Editing Teresa of Ávila (section)

===Four stages as described in the ''autobiography''===
In her autobiography she describes four stages,{{sfnp|Herzog|Schaff|Hauck|1908|p=413}} in which she uses the image of watering one's garden as a metaphor for mystical prayer:{{efn|See: ''The Autobiography'' Chs. 10–22}}
* The first, ''Devotion of the Heart'', consists of [[mental prayer]] and meditation. It means the withdrawal of the soul from without, [[penitence]] and especially the devout [[Meditations on the Life of Christ|meditation]] on the passion of Christ (''Autobiography'' 11.20).
* The second, ''Devotion of Peace'', is where human will is surrendered to God. This occurs by virtue of an uplifted awareness granted by God, while other faculties, such as memory, reason, and imagination, are not yet safe from worldly distraction. Although a partial distraction can happen, due to outer activity such as repetition of prayers or writing down spiritual things, the prevailing state is one of quietude (''Autobiography'' 14.1).
* The third, ''Devotion of Union'', concerns the absorption-in-God. It is not only a heightened, but essentially, an [[religious ecstasy|ecstatic]] state. At this level, reason is also surrendered to God, and only the memory and imagination are left to ramble. This state is characterized by a blissful peace, a sweet slumber of at least the ''higher soul faculties'', that is a consciousness of being enraptured by the love of God.
* The fourth, ''Devotion of Ecstasy'', is where the consciousness of being in the body disappears. Sensory faculties cease to operate. Memory and imagination also become absorbed in God, as though intoxicated. Body and spirit dwell in the throes of exquisite pain, alternating between a fearful fiery glow, in complete unconscious helplessness, and periods of apparent strangulation. Sometimes such ecstatic transports literally cause the body to be lifted into space.{{sfn|Clissold|1982|pp=63–64}} This state may last as long as half an hour and tends to be followed by relaxation of a few hours of swoon-like weakness, attended by the absence of all faculties while in union with God. The subject awakens from this trance state in tears. It may be regarded as the culmination of mystical experience. Indeed, Teresa was said to have been observed [[levitation (paranormal)|levitating]] during [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] on more than one occasion.{{sfn|Clissold|1982|pp=63–64}}