Resources

Recommended Books

These mystical texts and authors may help those healing from adverse religious experiences by offering alternative perspectives on spirituality and fostering direct, personal experiences with the divine.

 

Here are some recommendations:

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1. "The Interior Castle" by Teresa of Ávila

Why It's Helpful: A classic mystical approach of the soul's journey toward union with the Divine, focusing on inner transformation through personal experiences. It suggest finding divine connection from within.

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2. "The Cloud of Unknowing" (Anonymous)

Why It's Helpful: A medieval text focuses on the importance of love and humility with approaching relationship with God. It advocates for a direct, personal and felt experience of the divine beyond intellectual experience.

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3. "The Dark Night of the Soul" by John of the Cross

Why It's Helpful: This writing describes the spiritual desolation we feel as an actual pathway to deeper connection with God, from whom we receive comfort and guidance during times of spiritual crises and doubt.

 

4. "The Essential Rumi" translated by Coleman Barks

Why It's Helpful: Rumi's poetry is universal and focuses on love, unity, and the ecstatic experience of the divine.

 

5. "Be Here Now" by Ram Dass

Why It's Helpful: Ram Dass's work uniquely blends Eastern mysticism with Western mind, offering practical guidance for living in the present and connecting with the God in everyday life.

 

6. "The Upanishads" (Various Authors)

Why It's Helpful: Ancient Hindu texts that teach the nature of reality, the self, and Divine Reality. It offers insights into a non-dualist view and the interconnectedness of all beings.

 

7. "New Seeds of Contemplation" by Thomas Merton

Why It's Helpful: ALL of Merton’s books are wonderful, in my experience. In this book he discusses the importance of contemplation on the journey to find one's true self, rather than following rigid religious structures.

 

8. "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz

Why It's Helpful: Coming from Toltec wisdom, this work shares practical advice on breaking free from self-limiting beliefs. There is an invitation to live a life of freedom, in love, empowering for those healing from religious trauma.

 

9. "A Course in Miracles"

Why It's Helpful: This modern spiritual text, written as a channeling of Jesus, focuses on forgiveness and loving your brother. It invites reprogramming the mind to align with divine truth, inner healing and transformation.

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These following texts provide perspectives of various Mystical paths and practices, assisting in the individual’s process of healing from religious trauma. Reading scripture from various mystical paths may help the seeker build a more personal and direct connection with Spirit and spirituality.

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Here's a list of mystical books from various traditions, offering unique insights into mystical practices:

 

1. Christianity

"The Interior Castle" by Teresa of Ávila: A Christian mystic who explores the soul's journey toward divine union.

"The Dark Night of the Soul" by John of the Cross: Describes the painful yet transformative journey toward spiritual growth and enlightenment.

 

2. Islam (Sufism)

"The Essential Rumi" translated by Coleman Barks: Poems by the well-celebrayed and universal Sufi mystic Rumi. He emphasizes love and unity with the divine.

"Al-Hikam" by Ibn 'Ata' Allah: A classic Sufi text. Offers wisdom and guidance in  spiritual refinement while on the path to God.

 

3. Judaism (Kabbalah)

"The Zohar" by Moses de León: The sacred text of Kabbalah. It provides a mystical interpretation of the Torah.

"The Sefer Yetzirah" (Book of Formation): One of the earliest Kabbalistic texts, reportedly written by Abraham the Patriarch. It focuses on the process of the creation of the universe and the mystical power embedded within the Hebrew alphabet.

 

4. Hinduism

"The Upanishads" (Various Authors): Philosophical Hindi texts that explore the nature of reality and the self.

"The Bhagavad Gita": A sacred dialogue that goes deeply into the path of devotion, knowledge, and action through discipline.

 

5. Buddhism

"The Tibetan Book of the Dead": A text that navigates the bardo, the intermediate state between death and rebirth. The work offers insights into the nature of consciousness.

"The Heart Sutra": A key Mahayana Buddhist sacred text. It explores the nature of emptiness and navigating the path to enlightenment.

 

6. Taoism

"Tao Te Ching" by Laozi: A foundational writing on Taoism. It offers wisdom on living in harmony with the Tao, or “the Way’, or flow of the universe.

"The Secret of the Golden Flower": A Taoist meditation manual. This book focuses on cultivating the inner light and one’s spiritual awakening.

 

7. Indigenous Traditions

"Black Elk Speaks" by John G. Neihardt: The spiritual autobiography of Black Elk, a Lakota holy man. Within he describes his visions and mystical experiences.

"The Way of the Shaman" by Michael Harner: Known as the “father of modern-day American shamanism”, Harner provides a modern-day exploration of shamanic practices, drawing from indigenous traditions. This book shares mystical aspects of Harner’s experiences.

 

8. Zoroastrianism

"The Gathas of Zarathustra": Theses are hymns attributed to Zoroaster, wherein he shares mystical insights and teachings on the nature of Ahura Mazda (God). The writing focuses on the cosmic struggle between good and evil.