Spiritual deception in this context is manifested through the breakdown of the wholeness of one’s inner state, where true concentration is lost and, in its place, a violent outburst of emotions and complete inner turmoil takes over.

Spiritual Deception: The Erosion of Inner Integrity

Spiritual deception in this context is manifested through the breakdown of the wholeness of one’s inner state, where true concentration is lost and, in its place, a violent outburst of emotions and complete inner turmoil takes over. Instead of maintaining a stable inner presence and composure, a person begins to experience “the pilfering of the mind, inner turmoil, vanity,” and their mind and heart become filled with chaotic emotions that lack genuine attention and vigor. This culminates in a situation where, instead of a conscious and sober perception of the spiritual world, there is a “forgetting of God, death, judgment, and all that is spiritual,” which, in turn, undermines the foundational consciousness that supports life’s activity and genuine spiritual connection.

Supporting Citation:
Thus, it often happens that instead of an inner presence and composure there is an outpouring of oneself, an eruption into feelings; instead of the three acts of inner presence—attention, vigor, and sobriety—there is the pilfering of the mind, inner turmoil, vanity, weakness, exaggeration, self-deprecation, license, audacity, captivity, passion, and the vulnerability of the heart; instead of the consciousness of the spiritual world, there is a forgetting of God, death, judgment, and all that is spiritual. Since the primary element in the spirit is consciousness, built through inner presence, when it falls, life’s activity also falls. As a result, instead of the fear of God and the sense of dependence on Him, fearlessness arises; instead of choosing and cherishing the spiritual, there is indifference towards it; instead of detaching from everything, there is a self-reliance (with an inclination to self-pity); instead of penitential feelings, there is insensitivity and an ossification of the heart; instead of faith in the Lord, self-justification prevails; and instead of zeal, there is coolness, lethargy, a lack of arousal, and instead of devotion to God, there is a self-made existence.