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Towards a Foundation of a Universal Esoteric Science

by
M.Alan Kazlev
with additional material by Steven Guth and Arvan Harvat

Authors note: This essay was posted it on my website www.kheper.net/essays/Esoteric_Science.html on 29th

August 2003. I have slightly edited it and am posting it on Scribd on October 2010 under a Creative Commons
Attribution Non-Commercial license. It represents the beginning of my phase of universalising philosophy just
before I became interested in the work of Ken Wilber and his followers and their Integral movement, and
presents the same basic approach as they do, albeit from an esoteric rather than a secular perspective. I wrote
at the time that this essay “presents the first steps at formulating a universal and unified esoteric science; one
which works alongside and with scientific method, rather than belittling or rejecting it. Such a universal system
of esotericism would constitute a wider framework into which more specialised aspects of human knowledge,
in all its facets, can be placed. It also represents and requires a radical paradigm shift. I have tried to minimise
the amount of intellectualising and dogma, keeping it to the minimum, and emphasise instead a diverse range
of ideas and suggestions.” There is also material from Steven Guth and Arvan Harvat, representing distinct but
complementary approaches to my own, and to each other. Since writing and posting this essay I have revised a
few of my ideas, but I feel the basic thesis or theses presented here remain valid.

Science and Esotericism

Laying the Foundations
Why have Metaphysics
Objective/Hard versus Subjective/Soft, and Levels of Reality
The Experimental/Empirical Approach of Science
The Experiential/Phenomenological Approach of Mysticism
"Type Experiences"
Suggestions for Areas of Research and Study
Addendum 1 - Old and New Style Esotericism
Addendum 2 - From Aristotle to Science to Esotericism

Science and Esotericism

Whilst the physical sciences have continued to progress ever since the time of Galileo, the esoteric
sciences have not advanced to the same degree; and some haven't advanced at all (e.g. Astrology -
with all the advances in so-called Esoteric, Humanistic, etc - still rests on the foundation of
Ptolemaic (Geocentric) physics. Hassidic Kabbalah rehashes and reinterprets material written two
centuries and more ago. Theosophy draws on the 19th century writings of Balvatsky, including
Victorian science.). In fact esoterica in general does not progress the way science does. This is
because esoterica is based on experiences, anecdotes, and dogmas, whereas science uses testable
and objective experimental methodology. Science works because other scientists can conform or
refute the findings of the original author. e.g. special relativity can be confirmed by measuring the
slightly lower speed of atomic clocks in a moving aircraft, and other means. With esotericism this is
not possible.
The problem is that there is no "objective" standard in esotericism. How does one for example
prove or disprove something like Blavatsky's Seven Root Races? Or the Kabbalistic world of
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Atzilut? Or purusha and prakrtiti of the Samkhya philosophy?

Because physical science is to be based on the empirical unit of testable experiment ( Galileo etc)
and falsification (Popper), it is possible over the years, decades and centuries to create a vast
edifice of knowledge. It is not necessary for every physicist to rediscover Newton's laws, and
Einstein's relativity, and the quantum physics of Plank, Bohr, Schroedinger, Heisenberg and the rest.
These are already assumed to be valid, they have been tested, confirmed through independent
experimental results, and so can serve as the foundation for further explorations.
This is the reason science is so powerful, and has achieved such miracles of knowledge and
technology.
In contrast to the wonders of the modern scientific understanding of the workings off the universe,
poor old Esotericism cannot get beyond the basic foundations. And what is worse, even those
foundations are biased; coloured by the religious or personal idiosyncrasies of the author, and not
amenable to confirmation or refutation the way physical science is. Each school follows the
Founder, without questioning. The 4th Way people follow Gurdjieff and only use his jargon. The
Theosophists ditto Blavatsky. Sometimes schisms occur, like the rival schools of Theosophy (Adya,
Point Loma, Alice Bailey, etc), and there is no objective test to see which one is correct.
If an esoteric science is to be truly universal, it must be based on fundamental elements of
knowledge that can be confirmed or refuted (as much as possible) and can serve as the foundation
for further units.
In one respect this is not as easy as with physical science. Physical science - like exoteric religion -
doesn't require one to alter their consciousness. It does however ask that one immerse oneself in a
specialised body of knowledge, often for years at a time, of little relevance or interest to humanity
as a whole, before one can embark on one's own research. Let us say you want to study, oh, say,
prehistoric amphibians ( labyrinthodonts) of the Triassic period. You have to spend several years
learning basic palaeontology and geology. Then spend more years specialising in vertebrate
palaeontology, especially labyrinthodont amphibians, and that means you have to find someone who
has already studies and researched and written papers on Triassic labyrinthodont amphibians. That
person then becomes your supervisor, who helps you with your work and makes sure you are on the
right track. Or if astronomy, you may have an interest in protoplanetary nebulae, say. Again, the
same pattern; general study, then specialised, and finally your own research (Master's thesis, then
Phd), all this taking quite a few years. As you can see, it is very like getting initiated into, say, a Sufi
or Tantric sect, and following the teacher or guru, who is there to help you find your own way (and
never, as in many fake pop-gurus of the West, to take advantage of you).
And after all this, one's own research, when it is published, can be tested by one's peers. This
process of peer-review is a fundamental element of western science. Whilst it leads to the danger of
becoming hide-bound and stuck in old paradigms, it also ensures that any new discoveries are
authentic; they are not something being churned out by any lunatic.
Now, consider esoteric science. You can, if you wish, join a school, according to your inclination
and interests and talents. Say a Hermetic School, or a Tibetan Buddhist lineage. You are given
material to learn, and when you feel ready you are initiated into the group. As you progress you are
given more advanced material, or meditation practices, to learn and master. You are supervised by
the elders of the group, who make sure you don't go astray, and help you if you have problems. You
can specialise if you wish, perhaps you prefer a particular meditation, or a particular practice.
Eventually, after many years, if you feel comfortable in this group, you become an elder or master
or teacher too. And here also there is a sort of review by peers, although not in such a formal sense
(although sometimes it may be). If you have wildly eccentric interpretations, your views may not be
accepted. Sometimes they may be good views, sometimes ridiculous. There may be a schism, or
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you may be expelled. Paradigms determine belief-systems and behaviour in esotericist groups just
as much as in science - if not more so! And most of all in exoteric religions, which at their worst are
hidebound to the most literal interpretations of an old book, which, worthy as it may be in its
message, becomes twisted and distorted when every word is taken as "gospel truth" (literally!).
So each branch of human endeavour - science or esotericism - follows a broadly similar path.
Novice who joins specialised or specialist or even eccentric group, where he/she can pursue ones
interests, is encouraged and guided, and eventually becomes a master or teacher or elder in his/her
own right. this is just part of the cycle of human existence and interrelationships.
But science and esotericism also differ. Science is about discovering things - pure knowledge - for
their own sake. The joy of learning is reward enough. Esotericism, being more pragmatic, is not
only about knowledge, it is also about attainment. Of course, this varies too, with some forms of
esotericism, like Theosophy, being almost totally theoretical (and hence like science), while others,
like various schools of Buddhist or Yogic practice, being almost completely practical, with only
minimal theory (just enough to provide a framework for the practice).
The greatest denial of knowledge however is found in some hidebound exoteric Religions and
Cults, where learning of anything other than one's own faith or the teachings of the cult leader is
actually depreciated or condemned as a distraction, or the work of the devil.
So an esoteric science, as suggested here, is not about the path to enlightenment or self-realisation,
which is the true goal of mystical and esotericist practice, but about understanding the "intermediate
realities" between the objective physical and the transcendent. In no way do I think this a bad thing.
In fact, I consider this a worthy extension of human knowledge, and one that may even be
necessary, if we are to broaden our understanding of the universe about us, and our own psyches.
For me, the practical and theoretical should go together; each is unbalanced without the other.

Laying the Foundations

How then do we begin to lay the foundations for a Universal Esoteric Science? What methodologies
do we use?
This is not an easy question. Perhaps a few propositions to begin with?
Let us begin with the Most Fundamental Empirical Datum of all, The Primacy of consciousness.
Cartesian/Husserlian method (I remember this was taught by my old lecturer at La Trobe
University, Dr Moshe Kroy, and it influenced me greatly) is that one can doubt anything but one's
own consciousness, one's own existence, one's own bare awareness. This of course takes us to
Advaita Vedanta, as Moshe perceptively realised. Because Shankara's Advaita, following on the
"great sayings' of the Upanishads, says that all there is is the Self, the bare datum of
Consciousness/Awareness, the Absolute Reality (Atman = Brahman).
So this is the first proposition - all that exists is my (well, your, because you are the one reading
this) Awareness
Now, Moshe Kroy used the Cartesian method, but this is potentially debatable. As someone said,
Descartes was wrong with his "Cogito, ergo sum". I perceive, therefore I am. The most honest
declaration would be: perception exists.
But one could go further than that (because perception is still perception of something) and say
"Bare Awareness Is" (Kashmir Shaivism, also Advaitin Atman (Self) = Brahman)). The
ratiocination-based Western philosophical methodology is in this regard more limited than
Vedantic/Tantric Bare Awareness methodology. It is important to understand what is being referred
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to here is not an ego or finite conscious self, but a boundless consciousness. It is proposed here that
this is all that is.
This can be proved by a simple thought experiment. Try to imagine another bare awareness. You
can't, because to do so would mean you include it in your awareness. Other than Being (which in
this thought experiment is your being, your consciousness, although technically speaking the
limited "I" is a reflection of the infinite awareness - see below) there is not even nothing. There is
only That Being.
It is true that dualists, pluralists, physicalists and the like do assume the duality of subject and
object, and say that there is an objective or other subjective reality, or non-being, beyond the All-
Encompassing Awareness. But of course, to postulate such a reality, they have to imagine /visualise
it. So they have still not gone beyond their awareness
Of course, solipsism is absurd too, but only because solipsism makes the mistake of identifying the
Absolute Awareness (Parasamvit, Atman-Brahman or nirguna brahman, etc). with the limited
sphere of the individual ego-consciousness and its sphere of awareness. So I emphasise, when
referring to Absolute Awareness, I mean the Supreme, of which your subjective awareness is simply
a reflection (good analogy here is the hall of mirrors and golden line described by Chinese Hwa Yen
philosophy Fa-tsang. The infinite reflections in the mirror are not the actual golden lion)
So we have proposition number one - all that exists, all that is, is Infinite Non-dual
Consciousness.
This is the basic monistic insight, the mystical experience of Unity, the premise of most (but not all
- there are dualists as well) esoteric teachings, from Plotinus to Shankara to Ibn Arabi to Theon. At
the beginning, and in essence now, there is only The One.
This of course has a corollary - everything is nothing else but Transformations of that One. Even
inanimate matter is Consciousness, is nothing but Consciousness.
But if there is only the Supreme, why are we limited finite beings. Proposition two, there must be a
progression from Infinite Absolute to Finite Relative. And hence, Reality has a structure, a gradient,
and can be mapped. This is the field of study of esoteric science, mapping this structure, the "Body
of God" as the Kabbalists so evocatively say. This also takes us to Emanationism, regarding which I
have already provided an overview. See also Professor Huston Smith's book Forgotten Truth : The
Common Vision of the World's Religions which presents human knowledge and experience in terms
of a gradation of several metaphysical levels, in keeping with the teachings of mystics and spiritual
traditions of all times and cultures. (Professor Smith's thesis is that an over-emphasis on
experimental science since the time of Galileo has led to the loss of this sacred insight in the
Western world)
But the Map of Reality - the Body of God - is not something static. That is where the Theosophists
and Kabbalists and others go wrong, in trying to formulate a rigid set of planes, perhaps by analogy
with physical characteristics. Rather, it is a dynamic process. Esoteric science is a study of
processes, not of "things"
We now have the Ground of Reality, and the Body of the Godhead. But what about the Method to
be used?
Since Consciousness is the sole reality, we should not depreciate consciousness in seeking to
understand the universe. This gives us a Method, again shown to me by Moshe Kroy almost a
quarter of a century ago.
Everything that appears in Consciousness is a valid datum of inquiry
This is the completely opposite approach to physical science, which seeks to screen out the effect of
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subjectivity (although it cannot deny the reality of the Observer - and hence of Consciousness). This
is why science works best with inanimate objects, still adequately with living beings (although there
is no conception of ch'i and little of the dynamics of the whole organism), not so good with
societies and anthropology, and worst of all with psychology, leading to such absurdities as
Behaviourism (which in its extreme form (Watson, Skinner, etc) even denies the existence of
subjectivity!!!) and statistics-driven so-called experimental psychology. The more "inward" (the
"within" to use Teilhard de Chardin's term) you go, the less that science works.
Science therefore is a methodology that works supremely well on the gross physical plane, when
dealing with purely physical; objects, and less well with more subtle things.
Conversely subjectivism becomes absurd when applied to purely physical processes, this is where
"magic" becomes "superstition", and the reason that the physically advanced but metaphysically
impoverished Western and Western-inspired nations were able to conquer and enslave the
technologically more primitive but metaphysically more advanced Asian, Tribal, etc societies
(everything from the 16th to 19th century European colonisation of the rest of the world to the 20th
century Chinese conquest of and on-going genocide in Tibet)
Therefore Objective Physical Science and Subjective Esoteric Science thus complement each other
perfectly. Which brings us to the next proposition.
On matters of physical reality, Esotericism should defer to Science.
Why? Because this way we can avoid absurdities like Steiner's cosmological cycles, in which the
whole Solar System comes into and moves out of manifestation within the time of a single
Procession of the Equinoxes. Examined in the hard light of scientific analysis, the Anthroposophical
science of Steiner and his followers has all the persuasiveness of the Young Earth theory of
fundamentalist Christian Creationism
Which brings us to our next point.
If we are to use as a foundation of inquiry the basic framework already established by the various
esoteric teachings, we have to be very careful of one thing. Fixed opinions, which freeze the
original fleeting inspiration or process into something stultifying. We need to get away from
dogmas. Dogmas in esotericism are as bad as dogmas in science. In science, dogmas become old
paradigms that obstruct new ideas, and have to be overthrown, and are only with difficulty. In
esotericism, dogmas are far worse, they become fundamentalist and literalist fixations, and blind
one to other truths and other possibilities, and destroy even the original truth that was in that
teaching in the beginning. This is why dogmatism in esotericism, in religion, and everywhere
else, should be completely avoided. Even the ideas presented here should only be taken as
hypotheses and suggestions, never as dogmas, and only accepted if one feels in one's own heart that
they have value.
Finally, we need to ask what teachings and experiences we will use and take as authoritative, in
formulating our new Esoteric Science. Let us say (for sake of example) you like Osho and I like
Aurobindo. Now, if Osho says the Absolute Reality and the Self (Atman) are the same, and if
Aurobindo says that too, well, that is fine, there is no problem. But if Osho says once you attain
Enlightenment that is the highest state, but Aurobindo says, no, there is a higher state beyond
Enlightenment, you have to draw the Divine Consciousness down and transform your body and
matter, there is a problem. (I am mentioning this because I once many years ago had a
discussion/argument with a friend who was a devotee of Osho; I took (and still take) the
Aurobindoan position, and he did not feel comfortable with that, because it referred to states beyond
what Osho taught. One could say the same using Adi Da instead of Osho as an example). So, where
there is a conflict, we need to decide which teacher is the most authoritative.
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Everyone will have different ways of doing this, but my method regarding this is simple. The most
Inclusive Teaching is the one that should be chosen. This is something the Buddha said once, his
teaching is like the footprint of the elephant which can hold the other teachings in itself. So the
more all encompassing the teaching, the more preferable it is.
Simple real world example (from religion rather than esotericism, but only to make a point): The
fundamentalist Christian, or fundamentalist Muslim, who says "all non-believers go to hell", does
not seem as persuasive as an ecumenical Muslim or ecumenical Christian who says "to every people
God has sent a prophet" (or Teacher, or whatever). This is because the bigot excludes all others, and
so their teaching is extremely arbitrary: why should the fundamentalist of sect x be right, but the
fundamentalist of sect y wrong? Or vice versa for that matter? The ecumenicist includes all others,
seeing them as part of a greater whole, therefore, devotee of sect x has part of the truth, devotee of
sect y also has part. Both are partly correct, (but also partly limited) no favouritism. Seems a lot
more reasonable to me.
Regarding this, see also the tale of the Blind Men and the Elephant
So we have, so far
1. All that exists is Infinite Non-dual Consciousness. (The Absolute Reality)
2. Reality has a gradient and can be mapped (the Body of the Godhead).
3. Everything that appears in Consciousness is a valid datum of inquiry (Phenomenology)
4. On matters of physical reality, Esotericism should defer to Science (Critical Thinking)
5. All dogmatism is to be avoided (receptivity to new Possibilities).
6. Where there is a conflict between two teachings, the more inclusive Teaching is preferable.
Note that this is still a provisional list; as this essay is a work in progress, not a finished manifesto.

Why have Metaphysics?

A pragmatist may point out that the first two Propositions sound more like dogmas, and imply an
unnecessary philosophisation. One can still construct an esoteric science or sciences using modern
esoteric philosophies that differ (e.g. evolutionary-Gurdjieffian like that of John Lilly versus the
American Zen of Ken Wilber) - or with no underlying "grand philosophy" at all. All that is required,
from a pragmatic point of view, is to state that this physical universe is not all that is (as indicated
by evidence of phenomena such as precognition, OBEs, NDEs, I Ching,..), and that various fields
now subsumed under esoterica umbrella will be investigated according to their respective nature
(e.g. the bioplasmatic body "needs" only some kind of energy body or "fluid", but not complete
revolution in worldview that will annihilate old space-time 4-dimensional physics).
My reply to the purely pragmatic position is as follows. Without a unified framework, esoteric
science becomes just one more version of scientistic agnosticism. Traditionally, aristotlean-
medieval knowledge was tied to God/Prime Mover, the whole thing cohered because of that. Is is
the foundation of all "sacred cosmologies". In most esoteric cosmologies (with only a few
exceptions like Classical Samkhya and Manicahean Dualism) everything goes back to the original
One.
What I am interested in is a universal system of knowledge, such as the Unified Science of Edward
Haskell and co-workers, the Cosmic Humanism of Oliver Reiser, the Sacred Soviety of William
Irwin Thompson, the Primordial Tradition of Professor Huston Smith.
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Objective/Hard versus Subjective/Soft, and Levels of Reality

In some cases using terms like "Objective" for Physical Science and "Subjective" for Esoteric
Science is too simplistic, abstract, or meaningless. And how do we know that physical reality is
more "objective" (if, as the Kashmir Shaivites assert, everything is just a condensation of
consciousness, it isn't). So whilst as a methodology these terms are useful, they should not be given
any metaphysical authenticity. A better analogy here might be physics and chemistry ("hard" or
"objective") versus psychology and sociology ("soft" or "subjective").
Or, "hard sciences" and "soft sciences" and "objective" and "subjective" may simply be some of a
number of levels on the gradient of reality
More than that, Esoteric Science itself spans the spectrum from "hard" to "soft", and hence becomes
a more inclusive paradigm that includes the hard/physical sciences as special cases within itself,
(just as Newtonian Physics is a "special case" of Einsteinian physics), and adds a radical dimension
of depth to - or even completely reinterprets, the soft/social sciences. Hence some parts of this
research program can be subsumed under (hard/experimental/objective) "science" (acupuncture,
etc), others under metaphysics and "art".
Arvan Harvat suggests we might divide human creativity into these areas:
a. arts (music, painting, imaginative literature,...) (Fine Arts)
b. philosophy, theology, historiography, criticism (social, literary,..) (Humanities?)
c. social sciences (sociology, linguistics, psychology, economics ?,..)
d. exact sciences (math, chemistry, ..)
e. applied sciences and technology (electrical engineering,..)
Looking at this sequence, which runs from "subjective/soft" to "objective/hard" (or "lunar/yin" to
"solar/yang" consciousness; see for example Stan Gooch's map of the mind - Ststem B and System
A) traditional esoteric sciences could be considered a hybrid of humanities and arts; its "precision"
or "exactitude" measured not by exact sciences standards, but by, say, those of humanities or social
sciences. In fact. some of what is defined as esotericism - astrology especially, or Buddhism, or
Gurdjieff or even Hermeticism in part - can be interpreted as (alternative) psychology, with
psychoanalysis, behaviorism, functionalism, and neuropsychology, say, being the more exact
sciences side of the spectrum. Conversely some forms of psychoanalysis, Jung especially, might
belong under traditional Estericism. So might Maslow, or Assagioli
Again, ch'i and bioplasmatic body would belong in the exact sciences realm, occult planes in the
humanities, and Ching and Tarot divination (as opposed to Tarot psychology) to speculative
physical theories that are still emergent (multidimensional universe etc.).
But there can be even more to it than just this. I have already referred to Professor Huston Smith's
book Forgotten Truth : The Common Vision of the World's Religions which presents human
knowledge in terms of four basic metaphysical levels. If we apply this here, in terms of exoteric
(conventional knowledge, as indicated in Arvan's list) and esoteric fields of inquiry and practice, we
have the following (note, this correlation differs from the original table which remains more faithful
to Prof Smith):

Huston Smith Suggested esoteric

Reality My cosmology (Forgotten Established fields areas and possible of
Truth) research
Unmanifest Absolute Reality Spirit/Infinite As revealed ("finger pointing Enlightenment
Godhead or at the moon") through experiences of
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Huston Smith Suggested esoteric

Reality My cosmology (Forgotten Established fields areas and possible of
Truth) research
transcendence; Moksha,
Absolute Monistic mysticism
Kaivalya, Nirvana

Absolute in Aurobindoan Supramentalisation and equivalents

Dynamic Absolute --
Manifestation (Lurianic concepts etc)

Theosophic esotericism
and metaphysics (Sufism,
Noetic Kabbalah, Tantra, etc),
Spiritual- Divine Soul/Celestial Theistic mysticism
Noeric higher yogic experiences,
Adi Da's 5th and 6th
Stages in part

Fine Arts, philosophy,

Psychic- Mind/ psi, OBE, NDE, various
Psychic religion, social sciences,
Intermediate Intermediate aspects of occultism
psychology, etc,..)
morphogenetic fields
(Sheldrake) and holistic
physics (Bohm),
holistic and alternative
chakras, acupuncture
healing, some elements of
Physical-Psychic medians, Kirlian
Etheric (Life) biology, emergent
Interface photography,
evolution, self-organising
bioplasma, orgone
phenomena
energy, ley lines,
geomancy, feng shui,
etc
questions on
exact sciences causality/synchronicity,
Physical Physical Body/Physical applied sciences and time-travel,
technology superluminal
phenomena, multiverse,

The above gives us a foundation, but what about the bricks to build the edifice? We will find there
are different approaches and methodologies, depending on the aspect of reality we are inquiring
into. For the physical, this is
There are two broad approaches we can take here - experimental/empirical method science, and the
experiential/phenomenology of mysticism. Many areas of esotericism however - for example
practical occultism, represent an overlap of these two.

The Experimental/Empirical Approach of Science

Arvan Harvat
The Experimental Approach is non-Metaphysical. Newton didn't care for Descartes or any
philosophy of that kind. Real scientists (Newton, Huyghens, Euler,..) only needed that there is a
world "outside there" with immutable laws and no whimsical divine interventions. For physical-
experimental esoteric science all that is required is that this 4-dimensional world described in
Einsteinian space-time 4-dim physics and with 4 forces (some are united in Salam-Weinberg
Standard model) are not complete reality.
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From this perspective the only starting point might be:

a. contemporary mainstream fundamental (quantum, relativity) physics is only partially true.
Therefore I Ching, planes, parallel universus, precognition, NDEs,..
b. the 4 forces world of fundamental physics are similarly just a part of the larger picture.
Therefore ch'i, telepathy, plants, auras,..
(for auras there is probably a conceptual effort that combines a) and b)- which is reality, because the
Standard model is a quantum model)
Here we have two stages:
 experiment, in exact sciences manner, with everything that can be subjected to good, old
fashioned ways (bioplasm, plants, dowsing,..) and compile a corpus of verifiable data-
without some strong theory. Just incontrovertible facts.
 other, more metaphysical matters (I Ching, planes, evolution,..) will have to wait for
breakthrough in speculative physics etc. For instance, when Relativity goes down and
physicists' general concept of universe collapses (no velocity greater than speed of light,
causality,...)- then, and only then will be possible to seriously ask questions like this: how
can tossing I Ching coins predict something that will happen in next 6 months ? How this
works ? What's the "mechanism"?

The Experiential/Phenomenological Approach of Mysticism

M.Alan Kazlev
Science uses experiment and confirmation (or falsification). In esotericism however this is not
easily possible. Sri Aurobindo may have experienced the Overmind (Noetic Reality), and Adi Da
the Radiant Transcendental Being, and Max and Alma Theon explored the byways of the psychic
planes, but it is not easy for the average person to attain such heights (understatement of the month).
Of course, it is not easy to confirm or refute the existence of the Higgs Boson either, but assuming
a suitably large particle accelerator can be built, it can be done, by physicists with the required
training. Whereas the realisation of the Noetic Reality or of Shunyata or psychic planes can be done
very cheaply (in terms of material cost) but only with great personal skill and very rare attainment
(in terms of individual training and realisation). Once again, Physical Science and Esoteric Science
are polar opposites and complementary (like Yin and Yang)
A Universal Esoteric Science deals with experiences as authentic data (phenomenology, proposition
3 in the provisional list). But not all experiences, not all phenomena of consciousness, are
accessible, as just explained. Pragmatic Esotericism (Spiritual Practice) takes experiences gained by
those who have trailblazed before and above us, and uses them as guideposts on the spiritual path.
Applying this to Esoteric Science, and not "just" Esoteric Practice, we should have the option to
take these experiences and descriptions and use them to piece together an account of other planes of
existence.
There are a number of obviously overlapping sources of experiences (for example a single
individual may present both a teaching and an autobiography).
In the accounts of traditional (ancient or recent, include channelling) spiritual literature. This is
often highly stylised and mythologised, and hence hard to decipher. e.g. the Vision of Ezekiel in the
Bible, which some people like to interpret as a UFO. Sometimes the symbolism may be so dense as
to render the whole thing incomprehensible - e.g. the Sefer Zohar of Kabbalah - or tied in with
folklore and myth - e.g. the Mahabarata. Or the narrative may be deliberately stylised or obtuse
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(Gnosticism, Blavatsky's Stanzas of Dyzan), or seek to conceal or confuse (Gurdjieff's Beelzebub's

Tales). Often there is a quality of channelled material, and indeed many of these works are
channelled (e.g. the prophets who heard voices etc). For these reasons, even though these accounts
were all written by human beings (although the pious may interpret them as literal revelation by
God/Deity in which the human author played no part other than to inscribe the words) they are not
much, or any, use for formulating a Universal Esoteric Science
Then there are teachers who are presenting their own vision of Reality. They may be intelligent and
have read widely, hence they are not likely to be so limited to one tradition, although they may have
a preference for a particular tradition. Examples might include Adi Da, Sri Aurobindo, Meher Baba,
Rudolph Steiner, and many many others. However, the immediacy of the autobiographical account
is lost, and the whole thing has a didactic tone. Sometimes this also moves into the field of
channelling, which will often tend to deteriorate the quality of the material (the Alice Bailey
material, turgid, verbose, and unreadable, essentially Theosophy with a Christian slant, is a good
example here). Even so there are a few rare individuals like Edgar Cayce, Jane Roberts, and David
Spangler that retain a sense of purity not found in most channelled material
Of great value are the autobiographical accounts of both historical and recent mystics and
psychonauts. Even with those who have drawn upon the traditional literature, which is very often
(especially in Medieval material) all they know, and hence their experiences are coloured and
biased by it, and the genuine insights have to be extracted, but at least they recorded their
experiences faithfully. The Christian Mystical tradition is a good illustration of this. Even better are
recent autobiographies like Swami Muktananda's Play of Consciousness; perhaps one of the best
works of its kind, and one I found far more inspiring than Yogananda's cloying Autobiography of a
Yogi. Hagiographies obviously are less useful, since there is the tendency to worship and hence
gloss over things that the author did not like. Even so, in some cases the saint's words may be
described and record his or her experiences. Also of use are the accounts of modern educated
westerners, such as John Lilly's.
Also of great use are modern individuals who may or may not come from a tradition, but are simply
describing their experiences, without pompousness or unnecessary symbolism, and without any
agenda other than: well, this is what happened to me. Even though their experience may be colored
by the symbolism of their culture, background, or religious upbringing - e.g. a Hindu might have a
vision of Krishna, a Christian of Christ, one can still take away the superficial form, and look at the
quality of the experience in itself.
In some cases the various descriptions referred to in some or all of the preceding categories may be
collated by others, for example Aldous Huxley (The Perennial Philosophy) on mysticism, Masters
and Huston's, or Stan Grof's account of psychedelic experiences, Jung's work on the Collective
Unconscious, or Ken Wilber's mapping of states of consciousness. Such systematic coverage can be
extremely useful, because the editor will have noticed certain common themes, and draw the
reader's attention to them. Often both traditional and modern accounts are placed side by side,
showing that these sort of experiences really are universal.
Of course, you yourself, the reader, may also have experiences, these are just as valid as those in
any of the above categories.

"Type Experiences"
In biology, geology, and palaeontology, reference is made to the "type specimen". A type specimen
is the specimen - perhaps a new species of insect, that a scientist refers to when describing it in a
scientific journal. That way, if someone else finds a similar specimen, they can check and see if it is
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the same as the original, or warrants its own name and description.
I would suggest here that certain esoteric experiences which are described by mystics, sages, adepts,
occultists, psychonauts, and the rest, be taken as Type Experiences, and hence referred to, in the
same way that a biological or geological sample might be.
One must however be careful in selecting an experience, so as to avoid unnecessary bias. A
contemporary educated person may be preferable to a medieval monastic ascetic, but if the ascetic
has progressed further, they would have experienced things the modern person would not. If a
person has a modern education, can think and write clearly, is aware of the pitfalls and delusions of
the spiritual path, and has progressed to great heights, their experiences will obviously be very
useful in the mapping out of the nature of reality.
The worst thing in all this are subjective distortions. e.g. a person may have a pure and profound
experience, but straight away distort it into their own mental formulation. A lot of Rudolph Steiner's
material reads like this. One senses amazing insight, a great and pure soul, but then reads the most
ridiculous medieval nonsense, that would have been fine a thousand years ago, but just seems
absurd today.
Also not too good, but not as bad as the above, is egotism and self-delusion. An individual may
attain a very elevated state, and then claim to be the only one to have attained it, or to have attained
it in its fullness. Now, in some cases, they may very well be the only one! In other cases, they are
simply caught up in an Intermediate Zone delusion of grandeur, or overpowered by the great down-
rush of light.
The only way to tell if an adept is sincere and has attained the highest state, or is just caught in the
intermediate zone, is to compare their experiences with others. If others have had the same
experience, then to claim uniqueness is a sign either of simple ignorance (which is forgivable,
especially if the individual in question has not read much, perhaps coming from a culture or society
where books or learning is limited) or self-delusion (which may or may not be forgivable,
depending on how you view these things, and which in itself does not negate the rest of the
experience), or seeking to delude others to further his or her career as guru or cult leader (which is a
sure sign that this person should be avoided, unless you are an anthropologist or sociologist and
want to study the phenomenon of cultish behaviour).

Suggestions for Areas of Research and Study

An incomplete list of suggestions and ideas:
 Physical Reality
 Pragmatic experimentation, using the methodology of the exact sciences, on those
topics of paranormal, etc that can be subjected to traditional scientific method
(morphogenetic fields, kirlian photography, bioplasm, plants, dowsing,..) and
compile a corpus of verifiable data.
 In those cases with poor or no results from hard scientific approach to psi and
paranormal, is it because there is no phenomenon, or because the nature of the
experimental method adversely affects the subjects consciousness (a sort of esoteric
exclusivity law?).
 Etheric Reality
 Understanding energy levels in the subtle body (acupuncture, ch'i, microcosmic orbit,
reiki, and other phenomena - note, these are close enough to the physical with
sufficient "objectivity" to also be amenable to standard scientific methodology (but
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the paradigm-resistance would be huge)

 Understanding Homodynamics and other alternative means of treatment that cannot
be explained in reductionist terms
 Mapping out of Chakras, aura, yogic anatomy, etc - understanding the subtle body
 Application/reinterpretation of transpersonal psychology, meditative states, etc in
terms of esoteric map of the nature if reality; alternatives to the standard monistic
(usually Zen or Sufi based) or old Wilberian paradigms of TP Psychology
 Paranormal
 Sympathetic but non-gullible re-evaluation of psi and similar phenomena, what is the
mechanism?
 Thanatology, Near-Death experiences etc interpreted as authentic psychic bardo
states (rather than as "hallucinations of an oxygen-starved brain"); looking at both
historical and recent accounts
 UFOs, bigfoot, nessie, etc as etheric / parallel physical dimensions rather than
materialistic explanations of little green men, surviving neanderthals, plesiosaurs, etc
 Providing plausible theory for crop circles and other anomalous phenomena
 Psychic Reality
 What is the influence of esotericism upon social sciences and humanities; e.g. ,
painters (Boticelli, Mondrian, Kandinsky,..), writers and poets (Goethe, Blake,
Balzac, Rimbaud, Yeats, Henry Miller,..) had been attracted to various parts of
esotericism: hermeticism, theosophy, kabbalah; how does art relate to esoteric
realities, and vice versa?.
 Magick and Occultism (applied hermetics, shamanism, etc) as valid techniques for
interacting with the psychic realities, and manipulating psychic or physical events.
 Reinterpretation of Jung's archetypes, synchronicity, etc as valid phenomena ("gods")
on the supra-physical planes, and their expression and qualities as understood in that
light (getting away from Jung's sloppy half-heated attempt at Kantean dualism and
biological reductionism ("collective unconscious" as inherited or racial memory)
 Reinterpretation of psychology and study of psyche to take into account experiential,
phenomenological, and supra-physical factors as well standard physical elements;
Steven Guth's "Theory of the Double" (work in progress)
 Mystic Reality
 Empirical and phenomenological study of meditative, enlightenment, and other such
states, free of preconceived religious or metaphysical biases. What does the "bare
experience" in itself tell?
 Application/reinterpretation of transpersonal psychology, meditative states, etc in
terms of esoteric map of the nature if reality; what sort of map emerges? Look at
alternatives to the standard monistic (usually Zen or Sufi based) or old Wilberian
paradigms of TP Psychology
 Causality
 Consider I Ching as a mathematical/"syncronistic" map of fundamental archetypes
(ref DNA codons, other similarities? Particle physics in quantum mechanics
perhaps?)
 Synchronicity/meaningful coincidence - how can tossing I Ching coins predict
something that will happen in the next 6 months? What about prophetic dreams?
Classic Jungian synchronicity? What is the "mechanism"?
 Explore thesis of Astrological causation in terms of subtle etheric spheres (Steiner),
dumping of old humanistic-materialistic explanations of the "moon's tides" etc
(works fine for the moon but what about Pluto?)
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 Evolution
 Exploration of interactions of "cosmic devic forces" with the terrestrial evolution;
hypotheses of planetary and biological evolution, human society, etc [see e.g. Steven
Guth and my work on "Astrognosis" Considering Islam, Cosmogenic Evolution, as
well as Eco-Gnosis in general - see also Adendndum A for more (below))
 What effect will future technologies have upon the body and psyche - cyborgization,
nanotechnology, colonization of space, etc?
 Possibility of new (different? higher?) kingdoms and/or grades of sentience
emerging? e.g. AI and Vingean-Transhumanist Posthuman Singularity through
technological evolution or augmentation, or Aurobindoan "Superman" through
spiritual-divine transformation
 Cosmology
 Formulating a map or diagram of the "Body of the Godhead" as a dynamic
unfolding-enfolding process (not static planes) - concepts from Taoism,
Neoconfucianism, Neoplatonism, Gnosticism, Suhrawardi, Ibn Arabi, Kashmir
Shaivism, pre-Lurianic, Lurianic and Hassidic Kabbalah, Max and Alma Theon,
Theosophy, Anthroposphy, Teilhard de Chardin, Sri Aurobindo and Mirra, Meher
Baba, and others.
No doubt many more fields of exploration could be added.

Addendum 1 - Old and New Style Esotericism

Steven Guth
The history of modern esotericism really comes out of an attempt to formalise the spiritual medium
situation that existed in the 1800's. Groups gathered in the 1840's so that "scientific" evidence about
the afterlife could be collected.
People like Theon fit in here.
And later came the attempts by people like Blavaskey, Steiner, etc to present the old esoteric truths
and the new discoveries in a scientific frame work, using terms like rounds, and tables and
hierarchies. They felt a need to adapt their visions into the social thought patterns (including the
science) of the time ... which quickly became dated and so their descriptions have became absurd -
e.g. the history of the planet c/o Steiner (he combined astrology with what Science at the time
understood).
An example is the chemistry table of elements which unlocked the wonders of alchemy. The
discovery of coal tar colours revolutionised the world. So of course attempts were made to classify
in this way.
Part of the burden that the modern esoteric movement carries is the concept of evolution. At the
time Blavatsky and others were writing Darwin's evolutionary concept let people keep the idea of a
prime creator and abandon religion. You see, evolution suggests that everything things has been
created to end up somewhere ... the end point of Newton's clock work universe - and we are moving
towards the resolution of the creator architects great plan. Alas I suspect that rogue influences play
into the world's spiritual ecology at random times creating a situation which is far from clockwork.
See my somewhat discomforting meditative insight ... into the energy behind Islam [see
Considering Islam] and then Alan's further development of this idea [see Cosmogenic Evolution]...
Before that earlier attempts to make sense of the formlessness of the Spiritual worlds gave us stuff
 14

like the Abramelin with its divisions into, Kings, Dukes etc - following the sociological thought
patterns of the 14th Century. So it is not surprising that in our current attempts to forge a bit of
"scientific" logic into the huge complexity of what surrounds us that we should be using the
sociological thought patterns of our time - which come from the benefits that science has placed
into our lives.
But, and it's a big but, many of the premises that modern science rests on are weak if not faulty. One
of my favourite criticisms is our intrinsic belief that there is a "cause" for everything. I have come
to the conclusion that "Causation is just a special case of association". Adopt my idea that
association is the rule and "causation" is just a special case and you end up with the involvement of
the spiritual world in everything in some form or another. What we do in the physical effects the
Spiritual worlds and vice versa - and it is an ongoing interaction slightly out of time and place ...
incidentally this is what the Australian Aboriginal concept of the "Dreaming" is all about.
And that's just one of the premises.
Now, the largest revolution in modern science has been the discovery of deep space, deep time and
the huge complexity of the out there. As one astronomer said in a lecture I attended as she showed
us the image of the radio energy coming out of a galaxy, "It is better not to think about such things".
I wonder if Kepler had similar qualms?
And another major revolution in the making is the concept of randomness and variability. All our
scientific modelling to date still runs on the concept of averaging - its part of our sociological
democratic thought pattern. But it is a very poor premise to work from. So much cannot be usefully
explored by averaging ... from the weather to the effectiveness of medicines ... and how do you
average spiritual phenomena? (What is the average ghost or crop circle? ... randomness is inherent
in the systems around us).
Now, both deep space and variability/randomness have not been added to our thinking patterns.
New patterns are necessary to accommodate the new base line insights science has presented to us.
We need to add our new insights to our understandings of esoteric experiences. And that is what
astrognosis is trying to do. Which places this developing concept [Cosmogenic Evolution] into a
potentially revolutionary position.
It is interesting that in our new formulations about the development of life forms on our planet we
end up with Devas as the link between our new ideas and concepts of the past. You see, Devas are
just consciousness in a place. Remove the idea of place and leave consciousness and you have a
"God or Goddess" ... And of course that is what we are too ... the "prima medica" is consciousness.
As an afterthought ...
I am working on a lecture series on the Doppleganger, the Double, at the moment and am exploring
the multiple facets of human consciousness and the very nature of consciousness itself. Interestingly
it is leading me to the conclusion that "consciousness" intrusions from deep space play an important
part in our need to go to war. Yes, perhaps our leaders and the people that surround them are
schizophrenic. Their minds and decisions being influenced by other consciousnesses "out there"
which like to playing games with events on this planet ... So if we can stop the games we could
have peace and if we don't, or can't, we will never have peace ... this is an interesting thought but
only possible if one accepts some of the new premises suggested in this essay. It also makes one
wonder if the images presented by Science Fiction and the beliefs of the UFO people are not
coming from a consciousness "out there" identical to what is presenting me with these insights!
Material on the Doppleganger and its role in human consciousness will soon be on this web site -
stay tuned for further inputs!
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Addendum 2 - From Aristotle to Science to Esotericism

Arvan Harvat

The problem is that the Aristotlean approach is not a form of science that gives results. Aristotle was
abandoned due to inefficacy. It was simplistic because he did not know "the world", he was freely
speculating, using the limited data and information available to him in the ancient Greek world.
Putting under a single umbrella concepts such as ch'i, I Ching, planes, evolution, etc is reminiscent
of the times of Aristotle when all sciences (biology, psychology, physics, political sciences,..) were
parts of philosophy. But this widely multidisciplinary approach is not the same as a holistic
esotericism of science. One thing is "sci infancy" (Aristotle), and completely another modern
multidisciplinary approach that is "mature science" (say, quantum chemistry tries to explain genetic
processes by using thermodynamics, chaos and complexity, computer science, higher algebraic
theories, ...and to connect them to the levels of electrochemisty and biochemistry).
In esoteric science you could imagine experiments (Kirlian, high voltage) combined with other high
tech photographs (computer analysis of highly sensitive detectors) and explanation, in the
beginning, with some kind fields combined with electrophysiology and biochemical processes
monitored and theorized upon.
A true holistic paradigm can emerge only after any science has passed thru various stages of
disintegration and integration. The following process or sequence could be suggested:
1. primitive science (Aristotle)
2. beginnings of empirical and mathematical science in modern sense (Galileo, Kepler)
3. new paradigm established (Newton, Laplace,...)
4. other paradigms appearing (Faraday-Maxwell, fields,...)
5. fundamental redefinition and new paradigmata (Einstein, Planck, Heisenberg,...)
6. multidisciplinary approach (chaos theory, complexity, Feigenbaum ...)
7. emergent holistic approach ( Sarfatti, Bohm's hologram universe, quantum
geometrodynamics of John Wheeler,.., also synchronicity)
Bohm is a true scientist with a holistic approach.
The crux of the matter as far as superluminality is concerned (see e.g. the Stardrive web site) is that
the universe obeyed the laws of quantum mechanics at its birth subjecting it to Heisenberg's
uncertainty principle when it was smaller than an electron. Hoyle and Sarfatti believe that it was at
this primordial moment that consciousness from the future created the universe bringing itself into
being.
Einstein's work on relativity provided a starting point for intuitive physicists such as Wheeler,
Feynman, Josephson and others. The new physics has also given rise to a new cosmology of which
Sir Fred Hoyle is a leading proponent. Hoyle compiled a massive body of evidence in his book The
Intelligent Universe that seems to strongly suggest that only a living and intelligent (superluminal)
God could have created a universe where life (us) exists. The very conditions of the birth of the
universe (the big bang) were specifically tailored to produce life. The final anthropic cosmological
principle championed by Hoyle, Sarfatti and others was first discovered in weaker form by Brandon
Carter 9 The God Phone], who in 1968 stated:
"Had the numerical values of certain fundamental constants (the speed of light, the mass
of an electron etc.) been only slightly different - the universe would not be able to
 16

sustain life as we know it." Experimentalist Alain Aspect proved (at the University of
Paris in 1982), the reality of faster-than-light action-at-a-distance in an experiment on
the quantum connection between pairs of photons. Delayed choice experiments (by
Carol Alley of the University of Maryland ) and gamma photon-proton scattering
experiments (by Charles Bennett of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory ) showed that
future causes do create past effects.

Recent work by such respected physicists as David Deutsch, Kip Thorne, Yakir
Aharanov, Alcubierre and Sarfatti, involving time-travel to the past, future-causality and
other mind-boggling vistas, is invigorating superluminal physics as never before. For
example, Alcubierre has shown that a Star Trek faster-than-light warp drive is possible
within the known laws of physics. Indeed, Sarfatti, interviewed by Kim Burrafato in
UFO Magazine (Vol 9, No. 30 1994), speculates that UFO's, if real, would be time-
travelling ships from our future explaining the strange phone call(s) he got in 1952.
Sarfatti is no true believer here. He is quite willing to admit that the 1952 call(s) may
have been some sort of prank, and all the subsequent synchronicities a random
coincidence.

Sarfatti's credibility among other physicists, like the superluminal conjecture, seemed
for years to lay dormant in the barren soil of a conservative physics establishment. For
many years, talk of faster-than-light communication and time travel has been beyond
the pale of good science. It was a suitable subject for comic books and science fiction
only, 'strictly kid stuff.' "

Crazy, but...?