Article July 8, 2013 Issue

Abandoning apathy

Deborah Huebsch

Ever feel spiritually dull? Ever have trouble praying because it seems like too much work? You’re not alone! Ever heard of acedia (also called accidie)? This word describes a condition of thought that’s been around for centuries. It’s something that has troubled people seeking a spiritual path in life for hundreds of years. It was described by early monks and theologians as a kind of “demon” and was more recently written about by Aldous Huxley as an affliction that’s actually grown in the modern age.

Acedia has been defined as an exaggerated form of indifference, laziness, apathy, boredom. In fact, it was identified as a precursor to one of the seven deadly sins, which was finally defined as sloth or “torpor.”

Let’s take a closer look at this problem and how we can approach it metaphysically, through prayer. Acedia is a phase of thought that would derail us from staying on our spiritual path. It would keep us from engaging in an authentic and inspiring way with the Divine.

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