Mysticism vs Meditation? Dr. Jay Michaelson talks with SoU | Convos with Authors

In this convo with a fellow seeker, meditator, author, teacher and activist we explore ‘mysticism today,’ the insights of mysticism within a context of healthy modern scepticism and contemporary life.   We ask what mysticism might have to teach us in 2021? Is mysticism necessarily ethical, loving and unitive? Are all Mystical traditions teaching the same thing? And does Kabbalah still work? We talk about the falls and peaks of comparative mysticism, Buddhism vs Judaism, Meditation in the Jhana Theravadan Buddhist tradition, Getting beyond Monism and his essay, the Repersonalization of God, Post-monistic theological polymorphism and warm bread.  Our guest is Dr. Jay Michaelson, a Lawyer, a Rabbi, a Mediation teacher, and an LGBT rights activist. A columnist for the Daily Beast and editor for Ten Percent Happier. A frequent commentator on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, the Atlantic, Washington Post, the Forward and others. The author of eight books and over three hundred articles on religion, sexuality, law, and contemplative practice. He’s written on Sadness and the Spiritual Path, American Buddhism, God vs Gay, Non-Dual Judaism, Embodied Spirituality, and Postmodern Buddhism. Dr. Michaelson holds a PhD in Jewish Thought, a Law degree from Yale, and nondenominational rabbinic ordination. He has taught at Harvard Divinity School, Yale University, Boston University Law School and the Chicago Theological Seminary. He is the founder of Zeek, the first Jewish online magazine and of two LGBT rights organizations. Dr. Michaelson was listed in the Forward 50 list of the most influential American Jews.