Why

[sdi]

Early in life a mysterious being appeared to Socrates in his sleep, instructing him in the deeper phases of philosophy and promising to protect him against the conspiracies of jealous and hateful enemies. Socrates called his strange invisible guide a familiar spirit, or demon.

The Neo-Platonists were later to teach that to each human being is assigned at birth a spiritual preceptor, which they called the natal demon.

Socrates had many adventures with his familiar spirit, which he believed belonged to the order of the Cyclops, a race of one-eyed giants inhabiting the superphysical worlds. As he matured his philosophy and extended the sphere of his intellect, he came closer and closer to his demon guide; eventually the spirit was able to communicate with him at any hour of the day. [...]

Apuleius points out that the demon of Socrates never exhorted him to the performance of any action, but on several occasions warned him against certain undertakings. This attitude is consistent with the highest phase of spiritual ethics; for it was held by the Greeks that no man should be prevented by celestial powers from the expression of his personal will and convictions.

(Manly P. Hall, Journey in Truth, emphasis mine)

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One may reasonably ask why I spend so much time with my nose and mind buried in all these philosophy books. Well, there's your answer. (Yes, it works.)

Comments

[boccaderlupo]

It's funny: a friend of mine in the emergency services was speaking about this voice, this "gut instinct" that he would get during times of danger. It wouldn't suggest what to do, but would only offer warning when things were amiss. He was totally unaware of the Socrates association, by the way, when I brought it up to him—independent confirmation, I guess.

Axé

[sdi]

Yes, perfect! It's amazing how we think nothing of such things—valuable as they are!—until they grow to miraculous proportions (as mine eventually did after years and years of meditation and study). Just imagine if parents cultivated those sixth senses in such a way as to encourage children to explore them...