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→Kinds: moved section as subsection of "False gifts"
Different kinds of prelest are described by many Holy Fathers, including the Fathers of [[Philokalia]]: St. [[Gregory of Sinai]], St. [[Maximus the Confessor]], St. [[Symeon the Metaphrast]], St. [[Symeon the New Theologian]] and others. Even when some Holy Father does not use the term "prelest" explicitly, writing about ascetic life implies writing what spiritual practice is true, i.e. leads to salvation, and what is false, i.e. leads to the opposite and, therefore, accepting it as true is prelest.
A modern reader can find the most thorough explanation of prelest in the writings of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) where he relentlessly keeps the traditions of Holy Fathers. Some of these writings were incorporated into a book "On prelest"<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/09i/ignatii/charm/contents.html St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). On prelest.]</ref> dedicated solely to different forms of delusion (wrong way of prayer, trust to dreams, excessive zeal, false humility etc.), which St. Ignatius explains on the basis of the words from Holy Fathers of the first centuries and provides information about different recent cases of delusion. In this book, St. Ignatius gives the following definition of prelest: it is "wounding of human nature with falsehood" or, in other words, "man’s assimilation of falsehood which he accepts as truth".
Some modern ascetics such as elder [[Joseph the Hesychast]],<ref name="joseph">[http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/134-false-visions/310-true-visions-from-god-are-often-a-consolation-in-suffering Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Monastic Wisdom, From letter 55.] Elder Joseph writes in a letter to a priest about true and false visions and pride. If the person becomes proud - the demons can start to make a mock of him, showing their own visions that imitate the true ones.</ref> elder [[Paisios (Eznepidis)|Paisios of the Holy Mountain]],<ref name="paisios">[http://oodegr.co/english/anatolikes/Paisios_powers_darkness.htm Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, Spiritual Counsels, Vol. 3. Spiritual Struggle]</ref> elder [[Daniel Katounakiotis]]<ref name="daniel">{{Ru icon}} [http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/10k/katunakskii/katunakskii1/16.html Elder Daniel Katounakiotis. Angelic living.] Elder Daniel had a spiritual gift of counsel allowing him to guard or cure people from delusion. The book contains several his letters about it.</ref> also wrote about prelest.
[[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>
==View from the outside==
It is possible to consider someone holy only when viewing from the outside. Considering oneself holy is a clear manifestation of prelest because the closer someone is to God, the more sinful he sees himself. St. Macarius the Great says: "if you see that someone is arrogant and proud of that he is a partaker of grace, then even if he created miracles and raised the dead, but if he does not recognize his soul as dishonest and despised, and himself poor in spirit and vile, he is robbed by malice not knowing that for himself. Even if he creates miraculous signs, one should not believe him, because the sign of Christianity – for the ones who are well-versed before God, is to strive to hide it from people, and if he has all the king’s treasures, to hide them and always say: “this is not my treasure, the other put it at my place, and I am a beggar, when the one who put it will want, he will take it away from me.” If someone says: “I am rich, I’m quite enough of what I have acquired, and I don’t need more of it,” then this is not a Christian, but a vessel of delusion and of the devil. For the enjoyment of God is insatiable, and to what extent one tastes and communes is, in such a way becomes more greedy. Such people have an eagerness and uncontrollable love for God, the more they try to succeed and gain, the more they recognize themselves as poor, as they are meager in everything, and have not gained anything. They say: “I am not worthy that this sun illuminates me.” This is a sign of Christianity, this is humility."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/prochee/dobrotoljubie_tom_1/13 St. Macarius the Great. State of those who Received the Action of Spirit. Ch. 24. Philokalia, vol 1.]</ref>
St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes that "humility does not see itself humble. On the contrary, it sees in itself a lot of pride. It takes care to find all its branches; looking for them, it sees that there is still a lot to look for."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://librarium.orthodoxy.ru/ignatiy/i_09.htm St. Ignatius. On Prelest. On True and False Humble Thinking.]</ref>
St. John Cassian writes that "a cleaner look notices more, a reproachful life gives rise to a great sorrow of self-reproach, the correction of morals and zeal for virtues multiply wailing and sighing. For no one can be satisfied with the degree of perfection in which he has succeeded, and the cleaner one will be in the spirit, the more he sees himself unclean, the more he finds reasons for humility. And the faster he strives for height, the more he sees that he has more where to strive."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[https://svyatye.com/chitat/Avva-Feona-Prp-Ioann-Kassian-Rimlianin-Sem-sobesedovanii-ottsov/1756/ St. John Cassian. 7 Conversations of Fathers. 23th Conversation of Abba Theona Ch. 21.]</ref>
St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain says that "a man who considers himself a saint and prays for others, considering them sinners, is disgusting to God".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Paisij_Svjatogorets/molitva-tom-vi/4 St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain. Words. Vol. 6. Ch. 2.]</ref>
St. Anthony (Putilov) of Optina writes in his diary that "I saw that only then I was in a true opinion of myself when I had a bad thought about myself; and when I had a good thought I was in delusion".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Antonij_Optinskij/zhizneopisanie-nastojatelja-malojaroslavetskogo-nikolaevskogo-monastyrja-igumena-antonija/ Biography of the abbot of the Maloyaroslavets St. Nikolas monastery, hegumen Anthony.]</ref>
==The most likely time to fall into prelest==
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).] Elder John (Krestiankin) writes to one person about the "gift" of healing. Elder John says from his experience that such "gifts" often end in irresistible desire of suicide in both the healer and the patient.</ref>
==== False silence of thoughts ("demonic silence")====
Internal silence and lack of thoughts do not necessarily indicate the high spiritual condition of the particular person. According to St. John Climacus, demons can deliberately leave a person - either to lead him into carelessness and then suddenly attack him, or if a person has already established himself in sinful skills, or if a person has one main passion that replaces all the others.<ref> St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step. 26. Ch. 61-65.</ref> According to the experience of Father John (Adlivankin), who works in the St. John of Kronstadt rehabilitation center assisting former sectarians and occultists, he repeatedly heard people’s confessions of how they often observed a state of complete "dispassion", i.e. the absence of any sinful thoughts. This was when they were sectarians and occultists. After turning to Orthodoxy, they no longer had such a long calm state. According to Fr. John, such condition (he calls it "demonic silence") is very dangerous - complete thoughtlessness and comfort, and it inevitably causes the thoughts about the person’s exclusiveness, i.e. pride.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YVrTxI_yxI Monk John’s conversations with the priests of Optina Monastery. Part 1.] "Demonic silence" is mentioned at the time of 1h 40 min 25 sec.</ref>
===Trust in night dreams===
Apostle James warns against unauthorized teaching in his Epistle: "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (James 3:1). If the desire of teaching in the particular person originates from the passions of vainglory and pride rather than from love and humility, it becomes a kind of prelest, being based on a false idea of personal dignity and ability to teach and that such teaching is pleasing to God. 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> Such inner determination is opposite to pride and conceited opinion about personal merits. St. [[John Climacus]] also warns about forbidden teaching when he speaks about vainglory: "Ignore him when he tells you to accept the office of bishop or abbot or teacher. It is hard to drive a dog from a butcher's counter."<ref>St. John Climacus. The ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 22.</ref>
Teaching can be a king kind of prelest in the following situations:
* arbitrary teaching and advice without being asked (except for the cases when the person was explicitly appointed to teach without being asked);
* teaching someone who is not interested in the topic or who does not have previous experience and knowledge to understand;
The conceited teacher often does not notice that he does harm to his students because they do not understand, understand incorrectly or even cannot understand at all some subject not having enough experience or knowledge, but the teacher does not cease his teaching. Lord Jesus warns against teaching those who are unprepared and cannot understand: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Matthew 7:6). St. [[John Chrysostom]] in the interpretation of these words says that the corruption of life is the reason why the teaching is not understood.<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.XXIII.html St. John Chrysostom. Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. VII.]</ref> St. Symeon the New Theologian speaks in a similar way about teaching of something that cannot be understood: "the one who speaks about the ultimate steps of perfection to the novices and especially to the most lazy of them, not only does not help them, but also makes them to go back".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Dobrotoljubie/dobrotoljubie_tom_5=2 St. Symeon the New Theologian. Practical and theological chapters. Ch. 160.]</ref> The same idea about teaching of high matters is expressed by [[Apostle Paul]]: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
The teacher, according to St. [[Symeon the New Theologian]]<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.pagez.ru/lsn/simeon/83.php St. Symeon the New Theologian. Word 83.]</ref>, should know the subject from experience. Elder Joseph the Hesychast writes : "it is a fact that when one a passionate person starts attempts to teach another passionate person, grace immediately withdraws from the first one immediately loses who teaches, and then he falls into the grace because God gives same faults and passions as the privilege of teaching only when the teacher achieved the state of dispassion and contemplationother person. For before “praxis, i.e. already knows the subject from personal experience” he has not been given this duty."<ref>Elder Joseph the Hesychast. Monastic wisdom. Letter 22.</ref> Also the main role in the human understanding belongs not to the efforts of the teacher but to the action of Divine grace. Elder Joseph notes that he witnessed many times that unless God will help with His grace to understand, no human efforts alone can make the teaching successful. St. [[Innocent of Alaska]] writes about the action of the spirit of love that only the one who have plenty of faith and love can have a mouth and wisdom, which all hearts of the listeners shall not be able to resist.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/russian/innocent_alaska_r.htm St. Innocent of Alaska. Instruction for a missionary priest.]</ref>
Regarding arbitrary (i.e. without permission of the bishop) 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".
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"/> (Holy Fathers use the words "memory of God" as a synonym for the Jesus prayer)<ref>[http://www.bogoslov.ru/en/text/2588738.html Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware). The Jesus Prayer in St Gregory of Sinai. 1971.] Metropolitan Kallistos writes: secondly, it is manifested to us in obedience through the methodical and unceasing invocation of the Lord Jesus, that is, through the memory of God. ... The second way is that of inner prayer, and it is characterized above all by the ‘memory of God’, that is, by the continual invocation of the Name of Jesus.</ref>.
Several dangerous practices of the Jesus Prayer can be named that contradict the teaching of the Holy Fathers. If at least one of the following exists:
#the person prays without keeping the attention in the words of the prayer and imagines heavenly hosts, Lord Jesus,<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 28. St. John writes: "Make the effort to raise up, or rather, to enclose your mind within the words of your prayer; and if, like a child, it gets tired and falters, raise it up again."</ref><ref>St Gregory of Sinai. On Stillness: Fifteen Texts. Different Ways of Psalmodizing. Ch. 10. St. Gregory writes: "Unceasingly cry out: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy', and do not allow yourself to retain any concept, object, thought or form that is supposedly divine, or any sequence of argument or any color, but concentrate solely on the pure, simple, formless remembrance of Jesus."</ref>
#the person does not use the prayer for repentance but seeks for some "spiritual feelings", "consolation by grace",<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 28. St. John writes: "And even if you have climbed the whole ladder of the virtues, pray still for the forgiveness of sins".</ref><ref>{{Ru icon}}[https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Paisij_Svjatogorets/molitva-tom-vi/7_3_2 St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain. Words. Vol. 6. Divine consolation in the prayer.] Elder Paisios writes: "beware of striving for prayer in order to feel pleasure, joy. A child does not run to his father because he gives a chocolate bar but because he loves his father; another thing is if the father himself wants to give a chocolate bar. Prayer for the sake of feeling joy and not to unite with God is not true prayer."</ref>
#the person does not truly repent of some sins, i.e. he does not want to completely give up some sinful habits for which the consciousness condemns him,<ref name="joseph"/><ref name="ioann"/><ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.ioann.org/pisma/molitva.html Letters of elder John (Krestiankin). On Prayer.] Elder John (Krestiankin) writes to some person who has demonic attacks because of the previous devotion to heretic and demonic teachings. Elder John says that when someone starts to pray with Jesus prayer while keeping the passions in the soul and in the heart - that can cause mental damage. So elder John advises that person to reduce the prayer rule.</ref>
he/she can fall into prelest.
Also, Metropolitan Ierotheos (Vlachos) in the book "A Night in the Desert of the Holy Mountain"<ref>{{Ru icon}}[https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ierofej_Vlahos/odna-noch-v-pustyne-svjatoj-gory/#0_14 Metropolitan Ierothos (Vlachos) "One night in the desert of the Holy Mountain."] </ref> speaks of the following errors in the prayer:
* The idea that grace and vision of the Uncreated Light can be gained quickly. In reality, for most people it takes years. Therefore, a person may become disappointed if he does not quickly acquire it;
* Great importance is attributed to psychotechnical methods (paying attention to inhalation-exhalation, heartbeat, etc.), while they do not act magically, but are only auxiliary means of reducing distraction;
* Jumps, skipping stages during the development of the prayer. Some go directly to noetic prayer or want to connect the nous and the heart right away through breathing, skipping oral prayer.
* Disappointment if there are no tears. Or vice versa, a person told someone about his tears and they disappeared because of that;
* A strong desire to see the Uncreated Light – then demons can demonstrate for the ascetic their own "uncreated light". The very thought that "I am worthy to see the Uncreated Light" is a dangerous state;
* Violation of obedience – the thought not to ask the director originates from the enemy.
St. Ignatius tells a story about the proper way of the prayer. A monk came to him from [[Mount Athos]]. This monk did not need warm clothes in winter because of the internal heat in his body caused by the prayer and was wearing chains. At first, St. Ignatius thought that this is a true ascetic and wanted to hear something useful from him about the prayer. But then he found out that the monk uses wrong way of prayer with exaltation and imagination. St. Ignatius gingerly asked the monk to try to keep the mind in the words of the prayer. When the monk started to pray this way, that was enough to cure him. All his visions disappeared and he could not make them return. When the monk returned later, he no longer looked conceited. He took off the chains and could not do without warm clothes.<ref name="ign1"/>
During practice of the Jesus prayer, the person always encounters an opposition from the demons through the thoughts. They attempt either to make the person abandon the prayer or to make the prayer unpleasing to God, i.e. to drive the person into pride and prelest. There is even such wrong opinion that one can fall into prelest because of the Jesus prayer. This opinion is denied by Valaam elder John (Alexeev): "One falls into prelest not because of the prayer but because of pride, self-conceit and following own will".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://valaam.ru/ru/letters_john/2651/ Letters of schema-hegumen John. On Jesus prayer.]</ref> This following own will includes neglecting Confession and advice of the spiritual father, as elder Joseph the Hesychast notes: "It is not just a matter of saying the prayer, but it is also a matter of being attentive. You must be vigilant with your thoughts, masterfully controlling them. Otherwise, they will take control of you and in the end you will become the laughing-stock of the demons. I have never seen a soul make progress in the prayer without frankly confessing secret thoughts".<ref>[http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/concealment-of-sins-in-confession/309-noetic-prayer-is-incompatible-with-concealment-of-thoughts Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Monastic Wisdom, From letter 55.]</ref>
St. [[Paisius Velichkovsky]] says that though Jesus Prayer purifies man from all passions and keeps him safe from delusions, a man can fall into delusion if he practices the Prayer "according to own will, not according to the power of the teaching of the Holy Fathers, without counsel and questioning of the experienced" and because "being arrogant, passionate, and weak, lives without obedience and submission". And the reason of delusion is not the Prayer, but "following own will and pride of the ones who follow own will."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ilarion_Alfeev/svjashennaja-tajna-tserkvi/4_4 Metr. Hilarion (Alfeev). Holy Secret of the Church. Ch.4.]</ref>
A warning to those who follow own will is also expressed by St. Gregory of Sinai: "it is impossible for all to be taught this discipline (i.e. unceasing prayer). Obedient<ref> Not according to the simple custom called so, but those who are in obedience to the spiritual father, with the cutting off of their own will and mind. {{Ru icon}}[https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Makarij_Optinskij/predosterezhenie-chitajushhim-dukhovnye-otecheskie-knigi-i-zhelajushhim-prokhodit-umnuju-iisusovu-molitvu/ St. Macarius of Optina. A warning to those reading spiritual fatherly books and those who wish to practise the noetic Jesus Prayer.]</ref> illiterates and simples can be trained in it – yes – since obedience for the sake of humility is capable of all virtue. But the disobedient, whether simple or educated, are not taught this science lest they fall into prelest. For those who are a law unto themselves cannot escape conceit, which is usually followed by prelest as St. lsaac says. But some people, not thinking of the harm they may do, teach every newcomer the efforts they themselves make to keep remembrance of God, in order that the mind should become accustomed to this remembrance and begin to love it-which is impossible, especially for those accustomed to live as they choose. For, since their mind is impure owing to negligence and arrogance, and is not cleansed with tears, they mostly see images of shameful thoughts instead of prayer, while the impure spirits rooted in their hearts gnash their teeth, disturbed by the terrible name (of God), and strive to destroy the man who thus wounds them. Therefore, if a man, who acts on his own, hears or reads in books about this doing and wishes to practise it, he will suffer one of two things: if he forces himself to efforts he will fall into prelest and will remain uncured or, if he does not make efforts, he will remain unsuccessful his whole life". <ref>St. Gregory of Sinai. Instructions to hesychasts. On silence and prayer. 8. in: Writings from the Philokalia on the Prayer of the Heart. Transl. by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer.</ref>
Similar to the last words is said by as St. [[Macarius the Great]] about not making efforts in the fight with passions: "if someone compels himself to the prayer until he attains the gift from God, and does not force or bother himself in the same measure to humility, love, meekness and to other virtues: sometimes the grace of God happens to him by his prayer and petition; because God is merciful, and he gives what is requested to those who ask of Him. But, without having prepared and accustomed himself to the virtues mentioned above, either he loses the grace, or he receives and falls, or does not succeed from arrogance; because he does not commit his will to the commandments of the Lord".<ref>{{Ru icon}} [https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Makarij_Velikij/sem-slov/ St. Macarius the Great. Seven Treatises. 1. 14.]</ref>
===False unceasing (self-moving) Jesus prayer===
Unconditional action of prayer assumes that free will does exist neither in man nor in God and that God can do something harmful and with no regard to the inner determination of all involved persons. St. Hilarion of Optina writes that though we should pray about each other, the view on prayer that every petition is necessarily executed originates from pride and leads to delusion. <ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.optina.ru/starets/ilarion_letters_4/#51 Letters of St. Hilarion of Optina. Letter 51.]</ref>
Professor A.I. Osipov writes that "an awareness of magic is deeply present in our 'old man'. For very many people, Orthodoxy consists in placing candles, 'venerating', donating something, leaving prayer requests, ordering Liturgies, molebens and pannikhidas, joining in the cross processions, visiting holy shrines, confessing and receiving Communion. The most important part of salvation, life according the commandments and repentance, remains undone. However, without spiritual transformation (in Greek, the word for repentance is μετάνοια [metanoia], which means to change one’s way of thinking), all of these external activities are at the least useless, and at the worst harmful, for they can cause one to feel self-righteous and raise his self-opinion over “sinners.”".<ref>[http://www.alexey-osipov.ru/web-files/books/Put_razuma_v_poiskakh_istiny/Pyt_razuma_english_(A_I_Osipov).doc A.I. Osipov. Search for Truth on the Path of Reason. P. 240.]</ref>
Also some holy fathers wrote about such "automatic" attitude to the Sacraments (i.e. without faith and willingness to fight with passions): St. John Chrysostom<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Ioann_Zlatoust/beseda_na_slova_otcy_oblak St. John Chrysostom. Conversation about the words of the Apostle 1 Cor.10:1] St. John writes: neither baptism, nor absolution of sins, nor knowledge, nor the communion of the mysteries, nor sacred body, nor sacred blood, and nothing else can bring us any good if we do not lead a life honest, rigorous and alien to any sin.</ref>, St. Mark the Ascetic<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ni-ka.com.ua/index.php?Lev=creati St. Mark the Ascetic Word 4. Answer to those puzzled about Holy Baptism.] St. Mark writes: Are you sure even now that to a firm believer the Holy Spirit is given immediately after the Baptism, while to wrong and of evil faith is not given even after Baptism?</ref>, St. Cyril of Jerusalem<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Kirill_Ierusalimskij/oglasit=17 St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical teachings. Catechetical teaching 17th.] St. Cyril writes: If you are a hypocrite, a man baptize thee this day, and the Spirit does not baptize you. If you come with faith, then people will make the visible and the Holy Spirit will make the invisible.</ref>. Such false "automatic" attitude to the action of Holy Sacraments is named by A.I. Osipov as one of the reasons of degeneration of Christian faith and backsliding into paganism.
''Surrounded by the brothers at the moment of his death, he was as if talking with invisible beings. The brothers asked him, "Father, tell us, with whom are you speaking?" He answered, "With angels who have come to take me; but I am begging them to leave me for a short time, in order to repent." The brothers knew that Sisoes was perfect in the virtues, and protested, "You have no need to repent, Father." Sisoes answered, "Truly, I do not know if I have even begun to repent."''
''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 were 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:
