Imaginal perception as a Bilateral Relationship between the Soul and Imaginal World According to Suhrawardi

Abstract

Suhrawardi considers the imaginal perception as the illuminated adjoining of the lightning soul with the suspended forms in the imaginal world free from man's soul. in this process he does not consider any mediation even for the perceptual forms. Thus by eliminating the involvement of mental forms in the imaginal perception the discussion on mental forms is irrelevant with the external matters. A new thing that happens in imaginal perception as a new matter is the pure illumination adjoining that the perception was devoid of before. In illumination adjoining of the soul with imaginal world the immediate presence of the suspended forms in the soul’s conscience is the passive aspect of the soul and the attention of the soul to this presence is the active side of the soul. The imaginal perception is a combination of the soul’s interactions. Suhrawardi believes that human imagination has the bilateral relationship with the imaginal world. On the one hand the imaginal perception is realized in the relationship between soul and imaginal world. On the other hand the soul could create suspended forms in the imaginal world independent of himself. According to Suhrawardi though mental forms never interferes in the imaginal perception They could be used by soul as tool to create suspended forms and possess in the non – contiguous imaginal world with all souls are its subjects. The bilateral relationship between the soul and imaginal world can explain a great deal of mental problems ranging from the artistic creation to corporeal resurrection.