Open Mind Open Heart Keating
Mike Ervin
Here’s a comprehensive
summary of Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel by
Father Thomas Keating - his best-known and most widely read introduction to
Christian contemplative practice.
Open Mind, Open Heart –
Summary
Purpose of the Book
Fr. Thomas Keating wrote
Open Mind, Open Heart (first published 1986; revised later) as an accessible
guide to contemplative prayer for modern Christians. It introduces Centering
Prayer as a method and explains its biblical, theological, and spiritual foundations.
The book’s aim is not just to teach a technique, but to help the reader enter
into the transformative path of Christian contemplation.
Central Themes
1. The Contemplative
Dimension of the Gospel
- Contemplation is not an optional “extra” but an
essential part of Christianity, deeply rooted in Jesus’ teaching (“when
you pray, go into your inner room” – Matt. 6:6).
- Early Christian monks (Desert Fathers/Mothers) and
mystics (e.g., John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila) lived this
contemplative dimension.
- Keating presents contemplation as God’s presence
and action within us, rather than our effort alone.
2. Centering Prayer:
The Method
Keating outlines the
method in simple steps:
- Choose a sacred word (e.g.,
“Lord,” “Peace,” “Love”) as a symbol of consent to God’s presence and
action.
- Sit quietly, close eyes, and
silently introduce the word.
- Whenever thoughts, feelings, or
images arise, gently return to the sacred word.
- At the end of the period (about
20 minutes, twice a day), sit quietly for a minute or two before resuming
activity.
Key insight: Centering
Prayer is not concentration, mantra repetition, or relaxation - it is a prayer
of consent and surrender, fostering intimacy with God beyond words or images.
3. The False Self and
True Self
- The false self is the collection of emotional
programs for happiness - driven by needs for security, esteem, affection,
and control - that dominate our lives and block our relationship with God.
- Centering Prayer gradually dismantles the false
self and allows the true self, our identity in Christ, to emerge.
- Transformation comes not through effort but
through God’s healing presence working in the depths of the soul (“divine
therapy”).
4. Stages of
Spiritual Growth
Keating sketches stages:
- Beginners’ prayer life: reliance on discursive,
verbal prayer.
- Transition to contemplative prayer: letting go of
constant inner dialogue.
- Infused contemplation: pure presence in God beyond
concepts.
- Union with God: as described by Christian mystics,
characterized by simplicity, humility, and love.
5. Practical Guidance
- Time & discipline: daily
practice (20 min, twice a day) is recommended.
- Obstacles: distractions, boredom,
doubt, or restlessness are normal; fidelity matters more than results.
- Healing process: Centering Prayer
may surface repressed emotions and wounds, which God’s grace heals over
time.
- Integration: prayer must lead to
growth in compassion, forgiveness, and service - evidence of true
transformation.
6. Contemplation and
Action
- Contemplative practice is not an escape from the
world. Rather, it equips one to engage the world with greater love, peace,
and discernment.
- Keating emphasizes the balance of prayer,
community, and service.
Style of the Book
- Practical: explains the method
step by step.
- Pastoral: anticipates readers’
struggles and reassures them.
- Grounded in tradition: quotes
Scripture, the Cloud of Unknowing, John of the Cross, and other mystics.
- Accessible: written for
laypeople, not just monks or clergy.
Key Contributions of the
Book
- Made contemplative practice
accessible to ordinary Christians in parish life.
- Provided the foundational
teaching for the Centering Prayer movement and for Contemplative Outreach
groups worldwide.
- Bridged classical Christian
mysticism and modern psychological insight about transformation.
And for further insight we now present a chapter by chapter review of this important book of Thomas Keating:
===============================================
Open
Mind, Open Heart – Chapter by Chapter Breakdown
===============================================
Part I – The Christian
Contemplative Tradition
Ch. 1 – The Contemplative
Dimension of the Gospel
- Contemplation is at the heart of Jesus’ message.
- The Gospel calls not just for belief or morality
but for union with God.
- The command “go into your inner room and pray”
(Matt. 6:6) is the biblical foundation.
Ch. 2 – Centering Prayer
- Introduces Centering Prayer as a
modern way to access the ancient contemplative tradition.
- Explains the basic method: sacred
word, interior silence, daily practice.
- Centering Prayer is a prayer of
consent, not effort.
Ch. 3 – The Method of
Centering Prayer
- Detailed instructions: choose a
sacred word, sit comfortably, return gently to the word when distracted.
- Duration: about 20 minutes, twice
a day.
- Distinguishes Centering Prayer
from mantra or concentration techniques.
Ch. 4 – The Sacred Word
- Sacred word is not magic — it
symbolizes consent to God’s presence and action.
- The word should be simple, chosen
once, and used lightly (without emotional attachment).
Part II – The Human
Condition and the False Self
Ch. 5 – Dimensions of
Contemplative Prayer
- Centering Prayer prepares the
soul for infused contemplation (God’s direct action).
- Prayer is about relationship, not
achievement.
Ch. 6 – The False Self
- The false self forms through
childhood conditioning and emotional “programs for happiness.”
- Root causes: needs for security,
affection/esteem, and control.
- Centering Prayer exposes and
dismantles these unconscious patterns.
Ch. 7 – The True Self
- The true self is our identity in
Christ - God’s image within.
- Contemplation allows the true
self to emerge.
- Transformation is God’s work, not
ours.
Part III – The Spiritual
Journey
Ch. 8 – The Process of
Transformation
- Centering Prayer initiates
“divine therapy” - God’s healing of the unconscious.
- Old wounds and repressed emotions
surface in prayer for release.
- Fidelity to the practice allows
gradual purification.
Ch. 9 – The Fruits of
Centering Prayer
- Signs of transformation: peace,
humility, compassion, forgiveness.
- Growth in charity is more
important than mystical experiences.
Ch. 10 – The Dark Nights
- Draws on John of the Cross.
- Explains stages of purification:
dark night of sense and spirit.
- Periods of dryness are not
failures but deeper invitations into union.
Ch. 11 – The Levels of
Prayer
- From discursive prayer →
affective prayer → simple resting in God → infused contemplation.
- Centering Prayer is not the
endpoint but a doorway to deeper states.
Part IV – Contemplation in
Daily Life
Ch. 12 – Active and
Contemplative Dimensions of Life
- Contemplation and action
complement one another.
- True contemplation overflows in
loving service.
Ch. 13 – Guidelines for
Practice
- Regularity (20 minutes, twice
daily).
- Sit comfortably but with dignity.
- Allow distractions; gently
return.
- Use after Scripture reading or
Eucharist when possible.
Ch. 14 – Practical
Problems
- Sleepiness, restlessness, doubt,
or boredom are common.
- Encouragement: fidelity, not
perfection, is the measure.
Ch. 15 – Centering Prayer
and Other Traditions
- Compares Centering Prayer with
Eastern meditation (e.g., Zen, TM).
- Stresses similarities (silence,
simplicity) and differences (Christian context, relationship with God).
- Affirms interfaith dialogue while
rooting practice in the Gospel.
Part V – Conclusion
Ch. 16 – The Fruits of the
Spirit
- True test of prayer is not
mystical experience but transformation into Christlike love.
- Contemplation blossoms into
forgiveness, humility, service, and joy.
Ch. 17 – Toward Divine
Union
- Goal of the journey: union with
God in love.
- Centering Prayer is only a means;
the end is intimacy with God and transformation into divine likeness.
Overall Flow of the Book
- Introduction of the contemplative
tradition (Chs. 1–4).
- Understanding the human condition
(false self/true self) (Chs. 5–7).
- Stages of transformation (Chs.
8–11).
- Practical guidance for daily
practice (Chs. 12–15).
- Union and fruits of the Spirit
(Chs. 16–17).
In short: Keating’s Open Mind, Open Heart
introduces Centering Prayer, situates it in Christian tradition, explains the
human need for transformation, gives practical guidance for daily practice, and
points to the fruits of contemplative life - love, peace, forgiveness, and
union with God.
And Open Mind, Open Heart
teaches that contemplative prayer is a simple, daily consent to God’s presence
within us that gradually dismantles the false self, heals inner wounds, and
leads to transformation in Christ.
Open Mind Open Heart