In the name of God, I intend to talk to you about the third article regarding Revelation and Inspiration, and I hope that by studying the first and second articles, you will be able to establish a good connection with the topics of this article. If we refer to dictionaries, we see that they consider "revelation" (Vahy) to mean gesturing and whispering. They even use the term "swift and rapid transmission" for it. For example, if you point out something to someone with a gesture, lexicographically you are "revealing" (Vahy) to them—meaning, through a gesture, you transmit your message to the other party. "Inspiration" (Ilham) is also presented in dictionaries as a form of casting into the heart and instilling meaning.

Text of the Article

Revelation and Inspiration: Every contingent being benefits from a shapeless space (abstract/content space), which we refer to as the mind, and has a presence in the Shaped Space, which is called the Imaginal Body. Therefore, we are confronted with two realms: one is the Realm of Minds, and the other is the Imaginal World (Mundus Imaginalis). Now, we say that revelation (Vahy) is the factor that sustains the Realm of Minds and the Imaginal World, and it is what enables the mind to be dedicated to the contingent being and its shaped presence in the form of the Imaginal Body. The mind of the contingent being, by utilizing the Imaginal Body and its presence in the shaped or imaginal space, achieves experiential knowledge. This knowledge pertains to the discovery of the Shaped Space, physical relationships, and the reception of abstract concepts in the mind, leading to the creation of the attraction of life in the imaginal realm.

However, the mind of the contingent being is also under the attraction of the Realm of Minds—an attraction that influences its acquired imaginal identity. Now we say that inspiration is the call of the mind of the contingent being by the Realm of Minds and the reminder of its shapeless identity. Therefore, a person exists between two forms of understanding or attractions: one is the attraction of the imaginal realm, and the other is the attraction of the Realm of Minds.

Explanation of the Article

As we said in the previous articles, every contingent being is a link between shapeless space and Shaped Space. On this basis, the contingent being must utilize the shapeless space; on one side, that shapeless space should provide a benefit, a sense, and a portion to the contingent being, which I called the "mind." On the other side, namely the Shaped Space, the contingent being must manifest, and this presence is realized through an Imaginal Body. Therefore, we have two worlds: the Realm of Minds (or the world of minds), and the Imaginal World (Mundus Imaginalis) [1]. The very definition of the contingent being is the relationship established between these two.

What role does revelation (Vahy) play in this context? Revelation is the factor responsible for sustaining both the Realm of Minds and the Imaginal World; and in the third stage, it is revelation that is responsible for dedicating a mind to the contingent being and an Imaginal Body to it, within the connection between these two worlds. Thus, from now on, a contingent being must be identified by its mind, and in the following, when I speak of the mind, you should also consider the contingent being alongside it.

The mind of the contingent being, utilizing the Imaginal Body dedicated to it, presents its presence in the shaped or imaginal space. With this proximity that the mind establishes with the imaginal part, it undergoes experiential knowledge—the very thing we previously called ecstatic reception (Wajd), reception, or cognition. At this stage, the mind discovers the Shaped Space and various bodies; for example, a tree is a kind of Imaginal Body. Different plants are Imaginal Bodies. Humans are Imaginal Bodies. Thus, the mind of the contingent being begins to discover the Shaped Space and follow physical relationships, as if revelation is driving it in that direction.

At higher levels, revelation allows concepts to arise in the mind; for instance, when you look at a flower, other than looking at the form of the flower in the initial stages and evaluating it, that same factor of revelation causes you to experience concepts in your mind, such as liking, being moved to praise, or being filled with wonder, bewilderment, and longing. We consider these as concepts, and these very things shape our life in the Imaginal World; as if an attraction exists that occupies us with all of these subjects: the world of forms, discovering them, their relationships, and defining ourselves among them. It is as if we are seeking an identity, and this too is the responsibility of revelation. It is the factor of revelation that steers humans toward finding their identity. For this reason, by examining the course of human history, we realize that behind all spoken and written words, the core subject is the discovery of human identity and defining humans among all the templates they observe. More explanations on cognition will be provided in future articles.

However, the mind of the contingent being also experiences another attraction; the attraction of the world we named the Realm of Minds. It is that attraction which you occasionally feel toward a world you do not know but whose gravity you sense. Here too, revelation intends to challenge the acquired imaginal identity and indicate that this identity is not your primary identity; it is a conventional and imaginal identity. If the mind of the contingent being continues to operate under this attraction and engages in voluntary concentration, it can perceive this attraction even more.

We consider inspiration to be a specific type of revelation and define it separately, although in terms of meaning, these two words are very close; both point to a type of hidden and secret call. Inspiration is a calling created in the mind of the contingent being, but this call is issued by the Realm of Minds; a reminder that you possess another identity, thereby challenging your imaginal identity.

Summary

From now on, we must consider the human being between two attractions and two worlds, albeit with a sequence: first, humans must, with their Imaginal Body and the mind they possess, achieve primary cognition or cognitions, experience imaginal life, discover relationships, and undergo a series of concepts. On the other hand, however, they must also consider another attraction and cognition alongside it which, if the mind is ready, calls them in another direction. That is, one is the attraction of the Imaginal World, and the other is the attraction of the Realm of Minds. These two attractions continuously influence the human being.

*Footnote:* [1] Our definition of the Imaginal World (Mundus Imaginalis) in these articles differs from Plato’s Theory of Forms.