We have looked at two out of the three classes of emotional thought-form; the first is thought forms themselves, which are constructed in mental matter and then clothed in emotional matter; the second is vivid impressions that are formed in emotional matter as a result of an event that leaves a lasting legacy that can be activated by, or triggers the energy it contains. This is a semi-autonomous elemental. Our third class of thought-emotion forms consists of those, which are not directly connected with any natural objects and which therefore express themselves in forms entirely their own, displaying their inherent qualities in the matter, which they draw around themselves. In this group, therefore, we have a glimpse of the forms natural to the emotional and mental planes. Thought forms of this class almost invariably manifest themselves on the emotional plane, as the vast majority of them are expressions of feeling as well as of thought.
Such a form simply floats detached in the atmosphere, all the time radiating vibrations similar to those originally sent forth by its creator. If it does not come into contact with any other mental body, the radiation gradually exhausts its store of energy and the form then falls to pieces; but if it succeeds in awakening sympathetic vibrations in any mental body near at hand, an attraction is set up and the thought-form is usually absorbed by that mental body.
From what has just been said, we see that the influence of a thought form has less of a reach than that of a thought-vibration, but it acts with much greater precision. A thought vibration reproduces thoughts of an order similar to that which gave it birth. A thought-form reproduces the same thought. The thought radiations may affect thousands and stir in their thoughts of the same level as the original, though none of them may be identical to it. The thought-form can affect only very few, but in those few cases, it will reproduce exactly the initiatory idea.
Vague thoughts or feelings show themselves as vague clouds. Definite thoughts or feelings create clearly defined forms. Thus a form of definite affection directed to a a particular individual shapes itself not unlike a projectile: a thought of protective affection becomes somewhat like a bird, with a central portion of yellow and two wing-shaped projections of rose-pink: a thought of universal love becomes a rose-pink sun with rays in every direction. Thoughts in which selfishness or greed are prominent usually take a hooked form, the hooks in some cases actually clawing around the object desired.
As a general principle, the energy of a selfish thought moves in a closed curve and thus inevitably returns and expends itself upon its own level. An absolutely unselfish thought or feeling, however, rushes forth in an open curve and thus does not return, in the ordinary sense, but pierces through into the plane above, because only in that higher condition, with its additional dimension, can it find room for its expansion. But, in thus breaking through, such a thought or feeling opens a door, as we might say symbolically, of a dimensional equivalent to its diameter and thus provides a channel through which the higher planes can pour themselves into the lower – often with wonderful results, as in the case of prayer, both for the thinker and others. Here, it is worth noting, that we are talking about subplanes within a world, not between worlds or planes of matter.
Herein lies the highest and best part of the belief in answers to prayer. On the higher planes, there is an infinite flood of force always ready and waiting to be poured through when a channel is offered. A thought of perfectly unselfish devotion provides such a channel, the grandest and noblest part of such a thought ascending to the Logos Himself. The response from Him is a descent of the divine life, resulting in a great strengthening and uplifting of the maker of the channel, and the spreading all about them of a powerful and beneficent influence, which flows through the reservoir that exists on the higher planes for the helping of humanity. It is this adding to the reservoir of spiritual force, which is the truth in the catholic idea of works of supererogation, which is doing more work than is required of you. The Nirmanakayas are especially associated with this great reservoir of force.
Meditation upon a Master links with Him, which shows itself to clairvoyant vision as a kind of line of light. The Master always subconsciously feels the impinging of such a line and sends out along it in response to a steady stream of magnetism, which continues to play long after the meditation is over. Regularity in such meditation is a very important factor.
A thought of definite, well-sustained devotion may assume a form closely resembling a flower, whilst devotional aspiration will create a blue cone, the apex pointing upwards.
Such thought forms of devotion are often exceedingly beautiful, varying considerably in outline, but are characterised by curved upward-pointing petals like azure flames. It is possible that the flower-like characteristic of devotional forms may have led to the custom of offering flowers in religious worship, the flowers suggesting the forms visible to emotional sight. Intense curiosity, or desire to know, takes the form of a yellow snake: explosive anger or irritation, of a splash of red and orange: sustained anger, of a sharp, red stiletto: spiteful jealousy shows itself as a brownish snake.
Forms produced by people who have mind and emotion well under control and are definitely trained in meditation are clear, symmetrical objects of great beauty, often taking well-known geometrical forms, such as triangles, two triangles interlaced, five-pointed stars, hexagons, crosses, and so on, these indicating thoughts concerned with cosmic order, or metaphysical concepts. The power of the united thoughts of several people is always far more than the sum of their separate thoughts. Music also produces forms, which are perhaps not technically thought forms unless we consider them, the result of the thought of the composer, expressed by the skill of the musician through their instrument.
These music forms will vary according to the type of music, the kind of instrument which plays it and the skill and merits of the performer. The same piece of music will, if accurately played, always build the same form, but that form will when played on a church organ or by an orchestra, be much larger than, as well as of different texture from that produced when played upon a piano. There will also be a difference in texture between the result of a piece of music played on a violin and the same piece executed upon a flute. There is also a wide difference between the radiant beauty of the form produced by a true artist, with perfect expression and execution and the relatively dull effect produced by a wooden and mechanical player.
Music forms may remain as coherent assemblies of emotional matter for a considerable time – an hour or two at least – and during all that time they are radiating their characteristic vibrations in every direction, just as thought forms do. I wonder what the vibrational emanations of “Death Metal” music look like. On reflection, I would rather forgo that pleasure.
In ‘Thought Forms’ by Besant and Leadbeater, three coloured examples are given, of music forms built by the music of Mendelssohn, of Gounod, and of Wagner respectively. The forms, which are built, vary greatly with different composers. An overture by Wagner makes a magnificent soundscape, as though he built it with mountains of flame for stones. Look how Soaring the projection of energy is. He is the gold standard when it comes to creating an image through music. One of Bach’s fugues builds up an ordered form, bold yet precise, rugged but symmetrical, with parallel rivulets of silver and gold or ruby running through it, marking the successive appearances of the motif. One of Mendelssohn’s creations makes an airy construction, like a castle of filigree work in frosted silver.
As already mentioned, these forms, created by the performers of the music, are quite distinct from the thought forms made by the composer himself, which often persist for many years, even for centuries, if he is greatly understood and appreciated, then his original conception is strengthened by the thoughts of his admirers. Similar edifices are constructed by a poet’s idea of his epic, or a writer’s conception of his subject. Sometimes crowds of nature spirits may be seen admiring the music forms and bathing in the waves of influence, which they send forth.
If emotions and thoughts create colour and shapes and these bundles of matter and energy can affect us, it begs the question, what are people doing when they expose themselves to loud and discordant “music”? What lasting effect, or more importantly, what lasting damage can it do to one’s envelopes? Usually accompanying this discordant cacophony are flashing lights. Is it any wonder that these environments encourage the use of all sorts of substances that dissociate the persona from its envelopes? In the future, when Humanity grows up, it will look back on such environments and shudder that the youth of the day actively sought them out and spent hours torturing the very fabric of their being.
In studying pictorial representations of thought forms, it is important to bear in mind that thought forms, as seen on the emotional plane, are four-dimensional objects. It is therefore a practical impossibility to describe them adequately in words, which relate to our ordinary three-dimensional experiences, still less to portray them in two-dimensional pictures on paper. Students of the fourth dimension will realise that the most that can be done is to represent a section of the four-dimensional forms.
It is possible to destroy a thought form and this is sometimes done, for example, when a person after death is pursued by a malignant thought form, created probably by the hate of those whom the person had injured whilst in the physical world. Although such a thought form may appear almost as a living creature – an instance is given where it resembled a huge distorted gorilla – it is simply a temporary creation of evil passion and in no sense an evolving entity, so to dissipate it is simply like destroying a Leyden jar and it is not in any sense a criminal action.
Most people recognise that acts, which injure others are definitely and obviously wrong, but few recognise that it is also wrong to feel jealousy, hatred, ambition, etc., even though such feelings are not expressed in speech or deed. An examination of the conditions of life after death, which we will come to, reveals that such feelings injure the person who harbours them and causes them acute suffering after death.
A study of thought forms reveals the tremendous possibilities of such creations and the responsibility attached to the right use of them. Thoughts are not only things but exceedingly powerful and influential things. Everyone is generating them unceasingly night and day. Often it is not possible to render physical aid to those in need, but there is no case in which help may not be given by thought, or in which it can fail to produce a definite result. No one need hesitate to use this power to the full: provided always that it be employed for unselfish purposes and for furthering the divine scheme of evolution.