Inspiration Dictionary

Inspiration

The belief that human actions of extraordinary insight, worth or power are due to inspiration - an inflow of psychic force, life-giving breath. The idea of inspiration in Christian theology may be traced to Hebrew prophecy and to Greek philosophy.

The most important theological problems of inspiration concern the subjects, the sources, the means and the criteria of true inspiration as distinguished from false, rather than the reality if inspiration itself.

The question of the proper subject of inspiration - whether a person, a community or a book may properly be said to be inspired - has been greatly confused in history by getting involved in the problem of church authority,. thus the doctrine of the inspiration of scriptures was largely developed to secure the Roman church against Protestantism when the Protestants made claims the inspiration for their special leaders.

The doctrine that ecumenical councils or popes are inspired when speaking on matters of faith and morals was developed partly to deal with the Protestants' rigid scriptural Òconst itutionalismÓ. The problem of the source of inspiration was raised in Hebrew thought by the appearance of false prophecy, and by the consequent question for monotheism in what sense such inspiration came from God. In Christian theology the questions were to what extent the inspiring principle in the Godhead was distinct from the creating and redeeming principle, in what sense it proceeded from one or both of these. The question about the means of inspiration has been dealt with indirectly and in confusion with the question of subject and criteria.

The orthodox Protestant and Catholic churches have emphasized the importance of Scriptures, of church discipline and instruction as the ordinary means through which inspiration comes.

Mystic and sectarian groups have shown a larger interest in other means - asceticism, the practice of silence, etc. In the Protestant doctrine of the Òtestimony ~ the Holy SpiritÓÓ which must accompany the reading of the word if there is to be true inspiration and in Roman as well as Eastern Catholic acceptance of monasticism the great churches have made some approach to the interests of the sects and mysticism.

Among the criteria employed by religious thought to distinguish true from false inspiration the most important are:

1)    the consistency of the product of inspiration not only in itself but also and primarily with accepted norms, i. e. , with the moral laws, the Òspirit of Jesus Christ,Ó the Scriptures, the common understanding of the community.

2)    the test of true inspiration is the truth of prediction. This test, which the basis of modern science, has been used apologetically rather than critically, to validate the inspiration of scriptures, as in the argument from prophecyÓ;

3)    disinterestedness, that is the extent to which personal interests and opinions are absent or negated in the ÒinspiredÓ utterance; in the extreme form,

4)    Intelligibility might be added as a fourth criterion of the validity of inspiration though not a test of its truth, since the unintelligible cannot be said to be true or false. Also, the Protestant doctrine that the Bible was written by the influence of God. It is, therefore, without error. It is accurate and authoritatively represents God's teachings. It is an illumination in that it shows us what we could not know apart from it. Believers know that the Bible is inspired, because it says so.

(See also: Inspiration , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Inspiration, Inspired (from Latin in into, upon + spiro breathe (cf afflatus from ad upon + flo breathe); adopted from Greek empneusis from en in + pneo breathe)

Generally the reception of knowledge or influence from a source superior -- or even inferior -- to the ordinary consciousness.

(See also: Inspiration, Inspired , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

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An inspiring article by Manish Maladkar about how we can take responsibility for our lives and our own happiness.

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: Learn to be Free, To be Joyous

We are all angels in training.

Read more here: » Angel Inspirational: Daily Angel Wisdom Quotes

A Christian theological definition of Inspiration according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Inspiration

See also: Inspiration , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

A personal reflektion on God By Iravati Harshe. ”God for me means love and light. I do believe in God but I’m not particularly orthodox in matters of religion. Certain habits which I imbibed from my mother, I'm grateful for and these remain a part of my life to date - rituals like lighting a diya every morning and reciting the shlokas . I remember as a child, I had a lot of fears and I believed God was my rescuer.”

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: God and I by Iravati Harshe

Dream Dictionary Index with links to 10.000 dream interpretations from many different sources.

Please note that all words in grey are hyperlinked to an archive with articles related to that word, including dream interpretations.

For more dream interpretation, see: Meaning of Dreams or Dream Dictionary

For articles about dreams, see: Dreams

Read more here: » Dream Interpretation Index: Dream Interpretation Index including links to 10.000 dream interpretations

Silently one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven

Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots, of angels.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Read more here: » Angel Quotes: Wisdom about Angels

Bacchus (Greek) Used by both Greeks and Romans, also called Dionysos by the Greeks, Liber by the Romans, Zagreus in the Orphic mysteries, Sabazius in Phrygia and Thrace; the same as Iacchus (connected with Iao and Jehovah).

Generally represented as the son of Zeus and Semele, he is spoken of sometimes as a solar and sometimes as a lunar deity; for, like many other personifications of cosmic powers, he has both a solar and lunar (masculine or feminine) aspect. As a solar deity he has a serpent for his symbol and is a man-savior, parallel with Adonis, Osiris, Krishna, Buddha, and Christos. He is often called the god of wine, natural fertility, etc.

The original, pure Bacchic rites pertained to high initiation, in which the candidate becomes conscious of his oneness with divinity. Thus Bacchus, with his symbolic serpent and wine, stands for divine inspiration. But when the keys of the sacred science were lost and symbols were interpreted literally, the rites degenerated and often became profligate.

Bacchus-Dionysos also figures as the inspirer of dramatic and representative art, inspiring the individual with the divine afflatus or mystic frenzy. Originally this meant the inner communion of the candidate with his own inner god and the consequent inspiration; on a lower plane it signifies the fleeting inspiration of poet and artist, and finally it degenerated into hysteria and morbid psychic states.

(See also: Bacchus , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Channeling:

Receiving messages and inspiration from discarnate entities.

See also Medium .

(See also: Channeling , Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

A dictionary of Parapsycology. Please note that words in grey are hyperlinked to a corresponding archive with articles related to that particular topic.

Monkey

The monkey is a symbol that needs to be understood by considering the various associations that we make when thinking about them. Monkeys may represent lust, self-satisfaction and trickery. A monkey may also represent positive attributes, such as agility, inspiration, a sense of freedom and a capacity to imitate. In Japan, toys that look like monkeys are given to children because monkeys are supposed to be able to drive out evil spirits. In India, the monkey is a symbol of soul. Thus, monkeys as symbols appear to have a double or twin meaning. Whether positive or negative, the monkey is revealing something to you about what is going on in your inner world. People usually think that monkeys are far less evolved and the expression "stop monkeying around" is understood by all. The dream with a monkey may be an encouragement from you unconscious to continue to develop your personality by staying close to your own nature.

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Monkey , Meaning of Dreams about Monkey , Dream Interpretation Monkey )

Vine A symbol of inspiration and of spiritual fertility, both as a tree with many branches and as the producer of grapes and wine. It was sacred to Dionysus-Bacchus when that god and his wine stood for spiritual inspiration and when the only kind of inspiration was artificial stimulation of the lower vital centers. It occurs frequently in the Old Testament, and in John (15:1, 5) we read: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandmen . . . I am the vine, ye are the branches." Osiris-Isis is said to have taught humanity the use of the vine, music, astronomy, and geometry, as well as other sciences and arts.

Much could be said about the vine and the juice -- fresh or fermented -- of its fruit. Ancient peoples selected certain animals or plants as emblems of spiritual and mystical facts. Thus with the Mediterranean peoples the juice of grapes was chosen as an emblem of inspiration.

(See also: Vine , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Apana (Sanskrit). "Inspirational breath"; a practice in Yoga. Prana and apana are the "expirational" and the "inspirational" breaths. It is called "vital wind" in Anugita.

(See also: Apana , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Theopneusty [from Greek theos god + pneo breathe]

Divine inspiration or inbreathing; signifying in the ancient Greek Mysteries a stage in initiation, coming between theophany and theopathy, where the candidate received the inspiration of his own inner god, but did not bear the full load of the inspirational flow to the extent that took place in theopathy.

(See also: Theopneusty , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Theurgy theurgia (Greek) [from theos god + ergon work]

Mystery-term popularized by Iamblichus for a method of individual communion with the gods, or bringing the gods down to earth. It consisted in purifying the psycho-astral links between the mind and its divine counterpart, whereby the theurgist was not only brought into conscious communion with his own higher self, but also with other divine entities. The first school in the Christian period

"was founded by Iamblichus among certain Alexandrian Platonists. The priests, however, who were attached to the temples of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia and Greece, and whose business it was to evoke the gods during the celebration of the Mysteries, were known by this name, or its equivalent in other tongues, from the earliest archaic period. Spirits (but not those of the dead, the evocation of which was called Necromancy) were made visible to the eyes of mortals. Thus a theurgist had to be a hierophant and an expert in the esoteric learning of the Sanctuaries of all great countries. The Neo-platonists of the school of Iamblichus were called theurgists, for they performed the so-called 'ceremonial magic,' and evoked the simulacra or the images of the ancient heroes, 'gods,' and daimonia ( {Greek char} divine, spiritual entities). In the rare cases when the presence of a tangible and visible 'spirit' was required, the theurgist had to furnish the weird apparition with a portion of his own flesh and blood -- he had to perform the theopaea, or the 'creation of gods,' by a mysterious process well known to the old, and perhaps some of the modern, Tantrikas and initiated Brahmans of India" (TG 329-30).

The varied uses by different writers shows the term's applicability to a considerable range of practices.

"The popular prevailing idea is that the theurgists, as well as the magicians, worked wonders, such as evoking the souls or shadows of the heroes and gods, and other thaumaturgic works, by supernatural powers. But this never was the fact. They did it simply by the liberation of their own astral body, which, taking the form of a god or hero, served as a medium or vehicle through which the special current preserving the ideas and knowledge of that hero or god could be reached and manifested" (TG 330).

Plotinus was opposed to theurgy, and Porphyry says that it can but cleanse the lower or psychic portion and make it capable of perceiving lower beings, such as spirits, angels, and gods; it is powerless to purify the noetic or manasic (intellectual) principle. But Porphyry was persuaded by his master Iamblichus to concede the value of theurgy under certain limitations. Porphyry's views highlight the difference between raja yoga and hatha yoga. In the case of such a person as Iamblichus, practices might be quite safe which would be fraught with nothing but harm in the hands of another or without the help of such a teacher. For once the barriers are down a way is opened for communion with all kinds of undesirable entities, against which the experimenter will not know how to protect himself.

In the ancient Mysteries, theurgy was divided into different degrees. To illustrate, in one of the highest initiatory degrees the initiant was brought face to face with the divinity within himself, and in order to accomplish this the initiant had to give of his own spiritual and intellectual substance and vitality so that his inner god might imbody itself on inner and invisible planes, the rite thus providing a temporary and illusory divorce which was really an essential union of the divine in man with the spiritual-intellectual -- the latter recognizing for the time being its own divine origin and coalescing with it. In a less perfect form of such theurgical practice, and in a lower degree of the Mysteries, the initiant gave of his own astral and physical substance, the effluvia of his astral body and of his flesh and blood, to provide a vehicle through which a spiritual entity might have a tangible, although very temporary, imbodiment; and for the time being the initiant was thus enabled to see, touch, and converse with a being of the inner worlds who otherwise would have been utterly unable to enter our physical sphere except by those spiritual-akasic currents of forces which human beings recognize as inspiration.

(See also: Theurgy theurgia , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

 Shvasa:

inspiration

(See also:  Shvasa , Body Mind and Soul)

Iris

An iris is a spring flower that symbolizes several very positive and uplifting conditions. In Japan, it is believed that the iris has the power to purify the body and protect the household from disease and evil. Iris is also a God in Greek mythology. She is a messenger that represents the link between heaven and earth and between gods and men. This is a very interesting and specific dream symbol. In order to figure out what it means to you personally, consider your current needs. Do you have a need for purification and safety or are you looking for inspiration?

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Iris , Meaning of Dreams about Iris , Dream Interpretation Iris )

Medical Astrology: In this second part of the article, Ingrid Naiman further explain the dynamics of Medical Astrology.

Read more here: » Medical Astrology: What is Medical Astrology? II