Faithful and Mechanical Repetition: Kindling the Fire by Fr Laurence Freeman OSB

Laurence Freeman is the spiritual successor of John Main and the Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation. He is a Benedictine monk of the Olivetan Congregation. He travels widely as an international speaker and retreat leader. He is the author of many articles and books his latest called First Sight: The Experience of Faith. Active in inter-religious dialogue and international peace initiatives he has worked with the Dalai Lama and leaders of other faiths. He encourages the teaching of Christian meditation to children and students and the recovery of the contemplative tradition in the Church and society at large.

Repeating our own story and listening to favourite tales over and over seem in all cultures to have a therapeutic and rejuvenating effect. Yet getting stuck, going over the same ground endlessly is a sign of dysfunction preventing us from the transcendence in which we best flourish. Laurence Freeman discusses the nature of repetition in this talk. Meditation and other spiritual practices through history and across all traditions point to this way to the whole health that humanity aspires to.