Iamblichus’s De Mysteriis and theurgy

Record summary

Iamblichus’s De Mysteriis defends theurgy and discusses divine presence, ritual signs, possession-like phenomena, prayer, and the relationship between soul and body. It is a useful classical comparator for later claims about mediumship, ritual trance, and spiritually interpreted altered states, while also showing how philosophical authors distinguished genuine divine agency from imagination and deception. The work is a theological-philosophical treatise, not a neutral report of experiments. Researchers should compare it with Porphyry’s criticisms and with broader late antique ritual practices.