studying Advaita Vedanta for a while.
I realize I was continually hoping to repeat my experience. But lately, I think I realize that seeking to repeat the experience is a waste of time. I was given a Glimpse of the Truth, or Cosmic Consciousness, whatever you want to call it, and since then I feel much more grateful just to have had that. I now feel content to tell myself, “I am a spiritual being having a human experience” and I trust that whatever spiritual journey I am on I will be guided.