In a nutshell, the desert fathers and mothers understanding of theology was that it was a therapeutic science. Its aim was to cleanse the “nous” or power of apprehension. Part of this cleansing was becoming aware of thoughts themselves as they entered the mind and progressed into the will. The “bad thoughts” were known as “logismoi”, which they thought were demonically sent, or arose from our own fallen nature.

The best way to undestand the concept of “logismoi” is to think of them as obsessive thought viruses, addictive and circular. If they were allowed into the mind, they would attach themselves to the nous and darken it. The effect of this would be to make the person ever more compulsive and non-reflective in his actions, with eventually no contemplation between the logismoi’s provocation and the human agent’s action and response…no “thinking about thinking”.

Even if a person doesn’t like the metaphysics of it, its interesting stuff. Kind of an ancient desert memetics.

One of the Wakeful Fathers might say that what you sketched was the “face” of a logismoi, so to speak, circling around your nous.

I will be there for xmas and hopeing to connecting with other mindful compassionate folk.