In the Light of Truth

31. Modern psychic science

Modern psychic science! Its students and acclaimers. What a motley crew! Some adherents harmonise, some clash. There are earnest seekers, and also those who have little knowledge but ambitious plans, much conceit but little understanding. One hears much boasting and finds still more mercenary unscrupulousness. It is natural that here the pervading atmosphere is full of envy, hatred, and malice, and all manner of spitefulness.

No wonder that so many scrupulously avoid these people, fearing to be infected by them, and indeed they are right, for untold numbers of the adherents of psychic science are anything but engaging, still less attractive; on the contrary, their ways and all that concerns them suffices to put one on one's guard.

It is strange that the whole complex of so-called psychic science (which the malicious insist on calling spiritism) has, up till now, been considered a sort of common ground where every one can play pranks at his will without let or hindrance. It is understood to be so. But experience has often enough proved the contrary.

There have been innumerable pioneers who, without having the requisite knowledge, ventured a few steps too far in their investigations and fell helpless victims to their temerity. And it is a deplorable fact that all these victims fell without having accomplished the least thing for the benefit of humanity at large.

Every one of these cases should suffice to prove that the way adopted was not the right one; only mischief, even irreparable damage, was done, but no blessing brought to man.

Yet with singular persistence these methods are still adopted, and fresh victims sacrificed.

When they imagine they have discovered some atom of truth, already known for ages by the initiate, they make a great clamour and sound a flourish of trumpets; they write innumerable treatises on their discoveries, in which they betray such uncertain, ignorant groping that it must necessarily repel the serious.

All investigations up till now can be termed dangerous pastimes indulged in from good motives.

As long as man cannot fully understand the cosmic laws so as to accomodate himself to them, he will never be able to explore those regions unpunished. Whoever consciously or unconsciously puts himself in opposition to these laws or does not obey them, which means disobeys them, must suffer from the reaction, be he bold, frivolous or trivial.

To try to roam in the transcendental world, by means of terrestrial appliances and possibilities, would be like expecting an undeveloped child, ignorant of danger, to fend for itself in a virgin forest, where only a full-grown man's strength and sagacity could hope to travel in safety. Nothing better awaits the modern votaries of psychic science, however serious they think they are, and where they really only venture in order to acquire knowledge to help man forward over the boundary-line, before which he has been waiting so long, knocking for admission to the beyond.

Like children, these explorers are still standing helpless and groping, unaware of the dangers which every moment face them, and which through their medium may beset others, when their bungling efforts have succeeded in breaking through the natural protection and in opening a door that had better have remained shut.

Until explorers are sure that they can immediately master all possible dangers, not only to themselves but also to the others present, they cannot be called bold pioneers, but reprehensible triflers.

Those investigators who experiment are the most irresponsible of all. More than once it has been pointed out that hypnotising is a sin.*(Lecture No. 35: Hypnotism a Crime) The lamentable error that these misguided experimentory investigators make, is that, in their ignorance (for otherwise they would surely desist) they put a very sensitive person (a medium) into a magnetic or hypnotic trance, in order to approach closer to the influences of the other world in the hope of hearing or observing what they could not do, if the medium were normally awake, and what to the physical senses would remain unperceived.

In ninety-five cases at least out of a hundred they expose such a person to great danger, against which he is defenceless. Every artificial aid to a trance is a compelling of the soul; it is forced into a state of sensitiveness, which is beyond what natural development permits. The result is, that the victim of the experiment is transferred to a region where the soul is bereft of its natural protection. A protection which it can only possess after independent, personal, healthy development.

One must picture to oneself such a pitiable person, tied naked to a stake and pushed far ahead into dangerous country, as a bait to attract and even experience the unknown life and doings of that region in order to be able to report on the same, or that, by virtue of certain material substances out of his body, he may succeed in making the phenomena visible to others.

Such a medium is occasionally able, by virtue of the connection which his exteriorated soul must necessarily keep up with his material body, to report, as through a telephone, all that passes and transmit it to the observer.

Should, however, the sentinel, thus launched forward in the face of all natural law, be attacked, he cannot defend himself. With the help of others, he is forcibly placed in a world the conditions of which his development is in no wise equal to. Thus he is at the mercy of the forces prevailing there.

The so-called explorer, whose craving for knowledge pressed the medium into his service, cannot assist him, he himself being an inexperienced stranger in the region from which the danger comes, and thus unable to be any sort of protection.

Hence it comes that such an explorer unintentionally commits a crime which cannot be brought before a court of justice. This, however, does not hinder the law of returns from operating. Inexorable justice awaits the explorer and ties him fast to his victim.

Many a medium has suffered from attacks which, although originating in the ethereal world, sooner or later, even sometimes immediately, took effect in the material, physical world, causing illness or even death, without, in so doing, invalidating the injury to the soul.

The so-called investigator, having impelled his victim over the border into unexplored regions, mostly stands aside under the safe material covering of his physical body and normal consciousness. It is but seldom that he shares the dangers of the medium in the experiments, but, after his physical death and transfer to the other world, he must accompany the victim, to whom he is bound, to wherever the latter is drawn and must together with him slowly begin afresh the ascent from there.

When a soul is forced by unnatural means to explore the other world, it does not always leave its physical body and retreat to another region. In most cases it remains in the body, but it is made unnaturally sensitive by the magnetic or hypnotic trance and, therefore, responds to much finer vibrations and influences than would be possible in the normal state. A medium in the abnormal state of trance has not the power that it would have if it had gradually and naturally developed so as to be able to communicate with the ethereal world. In the latter case it would be fully armed and suitably equipped. It could stand firmly and securely in the new ethereal conditions and face the influences brought to bear on it. The fact of the body not being in a strong and healthy state, when under these abnormal conditions, causes an inequality in the balance of power and accompanying general derangement, which dulls all sensations and travesties reality.

It has always been the investigators themselves, who, by their mischievous practices, have spread false reports and innumerable errors. For this reason many secrets gained from occult experiments will not allow of logical investigation or criticism. That the statements made do not agree with one another, and that they are full of errors has not been noticed till today.

This mistaken method of exploring has done absolutely nothing that could be of the slightest use or blessing to humanity.

Only that which helps a man upwards or which shows him the way upwards, can be of use to him. It must never be expected that any such help could result from these experiments.

By subtle art the investigator may succeed in expelling the soul of some sensitive person from his physical, material body into the sphere next in order to his, but not a hair's breadth further than to the limit corresponding to his inner development. On the contrary, the subtle investigator cannot even force the soul of the medium so far; he can only force it into the immediate surroundings of the material world.

This sphere (immediately next to the material world) can only contain of the other world that which is still closely bound to the earth, linked to it by its inferiority, its vicious and evil passions.

Now and then some entity of higher standing may possibly be met with in this sphere, but this cannot be depended on.

It is self-evident that the cosmic law would never permit anything really sublime to sojourn there. The world itself could more easily be upset, or indeed, anchorage for celestial Light were found in some human being!

This, it is needless to say, one could never expect to find in a medium or in such an explorer groping in the dark. All this goes to confirm the statement that these experiments are dangerous and useless.

Unless a pure soul were present to clear and purify the atmosphere, no higher spirit could approach such a medium, much less give utterance through it.

It is quite fruitless to expect a higher entity to materialise or to assist at table-turnings, spirit-rappings and such pastimes. The gulf between is too wide to be bridged over so easily.

All these things can only be carried on by such spirits as are still closely united to matter. If it were possible otherwise, that is to say, if sublime beings could so easily have intercourse with man, Christ would not have needed to become man, but could have fulfilled His mission without having sacrificed Himself.*(Lecture No. 14: The Redeemer) The soul of man is certainly no further developed today than it was at His time on earth, so that one cannot assume that communication with celestial Light is easier now than it was at that time.

It is true, spiritists say that the aim they have in view, is to prove that spiritual life exists, more especially the continuance of life after the death of the material body, and they point out that, as scepticism is so prevalent today, very powerful and forcible arguments as well as tangible proofs are needed to confute the adversaries and break down their opposition.

This, however, is not sufficient to excuse the utterly irresponsible way in which human souls are again and again endangered. Besides this, there is not the least necessity to convince malevolent adversaries. It is well known and has been confirmed by Christ's own words, that these would not be convinced, even if an angel were to come down from heaven to bring the truth. As soon as the messenger had gone, they would affirm that it was all hallucination and not an angel they saw, or make some other excuse. And again, if the messenger, or that which he brought, should not vanish but remain manifest, they would find some other objection; it would then be too mundane, too material just for those who disbelieve in another world. They would not hesitate to call such a proof a fraud, and the messenger a fanatic, or even an impostor. Whether it be too mundane or too transcendental, or both together, they would always find some objection, some cause for doubt. And if they know nothing else, they will have recourse to abuse, then to savage attack and will not even stop at violence.

It would be deplorable to sacrifice victims to convince such as these, and still more deplorable to do so in the interests of many of the so-called adherents. The latter imagine that, on account of their somewhat vague and fantastic belief in a future life, they are justified in demanding certain privileges. In their self-conceit they consider they have a right to see or to experience something. They expect their spirit-guide to make signs to them from the other side, as a reward for their docility. The pretensions they make are as absurd as the condescending smile with which they would seem kindly to forgive the ignorance of others, and at the same time hide their own. It is wicked to entertain such people with experiments; for as they imagine that they know so much already, they only regard the experiments as well-earned diversions in which the spirits play the role of music-hall artists.

But let us turn our attention from the great experiments to consider the small ones, such as table-turning. These are by no means so harmless as they would appear. On the contrary, the extreme ease with which they are popularised is a very grave danger.

Everybody should be warned against them! The more enlightened must turn away with horror when they see with what thoughtless frivolity these things are practised. How many devotees of spiritism seek to show off their “knowledge” by introducing table-turning into certain circles, or they will explain, with knowing look and plausible manner, the planchette (or some other arrangement with letters and a glass), on which the hand is lightly laid and then is drawn hither and thither, thus forming words and then sentences. With surprising and distressing rapidity these practices have spread and have developed so as to become a game in which the family joins, some laughing, some deriding, and some filled with a pleasantly tickling sensation of awe.

And daily one can find the family, or may be, a circle of elderly and young ladies, and even a single enquirer sitting at a small table on which they have a bit of cardboard, covered with letters or other hieroglyphics or suggestive mystic signs. All this hocus-pocus is quite unnecessary, if the persons playing are in any way mediums. The latter indeed are very numerous.

When words and sentences, which have no connection with the consciousness or sub-consciousness of the medium, are formed, the modern psychic enquirer and the leaders of the occult meetings exult; they take this as convincing proofs of the truth of their statements and the adherents and believers in “occultism” increase in number.

Writers on occultism point to these, and lecturers make them their theme; mechanical aids are invented and sold, thus making all these mischievous practices more accessible; almost the whole occult world makes itself a willing tool in the hands of the Powers of Darkness, under the delusion that they are the priests of Celestial Light!

These facts alone prove the utter ignorance on which all occult efforts are based. They show that none of these persons are really clairvoyant. It is no proof to the contrary, if now and then a really good medium has proceeded from these beginnings, or rather, that a good medium has for a certain time temporarily been attracted to such a circle.

The few who are predestined for this office have from the very beginning of their natural development enjoyed special protection, which the others have not. It is only in cases where this development has been quite natural and independent of every external aid, that such protection has effect. Only what is natural can be protected.

As soon as the slightest assistance, such as exercises or magnetic or hypnotic trance, has been tried, it becomes unnatural, and is thus no longer in harmony with the cosmic laws which alone are able to protect. If the gross ignorance so generally prevalent is added to this, fatal mistakes must infallibly be made. It is not sufficient to will or intend to experiment, as that can never substitute the knowledge which is absolutely requisite before engaging in such practices. Nobody should meddle with what he does not understand and cannot do properly.

It is naturally possible that, among the hundreds of thousands who engage in this dangerous pastime, there may now and then be one who escapes unscathed, having an invulnerable shield. There will also be others where the harm done them does not show itself in this life: they will, however, suddenly perceive how foolish they have been, when they enter the next world. Again, there are many who are injured physically, but who, as long as they live on earth, never know the cause of their distressful state.

ft It is for this reason that an explanation of what goes on during these practices in the ethereal and spiritual world must be given: it is just as simple as all else in Creation, not so complicated and yet more difficult than many think.

In the present state of the earth, and in conformity with man's express will, the Powers of Darkness have gained the upper hand in all that pertains to matter. Thus the Powers of Darkness stand, as it were, on their own familiar ground, where they are able to develop their full power and dominate. They are in their own element and fight on their own ground.

Hence at the time being in all that belongs to matter the influence of the Powers of Darkness exceeds that of the Powers of Light, i. e. in all material things Darkness is stronger than Light. In such pastimes as table-turning, sublime Light has no concern whatever. We can only speak of bad, i. e. dark influences, and better, i. e. less dark influences. When a man makes use of a table or a glass or indeed of any material object, he ventures on to the battle-field of the Dark Powers; thus from the very beginning they are in a position of ascendency, a vantage-ground, against which he has no corresponding means of defence.

Let us closely examine a séance, or a sitting at table-turning, and notice what happens: one or more persons sit down at a table with the intention of getting into touch with spirits, either by raps or movements of the table, from which signs they form words. The first result is that the connecting link, the material substance serving as medium attracts dark spirits, and they now undertake the office of making communications. With consummate skill they make use of highflown language, and seek to give satisfactory answers to the sitters whose thoughts it is an easy matter for them to read. In serious matters they invariably lead the enquirer astray; and, if the séances are often repeated, they will try to get him more and more into their power and slowly but surely drag him down. At the same time they cleverly manage to make their dupes fancy they are advancing spiritually.

Should a friend, or a relative, lately deceased, speak through the table (this often happens), the dark spirits can the more easily practise deception. The sitters will recognise their friend; they will be certain it is he who is manifesting, and then will believe it is always he when the table raps and gives information in his name.

But this is not the case! Not only does the dark spirit, who is constantly on the watch, skilfully use the friend's name to make misleading information sound plausible, but also to gain the confidence of the questioner. The dark spirit will even go so far as to interrupt the friend in a sentence begun and finish it in a manner to serve his own ends. The following, although but little known, is nevertheless a fact: it can and does happen that two entities give information in the same consecutive sentence. One is the clean-minded friend, a luminous spirit, the other a dark, malevolent spirit. All this happens without the questioner noticing anything.

What results from this can easily be imagined. The confiding are deceived and their belief is shaken; fresh fuel is provided for the adversaries' derision and fresh cause for their doubts and violent attacks on all spiritualism. The truth is: both sides are in the wrong owing to their utter ignorance in these matters.

The process has taken place in quite a matter of fact way: a luminous spirit (the friend) comes to the table at the wish of the sitter, to manifest himself and to answer questions. A dark spirit interferes; the luminous spirit must give way and withdraw, because the darker spirit can develop more strength thanks to the table which is of material substance. All that belongs to matter is, at the present time, the special department of the Dark Powers.

The fault lies with man in choosing matter as a medium and thus from the outset putting himself on an unequal footing. What is dense and heavy, i. e. dark, stands nearer to matter, on account of its density, than what is luminous, pure and lighter, and because of this closer association the dark can develop more strength.

On the other hand, if a purer spirit is able to manifest through matter, he must still have a certain amount of density, otherwise it would be impossible for him to do so. Such manifestations presuppose a very close approach to matter, and in the connection thus entered into with the Dark Powers the purer spirit runs the danger of defiling himself, and to avoid this, he is obliged quickly to withdraw from the table (or whatever other medium has been chosen) as soon as a dark spirit touches it, so as to disconnect himself from the link which bridges over the natural separating and protecting gulf.

It is thus impossible from the other side to prevent the experimenter at the table from being duped by the Dark Powers.

In such cases spirits from the other side cannot prevent the operator at the table from falling a prey to base influences. By his actions he has proved he wants nothing better, for in this as in other cases, ignorance of the laws cannot be offered as excuse.

These examples will make clear to many what, up till now, seemed incomprehensible and they will solve many puzzling contradictions. Thus it is fervently to be hoped that the readers will henceforward keep their hands off such dangerous toys. In like manner one might enter into details with regard to the dangers of all other occult experiments, but for the present let this account of the most popular and well known one suffice.

It is necessary to point out just one more danger. By this method of putting questions and being answered and advised, people lose their independent judgment. This is just the reverse of what life on earth aims to establish.

These practices are wrong in every respect; man, grovelling on doubtful ground, exposes himself to the danger of encountering monsters; then having wasted his strength, he drops exhausted on the roadside — and all for nothing: Much harm done and no profit gained.

Great wrong is also done to the spirits from beyond by these investigations. Opportunities are offered to dark spirits; they are tempted to do evil and so they burden themselves anew with sins that they otherwise would have avoided. Others again have their thoughts and wishes diverted and perverted, and are thus prevented from soaring upward.

To explore and open out a country utterly unknown to the explorer, appears to the unbiased by-stander a proceeding so childishly obstinate, so utterly egoistical and absurd, that you can but shake your head and ask how it can be possible for any one to undertake to open out a region to the general public of which he is utterly ignorant.

It is also a mistake to pursue these investigations before the public at large. It encourages visionaries and charlatans, and it makes it difficult for men to believe that this work is carried on with honest intention.

Explorers have always had to suffer repeated failure in whatever field they have worked, although later on their success has been generally acknowledged, but the public was always excluded from participation in their work. The public wearies and, in time, loses all interest.

The result is that, when the truth has been arrived at, the impetus of a revolutionising enthusiasm to carry it through and put it into practice has been lost. That joyful and convincing exaltation, which carries all before it, is no longer at the command of the humanity of today.

The repercussion, which sets in when it becomes evident that the paths pursued were wrong, puts sharp weapons into the hands of the enemy, who is enabled to instil so much doubt and distrust in hundreds of thousands that these unfortunate people are no longer willing to examine seriously a new truth when it is promulgated, for fear of new deceptions. They shut their ears which they would otherwise have opened, and thus they miss making use of the last span of time that could offer them opportunity to soar upward to celestial Light.

Here the Powers of Darkness again have a victory to record. For this they can thank the explorers who reached out their hands to them, the same who proudly style themselves leaders of modern psychic science.

[Grail Message by Abdrushin]  [Resonances to the Grail Message]