The following text is a transcript of an interview in which Solveig asks Damiano the question: “What is Christian Mysticism?” The interview is published on YouTube in three parts, in German. You’ll find the link to the first part at the end of this transcript.
Solveig:
Welcome to this interview on the topic of Christian mysticism. I am sitting here with Damiano, who studied theology and, as far as I know, has felt a deep connection to the divine through the Christian faith since childhood. Damiano, you’ve been on an intense journey; you wanted to become a priest and experienced an intense engagement with your faith during your theology studies. At some point, you decided not to continue on that path, even though you completed your studies.
During this time, you encountered a Franciscan community in Assisi that integrates the Christian faith and the teachings of Saint Francis into everyday life. The focus was not only to understand the message theoretically but to live it out and integrate it into one’s own daily life. Along your journey, you also explored other spiritual traditions, such as Zen Buddhism and shamanism, which greatly broadened your spiritual experience. Ultimately, you became a Gestalt therapist and have worked for a long time in supervision, training, and individual therapy. Now you live with your family in Assisi, this central place for you that houses your spiritual roots.
I am very much looking forward to this conversation and am curious about the insights you will share on this topic. With that, I turn it over to you – and my first question is: What does Christian mysticism mean to you?
Damiano:
A story comes to mind that might be fitting. It’s about Augustine (354–430), one of the early Church Fathers of Christianity, who wrote an immense theological work to explore the nature of God and theology. The story tells that Augustine was once walking along the beach when he saw a child who had dug a hole in the sand and was trying to scoop seawater into it with a small shovel. Augustine asked the child what it was doing. The child replied, “I am trying to fill the sea into this hole.” Augustine smiled and said, “But that’s impossible.” Then the child looked at him and responded, “Just as impossible as it is for you to grasp the mystery of God with your mind.”
This story highlights the difficulty of speaking about Christian mysticism. Words remain inadequate when it comes to expressing the essence of what it truly entails. We are already at the question of what mysticism is. Mysticism is merely a term that describes the human longing to experience the divine – not through intellectual knowledge but as a direct, inner experience with the heart and one’s own essence. Mysticism is the search for an immediate encounter with the divine, one that transcends the intellect.
Mysticism is often understood as a purely Christian concept since “Unio Mystica” originally describes the immediate experience of God within the Christian context. But a true mystic goes beyond the images and terms that often describe the divine and grasps the experience behind them. In this direct experience, words will always remain insufficient – the actual experience eludes what can be captured in language.
So, what is Christian mysticism? To be honest, I don’t believe that “Christian mysticism” exists as such. The term “Christian mysticism” is just a classification. There is no such thing as “Christian breathing” or “Christian swimming.” The mystical experience is a universal, human experience. It is the moment when one realizes that what one understands as “God” and one’s innermost self are one and the same. The essence of God and the essence of the human being are identical.
A great German mystic of the 14th century, Meister Eckhart, expressed it this way: “In the soul of man, there is a spark that is neither created nor create-able.” What is uncreated and uncreate-able is eternal and absolute – and that is the divine. With these words, Meister Eckhart expressed something that was not well received by many theologians in his time, nor today: that the human being is, at its absolute core, identical with the divine. This statement was so controversial that Meister Eckhart was condemned for it. It’s said that he recanted on his deathbed, but this remains uncertain.
Nevertheless, his statement is significant: The human being is, at its core, the same as God in essence – that is the profound experience people can have in their search for God, independent of religion or culture. This understanding is not only present in Christianity but everywhere that people seek themselves and the divine and enter into this experience. Whether in Sufism, Buddhism, meditation, or shamanic traditions – all paths lead to the same essence. Even those who immerse themselves in nature, discover the earth’s forces, and work with them experience the divine. Over time, forms and rituals fade, leaving only the One, the central consciousness, the great awareness, the Great Spirit. The names ultimately do not matter.
Solveig:
As I listen, I feel deeply how my own thoughts dissipate. I enjoy this sensation more than simply thinking or asking questions. Nevertheless, I’m interested in which significant moments in Christian history have shaped this essence. You’ve already mentioned Augustine and Meister Eckhart. There are so many impactful moments that illustrate the experience of mysticism in Christianity. Mysticism exists beyond religion, and yet there is a specific Christian path that begins with Jesus.
Yes, Christian mysticism begins with Jesus himself, who was a historical figure. Beyond his life, and especially his death, there are extrabiblical accounts, like those of the Roman historian Tacitus, who mentions Jesus and the movement he initiated. But Christian mysticism does not begin with the death of Jesus – if his death had been the end, he would be only a footnote in history. Jesus traveled for three years with his friends, preaching a message that simply said: God is close to you. You don’t need to do anything, follow rules, or read books. The only thing that matters is trust. God is with you, and this divinity comes alive when you step into love for other people. The Kingdom of God is not far off but among us.
Jesus also said: Where two or three are gathered together, I am there among you. Unlike in Judaism, where ten men were required for a religious service, Jesus said that the presence of two people in loving connection is enough for the divine to be present. He shared parables and used nature to illustrate how humans could relate to God. For him, the Kingdom of God was not a distant entity but here and now, among us. People followed him enthusiastically, even though the religious authorities of the time rejected him. They wanted to maintain their power, but those touched by Jesus’ words trusted him and lived his message.
Jesus went with his followers to Jerusalem for the Passover festival, fully aware that it was dangerous, as the authorities saw his teachings as a threat. His message questioned the importance of religious institutions. The Romans sentenced him to death, and he died on the cross. For his disciples, who had been by his side for three years, this was a traumatic event. Many denied him out of fear of persecution, like Peter, who claimed not to know Jesus.
But then something inexplicable happened. The disciples reappeared in public, proclaiming with excitement: This Jesus lives. Between their flight and this moment, a profound, transformative experience must have taken place that fundamentally changed them. We call this resurrection and celebrate it as Easter, but words alone are hardly enough to describe the depth of this experience.
Recently, someone asked me: What happened to Jesus’ body? Was the tomb empty or not? This question still occupies theologians today, yet it doesn’t really matter. Whether metaphorical or literal, what matters is the central experience of Christian mysticism: This Jesus, who embodied the connection with God, lives on in each of us, in our deepest being. In a moment of heart, everything becomes one – God, Jesus, Christ, and the self. The deeper one dives into this experience, the clearer it becomes: There is no longer a distinction. I am Christ, and Christ is me. Christ is God.
This is the essential mystical experience that people had at the beginning – an experience they took out into the world. And what did these people do? They traveled across the known world of the Roman Empire, the Greco-Roman Empire, and their enthusiasm was so contagious that others were captivated by it. At that time, it wasn’t about the church, rituals, dogmas, or matters of belief. It was solely about this profound experience of divinity – Christ within me.
For the people then, this was a liberation, especially for those living in dependency and lack of freedom, like slaves or those dependent on the few wealthy. This liberation was not only internal but also external: The idea of love, care, community, brotherhood, and sisterhood was lived out concretely. “See how they love each other” was the expression of those who observed the Christian communities – it was different from the often harsh, unmerciful culture of the Roman or Greek empires. These small groups integrated the truth they had experienced into their daily lives, caring for the poor, the sick, and the weak, who often had no value in the Roman Empire. Suddenly, it became clear: In my fellow human being, in the needy, and in the suffering of others, I encounter Christ himself. “What you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” says Jesus.
The mystical experience was thus integrated into daily life, into concrete interactions, and later also into institutional structures. We all know what the church eventually made of this over time. But if we return to this first experience, we recognize what it was truly about. Throughout history, especially in the reform movements of the Middle Ages, people repeatedly sought to grasp this original spirit anew—particularly here in Assisi, with the Franciscan spirit, and later in the 20th century with people like Thomas Merton, Simone Weil, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Carlo Caretto, Their aim was to continually reach back to the essential, to what you’ve just described so vividly.
Solveig:
It’s hard to put into words how deeply this touches me, and I find it difficult to continue speaking. Your words resonate with such clarity and tangibility that I can almost see those early Christian communities before me. It’s so different from the often rigid church services it later evolved into—a ritual where a few perform ceremonies in black robes while the people remain passive observers. This is the exact opposite: When the inner experience of God flows through one’s hands and heart to others, to my fellow human being, it’s completely different from worshiping a distant deity. Suddenly, God is here, in you, in the person who is sitting right in front of me.
