Ancient Mystics: adopted Christian concepts, and polluted biblical interpretation (hermeneutics), and doctrine. These man-centred teachings, and practices, continue to distort authentic Christianity; present day practitioners are blind to the true nature of this esoteric 'Christianity'.

ANCIENT

The days may be gone when mystics climbed pillars, lived in caves, or bricked themselves up in isolated monastery cells, but their hallucinations are still treated as 'divine communications', elevated beyond, or equal to the revealed will of God; the Bible.

Mystics conceal their psychotic visions, in pastoral sounding language, designed to make the uninitiated believe that mystical exegesis of Scripture, or mystic visions, enable them to tread a deeper, more superior form of intimate relationship with God; far beyond that which any traditional orthodox methods, or ordinary Christians, may achieve.

The Desert Fathers: These ancient mystics, adopted Christian beliefs and practice during and after, the persecution of Christians in Rome under the Emperor Nero. They believed that anything could be utilised to reach God, as long as the desire and intention was sincere, a naive attitude that is widespread in today's churches.

During this period of  persecution, many of Rome's Christians fled in exile to Egypt, in the years that followed some of them syncretised their Christian belief with Egyptian ascetical, and esoteric practices, in later years they and the monastic communities they helped establish, were to become known as the Desert Fathers. Their traditions of solitude, meditation and enforced silence, became the hallmark of their contemporary monastics. 

In pursuit of their desire to remain in isolated communities, or as individual hermits, their behaviour became increasingly bazaar and their dependency on solitude, contemplative prayer and silence produced even more strange visions, ranting and uncontrollable ecstatic behaviour.