Reiki:
Spiritual
energy that is channeled by one attuned to the Reiki power.
Literally translated god energy.
Self-Realization:
Full contact with the higher self resulting in knowing one's
self to be God.
Theosophical
Society: Organization founded by Helena P. Blavatsky
in 1875, to spread the Ancient Wisdom (i.e. occultism) throughout
Western society. The forerunner of the modern New Age movement.
The
silence: Absence of normal thought.
Universalism:
All humanity has or will ultimately have a positive connection
and relationship with God. A universalist belief system or universalism
states that every human being will be reunited with God whether
they believe in Jesus Christ or not. This belief system also
says that every human being has Divinity or God within them.
Contemplative
Spirituality Glossary of Terms
A
-F
Ancient
Wisdom:
The supposed laws of the Universe that, when mastered, enable one
to control one's own reality—another word for metaphysics or
occultism.
Aquarius/Aquarian Age: Sign of the Zodiac represented by
the water carrier, Earth Age associated with this astrological sign.
The term New Age refers to the coming Aquarian age which is in the
process of replacing the Pisces age. According to astrologers, every
2,000 years constitutes an age. New Agers predict this Aquarian
age will be a time of utopia. Alice Bailey: British-born occultist who wrote under
the guidance of a familiar spirit and channeled nineteen books on
the New Age. She also popularized the term.
Centering/Centering Prayer:
Another term for meditation (going deep within your center). A type
of meditation being promoted in many mainline churches under the
guise of prayer.
Chakras:
Believed by New Agers to be the seven energy centers in man which
open up during the kundalini effect in meditation.
Christ-Consciousness: Taught by New Agers to be the state of awareness,
reached in meditation, in which one realizes that one is divine and
one with God and thereby becoming a Christ or an enlightened being.
Contemplative Prayer: Going beyond thought by the use of repeated
prayer words.
Creative Visualization: Imaging in the mind, during meditation,
what you want to occur and then expecting it to happen. In simple
terms, you are creating your own reality.
Desert Fathers: Mystics who first taught the practice of contemplative
prayer.
Ecstasy:
The hoped for outcome of contemplative prayer or mediation
Existentialism:
an atheistic philosophy in which everything is relative; there are
no absolute truths
False Self :The false self is the
ego or personality that is observable by others. One rids oneself
of the false self to find the true self through mantra-meditation.
New Agers would consider people like Buddha, Ghandi, and even Jesus
Christ as examples of people who found their true self.
See
columns to the left and right for continued glossary terms.
Contemplative Terms
Recognize these "inside"
terms used by contemplatives:
Labyrinths
Enneagrams
Prayer Stations
Breath Prayers
Jesus Candles
The Jesus Prayer
Lectio Divina
Taize
Palms Up, Palms Down
Yoga
The Silence
Sacred Space
Ancient Prayer Practices
A Thin Place
Divine Mystery
Spiritual Direction
Ignation Contemplation
Contemplative
Centering
Centering prayer
Prayer of the Heart
Dark night of the soul
Practicing the Presence
Divine Center
Inner light
Mantra
Awareness of Being
Slow Prayer
Being in the Present Moment
Beyond Words
Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual Formation
Many of these terms are considered "inside"
terms according to many contemplatives, such as Youth Specialties
writer, Michael Perschon. On April 16th, 2006, Youth Specialties
issued
a new article by Perschon that coincidentally illustrates
the very thing we are saying here.
"Fitness buffs have an inside language.
The really serious ones like to use proper anatomy terms, like
gluteus maximus instead of bum. They still mean bum but, like
most experts, enjoy having some special knowledge others don't
have. People who practice contemplative prayer are often no different.
Like any other practice, contemplative prayer has its own inside
language, which is clear to the initiated but means little to
outsiders. Much of the writing on contemplative prayer uses this
inside language."—Michael
Perschon, Contemplative Praye Practices
Guru:
Master of Metaphysics who teaches students how to attain their
optimal spiritual level.
Higher
Self: Supposed God Self within that New Agers seek
to connect with through meditation. Also called the Christ Self.
Kundalini: Powerful energy that is
brought on through meditation, associated with the Chakras.
Mantra: Word or words repeated either
silently or verbally to induce an altered state.
Meditation:
Meditation is practiced by all major world religions and is often
described as an essential discipline for spiritual growth. Yet,
like mysticism, there is great diversity in the practice of meditation.
While some see meditation as simply spending time thinking quietly
about life or about God, others use meditation techniques to experience
altered states of consciousness that allow them to have esoteric
experiences. In addition, meditation is promoted in secular society
for the personal benefits of health, relaxation and improved productivity.
New
Age: The Age of Aquarius, supposedly the Golden Age,
when man becomes aware of his power and divinity.
New Thought: Movement that tries
to merge classic occult concepts with Christian terminology.
Occult/Occultism: Kept secret or
hidden; the practice of metaphysics throughout history.
Pantheism:
God is all things. The universe and all life are connected in
a sum. This sum is the total reality of God. Thus, man, animals,
plants, and all physical matter are seen as equal. The assumption—all
is one, therefore all is deity.
Panentheism:
God is in all things. In panentheism God is both personal and
is also in all of creation. It is a universal view that believes
God is in all people and that someday all of God's creation will
be saved and be one with Him.
