OK, was going to quit and let that be it, but I wanted to share something I found. This thread is probably going to be useless to cradle Orthodox or long-time converts, but to those who are starting on the path, or still on the fence, here goes.

I emailed my priest tonight asking about the nous, or noetic faculties, as this is a term that keeps coming up in Orthodox books. Everywhere. ‘Be sure to pray with your mind in your nous.’ ‘Yeah, thanks pal, if I knew what a nous was, that’d be no problem.’

(I literally said that out loud the other night to a Kindle book sample, but it was a cradle Orthodox writing to other cradles or veterans.)

For the theological nerds like me, out there wondering what a ‘nous’ is...well, I can’t explain it yet. But now I know WHY I can’t explain it.

Orthodoxy cannot be explained to the outside observer. It has to be experienced. This thread runs throughout all of the conversion stories I’ve read. Orthodoxy is a different religion than others also bearing the name ‘Christian’. Same scriptures, totally different religion.

Before I continue, take a look at this article, particularly section 6. That’s where the real meat is. This is John S. Romanides, legit Orthodox priest and professor, not someone just spouting nonsense. http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.02.en.the_cure_of_the_neurobiological_sickness_of_rel.01.htm#s6

Did you read it? No, you skimmed it. Go read it.

Good. Now you see the problem: All of the Christianities based off Augustine’s work share a common thread: they are aimed at understanding God through the head, with the goal of knowing him (or living a happy life, or whatever) through mental power alone.

*I would add ‘emotions’ here, because as a former nondenominational Charismatic, there’s a lot of emotion in that camp. A LOT of it.

Whereas: Orthodoxy is concerned with the heart (the nous), fixing the heart-brain connection, so as to understand God through a purified heart, and to avoid deception: the head can easily be tricked by satan, but the heart can develop discernment.

Here is where I get into a bit of theory and science. Disadvantage: not Orthodox yet. But I do have some information here that may or may not be helpful.

The heart-brain connection is a source of much scientific (and, alas, much pseudoscientific) research, over the past, say, 50 to 70 years or so.

Our physical heart has neurons and memories of its own: information stored there that is not stored in the brain.

Research open heart transplants, and you’ll find fascinating real-life stories of patients who, when their heart was changed, their food preferences changed, and one who was able to identify the murderer of the unfortunate donor.

I have always been fascinated with this stuff. And in an effort to fix what was wrong with me, willing to try just about anything.

I ran into a Protestant female scientist (with, alas, questionable credentials) who talked about the heart a lot. Bought the tapes, sounded like New Agey crap, didn’t make sense, didn’t work, creeped me out, threw the tapes away.

Later on, discovered another pastor who talked about the heart-mind link too. I followed this guy REALLY closely for about a year, listened to all his messages, even tried a few meditations by a New Ager he had recommended, because this pastor said they worked.

(He had his reasoning behind inviting New Age junk/pagan religions into a church. Protestants have a scripture for everything. Ask me how I know.)

(If I’d been able to go to seminary, I’d be a dangerous man, err, mouse, right now.)

Want to know a safe and easy and legitimately Christian way to fix the heart/mind connection problem? FOUND IT.

Orthodoxy has known about this stuff for centuries. It’s only because prideful jerks in history who thought they knew better (read the entire article I posted for more history) have been covering up Eastern Orthodoxy for so long, WE HAD NO IDEA.

We were settling for Eastern religions and techniques like Buddhism and yoga and TM and New Age crap, when we could have been reconnecting with OUR TRADITION, ALL ALONG.

This stuff has been proven! It’s not pseudoscience! Centuries of Church Fathers and elders and monks and martyrs, all testifying that Jesus came to fix the heart-mind connection that became corrupted at the Fall.

Fence-sitters: hop off the fence and commit. You’re looking for mental and emotional healing, this is the right path. You need answers, they’re right ahead. If you’re on the path with me, come on, we’ve got plenty of friends cheering us on.

Let’s do this.