Born in 1491, St. Ignatius of Loyola was a nobleman who wanted to be a soldier, but a serious injury took him off the battlefield and led to an unexpected conversion. He dedicated his life to God and prayer, leading him to dedicate his sword to the Virgin Mary. His intense mystical experiences were documented in his autobiography and his path to mysticism in his famous work, The Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius went on to found the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), with missionaries that spread all over the known world.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

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Born in 1566 to one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Florence, St. Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi joined the convent at the age of 16 and soon after began experiencing dramatic and intense visions where she conversed with the Holy Trinity. During these visions, the nuns in her convent wrote down her words as she conversed with the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit together, and separately.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

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Written in the 15th century around the same time as the invention of the printing press, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis was printed in several languages and became a bestseller. It is widely regarded as the most important devotional work in Catholic Christianity and one of the most-read devotional works next to the Bible. It undoubtedly helped many Christian mystics in that era and beyond to develop a closer relationship to Christ on their quest for mystical experiences. Furthermore, it was also a source of personal inspiration and support for Dr. Carlos Eire during a difficult time in his childhood, which he shares with us in this episode.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

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St. Gregory of Nyssa was a 4th century Bishop who is highly revered by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in the west. His take on prayer, Christocentric focus, theosis (divinization), and emphasis on God as infinitely transcendent illuminates a pathway to Christian mysticism and the divine.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected]. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.

You can visit our podcast website HERE.

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Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was a 17th century French nun who experienced mystical visions with Jesus, where He revealed to her His Sacred Heart and His love for her and all humanity. In those visions, she was instructed to tell the world all about this love, and she did. This led to the popularization of venerating the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Programming Note: The next episode of the Christian Mysticism Podcast will air on February 22nd, instead of the usual second Thursday of the month. In March, we will return to our regular podcast schedule of the first and third Thursday of every month.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected]. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.

You can visit our podcast website HERE.

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Augustinian nun Marie Yvonne-Aimée de Jésus Beauvais, also known as Mother Yvonne-Aimée de Malestroit, was born in 1901 and died in 1951. A true 20th century mystic from France, Yvonne-Aimée was part of the French Resistance during WWII, helping Jews, Allied prisoners, and others escape Nazi occupied France. Although she could be classified as an affective mystic focusing on the love of Jesus, she also battled Nazis in real life and demons during her ecstasies.

Here is a video of Mother Yvonne-Aimée receiving a medal from Charles de Gaulle for her heroric efforts during the Nazi occupation:

https://youtu.be/BhPlovxOa6E

Here are some of her sayings, highlighting her affective mysticism:

https://littlestsouls.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/merciful-revelations-to-sr-yvonne-aimee-d-1951/

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected]. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.

You can visit our podcast website HERE.

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What is the phenomenon of a Near Death Experience? Is there a connection with mysticism? In this episode, Dr. Carlos Eire explores the visions experienced by some who have died and come back to life with incredible stories to tell of what they saw on "the other side," both wonderful and frightening. Although not short of critics and skeptics, medical studies and veridical evidence provide a compelling argument for their existence and their possible connection to mysticism.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected]. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.

You can visit our podcast website HERE.

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For children, Christmas is full of mystery and mysticism. But many of the Christmas symbols we all enjoy today also have their origins in Christian mysticism. On this special Christmas episode, Dr. Carlos Eire explores some of those symbols and their deep connections to Christian mysticism.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected]. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.

You can visit our podcast website HERE.

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St. Anthony of the Desert (251 -- 356 AD) was one of the first Christian hermits whose mystical ecstasies had him struggling with demons and eventually led him to an Eden-like way of life. Also known as St. Anthony the Great, he is considered one of the fathers of monasticism, blazing a trail for future monastics and inspiring millions of Christians.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected]. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.

You can visit our podcast website HERE.

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Although older, St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603 - 1663) was a contemporary of Sir Isaac Newton, but St. Joseph never cared to obey the law of gravity. Known as the "village idiot" since childhood, St. Joseph went on to levitate in front of countless witnesses, including the pope and even royalty, leading many of them to conversion. His extreme levitation was documented by some of the most prominent people of the day, leaving little doubt he was truly a mystic, and a unique one at that.

If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).

If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected]. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.

You can visit our podcast website HERE.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.