Walking out of the subway recently, I saw a street person pointing at the sky and raving madly. In her mind, there was something up there (which no one else saw) and she was reacting to it. She had unkempt hair, soiled clothes, and carried a bag that may have contained all of her earthly possessions. Homeless? Probably so. Drugs? I doubt she had the money. Mentally ill by society’s standards? Quite likely.
But who am I to conclude that her visions (angels, demons, or otherwise) were any less important than those of Joan of Arc, St. Jerome, or St. Catherine of Sienna? Muhammed, Jesus Christ, and Gautama Buddha all were mystics and outliers. If any one of them lived today, plenty of people would consider him crazy.
Throughout history, some people living on the edge have been called crazy, while others are celebrated as saints. Society’s attitudes have varied depending on the historical period and its culture. The fact that certain mystics have been used for political, military, or organized religious purposes probably has helped their particular causes as well. And with our growing understanding of mental illness, it’s tempting to question some of the visions people have had in the past.
But that doesn’t mean it is all B.S. If there is truth in the world, then someone who retreats from the noise and distraction of society may be more likely to discover life’s meaning than those of us who are so occupied with daily living.
From here on, I’ll focus this discussion on hermits rather than mystics (though there is some overlap). I cannot judge mystics for the reasons I mentioned. It’s difficult to evaluate someone else’s direct experiences with visions that tread the line between brilliance and something which is happening within their minds.
With our modern knowledge and revisionist hindsight, some of history’s best known mystics have displayed classic signs of epilepsy, for example. That’s not to say their visions are any less holy; perhaps they have been put in a position to experience special things the rest of us cannot. But it clouds my ability to evaluate their truth.
Similarly, I would discount some hermits as people who have withdrawn from the world simply because they can’t handle it. Avoiding or running from something does not give you a free pass. You’ll never achieve some higher mental plateau if you do not take on life’s challenges directly and learn from that journey, then going full-on monk after that if it’s your path. And for this discussion, I’ll also subtract those like Joan of Arc and Clare of Assisi, since I don’t think either of them truly lived on their own for any extended period (not to say they weren’t amazing people, which they were). Others, like St. Jerome and Julian of Norwich, may have had times when they isolated themselves, but probably are better known as theologians.
Despite me being hard on those groups of people, I think hermits can be very wise and that we can learn from them. At some level, I’m jealous of a person who can unplug from the world, tune out the noise of living, and spend that time and energy distilling a few kernels of truth from life itself. Those insights could come in the form of something spiritual, philosophical, or even a better understanding of our practical world.
Am I likely to have an epiphany while I’m cooking dinner for my kids, typing on my computer or taking a bath? It’s much more likely that someone living a simple, monastic life would be able to explore life’s depths, both inside and outside of one’s own mind.
Let’s explore hermits through the ages. I’m convinced that some of these people learned a lot about themselves and the world around them, enough that they could share important insights with us (whether you happen to be a religious person or not). Others may have been charismatic phonies or their stories may have been played up to suit someone’s political needs.
No discussion of hermits can ignore the sadhus and monks of Hinduism and Buddhism. In those traditions, turning ascetic can be part of an advanced stage in one’s spiritual journey. And so it’s not just a few dozen people who decide to become monastic. Go to any of the countries in these religions’ sphere of influence and you’ll see thousands upon thousands of such seekers. Some have gone full-on hermit.
In the Old Testament, God kept his people wandering for 40 years in the desert and it was described as a testing ground of sorts. Asceticism has a place in several Islamic sects, as it does in most major religious traditions. Jesus Christ also wandered the desert and disappeared for an unexplained chunk of time in the New Testament. St. John the Baptist and Paul of Thebes definitely helped establish the hermit tradition early on in Christianity.
In the centuries since those times, as we will see in Part 2 of this series, there have been many other hermits -- not only religious ones -- who have had a big impact upon society. (References are listed at the end of Part 2).
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