Strange occurrence during prayer

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silverwings_88

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I’m not sure how to go into this, but…

I have been practicing a form of contemplative prayer for a while, resting “under the presence of God,” or practicing Lectio Divina, but then when I pray long enough, I began to rock back and forth unwillingly, faster and faster and it doesn’t seem to stop until I hit the floor.

I have no idea, but it is when I’m semi-conscious. I assume that it is my brain that is creating this mechanical function, but at the same, I feel quite euphoric, at peace…

This has happened to me before during intercessory group prayer at school for one time.

Should I seek a doctor? A spiritual director? I don’t want this to happen if such is false, or mentally created. I’m confused, and I don’t know what to think of it. Is it an occurrence of God, or is it some mentally-induced autohypnosis or trance? I am confused, yes, and I want to continue praying.

Hmm… what do you all think of it? :confused:
 
Well, I do not understand the rock chair phenomina, but I would recommend you sit in an easy chair or lay down for meditations from now on to avoid it.
 
If this is happening while kneeling, then it might just be you have weak knees or a bad sense of balance… This happens to me and unless I get something to steady to myself or stand up, i’d fall too
 
Not that it’s easy to find a spiritual director (I don’t have one but I’d like one), but if you have such a person, start there. I think you would have to talk to someone in a dialogue so that they could find out more about exactly what is happening . . . from your perspective, that is. For instance, you mention that you are in a semi-conscious state. Just from the information that you give, it doesn’t sound like it is something evil, but in the meantime at least physically “buffer” yourself to prevent injury. Like T.A. Stoble suggested physical ways of sitting.

If you do not have a spiritual director, I would seek the advice of your regular confessor, and/or any priest or religious or any one whose opinion you trust on such matters and that you know is faithful to Holy Mother Church. Keep asking!!! It also may be a good idea to have your physician refer you to a neurologist just to ensure that there is no contributing factor there.
 
Dude, it sounds to me like you’re just “resting in the spirit.” If it helps you in your prayer, consider it a gift from God, and let it be. If its distracting, and keeps you from being able to pray and be quiet in his presence, then you might want to go to a spiritual director about it.

I find it somewhat humorous that others on this board are so surprised by this. Its not an uncommon phenoma at all. I personally consider it an invitation to contemplative prayer, where instead of feeling like I have to be thinking or meditating on something, I can simply be pleasing to God by just being in his presence, attentively waiting on him.

The only difference between you and everyone else with this: Everyone else tends to sit or lay on their own before they unwillingly fall over :hmmm:

Josh
 
Saint John of the Cross has many interesting observations on corporeal phenomena associated with contemplative prayer. The basic concept is that the body is beginning to participate in the graces enjoyed by the spirit; there is a spiritual overflow from the soul to the body. Levitations belong in this category, for example.

Apparently John himself had some experience with unexpected erections this way! :eek: No, really!

As long as one does not become distracted by the occurrences, does not seek them as an end in themselves, and does not feel that one is somehow special because of them, they should not be regarded as problematic. They are not necessarily “extraordinary favors” from God, but a normal (however uncommon) aspect of the life of prayer.
  • Timothy of Mary, Discalced Carmelite Secular
 
I know I am hardly one to speak of things spiritual, but I would like to suggest that you observe the body movements of the Jewish people praying at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, and compare what happens to you to what you see them doing. You may be able to get video clips online or at your library. Occasionally, you will see clips of praying people at the Wailing Wall on the evening news or other programs on television.

It sometimes has happened to me. But then, I probably made it up, like my faith itself.
 
Well, it sounds like davenning(sp??) to me, too…This is a part of Jewish spirituality.
But I don’t like the idea that you may actually fall…Might not be a bad idea to get it checked out with your doctor.
But the motion you are describing…Maybe one of our Jewish members, like SSV could explain it better, but Jews, at least some Jews, I mean, do rock (daven…or davin??) during prayer.
 
I found myself rocking gently after receiving the Eucharist on a couple of occasions, as I was kneeling. One can control it consciously; in fact, when I realized I was doing it, I stopped. I think it’s an involuntary movement of the body that mimics the heartbeat of the mother, just like the act of “rocking” in general is the rhythmic equivalent of the fetus’ blissful time in utero. One could conceive that we had a very primal relationship (of sorts) with God at that point in our lives, but I of course do not remember, and no one else does, either. We were untroubled, that is for sure. The memory of the heartbeat of our mother lives on in us and makes men build things that rock back and forth for comfort and makes us rock our children in our arms and our loved ones when they hurt.
 
ThisOne, after reading your post, I remembered something similar during Eucharistic Adoration (two occasions) when my heart was particularly open to God. But I didn’t even remember or make a connection with silverwings88’s occurance. I was focusing on him hitting the floor. Perhaps it comes from the same place as silverwings’ experience, but is a tiny fraction.
Silverwings, perhaps you could investigate what others experience bodily during contemplative prayer. The outward manifestations of Jewish prayer is an excellent suggestion by the other posters. But since it seems to be a constant within some communities of Jews, I don’t know if it started out as something involuntary within a certain community of Jewish males while praying, then over time the majority of them adopted the movement voluntarily.
 
Strange neurological symptoms can occur on the verge of unconsciousness. For a period of days when I was twenty, my arms would involuntarily raise up in a perpedicular position just as I was falling asleep. For a couple of days, I would tie my arms down with a long sleeved shirt. Even tied, I could feel my arms moving up against the restraint. It was a weird neurological condition on the verge of sleep I still cannot explain to this day. Just understand that the human body can have these weird quirky symptoms from time to time.
 
I would tend to consider what the OP describes as more likely a quasi-mystical experience of the sort explained at length by St. John of the Cross, rather than merely a weird quirky neurological condition…
 
Sorry, I haven’t had time to do anything for the past few days due to the lack of time with my studies and all.

I have done it twice, and I haven’t prayed since because I wanted to know what was going on with me. The first time, I was sitting in cross-legged position, and the second time, I was kneeling. Both times, whenever I quietened my mind in a mental quasi-contemplative prayer state, I begin to rock again. 😛

The thing is, if I wanted to stop myself, I had to stop the mental prayer, open my eyes, and then restrain myself. The stopping of it seems to tire me out alot, and I end up resting on the floor before I resume other activities. I want to practice Contemplative prayer to deepen my spirituality, yes, but ‘this’ :o.It only happens under prayer, and nowhere else, so it is indicative some how with the connection between my mental state and corporal manifestation (?).

I will check out Davenning or however it is spelt, and I would be interested knowing that I know almost nothing on the Wailing Wall and why they prayed there. And I wil try lying on the floor, although it seems to be an unusual prayer position! 🙂

Thank you for all the posts. They give me some ideas to think about regarding this happening.
 
If St. Teresa were writing you a letter, I am confident she would say, “Ignore it. It means nothing whatsoever. Do not look in your mirror; look only at Jesus. By all means, keep yourself from physical harm, but do that quickly and decisively and put this phenomenon out of your mind.”
 
Yes there’s a lady who always kneels in the front pew every week at adoration, and I notice her rocking from side to side whenever she adores the Lord.

I never knew what it was, but I figure, well she’s lovin’ the Lord so that’s good.
 
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ThisOne:
If St. Teresa were writing you a letter, I am confident she would say, “Ignore it. It means nothing whatsoever. Do not look in your mirror; look only at Jesus. By all means, keep yourself from physical harm, but do that quickly and decisively and put this phenomenon out of your mind.”
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You know what? Yes, I will do that. I won’t let it get in the way of my prayer life, and if it happens, let it happen to me. I shouldn’t have any obtrusions whatever it is, and if it is, let it be done unto me if God wills it of me.

Thank you so much for that. Breathes. If it does become a bother or if it does not subside, I will talk to my priest, but for now, Fiat! 😉
 
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silverwings_88:
Sorry, I haven’t had time to do anything for the past few days due to the lack of time with my studies and all.

I have done it twice, and I haven’t prayed since because I wanted to know what was going on with me. The first time, I was sitting in cross-legged position, and the second time, I was kneeling. Both times, whenever I quietened my mind in a mental quasi-contemplative prayer state, I begin to rock again. 😛

The thing is, if I wanted to stop myself, I had to stop the mental prayer, open my eyes, and then restrain myself. The stopping of it seems to tire me out alot, and I end up resting on the floor before I resume other activities. I want to practice Contemplative prayer to deepen my spirituality, yes, but ‘this’ :o.It only happens under prayer, and nowhere else, so it is indicative some how with the connection between my mental state and corporal manifestation (?).

I will check out Davenning or however it is spelt, and I would be interested knowing that I know almost nothing on the Wailing Wall and why they prayed there. And I wil try lying on the floor, although it seems to be an unusual prayer position! 🙂

Thank you for all the posts. They give me some ideas to think about regarding this happening.
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Pope John Paul II use to lay prostrate for hours, from what I understand, in contemplative prayer. If you are doing this at home, consider that. Lay on your stomach like priests do when on the day they receive Holy Orders. Maybe do it in front of a cross. It would just a be a switch.

I have rocked in mental prayer, but not to the point of falling over. I just let it happen. It has happened in Church.

There are times I just wish I could lay prone on the floor before the Blessed Sacrament… Or, to just lay on the pew and rest in the Lord that way.
 
It is not phenomena with which I am familiar, but I tend to think that if it were from God it would be accompanied/followed by great peace, perhaps joy, and an inner conviction that it was indeed from God.
Were I to experience such phenomena I would ask the advice of a priest belonging to a religious order and be guided by his advice…or the advice of my regular spiritual director.
If indeed it is from God and hence His Will, then I tend to think nothing is going to cause it to cease.

Peace…Barb:)
 
Rocking is a soothing motion we’re known to do more than we realize. It’s like a form of fidgeting. Do you also sit with your legs crossed, shaking or bouncing a foot? Many people do that and I’m sure you’ve at least seen it. So are you a toe-tapper or a foot shaker, or do you fidget in other ways? Some people are very prone to the urge to do this, and it’s mostly subconscious. Such people have pent up energy, and releasing it in a repetitive motion relaxes them.

And we have rocking chairs because people like being rocked. They aren’t thinking about rocking when they’re doing it; it’s subconscious.

Some sick people (mentally or physically) often rock themselves while they sit, for the soothing effect, not realizing they’re doing it. I’ve caught myself sitting and rocking when I didn’t feel well, and sometimes for seemingly no reason, just because it felt nice.

If it’s a matter of pent up energy, maybe that’s why the swaying turns into a kind of soothing dance that knocks you over. It feels good to do it and then it gets a little carried away. Just a thought. I wouldn’t worry; maybe just do it in a safer place where you can’t fall.
 
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Karen10:
Rocking is a soothing motion we’re known to do more than we realize. It’s like a form of fidgeting. Do you also sit with your legs crossed, shaking or bouncing a foot? Many people do that and I’m sure you’ve at least seen it. So are you a toe-tapper or a foot shaker, or do you fidget in other ways? Some people are very prone to the urge to do this, and it’s mostly subconscious. Such people have pent up energy, and releasing it in a repetitive motion relaxes them.
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Some of this activity, which I discovered by observing my own body, is actually what we usually call self-stimulation. When I realized what I was doing, I was horrified and stopped. Women, especially, I am sure are not aware of this because the effect is very subtle. Yet it is real. In other words, foot tapping, leg moving, and so forth, are forms of masturbation, though a person may well not be aware of it. Young women should be encouraged not to do it, without explicit mention of sex.
 
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