It is said that the true mystical experience is one of the most profound experiences a human being can possibly have. Paradoxically, it is one of the most difficult to describe. Referring to classic examples of mysticism from both the East and the West, as well as scriptural references, poetry, and literature on the subject, Joy Mills describes the common characteristics of the mystical experience. Based on the studies of the famous psychologist William James which were published in The Varieties of Religious Experience in 1902, and the later research of others that followed this groundbreaking work, scholars today recognize seven distinct characteristics of the mystical state: ineffability, a noetic quality, transiency, passivity, consciousness of the oneness of life, a sense of timelessness, and a loss of the personal self. Joy Mills provides a clear and lucid explanation of each of these qualities.

But not all writers and scholars are in agreement as to the root cause of the mystical experience. Can it be induced by conscious effort? Is it the culmination of deliberate and methodical preparatory steps taken by an individual? Or, is it—as some believe—something that comes unannounced and uninvited? 1973. 36 minutes.