Dennis,
I believe in the continuous action of the Spirit but also that our consciousness of that action is not, as you say, constant and that, it would seem, for some nonexistent.  I firmly believe in mysticism and tend to identify it more with what you call mysticism light than classical mysticism.  I also feel over identification of mysticism with the classical is a problem that has to be addressed.  I see faith as a relationship with God based on the personal experience of God's love in our lives.  However, that experience can be a quiet awareness of God's presence and need not be manifested by orgasmic experiences as so often attributed to the great mystics.  I think the same thing is true in relation to saints.  We tend to paint a picture of the saints as living lives our of our reach.  Yet, we are all called to be saints, each in his/her own way.  A priest friend of mine once asked a child if he wanted to be a saint.  "No" replied the child, "I would rather be normal."