Fr. Carl J. Arico is a founding member of Contemplative Outreach, and honored to have known Fr. Keating since 1969. He was present for the first intensive Centering Prayer retreat that Fr. […]
Centering Prayer and Posture
Q: Can you lie down in Centering Prayer? A: Thank you for your question. At some point, we all wonder if it is okay to lay down during Centering Prayer. Centering […]
Pray As You Can
Q: Is it ok to do the Centering Prayer just before bed? A: I decided to consult with our ecumenical Centering Prayer group at Saint Vincent’s church, Bayonne New Jersey, […]
Dark Night of the Soul and Clinical Depression
Q: I’d like to know more about the dark night of the soul and how it differentiates from clinical depression. A: Thank you so much for asking this question. Many […]
There is No Other
Q: I have received and seen the DVD “God is All in All“. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you! However I have a question. Thomas Keating talks a lot […]
The Difference Between Centering Prayer and Contemplation — And Why It Matters
Q: I have a question about Centering Prayer, that has come to me after rereading David Frenette’s book about Centering Prayer. He talks as though Centering Prayer may, and sometimes […]
How Does God Work in Centering Prayer?
Q: My problem is in understanding in what way and how God works in me in Centering Prayer. I know that to enter in Centering Prayer is to let […]
Spiritual Depression or Clinical Depression?
Q: Can a spiritual depression turn into a clinical depression in the spiritual journey? According to Fr. Keating there is a period during the spiritual journey that all is obscure, confused […]
Is Charisma a Gift or a Curse?
Q: I have a question about charisma – I heard it can be a gift of the Spirit but I also know it can be a serious ego trap […]
Is The Welcoming Prayer a Prayer?
Q: Do you consider Welcoming Prayer a prayer? I recently presented Welcoming Prayer to the Centering Prayer group I attend … and a member asked this question. She listened […]
TM, Centering Prayer and the Sacred Word
Q: I have a question regarding the sacred word. Before coming to Centering Prayer I had been practicing Transcendental Meditation. As long as I maintain the intention of Centering Prayer, […]
Where Should the Attention Be in Centering Prayer?
Q: First, let me send you my sincerest gratitude for all that Contemplative Outreach does. After several years of Buddhist meditation, I have found my home in the teachings […]
Guard of the Heart and Welcoming Prayer Practices
Q: Bob Mischke writes this about Guard of the Heart , from Fr Keating: “The following are three ways of keeping yourself on course in everyday affairs. The first […]
Welcoming Prayer and Onset of Mania or Depression
Q: Firstly, I am very thankful for the teaching on Centering Prayer and have been practicing it for about two years. (The mobile app is really helpful too.) Though […]
The Real Welcoming Prayer Practice
Q: I have a question about Welcoming Prayer. I saw some website posting Father Thomas Keating’s poem： Welcome, welcome, welcome. I welcome everything that comes to me today, because […]
Perception Through Levels of Consciousness
Q: I’m a practitioner of Centering Prayer for about 15 years. I started after reading Cynthia Bourgeault’s and Thomas Keating’s introductions to Centering Prayer. Their later works have me […]
Why Meditation/Contemplation?
Q: I’ve been practicing meditation/contemplation for more than twenty years. As of late, I am periodically troubled by the question “why am I doing this, i.e., contemplation?” The question is in […]
Ego Elimination?
Q: What Centering Prayer method is used to eliminate the ego? The Buddhist method is to meditate on emptiness. A: Thank you for your question. In truth all our contemplative practices are […]
Centering Prayer and Trauma
Q: I have been practicing Centering Prayer for 12 years, and recently I have been praying for the transformation process to hurry up. To put it more politely, for […]
Monkey Mind on Steroids
Q: I have been doing Centering Prayer for about 7 years, and I have changed in positive ways that my wife, some others in the CP group, and even […]
Tears During Centering Prayer
Q: I have been practicing Centering Prayer off and on for several years, last year almost everyday. I have recently been experiencing tears/crying for no apparent reason. Please advise. […]
Background Noise
Q: When doing my Centering Prayer and after settling in to “find my sweet spot” I find that despite the quiet of prayer, there always seems to be noise […]
Centering Prayer and Tinnitus
Q: I was meditating/doing Centering Prayer for many years. However, about three years ago I got pretty sick. A result of that illness is now severe tinnitus or ringing […]
What is Being “Welcomed” in the Practice of the Welcoming Prayer?
Q: On the Welcoming Prayer practice, what is being welcomed? What if I don’t feel “welcoming”? It seems like I can’t even “feel and sink into” the sensation if I’m […]
The Accelerated Course for Those Over 80
Q: In the book, The Human Condition, it mentions an accelerated course for people over 80. I am looking for information on that program. A: I am unaware of any […]
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