Thinking about thinking
the art of contemplation
I’ve been thinking a lot about thinking. More specifically, I’ve been wondering about the difference between meditation and contemplation as spiritual disciplines.
These two practices are often described interchangeably. But I think it might be helpful to separate them out as two distinct practices with different tools and goals.
I think meditation is better understood than contemplation. So here are my thoughts about contemplation as distinct from meditation. For those of us who are terrible meditators, like me, contemplation might turn out to be a really helpful (and protective) alternative. In fact, by pursuing contemplation as I outline it below, you will probably be able to protect yourself from some of the dangers of alternative spirituality - like cultish communities and over-reaching gurus.
What I’m going to outline below about contemplative practice contradicts some widely accepted ideas. For example, the idea that the goal of the spiritua…
