MODERN PSYCHIC SCIENCE! What gathers beneath this flag! What comes together there, and what also opposes each other beneath it! A playground for earnest seeking, little knowledge, great plans, vanity and stupidity; in many cases also for empty boasting, and still more for the most unscrupulous commercialism. Out of this confusion there frequently blossom envy and boundless hatred, which finally results in the basest kind of malicious vindictiveness.
In such a state of affairs it is naturally not surprising if many people shun all these strange activities, fearing to poison themselves by coming into contact with them. They are not far wrong either; for countless adherents of psychic science are anything but engaging in their behavior, still less attractive; on the contrary, everything about them warns others to exercise the greatest caution.
It is strange that the whole field of so-called psychic science, which is often confused by the malicious or ignorant with ghost science, is today still considered a sort of free territory where everyone may go on in his own way and get up to his tricks unhindered, even unrestrained and unpunished.
Such is it considered to be. But already experiences have very often taught that it is not so!
Countless pioneers in this field who were rash enough to venture a few steps forward in their investigations, equipped with only an imagined knowledge, have become helpless victims of their carelessness. The only sad thing about this is that all these victims fell without bringing even the slightest benefit to humanity thereby!
Now each of these cases should really have proved that the way followed is not the right one, because it brings only harm and even destruction, but no blessing. Yet with singular persistence these false ways are still retained, and fresh victims continually sacrificed; a great clamor is raised over every small detail that is discovered and newly recognized, although self-evident in the mighty Creation, and innumerable treatises are written which must repel many serious seekers, because the uncertain groping therein is clearly perceptible.
All investigations until now can really rather be called dangerous pastimes, based on good intentions.
The field of psychic science, which is considered free territory, can never be entered upon with impunity as long as one does not first know how to take into account the spiritual Laws to their full extent. Every conscious or unconscious opposition to these Laws, that is “non-observance” of them, which is equivalent to a transgression, must through its inevitable reciprocal action strike the bold, frivolous or careless person who does not or cannot pay close attention to them.
Trying to explore the non-earthly with earthly means and possibilities is no different from placing and leaving an undeveloped child, as yet unfamiliar with earthly dangers, alone in a virgin forest, where only a man adequately equipped for it and at the height of his strength, exercising the greatest precaution, can have any prospect of surviving unharmed.
For modern psychic scientists with their present methods it is no different, even if their intentions are absolutely serious, and if they are really taking great risks for the sole purpose of gaining knowledge to help men advance across a boundary, before which they have long stood knocking and waiting.
Today these investigators still stand before it like children, helpless and groping, unaware of the dangers that may stream towards them at any moment, or pour forth through them on to others if their bungling efforts breach the natural defenses, or open a door that for many had better remain closed.
As long as those desiring to forge ahead are not absolutely certain that they will be able completely and instantly to master all dangers which may arise, not only for themselves but also for others, all this can only be termed rashness, not courage.
Those “investigators” who engage in experiments act most irresponsibly of all. Attention has already been repeatedly called to the crime of hypnotism.1 Investigators experimenting in yet other ways in most cases make the regrettable mistake, knowing nothing themselves – for otherwise they would surely not do it – of putting other very sensitive or mediumistic persons into either a magnetic or even a hypnotic sleep, in order to bring them nearer to the physically invisible influences of the “other world”, in the hope of thereby hearing and observing various things that would not be possible if the person experimented upon was in a fully day-conscious condition.
In at least ninety-five out of a hundred cases they thus expose such persons to great dangers, which they are not yet qualified to meet; for every kind of artificial help towards deeper penetration is a binding of the soul, forcing it into a sensitiveness that goes further than its natural development would permit.
The result is that such a victim of experiments suddenly stands psychically in a region where he is robbed of his natural protection by the artificial help, or for which he does not have his natural protection, which can only be formed through personal, sound inner development.
One must picture such a pitiable person as if he stood naked, tied to a stake and pushed far out into a dangerous country as a bait, to attract and even let himself be affected by the as yet unknown life and activity there, so that he can report upon it; or so that various manifestations will also become visible to others, through his cooperation, by the giving off of certain earthly substances from his body.
A person thus experimented with is able at times, through the connection his projected soul must maintain with his earthly body, to report as through a telephone all that happens, and transmit it to the observer.
However, should the outpost thus artificially pushed forward be in some way attacked, he cannot defend himself through lack of his natural protection. He is helplessly abandoned, because with the aid of others he has been only artificially pushed into a domain where, according to the state of his own development, he either does not yet or does not at all belong. And the so-called investigator, whose thirst for knowledge pushed him into it, can do just as little to help him, since he himself is strange and inexperienced in the place whence the danger comes, and therefore unable to do anything to provide protection.
Thus it happens that the investigators unwittingly become criminals, who cannot be apprehended by earthly justice. However, this does not prevent the spiritual Laws from exercising their reciprocal action with full force, and chaining the investigator to his victim.
Many a person used for experiments has suffered ethereal attacks which in due course, often also quickly or immediately, have a gross-material-physical effect as well, so that physical illness or death follows, but without eliminating the harm done to the soul.
The observers who call themselves investigators, however, who push their victims into unknown regions, in most cases stand during such hazardous experiments under good earthly cover through the protection of their body and day-consciousness.
It is seldom that they share simultaneously in the dangers confronting the persons experimented with, thus that such dangers are immediately communicated to them. But then at their physical death, the transition into the Ethereal World, because they are chained to their victims they mustinevitably go wherever these may have been drawn, so that together with them they may slowly begin to ascend once more.
The artificial projection of a soul into another domain must not always be taken to mean that the soul leaves the body and floats away to another region. In most cases it remains quietly in the body. But the magnetic or hypnotic sleep makes the soul unnaturally sensitive, so that it responds to much finer currents and influences than would be possible in its natural state.
It is self-evident that in this unnatural condition the full strength is not available, which the soul would otherwise possess if it had attained this point through its own inner development, and would therefore stand firmly and securely on this new and more refined soil, bringing an equal strength to bear on all influences.
Because of this lack of sound full vigor, the artificiality produces an inequality which is bound to entail disturbances. As a result all intuitive perceptions become absolutely blurred, giving rise to distortions of reality.
The cause of the false reports and countless errors is again always given only by the investigators themselves, through their harmful assistance. That is also why in the many “investigated” matters from the occult field already available so much does not accord with strict logic. They contain countless errors, which until now could not yet be recognized as such.
Absolutely nothing that could be of the slightest use or blessing to mankind is gained by these obviously wrong methods.
Actually only that which helps men upwards, or at least points a way thereto, can be of any use to them. But from the outset there can be absolutely no question of this as far as these experiments are concerned!
Sometimes, however, an investigator through artificial assistance may ultimately be able to crowd some sensitive or mediumistic human being out of his earthly gross material body into the Ethereal World nearest to him, but not a hair’s breadth above the region to which in any case he belongs by virtue of his inner development. On the contrary, through artificial assistance he cannot even bring him that far, but always only to the environment nearest to all that is earthly.
However, this environment nearest to the earthly can only contain all that of the beyond which is still closely earthbound, which remains chained to the earth by its inferiority, its vice and passion.
Naturally, now and then something more advanced will also make a short stay in this environment. But it is not always to be expected. Something exalted cannot be there, purely by virtue of the Natural Laws. Sooner would the world be turned upside down, or . . . a foundation for anchoring the Light exist in a human being!
It is hardly to be assumed, however, that this should be sought either in a person experimented upon or in such a groping investigator. Thus the danger and uselessness of all experiments remains.
Moreover it is certain that unless there is a human being of advanced development, whose presence purifies all coarseness, something really higher can not approach a medium, much less speak through him. Materializations from higher circles are altogether out of the question, to say nothing of such popular pastimes as knocking, movements of objects, and so on. The gulf for this is far too wide to be easily bridged.
Even with a medium, all these things can only be carried out by such souls in the beyond as are still very closely connected with matter. Were it otherwise possible, that is to say, if an exalted being could so easily make contact with humanity, then there would have been no need whatever for Christ to become man, but He could have accomplished His Mission also without this sacrifice.2 Men of today, however, are certainly no more highly developed psychically than in Jesus’ earth-life, so it cannot be assumed that it is easier to establish a link with the Light now than it was in those days. Now psychic scientists declare, of course, that their primary aim is to establish that there is life in the beyond, and especially that life continues after physical death; and that in view of the skepticism prevailing today very strong and forceful arguments are needed, hence earthly tangibleproofs, to breach the defenses of the adversaries.
But this reasoning does not justify the repeated endangering of human souls in such a wanton way!
Besides, there is really no compelling need to set about convincing malevolent opponents at all costs! Surely it is well known that even if an angel came directly from Heaven to proclaim the Truth to them they would not be prepared to believe. As soon as he had gone they would simply affirm that it was a mass hallucination and no angel at all, or trump up some other excuse. And if any thing or any body were brought, which or who remains in an earthly state, thus neither vanishing nor becoming invisible, there would again be other excuses, just because it would then be too earthly for those who do not wish to believe in a beyond.
They would not hesitate to declare such a proof a swindle, and the person a visionary, a fanatic, or likewise a swindler. Whether it be too earthly or too unearthly, or both together, they will always have some fault to find and doubt to express. And if they know of no other way to help themselves, then they will take to abuse, proceed to even more vigorous attacks, and will not shrink from violence.
Therefore, to convince these, sacrifices are not called for! Still less, however, for many of the so-called adherents. With a strange kind of arrogance, due to their generally rather vague and fantastic belief in life in the beyond, these think they can make certain demands on it whereby they in turn must “see” or “experience” something. They expect signs from their guides in the beyond as a reward for their good behavior.
The expectations they harbor, which they consider to be their natural due, are often as utterly ridiculous as the much-knowing, leniently forgiving smile with which they mask their real ignorance. It is poison to wish even to give performances to these masses; for since they imagine they know so much, the experiments are little more to them than well-earned hours of entertainment, in which those in the beyond are expected to act as music-hall artistes.
But just let us leave the big experiments now and consider the small ones, such as table-turning. These are by no means as harmless as people imagine, but because of the extreme ease with which these practices can spread they are a very grave danger!
Everyone should be warned against this! Enlightened persons must turn away in horror when they see how lightly these things are treated. How many adherents seek to display their “knowledge” in various circles by suggesting experiments in table-turning, or by introducing into families, with smiles or mysterious whispers, the almost playful practice with letters and a glass, or some other aid, which when the hand is lightly laid on it glides or is drawn along to various letters, thus forming words.
With uncanny rapidity all this has developed into party games carried out amid laughter, derision and at times a kind of pleasant thrill.
Every day older and younger ladies, in families or also alone, are seated at a little table before a piece of cardboard on which letters have been drawn, which if possible must even be of a very special design, so that the hocus-pocus stimulating the imagination is not lacking. Actually this is quite unnecessary; for the object would also be accomplished without it, if the person concerned has only some tendency towards these things. And those who have are innumerable!
Modern psychic scientists and leaders of occult societies are glad of this, because real words and sentences are formed of which the person practicing has neither consciously nor unconsciously been thinking. He must thereby become convinced and increase the number of adherents of the “occult”.
Publications of occult societies point to this, speakers support it, and appliances are made and sold, which facilitate all this nonsense, and thus almost the entire occult world acts as an efficient underling of the Darkness, in the honest conviction of being a priest of the Light!
These occurrences alone prove the utter ignorance that lies in occult endeavors of this kind! They show that of all these people nobody is really a “seeing” one! If now and then some good medium has developed from these beginnings, or rather, to be more correct, if in the early stages a good medium has been temporarily attracted to them, this must not be regarded as proof to the contrary.
The few people destined for this from the outset have in their own natural development a totally different protection, carefully watching over every step, which others do not enjoy. However, this protection is only effective in natural self-development, without any artificial aids! Because only in all that is natural does protection lie as a matter of course.
As soon as there is the slightest assistance, whether through practices by the person concerned or from another source in the form of magnetic sleep or hypnotism, it becomes unnatural, and is thus no longer completely in harmony with the Natural Laws which can alone grant protection. When to this there is added ignorance such as exists everywhere today, then it becomes disastrous. Volition alone will never replace ability when it comes to action. But no one should go further than his own ability will carry him.
It is naturally possible that among the hundreds of thousands who engage in this dangerous pastime there may be here and there one who really escapes unpunished and enjoys good protection. There are also many who will only be harmed in such a way as is not yet apparent on earth; and not until they pass on must they suddenly realize in what follies they have actually indulged. But there are also many who already bear physical evidence of harm, although they will never recognize the real cause during their life on earth.
For this reason the ethereal and spiritual happenings during these pastimes must for once be explained. It is just as simple as everything in Creation, and not at all so complicated, and yet again more difficult than many imagine.
In the present state of the earth the Darkness has, through the volition of mankind, gained the upper hand over everything material. Thus in all material things it stands to all intents and purposes on its own familiar ground, and can therefore manifest to the fullest extent in the material. Hence it is in its element there, fighting on soil with which it is well acquainted. Thereby, for the time being, in all that is material, that is gross material, it is superior to the Light.
The consequence is that in all things material the power of the Darkness becomes greater than that of the Light. Now with such pastimes as table-turning, etc., the Light, thus what is exalted, is completely out of the question. At the most we can speak of something bad, thus dark, and something better, thus more luminous.
Now when a person makes use of a table, or a glass, or indeed of any gross material object, he thus enters upon the battle-ground which is familiar to the Darkness. A soil which all Darkness calls its own. From the start he thereby yields to the Darkness a power against which he cannot summon up adequate protection.
Let us for a moment consider a spiritist pastime, or simply a party game with the table, and then follow the spiritual, or rather the ethereal happenings.
When one or more persons approach a table for the purpose of contacting through it those living in the beyond, either so that these should make knocking sounds or, as is more usual, move the table, so that words can be formed from these signs, then through the connection with material substance the first to be attracted is also the Darkness, which will take over the manifestations.
Those in the beyond often use high-sounding language with great skill, and seek to answer the thoughts of men, which they can read quite easily, in the manner these desire; but if serious questions arise they invariably lead them astray and, if it is done often, try gradually to bring them under their ever-increasing influence, and so slowly but surely to drag them down. Yet they very cunningly leave the dupes in the belief that they are ascending.
But if perhaps at the very start, or at some other opportunity, a relative or friend who has passed over can communicate through the table, which very often happens, the deception is then much more easily accomplished. The people will recognize that it must really be a specific friend who manifests, and then will believe that it is always he when any utterances are transmitted through the table and the name of the friend is given as the author.
But this is not the case! Not only does the ever watchful Darkness make cunning use of the name to make deceptions appear as authentic as possible, and gain the confidence of the questioners; but it even goes so far that a dark one will interfere in the middle of a sentence begun by the real friend, and purposely give it a false ending. Thereupon emerges the scarcely known fact that in a smoothly and flowingly given sentence two have taken part. First the real, and perhaps quite luminous, therefore purer friend, and then a dark entity of evil volition, without the questioner noticing anything of it.
The results of this are easy to imagine. The trusting person is deceived and his faith shaken. The opponent uses the incident to support his ridicule and doubts, and occasionally to make violent attacks on the whole subject. But in fact both are wrong, which can only be traced back to the ignorance still prevailing on the whole matter.
What occurs, however, takes place in all naturalness: If a more luminous and real friend is at the table to comply with the wish of the questioner and to make himself known, and a dark spirit crowds to the table, then the more luminous one must retreat from it, since the darker one can develop greater strength through the material substance of the table acting as an intermediary, because at the present time all that is material is the actual domain of the Darkness.
The mistake is made by the person who chooses material objects, and thus from the outset provides unequal ground. What is dense, heavy, and therefore dark, certainly stands by virtue of its density nearer to gross matter than what is luminous, pure and lighter, and through the closer connection it can develop greater strength.
On the other hand what is more luminous and still able to manifest through a material object, likewise still possesses a certain degree of density corresponding with the object, otherwise a link with physical matter for the purpose of some communication would no longer be possible at all. This in itself presupposes a closer approach to matter, which in turn involves the possibility of defilement as soon as the connection with the Darkness is made through matter.
To avoid this danger the more luminous one has no option but quickly to withdraw from the material, thus from the table or some other appliance, as soon as a dark one reaches out for it, in order to cut off the intermediary link, which would form a bridge over the natural separating and thereby protecting gulf.
It is then unavoidable in the beyond that in such cases the person experimenting through the table must be left at the mercy of base influences. Indeed, his own action proves that he wished for nothing else;for ignorance of the Laws cannot protect him here either.
With these occurrences much that has hitherto been inexplicable will become clear to many, numerous puzzling contradictions will be solved, and it is to be hoped that in future many people will really leave such dangerous playthings alone!
Also the dangers attaching to all other experiments, which are much bigger and more powerful, can now be described in the same detailed manner. But for the time being it should suffice to mention these most common and widespread instances.
Only one other danger must yet be mentioned. Through this kind of questioning and seeking for replies and advice, people make themselves very dependent and lose their self-reliance. This is the reverse of life’s purpose on earth.
In every respect it is the wrong course! It only brings harm, no benefit. It is a groveling on the ground where there is danger of constantly encountering disgusting vermin, wasting one’s strength, and finally collapsing exhausted by the wayside . . . all for nothing!
With this “desire to investigate”, however, much damage is also done to those in the beyond!
Many dark ones are thus offered an opportunity, indeed they are thereby even directly tempted to commit evil and to burden themselves with fresh guilt, which they could not so easily do otherwise. And others are retarded in their upward striving through the constant link formed by such wishes and thoughts.
In clearly observing the nature of these investigations it often appears so childishly obstinate, so imbued with a most ruthless egotism, and withal so clumsy, that one must shake one’s head and ask oneself how anyone could possibly want to open out to the general public a region of which he himself does not really know the first thing.
It is also wrong for all these investigations to take place before the general public. To do so opens the way for visionaries and charlatans, making it difficult for mankind to gain confidence.
This has never happened in any other field. And every investigation whose complete success is now acknowledged was subject to numerous failures during the previous period of research. But the public were not allowed to take part in them to the same extent! They are fatigued by them, and in due course lose all interest. The result is that when the Truth is at last discovered the impetus for a revolutionary and sweeping enthusiasm was bound to be lost beforehand. Mankind can no longer rouse themselves to an exultant joy, so convincing that it carries everything along with it.
When it is realized what wrong courses have been pursued, the repercussions become sharp weapons in the hands of many enemies, who in the course of time are able to instill such distrust in the minds of hundreds of thousands of people that, when the Truth emerges, these unfortunates will no longer desire to examine it seriously for sheer fear of a new delusion! They close their ears, which they would otherwise have opened, and so miss the last span of time that could still grant them the opportunity to ascend to the Light.
Thereby the Darkness will then have won a further victory! It can offer its gratitude to the investigators who to that end extended their hands to it, and who are pleased and proud to proclaim themselves leaders of modern psychic sciences!
MODERN PSYCHIC SCIENCE
اليوم في 1:40 pm من طرف