My knowledge of the Kabballah is that it is not a religion, nor a form of mysticism, but a science. An exact formula & method of achieving equivalence of form with God the creator.
Equivalence of form can be considered being like, or alike. So in the essence to gain equivalence with God is to be like God. Even though made in his image, for man to be like God is impossible. To achieve this impossible goal takes God giving it to man. Many consider this grace, as being something that man can't earn with all his work, penance & striving, but a gift that only comes from God. When we seek Him we find out that He has been seeking us & yearning to pour His greatness into our lives. For God is the great provider, & this is His desire.
Man has 5 senses that on one side give him the ability to learn, build, absorb & function in this 3-dimentional world that he lives in. This is a sort of program that provides almost limitless possibility, yet blocks man from his creator. It is not until man opens up the 6th sense, or what 's referred to as "The Screen".  This is how man connects to the father & all the elements of the spiritual realms. Opening or going through the screen is necessary when desiring to become a "new creation".
As man travels up the 125 steps of the ladder, his screen opens more & he gets closer to the Lord. In the physical world, for 2 or more things to be close there must be a small distance from one object to the next. In the spirit world this is not so, as with 2 lovers who are physically faraway (distance wise) from eachother can still be close, by writing letters, using the phone or internet to communicate.
In the spirit world for 2 or more things to be close, they must share a likeness. A simple expression of the spirit world is AM/FM radio transmissions. Our radios pick up the transmission the frequencies that are ever present around us, giving us AM/FM radio stations. These frequencies are transmitted & can only be received by certain prerequisites.  For example, if someone wants to listen to Kiss FM, he must have an FM radio receiver, & that receiver must be tuned into 98.7. So it can be said that man needs to be tuned into God's radio station to receive God's transmission. This is a simplified explanation of equivalence of form.
As taught by the sages of this science that when Adam Rishon sinned, he kicked God out of the garden of Eden. Not a physical garden, but the garden of man's existence. Not long after this separation, man realized his need for God & seeks to invite God into his garden. This can be expressed in the parable of the prodigal son.
Moses de Leon (1240-13045transcribed the knowledge of kabbalah which had been given by word for centuries. This knowledge was never written but passed down from generation to generation until this time. It's taught that Abraham invited strangers into his abode to teach them the mysteries of kabbalah, that Moses studied this while he hid in the wilderness after killing the Egyptian who smote the Hebrew slave. It's said that Elias & other prophets did not study what became the religion of Judiaism but actually were sages of the science of kabbalah.
As the master of the ladder, Baal HuSulam (1907-1991)teaches one must find a safe & rapid environment that assist one in reaching equivalence of form with one's Maker. Next, one must know how to approach the study of Kabbalah correctly, so that no time is lost. When studying kabballah a light shines on that human soul, this is the "Surrounding light". When one understands this, the only true prayer is best expressed by the forerunner John the Baptist when he said, that I may decrease so He may increase.  This process & change of thought will help the student achieve a higher reality.
 There are many things left out of this brief passage, like details in each subject. But one must not focus on his/her knowledge, but on their desire. One is not required to have knowledge of all 613 desires, in that one can recite them from memory at any given time. One may not fully understand the 5 worlds or feeling states & how this is connected with man's path for fulfillment. Yet at this 5th state, he realizes that nothing the world can give him or he can learn or attain can fill the void that is himself.
This is when the screen begins to open. As one transforms from the basic human "will to receive" to the divine "will to bestow", the screen begins to open, their surrounding lights grow & they thus are now able to receive more from their creator. Man thus receives more light from above into his kli, & becomes more & more like the Lord. This is the process of transformation or attainment of equivalence of form.
Although this passage is brief we hope it is helpful to those who wish to attain the higher reality. The Zohar & Torah are provided here to give light to all students who desire this. Manly P. Hall (1901-1990) will teach one the true history of the kabbalah. His teachings show the unnoticed influence kabbalah has had on much of our present day. Anthony Kosinec, who is still alive, is one of today's great sages of this hidden wisdom, written in the language of branches. Finding teachings by the 4 names mentioned in this passage will lead one to knowledge of the true kabbalah, instead of the commercialized religious mysticism that many promote as kabbalah today.
Let us end with this famous quote of great truth & importance;
"The wisdom of Kabbalah teaches a practical method of attaining the upper world and the source of our existence. By realizing our true purpose in life, man attains perfection, tranquility, unbound enjoyment and the ability to transcend the limitations of time and space while still living in this world."
-Rav Michael Laitman, PhD