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Passages similar to: The Six Enneads — The Immortality of the Soul
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Neoplatonic
The Six Enneads
The Immortality of the Soul (6)
It is easy to show that if the Soul were a corporeal entity, there could be no sense-perception, no mental act, no knowledge, no moral excellence, nothing of all that is noble. There can be no perception without a unitary percipient whose identity enables it to grasp an object as an entirety. The several senses will each be the entrance point of many diverse perceptions; in any one object there may be many characteristics; any one organ may be the channel of a group of objects, as for instance a face is known not by a special sense for separate features, nose, eyes; etc., but by one sense observing all in one act. When sight and hearing gather their varying information, there must be some central unity to which both report. How could there be any statement of difference unless all sense-impressions appeared before a common identity able to take the sum of all? This there must be, as there is a centre to a circle; the sense-impressions converging from every point of occurrence will be as lines striking from a circumference to what will be a true centre of perception as being a veritable unity. If this centre were to break into separate points- so that the sense-impressions fell upon the two ends of a line- then, either it must reknit itself to unity and identity, perhaps at the mid-point of the line, or all remains unrelated, every end receiving the report of its particular field exactly as you and I have our distinct sense experiences. Suppose the sense-object be such a unity as a face: all the points of observation must be brought together in one visual total, as is obvious since there could be no panorama of great expanses unless the detail were compressed to the capacity of the pupils. Much more must this be true in the case of thoughts, partless entities as they are, impinging upon the centre of consciousness which must itself be void of part. Either this or, supposing the centre of consciousness to be a thing of quantity and extension, the sensible object will coincide with it point by point of their co-expansion so that any given point in the faculty will perceive solely what coincides with it in the object: and thus nothing in us could perceive any thing as a whole. This cannot be: the faculty entire must be a unity; no such dividing is possible; this is no matter in which we can think of equal sections coinciding; the centre of consciousness has no such relation of equality with any sensible object. The only possible ratio of divisibility would be that of the number of diverse elements in the impinging sensation: are we then to suppose that each part of the soul, and every part of each part, will have perception? Or will the part of the parts have none? That is impossible: every part, then, has perception; the magnitude, of soul and each part of soul, is infinitely divisible; there will therefore be in each part an infinite number of perceptions of the object, and therefore an infinitude of representations of it at our centre of consciousness. If the sentient be a material entity sensation could only be of the order of seal-impressions struck by a ring on wax, in this case by sensible objects on the blood or on the intervenient air. If, at this, the impression is like one made in liquids- as would be reasonable- it will be confused and wavering as upon water, and there can be no memory. If the impressions are permanent, then either no fresh ones can be stamped upon the occupied ground- and there can be no change of sensations- or, others being made, the former will be obliterated; and all record of the past is done away with. If memory implies fresh sensations imposed upon former ones, the earlier not barring their way, the soul cannot be a material entity.
Hermetic
9. On Thought and Sense (2)
For neither without sensing can one think, nor without thinking sense. But it is possible [they say] to think a thing apart from sense, as those who f...
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Hermetic
Section VII (2)
For man is the sole animal that is twofold. One part of him is simple: the [man] “essential,” as say the Greeks, but which we call the “form of the Di...
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Christian Mysticism
Sermon V: The Self-communication Of God (3)
The soul has by nature two capacities. The one is intelligence, which may comprehend the Holy Trinity with all its works and be contained by It as...
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Neoplatonic
I, Chapter VIII (4)
Hence, through these things such a corporeal-formed division as you introduce, is demonstrated to be false. It is, indeed, especially necessary not...
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Sufi
The Knowledge of God (6)
They are thought-concepts, and cannot be recognised by the senses; whereas quality, quantity, etc., are sense-concepts. Just as the ear cannot take co...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter 15: Of the Third Species, Kind or Form and Manner of Sin's Beginning in Lucifer. (51)
For the soul comprehendeth the highest sense, it beholdeth what God its Father acteth or makes, also it cooperateth in the heavenly imaging or framing...
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Hermetic
9. On Thought and Sense (1)
I gave the Perfect Sermon (Logos) yesterday, Asclepius; today I think it right, as sequel thereunto, to go through point by point the Sermon about...
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Greek
The Demiurge and World Soul (34b)
Timaeus: which was one day to be existent, whereby He made it smooth and even and equal on all sides from the center, a whole and perfect body...
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Greek
Book VI (507)
I do indeed wish, I replied, that I could pay, and you receive, the account of the parent, and not, as now, of the offspring only; take, however,...
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Hermetic
12. About The Common Mind (14)
The Reason, then, is the Mind's image, and Mind God's [image]; while Body is [the image] of the Form; and Form [the image] of the Soul. The subtlest...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter 15: Of the Third Species, Kind or Form and Manner of Sin's Beginning in Lucifer. (44)
The [soulish] spirit of the soul is very much more subtle, and more incomprehensible than the body, or the seven qualifying or fountain spirits,...
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Christian Mysticism
The Three Principles of the Divine Essence
Chapter 19: Of the Entering of the Souls to God, and of the wicked Souls Entering into Perdition. Of the Gate of the Body's Breaking off [or Parting] from the Soul. (19)
But when the Spirit of the four Elements parts, then the right Soul (which was breathed into Adam) stands in its Principle; for it is so subtle, that ...
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Western Esoteric
The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians
The Sevenfold Soul of Man (22)
V. The Human Soul The Human Soul is distinguished from the Animal Soul not only by its special aptitude for intellectual reasoning, and voluntary...
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Greek
Book VII (524)
Is not their mode of operation on this wise—the sense which is concerned with the quality of hardness is necessarily concerned also with the quality...
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Neoplatonic
II, Chapter II (2)
It likewise possesses the eternity of a similar life and energy in a less degree than dæmons and heroes; yet, through the beneficent will of the...
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Christian Mysticism
The Three Principles of the Divine Essence
Chapter 10: Of the Creation of Man, and of his Soul, also of God's breathing in. The pleasant Gate. (14)
Now therefore the Soul stands in two Gates, and touches the two Principles, viz. the eternal Darkness, and the eternal Light of the Son of God, as...
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Christian Mysticism
The Three Principles of the Divine Essence
Chapter 15: Of the a Knowledge of the Eternity in the Corruptibility of the Essence of all Essences. (69)
And hence it is, that the Body (seeing all Things out of the eternal Nothing are caused to be Something which is comprehensible [or palpable,] and yet...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter 11: Of the Seventh Qualifying or Fountain Spirit in the Divine Power. (137)
For the holy soul is one spirit with God; though indeed it is a creature, yet it is like to the angels: Also the soul of man seeth much deeper than th...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter 15: Of the Third Species, Kind or Form and Manner of Sin's Beginning in Lucifer. (4)
And there is no difference here, but only such as is between the body and soul in man; and so the body signifieth or resembleth the seven qualifying s...
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Hermetic
10. The Key (6)
Staying his body's every sense and every motion he stayeth still. And shining then all round his mond, It shines through his whole soul, and draws it ...
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