To the Reader

...flowed in, it seemed right to arrange it into the form of a dialogue, titled the Ecstatic Journey original: "Exstatici Itinerarij." This refers to Kircher’s work "Itinerarium Exstaticum" (1656), a fictional journey through the cosmos., in which, bringing the collection of observations made until now back to the anvil A metaphor for refining or reworking his scientific data and theories., I intended this one thing with intense mental contemplation, persistent study, and an investigation into various combinations of things, as well as a multifaceted preparation of matters: that I might unfold the hidden causes of such great paradoxes from the inaccessible darkness in which they were wrapped until these times, and that, having assigned the reasons, I might demonstrate that the fabric of the World is established on much more recondite Deeply hidden or obscure. principles than either the simplicity of past ages or the common philosophers of this time could persuade themselves; and I would teach that much greater things lie hidden in those secret boundaries and repositories of higher nature, to be revealed in their own time for the solace of mortals. Before I do this, I wanted to declare with appropriate ingenuity and
The Author’s Declaration.

candor of mind that I will bring forward nothing in this little Work except what is everywhere consistent with the Holy Fathers, Sacred Scripture, and experiments deduced from observations. But when the Reader perhaps looks through the bolder conversations of Theodidactus The "God-taught" student, a character representing Kircher himself. with Cosmiel The angelic guide who leads the student through the heavens., and when he silently weighs the raptures, ecstasies, and exotic operations, and similar feelings and effects of those in contemplation, I earnestly [ask] from...