Mysticism Studies
Explore the Depths of Mysticism
at All Faiths Seminary International
Our Mysticism Studies program aims to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of mystical traditions across various religions and spiritual perspectives. Students seek personal transformation, expanded interfaith understanding, and direct experiences on these inner paths that deeply inform their work in the collective , helping them lead with greater wisdom and embodied spiritual understanding.
A Respected International Divinity School for the Modern Mystic
Welcome to a journey of spiritual discovery and scholarly pursuit at All Faiths Seminary International, where the ancient wisdom of mysticism meets the modern needs of our interconnected world.
Interfaith Minister Training
(One-Year Program)
Jumpstart your journey as an interfaith leader with a unique program focusing on the basics of a wide range of mystical traditions, practical ministerial skills, and deepening the development of your own personal spiritual practice.
Master of Divinity, Mysticism (One or Two-Year Program)
Dive deeper with advanced courses in theology, pastoral care, and the comparative inner and outer study of mysticism across different faiths—preparing for roles in teaching, spiritual counseling and community leadership.
Doctorate of Divinity, Mysticism (One or Two-Year)
This pinnacle program is designed for those who wish to deepen their study further with dissertation research and intensive training in preparation for high-demand service within spiritual or academic organizations where mystically-informed training can have practical application in interpersonal growth and global community building.
Why Study Mysticism with ASFI?
Join us and participate in the forefront of a groundbreaking approach to Interfaith education. We explore the paths and insights of ancient and modern Mystics. You will step onto the firm foundation of our seminary’s tradition while facing the new frontier of integrating together what humans have learned about mysticism over the ages.
Why Students Choose Mysticism Study at All Faiths Seminary
- To establish a grounded understanding of diverse mystical traditions and inner paths from around the world.
- To prepare for a career in spiritual leadership, teaching, academic research, social justice, or community service informed by a deep intuitive foundation.
- To learn from experienced practitioners, researchers, and spiritual leaders who effectively and scientifically integrate outworn East/West and body/mind/spirit debates.
- To develop skills in spiritual counseling and pastoral care to guide others toward their own honest path of dignity, self-awareness, reflection, compassion, and interpersonal connection.
- To benefit from the flexibility of online classes and in-person retreats that allow for formal spiritual study and community within the course of daily life and work.
- To be one among the founding cohort of this historic program as we more fully integrate all spiritual approaches and traditions into the wider interfaith dialogue.
- To engage with a community of curious, like-minded scholars exploring the areas of cross-affirmation through a wide range of mystical traditions.
- To better understand the current, cutting-edge research on psychedelics, vibrational medicine, and harmonic resonance discoveries becoming increasingly relevant to collective human spirituality.
- To explore and aggregate guidance from ancients and sages from around the world who deeply studied the inner path for millenia, carefully safeguarding time-tested teachings for the benefit of future generations of humanity.
- Begin to contribute to the global conversation on spirituality and peace-building growing as it continues to grow in momentum around the world.
Join us at The Seeker’s Compass!
As part of the Mystical Curriculum, we interview Modern Mystics on The Seeker’s Compass.
Our Spiritual Pathfinders share the rich experiences they have had on their journeys as well as inviting us to explore their Spiritual Map and Compass.
These dedicated individuals have often spent a lifetime using their Spiritual Map and Compass to seek the Divine. Their stories are fascinating, and their insights are amazingly profound.
These amazing 2+ hour explorations are included in the Mystical curriculum and available to the public for low or no cost. This month’s program is part of that series.
November on The Seeker’s Compass
Sunday, Nov 15th at 11:00am ET / 8:00am PT
With James Opie as we explore a lifetime of living and working with the Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff
To Register for The Seeker’s Compass with James Opie, click here!
James Opie is a longtime student of the spiritual, psychological, and cosmological teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff. He is an author and international tribal rug scholar whose search for inner truth spans more than six decades. Born in Ohio in 1939, Jim’s path began amid the cultural ferment of the 1960s – transitioning from high school teaching and counterculture experiments in Big Sur to the Fourth Way in 1965. Rather than retreating from the mundane world to seek spiritual elevation, Jim adopted the trade once plied by Gurdjieff himself: importing and retailing antique oriental and tribal rugs. Over decades of travel through Iran and Afghanistan before and after revolutions and conflicts, he turned ordinary marketplace commerce into a living laboratory for self-observation, conscious presence, and real-time friction.
For seekers, healers, and interfaith practitioners across traditions, Jim’s life offers an unvarnished testament to the reality of the inner journey. His path has involved intense, dedicated discipleship alongside primary figures of the Gurdjieff lineage, including Lord John Pentland in America and a memorable encounter with Jeanne de Salzmann in Afghanistan. For fourteen years, he lived and worked at Two Rivers Farm, a rural intentional community near Portland, Oregon. Yet Jim’s journey is distinguished by honesty: his departure from that community in 1988 brought hard-won lessons regarding the hazards of surrendering personal discernment to any single teacher or group structure, affirming the essential task of cultivating one’s own inner conscience.
Jim later helped establish the Gurdjieff Foundation of Oregon in 2002 alongside philosopher Jacob Needleman, serving as its president for a decade while supporting circles of dedicated inner work. In his acclaimed 2026 memoir, Between Two Worlds: My Fifty Years in the Gurdjieff Work (Monkfish Book Publishing), he addresses the universal tension familiar to all spiritual paths: balancing the demands of earthly existence with the quiet call of inner awakening. Rather than promising effortless enlightenment or esoteric pride, Jim emphasizes the courageous discipline of seeing oneself without justification as a foundation for harmonious living.
Today, living along the Hudson River in Athens, New York, Jim remains actively engaged with seekers, study groups, and community dialogues worldwide. In his writings and reflections, he views decades of sincere practice not as a badge of arrival, but as an invitation to remain genuine, grounded, and perpetually a beginner. We are honored to welcome James Opie to The Seeker’s Compass as he shares insights on navigating spiritual authority, embracing the friction of daily life, and finding the truth within oneself.
To Register for The Seeker’s Compass with James Opie, click here!
The Seeker’s Compass YouTube Site:
Click here to see our previous Seeker’s Compass interviews with Modern Mystics!
https://www.youtube.com/@TheSeekersCompass
Your Mysticism Faculty
Enrollment is now open
Classes begin September 2026
(online & NYC-based options available)
Register now for the Fall 2026 – Cohort and bring your own light and perspective to our unique community of committed learners in the All Faiths Seminary International Mysticism Studies Program.
Transform your spiritual journey while you prepare to lead with joy, compassion, and wisdom.
This program is uniquely designed for those eager to deepen their own inner spiritual understanding while training as beacons of courage and strength in spiritual and community settings.