HOLOGRAPHIC MIND and the Tantra Magic of Live Mantra - Chapter 3 by Edmond Chouinard copyright 1995 registered 1995 by Edmond Chouinard Metaphysical Measurements Inc - to expand measurement techniques on mind-matter inter-relationships - - to build a physical model to unveil psychic and religious experiences - 485 River Avenue Providence, Rhode Island 02908 USA TEL: 401/273-6222 FAX: 401/273-6267 E-MAIL: EdMeasure@aol.com Free download of book entitled "HOLOGRAPHIC MIND and the Tantra Magic of Live Mantra" 7.04 In return I ask for comment, either on open News Group or by private E-Mail. Download address for each of the 7 Chapters and this Overview: http://members.aol.com/edmeasure or ftp://members.aol.com/edmeasure Chapters of HOLOGRAPHIC MIND (to be individually downloaded) b0outlin.rtf - Overview - Introduction and Overview Summary b1mantra.rtf - Chapter 1 - The Floating Magic of Live Mantra b2tantra.rtf - Chapter 2 - Roving Mind among the Tattvas of Tantra b3psychi.rtf - Chapter 3 - Psychic Visions and Mystical Experiences b4tminit.rtf - Chapter 4 - Veda and its Potent Tradition of Masters b5invoca.rtf - Chapter 5 - Miraculous Power of Invocation & Hypnosis b6jesus.rtf - Chapter 6 - The Word of Jesus and Walking on Water b7model.rtf - Chapter 7 - A Holographic Model of Man in the World Psychic Visions and Mystical Experiences - 3 Our present purpose is to relate a few psychic and mystical experiences along with their associated methodologies and to explain them, so far as is possible, in terms of our developing theoretical framework, the holographic man-world model. Psychic experiences give personal credence to psychic phenomena, and they then tend to be the primary motivating forces that urge a continuing search for their ultimate meaning. Hopefully, this writing can pass on some useful working methodologies so that all who desire can similarly gain such experiences. The extrasensory sightings being related are from both my personal experiences and from others with whom I have intimate contact. The experiences are discussed in context with the groups who were primarily involved, and in the actual settings and circumstances where they occurred. We will discuss experiences in context with Rosicrucian teachings, Silva Mind Control, and Edgar Cayce readings. These specific groups were chosen because of the excellent experiences had among many participants, because of the varied methodologies and interrelated context, and because we have had many dozens of combined man-years of leadership association with the groups. ROSICRUCIANS - RC The Rosicrucians are internationally known as the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, AMORC, a nonsectarian fraternal body of men and women devoted to the investigation, study, and practical application of natural and spiritual laws. Its stated purpose is to enable mankind to live in harmony with the creative, constructive cosmic forces for the attainment of health, happiness, and peace. The Rosicrucians are mystics and they function both as a fraternal organization and as a mystery school. They draw their roots from the pyramid era of Egyptian dynasties and from the Essene community surrounding the birth of Jesus. They flourished as a secret, underground sect during the Christian persecutions of the Middle Ages and again in the Philadelphia area during the establishment of America. MYSTERY SCHOOL - RC Being a mystery school, the Rosicrucians are involved with mystical and esoteric phenomena, though generally from a pragmatic perspective. They perform many experiments in their home sanctums, trying various psychic laws of nature and practicing exercises that might lead to new levels of awareness. Rosicrucians seek to find scientific explanations for psychic events, even if modest by modern scientific methodologies, to support various mystical phenomena. The home sanctum is usually a small desk area that is set up in a private area. Here, short weekly lessons can be studied for a lifetime, but the basic teachings are absorbed rather well during the first few years. Rosicrucians are formally instructed not to accept the esoteric teachings as dogma, but rather to verify the various realities by experience for themselves. Hence, there are weekly experiments to be performed along with the basic studies, on or around this same desk or table area. The simplest of the experiments are mental exercises, often carried out every day of the week, a few minutes per day. The most complex experiments use simple materials and furnishings like candles, incense, water, colored lamps, and cardboard spatial constructions, combined with mental and verbal techniques and most importantly, ritual performances. BURNING TRIANGLE - RC Rosicrucians are very involved with symbols, especially the triangle, and the meaning behind the face value of the symbols. Many exercises involve the use of symbols, including experiments that demonstrate the inherent power within the spatial structure and form of a symbol. As an example, we relate a powerful experience involving symbols. A symbols experiment was being performed at a Rosicrucian bilingual convention in Montreal. A French speaking dignitary was directing a triangle experiment, the most used symbol of the Rosicrucians. The experiment was being performed in a large Masonic Temple where participants sat in several rows around the perimeter of a large central temple area. The exercise consisted of visualizing a triangle with the eyes closed, first with point up and then with point down, while simultaneously drawing energy to it from Nous. The Rosicrucian's Nous is a universal abstract source of energy, broadly equivalent to physics' vacuum state of potential energy, to yoga s–tra's seedless samƒdhi, to tantra's sƒkti, and to TM's transcendental consciousness. Everyone was to visualize the triangle, first within the mind, and then projected out into the empty space of the central temple area. The accumulated psychic energy from the triangle would then be radiated as love to spread harmony throughout the local environment and the world. Rosicrucians had done such experiments with visualized triangles in their home sanctums many times before, so the procedures were pretty well known by everyone. The excitement and charisma of the speaker was enthralling and as I did not know too much French, I opened my eyes to look at him. To my astonishment and overwhelming surprise, there, directly in front of the speaker's podium and centrally located in the temple area, was a huge burning triangle, with point downwards. A blazing fire of purple-blue flames was miraculously suspended in the air. Each side of the fiery triangle was approximately twenty feet across and some three feet in cross sectional diameter. It simply remained suspended and burned while the speaker continued, totally enraptured with his story on divine energy. There is absolutely no doubt that this experiment invoked considerable power! Others saw a plasma like fog haze of Jesus, standing behind the speaker. In fact, the speaker was simultaneously extolling and invoking Jesus throughout his presentation. This demonstration was extraordinarily successful, and such an experience is rare. Many home sanctum exercises and experiments precede such a powerful exposition of Rosicrucian principles as this! We will come back to this topic when we have additional tools to analyze the new realities which transpired! SECRECY - RC No wonder there was born a need for secrecy! The disclosure of such activity in medieval times would have been cause for death. It is doubtful that the Rosicrucians living in the Philadelphia area during New England's witch hunts could have easily survived had they been discovered. Even today, it is using one's better judgment to maintain at least some privacy about activities along these lines. Secrecy protects us from being ostracized by our peers and tormented by the enemies of such purviews. Secrecy has not developed for the withholding of information, for indeed, most would like to tell the whole world about all the great experiences that they have seen. The tradition of secrecy began for the purpose of survival and the abstract mystical teachings were often communicated in camouflaged languages with symbols. Yet, the teachings are simply concerned with natural laws of nature, nothing more, but certainly different than mainstream teachings! SYMBOLS - RC Symbols may be understood by the intellect or they may be known by experience, two totally different situations that are often confused. The realities associated with symbols must be experienced. They may be understood intellectually, but this by itself does not result in any kind of satisfactory fulfillment. Intellectual phenomena are dead until they are enlivened through experience. Both must occur together. Most importantly for us, symbols live in space-time. Symbols have form and structure, and these participate in transforming reality. The movement of forms is a part of ritual, and rituals transform space-time. Feeling is a part of the interpretation of symbols. Feelings can produce powerful, sympathetic responses that thrill up and down the body and they arouse new levels of awareness. The secrets buried in symbols suddenly blossom forth, and quite amazingly, they are no longer considered cryptic or secret. They simply describe natural phenomena. The symbols are instruments for transformation to new or developed states of consciousness. PSYCHIC ENERGY - RC Rosicrucians direct and move energy to help themselves and to help others. There is a desire to accumulate more psychic energy and to distribute it to needed and worthy causes or conditions. Psychic energy is gathered through the use of symbols and meditation. Psychic energy is also gathered up by deep breathing. Just two or three deep breaths can develop additional energy above what the body needs to sustain itself. We must be aware and yet more aware. We want to become cognizant of the subtle realities of deep breathing. Just take a few deep breaths and hold them for a moment. Don't strain or over do. Close the eyes and follow sensations until they are gone. Be aware of subtle realities around ourselves, both internally and externally. There then arises, according to the following yoga s–tra, the shining flame of radiance. RADIANCE - BREATH "From mastery of the mid-breath (samƒna), there is a shining flame of radiance." (Y3.41 - samƒna jayƒj jvalanam) Samƒna, the mid-breath is involved with digestion, and therefore also with heat, fire, and the shining flame of effulgence. The subtle breaths are five in number, and they affect the following regions of the body: prƒna - heart and lung region udƒna - head and neck region vyƒna - spreads to all parts samƒna - stomach and digestion apƒna - legs and pelvic region It is possible to isolate these various breaths in the body, more or less, and their influences can thereby be traced. Hold the breath for a moment and hold the nostrils closed with the fingers. Just a normal breath without forcing. Hold the breath and remain aware; remain aware of breathing though you are not breathing. Eventually, a subtle awareness of breathing comes to attention, and it will not be the breaths of air through the nose or mouth. The emphasis is not on taking particularly deep breaths, not on holding the breath particularly long, and not on extending the breathing cycle time. The emphasis is to momentarily stop the outer breath and to start being aware of the subtle inner breaths. Psychic energy is the means of performing feats, the siddhis or super attainments. Activities are called feats when they are slightly beyond the normal, typical, everyday activity. When new, unusual, or extraordinary events lose their uniqueness, they attain the same status as other daily routines. It is a matter of what level of consciousness we are accustomed to, and this level is always fluctuating. We can float to very high levels, particularly in the beginning days of psychic energy activities, but then drop down again just as rapidly. Long term familiarity is needed to stabilize growth. FLAME COLORS EXPERIMENT - RC We can do an experiment involving psychic energy right now. Sit in a partially darkened room, alone, with a single lighted candle on a table or desk in front of you. After drawing in some additional psychic energy by taking a few deep breaths, stare at the candle momentarily. Watch the flame and the colors. Notice how the colors change. Imagine psychic energy leaving your eyes and approaching the flame. What is your favorite color? Change the flame to that color. The energy flowing from you to the flame has that capability. You may be able to do it now, spontaneously. Take two or three more deep breaths and do it again. Don't be concerned about success, but rather be discerning about the subtleties of creation that are involved in moving this energy. Most Rosicrucians need several months of preparatory experiments to bring them to this step, but some do it spontaneously. Not everyone can always do every experiment successfully, and some can do a particular experiment very quickly compared to others. Most have success with many experiments and a few have extraordinary success with a majority of experiments. RITUALS - RC Rituals are used for the transformation of consciousness. Rituals are short and interesting, personally conducted ceremonies within the confines of one's private sanctum. Ritual is verbal invocation and spatial movement of symbolic forms which brings forward the desired divine influxes. Symbolic form is the language of a universal spatial communications of the fundamental laws of nature. Rituals give rise to feelings. The purpose of ritual is to give direct, immediate experience of profound natural laws and principles that regulate the universe. Ritual is to contact non-embodied deities which are not normally seen with the eyes. The idea of contacting god directly is usually not done because it is too abstract, that is, exactly what visualization would then be contacted? However, just about any other structured angelic form might be a candidate because they can be visualized. For example, among the Trinity, the son, Jesus, is the contact because he has form. The other members, the father, lord, and the holy spirit, sakti, are more easily grasped with live mantra, as they are both too fluid to easily visualize. GREAT WHITE BROTHERHOOD - RC The Rosicrucians are founded around the Great White Brotherhood. For those have not heard of this group, it is not some type of neo-nazi, fascist organization, or anything of the like. It is a non-embodied elite club of highly evolved souls who are fluttering about in the world of angels trying to be of help to the embodied ones, us. Rosicrucians have regular meetings with these folks in a celestial sanctum, the cathedral of the souls at liber 777. Thursday evenings is the best time to find lots of activity. The sanctum is contacted through a combination of visualization, intoning of vowel sounds, direct calling forth through invocation, sympathetic attunement, irresistible longing, concentration on symbols, and through direct projection of self. Regardless of religious or non-religious background, such ritualistic events are always conducted with an awe of the holy and divine. For many, Jesus is directly invoked, not only as a savior but also as insurance, to make certain that this domain of consciousness is kept clear, clean, and innocent of any possible malevolent forces. Otherwise the saints of Christianity or other avatars of worldwide religions are called forward, or new avatars sometimes spontaneously step forward. Many Rosicrucians have picked up a personal guide along the way, which they continue to retain indefinitely, and some have reported seeing or otherwise communicating with Jesus, himself. Communicating directly in a two way conversation with either the lesser or the great avatars is still considered far from the norm. The one way communications of prayer is considered laudable, but a reply is most dangerously suspect! Secrecy is still the best way to deal with such events, unfortunately, to maintain good mental health. In due time, a more scientifically orientated psychic environment will allow for the flourishing of such "mystical" experiences by all. A natural phenomena is called mystical and esoteric only when it is not known or not easily seen. Hence, the subtle values of the environment are called mystical or esoteric when first drawn to our attention and even when they are first experienced. When these experiences become a more habitual routine of daily living, then of course, they are reclassified and they become ordinary natural phenomena. Equivalently, we can say that one has moved into a higher level of consciousness, or that one has been initiated into a more subtle level of existence. This new awareness comes easily with a proper methodology and a suitable environment. One needs the keys to open the right doors, at the correct time. Some of these keys are locked within the rituals themselves, in the form of sound. VOWEL SOUNDS - RC Vowel sounds are a part of virtually all Rosicrucian ritual activities. Physics describes sound superbly at the physical level. Now we need to so consider these same sounds at increasingly more subtle levels, in order to discover how such sounds affect the subtle body. Sound affectations on the subtle body opens our awareness to more subtle values within the environment. Rosicrucians work with vowel sounds in both their home sanctum rituals, and less frequently with other Rosicrucians at local fraternal meetings, regional conclaves, and worldwide conventions. Group rituals have a charm and grace that is long lasting, and they can reawaken forgotten memories from previous lifetimes. They perpetuate awareness into the mysteries of life. A combination of ritualistic performance and attire, symbols of the rosy cross and triangle, vowel sound combinations, and a mixture of contemplation, concentration, and meditation, together form a proper intermingling which provide exhilarating experiences. The most commonly used sounds are RA and MA, representing masculine and feminine polarities respectively. They are often chanted immediately following each other as RAMA, RAMA. Intone these sounds repeatedly on different notes of the musical scale according to your liking. First do RA for awhile, and then MA for awhile. Be aware. Notice the effects. Combine intonation with deep breaths and then repeat other experiments. Through your own awareness and by your own motivation you must lead yourself to a next step! AIRLINE LANDING GEAR - RC One energetic Rosicrucian tells of his breath taking adventures with RAMA while on a major airline flight from Dallas to New York. Shortly after takeoff, the captain stolled up and down the aisle of the aircraft, making eye contact with all the passengers. Everyone then new that trouble must be brewing. Lunch went by and the captain finally reported that he was unable to get confirmation that the landing gear was locked in the down position, and though he had known of the problem just after takeoff, he had to burn off fuel in any event, so he continued to New York. He joked upon giving the passengers the lowest altitude views of New York City ever, as airline mechanics in the LaGuadia field control tower viewed the landing gear with binoculars! Our Rosicrucian friend then immediately began to apply portions of hundreds of psychic experiments that had been performed in his home sanctum over many years. First, a nearly silent (so as not to upset other passengers sitting close by) repetitive humming of RAMA, RAMA, RAMA began as he started assembling some people from the Great White Brotherhood, as many as possible in his absolutely focussed visualization, for if they really wanted to help, now was a good time to show up! Many came, but they were out on the landing gear where even the Rosicrucian had by now projected himself. RAMA, RAMA, RAMA, again and again, perpetually humming as the aircraft was making final approach to land on a soapy foamed landing strip. All passengers had been prepared for crash landing with their heads close to their knees. RAMA, RAMA, again and again, perhaps for some twenty minutes now, as he found himself pushing on the locking mechanism of the landing gear strut. RAMA, push, RAMA, push, RAMA, push, again and again when suddenly a whole crowd of angelic ones got behind him to help the pushing, and BANG, a thundering metallic noise as the landing strut locked, seconds before a safe and happy touchdown. As it happens, his seat was directly over the top of the landing gear. The Rosicrucian was sweating profusely, totally exhausted. One rarely tells such a story, for it is truly "anecdotal", yet absolutely real. We will be back to this topic. The following two yoga s–tras further exemplify this world of fluttering angels who coexist with the projected subtle minds of the embodied. LIGHT COVERING DWINDLING "An external non imaginary mental fluctuation is called a great bodiless, which experience is associated with the dwindling of the coverings of light." (Y3.44 - bahir akalpitƒ vrttir mahƒ videha tatah prakƒsa ƒvarana ksayah) From an external non imaginary fluctuation of consciousness, that is, from a great bodiless, from an angel, comes the dwindling of the covering of light. A great bodiless is any form of external subtle influence on consciousness. For example, the long term emulation and sympathetic aspiring toward a great bodiless like a Buddha or a Jesus will bring such an external non imaginary mental fluctuation in close contact with oneself. These external fluctuations of consciousness will modify our own internal fluctuations of consciousness, and from this is the dwindling of the covering of light. Equivalently, it can also be said that when one's own consciousness is projected outside of the body, there is the dwindling of the covering of light. That is, one's own consciousness becomes the great bodiless, that external non imaginary fluctuation of consciousness. The covering of light is the strong, grasping attachment to the body itself. One's own consciousness outside of the body is now limited only by its own aspirations and its own desires for sympathetic attunement with other beings. Regarding the aircraft landing gear emergency, the Rosicrucian's aspirations were quick and certain. Survival! Once consciousness was projected out on the landing gear, it did not take long to assemble plenty of help, since the flow of sakti was obviously at a maximum for everyone sitting in the crash landing position! SUBTLE REALITY "Then the swiftness of mind, being without physical senses, results in the mastery of subtle reality." (Y3.49 - tato mano javitvam vikarana bhƒvah pradhƒna jayas ca) Once the waking state of consciousness becomes aware of functioning in subtle reality without the physical senses, called mental projection among the Rosicrucians, the mind moves very swiftly, anywhere. We shall be discussing the swiftness of the mind in tremendous detail in the final chapter, in concert with the dictates of physics' special relativity. Mind seems to be instantaneously anywhere we want it to be, at the moon even or any place else. It seemingly can travel faster than the speed of light! Special relativity apparently concurs with this, as we'll develop in the last chapter, assuming as we have been, that mind is fundamentally a form of light. PROJECTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS - RC Projection is sending consciousness wherever desired. Success in projection is proportional to the success attained in accurate and detailed visualization. Quite literally one is creating the potential for access to the new environments of higher consciousness through the act and art of precision visualization. Experience with psychic energy, sakti, is the grease which lubricates the visualization for swift and easy gliding through space. When we become accustomed to these new ideas, then projecting one's mind to distant places around the room, house, town, and country even, are no longer strange or odd phenomena. They are living reality, as was the projection out on a flying aircraft's landing gear. Many others have written long and splendid treatises on the magic of imagination and visualization. They are the stepping stones to higher states of consciousness. Such projection of consciousness is simple, natural, and spontaneous with a habitual use of imagination, visualization, and psychic energy. PROJECTION EXPERIMENT - RC Sit comfortably in a chair, close the eyes, and project your consciousness to external places. Mentally peruse the area and notice everything. Move close to the walls, floors, trees, plants, ceilings, and furniture. Move inside the walls. Go into the wood or metal of the furniture and fixtures. Zoom up and down in magnification. Smell the odors. Don't stop after doing this once or twice. Continue again and again and let the imagination loose. Choose to project to some places which you can physically visit at a later time to corroborate the results with your body senses. Dream and fly. Don't mind if you think that you might be hallucinating. Go ahead and hallucinate. It won't hurt you! Think of this as a fun game. Do not be concerned of whether you are going to score correctly or incorrectly. There will undoubtedly be failures. Learning is a process of diminishing the frequency of failures, especially in this so called psychic phenomena domain where we've been taught by virtually everyone, all of our life, that mental projection is not real! Don't force. Just casually let your whole mental self be at the site of the projection. You will soon be amazed on how well you score! Persistence, persistence, persistence. MEDITATION - RC Meditation has its own meaning for Rosicrucians, as with everyone's own understanding of the idea. The word "meditation" probably has more variations in meaning among users than the word "god". Therefore, it is important to describe meditation's purpose, methodology, performance, expectations, and results. These vary widely from group to group. For Rosicrucians, meditation implies three distinct mental activities, each playing an important role in the overall activity. In all cases the eyes are closed. One stage of meditation involves being passively receptive to impressions, a contemplative reality that puts attention on the different thoughts that pop up. Another stage involves the active transmission of love, a concentrative reality that disperses psychic energy anywhere on earth, for the good of someone in particular or for the good of mankind in general. Another stage involves the expansion of one's self awareness by visualizing oneself inside a tiny point or dot, and then allowing the dot to expand in size, unlimitedly, until it is gone. Do it. It works. Therefore, Rosicrucian meditation includes some very special modes of contemplation, concentration, and thought dissolution. Some amount of time is spent in a receptive contemplative state, in a transmittal concentrative state, and in the expansive, thought dissolution state. Each state exists for a specific function: to be receptive to incoming knowledge and energy impulses; to send out love and psychic energy; and to bathe in the vastness of eternal creation, in the field of Nous, the source of all energy. Once such techniques become developed, then progress with the exercises and experiments proceeds more rapidly. These are interrelationships between mind, energy, and matter. Mind can fashion energy to work on matter in some suitable, life supporting way. Mind can project energy to be of help or service to others. It is most interesting to note that Rosicrucians who also possess a live mantra move through most such experiments with relative lightening speed and success. REINCARNATION DEMO - RC Reincarnation is a fundamental reality for Rosicrucians. It is difficult to move very far ahead in these arcane topics of knowledge without recognizing the reality of reincarnation. A reincarnation demonstration was the feature presentation made by the imperator, head of the Rosicrucians, at a world wide convention. The largest ballroom of the largest hotel in Toronto housed about 1000 Rosicrucian where a demonstration about reincarnation was about to begin. As the imperator spoke, a theater size movie screen was illuminated with red light from one of the projectors located on the other side of the ballroom. All remaining ballroom lights were turned off and only red light illuminated the screen. The red light was turned off and a second projector illuminated the screen with a blue light. The imperator was making many general remarks about reincarnation, mostly basic facts with which everyone was well acquainted. In addition, most Rosicrucians had previously performed many home sanctum experiments with red light and with blue light concerning reincarnation. It's possible to notice a transfiguration of facial and body features in soft blue light after long exposure to red light. Features foreign to one's present incarnation can become dominate, suggesting an activation (from deep samskƒras) of dominate features from a previous incarnation. Various types of (samskƒra) activating sounds and music are usually played in the background environment of such reincarnation experiments, particularly as may be strongly liked or disliked by the targeted individual. As the imperator continued talking, both the red light and the blue light were turned off and the projectors were removed from the main ballroom. Suddenly the movie screen turned white and was emitting its own light! No one knew where the light was coming from. The imperator settled on a reclining chair, on stage, just in front of the movie screen that was now emitting the white light. He then suggested to the audience that they would see many facets of his past incarnations, much more than he knew himself. His body began going through various transfigurations, first looking like an eastern Indian with full head dress and then a monk, but our attention soon left him as a full color film started to show on the movie screen. Most disturbingly, there was no light traversing the ballroom from anywhere to hit the screen to produce a movie! However, the most incredible part of this color movie is that I was a feature actor in the movie, riding a camel on a shining summer day of biblical times! Yet even more overwhelming yet, is that my wife, sitting next to me, was simultaneously witnessing a different color movie in which she was the feature actress, carrying water from a well, also presumably of ancient times! There is no simple way to respond to these startling phenomena. Of course, anyone at anytime can invoke the usual emergency escape clauses used to evade such issues by calling them anecdotal tales founded in hallucination and hypnosis, but Rosicrucians, better than anyone, know better. They have practiced for years with hundreds of experiments to differentiate the real from the unreal. This is real phenomena! We'll be back to it later. HEALING - RC Some Rosicrucians spend considerable time with mental healing techniques and in study of the physiology of the body. Some become very successful with healing. Sickness is generally thought to be caused by dis-ease, by some imbalance in the mind-body system. If the area of imbalance can be brought to mind, and if a suitable quality and quantity of psychic energy can be transferred to correct the imbalance, then the dis-ease disappears and good health resumes. Healing is further developed in the coming section on Silva Mind Control. Rosicrucians briefly study the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and the routes and pathways taken by psychic energy are explored throughout the body, especially at the finger tips. Under special conditions, the flow of energy from the finger tips can be seen. The following experiment can demonstrate the principles involved. FINGER ENERGY EXPERIMENT - RC You should be alone in a private area or room to do this experiment, with subdued lighting and a candle. Stare at the flame of the candle for about a half minute and notice the color changes. Thereafter, instead of focussing directly on the flame, focus the eyes at infinity, as if you were looking at a far away place, so that you are effectively looking right through the flame instead of at it. For example, the eyes often reach this non focussed state during daydreaming. There is full awareness of the flame and of its colors, but they are seen only dimly and somewhat out of focus. Then with your fingers spread apart just a little bit, with the hands located just below the flame of the candle, drop the attention, but not the eyes, from the flame toward the space between the fingers. Do not stare at the space between the fingers or try to focus there. Rather, be aware of the space between the fingers, seeing the space from a direction somewhat askance from the direction of staring through the candle. Energy will be seen passing between the fingers. The flow of energy from one hand to the other may predominate between the index and middle fingers. The energy field could look like small streaks of bluish white lightning, possibly with some purple mixed in. Move the fingers up and down, closer or more distant from the flame. The eye's black and white peripheral rod vision is seeing the energy field while the central cone color vision is doing the staring. Such energy passing between the fingers can be increased by taking a few deep breaths. These colored, lightning like, energy fields are natural phenomena that are easily seen so long as there is no forcing. Particularly when one is not trying to see, the energy is most easily seen. Intoning vowel sounds can also increase the available psychic energy. Just a few sounds is enough, combined with a few deep breaths. Some have instant success with this experiment while others take longer. Imagination and visualization must be allowed to move freely, without inhibition. These are the great creators which allow success. The experiments tend to reinforce each other. The "knack" of attunement develops and there are more successes. After a time, such experiments are no longer researched or performed because whatever the success, they become part of normal sensory perception, intermixed with other common, daily perceptions. The psychic energy not only can be moved around inside the body, but it can be projected outside the body. After a time such activities become boring and one simply stops doing them, moving forward instead to new experiments and to new domains of consciousness. Other than healing, the only motivation for doing such experiments is to verify the so called "supernatural" laws of nature, the siddhis, through personal experience. They then become natural phenomena. SILVA MIND CONTROL Jose Silva developed an outstanding set of mental techniques called Silva Mind Control. Successful graduates of Silva Mind Control can mentally scan the body of another person to find disease or ailments. This scanning can usually be done by just knowing the persons name and nothing else. A small fraction of graduates can do this mental scanning superbly, practically without a flaw. The majority of graduates have some success. White light is projected around the diseased area for treatment. VISUALIZATION - SMC Silva Mind Control is a series of conditioning sessions, resembling strong auto suggestion or mild hypnosis. A student first learns to visualize very well. He closes the eyes and listens and does what the course teacher is suggesting that he do. Many visualization exercises are performed and one learns to project visualizations into all sorts of environments. For instance, to distant places, into the rooms of one's home, within the walls of one's home, and even within the atomic structure of the pencil that the teacher is holding in his hands. While this instruction takes place, a slow beat metronome with higher beats superimposed is sounding continuously in the background. Many visualizations are done, but the student does not yet know how much of this is real mental projection and how much of it is simply the product of a wild imagination. HYPNOSIS - SMC Instructions are given to stipulate that the student himself is always in control and is always awake and conscious. These same instructions are repeated in every training session throughout the course. Then, in a style closely resembling stage hypnosis, students continue following instructions with the eyes closed. Suggestions are given that one hand is lighter than the other and that the lighter one will move upward. It moves upward. Similarly it is suggested that one hand is very hot while the other is very cold, and the hands do feel hot and cold, respectively. The electronic metronome is still buzzing and ticking in the background as progressively more complex visualizations are given as exercises. Eventually, visualization begins in the human body, step by step up the arms, and through the veins and arteries, and then methodically through all of the main organs of the body. Doing these visualizations is not without humor, depending on the skill of the course director, for it is not one's normal everyday activity to be poking around inside of human bodies! Simultaneously while the body organs are being visualized, the metronome is sounding in the background. Those who have been hypnotized during stage hypnosis shows will recognize that the processes occurring here are essentially the same. The main and very important difference, however, is the repetitive and reassuring declaration that the student is always fully conscious and that he is always in control. At some point within every course, there is considerable discussion about the greatest of all healers, Jesus. Some appropriate portions of the New Testament are quoted freely, and the technique of using white light as a healing agent is developed. The Rosicrucians and Edgar Cayce also use white light as the healing agent. It is an old remedy among the esoteric groups. We should pay more attention to it. To heal, it is enough to fully envelop a diseased area in white light. The healer is simply a channel for passing on the healing power of white light to the dis-eased receiver. The curative white light power, the sƒkti of yoga tantra circles, comes from god or some other primary source of universal psychic energy as is appropriate to the mind sets and experiences of the healer. The healing occurs by the will and through the will of such a primary agency, if it occurs at all. The healing certainly does not want to occur through the will of the embodied healer's ego. This is a very, very important point. The healer is a channel for universal creative energy, and healing is done by "Thy Will, Not My Will". If it is "My Will" who egotistically does the healing with great pride and self satisfaction, then that embodied ego may take on some or all of the dis-ease which is being eradicated from another. We can compare such a transfer dis-ease with the rubbingly close contacts of multiple sets of fluctuating consciousness that we discussed in earlier chapters in context with the coupling of subtle minds. To avoid this situation, the healer must allow himself or herself to be a channel for the creator and the creative forces. It is safer to couple with the fluctuating consciousness of the creator or some other beneficent angel than to discharge the healing with our own consciousness only. If we assume authorship for the feat, then we, ourselves, will have to take responsibility for dispersing the dis-ease. If we want to accept partial credit, then we will have to partially disperse the dis-ease. It is much safer for the health of the healer if the healing responsibility is passed completely along to the creative forces. Also, unless the healer is in sufficiently advanced states of consciousness, little healing is likely to occur through his own authorship anyhow, and even with experienced healers, healing of others is not always feasible because of other karmic predispositions. If the owner of a dis-ease does not want to be healed, then healing will not occur, so why waste one's time? LABORATORY CREATION - SMC Toward the end of the course, the students create their own mental laboratories in a manner that each finds fitting according to his or her personality and background. A laboratory building is created either in space, in the air, near fire, in water, or on land, as is individually desired. The students visualize suitable furniture in the laboratory, of a style to match the laboratory decor, and according to individual taste. Every detail is elaborated upon and created as desired. A large desk and file cabinet is created along with a comfortable chair with fine padding. Within the file cabinet are files on anyone or any subject desired, which become available by merely going into the file cabinet and pulling out the right file. The chair can be used for a variety of purposes: for examining files, for relaxing, for studying, and for meditating. Finally, to make absolutely certain that everyone feels most comfortable and at ease, the students are now asked to bring a personal guide into their laboratory, some person or being who absolutely can be trusted at all times, a mentor who is regarded most highly and perhaps emulated. For some, such a person may be a parent or teacher, a dignitary or a professional, or maybe even Jesus or Buddha. This person is to be our personal protector and guide, and should help ever be needed, at any time or at any place, we will then go to this individual for further advice. An elevator is now created in the laboratory to bring in our guide from wherever he or she is residing. A modern, clean elevator is fashioned with plenty of lights, and the guide is invited to come. As the doors of the elevator open in the laboratory, we see our guide stepping forward and smiling at us. We hear him gladly accept our invitation to stay with us in the laboratory and to remain at our side. This event of receiving our personal guide is absolutely fascinating and we may have been amazed that he (or she) actually came! Even a coffee pot is perking on a hot plate next to the desk, or if we prefer, we can make fresh orange juice with the juicer. We prepare in advance to have available whatever we think our guide might need or want to be comfortable. GOING TO LEVEL - SMC Going to our laboratory is called going to level. When we move to our laboratory, we find that most of the restrictions that we are confronted with during our normal waking state are no longer with us. It is incredible what we can do! It seems unreal, yet it is real! Any of the many different files that might be pulled out of the file cabinet are actually found to exist! Of course, the biggest challenge is yet in front of us, to verify the validity of the information to be pulled from these files. Already though, as we peruse and become more acquainted with the details of our laboratory, we notice that the information in some of the files is very sketchy at best. Sometimes a file just does not exist on the subject matter that we are looking for, so not all information is available to us. Going to level is itself a sequential set of moves, now automatically occurring at will, though as yet, still with the continuing metronome sounds in the background. We now gradually descend or ascend into our laboratory, in whatever way we have created it, one level or step at a time. During each step, our awareness increases. Our knowledge about and our ability to perform the desired task is becoming greater. Upon reaching level, we are ready to perform at a much higher level of awareness. Also, going to level is not restricted to healing. We can just as easily study for exams at level, or prepare some business briefs. The important point is that the process of getting to level expands the awareness. Being at level has us operating at a higher level of consciousness. We are fully awake and know where we have been as well as being conscious of where we are now. FINAL EXAM - SMC It is now close to the time for taking "final exams" in the course. This final exam is simultaneously the last great training session. By this time everyone has gone to level numerous times, for all sorts of different reasons, perhaps to roam around the solar system or to move among the atoms of a crystal substance. Visualization is magic! A communicative relationship has also been built up with one's personal guide at level, and he or she is often found wandering around and even examining some of the contents of the file cabinet. The guide is totally committed to the student, to remaining close at all times in case needed. We feel especially comfortable now with our guide, and we even carry on other conversations with the guide, about anything that strikes our fancy. For the exam, each student is instructed to obtain five small 3" x 5" cards and to write down the names of five people who are personally known to the student, one name on each card. Preferably, the names of those chosen should have some ailment or disease, no matter how slight or how grave, physical or mental. As clearly as possible, with just a few key words, the nature of the illness of the person should be written below the name. Should it happen that one has no sick relatives or friends to name on a card, then one should choose individuals having some outstanding personality characteristic which is easily seen, regardless of the type of characteristic. All students now find a partner to work with among the course participants. The partners should be strangers to each other, as this will make the results of these exercises more dramatic and more scientific. Teams of two sit facing each other. Each person has his own set of cards which the partner does not see. Each partner will take turns now, in going to level. While one goes to level, the other briefly examines the information written on the index cards. When one has attained level, the other states the name written on the card and possibly the sex and approximate age. That is all that is said. PROJECTION INTO BODY "From the relaxation of the cause of bondage and from the wandering experience of consciousness, one may enter another physical body." (Y3.39 - bandha kƒrana saithilyƒt pracƒra samvedanƒc ca cittasya para sarŒra ƒvesah) Silva Mind Control teaches students to do this rather well in just a few days. The Rosicrucians learn to project consciousness anywhere. Edgar Cayce spent half of his life doing just this. For all of these groups, the purpose of entering another body is for healing. The s–tra states that we must relax the cause of bondage, that is, we must allow ourselves to project into another body without any fears or misgivings. We grow into good feelings about this, without fear, from our wandering experiences of consciousness outside of the body, from going to the sun, moon, stars, etc. Then there is relaxation from the cause of bondage, and we quite simply just enter another body. These kind of thoughts can be a bit frightening and even repulsive the first time they are heard. We all initially feel that our own body and mind are private for ourselves only, at least as private as we want them to be. Now we come to understand that almost anyone with a little training may be able to enter both our mind and body at will. This is disturbing, often so much so that we walk away. I know of no one who did not walk away upon first hearing these concepts! Out of sight, out of mind, out of reality. This is our only defense against this seeming invasion of privacy. However, almost any activity is more fun than aimlessly roaming around inside of another's body, and it is impossible to get inside anyone who does not want another to come. The business of wandering into other bodies is by invitation only! When projection of consciousness occurs, the target body is generally a friend or relative who has asked for help of some kind. At most, such mental healing is a limited activity by those who know how to project themselves. Mental healing only works when both parties are simultaneously attuned with the process and desire for healing. The same arguments hold for not wanting to aimlessly roam around in other minds, and the details of secrets held dearly by a mind never slip over into another mind. To hold a secret tightly means just that. We've already seen some s–tras to this effect. PROJECTION INTO THE BODY - SMC In Silva Mind Control, each partner will now take turns in going to level. While one is at level, the other states the name written on the card and possibly the sex and approximate age. Usually upon hearing the name, the person at level spontaneously sees a body in his mind's eye. The physical eyes are closed. There are many variations of exactly what happens on this very first impression. One could have a very clear visualization of a complete body as lying on a doctor's examination table for instance, or of just a portion of a body as an arm or a hand. In some cases nothing is seen, but something is strongly felt, as in spontaneously locking onto someone having extraordinary tension. If the empathy and sympathy of the connection is sufficiently strong, the body tension of the targeted person is strongly felt by the body of the one at level. Sometimes other senses can dominate and the target can be smelled or heard. There are limitless variations, but usually some part of the target body is in the awareness. The one at level next begins to scan the body, moving up and down the limbs and the internal organs as well as viewing surface irregularities. Generally, this process does not take long because any serious ailment makes itself known very quickly. For instance, the body of a target having a stomach ulcer could appear very vague, as a misty white outline form, except that the stomach area is darkened or colored, and possibly pulsating. The attention of the one at level is immediately drawn to the stomach area which is then explored in more detail, focussing onto the ulcerated area at will and even zooming down to the cellular level of tissue if desired. The one at level then begins talking to his partner who is holding the card with the target name in front of him. The one at level begins to speak about everything that is seen, heard, tasted, smelled, and felt. Referencing the ulcer case, the one at level would have mentioned seeing a body in dimly lit outline, a pulsating stomach, and would have discussed the darkened area. If the one at level has no personal knowledge or experience about ulcers, then he may not have called the darkened area an ulcer. In that case the remarks may have referred to an inflamed area, assuming that there was a problem, but without certainty as to its exact nature. HEALING - SMC At this point, the one at level may choose to do healing or not, as the mood seems fitting. Generally it does, and an attempt to engulf the darkened area with white light is made. Often the white light works, sometimes not completely, and occasionally not at all. Also, sometimes the one at level feels ill at ease with some particular target body and then spontaneously chooses to recede immediately, perhaps not knowing why. This is fine. Whatever happens at level, we go with our spontaneous feelings and with our natural impulses. Such a situation concerning new and unknown events might be discussed with our personal guide. We may also choose to look in the file cabinet to get additional information on the stomach. If we have little or no knowledge about the body system, we would probably look up information simply under the heading of "Stomach". With more expertise and experience we might try to locate "Ulcers". In any case, we retrieve a file on the question as we personally understand it. We will find more or less information, quite unpredictably. The file could discuss the nature of the problem with possible remedies. It could discuss diet and influences of certain foods. It could be totally blank with no information at all. When the one at level has done all that can be done to help, he comes out of level by opening the eyes. Then the partner displays the index card with the written target name and a description of the ailments. Both of the partners are generally overwhelmed by the many precise correspondences between what was said and what was written. Most usually, many more things are said than what had been written. Since the partner holding the card is the one who created the card, the targeted individual is known and the correctness of additional remarks made by the one at level can also be verified. The partners now reverse their roles and continue. In this manner, with partners exchanging roles, the course continues. After several cycles of name exchanging experiments, a new variation is done. The creator of a card then gives a card to a third stranger in the course, and he himself then receives a card from some stranger. Note that this is the first time that card swapping has occurred, and until now, everyone has been giving names from their own self created cards. Everyone now finds a new partner, another stranger, and one member of the new partner team begins going to level as before. The difference now is that the person speaking the name on a card does not know either the person named or the person's ailments, other than the information written on the card. If there was ever a doubt as to the reality and meaning of experiences, this last set of experiments quenches this doubt unconditionally. Both the partner at level and the one reciting the target name are equally amazed and enthralled. Over and over again there are varying degrees of success in naming and discussing the ailments. By continuing in this manner for a few cycles, the successes are reinforced and the participants are stunned with the realization that the whole program really does work! It is not simply unreal imagination and hallucination. On the contrary, it is personal experience that repeatably verifies the correctness of psychic readings of living reality! EDGAR CAYCE READINGS Edgar Cayce, sometimes known as the sleeping prophet, is well known for the many "readings" that he gave while he was in an unconscious state. He would lie down and put himself into what appeared to be a somnambulistic hypnotic state, and soon thereafter, he would begin talking and answering the questions from those around him. However, it was not the Edgar Cayce personality who was talking, but rather, some other "entity". These other entities later became known as intelligent personalities who took over the Edgar Cayce body temporarily, as a vehicle to speak through. Many notes, and later, many tape recordings were made of the hundreds of readings that he gave. These are now transcribed into manuscript or book form. Throughout his career, extending several decades over the first half of this century, Edgar Cayce gave readings on essentially every imaginable subject. When he was asked a question, some emerged personality would always answer. The subjects channeled through him include: geology, earthquakes, prophesy, astrology, healing, health, sickness, disease, dreams, nightmares, pharmacy, herbs, karma, reincarnation, food, diet, religion, and Jesus, to name but a few of the main topics. He gave a large number of readings regarding the health of individuals who lived all over the world. He gave extraordinary details on the nature of their problems, sometimes with an extended medical and physiological vocabulary that was completely unknown to the awakened Edgar Cayce. Equally as well, he could present a solution for curing an ailment, whether it involved complex pharmaceutical chemistry, home brewed herbal concoctions, specific diet changes, needed alterations in attitude and behavior, or even the recommendation of a particular physician. SPACE TRAVEL - EC The personalities manifesting in Edgar Cayce could travel anywhere through space, at will, and scan the bodies of persons seeking health advice. The scanning process could find the problem and present the solution. Sometimes the solution was to send the person to a medical doctor, whose specialty of treatment may or may not have been in the area of concern, but who could, in fact, treat the particular problem extremely successfully. The name and address of a suitable doctor would be given, often in a different city from where the patient resided! The success of these treatments has been tracked to some extent, and the vast majority of treatment was found effective. Whenever the treatment was not found totally effective, it was never found harmful. Graduates of Silva Mind Control are in fact doing much of what Edgar Cayce was doing, except that Mind Control has the practitioner being fully conscious of the environment while doing readings. PROPHESY - EC Not all of Edgar Cayce's prophesies came to fruition, and because of this inconsistency some people fault him. It must be remembered that Cayce himself often stated that prophesy simply expresses many of the tendencies of world consciousness at the time that a prophesy is made. The free will of mankind may continue to seed the growth of activities as the prophesy indicates, or it may make radical changes due to the uplifting of world consciousness itself. Since many worldwide consciousness expansion groups are now active, we shouldn't be surprised that many earlier prophesies will change drastically. In fact, we would all be better off to ignore prophesy in general and to focus our full attention on lifting our own level of consciousness, trying to make the world a better place to live in. This is the basic position taken by Jose Silva and the Rosicrucians: to be practical, simple, and realistic, and to try to make the world a better place in which to live. It must be remembered also, that both Jose Silva and Edgar Cayce were highly motivated by Jesus and religious values. Edgar Cayce's "waking" state of religion was of the fundamental, conservative Protestant Christian background, while his "sleeping" state of religion was expressed through many "mystical masters" of the Great White Brotherhood from both the East and West, who delved deeply into the mystical and esoteric values of the teachings of Jesus. Edgar Cayce was himself overwhelmingly surprised by the content of many of his own readings, and he did not accept much of it for many years. He was particularly concerned about reincarnation, about the "mystical masters" who spoke through him, and about the revealed activities of Jesus who is found travelling and studying in India during the years not mentioned in the Bible. However, Edgar Cayce later accepted all of these readings, particularly as they were verified again and again through the successes in healing. Many fundamentalist interpreters of the Bible reject the Cayce readings because the information about Jesus cannot be verified, and because the readings tend to bring mankind a little closer to the status of Jesus. There are many people who are presently doing readings precisely as Edgar Cayce did, and who are supplying additional supporting and concurring information. Ray Stanford is one such individual who we have been personally involved with in one of our meditation study groups. Not only do most of Edgar Cayce's readings seem generally valid, to the extent that they can be verified, but perhaps even more important, the mechanisms by which he "read" information are valid as reflected by the personal experiences of many. We invite any and all of good will to inquire to Edmond Chouinard at: Metaphysical Measurements Inc, 485 River Avenue, Providence, RI 02908 USA TEL 401/273-6222 FAX 401/273-6267 E-Mail EdMeasure@aol.com