On the quality of the Divine Light

[boccaderlupo]

The Divine Light does not dominate, coerce, manipulate, or control. It illuminates, and this may be the way to discriminate between delusions and the Divine Light.

I begin to understand somewhat why some of the writers in the Philokalia deprecate the imaginative faculty. It's not necessarily that these imaginings are inherently evil or delusions, it's that practitioners in the early stages may not be able to discriminate between them. This recalls Iamblichus's discussion in De Mysteriis when he makes distinctions between the qualities of the presence of the gods and those of the various other spirits.

Comments

[barefootwisdom]

Okay, I'm very much with you on the difference between illumination and coersion/manipulation/etc. And I agree with you (and with the divine Iamblichus!) that this distinction is an important one for the discernment of spirits.

I'm struggling, though, with the final piece. Is the claim that it's harder to apply this principle of discernment to experiences which involve the imaginative faculties, than it is with non-imaginative experiences? (And if so, why?)

[boccaderlupo]

I suspect that is the case, but couldn't tell you exactly why; it may indeed be because of how we react to images versus how we react to the more tactile "presence" of the latter. Perhaps the imaginative faculty is simply easier to influence than others...? Will bear further reflection on my part...

And FWIW, these brief posts are not intended as dogma of any kind, merely my personal opinions along the road...

Thank you.

[barefootwisdom]

Thanks for this. I certainly wasn't taking the post/note as "dogma." I was simply appreciative of the insight it offered, and the new (and deeper?) questions that insight then raised in turn. I've been pondering this over a few days now and find that I cannot answer the questions that I posed... so I'll be especially grateful if you do come up with anything!

[boccaderlupo]

Ah, I just like to throw out that caveat in case I sound any more presumptuous than I already do. :)

They are certainly more profound questions, and I honestly don't have a good answer. I would be interested in your (and others') experiences, if you'd care to share, either way.

The best I can offer is a sense of my own experience: early on, the images were very vibrant, even menacing at times. But as years go on, the imagery begins to become more stable and comprehensible, even welcome (I associate this with lower level or "daimonic" activity). And I suppose one can come to take it for granted. I can also imagine scenarios in which people take these images overly seriously, and this is where, I suggest, people can run into delusions (I think of the dreams sent by Zeus, in that some are true and others false).

But then as time goes on, there is another sensation that is not so much visual as it is tactile (at least for me; it feels almost like a cross between sunlight and cool water at the same time). This does not necessarily present any images per se, but feels like a quiet and quieting awareness unto itself...the Divine Light, or at least something of a different (higher, in terms of Iamblichus's scale?) order. And yet I can imagine scenarios in which, despite the tranquility conferred in this state, the initiate is concerned (as I was) by the very lack of imagery. But perhaps that's the very point of such a state—the images are not necessary.

At least that's what I have so far...

[sdi]

With the caveat that any words are very hollow by comparison to the experience, "a cross between sunlight and cool water" is a good description of it.

[boccaderlupo]

Strong agree with the caveat!