The Neo-Platonist, and later Christian, philosopher John Philoponus speak of a ‘bright rational soul’ in distinction to a passionate soul that is vulnerable to attack by demons.

The Neo-Platonists used the term augoeides, meaning possessed of a form of auge: in other words, brilliant light is the prime essence of the spirit-body and of all bodies. In European philosophy, Plato described the soul as auge, splendour, brilliance, and radiance. 4 An example are the light-elves, the liós-álfar of the Nordic mythology who personify the light, and who resemble Tolkien’s bright and positive elves in The Lord of the Rings. Miniature spirit beings known as ‘the little people’ were regarded as stars and beings of light. Spirit beings or gods and goddesses of light play a central role for many cultures, if not all. The concept of the human soul possessing a light-filled core is common to folk traditions. 2 Other strange lights range from earthlights in the context of earthquakes 3 to orbs and UFOs. Unusual, brilliant and non-physical lights have been described throughout the world: Shamanic lights during initiation, the ‘pure’ light of the Upanishads in India, the Buddhist’s ‘white light’, and the light of illumination and enlightenment in the Jewish, Christian, and Mystic traditions. How were we to enjoy divine delight?) 1 Unusual Lights Across Cultures Läg’ nicht in uns des Gottes eigene Kraftĭid god’s strength not dwell in you and me Plato mentioned an archetypal light, an idea that six hundred years later was followed up by Plotinus and a century after that by Bishop Gregory of Nyssa.

Some languages make the distinction explicit: for instance Bulgarian has videlina for physical light and svetlina for non-physical, spirit light.Īround 500 BC, the pre-Socratic philosopher Parmenides spoke of light as a symbol for truth and being. Traditionally, a distinction is made between physical or ‘outer’ light that is perceived with ordinary eyesight, and non-physical light that depends on some kind of ‘inner sight’, like visions in dreams. Light and Soul: Traditional Beliefs and Early Philosophy Two Types of Light Light and Soul: Traditional Beliefs and Early Philosophy.

Light phenomena examples