Universal/liberating function of active imagination- to typify/transmute everyth

ing into image symbol by perceiving correspondence between hidden and visible (k
nowledge)- deification constitutes renewal/recurrence( causes them to exist on a
nother plane of being)
Imagination accomplishes at every instant a new creation and the image is the re
currence of creation (without there would be no manifest existence/creation)
Each sensible thing has a created spirit by which its form is constituted, each
spirit has a holy spirit by which it is constituted
One essence is personalized in two modes of existence- revealed/hidden ( sharing
of roles: prayer as dialogue between 2 beings)- prayer- expression of mode of b
eing, a means of existing and of causing to exist
Prayer is the highest form, the supreme act of creative imagination
The psycho spiritual organ of prayer is heart with its concentration of energypsalmody perpetually reconstitutes the solidarity/interdependence of creator/cre
ature in 2 alternating voices- to make remain in heart/to have in mind- meditati
on (capable of different degrees but if it is not unsuccessful opens into contem
plative vision) -visualization
The entire Koran is a symbolic/allusive story between lover/beloved and no one e
xcept of the 2 of them understands the truth/reality of its intention- prayer ex
presses intention as it attains its object
We must place ourselves at the center, at the moment of common reciprocal action
between lord/faithful- god can only manifest himself in direct/individualized r
elationship in a form that corresponds with that beings capacity
Divine solitude and human solitude: each delivers the other in joining itself t
o the other
Prayer is not addressed to pure absolute essence in virtual unrevealed totality
of names, but the lord manifested under one or another of his names (every insta
nce is a unique undivided personal relation)
The ritual gestures of prayer are likened to the acts of the creation of the uni
verse or macrocosm(the condition of this personal divine service is precisely so
litude)
Since each part of cosmology has homologue in man, the whole universe is in him
(angels of microcosm are the physical/psychic/spiritual faculties of individual
man)- transformed into subtle centers/organs
A movement of pure thought transfers universe from state of potentiality to mani
fest state of concrete existence which constitutes theophany of visible world
3 movements of natural beings: ascending/erect stance/growth of man, horizontal/
profound inclination/growth of animals, descending/prosternation/growth of plant
roots
Intentional move of divine towards lower world- descent
Divine conversion towards higher worlds- ascent
Divine conversion to celestial bodies/intermediate world from one horizon to an
other- horizontal
Inner vision-contemplation
The spiritual energy is concentrated in heart projects the image

Theophanic process- guiding man to the light god created in faith is a symbol of
self at the crossing of way (one path self mistaken for empiric individual unaw
are of having another dimension/celestial pole, whose being is spread flat on th
e surface of sensible world/rational evidences)
Life of prayer practiced in spirit represents authentic form of process of indiv
iduation releasing person from collective norms/evidences to live as a unique in
dividual
Only an essence in each of our souls can attain god proportionally to capacity a
nd intellectual/spiritual development of soul
Divine truth is established of human creation, grounded in human truth on divine
creation
One does not refute symbols, one deciphers them ( gnostic doesn t receive a ready
made image of god but understands him in light of image which is cause of intima
te dialogue appears in mirror of heart as subtle organ)
Intuitive vision enables mystic to know his aptitude, his own eternal predisposi
tion defining the curve of succession of states ad infinitum ( you cannot at the
same time look at the image which appears in mirror and at the body of the mirr
or itself)
2 focuses of ellipse: prayer of god, prayer of man, each in turn is determining
and determined (reciprocal relationship as between 2 mirrors facing one another
and reflecting the same image back and forth)
The human being attains in mystic experience the celestial pole of his being ( c
annot be the divine essence in undifferentiated unity)
The godhead is in man kind as an image in a mirror- the place of this presence i
s the C of individual believer/theophanic invested in him- his time is lived psy
chic time- the incarnation is hypostatic union( center/meaning of history of psy
chological individuality which has nothing to do with sequence/causality of out
ward facts without reality in themselves when abstracted form the subject who ex
periences them- facts/events are attributed of subject)
Identity of opposition- visualization of image as form of god is origin/end, one
s eternal companion- dialogue on frontier of C and trans C between human being a
nd divine alter ego - the companion speaks only in symbols/enigmas ( the mystic
ka aba is heart of being)- the mystery of divine essence is no other than temple o
f heart and it is around the heart the spiritual pilgrim circumambulates ( the q
uest of inner experience)
Their 2 ness accomplishes the circular processional 7 times, the 7 divine attrib
utes of perfection ( no longer contents himself with translating the mystery of
impenetrable temple, for once it is recognized who he is, is shown the way into
the temple)
We do not see the light, it is what makes us see and what makes itself seen in t
he form through which it shines
Temple is the scene of theophany- combat for the angel- homolgamation of infinit
e in finite
Nothingness/non being- manifestation of divine anger
~ Henry Corbin