Both were men of strong will and intellect, both suffered from the sense of sin.

But Luther's development was somewhat quieter and more normal--if, indeed, in the psychology of conversion so carefully studied by James, the quieter is the more normal.
At any rate where Luther had one vision on an exceptional occasion, Loyola had hundreds and had them daily.

Ignatius saw the Trinity as a clavichord with three strings, the miracle of transubstantiation as light in bread, Satan as a glistening serpent covered with bright, mysterious eyes, Jesus as "a big round form shining as gold," and the Trinity again as "a ball of fire." But with all the visions he kept his will fixed on his purpose.
[Sidenote: 1523] At first this took the form of a vow to preach to the infidels and he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, only to be turned back by the highest Christian authority in that region, the politically-minded Franciscan vicar.
[Sidenote: 1524] On returning to Spain he went to Barcelona and started to learn Latin with boys, for his education as a gentleman had included nothing but reading and writing his own tongue.

Thence he went to the university of Alcala where he won disciples but was imprisoned for six weeks by the Inquisition and forbidden to hold meetings with them.

Practically the same experience was repeated at Salamanca where he was detained by the Holy Office for twenty-two days and again prohibited from holding religious meetings.