Concept
Contemplation
Overview
In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with religious practices such as meditation or prayer.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
Consequently the operations of the contemplative life cannot be designated according to these different species of motion. But whereas external bodily movements are opposed to that repose of contemplation which is understood to be rest from external occupations, the motion of intellectual operations belongs precisely to the repose of contemplation. 2. Again, the action of the contemplative life pertains to the…
Aquinas Thomas, On prayer and the contemplative life
Names Contemplation several times; states what Contemplation is.
I have noticed in the course of my psychoanalytic work that the state of mind of a man in contemplation is entirely different from that of a man who is observing his psychic processes. In contemplation there is a greater play of psychic action than in the most attentive self-observation; this is also shown by the tense attitude and wrinkled brow of contemplation, in contrast with the restful features of…
Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams
Names Contemplation several times; states what Contemplation is.
This is done two ways. First, by keeping the idea which is brought into it, for some time actually in view, which is called CONTEMPLATION. 2. Memory. The other way of retention is, the power to revive again in our minds those ideas which, after imprinting, have disappeared, or have been as it were laid aside out of sight.
John Locke, An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1
States what Contemplation is; names Contemplation twice.
Philosophers who discussed Contemplation
Related ideas
- God in Christianity
- Greek language
- Philosophy
- John Climacus
- Latin
- Muhammad
- Meditation
- Plato
- Neoplatonism
- Prayer
- Form of the Good
- Transcendence (religion)
- Nous
- Plotinus
- Enneads
- Eastern Christianity
- Christianity
- Proto-Indo-European language
- Apophatic theology
- Asceticism
- Divinity
- Monad (philosophy)
- Henosis
- Josef Pieper
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Neoplatonism.