Demonic Quote by Oliver Sacks
“I think there's probably always been visions and voices, and these were variously ascribed to the divine or demonic or the muses. I think many poets still feel they depend on an inner voice, or a voice which tells them what to do.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Hallucinations, 2012
Poets often attribute inspiration to an inner voice, historically linked to divine or demonic sources.
In simple terms: Creative ideas feel like external guidance.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate inner dialogue for artistic work.
Themes
creativity
inspiration
history
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- writing
- painting
- musical composition
Key Concepts
psychology
mythology
artistic process
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate intuition from imagination?
- What practices sharpen your creative discernment?
A Different Perspective
Relying on a "voice" can limit critical thinking.
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
![“I would say that Edgar Allan Poe, [Georges] Perec, Thomas Pynchon, and [Jorge Luis] Borges are all boy-writers. These are writers who take... a kind of demonic joy in writing.” quote by Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c94/paul-auster-351_allan-poe_i-would-say-that-edgar-allan-poe-georges_292858.jpg)
