What can we say to the claims made by Contemplative proponents? Are their arguments sound and biblical?
Many New Age concepts have mainstreamed by being presented as self-improvement instruction taught in business seminars, universities, government, and prisons. Due to their use of neutral language and disguise of spiritual concepts as scientfic, these have multiplied and spread far beyond their original audiences.
These programs are fueled by testimonials, clever marketing, and promises of success. One example is the Silva Method, also known as Silva Mind Control, Silva Dynamics, and similar names. Behind the glitz of media and success stories lurks a New Age and occult spirituality that can bring spiritual, emotional, and/or mental damage due to the belief system at its heart.
These people, practices, and language related to Contemplative teachings are listed due to the increasing influence of the Contemplative Movement. Problems with this movement are multiple and have been addressed […]
Breaking It Down Visualization is more than using imagination. It is a technique that exploits imagination in the belief that it can bring about a result merely through the imagination […]
The author is a former practitioner of Hindu, Tibetan Buddhist, and Zen meditation for 14 years Mindfulness is Ubiquitous There is no way to avoid the incessant promotions of […]
The advocacy of mindfulness meditation in secular society continues to get attention. A Washington Post news article (“Meditation and Mindfulness May Give Your Brain a Boost” by Carolyn Butler (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021405973.html) […]
First published in Midwest Christian Outreach Journal, Volume 20, No. 1, Fall, 2014 Note: Although some Buddhist concepts are explained here, the thrust of the article is to describe the Western […]
Mindfulness is a Buddhist concept and practice, the seventh step of the Eightfold Path. Mindfulness is more than a meditative practice; it is an outlook on life and reality that […]
“We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.” — Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist and author of “The Miracle of Mindfulness” and other bestsellers “Be a lamp […]
[Note: The writer formerly practiced Tibetan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, and Hindu meditation, as well as visualization and psychic techniques taught to her by those deeply involved in those traditions. She […]