Contemplation is the attentive and careful observation of a reality, especially when it is calm and pleasant. It is also the spiritual state that appears in the human being when he practices mental silence.[1]​.

The word contemplation is derived from the Latin word contemplatio, ultimately from the Latin word templum, a consecrated ground for the taking of auspices, or a building for worship. The latter derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *tem- ("to cut"), on the notion of "place reserved or cut off", or from the root *temp- ("to stretch, to string"), therefore referring to a clear (measured) space in front of an altar.[2]​[3]​ The Latin word contemplatio was used to translate the Greek word θεωρία (theōría).

The practice can be accompanied by readings that inspire the person to continue in inner silence and illustrate how others made that spiritual state happen. It appears, since we cannot cause it voluntarily, only by meditating in silence without looking for it.

Various forms of contemplation can be found in different cultures and periods of humanity, from the shamans or sorcerers of the tribes, to current times, such as the Sufis, the Tibetan monks, the Zen masters, the gurus of India, etc.

For contemplation to appear, the mind must first be freed from interference of all kinds (thought, imagination, etc.). The wonder of contemplation arises in the act of contemplation itself, without giving a name to what is contemplated. Contemplating has nothing to surround it, nothing to envelop it; It is the magic of contemplation itself without being magic. As contemplation it does not need anything else.

It is about becoming aware of supernatural realities, focusing the mind on God.

The first degrees to achieve are based on asceticism, in which the body is mastered to illuminate the soul, making it more sensitive to the Divine . The last degree of could be defined as a mystical experience, although to reach this state it is not necessary to experience ecstasy "Ecstasy (emotion)") or levitations. Levitations can be paranormal, but they can be accompanied by these phenomena (see Spanish mystics).