“Valentin Tomberg:
"Passing on to mysticism which has not given birth to gnosis, magic and Hermetic philosophy - such mysticism must, sooner or later, necessarily degenerate into 'spiritual enjoyment' or 'intoxication'. The mystic who wants only the experience of mystical states without understanding them, without drawing practical conclusions from them for life, and without wanting to be useful to others, who forgets everyone and everything in order to enjoy the mystical experience, can be compared to a spiritual drunkard." --Letter II, The High Priestess, Pg. 43
"Passing on to mysticism which has not given birth to gnosis, magic and Hermetic philosophy - such mysticism must, sooner or later, necessarily degenerate into 'spiritual enjoyment' or 'intoxication'. The mystic who wants only the experience of mystical states without understanding them, without drawing practical conclusions from them for life, and without wanting to be useful to others, who forgets everyone and everything in order to enjoy the mystical experience, can be compared to a spiritual drunkard." --Letter II, The High Priestess, Pg. 43