Ascedia as discussed by St. John Cassian

In his Institutes, John Cassian speaks of a "Noon Day" demon (see Ps. 91:6). The thing he terms this way is later listed as one of the eight principle thoughts. The list that later became what we know today as the "seven deadly sins". One of the ancient Abbots lists these principle thoughts this way: "There are eight principle faults which attack mankind; first gastrimargia, which means gluttony, secondly fornication, thirdly philargyria or avarice or the love of money, fourthly anger, fifthly dejection, sixthly acedia, that is, listlessness or low spirits, seventhly cenodoxia or boasting or vainglory, and eighthly pride"*.

This Ascedia is a condition that we would call distress of heart or listlessness, in particular, a spiritual listlessness. This is something that is said to be particularly trying for solitaries. Now, Cassian refers in this case to those ancient Christian monks who had set up living in the Egyptian desert. So, one might assume that this is the sort of thing that only affected those in the ancient church or only would trouble monks and others such as these in today's world.

However, I do not think that to be the case. This can cause problems for the Christian of any age who is solitary by nature, even if he does not happen to be living at the top of a pillar in the middle of the desert. What is so insidious about this particular spiritual affliction is that it further seperates the solitary from the group when he is in the most dire need of that community. As David writes for us, "My soul slept from weariness" (Ps. 119:28). Not that his body slept, but his soul slept. Ascedia leaves the one afflicted idle or lazy, wishing only to remain in his room or it drives him out and makes him wander from place to place seeking only to procure some refreshment.

Which is not to say that anyone who is simply lazy is afflicted with Ascedia. Rather, the sufferer is paralyzed in this laziness. Whether it keeps the person in one place or does not allow him to stay in one place to do his assigned work. Ascedia is beyond what we understand as simple laziness. Again, this is not a physical affliction, it is a spiritual one.

This does effect us today. I can see where someone might think that the Psalmist and the saint are both speaking of major depression or some other similar mental illness. It is possible. Though the way in which the saint speaks about this "midday demon" it is clear that this is not what he means. I would agree with the saint, that this is a very difficult thought to combat. It is difficult because of the slippery nature of even describing it. Also because in my life as a pastor, I have found it possible to do the work put before you but still feel blah, or, listless. Though he does describe it as sounding similar to major depression in that it seperates the person from others.

I say this in part because at the end of Cassian's discussion of Ascedia, he describes another monk who is successful in driving away this affliction and claiming the victory over Ascedia. The monk does so in this way, first, he moved seven days journey from any inhabited district and set up residence in a cave. Then, with the palm branches that grew in his area he proceeded to weave baskets from them and over the course of a year, filled his cave with the finished baskets. When the year was up, he burned with fire that which he had diligently labored to produce. He did this work not for need of food but instead to purify his heart and for the strengthening his thoughts.**

I do not know of any mental illness from which a person could gain the victory over or drive it away simply by manual labor.

If this affliction that the ancients speak of would simply be an old word for depression, the way to overcome it would be different. I do think that this listlessness or Ascedia is an affliction that is alive and well in our own day. Given the description by John Cassian, this would afflict in particular those who are solitaries, either by nature or by virtue of being a monk or some other version of the same. Or, those who are religious by their vocation, i.e., pastors as an example. Though there is no reason to think Ascedia is limited to such groups.

This is something that has not seen a lot of study for whatever reason. I do think our society would be well served if someone would endevor to research this very interesting topic and its effects on daily life in the 21st century.

*Conference of Abbot Serapion. Cassian's Conferences V in Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers, 2nd series, volume 11 p.339.
**The Institutes of John Cassian Book X in Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers, 2nd series, volume 11.