In the previous presentation, we briefly discussed one of the three Rays emanating from the Sun, the Primary Force or Fohat. It is an expression of the Second Outpouring from the Second Aspect of the Logos. On Plane 46, the Unity World, it appears as the Christ principle in humans. In the mental and emotional bodies, it enlivens various layers of matter. This results in noble emotions in the higher part of the emotional body and a simple rush of life force in the etheric envelope, where it meets with Kundalini and energises the body. It is worth noting that the stream of violet prana stimulates high spiritual thoughts and emotions, while ordinary thoughts are stimulated by the blue stream mixed with part of the yellow. In some cases of mental impairment, the flow of vitality to the brain, both yellow and blue-violet, is almost entirely inhibited.
The relationship between certain forces, prana and kundalini, is not directly connected with human mental well-being. These forces are primarily linked to a person’s physical health rather than their mental and emotional state. However, there are other forces that enter the chakra which may be considered psychic and spiritual. While the basal and sacral chakras do not display these characteristics, the navel and higher chakras are entry points for forces that can impact human consciousness.
The Kundalini energy is part of the First Outpouring and comes from the Third Aspect or Logos. It operates within the Earth in a vast globe, although only the outer layers are accessible. These outer layers are connected to the Kundalini energy within the human body. The Kundalini energy within humans originates from what has been referred to as the “laboratory of the Holy Ghost” deep within the earth. It is associated with the fire of prana and vitality. Prana is related to air, light, and open spaces, while the fire within the earth is more material, similar to the fire in a red-hot iron. This force has a somewhat daunting aspect, as it seems to descend deeper and deeper into matter, moving slowly but steadily with unyielding certainty.
It’s important to mention that Kundalini is the power of the First Outpouring on its journey of return, and it operates closely with the Primary Force (fohat) mentioned earlier. Together, they guide an evolving being to a point where it can receive the Outpouring of the First Logos and can causalise, gaining the seeds of self-identification and starting the journey into the 4th Kingdom of Nature.
The premature awakening of Kundalini can have many unpleasant consequences. It amplifies all aspects of an individual’s nature, making it easier for negative qualities to emerge rather than positive ones. For instance, it may lead to an excessive increase in ambition, along with heightened intellectual power, but also result in abnormal and egotistical behaviour. Therefore, it is advised that individuals without proper guidance should not attempt to awaken Kundalini. If it is accidentally awakened, they should seek advice from someone well-versed in these matters. As mentioned in the Hathayogapradipika, “It gives liberation to Yogis, and bondage to fools.”
The mastery of Kundalini must be achieved anew with each lifetime, as the envelopes used by the monad are different in each incarnation. Once thoroughly attained, repeating this mastery will become easier. It’s important to note that its effects vary among different individuals; for instance, some may see abstract causal images rather than hear the voice of the guardian angel. Furthermore, this connection with the causal envelope unfolds through multiple stages. For the personality, it signifies the influence of the “soul”; for the “soul”, it represents the power of the monad; and for the monad, it signifies becoming a conscious expression of the Logos. In order to utilise the abilities of the mental envelope, it’s essential to centre the consciousness within that envelope. Human consciousness can only be focused in one vehicle at a time, although an individual may have a vague subjective awareness through the others. Therefore, if a person with emotional and mental perception concentrates their consciousness in the physical brain, they will have a clear view of the physical bodies of their friends, but will only vaguely perceive their emotional and mental bodies. In less than a moment, they can shift their focus to clearly see the emotional bodies, while the mental and physical bodies will not be as clearly perceived. The same applies to mental perception and the perception of higher planes.
Bringing what has been seen on the mental plane down to the physical brain involves a challenging double transfer from the higher to the lower, as the memory has to pass through the intervening emotional plane. Even when mental faculties can be used while awake in the physical body, expressing what is seen is hindered by the physical language’s incapacity. To bring the consciousness of the mental body into the physical brain, the connections between the different bodies must be developed. These connections initially exist without the individual’s awareness and are not actively functioning, similar to rudimentary organs in the physical body waiting to be developed through use. These connections link the dense and etheric bodies, the emotional body, the mental body, and the causal body. Activating these connections through the will begins to bring them to life, allowing the individual to use them to shift their consciousness from one vehicle to another. The activation of these connections by the will unleashes Kundalini, the Serpent-Fire.
The connection between the physical and emotional aspects of our being is represented by the pituitary gland, while the connection between the physical and mental aspects is represented by the pineal gland. Different people develop these connections in various ways, following the guidance of their spiritual teacher or guru.
When a person has learned to detach from their physical body while awake and has strengthened the connections between their different aspects, they bridge the gap between their waking and sleep states. This bridging is made easier by training the brain to respond to vibrations from the mental aspect, allowing the brain to act under the control of the individual’s will.
Preparations for receiving higher consciousness in the physical body can be summarised as follows: purification of the lower bodies through healthy living and diet, control of passions, cultivation of a calm and balanced mind, regular meditation on elevated subjects, avoiding haste and restless mental activity, and developing a genuine love for spiritual pursuits.
When a person is able to use their mental faculties in ordinary waking consciousness, they are capable of receiving various impressions from the mental world, just as they observe bodily movements. When learning to use the powers of the mental envelope, one does not lose the abilities of the lower faculties, as they are encompassed by the higher ones.
At this stage, a person can significantly increase their usefulness by consciously creating and directing a thought form, which can be employed to perform tasks in locations where it may not be convenient to travel in their mental envelope at that moment. They are able to control these thought forms from a distance, observing and guiding them as they work, making them agents of their will.
As a person begins to develop spiritually, it is essential that the entire mental envelope be purified and brought into thorough working order. They must be capable of creating strong and clear thought forms. Additionally, it is greatly beneficial and comforting if they can clearly visualise these thought forms.
The two acts must not be confused. The formation of a thought is a direct action of the will, working through the mental envelope; visualisation is simply the power to see clairvoyantly the thought form one has made. If a person thinks strongly of any object, the image of it is in their mental envelope just as much, whether they can visualise it or not. The student must also continuously strive to maintain moral purity and mental balance, without which clairvoyance is a curse and not a blessing to its possessor.
Developing the mental envelope’s consciousness would make a person’s life and memory continuous throughout each descent into incarnation. When a person can thus function consciously in their mental envelope, experiencing its powers and its limitations, they also learn to distinguish between the vehicle they are using and themselves. The next stage will be for them to perceive the illusory character of the personal “I”, the “I” of the mental envelope, and to identify themselves with the real person, the individuality or monad, currently focused in the causal envelope.
This next step of elevating consciousness to the level of the monad on the higher mental plane would give a person the ability to remember all of their past lives. However, before a person can expect to overcome the barrier between the mental and emotional plane to enjoy continuous recollection, they must have practised extensively using the mental envelope as a vehicle for a long time. This suggests that the monad must have been fully conscious and active on its own plane for an extended period before any knowledge of that existence can come through to physical consciousness.
The mental envelope itself does not tire; there is no such thing as mental fatigue. What we typically call fatigue is only fatigue of the physical brain through which the mind expresses itself. Nonetheless, physical fatigue can still affect the mental envelope. For instance, a person who is completely exhausted has largely lost the ability to coordinate. Each physical cell is complaining, and the resulting effect on all vehicles—etheric, emotional, and mental—is that a large number of small, separate vortices are formed, each quivering at its own rate. As a result, all the bodies lose their cohesion and their ability to function properly.
The exact method by which ordinary memory works is unknown, as the subject has yet to be thoroughly investigated. However, it is evident that a vibration in the mental envelope is part of what occurs and that the causal envelope is not in any way involved.
Thousands of years ago, there was a particular ceremony aimed at opening the faculties of the higher bodies. In a dark room, the officiant uttered the word “Om,” which brought all present into close harmony with him and with the feelings that filled his mind. At the utterance of the word “Bhur,” the room was filled to their senses with ordinary light. Upon hearing another word, emotional sight was temporarily opened to them; another word similarly opened their mental sight. These effects were temporary, but it would, of course, be easier to produce the same result on those people on a future occasion.
It is important for the student to learn to distinguish between impulse and intuition. As both come to the brain from within, they seem very similar at first, and therefore, great care is needed. Where circumstances permit, it is wise to wait awhile because impulses usually grow weaker, while intuitions remain unaffected by the passage of time. An impulse is often accompanied by excitement, and there is something personal about it; true intuition, though decisive, is surrounded by a sense of calm strength. The impulse is a surging of the emotional envelope, while intuition is a piece of knowledge from the solar deva impressed upon the personality, coming thus from the higher mental plane or sometimes even from the Unity Plane (46).
In order to differentiate between impulse and intuition, it is necessary to maintain a balanced nature and engage in calm consideration. Delay is essential as it allows an impulse to fade away while strengthening an intuition. Calmness and serenity help the lower mind to perceive intuition more clearly and feel its power. Intuition benefits from calm delay without losing anything.
Additionally, intuition is always associated with unselfishness. If there is any trace of selfishness in an impulse coming from a higher plane, it is likely an emotional impulse rather than a true message from Plane 46. Intuition, similar to direct vision on the physical plane, eventually supersedes reason, which can be compared to the sense of touch on the physical plane. Intuition develops sequentially from reasoning without changing its essential nature, similar to how the eye develops from the sense of touch. However, the intuition of a younger soul is impulse, driven by desire, and is lower rather than higher than reasoning.
In the following presentation, we will discuss the faculty of concentration.