There is some excellent discussion on contemplation taking place over at Flos Carmeli. Steve Riddle is a lay Carmelite.
A couple of definitions of contemplation was suggested in a comment:
"Contemplation is a prayer in which our entire being is taken hold of by wonder at God’s love." -- Brother Roger of Taize, meditation, 1 Jan 2004
This next quote, defining contemplation, requires some careful reading, but it's worth it:
"The spiritual intense fixation of the mind, by contemplation on God in Christ, until the soul be as it were swallowed up in admiration and delight, and being brought unto an utter loss, through the infiniteness of those excellencies which it doth admire and adore, it returns again into its own abasements, out of a sense of its infinite distance from what it would absolutely and eternally embrace, and, withal, the inexpressible rest and satisfaction which the will and affections receive in their approaches to the eternal Fountain of goodness, are things to be aimed at in prayer, and which, through the riches of divine condescension, are frequently enjoyed. The soul is hereby raised and ravished, not into ecstasies or unaccountable raptures, not acted into motions above the power of its own understanding and will; but in all the faculties and affections of it, through the effectual workings of the Spirit of grace and the lively impressions of divine love, with intimations of the relations and kindness of God, is filled with rest, in 'joy unspeakable and full of glory.'" -- John Owen, "The Work of the Holy Spirit in Prayer"
If you're not familiar with the Carmelites, Steve gives a brief description of this order:
By the rule of my order all Carmelites are called to a contemplative life. The Carmelite vocation is a contemplative vocation for all of the members of its family. This may seem unusual because you may think of a contemplative as a vowed religious--and these are certainly contained within the Carmelite family. But the family also embraces those who are not vowed. And even those not vowed are called to the contemplative vocation. A contemplative is one whose prayer life is centered around or focused toward contemplation of God , ultimately with the goal of Union with God.
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