Hesychasm — Sacred Stillness

Hesychasm (from hesychia, 'sacred stillness') is the contemplative discipline of the Eastern Orthodox tradition centered on the continuous repetition of the Jesus Prayer — Kyrie Iesou Christe, Huie tou Theou, eleison me ton hamartolon — coordinated with controlled breathing and a specific bodily posture (chin to chest, gaze directed toward the heart). As taught in the Philokalia and defended by Gregory Palamas against Barlaam, the prayer descends through three stages: from the lips, to the nous (intellect), to the kardia (spiritual heart), where it becomes self-acting (autokinetos). The hesychast's goal is the vision of uncreated light (aktiston phos) — the same light that shone on Mount Tabor at the Transfiguration.

Cross-Tradition Resonances