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Showing posts with label Dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dreams. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Demons appear as angels of light

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 3 ~ On Exile

¶29. Demons often transform themselves into angels of light and take the form of martyrs, and make it appear to us during sleep that we are in communication with them. Then, when we wake up, they plunge us into unholy joy and conceit. But you can detect their deceit by this very fact. For angels reveal torments, judgments and separations; and when we wake up we find that we are trembling and sad. As soon as we begin to believe the demons in dreams, then they make sport of us when we are awake too. He who believes in dreams is completely inexperienced. But he who distrusts all dreams is a wise man. Only believe dreams that warn you of torments and judgments. But if despair afflicts you, then such dreams are also from demons.
This is the third step, which is equal in number to the Trinity. He who has reached it, let him not look to the right hand nor to the left.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Demons know nothing about the future from foreknowledge

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 3 ~ On Exile

¶28. The demons of vainglory prophesy in dreams. Being un­scrupulous, they guess the future and foretell it to us. When these visions come true, we are amazed; and we are elated with the thought that we are already near to the gift of foreknowledge. A demon is often a prophet to those who believe him, but he is always a liar to those who despise him. Being a spirit, he sees what is happening in this lower air, and noticing that someone is dying, he foretells it through dreams to the more light-minded. But the demons know nothing about the future from foreknowledge. For if they did, then the fortunetellers would also be able to foretell our death.

Friday, November 4, 2011

A phantasy is an illusion

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 3 ~ On Exile

¶26. A dream is a movement of the mind while the body is at rest. A phantasy is an illusion of the eyes when the intellect is asleep. A phantasy is an ecstasy of the mind when the body is awake. A phantasy is a vision of something which does not exist in reality.

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