The importance of ineffability cannot be overestimated. It is what sets mystical experiences apart from all other types of experiences. Without ineffability, there would be no way to verify that a person has had a true mystical experience. All they could say is that they had an “interesting” experience – one that could just as easily be attributed to drugs, sensory deprivation, or other causes.
Reaching ineffability is not easy. Mystics throughout history have found it challenging to describe the ineffable in words, and some fail even in their attempt to do so. For instance, St. John of the Cross famously noted that “If I saw in myself darkness, ineffable…I would still want to leave in writing a description of it…The very fact that what I conceived was ineffable would make it difficult for me to find fitting words in which to express myself.”
Even among mystics who manage to describe the ineffable, there is no guarantee that they are doing so accurately or clearly. Some authors have even suggested that ineffability is so inescapable in mystical experiences that not only are they inherently ineffable, but this ineffability is part of the purpose of those experiences.
Even if an author manages to describe the ineffable accurately, their words may fail to meaningfully convey what can be meaningfully conveyed about ineffable experiences. As a result, ineffability is inescapably subjective in a way that other mystical experiences are not. The testimony of one mystic about their ineffably transcendent experience may be compelling to some and unconvincing to others – for there is no outside verification to rely on in the case of ineffability.
The definition of ineffable is “incapable of being expressed in words”. However, ineffability is not synonymous with indescribable or inapprehensible – ineffability goes beyond quality to quantity. Mystics who find the ineffable cannot even express their ineffability in words, much less describe what they experienced inefficaciously - attempting to do so ineffectively wastes time and energy.
Some ineffable experiences are not objectively ineffable in the sense of inherently being inescapably ineffable, but rather subjectively ineffable in that while they could theoretically be described in words, it is very difficult to do so. The experience itself includes some measure of ineffability, in that any words trying to express it ineffectively fall short of the mark. This ineffability drives the mystic to being unable to effectively communicate what happened in that experience – they may even forget details about it due in part to its ineffable nature.
We have the right to remain silent in order to protect our ineffable experiences. The experience of ineffability is one that should be protected and not shared lightly with others. It is something that needs to be safeguarded, for it is unique and personal to each individual. When we share our ineffable experiences, we run the risk of them being diminished or misunderstood by others. We also open ourselves up to ridicule or judgment from those who do not understand what it is like to experience ineffability.
When we keep silent about our ineffable experiences, we are protecting them – and ourselves – from harm. We are ensuring that they maintain their specialness and sacredness. We are guarding against their degradation by a society that is unable to grasp ineffability. We are protecting our ineffable experiences from being trivialized or even mocked by those who have not experienced ineffability.
Our ineffable experiences are too valuable, too sacred, and too personal to give away on a whim. They are ours alone – they belong with us, in the private refuge in which we keep them, where they can grow in their own way and in their own time without the pressure of others’ expectations. When we protect ineffable experiences from being shared ineffectively or in a trivializing manner with others, we are safeguarding our capacity to elevate ourselves through these mystical moments.
Stay ineffable.