Decreation

/ˌdɛkriːˈeɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The act of destroying or causing something to cease to exist; the undoing of creation.

Etymology

From de- (reverse) + creation (the act of creating). Combines Latin de- with 'creation' from Old French 'creacion' and Latin 'creatio.' Theology and philosophy use this term for divine power to unmake things.

Kelly Says

Mystics and theologians used 'decreation' to describe a spiritual state where the self disappears into divine union—Simone Weil famously wrote about 'decreation' as voluntary annihilation of the ego, flipping the word's meaning to be spiritual rather than destructive.

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