Macarius of Egypt (300-391), for example, writes that Satan appears to those seeking visions as an angel of light to foster in them a proud opinion of themselves as visionaries of the divine, and by this self-pride to lead them to destruction. Nilus of Sinai († c. 430) a disciple of John Chrysostom, teaches that the mind must be “deaf and dumb during prayer”…“When you pray,” he writes, “do not imagine God in any form and do not allow your mind to form any image…” Nilus also warns to not even desire to see any images or visions, “Do not desire to see any face or image during prayer. Do not desire to see Angels, or Powers, or Christ, in order not to become insane, having accepted a wolf for the shepherd and having worshipped the enemies—demons.”
Likewise, another one of the Eastern Fathers, John Climacus (525-606), asserts that at least some visions and revelations may be created by the demon of pride who uses them to plant and nurture self-pride in devotees…
When the demon of pride becomes established in his servants, then, appearing to them in a dream or in a vision in an image of an angel of light or a martyr, gives to them revelations of mysteries, and as if a gift of [spiritual] gifts, in order that these unfortunate ones, having succumbed to the temptation, completely lost their mind.
A Sinai Father, Gregory (1260-1346) shows an unbroken continuity of the patristic tradition of prayer and continues to caution against mental imagery during prayer…
Never accept if you see anything physical or spiritual, inside yourself or out, even if it is an image of Christ, or an Angel, or some Saint, or a light appears to you and shows in your mind. The mind itself has a natural power of imagination and can easily create a phantom image of a thing, which it desires… In the same way, a recollection of good or bad things usually shows their images in the mind and leads the mind to imagination…
Never accept if you see anything physical or spiritual, inside yourself or out, even if it is an image of Christ, or an Angel, or some Saint, or a light appears to you and shows in your mind. The mind itself has a natural power of imagination and can easily create a phantom image of a thing, which it desires… In the same way, a recollection of good or bad things usually shows their images in the mind and leads the mind to imagination…
In another place, Gregory of Sinai repeats the same warning even more sternly…
When doing your task [of prayer], you see light or fire outside [yourself] or in, or a face—of Christ, for example, or an Angel, or someone else’s—do not accept it, in order not to suffer damage. And yourself do not make images; and those that come on their own—do not accept them, and do not allow your mind to keep them.
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