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And this takes place in a twofold manner, either from the Gods being present with the soul, or imparting to the soul from themselves a certain forerunning light; but, according to each of these modes, the divine presence and the illumination have a separate subsistence. The attentive power, therefore, and dianoia[1] of the soul, are conscious of what is effected, since the divine light does not come into contact with these; but the phantastic part is divinely inspired, because it is not excited to the modes of imaginations by itself, but by the Gods, the phantasy being then entirely changed from human custom.
Since, however, a contrary is receptive of a contrary, according to a mutation and departure from itself, and that which is allied to another thing, and familiar[2] with it through similitude, is capable of receiving it, hence the illuminators
- ↑ i.e. The discursive energy of reason.
- ↑ Proclus in Plat. Polit. having observed that Socrates in the Phædrus, when he speaks in a divinely inspired manner, and poetically adopts such names as are employed by the poets, and says that it is not possible for one who speaks with an insane [i.e. with an inspired] mouth to abstain from them, adds "that an alliance to the dæmoniacal genus, preparing the soul for the reception of divine light, excites the phantasy to symbolic narration." Η προς δαιμονιον γενος οικειοτης, η προευτρεμιζουσα την του θειου φωτος παρουσιαν, ανακινει την φαντασιαν εις της συμβολικην απαγγελιαν. p. 396.
