False Visions of Haji-Georgis, the Elder

Lives of Athonite ascetics. Elder Haji-Georgis, a Greek († 1886).

One day Haji-Georgis, upon temptation of demons, has left his elder, the demons began to please him and in the form of angels were going up to the sky and descended; at which Haji-Georgis has noticed in actions of some haste. They forced him to worship them and promised to give him the grace of the Holy Spirit; but when Haji-Georgis called his elder’s prayers, all this disappeared. 

On another occasion, while Haji-Georgis still lived at his elder’s, a demon appeared to him as a young man with a mule, who began to invite him to his home, promising that he and his comrades would make him their elder and he would live well with them; But Haji-Georgis understood the devil’s illusion, and then he saw the demon and the mule going up in the air and disappearing.

https://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/134-false-visions/986-false-visions-of-haji-georgis-the-elder

Who Truly Repents, Is Never Affected by Spiritual Delusion

Hieroschemamonk Sergius (Vesnin). “Letters of an Athonite”.

Hieroschemamonk Sergius (Vesnin)

Only self-willed people are affected by spiritual delusion

That is what Mr.D writes:

3) No one dares, moved either by love or charity, to break into solitude of Athonite hermits, who, as it is to believe, sometimes end up their long repentance with insanity (p.162)

A truly educated and kind person, it seems, fears the very thought of such a mistreat of repentants leave alone the printed word of this kind. Were there any examples in our Church history, in the books of our Holy Fathers, to our knowledge any hermits of far deserts, absorbed in contemplatives lives of their own, having reached purity and chastity, overcoming their own mortal nature, considering all devil’s tricks and fears of the deserts nothing more than a childish game – were there any among those ascetics who ended up their lives in the desert as insane ones?

Can our God be so strict and unfair to crown with folly and insanity (*) any true repentance, labour and seeds of self-denial committed because of love to Him? Should somebody agree with Mr. D.’s wrong position just tell me – we will discuss this in details, considering history, to give the opinion of Mr. D its true value.

St Antony truly said, “A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, 'You are mad; you are not like us.”

How true are these words of this great beacon to the universe regarding modern enlightened people and monks! The former consider the latter louts for they are not competent in politics or other subjects of the distracted great world.