What does metanoia mean?

Answer 1

From the Greekμετάνοια---compounded from the preposition μετά (after, with) and the verb νοέω (to perceive, to think, the result of perceiving or observing)---metanoia means "a change of mind". In Christianity, the term refers to spiritual conversion. The word appears often in the Gospels. It is usually translated into English as "repent":

In theology, metanoia is used to refer to the change of mind which is brought about in repentance. Repentance is necessary and valuable because it brings about change of mind or metanoia. This change of mind will result in the altered persona deprecating sin, though replicating good will, benevolence, and integration of self in relation to Universal harmony or deity. The two terms (repentance and metanoia) are often used interchangeably.

However, the prefix "meta-" carries with it other variants that are consistent with the Eastern Greek philosophical mindset, and perhaps is at odds with Western views. "Meta-" is additionally used to imply "beyond" and "outside of." E.g.,metamorphosis as a beyond-change; and, metaphysics as outside the limits of physics. "Meta" also means "next to"or "after" as in metaphysics, where the books we call metaphysics were placed next to or after the books on physics.