Today (November 16, 2023) is the 85th anniversary of the discovery of LSD, by the Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann. So happy birthday, LSD! Hoffmann first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide on…
Category: Contemplation
Does Merton Still Matter? Some Thoughts on the 75th Anniversary of “The Seven Storey Mountain”
On October 11, 1948, Harcourt Brace Publishers released a book called The Seven Storey Mountain. So this coming Wednesday marks that book’s seventy-fifth anniversary. Chances are, most people who read this…
Praise for the New (and Old!) Big Book of Christian Mysticism
The other day I was speaking with a dear friend who said she really loves to read the endorsements in a book — the short blurbs that get printed on…
Register Now for the Upcoming Contemplative Prayer Summit!
I’m happy to invite you to register for an online offering Contemplative Prayer Summit that is taking place on September 23 and 24, 2023. Click here to register. Just for…
Pre-Order My New Book (and Get the Old Edition at a Bargain Price)!
Friends, I’m running a flash sale on the first edition of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism — I only have a few copies left in stock, and I need to…
Interspirituality and Cultural Appropriation, or, How to Expand Your Faith Without Stealing From Others
Recently I spoke about Christian mysticism and interspirituality for the Closer than Breath Christian Mystic Summit. One attendee, a person named Kurt, wrote a follow-up email to me and asked…
Questions and Answers on Interspiritual Mysticism
My good friend and colleague Jana Rentzel of Closer Than Breath invited me to answer a few questions about interspiritual mysticism — which is the topic of my forthcoming talk…
Contemplative AI: Google’s “Bard” Answers My Questions About Mysticism, Centering Prayer, and Interspirituality
So I got invited to be a beta-tester for Google’s new AI assistant called Bard. Yesterday I received an email from Google that said, in part: Meet Bard, an early…
Reconciling Mystical Teachings with Conventional Christianity
A reader named Allen wrote to me: Dear Carl, I find myself struggling with a bit of a spiritual crisis. I feel torn between the teachings of more traditional Protestant thinkers…
Companions of the Mystery (On-Going Study and Practice Circle)
Friend, you are invited to join with me (Carl McColman) in an on-going project of reading, studying, and praying with some of the great mystical writings in the Christian tradition. Many great mystical writings…
The Science of Meditation (and the Relationship between Meditation and Trauma)
A few years back the Buddhist magazine Lion’s Roar published an interesting article surveying what insights we can glean from the scientific study of meditation. These insights concern questions such…
Discover the Three Forms of Contemplation, according to Evelyn Underhill! (Free Online Event: Sign Up Now)
Hi friends! Join me on Thursday, January 19 for a special Zoom call in which I’ll be sharing Evelyn Underhill’s Three Forms of Contemplation. Click here to register for this free…