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For the particular cases of prelest, it can be rather difficult to understand it even for the person who knows the basics of the spiritual life. Also Prof. A.I. Osipov speaks says that, in one of his lectures<ref>[Lecture for opinion, this is the students of key to the separation between the 5th year at Moscow Theological Seminary Eastern and Academy, 22Western Churches - not filioque or papal supremacy - these are only consequences visible to everyone.01.2007.]</ref> about the time when he studied The beginning was in the Moscow Theologial Seminary in spiritual deviation of the 1960s. He knew about people who turned from the book "Imitation path of Jesus Christ" by Thomas à Kempis – in Ignatius Brianchaninov’s writings, there is a case when a landlord saw his daughter fight with this book, took it out passions to the path of her hand and said: "Stop flirting with God." And A.I. Osipov took and read the book and did not see anything bad: "Why do they criticize it? It is true, we must imitate Jesus Christ." When he looked into this book again after a long time – he saw prelest everywhere: rapture, exaltation, false loveto God. A.I. Osipov adds: "I did not understand, imagine that! I did not see. The people who just knew it and felt it – they understood. They saw where the falseness is."
→Expectation of grace: typo
'''Prelest''' ({{lang-ru|прелесть}}, from {{lang-ru|прелестьлесть}} - cajolery; (charm, seduction), {{lang-el|πλάνη - ''plani''}}), also known as: spiritual delusion, spiritual deception, delusion, illusion, – according to Holy Fathers of [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], a false spiritual state, a spiritual illness, "a wounding of human nature by falsehood" (St. [[Ignatius (Brianchaninov) of Caucasus|Ignatius Brianchaninov]]).<ref name="ign">[http://orthodoxleader.paradosis.com/articles/on-spiritual-deception/ On Spiritual Deception. Orthodox Life, July-August 1980.]</ref> The concept of prelest should not be confused with somatic mental illness of any kind, prelest is rather a spiritual illness,<ref>{{Fr icon}} Jean-Claude Larchet, Thérapeutique des maladies mentales. L’expérience de l’Orient chrétien des premiers siècles (1992, 3rd edition 2008) ISBN 2204045187 {{Ru icon}} [http://www.sociodinamika.com/lib/larshe1.html Жан-Клод Ларше, Исцеление психических болезней. Опыт христианского Востока первых веков]</ref> an illness of the soul in its personal relation to God, an illness that originates from vainglory, pride and demonic suggestion and that is to be cured by humility and Holy Sacraments.
==General information==
Strictly speaking, any human error i.e. any acceptance of a false thought as truth is prelest: "The source of self-delusion and demonic deception is the false thought" (St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)). But Holy Fathers wrote mainly about the errors in the human judgement about spiritual matters and especially about the errors in understanding of the personal spiritual state.
True view of oneself is tightly connected with the passions of pride and vainglory and is distorted by these passions. The degree of prelest is the degree of such distortion, i.e. the amount of falseness in the view of oneself and the degree of difficulty of change from the false view to the true one.
Different kinds of prelest are described by many Holy Fathers, including the Fathers of [[Philokalia]]: Saint [[Gregory of Sinai]], Saint [[Maximus the Confessor]], Saint [[Symeon the Metaphrast]], Saint [[Symeon the New Theologian]] and others.
[[Theophanes (Bystrov) of Poltava|Theophan]], the Archbishop of Poltava, comments on this statement of St. Ignatius briefly by setting apart "general prelest" and prelest in its "proper sense" of the word. On the bases of all the above mentioned he gives the following definition: "Briefly, the difference between 'general prelest' and prelest in the particular sense of the word can, on the basis of the above, be expressed thus. General prelest is forgetting and not noticing one's sinfulness. That which we call prelest proper is attributing to oneself righteousness when it does not actually exist. If a man thinks he is righteous, then his righteousness is not divine, but diabolical, foreign to the grace of God and to humility. One should recall the famous saying of Abba Poemen the Great: 'I prefer a man who sins and repents to one who does not sin and does not repent. The first has good thoughts, for he admits that he is sinful. But the second has false, soul-destroying thoughts, for he imagines himself to be righteous' (Bp. Ignatius, Patericon, 75)".<ref>[http://www.roca.org/OA/66-68/66n.htm Letters of Theophan, Archbishop of Poltava, Letter 31.]</ref>
==Premature desire of impossible virtues==
St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes that there is a spiritual law of interrelationship of virtues so that one certain virtue cannot be acquired without acquiring another that is in close relationship with the first one. For a spiritually inexperienced person, the very idea that some virtue can be premature seems almost blasphemous<ref>[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/53476.htm A.I. Osipov. The Basics of Spiritual Life Based on the Writings of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Part 1.]</ref>, but this is true according to Holy Fathers. St. [[Isaac of Syria]] writes that "It is the good will of the most wise Lord that we reap our spiritual bread in the sweat of our brow. He established this law not out of spite, but rather so that we would not suffer from indigestion and die. Every virtue is the mother of the one following it. If you leave the mother who gives birth to the virtue and seek after her daughter, without having first acquired the mother, then these virtues become as vipers in the soul. If you do not turn them away, you will soon die".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/isaaksr/txt71.htm St. Isaac of Syria. Ascetic words. Word 72.]</ref> St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes that "the fallen angel strives to deceive monks and draw them to destruction, offering them not only sin in its various forms, but also lofty virtues that are not natural to them". St. John Climacus writes that "the devil proposes impossible virtues to those who live under obedience, and unsuitable ideas to those living in solitude. <...>The enemy persuades them to look too soon for these virtues, so that they may not persevere and attain them in due time."<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 4.</ref>
St. Ignatius warns that the books of Holy Fathers can act on novices so much that they, in inexperience and ignorance, easily dare to leave the place of residence, which has all the convenience for personal salvation by means of execution of evangelical commandments, and to seek for another higher way of life, seductively painted in their imagination.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/09i/ignatii/charm/3.html St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). On Prelest. On caution when reading the books on monastic life.]</ref> Such desires are the basis of many forms of prelest: desire of visions, revelations, and other supernatural gifts, execution of very long prayer rule, extreme fasting, premature desire of stillness and seclusion.
==Expectation of grace==
The very thought about forthcoming grace and receiving Divine gifts, expectation of grace is a clear manifestation of pride. St. Ignatius writes: "If there is an expectation of grace within you – beware, you are in a dangerous state! <...> Prelest exists already in self-conceit, in considering oneself worthy, in the very expectation of grace."<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/stbrianch/strannik_b.htm St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Wanderer (from Works, Vol. 2).]</ref>
The Gospel says: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation" (Luke 17:20). According to St. Isaac of Syria<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/isaaksr/txt54.htm St. Isaac of Syria. Ascetic words. Word 55.]</ref> and St. [[Macarius of Optina]]<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.optina.ru/lec_mac/42/ Letters of St. Macarius of Optina. Prelest.]</ref>, these words mean that the ones who prematurely desired to acquire grace, acquired pride and fall. And this is not a sign that a man loves God but a mental illness. Saints who acquired grace, thought that they did not have it, and this humility kept them safe from the fall. St. Isaac adds: "How can we strive for high Divine gifts while Apostle Paul glories in tribulations." The same idea is expressed by St. [[Nectarios of Aegina]]: "The ones who seek the Divine gifts and insights while being immersed in the passions are in proud and foolish delusion. First, one need to work on cleansing oneself. Grace is sent as a gift to those who are cleansed from the passions. And they get it quietly, at the moment that they do not notice."<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Nektarij_Eginskij/put-k-schastju St. Nectarios of Aegina. Path to Happiness.]</ref>
St. Ambrose of Optina provides in one letter an example of such expectation of Divine gifts. A nun thought that she will receive all spiritual gifts at the day of the feast of [[Archangel Michael]]. But on that day, she instead received depression and thoughts of suicide from the demons. St. Ambrose writes that it was a delusion and that living in complete solitude will be dangerous for her because of such demonic attacks.<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.optina.ru/starets/amvrosiy_letters_chart2_24/#245 Letters of St. Ambrose of Optina. Letter 245.]</ref>
==Prelest in the New Testament==
[[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 resulting in hallucinations mixed with real visions on the same subject originating from the demons.# ''self-conseitconceit'' (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.
Saint [[Gregory of Sinai]] also says about several forms of delusion:<ref name="greg">St. Gregory of Sinai. On Commandments and Doctrines, Warnings and Promises; On Thoughts, Passions and Virtues, and Also on Stillness and Prayer. Ch. 131. Philokalia, Vol. 4.</ref>
# ''illusory visions and mental images and fantasies'', caused by arrogance and self-conceit: "arrogance is followed by delusion, delusion by blasphemy, blasphemy by fear, fear by terror, and terror by a derangement of the natural state of the mind".
# ''diabolic influence'' - "it has its origin in self-indulgence, which in its turn results from so-called natural desire. Self-indulgence begets licentiousness in all its forms of indescribable impurity." This form includes visions and gift of prophecy that some people have, in fact originating from the demons of licentiousness.
# ''mental derangement'' - a result of the first two forms.
===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 (prayer with imagination) very often leads to insanity. The second kind (conceit) 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===
Elder [[Joseph the Hesychast]] says that true visions are always preceded or followed by very intense suffering and sorrows and are given by God only as a consolation.<ref>Elder Joseph the Hesychast. Monastic wisdom. Letter 37.</ref> Even if the vision is true, it is very difficult to withstand the fight with thoughts and not to get proud of the fact of the vision. "What happens after that? A person becomes the mock of the demons. They fool him with writings and visions, with dreams and revelations, with symbols and numbers, with oracles and a heap of superstitions."<ref name="joseph"/> Elder [[Paisios (Eznepidis)|Paisios of the Holy Mountain]] tells a story about a woman who had one true vision. Then the Devil suggested her a thought that she was chosen by God and she believed it. Then the demons started to torment her with different visions and revelations. In the end, she had another true vision and was told to write to elder Paisios so that he could help her.<ref name="paisios"/> So elder Paisios says that out of all her visions, only 2 were from God.
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 [[Sabbas the Father Confessor of Mount Athos|Sabbas]] 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===
Also, in James 3:1, Apostle warns against unauthorized teaching. Archbishop [[Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse|Averky (Taushev)]] in his analysis of James 3:1 says that one should start teaching with the great caution and distrust to oneself.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/hristianstvo/bibliya/tolkovanie/averkiy_sobornye_poslaniya_10-all.shtml Archbishop Averky (Taushev). Exegetic analysis of the Epistle of James.]</ref>
St. Ignatius (Briachaninov) writes about teaching that "fathers forbid advising neighbors on own accord, without questioning from the neighbor; unauthorized council is a sign of presence of a consciousness of own competence and spiritual dignity – which is obvious pride and self-deception (Opinion of hieromartyr Peter, Metropolitan of Damascus, and other Fathers. Philokalia, Vol. 3). This does not apply to the rectors and superiors, who are required to teach the brotherhood handed to them at all times and on every encountered need without being asked (2 Tim 4, 2). But when they visit other monasteries, they should be guided by the advice of St. Macarius of Alexandria given to St. Pachomius the Great. Pachomius said to Macarius about the guidance of the brethren and judgment over them. Abba Macarius said, "Teach and judge your subordinates and do not judge anyone outside" (Patericon and Memorable Tales of Abba Macarius of the City, Ch. 2). This rule was and is respected by all the abbots wishing to please God."<ref>[http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/09i/ignatii/charm/6.html St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). On Prelest. On Living with Advice.]</ref>
Regarding the teaching in the church, the rule 64 of the [[Sixth Ecumenical Council]] reads: "That a layman must not publicly make a speech or teach, thus investing himself with the dignity of a teacher, but, instead, must submit to the ordinance handed down by the Lord, and to open his ear wide to them who have received the grace of teaching ability, and to be taught by them the divine facts thoroughly. <...> If anyone be caught disobeying the present Canon, let him be excommunicated for forty days."<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0835/__P3S.HTM Canons of the seven [[Ecumenical Councils|ecumenical councils]]. [[Quinisext Council|Quinisext Ecumenical Council]]. Rule 64]</ref> The interpretation of this canon then reads: "But if any layman chance to be experienced in discourse and modest in manner, he is not prohibited from answering and teaching in private those asking questions, as Zonaras states, and ch. 32 of Book VIII of the Apostolic Injunctions declare. For they shall be, it says, all taught of God: in which manner Apollos spoke, and taught the facts about the Lord, and in spite of the fact that he only knew the baptism of the Lord (Acts 28:25), and Aquilas and Priscilla, who taught the same Apollos the way of God more exactly".
==Prelest and Jesus prayer==
Many Orthodox Holy Fathers and modern ascetics wrote about the dangers of wrong practice of the [[Jesus Prayer]] and prayer in general: Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, Saint [[Theophan the Recluse]], Saint Ambrosius of Optina, Saint Macarius of Optina, elder Joseph the Hesychast, Vallam Valaam elder John (Alexeev) and others.<ref name="ioann">{{Ru icon}} [http://www.ioann.ru/?id=424&partid=19 Gleanings from Holy Fathers on the dangers of the prayer of the heart.]</ref>
Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy [[Alexei Osipov|A.I. Osipov]] analyzes<ref name="piligr"/><ref name="apol">[http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/english/apologetics_osipov_e.htm A.I. Ospiov. Apologetics.]</ref> the teaching on the prayer by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and points out that the prayer should have three properties: attention, reverence, repentance. Also humility should be the basis of the prayer as St. Ignatius says: "Today I read the declaration of St. Sisoes the Great, which I always particularly liked. A [[monk]] said to him: 'I am in constant memory of God'. St. Sisoes responded to him: 'That is not great; it will be great when you consider yourself to be worse than any creature.' St. Sisoes continues: constant memory of God is a very elevated activity!! However, this height is very dangerous, when the ladder to it is not founded on the solid rock of humility".<ref name="apol"/>
''Sisoes' deep understanding of his own imperfection is the main outstanding trait of all true saints and is the most important sign that their revelations where true.''
A.I. Osipov also says<ref name="lec1">{{Ru icon}}[http://alexey-osipov.ru/video/kurs-seminarii-i-akademii-2006-2007/2007-01-22-s5-mistika-i-prelest/ A.I. Osipov. Lecture for the students of the 5th year at Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy, 22.01.2007.]</ref> that there are 3 main manifestations of delusions of Catholic mystics:
* compassion of Christ that reaches its ultimate degree;
* matrimony with God, flirting with God, romance with God etc.;
* dreaminess of imagination.
Russian philosopher [[Aleksei Losev|A.F. Losev]] analyzes Western spirituality and in particular, visions of St. Angela of Foligno: "That is not a prayer and conversation with God. These are very strong hallucinations on the basis of hysteria i. e. prelest".<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.ccel.org/contrib/ru/Other/Losev/PLATO_IV.HTM A.F. Losev. Essays on Antique Symbolism and Mythology. 1930.]</ref>
New-martyr [[Mikhail Novoselov|Mihail Novoselov]] compares the teaching of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), St. Theophan the Recluse, writings of M.V. Lodyzhenskii and the writings of Roman Catholic mystics.<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://pravbeseda.ru/library/index.php?page=book&id=221 Mihail Novoselov. Mystics of the Church and mystics of Western faiths. 1912.]</ref> He writes that it is enough to read several pages of the writings of the Western mystics, in particular, the writings of St. Teresa of Ávila, to see that they were in prelest.
Father George Macris also compares the mysticism of St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Francis of Assisiand analyses in detail different manifestations of their humility. He writes in the conclusion that St. Francis "moved progressively in his life in a growing condition of plani"; "as startling as it may appear to some, he bore many characteristics which are prototypical of Antichrist, who will also be seen as chaste, virtuous, highly moral, full of love and compassion, and who will be regarded as holy (even as a deity) by people who have allowed carnal romanticism to replace the Sacred Tradition of the Holy Church"; "The sad fact is that the attainment of a true spiritual relationship with Christ was never a possibility for Francis, for being outside the Church of Christ, it was impossible that he could have received Divine Grace, or any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His gifts were from another spirit".<ref>[http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/st_francis_st_seraphim.htm George Macris. A Comparison of the Mysticism of Francis of Assisi With That of St. Seraphim of Sarov.]</ref> Prof. A.I. Osipov says that deviations in the Roman Catholic Church started from such things that are rather subtle and not easy to understand for everyone, even for the person who knows the basics of the spiritual life. A.I. Osipov gives an example of his personal misunderstanding. He speaks in one of his lectures<ref name="lec1"/> about the time when he studied in the Moscow Theologial Seminary in 1950-60s. He knew about the book "Imitation of Jesus Christ" by Thomas à Kempis – in Ignatius Brianchaninov’s writings, there is a case when a landlord saw his daughter with this book, took it out of her hand and said: "Stop flirting with God." And A.I. Osipov took and read the book and did not see anything bad: "Why do they criticize it? It is true, we must imitate Jesus Christ." When he looked into this book again after a long time – he saw prelest everywhere: rapture, exaltation, false love. A.I. Osipov adds: "I did not understand, imagine that! I did not see. The people who just knew it and felt it – they understood. They saw where the falseness is."
==Causes of prelest==
# Obedience;
# Prayer without side thoughts, especially without imagining Lord [[Jesus Christ]], [[Angels]], Heaven, etc., paying attention to the words of the prayer;
# Prayers of other people of the holy life about the deluded person.;
# Reading the Holy Scripture;
# Work therapy.
The first way to get rid of prelest is the Sacrament of Confession. If the person saw any vision, he should tell it immediately to his spiritual father not concealing anything.<ref>[http://www.saintseraphimbookstore.com/?page_id=243 Nun Macaria, The Angel of Light and Spiritual Discernment in the Orthodox Tradition.]</ref> Other Sacraments are needed as well, but sometimes deluded persons are forbidden to take the Holy [[Communion]] by their spiritual father for some period of time, sometimes rather long (1–3 years).<ref>{{Ru icon}} Архимандрит Иоанникий (Коцонис). Афонский отечник. 2011. Стр. 352. ISBN 9785985990645</ref>
One woman saw a lamp before icon at her house lit by itself. That happened every midnight and even in the presence of other people. She accepted that as Divine. But when she told that to her spiritual father, a known ascetic Bishop Basil (Preobrazhensky), he said: "No, this phenomenon is not from grace, but from the enemy. And because you accepted it as being from grace, I am giving you a penance: do not receive the Holy Mysteries for one year. The lampada will not light itself again". Truly, the lampada did not light by itself from that day on.<ref>[http://www.alexey-osipov.ru/english.doc A.I. Osipov. Search for Truth on the Path of Reason. P. 190.]</ref>
Sometimes in monasteries people suffering from prelest are also given ignoble obediences to humble them. Work therapy decreases pride and demonic attacks that cause prelest. St. Joseph of Optina writes in one letter to the abbess of some monastery about a deluded nun by the name of Mavra. He writes that Mavra should wash dishes or peel potatoes - it can decrease the pride that caused prelest. He also writes that she should not take Holy Communion often - the spiritual father should first incline her to humility and self-abasement. At the same time, solitary life should be completely forbidden for Mavra - otherwise she will go completely mad.<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.optina.ru/starets/iosif_letters_chart_69/#695 St. Joseph of Optina. Letter 695.]</ref>
The first way to get rid of prelest same is true for the Sacrament of Confession. If lay people living in the person saw any visionworld: washing dishes, laundering, he should tell it immediately to his spiritual father not concealing anything.<ref>[http://www.saintseraphimbookstore.com/?page_id=243 Nun Macariadusting and cleaning everything, The Angel of Light doing usual household work makes pride lower and Spiritual Discernment in can help to switch from the Orthodox Traditionthoughts that cause pride and prelest.]</ref> Other Sacraments are needed Also it is important to have a strict everyday schedule and to alternate mental and physical work as well, but sometimes deluded persons are forbidden it was shown by an Angel to take the Holy St. [[CommunionAnthony the Great]] by their spiritual father for some period of time, sometimes rather long (1–3 years).<ref>{{Ru icon}} Архимандрит Иоанникий (Коцонис)[http://days. Афонский отечникpravoslavie. 2011ru/Life/life234. Стрhtm Living of St. 352Anthony the Great. ISBN 9785985990645]</ref> Sometimes in monasteries people suffering from prelest are also given ignoble obediences to humble them. Work therapy decreases pride and demonic attacks that cause prelest.
Nevertheless, even with Divine and human help, as Saint [[Ambrose of Optina]] notes, "It is easier to turn every sinner to repentance than to bring a deluded person to reason".<ref name="ambr"/>
In the [[Great Canon]] of St. [[Andrew of Crete]]:<ref>[http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/canon.htm The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete]</ref> "I lie naked and ashamed, for the beauty of the tree, which I saw in the middle of the garden, deceived me" (Monday, Ode 2); "O God, Trinity yet One, save us from delusion, temptations and misfortune!" (Monday, Ode 3); "But you, my hopeless soul, have rather imitated Esau, surrendering to the crafty evil the beauty you inherited from God. In two ways, works and wisdom, have you been deceived and now is the time for you to change your ways" (Tuesday, Ode 4).
In the Holy Anaphora of the Liturgy of St. [[Basil the Great]]:<ref>[http://www.goarch.org/chapel/liturgical_texts/basil Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.]</ref> "and was led astray by the deception of the serpent", "Releasing us from the delusions of idolatry".
==References==
