Bernadette Roberts

Bernadette Roberts (1931–2017) was a Catholic contemplative and author known for her writings on mystical experience. Born in California to devout parents, she entered the Carmelite order at seventeen. After leaving monastic life, she pursued secular education, earning degrees in philosophy and early childhood education, and taught high school. She married, had four children, and later established a Montessori school. Following a divorce and annulment, Roberts dedicated herself to spiritual retreats, particularly with the Camaldolese monks, whom she considered her true home. She passed away in 2017 in Southern California.

Roberts documented her profound spiritual journey, detailing experiences of the "Dark Nights" and states of "Union" with God, concepts central to Christian mysticism. Her work "The Path to No-Self: Life at the Center" chronicles her early spiritual development within the cloister. A pivotal experience she termed "no-Self" is explored in "The Experience of No-Self: A Contemplative Journey." This profound realization marked a significant stage in her understanding of consciousness and divine connection. She developed a talk, "A Passage Through Self," to illustrate this spiritual progression using a series of circles. For the last three decades of her life, Roberts led annual retreats on "The Essence of Christian Mysticism," focusing on Trinity, Christ, and Faith as its core elements.

Throughout her adult life, Roberts balanced family responsibilities with her deep commitment to contemplative practice. She raised four children and had seven grandchildren. For the final forty years of her life, she annually undertook extended retreats with the Camaldolese Monks in Big Sur, California, finding solace and a sense of belonging there. Roberts resided in Southern California for her later years, passing away in her sleep in 2017. Her final published work was "The Real Christ" in 2012. She was diagnosed with ALS a year prior to her death.