WHAT IS CHRISTIAN MEDITATION?

Summary

The script discusses the Christian perspective on meditation, cautioning against practices like Transcendental Meditation that may lead to demonic influence. It contrasts this with Christian meditation, which involves sober, focused reflection on scripture or religious themes to achieve clarity and obedience to God. The speaker emphasizes the importance of discerning divine guidance from personal impulses, consulting spiritual leaders, and maintaining humility in the pursuit of deeper knowledge of God.

Takeaways

• 🙏 Christians should avoid meditation practices that alter consciousness, as they may expose them to demonic influence, according to the speaker.
• 😇 The speaker warns that even positive feelings from meditation can be deceptive, as they may be induced by the devil masquerading as an angel of light.
• 📚 The speaker recommends reading the writings of Clous Kenneth to understand the occult nature of certain meditation practices.
• 🎓 The script distinguishes between Christian meditation (or contemplation) and other forms of meditation, emphasizing the importance of sober, controlled thinking.
• 👼 Christian meditation is described as an effortful and disciplined practice, focused on imposing order and clarity to one's thoughts, rather than seeking abstract intellectualism.
• 🧘‍♂️ The speaker advises against being misled by sudden ideas or fantasies, suggesting that they may not be from God but rather from one's own impulses or demonic influence.
• 🤔 Discerning God's guidance in thoughts requires sharing them with a spiritual father and testing them against the teachings of the church and the Holy Tradition.
• 🌟 Moments of inspiration or deeper understanding during prayer or scripture reading are seen as potential divine revelations, but they must be cautiously received and tested.
• 🛑 The speaker cautions against the dangers of self-deception and the formation of heresies from individual interpretations of scripture without proper discernment.
• 💡 True knowledge of God comes through divine revelation to the heart, not through human intellect or personal constructs, emphasizing the need for humility in contemplation.
• 🕊️ The ultimate goal of Christian meditation is to deepen one's knowledge of God's truth, leading to greater obedience and repentance, aligning with the teachings of the church.

Q & A

Why should Christians avoid certain forms of meditation according to the transcript?

The transcript suggests that Christians should avoid certain forms of meditation, particularly those associated with Buddhism and Hinduism, as they may expose practitioners to demonic activity and influence. It implies that these practices can lead to a state of altered consciousness that is incompatible with Christian beliefs.

What is the difference between meditation practices in Buddhism and Hinduism and Christian meditation as described in the transcript?

The transcript differentiates between the 'emptying of the mind' approach of Buddhist and Hindu meditation and Christian meditation, which is more about contemplation and reflection on religious themes. Christian meditation is described as a 'sober' and focused thought process, not seeking to alter consciousness but to impose order and clarity on one's thoughts.

What does the transcript suggest about the nature of feelings experienced during meditation?

The transcript warns that feelings of peace and positivity during meditation can be deceptive, as they may be induced by demonic forces. It advises Christians to be cautious and not to be misled by such feelings, as they may not be divine but rather a form of deception.

What role does the concept of 'sobriety' play in Christian meditation as discussed in the transcript?

In the context of Christian meditation, 'sobriety' refers to a controlled and disciplined form of thinking. It is about maintaining focus on a single point or thought, resisting distractions, and not allowing the mind to leap from topic to topic impulsively.

How does the transcript describe the process of Christian contemplation or meditation?

The transcript describes Christian contemplation as an effortful and focused process, where one imposes order on the mind and reflects on a single subject, such as a Bible verse or a prayer. It is about seeking clarity, peace, and a deeper understanding of one's faith and actions.

What is the importance of sharing thoughts and conclusions with a spiritual father in the context of Christian meditation as per the transcript?

The transcript emphasizes the importance of sharing thoughts and conclusions with a spiritual father to discern whether they are divinely inspired or potentially influenced by demonic forces. This sharing helps in avoiding self-deception and ensures that one's meditation aligns with the teachings of the Church.

How can one discern whether their thoughts during meditation are from God or not, according to the transcript?

The transcript suggests that thoughts from God should lead to greater clarity, peace, and a resolve for repentance and obedience. They should result in a deeper reflection on one's life and a call to change in a way that aligns with Christian teachings.

What does the transcript say about the ultimate purpose of Christian meditation?

The ultimate purpose of Christian meditation, as described in the transcript, is to discover God's truth and to grow in the knowledge of God. It should lead to a deeper understanding of the divine and a more obedient and Christ-centered life.

How does the transcript address the issue of potential heresies arising from individual interpretations of scripture?

The transcript warns of the dangers of heresies that can arise from individual interpretations of scripture without proper discernment. It advises that any personal conclusions should be tested against the teachings of the Church Fathers and the Holy Tradition of the Church.

What is the role of humility in Christian meditation as discussed in the transcript?

The transcript highlights the importance of humility in Christian meditation, acknowledging the limitations of human understanding and the need to be open to divine revelation. It suggests that a humble heart is more receptive to God's truth and less prone to self-deception.

How does the transcript relate the concept of 'purity of heart' to the knowledge of God?

The transcript refers to the teaching of Christ that 'blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,' implying that purity of heart is essential for true knowledge of God. It suggests that a pure heart is more capable of discerning divine guidance and less likely to be deceived by one's own thoughts or feelings.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 Christian Meditation vs. Transcendental Practices

The first paragraph discusses the Christian perspective on meditation, warning against forms that alter consciousness, such as those found in Buddhism and Hinduism, as potentially demonic. It contrasts these with Christian meditation, which involves contemplation and reflection on spiritual matters. The speaker emphasizes the importance of sobriety and control in Christian thought, citing St. Theophan the Recluse on the disorder of everyday thoughts and the need for imposing order through Christian meditation. The paragraph also mentions the potential for demonic deception in feelings of peace from meditation and the value of reading about the occult nature of such practices.

05:02

🧘‍♂️ Cultivating Thought Control and Discernment in Christian Meditation

The second paragraph delves into the struggle of controlling thoughts during prayer and meditation. It suggests focusing on a single point or subject, such as a Bible verse, to bring order to the mind. The speaker advises against being misled by positive but potentially demonic thoughts and emphasizes the importance of sharing these thoughts with a spiritual father for guidance. The paragraph also discusses the discernment of God's guidance from personal impulses, the role of clarity, peace, and obedience in evaluating thoughts, and the importance of testing personal revelations against church teachings and traditions.

10:03

🌟 Divine Revelation and the Danger of Heresy in Christian Contemplation

The third paragraph addresses the moments of inspiration that can occur during Christian meditation, where scripture or an icon might reveal deeper meanings. It cautions against the potential for heresy that arises from individuals interpreting these moments as divine revelation without proper discernment. The speaker stresses the importance of testing personal insights against the teachings of the church fathers and the Holy Tradition, and seeking guidance from spiritual leaders like priests and bishops. The paragraph also touches on the human capacity for self-deception and the need for humility in contemplation.

15:03

🕊️ The Role of Humility and Purification in True Christian Knowledge of God

The final paragraph emphasizes the limitations of human understanding and the need for humility in seeking knowledge of God. It discusses the role of divine revelation in knowing God, rather than intellectual constructs, and the importance of recognizing the mysteries of God that surpass human comprehension. The speaker highlights the teachings that eternal life involves an endless deepening of understanding of God. The paragraph concludes with the idea that purity of heart, not intellectual prowess, allows for true knowledge of God, and the importance of discerning divine inspiration from personal delusions.

Keywords

💡Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation is a specific form of meditation developed to achieve a state of deep relaxation and mental calm. In the video, it is mentioned as a practice that Christians should avoid as it may lead to altered states of consciousness that are considered incompatible with Christian beliefs, potentially exposing practitioners to demonic influence.

💡Demonic Activity

Demonic activity refers to the influence or actions attributed to malevolent spiritual beings or forces. The script warns that engaging in certain forms of meditation can expose Christians to such activity, with the devil capable of creating positive feelings or even mimicking healing, which should not mislead believers.

💡Christian Meditation

Christian meditation, as discussed in the video, is a form of contemplative prayer that is distinct from Eastern practices like Hinduism or Buddhism. It involves sober, controlled thinking focused on spiritual matters, such as pondering biblical verses or events from the life of Christ, aiming to deepen one's relationship with God.

💡Contemplation

Contemplation, in the context of the video, is a more appropriate term for Christians than meditation due to its association with Eastern religions. It is described as a disciplined, focused thought process that helps impose order on the mind and is integral to Christian meditation.

💡Sobriety of Heart

Sobriety of heart refers to a state of mental clarity and self-control, free from impulsive or disordered thoughts. The video emphasizes the importance of this state in Christian meditation, as it helps to maintain focus and resist distractions or deceptive thoughts.

💡Repentance

Repentance is the act of expressing regret or remorse for one's sins or wrongdoings with the intention to amend one's behavior. The script suggests that true Christian meditation should lead to a greater understanding of one's need for repentance and a call to obedience to God.

💡Spiritual Father

A spiritual father, often a priest or elder in the Christian tradition, is someone to whom believers turn for guidance and counsel on spiritual matters. The video advises sharing thoughts and conclusions from meditation with a spiritual father to discern God's guidance from potential deception.

💡Divine Revelation

Divine revelation is the communication of divine truth or knowledge from God to humans. In the video, it is suggested that moments of inspiration during meditation might be forms of divine revelation, but these must be tested against the teachings of the Church to ensure they are truly from God.

💡Heresy

Heresy refers to beliefs or views that are contrary to the official doctrine of a religion. The script warns that individual interpretations of scripture, inspired by personal meditation, can lead to heresy if not properly tested against the Church's teachings.

💡Purity of Heart

Purity of heart is a state of spiritual cleanliness and sincerity, free from sin and deceit. The video quotes Jesus saying 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,' indicating that a pure heart is essential for true knowledge of God and for discerning divine guidance.

💡Humility

Humility is the quality of being modest and respectful, recognizing one's limitations and the greatness of God. The video emphasizes the importance of humility in Christian meditation, acknowledging that there are many mysteries of God that humans will never fully comprehend.

Highlights

Christians should avoid forms of meditation that alter consciousness due to potential demonic influence.

Some practitioners experience peace from meditation, but it could be deceptive as the devil can mimic positive feelings.

Christian meditation differs from Buddhist or Hindu practices and should be approached with caution.

The term 'contemplation' may be more appropriate for Christians than 'meditation' to avoid connotations with Eastern practices.

Christian contemplation is described as a sober, controlled form of thinking, unlike the chaotic nature of everyday thoughts.

St Theophan the Recluse likens uncontrolled thoughts to flies buzzing around, emphasizing the need for order in Christian meditation.

Christian meditation involves focusing on a single point or thought to impose order on the mind.

Christian meditation is not about impressing others but about following a single line of thought under God's guidance.

Discerning God's guidance from one's own thoughts or demonic influence requires sharing with a spiritual father and testing against church teachings.

Christian meditation should lead to clarity, peace, and a call to greater obedience and repentance.

The church fathers view moments of inspiration during meditation as a form of divine revelation to the heart.

Individuals must be cautious about accepting thoughts as divine revelation, testing them against Scripture and church tradition.

The capacity for self-deception is inherent in humans, and humility is essential in discerning true divine guidance.

The ultimate purpose of Christian meditation is to discover God's truth and to deepen one's relationship with Him.

The heart, not the intellect, is the key to knowing God, as taught by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.

Humility and the purification of the heart are crucial for true understanding and experiencing of divine revelation.

Christian meditation should lead to obedience and participation in the mysteries of the church, not just intellectual understanding.

The knowledge of God is a never-ending journey, with eternal life involving a continuous deepening into the mystery of God.

Transcripts

Christians must avoid all forms of

Transcendental Meditation all forms of

meditation intended to change our state

of mind alter our

Consciousness

because to pursue these

activities to meditate in a Buddhist or

Hindu way as Christians we believe it

exposes us to demonic activity demonic

influence now of course there are many

practitioners of

meditation who will describe their

feelings of Peace the the positive

feelings they they say they receive from

meditation but we must remember the

devil canot only masquerade as an angel

of

Light but the devil can provide all

kinds of positive feelings create all

kinds of feelings within us and even

mimic healing for a while and we must

not be misled by any of this any of this

demonic

activity to know more specifically about

the the occult nature of these kinds of

meditation it's worth reading the

writings of

clous clous Kenneth who describes his

own firsthand experience of this kind of

demonic activity be kind

meditation but

Christians often use the word meditation

in terms of Christian

meditation and it's good for us to

understand clearly what is meant by this

and how it is different from these other

kinds of transcendental forms of

meditation these the so-called emptying

of the Mind emptying of the self and

so well first of all we should remember

that in the gospels we read how the

mother of

God after the miraculous birth of

Christ is described as pondering

contemplating all of these things she

carried all the events the enunciation

the the appearance of the Angel

the the Virgin birth and so on

she contemplated these things in our

heart and

contemplation is really a better word

for us today to use rather than

meditation because for all of us now

meditation has taken on these these

connotations of Hinduism and Buddhism

and so on and let us be

clear we cannot we cannot call ourselves

Christian Buddhists or Christian

Hindus the the practices of these kinds

of meditation are entirely incompatible

with the Christian

faith so we mustn't be deceived by this

but let's think then what is this this

Christian meditation this

Christian pondering this Christian

reflection this different type of

meditation well the Christian Church

fathers

describe contemplation and Christian

meditation and distinguish it from our

regular kind of

thinking as something sober they use the

word sober to describe the kind of

thinking involved in this form of

meditation and by so would they

mean it's controlled it doesn't leap

around from topic to topic it doesn't

react to impulses or the stimuli of

whatever happens to be going on around

us at that

moment St theophan the

recluse says our everyday thoughts are

very often like flies that Buzz around

us they are unchosen they're unwanted

and they just crash into our

lives

randomly

and St theophan the recluse says to us

that Christian meditation Christian

contemplation is really about imposing

order where there is

disorder imposing order where there is

chaos in the mind and so often

for all of us our minds can descend into

a kind of chaos when they're allowed to

run

free when they're not controlled when

they're not

focused

and St thean the

recluse teaches us

that this kind of thinking requires

struggle it requires effort and he goes

as far to say it is it is part of our

aesthetic life it is an aesthetical

struggle to contemplate and think this

way something that we are all called

to distracting thoughts of

course are something that many people

find very

disturbing especially when they try to

pray and suddenly their mind is leaping

around from thought to

thought so let's think a little

about what it is we can do to learn this

control of our thoughts to be able to

direct our mind to bring order where

there's

disorder well first just as we struggle

to repent of

sin

so we must make an effort to resist the

the sudden ideas and Fantasies that

appear to Spring from nowhere at times

and this requires commitment it

requires us to focus on a single point a

single object a single subject it may be

a line from the Bible it may be a verse

or a few words from A Hymn or a prayer

maybe an icon it may be something of the

Life of Christ but we focus and

think in a disciplined sober way about

this one thing and even when thoughts

that come to us that may appear though

they are

tangental positive

good we must guard ourselves we must

struggle to maintain this

Focus now as an aesthetical

act Christian

meditation doesn't seek

to find

impressive highly intellectual thoughts

thoughts that we can share and impress

to other people this is not Christian

meditation Christian meditation is

really about following a a single line

of thought we pray under God's

guidance but then of course it raises

the question how do we know how do we

discern what is God's guidance in our

thoughts and what is really just an

Impulse or a product of our feelings

or God protect us even demonic influence

where the demons are leading us in a

line of thought and and misleading us

telling us that it's good it's positive

and even of

God so how do we know it's God that is

guiding us in our thoughts well the way

we judge this first of all is to share

our thoughts and our

conclusions with our spiritual

father the devil the devil wants us to

conceal our thoughts conceal these

conclusions we reach the devil wants us

to tell nobody keep them secret let them

grow

there we must

share any thoughts of this kind with our

spiritual

father but also of course we can examine

the conclusions that we

reach the

thoughts that come to us do they bring

us to a place of clarity these thoughts

do they bring us to conclusions where we

have greater Clarity and peace and

resolve about repentance do our thoughts

lead us to a place where we reflect more

deeply on the way we're living and call

us to obedience to a greater degree how

we must change our

lives Christian

meditation is not about abstract

Concepts this kind of meditation this

kind of

contemplation is about changing the the

reality that having a concrete effect on

the things of Our Lives not just

disappearing into hypotheticals and and

intellectual

musings it should lead us to Greater

obedience to God this is the true test

of these kinds of thoughts and we will

know they are of God when they could

lead us to repentance and

obedience now we all know the experience

I'm

sure of

reading perhaps a prayer a piece of the

Holy scriptures and something we've read

many many times will will suddenly leap

out at us the words will suddenly open

to us and we will recognize a deeper

meaning in those words words that have

felt so familiar to us in the

past now the church fathers understand

this as a form of inspiration a small

form a small form of divine revelation

to the heart

a a form of encouragement from

God and the church fathers say when

these moments happen we should try to

focus focus on that that text that that

icon that thought that has inspired us

that has warmed our heart let it linger

with us and let it let the warmth that

it brings to our heart

grow now the ultimate purpose of course

of all our

thinking is to

discover God's truth this is why we have

thought at all we think in order to

discover the truth of

God and these phrases that open up to us

their their hidden depth can be revealed

to us by God when

God shows more of himself to us because

this is what's taking place God is

revealing something of himself to to us

in that moment because Christ is

truth and we should receive these these

moments as blessings something precious

something to to focus our minds on focus

our minds on what God may be giving to

us in that

moment but we must be careful about

these there there are thousands

thousands upon

thousands of protestant groups Christian

groups and

these many thousands of protestant

groups again have many thousands of of

doctrines because

individuals have felt inspired when

they've read read sections of the Bible

they felt inspired and they felt they've

got a new interpretation or that they

recognized the truth of that particular

passage and following this impulse

they've been led into heresy and there

are thousands upon thousands of heresies

that have been the consequence of this

approach anything that comes to us this

way must always be tested against the

teachings of the fathers the the

tradition of the church we must we must

look to the the conclusions that the

church itself has been led to by the

Holy Spirit and any conclusions we reach

individually must always be put to the

test both against scripture and against

the holy traditions of the

church and perhaps we don't have the

expertise of the can of the church to do

this well then take take these questions

these issues these thoughts to our

priest and many priests including myself

are no experts in canon law and and

great theology so it may be necessary to

then go to our Bishop if our priest

can't find the answer for

us but we all

have a great

capacity to fool ourselves to deceive

ourselves we all have a capacity to

convince ourselves that what really is

just a feeling or an impulse from our

own heart is divine revelation is divine

inspiration and we must be very careful

every human being to some

degree is actually experiencing a level

of prelest every one of us we all every

one of us live in a state of delusion

and deception to some degree about our

sin

about the lack of Holiness in our own

heart and so

on and many of us live with prelest

about God himself and about our

Salvation many people walk around

convinced that they are already saved

and that the struggle and the race that

St Paul and Christ himself called us to

is done it's

completed

completely opposed to the teaching of

the church and of Holy Scripture

so we all have this great capacity to

deceive

ourselves and which is why we must be

very careful about how we accept and

discern these thoughts and conclusions

that we reach when we are contemplating

things

and this is what the church fathers when

they refer to the soberness of heart are

referring to soberness of heart is

guarding ourselves from what is what is

our own creation and not God not God's

guidance our faith must be based not on

what we've

constructed our faith is not founded on

intellectual

ideas in this sense that God is somehow

dissected and and explained through the

intellect the human

intellect everything we truly know of

God is revealed to us by the Holy

Spirit we see it in the Life of Christ

everything that we know of God is

revealed to us by God the Living God and

the constructs of the human intellect

are nothing more than that now of course

we we interpret many things and God has

given us many Saints and wise teachers

who do interpret we look at the church

fathers and we give thanks for that that

explanation and and understanding of of

Holy scripture to guard us in our own

reading

But ultimately everything that man knows

of God is revealed to us by

God we

are incapable of course of forming

conclusions about God absolutely and

completely and in this we must have

humility in all our thinking and

contemplation it is necessary to be

humble and to recognize that there there

are many things that we will never

understand

not only in this life but even in

eternity we are taught that eternal

life will itself be forever entering

deeper into the mystery of

God so our knowledge of God will never

ever come to an end we will always be

growing in the knowledge of God entering

more deeply into that mystery of Christ

and so any conclusions that we reach in

this life can in no

way establish boundaries for who and

what God

is and we must be humble about this we

must accept not only we as individuals

but Humanity

itself is living ultimately with great

Mysteries mysteries about God that God

is perpetually drawing us deeper

into but our Lord tells us with respect

to the heart blessed are the pure in

heart for they shall see God blessed are

the pure in heart for they shall see God

Christ here is teaching us that it

isn't a highly educated

intellect that knows God it is the heart

that is

purified

and we must ask ourselves to what degree

we

feel worthy of many of these thoughts it

the soberness of our thinking must be

partly am I worthy of reaching the

conclusions I think I've reached to to

be aware of the Revelation that God I

believe has given to me and by looking

at our hearts we may recognize just how

impure our hearts

are and recognizing the impurity of our

hearts should humble us and help us to

discern where we are being deceived in

our own

thinking so let's seek yes the things of

God to know him more

deeply but also to obey him more

completely this is why we should seek to

know God not out of Pride not out of

curiosity curiosity and pride will not

lead us deeper into the mysteries of God

but the purification of the heart

obedience repentance participation in

the mysteries of the church this is how

we end enter deeper into the mystery of

Christ we must struggle we must we must

struggle to be able to

receive God's free

Grace because we must always know that

all true knowledge of

God is divine revelation to the

heart e