Contemplative self-enquiry

A movement from head… to heart… to gut

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the practice of contemplative self-enquiry

Page contents: Living in a spiritually expansive era. Our being and our doing. Deep listening, within the gentling light of lovingkindness. Open-ended questions light the path. Allowing spiritual questions to work their way through to completion. Why a contemplative stance? The difference between rumination and contemplative self-enquiry. A practice of contemplative self-enquiry.

Contemplative self-enquiry is an ancient spiritual practice reclaimed for today’s world. In its reclaimed form, the practice can relate to both personal and cultural being and becoming. Furthermore, the practice can be embraced but is not dependent upon any particular religious or secular belief system. The practice exists beyond formal belief structures, thereby assisting individuals on their venture of self-discovery, aligned with their own beliefs.

Living in a spiritually expansive era

Added to the sacred task of reimagining a new cultural mindset, we are living in a spiritually expansive era. The abundance of spiritual practices and belief systems available today can lead to an overload of information, making it challenging to choose among them. For many of us, such an information overload can be confusing at best and overwhelming at worst. How do we reimagine a new cultural mindset as we are finding our way through the myriad of competing voices within both our outer world and inner landscape? The ongoing spiritual practice of contemplative self-enquiry enables us to find our way. In turn, we can figuratively stand in our own ground, openheartedly as we seek to reimagine a new cultural mindset.

Our being and our doing

Contemplative self-enquiry leads toward an experience of self-understanding. Self-understanding leads toward an experience of personal wholeness. Personal wholeness leads toward an experience of inner freedom. Inner freedom enables us to live daily life in accord with our values. Also, as we continue to grow in personal wholeness, we project less of our shadow side onto our world. As a consequence, we are more able to be the change we want to see in the world (Mahatma Gandhi). Therefore, the practice of contemplative self-inquiry involves both our being and our doing; both who we know ourselves to be, and how we each live within and act upon our world.

Deep listening, within the gentling light of lovingkindness

Contemplative self-enquiry involves deep listening, within the gentling light of lovingkindness. Such a process involves an open, receptive, curious attitude that in turn enables an inner movement from: head - to heart - to gut.

Head: is about a lived experience in the form of recounting a lived experience that is evoking an affective experience.

Heart: means nonjudgmentally exploring and engaging with the present moment affective experience that is evoked in response to the lived experience.

Gut: means listening for inner wisdom’s present moment stirrings toward authentic self-discovery.

The gentling light of lovingkindness: The poem "It felt love" by 14th Century Persian poet, Hafez, underscores the importance of grounding the practice of contemplative self-enquiry within the gentling light of lovingkindness. Hafez wrote:

In terms of the practice of contemplative self-enquiry, we each need to ground our practice with lovingkindness toward ourselves, otherwise, we might become too frightened to undertake the inner venture of self-discovery.

In addition to Hafez’s emphasis on lovingkindness, poet John O'Donohue cautioned that our inner being "was never meant to be seen completely." He suggested that our inner being be approached through the metaphor of candlelight. He maintained that a candle sheds enough light to "befriend the darkness, [as] it gently opens up caverns in the darkness" which need tending at this moment in time.

(To view the actual practice of contemplative self-enquiry, scroll down below the photo)

Open-ended questions light the path

The spiritual practice of contemplative self-enquiry turns on posing our questions regarding meaning and belonging, within the light of current knowledge, beliefs, and lived experience. Questions like: Who are we? Where did we come from? What becomes of us when we die? What is our purpose? How are we meant to live? Is there a God/Gods? What are the deeply held assumptions that shape our cultural identity, purpose, and values? Is our cultural mindset causing more problems than it fixes? Why is there evil in the world? What is the source and nature of love? We pose our questions with an open-ended attitude. Then we allow our questions to work their way through us to completion. In this way, open-ended questions light the path to discerning authentic self-discovery. When we pose our spiritual questions with nonjudgmental curiosity and openness to wherever the path is guiding, our questions lead us toward authentic self-knowledge.

Why are open-ended questions fundamental to authentic self-knowledge? In response to his research into human consciousness, philosopher and theologian, the late Bernard Lonergan, claimed that open-ended questions lay at the heart of authentic self-knowledge. The reason is that open-ended questions enable us to break through and transcend the confines of our socially constructed view of selfhood.

Meaning making (spiritual) questions emerge within us in response to our ongoing lived experience. Therefore, the spiritual practice of contemplative self-enquiry draws from and flows back into our daily lives. As a result, this spiritual practice focuses on the lived experience of the here and now, and in the words of Loch Kelly:

Allowing spiritual questions to work their way through to completion

How do we allow our spiritual questions to work their way through us to completion? The entry point for such a process is noticing, then gently engaging with, our present moment affective experience. Present moment affective experience includes the whole range of thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations emerging into our present moment awareness. Present moment affective experience includes joys, sorrows, fears, frustrations, angers, delights, and awe. Bernard Lonergan contended that present-moment affective experience, rather than beliefs, drives authentic self-discovery.

The practice of gently engaging with our present moment affective experience differs from acting out of it, seeking to repress it, or being swallowed up by it. It is also distinct from rumination, which involves negative thoughts endlessly circling our minds, metaphorically leading us down a dark, infinite rabbit hole. Rather, the practice is undertaken in the knowledge that while we each have thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, we are not totally identified with them. In line with such an understanding, we allow our questions to work their way through us to completion through a process of:

• noticing what is stirring within in response to spiritual questions

• letting it be

• gently opening it up

• curiously wondering about it

• asking open-ended questions of it

• and patiently listening for inner wisdom's invitation toward authentic self-knowledge.

Why a contemplative stance?

According to author, educator, and activist Parker Palmer, our [inner wisdom] is like:

Drawing from Palmer's quotation our shy, inner wisdom hides from analysis which takes the form of logically probing, dissecting, scrutinizing and evaluating. In contrast, a contemplative orientation creates a safe place for our shy, inner being to show up.

The difference between rumination and contemplative self-enquiry

Rumination and contemplative self-inquiry both involve a deep dive into our inner world. However, there is a significant difference between them.

Rumination may seem like a path to self-understanding, but it tends to focus on the past and negative thoughts. It is closely linked to depression. When ruminating, we becomes stuck in negative thoughts and the associated memories, akin to descending into a rabbit hole and getting lost in the darkness. Rumination leaves us with a heavy heart.

Contemplative self-enquiry, on the other hand, is a practice of deep listening that takes us beyond ego-identification and enables us to perceive inner wisdom’s stirrings toward authentic self-discovery. The practice begins by focusing on present-moment affective experiences including joys, sorrows, hopes, fears, traumas, angers, and mystical experiences, within the gentling light of lovingkindness. Contemplative self-enquiry leaves us with a lightness of heart, even when the content of our self-discovery is confronting.

The following contemplative process was developed for personal spiritual practice. However, given that our era is calling forth a new cultural mindset, the process is also valuable for personally engaging in the shared spiritual venture of reimaging a new cultural mindset.

A practice of contemplative self-enquiry

Stilling exercise

Commence with some form of stilling exercise that enables you to drop beneath your socially constructed mindset and brings you into an awareness of the gentling light of lovingkindness. Also, remember that you have thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, but do not have to be identified with them. 

Let your mind wander back over the last week

What do you find yourself remembering? Around what event/moment/situation/question/conversation do you feel an affective energy? Choose one.

Notice what is happening within you

Bodily felt experience e.g. relaxing/tightening; warmth/coldness; opening up/shutting down; drawn towards/repelled by . . .

Emotional response e.g. delighted; sad; angry; joyful; stressed; fearful; alive; challenged . . .

Thinking e.g. are your thoughts judgmental; compassionate; circular; racing; calm; stuck in a habitual pattern . . .

Letting be

As you are able... simply hold your affective experience within the gentle light of loving kindness... breathing through your experience without denying/resisting/seeking change

Listening and waiting

If and when you are ready, pose some open-ended questions to yourself:

• I wonder why it is that my body responded this way?

• Is this sensation or emotion tapping into a particular area in my life?

• If this sensation / emotion / image had a voice, what might it say to me?

• Is there a colour / shape / texture / image which seems to encompass it? If so, feel free to draw it;  express it in prose or poetry; or simply jot down words that arise in response.

What may inner wisdom be inviting you to see or see afresh through this experience?

• Is there any insight arising for you?

• Are you being invited to stay; move; change; grow?

Conclude your practice by simply resting in the quiet for a few moments.

Note: Do not try to manufacture a response. Simply wait for a response to arise - metaphorically try it on and see how it fits. Do not worry if there is no discernible response initially. Simply pose the question and live into the response.

Resources

Loch Kelly, Shift into Freedom, the Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness

John O'Donohue, Anam Cara

Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Towards an Undivided Life