〃Our　Lord　made　me　comprehend　in　what　way　it　is　that　one　God　can
  be　in　three　persons。　　He　made　me　see　it　so　clearly　that　I
  remained　as　extremely　surprised　as　I　was　comforted；　。　。　。　and
  now；　when　I　think　of　the　holy　Trinity；　or　hear　It　spoken　of；　I
  understand　how　the　three　adorable　Persons　form　only　one　God　and　I
  experience　an　unspeakable　happiness。〃
  On　still　another　occasion；　it　was　given　to　Saint　Teresa　to　see
  and　understand　in　what　wise　the　Mother　of　God　had　been　assumed
  into　her　place　in　Heaven。＇257＇
  ＇257＇　Loc。　cit。；　p。　574
  The　deliciousness　of　some　of　these　states　seems　to　be　beyond
  anything　known　in　ordinary　consciousness。　　It　evidently　involves
  organic　sensibilities；　for　it　is　spoken　of　as　something　too
  extreme　to　be　borne；　and　as　verging　on　bodily　pain。＇258＇　　But　it
  is　too　subtle　and　piercing　a　delight　for　ordinary　words　to
  denote。　　God's　touches；　the　wounds　of　his　spear；　references　to
  ebriety　and　to　nuptial　union　have　to　figure　in　the　phraseology　by
  which　it　is　shadowed　forth。　　Intellect　and　senses　both　swoon　away
  in　these　highest　states　of　ecstasy。　　〃If　our　understanding
  comprehends；〃　says　Saint　Teresa；　〃it　is　in　a　mode　which　remains
  unknown　to　it；　and　it　can　understand　nothing　of　what　it
  comprehends。　　For　my　own　part；　I　do　not　believe　that　it　does
  comprehend；　because；　as　I　said；　it　does　not　understand　itself　to
  do　so。　　I　confess　that　it　is　all　a　mystery　in　which　I　am
  lost。〃＇259＇　In　the　condition　called　raptus　or　ravishment　by
  theologians；　breathing　and　circulation　are　so　depressed　that　it
  is　a　question　among　the　doctors　whether　the　soul　be　or　be　not
  temporarily　dissevered　from　the　body。　　One　must　read　Saint
  Teresa's　descriptions　and　the　very　exact　distinctions　which　she
  makes；　to　persuade　one's　self　that　one　is　dealing；　not　with
  imaginary　experiences；　but　with　phenomena　which；　however　rare；
  follow　perfectly　definite　psychological　types。
  ＇258＇　Saint　Teresa　discriminates　between　pain　in　which　the　body
  has　a　part　and　pure　spiritual　pain　（Interior　Castle；　6th　Abode；
  ch。　xi。）。　　As　for　the　bodily　part　in　these　celestial　joys；　she
  speaks　of　it　as　〃penetrating　to　the　marrow　of　the　bones；　whilst
  earthly　pleasures　affect　only　the　surface　of　the　senses。　　I
  think；〃　she　adds；　〃that　this　is　a　just　description；　and　I　cannot
  make　it　better。〃　　　Ibid。；　5th　Abode；　ch。　i。
  ＇259＇　Vie；　p。　198。
  To　the　medical　mind　these　ecstasies　signify　nothing　but　suggested
  and　imitated　hypnoid　states；　on　an　intellectual　basis　of
  superstition；　and　a　corporeal　one　of　degeneration　and　hysteria。
  Undoubtedly　these　pathological　conditions　have　existed　in　many
  and　possibly　in　all　the　cases；　but　that　fact　tells　us　nothing
  about　the　value　for　knowledge　of　the　consciousness　which　they
  induce。　　To　pass　a　spiritual　judgment　upon　these　states；　we　must
  not　content　ourselves　with　superficial　medical　talk；　but　inquire
  into　their　fruits　for　life。
  Their　fruits　appear　to　have　been　various。　　Stupefaction；　for　one
  thing；　seems　not　to　have　been　altogether　absent　as　a　result。　You
  may　remember　the　helplessness　in　the　kitchen　and　schoolroom　of
  poor　Margaret　Mary　Alacoque。　　Many　other　ecstatics　would　have
  perished　but　for　the　care　taken　of　them　by　admiring　followers。
  The　〃other…worldliness〃　encouraged　by　the　mystical　consciousness
  makes　this　over…abstraction　from　practical　life　peculiarly　liable
  to　befall　mystics　in　whom　the　character　is　naturally　passive　and
  the　intellect　feeble；　but　in　natively　strong　minds　and　characters
  we　find　quite　opposite　results。　　The　great　Spanish　mystics；　who
  carried　the　habit　of　ecstasy　as　far　as　it　has　often　been　carried；
  appear　for　the　most　part　to　have　shown　indomitable　spirit　and
  energy；　and　all　the　more　so　for　the　trances　in　which　they
  indulged。
  Saint　Ignatius　was　a　mystic；　but　his　mysticism　made　him　assuredly
  one　of　the　most　powerfully　practical　human　engines　that　ever
  lived。　　Saint　John　of　the　Cross；　writing　of　the　intuitions　and
  〃touches〃　by　which　God　reaches　the　substance　of　the　soul；　tells
  us　that
  〃They　enrich　it　marvelously。　　A　single　one　of　them　may　be
  sufficient　to　abolish　at　a　stroke　certain　imperfections　of　which
  the　soul　during　its　whole　life　had　vainly　tried　to　rid　itself；
  and　to　leave　it　adorned　with　virtues　and　loaded　with　supernatural
  gifts。　　A　single　one　of　these　intoxicating　consolations　may
  reward　it　for　all　the　labors　undergone　in　its　lifeeven　were
  they　numberless。　　Invested　with　an　invincible　courage；　filled
  with　an　impassioned　desire　to　suffer　for　its　God；　the　soul　then
  is　seized　with　a　strange　tormentthat　of　not　being　allowed　to
  suffer　enough。〃＇260＇
  ＇260＇　Oeuvres；　ii。　320。
  Saint　Teresa　is　as　emphatic；　and　much　more　detailed。　You　may
  perhaps　remember　a　passage　I　quoted　from　her　in　my　first
  lecture。＇261＇　There　are　many　similar　pages　in　her　autobiography。
  Where　in　literature　is　a　more　evidently　veracious　account　of　the
  formation　of　a　new　centre　of　spiritual　energy；　than　is　given　in
  her　description　of　the　effects　of　certain　ecstasies　which　in
  departing　leave　the　soul　upon　a　higher　level　of　emotional
  excitement？
  ＇261＇　Above；　p。　22。
  〃Often；　infirm　and　wrought　upon　with　dreadful　pains　before　the
  ecstasy；　the　soul　emerges　from　it　full　of　health　and　admirably
  disposed　for　action　。　。　。　as　if　God　had　willed　that　the　body
  itself；　already　obedient　to　the　soul's　desires；　should　share　in
  the　soul's　happiness。　。　。　。　The　soul　after　such　a　favor　is
  animated　with　a　degree　of　courage　so　great　that　if　at　that　moment
  its　body　should　be　torn　to　pieces　for　the　cause　of　God；　it　would
  feel　nothing　but　the　liveliest　comfort。　　Then　it　is　that　promises
  and　heroic　resolutions　spring　up　in　profusion　in　us；　soaring
  desires；　horror　of　the　world；　and　the　clear　perception　of　our
  proper　nothingness。　。　。　。　　What　empire　is　comparable　to　that　of　a
  soul　who；　from　this　sublime　summit　to　which　God　has　raised　her；
  sees　all　the　things　of　earth　beneath　her　feet；　and　is　captivated
  by　no　one　of　them？　　How　ashamed　she　is　of　her　former　attachments！
  How　amazed　at　her　blindness！　What　lively　pity　she　feels　for　those
  whom　she　recognizes　still　shrouded　in　the　darkness！　。　。　。　She
  groans　at　having　ever　been　sensitive　to　points　of　honor；　at　the
  illusion　that　made　her　ever　see　as　honor　what　the　world　calls　by
  that　name。　　Now　she　sees　in　this　name　nothing　more　than　an
  immense　lie　of　which　the　world　remains　a　victim。　　She　discovers；
  in　the　new　light　from　above；　that　in　genuine　honor　there　is
  nothing　spurious；　that　to　be　faithful　to　this　honor　is　to　give
  our　respect　to　what　deserves　to　be　respected　really；　and　to
  consider　as　nothing；　or　as　less　than　nothing；　whatsoever　perishes
  and　is　not　agreeable　to　God。　。　。　。　She　laughs　when　she　sees
  grave　persons；　persons　of　orison；　caring　for　points　of　honor　for
  which　she　now　feels　profoundest　contempt。　　It　is　suitable　to　the
  dignity　of　their　rank　to　act　thus；　they　pretend；　and　it　makes
  them　more　useful　to　others。　　But　she　knows　that　in　despising　the
  dignity　of　their　rank　for　the　pure　love　of　God　they　would　do　more
  good　in　a　single　day　than　they　would　effect　in　ten　years　by
  preserving　it。　。　。　。　She　laughs　at　herself　that　there　should
  ever　have　been　a　time　in　her　life　when　she　made　any　case　of
  money；　when　she　ever　desired　it。　。　。　。　　Oh！　if　human　beings　might
  only　agree　together　to　regard　it　as　so　much　useless　mud；　what
  harmony　would　then　reign　in　the　world！　With　what　friendship　we
  would　all　treat　each　other　if　our　interest　in　honor　and　in　money
  could　but　disappear　from　earth！　　For　my　own　part；　I　feel　as　if　it
  would　be　a　remedy　for　all　our　ills。〃＇262＇
  ＇262＇　Vie；　pp。　229；　230；　231…233；　243。
  Mystical　conditions　may；　therefore；　render　the　soul　more
  energetic　in　the　lines　which　their　inspiration　favors。　　But　this
  could　be　reckoned　an　advantage　only　in　case　the　inspiration　were
  a　true　one。　　If　the　inspiration　were　erroneous；　the　energy　would
  be　all　the　more　mistaken　and　misbegotten。　So　we　stand　once　more
  before　that　problem　of　truth　which　confronted　us　at　the　end　of
  the　lectures　on　saintliness。　　You　will　remember　that　we　turned　to
  mysticism　precisely　to　get　some　light　on　truth。　　Do　mystical
  states　establish　the　truth　of　those　theological　affections　in
  which　the　saintly　life　has　its　root？