The inner vision: some notes on mysticism

perceived by the intellect through the light that the 'First One' The Monad or the Absolute in Neoplatonism. spreads over them. In seeing these objects, the intellect actually sees the light of understanding itself. But if the intellect focuses only on the objects the light falls upon, it cannot accurately perceive the principles that illuminate them. On the contrary, if it forgets the objects it sees and contemplates only the brightness that makes them visible, it sees the light itself within the source of light. However, the intellect can never contemplate this light outside of itself. In this, it resembles the eye: without looking at an outside or foreign light, and even before perceiving it, the eye is suddenly struck by a brightness that belongs to itself, or by a ray that darts from itself and appears in the middle of the darkness. It is the same when the eye closes its lids to see no other objects and draws light from itself, or when—pressed by the hand—it perceives the light it contains within. Then, even though it sees no external thing, it still sees; it sees even more than at any other time because it sees the light itself. The other objects it saw before, although they were luminous, were not the light itself. So, when the intellect closes its eye to a degree against other objects and concentrates on itself, it sees nothing external, yet it still sees—not a foreign light shining in foreign forms, but its own light, which suddenly shines inwardly with a pure radiance.”

Plotinus also gives this splendid answer to those who complain that they see nothing during self-reflection:

“We must first make the organ of vision similar to the object it is meant to contemplate. The eye would never have perceived the sun if it had not first taken the form of the sun; likewise, the soul could never see beauty if it did not become beautiful itself. All people should begin by making themselves beautiful and divine so that they may obtain the sight of beauty and divinity.”

We know little of the life of Jan van Ruysbroeck, except that he lived and died near Brussels in the fourteenth century—a century remarkable for its civilization. However, his abbey at Groenendael was visited by pilgrims from many other countries. His writings, originally in Flemish, are extensive, and we know them thanks to Maeterlinck, who translated them into French. They all involve the detailed study of looking inward and self-reflection, contemplating God beyond all symbols and likenesses. One of his works contains a type of manual of symbolic astrology that a more learned member of our society might find interesting to decode. It is clear that this humble monk had undergone many spiritual experiences before recording his thoughts. It is interesting to note that when he