How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter)
Quote #10
... if you were suddenly lifted up to a great height and could look down on human activity and see all its variety, you would despise it, because your view would take in also the great surrounding host of spirits who populate the air and sky; and that, however many times you were lifted up, you would see the same things—monotony and transience. (12.24)
Marcus does this exercise to challenge his perception of reality by literally lifting himself up out of the craziness of daily life. The emperor is neither the first nor the last person to suggest doing this. To be lifted out of normal mortal existence means not just gaining perspective on the littleness and chaos of human existence; it also allows a view of the ethereal, a higher level on the ladder of existence.