The classic manual on prayer, mysticism, and spiritual direction, this edition has been retypeset and reprinted. It is a roadmap of the signs and stages of contemplative prayer. How do I know if I am progressing in prayer? How should I conduct myself in each stage? What difficulties and trials may I encounter along the way? What are the experiences of the mystic saints, and the principles outlined by theologians throughout Church history? These questions, and many others, the Jesuit Father Augustin Poulain addresses in this edifying book, . First published in 1901 and given an approbation by Pope St. Pius X, it was reprinted by popular demand in many subsequent editions and languages. Fr. Poulain had a talent for making accessible to ordinary people, the delicate and often misunderstood subject of contemplative prayer. Systematically addressing the stages of growth in prayer, and filled with references and extracts from saints and theologians throughout the 2,000 year history of the Roman Catholic Church, it is an impressive, scholarly work. Especially suited to inform and help spiritual directors with discernment in guiding souls along the path to full union with God, it delineates and distinguishes between many of the experiences that at one point may be confused for those of another point; and between those that are genuine with those that are imagination, fantasy, or diabolical illusion. This book can be a source of clarity and consolation for many who cannot see the path before them.