Divine inspiration is the concept of a supernatural force, typically a deity, causing a person or people to experience a creative desire. It has been a commonly reported aspect of many religions, for thousands of years. Divine inspiration is often closely tied to the concept of revelation, information being revealed or disclosed through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities.

Examples

Besides ancient mythology, the religious texts of traditions including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, and the Baháʼí Faith are all claimed to be divinely inspired to some degree.

Plato’s manias

Plato distinguishes four kinds of inspiration or "mania" in the dialogue Phaedrus. The word "mania" signifying that a person is caught up in a state transcending the individual consciousness. In other dialogues, Plato identifies other manias besides the four given in Phaedrus. Anger, for example, is a mania because a man may become inspired by Mars in battle and perform deeds of superhuman strength. The four given in Phaedrus, however, are called Divine as they are the inspirations which perfect the soul.