SaintJohnoftheCross：TheDarkNightoftheSoul，bookii。ch。xvii。，inVieetOeuvres，3meedition，Paris，1893，iii。
Chapterxi。ofbookii。ofSaintJohn’sAscentofCarmelisdevotedtoshowingtheharmfulnessforthemysticallifeoftheuseofsensibleimagery。
IcannotpretendtodetailtoyouthesundrystagesoftheChristianmysticallife。[253]Ourtimewouldnotsuffice，foronething；andmoreover，IconfessthatthesubdivisionsandnameswhichwefindintheCatholicbooksseemtometorepresentnothingobjectivelydistinct。Somanymen，somanyminds：I
imaginethattheseexperiencescanbeasinfinitelyvariedasaretheidiosyncrasiesofindividuals。
InparticularIomitmentionofvisualandauditoryhallucinations，verbalandgraphicautomatisms，andsuchmarvelsas“levitation。”stigmatization，andthehealingofdisease。
Thesephenomena，whichmysticshaveoftenpresentedorarebelievedtohavepresented，havenoessentialmysticalsignificance，fortheyoccurwithnoconsciousnessofilluminationwhatever，whentheyoccur，astheyoftendo，inpersonsofnon-mysticalmind。Consciousnessofilluminationisforustheessentialmarkof“mystical“states。
Thecognitiveaspectsofthem，theirvalueinthewayofrevelation，iswhatwearedirectlyconcernedwith，anditiseasytoshowbycitationhowstronganimpressiontheyleaveofbeingrevelationsofnewdepthsoftruth。SaintTeresaistheexpertofexpertsindescribingsuchconditions，soIwillturnimmediatelytowhatshesaysofoneofthehighestofthem，the“orisonofunion。”
“Intheorisonofunion。”saysSaintTeresa，“thesoulisfullyawakeasregardsGod，butwhollyasleepasregardsthingsofthisworldandinrespectofherself。Duringtheshorttimetheunionlasts，sheisasitweredeprivedofeveryfeeling，andevenifshewould，shecouldnotthinkofanysinglething。Thussheneedstoemploynoartificeinordertoarresttheuseofherunderstanding：itremainssostrickenwithinactivitythatsheneitherknowswhatsheloves，norinwhatmannersheloves，norwhatshewills。Inshort，sheisutterlydeadtothethingsoftheworldandlivessolelyinGod……Idonotevenknowwhetherinthisstateshehasenoughlifelefttobreathe。Itseemstomeshehasnot；oratleastthatifshedoesbreathe，sheisunawareofit。Herintellectwouldfainunderstandsomethingofwhatisgoingonwithinher，butithassolittleforcenowthatitcanactinnowaywhatsoever。Soapersonwhofallsintoadeepfaintappearsasifdead……
“ThusdoesGod，whenheraisesasoultounionwithhimself，suspendthenaturalactionofallherfaculties。Sheneithersees，hears，norunderstands，solongassheisunitedwithGod。
Butthistimeisalwaysshort，anditseemsevenshorterthanitis。Godestablisheshimselfintheinteriorofthissoulinsuchaway，thatwhenshereturnstoherself，itiswhollyimpossibleforhertodoubtthatshehasbeeninGod，andGodinher。Thistruthremainssostronglyimpressedonherthat，eventhoughmanyyearsshouldpasswithouttheconditionreturning，shecanneitherforgetthefavorshereceived，nordoubtofitsreality。
Ifyou，nevertheless，askhowitispossiblethatthesoulcanseeandunderstandthatshehasbeeninGod，sinceduringtheunionshehasneithersightnorunderstanding，Ireplythatshedoesnotseeitthen，butthatsheseesitclearlylater，aftershehasreturnedtoherself，notbyanyvision，butbyacertitudewhichabideswithherandwhichGodalonecangiveher。
IknewapersonwhowasignorantofthetruththatGod’smodeofbeingineverythingmustbeeitherbypresence，bypower，orbyessence，butwho，afterhavingreceivedthegraceofwhichIamspeaking，believedthistruthinthemostunshakablemanner。Somuchsothat，havingconsultedahalf-learnedmanwhowasasignorantonthispointasshehadbeenbeforeshewasenlightened，whenherepliedthatGodisinusonlyby’grace，’
shedisbelievedhisreply，sosureshewasofthetrueanswer；
andwhenshecametoaskwiserdoctors，theyconfirmedherinherbelief，whichmuchconsoledher。
“Buthow，youwillrepeat，CANonehavesuchcertaintyinrespecttowhatonedoesnotsee？Thisquestion，Iampowerlesstoanswer。ThesearesecretsofGod’somnipotencewhichitdoesnotappertaintometopenetrate。AllthatIknowisthatItellthetruth；andIshallneverbelievethatanysoulwhodoesnotpossessthiscertaintyhaseverbeenreallyunitedtoGod。”
TheInteriorCastle，FifthAbode，Ch。i。，inOeuvres，translatedby
Thekindsoftruthcommunicableinmysticalways，whetherthesebesensibleorsupersensible，arevarious。Someofthemrelatetothisworld——visionsofthefuture，thereadingofhearts，thesuddenunderstandingoftexts，theknowledgeofdistantevents，forexample；butthemostimportantrevelationsaretheologicalormetaphysical。
“SaintIgnatiusconfessedonedaytoFatherLaynezthatasinglehourofmeditationatManresahadtaughthimmoretruthsaboutheavenlythingsthanalltheteachingsofallthedoctorsputtogethercouldhavetaughthim……Onedayinorison，onthestepsofthechoiroftheDominicanchurch，hesawinadistinctmannertheplanofdivinewisdominthecreationoftheworld。
Onanotheroccasion，duringaprocession，hisspiritwasravishedinGod，anditwasgivenhimtocontemplate，inaformandimagesfittedtotheweakunderstandingofadwellerontheearth，thedeepmysteryoftheholyTrinity。Thislastvisionfloodedhisheartwithsuchsweetness，thatthemerememoryofitinaftertimesmadehimshedabundanttears。”[255]
[255]Bartoli-Michel：viedeSaintIgnacedeLoyola，i。34-36。
Othershavehadilluminationsaboutthecreatedworld，JacobBoehmeforinstance。Attheageoftwenty-fivehewas“surroundedbythedivinelight，andreplenishedwiththeheavenlyknowledge，insomuchasgoingabroadintothefieldstoagreen，atGorlitz，hetheresatdownandviewingtheherbsandgrassofthefield，inhisinwardlighthesawintotheiressences，use，andproperties，whichwasdiscoveredtohimbytheirlineaments，figures，andsignatures。”Ofalaterperiodofexperiencehewrites：“InonequarterofanhourIsawandknewmorethanifIhadbeenmanyyearstogetheratanuniversity。ForIsawandknewthebeingofallthings，theByssandtheAbyss，andtheeternalgenerationoftheholyTrinity，thedescentandoriginaloftheworldandofallcreaturesthroughthedivinewisdom。Iknewandsawinmyselfallthethreeworlds，theexternalandvisibleworldbeingofaprocreationorexternbirthfromboththeinternalandspiritualworlds；andIsawandknewthewholeworkingessence，intheevilandinthegood，andthemutualoriginalandexistence，andlikewisehowthefruitfulbearingwombofeternitybroughtforth。
SothatIdidnotonlygreatlywonderatit，butdidalsoexceedinglyrejoice，albeitIcouldveryhardlyapprehendthesameinmyexternalmanandsetitdownwiththepen。ForIhadathoroughviewoftheuniverseasinachaos，whereinallthingsarecouchedandwraptup，butitwasimpossibleformetoexplicatethesame。”JacobBehmen’sTheosophicPhilosophy，etc。，byEdwardTaylor，London，1691，pp。425，427，abridged。
SoGeorgeFox：“IwascomeuptothestateofAdaminwhichhewasbeforehefell。Thecreationwasopenedtome；anditwasshowedme，howallthingshadtheirnamesgiventothem，accordingtotheirnatureandvirtue。Iwasatastandinmymind，whetherIshouldpracticephysicforthegoodofmankind，seeingthenatureandvirtuesofthecreaturesweresoopenedtomebytheLord。”Journal，Philadelphia，nodate，p。
Contemporary“Clairvoyance“aboundsinsimilarrevelations。
AndrewJacksonDavis’scosmogonies，forexample，orcertainexperiencesrelatedinthedelectable“ReminiscencesandMemoriesofHenryThomasButterworth。”Lebanon，Ohio，1886。
SimilarlywithSaintTeresa。“Oneday，beinginorison。”shewrites，“itwasgrantedmetoperceiveinoneinstanthowallthingsareseenandcontainedinGod。Ididnotperceivethemintheirproperform，andneverthelesstheviewIhadofthemwasofasovereignclearness，andhasremainedvividlyimpresseduponmysoul。ItisoneofthemostsignalofallthegraceswhichtheLordhasgrantedme……Theviewwassosubtileanddelicatethattheunderstandingcannotgraspit。”
ShegoesontotellhowitwasasiftheDeitywereanenormousandsovereignlylimpiddiamond，inwhichallouractionswerecontainedinsuchawaythattheirfullsinfulnessappearedevidentasneverbefore。Onanotherday，sherelates，whileshewasrecitingtheAthanasianCreed——
“OurLordmademecomprehendinwhatwayitisthatoneGodcanbeinthreepersons。HemademeseeitsoclearlythatI
remainedasextremelysurprisedasIwascomforted，……andnow，whenIthinkoftheholyTrinity，orhearItspokenof，I
understandhowthethreeadorablePersonsformonlyoneGodandI
experienceanunspeakablehappiness。”
Onstillanotheroccasion，itwasgiventoSaintTeresatoseeandunderstandinwhatwisetheMotherofGodhadbeenassumedintoherplaceinHeaven。
Thedeliciousnessofsomeofthesestatesseemstobebeyondanythingknowninordinaryconsciousness。Itevidentlyinvolvesorganicsensibilities，foritisspokenofassomethingtooextremetobeborne，andasvergingonbodilypain。Butitistoosubtleandpiercingadelightforordinarywordstodenote。God’stouches，thewoundsofhisspear，referencestoebrietyandtonuptialunionhavetofigureinthephraseologybywhichitisshadowedforth。Intellectandsensesbothswoonawayinthesehigheststatesofecstasy。“Ifourunderstandingcomprehends。”saysSaintTeresa，“itisinamodewhichremainsunknowntoit，anditcanunderstandnothingofwhatitcomprehends。Formyownpart，Idonotbelievethatitdoescomprehend，because，asIsaid，itdoesnotunderstanditselftodoso。IconfessthatitisallamysteryinwhichIamlost。”Intheconditioncalledraptusorravishmentbytheologians，breathingandcirculationaresodepressedthatitisaquestionamongthedoctorswhetherthesoulbeorbenottemporarilydisseveredfromthebody。OnemustreadSaintTeresa’sdescriptionsandtheveryexactdistinctionswhichshemakes，topersuadeone’sselfthatoneisdealing，notwithimaginaryexperiences，butwithphenomenawhich，howeverrare，followperfectlydefinitepsychologicaltypes。
SaintTeresadiscriminatesbetweenpaininwhichthebodyhasapartandpurespiritualpainInteriorCastle，6thAbode，ch。xi。。Asforthebodilypartinthesecelestialjoys，shespeaksofitas“penetratingtothemarrowofthebones，whilstearthlypleasuresaffectonlythesurfaceofthesenses。I
think。”sheadds，“thatthisisajustdescription，andIcannotmakeitbetter。”Ibid。，5thAbode，ch。i。
Tothemedicalmindtheseecstasiessignifynothingbutsuggestedandimitatedhypnoidstates，onanintellectualbasisofsuperstition，andacorporealoneofdegenerationandhysteria。
Undoubtedlythesepathologicalconditionshaveexistedinmanyandpossiblyinallthecases，butthatfacttellsusnothingaboutthevalueforknowledgeoftheconsciousnesswhichtheyinduce。Topassaspiritualjudgmentuponthesestates，wemustnotcontentourselveswithsuperficialmedicaltalk，butinquireintotheirfruitsforlife。
Theirfruitsappeartohavebeenvarious。Stupefaction，foronething，seemsnottohavebeenaltogetherabsentasaresult。YoumayrememberthehelplessnessinthekitchenandschoolroomofpoorMargaretMaryAlacoque。Manyotherecstaticswouldhaveperishedbutforthecaretakenofthembyadmiringfollowers。
The“other-worldliness“encouragedbythemysticalconsciousnessmakesthisover-abstractionfrompracticallifepeculiarlyliabletobefallmysticsinwhomthecharacterisnaturallypassiveandtheintellectfeeble；butinnativelystrongmindsandcharacterswefindquiteoppositeresults。ThegreatSpanishmystics，whocarriedthehabitofecstasyasfarasithasoftenbeencarried，appearforthemostparttohaveshownindomitablespiritandenergy，andallthemoresoforthetrancesinwhichtheyindulged。
SaintIgnatiuswasamystic，buthismysticismmadehimassuredlyoneofthemostpowerfullypracticalhumanenginesthateverlived。SaintJohnoftheCross，writingoftheintuitionsand“touches“bywhichGodreachesthesubstanceofthesoul，tellsusthat——
“Theyenrichitmarvelously。Asingleoneofthemmaybesufficienttoabolishatastrokecertainimperfectionsofwhichthesoulduringitswholelifehadvainlytriedtoriditself，andtoleaveitadornedwithvirtuesandloadedwithsupernaturalgifts。Asingleoneoftheseintoxicatingconsolationsmayrewarditforallthelaborsundergoneinitslife——evenweretheynumberless。Investedwithaninvinciblecourage，filledwithanimpassioneddesiretosufferforitsGod，thesoulthenisseizedwithastrangetorment——thatofnotbeingallowedtosufferenough。”
Oeuvres，ii。320。