For Neglect of Monastic Life, the Hierodeacon Was Punished with Paralysis

Hegumen Mark (Lozinsky). "The patericon of the preacher."

In the early 1870s, someone from the “white” deacons, father Joasaph entered the monastery of St. Sergius. His daughter was a nun in the Khotkovo convent. Once, father Joasaph served in the church of the Great Martyr Barbara by the Lavra Hospital. Having performed the litany before the Cherubic Hymn, he entered the altar and managed to take only a few steps to the holy table, when with indescribable anxiety on his face fell without feelings. He was transferred to the hospital, where he lay unconscious for three days. When he came to his senses, he told his spiritual father the following: “As soon as I entered the altar, I saw an angel standing by the holy table in a sticharion, girdled by an orarion under the breast, and with a sword in his hand. He quickly approached me, removed the sticharion and the orarion from me and, hitting my arms and legs with a fire sword, said: “I would quicker take your soul out of your body for your neglect of monastic life, but look who is interceding for you before God” - and pointed a finger to the altar. There I saw Venerable Sergius kneeling to the table of oblation and praying fervently. Hierodeacon Joasaph, paralyzed, lay motionless for about a year. Throughout this time, he shed tears of repentance to God, asking Him to forgive his sins. Father Joasaph, apparently, was forewarned about the day of his death. One morning, he asked his daughter, who kept vigil over him, to get him funeral clothes and put on him. Being in full memory, he received the Holy Mysteries and, addressing some invisible visitors, said with a sense of gladness: “You have come,” and he died immediately. (Trinity Lavra flowers from the spiritual meadow. P. 19.)

A Penance from God after Compliments

A story included only in English edition of "My Elder Joseph the Hesychast".

Only once in his life did Elder Joseph not wake up for his vigil. One day Papa-Ananias said to him, “Geronda, is there anyone else in the entire Holy Mountain who mindfully and seriously practices hesychasm with praxis and theoria? I doubt it. You are the only one.” 

He was momentarily enticed by this compliment, and his face looked as if he was in a daze. But a second later he regained his senses and exclaimed, “Get behind me, Satan!” and punched himself on the thigh with all his might. “Forgive me, my God!” As a “penance” for him, God allowed him to be so sleepy the following night that he slept right through his vigil until late in the morning. To make up for not doing his prayer rule that night, he did it during the day instead of working. 

After experiencing how easy it is to accept vainglorious thoughts and seeing how much damage they do, he later wrote to someone: “Be careful … not to compliment one another in each other’s presence, for if compliments harm the perfect, how much more harmful they will be to you who are still weak.”

https://orthochristian.com/125452.html

The Elder was Attacked by Demons due to Sloth

From Patericon

An elder lived in an idol's temple.

The demons came to him, saying:

- Get out of our place. The elder answered:

“You have no place.”

Demons began to scatter his branches. The elder patiently gathered them. After that, one demon, taking his hand, pulled him from the temple. When he dragged the old man to the door, the man bumped up against the door with his other hand and exclaimed:

- Jesus! Help me!

The demon immediately ran away, and the elder began to cry. The Lord asked him what he was crying about. The elder answered:

“I cry that demons dare to possess a man and do this to him.”

The Lord said to him:

“You were negligent. When you sought Me, you see how soon I appeared to you.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/817-the-elder-was-attacked-by-demons-due-to-sloth

Many Misfortunes May Be Permitted by God Due to Sloth

Venerable Isaac the Syrian. "Ascetical Homilies".

217. Therefore, the Lord leaves the reasons for humility and contrition of the heart in intensified prayer to His Saints, so that those who love Him will come closer to Him through humility. And often frightens them with the passions of their nature and the creeps of shameful and unclean thoughts, and often with reproaches, insults and slaps from people, sometimes with bodily illnesses and ailments, at other times, with poverty and lack of necessary things, then with excruciating strong fear, abandonment, obvious attacks of the devil, and various terrible incidents. And all this in order for them to have reasons for humility and not to fall into the sleep of sloth.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/815-many-misfortunes-may-be-permitted-by-god-due-to-sloth

How Archimandrite Parthenius Got Healed of Sloth

Priest Sergiy Tishkun. Ilya Kabanov. “People of the Greek Church”.

Hieromonk Ephimius (Jafarov) tells the story:

Our elder [Archimandrite Parthenius Murelatos] told such a story. As a young monk, he had the obedience of a forester, lived in the forest. There is a church, there are cells, and he watched the forest, who cuts it down, what is taken out. And there he fell into a kind of strange despondency and negligence, completely stopped praying and reading his monastic prayer rule. In this state, he spent a whole year.

He once walked and wandered through the woods, returned to his cell and lay down on the bed disheartened. His eyes fell on the icon of the Mother of God ... And suddenly it dawned on him, and he prayed with tears: "Mother of God, help me, I can’t do anything! Help me to overcome this condition." As soon as he said this, he immediately felt warmth in his heart and felt a surge of spiritual strength. He said: "I jumped up and made four hundred bows to the ground at once without concealing anything. I began to pray, and everything went away at once. The state of sloth - everything disappeared."

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/814-how-archimandrite-parthenius-got-healed-of-sloth

On Danger of Delusion in Relation to Prayer

On the Prayer of Jesus. From the ascetic essays of Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov.

The Danger of Delusion

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

I offer fathers and brothers my poor advice, begging them not to reject my poor advice. Do not force yourself prematurely to the discovery within yourself of the action of the Prayer of the Heart. Prudent caution is most necessary, especially in our time when it is almost impossible to find a satisfactory guide in these matters, when the ascetic must himself force his way gropingly by the direction of the writings of the Holy Fathers to the treasury of spiritual knowledge, and also must gropingly select for himself what is suited to his needs. While living according to the commandments of the Gospel, attentively practice the Prayer of Jesus according to the method of St. John Climacus, combining prayer with weeping, having as the beginning and end of prayer repentance. In its own time, known to God, the action of the Prayer of the Heart will be revealed of itself. Such action, revealed by the touch of the finger of God, is more excellent than that which is acquired by vigorously forcing oneself by means of material aids. It is more excellent in many respects. It is far more extensive and voluminous, far more abundant. It is quite safe from delusion and other dangers. He who receives in this way sees in what he receives only the mercy of God, a gift of God, while he who attains by the vigorous use of material aids, though seeing the gift of God, cannot fail to see his own effort and labor, he cannot fail to see his own mechanical aid which he has used, he cannot fail to ascribe to it special importance. This in the subtle way of the spirit is a considerable defect, a considerable obstacle, a considerable hindrance to the development of spiritual proficiency. For the development of spiritual proficiency there is no end, no limit. An insignificant, unnoticed hope or trust in something outside God can stop the advance of progress and proficiency, in which faith in God is leader, guide, legs and wings. “Christ for the believer is all,” said St. Mark. (Mark the Ascetic, “On the Spiritual Law” 4, Philokalia 1, p. 110)

Psychologist Vyacheslav Borovsky, about Pride

Psychologist Vyacheslav Borovsky speaking of pride as the cause of neurosis (TV program “First Nature”).

Vyacheslav Borovsky

Part 1.

Hello. This is again the mental health program. So we are talking about pride. What kind of problem is this and how do we recognize it?

As a doctor, I have recently been most often visited by people suffering from neuroses. Neuroses are such a mental pathology that few people now know in psychiatry. This includes various kinds of fears, anxiety, obsessive states, obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions. This includes astheno-depressive disorders, when a person gets tired very quickly, and his mood drops, and he becomes indifferent, he falls into apathy. Neuroses are the most common mental pathology for today. However, not understanding the true cause of these neuroses, psychiatry is trying to make itself distant from them. They are called “neuroses” - in my opinion, quite unsuitably, and this name suggests that the nervous system is unsound. It is unsound, of course, but secondarily. And this whole group of diseases itself was referred to the so-called borderline pathology, artificially separated from psychiatry, because there are no psychoses, there is no psycho-production, the person thinks critically, he understands that some kind of trouble is happening to him, but he cannot do anything – the man has lost his composure; he is not his own master. And the newly emerging science of psychotherapy has actively taken up this pathology and is trying to help these people. But as far as we can see, the secular approach of psychotherapy is also ineffective. It can temporarily relieve the condition of a neurotic. But no psychotherapy based on a rational approach to a person can save him from this problem, heal, replenish this deficiency, which was formed in the human will and in human feelings.

So, the whole problem is pride as the initial spiritual state of a person. This is our main pathology. And the whole diverse palette of the so-called neuroses is the manifestation of pride. Well, how can it be otherwise? After all, what is a neurosis? Here in all these manifestations that I have listed. Yes, this is a person’s loss of self-control. Yes, man ceases to be his own master. He really has no power over his thoughts, nor over his desires, nor over his actions. Moreover, with a healthy rest of his mind, he adequately reflects over the situation and understands that he is sick, that something terrible is happening to him, something destructive, but he cannot resist it. And why did this happen?

Grace Leaves Because of Conceit

Saint Theophan the Recluse. "What is spiritual life and how to tune into it?"

St. Theophan the Recluse

Be afraid of self-conceit, it is the first enemy. Our diligence before God, even only intentional, already gives rise to the thought of a certain difference from others and even from ourselves – the ones who we were in the past, especially when we manage to do something on this path. As soon as we stand for a while in this condition, it seems to be something marvelous, and we begin to dream of ourselves as perfect persons, doing wonderful things. And this is the enemy who tempts us in order to give rise to conceit. Whoever succumbs and falls into this conceit, is immediately abandoned by the grace, it leaves him alone. Then the enemy seizes him as a helpless prey. 

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/801-grace-leaves-because-of-conceit

There was a Danger for a Woman to Fall into Delusion in Case of Tonsure

From the life of the venerable Ambrose of Optina (compiled by Archimandrite Agapit Belovidov).

St. Ambrose of Optina

“For five years,” said the late elder himself, “I had the intention to go to Kiev to visit my homeland on the way in order to tonsure my old mother to the Lesser Schema secretly, but I didn’t have a chance to go.”

Let us add to this that the elder Ambrose during his entire residence in the monastery because of pain did not go anywhere far from it. He was only once in Belyov (40 miles from Optina) and it was for obedience, as assigned by the elder Makarius.

“My mother”, the late elder continued his story, “was always weak, sick. I remember that in summer she sat on the stove, but she lived longer than the father, despite the fact that he had good health. Father died at 60, and mother at 75. She lived a godly life and went by her own way to salvation. But if I had tonsured her, then she could have become confused and would not have got anywhere (neither with the laymen, nor with the nuns). And I thank God that I was not able to do this. ” 

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/800-there-was-a-danger-for-a-woman-to-fall-into-delusion-in-case-of-tonsure

No Need for the Humble to Be Afraid of Delusion

Saint Theophan the Recluse. Letters. Issue 4. From the letter 322.

No need to be afraid of delusion. It happens with the proud people only... who begin to think that as the warmth has entered their hearts, this is already the end of perfection. And here is just the beginning, and, perhaps, it is not durable. For both warmth and peace of heart are natural, the fruit of concentration. But you have to work tooth and nail, and wait until the natural is replaced by the grace. Anyway, the best of all is never to consider yourself to have achieved something, but always see yourself as a beggar, naked, blind and worthless.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/799-no-need-for-the-humble-to-be-afraid-of-delusion

Warning against the Delusion

Letters of St. Macarius of Optina. Volume VI. Letter 109.

St. Macarius of Optina

...We find it worth to offer a remark for consideration for you, mother: the honorable A. has come to your convent with a very good disposition and desire to “seek Jesus,” that is, to attain His love. This her expression often reached us. This thing is very good and virtuous, but it needs to have a solid foundation, for love is tempted by the enemy. Due to her ardor and purity of soul, she will soon see comforting and sweet feelings in herself - this will give hope to her in finding Jesus and His love. But this feeling is very dangerous and close to delusion: not yet having a struggle with passions, not knowing own weakness and not yet getting humbled, comforting feelings are not reliable. Although they come, but in order to be careful to get them and not to be under the delusion with them, but to consider herself unworthy of that... Thus, we suggest that you take care to warn her if she has any sweet feelings so that she does not rely on them and does not consider them to be great; they will leave her soon. Otherwise, being under the delusion and having accepted them at the wrong time, she will soon lose them; and when there is already time, he will not receive them, like a careless and stupid farmer who, when he saw growth, would consider it a fruit and pick it: he will never receive the fruit in this case. Many people suffered, going this way, and went astray; instead of humility, having too high opinion of themselves, they attained arrogance... Remind her that the love of God is tempted by the enemy: various passions will arise, and it is necessary to struggle with them, and whoever has humility and wisdom, will have relief in the struggle; but he who has a sense of grandeur about himself, or who reassures himself of comforting feelings, faces a tougher struggle, so that, learning his weakness, he would humble himself. But for them defeat is unbearable and leads to cowardice: and this is a sign of their pride. One must be afraid of the delusion, which is diverse: either, having seduced with imaginary holiness, it will blind one’s spiritual eyes, or, by a flash of joyful and comforting actions, having lost them, it will fall into various passions; and when you lead her in a moderate and constant way, engaging with her attentively, then something good can be developed out of her over time ... and she should reveal all her words, deeds, thoughts and actions to you, for whatsoever doth make manifest is light, and everything hidden is darkness (Eph. 5, 13) 

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/798-warning-against-the-delusion

Venerable Niphon Healed a Monk from Delusion

From the life of St. Niphon of Athos, who lived in the XIV century

Another monk living in a separate cell relied on himself and on his own knowledge, and therefore decided not to disclose his thoughts to a more experienced spiritual father. So he lived in the way as his thought prompted him. As a result, the unfortunate monk fell into delusion and mistook an angel of darkness for an Angel of light. The monk was taught by him to do many improper deeds, fell into pride and thought that he excels all people with his virtues. Once he came to St. Niphon. When asked why he came, he answered:

“To look at you, the one who is famous for his virtue.”

The saint remarked on this:

“How is it that you, so great and magnificent, have condescended to coming to me, insignificant and wretched?

“God gave me benefaction, and the gift that I have is from God.”

“Brother, the gift of God is the humility of mind. The thought from God is to think of yourself that you are the last of all; the thought from God is to achieve great virtues and think that you are the worst of all. And what you imagined about yourself is the delusion from Satan being the one who taught you everything.”

After such words of the saint, the monk seemed to come to his senses and said:

- Father, if my pride comes from the evil one, then, I ask you, drive it away with your prayer and save me from arrogance.

Raising the eyes of his soul to heaven, blessed Niphon said:

- Lord Jesus Christ, who sought and found a lost sheep and counted it as being among other non-lost sheep, who banished the mental wolf who intended to kill it, and showed us the way of salvation. Thou, Lord, deliver from the arrogance of demons this servant of yours, who has fallen into delusion through his simplicity and the treachery of the deceitful devil, let him know Thou, the true God, who suffered the cross and death for the sake of us, so he may glorify Thy holy name forever and ever. Amen.

So the saint prayed, and immediately a veil fell from the brother’s eyes, and he clearly saw what evil he, miserable, fell into. Since then, having gotten rid of satanic arrogance, he began to lead a pious life with prudence and humility.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/797-venerable-niphon-healed-a-monk-from-delusion

Is it Necessary to Confess the Sin that Is Forsaken?

Question to a priest

Last winter, after worshiping the relics of the Saint Blessed Matrona of Moscow, miraculously, sin which I could not overcome for many years left me. Do I need to confess this sin, if it is in the past?

Answer of the priest Dimitry Vasiliev, the clergyman of the church of Saint Princess Olga Equal-to-the-Apostles in Kalininsk.

Even if you have forsaken the sin through the prayers of St. Matrona, this does not mean that you do not need to confess it. If the sin included, for example, accidental killing? Even if not a single person was killed after that one for decades, does this mean that confession is superfluous? However, concealing the sin in confession, we fall under the words that we hear every time before we are covered with the epitrachilion: "If you conceal something from me, you will have a double sin." Find the strength in yourself to open up to the confessor, because even when you come to the doctor whom you know, you will not be embarrassed by the fact that your illness is very personal in nature – here the situation is the same.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/concealment-of-sins-in-confession/796-is-it-necessary-to-confess-the-sin-that-is-forsaken

Scary Demonic Vision Due to Concealment of Sins

"The Great Watch". From the cell notes of Hieromonk Jerome.

One of devoted people, wishing to retire to the monastery, asked the hegumen to accept him to the cenoby. After many of his desires expressed before the hegumen, he was asked to live a little as he lives and go to obedience, which was then assigned to him. From the very moment he received obedience, he showed a spirit of defiance by the fact that he did not like obedience or the cell. When the hegumen made a remark to him, he was very alarmed, but, however, he went on convinced by an older one, who told him about the power of obedience, he apparently set to work. And when he just got down to it, a demon suddenly appeared in the middle of the day and said to him: “And you dared to leave me! Didn’t I console you, giving you various pleasures at the request of your heart? ”Of course, the newcomer was very scared, because after that wriggling snakes and other reptiles appeared, he began to cry and scream hysterically.

Then they told the confessor, who instructed him not to cry and not to be afraid of anything. When asked why this happened, he spoke out that he concealed his weaknesses in confession, not wanting to be ashamed of the confessor. Then the first days he felt a great fear, but when he made the sign of the Cross, then everything stopped. This novice, however, lived in the monastery for only about three months and, embarrassed more and more, left for his homeland.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/concealment-of-sins-in-confession/795-scary-demonic-vision-due-to-concealment-of-sins

The Reason of the Cooling of Faith in God May Be the Lack of Real Repentance for Some Sin

Questions to a priest on the Spas TV channel.

Protopriest Alexander Nikolsky.

A woman, let’s suppose, comes up to me, and says: now I haven’t taken Communion for a year already. I say: why? She says: I don’t know. I say: what sin did you commit a year ago? “I betrayed my husband, (well, for example), but I repented of it.” “What does it mean you have repented?” – “Well, I said about it in the Confession.” “Do you consider yourself wrong that you cheated on your husband?” – “No, you know, father, this betrayal has given me a lot”. I say: “What did it give you?” – “Well, such a spiritual, moral development, something else, something else. It’s even hard for me to consider this a sin.” “That's why you don’t go to the church.” The only thing that separates us from God is sin. Sin separates us from God. And when a person formally mentioned his sin in Confession - well, some, I mentioned one for example, maybe the other one, but he didn’t repent of it heartily with the contrition of the heart, he didn’t reject it internally, he kept the form of repentance, but there was no repentance, - this led him inevitably to cooling. Therefore, you just need to find out what sin lies at the basis of this cooling, or maybe it is a mortal sin, or maybe it is like when I said that football is more interesting than the Liturgy, and begin to repent of this sin, struggle, and force yourself to do the opposite.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/concealment-of-sins-in-confession/794-the-reason-of-the-cooling-of-faith-in-god-may-be-the-lack-of-real-repentance-for-some-sin

Shame to Confess Sins (Questions to a Priest)

Question to a priest

February 11, 2013

Hello! The situation is such that I committed one sin. I repent of it, but I can’t confess to the priest - I’m embarrassed and ashamed. I can’t tell him that. Before God, I repented of everything long ago. Is it necessary to confess to the priest?

Katia

Katia, it is a must to confess to the priest. Sin is destroyed, it loses its strength only when we expose (reveal) it. The devil is afraid when he is exposed, when his deeds are revealed, and he runs away. You feel false shame – you should be ashamed to sin. Until sin is revealed in confession, it is not forgiven, and this sin will be with you until you repent in it during the confession to the priest.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

---

March 29, 2013

Hello, Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)! Thank you very much for your advice! I have one more question. But what if, during confession, you cannot confess of some sin? If you are ashamed, scary and uncomfortable talking about it? I very much repent of my sins and dream of confessing. But I’m scared, I don’t know why. Please tell me what is to be done. Thank you.

Marina

Marina, you need to imagine that you are standing before God Himself, who has known everything for a long time already, He knows everything. And now, just like a father in front of a child, He is already ready to forgive and not punish, waiting for acknowledgment - please forgive me, yes, it was I who did it.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko) 

Communion When Concealing Sins

Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman). Unworthy communion as an aspect of spiritual life.

Report at the conference "Life of the Eucharistic Community".

Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman)

I hesitated for a long time which topic of the report I should choose. Today it is no longer necessary to insist on the benefits of frequent communion, because it is becoming a tradition of our Church. At the latest Bishops’ Council, decisions were made both about proper preparation for communion and about the need to receive communion often. For example, by the decisions of this Council, believers are allowed to take daily communion at the Bright Week, which at the time of my youth seemed completely impossible. Reflecting on what may be interesting and important for all of us, I decided to raise a question, perhaps reflecting the negative aspects of the Eucharistic life, however, relevant and useful. This is a question of unworthy communion.

First of all, I want to remind you of the famous words of the Apostle Paul from the First Epistle to the Corinthians about how the sacrament of the Eucharist was established and with what feelings and thoughts we should receive it.

This is what the apostle Paul says: For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. [1 Cor. 11, 23–26].

The Ladder about Discernment

St. John of Sinai. "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". Step 26.

On discernment of thoughts, passions and virtues

1. Discernment in beginners is true knowledge of themselves; in intermediate souls it is a spiritual sense that faultlessly distinguishes what is truly good from what is of nature and opposed to it; and in the perfect it is the knowledge which they possess by divine illumination, and which can enlighten with its lamp what is dark in others. Or perhaps, generally speaking, discernment is, and is recognized as, the assured understanding of the divine will on all occasions, in every place and in all matters; and it is only found in those who are pure in heart, and in body and in mouth.

2. He who has piously destroyed within him the three passions [gluttony, cupidity, vainglory] has destroyed the five [lust, anger, despair, despondency, pride (St. Gregory of Sinai, ch. 91)] too; but he who has been negligent about the former will not conquer even one passion.

3. Discernment is undefiled conscience and purity of feeling.

4. Let no one on seeing or hearing something supernatural in the monastic way of life fall into unbelief out of ignorance; for where the supernatural God dwells, much that is supernatural happens.

5. Every satanic conflict in us comes from these three generic causes: either from negligence, or from pride, or from the envy of the demons. The first is pitiable, the second is disastrous, but the third is blessed.

6. After God, let us have our conscience as our aim and rule in all things, so that we may know which way the wind is blowing and set our sails accordingly. 

About the Temptations During the Jesus Prayer

Letters of St. Ambrose of Optina. Letter 373.

Saint Ambrose of Optina

The enemy confuses you with various perplexities. The Holy Fathers advise not to be afraid, when calling the name of God, especially since you started this work not on your own, but with the blessing. And do not assign special significance to things you do not understand, not rejecting and not accepting them, as the venerable Mark the Ascetic advised to spiritual babes, such as the fact that you saw Christ crucified inside the heart, and the Savior sitting in prison in red clothes, and some strange light. Leave this, and everything similar to this to the will of God, telling yourself: "Only God knows what is good and salutary." Read all places about delusion in the Philokalia and beware of the indicated signs of delusion. Leave the rest to the will of God. You write that when you pray, you look at the heart. The Holy Fathers advise, during prayer, to look inside the heart, and not from above, and not from the side, and especially if the attention of the mind descends below the heart, then lusts of the flesh arise. You write that on the feast of St. John the Evangelist you was exhausted, left the church and went to the cell and, lying on your bed, saw a running enemy, in all its disgrace. Henceforth, if you are exhausted in the church, sit or lie down, but do not leave. In general, know as you yourself read in the books of the Holy Fathers that the enemy does not rebel against anything as much as against the prayer of Jesus. Therefore, as you have begun to keep the Jesus prayer, then do not leave it, but continue, trusting in the mercy and help of God. The Lord and the Queen of Heaven are strong to save us from the evils and troubles inflicted by spiritual enemies.

You also write that some of your sisters refer to the Athos elders. But you do not know them, and they do not know you. Therefore, such a referral cannot be convenient. In addition, in your letter it was said that you had three days of strong excitement of the flesh... Probably, you judged someone, or you were subjected to it for humility and trial.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/785-about-the-temptations-during-the-jesus-prayer

An Ordinary Person Cannot Bear True Visions from God

Question to Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov in the Radonezh radio studio. October 29, 2006.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov

Question.

The servant of God Sergius asks: In the life of the elder Paisios of Mount Athos there are examples of how the enemy can lead a person into delusion with false visions. The elder, of course, coped with it. But how can we, Orthodox Christians, avoid falling into this delusion? May the Lord save you.

Archpriest Dimitry answers.

There is nothing easier. All visions must be rejected. And that’s all. Because you and I are not elders, we are not of Mount Athos, we are not the men of fervent prayer, we are not saints, we are ordinary sinful people. Therefore, all visions to us - if any - come from the evil. Very simple. And there is no need to philosophize here somehow for a long time. Because a person is blessed with some kind of spiritual vision only in one case - when he can bear it. That’s it. However, an ordinary average person immediately becomes arrogant. Therefore, from God, who knows everything, there can be no such visions that put a person into such terrible conditions.
http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/784-an-ordinary-person-cannot-bear-true-visions-from-god

About Self-justification as a Cause of Delusion

Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). "How to live today. Letters on the spiritual life".

Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev)

* * *

1949

Peace to you, worthy mother Mary!

I have received your letter. You recognize yourself wrong in many ways. I am glad about that. A person who stubbornly justifies himself and blames others is on the wrong track: he will either fail to make any success in spiritual life, or he will inevitably fall into the nets of delusion. Our salvation is not in feats, but in the consciousness, deep, sincere, heartfelt consciousness of our sinfulness, corruption, powerlessness to improve ourselves. This consciousness will result in contrition, crying and some humility, etc.

If there is no such consciousness, and moreover (God save us!), there is self-justification – then all the attempts will be in vain and even arrogance and pride will arise. So, in small and big things, in everyday and spiritual affairs, with yourself and in relations with other people, try to put yourself in the lowest place (according to the Gospel: do not sit in the highest place) - and then you will receive peace for your soul and everything described above, and with them or through them, you will get salvation.

My regards and blessings of God to you, Katya and to everyone you know.

Forgive me for offending you and the rest. Ours give their regards to you. God will forgive you for everything, and I forgive you.

* * *

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/783-about-self-justification-as-a-cause-of-delusion

From the Lack of Sobriety and Repentance, New Converts Fall into Delusion

Question on Soyuz TV channel on December 8, 2013.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov answers, the host is Archpriest Alexander Berezovsky.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov and Archpriest Alexander Berezovsky

Question: In the writings of the holy fathers and in your sermons, sobriety is often mentioned as an extremely desirable condition for success in the Christian life. Define this term as applied to modern laity, if possible, with examples.

Archpriest Dimitry answers:

Sobriety is a derivative of discernment. Besides, sobriety can be considered as a certain step. Discernment is a very high virtue, which many Holy Fathers put even higher than love, because everyone can achieve love, while discernment can not be achieved by everyone. But the first stage of reasoning is sobriety, and every Christian must somehow succeed in this. Because, unfortunately, very often, especially in the beginning of the Christian life, a person falls into some kind of euphoria. It is simply explained. Because, firstly, a person discovers a new world, and this always happens. He experiences a certain fascination - quite legitimate - since he plunges into the two-thousand-year-old tradition. He begins to meaningfully read the Holy Scriptures, because for a person far from tradition, this is generally a closed book. Thirdly, he immediately encounters new, one might say, objects: a church, a priest, vestments, a choir, and icons. And to research everything, dozens of books are needed. He begins to plunge into it, and, of course, he becomes overwhelmed. Many people, when facing churchliness like that, even stop reading secular books - everything seems tasteless. And one more aspect. This is a contact with the church world, and yet there is also the grace-filled life. And the grace of God affects not only our spirit, but also the soul and body. Man is also transformed externally - he is radiant, dozens of miracles happen every day in his life, and he almost flies. And he still does not know how to fly. And much of what he perceives as the direct action of the grace of God is not really this - it is a spiritual perception of his real contact with the grace-filled life. That is, indirectly. Therefore, there is always a danger to take one thing for another. 

How to Get Rid of Delusion?

Question from a viewer of the Soyuz TV channel.

“Received a call from Voronezh: “Your Grace, how to get rid of delusion? Is it possible to get rid of it? And what is needed to be done for this? ”

Archbishop Vikenty (Morar')

The questions are answered by Vikenty, the Archbishop of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye.

“It is better not to fall into delusion than to get rid of it. Of course, getting rid of delusion is very difficult. This is a serious spiritual illness. And we know that some ascetics in monasteries, who fell into a state of delusion were engaged in prayer and abstinence, strict fasting. They fell into delusion, and to get themselves out of this state, they needed a very big work of prayer of the whole monastery, of all the monastery dwellers, so that the Lord would help to get out of the delusion. Therefore, the holy fathers warn us that we should be attentive to ourselves, so as not to get into this serious spiritual illness. What is delusion? This is flattery, a deception of the highest degree - when we are deceived by our consciousness or demonic obsessions that we are on the right path, that we are going the right way of life and leading the right spiritual life. Therefore, we need to always be self-critical, always acknowledge and see our mistakes. There are words of some holy fathers that we should see, notice our sins, like sand on the seashore. Now, when we recognize ourselves as sinners and see our sins, we constantly notice - this is a sign that we are on the right path, not deluded. And when we do not notice this, but only praise ourselves that we are great ascetics, do the right things and do everything right, that’s pride. And pride is the cause of all our spiritual illnesses; and the most terrible disease is deceit, a grand deceit, which brings us to the spiritual death. Therefore, one must be very careful in one’s spiritual life so as not to fall into enemy nets.”

April 2009

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/781-how-to-get-rid-of-delusion

About the Rites of Renunciation of Sectarianism and Occult

Monk John (Adlivankin) and Hegumen Ephraim (Vinogradov). "Pastoral care of the people coming from sects and the occult. The canonical practice of accession and renunciation rites as an instrument of spiritual struggle. The strategies of demonic forces".

Video of talk (in Russian): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTkL8bQSmm4

Monk John: To continue the conversation that took place on February 22 in the Monastery of Optina and dealt with the problems of pastoral care, the practice of accession rites, the problems of the boundary of the Church and the contemporary attitude towards modern children of the Church fallen away from the Church, we asked the famous contemporary writer to participate in our conversation. He is well-known to Orthodox audience as a confessor, it is father Ephraim (Vinogradov) known to the Orthodox public and readers as Hegumen N.

Thank you, farther, that you agreed to take part in this conversation. It seems to us extremely relevant. Those questions that have arisen in this conversation on the part of the clergy, on the part of the Optina brotherhood, and on the part of the priests, require more detailed study and clarification. Therefore, in today's talk, we will be able to give some answers to emerging questions.

Father Ephraim, this is a rather difficult topic: the pastoral care of people who come from sects, or damaged by sects and the occult. The topic, in general, is not so new in the Church, but nowadays, it becomes extremely relevant. You are well-acquainted with the work of the pastoral care center, you are familiar with the materials, documents, we closely cooperate in discussing some problems, developing solutions, and I know that recently you have been often using the canonical approach of accession and renunciation rites for people who for one reason or another were harmed or even fell away from the Church. Undoubtedly, in the vast experience of your pastoral work ... How long have you been a priest, how much have you been doing spiritual work?

Hegumen Ephraim: Well, almost 30 years.

Monk John: Well, in 30 years, probably, many things have come before your eyes. How do you feel about this approach? I know that you, too, have received the blessing to perform the accession rite with regard to people who have fallen away from the Church. It is such a difficult act; it needs a special blessing of the archbishop, the bishop. And, probably, you see from your experience that it gives really positive results. People who for many years for one reason or another could not be healed, did not come to senses and had completely obvious, and sometimes some hidden diseases that can be seen by the confessor, in general, after such an approach, after the implementation of such a practice, they obviously came to their senses. It is true, isn’t it? 

Mysticism and delusion

Prof. A.I. Osipov. "Mysticism and delusion". Lecture at the Moscow Theological Academy, 5th year, 22.01.2007.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7DAVTgCc4A

Prof. A.I. Osipov

I believe that we can start the second semester with a topic that is both urgent, and useful, and necessary for us both in personal terms and in the terms of our communication with other people. I am referring to mysticism. This word is very often used, we hear it, we read about it, we observe different attitudes towards it, but it is very important to get acquainted a little with what it is, and especially with what mysticism relating to the Christian sphere of life is. Well, the word mysticos is more or less clear to you, it is connected with mysteries, with mysteriousness that goes beyond the boundaries of the empirical world, not just with the secrets of nature which physicists and chemists discover to us, as well as astronomers do, but which go beyond the boundaries of the natural world, i.e. it is connected in some way with the spiritual world. Mankind, if we turn to its history, always knew that the other world exists, and not just anywhere, but here, namely in this place. At what point? At any point. If some skillful person managed to pull apart our space, we would see that there was another world. Paul the apostle in one place writes so that now we see it through a glass — that world, through a glass, darkly, i.e. divinatory, and you know that since ancient times people were telling fortunes, and fortune-telling was often associated with mirrors. So, through a glass, darkly, conjecturally, he says face to face that when we throw off these coats of skins, this is our body, our flesh, then, without this barrier, the soul begins to see that world, as it is. Now, these coats of skins do not allow us to see it. Sometimes there are some glimpses, they are very interesting. People have always wondered: what is there? The more so, as numerous facts testified that this world is amazing. In this world, both the past and the future already exist. It is that world where one can see what was in the past. In that world, if you suddenly get there, you can find out what will happen - with a single person, or with people, with someone’s family, tribe, with the world in general, after all. It turns out to have everything already. At least, everything can be seen. How can this be seen? How to understand this? Whole theories were formed about this. Whole religious doctrines tried to make it clear. But the fact itself that the penetration into that world reveals to a person what is not visible here remained for granted during the whole history of the human mind. I say ‘the whole history’, because I will tell you that even this age of the Enlightenment, I say this is the 18th century, the century of subsequent atheism, it itself inflicted a purely intellectual, maybe, blow to this belief, but the vast majority of the world population preserved their belief in the mystical world. The only question that arose was how to get there, in that world, because it was very interesting. Not just interesting but sometimes even important - after all, having learned what would happen, one might take the appropriate steps.

What church is true?

Priest George Maximov. "A question that the Protestants never ask."

Priest George Maximov

When we – Orthodox Christians – talk about the faith with a Protestant, we can hear a variety of questions from him. Those about icons, about the baptism of babies, about the veneration of saints and so on. But there is one question that they will never touch themselves. But it is this question that is the most important, where a fundamental difference between us lies. This question is the teaching about the Church.

What is the Church of Christ? Any Protestant will immediately say that the denomination, to which he currently belongs, is the Church of Christ. Then the question is: when did your denomination appear? The range of answers will vary from the last year to the beginning of the Reformation. Well, where had the church of Christ been before that time?

Many Protestants look at the church history like this: there were apostolic times, and then there was the apostolic Church. And then, allegedly already from the II century, there were distortions in the teachings of the Church. Many bluntly say that the Church lost its apostolic creed because it brought all sorts of false practices and ideas into its purity. It may even be said that "the true Church was destroyed by paganism"[1]. So, starting from the XVI century, from the time of the Reformation, it was them, the Protestants, that allegedly returned the pure apostolic teaching. Well, from the XVI century – if we talk about the "old" Protestants: Lutherans, Calvinists. And “new” Protestants, such as the Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostals, for example, appeared later. Since Protestants are known for being fond of speaking that it is them and their denomination that faithfully follow the Bible in their faith, we will consider their views on the Church precisely through the prism of the Holy Scripture. Let's see if this Protestant idea about the disappeared Church is consistent with the Bible.

The Thought "from God" Began Dictating what to Do

From the book of Hieromonk Joachim (Sabelnikov) "The Great Watch".

Own cell notes of hieromonk Jerome Solomentsov. The events before the death of the monk Claudius.

Monk Claudius was a native of the Kherson Governorate, Nikolayevsky district, a son of an Orthodox peasant; his secular name was Kodrat Ivanovich Moshkov. When he was 20 years old, he asked his parents for allowing him to become a monk, and after receiving their blessing, he went to Jerusalem in 1864 and lived there at the Russian mission for three years, performing the duties of a church reader in the mission’s church. Tired of the local rumor, he left Jerusalem and went to Athos, where he decided to join the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon, and there he performed various obediences: he was an archondar (the monk helping to accommodate guests of the monastery), sang in the choir, wrote commemorative lists. Later, he was sent to Constantinople, where he stayed at the metochion. Tested with monastic obediences carried out by him well and flawlessly, he was tonsured to the lesser schema and named Claudius during the Great Lent of 1871 before his departure to Constantinople. At the end of 1873, he was transferred from Constantinople to a monastery, where he began as usual, with the blessing of the elders, to go to the choir, where he was an assistant to the senior choir singer, and during his free time from worship services, he continued to record names in commemoration lists. Thus, he lived quietly and calmly, continuing to perform the monastic obediences assigned to him until the beginning of 1876, and at the beginning of that year, he fell into great temptation from the lack of advice and concealing his thoughts, and this happened in the way described below.

How to Acquire Discernment of Thoughts (for hermit monks in the first place)

Evagrius. "On thoughts".

26. How to Acquire the Knowledge of Discernment.

If any of the hermits wishes to receive from the Lord the knowledge of discernment (diakrisis), he should first work eagerly at the commandments that are at hand [in his power], not omitting anything. And so at the time of prayer he should request knowledge from God, who gives generously to all without reproaching; but let him ask without doubting (Jas 1:5), not thrown about by waves of doubt (cf. Mt. 8:24) , and it will be given him (Jas 1:5).

For it is not possible to receive knowledge of even more matters if one has been neglectful of those matters already known otherwise, having transgressed greatly one would be answerable for even more sins.

And it is a blessed thing to serve the knowledge of God, for it is truly dangerous not to do what [such knowledge] advises, and it is blessed to do all that it teaches.

The nous [wanders in] circles when it is impassioned (empathēs) and becomes difficult to restrain when it reflects [within itself] on matters that produce pleasures.

But it ceases to wander when, having attained apatheia, it meets the incorporeal [beings], who fulfill its spiritual desires (epithumias).

HOWEVER, it is impossible to receive knowledge without having made the first, second, and third renunciation[s].

The first renunciation is to voluntarily leave all worldly things for the knowledge of God; the second is the casting aside of evil which occurs through the grace of Christ our Savior and the zeal of the human person; the third renunciation is separation from ignorance concerning those things that are naturally manifested to people in accordance with their state.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/698-how-to-acquire-discernment-of-thoughts

Danger of Delusion When Living in Solitude

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). "On Prelest". On Hermitic Life.

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

Let it be known to beloved brothers that the highest types of monastic life, such as hermitage in a desert place or silence in the seclusion, as well as living under the guidance of a spiritual elder with complete obedience to him, were arranged not by chance or human discretion and reason, but by a special providence, determination, vocation and revelation of God. Saint Anthony the Great, the father of monasticism, the founder of the hermitic life, retreated to the desert, when he had been already endued with power from on high and in no other way than being called by God. Though it is not said in the Life of St. Anthony, but further events in the life of this Venerable father clearly prove it. And the description of his life (The Life of Venerable Anthony the Great. Menaion Reader for 17 January and Vitae Patrum Patrologiae coursus complectus, vol. LXXUI) says clearly that he was instructed by God’s voice and command to go to the deepest (inner) desert for the strictest silence. The Cherubim appeared to Venerable Macarius the Great, a contemporary of Saint Anthony, who was a little younger than the latter, showed him a fruitless wild plain – afterwards the famous Egyptian Skete – commanded him to have his dwelling there and prophesized that many hermits will dwell the desert valley (Alphabetic Patericon). St. Arsenius the Great, when he was in the royal palace, prayed to God to show him the way of salvation and heard the voice: “Arsenius, flee from men, and you shall be saved”. Arsenius retreated to the mentioned Skete and there prayed to God again to teach him how to be saved and again, he heard the voice: “Arsenius, flee (from men) and dwell in silence, these are the roots of virtue” (Alphabetic Patericon and Apophthegmata Patrum). Venerable Mary of Egypt was called to the hermitic life in the Transjordanian desert by God’s command (Menaion Reader for 1 April). God, who called to the silent and hermitic life those He had chosen, i.e. those that He foresaw to be capable of living the silent and hermitic life, provided them also with such means and aids for such life, which a man cannot find by himself. And in those times, when the monasticism blossomed, when there were many spiritual elders, only few were considered capable of living in silence, especially of living the hermitic life. St. John Climacus says: “Only a few can live in true solitude (silence); in fact, only those who have obtained divine consolation for encouragement in their labours and divine co-operation in their struggles” (Step 4, par. 120). “Solitude (silence) chokes the inexperienced” (Step 27, par. 5). Recluses and hermits often suffered greatest spiritual adversities: those, who retired into seclusion out of their own will, not being called by God, suffered adversities.

The Ladder about False Tears

St. John of Sinai. "The ladder of Divine ascent".

Step 7. On mourning which causes joy.

29. When we see anger and pride in those who seem to be mourning in a way pleasing to God, then their tears are to be regarded as a repugnant to God. For what fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians vi, 14.)

30. The fruit of morbid compunction is self-esteem, and the fruit of meritorious compunction is consolation.

31. Just as fire is destructive of straw, so are pure tears destructive of all material and spiritual impurity.

32. Many of the Fathers say that the question of tears, especially in the case of beginners, is an obscure matter and hard to ascertain, as tears are born in many different ways. For instance, there are tears from nature, from God, from adverse suffering, from praise worthy suffering, from vainglory, from licentiousness, from love, from the remembrance of death, and from many other causes.

33. Let us, stripped by the fear of God, train ourselves in all these ways, and acquire for ourselves pure and guileless tears over our dissolution. For there is no dissimulation or self-esteem in them, but on the contrary there is purification, progress in love for God, washing away of sin and the sublimation of the passions to dispassion.

34. It is not surprising if mourning begins with good tears and ends with bad. But it is praiseworthy if reprehensible and natural tears are sublimated to spiritual tears. People inclined to vainglory understand this problem clearly.

35. Do not trust your fountains of tears before your soul has been perfectly purified. For wine cannot be trusted when it is drawn straight from the vats.

68. Our enemies are so wicked that they turn even the mothers of virtues into the mothers of vices, and those things which make for humility, they make into a cause for pride. Frequently the very setting and sight of our dwellings are of a nature to rouse our mind to compunction. Let Jesus, Elijah and John who prayed alone convince you of this. I have often seen tears provoked in cities and crowds to make us think that crowds do us no harm and so draw nearer to the world. For this is the aim of the evil spirits.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/674-the-ladder-about-false-tears

About Discernment of Thoughts (for hermit monks or those preparing to become ones)

Saints Barsanuphius and John the Prophet. "Letters".

Letter 124
Question from a monk named Theodore to the Great Old Man: 'How can I know which thoughts are from God, which are natural and which are from the demons?" Response by Barsanuphius.

My child, Theodore, when you ask a question, you should understand what you are asking and prepare yourself for work. For it is written: "Do not be haughty, but give yourselves to humble tasks."(Rom 12.16) Your questions, brother, belong to someone with high measures. Therefore, unless the inner eye is purified by means of much sweat, you cannot be detached from thorns and prickles in order to seize the grape that strengthens and gladdens the heart. If one does not reach this measure, then one is unable to discern whether one is ridiculed and deceived by the demons in trusting them. For they transform matters as they desire, especially for those who are not familiar with their tricks. Therefore, beloved one, hope in the Lord, "and he shall give you the desires of your heart."(Ps 36.4) Cut off your own will, and in all things say to the Lord: "Not as I want, but as you want,"(Mt 26.39) and then he shall treat you in accordance with his mercy.

Child, listen to the way of discerning the three thoughts, about which you have inquired. When your thought suggests that you are doing something according to the will of God, and you find joy in the matter but also find affliction resisting you, learn that this is from God and struggle to endure, according to the words of Paul: "I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified";(1 Cor 9.27) so just fulfill the will of God.

A Man Began to Pray for the Grace to Descend upon him

Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman). "The good part." Obstructions in the spiritual life and the desire for grace.

Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman)

Here are two examples: one from my personal experience, the other - from the experience of my friend. When I first read the conversation of St. Seraphim of Sarov, it shook me and made me significantly change my life. It was a very long time ago, I had not yet prayed the Jesus prayer and I did not communicate with father Andrew (Mashkov). After reading this work, I realized that the true Christian life is not just to go to church, pray, make the sign of the Cross, and not to commit serious sins. The Christian life must be grace-filled. But at that time, I realized it in a primitive way. Later, reading other holy fathers, I began to treat everything more reasonably. And then I began to pray that the grace descends upon me. I did not know how we should pray correctly, I did not hear about the Jesus prayer, so I endlessly repeated "Our Father" and some other prayers.

The Kingdom of God Cometh not with Observation

Letters of St. Macarius of Optina.

St. Macarius of Optina

I repeat you about the prayer that the very thought to have the action of grace from the warmth is already delusion: the kingdom of God cometh not with observation (Luke 17, 20). Prepare your heart by fullfillment of the commandments of God, cleansing it from passions, and descend into the deepest humility, learning and seeing your weakness; and when you have the guarantee of humility in your heart, it will be already safe from the delusion of the enemy and the grace of God itself will write its own laws in it. The Saints, who had grace in themselves, considered themselves as not having reached it, and this very humility kept them safe; and who thought to have grace was driven by pride and was deluded…

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/147-expectation-of-gifts-from-god/659-the-kingdom-of-god-cometh-not-with-observation

You can not Solicit Gifts of God Ahead of Time

St. Isaac the Syrian. "Ascetic Words." Word 55.

One of the saints wrote: "If one does not consider himself a sinner, his prayer is not accepted by the Lord." If you say that some fathers wrote, what is purity of heart, what is health, what is dispassion, what is contemplation, they wrote not in order to make us strive for that ahead of time; for it is written that the kingdom of God cometh not with observation (Lk.17: 20) of expectation. And those who had such intention, they obtained pride and fall. And we will arrange the region of the heart by repentance and life pleasing to God; what is given by the Lord comes by itself, if the place in the heart is pure and undefiled. What we are looking for with observation, I mean high Divine gifts, is not approved by the Church of God; and those who accepted that, they obtained pride and fall. And this is not a sign that a person loves God, but mental illness. And how can we strive for high Divine gifts, when Paul glories in tribulations and considers the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ to be a high God's gift.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/147-expectation-of-gifts-from-god/658-you-can-not-solicit-gifts-of-god-ahead-of-time

Saint Nectarios about Expectation of Gifts from God

Saint Nectarios of Aegina. "The Way to Happiness." Reasoning.

Saint Nectarios of Aegina

I wish you have the reasoning and wisdom. Avoid extremes. The strictness of your life should be consistent with the measure of [your] virtue. One who wants to compete with the perfect ones [at once] and live as the holy ascetics [lived], will most likely, become proud and fall. So strive wisely and do not exhaust the body with overwork. Remember that restraining of the flesh is only a tool to help the soul to attain perfection, and the spiritual warfare of the soul itself is the most important.

Do not impose on yourself more than you can bear. Remember that God cannot be forced when he delivers his gifts, but He gives when He wants it. You receive undeservingly all that He gives you, [only] on His mercy.

Do not think that you will get higher gifts and virtues for your great works, - [thinking] so, you get the risk of falling into pride. One who seeks divine gifts and insights, while being wrapped up in the passions, is in the foolish and proud delusion. First, one needs to work on purifying oneself. Grace is sent as a gift to those who are cleansed from the passions. And they get it quietly and in an hour that they are not aware of.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/147-expectation-of-gifts-from-god/657-saint-nectarios-about-expectation-of-gifts-from-god

 

Elder Daniel about the Visions

Elder Daniel of Katounakia. “The Angelic Life”. Letters.

(translated from Russian)

Elder Daniel of Katounakia

Answer of monk Daniel to Marcian, a monk of the Iveron skete [1], on rejection of dreams

Marcian, reverend brother in Christ, greetings!

Having received with great gratitude your precious letter dated the second day of this month with attached manuscript reporting on visions and revelations of the great simple [2] elder Euthymius, I have heartily thanked and praised the all-merciful God, for I have long desired to investigate thoroughly these supernatural visions, about which I have heard many perverse things from different persons. And now I am most thankful to you [3], my dearest brother, for getting acquainted with this work, where one can glean many hortatory and edifying things. Therefore, yielding to your request, I have thoroughly investigated the mentioned manuscript not only from the point of its content, but also from the point of the very root of the matter.

And, first of all, I should deservedly praise you. Since no sooner this simple [4] Christian had visions on this place [5], than you, fearing delusion from the right, informed spiritual fathers, which considered revelations made to him to be true, and it prompted you to write them down thoroughly for the use of those reading it.

Secondly, although I, in spite of your love towards me, do not deserve such honour, you, due to your infinite modesty, have requested my considerations as well, whether the described visions are true. And so be it, since you, the highest in friendship and worthy of the utmost praises, keep in your memory guidance of the Holy Fathers on discernment, in particular, of Abba Moses, who said: “It is impossible to fall into demonic delusion for one who coordinates his life with the judgment and will of the succeeded, nevertheless, one should reveal himself not to random people <...>, but to spiritual elders having discernment, and not to those that have got old [only] due to the time, since many people, looking at their age and revealing [them] their thoughts, fell into despair instead of receiving cure because of immaturity  of the “elders”” [6].

Symptoms of Delusion

Professor N.E. Pestov. "Modern practice of Orthodox virtue".

Professor N.E. Pestov (1892-14.1.1982)

The beginning of delusion can be determined on the following grounds:

1) Self-confidence, following own will, unwillingness to subordinate own will to the elder or spiritual father and to the authority of the Church’s consciousness.

2) Self-direction – also called "self-centeredness" or "autoeroticism" – is egoism with lack of love, gentleness and forbearance to the surrounding people (except, perhaps, the closest family members).

3) Keeping the attention on certain statements (thoughts) of the spiritual sphere; the deluded people are mainly guided in life by these thoughts, ignoring the basic commandments of God and the teachings of the Church. These ideas can be taken from the Holy Scriptures, but they are isolated from the general spirit of the Holy Gospel. Then they divert the deluded person from the main virtues - love, humility, obedience and gentleness.

How to protect yourself from delusion:

1) It is obvious that the most radical remedy is to be in obedience to the elder or spiritual father, and if one can not have them – then to be guided by the views and advice of those Christians who succeeded in spiritual wisdom.

2) At the same time, each Christian must study the Scriptures and the works of the Holy Fathers of the Church.

3) Everybody should be keep from having opinions that do not agree with the general church consciousness.

4) We should always be sensitive to the views of friends and associates, be attentive to their judgments and carefully analyze our disagreements with them. We should remember that the Lord often rebukes us through the mouth of our loved ones.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/629-symptoms-of-delusion

Mental Illness Due to Unconfessed Childhood Sins

Letters of St. Ambrose of Optina. Letter 390.

St. Ambrose of Optina

You write about your brother who suffers from mental illness of suspicion, as if the secret police is chasing him everywhere and through everyone, so he suspects evil intents and connections with the secret police in the people closest to him. This mental disease had occurred to him due to the fact that he was ashamed, or simply did not want to repent of his childhood sins considering them unimportant. But conscience – the incorruptible judge – reminded him with its reproaches of the need to repent, suggesting that he is wrong and is to blame; but he, instead of repenting, turned the reproaches of the conscience into a police pursuit. When this was joined by unbelief and long refusal of the communion of the Holy Mysteries, it further strengthened his mental illness of unfounded suspicion.

You are afraid that he will become completely mad... But it is the lightest evil and misery. In this case, at least, his life would be saved, if he is in the insane institution, and a man in madness is no longer responsible for what he does in this condition. Of course, he shall bear responsibility for the previous deeds.

It will be good, if you could manage to bring your brother to the monastery of St. Sergius and to serve with him a prayer service in the caves before the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Chernigov, having arranged beforehand a good confessor for your brother. After the prayer before this icon, the mentally damaged people came to the common sense and confessed well and were healed through it.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/concealment-of-sins-in-confession/630-mental-illness-due-to-unconfessed-childhood-sins

Understanding of Delusion among the Holy Fathers

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) (1807-1867) clearly explained the teaching of the Holy Fathers about delusion for the modern readers. This teaching is summarized in the article about St. Ignatius in the Orthodox Encyclopedia as follows:

St. Ignatius believed that the main danger in the spiritual life is falling into delusion. The saint devoted large portion of his works to analysis of this phenomenon. By definition of St. Ignatius, "delusion is the wounding of human nature by falsehood" (On the Jesus Prayer: Conversation of an elder with a disciple // Complete set of works Vol. 1. P. 212). The devil used lies to tempt Adam and Eve already in the Paradise. Progenitors of the human race considered false words of the tempter to be true and doubted the words of God. As a result, they broke the commandment given by God and fell away from the source of life. Being affected by sin, human nature in the descendants of Adam and Eve was more eager to the evil than to the good, taking pleasure from communicating with the evil. Such deception is caused by the fact that the strength of the human soul - will, feeling, mind - are perverted by sin. "We are born such”, St. Ignatius said, “We can not be others: because all of us, without exception, are in a state of self-delusion and demonic deception" (Ibid, pp. 213). Lord Jesus Christ saved people from this deception, which all the mankind succumbed to. Lord Jesus, who himself is the Truth (cf. Jn 14: 6) proclaimed this truth to the world. The freedom is given to persons to obey either God or the devil that tempts each person. "He is trying to seduce and deceive us, basing on our state of self-delusion; he sets in motion our passions - these painful craving; he makes their adverse claims look like plausibility, increasingly inclines us to the satisfaction of the passions"(Ibid, pp. 214). Those who do not resist the temptation using the teachings of the Gospel, according to St. Ignatius, become totally subordinate to the devil and go from self-deception to the state of demonic delusion.

Patriarch Alexy II about False Healers

Patriarch Alexy II

From an interview for "Profile" journal, 2000.

Your Holiness, our society today is simply sick with interest to various kinds of folk healers. How justified is the sharply negative attitude of the Church to healing, when you consider that many of the healers are religious? It is known, for example, that Gregory Rasputin successfully treated Tsarevich Alexei. Many saints possessed the gift of healing. Is it possible today to separate the orthodox healers from charlatans?

Alexy II: Yes, many saints healed –with the prayer in the first place. They also helped the sick with spiritual advice, because very often our illnesses come from the sins, from poor lifestyle choices. Similarly, there are now pastors and laity sometimes endowed with the gift of prayer for the sick and the gift of instruction. However, the phenomenon of healing must be approached very cautiously. If there is magic, there is any magical manipulation with icons, crosses, pictures, we usually face charlatanry abusing the authority of the Orthodox Church that has unlimited confidence. As a result, people may initially feel some relief, and then even more suffer spiritually and physically.