'Mysticism of Eastern Christianity' — My Notes of a 1996 PRS Lecture by Igor Kungurtsev, M.D. & Olga Luchakova, M.D., Ph.D.

An icon shown at Olga's website
www.hridayamyoga.org

 

The two speakers were presented as “esoteric teachers from Russia” at a June 9, 1996 PRS lecture.

 
Igor said that while growing up he turned away from a rigid fundamentalist approach and explored other spiritual traditions.  Although a culture carries ethics, images and archetypes of Christianity, the true essence of any religion is not different from esoteric traditions of all other nations.
 
During the lecture, Igor referred to the tradition of ‘Hesychasm’ (from the Greek word meaning ‘in the silence’).  This esoteric tradition showing Christianity’s early mystic roots started with the Desert Fathers, early disciples of Christ whose goal was attaining mystical union with God.
 
Igor talked about various saints and mystics associated with the early days of Eastern Mysticism and about how mystics thrived not in monasteries but in caves or deserts or they were wandering pilgrims.  In the tenth century Russia became baptized into Christianity.  The whole nation converted to religion valuing the sense of beauty, love and devotion present in the rituals.
 
Under Communism, priests were killed or sent to Siberia, churches were destroyed and the mystical traditions went ‘underground.’  Igor noted that all traditions lead to a realization of Oneness and made it clear that he and Olga didn’t identify themselves with some particular frame such as the Eastern Christian Church, which should not be idealized.
 
During her lecture, Olga spoke about aspects and perspectives of mystic traditions of Eastern Christianity that were passed through generations of Christian yogis.
 
A disciple should be particularly present and clear in relation to thoughts.  An important practice was 'prayer of the heart' for a subsiding of the sense of the individual ‘I’ and gaining an experience of the universal essence.  I understood that what was meant was not mindless repetition but a surrendering of oneself to a Love Source, so to speak.
 
Olga mentioned such expressions as 'theosis' and 'apatheia.'  Although Christian saints have been said to have attained a mystical union with God, it seems to me that this is a matter of awareness and some people make the mistake of putting this experience on the level of a renowned figure such as ‘Buddha’ or ‘Jesus.’  One of the aspects of living an illuminated life that was communicated by Olga was that your daily affairs should reflect your spiritual practice.
 
During a question and answer period, I asked about the role that the famous Russian icons—the very beautiful art pieces—have played in the tradition.  Olga said: “Well that’s a very big question.  The icons are considered to be the doors into Divine.  They were used as the objects of contemplation.  They have the archetypal layer to them.  The images on icons — religion is structured upon archetypes . . . There was the special ritual of making the icons so the whole process of making the icon is the meditative process.  As the result of that, icon becomes highly blessed object of art . . . Icons, scripture and revelation and oral teachings were considered four equally important parts of the tradition.”
 
She said that they used icons in their clinical work to help people to heal as it is beneficial to see your archetype as an object rather than only considering it in your mind.  One of Igor’s comments was that archetypes as a Jungian psychology are immensely helpful for psychological and general personal development.