Experimentation

Should the need for solitude be fully accepted, the need, efficacy, and relationship of other practises that are beneficial for the direct experience of God become overwhelmingly clear: voluntary poverty, the nature of good work, reliance upon the Psalms, vigils, dietary restrictions, etc..

The value of ascesis is deeply questioned in the world today, considering it a psychological derangement. In a world of undisciplined unrestraint, disciplined restraint is simply anathema. And while it is historically true that some have taken ascetic practise to extremes, in reality the nurturing of the presence of God is exquisitely flexible if one can simply be attentive and loving enough, which is precisely what solitude can and will teach if you will only take the time to open yourself, settle down, and experiment with it.