Zohar and Nefesh HaChayim

Text 1 (Nefesh HaChaim) emphasizes strict mental discipline during prayer—warning against any thoughts except the words themselves (אפילו של תורה ומצות כי אם בתיבות התפלה עצמם). Text 2 (Zohar) describes an experiential, ascensive mystical state involving sensory perception (שמע קול, אקישׁן גדפין) and devekut (אִתְדַּבְּקָן). Both engage kavanah and tefillah but Text 1 stresses cognitive exclusivity while Text 2 emphasizes mystical union and inner vision. No direct contradiction, but fundamentally different approaches to prayer experience.