Apparitions in History

By Constant J. Mews, Ph.D.

We are pleased to present an article on apparition written by Constant J. Mews, Ph.D. - an eminent scholar from Australia in the field of comparative religion and theology, who is currently here as a visiting professor at the University of Virginia.

Climbing up to the Pavilion at the Synchronicity Sanctuary on a clear September day to revere the Blessed Mother, evoked many impressions. Above all, there was a sense of reverence for a sacred place, where in one way or another - a revelation has taken place.

We easily get caught up in issues of language, as we struggle to find the most appropriate ways of describing that which is always an experience beyond words. As someone who has devoted many years to reflecting on the experience of revelation, manifestation, and apparition within history - particularly in Christian history, but also in other religious traditions - I find myself constantly creating connections with other people and places. But, when I sat in reflection at the Pavilion, I was aware of what I would call the Divine Mother, an experience of unifying love for creation manifest first of all in a sacred place, surrounded by trees that give us the oxygen without which we cannot live.

Some might say they have experienced an apparition with their eyes. Others might experience through other senses. What matters is not the physical experience, but the process of awakening and understanding that unfolds. What I found there at the Pavilion is that collective reverence for what is beyond us is something precious, because we are taken outside beyond our limited level of awareness. Yes, what we experience is a reflection of a divinity within ourselves. But, we ourselves are a shadow of what I call a divinity or a presence that exists all around us.

There is a long tradition throughout history of experiencing what may be called in different ways, a nurturing presence that embodies that which is beyond form, and brings a degree of unity and cohesion to our lives. There is an ancient practice of using gender categories, male and female, to help understand this experience. Of course, this can degenerate into meaninglessness if these categories are taken out of context. Thus, talk about God as Father makes no sense if there is not also awareness of God as Mother.

In Jewish tradition, inherited by Christianity and Islam, there is a long established understanding (certainly known to Jesus), that wisdom or hokmah is a feminine divinity holding this universe together and needing to be realized in this world. Christians believe that this wisdom is embodied in Jesus. Interestingly however, there was always a risk that embodiment or incarnation can also limit our understanding (or rather, we do not understand what manifestation is really about).

In Christian tradition, Mother Mary became another vehicle for manifestation, in terms of her receptivity to divine wisdom. We find just as many (if not more, I have not counted), experiences of an apparition of Mary, as Mother of God, nurturing wisdom - perhaps to counter an increasing use of the image of Jesus on the Cross, which tended to replace that of Jesus as good shepherd during the fourth century, with the conversion of Constantine. In Pagan cultures, a fundamentally similar experience might be described as a manifestation of Isis. Personally, I resist reductionism in understanding any religious experience, ie., to say that any apparition is "really" of a pagan Isis, or "really" of the Virgin Mary. In India, different imagery will be used. We all need a specific Master, in terms of a guide and a model, to help structure our experience. But, what is needed first of all is respect.. for anyone's experience of an apparition or a revelation.

Yet, I also know how cottage industries can build up around any holy site. One can go to pilgrimage sites in India or Spain and be appalled by commercialization, as well as by the fanatical enthusiasm of those who insist that only their apparition is the real one. We also have to be aware of processes of wishful thinking, and mass paranoia. People often see what they want to see. Although the word "apparition" can sometimes be used to mean a ghost, the deeper meaning is about the experience of spirit (the true meaning of ghost or geist in German). We must always use intelligent discretion when evaluating anyone's experience, not to be swept away by enthusiasm (literally meaning 'being God filled'), without using our mind. We must use all of our faculties, our senses, our reason, and our heart to be open to authentic spiritual experience.

But, it is a wonderful thing that the experience of nurturing, healing wisdom, which we may call our Blessed Mother, is there to enrich us. Humanity has developed a rich tapestry of ways in which spiritual experience has been preserved.

Sometimes, certain words mean more to us than others. My hope is that this experience, revered at the Sanctuary, but manifest throughout time and in all parts of the world, may open our hearts to what is beyond the limitations of specific discourse and culture.

Associate Professor Constant J. Mews, has been a Synchronicity participant for many years. He is Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia, where he teaches medieval history and comparative religion. He has published widely on medieval thought and religion. During the autumn of 2006, he is teaching a graduate course on Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Age of Crusades in the History Department of the University of Virginia, while also pursuing his own research. He is closely involved in promoting interfaith dialogue in a contemporary situation, as well as studying the process of dialogue in the medieval period.