We continue our look at how the efficient use of the mental envelope can improve our circumstances. When using our mental faculties to read a well-written book, each sentence or paragraph clearly states a specific idea. This idea is represented by the author’s thought form and is usually surrounded by various related forms that express deductions from the main idea.
As a reader, you aim to create an accurate duplicate of the author’s thought form in your mind. This may happen immediately or gradually. Whether the forms indicating deductions also appear depends on the reader’s ability to grasp related concepts quickly.
A mentally undeveloped person may struggle to form a clear reflection and create an incorrect mass instead of a clear form. Others may form a recognisable image but with blurred edges, disproportionate parts, or a skeleton lacking living details. Some may only grasp one side or point of the idea, neglecting the rest. A diligent reader will accurately reproduce the central idea and gradually form the surrounding ideas by reflecting on the central idea in their mind.
One reason for imperfect reflections is a lack of attention. A clairvoyant can often see a reader’s mind occupied with multiple subjects simultaneously, such as household cares, business worries, anticipation of pleasures, weariness, and other thoughts, leaving very little mental energy to absorb the thought form from the book.
The result of reading in a scattered and unfocused manner is that the mind ends up filled with disconnected thoughts, like pebbles, rather than constructing a coherent structure. Therefore, in order to effectively utilise the mind and mental capacity, it is essential to receive training in paying attention and concentration. A person must learn to clear their mind of irrelevant thoughts while studying.
A well-trained student may connect with the author’s mind through the author’s thought form and gain additional information or insight on difficult points. If the student is not highly developed, they may mistakenly believe that the new thoughts are their own rather than those of the author. I can confidently say that I have received no communications from H.P. Blavatsky while trying to read her books!
It is important to remember that all mental work conducted on the physical plane must go through the physical brain in order to be successful. Therefore, it is necessary to train and organise the physical brain so that the mental capacity can easily function through it. It is widely known that certain parts of the brain are associated with specific qualities and a person’s ability to think along certain lines. All of these must be organised and properly linked with the particular lobes in the brain.
An esoteric student deliberately trains themselves in the art of thinking. Consequently, their thoughts are much more powerful than those of an untrained person and are likely to have a wider impact and produce a greater effect. This occurs beyond their conscious awareness without any specific effort on their part. Because the occultist has learned the tremendous power of thought, their responsibility in the right use of it is proportionately greater. They take pains to utilise it to help others.
A warning may not be out of place for those who have a tendency to be argumentative. Those who are easily provoked to argue should remember that when they rush into verbal battle, they leave their mental fortress undefended. At such times, any thought forces in their vicinity can enter and take over their mental bodies. While energy is being wasted on often unimportant points, the whole tone of their mental bodies is steadily deteriorating due to the influences flowing into them. The esoteric student should exercise great care in engaging in arguments. It is commonly experienced that arguments seldom alter the opinions of either side; in most cases, they only confirm existing opinions.
Every moment of life provides an opportunity for consciousness to build up the mental vehicle. Whether awake or asleep, we are constantly building our mental bodies. Every flicker of consciousness, even if due only to a passing thought, adds some mental matter to the mental envelope and shakes out other particles from it. If the mental envelope vibrates with pure and lofty thoughts, the rapid vibrations cause coarser matter to be shaken out and replaced by finer particles. This allows the mental envelope to become steadily finer and purer. A mental envelope made of finer materials will not respond to coarse and evil thoughts; whereas a mental envelope built of gross materials will be affected by evil influences and remain unresponsive to and unreceptive of the good.
The principles mentioned above apply more specifically to the “form” or objective of the mental envelope. When focusing on the “life” or subjective side, it’s important for the student to bear in mind that consciousness constantly identifies itself with the Not-Self and re-asserts itself by rejecting the Not-Self. Consciousness consists of this alternating assertion and negation—”I am this” and “I am not this.” This process causes the vibration that we call attraction and repulsion in matter.
The quality of the vibrations set up by the consciousness determines the fineness or coarseness of the matter drawn into the mental envelope. Thought vibrations of others, especially those with lofty thoughts, affect us by arousing vibrations in our mental bodies, shaking out some coarse matter and disturbing the balance.
The mental envelope is subject to the laws of habit. If we accustom our mental envelope to a certain type of vibration, it learns to reproduce it easily and readily. Habits of evil thoughts can blind us to the good points of others, while habits of good thoughts can help us to look for desirable qualities in the people we meet. Hence, the habit of preferring to like people rather than dislike them will develop. By practicing this, our minds will become more inclined towards admiration and appreciation rather than suspicion and criticism. By systematically using the power of thought, life will become easier and more enjoyable, while also shaping our mental state in the right way.
Many people do not exercise their mental abilities as much as they should; their minds act as receptacles for other people’s thoughts instead of generating their own. Recognising this should prompt individuals to change their consciousness and observe their mind’s workings in daily life. Initially, it may cause distress when a person realises that a significant portion of their thinking is not original, but rather thoughts coming and going without clear origin or destination.
After achieving this initial level of self-awareness, a person should then observe the changes in thoughts as they enter and leave their mind – what they have contributed to those thoughts during their presence. This will rapidly make their mind more active and enhance their creative abilities.
The person should then carefully choose what to retain in their mind. Positive thoughts should be nurtured and reinforced before being projected outward as positive agents. Negative thoughts should be promptly expelled. Casually entertaining undesirable ideas and qualities poses an active danger as it can lead to a tendency towards undesirable things and actions enveloping them. A person who dwells on the thought of an evil action may find themselves unexpectedly engaging in it. All actions originate from thought; even apparently, thoughtless actions are the instinctive expression of thoughts, desires, and feelings that have been allowed to grow within the individual in earlier days.
After consistently practising the habit of choosing which thoughts to entertain, a person will notice that fewer negative thoughts enter their mind. Over time, their mind will start to act like a magnet, attracting similar positive thoughts in their surroundings. Consequently, their mental state will become richer with positive content each year.
The main danger to avoid is letting outside influences create thought images in our minds. These external stimuli can cause our creative mental matter to form charged thought forms that seek realisation. When our mental envelope functions without control, it leads to most of our inner struggles and spiritual difficulties. To address this, we need to replace ignorance with knowledge and learn to control our mental bodies so that they don’t create images in response to external stimuli but are under our own control.
This seems logical, but it is harder to do than you think, especially if you monitor your thoughts and realise how polluted your mental life is. The process starts with awareness. You may fail at first, but at least you know you are failing.
In the next presentation, we will conclude our examination of our thought processes, with special reference to uncontrolled imagination.