The Forgotten Core of Religion: Why Religious People Often Misunderstand Mysticism
Religions often begin with direct inner experience, yet evolve into institutions focused on ritual and structure. This article explores the forgotten mystical core across traditions and why inner transformation remains central.
Religions did not originally arise from theory.
Before institutions, dogmas, or rituals existed, there was usually a profound inner experience at the beginning—an experience that completely transformed a person’s life.
In Christianity, this experience is associated with Jesus.
In Buddhism, with the awakening of the Buddha under the Bodhi tree.
Both figures stand at the origin of traditions that today include millions of followers. Yet if one looks more closely, something becomes apparent:
Many religious people identify with these traditions, but the actual path that leads to the original experience is often barely visible anymore.
Religion frequently becomes something else:
a mixture of moral orientation, social belonging, and occasional forms of piety.
The mystical core from which these traditions emerged tends to fade into the background.
Religion in everyday life: an external practice
In the daily religious life of many people, a recognizable pattern emerges.
In Christianity, religious practice often consists of:
- attending church services
- reading biblical texts
- communal prayer
- moral reflection about right behavior
All of this can be meaningful. But it does not automatically lead to the inner transformation spoken of by the great spiritual teachers.
An early example already appears in the New Testament.
The Apostle Paul speaks of praying “without ceasing.”
Many interpret this as frequent verbal prayer. Yet in the mystical tradition, this phrase was always understood differently: not as constant speech, but as an inner state—a continuous orientation of consciousness.
In its deepest sense, prayer does not mean repeatedly forming words, but remaining in an inner state of connection.
This difference is crucial.
Between occasional religious practice and a continuous inner state lies a vast distance.
The same pattern in Buddhism
A similar development can be observed in Buddhism.
Many people engage with Buddhist philosophy, read books, or attend meditation courses occasionally. In Western contexts, Buddhism is often understood as a life philosophy.
However, the original Buddhist path was far more radical.
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It aimed at a fundamental transformation of consciousness: awakening.
This awakening was not merely greater calm in everyday life, but a profound insight into the nature of mind and reality.
Here too we see a shift.
A tradition originally oriented toward existential transformation becomes, over time, a cultural or philosophical practice.
A universal pattern across religious traditions
This pattern is not limited to a single religion.
Across traditions, two layers can often be distinguished:
- an external layer consisting of rules, rituals, and institutions
- an internal layer describing the actual spiritual path
In Islam, this inner dimension appears in Sufism.
In Hinduism, in mystical traditions such as Advaita or certain forms of Yoga.
This inner layer is less visible and practiced by far fewer people.
This does not make the external religion meaningless. It can provide orientation, community, and ethical structure.
But it is not identical with the mystical path.
The paradox of religious communities
A striking paradox emerges here.
Religions originate from deep inner experiences. Yet over time, they develop structures that increasingly emphasize external forms.
Institutions require organization.
Communities need rules.
Rituals create identity.
All of this is understandable.
But something can be lost in the process: the original focus on inner transformation.
The mystical path then becomes a marginal element within a tradition that originally emerged from it.
Skepticism toward mysticism
This paradox sometimes appears even in the attitudes of religious people toward mysticism.
In religious discussions—such as forums or community groups—mysticism is often approached with caution.
Some people react skeptically when mystical texts are recommended or inner experiences are discussed. At times, mysticism is even regarded as misleading or potentially dangerous.
In one discussion, for example, a participant reported that references to mystical literature were strongly rejected and eventually led to their posts being removed.
Such reactions are not universal, but they reveal a certain tension.
Something that once lay at the core of religious experience is sometimes now perceived as unusual or even suspicious.
Why mysticism is often misunderstood
Part of the issue may lie in how mystical paths are sometimes portrayed.
Some associate mysticism primarily with visions, ecstatic states, or extraordinary religious phenomena. Yet many major mystics describe something far more simple.
In fact, many explicitly warn against such expectations.
The Spanish mystic John of the Cross emphasizes that unusual inner images or experiences may occur on the spiritual path. However, he advises against attributing special significance to them.
According to him, such experiences may arise from imagination, emotional intensification, or other psychological processes. For this reason, it is dangerous to interpret them prematurely as divine signs.
His advice is strikingly sober: even if such experiences occur, one should not cling to them.
The true mystical path does not lead through extraordinary visions, but through a gradual deepening of inner stillness.
The mind becomes quieter, simpler, and less attached to representations. Mysticism is therefore less about seeking new experiences and more about letting go inwardly.
What mysticism actually means
When Teresa of Ávila writes words like:
“Do not seek God outside yourself; you will only find Him within.”
many people struggle to understand what this means. Mysticism is often expressed in symbolic language that can seem inaccessible.
This article aims to provide a clearer entry point. Meister Eckhart serves as a starting reference to later understand Teresa and others.
Meister Eckhart speaks clearly and directly. He repeatedly emphasizes that the essential step is not the creation of new religious concepts, but rather inner silence and letting go.
For him, the path begins with something very basic:
the ability to turn inward and become aware of one’s inner depth.
He does not describe mysticism as a series of spectacular experiences, but as a process of inner gathering. Attention is withdrawn from external things and directed inward.
Only in this inner collectedness can a deeper dimension gradually open.
Mysticism often begins not with visions, but with simple awareness of one’s inner being.
The resistance of the intellect
Another reason for skepticism toward mysticism lies in the role of the intellect.
Modern culture is strongly cognitive. Knowledge, analysis, and rational control dominate.
The mystical path, however, requires something that partially resists this orientation.
It does not abolish thinking, but temporarily steps beyond its dominance.
The deepest spiritual experience cannot be achieved through intellectual effort alone. The intellect has a natural limit here.
Biblical language already reflects this distinction between the “old” and “new” human being (Paul), or the “outer” and “inner” human (Augustine).
The outer human corresponds to our constructed identity. The inner human represents a deeper dimension more open to transcendence.
According to John of the Cross and Meister Eckhart, only in this inner dimension can divine encounter occur.
“In the innermost ground of the soul, the Father gives birth to His Son.”
Many mystics describe a process in which habitual cognitive structures are gradually released.
This release happens through contemplation—not through force or self-denial, but through surrender.
Why people expect immediate spiritual experiences
Another misunderstanding concerns expectations of spiritual progress.
Many people assume the spiritual path should produce immediate, intense experiences of God. They attempt to generate strong emotional states through music, prayer, or ritual intensity.
Such experiences can indeed be meaningful. They may inspire and open initial access.
But they are not identical with deep inner transformation.
Religious highs are often emotionally driven and therefore transient. After such peaks, emotional contrast tends to follow.
The mystical path is different. It is not based on emotional fluctuation, but on gradual deepening.
For this reason, mystics often describe a phase in which earlier feelings disappear. This can seem like loss—but it is part of a deeper purification process.
In Christian mysticism, this is often called the “dark night.”
The role of the dark night
A particularly precise model of this process is found in Christian mysticism.
John of the Cross describes how the human being undergoes phases of purification on the inner path. Not only external habits are purified, but also the habitual functioning of the mind.
This experience is referred to as the “dark night.”
Although the term sounds negative, it is paradoxically also described as a joyful or liberating phase.
In this phase, the intellect loses its dominant position, creating space for a deeper form of divine experience.
Many spiritual teachers emphasize that this transformation cannot be fully achieved through human effort alone. It unfolds through a combination of inner readiness and grace that cannot be forced.
For this reason, the mystical path cannot be fully reduced to methods or programs. It remains, in a sense, unplannable.
(A separate article on the dark night is available.)
Why activism cannot replace the inner path
Another misunderstanding concerns external engagement in the world.
Many believe that the most important expression of spirituality is active work: social projects, ethical behavior, or moral improvement of society.
Such actions can indeed be valuable.
However, from a mystical perspective, their deepest quality arises only from inner connection.
Without this connection, action risks becoming ego-driven—based on obligation, idealism, or achievement orientation.
This can lead to exhaustion and, in extreme cases, spiritual ego formation.
Mystical traditions therefore often reverse the order:
first inner transformation, then action in the world.
When this inner connection is established, action becomes more spontaneous and qualitatively different. It no longer arises merely from effort, but from deeper motivation.
The original intention of spiritual teachers
When one examines the major spiritual teachers, this appears to have been their original intention.
They did not primarily aim to establish institutions. Their message pointed toward transformation of inner life.
Later traditions preserved this message—but often in externalized forms.
This does not diminish religion’s value. But it suggests that its core may lie deeper than everyday religious practice reveals.
A forgotten path
The mystical path has not disappeared.
It continues to exist in many traditions—sometimes hidden, sometimes in small communities, sometimes in historical texts.
But it has become less visible.
Perhaps one of the great spiritual challenges of our time is to rediscover this inner path.
Not as a replacement for religion, but as its original core.
For religious traditions did not begin with institutions.
They began with an experience.
And that experience remains possible today.
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