A vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or religious ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation. Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations. Visions are known to emerge from spiritual traditions and could provide a lens into human nature and reality. Prophecy is often associated with visions.
Entheogens (such as peyote) have traditionally assisted in the generation of visions among diverse cultures, as well as in modern western culture, although this is a very controversial topic.
Examples of visions
Visions are listed in approximately chronological order whenever possible, although some dates may be in dispute.
- Vision of God in the Book of Ezekiel chapter number 1. (6th century BC)
- Vision of a heavenly figure "like a son of man" in Daniel 7:13 (6th century / 2nd century BC)
- St Paul's vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus (1st century)
- Marian apparitions (visions or visitations of Mary, mother of Jesus) (1st century AD - present)
- Visions of the afterlife in the martyr accounts of Perpetua and Felicity (2nd century AD)
- The theoria (Vision of God) by which a Christian mystic may discern a deep aspect of God (in the Eastern Orthodox tradition) (3rd-6th centuries AD)
- Constantine's vision of Christ's sign (312 AD)
- Jakob Böhme's vision of 1600, revealed when he observed the beauty of a beam of sunlight in a pewter dish
- René Descartes' series of dreams on the night of 11 November 1619, which set the course of his life in science
- Blaise Pascal's vision of 23 November 1654, which reinvigorated his spiritual commitment
- Emanuel Swedenborg's visions, which formed the basis of a newly revealed doctrine (beginning in 1740s)
- Joseph Smith's First Vision (1820), including Throne-Theophany of Lehi in the First Book of Nephi in 1 Nephi 1:8-11 (6th century BC)
- Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had several visions of religious figures including Kali, Sita, Krishna, Jesus, and Muhammed. (mid/late 19th century)
See also
- Altered state of consciousness
- Apparitional experience
- Beatific vision
- Hallucination
- Kashf
- Lourdes apparitions
- Mysticism
- Neurotheology
- Private revelation
- Shamanism
- Temporal lobe epilepsy
- Theophany
- Vision quest
References
External links
