Christian Mysticism

Mysticism is the philosophy and practice of a direct experience of God. Christian mysticism is traditionally pursued through the practice of the disciplines of prayer (including meditation and contemplation), fasting (including other forms of abstinence and self-denial), and alms-giving, service to others, as discussed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Other forms of mysticism in general include participation in ecstatic worship and the use of entheogens; the latter is not associated with the mainstream of Christian spirituality, and the former, in a Christian context, is primarily associated with Pentecostalism. Christians believe that God dwells in them through the Holy Spirit, and that therefore, all Christians can experience God directly.