A magnetic memory

The emergence of the magnetic centre describes the awakening and emergence into the field of consciousness of an emotional memory of our spiritual experiences. This situation is a fundamental response to the way that the mental organism we have called the Personality is normally formed in modern life. But it can be changed through the effects within us of the appearance and growth of a pattern of intentional activities or practices centred about a group of emotional memories within the psyche. This pattern we call a Magnetic Centre. Generally, we can say that the influence of this centre will effectively assist in perfecting the development of the Personality, that is to say, of the previously formed activities of the psyche. Under the influence of magnetic centre, the interactions between the three centres will be radically modified, and this will strongly influence man's life. In turn, this will also lead to certain changes in his relations with those around him.

It is only after we have accepted an awareness of our limitations, implies Palamas, that we can begin our real education, the education of the psyche. But first, something else is necessary. Before we can be drawn to God, we not only have to discover our own limitations and develop discernment, we also have to begin to overcome the pull of the world. This is a process of magnetisation to God. The result is a reconciliation to God, and this leads to illumination, he tells us. But for this to happen we have to go deep into our own psyche, and we cannot do this as long as we are all the while entangled in all these external things.

Here we meet a confusion: it appears as if Mouravieff was talking about our being entangled in internal processes within the psyche, while Palamas, a monk, an archbishop, and later a saint, says the opposite. He talks about our being entangled in external things. It is at this point that we need to remember the words of certain of the early fathers of the church, where they tell us that the fathers must be read with care, because often they intentionally confuse between inside and outside, psyche and body. (The purpose of this is of course to prevent our understanding too easily, for they regarded easy understanding as no understanding.)