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  • Name: Invitation To Love - The Way of Christian Contemplation
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  • Type: #literature/book
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Notes

Summary

  • The major impediment to growth is our continued enslavement to the false self.
    • We are overreactive because of how reactive our pain bodies/false selves are.
    • To become spiritually mature, we must disidentify with our false selves and dissolve our pain bodies.
  • The regular practice of contemplative prayer initiates a healing process that might be called 'the divine therapy.' We do this through:
    • the four consents developed by John S. Dunne,
    • the temptations of St. Anthony,
    • the night of the sense experience by St. John of the Cross,
    • the stages of contemplative prayer described by Saint Teresa of Avila,
    • and the wisdom sayings of the Beatitudes
  • Mature faith gradually raises us to operate at the intuitive and unitive levels of consciousness.

NOTE: This book has made me want to enter the purifying work of the spiritual journey. It has made me want to establish my own "monastic" practices to discover the emotional programs I have, the pain body I have accumulated and the over identification with my group.

The Emotional Programs for Happiness

The crystallization of the instinctual needs of survival, security, affection, esteem, power, control into centers of motivation, around which our thoughts, feelings, and behavior gravitate. It is an instinctual, subconscious response below reason and thought. These programs are formed during the reptilian, typhonic and mythic membership stages of consciousness.

False Self

The self-image developed to cope with the emotional trauma of early childhood. It seeks to satisfy and soothe the emotional programs that were formed during childhood and bases its self-worth on cultural identification, group identification or pain-body identification.

Evolutionary Levels of Consciousness

Unity - The highest level, unity consciousness, is a state of complete oneness with God and the universe, where there’s no longer any distinction between self and the Divine. This stage represents the full realization of spiritual union, where the individual’s identity merges entirely with the universal consciousness.

Unitive - involves an experience of profound unity with God and creation but maintains a subtle awareness of a separate “self” that is in harmony with the Divine. Personal boundaries begin to dissolve, and there’s a sense of oneness with the entire cosmos. At this stage, love, compassion, and selfless service become natural and effortless. Unitive consciousness is less about doing and more about being; the person operates out of an inner sense of peace, connection, and Divine love.

Intuitive Consciousness - shifts beyond the ego, marked by a sense of interconnectedness with others. It transcends purely rational thought and can be considered a "sense" awareness, embracing qualities such as empathy, cooperation, and forgiveness.

Mental Egoic Consciousness - development of self-reflective awareness and personal responsibility, including the capacity for logical reasoning and abstract thought. Even though it is a significant step toward self-awareness, it can also lead to a strong sense of individuality and separation from others.

Mythic Membership Consciousness - The individual’s sense of identity and worth comes from belonging to and being accepted by their group, and there’s little room for self-reflection or independent thought.

Typhonic - People in this stage are still dominated by bodily needs and impulses but begin to seek relationships as a means to fulfill their needs. There’s limited differentiation between self and others, and actions are still largely controlled by emotional impulses.

Reptilian - the most basic level of consciousness, rooted in survival instincts. Individuals are driven primarily by the need to secure food, safety, and shelter. Behavior is reactive, instinctual, and largely unconscious, aimed at meeting immediate survival needs.

Contemplative Practices

Lectio Divina: Lectio Divina, or “Divine Reading,” is a prayerful method of reading Scripture that involves four steps: reading, meditating, praying, and contemplating. This practice moves from thoughtful reading of a passage to silently resting in God’s presence, allowing the text to transform the reader's heart.

Contemplative Prayer (Mystical Prayer): Contemplative prayer, or mystical prayer, is a silent, loving gaze upon God where words and thoughts cease, and the soul rests in God’s presence. It is an act of simply being with God and is often considered a gift of deep union that goes beyond spoken prayer.

Affective Prayer: Affective prayer is a heartfelt, loving response to God that focuses on emotions and simple expressions of love and devotion. It bypasses complex thoughts and centers on direct, emotional connection with God.

Discursive Prayer: Discursive prayer is an active, mental form of prayer that uses reason, logic, and structured reflection, often applied to meditate on Scripture or religious truths. It involves analyzing, questioning, and applying insights to one's life.

Reading of Scripture: The reading of Scripture is a devotional practice that involves attentively engaging with biblical texts to gain insight, grow in faith, and connect with God. It can be a part of Lectio Divina or a personal practice of exploring and understanding God’s word.

Night of Sense: The Night of Sense is an initial phase of spiritual purification where one experiences a withdrawal of emotional and sensory consolations in prayer. This “dark night” is meant to detach the soul from reliance on feelings, leading to a more mature relationship with God rooted in faith alone.

Night of Spirit: The Night of Spirit is a deeper, more intense purification process than the Night of Sense. It strips away deeper spiritual attachments and self-centeredness, allowing the soul to approach God in pure faith and surrender, ultimately leading to profound union with God.

Transforming Union (Holiness): Transforming Union, also known as spiritual marriage, is the highest stage of union with God where the soul is permanently united with God’s will, living in a constant state of holiness and awareness of the Divine. This state represents the soul’s complete transformation and surrender to God.