afflatus

Afflatus is a Latin term that was derived from Cicero in De Natura Deorum, ("The Nature of the Gods") and has been translated as "inspiration". Cicero's usage was a literalising of "inspiration", which had already become figurative. As "inspiration" had come to mean simply the gathering of a new idea, Cicero reiterated the idea of a rush of unexpected breath, a powerful force that would render the poet helpless and unaware of its origin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afflatus