The term “locution” is typically used to describe supposed “messages from God” experienced through prayer. Monastics from the Catholic tradition interpret their spiritual experience theistically, thus “messages from God” are seen to be at least in the realm of possibility. This type of spiritual experience seems to me to be similar to Quaker Inner Listening. The language surrounding this type of experience is often nuanced, and many Quakers, for instance, are hesitant to speak of a “voice from God,” but may talk about a deeper voice or leading. This can be interpreted as coming from the depths of the individual, from the Divine, or in a host of other ways. Regardless, the experience of a leading or deeper/more authoritative voice in one’s conscious experience is a common part of the spiritual journey for those from theistic faiths. Personally, I have had similar experiences to what St. Teresa describes here during my practice of Centering Prayer. I don’t always know how I myself interpret these things.
In this passage, Teresa speaks about ways to determine if these locutions are authentic or not.
“There is another way in which God awakens the soul, and which, although in some respects it seems a greater favour than others, may also be more perilous. For this reason I will spend a short time describing it. This awakening of the soul is effected by means of locutions, which are of many kinds. Some of them seem to come from without; others from the innermost depths of the soul; others from its higher part; while others, again, are so completely outside the soul that they can be heard with our ears, and seem to be uttered by a human voice…
To return, then, to our first point: whether they come from within, from above or from without, has nothing to do with their coming from God. The surest signs that one can have of their coming are, in my opinion, as follows. The first and truest sign is the sense of power and authority which they bear with them. I will explain myself further. A soul is experiencing all the interior disturbances and tribulations which have been described, and all the aridity and darkness of the understanding. A single word of this kind – just a “Be not troubled” – is sufficient to calm it. No other word need be spoken; a great light comes to it; and all its trouble is lifted from it although it had been thinking that, if the whole world, and all the learned men in the world, were to combine to give it reasons for not being troubled, they could not relieve it from distress, however hard they might strive to do so…
The second sign is that a great tranquillity dwells in the soul, which becomes peacefully and devoutly recollected, and ready to sing praises to God. Oh, Lord, if there is such power in a word sent by one of Thy messengers what power wilt Thou not leave in the soul that is bound to Thee, as art Thou to it, by love.
The third sign is that these words do not vanish from the memory for a very long time: some indeed never vanish at all.”
The first of these signs – the authoritative nature of the locution – stands out to me. The word or phrase experienced seems to have the power in itself to effect change in the individual who experiences it, even if they have not been able to effect the change in themselves through logical reasoning or other methods. Teresa goes on to discuss locutions which are not authentic.
Different monastics place differing amounts of importance on these types of phenomena.