Dr. Jay Forrest

I agree with John Hick: there is no one religion whose adherents stand out as morally and spiritually superior to the rest of the human race. All traditions have their saints, their politicians, and their sinners.

The best of each religion or philosophy is, ultimately, the mystic—one who directly experiences Ultimate Reality. Only they access something humanity as a whole needs. They know the goal, the path, and many of the pitfalls.

Once you realize that all religions have their strengths and limitations, you begin to loosen your attachment. You can learn from all while clinging to none. There is not one path to the mountaintop, but many. You become open to truth wherever it appears.

There is great freedom in being unattached to any single religion or philosophy. You retain the capacity to remain a beginner, continually learning at the feet of truth. You begin to approach others’ beliefs with an eye toward understanding rather than a disposition to disprove. This openness expands the mind and heart, allowing you to see through illusion—not only theirs, but your own.

Most mystics are hermits, or at least semi-hermits. A hermit is an individual who intentionally withdraws from ordinary social life in order to cultivate silence, solitude, and simplicity, with the aim of deepening their spiritual life.

This withdrawal may be physical, living in remote or sparsely populated places. But it can also be social, living quietly within society while deliberately limiting interaction. This is the case for most modern hermits.

A hermit may have a spouse or partner, provided the relationship supports rather than obstructs the contemplative aspiration. What defines a hermit is not geography or marital status, but the deliberate orientation toward solitude as a primary mode of life.

Most of the world’s religions have their hermits. These hermits tend to be—or eventually become—mystics. Spend enough time alone, and you begin to encounter Ultimate Reality. You cannot spend much time with people and much time with reality; eventually, you have to choose.

They say it takes more wisdom to receive advice than to give it. This is because we usually do not want advice; what we really want is someone to agree with what we have already decided.

This is especially true in spiritual matters. Spiritual experiences take the shape of the container they are poured into. A Christian interprets a mystical experience in Christian terms; a Muslim interprets a mystical experience in Islamic terms.

It is important to recognize that experiences are never worldview-neutral. They are always interpreted within the intellectual and philosophical framework of the person having them. This is inevitable and unavoidable.

It takes a degree of independence to think outside the social construct we are born into. That is why I write to mystics rather than the general public. You need that independence to think objectively about beliefs that others hold as sacred.

This matters because mystics encounter the same reality but name it differently. By learning across traditions, we begin to see what our own framework obscures, thereby deepening our understanding of Ultimate Reality. In this way, the journey into the spiritual depths becomes less confined by any single lens.

I think one of the most misunderstood words is “spiritual” and “spirituality.” Ask someone to define the words, and they will be at a loss. We have a vague, foggy notion, but no clear concept.

Most people think that spirituality has something to do with heightened emotions or mystical insights. But this is not true. In order to understand spirituality, we must first understand the word spirit.

The word spirit is derived from the Greek word for breath. It is something unseen but can be felt. It’s not visual, but it’s real. In the religious world, it is thought to be the immortal soul, but that is not quite right.

The spirit is consciousness. It is that invisible thing that makes life what it is. It is that awareness of ourselves and the world around us. It is when we lose this consciousness that we die: it is consciousness that leaves.

Now, if spirit refers to consciousness, then spirituality refers to the cultivation of consciousness. It is about the deepening and expanding awareness of reality. That is what spirituality is about.

So when I say that I’m spiritual but not religious, it means that I’m about cultivating an awareness of Ultimate Reality outside the confines of church, mosque, or synagogue. I belong to God, not to any religion.

Enchantment is the spell of pleasure. Sense experience captivates, drawing us into a cycle of pursuit and temporary satisfaction. Pleasure feels compelling, almost hypnotic, but it never lasts.

The hedonist treats pleasure as the highest good, yet every high fades into a low. What is gained is eventually lost. Desire renews itself endlessly, producing a cycle of chasing, acquiring, and disappointment—the hedonistic treadmill.

This pattern appears everywhere: addiction, sexual fixation, and the pursuit of wealth. Each promises fulfillment but delivers only diminishing returns. People come to love things and use people, disordered in both value and aim.

Society reinforces this illusion, equating happiness with beauty, power, and success. Yet meaning, not pleasure, sustains life. As Nietzsche observed, a strong “why” enables one to endure any “how.”

Disenchantment begins when the spell breaks—when one senses something is wrong beneath appearances. Awakening is the recognition of this sleep. It reveals the possibility of a higher calling, where meaning replaces mere pleasure as the guiding force.

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make when they encounter a mystical experience with ultimate reality is thinking that they’re enlightened. This is so common as to be comical. One taste of transcendence and people lose perspective.

Awakening is the initial crack in consciousness that lets the light in. It is just the beginning; you haven’t even gone through the door yet. The door has been cracked, the light shines, and you misunderstand.

Some figures clearly articulate profound insight without fully embodying it. One prominent example described an awakening-like vision and could vividly point to what lies beyond ordinary perception, yet did not seem to complete the deeper transformative path. Despite great brilliance, personal struggles—such as addiction—remained unresolved. He did not claim enlightenment or spiritual authority, instead presenting himself as a philosophical entertainer. Still, his ability to communicate glimpses of a deeper reality proved deeply influential and transformative for many.

So don’t judge your spiritual journey based upon spiritual delights, visions, or mystical experiences. These are actually more suited to beginners than to those more advanced on the way. In fact, the further you go, the less you need them, and they tend to drop off. What remains is clear seeing.