The "cloud of unknowing" refers to the darkness encountered when trying to know God through intellect. Beneath this cloud lies another—the "cloud of forgetting"—where one places all creatures and thoughts, including pious ones, to approach God through pure love rather than understanding.
The text advises using a simple word like "God" or "love" to focus attention, not for meaning but as anchor in wordless prayer. When thoughts arise—and they will—gently redirect attention without analyzing or engaging them. This practice resembles forms of meditation across traditions.
The author acknowledges this path's difficulty: "This work is not for everyone, regardless of spiritual state, whether beginner or advanced. It requires special grace and a stirring of God's Spirit." Yet for those called to it, contemplative prayer offers direct union beyond all concepts.
The Cloud influenced Christian mysticism profoundly and resonates with contemporary interest in contemplative practice beyond discursive meditation.
Source
The Cloud of Unknowing - Anonymous