Thank you for sharing. Here are some more quotes from Christian mystics that I find inspiring.

However softly we speak, God is so close to us that he can hear us; nor do we need wings to go in search of him, but merely to seek solitude and contemplate him within ourselves, without being surprised to find such a good Guest there.

St. John of the Cross

You yourself are even another little world and have within you the sun and the moon and also the stars.

Origen

In light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel.

Teresa of Avila

Not a book, but I can’t recommend the podcast St. Anthony’s Tongue enough!

The host, W, also got really into Buddhism when he was younger and often talks about how close it is to Christian mysticism. He has hours of episodes deep diving into the mystics and how he formats his show is brilliant. Just pick an episode and see if you like it.

His episode on St. Hildegard von Bingen and her concept of “greening” is what drew me into learning about and practicing mystical practices.

For a saint’s book: St. Therese of Liseaux (sp?) Story of a Soul is a quick read and while it may not be relatable in terms of her vocational path, her heart and words are worth learning.

I don’t think she’s really considered a mystic, but I’d argue that Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes is a modern Marian mystic. Her book, Untie The Strong Woman, quite literally changed my life. Anyone who loves Mama Mary should read that book.

Personally, I’d start with a podcast or YouTube video talking about the mystics and what their contributions to mysticism are before deciding what to read from one of them.

My hottest take: I made the mistake of reading St. Theresa of Avila’s Interior Castle, her writings about the different levels of one’s soul and how the soul connects with God with the ultimate goal of being inseparable from God, much too soon into my mystical journey.

That book gets recommended all the time and while it’s incredible and you really understand why she is a doctor of the church, for me, it set my progress back because I did not know what I did not know. It took quite some time to realize my mistake.

This is my argument for why:

I just made a lot of recommendations and so have a lot of people here. I think what we’ve suggested is fantastic, and the authors are suggested because they are able to put into words what can only truly be understood by actually having a mystical experience.

St. Theresa wrote arguably the most important book on how a mystical soul becomes one with Our Creator. Step one is truly knowing yourself.

You have to decide what you want from this endeavor. Do you just want to understand more about the idea of awe and beauty that informs mysticism? Read about Hildegard’s greening. Are you into the nerdy side? Read Merton. Do you want a general overview because you don’t know where to start? Listen to a podcast.

If you want to learn the practice of mysticism, you must start with yourself. Learn to meditate or pray the rosary. Sit outside quietly by yourself with the intention of appreciating Creation.

There is a longing in your soul that seeks more, otherwise you wouldn’t have posted. It’s on YOU to get to know yourself enough to answer these questions before proceeding, and that is why I argue against reading Avila too early. You MUST know what makes your soul crave the way it does before you can begin nourishing.

Sorry for the book I just wrote. It’s my bad habit but I felt especially called to write to you because my daughter is almost 18. I did a pretty terrible job raising her within the religion, she’s not interested in any of this because I didn’t know myself well enough to explain the whys of our religion, but what I wrote is what I would answer this question if she was asking.

I only use Reddit once a day, but feel free to DM me for any questions or whatever else. 💚✌️

The Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson is mostly famed for its apocalyptic content but it does have some moments of deep prayer in it, and his The History of Richard Raynal, Solitary is about an actual mystic. Similarly some of Louis de Wohl's novels have mystical episodes in them. Probably, though, the most famous mystic-themed novel would be The Way of a Pilgrim by an anonymous 19th century Russian author.

How would you suggest such a revival be triggered?

And what would your realistic expectation of success be?