The Ascent of Mount CarmelChapter VII. The evils inflicted on the soul by the knowledge of supernatural things if reflected upon. ‘Their number

The spiritual man exposes himself to five kinds of evils, if he attends to, and reflects on, that knowledge, and those forms, which are impressed upon his mind by the things which pass through it in a supernatural way.

The first is frequent illusions, mistaking one thing for another.

The second is proximate occasions of presumption or vain glory.

The third is the opportunities of deceiving, which they furnish to the devil.

The fourth is hindrance to union with God in hope.

The fifth is low views of God for the most part.

2. As to the first evil, it is clear that if the spiritual man attends to, and reflects upon, these notions and forms, he must be frequently deceived in his judgment about them. For as no man can thoroughly comprehend what passes, in the order of nature, into his imagination, or have a sound and certain opinion about it; much less will he be able to decide correctly about supernatural things, which are beyond our understanding and of rare occurrence. He will frequently attribute to God what is after all but fancies, and to the evil spirit what is from God, and to God what is from satan. Very frequently, good or evil to others or to himself will be present to him through these forms or figures: and he will consider them most certain and true, and yet they will be nothing else but utter falsehoods. Other impressions made upon him he will consider false, though they are true; this, however, I consider the safer course of the two, for it ‘usually proceeds out of humility.

3. But if he is not deceived as to their truth, he may be as to their kind and the value to be set upon them; he may look upon that which is trifling as important, and on what is important as trifling. And as to their nature, he may consider what his imagination presents to him to be of this or that kind, when it is not; putting ‘darkness for light, and light for darkness, bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.’¹ Finally, if he escapes delusion in one thing, it will be surprising if he does in the next; for even if he abstains from determining anything in the matter, it is sufficient, if he attends to it at all, to bring some detriment upon himself, if not the precise one of which I am now speaking, yet some one of the others of which I shall immediately speak.

4. The duty, therefore, of the spiritual man is, if he wishes to escape from the delusions of his own judgment, not to decide himself upon his own state or feelings, or what such visions, knowledge, or impressions may mean. He ought not to desire to know anything about them, nor give heed to them, except for the purpose of manifesting them to his confessor, that he may learn from him how to empty his memory of these apprehensions, or what in every case may be most expedient for him, in the same spirit of detachment. For be these things what they may, they cannot help us to love God so much as the least act of earnest faith and hope done in the emptiness of all things.