title: Hesychia
text: # Hesychia
  
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  The Greek term hesychia (ἡσυχία, Greek pronunciation:) is a concept that can be translated as "stillness, rest, quiet, silence".
  
  ## In Christianity
  
  In the Eastern Orthodox Christian mystical tradition of hesychasm, hesychia refers to a state of stillness and peace that is obtained through extreme ascetical struggle, prayer, and the constant contemplation of God. The attainment of hesychia is a central theme discussed in hesychast literature.
  
  Chapter 2 of the Systematic Sayings of the Desert Fathers is dedicated to the topic of hesychia.
  
  ## In Neoplatonism
  
  The term is also used in Neoplatonic texts such as the Enneads.
  
  