2. The Nature of Vision Experiences
Lesson Objective: to explore the nature of vision experiences.

3. Vision Experiences and St Augustine of Hippo
St Augustine of Hippo divided vision experiences into three types.
Corporeal Vision
Imaginative Vision
Intellectual Vision
Hippo divided visions into three types.

4. Which is Which?
TASK: watch/read the following clips and extracts can you link any example with a type of vision?

5. The Appearance of Mary
Corporeal Vision – physical sighting.

6. Joan of Arc
Corporeal Vision – physical sighting.

7. Guru Nanak would work during the days, but early in the mornings and late at nights, he would meditate and sing hymns accompanied by Mardana on the rabab ( a string instrument). These sessions attracted a lot of attention and many people started joining the two.
Early one morning accompanied by Mardana, Guru Nanak went to the river Bain for his bath. After plunging into the river, Guru Nanak did not surface and it was reported that he must have drowned. The villagers searched everywhere, but their was no trace of him. Guru Nanak was in holy communion with God. The Lord God revealed himself to Guru Nanak and enlightened him. In praise of the Lord, Guru Nanak uttered;
"There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now." (Japji)
These words are enshrined at the beginning of the Sikh Holy Scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak did not believe in a Trinity of Gods, or the belief that God can be born into human form.
After three days Guru Nanak appeared at the same spot from where he had disappeared. He was no longer the same person he had been, there was a divine light in his eyes and his face was resplendent. He remained in a trance and said nothing. He gave up his job and distributed all of his belongings to the poor. When he finally broke his silence he uttered "There is no Hindu, no Muslim".
Intellectual Vision - No choice – just happened.

8. Pharaoh's Dream
After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and there came up out of the Nile seven sleek and fat cows, and they grazed in the reed grass. 3 Then seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 The ugly and thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 Then he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 Then seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them. 7 The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream. 8 In the morning his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh. (Genesis 41)
Imaginative Vision – it was dream beyond P’s control.

9. Joseph’s Dream to Flee
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 Then Joseph[a] got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15)
Imaginative - no control, just happened.

10. St Teresa of Avila
Intellectual

11. The vision of Mary by Bernadette
This was a corporeal vision. This is because Bernadette saw the physical body of Mary.
The vision has huge religious significance, especially for the Catholic Church. Not only because it is Mary who appeared, but also because of the impact of the vision. Mary instructed Bernadette to wash in the spring and build a chapel – this is now the site of Lourdes, visited by approximately 5 million pilgrims each year.

12. The visions of Angels and Saints by Joan of Arc
This was a corporeal vision. This is because Joan saw angels and saints. At her trail she said her visions were as real to her as seeing an actual person with her ‘bodily eyes’.

13. The visions of Guru Nanak
This was an imaginative vision. This is because, Nanak had no control over the event, he was selected by God to undergo the experience.

14. The Pharaoh’s Dream
This was an imaginative vision. This is because, it was beyond Pharaoh’s control, the dream entered Pharaoh’s imagination by God’s agency.

15. The Dream of Joseph
This was an imaginative vision. This is because, similarly to the Pharaoh, the angel appeared by its own agency.

16. I was in prayer one day, – it was the feast of the glorious St Peter, – when I saw Christ close by me, or, to speak more correctly, felt Him; for I saw nothing with the eyes of the body, nothing with the eyes of the soul. He seemed to me to be close beside me; and I saw, too, as I believe, that it was He who was speaking to me. As I was utterly ignorant that such a vision was possible, I was extremely afraid at first, and did nothing but weep; however, when He spoke to me but one word to reassure me, I recovered myself, and was, as usual, calm and comforted, without any fear whatever. Jesus Christ seemed to be by my side continually, and, as the vision was not imaginary, I saw no form; but I had a most distinct feeling that He was always on my right hand, a witness of all I did; and never at any time, if I was but slightly recollected, or not too much distracted, could I be ignorant of His near presence.

17. The Vision of St Teresa
This was an intellectual vision. This is because Teresa argues that she saw Jesus as he really was, not as an image, but as a presence.
Tell girls to learn one of each.

18. Extract
In The Book of Her Life, Teresa describes a mystical experience where, in a state of religious ecstasy, a seraphim appeared to her, holding a spear tipped with fire, which he plunged into her heart, through her innermost being. The experience which she described as both painful and sweet, left Teresa aflame with a love for God. Teresa emphasises emotion and passion, rather than the reason of the theologians, to allow people to experience the personal God.

19. Extract
I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it...

20. Examine the nature of vision experiences. (10)
Assessment Focus
Examine the nature of vision experiences. (10)
Define what a vision experience is..
Suggest Hippo outlined three different types.
P.E.E.L paragraph each type, making sure you link the example to the type.