consider myself to be a mystic, although of a strange, eclectic kind. I tend to think of it as "active mysticism" as you have no doubt noticed by now. I am definitely not a contemplative although I do practice forms of contemplation and meditation when time is available and adequate sleep is possible. In an earlier time and in another society, I would probably have been a shaman. While I have achieved ecstatic states of union and highly value the experience, I don't isolate my mysticism into a particular tradition, goals or a limited part of my life. I have never been able to commit myself to a single tradition. No single one appears able to get me where I want to go. What I have come to understand about the nature of God ~ Ultimate Reality colors all of my life, not just some part of my time spent on "spiritual" or "religious" activities. If you really know that you (and everything else) are part of God, then this must alter how you live your internal life, even if it doesn't show to (or you conceal it from) the casual observer. It alters my external life as well. Likewise, my being an engineer obviously colors my approach to mysticism. It seems to be that I am an engineer and mystic as opposed to being someone who makes a living as an engineer and has an interest in mysticism.

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   Copyright 2002,3 by Ted Vollers