contemplation
n.the act of thinking deeply and quietly about something for a long time. You do this when you want to understand a difficult idea or make a big decision.
n.the action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time, or the state of being involved in deep, reflective thought.
“He spent the afternoon in quiet contemplation.”
“After years of busy city life, she moved to the mountains for a life of prayer and contemplation.”
“The philosopher argued that true wisdom is not found in books alone, but through the sustained contemplation of one's own experiences and the natural world.”
Often follows the prepositions 'in' or 'into' (e.g., 'lost in contemplation').
“Aristotle thought that contemplation ( theoria ) was the highest human activity because it was done purely for its own sake, absorbing the entire human person.”
“Smith’s loose, lively illustrations transport the reader effortlessly into a meditative state straddling “now” and “then” in this moving, generous story of grief and contemplation.”
From Middle English contemplacioun, from Old French contemplation, from Latin contemplatio.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.