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The Cloud of Unknowing · 41 of 80

Chapter 36. Of the meditations of them that continually travail in the work of this book

BUT it is not so with them that continually work in the work of this book. For their meditations be but as they were sudden conceits and blind feelings of their own wretchedness, or of the goodness of God; without any means of reading or hearing coming before, and without any special beholding of any thing under God. These sudden conceits and these blind feelings be sooner learned of God than of man. I care not though thou haddest nowadays none other meditations of thine own wretchedness, nor of the goodness of God (I mean if thou feel thee thus stirred by grace and by counsel), but such as thou mayest have in this word SIN, and in this word GOD: or in such other, which as thee list. Not breaking nor expounding these words with curiosity of wit, in beholding after the qualities of these words, as thou wouldest by that beholding increase thy devotion. I trow it should never be so in this case and in this work. But hold them all whole these words; and mean by sin, a lump, thou wottest never what, none other thing but thyself. Me think that in this blind beholding of sin, thus congealed in a lump, none other thing than thyself, it should be no need to bind a madder thing, than thou shouldest be in this time. And yet peradventure, whoso looked upon thee should think thee full soberly disposed in thy body, without any changing of countenance; but sitting or going or lying, or leaning or standing or kneeling, whether thou wert, in a full sober restfulness. p. 190

Asked of Guide

Why does the author say meditations come as 'sudden conceits and blind feelings'?

The author says experienced practitioners receive meditations as sudden, blind stirrings because God gives them directly, not through study or sensory images. He describes these as simple, concrete words like SIN or GOD held whole, where “sin” is a lump representing the self and nothing more.

Those moments are meant to be simple affective awakenings—quiet, sober, and internally intense—so the practitioner rests in a single, undissected focus rather than dissecting qualities or expanding concepts. This chapter echoes the plain devotional immediacy found in John Climacus’s Ladder of Divine Ascent, which also prizes humble, experiential steps over speculative theology.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.