Contemplative Haven

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“I no longer know anything, I do not want to know anything except to know Him, to share in His sufferings, to become like Him in His death. Those whom God has foreknown He has also predestined to become conformed to the image of His divine Son, the One crucified by love. When I am wholly identified with this divine Exemplar, when I have wholly passed into Him and He into me, then I will fulfill my eternal vocation: the one for which God has chosen me in Him in principio, the one I will continue in aeternum when, immersed in the bosom of my Trinity, I will be the unceasing praise of His glory, Laudem gloriae ejus.”
(From the First Day of her Last Retreat)

St. Teresa refers to intellectual visions as ’sublime’, and tells us that, “it is not fitting for those who live on earth to understand them in such a way that they can describe them.” She writes that, in an intellectual vision, one may be shown many things which are indescribable, such as, “a host of angels, with their Lord”, but that it is not with the eyes of the body [corporeal vision] or with the eyes of the soul [imaginary vision], but “by means of an admirable kind of knowledge.”

In, “Christian Perfection and Contemplation“, Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange explains that with an intellectual vision, an object is manifested to the intellect, “without any actual dependance on sensible images.” It can be brought about either by ideas which the intellect has already acquired, and which are then, “supernaturally co-ordinated or modified”, or by ideas infused by God, “which are sometimes of angelic order.” Father Garrigou-Lagrange tells us that intellectual visions require infused light, “that of the gift of wisdom or prophecy.”

Sometimes an intellectual vision is rapid in nature, and in this case Father Garrigou-Lagrange explains that it will be clear and distinct, “a sort of intuition of divine truths or of created things in God.” St. Teresa describes this type of intellectual vision in Chapter 28 of her Autobiography; she writes: “…through the intellectual vision…we are given an understanding of how God is powerful, that He can do all things, that He commands all and governs all, and that His love permeates all things.”

But in, Interior Castle, St. Teresa concentrates on a different type of intellectual vision, one that can last, “for many days – sometimes for more than a year.” She tells us that it may happen that the soul becomes, “conscious that Jesus Christ Our Lord is near to it, though it cannot see Him either with the eyes of the body or with those of the soul.” St. Teresa experienced this prolonged intellectual vision of the Lord herself, although she uses the third person when describing the experience: “She was conscious that He was walking at her right hand, but this consciousness arose, not from those senses which tell us that another person is near us, but in another and a subtler way which is indescribable.”

As opposed to a rapid intellectual vision, which we have seen is clear and distinct, Father Garrigou-Lagrange explains that this type of prolonged intellectual vision is obscure and indistinct. St. Teresa was very aware that Jesus was beside her for extended periods, and although she could not understand how she knew this to be true, she was absolutely certain about it. Father Garrigou-Lagrange tells us that an intellectual vision of this type, “manifests with certitude the presence of the object without any detail as to its intimate nature.”

Sometimes, rather than Jesus, the felt presence is that of a saint or the Blessed Virgin Mary. The soul knows exactly who it is, even though the presence is not visible. The purpose of this type of intellectual vision appears to be the companionship it provides, which strengthens and gladdens the soul. St. Teresa describes this, again in the third person: “For she saw plainly that it was a great help to her to be habitually thinking of God wherever she went and to be taking such care to do nothing which would displease Him because she felt that He was always looking at her.”

In, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, St. John of the Cross tells us that we can recognize the divine origin of these intellectual visions by their effects, which are deep peace, holy joy, profound humility, and unshakable attachment to virtue.

Of the prolonged intellectual vision, St. Teresa says:

“[it] brings a special knowledge of God, and from this constant companionship is born a most tender love toward His Majesty, and yearnings, even deeper than those already described, to give oneself wholly up to His service, and a great purity of conscience; for the Presence Which the soul has at its side makes it sensitive to everything.”

Note: Anyone who wishes to leave a comment, please feel free to do so; but just to let you know that the next post will be on “Intellectual Visions”, if you wish to wait and see how St. Teresa explains the difference between the two.

When a soul receives an imaginary vision, the Lord gives it, “a clear revelation of His sacred Humanity, either as He was when He lived in the world, or as He was after His resurrection; … he does this so quickly that we might liken the action to a flash of lightning…” An imaginary vision, “far exceeds all that our imagination and understanding can compass,” and the soul knows that it is Jesus in the vision because, “He reveals Himself quite clearly as the Lord of Heaven and earth.”

Speed is one of the telltale signs that marks an imaginary vision. It must pass quickly, because the soul’s interior sight could not withstand the radiance of this type of vision any more than one’s human eyes could withstand staring directly at the sun: “The brilliance of this vision is like that of infused light or of a sun covered with some material of the transparency of a diamond…”

St. Teresa explains that if a person is able to look for a long time at the Lord, she believes that this would not be an imaginary vision, but only a, “striking idea [which] creates a picture in the imagination: but this will be a dead image by comparison with the other.” With the simple imagination, explains St. Teresa, a person usually builds up the picture little by little, whereas with an imaginary vision, “all of a sudden the whole vision is revealed.” Another distinguishing feature of a true imaginary vision is that the individual is not only, “far from expecting to see anything”, but the essence of the vision is something which has never even entered the person’s mind. The person has no control over the vision; as Father Thomas Dubay explains in, Fire Within:

“It all happens exactly as the Lord wishes; there is no inducing or stopping it. Desire to see or not to see has no effect. If the recipient even tries to focus on some specific aspect of the vision, it simply ceases. God is in entire control.”

Neither are these to be confused with corporeal visions, those seen with the human eye. St. Teresa says that, “the medium by which all such things [imaginary visions] are seen”, is “interior sight”. St. Teresa emphasizes that an imaginary vision is not like a painting; she describes it as being, “really alive, and sometimes even speaks to the soul and shows it things both great and secret.” She tells us: “Almost invariably the soul on which God bestows this favour remains in rapture…”

One must never, “beseech or desire Him to lead you along this road” of imaginary visions. St. Teresa gives us six reasons why not:

1. it shows a lack of humility;
2. a person desirous of visions would be “quite certain” to be deceived by the devil;
3. the desire would cause the imagination to persuade the person that he is really having imaginary visions, when in reality, he is not;
4. it is presumptuous to wish to choose one’s own path instead of allowing the Lord to lead us;
5. the trials of those who receive imaginary visions are heavy and of many kinds, and one does not know whether or not one could bear them;
6. they may bring one loss rather than the gain that one desired.

As always, St. Teresa reminds us of the fact that imaginary visions, as with any consolations or favours, are bestowed according to the will of the Lord:

“And you must note that you will merit no more glory for having received many of these favours; on the contrary, the fact that you are receiving more imposes on you greater obligations to serve.”