"The second stage of the spiritual life is the illuminative. This belongs to those whose efforts in holiness have achieved the first stage of liberation from obsessive attachments. It is characterized by spiritual intuition of existent realities, by contemplation of the inner constitutions of created things, and by the communion of the Holy Spirit

In the illuminative stage, the spiritual intellect is purified by divine fire; a psychic opening of the eyes of the heart occurs, and the Logos is born in us, who brings mystical discernments of the highest order.

The one who reaches this state by the intellect's mystical intuition rides like Elijah in a chariot of fire."

-- Niketas Stethatos