What is a Spiritually Transformative Experience (STE) also known as a Mystical Experience?
“STE’s or Mystical experiences can occur spontaneously, and indeed people report them occurring at completely unexpected times.”
They’re hard to define. But according to https://observatory.synthesisretreat.com/. Mysticism is “Anything that is hard to comprehend or describe with rational or simple language. Generally, it is short-lasting, feels immensely meaningful or profound, and shatters some of your preconceptions.
According to https://www.insightstate.com/spirituality/mystic-signs “Mysticism — otherwise known as “ultimate reality” or “direct knowledge of spiritual truth” — can be obtained through experiences. It’s said to be the final power in reality, yet it’s not originally from faith, principle or dogma” “Many people (who have had these experiences) identify as spiritual but not religious; with a few exceptions.”
I’ve had mystical experiences throughout my life, starting as far back as age nine. Why? I have no idea!
Mystical experiences can come in the form of vivid dreams where you can remember every detail when you’re awake and far into your future. They have a very clear message attached to them, one that resonates when you have it, or perhaps resonates more as you grow older. They’re not bad dreams, they are profound dreams. Perhaps you hear the voice or a message from someone who has departed this earth. They’re not necessarily conversations with a deceased love one, although they may share a clear message with you, or for you, for them. Perhaps, it’s meditation where you experience something that rocks your world. Many people have had NDE’s, near death experiences, where they have passed over to the other-side of life, and then returned to their bodies after a serious medical trauma. If you have, or have had, any of these experiences or others like these, you know exactly what I’m talking about. They are not psychotic breaks, or flashes of mental illness. Your thinking and observations are perfectly clear and lucid. They are short lived, profound, and compelling experiences.
If you are having times where you are experiencing ongoing mental confusion, I suggest you contact your doctor or a professional therapist. These are not what I am talking about. If you have not had these spiritual anomalies, I grant you it’s very difficult to comprehend such a thing. For decades people who have had spiritual experiences did not talk about them, as they were concerned that others would think they were crazy and they did not want to be labeled as such.
For me, I began searching for information on these moments and experiences, as soon as I had one. There was very little information available back in the sixties and seventies. Today, there is information everywhere. There are books, professional-studies done be experts in these fields. There are YouTube from scientists, doctors, surgeons, psychiatrists, experiencers, and people all over the world, from different cultures, countries, states, and religions that openly talk about their experiences. Experiences which are very similar to other people experiences.
For a quick peak at just a few of said information click on
The percentage of adults who identify as religious in many industrialized countries is declining, while remaining generally high in less developed nations. Even as religious affiliation decreases, a sense of spiritual identification could remain steady or even increase. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/spirituality.