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new section and more quotes about self-conceit
==Kinds==
[[Saint]] Ignatius (Brianchaninov ) notes that there are two distinct kinds of prelest:
# ''imagination'' – the person imagines in himself or outside something that does not exist. This kind of delusion includes false way of prayer (with imagination of Heaven, Lord [[Jesus Christ]], [[Angels]], Saints) and real visions on the same subject originating from the demons.
# ''self-conseit'' (pride, arrogance) – the person attributes to himself dignity before [[God]] that he does not have.
St. Ignatius says that the first kind of prelest results from the wrong action of the mind and the second - from the wrong action of the heart.
===Prelest and insanity===
According to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, St. Gregory of Sinai,<ref name="greg">Philokalia, Vol. 4, St. Gregory of Sinai, On Commandments and Doctrines, Warnings and Promises; On Thoughts, Passions and Virtues, and Also on Stillness and Prayer: One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Texts, Ch. 131.</ref> St. Symeon the New Theologian,<ref>[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/symeon_threeways.html Saint Symeon the New Theologian, The Three Ways of Attention and Prayer.]</ref> Valaam Elder Schema-Abbot [[John (Alexeev)]]<ref>[http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/413-how-to-pray Letters of the Valaam Elder Schema-Abbot John (Alexeev), On Prayer]</ref> and other ascetics, the first kind of prelest very often leads to insanity. The second kind sometimes does not result in a mental disease, but the person cannot achieve salvation being in a state of one of the seven deadly sins - pride.St. Ignatius writes about it: "This kind of prelest - is terrible: it is equally fatal for the soul as the first one, but is less evident; it rarely ends in madness, suicide, but definitely corrupts both the mind and the heart."<ref name="ign1"/>
===False visions===
According to the Holy Fathers, false visions are associated with pride. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov says that those people, who want to see visions, and whose mind is not renewed and recreated by the Holy Spirit, are filled with pride.<ref name="ign1">{{Ru icon}}[http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/stbrianch/prelest.htm St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). On prelest.]</ref> - that means, as writes St. Ignatius, that there is a connection between prelest of the first and the second kind. Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev) says: "Where there is pride and at the same time one has a vision - it can not be from God, but by all means - from the evil one."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.3rm.info/10811-nastavlenie-o-voznoshenii-sebya-i-lozhnyx.html Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev). Instruction on the self-conceit and the false visions.]</ref>
Romanian elder Cleopa (Ilie) specifies 7 ways of falling into delusion of false visions and dreams:<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/43216.htm Elder Cleopa. On dreams and visions. 2012.]</ref>
False visions as any demonic action can be very harmful to the soul. Elder [[Daniel Katounakiotis]] writes in a letter about one hierodeacon by the name of Ierotheos who had a lot of visions. Even though he confessed everything, nobody of the confessors understood that this was a delusion. Then elder Sava advised him how to find out the truth. When the delusion was revealed and when the visions ceased after repeated exorcism, the injury to the soul of Ierotheos remained very serious and later he broke all monastic vows.<ref name="daniel"/>
===Self-conceit===
St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes that "people infected with prelest of 'conceit' are very common. Anyone who does not have a contrite spirit, who recognizes any own merits and achievements, anyone not holding steadily the teaching of the Orthodox Church, but discussing about any dogma or tradition arbitrarily, at his discretion, or according to the heterodox teaching, is in this kind of prelest. The degree of deviation and persistence of deviation determines the degree of prelest".<ref name="ign1"/> St. Ignatius also quotes St. [[Macarius the Great]] who said: "as there is no person completely free from pride: there is no person who would be completely free from the action on him of a subtle delusion called 'conceit'".
There is an example when "conceit" may also result in a mental disease. Hieromartyr Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky) in his "Spiritual Diary" writes about one woman who was in this kind of delusion. She wanted to take the Holy Communion every day. When she was forbidden to do so, she started to serve the Divine Liturgy herself at her home. "Her case, however, ended sadly. She lost her mind and she is currently in the mental hospital."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://true-orthodox.narod.ru/library/book/Arseny/diary/index.html Hieromartyr Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky). Spiritual Diary.]</ref>
===False gifts===
Sometimes the demons can "help"<ref>Saints Barsanuphius and John, Guidance Toward Spiritual Life: Answers to the Questions of Disciples. Letter 421.</ref> a deluded person. This "help" can include either recommendations about certain things, even theological and very complicated, or can take the form of false spiritual gifts: false healing ability,<ref name="cass">[http://www.tertullian.org/fathers2/NPNF2-11/Npnf2-11-65.htm Saint John Cassian, Conferences. Conference 15. The second conference of Abbot Nesteros. On Divine gifts. Chapter 1. Discourse of Abbot Nesteros on the threefold system of gifts.]</ref> false clairvoyance,<ref name="nic">[http://www.roca.org/OA/66-68/66p.htm Living of Saint Nicetas of the Kiev Caves.]</ref> false gift of prophecy,<ref name="greg"/> false unceasing prayer,<ref name="raph">{{Ru icon}} [http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/16r/rafail/secret/33.html Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). The mystery of salvation. Conversations about spiritual life. Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim.]</ref> false power over demons,<ref name="cass"/> false reading of thoughts,<ref name="ant">{{Ru icon}}[http://video.mail.ru/mail/lapin737/1170/1357.html?autoplay=1 Conversations with Bishop Anthony of Sourozh. On prelest. Spas TV]</ref> false dispassion<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/psychology/vlhs_4.htm#n4 Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos. Orthodox psychotherapy. Dispassion.]</ref> etc. The term "false" here means "not Divine". An inexperienced person, not knowing enough about true Divine gifts, can easily accept such false gift as being Divine. Usually, such false gifts or "help" is sent to an already conceited person, i. e. being in prelest of the first second kind.<ref>[http://stvladimirs.ca/wordpress/letters-of-elder-macarius-of-optina/ Excerpts from the Letters of Elder Macarius of Optina.]</ref> Metropolitan [[Anthony of Sourozh]] recalls that when he was young, he had an ability to read thoughts of other people. Once he asked God: "If this gift is not from You, dispel it". And this ability immediately disappeared.<ref name="ant"/> It is very difficult for a conceited person to decline such gift, to consider oneself unworthy of receiving it and ask God to take the gift away. If these false gifts are accepted by the deluded person, it can lead him/her into demon possession or suicide.<ref>[http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/136-healing-ability-from-demons/341-healing-ability-from-the-demons The Letters of Elder John (Krestiankin).]</ref>
===Trust in dreams===
