Expert: DEWnada - 11/26/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
I'm a dissatisfied Christian living in this dissatisfying world. I love God and I want to do whatever He asks of me but I'm going through times of silence. About a year ago, I asked God to hear His audible voice as a birthday gift and I didn't get it. A month after me asking for it, the pastor of a church I used to go to said that God told him to tell me to break up with my girlfriend and so I did because I thought that he may be hearing God and like Abraham, this was a testing of my faith in God. I did it, I also prayed for dreams with specific figures but never got exactly as I asked for, and I regretted it. Life was never the same and I went into depression for 9 months or so. I got a new girlfriend and stopped going to that same church. I'm still in the process of looking for a church home but I had to break up with my new girlfriend because of her dad and things. We still talk but now she wants to date someone else and yet claims to love me and it hurts. So that is the physical reason of why I am dissatisfied. Spiritually I am and spiritually I don't know what to do anymore. I reached my limits. I want to hear God's voice and receive His guidance and yet He seems to silent to me. Is contemplative prayer the way to hear God's voice? I've looked it up and all I see is danger signs and I don't know if it's right. I heard its dangerous because you expose yourself to the devil and his demons speaking to you but right now I'm about close to try anything. I read the mystics.org article about the Dark Night of the Soul and yes, I'm going through this. I told my ex-new girlfriend off in a way and she isn't happy with me. I was trying to guess something about her but she took it the wrong way as me accusing her again and I wasn't trying to but she won't believe me and there is nothing to do about this. Is contemplative prayer the way for me to hear God's voice or will I have to suffer longer in the attempt to hear Him speak? Is it really as dangerous as fellow Christians claim it to be? I've looked on Christianmystics.com and I've not exactly happy with their "contemplorary" approach away from the "traditional" Christian mystics. I need help finding my way and I'm lost. Could you possibly point me to the way to God and hearing Him speak and not myself? I've done everything else and I've failed and I just don't know what to do anymore.

ANSWER: dear reginald: i am sorry you are suffering, but never lose hope that suffering can be totally overcome, and the way to over come suffering is through leading a virtuous life and practicing contemplative prayer. since u r a christian i would recommend you study the teachings of the desert fathers, which can be found in The Philokalia.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philokalia (you can buy 4 volumes in english very cheaply)
Their main approach is practicing asceticism and hesychasm, though which we purify ourselves from the passions allowing us to truly experience salvation.  It may be hard to find good teachers and good faith community where you are located but you can study the ancient texts and practice on your own and find online support.
For a simpler and more modern version to the ancient form of Christian contemplative prayer I recommend Fr. Thomas Keating's Centering Prayer method.  http://www.centeringprayer.com/
there is no danger in contemplative prayer. it is the medicine that will heal your soul. contents from the unconscious will come up through the healing process but they are to be welcomed as part of the purification process. it is far more dangerous to never lead a contemplative life for that is every Christian's duty.
all human relationships are difficult and no person or thing will every totally satisfy the hunger in the soul that only divine grace can fill. center upon what is absolutely essential. abide in stillness even in the midst of great turmoil.
it is in the silence and stillness that god is most present to us. we must lose our self to find our true self. we must take up our cross to follow Christ. cling to nothing in this world and you will find ultimate peace.
the saints take a wider perspective and are able to be grateful for every condition, to remain centered upon god during every activity, and to maintain equanimity throughout all the ups and downs of life.  this is not possible while we still are chained by our worldly and bodily passions. daily contemplative prayer and ethical conduct is the sure road to paradise. do not doubt it. there are many good teachers on christian spirituality that i recommend whose works u can easily find:  Neil Douglas-Klotz,  Wayne Teasdale, Thomas Keating, Henri Nouwen, Anthony de Mello...
I have many meditation documents in a folder on my scribd.com site. my name there is antinomi and this link should take u to it:  http://www.scribd.com/documents#folder/132520
also i strongly recommend you read the 2 files i uploaded on scribd called "Orthodox Psychotherapy":
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21453421/Orthodox-Psychotherapy-Ch-4-Passions
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21003230/Orthodox-Psychotherapy
they are in my coptic christianity folder: http://www.scribd.com/documents#folder/132517
do not despair, god's grace is ever present and god's word is true.
In solidarity,
DEWnada



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: There is a lot of information that i've seen. Ok, so why is Contemplative prayer seen as a sign of the occult? Why does some people see ecstasies as demon possession? Is contemplative prayer a way to force God to act or to simply present yourself to God in the hopes that He will speak? What are the limitations? Is there any type of discernment between spirits? I've read that mystics think that everything is of God and comes by Him but I don't think everything is of Him because He is good and I don't see Evil as being in Him nor of Him. So is there any discernment between the good and the bad, evil and good, spirits of evil and what is actually of God?

ANSWER: why is Contemplative prayer seen as a sign of the occult? Why does some people see ecstasies as demon possession?
I believe this is a conspiracy among power-tripping fundamentalists to keep people at an infantile stage of faith development and dependent upon church hierarchy. when people see they have direct access to the divine their unquestioned loyalty to church authority disappears. there is a long history of persecution of contemplatives, charismatics and mystics within every faith tradition because they threaten the power structures.

Is contemplative prayer a way to force God to act or to simply present yourself to God in the hopes that He will speak?
it is a method to force one's ego to be silent so one opens up to the silent witness that is aware. this eternal choiceless awareness which makes room for everything in the present moment is God. God speaks in and through silence and stillness. when we empty ourselves of our passions and thoughts we abide in the present presence of the Divine.

What are the limitations?
the only limitation i know of is this: if one gets too attached to altered states of consciousness brought about through contemplative prayer one may neglect our other divine duties of social action in the world on behalf of justice and compassion. Christians must balance contemplation and action so that all of creation may be transformed in and through Christ.

Is there any type of discernment between spirits? I've read that mystics think that everything is of God and comes by Him but I don't think everything is of Him because He is good and I don't see Evil as being in Him nor of Him. So is there any discernment between the good and the bad, evil and good, spirits of evil and what is actually of God?
there is much good material written on discernment of spirits as this is one of the charisms of the Holy Spirit.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05028b.htm
not all things are wholesome, of course. But everything does come from God. Evil is not eternal and in the end all evil will be transmuted and transformed though the Divine Mystery. In the end all things will be well, as Julian of Norwich says. We learn through all experiences and even sin teaches us, though they are hard lessons. Life is all about purifying ourselves step by step so we can better discern what is wholesome and unwholesome and we can finally come to eternal rest in God.  Contemplative prayer gives us a small taste of this eternal bliss and joy, and inner stillness and silence is the greatest grace. Maintain a daily practice of silent meditation, study the great spriritual writings from the various wisdom traditions, and lead an ethical virtuous life and all will be well, no matter what hardships u must endure in life. you will have divine peace which is the best anyone can hope for.
we cannot hope for anything better than a pure heart and divine peace. and without a contemplative discipline we cannot attain this.

i hope my answers are helpful. feel free to ask follow-ups.
peace
DEWnada



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: How do I go about contemplative prayer? I've seen on contemplativeprayer.org or something like that that to begin contemplative prayer, you start out with centering prayer and with centering prayer, it is the whole 20 minute thing of sitting there in silence or with music like a human vegetable or so. Not thinking and not doing anything practically speaking. Am I wrong? How do I go about this contemplative prayer?

Answer
you can start with lectio divina and then move into centering prayer (see articles here): http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/site/PageServer?pagename=articles_keating
http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/site/DocServer/lectio_divina.pdf?docID=451
http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/site/DocServer/MethodCP2008.pdf?docID=121

u r right, in centering prayer we stop all thinking completely and when we catch ourselves thinking we use the sacred word and return to silence.

there are other forms of contemplative prayer too if that method does not work for you.
see my scribd meditation folder: http://www.scribd.com/documents#folder/132520

other good forms of contemplative prayer also require stopping thought and resting in silence but they get there by choosing a meditation object such as continuously watching the breath or repeating a mantra to lock attention there and then when silence and stillness has been attained you can drop the meditation object and return to it only if u get caught up in thought again.

it is not being a vegetable, it is looking deeply into pure awareness unobstructed by your thoughts and feelings.
traditional contemplation does not use music as that can be a distraction, although there are forms of sound-based meditation.

start out with one and then two 20 minute sessions per day and work up to 45-60min sessions.
all spiritual masters throughout history have relied on this method for their spiritual transformation, but u must also live virtuously and study wisdom literature.
in peace
DEWnada