Divine Identity and the Quest for Spiritual Union
Some people see in themselves something more than mere individuality – they feel a unity with the Divine, believing that a divine element lies at their core. This position stems from the idea that the human “self” is essentially a spiritual personality or even the image of God. For example, B.P. Vysheslavtsev writes: "According to B.P. Vysheslavtsev, the self is perhaps what we call a spiritual personality or the image of God, which is quite different from the Orthodox tradition. In Orthodox anthropology, the term 'self' is understood in a directly opposite way: not as the highest, but as a fallen stage. The self is isolation from God, whereas Vysheslavtsev understood the 'self' as the Divine 'I'. He writes: 'The self or Divine "I". The third, fourth, and fifth stages are important. These are essentially psychological characteristics, which are absent in the ancient Orthodox authors, and are called the forces of the soul.'" (source: link txt)Another aspect of this phenomenon is that certain views interpret personality as something ontologically divine, where an individual’s identity is determined not only by his physical flesh but also by a higher, spiritual substance. This attitude can be seen in discussions suggesting that "personality is a kind of ultimate individuality 'I', not reducible to anything common or collective," which emphasizes the uniqueness and superhuman component of every individual (source: link txt).It is also important to note the belief that the divine element was embedded in man from the moment of creation. Thus, the idea that "this divine element was implanted in Adam at creation..." indicates that many see in man a reflection or spark of the Absolute, which can lead to the aspiration of aligning one’s personality with the Divine Hypostasis (source: link txt).Finally, the concept of deification—that is, the aspiration to achieve the highest degree of union with the Divine—is reflected in the experience of a person who declares: "Glory to me! I am above all things! I am You and You are I. Such is his self-awareness when he reaches the state of perfect deification. The Christian mystic also aspires to deification, also wants to become God. But in his words these expressions have another meaning." (source: link txt)Thus, the tendency to identify oneself with God or to sense a divine element within is based on the idea that the human essence possesses a unique spiritual nature in which an element of the Absolute is already present. This conviction fits into a broader context of understanding man as a being in which both material and spiritual elements intertwine, with the aspiration towards ultimate union with the Divine representing the culmination of spiritual development.