Short Summary: Teresa of Avila frequently entered states of ecstasy, sometimes levitating, which her fellow nuns documented and even moved her for public witness; despite her desire for the phenomena to cease, they continued for years before stopping unexpectedly.
Details
Location: Avila, Spain
Year: 1550
Prayer: Prayer written by St. Teresa of Avila: Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.
Verse: nan
Full Story
Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century Spanish mystic, was widely known for entering profound states of ecstasy, during which her body would sometimes become weightless or rise into levitation. These occurrences were frequent enough that her fellow nuns grew accustomed to them, and there are numerous documented accounts of her experiences. In some cases, when Teresa was enraptured and unaware, her fellow sisters would discreetly move her to the main church for public viewing, with her body so light that they could guide her merely by tugging at her garments. While Teresa was often unaware of her surroundings during these states, there were times when she remained conscious and actively resisted the levitations. On one such occasion, during Mass, Teresa begged the nuns to hold her down during the sermon to avoid alarming the congregation. Her humility and discomfort with these miraculous occurrences were well known; Teresa herself prayed for these events to stop, worried that they might draw unwanted attention to her. Despite her reluctance, Teresa's levitations continued for years. Many first-hand accounts document these events, including her own detailed descriptions. In one account, she vividly describes the sensation: “I felt as though a force beneath my feet was lifting me up. It was so powerful that I know nothing to which I can compare it. The force came with much greater vehemence than any other spiritual experience.” Scholars like Dr. Carlos Eire, a renowned historian at Yale University, have studied and validated the historical documentation of these events. Dr. Eire’s work in analyzing mystical phenomena emphasizes that while there is no empirical proof for such experiences, the sheer volume of recorded accounts lends credibility to the phenomenon. The testimonies of Teresa’s levitations, many from eyewitnesses, were consistent and well documented over time. According to Eire, such experiences cannot be easily dismissed as mere legend or imagination, given the level of detail and the reliable sources who recorded them.
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