The Apex of Existence: A Multi-Disciplinary Inquiry into the Nature of Closeness to God

This report addresses the query, “Is there any closest to God?” not by identifying a specific person, but by deconstructing the state of being “closest to God.” This investigation treats the concept as a complex phenomenon with theological, philosophical, practical, and psychological dimensions. The central thesis is that “closeness” is not a static position but a dynamic, integrated state of being, characterized by a fusion of disciplined practice, direct experiential knowledge, and a transformed orientation to reality. This report builds a comprehensive model of this state, drawing from the wisdom of major world religions, the profound accounts of mystics, and the analytical frameworks of philosophy and psychology.

Part I: The Architecture of Closeness: Philosophical and Theological Frameworks

Before one can be “close” to God, one must understand the nature of God and the nature of the space—metaphysical, ethical, and psychological—that separates and connects the human and the divine. This section establishes that conceptual groundwork.

Chapter 1: The Divine Paradox: Transcendence and Immanence

The potential for “closeness” to the divine is fundamentally defined by how a tradition navigates a foundational paradox: the nature of God as both utterly separate from creation (transcendent) and intimately present within it (immanent).¹ Transcendence refers to God’s “otherness,” His existence outside of humanity’s full experience, perception, or grasp.² Immanence, conversely, refers to God’s presence within the material world, making the divine knowable, perceivable, or manifest.² This is not a simple binary but a dynamic tension that nearly all major religions hold as essential for a complete spiritual worldview.¹

The spiritual journey itself exists within this dialectic. A purely transcendent God, infinitely distant and wholly other, would be unrelatable and ultimately irrelevant, offering no path for connection and leading toward a form of deism or atheism.¹ Conversely, a purely immanent God, one who is simply synonymous with the material world (pantheism), would risk collapsing the sacred into the mundane. If God is

only the sum of all things, there is no “closeness” to be achieved, as no distinction exists; this view also tends toward materialism and spiritual impoverishment.¹ Therefore, the spiritual quest is fueled by the tension between these two poles. The seeker is drawn toward the

immanent divine spark within creation while simultaneously being humbled and awed by the transcendent and incomprehensible nature of God. This dynamic creates the spiritual gravity that pulls the soul forward.

The Christian Synthesis

Christian theology posits that the transcendent God becomes immanent through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who is called Immanuel, meaning “God with us”.⁵ God remains transcendent—His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, as stated in Isaiah 55:8-9—yet He makes Himself knowable and perceivable through Christ and the Holy Spirit.² This creates a dynamic where humanity worships God for both His graspable immanence, as seen in the person of Jesus, and His incomprehensible transcendence, as the creator and sustainer of the universe.²

The Hindu and Buddhist View

Eastern traditions often present the divine as inherently both immanent and transcendent. The Hindu Upanishads describe the ultimate reality, Brahman, as the Self that both fills the entire cosmos and transcends it. It is the innermost identity of all existing things yet is vastly greater than their sum.¹ The

Isha Upanishad warns that to see the divine as only immanent or only transcendent is to live in darkness; only those who understand both aspects achieve immortality.¹ Mahayana Buddhism echoes this with the concept of “Buddha-nature” or “Suchness,” which is immanent within all phenomena but also transcendent in its absolute totality.¹

The Islamic Perspective

The Qur’an strongly emphasizes God’s absolute transcendence, stating, “Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him”.¹ Yet, it simultaneously affirms His profound immanence with verses such as, “We are closer to him than his jugular vein” and “wherever you turn, there is His Face”.¹ This establishes a God who is both the incomparable sovereign, far beyond human comprehension, and an intimately present reality accessible to the believer.

The Kabbalistic Paradox of Tzimtzum

Jewish mysticism, particularly the Lurianic Kabbalah developed in the 16th century, offers a sophisticated model to explain this paradox through the concept of tzimtzum (contraction or concealment).⁴ According to this doctrine, for a finite creation to exist, the infinite divine presence (

Ein Sof) had to “withdraw” or “contract” His infinite light, creating a conceptual “empty space” for reality to emerge.⁷ This act makes God simultaneously transcendent (existing beyond the conceptual space of creation) and immanent (as His essence remains fully present throughout all reality, albeit in a concealed state).⁴ This paradox is central to understanding how one can “cleave” to a God who is both infinitely distant and intimately near.

Chapter 2: The Nature of the Relationship: Action, Love, and Oneness

Building on the framework of transcendence and immanence, the mode of relationship with the divine can be understood through three primary models: closeness achieved through right action, through a relationship of love, or through the realization of fundamental oneness. These models are not necessarily mutually exclusive but can represent progressive stages on a developmental path. The journey often begins with the structure of Action, which provides the discipline and orientation toward the divine. Through sincere practice, this can blossom into a heartfelt connection of Love and devotion. At the apex of this love, the distinction between the lover and the beloved may begin to dissolve, leading to the direct experience of Oneness.

Closeness as Right Action and Embodied Justice

In some traditions, closeness is primarily an activity rather than a feeling. In ancient Hebraic thought, a community maintains closeness to God by living under His guidance and embodying the justice prescribed in the Torah—caring for the vulnerable, applying law equally, and maintaining truth.⁵ The Hebrew term for a sacrificial offering,

korban, literally means a “nearness thing,” indicating that prescribed actions are what allow an individual or community to draw near to God’s presence.⁵ This concept is echoed in the Old Testament book of Micah, which defines “true religion” not by ritual alone, but as a combination of action and attitude: “doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God”.⁹

Closeness as a Relationship of Love

Many of the world’s religions frame the ultimate connection to the divine as one of love.

• Christianity: The two greatest commandments are to love God with one’s entire being and to love one’s neighbor as oneself.¹⁰ The distinctive form of this love is
  agapē—a selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial love that mirrors God’s love for humanity expressed through Christ.¹⁰ Closeness is achieved by participating in and reflecting this divine love.
• Sufism (Islam): The poetry of mystics like Jalaluddin Rumi is a powerful testament to the soul’s passionate, ecstatic longing for union with the Divine Beloved.¹¹ This path, the mystical branch of Islam, emphasizes transforming the heart through love (
  ishq), devotion, and remembrance (dhikr) to realize that the lover and Beloved are ultimately one.¹²
• Bhakti Yoga (Hinduism): This path is centered on channeling all emotional energy into devotion for a personal form of God (ishta-deva). Through practices like chanting, prayer, and ceremony, the goal is to achieve perfect divine love and merge back into the Godhead.¹⁴
• Baháʼí Faith: The Baháʼí teachings state that God created human beings out of His love for them, and the purpose of human life is to learn to know and to love God. This reciprocal love purifies the heart and transforms the individual, attracting divine grace.¹⁰

Closeness as Realization of Oneness

Several philosophical and mystical paths teach that “closeness” is ultimately the dissolution of the illusion of a separate self.

• Advaita Vedanta (Hinduism): The Upanishads, foundational texts of Hindu philosophy, teach the concept of non-duality (advaita). This doctrine holds that the individual soul (atman) is, and always has been, identical to the ultimate reality (Brahman). The separation we perceive is a temporary and illusory product of ignorance (avidya).¹⁷ Therefore, achieving “closeness” is not about bridging a gap but about
  realizing this pre-existing, eternal Oneness through the path of knowledge (Jnana Yoga).
• Taoism: A central concept in Taoism is alignment with the Tao, the singular, ineffable source and underlying principle of the universe. To be close to the Tao is to live in harmony with its natural, effortless flow.¹⁷
• Mystical Judaism and Islam: Esoteric branches like Kabbalah and Sufism teach that at the highest levels of spiritual awareness, the separate entity of the self dissolves, leaving only God. This is the concept of fana (annihilation) in Sufism and the ultimate goal of devekut (cleaving) in Kabbalah, where the soul unites with its divine source.¹⁷

Part II: The Cartography of Ascent: Prescribed Paths to the Divine

Religions have developed specific, structured methodologies to guide the seeker from a state of separation to one of closeness. These paths are not merely sets of rules but are sophisticated systems of psychospiritual technology designed to purify the self and remove the obstacles that obscure a pre-existing connection to the divine. The divine is often described as already present and intimately near—”closer to him than his jugular vein” ¹—but our own attachments, delusions, and ego-driven desires create a “veil” or “illusion” of separation. The prescribed paths are systematic methods for dissolving this veil, allowing the immanent divine to be experienced directly.

Chapter 3: The Pillars of Practice: Systems of Spiritual Development

The Five Pillars of Islam

The five obligatory acts of Islam—Shahada (declaration of faith), Salah (prayer), Zakat (alms-giving), Sawm (fasting), and Hajj (pilgrimage)—form the foundational framework of a Muslim’s life.¹⁹ Each pillar is designed to cultivate a specific aspect of closeness to God (

Allah).

• Shahada: The declaration that “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is His Messenger” is the central tenet that orients the believer’s entire life around the principle of monotheism (Tawhid).²⁰
• Salah: The five daily prayers are opportunities for constant remembrance and communion, reinforcing the believer’s purpose to worship God.²¹
• Sawm: The annual fast during Ramadan involves abstaining from basic desires like food and drink during daylight hours. This act purifies the self from worldly distractions, fosters self-control, and nurtures a deeper connection to God.²¹
• Zakat: The obligatory giving of a portion of one’s wealth to the needy purifies the remaining assets and promotes social equity, reminding believers that all wealth ultimately belongs to God.²⁰
• Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca, which every able-bodied and financially capable Muslim must perform once, strips away worldly distinctions of status and wealth. All pilgrims wear simple white garments, performing the same rituals in equality before God.²¹

The Hindu Yogas: Four Paths to Union

Hinduism offers four primary paths, or yogas, tailored to different human temperaments but all leading to the ultimate goal of moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth) and union with the divine.¹⁵

• Karma Yoga: The path of selfless action. This involves performing one’s duties and serving others without attachment to the fruits of the action. It purifies the heart by sublimating the ego.¹⁴
• Bhakti Yoga: The path of devotion. This path is for those of an emotional temperament, channeling feelings of love and surrender toward a personal form of God through prayer, chanting, and rituals.¹⁴
• Jnana Yoga: The path of knowledge and wisdom. Suited for the intellectual, this path uses self-inquiry and discernment (viveka) to distinguish the eternal reality from the transient illusion. It is a process of negation, often summarized by the phrase “neti neti” (“not this, not that”), until only the ultimate Truth remains.¹⁴
• Raja Yoga: The “royal path” of meditation and mind control, as systematically outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It is often seen as an integration of the other three paths, using meditative concentration to achieve absolute control over the mind and realize the true Self.¹⁴

The Buddhist Eightfold Path: The Way to End Suffering

As the fourth of the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path is the practical guide to achieving Nirvana—the cessation of suffering (dukkha) and release from the cycle of rebirth (samsara).²³ It is a comprehensive system for self-purification through ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom. The eight factors are not linear steps but interconnected practices that cultivate one another.²⁵

• Wisdom (Prajñā):

1. Right View: Understanding the Four Noble Truths, karma, and the nature of reality.²³
2. Right Resolve: The intention to renounce worldly attachments and cultivate non-violence and compassion.²³

• Ethical Conduct (Sīla):
  3. Right Speech: Abstaining from lying, divisive speech, harsh language, and idle chatter.23
  
  4. Right Action: Abstaining from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct.23
  
  5. Right Livelihood: Avoiding professions that bring harm to others, such as trading in weapons or intoxicants.23
• Mental Discipline (Samādhi):
  6. Right Effort: Striving to prevent unwholesome states of mind and to cultivate wholesome ones.25
  
  7. Right Mindfulness: Maintaining clear awareness of the body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena.25
  
  8. Right Concentration: Developing deep meditative absorption (dhyana or samadhi) through focused practice.23

Feature	Judaism	Christianity	Islam	Hinduism	Buddhism
Primary Goal	Embodying Torah & Covenant	Salvation through Christ	Submission (Islam) to Allah	Moksha (Liberation) / Union	Nirvana (Cessation) / Liberation
Core Framework	Law & Covenant	Grace & Love	Five Pillars	Four Yogas (Mārgas)	Noble Eightfold Path
Key Practices	Torah Study, Prayer, Mitzvot	Prayer, Sacraments, Love	Salah, Sawm, Zakat, Hajj	Meditation, Devotion, Action	Meditation, Mindfulness, Ethics
View of Human Problem	Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) / Sin	Original Sin	Ghaflah (Forgetfulness)	Avidya (Ignorance)	Dukkha (Suffering)
Conception of “Closeness”	Devekut (Cleaving)	Unio Mystica / Relationship	Remembrance / Proximity	Yoga (Union)	Realization of True Nature

Chapter 4: Religion vs. Relationship: Beyond the Institution

A perennial tension exists within spiritual traditions between outward religious observance and an authentic, inner relationship with God. This distinction acts as a vital check against spiritual complacency and institutional decay, constantly re-centering the ultimate goal on the experience of the divine, not merely the performance of religious duties.

A key metaphor captures this distinction: “the relationship between a religion and God is like the relationship between a radio and music”.²⁷ The institution of religion is a human-made vehicle that, at its best, helps people tune into and experience the divine. However, the vehicle is not the divine itself, and it is possible to experience the music without owning a particular brand of radio.²⁷ This perspective suggests that one can be deeply spiritual without strict adherence to a single institution, while another can be outwardly religious yet lack a genuine inner connection.⁹

From this viewpoint, particularly prominent in some Protestant Christian and modern spiritual discourses, good works and rituals do not earn God’s favor. Rather, they are the natural result of a proper relationship that is established by grace or love.⁹ One follows the precepts of their faith not to gain approval, but as an expression of love for God and a desire to grow closer.⁹

However, this is not necessarily an either/or proposition. A more integrated view suggests that the two are mutually dependent parts of a whole relationship. As one author puts it, the connection requires mutuality: “God comes to us in grace. We go to God in religion. Together, we form a relationship”.⁹ In this synthesis, the structured practices of religion become the language through which the human being responds to divine initiative, making the connection complete and manifest in the world. The person who is truly “close” to God has likely mastered the practices of their religion not as a set of external rules, but as a fluent vocabulary for expressing and deepening a profound, personal relationship.

Part III: The Experiential Core: Direct Encounters with the Ultimate

This section moves from the theoretical and practical to the experiential. It examines the nature of the direct, personal encounter with the divine, which mystics across traditions describe as the goal and essence of the spiritual path.

Chapter 5: The Nature of Mystical Experience

Mysticism is the pursuit of a direct, personal, and transformative experience of or union with the divine or ultimate reality.¹³ It is an intensely personal and inward-focused journey that emphasizes inner experience over mere doctrine.²⁸ The ultimate goal is not simply to know

about God, but to unite with God, leading to a fundamental transformation of the human being.¹³

The philosopher and psychologist William James, in his seminal work The Varieties of Religious Experience, identified four key characteristics of mystical states ³⁰:

1. Ineffability: The experience is beyond adequate description in words. The mystic feels its meaning cannot be fully imparted to others.
2. Noetic Quality: The experience provides a profound sense of insight or knowledge. These are states of illumination that reveal depths of truth unplumbed by the discursive intellect.
3. Transiency: Mystical states cannot be sustained for long. They are typically brief, but their effects on the individual’s consciousness and life are long-lasting.
4. Passivity: The mystic often feels as if their own will is in abeyance, and they are grasped or held by a superior power.

Chapter 6: Case Studies in Mystical Union

The mystical accounts reveal a profound paradox. The path demands the annihilation of the small, constructed ego-self, as when Rumi speaks of losing everything to become one with the Beloved.¹¹ Yet, the figures who report these experiences—such as Teresa of Ávila or Black Elk—emerge not as blank slates, but as individuals with intensely powerful and unique personalities. This suggests that the “self” that is annihilated is the false, egoic self, while the “self” that emerges is the true, essential Self—the unique, perfected expression of the divine within that individual. This ineffable experience is then communicated back into the world through the available human means of metaphor, art, and embodiment.

Devekut in Jewish Mysticism

Devekut is a Hebrew term meaning “clinging” or “cleaving” to God.³³ It is a state of constant mindfulness of God’s presence, an attachment that Hasidic thought teaches can be cultivated even while engaging in worldly pursuits (“serving God in corporeality”).³⁴ This state is achieved through practices like prayer, meditation, and Torah study, all performed with deep intention (

kavanah).³⁵ While it can be a deep, trance-like meditative state, it is also described as a form of joyful “revelry”—a loving and longing dance with the divine flame that stops just short of complete union in order to savor the connection itself.³³

Unio Mystica and St. Teresa of Ávila

St. Teresa of Ávila, a 16th-century Spanish Carmelite reformer and Doctor of the Church, was commanded by her superiors to write about her profound mystical experiences.³⁷ Her works, including her autobiography and

The Interior Castle, describe a four-stage ascent of the soul from simple mental prayer to divine rapture and ultimately, spiritual marriage with God (unio mystica).³⁷ Her most famous ecstatic vision is the “transverberation,” in which she perceived an angel piercing her heart with a golden spear tipped with fire. She described the resulting feeling as a “spiritual pain” of such extreme sweetness that “one’s soul then content with anything but God”.⁴⁰ This vision is a classic example of a direct, imaginative encounter that had profound and lasting spiritual and even physical effects.

The Annihilation of Self (Fana) in the Poetry of Rumi

Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic, is one of the world’s most eloquent voices on the soul’s journey to God.¹² Sufism, the mystical path of Islam, seeks direct, experiential knowledge of the divine through love and remembrance (

dhikr).¹³ Rumi’s central theme is the dissolution of the separate self (

fana) into the Divine Beloved. “Duality must be abandoned,” he wrote, “if you seek to drink the soul of unity”.¹¹ He used powerful metaphors to describe this process: the soul as a Phoenix rising from the “ashes of Union” ⁴¹; the drop returning to the Ocean; and looking into one’s own heart to find God, who was there all along.⁴²

The Great Vision of Black Elk

Black Elk was an Oglala Lakota holy man whose life and visions were recorded in the early 20th century.⁴³ At the age of nine, during a severe illness, he had a “Great Vision” in which he was taken by the “Thunder Beings” to the spiritual center of the world.⁴⁵ There, he was shown the “sacred hoop” of his nation and the “tree of life” that was meant to flourish and provide shelter for his people. He was given a mission to heal his people and help restore their broken hoop.⁴⁵ His vision represents a profound sense of cosmic unity, where closeness is not just to a personal God but to the entire spiritual fabric of creation, embodied by the “Six Grandfathers” who represent the powers of the world.⁴³

Satori and Kensho in Zen Buddhism

In the Zen Buddhist tradition, satori is the term for “awakening” or “enlightenment,” while kenshō means “seeing into one’s true nature”.⁴⁷ These terms refer to a deep, direct experience of the true nature of reality, which transcends the ordinary distinction between the knower and the known.

Kenshō is often used to describe an initial glimpse of this reality, an insight that must be deepened and matured through continued practice. Satori, by contrast, can refer to the full, complete awakening of a Buddha or a great patriarch.⁴⁷ This direct experience is the central goal of Zen, prepared for through rigorous meditation (

zazen), study, and the use of koans (paradoxical questions or anecdotes) under the guidance of a teacher, all designed to exhaust the rational mind and precipitate a direct, non-conceptual insight.⁴⁷

Part IV: The Secular Gaze: Psychological and Philosophical Interpretations

Stepping outside of theological frameworks, the fields of philosophy and psychology have developed their own vocabularies for understanding profound subjective states. These secular frameworks provide a complementary, non-doctrinal “phenomenological grammar” for describing the experience of “closeness,” revealing the structured psychological events that underlie what is often described in religious terms.

Chapter 7: The Feeling of the Holy: Awe, the Numinous, and the Sublime

Rudolf Otto and the Numinous

In his influential 1917 book The Idea of the Holy, the German theologian Rudolf Otto coined the term “numinous” to describe the core, non-rational experience of the sacred.⁴⁸ He argued this experience is

sui generis (of its own kind) and cannot be reduced to other emotions or concepts.⁵⁰ He analyzed this complex feeling as a

mysterium tremendum et fascinans ⁵¹:

• Mysterium: The numen is perceived as “wholly other,” a mystery entirely different from ordinary life that is beyond rational comprehension, evoking wonder and stupor.
• Tremendum: It provokes terror and awe due to its overwhelming power (majesty) and energy, creating a “creature-feeling”—a sense of one’s own nothingness and dependence in contrast.
• Fascinans: Despite the fear, the numen is irresistibly attractive and alluring, a potent charm that draws the individual in with the promise of salvation or ultimate value.

Otto’s framework provides a precise vocabulary for the ambivalent emotional texture of a direct encounter with a transcendent God, capturing the dual feelings of fear and attraction described by mystics like Moses at the burning bush or St. Teresa in her ecstasy.⁴⁰

The Sublime in Aesthetics

The sublime is an aesthetic quality of greatness that is beyond all calculation, measurement, or imitation.⁵² It is often inspired by vast and powerful natural phenomena like mountains, oceans, and storms.⁵² Philosophers like Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant distinguished the sublime from the beautiful. While beauty is associated with form, harmony, and pleasure, the sublime is formless, unbounded, and involves a mixture of pleasure and a “negative pain” or terror that overwhelms our faculties.⁵² The experience of the sublime is deeply connected to the emotion of awe; indeed, it is often described as “aesthetic awe”.⁵⁴

Awe in Modern Psychology

Modern psychology has taken up the study of awe, defining it as an emotional response to perceptually vast stimuli that transcend current frames of reference and require a “need for accommodation”—a process of altering one’s mental schemas to make sense of the experience.⁵⁶ Research has shown that the experience of awe, and specifically awe of God, is correlated with significant benefits to well-being, including lower rates of depression, higher life satisfaction, and a stronger sense of meaning in life.⁵⁷

Chapter 8: The Psychology of Optimal Experience: Flow, Peak States, and Well-being

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and “Flow”

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi developed the concept of “flow” to describe a state of complete absorption in an activity.⁵⁸ In this state, one’s sense of self disappears, the perception of time is altered, and the activity becomes intrinsically rewarding (

autotelic).⁶⁰ Flow occurs when there is a perfect balance between the challenge of a task and an individual’s skill level, combined with clear goals and immediate feedback.⁵⁹ The characteristics of flow—loss of ego, deep concentration, and the merging of action and awareness—show a remarkable structural similarity to descriptions of deep meditative states and mystical practices, providing a secular language for the mechanics of focused spiritual discipline.

Abraham Maslow and “Peak Experiences”

Psychologist Abraham Maslow studied what he called “peak experiences,” which he described as moments of the highest happiness and fulfillment, often characterized by feelings of wonder, awe, reverence, and surrender.⁶² These moments provide a glimpse of a reality perceived with heightened truth, goodness, and beauty, echoing the “noetic quality” of mystical experience identified by William James.

The Psychological Fruits of Closeness

Beyond theoretical models, empirical studies have quantified the benefits of a perceived “closeness to God.” Using psychological scales that ask individuals to rate their felt relationship with a higher power, researchers have found strong, consistent correlations.⁶³ A reported sense of closeness to God is positively associated with greater well-being (happiness, life satisfaction, meaning in life), better mental health (lower anxiety, depression, and loneliness), and an enhanced ability to cope with stress.⁶³ This perceived closeness can even act as a buffer, mitigating the negative psychological effects of “spiritual struggles” such as doubt or religious conflict.⁶³ This demonstrates a clear link between the inner world of spiritual feeling and the outer world of measurable life outcomes.

Characteristic	Mystical Experience (General)	Numinous Experience (Otto)	The Sublime (Aesthetic)	Peak Experience (Maslow)	Flow State (Csikszentmihalyi)
Primary Trigger	Spiritual practice, grace	Perception of “The Holy”	Vastness/Power in nature/art	Moments of fulfillment, love, insight	High-challenge, high-skill task
Core Emotion(s)	Union, Love, Bliss	Awe, Fear, Fascination	Awe, Terror, Pleasure	Wonder, Reverence, Joy	Energized Focus, Enjoyment
Sense of Self	Annihilated / United with Other	“Creature-feeling” / Dualistic	Humbled / Diminished	Transcended / Forgotten	Forgotten / Lost in activity
Sense of Time	Eternity / Timelessness	N/A	Overwhelmed	Distorted / Irrelevant	Distorted / Seems to fly
Cognitive Aspect	Noetic (Insight-giving)	Non-rational	Incomprehensible	Revelatory	Intense Concentration
Primary Outcome	Personal Transformation	Religious Feeling	Aesthetic Pleasure	Self-Actualization	Skill Growth / Intrinsic Reward

Chapter 9: A Pragmatist’s View: William James and the Validity of Experience

William James provided a philosophical foundation for taking these subjective experiences seriously. In The Varieties of Religious Experience, he deliberately shifted the focus away from religious institutions and doctrines to the personal, felt experiences of individuals.³² He argued that direct mystical states are the true “root and centre” of all religion, and that theological formulas and institutions are secondary products, like translations of the original, powerful text of direct experience.⁶⁶

James’s pragmatic test for the value of a religious experience was not its objective truth or supernatural origin, but its practical consequences in the person’s life: what he called its “fruits”.³² For James, a belief is not a passive cognitive exercise but an “instrument of action”.³² A religious experience is “true” in a pragmatic sense if it leads to a better, more meaningful, and more expansive life. The quest for closeness is thus validated by its demonstrable, positive value for human flourishing.

Conclusion: A Synthesis on “The Closest”

The initial query—”Is there any closest to God?”—invites an answer that transcends the identification of a single individual. The vast body of theological, mystical, and psychological evidence suggests that the answer is not a person but a mode of existence. “Closeness to God” is a dynamic and integrated state of being, a synthesis of disciplined practice, direct experience, and profound psychological transformation.

The individual who embodies this state would likely exhibit a harmonious integration of the following dimensions:

1. The Path (Orthopraxy): They have mastered a disciplined spiritual path—whether the Pillars of Islam, the Yogas of Hinduism, or the Eightfold Path of Buddhism—not as a set of external rules, but as a fluent, living language for interacting with the divine. Their actions are infused with love and profound intention (kavanah).
2. The Union (Mystical Experience): They have had direct, personal, and transformative experiences of ultimate reality. This may be characterized by the loving union of bhakti, the non-dual realization of jnana, the cleaving attachment of devekut, or the awe-filled encounter with the numinous. This direct, “noetic” knowledge forms the unshakable core of their being.
3. The Fruit (Psychological Transformation): This inner state manifests externally as optimal human flourishing. They exhibit the psychological markers of well-being: a profound sense of meaning, resilience, compassion, and the ability to experience “flow” or deep engagement in the activities of life. Having annihilated the false, constricted ego, they have actualized the true, essential Self discovered in the mystical union.

Ultimately, the quest to be “closest to God” is synonymous with the quest for the fullest realization of the human potential for wisdom, love, and enlightened consciousness. It is a universal journey from a fragmented and illusory ego to an integrated, whole self that lives in a conscious, harmonious, and loving relationship with the ultimate reality, however it is named.

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