As regards ...'s claim to have direct revelations from God;
such visions and communications as he may receive cannot, from the standpoint
of the Cause, be well considered in the nature of a direct and authoritative revelation
from God such as experienced by Divine Prophets and Messengers. There is a
fundamental difference between Divine Revelation as vouchsafed by God to His
Prophets, and the spiritual experiences and visions which individuals may have.
The latter should, under no circumstances, be construed as constituting an
infallible source of guidance, even for the person experiencing them.
The Guardian wishes you to fully explain and clarify this
point to ... that he may have no illusion regarding the true Bahá’í attitude on
this and similar matters.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated November 1, 1940, written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Spiritualism,
Reincarnation and Related Subjects’, prepared by the Research Department of the
Universal House of Justice, published in ‘Baha’i Institutions’ a compilation by
India Publishing Trust, 1973)
