Cardiognosis

Cardiognosis literally "Knowledge of the Heart". In Christian Theology is a special charism that God confers on some saints. In Christian Asceticism, the term Cardiognosis also indicates the ascetical methods and meditation techniques which have the purpose of reaching an inner state of mystical experience and, eventually, the charisma of Cardiognosis.

Cardiognosis as supernatural gift

Cardiognosis means the "Knowledge of the Heart" in a metaphysical sense. The supernatural gift of Cardiognosis leads the saint, who received it, to establish in his heart an inner dialogue and an inner knowledge of God. This mystical experience is often described by Christian saints as the perceiving of the Inner Light of Christ.

Cardiognosis as ascetical method

The term of Cardiognosis is also used to indicate the ascetical methods and meditations which lead to the "Knowledge of the Heart". In the Bible, the gift of Cardiognosis is indicated in the speech on the Mountain (Matthew, 5:8) "“Blessed are the pure of heart for they will see God”".

In the hesychast tradition, Cardiognosis is treated in most of the texts of Philokalia (Gk. φιλοκάλειν "To Love the Beautiful") as a continuous prayer to God. The same experience is described in another, much shorter, well-known book called "The Way of a Pilgrim", in which a Russian traveler learns to pray continuously repeating the name of Jesus.

Cardiognosis in new movements and thoughts

The practice of Cardiognosis has been revived by Tommaso Palamidessi (founder of the Archeosophical Society). Welding the hesychast tradition and the Christian theology with the eastern techniques of yoga meditation, Tommaso Palamidessi developed a new practice of Cardiognosis. This meditation technique is deeply treated in his essay "The Mystical Ascesis and Meditation on the Heart". According to the archeosophical teachings, cardiognosis is a method that will establish the experimenter's intelligence illuminated by the Intelligence of Christ in the heart. This technique, according to Palamidessi, will bring to experiment the vision of the Inner Light and constitutes a "soft" and danger-free way to the awaking of kundalini.

See also

* Philokalia
* Tommaso Palamidessi
* Archeosophy

References

* Adolphe Tanquerey, "The Spiritual life: A Treatise On Ascetical And Mystical Theology", Paperback, 2001
* Tommaso Palamidessi, "The Mystical Ascesis and Meditation on the Heart", ed. Archeosofica, 1971
* Di Agresti,Guglielmo M. "Santa Caterina de' Ricci. Epistolario I (1542-1554)", Coll. Collana ricciana 1973

External links

* [http://www.archeosofica.org/en/content/view/153/37/ Cardiognosis, Knowledge of the Heart] an article by Tommaso Palamidessi