The medieval scholar and mystic, Meister Eckhart, writes of two types of learning, "buchlehren" (book learning) and "lebenslehren" (life-learning). For Meister Eckhart, mysticism is life-learning. Eckart's distinction between different types of learning came to mind immediately as I read Critchley's definition of mysticism as "not primarily theoretical" but rather "existential and practical" (3). Perhaps that's why over the centuries religious institutions have glossed mysticism as esoteric and only for a select few; its practicality and existential nature provide a way for all to "see what is there" (3). Critchley's text itself exemplifies "practicality" as the language he uses provides all an accessibility to his exploration of mysticism.