The Art of Unknowing: A Deep Dive into Understanding Contemplation, Its Ancient Roots, and Transformative Power to allow us to experience self actualisation and God realisation.

Contemplation is not merely a complicated religious concept reserved for mystics; it is a profound and transformative spiritual practice cherished by various wisdom traditions throughout history. In its most essential form, contemplation is simply being fully present in heart, mind, and body, to what is in a way that allows you to creatively respond and work toward what could be. It is often described as “a long, loving look at the real”.

Ultimately, contemplation is understood as the highest expression of man’s intellectual and spiritual life, representing that life fully awake, active, and aware. Contemplation is a transformative spiritual practice rooted in various traditions, promoting self-awareness and connection to the divine. It involves a loving gaze and unlearning, fostering psychological, emotional, and spiritual growth. By integrating practices like mindfulness, deep inquiry, and artistic expression, contemplation serves as a way of being that embraces love and presence in everyday life.

If you have ever felt the insistent, weary pull of the world, if the relentless noise of distraction has blurred the vision of your true self, know that your soul is simply yearning for a return to love. Contemplation is not a complicated pursuit of the distant or the arcane; it is the most profound and necessary homecoming. It is the conscious choice to gently pierce the veil of the ego and move beyond the masks of your personality, allowing your authentic, unconditioned self, or Sacred Self as we call it, to emerge.

This practice is a response to a universal call that is beyond words, inviting you to take a long, loving look at the real—a reality that is always kindness, love, infinity, and inclusion. It is here, in the stillness of deep reflection, that we discover that Contemplation is the end of two and that everything that is unfolding is based in love and not fear. May this wisdom, drawn from mystics, scientists, and sages alike, open your heart to the unbounded, unlimited potential that resides within you as you reclaim your Contemplative Intelligence (CQ)

“To be contemplative is to be truly intelligent.
It is a lost art. Everyone jumps at their first thoughts, without considering a second thought, or their feelings, which are the short-hand scripts for the mind”
― Mark L Lockwood

I. Defining the Core Experience: Gaze, Presence, and Unknowing

The concept of contemplation is derived from the Latin word contemplatio, which stems from contemplari, meaning “to gaze, observe, behold”. This Latin term was used to translate the Greek word theōría (θεωρία), which refers to the act of experiencing or observing and then comprehending the knowledge of reality itself.

Contemplation involves two critical, yet paradoxical, facets:

1. The Loving Gaze

Contemplation is fundamentally about directing the attention with love and faith. In the Christian tradition, it is characterized by a loving, attentive gaze fixed on God, or a “gaze of faith”. St. Teresa said that contemplative prayer is nothing other than a close sharing between friends, “taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us”. It is a form of wordless prayer where mind and heart focus on God’s greatness and goodness in loving adoration. When we get beyond the veil of ignorance, we get to see with the eyes behind the eyes and what we behold is truth, beauty and goodness! It is nothing short of miraculous.

2. Knowing by Unknowing and Unlearning

The contemplative process transcends the intellect. Thomas Merton, a famous monk, noted that contemplation is gratitude for life, for awareness, and for being, but also requires one to go beyond the mind, emphasizing the practice of learning how to unknow.

Contemplation is a knowledge too deep to be grasped in images, words, or clear concepts. When trying to articulate what it knows, the contemplative mind takes back what it has said and denies what it has affirmed. The certainty found in contemplation goes beyond both reason and simple faith.

II. Contemplation Across Civilizations

Contemplation is an ancient practice found across global spiritual and philosophical paths.

• Greek Philosophy: Aristotle considered contemplation (theōría) to be the highest activity of humanity and the most continuous, proposing the contemplative life as the ideal for human existence. Plato believed that through contemplation, the soul could ascend to knowledge of the ultimate divine Forms.

• Christian Mysticism: In Eastern Christianity, the state of beholding God is called theoria, which leads to Theosis, or union with God. Within Western mysticism, contemplation is often associated with figures like St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.

• Buddhism and Eastern Traditions: Taking A Deep Dive into Understanding Contemplation and Contemplative practices, including mindfulness and insight meditation (like Vipassana and samatha), are vital for achieving enlightenment. The state of meditative consciousness is referred to as Samadhi. In Christianity we may say we are born again, spiritually awakened or similar. Words can merely point to reality, a reality that is not only stanger than you think it is, it is stranger than you can think!

• Contemplation as Intelligence: The practice of contemplation teaches you to think about thinking, and this is considered the highest form of intelligence. This capacity is known as Contemplative Intelligence (CQ), which involves meta-cognition.

Christian Contemplation : As a Christian myself, coming from a perennial tradition that tries to include everyone and all things, I see Christ, God and the mystics, monks and prophets as grand contemplatives who changed the world by seeing reality beyond the masks of the mind.

III. The Transformative Power of Contemplative Practice

Contemplative practices are widely recognized for their practical, radical, and transformative nature. They develop capacities for deep concentration and quieting the mind amidst the distraction that fills everyday life.

Contemplation fundamentally shifts an individual from a state of survival mind (rooted in the limbic system and ego defenses) to a thrive mind (accessing the wisdom of the prefrontal cortex).

Key Benefits Cultivated by Contemplative Practices:

• Psychological Transformation: Developing mindfulness and profound self-awareness. It enhances self-regulation, enabling effective management of the mind, body, and emotions.

• Emotional Well-being: Fostering empathy, compassion, and connectivity to all things internal and external. It reduces stress and increases patience and kindness.

• Spiritual Insight: Contemplation is awareness of the divine Source. It acts as an aid to the exploration of meaning, purpose, and values.

• The End of Duality: Contemplation marks the cessation of the divided mind and opens to all-encompassing inclusion, revealing that everything is sacred.

IV. How to Practice Contemplation: Doorways to Presence

Contemplative practices serve as “doorways or portals” to present moment transcendence. They are disciplines of the body and mind, and the intention with which the practice is done is paramount.

Here are practical methods categorized by approach, often referred to as MindYoga exercises in the framework of Contemplative Intelligence:

A. Stillness and Centering Practices

These practices aim to quiet the mind and cultivate presence:

• Silent Retreats: Dedicated time for no talking, only listening, to master obsessive thoughts and connect with self and nature.

• Centering Practice: Focus consciously on the breath, use physical movement (e.g., lunges, muscle release), and then redirect energy back to purpose, often using a Centering word or phrase (e.g., “All is well,” “I am well”) to return attention.

• Mindfulness Practice (RAIN): A simple four-step method: Recognise, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture. This creates space between ourselves and our reactions.

B. Deep Inquiry and Reflection

These methods confront the “survival mind” narrative and foster self-awareness:

• Contemplative Pages (Sacred Journaling): A stream-of-consciousness, free association exercise, typically done upon waking, allowing thoughts to flow onto paper without judgment or perfectionism for catharsis and release.

• The Work (Byron Katie): A method of self-inquiry rooted in contemplation, challenging stressful thoughts by asking four questions: 1. Is it true? 2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true? 3. How do you react when you believe that thought? 4. Who would you be without that thought?.

• Contemplative Life Questions: Spending time contemplating fundamental life questions (such as “Where have I been?”, “Who am I?”, “Where am I going?”) to bring clarity and wisdom.

• Loving Inquiry: A practice of taking a Contemplative Pause (a brief stop, perhaps 3 seconds) to question the truth of one’s thoughts and beliefs before acting impulsively.

C. Artistic, Relational, and Movement Practices

Contemplation can be practiced in daily engagement and movement:

• Contemplative Art (Slow Art): A Zenful practice involving gazing rather than glancing at objects (like art or the view outside a window) to “re-see” things, naturally inducing a contemplative state of consciousness and providing personal insight.

• Contemplative Communication: A Deep Dive into Understanding Contemplation would mean intentionally going inside oneself to achieve vulnerability and openness in relationships, creating a sacred space for connections to flourish.

Contemplation is seeing the Sacred in all things, all the time”
― Mark L Lockwood, The Power of Contemplative Intelligence (CQ): The Science of finding your Spiritual Self

• Lectio Divina (Divine Reading): Sacred reading that involves focusing on short pieces of text, meditating, praying, and contemplating the mystical experience, without feeling the need to analyze or direct the content.

• Contemplating The Labyrinth: Walking a singular, non-maze path or tracing it with a finger, serving as a metaphor for the mysterious journey of life.

V. Contemplation as a Way of Being

Contemplation is ultimately a way of living and a state of being. It is spiritual wonder and spontaneous awe at life’s sacredness. This mindset allows us to access our Sacred Self—our authentic and unconditioned essence—which exists beyond the limitations and masks of the personality.

By cultivating Contemplative Intelligence, you will be able to take an endless self-regulated and loving gaze at reality and naked truth exactly as it is, unhindered by personality or ego defense mechanisms. The goal is not merely to have an occasional experience of peace, but to transform your identity and live fully present to the real moment. If you’re doing it, you’re doing it right!

The Return to Wholeness: An Embrace of Eternal Love

We have journeyed through the essence of contemplation, recognizing it as Amor Conscientia, the profound love of pure consciousness. God is pure love which is experienced through pure consciousness and life itself it about a return to God and to beuty, truth and goodness – end of all stories! There is nothing else we know on earth and nothing else we need to know. As John Keats‘s “Ode on a Grecian Urn reminds us that Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”We hope you have enjoyed A Deep Dive into Understanding Contemplation as I’ve detailed it here for you. The entire process is nothing short of an alchemical shift where love conquers fear and our ego persona dissolves and is integrated. Through these transformative practices, we learn to love ourselves into wholeness, realizing that perfect love casts out all fear.

Remember, the contemplative state of mind is ultimately a state of being and a way of living. There is no right or wrong way to embrace this sacred path, for “If you’re doing it, you’re doing it right!”. The fundamental key is acceptance, and the intention is what counts the most. When you anchor yourself in the present reality and consciously choose love over fear, you move beyond duality, shedding the illusions of separation. You are not merely discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew, becoming the change you wish to see.

You are the medicine. Now, step forth into the world with the courage of your Sacred Self, knowing that you are worthy of love and belonging, exactly as you are. May you find bliss, peace, and the deep, unwavering knowledge that everything is sacred and inherently included. Benedizioni, Namaste, and know that you are already home.