Teilhard de Chardin identifies two distinct spiritual paths: unity through “relaxation” (Eastern pantheism) where individual egos dissolve into a common foundation, and unity through “tension” (Western mysticism) where individuals become more themselves while converging toward a universal center. He argues that cosmic evolution favors the latter path, where true union differentiates rather than fuses, and calls for a new Western mysticism that combines personalizing love with cosmic totalization.
Published in Activation of Energy.