St. Theognostos on Contemplation

"If you wish to be granted a mental vision of the divine you must first embrace a peaceful and quiet way of life, and devote your efforts to aquiring a knowledge of both yourself and God. If you do this and achieve a pure state untroubled by any passion, there is nothing to prevent your intellect from perceiving, as it were in a light breeze (cf 1 Kings 19:12) Him who is invisible to all; and He will bring you good tidings of salvation through a yet clearer knowledge of Himself."
-- St. Theognostos in the Philokalia