Q: My grandchildren are being raised Baptist Faith. When I asked what made them want to be baptized by full immersion, I fully expected them to say “because they […]
Practicing from a sacred space within
Q: Prior to discovering Centering Prayer I practiced meditation using a mantra. Somewhere along the way I found myself inside a space like the cleft of a rock, which I […]
Sounds of Nature and Centering Prayer
Q: There is a small creek in our backyard and I enjoy practicing Centering Prayer while sitting on the back porch or opening a window so I can hear […]
“The Greatest Experience of God is No Experience”
Q: I heard you share this quote: “The greatest experience of God is no experience of God” (Thomas Keating). This saying has me very confused. My life has been filled […]
Using the Sacred Glance in Centering Prayer
Q: Can someone explain using the sacred glance in Centering Prayer, instead of the sacred word? A: The sacred glance in Centering Prayer is a beautiful symbol of our consent […]
Tears During Centering Prayer II
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. […]
Body Sensations and Unloading
Q: I haven’t been a practitioner of Centering Prayer very long; or rather, I haven’t been as disciplined as I sometimes desire. However, I want to ask about my body’s […]
Transitioning from Mindfulness to Centering Prayer
Q: I’ve been practicing mindfulness for many years. A carryover from this practice is the tendency for a beautiful pulsating image to manifest in the area between my eyebrows a […]
Tears During Centering Prayer
Q: Sometimes during Centering Prayer, an emotional pain comes up that causes me to cry from a deep level. Is this Divine Therapy or is it the “emotionality” teachers […]
Centering Prayer and Mindfulness Meditation
Q: I’m at times confusing Centering Prayer with mindfulness meditation. At times when I’m doing Centering Prayer, I find that I’m focusing on my breath and I know I’m […]
Why Attend Multi-Day Retreats?
Q: Throughout the year we have opportunities to attend days of prayer. What do extended retreats add to the spiritual journey that reading books, attending Centering Prayer groups and workshops don’t? […]
Blending Prayer Practices
Q: I’ve practiced Centering Prayer on and off for years. Same with Lectio Divina and the Liturgy of the Hours. Now I’m trying to blend them into an integrate […]
The Sacred Word in Centering Prayer
Q: I have found it difficult to use just one word as I meditate. A simple 3-word phrase – that resonates strongly with me – is most comfortable for me. […]
Centering Prayer and Disabled Adults
Q: I have a 50 year old sister with Williams’ Syndrome (similar to Downs Syndrome – different chromosome). My mother and father cared for her, until my mother recently died. […]
Regarding Prayers of Petition
Q: If I pray to remove sickness or pain, am I refusing God? If I am to offer up my pain, how can I pray that it go away? Or […]
Abiding with Unloading
Q: From a prisoner in minimum isolation: “I have been working on Centering Prayer. It started off easy. For about three months it was happening with no mental or physical […]
About the Intensive Retreat
This article contains information about the Centering Prayer Intensive Retreat format, which is also one of the requirements of the commissioning process to become a Centering Prayer Presenter. Thomas […]
Letting God Lead the Relationship
Q: My attempts at Centering Prayer have not been particularly good. Though I do believe that any attempts to connect with God are honoured and I know at times I […]
Practical Steps for Self-Knowledge
Q: Our Centering Prayer group has been studying The Cloud of Unknowing translated by Carmen Acevedo Butcher. In chapter 14, pg 42, we are told to “Get to know […]
Contemplative Outreach Q&A’s Contributors
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 […]
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