Nepsis

Nepsis (or nipsis; Greek: νῆψις) is an important idea in Orthodox Christian mystical theology. Nepsis is a state of watchfulness or sobriety that forms one dimension of the state of contemplative prayer. Perhaps most associated with Orthodox monasticism, numerable references to nepsis are made in The Philokalia (the full title of The Philokalia being The Philokalia of the Niptic Fathers).

Parallels could likely be made between nepsis and Buddhist mindfulness, Islamic dhikr, and Jewish devekut. 

The term nous in the East is used to mean the vision of life, as consciousness. The soul (which is body and spirit together as one thing)^{[citation needed]} vivifies or gives energy to the nous. Where as philosophical discourse (dialectic) is very mechanical and attenuates reality into analytical concepts.^[1] Thereby reducing man and nature to cold mechanical concepts, interpretations and symbols of reality not reality in and of itself.^[1][2] Eastern Christianity seeks to restore mankind to his pre-separation from God or Paradise condition of full communion with the Creator and Trinity. Since in the East, it was man's nous that was damaged by Adam's sin and fall and it was this damaged consciousness that each human by birth now receives.

The subject of mankind's soul as it learns to struggle against the world of passions and corruptions (illusions) is called asceticism. Critical to Eastern Christianity, asceticism is the experience of the soul. In Eastern Christianity, Christianity becomes nothing more than a mechanical and empty ideology, if it is stripped of its ascetic practices. So an ascetic-less Christianity has no way to deal with or cope with the challenges of life if it is devoid of its completeness, found in its traditions including ascetic practice (Orthopraxis).

Liturgy in the East is considered one of the ascetic practises a Christian must engage in, for Christianity to be complete and functional. Ascetic traditions provide ways of overcoming the various kinds of conflicts, experiences and thoughts that trouble the spirit or heart of mankind. These events are called the Unseen Warfare of the human heart (the human nous is the arena of spiritual struggle). Some of the concepts critical to addressing the needs of man such as sober introspection called nepsis can be taught and learned as a means to overcome various spiritual sicknesses. Specific to this process is the watchfulness of the human heart.^[3] The proper way to address and resolve the conflicts of the human nous, heart or mind are also at conflict between East and West. Since noetic understanding can not be circumvented nor satisfied by rationalizing or discursive thought (i.e. systemization as one can not talk or think themselves out of love or addiction).

Eastern Christianity finds a sharp departure with the West over the philosophical cornerstone that reason is the highest faculty in man. The East considers faith a far more critical component (and one more important than reason) in working out ones salvation that Salvation in the East is reconciliation with God, and it is God that satisfies the human heart or soul through the synergia of theosis called the grace of God. So in Eastern Christianity for example the Dark Night of the Soul is not considered a normal or necessary phrase for the human heart to achieve a relationship with God, nor is it considered one that is good or healthy.^[4]

See also

• Nous
• Theoria
• Hesychasm
• Theosis
• Prayer of the Heart

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Orthodox Dogmatic Theology: A Concise Exposition Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky Appendices New currents in Russian philosophico-theological thought Philosophy and Theology.[1]
2. ^ "Roman Catholicism rationalizes even the sacrament of the Eucharist: it interprets spiritual action as purely material and debases the sacrament to such an extent that it becomes in its view a kind of atomistic miracle. The Orthodox Church has no metaphysical theory of Transsubstantiation, and there is no need of such a theory. Christ is the Lord of the elements and it is in His power to do so that 'every thing, without in the least changing its physical substance' could become His Body. Christ's Body in the Eucharist is not physical flesh." History of Russian Philosophy by Nikolai Lossky ISBN 978-0-8236-8074-0 p. 87
3. ^ "Nepsis is the kind of sober-minded vigilance that characterises the ascetic life of the Fathers. It is usually translated as watchfulness." Orthodox Psychotherapy Section The Knowledge of God according to St. Gregory Palamas by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos published by Birth of Theotokos Monastery, Greece (January 1, 2005) ISBN 978-960-7070-27-2 [2]
4. ^ pg 226 The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church by V Lossky, SVS Press, 1997. (ISBN 0-913836-31-1) James Clarke & Co Ltd, 1991. (ISBN 0-227-67919-9) V Lossky