Theosophical Siftings

An Hour in Borderland Occultism

Vol 7, No 2

An Hour in Borderland Occultism

Hypnotism, Thought Transference, Mediumship by Herbert Coryn and A.W. Coryn
Reprinted from "Theosophical Siftings" Volume 7 The Theosophical u!lishing Societ", #ngland

$ age %& 'NAS()*H as the #soteric hilosoph" stands rooted in Occultism, in the hidden aspects of man and nature, some stud" of those hidden aspects is necessar" for an" comprehension of that philosoph" that aims at getting !elo+ its surface, (oreo-er, modern scientific and la".scientific research is almost continuall" occupied +ith the pro!lems of lesser Occultism, 'n the follo+ing paper ' shall ta/e up a series of points +ithout too much regard to their se0uential connection, under the headings of H"pnotism, Thought . Transference, and (ediumship, HY !OT"#M A +riter in (r, Stead1s paper, Borderland, o-er the pseudon"m " 2," e3plains to her readers that "+e" 4the nineteenth centur" omniscient scientist5 ha-e gi-en up !elie-ing in the transference of an aura, odic light, or +hate-er one chooses to call it, from an operator in h"pnotism to the patient, that +e no longer regard it as true that an"thing is con-e"ed, and she remar/s67 "The old !oo/s contain pictures sho+ing streams of light issuing from the person of the operator and directed to+ards the person of the sufferer, Now the operator has lost his importance8 he send out no streams and has no special gifts8 he is little more than a machine, and indeed machines ha-e !een in-ented +hich in man" cases do his +or/ perfectl" +ell," Some of this is mista/en, There is a communication of an auric influence, light, or fluid from operator to su!9ect, and e-en from su!9ect to operator, (en are contagious centres from the lo+est of their planes to the highest, On the ph"sical plane the ma9orit" of diseases are contagious, On the ne3t plane -italit" is contagious, and the "superstition" that the -er" "oung and health" should not sleep +ith the -er" aged and infirm is founded on a fact in Occultism, :urther up, passions are communica!le8 hate, e.g,, !reeds hate, and lo-e, lo-e, Higher still thoughts are infectious, and "et higher, spiritual stimuli to good, The "magnetism" of ;ladstones and <israelis is to some a -isi!le fact, The pictures of emanating auras to +hich (iss " 2 " refers are 0uite in accord +ith +hat ma" !e seen !" good clair-o"ants, 'nasmuch as +hen h"pnotised the su!9ect !ecomes passi-e, all those emanating influences from other men, +hich in the normal state +e all recei-e, !ecome in that state much more potent in moulding him, =e ha-e therefore to in0uire 4>5 =hat is the state of a h"pnotised man ? 425 Ho+ does the h"pnotic state differ +hen produced respecti-el" !" a human operator and a cr"stal or re-ol-ing mirror ? 4%5 =hat is $ age @& self. age >

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h"pnotism ? 4@5 =hat are the communications from operator to su!9ect ? =hat, then, is the state of a h"pnotised man ? =hat is the state of an anaesthetised man ? 'n the anaesthetised man, the !od" of sensation, the astral !od", is e3pelled from the ph"sical !od", +hich in itself has not sensation, The astral !od" of sensation, no longer en rapport +ith the ph"sical !od", and therefore no longer recepti-e of ph"sical sensation, and containing the personal consciousness, is thus permitted to place itself once more into -i!rator" unison +ith the lo+er astral planes, +hereon are -arious pictures, and +herein are -arious forms of life8 that is, it !egins in common parlance to dream -i-idl", Returning to the !od", it does not retain as a rule the memor" of such astral 9un/etings, for it cannot !ring them into an" sort of relationship +ith the ordinar" ph"sical sensation.consciousness of dail" life, No+ the difficult" in the stud" of h"pnotism is that so man" states are included under one +ord, Thus one form of h"pnotism does not differ from ordinar" anaesthesia, The astral !od", the medium !et+een the personal consciousness and the !od", the recei-er and transmitter of ordinar" sensation, is as in anaesthesia e3pelled, and the aforesaid astral 9un/etings go on merril", But in a some+hat different phase of it, the +hole of the manifold astral !od" is not e3pelled, The higher la"ers of it, as it +ere, are e3pelled, those in more immediate relation +ith the personal consciousness8 +hilst those lo+er la"ers that are the immediate !earers of sensation, and that surround the ner-e tu!es as an aura, the ner-e. aura, remain, These sometimes remain in anaesthesia, and for this reason the returning personal self reads in them some record of +hat has !een done, and gets, as it +ere, the pain after it has occurred, But in "et another state of h"pnotism a little more "et, as it +ere, of the astral garments of the #go ma" !e left !ehind in the !od", those la"ers that are accustomed to recei-e the first impress of the +ill, sa" to mo-e the leg, and +hich then ha-e the dut" of transmitting this to the ne3t la"er, the ner-e.aura, and through these the ner-es are reached, 'f then, in a gi-en case of h"pnotism, the #go is dri-en off, lea-ing this la"er !ehind, he has assuredl" left !ehind him a false friend, :or this la"er +ill as soon ta/e orders from an"!od" else as from the man to +hom it properl" !elongs, No+ suppose that in this particular h"pnotic state, +hile the #go is a!sent, a suggestion is made that the su!9ect shall stand on his head, The transmitting la"ers ha-e recei-ed their order, the" ha-e no 9udgment, no self.consciousness, and of course the" do it, Or suppose that the suggestion is that four hours after +a/ing the su!9ect shall stand on his head, 't is registered on the ta!lets of these la"ers in the same +a" as +e oursel-es register on our o+n ta!lets a determination to +a/e at se-en tomorro+ morning, The #go returns, and does $ age A& not o!ser-e, as it +ere, that his house is occupied !" a thief, :our hours pass, and the sheaths !egin to ma/e preparations li/e an alarm cloc/ to go off at the hour for +hich the" +ere set, 'n this the #go ta/es part, =e are not accustomed to find our !odies doing ela!orate things for +hich +e are not responsi!le8 and so the #go in our supposed case assumes necessaril" responsi!ilit" for +hat his !od" is a!out to do, and half unconsciousl" in-ents for his o+n use a reason for that forthcoming action, and +hich, associating himself, as +e all do, +ith his !od", he feels the impulse to do, So he stands on his head, thin/ing it his o+n determination, Various morals lie hidden here, =e /no+ that under ordinar" circumstances +e 0uite identif" oursel-es +ith our !odies, or rather +ith the consciousness and impulses of our !odies, =e thin/ that it is +e oursel-es +ho are hungr" or tired, or aching8 +hile this is the case +e cannot rule that !od" or those desires, for +e thin/ that it is we ourselves +ho ha-e them, and so +e respect them too much to dominate them or outrage them !" den"ing them gratification, =e cannot rule our o+n -er" sel-es8 the ruler cannot !e identical +ith the ruled6 so +e cannot rule our !odies and our desires till +e recognise that the" are not oursel-es, =e sa+ that in some forms of h"pnotism the ruler departs from the ruled8 the #go lea-es the !od", the home of the desires of the flesh and the personal self, Bet us !ear this in mind, and as/ oursel-es +hat else is Coga, +hat else is meditation !ut this -er" lea-ing of the !od", 't ma" not !e that the #go !eta/es himself to another place in space, !ut his consciousness rises to an intensit" and a purit" that is 0uite out of relationship +ith the lo+, partl" animal, and al+a"s unconcentrated consciousness of our ordinar" age 2

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em!odied life, Suppose then that +e +ish to cure oursel-es of a !ad ha!it, +e can ma/e use of h"pnotism, and +hile h"pnotised get a suggestion to drop it, and then it +ill !e gone, But it is un+orth", as a rule, of a student of Occultism, and detrimental to his progress, to get someone else to h"pnotise him8 he must !e self.h"pnotised, This cannot !e done at once, =e cannot all at once, +ithout practice, learn to detach oursel-es from the !odil" consciousness, =e must practise some form of +hat is technicall" called meditation, and learn during that half.hour to li-e onl" on the planes of the Self, off those of the !od", Suppose that ha-ing in a degree learned to effect this detachment, +e +ant to cure some !ad ha!it, +ith this fi3ed thought +e enter upon meditation, and ha-ing reached the point +here +e can 0uite clearl" concei-e that +e are not the !od", +e turn !ac/, as it +ere, and +ill for minutes upon that !od" that it shall no longer ha-e those particular desires, 'f this !e done e-er" da" for a fe+ da"s it +ill !ecome reall" difficult to commit that particular failing, :or 9ust as in the h"pnotic state the lo+er principles are negati-e to the operator, so in the meditation state $ age D& the lo+er principles, ner-e. auras, etc,, can !e made negati-e to the #go, since he does not no+ identif" himself +ith them, nor respect them so much, 'n a simpler +a" this can !e done !" an"one +ho +ill spend the last half.hour of each da" in re-ie+ing his acts and thoughts of that da", and willing that in future he +ill not again commit those faults, 'n a still less degree, an" act of willing, e-en if onl" for an instant, not to do a particular thing or to do it is this -er" self.h"pnotism, +hich is Coga, H"pnotism is of course of great -alue +here the patient has not so much po+er as this practice re0uires, +here he +ould not !e made to !elie-e in his o+n po+er, and +ith negati-e, unde-eloped, and +ill.less people generall", The o!9ections are o!-ious, !ut in the hands of conscientious operators +ho +ould a!solutel" refuse to tr" an" /ind of e3periment, +ho thin/ onl" of the good of the patient, +ho are morall" and ph"sicall" clean men, it is certainl" a practice of great -alue to humanit", Some of its supporters, ho+e-er, constitute in the magnitude of their foolishness, almost a sufficient reason for its total a!olition, A ph"sician, e.g,, recentl" suggests that all persons shall !e h"pnotised in childhood, and the suggestion then made to them that the" shall ne-er feel pain, Suppose this practicable, it implies that pain is +holl" an e-il, +hereas it is the chief teaching +eapon in the hand of Earma, No+ there is a still further degree of h"pnotism of +hich hitherto +e ha-e made no mention, though it is in line +ith the former ones, 't occurs onl" +hen there is a po+erful operator, distinctl" e-il in tendenc", and of some progress, although in e-il, along spiritual lines, 'n this case the #go itself ma" !e o!literated, not, of course, in essence, !ut so far as his total mentalit" is concerned8 and for that time he is practicall" not e3istent, for there remain none of the threads that lin/ him to an" of the organs of mentalit" that rule the senses and collect therefrom their data for intellection and generalisation, No+ +e can see something of the repl" to t+o of our 0uestions, =e see in a measure +hat h"pnotism is, and +hat are its degrees, And +e see +hat self.h"pnotism is, 'ts degrees are manifestl", roughl", three in num!er, There is that +ithdra+al from the !od" of all the principles do+n to and including the astral, and in doing this +e shall not raise, or !etter, or alter our state of consciousness, There is the +ithdra+al from the !od" of the upper four principles, clothed in that form /no+n as the thought.!od" or (a"a-i.Rupa, and this, though it is usuall" attended !" an ele-ation of consciousness, is not necessaril" so, Bastl", there is the entirel" spiritual meditation, in +hich +e merge our thin/ing sel-es in the Higher (anas, a process +holl" good and ele-ating, =hat is communicated from operator to patient ? (an" things, and it is the denial, of these things that +ill ultimatel" land science and its -otaries in the most helpless teaching and $ age 7& practice of Blac/ (agic, On all planes there is a communication, as real as the communication of small.po3 !" the !reath on the lo+est and ph"sical plane, There is a communication, or an absorption, of astro . ph"siological -italit", of that pranic light that flashes and thro!s perpetuall" throughout the aura of all of us, =e shall call this the contagion of the auric light, an emanation that, age %

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passing across from the health" operator, s+athes in its folds the auric sheaths of the ner-es of the +ea/l" patient, There is the communication of an" state of feeling, from the red Eamic up to the highest spiritual Buddhic, There is the communication of the auric fluid, the fluid of thought, from the fourth 4Bo+er (anasic5 plane, or if the operator !e an Occultist from the fifth 4Higher (anasic5 plane of thought, These thought.emanations pass across in suggestion, ' ha-e referred once or t+ice to clair-o"ants, and the e-idence accessi!le to those +ho are not pledged students of Occultism is largel" founded on the concurrent testimon" of clair-o"ants, 't is useless to spea/ to those +ho re9ect the fact of clair-o"ance, for these are either ignorant of or inaccessi!le to e-idence, and !oth !ecome crimes the moment the sceptic open his mouth, 't is a fact, that thought is communica!le, especiall" pictured thought8 that this is the more perfect the more negati-e the recei-er ma/es his mind8 that in the h"pnotic state the recei-ing mind is at its ma3imum of !lan/ness8 it is therefore true that in the h"pnotic state the thoughts of !"standers and of the operator tend -er" mar/edl" to dominate the su!9ect, and this, apart from the spo/en +ord, This !rings us to the last point, viz,, +hat is the difference in the h"pnotic state produced !" a man and !" a cr"stal, The cr"stal in this case is the operator, and its aura tends to replace the ner-e.auras of the su!9ect8 !ut its action seems in the case of the ordinar" man to !e of the lo+est /ind, That is, it is incapa!le of affecting the spheres of thought.aura, or mental aura, a!out the #go, and conse0uentl" suggestions are not a-aila!le to distur! the essential su!9ecti-it" of the su!9ect, <ifferent cr"stals and metals act in some+hat different +a"s, THO$%HT&T'A!#()')!C) Our ne3t point is reall" that of the actual o!9ecti-it" of astral pictures, =e sit 0uiet and there floats across our mind the picture of a room +e ha-e ne-er seen, or across our memor" the picture of a room +e are familiar +ith, 's this an o!9ecti-e actualit" on the astral plane of matter, as much as this room is an actualit" on the ph"sical plane of matter ? 's it true that it is a purel" su!9ecti-e hallucination, or is it real enough, and enough outside oursel-es, to !e magnified or turned upside do+n ? 's there an" meaning to the scientific phrase "pure hallucination ?" =e +ill ta/e up these 0uestions then6 4>5 =hat is the memor" of scenes and persons and e-ents8 +hat is memor" in general ? 425 =hat are mental pictures, and $ age F& +hat is imagination, 4%5 =hat are the potencies of mind as a creator and fashioner ? On the highest and most real planes of the )ni-erse there is no distinction !et+een su!9ect and o!9ect, !et+een seer and seen8 all is one !eing, This, as a state of supra. consciousness not concei-a!le to us, +e are 9ustified in spea/ing of as the )nconscious, Bo+er do+n come in the intermediar" creati-e gods, and these, reflecting on their one aspect the planes of non. differentiation of spirit and matter, of consciousness and su!stance, and feeling the flo+ through them of this One Bife, 'deation.Su!stance, on their other aspect translate the )nit.<uad into the 'deation on the side of consciousness, and its clothing or matter on the side of su!stance, Then, descending the planes of !eing, the" lose hold of the primordial ideation, and dro+ning themsel-es in the sea of su!stance, the" !ecome the earlier monads in e-olution, These at last !ecome men, and !egin again to reco-er that po+er of creati-e 'deation +hich is no+ our !irthright, 'n strictness, of course, the +ord creation is +rong, for all pree3ists in the highest s"nthetic One, No+ memor" is this creation8 it is the ta/ing.in of e3perience throughout life, and the placing it as a long galler" of pictures that each of us creates and o+ns in the astral light, The !rain.cells are /e"s that open to us this or that cham!er in our indi-idual galleries, Some of these cham!ers are loc/ed, for the !rain./e"s ha-e rusted, till the hand of death unloc/s all the cham!ers for us, full of old and long.forgotten deeds and e-ents, hopes and fears, =e must not age @

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materialise too much e-en the astral light, for it is of man" grades, and not merel" a pool of photographs, 't registers not onl" pictures of this life, !ut the more tenuous pictures of times far !ac/8 it is the home of countless /inds of li-es and of the e-il reli0uae of men, 't registers our su!tlest intellections and prompts us to emotions good and !ad, 't pictures all the !elo+, and from a!o-e it catches the fore.plan of the far. future from the )ni-ersal *onsciousness, and from its ta!lets clair-o"ants can thus catch glimpses of past and future, Su!stance is conscious on all its planes, and though that consciousness is -er" !ald in ph"sical matter, in astral matter it is !righter and more mo!ile, and on the planes of su!stance that are concerned +ith mentalit" and spiritualit" the consciousness of nature appeals to the Cogi as an all. present essence of thought, 'f then t+o men sit, one passi-e and recepti-e to the thoughts of the other, +ho is acti-e, and if thoughts, passing across from the latter, are felt and read !" the former, +e must as/, =hat is that influence +hich, radiating from one as a picture or feeling, finds a home in the mental sphere of the other ? 't is an actual o!9ecti-e thing8 it is created or fashioned !" +ill, and it is sent in a definite manner to a definite place, And there is e-idence that to the trained student it is possi!le to place such a picture on paper +ithout an" other apparatus than the same effort $ age G& of +ill, forming there a fairl" permanent impress, And this, done in that +a" ph"sicall", is done astrall" !" all of us e-er" minute of our li-es, #-er"thing +e do or thin/ of, or that enters consciousness in an" +a", is at once !" our 4at present automaticall" acting5 +ills +ritten into, pictured upon, the astral ta!lets of the earth, This is the unconscious memorising of them, and the po+er of conscious memor" is the po+er to recall some of these and loo/ at them again, So to that e3tent +e are all clair-o"ants, And the art of recalling our past li-es is the art of recalling and re. loo/ing at the pictures that +e created a!out us in those li-es, and left, +hen +e died, loc/ed in secure and difficultl" accessi!le places in the astral light, 'magination is the same thing as memor" almost8 it is the grouping together in ne+ com!inations the old !its of memories, for +e cannot imagine an"thing +hich in the ra+ material of its components has not happened to us, 't is of use to some of us to recall past li-es and reli-e some of their e3periences, for +e ha-e not got out of them all that +e might, There is no patent process, ho+e-er, for doing it8 it cannot !e done in an" useful fashion !" mere casual impressions and !its of old astral pictures that ma" or ma" not !elong to us, We must first cultivate the memory of this life, #-er" e-ening +e must recall all the e-ents and e-en the thoughts of the preceding da"8 and +e must de-ote also some time to going !ac/ through the "ears, and noting all the e-ents and deeds that ha-e made us +hat +e are, 't is no +aste of time, for as +e re.drin/ the cup of the past +e can note +here +e failed, +here +e sinned, +here +e ga-e +a", and can ta/e lessons for the future, 't is a li-ing truth that no progress in Occultism is possible +ithout the dail" ha!it of doing this, =ithout it +e can learn astral tric/s, !its of parlour Occultism, !ut +e do not enter upon that solemn reform and ele-ation of life that leads at last to a real life, +ith and in the spirit of the +orld, =e can recall and /ill the e-il elementals that +e thre+ out in passion, and thus undo some of the e-il that +e ha-e contri!uted to the +orld1s aura8 +e can gain thus strength to meet the old temptations that must e-er come up again and again till the" ha-e !een met and con0uered, for Nature lets us off nothing, forgi-es nothing, fortunatel" for us, 'f, then, astral pictures or memor" pictures are reall" outside oursel-es and ha-e a real e3istence, the" ought to !e affected !" lenses, reflectors true and false, etc,, etc,, in the same +a" that ordinar" scener" is, and this is the fact, A set of e3periments in this direction are reported in Borderland, The clair-o"ant +ho there reports gi-es the follo+ing facts as to her -isions, and the" demonstrate the fact as far as she is concerned, >, Her astral -isions +hen seen in a spoon are distorted as the reflection of one1s face is distorted in a age A

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spoon8 that is, pulled out side+a"s +hen the spoon is horiHontal8 lengthened +hen the spoon is held upright, $ age >I& 2, =hen the cr"stal in +hich the -isions are seen is reflected in a mirror, the -ision is re-ersed li/e ordinar" reflections, %, 'n a dou!l" refracting fla/e of 'celand spar, the picture +as duplicated, @, (agnif"ing glasses magnif" the picture, A, The pictures fatigue the retina and gi-e rise to complementar" colours in the same +a" that ordinar" coloured pictures do, 'f "ou loo/ at red and turn "our e"es to +hite, "ou +ill see green, the complementar" of red, So, in the e3periment, an astral picture of a red colour produced an after image of green, So these astral pictures ans+er to the ordinar" tests of o!9ecti-e realit", 'f it !e replied that the" +ere pro!a!l" due to the e3pectation of the e3periments, then the repl" is the si3th set of e3periments, The e3perimenter +ent to (r, <i3e", the optician, +ho allo+ed her to loo/ at her -isions through a num!er of lenses all producing different effects, she !eing ignorant of the nature of the lens in hand, She created astral -isions !" an effort of imagination and loo/ed at them through the lenses, :i-e out of eight trials +ith different lenses ga-e the same results that +ould ha-e occurred in the case of ordinar" pictures, and three ga-e results not reconcila!le +ith an" theor", (oreo-er, the e3periments demonstrated that after a+hile the left e"e !ecame tired, and the pictures +ere onl" seen +ith the right, Those e3periments of course ma/e the phrase "su!9ecti-e hallucination" entirel" meaningless, and sho+ that !oth memor" and imagination are the creation of real ethereall" su!stanti-e photographs, communica!le, as other e3periments sho+, from one to another, No+ perhaps it is a little clearer +hat the astral !od" is8 for so far as its appearance goes, it is 9ust a continuousl" e3isting photograph of the !od", But it differs from a photograph in that it e3ists !efore the !od" is !orn, though modified !" it after, The astral is formed !efore the ph"sical and is the model upon +hich the ph"sical is !uilt, 'ts form is partl" due to the re0uirements of the coming #go that +ill inha!it it, partl" to the moulding imagination of the parents, and partl" to the hereditar" impress of the astro. ph"sical germ that starts its e-olution into acti-it", This last factor is the onl" one recognised !" science, The astral !od" is not ordinaril" recognised !" the ph"sical sight, +hich is attuned in nearl" all of us to ph"sical things onl", 't is not -er" eas" to sa" ho+ astral -isions are seen, *all up the picture of a room at a distance, The mental place in +hich "ou see in imagination that room is the place in +hich astral -isions are seen, ' thin/ it is true that astral things and ph"sical things are ne-er seen !" the e"e at once, An ad9ustment is +anted, =hen an astral picture or form, sa" a ghost, is seen as e0uall" and simultaneousl" o!9ecti-e +ith the furniture of the room, it is !ecause that ghost for some $ age >>& accidental reason has had enough ph"sical particles temporaril" !uilt into his structure as to entitle him to ta/e ran/ +ith the furniture, 'f "ou ha-e a thic/ish section of tissue under the microscope "ou cannot +ith one ad9ustment of the lens see the surface cells and the deep ones8 "ou ha-e to alter it, And so "ou must alter "our focus as it +ere from the ph"sical ad9ustment to the astral, if "ou +ould !e clair-o"ant, ;hosts ordinaril" do not hide the furniture, And no+ as a last point, let us ma/e it clear to oursel-es that the age D

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stud" of ghosts is not Occultism, not (agic, not e-en s"chical Research, Occultism in its highest sense does not deal +ith an"thing that is o!9ecti-e, 't deals +ith the states of feeling in the )ni-erse, 't is an approach to, and a final union +ith the )ni-ersal (ind, And !" )ni-ersal (ind ' mean )ni-ersal =ill, 'mpulse and <esire, )pon these things if +e +ould !e +ise +e ha-e to trust the dicta of the (asters of Coga, and from them +e learn that there is throughout Nature, in all life, a desire or a +ill or an aspiration to !e, to !ecome, coupled +ith or anteceded !" a clear /no+ledge of what it +ills to !e or to !ecome, And +e, +hen +e aspire, share that di-ine desire8 +hen not, then +e shut oursel-es off from it, So Occultism is that 9unction +ith the )ni-ersal that is aspiration for good, and in time it leads up to that place on +hich is +ritten the forepicture of +hat +ill !e, and that is )ni-ersal =isdom, for there is nothing else to /no+, Such is Samadhi, But the lo+er nature clings hea-il" a!out us, and +e are impatient, =e still want this lo+er life and cannot aspire for long, =ho then is the Occultist, and ho+ shall +e /no+ him ? 'n the !eginning he -o+s to himself that there shall !e no more meannesses and +ea/nesses in his nature, and that there shall !e al+a"s in his aims the +elfare of all other creatures, So he is /ind, and neither !" speech nor act +ounds an"one, So he gi-es8 of his mone" +here that +ill do good8 of his counsel, of his /no+ledge, +here that +ill help, and +here /no+ledge is longed for8 of his peace, his comfort, and his +isdom, +hen he meets those +ho are sore +ith the +ounds of fortune, of fate, and of the +orld8 to these he tells of the truths of immortalit", the +a" to +in it, and of the s+eet and might" purpose of Nature for man, though her hand !e iron.glo-ed, He is strong and unmo-ed in his utter peace and /indl" radiation upon all8 in him there is no change of mood, no irrita!ilit" from hour to hour and from da" to da", To !e +ith him strengthens and calms, and encourages, #-er" moment is an aspiration +ith him8 !ehind the strong current of his thoughts and deeds is a steadfast still sound, coming from his heart, a sound that is his +ill, his conscience, his hope, his peace, his unfailing guide, and though his thoughts come and go, the sound is al+a"s, He is self.controlled, cares little for possessions and nothing for the comfort of his !od", and his carelessness for possessions and comforts sa-es him from an3iet" and disappointment, $ age >2& 'n his mind is al+a"s his ideal of +hat he +ould !ecome, and e-er" instant he ad9usts himself to that, He /eeps his consciousness al+a"s at its clearest and highest point, His thoughts are uni-ersal, of the +elfare of men, of the e-ol-ing and completing purpose of Nature, <ail" he meditates, and then +ithdra+ing all attention from e3ternal things he see/s union +ith the soul of Nature, "earning greatl" for it, thin/ing of himself as spread in space, as present in all men and animals and things, as em!odied and non.em!odied lo-e and charit", as one +ith the Higher (an +hose -oice he constantl" feels in his heart, as the )ni-ersal <i-init", Nightl" he re-ie+s the da" and mar/s +here he failed to realise his ideal, +here trifling thoughts and hindering thoughts and +ishes +asted the precious time of life, 'n his stud" he e3amines man and Nature and their relations plane for plane, so that his spiritual ad-ance ma" !e hand in hand +ith the gro+th of his intellect, and that he ma" !e e-er" +a" rounded and perfect, Along all these lines he +or/s, and then his po+ers !egin to e3pand, He !egins to touch the thoughts of men and feel +hat has not reached their lips, feel the coming and contents of letters the" are +riting him, the feelings the" ha-e for him, and the e-il and good in their natures, He gets prognostications of coming e-ents, shaping there!" the lines of his +or/, and that -oice in the heart +hich to us is onl" conscience, !ecomes for him intuition and an intelligi!le teacher of the secrets of past and future, As his s"mpath" for men +idens he reads more and more plainl" their characters, and that occasional intuition of their thoughts and feelings +hich +e all ha-e, did +e !ut stud" and recognise it, !ecomes for him a gro+ing light into the inner sel-es of others +here!" he learns the +isdom of humanit" for himself, and for them the po+er of sa"ing to them and doing for them that +hich shall most aid their gro+th, as he mo-es amongst them li/e a !enediction, He sees the ps"chic colour of his age and countr" and cit"8 the slo+l" gathering astral storms that come do+n to us at last as +ars, murder.epidemics, and disasters to life on land and sea, He learns to stand alone, thin/ing his o+n thoughts, disentangling from his mind those age 7

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other countless thoughts and feelings that are not his o+n, coming upon him as upon all of us from the +a-es of other men, dead and li-ing8 +a-es +hich +e in our ignorance ta/e as our o+n, He studies the li-es that ha-e other home than land and sea, li-es that after countless "ears +ill li-e as men, and that e-en no+ ta/e colour, e-il and good, from thought of man, So he li-es on, +earing do+n man" !odies, his mind standing on e-er higher and higher places of thought, ha-ing its continuance a!o-e the gulfs 4for other men5 of !irth and death, gulfs +hich for him are no+ !ridged !" the un!ro/en thread of memor" and fore-ie+, :or he stands in the +ings of the stage and +atches unmo-ed in his thought the changing scenes of life, the uplifting and do+nletting of the $ age >%& curtain, Bastl" the Bodge of (asters and Teachers of all times and peoples open for him its might" doors8 he reaches the place and companionship of all the great ones +ho ha-e gone !efore and no+ stand +atching and helping +ith strong hands the +oes and struggles of our poor humanit", B" such a career, none of us need !e appalled8 none need stand !ac/ sa"ing, "This is not for me", "This is too great a ath", Nothing !ut has its !eginning, and that !eginning is +hen an" of us suppress an angr" +ord, or root out a sensual ha!it, or nourish one gro+ing aspiration for the light, Bet none of us ha-e too much humilit", The goal ma" !e far off, !ut to him +ho fights e-en a little, the uttermost -ictor" is certain, Bife gi-es place to life, and the hardl" esta!lished ha!it of toda" is the innate instinct of tomorro+, (uch, -er" much, of our future depends on +hat +e do no+, 't is a c"clic turning.point in human histor", the latter end of this nineteenth centur", a meeting.place of di-erse Earmic forces, 'f +e lend our aid no+ to Nature, struggling !et+een spiritualit" and materialit", at the !ottom of her arc, +e shall reap good fruit, the good fruit of !irth, +hen again the fires of Occultism are !urning !rightl", +hen once again humanit" has mo-ed into an auspicious c"cle, ha-ing earned Nature1s gratitude, 'f not, if +e stand !ac/, if +e let those in the front of the fight stand alone against the spirits of matter, man" !irths ma" chance to go !" !efore +e happen again upon a c"cle +here the !eginnings of real gro+th are to !e made as no+ the" can !e, To !egin +or/ no+ is to ma/e our personal c"cle of future !irths attuned to the spiritual c"cle in nature8 ignorance is no crime, !ut to fail no+, /no+ing the right, is no light thing8 it so+s a seed pregnant +ith future e-il8 it is to miss the protection of the +ings of auspicious time, to face the perilous chances for the gro+th of e-il in us of a long chain of casual !irths throughout the centuries, !irths +herein gro+th and progress if the" come at all, do so against far greater odds than no+, Some among Theosophists sa" +here is +or/ to do, =or/ comes to the man +ho can do it, and the" +ho trul" ha-e no +or/ are fit for none, The" must do a +or/ upon themsel-es !efore Earma entrusts them +ith some for others, To stud", to thin/, to destro" the personal e-ils of uncharit", lu3urious tendenc", idleness, to aspire al+a"s for more of the +a-es of spiritual impulse that come sometimes li/e a +arm. scented +ind upon us all, these all can do in ma/ing read" to !e to others the teachers of +hate-er good is in us, Then +e shall find our +or/ at hand, And if no pupil comes, still +e ha-e +or/ed +ith Nature, =e ha-e slain some e-il, done something to fill the +a-es of thought a!out our heads +ith good, =e need not +ait to !e taught an"thing, =e can spurn utterl" the false humilit" that +ould ha-e us to !e gro-elling +orms, for the" +ho !ecame *hrist and lato and $ age >@& Buddha +ere once as +e, The pro!lems that +e ha-e to sol-e in life are the same for no t+o, each has his path, his fate, his difficulties, !ut all the paths con-erge, and the di-ersel" perfected souls of the far future +ill form each one facet of the cosmic 9e+el, 'n the, light of our ideals, in the light of our se-eral pictures of that golden future, +e can all mo-e hopefull" and confidentl" through the Earmic tas/s of dail" life, M)*"$M#H" 'n using the term medium it is eas" enough to see that +e are using a +ord +hich has man" meanings, age F

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for there must !e as man" /inds of mediums as there are /inds of influences to !e con-e"ed, 'n the narro+ terminolog" of Occultism a medium is a human organisation through +hich the forces on the unmanifested side of Nature !ecomes o!-ious on the manifested side, =e go to a spiritualistic sance and +e see the lightl" touched or untouched ta!le mo-e8 +e hear noises, see lights, smell perfumes, hear !angs, musical notes, +hole melodies, -oices8 +e see the furniture mo-e, small nic/nac/s a!out the room arrange themsel-es into shapes, circles, crosses, etc,8 pencils +rite on slates, +riting appears on paper +ithout -isi!le agenc", the piano is pla"ed, the medium is lifted off his chair, all /inds of things are !rought from different places or precipitated out of the astral light8 forms appear, the forms of those dead and not dead, !its of forms, hands and heads, and of these forms some spea/ in the accents that !elonged to them +hen li-ing, :or all or an" of these things to occur, there must !e present a human organisation called a medium8 the manifestations of all /inds do not depend on his will, !ut he must !e present, The" are +ea/ if he is conscious, strong if he is unconscious8 in proportion as the" are strong is he after+ards e3hausted, and some of them ruin his health, =e ha-e therefore to ascertain 4>5 +hat is the organisation necessar" to constitute a man a medium8 425 +hat are the forces that act through him, 't is manifest that his consciousness changes, He ma" !e conscious +holl" on this plane in the ordinar" +a", He ma" !e half conscious on this plane, and half on another, the astral plane, seeing a fe+ things there +ith some effort, He ma" !e +holl" unconscious on this plane, and +holl" conscious on the lo+er astrals, 'n that case he +ill remem!er nothing on +a/ing, and +hile asleep ma" either spea/ or not, 'f forms are appearing and ph"sical manifestations are going on, he +ill not spea/, 'f he spea/s it ma" either !e in his o+n manner or a totall" different one, He ma" spea/ platitudes, +hich is the most usual case8 he ma" sa" things that +ill !e /no+n to someone present8 he ma" read pictures from the mind of an"one present, mo-ing someone to tears !" telling them that he sees the spirit.forms of their dead relati-es, "ho-ering o1er them", He ma" see deniHens of the astral +orld, the little li-es +ho li-e in $ age >A& its !lue +a-es, and descri!e them in the language of nurser" !iolog", or he ma" dignif" them as spirits from the eternal +orlds, He ma" see and descri!e things going on at an" distance in space, ma" read closed !oo/s and letters and comport himself in similar interesting +a"s, all the time spea/ing in his o+n -oice and manner or 0uite other+ise, And if other+ise he ma" ha-e the -oice and manner !elonging to some mar/ed personalit" +ho ma" !e or ha-e !een a real personalit" or not, On higher astral planes he ma" hear music of great splendour, see no!le pictures and descri!e them, meet still higher astral deniHens, read the mental thoughts as +ell as see pictures in the minds of those present, thoughts !uried and forgotten, or present and recent, /no+n to their possessors and un/no+n and getting into high astro. mental currents he ma" ma/e orations of no mean /ind, purporting to come from an" dead personalit" of an" mental ran/, He ma" sa" things that are true of histor" or of personalities and e-ents /no+n to no one present, and he ma" predict the future, None of any of these things are done by his own volition and none are remembered afterwards, 'n that he differs from the genius, and from the student of Occultism, +ho in the former case -oluntaril" places himself on high astral planes +here are the music and scener" and poetic feeling he +ants and +ho, remem!ering, e3presses them in no!le harmonies, pictures and poems to the !enefit of humanit"8 and, in the latter case, intentionall" reads the past and future for his o+n instruction, Or, far more rarel", he ma" rise to the actual plane +hereon are resting the #gos of the dead, the glorified <e-achanees, and though he cannot !rea/ into the sacred peace of their consciousness, he ma" catch their colour and the aura of their thought, !ringing to those to +hom he spea/s +hat seem actual messages, 'f "et higher, if of a!normal purit" and spea/ing amongst an a!normall" high.souled circle, he ma" !e used !" a real (aster as a -ehicle of communication, 9ust as on the lo+est plane he ma" !e used !" a spoo/8 !" a deca"ing Eamic Rupa of some dead #go planes a!o-e, in <e-achan8 !" a full" ali-e and conscious suicide or -ictim of sudden death !" accident or 9udicial murder8 !" an" #go recentl" dead +ho has some reason for +anting to communicate something8 or !" some !eing on the e-il side of Nature, The /e"notes then of a medium are passivity and a!e"ance of +ill, and the forgetfulness of +hat he has done +hile entranced, after +a/ing,

age G

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The -oluminous literatures of spiritualism afford e-idence in an" 0uantit" of the foregoing phenomena, and "spirit.orations" resem!ling tea in last night1s teapot, =e +ant to stud" more the medium himself than +hat he sa"s, more the "intelligences" acting through him than +hat the" sa" and do, The medium then is essentiall" passi-e8 he has foregone his human self.conscious -olition8 his state is the antithesis of meditation, the antithesis of the might" strain +here+ith a genius or a $ age >D& Cogi tear their +a" to the upper planes of !eing and consciousness, returning thence +ith full memor" and po+er of e3pression, The genius and the Cogi differ in that the latter, the Cogi, has a chart of the +a"8 the genius aims !lindl", and though he uses e-er" effort to ascend, he does not /no+ the e3act path nor its steps, he cannot transcend a certain point, he, in the main, limits his spiritual ac0uisitions to +hat he can e3press, and he does not, li/e the Cogi, conform the +hole of his life to this one thing, Though the genius and the Cogi are the same thing, the difference is -er" great, Bet us tr" and imagine this path of ascending states of consciousness, =e loo/ at the room, perhaps feel hungr", and +e thin/ of these things in our ordinar" casual +a", Bet us call that the ph"sical consciousness, No+ close "our e"es, and call up an" chance pictures that "our imagination suggests to "ou, sa", a forest +ith its trees, a little la/e, the singing of !irds, the de+ of e-ening, the lap of the +aters upon the shore, the !reeHe gentl" stirring the trees, the scents of earl" !uds, *oncentrate on this so intentl" as to forget all else, and at last actuall" thin/ "ourself in that forest, meet people in it and ha-e ad-entures +ith them, tal/ +ith them, 0uarrel +ith them, fall in lo-e +ith them, =hen this has !ecome perfectl" real to "ou, "our ph"sical consciousness +ill -anish8 "ou +ill !e asleep or in a trance, =hat is no+ "our consciousness ? 't is astral8 this is the second plane of consciousness, the astral plane, No+ pass !e"ond all these planes +here there are pictures to !e seen, Bisten to a piece of the highest music, and listen +ith such concentration that there is nothing else !ut that in "our consciousness8 no pictures, no thoughts, nothing !ut the state of high and splendid consciousness that the music arouses, There is no +a" to descri!e this, it has no relation to +ords or to people or to an"thing, 't is a!solute spiritualit", and +e +ill call it the spiritual state, 'f "ou ha-e done this in perfection, "ou ha-e got to a state in +hich there is no.su!9ect or o!9ect, no matter and no #go, for in the thro! of that supreme consciousness "ou ha-e 9ust that and ha-e forgotten that "ou are a self, 't is the place in the )ni-erse in +hich matter and self ha-e not "et separated, ' am of course supposing that it is a state induced perfectl", as onl" a Cogi of man" li-es of training could do, He has dissol-ed in that state the +orld and men and himself, The Cogi does not reach this state !" listening to music, !ut !" a prolonged effort of +ill to get up higher8 and if he did, he +ould soon reach the state in +hich the actual music +as forgotten, its se0uences and cadences, and nothing !ut the spirit of it remained, the "et higher glor" of the consciousness, See +hat state he is in, He is neither this nor that man, he has lost his limits8 there is neither space nor time, !ut a state 7 not a state of a man, for +here-er the !od" ma" !e l"ing the man has dissol-ed himself8 there is no here or there, no this $ age >7& moment and that8 he has reached the plane of the uni-ersal timeless and spaceless Spirit, changeless, that +hich is and has !een and +ill !e, the uni-ersal comforter for +hich saints and m"stics of e-er" age ha-e sighed, 'f "ou o!9ect and sa" that it is ;od the" ha-e sighed for, ' repl" that +hat the" reall" +ant and get is the state of consciousness that the thought of the glor" of ;od tends to produce, Cou can ultimatel" reach this state !" an" road that raises consciousness, !ut in the end all roads con-erge and lead to this sacred place or state, 't is Nir-ana, The trained s+immer can cast a+a" his !elt and supports, and the trained Cogi needs at last no conceptions to help him up, onl" the +ill to get up, 't is useless to multipl" +ords a!out this8 ta/en from !elo+, it is the state +here man loses himself in A!solute Spirit8 ta/en from a!o-e, it is the state +here Spirit has not "et !ecome man and matter, At the !eginning of the +a" up "ou are a man loo/ing at matter and the +orld8 then "ou !ecome a man loo/ing at nothing, !ut feeling8 then "ou !ecome the feeling onl", ha-ing dissol-ed "ourself out into the #ternal Spirit, Ta/ing it from a!o-e do+n+ard, the #ternal Spirit !ecomes !eings +ho feel onl", +ho neither thin/ nor /no+, and these +e call elementals of age >I

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-arious grades8 finall" the" !egin to feel on lo+er and lo+er planes, and to see, /no+, and thin/, and then the" are men, On its other aspect the #ternal Spirit !ecomes matter, the thing seen, /no+n, and thought a!out !" men, Or, to trace matter do+n+ard, +e get first the spirit of music, then music, melod" and harmon", then astral form, and finall" matter, =e no+ see +h" music is one of the !est paths up+ard, +h" the Hindoos said that sound +as the Spirit itself, and ho+ sound lies !ehind form and matter, The sound.pictures of sand on drum.heads are a cosmic fact, That +hich appeals to our consciousness as sound and music is the -er" force in Nature +hich fashions all forms, arranges all matter, astral and ph"sical, and out of it comes human consciousness, 9ust as in meditation human consciousness returns to it, ' am forced to pass 0uic/l" through a -er" difficult su!9ect, !ut it +as necessar" as a preliminar" to e3plain some of the man" difficulties in mediumship, for in human consciousness, in those parts of it not "et recogniHed, not made self-conscious, and in the inner sheaths in +hich that un/no+n consciousness is located, lie folded up the phenomenal po+ers o-er matter used !" the Cogi and the medium, To ta/e it another +a", Ta/e a /nife and gash the s/in, 't gapes +idel", for the cells of the s/in on either side the cut pull the sides apart, No+, o!ser-e a cut in a man +ho has died of accident8 that is dri-en out of the !od", astral and all, Cou +ill find after a little +hile that "our gash does not gape so much, and ultimatel" not at all, =ith the departure of the astral !od", the enormous force of cohesion of the cells does not e3ist8 and it is enormous, almost immeasura!le if "ou recollect that there are millions of cells, Again, administer $ age >F& an anaesthetic8 the upper la"ers of the astral !od" are dri-en out +ith the #go, !ut the ph"sical la"ers of it remain, These hold the force necessar" to /eep the heart going8 an enormous store of force this also, and to maintain the cohesion of the cells, ;i-e more of the anaesthetic, dri-e out most of the ph"sical remains of the astral !od", and "ou dri-e out there+ith that part of the astral organisation +hich holds the force that /eeps the heart going, and the man dies, or "ou can dri-e out part, and simpl" lo+er the heart, =here is it gone ? There are areas of force in us that +e ha-e not "et learned to use8 +e cannot control our hearts, nor the elasticit" of our cells, 'n other +ords, there is a huge mass of force stored in the astral !odies +hich +e cannot "et use, =e can onl" understand and use a little of it, enough to mo-e the lim!s, much the least part of it, After death, +hen the astral !od" floats a!out at its o+n s+eet or not s+eet +ill, it discharges itself slo+l", li/e a charged electric conductor, and is harmless8 or it discharges itself 0uic/l", and ma/es !angs and unpleasant noises, as spoo/s do sometimes at sances +here the" are +anted to, and else+here +here the" are not +anted to, as "ou ma" remem!er from <1Assier1s Study of hantoms, and ghost stories in general, But in records of sances, "ou +ill read of feats that the strength of a man is inade0uate to effect, So far as ' understand the matter, the astral !od" is li/e the ph"sical !od", a non.uniform thing, The latter is composed of those little parts that +e call cells, each a distinct life, The former, the astral !od", is composed of similar little astral li-es, called ph"sical elementals, The" are not conscious as +e rec/on consciousness8 that is, though the" ha-e a !ald sort of consciousness li/e a plant, a sensation. consciousness of a crude /ind, the" ha-e no #go or mind, and are therefore not self.conscious, The" are force carriers, ' !elie-e that an electric current consists of a stream of these8 that a charged electric conductor is a metal +hose aura is charged intensel" +ith enormous num!ers of them8 that a magnet is also a metal ha-ing an aura arranged in o-al lines, along +hich the" circulate continuousl" in arcs8 that that are man" groups of them +ith man" su!.groups, the lo+est corresponding +ith and ha-ing its home in the auras of minerals, the ne3t in that of plants, and that all in a modified form comprise the astral or -ital !od" of man8 that is, that modified !" the aura of man the" cohere as round and in a magnet, and constitute !" that modified motion his -italit" and ph"sical force8 that the" are li!erated in small num!ers !" e-er" act of +ill8 that in the ph"sical phenomena of mediumship the" are li!erated irregularl" in largish 0uantities to a distance from the !od", and cause the irregular phenomena8 and that after death, the principle of cohesion ha-ing departed, the" dissipate as the astral spoo/, either slo+l" and normall", or age >>

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0uic/l" as at sances, and reinforce $ age >G& in that +a" the phenomena due to the medium, Other ph"sical phenomena are due to the putting forth !" the medium of an astral lim!, coherent and composed of these li-es, Sa-e in the case of an Occultist the" are not much under the control of the +ill, =h" the" are under, apparentl", the control of a medium +ho has less +ill than the normal man +ho cannot control them is our ne3t point, But !ear in mind that the medium is e3hausted in proportion to the success of the phenomena, =e /no+ that at death +hen the real man is departing from the !od" the !rain is stimulated !" +hat one ma" call, in electrical parlance, the !rea/ing current of death, and e-er" cell, roused into an a!normal acti-it", +a/es up the astral pictures connected +ith it, and e-er" fact, deed, and memor" of his life stands in that solemn moment !efore the mental e"e of the departing self, Something li/e this occurs in the trance of mediumship, +hich differs onl" in degree from death itself, 't differs in that the #go1s consciousness is -er" dim and uncertain, and, as it +ere, separated from its memories, +hich are to some degree o!9ecti-e to him, The process is a +holl" a!normal one, and the astral -italit" differs in condition from that +hich o!tains at death, That of it +hich should !e engaged in maintaining in acti-it" the ph"sical !asis of consciousness is set free, and produces ph"sical phenomena of -arious magnitudes, Such ph"sical phenomena are not controlled !" the +ill of the #go, +ho is, in his entranced condition, pa"ing no attention to them, The" ma" !e reinforced !" the additional presence of casual spoo/s, =hen the" gi-e e-idence of intelligence there ma" !e a multitude of causes for that, +hich +e shall attempt to e3amine, But the significant factor is a large amount of force, residing in an astral !od", and no+ li!erated from the control of an #go, prepared to manifest itself, That astral !od", though, in conse0uence of the trance of the #go, it ma" !e regarded as an untenanted house, is "et a furnished house, 't is charged +ith the +hole life.histor" of the late #go, it is in relation +ith his aura, Note, therefore, that +hen it gi-es up its force, it ma" gi-e it up in producing phenomena, such as raps, that ma" e3press some of the facts +hich as potential memories lie in that astral !od", memories of the #go1s doings and happenings at an" distance of time !ac/ in his life, The" are not memories, for the" are not illuminated !" the other+ise occupied consciousness of the #go, the" are not intelligent, !ut the" are the astral !asis of intelligence, of memor"8 and the emanating force is, so to spea/, emanated after a pattern, out of a mould, and it ma" therefore, apparentl" intelligentl", reall" automaticall", rap out scraps of thought, tag.ends of memories, all in fair se0uence, that come from the hidden furniture, perhaps long disused, in the house of the #go, Similarl", an emanation ma" !e contri!uted !" an" of the circle +ho ma" thus disgorge their dead memories8 and lastl", the said emanations $ age 2I& ma" !e guided to their utterance !" the consciousl" or unconsciousl" acting +ills of an" mem!ers of the circle, 'n thought. reading e3periments it often happens that the thought read is not that no+ consciousl" present to the operator, !ut one +hich he has totall" or partiall" forgotten, =e ha-e ne3t to consider the fact that some of these latent memories in the minds or rather astral records of the circle ma" !e more or less -i-id pictures of their o+n dead relati-es, of their tric/s and fa-ourite phrases, These, +hen automaticall" repeated !" the acti-e astral forces, ma" produce an almost o-erpo+ering impression of the actual presence of such dead relati-e, 'n the same +a", a -i-id picture, sa" of Sha/espeare, formed in "outh in the medium1s mind, coupled +ith an ac0uaintance +ith his +ritings, ma" produce an e0ual impression of the presence of Sha/espeare, +ho ma" e3plain that he is happ" in hea-en if the medium is a *hristian, :urther, if the astral of the medium comes out of him +holl", as it sometimes does, and gets enough matter into itself from the auras of the circle to !ecome -isi!le, it ma" ta/e actual mould into the form of the dead relati-e or of Sha/espeare, seeming to the e3cited and h"pnotised circle sometimes to spea/, thus ma/ing the illusion 0uite perfect, No+ a!o-e the astral !od" comes the Eamic !od", and this in an account of mediumship has ne3t to !e dealt +ith, The #go +ho enters the state called <e-achan has for that time of <e-achanic sta" no desire of ph"sical sensation, But during life he had man" such desires, and the astral atoms +hich had ta/en from him the colour of such desires cohere after his death into an astral form, not the astral +ith +hich age >2

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+e ha-e hitherto dealt8 the Eama Rupa, After a time the" disintegrate and go their strange +a"s in Nature, !ut till the" do so the" fre0uent man" sances, And the" are more dangerous than the class +e ha-e 9ust dealt +ith, The" are in-isi!le to the ordinar" clair-o"ant, The" do not, as the others do, suggest mental pictures, !ut the" arouse in those +ho contact them, e-il desires, The" resem!le in their effect the association +ith decidedl" depra-ed persons, #-er" astral atom in association during life +ith us has a little gleam of consciousness, The" are our children and +ill ta/e +hat education +e gi-e them, =e can colour that consciousness ho+ +e li/e, Act !adl", that is feel and thin/ !adl", and the" learn to tr" and repeat that feeling, as mon/e"s imitate, That is the formation of ha!it, for +hat +e train these little !eings to do the" go on doing, =e can put +hat +e li/e into them8 their little consciousnesses are in immediate relationship +ith our lord.consciousness, our minds, The" learn readil", and go on repeating +hate-er +e teach them, The" !ecome our e-il Earma and destin" and urge us to our doom, And the" return in future li-es, =e cannot purif" oursel-es thoroughl" till +e ha-e +iped their faces, for +e ha-e made them dirt", Cou cannot at once use a herring.!arrel, $ age 2>& as H, ,B, said, to /eep attar of roses in, There is nothing much in a paper on mediumship then to sa" of these follo+ing relics that +e /ic/ temporaril" off from oursel-es +hen +e !eta/e oursel-es to <e-achan, e3cept that unless the medium and circle are of e3ceptional purit", the" +ill ha-e their +orse desires intensified !" the necessar" presence of the lar-ae, succubi, and incubi no+ /no+n as the Eama Rupas, Bea-ing these +e +ill pass to the highest of the astral !odies, to that -er" su!limated sheath of astral su!stance that is in immediate relationship to the mind, the Bo+er (anas, 't is no more uniform than are the ph"sical, the astral proper, or the Eamic !odies, !ut is composed li/e these others of li-es or elementals, The" are on the plane of our thoughts8 are, as it +ere, each the !od" and out+ard form of a thought, are set in motion !" e-er" mo-ement of our minds, and ma" ta/e lodge +ith others +ho feel and see our thoughts, Apart from this, it is capa!le of !ecoming the -ehicle for the +hole !od" of our consciousness, 't is this +hich appears sometimes at the death of a man, announcing that death to a friend, and +a/ing up in him the full picture of the scenic accessories of the death, 't is the !od" of the consciousness of the Cogi, +ho therein, and not properl" in his ph"sical !od", can transcend the common planes of consciousness, Our mere thought of another place +ill sometimes send enough of it thither to ma/e it appear to !eholders as a phantom of oursel-es, No+ inasmuch as it is the !od" of meditation for the Cogi, it is the !od" of trance of the medium sometimes8 and a medium is a pale tra-est" of a Cogi, A Cogi mo-es up+ard in regular gradation from plane to plane of consciousness, /eeping al+a"s fi3edl" in his self.consciousness8 he does not mo-e from an"+here till he has made a landmar/ there for his self. consciousness, 'magine a sa-age in a cro+ded street, dropped there suddenl"8 he +ould, as +e sa", lose his head, lose his cool reason, lose his clear grip of the situation +ith himself therein, Bet that stand for a picture of a medium +ho has drifted suddenl" from the ph"sical on to another plane of consciousness, No+ imagine our sa-age trained slo+l" to !ear the street, trained in -illages, in to+ns, lastl" in respecta!le su!ur!s first on Sunda" during church.time and then on Saturda", 'n that +a" he +ould !e a!le to stand the street, ho+e-er cro+ded, 'n the first state he +ould remem!er nothing of it sa-e a hideous din, 'n the second he +ould 0uietl" o!ser-e and remem!er it all, Bet that last !e the picture of the Cogi, :or the ne+ planes of consciousness one ma" reach in meditation are as confusing as the cro+ded street, So the Cogi trains himself !" regular degrees, trains his o!ser-ation, trains his faculties and memor" for e-er" plane, and is confused no+here, So ho+e-er high he gets he remem!ers it all at last on coming to the common ground again, At last he learns e-en in sleep to preser-e an un!ro/en consciousness throughout $ age 22& the night, Bet us call the planes of consciousness four in num!er6 the ordinar" ph"sical, the astral, the <e-achanic, the purel" spiritual, #ach are of man" grades, :rom the ordinar" ph"sical state of consciousness, the medium is apt to drift to the astral, The +ords of the !oo/ he is reading get !lurred, his e"es lose their near accommodation, he falls out of consciousness of the room he is in, into a !ro+n stud", :aces present themsel-es to him8 he seems to himself to !e age >%

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seeing and tal/ing +ith none3istent people8 to !e engaged in other doings8 he is half.dreaming, !uilding castles in the air, drifting from one topic and one set of memories and e-ents to another, He is half on an astral plane, Then he comes suddenl" to himself +ith a start, " =here am ' ? oh, here J " That is an elementar" e3cursion on to the astral, and during that time the -arious ph"sical phenomena +e spo/e of !efore ma" happen, And as he +a/es, the memor" of +hat he has 9ust !een seeing slips from him li/e a dream, and nothing !ut a fe+ !lurred impressions remain, But if as a Cogi he had accustomed himself all da" long to register on his !rain e-er" chance astral picture that floated along, if, sitting in meditation, he had sternl" trained himself to suppress sight and thought of the room he +as in, to catch in full self. consciousness the astral -isions, holding them +ith an unsha/a!le +ill till he noted +hether or not the" +ere +orth an"thing, retaining or dismissing them at +ill, and calling up onl" +hen he +illed at last8 then the case is -er" different, a full memor" +ould !e o!tained, And he carries the same process up on to the upper planes, The ne3t state of consciousness +e e3amine is the <e-achanic, <e-achan is the home of the dead, a semi.di-ine rest in the !osom of mother.nature, 't is !e"ond the ordinar" astral planes, As the medium, and he must !e a pure one to get here, drifts up on to this, the astral -isions cease to !e chance ones, the" cease to !e meaningless, cease to !e distur!ing, cease to !e irrele-ant, <e-achanic -isions rest on that +hich is pure in consciousness8 the" are the e-ents of the past life +ithout the pain and e-il, All that is !est in the mind, all that is pure, all that is ele-ated, all that has to do +ith the lo-e of famil", of nation, of man/ind, all that has to do +ith philosoph", +ith insight into the principles of Nature, +ith art and +ith music, all these alone are in the mind, and the !od" and its passions are left far !elo+, So the imagination, thus pure and thus ele-ated, creates its +orld from the materials of the memor" of the past life, and in the glorified life now li-ed there is no pain, no !aseness, no !lurred outlines, That is <e-achan, and in it the self of the man has +hat it +ill, 'f its life +as distur!ed and unhapp" and unlo-ed, no+ it has that peace, that !liss, and that lo-e +hich on earth +ere -ainl" longed for8 for no+ the longing suffices to create them, 'f in life that self had longed for the treasures happinesses of music and art +hich po-ert" $ age 2%& denied, no+ again the longing creates them, 'f the self "earned in life for time to thin/ out the secrets of the )ni-erse, and time +as denied, no+ time is propitious, and according to the capacit" of the thin/er the truth is re-ealed to his unclouded -ision, truth not +holl" forgotten or easil" reco-ered +hen !irth comes again, Such is <e-achan, and to this +e ha-e supposed our medium to ascend, But if the astral -isions are forgotten, ho+ much more these ? And again the Cogi, reaching this plane !" no easil" gliding trance, !ut !" stern effort at self.control, and registering e-er" inch of the +a", forgets nothing, !ut for his o+n de-elopment and of his o+n +ill, see/s <e-achan as a stage in his gro+th, a temporar" foothold in his meditation, No+, lastl", the spiritual planes, culminating in Nir-ana, The illusions of <e-achan ha-e faded out, !ut the light of consciousness !urns +ith unceasing intensit", =hate-er consciousness is created in us !" the no!lest e3pressions of music, +hate-er consciousness is de-eloped in the saint in the supreme ecstas" of his contemplation, +hate-er idea +e can form of the consciousness of a Buddha lost in his lo-e and pit" for man/ind, these consciousnesses, carried to so far a point that selfhood is lost in their intensit", dissol-ed into the sense of uni-ersal presence in space and time, and in all li-es, and of unit" +ith the aspiration and purpose of Nature, these constitute the spiritual consciousness, Ta/e once more the three planets, astral, <e-achanic, and spiritual, All of us ha-e our current in space, The une-ol-ed elemental life of Nature enters into us on all the planes, and imprinted +ith our seal and superscription passes out again into astral nature, =e recei-e the ra+ metal of life, and send it forth age >@

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stamped and coined from the mint of our minds, Astral space is peopled +ith our emanations, our thoughts high and lo+, our desires good and !ad, +ith e-er" !reath +e drin/ the thoughts, ideations, and desires of others, Then, concentrating on some recepti-e organism, the" find outlet in act, if +ith us the" ha-e not got so far, and the =hitechapel murderers often !ut do the murdering for the communit", ha-ing !" the e-il of their o+n nature, and !" their negati-it", made themsel-es the meeting.place of all the e-il currents of that communit", =hat +onder then that the medium, thro+ing his mental recei-ing apparatus to float passi-el" upon the +hirlpool and also cesspool of the astral light, !ecomes the -ehicle and mouthpiece of an" current to +hich his mental condition and ha!its relate him, So in his trance he ma" spea/ of scenes no+ going on almost an"+here in the +orld, +ith and +ithout rele-anc" to the circle8 he ma" come en rapport +ith the astral reli0uae of the dead, near and far, spea/ing things that pertain to the past8 he ma" enter the currents of an" of the circle and spea/ their inner secrets and forgotten past8 spea/ing also all $ age 2@& these things more or less coloured +ith his o+n personalit" and !ias, 9ust as S+eden!org fitted his -isions into *hristian -er!iage and formulas8 +hilst on a lo+er plane the ph"sical phenomena, lights, sounds, and mo-ements of the sance room ma" !e transacting themsel-es8 +hilst indeed his automatic ph"sical hand, guided !" his and other astrals, ma" !e +riting and dra+ing similar matters and pictures8 or the ph"sical hand !eing still, the astral hand ma" !e doing the same things, (ounting "et higher through the astral le-els he ma" discern "et higher things8 hear music, read the long past and foreread the future, coming into touch +ith those su!9ecti-e forces that are "et moulding the future, as one predicts that in an hour the cloc/.hand +ill !e an inch further on the dial, #-en +hen his consciousness is on its normal ph"sical le-el and occupied +ith its surroundings, his hand, guided !" the astral automaton, passi-el" recepti-e, +ithin him, ma" +rite that of +hich he /no+s nothing, Ascending "et higher, he ma" place himself in direct touch +ith the #gos in their <e-achanic rest, and ma/e himself a medium !et+een them and their sur-i-ors on earth, translating into astral messages the currents of lo-e that continue for those the" lo-ed on earth, :or <e-achan is real enough, and those therein, though the" are mercifull" e3cluded from real /no+ledge of the present condition of those on earth, "et do actuall" help them and communicate +ith them on the planes of feeling, 9ust as on earth a man communicates to a friend of +hom he is thin/ing affectionatel" the help and +armth and feeling of his lo-e, though neither /no+ of the other1s +herea!outs, doings, or thoughts, :or feeling, emotion, lo-e, hate, carr" further and more easil" than thought, and to these neither death nor space are an" !ar, And lo-e, too, carries further than hate, for it is the recognition of the fact of unit", and hate is insistence upon the illusion of separateness, Bastl", our medium, if of -er" great purit", ma" perhaps reach the planes of Spirit, touch the !order of the consciousness of a (aster, and in some rare instances the" seem to ha-e deli-ered such high influence as that, But all these latter degrees of mediumship are -er" rare, and the ordinar" records of trance orations are great cataracts of un-arnished platitude, So +e come to the end of our stud" of mediumship, and, facing the medium, as/ him +hat good he is to man/ind, The indictment is that he culti-ates passi-it" as a -irtue, +hereas Nature en9oins acti-it", Neither his moral character nor his +ill gro+ !" his doings, He is a ps"chic and spiritual opium.eater at !est, and at +orst he is a cesspool of spoo/s, As a rule he is rotten +ith -anit", and disdains the hard stud" of Occultism and the strenuous practice of meditation that sterner students underta/e, 'n strict truth he is unpic/ing e-er" stitch of +or/ that Nature has done upon him, He is not a genius, not a Cogi, not an Occultist, !ut the $ age 2A& opposite of all of these, And if the medium cannot !enefit man/ind, +hat shall +e maintain of the Occultist ? The #ternal Spirit of the )ni-erse is in all of us /no+ing itself not8 the light shineth in dar/ness and the dar/ness comprehendeth it not8 it descends out of its unit" upon the first step of the se-en rungs of the ladder of !eing8 it !rea/s into li-es, ;ods of creation, and across the e"es of each of these is dra+n a -eil, the -eil of a garment consu!stantial +ith its plane, letting through onl" the light of that plane, a li-ing register of its life and e3perience thereon, And in a +hile, each of these steps do+n upon the le-el !elo+, and gathers a!out himself, though he /no+s himself not, another garment, age >A

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another register of other e3perience, another -ehicle of creati-e action, And though each on this do+n+ard path /no+s not himself, and +rapped in his thic/ening -eils /no+s not the glor" of the light and life that is in and out of him, that is his -er" Self, "et in his +or/s he does un/no+ingl" the formations and creations that are demanded of him !" the inner light, +hose la+ he feels and "et does un/no+ingl", And then other steps and other -eils, and at last at the se-enth he is !uried in the still life of inanimate nature, ha-ing un/no+ingl" +ea-ed a!out him the latent /no+ledge and possi!ilities of all those descending le-els, No+ through eons of further and no+ e3panding life in her! and !rute he has reached humanit", and in him is no+ da+ning the /no+ledge of self, self.consciousness, that " ' " +hich in its fullness is the Supreme Bife, A!out each of us are "et those se-en -eils, dar/, unfolded, unused, -eils that can !e and +ill !e +ings, /e"s to unloc/ each a portal of Nature, =e let them lie, perhaps, li/e the +ings of a chr"salis, +ings that +hen opened, sha/en free in the sunlight, +ill carr" us plane !e"ond plane again to the highest, And in that flight up+ard +e illumine the fields of !eing +ith our self. consciousness, <escending +e /ne+ not oursel-es8 the +a-es of the One Bife, +hich is also Ba+, flo+ed through and through us, "et it !ecame not +isdom nor /no+ledge, for +isdom is the !eholding of Bife and Ba+ +ith the e"e of Self, and Self +e then /ne+ not, No+, going up, +e can !egin to sa", ! /no+, and therefore ! remem!er, for those garments, !odies, corresponding, each +ith its plane, register all the possi!ilities and manners of life, each of its plane, So to lose hold of our self.hood is to drift !ac/ again !ehind the stone.life to that other, +hich though higher, is not "et self.life, And this is the sin of the medium, :oregoing self, +hich is not foregoing selfishness, he lets slip his grasp upon the rudder of his consciousness and glides aimlessl" upon the open sea, !ecoming once more as one of the earl" do+n. coming !eings in e-olution, Ho+ then to a-oid mediumship ? :irst ma/e an end once for all of all those moments in +hich +e sit thin/ing of nothing in particular, :or it is not +e oursel-es, properl" spea/ing, +ho thin/ those scattered thoughts that come drifting in idle moments $ age 2D& through the cham!ers of the mind, Ho+ seldom do +e sa", " ' +ill thin/ of that till ' ha-e sol-ed it", An idea drops into our minds and +e act upon it, and that +e call decision, This is the age of mediums, of mediums full.!lo+n, and of mediums de-eloping, =e must put a strain upon oursel-es8 +e must learn to reach the end of each da" +ith the /no+ledge that from moment to moment +e hunted from our minds e-er" thought that +as not of our o+n choosing, that did not !ear upon our gro+th and upon our +or/, There is 4it is said5 a certain (aster in Occultism +ho sets to his pupils one chief tas/6 to !egin in the e-ening +ith the last thought, to proceed !ac/ from that to the thought that led to it, and from that to the ne3t lin/ in the chain, and so through all that +ear" chain, uncoiling all the line of thought, The" mar/ as the" pass from point to point e-er" thought that +as irrele-ant, that drifted in upon them and +as accorded a home, The man of this age drifts 8 he can spend an hour in a train and not thin/ one single thought that +as of an" moment or +orth to an" mortal, and of +hich the ma9orit" +ere distinctl" retrograde, All this +e ha-e to alter8 let us li-e more reall", more strongl", That hour in the train +as +asted, died in its !irth, stolen from oursel-es and from others, =hat is the length of life ? 's it num!er of da"s, num!er of "ears, or is it the content and -alue of the da"s and "ears ? An hour in the train J +h" there are +hole li-es +asted, emptied rotten into time1s dust!in, no single thought, no single aspiration to sta" their rottenness, to !e a moment1s food for the disem!odied self +here he loo/s !ac/ throughout its length of life, So Kohn Smith is again Kohn Smith, again and again, for his life has so+ed no seeds that can sprout in the fields of eternal thought, =e are all preparing mediumship for some future life, if +e do not grasp oursel-es +ith more strength, and thin/, fight +ith the drifting cro+d of thoughts from others, and cease to pass the false coinage of the nineteenth centur", As +ith all other things, the remed" is effort, 'magine the thought of that last hour of life, the first of death, +hen, doing under the stern tutelage of Nature +hat +e neglected in the "ears of life, +e go solemnl" and accusingl" !ac/ through those "ears, !ac/, !ac/, and ne-er an aspiration to comfort our despair, ne-er one hour of high thin/ing, ne-er one heart.pang for the pain of others, 'n that time +e are not as no+, drifting a!out amidst the things a!out us8 closeted +ith oursel-es alone, there is nothing to narcotise the conscience, nothing to hide the accusing finger of the self of Nature, No +ords are needed here to accentuate the lesson8 there can !e none of us +ho ha-e ne-er suddenl" +ondered age >D

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An Hour in Borderland Occultism

Vol 7, No 2

of +hat count +e are in Nature, ho+ +orse +ould !e man/ind if +e had ne-er li-ed, Bet us ta/e share in the agonies of Nature1s ad-ance, do something, thin/ something from hour $ age 27& to hour that shall help her and transform us from her creatures to her helpers, =e tal/ much of the rush and competition of life, There need !e no rush in us, +e need not reflect the flic/er of the red fire of cities, =e can ha-e an unmo-ing faith that good descends upon the +orld at last, and that the last acts of the drama of humanit" +ill !reathe the air of a -ast peace and !rotherhood, Eno+ing that, +here is our unrest8 /no+ing that, ho+ great is the opportunit" for him +ho alread" /no+s the end, :or the -er" thought of that s+eet end, itself a prelude to still grander !eginnings, +ill gi-e us alread" foretaste of its golden calm, and mo-ing in that ideal -ision +e can spread something of its tints among men, Bet us thin/ then8 let us re-ie+ oursel-es from hour to hour, noting for our +arning and for our future care, the thoughts that drifted and +ent no.+hither, the pett" irrita!ilities, the +ounds +e dealt out thoughtlessl" as +e passed along, the selfish grip +e laid upon the common things of life, things that in the gift +ould ha-e ad-antaged some+hat perhaps the course of some other life, and that an"ho+ in the gift +ould ha-e +a/ened in one other and oursel-es the +aning spirit of !rotherhood, =e ha-e tal/ed of states and planes of consciousness J let us note them and place highest !e"ond all rec/oning the state that follo+s upon acts done in the spirit of !rotherhood, and that state +hen +e noted it, +e can ma/e the common one of our li-es, e-en +hen there are no acts to !e done, Here is our great feat of occultism8 here is the culmination of the planes of meditation, the fruit eaten !" the (asters, 't is +ithin the po+er of e-er" mortal, *reate !" some /indl" act !et+een "ourself and one other that indescri!a!le consciousness that is not self.applaudation, (anifesting at first as self.appro-al, it !ecomes a glo+ at the heart, a friendliness, a /indliness, +hich !eginning for one, ends for all, a !enediction from the conscience, a momentar" loss of the feeling of smallness, of meanness, an inner fearlessness, a feeling of ha-ing acted under the appro-ing e"e of Nature, a fello+.feeling +ith life and li-es one and all, 't is all these, And no+ "ou ha-e got it, stud" it, learn ho+ to produce it e-en +hen alone in "our room, at e-er" hour, Note at night +here in the da" "ou failed to ha-e it, and ne3t da" fail less, (editate a fe+ minutes dail" on it, e-en an hour, and e3cluding e-er" thought and e-er" idea, remain in that strong feeling, ;o out, as Buddha said, in imagination, to the four 0uarters of the earth +ith it, and go upon all planes of life +ith it, from man to the -er" stones, Thin/ nothing, onl" feel this, Then in that practice, in that no!le humanit", in that high consciousness that fades not from moment to moment, +e !ecome !atteries charged +ith the intensit" of charit" and !rotherhood, and +hoso +ill can dra+ from us a deed and a thought that +ill help him and ma/e softer the hard face of Nature, And in that meditation, the $ age 2F& sacredest and the highest upon +hich mortal man can enter, +e ta/e surel" and slo+l" a !irth into ne+ life that cannot !e 9arred !" the !od"1s death, life lit !" a sun that hath no setting, hol" and strong and -ast as Nature, :or Nature is hol"8 throughout all her space is the !reath of one conscious life, and the" +ho +ould /no+ it, and feel the inspiration of its touch, must ta/e this ro"al path, :ar up upon its heights, !ut not too far to help, stand the" +ho from age to age ha-e !een and are "et the teachers of humanit", Ta/e +hom +e +ill of these, so that +e fashion in our minds some li-ing image and in our hearts some imperisha!le faith8 that faith stands upon a li-ing fact, This centur" is losing its ideals, and if +e +ould sa-e the age, +e must ma/e them li-e again, 'n and +ith oursel-es is the first +or/, to learn to /no+, 'f +e +ould ha-e their companionship, feel +ithin their strength, hear +ithin their -oice, +e must !ecome in spirit li/e them, +or/ as the" +or/ed on earth, open in deed, in thought and in meditation that conscious communication, Bet us e3clude the lur/ing dou!t of the lo+er self, !linded in matter, and tr" this supreme life, for it +ill not at last fail us,

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