American Archives: Prophetic Dreams and Ecstasy

THE PROPHETIC DREAMS AND THE TYPES AND EFFECTS OF ECSTASY

The Syrian philosopher Iamblichus lived between AD 245 and 325.

THE SYRIAN PHILOSOPHER IAMBLICHUS LIVED BETWEEN AD 245 AND 325. THE BOOK ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE EGYPTIANS, CHALDEANS, AND ASSYRIANS IS ATTRIBUTED TO HIM; THE TEXT is HIS THOUGHTS ON RITUALISTIC MAGIC and THEURGY.

Excerpts from On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians by Iamblichus

Regarding divination in a dream, you say the following: while sleeping, we often turn to the future. While we are not in a state of restless ecstasy (after all, the body lies calmly during rest), we are no longer fully conscious of ourselves the way we are in reality.

However, what you refer to usually concerns dreams emanating from the human soul, occurring when our thoughts or our minds-everything that is awakened by fantasies or worries-are set into motion. They are sometimes true, sometimes false, and in some respects reach into existence, but for the most part they do not. However, so-called Godsent dreams do not arise in the way you say. On the contrary, a certain impetuous voice indicating what needs to be done can be heard as a dream subsides, when people are barely awakening. Or, voices are heard when the person is between wakefulness and sleep, or even when they are completely awake.

In addition, sometimes those lying are seized by an implicit disembodied breath. While it is impossible to see, there is a different sensation and comprehension of the breath; it emits a hiss when approaching and without any contact, surrounds from all sides. It performs the amazing deed of freeing the soul and body from suffering. Sometimes, when a radiant and calm light shines, vision dulls and the eyes close, even if the eyes wide open before. Meanwhile, other senses remain alert and all together, one can feel how the gods are born-hearing everything they say, and, following them, knowing everything that they do.

Contemplation turns out to be even more perfect when both eyes see, and the mind also follows the action: there is physical alertness and mental contemplation at the same time. When combining these two different approaches, it does not resemble anything merely human. On the contrary; sleep, closing the eyes, being in a fainting-like state, and staying between sleep and alertness, or at the perfect moment of waking up-are all divine, as well as necessary to perceive the gods. This state is sent down from the gods themselves and is a precursor to the appearance of the divine.

So, even if we ignore divine dreams, precisely those in which strong feelings are present-any state of sleep is the absence of what is in reality, and then only a perception of reality appears. It makes sense that the manifestation of the presence of the gods should manifest as perfection in comprehension. In an altered state of consciousness, there would be a clearer and more accurate connection-conducive to a more perfect understanding than in a regular, awake state of mind. Some people, not knowing the signs of truly prophetic dreams and thinking about them in an overly practical way, rarely and only accidentally comprehend predictions of the future. Therefore, they naturally wonder how these dreams could contain the truth. It seems to me that this is what worries you too-because you do not know the true signs of dreams.

However, it is necessary that you bear in mind these foundations of true knowledge of your dreams and follow all the reasoning to achieve divination in dreams.

This is talked about, because the soul has a twofold life: one together with the body, and the other separate from the body. While we are awake most of the time, we mostly consider the life which is connected with the body-and perhaps sometimes, in thinking and reasoning, we completely separate from it with the help of pure meanings and intellectualism. During sleep, we completely free ourselves from some kind of accompanying shackles, and live a life isolated from becoming. It is then that in us, something awakens and acts. It should be rational by nature, yet at the same time divine. Even if it is singular, in any case, it is a kind of life that exists in itself. So, since the mind contemplates what exists, and the soul embraces the meanings of everything that arises in it, it is quite natural that, on the basis of being encompassed by reason, it foresees future events-contained in the meanings of dreams.

The soul makes its divination even more perfect when it brings the particles of life into contact with intelligent action, and into contact with everything from which it is separated. Then, from all this, it is filled with universal knowledge, so that it reaches the highest degree of understanding that is taking place in space. However, when the soul, in such a perfect action, achieves unity with the gods, it is at this time that the soul perceives the very truest multitude of thoughts-thanks to which it makes true predictions of divine dreams. It is in this that the soul believes their most inimitable beginnings. But, if the soul weaves the clever and the divine within itself with the best kinds, then its visions will also be very pure; whether they refer to the gods, or to the incorporeal entities themselves, or, simply put, to the truth that contributes a lot to the intelligible. If the soul raises the meanings of what arises to the gods that caused said events, then the soul acquires from them power and knowledge, judging everything that was and everything that will be, contemplates all time, examines events that occur in time, and comprehends their order, as well as methods to care for them and properly correct them. The soul heals sick bodies, fixes awkward and disorderly situations, finds good in people and often makes discoveries in the arts, establishes justice and restores legality.

For example, in the temple of Asclepius, diseases are healed by divine dreams. The healing art itself arose thanks to sacred dreams and is associated with the order of night visions. The entire military camp of Alexander-which they were going to destroy at night-was saved when Dionysus appeared in a dream and gave a sign of deliverance from terrible suffering. Aphytis, the city besieged by King Lysander, was saved with the help sent as a result of Amun's dreams-since he withdrew his army from there as quickly as possible and openly lifted the siege. However, what need is there to cite all these examples, setting out everything that always happens, from day to day, since such a thing itself reveals its effect, the proof of which exceeds any word?

So, that's enough to say about divination in dreams-what it is, how it arises, and how it greatly benefits people. You further assert that many people look to the future in a frenzy and with a divine obsession while awake, and therefore act in accordance with sensation. But, on the other hand, they are no longer aware of themselves or they are aware, but not as before. So, I want to present evidence in these cases that they are actually possessed by the gods. For these people either preface the gods who inspire them with their whole life as a receptacle or instrument; or change human life to divine, or contribute to God with their own life. They do not act in accordance with the sensation, and do not stay awake like those who have awakened feelings. They do not turn to the future and do not make such movements as those possessed by passion. However, they do not recognize themselves as before, nor in any way otherwise, and generally do not direct their own consciousness to themselves-there is no such knowledge of their own, which they assume. This is the greatest proof of divine obsession. After all, many do not burn when fire is brought to them, since fire does not touch them due to divine inspiration. Many, even being burned, do not oppose this, because at this time they do not live the life of a living being. Further, some, plunging knives into themselves, do not feel anything, while others, chopping themselves with axes on their backs or cutting their hands with daggers, do not notice this at all. Their actions are not at all human, since even the inaccessible becomes available to those who are moved by God: they enter the fire, and pass through the fire, and cross the rivers, like a priestess in Castabalis.

This proves that those into whom God has entered are not aware of themselves and do not live the life of either a person nor of a living being-either in sensation or in an outburst of passion-but in return they receive some other, more divine life, which they are inspired by and which completely takes possession of them.

There are many types of divine obsession. Divine inspiration awakens in many ways, and therefore there are many different signs of it. Indeed, in this respect, the gods from whom we receive inspiration differ from each other, and they inspire differently. Changes in each of the ways of being held by God lead to the fact that God moves people in different ways. Indeed, either God owns us, we completely begin to belong to him, or we perform an action in common with him. Further, sometimes we become involved in the lowest ability of God, sometimes in the middle, and sometimes in the highest. In addition, sometimes there is simple involvement, sometimes communication, and sometimes a combination of these types of divine obsession. Either only the soul experiences this, or it participates in it along with the body, or even as an integral living being.

It is because of this that the signs of those on whom inspiration descends turn out to be diverse: the movements of the body and some of its parts, and its perfect immobility, harmonious rows and dances, harmonious voices-or the opposite. Further, the body is seen either ascending, or increasing in size, or soaring and rushing through the air-or it seems that the opposite is happening to it. In addition, there is either a perfect uniformity of the voice in pitch, or its sound is interrupted by long pauses, or it becomes uneven; sometimes the sounds are stretched and heightened musically, and sometimes they are different.

Drawn by the gods, the descending and pervading spirit is clearly seen; how much of it and what it is, and it mystically obeys and guides. In addition, before accepting a god, the recipient sees the image of fire. Sometimes it becomes obvious to anyone contemplating when God descends or departs. Thanks to this, the knowledge becomes comprehensible-the most true, powerful and most ordered-in him, as well as what he professes the truth about and what power he provides or manifests.

But those who secretly summon spirits without these blissful spectacles seem to feel in the dark and do not know what they are doing-with the exception of very small signs seen in a divinely inspired person, manifesting bodily, and other visible effects seen with their own eyes-and do not know the whole truth about inspiration hidden in the darkness.

- Iamblichus