From anamchara.com
LSD, Anxiety, and Contemplation: Can Psychedelic Therapy Support Spiritual Growth? (and Vice Versa)
1 1
Today (November 16, 2023) is the 85th anniversary of the discovery of LSD, by the Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann. So happy birthday, LSD! Hoffmann first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide on thi…
2h ago
From anamchara.com
Meister Eckhart: A Deeper Dive (33 Books to Explore)
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A Facebook friend recently posted a request for suggestions on books by or about Meister Eckhart. There are so many, that I couldn’t figure out a succinct way to respond to the request, so I …
#prayer #mysticism #contemplation
on Sep 6
From anamchara.com
Subscribe to the Mystical Journey Substack
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I’ve started a Substack! If you’re not familiar with Substack, it’s like a blog that you read through email. My Substack is called “Mystical Journey” and will include …
on Tue, 3AM
From anamchara.com
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Here’s a fascinating quotation from Laura Anderson’s important and insightful book, When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion: Anecd…
on Nov 9
From anamchara.com
Does Merton Still Matter? Some Thoughts on the 75th Anniversary of “The Seven Storey Mountain”
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On October 11, 1948, Harcourt Brace Publishers released a book called The Seven Storey Mountain. So this coming Wednesday marks that book’s seventy-fifth anniversary. Chances are, most people…
on Nov 7
From anamchara.com
Two Books that Shaped My Spiritual Path
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Two of the most meaningful books I’ve ever read are Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness and Thich Nhat Hanh’s Living Bud…
on Nov 6
From anamchara.com
When Contemplatives Talk About Love, What Do They Mean?
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In the wisdom teachings of Jesus, there are several pretty explicit (and challenging) teachings about love. Consider these words: “Love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with…
on Nov 5
From anamchara.com
Contemplating How the Sausage is Made
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Twice in recent days I’ve had conversations with people in ministry about their spiritual life, and the idiomatic phrase “seeing how the sausage is made” got used. Here’s a …
on Oct 29
From anamchara.com
From Mythology to Mysticism: A New Way to Think About Lectio Divina
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If you have been reading this blog (or participating in Christian contemplative practices) for a while, no doubt you are familiar with Lectio Divina. If not, you can see a post I wrote about it by …
on Oct 24
From anamchara.com
In Memory of Father Tom Francis Smith (1927-2024), Monk, Mystic and Friend
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Friends, I am heartbroken to share with you that Father Thomas Francis Smith, OCSO, of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit passed away early this morning. He was 96 years old. I met Father Tom in 2005…
on Oct 17
From anamchara.com
The Fruit of the Spirit… and the Fraught Words that Divide Us
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By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things… if we live by the Spirit, …
on Oct 8
From anamchara.com
Four Dimensions of Mindfulness, Brainwaves and Centering Prayer
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In chapter five of his book Buddha Is as Buddha Does, dharma teacher Lama Surya Das offers this fascinating insight into the nature of mindfulness: According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, there ar…
on Oct 5
From anamchara.com
If You Worship an Angry God, You’ll Be an Angry Person
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A reader named Paul wrote to me with the following question: Why is there more often than not such an intolerance, condemnation and even hatred between the different faiths and denominations ? Is i…
on Oct 4
From anamchara.com
Spiritual Practices, Traumatic Shame, and Holy Freedom
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Recently I read Laura E. Anderson’s When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion. Anderson, a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and hers…
on Oct 1
From anamchara.com
From “Orthodox” to “Open” — Some Personal Thoughts on How Faith Can Evolve Over Time
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A reader of this blog sent me the following question: Hi Carl, I’ve been reading quite a bit of your blog. It seems like back around 2016-2017, you were making an attempt to be more orthodox, while…
on Oct 1
From anamchara.com
In-Person Retreat Day: “Mystical Wisdom for Centering Prayer”
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I’ll be joining the Centering Prayer group at St. James Episcopal Church in Marietta, GA on Saturday, October 5, 2024 from 9 AM to Noon, to explore the relationship between mysticism and Cent…
on Sep 25
From anamchara.com
I Believe Prayer Changes Things. Here’s a Few Thoughts Why.
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I posted this on Facebook not long ago… A couple of people posted comments to the effect of “Please say more about how prayer changes things.” That’s a great question and so…
on Sep 24
From anamchara.com
The Relationship Between Meditation, Mysticism and Contemplation
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A long-term reader and patron of this blog recently wrote to me this message: Just what is a contemplative person or for that matter tradition? Is a Christian mystic by definition a contemplative o…
on Sep 21
From anamchara.com
You don’t have to become a monk to be a mystic
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A reader wrote to me recently: Hello, I am interested in becoming a Christian Mystic. However I am not sure if I can join a monastery due to being a Baptist Christian. If you know any monasteries t…
on Sep 20
From anamchara.com
Where to Rest Your Awareness in Centering Prayer
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A reader of this blog recently wrote this question to me: I’ve read and listened to Fr. Thomas Keating quite a bit but am still a little confused regarding where my mind is supposed to be during my…
on Sep 19
From anamchara.com
Mystics and Institutional Religion: A Word from Howard Thurman
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Acts of worship must be tested by the degree to which they remain living channels for the direct release of God into the life of the worshipper. When they become institutionalized they are apt to b…
on Sep 11
From anamchara.com
0 0
Things are all in colours And the size of others shall send you forward Arranged to sail you toward A peace of mind — “The Remembering (High the Memory)” (second movement of Tales from …
on Sep 10
From anamchara.com
Conversations about Mysticism: Podcasts and a Video Interview
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With the publication of The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism, I’ve been making the rounds of doing interviews, for podcasts and for print. Here are a few of the recent ones, in case you wa…
on Sep 10
From anamchara.com
Twenty Years Ago, Rhiannon’s Wish Came True…
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On November 10, 2003 — twenty years ago today — Fran, Rhiannon and I hopped on a plane to Orlando. We actually missed our flight that morning (!) but since Atlanta is a Delta Hub, a plane leaves fo…
on Aug 23
From anamchara.com
What I look for when I read contemplative books
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I often get asked to recommend “the best” contemplative books. I’m happy to do so (see this post for a recent attempt to list some of the better books), but today I thought I̵…
on Aug 11
From anamchara.com
Praise for the New (and Old!) Big Book of Christian Mysticism
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The other day I was speaking with a dear friend who said she really loves to read the endorsements in a book — the short blurbs that get printed on the book’s cover or before the title page, …
on Aug 11
From anamchara.com
How Does My New Christian Mysticism Book Differ from the Old Edition?
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A reader on Facebook wrote, Congratulations the new book. Just curious how the new one is different from the older? I’ve been meaning to write a blog post explaining the difference, so thanks…
on Jul 21
From anamchara.com
A Christian Mystics Bibliography
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Books to Read to Explore the Wisdom of the Great Contemplatives In my books The Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints and Sages, I suggest a number of book…
on Jul 20
From anamchara.com
Margaret Simon, Patron Saint of Interspiritual Seekers
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The other night my wife and I watched Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Like the 1970 book by Judy Blume, this is a coming-of-age story about girls entering into the scary and wonderful w…
on Jul 20
From anamchara.com
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Recently I spoke about Christian mysticism and interspirituality for the Closer than Breath Christian Mystic Summit. One attendee, a person named Kurt, wrote a follow-up email to me and asked this …
on Jun 28
From anamchara.com
The Difference Between Apophatic and Kataphatic Spirituality
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Many years ago, my very first spiritual director recommended a book to me; she suggested that I read Gerald May’s 1982 classic: Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology. I did, and it rema…
on Jun 26
From anamchara.com
Upcoming Events: In New York, Maryland, and Online
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Friends, just want to make sure everyone is aware of a few upcoming events I have on the calendar. Join me for a retreat and a book signing in New York, or for a day of reflection in Maryland; and …
on May 26
From anamchara.com
Questions and Answers on Interspiritual Mysticism
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My good friend and colleague Jana Rentzel of Closer Than Breath invited me to answer a few questions about interspiritual mysticism — which is the topic of my forthcoming talk at Closer Than Breath…
on May 25
From anamchara.com
Mysticism, Faith, and “Knowing” God’s Will
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A reader of this blog, named Peter, asked me a couple of questions recently. He had been at church where he heard a priest speak about a controversial issue with a kind of rhetoric that implied …
on May 9
From anamchara.com
Why Julian of Norwich Matters to Me
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I first “met” Julian of Norwich through reading Evelyn Underhill’s magisterial book Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness. Underhill’s book change…
on May 8
From anamchara.com
A List of Books for Buddhist-Christian Dialogue
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Are you interested in exploring the richness of dialogue and interspiritual practice between Christianity and Buddhism? If so, then here’s enough literature to keep you going for a while. Eac…
on Apr 7
From anamchara.com
Where to Rest Your Awareness in Centering Prayer
0 0
A reader of this blog recently wrote this question to me: I’ve read and listened to Fr. Thomas Keating quite a bit but am still a little confused regarding where my mind is supposed to be during my…
on Mar 31
From anamchara.com
The Relationship Between Meditation, Mysticism and Contemplation
0 0
A long-term reader and patron of this blog recently wrote to me this message: Just what is a contemplative person or for that matter tradition? Is a Christian mystic by definition a contemplative o…
on Mar 29
From anamchara.com
0 1
Recently I spoke about Christian mysticism and interspirituality for the Closer than Breath Christian Mystic Summit. One attendee, a person named Kurt, wrote a follow-up email to me and asked this …
on Mar 25
From anamchara.com
Meister Eckhart: A Deeper Dive (33 Books to Explore)
0 0
A Facebook friend recently posted a request for suggestions on books by or about Meister Eckhart. There are so many, that I couldn’t figure out a succinct way to respond to the request, so I …
on Mar 24
From anamchara.com
0 0
So I got invited to be a beta-tester for Google’s new AI assistant called Bard. Yesterday I received an email from Google that said, in part: Meet Bard, an early experiment by Google Because …
on Mar 23
From anamchara.com
Mystics and Institutional Religion: A Word from Howard Thurman
0 0
Acts of worship must be tested by the degree to which they remain living channels for the direct release of God into the life of the worshipper. When they become institutionalized they are apt to b…
on Mar 14
From anamchara.com
Conversations about Mysticism: Podcasts and a Video Interview
0 0
With the publication of The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism, I’ve been making the rounds of doing interviews, for podcasts and for print. Here are a few of the recent ones, in case you wa…
on Mar 13
From anamchara.com
0 0
Things are all in colours And the size of others shall send you forward Arranged to sail you toward A peace of mind — “The Remembering (High the Memory)” (second movement of Tales from …
on Mar 13
From anamchara.com
When Contemplatives Talk About Love, What Do They Mean?
0 0
In the wisdom teachings of Jesus, there are several pretty explicit (and challenging) teachings about love. Consider these words: “Love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with…
on Mar 10
From anamchara.com
More Dancing, More Tears: A Poem for Elias Marechal on the Anniversary of His Passing
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Today is the one year anniversary of the passing of my dear friend, mentor, and partner in crime, Brother Elias Marechal, OCSO. Last year I wrote about him at the time of his death, you can read th…
on Mar 1
From anamchara.com
Questions and Answers on Interspiritual Mysticism
0 0
My good friend and colleague Jana Rentzel of Closer Than Breath invited me to answer a few questions about interspiritual mysticism — which is the topic of my forthcoming talk at Closer Than Breath…
on Feb 23
From anamchara.com
Twenty Years Ago, Rhiannon’s Wish Came True…
0 0
On November 10, 2003 — twenty years ago today — Fran, Rhiannon and I hopped on a plane to Orlando. We actually missed our flight that morning (!) but since Atlanta is a Delta Hub, a plane leaves fo…
on Feb 23
From anamchara.com
LSD, Anxiety, and Contemplation: Can Psychedelic Therapy Support Spiritual Growth? (and Vice Versa)
0 0
Today (November 16, 2023) is the 85th anniversary of the discovery of LSD, by the Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann. So happy birthday, LSD! Hoffmann first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide on thi…
on Feb 15
From anamchara.com
What I look for when I read contemplative books
0 0
I often get asked to recommend “the best” contemplative books. I’m happy to do so (see this post for a recent attempt to list some of the better books), but today I thought I̵…
on Feb 8