Criticism of Post-Modern Mysticism

Mysticism is a path, which takes man to another level of cognition which is in contrast to sensory perception. For this reason, it must provide the mystic with a different set of tools or discover them within him to pave the way for another type of cognition.Different mystic schools of thought have always referred to some kind of illumination and try to use it. That effort requires a special practical program, which is sent by God through prophets, is called sharia.Undoubtedly, after accepting that Man has been created by an all-knowing God which knows all the Man’s secrets, we must admit that divine religion is the best way for activating human potentials and religiosity can lead to true mysticism. Therefore, sharia has been given to all prophets. Almighty God tells Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in Quran that “He has enforced the same Sharia for you, as was given to Noah, and the same that was revealed to Abraham, Moses and Jesus.”Seyed Heidar Ameli has compared relationship between sharia and truth of mysticism to almond skin and its kernel: “The kernel will perish in the absence of the skin while the skin will be useless without the kernel.”Pundits have always stressed that attaining truth of mysticism would be impossible without sharia because if a divine path is not taken; the mystic will be vulnerable to satanic hallucinations, mistaking them for true mysticism. This paper aims to explain that if mysticism distances from sharia and faith in a single God and the Afterworld, it will become a tool for domination of foreign hegemonic powers over people.