Become a Mystic on the Electric Guitar

(WARNING: This article contains somewhat bizarre or unusual exercises and commentary which some might consider "philosophical" or "spiritual" in nature; it's basically an "outside-the-box" thinking lesson).

A mystic can be defined in many ways. Perhaps the definition I would agree with most is, one who intuitively experiences (or strives for) obscure types of knowledge through the practice of various "religious" methods. Examples of mystical experiences could be 1) A feeling of "one-ness" with the infinite forces of the universe, 2) Having a sense of timelessness 3) Seeing beyond the normal modes of morality, 4) Witnessing various images of God in the mind, etc.

To explain mysticism a bit further using different words, we could say that certain religious people seek after divine attributes of God; and some claim that they experience mystical states while doing so; and the people who engage in such activities could be dubbed "mystics."

Note that some logicians and philosophers (Wittgenstein, for example) have claimed that mysticism is really not so "special" or extraordinary. Instead they see it as this: certain objects or things exist in the world, yet simultaneously these things are inexpressible - i.e. they cannot be talked about in a way that makes sense - and this alone constitutes what is "mystical" in the world.

Personally, I believe in mysticism only in this way: I know that man's senses are limited and that there are things we cannot experience as a result. Yet I also realize there are certain "sensitive" individuals in the world who do experience things other people cannot experience, due to them having a certain hypervigilance or heightened senses of awareness. These hyperaware individuals, if they focus enough of their energy or attention on striving for mystical experiences, may indeed be able to attain something of the "divine" experiences they seek.

The skeptic usually denies the mystic's claims and says that mystical states do not exist. But these doubts are only possible because mystical experiences cannot be put into words and because most of the time they defy common reason.

But what does mysticism have to do with music? Or playing the electric guitar?

Music is a powerful medium. Many people consider it to have certain "spiritual" properties. And almost every individual in the world likes some type of music. Also certain logicians and philosophers have claimed that mysticism concerns itself with what IS and IS NOT expressible. To reiterare Wittgenstein's opinion: certain "things" in the world show themselves, yet they cannot be put into words, and these are mystical things. So the common denominators we have here are: silence and nonsilence (music), and spirituality; and where these themes overlap we can hopefully extrapolate their qualities and make them more effective.

Because I want to state my overall purpose in this article as clearly as possible, I will say this: By choosing to become a mystic on the guitar, you will strive to have "divine" mystical experiences as you perform; and if you achieve any, you will use your guitar to convey these experiences to others through the music you create with your guitar.

So, as you can probably guess, I cannot give you an exact formula, or even any specific exercises using guitar tablature, to allow you to convey any mystical experiences you might have (if any). This chapter is concerned with an experimental guitar technique in which you're pretty much on your own. Nevertheless, here is an outline of an algorithm you may want to follow:

Strap on your guitar. Meditate or concentrate on the power inside and of the universe. Seek to have a mystical experience (ecstasies or visions or knowledge imparted) while playing your guitar. Translate those feelings into your music. Share them with your audience. Make them feel the mystical states you experienced. That is probably as far as we can go.

Most mystical experiences will be inexpressible, but perhaps music is the proper vehicle for them. And remember concerning silence: There is no silence, which John Cage proved by realizing that when all noise is shut out by being locked in a vacuum chamber, he was still able to hear a high-pitched noise (his nervous system) and a low-pitched hum (?) occurring within his body.

At the risk of repeating myself, I will list a few more sentences and questions for you to contemplate, since the exact ideas in this chapter may be difficult to understand.

1. The mystical guitarist uses his dedication to esoteric spirituality to inspire himself and transcend the boundaries of what a more "normal" guitarist could achieve.

2. Inspiration to compose and perform music comes from states of the mind (and other areas) that are not fully understood. Perhaps it is possible for a musician to go into these and other realms that maybe inaccessible to others and pull music out of them. Wouldn't this be considered mystical?

3. The mystical guitarist's main goal is to make powerful music so they can share their "divine" experiences with others and transport people's consciousnesses to other planes more beautiful and extraordinary.

4. Because many people identify music as being spiritual in some way, and since music IMPACTS people's emotions in a myriad of ways with no known method of describing exactly how the process works, is this not a case of the mystical?

5. The mystical guitarist nurtures the spirituality within them, continually focusing on it while they are playing, striving to feed their devotion to becoming one with the "metaphysical realm" because they know it will elevate them to greater levels of playing.

6. If a mystic strives after union with the forces of the universe, and they are a virtuoso musician, and they do in fact have a genuine mystical experience, can the same religious or mystical qualities they feel be passed on to members of an audience? I realize the chances of someone being a mystic and a virtuoso
musician simultaneously, and then experiencing something divine as they are performing, are all very slim, but with six billion people in the world, surely someone somewhere could do it. Can someone have a divine experience while playing a musical instrument at the same time? Or would it take most of their concentration to simply play the music?

If you have a mystical experience while playing your guitar and then share those feelings with members of your audience, I believe you will be the first musician ever to accomplish this.

One more thing: It's actually easier to become a "monk" on the guitar than a mystic. When I was 16 many people would have probably considered my behavior to be similar to a monk's. I would do nothing but practice my guitar for most of the day, usually around 7 or 8 hours. I had few friends at the time and I would read and study guitar magazines for hours, using them for both entertainment and learning purposes. I abstained from alcohol and tobacco and I lived on a diet of cola, omelets, and egg rolls. I did not have a girlfriend and rarely attended parties or social gatherings. If I would have been a more spiritual or religious person during that period I could have definitely been considered a genuine monk. The only thing that mattered to me then was practicing my guitar as much as possible.

When I finally got a girlfriend a year or two later, she was jealous of the time I spent with my guitar and once she said, "You love your guitar more than me, don't you?"

"No," I said.

After that, nearly all of my girlfriends have claimed that I prefer my guitar over them. Sometimes it was true and sometimes it was not.

Although I believe it's easier to become a monk on the guitar, I think it's more important to strive to become a true mystic. Good luck.