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The consecration of the prophet is a temporary schizophrenoid abandonment of reality and withdrawal of object libido. The schizophrenic tries in vain to re-establish these ties by involving his fellow men in the distorted relations of his delusions. The prophet, however, through his mission, succeeds in re-establishing the emotional bonds with the world of reality because his message truly corresponds to a deep emotional reality waiting to be stirred in the soul of his contemporaries. The apocalyptic dream of Isaiah of an era of universal peace, when 'nation shall not lift up sword against nation',48 is a true representation of the aspirations of humanity.
In accepting the vision of the prophet, the nation completes the process of his consecration. The people install him in the office of their collective ego ideal. The universal selection of the prophet or his memory as the collective ego ideal gives unity and cohesion to the group.49 In this sense the prophet symbolizes a stage in the historical evolution of the moral conscience of his people. Only the historical test of mass acceptance and the course of history itself validate the truth of the prophet's vision, and this is what distinguishes the true prophet from the false prophet. The true prophet is one who correctly divines