The mission statement of HJ International Graduate School (formerly Unification Theological Seminary) says one of its goals is to help its students “enhance their relationship with God.”
The founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, in his 1985 commencement address to UTS said, “I have also endeavored for this campus to be a place where the students can develop deep personal faith and authentic spiritual communication with the Spirit of God.”
Most religious people long for a deeper relationship with God, hoping to have their own personal mystical experience, but oftentimes become discouraged because of how difficult that can be.
After having a few experiences myself, years ago I began teaching others. In addition to writing, I have conducted classes, workshops and training seminars around the world demonstrating techniques shown to facilitate mystical experiences.
The three main techniques I use are the practice of hands-on healing, guided meditations, and a writing technique I call “Journaling with God.”
Three Techniques that Can Trigger a Mystical Experience
Hands-on healing: For this technique, I divide a group into pairs. One person sits in a chair, and the other person stands behind the chair and lays their hands on the sitter’s shoulders. Then I lead those standing to imagine that divine white light is flowing down their arms and through their hands into the sitter while repeating the following mantra: “God’s love is flowing through me, for the purpose of healing [sitter’s name] now.” After a few minutes, each couple reverses positions, and the mantra is repeated again.
Guided meditation: I employ several different guided meditations; here I describe the one I use most often during my workshops. After giving patient and detailed instructions to the participants, I invite them to close their eyes and imagine they are sitting alone on a beautiful beach. It’s a bright sunny day, and I call their attention to the warm sun on their skin, the feel of the sand on their toes, and the peaceful rhythm of the waves coming up to their feet and then retreating back down the shore. Next, they focus on the bright sun right in front of them, high above the ocean. The meditation culminates with each participant imagining they are sending a beam of light from the center of their heart out and up towards the bright sun in the sky. The moment their beam of light connects to the sun is often when the mystical experience is triggered.
Journaling with God: Participants are guided through a thorough and detailed explanation of how to perform this exercise. Then they are given perhaps half an hour or more to write a “letter to God.” They are encouraged to be absolutely honest, and try and communicate what is most deeply on their heart. At the exact moment they finish writing, they are instructed to add the following sentence to the end of their writing: “Is there anything You would like to say to me right now.” Without pause, they must immediately write the first thing that pops into their mind, even if it seems nonsensical. After they finish writing the first thing that enters their mind, they must continue writing the next impression, and the next, until the inspiration stops. Oftentimes, they are surprised to receive communication that conveys deep compassion and affection for the participant. In countless cases, participants have received long, detailed and profoundly personal communications from their Heavenly Parent.
Believe It Is Possible, or We Might Block the Experience
The biggest challenge I have faced in my ministry is helping participants deal with belief systems that act as an impediment to the mystical experience. First and foremost is the self-identification of a participant as too inadequate or sinful to have a direct encounter with God.
I remember vividly one female participant at my Italian workshop who came to the moment during the guided meditation where she was on the cusp of uniting her light with the Light of God. Just as she and God were about to embrace, she shut down the experience, and was acutely aware she was the one who had done so. She avoided the mystical encounter and was quite upset about it, but didn’t understand why she made that choice. Through a translator, she asked me if I could tell her why she had chosen to end the encounter just before the mystical union.
I got her to calm down and asked her to close her eyes and place her hand on her heart. “Ask your heart why you shut down the experience,” I said.
After placing her hand on her heart, almost immediately her eyes popped open with a knowing look on her face. “I know why I did it,” she said. “It’s because I did not believe I was good enough to have such an experience. I didn’t believe I was worthy.”
The woman, although Unificationist, came from a Roman Catholic upbringing. Self-identifying as a sinner unworthy to be embraced by God is a strong characteristic in many Catholic cultures. I remember as a child singing a Catholic hymn entitled “O Lord, I Am Not Worthy” that begins with these words: “O Lord, I am not worthy, that thou should’st come to me…”
It would be interesting to find out if this obstacle is experienced less often among those from faith traditions that do not emphasize sin and inadequacy — Buddhism, for example.
My method for overcoming this impediment is to guide one to go beyond the analytical mind to tap into the intuitive wisdom – their own divine nature – that is accessible through the doorway of the heart.
Successful Cases
Here are three examples from individuals who used these techniques to have a mystical experience:
Japanese female, 50+ years old, Unificationist. Guided meditation technique
This event took place at a workshop I conducted in Milan, Italy, in 2014. Although the woman was Japanese, she was married to an Italian, and shared the following testimony in Italian:
I started to meditate by following him (indicates Ron).
Truly it came right away just like a light, slow at first and then stronger and stronger, and like a wave vibrating, small vibrations at first, then wider, going into this sun, and as I was searching for my light (indicates forehead), I found a strong reference point with white light, and as I was trying to bring it toward my heart, a word came “Thank you,” “Thank you,” I did not understand why, but “Thank you, I was searching for you for so long.”
(She pauses with emotion)
Truly he (God) gave thanks and said, “I have been searching for you very much.”
And my heart was saying “Thank you, truly this moment is very important, finally we met.”
It seemed like this sensation of not wanting to leave this strong moment, a moment of an encounter with someone with a strong, strong embrace, who did not want to leave me; my hands were vibrating, and I was feeling this deep love, this strong warmth, like a mother who embraces (hugs) from the beginning, and who will never leave you.
And this was a strong message, and calm and tranquility came to me, and truly I had been waiting for this encounter, and I gave thanks, “Thank you.” I did not want to leave that moment, and he (Ron) said he was going to cease, and leave little by little, but I did not want — I could not leave this moment of an encounter so important, something that my heart was searching for from the beginning.
(She pauses with emotion)
So, we now understand that God is always with us. He was living within me in silence, I who did not understand that He gave us this sense of feeling the love of God.
This woman later told me that she had been a Unificationist for over 40 years and had never had an experience like this. She was deeply moved to discover that God knew her personally. “He knew my name,” she said.
Language is not an insurmountable challenge to the efficacy of the techniques. This woman’s native language and culture was Japanese. I led the meditation in English, while being simultaneously translated into Italian. The woman shared her testimony in Italian, which I later had translated into English. Even with all of the language and cultural differences, the technique was successful. Her experience was so moving that even as I was adding it to this article, I was overcome with emotion.
American female, 15 years old, Mormon background. Guided meditation technique
This participant had been struggling with depression and was practicing self-injury by cutting herself. We were also concerned she might be suicidal. This account is excerpted from my 2012 book Reconciled by the Light Book II: Spirit Messages from a Teen Suicide:
During the guided meditation exercise at one of my weekend workshops, I spiritually saw a rotating vortex of energy in front of her face. She was weeping as she was completely immersed in this energy. When the meditation finished, her face was drenched in tears.
I asked each person if they wanted to share what had happened to them during the meditation. When it was her turn to speak, she was still crying a little bit:
“After I got relaxed into my chair on the beach, I looked down the beach to my left, and I saw Joshua (Ron’s deceased son) down there … So, I jumped out of my chair, ran down the beach as fast as I could, and tackle-hugged him. It was so great to feel his embrace. I just stayed there and talked with him. I told him how grateful I was to him for being my friend and for all he had done to help me.
“He just held me for a moment and then he spoke to me. He told me ‘Actually, you really shouldn’t be thanking me. There’s someone else who is really the one who helped you the most, and I’d like to introduce you to him.’ Then he pointed to his left. When I looked over there, there was this bright white light. It was coming from the person standing next to Josh. As I looked to see who it was, I knew right away that it was God.
“I felt kind of nervous — I mean this was God! So, I told him I was sorry — sorry because I felt I had been kind of ignoring him and didn’t have a very good relationship with him.
“Then he said ‘No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you have had such a difficult childhood. I’m sorry for what you have had to go through; it was never my intention that it should be like that.’ Then he just hugged me, and I really started to cry then. I could actually feel him holding me. The feeling is just impossible to describe. I felt so accepted and loved — so loved! I didn’t want it to end.
“Then he said, ‘I’ve placed certain people in your life to help you. Joshua is one of them, but there are others on earth also. They are there just for you, because I love you so much! I am here for you also, whenever you call out for me! I also want to encourage you. You have so much love inside your heart, I hope you will share it with others — give it out. If you do this, it will be very good for you.’”
I have found during my ministry that participants from a Unificationist background are somewhat more apt to receive a mystical experience. However, people from any faith tradition may do so. This girl was raised in a Mormon home, and it presented no obstacle to her mystical experience; also, her young age was no impediment.
A few weeks after the workshop, I asked her if anything had changed in her life as a result of her mystical experience:
“Oh, yeah,” she said. “Lots!”
“Can you give me an example?”
“Well, in the past, if I saw some geeky boy wearing a ridiculous shirt to school I might say something snarky or sarcastic to him. I never do that anymore. I’m a lot kinder and patient with people now.”
This comment epitomizes the goal of my ministry. I am convinced that creating an ideal society, or what religionists may call the Kingdom of God on Earth, begins with transforming individuals. Because of her experience with God, especially the unconditional love of God, this young lady now understands her immeasurable value as a daughter of God. When one receives this deep into the heart, it becomes very difficult to harm another person. Therefore, she has stopped bullying other students at school. I love the motto “Peace begins with me” because I don’t believe we get a peaceful world without creating peaceful individuals.
This event took place more than 10 years ago. The young lady has survived, and the transformative effect of her mystical experience ended her practice of self-injury and had an overall positive effect on her life.
African-American male, 60+ years old, Unificationist. Excerpt from “Journaling with God” technique
This man attended one of my workshops a few years ago and had a mystical experience while performing the journaling technique. He continued using the technique, and shared with me this subsequent experience through journaling a couple of years later:
Dear Heavenly Parent,
Yesterday I was inspired by the new information I discovered on the Research Institute for the Integration of World Thought website. It was a link to Unification Thought classes and hopefully development of ideas based on current scientific discoveries. I am interested in partnering with this group if they are open to new ideas and discoveries.
God: Good work. Keep your faith and you will keep your promise to me to be my son of love and joy and happiness. I know what you are doing makes you happy.
Yes, Father. I am happiest when I try to serve others and serving others in the biggest possible way makes me happiest.
God: You are in a strange time when what seems up is down and vice versa for many people. The Kingdom of Heaven that you speak of so often is here but not visible to them. You are trying to make it visible. You are the first impression as an individual of what anyone will see of the Kingdom of Heaven with their own eyes. Thus, your attitude is important to convey what possibilities are there for them when people see you. Be kind is what I always tell you because not offending people keeps their heart open. What comes next is to be accurate and humble. They are correct in their opinions because no spoken truths are completely accurate and must be defended by the person speaking it. Humility will help you get through the rough parts that people don’t accept. My heart is with your efforts. Keep calm, you sometimes get too excited, and your point is lost because the emotion is covering it up. At all times be kind and gentle. You will feel frustrated with people, but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was, too, but he loved those who opposed him to the end. Don’t worry about rejection because it is temporary. My will is being done all over the world now and you are a part of it. People like you will meet in the future and laugh about how crazy the world was but cry because it was so painful, too – so many had to suffer and endure during the transition period.
How long will the transition period last?
God: I don’t know. It depends on humankind’s tolerance for pain. As long as people’s hearts are closed, pain will be inflicted and prolongation of my heart’s desire for human happiness will continue. It’s up to you…
Countless Mystical Experiences
I have accumulated countless testimonies like these from the thousands of people who have attended my programs. In my experience, the door is wide open for anyone to have experiences like these. I’m excited because these experiences can be and often are life transformative. When a person has a direct encounter with God, they come to know that they are loved and valued beyond measure. They awaken to a stronger sense of empowerment. In my view, realizing this brings the Kingdom of God another step closer to fulfillment.♦
Ron Pappalardo is a student in the D.Min. program at HJI, and author of five books, most recently What I Learned from the Dead: A Psychic Medium Survives his Son’s Suicide through Spiritualism (2022). More information on the techniques discussed in this article can be found in his 2015 book Experiences with God: Stories About Mystics: A Guidebook to Your Own Divine Encounter.
Photo at top by Frank McKenna (courtesy of Unsplash); photo of woman and sun by Eyup Belen (courtesy of Pexels).
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Applied Unificationism 
Thank you, Ron. I appreciate the tips you’ve provided, and the range of testimonies, each with its sense of personal release and growth.
“Anyone Can Have a Mystical Experience” — I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, just recently I commented to a group of guys at a breakfast table that I don’t want to and could never believe in a God I can’t experience. I was blessed with some powerful spiritual experiences when I first joined the Unification Movement. Thank God (literally) because without them, I would not have joined. I needed to know that God existed, and through some powerful, tearful show-down prayers I “connected”.
While I admire those with the level of faith to believe without knowing, the “connection” is not really “mystical”. It’s our natural state. We are not meant to question God’s existence. What kind of parents, heavenly or otherwise, would want their children to constantly question their existence? We are meant to walk hand in hand with God every day, speaking to God, and hearing and feeling God’s response.
Recently I listened to a podcast by Pastor Tim Keller called “Questioning Christianity”. He began every episode saying, “we can’t prove God’s existence, but we can’t prove God doesn’t exist either.” I disagree. While I can’t prove God’s existence to others, each person can absolutely prove God’s existence to him or herself. Like Ron, I believe and know that everyone can have a “mystical” experience. Although in the future we won’t call them mystical experiences, they will be the norm. Thanks, Ron, for this article.
I am so happy to see this article. Myself and a number of my close friends have had some very genuine experiences using some of these techniques. The most wonderful thing, in my opinion, is that they can be experienced by all, anyone, with any spiritual practice.
Excellent article, as well as the continued work of Ron Pappalardo to heal this world and help people to truly have a skin touch experience with God.
My wife, Cheryl, and I attended Ron’s “First Blessing” workshop in 2015. We have read all his books and love the monthly Zoom meetings. For us, all the topics are like spiritual cheesecake in being so rich and tasty. I am glad this article clearly states the process and goals of coming closer to Heavenly Parent in a very intimate way. Spiritualism has gotten a bad rap in society but this perception is nothing more than superstition. Ron has taught us about the early Christians and early American history using the techniques to experience God more intimately. His and Connie’s ministry is so needed at this time in history. We pray for their success.
Thank you, Ron, for providing guidance on ways to have a mystical experience.
I have been blessed to have met Ron years ago while he was having workshops out of his home. He taught me guided meditation and journaling which I use every day of my life. His lessons in journaling led me to write my first book: Dear Lord, I Am Listening. It was a profound experience and I realized the gifts of the Holy Spirit which led to inspirational messages for all walks of life. I will never forget all that Ron has done to teach me to hone my gifts as a psychic/medium and I have used these gifts to help so many people grieving their loved ones. I do this to serve God and those left behind and I owe the awakening of this beautiful spiritual experience to Ron Pappalardo and his teachings. Thank you, Ron, for this amazing gift.
I hadn’t realized how the deeply ingrained feeling of being unworthy to have a direct experience with God influenced so many experiences in my life. Thank you for sharing your work.
Dear Naomi,
Thank you for your comment! Sadly, this feeling of unworthiness is the number one block I run into in my work. It’s like a Catch-22 situation. We need to experience God to help us know how loved and valued we are, but because we don’t know how loved and valued we are we can block the experience of God.
In addition, there are other things that can block us from experiencing God. How do I know? Because I’ve had to overcome all of them myself.
They include being afraid of God, holding grudges at others, and being angry at God himself. For me, anger was a tough one. I was angry at God but didn’t know it. I was suppressing it because in my Catholic upbringing it would have been absolutely unthinkable to be angry at God.
The good news is all of these blocks can be overcome. When I overcame them, the resulting mystical experiences filled me to a point where I sometimes felt I might die from the power of the overwhelming love; I felt like my heart was going to physically explode, and yet I wasn’t afraid of death.
If you or anyone would like more information on how to overcome these blocks, I go into detail in my book Experiences with God: Stories about Mystics: a Guidebook to Your Own Divine Encounter. Also, my book Reconciled by the Light, Book II shares my personal story of how I overcame these blocks and met God. They are available at my website, and on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Thanks again for your comment.
In his article, Ron departs from conventional thought by explaining that mystical experiences with God belong to everyone, not just those with esoteric training. But he goes further by revealing the limitations which we all carry that inhibit the experience. The examples he cites leave little doubt that each one is an authentic communication with the living God. Why now? Why is mystical contact uniquely available to us today? As Ron reports, and as God says to a workshop participant, “the Kingdom of Heaven is here, but not visible to them (those who don’t believe).”
This article highlights some of the great things Ron is doing for others. Ron does a very good job balancing the physical and spiritual worlds. I always learn a lot from him.
Excellent article, Ron! Thank you for sharing these techniques which help us experience our Heavenly Parent in such an intimate way! Now I understand what Mr. Sudo was talking about when he encouraged us to have “skin touch with God!”
In addition to your books, thank you for your monthly Zoom call meetings called GEMS Meetings (God Experiencing Mystics,) which are very inspirational and explore even more ways in which we can come closer to a relationship with our Heavenly Parent. I enjoy how you and your wife Connie share amazing journaling and other mystical experiences, lead prayers for national healing & reconciliation, and your guest speakers also share profound encounters Heavenly Parent!
Just like Michelangelo’s depiction of God and Adam on the top of the Sistine Chapel, I have discovered that more than we are seeking to experience God; it is God who is reaching out to each one of us with unconditional love! And since God is our common source and loves each one of us, there must be away for us to love one another, in spite of our differences!
Dear All,
Allow me to make some additional observations to these extraordinary techniques to become bathed in the Love of God.
These techniques are all very good, but many people already are already experiencing God every day but they are not aware of it or are not recognizing it as such. Since God is All There Is, God will use angels, ascended masters and your spirit guides as well to communicate with you; that is, whatever channel is best and available at that moment, depending on your own openness and spiritual level (which goes up and down during the day, by the way). We shouldn’t make a separation or distinction by saying: “Oh, this was just my grandmother helping me from the spirit world, or this was just my guardian angel, or Jesus, or Saint Germain, or Rev. Moon, but it wasn’t God directly. All is and all are One, so all that is loving is ultimately coming from God and is God. Unconditional Love = God, like a mathematical formula.
For example, you’re driving and suddenly you turn your head to see potential danger and you avoid it. That sudden interference wasn’t you, now was it? Or: You’re talking to someone and suddenly a most inspirational or humorous remark comes out your mouth you that will completely surprise everyone and alter the atmosphere and elevate it to a higher level, either with enormous laughter or a deep sense of awe. Such moments could lead even to entire articles being written in response.
You are walking through nature and feel compelled to look at a colored autumn leaf or a flower in spring time, or witness the cute behavior of an animal, and it fills you with such a sense of awe and wonder that it might even bring tears of joy to your heart and eyes. That is the God residing permanently within, resonating with your awareness.
I am musician and I can sit down at my keyboard and improvise something. There are many times when I’m so excited by the entire process and outcome that when it’s finished I simply say:”Wow, that was fantastic” and I feel totally elevated myself. Where did this spontaneous music come from? The same thing happens to painters, authors, poets, sculptors, dancers, cooks, and you name it.
If you observe closely, you will see God at work in you, through you and as you multiple times, and then you realize that God and You are not separate beings at all, but are One, but that there is just a tiny distance between you that makes a relationship possible and helps you and God to discover each other and yourselves.
So, all I am hinting at here is that God is much closer than you think, loves you easily 100,000 times more than your spouse or parents, and is talking (more like whispering) to you all the time. God once gave me a verbal revelation while I was sitting on the toilet, which eventually led to a 400-page book on the divine principles of numbers. So, you never know. God also has a great sense of humor. These whispers can often be heard after a meditation, and by you asking if there is anything you want God to tell you. And sometimes the answer comes through loud and clear, most very often in very subtle ways or even with signs. If we are alert, we will receive. Sometimes the answer comes at a later moment, when you least expect it. God know when you are most receptive.
Of course, to be bathed in the love and light of God is fantastic and life altering, but this doesn’t happen to us on a constant or even daily basis in this earthly life for most of us. So, in the meanwhile, you can discover in all kind of subtle ways the divine presence; just keep listening to the small voice within and you’ll notice that God is always there.