contemplation

Alchemy 5,6,7

Alchemy is about the transformation of the self. It is transforming the base self into gold, or spiritual awareness. Stage five: Fermentation, describes the decay of one’s old self and the rebirth of one’s true self. The first four stages involved discarding our old, inauthentic self and drawing together the authentic elements within us. Stage […]


Centering Prayer Meditation

Are centering prayer and meditation the same thing? How do you meditate, and why should you do it? Our group of contemplative practitioners talks about why meditation is important and how they practice it.


What. is Prayer?

Our speakers discuss prayer and how it relates to a contemplative practice.


Devotional vs Contemplative Practices

Our speakers discuss the difference between devotional and contemplative practices


Is Contemplation Isolating?

The Contemplative Path—is it Isolating? We asked our speakers if they felt that being a contemplative means being isolated, or removed from the world. Here are some of their responses.


Contemplation in the Material World

Where does the contemplative life fit, in terms of living in the material world? We asked our group of speakers how a contemplative practice can be assimilated into an everyday life in the material world. Their answers were varied and thoughtful.


Contemplation: Why to Practice It

The overall goal of meditation is to go beyond the conscious mind in order to experience a state of inner peace and happiness. In this episode of our series on The Contemplative Path, our speakers talk about why they practice meditation, and what the practice does for them.


Contemplation: How to Practice It

How is a contemplative practice done? A contemplative, or unitive experience, is often reached by “letting go” rather than by direct effort. Ironically, this requires an intentional effort: the goal of the contemplative is to move toward an interior quiet and an openness to life as it is in the present moment. Formal meditation is […]


The Contemplative Path

Part 1. What is it? Contemplatives of various traditions, including Jewish, Christian and Buddhist, as well as clinicians, academics and lay people, talk about their contemplative life. Contemplative practices often involve a systematic form of training of the mind, as is done in meditation. It often refers to a particular form of observation in which […]