The beginner who starts with these experiences is like the hiker who goes down a trail at 100 mph, missing a number of views along the way only to tire at the end, or the hiker who can't seem to get a pack to stay on straight and can't see beyond his feet while hiking. The hiker who finds a balance between having a goal, letting herself see the views and shadows along the way, continues onward. Contemplation also has a middle. It is a journey with many winding turns, valleys, heights, and plateaus. The successful person who continues this path finds eventually that the path itself becomes the end as well as the means.
Contemplation has an end towards which one strives.
That is union with God. Of Relationship Towards Think of a relationship you have had in the past. Similarly, people often approach contemplation as a new prayer technique. Rather than being a technique or set of techniques, contemplation is simply a matter of establishing and building a relationship with God so that it is constantly growing to an end. No fancy incense, no specific mantras, just heart to heart.