Shen Ling & Daimones

Psychology and Philosophy in Magic
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Shen Ling & Daimones

Could someone more well-versed than I in the ancient concept of daimones comment on how comparable they are to Shen Ling, as described in the passage below?

In ancient China, the Wu Yi shamans believed that the Dao existed both within the individual
and within the Heavens (as above so below). This “River of God,” or “Heart of Dao,” was located in
the center core (Taiji Pole) of an individual. This is why the Wu Yi were often represented as being
partially divided, becoming energetically and spiritually whole only when possessed by the other half of their celestial spirit…This energetic and spiritual union allowed the Wu Yi doctor access to supernatural powers, allowing him or her the ability to influence nature…Together, the Chinese characters Shen Ling can be translated as “supernatural spirit,” “gods” or “deities,” and represents the living power of the Divine.

Ref: Chinese Medical QiGong Therapy Vol. I (Jerry Alan Johnson)

As far as I am aware, the people of western pagan antiquity did not recognize any form of inner divinity, with the exception of demi-gods. Is the rest comparable?

Thank you!

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Well, the Greeks supposedly believed in a higher self (but I’m a bit fuzzy on the details). So maybe some western cultures did.

The Ancient Egyptians did but I don’t know if you can call them western.

Also the Romans did if I’m not mistaken.

Of course, with the Romans and Egyptians the only things we know for certain only apply to the upper crust of their societies (the Caesar’s the Pharaohs, and Imhoteps). It’s not from the tombs of ordinary Joes.

So whether they believed the equivalent of Mr. John Doe gas station attendant or miss Lap -Dancer/Belly-Dancer or Mr. Gourmet Chef cooks for the Pharaoh did is debatable since Archeologists and Anthropologists digging around Egypt tend to only look for rich peoples tombs not Mr. Donkey Washer’s or Ms Pedicurist’s. So we know the hoi polloy usually believed in some kind of eternal internal divinity (at least they did until Christianity beat it out of them).

Sadly, apart from a few Egyptian tombs a lot of what was believed in the west (where it was written) was confiscated and destroyed, so that all that remains is a few fragments of writings. Compounding the problem is the rest was passed by word of mouth and the killing of so called heretics for non conversion erased most of the rest (the persecution and killing s definitely erased the most if not all of the oral traditions).

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My understanding is that a daimon is not really comparable to the Higher Self ( / HGA ?). I do think there may be a daoist equivalent for that as well though:

The Eternal Soul (Shen Xian) has an infinite source of vitality derived from the high-frequency
force of the Divine or Dao. The Eternal Soul’s quest for knowledge and experience within the three
planes of existence (physical, energetic and spiritual) as a human soul (Yuan Shen) has always been a topic of controversy and debate…After passing through the Zhi Yi Tian (“will and intent of heaven”), the Shen Xian (Eternal Soul) will be absorbed into the mother’s egg at the time of conception in the form of a Yuan Shen (human soul). Although spiritual in nature, the Shen Xian is also connected to the Wuji, and is considered a separate entity, apart from the body.

@Dankquanicus , @FerusAnimi , may I ask your thoughts? Via the comparison of the Shen Ling with the daimone and / or the the Shen Xian with the Higher Self (HGA?) ?

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I am happy to say this is no longer the case, and has not been for some time. I am friends with several Egyptologists and archaeologists within Egyptology. One of the most interesting studies I recently saw involved reconstructing the different recipes of a special ancient bread and seeing how they differed by village. It was ignorantly assumed by non-Egyptian researchers that the recipe was the same everywhere, and this was of course not the case.

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I would not be quick to say that they did not recognize a form of inner-divinity. In Greek Platonism and Hermeticism, the Soul is seen as Divine. In Hermeticism, since the Soul was created by God it has the power to move beyond fate, as it is higher than fate (however, as I have spoken of elsewhere, moving outside of fate can be exceedingly difficult). The One and the Demiurge are in everything, inwardly nourishing the entire cosmos.

Now, each Personal Daimon is assigned to each individual by the Demiurge. This is why in Platonism it is not believed that the Daimon can be bad, coming from the Demiurge, who is entirely good.

The personal Daimon leads the individual through life, and helped their soul to descend into their body during birth, and in the western tradition, the Heart is the seat of the Soul. With this, the Daimon leads the individual through life, and is able to guide them throughout, giving intuition and guidance.

They also help one with Theurgy, union with the divine. Iamblichus says that after enough spiritual development, an individual is able to move on from their Personal Daimon in a way, and then recieve a God as their Daimon or leader.

So, in the west, the Personal Daimon is seen as being intimately connected with the individual, and is from the divine. Many concepts like The One and the Personal Daimon are rather universal, being observed by all wise men, so it is surprising to see similarities in all kinds of cultures.

Depends on how you define the Higher Self. As I’ve said above, the Personal Daimon is intimately connected with the individual, but they do not seem to be the individual.

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Dank, I don’t say it as much as I think it, but I’m thankful you make me feel like an infant with your knowledge in this (and other) areas. It’s always food for thought.

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I think they’re the same thing. K&C with your HGA, meeting your daimon, etc. these are all experiences one has when they reach the sephira of Tipharet, just different cultural lenses

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And perhaps in the case of the goes as well, abstractly:

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Ref: Geosophia (Jake Stratton-Kent)

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