In a religious context, transfiguration, from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''transfiguratio'', is the experience of momentary

divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine

radiance. It can function as a form of

apotheosis Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...

In the Judeo-Christian scriptures and tradition

Jesus

Jacob

In the

Ladder of Jacob The ''Ladder of Jacob'' (Hebrew: ''Sulam Yaakov'' סולם יעקב) is a pseudepigraphic writing of the Old Testament. It is usually considered to be part of the apocalyptic literature. The text has been preserved only in Slavonic, and it is ...

, at the conclusion of this instruction, instead of simply being given the new name Israel, Jacob is introduced to his

heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

ly counterpart, the

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

Israel.

Enoch

In the Book of Enoch, when Enoch returns to Earth, he tells his children that although they see him as the earthly, human Enoch, there is likewise an angelic Enoch (

Metatron Metatron ( ''Meṭāṭrōn'', ''Məṭaṭrōn'', ''Mēṭaṭrōn'', ''Mīṭaṭrōn'', ''Meṭaṭrōn'', ''Mīṭṭaṭrōn'') or Mattatron ( ''Maṭṭaṭrōn'') is an angel in Judaism mentioned three times in the Talmud in a few br ...

) that has stood in the Lord's Presence.

Elijah

In the departure of Elijah to heaven by chariot of fire, and horses of fire and lifted up by a whirlwind to heaven.

Moses

The apocryphal Assumption of Moses offers a detailed account of the assumption and transfiguration of Moses.

Mary

Lumen gentium ''Lumen gentium'', the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. This dogmatic constitution was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1964, following approval by the assembled bishop ...

'' states that "the Immaculate Virgin ..was exalted by the Lord as Queen of the universe, that she might be the more fully confirmed to her Son, the Lord of lords and the conqueror of sin and death".

Transfiguration of humanity as a whole

Christian eschatology Christian eschatology, a major branch of study within Christian theology, deals with "last things". Such eschatology – the word derives from two Greek roots meaning "last" () and "study" (-) – involves the study of "end things", whether of ...

, eternal life is said to be the transfiguration of all of humanity.

In other religions and spiritual traditions

Hinduism

Ramalinga Swamigal Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalār Chidambaram Ramalingam (5 October 1823 – 30 January 1874), commonly known in India and across the world as Vallalār, Ramalinga Swamigal and Ramalinga Adigal, was one of the most famous Tamil Saints and also one of t ...

(1823 – 1874) is said to have obtained 'an alchemized Light body'.

Buddhism

The

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

is said to have been twice transfigured, at the moment of his enlightenment and at the moment of his death.

Gurdjieff's Fourth Way

P. D. Ouspensky recounts an episode where he claims that he and other onlookers experienced a change in the aspect of

Gurdjieff George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (; rus, Гео́ргий Ива́нович Гурджи́ев, r=Geórgy Ivánovich Gurdzhíev, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj ɪˈvanəvʲɪd͡ʑ ɡʊrd͡ʐˈʐɨ(j)ɪf; hy, Գեորգի Իվանովիչ Գյուրջիև; c. 1 ...

while seated in a railway carriage.P.D. Ouspensky, In Search of the Miraculous, USA 2001, pp 324f.,

Transfiguration of demons

demonology Demonology is the study of demons within religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or pseudoscience. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a hierarchy of demons. Demons may b ...

, some high-ranking demons, such as Lucifer, are said to have been able to

shapeshift In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...

in order to deceive people.

References

Religious terminology {{Reli-stub