Natural Metaphors: Expressions of Mystical Experience in John of the Cross, Etty Hillesum, and Björk
Religions December 4, 2025 Anderson Fabián Santos Meza
Mystical writings use natural metaphors—rivers, gardens, fire, wind—not as decorative language but as symbolic systems that articulate the ineffable through elemental earthly terms. This essay argues that such metaphors sustain a theology of embodiment, relationality, and transformation across epochs and artistic media, bringing together the poetry of John of the Cross, the diaries of Etty Hillesum, and the music and visual art of Björk. The work advocates for a decolonial hermeneutics that resists rigid doctrinal frameworks and colonial interpretations, recognizing mystical experience as still unfolding in the present through poetry, diary, and sound—where theology becomes a matter of vibration, beauty, and embodied openness.