Theosophical Siftings

A Word on Man, His Nature and His Powers

Vol 6, No 14

A Word on Man, His Nature and His Powers

by Annie Besant
A ecture deli!ered on "oard the #$aisar%i%Hind& in the 'ed Sea, (cto"er )*th, 1+,) [-ortunatel. the well%/nown Phonographer Mr T0A0'eed, was a1ong the passengers, proceeding to 2ndia with his son to ta/e the official Shorthand Notes of the 'o.al 3o11ission on (piu10 The ser!ices of these gentle1en were secured to report Mrs 04esant5s ecture, and we are thus a"le to present a verbatim report to our readers] 'eprinted fro1 6Theosophical Siftings6 Volu1e 6 The Theosophical Pu"lishing Societ., 7ngland

8Page )9 TH7 last ti1e 2 spo/e to .ou 2 too/ a !er. large su":ect, which 2 was o"liged to treat !er. roughl.0 Tonight 2 ha!e selected a s1aller su":ect, although still a large one, and shall "e a"le therefore to treat it a little 1ore full.0 2 propose to put "efore .ou what the esoteric philosoph. teaches concerning 1an; 1an<s nature and 1an<s powers, his possi"ilities in the future, as well as his state in the present0 Ma. 2 sa. in opening what 2 ha!e to put to .ou, that 2 a1 si1pl. la.ing "efore .ou that which 2 ha!e "een taught, and which 2 ha!e to a considera"le e=tent !erified ". 1. own personal e=peri1ent, so that it has "eco1e to 1e a 1atter of /nowledge> 2, howe!er, onl. put it to .ou as a 1atter of reasona"le h.pothesis0 2 do not pretend to dictate to .ou .our opinions? 2 do not pretend to for1ulate for .ou what .ou shall thin/, or what .ou shall re:ect0 (n each of .ou the responsi"ilit. of for1ing his own thought? on each of .ou the responsi"ilit. of accepting or re:ecting, as .our own reason, .our conscience and .our :udg1ent 1a. decide0 All that the spea/er can do, or has the right to do, is to put the truth as he sees it, lea!ing it to each indi!idual to accept or to re:ect, the right and the dut. "eing on each, and not on the one who spea/s0 With regard to 1an, there is a funda1ental difference in the conception of 1an as he is loo/ed at in the 7ast and the West0 According to the esoteric philosoph. 1an is regarded essentiall. as a soul0 What he 1a. ha!e of instru1ents which that soul e1plo.s, what "odies he 1a. clothe hi1self in, what special for1s he 1a. adopt @ all that is 1atter which changes in ti1e and space0 As .ou 1a. read in The Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad; 6As a golds1ith, ta/ing a piece of gold, for1s another shape 0 0 0 so throwing off this "od. 0 0 0 the soul for1s a shape&0 And so the 1an is the soul, the soul that li!es to gather e=perience, that li!es to su":ugate e=ternal nature, that li!es to unite itself with the Ai!ine Spirit whence it sprang? and as regards the soul<s "odies, those differ as e!olution proceeds and the soul 1oulds the1 centur. after centur. into the fuller and 8Page 49 1ore perfect e=pression of itself0 4ut in the West, 1an is far 1ore identified with his outer for1; he identifies hi1self with his "od. and with his 1ind0 To us the soul stands a"o!e "od. and 1ind, using "oth as instru1ents, whereas in the West, people thin/ of the1sel!es as consisting of "od. and of 1ind? and the things that interest the1 are the things that affect the "od., while the 1ind, the. thin/, is practicall. their 1aster, and the. ne!er drea1 of 1astering their own thoughts and "eing ruler of their own intellectual as well as of their own ph.sical do1ain0

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A Word on Man, His Nature and His Powers

Vol 6, No 14

2n order that these distinctions 1a. "e understood, let us s/etch the different 6principles6 as the. are so1eti1es called, @ 6states of consciousness6 as the. are called at other ti1es, @ which 1a/e up 1an when .ou ta/e hi1 co1pletel., as 1an ph.sical, 1an ps.chical, and 1an spiritual0 Those are the three great di!isions accepted, let 1e sa. in passing, ". 3hristianit. as 1uch as ". other religions0 -or .ou find St0 Paul spea/ing of a 1an 6as "od., soul and spirit60 2 /now that in popular 3hristianit. the distinction "etween soul and spirit has !er. largel. "een lost0 4ut that is not so in 3hristian philosoph.0 2f .ou ta/e the writings of the great thin/ers of 3hristendo1, those who ha!e dealt with religion scientificall. and philosophicall., .ou will find the. follow the lines laid down ". the great 3hristian Apostle and regard 1an as a triple and not onl. as a dual entit.0 Now the "od. which "elongs to the 1an, which is a ph.sical gar1ent as we sa., is a !er. changing and a !er. illusor. thing, as 2 said to .ou the other night, @ changing continuall. fro1 1o1ent to 1o1ent, and fro1 .ear to .ear; so that if .ou turn to an. 1odern "oo/ on Ph.siolog. .ou will find that e!er. 1inute particle of .our "od. changes a"solutel. and co1pletel. in the space of se!en .ears, that not a frag1ent of it .ou had se!en .ears ago is .ours toda.0 Not onl. so0 2n the later in!estigations of Ph.siolog. .ou will find it recognised in the West, that a great part, at least, of the "od., is 1ade up of 1inute li!es, 1icro"es as the. are called? and whene!er 1en of science are searching after the cause of disease, the. are on the trac/ of so1e particular 1icro"e, and it has "eco1e one of their fa!ourite recreations to culti!ate the 1icro"e and i1pro!e hi1, so that he 1a. "eco1e less dangerous when he falls upon an. particular "od.0 2n this, Western science is on the trac/ of a great truth, and as far as it goes it spea/s rightl. in the fact that these 1icro"es enter into the co1position of the hu1an "od.0 2t 1ight go further; it 1ight sa. that the whole "od. is 1ade up of nothing else "ut 1icro"es and 1inuter creatures still, so that the whole "od. of 1an is co1posed of tin. li!es, li!es each with its own independent e=istence, co1ing into the "od. and going out of it, ta/ing while in the "od. the sta1p of the indi!idual 1an, of which, for a ti1e, it for1s a part0 So that our "odies are li/e hosts of these tin. !isitors, and each of us sta1ps on those particles of the "od. his own 8Page B9 ph.sical, and, to a great e=tent, his 1ental, 1oral, and e1otional characteristics0 (ut of the great reser!oir of nature there pour through us these strea1s of tin. li!es? and each, while it re1ains in our /eeping, recei!es our sta1p and then passes on to for1 part of so1e other "od. @ !egeta"le, 1ineral, ani1al, hu1an, as the case 1a. "e0 So that e!en ph.sicall. we "eco1e the creators of the world in which we li!e0 7!en ph.sicall. the world, as it surrounds us, is 1ade up of that which we contri"ute, and is 1odified and changed according to the character of these constant contri"utions that we 1a/e0 2nto our "od. flow the tin. li!es0 There we feed the1, poison the1 or purif. the1, pollute the1 or cleanse the1, as the case 1a. "e0 4. our food and ". our drin/, ". our thin/ing and ". our li!ing, we 1odif. these tin. particles which are a passing part of oursel!es? and then we send the1 out to affect others @ to 1a/e parts of the "odies of other people, to 1a/e parts of the ph.sical nature around us, 1odif.ing the1 according to the fashion in which we are li!ing oursel!es0 This is the ph.sical "asis of hu1an "rotherhood, this the ph.sical "asis of the "rotherhood of all that li!es0 And there is nothing that li!es not0 So that this constant interaction throws on each a responsi"ilit., gi!es to each the responsi"ilit. of this creati!e power, of this trans1uting and 1odif.ing influence0 (ne ". one we change each other<s li!es ph.sicall., da. ". da. we affect each, other<s health 1entall. as well as 1orall.0 So1eti1es it is said that the 1an who is e!il in his li!ing, as the drun/ard, is onl. his own ene1.0 2t is not so0 He is the ene1. of e!er.thing that surrounds hi1, of e!er. life that co1es in contact with his own0 The terri"le curse of the drun/ard is that all these tin. li!es are sent out fro1 hi1 poisoned with alcohol to fall on the "odies of other 1en, wo1en and children, carr.ing with the1 the poison that he has infused into the1, and 1a/ing hi1 a focus of curses to all a1ong who1 he li!es0 Thus, learning what the ph.sical "od. is, the esoteric philosoph. 1a/es us careful in our ph.sical life0 2t carries on this sense of responsi"ilit. into the co11on actions, co11on thoughts of e!er.%da. and ordinar. life, so that self%restraint in the "od. as well as in the 1ind, should "e the note of the life of e!er. true Theosophist0

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Vol 6, No 14

et 1e pass fro1 the "od. to the ne=t stage in 1an, that astral "od. to which 2 alluded the other night0 'eall. the astral "od. should co1e first in our thought, for it is the sta"le 1atri= or 1ould, into which all these tin. ph.sical li!es pass, and out of which the. pass again, the sta"le part of 1an which preser!es the for1, onl. slowl. and graduall. 1odified, which is 1ore directl. acted upon ". the 1ind than the ph.sical 1olecules, which affects the ph.sical 1olecules in their arrange1ent, in that as .ou alter the 1atri= these ph.sical 1olecules 1ust ta/e on the for1 of the 1ould into which the. run0 This astral "od. of astral 1atter en!elopes 8Page 69 e!er. ph.sical 1olecule, and not onl. en!elopes e!er. ph.sical 1olecule, "ut spreads out around the "od., 1a/ing a /ind of at1osphere around each of us, e=tending so1e few feet awa. on e!er. side, so that a clair!o.ant loo/ing at the "od. sees the ph.sical "od. surrounded ". what is called an aura, that is a !i"rating 1ass of delicate 1atter, !isi"le to an.one who is sensiti!e under special conditions, "ut !isi"le nor1all. to the clair!o.ant, and differing in appearance according to the state of health, ph.sical, ps.chical, or 1ental, of the person who1 it concerns0 Now, that aura, or at1osphere, surrounding the "od., which is in a sense an e=pansion of astral 1atter, is !er. closel. connected especiall. with the 1ind? it is !er. easil. affected ". the 1ind of the person to who1 it "elongs, and also ". the 1inds of others0 These 1agnetic at1ospheres that surround us Dfor in astral 1atter all 1agnetic forces pla.E "ring us into contact one with the other, so that we affect each other unconsciousl., as we so1eti1es sa.0 Ha!e .ou ne!er felt on 1eeting a person for the first ti1e an attraction or a repulsion which had nothing in it of intellectual :udg1ent, nothing in it of pre!ious /nowledge or e=perience > Fou li/e a person @ .ou cannot tell wh.? .ou disli/e another @ .ou ha!e no reason for .our disli/e0 7soteric philosoph. e=plains to .ou the !er. si1ple reason that causes these strange antipathies and attractions0 2t is that e!er. hu1an "eing has his own rate of !i"ration @ the !i"ration of this astral 1atter, so that it is alwa.s Gui!ering "ac/wards and forwards0 2t is one of the characteristics of this etherial 1atter to "e thrown easil. into wa!es? and :ust as light is nothing 1ore than wa!es of ether set in !er. rapid 1otion ". a rapidl. !i"rating "od., which we call lu1inous, "ecause of the effect it has upon the e.e, so this etherial 1atter, which is part of our own "odies, is thrown into wa!es of definite length and definite freGuenc.? and these !i"rate alwa.s in us and around us, and are part of oursel!es, 1odified ". our own characteristics0 Hust as stri/ing two strings on a piano .ou 1a. ha!e either har1on. or discord, according to the length of the sound wa!es set up ". these !i"rating strings, so .ou 1a. ha!e either har1on. or discord "etween the !i"rating auras of two different people? and if the !i"rations fall into har1on. @ that is, if the. "ear a certain definite relation of wa!e length to each other @ there is an attraction "etween the two; whereas, if the. "ear a different relation .ou get discord @ that is, friction and :angle, and .ou are repelled without understanding the reason0 2t is this astral "od. and astral at1osphere which is the 1ediu1 for all 1agnetic pheno1ena0 All the effects we produce upon each other are 1odified ". this astral at1osphere0 All the effects that deal with e1otions and passions, with all those sides of the hu1an character which are of the nature of e1otion, co1e to us ". 1eans of these astral !i"rations0 Ha!e .ou e!er tried to thin/ what orator. is > 2t does not lie in the 8Page I9 words that are spo/en? it does not lie in the thought that is "ehind the words0 Fou 1ight ta/e in cold "lood the 1ost eloGuent passage of so1e great oration, and read it cal1l. without an. 1o!e1ent of the e1otions, without an. sense of passion or of !i"rating enthusias1 in .ou0 2f .ou hear it spo/en, it is different0 Wh. > 2t is "ecause the thought of the spea/er wor/ing on his own astral at1osphere throws that into !ehe1ent !i"rations @ !i"rations of lo!e or of hatred, passion or pit., !i"rations of great enthusias1? and then these !i"rations of his throwing the whole ether around hi1 into wa!e 1otion, these wa!es stri/e person after person, 1a/ing their own at1osphere !i"rate, and then fro1 one to another there flies the contagion until the whole crowd is 1o!ed as ". a single i1pulse and a single will0 Page )

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A Word on Man, His Nature and His Powers

Vol 6, No 14

These are all results of this second part of 1an<s nature, this astral at1osphere that penetrates and surrounds hi1, ". 1eans of which the 1ind wor/s on ph.sical 1atter0 And not onl. in this fashion, "ut in 1an. for1s of ner!ous disease, in those strange crises of panic, in those often puJJling attac/s of h.sterical affection that rush through a whole hospital0 There .ou ha!e set up these !i"rations in the astral at1osphere co11unicated fro1 patient to patient, and "ringing a"out ner!ous crises in the ph.sical "od. which the. control0 With regard to this astral "od. and at1osphere 1an. in!estigations are "eing 1ade in 1odern science, and 1an. of our acutest thin/ers are "eginning to realise that it is necessar. to postulate such a nature in 1an in order to e=plain 1an. of the o"scurer pheno1ena to which so 1uch of our 1odern thought is directed0 2nto this part of 1an<s nature fall all the pheno1ena of trance, all the lower pheno1ena of 1es1eris1, and 1an. of the pheno1ena of h.pnotis10 Although 1ind co1es into 1es1eric and h.pnotic pheno1ena, it wor/s on the astral "od. of the person who is su":ect to the influence, and ". producing effects in the astral "od. "rings a"out results in the ph.sical0 Ps.chologists in the West @ 1en li/e Sidgwic/, Sull., 4ain, and 1an. another of our leading writers on ps.cholog. @ ha!e found that the. cannot understand the wor/ings of consciousness if the. onl. stud. it in its wa/ing state; that is, if the. onl. stud. the 1ind as we /now it in our wa/ing hours, the. 1eet with pheno1ena that are Guite ine=plica"le, and the. ha!e "egun to stud. sleep%consciousness @ a !er. "ad na1e for it, "ut apparentl. there is no "etter at present in the 7nglish tongue @ in order the "etter to understand the pheno1ena shown ". the 1ind in its wa/ing state0 This sleep%consciousness includes all conditions of trance0 There is this ad!antage of the trance condition @ .ou can produce it at will? and e!er. scientist will tell .ou that if he wants to gain e=act facts he needs to control his e=peri1ents and to shut out what he does not want, to include onl. the conditions which he desires in order 8Page +9 that he 1a. 1a/e his e=peri1ents0 The 1o1ent he can produce these special conditions he can wor/ out all the facts he is in search of with less lia"ilit. to error than would otherwise occur0 4. artificiall. inducing trance, hu1an consciousness can "e studied in a fashion which is nor1all. i1possi"le; trance is produced so1eti1es ". drugs, so1eti1es ". 1es1eric passes @ that is, ". the action of the 1ind and the will upon another @ so1eti1es ". h.pnotis1 @ that is, ". using a 1echanical sti1ulus li/e a re!ol!ing 1irror or electric light Dthere are 1an. wa.s of doing itE, fatiguing the e=ternal sense, so that the fatigue leads to paral.sis of the cells of the ner!e, and that paral.sis is propagated "ac/wards to the "rain, producing ulti1atel. a state of "rain fatigue, "rain paral.sis, in fact a state of co1a0 2n these fashions 1an 1a. "e thrown into these a"nor1al states of consciousness, and studied when consciousness is wor/ing in this particular state instead of in the nor1al condition0 2n h.pnotis1 these results are "rought a"out 1echanicall.0 Mr0 4raid, who first started these h.pnotic e=peri1ents, "rought the1 a"out ". producing what he called a con!ergent strabismus0 That is onl. a si=%s.lla"led wa. of sa.ing 6a sGuint6 ? "ut so1eti1es the scientific 1ind li/es to spea/ in si= s.lla"les rather than in one, "ecause it produces a certain sense of dignit. which i1presses the unscientific and thoughtless0 'eall., what he did was to 1a/e the patient sGuint upwards ". putting an o":ect slightl. a"o!e the e.es so that the. had to con!erge in loo/ing at it0 2n that wa. he fatigued !er. seriousl. the ner!ous ele1ents as well as the 1uscles of the e.e? and so the patient passed into a state of sleep or trance, fro1 which Mr0 4raid was a"le to o"tain what are /nown as h.pnotic pheno1ena0 The older pheno1ena of 1es1eris1 were "rought a"out in a different wa., ". a person who was a"le to concentrate his will and his own 1agnetic force, throwing that force with all the strength of concentrated will on the person he desired to affect0 He wor/ed directl. on the astral "od. ". 1eans of 1ental action? whereas the h.pnotist wor/s on the astral "od. ". wa. of the ph.sical, and so produces the "ad ph.sical effect, that ". 1a/ing artificial paral.sis he fatigues the ner!e and sets up unhealth. !i"rations which tend to repeat the1sel!es0 3harcot alwa.s preferred to wor/ on h.sterical people, people with a tendenc. to epileps., and other for1s of 1ental disease; those were the people 1ost easil. affected0 He did not so 1uch tr. to cure the1, as to find out what results he could o"tain fro1 Page 4

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the1, and the results were a further shattering of the ner!ous s.ste1 as well as so1e e=ceedingl. interesting ps.chical facts? "ut these facts were largel. o"tained at the cost of the ph.sical destruction of hu1an "eings, a thing utterl. antagonistic to all 1oralit., and which ought to "e conde1ned as a /ind of hu1an !i!isection, e!en 1ore wic/ed and 1ore cruel than the !i!isection of the lower ani1als0 The results thus o"tained .ou 1a. read in 1an. "oo/s that 8Page ,9 ha!e "een pu"lished0 2 shall onl. ta/e a few sa1ples to show the wa. in which ". 1eans of the astral the 1ind 1a. wor/ upon the "od., and so "ring a"out results which will lead us on to our ne=t part, the wor/ing of 1ind in for1ing i1ages, and so later in 1oulding ph.sical 1atter at its own will0 Ta/e an ordinar. h.pnotic or 1es1eric e=peri1ent0 2 should prefer 1es1eris10 Personall., 2 do not now use an. of these e=peri1ents D2 used to do the1 in 1. earl. da.s of in!estigation, "efore 2 /new the har1 2 1ight wor/E, as 2 thin/ on the whole the. are 1ischie!ous0 A person is thrown into a trance, and in that state he is told, sa., that on his hand at a certain hour in the da. will appear s.1pto1s of a "urn, that the s/in will get red, that pain will "e felt, that a wound will appear li/e a wound for1ed ". a red%hot po/er, and that all the s.1pto1s, infla11ator. and other, of a "urn will "e present0 He is awa/ed out of the trance, and so far as .ou are a"le to disco!er he /nows nothing of what has occurred during that ti1e0 The hour arri!es which has "een fi=ed for this appearance? the s/in "egins to redden and pain is felt0 The patient does not understand what is happening, "ut he is conscious that he is suffering pain0 The s.1pto1s "eco1e 1ore acute? the s/in graduall. assu1es an appearance which it would assu1e if touched ". a po/er, and .ou ha!e a "urn produced, not ". e=ternal lesion, "ut ". the action of 1ind, the 1ind of the operator wor/ing through the astral "od. of the patient, setting up there the i1age of a "urn which then reproduces itself on the ph.sical 1olecules, which, as 2 e=plained "efore, are shaped and 1oulded ". the astral 1atri= in which the. are e1"edded0 2f, when in Paris, .ou go to the SalpKtriLre, .ou can see a nu1"er of photographs which ha!e "een ta/en of "urns which ha!e thus "een produced on the "odies of patients, and .ou 1a. e=a1ine the doctors who ha!e produced these lesions, and without e=ternal 1eans ha!e caused e=ternal in:ur.0 This throws strong light on so1e so%called 1iracles0 Where .ou ha!e the production of what ha!e "een called the sacred stig1ata @ that is the appearance on the hands and feet of the wounds of the Passion of Hesus @ .ou are not face to face with a fraud, as 1an. Protestants are apt to thin/, dealing with a 'o1an 3atholic 1iracle0 Fou are not face to face with a case of deli"erate self%deception an. 1ore than a wilful deception of others0 Fou are si1pl. face to face with h.pnotic pheno1ena produced in highl. ner!ous su":ects @ such, sa., as secluded 1on/s or nuns who ha!e their 1inds fi=ed constantl. on one idea, who !er. often re1ain for hours in a single position with e.es up%turned towards the 3rucifi= @ in that !er. position in which 4raid used to "ring on his h.pnotic trance0 So are reall. produced these 1ar/s upon the ph.sical "od., which ". those who "elie!e the1 to "e 1iraculous are loo/ed on as endorsing a 8Page 1*9 particular for1 of faith, while ". those who hold another for1 of 3hristianit., the. are regarded as deli"erate and wic/ed frauds0 The. are neither the one nor the other0 i/e all 1iracles the. are reduci"le under law? for a 1iracle is onl. the wor/ing of a law un/nown to the people a1ongst who1 the pheno1ena occurs, and the., "ecause the. do not understand it, at once :u1p to the 6supernatural6, forgetting that as the Ai!ine is the source of all there can "e nothing which is not natural @ there can "e nothing outside and "e.ond the di!ine nature and the di!ine will0 Ta/e, then, that class of pheno1ena as interesting ph.sicall. @ interesting as showing that .ou can produce ph.sical results without what we call a ph.sical cause @ a thing which fift. .ears ago science would ha!e said was i1possi"le, which fift. .ears ago would ha!e "een denounced as fraud, as it was denounced when "rought a"out a hundred .ears ago ". a 1an li/e Mes1er0 (rthodo= science denounced hi1 as a charlatan and a rogue0 The centur. that followed has :ustified Mes1er, and has 1ade so1e of us fairl. indifferent when science calls Page B

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out 6fraud6 a"out other pheno1ena which we /now to "e as real and as natural as those which were denounced as fraudulent ". the science of the eighteenth centur., and are "oasted of as 1odern triu1phs ". the science of the nineteenth0 These, howe!er, are the least interesting of such pheno1ena0 -ar 1ore interesting are the 1ental wor/ings on the 1ind of the patient @ sending "efore his thought i1ages produced in the 1ind of the operator, and so ena"ling hi1 to see as an i1age that which onl. e=ists as thought in the 1ind of the controller0 4ut "efore referring to so1e of these e=peri1ents, let 1e gi!e .ou an e=planation fro1 the standpoint of the philosoph. 2 a1 tr.ing to e=plain0 2 ha!e spo/en of the soul as the 1an0 That soul when it wor/s through astral 1atter on the "rain is /nown as 1ind, for the 1ind is the lower 1anifestation of the soul @ it is the soul e1"odied and acti!e in the "od., not the soul in its own nature, not the soul in its own sphere, not the soul which uses 1ind as well as "od. as instru1ent, "ut onl. the soul as it is seen and 1anifested in the "rain @ intellect, reason, :udg1ent, 1e1or.; all those characteristics of the 1ind are Gualities of the soul as the soul wor/s through the "rain0 2n its own sphere it wor/s in 1atter of a 1uch su"tler /ind, and there each thought is a thing0 7!er. thought is a for1? e!er. thought has its shape in the su"tle 1atter which is the 1atter of the soul%sphere0 4ut when that shape is to 1a/e itself 1anifest to others who are li!ing in the "od., it 1ust clothe itself in astral 1atter to "egin with, and ta/e a shape in which, in the trance or clair!o.ant state, it can "e seen as a for1? then it 1a. "e pro:ected further, into ph.sical 1anifestation0 With that 2 will deal in a 1o1ent0 A1ongst those ph.sical 1anifestations are so1e of the pheno1ena which ha!e caused so 1uch puJJle1ent in connection with the Theosophical Societ. in the 1inds of 1an. "oth in the 7ast and the West0 8Page 119 et 1e ta/e, then, with that "rief e=planation, the wor/ings of the soul through the 1ind, the wor/ing of the 1ind on astral 1atter, and the proofs of it that .ou 1a. o"tain through 1es1eric and h.pnotic pheno1ena0 Suppose .ou ta/e a sheet of plain paper and throw .our patient into a 1es1eric trance0 (n that paper place a card s1aller than the paper, and then trace round it with a little "it of wood an outline of the card0 Sa. to the person who is in trance, 62 will draw a line round the card, and .ou can see it&0 Then put the paper and the card awa., and wa/e the person out of the trance0 Apparentl. he will "e Guite nor1al, li/e .ou or 1e0 Mi!e hi1, then, half%a%doJen "its of "lan/ paper, a1ongst which is the paper on which this i1aginar. line has "een drawn round the edge of the card, and as/ hi1 if on an. of these "its of paper he sees an. figure0 He will pass the1 o!er one ". one? and when he co1es to the paper on which this line has "een drawn ". the wood, he will sa. @ 6(n this there is an o"long traced60 2n order to "e sure that he sees it, as/ hi1 to fold the paper along the line he sees, and he will fold it along these 6i1aginar.6 lines that .ou cannot see0 Then "ring the card and place it on the folded paper, and .ou will find that he has folded along in!isi"le lines so that he has the e=act siJe of the card round which this 6i1aginar. line6 was traced, showing .ou that he sees this i1age that has "een for1ed, and that it persists for hi1, his faculties ha!ing "een thrown into this clair!o.ant state0 Ta/e another case rather 1ore co1plicated0 Here .ou want considera"le concentration of will on the part of the operator0 (n a "lan/ piece of paper throw an i1age0 Ta/e, for e=a1ple, a watch0 2f .ou loo/ at the watch it con!e.s a !er. definite i1age to .our 1ind0 Are .ou a"le in thought to pro:ect such an i1age on the piece of paper so that .ou can see it with the 1ind > That is what is called !isualiJing it0 So1e ha!e great power in doing it0 7!er. artist has the power to so1e e=tent0 7!er. person can o"tain it if he chooses to train his will and concentrate it0 Fou can thus produce to .our own 1ind a clear i1age, so that if .ou shut .our e.es .ou can see the watch in thought0 That is the condition of success in an e=peri1ent of this /ind0 Suppose 2 ha!e 1. patient; 2 throw in 1. thought an i1age of the watch on the paper? that is, Page 6

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2 fi= 1. 1ind on the paper, and 2 see on it in 1. own thought an i1age of the watch0 2 need not spea/ a word, 2 need not 1a/e an. sign or touch the patient? there shall "e no contact "etween hi1 and 1e? 2 will re1ain silent, and affect hi1 ". nothing e=cept 1. 1ind0 He shall then "e awa/ened out of the trance0 So1e one else shall gi!e hi1 the "its of paper, so that there 1a. not e!en "e contact "etween 1. touch of the paper and his touch0 Presentl., loo/ing o!er the "its of paper he will co1e to the one on which 1. thought has 1ade the i1age of the watch, and will sa., 6Here is a watch60 8Page 1C9 As/ hi1 to descri"e it and he will descri"e it0 Ta/e it awa., re1o!e it to a distance until the outline grows di1, and he will sa., 62 cannot see it clearl.60 Now gi!e hi1 an opera glass, and the i1age will "e reco!ered0 Mi!e hi1 finall. a pencil and as/ hi1 to trace o!er the lines of the picture he sees, and he will draw on that apparentl. "lan/ paper the picture that .ou ha!e 1ade ". .our 1ind0 What has happened > The 1ind has in astral 1atter 1ade the i1age ". the force of its own thought, and that is !isi"le to the person in the clair!o.ant state0 His astral "od., which is acti!e, !i"rates in answer to it, and so ". an inner sense he is a"le to see it0 That is then trans1itted to his ph.sical e.e, and he sees that which to the e.e not thus influenced does not e=ist0 4ut what is thus seen 1ust e=ist, or it could not "e !isi"le under an. conditions0 (n these 1atters Professor odge is 1a/ing so1e interesting in!estigations0 He has con!inced hi1self that thought can pass fro1 "rain to "rain ". 1eans of an idea "eing con!e.ed without an. word or written e=pression at all0 2n all these e=peri1ents, case after case 1a. "e found ". which .ou 1a. con!ince .ourself of the realit. that thought, ideation, gi!es "irth to for10 4ut this 1a. carr. us !er. far0 2 ha!e said that concentrated thought is necessar. for such e=act e=peri1ents, "ut it is not necessar. for affecting to so1e e=tent the 1inds of others, which are all in nature li/e our own0 Ver. concentrated thought is necessar. to produce an astral i1age that another can set? co1parati!el. slight thought is wanted to produce an i1age that another 1a. recei!e in the 1ind0 And so .ou co1e to thought transference @ another of 1an<s powers fa1iliar to e!er. student of Theosoph., and now "eing in!estigated ". 1odern science0 4efore ta/ing that, let 1e ta/e the last stage of this production of i1ages which 2 said was connected with so1e of the pheno1ena which ha!e caused so 1uch curiosit. and wonder and accusations of fraud in connection, especiall., with Mada1e 4la!ats/., the greatest wonder wor/er of our ti1e0 2t is a si1ple enough thing, this production of e=ternal 1aterial for1s ". a person who has trained the 1ind and the will0 That 1eans, of course, that the soul is sufficientl. de!eloped to "e a"le to use the 1ind as an instru1ent @ that which is thought to "e i1possi"le, 2 a1 afraid, in the Western world0 What happens is this0 The soul in its own sphere strongl. thin/s, and produces a 1ind i1age0 That 1ind i1age, generated ". the soul, is thrown down into the ordinar. 1ind wor/ing in connection with astral 1atter0 Then, into that 1ind%i1age is "uilt astral 1atter @ the 1olecules of astral 1atter @ so that, as in the for1er case, it would "eco1e !isi"le to the clair!o.ant0 4ut a stage further is possi"le0 (ut of the at1osphere in which in 1inute di!ision, as .ou /now, e=ists ph.sical 1atter, 1inute particles of car"on, for instance, in the car"onic 8Page 1)9 acid around us @ those particles ta/en up ". the plant and "uilt into its own tissues @ those tin. particles of solid 1atter are precipitated ". 1eans of a 1agnetic current into the for1 which has thus "een produced ". the action of 1ind on the astral 1atter0 And thus a ph.sical o":ect is produced0 The co11onest for1 of this is the precipitation of writing0 All that is necessar. is that .ou should "e a"le to thin/ strongl. each letter that .ou want to produce0 Fou 1ust 1a/e an i1age of the letter? .ou 1ust then produce an astral i1age of that letter, so that, sa., .our letter A would e=ist in an astral for1, held together ". strong concentrated will0 Then into that astral 1ould ". a 1agnetic current, as eas. to 1anipulate as the 1agnetic and gal!anic currents used ". .our electricians when the. precipitate sil!er fro1 a solution on to the article the. desire to plate @ ". Guite as si1ple a process there is cast down out of the at1osphere the 1inute 1aterial particles which in their aggregation "eco1e Page I

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!isi"le; and then .our letter A appears as precipitated on the paper0 That is a description, stage ". stage, of the production of precipitated writing0 There is nothing 1iraculous a"out it? it is a si1ple process, as si1ple as an. electric 1essage, which, as .ou /now, 1a. "e produced ". writing on a tape ". alternating currents which produce, if .ou desire, a facsi1ile of the writing of the operator at the other end0 The difference "etween the wor/ing of the adept and the wor/ing of the electrician, is that the electrician wants an apparatus @ a "atter. and a wire @ to produce his result? while the adept uses the "rain as his "atter. and wire0 -or the hu1an "rain, as one of these adepts has told us, is a 1ost 1ar!ellous generator of force, a 1ost wonderful trans1uter of 1ental into ph.sical and ph.sical into 1ental forces0 There ta/es place the great alche1. of nature, and it can "e go!erned ". a purified and concentrated will0 2f .ou as/ 1e, 63an 2 do it >6 2 repl., 6No, .ou cannot, "ecause .ou ha!e not trained .ourself60 Will .ou pardon 1e if 2 sa. what sounds !er. rude, that !er. few of .ou e!er reall. thin/ at all > Fou drift0 Fou do not thin/0 Fou allow other people<s thoughts to drift into .our 1inds fro1 the 1ental and astral world0 The 1inds of 1ost of us are nothing 1ore than hotels into which drift the !isiting thoughts that are in the 1ental at1osphere around; the. co1e in for a "it, sta. for a ti1e, and drift out again @ drifting in and out0 So, 1en and wo1en scarcel. e!er reall. thin/0 So1e 1inds are 1ore li/e dust%"ins than e!en hotels, and the. put up a sort of la"el, 6'u""ish 1a. "e shot here6, in the for1 of the 1ost tri!ial and ridiculous no!els, the 1ost fri!olous and childish newspapers0 Fet 1en and wo1en who spend hours in that fashion, wonder that the. cannot 1anipulate the forces of the 1ind, or use the power of the will which needs .ears, of training ere it "eco1es ductile and o"edient to the soul0 8Page 149 2f .ou want to see whether 2 a1 :udging harshl., tr. and thin/ for one 1inute of a single thing, and "efore .ou ha!e thought of it for half a 1inute the 1ind will "e off on so1e other su":ect0 Tr. and thin/ of a watch for a 1inute after 2 ha!e stopped tal/ing, and "efore .ou ha!e thought of it a Guarter of a 1inute .ou will find .ourself thin/ing, 6What was it she said a"out it > how did she loo/ when she said it > what was 1. neigh"our doing at that particular 1o1ent>6 7!er.thing e=cept the one thing of which .ou are tr.ing to thin/0 Then, perhaps, .ou will con!ince .ourself, as 2 con!inced 1.self ". that !er. e=peri1ent, how !er. little power .ou ha!e o!er the 1ind, how 1uch .ou are at the 1erc. of outside thoughts instead of using the1 as .ou .oursel!es please0 (r ta/e another case0 Fou ha!e so1e great and pressing an=iet.0 Fou can do nothing at the 1o1ent? it will /eep .ou awa/e all night0 Wh. > 4ecause it is .our 1aster instead of .our 1astering it0 2f .ou /new the life of the soul, if .ou understood the powers of the soul, .ou would ne!er thin/ of an.thing sa!e that which .ou desired to thin/, and which .ou are using for so1e purpose0 2f .ou had co1ing on, sa. so1e great law suit, and could do nothing to influence the result, .ou would not thin/ of it until the ti1e ca1e; .ou would gi!e .our whole 1ind to other thought that was useful and spare .ourself needless worr., which ages and /ills far 1ore than an.thing else0 et 1e sa. in passing that the power to do it is one of the great e=periences which ha!e co1e to us in the /nowledge of 7astern thought0 -or, at least, we ha!e a1ong the Hindoos not great nu1"ers who can do it, "ut great nu1"ers who put "efore the1sel!es that as an ideal, who /now that it can "e done, who realiJe the possi"ilit., and who are the standing witnesses of this realit. of the higher life of the soul, and the possi"ilit. of rising a"o!e "od. and 1ind into the true life where all causes ha!e their place0 4ut e!en our careless thin/ing gi!es rise to for1s? and this is a practical point of i1portance to us0 As we thin/ we create for1s, and those for1s are according to the nature of our thought, good or "ad according as the thought is e!il and e!il%wor/ing, or good and good%wor/ing0 The 1oti!e which underlies the Page +

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thought go!erns the nature of the for1 to which we gi!e "irth? and that for1 when it passes out fro1 us, passes into the astral world as a li!ing thing, e=ists in that astral world influencing other people and for1ing part of the co11on stoc/ of thoughts in the world0 (n this su":ect one of the great 7astern teachers has said; @ 67!er. thought of 1an upon "eing e!ol!ed passes into the inner world, and "eco1es an acti!e entit. ". associating itself, coalescing we 1ight ter1 it, with an ele1ental @ that is to sa., with one of the se1i%intelligent forces of the /ingdo1s0 2t sur!i!es as an acti!e intelligence @ a creature of the 1ind<s "egetting @ for a longer or shorter period proportionate with the original intensit. of the cere"ral action 8Page 1B9 which generated it0 Thus, a good thought is perpetuated as an acti!e "eneficent power, an e!il one as a 1aleficent de1on0 And so 1an is continuall. peopling his current in space with a world of his own, crowded with the offsprings of his fancies, desires, i1pulses and passions? a current which re%acts upon an. sensiti!e or ner!ous organiJation which co1es in contact with it, in proportion to its d.na1ic intensit.0 The 4uddhist calls this his < Shand"a<? the HindN gi!es it the na1e of <$ar1a<. [The Occult World, A0P0 Sinnett0 -ifth 7dition, pp0 +,%,*9 That is what .ou and 2 are doing all da. long, e!er. da. and wee/ and .ear of our li!es @ sending out these currents of thoughts, peopling the 1ental at1osphere with our own thoughts, good, "ad, and indifferent, thoughts of lo!e and hate, thoughts of /indness and "itterness, thoughts that "less and thoughts that curse 1an/ind0 Here is the creati!e region, here the greatest responsi"ilit.0 2 spo/e of our power of ph.sical creation; far 1ore i1portant is our power of 1oral creation? for as we gi!e out thoughts good or e!il so we affect our own and others< li!es, so we "uild our present and our future, so we 1a/e the world of toda. and of to1orrow0 What is the cri1inal > Fou and 2 thin/ we can separate oursel!es fro1 the cri1inal, that we are so 1uch "etter than he, not responsi"le for his acts, not responsi"le for his cri1es0 Are .ou so sure > A cri1inal is a !er. recepti!e organis1 @ passi!e, negati!e, with all the soil 1ade ". his own past thin/ing, that 1a/es hi1 easil. attract and nourish e!er. thought which is e!il and cruel0 4ut the soil will not "ear "ad fruit unless e!il seed falls into it0 How 1uch of that e!il seed do .ou and 2 contri"ute > Perhaps so1e passing thought of anger, conGuered a 1o1ent after, co1es into the 1ind0 That thought has gone out into the 1ental at1osphere, "eco1ing a li!ing thing, a force for e!il0 That force of anger going into the 1ental at1osphere of the cri1inal, falling into the soil prepared for it, will ger1inate as a seed ger1inates, and there it 1a. grow, nourished ". his own e!il, into an anger which is 1urder, and is then conde1ned ". the cri1inal law of 1an0 2n the :uster law of the uni!erse the generator of the angr. thought shares the fault of the cri1e0 7!er.one who helps thus to pollute his "rother is guilt. of his "rother<s sin0 So, also, with good thought0 7!er. no"le thought that we thin/ goes out into the world as force for good, and, passing into so1e 1ind, whose soil is full of all good i1pulses, is nourished there into heroic action, and so co1es forth as no"le deed0 (ur saints and 1art.rs, our heroes and our thin/ers, are ours in 1ind as well as ". !irtue of our co11on hu1anit.0 (ur "est goes to their 1a/ing? our no"lest goes to their helping0 The. are ours as we ha!e helped to for1 the1, and e!er. thought we thin/ of good goes to the 1a/ing of the saint0 Such then, is so1e of the teaching of esoteric philosoph. as regard 8Page 169 1an<s nature and 1an<s powers0 7!er.one of us has thus a share in the 1a/ing of the world? e!er.one of us has thus a share in the "uilding of the future0 Toda. all that surrounds us is the outco1e of past thin/ing? to1orrow our en!iron1ent shall "e the resultant of our present thought0 aw e!er.where; law in the 1ental and 1oral world as in the ph.sical? "ut 1an the creator of his own destin. @ 1an the "uilder, the 1oulder, the 1aster of the world0 Page ,

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That, then, is the 1essage which tonight 2 ha!e stri!en to "ring to .ou? that the frag1ent of esoteric truth that 2 ha!e tried to put "efore .ou0 -or thus it is that 1oralit. wor/ed put in contact with philosoph. finds its e1"odi1ent in life0 Thus life "eco1es "eautiful, life "eco1es strong, life "eco1es dignified, no"le and serene0 Fou and 2 as li!ing souls ha!e the future in our hands to 1odel; ours the power, ours, therefore, the responsi"ilit.? for where the power is, there also, lies the dut.? and with the increased /nowledge of power the dut. and the responsi"ilit. increase0

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