The introduction for this video clip of Living Spiritual Teacher and mystic Thomas Keating informs us that it’s an edited version of his beginners session—a kind of “How To”—which is “designed to encourage further exploration of the ancient mystical prayer practice that can lead to Contemplation.”

For those who don’t know, these terms contemplative and centering are interchangeable for the actual practice of this Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP), which is in reality a so-called “Christian” version of transcendental meditation.

In fact below you’ll hear Roshi Keating mention his book Open Mind, Open Heart (OMOH) wherein he even tells you that CCP will transform your consciousness. And this is exactly what transcendental means when used in relation to the practice of meditation.

For more on that we refer you to Thomas Keating on Contemplative/Centering Prayer, but for now in OMOH our Guru Keating explains that CCP:

is a process of inner transformation, a conversation initiated by God and leading, if we consent, to divine union. One’s way of seeing reality changes in the process. A restructuring of consciousness takes place which empowers one to perceive, relate and respond with increasing sensitivity to the divine presence in, through, and beyond everything that exists. (4, emphasis mine)

And yet this kind of lunacy in the Lord’s Name of corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) is slowly slithering throughout evangelical youth groups through popular pastors and theologians in the postliberal cult of the Emergent Church like Rob Bell and Tony Jones.

You should also be aware that this spurious CSM has already been poisoning evangelical seminaries e.g. through so-called Spiritual Formation as promulgated by Quaker mystic Richard Foster—another Living Spiritual Teacher—along with his spiritual twin Dallas Willard. Apprising Ministries has also recently been showing you that this CSM is already quite deep into mainstream evangelicalism.

For example in What Kind Of Prayer In Southern Baptist Convention Prayer Emphasis? you’ll see CSM—which flowered in the antibiblical monastic traditions of apostate Roman Catholicism—has already begun penetrating the largest Protestant denomination in the US.

A word to the wise: It might not be a bad idea for you Rip Van Winkles within the leadership of evangelcialism to cut your nap times a bit shorter.

See also:

THE CULT OF GURU RICHARD FOSTER

DELUSIONS OF DALLAS WILLARD

SPIRITUAL FORMATION: JUST SAY NO

ROB BELL IN A NUTSHELL: CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM

ENCOUNTERS IN CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM FOR CHRISTIANS: JUST SAY NO