Van HelmLont tells us, in the 'Confessio Authoris' prefixed to his works, that 'he had two dreams persuading him to abandon the philosophy of the Stoics, and to direct his attention to Divine wisdom.'

'Being much fatigued,' he relates, 'with deep thinking, during which I had endeavoured to acquire some knowledge of my soul, I slept. I was soon raised above the fetters of reason: and it appeared to me that I was in a dark room; on the left hand side I saw a table, and on it a bottle containing a liquid, which thus addressed me: "Dost thou wish for honours and riches?" I was stupified at hearing these words. I paced up and down, endeavouring to find what this could mean. On the right hand appeared a slit in the wall through which shone a light, the brightness of which made me forget the voice and the liquid, and changed the current of my thoughts, for I contemplated things surpassing the power of speech. This light lasted but an instant. In despair I returned to the bottle, which I carried away with me. I wished to taste the liquid it contained. With great exertion I uncorked it, but experienced a sensation of horror, and awoke. . Still my desire to comprehend the nature of the soul continued. This desire lasted for twenty-three years, that is to say, until 1633, when I had a vision, during which my own soul was exhibited to my astonished sight. It was a perfectly homogeneous light, composed of a spiritual substance, crystalline and brilliant. It was shut up like a pea in its shell, and I heard a voice saying to me, "Here is what thou sawest through the chink in the wall!" It is in the soul that the vision operated; he who sees his own soul with his earthly eyes shall become blind.' - Ortus Medicinœ; id est, Initia Physicœ Maudita.