Is Centering Prayer Supposed to Make Us Feel Better

New research on prayer spiritual experience and communion with God

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer

Many people begin Centering Prayer hoping it will quiet their minds, reduce their anxiety, or help them feel more peaceful. These are understandable desires. Yet Centering Prayer was never intended primarily as a relaxation technique. Its deeper purpose is to help us consent to God's presence and action within us.

A recent study offers an interesting perspective on this distinction.

What the Researchers Studied

Researchers recruited 702 self-identified Christians and assigned them to one of three practices:

·   Traditional Centering Prayer using explicitly Christian language and a sacred word

·   A similar centering practice presented without religious language

·   Daily reflection and journaling without a meditation practice

Participants practiced for 20 minutes each day over four weeks. Researchers then measured flourishing, emotional well-being, health behaviors, spiritual experiences, mystical experiences, and awe.^{^1}

The researchers expected the explicitly Christian form of Centering Prayer to produce greater overall well-being. That expectation was not confirmed.

All three groups experienced some improvement in well-being, but Centering Prayer did not produce significantly greater flourishing than the other practices.

At first, this finding may sound disappointing. But another result deserves careful attention.

Compared with ordinary reflection, those practicing the explicitly Christian form reported more frequent spiritual and mystical experiences. Increased awe was also found within the Christian-practice group.

The study therefore suggests that Centering Prayer's distinctive value may not be adequately measured by asking whether it simply makes people happier, calmer, or more productive.

Its fruit may be more deeply spiritual.

Prayer Is Not a Self Improvement Technique

Our culture teaches us to evaluate almost everything by results:

·   Did it reduce my stress

·   Did it improve my mood

·   Did it make me more productive

·   Did I feel something unusual

We can unknowingly bring this same attitude into prayer. We begin measuring the prayer period by how peaceful, focused, or spiritually uplifted we felt.

But Centering Prayer invites us into a different relationship with God.

The sacred word is not a tool for producing a particular state of consciousness. It is a simple symbol of our intention to consent to God's presence and action within us. When thoughts, memories, feelings, or bodily sensations capture our attention, we return ever so gently to that intention.^{^2}

The return itself becomes an act of love.

We are not trying to make something happen. We are making ourselves available to God.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”Psalm 46:10 NIV

Stillness does not guarantee that we will feel peaceful. Sometimes silence reveals restlessness, grief, fear, or desires we have been avoiding. At other times, prayer may seem uneventful.

The absence of a noticeable experience does not mean that nothing is happening.

The Difference Between Wellness and Transformation

Stress reduction may accompany contemplative prayer, but it is not its final purpose.

Centering Prayer is concerned with transformation: gradually loosening our attachment to the false self and deepening our willingness to live from our true identity in God. This work often happens beneath conscious awareness.

Thomas Keating described this process as Divine Therapy. In silence, God gently brings our hidden motivations, emotional wounds, and habitual defenses into the light of divine love.

That process may sometimes feel peaceful. At other times, it may feel uncomfortable or obscure.

The important question is therefore not merely:

Did this prayer make me feel better

A more contemplative question is:

Am I becoming more willing to consent to God

The fruit of prayer is ultimately revealed in daily life:

·   Greater patience with others

·   Less need to control every outcome

·   Increased compassion

·   Greater freedom from compulsive reactions

·   A growing capacity to remain present to suffering

·   Deeper trust in God when answers do not come

These changes may be gradual and difficult to measure, but they reflect the movement from prayer as an activity to prayer as a relationship.

Receiving the Study Carefully

The researchers acknowledged several limitations. Because the study was conducted online, they could not fully verify whether everyone completed the assigned practice. The reflection group also journaled extensively, which may itself have improved well-being. In addition, the researchers noted that standard measurements of flourishing may not capture the specifically spiritual effects of contemplative practice.^{^1}

The study does not prove that Centering Prayer produces mystical experiences. Nor should mystical experiences become the goal of the practice.

Instead, the findings remind us that spiritual practices should not be judged only by psychological outcomes. A practice centered upon relationship with God may shape people in ways that ordinary measurements cannot fully describe.

A Practice for the Coming Week

For one week, enter your regular period of Centering Prayer without asking it to produce a particular feeling.

Before beginning, quietly pray:

“Lord, I consent to Your presence and action within me.”Prayer of consent

When you notice that you have become engaged with a thought, feeling, memory, or expectation, return gently to your sacred word.

At the end of the prayer period, remain silent for another minute or two. Then carry this question into the day:

“How is God inviting me to express the consent of my prayer through love?”Daily reflection

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you.”John 15:4 NIV

Centering Prayer is one way of practicing that remaining. Its purpose is not simply to help us feel better. It is to open us more completely to the transforming presence of God.

Questions for Reflection

1.  Do I evaluate prayer primarily by how it makes me feel?

2.  What expectations do I need to release when I enter silence?

3.  Where might the fruit of prayer already be appearing in my relationships and daily conduct?

Footnotes

^1 Julia S. Rohde et al., Centering and Flourishing An Online Intervention Study Assessing the Effects of a Christian Contemplative Practice on Stress Reduction and Human Flourishing, BMC Psychology 12, no. 373 (2024). See especially the abstract, pp. 1-3, and the discussion and conclusions, pp. 12-15.

^2 Contemplative Outreach, The Method of Centering Prayer, especially the four guidelines describing the sacred word as a symbol of one's intention to consent to God's presence and action within.

Meta description: Centering Prayer is more than stress relief. New research suggests its distinctive fruit may be deeper spiritual awareness, consent, and a loving communion with God.

Embracing the Sacred: A Serious, Christ-Centered Guide to Contemplation

There are many books on spirituality, but few are written for ordinary Christians who want a steady, faithful, and deeply Christ-centered path into contemplation. That is exactly why I wrote Embracing the Sacred.

This book was written for believers who love God sincerely but still find themselves struggling with distraction, inconsistency, interior noise, and a prayer life that often feels rushed or uneven. It is for Christians who want more than religious activity. It is for those who want a deeper life with God—one that is rooted in Scripture, grounded in grace, and lived honestly in the realities of everyday life. As the introduction explains, this book is meant to offer "a serious, steady path into contemplation—one that is biblically faithful, psychologically honest, and practical enough to live in ordinary days."

At its heart, Embracing the Sacred is about learning how to consent to the presence and action of God. It presents Christian contemplation not as escapism, not as emotional self-improvement, and not as a search for spiritual experiences, but as a quiet, faithful way of learning to abide in Christ. The book makes clear that contemplation is not about earning closeness to God. It is about receiving the God who is already present and learning to return to Him again and again.

What makes this book especially important is its balance. It is both theological and practical. It explains what contemplation is, what it is not, and how it differs from meditation and mysticism in Christian practice. It grounds the reader in biblical stillness, receptivity, transformation, and discernment, while also addressing real struggles such as dry prayer, emotional unrest, distractions, self-evaluation, and the temptation to measure spiritual life by feelings alone.

The book also gives readers real methods they can use. It walks through beginning contemplation, the effortless journey of resting in God’s presence, Ignatian contemplation, Lectio Divina, the Holy Rosary, the Column of Light, and Christ’s Indwelling Presence. These are not presented as abstract theories, but as accessible practices meant to help the reader become more attentive to God in body, mind, heart, and daily life. The table of contents makes clear that this is not merely a devotional reflection, but a full guide to contemplative formation.

Another distinctive strength of Embracing the Sacred is that it brings together spiritual depth and emotional honesty. The opening chapters acknowledge that quiet prayer often surfaces grief, fear, old wounds, and the deeper movements of the heart. Rather than treating that as failure, the book treats it as part of grace-filled transformation. In this way, contemplation becomes not an escape from life, but a return to reality in the presence of Christ.

The book is also shaped by the broader Christian contemplative tradition. It draws readers into the wisdom of Scripture, the witness of great mystics, and the guidance of modern contemplatives such as Thomas Keating, Thomas Merton, and Timothy Gallagher. At the same time, it keeps the center of gravity where it belongs: on Jesus Christ, the gospel, and the slow formation of a more loving, truthful, stable, and obedient life.

This is not a book for spiritual spectators. It is a book for Christians who want to practice. It is for those who want to move beyond merely thinking about God and begin learning how to live in conscious communion with Him. It is for those who want Scripture to become more than information, prayer to become more than duty, and contemplation to become part of an embodied, faithful life.

If your heart has been longing for a quieter, deeper, more Christ-centered spiritual life, Embracing the Sacred was written for you. This book invites you to slow down, return to God, and let Him do His quiet work in you.

Order your copy of Embracing the Sacred and begin a deeper journey into Christian contemplation, Scripture, prayer, and communion with God.

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius

Introduction: The Living Path of Prayer

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola remain one of the most influential guides for Christian prayer and discernment. Written in the sixteenth century, these Exercises are not meant to be read passively, like a theological treatise. Rather, they are a training manual for the soul—a way of schooling the heart, mind, and imagination so that one might learn to recognize and respond to the living presence of God.

At the center of the Exercises stand the contemplative meditations. These are not abstract reflections, nor are they mere intellectual exercises. They invite the retreatant to step into the Gospel stories themselves: to see the star over Bethlehem, to hear Christ’s words on the hillside, to feel the rough wood of the Cross beneath one’s hands. Ignatius understood that God does not speak to the intellect alone; He speaks to the imagination, the senses, and the affections. By entering into the scenes of Scripture, the believer is drawn from distant observation into immediate participation in God’s saving work.

This method remains profoundly relevant today. In an age when many live surrounded by noise, busyness, and distraction, the contemplative meditations of Ignatius offer a way to return to the quiet center of the soul, where Christ is waiting.

The Purpose of Ignatian Contemplation

Ignatius designed the Exercises to help a person achieve what he called “indifference”—not apathy, but holy freedom from disordered attachments. Such freedom allows us to choose God’s will with clarity and courage, rather than being bound by fear, comfort, or ego. The meditations are tools for conversion of the heart.

As Ignatius writes, the Exercises are meant to help one “conquer oneself and order one’s life without reaching a decision through any disordered affection.”^1 This is a process of spiritual purification. The goal is not only to think rightly about God, but to desire rightly, to love rightly, and to act rightly.

The contemplative meditations move the retreatant through stages: from recognition of sin, to a profound awareness of God’s mercy, to a wholehearted surrender of life to Christ’s mission. Each meditation builds upon the last, creating an ordered journey into deeper union with God.

The Method: Imagination, Memory, and the Senses

Ignatius’ most distinctive contribution is his call to use the imagination in prayer. Where some spiritual traditions warn against images, he believed the imagination could be sanctified, becoming a window into the divine mysteries.

1. Composition of Place

The retreatant begins by constructing the setting of a biblical story. This is not about historical precision but about entering the scene in a way that awakens the heart. One might picture the dusty road to Emmaus, the smell of bread baking, or the faces of the disciples in confusion and hope.

2. Application of the Senses

Here the practitioner draws upon sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell to deepen the encounter. What does the Jordan River feel like on the skin as Jesus is baptized? What does the crowd’s murmur sound like as He preaches the Sermon on the Mount? By engaging the senses, prayer becomes incarnational, reminding us that God’s Word became flesh in a tangible, embodied way.

3. Colloquy

Every meditation culminates in dialogue—an intimate conversation with Christ, Mary, or the Father. Ignatius urges the retreatant to speak “as one friend speaks to another.”^2 This movement from seeing to speaking is central. Prayer is not merely observing Christ from afar, but entering into living relationship with Him.

The Fruit of the Exercises: Knowledge, Love, and Freedom

When practiced faithfully, Ignatian contemplative meditations bear fruit in the soul. The retreatant comes away with:

• Knowledge of Christ – A deeper familiarity with His words, gestures, and heart. This knowledge is experiential, rooted in encounter rather than abstract speculation.

• Love of Christ – To stand near Him in prayer is to be drawn into His love. Just as disciples were transformed by His presence, so too is the contemplative.

• Desire for Discipleship – True knowledge and love of Christ naturally lead to action. Ignatius emphasizes that the Exercises are ordered toward concrete decisions: how one will live, serve, and follow Christ in daily life.

This process transforms the retreatant into someone who sees the world differently. Freed from compulsions and disordered desires, the soul becomes available to the Spirit’s promptings, able to act with courage, faith, and compassion.

Ignatian Contemplation and the Wider Mystical Tradition

Although Ignatius shaped a unique approach, his contemplative meditations resonate with broader currents in Christian mysticism. Lectio Divina, a monastic practice rooted in the early Church, similarly invites believers to move from reading to meditation, prayer, and contemplation. Saints such as Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross emphasized the transformative power of deep, affective prayer that engages the whole self.

What sets Ignatius apart is his systematic use of imaginative immersion. For him, the Gospel is not merely an object of study but a living environment into which God invites us. This vision reflects his conviction that God is present in every detail of life and that the imagination, far from being a distraction, can serve as an instrument of grace when oriented toward Christ.^3

In this way, Ignatian meditation offers a distinctive path within the broader Christian mystical tradition: one that sanctifies the imagination and places Christ at its center, ensuring that contemplative practice always points toward discipleship.

Practicing Today: An Invitation for the Seeker

In our own age, filled with noise and fragmentation, many people are rediscovering Ignatius’ method as a way to restore inner stillness and deepen their connection to God. Even outside a full thirty-day retreat, the contemplative meditations can be adapted into daily prayer practices.

A simple way to begin is to choose a Gospel passage, such as the encounter between Jesus and Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46–52). Read the passage slowly, then close your eyes and imagine the dusty road, the noise of the crowd, and the desperation in the blind man’s voice. Place yourself in the scene—are you standing in the crowd? Are you the one calling out for healing? What do you see in Christ’s face as He turns toward you?

This method of prayer invites not only reflection but transformation. It teaches us to recognize that the same Jesus who healed the sick and comforted the outcast is present and active today. As Pope Francis has written, Ignatius helps us to learn “to pray, to listen to God, to discern and to live with Him.”^4

Conclusion: Walking Beside Christ

The contemplative meditations of the Spiritual Exercises are not bound to the sixteenth century. They remain a living invitation for every Christian today. By entering the Gospel with all our senses, we discover that Christ is not far off but near—closer than we imagined, present in every moment of our lives.

To practice Ignatian contemplation is to allow the Word to become flesh within us. It is to let Scripture move from the page into our hearts, shaping our desires and guiding our steps. Ultimately, these meditations are not about retreating from life but about learning to see life itself as the place where Christ walks with us, teaches us, and leads us ever deeper into the mystery of divine love.

Ignatian contemplation

References

^1 St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises, trans. George E. Ganss (Chicago: Loyola Press, 1992), Annotation 21.

^2 Ignatius, Exercises, Annotation 54.

^3 Ibid., Annotation 23.

^4 Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (2013), §266.