Silent ‘Meditative’ Spiritual Practice Gathered into Communal Groups

[Doug Hamilton]

Silent ‘Meditative’ Spiritual Practice Gathered into Communal Groups 

This appears throughout time every 20 or 30 years, a mystic will surface sharing their experience and groups may form as movements which academics who study this describe now as "New Religious Movements".  

Sitting 'meditating' in Communal Meeting Spaces.. Historically This is Not New..

For instance:Mother Ann and the Shakers:

1845 Millennial Laws: Section II Orders concerning the Spiritual

Worship of God,

etc:

"Believers are required by the orders of God, to retire to their rooms

in

silence, for the space of half an hour, and labor for a sense of the

gospel,

before attending meeting.

2. All should sit erect in straight ranks in retiring time, ... ; and

none

should have any conversation upon anything whatever, neither should

they sleep

nor idly lounge away the time, or leave the room except it be very

necessary."

https://groups.google.com/g/communal-studies-forum/c/0wLtbs5giDo/m/ynaQanTJnMkJ

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George Fox and the QuakersSpiritual Practice & Communalism,

Meeting of Worship, 17th Century. Entering into this form of

worship.

“… the first that enters into the place of your meeting, be not

careless, nor wander up and down either in body or mind, but

innocently sit down in some place and turn in thy mind to the Light,

and wait upon God simply, as if none were present but the Lord, and

here thou art strong. When the next that come in, let them in

simplicity and heart sit down and turn to the same Light, and wait in

the Spirit, and so all the rest coming in fear of the Lord sit down in

pure stillness and silence of all flesh, and wait in the Light. A few

that are thus gathered by the arm of the Lord into the unity of the

Spirit, this is a sweet and precious meeting in which all are met with

the Lord…. Those who are brought to a pure, still waiting on God in

the Spirit are come nearer to God than words are… though not a word be

spoken to the hearing of the ear. In such a meeting where the

presence and power of God is felt, there will be an unwillingness to

part asunder, being ready to say in yourselves, it is good to be here,

and this is the end of all words and writings, to bring people to the

eternal living word.” -1660

-Alexander Parker, Letters of Early Friends, ed. A.R. Barclay (London;

Darton and Harvey, 1841), pp. 365-66. Alexander Parker was a close

companion of George Fox.

https://groups.google.com/g/communal-studies-forum/c/dZwST3nteSw/m/kGexdAasmecJ

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The mystic Werkzeug or Instruments of Amana & the old "Community of True Inspiration" :

"..of all truth. These Mystics maintained that silence was the only method by which the hidden word was excited to produce an inward feeling of joy when the knowledge of hidden things was shown to man. This little sect of believers spread its doctrine towards the West." 

Consideration of Early Amana spiritual practice… 

https://groups.google.com/g/communal-studies-forum/c/1o-OegxC-zA/m/QuyOL7rLRVUJ

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The Unity movement, founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1890. 

Unity Church was rooted in a mystical perspective, particularly through the teachings of its founders, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore.

"..Especially powerful moments are experienced in a meditative state of prayer called “the Silence.” When we sit in the Silence, we become receptacles, or Holy Grails, to be filled with the divine mind."

“We get our most vivid revelations when in a meditative state of mind,” Charles Fillmore said. “This proves that when we make the mind trustful and confident, we put it in harmony with creative Mind; then its force flows to us in accordance with the law of like attracting like.”

https://groups.google.com/g/communal-studies-forum/c/esh_5TjbCpQ/m/7C9O0Q8GGzkJ

[Doug Hamilton]

"It is cultivating spiritually simply to sit with silence.. as spiritual practice." 

The George Fox Song..

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIv95dM7FwY