Mystical Union and Collective Becoming

Rabia spoke of union with the divine—a state where the separate self dissolves into something vastly larger. This mystical experience has parallels in powerful collective action. In community organizing, moments arise when individuals experience themselves as part of something greater: a march where thousands move as one body, a decision-making circle where voices synchronize around shared purpose, a moment of collective grief that binds people in solidarity. These experiences of mystical union—what some call collective effervescence—are not incidental but central to movement sustainability. They provide taste of the world people are trying to build. Organizers can intentionally create conditions for these moments: through ritual, through deep listening that creates resonance, through celebration that honors collective power. People who've experienced genuine union in collective work become devoted to that work; they've felt what's possible. This practice also offers antidote to isolation and atomization that late capitalism enforces. When communities regularly gather in ways that allow boundaries to soften and individuals to experience themselves as part of a larger whole, commitment deepens. People remember: we are not alone; we are part of something sacred.