Mysticism: ecstasy or hysteria?

Richard Rolle and Margery Kempe

Mysticism, the practice of religious ecstasies (religious experiences during alternate states
of consciousness), together with whatever ideologies, ethics, rites, myths, legends, and magic
may be related to them. Mysticism is not religion in itself, but an aspect of many different
religions. During mystical contemplation an individual attempts to become as close to God
as possible. Most mystics live a life of seclusion, celibacy, and self-denial in order to spend
the maximum amount of time contemplating Christ's sacrificial death.

Today I will talk about two mystics, Richard Rolle and Margery Kempe and their ideas and
experiences. And in the meantime, I would like you to think about the title because I am very
interested in your opinion whether you think mysticism is ecstasy, or rather hysteria.
Richard Rolle:

Richard Rolle was born probably around 1340 and he was an English religious writer, Bible
translator, and hermit. Rolle attended the University of Oxford but dissatisfied with the
subjects of study, left without a degree.

He wrote in both Latin and English, and his importance lies in the devotional prose he
composed in the vernacular for women readers. In one of his best-known works, The Fire of
Love, Rolle provides an account of his mystical experiences, which he describes as being of
three kinds: a physical warmth in his body, a sense of wonderful sweetness, and a
heavenly music that accompanied him as he chanted the Psalms. The book was widely
read in the Middle Ages.

“Honeyed flame”

He calls his book the Fire of Love because he argues that the closer we approach God through love
the more we will literally feel a physical warmth in our body. We will feel our heart burning which
he calls a “honeyed flame”, a “sweet pain”.

And this honeyed flame, the first time he experienced it, frightened him. He thought something was
wrong with him, he thought perhaps he felt a heart attack. But he soon realized that it was a signal
that his loving desire for God was drawing him closer to that which he most desired.
What we need to do, he argues over all in the book, if we wish to draw close to God is to be inflamed
by love.

He also argues that what we really need to do is to retarget the energy that we waste upon the
world such that it is exclusively devoted to God. Otherwise, we simply dissipate our energy.
He tells us that if we don’t cultivate the fire of love in this life for God, we will suffer the fire of hell in
the next life.
On the other hand, he goes as far as to say that once we have cultivated the fire of love for God
we feel this sweet pain, this honeyed fire inside of ourselves that we might still sin, but that sins will
almost immediately be purged away by the fire.
There is one signature claim that Role makes that is very important: in chapter 17, he says
that the love of God has three functions, it expresses itself in three different ways:
1. love of God is diffusive – it always overflows itself
2. love of God unifies everything in Christ
 3. love of God is transformative – our love of God will gradually transform us into the object
of our love such that we will dwell in God  the lover becomes more and more like the
object of his or her love

Margery Kempe:

In late medieval England, women had clearly defined roles in society. Often, they were
mothers and wives looking after their families. Or, they dedicated their lives to God and lived
as nuns. One woman in medieval Bishop’s Lynn had her own ideas of what she could and
couldn’t do. Her name was Margery Kempe.

She was born around 1373. She struggled with being a wife and mother, suffering from
depression after her first childbirth and dreading bearing more children (she gave birth to 14
children altogether). What kept her going were visions of Christ she received and spiritual
conversations she had with him.

Her greatest achievement was dictating her life story written in the “Book of Margery
Kempe”. In the book, she tells us about her spiritual experiences, as well as giving us a
glimpse into medieval life. She was unique in expressing her spirituality. Although she was
a wife, and a mother of too many children, she took a vow of chastity and wore white
clothes as a sign of purity. She went on pilgrimages of her own, visited holy shrines across
England and as far as Rome and Jerusalem. She cried while praying in public and voiced her
opinions on religious matters.

Many criticized her as seeking attention and praise, and for behaving inappropriately for a
married woman. Clergy and lay people alike accused her of being a heretic. She was
questioned by bishops about her beliefs. Remarkably, Margery answered all accusations
confidently and proved herself to be a devout Catholic. Also, she made history by creating
the first autobiography in the English language.

Margery Kempe’s Mysticism Explored:

In this part of the presentation, we will explore whether Margery Kempe can be considered a
genuine mystic, a madwoman, or a fraud?
Many modern readers may assume that Margery Kempe was either crazy or deceptive in
reporting her experiences. It was noted that she admitted going mad after the birth of her first
child. This eight-month period of madness (probably caused by hormonal changes) was linked
to her faith in Christ and her fear of eternal damnation.
But this period of madness also raised many questions:
Were her visions of God, her episodes of hearing heavenly music, her uncontrolled
weeping as she contemplated Christ's sacrificial death, and her later marriage to the God
head madness or genuine? Was her wish for celibacy within her marriage frigidity or
religiosity?
Probably the least believable excerpt from Kempe's Book was her account of being wedded
to the Godhead, which consists of the three great powers of heaven; God, Jesus Christ,
and the Holy Spirit. In the Middle Ages, as is still the case today, nuns were considered to
be brides of Christ. However, nuns are not already married to a man at the time of their
marriage to Christ, as Kempe was. They did not marry the Godhead in an ecstatic vision,
while hearing God's voice and other sounds and melodies, and smelling sweet smells, as
Kempe did.
Though she has many experiences in common with other female mystics of her time, she was
certainly unique in at least one aspect: she had uncontrollable weeping episodes when she
was thinking of Christ’s death.
Her crying became so convulsive that she was thought to be possessed, epileptic, or possibly a
mere charlatan", and so disturbing that some preachers would not tolerate her in church.
I have come to consider that her visions, actions, and experiences fall into the category of
mystical experiences. They are genuine based on her devout faith and her continued
determination to live her life as God instructed her to, no matter what others thought.
She was not a stereotypical woman of the Middle Ages, but a faithful woman of God more
concerned with her coming heavenly life than her earthly life.
Conclusion:
It appears that in scholar’s understanding, Rolle undoubtedly experienced ecstasy and turns
these visions and feelings into teachings for us concerning how to lead our lives devoted to
God. On the other hand, Margery Kempe’s mysticism is somehow doubted and associated
with madness and hysteria, even though many other women experienced the same things
(except the weeping). Would you say that Margery was viewed as hysterical because of her
gender and her uncontrollable crying? And what do you think about mysticism? Is it ecstasy
or hysteria?