I slightly touched on this issue in an earlier post, but I want to spend a few more moments on the concept of psychological breakthrough — specifically how psychological breakthrough is NOT the purpose of centering prayer.
It’s easy to see how many negative distractions can plague your mind as you try to be still in centering prayer. However, especially once you gain a bit of skill in quieting yourself down, the more subtle issue of POSITIVE distractions can rise up.
You may be sitting there praying, and – all of a sudden – the answer to that really thorny problem at work *pops* into your head. It is very common when we finally relax our minds from obsessing over a problem that the answer just appears. Centering prayer is a wonderful context for such breakthrough – only to be potentially superseded by showering and, of course, fishing. 🙂
At that moment of breakthrough, it is so tempting to stay with that thought – it IS a good thought after all…but it is still a distraction from the simple listening in centering prayer.
That moment of breakthrough has now become a moment to practice faith. Briefly, breathe out, “Please bring that thought back after this prayer time,” and let it go.
Return to your prayer word.
Listen.
Be.