Writing in Prayerful Absorption

Mother Mary of the Nativity, a member of the community of Toledo where The Interior Castle was begun, later testified that she often saw Saint Teresa of Ávila writing, usually after Holy Communion, with her face resplendent and radiant. Teresa wrote with such rapidity and deep absorption that she seemed completely unaware of any noise or disturbance around her.

The Trance While Writing

Mother Mariana of the Angels related another remarkable event received from the same witness. One day, while entering Teresa’s cell to deliver a message, she found the holy Mother beginning a fresh page of her book. As Teresa removed her spectacles to listen, she was suddenly seized by a trance that lasted several hours. The nun, frightened yet motionless, remained watching her. When Teresa returned to herself, the sheet that had previously been blank was found covered with writing.

Testimony of Her Sisters

Another nun, Mary of St. Francis, gave a similar testimony. She stated that she had personally seen Teresa writing four works: The Life, The Way of Perfection, The Foundations, and The Interior Castle. Once, while Teresa was composing The Interior Castle, she entered the room with a message and found the Saint so deeply absorbed that she did not notice her presence. Her face appeared illuminated and extraordinarily beautiful.

After listening to the message, Teresa said:

“Sit down, my child, and let me write what our Lord has told me before I forget it.”

She then continued writing with astonishing speed and without pause.

Witness of Radiance and Speed

Mary of the Nativity frequently remained in Teresa’s cell while she wrote and repeatedly observed the brightness of her face and the almost preternatural speed with which her hand moved across the page.

The Seventh Mansion Experience

On another occasion, while speaking with Mother Mary of Jesus about spiritual matters, Teresa explained that since reaching what she called the Seventh Mansion — the Spiritual Marriage — our Lord had communicated so much to her that she did not believe it possible to advance further in prayer during this life, nor even to desire a greater state.

Later Testimonies and Editing of Her Works

Later, when Luis de León undertook the editing of Teresa’s writings, he received a long letter from Don Diego de Yepes, later Bishop of Tarazona and one of Teresa’s confessors, in which he recorded his personal recollections of the Saint and her extraordinary spiritual life.