We ended the last presentation by stating that in order to receive a signal, whether it be a radio, TV or satellite signal, we need to invest in a receiver. The soul operates through the sympathetic and cerebrospinal divisions of the nervous system, with the sympathetic system being connected mostly to the emotional envelope and the cerebrospinal system to the mental envelope. As intellectual power increases, the cerebrospinal system comes under the influence of the soul. As the cerebrospinal system develops, the soul can delegate control to the sympathetic system, but regaining direct control over the sympathetic system through practices such as Hatha Yoga would be a regressive step in evolution.
The soul is constantly striving to move upwards and shed the lower aspects, aiming to rid itself of the burdens that hinder its progress. It does not want to be bothered with managing the envelope’s vital functions and only pays attention to the envelope’s workings when something goes wrong. While all these processes, when they go wrong, are recoverable, it is not worthwhile to do so. It is better to hand over such tasks to automatic processes to free up the waking consciousness for more important matters. At times, a person may be consumed by a “fixed idea”, leading to either madness or unwavering devotion. These two conditions have distinct psychological origins that can be studied further.
At times, a person may be consumed by a “fixed idea,” leading to either madness or unwavering commitment, like that of a saint or martyr. These two types of cases have different psychological beginnings, which we will explore.
The soul encounters many different ideas throughout its life, some of which it outgrows but doesn’t entirely discard from consciousness. These lingering ideas can resurface when triggered, even if the soul has evolved past them. When these ideas emerge without reason or rationality, they can overpower the soul’s more refined thought processes. This is because certain ideas have a stronger impact on the physical envelope due to their slower and coarser vibrations. This gives new life to the expression “having a bee in your bonnet”.
The fixed idea of a madman typically stems from an imprint on the sympathetic nervous system, which can assert itself in consciousness during a disturbance or weakening of the cerebrospinal system. It originates from lower levels of consciousness.
Conversely, the fixed idea of a saint or martyr originates from the soul itself, striving to impress its loftier emotions and wider knowledge onto the physical brain. This kind of idea comes with great power from above, guiding individuals towards heroic actions, martyrdom, or saintship. It doesn’t come from the subconscious but from the super-conscious, and the brain may not be ready to reason on those higher levels of knowledge and intuition.
In “The Mental Envelope,” it is pointed out that genius is often associated with psychological instability, giving rise to the saying that genius is similar to madness. Some have also suggested that many saints were neurotic. The more delicate the mind, the more susceptible it is to be overtaxed or disrupted. Therefore, the supposed instability of geniuses or saints is sometimes the very condition for inspiration because the normal brain is not yet sufficiently developed or sensitive enough to respond to the subtle signals from higher consciousness.
The impulses we associate with genius originate from the super-conscious, from the realm of the soul itself. They not only can cause brain instability but are also often linked with erratic moral behaviour. This is due to the nature of the vehicle into which this force descends from a higher to a lower plane. Depending on the nature of the vehicle, a portion of the force is transformed into the most readily received form of energy by that vehicle.
For instance, if an organism has a tendency towards sexual excitement, the downward flow of the force of genius will significantly increase the force of sexuality, as a part of it is transmitted into vitality. As an illustration of this principle, in the Third Root Race, the downward flow of spiritual life into the channels of the animal man greatly enhanced his animal powers. This increase in animal powers made it necessary for the Sons of Mind to intervene. Otherwise, humanity would have descended into the most debased animal behaviours, with the force of spiritual life actually deepening the plunge into degradation. The lesson to be learned here is clear: before inviting the inflow of higher forces, it is crucial to first purify the lower nature. As the Buddha taught, the primary rule is: “Cease to do evil.”
In the words of the Voice of Silence from Blavatsky, “Beware of setting a foot still soiled upon the lowest rung of the ladder. Woe unto him who dares to pollute a rung with miry feet. The foul and viscous mud will dry, become tenacious, then glue his feet unto the spot, and like a bird caught in the wily fowler’s lime, he will be stayed from further progress. His vices will take shape and drag him down. His sins will raise their voices like the jackal’s laugh and sob after the sun goes down; his thoughts will become an army and bear him off as a captive slave. Kill your desires, Lanoo, render your vices impotent before the first step is taken on the solemn journey. Strangle your sins and make them silent forever before you lift one foot to mount the ladder. Silence your thoughts and focus your whole attention on your Master, whom yet you do not see, but whom you feel.”
The student will scarcely need to be told that one meaning of “your Master” is his own soul.
A person on the spiritual Path must be diligent in their work. It’s easier to correct mistakes at the beginning. If a student doesn’t eliminate the desire for power early on, it will become stronger. If this desire takes root in the spiritual soul, it will be very difficult to get rid of. Ambition rooted in the causal envelope persists from one life to another. Therefore, one should be cautious about letting spiritual ambition affect the causal envelope, as it can create a sense of separateness that becomes more and more restrictive.
A person who is exceptionally skilled in a particular area may find it easy to focus intensely on their work, but outside of that, they may still struggle with mental and emotional disturbances. These disturbances can lead to forming strong prejudices and creating mental blockages. The goal of someone studying occultism is to eliminate these disturbances and have a calm and obedient lower mind that serves the higher self at all times. During sleep, although the higher self leaves the envelope, it maintains a strong connection to it, making it easy to return if the envelope is disturbed.
Sleepwalking has various causes, and in some cases, the higher self can directly influence the physical envelope without the intermediary mental and emotional bodies, allowing the person to do things in their sleep that they couldn’t do when awake, such as writing poetry or painting.
The higher self often communicates with the individual through dreams, using symbolic language. For example, water in dreams symbolises trouble, although the reason for this connection is not clear. Nonetheless, the higher self or another entity may use these symbols to communicate and warn the individual of impending issues.
Prophetic dreams are exclusively attributed to the higher self, which may foresee or be informed about future events and aims to prepare the individual’s lower consciousness for these events. The clarity and accuracy of these dreams depend on the higher self’s ability to assimilate and communicate the information to the waking brain.
Sometimes, the event is of serious importance, such as death or disaster, making it obvious why the soul strives to remember it. Other times, the foretold fact seems unimportant, making it hard to understand why the soul would bother remembering it. However, in such cases, it’s important to consider that the remembered fact may just be a small detail of a larger vision, the rest of which hasn’t been processed by the physical brain. Stories of such prophetic dreams are quite common and can be found in the book “Dreams” by Charles Leadbeater.
In order to bring through, into the physical brain, impressions from the soul, It is obvious that the brain must be calm. Everything from the causal envelope must pass through the mental and emotional bodies. If either of these is disturbed, it reflects imperfectly, just as the least rippling of the surface of a lake will break up and distort images reflected in it. It is necessary also to eradicate absolutely all prejudices. Otherwise, they will produce the effect of stained glass, colouring everything which is seen through them, and so giving a false impression.
If a person is to hear the “still small voice” with certainty and accuracy, they must be still: the outer person must be unshaken by all external things, by the clamour of the big breakers of life that dash against them, as well as by the delicate murmur of the softer ripples. The person must learn to be very still, to have no desires and no aversions. Except on rare occasions when it is unusually strong, it is only when personal desires and aversions have ceased to exist, when the voice of the outer world can no longer command a person, that the person can hear the inner voice, which should be its unfailing guide.
In the next presentation, we will look into sacramental aids in Christianity and Freemasonry in order to highlight the intimate pairing they have on the relationship between the soul and the personality.