St. Teresa of Ávila on the Nine Levels of Prayer
An examination of the different stages of prayer
St. Teresa of Ávila is one of the most well-known nuns of the 16th century. She was a Spanish nun known for her austerity.
Teresa of Ávila is also one of the greatest mystics of the Catholic tradition. For hours, she devoted her time to prayer.
She once said: “For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”
Some of her best insights was her analysis of the grades of prayer, detailed fully in 1577’s The Interior Castle.
She defined them as:
Purgative Way
1. Vocal Prayer
2. Mental Prayer
3. Affective Prayer
4. Acquired Recollection
— Dark Night of the Senses
Illuminative Way
5. Infused Contemplation
6. Prayer of Quiet
— Dark Night of the Soul
Unitive Way
7. Simple Union
8. Conforming Union
9. Transforming Union
The “Dark Night” in-between some of the stages will be familiar to those who have heard of St. John of the Cross, another Spanish mystic from this time. These are periods where God feels furthest away, bordering on…
