From Head to Soul: How to Move from Mindfulness to Mystical Experience

Mindfulness has become a household word. It’s recommended by doctors, practised in schools, and woven into wellness routines everywhere. For many people, it’s the first taste of inner stillness: the simple act of paying attention to the breath, the body, or the present moment. But what if there’s more? What if mindfulness is only the doorway, and beyond it lies something deeper—a direct encounter with the mystery of life itself? This is the shift from head to soul, from mindfulness to mystical experience.

In this post, we’ll explore how to move beyond surface-level awareness and into the transformative depth of mystical practice. We’ll look at what makes mindfulness so powerful, why it isn’t the whole story, and how you can open yourself to moments of wonder, transcendence, and union with something greater.

Mindfulness as the First Step

Mindfulness works because it interrupts the automatic pilot most of us live on. When you notice your breath instead of rushing through your to-do list, or savour a meal instead of scrolling your phone, you reclaim presence. Science backs this up: mindfulness lowers stress, regulates emotions, and improves focus.

Yet mindfulness, for all its benefits, is often kept in the head. It trains attention but doesn’t necessarily open the heart. It helps us manage life, but it doesn’t always reveal the mystery of being alive. That’s where the mystical path begins.

What Do We Mean by Mystical Experience?

A mystical experience is hard to put into words because it often transcends thought. It can feel like dissolving into pure awareness, sensing a deep oneness with all creation, or being flooded with love beyond comprehension. Across traditions, mystics describe:

• Unity – the sense that everything is interconnected and part of a greater whole.

• Timelessness – losing track of time and entering a state of eternal now.

• Sacredness – a profound awe, as though touching the divine.

• Transformation – the experience changes how life is perceived, often permanently.

Importantly, mystical experience isn’t reserved for saints or sages. It can happen to ordinary people in extraordinary moments: watching a sunset, holding a newborn, or sitting quietly in deep meditation.

Why Mindfulness Isn’t Always Enough

Mindfulness clears the mental clutter, but mystical experience requires surrender. Where mindfulness observes thoughts, mysticism moves beyond them. Where mindfulness notices sensations, mysticism dissolves the boundaries between self and world.

Think of mindfulness as clearing the ground. It’s the fertile soil. Mystical experience is the flower that blooms from that soil. Without mindfulness, the flower may not grow. But if you only focus on the soil, you may never look up to see the blossom.

From Mindfulness to Mysticism: Practical Shifts

So how do you move from head to soul? Here are some ways to gently deepen your practice:

1. Go Beyond Observation

Mindfulness teaches us to notice thoughts without judgement. Mystical practice invites us to let go of the thinker altogether. Instead of I am aware of my breath, rest in I am awareness itself. This subtle shift moves you from the content of experience to the space in which all experience arises.

2. Open the Heart

Mystical traditions across the world—from Sufi poetry to Christian contemplation—emphasise love. Try blending mindfulness with heart practices such as loving-kindness meditation or silently repeating a sacred word (mantra or prayer). These practices soften the ego and open the doorway to transcendence.

3. Embrace Silence and Stillness

Mindfulness often encourages engagement with daily activities. Mysticism, on the other hand, is rooted in silence. Spend time in wordless stillness. Let yourself be absorbed in the quiet, not as a technique but as a homecoming.

4. Allow Wonder

Children live close to the mystical because they haven’t lost their sense of wonder. Practise wonder deliberately. Pause to gaze at the night sky, listen to music that moves you, or contemplate the beauty of nature. Wonder stretches the heart beyond concepts.

5. Surrender Control

Mindfulness strengthens attention. Mysticism dissolves control. Try releasing the effort to “do” meditation and allow yourself to be carried. This can be unsettling at first but leads to the kind of spacious awareness mystics describe as grace.

Ancient Voices on the Path

The great mystics remind us that the journey isn’t about technique alone but about openness of heart.

• The Christian Desert Fathers spoke of prayer as “resting in God,” beyond words.

• Rumi, the Sufi poet, invited seekers to “lose yourself completely—return to the root of the root of your own soul.”

• Zen master Dōgen said that meditation isn’t about seeking enlightenment, but about realising your true nature here and now.

Their words point to the same truth: mindfulness is the door, but love, surrender, and openness are the way through.

The Risks of Chasing Mystical Highs

It’s important to note that mystical experience isn’t something you can force. If you approach it like an achievement, you may end up frustrated—or worse, lost in spiritual bypassing. The goal isn’t to escape life but to meet it more deeply. Think of mystical glimpses as gifts, not trophies.

Stay grounded by continuing your mindfulness practice. It keeps your feet on the earth while your soul touches the heavens.

Everyday Mysticism

You don’t have to retreat to a monastery or spend decades in training to taste the mystical. Small, ordinary practices can open the door:

• Begin and end your day with a moment of stillness.

• Treat the world as sacred by slowing down and paying attention.

• Honour awe when it arises, no matter how fleeting.

• Balance silence with action: let your mystical awareness shape how you live.

Mysticism isn’t about leaving the world behind; it’s about seeing the world illuminated from within.

Final Thoughts: From Head to Soul

Mindfulness teaches us to live with awareness. Mysticism invites us to live with wonder. When you move from head to soul, you shift from simply observing life to being embraced by life’s mystery.

This journey isn’t about abandoning mindfulness but about allowing it to mature into something richer. From observation to surrender, from presence to union, the path is available to anyone who dares to open.

You don’t need to “achieve” a mystical experience. You only need to create space for it to arrive, and when it does, let it transform you.

Additional Resources

Why not treat yourself to a Meditation Retreat in the beautiful Devon Countryside?

This post may also interest you: Meditation and Contemplation

Best Wishes,

David.

© D. R. Durham, All rights reserved, 2025.