The Psychological Experience of Centering Prayer - Part 3, with Thomas Keating

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In this section, the speaker presents a spiral staircase as a model of the spiritual journey and discusses the therapy progression from a psychological perspective.

The Spiral Staircase Model

• The spiral staircase is presented as a model of the spiritual journey.

• It represents the paradigm of the divine therapist and how therapy progresses psychologically.

• A vertical and horizontal diagram can be used to illustrate this concept.

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This section explores the moment of conversion in relation to a spiral staircase and discusses the Night of Sense.

Conversion and the Night of Sense

• The moment of conversion is depicted as a transition point on the spiral staircase diagram.

• Going downstairs on a spiral staircase corresponds to the Night of Sense, where one may feel confined and lose everything from the previous stage.

• During this phase, there may be a sense of loss and confusion.

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This section delves into how God's movement to different levels may not always be clear, leading some individuals to feel abandoned.

Feeling Abandoned

• After experiencing the Night of Sense, people may express feelings that God has abandoned them.

• This feeling is particularly poignant for those who have experienced rejection in early childhood.

• There might be uncertainty when God moves to another level without explicitly indicating it.

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Here, the speaker highlights how individuals may perceive God's absence as an ultimate rejection, especially if they had previously felt close to Him.

Ultimate Rejection

• Individuals who have gone through conversion and initially felt close to God may experience deep distress when they perceive His absence during their spiritual journey.

• This feeling can be especially challenging for those who have suffered rejection in their early years.

• It may lead to a sense of God's friendship coming to an end.

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This section explores the experiences and challenges faced during the Night of Sense, including emotional deadness, temptations, and a sense of falling apart.

Challenges in the Night of Sense

• During the Night of Sense, individuals may encounter various difficulties such as emotional deadness, boredom, temptations, and unresolved issues resurfacing.

• The most significant aspect is the feeling that God has gone away and no longer cares.

• It can be a time of mourning and loss as individuals grapple with these challenges.

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This section emphasizes that the difficulties experienced during the Night of Sense are part of the divine therapy process.

Part of Divine Therapy

• The challenges faced during the Night of Sense are not indicative of nothing happening but rather part of a necessary process.

• These experiences gradually reveal one's capacity for weakness and powerlessness.

• Individuals with psychological difficulties may find it particularly challenging to discern between depression and being in the Night of Sense.

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Here, the speaker discusses how external difficulties can compound feelings of loneliness and abandonment during the Night of Sense.

External Difficulties

• In addition to internal struggles, individuals in the Night of Sense may also face external challenges such as conflicts with friends or other adverse circumstances.

• These external difficulties further intensify feelings of loneliness and abandonment.

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This section highlights that the period in which one experiences the Night of Sense can last for an extended duration.

Duration

• The phase known as the Night of Sense can persist for quite some time.

• It is essential to recognize that this prolonged experience is part of a larger process, as illustrated in previous diagrams.

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This section emphasizes the importance of understanding that the Night of Sense is not clinical depression but rather a natural response to loss.

Night of Sense vs. Depression

• The Night of Sense can evoke feelings similar to depression, but it is crucial to differentiate between the two.

• In the Night of Sense, individuals experience automatic depressed feelings due to a sense of loss and perceived abandonment by God.

• Recognizing this distinction is vital for therapists working with individuals going through the Night of Sense.

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Here, the speaker explains that mourning and grieving during the Night of Sense are actually gifts that lead to a deeper understanding of finding satisfaction in God alone.

Mourning Process

• The mourning process experienced during the Night of Sense resembles depression but has a significant difference.

• It stems from realizing that happiness cannot be found in worldly things or relationships.

• This realization is a gift from God and leads individuals to seek satisfaction in Him alone.

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This section highlights how losing one's sense of relationship with God can lead to grief and uncertainty about where true happiness can be found.

Loss and Grief

• Losing one's sense of relating happily to God leads to grief and mourning.

• The hope previously placed in finding happiness through power, control, symbols, affection, esteem, pleasure, or security symbols becomes another cause for grief.

• Uncertainty arises regarding where true happiness can be found.

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This section discusses the concept of idolatry and how it hinders our connection with God. It emphasizes the need to let go of substitutes for God and be open to reality.

Idolatry as Substitutes for God

• A kind of happiness that is idolatry, where symbols of power, security, affection, and esteem become substitutes for God.

• These substitutes do not work in bringing us closer to reality.

• The grieving process is necessary to let go of these substitutes and come closer to reality.

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This section explores the idea that we can be closer to God by being at the spiritual level of our being rather than relying on senses and imagination.

Being Closer to God at the Spiritual Level

• Being much closer to God by moving beyond senses and imagination.

• The spiritual level is where God is much closer, leading us towards our true self.

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This section addresses the right attitude when it seems like God has disappeared from our lives.

Adjusting Our Interpretation

• When God seems absent, it does not mean that we are through or that He has left us.

• The right attitude is not to dismiss spirituality as something only for contemplatives or professionals but to recognize that God hasn't gone anywhere; He's just as close as ever, especially when we are closer to Him spiritually.

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This section highlights how proximity to God increases even when it feels like He is absent.

God's Proximity in His Absence

• God is just as close, if not closer, when He seems absent because we are closer to the point where He is most present.

• People who have been on the spiritual journey for a long time may experience periods of God's absence, but it is our interpretation that needs adjustment.

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This section emphasizes the importance of pure faith and finding God in new ways when He doesn't seem present in familiar ways.

Growth of Faith and Finding God

• When God doesn't seem present in old ways, it is an opportunity for growth of faith and finding Him in more intimate levels.

• Trusting that this process is just a part of the journey and realizing that God couldn't go away completely because He is present everywhere.

• Staying open and quiet, waiting for God even during periods of His apparent absence.

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This section discusses the transitional period towards a more intimate relationship with God.

Transitional Period Towards Intimacy with God

• Being willing to take the transitional period towards intimacy with God without having to actively climb downstairs.

• Recognizing little signs of His presence during this period and realizing that He was there waiting for us all along.

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This section highlights how a more spiritual relationship with God enriches daily life.

A More Spiritual Relationship with God

• Having a closer relationship with God where He becomes your first thought upon waking up and being apparent in daily life events and other people.

• Finding God everywhere and experiencing various enlightenments that reveal His presence in creatures, nature, art, and relationships.

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This section discusses the transforming union and the deeper purification process.

Transforming Union and Deeper Purification

• The transforming union is a breakthrough where God becomes present as an overall presence all the time.

• This state goes through deeper purification and may involve brief periods of loss of God or deeper trials, but they are always followed by a rewarding reunion with Him.

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This section emphasizes the correlation between humility, resurrection, and divine love.

Humility, Resurrection, and Divine Love

• Every step down in humility corresponds to an inner resurrection.

• Accepting one's limitations with the love of God leads to finding His mercy at each new level.

• Purity of heart is at the bottom of this process, representing perfect humility.

Desire for God's Plan

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of being open to God's plan and how it manifests in daily life and prayer. The focus is on the gifts of the Spirit, beatitudes, and the transformation towards purity of love.

Manifestation of God's Plan

• The gifts of the Spirit (charity, joy, peace) begin to appear in daily life and prayer.

• After going through the Night of Spirit, seven or eight beatitudes emerge as a full expression of Christian life.

• The ego diminishes as a manifestation of oneself, making way for the Spirit and the mind of Christ (gifts of the Spirit).

Journey Towards Divine Union

• The journey towards divine union leads to purity of love.

• Letting go of what shouldn't be there allows one to find God.

• Similar intuitions are present in Eastern religions like Zen where one waits for their true self (Buddha nature) to reveal itself.

Recovery Through Divine Therapy

• Gradually recovering one's true self through divine therapy is emphasized.

• Traditional stages or ladders of perfection may vary in length or order for different individuals.

• Perfection should be understood as love rather than striving for an idealized state.

Love and Service

• Accepting oneself as who they are is difficult due to cultural and religious conditioning.

• Love is at the heart of Christian life, manifesting through service and selflessness.

• Sufferings can be joined with Christ and become redemptive expressions of God's love.

Universal Redemption

• Everyone can participate in the redemptive process through love and suffering.

• Interior freedom plays a crucial role in the journey.

• Higher states of consciousness may accompany, but love and service are the core fruits of Christian life.

Embracing the Divine Therapy

• After going through various processes, fear and surprise diminish.

• Healthy dependence on God involves submitting our dysfunctions and difficulties to the divine therapy.

• Interior freedom is essential for transformation.

The Importance of Interior Freedom

This section highlights the significance of interior freedom in the spiritual journey. It emphasizes letting go of attachments and aversions, allowing for true transformation.

Letting Go for Interior Freedom

• The invitation to let go of attachment or aversion leads to interior freedom.

• True perfection lies in accepting one's powerlessness, weaknesses, and vices.

• God loves each individual as they are, despite cultural conditioning that promotes striving for something better.

Transformation Through Love

• The divine therapy helps bring about redemption, transformation, humility, purity of heart, and purity of love.

• Love manifests through endless service and self-forgetfulness.

• Sufferings can be joined with Christ's redemptive work.

Universal Participation

• Everyone can contribute to saving the world through love and suffering.

• Cultural notions of perfection should be disregarded; true perfection is found in love.

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Desire for Transfiguration

In this section, the speaker discusses the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding individuals towards transfiguration and reclaiming the positive aspects of each stage of human nature.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

• The Holy Spirit guides individuals towards transfiguration.

• It helps individuals recover and restore the valuable qualities from each stage of their lives.

• Sometimes, certain aspects that were repressed for ascetical reasons are also brought back.

Mary's Influence

• Mary played a significant role in developing a welcoming process within contemplative outreach.

• She embraced everything, even things one may not want to welcome.

Mary's Last Months

• In her last months, Mary became radiant and happy.

• Her happiness seemed unreal for this world.

• She went on retreats with great energy, enthusiasm, and joy.

Contemplative Lay Person

• Mary represents a contemplative lay person who was fully alive and integrated.

• She loved everyone and shared what she had been given until her last moments.

Mary's Impact

This section focuses on the impact of Mary's presence and how she embodied a contemplative lay person.

Last Retreat Impressions

• During her last retreat, Mary made a strong impression on others.

• People saw God in her through her New York accent.

Unexpected Passing

• Mary passed away without having time to do anything else.

• Her ability to welcome became so natural that she didn't think to call 911 when needed.

A Contemplative Lay Person

• Within contemplative outreach, Mary represents a humble development as a contemplative lay person.

• She was fully alive, integrated, fun-loving, well-dressed, and had love for everyone.