Opaque

First of all, always remember, this word itself - contemplation - is fraught with difficulty primarily because of the spectre that it can so easily create false hope. It is a grave mistake to believe that it connotes something magical. It does not. Nor does it point to any thing that is by nature inspirational. Again...it does not. Indeed, the greatest disadvantage of the word is precisely that. That it seems to suggest something objective, such as some commodity that can be obtained if you just try hard enough or have the right coin. It is even fashionable these days to undertake it as some sort of project. And there are many who have decided to work at becoming contemplative, which is ridiculous.

It is categorically impossible to do so.

Likewise, it is also not possible for one person to teach another how to be so.

And for anyone who is actually and unfortunately contemplative they discover that being such by no means liberates them from problems or unhappiness. Contemplation is no panacea.

Unfortunately, there is no other word to use. To refuse to use the word solves nothing. Those who experience it from the inside know full well that its experiencers cannot be pigeon-holed. Contemplation is simultaneously not for everyone, nor is is only for those who have some sort of official status. Contemplatives may not even be religious people. And the vast majority of officially religious people who are members of historically contemplative religious orders are not genuine contemplatives. They may practise contemplative disciplines, but this is a whole other thing than being contemplative.