The Practice of Noetic Prayer and Its Spiritual Fruits

From the notes of Archimandrite Akakios Barolas (+2026)

 

 

Monastery of Mega Spilaion, 1960

The Practice of Noetic Prayer and Its Spiritual Fruits.

By Hierodeacon Agathonikos at that time, now Akakios, abbot

 

I had great zeal and divine longing for the noetic prayer of the name of the Sweetest Jesus Christ.

After a general and clear confession, and with the counsel of my spiritual father and my Elder, I decided to occupy myself with Noetic Prayer. I had studied the book The Way of a Pilgrim and a little from the Philokalia.

First of all, I prayed fervently to my Christ that, during the period of the twenty-one days of practice, no one would visit me in my cell, whether a monk of my monastery or a layman. And my Christ heard my humble supplication, and during the twenty-one days of the practice of the prayer, no one, neither monk nor laymen, visited me. Whereas I had always [previously] received two or three visits a day. This was although I always had two or three visits daily. I would tell the whole progress of the prayer each day to a certain devout and God-fearing fellow monk of mine, who had considerable knowledge concerning prayer of the heart. (This was Father Vlasios, formerly of the Holy Mountain.)

The Beginning of the Method

I confined myself to my cell, for my monastery was idiorrhythmic, and after praying fervently with tears and beseeching Jesus to help me and to grant me this desired prayer of the heart, remembering my many sins and His immeasurable compassion, I was taken up into many burning tears, while at the same time meditating on His most immaculate and all-venerable Passion, which He endured for me, His thrice-wretched sinful creature.

The First Signs from the Practice of the Prayer

1. During the first three days, while I was saying the Prayer slowly with the inhalation, I felt much distress, discomfort, darkening of the understanding, distraction of the mind, impatience, weariness, and exhaustion of strength. Continuous and various thoughts told me that I ought to abandon the Prayer, lest something happen to me. The condition was terrible and unbearable.

But falling down on the floor prostrate, with many tears and unutterable groanings, and with contrition of heart and mourning, I continually sought help from above and the mercy of my Christ. I renewed my spiritual and bodily strength, continuing the Prayer with greater warmth and flame.

2. On the evening of the third day, all the above signs disappeared, and divine help and consolation came from above.

3. Unceasing divine longing came. Spiritual intoxication.

4. Unfeigned love toward all came, seeing them as saints, whereas before this condition did not occur.

5. An abundance of tears came, and continual joyful sorrow.

6. A deep awareness of my sins came, and of the fact that I had greatly embittered my God and deeply grieved the Holy Spirit by my negligent life.

7. Humility came, regarding myself as the least of all God’s creatures, and as a vapor of hell.

8. Love came even toward irrational animals, reptiles, and ants, taking care not to step on and kill any of them.

9. During the continuation of the practice, in the second week, while I was seated on a stool saying the Prayer with my head turned toward the left side of my chest, I felt warmth of the heart and a slight pain in it, rather sweet, and a sudden stirring of the heart, very peaceful, which automatically spread throughout the entire circulatory system of the blood, from the heart to the extremities, the head, and even to the marrow of my bones.

It was so sweet and cheerful that the members of my body were relaxed. And with this stirring, my heart began by itself, as though it had a tongue, to say the Prayer clearly with its beats: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. This was without my saying anything with my mouth or with my throat. From then on, I only heard clearly, effortlessly, and unceasingly, day and night, the Prayer of the all-holy name of my Sweetest Jesus being said by itself.

Signs after the self-activity of the Prayer

10. The cessation of every shameful, evil, and wicked thought. Peace of thoughts, something which did not occur in the past.

11. The holding fast of the mind, undistracted, whereas before the Prayer it was constantly scattered.

12. Complete deadening of the carnal passions. Dispassion. Every natural movement, swelling, and stirring of the flesh ceased completely.

13. Undisturbed peace of soul. Even if I heard accusations against me, I was not troubled.

And stretching and yawning ceased.

14. Meekness and simplicity. The one who was formerly irritable and prone to anger was changed into a harmless little lamb.

15. Unceasing serenity of soul.

16. Calmness, stillness, lightening. I spoke sweetly and humbly, with a modest manner. I marveled at the so sudden change of my character.

17. Rest of soul, the cessation of the reproach of conscience. I felt that all my sins had been forgiven me, those in word, thought, and deed.

18. Departure and disappearance of the heaviness of my body and of weariness. A new body. Tireless in the services, standing, and vigil. Whereas before I was negligent, subject to acedia, feeling great weariness in everything.

19. Fasting, self-control, and abstinence from food became easy. Before, I could not fast continuously even for one day.

20. Illumination of the mind. The darkness and dullness departed.

21. Understanding of Holy Scripture and its interpretation.

22. Discernment of good and evil, and how to speak and converse with each person, and with brevity.

23. Great patience and perseverance in every work.

24. Longing for solitude and stillness.

25. Avoidance of conversations. Immediately after the service in the church of the monastery, I would leave quickly for my cell. Walks outside the monastery ceased.

26. Hatred and abhorrence of condemnation, idle talk, etc. I did not want any creature of God to be condemned. Whereas before this condition did not occur.

27. Forbearance and freedom from remembrance of wrongs toward all.

28. My poor cell seemed to me like a delightful palace. I did not want to leave it. Whereas before the Prayer, the place could not contain me. I constantly wanted to go out, because I felt boredom.

29. A tendency toward seclusion and renunciation of all the cares and anxieties of life, rejoicing only to hear the self-acting Prayer of the sweetest name of my Jesus and Christ.

30. Whatever I studied, or heard another read inside the church, I understood it all and my memory retained it. Whereas before, I kept forgetting what I myself read or heard in the service from the fathers.

31. I avoided verbal disputes, contradictions, and persistent discussions among the fathers. They would say to me, “Come, sit a little so we can see you.” I would answer them with humility: “Forgive me, holy fathers, but I have a little task.” Before the Prayer, I wanted gladly to become involved in all discussions and idle talk.

32. When the brethren, or I myself, were chanting in church, I was able, without any effort, to follow my heart saying the Prayer clearly with its beats, and at the same time to follow the chanting and the meaning of the troparia or readings. There was not the slightest confusion.

Likewise, when I was conversing even with two or three persons, I easily followed the heart saying the Prayer, answered the persons, and at the same time my hands would again be working at handiwork or something else.

33. After much time, on certain occasions, together with the Prayer, I felt a most subtle breeze, exceedingly fragrant, coming forth from my heart, with gladness and ineffable joy. This would occur at night.

34. Twice, while standing and listening to the prayer of the heart, and while I was bathed in abundant tears, I felt my body become as light as a feather, or rather as though the weight of my body was not my own, so weightless was it. I could easily have walked in the air without falling, but I refrained, on account of delusion.

35. Finally, I felt that I no longer wanted to chant loudly inside the church. But, practicing obedience, I chanted together with the fathers.

36. I felt that within me was all of Paradise, the Kingdom of Heaven, and that I no longer lived on earth, but in Heaven. I felt noetically that the entire Holy Trinity dwelt within my heart.

37. It should be noted that during the period of noetic prayer, the practical duties, that is, the services, Matins, Vespers, Compline, etc., and the rule, were performed at their proper time, sometimes read and sometimes chanted in the church with the brotherhood. The Prayer was said daily on a stool and with an inclination, as I mentioned above, of the head toward the left side of my chest. But when the self-acting Prayer came, whatever posture my body had, the Prayer was not hindered. During this period, I had no obedience. All the above, as I said before, I reported daily to my fellow monk, my friend and brother in Christ, because of the reverence and fear of God which he had. He marveled and glorified God and the Sweetest Jesus for His mercy toward His creature. He wished me to continue, and that I would see greater things than these. When later, after much supplication and entreaty to my Christ, through a divine voice, to leave for the desert, He nodded to the hearts of my Elder and of the Abbot’s Council to give me permission and blessing to depart and fulfill my sacred longing. The things that happened in the desert I intend to describe in detail, for the works of God and His great compassion and love for mankind are wondrous.

Hard to believe for those of little faith, and completely unbelievable for those who are indifferent to spiritual things.

My Christ and God knows that all the things which happened, or rather which He granted me, are true. Glory to God for all things.

The bottom of hell, and a monk who is no monk.

P.S. Whoever has zeal, longing, divine love, and patience, with courage, and wishes to occupy himself with Noetic Prayer, must:

a) consult his confessor;

b) consult a discerning and venerable Elder advanced in ascetic labors and acquainted with the neptic Fathers; otherwise, there is danger.

 

Greek source: https://metemorfothis.blogspot.com/2026/06/blog-post_17.html