The Cloud of Unknowing

The Cloud of Unknowing is a 14th century Christian mystical text that teaches a practice of contemplative prayer. The anonymous author instructs the seeker to put all thoughts, memories, and concepts beneath a "cloud of forgetting" while reaching toward God through a "cloud of unknowing."

The key insight is that God cannot be grasped by thought, only by love. The practitioner is encouraged to take a simple word like "God" or "Love" and use it as an anchor, not to think about God but to express simple intention toward the divine mystery.

This apophatic (negative) approach recognizes that God is beyond all concepts. By releasing all attempts to know God intellectually and resting in unknowing, the contemplative becomes available to direct experience of the divine.

Sit quietly with simple intention toward God. When thoughts arise, gently put them beneath the cloud of forgetting—don't engage with them. If helpful, use a single word like "God" or "Love" as a simple expression of intent. Don't try to think about God; simply rest in humble, loving unknowing.

The main obstacle is trying to think your way to God, when the path lies through the release of thought. Another is discouragement when nothing seems to happen—the practice works in ways beyond the mind's assessment. Patience and persistence are essential.