Walter Stace

• Mystical experiences - experiences of the mystical power of God, where one looses oneself and unites with a divine power
• Mystical experiences may refer to any kind of ecstacy or altered state of consciousness which is given religious or spiritual meaning.
• Walter Stace (1886-1967)


  "Either God is a mystery or he is nothing at all" - God must be a mystery to humanity as otherwise he would not be an omnipotent, transcendent God that is worthy of worship. If we did understand God, we ourselves would have to be omniscient, omnipotent beings. This is because only God can understand God, humans are on a lower level. Stace therefore rejects visions
• Walter Stace 


  Defines mystical experiences as 'Non-sensuous' and non-intellectual meaning that they do not involve the physical senses, and that when we have them we lose our sense of self in favour of a higher power
• Walter Stace 


  He rejects many experiences that could be "mystical" such as visions, voices and the powers of the occult - all of these rely on the senses. Visions are not mystical because they are sensuous, and the definition -of mystical is non-sensuous, specifically having no shape, form or colour
• Mystical experiences can either be introvertive or extrovertive
• In an introvertive experience, the experiencer looses their sense of self, accepting a higher power of being
• In an extrovertive experience, the experiencer keeps their sense of self but is made aware of the presence of a higher power