Hildegard and the Vibration of the Soul
Isn't it funny...Hildegard is considered a great Christian mystic. But if she lived now, she'd be considered completely crazy and be locked in some mental institution.
Hildegard and the Vibration of the Soul
from Shamanic Christianity: The Direct Experience of Mystical Communion
Bradford Keeney
Destiny Books, Vermont
Hildegard once woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a single vibrating note. She did not know the source of this
vibration, but assumed it was some invisible singer. When she stopped the sleuthing activity of her rational mind and fully
attended to the sound, her whole body began moving in sync with the sound's vibrations.
As her body rocked back and forth with the movement of the sound, she began having visions of mystical illumination. An inner voice told her to close her eyes so she could see with newly washed eyes. Doing this, she found sight with her eyes closed. What she saw did not look like the typical outer world, but was every bit as real as what others see with their eyes open.
The inner world had depth and texture and color and definition. It was illuminated by an inner eye that could not only see, but could also trace the image of any inner vision. She was shown how to move her arm so that it was guided by her inner eye. In this way she learned to draw. This drawing was an inner eye tracing an inner image, causing a corresponding movement of a pencil or brush in her hand. She believed the experience to be so unusual that it would be impossible for anyone to understand what she was talking about.
For years she practiced making divine illustrations in this mystical way. Her inner world revealed many designs, images, and forms that she simply traced onto paper, guided by her inner eye.
One day there were no images. All that was presented was a sound. What was strange was that she could somehow feel the shape of the sound and produce an image of it. Over the years she was able to make many sketches of these holy sounds. After she had created an extensive collection of these inner drawings of sight and sound, she had a vision of her inner blue man turning into a blue body of water. The water began to fill her whole inner body. When she was completely filled, she felt she had become the blue man.
At that moment the inner water began to boil. She did not experience any pain, but was aware of an inner transformation. The water boiled, turned to steam, and then broke into a burning flame. The whole of her being became a flame of illumination. It cleansed every thought, feeling, perception, and experience she had ever had in her life. The fire burned her mystical insides into absolute nothingness.
When the fire stopped she looked with her inside eyes and saw the eye of God, who was the source of the flame, the light, and the great nothingness. God spoke:
You may only look once. I have cleared an unobstructed path so you may see the source of illumination. Once you see the source you will be unable to see anything else in the world except my light. You will then know that your inside has become my outside. This is the gift of illumination. Use it to light the fires of others so the world may learn to see and create once again.
Hildegard and the Vibration of the Soul
from Shamanic Christianity: The Direct Experience of Mystical Communion
Bradford Keeney
Destiny Books, Vermont
Hildegard once woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a single vibrating note. She did not know the source of this
vibration, but assumed it was some invisible singer. When she stopped the sleuthing activity of her rational mind and fully
attended to the sound, her whole body began moving in sync with the sound's vibrations.
As her body rocked back and forth with the movement of the sound, she began having visions of mystical illumination. An inner voice told her to close her eyes so she could see with newly washed eyes. Doing this, she found sight with her eyes closed. What she saw did not look like the typical outer world, but was every bit as real as what others see with their eyes open.
The inner world had depth and texture and color and definition. It was illuminated by an inner eye that could not only see, but could also trace the image of any inner vision. She was shown how to move her arm so that it was guided by her inner eye. In this way she learned to draw. This drawing was an inner eye tracing an inner image, causing a corresponding movement of a pencil or brush in her hand. She believed the experience to be so unusual that it would be impossible for anyone to understand what she was talking about.
For years she practiced making divine illustrations in this mystical way. Her inner world revealed many designs, images, and forms that she simply traced onto paper, guided by her inner eye.
One day there were no images. All that was presented was a sound. What was strange was that she could somehow feel the shape of the sound and produce an image of it. Over the years she was able to make many sketches of these holy sounds. After she had created an extensive collection of these inner drawings of sight and sound, she had a vision of her inner blue man turning into a blue body of water. The water began to fill her whole inner body. When she was completely filled, she felt she had become the blue man.
At that moment the inner water began to boil. She did not experience any pain, but was aware of an inner transformation. The water boiled, turned to steam, and then broke into a burning flame. The whole of her being became a flame of illumination. It cleansed every thought, feeling, perception, and experience she had ever had in her life. The fire burned her mystical insides into absolute nothingness.
When the fire stopped she looked with her inside eyes and saw the eye of God, who was the source of the flame, the light, and the great nothingness. God spoke:
You may only look once. I have cleared an unobstructed path so you may see the source of illumination. Once you see the source you will be unable to see anything else in the world except my light. You will then know that your inside has become my outside. This is the gift of illumination. Use it to light the fires of others so the world may learn to see and create once again.