“All the Feels: Medieval Contemplatives on Love and the Search for God”

'Mindful meditation' is all the rage right now, but few people realize that a similar form of introspection was also extremely popular in the later Middle Ages. In fact, beginning in the thirteenth century (and continuing through the sixteenth century), meditation becomes "the" devotional practice for Christians - one that, because it doesn't require access to texts, is available to anyone who wants to channel their bodily sensations and emotions towards the higher good. Meditation is seen as playing a central role in moving the will towards its proper object (love for God), and because of the close link drawn between