Spiritual Perception. Paradigms and Pathways
Abstract: This paper consists in evaluating the way some philosophical paradigms were understood in the light of spiritual perception as well as their impact on spiritual practices. First, I inquire therefore about the degree in which spiritual perception was engaged in the doctrine of Plotinus, a doctrine that had provided us with the necessary language for expressing notions concerning the spiritual discipline. Then I discuss the novelty of Maximus the Confessor perspective on spiritual perception, comparing it with the perspective of Isaac of Nineveh in the Syrian tradition. Finally, I talk about Gregory Palamas understanding on the senses’ role in spiritual perception and its importance for the hesychast practice in the Christian East.
Keywords: Perception, Senses, Spiritual, Human, Self