Marriage of the Mind by George F. Buletza

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MARRIAGE OF THE MIND

or PRO CESSES OF INSIGHT AND INTEGRATION

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N lirsu Dy George I-. b u le iz a , Mn.D., i . r . c . , > . k . u .

by George F. Buletza, Ph.D., I.R.C., F.R.C. i '

AMOK

MARRIAGE OF THE MIND V V V

Marriage of the Mind Processes of Insight and Integration

by George F. Buletza, Ph.D.

©1997, Supreme Grand Lodge o f the Ancient & Mystical Order Rosae Crucis. Published by the Grand Lodge o f the English Language Jurisdiction, AM ORC, Inc.

© 1 9 9 7 by S uprem e G ran d L odge o f A M O R C , Inc. A ll R ig h ts R e s e rv e d

ISBN 0-912057-94-7

© 1997, S uprem e G rand L odge o f the A n c ien t & M ystical O rd er R osae C rucis P ublished by the G rand L odge o f the E nglish L anguage Jurisdication, A M O R C , Inc.

L ib r a r y o f C o n g r e s s C a ta lo g C a r d N o .: 97-066324

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 P rinted and bo u n d in U .S.A .

D E D IC A T IO N

▼ TO TH E GOD OF O UR HEARTS AND REALIZATION

T This book is dedicated to You who gave us the Rose and the Cross that we might know M astery in Self. You have given us the means to let go o f all impediments to Self-Mastery, the means to be as we are created to be: a full, integrated, and coherent expression o f the unity and wholeness that is the Cosmic. This book is dedicated to You, the D ivine Essence that is the H eart o f each one o f us.

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The Rosicrucian Library C ares T hai Infest C onscience o f Science and O th e r E ssays, The C onscious Interlud e, T he C osm ic M ission Fulfilled E ssays o f a M odern M ystic E ternal F ruits o f K n ow ledge, T he G reat W om en Initiates H erbalism T h ro u g h the A ges Im m ortalized W ords o f the Past, T he In S earch o f R eality Inner W orld o f D ream s, The L em uria— T he Lost C ontinent o f the Pacific M ansions o f the Soul M arriage o f the M ind M ental A lchem y M ental P oisoning M ystic Path, T he M ystical L ife o f Jesus, T he M ysticism — T he U ltim ate E xperience M ystics at Prayer R osicru cian P rinciples fo r the H om e and B usiness S anctuary o f Self, T he S ecret D octrines o f Jesus, T he S ecret S ym bols o f the R osicrucians S e lf M astery and F ate w ith the C ycles o f Life

Sepher Yezirah So M ote It Be! Son o f the Sun S ym bolic Prophecy o f the G reat Pyram id, The T ech n iq u e o f the D isciple, T he T ech n iq u e o f the M aster, T he T housand Y ears o f Y esterdays, A T h ro u g h the M in d ’s Eye U niverse o f N um bers, T he “U nto T hee I G ra n t” W ay o f the H eart, T he W h isperings o f S e lf

O ther volumes will be added from time to time. Write fo r com plete catalogue. See address on last page.

C O N T E N T S

List o f Illustrations.....................................................................9 P re fa c e ....................................................................................... 11 1

B eginnings......................................................................... 15

2

Creating Sym bols of T ransform ation..........................21

3

Thought as E x p erien ce................................................... 29 Process for Thinking Together.................................29 The Nature o f T h o u g h t............................................. 36 The Images in M a n .................................................... 42 The Hidden M eaning W ithin T h o u g h t...................51

4

Symbol Interpretation......................................................63 Confidence: The U nfolding S e e d ...........................63 On the Nature of C onfidence................................... 67 A ttaining C onfidence.................................................74 Confidence: The M anifestation............................. 78

5

Birth of the Divine C h ild ................................................87

6

The Science o f In tu itio n .................................................95

7

Im agination......................................................................105 The Inw ard Dream of the S o u l............................. 105 The Circle: Guide to Personal U nderstanding... I l l Exercising the Im agination.................................... 118 Im agination and the H ealing M in d ...................... 126 Im agination in P ractice........................................... 134

(Continued on next page)

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Creative E x p ressio n ...................................................... 137 Source and Action of C re a tiv ity ..........................137 Evoking O ur C reative P ow er............................... 143 Clustering for E n lig h ten m en t.............................. 156 Creatively H ealing the W hole P e r s o n ............... 160 Creativity as a M arriage of the M in d ................. 166

9

Consum m ation o f the M ystical M arriag e................ 171

10 The M asters A m ong U s ................................................187 11 F re e d o m ............................................................................197 The W illingness To Be O urselves....................... 197 G ratitu d e ................................................................... 202 In Search of the M ystic’s J o y .............................. 209 12 T ran scen d en ce................................................................219 Beyond W orthiness.................................................219 Through the A b y ss..................................................227

A PPEN D ICES 1

Insight: O bject to S y m b o l............................................ 233

2

Insight: Symbol Interpretation....................................237

3

The Cluster P ro c e ss.......................................................241

Reference Notes and B ibliography...................................243

L IS T O F IL L U ST R A T IO N S

FIGURES

1 One subject’s representation o f the duality of f i r e ..............................................................................24 2 One subject’s representation o f the marriage o f fire and w a te r........................................................................ 28 3 IQ s c o re s.............................................................................30 4 Operative m odel of mind and b ra in ............................. 33 5 Operative model of m ed itatio n ..................................... 34 6 “Thought is like unto a large running river . . . .....40 7 “Thinking is an act of the s o u l. . . ...........................41 8 “A s the particles of light radiate in all directions . . . ........................................................... 42 9 “In certain senses God, the Cosmos, and Man can be regarded . . . .................................................43 10 Recording a h o lo g ra m .................................................... 45 11 Hologramic thought-im age............................................ 48 12 One contributor’s symbol for th o u g h t........................ 54 13 A model of m ind and its m anifestation; a model of spiraling p la n e s............................................................ 56 14 Symbols and accom panying quotations submitted by participants.........................................................60/61 15 Truth shatters the c h a in s.................................................76 16 Silberer’s symbolic conception of human judgm ents......................................................................97 17 Correspondence of the m ethodologies of science and Rosicrucian m ysticism ..................................... 101 18 A model o f spiraling planes o f consciousness........ 102 19 Four great pow ers of the m edicine w h e e l................ 113 (C ontinued on next page)

20 Rosicrucian m ethod o f concentrationcontem plation-m editation........................................115 21 M edicine w heel form ed from s to n e s .........................116 22 The phases of creative ex p erien ce............................. 138 23 D ena’s cluster and v ig n ette.......................................... 144 24 K urt’s cluster and v ig n e tte........................................... 146 25 Frater A’s v ig n e tte.................................................. 150/151 26 Frater B ’s cluster and v ig n e tte.................................... 155 27 One frater’s vision o f the “w alking question m arks” .......................................................................... 158 28 Image o f Isis in holy g a r b ............................................ 160 29 Four behavioral dram as substituting for actual experience....................................................................163 30 Contribution o f each side o f the brain to creative experience....................................................................167 31 Universal symbol of th o u g h t...................................... 168 32 Illustration from an Indian p ain tin g ...........................169 33 Five states of experiences leading to insight, integration, and m e a n in g ........................................172 34 Five levels o f conscious ex p e rie n c e ..........................173 35 Becom ing fre e ................................................................. 190

1 2 3 4 5 6

TABLES Responses to “W hat is Nature of Thought?” (Group 1 ) .......................................................................38 Responses to “W hat is Nature of Thought?” (Group 2 ) .......................................................................39 The purpose o f thought i s : .........................................52/53 The source of confidence: responses to the e x p erim en t.....................................................................72 Evaluations o f confidence experiences........................ 73 The Catteal 16 personality facto r................................ 120

PREFACE

outhful inner direction led me to a fascination with the w orkings of the m ind and nervous system. I wanted to know how the mind w orked and how it could be used. If it w ere true that we only use ten percent o f our brain, then I w anted to learn and to assist others in learning how to use m ore of the total mental pow er that we possess. It w as ob­ vious that my future w ork lay in being prepared in the “hard” sciences, neuroanatomy, neurocytology, and neurochem is­ try. G raduate studies and post-doctoral w ork becam e more and more technical and specialized. I began to w onder about the fulfillm ent o f my life purpose. Then, unexpectedly, the opportunity to undertake the kind o f investigations into the nature o f self that I w as most interested in presented itself. I becam e a m em ber o f the Rosicrucian Order, A M ORC (The Ancient M ystical O rder Rosae Crucis), in 1961. Dur­ ing the first few m onths of my early studies both at Ohio W esleyan U niversity in D elaware, Ohio, and with the Rosi­ crucian Order, A M O RC, little about the O rder w as known to me except through advertisem ents prom ising a scientific and esoteric method of study. Follow ing an inner urge, it w as clear to me that Rosicrucian studies w ould provide me w ith practical strategies for directly dealing w ith w hat I per­ ceived to be problem atic and important. The events of the time, my early studies and experiences, all appealed to my penchant for inner direction. For me, joining the O rder was a hom ecom ing. Here w ere people w ho approached life philosophically and eso-

terically, the w ay I w anted to. A s a group they talked about atom ic theory and then reflected upon its personal signifi­ cance. They investigated the mind and then reflected upon its im portance to everyday life. Rosicrucian studies provided me w ith an outline or su­ perstructure upon which I could fit all the course w ork re­ quired in college. A nd this proved to be the case throughout graduate school at the U niversity of California at Berkeley, where I received my Ph.D., and in my post-doctoral research w ork at Stanford U niversity M edical School. Moreover, these practical approaches and techniques provided m eth­ ods for verifying personal goals and the m eaning life had for me. My first experiences w ith these Rosicrucian teach­ ings provided me w ith practical strategies for directly deal­ ing w ith life’s opportunities and what I perceived as terrible problems. In the sum m er o f 1975 the Rosicrucian Order reinsti­ tuted a research program started some fifty years before by the first Im perator in North A merica, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis. Since I served on the sum m er faculty o f Rose-Croix U ni­ versity, served as a m em ber o f A M O R C ’s International Re­ search Council, and as M aster o f O akland Lodge, it was natural that I be asked to consult in the form ation of a new research program . Part-time consulting grew into full-tim e directing o f laboratories, personnel, and investigations. For tw elve years, M indquest, a monthly report and article deal­ ing w ith our research, w as published in the Rosicrucian D i­ gest and then translated and published in eight languages. The subject that w as central to the many investigations made in the A M O RC research facilities at Rosicrucian Park

and in the laboratories o f m em bers of the International Re­ search Council w as a process o f thought leading to insight, integration, and new expressions o f creativity. Through this book, I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you my enthusiasm for a way of experiencing life and self w hose origins can be found in antiquity. *

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M any people contributed to the creation o f this book. The ideas and processes explored here were also entertained, experienced, and explored in antiquity and evolved over many centuries. In our present cycle of experience these ideas were once again investigated, promulgated, and shared by the officers, em ployees, and m em bers o f A M O RC. Re­ search that greatly contributed to this body of work w as con­ ducted by a fine team of A M O RC scientists and other staff researchers, both at Rosicrucian Park and throughout the w orld. A special acknow ledgm ent goes to A M O R C re­ searchers M ichael Bukay, Sandra Huff, June Schaa, Chris­ tine Van Dorn, and Dr. O nslow Wilson. Personally, I also received the benefit o f tutelage from m any teachers. Forem ost o f these were Dr. M arian E. Smith at Stanford U niversity M edical School and the VA Hospital in Palo A lto; Dr. W ilbur B. Quay, o f the U niversity of Cali­ fornia, at Berkeley; and Dr. Theodore R. A tkins at Clemson University. Dr. Bernice Zam ora and M adge Doss edited the original m anuscript. In addition, many friends also made suggestions, read chapters for me, inserted tables and fig­ ures. These supportive friends included Carm en and Juan Alvarez, Francoise Beaudoin, Roberta Ellarae, Pall Grondal,

Tim Sika, Linda Stanley, Jacqueline and Robert Vickery. The additional love and assistance o f m any colleagues, friends, and loved ones throughout the w orld resulted in the gift, to me, of this book.

CHAPTER 1

BEGINNINGS

ur physical senses and objective consciousness give to the outer w orld a sense o f substantiality and reality. Some of us, however, also dream o f firs t causes. This is the very essence o f m etaphysics. M any people have an inner yearning for m eaning and significance, for the eternal, the beautiful, the true. O ur feelings, em otions, and sentiments of love, peace, and jo y can seem form less, and yet these qualities o f our experience can be as m uch a part of our consciousness as the outer w orld we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. O ur subjective, inner experiences, however, can appear to be m ore vague and intangible than our more con­ crete and objective ones.

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A lthough som e o f us m ay be unaw are of it, w e all con­ stantly search for the bond between the tw o worlds, the infi­ nite and the finite, or the spiritual and the material. Even in the ancient w orld, there were people w ho noticed that they w ere so constituted as to perceive tw o worlds. Some an­ cient philosophers and medieval alchemists termed this bond­ ing or union o f objective and im aginative faculties the M ys­ tical M arriage, the M ysterium Coniunctionis, or w hat some today call the M arriage o f the M ind. This mystical m ar­ riage is a universal pattern lying deep w ithin ourselves, b e­ ing essential to the experience and expression o f w hat we actually are. This M arriage of the M ind is one of the most im portant subjects we can choose to investigate while on the path leading to M astery in Self.

Ancient m yths tell us that the chosen path w hich leads to the M ystical M arriage is im portant in and of itself. The Chymical Wedding o f Christian Rosenkreutz tells us that there are four paths to choose from as we journey to the M arriage Feast. The First Way is short, but filled w ith danger, fearful dragons, birds of prey, steep ascents, precipices, and the many obstacles and pitfalls found with trial-and-error approaches in life. Those w ho arrive at the M arriage Feast by this route are filled w ith attitudes and feelings o f conceit, self-im por­ tance, and hubris— that is, w hat the ancient Greeks were referring to as overw eening pride. The people w ho suc­ ceed on this first way feel that their great accom plishm ents and achievem ents are solely due to their ow n efforts; noth­ ing is sim ply given to them as a gift of life. Unfortunately, their pride and arrogance also prevents them from receiving the fruits of illum ination and insight, w hich are the gifts of the Chymical M arriage. Those w ho chose the long, easy, m eandering path, the Second Way, did not show up at the feast before the story ended. Presumably, they were still aimlessly drifting through life when the tale w as over. We might hope, however, that m aybe they w ould make it for the next telling of the story. The Third Way w as one m eant for spirits. Christian Rosenkreutz felt that this w ay w as unfit for him self, or for people like us. Some people in m ystical pursuits choose such a way, and becom e lost in purple and pastel fantasies that have little connection to objective realm s of conscious­ ness. Certain ancient m yths speak o f time spent in such a fairyland reverie, before the hero or heroine realize the m is­ take and choose to break the spell and return to the world. In the Arthurian romances, Morgan Le Fay spent many weeks

in such a fairyland before regaining her senses and return­ ing to Cam elot and her duties in Avalon. The fourth w ay w as sim ply called the Royal Road. To enter upon this path one had to recognize that he or she had been one o f the chosen. Even Christian Rosenkreutz found such a choosing to be intim idating. Yet, judging him self to be unw orthy or not, he still found him self w alking on this Royal Road because, enraptured, he had followed a small, w hite bird (traditionally, a small, w hite bird represents in­ nocence and intuition). This unlikely method of his elec­ tion to the Royal Road caused Christian Rosenkreutz to doubt his w orthiness. W hile still doubtful, he proceeded, discov­ ering that on this fourth way questions were asked o f him and gifts were given by the G atekeepers of the way. He did not arrive at the feast by m eans o f his ability alone. He arrived at the feast having shared his life and past experi­ ences and having allowed them to be w edded to the Royal Gifts that were given along the way. Since ancient times, people have had intuitions about the tw o sides o f a divided hum an nature, som etim es ex­ pressed as E ros and L ogos, heart and mind, the right-hand way and the left-hand way. Even in our most objective and rational m om ents w e can feel a counterw eight within: the vague and undefinable aspects o f our im agination and sub­ conscious. These intuitions and creative urges usually are the province of poets, philosophers, and mystics, rather than the province o f the com m on-sense view o f the man of sci­ ence and w orldly affairs. However, the facts o f recent neu­ rological and psychological investigations on hemispheric functioning are now m oving the view s of science closer to

that of the poets and mystics. M odern research indicates that there are tw o basic ways o f knowing, based upon d if­ ferences in the functioning of our tw o cerebral hem ispheres. Hence, the purpose o f this book is our personal realization o f our unity and oneness o f consciousness. In such a whole­ ness, w e can know the “m arriage” of these tw o w ays of ex­ periencing life. In research conducted by Rosicrucians, w e have found that w e can all be seeking insight and illumination— the fruits of the M ystical M arriage. Yet, creative insight often seems to have a w ill of its own. We can spend hours, days, or even m onths trying to solve a problem w ith little apparent suc­ cess. Then, suddenly, without m ental effort, the solution flashes across the screen of our consciousness, accom pa­ nied by feelings o f “ aha!,” certainty and joy. In order to study in the laboratory this natural process o f insight expe­ rience, a system o f questions w as devised. R ather than only approaching this subject in an abstract way, you m ay enjoy experiencing this thought process for yourself. In the next chapter there are a series of questions de­ signed to direct you through objective, form ative, and sym ­ bolic states of consciousness. As many Rosicrucian stu­ dents have done, you may also w ish to choose to w ork w ith a candle flam e as a point o f concentration for answering these questions for yourself, and then you w ill be able to com pare your answ ers with com posite answ ers draw n from the responses o f m any o f these students. This com parison w ill assist you in assessing w hether your answ ers are spe­ cific and addressed to the questions asked. Note your body sensations or feelings as you pass from one state of con­

sciousness to another. W hen you are objectively describing som ething, do you fe e l the same as when you are describing how som ething w orks? W hat are your body sensations as you ask yourself w hat m eaning can this som ething hold for you? W hat can you learn about yourself from these changes in feeling and m ood? Could this have anything to do with your realization o f your M astery in Self?

CREATING SYMBOLS OF TRANSFORMATION he creative process is dual in nature. It involves both an active doing and a receptive not-doing. The doing part requires concentration, study, and analysis. N ot-doing involves relaxing the objective mind so that there results a release of the Inner S elf’s powers. A t a subconscious level, disjointed thoughts shift and realign them selves, and a solu­ tion or inspiration spontaneously appears. In A M O R C ’s research facilities w e wondered if this process o f creative insight and the likelihood o f illum ination could be facili­ tated and directed. We asked ourselves w hether the prin­ ciples contained in the Thought Process (utilizing the prin­ ciples and techniques o f C oncentration, C ontem plation, M editation, and A ssum ption) could be used to jo in together doing and not-doing, conscious and subconscious activities, so that we could im prove our ability to m aster ourselves and creatively direct the forces o f nature.

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To study the natural process o f insight in the laboratory, w e used a system o f questions based on Rosicrucian prin­ ciples and techniques. We observed that this system o f ques­ tions could indeed guide a person through the various learn­ ing stages leading to an insight experience. To start the pro­ cess, subjects first chose an object of interest on w hich to concentrate. They then answered a series o f questions about the object of concentration. M any subjects chose a burning flame. The follow ing sum m ary dem onstrates how a subject

concentrates by using a candle flam e and this process. The sum m ary is a com posite drawn from the responses of many subjects.

C O N C E N T R A T IO N

Q uestion: H ow w ould you objectively describe the candle flam e in term s o f your five physical senses? A n sw er: People pointed out that, “the flame is blue at the base and gradually m erges into bright yellow at the tip.” Others said, “I see an aura around the flam e.” “M elted wax drips dow n the side o f the candle and smoke rises from the flam e.” “The w ick is black w ith a red spot on its tip.” “A s the flam e burns the candle gets smaller.” “The flam e is hot to touch yet I can pass my finger quickly through the flam e without being burned.” “I can smell a slight odor of the burning candle but I do not hear nor taste the flam e.” Q uestion: W hat does fire do? How does fire affect your life? A nsw er: Responses to this question included, “Fire gives light and w arm th.” “ One fire can start other fires thereby m ultiplying its light and w arm th.” “ I use fire to cook food and heat my hom e.” “ My car runs by burning gasoline.” “The m etal in my car w as smelted w ith fire.” “Fire is the basis of industry.” “The Sun and stars are fire. All life on earth is fueled by Sun-fire. All chem ical elements were born in the furnace o f stars.” “If fire did not exist, neither w ould I in my present form .”

PROCESSES OF INSIGHT AND INTEGRATION C O N T E M PL A T IO N

Q u estio n : You have observed fire and you know what fire does. How does it do this? Why is it capable o f doing this? In other words, what is the mechanism of action by which fire accomplishes what it does? A nsw er: In contem plating an answ er to this question, many people reported a shift in consciousness from that o f con­ centration. One person rem arked, “W hen hot enough, an object bursts into flam e. The flam e com bines with oxygen and produces light, heat, and new chem icals.” Others added, “The flam e ignites other objects by raising their vibratory rate so that they, too, com bine w ith oxygen.” “W hen the oxygen is depleted or the fuel expended, the fire dies.” The Sun-fire does not use oxygen. Hydrogen is con­ verted to helium by a process of nuclear fusion. Eventually the Sun w ill consum e itself. Its spent atom s will gradually coalesce and becom e building blocks for newer, evolving stars.” Q uestion: H ow does the mechanism of fire which you have just described operate in and through you? Analogously, how are you sim ilar to fire? A n sw er: For many people this question evoked a sense of poetry, analogy, and metaphor. People stated that, “Like fire, my body consum es fuel and produces heat.” “ My thoughts radiate light w hich can help others along the path to understanding.” “Each fire I set in the mind o f others m ultiplies the light given to m e.” “W hen I die my soul-fire will continue to burn, and like the stars, I w ill be reborn in new form .”

Q u estio n : W hat is the m eaning of the fire principle? W hat law is being illustrated? A n sw er: M any begin to feel excitem ent when dealing with m eaning and significance. O bservations included, ‘T h e flow ing, grow ing, expanding nature of the flam e is a sym ­ bol o f life.” “By its association w ith body heat, fire sym ­ bolizes good health and also represents a w ild craving for nourishm ent (the all-consum ing fire).” “Both fire and life feed upon other lives in order to keep alive.” “Fire is an alchem ical elem ent w hich operates in the center o f things as a unifying, stabilizing factor.” “Fire is related to the Sun, allied w ith central control and superiority.” “The fire principle is the seed w hich is reproduced in each successive life. A s a m ediator between form s w hich vanish and form s being created, fire is a symbol of transfor­ m ation and regeneration.” It is also an “agent of transm uta­ tion since all things derive from and return to fire.” M ost sym bols of life are also sym bols o f death. This is so because both life and death are conditions of change and

Fig. 1. One subject's representation o f the duality o f fire.

transition. Thus, “ . . . fire is also a destroyer.” The dualistic sym bolism denotes both physical destruction and determ i­ nation of spirit. “Fire is an im age of energy which may be found at the level of anim al passion as w ell as on the plane of psychic strength.” One m ay give oneself up to the fire, sim p ly use the fire fo r co m fo rt, or steal the fire like Prom etheus. H owever approached, it must be rem em bered that “fire is ultra-life,” To pass through fire is sym bolic of transcending the human condition. In dealing w ith a candle flam e, some people dealt with the nature o f fire and others w ith light. For instance, some people pointed out that “Light is spirit. Spirit energy is rec­ ognizable by its lum inous intensity. Its w hiteness alludes to a synthesis o f all.” Light is also “ . . . the creative force, cosm ic energy em anating in seven colors.” To becom e illu­ mined w ith fire and light is to become aware o f the light and, thus, o f one’s spiritual strength. (For a m ore detailed explanation o f this process o f Concentration, Contem pla­ tion, and M editation, please see Appendix 1.)

A SSU M PT IO N

Q u estio n : In your im agination paint a nonverbal picture which illustrates your ideas about the m eaning of this prin­ ciple of fire. If you w ere to becom e the symbol of fire in your picture, what m ight you experience? Do not “control” your visualization, but sim ply observe w hat surprises oc­ cur. A n sw er: The experience o f being a sym bol in our mind can be pow erful and lead to the transform ation o f previous atti­

tudes and outlooks in the world. A s som e people shared, “I becom e the fire and am surprised that there is no sense of heat. I extend tongues o f flam e and consum e and purify objects around m e.” “1 take a problem and draw it into the fire of my Inner Self, burn away the outer trappings, and see the principle at the problem ’s core. I now project the principle out into the external w orld and give it new clothing and application.” “By assum ing that I am the fire I discover that I can be an agent o f transm utation. A nything, not just problem s, can be draw n into the fire, reduced to its essence, and projected back into the world in a purer form .” “I discover that as fire I must be careful not to bum other people but as I watch they, too, becom e fire. I com bine with the fires o f many people to form one big fire.” “ I experi­ ence the w hole Earth united as a spiritual fire.” “A s fire I enter into water. The w ater is very dark and black. 1 radiate light but I can no longer see the light I am radiating. I continue to radiate. The more I radiate the more the darkness of the w ater seem s to close in on me. I fight this at first and then I let it happen. The dark w ater com es into my center, but then it is transmuted and is simultaneously radiated outward as fire and light. Simultaneously, the w a­ ter flow s into our center and flows outw ard as light. The seem ing duality is all one, loving m otion. Soon the w aters are consum ed and out o f the puddle that is left rises a large golden globe. It is golden, but like an opal, shines w ith all the colors of the rainbow. A s I enter the globe, I rediscover the dark w ater and at the center a star of fire and light. It is very difficult to relate in w ords the pow er and profound in­

sight o f this experience. The duality that resolves into one flow applies to everything!” *

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D escriptions as given here do not have as much m ean­ ing for the individual reader as having the actual insight ex­ perience for oneself. Talking about mystical experience does not equal having a m ystical experience. The reader may w ish to try several experim ents such as the one outlined here. Concentration, contem plation, and m editation on water, air, or objects found in everyday experience (even paper clips, rubber bands, and pencils) have yielded surprising insights to research participants. The sym bols and insights you dis­ cover are only lim ited by the lim its you yourself put on your im agination. Insight itself is a result o f a unification of many thought processes, including the active and passive stages o f con­ centration, contem plation, and m editation. This research program dem onstrated that insight can be encouraged by the application of the aforem entioned Rosicrucian principles and techniques. In the laboratory, physiological m easure­ m ents taken during the various stages leading to insight resulted in observations of increasing parasym pathetic acti­ vation or relaxation. Brain w aves moved from high am pli­ tude beta w aves during concentration to low amplitude alpha and theta w aves in m editation. D uring the experience o f assum ption w here subjects im aginatively experienced w hat it might be like if they were the symbol in their pic­ ture, brain w aves w ere flat from 1.5 to 40 H ertz on both sides o f the brain. N onetheless, subjects reported active

experiences and surprising insights during this period. These studies are o f great im portance to the student, for w ith in­ sight w e can learn M astery in Self and guidance of the forces of nature.

F ig. 2. One subject's representation o f the marriage o f fire and water.

CH A PTER 3

THOUGHT AS EXPERIENCE

P R O C E S S F O R T H IN K IN G T O G E T H E R

he w ord thinking is used so indiscrim inately that it has lost precise meaning. It is com monly used to describe any process in the mental realm, frequently being used and confused w ith such w ords as form ulating, visualizing, con­ sidering, contemplating, reasoning, imagining, dreaming, and so on. But regardless of how the term is used, thinking is norm ally associated w ith m ental processes occurring w ithin each individual mind. Apart from attention given to the sensorial perceived w orld, we also give attention to the processes o f the m ental w orld, to the parade of w ord forms and structures, and to our picture im ages and m ental maps. W hat is com monly called thinking permits this mental world to exist.

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O f course, individual m inds can be linked together by their choosing to hold com m on thoughts, a sort of “ m eta­ bolic” product o f individual thinking processes. Today, thoughts are stored, transferred, and m anipulated by such mental “prostheses” as books, com puters, and television. The w ritten and spoken word, and the pictured thought com ­ m only expressed and shared, link together individual minds into groups and into ever larger organizations. Although com m on thoughts link m inds into chains of being, the pro­ cess o f thinking still rem ains separate and self-contained w ithin each individual mind. Each mind thinks apart. H ow ­

ever, on matters o f inform ation and judgm ent it is generally accepted that “tw o heads are better than one.” Indeed, when new ideas and approaches are being looked for, the more heads the better. Consequently, many m inds are asked to participate on juries and referendum s. M odern research both supports and denies this view. W hen IQ tests made up of m ultiple-choice questions are adm inistered to a group, an average IQ score is readily ob­ tained. But if the plurality preference for each question is recorded and added together, to obtain the group’s aggre­ gate answers to each question (the collective know ledge as determ ined by referendum ) the group’s aggregate IQ score for all the questions is well above the group average, usu­ ally by as much as thirty points. Thus, any given question tends to be answ ered correctly by the majority. W hen the aggregating method is applied to the group’s higher IQ scor­ ers, the resulting aggregate group score is even more im ­ pressive. It can am ount to as much as thirty points higher than that of its highest scoring member! Dr. N orm an Dalkey of U CLA (the originator o f aggre­ gate IQ scoring) and Dr. A rthur Jensen o f the University of 3A

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California at Berkeley have pointed out that there are logi­ cal reasons for cum ulative intellectual power. On a difficult multiple-choice question most of the answers, being guesses, are spread more or less equally across all possible answers. This spread form s a normal distribution or a bell curve (see Fig. 3 A). H owever, those w ho really know the correct an­ swers produce a m odal hum p (see Fig. 3 B). Their plurality vote w ould dictate the correct answer. M inds linked together can act synergistically (for m u­ tual benefit), yet in many groups and organizations indi­ vidual m inds are bound fast by the links in the chain. In­ deed, in some groups synergism operates in reverse, the w hole becom es less than the sum of its parts, not more. One reason for anti-synergistic thinking is group pressure for im m ediate convergence o f thought. Face-to-face group dis­ cussions can quickly narrow the range of disagreement bring­ ing about quick agreem ent on a w rong answer. In group discussions a bias is often developed toward the m ost vocal segm ent o f the group, w ith all m em bers not having an equal chance to play an active role in determining judgm ents, forecasts, and decisions. This can be as true in com m unity and business m eetings as in structured strata­ gem s such as sym posia and brainstorm ing. Covering the blackboards w ith volunteered alternatives but without ano­ nym ity can be no m ore productive than “open” discussion, because this allow s spoken error and bias to seep into gen­ eralized group assumptions without leaving any telltale trace on the record. For group discussions to be effective every m em ber participates equally and every thought and idea of­ fered is likew ise treated equally and w ithout bias.

Humility and open-m inded group behavior m ay be a quality we are still striving to attain as a norm. In his book, Victims o f G roupthink, Yale psychologist Dr. Irving Janis reports a surprisingly rigid adherence to group norms as well as unexpected pressures tow ard uniform ity in otherw ise highly intelligent groups. C om m ittee group behavior was marked by illusions of invulnerability, arrogance, group loy­ alty, and illusions of unanim ity and uniform ity based on the fallacy that silence m eans consent. They collectively ratio­ nalized away suggestions that decisions be reconsidered, and self-appointed “m ind-guards” em erged to shield the group from any inform ation that m ight have shattered its com pla­ cency about the rightness of its decisions. Is conform ity a necessary product o f groupthink? Is it possible to make intelligent, creative group decisions for the universal good, untram m eled by conform ist pressures or the stresses of idiosyncratic thinking and em otion? “ Per­ haps,” suggests Dr. John Calhoun of N IM H (N ational Insti­ tute o f M ental Health), “ if w e w ere intelligent enough to develop a ‘social b rain ’ and then use it to its fullest poten­ tial.” To do so, w e might begin by seeing ourselves as if we were the individual neurons (brain cells) of a group mind. In other w ords, the individual mind o f m an might be used as an intuitive and logical m odel for society (see Fig. 4). Such an evolved social brain w ould require a sensing system to scan the universe of concepts, ideas, philosophies, purposes, and functions, and it would require an im agining system to develop a continuous creative anthology and syn­ thesis. Finally, an appreciative system w ould be required to discrim inate, evaluate, and condense the group-generated

Fig. 4. A n operative m o d el o f m in d and brain. The individual m ind o f man might be used as an intuitive and logical m odel fo r society.

M ARRIAGE OF THE MIND

ideas into group-validated principles and ideals. Each m em ­ ber would becom e a unit in a mind greater than itself. Each m em ber w ould not only share in the thoughts produced within the group, but w ould be a participant in a group think­ ing process. The neurosciences teach that in the brain cortex each neuron is a self-contained, individual cellular unit. Each w orks silently and efficiently to add its part to the whole of thought. A single thought is a vibratory w aveform that en­ com passes the entire cortex, being the product o f the com ­ munity o f neurons w orking together. Impulses and m es­ sages originating in the low er brain centers are constantly integrated and evaluated in ever higher centers until finally im pressions and thoughts burst forth in full aw areness on the surface o f the mind. If such occupation and facilitation of ideas are to be ac­ com plished in a social brain, then a m ethod must be devised to transcend the influence o f the kind o f tyrannical group pressures revealed by Dr. Janis. A possible method is inti­ m ated by the aggregate scored IQ test w herein responses o fig . 5. An operative m odel o f meditation. You may wish to use this model in composing your response fo r the M asterthoughts experiment. Begin concentrating by objectively definining the nature and use o f thought. When you try to account fo r why thought works and how it operates within you, you may immediately note a shift in your inner state o f consciousness. See i f you fe e l differently when you objectively define in comparison to when you ask why. M any w ill again fe e l another shift as they examine the universal meaning o f thought and when they ask to receive a universal sym bol or picture which will unify all o f their ideas and observations concerning thought. Concentration-contemplation-meditation is an orderly and holistic process o f study lead­ ing to that knowledge and wisdom perm eating mystic experience.

are independently w ritten out by each m em ber o f the group. With the w ritten response the least talkative m em ber is el­ evated to the sam e operational plane as the most garrulous. With a social brain, then, unbiased facilitation may be ef­ fected by having each m em ber anonym ously subm it w rit­ ten responses, by having an unbiased jury review, and then by reporting the results back to the group. The freshly as­ sim ilated know ledge is then further refined through another round or two of the same silent procedure. Will such a utopian model for a group mind really work? Can the thinking processes of individual m inds be synthe­ sized into the operations of a greater m ind? Thinking to ­ gether, can w e produce practical, beneficial, and holistic results? We can experim ent. Let us think together. In 1977 each reader o f M indquest w as invited to submit a concise, written response to the follow ing three-part ques­ tion: (1) W hat is thought?; (2) How does thought relate to man?; (3) D oes thought have a universal purpose? Im ag­ ine a universal sym bol which encom passes all o f your ideas concerning thought.

T H E N ATURE O F T H O U G H T

O ver 400 M indquest readers throughout the w orld sub­ mitted their ideas concerning the nature, use, and purpose of thought. A panel o f ten people then reviewed the subm it­ ted ideas and each panel m em ber w rote a synopsis. The A M O RC Research Staff synthesized the synopses for pre­ sentation as a series o f M indquest reports.

From these reports it was obvious to the Rosicrucian scientists responsible for the M indquest program that think­ ing involves em otion, reason, memory, intuition, and im agi­ nation, as well as the five senses. W hat also could be seen is that there is a basic elem ent shared by objective, form a­ tive, and sym bolic thinking. At each level o f thought, im ­ ages are used. Im ages are used to recollect, to create or receive new insight, to analyze, reason, evaluate, and ob­ serve. Thoughts constantly transform , m oving, changing shape, and coalescing. Thoughts can be sustained, focused, and projected with suggestion and visualization in such pro­ cesses as m editation, dream, prayer, and ritual. Some im ­ ages even trigger the transform ation of other images. The m ovem ent o f thought through consciousness can occur spontaneously or it can be directed at will. W hether directed or not, thoughts attract, channel, and give form to energy. Thought can be transm itted over a distance as in telepathy, and directed toward the ordering o f m ovem ent in e x te rn a l o b je c ts . R ece n t e x p e rim e n ts in v e s tig a tin g psychokinesis have suggested that the em anative pow er of controlled thought can produce m olecular changes in water, accelerate grow th and regenerative processes in plants and animals, and cause objects to m ove as if propelled by some m ysterious force. A ccording to these views, thought would appear to have a concrete character, perhaps affirm ing the old adage that thoughts are things,” and as one contributor poetically adds: Thoughts are free, for they are living things. The closer they dwell w ith truth, the greater the lifepow er flow ing through them. Take care, for these living thoughts, these gentle seed o f w inged-life,

for they are our children w ho w ill be our parents in the next rebirth. M ost participants w ho answ ered the question, “W hat is thought?” fell into two categories. One group (see Table 1) indicated that thought is a product of hum an consciousness and occurs as a person interacts with the environm ent. The other group (see Table 2) indicated that thought is the es­ sence of all that exists w ithin the Divine Mind. In these tables the definitions o f thought were classified into tw o broad categories. One point of view stated that thought is a product of hum an consciousness w hen interact­ ing w ith the inner and outer w orld. In this sense, thought is dependent upon people’s physical and psychic faculties (see Table 1). The other view point finds thought to be the es-

Thought Is: “M an’s attempt to comprehend his realization of the universe and to cope with what he can and cannot comprehend.” “An everiiving, self-renewing process o f imagination.” “The interpretation o f intuition. Thought orders our experiences into conceptual knowledge to be used and transformed into con­ structive action.” “Mental pictures based on abstractions o f our sensory modality.” “The visualization of objective, subjective, and subconscious pos­ sibilities.” “Reality. Everything we perceive is in terms of thought.” “The sum tool of all the mental processes by which ideas are formed.” “Thought generates speech. Speech in turn generates thought.

Table 1

Thought Is: “The essence o f Being. This thought causes all things in the uni­ verse to develop and evolve.” “The third point o f the triangle which results from a combination of Spirit Energy and Vital Life Force.” “ Reflection. It is the universe looking at itself.” “The infinite expression of the One Mind commonly called God— the Cosmos, Universal Soul.” “The expression o f the creative faculty o f the Universal Mind (God) which is also reflected in m an.” “Thought in its most pure state is a constant vibration, emanating from the supreme energy and creative mind o f God." “The universe is a thought in the mind of God.”

Table 2

sence o f all that exists. A ccording to this idea, thought is the creative force or principle o f the universe (See Table 2). Proponents for both viewpoints describe thought as a tool w hich people use to understand them selves and their place in the universe. In this sense thought is seen as a process for transform ation. We use thought to acquire new inform ation about our inner and outer worlds and to analyze the beliefs we hold. W hen w e com pare new observations and ideas w ith our current belief systems, questions arise. These questions are refined through further observation, analysis, and com m u­ nication o f ideas with other people. A fter we “let go” o f our grip on the question, intuition silently unifies our diverse ideas and show s us a new and different way o f looking through our images. Through the process of thought, our

Fig. 6. " Thought is like unto a large running river, sometimes running deep, filling peo p les’ minds, sometimes running almost aimlessly. A t one point o f the river are somewhat materialistic thoughts— at another point are divine thoughts; duality. ” Note: This figure and the accompanying caption, as well as those o f the fo llo w in g three fig u re s, w ere s u b m itte d by p a r tic ip a n ts in the “Rosicrucians Thinking Together” experiment.

beliefs are continuously transform ed into more encom pass­ ing and useful realities. The more we leam through thought, the larger our frontier of know ledge becom es, and the more questions w e have about the unknown. A s one member stated: “Thought is an everliving, self-renew ing process of im agination.” Images, then, are processed on three different levels. On the physical level we realize our objective sensations in terms of images stemming from sight, sound, odor, touch, and taste. On the mental (or ideation) level, im ages are processed by

our faculties o f inductive and deductive reason to form judg­ ments and opinions. On the sym bolic or soul level images are stored as memory patterns w hich can be recollected and recom bined by the intuition to produce different form s of im aginative ideas or images. At this sym bolic or soul level our thoughts acquire meaning, significance, and purpose. Two elem ents that go into the thought process are de­ sire and will, which provide the im pulse for all thinking and activity; observation and the senses w hich provide the raw material and experience for complete memory; the emotional content that kindles and colors it; reason and analysis which gives to thought a form and an order; the im agination and visualization that allow s thought to assum e m eaningful shape; and the faith based on knowledge that sustains it (see the quotation for Figure 7).

Fig. 7. “ Thinking is an act o f the so u l whereby it becom es conscious o f itself and o f other things outside itself. ”

Thought is the innerm ost expression o f the human con­ sciousness, the w hisperings o f the self, the m ind in action, directed awareness. It is accom panied by certain molecular m ovem ents in the brain and nervous system that produce ionic, electric, and m agnetic vibrations. At the same time

there is a tendency in thought to seek expression in the sub­ conscious movement tow ard physical creation and mani­ festation w hich is patterned after the forms o f inner sym ­ bolic realities. A thought does not necessarily consist of labels or words, but rather a psychic glow, w hich may or may not be expressed in w ords (see quotation for Figure 8).

Fig. 8. “A s the particles o f light radiate in all directions from the Sun, and upon striking a prism, are diffused into rays o f various colors, so p erp e tu a l thought em anates from the U niversal Mind, strikes the prismatic mind o f man, and becomes diffused into a variety o f meaning, each mind imprinting upon it its own particular vibration. ”

T H E IM A G E S IN MAN

At the beginning of this chapter w e saw that thoughtimages are the building blocks of im agination, reason, and perception. We saw that thoughts are useful because their movement in the mind corresponds with changes taking place in the external world. In the next two parts of this chapter we will exam ine the way many M indquest contributors in­ terpreted the relationship of thoughts to them selves and the universe. An attem pt will be m ade to integrate the two dif­ ferent views: that we are thought, versus that the universe is thought. Most participants in the M asterthought Experiment expressed the idea that thought w as either a product o f hu­ man consciousness or that thought w as the essence of the

universe. To explore these two points of view further, we w ill ask ourselves the question, “ How does thought relate to ourselves?” A ccording to participants in the M indquest program, our thoughts determ ine the kind of “psychic atm osphere” that surrounds us. Thus, to these participants it is essential that our thoughts be salutary and wholesom e in character, as oth­ erwise they can prove injurious to the mind and body. Posi­ tive and courageous thoughts create a healthy “atm osphere” and attract beneficent responses and influences from others. By allow ing the mind to dw ell on depressing and/or anx­ ious thoughts we often create the very conditions w e want to avoid. In the Bible, Job cursing his fate exclaim s, “The thing I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is com e unto me.” — Job 3:25. T he im plications are that productive thought united with rectitude o f spirit results in wisdom. Our attitudes and ac­ tions are often the direct result of our thoughts. By affect-

Fig. 9 .“. . . In certain senses God, the Cosmos, and Man can be regarded a s within each other, but they still remain dis­ tinctive ideas, and in no real sense equal. N or m ust it be fo rg o tten th a t a ll things, o f which the hum an m ind can hold any conception, are fo r ever within the One Inconceiv­ able Godhead, Who is o f neces­ sity before a ll and beyond all. ” — The Divine Pymander

ing the autonom ic nervous system , our thoughts and atti­ tudes m ay m anifest in the body as radiant health or psycho­ som atic disease. Thoughts are, therefore, intim ately associ­ ated w ith our physical body. One further im plication o f a contem plation o f thought is that our conscious thoughts arise from the subconscious. Once thoughts becom e conscious we can discriminate among them. We can choose to flow w ith certain thoughts and let others pass by. The thoughts in our conscious m ind again sink into the subconscious and there becom e seeds for new thoughts. Hence, this cycling o f thought is an ever renew ­ ing source for creativity and inspiration, leading the imager to experiences of an expanding consciousness. To these participants, thought was felt to generate a se­ ries o f radiating and vibratory im pulses that have psychic and ultim ately physical properties, so that any thought sus­ tained in the mind over a period of time intensifies and ac­ cum ulates energy. P sychoanalysts speak o f a cathexis (G reek for “holding”), the accum ulation of psychic energy w hich infuses a particular idea. Cathexis is said to be high w hen a person strongly feels, concentrates hard, and vividly im agines. It builds up like an electric battery which con­ stantly seeks to discharge itself, or, in other words, to find expression and fu lfillm en t. In the case o f hatred, the cathected energy seeks an outlet in aggression; in a hum or­ ous situation, in laughter; in a loving relationship, in kind­ ness, benevolence, and knowledge. A s one contributor said, “W hen archetypal energies becom e vividly experienced in the im agination, they must necessarily manifest in our outer reality.”

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Fig. 10. To record a hologram, laser light is split in two and bounced o ff mirrors through microscope lenses. M ost o f the light from the first beam illuminates the object, which reflects a complex wave pattern onto the film. The second beam serves as a reference wave, overlapping and interfering with the object wave (just like the meeting o f two waves re­ sulting from two rocks being thrown into a p o o l o f water). The meeting o f the two beams creates an interference pattern on the film that ap­ pears as a pattern o f swirls. The exposed, processed film is a hologram, visible in any laser light that duplicates the original reference wave. The swirls in the hologram diffract this light, exactly duplicating the object wave. This wave is projected toward the observer who sees a three-dimensional image as through a window. Even a part o f the holo­ gram is capable o f reconstructing the entire three-dimensional image, although the intensity and the perspective will correspond to the po r­ tion o f the hologram used. See text fo r how modern neuroscientists have discovered analogous mechanisms in their study o f thought and the operations o f the mind.

In creating a reality, the energies and structure o f the mind may operate like a hologram . A hologram is a light interference pattern stored on an ordinary photographic plate w hich can be reassem bled and projected as a three-dim en­ sional im age in space. To make the interference pattern and to project the three-dim ensional image, coherent light from a laser is used. A s shown in Figure 10 when coherent light from the laser is focused on an object bounced off mirrors and onto an ordinary photographic plate, a hologram nega-

tive is made. This does not take the form o f a negative im ­ age as in ordinary photography. Instead, the “ negative” is one o f a wave pattern of swirls. W hen coherent laser light is transm itted through the hologram , a three-dim ensional image is projected. If the hologram is cut in half or in quar­ ters, the entire image is still projected from each piece, but it is only one-half or one-quarter as intense. Furthermore, each piece o f the negative shows the three-dim ensional im ­ age from a different point o f view or perspective. The studies and theories of several m odern schools of neuroscience suggest that our brains may form thought-images in a way that is analogous to holography.1 For thirty years, the brain scientist Karl Lashley searched for an engram, that is, the substance and site o f a m emory image. He trained experim ental animals, then selectively removed por­ tions o f their brains (cerebral cortex), som etim es fifty per­ cent or more, hoping to scoop out the exact part that con­ tained the memory. His search never succeeded. Instead, Lashley w as continually frustrated by the same finding: no m atter what part was removed, it proved impossible to eradi­ cate what had been taught. As if it were a hologram, the only correlation was that the intensity of m emory loss de­ pended on the amount of cortex removed, regardless of from where it w as removed. Corresponding to the hologram m odel o f brain function is the neuron ensem ble or statistical configuration theory. The ensemble configuration theories explain how the same group o f neurons respond to various stim uli, but w ith dif­ ferent response patterns and, also, how a single neuron can participate in more than one thought-image. A ccording to

these theories a thought or a memory engram functions some­ w hat like the grid of lights that spells out a movie title on a m arquee, or the headlines atop the Allied Chem ical Tower in New York City (see Figure 11). W hen the brain is at rest, isolated neuronal cells sponta­ neously fire in random patterns w hich sw eep through entire populations o f neuronal cells to form a unique configura­ tion in the brain. A s anim als continue to perform their tasks, these established brainw ave patterns grow stronger. Thus, w herever a specific thought is recollected, a unique wave pattern signifying the thought is released throughout numer­ ous regions of the brain. This w ave pattern, or field, is stable and can be recalled even w hen parts o f the brain are se­ verely dam aged, such as Lashley’s studies indicated. The ensem ble-configuration theory accounts for the fact that learning causes synchronization o f a large num ber of neurons; this involves excitation of certain nerve cells and inhibition of others. D ata suggest that each new experience creates a physical representation with a specific energy-field geom etry in the brain. But exactly w hat shape this geom ­ etry takes and how it is consolidated into a thought is not explained by the ensem ble-configuration theory. The holo­ gram model w ould suggest that the energy field geom etry is sim ilar to the hologram ’s swirling interference pattern of light energy. The focus of attention would produce a m ulti­ dim ensional thought-im age, including sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch com ponents, in the sam e m anner as a threedim ensional image is projected from the hologram. It may be that not only the m ind but the entire universe operates like a hologram .2 The theories and publications of

Fig. 11. The Hologramic Thought Image. According to one “electrical” theory, thought may function some­ what like the grid o f lights th a t s p e ll out h e a d lin e s atop the A llied C hem ical Tower in Tim es Square. When the brain is at rest, isolated nerve calls sponta­ neously fire in random p a t­ terns; m essages are con­ veyed when certain bulbs light up and others remain "blank. ” R e c a llin g the thought-image o f the RoseCroix consists o f sequences o f e le c tr ic a l p a tte r n s sw eeping through entire populations o f nerve cells to form a unique configu­ ration in the brain. In ac­ tual fact, the brain does not construct thought images as if it were projecting im ­ ages onto a movie screen. The neuronal configuration o f an “image'* m ay look more like the pattern in the top diagram. See text fo r details on how such a pat­ tern could be interpreted as a thought-image. RECOLLECTION OF IMAGE

physicist David Bohm describe the nature of the universe as an enfolded order som ething like a hologram. The enfolded order consists of a realm of frequencies and potentialities underlying an illusion of concreteness. The concrete, un­ folded aspect o f things is a secondary manifestation. These appearances are abstracted from the intangible, invisible flux th a t is not co m p rised o f p arts, b u t o f an in sep arab le interconnectedness. From the vantage point o f this reality m odel, the universe itself begins to look very much like a T h o u g h t— a re a lity s u g g e ste d by m any m y stic s and Rosicrucians of old, and by a num ber of M asterthought con­ tributors. N euroscientist Karl Pribram and physicist Itzhak Bentov add that the brain may be a hologram interpreting a holographic universe. In m ystical terms, “m an’s thought interprets and experiences universal Thought.” This m odel of the universe offers an explanation for experiences o f illum ination, transcendence, ESP, and altered states of consciousness where there is an access to the en­ ergy and force field domain— the prim ary actuality. A c­ cording to this view, thought-im ages are a part of each other, interconnected by a universal hologram. Could this holo­ gram be the direct result o f the dual energy/force that Rosicrucians call Nous? In this view, thoughts are affected by, and them selves effect, other thoughts. Inner experiences of tim eless space and unity may correspond to a neural attunem ent w ith the prim ary actuality, the prim ordial hologram, the universal Thought. Inner experiences o f connectedness, o f time and of space may correspond to the substantial images of the universe. These im ages point to the separate parts o f the outer world and suggest that everything is related.

Thought, then, enables us to see the reality of relation­ ships and to assume the actuality o f experience. It carves the world into tiny pieces. The more relationships one can perceive am ong these pieces, the m ore we come to realize how everything in the universe is related to everything else. Through thought we com e to appreciate both the unity and the diversity o f all that exists. Since thought constitutes our inner and outer realities, then shared realities can bind us together, allow ing us to live in harm ony with each other. The more universal the thought we share, the more univer­ sal is the com m unity in w hich w e live. M inds attuned w ith other minds w ork synergistically; that is, the expressed en­ ergy o f m inds thinking together is greater than the sum of energy separately expressed by m inds that are not in ac­ cord. In holographic terms, the intensity is greater because more of the total mind is being used to project the reality image. Similarly, thought is the basis o f language w hich per­ mits the sharing o f the variously perceived facets o f truth. Expressed thought binds people together in shared beliefs and opinions, or challenges them to clarify and identify their ow n ideas if opposed. Thinking becom es synergistic when individuals direct their thoughts to the same subject or idea. W hat is known as group-thought involves the com bined mental energy o f several people directed to a specific objec­ tive. It is in these w ays that Rosicrucians Thinking Together w ork to bring forth in the world the greater light of under­ standing. A s a light in a darkened room, these Rosicrucians strive to bring to hum anity their own love of knowledge and their knowledge of a universal love.

Thought, then, becom es the innerm ost expression o f hu­ m an consciousness. T hought gives form to experience. Thought enables people to be aware o f w hat they do, what they have done, and enables them to plan ahead. O ur own individual thought creates our reality. Universal Thought creates actuality. W ithout thought, man w ould not exist to him self. A s one contributor explained, “O ur consciousness of thought superim poses on the existence o f our inner and outer w orld the fact that thoughts are known. The world becom es a dem onstrable world as man confirm s its exist­ ence for the Creator.” W hat the hologram model does not explain is: W ho does the looking? W hat is it that perceives the thought-im age created out o f the swirling energy patterns that make up the substance and force o f thought? We can seek the perceiver as we explore the third question, “Does thought have m ean­ ing and purpose?”

T H E H ID D EN M EA N IN G W IT H IN T H O U G H T

As discussed previously in this chapter, thoughts are the im ages from which realities are created. Thought-im ages are the ever-living, self-renew ing building blocks in im agi­ nation, in reason, and in perception. Thought is useful be­ cause the m ovem ent of images in the mind can correspond w ith changes taking place in the external world. The reason that a correspondence exists between mind and universe may be that both operate in analogous ways. From the vantage o f a hologram ic m odel, the universe looks m uch like a thought.

A. CREATION “Thought is necessary to the manifestation of the universe.” “Thoughts require action to have purpose.” “Thoughts are needed to bring creative forces into usable form.” “The universe is sustained and ordered by thought. On the personal level, thought can be said to be the crucible in which human desires are transmuted into realities.” B. E V O L U T IO N “The purpose o f thought is to change man from a passiveresponding animal into an active participant o f creation.” “The purpose o f thought is to advance life forms.” “The purpose o f thought is survival. Living things will die without an ongoing fulfillment o f purpose and thought.” “ Man may be an approach to an ultimate thought form.” 1. Transcendence: “Elevation to higher planes o f awareness.” “Elevation to a state beyond thought— to a state o f absolute unity, beauty, light, harmony.” 2. Self-Realization: “Realizations of unity, essence, and meaning.” “Self-realization in order to achieve goals.” 3. Culture Formation: “The purpose behind the elementary ideas or germinal ideas from which the social structure has been developed.” “Thought is the primary image leading to the manifestation of certain patterns o f associated ideas that may be recognized in all types o f culture.” 4. Communication: “Communication allows new opportunity to live virtuous lives in harmony and at peace with other men.” “Communication teaches man to assume self-responsibility.”

C. U N IF IC A T IO N , SY N T H E SIS, AND M EA N IN G : 1. U nity: “The power o f thought is increased as thoughts are combined.” “A single thought in harmony with ‘universal’ thought will be strength­ ened.” “The sum of thought is greater than the separate thoughts making it up.” “To bridge the gap between material energy and force.” “To think together— to realize the brotherhood o f man.” “To bring order out o f chaos.” “To bring oneness with G od.” “To bring about a marriage o f mind.” 2. K now ledge and Insight: “To achieve goals.” “To explore possibilities.” “To assign probabilities.” “To provide light on m an’s path.“ “To discover natural law and invention.” “To gain understanding of what brings about thought.” “To allow m an’s reflected view to mirror the image of the creative force.” “To reach a satisfactory conclusion to any situation.” “To create realities.” 3. M eaning an d Significance: “The universal purpose o f thought lies in its very essentiality; in its essence lies the means for its expression, execution, and fulfillment.” “Thought illumines the meaning, purpose, and significance in m an’s universe. This is because thought gives visible form to the invisible.” “Thought is a formative, elemental symbol. Its purpose is to be.” “Divine Mind does not have purpose. It is purpose.”

Table 3. (both pages) THE PU RPO SE O F THOUGHT IS: to allow fo r the creative evolution o f Being, the creative evolution as a process o f BECOMING. Thought is universal imagery in an ongoing process o f becoming. The many ideas which contributed to the formulation o f this “purpose ” are summarized and outlined above.

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Some participants feel that thought does not have a pur­ pose. A ccording to this view, purpose is a philosophical concept invented by hum an thought. Therefore, the idea of purpose can only be expressed in relationship to human par­ ticipation and intelligence. Several participants suggested that “thought creates purpose, but thought itself has no pur­ pose.” The majority o f participants felt that a purpose could be ascribed to thought. A s summarized and tabulated in Table 3, the purpose of thought may be that o f creative evolution, transcendence, self-realization, culture formation, m eaning­ ful knowledge, insight, and reintegration. These ideas might be sum m arized by the statem ent, the purpose o f thought is

the creative evolution o f Being. For hum ans the statement might read, the purpose o f thought is the creative evolution o f hum anity's realization o f Being. According to the Rosicrucian ontological model, the two basic com ponents of being are energy (Spirit Energy) and force (Vital Life Force). Force is the organizing principle or intelligence o f being; and energy is the “substance” that is organized (see Figure 13). The structure of both thought and the universe are related in that both consist o f this en­ ergy and force. The force o f being organizes energy into subatom ic particles, atom s, m olecules, living organism s, planets and stars. In the human mind, the force of being organizes energy into archetypes, images, ideas, symbols, realities, and initiatory experiences. Even the behavior o f universe and mind is similar. In the universe energy patterns are continually transformed. Stars and planets are continuously created and destroyed in the m etam orphosis o f matter. Thoughts, too, melt and coa­ lesce in continuous cycles of transform ation and rebirth as old realizations grow and transform into new and more use­ ful realities. In the universe, m atter and energy are inter­ changeable under appropriate conditions. In the mind, thought-im ages and energy are also interchangeable. This may be experienced in m om ents o f insight, illum ination, or altered consciousness. One of the m ost serious challenges facing the neophyte is to move toward an intelligent open-mindedness. This does not mean that we must reject or abandon the experience or know ledge we have already gained. W hat it does mean is that, as creative im agination perm its us to do, w e must tol-

Fig. 13 A: A m odel o f M ind and its manifestation. Fig. B: A m odel o f spiraling planes o f consciousness in which realities are continually trans­ form ed.

erate am biguities without anxiety, integrate concepts in our thinking that seem to be diametrically opposed on the sur­ face, rely as much on our intuition as our intellectual analy­ sis, validate, investigate and learn about new discoveries relevant to our inner goals and do so w ithout fear. This is no easy task, for it requires us to com m it ourselves to our pur­ pose w ith the certainty that com petence requires, w hile re­ alizing that w hat we are now sure o f may be proved “un­ true” tom orrow and that every answ er is but the parent to a host o f new questions. The more w e can understand and practice the art and science o f creative thinking, the more we will be able to do just this.

Each neophyte, called by that still, quiet voice of con­ science, eventually com es to the state o f Being-at-One (of Being-in-Love) w ith w hat had previously seemed to be an­ other outside himself. In such an assum ption experience, there is a realization o f the greater Self. Being then be­ com es realized as indivisible. A s we forsake the thoughts of separate being, w e becom e m ore universal. We w itness the universe im aged w ithin our Self. Three important questions— W hat is thought?, W hat is the Universe?, and H ow are the two related?— are resolved in the realization that m an is mind and contains images o f a universe as a reflection o f him self, Being. Separate desires for know ledge, happiness, and im m ortality can then be “im ­ aged” as a single force— to be. The Self then realizes what it is to be Self-conscious. W ith Self-consciousness, Being can becom e the perceiver o f Being. The initiate then drinks from his own sacred stream and therein quenches his thirst for higher evolution. He is fulfilled. He is returned to his beginning. A s expressed by T. S. Eliot, We shall not cease from exploration And the end o f all exploring Will be to arrive w here w e started A nd know the place for the first time. As sym bolized in Figure 13, our thoughts m ove through spiraling planes of consciousness in w hich our realities of Being are continually transform ed. Each turn o f the spiral returns us to a beginning w hich holds a greater potential for unfoldment. Having realized that a “thought” is not an independent entity, but an im aged representation o f subconscious ener­

gies and forces, and having also realized that a “person,” is likewise not an independent entity, but a sym bolic repre­ sen tatio n o f co sm ic en erg ies and fo rces, th ere are no thoughts, no entities w hich are constant and self-contained. A person is a being through which universal forces work. A thought is an imaged idea through which human forces work. These forces are both constructive and destructive. Both are essential in the universal cycles of energy exchange, the form ation and disintegration of ideas and forms. The concept of duality arises, for exam ple, when it is believed that there is a “m e” w riting and “another” reading, or when it is believed that there is a “m e” speaking and “an­ other” listening. In our reality we perceive separate images that give rise to differences in experience and meaning. Perception involves both physically distinct sensations and our interpretations and re-creation o f them in our mind, so that the elements are often rearranged into new form. It also involves understanding the mutability or changeable­ ness o f these, their transform ation into each other, their transm utability in the alchemical sense. In other words, the essence— the totality— o f “perception,” which produces the key to wholeness and self-mastery, is its im perm anence and illusory characteristics on the physical plane and its tim e­ less, spaceless infinity on higher levels. The human is formed as a vehicle for Being, but it is through w ords as appearances of learning and separation that he falls into ignorance. Through w ords and im ages as an expression of know ledge (directly felt experience) the initiate is raised again and again so that the One Self, the One Being, realizes m ore o f its actual Self. Thought w hich

recollects know ledge o f the actual is not merely learned. A s a seed it is already there within. One purpose o f Rosi­ crucian philosophy is to provide an atmosphere where the initiate may harm oniously participate in the unfolding ex­ perience o f the flow ering o f Being.

Fig. 14 A: “7 imagine the rain­ bow in color as a universal o f thoughtfo r the follow ing reasons: 1. It appears to be a connecting line or bridge from one point to another. 2. It has no beginning and no end. 3. It is intangible and elusive. 4. It can be w eak or strong, clear or hazy. 5. It makes something where there was noth­ ing. 6. It is colored by atm o­ spheric conditions as thought is colored by emotion. 7. To go be­ yond the rainbow to the prover­ bial ‘p o t o f g o ld ' has been m a n ’s dream. To g o beyond thought is to transcend into light and perfect beauty, to achieve Cosmic Consciousnsness. ’’

Fig. 14 B: "Thought is the vehicle by which the universal conscious­ ness p ro g resses to the higher spiritual state. ”

Fig. 14. Symbols and accompanying quotations were submitted by par­ ticipants in the "Rosicrucians Thinking Together ” experiment.

Fig. 14 C: “Being does nor state a purpose; it ju st is. The exist­ ence o f natural laws indicates that repetition o f cycles, disap­ pearance o f one form and emer­ gence o f another— anything nec­ essary will be done to ensure the ongoing o f Being. A n d it is go­ ing to fill the circle o f all that is. Differentiation, the focalization o f Being into personality, results in purpose. The personal mind, because o f limitation, sees direc­ tion and value in thought and therefore assigns it a purpose. Therefore, purpose would be the r e a lity f o r in d iv id u a ls a n d groups. I f there is universal pu r­ pose in actuality, we can never get closer to it than reality. But were we created to give purpose to Being?"

Fig. 14 D: “Thought is aware­ ness. It is Being. It is a state o f experiencing the now. Thought gives man a conscious realiza­ tion o f him self and his surround­ ings. I f this were not so, He would not exist to himself. ”

SYMBOL INTERPRETATION

C O N FID E N C E : T H E U N FO L D IN G SEED

n the suprem e initiation o f the Eleusinian M ysteries there w as displayed for the initiate or m ystes an ear of grain, grown and silently harvested out of season. The seed was, for the m ystes, a miracle that captured the sense o f wonder and confidence that can follow a sudden inner experience of the m iraculous gift that life is for humanity.

I

A ncient man came to expect life to wax and w ane ac­ cording to the seasons of the year. Persephone would spend part of the year in the underw orld and part of the year in flow er and fruition. Year after year of regular cyclic experi­ ence led m any people to believe that they should receive life’s gifts at particular times. Yet, gifts can cease to be gifts when w e expect them. They lose their capacity to surprise and delight, to shock and aw aken us to new w ays o f think­ ing, to spontaneously arouse our heightened consciousness. Life becom es ordinary, drab, uninspiring when we know w hat w e deserve and w hat we ought to have right now. We count on life to be predictable, to behave in a regular way, and if it does not, we becom e upset and lose our confidence in life. And do we have com plaints! “W e’ve gotten too much rain this year and now w e have floods!” Or, “W e’ve gotten too little rain this year and now we have a drought!” “C an’t count on the weather— can’t trust it!”

“Education is a mess. You can ’t trust the teachers to teach Junior to read!” Others ask, “How can w e trust poli­ ticians? W ho elected them, anyway?” And who hasn’t heard, “How can anyone be confident in banks—just look at these interest rates!” M any people today have lost confidence in life. Life does not m eet our expectations o f w hat we think it should be. If people today have lost such confidence, this is a re­ flection o f a greater loss of confidence in the divinity within ourselves. W hen we lose our job, when w e cannot afford a house we think we should have and deserve to have, w hen w e b e­ come seriously ill, when there appears to be little security and little hope for a better life in the future, we may have difficulty feeling confident. In a chaotic world, in a tum ul­ tuous w orld o f strife, psychological studies appear to show that feelings of self-esteem and self-confidence follow ex­ periences o f success. If life is w orking out well (the way we want it to), then most people say that they feel confident. Som etim es this confidence prom otes m ore success. Yet when life persistently becom es difficult and does not meet expectations, then suicide rates go up, and depression, cyni­ cism, worry, and fear becom e the dom inant em otional con­ text o f our lives. The ancient world too w as plagued by such cyclic loss of confidence. For this reason, a confidence solely based on outer-world success was not held by the ancient mystery schools to be sufficient for a person’s true needs. Such con­ fidence w as known to be an ephem eral mask, cloaking a

basic insecurity and a hunger for a genuine confidence that could be an unshakeable foundation throughout life. Today many people still feel that if w e could ju st learn more, read more books, and attend more lectures, w e would finally succeed in overcom ing the problem s that life offers us. If we were just m ore successful, had m ore successful experiences, then w e could be confident. Then w e could rely on the ordered predictability o f this w orld. However, the ancients observed that such a view often produced an illusion of self-esteem and confidence that rose to the heights of overw eening pride or hubris, and sank to the depths of despair, depending on the tem per o f the times. Conversely, they observed that some people avoid some of the ups and dow ns as well as avoiding personal grow th by developing an inflated self-confidence that might say, “If only people w ould listen to me, we would all be better off. I ’m confi­ dent in my ability. It’s other people who are m essing up the world. It’s other people you can ’t have confidence in.” M any self-help books w ould have us develop such a cloak o f self-confidence. Rosicrucians often suggest that such a method does not work. A s one Rosicrucian Imperator, Ralph M. Lewis, said, “To have merely a feeling o f assumed confidence when we want to do anything is to fool ourselves and gain nothing.” The w ord confidence, m ade up o f the Latin prefix con“w ith” and fidere “to tru st,” m eans “w ith intense trust.” Tracing the origins of this w ord we find associations with reliability, fidelity, com m itm ent, help, support, consolation, truth. The word confidence is a pow erful word. This is the foundation upon w hich people base their ability to fulfill

their function in life and m anifest their innerm ost desires. As another Rosicrucian Imperator, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, put it, “The secret o f success in all things having a mental or psychic foundation is genuine confidence, not blind faith or the cloak of m ere belief. By genuine confidence w e are led to the attainm ent of self-mastery.” People often think that confidence or trust is the result of learning. Actually, the practice of Rosicrucian exercises can dem onstrate for us that it is our perceptions and realities that are the result of learning. In fact, perception is learn­ ing, reality is learning, for cause and effect are never sepa­ rated. Rosicrucian students can attune w ith an inherent con­ fidence because we come to know that the world is not gov­ erned by m an-m ade laws. By practicing the Rosicrucian experim ents and exercises w e experience that the w orld is governed by a cosm ic order or power. The pow er is in us but not o f us. It is the pow er that keeps all things in a state of being, both orderly and creatively evolving. Through this pow er the initiate looks upon the world w ith confidence and intense trust. Once this universal or cosm ic pow er has been consciously experienced and accepted, it becom es im ­ possible— ridiculous— to trust the petty strengths and trivial successes o f the mundane world. W ho would attem pt to fly with the w ings o f a sparrow w hen the mighty pow er o f an eagle has been given? W ho o f us w ould place trust in the shabby offerings of outer successes and failures, w hen cos­ mic gifts are laid before us? In our previous exercise (found in Chapter 2) we were able to reach insight through w hat could be called inductive thinking. In the exercise w e m oved from objective reality (concentration on a specific object) to a sym bolic reality

(realization of a general principle). However, it is also pos­ sible to experience m eaningful insights by reversing this process. We can proceed from a symbolic reality to an ob­ jective reality. This deductive approach is an aid to us in understanding w orks of art, dream s, and sym bols received in m editation. The deductive approach is also o f assistance in understanding the nature and qualities of Self. W ith this second approach we are again guided by ask­ ing ourselves a series o f questions. These questions in their general form can be found in Appendix 2. Each question is designed to draw upon specific mental faculties. The first approach w as dem onstrated w ith the use of a candle flame. We shall dem onstrate the second approach w ith an intan­ gible quality o f Self, that of confidence.

ON T H E N ATURE O F C O N FID E N C E

The w orld today is beset w ith econom ic and social prob­ lem s characterized by a lack of confidence, a lack o f trust in ourselves, others, and our institutions. To the average per­ son these problem s may seem unsolvable and overw helm ­ ing. The mystic can come to know that events or forces that at one time seemed threatening can, through understanding, becom e our allies and becom e instrum ents for m aterializ­ ing the desires o f our Inner Self. Let us join together in the Great Work of increasing that understanding to create greater harmony, peace, and unity in our lives, the lives o f others, and our world. You are invited to explore w ith us the nature o f confi­ dence, how it com es to us and influences our behavior. To

do this, we will use a version of the Rosicrucian Thought Process specifically developed to relate confidence to life experience. With confidence w e can realize our M astery in Self. The Rosicrucian Thought Process, consisting of Con­ centration, Contem plation and M editation, is explained in the Rosicrucian m onographs, and is discussed and am pli­ fied in Chapter 2 of this book. This process uses experi­ ences and questions to explore various stages o f objective and subjective consciousness. Using this process we can integrate our inner and outer w orlds, resulting in a greater sense of w holeness and confidence. We shall begin by experiencing som ething o f the nature of confidence. As w e do this, our first objective w ill be to pay attention to and observe bodily sensations or feelings. For instance, take a deep breath. How are you feeling right now? Notice your heartbeat, your breathing, and other body sensations. Are you feeling heavy or light, cold or warm, tight or expansive, dim inished or confident, or are the feel­ ings you are experiencing at this mom ent different? W hat­ ever they are, breathe deeply and let those feelings expand and intensify. This is the base point, the beginning, for you. We w ill now approach confidence through three exercises. A fter doing each exercise, stop for a mom ent, consider what you experienced, then write a brief description o f the feel­ ings (bodily sensations) experienced. Exercise A. R ecall a m om ent of personal achievem ent, a mom ent of success, a m om ent in which you did things “right.” How do you feel as you relive this experience? W hat does this experience do for your self-esteem , self­

assurance, your confidence, your ability to trust yourself and others? If you w ere asked to try to do again w hat you did then, how would you feel? Would you be as successful now? As you experience this, keep noticing your feelings. Breathe deeply and allow these feelings to intensify. W hen you are ready, stop for a mom ent and then write a brief description o f your feelings and experience. Exercise B. Now recall an occasion when you failed in an im portant endeavor, that m om ent when you realized that you did som ething “w rong.” How do you feel? W hat does this exercise do for your self-esteem , self-assurance, your sense of confidence, your ability to trust yourself and oth­ ers? Would you be w illing to repeat this experience again? Would you do things in the same way, or would you change your approach? Do you find it easier to recall successes or failures? W hat does this tell you about yourself? Now, how do you feel? Breathe deeply and allow your feelings to in­ tensify. Continue noticing your feelings. W hen you are ready, stop for a mom ent and then write a brief description of your feelings and experience. Exercise C. Now im agine w hat it might feel like if you w ere a seed— a seed ju st now opening, unfolding to the world, unfolding potentials that have lain dorm ant, asleep w ithin you. You do not know how life will unfold from w ithin you: as a root, a stem, a leaf, a bud, a blossom. How do you feel as you experience the surprises that occur as you unfold and are caught up in the adventure o f living? W hat does this experience do for your self-esteem , self-as­ surance, your sense o f confidence, your ability to trust your­ self and others? Again, breathe deeply and allow your feel­ ings to intensify. Be one with your feelings as you continue

unfolding. W hen you are ready, stop for a m om ent, and then write a brief description of your feelings and experi­ ence. N ow expand your feelings to encom pass the complete experience of confidence: Seed, Failure, Success. Compare your feelings as unfolding Seed, in Failure, in Success. How do you feel at this m om ent? W hat does this expanded sense o f the feeling of all three experiences do for your self­ esteem , self-assurance, your sense of confidence, your abil­ ity to trust yourself and others? Once again, breathe deeply, and allow your feelings to intensify. W hen you are ready, stop for a m om ent, then w rite a brief description o f your overall experience and feelings. Let us now explore these experiences by asking ourselves a few questions. 1.

Sum m arize your experience in each o f the three parts, Success, Failure, the U nfolding Seed. W hich w ere the m ost exciting, the m ost pleasant, the least pleasant?

2.

W hat did you learn about confidence from these three exercises? If w hat you learned could be represented as a picture, w hat would the picture look like? Draw it.

3.

W hat is the underlying principle, the fundam ental truth that you experienced about confidence? Express this truth in one or tw o words. How is this sym bolized by your picture?

4.

D oes this principle w ork in yourself, in other people, in animals, in plants, in m inerals, throughout nature?

5.

Does this principle w ork differently in Success, in Fail­ ure, as the U nfolding Seed? Feel the process going on here. W hat is it? D escribe how this principle, this fundam ental truth w orks in the outer world.

6.

Have your experiences changed your ideas about con­ fidence in any w ay? If so, describe these changes.

7.

W hat does confidence do for you? Complete the fol­ lowing statem ents: “With confidence I can . . . I do . . . I am . . . ”

8.

How in your everyday life can you use these insights gained during your experience w ith confidence?

9.

Complete the follow ing sentence: “U sing my new un­ derstanding o f confidence, I intend to be open to the following experiences during the next tw o w e e k s :..

10. After two weeks complete the following statement: “As a result of my new level of understanding of confidence, the following has happened to m e :. . . ” Readers of M indquest were invited to participate in this experiment. Participants compared their recollections of past successes and failures to the visualized experience of being an unfolding seed w hose grow th and developm ent flowed out o f inherent forces w hich Rosicrucians refer to as Vital L ife Force and the Inner Self. These participants obtained insight into their experiences by using the Thought Process o f Concentration, Contem plation, M editation. O f the respondents, 56.5% discovered from their expe­ rience that confidence for them is based on an intense trust in the Vital Life Force represented by the seed, w hereasl3%

agree with the psychology books that state confidence is based on past successes. These results appear in Table 4. One participant reported that she discovered “Confidence is . . . it exists . . . it’s always there, actual. Success and failure are the realities.” A nother participant added, “ Con­ fidence is the acceptance o f oneself w ith the Source and how w e let it express.” A nother participant clearly com pared her experience to her expectations. “ D uring the exercise I cam e to the real­ ization that confidence came from w ithin, deep w ithin. I always thought that confidence is som ething w e gain from experience. I saw m yself as having confidence in one area, but not another. I alw ays thought I would gain more confi­ dence in w eak areas as I had m ore and m ore experience in that area. A s a result o f the exercise I see that is the hard way . . . the long way.” A nother respondent continued this thought. “ Confidence now has a capital ‘C ’ in my realiza­ tion. Once I allow the Inner Self to come through, confi­ dence com es w ith it. I am confident I can achieve all the things I want to achieve by tuning in with the Inner Self.

Confidence based on Seed

56.5%

Confidence based on past success

13.0%

Unclear response

30.4% Total respondents (46)

Table 4. The Source o f Confidence: Responses to the Experiment.

The abilities are all there. I can now go into areas in which I lacked confidence and now have confidence.” That genuine confidence prom otes grow th by m eans of experiences o f both success and failure w as also indicated in these reports. For instance, one non-m em ber wrote, “With confidence I can afford to m ake m istakes, to learn from my failures as w ell as my successes. I now see success and failure as tw o crutches propping me up. With confidence I w ill eventually outgrow my dependence on them .” A s shown in Table 5, a majority (95.8% ) found the rec­ ollection o f failure unpleasant. Success w as found to be pleasant by 53.3% . Pleasant and unpleasant, success and failure are judgm ental dualities. Excitem ent, however, is m ore likely to be a feeling that spontaneously arises from within. Participants found the most exciting experience was that of the Vital Life Force (85.2% ). A s a participant in N ew Zealand put it, “Im agining my being an unfolding seed gives me a great delightful experience, alw ays w orth look-

Experience

Pleasant

Unpleasant

Exciting

Success (%)

FailuTe (%) Seed (%)

Number partici­ pants responding to questions

53.3

0

46.7

30

0

95.8

4.2

24

7.4

7.4

85.2

27

Table 5. Evaluations o f Confidence Experiences

ing forward to. Not knowing how life will unfold, and watch­ ing my potential reveal itself, is sim ply too w onderful to express in words, as it will all turn out even better than I can imagine (despite my personal reservations).” The enthusiasm o f a participant in Canada reflected the Rosicrucian position on genuine confidence. “This experi­ ence has given me the realization that confidence is not a facade or cover under which we shelter, but is a condition of life, even a privilege of life, always there to be realized.” The practical benefits a genuine confidence can afford w as summed up by an English Rosicrucian student. “ I al­ w ays felt I lacked the confidence to interact w ith people . . . to express my feelings. Since participating in this exercise there have been some subtle changes to my approach to life. It has been easier to com m unicate w ith others, in particular, strangers. A lso greater understanding for others and ways in w hich I can be o f service to them is grow ing w ithin my being.”

ATTAINING C O N FID E N C E

Genuine confidence, the foundation of self-mastery, is an attribute of our inner nature that is o f particular signifi­ cance to Rosicrucian students. For this reason, many stu­ dents are w illing to explore subjective feelings, beliefs, and experiences, so that they might discover w ithin them selves the inner nature, operation, and practical significance o f a genuine confidence. In the second part of this chapter w e explored our re­ search participant’s responses to an exploration of genuine

confidence with use of the questions em ployed in the Rosicrucian Thought Process. In agreem ent with many psychol­ ogy texts, 13% of our research participants experienced con­ fidence as an attitude based on past experiences of success. For another 57% , however, confidence was an attribute of being, som ething we experience when w e are attuned with the Inner Self. It is an attribute o f w ho we are when we are being ourselves. If this is indeed w hat genuine confidence is, how do we come to experience this, rather than experiencing low self­ esteem , unw orthiness, and inadequacy? If confidence were merely based on past success, then all we would need is more and more success to be more and more confident. The methodology here seems simple: Always be right, good, and successful. Yet, does anyone experience life this way, as being always right, good, and successful? How much suc­ cess do we need to experience before w e are worthy o f feel­ ing confident? If we think that we are always right, are we not also heavy with pride, seem ingly disconnected from life and other people? With a need to be right so as to feel con­ fident, can we adm it to ever being w rong? W hen we are wrong, do we not feel guilty, unworthy, depressed? How do we escape this trap? How can we experience the genu­ ine confidence the ancient Rosicrucians so highly praised? A nsw ers to this question fell into five areas: letting go, attunement, flowing, wholeness, and love. For instance, one participant in the research project w ho expected to do poorly because he always felt that he lacked confidence, was amazed by the results o f the exercise. W hile exploring a particu­ larly painful area in which he usually failed, he came to a sudden insight about what w as holding him back. “ I was

not aware that o n e’s confidence w as so directly linked to one’s state of being, to o n e’s attunem ent to the Cosm ic and Inner Self. Such a direct relationship is truly am azing.” Letting the Inner Self shine enabled this individual to real­ ize his inner strength. A nother participant explained the process this way: “ I learned that we all could have the confidence w e w ant, but most of the time we block it and d o n ’t let it come through. Simply put, w hat it is, is. If one lets the Inner Self break through, from where all flows, he w ill be given inspiration, strength, and confidence. If the m echanism were a picture, it w ould be of a chain being broken by a sword, letting out the strength and confidence.” A nother person described the flow o f confidence that results when the protective w alls com e down. “A s a sound w ave goes through its cycles o f positive and negative, it provides an individual tone. Elim inate either the positive or negative portion o f the w ave, and the w ave ceases to be. The m echanism for experiencing confidence is always to

accept each m om ent of the day as a challenge to let the flow continue.” One individual had such a beautiful experience of the cosm ic love connecting her to everything in the universe, that she was able to break through the many inhibitions that usually kept her from feeling confident. She w rites, “ Sud­ denly I am overw helm ed w ith love. It is w ithin me at all times . . . I realize that Self is part o f the Cosmic. I allow love, trust, and intuition to flood me w ith the realization that I am indeed confident.” One of the participants dealt with too m uch self-reli­ ance. An inner realization of som ething greater than herself led to a personal insight. She states, “1 realize that I had been excluding myself, w ithdraw ing from the greater whole, and then trying to accomplish w ithin m yself things which needed the w hole for expression. D uring the experience I had the sudden realization that the Sun does not shine in and for itself alone. It lights up our Earth and M oon, and all it m eets as its rays speed on for all eternity. If its rays are an extension o f or remain a part of the Sun, how greatly has the Sun expanded to embrace the U niverse? We, too.” W hen people experience being who they are, they re­ port feeling whole, attuned, connected; they experience unity, peace, love, joy, and gratitude; they feel confidence. One participant in the research project sum m ed up the process as a series of steps. “Confidence is a gift I receive w hen I am who I am, when I let go and let the Inner Self direct. Thus, the first step is my w illingness to be a w alking ques­ tion m ark by letting go the blocks to an inner aw areness of truth. That is, my letting go of the expectations and beliefs

o f what I think is true, even what I fear is true. Second, my mind now being silent, I can listen to my Inner Self and obey the inner prom ptings of my heart. Third, in this obedi­ ence I experience confidence, joy, contentm ent, freedom. Success and failure no longer matter; being true to Self does. Flowing through these steps I realize that living with my Inner Self is confidence.” Living with the excitem ent associated with confidence moved one o f the participants to write, “ Confidence is not the more or less static notion I used to conceive of, but is a dynam ic, surprising, ever-adapting principle that can per­ meate my entire life. Why, this confidence is Self-mastery, isn’t it?”

C O N FID E N C E : T H E M A N IFESTA TIO N

We all know what success feels like: the thrill, the ex­ citement, the satisfaction. We know failure too: the pain, the despair, perhaps the shame. We desire success, the sense o f pow er and control, the sense o f safety we derive from consistently doing things right. The benefits from success are w ell known and w ell expounded in the w orld about us. Less known are the joys of a genuine confidence honored by the ancients and by m odern Rosicrucians. Can the expe­ rience o f a genuine confidence based on a trust in the Inner Self favorably compare w ith a confidence based on outer world successes? Rosicrucians distinguish an assum ed confidence advised as a requirem ent for success by many self-help books from the genuine confidence arising from a trust in the Inner Self.

The form er relies on a seeming trust in outer, m undane con­ ditions, while the latter confidence is a trust that requires no mundane reasons to support it. An assum ed confidence re­ quires external support, w hile a genuine confidence gives support. We wondered if the genuine confidence o f the an­ cients could be readily experienced today in our modern world. Could the nature and the w ay of this kind o f confi­ dence be described in a m anner understandable to the m od­ ern w orld? And could this confidence hold value for a pro­ ductive person in modern society? As a result of experiencing genuine confidence, partici­ pants discovered in their daily lives such m ystical qualities o f Self as wholeness, unity, love, peace, trust, contentment, creativity, enthusiasm , joy, freedom, and gratitude. For ex­ am ple, one m em ber w rote, “ I can be myself. I can let go and be free. I can experience more instead o f expecting more. I feel like an oak tree dropping little acorns, w atch­ ing these seed-ideas becom ing new oak trees, and letting them grow on their own. I do not have to be concerned for them. Like the acorns these ideas can flourish on their own. Instead o f my needing to be in control, now I am grateful to be able to w atch and participate w ith confidence.” A m em ber from Texas w rote that as a result of partici­ pating in the experiment, many unexpected things manifested in his life. “In my everyday life I can realize the continuity and unity that runs through all aspects of consciousness, with the constant realization that as I attune w ith the purity o f the One, I am one and all is whole. I have cleansed my con­ sciousness o f many fears. It seems as if the dirty clothes I had been w earing during the past year have been laundered and cleaned with a lemon-fresh scent. O ftentim es, giving

up old ideas and desires is hard, but confidence offers me the opportunity and ability to change w ith the effervescent flow o f energy bubbling through all m atter and all life forms in the Cosm ic.” With a genuine confidence some participants report over­ com ing such problem s as sm oking, procrastination, lack of com m itm ent, and the fear of form ing new relationships. A respondent who had been having difficulty m anaging her life felt that, “With confidence I gain a clearer perspective. I am applying this new know ledge in my daily affairs, and feel I am now responsible again for my own life.” A nother participant also reported trouble w ith m anag­ ing tim e and w ith deciding w hat tasks to undertake first. This m em ber found that decisions were made as she let her Inner Self through. “Picturing the list on my desk, I can pick one item at a tim e to accomplish. I can let my Inner Self do the picking and com plete the task. I am finding that things are getting done one item at a time w ith no effort at all. T he tasks are no longer overw helm ing me at the start.” One member, choosing to deal with the problem of pro­ crastination, used his new -found confidence to m anifest the com pletion of several projects. “In the past two w eeks this genuine confidence greatly aided my successful com pletion of several tasks in unfam iliar territories. Errors w ere next to non-existent and the results from my business ventures were gratifying, inform ative, and profitable. In my personal life I com pleted several social activities that had been put off due to insufficient confidence in the past. I w as able to manifest all of this because I now see confidence works simi­

larly in all situations. All ‘different’ situations in life are really part of the oneness of the universe.” A nother m em ber w rote expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the exercise because it had such a profound effect on his life. He w rote, “There have been subtle changes in my approach to life. I have noted, grow ­ ing within my being, a greater understanding for others and w ays in w hich I can be o f service to them .” A participant also reports that genuine confidence al­ lowed her to “solidify relationships,” and “undertake a dif­ ficult m aster’s degree program .” A nother m em ber adds that with genuine confidence, “ I can move through challenges w ith the inner support of know ing I am doing the right thing for me. With confidence I do w hatever task is set before me. With confidence I am freed from em otional and selfish baggage and I am able to relate to others from a secure and loving place. I now see this truth is everyday life. It is the key to m anaging my daily affairs w ith love, and as I listen to the Inner Self, my daily affairs arrange them selves.” A nother participant w rote that she always felt herself to be a victim. Due to a lack of confidence she felt that she w as at the mercy o f others and at the mercy of the environ­ ment. A s a result o f participating in the experim ents she reports that she has begun “to elim inate self-doubt. I can now trust m yself and others, for we are all instrum ents of the Cosmic. I am now more productive, for I truly believe I make a contribution to the environm ent.” “Since confidence com es from w ithin,” w rites one m em­ ber, “ I can approach all areas with confidence.” She found,

“Work and living circumstances are improving and I am now m eeting financial obligations w ithout worry.” A nother participant reports, “Things I used to see as threats I now see as supports. I see them as feedback to support the overall picture. Confidence is assurance that the Cosm ic gives us nothing that is not a support for us.” W hile genuine confidence is often accom panied by ex­ periences o f oneness, unity, love, w holeness, joy, peace, contentm ent, gratitude, humility, creativity, excitem ent, en­ ergy, and enthusiasm , the experience does not appeal to all. A few participants preferred to base their confidence on past outer-world successes. These participants also thought their confidence w as beneficial and highly desirable. A confidence based on outer-world successes “ . . . gives me a better self-im age and a more positive attitude.” With success and confidence “I can walk, talk and argue with any­ one, anywhere. I do things I know are right and beneficial to everyone. I am very sure o f success in w hatever I lay my hands on.” With success, one m em ber writes, “ I can con­ tinue w orking alone, accom plishing what I can. 1 am still an idealistic failure to anyone who know s me, but it doesn’t make quite as much difference anymore. W hether I get oth­ e rs’ approval or not, as long as I know m yself that I am not hurting others, not taking advantage, I can make m yself hap­ pier without constantly feeling guilty for not having done more for everyone else first.” Confidence based on either outer-world success or on an intense trust in the Inner Self can apparently provide ben­ efits. The results obtained here suggest that the form er may

support self-concepts o f separateness, while the latter may prom ote self-concepts involving unity, oneness, and con­ nectedness. All the traits we aspire to as Rosicrucian students rest on confidence or intense trust. How often the student is told that once genuine self-confidence is achieved, all the other traits of self-m astery follow. M any m ystical traditions and w ritings, including Unto Thee 1 G rant, point out that only the trusting can afford honesty, for only they can see its value. The trusting are inherently tolerant, for they have no need to judge others of the world. The trusting can afford to be gentle for harm ing others is the outcom e of false judgm ent. Inner joy is an inevitable result o f gentleness w ith others and w ith self. Thus, it also is a result of having tolerance and honesty and trust. W hen we discover that we can be joyful living in this world o f adventure and ever-new experience, we find we can be more open. We can becom e w alking question marks, open-m inded to what life has to teach us. Can we be open to the w orld and relationships if w e are resistant, intolerant, dishonest with ourselves and others, untrusting? W ithout trust, can w e be generous? Can we give away, release, and let go of our knowledge and accom plishm ents, sharing what we have with others that we may be open to receiving new gifts from life? Can w e “ let g o ” in the Rosicrucian sense, without trust? Patience also is natural to those w ho trust, w ho have confidence. Those w ho are confident in the outcome, re­ gardless o f what it will be, can afford patience, to wait w ith­

out anxiety, to anticipate events with joy and an open-hearted desire to learn, grow, and evolve. To lead people to an experience of that cosm ic power that creates in us confidence or intense trust, the ancient m ystery schools gave w orthy aspirants an opportunity for initiation. In reference to the Eleusinian M ysteries, Aristotle com m ents that the m ystes or initiate w as not m eant to learn anything, but to suffer an experience and be moved. Per­ haps this is w hat the Zen Master, Nan Sen, m eant when he said, “ Learning is not the path, intellect is not the Buddha.” W hat then w as the startling shock the m ystes received when confronted by an ear o f grain, grown out o f season and si­ lently harvested? In prior cerem ony and myth the m ystes had becom e aware of the cycles o f death and rebirth. The sacred ear of grain certainly gave the initiate the recollected certainty of life’s continuity. A precious intellectual revelation, as we w ell know, but one that even many non-initiates were aware of. The ear o f w heat in this context w ould not inspire in the initiate the confidence in his own fate that reports o f the time w ould indicate, or the m agic form ula that w as uttered would suggest: “And behold in this season w hen no grain grows, an ear of grain has grow n.” In fact, the eaT of grain grown and m aturing with supernatural suddenness is like the vine grow ing in a few hours in part o f the revels of Dionysus; and we find the very same plant m iracles in the nature festivals o f m any ancient cultures. The ear o f wheat suddenly grown, silently harvested and displayed to the m ystes is really a mystical revelation— a revelation o f the eternal cosm ic principle within us, the prin­

ciple that gave to hum anity the fruit o f life. This principle cannot be injured, cannot be destroyed, is actual and ever­ lasting. M oreover, the revelation denotes an unexpected ap­ pearance o f the eternal principle for a tim eless m om ent in the m ind and heart o f the initiate. Here we have the m eaning o f the display. This alone can account for the quiet beatific certainty conferred upon the in itia te du rin g the S u p rem e E leu sin ian In itiatio n . Shocked by the ear o f grain appearing out o f time, and with the use o f the ancient technique o f assum ption, the m ystes becom es one with the grief o f D em eter at the apparent loss o f the daughter, Persephone, to the underw orld of sleep, darkness and death; and one w ith the joy o f D em eter at the return of her daughter in the spring of reawakened conscious­ ness. In that tim eless m om ent out o f season, the m ystes can plunge to the depths and rise to the heights o f godlike feel­ ing, yet rem ain at center still Self— tim eless, actual, cre­ ative. In this m om ent the initiate gives birth to a confidence, an intense trust in the directive pow er o f life and its pow er for renewal, adaptation, and evolution transcending ordi­ nary human experience and expectation. Upon deep reflection, perhaps, we too shall find that the m eaning of such initiation and its experienced truth is all the more profound in that it does not make the initiate d e­ pendent on the favor o f any single pow er or idea, but links the initiate through an experience o f cosm ic presence with the great m ovem ents and m om ents o f a divine cosmos.

he Thought Processes (involving the principles and tech­ niques o f Concentration, Contem plation, M editation, and A ssum ption) indicate that the human mind is a constel­ lation o f sensory inform ation, feelings and em otions, induc­ tive and deductive reasoning, m odern and archaic m em o­ ries, intuition and im agination. Thinking can use all of these faculties and qualities o f the w hole mind. The Rosicrucian Thought Process can assist in developing mental faculties, each in their proper place and time, so that each can contrib­ ute its part to the whole of our understanding.

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Each stage o f the Thought Process contributes to our experience o f wholeness. Concentration exercises can in­ crease aw areness in the objective and subjective worlds. In contemplation our judgm ent and reason are used to discrimi­ nate and evaluate our sensory inputs and im aginative con­ structions. By discovering m echanism s o f action and their practical application, w e learn to m aster ourselves and bal­ ance our inner and outer worlds. In m editation and assum ption, confusion and disjointed thoughts can melt away, to be replaced by a unifying, health­ ful, and loving experience o f the Inner Self. Imaginative im pressions received in m editation and assum ption give deeper m eaning to the fruits o f concentration and contem ­ plation. They can explain the past, give insight into the present and indicate future possibilities. These psychic im ­

pressions and inner experiences can offer courses of action, guide us in decision making, and lead us to new insights to again be validated by observation, contem plation, and ex ­ perience. Insight, itself, is a result o f a unification of all thought processes, including active and passive stages. Since cre­ ativity involves both doing and not-doing, w e cannot force the process. However, through the application o f principles like these, w e com e to understand the m echanism of cre­ ativity. We discover that we can use all of our conscious abilities to their fullest extent so as to meet life’s challenges harmoniously. Then, w e can relax the objective mind and release problem s to the powers o f the Inner Self. Below our conscious awareness, unconnected thoughts and observa­ tions shift and realign themselves, offering a solution or in­ spiration— often w hen we least expect it— one that we can contem plate further and possibly act upon. Synchronicity is C.G. Ju n g ’s term for experiences which present us w ith m eaningful coincidences in our lives. Syn­ chronistic experiences associated with im agination, creativ­ ity, and mysticism are often difficult to com municate. Sym ­ bolic experiences often elude intellectual statements. If, for exam ple, we were only to set forth a philosophy, we could proceed by setting forth the concepts involved. If we were interested in presenting a body o f theoretical knowledge, we would proceed by presenting the assum ptions, describ­ ing the evidence, and moving toward our conclusions in logi­ cal terms. We could analyze, delineate, and com m unicate our position by m eans of intellectual ideas. But in the m ys­ tical approach the prim ary material to be com m unicated is not only intellectual. The material to be com m unicated is a

quality o f our experience. The essence of this com m unica­ tion can be a tone or feeling. Tone and feeling are often w hat is lost in an intellectual statem ent. In general, the poetic and mystical approach com m uni­ cates concepts through the use o f analogies and metaphors. M any years ago A lfred A dler m ade the rem ark that, “ Man knows more than he understands.” A dler calls to our atten­ tion that, w hile our know ledge o f the world is w orked out prim arily by m eans of intellect, w e also possess a way of know ing that operates by som ething other than rational pro­ cedures. If intellect and reason can be spoken of as operat­ ing on the “ surface” of the mind, then this other aspect of knowing may lie much deeper. This know ing lies beneath the surface of conscious awareness. D escribing our experi­ ence o f what A dler spoke o f as “greater than understand­ ing,” can be m ost difficult. To speak o f any experience of the psyche can be diffi­ cult. W hen we speak of the levels or p lanes of conscious­ ness, w e can understand that we are using an image and conception o f depth and height only in a m etaphoric sense. These term s are not m eant literally. This m etaphor of depth provided a fruitful context of thought ever since Freud be­ gan to think in term s of the strata o f the unconscious. Freud, however, approached the depth o f personality in term s of repression. This is the idea that a person living in society has certain urges and m em ories which he cannot bear and is unwilling either to express, experience, or remember; there­ fore, he represses them. O nce they are repressed, Freud believed that they dropped into the unconscious. In the un­ conscious they were supposed to be transformed so that they

w ere no longer expressed in literal form but were sym bol­ ized. F reud’s m odel provided a basis for a pathology o f the mind. In contrast to this conception, Ju n g ’s m odel o f the mind is sim ilar to the m ystical approach. Jung and the mystic study the subconscious in term s o f a natural process of grow th, tran sfo rm atio n , and even tran sm u tatio n o f the psyche. The m etaphor that is most appropriate is that of the seed or the unfolding rose. In the seed there is the potential­ ity that carries all the possibilities of w hat the full-grown species can become. Thus, the fullness of the oak tree is latent in the acorn. Similarly, between the depths and heights o f man, the m arriage of objective consciousness and the subconscious produces a new child of the mind— the bearer of hum an potentialities. This sym bolic child of the mind contains the possibili­ ties for developm ents that are present in the individual, but w hich are not visible because they have not yet becom e m anifest in life. We cannot see them until they begin, like the rose, to unfold and fulfill them selves in the outer world. For this the aspirant is w illing to develop a capacity for ob­ serving the inw ard process of grow th w hile it is still in m o­ tion. With this also come abilities to distinguish the corre­ sponding opportunities for grow th in the outer w orld o f the senses. A s we become more sensitive, attuning both inwardly and outwardly, we are able, w ith the balancing force o f con­ tem plative reason, to draw these potentialities forward. To provide an opportunity for this is a prim ary task o f the R osi­ crucian experience.

A C hild o f the M in d is a sym bol o f the future. The child is also sym bolic o f that stage of life when old form s of think­ ing are transform ed and acquire a new simplicity. From this condition o f transform ation arises the conception o f the m ind’s child as being sym bolic o f the Inner Self, the M ystic Center, the Entheos (God or divine force within). The Child of the M ind is o f the Soul, a product o f the conjunction of conscious and subconscious. In fact, one often dream s of a child when a great spiritual change is about to take place. In Egyptian myth, Osiris (a Soul figure) is dismembered, taken apart and disassociated. He can be thought o f as a symbol o f the analytical mind and the left side o f the brain. Isis (another Soul figure) reassem bles Osiris, puts him back together and unites with him. She is a symbol of synthesis, im aginative thought, and the right side o f the brain. The product o f the m arriage w as Horus, the holy Child. Horus is a much revered symbol because he has the pow er to en­ com pass all that Osiris and Isis separately represent. He w as also a m ore ancient symbol than either Isis or Osiris. H orus or the H aw k w as an em blem of the Soul and implied solar transfiguration. From H orus the figure of the phoenix was derived. The Phoenix is H orus before the throne of the M ystical Golden Dawn. Jung has indicated that such powerful sym bols appear as spontaneous im ages which em erge from the depth of the subconscious. They act as vehicles by w hich the potential­ ity latent in the subconscious is carried forward as “on wings of thought.” The transform ing symbol em bodies the open future as that future is becom ing the present in the open child-like recesses o f the individual. The symbol provides

the m otive force by which this potentiality can unfold and becom e manifest in the world o f form. From this perspective, it seem s most inadvisable to ap­ proach an im aginative symbol only in an analytical way. If we reduce our inner sym bols to experiences o f the past, we deprive them o f their potentiality. Relying solely on analy­ sis can result in a m ajor error o f interpretation because the symbol, as a factor of unfoldm ent, does not have its origins just in our past experience any m ore than the potentials of an egg are drawn just from the past experience of the chicken it is about to become. To break the symbol apart and ana­ lyze it before it has been com pletely experienced deprives the symbol o f its pow er for life. Better to let the symbol live its life first before perform ing an autopsy and dissect­ ing it. Thus, a more vital and productive way to w ork with sym bols and thoughts is to w ork w ith them affirm atively, to encourage them, nurture them, and draw them forw ard by giving them life through the principles and techniques of assumption. By means of such life, the process o f individual growth and unfoldm ent can proceed, m oving through the symbol which functions as the active psychic vehicle for expansion o f consciousness. M any seekers come to the Rosicrucian O rder feeling frustrated because their lives seem so m eaningless to them. They may feel that if they could know the m eaning of life, they could be more productive, fulfilled, and at peace within themselves. We w ish to share our knowledge w ith them, but o f course, w e cannot do this in one easy lesson, or even in ten lessons for that matter! For w e cannot tell a person

w hat the m eaning of life is. Each person com es to experi­ ence the m eaning of life for him self and herself. Each per­ son com es to be initiated into a meaningful life, for the ex­ perience o f a meaningful life involves an intim ate aw are­ ness. A m ajor part o f the meaning of life is contained in the process of discovering it. Awareness of a m eaningful life develops from an ongoing growth that is experienced through an ever-deepening contact w ith actuality, w ith w hat is. To speak as if this w ere an objective knowledge, like the War o f 1812 between England and the United States, misses the point. The m eaning o f life is indeed objective w hen it is reached, but the way to it is by a path o f subjectivities as well as objectivities. It is by way o f a marriage o f objective with the subjective, rational with irrational, analytical with im aginative. It requires a series o f profound experiences within the privacy of the psychic self. The m eaning of life cannot be told. It is a secret, a mystery. It happens to a person. A know ledge o f the nature of thought and an aw are­ ness o f o n e’s own psyche is valuable in assisting this to hap­ pen, but m eaning is a gift that is given to a person from within.

hrough the study o f intuition the Rosicrucian reaches th e fro n tie r o f in te lle c tu a l an d s p iritu a l pow er. Rosicrucians learn that great progress in peo p le’s lives de­ pends on the release and utilization of intuitive powers. No significant discovery, insight, or creative production has com e about solely as a result of objective m ental activity. Laboratory experim ents as well as scores o f interviews with scientists, w riters, com posers, and artists attest to the fact that solutions to problem s are achieved only after they have been released to the subconscious or intuitive faculty of the mind.

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Claude M. Bristol and H arold Sherm an, in their book T.N.T. or the Creative Pow er Within, tell about Thom as Alva E dison’s practice o f taking multiple catnaps as he worked on an invention. W hen he felt blocked, after exerting him ­ self to the utmost, Edison would lie down on his couch and fall asleep. He claim s always to have received additional light on his problem. The German psychiatrist H erbert Silberer experimented with this process by putting him self in a borderline state and trying to think through com plicated problem s he had been unable to solve in the normal w aking state. He found that the com plicated problem he w as considering would dis­ appear from aw areness and would be replaced by a m ean­ ingful form o f sym bolic imagery. One problem Silberer

contem plated w as, “If intuition is universal, why do some people intuit to do one thing, w hile others intuit to do som e­ thing else?” Silberer wrote: In a state of drow siness I contemplate an abstract topic such as the nature o f judgem ent valid for all people . . . . A struggle between active thinking and drowsiness sets in. The drow siness becom es strong enough to disrupt normal thinking and to allow, in the tw ilight state so produced, the appear­ ance of an auto-sym bolic phenom enon. The content of my thought presents itself im mediately in the form o f a perceptual picture (for an instant apparently real): I see a big circle (or transparent sphere) in the air w ith people around it w hose heads reach into the circle. This symbol expresses practically everything I w as thinking of. The [universal] judgem ent is valid for all people w ithout exception— the circle includes all the heads. The validity must have its grounds in com m onality: the heads all belong in the same hom ogeneous sphere. Not all judgem ents are [universal]: the body and the lim bs of the people are outside (below ) the sphere as they stand on the ground as independent individuals. W hat had happened? In my drowsiness my abstract ideas were, w ithout conscious interference, replaced by a perceptual picture, by a symbol. (See Figure 16)

Silberer goes on to say that he found this picture-think­ ing an easier form of thought than rational logic. Silberer

Fig. 16. Silberer’s sym bolic conception o f human judgments.

conducted extensive experim ents in the borderline state, considering com plex, abstract thought and w aiting atten­ tively for sym bolic im ages to appear. He found that his thoughts in this state alw ays gave rise to images, thus dem ­ onstrating to him that the mind autom atically transform s verbal inform ation into unifying picture symbols. A nother exam ple Silberer gave is as follows: “ My thought is: I am to im prove a halting passage in an essay. Symbol: I see m y­

self planing a piece of w ood.” He therefore proceeded to “ shave” w ords from the essay. In term s of the principles taught by the Rosicrucians, w hat Silberer did w as to put him self in a receptive, border­ line state; he introduced a problem he had already analyzed, and looked for an answ er to appear as a receptive visualiza­ tion. The results of his experiments dem onstrated that prob­ lem -solving visualizations are often symbolic. Imaginative images or symbols that spontaneously come to our awareness arise from beyond our objective conscious­ ness. They come to us from an inner center, from an intui­ tive faculty of mind. They do so in their capacity to join inner and outer worlds, spiritual w ith material, invisible with visible, macrocosm w ith m icrocosm, im agination w ith ob­ jectivity, actuality w ith reality. If w e are w illing, they bring about for us a m arriage o f the mind. Sym bolic thinking can be an art of thinking in images rather than words. An image is expressed as a sym bol to com m unicate a m eaning beyond the obvious, beyond the grasp of reason. Because there are innum erable things be­ yond the range of objective, hum an understanding, we con­ stantly use sym bolic term s to represent concepts (such as infinity) that we cannot define or fully com prehend. The symbol, then, is a m echanism for understanding. It forms a bridge between a metaphysical world in which a Divine Mind encom passes A ll, and the physical world of the brain and senses in w hich All can never be perfectly known. In the physical w orld, no m atter how pow erful a telescope or m i­ croscope m an builds, there always rem ains m atter that can­ not be seen even w ith the aided eye. The hum an physical

senses, as com plex and m arvelous as they are, are limited in w hat they can perceive. T herefore, hum an know ledge gained through the physical senses can never be perfect or complete. Contrary to popular belief, the scientific method com ­ bines intuition with objective observation to acquire new knowledge. New ideas come from intuition, w ithout which the inform ation w e gather through random observation w ould be a m eaningless train of facts. Intuition and reason bring the random observations together into a m eaningful relationship and into an ordered system. Experim entation and em pirical observation are m ethods for verifying and validating the new ideas already hypothesized by the intu­ ition, thus adding these ideas into the realm o f new know l­ edge. In scientific research the key is to possess the insight that will enable one to ask the m eaningful question. The answ er is im plicit in the question. The m eaningful question is arrived at by transcending the older realities and the physi­ cal perceptions that are based on these older realities. The new symbol— the instrum ent o f understanding— allow s us to transcend the lim its o f old realities and perceptions. Goethe said, “In the symbol, the particular represents the g e n e ra l. . . as a living and m om entary revelation of the in­ scrutable.” Intuitive sym bols can reveal the essence o f great truths that cannot be com prehended by the intellect alone. Sym ­ bols, by their nature, can resolve paradoxes and create order from disorder. In flashes o f insight, they provide know l­ edge w hich joins dispersed, disparate fragm ents in a unitary

vision. We see, if only for a mom ent, the greater schem e of things, the unity o f the universe, and our place in it. We see unity in term s o f form and image corresponding to the ob­ jective world surrounding us— the only things that are “ seeable”— yet we now see these concrete images in a novel, non-ordinary light. Intuitive cognition is apt to be unreliable unless preceded by (1) a w illingness to have a transform ed viewpoint, (2) a w illingness to m ake an energetic effort to gain information, and (3) a w illingness to conduct a scientific evaluation of the idea. The sym bolic model or hypothesis can be evalu­ ated by experience in the objective world. Thus, w hile sym ­ bolic m odels and intuitive hypotheses can be derived by proceeding stepwise through a process of concentration-contem plation-m editation, w e return to an objective state of concentration so as to verify the validity of the intuited sym ­ bol. If we allow it, our process o f thought can be an ascend­ ing spiral, for in returning to concentration, more details are again observed; the return to contem plation reveals even more about the operation o f the idea being considered; while a return to the borderline or m editative state may dem on­ strate that our intuited symbol can now explain more, and give m eaning and significance to m ore aspects o f the objec­ tive world than we previously realized. A return to the m edi­ tative state can also result in the transform ation o f the origi­ nal realization into a m ore powerful symbol or model. The transformed symbol is now m ore pow erful in the sense that it has the capacity to explain and predict more about nature (see Figures 17 and 18).

W h e n th e h u m a n mind approaches a basic problem such as the na­ ture o f matter, observa­ tions only provide raw data with which to begin. The observations them ­ selves do not contain the concepts w ith w hich the data can be given signifi­ cance and meaning. For ex am p le, a stone or a solid block o f wood does not suggest the moving p a rtic le s o f m a tte r in term s o f w hich the atom is conceived. The con­ cep tio n o f the ato m ic theory does not lie in the w ood, but in the mind of ,

,

.

1<7 .

rig . 17. A m odel o f spiralm gplanes o f consciousness in which realities can be continually transformed by the repeated process ofconcentrative-contemplative-

tne p erso n w h o inter* pretS w hat is seen. The im a g e b ro u g h t f o rth from the intuition proves medi,ative e*Perienceits value by its usefulness in interpreting raw data. U lti­ mately, the test o f the image lies in facts o f observation, as the image o f the universe contained in E instein’s General Theory o f Relativity required an eclipse to validate its in­ sight. Even w hen a sym bolic image, as a theory, is verified in a specific case by external evidence, it still rem ains a w ork­

ing symbol w hose “truth” is not absolute, but relative and m etaphoric. A symbol is a reality and not an actuality. It is defined by the sym bolic term s of the governing image, as the conception o f the atom. This is the sense in w hich Einstein can say, “Physics is an attempt conceptually to grasp reality as it is thought independent o f its being observed.” The consequence o f this approach followed by physics is a self-consistent version of reality m arked off by the fram e­ w ork of the sym bols it is using. At certain points this ver­ sion of reality is tested by external observation, but its esCREAT1VE S Y N T H E S IS & R EA S SE M B L Y O F PARTS IN TO A U N IF IE D M O D E L O R H Y P O T H E SIS. N E W R E L A T IO N S H IP S & IN T E R A C T IO N S D IS C O V E R E D & PR E D IC T E D .

(R EPEA TA B LE & U N B IA SE D )

, C O M PA R ISO N O F O B SERV A ­ T IO N S W IT H C U R R E N T R E A L IT Y M O D EL .

Fig. 18. Correspondence o f the methodologies o f science and Rosicru­ cian mysticism. One o f the basic tenets o f both methodologies is the rejection o f authority and dogma— the refusal to accept a statement just because someone says it is true. Rather, by keeping an open mind to­ ward new realities and by using the process o f concentration-contemplation-meditation, individuals come to self-knowledge and a knowl­ edge o f se lf

sence lies in the inner logic o f its sym bolic system . “In this sense,” Einstein w rote, “w e speak of physical reality.” Physical reality as Einstein defines the term , is not the com m onsense reality of the physical world. It is not the stone w e stub our toe on. Physical reality is rather the selfconsistent body o f know ledge im plied by the symbol struc­ ture o f m odern physics. It is a reality defined by its fram e­ w ork o f imagery. No claim is m ade that the im age’s portrait of “truth” is m ore than relative and partial; but it nonethe­ less greatly extends hum an know ledge and w isdom . By means o f sym bols the Rosicrucian student learns to direct the forces o f nature. Just as atom ic physics opened access to a dim ension of reality that had not been experienced before and made tre­ m endous am ounts of energy available to hum ans, so the grow th and evolution of our personal realities and sym bolic conceptions contact greater sources of personal strength and release greater pow ers o f personality. To the Rosicrucian student, each and every shape, color, object, and action in the w orld is a visible form o f a vibratory level o f a prim al thought existing beyond the sensate mind. These visible form s o f vibration, like sym bols, are capable of com bina­ tion and rearrangem ent, giving rise to the innum erable nu­ ances of knowledge. If w e view the world o f our senses in this way, w e can becom e sensible to sim ilar or correspond­ ing m om ents w ithin our experience. We can transcend the lim itations of the physical w orld and enter the w orld o f the A bsolute. The genuine basis for intuitive sym bolism , then, is the correspondence linking together orders o f reality, bind­ ing them one to another, and consequently extending from the natural order as a w hole to a Cosm ic Order. By virtue of

this correspondence, the w hole o f nature is but a symbol. Hence, the genuine significance o f Nature becom es appar­ ent as we allow it to be a pointer directing the w illing heart to an experience of Cosm ic Truth. The parallel between physics and the Rosicrucian phi­ losophy of m ind is that both use symbolic concepts to set energy free; but there the parallel ends. The quality o f their application is different. Each leads to a body o f knowledge regarding its special segm ent o f reality, but the Rosicrucian conception of mind and psychic reality leads to more than intellectual know ledge. It leads to disciplines for develop­ ing larger personal capacities for experience and fuller par­ ticipation in dim ensions o f reality that reach beyond the in­ dividual.

C h a p te r 7

IMAGINATION

he exploration of the M arriage of the M ind w as under­ taken by many people, w ho brought their special ex­ pertise and experience to the investigation. During the twelve years of Mindquest and the A M ORC Research Program, two people made a special contribution to the study of im agina­ tion, sym bolic function, and dream , show ing the relation­ ship o f these mental qualities to processes o f thought and integration. In this chapter, the first section is w ritten by June Schaa, w ho dem onstrates the im portance o f our im agi­ nation to the integration of the whole person. In the second section, M ichael Bukay indicates how a symbol can perm e­ ate our entire life experience. In the third section, w e will explore mind-body integration, and in the fourth section, w e will exam ine the contribution o f our sym bolic thinking to our health. From these discussions, w e will gain the un­ derstanding that our im agination is a central feature of our life experience.

T

T H E INW ARD D R E A M O F T H E SOUL

W hy is it that w e cannot foresee clearly, definitely, and w ithout limit into the future? Perhaps w e limit im agination to the simple reproduction of what we already know. But true im agination is the inw ard dream of Soul; it is the poet’s mirror in w hich the Cosm ic is reflected. Rosicrucians have

long taught that im agination is the divine gift of Soul. It is the principle w hich is behind aspiration, the basis for the four perfect states of being.1 All aspiration is concerned w ith things that are conceived but not yet attained. Through this sublim e idealism we can transform the w orld, convert­ ing it from w hat we conceive it to be. Im agination sheds illum ination on the everyday world. W ith its w isdom B en­ jam in Franklin invented bifocal eyeglasses and Einstein dis­ covered relativity. Before attem pting to understand the w ays we may use im agination let us first distinguish it from other form s o f the mental process. To begin with, im agination is often m is­ taken for im aging, a form of visualization that reproduces mental images.2 Im agination includes im aging, but im ag­ ing and visualization need not be a form of imagination: they are, instead, related to “m emory classification.” A s an illustration: Concentrate your awareness on a nearby ob­ ject. If it is a tree, for exam ple, notice its colors, textures, odors, sounds. Now close your eyes. Recollect in detail the object you observed. This is im aging. On the other hand, if w e conceive a different use, an alteration or a transform a­ tion of our tree or favorite object, then w e w ould be using im agination. Im agination is also m istaken at tim es for the active in­ ductive and deductive reasoning powers. M inute by minute w e are going backw ard or forw ard, or both, in thought. Consciousness is never stationary w hen awake. Through the use of these subjective powers of reasoning w e are en­ abled to ask questions, classify, and evaluate our percep­ tions. The more w e reason or contem plate on either the

sensory or im aginative inform ation com ing to us from w ith­ out or within, the better we come to understand and utilize w hat w e experience. We have pointed out that im agination uses but is not the same thing as im aging, visualization, inductive, or deduc­ tive thinking. Im agination is not the product o f concentra­ tion or contem plation, nor is it the passive state of aw are­ ness that leads to m editation. Instead, im agination reaches us through these three major channels o f thought. If not these things, w hat then is im agination? W hence does it come? A ccording to Rosicrucian tradition, im agination is the supreme acting factor within the subconscious mind. It al­ lows us to go beyond the lim itation of space and time. U n­ limited im agination uses a vast subconscious storehouse of memory w hich we refer to as com plete m em ory or Akashic R eco rd s.3 C reativ e im agination occu rs w hen A kashic memory com bines w ith intuition to bring together unrelated but known elem ents in a new and surprising manner. Complete memory, intuition, and im agination form a supernal triangle on the im m aterial plane. Ideal im ages ap­ pear upon the m irror o f the meditative mind and are pro­ cessed by reason, there to becom e the objects of the future. A s illustration: In his im agination during 1865 Jules Verne took a w ell-detailed trip to the moon 100 years in advance o f the actual moon landing. But futuristic ideas can also start w ith past events. Suppose I were to im agine how the earliest hum ans lived in prehistoric times. Here I am, then, imagining w hat seem s to belong to the past. But if in my conception my im agined idea were to become a reality by

m eans of scientific research, then my idea of the past would also be a present event, and any proof that w ould substantiate my imagined idea w ould make it a reality in the future. Schliem ann uncovered Troy because he first im agined it to be a city that had physical existence. How may w e encourage the inspiration that com es from the use of higher imagination? There are several methods and a few simple exercises we will now explore. The first, spontaneous imagination, begins w ith an instant impression out of nowhere— one that suddenly “pops” into mind in con­ nection to what we are doing at the moment. In order to stim ulate spontaneous im agination, try the follow ing exer­ cise som etim e today and frequently during the next week. Becom e especially aware of your surroundings. See your­ self realizing what you perceive. This is good observation. A s you see som ething while w alking, be aware of what it is that you perceive. Discover the meaning it has for you. Total concentration on w hat w e observe will open the door for subtle im pressions to appear spontaneously. Suddenly we w ill become aware of a way to im prove w hat we observe. This profound exercise of becom ing observant of the external w orld, w hile passively registering any intuitive im pressions that may come, is not done necessarily to bring about changes in w hat we perceive. Rather, the exercise is intended to help us develop a healthy memory o f everyday things, as well as building up an association of intuitive ideas. By continuous and concentrated observation, we w ill ulti­ mately bring forth in the im agination, out o f such experi­ ences, a fruitful idea. Such ideas may be practical or inspir­ ing; som ething that w ill in some way im prove the lot of others while adding to the universal harmony.

You may recall that w hile observing an apple fall from a tree, Newton had an intuitive idea that led to the law of grav­ ity. N ew ton com bined spontaneous im agination w ith the second type o f creative im agining called determ inative. D eterm inative im agination is directly related to creative ef­ fort. It is used when we deliberately plan to bring about a change or transform ation in something: i.e., w hen we set out to find a new source o f energy. Before activating determ inative im agination we should be clear in our m inds about why we desire to bring about a new idea or transform ation in som ething. D efining motives and establishing goals may elim inate building a future prob­ lem instead o f a boon for humanity. The next step involves conducting exhaustive researches into the subject in gen­ eral, thus allow ing spontaneous im agination to add changes to the existing object. W hen the necessary concentration and contem plation upon the desired subject has been ful­ filled, the m ind will naturally seek diversion. Now is the time to “let go ” o f our mental w ork and allow higher im agi­ nation to take over. And w hat better place to “let g o ” than in the m idst o f nature— the infinite source o f cosm ic corre­ spondences! N ew ton sat, sim ply adm iring nature, when an apple fell along w ith the answ er to a tem porarily forgotten question he had determ ined to solve. Many of our great and cultural advances have come about through the use o f spontaneous and determ inative im agina­ tion. However, not everything we im agine is capable of becom ing an inner and an outer reality. The vivifying pow er of im agination also lies behind fantasy, a word that has been widely m isunderstood. In the past we have tended to equate fantasy w ith the unfulfilled, repressed or dream -like char­

acter o f subjective memory w hich is no longer conscious. Instead, true fantasy, as m ystics know it, has its roots in the higher A kashic m emory of the subconscious. Today m edi­ cal science is augm enting the traditional thought about fan­ tasy. For example: the m eaning and im portance o f fairy tales in the lives o f children is being stressed by such noted psychiatrists as Bruno Bettelheim .4 However, fantasy is not only a healthy form of im agination for children alone. It can also be used constructively by adults to bring about a desired transform ation of personality. Psychologist J. M. Spiegelm an adds new light to an old concept that w hen we direct our visualization from the psychological truth of im agi­ nation, we release a type of fantasy that reaches the univer­ sal, archetypal, and m ythological level.5 New m eanings and understanding come w hen w e are not afraid to experim ent w ith the im ages that the subcon­ scious presents to us. Inspired ideas contain a secret con­ nection which the seeker will always find hidden in nature or history. Perhaps you have noticed that im agination— w hether spontaneous, determ inative, or m ythological— requires the creative use o f all faculties of mind w orking in harmony. This proper use o f im agination is well illustrated by the m edieval alchem ists’ pursuit o f the P hilosopher’s Stone. They taught that the process of creation is perform ed out­ wardly through a chem ical operation and inwardly through active im agination. “Old legends read in this new light re­ veal new possibilities; old dream s are rapidly passing into realities. T he dom ain o f the m y stic is an unexplored dreamland, an endless w onderw orld— the synthesis o f the

— HO —

beautiful and the true: And the m agical moon, w hose golden orb illum inates it, is the ‘shaping spirit o f im agination.’”

T H E C IR C L E : A G U ID E T O P E R SO N A L UNDERSTAND IN G

The circle is perhaps the most im portant mystical sym ­ bol ever used. Knowledge o f the circle allow ed the A m eri­ can Indians to penetrate beyond the veil of sensory illusion, m ap out the human consciousness, and gain a holistic un­ derstanding o f their environm ent. The circle provided deep insight into the nature o f Self and helped them to achieve unity o f mind in a system atic way. The m ysticism of the A m erican Indian has much to offer the m odern person. As a guide to personal understanding it is as universal today as it w as hundreds of years ago. The earliest mystical teachings given to Indian children concern perception and illusion. For instance, a teacher and a group o f young Indians might go to the prairie and sit in a circle. Each child describes the play of light on an eagle feather placed in the center o f the circle. The children ob­ serve that each individual sees a different image of the feather due to his or her unique position on the circle. They dis­ cover that there are as many w ays to perceive the feather as there are points on a circle. The children also learn that individual perceptions are much more com plicated than just position on the circle. One Indian m ay be near-sighted, another far-sighted. M any are in-between. Some may be color-blind, and others com pletely blind. All perceive the feather differently due to individual differences in their senses.

— ill —

On still another level, a psychological one, each Indian sees the feather in a unique way. One Indian may help make feathered headdresses for the chief, another may be allergic to feathers, and a third Indian m ay feel neutral tow ard feath­ ers. Again, each child in the circle perceives a different im age o f the feather, this tim e due to past experiences with feathers. Through this simple exercise with the circle, the Indians taught their children that there is an unlim ited num ber of w ays to perceive anything. All sense perception is illusory. W hat is im portant is not the actual nature of w hat is per­ ceived, but the understanding of our perceptions and those o f our brothers and sisters. The circle, or M edicine W heel as it is called, is the total universe and can be understood as the m irror in w hich our consciousness is reflected. “The universe is the m irror of the people,” the old teachers say, “ and each person is a m ir­ ror to every other person.” Every idea, person, and thing can be seen as a m irror giving people the opportunity to discover Self— if w e are w illing to see our own reflection. American Indian mysticism taught that each thing within the Universe W heel, except man, know s of its harmony with every other thing. Only we are bom w ith a fragmented view of the w orld. To achieve harmony we seek to understand our reflection in the Four G reat Powers of the M edicine Wheel. The Indians taught that at birth each person is given at least one o f the Four Great Powers: w isdom , innocence, il­ lum ination, or introspection. The purpose o f our spiritual

N O R TH wisdom buffalo white

W E ST introspection bear black

EAST illum ination eagle yellow SO U TH innocence mouse green

Fig. 19. The American Indians taught that at birth each person is given one o f the Four Great Powers o f the M edicine Wheel: wisdom, inno­ cence, illumination, or introspection. The purpose o f man's spiritual existence is to obtain the remaining pow ers and become a whole per­ son.

existence is to obtain the remaining gifts and become a whole person. The Indians symbolized each gift by a cardinal direc­ tion, an animal reflection, and a color (see Figure 19). For example, there are buffalo people, mice people, eagle people, and bear people. A buffalo person is born with the gift of intellect. A buffalo perso n ’s perception of the world is pri­ marily a mental one. Like the north wind and snow, how­ ever, a buffalo person is cold. The intellect m akes for a w ise person, but one without feeling. A buffalo person must try to include the heart in decision making. This buffalo person must first seek the gift of the South.

A person born only w ith the gift o f the South perceives the world like a mouse. Because of their habits, mice have an intimate touching and feeling relationship w ith the Earth, but cannot see beyond their im m ediate vision. Mice people cannot understand all they see and feel because they cannot connect their experiences with the rest of the world. A m ouse person might first seek the gift of the East, the far-sighted vision of the eagle. Eagle people can see clearly, far and wide, and into the future. A lthough very perceptive, they understand little of w hat they see. Eagle people are “ above it all” and seldom touch the Earth. They are concerned primarily w ith outer experiences and have little knowledge of their inner world. An eagle person w ill seek the gifts of the West, North, and South. Bear people from the West are introspective. They tend to run the sam e ideas over and over again in their mind. Bear people have the ability to look within them selves but becom e so occupied with inner realities that they fail to see, understand, and touch the external world. They must seek the rem aining pow ers to achieve harmony and balance. To determ ine which of the four pow ers were innate and which ones w ere to be acquired, the adult Indians carefully evaluated the ch ild ren ’s behavior and their accounts of dream s and visions. W hen the child reached adolescence, the elders had an accurate understanding of his beginning place on the M edicine W heel. They constructed a shield depicting the young person’s beginning gift and the powers he must seek to becom e a w hole person. Essentially, the shield w as a map o f the youth’s consciousness that he car­

ried everywhere and displayed for others to see. In this way, fellow seekers would know of each other’s inherent strengths and w eaknesses, and could help one another in their spiri­ tual quest. The shields brought the Indian people together with a com mon philosophy and a com m on goal o f living in harmony with every other thing in the U niverse.6 There are many similarities between the Four Great Pow­ ers o f the M edicine W heel and the method o f thought out­ lined by concentration-contem plation-m editation7 (see Fig­ ure 20). Concentration corresponds to the gift o f the South; m editation, the gift of the North. C ontem plation involves both inductive and deductive reasoning. Inductive reason

M ED ITA TIO N intuition im agination m em ory

IN D U C TIV E R EA SO N IN G m echanism o f action scientific inquiry

D ED U CTIV E R EA SO N IN G creative m anipulation o f possibilities application of science C O N C E N T R A T IO N objective sensation subjective feelings

Fig. 20. There are many similarities between the Four Great Powers o f the M edicine Wheel and the Rosicrucian method o f concentration, con­ templation (inductive and deductive reasoning), and meditation. Both systems can lead to that knowledge and wisdom perm eating mystic ex­ perience.

corresponds to the gift o f the West. Deductive reasoning corresponds to the gift of the East. The Rosicrucian method o f concentration, contem plation, and m editation is an or­ derly and holistic process of study that leads to that know l­ edge and w isdom w hich perm eates mystic experience. The Am erican Indians discovered a universality for the sym bol of the circle because of their close relationship w ith the forces of nature. The symbol of the circle provided them w ith a holistic understanding of their physical environm ent and a sense of immortality. To the A m erican Indian, everything the pow er o f the w orld does is done in a circle. Black Elk, a holy man o f the O glala Sioux explains, “The sky is round, and I have heard that the Earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The w ind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun com es forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon

4^*

O

«

o

o Fig. 21. The teachers among the Indians often constructed medicine wheels from stones or pebbles placed on the ground. Each stone repre­ sented one o f the many things in the Universe. Thus, the wheel or circle represents the entire Universe.

“The Universe is the M irror o f the People, and each person is a M irror to every other person. ”

does the sam e, and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their great changing, and always com e back again to where they were. The life o f a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where pow er moves. O ur tepees were round like the nests o f birds, and these w ere alw ays set in a circle, the nation’s hoop, a nest o f many nests, w here the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.”8 The m ovem ents of nature were circular long before the arrival o f mankind. W hen man arrived, his consciousness reflected the glories o f the universe, revealing to him the concept or symbol o f the circle. This symbol reflected back into the external world in the form of practical applications

such as the tepee, the wheel, and a w orking know ledge of the cycles o f nature. Then many ancient cultures such as the American Indian applied the sym bol o f the circle to gain an understanding of m an’s inner world. The circle became a guide to personal understanding o f the nature o f man, and m an’s place in nature.

E X E R C IS IN G T H E IM A G IN A TIO N

The use of imagination and its faculty for symbolic think­ ing is essential to those desiring M astery in Self, w hole­ ness, and an experience of the M arriage o f the Mind. The use of sym bol, like the circle, can becom e a w ay of life, a way of perceiving and integrating experiences, a way of thinking, a way of wholeness and health. The creation o f those conditions conducive to harmony and balance is of param ount im portance to the developm ent o f the mystic. For this reason the Rosicrucian student learns to balance correctly what he eats and drinks w ith how he breathes and thinks. The Rosicrucian student endeavors to eat a balanced diet, charges the w ater he drinks, and regu­ larly uses breathing exercises. He further enhances the posi­ tive qualities o f his personality w ith constructive, im agina­ tive thinking and m editating. He also plans for adequate rest, sleep, and exercise. The Rosicrucian system for attaining harmony and good health is not new. Some of the ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman mystic philosophers had sim ilar form ulas for simultaneously developing mind and body. These venerables believed that the developm ent o f one aided the activity of

the other, that exercise and physical activity could change the state of o n e ’s mind; and that conversely, mental and im aginative activity could change o n e’s physical and ath­ letic com petence. Let us exam ine each of these supposi­ tions and observe w hat basis there may be for this point of view. Throughout the ages there have been many subjective reports o f connections between personality and physical fit­ ness. Stereotypes o f the athletic personality have often re­ sulted. Some observers see the athlete as highly com peti­ tive, others see him or her as insensitive or even brutal; ath­ letes are said to be fair, sportsm an-like, masculine, arrogant, genteel, or im m ature, depending on whose assessm ent is taken. In fact, studies indicate that football coaches even stereotype players in terms of what position they play based on supposed personality characteristics, despite personal­ ity-test findings that show no relationship between position and personality. It seem s that such stereotypes are more related to the observer’s experiences with various athletes than to personality factors. There are a num ber of reports, however, that dem on­ strate differences between the personalities o f athletes and nonathletes. These studies indicate that on the average ath­ letes tend to have high levels of leadership qualities, initia­ tive, sense o f personal w orth, social maturity, self-confi­ dence, and intellectual efficiency. For instance, personality studies at West Point Academ y indicated that West Point athletes were more social, dominant, enthusiastic, adven­ turesom e, tough-m inded, group-oriented, and sophisticated than nonathletes at the sam e institution. The C uretonH eusner study o f O lym pic cham pions indicated that these

cham pions tended to be more intelligent, em otionally stable, dom inant, venturesom e, and much m ore self-assured than others. They also tended to disregard rules and reject group standards. D espite some differences and divergence in the findings of these and other studies, all seem to conclude that the physically fit person tends to be more em otionally stable, extraverted, and self-assured than his inactive coun­ terpart. W hile on the surface such studies seem to dem onstrate a relationship between physical fitness and personality, some im portant questions remain. First, there is the fundam ental problem of cause and effect. The personality of the athlete may be interpreted as a direct effect o f his physical condi­ tion and participation in athletics. His personality may be said to be an effect, to some degree, o f the special highpressure social and psychological environm ent of com peti­ tive athletics. Or, on the other hand, personality traits may be a cause of success in athletics, not an effect. The person with certain personality traits will be attracted to athletics

FACTOR emotional stability imagination guilt-proneness self-sufficiency

HIGH-FITNESS BEFORE AFTER 6.4 6.1 7.3 7.2 4.2 4.1 6.6 6.5

LOW-FITNESS BEFORE AFTER 5.4 4.6 6.1 5.3 5.4 6.1 6.4 8.0

Table 6. The Catteal 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire evaluates the intensity o f 16 major personality source traits or individual personality factors, rating each on a ten-point scale. A score on any factor m ust be higher than 6 or lower than 4 to be considered significantly "high ” or “low. ” O f the 16 personality factors, Ism ail fo u n d that exercises influ­ enced emotional stability, imagination, guilt, and self-sufficiency.

w hile those w ho lack these traits will drop out. In support o f this latter view, research indicated that personality traits vary am ong different sports and especially between persons in individual sports versus persons in team sports. Other com plications arise, though, from the fact that these studies either dealt w ith adolescents having malleable personalities or w ith sports stars at the peak o f their careers. H ence, these studies do not prove that exercise can change personality or influence the mind, and they do not reveal w hat is cause and w hat is effect. Professor A. H. Ismail at Purdue U niversity in a recent study m ay have laid to rest some o f these criticism s. He adm inistered the Cattell 16 Personality Inventory (see Table 6) to middle-aged participants before a physical-fitness pro­ gram, and then again four m onths later. The fitness pro­ gram consisted o f the num bers 1 1/2 hours three tim es a w eek of group calisthenics, supervised running and a p e­ riod o f either swim m ing or team sports. Twenty-eight par­ ticipants w ere divided into tw o groups of fourteen depend­ ing on high or low physical fitness at the start of the training period. Physical fitness criteria consisted of: exercise heart rate, percent lean body mass, m aximal oxygen intake cor­ rected by lean body mass, subm axim al m inute volum e of ventilation corrected by body w eight and resting diastolic blood pressure. A com parison of personality factors at the start showed that the high-fitness group had significantly higher scores only on em otional stability and imagination. A second com parison o f personality factors at the con­ clusion o f the program revealed that the low -fitness group’s

score on em otional stability had increased so markedly that there no longer w as a significant difference between the two groups on that factor. A high score on this factor is associ­ ated with em otional maturity, calmness, the ability to per­ ceive reality accurately despite em otional involvement, and with restraint in avoiding difficulties; low scores show a ten­ dency to be affected by feelings and are som ewhat related to, but not identical with general neuroticism. The low fit­ ness group’s score also showed increased im aginativeness, but as a group they still were not as strong as the high-fitness group. Im agination is a subtle trait. People in the high im aginative factor seemed to have an intense subjective and inner mental life; they are often described as unconventional, absorbed in ideas, enthralled by inner creations, and are gen­ erally enthusiastic. Self-sufficiency was greatly increased in the low-fitness groups even beyond that of the high-fitness group. High scores in self-sufficiency indicate resourcefulness and in­ troversion, and such a person is likely to be resolute and accustom ed to m aking his own decisions. The low-fitness group also dem onstrated a modest increase in proneness to guilt w hich may have been due either to guilt at taking time away from usual business activities or guilt at being con­ fronted w ith the problem of physical unfitness. W hile it may be difficult to explain all these changes and differences, two broad interpretations are immediately apparent. There can be a direct physical effect and benefit of conditioning due to exercise, such as in increased blood circulation to the brain, and there can be a psychological effect on personality w hich may be the result of setting,

m eeting, and conquering goals. Finally, both o f these fac­ tors m ay interact w ith, reinforce, and facilitate each other. Ism ail’s study confirm s w hat exercise enthusiasts have claim ed for thousands o f years: that physical activity can rapidly change the state o f o n e’s m ind, and that the effect on the m ind can be o f greater im portance and benefit than sim ­ ply the value o f exercise to the body. This study im plies that in only three m onths one can im prove self-confidence, stability, and im agination by m eans o f physical activity. But w hat about the reverse condition? Can proper use o f the im agination, mental stability, and self-confidence increase athletic prowess? M any research studies in recent years have dem onstrated the value of visualizing or mental practice o f an upcom ing situation or the sym bolic rehearsal of a physical activity in the absence o f any gross m uscular m ovem ent. The classic experim ent regarding mental practice w as reported by A us­ tralian psychologist A lan Richardson concerning the effects of visualization on free-throw scores o f basketball players. The study involved three groups o f students chosen at ran­ dom, none of w hom had ever practiced visualization. The first group practiced m aking free-throw s every day for tw enty days. The second group m ade free-throw s on the first and tw entieth days, w ith no practice in between. The third group also m ade free-throw s on the first and last days, but, in addition, they spent twenty m inutes a day im agining sinking baskets. A s in the external w orld, w hen these stu­ dents m entally missed, they tried to correct their aim on the next shot. The first group, w ho actually practiced, im proved 24% betw een the first and last day. The second group, who

had done no practice o f any kind, did not im prove at all. The third group, w ho visualized throw ing the ball through the basket, im proved 23% . Sim ilar studies involving dart throw ing and other m otor activities show the sam e kind of result. Richardson noted that vividness o f im agery am ong the mental practicers is less im portant than their ability to con­ trol the image. In other w ords, for visualizers to benefit from mental practice, it is not necessary for their image to be as real as life, but it is im portant for them to be able to picture each p a rt o f the free-throw. Richardson also con­ cluded (as did the ancient R osicrucians) that mental prac­ tice is more effective if the visualizer “feels” as well as “sees” the activity he is sym bolically practicing. For exam ple, a person picturing free-throw s w ould have better results if he “felt” the ball in his hands and “heard” the ball bounce, as well as “saw ” the bail drop through the basket. M any professional athletes, in thinking over their rea­ sons for success, have realized the im portance of holding im ages in the mind. A num ber of athletes have w ritten books about and developed w hole teaching system s based on v i­ sualization. A lex M orrison in his book B etter G o lf Without P ractice says a person m ust have a clear mental im age o f the correct swing, and be able to visualize it, before he can do it successfully. Ben Hogan has described m entally re­ hearsing each shot, “feeling” the club head striking the ball, and “feeling” him self follow through in the correct manner. Johnny Bulla, another professional golfer, believed in pic­ turing the end result. H e instructed people to see m entally their ball dropping in the cup, to know that it would happen.

In The Inner G am e o f Tennis W. Timothy G allwey in­ structs people to picture hitting the ball w here they w ant it to go and then let it happen (in Rosicrucian term inology this is called release):

. . . stand on the base line, breathe deeply a few tim es and relax. Look at the can [target for the exercise]. Then visualize the path o f the ball from your racket to the can. See the ball hitting the can right on the label. If you like, shut your eyes and im agine yourself serving and the ball hitting the can. Do this several times. If in your im agination the ball m isses the can, that’s all right; repeat the image a few tim es until the ball hits the target. N ow take no thought o f how you should hit the ball. D on’t try to hit the target. A sk your body . . . to do w hatever is necessary to hit the can, then let it do it. Exercise no control; correct for no im ag­ ined bad habits. H aving program m ed yourself with the desired flight of the ball, simply trust your body to do it. Studies show that im aginative mental practice can im ­ prove self-confidence. But not only does visualization in­ crease confidence, it also directly effects muscles. In his experim ents the physiologist Edm und Jacobson showed that a person’s m uscles dem onstrated sm all (invisible) but de­ tectable am ounts o f electrical activity associated w ith m ove­ m ent when that person im agined a specific activity. Thus, a person m ay develop m uscle m em ory o f an activity and bet­

ter coordination sim ply by im agining that activity, as well as by engaging in it. W hat is apparent from studies such as these is not only that the m ind’s activities affect the body and the body’s ac­ tivities affect the mind, but that both reinforce each other. The process of visualization and release is the key, for it is hum an im agination that allow s the interaction o f both body and mind. Both physical and mental exercise give us the opportunity to use and develop our im agination. Learning to rely on the Inner S elf and the conditions w hich the Inner S elf can im agine and direct is w hat builds self-confidence, em otional stability, and self-assurance. The Rosicrucian principles of visualization, release, and inner experience can be broadly applied in every aspect of our daily life. B etter physical condition and im proved per­ sonality characteristics are but exam ples of w hat can result from such application. The principles, the process, and the technique are lim ited only by our im agination.

IM A G IN A T IO N AND T H E H E A L IN G M IN D

The use o f sym bolic thinking and psychic energization techniques for physical health and healing dates back to well before the rise o f experim ental science. In fact, visualiza­ tion may be the oldest healing technique em ployed by the ancients. The earliest records of such techniques are found on cuneiform slabs from Babylonia and Sumeria, and on tem ple w alls and papyri o f ancient Egypt. We might as­ sume that there were antecedents for these techniques among ancient aboriginal tribes. These techniques may still be prac­

ticed am ong the aboriginal tribes today. The practice of the healing art in these tribes centers around their shamans, spe­ cial mem bers o f the tribe w ho are believed to have the power to heal diseases. Sham ans can believe they are in contact w ith tribal spirits through dream s, visions, and m ystical ex­ periences— that is, through form s o f sym bolic thinking and visualization. Sham ans heal through sym bolic cerem onies and rituals in w hich disease-causing, m alevolent spirits are sym bolized, im aged, and confronted by im ages of a pow er­ ful, positive force. By this m eans, the pow er of the m alevo­ lent spirit is dissipated. The m ask (or persona) is the con­ crete form o f a sham an’s spiritual visualization. A ncient civilizations used sym bolic thinking in sim ilar w ays. In Egypt, Babylonia, and A ssyria, people believed illness w as caused by evil spirits. Treatm ent constituted an appeal to the deities to exorcise a dem on from the patient. Special priests acted as diagnosticians and interpreted signs from the sun and storm gods. Significantly, these priests referred to their own dreams. T he patient also might be encouraged to receive a healing dream by sleeping in the temple. A ncient G reek, Indian, and Oriental civilizations used te c h n iq u e s fo r h e a lin g s im ila r to th e E g y p tia n an d Babylonian ones. In their healing cerem onies, the magician-priest w ould perform incantations and prayers, and also use dream s, herbal rem edies, and devices invested w ith magic. In these healing system s, disease, visualized in the im age of a dem on, w as exorcised by a figure o f authority, a physician-priest. T hat figure derived authority from his ability to visualize an infinitely higher authority, a spirit, or

god. Therefore, the god w as believed to heal through the priests. However, evolving alongside this authoritative m ode of healing w as a m ore subjective, mystical philosophy based on people experiencing their ow n im agery and the flow of psychic energies w ithin them selves. This m ystical tradition perm eated the thought o f H erm etic philosophers in Egypt, Platonic philosophers in Greece, Sufis in Persia, and B ud­ dhists and H indus in India and the Orient. In the M iddle A ges in Europe it expressed itself in the m ysticism of C hris­ tian Gnostics, Jew ish Qabbalists, and the secret m ystical or­ ders like the Rosicrucians. The philosophers in these groups held in com mon a sym­ bolic im age o f a spiritual center w hich form ed the universe. They believed that this sym bolic center could be touched by individuals through their use o f visualization and m edi­ tation. These philosophers held im ages that supported their belief in the prim acy of spirit over matter, of mind over body; they believed that m atter is a m anifestation o f spirit. They believed that sym bolic thinking could m anifest itself as ei­ ther health or disease in the body. Just as a skill in basket­ ball or tennis can be im proved through the use o f inner re­ hearsals in visualization and m editation, so too the body can respond to attitude and symbolic imagery in matters of health. In m odern term s, then, w hat is sym bolically experienced in the m ind can have profound effects in the body. The m odem basis o f Rosicrucian health and healing in­ struction draws heavily on the Nodin manuscript. This in ­ struction dates from about A .D . 1350. However, the m ate­ rial which it presented is far older than that date, possibly

going back to the tim e o f Plato, A naxagoras, and Plotinus of Greece, and the H erm etic tradition o f Egypt. In essence it says: there is One creative force in the universe, a divine mind. This creative force or D ivine M ind is o f a vibratory nature and it separates into a positive and negative polarity. The im age conveyed by the N odin m anuscript is of this Vi­ tal Source stream ing to us through our Sun, although it was thought that the actual force com ing through our Sun origi­ nated in a far more rem ote area, a central universal source. Rosicrucian studies go into great detail concerning the o p ­ erations o f these tw o polarities. A balance o f these two aspects is experienced in the body as harmonium. Harmonium manifests as vital, vibrant health. From the Rosicrucian concept, a lack of harm onium or dis­ harmony is an im balance between these tw o aspects, and this im balance perm its the condition o f disease or ill health to arise and m anifest. In this view, ill health has its begin­ ning in the psychic or im m aterial part o f man. To the R osi­ crucian harmony is thus param ount to the healing processes. Once harm ony is disrupted, the Rosicrucian w orks on bal­ ancing the positive and negative aspects. The positive p o ­ larity in the body is enhanced by im aginative thinking, a positive attribute o f M ind, and by breathing air. Negative polarity is given to the body by the material elem ents o f the Earth taken into it, by the eating of proper food and by the drinking o f water. W hen the individual learns to balance correctly w hat he eats and drinks w ith how he breathes and thinks, Rosicrucians have observed that harm ony and health is experienced. There is also another law that Rosicrucians associate with the subconscious mind and the process o f visualization. It

states that w hen a final stage or end result is visualized or suggested, the subconscious mind finds the m eans for car­ rying out the directive. U sually the subconscious means is by way of the autonom ic nervous system . This process is a double-edged sword, for it also m eans that w ith self-im ages containing negative elem ents o f fear, frustration, and de­ pression we create our own discontent and poor health. In chronic disease the process is intensified as the patient comes to believe that he w ill never be able to overcom e his poor condition. Essentially then, the Rosicrucian path of healing outlined in the Nodin m anuscript im plies that we ourselves are responsible for the conditions o f our life, and that if we are to secure health and harmony w e m ust first m aster our­ selves and attain self-reliance. To sum m arize w hat w e have said so far: W hat the mind im agines can have a strong influence upon the body. This directive influence can be either constructive or destructive; it can raise us up to our highest potential, or it can pull us down into the depths of illness and despair. The choice of image is ours. M edieval alchem ists believed that the im pure body and mind could be purified of negative im agery and conditions. Purification involves separation o f the different symbolic im ages in a person’s consciousness. Some alchem ists may have used the chem ical m etaphor to represent mental trans­ mutation. The im age of a substance or part o f the body becom ing purer and purer is an ancient and very potent heal­ ing visualization. The alchem ist know n as Paracelsus w as a Renaissance physician w hose m edicine em bodied the link between m ys­

ticism and science. Paracelsus w orked in the early 1500’s in Switzerland. He is considered the father o f m odern drug therapy and scientific medicine. N evertheless, Paracelsus opposed the idea o f separating the soul or vital essence from the healing process. Like many Rosicrucians before and after him, Paracelsus advocated what today is referred to as holistic healing. A m ong his m edical theories, Paracelsus held that im agination and faith were the cause o f natural phenom ena, that im agination produces disease in hum ans and animals, and it may cure them. To Paracelsus, im agina­ tion is the creative pow er in man. Since Paracelsus’ time mental and physical m ethods of healing have divided into two distinct system s. M edical approaches in the form o f drug therapy and surgery have grown to be the dominant authoritative treatment in the West. Yet, traditions of mental healing have also continued. Since 1900 attempts to integrate the two separate approaches have appeared and explorations of the m ind’s role in healing have been made. Physicians have long recognized the efficacy of the placebo, a substance having no known pharm acologi­ cal action, yet which may still w ork in both physical and mental conditions. In one placebo study patients hospital­ ized w ith bleeding ulcers showed a lasting 70% im prove­ m ent w hen the doctors gave them an injection o f distilled w ater and assured them that it w as a new m edication that w ould cure them. The patients’ expectations played a strong part in effecting relief from their symptoms. In another study patients were given a drug that normally induces vomiting and nausea. But patients were told that the drug w ould stop the sym ptom s of nausea and vom iting they w ere already experiencing, and it did!

One may postulate that even a placebo, or ineffective drug, can becom e a sym bol of healing. It is as if the symbol triggers in the patient a subconscious, healing image that produces a healing. The fact that the drug symbol has been adm inistered to the patient by a doctor lends authority to the patient’s own visualization of the dru g ’s healing effective­ ness. M any of us may experience exam ples of body and mind interaction in our own daily lives. For exam ple, w hen we are frightened, our body responds w ith an increased heartrate, more rapid breathing, “butterflies” in our stomach, and increased sweating. These reactions are called the fig h t or flig h t response. These reactions ready the body for action by stim ulating the sym pathetic division of the autonomic nervous system and the adrenal glands. In fact, whenever we perceive a threat in either our inner or outer world, our body will be ready to fight or run. Blushing and sexual arousal are other com mon examples of a body response to stim uli perceived in our mind. Our body reacts regardless of w hether the stim ulation has oc­ curred in the external w orld or is an image held in the mind. Just as we have experienced fear and other form s of ex­ citation, w e also experience feelings associated with relax­ ation. These subtle feelings are the result of parasym pa­ thetic activation, and include slow ing of the heart rate, slow ­ ing o f breathing, and lack of tension in skeletal muscles. During relaxation almost every cell in the body can par­ ticipate by reducing its metabolism. This is reflected in a 13% reduction in oxygen consum ption. In contrast, during

sleep oxygen consum ption only decreases by 5% . Blood lactate levels are also reduced and continue at low levels for hours afterward. This is significant because in high con­ centrations, blood lactate is associated w ith anxiety. Chronic stress and strong, negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, desperation, despair, and even more subtle forms o f chronic anger as im patience, irritation, grief and disappointm ent, can all lead to stress diseases such as hy­ pertension, heart and auto-imm une diseases. Relaxation can reduce chronic stress and susceptibility to such diseases. Sym bolic healing im ages are enhanced by states o f deep relaxation where we have let go of anger and fear. The state of relaxation in itself m ay also contribute to the creation of harmony, balancing active and receptive qualities o f life experience. Besides affecting body physiology and m etabolism , re­ laxation, visualization, and sym bolic thinking can affect the electric and m agnetic energy fields surrounding the body. For instance, people have a negative electric potential of 3 to 10 m illivolts between the left and right side o f the body. W hile relaxing, visualizing, and w orking w ith sym bolic im ­ ages, there is a balancing effect with this potential gradient dropping to -1 mv or less. Conversely, mental anxiety, stress, illness, or trauma can raise these potential gradients to above -20 mv. High potentials are initiated in response to injury and are lowered as repair is com pleted. The practicing Rosicrucian student uses both electro­ m agnetic and vital energies in conjunction w ith healing vi­ sualizations and sym bolic imagery. The understanding of self-transform ation is an ancient study, and continues to

occupy the m inds of those seeking an understanding of har­ mony and peace, and a deeper knowledge of Self.

IM A G IN A T IO N : IN P R A C T IC E

N europsychobiology has been referred to as one of the last frontiers o f hum an endeavor. The idea of com prehend­ ing how our own m ind and brain works is too com pelling to resist. This seems to hold true whether we examine the physi­ cal m echanism s for objective and subjective reception of sense perceptions and feelings; or w hether we look at the mental faculty of discrim ination with its deductive and in­ ductive reason by w hich w e evaluate ideas and perceptions; or w hether w e look beyond the physical and mental, to the “higher” faculty o f im agination supported by its dual ele­ ments of m em ory and intuition. By this “higher” faculty of im agination, memory, and intuition, w e are able to visualize. We can com prehend, create, and transform ideas and images, as well as manifest these conditions and attitudes as a harmony either in the

mind, the body, or our world. We do this by plunging deep into the pool of our subconscious m emory and then bring­ ing to the surface of im agination our slippery thoughts, im ­ ages, and ideals. W hile w e reflect upon the im aged thought caught in the mirrored surface o f im agination, the intuition can descend to penetrate, to inspire, to inflame this thought into new and transcendent forms. The intuition is silent and invisible; the observer, we w ho are reflecting in im agination, may only perceive that our ideas and thoughts seem to take on a life o f their own; that as w e reflect or visualize, the im ages grow and mature as o f themselves, bringing w ith them harm onious and star­ tling changes, and bearing a m any-colored fruit w hich trans­ ports the observer to an ever-greater insight, understanding, wisdom , and good health. W ith use and practice, we can develop our capacities for em ploying memory, im agination, and intuition, and thus com e to experience the harmony present in our inner and outer worlds.

S O U R C E AND A C T IO N O F CR E A T IV IT Y

P

oets, artists, and creative people of all kinds receive ideas through subconscious and sym bolizing functions o f the mind. For instance, during a receptive state a w riter may experience a “relaxed attention” or a “ relaxed anticipation” and then also feel “the ideas just came to m e.” Some poets feel that their poetic im ages arise from their subconscious, w hile others feel that the im ages com e from outside them ­ selves. Some ancient people symbolized the source of ideas as a goddess or a m use, and in some cases as a daem on, a genie, or the Entheos, that is, the G od Within. Regardless of the ultimate source of creative ideas, the creative process itself has often been observed to consist of four stages. The four-stage theory o f creativity is prevalent in many m ystical schools and is w idely accepted by schol­ ars in the field of creativity. In the m odern w orld, these four stages are thought to be based on the accounts of famous people’s creative experiences, but there are analogous de­ scrip tio n s in the four creative w o rld s o f the m edieval Qabalahy the P aut N etura of the ancient Egyptians, and in the Thought Process discussed in this book. In the first stage of creative experience people observe, consciously collect data, ideas, and techniques, and m ethodi­ cally file aw ay potential images. In this first stage they get together the tools and raw m aterials that seem potentially

PR EPA RATION

1

INCUBATION

ILLU M l N A TIO N Fig. 22. The Phases o f Creative Experience.

applicable to the creative challenges they are facing. Dur­ ing this preparatory stage a person’s mood can often be that o f excitem ent and perplexity. The second stage o f creative experience can be called incubation. In this stage, creative people “release” or “let go” their conscious hold on the problem . They may rest, relax, or turn their attention in another direction. During this stage im ages in the subconscious shift and realign them ­ selves. This is the critical stage in creativity. In the incuba­ tion stage w riters may get sudden glim pses o f parts o f the solution they are seeking. The third stage can be called illumination. The solution or inspiration most often spontaneously occurs in this stage of illum ination, often at an unexpected mom ent, usually accom panied by feelings of certainty and joy. In the brain, the limbic system is responsible for, first, the sensory as­ pects of the experience of illumination (sometimes described

literally as a sensation of a light going on), and second, for the experience of certainty. A s one creative person puts it, “I simply know that 1 know.” This is the m om ent o f discov­ ery; the m om ent when the w riter sees the com plete outline of a new com position or a poet records the central lines of a new poem. There is a sense of unity and w holeness as all the separate parts come together in a new and cohesive form. The fourth and final stage can be called verification or revision. In this stage writers w ork out the details and make the ideas m anifest in a form or structure. Like the first stage this is a stage o f keen observation, o f effort and skill. But w hereas in the first stage ideas and techniques are gathered, in the fourth stage they are em ployed. Verification, like preparation, is largely felt to be a conscious process. H ow ­ ever, in the stage o f verification the im agined image is like an invisible mold onto which w e superim pose and manifest content and technique. For a scientist, this last stage involves organizing the data and even conducting experim ents w hich w ill prove, il­ lustrate, and dem onstrate his theory. For a sculptor this stage can involve solving the technical problem s o f pouring the bronze and polishing the finished product. For a w riter or a poet it also means dealing w ith m atters o f technique and polish. Has the writer used the very best w ord to convey the idea and force o f em otion behind the idea? Have needless words been om itted, ie., adverbs and adjectives? Is each sentence tailored, precise, and contributory to the purpose o f the whole? Is the idea com plete? D oes the ending com ­ plete the beginning? Or, are there m issing parts, breaks yet to be meditated upon, visualized, and brought to com ple­ tion?

To sum m arize w hat has been said so far, the creative ideas for our w riting, as w ell as the creative developm ent of new or appropriate w riting techniques w ill be found in the subconscious m ind follow ing an appropriate period of in­ cubation. To this process then, the incubation stage is the most im portant one, although the stages of preparation, illu­ m ination, and verification are also essential. The creative idea w ill com e to consciousness (be born follow ing the proper incubation) in a mom ent o f illumination. This m o­ ment is thought to take place in a psychic state of “ nonordinary” or “altered” consciousness. M editation or an openness to sym bolic thinking is a means o f putting ourselves into this receptive state of mind— specifically becom ing aware of im ages arising out of the subconscious. In terms of creativity, the im ages experienced are unique form s of im ages or relationships that the subcon­ scious mind transform s or transm utes in its natural tendency to resolve our perception of problem s. By means o f such transformations of attitude, outlook, and reality, w e can come to experience the order and the harm ony present in the uni­ verse. The m om ent o f illum ination is in itself a m ystical experience— a dense, w ordless, sensory experience (vari­ ously filled w ith light, sound, smell, tactile and taste sensa­ tions) o f a highly com plicated concept. A s practiced by Rosicrucian students, creative visual­ ization is also a technique o f m anifesting a definite future condition by producing its sym ptom s in the present. W hen w e dem onstrate the pattern of a condition in the present, we open possibilities for its unfoldm ent and full manifestation. In dem onstrating a new pattern, w e give direction to the

unfoldm ent in our life. We are initiating a condition which can lead to surprises and vivid experiences. D ecide on som ething you would like to be such as the kind o f creative w riter that is already a seed within you. How do you feel as a creative w riter? Feeling this way, w hat actions do you see yourself taking? W hat abilities and skills does this creative writer, w hich is you, manifest? How does this creative w riter do w hat he or she does? Then ask yourself how you already do sim ilar or analogous things in other aspects o f your life. If both you and others are doing sim ilar kinds o f things then there must be a universal prin­ ciple involved. W hen you identify the principle, you will suddenly find that you can more easily apply it to your w rit­ ing just as you already apply it to other aspects of your life. In other w ords, in preparation we decide on something we w ould like to be. We outline the sym ptom s and charac­ teristics o f that “being.” Then we “let g o ” of the details. In illum ination w e let the visualization o f the outline as a “w hole” come to us and we feel w hat it would be like to be a w hole person exhibiting the characteristics o f this type of creativity. Then we validate our inner experience. We be­ have in a m anner w hich indicates to us that we are indeed the kind o f person or being that we visualized. We can as­ sume the characteristics and feelings o f our inner experi­ ence in everyday life. We can use our outline to guide our actions and reactions, and, even more, we can “relive” our intuitive feelings. If w e fall away from our vision or forget to “feel” the way a m aster writer-craftsm an feels, we do not have to berate ourself. We can sim ply observe, learn, and refocus our attention on the guiding vision and “inner feel­ ing” w hich w e experienced in our visualizations and m edi­

tations. A s a silent observer, w e can sim ply watch to see how soon we becom e as w e set out to be. W hen w e are truly seeking to im prove ourselves, then we are really living! The essence of life is insight, creativ­ ity, originality, and flux. Nothing, not even oneself, remains the same. This is the beauty o f existence. A s w e learn to use our full psychic awareness and move our lives into har­ mony w ith each circum stance w e encounter in life, w e dis­ cover that we are privileged to experience the ever-new, ex­ citing motion of the Cosmic. We are all cosm ic instrum ents and have the capacity to dem onstrate that instrumentality. Changes that w e experience w ithin ourselves, in our think­ ing, and in the way w e feel about ourselves, also reflect out­ side our lives, too. If you want to be a writer, then be a w riter now. Assume now the characteristics o f a writer. Write! D o not be con­ cerned w ith what you write, ju st w rite, write and write some more. The more you write w ithout judgm ent and self-criticism during this initial creative stage, the more you w ill learn about w riting and about yourself. Before long you w ill be writing more and m ore w hat needs to be w ritten and you w ill becom e an ever-m ore effective agent of cosm ic har­ mony. Your creative thought, your creative solutions, and your creative activities will in them selves create harmony in your world. In living the creative life, w e advance on a journey that shows us new w ays to live, new w ays to think, and new w ays to respond. The creativity and originality that you will dem onstrate as a w riter w ill take hold of the core of your being and prepare your higher faculties of mind for

real enjoyment and satisfaction. Your own awareness, imagi­ nation, and attunem ent are your vehicles for reaching your personal destination. Truly, the im aginative pow er of visu­ alization, release, and inner experience can be broadly ap­ plied in every aspect of daily life, yet even if you only cre­ atively prepare, incubate, illuminate, and apply these prin­ ciples in one aspect o f your life, you w ill still have effects on your w hole life and world.

EV O K IN G O U R C R E A T IV E P O W E R

W hen we participate in creative processes, we can ex­ plore countless num bers of possible patterns before finally settling on an idea. M any o f us, however, encounter em o­ tional resistance to the flow o f creative possibilities. We dem and of our m inds an im m ediate, logical, finished prod­ uct that stifles creative exploration. M ost o f us do not lack ideas. WTiat w e lack is a rapid and direct means o f getting in touch w ith those ideas. Is there a m agic key for unlock­ ing those secret reservoirs of im aginative power? One m agic key described by G abriele R ico’ is a creative process called clustering. A sim ilar process using patterns is term ed m ind m apping by Tony Buzan.2 Both techniques use the right brain’s ability to image and synthesize. Clus­ tering and m ind m apping temporarily suspend the normally dominant left-brain activity that is logical and orderly. These are non-linear brain-storm ing processes akin to free asso­ ciation. Invisible ideas become visible, flashing out in light­ ning-like associations that allow new patterns o f ideas to emerge.

Fig. 23. D en a ’s Cluster and vignette. “Letting go means being de­ tached from life's pressures and personal problems so I can have a bet­ ter perspective on people and situations—finding happiness in giving, no matter how sm all or insignificant. It means creating in my mind the dreams that I may at times fin d out o f reach or feel underserving of. Letting go means playfulness by not taking life ’s burdens too seriously and knowing that there is also humor. I should take time out to feed my soul with laughter, loving, and dancing. These things will open me up to have another perspective in life. In letting go I may fin d my answers through meditation. When I do this I am totally relaxed. I become like the wind. M y burdens are behind me and / fe e l light and free. M y astral body has no boundaries or limitations. I flo w easily towards a better understanding. ”—Dena

Initially, thinkers accustom ed to a logical, step-by-step approach find clustering unsettling. A frequently made re­ m ark is, “This is crazy. W here is this taking m e?” With experience, however, most thinkers eventually discover that they can explore creative ideas w ithout first know ing the “who, w hat, w here, why, and w hen.” They find that cre­ ative exploration is a practical, exciting, and ultim ately in­ spiring adventure. In one Rose-Croix U niversity class, students w ere in­ troduced to the clustering process. The students drew a circle in the center of a clean page. In this circle they placed a “seed” or “ nuclear” idea. Then they opened them selves to any thoughts, ideas, im ages, feelings, or em otions that this “seed” evoked. In their case the “seed” idea was the prin­ ciple of “letting go.” Ideas associated with “letting go” made a splash in the students’ m inds and were quickly jo t­ ted down on the paper and circled, w ith the circled ideas radiating outw ard from the “seed” idea like ripples in a pool (see figures 23 and 24). Some associations triggered other associations, and new circles radiated out from the second­ ary ideas. These secondary ideas often spread to yet other associations in a continuous, rapidly expanding ripple ef­ fect. (For a step-by-step explanation o f the clustering pro­ cess, please see A ppendix 3.) In clustering, each association leads inevitably to the next w ith a connection o f its own even though the analytical left brain may not perceive the logic. These sudden subcon­ scious associations m ake the connections that create the m arvelous com plexity of im ages and their rich em otional qualities. W hen captured on paper these associations either

Fig. 24. Kurt's Cluster.

suddenly or gradually reveal new patterns and m eanings arising from an apparent chaos. Northrop Frye, the literary critic, observed that any prin­ ciple or idea can become “a storm center of meanings, sounds and associations radiating out indefinitely like ripples in a pool.” <3 Fig. 24. "Letting go means / fe e l warm inside, that I am able to love people as they are, and not as I expect or want them to be. "L et go and open up—risk. That is I what I am doing— being ten­ der, playing, having intimate relationships, fun. I risk being turned down. I don ’tfe e l that is risky because I am letting the life energy flow outwards— through everybody, everything on its omnidirectional path. “I let go and merge with life, with people— enjoying life, letting the creative impulses flo w through me outwards towards the world, estab­ lishing resonance in others, opening them to the cosmic reality, to higher planes o f being, o f creativity and consciousness. “I allow m yself to stay in a feeling o f nothingness and Peace Pro­ found. I get energy and vitality by releasing my control over m yself and others. I laugh, float, fly, and swim in a vibrant ocean o f fun, joy, hap­ piness, and spontaneity. M y whole being is sensing and experiencing on all planes. I enjoy life at fu ll throttle. "I have—finally— awakened my sleepy right brain hemisphere and realize the untested and un tasted possibilities. / have gone beyond my imagined limitations, jum ped through the gray sticky clouds o f illusion. I have set me free, taken the p in k balloon, soared the sky, and further penetrated tim e and space. I am the cosmonaut o f the past, present, and future, visiting worlds y e t to be dreamed of. I play with forms, colors, and dimensions. I fly through black holes and watch God dis­ solving billions o f solar systems, and admire Him when H e is creating new and different worlds and universes out o f the white at the other end o f the black holes. ‘7 know not why I came here on earth: I should learn to let go, to enjoy life, and spread that joy, that Light, to every possible corner o f the Earth. I A M now free, / have been born again. I died, but / have been resurrected, and am deeply thankful fo r that. ”— Kurt

Students find that clustering is rapid, the entire process taking only two to four m inutes to reach new patterns, m ean­ ings, and insights. After the insight arises the student writes a brief vignette, a thum bnail sketch or cameo, of the insight. W riting the vignette which expresses the insight is also rapid, often taking no m ore than another five to ten minutes. As Frye suggests, clustering is like a thunderstorm: from the gathering of the clouds w ith the first ideas, to the clusters falling like a cloudburst, the lightning-flash insights, the clearing blue sky of the vignette, and the rainbow of the accom plishm ent— all in perhaps only fifteen minutes. The results are often surprising, som etim es even awesome. A frequent com m ent is, “It simply wrote itself!” The two exam ples shown in Figures 23 and 24 are clearly im pressive sam ples of creative w riting. They were done by students who did not consider them selves professional w rit­ ers. English is not the first language of the w riter o f the Figure 24 vignette. In fact, both authors felt that this was truly a first experience of creative w riting for them— an ini­ tiation. W hile hum an nature resists the unfam iliar and uncon­ ventional, once this resistance to using the clustering ap­ proach is overcom e, people find this creative exploration of ideas exciting and surprisingly productive. Students use the process to take essay exam s; businessm en and engineers for w riting m em os and reports; w riters for developing ideas, the applications are limitless. For many RCU students the process produced enormous changes o f attitude and tapped previously undiscovered personal creative powers. The pro­ cess reveals that each of us possesses latent creative genius—

genius awaiting our release. C lustering can be a key for releasing our im aginative pow ers within. M any o f us encounter em otional resistance to change, to openness, to risk. O ur problem s and conflicts call out to us to change our old, safe w ays of doing things. We often dem and im m ediate, sim ple solutions and pat, logical an­ swers. Such dem ands stifle self-exploration and growth. In self-transform ation w e often explore countless feel­ ings, memories, and fears before letting go o f the past. How can Rosicrucian students learn to replace old habits and de­ fensive behavior w ith openness to new grow th and evolu­ tion? How can we tap the creative possibilities w ithin and uncover inner truth? A frater experienced major conflict in his reaction to a chronic illness. He had previously explored a num ber of approaches to resolving the conflict with limited success. The frater subsequently participated in a M indquest experi­ ment that em ployed techniques utilizing openness, inner exploration, and intuitive attunement. Through his explo­ ration he gained new insights into his attitudes and the ef­ fects these had upon his life and the conflicts he was experi­ encing. These insights w ere particularly helpful in offering creative approaches to the resolution o f his conflict. They increased his choice o f effective and creative responses to his life situation, as he reports in Figure 25. Som etim es w e are unable to accomplish what w e want. M any of us believe that change com es about through sheer exertion of w ill power. Sometimes, however, even great (Continued on p a g e 152)

M ARRIAGE OF THE MIND Fig. 25. F raterA 's Vignette.

W hen I think about my experience with illness I first recall the physical pain o f trying to deal with sensory, muscular, and digestive faculties that progressively fail me; and more serious emotional pain of coping with rejection, loss o f confidence, trust, esteem, ambition, en­ thusiasm, aliveness, joy, creativity, fulfillment of feeling I need protec­ tion and becom ing closed, hard, cold, distant; losing the ability to learn about self and others, cutting off relationships; and finally, I recall the mental spiritual pain of feeling separate, isolated, alone, cut off from life and evolution, dead. The cost seems so overwhelming that I think there can be no ben­ efit to me in such disease. A little reflection shows me otherwise. The illness provides a battery of excuses for justifying what I want to do and avoiding what I don’t. I can play it safe; I have an excuse for not com ­ municating when I feel emotionally threatened. 1 have an excuse for pacifying the anger of others. I don’t have to take responsibility for actions and behaviors. I can avoid the truth about myself or what I fear might be the truth. I can use the illness to control the behavior of others. I can appear noble, I can persevere against impossible obstacles, even to the point of being a martyr. In doing the “impossible” 1 can feel superior, feel I ought to be admired, respected, accepted. I fear rejec­ tion. If I should happen to fail, I cannot be blamed. It’s not my fault if fail to fulfill myself, my relationships, career and personal goals. The question is not whether 1 should do my best, be creative, strive for excellence. The question is whether I will continue to play the noble role that is protected and safe, or choose to risk, to be open, soft, warm, compassionate, vulnerable, in order that I might explore the wholeness o f my Self and others. To play a noble role is a drama that limits my sharing the whole or drama that limits my sharing the whole or genuine me. Moreover, the role 1 chose did not succeed in making me safe. I merely cast a cloak of illusory protection over that which needs no pro­ tection, which cannot be protected, and which, while covered, I cannot consciously explore. To truly live, to let my light shine, to choose love and wholeness, is the way o f risk, learning, test, trial, growth, evolution, enlightenment. This is the path o f courage, the path o f the unfolding Rose and Cross.

Let me realize how courageous I am to face fear, anger, sadness, grief; to face invisible bodily mutilations, illness, and even death; to face the beastliness o f my own negative emo­ tions. I am given the opportunity to meet my own soul, expe­ rience the preciousness o f life, know the genuine confidence that comes only from trusting the vital forces o f the Cosmic. No greater opportunity will ever come to me, and no greater courage will ever be called for than my m eeting my own fear, my personal Terror on the Threshold, my own initiator. I would have avoided fear and life’s initiations. I would have separated m yself from life by running away or dwelling in resentment and anger. Yet such emotions are merely the signpost that the initiator is at hand. Just beyond the threshold o f illusory shadow and fear waits my Self, the reassurance I most desire. As I meet the Tenor, let me remember that I am enfolded with love and support. No matter what has happened to my body, I am still whole, and those whom I love are one with my wholeness. Oneness and separateness cannot co-exist. My m ind’s talk would say otherwise. But to behold a dream figure as sick, mutilated, and separate is no more actual than to re­ gard it as healthy and beautiful. My experience of my Self is beautiful and whole. I am a magnificent, wonder-filled human being privileged to share with all whom I love the essential qualities of soul that I project. I am whole and actual, and unity-actuality is not a thing o f dreams. My heart-light illumines the world. My just being here sharing light, trusting life, opening to love is a gift to all who would live and shine in love. I am grateful that I am beginning to allow life to give me this special gift o f humility, knowledge of my human frailty, knowledge o f the Light that I am radiat­ ing. I can radiate the truth about my Self: that 1 am not my body, drama, or disease; I am what we all are and what we tend to forget. 1 am the Light o f the world and, radiating what I am, what every person is while in love, we ail come to be a little more free.— Frater A.

efforts of will pow er are not enough. W hat do we do when attem pts to change fail? Give up? Try harder, only to fail again? If w e tie self-esteem to success, then giving up or even trying harder w ithout success can erode self-esteem. One way to accomplish breakthrough and change at such tim es is to understand and transm ute the hidden m otives that may keep us locked into our present behavior. At some time in our lives w e may have put hidden, subconscious m otives in place to protect ourselves from em otional pain, especially disapproval and rejection. W hen w e are w illing to face our hidden fears and protecting m otives, we can pass over the threshold of fear and, through understanding, reach our in­ ner light. For those w illing to explore their feelings and fears, deeper understanding of self (and Self!) and change can naturally and gradually come about. Visualization and m editation are tw o techniques that many people use to explore subjective and subconscious feelings. Such explorations often provide new understand­ ing of the hidden m otivations that govern much o f our be­ havior. Frater A found the clustering process, which ap­ plies visualization and m editation techniques, particularly helpful in exploring his subconscious m otivations and sub­ jective feelings. The clustering process itself has been de­ scribed as a tool for creative expression, but many have also found that the clustering process can assist in our exploring Self. Self-exploration often leads to change, a sense o f free­ dom, and increased self-esteem. Another subject experienced frequent feelings of sad­ ness triggered by difficulty in relationships. He wanted to let go of mood swings and experience more harmony and

peace. Previous attem pts to change this pattern were only tem porarily successful. Life incidents continued to trigger feelings of sadness and em otional swings. He then applied the cluster process to this issue, using “ sadness” as the nucleus. A s his cluster and vignette (see Figure 26) show, the process brought him a deeper understanding of sadness and o f him self, his feelings and behavior. The frater saw how his sadness affects his life and his relationships. He found that he could choose to change his attitudes, resulting in a stabilization o f his moods, im proved self-esteem and self-confidence, and increased rapport with others. He now felt more centered, receptive to life, and others w ere more receptive and responsive to him. T hrough such self-exploration m any people learn to overcom e personal fear, superstitious beliefs, and igno­ rance— self-im posed obstacles to joy, harmony, and Peace Profound. The clustering process is one m eans o f making self-explorations and keeping a record o f our adventures and transform ations (also see Chapter Four). The physical practice of creating the cluster pattern al­ low s us to assume to the Inner Self in a free, yet substantive manner. Each succeeding element in the cluster stim ulates new associations, unfolding and revealing the content of portions of the subconscious or unconscious often seem ­ ingly unavailable to our outer, objective consciousness. The patterns that these elem ents form and the connections they make can trigger an awareness o f associations previously unnoticed or overlooked by our outer mind. Both fratres applied the clustering process in a practical and creative m anner to specific areas o f concern in their

lives. The process could be further expanded by using an elem ent of the prim ary cluster as the nucleus or seed o f an­ other cluster and repeating the procedure. An insight gained from the vignette could also become the seed for an expanded cluster. Other creative approaches could include com par­ ing or linking clusters on related topics as w ell as the asso­ ciated vignettes. Further insights can be gained by review ing the cluster pattern at a later date and w riting a new or revised vignette. The same technique applies to reviewing the vignette as well. Such reviews can also provide benchm arks for our progress, growth, and evolution. W hile clustering can provide fresh insights and break­ throughs, it is w ell to rem em ber that untangling the subtle Fig. 26. “Sadness puts up a wall between other people and me. o I withdraw, often not even noticing it. Other people see it and can’t get through the wall. I fe e l closed off, but am really keeping people at a rm ’s length. “When I let go, it allows the love and peace and centeredness I fe el to come out, and it does come out. I can then ‘come out. ’ When I let go and come out, I am there fo r m yself and there fo r others. "It is not necessary to ‘f igure o u t' the sadness— it is ju st an attach­ ment. Acknow ledge the feeling, then release it— let go. The love and centeredness and peace are the truth, the actuality, that the illusion o f sadness, separateness, loneliness, loss or lack try to hide. The sadness is a barrier or wall, but letting go shows that the wall is equally illu­ sory. “ When I let go, the peace and love and harmony, the wellness, wholeness, wholesomeness, centeredness ju st well up and fill m e and flo w over into all my life and out to others. We can be saints. I can be a saint. Sadness is ju st an attachment. It is time to let it go. A s I do, I fe e l the Peace and Love within come out, lighten me up, light me up. ” —N am astt

Fig. 26. Frater B ’s Cluster and Vignette.

w eb of issues and fears contained in some of our emotional conflicts can som etim es take years. In the first years of the 20th century, Dr. H. Spencer Lew is m ade a significant in­ junction: “Not through revolution but evolution are all things accom plished in tim e.” Tools such as the cluster process can assist us to initiate change. Through persistence and application w e can continuously change and evolve. This persistence, however, includes such attitudes as a w illing­ ness to evolve, build and reinforce new responses, new un­ folding awareness, and an openness to continuous growth. K nowledge and technique are only the beginning. O ur do­ ing the exercise is an initiation. The application of know l­ edge brings w isdom and transform ation, essential steps in m anifesting our M astery in Self.

C L U ST E R IN G F O R E N L IG H T E N M E N T

To becom e as a w alking question m ark is a goal o f the Rosicrucian student. The Rosicrucian student w ants his or her understanding o f every w ord, law, and principle in life dem onstrated and made so plain and simple that he can dem ­ onstrate that law to him self and others in appropriate cir­ cum stances. To ask, to question old beliefs is the first step in the ac­ quisition of know ledge and wisdom . To question w hat it might m ean to us to be a “w alking question m ark” could also be a step tow ards understanding the w isdom o f the R osicrucian Path. Consequently, people throughout the w orld were invited to participate in a cluster experim ent de­ signed to explore the many possible m eanings this thoughtimage can hold.3

By using the cluster process and the synthesizing abili­ ties of the brain’s right hem isphere, many people are able to discover new insights into the inner “truths” that govern their being. M any people w ho participated in this experiment noted that sharing creative insights into Self is one o f the privileges that life can bring the aspirant. The unexpected discoveries made in w hat m ight even seem to be a m undane, outer form are illustrated by partici­ pants who analyzed the outer form and function o f a ques­ tion mark. A soror w rites, “Distinctive to a question mark is its purpose; it has no stops like the period, no pauses like the comma, no em phatic declarations like the exclamation point. It always contains an openness to more. It requires a response; it draws, urges, beckons som ething or someone else in.” Another observation on the question form is as follows, “A w alking question m ark is mobile; and thus can search or quest, move into obscure corners and dark places to shed light.” The shape of the question m ark also elicited this com ­ ment: “The shape of the question m ark looks burdened and bent, but then one thinks of the saying, ‘H e’s not heavy, h e ’s my brother,’ and one realizes that burdens are voluntary charges. N othing is so beautiful as the old person, stooped w ith his store of w isdom .” For one frater the image of the “w alking question m ark” took two form s that expressed to him two differences in his approach to life. “W hen the feet are on a path traveling in one direction there appears a man w ith bloated chest and

inflated outer ego born of pride from his ‘o w n’ attainments. But when the feet are in the other direction there appears a man w ith vibrant spinal colum n topped w ith a brain that bow s to the central com plex o f pineal and pituitary.” (See Figure 27.) Through a process of experiencing these two symbols as if they w ere him self, this frater came to realize that, To be a w alking question m ark is to be an open-m inded trav­ eler through life. One w ho uses the pow ers of observation and discrim ination to look behind the outer mask, objects and experiences. One w ho seeks for h im self his own beingness as an integrated understanding of the individual parts of the Self w hich it represents. A w alking question m ark is a prism through w hich the flow of Divine Love can spread its rays upon the world, and through w hich the events and happenings of Life can be synthesized into one identity enabling the expression of Light in the M ind of M an.” The pow er inherent in this vignette is also reflected in the com m ents of a soror who w rites, “The question mark has power: pow er to cleave ignorance asunder, pow er to lead

Fig. 27. One frater's vision o f the “walking question marks. ”

and attract mental energy. The energy of the M ind can in turn generate know ledge.” O f the pow er in this symbol, another frater writes, “A question m ark attitude leads to freedom . Being open to change allow s me to be the person I am m eaning to be.” He continues, “ Being open to change opens up opportunities for growth. A s a result, I find that I am a happier and more integrated person. I discover w ithin m yself well-defined goals and w ork to do. A s a w alking question m ark my life is interesting, m ore vital and productive. How can I not go forth and do what I can to create a better life for m yself and those w hose lives touch m ine?” Clustering as a process and technique for releasing cre­ ative pow er w as often described by those participating in experim ents and classes at Rosicrucian Park. A focus of creative pow er on im portant sym bols o f Self like the “w alk­ ing question m ark” can assist in a process of attunement w ith the Inner Self. Feelings and urges like “vitality, power, creative energy, openness, service, integration, freedom , enlightenm ent, a sense o f connection with the divine in all things, a sense of purpose, boundlessness, timelessness, grati­ tude and acknowledgm ent” are am ong the feelings and urges people report having when they have an experience o f the Inner Self. Creative expression of our inner “truths” through the process o f clustering can be a doorway to an experience of the Inner Self and an aid to the m ystic in his quest for self-m astery and Peace Profound.

C REA TIV ELY H E A L IN G T H E W H O L E PE R SO N

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T h ere is a ten d en cy in our present w orld o f good and bad, right and w rong, for many people to think that they know the only way to health and well-being. A t­ titudes that permit us to say, “I ’m right” and, “you’re w rong” have been w ith the hum an race a long time. The ancients noted that such attitudes could affect the way we perceive our world, our rela­ tionships, our visualizations o f the future, our health, and our well-being. This attitude form ed the basis for one of the three stages of hum an grow th and evolution portrayed in the M ysteries of Isis in ancient Egypt and Greece, as well as the alchem ical traditions of m e­ dieval times. D uring the course of the year statues o f Isis were draped4 with certain colors that were also used to represent the three stages of per­ sonal growth. To the ancients, the first stage, or the color red, denoted vitality, energy, new life, childFig. 28. Im age o f Isis in holy garb.

like innocence, an unconscious oneness with all of Life. This is a dream -like phase, unconscious and accepting of nature. In this stage w e may feel som ewhat helpless and that life should take care o f us. In term s of a healing situation, the healer-patient relationship in this first phase is like a parentchild relationship. The second stage of personal grow th in the Isinian M ys­ teries was characterized by the colors black and white. These colors represented duality, good and bad, right and wrong, likes and dislikes. The ancients observed that such ju d g ­ m ental thinking led to expectations about how the world ought to be, about how w e or others need to behave. In this phase w e tend to focus rigidly on realities we make rather than on the actualities— the gifts Life continually creates for us. The ancients em phasized that the phases and cycles of life were natural processes o f nature. These followed each other in ordered sequence and each contributed to the unfoldm ent of future phases. In regard to healing this rule also applies. In the black-and-white phase, for instance, patients may begin to accept self-responsibility. Rather than expecting a parent figure to solve their problem s, patients may participate by following the advice o f a qualified healer, w atching diet, exercise, breathing, and thinking, as well as actively visualizing and m editating. W hile participating in their own healing, patients may come to realize the healing potential lying w ithin themselves. Sometimes in the black-and-white phase the patient tries to assume total responsibility. However, this can allow us to avoid opportunities for developing healing relationships

that can bring us out o f ourselves. We miss opportunities to integrate w ith other human beings who may evoke new ways of doing things and a broader view of the world. If our visualizations, m editations, exercises, and other self-healing techniques do not appear to work, we may go further. We may deem ourselves unworthy failures. This is not selfhealing. This is mental poisoning. For the healer also, the black-and-white phase can lead to unhappiness . . . a “ dark night of the soul.” Regardless of healing style, w hether m edical or metaphysical, as healers w e can have a personal need to fulfill our reality, to confirm our belief that we are good healers. W hen unsuccessful we m ay decide that we are poor healers and change our profes­ sion, or we may try to protect our belief by one or more of the follow ing strategies: 1.

Conniving: We will m aster this problem , if w e just try harder, read another book, attend another lecture, take another course . . . next time it will turn out all right.

2.

Blaming: We may decide it’s the patient’s fault. My therapy is fine. If only they followed my instructions, then everything would be right.

3.

Avoiding: We may decide that this is not the kind of illness or patient we need to deal w ith in the future. This is not our specialty or area of expertise.

4.

Pleasing: We can com fort ourselves and the patient by deciding that the very best is being done and that progress is being made, even if w e can ’t see it yet.

BLAME

AVOID

CONNIVE

PLEASE

Fig. 29. Four behavioral dramas substituting fo r actual experience.

W hether healer or patient, we tend to think that these four strategies help us to compete in a black-and-white world. These strategies inflate the outer personality and encourage us to think that we are in control o f our lives and problem s.5 Yet, even if we are convinced o f our control, if we still have the courage to go inside with an open, questioning mind, we may discover that we still secretly fear that we are not really in control, that maybe we are not really “good” healers, we only get by, we m ake m istakes, and we are guilty of failing. Caught in the extrem es o f dualistic thinking, neither healer or patient is im m une from mental poisoning. Fear, superstitious beliefs and ignorance, burn-out, despair, and degenerating health are all the legacy o f dualistic thinking. The black-and-white stage represented death in the ancient mysteries; and death, in turn, putrefaction and separation in alchemy. Almost every culture o f the w orld uses either the color black or the color w hite to represent death. Yet, the colors of death also sym bolize the potential for rebirth and

transform ation to the third stage of life, represented by the color gold. Gold is the stage o f w isdom , reintegration, wholeness. The idea o f a separate healer and patient loses m eaning in the gold stage. In dealing w ith patients, we as healers gain creative insights into our own lives. Friends’ needs are our needs, friends’ tears our tears, friends’ healing our healing. In this gold stage there is no separation between patient and healer. We are one hum anity w ith com mon needs and prob­ lems, and even com m on transform ations and healings. Transform ations occur through relationships. A s the Rosicrucian studies point out, our grow th and transform a­ tion does not occur by being hermits or avoiding integration with other hum an beings. Transmutation occurs through the tests and trials o f our realities, through our interaction w ith others. The alchem ist’s w ork is w ith his realities, with w hat he believes to be true about the world. This subtle shift in outlook, in attitude, in consciousness, suggests that rather than our shaping life to meet our expectations, we can choose to be open to being transform ed by life, and by the relationships we attract to us. We may consciously decide to practice the art o f cre­ ative healing, but this is then done without the com pulsion to act out the role o f healer or patient. Each time we enter into a healing relationship w ith others, we do not know what the precise outcom e will be. We do not know in just what way our persona can be beneficially transform ed. In the gold stage, entering into a healing relationship is an adven­ ture. It is a quest that leads to ever greater self-discovery and a deeper appreciation for the love that unites all.

W hen a person is ill that person is vulnerable. Illness can crack our habitual defense mechanism s. W hen our un­ questioned realities and beliefs are no longer effective, we can decide to replace them w ith realities that more accu­ rately m irror our inner intentions. Upon discarding irrel­ evant defenses we m ay also be surprised to discover that we can experience greater creativity, spontaneity, and freedom. If we are w illing to let our defenses down, to look deeply w ithin, to allow our friend to m irror our ow n nature, then w e can come to realize the com monality, the unity, and the love that alw ays existed but that w e did not notice before. We may be surprised by our own transform ations made as a result o f seeing w hat is true in this m irror o f self. We may discover at an inner psychic level there are no coincidences, that we and those attracted to us are co-healers, co-creators, on an extraordinary adventure we call life. To em bark on this extraordinary adventure, a trust in the inner pow er o f healing and transform ation is essential. Cre­ ative openness, integrity, firm ness, and com passion follow from a genuine confidence or intense trust. With genuine confidence we find that no one in a relationship is less than, or more than, he or she actually is. Instead o f being lost in sym pathetic responses to sym ptom s, w e interact w ith com ­ passion and integrity, creatively transform ing into w hat we actually are. With trust, illness can be an opportunity, a threshold to greater health, to the golden state of life we call wisdom. With experience we com e to realize that genuine confidence com es only w hen we are w illing to face our own fears. Crossing this threshold results in greater physical, emotional,

m a r r ia g e o f t h e m in d

and mental wholeness. Rather than being the dualistic op­ posite of illness, health can becom e a celebration and ap­ preciation of life. Life is our friend. Life is a provider of the conditions and opportunities that evoke the evolution of the open mind. Growth, transform ation, evolution can apply and be in­ corporated into any therapeutic modality, w hether traditional or non-traditional. We can choose to follow allopathic m edi­ cine, homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, touch, nutri­ tion, or any of a host of other approaches to healing, and still realize that life is a shared adventure w herein we are all creatively evolving. C RE A T IV IT Y AS A M A R R IA G E O F T H E MIND

Probably the m ost controversial claim made today for the processes of visualization and meditation is that they can increase creativity and native intelligence. O f course, the mystic is not sim ply concerned w ith enhanced ability to produce creative products or to raise IQ scores. Rather, the m ystic is engaged in enhancing in him self a more universal perception o f the w orld and other people, as well as pro­ m oting better choices for his activities. Creativity and intelligence are processes, not products, and are therefore difficult to measure. But there is some evidence that visualization and m editation can enhance a person’s skill in sports, business management, and daily liv­ ing, and can improve a person’s perform ance in some intel­ lectual subjects. An experim ent conducted by W illiam Lin­ den indicated that third graders trained in meditation were less anxious when taking tests. Certainly there is a good

C RE A T IV IT Y

O B JE C T IV E M IN D L E F T BRA IN

SU B JE C T IV E MIND R IG H T BRAIN

Fig. 30. Contribution o f each side o f the brain to creative experience.

deal o f evidence from other studies that the less anxious a person is, the more effectively— w ithin limits— he or she can think and act. It is worth asking, though, whether relaxation is the right state for all kinds of activities. Basic research indicates that too little as well as too much arousal can lead to inferior performance. Moreover, there appears to be an optimal level o f arousal for a given person during a given task. Dr. Gary E. Schw artz tested sixteen teachers of a currently popular form of m editation involving repeated intonation of a per­ sonal mantra, and a group of sixteen controls using stan­ dardized measures of creativity (the Barron-Welsh Art Scale, and a battery o f tests devised by M. A. W allace and N. Kogan). These m antra-m editators scored no better than the non-m editators. In fact, on some scales the m editators did consistently worse. This result w as especially interesting because the m antra-m editators were trying hard to succeed. However, on other tests including a story-telling task used as a philosophical or projective m easure of creativity, the m editators scored consistently higher than the controls.

Perhaps the explanation lies in the distinction between the functions of the left and right sides o f the brain (see Figure 30). Split-brain research indicates that the two halves of the brain (the left and right cerebral hem ispheres) corre­ spond to two potentially independent “minds.” The left brain hemisphere is logical, verbal, and sequential; the right hem i­ sphere is visual, tim eless, and intuitive. To the extent that visualization and m editation lead to the kind of low-arousal, and self-reflective behavior typical of right-brain activities, visualization and m editation enhance spontaneity and cre­ ativity especially in free-association tests such as storytelling. On the other hand, too much introspective, self-reflective behavior may interfere w ith a perso n ’s logical, left-brain activity, or the sort o f problem -solving creativity required by the W allace-Kogan Test. W hat we can learn from such studies is that the germ i­ nal stages o f creativity are enhanced by m editation, but if practiced to excess w ithout concurrent developm ent o f ra­ tional thinking, it may reduce the chance of the m ystic’s producing and m anifesting a recognizable, creative prod­ uct. The distinction is im portant if the m ystic’s inner reali­

Fig. 31. A universal symbol o f thought anonymously submitted to the Master Thought Experim ent. See Chapter Three. The thought expressed could also be taken as a symbol fo r the M ar­ riage o f the Mind.

ties are to be actualized. The creative visualization-m editation process allow s for novel integrations and for the devis­ ing o f new m ethods and w ays of doing things and reaching goals; these creative ideas often em erge from relaxed, drowsy, or tw ilight states o f consciousness. But the expres­ sion and the validation o f these ideas often requires activity, excitem ent, and a good deal o f rational and sequential thought. Creativity in the fullest sense involves focused at­ tention in both sides of the brain. We are indeed fortunate that these two m odes o f consciousness exist w ithin each of us, and that when properly and attentively focused and har­ m onized, the two m odes can function in a com plementary and dynam ic manner. In contrast to the sim ple mantra form of meditation, the Rosicrucian system endeavors to recognize, value, and cre­ atively incorporate into daily life both m odes o f conscious­ ness. For this reason the ancient Rosicrucians developed concrete, step-by-step exercises for discovering and devel­ oping the pow ers of an integrated consciousness. The re-

Fig. 32. A n illustration, from an Indian painting, representing the “union o f ir r e c o n e ila b le s "—m a r ­ riage o f water and fire. The two figures each have four hands to sym bolize their many different capabilities.

suit is a “com bined brain pow er” many tim es superior to the ordinary use o f mind. The ancient Rosicrucian alchem ists referred to this union o f m ind as the m ystical marriage. Today, science has begun to explore the possibilities and values of both m odes of consciousness, and new evidence is now available substantiating the old Rosicrucian know l­ edge that the m arriage o f the m ind resolves psychological conflicts, prom otes health, harmony, balance, and peace.

CHAPTER 9

CONSUMMATION OF THE MYSTICAL MARRIAGE

ogether, w e have dealt w ith the three-fold nature of thought as experienced in a w orld of form. With forms w e are able to com e to insights. We do this by integrating our understanding of thought as (1) an object; then (2) as a technique, a process, or as a m echanism o f action; and fi­ nally (3) as a symbol, m odel, principle, paradigm or real­ ity— hence, dealing w ith thought at an objective, formative, and sym bolic level of consciousness. These three states are integrated during the state o f assum ption, where, using ac­ tive im agination we experience w hat it m ight be like if we were the force of this principle m anifesting through the sym ­ bol. We find that such an integration is possible in tw o ways. We can either proceed from objective states o f conscious­ ness to sym bolic ones, or experience sym bolic states and proceed to objectify them.

T

In this chapter we journey to a m ystical realm which lies beyond form to a realm w ithin ourselves that transcends barriers, limits, forms, and time. We search the quintessen­ tial, inner essence at the heart o f all ideas, forms, and things. This experience, then, is a transcendence to a level o f vital­ ity w hich lies beyond form. Any form can be enlivened by this inner essence, yet w ithout it, outer form s are dead, life­ less, empty. If a form clothes this quintessential essence, then indeed, such a form becom es alive. Form speaks to us as art, conveying beauty and truth. The aliveness speaks to

THE QUINTESSENTIAL

Fig. 33. Five stales o f experience leading to insight, integration, and meaning.

us and touches us. Being touched, w e seek the inner beauty and truth that has touched us. We becom e restless and de­ sire to experience again the touch of beauty and truth. In ignorance, we may m istake the inner beauty and truth for the outer form. Then we are disappointed, for copies of the form are lifeless and we are not touched as we once were. O ur expectations are disappointed. A lso in ignorance we may dem and and expect people to respond “ appropri­ ately” to the form s we employ. Again, our expectations can be disappointed. Yet, from our ignorance, our expectations and disappointments, w e learn that emptiness does not touch, and aliveness cannot be feigned forever. For example, when we give a speech that touches no one, the use of platitudes does not evoke the desired result; but if w e share w ith oth­ ers that which inspires and touches us, our sensitivity, truthfulness, and vulnerability can connect us with the essence in others. Such connections evoke mutual gratitude and joy,

TR A N SC E N D E N C E

Fig. 34. Five levels o f conscious experience: objective, rational, sym­ bolic, assumptive (active imagination), and the quintessential transcen­ dence.

and serve as an indication of the spiritual success of our endeavor. The qualities o f beauty and truth are actually one form ­ less essence. Every tim e we connect w ith the soul o f an­ other person, the experience o f connection is timeless, lim ­ itless, and boundless. We can be aware of that w hich is formless as w e are being touched, but that w hich is form ­ less is not perceived. Hence, we try to give a form to this essence w hich touches us. We try to m anifest it so that we can perceive it and use it for our own purposes. There is nothing wrong in doing this. The problem com es, however, w hen we forget that we have clothed the vital essence in a form and we m istake w hat we perceive for awareness o f the essence. Then, w e lose aw areness o f the vital essence. In­ stead of capturing the vital essence in a form, it slips through our fingers. A s the ancient Chinese mystic, Lao Tze said, “You can ’t capture the flow of a river in a pail, nor can you

catch the wind in a bag.” The flow, the Tao, the vital es­ sence is present in every form, but cannot be captured, bound, limited in any way without our losing what it is— tim eless and limitless. Put a limit on eternity and it no longer is an eternity. Try to hold on to zest, passion, joy, peace, or any quality of our Inner Self, and it will no longer be present in our awareness. Can we be aware of eternity w hen we focus our perceptions on an aspect o f time upon w hich we have set limits? Transcend these self-im posed limits of form, and we can flow in the quintessence that is life. Flow ing in this quintessence, we are touched by the divinity in all forms. In this awareness, we can honor and appreciate all of nature. In this awareness, we are served by all o f life. Yet, by for­ getting our own true nature, w e live shackled to the very form s we made for the purpose o f perceiving ourselves. We are free— but not when w e think w e are our percep­ tions. By thinking we are a body, a job, a role, a drama or facade, we will m iss experiencing the genuine qualities that life is offering us. We must experience the essence o f what we are and, in freedom , know the im m anence of the m ysti­ cal marriage. Our presence and w illingness to join is lov­ ingly awaited. Our experience of illim itable num bers of forms, inte­ grated by processes o f insight, finally bring us to that state of silence and awe w herein w e are w illing to make intimate contact w ith the life o f the soul. If we are w illing to make this contact, we realize the genuine nature of love. In the m etaphoric bridal cham ber o f the heart, w e can put aside all unessentials, all technicalities, all paraphernalia o f theory

and speculation. We can then direct our attention into that quality at the heart o f all: im personal and illum inating love. With this focus of our attention, w e are illumined with the fire of life and freed from the bondage of mental illusion and sense perception. Our assent to the bridal cham ber w as marked by the de­ struction of old, outworn forms and the building of new forms as w e reached insights with each integration of objective, rational, and sym bolic form and the assum ption of related spiritual principles. Now, we are to meet our soul, that vital part of us which is formless. This new focus of attention is actually a repolarization of the consciousness, a directing of life energy inwards, in­ w ards toward the deeper strata o f being. We are ready to let go o f the old focus on the purely m ental or objective planes o f thought and action. There is nothing m ysterious about this idea of repolar­ ization of consciousness. A little reflection can show us how firm ly held we are w ithin the form o f the personal self; the form o f the mind with its opinions and views, its reason­ ings, and its continuous subjection to the influence and agi­ tation o f the sense life. This will be evident to us if we but recall those rare mom ents w hich come when the mind is carried beyond itself, when the m ind is carried by the soul w ith the inspiration of creative genius. In that brief m o­ ment soul speaks to soul, and each soul recognizes its own true nature mirrored and expressed in others, and realizes its ow n possibilities. Consciousness is repolarized for us through our personal form being transcended. In transcen­ dence, its range o f response can be extended, can be raised

to a larger dim ension. In such contact we have an intim a­ tion of what w e shall soon experience at w ill w ith the real­ ization of our M astery in Self. Thus, w e realize that mind consciousness and soul consciousness are differently expe­ rienced. Each consciousness is experienced as expressing vastly different values and possibilities. One functions within and is circum scribed by its self-im posed form; the other is formless, limitless, and the source of love and inspiration. Our w ork is to form temporarily a personal cosmic bridge between the mind and soul, until the personal form is tran­ scended and free access to the soul sphere is attained. When the form o f the bridge no longer serves a purpose, it will pass aw ay; for then there is a constant interplay between mind and soul. The afflatus previously ascribed to genius becom es a normal function of soul com m union. We realize that m ind and soul are one and the stage is set w ithin us for our conscious realization of the m arriage of “heaven” and “earth.” In his book, The M ystic Path, Raym und A ndrea quotes Hugo as clearly expressing the experience o f soul contact as the soul awaits our genuine w illingness to enter into a union and partnership. Hugo w rites o f this repolarization process as follows: Every m an has w ithin him his Patmos. He is free to go, or not to go, out upon that frightful prom on­ tory of thought from w hich one perceives the shadow. If he does not, he rem ains in the com ­ mon life, w ith the com m on conscience, w ith the com m on virtue, w ith the com m on faith, or w ith a

com m on doubt; and it is well. For inw ard peace it is evidently the best. If he goes out upon those heights, he is taken captive. The profound w aves of the m arvellous have appeared to him. No one view s w ith impunity that ocean, henceforth he will be the thinker, dilated, enlarged, but floating; that is to say, the dreamer. He w ill partake of the poet and of the prophet. Henceforth a certain portion of him belongs to the shadow. A n elem ent o f the boundless enters into his life, into his conscience, into his virtue, into his philosophy. Having a different m easure from other men, he becom es extraordinary in their eyes. He has duties which they have not. He lives in a sort o f diffused prayer, and, strange indeed, attaches him self to an indeterm inate certainty which he calls God. He distinguishes in that tw ilight enough of the anterior life and enough of the ulterior life to seize these tw o ends o f the dark thread, and w ith them to bind his soul to life. W ho has drunk will drink, who has dream ed w ill dream. He w ill not give us that alluring abyss, that sounding of the fathom less, that indifference for the world and for this life, that entrance into the forbidden, that effort to handle the im palpable and to see the invisible; he returns to it, he leans and bends over it, he takes one step forward, then two; and thus it is that one pen­ etrates into the im penetrable, and thus it is one finds boundless release o f infinite m editation.1

Here then, as the frightful abyss of spirit, the oceanic sea of soul is before us, w e ask ourselves if we dare to pro­ ceed into a life of change, transcendence, and uncertainty. If we dare to follow our heart, unafraid as it is, we may suddenly realize the form we are to transcend and the one w e are to build, w hile still being fully prepared to let go of this bridging form as that release also becom es appropriate. Our choice is a simple one: to rem ain a prisoner w ithin a mental and emotional form w hich our objective dream s have com pelled us to build, or to pass beyond the frontier of a circum scribed existence into the mystic realm of the soul that is aw aiting our w illing approach. Our choice in favor of the latter assumes that we accept the basic truth of m ysticism: that w e are not a mental being searching for a nebulous and evasive entity known as the soul, but that we are a spiritual being which is the very cen­ ter of all that we are. We are, thus, the maintaining, nour­ ishing, and energizing force vitalizing our mental, emotional, and physical life. This shift in focus from periphery to cen­ ter inaugurates the realization of a spiritual essence w ithin us, directing our everyday existence and experience. The divine, that which is boundless, limitless, and eternal, does not unite w ith that which is limited. That would change the essence of its nature. It unites w ith that w ithin us w hich is also form less and unlimited. W ith a heart unafraid, the soul consciously merges as one w ith the quintessence o f w hat is. Is the relinquishm ent of the form of personality not a spiritual surrender? By no means, if the mystical marriage is to be consum m ated. It is that which is eternal, which cannot be lost or surrendered, and w hich participates in the

m ysterium coniunctionis. That w hich passes away is w ill­ ingly released; it is not worth keeping. The ability to discern actuality and “inner truth” is not acquired by mere wishing. Actuality, that w hich is, is dis­ covered when the “inner eye” is trained to see it. In training our eyes to see, we learn to distinguish between sensation and awareness. Our physical and psychic senses, upon which we base our realities, do not reveal to us what is “true.” At best, they reveal to us only the nature o f forms, and even then the senses are often inaccurate. People w ho identify self w ith their sense perceptions eventually discover that they im poverish their own lives. People w ho identify with their senses subordinate themselves to innate urges, annoyances, and disappointm ents o f their bodies. A vindictive person feels no enlightenm ent in put­ ting down an adversary. There is nothing immortal in em ­ barrassm ent, grief, or failure. The boundless and eternal qualities of Self are to be found elsewhere. In seeking the soul-quality o f freedom , one person be­ came (“assum ed” in his inner experience) a bird. He soared and banked, climbed and dove in a boundless blue sky. “This is freedom !” he exclaim ed to himself. “N o,” responded a soft voice within. “You are still per­ ceiving.” “But if I d o n ’t perceive, how will I know that I am? I w ill be N othing.” “You can choose to be aw are,” came the unexpected and surprising reply to his question.

Following this inner experience, the person contemplated the differences in his experiences of perceiving and simply being aware. Awareness, he discovered, w as that part of his consciousness w hich accurately related to his surroundings. “W hen I am aware, there are no judgm ents or interpreta­ tions of w hat I experience, there is only the experience.” A nother person added, “ Interpretation isn ’t needed. Expe­ rience just is.” W hen w e interpret, judge, and assign value to our expe­ riences, we make an illusory reality that can then substitute for the actual experience itself. A w om an co m m en ts,‘ I did not have to experience those beatings, for I had my reality that they were unfair, unjust, and wrong. W hen I let go of my interpretations and judgm ents, I began to recollect an experience uncolored by my realities and perceptions. A nother person points out, “ I perceive according to my reality. W hen my realities shift and change, I see other people and the w orld differently.” M any people believe their mind to be a subjective in­ strument. This is because they m istake their m ind for their fantasies and em otional reactions, w hich seem to be subjec­ tive. But when our experiences have been purged of the distinctions of belief, judgm ent, and interpretation, then mind can achieve an objectivity. Then we can use the mind as an instrum ent for discerning our realities from the actuality. To train ourselves to distinguish between illusions and the actual, we allow ourselves to experience. Experiencing w ithout judgm ent and interpretation, we discover our rela­ tionship to the archetypes, the principles universally present

in m ineral, anim al, and plant kingdom s and in all form s present in nature. We contem plate our reactions, attitudes, beliefs, and hence com e to understand the advantages of follow ing the guidance o f the soul rather than blindly react­ ing to the events and pressures o f daily life. We can con­ tem plate purpose, m eaning, significance, and the principles im portant to our lives, and w here the opportunities lie for m anifesting them. No longer need we mistake wishes, obli­ gations, needs, fears, beliefs, and illusions for the genuine experiences of Self. H ow can we rem ain our Self, so that we are not misled by illusions? There are a num ber of touchstones w hich can assist us in clearing illusions, and in focusing and centering in Self. First, ignoring, A ctuality ence. A s

if som ething can be changed by w ishing, hating, believing, or disbelieving, then it is not a ctual is absolute, and not a m atter o f w him or prefer­ the poet O m ar Khayyam puts it:

The M oving Finger writes; and, having writ, M oves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, N or all thy Tears w ash out a Word of it. O ur anger can often seem to be released by our venting it, yet this merely indicates that anger is not actual. By con­ trast, love is actual, for w hen love is expressed, it grow s and increases. “ I do not feel empty or relieved after expressing love; I feel fulfilled, connected, m ysteriously w hole.” Such experiences o f fulfillm ent, unity, and w holeness are hall­ m arks of the presence of our Inner Self and the touch of actuality.

A s another person adds, “W hen I am sad or disappointed, a good cry helps me in overcom ing the disappointm ent,” because again, for all its poignancies and pain, disappoint­ ment is not actual. If it were actual, then it could never be w ashed out by tears. N either will beliefs prevail. If we have becom e disap­ pointed by our marriage, for exam ple, w e may try to create the illusion that our spouse is unromantic, dull, and the cause of great misery. Yet, changing this belief will change only our attitude. The belief w as not actual. Substituting one belief for another belief may help us appear more enlight­ ened, but will not necessarily help us get in touch w ith actu­ ality. Irresponsibility is not an archetypal force of life. The beloved sister of one m an com m itted suicide while his w ife spoke w ith her on the telephone and he w as rushing to his sister’s side. The sister w as dead on his arrival. For years grief gripped him and his wife. Yet, this grief and pain w as not actual either. Actuality lay in the timeless, indestructible connection the three of them shared. Death, alcoholism , drug abuse, or any passing thing or behavior cannot shatter what is actual. The actuality of our soul abides even in the m idst of turm oil and strife. A second hallm ark is that if what we are perceiving can be known by our physical senses, then it is not actual. For exam ple, we do not discern actuality by m erely listening to a Beethoven Symphony, but rather by appreciating its beauty and harmony. A third touchstone is to realize that actuality resides in the essence o f that w hich w e call God. A s w e experience any aspect of life, w e can choose to attune w ith these divine

qualities. With this touchstone w e can discern if w e are attuning with the actual w ithin every circum stance o f life, or w hether w e are choosing to focus elsewhere. Discernm ent involves more than just being able to dis­ crim inate between the actual and the outer form. We can learn to invoke the archetypal forces o f the actual. This is an integral part of living, training the mind to bring the aware­ ness of “heaven” to our perceptions o f “earth.” With this conscious know ledge and activity, w e becom e a chalice in which the conjunction of this heaven and earth can take place. The invocation o f “ inner truth” is the central theme o f a Quest for the Holy Grail. The treasure in this adventure is the right to be a bearer and protector o f the Chalice of Light. The right is earned by dem onstrating our responsibility, our com petence, and our love for w hat is genuine and actual. In our lives, actuality is invoked in five ways: A s we engage in the activities of our lives, we invoke the actual by searching for the m eaningful and purposive in w hat we do. If our purpose in living is only to make money and achieve personal fame, w e are not dw elling in actuality, for those are passing illusions of an egocentric selfishness. On the other hand, if our purpose is to serve others and civilization instead of self, then we may indeed find m eaningfulness in what w e do, for those purposes are linked to Light— that is, with divine archetypes. A s we interact w ith other people, we discern actuality by experiencing and sharing qualities that also touch and inspire them. In other words, w e w illingly experience in­ spiration, allow ing our love, forgiveness, endurance, hope,

and patience to be quickened w ithin ourselves. Then, we share these m eaningful qualities w ith others so that actual­ ity can be a m utual realization. Together we attain an un­ derstanding of our divine origin. A s w e live our daily lives, w e invoke actuality by touch­ ing our immortality. Im m ortality is touched at the level of our Inner Self w hich is tim eless and deathless— w hich can­ not be lost and therefore never has to be found or saved. Experiencing the Inner Self, we transcend all that the body does, the em otions feel, the mind thinks. Together, we dis­ cover that immortality, perfection, and w holeness exist now — in actuality, in the highest portions o f our being. A s we integrate this realization into the personality, the w holeness w ithin us m ingles w ith the seeds of our character in every phase of our lives, assisting us in realizing the inner perfec­ tion present in all things and circumstances. Most importantly, the invocation o f actuality is charac­ terized by a love o f truth. Clear vision can be attained when there is a dedication to integrity. The shackles of illusion can be snapped w hen there is a deep awe and reverence for the majesty and splendor o f the universe. Truth can be re­ vealed when love burns in the heart. If w e but love God with all our soul, heart, and mind, then divinity is discerned in the m idst of the m yriad form s of creation. Our reverence for the divinity w ithin all of life opens our eyes and w e see life. Our love of truth draws truth to us, lifts us up, and even in the m idst of form , w e com e to dwell in a higher realm. A s an “agent of om neity,” aware of and appreciating the Light in all things and in all circum stances, acknowledging and sharing joy, living in profound gratitude as a gift o f liv­

ing, w e suddenly realize that the conjunction of heaven and earth, sun and moon, light and form, left brain and right brain, are all finding unity and expression through us. In love w ith truth, w e experience truth, and we becom e the bearer of truth and inspiration for an aw aiting humanity. In this profound m om ent we may come to know the meaning o f our own participation in the m ystical m arriage, the m ar­ riage o f the mind, and the conjunction of heaven and earth. Down through countless eons of time we have searched for truth and beauty in an outer world of form. Beauty, Truth patiently awaited us w ithin the bridal cham ber of our own heart. In love we are joined, in the active expression o f our joined efforts we are consummated, and in our sharing, seeds are planted and the divine child is born anew. In a w orld of form and egocentric strife, we learn m astership in Self, we learn love, and we com e to know joining.

t the heart o f each person there is a radiant light that has the pow er to m anifest the h eart’s most fervent de­ sires. If we are all in possession of such radiant power, why do we not fully enjoy life? Why do we not possess in full measure all the love, all the peace, all the inner treasures that have always been the prom ise o f humanity since the most ancient o f days? We all w ant love, com passion, sensitivity, and trust. We want these qualities from other people. We also want others to believe that we give love, sensitivity, com passion, and trust to them. Yet, most o f the time w e feel there are barri­ ers that stand in the way of our receiving or giving such love to other people. W hat could possibly stand in the way o f our sharing the Light, Life, and Love that is the essence o f each one o f us? I have often experienced the honor and privilege o f be­ ing with people in the sacred tem ples o f the Rosicrucian Order, A M O RC. These tem ples are made sacred by the thought and conduct o f those participating. Rather than choosing to com e to a Rosicrucian Temple, these people could have chosen to stay home w atching television, read­ ing a book, or doing any o f the things we do on weekday evenings to entertain and occupy ourselves; but instead, these people chose to attend a Rosicrucian Temple. Those o f us present in the Temple chose to be there with one another, to

m a r r ia g e o f t h e m in d

share the sacred Light w ith w hich w e are entrusted. To be there w ith such people is indeed a privilege and honor. M ystics, adepts, m asters have all spoken and written about processes for letting go the barriers to sharing this Light with each other. In various centuries, these mystics have w ritten that this Light w as present in the very first, prim ordial matter. They have w ritten that all that has been created w as created through the agency of this Light This is the same Light that is the Light of Eternal M an. It has been w ritten that it is this Light that shines in our darkness, but that this darkness cannot m aster it or even hold it back. Such w ords can give us hope, the hope that we too can let down our barriers to the Light, that w e too can acquire M as­ tery in Self, and that we too can radiate unim peded the Light that we are. A s children, w e thought that w e could be hurt and that we could be injured. We thought that w e w ould experience pain. To protect ourselves from pain we erected w alls, walls of protection, walls that would make us safe, walls that would allow us to look right and be good in the eyes of other people. But, w hat these walls now do is hide the Light from others and hide the Light from ourselves. The truth is that the Light of the Inner Self cannot be dim inished or enhanced, or in­ jured in any way. We did not realize this w hen w e erected barriers. We did not realize this w hen w e thought the walls o f protection made us beautiful and made us special. We did not realize this when we thought that, w ithout these de­ f e n s e s , w e would be nothing. We w ould be vulnerable. We w ould be alone. If we were alone, then w e might as well give up.

Walls o f protection cast their ow n shadows. Since we perceive the world in our own minds, we perceive it in the shadows and darkness cast by our own walls of protection. Such dark perceptions give us good reason to fear, good reason not to trust either life or other people. Yet, these fears and the lack o f trust are merely due to shadows, shad­ ows cast by walls o f our own making. There are four different w alls of protection which we erect (see Figure 35). They appear w henever our percep­ tions are based on Fear. We experience these four barriers as confining us, locking us up w ithin the walls of a very personal prison. W hen we move to get out of this prison, our perception is distorted and we feel like we are going deeper and deeper into this personal prison. We can fear that we will never be able to experience genuine freedom. The first barrier consists of a Wall o f Impossibility. Be­ hind this barrier o f impossibility we believe that “I can ’t.” “I can’t do this. I c a n ’t do what I w ant to do. I can’t.” When we experience the im possibilities of this w orld, we experience despair. Despair tem pts us to quit all together, to quit trying because there seem s no way to accomplish anything. We think and feel we are w eak and powerless. This feeling brings us to the existential question of Hamlet, “To be or not to be.” We question w hether it is better to live or die. We question our basic self-worth. We deny life and our Inner Self as the sole carrier o f our worth. Hence, it is here, against the Wall o f Im possibility that we are given the ultimate choice of Life or Death. It is here we come to dis­ cover the answ er to our questions, “W hat is worthiness? W hat m ust we do to be w orthy? Is life worth living without the pow er to make the world be the way we think it needs,

B a rrie r 1. Impossibility 2. Survival 3. Obligation

4. Desire

W h at We Say 1 can’t 1 need I must Should Have to Ought I want

W hat We Experience Despair Desperation Guilt, Anger Bitterness You owe me Dissatisfaction Longing, disquiet, disease

I Choose. 5. Freedom 6. Freedom 7. Freedom

1 am willing 1 am grateful I am enjoying

Inner self qualities Entheos Cosmic Consciousness

Fig. 35. Becoming Free.

should, and w e desire it to be? Do I have the strength and vitality to continue in such a w orld as this?” If w e manage to let go of this Wall o f Impossibility, let go o f our beliefs, thoughts, and feelings of “I can ’t,” we come to the second barrier, the Wall o f Survival. Here we confuse our self-identity with our instrum ent, the body. We say, “I need.” We believe that, as a body, w e need: we need to eat, we need to drink, we need to sleep. These are funda­ mental needs o f a self-im age controlled by a body. W hen we fear that our needs are not going to be met, we experi­ ence desperation. W hen we need anything at all, the need is desperate and w e experience fear. The fear denies the pos­ sibility that we may be more than just a body. With incred­ ible courage the Rosicrucian student may choose to face this fear and ask of self, “A m I just a body? W hat am I actu­ ally?” If w e go through this Wall o f Survival, we com e to a third barrier, the Wall o f Obligation. Here we say, “We must. I m ust, I should, I ought, I have to, I got to.” Here, against this Wall o f M ust, Shoulds, and O ughts o f obligations to m an-m ade rules and laws, we experience guilt, resentment, regret. We feel that the world owes us and we will “see to it that others feel guilty” too if they don’t do as we expect. Here, against the Wall o f Obligation, the student may come to ask, “A m I not more than limits and dem ands? Am I only a thing to be used? Am I not som ething more than this?” A s w e get through this Wall o f O bligation w e com e to the fourth barrier, the Wall o f Desire. Here we find that, “ I w ant.” This is the most subtle of the four walls. A fter all, we live in a society that tells us we should want a car, we

should want to be successful, we should want to have a house. Yet, w hen w e w ant, we make our inner happiness depen­ dent on the outside world. Rather than joy, we experience longing, disquiet, disease. If w e can see that we have choice, that we choose the direction our life takes, that we are re­ sponsible for the results o f our choices, that we have pow er to make new choices and give new directions— that gets us through this fourth wall. Here we can discover that w e have the pow er to choose from deep within our hearts what it is we are to do in life. Choosing even small things can be important to the discovery of this inner pow er and strength, like choosing to breath, eat, and sleep. Then, suddenly we are free of all four barriers. Outside the walls we experience Freedom. The first level of Freedom is “I am w illing.” Here we experience the gifts of our Inner Self. In our laboratories, people report that when they are experiencing the Inner Self they report expe­ riencing “love,” “peace,” “oneness,” “unity,” “w holeness,” “com passion,” “trust,” “confidence,” “tim elessness,” “the absence o f barriers,” “com plete freedom .” All these gifts are expressed when we are w illing to experience life, rather than make our life experience w rong. W hen we are willing, we find that we can let go of saying we “should” and “ought” and that others also “should” and “ought.” Rather than say­ ing this is w hat w e “ should have experienced,” we are w ill­ ing to experience w hat life brings us. Rather than interpret­ ing the way it “ought” to be (after all, “we know best”) we are w illing to experience the gifts of life just as they are. W hen we can say, “ I am w illing” we can go to the next level o f freedom , “ I am grateful.” Here w e experience the Entheos, a Greek word made up o f en, m eaning “w ithin,”

and theos, m eaning “ G od,” w hich together m eans “ God within.” We get the word enthusiasm from this magical word m eaning “ God w ithin.” Dr. H. Spencer Lew is spoke o f this level o f consciousness where we are grateful. He suggested that when we pray we d o n ’t have to just ask for things of desire; rather w e can choose to express the gratitude that already is in our heart. Our gratitude can open us to experi­ ence the Law o f Attraction. W hen we are grateful, we may also experience the third level of freedom . We experience “ I am enjoying, I am jo y ­ ful in every circum stance.” We can feel and express joy in every experience, every circum stance o f life. A tall order! A tall order, to experience joy in all circum stances. What about the circum stances w e say are w rong, unfair, and un­ just? Are we w illing to experience joy and feel gratitude w hen we make such judgm ents? W hen we are willing, we attune to the boundlessness and lim itlessness o f Self. Such an experience o f boundlessness in the Cosm ic is w hat we call Cosm ic Consciousness. M ystics, adepts, m asters have each been w illing to let down barriers and to express the Light, Life, and Love that is within the heart o f every human being. How difficult it can seem at tim es to see this, and yet it’s always there for us w hen we are willing, grateful, and cheerful. R osicrucians, mystics, and adepts have written about serving as exam ples of what it is to express the Light, Life, Love that is w ithin our hearts. As ideals, these mystics, ad­ epts, and m asters each serve as a source o f inspiration, a source of guidance, a source o f assistance— all because they are w illing that essence w hich w e all are. Hence, in sharing

our willingness, gratitude, and joy, each one of us is able to dem onstrate that “the m aster resides within the tem ple.” “ It is the God w ithin that dw ells w ithin the temple, w ho dwells in the hum an heart and finds pow er in the human brain.” W ith this inner voice of power, “the agents of evil tremble in the abyss, the four elem ents prove w illing to serve us and the highest intelligences are am bitious to obey our inner­ m ost desires.” This is not the blind follow ing of external masters. This is not a com pulsive fatalism , or the obedience to external gurus, w orldly masters, or tyrants that w ould have us fol­ low them as if we w ere puppets dancing on the strings of fear, impossibility, need, obligation, or desire. These are m erely the strings of fear and belief. They do not have the pow er to compel our action and thereby restrict our free­ dom. The pow er to choose action and freedom abides within ourselves. A s students of mysticism , are w e w illing to let go of shadow s and echoes that resound through our m inds and keep from us the truth o f w ho we actually are? Are we w ill­ ing to let go and let fears and shadows fade from our con­ sciousness, being ever aw are that darkness is m erely the absence of Light? If w e are w illing to let go and w e are w illing to abide w ith the inner master, the Inner Self, if we are w illing to abide w ith the radiant energy of who we actu­ ally are, then it is that all the gifts are there for us to share w ith all those w e love. Then, also, we can realize that we are not alone, that the Great Work that we undertake has been undertaken by m ystics, adepts, and m asters, Rosicrucians, M artinists, and others w ho have abided am ong us throughout the ages. They form a great chain o f being, a

chain o f being w herein each heart has expressed a w illing­ ness to let go the barriers, a gratitude for life the way it is, a joy in sharing this life in love with each other. This is a powerful chain, a chain of w hich we are a part and hold a rightful place. W hen w e are w illing to let go the barriers o f fear, belief, resentment, regret, guilt; when we are willing to pass through the walls of I can’t, I need, I must, and I want; we can then realize that we are not alone, that a Light leads the way as it does in every heart that has expressed its willingness, its gratitude, and its joy. We can know that in Rosicrucian Temples, Lodges, Chapters, and Pronaoi and in our Home Sanctums, there are lights on our Shekinah or altar to com ­ memorate the G reater Light w ithin each one o f us. Within this Light we can abide in stillness and reverence, that we may allow all shadows to pass from our consciousness, be­ ing ever aware that darkness is merely the absence of Light. In Peace Profound, let us rem em ber w ho we actually are.

Shadows o f shadows o f the shadow o f His face; Echoes o f echoes of the echoes o f His word. The shadow s pass, the substance remains. M ultitudes o f tom orrows melt into yesterday Save one that will dawn as today without end, Has already daw ned and risen is its sun For him w ho is awake, w hose heart is a full moon, Holy w itness of the wealth it reflects. It beam s forth what it sees, bright into our darkness, For us m oonlight, but for the moon, daylight From a fountain in flood ever-flowing.

Truth, A ll-K now ing, Eternal Lord O f the A bsolute Day beyond day and night, Infinite Beatitude, as w e meet together, answ er us, guide us O ver the surge o f this sea o f shadows, this vast Ocean of echoes, that on the ultimate shore We m ay behold and hear, and have and be. G od of our Hearts, God of our Realization, Thou hast given us the Rose and the Cross That w e w ho are raised in the Order M ay know the truth, in Love, in Art, and in Science. H ow manifold are Thy works! Bestow Thy blessing upon our presence here T hat we who are raised in Order May discern Truth and know the Beauty in All. George F. Buletza

CHAPTER 11

FREEDOM xploring qualities o f inner experience has been one of the endeavors o f the Rosicrucian research facilities. In 1986 and 1987 Dr. D avid A guilera joined me in this explo­ ration into transcendence, insight, and the experience of Self. W illingness, gratitude, and jo y are am ong the qualities that w e explored together. W hat follow s are explorations of these three Levels o f Freedom introduced in Chapter 10.

E

T H E W IL L IN G N E S S T O BE OU RSELV ES

Life in this w orld often seem s tum ultuous and full of strife. In this kind o f w orld we m ay feel that defensiveness, conflict, isolation, anger, defeat, anxiety, confusion, and being victim ized are all attributes o f “living.” Yet, is this living? Is there not another way? W hat does it take to Live, to express the Light o f our Inner Self? W hat attitudes allow us to share ourselves w ith each other? Some people describe being our Inner Self as a child­ like way o f returning to Life. Some subjects describe this child-like state as “sim ple,” “clear,” “relaxed,” “being m y­ self,” “discovering w ho I am ,” “innocent,” “risky,” “excit­ ing,” “adventurous,” “joy,” as “a w illingness to experience.” Some people find that joy is forgotten or denied in fear­ ful circum stances. Yet, these circum stances are an opportu­ nity to renew our willingness. A s one person points out,

“A s much as I find experiences o f Self to be joyful and ful­ filling, I also find that I need to come back to my own w ays and attitudes that ensure my success. This is safe, being child-like is not.” To choose w illingness when we “ know ” it’s not safe takes courage and perseverance. Becom ing our Self takes courage. B ecom ing our Self m eans letting go of outer aspects of personality. “ I find that when I’m successfully into my facade, I think I ’m looking good in others’ eyes. That feels ‘g ood’ to me. But unfortu­ nately, I also feel guilty and scared that I might be found out. Then, I feel even more defensive.” A nother agrees. ■‘W hen I’m not being w ho I actually am . . . I feel that I ’m a failure. W hat’s ridiculous is that I’m much more powerful in just being who I am .” “ W hen I forget, my fears are real­ ized.” “W hen I represent m yself as superior, I’m still well aware that it’s a facade.” Yet, this facade can seem very im portant to us. “I cling to my facades and worry over what could happen if I expose m yself.” “ I ’m afraid that I 11 appear simple, dumb, stupid.” Based on fear of exposure we build w ithin ourselves a need to m aintain a false front. My front protects me when I fear trusting others or myself. For me it is an issue of trust.” Facades appear in many forms. “ I need to be in con­ trol.” “B eing right is im portant to m e.” “ It’s worth any­ thing to be right.” “I don’t want other people to see my w eaknesses.” “ I don’t want people to see w hat I can’t see. W hen they show me w hat I’m doing, I ’m hum iliated.”

“ I feel I am m yself w hen I ’m fulfilling my obligations. O f course, even w hen I ’m doing my duty, it’s still not enough.” “It’s never enough.” “No one appreciates how much I do.” “ I c a n ’t ever rely on others to do things right.” “W hy am I alw ays so tired and unappreciated?” There are others who feel just the opposite. “I ’m m y­ self w henever I ’ve no responsibilities. I ’m me when I’m free.” “ W hy do people always want to put restrictions on me, make me follow stupid rules, make me do things I d o n ’t want to? You c a n ’t be yourself if y o u ’re not free to experi­ ence life.” “ Pretending that I ’m free w hen I know I ’m not, is not real.” Each o f us can build individual defenses which allow us to feel safe, but also separate and alone. Each protection is based on an anxiety, worry, or fear. “W hen I feel unsure, or worse, challenged in my beliefs, I angrily defend myself. A fterw ards, I feel guilty and w ish I had given m yself time to adjust to new beliefs and realities.” W hen w e experience an unexpected flush of feeling we may fend o ff the feeling and becom e rigid in our behavior. “W hen I ’m afraid, I becom e too form al and d o n ’t allow m yself to experience the moment. Later, I often wish I had, because the new experience w as just what I had been look­ ing for.” Fearing to be exposed and vulnerable, we can choose to keep up our guard, m issing opportunities to share and experience ourselves. If we choose to let go o f fear and defensive beliefs, we are then free to be our Inner Self. “ Before I let go o f a defensive belief, I can fear that I ’m going to suffer a small

death, that I ’ll look ridiculous, that I might actually be grate­ ful and then I ’ll be hum iliated for my previous attitude. A fterw ards, however, w hat I actually feel is joy, freedom , and even a physical lightness. I am grateful once again to let go o f my fear and reality.” “I am g ra te fu l. . . for I am not a victim! I feel my inner pow er returned.” “ . . . I feel my personal power.” “ . . . I feel my genuine power.” “W hen I let go of my old belief, I consciously tell m y­ self that 1 have finished w ith my old way of relating to people. I make a choice based on w illingness to change my reality. Each time I choose, my w illingness em powers me. My w ill­ ingness makes possible and even com m ands a change to occur.” This is Mastery. T h i s mastery is a process w hich is personal to each of us and w hich is based on a w illingness to change. A s one person put it, “I am finally realizing what I really am .” In our “change” process, w e w alk through a threshold, finding on the other side that keeping our facade is of no value. Unconsciously, w e m ay have felt that either being “right,” or looking good, fulfilling obligations or avoiding them w as protective, but now find that our inner “truth” is the only genuine security. “A s long as I stay w ith my con­ science, I am standing on truth. I am no longer vulnerable to the shifting sands of the w orld and popular opinion.” “W hen I experience my Inner Self, the w orld is joyful and golden. I no longer am caught in w hat appears to be strife and tum ult.” “I thought m astery w as being in control. Yet, it is the free-flowing, open sharing of m yself that brings joy and a rapport w ith others.” “ In my fear of exposing w eak­ ness, I ’m guarded in revealing m yself to others. Yet, in shar­

ing myself, I ’m finding the kind of trust and love I ’ve al­ w ays w anted.” By com ing to experiences of the Inner Self, we discover a hope and a confidence that can reaw aken our conscious­ ness w hen we again forget and cling to protective facades. We are inspired to ask, “W hat does it take to share the Light o f our Inner Self?” “W illingness” and “Trust” are two fre­ quent responses. With these two responses we now know, in both the world and in our hearts, that there is another way, a way that offers joy, freedom , love, and all the treasures sought in life’s ad­ venture. The following questions are for our personal selfexam ination, contemplation, and our own exploration of our willingness. 1.

Am I willing to experience m yself in all circumstances? Am I willing to experience joy and sadness, confidence and anxiety, fulfillm ent and failure, innocence and con­ fusion, peace and conflict, trust and defensiveness, con­ nection and separation, acceptance and rejection, and so on?

2.

Am I w illing to experience Self, or is it more im por­ tant to look good and be right? In my life, w hich am I choosing? Let us take a mom ent to experience our choice.

3.

I experience courage, openness, inner guidance when I . . . and I experience fear, separation, guilt, and im pos­ sibility when I . . . .

4.

I w ant to experience new realities in the follow ing areas o f my life: A m I w illing to experience these new attitudes even if I w ere to look ridiculous?

5.

I am genuinely w illing to acknow ledge w ho I am in the follow ing a re a s :. . . I am not w illing to change my realities (i.e., beliefs, interpretations, expectations, judg­ ments) in these other a r e a s :. . . .

6.

Am I w illing to experience free-flow ing, open sharing of m yself, joy, trust, rapport with others, love, and am I also w illing to experience rigidity, protection, sad­ ness, loneliness, and fear? Am I w illing to experience all that life, the Cosmic, offers me?

7.

Being already Light, let us picture a sea of blackness. Let us breathe deeply into our inner picture, intensify­ ing and giving life to our experience. W hat is on the other side of this dark sea? In every mom ent o f my life, w hich am I choosing?

8.

W hat does it take for me to share the Light that I am?

G R A TITU D E

Dr. H. Spencer Lew is frequently spoke of that level of experience where w e are grateful. He suggested that when we pray we should not just ask for things o f desire; rather we can choose to express the gratitude that is already in our hearts. Is there a m ysterious pow er in our experience of gratitude? Can we attain such pow er in our own lives? W hat could possibly hold us back?

Gratitude is a quality of our experience that is thought by som e to be a virtue and by others to be a w eakness. D e­ pending on our realities and desires w e may look at grati­ tude as either natural or foolish. We m ay ask, “ Can we be grateful when we are feeling despair, when we d o n ’t have w hat we think we need, what is just, or w hat w e w ant?” For instance, one person experienced sexual abuse as a child. H er response to life is anger and attack. Her experi­ ence in life is separation and loneliness, w hich is also her subconscious fear. Letting go o f her aggressive protections is still difficult. “I ’d like to escape, but th ere’s nothing I can do. It is scary. T h at’s the way I alw ays feel, though. I escape from everything I feel. I make excuses. I just d o n ’t want to have this experience. I rebel!” Like this person, some people point out, “W hen I feel despair, life is im possible. This is the w ay life is and I can’t change it, then I do n ’t feel grateful.” “ It’s im possible to feel gratitude when I know life’s unjust.” “ I know it. It’s unfair, it’s unjust. You w ant me to feel grateful for this?” “Life doesn’t give me what I need. I ’ve got to work for it, strive and fight for it.” “ I ’ve earned everything I ’ve got. No one gives me anything I need.” “Gratitude isn’t som e­ thing I often feel except on Sunday or maybe Thanksgiv­ ing.” “I can give you gratitude w hen I ’ve earned it for my­ self.” Yet, another points out, “W hen I feel I ’ve earned what I got, that sucks the gratitude right out o f it.” “O f course, I feel grateful w hen I get w hat I want. Only why can ’t I get what I want when I w ant it?” “ If I haven’t

got what I w ant by Tuesday you can ’t expect me to feel gratitude on W ednesday.” “You w onder why I ’m irritable?” M ystics can discover that we ask for the experiences we receive, even to the choice o f our own parents. One m em ­ ber recalled for us some prenatal and childhood experiences:

I can rem em ber seeing m yself as a round, glowing sphere. Yet, I knew that the sphere itself w as not me, but merely an expression of my being. In front of me, I could see two women. I knew that they were sisters, that the one I chose w as to be my m other and the other to be my aunt. One of them held the attraction of love and nurturance which would have shielded and encom passed me throughout my childhood. With the other the attraction w as a deep sense of responsibility. I chose wisely, relinquishing this opportunity for an all-encom passing, fulfilling love. I chose for my m other the woman w ho represented responsibility. As I grew up, however, my biological mother becam e less involved in parenting, and my aunt— my psychological mother, took over the parenting role. A s for my father, he w as a very difficult man. He w as physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive. It w as not until later in life, during an initiation ritual in the Atrium degrees, that I truly realized the significance of my childhood experiences. D uring the initiation, I had a profound sense of attunem ent with my Inner Self, at w hich mom ent I

felt prom pted to ask some question w hich had been burning in my heart. I chose to ask, “W hy is the relationship w ith my father so very difficult?” The answ er shot back, “Because you are so much like him .” This response w as gradually accepted by my outer consciousness, and over the years I have come to realize the shadow side o f my per­ sonality. I now feel truly grateful for both o f my parents. Had I been raised by my aunt in a totally loving, engulf­ ing environm ent, I would never have let loose of her apron strings, satisfied instead to be encom passed by her love. I w ould not have been desirous o f en­ tering the w orld at large. I am grateful for my father because through him I cam e to know myself. Suf­ fering now is irrelevant. I can now experience grati­ tude and can now realize that I have received w hat I asked for.

“W hen I recognize that I am realizing qualities of Self I have asked for, then I c a n ’t help but experience gratitude.” “Often I don’t feel gratitude at first because my experience doesn’t fit my picture o f w hat I think I should be grateful for. If my expectations are not met, I don’t feel grateful, but later may realize that I have received what I hoped for.” “I hope to experience w hat I can be grateful for. But hope is often colored by expectations that stand in the way o f grati­ tude.” “The experience of gratitude is followed by such joy that I only wish that I could alw ays be open to that.”

People w ho experience genuine gratitude find that it is spontaneous, natural, and free. “G ratitude is often unex­ pected. It’s just here.” “ G ratitude is always here, even though I can ’t always feel it.” “The more I’m w illing to accept gratitude as a part of life the more intense it becomes. Then it becom es more and more natural.” “I can ’t make it happen. I can be open to it. W hen gratitude is here it’s a gift.” “W hen I am grateful I feel light, joyful, connected.” “ . . . I feel centered, harm onious, peaceful.” “ . . . I feel positive tow ard the w orld, genuinely tuned into things, posi­ tive tow ards others.” “Intuitively, I know it’s possible to experience gratitude in all circum stances. G etting there is the difficulty. Im not w illing to experience gratitude if I don’t have my way. “ I can experience gratitude in all circum stances where I m w illing to experience life as it is. This m eans I need to let go of thinking I know how it should be.” The w illingness to open to experiences of gratitude can take courage. One Rosicrucian student describes her expe­ rience as follows: I w anted to let go of the negative em otions I experienced w henever I thought of childhood beatings. I asked my Inner Self for assistance. W hen I started to let go, my ego went crazy. It said to m e, “ How could you possibly do this. Everyone w ould agree these beatings were terrible and w rong. If you do this everyone will know you are crazy.”

My inner self merely replied, “Do you w ant to let go or not?” My ego replied, “ You’ve already forgiven your father. You don’t need to do this.” Indeed, I thought I had forgiven my father. My inner self merely asked, “ Do you want to let go or not?” I replied, “Yes,” and I asked my inner self, “W hat w as my interpretation that is still generating my negative em otions?” My inner self responded, “The beatings were unfair, unjust, and w rong!” The ego exclaim ed, “ If you do this, you are going to feel gratitude for those beatings, then everyone w ill know for sure that y o u ’re crazy!” The inner self responded w ith the same question, “Do you want to let go or not?” “Yes, I choose to let go o f unfair, unjust, and w rong.” This was scary. I then experienced those beatings, possibly for the first time. Letting go of the interpretation, I indeed experienced gratitude. I interpreted this to mean that “ never again would I need to fear being beaten up by life.”

The Tom-tom Legend of the A m erican Plains Indians teaches that to becom e a Peaceful Warrior, the brave must

be happy, see the Great Spirit in all things, and give thanks in every situation. H alf a world away, Paul w rote to the Thessalonians, that to becom e true Christians they should, “ Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circum ­ stances . . . . ” People attest to the genuine pow er and freedom experi­ enced with gratitude. Dr. Lew is and our subjects dem on­ strate that for us gratitude is already burning in each of our hearts. Hence, the choice we face is between joy and fear. Are w e w illing to experience gratitude and joy or w ill we choose to remain with fear and judgm ent? The Peaceful W arrior and the Rosicrucian Knight vanquish fear w ith a courageous thrust of gratitude. The follow ing questions are for our personal self-ex­ am ination, contem plation, and our ow n exploration o f our willingness. 1.

Is there a genuine w illingness in my heart to experi­ ence gratitude?

2.

Do I have the courage to experience gratitude even when others may make me wrong?

3.

Am I w illing, grateful, and happy or is it more im por­ tant that I believe that I am right, look good, that I am safe?

4.

At this mom ent am I experiencing inner strength, in­ ner trust, inner confidence, inner connection, inner peace, and gratitude or do I feel separate, do I need to escape from experience, do I feel life is im possible, do

I feel despair, desperation, guilt, desire for life to be different from the way it is at this mom ent? 5.

Choose a m ajor life problem or issue. In this matter, w hat would it take me to trust my inner guidance?

6.

In this m atter w hat is right, just, and correct? A m I w illing to let go o f this?

7.

A m I w illing to accept all my experiences, all aspects of w hat I really am? A m I w illing to accept what I am experiencing right now?

8.

In this m om ent now, am I w illing to w ait w ith bated breath for the return of w illingness, gratitude, and joy?

IN SEARCH OF THE M YSTIC’S JOY

“Joy is the m ost infallible sign o f the presence o f G od,” w rote Teilhard de Chardin. In contem plating his own ex­ perience of joy, C. S. Lew is expressed the idea that joy is that quality of our experience that when it seems to go away, we sim ply w ait w ith bated breath for its return. These com ­ ments indicate that the experience of joy is a noetic/aes­ thetic gift that simply com es and goes, and then returns w ith­ out our control. W ithout a sense o f personal control, does this mean that our desire for joy is hopeless, or is there a conscious attitude that w elcom es an experience of joy? Is this spiritual experience the very essence of what is sought by the mystic? In experiencing the mystical, one subject com mented, “There is a quality w ithin me that when I touch it, my mind

expands and I experience the fullness of the Cosmic. W hile in this expansive state, I experience no desires, no obliga­ tions, no needs, and no im possibilities. The m undane melts away and I know peace, w holeness, and, most wonderfully, joy.” This subject’s comment agrees w ith the perspective sug­ gested by the em inent Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung. In speaking about happiness, he states: Since it is a subjective state whose reality cannot be vouched for by any external criterion, any further attempt to describe and explain it is doomed to failure, for only those who have had this experience are in a position to understand and attest its reality. “ Happiness,” for exam ple, is such a remarkable reality that there is nobody w ho does not long for it, and yet there is not a single objec­ tive criterion w hich w ould prove beyond all doubt that this condition necessarily exists. As so often w ith the most important things we have to make do w ith the subjective judgm ent.1 If the experience o f joy is indeed a subjective state, then what attitudes w ill allow joy to flow er? “Joy is a being function. You d o n ’t make being do anything. Being just is.” A nother person adds, “Joy is a pleasurable em otion re­ quiring my w illingness to be open to it. I can give perm is­ sion for my experiencing joy, but I don’t force it to happen. Joy can be such an important virtue that we may try to insist that it always be present. However, as one subject

points out, “W illing joy doesn’t w ork for me. Joy is a gift that appears spontaneously, transcending my ordinary self.” Some subjects point out that an egocentric w illing can be transm uted to a spiritual openness. “I feel joy when I am interested and focused to such an extent that I forget myself. Then I am enthusiastic and spontaneous. The jo y I experi­ ence is spontaneous.” Many people at this point ask, “W hy do some people have more joy than others? W hy do some people get more gifts?” In asking these questions are we more involved in ourselves or in others, or in our experience? By not forcing joy, by being involved in experience, self is forgotten and subjects suggested that joy simply follows. In asking some subjects w hat might happen if they were open to experiencing joy, some subjects discussed attitudes blocking their experience of joy. Subjects were asked, “ If I were joyful, then . . . They responded, “ I w o n ’t be ac­ cepted,” “ I ’ll be out o f control,” “I w o n ’t be real. I’ll be crazy,” “T hey’ll think I ’m crazy.” “They will think I ’m one of those overzealous religious fanatics!” “I w on’t be grounded. I ’ll be up in the clouds som ew here and w on’t be able to relate to others. I ’ll be rejected.” “My friends will think I'm weird. They will think som ething is w rong with me. They may prefer to see me as mad. A fter all, they may prefer such a judgm ent rather than accepting the responsibility and possibility that they too could be joyful.” Besides concern about the opinions of others, one per­ son indicated a m ore basic fear: “Darkness hates the light.

It would be better to hide out. You’ve got to be careful about show ing your light.” Some people adm itted to subconscious fears in re­ sponding to the question, “If I w ere to have fun like this, then . . . “I w ouldn’t get any w ork done,” “ I ’d be fired,” “ My God! I w ouldn’t be taken seriously!” “ It’s the best way o f ending up on a cross that I know of.” Being joyful can also mean letting go of facades. “I wouldn ’t be able to be unhappy or a martyr,” “ I w ouldn’t be able to participate in that sad game at the funeral,” “They might say your being disrespectful for the dead.” We may avoid dealing w ith our personal fears. Yet, what does it cost us in term s of joy to avoid dealing w ith fear? Subjects responded, “Just about the whole shooting m atch.” “It cuts the heart out o f my experience o f life. The meaning is gone.” “ I don’t have near enough fun now that I ’m all grow n up.” “ It costs me my happiness. It’s doom and gloom .” “Joy? W h at’s that?” For many there is a cost in term s o f health: “You die, a little, but at once.” “You are cutting yourself off from the Source, the Source of vitality.” “Joy is my Fountain of Youth. W ithout it I feel prem aturely old, lifeless.” O thers speak of cost in term s of relationships: “It makes my relationships disconnected, disjointed. There is a sense of isolation. You are in your own little world, the one you’ve created.” “The world seem s colorless, gray, dark, dreary.” Costs are often obvious, but the payoffs can be more difficult to identify. In asking the question, “W hat are the

payoffs we get from believing that joy is not perm issible?” subjects replied, “You get to feel sorry for yourself.” “ I ’m not responsible for my misery.” “I have no choice.” By telling ourselves we have no control in our lives, we can rationalize our misery, our moods and attitudes. “Those are the breaks.” “ My misery is all right.” “ I get to be right that there is no jo y here for m e.” “ I get to be as selfish as I w ant.” “You get to put up w ith a lot of miserable people who also put up w ith my bellyaching.” For many people projecting their fear onto others can be another payoff. “You can shift blam e.” “ God did it to me. It’s all his fault.” “Since I ’m not happy there is no good reason for anyone else to be. I t’s all right that I judge others for their inappropriate feelings.” W ithout joy, life can seem so desperate that even a fa­ cade of jo y can seem preferable to a seemingly em pty life. Yet, many people point out that th ere’s a difference between jo y as an experience and jo y as a facade in order to look good and seem alive. “W hen I think I ’m supposed to be joyful, joy is no longer genuine. I sim ply play a role.” “I t’s like I know what it’s supposed to look like, so I play it. It’s a drama. Its not genuine.” “I put a funny grin on my face to indicate that everything’s okay, that I ’m joyful. But this kind of dram a is not w ho I am .” Joy is more than a facade, dram a, or role. M any sub­ jects indicated that there is a particular attitude present when genuine joy is experienced. “If I ’m going to be joyful, it starts w ith the w illingness to experience.” An interpreta­ tion of our experience is not the same as the w illingness to

experience. “ I t ’s t h e w i l l i n g n e s s to experience— period. It includes sadness, the full range of my emotions. My expe­ rience of joy stops when I interpret, when I make my expe­ rience w rong or bad.” Any judgm ent, even the interpreta­ tion of ourselves being right, good and ideal, can inhibit the experience of joy. “W hen I am self-righteous I don’t have to fear being w rong; I feel self-justified, but also isolated and alone, and there is no joy in that.” “To be joy ful, w illingness is the key. Then it happens, it all falls into place. T h at’s the m agic ” “The secret here for me is my w illingness to experience gratitude. W hen I expe­ rience gratitude, joy often follows.” Here, gratitude means that shared feeling w hich brings people even closer together, not the polite “thank you” w hich follow s as a payoff for a service rendered. “W hen I am profoundly grateful, I feel a sense o f connection w ith others, or even w ith the cosm ic whole. My being fills w ith a light and love which tran­ scends feeble words.” “The same spiritual essence is present in gratitude as is present in joy. They are connected. It s as though gratitude and joy are tw o m eans to arrive at the same experience of self.” W illingness can also involve a sense o f risk for many people. “T here’s a little bit o f going out on a limb with joy.” “ W hen I’m not w illing to experience all of life 1 cut m yself off from the experience o f joy. I cut m yself off when I allow doubt. I t ’s like maybe I w on’t say the right thing. I experience a little insecurity, a fear. I tell m yself this isn’t the right thing to say. I stop m yself from speaking. I blunt my experience of fear, yet [with fear repressed] I don’t ex­ perience joy either.” A nother paradoxically adds, “Here I

was experiencing all this sadness, anxiety, negativity. I didn’t make these feelings w rong. And I experienced joy. I am astonished. This seemed im possible!” We tend to be ju d g ­ mental about ourselves when we experience “negative” feel­ ings such as sadness or anxiety. That we can experience joy under these circum stances is seem ingly im possible. It does not fit in with our usual way o f looking at joy. With joy there can be a sense of risk, astonishm ent, a non-rational quality to the experience. “It’s almost as though there’s a prerequisite o f feeling okay about m yself before I can be open to experiencing, before I can risk being joyful.” “If I ’m really being myself, if I ’m really experiencing joy, then external situations might fall apart. People may not see it as a joyful experience, they may not understand it. People d o n ’t often understand that it’s an inner process.” It seem s as though gratitude and trust are spiritual quali­ ties that open us to the w illingness to experience Self and joy. “We experience joy w ith other qualities o f our inner self, like peace and love. Joy then becom es a way of life.” “To be joyful, it’s im portant for me to come from my inner purpose, to trust that purpose rather than the w ay o f the w orld.” In the m idst o f a tum ultuous world, it takes trust and courage to allow our inner self to guide and direct our active participation in life. W hat are the gifts which may come through trust in our inner self? “These gifts can be the qualities of our inner self, humility, peace, joy, love, gratitude.” “ If I am experi­ encing peace or any other quality of the inner self, the very experience o f the inner self is jo yful.”

“The whole world is brighter. I seem to notice joy in other things as well, that I hadn’t noticed before. It is part o f the expansiveness that joy is in all things, not ju st som e.” “Joy is the most m ystical of all experiences that I ’ve ever had, because it is a sense of who I actually am. Being who I am, joy is accom panied by feelings of expansiveness, a feeling of connectedness. Ultimately, joy is trust. It is trust in the tim eless and form less.” “Joy is a lim itless condition that is m e.” Dr. H. Spencer Lewis indicated how we can bridge the gap between our reality of a limited self and the experience o f lim itless joy:

The real key to happiness, which may be applied for all, is this: Be always considerate o f others in all your thoughts, actions, and words. God never intended that man should be unhappy. Happiness is m an’s birthright, and the only thing which is preventing man from enjoying that birthright is his ow n blind egotism. Because w e are so w rapped up in ourselves, w e are failing to enjoy the happiness we should have and hold. We are so proud of our self-styled independence that w e have built up a w all of pride around us, through which kindness, joy, consideration, and love cannot penetrate, and it is not until w e rem ove that wall and know that we are o f God, and not of ourselves, that true happiness w ill com e to be w ith us and remain with us now and foreverm ore.

The follow ing questions are for our personal selfexam ination, contemplation, and our own exploration of our willingness. 1.

At the personal level, when do you experience joy? In relationship and in service for others, when do you ex­ perience joy? In experiencing your relationship to the Cosmic, w hen do you experience joy?

2.

Imagine a situation in w hich you could be experienc­ ing joy. Visualize this situation clearly and in detail. Do you often im agine yourself as joyous? Is joy self­ ish?

3.

W hat are you doing to promote possibilities for expe­ riencing joy in your life?

4.

W hat are you doing to share joy w ith others?

5.

Experience joy. Experience happiness. Experience self-esteem. Are your experiences the same?

6.

Do w e require anything in the external world (i.e., an “ability,” a “need,” a “should,” or a “w ant”) in order to experience joy?

7.

Are you w illing to experience joy?

efore transcendence and the consum m ation o f the m ystical m arriage, there is a letting go of our m istak­ ing form as being essence. In letting go the ultim ate im por­ tance o f outer form, w e live in a world o f paradox. We go beyond w hat we thought we needed and lacked, w hat we thought we should do and failed, w hat we thought we de­ sired and couldn’t have; and going beyond our needs, du­ ties, and desires, w e discover that w hat w e are is what we thought w e wanted. To abide with such paradox in matters of quality and essence calls upon a suprem e trust, courage, and love. Yet, is not the call o f our ow n heart, the voice and direction o f our innerm ost being, not the voice w e have longed to hear and join? Ultimately, can there be any other path for us? (Note: again, as w ith Chapter 11, the following essay w as w ritten by G eorge F. B uletza and D avid M. A guilera.)

B

BEYOND W ORTHINESS

Exploring what lies beyond w orthiness is a challenge. W hat lies beyond has no words, is undefined, is com pletely open. We even have difficulty talking about it. Yet, the confidence, the joy, the peace that is experienced as the mys­ tic goes “beyond,” m akes the seem ingly heavy experiences of life more than w orth it.

efore transcendence and the consum m ation of the mystical m arriage, there is a Jetting go o f our m istak­ ing form as being essence. In letting go the ultim ate im por­ tance of outer form, w e live in a world of paradox. We go beyond w hat we thought we needed and lacked, w hat we thought we should do and failed, w hat we thought we de­ sired and couldn’t have; and going beyond our needs, du­ ties, and desires, we discover that w hat we are is w hat we thought we wanted. To abide with such paradox in matters of quality and essence calls upon a suprem e trust, courage, and love. Yet, is not the call of our ow n heart, the voice and direction of our innerm ost being, not the voice w e have longed to hear and join? Ultimately, can there be any other path for us? (Note: again, as with Chapter 11, the following essay w as w ritten by G eorge F. B uletza and D avid M. Aguilera.)

B

BEYOND WORTHINESS

Exploring what lies beyond w orthiness is a challenge. W hat lies beyond has no words, is undefined, is com pletely open. We even have difficulty talking about it. Yet, the confidence, the joy, the peace that is experienced as the m ys­ tic goes “beyond,” m akes the seem ingly heavy experiences of life more than w orth it.

W orthiness is a reality that can color our experience of life. Yet, one o f our subjects m ysteriously says, “W orthi­ ness, unw orthiness? This is a cosm ic joke! W orthiness doesn’t exist. I t’s a mental fabrication. It’s only a reality.” W hen w e are told that our w orthiness is a joke, we may feel that the joke is on us. Isn ’t being w orthy important? A Class M aster at the Rosicrucian Order remarks, “I som etim es receive a letter reporting on a student’s feelings of unworthiness. The student may feel that he or she hasn’t had a psychic experience, or feel guilty about not having incense, or not having an ideal Sanctum. The openness, vulnerability, and w arm th these students share with me is very touching. They have heart. Tears come to my eyes when I read these letters from sincere students. 1 feel sad that these students may believe that these same qualities verify their unw orthiness.” A s these students’ letters point out, a reality of w orthi­ ness can be a m ajor issue in the life of a Rosicrucian aspir­ ant. Research subjects indicate, “I thought I w as the only one dealing with this issue.” “I ’ve always w anted to be worthy, but it’s im possible for m e.” A nother subject adds, “I know me. I know my weaknesses. Everything I do isn’t good.” “ I admire those w ho think they are worthy. I doubt that they really are, though.” How often have w e unconsciously said som ething like this to ourselves? D oes w orthiness seem to be an ideal that is im possible for us to achieve? Is it som ething we ought to achieve? “I strive for w orthiness. I w ork hard to earn it, but I ’m never actually worthy.” “ I can ’t experience what isn ’t so.”

W hen caught in our reality of unw orthiness, our atti­ tudes may be experienced as, “ . . . empty, cold, dark, a shell or cave with no way out.” “ . . . a blackness that’s all there is.” “ . . . a despair that is ultimate and final.” “ . . . a despair that is a blot on my soul.” “I ’m doing all the right things, why am I not there yet?” “I do everything I can to serve and become worthy, but it’s never enough. I ’m still as unworthy as I ever w as.” “ I w ill never be worthy ” One aspect of this reality can be the idea that others can m ake us worthy. “ Part of me is w anting to be rescued.” “There has to be some external source of w isdom that will help me out.” “I hunger for someone w ho will make me right, will see the good qualities in me, make me worthy.” “I am in a shell, under a rock, beneath the sea— find me. I w ant to be loved.” The mental intricacies and convolutions o f our realities can be very subtle. “W hen other people acknow ledge me and praise my accom plishm ents, I feel good. However, the ego craftily intimates, ‘T h at’s a lie. You fooled them, to o .’ Underneath the ‘good feeling’ I still suspect I ’m not w or­ thy.” “W hen I am not worthy, I can ’t even love myself. Then, I need som eone else to show me I ’m good enough to be loved again.” In this reality, “There is a sense of burden. O ther’s ex­ pectations and the high ideals of others increase the burden w ithout showing the way out.” “This is the ultim ate de­ spair, the ultimate im possibility.” “ Here I am, living out a life of ideals and yet I don’t see any w orthiness.” “W here is the joy!” “W here’s the joy that’s supposed to be here!”

Our realities, even if they are a fabrication of our mind, can affect the way we perceive and interact w ith our world. In a recent RCU class, students responded to an exploration of w orthiness with, “H elp!!!” “W here have you led me with all your damned questions?” “ I ’m frustrated, confused and hurt, and it’s all your fault!” M any o f us project the frustra­ tion and anger, resulting from our ow n realities, onto oth­ ers. This can be an alternative to facing the fear o f having a lack within ourselves. “W hen I feel unworthy, I make ju d g ­ m ents, either on m yself or on others.” “W hen I judge m y­ self to be evil, bad, awful, there is no w illingness to go on, no gratitude.” “W hat joy am I supposed to experience here?” This reality of unw orthiness ultim ately brings us to feel that som ething is fundam entally w rong or lacking in us. In despair, we find this reality o f unw orthiness is a costly be­ lief. “ Cost to me includes lots o f stress.” “W hen I feel som ething is wrong with me, then I feel dissatisfied with everything in my life.” “W hatever I do is m eaningless.” “W hen I’m trying to cover up that som ething is w rong with me, then I struggle for an external perfection. I ’m not very easy to live with, then.” “ If I can make the outer world perfect, that would prove that I ’m okay.” “W hen I think there’s som ething w rong about me, then I don’t acknow l­ edge m yself.” “I judge m yself and have low self-esteem .” “ I lack spontaneity.” “I censor w hat I say and do.” “ I don’t have anything to contribute.” “ Everything I ’ve done in the past w as a fake.” “ I never get or give enough love.” “ I feel numb and w eak.” W hen caught up in a reality of unw orthiness w e can live out that reality as if it’s actually us. “W hen I succum b to ‘know ing’ how unworthy I am, my life consists o f despera­

tion and despair.” “U nworthiness does a num ber on my solar plexus, like som ething I’ve swallow ed and it’s been sitting there a long time, undigested. I think I want to throw up.” Subjects also report subtle payoffs in m aintaining the reality that “som ething is fundam entally wrong with m e.” “Then, it’s all right to run judgm ents that I ’m better than others or that others are better than m e.” “ If I can convince m yself that I ’m good, then I don’t have to exam ine that nag­ ging suspicion that I ’m not really okay.” “ I don’t risk con­ nection and the experience of oneness.” “ I get to be free from other people’s control.” “I get to be in control myself, because if som ething is w rong with me, then I better stay ahead o f the other fellow or he and others will find out!” Other people add, “I d o n ’t have to risk getting hurt.” “ I don’t have to risk having a relationship.” “ I don’t risk re­ jection.” “Secretly, I get to feel I am helpless, hopeless, weak— a victim and a martyr.” “ I t’s all right that I w ork harder to impress others and win approval. With hard w ork I can re­ turn at a new level of mastership. Then people will have to love, honor, and respect m e.” “ I get to w ork intensely, or I can avoid altogether.” “I don’t have to love m yself.” “ I have w ork to do, re­ sponsibilities, obligations. I don’t have time to love myself. Besides, that’s selfish.” With such costs and payoffs accom panying the reality of unw orthiness, how do people experience the reality of w orthiness? Is this an im provem ent? “It doesn’t work to be

unworthy. I have to be worthy.” “ My presentation went well. The im portant points were made. People w ere so im pressed that I made more sales than ever before.” “ I ’ve wanted this for a long time. The prom otion finally came through. I ’m a real person.” “I just bought a new car. It’s really sharp. Silver w ith gold w heels.” “ I am a successful businessman. I am proud of my family. I have a beautiful wife. I have two grow n and successful children.” “ I own a house on Hill Crest.” “ I am satisfied w ith the respect and im portance the com m unity affords my efforts.” “Self­ esteem is a matter o f exercising the proper control over o n e’s emotions and lower nature.” “I am a Rosicrucian. O f course, I am worthy. I don’t understand people who could think otherw ise.” “ I try very hard to let others know that I, too, am worthy. It takes a lot of effort, but my energy is well spent.” W hen people are ready to exam ine the results that even a w orthiness reality produces, the surprising result is that the cost and payoff can be much the sam e as for an unworthiness reality. Problem s w ith stress, perfectionism , rela­ tionships, superiority, self-esteem, spiritual oneness, and ful­ fillm ent are raised. Is there any genuine benefit in trading one reality for another? Is there another w ay? One person exclaim s, “N o w onder I couldn’t get my life to work. W orthiness w asn’t it!” “ I can finally see that this whole issue is just an ego trip for m e.” A nother person of­ fers the follow ing insight: “ Can unw orthiness be m ade w orthy? O f course not! We can ’t be torn betw een w orth and unw orthiness for long w ithout feeling crazy. But fi­ nally, w e touch that inner source of Light, and it’s done for us.” “ U nworthiness seen through its own eyes has no reso­

lution, salvation, hope, for it only sees itself, its own reality. But seen through the eyes of love, we can be healed. After all, w orthiness and unw orthiness are only realities.” In let­ ting go of realities, some m em bers point to, “touching the spiritual,” “trusting the Cosm ic,” “allow ing an expansion, a flowering, a blossom ing o f Self,” “experiencing the warm th of a pure heart.” W hat are we truly seeking, w orthiness or the Inner Self? W hat is m ost im portant to us, success or the expression and experience of w ho w e actually are? W hat com es first, real­ ity or actuality? The Rosicrucian teaches that as a spiritual alchem ist w e transform our realities, rather than trying to change the actuality of infinite potential, that totality of what we are. The Rosicrucian know s that we can do nothing to actuality. H ence, he w orks to allow his realities to trans­ mute. H e can then experience him self as he is. A s one student puts it, “I t’s the experience o f ‘I am ,’ rather than the interpretation or judgm ent o f w hat I am .” W hat do people experience when they let go o f their reality or belief? “ I am free to choose, to create, to experi­ ence life in all its possibilities.” “ I experience B eing.” “ I experience joy.” “I experience peace.” We can all experi­ ence “ . . . a resting place,” “ . . . a state we all cam e from and are all returning to, a place called home; a place o f peace and no desire; a place that lies w ithin the soul,” “ . . . peace, a state of no effort and no desire, a state of grace.” “N othing I do can enhance or dim inish w hat I am .” “N othing I do or think or wish or m ake is necessary to es­ tablish my worth. W hat I am is a gift of the Cosm ic.” “W hat I am is the actuality o f what is. Realities which deny this

actuality are lies, illusions.” “Words do not express the grati­ tude and the joy . . . “ In the w holeness of all being, I rejoice!” “Isn’t it interesting that w e find that w e are all these things that we once projected outw ard, that we thought of as G od?” Certain ancient Greeks spoke of their realization of God as the Entheos, the God Within. David, the psalm ­ ist, also spoke of this experience when he prayed, “Bless Yahweh, my soul.” Through study, self-exam ination, and personal work, some Rosicrucian students discover that w orthiness is not what is important to them. However, they can also say that the exploration o f w orthiness can lead beyond egocentric concerns to w hat is im portant to them— to an experience of the God w ithin us all. The following questions are for our personal self-exam ination, contem plation, and our own exploration of our willingness. 1.

Is there anything in the external world that can justify my worthiness? How much would it take for me to be worthy?

2.

If I cannot justify my w orthiness by actions or posses­ sions in the outer w orld, from where might my w orthi­ ness arise? W hat am I denying if I deny this source of my being and w orthiness? Is this what I am clearly choosing?

3.

Are you w illing to accept your w orthiness as being a gift which you cannot justify by deeds and possessions?

4.

A fter being w illing to accept the gift o f w orthiness, are you also w illing to let go of it? Are you w illing to let go of both w orthiness and unworthiness?

5.

W hat is im portant to you?

6.

A re you w illing to love yourself?

7.

Are you w illing to let go of all things of this w orld, to join, to love all in all circumstances?

W hen we “let go” of our realities and our need for outer form in our search for m eaning, wholeness, and the essence of Self, we come to that transcendent state in w hich we ex­ perience and becom e aware of the limitless, boundless, and tim eless quality o f the spiritual. While such a spiritual state can lie at the heart of our deepest “know ing,” it can terrify the ego that longs for safety in form. Accepting the experi­ ence of the essence of Self w ithout the fam iliar com fort of form leads the seeker to the m ost courageous m om ents of existence.

THROUGH THE ABYSS

This seeker is not a person who is content w ith igno­ rance or w ith questions left unanswered. Hence, the sincere seeker also is w illing to probe the mystery of personal exist­ ence. A n inquiring m ind and an impetuous spirit can even­ tually bring him or her to a great precipice at the limits of ordinary knowledge. Beyond lies the unknown, that realm w hich m ost people dare not investigate and thus avoid. Beneath is the appearance of a chasm of darkness. In it lurk the fears and superstitions w hich people have unconsciously

accepted about life, birth, death, im m ortality, and other mysteries. W hat lies beyond the feared “ nothingness” of this aw e­ some abyss? Is there any sane reason for Rosicrucian stu­ dents to carry w ithin them a vision of “the heart unafraid”? Is anything to be gained by a vision o f self that the worldly might dism iss as foolhardy? Confronted by our own super­ stitious beliefs and fears, do w e dare disprove them? Are we w illing to discover the Great Light hidden behind these beliefs and fears? To answ er these questions, investigators accompanied twenty-two research participants on an inner journey through their own personal abyss. D uring these exercises, we ob­ served that m oving our consciousness through fears and the abyss clears the mind. On the other hand, staying stuck by trying to avoid fear energizes the fear and entraps our con­ sciousness. By experiencing that fear w ithout judgm ent or interpre­ tation, and repeatedly questioning, “ If this were to happen, then what next?”, we keep from getting stuck, and we pro­ mote a forw ard m ovem ent w hich can lead to a rediscovery of Self, and our original intention, purpose, or desire. To facilitate m ovem ent through the abyss each partici­ pant began his personal odyssey by attuning w ith an inner desire, purpose, or intention. For exam ple, one participant realized that his purpose at this time w as to learn to trust life. Specifically, he said, “ I w ant to trust that my current relationships are perfect the w ay they are; I w ant to trust that the Cosm ic will assist me to fulfill my material needs; I

w ant to trust that w hatever happens at the sem inar I am to present w ill be the perfect learning experience for me and the attendees.” In his case, w e started w ith his upcom ing seminar. “ If the sem inar isn ’t successful,” we asked, “then what might happen?” He responded with, “ I ’ll look stupid.” “If you were to look stupid, then w hat?” “People w on’t like m e,” he responded. “If people don’t like you, then w hat?” “I ’ll be alone.” “And then?” “I ’ll kill m yself.” “A nd then?” “ I ’d have w im ped out on life . . . my life w ould have been w orthless and m eaningless . . . I ’d suffer endless pain . . . I ’d be a nothing.” He becam e “ nothing.” He experienced how it might be to dwell in a dark abyss of nothingness. Unexpectedly, he then felt a “profound peace.” Experi­ encing this peace, he w anted to live again. Feeling the v i­ tality o f life, he w anted to create. He found him self creating the seminar. Follow ing his fears, he came full circle, re­ turning to the sem inar where he started. However, now he knew his fear consisted o f m eaningless phantom s that could no longer stand in the way of his progress. W hat is more, he discovered a source of peace w ithin himself.

A nother participant w anted to create her first com m er­ cial slide show. The financial opportunity w as there, but she feared “looking foolish, silly, stupid, com m anding no respect.” She feared a lack of love, being rejected and alone. If she were rejected and alone, she w ould die. Im agining death, she only felt a nothingness, a black void. In order to experience dw elling in this abyss, we asked her to experience this utter nothingness. We asked her, “What do you feel? W hat is happening?” She began to feel “a profound peace, a peace that passeth understanding.” With awe in her voice, she found herself contem plating, creating, being reborn. Reborn, she found herself creating the slide show she originally w as afraid to create. By experiencing and deepening her fears, rather than avoiding them, she dis­ covered that her fears looped though an abyss that led to peace, vitality, and creation o f the life about w hich she had only dreamed. H aving passed through her own fear and abyss, another person com m ented, “In these few m inutes I ’ve passed from being unloved, isolated, and alone, to feeling an open heart, new connections with others, and an incredible flood o f joy and gratitude.” Some participants came to find a new identity that “ac­ tually w as always there, only invisible to my old ways of seeing.” Others spoke of discovering opportunities that pre­ viously they had been afraid to discover. One man recog­ nized how many of his self-indulgences and com pulsions were nothing more than w ays to avoid confronting his fears. “It’s actually my reality, my vision, and my context for per­ ceiving things, that is im portant to my fulfillm ent, isn’t it?”

“Change my reality and I change my w orld,” said another participant. Still another described his experience o f the abyss as follows: “W hat my fear would have me believe is that if I w ere to radiate the sacred light with w hich I am entrusted, I w ouldn’t be understood. I ’d be excluded, rejected, alone. I ’d die. I w ouldn’t have learned or fulfilled my purpose. I ’d be nothing, and I ’d never again be given an opportunity to radiate the Light that I am. Pretty stupid!” With this experience o f the looping nature o f our fears, this person concluded, “ I find that the shadow s and the ech­ oes that w ould fill our m inds are always ju st as stupid and pointless. Yet, we w ould allow these shadows and echoes to rule our life, to com pletely determ ine our behaviors and attitudes in the world, to breed distrust tow ards loved ones, ourselves, and life. We w ould allow ourselves to be pup­ pets dancing on the strings o f fear, in darkness. But dark­ ness has no substance, and the fears that fill the abyss disap­ pear w hen the light of consciousness is brought to bear upon them. We pass over the threshold of terror to realize that we are free beings o f Light, m asters in Self, students evolving as a rose unfolding on a cross o f gold.” The experiences o f the participants shared in this ad­ venture can be a lesson for all of us. W hen w e choose to express our M astery in Self, all the terrors and fears w e have carried may suddenly seem to strike at us. The Rosicrucian studies tell us that w e w ho possess genuine desire, faith, and perseverance, a “ heart unafraid,” will choose to enter this personal abyss and w ill thereby discover S elf and real­ ize freedom from fear.

INSIGHT: OBJECT TO SYMBOL In the Rosicrucian technique o f concentration, contem ­ plation, and m editation, insight results as one proceeds from an objective experience to a sym bolic experience. In this experim ent you will be guided through these various stages by a series o f questions. Each question is very specific and designed to draw upon certain mental faculties. Then be as specific as possible w ith your answers. A nsw er only the question asked. A fter you have become acquainted with the question­ naire, sit in a relaxed, com fortable position and begin to con­ centrate on an object of interest to you. Any object will w ork in this experim ent. People have had surprising in­ sights w ith com m on articles and sim ple item s such as candles, rocks, glasses o f water, paper clips, rubber bands, pencils, corks, thum btacks, and sea shells. 1.

How would you objectively describe the object in terms of your five physical senses? W hat do you see? W hat does it feel like? W hat sounds can the object make? Can you smell or taste it?

2.

W hat does the object normally do? W hat other things can you do with this object? Are there some other things w e could do w ith it or use it for?

3.

Now that we know w hat a thing is and w hat it will do, the next natural question is how is it able to do what it does? W hat is it about its form or structure that allows

it to do these things? In other words, w hat is its mecha­ nism of action? How does it work? 4.

Analogously, how are you like the object? Do you do anything in the sam e w ay? Do you use a m ethod of doing things sim ilar to this object’s method o f doing w hat it does? W hat is there about you that is like this object? Is this also true o f other people? O f hum an­ ity? O f the universe?

5.

Since we see this m ethod of doing things in ourselves and throughout nature, w e m ust be dealing w ith more than a mechanism . We must be dealing w ith a prin­ ciple or a law of nature. This principle can usually be described in one or two w ords— e.g., iron might sym ­ bolize strength or w eakness; a pencil might symbolize com m unication; etc. W hat does this object symbolize to you?

6.

We have described the principle represented by this ob­ ject in a w ord or two. But if you met som eone from another country who did not speak your language, how would you describe or convey this principle to him? Since most people can communicate with pictures, what picture com es to mind as you experience or understand the principle? W hat picture would describe the m ean­ ing of this principle to you?

7.

Choose one symbol from your picture. Now, imagine w hat it w ould be like to becom e that symbol. Up to now, notice how you have been looking at the images in your m ind as through they are apart from you. Let us now shift perspective and im agine what it might be

like if you become one o f the things in your picture. Just release and let the experience and the surprises happen. W hen your im aginative experience is com pleted, think back over your experience and answ er the following: 1.

Describe your experience. Objectively, what happened? Subjectively, what were your feelings?

2.

Did you have any m ajor insights about the object of your meditation?

3.

W hat have you learned about yourself? A bout others? About the universe?

4.

Did you feel any shift of consciousness as you pro­ gressed from one question to the next? Can you asso­ ciate specific questions w ith the states o f conscious­ ness called concentration, contemplation, and m edita­ tion?

5.

What questions were the easiest? Hardest? W hat might this tell you about yourself?

6.

Does the process as outlined in this experim ent have any importance or special m eaning to you? Are there any practical implications for using this process in other areas of your life?

INSIGHT: SYMBOL INTERPRETATION

In the first experim ent we were able to reach insight through what is called inductive thinking. It m oves from an objective reality to a sym bolic reality. However, it is also possible to experience insight by reversing this process, i.e., proceeding from a sym bolic reality to an objective reality. This deductive approach is helpful in understanding w orks o f art, dreams, and sym bols received in meditation. In this experiment you will again be guided through vari­ ous states of consciousness by a series of questions. Each question is very specific and designed to draw upon certain mental faculties. Be as specific as possible w ith your an­ swers. Answer only the question asked. After reading the entire questionnaire, sit in a relaxed, comfortable position. Choose a symbol from a dream, a meditation, or from any illustration or picture. 1.

Choose one symbol to w ork with. Now im agine what it would be like to become that symbol. A sk yourself what you might experience if you w ere the symbol. Relax, visualize, be receptive. Do not “control” or ana­ lyze your visualization once it is form ed, but simply observe w hat happens.

2. W hen your im aginative experience is com pleted, think back over your experience and then describe it. Ob-

jectively, what happened? Subjectively, what were your feelings? 3.

Using one or two words, describe the natural law or principle which your symbol and experience represent. For ex am p le, a sym bol m ig h t rep resen t strength, change, com m unication, etc.

4.

Does this principle manifest in nature? Does hum an­ ity reflect this principle? Do you in your life manifest this principle?

5.

W hat is it about you that lets you reflect or manifest this principle? How are you able to do this? W hat is there about you that lets you function in this way?

6.

You have identified the m ethod or process by which you and others are able to manifest this principle. What are some other w ays in w hich this process or method can be used?

7.

Having experienced this principle and having discov­ ered how you m anifest this principle in your life, do you see some specific w ays you might use this infor­ mation to reach some goals in you life? D oes this in­ sight give greater m eaning to some areas o f your life? Do you look at your life and the world differently than you did before?

When your experience is completed, think back over your experience and answ er the following: 1.

Did you have any major insights during this experi­ ence?

2.

W hat did you learn about yourself? A bout others? About the universe?

3.

Did you feel any shift in consciousness as you pro­ gressed from one question to another? Can you asso­ ciate specific questions w ith the states of conscious­ ness called concentration, contemplation, and m edita­ tion ?

4.

W hat questions were the hardest for you? The easiest? W hat might this tell you about yourself?

5.

How would you com pare this experience w ith the pre­ vious one? W hich w as easier for you? W hat might this tell you about yourself?

6.

Does the process as outlined in this experim ent have any im portance or special m eaning to you? A re there any practical implications for using this process in other areas of your life?

APPENDIX 3

THE CLUSTER PROCESS

1.

Put the seed idea in a circle at the center of a page.

2.

Let word associations, images, and feelings radiate out­ w ard from the center like an unfolding flower. Circle each of your associations and connect each circle with lines to the seed idea at the center.

3.

If one association leads to another, then another, and then another, just follow them through, connecting as­ sociated circles . . . ideas . . . w ith lines.

4.

W hen a meaningful pattern arising from your cluster dawns upon you, write a short vignette or “thum bnail” description.

5.

Finally, write a brief record o f your overall experience with the Cluster Process. Keep this record, look it over occasionally so that you can see w hat you are continu­ ing to learn from the process.

A fter you have done clustering on several occasions you may wish to compare your records. This will help you gain insights into your own creative way o f thinking. Every time you use the C luster Process you can move another step closer to know ing yourself.

REFERENCE NOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY CHAPTER 2 Source: Bukay, M. & Buletza, G. (1977) Mindquest: The insight experience. Create your own sym bols o f transform ation. R osicrucian D igest LV(2):31.

CHAPTER 3 Footnotes: 'Globus, G., Maxwell. G., & Savodnik, I., eds. (1976) Consciousness and the Brain, Plenum Press, N.Y.; Ferguson, M. (1978) Karl Pribram ’s changing reality. Human Behavior 7(5):28; Ferguson, M. (1977) A new perspective on reality. BrainlM ind Bulletin 2(16):l-4; Lashley, K.S. (1950) In search of the engram, in: Physiological M echanisms in A ni­ mal Behavior, Academic Press, NY, p. 454; Pribram, K. (1971) Lan­ guages o f the Brain, Brooks/Cole Publ. Co., Monterey, CA, p. 140; Shaw, R.E. & Bransford, J., eds. (1977) Perceiving, A cting and Knowing, Erlbaum/John Wiley, NY. :Batin,T., ed. (1971) Quantum Theory and Beyond, Cambridge Univer­ sity Press, Cambridge; Bentov, I. (1977) Stalking the Wild Pendulum, E.P. Dutton, NY; Bohm, D. & Hiley, B. (1975) On the intuitive under­ standing of nonlocality as implied by quantum theory. Foundations o f Physics 5:93. Sources: Buletza, G. (1977) Mindquest: Rosicrucians thinking together I. Rosi­ crucian Digest LV (2): 15. Buletza, G., Bukay, M., & Schaa, J. (1978) Mindquest: Rosicrucians thinking together II. What is thought? Rosicrucian Digest LVI(7):16.

Buletza, G., Bukay, M., & Schaa J. (1978) Mindquest: Rosicrucians thinking together III. The images o f man. Rosicrucian Digest LVI(8):22. Buletza, G., Bukay, M., & Schaa J. (1978) Mindquest: Rosicrucians thinking together IV. The hidden meaning within thought. Rosicrucian D igest LVI(9):22.

CHAPTER 4 Sources: Buletza, G. (1983) Mindquest: Rosicrucians thinking together: On the nature of confidence. Rosicrucian Digest. 61(8):22. Buletza, G. & Huff, S. (1984) Mindquest: Confidence, the experience. Rosicrucian D igest 62(9): 19. Buletza, G. & Huff, S. (1984) Mindquest: Attaining confidence. Rosi­ crucian Digest. 62(10):20. Buletza, G. & Huff, S. (1984) Mindquest: Confidence, the manifesta­ tion. Rosicrucian Digest. 62(11):11.

CHAPTER 6 F o r fu r th e r reading: Bonelli, M.L.R. & Shea, W.R. eds. (1975). Reason, Experiment & M ys­ ticism in the Scientific Revolution, Neale Watson Academic Publ., New York. Bronowski, J. Science & Human Values, Harper & Row, New York. Bunge, M. (1962) Intuition & Science, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Einstein, A. (1950) Out o f M y Later Years, Philosophical Library, New York. Kuhn, T.S. (1970) The Structure o f Scientific Revolutions, 2nd ed., Uni­ versity o f Chicago Press, Chicago.

Silberer, H. (3951) Report o f a method o f eliciting and observing cer­ tain symbolic hallucination phenomena, in: The Organization and P a­ thology o f Thought, ed. by D. Rapaport, Columbia Univ. Press, New York. Sinnoi, E. (1957) Matter, M in d & Man, Harper & Row, New York. Source: Buletza, G., Allen, M., Bukay, M., & Schaa, J. (1978) Mindquest: The science of intuition. Rosicrucian D igest LVI(6):18.

CHAPTER 7 Footnotes: 'AMORC members may wish to review the monographs of the Third Temple Degree. 2Rosicrucian M anual (1918; revised 1978) AM ORC, San Jose, CA, pp. 170&176. *Ibid., p. 152. 4Bettelheim, B. (1977) The Uses o f Enchantment: The M eaning & Im ­ portance o f Fairy Tales, Vantage Books, New York. 5Spiegelman, J.M. (1974) The Tree: tales in psycho-mythology, Phoenix House, Inc. Publishers, Los Angeles. 6Storm, Hyemeyohsts (1972) Seven Arrows, Ballantine Books, New York. ’Buletza, G. (1977) Mindquest: Rosicrucians Thinking Together, A New Experiment, Rosicrucian Digest, February, pp. 15-19. 8Neihardt, J.G. (1961) Black Elk Speaks, University o f Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NB. F or fu rth e r reading: Amheim, R. (1972) Visual Thinking, University o f California Press, Berkeley, CA. Dubois, P.E. (1977) Interview: Athletes in the rat race, Human Behavior 6 (3):38.

Fessier, M. (1976) Transcendental running, Human Behavior 5 (7):1620 .

Gallwey, W.T. (1974) The Inner Game o f Tennis, Random House, New York. Gallwey, W.T. (1976) Inner Tennis: Playing the Game, Random House, New York. Ghiselin, B. (ed. 1952) The Creative Process, University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. Horowitz, M. (1970) Im age Formation and Cognition, Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York. Ismail, A.H. & Trachtman, L.E. (1973) Jogging the imagination, Psy­ chology Today, 6 (10):79. Jacobson, E. (1965) H ow to Relax and Have Your Baby, McGraw Hill, New York. Jacobson, E. (1938) Progressive Relaxation, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. K linger, E. (1971) S tru ctu re a n d F u n ctions o f Fantasy, W ileyInterscience, New York. Koestler, A. (1964) The A c t o f Creation, MacMillan Company, New York. Maltz, M. (1966) Psycho-Cybernetics, Pocket Books, New York. May, R. (1975) The Courage to Create, W.W. Norton & Co., New York. McKim, R. (1972) Experiences in Creative Thinking, Brooks/Cole Publ. Co., Monterey, CA. Oglivie, B.C. & Tutko, T A . (1971) If you want to build character, try something else, Psychology Today, October. Richardson, A. (1969) M ental Imagery, Springer Publ., New York. Rosner, S. & Abt, L.E. (1970) The Creative Experience, Grossman Publ., New York.

Rugg, S. (1963) Imagination, Harper & Row, New York. Samuels, M. & Samuels, N. (1975) Seeing With the M ind's Eye, Ran­ dom House/Bookwords, New York and San Francisco. Segal, S.J. (1971) The Adaptive Function o f Imagery, Academic Press, New York. Sheeham, P. (ed. 1972) The Function and Nature o f Imagery, Academic Press, New York. Spino, M. (1976) Beyond Jogging: The Inner Spaces o f Running, Ce­ lestial Arts Publ. Co., Millbrae, CA. Williams, R.L. & Youssel, Z.I. (1971) Tie Line, Psychology Today, Oc­ tober. Sources: Schaa, J. (1980) Mindquest: Imagination: The inward dream of the soul. Rosicrucian Digest 58(2):20. Bukay, M. (1977) The circle: American Indian guide to personal un­ derstanding. Rosicrucian Digest. LV(6):8. Buletza, G. (1977) Mindquest: “Exercising” the imagination. Rosicru­ cian Digest. LV(5):22.

CH A PTER 8

Footnotes: ’Rico, G.L. (1983) Writing the N atural Way (Using right brain tech­ niques to relate your expressive powers), J.P. Tarcher, Los Angeles. :Buzan,T. (1974) Use Both Sides o f Your Brain (New techniques to help you read efficiently, study effectively, solve problems, remember more, think creatively), E.P. Dutton & Co., New York. 'Buletza, G. (1983) Are You A Walking Question Mark:?, Rosicrucian D igest 61(11):33. 4Franz, M.L. von (1970) A puleius' Golden Ass, Spring Publications, Zurich, Switzerland.

5Brown, B., Whitten, R. (1982) Behavioral Dramas Life Training Semi­ nar, Kieros Foundation, San Jose, CA. F o r fu r th e r reading: Linden, W. (1973) Practicing of meditation by school children and their levels o f field independence-dependence, test anxiety and reading achievement, Journal o f Counseling and Clinical Psychology 41:139143. Schwartz, G.E. (1974) M editation as an altered trait of consciousness: Current findings on stress reactivity and creativity. American Psycho­ logical Association 82nd Annual Meeting, New Orleans.

CHAPTER 9 Footnote: 'Andrea, R. (1990) The M ystic Path, Rosicrucian Order, AMORC., pp. 27-28. Sources: Buletza, G. (1983) Mindquest: Evoking your creative power. Rosicru­ cian Digest. 61(11):22. Buletza, G. (1983) H ealing the whole person. Rosicrucian Digest. 61(7):10. Buletza, G. (1977) Mindquest: Creative expression: a marriage of the mind. Rosicrucian Digest LV(6):17 Buletza, G. Buletza & Conrod, J.L. (1983) Mindquest: Clustering for change. Rosicrucian D igest 61(12):22. Buletza, G. (1985) Mindquest: Clustering for enlightenment. Rosicru­ cian Digest. 63(7):21.

CHAPTER 10 Footnote: 'Jung, C.G. (1953) Collected Works. Psychology and Alchemy, Vol. 12. Pantheon Books Inc., New York. p. 140.

Source: Taken from an extemporaneous lecture delivered in AM O RC’s Supreme Temple on March 18,1986, by George F. Buletza.

CHAPTER 11 Sources: Buletza, G. & Aguilera, D.M. (1987) Mindquest: W illingness to be our­ selves. Rosicrucian Digest. 65(2):21. Buletza, G. & Aguilera, D.M. (1987) Mindquest: Gratitude. Rosicru­ cian Digest. 65(3):23.

CHAPTER 12 Sources: Buletza, G. & Aguilera, D.M. (1987) Mindquest: Beyond Worthiness. Rosicrucian Digest. 65(4)28. Buletza, G. (1986) Mindquest: Through the abyss. Rosicrucian Digest. 64(1):24.

T H E R O S IC R U C IA N O R D E R Purpose and Work o f the Order Anticipating questions which may be asked by the readers of this book, the publishers take this opportunity to explain the purpose of the Order and how you may learn more about it. There is only one universal Rosicrucian Order existing in the world today, united in its various jurisdictions, and having one Supreme Council in accordance with the original plan o f the ancient Rosicrucian manifestoes. The Rosicrucian Order is not a religious or sectarian society. This international organization retains the ancient traditions, teachings, principles, and practical helpfulness o f the Order as founded centuries ago. It is known as the Ancient M ystical Order Rosae Crucis, which name, for popular use, is abbreviated into AMORC. The head­ quarters o f the English Grand Lodge, AMORC, is located at San Jose, California. The Order is primarily a humanitarian movement, making for greater health, happiness, and peace in people’s earthly lives, for we are not concerned with any doctrine devoted to the interests of individuals living in an unknown, future state. The W ork o f Rosicrucians is to be done here and now; not that we have neither hope nor expectation of another life after this, but we know that the happiness of the future depends upon what we do today fo r others as well as for ourselves. Secondly, our purposes are to enable all people to live harmonious, productive lives, as Nature intended, enjoying all the privileges of Nature and all benefits and gifts equally with all o f humanity; and to be fre e from the shackles of superstition, the limits o f ignorance, and the sufferings of avoidable Karma. The W ork o f the Order, using the word “work” in an official sense, consists o f teaching, studying, and testing such laws of God and Nature as make our members Masters in the Holy Temple (the physical body), and W orkers in the Divine Laboratory (N ature’s domains). This is to enable our members to render more efficient help to those who do not know, and who need or require help and assistance.

Therefore, the Order is a school, a college, a fraternity, with a laboratory. The members are students and workers. The graduates are unselfish servants o f God to humanity, efficiently educated, trained, and experienced, attuned with the mighty forces of the Cosmic or Divine Mind, and Masters o f matter, space, and time. This makes them essentially Mystics, Adepts, and Magi— creators o f their own destiny. There are no other benefits or rights. All members are pledged to give unselfish service, without other hope or expectation of remuneration than to evolve the Self and prepare for a greater Work. The Rosicrucian Sanctum membership program offers a means of personal home study. Instructions are sent regularly in specially pre­ pared weekly lectures and lessons, and contain a summary of the Rosicrucian principles with such a wealth of personal experiments, exercises, and tests as will make each member highly proficient in the attainment o f certain degrees o f mastership. These correspondence lessons and lectures comprise several Degrees. Each Degree has its own Initiation ritual, to be performed by the member at home in his or her private home sanctum. Such rituals are not the elaborate rituals used in the Lodge Tem ples, but are simple and o f practical benefit to the student. If you are interested in knowing more o f the history and present-day helpful offerings o f the Rosicrucians, you may receive a free copy of the introductory booklet entitled the Mastery o f Life by calling our toll-free telephone number I - 8OO-88-AMORC, or by writing to:

Rosicrucian O rder, AMORC 1342 N a g le e A ven u e S an Jo se, C a lifo rn ia 9 51 9 1 , U .S.A .

R O S I C R U C I A N L IB R A R Y

S E L F M A ST E R Y AND F A T E W IT H T H E C Y C L E S O F L IFE by H. Spencer Lewis, Ph.D., F.R.C. This book demonstrates how to harmonize the self with the cyclic forces of each life. Happiness, health, and prosperity are available for those who know the periods in their own life that enhance the success o f varying activities. Eliminate “chance” and “luck,” cast aside “fate,” and replace these with self mastery. Complete with diagrams and lists of cycles.

T H E M Y ST IC A L L IF E O F JESU S by H. Spencer Lewis, Ph.D., F.R.C. A full account o f Jesus’ life, containing the story of his activities in the periods not mentioned in the Gospel accounts, reveals the real Jesus at last. This book required a visit to Palestine and Egypt to secure verifica­ tion of the strange facts found in Rosicrucian records. Its revelations, predating the discovery o f the Dead Sea Scrolls, show aspects of the Essenes unavailable elsewhere. This volume contains many mystical symbols (fully explained), photographs, and an unusual portrait o f Jesus.

SO M O T E IT BE! by Christian Bernard, F.R. C. Explore Rosicrucian views on themes o f spirituality and philosophy with Imperator Christian Bernard, whose life has been steeped in the philosophy, heritage, and tradition of AMORC. Each chapter covers a topic near and dear to the soul o f students o f mysticism, including: the power of universal love, the heritage o f the Rose-Croix, fear of death, the obscure night, free will, reincarnation, the definition and practice of mystical initiation, and other fascinating topics.

S E P H E R Y E Z IR A H — A B O O K ON C R EA TIO N o r T he Jew ish M etaphysics of R em ote A ntiquity by Dr. Isidor Kalisch, Translator The ancient basis for Qabalistic thought is revealed in this outstand­ ing metaphysical essay concerning all creation. It explains the secret name of Jehovah. Containing both the Hebrew and English texts, its sixty-one pages have been photolithographed from the 1877 edition. As an added convenience to students o f Qabalah, it contains a glossary of the original Hebraic words and terms.

S E C R E T SY M BO LS O F T H E R O SIC R U C IA N S o f th e 16th an d 17th C enturies This large book is a rare collection of full-size plates of original Rosicrucian symbols and documents. A cherished possession for stu­ dents o f mysticism, this collection includes the Hermetic, alchemical, and spiritual meaning o f the unique Rosicruciansym bolsand philosophi­ cal principles passed down through the ages. The plates are from originals and are rich in detail. The book is 12” by 18” and is bound in durable textured cover stock.

R O SIC R U C IA N P R IN C IP L E S F O R T H E H O M E AND BUSINESS by H, Spencer Lewis, Ph.D., F.R.C. This volume contains the practical application of Rosicrucian teach­ ings to such problems as: ill health, common ailments, how to increase o ne’s income or promote business propositions. It shows not only what to do, but what to avoid, in using metaphysical and mystical principles in starting and bringing into realization new plans and ideas. Both business organizations and business authorities have endorsed this book.

T H E IN N E R W O R L D O F D REA M S by Phyllis L. Pipitone, Ph.D., F.R.C. Learn all about your dreams and what they can teach you about yourself and your world. The author takes the reader on a fascinating voyage into a mysterious world in which the dramas o f the night can range from the completely outrageous to the lofty and sublime. The Inner World o f Dreams is written in an easy-to-read style for the beginning and intermediate explorer o f the world o f dreams. It will give you a good start towards increased insight into your dreams.

L EM U R IA — T H E L O ST C O N T IN E N T O F T H E P A C IF IC by W isharS. Cerve Where the Pacific now rolls in a majestic sweep for two thousand miles, there was once a vast continent known as Lemuria. The scientific evidences of this lost race and its astounding civiliza­ tion with the story o f the descendants of the survivors present a cyclical viewpoint o f rise and fall in the progress o f civilization.

“ U N TO T H E E I G R A N T . . ” as revised by Sri Ramatherio Out o f the mysteries o f the past comes this antique book that was written two thousand years ago, but was hidden in manuscript form from the eyes o f the world and given only to the Initiates o f the temples in Tibet to study privately. It can be compared only with the writings attributed to Solomon in the Bible of today. It deals with human passions, weaknesses, fortitudes, and hopes. Included is the story of the expedition into Tibet that secured the manuscript and the Grand Lam a’s permission to translate it.

M EN TA L ALCHEM Y by Ralph M. Lewis, F.R.C. We can transmute our problems to workable solutions through m ental alchemy. While this process is neither easy nor instantaneously effective, eventually the serious person will be rewarded. Certain aspects o f our lives can be altered to m ake them more compatible with our goals. Use this book to alter the direction of your life through proper thought and an understanding o f practical mystical philosophy.

T H E S E C R E T D O C T R IN E S O F JE SU S by H. Spencer Lewis, Ph.D., F.R.C. Even though the sacred writings o f the Bible have had their contents scrutinized, judged, and segments removed by twenty ecclesiastical councils since the year A.D. 328, there still remain buried in unexplained passages and parables the Great M aster’s personal doctrines. Every thinker will find hidden truths in this book.

M A N SIO N S O F T H E SO U L by H. Spencer Lewis, Ph.D., F.R.C. Reincarnation— the w orld’s most disputed doctrine! W hat did Jesus mean when he referred to the “mansions in my Father’s house”? This book demonstrates what Jesus and his immediate followers knew about the rebirth o f the soul, as well as what has been taught by sacred works and scholarly authorities in all parts of the world. Learn about the cycles o f the soul’s reincarnations and how you can become acquainted with your present self and your past lives.

ORDER BOOKS FROM: ALEXANDRIA CATALOG SALES 1 -8 8 8-7 67 -22 7 8 Rosicrucian Order, AM ORC, 1342 Naglee Avenue San Jose, California 95191, U.S.A. For a complete, illustrated catalog and price list of the books listed herein, please call or w rite to the address listed above.

by G eorge F. Buletza, Ph.D., I.R.C., F.R.C. Sin ce ancient tim es people have had intuitions about the two sid e s of a divided hum an nature— som e tim e s exp re sse d a s Ero s and Logos, heart and mind, the right-hand way and the left-hand way.

Even in our m ost objective

and rational m om ents we can feel a counterweight within: the vague and undefinable a sp e c ts of our im agination and subco nsciou s. Today, a s recent neurological and psychological investigations on brain functioning are m oving the view s of scien ce close r to those of the poets and m ystics, m odern research indicates we m ake u s e of two basic ways of know­ ing, b a se d upon differences in the functioning of our two cerebral hemi­ sp he res. Insightful people have always search ed for a bond between these two w ays of knowing. Ancient philosophers and medieval alchem ists termed th is bonding or union of objective and imaginative faculties the Mystical Marriage, the Mysterium Coniunctionis. or what so m e today call the Marriage

o f the Mind. T h is mystical m arriage is a universal pattern lying deep within ourselves, being essen tia l to the experience and expression of what we actually are. The Marriage of the M in d is one of the m o st im portant subjects we can choose to investigate while on the path leading to Self-Mastery. M arriage of the M ind will help u s in the personal realization of our unity by d is c u s s in g a wide range of subjects including:

• The nature of thought and how it affects each of us. • Sym bols that transform. • Attaining genuine confidence and how it relates to Self-Mastery. • How to release and use intuitive powers to improve our lives. • Im agination's role in the integration of the whole person. • The contribution of “symbolic thinking" to our health. • Tapping the Entheos— the muse, the God within— to release our creative spirit. • Breaking free from mental and emotional forms— self-imposed internal barriers— that entrap us. • Recognizing our spirituality, which is the very core of who we are. The author, Dr. George F. Buletza. was Director of Research for the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, and served on A M O R C 's International Research Council and the Rose-Croix University International faculty. Marriage of the Mind grew out of research conducted in the Rosicrucian 0 -9 1 2 0 5 7 -9 4 -7 R esearch Laboratories and reported in “Mindquest”— a series of monthly articles published in the Rosicrucian Digest and reporting on Rosicrucian research.