Chapter 96

To Avoid Deviation Into Spiritual Delusion One Can Only Do So With the Help of an Experienced Guide or Mutual Guidance

The right path of ascent through the degrees of prayer is the right path of ascent to communion with God, or in other words, it is true mysticism. Deviations from the right ascent of prayer to perfection are at the same time a deviation into false mysticism. It is not difficult to notice the place for this deviation, or the first point of departure into deviation: this is the transition from verbal prayer, according to appointed prayers, to one’s own prayer, otherwise, the transition from external prayer-words to inner, noetic prayer. To remove error from this point will mean to remove the deviation into false mysticism. The deviation into false mysticism, according to the fathers, ascetics of watchfulness, is called a deviation into spiritual delusion. We have seen these deviations from rightness on the path of movement from without to within... Some get stuck on imagination, others stop at intellectual-cerebral practice. Those who take the true step are those who, passing through these stations, proceed to the heart and hide themselves in it. But even here a delusion is still possible, because part of prayer of the mind in the heart is one’s own work, labor; and where we are, there is always the possibility of falling into spiritual delusion, just as into sin. Safety begins when pure and non-wandering prayer is established in the heart, which is a sign of the overshadowing of the heart by tangible grace, because here feelings are formed that have been trained in discernment of good and evil. Thus, from the very beginning of the movement from without to within until this blessed moment, there is possible a deviation into false mysticism. How then to avoid this misfortune? The fathers indicate one way for this: do not remain alone, have an experienced counselor and guide. If you do not have one, let two or three come together and guide one another in the light of the fathers’ writings. I know of no other path to avoid errors of mysticism, except perhaps the special grace-filled guidance which was granted to only a few of God’s chosen. But this is an exception; we speak of paths of life common to all. (16, 233–235)