Volume 10, Issue 4, page 5


When we make a teaching a "Jesus Christ
teaching" or a "Hindu teaching" or any other
kind of teaching, we color it with whims and
fantasies. Truth is period. It can be presented
within the framework of Christianity, Hinduism ,
Buddhism, or any other "ism". But, to make it
the exclusive possession of any sect is impossible. I am even surprised to hear truth students say, "We believe in reincarnation, karma,
treatment, etc., or we don't believe in these
things. " They simply take new concepts and
establish them as beliefs which must be accepted blindly if one is to be a "truth student': Realization seldom enters into the picture at all. It isn't what we believe, but what
we know that really counts? What do you know
for sure?
The idea of paying respect to God is a belief in duality. You cannot see the oneness
and believe in duality at the same time. You
either know the truth or you don't. If we believe God answers prayer, then we believe in
duality. How many prayers have you had answered
recently. If some were not, then is it because
it wasn't best for you? If God knows best then
why pray at all?
A major problem is this: When we no longer
accept a personal God, then we often lose our
direction in life. We have nowhere to go. What
we must do then is to have a point of contact,
something to give us stability in the shifting
seas of human circumstances. The best thing to
do, outside of releasing yourself into the Infinite Invisible, is to have a spiritual ideal,
literally an incarnation of Spirit. This, then ,
gives you something with which to identify. It
helps you to aspire unto the heights until you
reach that clear level of awareness that you
are consciously or unconsciously seeking.

Often the urge to communicate with "higher
beings" is so strong that people sit in "development classes" to try to establish contact.
Or they will go to a medium for an experience
in communication. In almost every instance,
when such communication is forthcoming, it is
either fraud or self-deception.

Most people who claim contact with astral
guides do not have the awareness to comprehend
even the most elementary truths. If they cannot
comprehend basic truths, how can they comprehend a person who is supposed to be the embodiment of Truth?
I am constantly amazed at the number of
times that "guidance" proves to be wrong, that
"advice" proves to be unsound, and that "wisdom" proves to be ignorance when held up in
the light of truth. I know of small business
operations that do better with an ordinary
mortal who thinks straight at the head, than
do many spiritual organizations which have the
"blessings of the masters" behind them. This,
to me, is incongruous.

The word trance is a term embracing a wide
number of psychological states. A trance may
be deep orit may be mild. It may be brought
on by hypnosis, hysteria, or subjective contemplation. The common factor is that the subject is unaware of the immediate physical environment. This unawareness need not be complete -- it is sometimes hazy depending upon the
nature and depth of the trance.

With practicing mediums, discounting the
simulated trance state, we find two types of
trance. One, which is the least common, involves an abnormal degree of mental disassociation. The second type, harder to define, involves the acting out of the inward imaginative
fantasies which are conditioned by tradition
and suggestion.

In the latter instance, I think we can say
that persons who regularly practice such a
trance are compelled by neurotic tendencies.
Their trance becomes a way to escape from harsh
reality. Many mediums have been unable to adjust in the world of rational human beings.
Often their daydreams become the means for
letting out frustrations and repressed wishes
and instincts. When the world of fantasy becomes the real world, then we have a case of
schizophrenia, or a split personality.

Because the fantasies of spiritualistic
activity are so attractive to the neurotic
personality, it is natural that we should find,
as we do, so much deception, alcoholism, homosexuality, and perversion among the ranks of
mediums and teachers.

Most mediums claim to have a guide or control who is readily available and who aids them
to establish contact with other astral entities. These"guides" are doctors, Indians, or
just cute little souls with cheerful manners.
The medium may carry on a conversation with
the imagined "guide" or may act as a channel
for the entity who desires to talk.

In most instances, the "entities" that manifest in the seance room are figments of imagination. They are, for the most part, the reflections of the repressed wishes and impulses
of the people present and the medium. What of
the fact that, while in trance, the medium may
"bring thru" material which consciously they
would not know? This can either be explained
by showing how the material merely came forth
from the subconscious, where it was stored and
forgotten, or at times, it is quite possible
that a person in trance could have access to
the storehouse of all knowledge in the universal subjective mind, which is all pervading.
I believe it is quite possible for a person to
be open intuitively and know things that are
beyond the conscious mind's grasp, but one
need not go into trance to do this for it can
and should be done consciously.

I have never known of a genuine instance or
a materialization of an astral body in a seance
room. We will, for the moment, discount the
instances of spontaneous astral manifestation
or true clairvoyant vision as being out of
context with this discussion. Every case of
seance room materialization is deliberate
fraud. The appearance of a "spirit" out of nowhere and the vanishing of said spirit into
thin air or down into the floor or into the
cabinet is easy for a skilled performer.

There is no evidence to support the contention that a medium would be hurt if a light
were to be turned on suddenly when they are
entranced. All the light would do would be to
expose the medium in the act of pretending. As
for the ectoplasm that supposedly exudes from
the medium's person, thru the openings, the
nose, genital organs, mouth, etc., the photographs of this substance that I have seen seem
to be what it is -- cloth that is attached for
the purpose of fooling the camera's lens. This
can be made from cheesecloth, from strips of
any white material, or purchased by the yard
from novelty houses which specialize in such.

What, then, shall we do when we find our
interesting playthings stripped of their transcendental aura? Where shall we turn for inspiration and strength? We should turn to the
truth -- that man is able to consciously know
the facts of life, that he is able to find his
place in the scheme of things and lead a purposeful existence. We should take stock of our
goals.

Are you regular in meditation? Are you seeking enlightenmentE TURN TO PA instead of GE 7)
phenomena? Are
(PLEAS
JULY-AUGUST, 1963 The RBERREE 5