Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 555

CiiAP. II]

§ 84.

THE FORMS OF INSPIRATION

631

moment the common working of the senses and of the other spiritual powers is suspended, and psyche and soma are used entirely as instruments of this mania, If we combine these ecstatic pheidea, or visionary image. nomena with the biological, i.e. with the power which the psyche of one can obtain over the psyche of another, and grant that the power which other men can exert upon us can be exerted upon us much more strongly by God, we must conclude that in prophecy also God the Lord made use of factors which He Himself had prepared in our human nature. With this difference, however, that in this instance He makes use Himself of what at other times He places at the disposal of biologians. A complete analogy to prophecy would be given tent that for the

in this, especially if Stead's ideas about his so-called tliouglit^

which

rests

true.

He

upon the system

of telepathy, were found to be have reached this result telepathically, that at a distance of ten or twenty miles, without any means of communication whatsoever, one man wrote down literally what the other man thought. This may lack excitement and passion, but by no means excludes ecstasy;

asserts to

—

it is

known

well

that besides a passionate, there

is

also

an en-

tirely restful, ecstasy, which, for the time being, petrifies a

man, or causes him to If

we

inquire

motionless as in deep sleep.

lie

what the prophets themselves

relate concern-

ing their experience in such prophetic periods, a real

ence

may

be observed.

At one

time the seizure

is

differ-

violent, at

another time one scarcely receives the impression that a ure has taken place.

When

i.e. as though they are put into a This admits of no other explanation,

the impression of a 1^37, strait-jacket

by the

seiz-

that seizure comes they receive

Spirit.

except that they lost the normal working of their senses and

common use of their limbs. There is an lad laliivali which takes hold of them Avhich indicates that the pressure came not gradually, but suddenly, upon them. Sometimes a

the

;

" fall "

is

wanted

the result of this

;

they

fell

forward, not because they

down, but because their muscles were paralyzed, and, filled with terror, they fell to the ground. Meanwhile they perceived a glow from within which put them as to kneel

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