Divine inspiration is the concept of asupernatural force, typically adeity, causing a person or people to experience acreative desire. It has been a commonly reported aspect of manyreligions, for thousands of years. Divine inspiration is often closely tied to the concept ofrevelation, information being revealed or disclosed through communication with a deity or othersupernatural entity or entities.
AncientMesopotamia: In the Mesopotamian epicAtra-Hasis, the writer describes his work as dictated by the Goddess in a dream-vision.
Ancient Greece: Theancient Greek muses were said to be supernatural forces that gave artists their skill, while theAncient Greek oracles were said to be subject to supernatural forces.
Hinduism:Music has historically been considered a medium through which performers can become a vehicle for divine inspiration.[1] The goddessSaraswati is also sometimes invoked for assistance with inspiration.[2]
Judaism and Christianity: Both religions claimBiblical inspiration for the parts of theBible to which they adhere.
Islam: Muslims believe theQuran was verbally revealed by God toMuhammad through the angelGabriel (Jibril),[3][4]
Plato distinguishes four kinds of inspiration or "mania" in the dialoguePhaedrus. The word "mania" signifying that a person is caught up in a state transcending the individual consciousness. In other dialogues, Plato identifies other manias besides the four given in Phaedrus. Anger, for example, is a mania because a man may become inspired byMars in battle and perform deeds of superhuman strength. The four given in Phaedrus, however, are called Divine as they are the inspirations which perfect the soul.[5]
Poetic or Musical, inspired byThe Muses, brings the disordered parts of the soul into harmony.
Telestic, inspired byDionysus, purifies the soul and returns it to its ideal state of perfection and wholeness.
Prophetic, inspired byApollo, concentrates the soul to a unity.
Amatory, inspired byEros, conjoins the unified soul to the gods and to intelligible Beauty, effecting divine union.
