by Mario Sales, FRC, SI, MM 18o
A recurring theme in discussions about the mystical atmosphere today is the mental quality of mystical schools members.
Maybe it has a particular gravity and importance for the history of occult practice that gathered strongly impressionable people with charlatans handlers, usually aware of their ability to induce the weak of mind in unethical conduct under the most disparate reasons, which included consumption drugs and orgies practices on the grounds of seeking higher states of consciousness.
I'm not a moralist, do not misunderstand me. I studied for my intellectual formation Greek civilization where the behavioral values scale is in many light years different from the values of the Judeo Christian culture (see the book Paideia, Werner Jaeger).
It is clear, however, that humans are not as complex as well in their behaviors, even occult, that in most cases, are less esoteric and more human ("too human ...") than would like to admit .
And if through technical primary hypnotic induction and suggestion, induced unprepared minds to satisfy their lust or financially support their materials whims did not do so by the pursuit of holiness and just could not reach a particular level of perception, but only and only using people as they use objects for his own enjoyment.
And only they could find a fertile mind and abundant material around them.
As Nietzsche asked, we should also ask whether the guilt of a crime is the criminal strength or weakness of the victim.
Esoteric environments, with their candles, their incense, their dark speeches, subject to the most varied and disparate interpretations, can induce minds less elaborate to error, superstition and fantasy.
And here, as I am an admirer of Spinoza, I would do it again an important distinction between fantasy and imagination. For Espinosa, both were one and the same. The time, however, passed, and the language and concepts, are improved.
Today, therefore, while imagination is considered a positive quality, the basis of artistic creativity and scientific fantasy can, on occasion, be just and only a delusion, an escape from an undesirable everyday reality in order to plunge the individual in a link loss condition with the objective world.
In Rosicrucian practice at the time of Spencer and Ralph Lewis, there was great emphasis on maintaining appropriate separation between fantasy and mysticism mysticism goal. Mental techniques (that was what we called) were methods that could be checked, tested and repeated by any person who wished to do. There was an appeal to obscure methods, tongues or complex pantomimes as in the eighteenth century, or as in the time of John Dee, in the century. XV. No. The Rosicrucian technique, strongly anchored in the use of mental creative visualization and imagination, managed to practice mystical minimalist profile, clear, objective and practical, secure the psychological and psychiatric point of view, as revolutionary as only advanced and pragmatic minds as Spencer Lewis could elaborate.
And part of this effort to remove the "occult mud" from the top of mysticism light was the result of history of mental problems from improper practices made by people emotionally unprepared to deal with situations unorthodox, to say the simplest way possible.
These serious esoteric schools, looking by all means avoid this still frequent misunderstanding which sees identity between mysticism and bizarre practices, esoteric and exotic, so that people who participate in these schools can benefit if their affiliation and not, rather, be victims of them.
Why AMORC has so carefully (at times excessive) with the cult of personality between members. So there is intermittent concern to maintain control over the nature of the practices and lectures within affiliate bodies. In Freemasonry, much less mystical and esoteric that the Rosicrucian, this concern does not exist since there is much less attraction to the mystery.
Spirituality in Freemasonry does not have mystical character, but religious. And this is understandable.
The mystical bias is extremely complex, requires the assumption of a series of psychological assumptions, like changing look of the place of the Sacred, whether it is or is not separate from us; on Divine Omnipresence be just a concept or a reality; and understanding of the Emerald Tablet, which says "What's up is down" and then continues "and what is down is up." Religious watch the first part of the sentence and mystics in the second.
Masons are more religious. They think that there is a God, that He is the Creator of all things.
Mystical Rosicrucians are or seek to be the manifest God himself, experiencing this union every second of his life. They do not stop your chores to pray. They are constantly in prayer and communion, even in the midst of his worldly obligations.
But back to the topic.
We must be careful with our Fraters and Sorores, a parent care for child. Certain esoteric information is hidden for a simple reason: not all understand its meaning and could inadvertently give you a sense non-existent, unrealistic, pathological psychiatrically.
One example is the deal with being invisible most of the times. What I do not see, or can not be there where I think it is. The more prudent not to worry about it unless, by his own will, these beings want to become visible. And believe me, it is then that it is important to have a balanced mind. Such views are often not very quiet experience. No wonder the first sentence of any angel, in the biblical text, to become visible to a prophet was "Fear not."
Because of this, the most important lesson I got from my teacher was that the esoteric mystical practice can not do without common sense and objectivity. At the time he received this teaching, I lived still walking in the clouds, dreaming of paranormal powers, fascinated by everything that could have at least an esoteric appearance. Paid no attention to the need for evidence, the fantastic claims that gathered from a wide variety of books, especially those of Eliphas Levi.
After I received this guidance, the way the teachers like to do them, as a mental suggestion, my view of mystical practice has changed dramatically. From there, I began to look much more beautiful texts without any evidence base, as just very beautiful texts, but not aware of fundamentals.
Not that with this I will tachasse of balelas, but enjoyed them, which later came to know as phenomenological technique, leaving them in quotes, without establishing on them any value judgment.
What once I read as sources of facts, now were symbolic texts that mattered for their beauty and not by his statements are expressions of actual facts.
The first and most striking change is that my anxiety disappeared by the manifestation of special gifts such as telepathy, telekinesis, etc. I started to pay more attention in everyday life, in the simplest events, the voice of the people in contact with friends and society.
If these gifts were to be developed, they would naturally, within the context of an ordinary life, when God Almighty judge, in his infinite wisdom and knowledge, it was the appropriate time for this.
Free from this anxiety, the gifts began to manifest. I felt up my intuitive ability, I began to see in me the ability to read minds, nothing that resembled the film telepaths, but enough for me to take the most correct conclusions about the people I have been associated. Discovered and began to verbalize lectures on the concept that the manifestation of esoteric gifts does not happen with background music or incidental sounds, but the most banal situations, in a supermarket, in a fair, or taking a shower.
The ability to fantasize wildly of certain people is so great, some times, arriving to suppose that mystical phenomena manifest it always cinematic and grand way. I found that none of this is real. Life is simple and the gifts are manifested simply as breathing or the sound. Pass naturally part of our senses without feeling anything special for it.
What my teacher had taught me was that life was bare bones, and though art sought to beautify existence, the beauty of life was already in itself, without any increase, with nothing to withdraw.
Only by harmonizing with reality, with daily life, we can contemplate this beauty I speak of.
Pay close attention to events is the secret. Pay attention to all the facts parading before us.
People with uncontrolled mind, fanciful, distort reality all the time, and some times seem to be blind to obvious things. The esotericism can not and should not be an aggravating this situation.
So I argued in an old essay, Psychology and Mysticism, today one of the most accessed from the blog, that all who wished to practice mysticism should be aware of their mental health, and if necessary, resort to the good offices of a psychologist or even a psychiatrist, intending to organize your mind and your thoughts. I did not want to it to say that these people suffer from a mental disorder, a priori, but they should be mindful of the fact that the more blurry the glass, the less light will be able to cross it, and the mind is our lens , our glass, through which light comes to us God.
A mind not sick, but only immature, also needs proper education before entering the mystical means. This will ensure that enjoy the knowledge of millennia and the esoteric tradition of much more richly and more objectively.
Yes, goal. We, as always say, people who deal with subjectivity, we must be very objective and when we look at the sky our feet must be placed firmly on the ground below us, so that the infinite insight into our head does not cause the dizziness.
Not practiced mysticism to worsen our mental condition, but rather to improve as people.
And improved in direct proportion to the development of common sense, moderation and increasing our culture.
In the Middle It is said that when we receive a visitor, this should be treated as its Shiva, is this the visit.
Imagine then if Shiva in person visiting our mind. This must be properly arranged to receive Him in all His splendor, in all His glory.
Behold the light without the proper training can be maddening and so it is good that we do so gradually.
This is, and always has been the strategy of prudence.
Mental health is a precious asset that must be preserved with the same care with which preserves physical health. We take care so that within our Order, to recognize a brother who needs more development and maturity, we know advise you to seek, if necessary, professional assistance, preventing noble and holy practices may be responsible for poor quality of their lives .
