The Rosicrucian Forum

August 1963 - June 1966

Rosicrucian Forum
A

p r v a t e

p u b lic a t io n f o r m e m b e r s o f A M O R C

RAMN

A . F R A S , F. R. C.

In sp e c to r G e n e r a l o f A M O R C f o r S a n t o D o m in g o , D o m in ic a n R e p u b lic

Greetings!
V

KNOWLEDGE OR CONFIRMATION, WHICH?

may cause us to deduce this notion about the
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
The search for knowledge on the part of future of the earth. It may be so convincing
many individuis is really a hunt for con that we can entertain no other idea with
regard to the subject. This finality is purely
firma tion. They seek only that which will
an abstract one, however. We cannot objec
confirm their opinions or support their pretively prove that the earth at some future
ferred prejudices. Reading and studying
time will become a cinder. Nevertheless,
with such a purpose in mind is the equivalent
of placing mental blinders upon oneself so since it is so plausible to usthough it can
not be substantiated or can it be refuted
that what is not desired will not be seen.
it is a belief.
One should be able to determine the adBeliefs, therefore, are abstract knowledge.
vantage and disadvantage of opinion and
belief in their relation to knowledge. One We are obliged to have many beliefs, an
assumed knowledge, about things that we are
should understand the circumstances under
which an opinion should be rejected or a incapable of knowing directly through objective experience. Such kind of knowledge
belief retained.
gives us an intellectual stability and a conAn opinion is a conviction arrived at withfidence. It helps us to adjust our lives to
out the support of experience. It is, therefore, hypothetical or theoretical. We do not many circumstances which otherwise might
cause us to be confused. Obviously, beliefs
consider our opinions as knowledge because,
can be wrong due to false reasoning. There
if they were factual or could be irrefutably
supported by reason, they would no longer fore, a belief can induce a fear through a
be opinions but either knowledge or belief. faulty reasoning process. Many religious
What we merely think something to be, beliefs have subsequently been proved to be
without subjecting it to the test of experience of such a kind.
In the absence of empirical knowledge,
or comprehensive analysis by reason, is an
opinion. An opinion can, and often does, that which can be observed, it is necessary
have uncertainty associated with it. It is for us to establish beliefs so as to answer
questions which perplex our minds. It is
what we may think, yet at the same time
realize that we did not subject the idea to also necessary that we realize that beliefs
are at best a secondary or subordinate kind
a thorough reasoning process. Consequently,
related to such an opinion is a notion that it of knowledge. Ones beliefs should be readily
exposed to re-examination when circum
may be improbable.
stances make it possible to weigh them
In contradistinction to opinion is the absoagainst observable evidence. For example,
lute conviction of a belief. A belief harbors
no doubt. Yet a belief is abstract. It is not cosmogonists and astronomers have varying
empirical; it is not something objectively theories which they believe about the creaexperienced in itself. The elements of a be tion of the universe. They do not rest with
lief, however, may be derived from experi these beliefs, however. They try to find
evidential support of their conceptions, to
ence. From them one may logically deduce
prove them in an objective observable way
a conclusin which becomes a belief but the
or to disprove and disregard them. A true
belief in itself cannot be realized through
sense data. We may, for analogy, believe belief represents a final intellectual effort
that the earth will someday become but a to arrive at knowledge of something in the
absence of any fact concerning it. Most be
gigantic cinder floating in space, as astronomy assumes from its observation of other liefs are not a snap judgment, whereas an
worlds. The arguments put forth, the facts opinion often is.
Many persons, not making this distinction,
regarding other observed celestial bodies,

confuse an opinion with a belief. Their opin

ions have never been subjected to a critical
comparison with the actual beliefs of others
or with any objective knowledge that may
be available upon the matter. They confer
upon their opinions a false conviction. The
greatest danger exists when the individuals
ego causes him to disregard or to avoid any
information or knowledge that will conflict
with his opinion or beliefs. He wishes to
retain the opinion or belief he holds principally on the ground that it is personal,
regardless of whether it is veridical or has
merit. Such constitutes a willful closing of
the mind.
Beliefs constitute a knowledge upon a
subject, as we have said, only in the absence
of objective experience to the contrary. One
should be willing, therefore, to retain his
beliefs only when they cannot be supplanted
by that having a greater support of truth.
TTie attitude of the real seeker for knowl
edge is to find truth, that which is irre
futable regardless of the source from which
it is acquired. It is a conceit and a false
knowledge which causes a search only for
that which will seem to confirm what we
want to believe and ignore all else. Such
can also result in great disappointment and
even in harm to the individual and others
who may depend upon him. What he refuses
to acknowledge by mentally blinding himself intentionally may eventually intrude
upon him with forc and violently upset the
false assurance he has established.
Take out your beliefs and, figuratively,
dust them off. Expose them to the light of
other ideas and observable facts that may
exist. See if they can stand the test of
demonstrable truth. If not, discard them
at once. Dont foster a false knowledge. We
regret to say that some Rosicrucian members
study their monographs only with the atti
tude of confirming what they want to believe.
They make a search for what will substantiate their own theories. They resent and

ignore new ideas which may prove that their

cherished thoughts are neither factually or
logically sound. Consequently, they gain no
new knowledge from the Rosicrucian teachings, for actually they are not searching for
that, but merely to prove that a personal
opinion was the correct one.
It is, of course, gratifying to find that our
previous reasoning, our abstractions, are
proved to be objectively correct. But a liberal
mind will also quickly admit a mistake and
accept the truth when it becomes apparent.
Dont search for personal confirmation but
for impersonal knowledge.
Fraternally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator.

Contacting the Cathedral of the Soul

A frater writes recommending that we
emphasize one or two facts in our Forum
discussions relating to the Cathedral of the
Soul. Speaking from his personal experience
in making contacts and from talking with
members in his district, he believes it would
be helpful, especially for newer members, if
the fact were emphasized that no very definite objective manifestation or sensation
while making the contact with the Cathedral
should be expected.
Too many newer members, he believes,
expect some strange sensation to affect their
consciousness. While they are trying to
make contact with the Cathedral, they are
analyzing their sensations; and whennothing
of an extraordinary nature occurs in their
consciousness, they feel that they are not
making the contact at all.
This is true and so important that I think
we should correct any erroneous ideas that
members may have. Nowhere in our literature pertaining to the Cathedral is there
even an intimation that the inner self while
attuned with the Cathedral will have any

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definite outer or objective impression. This

will come later after many contacts with the
Cathedral have been made. Most of the
sensations or objective effects will be felt
after the contact has been completed and the
period of concentration and meditation is
over.
In approaching the Cathedral in the con
tact period, the thought uppermost should
not be of anticipating any objective sensa
tion, or even of any spiritual excitement
or emotional effect; but rather of complete
relaxation and surrender in a spiritual sense
of ones psychic nature.
If one were in sorrow, grief, despondency,
or sorely in need of spiritual pea ce, and went
to one of the churches or cathedrals of a city
and entered some crner of the nave to meditate and allow the soul to commune with
God, he would not enter expecting that as he
crossed the threshold some marvelous or
unusual objective sensation would pass
through the body to impress itself on his
mind and consciousness. One would expect
such objective sensation to come gradually
as the period of meditation was being com
pleted, and the greatest effect of such attunement to follow after the contact was ended.
Too many, attempting to contact the
Cathedral of the Soul, set themselves in a
position of semi-relaxation and have their
minds occupied with a duality of considerations. Their thoughts are centered upon two
ideas: Reaching a borderline condition where
they will pass from objective realization into
spiritual contact with the Cathedral and
concentrating analytically upon their emo
tional state. They expect any moment to
feel in the physical body or in the physical
consciousness some form of transition or
change that will be equivalent to Crossing the
threshold and entering into the Cathedral
in an objective or physical sense.
With such duality of thought and keen
activity of the mind, perfect attunement
with the Cathedral is impossible, complete
relaxation is inhibited, and the whole intent
of the period is frustrated. Such a procedure
is equivalent to a persons lying down to
sleep for the first time, or analyzing sleep
for the first time. While hoping and ex
pecting to go soundly asleep, he keeps his
mind active analyzing the state of conscious
ness in order to be fully awake to whatever

change takes place when he passes from

wakefulness into sleep.
We cannot sleep by keeping mentally
alert for any possible change of conscious
ness. We go to sleep either by casting ourselves into a com fortable position and
completely relaxing and abandoning all
objective thought and objective consideration,
or by being so thoroughly tired that the exhausted state overcomes our attempt to
remain vital and awake.
To the same degree that we relax and
abandon all objective analysis and consider
ation and give ourselves up completely to a
coming cosmic state, we can pass freely and
easily into the borderline condition where we
will be objectively conscious of nothing for
a while. Gradually, we will become inwardly
or spiritually apprehensive of a different
state of consciousness than we are accustomed to.
During this apprehensive state, we may
sense vaguely and psychically a contact with
other persons, with a different environment,
and with music and pleasant sounds, harmonious vibrations, and perfect harmony.
But if these slight sensations or apprehensions are brought into a parade across our
stage of mental analysis like exhibits being
tested for their genuineness, we immediately
bring ourselves out of the subjective, spir
itual, cosmic state back across the borderline
into full objective consciousness. It is equiv
alent to rising suddenly out of our ethereal
seat in the Cathedral and rushing for the
door and threshold, wildly jumping out of
the peaceful, beautiful atmosphere to the
noisy and complex realities of earthly existence.
Each of you who has successfully contacted
the Cathedral knows that the keenest realization of what actually occurred during your
contact carne after you had completed it,
had retumed to a complete objective state
again, and had had time to review the sensa
tions that passed delicately and lightly
through your psychic consciousness at the
time. Because of varied experiences with
the principies of light and photography, I
cannot help comparing the experience of
contacting the Cathedral with that of mak
ing a photographic pate with a camera.
After putting film into the camera and
pointing it toward the subject, you proceed

to open the lens and expose the surface of

the film to the visin. That is a delicate
process, for the light rays impress themselves gently and with no mechanical forc
upon the sensitive surface of the film. The
film is not conscious at the time of what
is being impressed upon it except in a vague
and shadowy form, and no visible change
appears to take place at the time the picture
is being registered. After the picture has
been impressed and the lens is again closed,
the film is put through a process of me
chanical, chemical development. Then that
which was so delicately and subtly impressed
upon it begins to reveal itself to the objective
senses and the picture unfolds in all of its
beauty.
After the contact is fully completed
allowing yourself to remain in a relaxed
state of suspended objective consciousness
for eight or ten minutesthere gradually
develops in the objective mind a realization
of what the psychic self has just experienced.
This revelation is accompanied by certain
physical manifestations that are indisputable,
easily recognized and classified. The tiredness, the exhaustion, the worry, the repressive feelings one might have had before indulging in this period of Cosmic attunement
disappear and in their place comes a growing sense of exaltation, of spiritual and
physical unfoldment, of health, power, and,
most of all, absolute peace with the universe.
Again I say that the most serious mistake
that anyone can make in attempting to con
tact the Cosmic is to analyze the sensations
as they are about to impress themselves upon
the psychic self. The psychic self is never
freed in this manner and never released from
its subjective position. The objective con
sciousness so dominates the individual at that
time that he does not cross the borderline
into Cosmic attunement but remains inhibited and possessed by the analytical questions and searching light of his objective
mind.
Originally given by Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, this
answer is being repeated upon request.

Speaking in Strange Tongues

A soror in California arises and addresses
our Forum. She says: Not long ago a neighbor took me to the gathering of a religious
sect. The noise and music were so blatant

that I could hardly endure it. Everyone

seemed to be trying to outdo the other in
being heard. During the prayers many were
jumping for joy and yelling. Here and
there all over the place were persons speak
ing in different languages. I would like to
ask about the speaking in foreign tongues.
Is it a case of recalling some former incarnation, unlocking the storehouse of memory,
or is it a case of hypnotism, or could such
persons actually have become possessed by
wandering entities? If you find this question, or questions, appropriate for discussion,
I am sure that many would be as interested
as I.
The phenomenon of a person, under cer
tain conditions, speaking fluently in a foreign
tongue which he has never learnedalthough an uncommon onehas often been
observed. It has been a subject of investigation by experimental psychology and
psychical research, alike. In psychical research, the phenomenon has been technically
designated xenoglosis. It is defined as: the
understanding, reading and pronunciation of
a language that has not been learned. It
has been placed by psychical researchers in
the category of cryptesthesia, which means
the perception of realities by other means
than through the objective sense faculties.
Psychical research has also gathered some
very interesting data such as case histories
of xenoglosis.
Quite a number of years ago, a young
woman, Helen Smith, suddenly went into a
trance state, and spoke in a strange tongue
which none understood but herself. She
claimed that it was the Martian language.
She willingly submitted to an investigation
by a celebrated researcher in the field of this
phenomenon, Monsieur Flournay. He eventually determined that the language was a
modified French. After six months, Helen
Smith was able to speak fluently in this lan
guage of her own invention. Monsieur
Flournay was finally able to convince her
that it was not entirely a new language in
every respect because of its French flavor.
She then referred to it as ultra-Martian.
Such cases as this one are merely indicative of the fertility and the inventive nature of the subjective, of which we shall say
more later. They are not, however, examples of true cryptesthesia. Further, true
xenoglosis, as stated, consists in speaking in

an existing language which is unknown to,

or unlearned by, the one uttering it. The
following are, therefore, more representative
cases.
Laura Edmonds was the daughter of Judge
Edmonds, president of the Senate and Judge
of the Supreme Court of New York. Her
father was obviously a man of high intelligence and unimpeachable rectitude. Laura
was a fervent Catholic; she spoke only English but had leamed a few French words at
school. It could be said, therefore, that she
knew no foreign languages. On one occasion,
a friend of her father, a Greek whom she
had never met before and with whom she
had never had correspondence, visited their
home. In the presence of her father and a
coterie of intelligent, educated persons, she
suddenly felt the urge and spoke in modem
Greek to this Greek gentleman. Her use of
the language was fluent. It is related that
she told him of the passing of his son, an
event of which he knew nothing at that
time, and which was later verifed. The
Judge, no less amazed than his company,
stated that the incident was an unequivocal
reality, as distinct as any other reality of
which all of those present were conscious.
Then, there is the case of Mrs. X, a young
woman of thirty. She had never leamed
Greek and she was certain that she did not
know this language. On one occasion she
wrote, in the presence of investigators, several long sentences in Greek; her writing
contained some minor errors such as might
be expected in a mental visin or in the
recollection of some mental image. It would
indicate that the passages she wrote were
recollections from some Greek books. After
extensive research and with the assistance of
one, Doctor Vlavianos, of Athens, the books
from which Mrs. X had drwn most of the
long sentences were located. They were
found in the National Library of Paris.
Some were from a Greco-French and FrancoGreek dictionarya comparatively modem
dictionary, though no longer in use. There
were also passages from a Greek book containing The Apology of Scrates. The woman
had never seen these worksin fact, did not
know that they existed. When writing the
passages, she would look into space as though
she were looking at an invisible source which
contained the Greek characters or words
which she wrote.

If this were a case of fraud, it would have

required Mrs. X to memorize 622 Greek
lettershaving the order o arrangement of
the words which she wrote. Since there was
only a six percent margin of error in her
quotation, it would constitute a prodigious
mental feat.
I have personally known a French woman
who actually did not know the meaning of
any words in the English language, who
could neither read or write them, yet she
gave a running commentary in perfect Eng
lish on certain exhibits which she pointed
out to me. I was amazed at the end of her
half-hour narration, upon addressing her in
English, which she did not understand, to
learn that she had memorized every word
which she had just spoken. Such memory
feats are possible but are not applicable to
the case of Mrs. X, who had not even seen
the books which were very rare and from
which she quoted the passages.
Then, there is the case of Minfa Filitulo, a
young girl of Palermo, Sicily. At sixteen
years of age, she fell into a spontaneous
somnambulism. While in this trance state,
she claimed to be a Greek, and wrote Italian
sentences with Greek letters. The girl had
seen a Greek grammar, but she had never
studied it. However, she also spoke fluent
English to English gentlemen who were pres
ent. She had never learned English and no
one had ever spoken to her in that tongue.
It is further related that upon recovery from
an affliction, she had no knowledge of the
phenomenon of xenoglosis.
There are two solutions, of course, for
these cases. The first is that of fraud, aided
by what would need to be an exceptional
memory. The other solution is the hypothesis
of extraordinary cryptesthesia, or the perception of realities by other than the use of the
receptor organs and senses. In the above,
which are representative of many authenticated cases, we can exelude fraud. In some
instances, the most probable theory of explanation, and one which would be psychologically sound, as well, is that they are
the result of telepathy. Some persons, without being aware of the procedure by which
it is accomplished, are able to become subjectively receptive or in resonance with the
thoughts in the minds of others; in this way
an affinity is established whereby the dominant ideas in the consciousness of one person

are transmitted to the mind of another. By

the mechanism of mind the stimulus received
by the recipient is so interpreted that exactly
the same conception, or ideas, which were
in the mind of the transmitter are had. This
hyperesthesia, or extreme sensitivity of the
mind whereby it perceives the thoughts of
others without a physical mdium, is not
just a field of study for mystics and Rosicrucians, but for academic psychology, as well.
Modern psychology has set up a related field
of investigation of such phenomena, which it
calis parapsychology. It proceeds to exam
ine the so-called extrasensory functions of
the individual.
To be a little more specific, let us presume
that one is laboring over a book written in
modern Greek. He holds the various sen
tences and the characters of the words in
mind, visualizes them as he earnestly seeks to
memorize them. The whole focus of his con
sciousness, his whole mental energy, is being
made responsive to the visual stimulito the
sentences he sees on the pages before him.
Then, perhaps, he closes his eyes, shutting
out the page before him, so as to better register the visual images in his memory. In
so doing, he enters a partially subjective
state; he becomes entirely oblivious to all
other surroundings. In fact, the stimuli from
all of his other senseshearing, smelling,
and so forthare subordinated to the visuali
zation of the visual images. //, at that second, another mind, through physical and
psychical laws and being of the same level
of consciousness, were to come into attune
ment with the mind of this student, the radiations of the energy of his intense thought
would be received through the mdium of
the Cosmic.
Though we have used mystical terms in
endeavoring an explanation, this phenome
non may also be explained by the hypothesis
of ultra high-frequency radiations, generated by thought and of a very sensitive type,
which are transformed by the attuned mind
into sensations which can be objectively
comprehended. In such an instance, then,
the recipient, not having learned the Greek
language, would be actuated to express ob
jectively the impressions he receives from
the other mind in that tongue.
If a person, because of being in a trance
state, or any other situation that would place
him in a subjective condition or state of sub-

liminal consciousness, could become in harmony with the consciousness of another

mind, it would not be improbable that the
dominant thoughts, having the mpetus of
the whole mental energy of the other person,
might be received at that time. The person
whose thoughts were received would not, in
all probability, be conscious of the fact that
he was a transmitter; his subjective mind
would be the responsible factor, and there
fore he would not be objectively aware of
what was passing from his mind to that of
another. If the transmitting mind, the one
that communicates the ideas, had as its native tongue the Greek language, then the
recipients mind would, as we have stated,
very likely, frame the stimuli it received in
the language of the original ideas.
From the mystical point of view, the mem
ory of the Soul must not be omitted in a consideration of this phenomenon. Our minds
have levels of consciousness. The whole constitutes that integrated state which we cali
personality, or self. It is possible, as we
know, to penetrate these subliminal levels of
consciousness which are of the Soul. Impressions may be released from them into the
objective mind, which are not words, but
which are mere stimuli without any determinative qualities. They fall into od, famil
iar pattems of the past, and the objective
mind reassembles them into their original
structureas words of a foreign tongue.
There is no better scientific proof of the
impact of past lives upon this present one
than that of the instincts. Psychologically,
instincts are held to be the result of mutations, or changes, in the genes of the cells of
living matter through the drastic effects of
habits and environment. These changes
eventually alter the neural, or nerve paths,
just as a person cutting across a vacant lot,
day in and day out, forms an easy-to-follow
path. Consequently, future similar stimuli
have a tendency to follow these paths of
least resistancethese channels that have
been created for them. They compel us in
this life to conform to an ever-recurring behavior which we cali instinct. Instinct is an
unconscious knowledge; that is, objectively
we often do not know why we are moved to
follow the dictates of the instinctive impulse.
It is because past living has altered the living
cells and this change has been transmitted
from one life to another through generations

of heredity. If memory can exist in living

matter and can pass from one life to another,
that fact is at least one substantiation of reincarnation. After all, life forc is of the
Cosmic. The fundamental expressions of the
life forc in a body are never lost, but are
projected into the future in the cells that
are transmitted.
The psychological factor of hallucinations
in some cases of xenoglosis should not be
overlooked; these are the result of mental
disorders. In such instances the mind may become obsessed with the idea of speaking in
a foreign tongue. Since the afflicted person
dwells principally in a subjective state, and
the self is therefore divided, every idea appears real to him. The thoughts which the
individual wants to express are quite clear
to him, and, since he believes himself capable
of speaking in a foreign tongue, the jumble
of noncomprehensible sounds is, to him, the
tongue which he believes he has mastered.
Sometimes, in a state of ecstasy, due to
self-induced hypnosis, such as frenzied religious exercises bring about, the ideas which
the person wishes to express to give vent to
his emotional feelings are quite definite, but
he is unable to coordinate objectively his
tongue and the various physical powers with
his subjective experiences. Therefore, he
makes utterances which are nothing more
than unorganized combinations of vowels.
This expresses his feelings, which are related
to his ideas, but which are not at all comprehensible to another and sound like a strange
tongue.
To better understand this, suppose you
were suddenly overcome with a series of in
tense sensations. You just had to give vent
to them, and yet you had no words in your
language to express them audibly. In all
probability, it would result in your emitting
merely sounds, such as screeches, guttural
noises, and the like. It would be just like a
child who has not yet learned to adapt
sounds to his ideas. In fact, it is in this
manner that speech originated. Language
is the result of attempts to audibly objectify
our feelings and thoughts.X
The Ends and the Means
One of the most important tools which
we are given in the Rosicrucian teachings
is that of the technique of con centra tion.
Concentration is a process by which we are

taught to use the inner powers of our being,

or as is popularly described, to be able to
mentally create. Concentration, as the word
implies, is the directing of our mental processes toward a certain end. We are focussing
those processes and powers upon a certain
object in order to bring about a situation
which we believe is to our advantage and
will be to our satisfaction.
So frequently the idea of concentration is
linked exclusively with the accomplishment
of physical ends and purposes. To the uninitiated, the idea of concentration, if it should
have any valu at all, would simply be for
the purpose of bringing a change in our
physical environment. Ninety per cent of
the concentrated efforts of individuis who
use that process are for the purpose of achieving material gain or physical well-being.
Concentration is directed by those who first
learn of its process toward these ends. An
individual may concntrate for certain ma
terial objects or to improve his physical
well-being. Health and wealth are then two
favorite subjects of concentration.
In order to analyze the use of concentra
tion as a means toward the attainment of
these ends, we should consider the process of
concentration in all its aspects. Concentra
tion, being a utilization of the powers of the
mindand we might even go further and
say that it is a utilization of the life forc
itself, because an inanimate object cannot
concntrateis an application of the most
subtle attributes of the human being. The
intelligence that man is capable of attaining
is in itself dependent upon the life forc. The
utilization of this life forc to an end of any
kind is, we might say, one of the greatest
techniques that the human individual can
develop.
There is a tendency, then, on learning of
the power of the mind and the rallying of
mental forces to be directed toward any kind
of achievement to desire to test it. The neophyte who is first instructed in the technique
of concentration wants immediately to set
out to make a test of the process to see if he
can achieve something through concentra
tion that he has previously been unable to
achieve through any other process.
Concentration, being a gift, as it were, of
the Creatorto put it in a broad senseor
rather, being an ability that can be developed
within the mind of man, seems to be to the

neophyte a key that will unlock the door

to the solution of all problems that might be
in the human category. However, there is
a difference between the utilization of psy
chic powers and the utilization of physical
sitations or conditions. Man was placed in
a physical environment with the possibility
of being able to utilize them. He can use a
stick to help him walk over rough terrain.
He can use fire in order to make his food
more palatable. He can utilize any physical
object that is within his power to utilize and
control, and for the purpose of making life
more satisfactory or possibly more easy for
him.
Man has a tendency to carry on this concept of the utilization of physical things into
the realm of the mental, the psychic, the
spiritual. Throughout life we are very con
scious of our physical environment. We are
taught from our very earliest memories that
man has the right and privilege to use physi
cal objects and things as he sees fit. Consequently, we might say that we grow up, our
mental concepts are formed, our life is more
or less conducted along the line of the utili
zation of the physical world to our own
selfish ends and purposes.
Within a certain degree, this is true. We
have the right and privilege of using the
environment into which we are born. But
when it comes to the utilization of those
forces and conditions that are not physical
and that are closely related to the life essence
itself and to the divine forces that caused
these conditions to be, then we are dealing
with a world with which we are not as
familiar. If a man has attained the age of
thirty, forty, or fifty years and has given
the larger part of his waking hours to coping
with the physical world in which he finds
himself, then his concept and ability, insofar
as the mental, psychic, and spiritual world
is concerned is certainly limited. He has not
had the experience comparable with his ex
perience in dealing with physical situations.
To then put into the hands of this indi
vidual the concept of concentration is to
place in his hands an entirely new area of
living, an entirely new experience. If the
individual who in a good many years of life
had never given serious consideration to the
mental world and the psychic world suddenly realizes that all one has to do is concn
trate to bring about changes, then the first

response of that individual is frequently to

concntrate for a change in that physical
environment or for a change in his own
physical being. Consequently, as I mentioned
at the beginning of these comments, probably two of the areas in which concentration
is most frequently directed is toward the
achievement of health and wealth.
Concentration is a more important tool
than one to use for the satisfaction of our
whims. While it is most satisfactory for all
of us to be able to attain a degree of material
possessions and of freedom from any type
of physical distress or illness, we should, in
using the concept of concentration, think
further ahead. If we are to use concentration
in an effective and positive way, it is cer
tainly worthwhile to give a few moments
consideration to what we really want and
what the ends are that we want to achieve.
The individual who attempts to concn
trate to improve his financial condition or to
improve his state of health had better ask
himself what he intends to do with better
physical resources and a better physical
condition.
Health and wealth, while they seem most
desirable to those who do not possess them,
are not ends in themselves. We should go
further, searching into our own thinking as
to exactly what we would do if we had per
fect health and unlimited physical resources.
They are only means, not ends. Consequent
ly, the processes of concentration should be
directed not toward any temporary means,
but a process so important and so vital and
so useful as that of concentration should be
directed toward the ultimate ends we want
to achieve. These ultimate ends certainly
should be found in the area of the attainment
of peace of mind and well-being that can be
used constructively for the means b}^ which
man might find himself in a more intimate
state of relationship with the divine, with the
cosmic forces which operate in and through
him.
Since concentration is a tool that will provide in a degree the means of attaining
certain ends, then it is certainly mans responsibility to give some consideration to the
ends to be obtained. If man wishes to live
harmoniously in his environment, then peace
of mind and happiness should be two ends
that he seeks. Concentration that will direct
man toward peace of mind and give man wis-

dom to cope with the situations in life should

then be twoor we might say the prime
objects of concentration.
If man will concntrate briefly each day
on being alerted to the means that will bring
him peace of mind and proper adaptation to
his environment, that will bring him wisdom
in coping with all the problems and situations
in life, these are worthy subjects of concen
tration that will help man in his over-all
adaptation to life. With all the wealth in
the world and with perfect health, man may
have a little success in life, but with peace
of mind, wisdom, tolerance, and happiness,
man may be a success, although his ame
may not necessarily echo down the corridors
of history. Therefore, we should develop our
mental Creative abilities in accordance with
the instructions given us on how to concn
trate; then we should direct our concentra
tion toward the ultimate ends of our lives,
rather than the attainment of temporary
physical achievements that may seem useful
because of our lack of them at this particular
moment.A

This Issues Personality

For many members of AMORC, the path
to the Order was often beset by doubts and
uncertainties. Fortnate are those who saw
and knew what they wanted at the very first.
Frater Ramn A. Fras was a relatively
young man when he first contacted the Rosi
crucian Order. But then he took to it like a
duck to water. Almost immediately thereafter he visited the Luz de AMORC Chapter
in San Juan, Puerto Rico, joined it and
subsequently served as Guardian and Chaplain. In quick succession he served as
Chaplain and Master of another body, now
the Santo Domingo de Guzman Lodge, in
the Dominican Republic. Here he also re
ceived the honored title of Inspector General.
A Rosicrucian family, the Frases boast
three daughters who have served or are
serving as Colombes. It has been a busy,
heart-warming Rosicrucian life for this fam
ily; one in which they have thrived and
found happiness and peace profound.
Ramn Fras has that diversified background of experience and education so pe
culiar to Rosicrucians. It is in such a varied
environment that the spirit and mentality

are stimulated to find understanding and

knowledge. His schooling was thorough and
his vocational training led him to tailoring,
an enterprise in which he is now most successful. Among other talents are his skill
as a carpenter and as an electrician.
It is often easier to understand a man by
reading his own words. In Frater Fras expressions we can sense the deep feeling he
has for Rosicrucian principies. He says,
What attracts me most is to have a few
moments free to give some thought and men
tal analysis to my Rosicrucian studies. Each
principie and law helps me to find peace,
and I feel a strong inclination to classical
music.
I often thought how sad it was to believe
in something not based on truth. I knew
that God existed. I believed in Him, but I
felt a need of a knowledge in which I could
base my faith.
The only philosophy I have ever studied
is the Rosicrucian philosophy. I feel that I
have so much to learn from my Rosicrucian
membership that at least during this life I
do not have time to devote to any other
philosophy.

Something in the Air

A frater from California approaches the
Forum on this issue: Visitors to Southern
California remark about its distinctive atmosphere; something not connected with the
topography, type of vegetation, or climate.
Could this be due to the vibrations left here
by some ancient race?
That feeling that people get when walking
into certain rooms or homes is often the
result of a residual aura accumulated from
the persons or events associated with these
places. The term residual aura is our own,
and simply refers to that part of an indi
vidual^ magnetic field which stays with
whatever he touches or comes in contact.
It is left there as a residue.
Sometimes this residue is active and strong
enough to be sensed by other individuis at
a later time, and may under certain condi
tions even be translated into the visual,
auditory, or olfactory forms that fathered it.
In such cases, people in proper receptive
states of mind can perceive events recur be
fore their very eyes that happened perhaps

a century ago. Such experiences are a mat

ter of record, and we only bring them up
here as background for further discussion.
The question before us is whether such a
large area as Southern California, for example, could have so strong a residual aura
of its ancient inhabitants that it could be
felt by the average person who comes into it.
It is possiblehighly speculativebut possible. If a great culture once inhabited that
area over a period of many centuries, it could
indeed leave a residue in the earth and rocks
of that land that would radiate its identity
its ideis, behavior, and personalityfor cen
turies to come.
Leaving this train of thought, one must
consider other factors that could bring about
that certain feeling as one wanders into
Southern California or other areas wherein
peculiar sensations are experienced. Little
is yet known about natural radiation and
magnetismfields of forc that girdle the
earth. It is known that they vary in kind
and intensity; that electrical and kindred
fields of forc can excite the emotions, producing feelings of buoyancy, hope, well-be
ing, or depression, gloom, and despair.
Experiments with the ionization of air
particles illustrate the telling effect of elec
trical forces on the moods and behavior of
individuis. Thus an electrical or magnetic
field peculiar to the area of Southern Cali
fornia, for example, together with an exciting topography, clima te, and vegeta tion,
could well induce a feeling of a certain
something in the air and give rise to a feel
ing of exhilaration, perhaps exultation.B
When Should We Seek Help?
Man being a social animal is probably
more aware than any other form of life of
his relationship to his environment. A part
of his environment is other human beings
and the vast Cosmic that goes completely beyond the realm of his physical perception in
the apparent physical environment where he
resides. Being a social entity, the average
human being does not seek to be completely
alone. He consciously or unconsciously
reaches out to others and to higher forces
than himself for direction, assistance, and
the power to sustain him.
A member asks of our instruction department, Should we constantly petition the

Cosmic or God to help us or should we ask

only in times of difficulty? Petitioning help
should be a process that goes on continually,
because when we ask for help, we are aware
consciously of the fact that we are not alone,
that we are a part of a much greater manifestation than any individual entity such as
we are. We should therefore relate ourselves
to the environment that exists outside us, and
relate ourselves to the forces which cause us
to be an apparent entity. No man is an
island. There have been hermits who have
lived apparently unconnected with other
forms of life, but even they are dependent
upon their environment, the world upon
which they exist. The place where they sit
or stand is a part of the environment upon
which they depend.
Some individuis believe that self-sufficiency means disregard for the assistance
that may come from someone else or from
forces that are apparently outside of us.
There are individuis who seem to take a
delight in suffering rather than asking for
help, but a true desire to receive and give
help is one of the most psychologically im
portant factors of human existence that re
lates us to the patterns of life which will
contribute to our evolvement and to the
Cosmic forces with which it is our purpose
to direct ourselves into a harmonious rela
tionship.
The individual who is so self-centered that
he cannot ask for help is the one who is
putting a brake upon his own growth. He is
refusing to accept that which it is his destiny
and purpose to utilize. All other human be
ings and all physical environment are available to us, and the entire scheme of life,
the whole manifestation of nature is based
upon what we might refer to as a give-andtake proposition. By giving of our efforts
and by partaking of the fruits of our environ
ment, whether they be physical or the
encouragement and inspiration of other indi
viduis, is to put ourselves into a better
degree of harmonious relationship with our
inner self and the Cosmic forces with which
we are trying to work.
From the very beginning of the Rosicru
cian studies, we are taught the disciplines
that lead us to utilize our potential abilities
and to cali upon the forces of the Cosmic for
reinforcement. These psychological processes
of concentration, contemplation, meditation,

and directing attention are the means by

which we secure the keys that unlock the
doors to happiness, health, and prosperity, as
well as to the peace of mind and satisfaction
of our realization of having a purpose in the
life span.
Asking for help is the continuous process
of growth. The infant human being, as well
as many animals, is born practically helpless.
He involuntarily seeks help. The child
reaches out and clings to that which he instinctively seems to realize will give him
support. As the child grows in physical
stature and mental ability, he goes about
taking hold of those items which help, and
asking questions to assimilate the thoughts
that will give him knowledge. With that
knowledge, he gains experience.
The childlike simplicity of accepting help
is a process that we would be better off if
we carried throughout life. The individual
who refuses help, or who never seeks it, usually is self-centered, egotistical, and selfish.
His determination for self-sufficiency becomes a fetish. It distorts his whole point
of view. He forgets his relationship to the
environment in which he is placed to grow.
Just as the plant in its isolated environment,
if it refused the life-giving rays of the sun,
the moisture and food of the earth, it would
be nothing. If we refuse all the physical
nutriments that come from our physical
world, either in direct provision of our need
for physical growth, as well as the aesthetic
vales that contribute to our mental outlook,
and the nourishment of the Cosmic, which
causes us to grow in understanding and reali
zation, we shut ourselves off as an isolated
entity which has no valu, no growth potential, and simply exists through a span of
time with no valu to itself or to anything
else.
We need not wait for the climaxes of life,
for the time when problems seem to bear
down upon us, or when serious situations
demand emergency assistance or treatment.
The process of seeking help should be a con
tinuous, cooperative concept in which we are
always open to suggestions, to physical aid,
to anything that will contribute to our peace
of mind and happiness. This is a process of
growth. Those who develop this give-andtake philosophy lead a happier, more contented and well-adjusted life. We admire an
individual who seems to be able in the face

of tremendous obstacles and problems to

maintain an even temperament. A well-established outlook on all matters and ability
to face problems in a manner that shows
self-control, and a realization of ultimate
vales are the final concepts of mans advanced thinking. But we should admire that
individual before the complexities appear,
because that is the individual not too proud
to acknowledge that he is only one entity
in the universe, and that it is his God-given
right to draw upon all the forces that are
available to him for help in his process of
living.
If we accept help as a matter of course,
then our problems will be solved more easily
and difficulties will not be so acute. Like
anything else, this philosophy, of course, can
be misinterpreted and carried to an extreme.
This does not mean that we should never do
anything for ourselves and depend upon
some other forc to do everything for us. It
means that we should cooperate with every
forc that will be to our advantage, and I
think it is best illustrated by the term I
have already used two or three times. A
constructive philosophy of life should include
the principie of give and take. We should
be willing to give, and we should be willing
to accept. We should develop a philosophy
of vales that will limit and reglate so that
we will not accept for selfish reasons or beyond our just share, or should we give
when we would be depriving the person of
the experience of learning to take.A

The Mentally Retarded Child

This time a frater and soror from New
York join in addressing the Forum: Can you
tell us why so many children are born men
tally retarded? Do you think there will be a
cure?
There are so many reasons entering
into the birth of a retarded child that it is
difficult to isolate one as being more impor
tant than another. In many ways, mental
retardation is only a symptom and misnomer, for it is a failure in the physical
system that inhibits the full expression of
the mentality. Neural passageways or other
cellular tissue in the body are somehow
damaged or develop in irregular patterns
while still in the formative stage. These
accidents of birth may arise out of a mu-

tiplicity of causes, ranging from hereditary

factors in the genes and physical imperfections in the womb itself to the diet and living
habits of the mother during pregnancy.
It has been demonstrated that certain
drugs taken by the expectant mother have
a pronounced ill effect on the fetus. It
would not be unreasonable to assume that
any drug could be potentially dangerous in
varying degrees during this critical period.
That the incidence of retarded children is
increasing today may well be trced to the
enormous increase in the intake of drugs
and the more blas attitude toward preg
nancy on the part of mothers. These are
not the sol causes of retardation, but they
are important factors to be considered.
Retardation that results from such physi
cal causes can be prevented in time, we are
sure. Techniques will also be developed to
cure or correct many physical deficiencies
or abnormalities that now cause retardation
in children and adults.
Meanwhile, a more immediate concern for
society and for parents of retarded children
is how to deal with these children as they
are now. The first obligation is to recognize
the development for what it is; not to make
excuses; not to run away from it. There is
no discounting the tragedy of these events;
but having occurred, they must be treated
with as courageous and mature an approach
as can be mustered by all concerned.
These children need a different kind of
attention; a different kind of school. No attempt should be made to forc them to com
pete with children who are not retarded.
They would be like fish out of water, and
the resulting experiences might inhibit any
correction possible with special training, en
vironment, and supervisin. It is usually a
difficult choice for parents to make, but
more and more parents are seeing the wis
dom and over-all beneficial effect on the
child of placing him in specialized programs
designed to meet his needs.
Conscientious parents often feel that they
are neglecting a responsibility that is solely
theirs, or that they are imposing their burden on others by letting their retarded child
go into special schools. They permit their
own feelings and doubts to enter into their
judgment. They should look at it from the
childs point of view. What is best for the

child? Where will he achieve the most

communication with the world about him?
Where will he find an opportunity to de
velop what poten tial he has? Where can he
feel accepted as an equal? The question is
not one of casting away some unwanted
burden, but rather one of placing a child in
an environment best suited to his capacities
and potential.
Societys attention to the needs of retarded
children is growing by leaps and bounds.
Many civic organizations and governmental
agencies are instituting programs for treating and caring for these members of society.
Schools for the retarded, the blind, the handicapped, and other special groups are as much
a responsibility of society as are regular
public schools, and as society meets this re
sponsibility, there will be no finer chance
than participation in the programs of this
kind for the adjustment and integration of
families with retarded children.B

Forbidden Foods
A frater of New York City arises to ask
our Forum: Does the question of clean and
unclean foods apply in modern life? I am
thinking particularly of the eleventh chapter of Leviticus in the Od Testament. in
the instance of sea food, we are told to eat
only those species that have fins and scales.
This elimina tes all types of shellfishsome
of the very items that modern food scientists
emphasize we should have.
Those who are not familiar with the Sci
ence of exegetics have often been perplexed
as to the Biblical proscriptions against cer
tain foods, especially those in the Od Testa
ment. These arse principally out of what
are known as the Mosaic laws. These laws
are twofold and are said to have been revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. The first,
or the written laws (Torah she-he Khethabh), were the Ten Commandments. The
others are the oral laws. These latter, we are
told, were revealed to Moses when he remained on Mount Sinai for forty days. They
were intended to amplify the previous writ
ten laws. The body of laws, as a whole, are
commandments and prohibitions. As an example of the commandments, we have the
one to place fringes on garments by which
to remember God. As a prohibition, we

have the abstaining from work on the Sabbath and from the eating of certain foods.
An analysis of these laws shows that they
were concerned with sanitation and social
hygiene, as well as with the moral nature
of the people of Moses. We have known from
history that the basic elements of human
nature, instincts and emotions, change little
where environmental conditions are similar.
Therefore, the masses then sought to follow
the path of least resistance as they do now.
In addition, during the time of Moses the
mass of people were less informed about the
elementary requirements of sanitation and
diet. It is, obviously, easier to eat indiscriminately, as long as the food is palatable
and accessible, than to concern ourselves
with the search for certain kinds. Not hav
ing knowledge of bacteria and the nature of
disease, these people were not concerned for
the cleanliness of their persons and of their
cooking utensils. In the same area of the
world today, the Middle East and the countries of the Levant, are millions who live not
much differently, so far as hygiene is conceraed, than they did during the time of
Moses.
For Moses, as an individual or even as a
sage, to compel the abolishment of these od
and unhealthful habits would have brought
few results. In fact, it might have caused a
serious resentment of his intrusin upon
their way of life with what they might have
considered as fads and the purpose of which
would have been incomprehensible. To these
people, as to many primitives today, disease
was a supernatural afflictionan intrusin
of destructive entities. The priest or shaman
alone could cope with disease. He alone was
the medicine man, applying his incantation and rites. The tribes of the Hebrews
were afflicted with many skin diseases and
intestinal disorders, the result of their diet
and deplorable methods of living. A social
revolution in these matters was compulsory.
How to institute it must have been a problem to Moses.
Being a spiritually evolved person and
deeply concerned for the welfare of his oppressed people, Moses must have long meditated upon this matter during his sojourn
upon Mount Sinai. As a sagacious indi
vidual, he was familiar with the knowledge
of the Egyptians. He was acquainted with
their sciences and therapeutics of healing, of

their use of medicine and their remarkable

understanding of anatomy and physiology.
To impart this knowledge to his people as
Egyptian gnosis would have caused consternation. The Egyptians were at the time
the most hated enemies of these tribes and,
under no circumstances, would they have
brooked advice or instruction from that
source.
We can only conclude that Moses was inspired, during his meditation, to impart what
he already knew as being an edict of God.
He was commanded to go forth and to reveal
the knowledge that was his for the physical,
as well as for the spiritual, salvation of his
tribesmen. The laws which he imparted, and
the context of which was known to him long
before his theophany on Mount Sinai, he
declared to his people to be the command
ments of God. This inspired the faith of
these tribesmen in the laws. It was God who
commanded them to do this and to do that
not the mortal, Moses. Though they must
have been perplexed as to the reasons for the
laws, there was an unquestioning and reverent obedience on their part.
In Leviticus 11:7 of the Od Testament,
we find: And the swine, though he divide
his hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth
not the cud; he is unclean to you. In Verse
8 of the same chapter, we find: Of their
flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall
ye not touch, they are unclean to you.
Swine feed on refuse. Some things which
they eat do not affect them, but can become
infectious to the human system. Further, it
was far easier to feed swine with refuse in
one place than to drive herds or flocks for
great distances from one pasture to another
over the nearly arid sections of certain areas
of the Near and Middle East. Continuous
consumption of this pork, much of it possibly polluted, resulted in the spread of disease
and perhaps contributed to the plague. Physi
cal uncleanliness could not be appreciated
by the minds of the time. To refer to swine
as taboo, as unclean in the spiritual sense,
was comprehensible to them. Thus, hygienic laws or the laws of health were given
a religious interpretation, but the results
were the same.
Apparently Moses was certain that fish
was a healthful food and should be consumed
in great quantities by his people, for we have
this commandment in Verse 9: These may

ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in
the seas, and in the rivers, that ye may eat.
Another interdiction was the annual destruction of all cooking utensils upon the
occasion of the religious New Year. This was
made a religious rite but, behind it, was the
law of sanitation. Improperly cleansed uten
sils, which might contaminate food, were discarded and new ones acquired, thus preventing the spread of disease. Other religious
sects have adopted similar practices. Often,
under the guise of religious precept, they
have compelled, for example, changes in the
diets of their people. This was accomplished
as periodic fasts, the drinking of certain
cathartics as libations and the abstaining
from meat on prescribed days each week.
Actually, Moses and the other great reli
gious leaders who prescribed these methods
knew that there was nothing unclean in a
spiritual sense about any of the foods which
they prohibited. Some things may be harmful to the body in a physical sense but not
because the substance is imbued with any
satanic elements. In fact, in the fourteenth
chapter of Romans, we find, I know, and
am persuaded by the Lord Jess, that there
is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that
esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him
it is unclean. For the wisdom of God is not
meat and drink; but righteousness, and
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. This we
interpret to mean that nothing is inherently
unclean. It is only relevantly so, as considered in rea tion to our needs and beliefs.
Again in Matthew we find: Not that which
goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but
that which cometh out of the mouth, this
defileth a man. In other words, man alone
can completely defile something, for he may,
by his thoughts, intend it to be evil. Nothing
in nature has such a purpose behind it.
Evil alone exists in mans concept of what is
good and its opposite.
The frater wants to know whether the
question of clean and unclean foods exists
in our modern times. The answer is: Yes,
but not in the religious and moral sense.
Today we do not need to resort to such
cloaking of facts in religious subterfuge.
Health is understood to be a realm quite
apart from spiritual matters; by that we
mean that disease or good health are not
entirely the consequence of our moris or

religious commandments. We know that

there are certain basic hygienic laws that
must be observed, regardless of our religious
views, if we are to remain healthy. Unclean
foods are now referred to as ones lacking in
nutriment, or as being detrimental to the
digestive system. Dietitians will prohibit
some foods to certain people because they
are harmful to them or because of some
functional disorder of these persons. The
same foods may be quite satisfactory to
others. So modern science has its forbidden
foods, but the reasons are frankly presented for denying them and they are not
associated with moral or ethical precepts.X

Where There Is No Vision

A prophet many years ago said, Where
there is no visin, the people perish. He
was relating in a sense a fundamental fact
of human psychology, that it is necessary for
man to use his powers of thought, his ability
to concntrate, and the privilege of medita
tion in order to formlate worthwhile and
systematic concepts in his mind. In this
idea is contained the nucleus of all mans
achievement. It is easy to live as we do in
a world filled with material conveniences
and to forget that everything that exists,
everything that man uses, was first of all an
immaterial condition within a mind.
A few comparatively recent illustrations
I mean recent in consideration of mans
whole historywill suffice to bear out this
line of thought. Alexander Graham Bell conceived the telephone in his mind before it
functioned; Edison, the electric light and the
phonograph. Every physical achievement,
everything that is looked upon as advancement, was first an immaterial entity, a
thought in the mind of man.
There is a tendency for some people to
believe that the Rosicrucians are theorists
only, that we concern ourselves with subjects that are contained in the field of phi
losophy, psychology, and mysticism, that
most of our time is devoted to speculation,
meditation, and contempla tion. To the in
dividual who is immersed in materialism,
contemplation, meditation, and theorizing are
no more than a state of inactivity. The materialist who believes himself practical and
concerned with the world in which he lives
believes that all worthwhile achievement of

man is in the field of activity. As a result

of this type of thinking, the materialist also
believes that when no physical activity is
taking place, when no use of material is
involved, then as far as such an individual
is concerned, there is nothing being done.
The materialist today is proud of the
achievements of science and technology. He
is justifiably proud, and the idealist can join
him in his pride because man has shown his
ability to dominate, control, and utilize his
environment for his own benefit. In giving
credit for these achievements, many people
are unaware that science and technology are
words not clearly understood. They are fre
quently used as synonyms. Actually, this is
not true. In this world where the materialist
philosophy is in the ascendant, even there
the materialist who is serious enough to have
any type of penetrating thought must realize
that science and technology are two different
functions.
Technologically speaking, probably the
most impressive accomplishment of the past
few years has been the launching of satellites
into orbit in space. There now is in space
and occupying an area around the earth a
considerable variety of man-made objects.
Various objects, including forms of life, have
been sent out into space, and man is continuing to enjoy this advanced phase of shooting
sky rockets at the cost of such fabulous sums
of money that those who would like to see
research done in the fields of economics or
health are dismayed at the cost of one par
ticular phase of technology that cannot be
directly used for the benefit of individuis.
However, it is not my intent to claim that
these achievements are not worth while, or
to make them seem useless. They are outstanding scientific achievements, but even
more important, they are brilliant technological applications of knowledge that has
been scientifically developed in the past. We
look upon the conquering of space as a purely modern achievement, but let us remember
that in 1687 Sir Isaac Newton published the
theories of the laws of motion upon which
rocket propulsin is based. Sir Isaac Newton
could undoubtedly have calculated the con
ditions necessary to put a modern satellite
into orbit.
In 1505 Leonardo da Vinci wrote an outstanding paper on the study of flight of birds.
His analysis was so complete that his prin

cipies could have been used to make mans

flight possible. He suggested the first prin
cipies of mechanical flight, and also the
principie that was later developed into the
helicopter. An outstanding theoretical physicist whose ame is well known was Albert
Einstein. The knowledge of physics which
he assembled will probably stand for many
centuries as a foundation of many principies
and applications. He worked strictly with
theory. He only used a pencil and paper,
and by directing the inquiring ability of his
mind, he developed the theory of relativity
and the interchangeability of matter and
energy. Because of these studies, he paved
the way for atomic fission, which unfortunately has not been used constructively in
all of its applications.
Here we see illustrations of the attainment
of knowledge, of the use of pur science,
which occurred long before the technological
achievements of today. Still, there are dyedin-the-wool materialists who refuse to give
full credit to the development of this knowl
edge. They will point out that Newton did
not build any rockets, that Leonardo da
Vinci never actually flew, and they might
go on to say that Einstein never dropped
an atomic bomb. They fail to acknowledge
that although technology, the application
of science and knowledge, did not keep
up with science itself; nevertheless the basic
knowledge was there waiting to be used, even
though it took technology in some cases cen
turies to realize that such knowledge was
waiting.
Sometimes theoretical knowledge such as
that which has been cited is referred to as
useless research, but such knowledge is always the mpetus for the advancement and
application which makes technological progress possible. Sometimes those who deal in
pur science have considerable difficulty in
proving its usefulness. I recently read a
bulletin concerning a very small family of
Dptera, which is the scientific ame of flies.
It would appear to the average person a use
less piece of investigation, and I concede it
may be, but it is knowledge that has been
carefully studied and conclusions reached.
Who knows what technological achievement
may depend at least in part on that knowl
edge at some time?
We must realize that mankinds hope for
the future is not entirely dependent upon

technology but rather must stand upon

the support and encouragement of the quest
of knowledge for its own sake. As new scien
tific discoveries are made, the human beings
who live today or tomorrow will benefit from
them. Man can with the aid of science and
the use of his mind gain knowledge, and
knowledge is the prerequisite of all other
achievement, whether it be in the material
world or within the self,
Out of knowledge springs the fullness of
life. Out of knowledge comes the realization
that the soul evolves through a complex pattern of various lives. Out of knowledge can
come the awareness of the entire Cosmic
scheme, because the search for knowledge
is a search by man to put himself into a har
monious relationship with the world in
which he lives, and with the Cosmic scheme
of which he is a part.
Do not belittle the search for knowledge.
Never believe or let materialistic arguments
cause you to think that philosophy and pur
science are a waste of time. They are the
keys to knowledge which will open the way
to technological discovery and application.
We must not forget the words of the prophet,
that where there is no visin, there is no
hope.A

Does Use of Subconscious Powers

Disrupt A Cosmic Plan?
A frater from New York makes the following observation: Many magazine articles
today inform people that they can use the
power of the subconscious to work for them.
In regard to the over-all plan of the Cosmic,
is the indiscriminate advice of these articles
good or bad?
The key to this fraters question is the
phrase indiscriminate advice, and to this
we can answer with a resounding, Yes, it
is bad.
The good in this subject is that the potential of mans subconscious is being recognized, explored, and gradually understood
by more and more people. This is the most
fascinating subject in the world. It is basic
to Rosicrucian training and philosophy. The
subconscious is the storehouse of the Cosmic.
It is this storehouse that we attempt to tap
and utilize to bring about a greater understanding and mastery of life.
The handling of this subject by popular

writers is sometimes in the interest of exploration of a new field, a searching, a

wedge into a new frontier; but too often it
is in the interest of sensationalismfor quick
sale of new methods or new producs associated with them.
Some of the indiscriminate advice offered
by popular writers is that which is intended
to accelerate learning. The quick and easy
way to wisdom, fame, and fortune is through
the subconscious they ballyhoo. Quackery
and chicanery abound with promises of su
perior knowledge through a subject little
understood by the public.
Lately, hallucinogenic drugs have been
announced as offering even quicker and
more direct access to the great realm of the
subconscious. The subject of acceleration in
an individuals educational program has
alway s been approached cautiously by
AMORC. In our own program, we provide
for no acceleration in our courses, and each
student must take the monographs as they
come regardless of his or her individual
background. There is no fast rule on what
the optimum rate of an education should be;
but there is an optimum, and it must be re
lated to the assimilative process of an indi
vidual.
Stimulating the brain so that it becomes
aware of a great number and variety of
experiences in a short period of time does
not affect the assimilative process of the in
dividual. Normally, each new experience
and bit of awareness is cogitated, tried, and
practiced in a persons life until it becomes
part of him. This is the assimilative process,
and it can proceed only at a given rate of
speed. To increase the number of experi
ences by any number of methods, at a rate
greater than the personality can assimilate
them, is a waste and could possibly become
a frustrating element in the persons life.
It is much like never being caught up with
ones work or ones study; a sort of pressure
that is never relieved. Having experiences
or receiving information by way of drug
stimulation is not necessarily right or wrong.
The assimilation of knowledge is something
which must always be approached with caution, however. The influx of information
must not exceed the individuals ability to
assimilate and utilize it.
The drug-stimulated sensations or extrasensory experiences can in most people be

developed naturally, as is done in the Rosi

crucian study. This we feel is the desirable
way, a steady, constructive process in which
the individual can apply and evalate each
new glimpse of the laws and principies that
govern his life.B

Are You Nonsectarian?

A soror in California approaches our
Forum, I believe for the first time, and says:
There is a question which has occurred to
me several times recently. It is rather puzzling and I know that other members are
often confronted with it, too. For years I
have not been affiliated with any church because I could not find one with which I was
in whole-hearted agreement. Nevertheless,
my feelings are reverent and I agree with
the Rosicrucian concept of God.
What, then, is the term used to designate
one who subscribes to no orthodox religin
or church, but who is a true believer in God
one who does not limit himself to the Christian teachings alone, but who enjoys reading
Buddhist works, the Zoroastrian or Hind
writings, or any of the sacred writings?
What should I say when someone asks me
what my religin is? If I say that I do not
go to any church, they think I am an atheist.
or that I do not care anything about knowing
Godwhich is untrue. Of course, I can explain, but there must be a simple wording
or term used to designate such as I. Can
you tell me what it is?
The most appropriate word to describe the
sorors sentiments and practices is nonsec
tarian. There is a vast gulf between the
basic elements of the religious attitude of
mind, the spiritual content of an individual,
and the Church as a religious institution.
Any liberal-minded person would readily
admit that a conception of God, of a divine
reign, or of a spiritual existence must precede
any dogma endeavoring to explain them.
For example, which is first: the esthetic
sense or the art school? The scientific atti
tude of mind or the quantitative instruments
of the laboratory? The school and the labora tory and its instruments are but intended to
cultvate what must be inherent within the
individual. No church has ever implanted
the religious attitude of mind in any person.
At most, its teachings have made appeals to
the individual, have aroused the latent moral

sense which he had, and quickened his con

sciousness of a distinction between a higher
self and a material existence.
There is no questioning the valu of the
Church as an institution for developing the
religious attitude of mind, just as a music
teacher develops the pupils talent for music.
However, if the individual acquires, through
intmate experience as in personal medita
tion, a deep-seated consciousness of the Di
vine and of spiritual vales, can the Church
do any more than this for any individual?
The aim of religin is to bring about a closer
bond between the moral consciousness and
the Divine, or God. Religin hopes to have
man conform to conceptions which his spir
itual consciousness has engendered within it.
A man is certainly not irreligious who displays in his conduct all of those spiritual
inclinations and behavior which are the
ultimate end of religin, even if he never
has attended a church.
Unfortunately, the average orthodox religionist is of the erroneous opinion that
church attendance or subscription to a par
ticular theology, as a creed, is a requisite of
religin. The orthodox religionist looks upon
the non-church attendant as, at least, an agnostic. Even though the nonconformist to a
creed displays all the virtues of religin, the
orthodox religionist considers the formers
religious attitude as only a synthetic one.
It is the same kind of false reasoning often
found in academic circles. Some university
graduates are inclined to discredit the learning of a man which may equal or even surpass their own in some fieldonly because
it was acquired through self-education and
not through the conventional means.
There are thousands of spiritually minded
and spiritually circumspect people who will
not become members of any religious sect.
It is not that they oppose organized religin
or the Church as an institution; it is rather
that the creed, the doctrines of the Church,
and its intellectual presentations are offensive to their own spiritual consciousness.
These persons believe in God, in immortality,
in an all-pervading Supreme Intelligence,
but they cannot accept the particular theological definitions of these principies. To
these persons, the orthodox views, as expounded by the churches which they have
contacted, are not in agreement with their
own religious inclinations.

After all, religin is and must be an int

mate experience. It is a mystical experience
the individual^ approach through his own
consciousness to the consciousness of God, or,
as Rosicrucians would say, the Cosmic. The
individual can only accept such words or
doctrines as are comprehensible to him, or
his inner experience. To subscribe to any
sect when he is not in personal accord with
its dogma would be opposing his sense of
reverence for the Divine. Certainly, it is
better for an individual to have a God of his
own heart, one of his own consciousness,
than to resort to religious cant as a member
of some sect with which he is not in true
accord.
These people who think and believe as
shown above are nonsectarian. Literally,
this means that they are not members of any
sect; it does not mean that they are any less
religious or less spiritual in nature than the
church affiliate. Many nonsectarians eventually do subscribe to some creed or philosophy
which complements their personal feelings
and conceptions. After all, the fact that there
are various sects extant is indicative of no
universal agreement on the interpretations
of the individuals spiritual experiences and
convictions. Each church member is one who
has gravitated to a theological system which
is contiguous in its teachings to his level of
spiritual consciousness. The nonsectarian is
one who has not yet found an outer form,
as a church and its creed, that is consistent
with his inner desires. He should not let
ignorance or prejudices on the part of some
who do not understand this compel him for
the sake of convention to become a member
of any sect to whose teachings he does not
inwardly respond.
The membership of the Rosicrucian Order
is composed of both creedists and nonsec
tarians. We have thousands of excellent
Rosicrucian members who are affiliated with
the various denominations. In fact, we have
clergymenpriests and rabbisof the vari
ous sects, who are ardent members. We also
have many thousands of members who are
nonsectarians. I count myself as one of
these, although I am a member of a Buddhist
organization and also a student of comparative religions. Each religin is a mystical
experience had by its founder out of which
grows the creed it expounds.X

Deep Breathing for Health

A soror from Ohio inquires about prolonging Rosicrucian healing practices. For example, if an A treatment with five deeply
inhaled breaths is recommended, would she
be more benefited by taking ten deep
breaths?
The number of deep breaths we recommend in Rosicrucian exercises is only some
times related to a symbolical, mystical
objective. Usually, it is arbitrary, or it is
arrived at on the basis of past experience.
If it has a symbolical, mystical purpose, we
say so; and we explain this, as well. If not,
then the arbitrary or experience-proved
numbers are determined by natural mental
and physical factors.
The first of these to be considered is
physical. Breathing is a physical exercise,
and too much of it at any given time may
bring about fatigue or strain, thus defeating
the constructive purposes of the exercise. It
is a matter of diminishing returns. Up to a
certain point, deep breathing is wholly beneficial. Beyond this point, however, factors
such as strain and fatigue begin to balance
the beneficial aspects of breathing.
Experience shows that the average person
who breathes deeply over a period of three
or four minutes is ready to resume normal
breathing again. Although some might
easily continu for a longer period with continuing benefit to themselves, the average
must be prescribed when dealing with lar ge
groups of people.
The second factor to be considered is men
tal or psychological. Study and exercise also
induce mental fatigue. Regularity is very
important in Rosicrucian exercises, and if an
exercise is too extensive or too involved, the
individual will soon lose interest in its practice, thus upsetting the long-range schedule.
It takes time for the body to adjust to new
disciplines, and it is more important that a
member faithfully conduct short periods of
exercises over a long period of time than
long periods of exercises over short periods
of time. Therefore, the average breathing
exercise must accommodate these conditions.
We also find that the length of time pre
scribed in the Rosicrucian monographs is
effective in relatively short periods of time
if faithfully performed according to the

schedule set up in the lessons. The importance of breathing exercises should never be
underestimated. They are basic to the
awakening and expanding of conscious
ness.B
What Is Universal Love?
A soror now speaks before our Forum:
The phrase Divine Love or Universal
Love is common in our studies and because
each of the words, individually, is comprehensible, it would seem that the phrase
should also be completely understandable,
but is it?
What exactly do we mean by Universal
Love? It must differ from love generally,
as we know it, inasmuch as physical and
mundane love, however impersonal, requires
a personificatin to be realized and expressed.
How may love of a supernal intelligence,
which is not anthropomorphic, be personified?
In the theological sense, Divine or Uni
versal Love is made comparable to an exalted impersonal human love. If this conception were not associated with the phrase,
it would in fact be incomprehensible to the
average human being. Further, in using
this conception of Universal Love, there is
the direct implica tion of an anthropomorphic
or personalized god. In most of the historie
religions, as Judaism and Christianity, the
relationship between man and his god is
conceived as paternal. God is the Father;
and humanity, the children. The affection
and devotion, the compassion and emotional
bond which parents usually exhibit toward
their children, are believed to be displayed
by the Deity toward mortals.
Universal or Divine Love, though most
often associated with an anthropomorphic
god, is expected, of course, to transcend all
the foibles of mortal love. It is not thought
to be rooted in any physical appeal and
to be selfish; that is, it is not a desire for
any emotional or somatic satisfaction. The
theory is that God loves because love is of
Him. This love is a kind of feeling of goodness and grace extended toward all things
which are consistent with His nature. To
use a homely analogy, it is like the property
of a magnet. It attracts without discrimination all that has a natural affinity with its
own nature.

The average religionist can, as has been

said, think of love only in terms of his
own mortal experience. From the real mys
tical point of view, this love of Divinity is
far more abstract. In fact, the word love is
really an inadequate substitute for a more
appropriate word or phrase. These other ab
stract explanations the average religionist
would reject since they would lack appeal
to his imagination and they would, also,
depersonalize his god. Love is desire. Thus
there are many kinds of love. There is
physical love which is the desire for those
experiences and sensations that satisfy the
appetites. There are, as well, loves of the
mind or intellectual loves. They are a desire
to attain ideis. Then, there are the spiritual
loves which are the desires to experience
an afflatus of the soul or to experience cer
tain ecstatic states. In all these instances,
psychologically, love is centered in the self.
We love something else, not just for the
thing itself, even though we may imagine
that, but rather for the satisfaction which
that thing may provide us, spiritually, intellectually, or sensually.
From the mystical point of view, the
Divine is self-sufficient and perfect. It de
sires nothing because there is no void in its
nature. It has a state of concord, order, or
harmony, which is always inherent in it.
All things are of this divine harmony, this
perfect order, because the laws which give
them existence are of its very nature. Inanimate things are never out of harmony
with the Divine. Even that which seems to
lose its form, its beauty, or other qualities,
is still in harmony with the Divine. It is
because devolution and a breakdown of substances is part of the change which is cosmic
law. Beauty and ugliness are not qualities
inherent in things, but merely notions of
mans mind. They are but the way that
man is affected by the appearance of things.
Thus, the object which becomes repulsive to
man is just as much a part of this cosmic
harmony as that which is beautiful.
The same principie applies to animate or
living matter. No matter how vicious or how
vile, as man experiences it, a living thing
may be, it as itself is only conforming to its
immanent nature which is always of the
cosmic harmony. In man, however, there
is an important distinction. He has a high
degree of intelligence and the will to enforce

its decisions. He is capable of conceiving a

divine principie, a cosmic cause, regardless
of how he may interpret or express it. Thus,
he can by choice oppose this cosmic har
mony. It might be asked, Are not such reason and will, after all, also a part of mans
nature? Further, if a part of his nature,
then can he really put himself out of the
cosmic harmony of which his nature consists?
The distinction with man is that he can
act consciously contrary to the cosmic order
though he can never put himself completely
out of it. In other words, he can have the
intent to oppose cosmic harmony. It is this
intent to counter it that is the only real negative state in all of existence. This kind of
action brings as a result a spiritual suffering which man can and should avoid. It
tends to cause an intense inharmony within
the higher consciousness of self or the soulpersonality of man. The spiritually circumspect individual is the one who realizes the
motivations of his higher self or the cosmic
impressions and abides by them. He then
enjoys a peace of mind and an inner satis
faction, which, if he is a religionist, he calis
experiencing Universal Love.
We may look at the matter in this light.
This Universal Love or cosmic harmony is
a constant state, the effects of which are
materialized as mankind and all the other
manifestations of nature. All things are of
it. Man can, by willful disregard, endeavor
to act in a way that causes discord for him.
Conversely, if he is consistent with cosmic
harmony, he then becomes conscious of an
ecstatic feeling which he may imagine is
being particularly directed toward him as a
Universal Love.
We can know only that which we ex
perience. An exalted feeling, which we may
have, seems to be intended for us alone, that
is, we think of it in that light. Those of us
who think of the Divine as a parent, or as an
anthropomorphic being, feel during such ex
periences that we are being especially enfolded in Universal Love.
The term universal is most appropriate
because this harmony is, of course, both
ubiquitous and all-inclusive. This mystical
and abstract conception of Universal Love is
wholly impersonal. It is far more so than
the customary orthodox or religious concep
tion. The idea is a little shocking to the

orthodox religionist who is not accustomed

to the high planes of consciousness experienced by the mystic. It causes him to feel
alone and abandoned and precipitates a
sense of despair. He has not learned that
he never really is independent, that he
never can be separated from the One and
that, therefore, he does not have to command
the attention of the One or expect that it
will search for him or reach out to him.X

Should We Forget Unpleasant

Experiences?
A soror from Washington poses a somewhat detailed question: Could you discuss
how experiences, even though heartbreaking,
are for our instruction? Would not the
complete forgetting of the experience nullify
its valu if one concedes that such forgetting
is possible? Is it not possible that the remembrance of a past tragedy might avert a
greater tragedy? Most assuredly, we should
not let memories of the past shackle our
present and future, but is not remembrance
with an attempt to understand better than
never speaking of a painful experience?
Forgetting our experiences is possible under some emotional stress either induced by
the experience itself or by the self at a later
time. Such emotional stress, while blocking
the memory of a particular event, may also
block other memory passagesmay even
cause an emotional block not related to the
incident. Forced forgetting is potentially
harmful to the emotional balance of an in
dividual.
Experiences, whether unpleasant or pleasant, should be integrated into the total be
havior pattern. All experiences are a form
of instruction. They add to our knowledge
of the people and the world around us. Ex
perience and knowledge are the bulwarks
with which we face tomorrows. Every Iesson learned is one more guarantee against
failure or injury in the future. Forgetting
an experience would nullify whatever valu
it might have in this sense.
What we should do, however, and what
we can do are two different things. It isnt
easy to integrate unpleasant experiences into
the total behavior pattern. Unpleasant ex
periences tend to remain in the foreground
of memory for longer periods of time than
pleasant experiences. The same impulses

that draw us to fires, accidents, and other

catastrophes also draw our attention repeatedly to unpleasant experiences in the store
house of memory.
This is somehow related to the survival
instinct. Man is instinctively aware of natures impersonal attitude toward life. There
is in nature always the potential of tragedy
impending catastrophe. These events are in
a sense a conflict between man and nature.
Each time one occurs and man survives, he
feels the victors exaltationrelief at having
one more conflict resolved. In a way, this
feeling is transferred to tragedies or catastro
phes of all sorts, such as fires, accidents,
crime, etc. From viewing these scenes, one
gathers assurance that one more tragedy has
averted him.
The recall of an unpleasant experience is
thus normal over a short period of time.
While in the forefront of memory, some time
should be spent on reviewing its particulars
in an attempt to see whether anything could
have been done to avert it or what steps can
be taken to prevent its recurrence in the future, either in relation to the individual or
to society as a whole. After this brief period,
unpleasant experiences are best relegated to
the past through the pursuit of new activities
and experiences that require the undivided
attention of the individual.B

Is Risking Life, Suicide?

A frater from England poses this question:
If I were to see someone in great diffculty
and in danger of losing his life and try to
save him when it would be almost certain
that I should lose my life in the attempt,
there would be two paths I could follow:
A. To try to save the person, and in all
probability lose my own life, or B. Let the
person die without attempting to help.
What I should like to know is, If I take
path A, would I be guilty of committing
suicide and so invoke the necessary karma?
Or, if I take course B, would I be guilty of
murder and so invoke the necessary karma?
We can only presume that in the cosmic
application of karmic law motive is the predominant factor. As we have so often said
in this Forum, karma is the law of causality,
cause and effect. Karma is not an act of retribution or punishment. It is not an arbitrarily

exercised phenomenon to either punish or

reward an individual.
By our acts and deeds, we invoke cosmic
and natural laws from which effects follow.
These effects may be either beneficial or ad
verse. They are entirely impersonal in their
working, as are the natural laws of physics
and chemistry. If, however, we believe that
besides the commonly experienced physical
or natural laws, there are also those that
function as spiritual vales; then certain acts
would produce beneficial or adverse karma
in that realm as well.
We can refer to the philosophical principie
of eudaemonism: This asserts that the aim
of right action is personal well-being and
happiness. Consequently, right motives,
as causes, would invoke phenomena or
circumstances which would eventually be
experienced as beneficial effects by the indi
vidual. Anyone, who in the spirit of selflessness is willing to risk sacrificing his own life
to save anothers, certainly is experiencing
the highest characteristic of human nature,
that is, the love of mankind.
It is true that mystical and esoteric literature has traditionally advocated that life is
a divine gift, not a right; therefore, man has
not the right to destroy what is a divine gift.
However, in many ways this principie or
doctrine has not been adhered to, as we all
know. There are likewise a number of prin
cipies which would seem to modify the traditional one. The sacrificing of ones life to
save another is one. Life is to use for the
highest end man can conceive. It is not to
be pampered as against some Service to others
that might jeopardize it.
Jess Christ gave his life for the potential
salvation of mankind, according to the doc
trine of Christianity. It can be presumed
that he might have saved his life by failing
to antagonize the Romn political authorities. Since he did not so save himself, was
he guilty of suicide? In addition to Christ,
other avatars or mystics through the ages
have forfeited their lives for the welfare of
mankind; likewise, those who do this for
one individual or for many should not be
condemned as wrongdoers.
Millions of men have sacrificed their
lives in war since the remotest times. The
motive in such instances would be the determining factor as to whether they wrongly
placed themselves in a position where their

lives were taken. If an army of men deliberately invades for conquest and spoils
only, with the lowest motives possible of
avarice and im m orality, adverse karma
certainly is invoked. Conversely, if men of
the armed forces enter into battle willingly,
with the sincere belief that they are cherishing and protecting the noblest virtues of
man; then it can hardly be thought that they
would bring upon themselves adverse karma.
Again, there are qualifying circumstances.
If the men have no real knowledge of the
reasons for which they enter the war and
do not try to learn the truth; then they will
experience group karma for an act of omission as well as commission. If men in a
military campaign are innocent of ulterior
motives after using reasonable care to deter
mine the cause of war, the extenuating cir
cumstances could be considered in their
favor.
The question of religious wars is a complex one as regards karma. What of the re
ligious zealot incited by priests to engage
in an internecine war with other sects? He
is led by the dogma of his faith and the
preachments of its clergy to believe that
what he does is a fat from God. Such per
sons, we think, are not exempt from invoking an adverse karmic effect upon themselves
as individuis and as a group.
They have not properly interpreted the
divine quality. They have allowed them
selves to be entirely guided from without by
the words of others and have not meditated
upon what has been preached to them. How
can it be construed in the truest spiritual
sense that God would sanction acts which in
ordinary mundane affairs men would condemn as ungodly? How can murder, rapie,
and holocaust be truly a divine cause, re
gardless of what may be said to be the
ultimate purpose? If a man sacrifices his
life for noble purposes, as indicated, he will
undoubtedly invoke beneficial karma. It
may not be experienced in this life, how
ever, but in another, or by those he loves.

As to the refusal to sacrifice ones life to

save another, the motive again must be taken
into consideration. If one who cannot swim
sees another drowning and knows that an
attempt to save him would be futile as well
as a sacrifice of his own life, we think it
would hardly be cosmic justice for him to
experience adverse karma for not attempting
the rescue.
We could say that the individual would
be recklessly and uselessly forfeiting his life
to no advantage. One must also take into
consideration the emotional temperament of
an individual. Psychologically, under cer
tain circumstances an individual might be
quite inhibited by intense fear even though
he desired to render help. The phrase paralyzed by fear or terror is a factual one.
When action is most needed the individual
is completely immobilized for the moment.
In the sense of karmic justice, that individual
could hardly be condemned as a murderer.X
The Late Popes Encyclical
A recent encyclical by the late Pope John
XXIII, Romn Catholic prelate, stirred the
world with its declaration of human rights
and its cali for peace. Its contents read like
the American Declaration of Independence
or the Magna Cartawords and ideas long
ago fostered by freethinking men and
women, concepts ripe with age, for which
countless millions have fought and died
throughout the ages.
The impact of this Popes encyclical on our
times is not that it is unique or original, or
brave and fearless. It is rather that the
Romn Church is somewhat belatedly joining in spirit with men who have espoused
the contents of the encyclical for centuries.
In the spirit of humanism and brotherhood,
we welcome the Churchs capitulation to
these ideis and look forward to their implementation in the cause of peace and
human dignity.B

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O ct o ber , 1963
Volum e X X X IV

No. 2

mi! ni
A prvate publication
for m em bers of A M O R C

Where Mystics Dwelt

A secret cenler o f the Rosi
crucian Order for cenluries,
th is so m b r e o d c a s tle in
Krampelstein, Scharding, Upper Austria, sheltered learned
mystics who sought to bring
about a unity o f philosophical and religious thought.

Greetings!
V

IS ROSICRUCIAN PHILOSOPHY COMPATIBLE

WITH CHRISTIANITY?
text so that its true meaning appears to
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
convey an idea contrary to what was inRecently, the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC,
tended.
received world-wide publicity through the
The theme of the June 15 issue of the
mdium of the little periodical entitled
Watchtower, and published by the Jehovahs Jehovahs Witnesses periodical was that the
Rosicrucian philosophy is not compatible
Witnesses, a religious sect. The valu of the
publicity is questionable as the article con with Christianity. The author went to great
lengths to make his point by twisting, turntained a number of errors. It was syncretic,
ing, and confusing source material. The
borrowing from any group that apparently
Jehovahs Witnesses officials could have
ever used the generic ame Rosicrucian in
been spared that effort by writing AMORC
connection with its activities. Consequently,
direct and pointedly asking whether our
much of the material was not authentic.
teachings and philosophy are intended to be
Actually, some of the quotations purporting
solely compatible with any versin of Chris
to be from historical sources were written by
nonmembers, and every member of the Rosi tianity. Our reply would have been simply
that we are not a religious sect. Therefore,
crucian Order reading them would realize
it is not our purpose to concur or to be in
their inaccuracy.
full accord with the doctrines or tenets of
Why this article about the Rosicrucian
any
religious faith. Why should we?
Order in a publication issued by this exThere are various organized religions,
tremely fundamentalist religious sect? Obwith their churches and their particular
viously its motive was not to expound the
merit of Rosicrucian philosophy. Most ar beliefs. They are available to all who desire
them. Thousands of Rosicrucians are mem
ticles about the Rosicrucian Order by authors
bers of the different Christian denominations.
of religious tracts and periodicals are inOther thousands of Rosicrucians are affiliated
tended to demean the Order. They seek to
with other faiths throughout the world; or
present it in a facetious manner or to make
it seem malevolent and harmful, morally or they are nonsectarian. It is obvious, then,
that those belonging to the various churches
otherwise, to any who interest themselves
did not become members of the Rosicrucian
in it. To accomplish such an end, the truth
Order merely to acquire an extensin of
about the Rosicrucians and their objectives
the religious beliefs which their church pro
are never expounded correctly. The articles
vides them. Rather they are Rosicrucians
color the facts by distortion and often by
because of the numerous ideas, points of
delibera te omission. Consequen tly, the real
knowledge, and other benefits not provided
motivation of these good Christian people
by or within the scope of their church but
is, in effect, malicious.
obtainable within the Order.
It would appear that these sects, including
several of the prominent contemporary orFurthermore, if AMORC were inclined to
become compatible with Christianity, just
ganized faiths, are fearful that their followhow would that be accomplished? After all,
ing may be persuaded to affiliate with the
the Christian sects, including the Jehovahs
Order by the appeal of Rosicrucian literature
Witnesses, are not even compatible with
or activity. Consequently, by writing false
each other! Which interpreta tion would
and mendacious articles about it, they admonish their people to avoid the evils of need to be accepted by AMORC as representthe Rosicrucian Order. They quote some ing Christianity? Each Christian sect, from
this point of view, can claim that all others
portin of Rosicrucian literature out of con-

that do not express its faith are not com

patible with Christianity and are, in fact,
apostates.
The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, of course,
as a nonsectarian movement is not hostile
toward any religin. The basic element of
religin is mysticism, as every scholar of
religin knows, and one of the principal
studies of the Rosicrucian Order is mysticism,
freed of sectarian creed. In our degrees, we
study impartially the subject of comparative
religions from an historical, philosophical,
and mystical aspect. However, it is just one
of many subjects perused, just as we con
cern ourselves with philosophy, metaphysics, and science. We recognize the beauty
and the veracity of Christs teachings, but
we likewise recognize the beauty and truth
of the illumined teachings of other avatars.
The implication in the tirades against
AMORC of the Jehovahs Witnesses and
other religious sects that we are anti-religious
because we are not exponents of their doc
trines, reveis their irrationalism. All
thought regarding man himself, his relation
ship to the world in which he lives and to
the greater universe, does not need to follow
along any particular, established religious
channel. For centuries, philosophers and
metaphysicians, as well as scientists, have
contemplated these mysteries and recognized
systems of thought which concern them but
which do not necessarily conform to some
religious tradition.
Unfortunately, today there is a growing
tendency by many individuis and groups,
religious and otherwise, to condemn that
which does not conform to the mass opinion.
The fact that a particular body of doctrines
may have existed for centuries and have
acceptance or recognition by a large number
of people today, in itself does not make it the
sol authentic arbitrator of thought. Many
men and women are still free in their thinking and wish to pursue paths of knowledge
that are satisfying to them whether their
neighbors believe as they do or not.

Just as we were about to go to press, we

received a tear sheet from a periodical entitled Our Sunday Visitor, published by an
agency of the Romn Catholic Church and
circulated extensively in English. This,
again, is a malicious attack on the Rosicru
cian Order, belittling our teachings, our purposes, and our history. In addition, it
condemns us because of what they claim is
a similarity to Freemasonry and Theosophy.
Both Freemasonry and Theosophy, of course,
would know there is no such relationship.
The only similarity between the Rosicrucian
Order and the Masonic Order is that both
bodies opera te on the lodge system; but, then,
so do many other fraternal orders, including
the Knights of Columbus. Another of the
criticisms is that we have a number of oaths
which our members must take. However,
the Knights of Columbus have a number of
oaths. The hypocrisy of such an attack indicates the malice behind it.
Religin has the important role in human
society to cultivate the moral sense and provide a pattern of living that will evolve the
individual physically, mentally, and spiritu
ally. Unforunately, however, human response to such ideas and ideis is not uniform.
The response varies with the effects of
heredity and social influences. Therefore, no
ones religin can or will serve all of man
kind. Any attempt to make all thoughts
compatible with a single theology is an
infringement upon the individuality of man
and the separate experiences of his soul personality.
Fraternally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator.

Has Anger a Valu?

A frater, addressing our Forum, asks: Just
what happens to an angry thought? What
effect has it upon the persons organism generally? Can an angry thought be considered
to have a greater speed in transmission than
(continued overleaf)
other thoughts?

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Generally, we have been advised since

early childhood to avoid anger. It has been
made to appear as an emotional weakness,
serving no beneficial cause. Anger is one of
the primary instincts of man and served him
in his evolutionary stage, as we shall see.
With the development of reason, the need
for the function of anger is lessened considerably. With intellect and self-discipline,
the individual usually can realize his desires
equally well, or even more effectively.
Anger functions in a manner that releases
additional energy so that one may further
the pursuit of a desired goal. It is the
hereditary instinct to fight, attack, and destroy. But that motivation has a cause. It
is generally conceded by psychologists that
these elements of anger, fight, and destroy,
are prompted by the frustration of some ob
jective. When something blocks a desire,
such as an appetite or that which we feel is
essential to our welfare, there is engendered
anger toward the cause of the frustration.
The individual seeks to attack the obstruction, to remove it, and, if necessary, to de
stroy it, so as to gain his ends. Consequen tly,
you can say that anger is related to aggression. It furthers the aggressive spirit.
If one were to remain passive or tranquil
when frustrated by opposition, many worthy
causes of which we can all think might not
have been achieved. The anger becomes a
drive, an emotion that compels concerted
action. So-called righteous indignation,
which has ultimately set many wrongs right,
has had anger at its bottom. The passive
person can often be prevailed upon unfairly,
if not actually persecuted, when he does not
resist. Resistance and determination are an
energy drive provided by anger.
There are specific physiological changes
in the body caused by anger. These changes
are quite similar to those caused by such
emotions as fear and disgust and by pain,
the reason being that all of these constitute
a threat to the harmony of the body. A few
of such principal changes are an increased
heartbeat, dilation of the pupils, increased
blood pressure, in crea se in the function of the
adrenal glands, such as a greater secretion
of adrenalin. This latter mobilizes energy
and supports vigorous persistent activity.
It has been stated that the best combat
troops are those that have been trained to

hate, which is a concentration of latent anger

toward a specific thing. Psychological warfare requires the arousing of a national anger
and aggressive spirit toward the established
enemy.
Aroused anger can often be displaced, that
is, not discharged toward the object that
stimulated it. A person may be angry with
another but afraid to express it to him. He
may then discharge this surplus energy to
ward his wife, his friends, his pet animals,
or even by slamming a door or shouting over
the telephone to a fellow employee. Primitive persons and children often give vent to
the surplus energy of anger by kicking inanimate things.
Is anger harmful to us? Yes, particularly
if it has to be repressed and not discharged.
Perhaps an occasional burst of anger does
little harm to the harmony of the body. Frequent violent outbursts are disturbing to the
psychic self and the digestive system, causing one to have ulcers. Furthermore, an in
tense emotion temporarily blocks any effective mental process such as reasoning. We
all know that, in a fit of anger, we do
things that afterward we realize are thoughtless and irrational. Certainly, from the mys
tical aspect, anger binds one to the lower
stratum of the emotions and prevents attaining a high state of consciousness.
As much as possible, we should try by
rational means to remove a frustration, the
cause of anger. However, indignation or a
mild form of anger may be necessary to
stimulate the reason and to compel one to
think of a way to solve his problem. Cer
tainly, we will concur that we are not very
much inclined to make the sacrifice often
necessary to attain some desire if we are not
emotionally stimulated. In fact, most desires
need the fire of an emotion beneath them.
As to whether thoughts had in anger have
a greater acceleration or speed in transmission cannot be stated with any assurance.
There are no demonstrations or evidence to
prove or disprove such a theory. It has,
however, been found, in the Rosicrucian
experiments in telepathy that emotional intensity at the time helps in transmitting a
thought. The emotion required in such tests
was not necessarily one of anger, however.
The excitement of expectation, the thrill of
possible accomplishment, helped. Fear and

love have been known to make telepathic

concentration successful under certain
emergency conditions.
The Russian government has been conducting extensive experiments in the field of
long range telepathy. We have commented
on this subject previously. The Soviet researchers, led by 71-year-old Professor
Leonidovich Vasiliev, are scientists of a
higher caliber. . . . Professor Vasiliev is
of the opinion that in telepathy it is not
the thought but an impression or emotion
that is conveyed, though the thought may
then sometimes be deduced. In fact, in
experiments such as we have conducted at
Rosicrucian Park and which are now being
conducted in Russia, the subject who is to
transmit is asked to have thoughts associated
with the feelings of depression, happiness,
or anger.X
God and the Cosmic
Another question presented at the Forum
during the Rosicrucian Convention was,
What is the difference between God and
that which we cali the Cosmic? This again
concems a matter of definition, as do so
many questions of interest to the student of
Rosicrucian philosophy.
Religin has in many of its basic teachings
attemptedor at least conveyedthe concept
of a god which is no more or less than a
highly developed human being. This, in
technical terms, is referred to as the anthro
pomorphic concept of God; that is, the belief
in God as a man-type being.
Such a belief was created in the minds of
early men when they found that there are
obvious individual differences in the world,
that some men are different from others.
Some seem to have greater abilities in one
form or another. It was natural, then, for
the primitive individual to believe in and
imagine a manlike type of being even greater
than the greatest of men. Therefore, his con
cept of God was that of a man with abilities
and powers which far exceeded those of any
individual.
Religin was based around this concept
and contines to carry that overtone in most
of the popular religions of our day. God is
considered a ruler, a father, a dictator, a
director, a chief, an arbitrator, or one of

many other concepts that are human in their

origin and to which man assigns superhuman
attributes.
As Rosicrucians, we do not attempt to
define God in the same sense that a religin
defines God. This makes it possible for the
individual Rosicrucian to select a religin
of his choice. Since we do not limit the
concept of God by definition, each can accept
his own interpretation. Since man is finite
and God is infinite, it is impossible to adopt
a concept of God that is universal. We as
Rosicrucians, then, use the term, the God
of our hearts. In other words, the God we
conceive is the one that is important to us.
In some religions such a concept is not
readily acceptable because it is believed that
man is not capable of defining God for him
self. We do not believe that our concept of
the God of our hearts is in any way a reflection upon the worthiness or dignity of the
Creator. We believe it is a statement of fact
in that the God of our hearts at this particu
lar moment illustrates our advancement at
this particular time.
Our concept of God will change as we
live in accordance with what we believe to be
divine purpose. As our physical and psychic
attributes evolve, our concept of God will
grow, for God is infinite and His existence
is unlimited. As we evolve, we realize His
unlimited nature. We also realize that our
evolvement can continu into infinity because God, being infinite, can never be fully
appreciated by a limited or finite concept.
The Cosmic is a term which I believe applies not only to God but to all that God has
ordained. We might conceive of God as a
forc that is working toward an ultimate end
or purpose. Since we cannot conceive of God
as infinite, or rather, cannot conceive of any
thing without limitation, then it is impossible
for us to conceive the scope of purpose and
the end that an infinite Being had in designing creation as we witness it.
Therefore, when we observe and reflect
upon creation as a whole and our own indi
vidual environment, we are immediately
faced with many apparently unanswerable
questions. We find that our knowledge is
extremely limited. We are not certain of
the purpose of life. We cannot come to a
complete, satisfactory understanding of the
purpose of the manifestation of good and

evil. There are many questions that are unanswerable to a finite being because that
finite being is dealing with an infinite con
cept. What we can realize, however, is that
God and all the forces that He has put into
manifestation that lead to an end or to a continual evolvement in an infinite area of
existence caused the world to be and maintains it.
If we simplify the concept to an almost
extreme definition, we can say that the
Cosmic is the manifestation of the will of
God. The Cosmic not only is God but is the
purpose of His and our being. It is like winding a clock; as the tightened spring unwinds,
the various mechanisms in the clock are
caused to function. God in this sense wound
the spring of the universe, of all being, and
that spring is the Cosmic. It encompasses
and includes all forces, all that there is in
the universe, and as it theoretically unwinds,
these forces go on. They cannot be modified
or changed because they are a function of
Gods will.
Man lives as one part of this forc. He
is a part of the Cosmic, just as is everything
else, physical and psychic, all of which have
been ordained to serve an over-all cosmic pur
pose. Mans purpose here on earth, as far
as we can perceive it, is to become more and
more aware of his position in the cosmic
scheme. In that way, he relates himself to
his Creator and to the purposes of his Creator, thereby fulfilling his destiny.A
Should We Ask for Things?
A frater from Surrey, England, offers a
seeming paradox for our consideration. How
is one to reconcile the paradox of these two
principies: Thou shalt ask (this may allude
to assistance in some form) and the law of
Karma (as ye sow, so shall ye reap)? Surely
if a person is deserving of help, he will receive it. Or must he ask, also? But there
are those who receive through circumstances
that for which they apparently have not
asked.
There is no real paradox here since asking
is not related directly to the law of Karma.
Karma must be understood as an over-all
universal principie or forc, much like gravity or inertia. It does not act or manifest
with intent but rather acts on all free-state
elements because of its inherent characteris-

tics. There are many things one can do to

forestall the effects of Karma. There are
ways to counteract itor to work with it.
It is said of gravity that everything that
goes up must come down, and it is said of
Karma that good deeds will earn good, and
bad deeds will earn bad. These generalities
will hold true if no inhibiting or counteracting forces intrude. But an apple, for example, will not come down as long as a tree
is holding it up; a balloon will not fall as
long as it is lighter than air; a bird will not
fall as long as it flies; and things that are
shot out of earths gravitational forc altogether will never return.
With Karma, the generalities hold true
only in the simplest situations. Like the
parable of the sower, good seeds sown in
healthy ground will bring forth fruit and
flowers; but good seeds sown on rocky soil,
among the tares, in the wrong season, will
bring nothing in return. Similarly, good
deeds sown in unreceptive environments will
bear no fruit or earn any return. This in
itself is Karmaa natural reaction to a num
ber of causes.
It is not an act alone that determines
Karma but also that which is acted upon.
Many people feel they have earned better
Karma than they now experience. They feel
within themselves that they have led a good
life, and all they want is to have the world
bestow a little good upon them in return.
Neither the world or Karma are bestowers of good, however. They are passive agents
which can only react according to the way
they are acted upon. Man is the active
agent, and he must control the situation from
start to finish if he wishes his seeds to bear
fruit. He must watch where he plants them,
cultvate and nourish them, and finally harvest and store the fruit for lean years.
Parable after parable in religious and
philosophical texts warn man of this state
of affairs. He must realize, too, that leading
a good life is in itself good Karma. Its in
herent satisfactions and optimism are more
than the wealth of the poor in spirit can buy.
Again, the kind of life that is deserving
in terms of human vales is not necessarily
deserving in terms of cosmic or karmic val
es. To compare and illustrate this is subject
enough for many another Forum article.
Sufficient to say here that Karma is a uni
versal principie affecting all men and all

things alike. There is no intelligent direction

associated with it, and what karmic effects
are brought about in life are the result of
corresponding happenings sometime, somewhere.
Often people are caught up in the karmic
effects of social or mass behavior and action.
As a part of society, they are included in the
Karma society earns. It is important, there
fore, that all speak out as individuis; that
they particpate in every possible way in the
decisions and movements of society. Those
who are lethargic to community responsi
bility have no cali to complain when com
munity Karma is experienced.
However, to avoid being an innocent victim of societys Karma, man has the ability,
or potential, to develop his intuitive faculties
and his judgment so as to avert situations in
which he finds himself absolutely voiceless
or powerless. Men can protect themselves
against group Karma to a large extent, either
by infusing a group with positive thought
and action or as a last resort by seeking new
groundnew alliances.
From the foregoing, it may be seen that
Karma, as such, is not related to the prin
cipie of asking or petitioning the Cosmic for
aid. Acting upon the world is mars respon
sibility. Asking for aid and direction is part
of that responsibility. Asking is a part
of deserving. Too many people dont ask
enough. This very excellent means of getting information is rejected time and again
in favor of trial and error. It has been said
that only idiots and wise men ask questions;
the idiot because he has to, the wise man
because he wants to know. All others refrain
for fear that asking will betray their ignorance.
Thus petitioning the Cosmic for aid and
information is incumbent upon man for his
personal progress and evolvement. The
knowledge and power he gains thus are his
greatest assets in laying a foundation that
will resist the negative effects of Karma that
come from ignorance and misjudgment.B
Karma and the Individual
It is safe to say that whenever a group of
Rosicrucians come together at a Rosicrucian
rally, a Rosicrucian convention, or at convocations of lodges, chapters, and pronaoi, the
subject of Karma is discussed at one time or

another. This subject is intriguing because

it is a manifestation that has to do with our
present circumstances; also, it is a point of
relationship between our past, present, and
future. Nevertheless, Karma is a word that
is given many meanings. In fact, to a certain
degree, we each choose to arrive at our own
beliefs in regard to Karma.
Since the subject is so vast, it is impossible
fully to satisfy everyones thinking in a discussion of the subject; but it is important for
every individual who is seriously studying
the field of philosophy and occult phenomena
to bear in mind that Karma is not necessarily a negative condition. Neither is it a
condition that exists for the purpose of causing us either good or bad fortune.
Karma, if we consider the word technically, should be considered an effectnot a
cause. It is not the cause of any of todays
experiences, be they pleasurable or unpleas
ant. Rather, all that we experience in our
lives is, in one degree or another, a part of
our Karma. In other words, our lives as they
are at the present moment are an effect of
Karma, rather than a cause of it.
The basis of the law of Karma is the prin
cipie that there is in the universe a certain
balance between cause and effect. For every
condition that exists, there are preceding
conditions that contributed to its manifesta
tion. In other words, there seems to beat
least from the standpoint of mans ability to
understand and perceivea balance in nature
and the Cosmic. If man is to live to the fullest extent of his abilities and to be harmoniously related to the circumstances and
pressures about him; then it is his purpose
and responsibility to try to maintain balance
with all forces with which he is affected or
placed in contact.
A simple scales is an example of this bal
ance. The balance-type scales is usually two
objects hung from a solid object. When the
weights on each side are equalized, the solid
part of the scales will be level, in other
words, will be in balance. If there are a
number of weights on one side totalling the
weight on the other side, this balance con
tines; but if we disturb the weights, then
we also disturb the balance. Remove a
weight from one side, and that side goes
up while the other goes down until another
area of balance is reached. In other words,

nature tends to arrive at a point of balance,

just as water arrives at a certain level when
it runs free.
The effect of removing the weight causes
a new adjustment in the scales; and so it is
in human life. The thoughts and actions that
have been ours in this and previous lives
are the total weights that cause us to be in
a certain relationship of balance with the
rest of environment and with the Cosmic.
When we perform any act, we are adding
to the effects of our own volition. If, for
example, my finger is moved to a position
where it is in contact with the fame of a
lighted candle; then the flesh will be burned,
and as a result of the burning, the sensation
of pain will be created in my finger. It is a
simple, physical law that damage to tissue
in the human body creates pain. Therefore,
when mans finger touches a hot object or
comes in contact with a fame, pain will im
media tely cause a reaction to impel him to
withdraw the partthat is, the fingerfrom
the area where pain and damage to the tissue
of the body are taking place.
Now, the fame, as I have stated, is a
physical phenomenon. It does not think to
punish us. The burn and consequent pain
are purely effects of the cause, human tissue
being placed in contact with a condition producing deteriora tion and pain.
This same principie can be extended to
in elude the whole concept of Karma. Karma
is the total sum of all our experience. All
the thoughts that I think and the acts that
I perform lead to the creation of my total
individuality and my total experience. If
I perform an act that is detrimental, then the
effect of that performance will be something
that I will have to experience and carry
with me.
To return to my simple illustration, if I
burn my finger, I am going to have to allow
nature, along with whatever help I can give
it, to heal the damaged tissue and re-establish
a state of balance and harmony where pain
will no longer exist. Merely regretting that
I burned my finger will not solve the problem. The physical course of events will have
to take place. Therefore, we experience
Karma because of all past acts and experi
ences, from which, we might say, we are now
reaching a healing state. The errors and
wrong thinking that have been a part of our
experience are being taken care of in a proc

ess that will bring about a renewal of har

mony and balance.
In my illustrations, I have referred to
conditions that cause inconvenience, discom
fort, and pain. It is this inclination to use
such ideas and experiences that has created
the erroneous concept of Karma as a negative
condition. We have even used the term to
bear our Karma. Actually, we should consider Karma not in the category of a cross
to bear but rather as experience by which
we can grow.
Have you ever stopped to itemize or consider all the events in life which have been
pleasurable and which you have enjoyed?
They are also a part of Karma, conditions
and situations created by right thinking and
living. Life as each individual experiences
it tends toward balance. The experience of
today is based upon our acceptance and use
of what has taken place before. We have to
cope with our environment because there are
factors in it that lead to evolvement. To
the degree that we cope with them, we are
producing causes that will be the Karma of
tomorrow.
If we were perfect, we wouldnt have to
be incarnated in this particular condition and
circumstance. We should be willing to ac
cept our Karma and accept our lives as they
exist at the present time because in attempting to understand them we are contributing
to our environment. We are experiencing a
healing process in which the scars created
in the past are being corrected, and, by
accepting these circumstances of the moment,
we are placing ourselves in a closer and
more harmonious relationship with our
physical environment and with the Cosmic.
Reincamation is the concept of mans liv
ing soul going through many series of experi
ences under different circumstances. We can
learn to control the present circumstances
and by controlling them have a certain con
trol over the future. The past is completed.
The Karma we now experience is the result
of that past. Since we cannot correct what
has aiready been, it is only logical that we
should try to live on such harmonious terms
with our present circumstances that we will
create for ourselves better effectsthat is,
better Karma, better circumstancesfor the
future.
We cannot always be right. Errors of
judgment will cause us to make mistakes, but

in making them we should attempt to understand that the process of correcting our
past errors through our present living is an
important privilege, allowing us to relate
ourselves more closely to the harmony that
is within the Cosmic.A
Should We Eat Meat?
A soror from Ohio takes issue with a statement intended to prove that man should eat
meat. She states: The argument that a type
of tooth indicates man should eat meat appears weak to me. Man is evolving. These
teeth havent changed yet. And they can
tear other things besides meat.
What is derived from the eating of meat
which cannot be obtained from other sources
since everything comes from the earth and
atmosphere, any way?7
This is one of the most recurring of Forum
questions, and it has been dealt with before
in relation to the comparative valu of meat
and vegetable diets, or in relation to its
moral and ethical vales. Since the question
is so basic and since it poses a kind of argu
ment that is not confined to this subject only,
I think it would serve a good purpose to
analyze the question from the standpoint of
good argument and logic.
It isnt difficult to concur with the sorors
points. The argument that a type of tooth
indicates man should eat meat is weak. A
type of tooth may indicate that man can
eat meat or that meat-eating entered into his
evolutionary processes, but that it dictates
what he should eat is certainly questionable.
Nutrition-wise, it has been shown by
countless persons that a meat diet is not
essential to health. Vegetarians, depending
upon the kind of diet they choose, progress
as well as meat-eating humans in matters of
health and vitality.
In the sorors next point, we can concur
to this extent, that the sources of all foods
are in the earth and atmosphere. To a cer
tain extent, man could take in so-called pur
elements and convert them directly into the
substance of his own body. It has recently
been demonstrated that certain bacteria could
be fed and sustained with a stream of electrons, which is about as direct a conversin
of energy as is possible. These are possibilities for the future. There may be a day
when men will no longer eat meat.

For the present, the question of direct con

versin of vegetable matter into the physical
system of a human being cannot be answered
solely on the basis that all foodstuffs come
from the earth and atmosphere; or can it
be simply asked: What is to be derived from
meat that cannot be obtained from other
sources? It isnt alone the basic substances of
nature that are important to diet, but also
the arrangement of these substances in rela
tion to the chemistry of each organism.
Grass and hay are easily digested by
horses and cows, and are converted into ani
mal flesh through their particular body chem
istry and conversin systems. This could
hardly be done by human chemistry or that
of even more carnivorous beasts, such as the
dog, cat, lion, etc. These organisms devel
oped on the basis of other organisms, making
a preliminary conversin of basic substances
into their own systems and converting them
again into the system of the carnivorous
organism.
Sunlight, air, water, and minerals are
converted into green vegetation, which in
turn is converted into flesh through the digestive systems of many animals. These
basic elements could conceivably be con
verted directly into animal flesh, but this is
not the case now. This biological process has
been going on since the beginning of time,
with one form of life giving way to another.
Biologically speaking, the eating of meat is
thus natural to man and to other creatures,
as well.
Behind the meat-vegetable controversy is
something deeper than biological factors. It
is the valu that we as humans place upon
different forms of lifeupon different kinds
of organisms. The objection of many vege
tarians to meat eating is that man kills other
creatures for food. This places him on the
level of lower animals. It lowers his stature
spiritually and acts negatively on his physi
cal system.
Such objections are made thoughtlessly
and on a purely emotional level, for in the
Cosmic sense one form of life has no less
valu than another. Each has an equal right
to express itself. Why is it less spiritual to
kill a cow than a fly? Why are fish not
accorded the same status as pigs? Why are
magnificent trees hewn and flowers plucked
without so much as a thought to the taking
of a life? The continuous conversin of

forms, living or inanimate, is part and parcel

of the nature of being.
It is in intent that man raises or lowers
himself spiritually. It is in intent that he
can be affected negatively or positively by
the foods he eats. Mental and emotional
states have a lot more to do with sustenance
and health than is generally recognized. It
is by his attitude of appreciation and consid
eration for the continuous interchange of
life forms about him that man determines
his spiritual state. As with so many other
things in life, its not so much what a person
does as it is how he does it that counts.B
Physical and Psychic Manifestations
At the Forum conducted as a part of the
Rosicrucian Convention program, the ques
tion was asked: How does one distinguish
between a physical and a psychic manifes
tation?
The tendency on the part of every indi
vidual to try to define or draw a line of
demarcation between two different entities,
functions, or manifestations is both an asset
and a liability. We are obviously better off
when we are certain of the meaning of all
words, phrases, or concepts which we discuss.
On the other hand, if we insist on definition
to an extreme extent, we are apt to limit
certain ideas or forc their meaning into the
limita tion of our own thinking.
Finite thinking is limited by the ability
and concepts of the individual doing the
thinking. Therefore, when we draw a definite line that limits the meaning of a con
cept, we are in a sense restricting that
meaning to the limitation of either our own
or someone elses scope of knowledge and
understanding. Outside the finitethat is,
in the infinite conceptthere needs to be no
definition. If, as a means of illustration, we
may personify God, we can say that for God
there are no definitions. God, being infinite
and unlimited, does not need to establish any
artificial lines of limitation.
Whenever we define, we limit the mean
ing of what we define; but since the concept
of God Himself is infinite and limitless, we
cannot conceive of Him as being restricted
to any limitation. God has in the widest
sense of meaning created energies and forces
that exist and manifest in both a physical and

a psychic world; but in the concept of God

we find no distinction between the two.
This principie can be illustrated at a
physical level. For example, we know that
sound is a form of vibration carried in the
atmosphere or by some other mdium. We
also know that we are equipped with the
perceptive apparatus to change these vibrations in the process of perceiving them
through the physical ear into sounds that
we distinguish as the result of experience.
We can tell the difieren ce between certain
sounds.
We can assign meaning to sounds that we
hear, and in that way in a sense adjust or
adapt ourselves to the perception of different
levels of sound. Different types of auditory
perception include sounds such as whistles,
bells, music, and words that constitute a
vocabulary. Through our association of
sound with meaning, we are better able to
deal intelligently with our fellow human
beings and adjust to the environment in
which we live.
In this area of vibrations that constitutes
the range of sound, we find that our ears,
being of a physical nature, are limited. We
perceive only a certain section of the vibra
tions that produce sound. We know, for ex
ample, that the human range of sound covers
a certain area if it is normal. We are able
to perceive sound from a certain level of
low tones to certain high pitches.
Not too long ago, there was made available on the market a whistle to be used for
calling ones dog. This whistle looks similar
to any other that is made to function by the
pressure of air blown from the mouth, but
when this particular whistle is blown, as far
as the human ear is concemed, no sound is
emitted. However, a dog hears the sound.
This would indicate that the dog has the
ability to perceive sounds that lie outside
the range of human hearing. In other words,
the scale of vibrations that can be perceived
by a dog are higher at one end of the scale
or, we might say, more extensivethan is
the range of human hearing. This same fact
applies to other forms of life. For example,
it is believed by some biologists that bats are
able to hear echoes between themselves and
solid objects and, therefore, are able to guide
their flight in solid darkness because of the
sounds they hear.

The principie which I am illustrating

here is that what we normally conceive as
physical manifestations are simply those that
are limited by our ability to perceive them.
The sound of an ordinary whistle, audible
to the human being, is at one vibratory rate.
We increase that rate to the point where it
cannot be heard by a human being but can
be heard by a dog, and still it is a whistle.
There is no fundamental difference except
in the rate of vibrations.
If we are to conclude that only manifes
tations that can be perceived by the human
senses are physical manifestations, then we
would have to conclude also that a dog is
more psychic than man. Such a conclusin,
however, is incomplete and does not quite
cover the situation.
The fact that this sound can be perceived
by a dog illustrates that although a sound
may be inaudible to the human being, that
is, simply beyond his capacity, it is not a
category of sound distinct from those which
the human being easily perceives.
We can carry this idea further and state,
as we are taught in our monographs, that
everything that exists is the result of vibra
tions brought into effect or manifestation as
a part of the original Creative forc of the
universe. Those which we can perceive with
our physical senses are what we normally
classify as physical manifestations. Those
which we do not perceive with our physical
senses, man is tempted to place in the cate
gory of the psychic.
This shows, however, how unsatisfactory
such a definition or line of demarcation can
be. Many of the things which we cannot
perceive with our physical senses we refer to
as psychic simply because of our own conclusions and experiences. The vibrations
that lie beyond the physical human faculties
may all be considered to be psychic if man
concludes that the realm of physical mani
festations lies within the area of physical
perception.
To attempt to state when vibrations cease
to be physical and become psychic would be
an even more difficult area of definition.
Since we know through experiences such as
those I have outlined in this discussion that
there are physical vibrations not perceptible
to the human being, it is not logical to state
that those which we do not perceive physically are psychic.

As a matter of convenience, we might say,

when we consider the higher vibratory scale,
that man perceives a lower rate of vibrations.
This is an artificial definition, however. In
that sense, we might say further that the
higher vibrations reach into what might be
called the psychic area; and, that as man is
able to sharpen his sense of perception either
through the physical senses, the sense of
intuition, or what is commonly called the
sixth sense, his concepts advance into a psy
chic area. What is physical and what is
psychic, then, is more or less a man-made
definition. If I receive an impression intuitively and not through my physical senses,
I am inclined to believe that it is a psychic
impression; but, actually, its source must
have been the same as that which created
the vibrations which I perceive through my
physical senses.
There is only one way man can be assured
of the validity of the impressions that come
into his consciousness from his inner self,
through the channels of the subjective con
sciousness and the un conscious mind: That
is by experience. If man will listen to the
still, small voice of his inner self, he will
gradually cultivate the ability to receive im
pressions that come from sources outside, or,
we might better say, beyond the area nor
mally perceived by the physical senses.
Psychic impressions prove themselves by
their validity. We can, of course, use our
imaginations and believe that we have re
ceived impressions of various kinds; but we
can prove the validity of psychic impres
sions by observing the results of our use of
them.
Early in our teachings, we give experi
ments to sharpen and develop the intuitive
ability that we have. This can become our
sixth sense. By continuing those experiments
and by depending upon the validity of such
impressions, we develop them to a higher
degree. It is only, then, in the final analysis,
by experience and conscientious application
to the laws of human understanding that we
gain a better insight into the workings of the
Cosmic.A
Self-Consciousness After Trans tion
A frater from Michigan refers to the text
of a Rosicrucian publica tion wherein it states,
in effect, that self-consciousness occurs when
a living entity possesses an organism cap-

able of distinguishing between things external

and the self, such as a human body. His
question is, then, to what degree does the
human soul experience self-consciousness
after transition?
Upon transition, a soul-personality merges
once again with the universal soul, or the
Cosmic. It does not lose identity, as such,
but it loses the sense of realization as we
know it on the objective plae. It is difficult
to depict the state of the soul-personality on
the cosmic plae, for it in no way can be
compared to the state of consciousness with
which we are familiar while incarnate in
the physical body. Certainly it has no means
of comparisonno objectsno separateness
not even timeall of which are necessary for
self-realization.
It is incumbent upon the student of mys
ticism to take the cosmic viewpoint on this
subject. We hold that time and space are
conditions of objective existencethat they
are a part of the great illusion of the world
we realizethat, in fact, they have no actual
existence. Since time is defined as the duration of consciousness, it follows that where
no time exists, no consciousness exists. In
the infinite, all is instantaneous. As far as
the individual is concerned, the time be
tween transition and rebirth can be com
pared to the time between falling asleep and
awakening in the morning. One minute you
are asleep and the next the alarm is ringing.
This comparison is even more dramatically
illustrated by those who are in a coma or
who enter decompression chambers for vari
ous experiments. In these cases, individuis
usually lapse into unconsciousness in the
midst of normal activities. When they awakenwhether it be three minutes or three
months laterthey continu the activities
with which they were previously engaged as
though there had been no time interval
whatsoever.
Thus, as far as the individual is concerned,
there is no long passage of time between
states of consciousness. There is no waiting.
no deliberating, no sense of loss of the
tangible.
The loss of a condition or status such as
self-consciousness should not be confused
with the loss of Self, however. Simply because Self has no means of realization after
transition does not mean that it itself is lost.
Here we may compare Self to a drop of

water, which by itself has individuality

apart from all other things around it. When
merged with a large body of water, it loses
any sense of individuality, for it has given
this up to the individuality of the larger unit.
Nevertheless, the drop of water contines to
exist and at any moment could be thrown
from the sea and again experience indi
viduality.
The life forces that make up the essence
of what is characteristically you will always
seek and find expression in new but related
forms. It is in these forms that self-conscious
ness is achieved. Self-consciousness is to you
a continuing statea world without end. You
can know no other.B

Is There A Birth for A Death?

A frater from Nigeria asks this question:
Do births equal the number of deaths?
In this question, the frater refers to the
polemic discussion of new souls. Are there
as many souls now as there were at the
dawn of creation, or are new souls entering
upon the stage of conscious existence at all
times?
Here again we must refer members to the
basic Rosicrucian concept of soul. There are
no separate souls, but only the one, universal
Soul of God which manifests in each living
being. This great forc will express itself
whenever and wherever there is a vehicle
to carry such expression. Such a vehicle is
man, and man with soul and body becomes
an identity we cali Self, a soul-personality,
and it is this personality which evolves and
changes.
The expression of soul, then, is not determined by any given number of segments
into which it can divide but rather by the
number of physical vehicles through which
it can assume identity.
If we agree with the tenets of the theory
of evolution of the physical world, we assume
that at one time there were no soul-personalities manifesting on the earth plae, and
that when man first emerged as an identity,
as a soul-personality, he was few in number.
It is true that the earth may have had
popula tion explosions before; that once there
may have been as many people on earth as
there now are; that this state of things may
have occurred periodically over the course
of a million or more years. It is true that

we do not know exactly how many people

lived on earth in past eras at any given time
after the ascent of man, but it is still a safe
assumption that there was a beginning point
from which human population grew from
few to many.
It is also true that soul-personalities may
be manifesting throughout the universe; and
though earths population may vary, the
total number of expressions throughout the
universe may still be static. This may be;
but it doesnt have to be in order to meet the
Rosicrucian definition of soul and soul-per
sonality. We do not have to account for
any specific number of soul expressions.
Electricity is similar in its expression. It
is conceived to be as universal as soul. It
expresses itself where and when motors,
lamps, or other vehicles are evolved or provided for it. If there are none, electricity
contines to exist. We might say, perhaps
tritely, that we need not replace every
burned out light bulb with a new one. or
is there a necessity for a new birth for every
transition of a human being.R
Restoring Lives and Souls
A frater from Connecticut asks to address
our Forum. He says: This question comes
to mind after having read several times that
Russian medical science has been able to re
store life to bodies after transition, providing
only that the last breath has not left the
body for too long a period. We understand
that the soul leaves the body with the passing of the last breath of life. Then, should
these Russian reports be true, how can we
account for the belief that souls never leave
the Divine plae except to reincarnate into a
new body or a newborn infant? It would
please me to have the opinion of the Forum
regarding this.
There is considerable controversy arising
today in connection with attempts to restore
life immediately following the authoritative
pronouncement that death or transition has
occurred. To many, such experimenta tion
comes as a new ven ture of science. The fact
of the matter is that, since antiquity, man
has endeavored to bring the dead to life.
Among primitive and early civilizations
various conjurations of a religio-magical na
ture have been practiced with the hope that
theurgical return to life would be accom-

plished. During the early advent of chem

istry, alchemical elixirs and balms were
used upon the dead, combined with the use
of incantations, to resurrect them. The
hagiography of many religionsas the
Christian Bible, for examplecontains references to the resurrection, by their Messiahs
or prophets, of those who had died.
Has man then lost this exalted power or
the art of resurrecting the dead? Undoubtedly, many of the historical references to the
restoring of life were due to ignorance of
the actual condition of the presumed corpse.
It is the opinion of many historians and
thoughtful investigators of such accounts
that perhaps a number of the persons were
actually in a state of catalepsy. In such
state many of the characteristics common to
death are apparent. There is a complete loss
of consciousness and immunity to pain.
There is often a muscular rigidity that corresponds to rigor mortis. There appears, as
well, to be a cessation of organic functions.
It is very difficult, if not impossible, for the
untrained layman to detect any respiration
or pulsation of the heart. Such person may
remain in a condition of suspended animation for hours, even days, and then regain all
his normal functions. The effect of such a
phenomenon upon superstitious and uninformed minds is the equivalent of the
resurrection of the dead. Probably, many
unfortunate persons may have been victims
of this ignorance and, unknowingly, buried
alive.
Such experimentation has always run the
gamut of religious opposition. Attempts to
restore life or to resurrect the dead were con
sidered a trespassing upon divine prerogative,
or at least an interference with spiritual pur
pose. Early experiments were publicly condemned and held up to ridicule. This prejudice or catering to religious aversin is extant
today, even in the editorials of the newspapers. A physiologist and medical physician
connected with one of the large universities
of California has for some time been experimenting on restoring the life of dogs a few
minutes after there was evidence that they
were dead. He and his colleagues claim suc
cess for their experiments. There are other
physicians who dispute the claims that the
dogs had actually died. However, the latter
were not in opposition to the experimen
tation.
(continued overleaf)

The reason for the scientific attempts

was to develop methods of restoring life to
human beings who had been accidentally
electrocuted or asphyxiated. A condemned
person, a murderer, recently requested this
physician, in the interests of his project, to
attempt to restore his life after he would be
executed in the California State Penitentiary.
This would have provided the first human
subject. The warden objected upon the
grounds that legal complications would
arise if the experiment proved a success and
the prisoner lived. A local newspaper edi
torial, pandering to the religious scruples and
bias of its readers, said that perhaps an at
tempt should be made just to prove how
futile and ridiculous were the experiments
in restoring life. Then the editorial stated
that attempts should be made to prevent any
further activities along this line. It implied
that such ventures were shocking to the
sensibilities of its orthodox illiberal-minded
subscribers.
What about the philosophical aspect of
such experiments? We are taught in our
Rosicrucian work that the Vital Life Forc
is that which makes matter animate. To be
more specific, we quote the Rosicrucian Man
ual, to wit: It has naught to do with spirit
energy, which pervades all space and which
does remain in the human body and is active
after transition, and which also exists in all
living matter, whether conscious or not. The
Vital Life Forc is from the same source as
all energy, but is of a distinct and different
rate from that which constitutes spirit energy
and soul energy. In this brief form the
subject may seem complicated. Without repeating the entire presentation of the monographs, we shall sketch the relationship of
the various elements, soul, spirit energy, and
Vital Life Forc.
In the monographs the word nous is given
us. It is declared to be the universal Creative
forc. Obviously, then, it is infinite in its
nature. As a result of it, all things have ex
istence. It is the sum total of all laws in the
Cosmic and, therefore, is the active forc of
the cosmic mind. Another ame for this
nous would be the Universal Soul. Nous is
a binary forc; that is, it consists of two
polarities, a positive undulating vibratory
energy and a negative energy. The positive
polarity manifests in an infinite unlimited
sense. This positive polarity has, as its

principal attribute, the Vital Life Forc

the energy of life.
The negative polarity of nous is spirit
energy, that energy which underlies matter
and results in those manifestations which,
in physics, we know as electrons, atoms, and
molecular mass of matter. The positive vi
brations, however, must unite with the spirit
energy of matter before the Vital Life Forc
manifests and causes the matter to become
animate.
Here, then, we have an example of the
law of the triangle. The duality of the posi
tive and negative polarities unite to produce
the third condition, the living conscious be
ing. In man, when the Vital Life Forc
enters the body, he becomes not only alive
but a conscious being, in other words, a soul.
The positive polarity of nous, the Vital Life
Forc, carries with it the mind or essence of
the Universal Soul. Therefore, when the
Vital Life Forc manifests in a material substance, such as the body of man, it becomes,
as has been stated, a living conscious soul.
How does the Vital Life Forc enter the
material substance which we cali body? Its
ethereal positive vibrations are taken into the
lungs with the air that we breathe. It is the
air that carries this subtle forc which makes
man not only alive but a conscious being and
imbues him with the Divine Intelligence of
nous or the Universal Soul. We further
know, from a study of our Rosicrucian ontology, that one becomes a living soul with the
first breath of life.
Does this contradict the physiological fact
that the unbom child is alive in the womb
of the mother? Not at all. Admittedly, the
child is alive before birth. The cells of its
body are imbued with the Vital Life Forc.
Then, does it not have a soul according to
the above explanation, if Vital Life Forc
and soul are related? The answer is yes?
with important qualifications. The soul of
the unborn child is but an extensin of its
mothers soul-personality. The Vital Life
Forc of the unborn child is received through
the air brought into the lungs of its mother.
The child does not express a separate con
sciousness and soul-personality until it takes
its own independent breath at birth.
What occurs then at transition? Does the
soul leave the body? The answer is yes
and no, paradoxical as that may seem.
Since breathing has ceased, no more of the

Vital Life Forc and positive qualities which

create soul consciousness in a body are being
received. Therefore, the soul can no longer
function in that body as it would during
normal life. However, with the cessation of
respiration, the cells of the body do not all
immediately expire, as we know from physiological and biological research. Some of
the Vital Life Forc remains active in the
nuclei of the cells for hours after the body
has been pronounced dead. The soul then is
in an intermediary State. It is out of the
body and yet it retains a partial connection
with it by means of what is known, mystically, as the Silver Cord. The psychic self or
soul hovers between the cosmic plae and
the body. For all normal purposes, the soul
has left the body; yet its influence over the
body has not been severed. It is like a person who stops just outside his home, closing
the door behind him but keeping his hand
upon the doorknob for a few seconds before
walking away.
The Rosicrucian teachings recognize the
phenomenon of the Silver Cord, the lingering connection between the soul and the
Vital Life Forc remaining in a body. In
fact, in our funeral ritual instructions, it is
requested that, wherever possible, cremation
or burial should not occur until a period of
seven days has elapsed after transition. According to tradition, the Silver Cord has then
been completely severed and the soul finally
released from its bond with the body.
The restoring of life within a short time
after what is called death is a strong possibility. It should be encouraged. If, by physiological means, artificial respiration can be
induced and the blood caused to circuate
before the cell structure has deteriorated and
the vibratory form of the body has been
drastically altered, the functions of life can
be restored. The cells will be so rejuvenated that full soul consciousness would return within the body. The Silver Cord
would be drawn in and the psychic body
would return to the physical one, never having lost its connection. In restoration of life
as described above, the soul-personality
would be the same as before the so-called
transition occurred.
It is regrettable to say that some religious
sects, Christian, as well as others, actually
fight such an advance by Science only because it disturbs their religious theories.

To them, there is no relationship between

Soul and Vital Life Forc. Further, the soul
is considered by them as a separate entity
that has certain arbitrary powers. In death,
therefore, they believe the soul would leave
immediately, regardless of the physical condition of the body. The restoration of life
would create an embarrassing impasse
which would contradict their principies by
leaving the living body a kind of soulless
being. This would necessitate a change of
their theological concepts with respect to the
doctrine of eschatology, the ends of human
existence. Here again we see an example of
an unprogressive religious spirit opposing the
advancement of knowledge. The fact that
the Rosicrucian teachings are flexible enough
to meet scientific trends and to be consistent
with new knowledge and new application of
the cosmic laws should be accepted as testimony of their reliability.X

Bringing Others Into AMORC

A frater of Eire, addressing our Forum,
says: Those of us who desire to study mystical philosophy and develop our inner selves
presumably have reached a high stage of
development in a previous existence. It seems
to follow from that, that all of those who
have no interest whatsoever in mysticism or
a higher spiritual life are at a very low stage
of development. Is there any point in trying
to show them the Rosicrucian viewpoint,
then, since it may be purely above and beyond their present understanding? Or is this
presumptuous? Must we presume that the
majority are unaware of the greater truths
and in many cases need only to have their
understanding awakened?
There are certain persons who mystically
and psychologically are definitely not prepared to receive the Rosicrucian philosophy.
It is not that they do not have the intellect
to comprehend. In fact, they may be highly
intelligent and well educated in a specific
profession. However, they may be so attached to a religious faith in which they have
been reared as to cise their minds intentionally in an attitude of misplaced loyalty toward any conceptions contrary to what they
have been taught. They simply will not
tolerate ideas that do not correspond to their
traditional or habitual beliefs in spiritual
matters. Yet, paradoxically, they may be

very liberal with regard to any new or different knowledge related to their professions.
Such persons are intolerant, not because
they do not affiliate with AMORC, but because they cise their minds to any thought
with which they are not familiar. Such an
attitude of mind, of course, is contrary to the
very precepts of mysticism and metaphysics,
which concern the enlightenment of man. If
one is certain that they are of that type, it is
useless to try to induce them to read Rosicrucian literature or discuss the subject.
It must not be accepted, however, that
when a person is not tolerant or susceptible
to Rosicrucian or mystical philosophy, he or
she will always be so. Most of us can look
back upon our own lives and recall when we
would have rejected any approach to the
Rosicrucian philosophy. In fact, years ago
some of us may have once turned down the
invitation to affiliate with AMORC. Now we
regret the loss of time before there was a
change of mind. Therefore, a friend who
displays no interest after a proper approach
about the Rosicrucian Order should be contacted again on the same subject two or five
years later.
Should we wait until a person evinces a
direct interest in the Order before we speak
to him about it? No, we must be more aggressive. We must be crusaders. In the first
place, many would not know we are Rosicrucians unless we identified ourselves and
spoke of the Order. The member of AMORC
who has not the courage of his convictions to
reveal that he is a member and to be proud
of it should resign. Not only is he not of any
real valu and support to the Order, but
membership in the AMORC can be of little
help to him. Only when one is proud of his
affiliation and has confidence in what he
studies can he then practice and apply the
teachings successfully.
There are two general ways to bring the
AMORC to the attention of the nonmember:
These are the active and passive programs.
The active requires taking the initiative and
speaking about the Order, determinedly trying to engage the interest of others you think
may be worthy to come into the Order. This
can be accomplished in many ways, a few of
which can be mentioned here.
We all have acquaintances, those whom
we meet quite regularly and have the opportunity of engaging in conversations of lengths

varying from three or four minutes to a

much longer period. If we are observant,
we learn from even a casual conversation
what their dominant interests are. Certain
questions can be asked that reveal their
thinking and character.
For example, we can ask an acquaintance
about his opinion on paramount topics of the
day that appear in the press. Then, with a
little skill, the subject can be led around
gradually to a mystical or metaphysical one.
At that time, we can express an opinion
upon that and ask what the other thinks
of the matter. If he is in sympathy with our
ideas, then it is possible to advance more
deeply into the subject. We can say eventually that we enjoyed reading about the sub
ject in the Rosicrucian Digest. This, then,
may elicit the question as to what the Rosi
crucian Digest is. Obviously, then, this opens
the door to tell about AMORC and to lend
the Rosicrucian Digest or, better still, to have
the Mstery of Life booklet sent to the ac
quaintance.
This kind of approach will reveal the
thoughts of many having a philosophical and
mystical bent of mind. It is necessary, how
ever, that as a member of AMORC you be
thoroughly conversant with what the Order
is and is not. Unfortunately, many Rosicrucians make claims about AMORC and say
things in their enthusiasm that are really
absurd. As a result, they lose the interest
of the prospective member and very often
damage the Rosicrucian Order by their
inane remarks.
The little booklet Who and What Are the
Rosicrucians is an excellent one to acquaint
you with facts about the Rosicrucian Order.
It is not intended to give to another for the
purpose of inviting him to affiliate. Rather,
it is a booklet of facts and statistics that will
help you as a member to explain AMORC
intelligently. The best literature to give to
the interested party or inquirer is the Mastery of Life. It is completely informative
and presents the Order in a way to appeal
to the inquiring mind. If you do not have
the booklet Who and What Are the Rosicru
cians, you may, of course, obtain a few copies
free by addressing the Rosicrucian Inquiry
Department, Rosicrucian Park, San Jos,
California 95114. If you will kindly endose
a few postage stamps to assist in the cost of
mailing them, it will be appreciated.

As for the booklet, The M a s te r y of Life,

if you believe a person should have this
booklet, just send his ame and address to
the aforesaid Inquiry Department, and the
booklet will be sent without cost. Your ame
need not be mentioned to the recipient.
Other active ways of acquainting people
with the Order are to address groups, clubs,
or fraternities with which you are connected.
If you have had speaking experience and
have an opportunity to address an assembly,
we will furnish you with a discourse for the
purpose. You then can make notes from it
so as to give it in your own way. You, of
course, must judge what group to address
and what are the proper time and place.
Allow a months time for writing for, receiving the discourse, and studying and preparing for its presentation. If you live overseas
or in a distant country, further time must
be allowed. This, of course, will not be sent
to you air mail unless you send the additional
postage or postal coupons for that purpose.
The passive way to help interest others is
to place literature where it may be seen by
many people. Out of every number, a percentage are interested sufficiently to pick up
a leaflet and read it leisurely. Of course,
there are certain places where the interests
of the people are more conducive to study,
as in public libraries, reading rooms, and
bookstores. Also, where you work, transpor
taron facilities, as well as beauty parlors,
doctors and dentists offices afford excellent
places to leave literature.
You may obtain from the Rosicrucian In
quiry Department a free booklet entitled,
Things You Can Do to Help. This specifically outlines the simple things you can do to
arouse interest and to gain fellow members.
You may have a packet of free literature for
distribution by just writing to the Rosicru
cian Inquiry Department and asking for
Rosicrucian literature to distribute.
Also, do you have available one or more
application forms for membership? After
discussion, when you find that a person is
interested, is the psychological moment to
extend to him or her the application as an
invita tion to affiliate. Further, in your daily
travels, do you carry in your pocket, purse,
or briefcase a few leaflets about AMORC?
If not, why not?X

Knowing the Inner Self

A frater of New York, addressing our
Forum, says: I have a question based
upon the following quotations from the Rosi
crucian Code of Life, appearing in the
Rosicrucian Manual: Look not upon the
changing character of the outer self, but discover the real self within. My question now
is, How can I discover the real self within?
What specific trait must I look for in order
to know if the inner self is manifesting
through the outer self of a particular person?
First, we must know what constitutes the
qualities or characteristics of the inner self
so that they may be recognized. Ordinarily,
we may refer to the inner self as the personality. It is distinguished from character,
and yet it has a relationship to it. The inner
self constitutes your convictions, your moral
sense, as well as your sentiments and higher
emotions, such as compassion, a sense of
justice, and so on.
The inner self, as experienced by us, is
what is commonly called conscience and
ideis. It is the intelligence of the soul forc
within as it is interpreted and expressed by
us. The personality is but an expression of
the soul forc within us. Consequently, the
personality of each individual differs according to his response to these immanent urges
of the soul forc within.
Since some personalities are perverse,
cruel, and immoral, how can we say that
they are related to the inner self? The inner
self in its pur essence is cosmically alike in
all human beings because it is of the uni
versal soul forc. But such is not our per
sonal inner self. The way we inwardly feel
about our experiences and evalate them
constitutes our particular inner self. We
speak about evolving the soul-personality. If
this personality, this expression of the uni
versal soul essence, were the same and per
fect in each of us, there would be no need
for evolving or developing it.
The character of an individual is the be
havior which he adopts to conform to his
personality. We pattern our lives according
to our innermost feelings and thoughts. We
establish restraints and limitations, or, conversely, we give free vent to ourselves with
out any form of self-discipline.
Often many of us do not express our inner

self fully because we have urges, feelings,

and inclinations of it which in the objective
sense mystify us. We are not quite certain
in which direction these impulses tend to
propel us. In other words, many of us are
really strangers to ourselves. Sometimes we
are impelled by the universal soul forc subconsciously, without any associated ideas,
that is, without an understanding of the
motiva tion. Consequently, we may try to
formlate some idea and a subsequent course
of action which we believe will interpret
and express it. The idea or expression which
we adopt for such motivation can often be
wrong and cause us emotional conflict. At
times the real intent of the subconscious and
our interpreta tion of it are not in harmony.
That is why it is sometimes necessary for
one to resort to psychoanalysis. Others who
are trained often, although not always, can
give us a more accurate interpretation of
these impulses of our inner self.
However, it is advisable to be cautious of
amateur psychologists who in the ame of a
church of this or that, set up systems of
treatment under the guise of religin. An
individual not academically trained in medi
cine, psychology, and psychiatry can be very
harmful to the mental health of another by
trying to analyze his personality and give
treatments by suggestion. He may induce
trance states which can only be harmful to
the patient, and there is much evidence of
this having occurred.
Everyone is being guided by his personal
interpretation of the self transformed into
behavior as words, acts, and deeds. But there
are various levels of the soul-personality or
response to the inner self. This is manifest
in the self-discipline, moral behavior, and
human compassion of the individual. A person whose life is spiritual, enlightened, and
noble in its relationship to other human
beings is displaying an advanced personality.
It indicates that his objective consciousness is
more in harmony with the consciousness of
the universal soul within him. Persons who
are kind, gentle, just, and tempera te, and
who exhibit more or less all the cardinal virtues, are most assuredly revealing a high
degree of response to the real inner self.
Actions speak louder than words is a
truism. It is not what one preaches or expounds as a mystical philosophy or religious
doctrine that is of the greatest consequence.

It is how he personally applies what he says.

None of us really can conceal for any length
of time our true reaction to our inner self.
We are constantly conscious of that self. We
are a matrix of emotions and inner feelings.
The way in which we reglate them and the
order in which we give them preference disclose to what extent our inner self is dominating the lower self of the body and its
appetites.
A person may have no expressed moral
philosophy or religious creed as a formal doc
trine. Nevertheless, the life that person leads
and the personality and character displayed,
reveal the extent that the inner self is manifesting through him.
How can we develop this inner self? We
develop it by conforming to the impulse of
righteousness which is innate in each of us.
It is necessary that this sense of righteous
ness be construed in connection with the
broad application of self. In other words, the
self must not be interpreted in the limited
sense of serving the physical being alone.
The self and its interests must be extended
to include the welfare of others. A genuinely charitable and humanitarian disposition is an example of the extensin or
enlargement of the interests of self. To
accomplish this may require the sacrifice of
some of those things which gratify the
limited physical self only. If you experience
this conflict, the reluctance to make such
sacrifice, then you will know that you are
confronted with a test of your personal development.X
History of the Rosy Cross
There have been numerous histories written in past centuries about the Rosicrucian
Order. Some of these have been quite erudite
and scholarly. Of this number, a few have
presented a more or less authentic compendium of the outer facts of the history of the
Rosy Cross. Some of these writers have intended to be apologists and answer the critics
attacks on the ancient fraternity.
Others have used the good ame of the
Rosicrucians as an appeal to readers to purchase their works which consisted of prejudiced scourging of the Order. Such authors
have deliberately omitted some facts or added
extraneous matter to historical facts to sup
port their vicious conclusions. There are a

large number of pamphlets and brochures in

circulation today purporting to present the
history of the Rosicrucians. They are in the
main malicious denunciations of the Rosi
crucian Order and its teachings issued by
Christian religious sects.
One of the classical histories of the Rosi
crucians, a large volume consisting of nearly
seven hundred pages, was written by Arthur
Edward Waite, the first edition appearing in
the early part of this century. Its title is
The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross. It is
classical principally in the sense of its size
and the extent of its circulation. The work,
though a scholarly treatment of the subject,
has not been edited as it should have been
and contains numerous contradictions and
errors obvious to a member of the Rosicru
cian Order. The outside reader, the nonmember, would accept the work as a thorough
treatment of the subject, but that would be
because of his lack of knowledge of the faults
of the work.
It must be stated emphatically that the
writer, Mr. Waite, was definitely handicapped, not by lack of skillful literary ability,
but actually in not having been a member
of the Rosicrucian Order. He writes, therefore, as one dwelling on the perimeter, gathering facts wherever available from the
profane world and from tracts issued by the
Order intended for the public. Mr. Waite,
directly and otherwise, in his tome implies
the secrecy of the Order. Consequently, this
confirms the fact that his work or any other
written by a nonmember cannot be a conclusive plenary history.
In the preface of his first edition, Mr.
Waite writes that at an earlier time he had
sought to compile such a history: It was
impossible at the period that I should have
carried the research further, asfor example
into the inward history of Rosicrucian
symbolism. There were seis upon the gates
leading into such realms, and they were not
to be broken by the simple lettered student.
As such he depended solely on the resources
of ascertainable or public facts, and on the
guidance of precursors who had entered the
regin of debate, though after a certain point
most presumed authorities had to be set
aside.
Ry this, Mr. Waite admits that his earlier
researches were obstructed by seis upon
the gates. Later, he implies that he was

able to make more contact with the inner

aspects of the Order. However, he also ad
mits in the same preface, There is of necessity much which remains to be said on the
inward or vital side . . . There is no evidence available to the Rosicrucian Order that
Mr. Waite was ever initiated into the Order
and a student-member of its inner teachings,
or that he had even had access to the
archives and authentic history and traditions
of the Rosicrucians.
It is related that Mr. Waite was born in
Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A., in the year
1857, of Connecticut paternal ancestry. His
English mother took him to England at the
age of two, following the death of his father
and he never returned to America. In
English and American literary circles, Mr.
Waite has been considered, not only a prolific writer on occult subjects, but a Masonic
historian. On the other hand, Mackeys
Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry gives
no more credit to him as a Masonic historian
than the Rosicrucians do as a Rosicrucian
historian. Waite was not interested in
Masonic history properly so called, and as
represented by Mackey, Gould and Hughan;
in fact, as his prvate correspondence and his
published works prove, he was wholly mistaken about the point and purpose of it, as
when he insisted that Gould tried to prove
that a few illiterate stonemasons had fathered
Speculative Freemasonry. Moreover, when
his specifically Masonic writing is sifted out
of the mass of his writings it is of surprisingly slender volumeeven his New Encyclo
pedia of Freemasonry is less about Masonry
than about occultism.
New editions of Mr. Waites original his
tory of The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross
are now being published in the United States,
the author having passed through transition
several years ago. The history is, as of now,
woefully lacking in all information about the
outer history of the Order since the time of
the first edition. Credit, however, must be
given to Mr. Waite for biographical sketches
of several prominent Rosicrucians. On the
other hand, he also disclaims the connection
of other persons with the Order, whom Rosi
crucians know from their inner sources to
have been members. In other words, Mr.
Waite has done well in researching, collecting, and recording all mundane facts about
the Order; but his conclusions, as evident in

his comments, are often seriously wrong, revealing the fact that he was not a member
of the Order and did not have access to its
inner archives.X
Women in AMORC
A soror rises to address our Forum. She
asks, What part will the sorores of the
Order play in the world situation and in future plans of the Order? Men dominate the
world at present and also hold most of the
Grand Lodge positions. I wonder if women
will take a more active part in Grand Lodge
activities in the next cycle?
Since its inception, the Rosicrucian Order,
AMORC, has recognized the equality of the
sexes. The precept has been based upon the
tradition of the Order which made no distinction between the sexes in regard to
womens relationship to it. According to
tradition and history, women held equal
places of authority in the ancient Egyptian
mystery schools. Many were high priestesses.
In Greece, in certain of the mystery schools,
women also held authoritative rank. It is
noted that among the divinities of Greece,
goddesses were of equal rank with the gods.
The Pythian ora ces at Delphi were women.
There have been many absolute monarchs
in history who were queens. We have visited
the Rain Queen of primitive tribes in South
Africa, whose word was final law and who
received both respect and obedience from the
male members.
The domination of men in world affairs
has, generally, been due to two factors: First,
because women bear children, they were
obliged to assume the principal responsibility
in domestic relations. Men were trained for
hunting and combat and were thus better
prepared physically for war with which
politics and ruling authority were connected.
Control of the affairs of society thus gradually was monopolized by the male sex and
became more or less a tradition.
Second, a psychological factor developed
out of this custom. Aggressiveness, combativeness, and affairs beyond the scope of immediate family relations were considered the
theater of masculine activities. A male was
expected to exhibit these proclivities as characteristics of his sex. A woman, conversely,
was expected to manifest feminine traits, to

be more retiring. An interest in subjects

associated with the male was considered nonfeminine. Consequently, un til the latter part
of the last century, most women conceded to
this status in the progressive cultures of the
world.
As for the AMORC, two members of the
Roard of Directors of the Supreme Grand
Lodge are women and have been for many
years. Under a former constitution of the
Order, extinct now for some time, there were
numerous Regional Grand Lodges. At that
time, every state in the United States had
its own active Grand Lodge, and the Grand
Master of the State of Massachusetts was a
woman. There were Deputy Grand Masters
in other states who were women as, for example, the Grand Lodge of Florida. As
many of you fratres and sorores know, for
many years there have been women Masters
of lodges, chapters, and pronaoi. These wom
en Masters of subordinate bodies are as efficient, in general, as their male counterparts.
Where one Master excels another in accomplishment, it is never a matter of sex but of
personal ability and initiative.
As for the present Grand Lodge, there
are no Grand Lodge officers who are women
on the staff. However, we do have Grand
Councilors, who are Grand Lodge officers,
some of whom are women. Such Grand
Councilors are selected and elected to their
position solely on the basis of their personal
ability and qualifications rather than their
sex. There are on the Grand Lodge staff
women department executives. One of these
* is the business manager of the AMORC, having been in the employ of the Order for over
thirty years. We have had women correspondents in our Instruction Department for
many years.
The women of the AMORC staff are and
must be good Rosicrucians. The term good
here means conforming to all the qualifica
tions required of a member and an officer of
the Order. They are, therefore, fully conversant with the ideis and objectives of the
AMORC. They know that it is incumbent
upon them to carry on whatever the AMORC
hopes to accomplish now or in the future.
Since the Order is an intemational body, it
is closely connected with world affairs in the
respective countries in which it opera tes.
Obviously, then, Rosicrucian women and the

influence they exert will play a part in our

international relations.
As for the supreme position in the Order,
namely, that of the Imperator, there has
never been a woman in that office. However,
there is no traditional proscription against a
womans so serving. Consequently, we may,
at some future time, acknowledge a Madame
Imperator.X

Creating Life
A frater, rising to address our Forum, asks:
How does the recent discovery that the
basic energy of life can be created in a test
tube correspond with the Rosicrucian teach
ings? Could it be possible that life itself could
ever be created artificially, as indicated in a
recent newspaper article?
The chemistry of life has advanced to a
high degree and is very technical. A combination of nucleic and amino acids or organic salts with certain electrical charges
passed through a gas has been reported to
have produced protoplasmic substances, or
simple living cells. These cells, then, would
build up a structure, a kind of templet,
which they transmit, thereby reproducing
themselves.
Has man, then, produced life? He has
actually brought together those material ele
ments as a shell, which when infused with
an energy, establishes the phenomenon of
life. Even in mysticism, it is stated that a
vital life forc and cosmic energy of one
polarity must infuse a material substance
of an opposite polarity before there are those
manifestations which constitute life. Man
is not a creator in this sense, but rather a
discoverer of cosmic and natural laws which
he can direct.
Let us use an analogy: Suppose man admired beautiful trees but depended upon the
caprices of nature to bring them forth and to
grow them. Eventually, he learned that the
seeds of a tree when planted in a particular
soil and nurtured in a certain way would
bring forth a tree. Can we say that man
created the tree? Rather, we can say that he
learned about the substances and direction
of natural phenomena by which trees are
grown at his will.
It was inevitable that in order to manifest
the phenomenon of life when he so desired,

man should learn how to bring about those

conditions that would attract the vital life
forc. This is in no sense a contradiction
of the rational, metaphysical doctrines. To
take the position that life forc is of such a
cosmic or divine nature that it lies outside the
power of direction and understanding by
man is wrong. All nature, the sub-particles
of an atom or a planet, function in specific
ways. If man can comprehend these ways,
he may use them to serve his purpose. There
is no divine fat or edict against such an
operation. It is superstitious to believe that
such is outside the prerogative or right of
human beings.
However, there is a tremendous hiatus
between bringing forth a simple, living cell
and the most elementary of the more complex organisms. To get the cell to develop
and follow certain patterns, so that stage
after stage the living organism will eventu
ally evolve into a specific fish, reptile, or
mammal, is far beyond any possibilities of
science today. Man is not even certain as
to how evolution occurs. Further, he is not
certain what factors bring about mutations
or transitions into the various forms which
life has taken to attain the species which
we know.
There is also the time factor involved.
It has been assumed that millions of years
under specific environmental conditions have
been necessary for life to reach certain complex forms. Will man ever be able to reduce
those millions of years of essential influence
to the span of one human generation? Will
he be able to accelerate the processes of life
development, which are highly complicated
and which, for the most part, are yet even
unknown to him? The most optimistic adv
cate of science cannot give any assurance in
this regard.
The point to be made at this time is that
research on the development of life and the
discovery of the processes of creation are not
a sacrilege. As Rosicrucians, we have always
maintained that a chemical combination of
the material elements of mans body alone
is not sufficient to create life. For years, it
was thought that to produce an exact copy
of the substances, that is, of the chemistry
of a living cell, was all that would be neces
sary to bring forth life in a test tube. The
Rosicrucians contend that a cosmic energy

whose polarity is positive in contrast to the

chemical compounds of the body is also
necessary.
Man is now experimenting with sending
electrical charges of various frequencies
through chemical compounds in gaseous
states to start the life process. There is no
certainty as yet as to what particular frequency of the electromagnetic spectrum accomplishes this feat. It is more probable
that the cosmic energy necessary for life is
drawn to those substances in which they can
function once they are properly brought together. It then generates a templet which
it passes on for a duplication of the process,
that is, a reproduction of the cell.
In a speculative way, it may be asked:
What effect would bringing forth of life by
this means have on the soul forc? In Rosi
crucian metaphysics, we say that the soul
forc enters with the life forc. It is the
intelligence manifest in the process that life
exhibits in its development.
Therefore, whenever the chemical components are so perfect as to attract and arrest
the vital life forc, then in that living cell,
no matter how rudimentary, there will be
that universal soul with its intelligence. It
will exhibit that internal consciousness
which is the intelligence of life. The organism, however, will not have self conscious
ness, that is, be able to realize its inner being
and consciousness, until it has developed a
brain and nervous system by which to reflect
it. A man, for analogy, cannot see a physical
image of himself until he has a mirror to
reflect the object, that is, his body. Likewise,
no organism can reflect the soul image until
it has the mirror of a nervous system and
brain capable of doing so.
Is there a practical valu in mans discovery of how to bring life forth at will?
There are many advantages: Knowledge itself is always of valu. Knowing more about
the life process may make it possible for us
to understand to a greater extent growth and
nutrition so as to prolong human life. Further, this may give an insight into the deeper
realms of the workings of nature. It also may
make it possible for man to develop bacteria
microscopic organisms that he can use to
combat hostile ones, such as diseases in plant
and animal life.
These biochem ical experimenters will
probably be subject to vilification by fanati-

cal religionists just as were the early experi

menters in alchemy. There are still those
who think that probing into nature is a violation of divine secrecy.X

What Are Negative Thoughts?

A soror, addressing our Forum, says: This
question frequently comes to mind: Just
what are negative thoughts? Also, a frater
in England writes to ask: How can a person
recognize if he or she is pursuing a negative
path?
The word, negative, especially in metaphysical vernacular, has acquired a pernicious significance. In answer to these questions, then, we believe it first necessary to see
that negative in itself is not inherently
adverse.
Generally, in connection with thought, the
word negative alludes to the stopping, opposing, or arresting of an idea. It does not imply
that it is necessarily evil in its intent. In
fact, a malevolent thought intended to do
harm can be positive. The word positive,
in this connection, refers to action, movement, accomplishment. An individual, for
analogy, planning to rob a bank, is thinking
psychologically in a positive way since his
plan requires dynamic action. It is only by
habit of expression, by usage, that we would
cali his thought negative.
To use the same analogy, law enforcement officers who learn of the planned robbery and develop a counter plan to prevent
it, are thinking negatively. From this, one
can see that negative has an adverse conno
taron associated with it only in relation to
its application. In other words, it depends
upon whether it is used in connection with
a constructive or destructive purpose. For
further analogy, a group of metaphysical
students may concntrate to try to prevent
by their thought the avowed function of
another, which they think to be destructive.
These metaphysical students are attempting
to block, to arrest, an action by another.
Psychologically, their thought in purpose
and function is consequently negative, but
it is for a beneficent reason.
Each of us may be inclined to think that
any individual or group whose thoughts and
deeds oppose our own purpose is thinking
negatively. On the other hand, they may

believe that their action is positive because

their intent is morally and ethically correct
from their point of view. Consequently, we
can see that it is not whether the thought
seeks to arrest or to stimulate something
which alone makes it good or bad. Rather,
it depends upon the motive behind it. If the
thought is prompted by jealousy, avarice, or
revenge with the intent to hurt, or to enslave or suppress truth, then it can be called
negative in the moral and ethical sense,
whether it is psychologically positive or
negative in its action.
There are many who should have negative
thoughts directed toward them to arrest what
they are endeavoring to do. In other words,
they should be stopped if possible.
Can negative thoughts reach out from the
mind of another? The answer is yes. We
have answered this in a previous discussion
in the Forum but will touch upon it again
at this time. In making this statement, we
are not really contradicting remarks upon the
subject which appear in our monographs.
All thought is vibratory, regardless of its
content. If thought can be transmitted, and
we know that it can, then adverse thought
can likewise be extended from the minds of
those who conceive it. It can, depending
upon the ability of the individual reaching
out, annihilate time and space as readily as
can any constructive thought.
Are we to presume from this that everyone
is at the mercy of malevolent persons and
the thoughts that they transmit to inflict
harm? One cannot be affected by such nega
tive thoughts if he does not desire to submit
to them. Our own thoughts of righteousness,
of what we conceive as morally good, are in
our subconscious as personal laws and are
habitual with us. Their intimacy makes
them stronger than the adverse thoughts
reaching out from others. In other words,
thoughts of others cannot penetrate our consciousness and compel us to act contrary to
what we conceive as good if our motives
oppose them.
To use an analogy, if we consciously
would not enter into an act that society generally and we in particular think to be im
moral, then no one can compel us by their
thought to resort to such an act. Our own
moral self, our own inner being, is the guard
in of the threshold of consciousness. No

exterior thought can surmount or supersede it.

There is only one exception: If we had no
confidence in ourselves, and were afraid that
we might submit to the evil thought of
others, if our own restraint were so weak
that we could be affected, then the thought
of others could be harmful. Psychologically,
however, it would not be that their thoughts
actually were dominating our consciousness
and life. Rather, it would be that subconsciously we were suggesting to ourselves that
we were weak and must submit. This is the
kind of self mental poisoning that Dr. Lewis
explains in his book by that title. In that
book, he refutes the superstitions of black
magic, the belief in elementis and that man
can be enslaved by the thoughts of others
projected to him. He shows that the belief
in such is the only dangerous factor; that
thereby we poison our own minds.
If we ask for cosmic help and wish to keep
clean minds and maintain certain moris,
we then have a safeguard against any exterior
impression that might be harmful. Our own
thought, we repeat, is stronger than that of
an extemal source.
Then there is the question asked by the
frater as to how we know whether we are
pursuing a negative path. A negative path
is any action followed or adopted by us
which tends to oppose or arrest a constructive
cause. Again the question of motive is involved. Analyze the motive and consequence
of what you are about to say or do, or which
you plan as a course of action. Ask yourself
what results will follow from it. Will they
be contrary to your moral standards or those
of society? Will such action bring a hurt
of any kind to another person? If the answer
is in the affirmative, then you are pursuing
a negative path. It is negative in the sense
that it prevens what otherwise might have
been a constructive venture.
We sometimes enter upon some activity
without the realization that it is adverse in
its nature. When we discover ultimately
that it is so, we are usually provided with
the opportunity of rectifying what has been
done or preventing further action. Even this
effort to prevent wrong action is in itself
negative, as we have said, in that it is arresting something; but its purpose is construc
tive.X

M uticcd 9UumH#tUt4i'
"ESSAYS OF A MODERN MYSTIC
By D r. H. S p en cer Lewis
comes this inner illumination? It is part of
the Cosmic, the universal consciousness. The wisdom of
the Cosmicof the universal minddescends, expanding
outward. Figuratively speaking, it is like a spiral. It
permeates mans consciousness to become the superior
intelligence of his subconscious mind. There it lies ready
to be called forth and used by every mortal.
Rationalism and materialism are undermining the
dogmatism of many religions today. It is mysticism that
will be the strong element in preventing further de
terioration of morality. This book, Essays of A Modern
Mystic, will disclose the personal confidence and enlightenment that mystical insight can give to an in
dividual. You will find an inner peace and a sense of
security in reading the chapters of this book. Here is a
work written without prejudice. It is simple, forceful,
and convincing in the truth which it reveis.
w /h e, n c e

LOOK AT THESE CHAPTERS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
The inner visin o f ihe mystic
is ihe eye of ihe soul.

God and the Cosmic

Cosmic Gifts
Free W ill
About H ealing
Reincarnation
Psychic Cenlers
Psychic Faculties o f
Children
Prenatal Influences
The Soul of Twins
Human Auras and
Science
Hypnotism
Amputation and Psychic
Developm ent

13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.

Jealousy and Love

Sleep
The Fountain o f Youth
About Hunches
Demonstrating Psychic
Power
Telepathic
Communication
Swedenborg and
Jacob Boehm e
Mystical Numbers
D o Animals Have
Souls?
Cremation
Transition

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Greetings!
V

WHAT IS WRONG WITH CIVILIZATION?

that possibly transcend its capacity to proDear Fratres and Sorores:
What is fundamentally wrong with our vide them. Consequently, that class of so
ciety whose desires are left unsatisfied will
civilization? This is a question frequently
criticize the times, or the state, as being eco
heard today. The question obviously preinadequate.
supposes some State of perfection, or at least nomically
The same circumstance applies to the
conditions which transcend those of the
political provisions of a state. There will
present.
arise a group whose concepts of the
The annals of history reveal its golden always
state and its relation to the individual are
ages, but even such periods did not have the not
in accord with those proclaimed by the
universal eiidorsement of all the people who
prevailing
government. From their point of
lived in them. History discloses political and
view, to compel them to abide by the estabsocial factions and various dissenters during
lished provisions of the state is an injustice.
the most peaceful eras. For a people to fully
approve of the conditions of their times, so- They consider such obligations an indictcially, politically, and economically, would ment against the civilization of their times.
It is presumed that a liberal state is one
first necessitate the formation of concepts
that
permits the individual to rise to the
in each of these spheres that would be acheights of his personal consciousness. By
ceptable to all. Further, it would require
that each person alike experience these con consciousness, in this instance, we mean the
realization of whatever ideis the individual
cepts as realities.
Let us assume that, in the economic sphere may be capable. Such does not thwart per
sonal initiative, inspired visin, or the exof some state or society, the ideal, or end, to
pression
of ones talents.
be achieved is the security of the individual.
It is patent, however, that the pursuit of
How should that security be interpreted? A
ones unrestrained personal interests may
general assertion that it should mean freedom
result in conflict with those of another. A
from want for the citizen is not sufficient.
A want is a desire. All the desires of indi well-organized minority of society, pressing
viduis are not alike even though the basic for a common interest, may inadvertently,
or otherwise, deprive others of the enjoyment
urges of human beings are the same. Once the
of their pursuit.
necessities are plentiful, the imagination beHere arises the first problem of any
gins to idealize the content of them. It seeks
political or social ideology. It is the limitato stimulate the positive pleasure which they
afford. This results in gluttony, or at least tion of an individuars exercise of his personal
a refinement of the quality of the neces powers in order to preserve those of another.
In theory, this limitation is a reciprocal act.
sities. Very few who have available an
Each individual is to receive in consideration
abundance of coarse, wholesome foods are
of those powers of which he is deprived by
content not to indulge a more elabrate fare.
Therefore, with the satisfaction of any basic the state a guarantee of security for those
privileges which he still retains.
need, there eventually comes discrimination.
The ethical precept underlying this pracOne feels sufficiently secure to assert preferences. These preferences become highly indi- tice of government is the permitting of each
vidualistic and constitute a new specific set person the full exercise of his desires and
powers so long as he does not interfere with
of wants.
the like rights of others. Let us use an
Whereas society may have proclaimed a
freedom from want for its citizens predicated
analogy to illustrate. The floor of an orchard
upon a certain standard of requirements, it is is littered with apples. Two small boys are
permitted to satisfy their desire for these
eventually confronted with these new wants

apples. Each may take away as many as he

can carry. The only provision is that he
does not prevent the other from doing like
wise. One boy is larger than the other and
is able to carry a greater quantity of apples.
Perhaps he is more resourceful and obtains
a basket in which to carry away his apples
instead of merely trying to put all of them
somewhere on his person. Here, then, is an
inequality of result. One of the boys will
obtain a greater number of apples. However,
he will not do so at the expense of the others
opportunity.
Such a principie encourages the exercise
of intelligence to devise ways and means
whereby the individual may capitalize on his
inherent initiative. The important factor up
on which the effectiveness of this principie
depends is the extent of the resources and
facilities available to the individual. So long
as these are ampie, one may fully exercise
his personal ambition and with relatively
little effort avoid circumstances whereby he
interferes with the similar pursuits of others.
Where there is a paucity of resources or
opportunities for the individual, there is a
severe strain upon this ethical principie of
mutual noninterference with the rights of
others. To resort again to our analogy, suppose many boys are told that they may avail
themselves of the apples on the orchard floor.
However, there are not sufficient apples to
go around! Each boy is imbued with the de
sire to have an apple. Each, as well, believes
it is his prerogative to have one. The
stronger, quicker, and more resourceful boys
will obtain the apples; they will feel justified
in exercising their right and ability to
achieve their ends. What of the others who
obtained no apples?
The state, or society, may say that the
unsatisfied boys in the orchard, under such
provisions, were given an equal opportunity
to achieve their endthat no one interfered
with their rights. It could further proclaim
that such is free enterprise and free competition. The fact remains that, in the analogy

given, there was an inequality in both capabilities and resources. Where both such con
ditions prevail, there is actually no equal
pursuit of interests by the members of so
ciety. The group or class, intellectually
handicapped or lacking talents, is in effect
being opposed by those with more aggressive
characteristics and abilities.
Under these conditions, the state which
emphasizes the equality of all of its citizenry
eventually finds itself in an embarrassing
and incongruous position. A class discrimi
naron arises consisting of the haves and the
have-nots. The rich and poor have always
existed in every civilization. However, where
the emphasis is placed upon a complete
equality and there is a lack of resources, as
well as an inequality of capabilities, the idea
of in justice is heightened.
The individual is inclined to reason thus:
I have an equal right with every other mem
ber of society to the fulfillment of my
wishes; therefore, I am not to be penalized
for lacking the talents or acumen of another.
In other words, he expects the state, which
has conferred upon him an ethical equality
that has made him politically the equal of
other men, to provide for his natural deficiencies as well. He deems it a folly to
proclaim that two persons have an equal
right to books on a shelf if, at the same time,
one of them is shorter in height than the
other and thus handicapped in his oppor
tunity. He reasons that there is no equality
unless the natural handicap of the shorter
individual is compensated for.
In earlier periods of the worlds history,
when the ideology of the equal rights of peopies was expounded, there were two princi
pal conditions which were different from
those now prevailing.
First, there was no concerted effort to
standardize living in terms of the quality
and kind of possessions which an individual
should have. A man might aspire to own a
pretentious home and a stable of fine horses.
He had the right to obtain them if he could,

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within the limitations of the laws of his society. He experienced his equality wholly in
his right of opportunity. It was not a right
to have the same quality of possessions as his
neighbor, regardless of personal qualifications. Second, the demand for the resources
needed to satisfy the more exalted standard
of living was not as great as it is now. The
materials needed could be obtained wholly
within the country or through free trade
with other powers. Further, the individual
might depart to some new land where there
was an abundance for his needs with a mni
mum of legal complications to be encountered in re-establishing himself. The sol
requirements were principally the initiative
and the personal sacrifice to make such a
journey.
In our present civilization, where the
principie of equality prevails, extensive advertising of producs through the mdium of
radio, newspapers, and periodicals creates
equal desires for these producs among all
people. The psychological effect is to cause
the individual to conceive that his equal right
includes the possession of such standards of
living, whether he personally is able to
achieve them or not. Such appeals, it is
admitted, do stimulate initiative and do advance many to higher material standards of
living. On the other hand, those who are
not proficient in attaining these things only
come to experience unrest as a result. They
become critical of their state.
Today, increased population and a complex mode of living in the nations having a
higher standard and proclaiming equality
of the people have brought about an insufficiency of materials. Such nations have
become more and more dependent upon the
resources of others. It is not economically
possible for all to have the kind and quality
of materials which are made to appear their
right.
The competition for material success, con
sequen tly, is growing more and more intense.
It becomes obvious that the more qualified
individual, the one most naturally adept,
with initiative and training, will be the one
who succeeds. There are just not enough
apples on the orchard floor for the others
yet each is made to feel that it is his right
to have one.
In trying to surmount this problem of the
inequality of the personal powers of indi

viduis and, as well, the insufficiency of re

sources, some govemments are resorting to
increasingly drastic measures. In effect,
these measures are actually mitigating the
basic principie of equal rights. The ambitions and initiative of the individual and of
groups of individuis are being restrained
by legislation. It is declared that such limi
tations on initiative are not being made to
destroy free enterprise, but rather to bring
about a more equal distribution of gains.
It amounts to telling the quicker and more
successful boys in the orchard to adapt themselves to those having less proficiency; otherwise, there will not be sufficient apples
for all!
Such a state of affairs may make those
less endowed members of society, those with
less of the wherewithal to succeed, quite
happy. Conversely, it makes the element of
society having greater initiative and natural
advantages dissatisfied. It contributes to
creating the class friction which we are
now experiencing as one of the evils of our
present-day civilization.
The state itself is made to compete with
one class of its citizens to further the interests
of another. This tends to destroy the natural
dynamic resourcefulness of the individual,
which in the past built up the power and
greatness of the very nations which cherish
the equality of the rights of the individual.
The state finds itself in the awkward position
of not merely equalizing the right of oppor
tunity of its citizens but trying to equalize
their personal qualifications as well. It is
directing one not to use his personal powers
to the fullest extent if such acts gain him
ends which cannot be had by another.
Actually, such states are not intending to
discourage the individuals personal develop
ment. In fact, more and more through the
propaganda channels of our day, emphasis
is being placed on the valu of education and
the expression of personal abilities. How
ever, in effect, the incentive to exercise
abilities and talents is being dampened. Instinctively, a desire must be gratified or it
eventually becomes extinct. Further, this
tendency upon the part of government to
patronize those who have less initiative and
to interpret the equal rights of the individual
in the sense of equal standards for all instead
of the opportunity to achieve equally will

create a nation of dependents instead of resourceful individuis.

It would appear that the solution of these
problems lies in either of two courses. The
first would be the abolition of nationalism.
The maintaining of separate nations constitutes conformity to an obsolete tradition.
Such a practce, economically and culturally,
should not be continued in our age. A one
world, a federation of humanity as a single
state, is no longer to be thought of as a
utopian ideal but as an absolute necessity.
Without it, increased class friction and economic instability will continu.
Out of such conditions are born wars
possibly wars from which civilization may
never recover. Such a federation of peoples,
a world state, would result in a greater availability to all of the worlds resourcesat
least, to all who have the initiative to acquire them. It would permit the natural
inclination to seek material reward for efforts
expended; it would cease the justificatin of
indolence and encourage independence and
self-reliance.
The alternative solution is of a mystical
na ture. It is the cultivation on the part of
the individual of a new set of vales of living
within himself. He would no longer make
satisfaction in life just the acquisition of
material or worldly particulars. He would
no longer race against his neighbor for objects of material wealth or for fame or
political power. He would not interpret happiness solely in terms of things but principally in states of mind.
Each individual would necessarily strive
to be self-supporting and would meet the
requirements for himself and family insofar
as bodily comfort is concerned. The great
pleasures of life, however, the ends of his
personal existence, would not be sensual.
Such ends would be, instead, an inner peace
that comes from the mastery of self.
This mastery would be an understanding
of ones relations to the Cosmic and an even
tual consciousness of being in accord with
it. This would permit the continued acceleration of intellectual pursuits, such as the arts
and sciences, but with a different connotation
put upon them.
Would not this latter solution be more
representative of a truly advanced civilizatl0n?
Fratemally, RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator.

Our Greatest Possession

In the Second Neophyte degree of the
Rosicrucian teachings, it is pointed out that
mans possessions are, after all, no more
than the material parts of the world which
are given to him for his use. We are discouraged from using the first person pronoun
repeatedly and referring to all that we have
as our own possessions. The reason why
these are discouraged is that by emphasizing
the objective I and concentrating and directing our attention repeatedly to our ma
terial possessions, we are exaggerating the
objective phase of our being.
Every time we think in terms of the ob
jective self, that is, I, and concntrate our
time and effort in the analysis, contemplation, and consideration of our possessions,
we are directing the energy which is derived
from the life forc within us toward the
physical, material, transitory phase of our
existence. The dwelling upon these areas of
thought tends to bring to consciousness only
the elements of life which are physical and
material. Obviously, the materialist concentrates upon them as a matter of choice. He
is concemed primarily with a philosophy
that bases itself upon material vales.
The idealist, on the other hand, while he
acknowledges that there is certain valu and
usefulness in the material world, should not
direct his effort and energy toward the con
sideration of those factors of his life to the
extent that material things are placed in a
category out of proportion to their true vales
vales that man should strive to attain in
order to be worthy of etemal life.
If we are to consider at all the possessions
that are ours, we should analyze those which
are durable in terms of etemity rather than
of the physical world and our physical life
span. Those which fall in this latter category
may not have immediate and apparent valu,
but they are the fountains from which spring
all that man can keep as a part of his equipment or soul consciousness beyond the realm
of mortal life.
It would be difficult to state which of the
possessions in this category are the most important unless it is that of life itself, which
is only a phase of the soul or life forc resident within us. Without it, as pltysical beings, we would be nothing; and so man has

cultivated the desire and expended the energy to maintain life.

But maintaining life just to maintain it has
little valu, no more than the collecting of
gold on the part of a miser, who does not
intend to utilize it so that it may do good or,
at least, perform a Service in securing other
material possessions.
Life, in the same manner, has no valu of
itself unless it is used. The life forc within
us is the gift of our Creator. It is the foundation or basis upon which we have exist
ence; and as a result of existence, we have
the gift of material or physical life. We also
have consciousness and soul, which we utilize
in order to evolve our objective realization
to a level equal to that of the soul or infinite
consciousness.
Other than life itself, we might say that
our most valuable possession, the greatest
accompaniment of life, is not consciousness
but unconsciousness. The unconscious mind
of man is closely related to the soul and the
life forc. In fact, I am of the opinion that
we are only quibbling when we attempt
nominally to define differences between
soul, life forc, and the unconscious. They
are so closely related that they are impossible
to distinguish between, except by man-made
definitions which are mere conveniences for
placing them in categories which we can use.
Actually, the unconscious is to man what
the spring of a clock is to its works. The
dial of the clock does not show the spring.
It only shows the result of the action of the
spring in gradually continuing its process
of unwinding and, therefore, activating the
works or mechanism of the clock. The un
conscious within man is the spring of his
physical and psychic existence.
Physically, without the unconscious, we
would have no time to do anything, even to
enjoy ourselves, let alone to labor for a purposeful end, because it is the unconscious
that regula tes the bodily functions. It causes
us to breathe, the heart to beat, digestin to
take place, the blood to plsate through the
veins and arteries. In other words, it is the
basis of life.
Beyond these elementary functions, the
unconscious has far more extensive ramifi
cations. Extending from the unconscious to
the conscious area, the unconscious becomes
the storehouse of memory and the basis by
which the native reflexes of our body can be

converted into habit patterns. It is these

habit patterns which make it possible to accomplish a great deal of what we do here
on earth without having to relearn everything at the beginning of each day.
Without the habits which we have accumulated, both good and bad, and the
memories which are stored away in the un
conscious, we would have no storehouse
upon which to cali for utilizing the experience which has been ours in life. The fact
that we can continu an existence which is
to a degree adapted to our environment is
completely at the mercy of these functions
of the unconscious, regardless of the valu
with which we appraise our experience.
Those who have studied depth psychology
have found that what I have said here only
begins to emphasize some of the attributes
and abilities of the unconscious. The un
conscious is to the soul what the objective
consciousness is to the brain. Just as our
objective consciousness sorts out the impressions, perceptions, and judgments which we
have in our objective minds in the process
of daily living; so the unconscious, which is
the mind of the soul, stores all knowledge
which the soul has access to and is able to
attain.
The experience and knowledge of past incamations and the experience and knowledge
of life, which we may not have been con
scious of objectively, is stored in the un
conscious mind and has a direct and profound
effect upon the behavior, health, and general
outlook of each individual while living a
physical existence.
I will not attempt here to analyze the
theories and results of research done in the
field of the unconscious by such as Freud,
Jung, Adler, and many others. I refer the
interested reader to those sources. However,
the fact that should be apparent to those
who study something of the research being
done in the area of the unconscious, a fact
actually little appreciated by many who live
today, is that so much of what constitutes
the unconscious remains the unconscious;
so much has been attained by the uncon
scious without objective awareness on our
part.
We receive glimpses of the unconscious
through intuition, some drfeams, and occasional presentiments that come into objective
consciousness. Actually, though, we spend

far too little time in permitting the objective

mind to be at peace and rest so that the
knowledge of the unconscious and its cise
relationship to the Cosmic and the Infinite
can creep into our objective consciousness
where it can be useful in our lives as we live
them from day to day.
It is, of course, for this purpose that the
Rosicrucians teach the techniques and proc
esses of concentration and meditation. Just
as the five physical senses are the channels
by which we are able to feed the objective
consciousness from outside ourselves, so is
intuition one of the channels by which we
feed the objective consciousness direct from
the inner self, or the unconscious.
If the unconscious is such an exacting
state that it can accumulate the knowledge
of the ages without objective, conscious ef
fort on our part, how much more valuable
would that phase of our existence be if we
directed our attention toward its cultivation?
By concentration, we are able to suggest to
the unconscious our own experiences,
thoughts, aspirations, hopes; and then, by
meditation, to draw upon the judgment that
comes from the unconscious as a result of
what we feed into it.
Many go through life without ever trying
consciously to feed the unconscious. If we
are to use it to its fullest extent, we should
attempt to develop it, to evolve it, and through
meditation and concentration, to develop the
techniques for calling upon it. That way we
can use our hunches. We can use our intui
tion. We can bring more than the memories
and surface decisions of our objective mind
to bear upon our problems and our lives. We
can use the unconscious for what it truly is
the greatest possession of mans self.A

Tithing
A soror from Washington asks about tith
ing. What is the Churchs basis for it? What
is its origin?
Tithing dates back to the Mosaic period,
when the Israelites were expected to con
tribute one-tenth of their income or possessions to the purposes of religin. This practice was carried over into the Christian period
but put on a voluntary basis. Later, it became an actual basis for ta xation by small
government units not associated with the
Church.

Why the sum of one-tenth was settled

upon rather than one-fifth, one-twentieth, or
some other fraction, is not clearly known.
It may have been arbitrary, based, however,
on a calculated scale of importance of each
element of the ancient farmers needs and
activities. Ten percent or one-tenth is also
an easy fraction to work with, and this may
have entered into the picture. It may have
been justified by virtue of revelation, which
was the basis for many rules and procedures
in early Hebrew history.
Many churches today attempt to justify
tithing on the basis that it is gospel. Simply
because gospel characters or peoples tithed
is reason enough for the act to be sacreda
required discipline ordained by God.
Tithing or putting aside any set part of
your income or possessions for religious pur
posesor for any other endeavor, for that
matteris a means of stabilizing the institu
tion of which you are a part. It is a form
of taxation, much as AMORC dues are a tax
on each member to help support the organization and stabilize its physical existence.
Taxation of this sort allows for a more equitable distribution of the cost of an endeavor
among the people involved than does a sys
tem of alms and periodic appeals.
There is nothing sacred about the tithe,
however. Financial support is a question of
each person taking a just share of the burden
for supporting those institutions he favors.B
A Fable
In an office building of a moderate-sized
city, a man sat in his office reviewing his
circumstances insofar as his business and
personal life were concerned. He believed
in his own mind that he was a competent
businessman, that he had conducted a reasonably successful business; but at the same
time, he felt that he could have brought
much more of the material goods of the world
to himself and family, as well as to others
about him, had he been more astute in his
judgments of the changing times in which
he lived.
Mr. X, as we shall cali him for want of a
better ame, like many individuis, had not
foreseen the rapid growth of business, industry, cities, and other conditions that affect
the economic life of all who' live in a modern
complex world. While thinking about the
opportunities that he had missed, many of

which he felt he should have foreseen, Mr.

X thought that similar ones probably exist
now, that if he could only have the foresight
to take advantage of them, he could make
up for those he had missed in the past ten
years.
In a daydreaming mood, he began to con
tmplate the possibilities that would have
been so valuable to him if he could have
foreseen ten years into the future. These
thoughts reminded him that if he could now
anticipate what would occur during the next
ten years, similar opportunities probably
existed. He was not an od man. If he could
take advantage of the next ten years better
than he had the past, he could put his children through college, provide security for
himself and his family, as well as assist in
many worthwhile activities in which he was
interested.
Since he was discouraged by his failure
to take advantage of opportunities in the
past, he dwelt upon the wish for future
knowledge. Suddenly, a voice in his office
told him that since he wished to know certain
facts about the future, he would be given a
limited view of that future; he would be
transported exactly ten years ahead of the
present moment.
The voice told him that, for a period of
four hours, he would be able to live in the
locality where he had lived for a long time
and have the opportunity to discover what
was going on or would occur ten years in
the future. In other words, he would for a
period of four hours be given the opportunity
to observe the city where he lived as it would
be in ten years; he would be able to make
observations and decisions that would direct
him during the ten-year period. His prime
concern was to utilize the few hours of the
future so that he could bring back information that he could use upon his return to the
present.
The voice stopped. Mr. X noticed by his
clock that it was one p.m. He had four hours
of the afternoon in which to live in the future. As he turned from his desk and looked
out the window, he immediately noted
changes in the familiar scene. He had already been transported to a period ten years
into the future. Remembering the short time
allotted him, he rushed to the door of his
office, down the elevator, out of the building,
and onto the Street.

The first thing he did was to buy a newspaper, which was dated exactly ten years in
advance of the date upon which he had reported to work that day. He scanned the
headlines, not interested particularly in the
worlds affairs but rather in developments
in his immediate locality that had taken
place in the ten year period over which he
had been transported.
Wondering how he might best take ad
vantage of the four hours and being an exact
and meticulous individual, he decided that
the best way to appraise the changes in the
city would be to charter a helicopter and
look over the city for a period of an hour.
He called a taxi and asked to be taken to the
municipal airport. On the way, he scanned
the newspaper, making notes on the changes
of conditions and circumstances, as well as
recording quotations from the stock market
and commodity pages. He believed that
thorough notes would serve him in taking
advantage of increases in prices of things
that he could buy and thereby realize the
appreciation in valu.
Arriving at the airport, he succeeded in
chartering a helicopter for an hour and was
taken on a trip over the city in which he had
spent his life. He was amazed to see the
obvious changesnew streets, new buildings,
new areas of development. While riding
over the city, he was able to continu making
notes regarding the direction in which the
city was expanding, where new streets had
been built, and where new ones were being
planned. He saw the trend of future business and in that way gained an idea of the
properties which would increase in valu and
to some extent the types of businesses which
were going to prosper.
He made thorough notes. He noted every
physical appearance that indicated change,
and he made a record of them. His hour was
completed. He retumed to the municipal
airport and then took a taxi back to the cen
tral part of town. There, as he walked down
the Street, he observed the many changes
that had taken place in the city. At the of
fice of a daily newspaper, he spent some
time going through the files of newspapers to
secure more specific data and information in
regard to the changes that had taken place.
He passed two hours in the newspaper office,
noting the many events that had occurred
during the ten-year period. With growing

excitement, he anticipated how he would

utilize the information.
When his two hours were up, he realized
that only a short time remained before his
four hours in the future would be over and
he would have to be back in his office as he
had been instructed. He walked quickly
about the town, keeping alert to those situa
tions that he believed would be of valu. He
stopped in a bank and discussed a few matters with one of the officers. At a brokerage
office, he noticed the financial transactions
of that day and again made many notes of
the changes in prices of stocks and commodities.
Well before the deadline, he was on his
way back to his office. There he stood at
the window and again observed the city as it
would be ten years in the future. Since he
was a thorough man, he made reference to
the many notes that he had completed, and
he even had time to make a few telephone
calis to confirm some of the information that
he had recorded.
He had noted to the best of his ability and
in what he thought was a proficient manner
the important events that would be of use to
him. He was efficient, and he had methodically recorded information. But one thing he
had failed to make note of: In the newspapers
which he had examined, there was one item
that should have attracted his attention, but
he had missed it. It was in the obituary column. Mr. X had passed through transition
only a few months before this hypothetical
date.A

The Aquarian Age

From England, a frater asks about the ages
of earth. This apparently refers to various
periods of years having the stamp of a par
ticular zodiacal sign or influence. I may
have it wrong, but the occasional reference
makes it appear that the precession of the
signs is in reverse to the annual order of
procession from Aries to Taurus, to Gemini,
and so on. Could we have some discussion
of this subject? Could we know if the ages
do proceed in the way I have the impression
they do? How long is an age? Is this of a
determinable length? What influence do
these ages have on the evolutionary processes
of the world?

Well, discussion is what we shall have.

History is always an intriguing subject. To
know what the world has been through and
to speculate on what it may go through in
the years ahead have a fascination all their
own. Since the dawn of civilization, man
has sought to associate the movements of
stellar bodies with the events and happenings
of his world and his life. It is today a subject
of deep controversy.
We can begin to enter this controversy
by acknowledging that statistical evidence
for the influence of stellar bodies on human
affairs is almost nonexistent. But as with
so many things, there is no real evidence
against it either. Therefore, allow us to peruse the subject in an attitude of inquiry.
In most ancient cultures, the study of
stellar influences was a serious matter. It
was for both king and scholar a significant
pursuit. The ancient worlds great minds
those now hallowed and revered in our academic hallswere ardent followers of the
astrologers art. It is not easy simply to ig
nore the practices and arguments of these
countless mental giants and relegate the
whole subject to superstitious mumbo jumbo.
By the same token, no one should overlook
the necessity of cautious inquiry into phenomena that may be more starkly revealing
than anything modern man has yet touched
upon.
It is easy enough to cry out against a study
such as astrology; to label it ludicrous, inane,
imaginative, or emotional. But what man or
woman has taken the pains in this modern
age to test the basic theories of stellar influ
ences? Who has made the millions upon
millions of observations necessary to establish or to disclaim such theories? The difficulty with astrology today is that in the Dark
Ages it lost its place as a serious study, and
like the other mysteries was never restored
to its former import in the scheme of education. As one of the mysteries, it has suffered the abuse of charlatans and magicians
who sought personal gain from its unusual
and mystifying possibilities.
We have no record of when ce the ancients
arrived at their understanding and interpre
tation of the movements and positions of
stellar bodies. Somewhere, sometime if their
calculations and prognosticatitms were indeed
correct, they had previous information. This
previous information could have come from

prior civilizations of which there is no rec

ord. If correct, then it undoubtedly carne
about as the result of countless observations
by which a definite relationship between
stellar positions and human events was established. But as we noted above, nothing of
this magnitude has been done since to reestablish the validity of this study. Thus it
is in the future that astrology must be vindicated or refuted with more certainty than
now.
From a study of the ancients regard for
astrology, it can be seen that the subject has
always been treated as dealing with general
ices; with tendencies; with forces at play
throughout the complex universe. There is
no magic in a stellar body or in its position.
These are only signs of things that are happening according to the laws and cycles of
nature.
Stellar bodies serve as a means of marking
the movements of earth over periods of time.
In cyclic waves, the earth and its people are
subjected to cosmic and terrestrial influences.
Astrologers maintain that there are recurrences of the cosmic influences that affect
man, that there is a regularity in these recurrences. And by the earths position in
relation to the stellar bodies around it, major
events and tendencies can be charted accurately.
To illustrate this relationship in the simplest fashion, take the case of the rising
constellations. Each month, a different constellation rises on the horizon. In November,
with the appearance of Scorpio on the hori
zon, we know that coid and wintry weather
are nigh in the far Northern Hemisphere
and that precautions and preparations must
be made. Now, no one says that the constellation of Scorpio caused the coid and win
try weather. It is a sign, a landmark, that
man observes each time the earth is subjected
to the northem winters. What actual magnetic influences there are from neighboring
planets is at this point difficult to determine.
To show again the astrologers attention
to stellar bodies as signs rather than influ
ences in themselves, it is important to note
that the sign of the zodiac in which people
are born is oriented to terrestrial events and
not to the constellations after which they
are named. Thus a person bom in the sign
of Taurus, today, and purportedly carrying
the traits of that sign, is actually born when

the sun is in the constellation of Aries. The

ames of the signs fitted the constellations
after which they were named in the days of
Claudius Ptolemy; but due to the precession
of the equinoxes, which we will explain, the
signs and their corresponding constellations
no longer match.
Even in Ptolemys day, the association was
unimportant, and he quoted earlier writers
when he wrote in the Tetrabiblos: The beginnings of the signs . . . are to be taken
from the equinoctial and tropical points. This
rule is not only stated very clearly by writers
on the subject, but it is also evident by the
demonstrations constantly afforded, that their
natures, influences, and familiarities have no
other origin than from the tropics and equi
noxes, as has already been shown.
Referring back to the original question,
then, the frater is correct in assuming that
the precession of the equinoxes is in reverse
order to the annual progression of the sun
through the zodiac. This is due to a slow,
wobbling motion of the earth in the opposite
direction of its rotation, like that of a dying
top. This conical movement causes the polar
axis to describe a large circle of 23^ degrees
radius on the celestial sphere. As this circle
is described, the earth experiences a change
in its North Star over the centuries. Such a
circle passes near Thuban in Draco, which
was the North Star in 3,000 B.C. Now the
North Star is Polaris in the constellation of
the Little Dipper. In A.D. 6,000, it will be
Gamma in Cepheus; Denebe in Cygnus in
A.D. 10,000, and Gamma in Hercules in A.D.
16,000. In approximately A.D. 28,000, the
North Star will again be Polaris. It takes
approximately 26,000 years to complete this
circle.
During this time, the point of the vernal
equinox glides slowly westward along the
ecliptic, the path described by the sun,
through the 12 zodiacal constellations. As it
passes through each sign of the zodiac, the
earth is said to be experiencing a particular
age, corresponding in ame to the sign of the
zodiac. Thus an age lasts about 2,160 years,
or one-twelfth of the time it takes for a com
plete cycle of precession.
According to ancient writings and the
charts of Ptolemy, which are among the earliest records available, the vernal equinox had
already entered the sign of Pisces in A.D.
150, and was approximately 3.25 degrees

into that zodiacal frame of reference. It is

extremely difficult to set the beginning of an
age at any given year since even the point
in the celestial sphere at which one sign
begins and another leaves off is not marked
by any special stellar body and must at some
time have been arbitrarily established. How
ever, if we use the figures given above, we
find ourselves now at almost the very end
of an age; and in just a few years, we will
find the vernal equinox beginning its 30 degree or 2,160 year trek through the constellation of Aquarius.
It must be remembered that there is little
agreement among authorities as to just when
the equinoctial event enters a new sign.
Suffice it to say that evolution and progress
are slow and gradual. There are spectacular periods, a sudden blossoming in the
affairs of men and things, but all these are
just a part of a continually evolutionary
process. As one month blends into another,
so the ages of earth flow together. New influences, different forces, will undoubtedly
be felt. As the evolutionary forces generally
are upward, we can expect things to continu
that way, barring any unforeseen calamity.
It was Ptolemy also who said: It is not
possible that particular forms of events
should be declared by any person, however
scientific; since the understanding [of astrology] conceives only a certain general idea
of some sensible event, and not its particular
form. It is therefore necessary for him who
practices herein to adopt inference.
And so, to you, our members, we leave
the significance of the Aquarian Age to what
each of you may infer from all your previous
experiences, reading, and observations.B
Do You Have Fears?
If you have fears, then there is one fact
that you should know and be conscious of
above all othersthat is that all men have
fears. Fear seems to be such a prvate emotion that many, in the words of an American
statesman, develop a fear of fear itself. Fear
as a prvate emotion seems to be extremely
individualized. We are not always able to
examine our fears objectively. We are unable to analyze exactly what their causes
are and what their eventual results may be.
When we are afraid of any condition or
situation, we become so involved in our own

reasoning and self-analysis that we all sometimes believe that no one else has fears.
Anyone who permits fear to dominate his
thinking and life is no better than a slave
because once fear intrudes upon conscious
ness and becomes a dominating forc within
it, every act and every thought will be
measured and judged in terms of that fear.
We might ask, What is there to be afraid
of? This can be enumerated indefinitely
because there are as many fears as there are
individuis; or rather, there are thousands of
fears for every individual. There is fear of
the future, fear of the present, fear of insecurity, fear of ill health, fear of accidents,
fear of financial reverses, fear of death, fear
of being unable to do what we believe neces
sary to cope with the problems and vicissitudes of our existence.
Fear, being such an individual experience
and being developed in our thinking by constant awareness of it, is the reason that makes
us believeor makes one who is bound to
fear believethat it exists only within our
selves. We look at the rest of the world and
those with whom we are associated and frequently think that they have no problems at
all in comparison with the fear that constantly Controls us and is the principal thought
in our minds.
Now, there are two ways to approach the
problem, and there is good in both methods.
Both must be used, but one is definitely subordinate to the other. The first is reason.
The second is to gain a different perspective.
Reason is the method that is subordinate.
If a child is afraid of the dark, simply to tell
him that there is nothing in the dark to be
afraid of is using reason, but that does not
alter the childs feeling in the least. The fear
will probably continu. What the child has
to be taught are those principies and ideas
which will change his perspective and cause
him to adopt a different viewpoint, a differ
ent approach.
Possibly, the child can go for a walk with
a sympathetic adult on a dark night. It can
be pointed out that physical objects do not
change because of the absence of illumination. Gradually, confidence can be instilled
in the thinking and the mind of the child
so that a fear of darkness is replaced with
understanding and a different point of view;
in other words, a change of perspective. Ex
perience and sympathetic understanding are

even more important than reason, that is,

the mere statement that the dark does not
of itself hold any harm or problems for the
individual.
Many who are bound by fear are cise
to a solution of their problem and yet they
fail to take the final step. I know of an indi
vidual who developed a pain in a certain
portion of his body. It was an annoying,
grinding pain that was at the threshold of
consciousness during most of his waking
hours. From something he had read, he decided that this pain must be due to a cncer.
Because of his understanding that cncer is
incurable and means certain death, he was
gripped by a fear that absolutely dominated
his life. He began to suffer in general
health. He lost weight. He lost efficiency
in his work. He truly became a misfit because he was dominated by the fear that the
pain that he was experiencing was due to
cncer.
Such a situation is not uncommon. Unfortunately, much of the publicity given to
various physical ailments today sometimes
creates the conditions or causes them to de
velop in the minds of individuis. I feel that
I was influential in dealing with this particu
lar person because I took a reasoning and
firm approach. I told him that there was
only one logical thing to do and that was to
go to a competent physician and be examined
thoroughly to determine whether his fear
was grounded in fact or groundless. I tried
to point out through reason that, after all,
there was a fifty-fifty chance. It was equally
possible that there might be cncer or there
might be something else.
Reason, as pointed out earlier in these
comments, did not have the desired effect.
The individual did not want to reason; he
only wanted assurance that his pain was not
due to cncer. He did not want to face the
uncertainty and the possible outcome of a
physical examination. Through prodding
and constant forcing, as well as by trying to
broaden his outlook, I finally persuaded him
to submit to a physical examination. This
proved that there was no cncer and that
the physical condition causing the pain was
one that to a degree could be relieved. He
became a new person overnight, literally
speaking. It seemed that the weight of the
world was dropped from his shoulders. He

began a new life merely by having a physical

fact prove that a fear was groundless.
Suppose, however, that in submitting
to the physical examination he had found
that his worst fears were true. The condi
tion, then, would have been no different
from what it was before he knew the facts,
and he would have had to take whatever
steps seemed most advisable.
This is an important consideration that
should enter the thinking of everyone obsessed by a fear. Knowing the facts will not
necessarily change the condition; but if it
does, it will usually better it. Some type of
treatment, some degree of relief can be ob
tained for any physical condition. Those
who have had long-standing chronic physical
conditions either learn this gradually or give
up hopelessly to a life of hypochrondria and
despair.
The physical body functions perfectly
when it is in a state of harmony; but when
it is not in that state, there are problems.
It does not make any difference in the final
analysis what the source of the inharmony
is, whether it be a mild form of disease, a
mild irritation, or the most serious condition.
Inharmony is the condition that gives pain
and discomfort. To deal with it as best we
can is a part of our experience. To fear
what may be the consequences is to impede
our experience. Thousands are suffering
from different physical conditions, and a
part of their life must be to cope with them as
intelligently as they can. The point is that
fear will not change anything, and they may
as well know the truth.
To gain a perspective in regard to fear,
whether we have fears of pain and ill-health,
fears of the future, fears of losing a degree
of security, or whatever they may be, we
have to tum to an analysis of a philosophy
of life that provides a foundation by which
fears can be minimized. I have written be
fore that the Rosicrucian philosophy fulfills
one of its most important functions in that
if one is convinced of the basic principies of
this philosophy, he is released from the
agonizing pressure of fear.
When man realizes that he is an entity
endowed with a soul, a life forc that is a
part of the absolute essence that makes the
universe to be, then he will come to the
realization that true vales lie outside his
own reasoning, imagination, and the physical

world with which he deais. He is placed

therefore, in a position of having a perspective entirely different from that of one who
lives enslaved and entwined in the problems
and various painful experiences that make
up a certain portion of our physical ex
istence.
One fact of which I am sure and a perspective which I have gained and for which
I credit the Rosicrucian philosophy completely, is that I have no fundamental fears
of any kind. Certainly, we all have transient
fearsfear that we may not keep an appointment, that we may not feel up to doing
what we wish to do. These conditions vary
with the passing of short intervals of time;
but insofar as fears of the future are con
cernedfear of death, fear of being destroyed
by an atomic bombthese are fears that need
not concern us, and these I have been able
to shed by the proper application of our own
philosophy.
This philosophy teaches us that man is
placed in the circumstances in which he
exists as a physical being so that he may become aware of them as causes that forc
him more and more, or rather, eventually, to
draw upon the nature of his true selfthat
is, upon the life and vital forc which constitute him. He further knows that this forc,
which exists within the nature of God and
the Absolute itself, is one which transcends
the physical universe; and regardless of what
happens, regardless of what may be the cir
cumstances of the moment, that he as an
individual entity will return eventually to
that area of the Absolute.
We may not enjoy all the steps that are
taken. Some may be painful; some may be
diffcult, but the end, if we direct ourselves
properly, will be in the area of the infinite,
where all physical standards, all physical
objects, lose their valu. Consequently, we
have no fear of the fluctuating vales of the
physical universe.A
Must We Accept Reincarnation?
It is frequently asked: Can one be a
Rosicrucian and yet not accept the doctrine
of reincarnation? It is also asked: Can
any benefit be derived from Rosicrucian
membership if one does not concur in the
belief in reincarnation?
If reincarnation were the single doctrine
of the Rosicrucian teachings or if it were so

central that all the tenets taught by the Or

der were dependent upon it, then one would
be justified in saying that acceptance of it
would be necessary. However, reincarnation
is but one of hundreds of doctrines taught by
the Rosicrucians. There are innumerable
subjects in the Rosicrucian teachings which
are not contiguous to that of reincarnation.
Whether or not one believes in reincarna
tion does not affect the other subjects. For
example, the subjects of time and space, the
structure of the living cell and of matter,
and the projection of the human conscious
ness, none of these requires the acceptance
of the doctrine of reincarnation.
It will be admitted that there are certain
doctrines taught by the AMORC that are
interrelated with reincarnation. To abandon
the subject of reincarnation would lessen the
valu of these other topics; but such are few
in number.
The immortality of the soul is a subject
that cannot be empirically, objectively,
proved to the satisfaction of all. It is not
something that can be put under a microscope, weighed, measured, or analyzed in, for
example, a physics or biology laboratory. It
is for this reason that the problem of im
mortality is still looked upon by millions as
a theory or belief rather than an objectively
substantiated fact. Nevertheless, the doctrine
of immortality, insofar as it concerns what
happens to a soul-personality if and when
it survives death, is presented in diverse
ways. The principal living religions of the
East and West have varying conceptions
about immortality. None of these can refute
absolutely the contentions of the others or
there would be but a single belief in what
immortal life consists of.
The orthodox Christian, of course, accepts
the Bible as being the literal word of God.
He interprets it in such a manner as to indicate to him that the soul lives just once on
the earth plae. However, the Hind and
the Jain, for example, and other Eastera sects
are equally convinced from their religious
authorities that the return of the soul under
certain conditions is an established cosmic
law. They venerate their hagiography, their
sacred works, just as much as do the Christians and the Jews.
From the abstract metaphysical point of
view, reincarnation appears to millions to be

far more logical than other conceptions re

gar ding the soul. It suggests to them greater
qualities of compassion and understanding.
From their point of view, it provides the
opportunity for an individual to advance
spiritually and compnsate for errors made
in this life. It seems to them not divinely
just that man should have but one short span
of existence to blunder along here making
mistakes and then not to have sufficient op
portunity to rectify his errors. The principie
of spiritual growth, through reincamation,
seems more probable to the believers.
Further, students of reincarnation are not
convinced that the Bible is not in accord with
the doctrine of reincamation. They can
quote various sections that can be understood intelligently only in the light of rein
carnation and consequently seem to give the
doctrine strong support. Dr. H. Spencer
Lewis, in his book, Mansions of the Soul,
considers in a masterful way the whole doc
trine of reincarnation. He discusses as well
the Christians criticism, but also quotes
many references from the Christian Bible
which logically can only be construed as
supporting such a belief.
Generally, the devotee of reincarnation
seems to find a greater personal satisfaction
in the conception of immortality than in the
idea that this earthly existence is the first
and only one. Dr. Lewis has said that wheth
er we believe in reincarnation or not makes
little difference, for if it is a cosmic law, it
will affect us regardless of our belief. For
analogy, whether one believes the world to
be fat or round, he nevertheless experiences
in effect its roundness when he travels
over it.
What is the great objection on the part
of many to reincarnation? Primarily, it is
the result of their religious training and
church affiliation. They have been taught
that the soul enters the physical body but
once and the earthly existence is the last
mortal one. Consequently, they consider all
counter ideas as being wrong. Of course,
they can no more prove they are right than
they can prove that the belief in reincarna
tion is wrong.
Secondly, there are perverted conceptions
of reincarnation, just as there are perverted
and distorted conceptions of Christianity.
These are often repulsive. There are certain

religious sects which believe in transmigration. This is frequently confused with rein
carnation. In substance, transmigration is
the philosophical and religious speculation
that the soul may incarnate in lesser living
forms than that of man. Simply put, the soul
under certain conditions may incarnate in
the body of an animal or a reptile. The
theory is that the soul is thus being punished
by having to inhabit such a form. Obviously,
such a conception, as said, is repugnant to
almost everyone. Those who are not conversant with the true doctrines of reincarna
tion confuse the two, and that is the principal
reason for their rejection of reincarnation.
The real student of reincarnation knows that
the doctrine teaches that the soul can never
retrogress. It cannot enter into any form in
another life on earth but that of a human
being. The true doctrine is as inspiring, as
lofty and in accord with human dignity, as
any other belief conceived or revered by man.
One must under stand the subject thoroughly to embrace it with conviction. If he
does not believe it, it will certainly not affect
the fact of its existence as a cosmic law. One
may, for example, live a noble, virtuous, and
truly spiritual life, and yet never even be
lieve in the immortality of the soul, that is,
that it survives death.
Some give entirely too much concern to
the thought of reincarnation and, in fact,
the afterlife. They make the entire existence
here nothing more than a preparation for a
hereafter. Many Christian sects are particularly guilty of this in their doctrines,
rituals, and creeds. This life is made to
appear relatively unimportant; yet they be
lieve that their god had a purpose for mans
being here. If such a god intended the here
after to be the most important state of ex
istence for the soul, then it would not seem
reasonable that it should be confined in a
body on earth for even one lifetime.
Let us not be too deeply concerned with
what we were in a past life or what we will
be in a future one. We are in this chamber,
this room, this state of consciousness. Let us
derive the utmost experience and understand
ing from it. Thus, if we are to incarnate
again, we will better influence the next life
by the life we live here. Neglect this life
and we will jeopardize any other to be lived
here or in a hereafter.X

Immovable Objects
A frater rises and asks the Forum: What
happens, spiritually and physically, when an
irresistible forc meets an immovable object?
This is an od question that has been discussed many times in the past. Yet it is a
perennial problem and of deep concern to
individuis in every age. It involves their
relationships with their employers or employees; with their co-workers, families, and
friends; and with their projects and hobbies.
It is a mechanical questiona social ques
tiona personal, psychological question.
When an immovable object meets an ir
resistible forc there is conflict. It could be
a conflict of interests, of ideas, or a more
tangible conflict of two physical bodies. It
will most likely result in an injury for one
or both parties in volved. The two objects
or parties will either annihilate each other
or somehow blend their identities into a new
form.
There is to this question a ready answer:
Strategic withdrawal. Generis and lawyers,
leaders of men, have used this approach since
the dawn of civilization. It has not been so
widely used in the more personal affairs of
the average person, however. Yet this is the
area with which most are concerned.
Strategic withdrawal is the most useful
tool in overcoming the stalemate when two
equal forces meet. Withdrawal provides an
opportunity to rearrange the pattern of the
forces involved. It gives time to gather
strength rather than expend it. Whereas
conflict must result in annihilation or compromise, withdrawal can result in victory.
We are speaking in terms here of a person who has a desire for accomplishmenta
desire to pursue a goal. Withdrawal is the
tactic of the positive agent, the seeker, who
comes up against a stone wall. It is a means
of accomplishing a goal without unnecessary
expenditure of energy. Quick recognition of
immovable objects will allow the channeling
of resources into different directions as soon
as possible. It is a vital key in the attainment of his ideis.
In conflict one is devoting his energies en
tirely to the matter at hand. His perspective
is clouded with the immanence of strong and
impelling forces. He cannot see the forest
for the trees, as the od saying goes. He loses

sight of his true objectives, and his one goal

becomes the obliteration of the forc pressing
in upon him. In withdrawal, he has the
opportunity to clear his perspective, to see
once again the true goal. It gives him a
chance to reappraise, to change tactics, to
approach from different directions.
Much good is lost in life because of mans
refusal to withdraw in the face of an im
penetrable sita tion. To the more primitive
mind, conflict is still the obvious means of
overcoming any situation. Conflict is instinctive, but also blind. In its rage, the primitive
mind cannot evalate goals or even the
strength of the forces in play.
The heart of our Forum question has not
been touched as yet. All the foregoing is
true only if one is dealing with impenetrable
forces; only if a stalemate has been reached.
How does one decide when an object is absolutely immovable? This is the truly difficult question.
This determination must be brought about
by employing (1) every effort to deal with
the situation short of conflict, (2) intuition,
and (3) advice from others. These three
sources of information will give a good indication as to when a true stalemate is reached;
when horns are finally locked. Then discretion becomes the better part of valor.
Conflict per se cannot always be avoided
since in defense one may have to resist other
forces and become oneself the immovable
object. Even here, conflict must be seen as a
necessary eventuality brought about by forces
and events beyond ones control; not an
eventuality resulting from simple pride and
inflexibility.B

Dar To Be Different!
Dar to be different is an affirmation
that may seem like a platitude from a schoolboys textbook. To be different, even when
motivated by the highest of ideis, requires
the utmost courage. At one time, being dif
ferent, even if ones acts were justifiable, did
nothing more perhaps than expose one to discomfiting derision.
Today, progressive deviation from custom
is accepted as defiance. The attitude of most
people to such conduct is that it is a reflection on their chosen way of living. Consequently, they react most bitterly: first, by

hurling such imprecations as radical, crackpot, Communist, or cultist at the one who has
departed from the established road; second,
by opposition in an effort to discredit whatever may be the different endeavor. If the
condemning ones can be successful in this,
it will seem to prove that their manner of
living and thinking is wholly right and that
of the one who has differed, wrong.
Conservatism and tradition in society have
both commendable and objectionable aspects.
The virtue of the conservative attitude is the
caution it manifests. The human mind is
inclined toward change. Inactivity of mind
causes irritable monotony. Obviously, how
ever, to plunge into new circumstances, or to
assume new relationships merely because of
the change, is not intelligent and is fraught
with danger. Thus, every rational human
being will display caution or the best quality
of conservatism in his approach to life. He
will not relinquish the od way of thinking
or doing until he has made an analysis of
what is offered as new and different. In
other words, he will evalate the potentialities stemming from a change before actually
making it.
When once the logical advantages of deviating from a previous course have been
ascertained and then the change is not made,
we have the example of conservatisms becoming a vice. Too many confuse the philosophical significance of conservatism. We
should conserve the present, that which it
and the past provide and which we know
to be good. We must not, however, conserve
the future. The future is to spend, to use, to
convert into reality, into actual experience.
By trying to hold to the present continuously,
we are, in fact, wasting the future. The potentialities of the future are thus dissipated.
They never materialize into a present state.
The valu of tradition is to conserve what
time has proved as having valu. We all
want and should hold fast to qualities proved
to be beneficial. There are, however, a series
of goods in all our human experience. The
words better and best denote variations of
good, that is, of the quality of things.
Though something of yesterday is good and
its quality is still such, time may make it
possible to improve upon the good. The oil
lamp still provides the same reading facilities it always did, but the electric light excels
it for the same function.

Every tradition should be scrutinized as to

its relative worth. If nothing surpasses it, we
should retain it as a continuation of the high
standard to which we have ascended. The
danger that attaches itself to tradition is the
inordinate sentiment with which many cloak
it. They do not realize that they are actu
ally expressing an affection for an effect and
not a cause, as they believe. They love what
has followed from a customary way of think
ing or acting. They, too, often make the
mistake of believing that such satisfaction
as they enjoy can come only from the same
series of causes. It is not the cause they
revere, but, actually, what it has brought
about. A little cogitation would disclose that
the same effects, perhaps with less effort and
to a greater extent, could be had by the application of a new set of causesif they would
break with tradition.
The menace that exists today for those
who wish to depart along new and progressive lines in various enterprises is special
interests. These interests, for their own political, economic, or religious advantage, have
set up a series of conditions and circum
stances upon which they make the individual
dependent. By extreme propaganda, as did
the ancient sophists, they frequently make
the worse seem reasonably the better. By
providing more and more for the individual
what he should acquire for himselfand at
an increased cost to him in freedom and
initiativethese propagandists compel him to
endorse the source of supply. It is perhaps
natural that man should discard labor whenever he can. Thus if the state or a particular
body of men can provide for us what we
need, we are inclined to accept such overtures, especially if the price to be paid is
indirect or hidden and a minimum of person
al effort is required of us.
Men are told by these interests that the
source which provides, as a system, procedure, or creed, is the only one or the best.
So long as the supply contines to flow from
it, they do not question it. They are likewise told that they must staunchly defend
the customary or traditional method, or the
flow will cease. Thus, every departure from
such a patronizing and demoralizing dependence arouses within them an extreme antagonism. Their personal initiative and
their individual desire to do have so waned
that eventually they condemn even the bet-

ter way if it requires them to resort to per

sonal enterprise. The progressive-minded
person, who pioneers and exhorts them to
resort to new personal endeavors which will
advance them, is considered by the people
a menace to their collective security.
It is to be expected, then, that the mercenary and often power-mad interests, po
litical or otherwise, will encourage opposition
to any deviation from the ones they have
laid down for the masses. They denounce
the thinker and pioneerunless they can
use his plansas one corrupting society or
its sacred traditions. They declare the
whole new program a farce and attempt to
depreciate it by a number of common opprobrious terms.
One of the most frequent words associated
with philosophical, esoteric, and mystical societies, which do not have the approval of
the traditional special interests, is cult.
This immediately constitutes a stigma insofar as the public mind is concerned. It has
come to mean commonly a fraudulent or
fanatical group. In fact, however, many of
the highly respected conservati ve groups,
which are now recognized either through the
pressure of their numbers or through their
eventual political influence, are cults in the
original meaning of the word.
The worship or devotion to a single person
or purpose by an individual or group may
correctly be defined as cultism. Further,
the devotion to outer ceremonies, religious or
otherwise, or to the practices of a nonorthodox religin, are likewise samples of cultism.
Consequently, groups devoted with fervor to
health, art, or the music of a particular
composer are, in this sense, technically cults,
no matter how noble or inspiring their activities may be. The Masonic Order, the
Eastern Star, and Christian Science are cults
in this sense. In fact, during their history
and before the prestige gained by their numerical strength, they were often so designated. All the Protestant sects which are
departures from Catholicism, such as the
Lutherans and Methodists, are, in a literal
sense, cultstheir present-day orthodoxy and
the weight of tradition have removed the
designation of cult, but the fact remains that
they are.
There was never intended to be stigma
implied by the word cult. Through practice,
the word has been associated with that which

is nonconforming, as if that in itself were

inherently improper. This practice is the
equivalent of using the word different to
indcate that which is shameful or disgr aceful. Finally, it developed that no one would
refer to an individual or a group as being
different in their thoughts and functions un
less he wished to defame them.
The improper use of such words as cult
is successful in keeping all but the most
courageous from defying the false conservatism and tradition which special interests
are imposing upon the people. A moments
thought and a little reference work will re
veal that the words culture and cultivated,
with all the importance attached to them,
have the same origin as cult. Fortunately,
they have not yet been corrupted by an
opprobrious meaning.X

Is Meditation SuTicient?
How effective is meditation as an instrument or method of personal achievement?
Meditation is often used erroneously by those
who profess to be students of mysticism and
metaphysics. There are those who frankly
enter a state of meditation, or what they
imagine it to be, as escapism. They wish to
avoid confronting some unpleasant reality
which they do not have the knowledge to
combat. They feel that in meditation they
will be afforded the opportunity of evading
that which has distracted them. In fact, if
they remain cloistered long or frequently
enough, they believe that in some mysterious
enigmatic way their troubles will pass
them by.
Those persons think of meditation in the
wholly passive sense. If they personally do
nothing, then they think that someone or
something will do it for them. It is necessary to know of what meditation consists,
that is, its proper purpose, if benefits are to
be derived from it. As we have often had
occasion to say in this Forum and upon leeture platforms, meditation is commonly confused with contem plation. The latter,
contemplation, is a form of concentration. It
is the focusing of attention upon a subjective
impression; in fact, it is the entering of the
subjective state.
When we are recollecting, we are in a state
of contemplation. When we are reasoning,
analyzing some idea or concept, within our

own minds, we are also contempla ting. We

are focusing our consciousness upon an idea
arising within the mind that has not been
engendered directly by a sense impression.
To focus the attention in contemplation upon
an idea is similar to focusing the attention
on anything else, such as an external impres
sion. In both instances, it is the use of the
attentiondirected outward or inward.
When an individual is thinking quietly
about some problem, hoping to arrive at a
solution or to find an answer to a question,
he is not meditating in the true sense of the
word. Rather, he is contemplating or cogi
ta ting. Neither is meditation the reverse of
this process. It is not keeping the mind a
mere blank. It is true that at times and in
certain mystical exercises this is required,
usually in conjunction with other mental
phenomena which we shall not now consider.
Meditation, however, is the act of transmuting the consciousness. It is the process of
changing the level of consciousness from one
state of apprehension and apperception to
another.
We are all aware that there are certain
levels of consciousness. Each level affords
us a particular kind of perception or knowl
edge. Two of these levels are common to us.
They are part of our daily conscious life.
One is the objective state with which we are
most preoccupied during our waking hours.
It is the means by which we perceive all
reality external to us and our own physical
being, as well. The channels which provide
the impressions of the objective consciousness
are principally the five receptor organs.
Through these, our consciousness seems to
reach out to contact the world outside. Actu
ally, reality enters our consciousness through
the sense organs.
The other common level of consciousness
is the subjective. It is, for example, the states
of reflection, imagination, and reason. Such
mental processes seem to be entirely indwelling. At the time, they are not related
to sense impressions from external reality.
In deep thought, we may not even be con
scious of our environment.
All of our range or spectrum of conscious
ness does not end with those two octaves.
Over and beyond them is a vast stream of
consciousness in which are many octaves of
realization. These are not commonly ex
perienced by us. We do not even know how

extensive they are. For convenience, psy

chology and even mysticism have grouped
them all together into one category which is
called the subconscious.
These other octaves of the subconscious
are not sharply separated. Rather, one
merges gradually into the other. Each, too,
has its own unique phenomenon or experi
ence which it providesjust as our objective
conscious life is different from our subjective
one. Experiences on these other octaves or
planes of consciousness would be quite unlike anything we have ever realized objec
tively or subjectively. We cannot hope to
experience them except by entering levels
of consciousness where they are manifested.
It is for this reason that mystics who have
entered these deeper levels have found them
almost ineffable. They cannot find qualities
or words to explain them adequately.
Meditation provides the means of entering
these states. In meditation, we bring about
a change in our consciousness so that the self,
the ego, is advanced to levels above the sub
jective. The self, then, takes on quite a
different character from that which we knew
before. We must understand that the self
is not just one state; it is an integra tion of
various states of consciousness. In each level
of consciousness, the self has its own characteristics. The objective self is our physical
beingour height, weight, color, the general
contours of our body. Subjectively, the self
is our sentiments, our emotions, our thoughts
and ideis, those ordinary inner experiences
which we realize. But none of these is self
as realized on the other levels of conscious
ness. Only those who have entered these
states can know what the self is like in them.
Objectively, we cannot describe to others
what these subconscious states are like. The
most that can be done is to teach or to guide
another in the technique by which such
reality is realized.
When one enters meditation, he should
begin with what he has been taught in order
to bring about this transition of conscious
ness. If he is successful, certain ideas will be
had on that level. Often they are transformed
into objective ideas as inspira tion or intuitive
flashes. This, then, becomes the practical
side of meditation. In other words, we gain
enlightenment useful in our everyday lives
from such contacts. The subconscious state
itself is not very explicable, but certain im-

pressions received through it are transformed

into comprehensible guidance. If this were
not so, obviously meditation would have no
valu in this life.
When we wish to contact the transmitted
thoughts of others, we try to remain passive.
We try as much as possible to suppress all
impressions coming to us through our senses,
But such a useful exercise is nevertheless not
meditation and should not be confused with
it. Mysticism is practical in that it requires
you to do something if you wish beneficial
result s in return. The per son who sits like a
stone sphinx doing nothing is neither a mystic or is he truly meditating.X
Psychic Effects of Space Exploration
A frater of England, addressing our
Forum, asks: Could you possibly explain in
the Forum what effects space exploration
may have upon the health and mental attitude of an explorer setting out, for example,
to Mars?
The effects of space exploration on the
human organism, the mentality, and the personality are still a matter of experimentation
and, we might add, speculation. There is a
special divisin of medicine, called Space
Medicine, which has been organized for the
purpose of determining what effects interstellar space radiation, weightlessness, and
isolation in confined quarters will have upon
the physical condition and psychic qualities
of future astronauts. Considerable information has been determined from such research
and has been published in special abstracts.
Other information gathered by this means
concerning psychological effects has been
considered by the space project authorities
as classified, that is, secret.
Some years ago, we explained in this
Forum the psychic effects that very high
altitude flying in combat had upon pilots
and crews. It was reported that their emotions seemed to be affected, especially when
the oxygen supply was somewhat limited,
even though not enough to cause a blackout,
that is, loss of consciousness.
The members of the crew giving the account stated that a particular phenomenon
noted by them was their seeming ability to
communicate with each other by thought
alone. The personnel answered questions

verbally that were only thoughts in the

minds of other crew members. Further, the
intuitive faculty seemed to be quickened. The
members of the crew gained insight into
personal problems or seemed to arrive at
solutions and answers to questions that had
long perplexed them.
They recounted that when they dropped to
a lower altitude and particularly when the
oxygen supply was again normal, these
psychic conditions seemed to pass. Of course,
the diminishing of the oxygen supply to the
blood physiologically would affect the neurons, the brain cells and those of the nervous
systems. Though such a condition might
cause hallucinations or strange dream-like
states, these conditions were rather of a posi
tive nature. The recipients did not imagine
that they were receiving questions trans
mitted from other crew members by means
of thought alone. The experiences were confirmed by the ones who had the questions in
mind at the time. Further, if we recall the
account accurately, once discovering this
phenomenon, different crews made tests un
der similar conditions and reported like
results.
It has been stated in our monographs that
the positive vibrations of Nous, inhaled with
the air we breathe, combined with the nega
tive polarity of the substances we take into
our bodies as food and drink, are necessary
for health. The astronauts and travelers of
spaceships and rockets to other planets will
not breathe natural air but that which is
artificially prepared for them. The question
then is, Will they be denied for a consider
able length of time the positive polarity of
Nous? If so, what effects will that have
upon them?
One thing we do not know is whether one
can absorb some of the positive vibrations of
Nous as a direct radiation independent of air.
Though the greater and more facile supply
would be by means of respiration, yet such
vibrations could also contact our bodies independently of air. Further, is it possible that,
when the chemical ingredients of air such
as oxygen and nitrogen are brought together
in the correct compound, they will constitute
an attraction for the positive vibrations of
Nous? If they do, then breathing artificially
prepared air for great periods of time will not
be detrimental.

The fact that the voyagers would be confined in the metal shell forming the spaceship would not mean that they would be
isolated from the radiation of the polarity
of Nous. As a special radiation, Nous has
never been isolated in a laboratory and we
do not know just what its frequency is or
what its penetration qualities are. So in all
probability it could penetrate any metal ship
and reach the human beings inside.
The human organism has evolved in the
field of terrestrial magnetism. It is in harmony with or at least subject to the belts of
the earths magnetic fields. What will happen when an individual is far removed from
this magnetic influencenot for hours or
days, but for weeks and months? The opposite aspect of this matter to be considered
is what effect will the magnetic currents of
celestial bodies, such as the other planets,
have upon man when exposed to them in
future explorations.
There is also the question of time. The
time will vary in relation to mans own
vehicle in space. Time is relevant to the
position of the observer, according to the
theory of relativity. It will take intricate
calculations based on the speed of the projectile to determine the relative time in contrast to some other body relatively inert in
space. If, in the far future, man attains a
speed approaching that of light, or 186,000
miles per second, his determination of time
will be even more complex. Under such circumstances, his life may be extremely lengthened in time sense; in others, perhaps
shortened. All of this, of course, is nteresting but as yet only a matter of speculation.
It is quite probable that such factors will
have a very definite psychological effect upon
the personality of the occupants of spaceships. Will their sense of vales, the importance which they attach to themselves, to
their work, and to other things be altered
by their experiences? Will their sense of
responsibility diminish? Will the desire to
concntrate and the ability to exhibit initiative be altered? Will continued isolation
under conditions unlike those experienced
on earth and the varied magnetic effects
upon the nervous system and brain cause
delusions and hallucinations, distorting the
perception of reality? No one can answer
this as yet.X

Why Does the Cosmic Require

Special Conditions?
A frater asks: Why is it that the laws
which we have been taught can only be used
in dire need or for a serious purpose? The
law of gravity operates consistently. When
a child tosses a ball into the air, it immediately falls to earth, just as the rain falls to
nourish crops. All chemical and physical
laws operate equally well for a serious or
frivolous purpose.
The question is one worthy of consideration and does appear to place those who de
sire to invoke cosmic laws at a disadvantage.
Insofar as the physical laws are concerned,
every scientist or anyone familiar with the
different phenomena of these laws knows that
their functions depend upon certain condi
tions prevailing. To use the fraters analogy
of gravity, according to the laws Newton
discovered, there is a forc of attraction
between everything, regardless of its substance. The attraction depends upon the mass
of the objects, their density, distance apart,
etc. Consequently, gravity is the forc which
planets, or even two apples, exert upon each
other, so minute that it is not discernible.
It is the forc which earth exerts upon a
ball thrown into the air by a child.
Where gravity is concerned, an object
must have sufficient mass to be attracted by
the earths pul when in the air, or it will
float. To demnstrate gravity in the usual
sense, one could not use a balloon filled with
helium. It would float or rise in the air, and
the demonstration of gravitational pul would
be a failure. It is quite obvious, then, that
for physical laws to be demonstrated, there
are certain conditions required. Without
these conditions, the most learned scientists
could not invoke natures laws. Conversely,
with them, a child can demnstrate the laws
known to the scientist.
To use another analogy, we hear by means
of the disturbances of the air. Vibrations
travel through the air to the diaphragm of the
ear, which they oscillate. To demnstrate
this, it is necessary to have a jar in which
a bell is sealed and suspended. When the
bell is rung by means of an electric push
button, the sound can be heard emitting from
the sealed jar. If a pump is attached to the
jar and the air is evacated, when the bell
is rung, it cannot be heard. There is insuffi-

cient air to be disturbed by the vibrations

of the bell and, therefore, no mdium to carry
the vibrations to our ears.
Anyone can demnstrate this principie
provided he has the materials through which
the laws can function. Physical laws need a
physical environment and causes and effects
by which to work. Such physical conditions
are the only requisites of a physical demonstration. Purpose, mood, moral or ethical
standards are entirely extraneous to such
demonstrations.
When, however, we are concerned with
invoking cosmic laws, the purpose (the moral
end) is then a determining factor. Why?
Because the purpose, the use to which the
operator intends to put the cosmic laws, is
an essential requisite of their function. Just
as physical conditions are factors in the per
formance of demonstrations of natural laws,
so, too, intent is a factor where cosmic laws
are concerned.
Some frater might ask, And are not the
physical laws, the laws which manifest in
nature, for example, integrated with the cos
mic laws? Are the laws of the chemist apart
from those of a mystic?
We answer by saying, It is true, there is
unity in the universe. The macrocosm and
the microcosm are of one order, infused with
one Intelligence. In the whole scale of cosmic
manifestations, there is neither physical,
material, or immaterial; there is but variation of effect.
In the lower part of the scale, figura tively
speaking, such gross manifestations as occur
and which we perceive with our objective
faculties, we cali the physical world. In the
higher octaves of the scale, there are such
phenomena as we attribute to intelligence,
reason, cogitation, and, finally, the so-termed
divine or cosmic principies. These latter we
relate to the functions of the soul.
We could not expect to experience Cosmic
Consciousness by resorting to the mixing of
chemical compounds in a laboratory; neither
could we expect to construct a more efficient
mechanical apparatus by continuous abstract
reasoning or merely by resorting to mystical
attunement.
Each octave of the cosmic scale requires
the use of principies which are in harmony
with its efficacy. Where cosmic principies
are concernedthose of the higher octaves of
the scaleprecept, conduct, and intent deter

mine whether one will be successful. Skepticism, malice, envy, and hatred are hostile
to invoking cosmic principies. They are the
wrong admixture to produce the desired
effects.
For further analogy, one cannot magnetize
a piece of wood with cobalt steel because
he is using the wrong physical principies.
Likewise, one cannot utilize the constructive
cosmic principies with a nefarious or selfish
attitude of mind. You must remember that
your sanctum is your cosmic laboratory. If
you do not take into it the right tools, namely, the right attitude of mind, humility, and
sincerity, you can only expect failure.X
How Is Selfishness Defined?
A question arises: What is the mystical
conception of selfishness? What may be
considered selfishness, and what not? To
what extent may we concern ourselves with
personal interests and yet be free from the
stigma of selfishness?
In the first place, it must be realized that
from both a psychological and mystical
basis one cannot be completely free from a
self-ish impulse. The self is an integrated
entity: It is composed of appetition, the de
sires and appetites of our bodies, generally
referred to as the physical self; and also it
consists of intellectual desiresour conceptions and ideis. Then there is the spiritual
aspect of this integrated self, which consists
of the moral dicta tes. Whatever we do is
thus motivated by at least one aspect of this
united self. The most sincere, charitable, and
humanitarian act is in this technical sense,
a selfish one. It is a serving of the higher or
what is generally referred to as the imper
sonal self.
The commonly accepted idea of selfishness
has to do with thoughts and actions which
are centered in the fulfillment of the inter
ests of the immediate person. Thus one who
is concerned only with the gratification of
his appetites or the furthering of his own
social and economic welfare is referred to as
selfish. Since the inclinations of the moral
and psychic self are extended to include the
welfare of others, such inclinations are eulogized as examples of selflessness.
In fact, those who are motivated by the
sincere desire to further the interests of oth
ers may actually believe themselves to be
free of any personal advantage accruing

from their acts. In many instances, those

who perform so-called unselfish acts have
made considerable sacrifice to do so. They
may have denied themselves food and bodily
comforts. Nevertheless, they are finding a
satisfaction in what they are doing. They
are gratifying a personal impulse of an aspect of their integrated selves.
Is a per son who serves others to be denied
the tribute of a noble act? Is he to be placed
in the same category as one who serves his
immediate physical and social interests at
the expense of others? Not at all. His is
truly a commendable Service and the nearest
approach to a theoretical unselfishness.
Mans consciousness can be restricted to
his immediate physical, mental, and social
interests, or it can be projected to include
many extraneous things. We cali this proc
ess the projection of self. It means that self
includes realities which do not serve the
body in which the consciousness of self is
resident.
Psychology calis this process empathy,
namely, the projecting of the consciousness
to other beings. When one serves the welfare of another because of compassion, his
reason is that he has sympathetically incorporated the conditions and affairs of oth
ers as part of the nature of his own self.
He has become as conscious of the effect of
conditions upon others as upon his immediate
self. In other words, he is still serving self
but an enlarged, a more inclusive self.
To use an analogy, we may think of a
mother hen whose maternal impulse is so
strong that she includes under her protective
care even stray kittens, which she scoops up
beneath her wings.
The person who evolves his soul-personality becomes more and more susceptible to
the impulses of that exalted aspect of self,
which we cali the divine nature of man. His
consciousness comes to transcend the grosser
appeals of his sensual nature. It spirals outward to manifest what we designate as the
impersonal self.
To answer the questions specifically, we
may say that, mystic.ally, selfishness is ones
whole devotion to those desires which are
centered exclusively in his immediate physi
cal and mental being. An individual so
centered in himself would never work in
the interests of humanity because of love for
others. He would serve humanity only if

each act brought him some material reward,

that is, would satisfy a sensual pleasure or
his sense of cupidity.
Let us make our position fully comprehensible. We must, as human beings, serve
our immediate selves. There is no escaping
this. We must nourish the body to survive.
We must experience certain pleasures to be
normal and fulfill organic functions. We
must, as a law of nature, be aggressive if
we are to master our environment.
There is no mystical violation in being
ambitious. A Rosicrucian has as much right
to achieve success in a professional or ma
terial enterprise as has anyone elseand in
doing so he does not jeopardize his mystical
attainment. One, however, who prostrates
his conscience, the dictates of the spiritual
aspects of self, who opposes the accepted virtues to serve his physical and mental welfare
only, is, mystically, selfish.X.
Justifying Wrong
A Rosicrucian student from the Midwestem section of the United States, and, I believe, new to our Forum, says: I have read
several articles on the guilt complex by
leading psychiatrists. After reading these,
I carne to the conclusin that everyone does
wrong; therefore, one should forget about
ones wrong conduct since others are constantly doing the same. It is like calling a
person an uncomplimentary or profane
ame, and when one is reproved, replying,
Well, the President of the United States
called a man ames in public and I am no
better than he.
This sort of salves ones conscience and
most people favor the practice. In time, con
science becomes weak. As has been said,
Our greatest glory consists not of never falling, but in rising each time we fall. May I
have your opinion on this matter?
It must be realized that the average con
duct of individuis is not the result of their
intuitive compulsin. The so-called moral
conformity of many is but a concession to
the forc of public opinion. The good and
evil, the right and wrong, of ethics are not
ordinarily vales experienced intimately by
the majority, who have never made a per
sonal analysis of the circumstances by which
an act comes to be considered immoral or
wrong.
A true moral wrong is one that is in con-

flict with conscience, that is, contrary to the

sentiments which flow from an innate sense.
No law prohibiting any acts as moral or
ethical wrongs will ever have the support
of the people unless the consciousness of in
dividuis can realize them as violations of
personal vales. Justice, as an example, is
the sympathetic extensin to another of the
regard of self. The self is enlarged so as to
in elude the interests of others. What offends
the interests of these others is sympathetically experienced as a wrong by ourselves.
Therefore, we cannot accept a broad and enlightening moral code unless our self includes
the higher vales of human nature known as
uirtues.
Many actually welcome a departure from
the conventional, that is, from customary or
legislative codes of conduct. They seek some
circumstance as a sign of license so as to
conform to their own primitive, vulgar, and
often cruel natures. When they have committed an act which society has proscribed
but about which they have no personal compunction, they seek its justificatin. To
them, most moral and ethical conduct is not
an individual, voluntary conformity to what
is best in human behavior. Rather, it is but
the result of the pressure of numbers. Con
sequently, they feel forced only to follow
the pattern of society. When they break
with this pattern they feel justified if they
can show that numbers of others have done
likewise, or that certain influential persons
have done so.
When an act has a personal, moral connotation, it is immaterial to one how many
others vilate it or whether any important
persons do so. Consequently, the kind of
justification of wrongdoing to which the
soror refers reveis individuis whose moral
sense is puerileand that constitutes a danger
sign for society. The decadence of past civilizations was due to the degeneracy of the
individual^ moral vales. Whatever the
decadent society permitted had the full acceptance of the average citizen.
Moris are, in fact, a combination of environmental influences and personal, spirit
ual unfoldment. The more one resorts to
meditation upon the higher and more profound problems of human relations, the more
he culti vates the expression of the psychic
aspeets of his being. The finer harmonies
which please the esthetic tastes and the

spiritual nature are experienced. They are

then shown preference, as the summum
bonum in life. Those so enlightened seek to
pursue a course of conduct that gratifies the
subjective part of their being.
These activities and behavior become
recognized as moral standards that are
worthy to be cherished. They are taught
and others exhorted to follow them. If later,
people have not personally evolved to the
same state of spiritual consciousness, then
the moral standards which have been established by their progenitors become nothing
more than empty customs to be violated
whenever the opportunity is afforded. Thus,
moris are both a product of intuitive evaluations of conduct and an adaptation to environment.
There are those who oppose the intuitive
theory of moris and claim that there is no
innate, moral impulse; rather that such is
cultivated solely by social taboosthat is,
by the prohibitions of society. This is an
erroneous idea, as is indicated by the fact
that individuis will cling steadfastly to
moral precepts which a degraded society has
rejected.
The sensibilities of the mind of a person
who has been permitted to express the more
latent inclinations of self gradually fashion
themselves into personal taboos which are
akin to what we term the cardinal virtues.
Society may enlarge them and give them
more definite expression, but such basic
moral urges are dominant in almost all
people. They are, in fact, an enlargement
of the self to include interests beyond ones
own physical being. These inclinations must
be experienced by permitting ourselves to
become conscious of the finer impulses.
Compunction and justice are not learned;
they are experienced.
While it is true that no one is guiltless,
especially in an age when one may even
vilate some mandate unconsciously, it does
destroy the dictates of conscience for one
to attempt to justify a wrong. Where ver a
proscription is not popular and at the same
time does not circumvent the accepted basic
moral standards of society, it should be opposed through legislative means so that it
may be rescinded as a law. To vilate it
while ostensibly supporting it causes a disregard of our obligations to the accepted
good.X

Com plete Laboratories

M odern Classroom s
Extensive Lib rar/ Facilities
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Prepare now to be one of the happy throng

gathering at Rose-Croix University during June
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L I T H O IN U S

February, 1964
Volum e X X X IV

No. 4

KISIIRI l'in
FORUM
A prvate publication
for m em bers of A M O R C

Where Mystics Dwelt

The hom e of the celebrated
artist Rem brandt , in Amsterdam, Holland, is over three
hundred years od. It is re
lated that Rembrandt made
people his greatest study. H e
continually sketched persons,
as one would m ake notes, to
try to capture the latent or
mystical elements o f their
character. He established residence in Amsterdam about
the year 1631. The building
is now a museum for some
of his paintings and accoutrements.

Greetings!
V

THE INDIFFERENCE OF LIFE

tive. It strikes an individual or falls free
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
of him without in either case the mans being
In many minds the question arises, Why
does life seem to be a succession of triis taken into consideration.
Primarily, life, the state of living, must
and suffering? It is difficult for the average
individual to conceive that life is quite in- be one of our own making. We must assume
diffrent to mankind. Biologically there is the responsibility of our own existence. We
did not ask to be born, but we are here.
the mpetus, the impulsation, to live. The
What happens in life is, to a very great exorganism strives to survive against obsta ces.
The other phenomena of existence, the other tent, the result of how we cultivate what we
are and what surrounds us. We can never
realities of the living organisms environment, are not placed there for its benefit as be complete masters of life. To some extent,
there will always be the unexpected that
man so often imagines and as some of his
arises. However, the more intelligent and
religious and philosophical teachings would
more experienced we are, the better will
have him believe. If life endures in an environment, it is not because the conditions we be able to cope with these sudden occurwere intentionally made conducive to it. rences.
The mastery of life, the ultmate ideal of
Rather, it is that such things are necessary
metaphysics and philosophy and, certainly,
to life and it survives because it can utilize
of the Rosicrucian Order, is not absolute bethem or can be developed from them.
Consequently, life has no assurance of a cause our knowledge will never be all-inclusive. This mastery, then, is and must be
congenial existence. It is and must be a continual struggle for it. An intelligent being relative. But each year, with serious study
and application, we gain more direction and
learns through experience as part of its incontrol over the extraneous forces that affect
stinct and intuition that certain conditions
are essential to it. This is most often learned us. We will always have suffering to some
through adaptation to what is found to be extent. Sometimes this suffering is personpleasurable and in harmony with the life allyeven though unwittinglyimposed. The
forc. Therefore, the intelligent being or the individual whose aspirations or ambitions
one solely govemed by instinctas the lower exceed the potential of his own being or who
formsbegins to direct and control its en- unnecessarily pits himself against certain
vironment. It tries to avoid that which is circumstances that he cannot surmount is
offensive or dangerous and thereby lessens going to have much suffering. His life will
or minimizes the struggle and any ensuing be full of many triis not necessarily experi
enced by others.
suffering.
The kind of personality which we develop
Theology has given many explanations for
can and will indicate the extent and kind of
why a just and compassionate God or Deity
allows man to suffer. Metaphysical phi lifes experience which we may expect. One
losophy through its doctrine of Karma en- who is avaricious, jealous, deceitful, unreasonable, aggressive, is creating conditions
deavors to do the same. However, they often
do not take into consideration that these from which will accrue much unpleasantness.
The organic aspect of our being, too, must
forces and powers of nature with which we
are brought into contact are quite often be taken into consideration. It is quite nat
impersonal. They have neither concern for ural that we should go through a cycle of
evolution and devolution. There comes a
or against mans personal welfare. They
are unthinking, operating according to the time when the natural, constructive process
necessity of what they are. A stone that in man declines, when deterioration sets in
falls, being impelled by gravity, has no mo like a flowers blooming and then withering.

But, to nature, there is no adverse, no nega

tive state. It is but a transition, a change
of form, a release of the vital forc and of
the molecular forces so as to compose some
other substance even if less complex. This
deterioration to the human consciousness
constitutes an inharmonyas ailments, afflictions, the losing of ones faculties, and pain
all summed up as suffering.
It is just as the flower in its process of
devolution may lose its fragrance, its beautiful hue, and its symmetry of form. These
are vales, however, that man has placed
upon the flower, Nature has not thought of
the fragrance and coloring as being the excellence of the flower. It is man who has
decided that such aspects of the flower are
the preferred ones.
It is likewise the human consciousness,
experiencing a harmonious reaction of itself
to other realities of nature, which considers
them the ideal. The human mind wonders,
then, why it is later subject to an opposite
state at times, that is, subject to inharmony
and suffering. But in nature there are not
these vales. They are but changes; they
are part of lifes processes. From them we
can extract knowledge from which, in turn,
higher satisfaction may be derived. We can
leam partially to combat and master them.
Psychologically, too, suffering provides the
background for many joys and pleasures. It
is because all pleasures are not positive in
themselves. By positive, we mean that all
are not realized as pleasure without any
other related experiences. Many of our pleas
ures are negative in the sense that they are
derived after the elimination of some mental
or physical distraction or irritation.
It is only by the contrast of eliminating
the disagreeable that many times we know
how gratifying the agreeable is. Certainly,
many of us have said at some time that we
would never have known of a certain pleassure unless a definite condition which blocked
it had been removed. We enjoy the bright

sun more because we know what its absence

can be like. We can enjoy good health more
through the occasional illnesses which we
have.
Life is not giving us these tests. It is not
making us ill, or is it placing obstacles in
our path so that we may experience adversity. But, since these things do occur and
since we will never be able to escape them
completely as long as we are human beings,
let us extract from them the knowledge they
can provide. After all, from many negatives
at times a positive may come forth.
Fratemally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator.

Nourishment of Body and Soul

In consistent conformance with the law of
duality, which manifests itself on the physi
cal plae, man is composed of both body and
soul, as we have repeatedly emphasized in
all of our teachings. The soul is resident in
the body, and the body is in turn a temporary
vehicle or mdium for the expression of the
soul. It is generally conceded in popular
terminology that both body and soul must
grow. Actually, growth is in the mind; that
is, it is mans continuous realization of his
attempt to adapt himself better as part of a
totality to the purpose or destiny for which
he exists.
Mans growth, then, should be a continu
ous realization of the fact that the body partakes of material elements in its environment
because it is a material vehicle and the soul
partakes of the immaterial elements of the
universe of which it is a part. We develop
a degree of realization of the potentialities of
both the body and the soul; and as our reali
zation of the souls potentialities grows our
realization that the body is a secondary con
sideration increases. We should ultimately
come to the complete awareness of the fact

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that the body serves only during the time

that man, or the intellect of man, is gaining
realization and awareness of the soul personality.
The soul in itself, as has been stated in
these pages before, does not grow or evolve.
It is a perfeet entity to begin with; but mans
realization of the soul, that is, the soul personality, evolves. Mans evolvement makes
him aware of the nonmaterial and psychic
forces that function within him. As he develops intuition, clairvoyance, and other
abilities to perceive beyond the limits of the
physical senses and gains concepts psychicallyas he evolves toward the ultmate reali
zation of being a psychic entitythe soul
personality also evolves. When the soul personality has evolved to the realization of all
the potentialities of the soul, then man as a
physical entity need no longer exist.
The end of mans cycle of incamations in
a physical body, regardless of how many
they may be, is timed in a sense by his
ultmate realization of the personality of the
soul. Consequently, he needs to nourish the
soul by proper consideration, by giving to it
the attention that is due any item of great
valu.
If you had something of physical valu,
such as a precious stone or mineral, it would
be only logical that you would take care of
and preserve it. The valu of the inner self,
the soul, is far greater than that of any
physical object you could possibly ever own.
It is logical, therefore, that you should
preserve and take care of the inner self because once you have given yourself completely to its realization, to an awareness of
the potentiality of the soul, then you have
completed the destiny for which man as a
physical being is created. Nourishment of
the soul, then, is the nourishment of the
awareness in man of the souls true function
and valu, the continual consciousness of the
importance of the soul and its existence
throughout eternity.
Man is constantly having his attention
detracted from this central concept. Outside
pressures make him so concerned about his
physical existence in his search for possessions and concern about the material that his
physical body frequently gives him more
concern than does his soul.
Whenever we emphasize any desire or
need of the human body, we are in a sense

exaggerating the importance of our physical

being. At various times in history, there
have been groups who believed it was a sin
to satisfy the needs of the body. They condemned all physical pleasures, whether they
were in the form of food and drink or ac
tivities carried on purely for sensual satisfaction.
While most of us today do not believe that
a reasonable gratification of the bodys needs
should be placed in the category of sin, the
foundation of the belief has some basis in
truth. This is the realization that an exaggeration of the importance of the body, that
is, the constant desire to fulfill its demands
to bring physical satisfaction, is detracting
attention from the real center of our being.
The soul itself should have first consideration.
The whole matter resolves itself about a
point of view. There is nothing immoral or
sinful in gratifying a physical sense, provided it is done with reason and proper discretion. If you like a certain food, such as
chocolate, for example, there is no reason
why you should not eat it from time to time;
but that does not mean you should eat it to
the exclusin of everything else. Under such
circumstances, it may actually become harmful to the body.
Today, when there are so many books on
calories and weight control, there is a consid
erable tendency to become overly diet conscious. I realize that I am now walking on
thin ice, as it were, because the subject of
diet is highly controversial. Those who hold
opinions concerning the subject have usually
arrived at a very definite conclusin. How
ever, I am one who is not too tolerant of
many of the points of view in regard to many
concepts of diet.
I believe that claims made for diets of
various kinds are greatly exaggerated, and
that diet plays a far less important role in
mans physical and spiritual existence than
some dietitians or diet faddists would have
us believe. Furthermore, I believe many
principies of diet are based upon individual
opinions rather than controlled experiments.
Many ideas concerning diet are fads in the
true sense of the word, rather than facts that
have been proved by an actual process of
determination of whether or not the par
ticular diet is effective.
Many individuis are following a point
of view based upon personal opinions and

whims. Same laboratory experiments are

now under way that tend to prove diet to be
far less important in the treatment of many
forms of disease and illnesses than was previously believed. Formerly, it was an ac
cepted fact that diet was the most important
factor of treatment.
The mortality during and after the treat
ment of many diseases, formerly associated
directly with diet, has not been changed
substantially when the diet has been forgotten. This is because the physical body is of
the same essential material as the physical
world of which it is a part. It partakes of
that world, and it is nourished by having
elements of itself added to it. But the body
has at its command complicated chemical
processes. It is able to adapt the intake of
various forms of material in such a way as
to use them for growth and maintenance.
I read recently of an interesting study
conceming diet and environment. An Amer
ican doctor, making a study of blood pressure,
sent observers to work with Dr. Albert
Schweitzer in Gabon, Africa, and, also, with
Dr. Theodore Binder, who has a hospital
similar to that of Dr. Schweitzers in the
jungles of Per. When he crrelated the
studies made, he found that the blood pres
sure of the Peruvian Indians and the people
who lived in the jungles of Per, where Dr.
Binders hospital is located, had noticeably
lower blood pressure than the people who
lived in Gabon, Africa. The living conditions
were nevertheless very similarthe jungle
climate, simplicity of existence, the lack of
adequate protein, fat, and salt in the diet,
the widespread infestation of parasites, the
existence of anemia, and the prevalence of
infectious diseases. Coupled with these condi
tions was the fact that the diet of the indi
viduis was very similar as were other
extemal environmental conditions.
In drawing some conclusions from these
studies, the decisin was reached that the
tendency to high blood pressure is a condition within the genes of an individual or a
particular group and has little to do either
with the food intake or the so-called stress
and tensions of modem living. If from a
hereditary standpoint you are so built that
you are subject to high blood pressure, you
will probably have high blood pressure in
some degree, regardless of your diet.

I was, of course, pleased to read this article

because it confirmed ideas which I have held
for many years. I believe it also confirms
the principies that Dr. H. Spencer Lewis
wrote of in The Spiritual Property of Food
and in the Sixth Degree Monographs, showing that we can exaggerate the needs of the
body insofar as diet is concerned.
If we would give our attention to our
psychic development and try to eat a reason ably balanced dietand not, as I mentioned
earlier in this article, merely because we like
chocolate eat nothing but chocolatethe body
would have the opportunity to draw its needs
from the various food components, such as
protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, which
we consume in a normal food intake and
which are of the same composition as the
body itself.
Even under very restricted conditions, the
body can do quite well. I remember when
my thoughts first tumed to this subject some
years ago. I was teaching school in a remte
district of the West. Many of the people in
that area lived for four to six months out of
the year on nothing but salt pork, potatoes,
and white bread. Many of them overcooked
this food so that it had practically no taste
and appeared to have little nutritional valu.
I made a study of the children attending
that school and found the lowest frequency
of communicable diseases, including common
colds, of any similar group with which I
could compare in other localities.
I will concede that they were probably
less in contact with carriers of these diseases
although the community was not isolated.
Adults visited the nearest town or city at
least once a week, and the children almost
as frequently; so they did come in contact
with other individuis. I do not claim that
such a diet keeps one free of communicable
diseases; but I do say that a more complicated
diet does not necessarily keep one free of
diseases.
What men need is what the Rosicrucian
teachings have always emphasized as a fun
damentalbalance. We should give reasonable attention to the body and direct our
attention to the soul and the immaterial part
of our beings because of its etemal nature
and fundamental valu. Then we can strike
a balance between soul and body that allows
the body to serve its true purposethat is,

as a vehicle for the soul temporarilywhile

our mind and soul personality evolve in understanding and realization of mans true
place, not particularly in this world, but in
the universal cosmic scheme.A

Psychic Hitchhikers
A soror brings up this point: These last
few months I have heard so much discussed
on a certain subject which is new to me that
I would like to ask the Forum two specific
questions.
The questions are based on the subject of
Psychic Hitchhikers. Let us say that there are
two persons who are each attempting to attune with a third point. One of them, presumably the more highly evolved, absorbs
all the built-up energy of the other for the
purpose of experiencing attunement. I understand that this process is used by those who
are unable to make such a contact by them
selves.
My first question is, Is it possible to build
up psychic energy as outlined above for the
purpose of making psychic contact? My
second question is, Is it possible to absorb
into oneself the psychic energy of another or
that of a group such as exists in lodge or
chapter experiments when performing an
attunement experiment?
Mystical attunement for most people at
best is a difficult process. Only a few can
easily enter the silence and commune with
the Inner Self or the Cosmic. For many,
such attunement is almost impossible. For
those searchers, particularly Rosicrucian students, who seek to find an intmate communion with the Cosmic, helping hands are
to be welcomed.
In Rosicrucian ritual and study there are
many aids to attunement. The more of these
the student uses, the more readily can he
experience a degree of mystical attunement.
Each aid is a steppingstone. The environ
ment to which he exposes himself is like a
pathway to his goals and objectives. Those
who expose themselves to good music, good
books, good friends will find attunement
much easier than those who participate in
no environmental experience conducive to
aspira tion.
In the play, The Alchemisfs Workshop,
the narrator points out the alchemists rev-

erence for this process. In this allegory, the

alchemist is a student of mysticism. His
workshop is the body and its environment. In
order to transmute base metis into symbolic
gold (the baser elements of mans nature
into the virtues), it is necessary to tile the
temple or sanctum (body and mind) in
which the transmutation is to take place. To
accomplish this, he (1) burns incense to
sweeten the air; (2) lights candles to further
reveal the realities of existence; (3) intones
vowels to stimulate and awaken the various
psychic centers; (4) lets this mixture set
until it filis the consciousness during a medi
tation music selection.
When all these steps have been taken, he
has brought his consciousness gradually upward where attunement is now more likely
to occur. We cannot emphasize enough the
importance of a sanctum to the member. A
sanctum period properly conducted is a
means of tiling the physical templeof preparing the mind for the most important
phase of its development.
Since mystical attunement is the key to
the growth and success of the soul personal
ity, anything that abets and helps to bring
this about should receive the closest atten
tion. It is to the end that each individual
may one day gain the inspiration and guidance he needs through direct attunement
with the Cosmic that Rosicrucian study is
devoted. This is the whole point of the mys
tical life. But this requires the most rever ent
and sacred approach. To think of it in any
terms other than that of cleanliness of mind
and spirit is a desecration of the highest good
we know.
The realization of this process is the next
phase of mankinds development. You will
see increasing emphasis of this aspect of
mysticism. It is not enough that man acquire
information and awareness of the world
about him although these are necessary. He
must be drawn into a deeper sense of his
kinship with the Cosmic through those practices and duties which uplift and harmonize
him with the positive and constructive forces
of the universe.
To get back to the sorors question regarding psychic hitchhikers, the fact that two or
more persons are involved in an attunement
exercise is an aid to each participant. It is
a matter of setting up harmonious thought

patterns which are conducive to a flow of

inspiration and inner strength. Again, it is
a matter of environment. People who work
together on a project help each other by providing an air or atmosphere of strength and
achievement. The spirit with which they
enter into their work is lifted, and there is
experienced a resulting ease in the attainment of their objectives. There is probably
no physical or psychic exchange of energy
here, but rather the paving of a road on
which attunement can be made with greater
facility.B

Affirmations and Positive Thinking

A short time ago, I had occasion to be in
rather cise contact with another individual
who was constantly reprimanding me because of what he labeled my negative think
ing. While the other party was, no doubt,
very sincere, after a short time, I became
rather irritated and annoyed at the constant
reference to my need for positive thinking.
I feel that I am somewhat familiar with the
principies involved in positive thinking, but
I also know that those who talk the most
about positive thinking know the least about
it and use it very little.
One of the most important psychological
principies presented in the Rosicrucian teach
ings is that the mind of man has many attributes and potentialities but, at the same time,
functions in accord with certain laws. The
mind is not a piece of clay that indiscriminately can be molded on the basis of our
whims and passing wishes. The mind can
more specifically be compared to an intricate
instrument which requires delicate and con
stant adjustment. To be able to punch a
piece of clay around until it reaches a shape
pleasing either to our senses or to our desire
to have manipulated something can be a
haphazard process.
It, of course, can also be a process of
planned intent on the part of an artist who
works through such a mdium. But the mind
is not something that is subject to the whims
of our manipulations at any particular moment we may desire to work with it. The
individual who is constantly using affirma
tions or preaching the principie of positive
thinking is in the same category as the ama
teur working with a piece of clay. He is

only punching it around, and it arrives at

no particular final shape. The mind, to repeat, needs intricate adjustment and direction, not playful manipulation.
Affirmations are, in a sense, little more
than a statement of the popular concept of
positive thinking. There have been many
psychological, philosophical, and religious
attempts to make affirmations take the place
of other efforts on the part of the human
being. I remember a phrase which became
popular many years ago as a result of the
fundamental principies taught by a French
psychologist. It went something to this
effect: Every day, in every way, I am becoming better and better. It wTas presumed
that if this affirmation were repeated often
enough, a person would be better morally,
physically, or in some other manner, in spite
of himself. In other words, he could make
himself better by simply saying to himself
that he was better.
Most thinking people realize that an affir
mation simply does not work in this manner.
If you believe that an affirmation can change
a physical condition, try it the next time you
are in pain. Have you ever suffered from a
toothache, the agony of an arthritic joint,
or from some other pain, possibly not serious
insofar as life expectancy is concemed but
nevertheless very annoying and inconvenient?
To experience such a pain and to say to
oneself that the pain does not exist is simply
a process of trying to delude oneself. Saying
that the pain does not exist does not in any
way whatsoever affect the pain. Affirmations
simply do not produce results in this way.
We cannot change conditions by merely repeating an opposite point of view within our
objective consciousness. If I walk across the
room until I come in contact with the wall
on the other side, I can stand and say there
is no wall for as long as I have life and
breath, but the wall will still be there. Ob
jective considerations do not affect physical
conditions and, furthermore, they have very
little effect upon mental concepts.
This is because the objective mind is the
mind responsible for the physical perceptions
as we receive them through our sense faculties. If we are mentally to create, if we are
to use the power of the mind to bring about
changes, we have to do it by linking the

Creative forces within ourselves with the

cosmic forces of which we are a manifesta
tion.

Early in the Rosicrucian teachings, we are

taught that the objective mind is the recipient
of outside impressions. The unconscious or
subconscious mind is the mind of the soul.
If we are going to cali upon that soul forc
to work on our behalf, we must transfer our
wishes, our concepts, by subtle suggestion
to the subconscious mind. The mind in itself
is not a forc. The forc is the Vital Life
Forc, the soul forc; we might say it is the
cosmic forc which springs from our Creator.
It is only by hamessing and utilizing that
forc that we can accomplish anything
mentally.
To repeat: The mind itself does not pro
duce or generate any forces of action that
have any particular valu for us insofar as
molding our lifes philosophy or affecting the
circumstances and conditions of our environ
ment. If wre learn to draw upon the forces
of the Cosmic, which is the motivating energy
of all creation, then we are harnessing the
ultimate forces within the universe and directing them toward the solution of problems
and circumstances which are a part of life
and environment.
The Rosicrucian process of concentration
is the technique for accomplishing this end.
When we concntrate, we direct our mind
in a certain direction toward a certain point.
After our concentration has been clarified,
after we have vividly registered within the
mind the point upon which we concntrate
as a visual image, or in some other manner
we must dismiss it from objective con
sciousness because as long as it remains
locked within the objective mind, it is no
more than an objective thought.
The key to mental creating is to dismiss
from the objective mind the thoughts that
are most prevalent within it. In this manner,
they become a part of the subconscious, of
the life stream within us, and are reflected
back to us in forms which have been amplified by the Creative, constructive forces of
the Cosmic. In this way, man is able to use
his mind to accomplish positive conditions.
True positive thinking is the hamessing of
our intuitive abilities, a listening to our sixth
sense, the realizing that the still, small voice

within us is the voice of the Creative impulse

of the universe.

The happy-go-lucky or the Pollyanna-type

attitude of merely repeating something that
is believed to be positive and constructive is
no different from a parrots rambling within
the scope of a vocabulary which it does not
understand.
Positive thinking, then, if we are to consider it at all as a worthwhile attribute or a
useful function of our mental equipment, is
to think in terms of positively building com
plete concepts of what we want, positively
selecting our aims in life, positively distinguishing what is worthwhile, and then
positively directing ourselves toward their
visualization and realization by dismissing
them into the workings of the inner or soul
consciousness.A

Evil Spirits
A soror from England brings up the ques
tion of evil spirits. She asks: Since there
are no evil spirits, what is the phenomenon
seen by clairvoyants in the aura of a socalled obsessed person? Can it control man,
or can man compel it to do his will?
Rosicrucians have always interpreted good
and evil to be that which is, respectively,
harmonious and inharmonious. As we view
the world, we are sensitive to a degree of
either of these conditions. And since we
interpret most of our sensations in terms of
the objective world, we associate many and
varied objects and experiences with good or
evil.
Over a period of time, certain things have
caused a lack of harmony in our lives, and
we cali these things evil. There are objects
that instill fear, hatred, uneasiness, or dis
comfort in us, and these objects we cali evil.
There are experiences that have caused us
pain, distress, emotional disturbance, or loss
of some kind, and we cali these experiences
evil.
The same can be said of good. All that we
associate with pleasant experiences, happy
times, satisfying moments, relief, victory, or
success, we cali good.
A person who is negatively obsessed is
disturbed, either physically or mentally. A
negative condition in his aura or environ-

ment has evoked in the consciousness corresponding images with which evil is associated.
The image could be visual. It could be just
a thought. It could be audible. An obsession
can take any of the sense forms. Obsessions
can also be positive and constructive. Ob
sessions are thoughts or imagery of some kind
that besiege the consciousness, that manifest
much of, if not all of, the time. If they are
negative, they can cause the deterioration of
the personalitys expression since such constant exposure to a negative image is a threat
to progress, peace of mind, and constructive
well-being.
Clairvoyants who sense anothers obses
sion or negative condition may also relate
it to a visual or other sense form associated
with evil. They may term this imagery an
evil spirit. But they are only giving ame
to a negative vibratory condition that is impinging upon and disturbing the conscious
ness of the individual. These conditions are
not entities. They are entities only in the
form man gives to the sensations they evoke
in his consciousness. But, as negative vibra
tory conditions, they do control man to the
extent of inhibiting his thoughts and actions
along other linesby demanding his atten
tion by their very presenceby creating a
disturbing condition that evokes pain, anger,
or fear.
As for mans compelling these conditions
to do his will, he is not dealing with entities
who in any real sense correspond to an animate spirit that listens, speaks, sees, or thinks.
He can compel himself to elimnate these
distractions. He can compel himself to think
about and engage in constructive activities.
He can compel these conditions because they
are part of him. They take form and have
being in his own consciousness, and it is there
that they must be dealt with.B
Were sorrybut this is how it happened. Because we were short of copy
and timethe article, Restoring Lost
Lives, from an earlier Forum was rerun
in the October, 1963, issue. Unfortunately,
an error of statement was overlooked.
Readers are referred to the Rosicrucian
Manual, Cremation, Funeral Ritual
for correct information regarding present
practice.

Sensitivity to Vibrations
A frater raises the question regarding the
effect of vibrations on ones surroundings. As
we are taught from the very earliest degrees
and throughout the whole scope of Rosicru
cian study, the subject of vibrations is one
which is fundamental and must necessarily
be studied to evolve our understanding of
the influence that the vibratory nature of
the entire universe has at any time or place.
It would be impossible to attempt to analyze the whole of this study in one article
because, in one sense of the word, the Rosi
crucian philosophy is a study of the vibra
tory energy of the Cosmic. The Cosmic itself
conceivably might be considered a mass of
vibrations. We believe that the whole uni
verse has a First Cause. Whatever we cali
this Cause, whether it be God, the Absolute,
or the Cosmic, is of secondary importance.
The important factor is that these vibrations
or vibratory energies were established and
continu to function; in their functioning,
they direct and lead all manifestation, physi
cal or immaterial, toward an end which has
been destined in the Mind of the Creator.
The human being is one element of this
vast creation. In a living being, the human
body is, as we are told in our earliest teach
ings, a vehicle of the soul. It is a living,
vibrating mass. It is distinguished from purely physical objects in that there is manifest
within the human body the combination of
two elements, or two different types of vi
brations. We distinguish these two different
types of vibrations as being the positive and
negative manifestations of Nous.
Nous, in a sense, is another relative term
which applies to the entire cosmic vibrations
that cause the universe to be. Nous expresses
itself in the human body in the form of
spirit, which is the vibratory energy contained in all matter, and in the form of the
Vital Life Forc, which is the essence of the
soul. Just as spirit is the vibratory mani
festation that makes physical and inanimate
objects possible of perception and existence,
so Vital Life Forc is the vibratory essence
of Nous and, therefore, of the Cosmic that
causes the soul to be and to express itself.
The vibratory energy, then, within the liv
ing human being, is the combined radiation
that comes from these two forces, intermingling and functioning simultaneously

within this physical element which we cali

our body.
As long as life is present, both of these
forces manifest. They are evidenced visually
in the aura. The aura that can be perceived
about the human body is the vibratory energy that comes from the body, and it is influenced and composed by both the spirit
vibrations and the vibrations that are of the
Vital Life Forc.
It is possible under certain favorable con
ditions for most individuis visually to perceive the aura that surrounds the body. It
sometimes appears as a haze, sometimes as a
light, and occasionally it takes on different
colors. The manifestation of the aura is, first
of all, the spirit energy radiating from the
physical body, together with the influence
that the radiations of the Vital Life Forc
have upon that spirit energy.
As long as there is life within the body,
these vibrations continu incessantly. It is
because of these radiations from the body
that those who develop a sensitivity to them
are able to perceive certain facts or certain
circumstances in the life of the individual.
We perceive the results of the effects that
these vibrations have upon us. That is why
it is sometimes possible for us to perceive to
a certain degree the mood or attitude of an
individual with whom we come in contact.
When the soul leaves the body when
transition takes place, the body is nothing
more than a physical entity. It is like an
inanimate object, and it remains a manifes
tation of spirit energy alone. It is no longer
affected by the simultaneous function of
spirit and Vital Life Forc within the entity.
The Vital Life Forc proceeds to exist with
the soul and maintains its continuance as a
different entity of which in our present state
of existence we do not have a complete un
derstanding.
When we consider the radiations from the
bodies of all living beings, we realize that
there is a tremendous impact of these vibra
tions upon others and upon environment.
Consequently, the environment in which
we live, the circumstances of our existence,
are modified and affected by these vibrations.
The vibrations that we produce at this
moment are creating conditions about us,
many of which we are not conscious. The
mood, the general feelings which we experi
ence at this particular moment, affect these

radiations from ourselves, and they leave

their mark in the environment where we
exist. It is for that reason that those who
have developed sensitivity to these vibrations
are aware of the feelings and the attitudes
of individuis even after they are gone from
the immediate environment.
I have entered a house in which I did
not feel comfortable although I felt that the
occupants at the time I entered had in no
way contributed to those circumstances. In
some cases, I have learned the history of
conditions that existed before, and I know
that because of the vibrations existent at
that time, traces or influences of them still
exist. In one house, where I lived for a period
of about three years, I never felt completely
at home or completely at ease. I learned
later, after living in another place for some
time, that a previous occupant of the house
had committed suicide under very trying
circumstances. Those impressions still lingered and will always linger. Man should
realize that what he does, what he thinks,
and how he feels are creating radiations from
himself that permanently affect all that he
contacts in the environment in which he
lives. In this sense, as human beings, we
carry a double responsibilitythat of evolving our own selves and, also, of attempting
to create an environment which will be conducive to the development of those who follow us.A
Preincarnation
A soror in Calgary asks if there is such a
theory as preincarnation. She understands
that it deais with whence we come just be
fore birth from the time of conception.
As Rosicrucians see it, incarnation for a
soul personality begins with the first breath
drawn by the new physical body through
which it manifests. The whole period before
this is preincarnation. It is the transition
period. It is also the post incarnation period
of the previous incarnation.
In the cosmic sense, there are no time-consuming stages in the transitional period be
tween incamations such as preincarnation,
post incarnation, or mid-transition. These
latter are periods or stages which we establish relative to our concept of a time-space
world.
We can only say again that in the cosmic
sense there is no time and space as we con-

ceive it in our objective frame of reference.

In the Cosmic, all things are now. The period
between incarnations is to the soul personality
on the cosmic plae instantaneous. There is
to the soul personality no such period as deliberation, long preparation, or reflection in
the time sense of our objective measurements.
Trying to comprehend this mystical state
is the most profound experience in which an
individual can particpate. It is fundamental
to his understanding of cosmic law and prin
cipie. Nevertheless, man contines to measure cosmic events in terms of his objective
world. He clings to the anthropomorphic
concept of life between incarnations; a con
cept with which he retains such objective
states as reviewing thoughts, conjecturing,
moving about as an entity, looking about
up, down, through, here, and thereexpressing himself, being conscious of others ex
pressions, etc.
In our many writings, we do not take
away from any idea of immortality or the
reincarnation of the soul personality. These
are fundamental to our philosophy. Yet
every Rosicrucian writer in his own way
tries to help the student to understand the
transition period through illustration, analy
sis, comparison, analogy, and symbolism.
The Rosicrucian teachings have always
maintained that, in the cosmic plae, time,
space, and consciousness as we know them
here on earth do not exist.
Experiences on the cosmic plae are differ
ent from those here on earth. In what way?
In the way that the Cosmic is one in time,
in space, in thought. Earthly existence is
separate. This idea is instilled in the Rosicrucians mind from the very first lesson
to the very last. Still it is a long step from
acknowledging such a state of affairs and
fully realizing the implications.
As far as most people think they are from
the anthropomorphic concepts of their forefathers, they still want to inject into the
afterlife their worldly tastes, likes, dislikes,
measurements, standards, loves, hates, time,
space, and all the rest. The only anthropo
morphic concept the human mind seems to
have shed over the past centuries is that of
a man-like God and the retention of a physi
cal body. Even these are still held by mil
lions who believe in a doctrine of resurrec
tion of the physical body.

Be that as it may, we must pursue a course

of trying to comprehend fully and give voice
to a cosmic realm in which the anthropomorphism of objective existence plays no
part, always remembering that even as we
talk about it, we are putting it in words and
terms of an objective nature. Thus let us say
that contemplation and reflection on the past
are part of the soul personalitys experience
in the cosmic plae. Preparation for the new
incarnation is part of its experience. But all
this, in the cosmic realm, is instantaneous.
In the Cosmic, where all things are complete
and now, there can be no other course.
When writers attempt to describe these ex
periences, of course, it all comes out again
in terms of time and space. It is an often
bewildering, sometimes frustrating, mental
exercise to reconcile the objective and nonobjective worlds. Yet we must accomplish
this if we are to be adepts.
In considering the pre-incamation period,
then, assuming that the soul personality is at
one in sta n t already prepared, ready, and
knowledgeable about its past and future, we
must take into consideration the preparation
of the physical vehicle into which the soul
personality will come. This is, indeed, as
important to each incarnation as the soul
personality itself, for this is its mode of ex
pression, the body it must work with.
From the time of conception, the cells of
the new embryo are engaged in the formation of a vehicle which will provide the stage
on which the soul personality assumes its
role. The preparation of this human form
deserves mans undivided attention. Every
effort should be made to discourage the de
velopment of an embryo in a negative en
vironment, both internally and extemally.
Such an environment transmitted to the em
bryo will form a physical prison in which
the incamating soul personality is suppressed
and rejected. If there is any lesson for soul
personalities afflicted with bodies from such
environments, it is to prevent and prohibit
the continuation of societys blatant disregard
for the cultivation of more ideal human
forms.B
Gaining Insight
A frater from New Zealand writes: As I
have progressed in my Rosicrucian studies
and been better able to live up to my ideis,
I find that my friends, both young and od,
as well as members of my family, who do

not belong to the Order, are also bettering

their natures. Is this due to my thoughts affecting theirs or is life now entering a cycle
of greater spirituality? Is what I have noticed
due to this or is it that, through the practice
of the exercises, I now can see more of their
inner selves, as it were? Do other members
of AMORC experience this, too?
First, let me assure the frater that other
members have had similar experiences. The
apparent improvement in the personality or
spiritual qualities of those with whom a
member associates is more often relative than
actual. If there is an actual influence brought
to bear upon friends or members of the family because of ones Rosicrucian thinking or
practices, it results in positive action.
In other words, those who are affected
inquire about the Rosicrucian philosophy.
They evidence interest in the teachings.
They are conscious of transition in their own
thinking and conduct and want to share in
the source of influence by becoming mem
bers. When, however, a Rosicrucian member
observes what he believes to be beneficial
changes in the personalities of those with
whom he associates, it indicates that such
changes are only relative to his own new,
enlarged viewpoint.
An interest which we acquire makes us
conscious of all things which are related to
it. Whenever we experience anything which
participates in the nature of our own in
terests, we immediately respond to it. A
photography enthusiast would have his at
tention drawn immediately to an advertisement in a magazine concerning a new
camera or film that would, perhaps, not even
be noticed by someone else. If there are
two or three pages in the periodical containing advertisements of photographic equipment, he may presume that the magazine
is dominated by such advertisements. This
presumption is because his attention is
focused principally upon such advertisements
and he recalls them more easily.
The study of the Rosicrucian principies
and philosophy makes the student conscious
of certain human characteristics or qualities
of which he was either not aware or with
which he was formerly unconcerned. Gradually, therefore, those around him seem to
display traits which parallel the subjects of
his studies. As he comes to leam of the mistakes of his own habits, he discovers them

in his associates or, to his surprise, finds

they never did possess them.
Furtherj as a Rosicrucian member develops
his own psychic perception and is able to
perceive that subtle emanation known as the
aura, he is able to observe the aura of many
of his friends. He may be surprised to see
how well developed are the auras of some
who are not Rosicrucians. Then he is uncertain whether such is the result of his own
influence upon them or whether they always
had such auras.
Also, members of his family may have
made statements regarding experiences or
fundamental principies of living which once
did not interest him or, at least, were not
understood. With the broadening of his own
views, the result of his Rosicrucian studies,
these remarks of his family finally become
comprehensible. He finds them to have a
deep philosophical content.
Again, he wonders, Are they saying these
things because of my thoughts upon these
subjectsare they being influenced by them?
The answer in most instances must be no.
They have perhaps always said them but
their import was not realized. With the
expansin of the inner consciousness of the
individual, the new knowledge he is acquiring as a Rosicrucian, and the greater sensitivity which he has, his vista is increased.
He begins to see and hear many things in
his own environment which were once meaningless to him.
A man with deficient eyesight, for analo
gy, would not observe many beauties of
nature along the country roadside. He, per
haps would not see the patch of wild fiowers
in the adjoining field. He might not see the
robin on the overhanging bough of the tree
or the lazy, floating white clouds in the
azure sky.
Suddenly, given glasses, his world would
be transformed. Many formerly undiscerned
things would rush in upon it. He might
believe that with the acquiring of eyeglasses
the world had suddenly been changed and
influenced by his wearing them. Actually,
however, such things in their basic nature
were always there ready to be realized by
his consciousness as soon as his visin was
capable of perceiving them.
So, too, with mystical insight, which comes
not just from study but from practice and
experimentation, the beauty of the inner

nature of many around us is perceived. We

have not changed these people. We have,
however, attuned ourselves to what they
really are.X
Is Nudism Necessary to Health?
A frater rises now to ask the question:
What are the psychological and physiological factors underlying nudism?
Anthropologists and ethnologists such as
the famous Dr. James G. Frazer and Sir
Edward B. Tylor, whose works are classics
in those sciences, are of the opinion that
clothes were at first an expedient before
they were adopted for ornamentation. Ac
cording to the reconstruction of the fossilized
remains of the humanoid or early prehistoric
man, it would appear that their epidermis
was not unlike that of modern man. How
ever, the body was undoubtedly covered with
more hair. The glacial periods, when the
tempera ture became extremely coidespecially in the northern hemisphereprobably
compelled man to cover himself with the
skins of animals. It is doubtful whether
modesty or ornamentation entered into the
adopting of skins as wearing apparel.
Even today, in many warm climates we
find primitive tribes of a very low culture
who are not completely naked. Both men
and women have a form of loin cloth. There
are, however, some aborigines in Brazil and
Australia who are completely divested of
clothing and do not appear ever to have worn
it. The moral aspect of wearing clothes
as a taboo against nakedness seems to have
followed their use as a protection and oraamentation. Morality, insofar as nakedness
is concerned, would first require a fairly well
developed sense of conscience and culture.
It is quite obvious from history and a
study of costumes that mans ego and desire
for personal finery eventually caused him to
overdress. Overdress in the form of high
collars, ruffles, and corsets was in many respects unhealthy, especially at a time when
the practice of personal hygiene was not all
that it should have been. Furthermore, once
a custom was developed which tended to
cover practically all the surface of the body
with the exception of the face and hands,
there was an impact upon the moral code.
Eventually, the exposure of the neck or legs
was construed as indecent and immoral.

Much of this was hypocrisy. History records

that moral standards, aside from this false
modesty, were no more elevated than in
any other period of lesser dress.
Most physicians are agreed that allowing
the body to breathe and to have reasonable
exposure to the sun are an advantage to the
health. The fewer clothes provide greater
comfort, especially in a warm temperature,
allowing more freedom of movement, as well
as aiding the circulation. Sun bathing is
thus a popular indulgence and is one that
should be continued as long as the body suffers no burns severe enough to cause blood
poisoning. Obviously from this point of
reasoning, the more exposure of the anatomy,
the better the health result.
Is, however, absolute nakedness necessary,
especially in mixed groups? If one believes
that he or she must be completely naked to
enjoy sun bathing, then why not do so
privately or with those of ones own sex? It
is agreed, for analogy, that regular bathing
of the body in water is hygienically neces
sary. We do not, however, commonly bathe
in the nude in the presence of the opposite
sex. We can accomplish the same results
privately or in establishments devoted to
bathing by our own sex. Why cannot this
same custom apply to sun bathing?
The psychology of many nudists appears
to be the wish to reveal their nonconformity,
to show that they have made a break with
convention and thereby are more advanced
in the spirit of modernity. They take the
position that modesty in sex is psychological
ly an error, that sex is a natural function,
and that any other idea associated with it is
perverted and degenerate. They contend,
further, that to flaunt sex, to appear in the
nude, is to break down this obsolete moral
complex. It is also contended that the revealing of the nude body lessens the mysteries
involved in and ordinarily associated with
sex.
These apologists for nudism point out that
man is the only animal with any sense of
immodesty in connection with nudity. The
answer to this, however, is that man is a
higher animal and has acquired many con
cepts and customs not associated with the
lives and practices of the lower animals.
Consequently, we cannot use such a premise
for a defense of nudismor we would need
to reject also all other kinds of behavior

which distinguish man from the lower forms

of life.
The fact is that most nudists would be
more inspiring examples of health if they
were partially clothed. The human anatomy,
unless one has an excellent physique, is any
thing but attractive. One need go only to
public beaches where sunsuits or bikini bathing suits are worn to see people who look
even worse in such scanty clothing than do
the unclothed, lower animals. It is because
they have neglected their bodies to such an
extent that far more than sun bathing is
required to improve their appearance. We
can but realize that such persons in the nude
would be far more revolting than inspiring.
We are in agreement that there is nothing
evil or morally wrong in sex itself. But we
do not believe it needs to be displayed in
indiscriminate sun bathing merely to convey
the idea of how uninhibited and unconventional one is. The same health goals can be
achieved by wearing at least a bikini or by
bathing privately with ones own sex. Why
must the sexes mix socially for attaining
health through nudity? The sun will shine
as well upon the segregated nudes.X

Interfering Thought
A soror from England poses an intriguing
question. She writes: UA well-known writer
states that, All the great mystics cali atten
tion to the fact that the continuous turning
of thought in the head is one of the greatest
obstacles to the contemplative life. I would
like to ask, What is thought? Why is it?
What levels of thought exist? Could we have
wave bands of thought and could they be
picked up, either consciously or not, as
E. S. P.?
Thought is commonly associated with the
mental imagery that takes form in the con
sciousness of an individual. When we speak
of a thought, we are usually referring to
some realization, some idea, in a persons
mind. This idea may be visual; it may be a
word or group of words; it may be a feeling
of some kindan inexpressible sensation.
Thought can be aroused by intent, by mans
desire to review certain experiences or to
formlate new expressions out of the od.
Thought also appears out of the past or from
external sources such as the thoughts of oth
ers or thoughts resident in the Cosmic.

Thought has substance; that is, it has

a vibratory frequency to which mans
consciousness responds. Its characteristic
frequency gives rise to the imagery we ex
perience as thought patterns, much as tele
visin frequencies give rise to the patterns
that register on a televisin screen. Thought
is the substance of the Cosmic. It represents
the pattern that cosmic energy takes in its
etemal motion. When you are aware of
thought, you are aware of the cosmic sub
stance, or Spirit Energy.
In the final analysis, the Cosmic is made
up basically of two conditions, a substance
and a faculty of awareness of its substance.
The substance varies in its manifestation according to its different frequencies, or rates
of vibration, and to the manifold complexes
that arise out of the interweaving and interchanging of these energies. The awareness
of its substance is a faculty of Cosmic Mind.
Not only is Mind aware of, but it acts on its
substance as well. It perceives substance, it
cogitates substance, it assembles substance,
and it directs substance.
To ask w hy thought is, is to ask why the
Cosmic is. It simply is. There is no reason
for the Cosmics existence. It is the etemal
i am whose infinite proportions man can only
acceptnever describe in terms of finite
limits such as how, when, where, why, or
what for.
We have in the foregoing described the
nature of thoughtthe patterns of cosmic
energies as they affect mans consciousness.
Thoughts are wave patterns and as such
most surely can be transmitted and received,
with or without intent on the part of the
individuis in volved. Without intent, how
ever, it only stands to reason that the wave
patterns of thoughts would remain weak and
ineffectual signishardly a forc to impel
or repel the movements or decisions of an
other.
As a final consideration, it is more correct
to think of levels of consciousness than levels
of thought. Thought, as a wave or a vibra
tory frequency, may manifest in many oc
taves, but it is all part of the same cosmic
essence. Consciousness of thought on the
other hand has many levels. What each in
dividual does with each thought pattern is
vastly different, and it is in this regard that
man raises or lowers his status as a cosmic
entity.

The continuous turning of thoughts to

which the soror refers is a reaction of man
to the very presence of thought. It is mans
prerogative to select, attend to, and contm
plate only those thoughts which will elevate
him and permit him to grow and master his
environment. To overcome the obsta ele of
thought intrusin in the contemplative life,
man must simply determine to fill his con
sciousness with constructive and harmonious
thoughts to the extent that neither time or
environment will allow any others to intrude.B

How Important Is Truth?

A soror in Montreal, Caada, addressing
our Forum, says: In my formative years,
teachers and elders consistently held up
truthfulness as a fundamental virtue for all
who aspired to high character, but of late a
subtle change seems to have come over the
teachings of certain religious and other
leaders.
It is notable that Plato, in Book 3 of The
Republic, cites truth as a fundamental virtue
for the individual, but holds that there may
be occasions when the state may have the
privilege of lying. Also, in the Decalogue
the only mention of false witness is when
it is against thy neighbor.
Is it possible that too much importance
has been placed on truth in the past and
that it may be disregarded by religious lead
ers and others in similar positions when it is
thought that good is to be accomplished by
so doing? Will the Forum kindly consider
this topic?
In this instance, it is not necessary to con
sider the philosophical theory of the content
of truth, namely, what it is. Rather, we
should ask, Has truth such advantages that
it is essential as a practice in our times? Let
us, for the moment, put aside the moral
considerations which are of a traditional
nature.
There are many who are always veridical
in their statements for no other reason than
traditional moral compulsin. They will not
lie, principally because it has been declared
a vice or evil by their religious creed. Thus
they have no intmate personal experiences
or conclusin as to the necessity of truth. It
is logical to presume that many might discard truth if it were no longer an integral

part of their religious or moral code. To

them, lying is nothing more than a religious
proscription. They would with the same
devotion obey a prohibition not to walk
along the left side of the Street if it carried
the equivalent weight of church authority.
When those who have made truth solely
a religious and traditional moral obligation break with such sources of influence,
they no more eschew untruth. Since truth
has no other connotation to them, they are
not the least hesitant in abusing it. On the
other hand, truth provides an excellent example of reasons supporting virtue rather
than stripping it of its content.
Logically, human relations are, to a great
extent, dependent upon mutual confidence.
If each of us were to assume that every
neighbor was a perfidious character and had
to prove himself before we trusted him, the
whole structure of society would fall. It becomes necessary, then, that in the ordinary
affairs of the day our statements have a
prima facie acceptance, and that those with
whom we deal make realistic or truthful
statements.
Many statements involve circumstances
which, if they had to be proved before they
could be accepted, would cause considerable
delay, resulting in expense and perhaps loss
of valuable opportunity. In our relations
with events and things, that is, in the appraisal of the affairs of the day, we frequently make false judgments. Such are the
result of errors in our thinking or lack of
proper observation and experience. Further,
our analysis also frequently deceives us. Any
additional unreality on the part of our fellows, something being presented differently
by them than what it is, would only further
confound our living. Truth, then, in practical human relations, consists of statements
which are the real concept of those who
make them.
In supporting the valu of truth, we, therefore, can do so strictly from the point of
view of expedieney. We must have confi
dence in our fellows. We cannot take the
time or risk to analyze every statement
made. To profit personally by untruth, by
misrepresentation, though it can often be
done easily, is not logically sound. If one
were to prove by his conduct that consistent
lying is beneficial, it would encourage others
to do likewise. It would naturally follow that

the one who has benefited by telling lies

would eventually be defrauded by others
whose untruth he has encouraged.
When one resorts to prevarication, he does
so only with the belief that others think
he is telling the truth. It is patent that he
needs the faith of people if he is to lie successfully. This indicates our reliance upon
the element of truth in our relationships.
Aside from any moral consequence that
may be imposed upon the one resorting to
untruth, he eventually punishes himself
severely. His every act and statement becomes subject to either utter rejection or a
skeptical reserve. The prevaricator is one
who has proved, to the satisfaction of others,
that he has an insufficient sense of justice.
In resorting to mendacious or false statments,
he has shown a willingness to take advantage
of others for his own gain. He points out
to everybody the weakness of his character.
His personal stock is lowered. He appears
deficient in what is needed in business and
social relations. Thus truth certainly has a
utilitarian valu, whether or not one discards its traditional moral estimation.
Such virtues as truth are sometimes sub
ject to prevailing philosophical concepts
which make their content seem obsolete. The
unthinking person, to whom these virtues
have always been but a distant heritage, is
likely to be impressed by new philosophical
appeals.
For example, one has only to turn to the
Cynics in ancient Greece, whose teacher was
Aristippus. The conventions of society at
that time had become so rigid and, to an
extent, so unreasonable, that it encouraged
the rise of the Cynics. They struck back so
hard that they sought to undermine all the
accepted social virtues, such as marriage and
sex discipline. To the unthinking man of
that period it appeared that their persuasive
arguments were sound, that all such virtues
were outmoded. Time has always proved,
however, that the cardinal virtues, of which
truth is but one, are closely related to the
natural categories, the elements of human
nature. They cannot be eliminated without
destroying the factors by which mankind has
ascended.
Today, there is the ascendancy of an unsound pragmatism. It is the contention of
this philosophy that that which has a practical valu is the real, the true, the worthy.

To an extent, this is true. However, they go

on to reduce all things to their immediate
material valu. If a man gains an end by
lying, it indicates that he is an opportunist;
that he has exercised his cunning and is
entitled to the immediate reward which it
brings him.
The reasoning of such philosophy is obviously false since it does not project the effects
of the lie far enough into the future. An act
is often made up of not just one cause and
effect but a series of effects. In fact, the
effect may be a chain of events. The imme
diate benefit, if any, materializing from the
falsehood can be and often is but one link
in a concatenation of effects. The eventual
detrimental consequence, such as we have
considered, is not given any thought until
its serious impact is realized later.
In that inspiring work, Unto Thee I Grant,
the following is said with respect to the fate
that befalls one who has made untruth a
habit: His life is unequal; his motives are
irregular; his reason changeth with the
weather.X
Objects of Affection
A soror affectionately reflects on the rela
tionship of man to beast. Why, she asks,
do most humans have such an affection for
the animal kingdom?
Of course, not all are attracted to animals
per se, and many are not attracted to many
of the animals. So, theres not really a gen
eral attraction between man and beast, taking
the category of the animal kingdom as a
whole. The affection man has for animals is
usually confined to those of the domesticated
variety: dogs, cats, horses, chickens, birds,
cows, and miscellaneous other species that
have won their way to mans heart.
Domestication is one reason why these
animals win mans affection. Through do
mestication, they acquire traits such as loyalty and docility, two virtues that will earn
almost any living thing the affection of
others. In a more wild state, an animals
independence and resolution are not amenable to affection. To respect, yes; but not to
affection.
The domesticated animal thus employs, by
instinct, training, or intent, the most ancient
art of winning friends and influencing people.
He applies the law of attraction. He prac-

tices the Golden Rule. He exudes warmth,

cheer, friendship, sympathy, understanding,
forgiveness, obedience. By so doing, he draws
these same traits from his master.
He also carries the stamp of his owners
identity. He is an extensin of that self. He
can do little wrong, for he does mostly what
he has been told to do.
Since domesticated animals exhibit so
much the virtues toward which good men
strive, it only follows that where animals
are allowed there are men and women of
good heart. Though not always ready to display virtues in the more difficult world of
human relationships, mens desire for, and
appreciation of, the virtuous life are projected into the behavior and attitudes of their
loyal pets.B

The Meaning of Terminology

A frater of Australia addresses our Forum,
asking: The physical body, the aura, spirit
ual development, occult powerswhat is their
connection? Can the physical body, the aura,
and ones powers show development while
the spiritual development is at a standstill?
Does spiritual power wane when the body
becomes aged and weak?
Mystical, esoteric, metaphysical, and oc
cult terminology can often overlap and thus
become confusing. Let us take the first term
that the frater has mentioned. We believe
that physical body is a perspicuous phrase.
It refers simply to the material form of the
body, that which has substance or is composed of matter. It is held in contradistinction to the immaterial, the nonphysical, such
as the mental self with its faculties.
As to the aura in the metaphysical and
mystical sense, this alludes to a radiation
from the human body which is like an energy
in the electromagnetic spectrum. It is explained thoroughly in the Rosicrucian monographs. Briefly, the spirit energy, which
underlies matter and composes the physical
substance of our being, radiates an aura
which in polarity is predominantly negative
and thus finite, or limited in the extent of
its radiation. The aura creates a field of
forc around the body. For further analogy,
it is similar to the field around the poles
of a magnet. The negative radiation of the
aura is a limited field.

The aura also may have a predominantly

positive polarity. The positive potential is
provided by the Vital Life Forc and the uni
versal consciousness in man. If permitted,
this free function is unlimited in its extent.
It may radiate out from the body to an in
finite extent. The polarity of the aura,
whether positive and infinite or negative and
finite, depends upon our thinking and our
behavior. If we give ourselves over entirely
to sensuous and material interests, the physi
cal aspects of the aura are predominantly
negative. A healthy person, but one who
denies the psychic, universal consciousness
within him, or what is commonly called the
inner self, may have a strong, negative aura.
Conversely, one who is lofty and spiritual in
his motives, who gives expression to the inner
self, to his finer sentiments and feelings,
radiates a positive aura.
Actually, the aura is thus composed of
both polarities, but one or the other predominates, depending, as we have said, upon
our thoughts and behavior. The vulgar,
coarse, or profane individual has definitely
a negative aura. The one who displays such
emotions as compassion, justice, love of cos
mic principies and ideis is positive in the
polarity of his aura.
Thus we can note that the aura can fluctuate from one polarity to the other. This
shows, too, that the physical body and the
spiritual being or essence in man have a re
lationship. Psychiatry and medicine refer to
this as the psychosomatic or the psychic and
body relationship. However, their use of the
term psychic does not relate to spiritual
things but to those processes, emotional and
mental, which are not physical.
Now what is meant by the term spiritual
development? This could be defined in vari
ous ways depending on the understanding
of the individual. In the common sense or
usage, spiritual means that which has to do
with the divine or soul qualities which are
said to be resident within man. Consequently, the phrase literally means the exercise
and the expression of the spiritual, the di
vine, or cosmic qualities in man. Philosophically, it must be understood that man
cannot develop the spiritual in itself. That
truly spiritual, or of the Divine and Cosmic,
is in itself perfect. It is not within the
province of man to develop divine powers.
The universal soul consciousness infuses

mans being. That, then, is the spiritual

essence in him. Thus he cannot actually
develop that essence in the sense of contributing anything to it or of sublimating it.
All he can do is to develop his awareness of
or response to it. When one develops spirituality, it means he has acquired a self-consciousness of the divine consciousness within
him and has leamed to respond to it in his
personal behavior.
As for the term, occult powers, this refers
to that which is secretive and concealed.
Particularly, it refers to secrets of nature,
forces and phenomena which are ordinarily
not discernible or commonly known. Occult
knowledge means that which is unusual, per
haps mysterious, and not available to all except under certain conditions. For example,
the knowledge of alchemy was occult only
because the alchemists decided to make it a
secret gnosis. This was done to prevent
others from profaning what they had learned.
Another interpretation of occult knowledge
is that it is a substratum of knowledge of the
laws of the Cosmic and nature that can be
discemed by man only through the use of
certain psychic powers which he possesses.
However, actually, occult knowledge is a
particular body of natural laws or beliefs
that men continu to keep secret for some
particular reason. Wrongly, it is made to
imply that occult knowledge is something
supematural; whereas, in fact, no knowl
edge is over or beyond nature.
As for occult powers, they allude to some
little-known inner and secret powers of na
ture or of man himself that can only be
understood or invoked by a special method.
Obviously, there is much that goes under the
appellation of occult which is gross superstition. To Rosicrucians, nothing is truly
occult except as man wishes to conceal it
once he learns it. There is no direct relationship between the terms: occult power,
the spiritual, and spiritual development.
There are many cosmic and natural laws
by which man can utilize more fully all his
potential powers as a human being. Many
philosophers, mystics, and scientists know
these things. They are available to all who
will investgate, discover, and apply them.
In fact, all true schools of metaphysics and
mysticism teach such, and they are to be
found in various sciencesin part, at least
as psychology, physics, and physiology. If

some group, however, wishes to suppress such

knowledge and only release it under par
ticular circumstances, they make it occult in
effect but not in quality.
Now, as to the last question, Can the
physical body, the aura and powers, show
development while the spiritual development
does not advance? We have already shown
that for the aura to become positive in its
polarity requires more than a strong and
healthy body. There must be a spiritual
awakening of the individual before the inner
self reveis these positive characteristics. If
one is very ill or weak, the spiritual expres
sion may be deterred. This does not mean
that a weak body has a diminished spiritual
sense. Nothing can affect or corrupt the
spiritual essence or soul of man. But an ill
person often has not the will power to exer
cise the spiritual consciousness and cause it
to function as it should.X

Should Killing Be A Sport?

A soror in Caada arises to address our
Forum. The subject of animal killing is a
cause of much concern to many people.
Throughout the history of mankind, animals
have continually been killed by man for
various reasons. In certain cases, such as for
food, clothing, and self-defense, the killing
seems to be justified. But what about killing
animals for sport and pleasure? To hear the
accounts of skilled hunters the so-called art
of trapping and killing wild beasts brings
about quite a thrill. The same is true of bull
fights and of many mortal combats staged
between animals by man for the sol purpose
of entertainment.
There is an impelling, primitive urge in
man to stalk other animals and to match his
skill and his weapons against their natural
means of defense. In the average, wild game
is no match for the modern weapons used
against them. Even in Africa where big game
is huntedrhinoceroses, elephants, and lions
many safaris chase the game while riding
in jeeps and other vehicles. High-powered
rifles are used, and the hunters normally ex
perience little danger to themselves in comparison to the past. Most of these sportsmen
want not just the thrill of the chase and kill
ing game, but they want to line the walls of
their studies or dens with trophies and boast
of their skill and courage.

In India, the hunt for the Bengal tiger is

often a travesty, as is the so-called courage
of the white hunter who is usually seated at
the top of an elephant. Several of these huge
elephants form a semi-circle. Na ti ve beaters
go through the brush and drive the tiger toward the elephants, directly into the line of
fire of the hunters who are waiting for it.
The animals cannot escape, and the hunter
is secure in his position. It is almost the
equivalent of shooting at a metal target in
the gallery of an amusement park!
The average hunter uses a joumey into
the open country to test his skill as marksman as his excuse for killingand for both
of these things animals are killed. Frankly,
the killing is nothing more than the gratifica
ron of the hunter; it provides him with a
momentary thrill. An equal and even greater
test of skill could be had by indulging in
target-shooting, which involves no loss of
life. Many of these annual hunters are not
very skilled. They do not practice shooting
during the year. When they hunt, they are
often not capable of killing outright. They
only wound the animals, and the latter limp
away to die slowly in pain.
We are reminded of a novelist who was
opposed to killing for sport. He once told
the story of a hunter who was shipwrecked
on a small, tropical isle upon which lived a
recluse who loved animals. To the recluse,
the hunter boasted of his prowess with the
high-powered rifle. Then taking another rifle
and boasted of how courageous he was in
tracking it down. The recluse became indignant. He gave the shipwrecked hunter a
high-powered rifle. Then taking another rifle
himself, he said: You go in one direction
and I will go in another. We are armed
equally. The one who sees the other first will
think of him as game and will fire to kill.
We are also equally matched as humans.
However, the hunter under such circum
stances displayed no great courage and
begged not to participate in the proposal. It
was too equal for him!
The same love of outdoor life and adventure, of tracking animals, climbing, and hiking, may be had through the use of a camera.
We have had the experience of filming big
game with both still and motion picture
cameras in Kenya and South Africa. There
is just as much satisfaction and danger to
provide the thrills as in killing game. The

one, however, who insists on killing where

food and self-defense are not factors (instead
of hunting with a camera, for instance) is,
we are inclined to think, somewhat of a sadist. If it is just shooting that he enjoys, then
why not belong to a gun club where real
skill is required in shooting at moving targets
without the slaughtering of game? As for
camping and outdoor life in the wilds, this,
too, can be enjoyed without killing animals.
The person who brushes all these alternatives aside and insists on hunting, we believe
enjoys the killing and, therefore, is a primitive being, wearing the habiliments of md
em society. We have seen photographs of
hunters standing beside a jeep, the hood of
which was literally covered with the antlers
of deer they had recently slaughtered. Could
they not have indulged in outdoor pleasures
without killing innocent game in order to
show their prowess? This is not a maudlin
sentiment but a repugnance felt toward unnecessary killing.
The argument that deer and mountain
lions become plentiful and therefore jeopardize crops and cattle and that these sports
hunters are needed to reduce them is not
altogether sound. We can increase the statehired, professional hunters to accomplish this
end. Furthermore, they will kill only what
they need and do it more humanely.
In the minds of many persons, bull fighting is a sport equivalent to that of the od
Romn gladiatorial contests. It appeals to the
lower instincts of brutality. In these events
in the arena, the animals are goaded into
fighting for their lives. Horses are ruthlessly
sacrificed, being gored by the bull during
the contest. Human beings watch this bloody
foray with glee. It is also the equivalent of
bull leaping as carried on in ancient Crete.
On that ancient island, boys and girls, usu
ally captives, were trained to go into an
arena with a charging bull. They were
obliged to grasp the bulls horns and leap
over its back to safety or otherwise be gored
to deathas many were. The blood-thirsty
crowd of spectators shouted themselves hoarse
at the gory spectacle.
Man through his ruthless killing of ani
mals has exterminated many mammals and
almost exterminated other species. If it were
not for some governmental control in many
nations, wild game would no longer exist.
Man has the primitive urge to hunt and kill.

He now has in his power through thermonuclear weapons the means to exterminate
even his own kind if he does not control his
passions.
Animals are our brothers in life. They are
living things. We are very much akin to
them organically, or at least in the vital forc
that animates them. Let them live! Kill only
when it is absolutely essential for our own
preserva tion.
Fortunately, Controls are being established
over the big game in Africa. Large reserves
are set up, as in the Kruger Game Reserve
in South Africa and the one in Nairobi,
Kenya, preven ting the hunting of animals
in such areas. Further, strict licenses are
required for killing game in other sections.
Eventually, these licenses should and will
be prohibited. The same control will eventu
ally be set up by other nations prohibiting
hunting and the slaughter of game. The
increase of the human population is tremendous, and if the same percentage of
licenses were to be issued, the game would
soon be exterminated.
One often wonders what the hunter would
think if suddenly he were to become the
hunted. How would he feel running terrorstricken through the bush, tongue hanging
out, gasping for air, climbing over rocks, try
ing to conceal himself in order to get away
from dogs who were encouraged to hunt him
down, knowing all the while that the killer
was getting closer, that he would snuff out
his life or seriously wound him. Maybe, he
might think that he would get away with a
shattered arm or leg only to lie in the brush
for several days without food or water until
death mercifully would take his life. It is
to this misery that he subjects the game that
he hunts for his pleasure.'K

Should Mystics Seek Material Success?

A soror asks, What reasonable and proper
limits may be placed by the mystic upon the
expectations of financial or other success?
Is not a modest and unimaginative goal an
insult to the Cosmic? Should one possessing
high and constructive motives show real and
true faith by using the principies to attain
such goalsmore than just their ordinary
income?
Succinctly this question is, Shall we use
mystical principies to gain material success

so long as such has a high motive or pur

pose? Let us look at the matter from this
point of view. What is the basis of mysti
cism? Why is one a mystic in a true and
traditional sense? Mysticism is a technique
by which one establishes a unin with the
Absolute, gaining the One through self. Sim
ply put, it is the method by which one
personally becomes conscious of his relation
to God, the Cosmic, or the Absolute. But it
may be asked, What is the purpose of such
apotheosis, such an absorption into the Divine
Consciousness? It is not to disassociate oneself
permanently from the mortal existence because death ultimately accomplishes this end.
The mystic has always desired to emulate
the divine experience. He has had an influx
of new knowledge as a revelation or a clearer
insight into lifes mysteries. He believes that
he has attained a closer bond with the whole
of the Cosmic. He believes he can put this
knowledge and this newly acquired power to
an expedient use on earth. He may wish to
preach, to heal, to help men lead more enlightened and happy lives. He may wish to
show them how to understand properly the
forces of nature and how to apply them to a
satisfactory end. The mystic, therefore, is
not adverse to mans finding and securing
happiness on earth.
Since man is mortal, since he is of the
substance of the earth, he is likewise bound
to it. He must nourish his body by its ele
ments and derive from it all those things
necessary to its harmony. Physical happiness
is also necessary for a state of mental euphoria. One who has a certain idealism can
not be happy and have peace of mind until
it is realized. But one cannot pursue worthy
and notable ends in life if he is troubled by
economic demands. Consequently, it is
proper for a mystic to endeavor to apply any
knowledge or intuitive insight he has gained
from his mystical experience to the furtherance of his material welfare.
It is an erroneous idea upon the part of
certain spiritually minded persons and re
ligious ascetics that money, for example, is
corrupt in itself, that no one should ask for
divine help in obtaining it. Money is a
mdium of exchange for commodities or
services. It can purchase evil, but it can
likewise, as it has often done, promote the
highest and noblest ideis of which man is
capable. Many of the things the mystic

wants to achieve on earth require certain

material support. They may need to be materially symbolized. All this requires mate
rial and labor, both of which cost money.
Consequently, using cosmic principies to attain success or some material end is not
wrong if the motive behind it is proper.
If each mystic were, after attaining per
sonal illumination, to become a recluse shunning the world, he would not only be selfish
but he would not be able to advance mankind through the elevated knowledge he had
received. Service is a basic obligation of the
mystic and Service requires communication,
an association with other humans and with
the world at large. To accomplish service,
man needs to draw upon his physical exist
ence and such agents or mdiums of it as
can be applied to the end in view. Thus, the
mystic uses his greater understanding of
natural and cosmic laws to make the physical
world do his bidding. If one attempts to
apply cosmic laws destructively, ultimately
the results catch up with him in their function and he may be destroyed. It is not that
these cosmic laws seek to do so. There is no
intent to punish or cause retribution. Rather,
it is just that their natural function cannot
long be misapplied: One cannot long completely dam up a stream without its eventu
ally overflowing and washing away all in
its path.
There is little valu in leaming of cosmic
and spiritual laws and gaining the power
they provide if one cannot apply them to his
life here and now. Mortal existence cannot
be denied. It can be furthered and made
more harm onious by synthesizing our
thoughts and lives with the greater cosmic
principies.X
Pride in Membership
Pride in ones membership must manifest
in an objective manner. One who keeps his
membership secret is not really proud of it.
The esteem of something is ebullient. It can
not be retained. This real enthusiasm is
manifest in a desire to tell others about it,
to have others share it with him. One who
is afraid or hesitant to tell others of his mem
bership has not the courage of his convictions
and, moreover, may not have the convictions
of his studies.
We know of members who hesitate to re
late that they are Rosicrucians because some

nonmember acquaintance may chide or even

criticize them. Such members show a gross
unfamiliarity with certain common traits of
human nature. When an individual displays
enthusiasm for something and has the nat
ural conviction and defense for what he believes, by that attitude he immediately repels
criticism and arrests the comments of the
cynic.
The positive attitude of the individual
proud of his membership is a waming to the
cynic that he would get a warm retaliatory
reaction if he made an unguarded criticism.
He knows that such a member is more aware
of the valu of his organization than one who
is not positive. Further, the cynic knows that
a proud member can and will use his knowl
edge to refute all false statements.
The more positive you are in your mem
bership, the more you will find sincere questions directed to you and the more you will
command respect for your convictions. Re
veal your membership.
Meeting membership obligations such as
dues, regularly and promptly, is necessary
and commendable. To do something more
than one is bound to do displays a true spirit
of love of the Order and service. There must
be a thousand members throughout the world
who serve as officers in lodges, chapters, and
pronaoi. These faithfully give an hour or
two of their time on a certain day or evening
two or more times a month, as masters, secre
tarles, guardians, colombes, chaplains, chanters, and so forth. They do this voluntarily
so that the subordinate bodies can exist and
so that all other members attending may enjoy the convocations. The only compensation
they receive is the knowledge that they have
helped the Order of which they are a part.
Then there are many more hundreds of
members who as extensin volunteers give
time freely and gladly each month in helping AMORC to become better known in their
respective communities.
There are also the Grand Councilors who
are officers of the Grand Lodge but who re
side throughout the world. Theirs is a duty
also freely and voluntarily assumed to aid
in the administration of the Order in their
part of the world. These men and women
are business executives and professional peo
ple. They lead busy and demanding lives;
yet they make it a point to give the required

time to serve the Order. Why? Because they

are proud of their membership. In a related
capacity and for the same reason, the Inspectors General of AMORC function in vari
ous cities all over the world.
Now ask yourself, are you proud of your
membership? What are you doing to display
your membership? Do you wear a member
ship emblem so that you will be asked what
your fraternal relationship isor do you not
wear it because someone might ask you? Do
you carry a few leaflets of the Order in your
pocket or purse when going to and from
work or while shopping? A leaflet placed
here and there can be a seed well planted.
Have you tried to follow the suggestions
given on how to make AMORC better
known? Have you gained one new member
for the Order? Have you tried to do so? To
how many persons have you loaned your
Rosicrucian Digest, pointing out an article
you think might be of interest to them? Have
you placed older copies of the Rosicrucian
Digest in reading rooms where others may
contact them?
Have you ever sent a little donation of
money over and beyond your dues so that
some of the cultural and humanitarian work
of the Order might be helped? This is a New
Year! Take stock of your membership. If
you have done any of these things with reasonable regularity, we thank you, fratres and
sorores. If you have not, take pride in your
membership.X
Hypnosis and Cosmic Attunement
A frater of our Forum directs this question
to us: Is the hypnotic state (trance) actual
ly a form or a degree of cosmic attunement?
Or is cosmic attunement actually a refinement of a deeper state of self-hypnosis?
Self-hypnosis is neither cosmic attunement
or a phenomenon quite independent of
the specific nature of cosmic attunement.
This is somewhat like asking is water a lake
or a river? Water in itself is neither a lake
or a river, but both are composed of it. In
hypnosis, the realm concemed is the subconscious. The operator makes direct contact
with the subconscious mind of the subject.
In fact, the subject subordinates his own will
and conscious mind to that of the operator.
The operator induces the hypnotic state upon
the part of the subject. In self-hypnosis, as
the term implies, the individual through

autosuggestion places himself in a subcon

scious state.
Now, what do we mean by a subconscious
state? We must resort to the term the stream
of consciousness, often used by Rosicrucians
of the past and present and more modemly
popularized by the eminent psychologist,
William James. This stream of consciousness
has varied levels of perception or realization.
The one with which we are most familiar is
the objective. It is the one by which our
receptor senses make us aware of the extemal
world and our own physical existence. There
is also the subjective state which consists
of such mental processes as memory, imagination, reason, and will. This subjective
consciousness gives us an awareness of self
in contradistinction to the extemal world. It
tells us there is a self and there is that which
is not self. Actually, in distinguishing be
tween two such levels of consciousness, the
realization or notion of self arises.
For centuries, however, mystics and philosophers in various manners of expression
revealed that they realized or knew that this
stream of consciousness had more than the
two above commonly experienced levels.
There were stages of perception or awareness
that seemed, in general, quite distinct from
what we term the objective and subjective.
These other experiences did embody qualities such as time, space, form, and color,
known to the objective and subjective states,
but they were arrived at in a different man
ner. With the advent of psychology, it was
recognized that there were possibly different
states of consciousness. They were not so
distinctive in their phenomena as to be able
to be classified separately. They were mostly
vague and obscure. They were, however,
very definitely in contrast to the states of
consciousness of the objective and subjective.
Consequently, they were eventually given
various designations; generally, these designations have become merged under one
ame and that we cali the subconscious.
This may be better understood if we think
of the stream of consciousness as being divided like a piano keyboard into various
octaves. At the extreme lower end of this
keyboard is the first octave, which is designated the objective. Next, and immediately
above it, is the octave known as the subjec
tive. Each of the other octaves or levels of
consciousness have their particular phe-

of the objective. The other factor is that the

individual has withdrawn from the world of
the senses. But, unlike the usual hypnotic
state, cosmic attunement is arrived at personally. It does not need a mdium. The real
mystic can enter into this attunement with
out the aid of another person. In fact, anoth
er individual may actually interfere with
ones arriving at that subliminal state where
a true afilatus of the soul is experienced.
In entering into various levels of the sub
conscious through hypnosis, many unfamiliar
experiences are had. These perceptions, as
we have said, are quite different from those
of the normal consciousness. It is difficult
for the individual to express what he has ex
perienced in that state. The best that he can
do is to associate the impressions and sensa
tions had with ideas that he has received
objectively through his receptor senses. If,
for example, he has been a religious person,
he would explain some of his feelings and
perceptions in terms of a religious experience.
Actually, to another person, the experience
might be related in a different way. It is
likewise as difficult to describe color to a
blind person or to explain sound to a deaf
one. At best, any analogy used would be
crude.
Since many sects confuse real cosmic at
tunement with trance states, the latter are
often induced in the belief that they constitute a quick means of attunement. Many
primitive peoples chant and dance themselves
into a hysteria or mass hypnosis, believing
that their sbsequently rambling exhortations are spiritual revelations. The whirling
dervishes are an example of a sect which in
duces such states, believing that they are
truly mystical. Many evangelical meetings
likewise produce similar states of mass hyp
nosis under the impact of the excitement of
the event. A similar condition is achieved
through the use of certain drugs and anesthetics. Those who think those reactions com
pose cosmic attunement are deceiving them
selves.X

nomena and their effusion, but for lack of

familiarity with them, all these others, what
ever their manifestations, are termed the
subconscious.
In the trance state, in the condition of
hypnosis, whether self-induced or not, one of
these octaves of the subconscious is functioning. What is its relation to all the others?
First, we must not think of the subconscious
as being divided into completely segregated
or separa te states. Rather, each must be re
lated to the other as the subjective is related
to the objective. In each, there is a state of
consciousness. We also must not fall into
the error of thinking that these states of the
subconscious are unconscious although this
ame is often applied to them. Because the
condition of the subconscious is unlike the
objective, this does not mean that no con
sciousness exists in the former. A perception
of color is different from the perception of a
sound or of a taste; yet each is a form of con
sciousness, of awareness. In the subconscious
we merely forfeit one kind of awareness for
another, or others.
In the hypnotic state, then, we are functioning on a specific level of consciousness.
It is not, however, cosmic attunement. We
may introvert our state of awareness so as
to reach another level of consciousness; but
if cosmic attunement is had, it is not the
equivalent of ordinary hypnosis, even that
which is self-induced.
It must be admitted that many trance
states do give the appearance of cosmic at
tunement in the objective sense. By this we
mean that the physical reaction of the person, even the comments of the person in a
trance, may seem to be what others imagine
constitutes the genuine mystical experience.
However, those who have had a true cosmic
attunement would know the difference.
Actually, the only real relationship be
tween self-hypnosis and cosmic attunement
lies in two factors, one of which we have already discussed. This is the fact of entering
upon another level of consciousness from that
V

INTERNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN CONVENTION

July 12-17, 1964
Rosicrucian Park - San Jos - California - U. S. A.

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A p r i 1, 19 6 4
Volum e X X X IV

No. 5

r o s im iic ia j

FORUM
A prvate publication
for m em bers of A M O R C

Where Mystics Dwelt

In the quiet atmosphere of this
study, there flourished a rebellion against ignorance and superstition. It was here that
Desiderius Erasmus (1466? 1 5 3 6 ), known as the great humanist of the Renaissance, accom plished much of his great
work. Though the quaint building in the suburbs of Brussels,
Belgium , is several hundred
years od, it retains its original
inspiring atmosphere.

Greetings!
V

ABOUT PREMONITIONS
least in part, as psychic phenomena. By
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
psychic, in this sense, we do not mean the
A frater, addressing our Forum, states:
supematural, but the latent faculties and
During the past few years, a frater had
powers of man that lie beyond the conscious
premonitions of the transition of the following prom inent world figures: Patrice mind. Each individual has problems, fears,
and worries. These he may never express to
Lumumba, Dag Hammarskjold, and lastly,
President Kennedy. Naturally, knowledge of others; yet he is often conscious of them,
this type is rather awesome, and one is perhaps giving them much attention. An
other person who has the power of hypertempted to share it with ones associates. On
aesthesia, that is, a supersensitivity, may inthe other hand, as the frater states: I surely
need your advice on what to do when I re advertently attune himself with the minds
of troubled persons. He may come to sense
ceive such psychic impressions because I feel
their fears. In his own mind, he may then
that revealing them to others would put me
interpret them as a serious and grievous
in a precarious position.
Another frater states: What is the pur event that will befall that person or persons.
pose of occasional premonitions, especially He may have the premonition that in the
near future such a person will meet a violent
those seemingly unconnected with the redeath, perhaps in a certain way.
ceiver? What should one do with a premoniIn contacting the mind of the troubled
tion? Try to counter negativeness? Warn
person, ones emotions are aroused vicarithe person? Try to invoke balancing of the
ously. These may include the emotion of
cosmic laws? Do nothing?
fear. Associated with the emotions may be a
To all of the above questions, one more
can be added that is very pertinent. It is, feeling of deep depression. There would be
corresponding ideas which would ordinarily
How does the phenomenon of premonition
occur? The following philosophical ques give rise to thoughts of accident, injury, or
tion might also be added: How can an effect violent death. Obviously, when one has fears
be realized before its cause exists? As for of such things, it does not necessarily follow
that they will actually occur. But if a person
example, how can we have a premonition
of a house burning days or weeks ahead of is quite normal, his fears will usually be substantiated by some circumstance which
the direct conditions occurring which bring
makes them probable. Thus, when another
about the fire?
According to the mystical conception of person is in attunement with him and has
the akashic records, all is potential in the the premonition, in most instances it materializes as a reality.
Cosmic. Everything that was, is and can be.
The same mystical principie expounds that
There is still another aspect which is
a mind that is able to contact the akashic
speculative but comes within the scope of
records, the Cosmic, may at times have access psychic phenomena and parapsychology. It
to such knowledge as a premonition of events.
is the telepathic contact with those who as
Of course, the so-called indelible akashic rec enemies are holding another individual in
ords are not actual inscriptions or any permathought almost constantly. Suppose a person
nent physical communication, as a writing.
is prominent in politics, as the leader of a
Rather, they allude to impressions received nation. Suppose this leader has established
in the consciousness which shape themselves national or intemational policies that arouse
into intelligence, into ideas in the mind of the hostility of another and ruthless oppoman.
nent. Such enemies of a prominent leader
But there is more to this than the akashic would be planning and plotting against him,
records. Premonitions may be explained, at at least to mitgate his control. The psychic-

ally developed person, whether he knows of

his sensitivity and powers or not, may be
brought into contact with the thoughts of the
conspirators.
Such a psychically endowed person may
not receive any impression as to who these
hostile personalities are, but he will receive
the impression of the one to whom their hate
is directed. Their hate keeps the image strong
in their subconscious. The psychically de
veloped person receives the image of such a
personality and likewise the accompanying
emotional feelings of hate directed toward
him.
The recipient reacts vicariously. That is,
the psychic individual then has emotions of
fear aroused, as we have said. He associates
possible dire consequences with the image
and the ame of the person. He is then able
to relate in his premonition that this or that
will befall this or that person.
He, of course, cannot know how in these
instances this is to be accomplished; he does
not even know how the impression was re
ceived. But what of the details? For example,
a premonition of the manner in which a person is to be assassinated. The details are
received in the same manner from the plotting minds of the assassins.
It may be asked: How do we explain
natural events and accidents which are
known to some persons by means of premonitions? After all, an accident is not in
the mind of anyone prior to its happening.
Consequently, it could not have been communicated telepathically in advance. The
same may be said of acts of nature such as
floods, earthquakes, fires, and explosions.
Such events have been predicted precisely
by persons who experienced them as premonitions. These are most difficult to theorize upon because we are not certain as to
how the psychic phenomena operate in such
instances.
We do know that most natural events have
a chain of causes before their results are per-

ceivable: Earthquakes follow or are related

to a series of stresses or strains in the strata,
seismic changes in the earths surface. It
could be that a psychically sensitive indi
vidual detects these shiftings and their potential violence and is able to transate his
impressions into terms of space and time,
that is, the exact place and time that the
calamity will occur.
However, there is now the matter of ethics,
that is, shall one relate to another a pre
monition that concerns himespecially if it
is of a negative nature? Let us consider a
hypothetical case. Suppose one has a dream
or impression that a friend is going to be
injured seriously in an automobile accident.
Further, let us suppose that he knows that
his friend actually has planned a long auto
mobile journey.
Should he tell his friend of his premoni
tion? Should he admonish him not to take
that particular journey? The answer is, He
should inform the friend of his premonition
experience if it is related to an actual act
such as the planned automobile journey.
However, if the premonition is merely of
some impending fatal calamity (without any
date); then it is not advisable to relate it.
The reason is that the communication of
such statements can in no way protect the
individual; it provides him with no facts
with which he can prepare himself for an
eventuality. All that such a communication
might do would be to disturb the person emotionally, causing him anxiety as to how and
when the impending event might occur. It
may so unnerve the individual as to cause
some accidents which might not otherwise
occur.
Where there are no specific details given
in the premonition; then it is advisable to try
to reach the mind of the person involved
through the Cosmic. One should try to implant in the inner consciousness of the indi
vidual the idea that he should be cautious
and avoid hazards, that he should try to sur-

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round himself with a protective, constructive

cosmic influence. The word premonition
literally means a cognition or knowing in
advance. All such experiences are not fulfilled. The individual or persons involved
may in some way come to mitgate the circumstances. They may set up, perhaps unknowingly, other causes which oppose or
counter what might have been the disasterexperience in the premonition.
There are, of course, monitions. These are
things that are known instantly by a person
at the time the things happen, even though
such a person may be a great distance from
the locality of the event. Common among
these experiences are those had by a wife, a
mother, or a daughter, wherein they know
when a loved one has been seriously injured
in battle or is dead. Many cases are reported
where a wife knew the place and time of her
husbands death in battle even though sometimes she was on another continent. Later,
war records of the deceased related the time
and place of the happening and this informa tion corresponded to the wifes monition.
Undoubtedly, this is due to the psychic
phenomenon of the projection of conscious
ness which is so well presented and taught
in our Rosicrucian monographs. The dying
persons inner consciousness, the self, reaches
out and projects itself to those in cise harmony with it, as a loved one. The release of
the consciousness of self, the projection of
the personality, and the image of the personality are made particularly eficacious by
the emotional impact which accompanies the
event.
Fraternally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator.

Detecting Personality From Objects

A frater asks: When we wear articles
such as gloves of a loved one who has passed
on, do we actually sense a transference of
personality from the object, or is it only
imaginary?
This question resolves itself to whether
articles possessed by another can actually
transmit some quality related to the owner
that may be perceived by another individual.
Of course, one must avoid being drawn into
the belief in primitive, sympathetic magic.
In magic there is the primitive reasoning

that an article always retains a bond with

its owner. Is the article itself, then, a means
of contacting or communicating with the
individual who once possessed it? This, of
course, is without foundation but plays a
prominent part in many primitive cultures.
In the field of parapsychology and metaphysics there is also what has been termed
vibroturgy. Its theory is that inanimate ob
jects, wood, metal, textiles, etc., are affected
by the vibrations of human beings with
which they have been brought into contact.
A hypersensitive person, it declares, may detect from the handling of such objects some
thing of the personality of their former
owner. Thus, a watch that has been on the
person of an individual for some time can
convey impressions of his identity. A psychically sensitive person upon touching it
will gain impressions of the personality of
the former owner.
The theory attempts to explain itself along
physical lines rather than supernatural. The
aura of the individual, it explains, the vibra
tory emanations given off by the person, are
imparted to the inanimate object. In some
manner the molecular structure of the ob
ject retains these vibrations in its field of
attraction and re-radiates them minutely but
with sufficient strength for the psychically
sensitive person to detect. The theory contends that since inanimate things are also
vibratory in their substance, they can have
impinged upon them other vibrations. These
latter, while not being sufficiently strong to
alter the atomic structure of the object,
nevertheless are able to be retained and to
radiate again.
This theory in a physical and technical
way is at present impossible to substantiate
by any scientific means. It even has no
parallel in any other phenomenon to support
it. However, the effect or seeming result has
often been demonstrated in an amazing way.
We have seen persons with this psychic propensity select an object and give a most accurate description of the owner, whom they
did not know. We have also observed in such
demonstrations that from merely holding the
article something of the mental state of the
owner of the object would be described.
The usual procedure in vibroturgy is to
hold the article in the closed hand for a few
minutes of meditation or while quite passive.
The subject or operator then states that he

suddenly gains a mental impression of the

owner. It appears to him as a kind of visual
image of the personality and associated with
it are certain ideas as to his state of health
or immediate interests.
In demonstrations given in the Parapsychology Class at Rose-Croix University in
Rosicrucian Park, the owner of the object,
later identifying himself, would admit what
had been related about him as detected from
the object he had loaned for the demonstration. It must be repeated that the one performing the demonstration would have had
no previous knowledge of the owner of the
object.
Some individuis attempting the experiment had no results. With certain others,
the results showed a high percentage of
success. In such experiments it did not appear that the material of which the object
was composed made any difference. It was
necessary, however, that the bare hands of
the subject clasp the object firmly.
Can it be said that the owner of the object,
knowing that the operator was holding it and
being especially attentive since it concerned
him, was, therefore, brought into mental at
tunement with the operator? Was there an
unconscious mental communion between the
operator and the objects owner by which
the information was received, not from the
object itself, but from the owner? There is
this possibility in some instances, but this
theory does not apply to all demonstrations
which we have witnessed.
Objects belonging to those who have passed
through transition have been subject to experiment, the operator not knowing the
original owner. The description ultimately
given by the operator in the experiment
would later be compared with that given by
one who knew the deceased. Even this latter
person had had no previous knowledge at the
time that the demonstration was being con
ducted.
We should like to relate again, as we did
in this Forum some years ago, an experience
which we have had. The Curator of the
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and I were
unpacking cases of ancient Egyptian tomb
relies. Some of this material had never been
unpacked since the Egyptologist had packed
it at the site of the excavation in Egypt. The
shipment included jewelry of ancient Egyp
tian nobles, human and animal mummies,

religious paraphernalia, rings, beads, and

amule ts.
We took each of these thousands-of-yearsold objects from its careful wrappings and
laid them on counters in our laboratory for
inspection and identification before being
displayed in the Museum. In picking up one
small piece, I felt a strange sensation as I
was about to lay it down. It was a kind of
emotional reaction, a repugnance, as of
something fearful to behold. Actually, I had
not looked at the object carefully; I had
scarcely glanced at it, knowing that the ex
amination was to come later.
Still holding the object in my hand, I now
studied it. It was an ugly little face carved
from hard black wood. The eyes were com
posed of a metallic substance and were inlaid, causing them to gleam with a blood-like
hue. The whole object, I now noticed, was
hideous in appearance. Without saying any
thing to the Curator as to my experience, I
handed him the object. He took it and was
about to lay it down. He hesitated and picked
it up again. His face became slightly distraught; he had an expression of revulsin.
Later he said it was not the appearance of
the object that had caused his expression but
something he felt from touching it.
Our curiosity being aroused, we carefully
checked the inventory of the objects to find
the authentic description of this particular
one. We found that it had been used in rites
or rituals by the priests of Egypt of that
period for the purpose of invoking curses
against individuis. It was, therefore, an
object of great hate and had been used under
circumstances where such emotions on the
part of those handling the object were in
tense. We were not given to any superstitions or belief in supernaturalism, but we
could find no satisfactory explanation for our
experience except that offered by the theory
of vibroturgy.
Certainly, many persons have been in
homes, rooms of hotels, or other places for the
first time and become conscious of a feeling
of discomfort or uneasiness, the cause for
such sensations being difficult to describe because the rooms in their physical appearance
might have been attractive or certainly not
offensive. Yet there was an atmosphere, to
use a not too appropriate term, that was not
conducive to ones peace of mind. Conversely,
all of us, I am sure, have been in homes or

other places most simple in their appointments that immediately put us at ease and
even in some way gave us a feeling of ex
hilara tion. Why? How do we account for
these reactions? Does the material substance
of the environment retain something of the
vibratory nature of the human aura and its
emotional content? Do other persons who
are sensitive then respond to such vibra
tions?X
The Technique of Psychic Development
At a Rosicrucian Forum, some time ago, I
was asked a question which probably has
been asked hundreds of times. It concerns
how an individual may distinguish between
physical and psychic experiences or manifestations. Sometimes the question is phrased,
How do I know if I have had a psychic
experience?
I answered this question by the elaboration of one word, technique, but this in turn
raised additional questions. Members of the
Order, many of them in the higher degrees,
who have followed my writings for some
years, pointed out that I have used this
word many, many times; that I have over
and over again referred to technique in rela
tionship to the Rosicrucian teachings, psychic
development, and the gaining of psychic
abilities. Just what, they ask, is the Rosi
crucian concept of technique?
If technique is to be the criterion by which
we are able to judge between those experi
ences, impressions, ideas, and mental conclusions that may be of an imaginary, physical,
or psychic source, then it must be as important as psychic development itself, a con
clusin that some individuis have reached.
This is true. Technique is one of the most
important factors because without it we do
not arrive at the purpose or end which we
are trying to achieve. Then to return to the
fundamental question, just what is tech
nique?
It is interesting how a person can use a
word repeatedly for a long time and not
stop to define it. I have illustrated the meaning of technique many times by referring to
such a process as playing the piano. Knowl
edge will tell us all we need to know about
the piano, its structure, function, and about
music. We can read books that will make
us as informed as anyone else could be on

the subject of music and pianos. But if, for

a period of five, ten, twenty, or even fifty
years, we read every book that was ever
written on the subject of music or the piano
and listened to every expert in these fields
give lectures and demonstrations, we might
have a vast knowledge of music and the
piano, but we would not be able to play the
simplest composition.
The reason we could not is because we
would lack one factortechnique. The tech
nique of playing a piano is as much in the
fingers as in the mind. Every cell of our
body, according to the Rosicrucian teach
ings, has a degree of consciousness. Con
sciousness is in every living, pulsating point,
or segment, of our being; and the technique
of playing the piano is the awakening of the
consciousness of each cell in those muscles
which have to do with the playing of the
piano, insofar as the depressing of the keys
and the coordination necessary to relate the
music to the physical performance or the
movement of the fingers.
While this principieand I have repeated
in one form or another this same illustration
many timesis an illustration of technique,
it still falls short in the sense of providing a
definition. So, I decided to try to formlate
a definition that would include my concept,
and I have borrowed liberally from Mr.
Webster in these words: Technique is the
method or the details essential to expertness
of execution in any art, Science, or procedure. This definition, it seems to me,
applies to the illustration which I have just
used and have many times used elsewhere.
Technique is a method, first of all. It is a
method put into practice. It presupposes
knowledge. I cant go through a method of
doing something unless I have prior knowl
edge upon which that method is based.
To continu with the same illustration, I
could not expertly play the piano unless I
had knowledge of music; therefore, the application of that knowledge is the method and
a part of the technique. Then I also said
that the technique concerns the detailsthat
is, the small, intricate functions and procedures of which we very seldom think. The
person playing the piano does not think consciously of every movement of the hand and
fingers. This is the detail that is brought
about through practice and the application
of knowledge.

The methods and details that are essential to expertness of execution are the whole
concept of technique because the purpose of
technique is to be able to do something as it
should be done, to be perfect, to be expert
in the doing; it is the technique that is the
essence by which this doing takes place. So,
in any art, in any science, in any activity
that is a part of human life, technique is the
involuntary functioning of knowledge, habit,
and muscular coordination that puts into ef
fect the purposes we want to achieve for
producing overt expression.
The technique of psychic development is
to be found in the same way that technique
is achieved in any other field of endeavor.
By knowledge and practice, we develop ex
pertness. We achieve the ability to execute
that is, to do something. The master musician or technician who works and directs any
complex process is the one who has become
so expert that the procedure goes on without
a conscious awareness of each individual unit
or phase. The person who performs intricate
details frequently cannot put into words the
actual steps and procedures which he has followed in order to carry out the operation of
the process that is his responsibility and
which he is directing.
Technique transcends the area of language. Language is a nominal symbolism,
and when we limit our understanding to
language alone, we can only live within the
realm of knowledge or the repeating of someone elses experience. Technique is the
ability effectively to utilize that knowledge
through the consciousness of all the cells of
the bodyas I have already mentioned. This
is why the expert in any endeavor, science,
art, or procedure cannot put into words how
or why he accomplishes everything he does.
Neither can the psychically evolved person
put into words how he distinguishes between
psychic and imaginary impressions. It is
through application, study, practice, medi
tation, and concentration that we arrive at
the technique of psychic awareness. Only
practice and persistence will bring it about.
When a degree of technique is achieved, we
do not need to stop to analyze what the difference is between an imaginary concept of
the mind and an actual psychic impression
because technique has made it obvious in
our own consciousness.A

Why Man Was Created

A Frater addressing our Forum asks:
Why man? Why was he created? This
is a difficult question to attempt to answer.
In the first place, whatever the answer, it
obviously cannot be presented in an evidential way. It can only be speculative.
Further, whatever abstract idea is proposed,
it will be counter to one or more different
speculative conceptions held by others. The
particular question has intrigued the imagination of man for untold centuries. There
is a definite reason why this question in just
this manner has come to the fore of mans
consciousness.
Man is causative. He institutes processes
and methods whereby he achieves conceived
ends. Each day, dozens of times, he desires
something, he wants to attain something. He,
thereupon, immediately puts into action his
own movement of body and mind by which
these things are accomplished.
Man is also able to assert the forc of his
mind and physical powers to cause other
things to serve his purpose. Further, he sees
in nature what are apparently definite causes
from which direct effects emerge. A seed is
planted, and a plant comes forth. The sun
rises, and a day is born. The rain comes from
the skies, and the springs flow. Consequently,
purpose and cause appear to be very definite,
to have a positive existence.
Everything that is experienced as a reality
is, consequently, attributed to some cause.
If man cannot perceive the cause; then he
imagines one. He relates it to unseen supernatural forces. It is difficult for the average
man to think of a reality, something that is
and yet has no cause other than being but
part of a concatenation, that is, a chain of
various changes, one emerging into the
other, ad infinitum.
It is also equally difficult for man ordinarily to presume because of his experience
that any thing can have existence without
first having some relation to an original pur
pose. Man observes in nature physical transformations and changes that come partly
from what appear to be unconscious causes,
as for example, the phenomenon of gravity
or magnetic attraction acting upon an object.
Yet he presumes that behind all of these
unconscious causes in nature there must be
some purpose, a designing mind, that func-

tions in a manner corresponding somewhat

to his own. It is generally conceived by re
ligin and many philosophies that back of
all manifestation there lies a purposeful
cause.
To those who think in this way, it is believed that this supernatural mind has predetermined the existence of everything.
Even where things emerge from natural
causes, as physical forces, it is thought that
these have been created with a purpose
to accomplish the very things which they do.
Thus it would be thought that birds were
intentionally given wings that they might
fly, that rain falls from the sky to irrgate
the land. It is not realized that the need for
flying and the conditions under which the
living thing existed evolved the wings from
some other function and, further, that the
land is irrigated because of the rain rather
than that irrigation is the purpose behind
rain.
Consequently, it follows in the course of
such reasoning that man believes there must
have been a purpose for himself, that he was
especially created to fulfill such a purpose.
Most of the sacrosanct works, the great re
ligious writings, either imply this or specifically expound how the Creator conceived
man and then brought him forth in just the
form in which he now appears. When sci
ence and certain philosophies set forth other
ideas divorced from the idea of purpose and
spontaneous creation, they arouse much op
position. They are vilified as being atheistic.
Even today in California an issue has arisen
concerning evolution. A certain group de
clares that it should not be taught in the
public schools, that it is pur theory, and
that spontaneous creation by a Deity should
be taught in its stead.
The doctrine of evolution is only theory in
the entirety of all the ideas which it em
braces. It certainly is factual as a process
in nature as every biologist can demnstrate.
It is speculative only as to the origin of man,
that is, to the particular kind from which he
has descended. But that man has been and
is an evolved being in the sense of coming
from a simpler to a more complex state there
is no scientific doubt.
Why can we not look upon the existence
of man as just another manifestation of life
forc which has emerged through eons of

time, the result of natural and cosmic forces?

There are, we would venture to presume, in
the greater universe galaxies with planets
having intelligent forms of life perhaps equal
to or exceeding man. It may be not so distant
in time before man comes to know this as
fact and need not imagine or speculate upon
it. It will then be realized that the od theological assumption that man was the special
creation and purpose of a Deity is not so in
fact. It may well be proved that man is a
comparative newcomer to the Cosmos in
comparison to other intelligent beings.
Is it not best to think of the universal and
cosmic forces, or pur being, as a state of
consciousness, going through various stages
of expression of which the human form, as
we know it, is one? Let us use the analogy
of the visible spectrum. It consists of all of
the colors arranged in bands, from the wave
lengths of the red to the blue.
The different colors were not intended to
be as they are. Rather, they are an effect
due to their wave length and its impression
upon the eye and the human consciousness.
All the colors are composed of light. They
are not blue, red, and green in nature but
rather different manifestations of the energy
of light. So, could not man also be a variation of the life forc without having been
intentionally designed to appear as he does?
We know that we can vary light waves
by passing them through certain objects or
by having them refracted and reflected by
substances. What was green may become
another color to the eyes. Likewise, we know
that humans themselves are affected by en
vironment. The pigment or color of the skin,
anthropologists and ethnologists tell us, is
due to early influences of the environment to
which man was exposed for many thousands
of years. Also, his height and weight are
likewise affected by his nourishment, exer
cise, and heredity. These things are not pur
poseful crea tions of a Deity. They are the
effects of natural phenomena.
Is there a divine purpose for man? We
may ask, Is there a divine purpose for all
else? After all, man is only part of the
whole, which has just as much reality as he.
It is possible from the mystical point of view
that the intelligent being, such as man, must
construct his own purpose. Purpose is hu
man, not divine. A Divine Mind is. It is

self-sufficient; it is all that is or could be.

Consequently, it would have no purpose. A
purpose would presume the ultmate attainment of something which has not yet been
achieved or realized. Is one who believes in
a Supreme or Divine Mind, therefore, to pre
sume that it has desires like man and is insufficient, that it wishes to attain something
that it has not? From whence does it acquire
that which it has not? Furthermore, if a
Divine Mind is all, then, obviously, all is in
it and purpose is not necessary to it.
Man, however, is not so sufficient or perfect. He can aspire to overcome limitations
which he realizes in himself or which he
thinks exist in him and his surroundings.
Therefore, it should certainly be a human
purpose for man to know more of the cosmic
reality of which he is a part. In fact, man
is not actually fully a part of the Cosmic until
he experiences that oneness of which it is.
In other words, it is not enough to be; it is
necessary, also, to realize that we are a part
of the one. This, then, is the purpose of man.
It is a purpose which he assigns to himself.
It was not designed for him; it is one which
he evolves from his own consciousness.X

Memories of Dr. Lewis

I have been asked repeatedly by many
members to reminisce concerning Dr. H.
Spencer Lewis, the first Imperator of this
jurisdiction of the Order. It was thirty years
ago that I first met Dr. Lewis, and it has
occurred to me that in order to answer the
requests of those who have asked for reminiscences concerning him, I might from time
to time write some of the memories that I
have and which I hope will be of interest to
the readers of the Rosicrucian Forum and to
other Rosicrucians. I hope that recording
these memories will help to provide a record
for the future about the personality of the
man who made possible the Rosicrucian
Order as it exists in this century.
As I have stated, it will be thirty years
this October that I became associated with
the staff of the Rosicrucian Order. I had
been a member for about five years prior to
the time when I carne from another state
to San Jos, California. I carne to San Jos
after the present Imperator, Frater Ralph M.
Lewiswho at that time was Supreme Secretaryhad asked for members who had ex

perience in public speaking to make that

information known to the organization.
Upon the basis of that request, I had written
to him, stating the qualifications and experi
ence I had had in that field and requesting
an interview with the thought of possibly
being employed by the Order in the capacity
of lecturer and field worker for the organi
zation.
I had my first interview with Frater
Ralph M. Lewis on October 16, 1934, and
I was able to convince him that I was sufficiently trained to be qualified for such a
position. He had enough confidence in what
I had told him to arrange for a series of
membership and public lectures to be given
by me in California. I proceeded to make a
trip lecturing for the Order, to be followed
by almost two years of similar work.
On the day of my interview with Frater
Lewis, which happened to be a Tuesday, the
Imperator, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, was scheduled to speak that night at the regular Tues
day evening convocation in the Supreme
Temple. He had returned a few weeks before
from a strenuous trip to Europe, where he
had been in consultation with authorities and
officers of the organization in most of the
European countries. On this trip, he had
prepared the way by which various organizations similar to the Rosicruciansthat is,
those groups which had worked for the
evolvement of man through initiation proceduresmight work more closely together.
The Tuesday evening convocation on this
day of my first visit to Rosicrucian Park was
to be an informal report by Dr. Lewis con
cerning his trip. It was the first time I had
ever attended a convocation in the Supreme
Temple. After I had returned to my hotel
at the conclusin of my interview with
Frater Lewis, I waited in keen anticipation,
not only to hear the Imperator, Dr. H.
Spencer Lewis, speak, but also to attend a
Supreme Temple convocation. I considered
myself very fortnate, for the circumstances
that caused me to arrive on this Tuesday
had made all this possible.
I was not disappointed in the convocation
or in the outstanding address given by Dr.
H. Spencer Lewis. I wish I had an actual
transcription of that address; but what is
important to me, as I look back on it now,
is that although I was a member who never
had been associated with the staff here at

Rosicrucian Parkin fact, I had never been

in California before, except brieflywithin
the scope of a forty- or forty-five-minute address, I seemed to catch, as if by contagion,
the enthusiasm and sincerity of the speaker,
who presented the facts and problems concerning the growth of the Rosicrucian Order
in the world at that time. His address was
not only informative, but it conveyed conviction. Even though I was thoroughly convinced of the Rosicrucian teachings and their
validity before this experience, I went away
greatly reinforced in my belief, knowledge,
and convictionswhich I have carried these
thirty years since and which I think were
in a sense sealed and confirmed in that
address.
I learned a few things about Dr. Lewis
merely from the address: for example, his
ability to speak in a manner such as to hold
the attention of an audience. The Supreme
Temple was actually packed that night. It
was the original Supreme Temple, built
when the organization moved to San Jos,
and it had a limited seating capacity. There
must have been at least fifty per cent more
members present than the comfortable ca
pacity of the Temple. Yet, although we sat
packed together, there was no movement,
no shuffling of feet, as I remember, not even
the occasional cough that is so common in a
crowd.
All sat with their attention directed to the
words of a speaker who had a superb command of the English language and radiated
absolute conviction of that which he spoke.
Few have this ability with words. The only
living person I can think of who today has
such a commanding use of the English lan
guage and whom I have always admired
because of that ability is Winston Churchill.
I believe that Dr. Lewis was one of those
rare individuis who used language as a tool
to convey the information that he had and
command the attention and somehow make
people conscious of the importance of his
message.
The address delivered by Dr. Lewis that
night was apparently from notes, but his
words carne as his thoughts would comethat
is, as if he were in personal conversation
with each individual member. He had a
wonderful sense of humor that was not con
veyed by the repetition of stories or jokes,
but by inference and choice of words, as

well as by his excellent command of lan

guage, that left many of his remarks with a
humorous overtone although never in a way
to detract from the seriousness of his sub
ject and the importance of the ideas he was
impressing on his audience.
Members interested in this period of the
organizations history can read some of Dr.
Lewis articles in the Rosicrucian Digest and
the Rosicrucian Forum of late 1934 and early
1935. They will find most of the material
that he covered in this informal lecture.
I walked away from the Temple that
night, caught a bus to the downtown area of
San JosI believe I should correct that and
say a streetcar because streetcars were still
running in San Jos at the timeand returned to my hotel, where I reflected long
into the night upon the magnificent discourse
that it had been my privilege to hear. The
next day, I had further consultations with
the present Imperator, Frater Ralph M.
Lewis. Before I left his office, he told me
that he had arranged for me to meet Dr. H.
Spencer Lewis and would take me to his
office. This I had not even expected, and I
went with much anticipation to the office
of Dr. Lewis and was introduced to him.
Frankly, I cannot remember the details
of the conversation that took place because
I was somewhat overawed by being in the
office of Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, with whom
I had been so impressed during the time I
had been a member of AMORC. I do re
member stammering something about enjoying his lecture of the previous evening, the
usual remarks that a person makes after
hearing someone speak. I do remember that
he said that if I proposed to be a lecturer
for the organization, he hoped I would re
member to carry some of the facts to the
members and to the public that he had emphasized in his discourse. Other than that,
I remember no details of the conversation,
but I remember being impressedjust as I
had been when he lecturedwith the overwhelming power of his personality. Wheth
er it was the effect of the aura or his ability
to create mentally, no person could enter
his presence without feeling that he was in
the presence of a genius, which his work
actually assured everyone that he was.
Possibly, at another time, I will record
other personal memories of Dr. H. Spencer
Lewis. I will tell of my next personal meet-

ing with him, at which time I was a little

less reticent, and of some of the observations
which he made to me directly. Some of the
suggestions and comments which he made
in the first months that I was associated with
the organization as a member of its staff
have stayed with me. I have remembered and
tried to put them into practice. I believe
that if I have to any extent been successful
first, as a member of the staff and, later, as
an officerit is due to the fact that, even
though I was young and not as experienced
as I am now, some sense within me told me
to listen well to what he said and to remember and practice what he advised.A

Limits of Sleep Learning

A frater of Scotland says: Much has been
written lately concerning the technique of
sleep learning, where the subconscious is imbued with facts by means of recording equipment while the subject is asleep. From the
Rosicrucian viewpoint, could not this method
of learning be detrimental to the mental
health of the individual?
First, let us consider the theory of sleep
learning. Briefly, it is that the individual
when awake may lack the ability to concn
trate sufficiently to focus his attention so as
to register the impressions of what he per
ceives strongly in memory. Consequently,
when he is asleep, the impressions enter the
subconscious mind more directly, without
conflict or opposition, being a kind of subliminal learning. When awake, the objective
mind finds it more facile to recall from mem
ory what has been implanted there. Further,
what the subject is taught when awake is
more easily comprehended by association
with that which he has acquired through
sleep learning.
In principie, this is all very right but with
definite limita tions. The sleep learner can
not comprehend that which is beyond the
level of his intelligence. A person with a
low I. Q. is not made a brilliant student just
by the means of sleep learning. Memory is
definitely helped but tests have shown that
judgment and reasoning are not facilitated.
A problem that requires profound thought
and reasoning is not solved any better by
giving it to one who is asleep unless he is a
very intelligent subject.

To use an analogy, an intricate mathematical problem requiring much intelligence

to solve cannot be solved by a person of
ordinary intelligence while asleep.
There have been advertisements by sleep
learning institutions that sell equipment and
courses implying that one may become a
brilliant success in some technical field merely by sleep learning. If one, however, has
not the intelligence or is too stupid to learn
when he is awake, he will not gain an under
standing merely because the subject matter
is repeated to him in sleep. Clinical tests have
also shown that sleep learning is better to aid
recall or memory rather than to stimulate
reason or to increase the latters functioning.
Frankly, the valu of sleep learning has
been overemphasized. Its real valu has been
exaggerated out of its importance. This has
been done principally for commercial rea
sons. Many of the schools and institutes that
sell the equipment charge for turntables to
play the recordings and for the earphones
and time docks two to five times what such
apparatus would cost when purchased separately elsewhere. Also, the recorded courses
are very expensive.
If sleep learning could accomplish what
is expounded for it by these concerns, no one
would need to think or study while awake.
No initiative, will power, or reason would be
required. All one would need to do would be
to go to sleep listening to a record and awaking not only with a font of new knowledge
equivalent to a textbook but also as a pro
found thinker as well. The fact that thou
sands of students do not do this is not because
they do not wish to, but rather because they
know that at its best sleep learning is but a
supplementary aid.
As to whether sleep learning can be detri
mental to the mental health of the individual
depends upon its application. If the method
were used continuously, the individual would
lose much of his power of concentration. He
would acquire the habit of depending on
memory to provide answers that someone had
implanted there. The initiative to think, to
reason, to exercise judgment and will power
would be lessened.
In conclusin, we say avoid a regular
practice of sleep learning unless you have a
deficient memory and find it difficult to re
tain what you read or are unable to concn
trate properly.X

A Word About Health

A soror reflects that we should carry more
subjects on health, explaining the functions
of the vital organs and helping members to
understand natures methods so that we may
not abuse our bodies out of ignorance. She
mentions that millions of people take sleeping pills and suggests that as a subject worth
some explanation.
We entitle this brief comment, A Word
About Health, for a word is all we can
really say on the subject. The body is a
complex organism, the marvelous workings
of which no one has fully catalogued or
understands to this day. Much is being
learned of its functions, and the doctors are
conquering more diseases every day.
Without going into great detail, we can
say that for the Rosicrucian there are cer
tain fundamental principies of health which
should be understood and followed. Much of
the rest will take care of itself. In the majority of cases, these principies will help to
maintain health and vitality over a long
period of time. Attention to these simple requirements is all that is necessary without
going into the mechanics of physiology.
1. The body is composed of living cells,
each cell of which is infused with vital
life forc and a part of the total con
sciousness of the whole self.
2. Cells require the positive supply of vital
life forc that comes with the air we
breathe.
3. Cells can be stimulated and directed by
mans mind since they are units of the
same mind.
4. Cells can be vitalized to help fight
disease and restore harmony to the
system.
5. To provide cells with the best possible
environment to carry on their regenerative and vital processes, these common-sense steps should be followed:
a. Deep breathing for at least a few
minutes each day. This serves to
flush out depleted air which may
collect in the bottom of the lungs. It
also serves to vitalize the cells as the
blood carries the vital forc to all
parts of the body.

b. Drinking water, at least several

glasses each day. This serves to flush
the digestive system, thus easing the
work load of the cells in eliminating
wastes.
c. A moderate diet. Overeating or unbalanced diets either overwork cells
or provide them with insufficient
nourishment. In either case, their
efficiency is reduced.
d. Avoid injuries. Each strain, wound,
or break in the system calis on the
reserve of cells to heal and thus expend their energy. This lowers the
resistance of the body to disease or
aging.
e. Avoid tensin. Learn to place your
thoughts on shelves for a certain
period each day as you do your
work. Tensin, or strong emotional
reactions, causes a furor of activity
in the cell community. Cells are
constantly on the alerta demanding task.
Heredity plays a part in physical disorders
or impairments, too; but in the majority
of cases, the human body can experience
health if the above practices are followed.
If there is some explanation for the voluminous consumption of sleeping pills and
tranquilizers, it is only that people have not
yet learned to control the contents of their
thoughts and the direction of their emotions.B

Is Polygamy Justifiable?
A Frater arises to ask: What are the
Rosicrucian views on plural marriages, or
polygamy? Are there extenuating circum
stances which make it advisable, or is it
morally and otherwise wrong?
The question is best answered in terms
of the particular society and its customs of
which the individual is a part. In many
primitive cultures of the past and even in
the present, polygamy is an established cus
tom. It has sanction. That is, it was and is
not secretive but an accepted practice. The
motive behind the practice of polygamy in
such primitive societies is usually the result
of one of two factors. One factor is that war
or some other calamity has decimated the

male element of the society, resulting in an

excess of the female population. Polygamy
in such instances increases the number of
the tribe and serves as an economic security
for otherwise unmarried females.
The other factor is the particular social
status of the female in the primitive society.
She may not have the same equality as the
male. Her position may be subordnate. In
fact, she may be considered a chattel, a mere
possession of the male. From this premise,
the number of wives which a man has adds
to his social status, constituting a kind of
special wealth. Such wives often are con
sidered not much above slaves, for they are
obliged to do many chores thought to be beneath the dignity of the male.
This does not mean, however, that in societies in which polygamy is permitted the
female is not protected. Also, it does not
mean that the moral restrictions are any less
than where monogamy prevails. Usually,
though not always, promiscuity is as taboo
in the polygamous society as it is where
monogamy exists. The plurality of wives
does not necessarily mean that there is a lessening of the moral valu of the primitive
society.
Religin, of course, has at times sanctioned
polygamy, as in Islamism and Mormonism.
In both instances, the religious requirements
were and are strict with regard to the welfare of the wife. We will not attempt here
to speculate on the motives by which polyg
amy became a part of these two religious
faiths. The fact is that their religious doc
trines justified the practice, and certainly
there was no immorality connected with it.
Polygamy can only be considered immoral
from the social point of view if, for example,
a society prohibits it and so defines it as
taboo, making it appear a vice. Then, of
course, in that society it is adjudged wrong,
if not a sin. For example, at one time danc
ing or playing games on Sunday was con
sidered a vice in New England. Whoever
participated was considered immoral because
the violation of man-made laws was made
to appear a violation of a divine precept. To
day, however, with the abolition of that law,
no one has a sense of immorality if he in
dulges in dancing. Basically, then, there is
no vice or immorality in polygamy where
the respective wives are treated in the manner of the standards of an advanced society.

Why, then, for example, is polygamy not

approved generally in the Western world?
Basically, it is because of religious condemnation and dogmatic decrees against it. From
a sociological point of view, it is apt to com
plcate society in regard to the offspring, the
parental relationship, property rights, etc.
Further, psychologically enlightened modern
society also assumes that polygamy lessens
the dignity of womankind and makes them,
in appearance, at least, chattels of man. In
an advanced society woman is given equal
status with man. She has equal rights in
deciding whom she will have for a mate.
In many lesser cultures where polygamy pre
vails, there is not this opportunity of choice.
The man may select a wife with only her
parents consent, against which decisin she
has no redress.
Further, in an advanced society the idealism of marriage is of a high standard. In the
mystical aspect of marriage, as expressed in
the religious rituals of such a society, it is
considered to be a unity of two polarities,
the joining of two separate souls as one. It is
considered an equal exchange, a unin of
personalices. This may be all theoretical in
its lofty concept. Nevertheless, such idealism
cannot very well be reconciled with polyg
amy.
It is for this reason that Rosicrucian phi
losophy does not approve of polygamy, in
principie. It does not consider it an immoral
practice but rather one which is inconsistent
with the idealism of the teachings and not
serving any essential purpose in an advanced
society.
The speculative question as to whether the
Rosicrucian Order would ever approve polyg
amy is too broad to answer precisely. One
cannot say what calamity might befall a so
ciety in the future, which in an emergency
situation might require an expedient that
counters idealism. Not foreseeing that, it can
still be stated that strictly upon principie the
Order does not favor polygamy.X

Beyond the Commonplace

The human being by his own free choice
may permit his life to fall into one of two
general classifications. The first of these is
what we might term routine existence. This
is the area of the common, or the existence
which does very little either to adjust to,

cope with, or attempt to resist environmental

factors. It is the area of the commonplace,
without inspiration, without direction, with
out guidance, or without any hope even of
achieving these. It is an existence only a
little higher than that of a vegetable.
Life, biologically speaking, expresses itself
on this planet in two general forms, classified
as vegetable and animal. At the lowest level
of animal life, the distinction between the
forms of life which are designated as vege
table and those which are designated as
animal is extremely difficult to distinguish.
Generally speaking, for the convenience of
comparison, we consider the difference be
tween vegetable and animal at the higher
levels of existence. At this level, a vegetable
is easily distinguished. It does not generally
have the power of movement, that is, of freedom to change its environment. To the best
of our knowledge, a vegetable reacts appar
ently without choice only to certain forces
of environment.
The animal, on the other hand, even in its
lowest form of manifestation, seems to evi
dence a degree of choice. It can move in
directions of its own choosing within certain
limitations. The higher we go in the scale
of animal life, the greater we find the extent
of adaptability of the animal and the more
complex the nature of animal life and the
individual animal.
Man is considered to be the highest form
of life. He is the ultimate animal, insofar
as we speak biologically. This does not mean
that he is absolutely perfect; but he does
have, according to many concepts, the nearest adjustment of any living entity to a possibility of perfection. As such, man is a
reasoning, thinking, and feeling animal to a
degree far more sensitive than any other liv
ing entity with which we are familiar.
What does man generally do with these
attributes and innate abilities? First of all,
involuntarilyand we can find this evidenced in the records of primitive man and
in the examples of infancythis human ani
mal strives to maintain his existence, a
struggle which is generally known under the
classification of self-preservation. He at
tempts to live so that he can protect himself
as a living being and continu to be such.
In this category, he exerts effort to obtain
nourishment to keep his physical body alive.
He protects himself against extremes of en

vironment, such as temperature, possibility

of attack, danger of falling or being injured.
Man also reproduces his own race. Within
the process of reproduction, he is in a sense
extending the concept of self-preservation,
that is, extending self to include the whole
concept of the race. If he does no more than
to seek to preserve himself, maintain him
self alive, and propagate himself, he is very
little different, then, from a vegetable, except
for being mobile.
Beyond this commonplace existence, be
yond a vegetative existence, man reaches out
to fulfill what he believes in various forms
of interpretation is his destiny. That is, he
reaches toward concepts, ideas, practices, and
applications which are beyond the common
place, a little above merely existing for the
purpose of existing. Man, in other words,
with his ability to reason, has designated
himself an entity with far more possibilities
and potentialities than any other liviner
entity.
As Rosicrucians, we believe that all life is
the result of the manifestation of an invisible,
intangible forc in the physical world. This
forc, while believed by some to be supernatural and entirely different from anything
else, is interpreted in Rosicrucian terminol
ogy simply as vibrations of a nature beyond
our immediate ability to perceive.
Almost everyone is familiar with the fact
that all manifestations, particularly those
which affect our sense faculties, are the result
of certain vibrations. We hear a sound and
know that it has been caused by some physi
cal change in some physical entity, aware
ness of which is being conveyed to us by
vibrations that pass through the atmosphere
or through some other mdium.
The sound that is reproduced by a piano,
for example, is the vibration of the string
mounted on the sounding board of the piano
and hit with a hammer by means of a lever.
The vibration set up by that physical process
passes through the air, enters our sensory sys
tem through our ears, and is interpreted
within the brain as sound. The tighter we
stretch the wire, the finer the wire is made,
the higher becomes the pitch of the sound
which we hear. Finally, a point is reached
where the wire is so tight or so fine that
there is no further sound insofar as our con
sciousness is concerned; but that does not
mean that fundamentally the same type of

vibrations do not still exist although at a

level that exceeds the range that our ear is
able to perceive.
Suppose I have a galln of water in a paper
container and beside it a quart bottle, which,
of course, is one fourth of a galln. If I notice
the paper container holding the galln of
water beginning to leak and I am anxious
to save the water, I use the only container
I have available. In spite of all I can do, I
can put into that quart bottle only one fourth
of the water which is in the galln paper
container. I can fill the bottle and continu
to pour the water, but the quart bottle will
not take more than one quart. The bottle
does not have the capacity. In spite of everything I do, I cannot preserve more than one
fourth of the water with the particular vessel
I have at hand.
This same idea can be applied to the abil
ity of man to perceive. There are vibrations
in the universe that can be represented by
the galln container. In other words, there
is a galln of vibrations but only a quart
capacity in the human being. I cannot per
ceive with my physical senses any vibrations
beyond, more extensive, or of a greater quantity than the capacity with which I can per
ceive those particular vibrations.
Therefore, man as a living entity is able
to draw upon the vibrations that supersede
those which he can perceive or which he can
hold. Although he cannot physically take on
more than his physical capacity to assimilate
these vibrations, he is givenaccording to
our basic conceptsan ability to develop his
senses to a higher degree and go beyond the
range of the five physical senses. Through
the sixth sense, or sense of intuition, through
the soul that is the point at which resides
the higher forces that manifest in him, man
can expand his consciousness beyond the
mere commonplace, beyond the vegetative
level.
If he cannot change himself substantially
in a physical manner, man at least has the
ability, the attributes, and the potentialities
to raise himself to become a truly superbeing
because the reason, mind, and soul that are
innate within him are of the Divine itself.
Man can strive to equal the Divine. He may
never attain such equality, but that is the
direction toward which he can move if he
seeks truly to be more than a vegetable, if

he wishes to be a living soul and not merely

a living animal slightly above a vegetable
level.A
Who Was Count Saint-Germain?
A soror rises to ask our Forum: Who was
Count Saint-Germain and what relationship,
if any, did he have to the Rosicrucian
Order?
This personage is truly a mystery man.
Historically, very little is known about him
in a factual way. There are, however, extant
many myths that are fantastic and many accounts that, undoubtedly, libel him as well.
He has been heralded as an extraordinary
mystic and philosopher, but the average historical account likewise refers to him as a
charlatan and an adventurer. Even today,
many who profess to be esoterically guided
by the master, Saint-Germain, think that
he was canonized as a saint by the Romn
Catholic Church. Actually, the word saint
is but part of the ame he assumed and is
not a theological title.
The exact place and time of his birth have
not been definitely established. However, it
is believed by the most accepted sources that
he lived between the years 1710 and 1780.
Most records say that he was of PortugueseJewish parentage. Others claim that he was
the son of Prince Ragoczy of Transylvania.
There is a report that he appeared in 1777
as Prince Ragoczy. This same account re
lates that when quite young he was placed
under the care of the last Duc de Medici.
When he learned that his two brothers, sons
of the Princess of Hesse-Wahnfried (Rheinfels), had become subject to Emperor Charles
VI and had received certain titles, he said
to himself: Very well, I will cali myself
Sanctus Germano [Saint-Germain], the
Holy Rrother.
Saint-Germain was apparently very welleducated. He spoke fluently Germn, English, Italian, and French with a Piedmontese
accent. It was said that he was educated in
the University of Siena. He was a composer
of music and played the violin most effectively. His knowledge of history was very
comprehensive and he was, as well, a reputable chemist.
It is the claims which are attributed to
him that have apparently caused his bad
reputation in exoteric, or worldly, circles.
(continued overleaf)

He was an alchemist and professed to trans

mute metis and to be able to remove the
flaws in diamonds. He likewise claimed that
he had discovered an elixir of life, and some
recount that he also attributed great age to
himself.
Of course, it must be realized that the
masses of people at the time knew nothing
of alchemy. It is possible that it was not
through any magical process but rather
through his mastery of chemistry that he
was actually able to transmute certain
metis. Possibly, too, he may have been able
to make artificial diamonds as science does
today.
Further, it must be remembered that the
Romn Catholic Church was hostile to the
experiments of the alchemists and, in fact,
to all those active in esoteric orders, and
would discredit and disparage him at every
opportunity as they did others. The accounts
which the Church put in their encyclopedias
were copied by later historians and reference
workers and the same tales perpetuated.
Saint-Germain traveled extensively, often
moving in high social and political circles.
In the year 1748, he was in the French Court
and there exercised extraordinary influence
for a time. It is said that he was employed
on secret missions by Louis XV. He became
involved in a dispute between Austria and
France and, in June 1760, was compelled to
lea ve for England. He resided in London for
one or two years. In 1762, he was in St.
Petersburg and is asserted to have played
an important part in a conspiracy against
the emperor Peter III.
According to the Mmoires authentiques
of the celebrated Cagliostro, Saint-Germain
was the founder of Freemasonry. Cagliostro
states in his Mmoires that it was SaintGermain who initiated him into the Masonic
rite. Cagliostro later was accepted as the
Grand Master of Egyptian Masonry. SaintGermain would have been 60 years od when
Cagliostro was 27 years of age if the date
for his birth is accurate. Undoubtedly, hav
ing similar interests, they had some intercourse in mysticism, metaphysics, and al
chemy. Strangely enough, though not much
is known of the life of Saint-Germain, what
is known parallels to a great extent the adventures and renown of Cagliostro, and the
vituperative charges directed against him.

Later, Saint-Germain took up residence in

Schleswig-Holstein, where with certain oth
ers he pursued the study of the secret
sciences. We presume from this that he
was affiliated with one of the esoteric move
ments of the time. It could have been the
Rosicrucians, who were prominent in that
period. However, this fact is not definitely
established in the Rosicrucian annals. There
seems to be no doubt that he was a mystic
and that he was familiar with mystical and
metaphysical principies. Saint-Germain fig
ures prominently in the correspondence of
the noted Volt aire.
Some of the disrepute attributed to him
may possibly be due to confusing him with
a well-known French family by the ame of
Saint-Germain. From that family, there
descended a Count Robert de Saint-Germain
1708. He became a Jesuit and later served
in various military capacities. Subsequently,
he became involved with the French government and was disgraced by the King and
died in 1778. This personage was often confused with his mystical and philosophical
namesake.
In more recent times, within the last three
decades, in fact, the ame of Saint-Germain
was bandied about by a cult, now almost
extinct, which was very active in the United
States. The woman leader of this cult
claimed to be receiving psychic messages
from Saint-Germain for the guidance of
her followers. The material put forth was
nothing but gibberish and a confused syncretism of modern books on occultism and mys
ticism. The material issued by this person
in the ame of Saint-Germain was a discredit
to the intellect of the man.
It may be said that Saint-Germain had
sufficient impact upon the intellectuals of
his time to acquire the Germn pseudonym
der Wundermann.YL

Condoning Undesirable Behavior

An interesting question arises out of a
members experience as a plice officer. I
think you will appreciate his predicament,
for in itself it is a lesson in life.
Question: How far should a person go
in accepting, that is, condoning, certain types
of incidents relative to his position, which are
not in accord with his code of life or conscience?

One of the reasons I recently changed

careers was the frustration of being powerless to do much to correct the things I knew
to be wrong, as well as those that were not
according to the book. My uncertainty is
in regard to duty. If everyone conforms or
goes to a different job and none stays on to
work for improvement, will a situation ever
be corrected?
Answer: A Rosicrucian is obliged to act
positively, as his conscience directs. He must
set the example. He must live by a code of
ethics. This is the only honorable, the only
happy, way to live. It is difficult to forc
idealism on others. Example is the best
tactics. It must demnstrate to others the
excellence of a certain way of life. If the
example does not demnstrate this, nothing
will. The Rosicrucian must never despair
of this methodnever give up. Here is where
the other cheek must be turned. Rejection
of the noble path by others is no loss to the
student who adheres to it. The loss is to
those who refuse it.
Officiousness is attributed to the idealist at
times. It raises a barrier between him and
those he wishes to infuse with his ideis. He
becomes intent on the subject of his ideis
and sometimes neglects to consider the lack
of understanding in others.
Idealism is easy to think abouthard to
put into practice. Most people are idealists
of a sort. They all have a visin of the perfect environment. Their minds may be filled
with idealism, but their bodies succumb to
the animal nature within them.
Many feel they are merely condoning the
life around themmaking the best of what
it has to offer. Their visin is always outgoing. They sit in constant judgment. The
student of mysticism always looks within.
He judges only himself. He endeavors to
perfect his awareness of the inner manto
have the outer man do its bidding. His at
tention is focused on self-evaluation; selfmastery; self-conduct. He does not bemoan
the habits and acts of others, but rather extends his hand in an everlasting gesture of
constructive thought and action.
In situations such as described here, a
member must be certain that he is doing the
kind of work he wants to do. Sometimes the
foregoing difficulties arise out of a basic dislike for the work. If one is in a troubled and
negative environment, if nothing is holding

him there and he has a desire to do other

things as well, then he should change positions. He should go where his talents are
most neededwhere his mind finds the most
satisfaction.
A person always should seek to fit himself
to his sphere, not to take any sphere and try
to fit it to him. This is often as great a problem in cases of discontent as any negative
conditions in a persons environment.
We often try to blame environment first
since it would be easier to have our environ
ment adapt to us than for us to seek out a
suitable environment and adapt ourselves
to it.B
Dark Night of the Soul
A frater now addresses our Forum to say:
I am presently passing through the Dark
Night of the Soul. Quite recently, every thing
seemed to go wrong. Is this the consequence
of my experience?
What is the Dark Night of the Soul? It is
a term long used by mystics to indicate a
particular emotional and psychological state
as well as a personal test through which
every mortal passes sometime in his life. This
Dark Night of the Soul is characterized by
a series of failures; the individual experi
ences many frustrations. Everything he undertakes, even those activities with which
he is familiar, seems fraught with uncertainties and obstacles. No matter how he tries
or what knowledge he brings to bear, he
seems to be obstructed. Opportunities appear
to fade away when almost within his grasp.
Things he depended upon do not materialize.
Plans become static and are never consummated. No situation offers a solution or encouragement for the future. This period is
filled with disappointment, discouragement,
and depression.
During such a period, the individual is
sorely tempted to abandon his cherished
hopes and ideis and to become severely
pessimistic. The greatest danger is the inclination to give up all those things to which
he has attached high valu and importance
in life. He may feel that it is useless to maintain his studies, his cultural activities and
affiliations. If he submits to these temptations, he is really doomed. According to
mystical lore, this is the period when the
mettle of the soul personality is tested. Ones

true convictions, his strength of will, and his

worthiness to receive further illumination
are being tried. If one surrenders to those
conditions, then, although the frustration and
despair may lessen, he never knows the joy
of real accomplishment in life. Thereafter,
his existence may be mediocre and he will
experience no real peace of mind.
All of this is not a punishment imposed
upon an individual. It is not karmic, the
mystical teachings point out. It is a kind of
adjustment which one must make within
himself before he advances to a higher level
of consciousness. It is a kind of challenge,
a demand that one resort to introspection
and a re-evaluation of his ideis and his purposes in life. It requires one to reject super
ficial interests and decide upon how he must
use his life. It does not mean abandoning
his work or livelihood, but rather it means
the determining of his whole life. It causes
him to question what contributions in any
way he wishes to make to mankind. It
causes him to discover his weak and his
strong points.
Once the individual makes this self-analysis during the Dark Night of the Soul instead
of just struggling against the frustration, the
whole situation changes. Things improve.
There is a master y of the events which he
has decided upon as worthy. Eventually,
there comes what the mystics have long
termed the Golden Dawn. Suddenly, there
seems to be a transformation: He is now
ebullient with enthusiasm. There is an influx of constructive, stimulating ideas which
he finds he can convert into advantages in
his life. The whole trend of his existence
is promising. In contrast to the previous
conditions, his life is now truly golden in
the dawn of a new period. Most of all, there
is the illumination, the keen judgment, the
insight into himself and situations which
were not possible before.
Those who do not know of this phenome
non but who have yet persisted and overcome
the Dark Night of the Soul are mystified by
what to them seems an inexplicable trans
formation in their affairs. What is particularly strange to them is that they believe
some external forces or combination of cir
cumstances have brought about the change.
They do not realize that the transformation
occurs within their own psychic natures as
the result of their thoughts and will.

A reasonable question that is often asked

is, When does this Dark Night of the Soul
begin? At what age or period of ones life
does it occur? Usually it follows the end of
some seven-year cycle as 35, 42, 49, 56, 63,
etc. It occurs more often at the end of the
42nd or 49th cycle, rarely at 63 or beyond.
Another question asked is, How long does
it last? No one can answer that, for it is
solely individualistic. It depends upon how
one has lived, his thoughts, and his actions.
We repeat, the experience does not come as
a punishment for what one may have done
in the past but rather as a test of his worthi
ness to enter the Golden Dawn. Perhaps the
more circumspect the individual, the more
sincere he is in trying to attain worthy ideis,
the sooner the test of his determination and
real character comes through the means of
the Dark Night of the Soul.
How long does one have to endure this
experience? This also varies, depending up
on the individual. If he resists, if he does
not submit to the temptations to yield to the
inclination to abandon his worthy habits,
customs, and practices, the Night ends
sooner. If, however, he submits, slips into
deep despondency, and abandons his better
way of living, then the Night may continu
with varying intensity throughout his life.
It must be realized, we repeat, that this
is not an experience or a phenomenon that
befalls only students of mysticism. In fact,
it has no relation to the subject of mysticism
except that it is a natural, psychological, and
cosmic phenomenon. Mystics explain it;
others do not. Psychologists, for example,
will say that there is an emotional state, a
temporary depression, a mood that inhibits
ones thinking and acting, which accounts
for the failures and frustrations. They try
to find some thought, some subconscious repression, to account for this state. The fact
is, as said, that everyoneeven though he
may know nothing of mysticismnevertheless has the experience of the Dark Night.
Each of you knows people who have had such
a period in their life. Things seem to go
wrong no matter what effort is put forth.
Then, perhaps some time later, you have
learned that that person has become quite
successful, happy, and seems to be a transformed personality.
A condition with effects similar to those
of the true Dark Night of the Soul may be

brought about by an individuals own negligence and indolence. A person who is lazy,
careless, indifferent, and impractical will
bring about many failures in his own life.
He may bemoan his fate to others and, if
he knows anything about it, even claim that
it is the Dark Night of the Soul. But, actu
ally, he will know that the fault lies within
himself.
The difference between such an individual
and those who are really going through the
Dark Night is that the latter, at least at first,
sincerely try to meet every situation and
apply their knowledge before coming to the
realization that they are blocked by some
thing beyond their own ability. The lazy
person, however, always knows that he is
lazy, whether he admits it or not. The negligent person always knows that he has neglected what he should have done. The
careless one who is so by habit knows that
he fumbles and makes mistakes.X
Diet and Psychic Development
Does the habitual drinking of wine with
meis or too much eating of sweets, such as
cake, cookies, and candy, interfere with ones
intuition and psychic development?
Whether or not these acts are habitual
is not important. Habitual acts are not
necessarily negative. In fact, good habits are
the economy of life. Quantity is a more im
portant factor here. How much wine, cake,
cookies, etc., are being included with the
daily diet? It really is not easy to stipulate
what amounts are harmful. It only stands
to reason that a great deal of sweets will
raise the sugar level of the body and thus
bring about an imbalance in the metabolic
processes. Such injury to the body will affect
ones use of his intuitive and psychic faculties.
To experience mximum development in
these areas, a balance between the physical
and psychic systems is desirable. Anything
that upsets this balance inhibits psychic de
velopment. Negative conditions in the body
aggravate a persons mental state and are a
hindrance to his use of mental powers.
Over-indulgence in sweets is generally
conducive to physical conditions of a nega
tive nature and thus, indirectly, interfere
with ones intuition and psychic develop
ment.B

The Privacy of the Mystic

A soror, addressing our Forum, asks:
What degree of privacy may one have as
a mystic? If any one attuned with us shares
in all our thoughts, the situation could be
annoying, to say the least. I do not want
to share my sorrow with everyone. I feel
that these are things which I must overcome
and understand without bothering others. I
believe the same applies in reverse. I would
not wish to enter into all the suffering and
joy of other people. In this regard, how are
the monographs to be understood?
The whole matter resolves itself to what
is attunement. Let us use the example of
resonance, or attunement, in physics. Two
tuning forks, both having the same frequency of, let us say, 440 vibrations a second, are, therefore, in resonance. If placed
cise to each other and one tuning fork is
struck with a small mallet, the other then
may be heard and felt to be vibrating in
attunement even though they are not physically connected. The vibrations of the air
given off by the fork that was struck, coming
in contact with the second fork, cause it to
vibrate in sympathetic response because its
natural vibrations are the same.
Suppose, now, we slightly dampen, that
is, alter, the vibrations of the second tuning
fork. Then no matter how cise the first one
is to it or how hard we strike it, the second
one will not vibrate sympathetically with it.
It is because they are not in resonance or
attunement with each other. As human
beings, our thoughts often can and do bring
us into attunement with other persons having
a similar state of consciousness as our own.
It is a kind of telepathic communication.
This is, however, as many members and
students know, possible only under ideal
conditions. Merely by changing his thoughts,
an individual can place himself out of at
tunement with another with whom he might
ordinarily be in accord psychologically. We
know that if one is very objective in his
thinking, it is difficult for him to attune
with the subliminal, that is, the psychic, self.
We are told in the early degrees of our
teachings that we each have a guardian of
the threshold. The threshold in this sense
means the approach to the deeper levels of
consciousness, or our subconscious self. This
guardian is our innermost thoughts, the
principies to which we hold. It is the moral

convictions we sincerely wish to observe and

live by.
This guardian cannot be removed by the
thoughts of others. This fact has been
demonstrated in hypnosis. When the subject
has been put into a hypnotic sleep, the oper
ator may command him to perform some
act. Ordinarily, if the hypnotic state has
been properly induced, the subject will respond to the operators commands implicitly.
However, if the operator, for example, demands that the subject perform some act
which is in violation of his conscience, he
will not respond. The intimate, personally
arrived at decisions and accepted standards
of behavior implanted by the individual in
his subconscious are stronger than the suggestions being made by the operator.
If we have certain knowledge that we wish
to keep prvate and not communicate to the
minds of others and if such are related to
our emotions and feelings and are not a
casual interest, they are then part of our
inner self. The guardian of the threshold,
the psychic self, will set up a barrier that
will make it impossible for another to attune
himself with us so as to gain any cognition
of such personal and secret knowledge.
However, when we do attune ourselves
with another person, if he does not have
such feelings about his ideas, if he is not
truly in accord with them, it is quite pos
sible that we may gain an indefinite or vague
impression of them. However, we must not
presume, as has been said, that true psychic
attunement is a phenomenon which is easily
accomplished.
Occasionally, two persons are very much
en rapport, that is, without effort they are
naturally in attunement. This often occurs
between man and wife after a long and
happy marriage. In other words, just as one
is about to speak, the other frequently will
receive his thoughts in advance. In prac
tice, it is first necessary to find a level of
consciousness with which another person can
become attuned with us. This takes much
meditation and use of cosmic principies.
Think of each persons consciousness as be
ing like a piano keyboardeach octave a
different level of the stream of consciousness
that flows through man.
Each of two persons may ordinarily in
meditation function on different octaves of
this keyboard, that is, on different levels of

consciousness. As a result, there will then

be no harmony, no attunement of their
psychic sel ves. But through mystical exer
cises as taught in the Rosicrucian monographs, one can move the realization of
himself to different octaves along this
keyboard, that is, to higher levels of con
sciousness. Two persons, then, undertaking
this practice can ultimately find a level of
consciousness on which they are in accord.
The unusual experience of immediate
attunement which some persons have is due
to their levels of consciousness which happen to correspond naturally. To make this
point clearer, let us again allude to the two
tuning forks. Two forks may be so constructed that their natural frequency, that
is, their vibratory rate, is identical. Consequently, they will always be in resonance.
Conversely, two other tuning forks may be
of different frequencies and, therefore, can
only be brought into resonance by adjusting
a slide on each of them so that they have a
similar vibratory rate. With this under
standing, we may have no fear of violating
the prvacy of another through psychic at
tunement or having our own privacy violated.-X
Negative Thoughts
A soror from New York asks if it is pos
sible for a person to become depleted by
other peoples negative thoughts about oneself, particularly if he is somewhat negative,
in the first place.
Negative thoughts, like any thoughts, have
a characteristic frequency and are transmit
ted from the mind of the person who holds
them. These thoughts can be received by
other minds. If dwelled upon by the person
receiving them, they can amplify his own
negative thoughts and, certainly, bring about
a depletion in his vitality and influence.
Negative thoughts, however, as often explained in the monographs, act only against
the person who harbors them, who allows
them to stay in his consciousness. Negative
thoughts, like all negative things, have no
power of themselves. They cannot intrude,
unwanted, on another persons conscious
ness. As light dispels darkness, so positive
thoughts can dispel negative ones. One has
only to think and live positively in order to
avoid any negative thoughts affecting his
well-being.B

What Are Innocence and Guilt?

A frater, connected with a community
playhouse doing a play on the life of the
biblical character, Job, became interested in
certain theological implications arising out
of the script. As a result, he writes our
Forum: We have wondered about such
things as guilt; does it necessarily connote
moral turpitude and disobedience to divine
edict? Does innocence mean avoidance of
sin or is it merely a state of ignorance?
The analysis of guilt depends on its par
ticular relationship, that is, into what category it is placed. In a theological sense, guilt
is related to the violation of moral precepts.
Since moral precepts, in a religious sense,
are related to conceived divine edicts, such
guilt, then, consists of acts which are disobedient to the Will of God. Since moral
codes, however, differ with different theo
logical preachments, customs, and doctrines,
an individual held guilty in one sect for one
kind of conduct may not be considered so
in another.
There are, of course, those acts by which
one is charged with guilt because they are a
breach of man-made laws. A man may be
guilty of violating the laws of society, and
yet he may not be morally guilty. Accord
ing to his moral code, his religious beliefs
and practice, he may have committed no
crime. In ancient Rome, both the Jews and
the Christians were guilty of offending the
edicts of the Emperor and the Romn law in
regard to certain of their behavior. The
individuis, however, from their personal
point of view, their religious motivation, had
no sense of guilt or moral turpitude.
We can say that guilt can take two forms:
One, we may cali extemal; the other, in
fernal. Guilt externally means a violation of
an established rule as a code, whether of a
legal or a moral nature. Guilt internally is
the violation of conscience or the intmate
moral sense. At times, these two may correspond; that is, one who violates a civil
law may have a psychological sense of guilt
as well.
Conversely, one may commit an act that
subsequently brings him great remorse. He
feels a sense of guilt for committing the act
and yet there may be no prohibition in law
against it. For example, one may subse
quently feel that in a business transaction he
took advantage of an individual. Actually,

what he did may not have been a crime for

which he would be subject to any penalty
by a law of society. However, conscience, his
moral sense, charges him with wrongdoing
and he feels a sense of guilt.
There can be no personal guilt unless one
experiences it; that is, there must be a
breach of the moral code. A criminal is not
guilty unto himself unless he offends his
personal code. Obviously, some persons have
such a lack of the finer emotions and sentiments that they can commit what society
may cali heinous crimes without any sense
of guilt. It is reasonable, of course, that
society cannot establish a code of conduct
based on the personal conception of right
and wrong of each individual. It must devise
a norm, a certain standard, which would apply to the majority. All who deviate from
that standard must be considered guilty,
whether the individual considers himself so
or not.
Are men born guilty? Christian theology
has expounded what it terms the original
sin from which men must be redeemed be
fore they may have salvation. Most enlightened mystics and moral philosophers have
inveighed against any innate sin or guilt.
A person cannot be guilty unless he experi
ences it inwardly or unless he outwardly
violates a law out of which a guilt is said
to arise. One who never in his life violated
a law, consciously or in fact, cannot justly
be condemned. But such condemnation is
actually being done in connection with the
doctrine of original sin. To impose the actual
or imagined sin of the human race upon each
newborn babe is hardly indicative of the
divine love and justice which is attributed
to God.
Sins primarily have a religious connotation.
A sin alludes to an act in violation of a
religious fat or decree. Man can only be
guilty of a sin if he recognizes the principie
upon which it is based. There are what have
been declared to be natural or mortal sins.
They arise from those acts to which men
are subject by tradition, custom, and reason
as human beings. However, enlightened
views, extensive education, and changes in
moral vales or their interpretation have
come to abolish even a number of those acts
which have been accepted as mortal sins.
It has long been expounded in certain
religious doctrines that it is a moral and

mortal sin for man to deny his soul. By

this is meant that man should believe and
abide by the conception that there is implanted in him a divine element called soul.
Today, several philosophical systems and
schools of psychology do not accept the notion of a supernatural element called soul in
man. Rather, they explain that those quali
ties or states which man attributes to soul
have a wholly psychological and physiological basis. To the orthodox religionist,
such thinkers are sinners; but the thinkers
do not have a sense of guilt. They have no
awareness of any wrong that they have committed. They feel justified in their sincere
search for the truth of mans emotional and
moral impulses rather than in accepting a
traditional idea of soul, regardless of how
sacrosanct it is.
Are men born innocent? The answer must
be yes if we rationally consider the nature
of innocence. One not aware of the vales
of human conduct cannot differentiate be
tween right and wrong. One who knows no
wrong is innocent of personal wrongdoing
even if he violates a law. Technically, of
course, such a person may be guilty. How
ever, in conscience, intimately, morally, he
is not guilty. A child has to learn first
that certain behavior is designated as good
or bad. If he personally accepts certain acts
as bad and then commits them, he is guilty
morally as well as in fact. If one, however,
cannot or will not in honest conviction accept
an act as wrong and commits it, he is guilty
only by that code but not in a moral sense.
The Christian martyrs who were burned at
the stake or otherwise executed for their
beliefs were unto their own conscience inno
cent. They consciously attached no wrong
to the acts for which they were condemned.
They were guilty only in the eyes and minds
of the society which executed them.
This engenders the speculative question:
Is one right in defying the accepted moral
or civil code just because he is not personally
in accord with it? This again reverts to the
problem of whether man can allow his per
sonal conscience at all times to be his guide.
If he did, we would have no organized so
ciety. If, however, one sincerely believes
that a particular custom or legislated law is
wrongeven if it has general acceptance on
the part of othershe must attempt to prove
the ground of his viewpoint to others. In a

spirit of tolerance, he must allow others the

right to their expression. He should then try
to convert them by proving the rectitude of
his own beliefs. A mere defiance of the rules
of society because one is not in agreement
with them, as is so often seen today, is a
destructive and unjust attitude. If one can
not prove that he is right, then he has no
right to impose his opinions or beliefs on
others.X

Curbing the Appetites

Human sexual relations offer a continuously perplexing behavior pattern to the
average person. Few are ever satisfied that
there is a simple answer. A member became
even more confused after reading two articles
in different magazines, one, entitled, Extramarital Relations, stating that there is noth
ing cosmically wrong or immoral in sexual
relations . . . to continually oppose any
natural desire results in frustration . . .
the other stating that, from the most rigid
mystical interpretation, sexual relationship
should be abstained from except for the pur
pose of the conception of a child.
Sex is an appetite, like hunger. Its function, like hunger, is to perpetate the species.
Man keeps alive by eating and he reproduces
his kind through sexual relations. Both are
purely normal functions of the body. Experi
ence and time, however, have taught man
to curb his appetites for his ultmate good.
He found that appetites can destroy. Yet
greed, lust, and gluttony have accompanied
the unsatiable appetites of men and women
throughout history. Overeating and unbalanced diets have caused illness and death
the lust for food has caused wars and bloodshed; famines and pestilences have resulted
for those forced to grub for food.
Sexual abuses and promiscuity have
caused illness and injury to untold numbers
throughout history. The accompanying fam
ily problems have brought misery and
discontent to millions more. The natural
difference in the sexes is perennially the
basis of misunderstanding in domestic affairs.
Thus satisfying these appetites is not simply
a matter of eating and sleeping together.
There are countless ramifications to be con
sidered before any final answers can be
given.

represent the dual nature that exists in all

cosmic manifestations. They are both part
of the Whole, or Divine essence. Either can
assume precedence for a time if man allows
a temporary imbalance between the two
natures. A precedence can be taken by mans
spiritual nature, as well, and will similarly
cause a state of imbalance.
Balance is just thata balance of the two
aspects of beinga bringing together of
physical and spiritual forces into a harmoni
ous manifestation.
Why the physical aspect seems to take
precedence over the spiritual more often than
not is likely due to mans strong orientation
to objective impressions. His physical sense
organs bring impressions without effort.
Objectivity is ever present. On the other
hand, it requires concentration and effort to
supersede these impressions with thoughts
and concepts of a spiritual nature. It re
quires reflection and introspection.
The physical nature of man is also mortal.
It cries out for the necessities of survival.
It demands and needs attention. Therefore,
it is constan tly demanding, and man con
stan tly seeks to meet its demands.
The spiritual nature of man is immortal.
It is positive and self-sustaining. It does not
cry out for attention. It is thus neglected
in the amount of attention it receives. Man
must make an effort to have it express itself.
He must establish behavior patterns and
habits that are conducive to spiritual ex
pression. He must bring about a balance in
his own expression, else the physical nature
will take precedence in his behavior.B

We have learned that good health demands modera tion in our eating habits. The
welfare of society depends upon our appetites
being curbed to the extent that all mouths
are fed. We have learned, also, that sexual
promiscuity endangers the health of the indi
viduis participating.
Sexual relations cannot be considered
apart from their effect on the mental and
emotional health of marriage partners and
the family. Where sexual relations tend to
disrupt the physical or mental health of an
other, they are cosmically wrong. The act
itself is secondary to these considerations.B
Mans Dual Nature
A soror asks: Why, if man is dual and
infused with Divine Consciousness, is it that
at many times the physical body takes precedence over his spiritual nature?
Duality of being is a basic part of Rosi
crucian philosophy. Its full implications,
however, are not always realized by the
member. A dual nature means in this case
a system of positive and negative forces of
equal strength and purpose. The dual po
larity of being gives rise to motion, or a constant flow of energy from one pole to the
other. These poles must be equal in order
to maintain balance. If one were greater
than the other, there would be no balance
and no order. Duality is the divisin of the
One into two aspects, an equal divisin that
retains the balance of the Whole.
Thus the physical part of man is an aspect
of being, as is the spiritual part. These forces

INTERNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN CONVENTION

July 12-17, 1964
Rosicrucian Park - San Jos - California - U. S. A.

From
The Far
Corners
of the
Earth .

Hee *R<vie 07tca<svie

E G Y P T IA N S C A R A B S
CANDLE SN U FFER S
Snuffing candles mystically symbolizes the merging of their flames with the energy of light everywhere. Handsome imported brass. Length, 12
inches.
Only $1.85
(13/9 sterling)

T h e W orld3s First Jewelry

Direct from Cairo, Egypt, we have re

ceived an unusual collection of scarabs
of different designs and inscribed with
strange hieroglyphics. They are excellent for mounting on rings, brooches,
bracelets, or as watch fobs.
Each, only 85tf
(6/3 sterling)

M Y S T IC T E M P L E L A M P S
Special arrangements have been made
in Cairo to have some of the mystic
temple lamps of Egypt made available
to members. Handmade by craftsmen
of a centuries-old art. Handblown glass
and solid brass. Total hanging-length,
22 inches.
Price includes postage. Each, only $7.50
(2/14/9 sterling)

1...
IN D IA IN C E N S E
This incense is Alankar . . . it means spiritual omaments or the inner jewels of virtue such as charity,
devotion, and love.
Each package of 20 sticks will burn for hours.
Sealed in a metal tube.
20 sticks, only $1.75
If desired, a chrome-fmished holder,
as shown at right, can be had for
but 50^ additional

Send orders and remittance.s to:

ROSICRUCIAN SUPPLY BUREAU

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R O S I C R U C I A N P R E S S . L T D ., -S A N J O S E

L I T H O IN U . S

(12/9 sterling)

June, 1964
Volum e X X X IV

No. 6

FORUM
A privte publcation
for m em bers o f A M O R C

Where Mystics Dwelt

In a regin of Switzerland that
is covered with dark and myste r io u s fo r e s ts , sta n d s th is
house, the birthplace o f Theophrastus von H ohenheim , renowned as Paracelsus. The massive structure in the f oreground,
spanning the turbulent Etzel
River, is known as Teufelsbrcke (T he Devils B ridge).
It was in this atm osphere that
the R o s ic r u c ia n M a ste r and
great physician spent his solita r y y o u th in th e f if t e e n t h
century.

Greetings!
V

DOES CHARM REPRESENT

Dear Fratres and Sorores:
Does an attractive personality, one which
is apparently charming and has what is
termed a magnetic attraction signify great
spirituality? There is not necessarily a relationship between such a personality and one
having moral sense and spiritual evolvement.
Many a rogue who has deceived persons and
been unscrupulous, morally and ethically,
has had a pleasing appearance, a congenial
manner, and a certain physical charm.
The individual can draw a mask over his
true personality and motives. He can enact
a role that is quite different from his true
self and intentions. Many have a complete
control over their emotions. We do not mean
that they are stoic and exhibit no emotional
responses. We mean, rather, that they can
portray the particular emotions which they
wish to express just as one might put on a
costume to represent a certain personality.
It is true that the person who is guided
inwardly by spiritual ideis and who has a
correspondingly highly developed conscious
ness will exhibit characteristics of this de
velopment. However, these indications are
more subtle. Often they are merely psychically apparent and are not displayed in a
prominent, objective wa}^. Such a person is
usually humble, never boisterous; he is
friendly but does not intrude in his conduct.
He may even be physically unattractive but
have a kind of beauty difficult to describe.
Not what he says but something in the tone
of voice seems to instill confidence. He is not
necessarily vivacious or glamorous; yet one
likes to be in his presence, for it conveys a
feeling of assurance and security.
A healthy body and mind, to use a common but nonscientific term, conveys a kind
of animal magnetism. A vigorous, dynamic
person has a contagious spirit about him that
attracts people. The psychological fact is
that such a person stimulates others emotionally. They derive a kind of satisfaction
from him, being moved by his words and
their electrifying action. Man is a gregarious
animal to a great extent; that is, he is in-

INNER DEVELOPMENT?
clined to be a group person. He has what
is called the herd instinct. Consequently, he
is inclined toward those whose personalities,
physical and intellectual qualities, move to
action, to that action that he might not him
self ordinarily take.
There is a kind of mass hypnosis that such
charming personalities induce in others, consciously or unconsciously. Many of the
worlds ruthless, selfish dictators have had
just this kind of psychological effect on per
sons around them or even upon the populace
as a whole. The personality which they
display may be termed contagious in influencing people. It becomes an irresistible
suggestion to act in whatever way the per
sonality determines.
For example, it has been said that Hitler,
notwithstanding diabolical acts which he exe
cuted or permitted against humanity, had a
fascinating effect upon those in cise association with him. It is related, even in Germany, that in certain of his emotional moods
he appeared charming and had a magnetic
personality. More or less the same account
has been related about such persons as
Mussolini and Stalin. Howrever, sensitive
persons in the presence of such individuis
(even when the latter are in their more con
genial moods) wrill feel repulsed by them. In
other words, the sensitive person is psychically able to perceive the auras of these people
and their true psychic selves even when their
outer or physical aspects do not manifest or
agree with the true inner state.
We are certain that everyone has had the
experience of an undefinable dislike, even a
feeling of revulsin, for a person who outwardly, in appearance and manner, is charm
ing, smiling, gracious, and courteous. At such
times, we have all felt a sense of guilt, of
personal shame for our feelings since they
seemed to be groundless and inconsistent
with the obviously pleasing personality of
the other. This was due to a conflict between
our subconscious and objective selves. On
the one hand, we wrere experiencing subconsciously a true discernment of the person-

ality; on the other, we were experiencing

objectively a false impression. The person
ality was not false in appearance but false
in truly representing the real self of the
person.
How, then, it may be asked, are we to
know the personality of an individual so as
to be able to rely on it? Are we to be suspicious of every charming person, feeling
that he might be perfidious behind the front
that he exhibits? There is a way of learning
the truth, but it requires more or less ideal
conditions to detect it. The true personality
cannot always be easily discerned by every one. As said, such true personality is much
more subtle than the objective manifestation.
So-called charm, physical magnetism, and
attraction are strong stimuli. They are im
mediately realized by us objectively, and
they have an intense impact upon our own
emotions. For example, we can easily see
an infectious smile, hear a stirring laugh,
notice the vitality and quickness of move
ment of a person, and appreciate his witty
remarks and alacrity of mind. If we are
constantly subjected to such a barrage of
activities and emotional stimuli, we may
not know unless we are psychically sensitive whether these are true symbols of a
noble personality or not.
It has often been said that there is a
vast distinction between acquaintances and
friends. True friends, and this also applies to
true spiritual personalities, must grow upon
us. Simply put, one must be around them
in various circumstances for some time. The
human aura is affected by the play of the
inner emotionsnot the outward symbols of
them. A person cannot continuously enact
a role. There are moments when the mask
will be down and the true personality will
manifest itself. This manifestation may not
be in any words said in anger or obvious
immoral behavior, but it may be found in
the subtle radiations of his aura which will
be detected psychically at that moment. From

such a contact, you will immediately know

that the personality displayed is either genuine or false and that subliminally you are
experiencing the real self.
It is, therefore, advisable not to suspect
everyone who is charming and possesses a
magnetic personality of being otherwise.
But it is also advisable not to become too
deeply involved in a personal way until
something more convincing than first impressions or behavior of an individual is
evident.
Fraternally,
x
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator
The Meaning of Duty
Many members of this organization are
concerned not only about their personal
evolvement but also about their behavior
in the process of evolvement. We are taught
in accordance with the principies that constitute the basic Rosicrucian philosophy that
mans life is influenced by the law of karma.
That is, he reaps what he sows. Therefore,
each intelligent member of the organization
wishes not only to evolve the possibilities
of the moment to the mximum, but to behave in such a manner that what he sows
will be productive. He wishes his harvest to
be a worthwhile achievement that will bring
him a step closer to the attainment of Cosmic
Consciousness and psychic development.
If man is to accomplish these ends to a
certain degree within a lifetime, he must
have certain standards by which to measure
his progress, a basis that will indicate the
direction in which he is traveling. Just as
mileposts on a highway indicate ones prog
ress from one point to another, so Progres
sive understanding of the laws of karma are
mileposts that enable him to apply his
knowledge to attaining the ultimate aims and
ends that he has in mind.
What this behavior is, is summarized substantially in a common concept defined by

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the word duty. Duty is probably a misunderstood concept because it can be interpreted
in so many different ways, and, furthermore,
it is subject to interpretation that permits it
to be put aside pending clarification or a
desire for a better understanding. Also, there
is a tendency on the part of all human beings
sometimes to believe that duty is substantially the obligation of someone else rather
than their particular obligation. For that
reason, we might find it worthwhile to direct
our attention to the meaning of the concept
of duty. In our analysis or discussion of the
subject, we can hope to orient ourselves bet
ter in relationship to the obligations and
desires which we have as individuis.
Duty is a difficult word to define since
each individual interprets his own obliga
tions and duties somewhat differently. As I
have already intimated, our tendency is to
be more harsh in our definition of duty for
others than for ourselves. Since duty is a
relative term, definition can only elabrate
upon its meaning rather than isolate it. Gen
erally speaking, duty is that which a person
is bound by moral obligation to do or not to
do. It may be defined in another way by
saying that it is the moral obligation in itself.
We must bear in mind, whenever we discuss morality, that life as a whole has both
its privileges and obligations. We are some
times so concerned about obtaining our privi
leges that we forget our obligations. Just as
the law of karma is exemplified in the law
of what we sow, so shall we reap; so we
might say that this same law is exemplified
in the simplicity of the idea of give and take.
We receive life, and we are placed in an
environment for the maintenance of that life.
We are obligated to preserve and attempt to
evolve the circumstances that will bring that
life to its ultimate perfection. Here we see
the operation of the same law that is con
sidered the law of karma. That is, we have
privileges, and we have obligations. Some
times, we belittle the privileges. We feel
that we would be just as well off, if not bet
ter off, if we were not given the privilege
of life. We sometimes resent it. Some resent
it to the point of wanting to eliminate either
themselves or the life of someone else who
may, they believe, be interfering with their
own.
Whether we always freely admit it or not,
life in itself is a privilege. It is also our

privilege to be able to draw upon all the

knowledge and experience that can come to
our lives or which we can contact in order
to improve the circumstances under which
we live and, in the broad sense, evolve from
a state of imperfection toward a state of per
fection. When perfection is reached, then
the moral obligation will be eliminated.
There will be no duty in a state of perfec
tion because all actions, all thoughts, will be
of such a nature that they will not require
a constant reitera tion or reminder of obliga
tions other than the state of perfection itself.
The moral implications of duty are of
course as vague, insofar as definition is con
cerned, as is the concept of duty itself. Here
we are simply using different words to
attempt to define or limit a moral concept.
Generally speaking, a moral obligation is the
concept of that which is sanctioned by or
operative within ones conscience or ethical
judgment. That is, moral obligation is per
sonal in that it should spring from our own
judgments. These judgments should be based
upon our knowledge and experience. For
example, it would be immoral to take property belonging to someone else because it is
the privilege of each of us to use certain
properties. To interfere with anyone elses
use of the properties which they have made
an effort to utilize, control, and direct is to
interfere with the privileges of another.
Our obligation is not only to evolve our
selves but to carry out that evolvement in
such a manner that it will not interfere with
the privileges of another individual. Here
is another subtle way in which privilege and
obligation are interrelated. We are given
certain privileges. We assume certain obliga
tions, but within the privilege-and-obligation
concept itself is also the fact that we are soeial
beings and that everything we do that is
directed toward our own evolvement must
at the same time not be directed in such a
way that our actions interfere with the
evolvement of anyone else.
Duty, then, is the moral obligation we
have to utilize our privileges and to assume
our obligations. The complaint in the mod
ern world today of almost every employer
is the problem of convincing the employee
of that employees obligations. In payment
for services rendered, it is presumed that
the individual who works is one who will
obligate himself to carry out that which his

employer wishes to have executed. This is

an important phase of our lives because un
less we respect the privilege of the individual
to carry on his work and obligate ourselves
to the agreements which we assume, we are
falling short of duty.
Duty in the cosmic sense far exceeds duty
in our daily life. As I have already inferred,
duty in a cosmic sense is closely bound to the
law of karma. Duty is our responsibility to
live so that each step we take is upward, and
it is a part of the process of evolvement and
personal evolution for us to discover exactly
what the bounds of duty are. If duty and the
relating moral obligations could be written
down as a code as are man-made laws, then
man would have no reason to live. There
would be no necessity for him to be incarnated into the physical status where he now
finds himself.
Man has to explore the world of duty, and
he has to learn through trial and error or
by the development of his own intuition what
his privileges and responsibilities are and
what his duty is toward others and himself.
In this way, he gains not the limited moral
precepts that might be written by man in
his philosophies, religions, and political sciences; but he learns a greater, a broader con
cept, one which we can define by no other
word than cosmic.
Cosmic duty is mans awareness of his
place in the whole cosmic scheme. It is the
gradual evolvement within his own mind of
those thoughts and ideas that will direct him
toward fitting himself into the picture of the
cosmic whole. Only when man relates duty
to a number of lifetimes rather than to his
behavior toward his fellow men, his job, or
his earthly existence will he be able to reincarnate at points of development and within
areas of environment which will give him
more opportunities and greater possibilities
for growth than those which are his at the
present time.A
Cosmic Goals
A frater asks: What are we really working toward in life and what are our chances
of getting there?
If happiness is defined as a pleasurable
state, then it can truthfully be proposed that
happiness is the summum bonum of lifethe
ultmate goal of human endeavor. What
other goal can man seek? What can be more

desirable than that? If you say wealth, or

spirituality, or health, or long life, or true
friendsto what end do you seek them? Are
they not desirable because they will give you
happiness, the peace of mind that surpasses
all understanding?
Try to analyze each desire you have had.
Ask yourself why you had the desire, what
you hoped to gain from it. Always, you will
come to the conclusin that you hoped the
satisfaction of that desire would bring you
pleasure.
Rosicrucians in their metaphysics identify
this longing as mans search for harmony
with the Infinite. In this, we conceive the
Infinite to be a vital principie imbued with
motion and dual polarity. This motion and
dual polarity set up certain requirements for
all components of the Infinite. If man, as
a component, meets these requirements in
his daily affairs, he experiences harmony, or
sympathetic attunement, with the nature of
the Infinite. If he fails to meet these require
ments, he is temporarily out of step and ex
periences disturbance and uneasiness in his
affairs.
When man is disturbed, it is natural for
him to seek the most apparent means of reestablishing balance. Often this is only temporary and no solution at all. For example,
if he finds himself financially embarrassed,
he may seek to borrow money to pay off a
debt. This may lead to more borrowing to
pay off the previously borrowed amount, and
so on. People in financial straits have usually
overstepped themselves. They have upset
the balance of income and outgo. Their first
step should be to bring the situation back in
balance by curbing the outgo; then to try
to bring back real income in some way as
opposed to borrowed income. Easier said than
done, true, but nevertheless in most cases the
necessary thing to do.
People with health problems will often
live with temporary solutions such as pain
killers or stimulants rather than to go to the
heart of the problem, which may be overeating, poor diet, lack of exercise, or negative
mental states. Complete loss of reality in
some spiritual exercise is also a shortcut to
happiness and ends only in temporary
pleasure.
Man will seek that which to him gives a
sense of at-one-ness with his environment,
with the life around him. He can do this

only as he adjusts his thinking and behavior

to the requirements of motion and duality,
the two dynamic factors of life.
What are the requirements? First, that
work and effort be exerted to keep up with
the motion and change of life. There is no
sitting back, no stopping. Mentally and
physically, each day requires man to adjust
himself to new demands. He must pursue
life; and the more he enters into the spirit
of the pursuit, the more will he find himself
in step with it and experience a sense of
harmony or at-one-ness with the Infinite
happiness.
Second, man must appreciate the presence
of opposites in his environment, the mani
festation of dual polarities. He must appre
ciate these as simply two aspects of a single
nature rather than as opposing forces at war
with each other. Sharing viewpoints, compromising, co-existing, giving; these are all
part of living with duality.
The motion of life is a flow from one
polarity to the other. Man is constantly sub
ject to this flow, and the resulting sense of
opposition it brings, as he is brought into
contact with different viewpoints, is his most
frustrating experience.
Have you ever noticed in your own experi
ence how your point of view has changed
radically from one extreme to the other on
certain issues? Have you noticed that after
you finally decide to compromise your viewpoint and go along writh others, they suddenly
change to yours? Nature simply will not let
its delicate balance be upset!
This is why there can be a so-called law
of averages. This is why psychologists stress
that in order to get people to work with you,
you should first work with them. This is why
in every group you will always find dissenters, people taking the opposite point of
view. This is why the world is divided. If
East and West ever get together, there will
be another split between Northeast and
Southwest or North and South, or some other
combination of halves. Husbands and wives
often find themselves in this predicament as
well. As surely as one capitulates to the
others wishes or point of view, the other
reverses himself.
There is no ending this motion of life
the underlying cause behind this phenome
non; but like all natural phenomena, there
is the possibility of adjusting ones thinking

and behavior to it, learning to live with it,

and, as good psychologists do, employing it
to your advantage and well-being.
Remember that there is but o n e a b s o
l u t e which incorpora tes all phenomena,
whether today we cali it bigotry and tomorrow, justice; whether today it is murder, and
tomorrow, survival; whether today it is work
and tomorrow, play; whether today it is right
and tomorrow, wrong.
For happiness, man must appreciate other
points of view: He must look at opposites as
necessary to the mechanism of life; he must,
indeed, invite other points of view into his
consciousness. In this way he most nearly
perceives life in its totality, and from this
totality he is better able to judge and master
the elements of his environment.
As Rosicrucians, we subscribe to the cos
mic viewpoint that all separateness is but an
illusion; that all things are part of the o n e .
The more we learn to live this philosophy
and apply it to our prejudices and narrowness, the more will we be in step with life
again and enjoy her unbounded pleasures.
Pleasure, or happiness, should be mans lot
from pole to pole, no matter where he stands
in relation to the motion of life. Whether
hes up or down or in between, he has the
potential for happiness in each sequence of
the eternal cosmic plan.B
Who Answers Our Prayers?
It has been asked: If we do not accept
the idea of a personal God, a kind of anthropomorphic being who watches over the af
fairs of human beings, who or what is it that
answers our prayers?
As we have had occasion to state in our
Forum previously, prayer is an appeal. This
appeal can either be vocative, written, or
even presented by symbolic gestures. From
a psychological point of view, a prayer constitutes recognition of a transcendent power,
a supernatural intelligence that can respond
to the appeal. If this conception were not
held, obviously most persons would not pray.
The average prayer, if analyzed, is found to
be quite humanized; it anticipates a con
sideraron of its content by a kind of judicial
mind, that is, a divine judge. The average
religionist, through a theistic belief in a per
sonal God, expects his prayer to be heard,
or to be consciously known by such a God,
whom he desires to act upon it.

How a deity can know and deliberate upon

the multitude of prayers or appeals offered
by men in their respective faiths is rarely
reasoned upon. The incongruity of such a
belief is that men in one sense attribute to
their God certain humanlike qualities; He
listens, hears, sees and feels, on the one hand.
Yet, on the other hand, he is imagined as
having certain other unhumanlike propensities, such as an ubiquitous awareness of what
all men everywhere are doing!
It is not our intention to deny the right
or even to question the plausibility of the
beliefs of those who have a theistic conception of God. In fact, millions of such believers will testify that their prayers have
been answeredwhich, to them, is a substantiation of their belief and an example of
a theurgy. However, there are multitudes
of others who do not adhere to a belief in a
personal deity in the strictly theistic sense.
They have varying metaphysical or mystical
conceptions. For example, there are those
who consider the Cosmic a matrix of laws,
that is, a system of harmonious forces and
phenomena out of which all things have
their existence. These lawswe cali them
that because of their uniformity of applica
tionwork impersonally for every one. To
the extent that the person can bring himself
en rapport with these phenomena, he is
helped.
Equally sincere and devout in their be
liefs, these believers do not hold to the notion
of a divine intervention. They conceive that
the laws are eternal and immutable and that
there are no exceptions to them. They fur
ther believe that man can be enlightened,
illuminated by bringing his consciousness in
to attunement with this cosmic order. Such
attunement may give him a new puissance,
the capacity to understand and to surmount
his difficulties.
Such individuisand each will know
whether he falls into this category or not
believe that the mastery of life is a human
and not a supernatural responsibility. This
does not mean that man is limited to his
common reasoning and judgment in all cir
cumstances and incidents that challenge him
in life. They contend that through such at
tunement man can draw to himself the
needed moral and physical strength and
often the visin by which he can remedy his
condition. In other words, those who think

in this way feel no more isolated, detached,

or destitute with respect to a source of help
than does the theist in his prayer to a per
sonal God.
There are metaphysicians and in many
cases mystics who also pray in this manner.
The psychological basis of their prayer is
different from that of the theist. They do
not think that their prayer is being heard,
that their individual words are being deliberated upon by a divine intelligence. To
them, prayer is a means of apotheosis, that
is, a kind of absorption of their consciousness
into the greater cosmic order. As a result
they are imbued with greater psychical, in
tellectual, and physical powers. To them,
prayer is a kind of ritual by which, perhaps,
they will receive a charisma, a kind of cosmic
endowment. This endowment is not a spe
cial, purposeful acknowledgement of their
prayer, but rather that through the channel
they have made for themselves, there will be
a cosmic effusion into their being.
Do such persons always have success with
their prayers? They do not. The same must
likewise be said of the theists praying to a
personal deity. The motive behind the prayer
is often not possible of realization, whether
considered from the theistic or pantheistic
point of view. A Divine Intelligence, as we
mortals think of it, could not reasonably con
cede to every human appeal in prayer.
Naturally, this would be because many such
human requests would be of a nature contrary to the moral precepts expected of such
a Divine Being. Likewise, from the panthe
istic or metaphysical view, many human
prayers would be contra to the cosmic har
mony from which the individual sought enlightenment.
The modern psychologist, who approaches
the subject of prayer exclusively from the
scientific point of view, also finds it has
many advantages. Such scientists, of course,
cannot accept an anthropomorphic deity, a
supernatural intelligence that will respond
to the appeals of humankind. They may
even doubt that there is a harmony of high
er, impersonal forces and powers with which
the human consciousness can attune, as the
metaphysicians and many mystics believe.
However, such a psychologist does contend
that prayer gives the individual a deeper
insight into his own subconscious self, that
prayer has the function of integrating the

aspects of self, bringing the objective self

and certain of the emotional states of the
subconscious into a more harmonious in
tegraron.
Psychologists contend that the individual,
through such profound meditation as sincere
prayer, momentarily confronts his whole
self. He realizes certain aberrations in his
own thinking and conscious activity. Likewise. he gives expression to feelings and in
clinations which he may have repressed.
Simply stated, the individual gives his psy
chic self the opportunity to function more
fully.
Psychologically it is held that prayer acts
as a kind of mental and emotional catharsis.
It purges the individual of many doubts,
strengthens his morale and, all in all, fortifies himhelping him to conquer fears and
to remove obstacles to which he may have
submitted previously. It provides him a per
sonal peace and reassurance, such as external
counsel often fails to accomplish. It is for
these reasons that psychologists, who themselves may not accept the common notion
of the function of prayer, will, nevertheless,
suggest it for persons who are troubled in
mind, recommending it for personal relief
and as a healing factor.
From this brief outline of the valu of
prayer, one can see that it is not really im
portant what the individual believes regard
ing the mechanics or function of prayer. He
may make his choice according to his own
beliefs and convictions. The fact remains
that prayer results in benefit to the indi
vidual even if not in the exact manner he
anticipates or desires.X
The Tobacco Question
It is possible that the year 1964 will go
down in history as the year of the great
tobacco controversy. The question of the use
of tobacco is not new to the pages of the
Rosicrucian Forum. I have looked back
through the index of the Forum, and I find
that the subject of smoking and the use of
tobacco has been touched upon a number of
times in past issues.
Many who are past middle age will re
member that at the turn of the century and
the years that followed there was consider
able controversy at a moral level regarding
the use of tobacco. For some reason not
exactly clear to me now, the moral consider

ation seemed to be the most outstanding. I

can remember in my childhood that the use
of tobacco was considered by my family and
the intimates of my family as one of the most
serious sins possible for a human being to
commit.
Short of a direct violation of the Ten Commandments or absolutely ignoring the basic
principies of the teachings of Christianity.
particularly as they were interpreted by the
church in which my family were active
workers, smoking was the most deadly sin,
except possibly the use of alcohol. The moral
and religious issue on the use of tobacco,
as it existed at that time, made a profound
impression upon me. Up to the age of
sixteen, I was of the firm belief that to
smoke a cigarette was a sure and permanent ticket to hell. It was my instruction
and belief that a cigarette smoker could not
go to heaven, that he would be eternally condemned by God to the flames of hell.
Such a moral issue has caused anyone who
has been exposed to it to question throughout
his life the use of tobacco. I do not any
longer share the belief that a moral principie
is in any way involved in the question of
smoking; but, nevertheless, that early training during the first sixteen years of my life,
which impressed upon me time and time
again the sin of the use of tobacco, cannot
be ignored. It is so intrenched on my sub
conscious mind that I will never be completely rid of the concept.
However, one factor caused me to change
my early point of view. Although tobacco
was not used in my family, it was interesting to me to observe that an nele, who
evidently was not of the same religious
convictions, smoked incessantly. Even more
interesting, his sons, my cousins, did not
smoke. I was rather at a loss to reconcile
this example with what I had been taught.
Here was a good familyas good as we were,
at leastwhose head was a constant tobacco
user; yet the rest of his family did not become smokers. Both my brothers and I became cigarette smokers. That my cousins
did not is an interesting commentary, which
I do not attempt to explain.
When I first joined the Rosicrucian Order,
I must still have felt the moral stigma which
I had been taught was attached to the use
of tobacco. As a Neophyte, I wrote to the
organization asking for a statement of the

Orders opinion on this subject, and I re

ceived a courteous reply from a member of
the Department of Instruction. He informed
me that the Rosicrucian Order did not consider the use of tobacco to be a moral issue
and that the decisin as to its use should be
left to the individual. This policy has continued and, as far as I know, will continu
to be the principie upon which the Rosicru
cian Order will comment on the subject of
smoking.
The emphasis in 1964 concerning tobacco
is on physical health rather than moris. It
is almost incredible to believe that two of the
greatest nations in the world, England and
the United States, should have devoted time,
money, and the work of government authorities to study this problem and that both
should have come to the same conclusin
that smoking is a health hazard and that
there are very important indications, al
though lacking absolute proofs, that smoking
has a contributory effect particularly upon
cncer of the respiratory system and upon
heart disease.
In addition to the moral implications of
smoking, it was stated when I was young,
that smoking caused tuberculosis. My mother
and father assured me that not only was the
smoking of cigarettes a sin, but that everyone
who smoked would eventually develop tu
berculosis.
They also said that it would stunt my
growth. Incidentally, by the time I was
twenty-five, I was over six feet tall and
weighed two hundred and twenty pounds,
and I did not develop tuberculosis. Consequently, the moral and health implications
held up to me as reasons for not smoking
had very little effect upon me. At about
sixteen years of age, I started smoking, and
I smoked almost continuously for forty
years with very few interruptions. The interruptions were temporary. As Mark Twain
stated, he could stop smoking any time; he
had done it hundreds of times during his life.
Some time ago, I quit smoking. It was
before the present controversy reached its
height, and my reason for discontinuing
smoking had no direct relationship to the
present cncer scare although in view of the
publicity given to it, it may have affected
me unconsciously. I had a more direct reason that is unimportant to these comments.
What is important is that now as a non-

smokerat least temporarilyI have been

able to observe this controversy on the pres
ent health hazards of smoking as a bystander
without a particular prejudice. I have no
ticed that some people have tried to quit
smoking. Others have ignored the news. Still
others have read the reports carefully and
worried about them. Some have simply quit
reading and thereby tried to shut their minds
to the controversy, just as an ostrich is supposed to hide its head in the sand and believe
that it is safe from pursuers.
Regardless of what may be ones opinion
concerning the question of smoking, either
from a moral or from a health standpoint,
the ultimate decisin is going to have to be
reached by the individual. I am of the opin
ion that there are many other habits which
may be just as bad as smoking that have not
had the research, expenditure of money, and
publicity. I personally know of one indi
vidual who condemns smoking and has done
so for many years; yet he drinks from fifteen
to twenty cups of coffee a day. I seriously
question the right of that individual to judge
the habits of other people, regardless of what
those habits may be.
We shall not know the ultimate answer
to this question for some time. Speaking for
myself, as I stated, I have not used tobacco
now for some months. It has been long
enough for me to have lost the taste for it.
I no longer unconsciously reach for a cigarette after finishing a meal. In other words,
for the time being, I am free of the habit
although I have made no promises or guarantees that I will never return to it. I cannot
say that I have gained in any way. Nega
tively, I find that I am more nervous than
I was when I smoked. Smoking would seem,
therefore, to be a tranquillizer that is economically within the reach of many people,
a means of soothing them from the stresses
of environment. I am still working with this
problem, as it were, having been dependent
upon tobacco for so long as a tranquillizer.
It is difficult to find a substitute. I find I clear
my throat less. Evidently, tobacco did cause
an irritation in my throat, which seems now
to have disappeared. I can honestly say that
I see no difference in myself physically or
mentally from when I smoked, except for
these two points.
I read an article recently by a well-known
Canadian writer, J. B. McGeachy, who writes

a column in the Financial Post of Toronto. I

have followed his writings for some time and
like many of his ideas. I believe that he
summarized very succinctly the question of
smoking: I believe human beings will al
ways use and require some anodyne, some
psychic reliever of which tobacco and alcohol
are but two examples. Nearly everything
human beings do is attended by some risk.
Why do we need anodynes? Because we
possess both sensitivity and imagination.
Otherwise, we would never have come out of
the trees.
Wrhether morally or as a matter of health
we condemn the use of something that gives
us comfort, consolation, and relief is a ques
tion that goes deeper than mere individual
opinion. As human beings, we realize that
there should be purpose in our lives, and, at
the same time, we believe that we have a
right to a degree of happiness. Observation
and experience teach us that much of the
process of adjustment to our environment
causes pain, problems, and a degree of misery. There is nothing that prohibits us from
making this adjustment to life as convenient
and as painless as possible. There have been
times in history when men believed that to
persecute or to inflict pain upon themselves
was one of the ways toward eventual attainment of unin with God. But there has been
no proof that those individuis who practiced extreme measures reached psychic
evolvement or peace of mind any more than
those who made a reasonable adjustment to
environment.
I believe, therefore, that we will never be
condemned by a Divine Mind or forc because we have used means that give us even
temporarily some peace, consolation, and
method of adjustment to the triis and tribulations of the process of living. However, I
am a firm believer in temperance. I believe
that no physical or spiritual concept or con
dition should ever be overused. Moderation
in all things is one means by which we
relate ourselves properly to our environment.
If an individual will sincerely practice
temperance and moderation in all the facets
of living, he will be able reasonably to adjust
himself because he will balance the mental
and the material, the physical and the spirit
ual, the objective and the subjective. I am
not writing in favor of any vice, or is it
my intention to promote wrongdoing or any

actions that will be an impediment to health

and well-being. I believe these are matters
of individual decisin and that the moral
issue is not as important as the issue of mans
all-over evolvement and adjustment to the
circumstances which it is his destiny to
fulfill.
We certainly can hope that if man is able
to accomplish the technological ends that this
civilization has brought about, surely he
should be able to use good judgment. Furthermore, I read that the government of this
great nation recently appropriated over five
and one-half billion dollars to be used for
the next year in space explora tion. I am by
all means enthusiastic about expanding the
horizons of our knowledge, for man is challenged to do that; but I believe that before
he pushes too far into space, he should come
nearer to solving some of the problems that
exist on this planet.
Instead of mans carrying his imperfections and uncertainties into space and pos
sibly contacting other living beings, should
he not carry higher ideiscertainly not
disease? I believe that it might be well for
some of the money and effort being spent for
space exploration to be spent for further
study of mans physical adjustment to his
environment, for fighting and eradicating
disease, and possibly for gaining a better
understanding of the relationship of tobacco
and other physical means to mans physical
health, well-being, and comfort.A

Cremation
A frater recalls that Rosicrucians are partial to cremation as a means of disposing of
the body of a deceased person. Would it be
violating natural law, he asks, if the body
were willed to medical institutions for re
search?
The body of man is material in every
sense of the word. Its components are of the
earth, and to earth it will return. Upon
transition, the body has served its usefulness
to the soul personality incarnating therein.
Were it of no further valu, the sooner it
could be reduced to the elements from
whence it carne the sooner could those ele
ments be reunited into useful form again.
This is the principie behind cremation and
the regeneration of elements by fire.

However, were it of further valu to the

soul personality which it harbored, or to
humanity as a whole, then the body would
still be useful in its present form and its
preservation justified. When donated for
medical research, it offers such valu. I feel,
however, that so much has been written on
this subject that it is not necessary to list
specific examples here. After medical re
search is completed on a body, cremation
can still take place, thus completing the
physical cycle.
Usefulness is an important cosmic stand
ard. We can usually weigh the validity of
many practices by simply asking, What
useful purpose do they serve?B

Will You Help?

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the ames and locations of all the pronaoi,
chapters, and lodges throughout the world.
Select the one you wish to sponsor with a
subscription to the Forum. Remember, of
course, that the Forum is in the English
language.
Thank you.X

On Karma and Reincarnation

Forum questions do not always come in
singles, and it is interesting to note that a
frater in England asked several questions
around one basic subject. We will number
them here, as he did, and reply to them collectively.
1. Does our active life on this plae manifest in certain fixed orbits analagous to
those of the heavenly bodies? Do a husband and wife, for instance, meet again
on the earth in future incarnations?
2. Is it possible for the soul personality in
any sense to retrogress? In other words,
need karmic lessons be learned more than
once?
3. In accordance with the law of karma, the
environment for a reincarnating soul is
pre-selected. Does this not involve the
prediction of circumstances and, there
fore, a negation of free will?
To begin with Question No. 2, we might
review the Rosicrucian viewpoint on the
question of the evolution of the soul person
ality. Evolution, as the word implies, is a
Progressive concept. It pertains to a changing face on the elements that make up the
universe. As it applies to knowledge, it
depicts a condition of adding to ones aware
ness or consciousness of the universe through
experience. An experience is an accomplished fact. It has happened. It becomes
part of the soul personalitys storehouse of
memory. It cannot be taken away. Since
experience of some kind, even though limited,
is always impinging on self in the conscious
state, the storehouse of memory is always
being added to. In that very general sense,
growth is a constant, progressive event.
It does not follow, of course, that self will
always act on the basis of its experiences. A
person may have to experience a certain
event many times before it finally registers
strongly enough to make an impression
which will subsequently guide his behavior.
We do not always learn from one experience;
yet each time we have a similar one, it adds
to the number of that particular experience
which is needed to make a firm impression.
For example, we may have to burn our
fingers many times before we learn to be
more careful with fire; yet each time we

burn a finger, it is adding to the total im

pression which will someday register to us
as enough.
Thus we have experiences until the lesson
to be gained is learned. This is not retrogression, however, but rather progress
through heavy, labored steps.
Through reincarnation, the soul person
ality finds this experience-acquiring pattern
a continuum that goes on and on. Accord
ing to Rosicrucian metaphysics, the soul
personality is automatically drawn to those
locales and conditions that will provide the
next experiences in the logical progression
of events. It is more correct from this point
of view to look at the place of rebirth not as
a pre-selected site, but as a place or condi
tion, the magnetic influence of which harmonizes with the needs of a corresponding
soul personality at any given moment. These
magnetic influences are always in a state of
flux as people direct and redirect the course
of their lives. If at any moment the influ
ences of the place of birth change so radically as not to provide a soul personality
with its needed experiences, then the whole
picture is changed and the soul personality is
attracted to a condition right for it at the
moment of birth. If, after birth, the condi
tions change, the soul personality through
any number of ways can and will still be
drawn to conditions it does need: through
early transition, through adoption, or through
other channels of so-called fate which, time
after time, separates children from their
natural parents at an early date.
To comment on the fraters first question,
we can continu to think of the soul person
ality and its environment as contiguous, each
serving the others need. On this basis, it is
logical to assume that all of the elements of
a persons environment are growing with
him as well; that those who provide him
with the necessary parentage in this life will
likely be those who will be most suited to
him in the next, and the next.
In the cosmic sense, there is no absolute
family relationship, for all are part of the
o n e soul, without relationship; but in the
nature of its parts, there are like things that
are drawn together, that have tendencies toward adhesin. As people develop certain
tastes and preferences and pass through cer-

tain experiences, they are likely to be drawn

to those who have the same preferences and
experiences. Like going through the grades
in school, one would most likely stay with his
class through much of his ascent in the scale
of human experience.B

Unreality of Space
A frater says: I have studied the Mandami and fully understand the concept of
physical space and our relation to it. What
puzzles me is the unreal aspect of space, and
I would appreciate a clarification.
There are three ways to consider the
subject of space. They are conceptual,
perceptual, and absolute. Conceptual space
is whatever way man may conceive space,
either from the mathematical or other
points of view. Perceptual space is space
as we ordinarily seem to perceive it. It
is our most common notion of space. In
other words, by means of our senses of sight
and touch, we seem to perceive such a state
or condition of space as a reality. It would
appear to be a negative reality, that is, the
absence of some object or substance. On the
other hand, if we perceive space as a hiatus,
a gap between things, we are, at least, realizing such a condition. If we realize it enough
to confer identity upon it, then it is a kind
of reality from the perceptual point of view.
More succinctly, whatever we perceive is
to the senses of perception. We perceive
space; so, from the perceptual experience,
it is a reality.
Absolute space is the notion that space is
a positive state, that is, that it is as much
a reality as matter. It can be argued that if
it takes so much time for light leaving one
point to reach another, it must have traversed
space and that, therefore, space is absolute
and consequently a reality. However, we
know that there is no such condition as true
space if we mean by that term a state of
nothing. We know that to our unaided
senses of sight and touch there pass through
so-called space radiations of various kinds
which are discerned by instrumenta tion
only. Therefore, we can say that there is
only matter and energy and not true space
if we mean by that term an absolute void.
Space, then, as a term, is a misnomer if
considered in this sense. It is truly unreal

because if it had any quality whatsoever it

would by that fact become a reality. If it
becomes a reality, then it has not the mean
ing which we ordinarily associate with space.
Samuel Alexander, one of the modern
philosophers, wrote a notable work entitled,
Space, Time and Deity. In this work, he
makes of space and time specific realities.
But in doing so, he merelv applies the term
space to a particular quality and does not
use it in the sense that we ordinarily think
of space. As Rosicrucians, we deny the
existence of space as a void. We say that
such is unreal. What we perceive as being
space is a plenum of energies. If, as Einstein
expounded in his theory and mathematical
equations, matter and energy are intercon
vertible and if we say so-called space is full
of the radiation of energy, then space and
matter are continually interchanging.
From the strictly perceptual experience,
that is, as one sees and touches, it is difficult
for a person to accept at first the idea that
space is a seeming nothingness, has no
reality. It is because we seem to see and
feel gaps in our perceptions. Yet, if we
thought about it, we would realize that such
is unreal. It is only an illusion. Space could
be defined, and often has been, as an area
into which an object can be placed. But we
must have being or reality before we can
imagine nonbeing. In seeing space, we con
ceive of a place where a thing, that which
has being, could be. Also, there could not
first be space, for out of nothing something
cannot arise. Since space is not, something
cannot dissolve into it. A thing may become
infinitely small, yet it will always be some
thingno matter how changed in form or
quality. It can never become nothing because nothing is not.
We imagine only that there is an absolute
space by observing the transition from sub
stance or matter to what appears to be nonmatter, or the undiscernible. So, when we
see what is called space, we must say that
such is unreal. What we are observing is
but a gap in the sensations of touch and sight.
If we were to place an instrument such
as a Geiger counter or perhaps even a radio
set in the area of the so-called space, it would
register impulses of energy that permeate
it. There would be a reality in that areabut
not the reality of space, for it is unreal.X

Color Therapy
Regarding color therapy, would a blind
man benefit just as much since he cannot
have an objective realization of colors?
Color therapy is largely psychological in
its effect on the mind, just as is music ther
apy. Thus the realization of certain colors
and sounds is the stimulus that brings on
mental states such as excitement, lethargy,
contentment, etc. There are, of course, physi
cal vibrations associated with color and
sound: These, flowing through the environ
ment of a person, could possibly be sensed
as well.
What physical therapy has achieved
purely through the physical vibrations of
colors and sounds has not yet been accurately
charted. It is theorized, however, that a person bathed in a blue color would feel or
react differently than if he were bathed in
a red color. There would be an interaction
between the peculiar frequencies of color
and sound and the frequencies of spirit
energy that compose the body. If this is true,
then a blind person would react to color
therapy because of the effect of color fre
quencies on his physical system.
It is unlikely that the normal frequencies
of blue light would excite or agitate the
different frequencies of physiological matter.
They would coexist in a common environ
ment, along with millions of other frequency
bands; but one is probably in a channel dif
ferent from the other, thereby eliminating
the probability of interaction.
A third factor must be considered, how
ever. This is a blind or deaf persons ability
to perceive color or sound through his psy
chic sense faculties. With these senses highly developed, the blind or deaf person, not
unlike a mind reader, could perceive the
color of objects or become aware of sounds
and thus respond psychologically, with corresponding effects on his body.B
Is Inviting Hazards Suicide?
A frater asks: Are mountain climbing
and similar popular activities suicidal in any
sense?
Much in life that constitutes achievement
and accomplishment entails serious risk to
life. From the biological point of view, survival is of the greatest valu. In other words,
nature places great stress and importance

upon the organism endeavoring to live out

its cycle. Actually, this impulse is inherent
in the pattern of the life forc itself. How
ever, man establishes purposes, objectives,
and ideis which he believes transcend the
valu of his personal life or existence. Men
will then risk life to build, to create, to fur
ther some end that they believe is more im
portant than an existence without it.
Men die in war for such causesactual or
imaginaryas peace, freedom, security, democracy, or to abolish tyranny. Men will
institute revolutions, bring about internecine
wars to establish a political ideology which
they think will emancipate mankind. In
religious strife, men will voluntarily allow
themselves to be tortured to death as a Sym
bol of a cause. From a biological point of
view, such persons are committing suicide
inasmuch as they could have avoided death.
From the psychological point of view, how
ever, it may be said that they did not want
death for itself but such only became an
adjunct to what they sought.
What, however, about the individual who,
for example, climbs a Himalayan peak, risking death from a fall, an avalanche, or from
coid and exposure? Upon first blush, this
inviting of a hazard may seem to be suicide;
but, again, it depends upon the intensity of
the individuals motive. If he has an aggressive personality, the unconquered moun
tain peak is a challenge to him. It becomes
a personal conquest to vanquish the peak
by ascending it. Such an act satisfies the ego
as much as does the consummation of a
large business transaction by a businessman
or the satisfaction that a religious zealot
gains by defying some opposing bigotry. To
others not fired with such zeal, it may seem
like a waste of energy and the unnecessary
jeopardizing of ones life.
Many a patriot who lost his life in a revolution and was thought at the time to be a
fana tic seemed to be willfully casting his
life away by arousing hostile passions against
him. Time, however, proved the worthiness
of most of their causes and a need for the
lesser valu which they put on themselves.
Undoubtedly, Columbus was thought to be
committing suicide by risking dropping off
the edge of the earth in his westward search
for India. The Wright brothers in their
experiments in flying were also thought to

be actually inviting suicide for a purpose

that most at the time thought of no valu.
What of sheer sports such as polo, high
diving, skiing, and long-distance swimming?
Where there is no commercialism involved,
are these men and women, in effect, also
tempting suicide by voluntarily risking what
might be violent death? From their point of
view, it is true that they are risking hazards,
but it is not their intention to take their
lives. They expose themselves to the danger
of sudden death, but they are not actually
seeking death.
In adventure there is always included
hazard. There is the emotional thrill, a kind
of momentary ecstasy that comes from
tempting danger and then vanquishing it.
Again, in sports there is also the psycho
logical desire for conquest, for the assertion
of the ego. The realization that comes from
attaining the ideal of success is far greater
than is the fear that may be associated with
the activity.
Everyone finds great pleasure in creating,
manifesting, and finally realizing something
he has undertaken. A woman may derive
satisfaction from creating a gown that draws
admiring glances. A man may experience
pleasure from designing a machine that
achieves a considerable saving of labor. The
architect, the engineer, the scientist, the
painter, the mechanic, in fact, each knows
the thrill of success. Most such enterprises,
however, do not require the risk of life.
There is no implication that such acts are
suicidal. Perhaps most persons would not
pursue their objectives if there were a chance
of sacrificing their lives to do so. However,
there are others whose incentive is so deeply
seated, so intensely motivated, that they
would proceed regardless of the danger of
the loss of life.
There is, then, a vast difference between
the man who takes his life to escape a situation which he believes he cannot confront
and the one who risks his life to attain an
end to which he aspires. It is difficult for us
as individuis to adjudge the other persons
high objectives. Evaluation of the ends of
life are quite personal. What to one person
may not seem worth the risk of life may be
quite important to another. We cannot be
lieve, however, that there is any karmic or
moral penalty involved in persons so jeopardizing their lives.

Some may say that such actions make life

appear cheap and detract from its sacred
quality. Both religin and philosophy have
never agreed on just what purpose man
should have for life. Whose conception of
how life should be used is cosmically the
correct one? In fact, from the mystical point
of view, life is to be used, not merely lived.
The man who only lives is actually not
much more than a plant. He vegetates even
though he is a conscious being. The faculties
of reason, imagination, and will which he
has are his attributes as a man and are to be
used by him. Life provides these faculties,
and so man cannot very well escape having
some objective arising from them toward
which he directs the life forces of his being.
Some men are more intense, more aggressive
in spending life. They will gamble more of
themselves to gain what they conceive to be
of real valu in life.X
KarmaOur Total Experience
A member asks a question based on a
statement he heard at a recent lecture: Is
it true that there is a word which, when pronounced, will eliminate an individuals
stored-up karma from all his past incarnations? The answer to this is, briefly, no.
There is no shortcut, magic word, or key to
take the place of human experience. The
principie upon which the idea expressed in
the question is based is the taking advantage
of the lack of knowledge that some individ
uis have of the true meaning of reincarna
tion and karma.
Karma is not retribution or punishment.
It is simply the functioning of a natural or
cosmic law. This idea has been repeated
many times in past articles for the Forum,
and the same idea was expressed by Dr. H.
Spencer Lewis in his book Mansions of the
Soul. The law of karma is illustrated simply
and fundamentally as cause and effect. If I
place my finger in contact with a ame, such
as the fame of a candle, that finger is going
to be burned, and the effect of the buming
upon the nerve endings of my finger is go
ing to cause pain.
Now, if I burn my finger in the ame of a
candle, it does not mean that I am being
punished. The llame of the candle is not
conscious of doing anything. It is simply
burning. There is not the implication of

punishment, but rather the impressing upon

consciousness of certain experience. If it
were not for pain, most of us would not have
developed into adults. We would have been
burned or hurt in some other way because of
our inability to learn what we should avoid.
Any type of experience that is uncomfortable
or painful is partly a segment of our learn
ing. It is a means by which we gain experi
ence that we can use and by which we can
live properly.
As long as anyone can remember, there
have been those who have tried to take advantage of others by offering them means
of avoiding or, rather, evading the responsi
bility of experience. Almost every plan or
scheme in the material world that is supposed to help an individual gain wealth or
prominence without effort is based upon this
same principie of taking advantage of mans
desire to gain something for nothing. Those
who have invested their life savings or have
devoted time and effort to an unsound scheme
have always lost and have suffered the consequences of such loss.
In a larger sense, those who vilate natural
laws after they know the difference have not
taken advantage of their experience. They
have lost in the sense that they have failed
to gain from experience. The individual who
contines to put his finger in a candle fame
after he knows that it will burn is what we
might consider deficient in his ability to use
judgment or stubborn in his refusal to use it.
Karma constitutes the total experiences
that we have built up within us, the experi
ences that have resulted from our living and
making mistakes, as well as from doing the
right things. When we do something that
turns out to be right, just, and correct, insofar
as action is concerned, we have in a sense
developed an experience that is contributing
to our evolvement and growth of psychic
consciousness. When we do anything that
is not conducive to such growth, we are hindering or impeding our psychic development
and our general evolvement.
As we go through life and incarnations,
we gradually accumulate a vast amount of
experience. When we show willingness to
learn and to adjust to our environment, this
experience is positive and we grow in under
standing, stature, and psychic ability. Noth
ing is going to take the place of this experi
ence. If man didnt need the experience of

living and learning by the process of living,

he would never have been incarnated onto
the physical plae in the first place. There
fore, to believe that there is any magic
formula, key, word, or action that will take
the place of the experiences of a lifetime or
a number of lifetimes is ridiculous. In fact,
to believe in the existence of such a word or
condition is in defiance of cosmic law and
the principies that God has ordained in the
guidelines by which man should live.
Surely, if the Divine Intelligence has put
man on earth to develop a soul personality
through knowledge and experience, He would
not at the same time have established a con
dition, a word, or an action that would cancel
the usefulness of all that He wanted man to
experience.A

Making Salutations to the East

A soror asks: Is it necessary to make the
salutation to the East? Why do we make it
to the East? Furthermore, in cosmic contacts or meditation is it necessary to face
the East?
In rituals, the importance of the Orient
in temples and shrines, that is, the East as
a cardinal point of the compass, dates back
to prehistoric time. We do not know, actu
ally, why many prehistoric peoples arranged
their rows of monoliths and altars so that
they faced the East, but we can surmise why
from the records of later people who did
likewise.
The sun was the most impressive of celes
tial phenomena to primitive man. It was
not only because the sun seemed to be the
largest object in the heavens, but because of
the physical and psychological effect which
it had upon him. In the northem hemisphere, the sun not only dispelled darkness
and all those things man feared lurked in
the shadowsbut it warmed the air which
was chilled by the glacial descent. Further,
it gave the earth and its things visual form
and seemed to warm the very spirit of man.
The sun was bright, cheerful, the source of
light, and man slowly learned that it was,
as well, a factor of life.
In contrast to other natural phenomena,
the sun seemed beneficent. It appeared to
bestow blessings upon man. It was deified; it
became a plethora, a source of goodness and

power. From this conception, admiration of

the sun psychologically followed. In what
ever sacred shrines were built, such believers
would give a place to symbols of the sun
or arrange that its actual rising be heralded
by means of a particular structural design.
At Stonehenge, Salisbury, England, the
monoliths, the great vertical stone shafts, are
so arranged that the rising sun at certain
periods of the year appears to travel a path
between them. Similar recognition of the
phenomena of the sun may be seen in the
architecture of other primitive cultures.
The day is born with the suns rising in the
East. The day dies with its apparent setting
in the West. The sun was thought by most
early peoples actually to journey through
the heavens during the course of the day.
The ancient Egyptians thought the sun
traveled in the nether world, that is, under
the earth at night, to rise in the East again
in the morning. Inscribed upon Egyptian
temples and tomb walls may be seen the
celestial boat in which Ra, the sun god,
traversed the heavens.
Most all Egyptian temples are oriented
toward the East. Salutations and ceremonies
to Ra were made while facing the East. It
was where the light of day carne forth. The
sun, also, in the ancient mystery schools
became a symbol of the greater illumination,
the light of knowledge and of spirituality.
Man turned to the East to pay symbolic.
homage to cosmic illumination, this Greater
Light. At Thebes, ancient capital of Egypt,
the great mortuary temples and tombs were
on the west bank of the Nile.
The West symbolized darkness and death,
the cise of the day, the cise of an earthly
life. The funeral ceremonies were begun in
the East, and then the bodies and all the
processional crossed the Nile in barges and
proceeded to the Valley of the Kings, or
Queens, where were the tombs. Since Ra
was such an influential god and since in
Akhnatons time the sun symbolized the
Creative forc of the sol God, it was natural
to turn to the East to pay ones respect to
the Divine Power. It is just as if one would
make his devotions before an altar.
Abu Simbel, the great Temple of Rameses
II (soon to be removed or destroyed because
of the new dam being conslructed), is so
oriented that at a certain time of the year

the suns rays enter it and shine down a

long corridor to illuminate statues in a recessed adytum. With the Zoroastrians,
Ahura Mazda was the god of goodness and
light. Behind him is always shown a sym
bolic auric formation of the sun.
From these early beginnings, the East be
came symbolic of the Greater Lightof
divine wisdom, love, and Creative power. In
the esoteric schools, temples were and are
always oriented, if possible, toward the actual
East. If this is not possible, in the temple
at least one station of its arrangement depicts the East. It is there the preceptor, or
teacher, stands to deliver his message. He
depicts cosmic light and wisdom flowing
through him to the assembled students, mem
bers, or disciples. It is customary in all such
rituals and temple ceremonies that a sym
bolic gesture, or salutation, be made to the
East as a sign of respect for the cosmic illu
mination which it represents.
Is it necessary to make such a salutation
in a Rosicrucian temple, for example? Yes.
First, because it is a tradition or part of the
recognition and respect which one shows for
the temple. Second, by so doing one is paying homage in a simple and reverential way
to the Cosmic, from which life, light, and
love emanate. In a Rosicrucian temple, in
making the salutation to the East one is
never paying homage to any individual who
may be offciating in the East at that time.
It is for this reason that one does not bow
but makes the sign while standing erect, indicating his loyalty and the receptivity of his
mind to whatever knowledge may be imparted to him.
In prvate, in ones home sanctum, it is
not necessary to face the East unless the
ritual specifically calis for it. Generally
speaking, one, of course, may face any
cardinal point of the compass when meditating with about as equal success. However,
the sanctum altar, although it may not face
the East in your home, nevertheless symbolizes it.
In esoteric science, it is often suggested
that one orient his bed so that when sleeping he lies in an East and West direction,
with the head toward the East. It is said
that the subtle earth radiations are stronger
in the East and West direction and, therefore, more vitalizing to the sleeper.X

Suelden Transition
A frater of New Zealand asks a question
of our Forum: What effect would it have on
a persons soul if he suddenly passed through
transition? Today, I attended the funeral
of a person who had suddenly passed away,
and I wondered what effect it would have
on his soul.
In Rosicrucian terminology, we speak of
the soul personality rather than soul. In our
metaphysics, or philosophy, we do not admit
that there are individual souls. We believe
that such a conception is archaic and primi
tive, even though still perpetuated by the
theology of many extant faiths. We expound
that souls are not implanted in individuis
as separate segments or substances. Rather,
from the traditional doctrines of the Rosi
crucians, we hold that there is but one uni
versal soul forc in the Cosmic. By this, we
mean one Cosmic Intelligence of a divine
nature. This soul forc, as explained in the
monographs, is infused into each individual
with the first breath of life. In fact, it accompanies the Vital Life Forc with each breath.
Therefore, each person is imbued with the
same immutable and divine soul intelligence.
There is no difference in the soul qualities
of any person, regardless of where or when
he is born, or of what parentage. Further,
regardless of the life of the individual, his
social status, how he thinks, or his moral
sense, he is equally divine in essence, that is,
in the quality of his soul. There is nothing
which a human being may do that can corrupt or demean the soul in his being. It does
not lie in the province of anyone to change
or modify to any degree the soul qualities.
If the soul is of cosmic, or divine, origin,
then it is a logical premise that it is divine
to the same degree in any man, whether he
be saint or criminal. But there are spiritual
distinctions in men, as we all know. Some
are morally superior to others; some have a
greater spiritual consciousness. This distinction is not in the essence of the soul within
them but rather in its expression. In some,
the divine quality of soul is more manifest.
This radiation, this reflection of the divine
qualities of the soul, is the personality. It is
that which is the objective characteristic of
the inner impulsation of the soul. Consequently, these two, soul and personality, are
related. Therefore, in Rosicrucian meta

physics, we use the cogent and effective term

soul personality.
In our Rosicrucian teachings, we frequently espouse the need to evolve, to de
velop our soul personality. We cannot, as
we have explained, either develop or regress
our soul. But it is within our means to
develop the reflection of the soul. We can so
introvert ourselves, that is, become so aware
of the deeper consciousness of which the soul
consists, that it motivates us to respond to it
in our conduct and we exemplify that be
havior which is recognized as being spiritual
and cosmically enlightened. The self, then,
in its expression corresponds more and more
with the inner dictation of the soul. What
we have done in such circumstances is to refine and cause the personality to more nearly
approach the divine quality of the soul.
What, in general, occurs at transition in
sofar as the soul personality is concerned?
Without going into great detail or repeating
what already has been expressed extensivety
in the monographs, we can say that the soul
essence is merely released into the general
source from which it flows. In fact, the soul
essence is never detached from the Cosmic,
or Universal Soul, because the soul is not an
implanted segment, a substance of some kind,
but rather a cosmic effusion, a flow through
man. When at death, the vehicle, the receptacle, is destroyed, the flow merely con
tines. Let us use a simple analogy which
we have often used before. What happens
when you break an electric lamp bulb? Is
the current that was in the lamp diminished
or destroyed? No, it merely contines the
circuit flow while awaiting another bulb in
which to express itself.
But what of the personality, the reflection
of the soul? That ceases in the manner in
which it has been known in its mortal ex
pression. It becomes a kind of wave, if you
wish to use that term, in the current of the
soul forc. For example, a bubble in a stream
is part of the stream and yet it has different
characteristics from the general stream itself.
Thus the personality is preserved but, we
repeat, not in the form that we know it here.
In this continuation of the personality,
there are not the same objective qualities
which are associated with it here. There are
not, for example, the same qualities of form,
color, dimensin, sound, and taste. After
transition, the self of the personality be-

comes a transcendent type of exalted con

sciousness. We commonly speak of the vari
ous levels of consciousness that we strive to
realize and experience here on earth. Such
levels are subliminal, that is, far behind and
above the objective and subjective selves. If
such a condition exists here, then why should
we think, as many religionists do, that the
consciousness after death contines to have
more or less the same finite realization that
the mortal self has?
Now more specifically to answer the
fraters question: Any act, delayed or sudden,
that brings about transition accomplishes but
one thing. It releases from the body the soul
essence with its aura of personality. The
rapidity with which transition occurs has
not the slightest effect upon the divine es
sence of the soul. We can again resort to
our analogy of the electric lamp. A slow
or sudden destruction of the lamp would,
nevertheless, have an identical effect, that
is, a continuation of the electric current al
though without the mdium of expression
the lamp itself.X
Delinquency
A soror heard that one outstanding cause
of juvenile delinquency is the overfondling,
misguided love of parents for their children,
especially of mothers. This is a subject that
requires deep research into our modern mode
of living.
Juvenile delinquency is somewhat on the
rise today but not to the extent that many
believe. If we compare it to the growth of
urbanization, a prime factor in delinquency,
we may even find the ratio dropping. De
linquency is always a fearful thing, for it
reflects disorder and chaos in society. It is a
mob effect. Delinquents seldom go it alone.
They find courage and passing recognition
among their peers in their attempts to defy
social standards. Delinquency is usually a
result of inattention at home. For one or
more reasons, the delinquent has not been
an active participant in a family group. He
is an outcast, and he feels that he is an outcast. This type of rejection is fundamental
in bringing about delinquency.
Urban areas spawn more of this for two
reasons: Families break up oftener because
of numerous and complex outside activities;
there are numbers of similar children with

the same problem. Only parents or parent

substitutes can curb delinquency. People
who have children must assume the respon
sibility of training them and sharing their
lives. Children cannot be left to shift for
themselves until they are adults. They must
be kept busy, for it is ever true that the idle
mind is the devils workshop. Here, again,
it is busyness in the family that counts,
recognition at home, advice at home, help at
home, encouragement and love at home.
The problem is not so much one of
determining the cause, but rather one of
executing the necessary steps to prevent
delinquency. It means curbing the selfish
nature of adults who will not sacrifice their
own freedom and pleasures for the sake of
rearing a disciplined and vital youth.B
Our Cosmic Relationship
A frater, addressing our Forum, asks:
What is my cosmic relationship? Am I a
chosen being, acting knowingly to help
others to see the light? Or am I just an
evolved form of the universal consciousness?
This is a question that is controversial
upon the grounds of what ones preferred
philosophy may be or what religious tenets
are adhered to. Most religions are theistic
in principie. This means they believe in a
personal God or determinative cause. Thus
they believe that a mind has purposely cre
ated all that exists and has, as well, determined a function for each creation. Aside
from the fact that most hagiographies, that
is, the sacred writings of the past, including
the Bible, expound such doctrines, man is,
also, psychologically sympathetic to such an
idea. There is an inclination to depend upon
a transcendent power.
Most men want to feel that there is a
directing intelligence or forc that has, in
general, mapped out their lives and to which
they can appeal when their own deliberations and actions have failed. For all of their
ego and apparent self-motivation, most men
have an instinctive feeling of helplessness at
times in their lives. Consequently, it pro
vides a sense of security to feel that there is
a kind of supreme governing power.
However, this power is most always accepted as a conscious cause, or mind. This
most popular acceptance is due to the fact
that the idea of an impersonal power, a

him. It will take away his self-conceived

status as the exalted purpose of creation. It
need not, however, lose for him his cosmic
contact or that satisfying feeling of oneness
and belonging that the human being craves.
All things are a part of the spectrum of forces
which compose the Cosmos. Man, a star, a
grain of sand have that one factor in common.
There is an emerging development in the
universe, to use a philosophical term: There
is a growth from simplicity to complexity.
No particular purpose may have been designed in advance for each thing; yet each
thing by its own function becomes a pur
pose. Man, by discovering his own powers
and potentialities, can and does make a pur
pose of them. Through our cosmic relationship, we have acquired and developed tools,
our own personal abilities and talents, from
which we can create a life, a philosophy, a
creed, leading to a valu that we hold as
noble. This gives us a more relative sense
of freedom than if a life and a plan had
been mapped out for each of us.
or does such a way of looking at our
cosmic relationship necessarily induce a
sense of helplessness or of being alone in the
universe. In meditation upon our cosmic
relationship, upon the development of organic life, the unfolding of consciousness,
and the majesty of cosmic rhythm in phenomena, we come to feel that we are a part
of all of it. We know, then, that that is the
real good, the oneness of all. As near as we
can, we should try to incorprate that sense
of unity in our affairs and relationships to
other men and, consequently, establish vales
that partake of that good which we have
experienced. Then they become the good
that man incorporates into his moral code.X

mechanism such as a series of natural laws,

depreciates the human ego by implying that
man has not been singled out in the universe
as a point of interest or preferred creation.
The fact that millions of religionists actu
ally feel that they have had a response to
their prayers to a personal deity, a supreme
determining mind, adds to their conviction
of such a belief.
The psychological and mystical aspects of
the appeal in prayer are lost to them. That
is, they do not realize what actually occurs.
In such a state of emotional appeal, whereby
the individual elevates his consciousness and
expands the self, he will experience a momentary euphoria, a kind of sublime bliss.
He reaches into the depths of his conscious
ness; experiences other aspects of self ordinarily not realized; and in addition has an
afflatus of the soul, that is, a kind of attune
ment with the cosmic forces, vitalizing his
being. The fact that in prayer a mystic,
whose conception may not be of a personal
God, may have experiences similar to those
of the orthodox theist is proof that it is a
mystical experience, regardless of how man
interprets it.
With the advance of science and the increase in higher education, the conception
of a spontaneous creation of man by a God
will diminish. The more man comes to know
of the universe, nature, and cosmic phenomena, the less plausible will it appear that
he was brought into existence just as he is.
Likewise, the inconsistency of the doctrine
that man is the preferred creation in an in
finite universe and yet was placed upon a
mere speck, a small world, one galaxy among
millions of other galaxies containing billions
of larger worlds, will be very apparent.
This discovery by man is bound to humble
V

INTERNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN CONVENTION

July 12-17, 1964
Rosicrucian Park - San Jos - California - U. S. A.

INDEX OF VOLUME XXXIV (Comprising the entire Six Issues of the 34th Year)

NOTE The small letters after the page numbers refer to position on page: a , upper half of first column; b,
iower half of first column; c . upper half of second column; d , lower half of second column Titles of articles
are italicized.
Clairvoyants Who Sense Negative Condition, 81a
A
Cleanliness of Persons and Utensils, 14a, d, 15a
Ability of Man to Perceive. Illa
Color Therapy, 134a-b
About Premonidons, 98a-100b
Commonplace, Beyond the , 109d-lllc
Accepting Help. 12a-c
Concentration, 8b-d, 9b-10a, 55a
Accept Reincarnation? Must We , 6tb-62d
Concept of God. Anthropomorphic, 29b
Accidents of Birth, 12d
Conditions? W hy Does the Cosmic Require Special,
A Fable. 55d-57b
68c-69c
Affection, Objects of, 88d-89a
Condoning Undesirable Behavior, 112d-113c
Affirmations and Positive Thinking , 79a-80c
Conduct (Moral and Ethical) Conformity, 71a
Age Lasts About 2,160 Years, 58d-59a
Confirmation, Which? Knowledge or, 2a-3c
Air. Something in the, lOd-llb
Conflict, 63a-d
Akashic Records, the Cosmic, 98b
ConscienceMoral Sense, 117c
Altitude Flying, Psychic Effects of, 67b
Consciousness of Divine, Personal Development, 18c
Analyze Motives and Consequences, 47d
Conservatism and Tradition in Society, 64a-65c
Analyzing Sensations of Impressions, 5b
Contacting the Cathedral of the Soul, 3d-5b
Anesthetics and Drugs Produce States of
Contemplation or Meditation? 65d-66a
Hypnosis, 95d
Cosmic Attunement Arrived at Peisonally, 95c
Anger A Valu? Has, 27d-29a
Cosmic Attunement, Hypnosis and, 94b-95d
Animals, Domesticated. Win Affection, 88d-89a
Cosmic Energy, 45b-d
Animation, Suspended, 37d
Cosmic Goals, 125b-l26d
Anthropologists and EthnologistsFrazer and
Cosmic, God and the, 29b-30b
Tylor, 85a
Cosmic Harmony, 20d-21b
Appetites, Curbing the, 118c-119a
Cosmic IsEternal I Am, 86d
Applications for Membership, 41b
Cosmic Plan? Does Use of Subconscious Powers
Aquarian Age, The, 57b-59b
Disrupt A, 17b-18a
Are You Nonsectarian? 18a-19b
Cosmic Require Special Conditions? W hy Does the ,
Ask for Things? Should We, 30b-31b
68c-69c
Assimilative Process for Experiences, 17d
Creating Life, 45a-46c
Astrology, 57d-59b
Cremation, 130d- 131a
Attitude Determines Spiritual State, 34a
Cryptesthesia, 5d
Attitude of Real Seeker, 3a
Cultivate Expression of Psychic Aspects, 71b
Attunement With Another, 116b, c
Cult Not An Approved Word, 65a-c
Aura Is Vibratory Energy, 82a
Curbing the Appetites, 118c-119a
Aura, NegativePositive, 89b-90c
D
Aura, Residual, lOd-lla
A Word About Health, 108a-d
Dar To Be Different! 63d-65c
Dark Night of the Soul, 113c-115a
B
Decadence of Past Civilizations, 71b
Declaration of Independence, 23d
BalanceBetween Soul and Body, 77d
Deep Breathing for Health, 19c-20a
BalanceHarmony, 31d, 32d, 33a
Defined? How Is Selfishness, 69c-70c
Basic Training (Rosicrucian), 17b
Definition (Extreme) Limits Thinking, 34b
Behavior, Condoning Undesirable, 112d-113c
Delinquency, 139b-c
BeliefsAbstract Knowledge, 2b-3b
Detecting Personality From Objects, 100b-102a
Beyond the Commonplace, 109d-lllc
Develop Awareness and Respond to It, 90a
Binder, Dr. Theodore and Blood Pressure Study,
Deviation From Custom Is Defiance, 63d
77a-b
Diet A Controversia 1 Subject, 76d, 77c
Birth for A Death? Is There A, 36c-37a
Diet and Psychic Development, 115b
Body and Soul, Nourishment of, 75c-78a
Different! Dar To Be, 63d-65c
Books:
Divine Love in TheologyImpersonal, 20a-b
Mansions of the Soul, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis,
Doctrine of Eschatology, 39c
62a-b, 135d
Doctrines (Innumerable Subjects) in Teachings,
Spiritual Property of Food, The, Dr. Lewis, 77c
The Republic, ,Book 3, Plato, 87a
61c-d
Does Charm Represent Inner Development? 122a-123c
Bringing Others Into AMORC, 39c-41b
Does Use of Subconscious Powers Disrupt A Cosmic
Bull Fights, 90d, 91 d
Plan? 17b-18a
Businessman, A Competent, 55d-57b
Do You Have Fears? 59b-61b
c
Drugs A Cause of Retardation, 13a
Drugs, Hallucinogenic, 17c
Cathedral of the Soul, Contacting the, 3d-5b
Duality, Law of, 75c
Changes in Personalities of Associates, 84a
Dual,
Nature, Maris, 119a-d
Changing Thoughts and Attunement, 115d
Duty,
The Meaning of, 123c-125b
Character Is Behavior, 41 d
Charm Represent Inner Development? Does,
E
122a-123c
East, Making Salutations to the, 136c-137d
Chemistry of Organisms and Diet, 33c
Effect vs. Cause, 31c-32d
Childrens Need, Recognize, 13b-c
Effects of, Space Exploration, Psychic, 67a-68b
Christian Sects Incompatible, 26d
Christianity? Is Rosicrucian Philosophy Compatible
Egyptian Relies Unpacked, lOlb-d
Einstein, Albert, 16c-d, 133c
With, 26a-27d
Electric Charges Passed Through Gas, 45a, 46a
Church Develops Religious Attitude, 18c? d
Encyclical, The Late Pop's, 23d
Civilization? What Is Wrong With, 50a-53b

End of Cycle of Incarnations, 76a

End of Rosicrucian StudyGoal, 78d
Ends and the Means, The, 8b-10a
Environment Exposed toPathway to Goals. 78b
Equality of Citizenry, 51c-52d
Evangelical Meetings Produce States of Hypnosis,
95d
Evil Spirits, 80c-81b
Example Is Best R +C Tactics, 113a
Exercise of Intelligence Encouraged, 51a
Abilities, Talents, Dampened, 52d-53a
Exercises and Symbolical Objective, 19c-d
Extensin Volunteers, 93d
Everything the Result of Vibrations, 35b
Experience and Understanding and Reason, 59d-60b
Experience, KarmaOur Total, 135d-136c
Experiences? Should We Forget Unpleasant, 21c-22b
Experiments in Telepathy, 28d, 29a
Explanation of Natuial Events, Accidents, 99b

Faith of People Needed, 88a

Fears? Do You Have . 59b-61b
Federation of HumanityOne World, 53a
Film Is Not Conscious, 5a
Forbidden Foods, 13d-15c
Forces and Powers of Nature, Impersonal, 74b
Forces of the Cosmic, 80a-b
Forc Within God and the Absolute, 61b
Forms of Life Equal in Valu, 33d
Frazer, Dr. James G. and Tylor, Sir Edward B.,
Anthropologists and Ethnologists, 85a
Freedom from Want, 50b
Freemasonry, 27c
Freemasonry Founder, 112b

Gaining Insight, 83d-85a

Galln of Water and Quart Bottle, Illa
Goals, Cosmic> 125b-126d
God and the Cosmic, 29b-30b
God of Ones Own Consciousness, 19a
God of Our Hearts, Concept Important, 29c
Golden Dawn, 114b, c
Good and Evil, Right and Wrong of Ethics, 70d
Grand Councilors, 93d
Gravity Not Discernible, 68d
Growth Is in the Mind, 75d
Guardian of the Threshold, 115d-116a
Guilt Complex, 70d
Guilt? What Are Innocence and, 117a-118c
H

Happiness as States of Mind, 53b

Happiness the Summum Bonum of Life ,
125b-c,126a-d
Harmony in Our Lives, 80d, 119c, 125c, 126a, c, 128a
Harmony of the Cosmic Scale and Principies,
69b, 127d
Has Anger A Valu? 27d-29a
Health and Foods, 15b-c
Health and Mental and Emotional States, 34a
Health and Tobacco1964, 129a-130c
Health, A Word About, 108a-d
Health, Deep Breathing for, 19c-20a
Health? Is Nudism Necessary to, 85a-86a
Help? When Should We Seek, llb-12d
History of the Rosy Cross, 42d-44a
Hitchhikers, Psychic , 78a-79a
How Important Is Truth? 87a-88c
How Is Selfishness Defined? 69c-70c
Hunters, Professional, 91 d
Hypnosis and Cosmic Attunement, 94b-95d

Idealists, 113b
Immovable Objects, 63a-d
Importance of A Sanctum, 78c
Impulse, Self ish, 69d
lndependent. Never, 21c
Indiscriminate Advice, 17b-c
Indifference of Life, The, 74a-75c
Individual, Karma and the, 31b-33a
Individuality of Man and Soul-Personality
Infringement, 27d
Inequality of Personal Powers, 52b
Infinite, All Instantaneous, 36b
Inner Development? Does Charm Represent,
122a-123c
Inner Self, Knowing the, 41c-42d
Innocence and Guilt? What Are , 117a-118c
Insight, Gaining. 83d-85a
Insight, Mystical, From Practice, 84d
Inspectors General, 94a
Instincts and Past Lives, 7d
Integration; Personality, Self, 7c
Interests, Unrestrained PersonalConflict, 50d
Interfering Thought, 86b-87a
Intolerant Persons, 40a
Intuitive Theory of Moris vs. Taboos, 71c
Is Inviting Hazards Suicide? 134b-135c
Islam and Mormon Polygamy, 109b
Is Meditation Sufficient? 65c-67a
Is Nudism Necessary to Health? 85a-86a
Is Polygamy Justifiable? 108d-109d
Is Risking Life, Suicide? 22b-23c
Is Rosicrucian Philosophy Compatible With
Christianity? 26a-27d
Is There A Birth for A Death? 36c-37a

Jehovahs Witnesses, 26a-27a

Justifying A Wrong Destroys Conscience, 71 d
Justifying Wrong, 70c-71d

Karma and Reincarnation , On, 132a-133a

Karma and the Individual, 31b-33a
Karma, A Universal Principie, 30b-32d
KarmaLaw of Cause and Effect, 22b, 74b
Karma Our Total Experience, 135d-136c
Karmic Law and Motive, 22b-23c
Killing Be A Sport? Should, 90c-92b
Knowing the Inner Self, 41c-42d
Knights of Columbus, 27c
Knowledge Is Always of Valu, 46b
Knowledge of Egyptians and Moses, 14b-c
Knowledge or Confirmation, Which? 2a-3c
Kruger Game Reserve, 92a

Language, Unlearned, WrittenSpoken, 6a-d

Law of Attraction, 88d
Law of Averages, 126b
Late Popes Encyclical, The , 23d
Laws (Physical) Need A Physical Environment, 69a
Learning, Limits of Sleep, 107a-d
Levels of Consciousness, 66b-d
Levels of Consciousness vs. Levels of Thought, 86d
Lewis, Memories of Dr., 105b-107a
Life Is To Be Used, 135c
Life, The Indifference of, 74a-75c
LifeTwo General Forms, 110a
Limits of Sleep Learning, 107a-d
Literature for Many to See, 41b
Lives and Souls, Restoring, 37b-39c
Loss of Self-Consciousness Not Loss of Self, 36b
Love? What Is Universal, 20a-21c

Magic and Primitive Reasoning. 100b

Magna Carta. 23d
Magnetism, Terrestrial, 68a
Making Salutations to the East, 136c-137d
Man, An Entity With Soul, 60d
Man A Pait of the Cosmic, 30b
Manifestation of Intangible Forc, 110c
Manifestations, Physical and Psychic, 34a-35d
Man Only Has Sense of Immodesty, 85d
Mans Dual Nature , 119a-d
Mans Life Influenced by Karma, 123d. 125a
Mans Purpose on Earth, 30b
Mans Responsibility, 31b
Mans Search for Harmony With Infinite. 125c
Man Was Created, W hy, 103c-105a
Martian Language, 5d
Mastery of LifeUltimate Ideal. 74c
Materialist Today, 16a-d
McGeachy, J. B., Canadian Writer, 129d
Meaning of Duty , The, 123c-125b
Meaning of Terminology , The, 89a-90c
Means, The Ends and the . 8b-10a
Meat? Should We Eat, 33a-34a
Meditation as Escapism, 65d
Membership, Pride in, 93b-94b
Members Proud Crusaders, 40b
Memories of Dr. Lewis . 105b-107a
Memory and Reincarnation, 8a
Men, Born Innnocent, 118a
Mentally Retarded Child, The , 12d-13c
Mind, Divine, 104d-105a
Mind, Not a Forc, 80a
MindObjective, Subconscious, 80a
Money Not Corrupt, 92d
Moral Sense, Latent, Aroused, 18b-c
Mosaic Laws, 13d
Moses, 13d-15a
Motion and Dual Polarity, 125c, 126b-d
Motivations of Higher Self, 21a
Must We Accept Reincarnation? 61b-62d
Mystery Schools, Ancient, and Oracles, 44a-b
Mystic, The Privacy of the, 115c-116c
Mystics Seek Material Success? Should, 92b-93b

Natures Impersonal Attitude, 22a

Necessary to Health? Is Nudism, 85a-86a
Negative State in All Existence, 21a
Negative Thoughts, 116d
Negative Thoughts? What Are, 46c-47d
Newton, Sir Isaac and Da Vinci, 16b-c
Nonsectarian? Are You , 18a-19b
Nourishment of Body and Soul, 75c-78a
Nourishment of the Soul, 76b
NousActive Forc of Cosmic Mind, Universal Soul,
38b-d
Nudism Necessary to Health , Is, 85a-86a

Objective SelfI, 53c

Objects, Detecting Personality From, 100b-102a
Objects, Immovable, 63a-d
Objects of Affection, 88d-89a
Occult PowersSecretive and Concealed, 90a, b
Oneness of Allthe Real Good, 140d
On Karma and Reincarnation, 132a-133a
Opinion Is Conviction, 2a
OppositesDual Polarities, 126a-c
Orchard Floor, 50d, 51a-b, 52b-c
Original Sin, 117c
Others Into AMORC, Bringing, 39c-41b
Our Cosmic Relationship, 139c-140d
Our Greatest Possession, 53c-55b
Our Sunday Visitor . by Romn Catholic Church, 27c
Overused Physical, Spiritual Concepts, Conditions,
130b-c

Parapsychology, 100c. d
Parapsychology Class, RCU, 101a
Personality From Objects, Detecting, 100b-102a
Personality Which We Develop, 74d
Perspective in Fear and Reason, 59d
Petitioning Help, 11b, d-12b
Philosophy, Pur ScienceKeys to Knowledge, 17a-b
Physical and Psychic Manifestations. 34a-35d
Physical Circumstances of Man, 61a
Place of Rebirth A Magnetic Influence, 132c
Pleasure in Creating, Realizing, 135b
Plice Officers Experience, 112d
Poisoning. Mental Self. by Suggestion, 47c
Polarity of Nous, 68a
Poles Must Be Equal for Balance, 119b-d
Polygamy Justifiable? Is, I08d-109d
Positive Thinking, Affirmations and . 79a-80c
Possession, Our Greatest, 53c-55b
Potentialities of the Soul, 75d-76b
Power to Help Men, 92c
Prayer
A Mystical Experience, 140b
What Actually Occurs. 140a-b
Prayers? Who Answers Our, 126d-128b
Preceptor Depicts Cosmic Light, Wisdom, 137c
Precession of the Equinoxes, 58c-59a
Preincarnation, 82d-83d
Premonitions, About, 98a-100b
Prepared to Receive Rosiciucian Philosophy? 39d
Prerogative to HaveA Belief, 51b. d
Pride in Membership, 93b-94b
Primitive TribesNaked, 85b
Prince Ragoczy of Transylvania, 111d
Piinciples of Health, 108a
Privacy of the Mystic, The , 115c-116c
Privileges and Obligations, I24a-125a
Problem Solving, 107b-c
Profit by UntruthUnsound, 87d
Proscriptions Against Foods, 13d
Psychic Development, Diet and, 115a
Psychic Development, The Technique of, 102a-l03b
Psy'chic Effects of Space Exploration, 67a-68b
PsychicFaculties, Powers Beyond the Conscious, 98c
Psychic Hitchhikers, 78a-79a
Psychic Manifestations, Physical and, 34a-35d
Psychology and Parapsychology, 7a
Psychology and Psychical Research Subject:
Xenoglosis, 5c
Puipose and Cause in Existence, 103d-104b, d-105a
Purpose for Mans Being HereBelief, 62d
Purpose of Cosmic Laws Essential to Function, 69a

Radiation and Magnetism, lia

R + C Philosophy Study of Energy of Cosmic, 81c
Realization Greatest After Contact, 4d
Recluse With Illumination, 93a
Reconcile Objective and Nonobjective Worlds, 83c
Reflection of Divine QualitiesPersonality, 138b
Regeneration of Elements by Fire, 130d
Regularity in Exercises, 19d
Reincarnation, 32d
Reincarnation, On Karma and, 132a-133a
Relationship Between Past, Present, Future, 31c
Relationship, Our Cosmic, 139c-140d
Requirements of Life, 126a
Research on Creation Processes of Life not Sacrilege,
45d
Resistance, Righteous Indignation, 28b
Resources and Facilities (Individual) to Capitalize,
51a-d, 52c, d
Responsibilities of Our Existence, 74c
Restoring Lives and Souls, 37b-39c
Results of R + C Teaching or Practices, 84a
Retarded Child , The Mentally, 12d-13c

Righteousness. Impulse Innate, 42c

Romn Catholic Church Hostile to Alchemists, 112a
Romn Church, 23d
Rosicrucian Digest Opens Door, 40c
Rosicrucian Order Not Hostile Toward Religin, 27a
Rosicrucian Philosophy Compatible With
Christianity? Is, 26a-27d
Rosy Cross, History of the. 42d-44a
Russian Government, Telepathy Experiments, 29a

Saint-Germain? Who Was Count, 111c-112d

SalutationHomage to the Cosmic, 137d
Recognition. Respect for Temple. 137c
Sanctum (Your) Your Cosmic Laboratory, 69c
Schweitzer, Dr. Albert and Blood Pressure Study, 77a
Search for Impersonal Knowledge, 3c
Seek Help? When Should We, llb-12d
Self. An Integration of States of Consciousness, 66d
Becomes A Transcendent Consciousness, 139a
Self-Centered One Brakes His Growth, lid
Selfishness Defined? How Is, 69c-70c
Self-Consciousness After Transition, 35d-36c
Self-Sufficiency vs. Desire to Receive and Give, 11c
Sensation in Contacts, 3d-4a
Sensitivity to Vibrations, 81c-82d
Should Killing Be A Sport? 90c-92b
Should Mystics Seek Material Success? 92b-93b
Should We Ask for Things? 30b-31b
Should We Eat Meat? 33a-34a
Should We Forget Unpleasant Experiences? 21c-22b
Silver Cord, 39a-b
SinViolation of Religious Fiat, 117d
Sleeping Pilis. 108a
Smoking, A Tranquillizer, 129d
Smoking, Controversy Regarding, 128b-129c
Society, rganized, 118b
Something in the Air , lOd-llb
Soul, Dark Night of The, 11 3c-l 15a
Soul Forc. One Universal. 138a
With Life Forc, 46a
Soul, in Man, 118a
Rosicrucian Concept of, 36d
Soul, Nourishment of Body and , 75c-78a
Soul Personality Attracted to Condition at Birth, 132c
Evolves to Manifest Impersonal Self, 70b
Evolving, 41 d, 42b
Experience in Cosmic, 83c
Space Exploration , Psychic Effects of, 67a-68b
Space, Unreality of, 133a-d
Speaking in Strange Tongues, 5b-8b
Speech. Origin of. 8b
Spirit of Aggression. 28a
Spiritual Ideis and Developed Consciousness, 122b
Sport? Should Killing Be A , 90c-92b
StalemateEqual Forces Meet, 63b
Standard of Requirements, 50b
Statements, Mendacious and Personal Stock, 88a
Stellar Influences, Ancient Serious Study, 57c
Stonehenge, England, and the Rising Sun, 137a
Stream of Consciousness, 94c-d
Student of Mysticism Looks Within, 113b-c
Study of R + C Principies Makes One Conscious, 84b-d
Subconscious and Subjective States, 94c
SubconsciousOne Awareness Is Forfeited, 95a
Subconscious Powers Disrupt A Cosmic Plan? Does
Use of, 17b-18a
Subjective: Oblivious to Surtoundings. 7b
Subsciiption Rate, Special Reduction, 131b-c
Success? Should Mystics Seek Material. 92b-93b
Sudden Transition. 138a-139a
Suicide? Is Inviting Hazards. 134b-135c
Suicide? Is Risking Life, 22b-23c
Sun Ancient Symbol of Greater Ulumination, 137b

Sun Most Impressive to Primitive Man, 136d-137c

Surround Oneself With Cosmic Influence, 100a
T

Tastes, Preferences, Experiences Draw People,

132d-133a
Technique to Establish Union With Absolute, 92c
Technique of Psychic Development, The, 102a-103b
Telepathy, 6d
Terminology, The Meaning of, 89a-90c
Theosophy, 27c
Things You Can Do to Help , 41b
This Issue's Personality , lOb-c
Fras, Ramn A., lOb-c
Thought and Environment Help to Inspiration, 79a
Thought, Concentration, Meditation Necessary, I5c-d
Thought, Interfering , 86b-87a
Thoughts Lead to Creation, 32b
Thoughts of Righteousness Become Laws, 47b
Time and Space Not Actual, 36a
Time Relevant to the Observer, 68b
Tithing, 55b-d
Tobacco Question, The , 128b-130d
Tongues, Speaking in Strange, 5b-8b
Torah, 13d
Total Experiences HadKarma, 136b
Transition of ConsciousnessMeditation. 66d
Transition , Self-Consciousness After , 35d-36c
Transitional Period in the Cosmic Sense, 82d-83c
Transition Premonitions, 98a
Transition , Sudden, 138a-139a
Transmigra tion Confused With Reincarnation, 62c
Transmuting the Consciousness, 66a
Transported Ten Years Ahead, 56a-57b
Triis and SufferingLife, 74a-75b
True Moral Wrong, 70d-71a
Truth? How Important Is, 87a-88c

Unconsciousness, Soul, Life Forc, 54a-55b

Universal Soul Consciousness. 89d-90a
Universe Has First Cause, 81c-d
Unreality of Space, 133a-d
Utilization of Physical and Psychic Powers, 9a

Validity of Impressions Assured. 35c, d

Vibrations Create Conditions, 82b-d
Vibrations of Nous in Space, 67d
Vibrations, Sensitivity to, 81c-82d
Vibroturgy, 100c-102a
Virtues Related to Human Elements, 88b
Vision , Where There Is No, 15c- 17b
Vital Life Forc, 38b-39e, 45b, 46a

Wars, Religious, 23b

Watchtower , Published by Jehovahs Witnesses, 26a, c
What Are Innocence and Guilt? 117a-118c
What Are Negative Thoughts? 46c-47d
What Is Wrong With Civilization? 50a-53b
When Should W e Seek Help? llb-12d
Where There Is No Vision, I5c-17b
What Is Universal Love? 20a-21c
Whistle to Cali Dog, 34d
Who Answers Our Prayers? 126d-128b
Who Was Count Saint-Germain? lllc-112d
W hy Does the Cosmic Require Special Conditions?
68c-69c
W hr Man Was Created . 103c-105a
Wil You Help? 131a-d
Womankind Made Chattels. 109c
Women in AMORC , 44a-45a
World, Physical, Mental, Psychic, Spiritual, 9b
Wrong. Justifying, 70c-71d

R O S I C R U C I A N P R E S S , L T D .,- S A N J O S E

L I T H O IN U . S . A .

mi! ni
A prvate publication
for m em bers of A M O R C

Where Mystics Dwelt

Through tliis entrance and into
the mysterious confines beyond,
there once passed alike numerous hum ble neophytes and mystics. In the hearl o f Pars, this
aged and battered gateway leads
lo the courtyard o f the form er
tem ple, laboratories, and per
sonal quarters of Alessandro
Cagliostro, celebrated Rosicrucian and mystic of the eighteentli century.

Greetings!
V

PROBLEM OF WORLD PEACE

War is the application of forc where reaDear Fratres and Sorores:
son seems to fail. A defensive war, if it is
The elements of peace are a human factor
truly such, is understandable. A people, like
as much as an environmental one, or more
an individual, must defend themselves
so. The demands for survival and the need
against assault or the destruction of their
for sustenance take preference over reason.
property. But can defense be claimed as
A starving person is not inclined to weigh the
vales of some ideology. To such a person, a justification for war where a nation by its
political system or its general administrasystem of government is only a possible imtive methods is provocative? At times, provmediate end for relieving the suffering he
ocation makes an attack a necessary defense
is experiencing. A true peace is based upon
against continued abuse.
idealism and morality. It presumes that the
individual has a certain compassion for huIt seems reasonable that the first step tomanity and is willing to make sacrifices
ward a world peace would be the establishaccordingly. It further presumes that men
ment and recognition of a universal morality
alike will abhor certain behavior and recogand ethics, such a code to be accepted by
nize still other conduct as virtuous.
every nation regardless of the prevailing
religions of such countries. This code must
Can a coarse, vulgar person, who gives
unrestrained vent to his passions and is be based upon human relations and take into
consideration human appetites and emotions
primitively self-interested, work for the reand the necessary disciplines to be enforced
quirements of intemational peace? Can
upon the individual for the welfare of society.
peace in the world be realized where there
It is possible that in some instances such a
exists racial prejudice? If people consider
code would conform to the doctrines of a
themselves superior and entitled to advanreligious sect. In other instances, it might
tages at the expense of the freedom and the
not. The code, however, must be empirical
opportunity of another race, what contribution do they make to peace? If they con and expedient. It must not be just a matter
of religious traditions, the reason being that
sider that their religin, their specific faith,
traditions and moral codes of religions are
makes them a chosen people and others
not in accord. A code of morality that would
heretics, do they enhance the cause of peace?
be a factor in peace would need to transcend
Further, in the world of today, with its
religious doctrinal difierences.
tremendously increasing population, do the
So long as there contines to be a soverultra patriots, the extreme nationalists, adeignty of nations, constitutions would be
vance the dream of peace? The nationalists,
who think of humanity in terms of a seg- required which in their wording and inherent
principies would conform to the universally
ment of humans wearing the badge or carryaccepted moral code. A constitution of a
ing the flag of a specific nation of preferred
nation, expressing its will, which by its
people, incite hatred and envy. They
inject into world opinion the very incen terminology and ideology deviated from the
universal moral code, would be potentially
tive for war. Peace cannot be had on the
a cause of war. It would reveal by its nonterms of any single group of peoples, any
conformity that it would not subscribe to
nation or council, unless such represents a
those principies which the rest of the world
consideration of humanity at large. It must
take into its evaluations the variations of believed were a necessary motivation for
peace.
human nature. War cannot be outlawed
It is natural for the human being to be
while the factors that make for it are still
aggressive in the sense of being ambitious and
deeply imbedded in the human consciousness
and character.
endeavoring to further the interests of self.

This inclination is inherent. It is part of the

urge of life itself. To stem this urge is to
inhibit, if not to arrest completely, the dynamic drive that pushes the individual and
mankind forward. This drive of the indi
vidual is transferred to collective political
bodies.
But how far can such political bodies advance without trespassing upon the sphere of
interest and security of another nation and
people? The have-nots by their natural aggression push into the realm of the haves.
The haves, in turn, repel them to protect
their own resources. It may seem that the
have-nots should push in another direction
so as not to conflict with the haves. Supposing, as it often occurs in the world, that all
that is left to a certain body of people or
nation of have-nots is a relative vacuum. In
other words, it may be a regin of the world
in which it is not possible for people to
acquire what is needed to improve their
status and standard of living.
It may be aggression when the have-nots
inject themselves into the sphere of plenty
of another people. It is a cause of war. But
behind that lies the first causethe economic
one, perhaps survival for such people. Can
we have world peace with unequal opportunity and deficient resources for some?
Especially is peace impossible where religin
favors overpopulation for its own selfish ends
and thereby contributes to unemployment
and the inability of the individual to edcate
and train himself properly in order to be
secure economically.
A thoughtful nation has its departments
and bureaus of experts that aid in the development of the resources of its territory.
It encourages its citizens to utilize certain
areas for industrialization, others for agri
cultura, and still others for developing the
natural resources, that is, timber, minerals,
rivers, etc. In other words, it charts and
cultivates its assets. Some nations are wealthy
because they have a variety of such assets

within their political boundaries. Others

have a paucity of almost everythingexcept
population. There can be no world peace
by confining a people to an area of despair.
An individual is not responsible for not being
born within the boundaries of a more fruitful
area of the worlds surface. He is naturally
going to feel the same urge to survive and
to know the pleasures and gratifications of
the body and mind as anyone else in a more
favorable location. Consequently, he will
push for these things, and his thrust may
mean war.
It may seem radical in these times to state
that what is needed is a reappraisal of the
whole worlds resources. Where a nation
does not have that which it can export so as
to buy in turn what it needs, it will be required to become an industrial center. Raw
materials will need to be shipped in so that
it can manufacture and give employment
to people and purchase the elements for a
standard of living approaching that of the
rest of the world. It will need to pay for its
resources on a proper exchange basis of its
manufactured products. Such an arrangement would obviously lower the wealth of
nations who are so favored as to have both
a plentitude of natural resources and extensive industries. It would tend, however,
to equalize opportunity for men everywhere.
This is not a proposal for depriving the
individual of incentive and the opportunity
to advance personally by equalizing man
kind. It is not a suggestion not to reward
one for his skill or labor. It is not an attempt
to prevent one from becoming personally
wealthy if he does so within the boundaries
of a universal moral code and by his own
ingenuity.
There are three things basically necessary
for the realization of world peace. In stating
them, we will, to an extent, be reiterating
what we have said above: (1) The development of a universally accepted moral and
ethical code that will keep the natural, primi-

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tive, selfish human motivation within cer

tain bounds of discipline, the same code to
be applied to the political systems and laws
of the sovereign powers. (2) The control
of population increase by law irrespective
of traditional religious doctrines to the contrary. (3) An internationally agreed upon
distribution of resources and industries to
achieve a more nearly equal standard of
living.
Fraternally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator.

Path of Pur Intelligence

A frater now rises to address our Forum.
He says: The monographs have made reference to the Path of Pur Intelligence. This
pertains to the sphere of intellect. This
sphere through which the intellect passes is
said to be divided into nine divisions which
are given various titles. My studies have
brought this reference up again. I would
like the Forum to throw more light on this
mystical principie.
This subject, to which the frater refers,
concems the origin of particular mystical
principies which continu to have valu after
centuries of existence and which are still
taught. The subject has reference to the socalled ascent and descent of the soul and its
attempt to redeem itself. This conception,
which we shall touch upon, greatly influenced Christian doctrines in the early formative years of Christian theology.
The religious and philosophical system
known as Gnosticism was a great rival of the
early Christian Church. Many of the Chris
tian intellectuals actually favored Gnosti
cism. Although the Church said it was
originated by Simn Gitta, it actually was
syncretic. It was influenced principally by
Hellenic doctrines and even by Egyptian
teachings. In fact, during the first two cen
turies of our era, there were combined with
the Christian teachings many societies under
the ame of Gnosticism, proclaiming a gnosis
which professed to be a higher wisdom of
God and the universe. The word Gnosticism
is derived from gnosisspecial knowledge.
The doctrines of Gnosticism were perhaps
principally compiled in the two great centers
of leaming at the time, namely, Antioch and
Alexandria.

The Gnostics were a kind of intellectual

class who desired to resolve the Christian
message into an acceptable philosophy.
These intellectuals were thoroughly familiar
with Hellenic culture and the Greek philosophic systems. The Christian teachings, in
principie, appealed to them. They believed
that if they could be developed into a more
rational and profound philosophical system,
they would appeal to more of the intellectual
class. The Christian teachings seemed to
them too primitive and elementary in the
form that they assumed.
As a result, the Gnostics, as we shall cali
them, worked out a speculative system to explain the origin of evil, the nature of the
devil, and the interaction of the spiritual and
material worlds. The great ancient scholar,
Clement of Alexandria, quoted Theodotus as
to what gnosis or esoteric knowledge the
Gnostics claimed to possess. It was said to
be the knowledge of who we are, what we
have become, where we were, and to what
place we have been thrown; whither we are
hastening, whence we are redeemed; what
is birth, what is rebirth? What was all this
to accomplish? It was said to help the indi
vidual undergo a mystic experience whereby
he might apprehend the true nature of God
and enter into communion with Him.
The doctrines of Gnosticism, as said, were
syncretic, that is, they were borrowed from
numerous ancient sources. The soul, it was
thought, had descended into a corrupt and
material world and had to redeem itself by
an ascent through successive states of being.
It has been held that this idea may have
originated in ancient Babylonian beliefs. In
Babylonia, there was the doctrine of a series
of heavens, each under the rule of a planetary god. The soul must make its ascent
through these respective heavens in order to
finally be delivered to the Guardian of the
Doors.
The material world was regarded by the
Gnostics as being intrinsically evil. From it,
the immortal soul must be delivered. The
Gnostics had a doctrine of duality with a
resultant conflict between its opposites, as
did the Persians from whom they may have
borrowed the idea. The duality of the Per
sians, however, was that of Light and Darkness. With the Gnostics, this duality was of
Spirit and Matter. The lower world, or
matter, was of the senses. The higher world,

or spirit, was of pur Being. The human soul

was thought to be unative to the higher
world, but had fallen from it. This fall
occurred prior to the souls conscious existence, being the result of some cosmic disaster.
It could only be restored by divine intervention, for it was hopelessly imprisoned in
matter.
Gnosticism expounded that from the supreme God there proceeded a number of beings in a descending scale of dignity,
arranged in pairs of male and female. These
pairs of beings were called syzygies. Their
totality made a pleroma, that is, the fullness
and the blessedness of the Supreme Being.
These pairs were in a descending succession
by means of emanations from the one su
preme God, Absolute, or Soul, later called
aeons, meaning eternities.
A spiritual personality called Sophia was
said to have left her appointed place in the
spiritual Godhead in the desire to attain the
Supreme Light, and as a result to have fallen
into the lower world. With her went some
of the Divine Light. This, it was stated,
broke up the perfect harmony of the pleroma
which could not be restored until the lost
Light was recovered from the darkness into
which it had descended. It was further explained that before the sensible world, the
one of sensation, the material world, was
formed, there was an emanation of the Di
vine world of three root-aeons, each consisting of so many sub-aeons, male and
female.
Let us think of the Divine as a circle.
Emanating or radiating down from it were
lesser planes called aeons. Each of these
aeons contained Light, or spiritual essence,
from the ideal world or the cosmic Being
at the top. It is said that the third root-aeon
made itself threefold, containing all the
superna tural potentialities. Light shone
from it upon the primordial chaotic substance, matter, and the souls of all living
things were then imprisoned in this ma
terial substance. In other words, through
error, the light of the third root-aeon transmitted souls from itself into matter where
they were trapped.
The souls of men then had to struggle
against opposites in each aeon in order to
return upward again along a path of pur
intellect and spiritual enlightenment to reenter the pleroma, the fullness of Divine

Blessing. The Romn Catholic Church in

its theology expounds this principie in a
general way. It states that the salvation of
the soul which has fallen from its highest
estte can be had only by ascending through
the dogmatic hierarchy of the Churchs teach
ings. The individual, it is the contention,
cannot approach God independent of the
Church.
Basilides, thought to have lived about
A.D. 120, is accepted as the greatest exponent of Gnosticism, one of the authors of
its greatest works. He is of an unknown
nationality. He was well studied in Hellenic
culture and the wisdom of the Egyptians,
and was well versed in Hebrew. The sources
of information about Basilides are from
scholars such as Hippolytus and Clement of
Alexandria.
This path of pur intelligence and the
ascent of the soul is likewise found in a
somewhat similar presentation in the NeoPlatonic philosophy. The brilliant scholar
and philosopher, Plotinus, is credited with
being its founder. He was born in A.D.
204 and studied for eleven years under
Ammonius Saccas at Alexandria. His doc
trine is a combination of metaphysics and
mysticism, claiming that at the center of
all is God, the One, the Unity. From this
perfect One there flows or radiates out a
succession of emanations of decreasing
splendor and reality. The first emanation
downward, like rays from the Sun, is Nous,
Mind. This Mind radiates from its source,
God. It radiates as Light. This Mind, then,
eventually emanates into a lower level called
soul. Soul is the second sphere. Below these
emanations or, rather, at the extreme end
of them, is matter. Human souls falling away
from the One have descended into the lower
emanations of matter.
In other words, each emanation being less
perfect is farther from its divine source. The
human soul, in some complicated manner,
has descended into matter, the lower and
darker sphere, the material world. The soul
can gradually retrace the process of descent,
working its way back to the One, the Su
preme Good and Light.
In a certain degree of the Rosicrucian
teachings, the doctrines of Dionysius, the
great mystic, are explained. These are a
continuation of the ancient idea of the ascent
of the soul. In our Rosicrucian teachings,

however, such is explained only in the symbolic sense and is not to be taken literally in
detail.
The writings of Dionysius first gained
attention in A.D. 503. Dionysius was called
the Areopagite because he was thought to
have been converted by the Apostle Paul in
the Areopagus, a high court on Mars Hill
in Athens. In his writings, there are numerous references to his great master and guide,
Hierotheus. Dionysius says in his work entitled, The Divine ames, that Hierotheus
has already unfolded the truths. Hiero
theus is apparently an assumed ame under
which a certain master of Edessa wrote.
This master, Stephan Bar Sudaili, a scribe
and monk, wrote in the 5th century. His
work was entitled, Book of Hierotheus. It is
probable that Dionysius master was this
monk, Sudaili, who lived approximately
A.D. 475-525.
According to the doctrines of Dionysius,
which became extremely popular, there is
an initial Supreme Deity. He cannot be
known, but he can be reached and experienced. There are two ways for the soul, he
said, to experience this Deity: One is by the
affirmative way; the other, the negative. The
progress of the soul is both downward and
upward, through a ninefold rank of angelic
beings, a celestial hierarchy. These beings,
or intelligences, are ranged in a trinity of
threes, three times three equalling nine.
Each group of three is lower in intelligence
and spiritual perfection since it is farther
removed from the cosmic or divine source.
The way up through this trinity of threes
constitutes a celestial ladder for the soul, a
climb back to God. Man must strip himself
of certain evil ways and evolve as he climbs
from one to another of these intelligences or
angelic stages. Each of these intelligences is
said to impart something of its wisdom to the
soul so that it can attain its ultimate per
fection. The first of the intelligences and
nearest to God, or the first trinity, is said to
be the Seraphim, the Cherubim, and the
Thrones; the second are the Dominions, the
Virtues, and the Powers; the third and lowest are the Principalities, Archangels, and
Angels. The lower group are said to be
more like symbols and signs that lead and
guide men upward. Dionysius called this
the negative approach, and it is the one
which he preferred.

These, then, are the origin and the symbolic meaning of the tem, Path of Pur
IntelligenceX

Psychic Development and Privacy

It is common to receive letters from members of this organization lamenting the fact
that they feel their studies are suffering because of a lack of privacy. There is no doubt
that an environment which permits an indi
vidual to have time by himself to direct his
attention to those interests which he wants to
study and learn more about is an important
factor. It is very difficult for anyone who
has the acute use of all five senses to concn
trate upon a subject matter or, as far as that
is concerned, upon anything, when the
physical senses are constantly bringing him
interruptions from his environment which
he does not cause or cannot control. Any
one who has tried to read anything that is
profound or complex in a room where conversation is taking place knows how easy it
is to be distracted from reading. Therefore,
it is logical to presume that the lack of pri
vacy on the part of a student who wishes to
study is not going to be conducive to the ends
he hopes to attain.
This subject, however, has broader implications than these simple statements would
seem to imply. Privacy is of two kinds:
There is privacy within the environment and
a type of privacy that can be developed with
in the self. While it would be difficult to
read a complex manuscript and at the same
time be distracted by the conversa tion and
comments of others, we must not forget that
any type of learning is relative. Has anyone
at any time ever had ideal environmental circumstances to accomplish what he wanted?
I can think of individuis whose ames are
outstanding in history who had to study and
carry on their work in restricted circumstances insofar as their environment was
concerned.
Fifty or a hundred years ago, family life
after dark usually centered about one point
of illumination. It may have been a light on
a table in the principal room of the house,
where the family had to work together in
the sense that there was no other place where
one might read or study or even do a simple
task. He had, under the circumstances, to
do the best he could, and there have been

examples of individuis who under such

handicaps have become self-educated. We
might ask what they would have been able
to accomplish if their environment had been
ideal for study and contemplation. Possibly,
they would have been even greater than
history has recorded them.
On the other hand, I have found, also
particularly as it applies to students complaining that lack of privacy is interfering
with their study and progressthat many
who complain about their environment are
often only making excuses. Those who have
stated that they were unable to study, practice the experiments in our monographs, and
progress as they had hoped, when placed in
ideal circumstances have shown no greater
degree of development than they did when
they were working under a handicap.
In the Supreme Temple here at Rosicru
cian Park, there are two rooms known as
sanctum rooms. These rooms are very small.
They are not, I believe, more than about six
by ten feet, if that large. They provide ideal
circumstances for the study of our mono
graphs. There is a sanctum already prepared,
with appropriate medita tion music piped in.
The music and the illumination of the room
are completely under the control of the indi
vidual. Otherwise, the room is soundproof
so that the one who retires to one of these
sanctum chambers for meditation and study
is in an environment as nearly perfect for
such a purpose as is possible to be created by
the human hand.
One would conclude that there would be a
great demand for these rooms; but, actually,
they are not used to the extent that we anticipated when the space was put aside in the
Supreme Temple building to provide for
them. In other words, this illustrates very
dramatically a point which I wish to emphasizethat almost every human being reaches
his present point of development physically,
mentally, and psychically in spite of his en
vironment and not because of it. We adjust
ourselves to the environment to the extent
that we find sufficient motivation for accomplishing the ends we have in mind.
When perfect environment is provided or
accessible and is not used; then I can only
conclude that the individual who complains
that his development and his periods of study
are limited because of external circumstances
is consciously or unconsciously only using

that circumstance as an excuse for avoiding

the work and study necessary for proper de
velopment.
From the standpoint of the individual,
privacy is one of those rare possessions of
the human being that he does not fully
appreciate. The principie of modern-day
psychological analysis stresses the reactions
of living organisms. Some years ago, the
psychological concept of behaviorism won
great support. Behaviorism is a form of biological investigation in which the reactions of
individuis, human or animal, are studied
and the mechanism of their behavior deduced
from their actions. Actually, there is more
to the human make-up than physical reac
tions.
It is true that we can make broad interpretations based upon the behavior of indi
viduis. Even the person untrained in
biological, psychological, or behavioristic in
vestigation can observe the actions and expressions of another and decide to some
extent his mental states. It is quite evident
when an individual is happy, sad, angry,
pleased, or annoyed. It is true that we each
have a certain degree of control over our
expressions, and frequently we are placed in
a position where we deliberately hide the
physical appearance that would betray, or
rather reveal, our inner thoughts.
Inner thoughts, however, are those which
lie within the realm of human privacy. There
are certain functions of our being, both men
tal and physical, that always remain prvate
to us. If it were possible literally to read the
mind of everyone, we might be surprised at
some of the information that we would obtain even from those whom we know best.
All of us carry within our own consciousness concepts, ideas, and principies that are
exclusively ours. They are the result of our
training, experience, reasoning, meditation,
and the conclusions at which we have arrived.
We do not necessarily conceal these points
of view or attitudes in order to deceive any
one. We do not always intentionally conceal
them from those in whom we have the most
confidence or with whom we have complete
harmony of relationship. We simply do it
because our innermost thoughts are a part
of us, and we may involuntarily and uncon
sciously realize that they are an important
part. They are something that is exclusively
ours. Our whole basic behavior and point of

view are based upon some of the conclusions

that are stored and remain secret within our
consciousness insofar as the extemal world
is concerned.
This is a good circumstance because in
these innermost parts of our mind we are
reaching the inner self, the soul forc, the
divine essence within us. Where we may
make a mistake is not to go a step further
and relate our prvate thoughts, ideas, and
concepts with the life forc that functions
within us. The purpose of properly directed
meditation and concentration, as well as
many of the experiments which are given to
us in the Rosicrucian monographs, is to develop a harmonious relationship between our
prvate selves and the inner self, the personality of the soul that functions within us.
What is ordinarily described as psychic
development is nothing more or less than
a continuation of the State of harmony which
we refer to frequently in our teachings. Psy
chic development is a degree of harmony that
is established between our conscious selves
and the personality of the soul. We might
say the same thing in other termsthat it
is a degree of harmony that exists between
the conscious and the subconscious, or the
objective consciousness and the subjective
consciousness.
Our ordinary thinking processes take place
in the area of objective consciousness. It is
on this that we depend for our memory, for
the ability to use previous experiences and
various experiences in life that have been
ours. A degree lower in subjective conscious
ness are the promptings of intuition, the pattems that form habits and cause us to be able
to draw upon a source deeper and more profound than is stored in the area of objective
consciousness.
The relationship between the two cannot
be completely controlled voluntarily. In the
state that he exists on earth, man will never
become fully aware of the content of his
subjective mind in comparison to the extent
that he does so with his objective mind. That
is one of the purposes for which we are studyingto achieve a harmonious degree of rela
tionship between these two mental systems
that are ours. The devoting of proper time
to meditation, concentration, and to the practice of the experiments which we have provided in the Rosicrucian monographs is the
means by which we develop and, in a sense,

clear the channel that exists between the

conscious and the subconscious. In this way,
there can be a free flow of impulses from one
to the other. We develop the ability to bring
into consciousness those intuitive impressions
that will guide us rightly and give us the
information, strength, and forcefulness we
need to cope with our external environment.
As we improve our ability to perform this
function, the channels work in both directions. There is stored in the soul conscious
ness the true purpose of our being here as
living entities and, in that way, the soul per
sonality gains the experience for which it is
incarnated. Harmony is the key to all of
mans life, whether it be physical, mental,
or psychic. We must establish harmonious
relationship with our physical environment
insofar as our physical body is related to it.
We must mentally adjust ourselves to the
social systems in which we are required to
live, work, and play in order to particpate
to the fullest extent possible in this experi
ence of life into which we are born.
Even more important, we must relate all
conscious endeavor, thoughts, activities, aspirations, and hope to the privacy of our
inner consciousness, to that threshold of
privacy that is the borderline between the
objective and subjective minds. To do so
causes us to be more aware of the existence
of both, for, as in the case of any habit sys
tem, this habit system develops into channels
that work both ways, that give us access to
the wisdom of all time through the intermediary of our inner selves and soul personalities and, at the same time, permit our
personalities to grow and fulfill the destiny
for which they were incarnated.A
The Righteous Life
A frater addressing our Forum says: The
Ten Commandments, the New and Od
Testaments, and the Rosicrucian studies
teach us that a righteous life is the best way
to attain Gods Kingdom. Yet if anyone were
to follow these precepts and exhortations literally in this modern world, he would probably be adjudged mentally ill. How then,
in good conscience, can these rules be followed without a stigma being attached?
Moral codes have generally been considered as being divine fatsthe words or
commandment of a Divine Being. This is

probably due to two conditions: First, such

commandments are to be found principally
in sacrosanct works such as the Bible and
the Koran. Second, founders of religious
sects in moments of religious ecstasy feel
and believe that they have contacted a
Divine Intelligence and that the latter has
expressed certain precepts to be objectively
established as rules. These rules are construed as directives for attaining the right
eous life, which the founder or Messiah feels
he has experienced in his mystical state. The
human mind and intelligence has to interpret
the moral and mystical experience in terms
of its finite knowledge in accordance with
the social customs of the day.
The Mosaic Code had a strong hygienic
basis. There were certain practices among
the ignorant people of the day, who were
nomadic tribes, that were detrimental to
their health. Their diet was unbalanced,
contribu ting to their diseases; many of their
personal habits relative to their daily living
were unhygienic. It would have been ineffectual for any individual to inveigh
against these habits. Their traditions and
customs were so deep-seated that mortal
authority would have had no influence upon
them. However, when Moses proclaimed
that God had exhorted him to command his
people, obviously the resultant rules were
accepted. The people feared their God and
any reprisals for disobedience. Such a code,
then, became the standard for a righteous
life.
Some of the orthodox requirements need
no longer be religiously observed today because of the advance of knowledge. The
practical need for such actions is understood
and need not be given any moral or religious
connotation.
The righteous life in the religious sense
is founded upon varying moral and religious
prescriptions. There is no universal moral
standard. Moral codes in their specific wording and requirements are formulated not
divinely, but intellectually. One can say
that any moral code has a subjective, spirit
ual, or moral impulse behind it. When it is
reduced to an objective form to be communicated to the minds of others, it is then
termed in accordance with those vales
which at the time men concede to be good
or evil.

The Puritans lived what to them was a

righteous life. Ascetics who practice selfabnegation, the denial of all pleasures of the
body and the mortification of it, believe that
such a life is a righteous one. However, there
are other millions who think that such prac
tices are fanatical; they may even explain
how such extreme practices are actually
ungodly.
During the Middle Ages, it was believed
that the end of the world was soon to come.
Such a doctrine was preached far and wide.
In their ignorance and fear, men thought
that the only way to expiate their sins was
to renounce the world. The world and likewise the human body were thought to be
corrupt and evil. Thousands of men entered
monasteries to lead austere lives. They
denied themselves all pleasures. Although
they thought it a sin to commit suicide, by
their conduct in every other way, they
showed their contempt of the physical body
and earthly existence. Droves of persons,
trying to redeem themselves, fled to the
mountains and forests to dwell in caves. To
them, all of that meant a righteous life.
We have seen so-called holy men in India,
fakirs, and religious mendicants, who lived
in filth that a dog would avoid if it could.
We have seen them with vermin crawling
through their matted hair and over their
bodies, which were covered with sores; some,
half buried in dirty sand, lay in the shade
under the piers overlooking the Ganges.
These men believed that the human body
was a prison of the soul, that mortal exist
ence was evil, and that all creature comfort
and pleasures were satanic. The more pain
and discomfiture they experienced, the
closer they thought they would come to the
ecstatic consciousness of their own souls. The
repulsive way, according to our conceptions
in the Western world and to many Eastern
religions as well, in which such people lived
was thought by them to be a righteous life.
There are two general factors, therefore,
which tend to establish for the average in
dividual his conception of a righteous life.
The first is his moral code, whether prescribed by religious sects or personally
evolved. The second is the customs of the
society of which he is a part. The normal
individual has an impulse toward righteousness. He does not want by defying all ac-

cepted moral and ethical codes to be a social

outcast. If the behavior of the society in
which he dwells seems to conform to his
moral impulses to live righteously, then that
is the one he will follow. There are those,
however, who are enlightened or in advance
of their age. They may see the fallacies of
some of the customs of the times and may
crusade against them. To them, righteous
living means abolishing or modifying some
of the traditional conduct of society. Such
individuis often have advanced mankind
by opposing such practices as slavery, abuses
to animals, child labor, torture of the insane,
capital punishment, belief in witchcraft,
religious persecution, and racial prejudice.
Others, with perhaps the same psycho
logical motivation toward righteousness but
without proper rationalization or because of
some mental aberration, have advocated
ways of life that were in effect detrimental
to society. In our day, particularly in the
Western world, these latter persons would
be thought extremely eccentric and would
have followers only of their own kind.
If, then, there is no universal system of
righteous living and the different sacred
works deviate from each other in what they
recommend, how does one go about selecting
a way with assurance? By their fruits
shall they be known. In the individuals
opinion, based upon a reasonable study of
what progress mankind has made in human
relations and behavior, he will accept those
beliefs and doctrines that he thinks have contributed the most to societys advancement.
The decisin which he makes as to the right
eous life may not, of course, wholly conform
to any existing religious system. In fact, he
may decide that certain elements extracted
from several religions make a more satisfactory moral fabric and code for him. Then,
again, he may construct a code from philo
sophical and metaphysical systems which he
has studied. Or he may judge the righteous
life in terms of human conduct based upon
the highest conscious motives of men.
No matter what the righteous life selected,
basically it will be a personal acceptance, a
conviction founded upon the experience one
has had. We are not bom with a righteous
code of living. We acquire the code. In fact,
we may modify this code through the years
due to our realistic contact with the vicissitudes of life.X

Our Public Attractions

A frater from New York wonders why we
sponsor an Egyptian Museum for the public.
To many of our members, the facilities of
Rosicrucian Park seem rather remte, and
we take this opportunity to paint a more detailed picture of the functions they serve.
In a small schoolroom in one of our modern
high schools somewhere in California, a
young school teacher was conducting her
class in Ancient History. This particular
day, the class was studying the part Egypt
had played in the formation of our presentday civilization. If we imagine we are in
the class at the moment, we might hear her
reading from the text:
The huge monuments of Egypt stand in
silent testimony to the great genius possessed
by the peoples of centuries ago. The enormous pyramids are composed of huge blocks
of stone exceeding two and one-half tons in
weight, one lifted high above the other, hundreds of feet above the surface of the earth,
each varying in its dimensions not one sixteenth of an inch. The whole mass, forming
perfect, mathematically correct pyramids,
their apex exactly above the center of their
base, are evidential of skill and knowledge
of such sciences as mathematics, leverage,
and masonry.
Great irrigation canals, glass-surfaced tiling, magnificent colonnaded temples, mosaic
flooring, a calendar of 365 days, copper and
tile water pipes, maps of the heavens, papyrus
scrolls, revealing an amazing knowledge of
the human anatomy and even using for the
first time the term brain. These are not
the consequences of accidents, but of the
careful investigations, probings, and conclusions of minds which would today excel in
our scientific fields. In fact, because of the
laws of nature which they discovered, tabulated, and used, their accomplishments were
definite scientific achievements.
At the end of the period, we would hear
her announce, Tomorrow, class, you are to
have a special treat. You will be excused
from all your classes, for we are going to
take a trip to a museum to see many of the
things about which weve been talking. We
shall see a full-sized reproduction of a rock
tomb of the Feudal Age of Egypt. Well
be able to stand inside it and feel just as
though we were back in the days of ancient

Egypt, with all of its mystery and fascina

ron. We shall also see a reproduction of the
interior of one of the beautiful od temples
of Egypt. The sky will be filled with stars
and we may sense that it is a beautiful, cool
evening under the stars.
Youve all heard about mummies and
how well they were preserved by the Egyptians. Well see plenty of those, too. We
shall see large buildings built in Egyptian
style; in fact, it will be very much as though
we were to enter a time clock and travel back
3000 years to this ancient land.
Strangely enough, amidst this ancient
backdrop, there is also set a scene of the
most modern science and art exhibits and
demonstrations, which we may also enjoy
while we are there. It promises to be a full
day, so come prepared!
This goes on in many California schools
every month, fratres and sorores, and the
museum and the exhibits are none other than
your own Rosicrucian Park with its Egyptian,
Oriental Museum, Art Gallery, and Science
Museum and Planetarium.
Subsequently, this group of students carne
to Rosicrucian Park and were met by the
Curator and taken through a myriad of ex
hibits in grand style. They saw and lived
for a time in the od rock tomb, saw the magnificent Memphis Temple, the obelisk, the
sphinx, and the other entrancing features of
Rosicrucian Park.
This is not a rare incident, but a regular
feature at the Park, as are the many visits
made by the public to similar institutions
throughout the United States. At least one
school group visits both our Science Museum
and Planetarium and the Egyptian, Oriental
Museum each day of the school year. Each
month, thousands of adult visitors pass
through the display rooms, go into the Theater of the Sky, and push the buttons that
demnstrate physical laws in the mechanisms
set up in the Science Museum. Clubs and
other local groups in the vicinity of San Jos
often use the facilities of these two institu
tions for their activities. San Jos, the home
of many conventions, is constantly filled with
visitors from all over the nation, who come
as individuis or as organized groups to our
museums.
In addition, our museums send written
invitations to all schools within a 100-mile
radius of San Jos, and nearly all invitations

are accepted. Such activities do a great deal

to raise the prestige of our Order in the eyes
of the public, as well as serve as a popular
channel through which thousands upon
thousands of people become acquainted with
the Rosicrucian Order.
It is good for members to become more
intimately acquainted with the activities
which often seem rather remte. If each of
you could see the substantial nature of your
Order, you would be gratified by the constant
attention that is given by the officers to
authenticate every aspect of the Orders existence. How careful they are to build each
unit upon a firm physical and moral foundation! How free from sham and exaggeration are the claims of AMORC!
Each year there are new and extended
activities. For a month at a time, the Art Gal
lery presents nationally known exhibits, including those of the American Federation of
Arts and the Modern Museum of Arts in
New York. Among its noted displays have
been the Ballard Oriental Rug Collection;
the Paintings of Contemporary Berlin Artists; works of Sargent, Grandma Moses, and,
just recently, the paintings of Walter and
Margaret Keane. Frequently, there are leetures or movies given by some specialist in
these fields on the particular topic on display
at the time.
A museum of antiquities provides an excellent place for such an inquiry into the
past. It is only fitting, therefore, that the
Rosicrucians, a nonsectarian, world-wide,
philosophical fratemityactive for centuries
in diffusing knowledge pertaining to mans
nature, his place in the universe, and his
accomplishmentsmaintain an institution for
the preservation of those things which depict
the achievements and the record of errors
of our forebears.
The Rosicrucian museums were, therefore,
established by the Rosicrucian Order under
the authority of Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, its
chief executive at that time, to house such
a collection of antiquities and exhibits of
diverse sorts as would prove instructive and
interesting to the members of the Order and
the general public alike. Our affiliations include the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institution, and the
Western Association of Art Museum Directors. We can be justly proud.
(continued overleaf)

The Science Museum and Planetarium

now take their place, too, as cultural attractions which bring thousands of persons to
Rosicrucian Park to acquaint them with the
rational, scientific, and practical activities
and teachings of our organization as com
pared with some impractical or theoretical
teachings of occult organizations that create
an erroneous impression in peoples minds
as to what the various mystical organizations
of the world are trying to accomplish.
In 1938, a large and sensitive seismograph
was installed in the Science Museum, capable
of registering temblors or undulations of the
earths surface or interior thousands of miles
distant. In 1937, we demonstrated a Cosmic
Ray machine, the first of its kind ever made,
which made visible and audible the effects
of rays of energy from cosmic space that
come toward this earth and affect it.
Through these extensin activities, many
of our members are beginning to realize more
and more each day that fundamental mys
tical and scientific principies are so closely
related that they are not incompatible, let
alone opposing, as has been believed in recent
years. It is easy at times, being far from
the center of these activities, to lose sight of
the public activities of AMORC. Members
should not, however, lose sight of the ma
terial benefit our Order offers to members
and nonmembers alike.
We should be justly proud of our endeavors which weekly and monthly are helping to clear away the cobwebs that dull the
human mind. These are talking points for
our organization, fratres and sorores; they
are real, tangible assets; they are extensin
activities, serving the purpose of spreading
the Light as we know it needs to be. Be
continuously cognizant of the fact that you
are not supporting a system of home study
merely for yourself, but a tremendous forc
for good in this world, with its head in the
clouds and its feet planted firmly on the
ground!B
Medifocus and Magic
Recently, we were quite amazed to learn
that in the opinion of a few membersnot
numbering over threeour program of Medi
focus is a form of magic. As best we could
determine, the reason behind this opinion
is that one mind is trying to direct another
by thought and suggestion.

First, briefly, what is meant by magic?

It is the belief in the supernatural control
and direction of the forces of nature to do
the bidding of man. The delver in magic
believes that he can compel natural law to
conform to his wishes by exercising the com
pulsin of some greater forc or power. In
fact, the average primitive person who prac
tices magic does not believe in the immutability of natural law. He thinks any law can
be restrained, altered, or modified by subjecting it to a superior supernatural forc
which he brings to bear.
Strangely enough, there is a kind of parallel between magic and science. In both those
spheres, man is attempting to direct and
control natural law. Magic attempts to do so
by conjuring the power of a supernatural
agency. Science seeks to do so by learning
the functions of natural phenomena by
which they then can be manipulated by the
knowledge and will of man.
Now, what is Medifocus trying to do and
what is its motive? Let us first begin with
the motive. Our purpose is constructive and
humanitarian. We hope to suggest to world
leaders through Medifocus ways and means
that will lead to world unity and peace. We
are trying to bring the minds of those leaders
who have the responsibility of their country
and the millions of people in them to work
toward transcendent ends that will serve all
humanity. There is no prejudice, no hatred,
no material objective in all such effort. Certainly, no more noble effort could exist today
than to try to lessen world tensin and avoid
a catastrophic major conflict. No organiza
tion could be more free of ulterior purpose
than AMORC. We are neither a religious,
political, or commercial organization. Our
objectives parallel and complement what we
are trying to do with Medifocus. No real
Rosicrucian and no intellectual and conscientious person can, therefore, object to the basic
motive of Medifocus.
Now, how do we try to go about our intentions in Medifocus? We wish to so attune
ourselves with the minds of certain of these
leaders that mystically, for the moment, we
assume their personality and consciousness.
Concomitantly, we hold in mind the par
ticular constructive, beneficial thing which
we would like them to accomplish. This is
so that they will feel inspired and motivated
to act so as to bring about those things, that

is, to materialize them. We do not presume

to explain just how they shall accomplish
that end; that would be presumptuous on
our part. The individual, the official whose
mind we seek to contact, would do those
things according to his personal capacity and
the facilities at his disposal.
Suppose you are requested to direct your
thoughts of freedom of conscience toward a
certain world leader, the motive being that
he would become more tolerant and allow
the citizens of his country to choose their
religious faith without persecution or governmental restraint. You could not presume
in your practice of Medifocus to suggest
what procedure or program that leader
should adopt so as to accomplish that end.
Rather, by implanting the suggestion in his
consciousness according to the method of
Medifocus, you serve your purpose. The
idea would seem to have originated in the
mind of the official. It would seem to be his
own concept. Consequently, he would act
upon it according to his own experience and
knowledge.
Is this practice, then, the enslaving of the
minds of others? Is it obtaining undue con
trol of the intelligence and will of other indi
viduis? First, psychologically and mystically
even in hypnotismit is known and taught
that no suggestion of another is stronger
than the accepted personal moral and ethical
standards of the individual. The moral and
ethical code, for example, to which one adheres or believes in is strongly registered in
the individuals subconscious. Only through
ones own reasoning and suggestion can such
a standard be removed or changed. In other
words, if it is something that in our con
scious state we support vigorously, then it is
likewise a strong and deeply registered conviction in the subconscious. The suggestion
of another cannot alter those personal convictions unless we first consciously accept
the outside suggestion and then decide to
make the change.
Therefore, no one through Medifocus can
gain control of the mind of another so as to
cause him to act against his will or decisin.
However, what Medifocus can do, after one
is successful, is to cause a strong suggestion
to arise in the mind of the person being
reached. Perhaps it is a suggestion that
would not be accepted or considered by him
if it were offered in vocative or written form.

But reaching into his mind and consciousness

by the means of Medifocus, it may be evaluated, given some thought. It may be con
sidered so as actually to cause him to decide
to change his usual ideation or chain of
concepts.
Those who would say it is morally wrong
to continu the practice of Medifocus would
likewise be condemning many similar and
accepted practices. For example, parapsychology, which concerns itself with the
phenomenon of mental telepathy, would like
wise fall into the same class, for it concerns
itself with the projection or transmitting of
thought to the minds of others. Then, also,
there is hypnosis, which, today, is used extensively medically. It would likewise be
considered wrong when, for the purpose it
is used, it is not. Even prayer could be
thought improper if one is to condemn Medi
focus, for prayer is often offered for the
purpose of trying to change the ways and
actions of others. Clergymen, priests, and
rabbis offer prayers with the appeal that men
may think and act in certain ways. Even
medical and psychiatric counsel could be con
sidered wrong if the same false reasoning
is applied by those who criticize Medifocus,
for such counseling is the earnest and con
structive attempt to influence the mind of
the patient.
In fact, we might even say that all types
of advertising and propaganda, which directly and indirectly seek to establish ideas in
the minds of others, are wrong, too, ifand
only ifwe take the extreme position of those
who criticize Medifocus.
Could these Forum articles be called magic
merely because they seek to transmit in
formaron with the hope that the ideas conveyed to the reader will direct his thoughts
into new constructive channels from which
he and others will derive benefit?X
Human and Insect Behavior
In correspondence directed to our instruction department, a member commented upon
the generally known fact that many insects
have evolved a highly organized social existence. This member asks if that is an advanced form of existence higher than the
social organization of man or whether it is
like a dictatorship, a lower form of societys
organization.
(continued overleaf)

I have no doubt that almost everyone remembers as a child reading the story of the
ant and the grasshopper. This story had to
do with the industrious ant that labored during good weather and had food stored away
for winter when it was difficult to find food.
The grasshopper derided the ant for its industriousness, but when it became coid and
no food was available, it was glad to ask for
help from the ant. The moral of the story,
of course, was to impress young people with
the valu of work and planning ahead. Possibly, such a type of story would not be out
of place in this modern-day tempo of living.
I am unaware as to whether the story is still
read in our grade schools today.
It is true that the social organizations of
many insects and many other forms of life
are highly complex. They have been studied
and discussed by many authoritative biologists. It is easy to understand when we ex
amine the complex social structure of the beehive, the ant hill, or the colonies in which
many other forms of life exist, that it would
at first thought appear to be an evolved form
of society. This, I believe, was a commonly
accepted concept of fifty or more years ago,
more so than today because modern man has
seen the impact of the combination of technology and dictatorship well illustrated in
some countries now as well as in the immediate past. While those countries that have
had this type of government have taken advantage of technological situations and have,
in many cases, become advanced in certain
fields, they have fallen down in others. Most
individuis who have lived under a dictator
ship have not been too happy with either
the government itself or its end results.
The human being differs from lower forms
of animals or animal life in general in that
he is equipped to think creatively. He is
also in a position to broaden his decisions and
develop more of a degree of choice than is
found in the levels of lower animal life. It
does not seem to me that those who talk of
the ideal society as being under a form of
regimentation recall the fact that some of the
greatest developments of mans history have
come about as the result of the freedom of
the individual to think.
It is questionable whether today we would
have the philosophy of Plato, Scrates, and
Aristotle if these individuis had been restricted in thought. In fact, when Scrates

was restricted, he was condemned to death

and we had no more of his philosophy.
Buddha, Jess, Mohammed, among religious
leaders, spoke freely and expressed them
selves. Even in modern times, we wonder
whether or not the technological advances in
the field of invention would have proceeded
as rapidly in a country where individual be
havior was restricted as it has in many free
countries.
I am frankly somewhat disturbed when I
hear of people, otherwise intelligent and welleducated, who consider the possibility of
reducing human behavior to the level of that
which is regimented, such as in the ant hill
or the beehive. The talk among such people
emphasizes defense mechanisms, compulsive
patterns, and overcompensations. It does not
seem to me ideal that a society should exist
in which every member knows the responses
and behavior of the others, even though all
that it does may be brilliant and efficient.
If it is done without feeling, the accomplishment of any act, with neither regret or
satisfaction, is not taking into consideration
the full scope of the human intellect and
feeling. A coid, efficient society would in a
sense be a society of monsters. I believe it
would be a dangerous society.
People must be what they are. They must
be fallible. They will have doubts and fears,
and they will react to various situations with
tears or amusement. They will be capable
of acts which are to their credit or which are
below human dignity. I believe that we
would all be more comfortable continuing to
live in a society believing that expressions of
both good and evil will occur, with the hope
of mans evolvement and ability to distinguish between what is good and what is evil
and, more important, with the hope that he
will evolve to the point where he can make
an intelligent choice in favor of the good.
In this sense, society will serve life best
when it provides the means for each expression of life to fulfill its basic and fundamental
purpose. One of the purposes of the life of
a human being is to evolve his awareness of
his relationship with an infinite source and
with his own inner self. He will be able to
do this best if he is allowed certain freedoms
and a certain degree of choice. There would
be no satisfaction or no particular valu in
being good just for goods sake. To be good
because he has found that good is better than

evil, that laughter is better than tears, that

joy is better than grief, is to live in a society
whose behavior is based upon experience and
the conclusions of intelligent entities.
Life is too complex to be reduced to a series
of patterns and a formulated, fixed type of
behavior. Human expression is probably to
reach its mximum where latitude and freedom are the keynote and where the restrictions are only those that must be imposed
to preserve the integrity of a society which
permits human beings the freedom to
evolve.A

Kartna Versus Forgiveness

A frater of Switzerland, addressing our
Forum asks: Is not the idea of karma and
the forgiveness of sins incompatible? In fact,
it seems that by the law of karma a sin
could not be forgiven, realizing, of course,
that the words sin and to forgive can mean
many things.
It is quite true that karma and the for
giveness of sins as doctrines are quite in
compatible. It is for that reason that the
Romn Catholic Church inveighs against
every philosophy, metaphysical system, or
religin which teaches karma. The principie
of karma is more compatible with scientific
principies than with some orthodox faiths.
Karma does not recognize arbitrary decisions
being made by a personal deity, either for or
against human beings.
There are two ways to look at the theological doctrine of the forgiveness of sins.
The common conception is that the indi
vidual, by certain prescribed dogma, makes
an appeal to God, or a so-called intermediary
thereof which a religious sect designates, and
conforms to a rite of atonement. Thereupon,
the deity forgives the sinner. This is the
equivalent of his being charged with a crime
and coming before a human judge. The judge
proclaims that he will be exonerated, providing he does thus and thus. The other way
to attain forgiveness of sins is by devoting
oneself to prescribed religious rites such as
sacrifice, mortification, abstentionthereby
propitiating the conceived displeasure of a
deity.
Karma, however, is the law of compensation, or cause and effect; for every act there
is a definite result: That is, for every cause

there follows an effect. These causes are not

the result of a purposeful determina ti ve.
They are not an intentional, willful direction. They are strictly impersonal, as is any
law of nature. Karma, therefore, is not
punitive or an act of retribution. It is not
intended to exact punishment from man for
a wrong act. A parallel between cause and
effect and the true meaning of karma, which
etymologically has its origin in the Sanskrit
words to do or deed, can be found in any
natural phenomenon.
For analogy, gravity neither works intentionally for or against man. Its forc
when invoked works without feeling. It can
be directed by man as a cause from which
certain effects will follow. If the cause is
properly directed, certain beneficial results
may follow, as we know, in the thousands of
ways in which Science daily uses that phe
nomenon. If it is caused to function without
regard for its effects, then gravity may be
harmful although not because of any willful
or intentional action. We know that an object carelessly thrown in the air invokes
a cause, gravity, from which follows the ef
fect of the objects being drawn to the earths
surface. If the negligence results in the falling objects striking and hitting one, he can
not say that gravity wished to inflict an
injury upon him or was desirous of punishing him.
Likewise, as we have often had occasion
to say in our Forum, it is an erroneous idea
that all karma is adverse or detrimental. This
is the presumption that it is being imposed
as a punishment for some wrong human con
duct. It must be understood that karma can
be beneficent as well. It depends upon what
laws of the Cosmic and of nature that we
put into effect in rea tion to our own vales.
Some effects that follow our deeds will bring
about adverse circumstances; others will pro
duce advantageous ones. If one, for analogy,
maliciously breaks a shop window, he has
established a series of causes from which
ultimately he will suffer. The karma obviously is of his own making. On the other
hand, if one diligently studies for a certain
profession and passes a required examination,
he will benefit by these causes which he per
sonally instigated.
We may unconsciously invoke laws from
which we suffer. We learnmost of the

timewhat our mistakes are, and we try to

avoid inducing the same effects in the future. Conversely, we all learn that certain
other circumstances, deeds, or acts are most
likely to redound to our benefit. Of course,
we cannot know all cosmic and natural laws.
Consequently, in our ignorance, we may
make mistakes from which dire effects may
follow. But, likewise, so-called luck is really
the unintentional or unconscious instigation
of causes from which personal benefits are
derived.
It is both unfortunate and amusing that
many persons will attribute any good for
tune to the credit of their own intelligence
and will compliment their own ability. How
ever, when adversity strikes, they transfer
all responsibility to karma, as though it were
some detached evil genii.
Is man, then, at the mercy of karma? The
better way to put it is that we are all sub
ject to cause and effect, which is karma.
Karma is power, as all laws of nature are,
and, if understood, can be used for our good.
Let us think of nuclear power as another
example of karmic law. Nuclear power consists of the natural laws of physics employed
by man. It becomes a gigantic cause from
which effects can be produced. The kind of
effect, the ultimate result, depends upon the
motive of man, his application of the power.
Nuclear power is not necessarily destructive;
it is a forc that has been released. The reasons and application for its release become
mans responsibility.
One of the principal objectives of Rosi
crucian study is to leam as much as possible
about the cosmic and the natural forces expressed in ourselves and the universe around
us. We can be certain that with an increasing knowledge of the law of compensation,
the effects of our deeds will be more to our
benefit.
There is a real cosmic justice in karma.
It functions for and against all men equally.
There are no exceptions for race, nationality,
or creed. Men, when they invoke a cause
through ignorance or malice, cannot expect
that the law will be revoked or made ineffectual because of their appeal. Karmic law
can only be mitigated by introducing or invoking contra laws. Just as a chemist or a
physician can employ one phenomenon, or
natural law, to offset the effect of another;
so can we in our lives.

From the mystical point of view, we can

not expect to pray for the cosmic effect,
which we have set into motion by our
thoughts and acts, to be checked or reversed.
Mystically, prayer should be for the purpose
of personal enlightenment so that one may
come to know how to work in harmony with
the Cosmic rather than to ask for special
forgiveness or exception. Under the religious
doctrine of forgiveness, an individual, believing that he has been forgiven, may not
feel contrite merely because he has gone
through a ritual or a rite. In fact, he may
subsequently make no effort to avoid creating
the same conditions, repeating the same deed,
whereas karmas function is to teach. If we
vilate cosmic and natural law, it is brought
to our consciousness in a most impressive
manner. There is no more intention to hurt
us than when a fire burns our fingers, but
we do not forget the experience easily.X

The Ancient Work

A soror from the south of England poses
this question: I have read much about the
ancient work of the Order. It seems that it
is relatively unimportant to stress these longago activities and more important to pay
attention to the here and now.
We hope that we do not seem to underestimate the importance of present-day ac
tivities of AMORC. Your lessons and your
contact with your instructors and the Grand
Lodge, as well as what you personally gain
from them to help you evolve your conscious
ness and improve your personal affairs, are
always the most important part of your Rosi
crucian membership.
What is ancient to us is such truth as is
eternal and still modern. When we preserve
the ancient rituals and practices, ancient
architecture and studies, we do so to impress
the student with the roots life has in the past;
to show him from whence the present carne,
and to give him an appreciation of the advanced knowledge the mystery schools of the
past preserved for posterity.
It is especially interesting to note in this
regard how apropos to our times are some
of the laws set down by the venerable
Michael Maier for the Fraternity of the Rosy
Cross to follow. The second of these laws
was, That none of them [the members],

notwithstanding their being of the fraternity,

shall be subjected to one habit, but may dress
according to the custom and mode of those
countries in which they reside.
This second law is common practice to
day, but it has been reiterated time and time
again in modern Rosicrucian teachings that
the members of the Order should refrain
from adopting an appearance, dress, or even
a manner of living which would make them
distinct from the society of which they are a
part. The Rosicrucian works best in an en
vironment of which he is a part, not one in
which he stands out because of peculiarities
of dress or action, or by questionable standards of valu.
This law also points out that to bring about
a constructive form of evolution the only
method to follow is that of altering the
thought and activities of human society.
Through using available knowledge and materials, we can best promote our ideis; not
by conspicuously taking a position which
would cause us to be pointed out from among
those whom we strive to serve.
In many non-Rosicrucian texts today,
writers proclaim that God is the ultmate
source of life, that where natural explanation
fails, there God is to be found: He is, in a
word, the author of energy, the primal motive
power of all things. Centuries upon centuries
ago, Akhnaton defined God in just this man
ner. He proclaimed God to be the formless
essence, the intelligent germ, the loving
forc, which permeated time and space.
Those who have delved into the philosophies presented in such books as Unto Thee
I Grant, The Prophet, and works by Plato,
Descartes, Bacon, Emerson, Aristotle, and
other great writers have a realization of the
timelessness of truth. AMORCs Grand Mas
ter has only recently turned our attention
again to the ancient landmarks of the Order,
which are so often referred to yet so little
understood by many of our fratres and
sorores.
They pertain to those characteristics which
have always distinguished the Rosicrucian
Order from the world at large. The land
marks which were established by our ancient
brethren have been perpetuated by members
of the Order who have maintained its various
cycles; and just as we have received land
marks from our predecessors, we are obli-

gated as a duty to transmit the landmarks to

our successors. Preservation of the land
marks makes for uniformity in the work and
procedure carried on by all Rosicrucians. If
one of our landmarks is changed or modified
in any way, it is no longer a Rosicrucian
landmark.
The codes and ethics of the ancient mystics, as well as their establishment of the
equality of the sexes, read like a modern bil
of rights. All Rosicrucians are equal to the
extent that they may enjoy the same privileges of Rosicrucian membership. They may
be of either sex and be different in evolution,
development, understanding, color, race, or
creed, but if they can meet the necessary
qualifications for membership, they are
privileged to study the same Rosicrucian instruction and receive the same respect and
recognition from the Order. The Neophyte is
entitled to just as much respect and consider
ation as the advanced member.
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis stated that the An
cient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis is perpetuating the ancient fraternity by continually promoting the ancient teachings with
the modified applications and traditional
revela tions of science and discovery which
will enable the student to derive the utmost
of benefit from the teachings under modern
conditions and in meeting the everyday problems of life. . . . The same ancient landmarks,
ideis, and purposes which made the Rosi
crucian Fraternity so efficient in its world
activities during the past centuries are main
tained by the present organization. A sacred
heritage has been given to the Order . . . and
it will pass this heritage on to the future
generations.
The teachings of AMORC today are based
upon writings contained in authentic Rosi
crucian publications and manuscripts of the
past. These fundamental principies have
never been changed in our lessons since they
were first given to Dr. Lewis in the years be
tween 1909 and 1916, or in special manu
scripts received later. It is true that from
time to time we have augmented our lessons
with new matter sent to us by foreign
branches of our organization, where experi
ments, tests, and demonstrations have been
made for the purpose of keeping our teach
ings abreast of the times. Also, new matter
has been contributed by our own Interna
tional Research Council, composed of men

and women engaged in special research in the

sciences, arts, and practices of modern times.
It is always well to remember that nothing
is so modern or nothing so ancient as funda
mental truth.B
Analyzing Our Dreams
A frater of Australia says: It is suggested
that we do not ask our Class Master to analyze our dreams. Is there any way Rosicru
cian students can analyze their own
dreams?
There are many factors that account for
dreams. Although psychologists and psychiatrists have conflicting theories, they are yet
in agreement on certain causes. Dreams can
be caused by physical disturbances such as
digestive disorders from overeating. These
can be mild enough not to awaken the indi
vidual and yet the stimulus can produce
random ideation resulting in a dream. If
there is a mild pain from the indigestin,
experiences associated with pain or discom
fort will be recalled from memory but the
ideas be so confused as to cause the jumbled
nature of a dream. Since the ideas recalled
are from unpleasant incidents, the dream
may be frightening or temporarily emotionally disturbing.
It has been demonstrated in clinical tests
that external stimuli not sufficient to awaken
a subject may yet cause varied dreams. If a
portion of the sleepers bodyhis feet, for
exampleis exposed to a coid draft, he may
dream of walking through snow, over ice, or
in a coid stream. This is another example
of associationthe sensation of coldness being
associated with similar experiences in the
wakened state.
Emotional states during the day may pro
duce similar emotional dream states, excepting that the incidents may be quite different.
For further analogy, during the day one may
be trying to accomplish a particular task in
a most punctilious way. No matter how he
applies himself, he does not quite succeed.
At the cise of the day, he feels definitely
frustrated. He has exhausted everything he
knows how to do in order to attain his end,
and yet he has failed. Obviously, this is
depressing. The experience is strongly regis
tered in both the conscious and subconscious
minds and the individual is emotionally affected by the days incident.

Then he retires and is restless in his sleep;

he dreams. In his dream, we shall say, he is
preparing for a journey and is packing to
take a plae that very day. He has not much
time to complete his packing. Each thing he
wants to put in his luggage, he cannot find.
The most common things have apparently
been mislaid. He fusses and fumes. He is
frustrated and is awakened quite emotion
ally shaken and irritated. He has been affected by the incident of the previous day.
The emotional stimulus carried over and
produced the dream in which it played its
part again with a different setting.
There are dreams that are aroused by our
appetites. Thirst will produce dreams in
which it plays its part, as will the desire for
food. Sex appetite or urges will likewise
produce dreams in which the appetite is ac
tive. Other intense emotions such as hate
and envy will cloak themselves in dreams
related to the character or subject of ones
feeling. Most of these types of dreams are
quite obvious. With a little personal reflection, we can usually arrive at an understanding of how they originated.
But there are dreams that mystify us. We
find it difficult or impossible to relate them
to any conscious experience we have had.
In their content, they even seem quite detached from our personality, our interests,
and our thinking. Where do they originate?
Are they psychic? Such dreams, according
to authorities such as Freud, Adler, and
Jung, for example, may be purely symbolic.
They may represent repressed desires of
which we are not conscious. They may have
come from childhood traumas of which we
no longer have memory. The expression of
the repressed impulse cloaks itself in quite
different ideas in dream form. In fact, there
is what may be called the reversal process,
the substance of the dream, its content, being
quite the opposite of the motivating forc in
the subconscious.
Some dreams are not even comprehensible.
They are difficult to describe. They are pure
ly symbolic, expressed as geometric forms
and colors, or centering upon a certain ani
mal or scene. They represent a particularly
deep emotional state or condition that seeks
expression but which, for some reason, the
ego has held back. Such dreams, of course,
may be impossible for us to analyze, for

the symbol, the dream itself, is quite unlike

its cause, as we have said.
However, trained analysts often can interpret the symbols of a dream to determine
its latent subconscious cause. They are able
to do this because of their study of numerous
subjects. By statistical examination, they
have found that certain types of dreams are
symbolic of particular disturbances within
the personality. Of course, even by experts,
all dreams are not possible of interpretation.
Psychoanalysis is not yet as perfect a Sci
ence as mathematics, chemistry, or physics,
for example.
Psychic experiences fall into two classifications: Psychology and psychiatry cali all
inner mental states and phenomena the
psychic side of man. This is one application
of the word psychic. By this, they mean
states which are contrary to the objective or
physical self. To the mystic, however, there
is another category of the word psychic. To
him, it means the self and its relationship
to the Cosmic Mind and psychic selves of
others. It has no reference to such functions
as memory, imagination, emotions, will, reason, etc. Consequently, a psychic experience
is quite different from an ordinary dream.
We have explained this difieren ce between
psychic experiences and dreams quite often
in our monographs. Yet members are frequently still confused.
A member may relate some terrifying
dream he has had and ask if it is a psychic
experience and what does it mean. We must
repeat that a psychic experience is intended
to enlighten: It usually is a contact with the
Cosmic Intelligence within ourselves. It can
be compared to an intuitive impression,
which is not confusing but so explicable that
it appears to be self-evident. A psychic ex
perience is inspiring and usually induces a
sense of peace and well-being. Instead of
being a jumble of random ideas, as are most
dreams, the psychic experience unfolds itself
in a comprehensive, progressive continuity
just as would a conscious experience.
The meaning of a psychic experience, even
though it is inspiring and seemingly clear
in its details, may not immediately always
be fully known. Hours or even days later
a further intuitive flasheven while awake
may make its meaning known. Then again,
it may reveal itself during sleep. Remember,
each of us has attained different levels of

consciousness. Some of us may be able to

reach the same level of the subconscious in
our unfoldment and others may not. There
fore, the psychic experience we have is interpreted in terms of our own consciousness,
at our own level of attainment and experi
ence, based, too, on our education and background.
The psychic experience was not intended
to be universal, to have the same significance
for everybody. Others can only explain your
psychic experience from the perspective of
whatever level of consciousness they have
attained. Their explanation would not, in
most instances, be the meaning that you
should construe from the experience. In fact,
when we ask another to explain our psychic
experiences, we generally find that their
answer is never quite satisfactory. That is
because it is not what the psychic self really
wants us to know.
We should avoid asking others the mean
ing of our psychic experiences because they
always may be misinterpreted. Further, a
psychic experience made possible by the
higher consciousness of self or as a result of
a cosmic contact is a sacred experience. It
should not be bandied about as though it
were some common topic of the day. Also,
be certain first that what you cali a psychic
experience is in fact not a dream. Check
yourself by the general explanation of dreams
given here.X
FulfiUing A Need
Man is equipped with the ability to give
and to receive. We should all learn to use
both of these attributes gracefully. The indi
vidual who has never had the experience of
really needing something has not had the full
experience of living. There is a cise rela
tionship between need and fulfillment. There
are many who have lived a full life without
ever realizing that fulfillment cannot precede
a need.
It is not unusual for us here at Rosicrucian
Park to receive Communications from mem
bers, usually in the first year of their association with the organization, questioning
whether they should continu or discontinu
their affiliation with the organization. What
they are trying to say but do not put into
words is that they have not found the Rosi
crucian teachings sufficient to fulfill what

they believe to be their needs at the present

time. This is due either to lack of application,
lack of allotting sufficient time to grasp the
principies which they can use, or, in many
cases, to the failure to realize a need.
In many parts of the world today, there
exist higher standards of living than probably
have ever existed in all of mans history.
With the surpluses of the materials which
man can use, it is sometimes believed that
his needs are fewer than they were at other
periods. Man feels that all he needs can be
obtained if he works and applies himself to
secure sufficient funds to purchase what he
wants. In other words, the emphasis on materialism causes him to think of his needs
in terms of physical relationships only and,
in so thinking, he sometimes does not realize
that in this physical existence there are other
demands which must be filled if his life is
to be full and reasonably happy.
In the letter written recently by a member
of the Order over a period of many years, he
mentions the fact that about ten years ago
he became inactive in his membership. He
could not explain just why he did that. It
was not due to any dissatisfaction with the
Order or to any lack of realization of the
importance of the organizations teachings.
It was probably due simply to the fact that
his attention was directed elsewhere, and he
did not want to use the time and effort neces
sary to continu with the studies. Then in
the last few months, this same member has
had some rather unfortunate experiences.
These experiences did not occur because
the member discontinued his active member
ship in the organization or because he di
rected most of his thinking to material factors
in the interim. But the fact that they did
occur caused him to realize that much of the
effort he had been using in recent years was
not filling a need. Because of these misfortunes, he suddenly felt as if he lacked something, that something in his life was missing.
So he tumed back to the Rosicrucian teach
ings. He began to re-examine the lessons
which he had previously studied. He began
to practice the experiments and exercises
contained in the teachings and resumed his
active affiliation. His remarks were that he
was amazed at the success that he had with
the teachings and how stupid he appeared to
himself now not to have grasped the prin
cipies which he had studied before.

Sometimes we have to be jolted by misfortune before we can realize a need. In

order to fulfill a purpose or a function, we
have to have the reason for it. We cannot
carry water, for example, without a con
tainer to hold it. The container is the need;
the water is what fulfills. We can find a
similar parallel in our individual lives. The
need that we experience in order to meet
the stress and strain of our environment is not
to be fulfilled by the material alone, but by
guidance and inspiration that can come
through the inner self by the process of intuition. It is inspiration that will give us perspective, tolerance, and even wisdom with
which to cope with the everyday problems of
existence.
Therefore, our needs must be filled to
capacity, to overflowing; but we must never
be too proud to acknowledge that we have
needs, that we are not self-sufficient. Man
is not an isolated entity or an island stranded
in the universe. He is a part of the manifestation of life, which in turn is a divine
forc. When we realize this fact and our
awareness of it is sufficient to cause our at
tention to be directed to it; then we shall be
willing to participate in those actions and
analysis that will bring a breadth of understanding to our consciousness and be a factor
in contribu ting to our peace of mind.A

As A Man Thinks
A frater asks, If we are what we think,
then why cannot our thoughts more readily
bring us success?
Great emphasis has been laid on the supposition that, As a man thinks, so is he.
In mystical study, we accept this as being
almost axiomatic. But, naturally, the chal
lenge arises that no matter how much he
thinks about it, not everything a man thinks
has its counterpart in the world of reality.
It is evident that a man must do much more
than to think health to be healthy or to think
riches to be rich. Many students of mysticism accept an axiom such as As a man
thinks, so is he; then they attempt to relate
their efforts and progress to it. When they
find that thinking about things brings no
startling results and that concentration is of
no greater help in achieving their goals,
they soon lose interest in study or give up
their quest for greater Light completely.

They abandon the axiom as being Pollyannish.

In a very broad sense, we at first postlate
that mans thoughts are his entire existence.
This can be more easily understood if we
mentally or literally sketch a human eye
on a piece of paper. Next, we draw an object
a few inches in front of the eye; then sight
lines from the object to the eye, having the
lines meet in the center of the eye and spread
out again to a point where they would normally form an image in the consciousness.
Here we are analyzing man as a conscious
center whose world exists within him, not
without. Because the world of which he is
conscious is within him, his concepts of a
time-and-space world are mere illusions. In
other words, everything that man knows
happens in his mind, and he merely perceives these events to be happening outside
himself.
This image on the brain, then, is his first
knowledge of the object. It is in the mind
itself that the image lies and it is there that
it is recognized. Here, though, through the
peculiar quality of perception, the image is
projected outward again and is perceived,
not seen, as an object occupying space apart
from the perceiving mind.
The significance of these findings is not
the denial of a real world with which man
must deala real world from which his con
scious impressions originate. The significance
lies, rather, in demonstrating how much this
real world is influenced by mans thinking.
Everything man perceives is not only colored
by his thinking, his prejudices, and his past
experiences, but he can actually perceive
things which exist only in his mind. The
source of his impressions may be vibrations
of a psychic nature; they may be the thoughts
of others; or they may be his own thoughts
which generate lifelike images in his con
sciousness. If vivid enough, he will project
these images outward, also, and perceive
them as realities of the normal objective
world. Visions and materializations are examples of this latter phenomenon.
This illustration is designed to emphasize
that existence for man is strictly a matter of
his conscious impressions, of the things of
which he is conscious. Therefore, what he
thinks or what he thinks about is emphatically what he is.
However, since thought is a mental proc-

ess, it affects mans mental worldhis be

havior, psychic states, habits, wants, desires,
characteristics, and so on. If he desires qualities in his personality such as forcefulness,
strength, resolution, and so on, that is entirely dependent upon his thinking. But
mans thoughts do not directly affect the
noumenal world of which he is conscious:
He cannot think about a new home and immediately realize it. He cannot think of him
self as a wealthy man and be one.
In looking at the ancient axiom in this
light, we read, As a man thinks, so is he.
If he encounters difficulty in changing him
self through the use of right thinking, it is
only because he is not thinking exclusively
of the desired goal. In this case, the use of
affirmations such as those of the Rosicrucian
Creed are excellent helps. They so fill the
consciousness with select matter that coinciding behavior must follow. A kind man thinks
kindly. A bitter man thinks grievously. A
selfish man thinks mostly of self. One can
not by thinking be another, however he disguises his motives.
As our illustration shows, the whole world
we know is in our minds. Let us not give up
our exercises to change our lives and our
environment by our thoughts. Our minds
are ours to do with as we please. With that
established, we may attack our personal problems with new zeal. It is the purpose of
Rosicrucian study to develop the faculties of
the mind so that we can achieve greater con
trol of our environment and lead a more
satisfying and useful life.B
Responsibility of Space Exploration
Some time ago, I wrote an article, which
appeared in the Rosicrucian Digest, that com
pared space exploration with the exploration
of the Western hemisphere by Europeans
some four centuries or more ago. I pointed
out how the exploration had tumed into
exploitation; how the civilizations that existed
here were wiped out before the Europeans
could leam from them; and how men turned
to greed and personal satisfactions rather than
to exploring the new lands and developing
them for the good of mankind. Prescotts
histories of the conquest of Mxico and Per
are classic examples of how one people can
overrun another before the one is given an
opportunity even to be known by the other.
(continued overleaf)

If history repeats itself in the exploration

of space and turns out to be a similar conquest; then it will certainly be an indication
that man has evolved very little in the past
few centuries. With these thoughts in mind,
I was somewhat surprised not long ago to
read in a reputable scientific joumal how im
portant it is that when we reach the point of
space exploration where men in satellites are
sent to land on the moon or other planets of
our solar system, everything they carry and
even they themselves must be absolutely
sterile so that no bacteria, germs, or contamination of any kind will be transferred
from the earth to other parts of the solar
system.
The article was also concerned about the
provision that must be made for an individual
who might be incubating a disease. The first
astronaut to the moon possibly might have
been exposed to the measles, mumps, or even
the common coid that would not develop
until the second or third day after he took
off. Some provision must be made for these
circumstances. According to the article I
read, this matter was already being studied
and physical means were being developed
to isolate such an individual until he was
free from these diseases. The article did
not state who would do his work in the interim.
While this is very idealistic and does show
that at least serious thought is being given
to these problems, it is doubtful that they
will be carried out to the extent that this
article seemed to hope. Many of the diseases
which killed the na ti ves of the Western
hemisphere had never been known by them
before, but they were carried here in various
forms from the European continent. Prob
ably the same will happen again because, in
spite of the attempts to sterilize all equipment and materials that are sent into space,
it will probably be impossible to control every
avenue and means by which certain microorganisms might be transferred from one
place to the other.
While this raises a most interesting question, it seems to me to avoid a more funda
mental one; that is, might it not be better for
man to clean up this planet before he starts
exploring others? Now I know that statement will be called reactionary, and it will
be said that I am not progressive, that I am
holding up progress by my philosophy and

thinking; but I am not so sure that it is as

reactionary as it first appears.
If man is going to explore the universe;
then it will be more beneficial to him if he
starts out with a clean slate. Very few indi
viduis have done this, I admit, even in their
priva te lives; but it is an ideal that we might
give serious consideration. Far better than
for man to go to the moon or to another
planet free of the microorganisms that cause
tuberculosis or smallpox would be for the
existence of smallpox and tuberculosis to be
eliminated on this planet before he left it.
Again, I ask intelligent human beings to consider whether it would not be well that part
of the enormous sums of money being spent
in research for space travel be devoted to the
conquest of disease and health here on this
planet before we explore others?A

Errors of Conscience
A soror of England, addressing our Forum,
says: There are persons who do strange
things in the ame of conscience, and I find
it hard to understand such a conscience. It
seems that these types of conscience lean very
much toward the objective side, or the mundane.
Conscience represents our moral convictions. It is the inclination to conform to a
sense of righteousness, which manifests in a
particular kind of conduct. Such responsive
behavior may be so positive as to pursue a
particular course of action or to refrain from
some action. It is, however, erroneous to
think that the dictates of conscience are al
ways proper and right. Many acts which,
however, were subsequently proved to be
wrong and, in fact, in some instances very
harmful have been committed in good faith
motivated by conscience.
It is often assumed that conscience is a
divine inclination, that it is the dictate of
the soul and that, therefore, its functions can
result only in constructive, beneficial, and
morally perfect acts. Conscience is a composite. First, psychologically and mystically,
it consists of an intuitive impulse. It is an
awareness that the individual has to his hu
man relationships. It is a sympathetic ex
tensin of the interests of self to include the
welfare of others. We act on conscience as
we believe we would want others to act to
ward us. A sensitive person is responsive to

the more subtle sentiments and to the higher

emotions. Intuitively, then, he can realize
circumstances and conditions which he feels
offend these sensibilities which he has. Such
an impulse, we can say, from a mystical
point of view is related to the advanced states
of the consciousness of an individual.
However, conscience is more than these
intuitive impulses and sensitivity. We have
said that conscience is a composite. If con
science is the impulsation to do the right,
the question arises, What is the right? It is
here that experience, social convictions, and
the public conscience enter. Each of us is
conditioned by our customs, laws, and re
ligious doctrines, all of which throughout the
world vary as to what is the right. Consequently, the form that our conscience takes
is in accord with such objective standards and
practices. The soror who asks this question
has herself introduced an example of this
variation of the objective aspect of conscience.
She relates how a parent, a member of a
particular religious sect which forbids surgery
and medication, refused to allow his little
daughter to have a blood transfusin following a serious accident. As a consequence, the
child died when a physician could have saved
her. Yet the parent had acted according to
conscience.
Obviously, then, the od adage, Let con
science be your guide, is not always applicable. It now may be asked, What reliance
then can one place upon his conscience? We
can only say that conscience is a motivation
that tends to move us in the right direction.
It wants to prevent an offense to the self, to
the so-called moral sense. This impulse should
be heeded. Whenever we act in a way that
engenders the voice or a warning of con
science, we should first appraise our action.
In other words, we should determine whether
what will satisfy our conscience will also
bring no hardship or suffering to others.
The intelligent way in which to respond to
conscience is to realize first that its function
is to have us act in the right way; next, that
it must be a right means for the welfare of
others as well. Conscience is always con
cerned with others or that which is beyond

the immediate self. Therefore, if what is to

be done in response to conscience wrongly
brings hurt to others, it is fundamentally a
violation of the psychological and mystical
content of conscience.
Often conscience is confused with ones
habitual thoughts or desires. One may be
lieve that a certain procedure or a way of
doing a thing is for the best. This may be an
honest conviction arrived at as a result of
the reasoning of a person. He is adamant in
the support of his ideas. It would be offensive to his ego to accept a contrary view. He
thinks he is right in his insistence. But this
is not conscience. It is a dominant will often
founded upon misunderstanding and a false
premise. However, conscience can be wrong
ly related to such a conviction. If one believes he is right in what he is doing; then
conscience will impel him to move in the
direction of what is conceived as right. In
this way, many serious mistakes are made
wholly in good faith.
It should be apparent to everyone that
conscience can have a variety of interpretations. In other words, there is no universal
conscience which is objectified into a code of
behavior acceptable to men everywhere. It
is for this reason that that behavior which
society accepts as morally proper in most
instances must be enforced by punitive measures exacted for violation. The conscience
of many persons objectively interpreted does
not conform to the conscience of society, and
their personal conscience has to be made to
yield.
Of course, the public conscience or the
mass interpretation of the impulse of con
science is not always the right one. Many
enlightened individuis in the past have been
burned at the stake or otherwise persecuted
by a bigoted public or religious conscience.
The religious bigotry that prevails in Spain
today is an example. The authorities in that
nation, persecuting others of different re
ligious faiths, do so in accordance with con
science! Yet that conscienceso-called
brings suffering and the suppression of the
freedom of conscience to other human
beings.X

A Reminder: The Rosicrucian Forum is a prvate publication for members

of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, only. To allow it to circuate otherwise
defeats its purpose and is a violation of ones obligation.

& n j/ 04f

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Title

The Imperator Explains AMORC

Release of Self
Land of the Incas
Rubaiyat of Ornar Khayyam
Mystical Prayer
Initiation
Our Future Incarnations
Concept of Pantheism
What Is Sacred?
What Do You Reflect?
Akhnaton: A Beautiful Rendition of
the Life of This Great Pharaoh
The Story of Secreto Eterno
An Approach to Absolute Valu
Psychic Sight
S ftx J v e n
^ b i> v e c tly
*7 a

Ij o u

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Voiee

R. M. Lewis
C. A. Poole
R. M. Lewis
H. Miles
R. M. Lewis
H. P. Stevens
R. M. Lewis
R. R. Clayson
C. A. Poole
J. D. Freeman
M. Chard
P. Falcone
C. A. Poole
R. M. Lewis

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45
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24
14
20
14
16
22
24
23
13

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October, 1964
Volum e X X X V

No. 2

RO SIO Rlim i
FORUM
A prvate publication
for m em bers of A M O R C

Where Mystics Dwelt

Reminiscent of a quieler age,
this handsome stately edifice
oyerlooks one of the main
canals of Amsterdam, Holland.
It was the hom e and study of
Roemir Visscher, once celebrated Rosicrucian and mystic
o f Holland, popula rly known
during his time for his lighter
literary works. This building
was once the m eeting place
of the fratres of the Rosae
Crucis.

Greetings!
V

OCCULTISM VS. MYSTICISM

Dear Fratres and Sorores:
termed esoteric in the general sense of that
word. Of course, the functions of the esoteric
Two questions uppermost in many minds
and of occultism are often merged. Persons
involve the Rosicrucian position regarding
may take certain occult rites and doctrines
ceremonial magic and occultism versus mysand make them esoteric, that is, confine them
ticism and the difference between invocations
to their own prvate use.
and affirmations.
There was much that was once regarded
Let us begin by discussing occultism. In
as being occult and superstitious that has
general, it is that which is considered as being
since merged into the realm of accepted Sci
secret and enigmatic. It is the presumption
ence or, at least, is included in the fields of
that there is a supernatural gnosis, or wisscientific research. Hypnotism and the phe
dom, which is concealed from the usual
nomena of extrasensory perception are the
avenues of knowledge. It further implies that
most common examples. Religious prejudice
this secret knowledge is not to be had by the
and general ignorance have often attributed
normal means of perception but rather that
certain practices to the realm of the occult.
it requires the invocation and use of certain
The medieval alchemists whose discoveries
ultra powers if it is to be revealed to man.
So-called occult laws are thought to be re aided in the development of such sciences
as chemistry and pharmacology were exelated to phenomena which ordinarily trancrated as devil worshippers by the ignorant
scend nature but which can be called forth
and fearful masses of the times.
by special, secret methods.
Occultism still thrives in our day but often
It must be obvious from this that much
under pseudo ames that imply a scientific
that is within the category of occultism is
activity. Often these groups proclaim teach
superstition and false knowledge. In fact,
magic and occultism are closely related. Mag ings which are not only fantastic but are
contrary to natural law. They imply in their
ic is the attempt to command nature and
literature that there are supernatural powers
imagined supernatural forces to do the bidwhich they are to invoke in a particular manding of man. It is also the belief that man
ner. However, they relate their practices and
has certain bonds or connections with the
supernatural that can be exercised to accom terms to phrases which to the ungrounded in
science appear to have a scientific foundaplish feats which the normal faculties cannot.
tion. They inject words from physics, chem
The relationship of occultism to magic is that
istry, and astronomy; they even use the ver
with the former the magical process is
nacular of electronics. Actually, there is no
thought to be secret, concealed within the
connection with these subjects. It is nothing
natural or supernatural world to be discovmore than occultism in a modern dress.
ered or revealed under certain conditions.
With regard to ceremonial magic, this is
We do not mean that all that carries the
a combination of ritualism, symbolism, mysappellation occultism is a mass of superstitious notions and practices. Much that is so ticism, and magic. Simply stated, it is the
fact that, psychologically, certain emotions
designated is actually esoteric and is wrongly
and latent powers of self can be awakened
termed occult. Esoteric refers to that which
by the performance of specially designed
is innerenigmaticperhaps a more reverceremonies. The ceremonies of religious sects,
ential and prvate teaching or knowledge.
as, for example, the Mass of the Romn
The word esoteric does not in itself imply
Catholic Church is a form of ceremonial
that there is any supernatural relationship.
magic. The devices and objects used are
In fact, strctly scientific data which are
symbols of what are said to be divine powers.
classified and limited for some reason to a
The acts and words are intended to induce
specific group of people could really be

a mystical or religious experience by reaching into the subconscious of the individual.

Every mystical initiation is a kind of cere
monial magic in that it intends to place the
inner self of the individual en rapport with
cosmic powers. Such a kind of ceremonial
magic is constructive and enlightening. In
fact, only in the broadest sense does the word
magic really apply in such instances.
However, where the ceremonies are of a
nature which either imply or directly state
that they are to invoke demonic powers,
where they instill fear, or where it is made
to appear that there actually exists a latent
power in the objects used, then they are pur,
primitive magic. Such includes the use of
amulet, phylactery, and fetish, combined
with unadulterated occultism. In true initia
tion, the symbols used are merely representative. They are but signs to depict certain
meanings, just as words or numeris do. In
true initiation, it is neither taught or is it
suggested that the symbols themselves have
an inherent, dormant power to be aroused.
Further, it is not stated that a contact with
such symbols transfers by touch or association any kind of special endowment to the
individual. But in the perverted forms of
ceremonial magic such erroneous ideas are
conveyed to the innocent, ignorant believer
or devotee.
Mysticism radically departs from magic
and occultism. As we have stated on numerous occasions, mysticism is the individual^
immediate awareness of his unin with God,
or the Absolute. It is the personal conscious
ness of the individuals one-ness with the
Cosmic. This unity is accomplished by in
troversin, that is, by turning the conscious
ness inward so as to realize the whole self.
It is the ascending to higher levels of con
sciousness, which is potentially possible with
every normal human being.
Such attunement is known as the mystical
experience. It is not, however, entirely sub
jective. The experience has a definite impact
upon the conscious or objective state. It pro

vides a deeper insight, a sense of Peace Profound, an awakening and developing of the
powers of self. It makes possible Creative
activity and the formation of a practical phi
losophy of life, leading to greater happiness
and attainment. The extent of this attainment depends, of course, upon the degree
of the mystical development of the individual
and on the manner in which he interprets
these experiences.
The true mystic is at all times aware that
he is using natural and cosmic laws. He does
not consider them occult in the sense that
they are hidden, supernatural forces to be
aroused by secret methods. A mystic may
consider his teachings esoteric. However, by
this he means prvate or confidential. He
is happy to share them, at least to introduce
others to the same channels or source of
knowledge to which he has access. But to
him such knowledge is sacred and it is not
to be profaned by promiscuous use, by passing it on to the man on the Street. The mys
tic believes and knows that one must first
prove himself worthy or such knowledge
would be of no avail.
Through ignorance or misinformation, the
word mysticism is frequently misused. In
newspapers, periodicals, and conversation,
one often sees or hears the word interchanged
with others that really mean mysterious,
weird, or occult. Such wrong reference,
common as it is, shows a lack of knowledge
of philosophy and a complete unfamiliarity
with the meaning of mysticism.
It is shocking to hear even a clergyman
speak disparagingly of mysticism. He fails
to realize that if one were to remove the
mystical element from Christianity, or out
of religin generally, such would become but
a shell devoid of religious spirt. Clergymen
who speak in that manner have perhaps contacted some group or organization which
styles itself mystical but whose practices are
not truly such; then, on that basis, an opinion
of mysticism is formed. However, for an
academic degree in theology, a thelogian is

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obliged to study mysticism and know what

it truly is. There are many clergymen who
lack this education, who have made a study
of the Bible only. Their academic lack is
displayed publicly in their fallacious remarks.
We have also been asked about the difference between invocations and affirmations.
An invocation is to cali forth or induce a
power to manifest itself or to produce a cer
tain effect that is thought to be latent. The
term in its negative sense, of course, is used
in rituals of primitivo magic and superstitious practices. To prophesy future events,
the shaman of tribes in Africa throw the
bones and at the same time invoke by that
act, so they believe, the powers to which the
bones are related. We have witnessed cere
monies of this kind in the Transvaal of South
Africa. However, the word invocation is
also used in churches and temples and in
other events in connection with prayer. This
means the calling forth of the blessing of the
Deity. All prayers, however, are not invoca
tions. But a prayer of invocation is definitely
an appeal for the intercession of a divine
being.
An affirmation in its true or proper sense
is quite different from an invocation. It is
the affirming or the making of a positive
statement. One affirms or declares this or
that. Affirmations may be made psychologically as suggestions to oneself or others.
Certain religions have a series of affirma
tions or statements which the congregation
must utter in response to the words of the
clergyman. Those who affirm, for example,
I am not ill. I am not illwhen, in fact,
they arehope by such a statement to apply
the power of their own minds by suggestion
in such a manner as to stimulate the curative
powers of their bodies and thus actually to
cure the ailments which they do not admit.
Fratemally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
lmperator.

Psychic Sounds
A letter representative of many to this
Forum reads: On several occasions, I have
heard a voicenot exactly a human voice, but
more a ringing voice vibrating through space.
It says a distinct sentence and then discon
tines completely. This has happened mostly
after I have gone to bed although it has oc-

curred a couple of times during the day.

These sentences are of a nature and vocabulary with which I am not completely famil
iar. Sometimes the subjects are political and
eloquent in nature. This does not frighten
me in the least; in fact, it rather fascinates
me.
Another letter reads: When on one or
more occasions, you hear a voice say your
ame or a sentence unintelligibly and also
inaudible to others, what is the cause? I
have had these experiences in my home.
This is a delicate field of phenomena in
which to venturenot because it is incredible, but because popular opinions as to the
cause are very pronounced. In making an
explanation based upon factual principies,
one is apt to offend those who believe other
wise. In fact, the discernment of voices in
audible to others can be the result of three
fundamental causes. Many times it is diffi
cult to determine which of them is responsible. It is advisable, therefore, to divide this
subject into three parts: physical, psycho
logical, and psychical.
P hysical: A disarrangement of the structure of the ear due to disease or injury
often causes internal sensations which are
perceived as strange sounds. Because they
originate within the elements of the organ
of the ear itself, they appear to be quite
loud and often are believed to be from some
extemal source. Sounds that are caused by
internal conditions often seem to have such
great intensity that they are imagined to be
audible to others. For example, you can grate
your teeth slightly, keeping your lips tightly
closed, and to your own consciousness the
sounds emitted will seem loud enough for
others to hear. Actually, others of normal
hearing in your presence would not have
heard the sound. This is due to the fact that
the vibrations caused by grating the teeth
are telegraphed directly to the organ of hear
ing through bone induction.
In other words, the bones become a transmitting line to the ear for the vibrations,
where they are translated into sensations of
sound. Stand near one who is having a tooth
drilled by a dentist. To you, the sound of the
drill is not a very loud buzzing. To the patient, the sound is intense because the vibra
tions of the drill on the teeth, transmitted
through the bone to the ear, become more

intense sensations of sound than the disturbance of the air which you hear.
In these examples, of course, the individual
knows or is conscious of the origin of such
sounds. He is aware that they do not exist
apart from him and are, in fact, internal.
This is usually because there are sensations
of touch which accompany them, such as
pain or discomfiture. When, however, in
ternal sounds are intense and are not accompanied by tactile sensations and are not
directional, that is, do not seem to come from
any one direction, the individual then is
very much mystified. He is apt to believe
them to be of external origin; but since no
one is present or nothing seems to have
caused the sounds, the experiences seem to
take on a supernatural origin.
Consequently, when physical disturbances
within us produce sensations of sound with
out pain or other awareness, the hearer is
inclined to attribute them to weird or ex
ternal forces. Such sounds may be like a very
high-pitched whistle or, again, like frying or
crackling if they are disturbances within the
ear. A combination of such sounds may create the impression of hearing the incoherent
voice of an invisible speaker. Also, such
physical causes lead persons to imagine that
they are hearing music or song. If the condition is not investigated and corrected, the
fear and consequent inhibitions may produce
psychoneurosis, namely, hysteria, obsessions,
etc.
The question may be asked, when one
hears sounds and there is no external cause
discemible, how is he to know whether or
not they are from an ear affliction? If a
physical ailment, that is, an ear affliction,
is the cause, a lessening of hearing in one or
both ears or perhaps slight inflammation will
be noticed. The discomfiture and the loss of
hearing may not actually accompany the
consciousness of the sounds; but if one has
had them not long before the hearing of such
sounds or subsequently, it is advisable to
have an ear specialist examine the ears. In
all probability, that will end the hearing of
strange sounds.
P sychological: The term cryptesthesia
refers to the often displayed human faculty
of determining events and realities without
the means of the physical senses. Cryptes
thesia, consequently, concerns psychic phe-

nomena and so-called clairvoyance. The

borderline is finely drawn between cryptes
thesia and psychologys investigation of
extrasensory perception.
Until a comparatively recent time, orthodox psychology considered all kinds of reports
concerning mental telepathy to be entirely
extraneous to its investigations. In fact, it
believed telepathy, clairvoyance, and even
hypnotism, if not exactly a form of charlatanism, at least devoted to the supernatural.
Psychology was seriously interested in probing the functions of mind, the realm of con
sciousness, reason, habit, will, perception, etc.
It believed that telepathy, for example, was
not a natural mental process, that it depended
upon the claim of the individual to extraordinary powers, possibly of a religious nature.
Thus psychology felt it was not incumbent
upon science to give credence to these tales.
In this, we have an example of academic
bigotry. Fortunately, time has changed this
and much of which was once left entirely to
the category of psychical phenomena, or
psychical research, is now part of the serious
investigation of psychology as well. In fact,
psychology now declares that mental telep
athy is due to hyperesthesia, namely, a
supersensitivity of the brain not yet fully explained by the physical theories of science.
Consequently, psychology and psychiatry,
the latter concerned with the treatment of
mental disorders, have very definite explanations for the hearing of voices. To psychiatry,
these experiences, as a rule, constitute the
symptoms of mental derangement. One
authority on insanity has written regarding
the hallucinations of the insane, Auditory
hallucinations are the most common and usu
ally are of the nature of voices. . . . Most
frequently, the voices are derogatory and
accusing. Further, such hallucinations are
usually associated with that form of insanity
known as dementia praecox.
The important point to be realized is that
the hearing of sounds is by no means a sol
symptom of insanity. Psychiatrists state that
with hallucinations of the insane there are
numerous other symptoms as well, such as
assuming bizarre postures, delusions of grandeur and persecution, etc. No one has ever
had the experience of hearing voices and been
adjudged insane without experiencing other
associated symptoms. Further, in the instance

of the insane, the voices are usually derogatory and accusing.

Another point of importance is that the
insane person is never confused by such
audible experiences. To him, they are a
reality. He hears them so frequently and
with such clarity because of the abnormal
condition of his mind that they are an actuality to him. As we learned in our early
Rosicrucian Temple Degree monographs, the
basis of insanity is the inability of the indi
vidual to distinguish between his subjective
world, the world of imagination and memory,
and the world of objective experiences.
Eventually, to the insane person the figments
of the imagination, the internal workings of
the mind, become more real than the world
in which he actually exists.
If a person becomes alarmed, puzzled, or
curious because he occasionally hears voices,
words, sentences, or musical notes for which
there seem to be no physical cause beyond
himself, he may be certain that he is not
insane. If he is able to distinguish such
phrases from the normal physical, audible
ones, he may be assured that he is displaying
no symptoms of insanity.
Can sounds or voices for which there are
no apparent physical causes be audible and
is the person who hears them normal? The
answer is yes. Such experiences in the past
were called clairaudience. The phenomenon
falls into the science of psychology and the
realm of what is classified as psychic phenomena. Let us take the cited example in the
foregoing letter, namely, the hearing of ones
ame called only to discover that no one is
present.
I hardly believe that there is a rational
individual who at some time or another has
not experienced this. I myself have upon
three or four different occasions while reading or studying heard my first ame called
quite distinctlyloudly, in fact. So positive
was I that it was of an external origin that
instinctively I replied. In fact, the voice
sounded like that of a member of my family.
In calling out a reply and receiving no an
swer, I went to ask the person whom I
thought had called what he wished. To my
astonishment, I found the other members of
the household absent and knew that no one
could have called to me physically.
This experience is rather common between
persons closely attuned in thought by virtue

of long association and common interests,

such as, for example, man and wife. It is
rather a definite demonstration of mental
telepathy. Investigations of such circum
stances will sometimes reveal that the one in
whose voice the cali seemed to be was at the
time thinking of the individual; not that he
was actually mentally calling him, but that
he had the person in mind quite clearly. Of
course, the ame would be associated with
the identity. Because of this concentration
and the cise attunement, the receptive party
would appear to hear his ame called. Then,
again, upon questioning the one whom it
was believed called the ame, it might be that
he would deny having been thinking of the
other. In such a case, the involuntary functioning of the subjective mind transmitted the
thought impressions of the personality with
out the knowledge of the transmitter. As a
rule, these impressions of hearing ones ame
called are received when one is in a passive
or meditative mood while reading or relaxing, and frequently while sleeping.
Again, you may be walking along or quietly resting and to your amazement suddenly
realize that you have been listening to a con
structive argument or polemic discussion
within yourself. Such an experience is as
if you were an eavesdropper to an interesting and instructive conversation. You will
realize that one of the voices was very definitely your own. It will have all of the inflections and characteristics which constitute
your speaking voice. The other voice will be
strangely familiar and will have been the
most persuasive and logical in its remarks.
These voices are really the conclusions of
your two minds, or selves, the objective and
the subjective. The voice that was your own
will be memory relating in detail some idea,
some plan, or some experience that you have
had and putting it into the form of a question
or proposal. The answer which comes will be
from the depths of self, drawn from your
natural restraints and moral convictions, the
result of the development of your soul per
sonality. Simply put, it will be conscience
using reason to override the narrow and perfidious arguments of your objective self.
Many times, of course, you may have
voluntarily and consciously argued with
yourself in this very same manner and then
at other times dismissed the unconcluded
matter and put it on the shelf of your sub-

jective mind as unfinished business. Then

without your volition, at some later period
quite remte, perhaps during a passive moment, the subjective mind may begin to
analyze that problem. The reasoning of the
subjective mind and the former reasoning
of the objective mind may conflict; conse
quently, there may develop a polemic discussion within your consciousness. Finally, you
may become objectively aware that you are
listening to voices within yourself. When
you do become aware of them, the voices
immediately cease. This is because you con
cntrate your objective faculties while listen
ing intentionally and thereby become more
objective than subjective. This is rather a
common experience and, if not understood,
the one having it is apt to believe that he is
communing with supernatural voices.
Perhaps it is apparent now why we devote
considerable time in the early degrees to a
study of the mind and how it works. If we
did not do so, many would confuse spiritual
causes with psychological and physical ones.
P sychical: There are voices which we
hear that are definitely caused psychically
by the Cosmic Mind. They are realized in us
by the psychological processes of our own
mind. Psychology, of course, will not recognize these causes. It has tried without success
to relate the results to autosuggestion, selfhypnotism, hallucination, and the effects of
emotional stress. Many liberal-minded psychologists admit, however, that the usual
scientific explanations do not fully account
for these mysterious happenings; thus their
renewed interest in psychical research.
An individual motivated by a sincere desire to accomplish something of an unselfish
nature, but not knowing how to proceed, will
sometimes hear a clear, bell-like voice directing him in the necessary procedure. Such a
voice, commanding and eloquent, is always
inspiring and never fearful. Furthermore,
the listener knows within himself that it has
no physical cause, that it is not uttered by
a mortal. It was voices such as this which
the sacred literature called revelations.
Abraham Lincoln is said to have admitted
such an auditory counseling on several occa
sions during the crucial periods of the Civil
War. George Washington and many other
historical notables also heard such voices in
times of crises, attributing them to divine

causes in accordance with their understanding of such matters.

Actually, at such times, the Cosmic Mind
has not spoken the words these mortals seem
to hear. Sincere desire, the urgent inner plea
of the self for understanding, has brought
them into attunement with the Cosmic Mind.
Thus an individual often draws from the
great fountain of cosmic knowledge the illumination and inspiration needed for the
solution of his problem. Such is called a
noetic experience, meaning one by which
knowledge is derived through the higher
consciousness.
The subjective mind translates the psychic
reception of the Cosmic Mind into ideas
which can be understood. In other words, it
puts them into the words of ones language.
This translation and interpretation is instantaneous and, therefore, the sensations are re
ceived by the objective consciousness as a
spoken word or sentence. However, let me
add that such cosmic impressions are not
always of an auditory nature. Sometimes
they are visual. They may appear in our
objective consciousness in great letters of in
tense whiteness as the flash of a printed word
or sentence.
Now to summarize:
A. If one has difficulty with the hearing or
any other distress associated with the ears,
strange sounds which resemble voices but are
not completely intelligible are in all probability the result of a physical disorder. The
ears should be examined by a physician.
B. Auditory sensations, the hearing of
voices which seem to haunt the consciousness
and are distressing and fearsome, may be a
form of neurosis caused by ill health. Again,
it is advisable to consult a physician.
An impression that seems auditory and is
occasional, logical, and related to events of
the past or present, or is definitely associated
with known personalities, may be purely of
psychological origin, such as mental telep
athy. The individual can investigate these
latter auditory impressions by writing or
Consulting the person or persons whom he
has associated with the voices he has heard.
In that way, he can determine whether they
were the result of mental telepathy.
C. The occasional communication, such as
a command or an inspirational idea, which is
of an auditory nature and wholly within, is
beneficial in substance and of a cosmic origin.
(continued overleaf)

For the individuals welfare, it is essential

that he carefully consider all of the circum
stances related to such auditory experiences
and not guess as to their cause.X

The Impetus o Knowledge

Someone has said that knowledge is power,
but it may be asked how it can be a forc,
or power. I believe that knowledge does have
an mpetus that causes it to affect individuis
and conditions in a manner comparable to an
mpetus in physical law.
mpetus is defined as the property possessed by a moving object because of its mass
and motion. Usually, it is applied to bodies
that move suddenly or violently, indicating
the origin and intensity of that motion. If
I push a light object such as a tennis ball, it
will roll aross the floor of the room as a result
of the push that I give it. It is the mpetus
of the forc exerted by my hand that causes
the motion, and this motion is the forc, or
the energy, that starts the ball rolling.
The mpetus of knowledge, then, is the
forc and effectiveness of its source. Knowl
edge can change people, conditions, and situ
ations. It is, in fact, a great modifier. Whenever knowledge is applied to any condition
or situation, that condition or situation is
never the same. Situations, conditions, and
events which were not understood in primitive times or in certain periods of an individuals life have become better understood
as the result of knowledge. Many illustrations could be given. For a simple example,
one that has been used many times, take an
eclipse of the moon or sun: This was con
sidered to be a phenomenon beyond the reach
and explanation of man until astronomers
and students were able to arrive at the true
explanation and cause of its occurrence.
Knowledge, then, was the mpetus that
changed mans understanding of the universe,
adding substantially to his knowledge of the
movements of the other bodies within this
solar system.
Once knowledge is obtained and applied to
a condition, we cannot live and act as before.
Knowledge changes a fact or an incident
insofar as our interpretation of it is con
cerned and brings to our awareness a condi
tion or event of which we cannot live in
ignorance at any future time. It is impossible
to dismiss knowledge from consciousness

without losing consciousness. Neither you

or I can possibly conceive of a material circumstance where one and one would not
add up to two. One and one cannot be three;
it cannot be one; it cannot be one and fiveeighths. It cannot be anything but two. That
is a fact of knowledge that has been borne
out by demonstration and experience. There
was a time when we were infants and did not
know that one and one were two; but after
we learned this fact, we could never live as
if we did not know it. This same principie
can be applied to all knowledge.
If we are normally intelligent and try to
apply experience and knowledge to our lives,
we accumulate a vast amount of knowledge.
As a result of it, we modify our personalities
and our characters. With every piece of
knowledge that we acquire, we should become
better equipped to cope with our environment
and adapt ourselves more harmoniously with
the forces of nature.
The knowledge of those who have gained
high degrees of ability and understanding has
become a key to new levels of consciousness
and new attitudes toward their environment.
Once they had glimpsed the possibilities
which transcend the physical laws of which
other men are more or less familiar, the great
masters and avatars, whose knowledge was
obtained by their own efforts, were unable
to live on a lower level of consciousness.
If we tend to accuse those who are highly
evolved of impracticalityw hether that
evolvement be demonstrated in a physical
science, a manual skill, or in the realm of
psychic abilitywe are misjudging them.
Because of the knowledge they have gained
and their application of it, they have literally
moved out of our area of living, that is, out
of the area of the ordinary man.
Stories about the absent-minded professor
have been traditional for many years. He
is not absent-minded in the ordinary sense
of the word, however. It is, rather, that his
mind is occupied by knowledge and experi
ence which far exceed the average persons,
and his thoughts are concerned with ideas
and phenomena which are much more im
portant than the day-to-day experiences of
lesser mortals. Therefore, absent-mindedness
may be an indication of the attainment of
advanced and useful knowledge. Once we
have stepped into a realm of leaming where
we have gained new perceptions and new

concepts, a world brought about by our own

evolvement, our attention is directed to areas
that were previously not well-known to us.
Most of mans knowledge concerns his
physical environment, but through evolve
ment he becomes more acutely aware of his
nonphysical, or spiritual, environment. As
he evolves psychically, he gains a new sense
of vales. He finds permanency in spiritual
vales, and the accumulation and maintenance of material things become less impor
tant to him. His whole philosophy of life is
modified because of the mpetus of knowl
edge.
Knowledge does have power. It has power
to change our lives and attitudes; it helps us
evolve into better and more complete human
beings.A

Favorable Cydes
A soror in Southern California has two
questions for our Forum. How can one possibly choose the good hour for a surgical operation? For example, I was in the hospital
for four days, having a series of tests. Then
the doctor chose 7:30 a.m. for the operation.
According to the book Self-Mastery and Fate,
this was not a good period for surgical operations. Being conscious of this fact now and
also having had complications set in, I am
wondering whether all this would have been
different had I been operated on in another
period. If so, why? How can a few hours
make such a difference?
Each moment in life brings us to new destinies. A turn here, a moments hesitation
there, some knowledge too late; each can
change the course of a persons life. Each
moment presents different circumstances and
thereby alters the outcome of events to some
extent.
There are many circumstances that revolve around the events of our lives, how
ever. No single circumstance governs an
entire event, and this must always be kept
in mind. The cosmic influences as depicted
in the Cycles of Life are one such circum
stance. They lend to or take away from the
propitiousness of any act or event in life.
They are an impersonal influence and act
upon man as do other cosmic, natural forces.
Also, they can be mitigated by other circum
stances entering into the picture.

To illustrate this, let us assume that night

and day are cosmic influences and that you
are planning a trip from your home to some
distant point. Ordinarily, it would be more
propitious to travel during the day period
than the night period. Day gives more visibility; it is more conducive to spotting road
markers; you are not so apt to tire; you can
drive faster more safely. On the other hand,
the night period would slow you down; it
would offer more hazards and opportunities
to become lost; it would be not nearly so pro
pitious a period as the day period for driving.
However, this does not mean that you can
not accomplish the same thing at night as in
the day. You can drive the same distance
and arrive at the same destination in either
case. There are many more circumstances
involved in such a trip than the influence of
daylight or darkness. In this case, the things
to be considered are the need to get to your
destination at a certain time, the urgency of
the situation, the kind of roads, automobile
equipment, and other factors that will reduce
the hazard of night driving.
All other things being equal, the trip
should be accommodated to daylight hours;
but change any one of the other things, and
the night trip might be more advantageous.
In case of an emergency operation, there
is not always time to wait for the best cosmic
cycle, and all other circumstances must be
taken into consideration. Many of our needs
and opportunities arise when it is not the
most advantageous cycle for them. Yet we
must satisfy these needs as best we can, and
the opportunities must be welcomed when
they arise.
In following a system of cycles for your
personal program of activities, keep it in
proper perspective. Use it to enhance the cir
cumstances that enter into each decisin.
However, at the same time, do not allow it to
exelude the presence of other forces and in
fluences.
To retum to the original question, another
day or a different time for the sorors opera
tion could have made a difference in the out
come and future disposition of the condition.
Much depends upon the nature of the cir
cumstances surrounding the operation and
original illness. Serious operations generally
require long periods of recuperation and adjustment no matter what period of the day
they are performed. Operations are generally

performed when the hospital, the staff, the

equipment, and the patient are ready, and
this readiness is an important thing to be
considered.
The influence of cycles in our lives is mostly subtle. Like gravity and inertia, they are
always there. We respond to them more often
than we know. When we act according to
our moods, we often act in accordance with
these cycles. Our moods reflect the depression or inspiration of these favorable or unfavorable cosmic tides. Yet in spite of our
moods, we carry on, doing what must be
done, moving when necessity calis, both at
favorable and unfavorable times.
There will be a time when man can better
suit his actions to the cycles of life. This is
something for which he should always strive.
To plan, to organize, to look ahead is to con
trol and master life. If man can one day
bring all favorable circumstances to bear at
one time upon his every deed, he will indeed
be riding the tide of fortune throughout his
life.
Wherever man has the choice to act or not
to act, he has the opportunity to plan the
most favorable course in life by coordinating
all favorable aspects to which he is subject.
When there is time for planning, he can do
everything not only in the best period of any
day, but in the best season, the best environ
ment, the best circumstances. In mans future state, the cycles of life will play an
important role, not because they are exclusive
determinators of his fate, but because they
are another important forc in his environ
ment that can be used for the fulfillment of
his objectives.B
Are New Souls Perfect?
A frater questions our Forum: It appears
to me that, since new souls are permitted to
inhabit earthly forms, they would be perfect
and free from karmic debt. The soul memory
would be only of the Divine, and the soul
expression, being undefiled, would be perfection personified. How, then, can the state
of perfection be further perfected?
The soul is, of course, always perfect, as
we have so often stated in this Forum and in
our monographs. There are no separate souls
of different qualitative natures or degrees of
perfection. There is but one divine, universal
soul forc. Consequently, it has the perfec

tion which we attribute or presume by our

finite thinking that the Divine possesses. It
lies not in human province to degrade, purify,
add to, or in any way alter the nature of the
soul forc, which flows through all mankind
alike.
Often we have reiterated that it is the
personality or expression of the soul which
man perfects through his experiences and be
havior responses. This personality is developed in accordance with the use of ones
various states or levels of consciousness. One
becomes conscious, aware of the impulsations
and inclinations of the soul forc within him.
His awareness, then, is transposed into be
havior, into conduct, which is the personality.
It is the way he feels inwardlypsychically
and emotionallyand it is expressed objectively in his actions as character.
The so-called new soul would have no
carry-over of a personality and, therefore, in
principie there would be neither adverse or
beneficial karma. However, this soul would
not manifest itself perfectly unless the indi
vidual in which the forc was resident was
able by will to reach the higher levels of his
consciousness and thus attune with this uni
versal soul, or what is termed the inner self.
Then, of course, the degree of consciousness
or awareness would determine how perfect
that expression, or personality, might be.
Actually, one must evolve the conscious
ness slowly through experience and contact
with life before there can be perfection of
the personality. Previously we have stated
in this Forum that God or the Cosmic has a
self-consciousness, a realization of itself,
when it is extended in matter. Matter evolves
through the more complex mechanisms such
as man to finally realize the Divine in itself.
To make this more simple, it is like a dot
extending itself in a circular motion to return
again to itself. The Divine Consciousness
realizes itself through mans realization of
the Divine within himself.
The universal soul accompanies the Vital
Life Forc in all animate things, even plants
and simple organisms. But not until such
living organisms have developed a brain and
nervous system capable of having a state of
consciousness, or self-consciousness, where
there is an awareness of the universal soul,
is there any degree of perfection. Undoubtedly, somewhere in the greater universe there
are other living intelligent beings who have a

self-consciousness equal to or exceeding that

of man. As a result, spiritually speaking,
their perfection would be equal to that of
man or even more contiguous to the divine
perfection.
Also, in conclusin, we wish to state that
there are really no new or od souls. There
may be new manifestations of the universal
soul in the body, or a new soul personality,
but never a new soul. The universal soul
forc never had a beginning, and thus it is
never new or od. For analogy, the water of
a circulating fountain is never new or od
although the water is continually issuing
forth from the pipes. It is the same water
used over and over again. Each time it issues
forth, it is a different cycle but the same
essence, or water.X
The Accumulation and Use o Wealth
Many Rosicrucians have from time to time
considered the place of wealth and material
gain, insofar as its ethical and moral aspects
are concerned, in relation to the Rosicru
cian ideis. This question in general was
particularly well put by a member of our
staff. He pointed out that within the teach
ings we have a collection of truths that are
our heritage, that have been transmitted to
us by those who have made up the organiza
tion over a period of time, even centuries.
Because of the form in which the teachings
are now available, those who apply them
selves conscientiously to these principies and
studies gain the ability to demnstrate the
correctness and practical usefulness of many
of the principies which are taught.
Very few in this incarnation become per
fect in the use and application of all the
principies contained in the Rosicrucian teach
ings. To do so would be to become a master.
Most of us who live today have other lives
to live before this final step of mastership
can be attained; but we can reasonably ex
pect and, in fact, anticpate a degree of suc
cess in direct relationship to the sincerity and
persistence of our application.
As we grow in knowledge and conviction,
we grow in ability. We are able to demn
strate in our own lives and environment the
principies we have learned. But we also
have a consistently increasing responsibility
that is in direct relationship to what we have
gained. That responsibility is to use the cos

mic laws and divine principies for the benefit

of ourselves and those about us and exemplify
the fact that we have found a means of de
velopment.
I pointed out at the conclusin of a series
of lectures in the Supreme Temple during an
annual Rosicrucian Convention that if any
thing were gained by those who participated
in those convocations, then it was their duty
to share their gainnot specifically to tell
others what they had gained, but to be on
the alert for means to be of assistance to their
fellow men by spreading a little light, encouragement, or help where needed.
By living a constructive life and demonstrating by our behavior the expansin of
consciousness and the inspiration that have
come to us, we bring proper credit to the
laws of the universe and to the Cosmic Intelligence. We reflect the worth and valu
of the Rosicrucian teachings and the cosmic
principies which inspired them. We show,
therefore, that we are utilizing the highest
forces of the universe and acknowledging our
responsibility to share these principies with
anyone who may be benefited by our contact.
Why, then, is it true that the personal
goals of many members of this and similar
organizations with such high ideis and prac
tices are so limited and small? There are
those who have studied our teachings but
still have not broadened their horizon because they have never lifted their eyes above
the narrow environment of their own problems and the limitations which they have
established in their own minds. In a sense,
they have accepted certain limitations as be
ing irrevocable. They may be justified to a
degree, for I know some with physical disabilities, family problems, and problems of
health who are too discouraged to lift their
consciousness out of the encirclement that
these problems create.
On the other hand, I know a member of
this organization who suffers from a physical
disability and deformity of a type which
might even make one turn his head if he were
to meet him on the Street or in public. Yet
this individual rose to membership in the
highest legislative body of the country in
which he resides. He did this in spite of his
problems. He cannot and, in this incarnation,
never can change the physical deformity
which will be his experience throughout this
lifetime. However, he stepped over the limi-

tations caused by that deformity and, in spite

of it, became a prominent citizen and a participant in the political activity of his country. He was listened to and respected by
literally thousands.
In other words, we can learn to overcome
the restrictions that are a part of our experi
ence. The teachings of this organization are
for that purpose. Joining the Rosicrucian
Order does not free us of all obligations and
duty, or free us of pain and physical prob
lems. It only pro vides an avenue of learning so that we can overcome the limitations
of our problems. All of our problems are a
part of our karma. We are expected to deal
with them; they are ours, and this incamation is the time when we are meant to cope
with them. But to some degree we can rise
above our problems, and we can rise above
all littleness, all cheapness, and all restric
tions.
There is nothing wrong, for example, in
thinking about contributing something worthwhile to a worthy organization or activity
during our lifetimes. There is nothing wrong
for a person of moderate income to think of
someday giving a substantial donation or
leaving a substantial bequest to the Rosicru
cian Order so that its purposes and interests
can be maintained and its work carried on
for others. There is nothing wrong in living
in comfort, with the facilities that make for
a good life, although in order to attain them
an accumulation of some funds and financial
resources is required.
In other words, there is nothing wrong
with the accumulation of wealth; or should
anyone apologize because a part of his life is
devoted to that purpose. The accumulation
is good. It is positive. If we direct ourselves
to the accumulation of some wealth, we are
only using the native abilities that are within
us and applying what we are taught in our
lessons about overcoming our limitations.
There is an od sayingI believe it is a
quotation from the Biblethat it is more
difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom
of Heaven than for a camel to pass through
the eye of a needle. This allegorical state
ment is, of course, an exaggeration; but there
is no reference in this concept to the accumu
lation of wealth. It applies rather to the use
of wealth. If man devotes his life to nothing
else but the accumulation of wealth and has
no other purpose than to accumulate it, then

he is wrong. But if he devotes a portion of

his life to physical things and a portion to
psychic matters, then he is giving proper
credit to both his physical and spiritual natures. If he accumulates wealth in order that
it may be used for constructive purposes, then
the use is also positive and he has done noth
ing wrong and has nothing to be ashamed of.
I believe that every Rosicrucian should
think in terms of overcoming his limitations.
We will not all succeed one hundred per
cent, but we can to a degree. We should plan
to dnate our energy, our physical possessions, and our wealthwhatever they may be
to the Rosicrucian purposes and ideis so
that the humanitarian and worthwhile projects of the organization can be carried on.
We can also contribute to other worthy organizations that have humanitarian and
charitable purposes. If our general scope of
consciousness is large enough, then we shall
find that our physical resources will be suf
ficient for attaining our goal. To do less than
we are taught to do is a reflection on the
truths which we are learning and should use.
Those who would advise us to stay within
our present limits and not think of acquiring
wealth are only excusing their own limita
tions. After all, wealth is an exemplification
of our abilities. It can be measured in terms
of knowledge, in terms of money, in terms of
property, in terms of advancement, in terms
of peace of mind. They are all important.
None should be considered individually but
rather an allotted portion of our lives should
be given to each. We are physical beings, but
we are also souls. We are souls in a physical
body. We need food for the body and food
for the soul, and we should evolve to the best
of our ability for a mximum expression of
both aspects of our being.
There are those who will contradict these
comments. They will point out that many
great avatars and masters spent their lives
in poverty. May I say to them, When you
become such a master, you, too, can be poor
if it serves your purpose best. Until you have
reached that state of advancement, you are,
in terms of the reincarnation cycle, at a par
ticular point of evolvement which is yours
to use for the development of your physical
and spiritual potentialities.
Many years ago, I had a neighbor who
belonged to an organization. I believe that
it was a small organization of a local nature

whose members carried on good work and

studied the laws of God, man, and nature as
best they could. To support their activity financially, they depended upon contributions.
They were instructed that when they made
their contribution, when they dropped their
penny, their nickel, their dime, or whatever
amount they could give, into the collection
box, they were to think or say in reference to
this money: Go out into the world to do good
and return to me a thousand times. I still
believe that that statement is the foundation
of a sound philosophy.A
Before Adam and Eve
From a soror in Nebraska, we have this
question: Since we have been told that there
is no beginning and no end to life, who was
before Adam and Eve?
In this day and age, Adam and Eve are
being relegated more and more to the status
of mythological characters, symbolic of mans
first appearance as an individual entity on
the planet, Earth. Such an explanation is
more consistent with the findings of anthropologists, who trace the advent of man to
prehistoric times. The earliest man is thought
to have evolved from an even earlier primate,
a species that in turn evolved from more and
more primitive forms of life. This, at least,
is the pattern of physical evolution. Somewhere along the line, however, there was a
First Man, who is symbolized in Hebraic
tradition as Adam.
Before Adam, there would have had to be
a similar type of primate, in whose genes
already existed the foundation for a true man
offspring. In this first man, then, there were
the physical properties required for the manifestation of a human soul personality. The
universal Soul now had a mdium through
which it could express itself as Man.
We can hardly compare this true first man
with the characters known as Adam and Eve.
Undoubtedly, starting out without a lan
guage, just beginning to observe and reflect
upon the happenings in his environment, he
had a long way to go before approaching
Adam and Eve, who somehow are conceived
to have had mental capacities not far re
moved from modern mans.
Rosicrucians maintain that the Cosmic
constantly seeks avenues of expression. It is
vital, dynamic, and eternally in motion.
There could not have been a beginning to

this process; or can there be an end. What

existed before man were other forms of life,
and before those, others; and if not on this
planet, then on some other planet, for al
wayssomewhere in the vastness of the uni
verseMind and Soul emerge in the natural
course of events.B
The Psychology of Coincidence
A frater, addressing our Forum, writes:
There have been times when some small
incidents have happened that seemed closely
related: For instance, being at a movie and
hearing some phrase or seeing some object
and then, shortly after leaving the theater,
noticing a similar example of what was ex
perienced. This appeared to be more than
just a coincidence. Is there any significance
in such an impression?
There is really no mystical import in such
an experience. It is, however, psychological.
The things that make an emotional impres
sion or which hold the interest in watching
a play on a screen become registered in
memory. They are quite definitely retained,
at least for some time. Their image is easily
recalled by suggestion. In other words, when
subsequently one sees or hears what is simi
lar to the memory impression, he is immediately conscious of the similarity and the
fact that the experience stands out seems to
him quite a coincidence.
For example, let a person buy a new model
automobile. Thereafter, as he walks or rides
along the S tre e t, he will seem to see more
than the usual number of the same model
ears passing by. Actually, there are no more
of these ears on the road than previously. But
his own car is vivid in his memory as an
image and, therefore, all similar ears stand
out in observation by his association with his
personal experience. This seems to be a coin
cidence, but it is quite reasonably explained
on these psychological grounds.
A further example is the wearing of a
hearing aid. Once a person has need to wear
one, he suddenly becomes conscious of all
others who do so likewise. It is his interest
in his own hearing aid and his awareness of
it that cause the association with the aids
of others.
In connection with this suggestion, there
is another phenomenon which we shall touch
upon. We have discussed it in this Forum
in the past. A person visits a place for the

first time. It may be a small, distant town.

He knows that he has never been in this
town before in his lifetime. However, as he
walks down one of the streets, he sees a tower-like building of certain architecture which
seems very familiar to him. He is certain
that he has seen this building before; yet
how can it be since this is his first visit
to the town?
There are those who would undoubtedly
reply that the experience is proof of reincarnation, that the individual was in this
town in some past life. In some instances in
regard to the principies of reincarnation, this
might be true; but it is not true in all cases.
There is a psychological factor that enters
into this coincidence: Sometime, in some
city or town that the individual visited, he
noticed a tower-like structure of similar archi
tecture. In passing, it drew his concentration
and attention for the moment out of curiosity.
Then, in going about his affairs, he dismissed
the image from his conscious mind.
However, it became a subliminal impression. That is, it entered his subconscious
and remained there as a la ten t or dormant
impression. Subsequently, when visiting this
other town for the first time and again being
attracted to a similar tower, there was established a relationship to the previous image
in his subconscious. He did not recall ever
having seen the building before, but sensed
a strange familiarity with it for which he
could not account. Many have had experiences similar to this but do not know how to
explain them.
This phenomenon is known as paramnesia,
which means a semiloss of memory. The
individual has lost the memory of the location
and the time of the original experience of
seeing that particular structure, but the sub
conscious still retains the appearance of the
building itself, its shape or form, and that is
why it corresponds to the present experience,
resulting in the coincidence of familiarity.X
Tools, The Implements of Evolvement
Recently, a member asked whether it is
true that the making and using of tools is
associated with intelligence. I believe that it
is generally accepted that the correlation between intelligence and the manufacture and
use of tools is very cise. Those who have
studied comparative psychology point out
that some higher forms of animal life other

than the human being use rudimentary or

elementary tools.
Experiments have been performed in
psychology laboratories with some of the
anthropoid apes to test their ability to use
simple tools to move objects. Experiments
also have been performed with lower forms
of animal life. Here animals were placed
in a maze in which they had to learn to
make the correct decisions when hungry in
order to reach food by the shortest and most
direct route. Although this latter illustration
does not strictly concern a tool, it nevertheless indicates a similar type of mental process
in that, as has been shown by repeated ex
periments, the animal learns after a number
of triis to go directly from one point to another where the food is located.
Normally, we consider a tool to be an instrument for some kind of physical operation,
but another definition given in the dictionary states that a tool is anything which serves
as a means to an end. That is, a tool is a
bridge between accomplishing something and
failing to accomplish it. I may be unable to
move an object; but with a stick to act as a
lever, I am able to induce motion. In this
application, a stick becomes a tool. On the
other hand, I may be unable to make a de
cisin based upon facts that I have at my
command. For example, I may have to
decide between two alternatives, the facts
about which are A, B, and C. I am completely familiar with these three facts, but
I am still undecided between the two alterna
tives until I discover or someone informs me
of an additional fact, D. Then the additional
fact, although it is intangible, becomes a tool
by which the decisin is made. It is the
means to an end, the turning point or pivot
upon which the whole decisin is based.
The very earliest records of man indicate
that his tool-making and tool-using ability
increased rapidly with his intelligence. The
earliest artifacts indicate that he had some
kind of simple tools, even if nothing more
than a stick on which he later learned to put
a point to make it more effective. Then he
learned to tie a stone to it like an arrow; and,
finally, he learned to use other materials that
for their purposes became progressively more
and more effective.
A tool, therefore, is closely associated with
a living beings knowledge and experience
because without knowledge and a degree of

intelligence whatever strength and dexterity

he possessed would be of no valu whatsoever.
Brute forc is sometimes effective in breaking
down a door or moving an object, but it is
ineffective for many of the more subtle decisions that have to be made in life.
Man needs tools that contribute to his
ability to use life. In other words, he needs
tools that contribute to his evolvement. Therefore, we might add to the dictionary definition of a tool as being a physical accessory
or means to an end and say that it is an
implement for evolvement. To phrase this
idea another way, tools are the keys to prog
ress, whether that progress be individual or
collective.
Every intelligent human being and some
lower forms of life can learn to use tools.
Not all of us have the ability to create some
of the more complex tools, however. As I
write these comments, I do so with a mechanical pencil which is no more or less than a
piece of carbn in a metal container. I do
not believe that I ever would have thought
to create such an object. I can, however,
leam to use the thinking of someone who did
have the first idea of a mechanical pencil
and beneficially, I hope. It is a very useful
tool to me because I can make notations that
I might not otherwise remember. I can re
cord ideas to use as a basis for further com
ments, investigation, and research that may
be of benefit to someone else.
These same comments can apply to any
simple tool. As we learn to utilize those
which are available to us, we are taking advantage of knowledge and experience that is
our own as well as that of our predecessors,
all those who have gone before us. In one
sense, the tools which are available for our
use today are one phase or degree of the immortality of every individual who ever created, invented, perfected, or even used them.
There are complex tools that are beyond
the ability of some of us to use. I am not
sufciently familiar with many modem, complicated instruments, such as computers, to
be able to use them effectively. I have in my
office at my disposal a mechanical calculator
that performs many mathematical functions.
It can add, subtract, multiply, divide, com
pute percentages, and perform a series of
operations mechanically that would take me
a long time to do on paper with my pencil.
It even has a memory storehouse, and I can

cause certain numbers or accumulated totals

to remain at my disposal because the memory
of the machine can recall those figures me
chanically.
This machine has been a very helpful tool
in certain statistical work for which I am responsible. Some time ago, I taught another
person to assist me with certain aspects of
this work and perform some mathematical
functions upon this calculator. It was some
time afterward that I discovered that he had
learned by rote the things that were done on
the machine and had no idea of the process
itself. For example, I taught this individual
how to compute percentages, but he had no
concept of what the percentage was, or why
I wanted a percentage of certain mathemat
ical facts for statistical purposes.
This is an example of how a tool was used
to produce certain data of information. It
was a means to an end. I am of the opinion,
however, that a person becomes more proficient in the use of a tool if its general characteristics and processes are at least understood in their most elementary stages. He is
then able to use his own Creative abilities
in connection with the potentialities of the
tool itself.
Tools that are beyond our ability require
training and knowledge. They should chal
lenge our own creativity as we learn to
utilize them to produce those means to an end
that may be a tool for someone else. After
leaming to use a tool, we are obligated to
use it. As we have stated before, man is an
intelligent being. He cannot go backward;
or, if he does, it can only be temporary. Man
is composed of the elements of the earth and
the stars, to phrase it metaphorically. He is
a part of the world and a part of God. His
purpose is to evolve to mximum usefulness
all that is a part of himself and his environment. Any object, any part of knowledge,
anything that he can use that will legitimately direct him toward this end and not impede
the progress of someone else at the same time
is his to use.
Tools, as I have said, are the implements
of evolvement. Todays tools were given to
us in the physical world as our heritage. In
the Rosicrucian teachings, there is also an
important heritage from those who have gone
before. They have established the guidelines
with which we can build and create, evolving our own consciousness and psychic de-

velopment to a level at least equal to those

who have been our predecessors. But because
of our heritage, we have the obligation to go
further than those who left us their experi
ence and knowledge. We must raise our con
sciousness somewhat nearer the level of that
which is of the Divine.A
Other Rosicrucian Groups
Annually, thousands of people come in
contact with the ame Rosicrucian. It appears in newspapers and periodicals regularly
throughout the world. In almost all cases, the
ame is used in connection with the Rosicru
cian Order, AMORC.
Since the term Rosicrucian is a generic
one, it does not belong exclusively to any one
organization and, consequently, numerous
small groups have adopted the term as part
of the ame of their organizations. You have,
therefore, such organizations as The Secret
Order of the Rosicrucians, The Rosicrucian
Illuminati, The Ancient Order of the Rosi
crucians, The Rosicrucian Anthroposophic
League, Rosicrucian Fellowship, Societas
Rosicruciana in Anglia, Rosicrucian Fra
ternity, etc.
In writing about the Rosicrucians, popular
writers often confuse the issue by interrelating the various organizations that have the
term Rosicrucian in their titles. They take
the various claims and practices of each
group and associate all of them with one
international Rosicrucian organization. Our
intent here is to help you distinguish between
the many claimants to Rosicrucian esoteric
philosophy and the authentic ancient fra
ternity known throughout the world as the
Rosicrucian Order, AMORC.
The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, has over
three hundred subordnate bodies in over
fifty countries. It announces its activities in
every major newspaper and periodical regu
larly. Its international headquarters are located in San Jos, California, U. S. A. Its
executive heads in the twentieth century
have been Dr. H. Spencer Lewis and Ralph
M. Lewis, respectively. Its principal history
is entitled Rosicrucian Questions and An
swers, With A Complete History of the Or
der. Its symbol has always been a cross with
one red rose in its center.
The Rosicrucian Order does not teach, en
dorse, or practice astrology, fortunetelling,

crystal gazing, or any past or present superstitions, or similar popular pseudoscientific

practices.
The Order makes no demand upon its
members to conduct themselves in any man
ner that would cause public ridicule or condemnation. The members are not required
to dress, eat, or act differently from intelli
gent and morally responsible men and women in conducting their ordinary affairs. They
resort to no practices or rites which in any
sense are injurious to health, family relationships, or moris.
Unfortunately, the Rosicrucian Order,
AMORC, is occasionally subjected to attacks
by illiberal religious sects and pseudoesoteric
schools. These charges are published in small
tracts which are offered to the public. The
attempt is made to have it appear that the
world-wide Rosicrucian Order, the AMORC,
is a partner with all groups bearing the ame
Rosicrucian. Through deliberate misdirection, they lcate the stage for Rosicrucian
activity in San Jos, California, which is the
real headquarters of the international Rosi
crucian Order, AMORC; but in the same
breath they ascribe to the AMORC the prac
tices and symbols of other Rosicrucian groups.
The most recent attempt to discredit the
Rosicrucians is a colorful newsletter which is
being distributed throughout the United
States and Caada under the auspices of several of the most prominent Christian sects.
From the number that have been reported to
us, we estmate that over a hundred thousand
have already been put into circulation, in
some cases being distributed from door to
door. The newsletter directs its entire article
toward one of the other Rosicrucian organi
zations in the United Statesnot AMORC,
but by association all Rosicrucians are included. The article does not distinguish
between one Rosicrucian group and another,
and the average reader has no way of differentiating between any of them. Thus the
average reader will associate the article with
all Rosicrucian groups, including AMORC.
The point we wish to make is that articles
of this kind are careful to avoid direct statements of a libelous nature for which they
could be held legally responsible. It is diffi
cult to deter such innuendo and accusation
by implication. Our best response to this kind
of attack is to increase the distribution of
Rosicrucian literature that tells the story of

AMORC, that distinguishes AMORC from

other Rosicrucian groups, that helps to build
a proper image of the Order in the public eye.
Our increased advertising and extensin
program is a further deterrent to misunderstanding on the part of the public. We urge
you to help by disseminating correct information to all you meet. Always have a supply
of AMORC litera ture on hand. Write now
for free litera ture: The M a s te r y o f Life, Who
and What Are the Rosicrucians, Recognition,
and miscellaneous subjects. In this way, we
resist attacks by positive action of our own,
which is honorable, straighforward, and in
forma tive. It discredits no one and will stand
as an example of the true spirit of brotherhood, love, and knowledge. Address requests
for literature to the Extensin Department,
Rosicrucian Park, San Jos, California 95114,
U. S. A.-B

Choosing Funeral Services

A soror rises to address our Forum: A
relative, who will be my sol heir at transition, is opposed to the Rosicrucian Order
through unreasonable personal prejudice. Is
it true in California that the sol survivor
has the final decisin with respect to funeral
services and interment, or will my personal
wishes, as expressed in my last will, take
precedence over those of my survivor?
First, we will directly answer this question by quoting a legal interpretation of
California law. Then, we shall discuss the
matter in a more general way as advice to
Rosicrucian members everywhere.
Generally speaking, a person during that
individuals lifetime has the right to direct
the disposition of his body and how it is to
be handled after his death or transition into
the other world. He may direct that his
body, or parts of his body such as his eyes,
be delivered to an institution and, legally
speaking, that direction can be enforced. It
follows, therefore, that any order or directive
executed by a person during his lifetime as to
the disposition of his body afterwards should
be followed out and can be legally enforced.
I am not going into the question as to whether or not such a direction can be upset by
some person not of competent mind. We are
assuming here that a person, having all of
his faculties in making his will or otherwise,
directs the disposition of his body. I want

to say that such a disposition can be enforced

against relatives or others who may have
some other idea or wish with respect to the
disposition of the remains than that which
the person made during his lifetime.
For further information, and by way of
clarification, I refer you to the section on
dead bodies set forth in 15 California Jurisprudence 2d at page 62, section 12 thereof,
reading as follows: SI2 Directions of DecedentA decedent, prior to his death, may
direct the preparation for and type or place
of interment of his remains, either by oral
or written instructions. The persons other
wise entitled to control the disposition of such
remains are therefore required faithfully to
carry out the decedents directions, subject
only to the laws relating to the duties of the
coroner. Accordingly, a funeral director or
cemetery authority is not liable to any person
for carrying out the instructions of the de
cedent.
One may dispose of his body by will or
otherwise, providing that the manner chosen
does not offend public decency or create a
menace to public health or comfort. If such
instructions are in a will or other written
instrument, he may direct that the whole or
any part of his remains be given to a teaching institution, university, college, legally
licensed hospital, or the State director of pub
lic health. If the instructions are contained
in a will, they must be immediately carried
out regardless of the validity of the will in
other respects or the fact that the will may
not be offered for or admitted to probate until
a later date.
Whenever a dispute arises as to the man
ner or place of burial as between relatives
of the decedent, on the one hand, and the
wishes of the decedent as expressed by him,
on the other hand, it is a proper subject for
judicial determina tion. The courts decisin
should be controlled by the inherent equities
of the particular case, having due regard to
the interests of the public, the wishes of the
decedent, and the feelings of those entitled
to be heard by reason of relationship or association. It is the courts duty, however, to see
that the express wishes as to the final resting
place are carried out, so far as is possible
In general, elsewhere in the United States
and in most nations of the world, there are
laws stipulating about the same views regarding the decedents expressed wishes for

the disposal of his body. It is shocking that

some relatives completely ignore wishes of
the decea sed with regar to the disposal of
his earthly remains. For example, a person may desire cremation and a Rosicrucian
funeral because of the fact that for many
years he has been an active member of
the Order and devoted to its philosophy.
After transition, a relative, or relatives, who
during his lifetime were not exceptionally
cise, insist on a different funeral Service
and disposal of the body in complete disregard of the members wish. Such conduct
consists of imposing ones own personal will
and interest upon that of the deceased who
cannot defend himself. Actually, it is a
cowardly, contemptible, and selfish act.
One can be reasonably certain that his
wishes will be respected if he makes a will
and expressly states that it is the responsi
bility of the executor whom he ames in the
will to carry out his orders for the disposal
of his body. You will note the laws attitude
in this matter in California for enforcing the
will of the deceased in such matters. We
also have stated that these laws prevail elsewhere, more or less.
Unfortunately, some persons conceal or
place their wills in such a location that they
are not found until after the funeral services.
Consequently, it may then be discovered that
the express wishes of the decedent conflict
with the final services. One should make
known to whomever is to be the executor, or
to a cise friend or relative, where the will
can be located immediately after transition.
This will obviate any failure in conforming
to ones wishes for a funeral.
There are relatives, who because of fanatical religious beliefs, resent the fact that
a member of the family is a Rosicrucian.
While the Rosicrucian lives, they have no
power to interfere with his personal life and
interests. When, however, the Rosicrucian
passes through transition; then they give vent
to their dislike of his association by opposing
his final wishes for a fraternal funeral and
the disposal of his body as he desires.
We repeat, that such is a dastardly act but,
unfortunately, a rather common one. We
advise, therefore, that Rosicrucians take precautions by having a will prepared by an
attorney. The fee for this is nominal. Some
individuis take the position that, I am not
a person of means. I have no properties to

bequeath. Why should I make a will? The

answer to this is that a will should be made
for such matters as the disposal of the body,
the direction of funeral services, and other
personal matters that one cherishes, regardless of the pecuniary status of the indi
vidual.X
Hearing Without Ears
A frater in Chicago brings up the subjects
of clairaudience and clairvoyance in relating
several experiences that he has had in recent
months. Sometimes, shortly before awakening, he experiences a rushing noise in his ears
and soon after hears people speaking, at times
three and at other times four, both men and
women. Occasionally, there is the sound of
music or of a radio commentator. The frater
is almost totally deaf and uses a hearing aid.
On other occasions, while reading some
article or book, he will doze off and, without
actually reading them, will know what is
contained in lines further on. His questions
are whether or not other deaf people hear
without hearing aids and whether these ex
periences are to be labeled clairvoyance,
clairaudience, precognition, or some such
definition of extrasensory perception.
One of the experiences, that of hearing
music or voices as though from a radio, is
common among people who use hearing aids.
Very often the receiving mechanism of the
hearing aid picks up radio signis and the
person is actually tuned to a radio station
somewhere in the area.
The other experiences belong more properly to the realm of parapsychology, that field
of study which deais with paranormal sensitivity to ones environment.
Hearing, although normally conceived to
be an objective experience, is in truth a sub
jective one since it takes place within the
conscious center of the individual. Certain
vibratory impressions are made on the screen,
or center, of consciousness, and here they are
interpreted as sound. Normal hearing is usu
ally the result of an objective stimulus of
some kind that starts a wave motion which
travels to the ear, affects the machinery of
hearing, travels as nerve energy to the brain,
and is there interpreted as sound. Thus hear
ing is a process whereby the conscious centers
of man interpret certain energies as sound.
Let us suppose that this same kind of en
ergy can emerge from some other source. If

the stimulus were strong enough, a person

would realize the impression from the nonobjective source also as sound. It is a question
of mans conscious center translating different frequencies that have a common effect.
The very fact that people do hear and
see things that have no immediate objective source is evidence that mans conscious
center can be stimulated to perceive sounds
and sights sans the usual sense faculties.
It is known that vibrations, or energies,
or frequencies have corresponding vales at
different levels of manifestation, as do notes
on a musical scale. Thus, for example, the
physical energy of a trumpet blast has cor
responding vales in different energy bands
when it is translated by the ear into nerve
energy or translated electronically into a
microgroove pattern, a magnetic tape pattern,
or a radio and televisin transmission. It
takes only a little imagination to conceive of
other energy counterparts which can, without any physical or ordinary electronic media
being used, affect mans conscious center directly and there be translated into sound.
Such paranormal hearing has the same
effect on an individual as normal hearing.
He perceives both experiences as sound. He
perceives both as originating outside of himself in the time-space mdium of his objective
environment. It is a tremendous illusion;
yet one is really no more an illusion than
the other since in both cases an energy stimu
lus in mans conscious center is creating a
concept of a three-dimensional time-space
world.
Paranormal hearing of the kind described above falls into the general category
of clairaudience, the ability to discern sounds
that are not present to the senses but are
regarded as having objective reality.
The fraters third experience, that of being
aware of reading material beyond the point
where he had read, would fall into the gen
eral category of clairvoyanee. Except for
substituting sight impressions for sound impressions, the explanation for this would be
the same as above.
Precognition, about which the frater also
asked, involves another category of phenomena in which the person is aware of events
that have not yet occurred. Clairaudience
and clairvoyance involve spatial relationships, whereas precognition involves the projection or retraction of events in time.B

Heeding Psychic Impressions

Now a soror, addressing our Forum, asks:
How much are we hindered in our psychic
growth by not heeding our hunches?
We presume that this soror refers to psy
chic impressions or the intuitive inclinations
which we all have. All intuitive inclinations
are not necessarily of cosmic origin. Psychologically, an experience may, to borrow a
term from nuclear physics, cause a chain
reaction of ideas within the subconscious
mind. For example, we perceive something
and the experience becomes a suggestion with
which all related ideas, the result of former
experiences, are associated. This combination
of ideas is the consequence of the unconscious
working of our subconscious mind. It is as
though, upon seeing a numeral such as seven,
all other primary digits that we have ever
seen are released from memory. Then our
subconscious mind puts these numeris in
their proper order. It precedes seven with all
integers that go before it, as one, two, three,
and so forth, and those that follow it, as
eight and nine. When this has been accomplished, the complete pattern or arrangement
is suddenly projected into our conscious mind
as a flash or mental picture.
Frequently, then, as a result of some ex
perience, our subconscious mind is put to
work. It contines its activities of correlating, modifying, analyzing, and the like, in
connection with the related experiences without our being objectively aware of the process going on. When the work has been
satisfactorily completed according to the subjective mind, that is, the ideas integrated in
a way which constitutes the ideal arrange
ment, then the solution is suddenly thrust
across the threshold into our objective mind.
At that time, it appears as a complex but
complete idea, seeming to have come out of
nowhere. As we know it, it appears so logical
and convincing in its cogency that we cannot
refute it. We are inclined to cali such ex
periences intuitive flashes, hunches, or selfevident truths. Obviously, however, such are
not true psychic impressions.
A cosmic or psychic impression is more in
the sense of a final judgment of a problem
which has been submitted to the psychic self.
Thus, for example, we may be confronted
with a momentous problem. We reflect upon
it at great length. We rationalize. We weigh

all the pros and cons concemed. We cannot

arrive at a conclusive decisin. We may then
seek the aid of the Cosmic. As instructed in
our Rosicrucian monographs, we visualize the
elements of the matter, the details of the
problem, on the screen of our consciousness.
We try to perceive it in all its ramifications.
Next, we recite to our selves what we hope
will be the solution, setting forth a frank
motive for wanting that solution to occur.
The final act is to dismiss from our conscious
or objective mind the entire problem or ques
tion involved. We dismiss it just as one would
erase a written problem from a school blackboard. This act releases the thought as a
complete idea to the subconscious mind,
which is in attunement with the psychic or
universal mind.
If our motive has been proper, that is, not
in violation of cosmic and natural laws, and
if what we desire is also in accord with such
laws, then we may expect a cosmic impres
sion in reply. It may not be immediate; it
may come the next morning or it may come
later in the day. It may even be delayed for
two or three days. This impression may come
as an overwhelming urge to act in a certain
way in connection with the matter or ques
tion. It may favor one or the other of two
altematives which were under consideration.
Again, it may be the emphatic inclination to
abandon the whole project, to no longer con
tmplate it. Then, again, this psychic or
cosmic impression may assume the form of
an entirely new procedure of which you may
not have thought previously. Though it will
appear quite different, still you will realize
that it is nevertheless related to the problem
which you originally submitted to your psy
chic self. However, even though it is differ
ent from what you thought, the proposal of
the Cosmic will excel what you hoped for.
It may be asked what is the difference
between this method of enlightenment and
that of the imagined intuitive process which
we explained previously. In the former or
so-called intuitive process, one must have had
certain actual experiences over a long period
of time which are related to the immediate
problem that confronts the individual. The
subconscious mind then combines the ele
ments of all the experiences, which are re
lated into a logical and proper solution. It
releases that solution as a completed idea into
the objective mind. With the psychic im

pression, however, one may never have had

any previous contact with such experiences.
The problem may be original, a first contact
with such elements. It may contain no ideas
which could be rearranged into a solution by
the subjective mind by suggestion. The psy
chic self, nevertheless, selects from the current elements of your problem or thoughts
those which to it are most related to natural
and cosmic laws. Then by its confirmation
of them, it causes you to realize what the
best thing to do is under the circumstances.
To use another analogy to help clarify this
point, it is equivalent to your taking pieces
of a mechanical apparatus to a mechanical
engineer for him to advise you which part
would be the most effective in its operation.
You know that he is learned in the laws of
physics and mechanics. Also, you know that
he has never seen this particular apparatus
which you are submitting to him. Neverthe
less, his training and experience qualify him
to judge which is the most useful piece of
equipment. Such is the kind of judgment
which arises from our psychic impressions
or hunches.
There are times when these hunches
flash suddenly into our conscious minds with
all the convincing efficacy of their clarity but
without our having intentionally submitted
a question or problem to the psychic self.
Such experiences are indeed most surprising.
At such times, we have perhaps been subconsciously laboring with some problem.
There has been some uncertainty or conflict
which has not yet come to the fore of our
consciousness, that is, to our objective mind.
In other words, before we can worry about
it or have crystallized it into a form where
it perplexes us, the psychic self or inner mind
passes judgment upon this amorphous prob
lem. Thus it comes over to our consciousness,
to our thinking mind, as a positive command
or as a suggestion to do this or that. If we
observe the impression and act upon it, we
invariably find it beneficial. Subsequently,
circumstances usually develop that cause us
to realize that the psychic impression or
hunch was timely, perhaps just in advance
of what might have been a serious complication in our affairs. Then we say to ourselves,
How lucky I was to have followed my
hunch.
It is because there appears at times to be
no relevancy between the psychic impression

and the present State of our affairs that we

refuse to abide by it. The impression may
not seem to be logical. Perhaps there appears
to be no reason why we should act as suggested. We proceed to reason away the
suggested course of action. When we do this,
we eventually come to regret such a decisin.
The more one follows these psychic impressions, the more he stimulates, accelerates,
and keeps open and active the channel to the
psychic self. The refusal to abide by such
impressions, the repressing of these psychic
inclinations and urges, eventually works to
our detriment. Some persons through will
build a subjective resistance to psychic im
pressions. They form a habit of opposing
such motivation whenever it occurs. As a
result, by the law of opposition which they
have established, they repress within the
subconscious mind all efforts of the impres
sion to reach through. The psychic guidance
or inclination becomes less frequent, and its
intensity diminishes. If at a later time such
a person finally becomes aware of the valu
of such guidance and wishes to develop the
faculty, he finds it exceptionally difficult to
regenerate the otherwise natural proclivity.
Those who have not studied mysticism and
hermeticism or related subjects are unaware
that such impressions are a natural function
of our beings. Such functions are no more
supernatural than are the instincts and
awareness of self. In their ignorance of the
phenomenon they are afraid to admit experiences which to them seem strange or eerie.
Not being able to explain them, they consider them abnormal, something to be repressed and not admitted. Knowing that this
phenomenon is natural and a human heritage
to be used for our benefit is in itself one of
the distinctive advantages of the study of the
Rosicrucian philosophy.X
Repression and Self-Control
A soror now rises to address our Forum:
I would appreciate our Rosicrucian Forurrs
discussing repression and self-control. How
can we make the differentiation, that is,
where does self-control leave off and repres
sion take placeor how can one be sure that
repression is not mistaken for self-control?
The main distinction between self-control
and repression is that the former embodies
the principie of regulation. To control a
function is to seek to give it direction and

purpose and not allow it to become completely inactive. For analogy, we seek to
repress crime in a community but we control
the flow of vehicular traffic.
The next question which follows logically
is, What in our natures should we control
and what should we repress? Whatever is
common to our physical nature, that is, our
organic being, and to our mental self should
be exercised. This exercise must be intelligently performed. The individual should seek
to understand first the nature of his physical
self, its various desires and appetites. He
must learn what, from the physiological and
biological point of view, these desires or func
tions serve. He may acquire such knowledge
from his physician or from appropriate textbooks on the subject.
The individual learns that repression may
create subnormality, which results in disorganizing his whole personality and his relation to life. There are some functions which
we cannot repress without immediate violent
reaction in the form of severe pain or death.
We know that we cannot repress our respiratory action, that is, we cannot stop our
breathing, without strangulation ensuing. We
know, also, that we cannot completely repress
the desire for food without suffering starvation. However, there are functions necessary
to our organic being which can be repressed.
Nevertheless, such repression over a long
period of time can cause glandular disturbances which will detrimentally affect ones
health, physically and mentally. The fact
that no effects of a drastic nature are experienced at once from such repressions causes
many to indulge them in the belief that no
harm ensues.
Celibacy is one of these repressions that
results in personality distortions. Often religious misconceptions which teach that nor
mal sexual relations are immoral have caused
persons to seek complete abstinence from
such relations. As a result, they disorganize
and warp their lives. Whatever is in accordance with its purpose and in human
relations cannot be conceived as immoral.
The counter state of repression is excess.
Any function which causes the individual to
rule his whole life by it, that is, to set it up
as the main objective, constitutes an excess.
Such is an abuse of nature, a dissipation of
her powers. A normal healthy person can
interpose will power to discipline his desires.

He will indulge them in accordance with

their purpose and the dictates of an intelligent society. He will reglate them so that
they will serve him instead of his becoming
a slave to them. Such conduct is self-control.
We must realize that, in addition to being
spiritual, physical, and mental beings, we
are also social entities. We have a duty to
the society of which we are a part. We cannot indulge our emotions and desires as freely
as we might wish, even if they were not
physically harmful to us. If we do, we corrupt the public moris and those ideis which
our society stands for. Such promiscuity and
absolute freedom would destroy society. In
fact, we ourselves might become victims of
the same lack of self-control in which we participated.
When it comes to ethics and the development of character, we are at liberty to repress
any elements of our behavior of which we
do not approve. To do so cannot injure us
physically if it does not touch upon our
mental or bodily functions. If we feel that
we are too aggressive, for example, or too
inconsiderate or too timid or too much of an
introvert, we can repress those tendencies to
the point where we can control them. We
can eventually weaken the habits and tend
encies so that we can direct such inclina
tions. Then we have exercised self-control.
Since none of us lives for or with himself
exclusively, we must be certain that the
personal habits we set out to acquire or the
code of ethics we adopt will not be offensive
to our fellow men. Where nature is con
cerned, however, and her desires are recognized, it is best to follow the rule that there
is a time and purpose for all things. If
we live within that rule, we will be exercising self-control. Remember to meet nature
halfway by seeking to understand hernot
to combat her.
At times, some persons are abnormal in
their desires because of some physical maladjustment. It becomes almost impossible for
them to exercise self-control, that is, to im
pose will in order to reglate their desires.
These persons are actually ill. They should
not try to repress their desires but rather
should seek the help of a physician to regain
normalcy so that self-control will be possible.
Insofar as our natural selves are concerned,
repression is never in order, but self-control
always is.X

Unconscious Wrongs
A soror writes: There have been instances
in my life when I have done what appeared
best at the time, but much later I have seen
that others have been terribly hurt by my
deed. If, unconsciously, we hurt others deeply through our self-centeredness and inability
to comprehend, will these acts become debts
of karma to be righted?
This question involves the laws and prin
cipies of karma. Karma is the law of causality, meaning that for each act there is a
reaction; for each cause, an effect. Another
term for karma is the law of compensation.
Karma, as a law, is impersonal. It is not a
theistic act, wherein a god or deity seeks to
exact retribution for some man-made wrong.
Rather, karma is as impersonal in its effects
upon all persons as is the phenomenon of
gravity. Just as gravity displays no discrimination for or against the classes of human
society, so neither does karma. Therefore,
one who unconsciously commits a wrong is
subject to the consequence of his deedbut
with certain lesser effects.
There are mental and moral acts, as well
as physical ones. Therefore, there are moral
consequences or causes, as well as material
ones. When through ignorance one hurts
another, he will come to know the effects of
such a hurt. The lesson derived from the
experience will be the effect that it has upon
him. For analogy, a careless boy throws a
stone and breaks a window. The effect is the
broken window. There is also the vicarious
effect upon the boy. He comes to realize the
damage, the result of his negligence, and his
responsibility for it. That is his compensation and the karmic effect.
When deliberately and with malice aforethought one throws a stone to break a win
dow, there is then a dual system of causes
invoked. First, the physical one from which
arises the shattering of the glass; second, the
moral one. The individual has set into motion a state of mind within himself, a kind
of conduct which ultimately must have its
effect, not only in broken glass, but also in
the painful adjustment of his own thoughts.
He must learn what the destruction of property means in personal loss and feeling.
Sometime, he will come to experience the
consequence of acts parallel to his own. Such
an individual, according to the laws of karma,

our energy and put an undue strain on our

nervous system. The effect which follows is
disease, distress, and pain. Then we learn to
remedy the cause by subsequent intelligent
living. If we do not, the effects become increasingly disastrous.
If we refuse to heed the lesson learned
when the underlying laws and principies are
revealed, that is, if we remain adamant in
our abuse of them, then we have set up moral
causes in addition to any others. We invoke
not only physical phenomenon and the effects
which follow from it, but the cosmic prin
cipie of equity because we have defied the
natural right. Subsequently, then, we suffer
some instances of injustice, some violation
of what we personally consider an inalien
able right according to our standards. At
such a time, we know mental pain, emotional
distress and hurt, as well as physical suf
fering.
Of course, in any discussion of karma, it
is always necessary to add that the law in
volved is concerned not only with adverse
causes and effects. The karmic scale may
receive its impulsation, the cause which
moves it, from either a munificent or a ma
licious act. Unconscious good deeds bring
effects in kind. Conscious good deeds bring
even more beneficial results because of the
moral cause, the desire to do good, which is
added to the effect of the actual acts them
selves.X

will be permitted to create situations from

which he will not be able to extricate him
self until he has experienced the effects of
his own wrong thoughts and motives.
Such consequences, we repeat, are not examples of retribution or the intention of
punishment, but rather the adding of efficacy
to the lesson to be learned, a special forc
given to the cause or the motive involved.
Some individuis, as you well know, cannot
be taught by reason or explanation which
principies are right or wrong. They must
endure emotional shock and discomfiture.
They are low in the scale of consciousness
and very animalistic. The emphasis has to
be accompanied by pain before they can understand the effects of their acts.
The person who through ignorance and not
as a result of malice unconsciously violates a
physical law or cosmic principie will eventually experience the effect of his acts as a
lesson. The lesson, however, will be taught
or brought home to him with less severity
than if the act had been accompanied by a
moral violation or a malicious motive. Where
malice is included, there is a compounding
of causes.
Most of our illnesses are the result of unconscious violations of hygienic or natural
health laws. Through ignorance, we perhaps
eat the wrong foods or deny ourselves what
we should have; or because of some exaggerated interest, we may overwork or exhaust

A Reminder: The Rosicrucian Forum is a prvate publication for members

of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, only. To allow it to circuate otherwise
defeats its purpose and is a violation of ones obligation.

A Book That
Challenges
Belef!
This book, The Conscious Interlude, provides stimulating adven
ture. It presents a liberal philosophy of life. Figuratively, thi
study places you on the threshold of realitysurveying with ai
open mind all that you experience. The book opens a world o
radical thoughtradical only in that the author has succeeded ii
freeing himself of all traditional ideas and honestly reappraise
what we have been told and are accustomed to believe.

Consder These
Chapter Titlesl
IX Mysteries of Time and
PREFACE
Space
INTRODUCTION
Fourth
Dimensin
X
I Inquiry into
XI Conscience and
Consciousness
Moris
II Adventure into Self
XII Immortality
III Inquiry into
XIII The Dilemma of
Knowledge
Religin
XIV The Mystical
IV Nature of Truth
Consciousness
V Will
XV
The
Philosophy of
VI Is Absolute Reality
Beauty
Mind?
XVI Psychology of Conflict
VII Illusions of Law and XVII The Human Incentive
Order
XVIII Conclusin
VIII Causality
Index
TH E AUTH OR

Ralph M. Lewis, F. R. C., Imperator of the Rosicrucian

Order, AMORC, is the author of the books, Behold the Sign!
and the Sanctuary of Self. The Conscious Interlude is con
siderad one of his most thought-provoking and fascinating
works. It is the culmination of years of original thought.
Beautifully Bound and Prnfred
To our Commonwealth Friends

O NLY

Our friends in the Briish Isles are permitted by their Government regulations
to obtain this book direct from the 3 7 5
U. S. A. But it may also be purchased
from the Rosicrucian Supply Bureau,
25 Garrick St., London, W.C. 2, England. ( 1 / 7 / 3 sterling)
R O S IC R U C IA N P R E S S LT D

SA N JO S E

L|TH<

Mans Mornent
In Eternty

We stand between two great etemitiesth<

one behind, and the one ahead of us. Ou
whole span of life is but a conscious interludi
literally an infinitesimal moment of exist
ence. How we live this split second o
existence depends upon our consciousness
our view, our interpretation of lifes experi
ence. The purpose of this unusual book
The Conscious Interlude, is how to make th<
most of this interval of life.
ROSICRUCIAN SUPPLY BUREAU
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G entlem en:
Please send me a copy o f The Conscious In terlu de as advertisec
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YOUR AME

(W rite or prinl carefully)

Decem ber, 1964

Volum e X X X V

No. 3

lisimim

ini!ni
A prvate publication
for m em bers of A M O R C

Monument to A
Rosicrucian
Here in this centuries - od
church in Mortlake, a suburb
o f London, are interred ihe
r e m a in s o f the c e le b r a te d
E n g lis h mathematician and
Rosicrucian, Dr. John Dee
(15 2 7 -1 6 0 8 ). Falsely accused
by the superstitious of using
enchantments against Queen
Mary, he was acquitted and
later became Queen Eliza
beths counselor on affairs of
the Kingdom.

Greetings!
V

PLANETARY STEPS
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
Is there a correspondence or a relationship
between the stages of development of the
soul personality and the possible life span of
beings on other planets? In various ways,
this question has been asked by students of
philosophy, metaphysics, and mysticism.
The question involves certain presumptions. The first and most obvious is, of
course, that life exists elsewhere in the
greater universe and is not confined to earth
alone; the second that such life has attained
an organic and intellectual development
comparable to or exceeding that of homo
sapiens, or man.
With an increasing knowledge of the
probable origin of life and its development,
as recently expounded in the accounts of the
discovery of the D.N.A. molecule, the possibility of the existence of life elsewhere in
the universe is generally accepted by most
biologists and astronomers. It does not seem
reasonable that the conditions that nurture
and sustain life on earth are a caprice of
nature confined only to this minute cosmic
body. Our universe and sun and its planets
occupy but one small part of the great ellipse
that composes the Milky Way, our galaxy.
In this galaxy, it is assumed that there are
several million other universes with their
bright stars, or suns, and planets. Beyond
our galaxy are millions of others, with per
haps billions of universes with an infinite
number of worlds and suns.
Exactly the right conditions in any such
universe would need to prevail if life were
to exist there in even its simplest state. A
sun too cise to a planet would make it too
hot for the living cell. One too distant would
not provide the proper temperature. Fur
ther, the atmosphere would need to be freed
of certain destructive gases. But considering
the tremendous multiplicity of worlds that
exist and the law of probability, numerous
celestial bodies which support life of a higher
order of intelligent beings could exist. This,
of course, does not mean that their physical

TO EVOLUTION
appearance and faculties would be exactly
the same as ours. Even upon earth, there is
a great variation among mammals. However,
regardless of their physical form, their organ
of brain could possibly have attained as
great a development as it has in the creature
man.
The question arises, then, why have not
these intelligent beings established communication with earthlings in a manner evident
to all mankind? There are scientific speculations in regard to this. First, these beings
may exist millions upon millions of light
years from earth. Multiply 186,000 miles
per second, the speed of light, by the number
of seconds in one year and you have the in
comprehensible distance of one light-year
from earth! It is quite probable that even
though equal to humans in comprehension,
such beings know no more about the exist
ence of earth than man knows about their
world! Thus they would not attempt to
communicate with earth.
How would beings capable of communication as far as intelligence is concerned do
so? The problem would be not just a matter
of language; it would depend upon the pow
ers and faculties of perception. Would the
faculties of such entities be the same as ours?
Would an intelligent transmission to us be
such that we could receive it? For analogy,
if we had not the receptor organs of sight,
that is, if we could not see, we would have
no knowledge of visual images. Then if a
being were attempting to communicate with
us in a visual form, we could have no reali
zation of it. Suppose that we are lacking
some other faculty by which the transmitted
intelligences of outer-world beings could be
perceived? We would have no knowledge of
them. These are speculations of science and
philosophy in regard to potential communication with intelligent beings existing else
where. There is a general conviction regarding the probability of such life, but how to
substantiate it is as yet in an amorphous
state.

The mystic and metaphysician speculate

whether, if there is a progressive evolution
of the soul personality which survives death,
the future development is limited to human
beings. In other words, if the soul person
ality of man reincarnates for its further
evolution, must it be on earth? The subject
resolves to such questions as the following:
Are there worlds arranged according to a
hierarchy or scale of soul personality de
velopment? What place does the earth have
in such a hierarchy? Is it at the bottom of
the scale, at the top, or somewhere in between? One speculation is that, when man
has reached the highest point attainable on
earth in the expression of his soul forc,
constituting his personality, he reincarnates
in the form of intelligent life on some next
higher world.
There is one interesting fact to note in
connection with this prevalent speculation.
That is that it indicates the gradual departure from the od theological conception that
the earth is the sol habitat of intelligent
beings, or those thought to have soul. It was
long proclaimed by most adherents of formal
living religions that man was Gods greatest
creation. This conception was the result of
the human ego, which fashioned its religious
and sacred works to support mans self-importance. In the growing light of knowledge
of the greater universe, man wonders now
not only if he has brothers in life in the
universe but if there may be beings spiritually and intellectually superior to himself.
There is nothing in the doctrine of reincarnation that is inconsistent with the incamating of a soul personality into a living
being on another world. Admittedly, most
treatments of the subject of reincarnation
speak only of the embodiment of soul per
sonality in man here upon earth. But, again,
such interpretation has been influenced by
the inherent and traditional belief that the
earth is the exclusive domain of intelligent
beings. Sin ce man now envisions a vaster

theater for intelligent beings, it seems incongruous to him that a soul personality should
be confined merely to life on earth.
What we can be certain of is that if there
are beings capable of self-consciousness to
the degree that homo sapiens is, then such
beings have what men at this time generally cali soul. Further, to consider the high
er conception of mysticism, namely, that if
there is universal soul consciousness which
pervades the Cosmic and which acquires a
form of self-consciousness in complex living
organisms, then such beings anywhere in
any universe manifest the qualities of soul.
Fratemally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator.

Can Quantity Make Right?

A member, somewhat concerned about
actions in various parts of the world by
groups of people in contrast to actions by
individuis, asks whether or not group activities and decisions always supersede the
opinions and convictions of the individual.
In democracies, there has been entrenched
for many years the concept of majority rule.
In many ways, majority rule has been satisfactory, and in some groups it is the majority
that makes the decisin with which all are
expected to abide. Although the rule and
decisin of the majority have been accepted
many times as the best way to arrive at a
decisin as to procedures and methods, this
is not to say that the majority is always
right.
There was a time when it was actually
taughtand I can remember the very words
usedthat the voice of the people is the
voice of God. Such a concept is either pur
falsification or imagination because the peo
ple are no better than the individuis who
compose the group, and they work sometimes
more upon impulse and feeling than they do
by reason. God does not necessarily speak

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through any group. In fact, it is more likely

He would speak through an individual, as
has been illustrated by the avatars who have
come to serve God and man upon the earth
in many periods of history.
That the majority rules is an accepted
concept; but it is not always proof of rightness. Many times majorities have brought
about regulations and procedures which have
definitely proved to be wrong. Fortunately,
when the majority does institute a law or
a regulation that is wrong, experience usu
ally proves to an even larger group that
wrong judgment has been used, and a rectification is made. This is what makes possible
the functions of democracy.
In the United States some years ago, it
was decided to reglate by law certain moral
standards of individuis, or what was then
believed to be moral standards: The majority
decided to prohibit the use of alcohol. The
experiment, known as the great Prohibition
Experiment, proved to be unsuccessful. Eventually, a majority repealed Prohibition and
retumed the regulation of such matters to
individual decisions rather than to reglate
behavior in this field on the statute books
of the country. This is an illustration of how
the majority can be wrong in the first place,
but it illustrates at the same time how a
majority can rectify an error made by a
former majority.
Until a better way is determined, most
intelligent people would certainly rather
have a decisin made by a majority than by
a dictator, who might not be any more competent and might forc personal opinions and
prejudices on all people. Nevertheless, there
is no reason why the actions of a group need
be tolerated any more than the actions of an
individual.
Many years ago in this locality, a group
of people lynched a man accused of a crime.
If any one individual had killed this person,
he would have been considered a murderer
and tried by law as is the case in similar
events occurring in these times. However,
since a group lynched the individual, noth
ing was done.
The group responsible for the lynching
were not taken into custody and held for
murder. In other words, it would seem that,
because it was the action of a group, a wrong
was considered to be right. This is a definite
breakdown of morality. If groups of indi

viduis are permitted to do what single in

dividuis cannot do, then we are only making
a joke of our principies of law, order, and the
moral ideis upon which they are based.
Unfortunately, there have been numerous
occasions in which defiance of law and order
and established regulations has been successful on a group basis. There are many movements of groups to forc their opinions and
will upon other people. Such events have
occurred throughout the world, and possibly
every reader can think of many illustrations,
one, for example, recently in Panama.
A group of American high school students,
in defiance of an established international
agreement, decided to take the law into their
own hands. The result was disorder, death,
and a severing of diplomatic relations be
tween two countries that should be friendly.
The action was done by a group, but no
one member would have been permitted to
carry out that action by himself.
If groups are not controlled, if we cannot
teach individuis that their moral concepts
must be the same when working in conjunction with others; then we are permitting a
breakdown of law and order that can result
in anarchy. There are probably going to be
other examples of social and physical changes
brought about through such processes.
As Rosicrucians, we pledge ourselves to
support law and order. One of the questions
in the application for membership asks an
individual to subscribe and loyally support
the country of which he is a part. This does
not mean that we have to agree blindly with
every law and regulation upon the law books
of the country in which we live.
I, personally, am not in agreement with
some of the laws of the country of which I
am a citizen, but I believe that we should
respect the laws and work through proper
channels to have them changed. We cannot
invalidate them by creating anarchy and
chaos.
If democracy places considerable confidence in the majority who make the final
decisions, it also must place confidence in
the minority to work in accord with the
provisions by which they have expressed
themselves. When a vote is taken, the differ
ence may be small, as in the case of the
1960 presidential election in this country.
There were only a relatively few votes that
made the decisin, but all citizens are work-

ing for the country if they have the countrys

best interests in mind. When they go to the
polis again to express themselves, they may
make changes or they may confirm what
has been done before.
When we subscribe to law and order, we
agree to work in accordance with the laws
of God and man as best we understand, not
to create harm through actions that will disrupt procedures on which at some time we
may depend for our lives and preserva
ron.A
Astrology and the Future
A soror from London responded to our
request for Forum questions by asking about
the importance of astrology. She writes: As
a character study it would seem worthwhile.
The majority, however, find it more fascinating as a means of foretelling the future,
especially if in doubt over some decisin to
be made or a course to be pursued.
The Rosicrucian Order does not teach, en
dorse, or practice astrology since it is highly
speculative in nature and subject to purely
personal interpretation. This official stand
on the subject, however, does not prevent us
from analyzing the history or current prac
tice of astrology. It is, indeed, a fascinating
field of study and has a tremendous following.
It is true that the average persons interest
in astrology is related to foretelling the future. A recent survey showed that millions
follow astrological forecasts of one sort or
another, and that approximately 100 million
dollars have been spent in the United States
alone by followers of the art. There is little
question that the subject is popular. The
daily horoscopes so avidly read cater to the
natural desire of people to eliminate as much
chance from their affairs as possible.
Astrology as a fortune-telling mdium has
never convinced the honest observer of its
validity. Very few astrologers will go so
far out on a limb as to ame ames, dates,
or other specific data about future events, and
those who do usually contradict others in
their field. They find that their predictions
rarely approach the actual turn of events.
Daily forecasts are published principally for
entertainment, and they are carefully worded
to provide ordinary cautions or to promote
optimism and hope. Most readers find little
application to particular needs and activities.

Descriptions of personality traits for an

astrological sign must necessarily apply to
one-twelfth of the worlds population, and
yet it is difficult to catalogue people by this
method. There are as many different combinations of personality traits as there are
people in the world. If astrology did provide
a truer analysis of people and more valid
forecasts of events, it would certainly have
invited the attention of serious investigators
over the years. However, its inability to
establish consistent evidence of these things
has kept it a practice unto itself.
Many serious students of life feel that
astrological forecasts or readings however
valid are not conducive to true attainment.
To them, it is an ill use of mans time to
attempt to see the future, a future that man
is destined to make. The future is not yet
written except as it is a result of mans
present state, and this he can change. Furthermore, is man to be chained to a person
ality pattern set by the stars? Is he possessed
of weaknesses and failings imposed upon him
by astrological influences, or is he master of
himself, free to shape his personality accord
ing to his higher aspirations? These are
serious questions on which the Rosicrucian
Order takes its stand.
The Rosicrucian does not ignore the part
that cosmic influences play in mans life.
Man lives in a sea of physical and mental
forces that affect his moods, actions, and
decisions. These forces are subtle and in a
constant state of flux. The mystics have
found that generally man has a great deal
of choice in the way these forces affect him.
They have found that mans well-being and
personal progress in life are determined
largely by his application of certain physical
and mental laws. These are the same laws
outlined in our Rosicrucian monographs.
Thus a person who applies these laws can
maintain physical and mental balance and
enjoy the fullness of life, regardless of the
astrological sign under which he is born.
It is not unreasonable to assume that some
cosmic influences are reflected in the movements and positions of stellar bodies, which
may be markers or signis of the presence
of these particular influences, for the order
of the universe certainly suggests an interaction and interdependence of all cosmic
manifestations. This is the larger view of
astrology, and, as we have expressed in the

Forum previously, it warrants serious study

and would provide a fascinating field of research.
To Rosicrucians, the influences that may
be indicated by the stars are only secondary
in importance; they are only one of many
influences that constitute mans environment.
He can be taught to discern the nature and
magnitude of the forces about him through
the development of his intuitive faculty, and
he can shape his destiny through the intelli
gent application of his mental and physical
faculties to these forces.
An unbiased investigation of astrological
claims and present-day practices is important
to every member who expresses an interest
in the subject. There are no final conclusions to be reached just yet. There is much
to be studiedmuch to be leamedmuch
evidence to be accumulated. This will all
be apart from the popular vein of astrological
interest today, where astrologers and clients
alike look for fixed answers to some of lifes
most pressing problems.
To approach astrology as a proved Science
which simply has to be learned as one would
take a course in school is an error. There is
no fixed astrological Science; no textbook that
spells out fixed meanings for specific signs
or combination of signs; no accumulation of
statistics from investigating teams or indi
viduis; no objective standards that can be
subjected to tests and measurements.
Until these are available or un til a persons
intmate experience with astrology proves
otherwise, it would be ill-advised to place
undue reliance on the conclusions reached
exclusively through astrological media.B
Are You Miss or Mrs.?
It is disconcerting to reply to a letter signed
Mary Jones if one doesnt know the writer
personally. Instructors in our Department
of Instruction or officers do not know whether
to write Miss or Mrs. Mary Jones in addressing the envelope. Consequently, it requires
an assistant to refer to the files for the key
numberif the soror remembers to give one
to determine from our records whether she
is Miss or Mrs. This happens many times
a week, causing considerable loss of time.
Even more distracting are those cases
where neither Miss, Mrs., or the first ame
is indicatedonly the initials F. A. Smith.

Consequently, the instructors or the officers

do not know whether the letter is from a
frater or soror! Again, there is a delay in
replying until a secretary makes a search
of the files to determine the sex and marital
status of the member.
Recently, in replying to the question, How
should I sign my ame? submitted to a
newspaper columnist, the following answer
was given. We think it appropriate for our
sorores, also: Married Wornen: The only
time you should use Mrs. Robert Smith is
at work. To be completely correct, you
should type Jane Smith with Mrs. Robert
Smith undemeath in parenthesis. Single
Wornen-. You should never sign your ame
Nancy Jones alone. You should always pre
cede your ame with Miss in parenthesis.
Widow: No matter how long you survive
your husband, always use his ame: Mrs.
Robert Smith and never Mrs. Jane Smith.
On legal documents and in business matters,
you may use Jane Doe Smith but never
precede it with Mrs. Mrs. Jane Doe Smith
would indicate that you are a divorcee. You
should not change your ame from Mrs.
Robert Smith to Mrs. Doe Smith (using
your maiden ame Doe) until your divorce
is final. You may sign your checks Jane Doe
Smith without Mrs. in front of it. At work
you may use Mrs. Jane Smith, but socially
this would be incorrect since you should use
Mrs. Doe Smith.
Man: A man does not need Mr. in
parenthesis before his ame unless it is one
that might be mistaken for a womans, such
as Beverly or Shirley.
At least, sorores, always indicate Miss or
Mrs. and kindly give us your key numbers.
Why the importance of key numbers? It is
because we might have two or three other
persons by the same ame but never by the
same key number.X
What Is Will Power?
A frater, addressing our Forum, says: In
Mandamus No. 6, will power is said to be
the result of an objective conclusin having
nothing to do with psychic forces. In the
Ninth Degree, it says that will is emotion.
My question is, Can it be said that will is
objective and the power is psychic? In other
words, can will power be a combination of
objective decisin and psychic power? Can
an intuitive impression be accepted by the

objective mind and become the object of

will power?
Let us first consider the general psychological definition for will. It is said to be
exemplified by purpose and behavior; further, to in elude two elements: motive and
foresight. In behavior, will consists of choice,
and this choice is always characterized by
purpose. Every time we will or choose to do
something, it is for a purpose, that is, for
some result or end that we wish to realize.
We are also motivated by instinct and
heredity.
There are certain impulses about which
we have made no decisin that causes us to
act. If, for analogy, something suddenly
comes too cise to our eyes, we wink. It is a
reflex action not entailing our thought or
will. The same applies when we suddenly
and without thought withdraw our finger
from something that pricks it. The stimulus
sets up a reflex action.
But, as we have said, there is another
element of will. It is foresight. When we
will to attain a purpose or an objective, we
can foresee probable obstructions to what
we wish to realize. It may mean that there
will be considerable labor ahead of us, long
periods of work, conflict with other interests,
etc. Nevertheless, we choose to pursue this
end.
To say that will is exemplified by purpose
and behavior and that it consists of two ele
ments such as motive and foresight is not
quite sufficient to explain it. We would say
that these things concern the function of will
more than its nature. Will is the decisin to
gratify a desire. We never will to do anything that we do not desire. Therefore, will
is the volitional fulfillment of a desire.
However, desire can be aroused mentally.
That is, it can be intellectual rather than
physical. We have natural desires such as
the sex drive and those related to other appetites. When we choose to satisfy them,
we are exercising will. However, one may
desire to pursue a course of study. That,
then, is a mental desire. It is not the con
sequence of an organic urge or appetite. We
must keep in mind that will is decisin, the
choice of a desire.
The choice, which is will, is objective. In
its operation, will is empirical; it is not a
subconscious process. To will, we must have
in mind a desire, constituting a purpose to

be realized, which will satisfy the desire,

that is, fulfill the motive. There can be at
times a conflict of motives, or what we may
term desires. For example, an individual is
on a diet for his health. He is invited to
dinner where there is food he particularly
enjoys but which is prohibited in his diet.
Here, then, are two choices: One, to abide
by the diet for the benefit of his health. This
is the positive, the plus choice. The other
choice is negative, or minus. It is to enjoy
the food and suffer its ill effects. There may
be some frustration in such a conflict of will;
but, ordinarily, the most dominant and in
tense desire will influence the will, that is,
cause a decisin to act upon it.
Emotions create desires that are related to
them. Either the desire engendered by an
emotion is to gratify or mitiga te it. For
analogy, the emotion of love will cause de
sires by which it can find its satisfaction.
Conversely, the emotion of fear will engender motives or purposes which acted upon
will tend to diminish the fear.
Will is most often influenced by emotion.
We commonly refer to this as impetuosity.
An emotionally aroused person will make
choices that seem guided by or are related
to the feelings of the emotions. He will not
evalate other possible motives or purposes.
Consequently, we can say that an ideal
choice should be based on a rational consideration, that is, first thinking out all possible
choices, deciding whether they are advantageous or disadvantageous.
The psychic aspect of will is the intuitive
impression. The intuitive impression in the
self-evidence or conviction which it conveys
constitutes a kind of superior reasoning or
a priori judgment. Simply put, the mental
impulses from the psychic or subconscious
part of ourselves are so impressive, so convincing, that we have no doubt about them
when they flash into our conscious or objec
tive mind.
Consequently, we do not labor over them.
We do not ordinarily subject them to our
reasoning. They point out their purpose
with such prspicuity that will immediately
acts upon them. This, then, is the psychic
aspect of will which supersedes the common
emotional influence of will. It also is generally more right in its motive or purpose
than that which is the result of our reason
ing.
(continued overleaf)

Let us anticpate here what might arise in

regard to what has been said. We shall
frame it by the following question: If the
intuitive impression, which is of psychic
origin, is generally superior to a choice based
upon reason, should we wait for intuitive
guidance in most matters? If we waited
at all times for such intuitive guidance, we
would in effect, be fatalists. It would constitute a denial of the faculty of reason and
be submitting to other powers.
Though, admittedly, reason is not perfect,
if recourse were taken to a rational evalua
ron of all our ordinary circumstancesand
also the many complex onesour lives would
be free of many serious mistakes. The fact
is that most of our decisions are merely surface deliberations. We have not really reasoned about them. The average person only
thinks very little in the conceptional sense
of the word.
If the problem is of vital concern, then
both intuition and reason should be used in
conjunction. If we meditate and seriously
contmplate our problem and are intuitively
helped, such intuition often will not assume
the nature of a complete solution. Most
times, it will be but an element, a single
idea, clear in itself but yet not fully com
plete. To use a common expression, such an
intuitive idea will trigger the reason along
a course that will bring about the proper
choice. Most everyone has had this par
ticular experience even when he knew little
or nothing about the psychic function of
intuition.
Since intuition is of the psychic or sub
conscious self, it is mostly related to that
which is for the preservation of the whole
entity, or self. A matter with which it con
cerns itself is not trivial. It has to be a thing
which reaches into the subconscious as stim
ulus and touches upon its fundamental characteristic.
The subconscious, for exampi, is not concemed with choices about places to visit on
a holiday or the purchase of a new car or
jewelry. Its obligation, its function, is the
preservation of the human being as such
and is not related to his superficial interests.
However, if ones problems are seriously be
lieved to be contiguous to life, to health, to
peace of mind, then the psychic influence or
will is more likely to occur.X

Toronto International Convention

Historically and traditionally, 1965 is a
year of importance to AMORC. It is the
fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of
the second cycle of the Rosicrucian Order in
America by Dr. H. Spencer Lewis. It is
the year in which all of our members
throughout the world can rejoice.
During these fifty years, a tremendous
transition in the activities of the Order has
occurred. All of these activities rest upon Dr.
Lewis excellent foundation, thought, planning, and inspiration. We can hope that the
next fifty years will be as productive in mak
ing the Order as well known and as valuable
to mankind and to its members as it has been
in the past decades.
In 1965, the International Convention of
the Rosicrucian Order in North America will
not be held in Rosicrucian Park, San Jos,
California. As an innova tion, it will be held
in Toronto, Ontario, Caada. The city of
Toronto is within about 500 miles of many
major cities of the United States and Caada
Detroit, New York, Montreal, Cleveland,
Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Chicago, etc. There
are several thousand members who, for vari
ous reasons, have never been able to attend
an International Convention at Rosicrucian
Park. These members will now find it convenient to attend this International Conven
tion in this fiftieth anniversary year of the
Order.
Toronto is a truly magnificent metrpolis
on the north shore of Lake Ontario. It is
scenic and ultramodern in every respect. All
of the Convention activities will be centered
in the famous Royal York Hotel. This Tor
onto hotel has facilities for serving all of the
members at one time and place, as well as
having halls for smaller class sessions.
The dates are A ugust 6, 7, and 8F riday,
Saturday, and Sunday . A joyful weekend!
Those attending the Convention may stay at
the Royal York Hotel or select other accommodations in the city.
The Imperator and Supreme Grand Lodge
officers will joumey from California to par
ticpate in the Convention and its interesting
activities. They will be joined in making
this a successful Convention by officers of
lodges, chapters, and pronaoi in Caada and
the United States. Thiis Convention promises
to be a most unusual and exciting event. We

urge every member who possibly can to

make plans now to come.
The complete registration fee, covering
lectures, demonstrations, convocations, entertainment, and the banquetfor three days
is the nominal sum of $14.00. (Without the
banquet, $9.00) Register now . Please send
your registration fee to: Convention Secretary, Rosicrucian Park, San Jos, California
95114. You will thus receive your credentials in advance. We anticipate that this will
be one of the largest Conventions held by
AMORC in North America in recent years.
Subsequent International Conventions will
again be held in Rosicrucian Park, San Jos,
beginning with the year, 1966. This coming
year, however, please be with us in Toronto
on August 6, 7, and 8.
Reliability of Our Senses
Seeing is believing has become a premise
of modern materialism. Man has gradually
developed the habit or tendency of relying
more and more upon the evidence of his
physical senses and his interpretation of the
world in which he lives as a source of knowl
edge.
The phrase seeing is believing is in substance a statement to the effect that if man
is able to seeand the word see here applies
to the realization of any physical senseany
experience or phenomenon, then that par
ticular evidence is sound.
If I am told that a certain apparatus exists and I doubt it, it is generally believed
that if I am shown that apparatus, all doubt
of its existence will leave my consciousness.
As a rule, this is true and it is more true, of
course, insofar as the physical world is con
cerned, than it is of any other field of my
experience. However, its truth has been
stretched too far. There is knowledge that
cannot be confirmed by the physical senses.
You cannot experience the basis of my
knowledge. You cannot experience my ex
periences and, therefore, you cannot see them
or perceive them by any other sense faculty.
My explaining them to you does not warrant
your belief in them. You may believe that
what I tell you is purely my imagination,
something that I have conceived purposefully
with the intent of confusing you or creating
a false concept.
We know from experience that not all we
see is consistent or, shall we say, compatible

with what actually exists. The physical

senses are not perfect. They are given to
man to use; otherwise, he would be at a loss
within his environment. His senses are the
channels by which he reaches out of himself
to gain certain experience and knowledge,
but they are not given to him in a form that
is completely infallible. They are tools; and
like all tools, they have their limitations.
For that reason, man should learn that the
ultimate source of knowledge is not gained
through physical channels. He must learn
to test the reliability of his senses by judgment, and that requires experience. It requires that man develop a sense which is
more acute than any of the five physical
senses. This sense is that of intuition. It
gives man absolute knowledge because it re
lates him to a final source of knowledge upon
which he can draw.
The question of the reliability of the senses
is brought up because of a fraters question
as to the difference between illusion and
hallucination. The fact that even modern
mechanistic schools of psychology recognize
the existence of illusion, hallucination, and
delusion should cause us to realize that even
in the fields of the so-called exact sciences
there is an awareness of the fact that seeing
is believing is not an infallible truth.
An illusion is a common experience. Almost everyone has seen in textbooks on psy
chology or in puzzles in periodicals and
newspaper illustrations of optical illusions,
that is, illusions to the sense of sight. Pos
sibly, almost everyone is familiar with many
such as a straight line that appears to be
of a different length from a similar line
because of the angles that are drawn at its
ends or stairsteps that appear to be seen from
the bottom or the top as the eye happens to
observe them. Therefore, an illusion is an
actuality if we use that word in the Rosi
crucian sense. It is a misleading image presented to the visin or, as the dictionary
defines the word, an illusion is a deceptive
appear anee.
We judge objeets by our perception. It is
a habit for us to look and draw a conclu
sin, but when a perception fails to give an
analysis or convey the true character of the
object perceived; then we experience an il
lusion because we do not interpret the data
of our senses correctly.
The most simple illusion, and one which

has been used so frequently that we all know

it, is the appearance of railroad tracks. A
railroad track looked at will appear to be two
lines of steel meeting or coming closer together as the distance from us increases.
When we look at a straight railroad track, it
appears that at some indeterminable point in
the distance, the two rails actually meet. Yet
we know from experience and examination
that the rails have to remain the same dis
tance apart to fulfill their purpose.
This is a typical optical illusion that we
can actually experience, and it is an illustration of the fact that the eye does not al
ways convey the fact of an actuality through
our senses so that we can comprehend what
we are perceiving. Such an illusion is recognized by psychologists as being normal.
That is, illusions are simply the result of the
limita tion of our visual apparatus.
While the eye is a most useful part of
our sense-perceptive apparatus, it and the
rest of the sense receptors are not perfect.
They were, as I have already stated, given
to us to be a means of communicating with
the world outside of our bodies, but they
were not designed to be the final and ulti
ma te standard upon which we judge all
things which we perceive.
The normal illusion is something with
which we are so familiar that it gives us no
trouble in our practical life. As I look at the
top of my desk, I interpret it to be a perfect
rectangle; yet from the angle from which I
am looking, since one side of it is closer to
me than the other, that side actually appears
longer than the farther side. From experi
ence, I know that the desk is a rectangle,
and I unconsciously correct the illusion and
thereby see the top of the desk as a rec
tangle.
The same applies to other optical illusions.
Many are difficult to see even after they are
explained. A situation may look one way because of the illusory factor. Once we understand it, however, we are not so likely to see
it as an illusion because it has been made
clear. Our eye has distinguished what we
should see, and we are able to interpret it
correctly.
We go through life perceiving many illu
sions. Most of them we interpret correctly,
as I do the top of my desk or the railroad
tracks. When we fail to do that, we may enter into what in the field of psychology is

known as abnormal or pathological illusions

where we are unable to distinguish between
those things which are merely a misinterpretation of the eye and those which are a contradiction to an actual existing condition.
Here we are able to begin to understand the
difference between an illusion and a hallucination.
Hallucination is the perception of objects
which have no actuality, or the experience
of sensations which have no actual cause.
Such conditions arise from disorder of the
nervous system, either physical or functional.
When I see the railroad tracks apparently
meeting in the distance, I am aware that
this is only a misinterpretation of my physi
cal ability to perceive through the eye.
If I see, or think I see, an individual in a
room with me when I am alone; then that is
an actual hallucination, a perception of some
thing that does not actually exist. Therefore,
to answer the question as to the difference
between illusion and hallucination, we must
say that an illusion is a misinterpretation by
the physical senses of something we actually
perceive, whether what we perceive be physi
cal, mental, spiritual, or psychic.
Hallucination, on the other hand, is a per
ception for which there is no basis of existence, that is, it is a pur projection of
imagina tion. If I think I see something that
does not exist, I am simply projecting my
imagination outside of me and experiencing
it as if it were something that were being
perceived through my physical senses.
Closely related to illusions and hallucinations is the subject of delusion. A delusion
is an idea or opinion for which there is no
basis in fact, either in physical proof or in
experience. If I believe that the moon is
made of limburger cheese, I am suffering a
delusion because the best physical evidence
would indicate that probably no limburger
cheese exists off this planet. It is a manmade form of food which some people enjoy.
A delusion can cause a great deal of trou
ble because a man can become bound by false
beliefs which interfere with his judgment in
dealing with the actualities of his existence.
The question in regard to these subjects
which naturally arises to the student of the
Rosicrucian teachings is how we can distin
guish illusions, hallucinations, and delusions
from psychic experiences. If I say that I saw
a light and there is no proof or reasonable

basis for believing that a light did exist; then

how am I to know whether that is an hallucination, a delusion, or an actual psychic
experience?
Actually, there is no basis of physical proof
to distinguish between a psychic experience
and an hallucination. Such proof must come
through our own experience. The normal in
dividual will not be influenced by temporary
delusions of the mind or hallucinations of
perception. If I see a light and I do not find
a means to prove that it has a basis for
existence, I will not arrive at a conclusin
until I have further evidence if I am a sane,
normal individual with my feet on the
ground.
A psychic experience is complete and impressionable. An hallucination is usually
vague and indeterminable. Furthermore, a
psychic experience will create a sense of
conviction, peace, and contentment; it will
convey information that will be augmented
by our experience as we proceed. An hallu
cination will remain nothing more than an
imaginary event isolated by itself and hav
ing no meaning.
In other words, a psychic experience grows
in meaning, and an hallucination remains
the same. A normal individual can throw
off delusions and hallucinations, just as he
can interpret an illusion; therefore, the wellbalanced Rosicrucian can learn to judge
those phenomena which lie in the field of
psychic experience by the fact of their persistence, their definiteness, and their mean
ing to him in terms of his own experience.A

Time Zones and Attunement Periods

A frater, who lives in India, asks the
Forum for an explanation of this subject:
Since he lives almost 180 degrees from San
Jos, he finds that attunement periods at
Rosicrucian Park occur during the early
moming hours in his locality. There are
many instances in Rosicrucian study where
students are asked to join in meditation with
other members throughout the world.
In some cases, certain times are set for
these periods, as, for example, the Cathedral
Contacts, the August 2nd Memorial Service,
and the Hierarchy periods. While occurring
during the waking hours in San Jos, these
times often occur during the early morning
hours in areas on the opposite side of the

earth. Thus adjustments must be made in

order to make such meditation feasible and
a part of the order of a members daily
existence.
When considering what adjustments to
make, it should be remembered that many
meditation periods are as much exercises for
the members as they are observations of spe
cific events. Further, the subject for medi
tation does not pass quickly into oblivion. It
is registered in the Cosmic and is subject to
contact for an indeterminable period of time.
In world-wide activities of this sort, the gen
eral object of an activity must be kept in
mind rather than the particular procedures
goveming it.
In a Cathedral Contact, it is important to
attempt to contact the Cathedral regardless
of the time of day. The Cathedral is always
there. There are soul personalities in attune
ment with it at all times. Whether you con
tact it at the regular service periods or during
a time when members in San Jos are attuning to it is not as important as the fact that
you are contacting it sometime. If you wish
to be in attunement with a particular service,
then hold your meditation period at the same
moment or as soon thereafter as practicable
so as to get the benefit of that particular
session.
When Hierarchy periods are scheduled
and eligible members who live far from San
Jos find it impractical to attune at the same
moment, attunement periods may be set for
the next most practical moment with the
thoughts registered in the Cosmic by the Imperator and his class at an earlier hour. In
such cases, your meditation period should be
at the same moment or soon thereafter, not
before.
In the case of a memorial service, of course*
a member may spend a moment in medita
tion on the import and significance of the
observance either just before or just after
the traditional event since, in this instance,
there is no attempt to draw from a communion of minds but simply to pay homage
to an inspiring ideal, personality, or event.
Of course, whenever regular periods can
be followed, the experience is enhanced that
much more. The advantage of entering
meditation periods at the same time with
Rosicrucians everywhere is in the strength
of the impressions created by large numbers.
When all members meditate in unisn, a

tremendous positive forc is generated, and

the member in attunement has that much
more chance of success. It is definitely an
asset to enter periods of meditation along
with other members, but there is much to be
gained from meditation at any time.B
Interfering with Cosmic Lessons
A frater, rising to address our Forum,
states: A letter accompanying one of the
monographs maintains that we must not
interfere with natures instruction and Iesson to an individual since ethically we will
be doing him an injury if help is given while
he contines to vilate laws. I ask, what
about injuries done to others while he is
learning a lesson? In many instances, a lifetime has failed to bring one a realization of
his wrongdoing.
Life must teach each of us. There are
two fundamental ways by which we can
learn of its vicissitudes and their relation to
natural and cosmic laws. One is by direct
experience, that is, by trial and error. We
let the events come as they will. By their
impact upon us, we gain experience and
learn certain facts about life. But to learn
in this manner only is both dangerous and
time consuming.
Some event could prove disastrous to us
which, had its circumstances been known
before, might have been controlled or
avoided. We may learn from that event but
be so incapacitated or immured by obstacles
as a result as never to be able to use beneficially the knowledge we have gained:
Sometimes the knowledge that comes by ex
perience alone is received too late to be of
any avail.
The other method of learning about na
ture, the Cosmic, the human relations is
from the wisdom and accumulated experi
ences of others. When, for example, we
study history, philosophy, mysticism, and
science, we learn what others have discovered before us. We share in the experience
of perhaps thousands of persons who lived
long before our time. A few years education
or partial study in these fields can provide
us with useful knowledge such as otherwise
we might never be able to learn in one lifetime.
We say in our Rosicrucian teachings that
all knowledge is experience. Only as we ex

perience do we learn. However, this does

not mean that the experience must only be
intimately acquired. We can gain it vicariously through the instruction and guidance
of others. We do not need personally to
experience a severe burn to know that fire
can be injurious to us.
When an individual, apparently without
knowledge that he is doing so is acting in
such a manner as to place him in some
jeopardy, it becomes our moral duty to admonish him and to proffer advice. If we see
a man about to enter a Street where we
know a building is in a seriously faulty state
and about to collapse and endanger his life,
it is incumbent upon us to wam him. We
would be morally derelict if we did not.
However, if the individual persists in walking down the Street and inviting danger, the
responsibility is entirely his own.
Likewise, if we know without doubt that
a persons activities are going to incur a serious consequence for him because of his violation of natural law, we must wam him.
From the mystical point of view, we assume
responsibility if we do not. We are guilty of
concealing essential information and aiding
and abetting a calamity to another. When
informed, the individual has the opportunity
of learning from us, but if he chooses instead
to learn by a more direct and forceful ex
perience; then that is both his right and his
responsibility.
Once the individual has made his choice;
then in most circumstances it would be cosmically wrong for us to interfere. From
our absolute knowledge of the circumstances,
we know that the conduct of a person will
result in harm to him. We give him the
benefit of our knowledge. Our obligation
ordinarily ceases there.
Such an individual then requires the
more extreme and impressionable effect of
the personal experience. Adults are often
like children in their behavior. One may
tell a child not to touch the fame because
fire bums, and he will not heed the advice.
He has to place his finger in the fire to learn
the truth of his parents statement and the
reality of the phenomenon.
Let us consider an extreme example: Suppose an individual is performing an act with
out realizing that it may cost him his life.
We relate the circumstances and caution
him. We observe that he has not accepted

our advice, perhaps completely discrediting

the idea of danger. We can intervene to
prevent his continuance of the act and thus
save his life. Such an act upon our part
would be cosmically justified. Certainly,
there would be no cosmic ethics worthy of
that ame that would oblige a person to
refuse to help another in distress. If such
were the basis of cosmic ethics; then no one
would ever heal another and hospitals and
physicians would be considered an interference with some cosmic lesson which the
afflicted person should learn.
Proper construction must always be placed
upon these mystical and metaphysical prin
cipies. Any extreme in interpreta tion can
only demean and pervert the purpose of
a noble precept.X
The Psychic Body
A number of questions conceming the
psychic body have been brought to my attention in the last few months. Because of
the coincidence of these questions coming in
a relatively short time, my attention was
drawn to the subject sufficiently to cause me
to attempt some research conceming it.
In examining what I believe to be reputable sources on the subject of the psychic, the
occult, and the metaphysical, I found that
the more serious the writings, the less frequently the term psychic body was encountered.
As one result of my research, I carne to
the rather general conclusin that the term
psychic body was used most frequently by
those who did not know quite what they
were talking about. They were coining a
phrase to cover a lot of ideas and an area
which they could not clearly define, a gen
eral term intended to include anything not
already clearly defined.
This information challenged me to make
a further examination of the Rosicrucian
teachings. I found that reference to the
psychic body in our monographs is comparatively infrequent. Where it is used, it is
sometimes explained that it is intended to
convey the popular meaning by means of
terminology familiar to those who have read
in the area of popular metaphysical and oc
cult works.
Two of the questions conceming the psy
chic body summarize the general concept of
what might be the meaning of this term. The

first of these questions is, Is the psychic

body similar to the physical body? The
second question asks, Are the aura and the
psychic body the same thing?
I shall discuss these two questions in the
order given. In the first place, the ques
tion conceming the similarity of the psychic
and physical bodies involves the symbology of language itself. To ask wheth
er a psychic and a physical entity are similar
or the same is an attempt to compare situations or conditions which are incomparable.
We cannot compare conditions that are not
alike in some respect.
In other words, the concept of comparison
implies relationship. We can compare as to
their quality two types of food that are made
of similar materials. We can compare two
chairs as to their appearance and quality;
but we cannot, for example, compare a chair
with food unless we compare them on the
basis of desirability. To a starving man, food
in any form is more desirable than a chair.
To a person whose appetite has been appeased and who needs a place to rest, a chair
is more desirable than food.
The comparative State must have a rela
tionship, and we do have a relationship be
tween a chair and food in the sense that both
are material entities and have a physical
basis. Between the psychic and the physical
bodies there is no relationship because the
physical body is material and the psychic
body is immaterial. Material and nonmaterial are opposites and, therefore, not simi
lar in any respect. Further, they are not
comparable in any conceivable manner. We
cannot compare a material object to a condition or to something that is not material.
The psychic body is usually a vague con
cept that many of us develop in order to be
able visually to conceive our existence as
entities in a form other than physical. That
is, we usually visualize ourselves or another
by visualizing the particular body, especially
the facial characteristics. The appearance is
our visual realization or means of remembering a physical body.
We have not perceived a psychic body
with our physical senses; so we cannot pro
duce in our mind or in our memory a visual
concept of it. Consequently, many have
fallen into the habit pattem of visualizing a
psychic body as a replica or duplicate of the
physical body. This probably became a com-

monly accepted fact with the growth of the

motion-picture industry because, in presenting an ethereal condition by trick photography, a person who has passed through
transition or a person who is walking in his
sleep or having a dream is projected on the
screen as a physical being who is transparent.
The body can be seen, but also one can see
through it.
This type of illusion has created in the
minds of many people the concept that the
psychic body of the human being is something like this type of trick photography.
The psychic body is usually considered to be
identical with the physical body, except that
there is nothing material and, therefore,
nothing that we can hear, feel, taste, smell,
or see.
This is a conclusin that has been reached
without foundation in fact. There is no
proof whatsoever that the psychic body exists
in the form of the physical body. Since we
do not know how to visualize a condition or
an entity which is not physical, the only
thing we can do is to imagine it as being nonmaterial, and that has resulted in our con
cept of the psychic body as a rather ethereal
existing condition.
Actually, the psychic body is a term which
has evolved through use to apply to all that
is nonphysical within us. That, of course,
is the soul and Vital Life Forc which causes
us to be. The soul is the repository of our
total consciousness. It is our true self, and
in it resides the experience that we have
carried forward from other lives and that we
will carry on to still other states of existence.
It is nonmaterial. It need not be considered
as a state like a body, that is, as being limited
to a certain area.
The Vital Life Forc is a forc that animates the body, that causes life to be resident within the physical structure. It is to
the body what electricity is to the electric
light bulb. In other words, it gives the body
meaning, life, and existence, making it a
suitable habitation for the soul for a temporary period of time.
Soul and its consciousness are closely re
lated but are not confined to physical phenomena. If the soul and its consciousness
were confined to a physical body, then it
would be impossible for psychic phenomena
ever to register within consciousness. We
would never be able to gain knowledge

through intuition or to receive impressions

from outside of us; or could we carry out
projection, for this psychic bodyif the term
is used as a synonym for the soulcan expand itself without reference to space, time,
or material. It exists in consciousness, wherever that consciousness may be. It is not
restricted by the physical body itself.
The second question as to whether the
aura is identical with the psychic body is
also based upon the premise that the aura
has something to do with our psychic nature.
Actually, according to our own teachings, the
aura consists of radiations of spirit from the
body. We know that spirit is the phase of
Nousthat is, the power that comes from
the Cosmic to cause all that is to existwhich
produces material.
To state it as simply as possible, the Cos
mic manifests in terms of vibrations, and
these vibrations produce their manifestations.
The manifestations of spirit are the material
world. The manifestations of the Vital Life
Forc are soul and consciousness. Now, since
spirit is the source of material, we can con
clude that the aura which surrounds the
body is radiations of this spirit.
The aura is therefore of a material nature,
and this can be proved by the fact that in
experiments where the aura is observed,
physical changes in the body affect the manifestation of the aura. That is, the spirit
energy, radiating from the body, is composed
of the same energies that are the body itself.
That is the reason the aura changes in its
vibration and in its color to reflect the physi
cal condition of the body, the state of health,
and the general vitality that exists in the
physical structure. Since the aura is of a
physical nature, or is composed of spirit,
it has no direct relationship with what is
ordinarily conceived to be the psychic body.
It is true that psychic conditions within
consciousness also affect the aura, but the
aura is affected as a result of the influence
of the psychic conditions functioning within
the body, not because of the fact that the
aura is ethereal or a psychic phenomenon.
The psychic body is a convenient term to
apply to the manifestations of which we are
aware about ourselves and which are not
readily explainable in terms of material.
We can say in generalities that the psy
chic body is the sum total of everything
about us that is not physical. Certainly, there

is no particular harm in imagining the psy

chic body to be an immaterial replica of the
material body although we are stretching
our imaginations a long way when we state
that the material can have an immaterial
replica. However, as a matter of convenience
so that we can have a visualized image of
what we believe to be the immaterial part
of us, no harm is done by assigning this
general meaning to the psychic body.
It is important to consider ourselves in our
component parts. We are material and im
material. We are body and soul. Body is
the material, the result of the radiations of
spirit, or, rather, the manifestation of the
radiations of spirit. Soul is the Divine Mind,
or universal Soul, incarnated in us, kept vital,
or, we might say, kept in a constant state of
vibration in attunement with the Cosmic by
the influx or the inflow of Vital Life Forc.
Nous can be said to be the forc that results from the operation of cosmic laws.
Nous is produced by the Cosmic just as electricity is the result of the operation of a
generator. The vast generator of the Cosmic
creates Nous and sends it forth to produce
the manifestations which it has ordained.
Those manifestations are the results of the
functioning of the two phases of Nous
Spirit and Vital Life Forc, which we are
aware of as material and immaterial, as body
and soul.
Therefore, if we consider ourselves as
consisting of a physical body in which resides
a soul and understand that the physical body
comes from Nous as a manifestation of spirit
and that the soul and the life forces within
us are maintained by the Vital Life Forc,
we conceive of ourselves as a composite.
Rather than placing emphasis on the physi
cal and the psychic, this concept includes the
whole entity, which is ordained by the Cos
mic to live and function as an intelligent
being in order that we may evolve in knowl
edge, understanding, realization, and awareness, not only of our source, but also of the
ends that we are to achieve.
Mans lot in life, then, is to experience this
state of living, to be alive, and to aspire toward a continually better life because whenever a choice is to be made between good and
evil, or good and better, the good and better is
alway s the ideal choice. We are trying to
evolve toward the best, which in itself is a
function and part of the absolute.A

Healing Electronically
A soror poses the following question: uIn
a discussion group which I attend regularly,
which is attended by laymen and also by
professional men, including physicians, the
subject has arisen of the possibility of healing
electronically. Briefly, the theory advanced
involves the following:
The human body, its molecules and cells,
is essentially of a vibratory nature. If it were
possible to determine electronically the vi
bratory rate of healthy cells; then it would
appear that disea sed cells could be made
healthy by the restoration of the correct rate
of vibrations.
This speculation seems to approach the
realm of probability since related kinds of
therapy are being used or investigated by
physicians in all categories. The growing
realization that there is a great deal of electrical activity in the cellular structure of the
body has led to the advancement of much
electronic equipment in diagnosing and
treating disease. The od heat lamps, colordesigned rooms, and musical selections were
all evidences of the application of treatment
through invisible waves of one kind or an
other. Each of these is receiving increased
attention in the healing arts.
There are other indications and evidences
of electrical activity in the bodythat which
is a product of certain chemical reactions.
In a sense, medicines and drugs evoke a degree of electrical activity by the chemical
action they induce. Externally applied elec
trical energy is now used to stimulate cellular
activity throughout the body. Heart beats,
blood pressure, mental activityall are
measured in terms of electrical impulses.
When we begin to talk about electrical ac
tivity, we also get into the realm of waves,
vibrations, and frequencies. This is a more sophisticated field of therapy, but definitely
related and certainly the next step in the
fascinating field of understanding the human
body. Science is on the verge of isolating the
characteristic frequencies of various cells,
whether healthy or diseased. As these fre
quencies are isolated, it will be yet another
challenge to find a corresponding frequency
outside the body which can be applied and
which can affect diseased tissue.
In theory, it seems quite plausible. In
practice, there remains the question of arti-

ficially producing the more refined rate of

vibration needed to affect cell tissue and
bring about a corresponding change in its
basic vibratory nature. Such therapy would
in effect be creating living tissue out of
primal energy. This begins to approach
mans great search for the secret of life itself
the Philosophers Stone. Yet that day may
come and bring with it an end to disea se.B
Science Reviving the Dead
Clippings sent by a frater in England,
who addresses our Forum, state in part:
Three things can be done with your
body when death stops your using it any
more. It can be buried. It can be burned.
It can be willed to the Government for med
ical research.
Now, a fourth, and startling, new possibility is opening up because of work going
on in scientific and medical research centres
in many countries.
It is that, some day, you may be able
to arrange for your body, after what we now
recognise as clinical, legal and religious
death, to be stored indefinitely in Humans
Only deepfreeze chambers.
For 20, 50, maybe 100 years or more, it
will, if new lines of research succeed, stay
there in the superfridge. At tempera tures
which could go cise to absolute zerominus
273 degrees Centigrade. Your body will be
board-stiff, full of special chemicals to protect it against the slow, deepfreeze process,
and against the time when it will need to be
rapidly re-warmed.
It will be in a state of suspended death.
But, at some future time when medical Sci
ence has discovered how to cure whatever
disease it is that claims you as a victim, your
body could then be:
O n e : Brought out of the deepfreeze chamber;
Two: Awakened by rapid re-warming in
an electronic oven;
T h r e e : Restored to full health.
How? By medical and surgical techniques
as yet undiscovered. By the replacement of
a wom-out heart, for example, with one
made of plastics or lightweight materials, or
with a healthy heart taken from an animal.
The frater asks our Forum: If the process
described can be perfected and human beings
stored for long periods as if dead and then
revived, can they from the Rosicrucian point

of view be described as being exactly the

same soul personalices?
In the first place, there is an obvious inconsistency, in fact, a contradiction, in the
statements of the news article. It is said
that . . . some day, you may be able to
arrange for your body, after what we now
recognize as clinical, legal and religious
death, to be stored indefinitely . . . . Then
further, it states, Your body will be boardstiff, full of special chemicals to protect it
against the slow, deepfreeze process. If, as
stated in the article, the body were recognized as being dead in the full sense of
the word; then it would not need any protection against the slow, deepfreeze process.
This indicates, therefore, that the body, the
cell life, could not be completely dead. It is
known that when a person is pronounced
dead, for a brief time there still remains cell
life in the organism. Even now, this life can
be suspended by a freezing process for a
temporary period.
Further, the news article states that the
body would eventually be awakened by
rapid re-warming in an electronic oven. The
body could not be awakened if it really were
dead. Certain organic life functions could
perhaps be revived or reawakened only if
there existed a kind of suspended animation. Consequently, under these circumstances, the revival of the suspended life
would mean a continuation of the same soul
personality. According to the Rosicrucian
ontology, where there is Vital Life Forc,
there is the phenomenon of consciousness.
Where there is consciousness, there is selfawareness and what we term soul person
ality.
There is no doubt that greater scientific
strides will be made in having future body
banks, which will preserve dead bodies by
legal permission for the purpose of transplanting organs such as the heart, lungs, and
kidneys in bodies of those who will need
them. It is within the realm of scientific
possibility that bodies will be kept in a frozen state of suspended animation to allow for
the treatment of certain diseases. This will
be followed by their being awakened to
health as the article says. It is doubtful,
however, that a body truly dead in the med
ical sense of the term could be completely
revived to normal life after the passing of
some time.

If it were possible, would the soul per

sonality be the same as before death? Mystically, the answer must be no. With the
complete departure of the Vital Life Forc,
the consciousness in all of its aspects ceases
as well. The pattem which it has assumed
and developed is gone. If the body mechanism were started again, if life could once
again be instilled in the dead body, the formation of consciousness at its former level
would not be the same. The self-realization,
the ideation engendered by that conscious
ness, would be quite different. Simply stated,
there would be a new soul personality.
There is yet another question that arises
out of this subject although not directly
related to it. With the population explosion
and the dire results predicted by noted scientists such as biologists, anthropologists, and
economists as the result of it, it may be
asked: Why should bodies be restored to
life if it were possible to do so? In other
words, once every attention has been given
to a stricken person but he dies, why, then,
revive the body at some future time? Ac
cording to estimates, even within this century the food supply of the world will be far
below the demands of humanity. It may
well result in starvation on a vast scale. The
great food reserves which, for example, the
United States has in warehouses, its stored
grain and other commodities, may be exhausted quickly.
There is a continual imploration on the
part of demographers to curtail births. Even
some of the dogmatic religious sects who
have opposed any attempted contraceptive
measures are now conscious of the fact that
the population acceleration is one of the great
problems facing the human race. In developing new techniques and medicines, medical
science has blocked the great plagues and
epidemics and has improved hygienic methods, thereby prolonging life. It has, of course,
interfered with natures role in counteracting
the increasing birthrate. The great wars,
though taking a tremendous toll of life, did
not greatly retard the worlds population increase. A total nuclear war, of course, could
almost annihilate the human race. The rational thing to do is to control births by
intelligent methods. A consistent, if possible,
attempt to restore the dead would amount to
a sociological disaster and would constitute
a real interference with the balance of
nature.X

Transition of Infants
A frater asks what purpose there is in a
new-bom babys passing through transition
after merely a few days of life. Can the soul
personality obtain any experience in this
short length of time, or is the experience
meant for the parents?
The Cosmic Soul, of which each of us is a
part, is continuously seeking expression. This
is an inherent impulse in the Cosmics eternal
effort to be . Where there is a mdium for
expression, Soul will manifest. In the cosmic
sense, there is no beginning or end to Soul,
or to its potential for expression. Therefore,
we may say that the reason for so short-lived
an existence was the physical limitations of
that particular body. Such a vehicle simply
was not capable of sustaining life. It was
part of the constant battle for physical forms
to endureto survive. But with physical
forms there is always the potential for accident, malfunction, or incompleteness.
To Soul, it means little as to when it loses
a particular mdium of expression, for it al
ways seeks out and finds another. Thus the
emotional experience of an early transition
is not the soul personalitys, but that of the
family or relatives. The loss is theirs, not
that of the soul personality involved.
If there is any lesson to be learned, it is
for humanity to develop ways and means to
correct physical deficiencies and weaknesses
so that each body can manifest a full life
span. Humanity must learn to prevent accidents that interrupt a full term and must
gain knowledge in the ways of preventing
human misfortunes in the future.B
Psychic Development and Peace
A frater submits this question to our
Forum: In view of the fact that most indi
viduis and nations are at different stages
of evolution and psychic development, do
you believe there will come a time when
there is peace over the entire earth?
Let us first have some agreement on what
we would consider to be peace over the en
tire earth. To most persons, especially at
this time when there is much political uncertainty and threatened nuclear war hangs
over mankind like a sword of Damocles,
peace is construed as the abolition of war.
But such peace is only a concord between
different organized societies, or sovereign
states. Concomitant with such eventual in-

ternational peace, there could nevertheless

continu to be considerable internal discord.
Strikes, racial demonstrations, agitation by
groups of special interests, the incessant bickering of religious sects are certainly a condition rife with strife.
If peace is to be defined as a state of imperturbability and a harmonious relationship
between people in all vicissitudes and activities of life wherever they may be; then
its prospects are as yet remte. The probability of a nuclear war does not seem imminent. In this regard, peace seems more
assured.
There are, of course, five world powers
that have the means of producing nuclear
weapons, and others are on the verge of do
ing so. However, it is doubtful if any of
these powers will institute a war that will
eventually become a holocaust. It is not that
every one of such powers would be deterred
for any moral or humanitarian reason; rath
er, it is because it is all too evident to each
of them that there can be no winner in a
world-wide thermonuclear war.
The peace that needs to come in individual
and internal social relations within a state
has no effective deterrent to help it, unfortunately. There is little influence and con
trol over jealousy, hatred, avarice, violent
emotional outbreaks, false pride, and unbridled ambition. These are the things in
society that cause turbulence, unrest, and
the venting of anger and passion. The peace
needed in these matters must develop within
the consciousness, the intelligence, and the
personality of the individual. It is a matter
of personal evolution. The individual must
voluntarily, not through compulsin, gain
control of himself.
The great historian, James Henry Breasted,
has said that history recounts mans victory
over his environment. We can study through
the mdium of science and the records which
man has left, from the time of the fist-stone
ax of the earliest man nearly a million years
ago to our technical age, how the human
creature has conquered conditions which
have been brought to bear upon him externally. But so far, mans conquest of him
self has been a failure.
In his various religions and certain philosophies he has theorized upon the principie
of the brotherhood of man. He has made
sacrifices to exemplify such an ideal, but few

of mankind have ever achieved it. The adherents of the great religions in the main
have given this principie of the brotherhood
of man only lip service. In their private
lives, they have failed to let the inner man,
the greater psychic part of themselves from
which their higher ideis stem, direct their
lives.
There are those who have attained this
peace profound within themselves. They are
capable of teaching the method to others.
There are societies, of which the AMORC is
one, who likewise delineate the way.
However, as an accomplished fact, this peace
profound still depends upon the evolution
and psychic development of the individual.
You can lead a horse to water, but you
cannot make him drink.
Man must want to develop the finer sen
sibilices and emotions of his being. To do
this requires sacrifices. He must be willing
to forgo submission to all sensual appeals.
He has to cease making the whole end of life
the gratification of his physical appetites and
desires. Gautama Buddha, the worlds first
great psychologist, taught that desire is the
central cause of human suffering. If one
gives way entirely to desire, as does most of
humanity today, personal peace is an impossibility.
We cannot eliminate desire entirely, or
should we, for man would thereby become
phlegmatic. It is desire that gives man the
drive by which he has also accomplished
those things in art, science, and literature
that are worthy of him. Desire, though, can
be projected to extremes. It can invade the
security and well-being of others, and therein
lies the strife between human beings.
Man must attain a state of consciousness
where, as we have often said, the self will
also embrace the interests and well-being of
others. The philosophical precept of eudaemonism must become uppermost in the
human consciousness. This is the theory that
the aim of right action is personal well-being
and happiness.
Peace, then, begins not with treaties be
tween states, political concords, and United
Nations, but rather with the concepts and
activities of the individual. To paraphrase
a renowned statement by Dr. H. Spencer
Lewis, no nation or people can rise any
higher than the level of its individual con
sciousness.X

A Universal Language
A frater from southem Australia asks:
How good is the idea of a universal lan
guage for humanity and to what extent
should it be encouraged? There are very
few people who would arge against the
virtue of a universal language. There isnt
much that anyone can say against it. By
erasing communication barriers between the
people of the world, the possibilities for
peace, prosperity, and international understanding would be greatly facilitated.
It is felt by many statesmen that the lan
guage barrier is today the greatest cause for
misunderstanding between nations. Lan
guage is, after all, our principal means of
communicating with others, and if we cannot
communicate, we are at a loss to understand
their actions and behavior.
There is a more practical aspect to be
considered also. The translation and duplication of countless written instructions, his
tories, novis, and commentaries would be
eliminated by the institution of a common
language. Travel between countries would
be more inviting, enjoyable, and educational
than now. The whole field of language instruction would all but disappear. There
would be in all phases of international rela
tions a fluidity that would minimize national
differences and bring human similarities into
a working relationship.
It isnt opposition to the idea that pre
vens its implementation; rather it is a ques
tion of peoples hesitancy to surrender their
present language for something new. It
would require not only a tremendous psychological adjustment, but also an enormous investment of time and materials to bring
about the change.
Individually, of course, millions of people
are already changing their language or
learning an additional one. The conversin
to a single language for the whole world is
not impossible, and it would only require a
decisin by every nation to cooperate in such
a venture. For the people it would be difficult only for a short time; then everything
would be familiar again, and the great social
barrier would be breached.
The main task in the preparation for such
a venture would be the creation of the com
mon language. Once all nations are agreed
on what a common language should be, it
could be implemented in stages by requiring

it as a second language for all children over

a period of time. Gradually, all textbooks
and major publications would be issued in
both languages.
Then, just as the new language was gradu
ally built up along with the od, the od lan
guage at a certain point would be eliminated
by taking away more and more materials
published in that tongue. Over a period of
a hundred years, perhaps, this process could
be accomplished with a minimum of dis
comfort to even the most ardent of language
segregationists.B
Can We All Attain Perfection?
A soror, joining our Forum, writes: The
key to the manifestation of our lives and the
fundamental of our Rosicrucian teachings is
the attunement of the inner self with its
divine counterpart. But let us face it, this is
a long, hard struggle for the majority of our
members. Few are able to achieve it. What
do you believe the student should do when
he discovers that it cannot be easily attained?
Some discussion of this would probably keep
many members from becoming discouraged.
There is a Summum Bonum, a highest
good or ultimate ideal, in the Rosicrucian
Order. It is, of course, the principal reason
why members affiliate with AMORC. It is,
as the soror has succinctly expressed it, to attune our objective consciousness with the
higher levels of the Cosmic Consciousness
within us so as to perfect our thinking and
our way of life. We believe that cosmic inspiration and intuitive knowledge can greatly
implement our objective thinking. This has
the pragmatic advantage of helping us to
judge rightly many conditions and circumstances with which we are confronted. It
provides a keener insight, removes misconceptions, helps us to attain self-control and
avoid detrimental mistakes affecting ourselves and others, and leads to greater
achievement in constructive enterprises and
that greatest of personal rewards, peace of
mind.
There are, of course, degrees of such attainment, each in itself being a kind of per
fection. Can man envisin a plenum of
perfection, that is, an absolute perfection for
the mystical student or, for that matter,
for any human being? To do so, it would
be necessary to take each category or at-

tribute of the human being and express

it in its highest quality. It would mean observance with understanding of all the laws
pertaining to health. It would require com
plete knowledge of the ideal diet, essential
exercise, and the necessary healthful en
vironment. It would, likewise, require in
tellectual development, a keen mind and
enlightenment. Last, but not least, there
would need to be a knowledge of cosmic laws
to allow full and proper use of the psychic
powers of man.
Have any mortals ever attained such an
apical state of perfection? We can only
assume from legends and historical accounts
that spiritual beings such as avatars and the
founders of the great enlightened religions
did attain this perfection. But can the aver
age mortal on earth expect to do so? Candidly, the environment in which he is placed
by the society which he himself has created
causes tremendous obsta ces to such perfec
tion. There are and will always be some
who will realize such attainment, but they
will be very much in the minority, an in
finitesimal number compared to the masses
of humanity.
Such attainment or ultmate perfection is
a composite. It can never be attained as a
whole at one time. It consists of a series of
lesser perfections, a hierarchy, or graduated
scale, one succeeding the other. Consequent
ly, every human being can attain one or
more such elements of personal perfection
if he strives for them. Unfortunately, some
students concntrate only upon the plenum,
the full perfection. They think exclusively
in such terms. They evalate their personal
progress, their knowledge, self-discipline,
satisfaction, and mastery by such final per
fection. Obviously, then, they suffer by such
extreme comparison; their results, their
achievements, seem fallow and insignificant.
As a result, they become discouraged and
even resort to abandonment of their idealism
and effort.
If, conscientiously and with reasonable ap
plication to the studies, one carries on, he
will experience a gradual perfection in all his
attributes of being. This does not require a
sacrifice of a normal way of living and working. But study and practice do require effort.
They are not primarily entertainment. One
cannot compare an hour or an hour and a

halfs study with similar time devoted to

watching the televisin, for example. The
first requires concentration and thought. It
is a positive state. The latter is passive,
negative, with little or no stimulus to the
mental or psychic processes. However, as
one leams and is able to utilize what he
leams, the personal satisfaction resulting, the
realization of a new-found power, exceeds
any titillation or pleasure that comes from
mere entertainment. Success brings its rewards, but no success acquired personally is
ever effortless.
It is difficult to tell some students what
the ultimate in mystical development can
mean to them. We know that some will feel
dejected because they have not attained a
state of perfection after a short time of study.
However, if they are not told what can be
theirs, they will fail to appreciate their potentialities. The best way for the student is
first to prepare a personal inventory listing
his weak points. Having these listed he can
determine what immediate improvements he
wishes to make in the different aspects of
his personality. He must not set for himself
an extreme goal but rather seek a minimum
of change which he considers a definite im
provement leading toward perfection. He
must work toward such an end, no matter
how far down in the scale it may be from
the ideal of perfection. The student must
simply leam to crawl before running.
For example, if one has certain fears or
anxieties, he must use his studies, the laws
and the instruction given him, to try to remove them. If he has doubts, he should try
to substitute knowledge and understanding
for them through cosmic inspiration and
intuition. If he is depressed, he should strive
for the ideal of optimism, for an enthusiastic
outlook. He can only move from one point
of perfection to another. He should not overreach himself. In mystical study, it is advisable not to fix ones sight, allegorically
speaking, upon a distant star. Instead, one
should choose a point closer at hand and,
when that is realized, move progressively up
and beyond to the next point.
There are many fratres and sorores who
believe that they have failed. This is because they have underestimated the progress
and minor perfections which they have accomplished. We do not believe that any
sincere Rosicrucian who has reasonably ap-

plied himself to his studies, can look back

and compare the time before he was a member with the present and say truthfully that
he has not shown development in one or
more aspects of his life. The result of application to the teachings then becomes apparent.X

The Test of Ethics

Ethics has been defined in many ways.
Succinctly stated, it is a course of conduct
intended to establish a just relationship be
tween the members of society. A distinction
of a broad nature can be made between
moris and ethics. Moris, in principie, are
founded upon a religious or spiritual teaching. They imply a divine or supernatural
injunction, as, for example, the Mosaic Decalogue. Ethics, in effect, developed out of custom and that conduct which man has found
necessary in establishing, protecting, and
preserving human dignity. However, what
is often termed right conduct, or just, in substance parallels certain moral precepts. A
moral good and an ethical good can be consistent or contrary to each other, but the mo
tive of right conduct is related to the dictates
of conscience and moral fats.
To do the right thing, to follow the accepted proper principie, is not always the
easy thing to do. The human emotions work
both for and against ethics. Almost always
a man will be polite and courteous, and not
take advantage of another when it furthers
his end. He will ordinarily not jeopardize
his position in business or society by failing
to adhere to an established ethical custom.
In other words, there is no challenge, no inducement, to act in an unethical manner.
When man acts ethically in such circum
stances, there is no indication that ethics is
actually an inherent part of his personal be
havior.
On the other hand, when self-interest or,
to put it more emphatically, self-preservation
arises, ethics is then put to the test. For
analogy, let a man be tempted to make a substantial monetary gain by withholding information that should ethically be had by
others, also. Will he withhold it? If he does,
ethics is not the essence of his character.
Will a man refuse to read a personal letter
not intended for him, even when he can do
so without detection, when he knows it may

give him an advantage to do so? The manner

in which he acts will prove whether ethics
is merely a social veneer with him or a per
sonal conviction regarding right conduct toward his fellows.
Many men will show respect for the rights
of the strong and those who in some manner
are superior to them or from whom they may
exact a favor. Do they, however, display the
same consideration to the weak? In industry,
business, politics, and the press, we see daily
the ruthlessness of power. Ethics too often
is but lip service. There is no attempt to
reconcile or discipline instinctive self-motivation and aggression with the rules of ethics.
Individuis, small businesses, and the weak
are often exploited whenever they appear to
counter some end sought by the strong.
The blatant and sensational press expounds the virtue of ethics in its editorial
columns. Often it will take a single instance
and make a maudlin appeal in behalf of
some destitute family or child, placing a
mantle of virtue upon itself with an appropriate shower of publicity. But it will likewise take some unfortunate individual or
group and blatantly exploit their mistakes
for the purpose of publicity, reader interest,
and circulation. In its news columns and
editorials, it will crucify an individual be
fore he has had his day in court, with no
respect for the consequences if it will further reader interest. Ethics is forgotten in
this self-aggression. Recently, both industry
and labor have cast aside any semblance of
ethics where a sacrifice is required to serve
principie.
The rule for testing ethics is right conduct
performed for its inherent merit: In other
words, because it is right and not because of
what one may gain from it. The ethical
person derives his compensation from the
performance of the right act. It is this that
constitutes the subjective aspect of ethics. It
shows the relationship between ethics and
the moral sense. The individual pursues the
ethical conduct because it conforms to his
immanent sense of rectitude.
Ethics, as rules of conduct, is of course,
man-made. It arises out of the relationship
between men in their various activities and
the experiences in their lives. Ethics also
grows out of differences in society and environment. The kind of society we live in

tends to establish the rules of ethics. They

are and should be prompted, as we have
said, by the sense of righteousness which the
individual has and a study of that conduct
which would seem to offend and vilate that
righteousness. As moral character retrogresses, the conformity to ethics likewise
declines. There is, then, less self-discipline.
The animal in man predominates. There is
a diminishing restriction placed upon the
desires. The end justifies the means. Selfinterest is made paramount. Compassion and
sympathy embracing other persons contract.
Ethics, then, by contrast seems insipid.
It often requires considerable personal
sacrifice of gain and advantage to act in an
ethical way. This is particularly so in our
highly competitive age. To survive economically, to live according to the standard
one believes he should, or even to exist in
many places in the world and acquire the
necessities of life, is an increasing struggle.
It is a continual conflict between physical
well-being and creature comforts, on the one
hand, and idealism on the otherand ethics
is idealism.
It is not that ethics is an absolute ideal
merely satisfying the intellect and the conscience. Ethics also has its practical valu.
Right conduct results in mutual well-being;
it is respect for those human rights society
has discovered and which it believes are
necessary. If we do not concern ourselves
with the respect of human dignity and mans
feelings and well-being, it will ultimately
reflect back upon us. A general decline in
ethics eventually catches up everyone in its
tide. We finally find ourselves victims of
those who mercilessly take advantage of our
innocence or ignorance in some circumstances. The practice of udog eat dog can
lead to the time when there are no dogs
left.-X

Does the Council of Solace Fail?

A frater rising, asks our Forum: How
long should one continu to expect results
when petition is made to the Council of
Solace? Is there anybody in the AMORC
organization to which petition could be addressed if the Council of Solace fails to be
of assistance?
In answer to the question, let us review
the structure of the Council of Solace. The

Council is composed of fratres and sorores

who have been members of the Rosicrucian
Order for years. Further, they are selected
for their duties because they have shown
more than usual comprehension and application of the Rosicrucian teachings. In their
personal lives they have had varying degrees
of success with the principies and laws which
they have studied. Also, they have indicated
not only a devotion to the Order but a true
humanitarian and Rosicrucian spirit in de
siring to serve others whenever they can.
These individuis live throughout the world;
they are not confined to any one area, and
they offer their services freely.
The members of the Council of Solace, although especially selected in this manner, are
mortal. They do not claim to have any pow
er not had by any other human being. They
do have a better understanding of cosmic and
natural laws than do many others, however.
ames of cases and certain other details are
forwarded by air mail to the distant members
of the Council of Solace. The Council mem
bers of San Jos consist of Supremo and
Grand Lodge officers and certain other officials of the AMORC staff, who meet daily
in the Supreme Temple to give metaphysical
assistance in accordance with the Rosicrucian
principies. Each Council member has been
provided with a list of those to whom help
is to be given.
The Temple session of the meeting opens
with an invoca tion, i.e., a prayer, a different
Council member being selected each day to
perform this function. The members then
take seats in the Supreme Temple and enter
into medita tion. There are no dogma tic rules
as to how they shall proceed in rendering
aid. Each is permitted to follow the method
whereby he has had the greatest success, in
accordance, of course, with the Rosicrucian
principies. In other words, the principies
are the tools which the member uses. The
technique of application can be his own.
Experience of long standing has proved that
this way is preferable.
It must be mentioned that there is the ad
ministra tive section of the Council of Solace,
also, consisting of clerical assistants who read
the letters directed to them and enter the
cases on filing cards. They issue personal
letters and literature to those applying for
assistance, telling them what they must do

to cooperate. Reports from members being

helped are entered on the records and are
acknowledged. The clerical work, postage, correspondence, and literature in this department, for which there are no charges, amount
to a considerable expense. The only help of
a monetary nature is that which comes as
donations to the Council of Solace administrative department from those who appreciate what is being done in their behalf.
Although some of these donations are generous, there are many who acknowledge help
but never reciprcate in any other manner
than just to say a thank you. Sometimes,
they forget to say that.
From an examination of reports and letters received, it is apparent that a large percentage of those appealing to the Council
have been aided. In some instances, they
have stated that the results appear almost
miraculous to them or to their families or
physicians. In other cases, little or no suc
cess has been achieved. Is such a failure due
to some lack on the part of the Council? We
have stated that the Council members are
human beings, not gods. Further, the circum
stances of some cases are of a nature that a
person cannot be helped in the way he
wishes, even cosmically. It must be realized
that the Council is working with cosmic and
natural laws. There can be no exceptions to
such laws. In fact, there are some cases of
such a nature that the success members want
would actually require making exceptions to
natural laws. This is an impossibility.
Let us take the individual who has never
had any training in a profession, business, or
trade. He is, as we shall say, an unskilled
worker. He was disinclined to prepare him
self in any way and has preferred to just
coast along as a laborer for an industry. He
approaches retirement age when the company puts in automation to faciltate the
work he is doing. They have placed other
qualified men in other positions when auto
mation made changes, but there is no
opening for this persons unskilled services.
With his permission, a member of AMORC
writes the Council with the request that it
assist him. No success is had during a
period of, let us say, 90 days. Why? What
help has the individual given himself? Most
of his life lie has depended upon chance
circumstances. There is a cosmic principie
involved in such a case. Can it be said, there

fore, that the Council fails because it does

not secure work for the individual?
In certain other cases, we learn that indi
viduis in their prvate lives act in a way
contrary to the common rules of health. They
abuse themselves in some manner. They become ill and desperately seek help. They
fail to realize that their manner of living
is a contributing factor or primary cause of
their malady. In such cases, the Council of
Solace is never successful. But again, should
we say it has really failed?
There are certain conditions that have
periods, or cycles, through which they must
pass before they can be changed. Sometimes
the cause of such cycles has been years in
building up the condition to its present state.
When the condition finally becomes objec
tive, i.e., when the experience has distressed
the individual, he appeals to the Council.
The counter help, because it uses cosmic
principies and natural law, also requires a
duration of time. It is not a magical process.
The cure cannot always be immediate. When
it is not, the individual who is suffering may
lose confidence in the Council and may say
that it has failed.
At times, there are circumstances which
are unknown to the Council and, therefore,
they cannot produce the results they would
like. They do not claim to have a panacea
for all ills or a solution to all problems
brought to their attention. Further, the
Council always urges that the individual
continu with whatever other therapy he is
having, be it medical or nonmedical. On
occasion, the Council may recommend that
the patient have surgery as his physician
advises. As Rosicrucians, we acknowledge
that every recognized form of therapy has
some benefit or merit. Obviously, no single
method is a cure-all; otherwise, it would
provide a remedy for all who are afflicted.
The Council of Solace will recommend
physicians who are Rosicrucians if there are
any in the vicinity of the one who is appeal
ing to it. When a person appeals for health
reasons and has not yet seen a physician, the
Council always suggests that he go to one for
examination and diagnosis. Especially is this
so when the symptoms seem to be serious.
Of course, it must be realized that health
problems are only one of the many kinds of
personal difficulties which are brought to the
attention of the Council of Solace.X

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Greetings!
V
V V
WHAT IS PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT?
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
psyche, has been postulated as a kind of
The conception that man is dual is as od divine substance implanted in man. It is
as mans first analysis of his being. He has thought to carry with it certain attributes
obvious functions that are so unlike in their as consciousness, conscience, the moral sense,
phenomena that it is difficult to conceive of and other immaterial powers and functions.
their being other than separa te processes.
There were and are various schools of
The reason and the various mental processes thought concerning the inherent quality of
are quite easily differentiated from the physi soul. According to some theologies, the soul
cal organism and its activities. In fact, the is immured by sins which man has inherited
ancient Greeks considered reason the high and from which it must be liberated before
est attribute of mans nature and a distinctly it can have a full expression. This libera tion
divine quality implanted in the body. The is to be accomplished by certain acts of salsoul and reason were more generally con vation. Consequently, the individual aspires
sidered to be synonymous and one of the to that spiritual attainment, that freedom of
basic attributes of his dual nature.
the soul, which can be attained by conformThe Greeks, too, related love in its most ing to prescribed religious rites. This ac
elevated sense to the soul. Soul was a rational tivity is a kind of spiritual development or,
and loving entity. This love was construed in terms of the Greek ame for the soul, a
as compassion and was considered to be of the psychic development.
highest moral sense of which man is capable.
It is also a philosophical and metaphysical
The soul as an entity or a substance was
conception that the soul, as an infusin of the
thought to be ethereal, amorphous, and in body,
is accompanied by an efficacy and an
visible. It had no material qualities as does
that is a sort of supernatural
the body. These other qualities, though dis- intelligence
or
cosmic
mind
power. This doctrine extinguished from the physical organism, pounds that this intelligence
the
seemed to enter and leave the body with the rational mind, or the mortaltranscends
intellect.
breath. Consequently, the Greeks identified directs the involuntary functions of the bodyIt
soul with air, breath, or pneuma. The soul, such as the respiration, circulation of the
then, was of this airlike quality which soared blood, and other organic processes over which
to other regions. Long before the Greeks, the will has no direction. However, this
the notion of wings had been associated with
is accessible to the objective con
the soul and symbolized by a bird or by super-mind
sciousness. Man can be attuned with a
winged insects.
Eventually, the soul became personified source to accomplish phenomena which his
with the mythical character, Psyche. Ac normal mental processes cannot achieve.
Since this super-mind, or intelligence, of
cording to Greek mythology, Psyches husband was Cupid. When she discovered who the soul with its energy is infinite in its cos
he truly was, he departed; this was accom- mic relationship, it is held that it can and
does produce phenomena beyond the capaplished through the treachery of Venus.
Psyche searched and found him after suffer bility of the brain and the body. It is not
ing persecution by the jealous Venus. She limited by time or space. It has its own state
was then portrayed as a beautiful girl with of consciousness, both perception and con
ception; that is, it can realize what the physi
wingsthe soul in flight.
Psyche became the root out of which grew cal senses cannot perceive. Likewise, it can
such words and terms as psychic, psychology, generate ideas which are far more illuminatpsychosomatic, and numerous others depict- ing than those produced by the reason. This
ing the inner nature of man in contrast to mind and its forces, it is further contended,
the physical. In most religions, the soul, the exist like a reservoir within the human or-

ganism to be utilized to extend mans mastery over himself and his environment.
Since this intelligence and its powers are
of the soul, it naturally follows that they
would be referred to as psychic forces by
adherents of mysticism and metaphysics. It
became common in these systems to expound
ways and means of developing the psychic
powers of man. This development, or
method, has been defined in various ways
by the different schools of metaphysics and
esotericism. Actually, the term develop is
a misnomer when associated with the notion
of psychic powers, for if there is a transcendent soul forc, a divine intelligence, functioning as a higher mind in man, it certainly
does not lie within his province to develop it.
At least, the finite cannot logically exercise
a control over the infinite. Consequently, the
only development, according to this concep
tion, would be volitional methods of mind
whereby man can come to realize his latent
powers, awakening and directing them but
not adding to their omnipotence. Man develops only his state of awareness, his ability
to realize and develop a channel within him
self for the expression and function of his
immanent psychic power.
With the development of organic psychology, the word psychic acquired a different
meaning. It no longer had a relationship to
any spiritual, supernatural, or separate embodiment in man. All forces in man, all
phenomena attributed to him, were considered to be a unitary single quality of his
whole organism and quite natural. The
memory, the reason, the emotions, the socalled moral sense, conscience, consciousness
these were different functions arising out
of the complex monad or single entity which
man is declared to be. The human organism,
according to modera psychology, can produce
diverse forms of phenomena just as there
can be different notes produced by a single,
unified piano keyboard.
However, there is by this science a general
classification of the human phenomena. Some

of its aspects are declared to be consciously

motivated and some, as subliminal functions
of the mind, unconsciously. In other words,
some processes are believed to be more mysterious and more subtle since they are involved with the intricacies of the brain and
nervous systems, or what is called mind.
These, then, are the psychic functions of man
as designated by science. But, we repeat, this
refers to psychic as being completely purged
from any divine or supernatural attributes.
Science readily admits that the psychic
functions in man vary. The so-called subconscious motivations, instincts, and intuition which come to the fore of the conscious
mind are more pronounced in some than in
others. How and why this occurs in some
individuis to a greater extent than in others
is one of the enigmas of psychology and
psychiatry and has become the incentive for
further research.
From the psychological point of view there
are certain psychic functions which science
believes can be developed consciously. One
of these, for example, is creativity. Different
textbooks on psychology furnish diverse
opinions on what creativity is and how it
can be developed. Since memory, imagination, and visualization are included in the
psychic powers of man by science, there are
also techniques suggested for their develop
ment.
Such phenomena as extrasensory percep
tion, telepathy, bilocation (projection of con
sciousness), empathy, and telekinesis are as
yet mysterious to orthodox science. But now
sincere efforts are being made to investigate
such phenomena. However, the concensus
in scientific circles is that they have no rela
tionship to transcendent spiritual or cosmic
qualities. They are but part of the natural
process of the human organism. Nevertheless, in its experiments science attempts to
ascertain whether practice will develop such
latent powers in the individual.
Just as most psychologists will not admit
of an infusin of an external intelligence,

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or cosmic mind, in man that might account

for strange human phenomena; so many
students of mysticism and metaphysics confuse natural organic processes with an extemal psychic forc. Such students often
relegate such common psychological and
physiological phenomena to the psychic
world. Afterimages, for example, complementary colors which one may see after
turning the eyes away from a bright light
into which he has been staring, are often
attributed to other than a natural function.
Internal noises in the ears are often thought
of as psychic forces to be developed! Nervous
disorders, twitches, and jerks of the muscles
are associated with nonphysical and psychic
powers.
There are deeper phases of the stream of
consciousness within us that do produce
realizations and experiences which may truly
be called psychicif we mean the result of
higher aspects of our consciousness and the
intelligence of the life stream itself. The
direction and application of these can be
developed, for they are natural to every hu
man being; but they are more manifest in
some persons than in others. However, men
tal aberrations, abnormal functioning of the
brain and the nervous systems, can produce
phenomena which is psychic only in the
psychiatric sense of the wordnot in the
mystical or metaphysical meaning.
The moral impulse, the desire to experi
ence a unin with reality beyond our own
physical being, is both a psychic impulse in
the scientific or psychological sense and in
the mystical sense. It is mystical to have the
desire and the love to experience the feeling
of oneness with the Cosmic, the whole of be
ing. But the states of consciousness through
which one passes to acquire that experience
are the result of natural, mental, and emotional processes. For analogy, a musical
composition is an ideal, but there first needs
to be the physical instrument upon which it
can be produced or expressed to transform
that ideal into a reality. The psychic forces
in man are one and part of all of the natural
powers of mans being. We do not develop
them. Rather, we develop the way to understand and apply those forces to our lives.
Fraternally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator

Science Recognizes the Human Aura

For many decades, science has scoffed at
an age-old postulation that an etheric field
surrounds the human body. This field is referred to in certain metaphysical and mys
tical literature as the human aura. It is a
field of sensitivity by which the individual
can react to certain conditions which impinge
upon his invisible vibratory nature. In ef
fect, it is said to be like the magnetic field
that surrounds the pole of a magnet, which
may repel or attract that which enters it.
Under certain conditions this aura has
been perceived visibly, but in most cases it
has been a psychic phenomenon only, that
is, one becomes conscious of it other than
through his physical receptor sense organs.
Science has brought forth the admission
that man has a body buffer zone, by which
he is able to become aware of objects which
intrude upon this zone even though he can
not perceive them with his usual senses. The
following is a quotation from an article by
Dlos Smith, released by the United Press
International:
An idea newly advanced for large-scale
scientific testing is that every person emotionally maintains a personal space around
his own body, a body-buffer zone.
It is an idea anyone can test as regards
himself. In his approaches does he always
stop at the same distance from the person
or the object approached? Will he approach a hat rack closer than a woman
or another man?
Drs. Mardi J. Horowitz and Donald F.
Duff had the idea and put it to its first,
preliminary tests, involving 285 men and
women. That is not nearly enough to
prove anything about people in general.
But each one turned out to have a bodybuffer zone. It could be compressed, since
they consistently approached a hat rack
closer than another person. Both men and
women were standoffish in the same footage with persons of the opposite sex as
with those of their own.
This is quite serious science. Important,
too. It bears on efforts to really understand the human being as he ticks along
inside the fortress which is his or her
body.
Psychological science has established
that all persons carry in their minds a

body image of themselves. The new idea

is that this image is of more than the body
and includes a sensitized projection of the
immediate area around the body.
Horowitz experimented with personnel
and patients of the U. S. Naval Hospital
in Oakland and female volunteer workers
and female patients of the Langley Porter
Neuropsychiatric Institute, San Francisco.
Is There A Law of Averages?
Most of us have heard that, in accordance
with the law of averages, certain events will
occur from time to time. That is, according
to this so-called law, there cannot be any
thing but a certain type of conclusin to cer
tain types of actions. In other words, if I
jump too many times, the law of averages
says that on one of these jumps I may injure
myself in some way or, at least, make myself
uncomfortable. The law of averages is a
phrase that is frequently used either to ex
cuse an individuals deficiencies or to cause
him to have more optimism than is justified
by the actual facts.
One of my favorite short stories is by
the famous author, Somerset Maugham, entitled The Facts of Life. It is a type of story
that seems to be contrary to all the principies
that have usually been accepted as a basis
of sound judgment and sound living. If you
have not read it, the story deais with the
adventures of a young man who took a trip
abroad to Monte Cario from England after
he had been given sage advice from his father
as to what his actions and behavior should be.
It was with some hesita tion that his father
had permitted him to go in the first place,
after admonishing him not to gamble, not
to lend money to a stranger, and not to have
anything to do with members of the opposite
sex to whom he might be introduced or with
whom he might come in contact.
If you are familiar with the writings of
Somerset Maugham, you probably can guess
what actually happened. The adventurous
young man gambled and won; loaned money
and was paid back. He had an enjoyable
evening with an attractive member of the
opposite sex, whom he met quite by chance.
All the sage advice which his father had
given him with the best of intentions was
ignored. The young man acted contrary to
the advice given. The story ends with the
young man convinced that his father and

others of his fathers generation were rather

behind the times insofar as advice was con
cerned. But the father was concerned about
what happened because he realized that the
boy, by experiencing a little luck, did not
have any problems even though he did not
follow the advice.
The story is one which is good reading,
but at the same time it sets forth a principie
that the law of averages is a law only with
in the mind of the individual. The young
man who did not follow the fathers advice
benefited by doing the things he was advised
not to do. According to probabilities, it would
have been more in keeping with the so-called
law of averages if he had lost gambling, if
the money he loaned had not been returned,
and if the friendly stranger with whom he
spent the evening had stolen all the rest of
the money that he had.
You can advise your family and friends
to drive carefully; you can give other types
of good advice, but regardless of it, the facts
are that not everyone who drives carelessly
and with abandon ends up in an accident.
Neither does every teenager who goes out by
himself become a delinquent. The facts are
that in spite of the number of accidents that
occur on our highways today, there are
many, many ears that are driven many miles
without accident, and not all their drivers
are perfect.
The difficulty with giving advice of this
nature is that it does rest upon probabilities;
and if, for example, you drive a car without
proper consideration and concern for other
individuis, you will eventually end in
trouble. The attitude of some is that since
you will not always do so, why spoil the
fun?
That is a point of view that must be acknowledged, particularly when the probabili
ties deal with facts which are not experienced
in your own life. History repeats itself for
the same reason at the tables of all the gam
bling casinos throughout the world. Regard
less of the fact that most intelligent people
know that gambling provides only a very
small opportunity for getting something for
nothing, they still play the games with the
hope that they may be the exception.
The probabilities are that if you use caution, care, and sound judgment, you will be
able to cope with the actualities of your en
vironment better than if you live with com
plete abandon without planning your own

steps and with no concern for the rights of

others. So, the law of averages is related also
to the law of probabilities.
There really is no law concerning aver
ages or any law concerning probabilities.
There are only certain forces at work in the
universe, and they work regardless of what
man may do or how he may interpret them.
The cosmic laws, as we prefer to cali them,
were made effective to cause the universe to
be created and to continu to function, and
those laws will continu to work impersonally as long as the universe is an existing
entity.
When you are in harmony with those
laws, you are at peace. You are in harmony
with yourself. When you conflict with them,
you have to pay the penalty. Unfortunately,
man is not born with an innate knowledge,
or an innate intelligence, that tells him at all
times when he is in harmony with and when
he is in violation of these laws.
Only by studying the experience of others
and learning by his own experience does he
gain the ability to cope in some degree with
the manifestation of the laws that cause the
universe to be. One purpose of life is no
doubt to familiarize us with these laws, one
of which is to use our own judgment, knowl
edge, and experience to cope with the environment in which we live.
If you drive on an expressway at an
excessive speed without consideration of
others on the road and you do it every day,
a time will come when inconvenience or even
disaster will be the result. You cannot go
contrary to existing circumstances indefinitely and not pay the penalty. This has been
expressed as a manifestation of the law of
cause and effect. Drive recklessly, and you
will have problems as a result. Drive with
judgment and caution, and the probability
of problems and trouble will be minimized.
We need not be too concerned with technicalities of the mathematical law of prob
ability, or do we need to be too concerned
about the hypothetical existence of the law
of averages. What is more important is that
we acknowledge that we are a part of a vast
environment that is far greater than mere
individual entities and that we must accommodate ourselves to it in order to live comfortably, effectively, and possibly with some
degree of happiness. Therefore, we should
devote a reasonable part of our existence to
the study of our relationship to that environ

ment and to learning the nature of ourselves

and our environment.
The ancient sage said, Man, know thyself, and we might add, Man, know thyself
and thy place in the environment where thou
art destined to gain experience. It is in
relating the self to this environment and
gaining understanding of the relationship be
tween the two that a balance is reached.
Harmony and balance are laws of the Cos
mic. When we are in harmony with our
selves and with our environment, we are at
peace; and, being at peace, we are in a position best to serve the purposes of our Creator
and maintain our own place in the complicated environment where we live.A
Between Incarnations
A soror from Montana comments on the
1964 Convention Report as it appeared in the
September issue of the Rosicrucian Digest:
I was interested in the subjects discussed
in the Open Forum, especially those about
helping others after transition, including
earthbound souls. I wonder if articles on
these subjects can be dealt with in the Forum
sometime?
We are happy to continu our discussion
of this subject in the pages of the Forum.
Deeply intriguing as is the subject of immortality and its ramifications, men and
women find it difficult to fathom. Since it is
a different state from the one we know now,
it is not easily subject to analysis and measurement. It is difficult to say how much,
how long, and what kind of; difficult to say
when or where. What makes it difficult is
that we attempt to measure the nonobjective
state by objective standards.
But immortality is very much a part of
human experience. It is unlikely that there
is any Loss or Gain in the universal essence.
What must be acknowledged is that the form
this essence takes is ever-changing. It is also
a part of human experience to witness the
constant, kaleidoscopic turn of events as the
dynamic forces of the universe bring its
essence into ever-changing configurations.
Thus we acknowledge immortality of essence,
if not of form.
When we speak of soul personalities that
have passed through transition, we are speaking of another form of self than that of which
we are conscious in our daily existence. This
form of self is not measurable in objective

terms. It exists in a timeless, spaceless mdi

um. It has no faculties for speech, touch,
hearing, smelling, or seeing. It simply exists
as part of the Cosmic Soul, suspended, as it
were, until incarnation brings back identity
and the objective tools necessary for person
ality expression as we know it.
Can a soul personality, then, be helpful
to others after transition? Yes, it can, but
not of its own volition. It can be helpful in
a passive way, for it has no means of directing its knowledge or help except through the
mdium of another soul personality presently
incamated. Such help can be given only if
a person now living attunes to the person
ality that has passed through transition.
Such attunement establishes a bond be
tween the so-called living and the dead.
Through this bond, then, communication can
be established. The most frequently experienced phenomenon is for a living person to
hear the voice of the departed. This
voice may offer advice, may give direc
tions, may be prophetic, or may offer consolation. The presence of such a voice lasts only
so long as the attunement remains intact.
Once attunement is broken, the voice disappears. Communication may also occur
visually, or as a note of inspiration, or as an
intuitive hunch.
Such phenomena should not be confused
with spiritualism in which the dead are
said to carry on in the same manner as the
living. In Rosicrucian study, the soul, the
Cosmic Mind, and the elements of person
ality find their expression according to the
law of the triangle by combining with their
negative nature, the physical man. When
not in combination, each of these elements
remains as a potential expression of what we
know as soul personality.
Let us consider another phase of com
munication with soul personalities who have
passed through transition. As we have said,
attunement with such personalities may re
sult in a manifestation such as a vocal message; but there, again, we must discriminate.
Previously, we established that the action of
a nonliving personality is passive; that its
presence must be invoked by another through
a process of attunement. Even when such
attunement is made, there is no assurance
that any subsequent message is valid. Much
depends on the attitude of the person seeking
attunement.

If a person in the process of attunement

is sincere, humble, and in need of answers
or directions, a valid response may be expected from whatever personality is reached
by the attunement exercise. If, however, the
person seeking information is motivated by
greed, pride, avarice, or other negative qualities, a response may well be invalid. It may
be completely meaningless, or it may lead
the petitioner into areas that would demn
strate the errors in his thinking.
We must consider too that attunement
with a passive agent may bring automatic
responses that have no bearing on our par
ticular problem or request. Such general
tuning in to a personality is like tuning
in on a particular radio frequency. We
simply pick up whatever is dominant at that
time. Tuning in on a soul personality in
this manner can bring a response of any
part of that personalitys character, experi
ence, or knowledge. Thus, again, the simple
presence of a voiced message is no guarantee
that the message is specifically related to
what we have in mind.
Rosicrucians as a whole are more con
cerned with attuning themselves with the
Cosmic Mind rather than with just one phase
of it, as, for example, with a single soul
personality. In the Cosmic Mind, there is
complete knowledge, complete love, total understanding. If we try to attune with only a
single personality, we are severely limiting
our opportunities to have our questions answered and our needs satisfied.
When we want help, whether it be from
the whole reservoir or the Cosmic Mind or
from one phase of it as found in a soul per
sonality, we must be directive; know what
we want; have specific questionsspecific
needs. Our specific requests will result in an
attunement exercise that will elicit specific
responses from those sources we are trying
to contact.
When not incarnated, a soul personality
is helpful in the finest way that help can
ever be givenwhere there is a real need
where there are sincere requests. By the
laws of the Cosmic itself, it is not possible in
the cosmic realm to give help where it is
neither needed or eamed.
When we speak of earthbound soul person
alities, we are speaking figuratively. In the
cosmic sense, again, there is no time or
space; no spatial relationships. A soul per-

sonality, not incarnated, exists in no timespace mdium. It has not gone from this
world in the sense of traveling to one place
or another. When soul and body separate,
they simply become disjoined. Neither ceases
to exist. Neither goes anywhere in space or
time. They simply cease to manifest as a
unity. We might compare this to turning off
the switch on an electric current. When a
light is tumed off, the light bulb and the
electricity are still immanent. The electricity
does not fly off some place.
Thus when we speak of earthbound personalities, we are not speaking of one personalitys being closer to earth than another, for
in the cosmic sense no personality is any
closer or farther away than any other. When
we speak of earthbound personalities, we refer to the grosser elements of their natures
to which they gave vent and expression dur
ing their incarnation. It is these elements
which cause them to be immersed in similar
gross conditions whenever manifesting or
expressing in a physical form.B
What Is the Fourth Dimensin?
A frater, addressing our Forum, asks:
What is the Rosicrucian explanation of the
fourth dimensin?
There are and have been various concepts
advanced to explain the fourth dimensin.
These are metaphysical, philosophic, and
scientific. Under these categories, various
things have been termed the fourth dimen
sin. The Rosicrucian conception embraces
certain elements of each, but it is also quite
unlike the others. The views presented, of
course, are a hypothesis. As yet, no single
concept can be considered as irrefutable, that
is, as absolute proof that it is the fourth di
mensin.
The concept, or theory, most generally
advanced today outside of the Rosicrucian
teachings is the scientific theory. There are
three ordinary dimensions for space: length,
breadth, and thickness. Each of these dimen
sions is at right angles to both of the others.
In physics, it is necessary at times to desg
nate not only where a particle is but when
it is there. Thus time is made somewhat
analogous to space; the theory is referred to
as the space-time continuum. Let us real
ize, for example, how space affects time, how
it can determine the so-called flow of time,
that is, whether time is past, present, or

future. This subject is intricately discussed

under Einsteins Theory of Relativity.
Think of three celestial bodies such as
stars. We shall desgnate them A, B, and C.
They are not equidistant from each other.
B is closer to A. Light originating on A takes
ten light years to reach B, but it takes twenty light years to reach C. The light is an
event, a happening. When it reaches B, to
an observer there who perceives it, the event
is of the present, of the now. To an observer
on A (where the event originally occurred),
it is of the past. To an observer on C (where
the light has not yet reached), the event is
still of the future. It is apparent, then, that
the point of reference, the position in space,
will determine the instant in time in regard
to an event.
Likewise, according to Einsteins calculations and hypotheses, the speed of matter,
such as a body moving through space, in
reference to another body in space will de
termine its dimensions. Let us assume that
an object, A, is moving in interstellar space
at l/50th the speed of light. Object B is
moving at 1/1 Oth the speed of light. To an
observer on A, the dimensions of B, its size,
would seem smaller than if B were traveling
at the same speed as A, the object on which
he stands. The theory is that the object appears to contract by its speed. Measurement,
then, has reference to speed, or intervals in
time. In this and numerous other and more
technical ways, including intricate mathematical and qualitative equations, space and
time are related to constitute a fourth di
mensin.
To present the Rosicrucian conception concisely, we can do no better than to quote
from the Rosicrucian Manual:
From the Rosicrucian viewpoint there is
nothing mysterious about the fourth dimen
sin. Two points should be remembered: It
is a dimensin and it is the fourth. The other
three dimensions are length, breadth, and
thickness. Each of these is expressible by
numberswhole, fractions, or decimals. Each
of these three dimensions, when expressed
in numbers, helps us to have an objective
realization of some attribute of the things
referred to. We may write on paper these
figures, 4' x3"x2". At once we know that
whatever the thing may be it is four feet
long, three inches wide, and two inches
thick. Regardless of how irregular in form

the thing may be, we can mentally picture

it or express its form with numeris, and
from these actually draw upon paper a diagram of its form. (Note the complicated yet
exact designs and diagrams of parts of machinery, architectural elements, etc., expressible with numbers.) Intelligently, as these
three dimensions express a thing to our con
sciousness, there are essential elements still
missing in the expressionone or more attributes or qualities lacking.
What is the nature of the above thing
that is 4'x3"x2"? Is it wood, or iron, or
stone? What is its weight, its color? Is it
hard or soft? We say that all these questions can be answered by expressing the
fourth dimensin, and expressing it in num
eris as the other three are expressed. In
this case, as an example, the figures 4' x 3" x 2"
/12.0147 would mean that the thing referred
to was a piece of South American (not any
other kind) mahogany, with a color equivalent to a certain line in the suns spectrum,
and having a specific gravity, a certain de
gree of hardness, tensile strength, etc. With
the first three dimensions, and knowing the
specific gravity, one could figure the exact
weight of the piece of wood to within a gram,
if the first three dimensions were exact. On
the other hand, these figures: 6' x 7' x ?
/12006.042 would mean that the thing re
ferred to was a misty light blue-gray cloud
of a certain density or opaqueness, but unknown thickness, covering an area of six by
seven feet and formed of cosmic energy in
a very high rate of vibration, so balanced
in space as to be easily controlled (moved)
by mental power. . . . By means of the
fourth dimensin and a dictionary of all
the figures) one could easily express the na
ture and attributes of all things made manifest on the objective plae. Likewise one
would be able to determine what fourth di
mensin would neutralize or combine with
another.
The fourth dimensin is nothing more
or less than the rate of electronic vibration.
All qualities and attributes manifested by
all material things result from this rate.
From another point of view the fourth di
mensin should really be the first. It is the
projection from cosmic space, into the worldly, material plae of manifestation, of all
material things. Such projection is the first
phase of manifestation. The coming together

of electrons into atoms, and from this into

molecular formation, constitutes the first
phase of creation into the material world of
objectivity. The next step or phase is that
of limitation, or form, caused by natural laws
or by mans desires and handiwork. Henee
the three dimensions of length, breadth, and
thickness should follow dimensions of objec
tive proportion, which is a more correct term
for the fourth dimensin. Mystics will see,
now, why the fourth dimensin, in its true
nature has always interested the philosophers
and was one of the laws carefully studied
and utilized by the alchemists of od, and the
advanced mystics of today use the law in
many strange manifestations.
The Rosicrucian Manual published by the
Rosicrucian Supply Bureau is a vital storehouse or encyclopedia of knowledge on many
of these subjects. It has a glossary of terms
which includes the fourth dimensin. It is
advisable that every Rosicrucian member
who has not obtained a copy of it do so.
Because of its importance, I shall take the
liberty here to mention some of the subjects
that are included in the Manual. It contains
portraits of noted mystics and philosophers
and those connected with the early history
of the Order. It contains biographies of some
of the early officers; special instructions for
the student member; a section dealing with
Rosicrucian symbolism; an outline of the
contents of many of the degrees; a Rosicru
cian dictionary; and many other helpful ele
ments too numerous to mention here. If
you do not have a copy of the Rosicrucian
Manual, you should obtain one.X
Cause Behind the Cause
A frater from Colorado poses three questions on the law of causality so probing
in nature that the Forum is inclined to give
space to the entire series of questions as an
extended discussion of his lucid involvement
in this subject.
The frater states first: The original scope
of this law, as applied to science, had to be
limited on account of overwhelming experi
ence. The law of causality means that one
event (the effect) follows, in time, as a
logical consequence upon another event (the
cause). For instance, if a photographic pate
is exposed to a certain amount of light, a cer
tain number of silver-halogenide grains will
be blackened.
(continued overleaf)

The number of blackened grains can be

predicted, with a certain accuracy, from the
amount of light and other conditions of the
experiment. But no scientist is able to say
which grains will be blackened and which
will remain unblackened. The same is true
with the effect of atomic radiation upon
organic matter. The question whether this
restricted predictability of the connection be
tween cause (the radiation) and effect
(change of matter) is fundamental or due to
a lack of knowledge which could be over
eme cannot be answered in any way from
our scientific experience.
What is the attitude of the Order with
respect to this indeterminaney in the field
of objective science? It could mean that
the Cosmic reserves for itself in this way a
particular possibility of influence. The law
of causality would then be restored in full
on a higher plae, to which objective science
has no access.
It would be our considered opinion that
the restricted predictability to which the
frater refers is due to a lack of knowledge
which could be overcome. For Rosicrucians,
the problem of causes and their effeets is related to a more basic universal characteristic
that of polarity. Polarity is a reason for
the phenomenon of causality. According to
Rosicrucian precepts, the Universal Principie
is dual in nature; that is, it has a positive
and negative phase inherent in its structure.
This dual polarity is responsible for the
phenomenon of magnetism, that quality of
things in the universe that draws one to
another, or repels one from the other. It
draws the elementary particles of matter
into their particular configurations. It is
sensed as like or dislike. It sets the pattern for ups-and-downs, dividing of peoples,
reverses in character, and so on.
The action of positive and negative polar
ity, which in fact is the action of the uni
verse, can all be summed up in one basic
sentence. There is in the substance of the
universe a constant, etemal maneuvering
for balance. This maneuvering, we de
scribe in one part as cause and effect. The
search for balance is always the cause behind any act of man or matter. It is a re
sponse to the universal forces maneuvering
in and through man, his environment, his
very being.
The Rosicrucians further consider the
Cosmic as an integrated entity: As above so

below. No matter how many facets there

are to cosmic expression, it must follow that
the search for balancethe action of polar
ityruns through the entire thread of existence. In this frame of reference, even the
Cosmic cannot escape its own nature. It is
what it is, and it cannot alter the action of
its inherent dual nature, or its consequences.
The law is the cosmic nature. Nothing is
above it. All things are subject to it. Thus
we can establish for a certainty that balance
will be achieved; in fact, is being achieved
every moment in one way or another.
To know what is necessary for balance
in nature is quite another thing. Man can
learn this only as he collects evidence and
statistics in the many ramifications of his
existence. Predictability in any field can
become a science. Its reliability depends up
on the amount of knowledge man has regarding the factors that enter into his special
field of prediction. With sufficient knowledge,
then, going back to the fraters example, it
could be determined theoretically which
grains of silver-halogenide will be blackened
and which will remain unblackened.
Now going to the fraters second question:
Does the law of casuality mean that two
events are necessarily connected with each
other so that one follows upon the other in
time} I wonder if this is really always the
case. For instance: Are ulcers really (often)
caused by worry, or could not worry at
the same time be caused by ulcers? I know
from (past) experience what an adverse ef
fect it has upon the mood of the affected
person if a thousand little devils treat his
stomach nerves with sharp pliers. Could it
not be that there is just a mutual correspondence between ulcers and worry so that
a clear sequence in time cannot be deter
mined? That means, is there an indeterminaney in time?
Of course, if this question is answered
positively, another presents itself: How can
the vicious circle of cause and effect be interrupted? However, the answer to the first
question must be given without consideration
of the second; it is a question of itself and
must be answered independently. I cannot
escape the impression that the law of causal
ity is often used as a Procrustes bed by ob
jective science (or better by believers in
materialism using or misusing science for
their purposes), particularly if medical and
psychological phenomena are concemed.

It seems to me I could understand the

law of karma even better if the law of causality were taken as a mutual correspondence
beyond time. If I imagine life as a landscape (in four dimensions, so to speak), I
can well imagine that one road leads into a
desoate desert while another road leads into
a fertile valley. And if I should be on the
wrong road or marching in a wrong direc
tion, I do have a chance to turn and to look
for a better road. But, of course, I have to
make good for the wrong road marched already.
Some disturbing or unbalanced, situation
is responsible for disease. This lack of bal
ance can be brought about by improper
physical care or mental tensions which inhibit the proper flow of nerve energy to the
vital, working organs of the body. Thus
the beginning of an ulcer can be either physi
cal or mental in origin or a combination of
both. Once an imbalance occurs, of course,
its very presence causes a degree of worry,
and this worry or mental tensin will further
aggravate the disturbance.
Such a cycle can be interrupted by (1)
learning the original cause of the disturb
ance so that a successful attack can be made
on the problem, thus decreasing the basis for
worry; and (2) employing visualization techniques to keep ones mind from dwelling
unnecessarily on the subject.
As for the fraters comparison of life to a
landscape, his two roads are realistic descriptions of mans choice in life; also of
his ability to chart and change his course.
But karma does not dictate that every wrong
road has to be completely back-tracked be
fore a new road can be enjoyed. Being on
a wrong road brings its own compensation
all the while a person travels it. The course
is bumpy, lonely, barren.
It offers its own brand of misery as a
person travels its dubious course. When a
change is made to a better road, there may
be some scars to be healed; some damage to
the vehicle may have been encountered;
there may be aches and pains or memories
of the unexciting countryside, but there is
no payment as such to be made for the simple
fact that the wrong road was taken; no mak
ing good, as the frater suggests.
People often see in karma a system of
punishment for their acts. They should rath
er view karma as a system of reaction arising
out of corresponding actions. Karma has

often been compared to such universal laws

as gravity and magnetism. They are imper
sonal forces always acting on people and, for
the most part, the reactions follow on the
heels of their corresponding actions. There
is no intentional waiting period, no deliberation, no weighing; there is just the constant
urge on the part of being to find balance.
Getting people on the right road is the inter
est of karma, figuratively speaking. Once a
person is on the right road, karma is satisfied.
The frater contines now with his third
question: But must suffering necessarily
mean punishment for a misdemeanor in a
past life? Can it not also be that the Cosmic
afflicted one person with what seems to earthly beings to be an undeserved suffering in
order to try all of us? This in essence is the
same question Jess was asked by his disciples before he healed the blind man. I
know of suffering and misery which I am
inclined to interpret that way.
The first part of this question was partly
answered in the discussion on Question Two.
Going on from that, it is inconceivable to
the Rosicrucians that the Cosmic brings about
intentional affliction for any reason. Man
has often tried to rationalize his suffering by
affirming that it is Gods Will. However,
suffering must be seen as a result of mans
being out of harmony with his environment.
This lack of harmony can be brought about
inadvertently or intentionally by mans own
actions; accidentally or intentionally by the
acts of others; or through the acts of nature
which operate insensitively in regard to the
emotions and feelings of man.
Man does not like to think of himself as
being subject to the caprices of nature with
out cause or reason directly associated with
his actions, beliefs, prayers, or opinions. Yet
all living things bow before the onslaught
of natures larger forces, which seek to bring
balance in the greater cosmic scheme of
things.
Is man a pawn of fate then? No, for he
has the capacity of reason and intuition with
which he can work with the constructive
forces of nature and avoid conflict with those
that would destroy him. He must first see
in natural forces the working of greater cos
mic laws, laws that supersede those which
he ames or interprets in his microcosm. He
must then adjust his life and efforts to the
requirements of these forces.
Man can find harmony. He has the sensi-

tivities for it, and he must learn to combine

reason with intuition so that he can bring
himself into those pathways of life which
will eam for him the greatest quantity of
happiness, or imperturbability. It is mans
task. He is provided only with tools and an
environment. It is his obligation to learn to
master the path that brings the greatest satisfaction.B

Intuition and Gambling

A frater in England asks our Forum: Is it
ethical to use the Rosicrucian intuition exercise to pick a winning horse or to win a
lottery?
We speak of intuition as being the voice
of the universal intelligence within us. This
intelligence is a higher form of reasoning,
that is, it functions as a judgment which
exists as part of our subconscious processes.
The intuitive flash, as we have often stated,
does not orignate in exactly the same man
ner as we ultimately become aware of it objectively. The final idea or intelligence we
experience is composed of our own acquired
experience, knowledge, and language. The
function of the latent subconscious intelli
gence, or cosmic mind, if you will, is merely
to utilize our knowledge and put it into a
new and more harmonious order; this is selfevident and transcends our ordinary reason
ing processes. If this inner mind did other
than this, if it had a unique language of its
own different from our language or knowl
edge, that which it transmits to us would
not be comprehensible.
Can this intelligence, this intuitive faculty,
be drawn upon for any purpose? For ex
ample, will it aid and abet that which one
intimately or personally considers to be an
immoral or criminal act? The answer to
this question is no. It is not that this mind
within us necessarily has a humanlike moral
code which it imposes. Cosmically speaking,
good and evil do not exist. They are really
relative to the many conditions which man
himself conceives. For example, there are
many natural functions, phenomena of na
ture, which man calis bad; but which are
only so in terms of their valu to human beings. However, for one to draw upon his
intuitive faculties, there must first of all be
no impedance between the attunement of the
conscious self with this cosmic intelligence
of the deeper levels of ones consciousness.

If, for example, we believe, or feel that what

we are doing is morally wrong, if we know
that others will be hurt by what we seek to
do, we shall block access to the psychic part
of our self, to this intuitive faculty. There
must not be any sense of guilt or wrongdoing
if we are to cali forth that free association
of thought in the subconscious that constitutes intuition.
This gives rise to the question: Is gambling
an actual moral wrong so that intuition can
not be used in connection with it? When
it is honestly directed and controlled as a
game of chance, gambling is certainly no
divine offense. The interpretation of moris
is primarily social and individual. They are,
we repeat, not a cosmic code. In some nations
or even in sections thereof, there are various
types of controlled or legalized gambling; in
other areas, such practices are unlawful.
This fact, of itself, is sufficient to indicate
that the interpretation as to the nature of
gambling is wholly a human one. There can
be various arguments pro and con with re
spect to the ethical merits of gambling. From
a statistical point of view, the odds, the law
of probability, is against any constant winning*
The main ethical charge against gambling,
even though it be legalized, is that it encourages individuis to dissipate needed funds in
the hope of gaining a large sum of money.
On the other hand, nations that have legal
ized and govemmentally controlled lotteries,
for example, have returned to the people
many practical advantages. Such advantages
gained from lotteries include hospitals, nursing and orphan homes, and many charitable
institutions. Many of them could not be
financed otherwise. The gambler himself
has access to these institutions through the
money he has spent. There is no way in
which one can prevent the natural instinct
to gamble. All life is a chance! All legit
mate enterprises have the unknown elements
of success or failure to a lesser or greater
degree.
Men always have and probably always
will undertake risks and do daring things
for probable gain. It is an immanent instinct.
This element of chance has brought forth
inventors, explorers, and researchers from
whose projects and efforts humanity has
benefited. It has resulted in new industries
and enterprises. After all, there is no sure
thing in life, we are told, other than trans-

tion and taxes. We cannot legislate moral

conduct. To be effective, moral conduct
must stem from the subjective side of man.
It is not to be leamed exclusively by a code
of ds and dorts.
Mystically, we would say that if a man
believed that gambling were an evil and
yet knowingly wanted to particpate, he
would receive very little, if any, intuitive
help. Furthermoe, if he realized that by
gambling he were hurting another by depriving him of needed means, then, also,
he would not be helped intuitively. His
realization of his wrongdoing (whether admitted to another or not) would inhibit that
interrelationship of consciousness which is
necessary for the intuitive flash. Most certainly, there would be little intuitive influence if one resorted to illegal gambling,
where criminal syndicates controlled the
funds and intentionally exploited the public
and used their power to undermine society.
It is amusing to note the inconsistency of
the different Christian sects with respect to
their attitudes on legalized gambling. Some
declare gambling to be a moral sinas though
a Deity had postulated a written fiat against
it. At the same time, other church sects
resort to various forms of gambling, without
calling it such, in order to increase their
finances. They have door prizes, lotteries,
chances for this and that, bingo games, and
the like. No matter how it is done, the game,
or activity, which provides a reward for
winning a chance in consideration of money
is a gamble. It is motive alone, then, that
determines whether gambling is wronginside or outside a church, wherever it is done.
This is a polemic and controversial sub
ject. It is to be expected that there will be
no entire agreement upon it. Those in favor
as well as those opposed will be vigorous in
their arguments. To some, the word gam
bling is an anathema. To others, gambling
in a legalized and controlled form is nothing
more than a harmless diversin from which
no serious harm accrues to society.X

The Importance of the Physical Body

During the Forum at the annual Rosicrucian convention, a member asked, What is
the Rosicrucian point of view regarding the
disposal of the physical body after transi
tion ? It always has appeared significant to
me that some individuis and groups have

adopted certain practices in which impor

tance is attached to the physical body after
transition.
Probably the most extreme example of
importance being given to the physical body
is evidenced in the practice of the religin
of ancient Egypt, which brought about the
art of mummifying the body and building
elabrate tombs in which it was placed, together with many of the physical possessions
that the individual had owned prior to tran
sition.
At various times throughout history, men
have adopted yarious practices which gave
emphasis to their belief regarding the im
portance of the physical body. In some religions, a great deal of care is taken to be
certain that the physical body is preserved.
As a basic doctrine among some religions,
there is the belief that the physical body will
be activated again by a living soul and there
will actually occur a resurrection of the
physical body.
This type of thinking, I believe, is influenced by materialistic outlook. How can we
give valu to the physical body unless we
give valu to other physical things? We certainly have advanced sufficiently in our
knowledge of physiology and chemistry to
know that there is no component of the
physical body that does not exist elsewhere
in the material world: The same elements,
substances, and combinations that exist else
where in the physical world are found in the
physical body.
The physical body is a combination of ma
terial elements and nothing more. When the
soul leaves the physical body, there is noth
ing left except the physical elements which
compose it. It, therefore, has no valu whatsoever, and its disposal is a matter which is
entirely at the discretion or within the area
of belief of the individuis who have that
responsibility. Whether or not our body
after transition is buried in a tomb or mausoleum or is cremated or buried at sea makes
no difference whatsoever to our real selves
to the soul.
The truth of this is evident by the fact
that, before the physical body has been disposed of, the soul has already left it; yet the
soul is the only factor, or attribute, of the
physical body that has any valu or significance. We are taught early in our monographs that man is a living soul. He is not
a body with a soul. He is not a body and

soul. He is not a body that can have a soul.

He is a soul, a soul which is temporarily
resident in the vehicle known as the human
body.
To attach valu to the human body after
transition is simply to acknowledge a senti
mental attachment. It is not a logical or
valid concept. As Rosicrucians, we have advocated that the ideal way of disposing of
the body is by cremation. This is because
the great element of fire reduces the physical
content of the body to its original nature in
the most rapid manner.
It is a symbolic process in that, according
to the ancient alchemists, life is an alchemical process. The infusing of the human
body with a nonphysical forc that causes
it to have life, animation, and purpose makes
life in the body an alchemical process. Since
fire is one of the great alchemical elements,
it is logical then that it will reduce this
physical body to its original nature after it
has ceased to serve its purpose as a vehicle
of the soul.
The Rosicrucians do not claim that any
special purpose will be served by cremation
other than that which I have outlined.
Whether or not the body is cremated does
not in any way affect the existence of the
soul at the time of the disposal of the body;
or does it in any way have a bearing upon
the future function, manifestation, or reincamation of the soul. It is simply a way we
believe to be symbolic, and which we recom
mend; but in the final end, every individual
has the right to make his own decisin regarding the cremation of his body.
If you wish to make the decisin as to how
your body is to be disposed of, it is important
that you incorprate your wishes either in
your will or in a document that is placed
with your will. For example, if you wish to
be cremated, almost every state and country
require the written consent of the individual
or of a cise relative; therefore, you can do
this in advance by instructing your executor
that such is your wish. If you have no par
ticular wishes, you need not stress this mat
ter in your will. I am merely mentioning
the fact so that if you do wish your body
disposed of in a certain way, now is the time
to set forth your wishes.
Recently, a revised edition of a bulletin
which the Order has regarding the preparation of a will has been issued. A copy will
be sent to any member who will forward

postage for its mailing.

To summarize these comments about the
physical body, always remember that the
soul is the real self. It carries our conscious
ness. It carries the motivating forc that
gives the body life. Life can only express
in the physical, material world through a
physical and material mdium. Our body
is that mdium. It is our obligation to treat
it well, to respect it as the temple of the
soul, to keep it in good health to the best
of our ability, and to protect it from needless
damage.
We should give the same attention to the
upkeep of our body as we would to a fine
piece of mechanical equipment because, we
might say, it is one of the best pieces of
mechanical equipment that we shall ever
have at our disposal and one that we cannot
voluntarily duplcate.
The body serves its purpose in our lifetime. The soul has no more need for it when
it leaves the body. In fact, when the soul
leaves the body, the purpose of the body is
completed. If the soul still needed the body,
it would not leave; so when the soul has left
this physical body of ours, we need have no
concern in regard to the bodys disposition.
We should give thanks that it has served us
and been the vehicle for the expression of
our soul.A
Are Ideas Our Own?
A Soror from South Africa now addresses
our Forum: Having a problem, we think
about it, contmplate and medtate on it.
That is, we attune ourselves to the problem
and at a certain time we get an idea about
how to solve it. We love to believe that the
idea is ours, just as we love to cali ours
nearly everything with which we come in
contact, for we are still possessive by nature.
Is any idea ours? Do not ideas come from
somewhere outside of ourselves, from the
Universal Mind that is everywhere and in
which we live and move and have our being?
Is not any mental concept already there in
the great storehouse of the Universal Mind,
and do we not merely pick it up at a par
ticular time? Has not every idea been
thought of by someone else before us?
The well-presented questions of the Soror
resolve into one basic question: Can we
have an original idea? Psychologically, we
canot have a pristine idea, that is, one quite
unrelated to any other. Locke, the English

philosopher, declared that all of our ideas

are founded upon experience. Every experi
ence produces a sensation. Most all of these
sensations in tum produce mental images as
ideas. In fact, we can only express ideas in
terms of our sense qualities.
Whatever we relate as a conception is tied
fast to perception. It has the quality of color,
dimensin, taste, scent, or sound, for exampe. If our ideas did not have such a
relationship, we would not know how to communicate them in a way that others could
understand. Furthermore, we ourselves
could not comprehend an idea completely
unrelated to our experience and the quality
of our senses.
This does not mean that every idea which
we have has been realized in its entirety by
others before us. For analogy, an electrical
engineers blueprint for a new project must
contain all of the symbols of his science.
They are the same symbols used by others
in his profession for thousands of different
designs. But the arrangement for each design may be unique and different. So, too,
we can have new ideas, but they are composed of elements which are common to all
human experience.
Some of the great inventions of our time,
as ideas, are compounds. They use basic and
well-known principies of different sciences
to bring about a new utilitarian application
of them. Samples of this are the telephone,
the radio, and the combustin engine. No one
man was the complete inventor of all the
elements or the discoverer of all the prin
cipies incorporated in them.
Can we have ideas, whether they be sim
ple or complex, which parallel those had by
others? Simultaneous ideas by people even
unknown to each other are rather common
experience. Alexander Graham Bell, the
recognized inventor of the telephone, filed
his application for a patent, if we recall history correctly, just shortly before another
who had an almost identical idea. Also,
there were others working on the principie
of the incandescent lamp almost concomitantly with Thomas Edison.
How can such a duplication of complex
ideas come about? We can only speculate
upon this. First, such experimenters, or scientists, would have a similar training and
knowledge. All such knowledge would di
rect them along almost parallel lines of

experimentation from which there would be

a strong probability that similar results and
ideas would accrue.
There is also the mystical and metaphysi
cal aspect of the subject. All researchers,
regardless of whether they are empirically or materially minded, are obliged to
resort to abstraction, contemplation, and
meditation. There are both the deductive and
the inductive methods for the solution of a
scientific problem. There is, first, the allembracing ideain its entirety, in its abstract formas a purpose to be attained. This
is the deductive phase. Then there is the
inductive method of observation and experi
mentation, advancing from particular to
particular to materialize eventually the
whole idea as first conceived in mind.
Often, of course, the empirical method, the
objective or inductive process, may alter or
cause radical changes* to be made in the
original theory or hypothesis. But first man
must dream, to use the romantic term. In
doing this, he introverts his consciousness to
contact what is mystically the Universal
Mind within him. This Universal Mind is a
superior judgment and analytical process of
the deeper part of consciousness within each
of us. It causes intuitive flashes to enter our
conscious mind in the form of inspirational,
constructive, and stimulating ideas.
It is not that the final ideas which we have
come in only that form from the Universal
Mind. Rather, the Universal Mind takes our
thoughts during meditation and places them
in such a harmonious new order that, when
they enter our objective mind, they have an
indubitable clarity to us. Nevertheless, in
practice we often need to adapt such thoughts
to the conditions which experimentation
makes apparent. No great achievement has
ever been had without such an initial de
ductive process, that is, contemplation and
meditation.
At times, we learn of men in a specific
field of research who accidentally come
upon a discovery which was neither anticipated or sought. Can we attribute this to
the influence of the Universal Mind? Yes,
indirectly. It was some conception, some
motive or purpose, inspired by abstraction
and meditation that first caused the research.
Then during such experimentation, the unanticipated was discovered. If there had not
been the initial inspiration with the subse-

quent experimentation, the unanticipated

results would never have been had.
Consequently, our ideas are not solely our
own, that is, entirely original in every re
spect, either psychologically or mystically.-X
The Control of Worry
Dort worry is a common form of advice
sometimes given seriously and sometimes
given only as a remark when there seems
to be nothing else to say. How often have
all of us, when under the pressure of worry,
heard someone say, Dont worry, and
thought to ourselves that if it were only
possible to take this advice, our problems
would be substantially lessened.
To tell a person who is worried not to
worry is simply giving advice for want of
something better to say. Worry is a complex
mental condition that goes deeper than the
use of an affirmation for causing it to lose its
potency. Many who have studied in the
flelds of psychosomatics have come to the
conclusin that worry has a specific effect
upon the physical body.
While some physiologists of today who are
of a materialistic philosophical viewpoint
would claim that there is no relationship
between mind and body, they still find that
conditions can develop within the physical
structure of man which have no physical
cause or foundation for existence.
It has been believed by many authorities
that worry actually contributes to physical
change. There are those who arge that this
theory is not true; but I believe every living
human being has had the experience of
fatigue and disagreeable physical conditions
resulting from worry.
Worry is the minds attempt to cope with
a situation for which there appears to be no
immediate solution. If all problems could
be solved in the same manner as a mathe
matical problem, there would be no worry.
This means that if there were an answer for
every situation that confronts the individual,
he would immediately produce that answer
without the intermedate state of worry be
tween dealing with the problem and reaching
its solution.
Worry is an emotional response in the
intermedate state between the realization
of a problem and its solution. Obviously,
the way to avoid worry is to have no prob

lems. If we could all live free of any restriction; if we did not have matters of
personal health, social status, or economic
conditions with which to deal; then our worries would be lessened considerably.
I would like to consider a few points that
may help each individual to learn to control
worry. If we cannot solve all our problems
immediately, we should, at least, learn to
cope with the matters that come before us
and cause us worry. There is a degree of
good in the advice on the part of the wellwisher who says, Dont worry.
If we develop our habit pattems properly,
we may be able to develop the ability of not
letting worry get to the point of causing
mental and physical grief or of developing
conditions that will be detrimental to our
health. The problem that appears to be insoluble is the one that probably needs the
most attention and consequently tends to
cause worry. Therefore, learning to deal
with our problems is one step toward the
control of worry.
There are some other points that are worth
considering. First of all, do not try to convince yourself that a problem is simply in
your own mind and nowhere else. That is,
consider your trouble or problem as an actu
ality. In our terminology, we mean by
actuality those situations, conditions, or
physical objects that actually exist in the
environment. To ignore worry is not to con
trol it. Affirmations, unfortunately, solve
very little.
Many years ago, there was a school of
psychology that believed in affirmations to
the extent that if a person had a problem,
all he had to do was to say he didnt have
it and the problem would cease to exist. Bitter experience convinces us of the lack of
truth in this supposition. Merely saying to
ourselves that we dont have a toothache
when we do have a toothache is no means
of controlling the actual pain. The pain will
continu until its cause is corrected, regardless of what we tell ourselves.
Therefore, the first way to deal with wor
ry about a problem is to acknowledge frankly
that the problem is an actuality and that we
shall deal with it as an existent condition
and not as an imaginative one within our
minds. Merely to say that a condition exists
in the mind and not in actuality does not
in any way make it less a problem to be
worried about.

FEBRUARY, 1965

The second point in regard to the control

of worry is this: Do not pass your problems
or their cause on to somebody else. To state
that your problems are something which you
can blame on another is the equivalent of acknowledging that you are incapable of mak
ing decisions or solving problems and that
you want other people to make decisions for
you.
Usually, when we blame someone else for
our problems, we are simply trying to elim
nate that responsibility from ourselves. If
it were true that all our problems are due
to somebody else, then it would also be true
that we really have a very serious problem
because we have not been coping with these
matters within our own being. There are
times when we are restricted and when we
are definitely affected by other people and
conditions over which we have no control;
but usually our problems are part of our own
experience, and it is best to acknowledge
them as such in the first place.
The third point in the control of problems
is to realize that we have plenty of company
when we worry. There are people all over
the world who have problems also, and almost everyone at one time or another worries.
It has been said that misery loves company,
but, at the same time, the fact that other
people worry does not solve our problems
or keep us from worrying. But an acknowledgment of the fact that worry is a common
trait among all individuis does help us to
acknowledge another phase of our experi
ence, be it pleasant or not.
A fourth suggestion in regard to the con
trol of worry is to find that it is often well
to talk about our problems. If we have given
serious consideration to a problem and cannot
come to a solution, it is only logical to seek
advice. Advice can throw a new perspective
upon the problem and help us properly to
cope with a situation with which we are
either incapable of dealing ourselves or with
which we do not have the knowledge and
experience to bring to a satisfactory con
clusin.
There is only one important thing to remember when you seek advice: Seek that
advice from an expert. We should not go
to a doctor with an economic problem since
we know the logical step would be to consult
a banker. Therefore, do not seek advice from
anyone merely because he will listen; go to
an authority, even if it constitutes a sacrifice.

Page 89

If the problem is legal, secure advice from

one with legal training. If your problem is
physical, go to a competent physician. At
least, try to obtain advice from the best source
possible. Do not take advice from amateurs.
Remember that the amateur who is frequent
ly willing to give advice freely has as many
if not more problems than you yourself.
A fifth consideration is to take a look at
your aims and purposes in life. If your prob
lem is economic and you are not gaining as
fast as you think you should the economic
status which you have established for your
self, possibly your goals need to be re-evaluated. We are not all going to become
millionaires; to be social successes; to be
famous. If our goals or our ambitions are
set too high, our problems will multiply.
It is better that our goals and aims be set
above where we are now, but within reasonable reach. Then as we move toward these
more reasonable goals, our sights can be lifted
and we can move on to still higher goals.
The individual who has an economic prob
lem and worries because he is not a millionaire would do better merely to set his goal
to become financially independent or to eam
a good living rather than to look too far
ahead. There is no reason why we cannot
change our aims in life. A wise man fre
quently changes his aims. The general prin
cipies can be laid down, but the specific goals
should be studied one at a time.
The sixth point for the control of worry
is carefully to study our schedule of living.
Some people waste a lot of time in doing
nothing, or in doing something ineffectively.
It would be a good idea to anyone involved
in many problems to work out his daily
schedule in writing to see if he is utilizing
his time efficiently.
Arrange your schedule in a way that you
will not be forced to hurry. Change your
hours and minutes to arrange for periods of
relaxation and peace by yourself. Even if
it means rising half an hour or an hour
earlier, you might be better off with the
extra hour to be distributed over the entire
day than to forc too much into a limited
period of time.
As the seventh and last point, we should,
as Rosicrucians, practice every day the technique of concentration. The basic principies
of concentration are set forth in the early
degrees of our teachings. To concntrate
effectively is one of the most important

techniques we can learn in the Rosicru

cian philosophy. We are given many simple
exercises that will help develop this degree
of concentration and cause us to lead better
lives. If we learn the technique of concen
tration, we can concntrate upon the solution
of problems and in that way draw upon an
area of help not available in the field of
psychology or in any physical science.
As physical entities, we are not capable of
dealing with all the stresses that are involved
in living; but as living souls, we can bring
the forces of the Cosmic to work in cooperation with our eforts. Therefore, above everything else, learn to concntratelearn to con
cntrate wellthen concntrate as instructed
in our teachings in order to find the solution
of each problem. Proper concentration more
than the other suggestions I have given here
will provide help to eliminate worry.A

Effects of the Space Age

What impact will the Space Age have
upon our beliefs, knowledge, and ways of
living? In the realm of cosmogony, astronomy, physics, chemistry, and the life sciences,
many changes will occur. Instrumentation
by manned and unmanned satellites will
result in the abandonment of certain hypotheses science now holds with regard to how
our solar system was formed.
One or more of the concepts with respect
to the formation of the greater universe, the
cosmos, will be rejected in favor of more
concrete evidence made possible by observations in space. For example, Is the universe
expanding? Is there a stable-state universe,
one continuously deteriorating and at the
same time being newly re-created? What
are cosmic rays and where is their prin
cipal source? Do Isaac Newtons classical
theories of gravity hold true in interstellar
space?
Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries that
space exploration will unravel will be the
final acceptance or rejection of Einsteins
theory regarding the curvature of space
caused by great masses of concentrated matter. There will also be further confirmation
of time as the fourth dimensin.
Biologists will learn whether the protoplasm, the living cell, survives elsewhere in
the cosmos and whether it has characteristics
to sustain itself under conditions dissimilar

to those of the earth. As man reaches out

in this solar system, he will learn whether
intelligent beings exist on other planetsor
whether they once did. He will also learn
by a study of other planetary bodies how this
earth was formed, and he will gain a reasonable idea of the length of its future existence.
The Space Age will bring about a tremendous transition in meteorology. To a great
extent, weather will be exactly charted and
directed. Hurricanes and similar catastrophic
atmospheric conditions will be controlled
through precise knowledge of how they are
caused and how they can be dissipated. The
control of weather from space will be able
to change climatic conditions and in a way
alter the face of the earth.
Arid areas can be made to receive more
rainfall and other areas less. An attribute of
the Space Age will be the great advance in
the peaceful use of nuclear physics. Atomic
explosions will be able to shift areas of ice
at the polar caps gradually, avoiding severe
flooding; yet bringing about tempera ture
changes over land surfaces.
In medical science, ways and means of
causing man to adjust to what we now think
of as extreme physical conditions will be
devised. The human organism will be made
to adapt to more severe atmospheric pressures and to be relatively safe from large
doses of radiation. Concentrated forms of nutrition scientifically manufactured will replace much natural food now consumed.
Such production will not depend upon the
cultivation of large areas of land. These developments will make it quite possible for
man to migrate to other worlds. With such
adjustments, human existence on another
planet will not require that conditions there
be similar to those on earth.
Because of the intense research in space
medicine, the Space Age will further result
in accelerating the length of human life.
This longevity combined with the substitution of artificial foodstuff and the desalination of sea water to increase fertile areas
will intensify the problem of overpopulation.
For though the food supply may be met
chemically and from harvesting sea plant
life, other problems will arise such as shortage of living space and social and psycho
logical ills emerging from extreme congestin.
The crowding of the planet may become so
severe as to make the enforcement of law
and order almost an impossibility.

It would seem that only two solutions will

be possible at such a time. One will be migration, not to another land surface of the
earth but to a planetary body where an arti
ficial environment can be established in
which man can live in reasonable comfort
and safety. Another solution which might
occur simultaneously will be legalized birth
control.
It is not entirely fantastic to presage a
time when a married couple will need to obtain a license to conceive children just as
they now require a license to wed. Such a
license might be granted upon the meeting of
definite stipulations such as physical and
mental health, adequate economic status, and
a conformity with a quota, limiting the
growth of population in certain areas.
Persons meeting the requirements would
be permitted a certain number of children
only. Yiolations would impose certain disciplinary actions upon the offenders. The
obsolescence of religious objections to contraceptive measures will be realized and surmounted because of the need for Controls if
mankind is to survive.
Great strides in education will be made
through development electronically, the consequence of research and invention in the
Space Age. Mechanized translations will
become an established fact. Electronic devices will transate a language and then
transcribe it into another rapidly and accurately. This will accelerate communication
between peoples in correspondence and in
the spread of literature and knowledge generally. Voice transcribers even now in the
laboratory stage will become common. A
businessman will speak into the instrument,
and it will transform his voice into typewritten characters before him or transmit them
into written form hundreds or thousands of
miles distant.
What may seem more fantastic and of a
science-fiction nature to mention now will,
however, become a future possibility. An
example is the transference of ideation, of
human knowledge, from one human brain
to another. Impressions registered in the
bundles of billions of neurons that compose
the convolutions of the human brain will be
reregistered as electrical impulses in a device.
Then they will be transmitted from the de
vice by electrodes to the brain of another
human in an intricate but painless way.

In the other brain they will become sensations and ideas to add greatly to that persons
knowledge immediately. In this way, one
person could inherit from another an accumulation of knowledge that otherwise might
take him years to acquire. Furthermore,
such impulses could be stored, constituting
a kind of Cerebral Impression Bank ready to
transmit its impressions to human brains at
any time. Years of slowly acquired knowl
edge deposited in the brain would be ready
for immediate conscious recall at a seconds
notice.
Such so-called psychic phenomena as extrasensory perception and mental telepathy
will be thoroughly understood. It will be
shown that every individual possesses the
faculties but not all are able to develop them
effectively. The relationship of these phe
nomena to certain glandular and cerebral
processes will be known. Greater use of
them will be made in a way that today would
seem uncanny and to the orthodox religionists even sacrilegious.
The causes of crime will be definitely
classified and understood. They will fall into
such categories of science as the psychological, physiological, and sociological. It will
be known that certain mental and emotional
types are potential criminis and cannot prevent their antisocial behavior. However,
corrective and curative methods will be
known and applied. The most difficult cate
gory will be the social, which will increase
its contribution to crime because of unrest
caused by excessive population.
Religin will undergo a revolutionary
change. Even today we can see signs of this.
Those who suggest that certain changes be
made which will be in accord with an enlightened future are severely criticized as
being radicals, heretics, nonreligious, and
the like. Religin will have to face up to a
new understanding of how man carne into
existence, of his relation to other living
things, of what causes him to have a moral
sense, of what gives rise to the notion of soul,
and of a new concept of immortality. Many
things which are now accepted as basic
truths in sacred literature will be found to
be merely legends or myths. This will compel a reorientation of the religious viewpoint.
Moris as a system of rational philosophy
rather than a religious creed will become
more widely accepted. Men will see the

necessity of certain moral behavior from the

realistic point of view, rather than from a
traditional religious imposition. Anthropomorphism and the belief in a personal deity
will pass and in its place will rise a reverential admiration and love for the Absolute,
for the whole cosmic scheme of which man
is a conscious part.
No one could presume to see all the farreaching effects, both beneficial and adverse,
that can come and will form the new age of
science and rationalism. But there are enough
straws in the wind today to stimulate ones
thoughts about the tomorrow and the visuali
zaron of certain potentialities.X
Does Consciousness Survive Death?
A frater, addressing our Forum, asks: If
consciousness is mind manifesting through
spirit energy, how can the soul personality
be conscious on the cosmic plae? Further,
how can a soul personality residing on the
cosmic plae be attracted or go anywhere if
it is omnipresent?
These pertinent questions involve the na
ture of consciousness. If we conceive con
sciousness in the substantive sense, as having
the quality of substance or as an entity it
self, the problem is quite simple. If con
sciousness is the infusin of a kind of element
originating outside of the body and then
operating in it, we can imagine that it is also
possible for it to return to that state.
More succinctly, if all consciousness is
something which is implanted in the human
at birth and which has had a separate ex
istence prior to it, it can be presumed to
return to that state after transition. This
idea of the separateness of all consciousness
as a supernatural quality or as a wholly di
vine essence embodied in mind has long been
accepted by both primitive peoples and those
of advanced cultures.
With the advance of science and subsequent metaphysical concepts, this notion has
gone through some basic changes. Conscious
ness arises as a function out of the interaction of the Vital Life Forc and the corporeal
substance of the body. The two, the Vital
Life Forc and the material aspect, when
united produce the phenomenon of conscious
ness in all of its phasesobjective, subjec
tive, and those mysterious levels with their
psychic manifestations called subconscious.
Immanent in the V. L. F. is an order, or
intelligence, that we may cali cosmic. All

forms of life known to man have certain persistent qualities by which life is identified.
Every living cell exhibits these characteristics
and a seeming intelligence. This intelligence
is infinite in its nature in contrast to the
more limited objective consciousness arising
out of the unity of the V. L. F. and the body.
This superior intelligence is that which is
of the nature of the V. L. F.
What man considers his soul, that in
which his personality is established, is his
consciousness of this intelligence of the
V. L. F. This realization takes the form of
a more pronounced and intimate kind of
self-consciousness. We are not, in other
words, just a self in the sense of realizing
our physical form or in our consciousness
of bodily pains, pleasures, and appetites. Self
is also a consciousness of the entirety of our
organism and our awareness of the whole
process. This is experienced as a subtle subliminal feeling, or emotion.
Slowly, we build up what we cali the soul
personality. Such is our behavior response
to the inner impulses and the motivations of
the V. L. F. within us. Another way of
saying it is that our soul personality is our
expression of the cosmic intelligence accompanying the Vital Life Forc in us. Some
may cara to cali this intelligence the Univer
sal Soul, which is alike in all men; but each
acquires a different response to it, and that
response in his behavior and expression is
his soul personality.
What occurs at transition is based on the
premises we have outlined here. First, there
is the separation of the V. L. F. that activates
the molecular substance of the body and
causes it to be alive. This vital forc, with
its order and apparent intelligence, is not
destroyed but contines after transition its
relationship to all other cosmic forces of
which it is a part. It is like an electric current, which contines after the device which
it has activated has been destroyed or disassembled.
However, there is a difference in that the
consciousness that arse as a function in the
body and produced the realization known as
soul personality leaves an impression of it
self on the V. L. F. It causes the V. L. F.
to have, shall we say, an internal vibratory
state superimposed upon it, which is preserved after death.
Let us assume that a stream of running
water is the infinite, ubiquitous V. L. F. and

its intelligence, or consciousness. Let us

imagine a stake driven vertically into the
stream to represent the physical body. The
stream, as it flows by, will cause the stake to
oscillate, to vibrate, to some extent.
This vibration, we shall say, is the func
tion of consciousness, that is, the objective
state and other states of consciousness which
arise in a body such as mans when it is
animated. These vibrations of the stake
caused by the flowing water will also impart
a movement to the waters surface, causing
a ripple to spread out in concentric rings
from the stake. We shall cali such ripples
the soul personality, which is conveyed by
the stream, that is, the universal conscious
ness of the Vital Life Forc.
There is a difference, of course, in the
analogy of the stake. If it finally sinks or is
removed from the stream, the ripples, or
vibrations, which it caused on the surface
of the water will disappear. But with the
stream of the V. L. F., these ripples caused
by the soul personality are like grooves in
a phonograph record; they do not disappear.
They remain permanent. Whenever the
V. L. F. again enters a body such as mans,
whose organism is sufficiently developed to
have a self-consciousness, one of these in
tegral alterations of its nature, that is, the
soul personality, will express itself. To use
a more common term, there will then be an
incarnation of the personality.
Does this personality consciousness, this
imposed change on the stream of the V. L. F.,
realize itself after death? Does it have the
same experiences and sensations that the soul
personality had on earth? The primitive instinct of man causes him to hope that it does,
to believe so and formlate doctrines in his
religin that say so.
However, the consciousness which we real
ize in our mortal existence and which arises,
as we have said, as a function of the unin
of V. L. F. and the physical organism, can
not rationally be expected to be the same
after death. The constituents, the elements,
which caused it to have the particular state
of consciousness which it had on earth do
not exist after transition. It would not be
possible for us to have an olfactory sensation,
that is of smell, or of taste, etc., or to have
three-dimensional perspective as on earth.
These sensations are the consequences of
certain physiological functions of our organ
ism and of sensation areas in our brain. Such

things do not exist after death. They are

producs of and dependent upon the body.
Mystics and metaphysicians have expounded for centuries that the other levels
of consciousness which man has produce
images and experiences that are quite unlike
the objective state. If this is so, why should
man imagine that, when the V. L. F. with its
higher consciousness, or intelligence, is released from the body, the impression it car
ries over within its exalted state will produce
experiences which are only equivalent to the
finite mortal consciousness? Certainly, after
transition, the state of consciousness will be
not only equal to but superior to the mys
tical state of consciousness which it is possible
for man to attain here on earth.
The self that is experienced on what mystically we cali the Cosmic Plae is an en
tirely different state of realization after
death. We speak of that self as knowing,
but that term is relative. We cannot measure
its knowing by the qualities of our physical
senses. To do so would be to make the same
error that religionists make when in a very
primitive way they transfer to the existence
after death a specific place with material
objects such as pearly gates, golden streets,
harps, chariots, etc.
There will never be a conception of life
after death that will be universally accepted.
Such a conception is dependent upon the
psychic awakening and degree of under
standing acquired here by the individual.
It is as relative to the individual as is the
conception of the nature of God, or a Su
preme Intelligence. If an existence after
death could be substantiated in an empirical
way, that is, be realized by the objective
senses while man is still here as a mortal,
perhaps all might come to accept the exist
ence or nonexistence of a personality after
death. Even under such circumstances, how
ever, this is questionable because we know
that a number of witnesses to an accident,
which is objectively perceived, results subsequently in a variety of explanations of what
happened.X

Are Good and Evil Absolute?

A frater, commenting upon a subject discussed in our Forum, says: I can find
nothing but complete agreement with the
admonishing conclusions of the several examples used for analogy. However, through-

out the article, I felt that the writer was

implying a positiveness about good and evil
about good people and bad peopleas if
they were absolutes.
It is unfortunate that a Forum answer or
subject of discussion should inadvertently
have conveyed such an impression. Even
today, the theological conceptions and dogma
of most religions set up certain standards of
behavior which suggest that there is an absolute good and evil. Such standards or codes
are, however, quite relative to human reference and conception.
The conception of good is basically psycho
logical. It is related to the evaluation of
personal experience. We term as good all
that which produces pleasing and gratifying
sensations. That which furthers us physical
ly, mentally, and psychically, we term good.
The so-called moral good is an emotional
and intellectual satisfaction. A person, for
religious or other reasons, establishes a code
of behavior which he thinks necessary for his
moral or spiritual well-being. Since the required conduct is the fulfillment of the moral
precept, it is intellectually and emotionally
satisfying and, consequently, is accepted as
good.
Such a positive state or quality as good
engenders its antithesis, its contra condition,
which is termed evil. Simply put, evil is
that which engenders the opposite of pleasure for the human being. The disagreeable,
the harmful, are thus evil. Each good, as it
assumes a positive quality in the mind of
man, also constructs a converse conception,
just as light suggests its own opposite, which
is darkness.
There are, however, variations of this conceptional absolute of good. Such variations
are principally to be found in the categories
of moris and ethics. Everyone is familiar
with the fact that in even the Christian sects
there are diverse interpretations of human
conduct in terms of good and evil. A fundamentalist sect will declare as evil what a
more liberal one will not. Certain protestant sects inveigh against dancing as evil.
On the other hand, the Romn Church does
not. Non-Christian sects accept many acts
within the scope of their moral code which
by Christians are rejected as evil or contributing thereto.
Good and evil, therefore, are human con
ceptions. They are producs of the human

mind. They have no existence apart from

the human evaluation of events and circum
stances as related to man. Man may arbitrarily set up certain conditions which are
universally objectionable to mankind and
thereafter declare them to be absolute. Thus,
for example, he may declare murder, rape,
and theft to be evil because he can ascertain
nothing but harm to mankind from such
acts. He might, likewise, declare such virtues as charity, tolerance, and truthfulness
to be a universal and absolute good for humanity. But, again, the point of reference
in these things is man himself. They are
good or bad only as man reacts to them.
Without his response to such acts, they would
have no qualitative content.
We are accustomed to attribute to such
phenomena as earthquakes, hurricanes, tor
nados, and floods the valu of bad, destructive, and, therefore, a kind of evil.
Nevertheless, in nature, apart from mans
estimation of its impact upon him, there is
neither good or evil. In fact, the same
phenomenon at times can be a good for one
class of society and an evil to another, depending on how it affects them personally.
For a further analogy, the farmer may welcome a heavy rainstorm, considering it a
blessing because it aids his growing crops.
But a building contractor, who has just laid
fresh concrete in connection with a project,
might consider the heavy rainstorm damaging and thus bad, or an aspect of evil.
Mystically, there can only be one good
and that is the moral inclination, the im
pulse of righteousness, which man experi
ences within himself. It is, however, good
only in the sense of an undefined impulse.
When man translates it into a code and a
course of action, then it loses its universal
character and becomes only a relative
good.X
Marriages Made By Machine
There is an od proverb that Marriages
Are Made in Heaven. However, there are
millions of persons who will testify that from
their personal experience marriage has been
instead a quite mundane, biological, and
psychological relationship. Mystically, of
course, marriage is supposed to be a unin
of two souls. There are, though, many adjustments, personal and intmate, to be made
before such an ideal can be realized.

The increase in divorces in many nations

of the world naturally has individuis wondering if there is a positive assurance that
the mate they select is a proper one who
will be compatible. Long engagements under
the present stress of living appear to be
pass. Most marriages today are impulsive
arrangements, although, of course, courtship and marriage are fundamentally emotionally engendered rather than the result
of a rational calculation of all probabilities.
Nevertheless, those who have not completely
surrendered to emotion would like such advance facts about their intended partner as
might prevent a subsequent serious breach.
Some parties have gone to marriage brokers. These individuis profess to have a
psychological training by which they can
assess the characters and personalities of
those applying and determine whether they
are harmoniously suited to each other. Still
other brokers for a substantial fee will select
for the applicant, from their files, a suitable
gentleman or lady whose object is matrimony. The capabilities of such marriage
brokers are something less than perfect.
Mates obtained through their facilities have
often made marriage seem quite different
from a concord made in heaven. What, then,
was left for those who hoped to take the
gamble out of marriage and make it a life
of certain happiness?
Science, the modem handmaid of perplexed and dependent man, seemed to come
to his aid in this matter. The robot, the Com
puter, the omniscient gadget that made the
crystal ball reader who knew all and told
all seem tongue-tied by comparison, has
been made the Champion of love. The sci
entific marriage broker now uses the Com
puter to select the ideal mate for whomever
applies to himfor a fee. First, one is given
a form, a questionnaire, to fill out. Then he
V

is obliged to answer questions about himself

presumed to be truthful, of course! He tells
about his interests and his education. He
defines his personality and temperament, his
weak and strong pointsalso presumed to be
truthful. This informa tion is then fed into
the Computer by a technician who is termed
a programmer.
Theoretically, the Computer then evaluates
the material and concludes what type of
mate this individual should have. Manipulation of the Computer causes it to regurgitate
on tape or on a typewritten sheet the ames
of all individuis having qualifications which
are presumed to be compatible with those of
the applicant. He may then start personally
making dates successively with these in
dividuis unless the first ame proves to be
the fatal one.
But just how scientific and reliable is
this machine-marriage method? Actually,
the Computer cannot suggest or give information other than that which has been inserted into it by the programmer. This
programmer in turn relies upon the truthfulness, the accuracy, of the information provided in the questionnaires which have been
submitted. Human nature being what it is,
each matrimonial prospect, male or female,
is going to present himself in the question
naire in the most favorable light. Undoubtedly, heand who would notadds a little to
his positive attributes and subtracts considerably from his questionable points. After
all, when one is courting, he tries to be at
his best. Certainly, the mechanical courtship
via the Computer is not going to change this
aspect of the human ego.
The final result, Computer mating or mar
riage by machine, still leavesas it has from
time immemorialthe success of matrimony
to the thrilling experience of trial and
error.X
A

A Reminder: The Rosicrucian Forum is a prvate publication for members

of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, only. To allow it to circuate otherwise
defeats its purpose and is a violation of ones obligation.

The Science o Ttliidicism

PERSONAL INSTRUCTION - BY THE SPOKEN WORD
r*oncentration , Contemplation, Meditation . These three techniques
^ embrace our whole existence. Every successful endeavor in the
material, mental, or spiritual world depends upon the effectiveness
of application. These techniques, with the added emphasis of the
spoken word, may now be a part of your home and sanctum.
Ralph M. Lewis, Imperator of the Rosicrucian Order, speaks to
you with mastery of his subject and with the full clarity of a perfect
recording.
You can use this recording time and time again with benefit. It
contains simple, practical exercises by which to attain
these techniques.
Beautifully appearinghigh fidelity over one-half
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LITHO II

A p r i l , 1965
Volum e X X X V

No. 5

liMiurm
mi: ni
A prvate publication
for m em bers of A M O R C

Mystics9 Crner
Johann Kaspar Lavater, poet,
theologian, and mystic lived in
this house in Zurich, Switzerland. In the house at the
rear of the little court at the
left lived his friend, another
poet, mystic, and philosopher,
Johann W olfgang von Goethe.

Greetings!
V

ARE ALL PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES MYSTICAL?

Dear Fratres and Sorores:

All strange phenomena mystify the human
mind, especially if such are of a personal
nature, that is, intmate. Magic itself is
psychologically the result of mans relegating
imaginary causes to occurrences for which
no physical ones can be perceived. The human
mind abhors a vacuum. It wants an explanation for every experience. If it cannot discem one, it will invent one. We can only
surmise why man does this. Perhaps it is
because it gives him greater security in the
attempt to convert the unknown into the
known. Often what he presum es to be
the known is later proven false.
What are dreams? The earliest historians
relate in their accounts what a strong influence dreams had upon the thoughts and
deeds of man in the past. Such sleep experiences are puzzling, mysterious, and often
terrifying. The mechanics by which such
occurred could not be explained objectively.
There appeared to be something other
world about the phenomenon of dreams.
They suggested an inner life, a relationship
to those attributes, or qualities, which man
conceives to be the dual part of himself.
This inner element of his dual being had
attributed to it a spiritual, or supernatural
quality. All dreams were, therefore, thought
to be a function of the psychic, that is, the
soul part of man.
Among primitive peoples many forms of
mental aberrations and abnormal functions
were likewise attributed to the psychic, that
is to supernatural influences. Persons afflicted
with epileptic seizures, and who uttered incoherent sounds when stricken, were thought
to be divulging Communications from a god.
Those who fell into trance states were like
wise thought to be infused at the time with
the mind of some transcendent entity.
Mohammed and certain other religious
founders were addicted to trance states. Their
utterances during such states were carefully
recorded as a kind of enigmatic divine
instruction.

The oracles of Delphi sat upon golden

tripods which were placed over apertures,
clefts in the rock from which were emitted
fumes. The young women inhaled these and
entered into a state of intoxication. They
then uttered incoherent remarks which were
in reply to questions submitted to them by
priests on behalf of inquirers. The priests
then interpreted their gibberish, as they cunningly saw fit, to apply to prevailing situations. The ancient populace as a whole
construed such predicitions as psychic, that
is, as a result of divine intercourse.
The speaking in tongues when in a
trance state and self-hypnosis, are often considered a form of charism, that is, a special
divine endowment. At some of the highly
emotional evangelical meetings, when indi
viduis induce within themselves a state of
hysteria, such is credited to a divine possession. In other words, it is assumed that the
often unintelligible cries and remarks made
by such persons are a form of psychic phe
nomena. It is implied that a deity is speaking
or acting through the personality of such an
individual.
Strange or unfamiliar emotional states,
depression, intense excitement, or general
nervous disorders and their effects are frequently construed as being of psychic origin.
Unfamiliarity with physical phenomena
causes many persons to relate the effects of
such things to a psychic or mystical experi
ence. There are many functions of our being
which occur psychically but which in no way
should be construed as of a mystical nature.
Especially is this so if one uses the term
psychic to apply to every experience which is
not objective. What is meant is, there are
many effects of our emotions and mental
processes which are not of a psychic nature,
if by that term we mean being cosmic or
divine in source.
Some individuis have thought that even
afterimages are a form of psychic phenomena.
If they had been staring in the direction of
a white light, and then turned their head and

closed their eyes upon the retina they would

experience a geometrical pattern of bright
colors and would become mystified. Not
knowing the physiological cause, they would
attribute it to some psychic influence. Other
persons having inner ear disturbances causing strange noisesringing, buzzing, or murmuring sensationsimagine them to be
caused by a supernatural entity or psychic
forc.
A mystical experience is a unique kind of
psychic state. It is a particular type of con
sciousness. The proper and technical definition of m ysticism , succinctly put, is a
personal, or intimate, unin of man with the
Absolute. It is a mans direct awareness with
what he conceives to be the One whether he
gives such the appellation of God, Universal
Mind, or Supreme Being. It is difficult for
the individual to define, in objective terms,
this kind of realization.
The self, the ego, assumes a different
characteristic in the true mystical state. Yet,
in such a state the self has been generally
delineated as being free of all physical, ob
jective reality, or so it seems to the one hav
ing the experience. Self has no longer such
physical sensations as weight, pressure, or
thermal qualities, that is, such as hot or coid.
The awareness of ones physical surroundings appears lost to the individual during
the mystical experience. Or, rather, it should
be said, he seems to rise above them. There
is, so mystics relate, the feeling, the ecstasy,
of embracing the wholeness of all. This in
turn is explained as experiencing no separateness. One feels himself as being a part of all
existence and yet nothing has a separate
identity by which it is realized. We might,
for analogy, say that it is like being a segment of a jigsaw puzzle, but without being
conscious of the parts of which it consists.
The aftereffects, if we may cali them that,
of this mystical experience are rather varied
and yet they do fall into definite classifica-

tions. One gains a noetic insight, that is, an

influx of what appears to be a profound
understanding and a new knowledge. Perhaps it would be best to say one receives a
clarification to himself of many previous
perplexing questions. He seems to understand that which was once inscrutable. There
is also a regeneration of morale or a new
confidence. This is exhibited as a self-assurance which makes the difficulties which arise
more easily surmountable.
What about such phenomena as the pro
jection of consciousness, the awareness of the
projected self of others, the mental transmission of thought, and mental healing and
creating? Are they not referred to as mysti
cal experiences? They are often so-called
because they are related to the higher levels
of consciousness, higher than those of the ob
jective and subjective states.
Mystical has been used as an all-inclusive
term to refer to general psychic phenomena
but actually it only applies to certain innate
powers. Intuitive impressions, premonitions,
and monitions are still other functions that
lie within the province of man as rather
uncommon experiences and which are placed
in the category of mysticism, but only erroneously so. They, too, of course, are of the
psychic or inner cosmic intelligence of man,
functioning in conjunction with his physical
being.
Most certainly inexplicable experiences
which the individual has and which are terrifying in their nature are not to be thought
of as mystical. Some dreams are very realistic and if they are of a frightening nature,
and if the individual is not thoroughly acquainted with the meaning of mysticism, he
is apt to say, I had a most disturbing mysti
cal experience. Perhaps this wrong connotation of mysticism is also due to the rather
popular misconception that there is a rela
tionship between mysticism and the mysterious. The two words are basically actually
contrary, or opposed in meaning. It is only

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wrong usage by the unlearned that has made

these words seem to have any similarity.
Words often acquire a false definition
through usage and circumstances. For ex
ample, the word liberal today is acquiring a
defamatory significance only because it has
become associated with certain peoples or
doctrines whose conduct has not been gen
erally acceptable and who have styled them
selves as liberis. After all, the words liberal
and liberty are related to freedom whether
of thought or action. They have a complementary relationship. However, because cer
tain acts or thoughts are not commendable
and are often placed under the title of liberal,
there is no reason to stigmatize that word.
It is unfortunate that in this same manner
the word mysticism has at times received a
stigma by attributing to it quite unrelated
phenomena.
Fratemally,
Ralph M. Lewis,
Imperator

What Is Faith Healing?

A soror from New Zealand addresses the
Forum: From the Rosicrucian view, everyone has a healing power which can be developed to cure and relieve physical disease.
What is the difference between faith healing,
spiritual healing, and mental healing?
Everyone realizes that there is a bodymind relationship, more technically known
as a psychosomatic relationship. For example,
we know how anxiety and worry can cause
a loss of appetite, loss of weight, fatigue, and
tensin. Morale is a state of mind that affects our physical well-being, also. Low
morale, or depression, inhibits our mental
and physical activity and, if severe enough,
affects the digestin. Peptic and duodenal
ulcers arise from psychic and emotional
stress and strain. They affect the flow of the
gastric juices and disturb the normal digestive functions.
However, just how gastric ulcers are generated or created is to a great extent still a
medical enigma. But such specialists as
gastroenterologists do know that states of
mind and emotional disturbances are factors.
Conversely, a happy and contented indi
vidual, who experiences a personal peace, is
usually free from all the maladies that arise
from psychic disturbances. By psychic, in

this instance, we mean mental and emotional

disturbances.
Our thoughts are not body-confined. The
phenomenon of extrasensory perception, or
mental telepathy, is evidence that the energy generated in the neurons of the cerebrum
can produce harmonics of itself of an extremely high vibratory frequency and is not
affected by time, space, or matter. Further,
there are radiations of what we may term
energy that are generated by the Vital Life
Forc and the molecular substance of our
bodies, which create a human aura, a kind of
radiant energy field around our bodies. It is
a psychic counterpart of our physical being,
just as the hazy aura of a Street lamp in a
fog outlines the lamps form.
This mysterious energy field about the
human body has long been known to real
mystics and students of psychic phenomena
and science now realizes its existence. This
radiant energy discharges itself particularly
from the radial nerves in each hand, which
termnate in the thumb and first two fingers.
In the Rosicrucian teachings, it is explained
how this vital forc may be increased and
polarized with a positive charge so that it can
be discharged at will from the body. This
energy can be used for curative purposes and
to relieve the physical and emotional distress
of others.
All human beings do not generate the
same intensity or extent of this energy. In
some, the energy reservoir is acquired even
without conscious effort. To use an analogy,
all persons have the faculty of memory, but
some have a better memory than others.
Those who have or can easily develop a
considerable flow of this energy are able to
transmit it to others. There are various
metaphysical systems recognizing this nat
ural function of man and teaching certain
techniques regarding its use. The Rosicru
cian method is one of the oldest and perhaps
the most practical. In the Rosicrucian mono
graphs conceming the healing art, this is
explained in detail.
There are persons with a natural excess
of this curative, psychic energy who have
never studied physiology, mysticism, or
metaphysics. They have learned by accident
that their touch, or the laying on of hands,
can relieve organic distress in others and that
it has a healing property. Although often
ignorant of the nature of their powers, these
persons receive the appellation of healers.

Faith healing is principally the introverting, the turning inward, of this energy into
ones own nervous system so as to vitalize
the cells, blood stream, and the nervous systems. The devout religionist who prays that
he may be healed attunes his subconscious
self with the cosmic forces which are in and
around himself. He thereby induces an in
ner state of harmony by self-suggestion, and
this curative energy is often pertinent enough
to correct the inharmony of the malady from
which he is suffering. Actually, by such a
method the patient frequently is healing
himself.
The average medical doctor will wish to
inform his patient that it is also necessary
that he have the right attitude of mind.
In other words, he must think positively.
It is only another way of saying that the
patient should introvert the power of his
thoughts and the radiant psychic energy to
revitalize the natural curative properties of
his being.
It is a known psychological factor that
faith healing requires a belief in the existence of some transcendent extemal power.
The average individual would have no suc
cess with faith healing if he were told that
primarily he is inducing a state of mind by
which he energizes himself and stimulates
the immanent healing processes. When ill, it
is instinctive for one to feel dependent upon
some condition or thing other than himself.
Are faith healing and spiritual healing
related? They are basically the same. Spir
itual healing generally refers to the belief that
a supernatural or divine power reaches down
to or is invoked to enter the patient and heal
him. Actually, these psychic qualities permeate our being at all times and only need
to be stimulated and directed.
We cannot fail to mention certain dangers
that exist in faith healing. An individual
may be stricken with a serious infection
which can be remedied more quickly and
effectively by such physical means as the
injection of an antibiotic. The patient may
not have the ability to direct his own psychic
powers to heal himself quickly. Consequent
ly, a delay may cost him his life. For ex
ample, a serious attack of appendicitis needs
professional care unless the individual by
long personal experience knows that he or
she absolutely has the ability to cope with
such a condition. Delay might otherwise

result in a rupture of the appendix and a

fatal infection.
There are religious sects who require their
adherents to refuse all medical and other
professional therapeutic aid. They resort to
prayer alone. This, of course, is a form of
faith healing. But is the individual sufficiently apt at it? Has he developed and can he
maniplate the psychic energy adequately
merely through his belief? In many instances, he has not and as a result has passed
through transition unnecessarily.
At times, too, faith healing can become
a state of temporary slf-hypnosis. Through
his suggestion but not actually from the real
use of his psychic energy, the individual pro
duces a kind of self-anesthesia. Consequently,
for the time being he no longer experiences
his usual pain and discomfort. A mild
paralysis may be overcome through this
strong self-suggestion so that the patient rises
or walks from his bed. Many who experi
ence cures of this kind at, for example,
evangelical meetings are under the mass
hypnosis of the emotional session. Hours or
days later, the temporary inhibition of their
malady and the power of their suggestion
subside and the effect of the malady retums
with full forc.
Unless one knows that his healing powers
are adequate, he should use them only in
conjunction with other established thera
peutic systems. Furthermore, it is known
by Rosicrucians and by certain other stdents that a direction of such healing powers
to the known cause is more effective. The I
want to get well affirmation is not sufficient.
It is too much of a dissipation, a scattering
of the mental power. One first should be
diagnosed professionally to learn, if possible,
what his malady is and what organs or sys
tems of his body are particularly affected;
then he can direct the psychic power intelligently to remedy the cause.X
Natural and Cosmic Laws
A question reaches the Forum asking for
a definition of the difference between natural
and cosmic laws. The frater asking the ques
tion cites as an example the law of gravity,
which is considered a natural law, and wants
to know how it differs from what we may
conceive to be a cosmic law. In other words,
what are natural laws and what are cosmic
laws?
(continued overleaf)

If my understanding is correct, I think this

is a question that can be answered simply in
few words: There is no difference between
natural and cosmic laws. Let us take the
example of the law of gravity which the
frater refers to. The law of gravity, according to natural law (however, I am not attempting to explain it in terms of technical
physics, which would be beyond my under
standing of the subject) is simply the exertion
of a forc that holds movable bodies to a
larger body.
In other words, the planet earth exercises
gravity, and for that reason we as human
beings, the movable objects that are forms
of conveyance, are restricted to the surface of
the planet. To the best of our understanding,
this law of gravity acts similar to a magnetic
forc that attracts all physical objects and
keeps them from flying off into space away
from the earth.
When we stop to think about it, that is a
marvelous manifestation. It is a manifesta
tion of a forc completely beyond our comprehension, insofar as its origin and method
of working is concerned. We can understand
the function, and man has been able mathematically to formlate certain principies as
a result of the study of the law of gravity;
but that still does not explain its existence
or the reason it was put into operation, in the
first place.
This law, then, since man has understood
something about it, is accepted as a natural
law. When we realize the wonder that we
experience in having available to us the func
tions of such a law, we certainly credit its
existence, formation, and continued functioning to a forc much greater and more pro
found than man himself. In that sense, the
law is equally as much a cosmic law as it is
a natural one.
The line between natural and cosmic laws
is imagined by man, or, we might say, is
artificially drawn within the consciousness
of man and has nothing to do with the law
itself. The law of gravity, the laws that
reglate the operations of the planetary
movements, the laws that produce the days,
the seasons, the other changes of the year
here on our planet, are considered as natural
laws, but before men understood them, cer
tainly they must have been considered as
supematural laws.
In the beginnings of mans enlightenment,
when he was moving from the state of an

aborigine to that of a civilized human being,

there grew up traditions and rites that re
volved about certain important changes. One
of those was the observance of the equinoxes,
that is, when seasons changed. Particularly
was this prominent with spring. Also prominent were practices at the winer solstice
when the shortest day arrived. Man per
formed various acts to appease his gods so
that the days would not continu to become
shorter but would begin to become longer
and move toward the season of plenty and
finally the harvest.
Man looked upon these phenomena as
direct manifestations of the working of forces
beyond himthe working of gods that were
considered something like himself, that is,
being anthropomorphic in concept. They
had to be appeased and catered to in order
that they would conform to mans hopes and
wishes. As man began to be familiar with
these laws, he learned that the ending of
winter and the coming of spring happened
whether or not he appealed to his gods.
When he began to realize the functioning
of these laws and to understand them to a
degree, they became natural instead of supernatural. All manifestations in the universe,
therefore, are cosmic laws; put into effect to
produce the results and the effects that we
observe and deal with throughout our lives.
We cannot draw a line between laws of
God, laws of the Cosmic, and laws that func
tion without mans control. The only laws
that are not of cosmic origin are those which
man himself makes in his complicated so
ciety. Manmade laws may be modified, may
be broken, may be eliminated.
Cosmic laws, fortunately for the human,
are not subject to mans manipulation al
though he may learn to direct them to a
degree. They are continuous, and the fact
that they continu to function is the everpresent proof of the justice of the divine
forc or source of all things. Cosmic laws
were put into effect that certain principies or
concepts of the Creator of the Universe might
carry that universe toward the ultmate pur
pose for which it was designed.
The better we understand the operation
of these laws, the better we can work in concert with them, and as a result bring our
selves closer to the source from which the
laws orignate. We can direct them wisely
or unwisely, and mans destiny is wrapped
up in his decisin in recognizing these laws

and working with them for the purpose of his*

own evolvement, for the well-being and
peace of the human race and all the life that
lives with it.
It is unimportant how we classify these
manifestations. Whether we cali them the
laws of God, divine laws, cosmic laws, natural
laws or merely forces existent in nature,
makes no difference. We know that we live
in a complex environment, the beginning of
which and the ultmate purpose of which are
only vaguely known to us. The fact that
laws are operating should be evidence to us
that the destiny of man is wrapped up in the
eventual manifestation and eventual purpose
of these laws.
Since man has been given intelligence and
lives here as a part of that environment, it is
only logical to conclude that he should try to
understand them, should try to work with
them to harmonize himself with the same
source that caused all these laws to be. Then
he, too, will grow toward his eventual pur
pose and will reach a time of understanding
and complete harmony with the original
source of all laws, all life, and all manifesta
tions that have existed and will exist in this
universe.A

Facts Rosicrucians Should Know

Recently a Grand Councilor forwarded a
series of questions to the Grand Lodge. He
said: I believe it would be for the good of
the Order if the Imperator or someone delegated to do so would explain, point by point,
the answers to certain questions that I know
are in the minds of many although they may
be too reticent to speak of them openly. Per
haps the Forum would be a good place to
discuss these, or through a letter to all
members.
Then the Frater listed questions that had
come to his official attention as Grand Coun
cilor. I shall answer each of these in turn.
Permit me to preface my remarks by saying
that the questions are similar to some which
previously have been answered many times
in the Rosicrucian Digest and Rosicrucian
Forum through the years and numerous
times from the Convention platform before
hundreds of Rosicrucian members here in
Rosicrucian Park.

W hy does AMORC em ploy the autocratic form

of control?

Let us first turn to the Constitutions of the

Order. They are the authoritative source of
the laws and rules, and in them we shall
find the explanation. The Preamble of the
Constitution of the Supreme Grand Lodge
of AMORC says in its opening lines: To
teach, foster, and perpetate the traditional
principies and laws of the Ancient Rosicru
cians as it may be applied to present day
conditions and needs; . . . Throughout the
history of the Rosicrucian Order, it has been
the tradition for the Imperator to be the
autocratic executive with exclusive authority,
but within the spirit and purpose of the Order.
Now let us turn to the legally adopted
Constitution of the Grand Lodge of AMORC
and determine how the Imperator receives
his authority legally and according to tradi
tion. Article II, Section 6B, states: Doctrinal-Ritualistic m atters of the Order
(including the hierarchal authority for the
Order and all Esoteric Power) rest in the
hands of the Imperator who may assign
some sections of this work to the Grand
Master, Grand Secretary, and Grand Treasurer, or other high officers of the Grand
Lodge.
The administrative control of this Grand
Lodge, in accordance with the provisions of
the charter from the Supreme Grand Lodge,
rests in the exclusive control of the Board
of Directors of the Supreme Grand Lodge
and said Board of Directors may assign cer
tain phases of the administrative work of the
Grand Lodge to officers and members of this
body.
Section 7A of Article III reads: It is
hereby recognized by this Grand Lodge that
the present Imperator of the Supreme Grand
Lodge and of the Order [this referred to Dr.
H. Spencer Lewis] holds his position by
virtue of an election held by the original
organizers of the AMORC of North America
in the City of New York, New York, on the
first day of April, 1915, when the first
Supreme American Council of the AMORC
was composed by the members assembled
under instructions given to H. Spencer
Lewis by the Rosicrucian Hierarchy of
Europe.
The signed document reporting the deci
sin and election at this meeting represented
the first American charter of the AMORC of

North America under its modern regime and

a synopsis was published as a preamble to
the National Constitution of AMORC adopted
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the
First Rosicrucian Convention of July 31 to
August 4, 1917.
According to the said Constitution adopted
in 1917, the Imperator, H. Spencer Lewis,
was elected to his position, ad vitam, or for
life. This was confirmed and ratified by
later Conventions of the International R-f C
Council. It is hereby recognized in this Con
stitution that his successor and all future
Imperators of the Order in this jurisdiction
shall be selected as provided in the Consti
tution of the Supreme Grand Lodge of
AMORC.,y
A footnote to this paragraph reads: Dr.
H. Spencer Lewis passed through transition
on August 2, 1939. In accordance with the
provisions of the Constitution of the Supreme
Grand Lodge of AMORC, Ralph M. Lewis
was elected Imperator of the North and South
American Jurisdiction of AMORC and President of the Board of Directors of the Supreme
Grand Lodge on August 12, 1939.
With regard to the obligations and duties
of the Imperator, the Constitution of the
Supreme Grand Lodge states, in Article V,
Section 4: The Imperator shall hold office
for life. He may be removed by the Supreme
Council for malfeasance in office or after due
conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude; provided that he shall not be removed
until after due trial and conviction by the
Supreme Tribunal of this Order. He shall
devote his time and energies to the interests
of the Order and shall receive such compensation as the Supreme Council may deter
mine from time to time. If the Office of the
Imperator becomes vacant, it shall be filled
by the Supreme Council.
Article VI, Section 2, establishes certain
material and financial Controls since AMORC
is a nonprofit organization. It states in part:

This Corporation shall have no capital stock

or is it organized or shall it be operated
for pecuniary gain or profit or will it
distribute any gains, profits or dividends
to the members or officers of the Corporation
or to any other individual. The property,
assets and net income of this Corporation
are irrevocably dedicated to the purposes
for which the Corporation is formed and
no part of any property, assets or net

income of this Corporation shall at any time

ever inure to the benefit of any director,
officer or member thereof or to the benefit of
any priva te individual.
W hat system is used by the Suprem e Grand
Lodge to select its replacements?

This question might be answered by

two words: qualification and experience.
Throughout the years, a number of worthy
persons have served on the Board of Direc
tors of the Supreme Grand Lodge. Some
have passed through transition. Others have
retired because of age. The qualifications
for such a position are these: first, membership in the Order for a number of years;
second, an excellent understanding of the
teachings; third, a combination of intelli
gence, good education, character, and experi
ence in the academic or business world;
fourth, several years training in an admini
stra tive and ritualistic capacity in AMORC;
and fifth, evidence of willingness to sacrifice
many personal interests and ambitions for
the principies and ideis of AMORC.
W hy was Rosicrucian group healing abolished?

This query alludes, we presume, to group

healing in lodges and chapters. AMORC is
not a therapeutic institution; that is, it is not
a health organization. Healing is but one
of the subjects and activities taught in the
Rosicrucian teachings. As individuis, the
members can and are encouraged to use
Rosicrucian healing methods as instructed
and wherever they can properly do so. A
Welfare Committee formed in the different
subordinate bodies visits members who are
ill, but group healing activities are not part
of the functions of the Order. They were
begun by some bodies of the Order and they
caused difficulties because they placed overemphasis on such activities and were discontinued for that reason.
Does the Lewis fam ily run the Supreme
Grand Lodge?

The Constitution of the Supreme Grand

Lodge and the State laws under which it
functions run the Supreme Grand Lodge.
When AMORC was first re-established for
its second cycle, Soror H. Spencer Lewis
helped Dr. H. Spencer Lewis in all of the
formative work, for which, of course, there
was no remuneration. In fact, there were
no resources with which to engage outside
paid assistance. In later years, his son and
daughter-in-law assisted. The Supreme

Grand Lodge is not composed entirely of the

Lewis Family; there are and always have
been other members of the Board of Directors
who are not related to the Imperator. All
members of this Board have an equal vote.
It is significant that the Imperator is the
only member of his family who is a Supreme
officer of the Rosicrucian Order. Neither
Soror H. Spencer Lewis or Soror Gladys
Lewis are officers, or do they receive any
salary as such. In fact, there are only three
officers of the Supreme Grand Lodge. Two
of these are the Supreme Treasurer and the
Supreme Secretary. Neither of these has
any family relationship to the Imperator or
to the Lewis Family.
By referring to the answer given to the
first question, it will be noted that the Rosi
crucian Order, AMORC, is a nonprofit or
ganization. Therefore, no funds or assets
can inure to any member or officer thereof
under the provisions of the law.
W hy does the Rosicrucian Digest not print the
ames and addresses o f subordnate bodies?

If one will turn to a Directory issue of the

Digest, it will be seen that the ames of the
subordnate bodies are given. For example,
Hermes Lodge in Los Angeles, California;
Michael Maier Lodge in Seattle, Washington;
Alden Lodge in Caracas, Venezuela, etc.
It will be noticed that most of the subor
dnate bodies use as their offcial ame the
ame of the city in which they are located.
For many years, the complete addresses
of all subordnate bodies were shown in
the Digest Directory. This resulted in a continuous solicitation of these bodies and their
officers for the purposes of commercial organizations. Religious fanatics and some so-called
esoteric orders sent literature to these bodies
vilifying AMORC. In other words, the ames
and addresses were being continually misused
by outside sourcesthat information being
available to them, of course, since the Digest
is a public magazine. To prevent these
abuses, the addresses were eliminated.
However, (and it is so stated in the Direc
tory) any active Rosicrucian member intending to travel may write to the Grand Lodge
requesting the ame, address, and time of
meeting of any subordnate body he intends
to visit. This information will be provided
gladly; but to send out lists of these lodges,
chapters, and pronaoi several times a year

to each member throughout the world would

cost several thousands of dollars.
The addresses change from time to time;
consequently, one annual list would not
suffice. Is it not simpler for the individual
member to request an address in advance
and endose postage for an airmail reply?
The Directory in the Rosicrucian Digest indicates where every subordnate body is
located so that every member has the opportunity of knowing which one is adjacent to
him or if there are such bodies in the city
or cities he intends to visit.
W hy does the Suprem e Grand Lodge not publish financial and membership statistics?

The Order believes it would be to no ad

vantage to publish its confidential statistics
in publications which might reach the gen
eral public. We are a prvate organization,
operating quite unlike a public utility or a
stock-holding Corporation. This does not
mean that such facts as concern the revenue
of the organization and the salaries of the
Supreme and Grand Lodge officers should be
concealed.
In fact, at every annual International
Rosicrucian Convention held in San Jos, an
Administrative Committee is formed. The
members of this committee are members
from points throughout the world who vlunteer to serve in this way. No officer or
member of the AMORC Staff is permitted
on this committee.
The committee makes an investigation into
the books, records, accounts, salaries, and
payroll of the AMORC. It verifies such findings by referring to the financial statistics
prepared by a nationally known firm of
public accountants. For example, in the last
report (1964) made before the entire Rosi
crucian Convention, the committee said:
The Administration and Resolutions Com
mittee, after first visiting all departments of
administration and interviewing Supreme
Grand Lodge and Grand Lodge officers,
wishes to extend to them our appreciation
and thanks for their wonderful cooperation.
They were most gracious in allowing us to
view all necessary information, including
the complete annual audit made by Arthur
Andersen & Company (Certified Public
Accountants).
It is the opinion of this committee that
the officers of the Supreme Grand Lodge

and Grand Lodge are to be highly commended for their dedicated and highly effective management in these difficult times.
All salary information and the general
payroll are thus available to every member
who attends the Convention, either by per
sonally being a member of the committee
which examines these records or books or
by hearing the committees report. Such
a committee investigation includes reference
to all income of the Order, all bank and
other deposits, as well as the Orders fixed
and liquid assets.
It must also be stated that as a nonprofit
organization, the books of the Order are
audited periodically by accountants of the
United States Treasury Department to deter
mine that the AMORC is conforming to
requirements under the law. The Grand
and Supreme Grand Lodge officers receive
modest salaries for their work and the responsibilities they assume as well as for the special
experience required of them. In the commercial world, they could receive larger
salaries for similar responsibilities.
The committees of members who have
investigated the affairs of the Order at each
Convention have often stated in their Reports
read before the entire Convention that the
officers salaries are of a low scale judged by
outside standards in the United States.
However, each officer of AMORC is supposed to receive extra compensation, not in
money but in the satisfaction from what he
is doing.
W hen a subordnate body is closed by the withdrawal of the charter, what disposition is
made o f its effects?

All funds of a subordnate body are held

by it in trust for the purposes of the Order
as stated in the Grand Lodge Constitution.
However, the subordnate body may use
them for its needs as provided by the Con
stitution. If for any reason a subordnate
body becomes inactive, its assets and monies
must be retumed to the Supreme Grand
Lodge as custodian for them. They never, of
course, are the property or possession of any
member or officer.
Files, robes, and items of that kind are
kept in storage at the Grand Lodge. Any
monies are deposited in the funds of the
Order but show a credit in the ame of the
inactive subordnate body. In other words,
such money is a liability of the Supreme
Grand Lodge. Morally and legally, it is

obliged to reimburse the subordnate body

with that sum when it is consttutionally
re-established and functioning. The financial
records and statements of the Grand Lodge
show such a liability and obligation for any
subordnate body funds.
Does AMORC m ake a profit?

The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, cannot

make a profit in the commercial sense of the
word, that is, any funds received over and
above those covering expenses cannot inure
or accrue to the benefit of any member or
officers since the AMORC is legally chartered
as a nonprofit organization. However, the
Order is permitted to receive funds, when
that is possible, over and above its operating
expenses.
Such funds must be used strictly for the
propaganda and maintenance of the Order,
or held in reserve for any contingency that
may occur. Often, as financial statements
available here at the Grand Lodge level will
show, the income at times is less by far than
the current expenses. Conversely, at other
times the income is in excess of expenditures.
AMORC must carry a substantial reserve
fund if it is to survive.
It must be realized that we are an inter
national organization. If in some nation
of the world funds are devaluated or com
pletely cut off by economic or political con
ditions in that country, it means that the
income to the AMORC Grand Lodge would
drop immediately and considerably. Never
theless, we are obliged, for as long as we
can, to continu membership services to the
Rosicrucian members in that affiicted coun
try. If we had no reserve funds, this could
not be done. In fact, at times international
conditions become so severe as to threaten
even the future of any reserves.
We hope that once again these answers
provide the information desired. We urge
each of our fratres and sorores to read the
Constitution of the Grand Lodge of the Order.
Most of the questions covered in this article
are authoritatively answered within the
ConstitutionX
The Effectiveness of Affirmations
In an article on the subject of worry,
in a recent issue of the Rosicrucian Forum,
there appeared the following statement:
Affirmations, unfortunately, sol ve very
little. A soror has written to state that she

is not completely in agreement with this

statement. She states that while she has read
in the Rosicrucian Forum and in other Rosi
crucian literature discussions regarding the
idea that affirmations have little or no valu,
she believes there are exceptions.
She goes on to point out that affirmations
can carry certain valu if one has the proper
attitude and if the purpose in using affirma
tions is in accordance with the ideis that we
practice. She compares affirmations with
prayer. In fact, she states that an affirmation can be used as a form of prayer which is
the reiteration to oneself, as it were, of cer
tain ideas.
Affirmations* generally speaking, in the
experience of most individuis will be proved
to have no valu in themselves. As was
stated in the same article from which the
quotation regarding affirmations solving
very little was taken, reference was made to
a school of psychology that developed some
years ago based upon the principie that affir
mations could be used as problem-solving
mechanisms.
If I remember correctly, the wording was
that one should say, Every day, in every
way I am getting better and better. This
phrase was popular for a period of time, and
because of the personality of the founder of
the system of thought that promoted this
concept of affirmations, it attracted a great
deal of attention. I can remember many
people going around at their work and in
their leisure time repeating this statement
over and over again. Then without comment
or publicity the practice and idea disappeared
entirely.
One important fact emerges from the consideration of this experience. Why did the
idea lose favor? Why was the practice discontinued? It is obvious to any individual
that if the repetition of the affirmation that
an individual is improving physically, morally, financially, and socially were beneficial,
the process would have been continued.
If people who were ill became well as a
result of repeating an affirmation, or those
who were poor became rich, then the practice
would have been maintained and probably
never discontinued. The fact that it was discontinued and forgotten simply proves one
fundamental fact: The repetition of the
affirmation accomplished nothing or, at least,
very little.

I do not, however, question the soror who

wrote that she doubted the assertion that
affirmations have no valu. Affirmations
may have valu, but in a rather roundabout
sense. To understand this, we have to review some of the fundamental, psychological
principies involved in the Rosicrucian teach
ings.
One of the basic principies in this area
concerns the fact that man functions with
two types of consciousness, an objective con
sciousness, which is the area in which we are
aware of the sense impressions that reach us
through our sense faculties, and a subconsciousness, wrhich is the consciousness of the
inner self or the soul.
In one of the early Temple degrees, we
are taught something of the nature of the
types of consciousness, and I have unduly
simplified here by referring to only two
states of consciousness as the Third Degree
chart will explain in more detail if we make
reference to it.
Basically, subconsciousness is the conscious
ness that remains subordinated to the objec
tive consciousness while we are physical,
living beings. We live in a world dominated
by the material and the physical, and, con
sequently, we have to devote a great deal of
our time and effort to dealing or coping with
the physical world of which we are a part.
That is why many have adopted a materialistic philosophy. They have overdone, as it
were, the material side of their being.
Through the five physical senses we receive impressions that arrive at our objective
consciousness. We think in the objective
consciousness, and that becomes the state
most known to us in our periods of reflection
and introspection. But what we must re
member is that the objective consciousness is
a gathering area. It is where impressions are
brought together.
The objective consciousness has little
power in itself to change anything it receives.
It only assembles them. The objective con
sciousness is like a huge filing system in
which all the impressions received through
the eye, ear, nose, or other senses come to
gether and are correlated with the previous
impressions.
To go a step further, we must realize that
objective consciousness can also receive im
pressions through a sixth channel, sometimes
known as the sixth sense, the inner voice, or

the subconscious. We receive impressions

from the subconscious through the process
known as intuition, and the knowledge that
comes to us intuitively is the knowledge that
is accurate and is always dependable because
the subconscious mind is a part of the uni
versal consciousness. It is our link with the
source of life that caused us to be, in the
first place.
On the other hand, as the subconscious
mind functions in each of us as individual
entities, it accepts deductively any informa
tion that we give it. The subconscious does
not discriminate between the types of knowl
edge gradually brought to its level; conse
quently, man can use the subconscious as
we are taught through various exercises in
our early degrees, by subtly using suggestion
to give the subconscious impressions and ideas
that are constructive.
Many of the bodys functions, for example,
are carried on unconsciously. That is, we do
not objectively direct our heart to beat or
other vital processes to take place. There is
a cise correlation between this inner con
sciousness and the sympathetic nervous sys
tem, which deais with the maintenance of
life and balance within the human body.
Therefore, by subtly suggesting to the in
ner consciousnes that we wish to gain in
harmony, in our relationship with the in
finite, with the Cosmic, we are implanting
within our inner consciousness the ideas
which will bring about a change in our gen
eral circumstances and physical condition.
We are taught through the process of con
centration and suggestion how to develop
these concepts and dismiss them from our
objective consciousness that they may enter
into and thrive within the subconscious area.
We are taught, for example, that if we maintin an idea in objective consciousness and
never release it, it can never be any more
than an objective idea. It must be trans
ferred to the subconscious mind before it
becomes an effective forc which will pro
duce results in our personal experiences.
I will not attempt here to go into the
details of the technique for the use of con
centration and sube suggestions to the
subconscious mind. I refer you to your
monographs to review these ideas and to
study the exercises that help us to develop
the technique by which we can use this
particular ability effectively. However, there

are times when those who, as the soror who

wrote conceming the subject of affirmations,
use affirmations consistently have in a sense
used affirmations as if they were suggestions.
To affirm a fact or a desire and to dismiss
it from consciousness is to use it in a way
that it becomes a suggestion to the subcon
scious and in that way can be effective.
Therefore, I believe, like this soror, that those
who have found some effectiveness in the
use of affirmations have either intentionally
or unintentionally used the affirmation as a
process of making suggestions to the subcon
scious mind.
The reason that affirmations are usually not
effective and of little valu is because of their
constant repetition at an objective level. To
repeat over and over again a statement,
whether we believe it true or not, and to
think that we can influence our lives or the
lives of others by such repetition is to con
fine the concept or idea to objective con
sciousness by the very process of reitera tion.
We must remember that as long as an idea
is in the physical, objective consciousness, it
can have no effect because it cannot function
outside the physical level.
On the other hand, to concntrate on an
idea and dismiss it so that it can carry on in
the subconscious area is to use an idea constructively and effectively. Therefore,
whether or not we cali our suggestions affir
mations, or merely suggestions is not as im
portant as the fact that we dismiss our most
important desires and wishes from objective
consciousness so that they may function and
develop within the area of the subconscious
mind.A
Lingering Parental Authority
A soror from the state of Washington
would like to see an article in the Forum
about parental authority for children beyond
the adult stage. This soror, although many
years an adult, is still subject to unwanted
parental interference in her affairs.
We have had other similar cases reported
to us over a period of years. It is not uncommon for parents to try to retain their au
thority over their children after adulthood.
It is even more common for children t
retain a sense of duty and loyalty to parents
as they grow older.
Both of these urges, or sentiments, are the
result of the long period of togetherness ex-

perienced by most parents and children.

Parents have expected obedience from their
children since they were bom. Habit pattems have been built up. Children, on the
other hand, have looked to their parents for
guidance. They have built up a dependence
on parents that incurs a deep sense of loyalty.
It is not always a simple matter to erase these
sentiments at a specific point in time.
The problem is more the parents than the
childrens. It is an obligation on the part of
parents to wean their children in such a way
that at adulthood it would be theoretically
possible for each to go his own way without
need of the other.
No child ever grows so od that advice
from his parents should go unheeded, but
there should be no strings attached to such
advice after adulthood has been attained.
There should be no feeling on the part of the
young adult that the advice has to be followed. There should be no retaliation on
the part of the parent if it is not followed.
Parents should always be prepared for the
day that their children will leave them. They
should wean them as gradually as possible
so that the final breaking-away is no sudden
change in their pattern of living. There
should be a getting-used-to period of adjustment, with children being allowed more and
more independent action as they near the
breaking-away point.
Lifetime loyalty to parents is a very nor
mal consequence of a well-balanced, happy
home life. Most children remain appreciative of their parents part in making their
own lives secure and satisfying. With some
children, such loyalty may stem from a need
to retain some attachment with the parents;
but, for the most part, loyalty to parents is a
result of a willingness on the part of children
to want to share their lives and their blessings
with them.
Parents who take advantage of childrens
innate loyalty to them are performing a
great disservice. Children so abused will lose
their chance to grow and develop Creative
abilities of their own. Such selfshness on the
part of parents reflects their own immaturity
and inability to cope with the problems of
the world and the environment in which they
live. Children who have reached the adult
stage, if subject to a situation where unwanted
parental authority is being asserted, should
themselves assume the responsibility of mak

ing the break. It may seem harsh to defy a

parents wish or command; but after a child
is of age, he is responsible for his own actions
and must make his own decisions.
Doting parents of adult children fail to
realize that in not allowing their children
to act independently they are greatly decreasing the childrens chances for survival
after their transition.B
A University for Young and Od
A soror asks: Who was responsible for
beginning the Rose-Croix University? What
year was the first term held? Have sessions
been held consecutively since then, or were
there years when they were not held?
This question gives us an opportunity to
extol the work of the University these past
thirty years and to tell of its place in the
Rosicrucians life.
The present Rose-Croix University in San
Jos, California, was established in 1935
and this year will hold its thirty-first con
secutivo term. The attractive Egyptian struc
ture that comprises the first unit of the
University represents the fulfillment of an
ideal held by many Rosicrucians of the past.
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis was responsible for
translating that ideal into a concrete program
of housing and study and creating a curricu
lum in three distinct colleges.
In dedicating the first unit of the Univer
sity, it was mentioned that the structure and
curriculum fulfilled the ideal of Past Grand
Master Charles Dana Dean. The fountain and
plaza that front the University structure are
a memorial to him. Members visiting Rosi
crucian Park may view the bronze plaque
at the base of the fountain which contains
Frater Deans ame.
There have been Rose-Croix Universities
before this time, however, particularly those
that offered courses to Rosicrucians in the
Renaissance period of Europe. The present
school pattems its curriculum after these
more ancient institutions and attempts to
emphasize freedom in the search.
The spirit of a university is sometimes
more vital to its students than the subject
matter which it presents. No matter what
courses are offered, it is important that nothing be considered too inconsequential, no
field of inquiry too limited, and no boundaries recognized if knowledge exists beyond
them. This kind of approach to study brings

out the Creative abilities of the students. It

permits them to expand existing concepts or
to develop new ones about the nature of
things.
Academic freedom is honored at RoseCroix University. Professors are carefully
selected on the basis of their academic training and Rosicrucian background. Once
qualifying in these respects, they are then
allowed to explore their particular fields of
study along whatever avenue they feel will
throw more light on the subject.
Class discussion is a treasured part of any
academic instruction. It is hard to measure
how much information has poured into this
writers consciousness, for one, by the doors
of knowledge pried open by inquisitive stu
dents. As they pry, they often open the
floodgates themselves and have their answers
before the instructor can reply.
There is nothing so hallowed, nothing so
exciting, nothing so vital to the future of
mankind as the C l a s s r o o m and all it entails.
Every member who can possibly make it
should strive to participate in such an aca
demic experience whenever possible.
The first class in 1935 numbered fewer
than fifty persons, including the faculty.
Since then, the annual summer attendance
has risen to over two hundred and twenty
students. In addition, there are now twenty
faculty members, presenting a choice of more
than twenty-fve subjects. Each Rose-Croix
term offers a series of extracurcicular lectures
on subjects of vital interest to society as a
whole.
In these series appear such distinguished
speakers as the Imperator and staff members
of AMORC, leading educators, artists, consuls
of various countries, researchers, and specialists in particular fields of study.
Rose-Croix University has always endeared itself to students by its warm and
relaxed environment. The beautiful grounds
and structures, the easy pace of study, the
relatively small size of classes, the helpful,
understanding facultyall make this a mem
orable experience.
In 1965, the spirit of Rose-Croix bums
more brightly than ever before. Since it is
the principal event of summer activities at
Rosicrucian Park this year (the International
Convention will be held in Toronto), attend
ance is expected to swell. In anticipation of
this, there will be extra features added to

the program. For those interested, we shall

take some space to outline the highlights of
the 1965 term.
Because of the fact that there will be no
Convention in San Jos this year, the curricu
lum of Rose-Croix will carry several special
features such as a Temple Builders Initiation and a Rosicrucian Forum. Students will
have an opportunity to view some of
AMORCs rare books and documents.
An impressive series of panel discussions,
lectures, and demonstrations on the subject
of Creative Thinking will be available for all
students during the latter part of the first
week, all of the second week, and the first
part of the third week. This series will
elabrate the steps by which Rosicrucians
can develop the ability to think creatively, a
requirement of any person who wishes to
advance in his affairs.
All students have the opportunity to tour
the AMORC Administrative facilities; to
spend hours among the fascinating exhibits
in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, Sci
ence Museum, and Planetarium; to browse
in the Research Library; and to attend convocations and rituals in the Supreme Temple.
Our distinguished faculty this year includes Dr. Ronald Clothier of Arizona State
Universitys Zoological D epartm ent; Dr.
Martha Pingel of Colorado Womans College,
Department of Humanities; Dr. W. H. Clark
of Wayland Baptist College, Department of
Philosophy; Dr. A. A. Taliaferro of Dallas;
Dr. Albert Doss of Phoenix; Dr. San Feliz
Rea of Caracas; Fratres Erwin Watermeyer,
Harry Kellem, George Lea, Mario Salas,
Harold Venske; Sorores Julia Crawford,
Louise Vemon, Elaine Michelsen, Kathryn
Williams, and Ruth Phelps.
Among the stimulating courses offered are:
Psychology and Mysticism of Color; Creative
Writing; Sculpture; Hermetic Philosophy;
Writings of the Rosicrucians; Mans Psychic
Structure; Painting and Design; Voice and
Harmony; Drama; Logic; Marvels of Heredity; Initiation; Structure of Matter; Rosicru
cian Healing, and others. For a complete
description of these courses, write to the
Registrar, Rose-Croix University, Rosicrucian
Park, San Jos, California 95114.
Each of the courses now offered by the
University is given over a period of one week,
with students spending the full extent of
their class time in that subject.

During each thirty-six hours of instruc

tion, every effort is made to give the student
enough material so that he can continu to
medtate and work on the subject throughout
the year.
Students may register for one week, or one
course; for two weeks, or two courses; or for
three weeks, or three courses. Each weekly
unit is independent of the other. Students
may enroll for any of the three weeks, singly
or in combination.
We have endeavored to make the University program flexible and practical in the
presentation of its unique subject matter. Not
only can one gain from it vast new insights
into the world around him, but the insights
thus obtained will continu to open doors to
greater enlightenment, happiness, and per
sonal satisfaction, ad infinitum.TS

Balancing Karma
A frater now rises to address our Forum:
If an individual is suffering from the
memory of a crime or wrong committed
against another, how can his intensely guilty
conscience be eased or eliminated if it is not
possible to make restitution to the individual
against whom the crime was committed?
Let us first recall that karma is the law of
compensation, of cause and effect. It is not
retributive, that is, it is not a conscious being
or individual who is imposing punishment
for wrongdoing. Likewise, karma does not
intentionally bestow awards as a merit for
deeds performed. Karma is impersonal
action, just as are any natural causes and
effects. We each know that in human ex
perience we have instituted certain causes at
times from which we could foresee the de
velopment of eventual effects. If the effect
was not to our liking, we could often obstruct
the effect by altering the cause. This might
consist of instituting a counter cause in order
to mitgate the undesired effect. Scientists,
mechanics, and housewives make such
changes in their causative actions almost
every day to produce the kind of effects they
want to experience.
We also know, however, that there are
some causes willfully or otherwise begun by
us whose effects, if they are undesired, we
cannot prevent. We are obliged to suffer
them out, learn from them, and try to avoid

a recurrence. Our social and moral actions

are often of this latter kind. We have com
mitted some deed in ignorance or in passion
only to regret it later. The cause contines
unremittingly. We do not know of any count
er cause that will oppose it and bring a halt to
the effect. The consequence of such circum
stances may often be severe physically, psychologically, or otherwise.
Such a condition, the realization of the
effect of an improper cause, or deed, has
often been declared a cosmic penalty. But
such is an erroneous statement. No divine
or cosmic intelligence imposed the punish
ment. There was no intent to discipline the
wrongdoer. In such circumstances, we pay
for our own shortcomings in knowledge or
willful misconduct. We create our own cir
cumstances. Therefore, all effects are not
escapable, or can they be assuaged.
In such a case as the frater has mentioned,
there is no possibility of making restitution
to the one who was injured. The emotional
and moral effect of conscience, therefore,
must be endured. A person, however, having
such a degree of moral rectitude or con
science can make a personal compensation
that will, to some extent, ease the pain he
feels. He can, for example, enter into such
human relationship or conduct of a humani
tarian or charitable nature as will bring him
emotional satisfaction. This, of course, will
not ameliorate the original harm that he did,
but he can feel that he is making compen
sation to society and to mankind for the
wrong that has been done.
There are those who would cali this sort
of action the easing of ones conscience,
and they might further say that one subsequent right act does not always offset a previous wrong one. Our answer to that is that
it depends upon whether the subsequent right
act has been done sincerely and if there has
been real sacrifice in accomplishing it. For
analogy, an unscrupulous attorney who has
taken advantage of his clientscharged exceptionally large fees and converted on one
technical ground or another large portions of
damages or legacy to his own benefitmay
try to create a reputable image of himself.
He becomes a member of the Board of Di
rectors of a local church. He gives the church
free legal advice and, perhaps, makes an
annual contribution of a thousand dollars.
All during the year, however, unethically

and ruthlessly, he has exacted thousands of

dollars from persons helplessly caught in his
legal webb and artfices. Such is not a sin
cere effort to make adjustment or compensation for wrong. It is a subterfuge to conceal
the real character and continuous misbehavior of the individual.
If one realizes that, morally or ethically,
he has committed a wrong act from which
another may suffer and whose effect he can
not prevent, the wrongdoer can then make
adjustment cosmically. In meditation, with
a true feeling of contriteness, he can ask for
guidance. He can commune with the highest
aspects of his own subconscious and appeal
for direction in charitable, humanitarian acts
in which he can particpate. They must not,
however, merely bring happiness or benefit
to another; they must, as well, penalize the
wrongdoer. In other words, there must be
a real expiation for ones wrong acts and
sense of guilt. One must experience, to some
degree, the hurt which he has inflicted upon
another. The dropping of a small donation
into a basket somewhere, a sum of money
which the contributor will never miss or feel
any inconvenience by donating, is no real
karmic, personal compensation, and the indi
vidual knows that what he is doing is only
a token act.
Further, such adjustments or reconciliations for wrong acts are more often effective
in the form of Service, that is, the giving of
oneself rather than a material object. We
may say that, psychologically, conscience is
only eased of a sense of guilt when the person
actually experiences a mental anguish or
other pain for what he has done. Man expects punishment for what he conceives as
personal wrong conduct. Therefore, until he
does something that brings about this per
sonal hurt, a sacrifice of some kind, the sense
of guilt will still persist. In fact, those who
do not make such an adjustment and have a
severe sense of guilt may bring upon them
selves an emotional or nervous disturbance.
Religious confession, of course, helps those
who are of a particular religious mind. In
their confession, they are accounting to their
God, or whomever they accept as his intermediary, for their guilt. They then conceive
that they have invoked divine justice, or forgiveness, in their behalf; or the priest or
clergyman may desgnate such acts as are
said will compnsate for the wrong.X

Mans Existence
To ask the question whether or not man
exists would seem not only foolish and useless but also by most standards of anaylsis,
rather stupid. Man believes in his own
existence as a result of introspection, that is,
awareness of his own experiences. We do not
have to prove our existence to ourselves, and
we accept the evidences of life in the physical
body as the existence of other human beings.
We base our belief in existence upon both
a subconscious and an objective decisin. The
subconscious is through introspectionthat
is, a looking into our own minds and deciding
that we existand upon the objective use of
our sense faculties to perceive the phe
nomena of life as expressed by other indi
viduis.
Whether or not man would be satisfied
with either one of these means of checking
upon his own existence, we do not know,
since we cannot conceive of a state of exist
ence where we would have only subconscious
or objective faculties and not both. When we
ask regarding the existence of God, we leave
both the area of our subconscious and objec
tive experience and enter into an area of
speculation. The speculation then is based
purely upon the reasoning of our own indi
vidual selves dependent upon knowledge and
experience.
These thoughts carne to me as I read a
recent book review of a book entitled The
Existence of God. This book sets out to answer, at least to a degree, the question that
man has asked many times: Is there a God?
Why a book should be devoted to this ques
tion is one which was not answered in the
review that I read, and in consideraran of
the various philosophers discussions of the
existence of God, I do not feel particularly
motivated to read the entire book.
Furthermore, I am a little concemed about
the authors observations regarding the
existence of God because whether or not any
one particular man writes a book which can
explain the answer to the question as to the
existence of God to his satisfaction makes
little difference to me. Even if he decides
that he proves God does exist, or does not
exist, does not make any difference to me.
What some other individual may conclude
in reference to the existence of God would

have very little significance to my own ex

perience and to my own development.
I frankly do not care what other people
think about the existence of God. As far as
that is concemed, I do not particularly care
what other peoples beliefs are about immortality, reincamation, psychic development,
or any other similar faculty that is a part
of our inner experiences. What is important
to me is how I may interpret these various
subjects in a way that will bring evolvement
and an accumulation of knowledge and ex
perience to me.
To return to the book in which an agnostic
writes about the existence of God, my immediate reaction is, what difference does it make
how he or anyone else answers the question?
It is unimportant either to me or to God
whether the author of this book eventually
proves or disproves to his own satisfaction
that God exists.
The fact of the matter is that I am impelled to ask the question in return: Can the
author of this book even prove to me that he
exists? Or can he even prove to me that there
is a state of existence? This line of thought,
incidentally, led me to do a little research
on what the accepted meaning of the English
word existence is.
I referred to three different dictionaries
that are considered authoritative for the
English language, and I was unimpressed by
the definition of existence. For example,
among other things, one of the leading dic
tionaries published in the United States said,
to have real being, whether material or
spiritual. To me, we need some additional
definitions. What is real being? What is
material being? What is spiritual being?
To have real being, whether material or
spiritual, would require us to be very certain
as to the meanings we have assigned to the
vocabulary in using the words real, being,
material, and spiritual. I presume that in
the general sense of the word real being
means objective consciousness.
If we substitute those words in the defini
tion, we will arrive at a rather unsatisfactory
explanation: To have objective conscious
ness, whether material or spiritual. Mate
rial, objective consciousness is, presumably,
the consciousness of the brain. The objectivity
that we have is the result of the perception
that comes to our physical senses. However,
the process itself is not material.

To have spiritual objective consciousness

is completely beyond my concept. I would
associate material to a degree with objective
consciousness, but the popular meaning of
spiritual, it seems to me, would be associated
with the subconsciousness, or the inner man
or soul. Consequently, as far as the dictionary is concerned, I found little help in trying
to understand mans existence or the mean
ing of existence because the definition itself
revolved only about generalizations and
platitudes that we accept as a result of not
wanting to think too seriously about the
matter.
It seems to me that one attribute of exist
ence that has significanceand was not par
ticularly stressed in the dictionary definitions
that I sought out, or in the review of the
book about the existence of God that I read
is a state that we should cali continuity.
Existence is a continuing factor. Anything
that exists cannot necessarily be static; even
the physical objects in the universe, like a
clod of earth, a rock, a tree, or any other
physical item, is not static forever. Living
things, like the tree, are changing. Even the
rock or the clod may disintegrate or change
through the effects of extemal conditions,
such as temperature, wind, rain, or other
forms of weather that may play upon the
physical units. Therefore, existence is a con
dition that contines. We may not be able
to define its beginning or end, but we do
realize this continuity, that it goes on and on.
Life, then, is existence which is a conti
nuity. God is a continuity. Possibly one ex
ample of this continuity is the fact that life,
a condition that so far at least has not been
isolated by modem science, either in chemistry or physics, is a continuity that must have
some point of origin and a forc to maintain
it, and that continuity, if you wish, might be
what man calis God.
The one state that existence seems to have
that of continuityis its beginning, its continuation, and its end, and that, in a sense,
is what man ascribes to Godetemal con
tinuity; existence for all time.
As Rosicrucians, we refer to the God of
our Hearts, because we know that no indi
vidual who is developed psychically or is
striving to develop a psychic realization can
be satisfied with another individuals defini
tion of God. God must mean to me what
is satisfactory to my realization of my own

experience. Therefore, as Rosicrucians, we

all accept the God of our Hearts, the God
that we have come to realize is the symbol of
continuity in creation and in life.A
When To Be Silent
A frater of England now rises to address
our Forum. The Battle of Trafalgar was
won by stirring words as well as action.
Various types of conduct have come about
through the use of words. Some were to the
glory of man and others detracted from hu
man dignity. Churchills moving words to
his nation on the eve of the threatened in
vasin of England solidified his people and
brought forth courage and determination in
every breast. My question is, Should an
aspiring mystic speak up or remain silent
when certain conditions come to his notice?
We are reminded of the words of an an
cient philosopher. If we recall them correctly, they were, Speak only when your
words are more golden than your silence.
In the first place, why do we speak at all?
It is a form of communication. It is intended
to transmit intelligence, that is, ideas, from
one mind to another. Every word spoken,
then, is intended to engender ideas in the
minds of those to whom we speak. Every
idea transmitted in speech does not stand
alone in the consciousness of the one who
heard it spoken. We cannot be certain that
what we say will always be interpreted ex
actly as we intended. An entirely different
connota tion may be placed upon our words.
This is especially so if we are not cautious
in framing our ideas. Careless speech can
evoke erroneous thoughts, perhaps quite a
departure from what we intended to convey.
Further, a spoken word can often be like
a snowball rolling down a mountain slope.
It can cause an avalanche of irrelevant ideas
to become associated with it. We are not al
ways certain of the reaction which may re
sult from the intelligence which we transmit.
The thought may not end with the words or
ideas that we have implanted in the mind of
another. It may cause a chain reaction of
cognition. We do not always know, and, in
fact, rarely do know the apperception of those
to whom we speak. One must evalate the
emotional response of ones words. Thoughts
produce feelings. Do you intend to arouse
anger, curiosity, compassion, hatred, or love?

Do you merely want someone to be provided

with information through what you say? Or
do you want him to act and, if so, how do
you want him to act?
There is nothing more irresponsible than
the speech of most persons. Words, as ideas,
are powerful. They can be seeds from which
great and magnanimous deeds can spring, or
they can be darts to tear character to shreds
or to incite mass hysteria. There is, then, a
time when one should be silent and a time
when one should speak. Such a time is one
that must be judged by the individual by a
rational weighing of circumstances. We are
all too prone to quickly transate our emotions, our feelings, into words and give them
vocal expression. In this lies the greatest
danger. Emotion does not temper or adjudge
the speech which it engenders. All too often
we say later to ourselves: I wish I had not
said that! Such contriteness, however, may
be too late; the efficacy of the words have
already taken their toll.
The od question of whether one is his
brothers keeper also arises in connection
with our speech. When we realize that there
is a set of circumstances which is strictly not
our affair but which is potential with danger
for a certain person, should we speak up to
try to prevent the ill effects? There are
factors involved in making such a decisin.
Perhaps the other person does not realize
the adverse circumstances confronting him.
He may resent what he considers to be an
intervention. Further, one may wonder:
Do I understand correctly, or am I only
presuming that such adverse circumstances
exist? Ethically and perhaps morally, it is
ones right as a human being not to remain
silent when it is possible to proffer aid to
another in the form of advice. If ones advice
is rejected and he is rebuffed, at least he has
acted in a manner expected of a charitable
human being.
Of course, this does not suggest that one
should appoint himself the mentor and pre
ceptor of every other individual whom he
knows personally. There is a time to he
silent. This is particularly true when there
is a controversy among persons with whom
one is not directly concemed. The fact that
one may not be in accord with a certain
view expressed does not ethically justify his
intervening. Even though one may know
his conception is the right one, he has not

been requested to expound it. Only if the

controversy concems a serious loss or hurt
to one of the parties through misinformation
would one be justified, as we have said, in
breaking his silence and interposing his
views.
One must learn to keep his ego under con
trol, for if it is not restrained there is the
temptation to be opinionated on all subjects.
Thus in speaking too freely one may divulge
his own ignorance. There is an amusing but
true adage to the effect that it is best to
remain silent and be presumed ignorant than
to open ones mouth and prove it.X
The New Akhnaton Shrine
There has just been completed in Rosi
crucian Park a magnificent replica of a small
Egyptian temple. It conveys, in the accuracy
of its detail, the authentic architectural style
of ancient Egypt. It is an open temple,
similar to those constructed by Pharaoh
Akhnaton in the city he built called Akhetaton, City of the Horizon. Its columns
are of the papyrus type. Each end of the
temple has an open pylon portal incised with
Egyptian hieroglyphs, as are the huge crossbeams resting upon the columns. The stonefinished edifice is dramatically lighted at
night. The benches within its interior are
also of Egyptian design of the period of
Akhnaton, the 18th Dynasty, or approximately 1350 B.C.
This temple is a replacement of the original
Akhnaton, or Amenhotep IV, Shrine, erected
under the direction of Dr. H. Spencer Lewis,
Imperator, in the year 1931. The original
shrine, in which thousands of members have
meditated since its construction, deteriorated
and had to be replaced.
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, in his last Will
and Testament, had requested that his
earthly remains be cremated and placed beneath the shrine with a simple triangle to
mark their place. After a brief ceremony
conducted in the shrine, his ashes were
placed in the soft ground beneath, and a
small red granite pyramid was set over
them. Upon the pyramid was inscribed his
ame, title, birth date, the date of his assuming Imperatorship, the time of his transition,
and in Latin the words Vita, Lux, Amor.
Subsequently, in this shrine other simple
granite monuments were erected above the

ashes of Grand Masters and members of the

Board of Directors of the Supreme Grand
Lodge.
Why was the shrine originally built?
What was Dr. H. Spencer Lewiss purpose?
Let us quote, in part, from an address given
by Dr. Lewis in 1931, on the occasion of
the announcement of its construction.
The initiation that occurred in Egypt
in the temple at Luxor at sundown on
February 14, 1929, was, as I have said, the
culmination of a series of events or preliminary initiation ceremonies which had
begun on Monday moraing, February 9,
in front of the Sphinx and in the shadow of
the Pyramid.
We had prepared ourselves for days
while upon the ship in the Mediterranean,
and while in various sacred places in the
Holy Land, and finally began the first steps
of actual initiation at the same sacred point
in front of the Sphinx where the ancients
began their first steps of initiation.
Then we joumeyed to that wonderful
sacred lake out in the desert waste far from
civilization and had our symbolical baptism
on the very spot where the Sacrament of
Baptism had its origin among the mystics
of that land long before any religious movements or any church knew of the valu of
water in its mystical and spiritual appli
cation.
Then we continued on to Luxor where,
with the assistance of the Egyptian Rosi
crucians and the special privilege of the
officials, the culminating ceremony was held
in the very temple where similar cere
monies had been held thousands of years
ago, and where the vibrations were intense
and the presence of the Masters visible and
invisible charged us with their benedictions
and blessings. . . .
I trust that all of you see the significance
of this occasion, therefore, and that you
realize that the AMORC of North America
is the first and only metaphysical or occult,
mystery school or movement in the Western
world whose principal officers and most advanced members have actually joumeyed
to Egypt and received initiation there under
sponsorship of the organization.
No matter what initiation anyone may
have had in other lands, or what claims
other Rosicrucian students or movements or
individuis may make, there is no Rosicru-

cian movement anywhere in the world to

day that has the foundation and the unique
distinction possessed by this branch of our
organization.
Now, to present the surprise that I had
in store for this occasion and which was
preceded by the surprises of the roses and
telegrams and your wonderful greetings, I
wish to say I deemed it a beautiful thing to
establish here in America a memorial to the
occasion of that initiation in Egypt in the
form of a Shrine which would symbolize
the beauty of Egypt and the spiritual location of the initiation. . . .Therefore, we are
building at the present time, as you may
see before you leave this city, a beautiful
Egyptian opn-air temple on the lawns adjoining our buildings here in San Jos.
This open-air temple is being constructed
of stone and concrete, in form and shape
like one of the temples in Egypt, and
in fact carrying out the architecture and
design and decorations of the two great
temples most closely associated with our
initiation two years ago. First, there is the
replica of the great pylon or gateway to the
temple of Kamak with its emblem of winged
globe over the entrance way. Back of this
are columns surmounted forming a temple
with stone seats and pavements, all in
Egyptian design and decorations. . . .
This unique temple, open on all sides
like those in Egypt and surrounded with a
lawn planted with Egyptian palms and
other appropriate shrubbery, will be a permanent Shrine and Holy Monument which
I dedicate and lovingly hand over . . . as a
personal gift to . . . our members, free of
all debt and never to be closed to any person who wishes to come and pay his respects
in this Shrine, and never to be used for any
purpose or any ceremony that is not Holy,
Spiritual, and free of every material quality.
It will be an inspiration and a landmark
of beauty for many years to come and provide . . . an American center to which they
[members] may direct their thoughts and
a Holy place to which they may come when
ever opportunity permits them to visit this
city and revive again the memories of that
wonderful occasion.
We, therefore, today perpetate the ideis
expressed by Dr. Lewis for the original
shrine in this new structure which physically supplants it.

During the construction of this new shrine,

the monuments were never disturbed, or
the ashes beneath them. Every Rosicrucian
is eligible to visit the shrine and to meditate
therein during certain daylight and evening
hours. It is, of course, limited to members.
A photograph of the new shrine will appear
both in the Rosicrucian Digest and Forum
in the near future when the landscaping is
completed.
Though this symbolic and beautiful edifice
has been constructed at considerable cost
to an ideal, no direct solicitation of the entire
membership of AMORC has been made to
defray the expense. Those who would like to
assist may do so. Such aid will be appreciated. For each one who does so, a rose
will be placed in the shrine beside the monu
ments as a symbol of the love and affection
for that for which the shrine stands.X

Daily Mystical Exercises

A frater asks our Forum, How can we
use the mystical principies in our daily life?
Is there a way in which we can apply them
to inspire us each day and fortify us against
the vicissitudes that arise? We cannot al
ways have access to a sanctum. What, then,
is suggested as an altemative to satisfy these
needs?
It is unfortunate that some members look
upon their Rosicrucian membership only as
a kind of speculative philosophy. They think
of the profound principies as a stimulating
abstraction or as an intellectual pastime.
They think that the Rosicrucian principies
are not applicable in the everyday material
world of events and its demands. It is pathetic to find a member at times distressed
by some circumstance and lamenting the
futility of all the usual means to combat his
difficulties. It is obvious that he doesnt think
of applying his Rosicrucian teachings to the
situation. He accepts them as his Thursday night sanctum activities, as belonging
to a realm apart from his daily affairs and
present circumstances. However, we are happy to note that the majority of fratres and
sorores do try to live a Rosicrucian lije.
The following is an excellent and beautiful
example of incorporation of the Rosicrucian
teachings in a members life. We quote the

frater who submitted it: I can notice prog

ress in my own development even within
the last year or two. For some time, I have
had it in mind to describe to you my moming
mystical exercise, which I have developed
over the years and which I use daily. I find
this practice so satisfying that I offer it to
you to pass on to some inquirer if you find it
applicable.
Each morning, when I first step outdoors,
I pause for a moment with the door closed
behind me. Then in an unostentatious man
ner, I slowly draw in one long breath, and
with it I think of drawing into my being the
essence of the Cosmic. Then when leaving
my home, I say softly or mentally, Peace
to this house and to all who dwell therein.
Whatever thing or object first attracts my
attention, I think of as being part of the
cosmic whole, and I recall that there is no
real separateness. What is seen is part of a
great unity, which includes my own being
as well. If persisted in, these brief exercises
can be quite rewarding. Furthermore, they
are not too much for one to include regardless of his tight schedule. The whole exercise
in its several parts takes but three or four
minutes.
It is suggested that Rosicrucians try this
simple exercise or develop from the teach
ings others just as brief which they may con
sider more intmate and satisfying. After
all, you eat, bathe, sleep, and give consider
able care to your physical being. You live
in an objective world almost each conscious
moment of your daily existence. How much
time otherwise do you spend each day in
introverting your consciousness, turning it
inward to experience the higher aspect of
self and the intelligence of the universal con
sciousness within you?
You are far more than your objective self;
you are, as well, an emotional and psychic
being. There are feelings and sentiments that
go deeper than what your receptor senses
convey to you. You are only partially living
unless you give this other and greater part
of yourself expression. You may think that
such exercises have no place in the material
world, in the affairs of the day. You may
not think that they could contribute anything
to your job or business, to your economic welfare, or to your health. But how many times
have you wished for some inspiration, some
idea, some solution, some extra energy, some
personal confidence? These are things that

do not arise outside of yourself as much as

they do within you. It is mystical exercises
like this that fortify you and give you weapons and tools to meet the challenges, the
demands, and the impacts of life upon your
personal being.
Why not, then, take at least a few minutes
each day to put your whole being in attune
ment consciously with the cosmic forces.
We, of course, are never out of the spectrum
of cosmic forces, for nothing could have ex
istence if it were. But so far as the ego, the
self, is concemed, the you, it is not in a state
of oneness unless there is the personal reali
zation of it.X
About Abstract and Ultmate Truths
A frater of London, England, addressing
our Forum, asks: What is the relationship
of an abstract truth to an ultmate truth?
An abstract idea or concept is one which
has no corresponding objective reality, at
least, it is one that cannot be substantiated in
an empirical manner. Such abstract ideas
are, for example: God, eternity9 immortality,
and soul. We may attribute objective things
or conditions to such ideas but the absolute
idea, itself, is wholly abstract, arising within
the mind.
Many of our abstract ideas have to us the
seeming quality of truth. They appear to be
irrefutable and self-evident. They have a
subjective reality, a conviction even if they
cannot be objectified. Such abstractions are
relative truths. As beliefs, they serve us.
They fill a hiatus in our knowledge. Inasmuch as no one can prove them false any
more than he can prove them factual, we
therefore have the right to retain them.
Our acceptance of an abstract truth is
relative to its being supplanted by an objec
tive reality. If a new knowledge can be introduced to our senses, and reason disproves,
that is, contradicts the abstraction; then the
former must be accepted. We live in an
objective world. Our physical existence is
dependent upon our relationship to what our
receptor senses perceive.
We cannot live entirely in thought, in a
subjective state. If we created a subjective
world only, we would be brought into serious
conflict with the concrete reality of the extemal world. We would endanger our lives, if
not lose them entirely. Consequently, an ab-

stract truth must always give way to an ex

perience that has reality or apparent truth to
the senses.
An individual may believe that what he
experiences through the senses is an illusion
and often it is. He may conceive an idea
which to him is a greater truth. Nevertheless the truth of the senses must prevail
unless he can prove it to be an illusion and
demnstrate his abstract conception.
Philosophically, it is often asserted that
our common conception of time and space
is false. Philosophy, as asserted by Kant, for
example, has contended that time and space
constitute an a priori knowledge, that is,
knowledge that is wholly subjective. Our
sense experiences merely build up certain
ideas to conform to this inner knowledge.
True space and time are subjective notions
and not that which we seem to perceive objectively. However, such subjective notions
remain only relative truths until we can
demnstrate that our sense experience in
regard to time and space is false.
Ultmate truth is the assumpton that there
do exist things which are unchangeable and
have a positive nature etemally. It is also
the assumpton that man can aspire ultimately to become conscious of such truths.
Ultmate truths, or shall we cali them abso
lute truths, are really abstract ones. We have
no way of actually experiencing an ultmate
and absolute truth.
How can we tell that something is immu
table and eternal? After all, the whole span
of human existence since man became homo
sapiens is but a tick of the cosmic clock.
What may seem eternal in that span may
not have been aeons before or may not be
millions of years henee. Furthermore, the
human faculties of perception, the conscious
ness of man, is too finite to be able to measure that which would be ultmate truthif
there were such.
As human beings, we do speculate, cogitate upon things that seem to us to have the
nature of ultmate truth. We adduce them as
such in our different philosophies and reli
gions, but they are really but relative, ab
stract truths. An example of such ultmate
truths, that is presumed to be such, is the
idea that there is a God or Supreme Mind
that created all that exists. Another example
of an ultimate truth is that the Cosmos has
always been and, in essence, can never be

destroyed. A further example of an assumed

ultimate truth is that there is a cosmic pur
pose for everything including man.
Man may find satisfaction in clinging to
and having faith that such are ultimate
truths to be attained. But they are actually
only abstractions, notions of the human mind
which man can never reduce to objective
substantiated knowledge. In various fields of
science it has been proclaimed, and there
are certain philosophical theories, as well,
that hold that nothing in the greater universe
is static.
Nothing is, but all is becoming, as the
Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, stated centuries ago. However, by its nature the human
consciousness suggests and creates the illu
sion that certain things which it observes
are inert or static. As Bertrand Russell,
English philosopher, said, If we could have
our consciousness accelerated at one time to
equal the total consciousness of man over a
period of five million generations, we would
become aware of the change in that which
now seems static to us.
Further, for something objectively to have
the appearance of ultimate truth to us in the
sense of being immutable and eternal, our
consciousness, itself, would have to be arrested. At least, it could not evolve, for if it
did the so-called ultimate truth would then
lose its state of apparent permaneney to us.
Let us use a simple analogy to understand
this. Suppose a rather complex object is exposed to a dim light which is focused upon
it. In that light the object would exhibit
certain characteristics, such as form and
color to our visin. However, with a much
greater light focused upon the object, details
not previously visible would appear. Perhaps,
also, its color might even seem different. Our
experience of the object, then, its form and
certain other qualities, would assume a dif
ferent nature to us.
What had been reality in relation to the
object previously would not now be the same
when exposed to the greater light. A still
more common example: that which appears
as reality, as truth, to the naked eye is vastly
different when observed through a microscope. So imagined ultimate truths can
change with an expanding human conscious
ness, the light of the mind in which they
would be observed.X

is to direct our entire consciousnessthat is,

our thoughttoward one point. Usually, we
direct concentration toward a problem that
we want to solve, and if we do this properly
and follow the instructions given in our
Rosicrucian monographs, we direct our entire
consciousness, excluding every other thought,
toward the one point and the solution for
which we hope or seek.
Then by entirely dismissing from our
mind the idea upon which we concntrate,
we allow a forc greater than our own con
sciousness, a forc of which we are a part,
to take over and execute that which we have
brought into being. Just as by allowing the
suns rays to pass through a magnifying
glass, we do not make the fire but permit a
greater forc to be directed to a point where
the fire evolves; so we can permit a greater
forc to take over the problem we have visualized and upon which we have concentrated,
and through its own means execute the end
for us.
Man proposes, but God disposes is an
od saying. This is true in concentration. We
can propose what we want to do and what
we prefer. If we concntrate properly, we
can bring our wishes to the proper focal
point; but the final disposition will be how
the cosmic forces working upon our incompleted processes, complete them. Just as it
might be conceivably possible for the suns
rays to produce coid instead of heatthe laws
of the universe cause heat to be produced
so it is that the Cosmic will work upon our
wishes if we properly concntrate upon them.
If we accept the Cosmics cooperation, we
shall gain in stature, understanding, ex
perience, and eventually in cosmic illumination.A

Concentration A Dynamic Potential

Concentration is the most active and dy
namic potential of the human mind. When
we concntrate, we direct all our being
through our mental processes toward a
selected end or aim. True concentration is a
volitional process. It is a process we choose
to carry out. By concentration, we are able
to direct our attention and to focus our mind
upon the matter at hand or the matter with
which we are concemed.
I am not an authority upon the principies
of physics, but I believe it is an elementary
fact that certain types of lenses focus light.
Probably, most of us know from childhood
experience that a double convex lens can
direct the rays of the sun to a point where
it can set fire to a piece of paper or dry
leaves, and no doubt most of us have performed this simple experiment.
This is a physical illustration of concentra
tion. The suns rays at the time they enter
one side of the lens are deflected and scattered, but the lens directs all these rays to one
point. We see in this illustration a potential
forc in a scattered form entering one side of
the lens and, as a result of passing through
the lens, being concentrated into an effective
forc. What simply seems to be light striking
the hand on one side of the lens can become
fire when it strikes a dry paper on the other
side, or it can become the experience of pain
if it strikes the back of the hand at the con
centrated, focused point.
We can use our mind in the same way.
The mind becomes the lens by which we
direct our mental energies and forces and
the psychic faculties of our being at a par
ticular point. The process of concentration
V

INTERNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN CONVENTION

AUGUST 6, 7, 8, 1965
Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Caada

YOU
SELECT
THE
WEEKS
Sat

6 7
8\N A 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30

T/te

Pace siel axinj

Skilled instructors relate a wide variety

of fascinating subject matter to the more
intmate needs of the member. Grades are
not the objective. It is rather that the
member, already mature and keen in his
perspective, is given an opportunity to
know and understand more of the intricacies of his existence.
The personal instruction of his monographsthe weekly applications, the intriguing exercisesall seem to come alive
as he sits in classrooms with fellow mem
bers from every walk of life.

Sxpeence 'Jlte floij

jSlJcVtJ

that comes from unque knowledge

Take part in the NEW

Summer Study
Program
. . .

Petsonal Instiucticn at

Rcse-Gtix tlnioelsitxj*
Now you can attend ONE week, TWO weeks, O
THREE wonderful weeks of Rosicrucian association an
instruction. Each week carries a selection of courses e>
clusively designed to fit those special interests which ai
Rosicrucian in taste and character. Nominal fees are ais
on a weekly basis.
Following are just a few of the course tifies:
T h e N a t u r e a n d M a n if e s t a t io n o f S pir it E n e r g y
M u sig T h e r a p y
V ib r a t io n s a n d C o n s c io u s n e s s
R e l ig io n s o f M a n
M a n ' s P sy c h ic S t r u c t u r e
T h e E m p l o y m e n t o f R e a so n
P sy c h o l o g y a n d M y st ic ism o f C o lo r

and countless others that range from Hermeticism to

Self-Expression Through Drama.
Previous education has no bearing on a members stand
ing. The subjects available for exploration and discussio
are many. Each will afford the student a pleasurabi
learning experience. What he gains here can be readil
applied to the problems and needs of his environment.
Write Now For Free Information
A new descriptive booklet has been prepared to tell yo
the story of this intriguing program. You wont want 1
miss the first session, beginning Monday, June 21, 1961
Write today for full information to: The Registrar, Ros(
Croix University, Rosicrucian Park, San Jos, Californi
95114, U. S. A.

*This program is a revisin of the Rose-Croix University summer session, and remains under the auspices of the University,
R O S I C R U C I A N P R E S S , L T D ., S A N J O S E

L I T H O IN U . S

iiiisimum
FOKUM
A prvate publication
for m em bers of A M O R C

Canonbury Tower
This symbol of an earlier age,
only m inutes from the center
o f London, has had a long and
curious history. Francis Bacon
once owned the lease on it, and
the Curtain Theater then stored
its props there. Today, the
Bacon Society occupies a part
o f the premises, and so does a
repertory theater company.

Greetings!
V

RATIONAL MYSTICS
there is a period of fasting preceding the
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
There are those who in pursuing their meditation. The clothes one puts on are not
eccentric robes or eosturnes. Mystics do not
study of mysticism believe that participation
affect oriental designs or the costumes of any
in medieval and modera superstitions is
justified. They indulge in practices such as particular regin or people.
Ones dress may be merely such as he
the planchette, or ouija board, automatic
writing, cryptic or strange and incomprehen would wear to be comfortable. No turbans,
sible correspondence, and other equally fan sandals, scarves, mantles, sashes, or any
peculiarities of dress are necessary. Immetastic things. It is apparent that such
diately, by this postulation, we remove one
individuis have no proper conception of the
of the elements of fanaticism and eccentricity
nature of mysticism. They confuse mysticism
with occult practices of the Middle Ages which some persons ignorantly or wilfully
have associated with mystical preparation.
which even then were execrated by real
This cleansing, however, is more than
occult philosophers and mystics.
physical. It is, as well, moral and mental.
It is hardly necessary to define mysticism
Prayers are offered in which one silently
here, but we shall offer a brief definition to
show how far some of those who refer to seeks to have guidance in accordance with
the most lofty aspiration of which he is
themselves as mystics have deviated from its
principies. Mysticism is the intmate experi capable. The aspirant likewise pleads that
ence of the Divine through self, or a per he may be strengthened in his moral evaluasonal imion with God. Consequently, mysti tion; that he may know if his conduct is
cosmically proper so that he will not offend
cism is concemed only with the development
the spiritual forc with which he wishes
of the consciousness of self, or the realization
attunement.
of the psychic powers of ones being, by which
Next, there is the sincere effort to purge
he is brought into attunement with the Absofrom ones mind all thoughts which are relute, or the Cosmic.
There are but three major steps for mysti lated to the lower order of ones being, such
cal attainment: These are preparation, medi- as envy, hatred, jealousy, and avarice. Successful purgation is experienced as an aflatus
tation, and illumination. Each of these has
of the soul; that is, there is a sense of nobility,
been subdivided into other steps. The subof righteousness, and a feeling of freedom
divisions are really elements of the three
from the pangs of conscience, guilt, and selfmajor divisions.
condemnation.
The preparation for mystical attainment,
During all this preparation, there are no
after centuries of practice and as expounded
strange or mysterious rites. There is nothing
by illumined individuis, has been reduced
said or done that anyone who has studied
to a few essential requirements. These consist principally of purgation. The aspirant mystical philosophy from authentic sources
must purge himself of all thoughts and prac would not thoroughly understand and approve. If the aspirant uses words or sentices which are of a nature to prevent his
tences which are inscrutable, weird, and
consciousness from ascending to a higher
senseless, it means that he is confusing some
plae. It is really a psychological process
sort of medieval occult gibberish with mys
wherein one conditions himself to be receptive to the finer and more exalted impres ticism.
The one who explains his mystical prepara
sions of the Divine Mind within him.
tion to another in sentences which are vague
Purging includes the rite of lustration,
and cryptic or states very mysteriously,
that is, the cleansing of the body extemally
and intemally. One bathes thoroughly and
You know what I mean, is not a mystic;
puts on clean and simple clothes. Usually,
he is absurd. When the assumed mystic uses

such a sentence, he really intends to say:

What I say may be confusing to your reason and not comprehensible, but your inner
self will thoroughly comprehend it. Such,
too, is absurd.
The mystic always strives for truth, or
enlightenment. This truth is whatever is
conceived as real, that is, having existence.
The mystic desires to reduce those cosmic
experiences which he has to realities which
others can understand objectively. The mys
tic is a teacher at all times. He feels that it
is his mission to reveal to others what has
been disclosed to him so that they may be
helped and their personal attainment may be
realized sooner.
The greatest difficulty the mystic confronts
is to transate the profound elements of his
cosmic experience into communicable ideas.
He knows that all he has learned within is
not capable of being framed into ideas.
Nevertheless, he seeks to accomplish this end
to the best of his abilities. Certainly, the true
mystic will not resort to unintelligible utterances.
Furthermore, whatever is communicated
in an objective, audible manner as the spoken
word is intended for the objective mind, or
reason, to understand. If there is something
which must be psychically realized by an
other, it will be divulged to that individual
symbolically in a psychic manner. It will not
be presented in an unintelligible j argn either
written or spoken.
As for meditation, the art of meditation
in western mysticism and in almost all the
oriental religions and philosophies does not
advcate extreme postures and self-mortification, that is, the abuse of body or mind. One
of the ideis of every master mystic has been
to simplify the technique or art of medita
tion.
I do not mean to imply by simplifcation
that successful m editation can be accomplished quickly. There is a difference
between effort and time. Something may be
a simple act, insofar as understanding it is

concerned, and yet it may require long prac

tice before perfection can be achieved. The
more involved a procedure of meditation, the
more difficult it is to discipline the conscious
ness and direct it into the channels necessary
for illumination.
Noetic experience, or illumination, is the
satisfactory conclusin of the mystical state.
The noetic experience is a unique knowledge,
or superior understanding, which comes as
light to the darkened mind. The darkened
mind is not necessarily one which is lacking
either in intelligence or education. It is the
mind that is aware of the need for further
knowledge. There is a gap in its understand
ing, a darkness where there should be light.
It is the understanding and judgment of
true vales, the disabusing of the mind of
false conceptions, which constitute mystical
illumination. With that light there also depart from the consciousness fears and doubts.
A confidence is bom out of the realization
that one has unity with the Absolute.
From the foregoing, we can see that if one
professes to be illumined having actually
attained the state of consciousness of the
Cosmic, he will not need to resort to voluminous Communications written in an obscure and mysterious manner. He most
certainly will be able to present some portion
of his experience in a logical way to another
so that the latter will be inspired. In fact, the
cogency of the communication will be evidence of the illumination had by the mystic.
Sacred literature reveis that all the great
avatars and founders of advanced religions
have left messages for mankind which by
their simplicity and efficacy have inspired
millions, have raised their consciousness, and
led them forward and upward. The conspicuity of these revealed truths indicates
that they carne as cosmic revelations. The
minds which receive such truths perceive
them with such clarity that they are able
to pass them on in like manner.
Here at the Grand Lodge, we sometimes
receive ambiguous letters which purport to

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be Communications from some disembodied

personality. It is stated that they have been
transmitted via the mdium of an ouija board
or through automatic writing. They are usually a jumble of unrelated random ideas,
disorganized fleeting impressions, which the
individual has released from his own sub
jective mind. The person sending the epistle
then asks us to resort to the psychic self for
an explanation if it is not understandable.
Needless to say, such letters are not con
sidered further. First, we do not recognize
automatic writing as an authentic psychic
function and, second, we do not have time to
resort to our psychic selves for matters which
should be presented objectively.
If everything had to be analyzed and interpreted by the inner self for its real mean
ing, we would not need an objective self.
In fact, the inner self would not need to
have an organic vehicle such as the body,
with its receptor senses, brain, and faculties
of reasoning. Our inner self should only
function as a court of last appeaL. Only
after exhausting all our objective faculties
and powers should we turn to this inner self.
This inner self may be likened to the su
preme court of a nation. One does not go
directly to a supreme judiciary body to seek
redress. He first takes his litigation to the
lower courts. In fact, the supreme court will
not consider those aspects of litigation for
which the lower body is organized and which
it is capable of adjudicating. So, too, the
psychic intelligence will not serve us when
we refuse to use our reason and our peripheral
senses.
If we do not approach the study of mysti
cism with reverence and rationality, we shall
achieve no results and, in addition. we shall
defame the time-honored spiritual method
devised for mans unin with the Divine.
Fraternally,
Ralph M. Lewis
Imperator

The Sixth Sense

Intuition is frequently called the sixth
sense. The five physical senses with which
we are so familiar are the channels by which
we perceive the world outside our physical
body. The sixth sense, intuition, is the channel by which we perceive the Cosmic, the

divine impulses that come from the source

of our own creation.
It is, then, theoretically possible through
the channel of intuition to have access to all
the knowledge, truths, and wisdom that exist
any where in all the universe. It is theoreti
cally possible through intuition to partake of
the nature of God Himself, to be all wise
and all knowing. However, in order to use
intuition to such an advanced state of perfection, there are two important factors that
we must understand.
First, we must develop the ability to use
the sense of intuition; second, we must provide the capacity to absorb the knowledge
and wisdom obtained. The ability to use the
sense of intuition is to be gained as are all
our abilities. When a child is born, it cannot
focus its eyes. In other words, it cannot use
the physical channel of perception known as
sight until after some period of time. It gains
the ability and the use of perception through
experience.
There are many adults who have not perfected the use of this perceptive quality of
sight. Most of us see things of which we are
consciously unaware or fail to notice occurrences that pass before our eyes within our
field of visin. This is equally true of all
our sense faculties. Witnesses who have
testified in court have given evidence of this
fact. In other words, the physical sense facul
ties have to be developed, educated, and
evolved; and so does the sense faculty of
intuition.
If we are so bound to the physical world
in which we live that we do not listen to this
still small voice within us; then, the impres
sions made to the channel of intuition are
left unheard, unperceived, and we are un
aware of the knowledge that they can bring.
We are, therefore, given simple exercises
early in the Rosicrucian teachings for the
purpose of developing the intuitive abilities
that already lie innate within our own con
sciousness, just as the ability to perceive by
physical means lies ready within our bodies
at birth to be evolved and developed.
The second necessity for the use of intui
tion is the capacity to absorb the knowledge
and wisdom that can come through the in
tuitive channel. One cannot learn calculus
or any other form of higher mathematics
until he learns simple arithmetic and other
lower forms of mathematics. So man must

live and gain in knowledge either through

his own experience or through the participation and experience of others, familiarizing
himself with the knowledge that others have
amassed before him.
The total knowledge of human experience
in the history of the earth is a prerequisite
in a sense of other knowledge. By being
familiar with the universe in which we live,
with the knowledge and experience in which
all men can share, and having a sincere
desire to particpate in the wisdom of God,
we make ourselves open to such knowledge
and wisdom. Thereby, when we perceive
intuitive glimpses or hunches, we are able to
associate them with certain needs and make
them useful.
Those who will direct their attention to
the self within, who will from time to time
turn their consciousness upon themselves and
medtate and concntrate upon the inner self,
will cultvate the ability to become aware of
the impressions that enter consciousness
through intuition.A
Is It Wrong To Ask for Material Things?
A soror from Mxico City asks the Forum
if it is contrary to our studies to try to improve ourselves materially. She mentions
several acquaintances of hers who refuse
even to try to do so. They state that they
would lose what they have gained spiritually
and retard their evolution. She comments:
Through our studies we are taught harmony
and balance. Akhnaton was highly spiritual,
and yet he was surrounded by beauty and
comfort. Is it wrong to believe that we should
keep a certain balance between both things?
The soror is following Rosicrucian think
ing in her question, for it is a Rosicrucian
axiom that material and spiritual balance is
necessary to a full and complete life.
A distinction must first be made between
attention to material things and materialism.
Materialism connotes a high degree of emphasis on material things. The materialist
has little time for spiritual or human vales.
He relates everything in his experience to
some empirical standard. He pursues ma
terial things to serve his material needs and
wants. He is materially oriented, and noth
ing can deter him from this pattem.
The materialist is so intent on extemal
phenomena, the things he perceives, that he

all but forgets about the Perceiver, the Self,

to whom all this is happening. He fails to
reflect on Selfto analyze Consciousness
or to study relationships between what he
perceives and the phenomenon of perceiving
itself. Since the materialist attends only to
extemal things, he will experience conflict
and frustration during the course of his life.
On the other hand, there are people who
spend a large part of their time in an examination of internal phenomena, meanwhile
closing their minds to the material world
about them. They spend hours in daily
meditation, reading, fasting, and intentionally
depriving themselves of material things.
They disregard or subdue material desires
or requirements. These people, too, will ex
perience conflict and frustration in the course
of their lives.
Somewhere in between these extremes, a
balance can be found; a point where proper
distribution of attention to internal and ex
temal phenomena will bring harmony and
happiness. There is no objective measure
to indicate how many material things one
needs to balance his life or how much atten
tion a person should give to material affairs.
The important thing is to respect both
phases as a manifestation of the Cosmic.
Each is necessary to fulfillment. Each needs
attention. The material world is a vehicle
through which the Cosmic finds expression.
Man should always endeavor to cultvate,
respect, and glorify this expression through
cleanliness and industry of both body and
mind.B
Is Conservatism Always Advisable?
A frater of Caada rises to address our
Forum. He says: Would you say that
conservatism represents the more stable
mentality? If so, is such stability always
advisable?
We may think of conservatism in the
sense of that which conserves, protects, and
preserves an order, a mode, or the mores of
society. The conservative mind, in general
and from the psychological point of view, is
reluctant to depart from the conventional
established way, be it action or thought. The
conservative abhors deviation from that
which he conceivesor has actually experiencedto have a particular valu. The con
servative enjoys a sense of security in the

perpetuating of that of which he has knowl

edge and which has provided a specific
advantage.
Obviously, conservatism entails less risk
or hazard than might come from change. It
prevens the discarding of that which per
haps could not be improved upon. Simply
put, conservatism in its stability tends to
hold the line. But the question must be
asked, does conservatism make a great contribution toward advancement in any field
of human endeavor?
The horse and carriage had valu. For
centuries it was a reliable form of transpor
taron. Men understood such a conveyance
and generally found satisfaction in what it
provided. The combustin engine and the
automobile were radical departures from
traditional transportaron and struck at the
very heart of horse-drawn conveyances. The
automobile might not have proved to be an
adequate replacement, but it more than did
so.
We can take almost any aspect of modern
society and its achievements and find that it
was a departure from conservatism that
brought such into existence. In fact, most
great improvements whether in medicine,
manufacturing, communication, or in a multitude of other ventures were radical. They
were not necessarily so in the reasoning of
the program which they postulated but rather
in comparison with the conventional, the
existing conservative method. A thing can
not be entirely new, intending in purpose
at least to be an advance, unless it is radical
by comparison. If something is too similar
to what already exists, it perhaps has little
additional to offer.
The pioneer is almost always a radical,
as is a new idealist in literature, philosophy,
or science. He is risking error; he may be
chancing the upset of the present complacency and ease of a routine procedure. He
has to gamble that, to some degree, if the
change is to be made. If this had not been
done, man might still be living in the rela
tive comfort and security of caves rather
than risking the radical change of trying to
improve upon his natural habitat by building
struc tur es.
Of course, departure from established
course needs to be qualified. Just to be dif
ferent has no practical valu and is senseless.
The one proposing change, a break with con

servatism, should either (1) show the flaws

existing in the habitual and traditional
method, or (2) point out by reasonable ex
planation and later demonstrations that the
present way or thing can be improved upon
so as to provide greater advantages than the
original intended. The individual or group
who merely desires to tear down the existent, to attract attention to themselves or because they do not like it, are not Creative
radicals. In such instances, conservatism
should be supported against their fanaticism.
Every Creative idea is not necessarily
radical. It may expound something new yet
have no relationship with anything in exist
ence and not supplant or make anything
obsolete. Radical creativity, however, is that
which has no motive of destruction. It is an
idea for the creation of an object or process
which excels that which is in existence. The
od, the conservative way may eventually
fall not by any deliberate attack made upon
it, but rather because of its inability to com
pete. The electric lamp has mostly replaced
the candle not because its inventors sought to
put the candle manufacturers out of business,
but rather because the candle can no longer
expect to compete for general illumination.
It is a wrong attitude to assume that every
thing in existence must sooner or later be
supplanted. First, it must be determined if
the purpose for that which exists can be
improved upon. If it can, it should be. To
refuse to accept the new and improved because of a sentiment for that which has
served in the past is only to obstruct progress.
There must not be a love for things and
ways in themselves, but rather for what they
are intended to do, or produce. If such a
function, then, can be improved upon, the
Progressive mind will accept the change.X
Breathing Fresh Air
A frater from Northern Nigeria asks if it
is advisable to breathe deeply in an infested
area, as in a tuberculosis ward or in an
operating theater where post-mortem examinations are being performed. Also, since
man depends so much on the air he breathes,
does the freshness of the air or the seeming
absence of any odor in it indicate its purity
and consequent salubrity?
Since air is so vital to living things on
earth, its function and use are exceedingly

complex. We readily accept the idea that air

is necessary to life, but the conditions under
which it serves that purpose are varied and
subject to question.
Most of the air we breathe is filled with
contaminants or impurities of some kind. As
to what is impure and what is contaminated,
that is another question. Generally, we label
as contaminants those elements which if they
appeared in large quantities would be injurious to the individual inhaling them. For
example, there is usually dust in the air.
Dust is a contaminant, for, if it appeared in
large enough quantities, it could be injurious
to the individual.
However, we do breathe minute quantities
of dust into our lungs constantly. Protective
cilia in the lungs work constantly to throw
it out. This is a function of one of the nor
mal life processes. The lungs are geared to
receive a certain amount of contamination
and under normal conditions will combat this
intrusin.
Each person has a different tolerance for
contaminated air. Some individuis can ac
cept very little into their systems. Others who
work in dusty or contaminated areas or who
are heavy smokers can accept a great deal
more. Thus there are those who can live
among the sick for years without succumbing to the same afflictions and there are those
who catch colds, measles, tuberculosis, or
other such afflictions from merely brief contact with an environment in which they
appear.
Contaminants are very much with us.
What is important to the individual is that
he be aware of this and seek uncontaminated
air as often as possible so that his physical
system can become rejuvenated and strong
enough to ward off his next encounter with
contaminants.
Shallow breathing in contaminated areas
is not necessarily the best way to limit con
tamination of the lungs. Even though air
is impure, it is still essential to get as much
of the good elements out of itthe oxygen,
Vital Life Forc, etc.as possible. Shallow
breathing would seriously inhibit the proper
intake of these vital properties. The best
defense against contaminated air is some sort
of filtering deviceanything from a clean
cloth to a commercial mask.
The quality of the air we breathe is most
often determined by our sense of smell and

touch. There are, of course, odorless con

taminants which cannot be sensed by smell,
and there are contaminants which instead of
irritating or smarting the wind passages and
lungs have an opposite effect, such as that
induced by narcotics. These for the most
part are man-made contaminants.
In nature, it is a pretty well-established
rule of thumb that fresh or pur air feels or
smells fresh and that, under most conditions,
mans sense of smell and touch will wam
him of contaminants. People who have
developed their intuitive faculties will, of
course, have even earlier and subtler waming of elements in the air that are injurious
to them.B

Biblical Questions
There are many questions asked of our
Forum about Biblical matters. These ques
tions usually ask for our interpretation of
some phrase in either the Od or New Testament. It is our policy in most instances to
refrain from giving interpretations, the reason
being that most often they would not be
really Rosicrucian but purely those of the
individual answering the question.
Since AMORC is not a religious organiza
tion, it does not expound any specific defining of any part of the Christian Bible. Such
is left to the individual himself. Further, it
must also be realized that since the Rosicru
cian Order is world-wide, it includes thou
sands of members who are not Christian, but
are either of different religions or nonsectarian.
The Bible, too, is a universal book. It can
be taken literally as it is by millions of
people, or it can be understood in a symbolic
and allegorical sense as it is by multitudes of
other persons. Many individuis actually
accept the Bible as being the literal word of
God, as if it were divinely inspired as it is
written. In this regard, we do think it advantageous to touch briefly upon the history
of the Bibleboth the Od and New Testaments.
The Bible has come to mean a sacred book.
However, any sacred book other than Chris
tian can also be called a bible, because bible
means book. Consequently, in the technical
sense even the Koran, the sacred book of

Islam, could be called a bible. The Christians

have taken the appellation Bible to mean
their sacred book exclusively.
The word bible has an interesting and
romantic history. The ancient Phoenicians
were great mariners and traders. They had
large seaports at the eastern end of the
Mediterranean. They learned from the
Egyptians how to manufacture glass, make
ceramics, inlay metal, produce fine cotton
cloth, and many other skills. They exported
their products to the Greek mainland. The
Greeks at this time were a primitive people
and had no advanced skills or crafts.
A most important export of the Phoeni
cians was the alphabet. The signs for letters
which we use today carne from the Phoeni
cians who in turn evolved them from the
earlier Egyptian hieroglyphs. The Phoeni
cians made out their bilis of lading and invoices with these letters written on papyrus
with pen and ink. They imported the papy
rus paper from Egypt and gave up their
earlier, more inconvenient method of writing
on clay tablets.
Most of the exports from Phoenicia carne
from the City of Byblos on the eastern
Mediterranean coast. The Greeks began to
copy the writing of the Phoenicians. Henee
the alphabet was introduced into the West
ern world. The rolls of written manuscripts
and letters which the Phoenicians brought,
the Greeks called biblia after the Phoenician
city Byblos from which they carne. From
this we received our word bible, which literally means book or books. In fact, the first
Christian Bible was extemally, in its physical
form, a double collection of rolls.
The oldest works of the Od Testament are
songs. The literature of the Od Testament,
as that of the Greeks and Israelites, began
with poetry. Exegetical authorities state that
by the time of David prose had arisen by
the side of poetry. Also the advance of civili
zaron had encouraged historical writing.
The national traditions were at first frank,
uninhibited accounts of the times. They
expressed without restraint the passions,
loves, hate, and revenge of the people. Jewish
morality was not yet formalized. There
were professional prophets rather than truly
inspired ones. The revelations of these professionals all followed a kind of routine line
of thought.

It is theorized that Moses was influenced

by the older Babylonian code of Hammurabi
and perhaps committed some of its laws to
writing, such eventually found their way
into the Pentateuch. There is an interesting
similarity between the manner in which
Hammurabi received his code of laws and
that of Moses.
Archaeology has shown that Hammurabi
was said to have received his laws from the
Sun-god Shamash, judge of heaven and
earth. Moses likewise received his laws from
a divine sourceGod. Some of the books of
the Od Testament, or the Pentateuch, were
copied about the 5th century B.C. The five
books of the laws were brought together
about 400 B.C. The canons of the prophets
were copied about 200 B.C.
In the course of the first century B.C. the
process of adding books to the Od Testament
carne to an end. However, the edifying
continued. The real conclusin of the Od
Testament belongs to the sixty years or so
between the fall of Jerusalem and the rising
under Bar Cochba (A.D. 132-135). This
conclusin, final decisin, some authorities
contend, was the result of the influence of a
group of rabbis headed by R. Akiba. There
was, however, much dispute before agreement
was reached.
The Greeks copied the Od Testament,
and their versin differed somewhat from
that of the Hebrews. There was, by the
Greeks, a further edifying and adding of
books to the od collection. From this there
arse the Alexandrian Canon named after
the city where these Greek scholars resided.
The Christian Church, when it broke with
Judaism, adopted the Greek versin of the
Od Testament. The very latest writings of
the Od Testament were about the time of
Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.)
To the ancients such hagiography, sacred
books, were considered the Word of God.
It was believed that the prophets were
Gods messengers, his spokesmen, and that
God spoke through them. The words the
prophets uttered were presumed to be those
of the deity for mans guidance. When the
prophet spoke, it was said Thus saith the
Lord.
This, however, was merely perpetuating
a much earlier tradition and custom. The
priests of Egypt were always thought to

speak for Isis, Osiris, Ra, or one of the other

gods. The priests of Babylon were thought
to be the mouthpieces for such gods as Marduk and Enlil. The simple people never
seemed to realize that the human element,
mans feelings, experiences, and conceptions
might enter into what the priests expounded
as being the word of God. Similarly, the
utterances of the oracles at Delphi were said
to be expressions of the thoughts and words
of Apollo.
The New Testament, like the Od Testa ment, was written by inspired men who
had no thought of founding a sacred book.
About A.D. 51 a letter was written followed
by a second (I and II Thessalonians); and
these two epistles, it is declared, are the
beginning of the New Testament.
The Epistles of St. Paul are typical and
primary examples of the epistolary literature of the New Testament. By the end
of the 4th century, the Christian Church was
in possession of a complete Bible. Eventually,
Constantine recognized the Church and its
first great council was at Nicaea in the year
325. However, the ame of New Testament
is first mentioned by the Christian father
Tertullian about A.D. 200.
It was at the Council of Hippo in 393
nearly four centuries after the crucifixin of
Jess that the books of the New Testament
were enumerated as they now stand. The
New Testament was originally in Greek.
One of its parts, the fourth gospel, opens
with an invocation of the mystical Greek
doctrine of the Word, or Logos, In the be
ginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
Several of the early Christians, as St.
Paul and St. Augustine, were well-versed in
Greek philosophy. This had some influence
upon the formation of Christian doctrines.
In fact, several of these early fathers, it is
said, acknowledged that Christianity was not
new, except in the more inspiring expressions
of od thoughts for the seekers of God.
Modern scholars consider the Bible an anthologya collection of historical and traditional writings covering a period of many
centuries. As stated, the latest writings of
the Od Testament were about the fourth
century B.C., and the earliest of the New
Testament were dated between A.D. 46-48.
Consequently, between these there is a gap
of three centuries!X

Is Intuition Dependable?
These comments are based upon an answer
to a question by a member who asked, Is
intuition always correct? Mine is not. No
doubt, any member of this organization who
has practiced the exercises in relation to in
tuition and has studied the lessons that have
to do with it can be completely sympathetic
with the two parts of this question. This
individual is attempting to reconcile what he
believes to be a fact, that intuition is de
pendable, with his own experience which is
that he has not always found it to be
dependable.
The matter most involved in the consideration of intuition is the realization that its
use is a technique to be gained and not a
gift to be had without any effort. The human
infant is born with certain attributes and
potentials. Very few forms of life exist at
birth in their fully developed form. In lower
forms of animal life, we find that the offspring have certain capacities that the human
being does not.
Some animals, for example, can move
about quite well within a few minutes after
birth. Some birds can run around within a
short time after they are hatched. But the
human being, a more sensitive and highly
developed entity, must develop many of its
attributes as physical and mental growth
takes place. The infant can make a noise,
but he cannot speak. He can move his legs,
but he cannot walk or run. There are many
other coordinated faculties that have to be
developed through instruction and experi
ence, or trial and error.
We learn a language by being associated
with it. If a child were raised from the age
of five to ten without ever having heard
anyone speak, a language would be absolutely unintelligible to him when he first
heard it. Have we not all had the experience
of listening to a foreign language? I believe
that anyone who listens to a language of
which he has no knowledge makes an unconscious effort to understand it. I have heard
foreign languages spoken and tried to attune
my ear to something that sounded familiar.
It is natural to attempt to associate ourselves
with sounds that have come to be meaningful
in terms of our own experience.
The learning of a foreign language, incidentally, is a good illustration of the gaining
of the ability to use intuition. A few years

ago, I took some intensive prvate lessons in

pronunciation and listening to a foreign
language. I had some knowledge of the
language but wished to improve my ability to
use it. This experience with a competent
teacher caused me to give my attention dur
ing the instruction periods to the pronuncia
tion of words and thereby cultivate through
my sense of hearing the ability to understand
the language better.
The course was most difficult and at times
trying. To be perfectly frank, I became very
tired of it and rather annoyed by the fact
that I had committed myself to twenty-five
continuous hours of training over a period
of a relatively few weeks. Nevertheless, by
the time the course was completed, my ability
to use the language had improved remarkably even though it still was considerably
less than perfect.
In this experience of learning, which was
simple in its meaning and rather complex
in carrying out, we see illustrated the fact
that the mind of man is competent to gain
certain abilities if intensive concentration is
given to that accomplishment. In the process
of learning, where the use of the muscles of
any part of the body is concernedthe hand,
for example, or any part having to do with
dexteritypractice is essential. Practice and
repetition are also necessary when learning
to speak or when using the ears in learning
to listen. Anything we do in cultivating a
physical condition requires continual prac
tice until the point is reached where it becomes equivalent to a habit.
The development of m ental traits is
similar. Speaking of habits, the learning
process is a good illustration of how a habit
is developed. Early psychologists believed
that a habit was a physical imprint made
upon the brain; that by doing a thing over
and over, a physical change like a groove, or
a path, took place in the brain, eventually
causing the action or process to take place
automatically. We gain abilities habitually
through repetition and use. The point where
we do not have to think about the process
indicates that the habit is firmly implanted.
There is no physical change in the brain according to the view of modern psychology;
but rather a relationship is established within
consciousness that becomes automatic.
A long time after I gave up the tobacco
habit, I would, while working at my desk,

reach without thinking in the direction in

which for many years I had kept a package
of cigarettes, matches, and an ashtray. This
was after the acute discomfort that followed
the discontinuance of the use of tobacco. It
was simply a continuation of a physical
habit, and it caused me to realize that the
habit that I had fnally broken was also one
of the physical coordination of different
muscles in the body acting together in an
established sequence.
There is no question as to the dependability of intuition. The problem is on of
interpreting and developing the ability to be
aware of the intuitive faculties that are
within us. We all have the innate ability
to learn a foreign language, but many people,
particularly those in the United States, never
do. We all have the innate ability to rely
upon intuition, but I have yet to meet anyone
whose intuition is one hundred per cent
perfect.
When we were children, all impressions
that entered our minds fascinated us. They
were new experiences. Can you remember
simple events that appealed to you to which
you would pay no attention today? That is
because every impression that carne to your
sense faculties was the beginning of a new
experience, an awakening to and awareness
of conditions which were different and new.
At that time, impressions also reached
your consciousness concerning which you
only vaguely knew their origin. It was not
something you saw, for it might have happened in the dark. It was not something
you heard, for it could have happened in a
state of silence. In other words, at one time
all of us were more acutely aware of the
functioning of the inner self, of the impres
sions that are conveyed through our inner
consciousness or our subconsciousness, to our
objective minds.
Intuition is, as it has frequently been
called, a sixth sense. It is the inner sense,
the means by which the life forc itself impresses its existence upon our consciousness.
It is our link with the Cosmic. In addition to
the five channels of perception of the physical
body, there are always impressions centering
upon our inner consciousness which are
seeking a path of escape into our objective
consciousness so that we can become aware
of them. We must think with our objective
consciousness. To be aware of any state of

consciousness, we can be aware only objectively. What we see, hear, feel, taste, or
smell comes into our objective mind so that
we become aware of external objects and
conditions and gain a personal realization of
them.
But, also, from time to time, there comes
knowledge through intuition directly from
the soul, from the Inner Self. We are taught
as children not to pay any attention to these
impressions, that they result from imagina
tion, that we are daydreaming. Many chil
dren have been told that an intuitive
impression was a fairy tale, a myth, or merely
imagination on their part. Gradually, then,
they developed the habit of giving credence
only to those impressions that entered con
sciousness through the five physical objec
tive faculties. Therefore, much of the
education which the average individual has
had in the past few hundred years has
stressed the importance of the impressions
received through the physical senses. He has
been taught to consider the intuitive or sixth
sense as being unreliable.
As adults, therefore, we have a problem of
a dual nature: We have to develop the use
of a sense faculty which we have not de
veloped with age as we have our other sense
faculties and which, also, we have been told
not to develop or rely upon. We are faced
with the problem of reactivating a potential
ability which has lain without cultivation
and use for many years. In addition to
that, we have implanted in our consciousness
the idea that such use is of no valu.
Consequently, it is not surprising that,
even though intuition is dependable, many
of us feel that our individual intuition is not
correct. It is so simply through lack of use
and practice. To develop a perfect intuition
would probably be the most important accomplishment that could take place in one
incarnation because it would open a path or
a new avenue for gaining knowledge and
experience directly from the Cosmic itself.
An adult who has lived in a manner which
forced intuition into a position where it was
not looked upon with respect or encouraged
can never develop intuition to perfection because it is too late. We just dont have the
time left or the ability to stay with it sufficiently to bring back all that weve lost in
our childhood and younger adult years. We
can develop it to a degree; and to the degree

that we try to develop and depend upon it,

we gain in our ability to use it and to find
it a good source of guidance.
How are we going to develop intuition after
all this time? Through the practice of the
exercises that are given in our teachings.
This requires time and effort. Any technique,
whether it is painting a picture, playing a
musical instrument, or swimming, requires
practice and effort. Just as I became annoyed
and impatient with trying to perfect my
ability to speak and understand a foreign
language, so we all become annoyed and im
patient with the exercises that lead to the
development of intuition.
If we can only keep before us a proper
view of vales and realize the immense im
portance of intuition, even though only
partly developed, we should be able to ignore
the inconveniences and possible annoyance of
continued practice and perhaps develop intui
tion to a high degree of accuracy. The more
we practice, the more we use the intuitive
impressions that come to our consciousness,
the easier it will be to develop intuition and
use this dependable source of cosmic guid
ance.A
The Magical Power of Amulets
A frater from Nigeria asks about the
psychic, or mystic power, in a membership
ring. He, in turn, was asked this question
by other members who admired the ring he
had purchased.
There are several ways in which a ring,
an amulet, or an insigne can serve to influ
ence a persons life, and we shall discuss
these after making the following statement:
There is no magic inherent in a ring itself.
A membership ring lends no special powers
that are a part of its physical makeup. How
then do insignia act on a persons life?
An insigne such as a ring can act as an
influence both through psychological and
physical channels. Psychologically, a person can ascribe to a ring certain powers. He
can believe so strongly that the ring will
protect him from danger that his own strong
belief will cause him to react differently in a
crisis.
For one thing, he will have less fear of
danger. Fear is an inhibiting factor in life,
and one without fear will dar to do more in
the face of opportunity than one with fear.
(continued overleaf)

One who believes that his membership ring

is a forc for good in his life will approach
situations with more confidence and assurance, more calm and perspective. His faith
that he has an invisible helper in the form
of the ring will give him courage in the face
of his adversaries as well.
Though psychological, these are very real
forces in a persons life. The ring or amulet
is definitely a key to his behavior. Although
they are only impersonal symbols, they represent real and personal forces within the
individual and in his environment.
Unfortunately, the same psychological factors that give strength and substance to
amulets can also work against his welfare. If
he believes that a piece of jewelry will protect
him in a magical way from all danger, then
he may become unduly careless and even
tempt danger by unwise acts. A certain
degree of fear is natural to man. It is instinctive and protects him from endangering
his life. Thus the use of amulets for this
purpose is courting disaster.
Physically, a ring or other piece of jewelry
can carry with it the subtle influence of
previous surroundings. Mystics claim that
such pieces carry a residual vibratory rate
of the person or environment from whence
they carne. One who is subjectively sensitive
to such vibrations can sense in a piece of
jewelry something of the nature of the person
who has worn or handled it before. He can
sense something of the places with which
this object has been associated.
These impressions can, in turn, have an
influence on ones behavior. He may react
to them as he might to any other suggestion
or thought that enters his mind. Yet they are
not controlling factors. They cannot cause
things to happen against his will or without
his cooperation. There is no magic power
which will act upon him independent of his
consent.
The true object of Rosicrucian member
ship emblems is to help identify our members
as such and to be constant reminders to them
of the great organization of which they are
a part. We often advise our members to
perform the following simple exercise: Sit
quietly for a moment and visualize the
thousands of members throughout the world
who are wearing emblems such as rings,
pins, tie omaments, cuff links, necklaces,
bracelets, or other forms of jewelry. Think

of these members at home, at work, mixing

with their neighbors, friends, co-workers,
and other groups. Think of the countless
persons who see these emblems and the qestions that must come to their minds. Think
of the pride that members have in the Order
and how this pride shines in their co u n ten anees each day. Then think of yourself as
one of this throng, feel the comfort and
strength of belonging, feel a sense of at-oneness with Rosicrucians everywhere.
Such quiet meditation on the significance
of your membership emblems will do much
to effect a change in your life and serv as
a constructive forc for good.B

Prediction
Confidence is born of knowledge. When
one knows, he is forearmed, at least to the
extent of that to which his knowledge is
related. Just as one hesita tes in the drk
when walking in an unfamiliar area, so,
too, the mind is reluctant to undertake any
ventures without some assurances. Men are
adventurous; they love to pioneer. But every
intelligent pioneer has in advance certain
convictions about the unknown. He draws
upon experiences of the past to assist him
in determining the future.
To most men, the future appears as predetermined events. It seems to them like a
stage, all prepared and awaiting the right
moment for the curtain to rise and reveal
the setting. Whether what is exposed will
be beneficial or alarming is a question that
has long proved distressing. If there were
only some way in which to obtain a preview
of future events, they believe their lives might
be secure. If events were established in ad
vance so that man could perceive them before
they occur in his life, he could perhaps retreat from disaster and embrace opportunities as well. All factors of chance would then
seem to be removed.
It is for these reasons precisely that most
men have long sought to tear aside the veil
of the future and look upon what they pre
sume to be exposed events. Prognostication,
prediction, and fortunetelling have long been
pseudo arts and sciences. With most methods, it was not a matter of studying cosmic
or natural causes as trends or eyeles to learn
what could or probably would follow from
them.

Such a view would presuppose that the

future is in the making and not already
determined. Most of those interested in predictions have not realized that the future
moment is but an outgrowth of a succession
of past ones and those of the present. There
can be no positive pattern of the future consisting of definite particulars unless there is
a recurrence of previous causes as thoughts,
actions, and phenomena.
The average devotee of prediction is a
determinist. He is certain that there is a
complete picture of his life just behind the
screen of the future. Consequently, there is
ever the desire to pul aside that veil and
look upon this well-established predetermined existence. These people will not rationalize; they have a blind faith in the
method of prediction to which they are addicted. They know little about or are
they concerned with the law of probability,
which discloses that there will always be
some degree of accuracy in any given number of guesses. They then exaggerate such
accuracies far out of proportion to the great
er number of failures in the same method.
Justifiable prediction is based on an en
tirely different principie. The premise is not
that the future is established, but rather that
it is in the making. The evaluation of that
future is dependent upon inchoate causes
which lie in the past and in the present.
These causes are cosmic principies, natural
laws, and the human will and action.
In the universe, there are cyclic phenom
ena, that is, forces and energies which recur.
They will produce similar effects or results
unless opposed by other equally efficacious
laws. To know these cycles and laws reveis
the potentiality of certain general events. If
man allows himself to be affected in a cer
tain manner by these periodic phenomena,
it may be predicted that their influence up
on his life will follow a specific pattern.
Such is scientific prediction. It is the kind
of prediction that the chemist makes when
he brings together two or more elements
under given conditions in his test tube. It
is the kind of prediction that the astrophysicist makes in an analysis of the spectra of
distant stars. It is the kind of prediction a
mystic makes when he observes a person
violating a cosmic principie. There is no
guesswork about these methods because cer
tain elements are always known and demon-

strable. It is the equivalent of the mathematicians proving by abstract reasoning

that two plus two equal four.
Knowing that certain laws will by necessity have as their consequence specific effects
is not an example of determinism, for by
knowing such probabilities, man can adapt
himself to them. We know, for analogy, that
gravity exists as a phenomenon. That does
not mean that we cannot avoid being struck
on the head by all things which gravity draws
or pushes toward the earths surface. We
learn to direct and even by the use of other
natural forces to mitigate gravity and its
effects.
Such a scientific system of prediction,
based upon natural and cosmic cycles, was
introduced many years ago by Dr. H. Spencer
Lewis in his book, Self Mastery and Fate
With the Cycles of Life. This book has had
many editions in several languages. Thou
sands of copies have been sold throughout the
world. Its soundness is established by the
testimony of many who have used its
principies.
To begin with, on the first page of the
first chapter, Dr. Lewis states: The system
set forth in this book for the attainment and
application of self-mastery, or mastership
over so-called fatalistic conditions, is based
upon the premise that man is essentially a
creator of his environment and his circum
stances and not the result of these things.
Usually, a premise is an assumpton or a supposition, but I trust that my readers will
see before they have completed the reading
of this book that the premise in this case is
a fact and that the other facts in the system
built upon this premise substantially dem
nstrate that fundamental fact.
Then, again, Dr. Lewis relates: There
fore, if you are one of the many who have
been led to believe that environment has
gradually molded civilization and has specifically made of man what he is and still
Controls him, I implore you, for your own
sake and your own best interests, to lay aside
that belief for the time of the reading of
this book and the testing of its principies.
Dr. Lewis points out the fallacy of superstitious systems of prediction when he says:
It is the purpose of the system set forth
in this book to enable every man, woman,
and child to take advantage of certain nat
ural laws and work in harmony with them

to the end that each may be master of his

fate and, through harmonious co-operation
with the cycles of life, reap the richest reward offered by the bountiful disposition of
the cosmic plan.
Without resort, therefore, to superstitious
beliefs or practices and without invoking the
questionable influences of hypothetical and
theoretical powers of an invisible nature . . .
practical men and women of this modern
time . . . may bring large and important
changes in their lives and redirect the courses
of their careers.
In spite of Dr. Lewiss statement that the
book contains cycles of natural laws that the
individual may use to personally redirect
and to bring about changes in his life,
there are those who assume a passive attitude. They consider that the trends which
the book reveis can affect their lives and
bring about changes which they wish with
out any effort on their part. They believe
that, without any redirection of their thoughts
and their course of life in accordance with
such laws, the events which they hope for
will nevertheless materialize.
They do not take advantage of certain
laws as Dr. Lewis advises. Rather, they
expect to be precipitated into circumstances
without realizing that they are the prime
movers in the relationship. They allow
themselves to fall directly into the category
that Dr. Lewis admonishes against, the
questionable influence . . . of . . . powers of
an invisible nature.
Scientific prediction, as set forth in this
book by Dr. Lewis, will fail to work to the ad
vantage of an individual if he tries to make
it just another one of the methods of determinism, that is, to ascertain fixed, inescapable
future events.X

Which Step Is Most Important?

A frater asks for a discussion of the ques
tion, Which degree of Rosicrucian study is
the most important? In answering this
question, it first occurs to me that it is the
same type of answer one might give to the
question, Which is the most important leg
on a three-legged stool? Mans desire to
compare is partly an expression of egotism
and selfishness. I do not mean to imply that
the person who asked this question is egotistical; but, actually, we all have a degree of

personal pride that borders closely on egotism

and is also closely related to selfishness.
We strive for social acceptance to a degree
more pronounced in some, perhaps, than
others; and whenever we put any experience
of our life in a comparative situation, it is
usually because we want to indicate our per
sonal pride in some phase of our experience.
To ask what degree is the most important in
our studies is based partly upon the desire
to be able to say, I am in the most important
degree or I have attained it. Actually,
this question can be answered just as it is
answered here. The most important degree
of our studies is the degree which we are now
studying, regardless of whether it is the
lowest or the highest.
Just as all three legs are important to a
three-legged stool if we want that stool to
maintain a level position; so are all the
degrees of our study important to our evolvement if we are interested in our self-improvement and evolution. Psychic growth cannot
be measured in degrees any more than any
other form of learning can be measured. To
look back over our grade school education, we
cannot say that one grade was more im
portant than another. We may have found
one grade of more interest than another, but
that is not necessarily the basis upon which
importance should be judged. The interest
might have been due to a natural inclination
to like the subject matter studied, to the per
sonality of the teacher, to the physical surroundings in which the classes were held,
to how well we felt physically, or to the
condition of our home life at the time that
made almost everything pleasant. All these
factors bear upon a situation, but actually
they have nothing to do with the importance
of the particular grade of study.
Throughout mans education in school and
out, he learns. Life is an experience of leaming from what others can tell us and from
what we gain by our own reflection and our
application of the facts which we have
gained. To attempt to isolate one degree
of our studies as being more important than
another tends to detract from the fact that
every principie that is taught is important.
That is why I say that the degree which you
are studying now is to you the most im
portant degree in your Rosicrucian affiliation.
If you will consider the degree you are
now studying in that way and do the best

you can to master the principies which it

teaches and to gain the techniques which
it offers through instruction, advice, and
methods of practice; then you will proceed
in an orderly fashion in accordance with
the natural laws of evolvement to utilize to
the best advantage the facts that will be
taught in subsequent degrees.
It is not important what the degrees are,
either in number or in length. There are
individuis who are highly evolved in the
Neophyte degrees. There are those who have
reached the highest degrees of our study who
have not attained the evolvement that some
have at lower degrees. This is due to the
fact that we are all bom with different potentialities and abilities. We may be equal in
the sight of God and societyor we should
be, at leastbut our previous lives, our soul
evolvement up to the time that we were born
into our present incarnation, differ. There
fore, some come into this world better prepared to grasp various principies such as the
psychic principies taught in our teachings.
I have known members of this organiza
tion who in a very few weeks of membership
became highly evolved and subtly attuned to
the principies that we teach. No doubt they
have had a background in a previous life
that has paved the way. Others haVe to
struggle for each step of advancement. Unfortunately, some who have to do so some
times become discouraged. Actually, each
step that they do gain is as important to
them as any other to the person who may be
more highly evolved to begin with.
I remember well during my grade school
days that there was one subject in which I
was not too good and in which, even to this
day, I am far from proficient. Because of
the fact that it was considered an essential
subject, my schoolmates, parents, and
teacher impressed my shortcomings in that
particular subject upon me frequently, which
made me very self-conscious about it. It
seemed that the more self-conscious I became
about my shortcomings, the less I seemed to
accomplish toward mastering the subject. In
fact, I never did master it and to this day
I am self-conscious regarding errors in that
field. This is sometimes evident in work that
I do without thinking about carefully in
advance.
On the other hand, I was proficient in some
subjects in which others were equally as

poor as I was in the other subject. We can

not all attain an equal intellectual achievement level in life. Therefore, although
obligated to gain all that we can, we should
also take advantage of those gifts with which
the Cosmic has endowed us and use them
as effectively as we can.
Never forget that the degree of study
where you are now is the most important
one to you in all the Rosicrucian degrees.
Its mastery will be an important rung on
the ladder of your achievement. Do everything within your power to master it now,
and do not be concemed what the ame or
the number of the degree is. Just be certain
that you are growing and absorbing as much
of its conten as possible.A
Tolerance
A soror from Wisconsin is perplexed about
the true meaning of tolerance. She states
that tolerance is a much-talked-about virtue
on the one hand; but on the other, it is said
to be a weakness. There are obviously things
one is expected to tolerate, and there are
others which in all likelihood should not be
tolerated.
The sorors last statement probably sums
up the situation and is in itself an answer to
the question. Tolerance is not an unequivocable good of itself. Like most other of the
so-called virtues, it is applicable to situations
that cali for it; but there are many situations
for which it is not called. In those instances,
it would act as a disservice, or anti-good.
Tolerance is just what the word implies
to tolerateto leave alone, to let exist, to live
with. From the definition itself, it stands to
reason that toleration should apply only to
that which is goodthat which is in harmony
with life. A critic may say: But who is to
say what is good and what is bad?
It is true that there are no clearly defined
areas of good and bad; but there are general
standards of good in any era, and there is
in every man and woman a sensitivity to that
behavior which makes for harmony and that
which does not. Setting acceptable standards
of good is not the overriding problem in this
area. Rather, living up to our own as well
as societys standards is a greater problem.
The tolerance people should have is understanding, but not necessarily acceptance, as
some would say. It is understanding of indi
vidual differences, understanding of individ

ual expressions, understanding of the mltiple

facets in which the universe makes itself
known to us.
We must tolerate many things with which
we do not necessarily agree because there is
much good in the practices and ideas of others
even though they are not in agreement with
our own. In areas where people are working
or living closely together, such tolerance must
take the form of compromise: Today, well
do it my way; tomorrow, your way; or well
arrive at a third way which will satisfy us
both for a time. This is the essence of democratic government. It takes a great deal of
tolerance of this kind to weld a strong democratic society.
The tolerance people should not have is
indifference: a giving in to the behavior
and wishes of others without asking for
respect and consideration for their own. Each
person is an integral part of the universal
balance. Each viewpoint, including his own,
is essential to the proper balance of universal
forces. Each viewpoint must be deposited
in the crucible of societys collective ideas so
that the end result will be a perfect mixture
of the Universal Mind as it expresses itself
through all men. Through indifference, laziness, or indolence, however, many withhold
themselvestheir ideasfrom the melting pot
of humanity. They retreat into a comer,
cise their eyes, cover their ears, dull their
senses to the hue and cry about them. They
simply stand by and allow others to live and
act uninhibited, unchallengedwhether they
be right or wrong. Indifference appears to be
spreading in society today. It has caused
anxiety in the minds of those who under
stand and sense its dangers. It has opened
doors for the extremists, for the wild and
unruly, the ruthless and cunning.
Tolerance, of course, is the battle cry of
the ruthless and cunning! They have named
it a virtue, and they defy the good in heart
to be intolerant of their ways. The despots,
the dictators, and the greedy want indiffer
ence so that none will stand in their way.
Like the bad guy in a wrestling match,
they are forever crying Foul! while at the
same time unleashing every foul hold in their
repertoire.
Look at those who are crying Tolerance!
today. They are the underworld, giant institutions, powerful agencies, and aggressor
nations who want to be left clone to carry on

their missionary work to the point of absolute

control of the world, one way or another.
Of people who cry Tolerance! we must
be most fearful, for they want the tolerance
of indifference. They want tolerance without
giving any in return. When the Communists
cry for tolerance, they mean tolerance for
them, not from them! When the worlds
largest church pleads for tolerance, it is
tolerance for it, not from it. When the mobsters plead for tolerance in the courts, it is
tolerance for them, not from them.
Those who want the tolerance of under
standing do not ordinarily cry Foul! Rather,
they work at the responsible task of exhibiting the tolerance which they expect from
others. Theirs is the path of the Golden Rule.
Theirs is a giving and a taking, and this is
the tolerance all men should strive for.
Those who are striving for the tolerance
of understanding must appreciate the valu
the necessityof presenting their point of
view; of demanding tolerance for it to the
same degree that they expect to give an
understanding ear to others. This process
must be followed in all phases of our daily
life. Al though we commit ourselves to re
spect the wishes of others, we must expect
that they will respect ours as well. This is
especially true in homes where parents
sacrifice their own tastes and inclinations
to the immature and undeveloped tastes of
their children; where they give without ask
ing; where they respect their childrens
views and wants without asking for the
same respect in return. This is an enormously unbalanced situation which parents
should set about correcting wherever it
applies.
It takes great courage and deep under
standing to stand against the constant stream
of abusive remarks from the Foul! criers:
You dont love me! You dont appreciate
me! You are prejudiced! You are trying
to destroy us! You are a heretic! You are
an agnostic! You are an infidel! etc., etc.,
etc.all these are attempts to turn a persons
mind and gain permissiveness from another
for their own deeds.
We must salute those men and women
who are demanding respect for their own
ideis and traditions but who, at the same
time, are ready to respect the ideis and tra
ditions of others. Let us not salute those who
are crying for tolerance alone, but those who
are giving it in return.B

Is Each Incarnation A Progression?

And now another member seeks informa
tion of our Forum: When a soul that in a
previous life has been evolving to the good
reincarnates is it possible for it to live in the
body of one who is selfish or evil? Does the
earthly manifestation of the soul, once having commenced its progressive climb, con
tinu to go forward in each incarnation? If
the former possibility exists, that is, that a
Progressive soul personality is confined to a
selfish or evil earthly existence, is that an
indication that it is being punished? Should
the soul personality have the necessary in
fluence to keep its earthly existence on the
Progressive path?

As our monographs relate, the evolution,

or unfoldment, of the soul personality occurs
on the earth plae. It is here where we are
tempted. It is here where that refinement
of the objective consciousness occurs by which
we come to realize those qualities of the
Divine within us that evolve the personality.
We do not, during that interval of the cosmic
cycle when the soul personality is not incarnated in the body, make additional progress. If one has advanced during a mortal
existence, shall we say, from Point A to B,
he does not when the soul personality is
liberated from the body at transition progress
to Point C. When the soul personality is
reincarnated, it will advance to Point C or
beyond if progress is to be made.
Consequently, there is no such thing as
retrogression of the soul personality. It
either progresses during its earthly span or
moves along a plateau of the same level of
attainment as in the previous incarnation.
Let us remember this: From the cosmic
view, progression is not limited to time. We
are not compelled to advance in unfoldment
during each earthly span. We cannot expect
a progression which corresponds proportionately to the number of times the soul person
ality has reincarnated. There are those who
believe erroneously that if they have passed
through four earthly spans of life they must
of necessity have advanced four times beyond
the point attained in the first incarnation.
Mystical unfoldment does not conform to
mathematical expansin.
The earthly span is the period of neces
sary experience which the soul personality
must acquire. One is obliged to evalate and

comprehend each earthly experience in relation to cosmic principies and natural laws.
It may take one life or one hundred to learn
what is necessary; the time factor is imma
terial in the cosmic scheme. There are,
therefore, those whose understanding and
accretion of mystical knowledge or cosmic
principies may be quite negligible in one life.
They may be obliged to reincarnate several
times to learn compassion, self-discipline, and
the impersonal life.
Where one manifests in his moral behavior
a willful disregard of spiritual or cosmic
principies so as to be designated by society
as evil, he has not retrogressed from a former
state. We can be assured, contrary to orthodox theological conceptions, that he has not
fallen from a higher estte. One may make
mistakes or commit deeds for which, karmically, he must make compensation either
in this life or another. Such acts may delay
or retard his progress, but they do not cause
him to descend in the cosmic scale.
Morally speaking, the crude person is one
who has not yet been sufficiently enlightened
by the wisdom of the Divine Intelligence
within him to realize the error of his ways.
It is true that one may commit in this in
carnation acts of a more serious consequence
than he had ever been guilty of previously.
Even this must not be taken as a sign of
the decline of the soul personality. It merely
proves that the individual has always been
capable of such acts because of his lack of
mystical understanding. It took some par
ticular combination of circumstances in this
life to make the potential wrong into a re
ality. One who is weak in moral will may
seem to exhibit an innocuous conduct. This
is possibly due to no other reason than that
he has not been exposed to temptation.
Advancement in the mystical sense in each
incarnation is not a passive state. One whose
conductthoughts and deedsis m erely
innocuous and, therefore, cannot be criticized may not be exhibiting signs of pursuing the mystical life. The mystic is active
in the pursuit of his exalted ideis. In his
mundane affairs, he may be a carpenter, a
banker, or a physicist; but, aside from the
daily demands upon him, he will in his life
express and demnstrate his convictions and
understanding of the higher principies. You
will know when you meet such a person
that he is struggling, seeking, striving, and

that the soul personality is yearning to move

upward.
It would be impossible for one who has
advanced to a certain plae of psychic unfoldment to commit acts which would be
repugnant to the previously attained wisdom
of the soul personality. Any environmental
or other situation in which such an indi
vidual might be precipitated would find him
reacting and conforming to the psychic and
intuitive impulses of his being. Such a display would probably be called abiding by
conscience. We can all appraise conditions
and know within ourselves whether our par
ticiparon in them is right or wrong. If one has
had illumination in a previous incamation
and it informs him that certain proposals are
contrary to cosmic principies, then he will
oppose them. He cannot escape. It will be
irritating and annoying to him not to do so.
His whole being will rebel, and he will never
proceed against the dictates of what he has
once leamed cosmically. On the other hand,
if he but vaguely realizes that that upon
which he ventures is cosmically or morally
wrong and he contines to do what is improper, it only proves that he has not yet
reached the level where he can discipline
himself conceming that which he knows
is cosmically wrong.
True mystical unfoldment is not merely
a logical comprehension of the content of
conduct or even of knowing what constitutes
certain basic cosmic principies. It consists,
also, of the -power of mastery, that is, of imposing what the inner self dictates. Certainly, to know the difference between right and
wrong is not sufficient. One must choose and
act in accordance with rectitude. The person
who says, I knew better and yet I could
not help myself, is not one who has retrogressed from a higher plae attained in an
other incamation. Such a statement proves
that he has never reached that plae, for in
that case he would have had the strength to
combat the temptation.X

Goodness Brings Its Own Reward

One of the most difficult things to explain
to a child is the necessity for being good.
In the absence of theological personages who
are in heaven watching over you; in the ab
sence of plausible heavens and hells or divine
rewards and punishments, what do you hold

over the childs head to make him toe the

straight and narrow path? This, in effect,
was the question of a soror in the Chicago
area.
Children must be shown by illustration
and example that goodness brings its own re
ward. This may just as well apply to adults,
for I have known many who posed the same
question. It is not what a good deed or good
thought will bring in the way of a tangible
reward from another or from the world itself
that matters in goodness; rather, it is the immediate good feeling, a sense of justice and
harmony, that is a reward in itself.
If we say that a feeling of harmony, peace
of mind, happiness, or imperturbability is
the summum bonum of lifethe end toward
which all our acts and thoughts are directed,
then we have reached our goal by the process
of good thinking and good acting. For what
reason do we want further rewards?
Our striving for rewards in the sense of
having more of the worlds goods bestowed
upon us is merely for the same reason; to
make us happyto give us a feeling of satisfaction. If we can achieve these more directly
in another way, then that way is lifes best
reward.
Too few people take this into account.
There is very often a confusion as to what
they are really striving for. Example after
example shows that those who amass more
and more of the worlds tangible rewards,
e.g., fame, wealth, and even health, do not
necessarily feel the satisfaction of having
achieved a goalfulfilled a life. Extemal
rewards alone are not the answer for fulfillment, achievement, or personal satisfaction.
Therefore, it is not incumbent upon us to
seek them for ourselves or for our children.
What we must inclcate in children and
adults alike is to enjoy what they are doing
or to do what they will enjoy. In the enjoy-/
ment of these acts, deeds, and thoughts, they
will have the most essential reward in life.
Once this is accomplished, many more of
the worlds goods can be added on or taken
away without any change of their sense of
enjoyment.
Leaming to live humbly and simply, then,
are the keys to happiness. A person who can
live happily with little, or one who asks for
little and expects but little, is truly prepared
for life. For having learned to live with little,
he can live happily with plenty.

This person finds that thoughts more than

things determine the enjoyment he receives
from life. He finds that the more good
thoughts he holds, the more good things he
does, the happier and more fulfilled he feels.
Since our thoughts occupy most of our waking moments, it stands to reason that as we
think, so we are. If all our thoughts for one
day could he pleasant and constructive,
imagine what a pleasant day we should have!
Now when a child comes to you, longfaced and sad, with a tale of woe about how
some fellows at school disobeyed and didnt
follow the rules but won the game, how are
you going to support his position of having
followed the rules but having lost the game
because of it? Are you going to tell him to
fight fire with fire, that if others cheat, he
must cheat a little, too?
Are you going to tell him that a divine
personage is watching over him, who will
punish the cheaters eventually and will reward him in time? Are you going to tell him
that it doesnt matterto forget it? Are you
going to tell him to stand up for what is right?
Are you going to tell him that honesty is the
best policy? Are you going to explain to him
why obedience and honesty are better than
cheating and disobedience? How will you
explain it?
These are pressing questions with which
millions of parents are faced every day.
There is no simple answer; but the child
must be encouraged to analyze his feelings
during the situation. Is he glad that he
followed the rules? How did he feel about
the fellows who didnt? Would he want to
be one of them? How does he think they
really feel inside, knowing that they made
other people unhappy because they were unfair and thoughtless? At the moment, what
is most importantthat he lost the game, or
that he has this good feeling of having done
whats right?
People have to be encouraged to do good
and to think good for the feeling of goodness
it brings them. A childs behavior and attitudes must always be related to this funda
mental principie of goodness to be good for
goodness sake.
Try this exercise on yourself during the
next few days. Smileand see how the world
smiles with you. Think good and do good
and see how much good the world reflects in
return. These are not affirmations wherein

you are saying everything is good when

everything may not be good. However, for
just a happy, serene day, think only of good
things.
Entertain only thoughts of goodness. De
velop ideas of thoughtful acts or deeds. Dwell
on these. Let them fill your consciousness.
For one day, be a creator. Initiate good will.
Dont wait for it to happen. Figuratively
speaking, dont wait for the sun to shine.
Be the sun and shine! This will give you
more happiness and good feeling than all the
smiles or all the gifts you ever received from
another. Truly it was said: Tis better to
give than to receive!B
Interference With Karma
A soror, addressing our Forum, asks, How
can we know that we are not futilely attempting to interfere with the workings of karma
when we try to assist others to overcome
sickness and wrongdoing?
If aid to others in distress, economic or
otherwise, were an interference with karma,
then all humanitarian and charitable acts
would need to be abandoned. Certainly,
when one offers to assist anotherwho is
in ill-health, for examplehe does not first
contmplate whether his aid will have a
karmic consequence. Further, every religin
and moral and ethical philosophy has exhorted man to show compassion toward his
fellow humans. In fact, charity is heralded
as a virtue.
We cannot, however, pass lightly over the
challenge of the sorors question. Her point
(and it is a good one) is how can our assistance to those confronted with misfortune
be reconciled with karma, or the law of
compensation? First, it is necessary to reiterate an oft-made statement: Karma does
not involve retribution. There exists no mind
having an intent to inflict suffering upon an
individual or to extend an award for some
act. Karma must not be associated with pun
ishment or with intended good. Further,
karma is wholly an impersonal example of
the law of causation, as the Buddhists refer
to it. Causes are established as deeds, and
from them follow, by the necessity of causa
tion, certain effects or results. Each act or
each thought is a power from which a train
of other acts or events develops.
There is no escape from karma except to
institute counter causes. We may find that,

by carelessness while climbing a mountain,

we have caused a boulder high on one side to
become dislodged. The results of its downward path will cause considerable destruction.
The effect, the destruction, is the natural re
sult of the cause which we instituted. We
may, however, introduce other causes to
mitigate it. For example, we may set up
some kind of bulwarkif we have timeto
divert the boulder from its path. So, too, in
life. If we find we have created adverse kar
ma, we may by our thinking and subsequent
behavior institute causes, moral or otherwise,
which will lighten the impact.
From this we can see that we cannot
escape karma unless we try to make compensation. This, in tum, may consist of a
sincere attempt to introduce new causes, the
effects of which may offset the undesirable
ones. If adverse karma were a matter of
retribution, of imposing punishment upon
us (which it is not), then nothing that
could be done might save us from the effects.
It is quite true that, in the majority of instances, the individual is not aware of the
karmathat is, its causeseither adverse
or beneficial, until he experiences the effects.
It is then sometimes too late to lessen the
suffering when the karma is adverse. Where
the effect would normally be quite prolonged,
any change in attitude on the part of the in
dividual, a realization of his previous wrongdoing, may bring about improvement in his
circumstances. He may then begin to pro
duce by his advanced and enlightened think
ing effects which will accrue to his benet.
This will be experienced as a lightening of
the load which he has to bear.
When someone is suffering, it may be
because of his individual karma or the result
of collective karma. As members of society,
we are responsible, whether we admit it or
not, for the collective acts of society. We pay
for wrong thinking, indifference, jealousy,
hatred, and the like, in warfare, economic
depressions, social chaos, and all the effects
of crime. These are causes which society
institutes and which individuis as part of

society must experience as disastrous effects.

To help another who is suffering is obviously the proper, the humanitarian, thing to
do. However, such assistance must go beyond
an immediate relief of distress. One must
try to help the individual find out the causes
that lie behind his present condition. If the
distress is because of an intellectual, moral,
or social act of the individualthat is, improper behavior which is a violation of cosmic
or natural lawsthen he must be made to
realize this as soon as possible. If he does not,
he will only perpetate his mistakes. He will
then continu to experience the same ill
effects, maybe to even a greater extent.
In helping another, especially if we try
to make the unfortunate person realize how
he may be contributing to his own circumstance, we are not interfering with karma.
By that time, the law of compensation is
an established fact, and the lesson should be
learned by the individual. At least, he will
have the opportunity to learn something
about the cause.
There is another important point to be
considered. In going to the assistance of
others, sacrificing time or resources to help
those in need, we are establishing causes
as karma that will redound to our benefit.
It is noticeable to the officers of the Rosicru
cian Order, AMORC, that most persons seem
to think of karma only in terms of adversity.
The law of compensation, or causality,
may have any effects follow from its causes.
The nature of the cause determines the effect.
As we have occasion to note, most persons
are wont to credit all good fortune to their
own acts. They pride themselves that this
or that beneficial circumstance follows from
some intelligent act on their part, some clever
talent which they have developed. However,
when misfortune strikes, they bemoan fate;
they relate that it is karma or some intangible
being or forc that is persecuting them. Kar
ma is not an entity or a mind. It is but a
ame for a series of acts and causes that one
has impelled. There is nothing mystrious
about it.X

INTERNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN CONVENTION

AUGUST 6, 7, 8, 1965
Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Caada

INDEX OF VOLUME XXXV (Compristng the entire Six Issues of the 35th Year)

NOTE The small letters after the page numbers refer to position on page: a, upper half of first column; h, lower half
of first column; c, upper half of second column; d, lower half of second column. Titles of articles are italicized.
Prophet, The, by Gibran, 17b
A
Rosicrucian Questions and Answers . . . , 49b
Abilities, Creative, of Children, 109b
Rosicrucian Manual, 80d, 81c
About Abstract and Ultmate Truths, 117c-118d
Self-Mastery and Fate . . . , 33b, 133c- 134b
Accumulation and Use of Wealth, The, 35a-37a
Unto Thee I Grant . . . , 17b
Acknowledge Your Needs, 20c
Breakdown
of Law and Order, 52d
Adarn and Eve, Before, 37a-c
Breathing
Fresh Air, 126d-127c
Advice From Parents, 109a, 114d
Buddha, Jess, Mohammed, 14c
Affirmations of R-f C Creed, Helps, 21c
Affirmations, The Effectiveness of, 106d-108d
c
AffirmationsYears Ago, 88d
Calculator Performs Mathematical Functions, 39b-c
Aid to AnotherAdvice, Speak, 114d
Can Quantity Make Right? 51c-53a
Air, Breathing Fresh, 126d-127c
Can We All Attain Perfection? 67c-69a
Air, Contaminated, Tolerance for, 127a-b
Cathedral Contacts, 59b-e
Akhnaton Shrine, The New, 115a-116c
Cause
Behind the Cause, 81d-84a
AMORCNonprofit Organization, 106c
CausesMoral and Material, 46c, 47b
Amulets, The Magical Power of, 131d-132c
Cerebral Impression Bank, 91c
Analyzing Our Dreams, 18a-19d
Cell Structure and Electrical Activity, 63c-d
Ancient Work, The, 16c-18a
Ceremonial Magic, 26d-27a
Application to Teachings, Result, 69a
Certified Public Accountants, 105d
Applying Rosicrucian Teachings, 116d
Choosing
Funeral Services, 41a-42c
Are All Psychic Experiences Mystical? 98a-100a
Cili in Lungs Work on Dust, 127a
Are Good and Evil Absolute? 93d-94d
Circumstances, Our Own, Created, lile
Are Ideas Our Own? 86d-88a
Clairvoyance, Precognition, 42d, 43b
Are New Souls Perfect? 34b-35a
Clean
Up This Planet? 22b-c
Are You Miss or Mrs.? 54b-d
Coincidence,
The Psychology of, 37c-38b
Arthur Andersen & Co., C.P.A., 105d
Comparing Incomparable Situations, 61c-d
As A Man Thinks, 20d-21d
Compensation, Make, To Escape Karma, 140a
Ascent and Descent of the Soul, 4b, d, 5b, c
Concentration'-A Dynamic Potential, 119a-d
Ask for Material Things? Is It Wrong To, 125b-d
Concentraron, Practice the Technique, 89d-90a
Astrology and the Future, 53a-54b
Concepts of World Are Illusions, 21a
Attain Consciousness to Embrace Interests of Others, 66d
Conditions Have Periods or Cycles, 71c
Attain Perfection? Can We All, 67c-69a
ConductA State of Mind Set in Motion, 46d
Attractions, Our Public, 10c-12b
Conduct, Right, 69a-b, d-70b
Attunement Between Living and Dead, 79a-c
Conscience, Errors of, 22c-23d
Attunement of Self With Divine Counterpart, 67c-d
Conscience Is An Awareness, 22d
Attunement Periods, Time Zones and, 59b-60a
Conscience vs. Arguments of Objective Self, 30d-31a
A University for Young and Od, 109c-llla
Consciousness, Arrested, for Ultmate Truth, 118d
Aura Is of A Material Nature, 62d
ConsciousnessObj ective, Subconscious,
Aura, Science Recognizes the Human, 76c-77a
107c-108d, ll2c-d, 113b
Authority, Lingering Parental, 108d-109c
Consciousness
Survive Death? Does, 92a-93d
Automatic Writing, 124a
Conservatism Always Advisable? Is, 125d-126d
Averages? Is There A Law of, 77a-78c
Constitutions to Conform to Accepted Code, 2d
Awareness to Human Relationships, 22d
Control of Worry? The, 88a-90a
Awareness of Union With God, 27b
Convention, Toronto International, 56b-57a
Awareness of Universal Soul, 34d
Cosmic Forces Complete Our Processes, 119d
Awareness (State of), Ability to Realize, 75a-b
Cosmic Influences in Mans Life, 53d
Cosmic, Integrated Entity: As Above . . . , 82b
B
Cosmic Laws, Natural and, 101d-103a
Balance and Cause and Effect, 82b, c, 83a, c
Cosmic Lessons, Interfering With, 60a-61a
Balancing Karma, llla-112b
Cosmic Manifests in Vibrations, 62c
Baptism, Sacrament of, Origin, 115d
Council of Solace Fail? Does the, 70b-71d
Basilides, Exponent of Gnosticism, 5c
Creativity, Radical, 126c
Before Adam and Eve, 37a-c
Cremation, 86a-b
Behavior, Human and Insect, 13d-15a
CrimeClassified, Understood, 91c
Behaviorism, 7c
Cryptesthesia-Determining Events and Realities, 29b-c
Beings (other) Communicate With Earth, 50c-d
Curvature of SpaceEinsteins Theory, 90b
Belief in A Transcendent Power, 101a
Cycles and Laws Which Recur, Know, 133b, 140c
Bequests to Rosicrucian Order, 36b
Cycles, Favorable, 33a-34b
Between Incarnations, 78d-80a
Cycles or Cosmic Tides Reflect Moods, 34a
Bible Has A History, 128a
D
Biblical Questions, 127c-129b
BodyBuffer Zone, 76d
Daily Mystical Exercises, 116c-117c
Dead, Science Reviving the, 64a-65b
Body-Mind Relationship, 100b
Death? Does Consciousness Survive, 92a-93d
Body, The Importance of the Physical, 85b-86d
Books:
Decisions, Mostly Surface Deliberations* 56a
Deepfreeze Humans Only,* 64a
Bible, !27d, 128a
Degree, Now in, Most Important, 134c-d, 135c
Book of Hierotheus, by Stephan Bar Sudaili, 6a
Delusion, 58d-59b
Constitution of Grand Lodge, 103c, 104a, 10>6d
Desire to CompareEgotism and Selfishness, 134b, c
Constitution of Supreme Grand Lodge, 103c, 104a, d
Determine To Bring no Hardship to Others, 23b-c
Divine ames, The, by Dionysius, 6a
Develop Ability to Use Intuition, 124c, 131c
Existence of God, The, 112d
Develop Latent Powers by Practice? 75d
Facts of Life, The, by Somerset Maugham, 77a-b
Development and Peace, Psychic, 65d-66d
Koran, 127d

Development and Privacy, Psychic, 6c-8d

Development? What Is Psychic, 74a-76b
Devotion to the Order, 70c
Dictates of Conscience not Always Right, 22d
Dimensin? What ls the Fourth, 80b-81d
Dionysius, Doctrines of, 5d-6b
Direct Attention to Self Within-Awareness, 125a
Direct Consciousness, 119c
Direction and Application of Consciousness, 76a
Discipline Desires by Will Power, 45d-46a
Disposition of Body, 41b-42c
Disseminate AMORC Literature, 41a
Divine Mind in Us, 63a
Does Consciousness Survive Death? 92a-93d
Does the Council of Solace Fail? 70b-71d
Donations to the Council of Solace, 71a
Dream Must Be First, 87c
Dreams, Analyzing Our, 18a-19d
Dreams? What Are, 98a-99d
Duality of ManOd Concept, 74a

Ears, Hearing Without, 42c-43b

Earthbound Souls, 78c, 79d-80a
Education in the Space Age, 91b
Effectiveness of Affirmations, The , 106d-108d
Effects of the Space Age, 90a-92a
Effort To Be/ 65c
Ego-Keep Under Control, 115a
Egyptian Museum for Public, 10c, lla-c
Einsteins Theories, 80b, 90b
Electronically, Healing, 63b-64a
Emotion and Will, 55d
Errors of Conscience, 22c-23d
EsotericInner, Enigmatic, 26b-27c
Essence of Democratic Government, 136a
Ethics, Cosmic, 61a
Ethics, The Test of, 69a-70b
Evalate Emotional Response of Words, 114b, c
Eve, Before Adam and, 37a-c
Every Day, in Every Way
107b
Evolution or Unfoldment on Earth Plae, 137a
Evolution, Planetary Steps to, 50a-51c
Evolvement, Knowledge, ExperienceImportant, 113a
Evolvement, Tools, The Implements of, 38b-40a
Exercises, Daily Mystical, 116c-l 17c
Existence, Mans, 112c-114a
Experience of Union With Reality, 76b
Experience Produces Sensation, 87a
Experience, PsychicA Cosmic Contact, 19b-d
Experiences Mystical? Are All Psychic, 98a-100a
Experience, the Effect, 46d
ExperienceTrial and Error, 60a-d
Experiments With Anthropoid Apes, 38c
Expiation for Wrong Acts, 112a
Exports vs. Industrial Centers, 3c-d
Expression of Soul Personality, 51a
Express Your Greater Self, 117b
Extrasensory Perception, 100c

Facts Rosicrucians Should Know, 103b- 106d

Faculty, RCU, llOd
Fail? Does the Council of Solace, 70b-71d
Faith Healing? What Is, llOa-lOld
Fallacies of Customs, 10a
Favorable Cycles, 33a-34b
Forgiveness, Karma vs., 15a-16c
Forces of the Cosmic Laws, 83d
Fortune and Intelligence, 16a
Foundation of A Sound Philosophy, 37a
Fountain and Plaza A Memorial, 109d
Fourth Dimensin? What Is the, 80b-81d
Frozen State of Suspended Animation, 64d
Fulfilling A Need, 19d-20d
Function of SubconsciousnessIntelligence, 84b
Funds Devaluated in A Nation, 106d
Funeral Services, Choosing, 41a-42c
Future, Astrology and the, 53a-54b

Gambling, Intuition and, 84a-85b

Gifts of Cosmic To Use, 135c
Give Us Your Key Number, 54d
Giving-InIndifference, 136a, b
Gnosticism, 4b-5c
Goals or Ambitions too High, 89c
God of Our Hearts, 113d
God Speaks Through Individuis, 52a
Good and Evil Absolute? Are, 93d-94d
Good and Evil, Exist? 84b
Goodness Brings Its Own Reward, 138b-139c
Gravity Works Without Feeling, 15c
H

Harmony Between Conscious and Subconscious, 8a-c

Haves and Have-Nots, 3a, b
Healing Electronically, 63b-64a
Healing? What Is Faith, lOOa-lOld
Health on This Planet, Money for, 22c
Hearing Without Ears, 42c-43b
Heeding Psychic Impressions, 43c-45b
Help Is Proper, Humanitarian, 140c
How To Sign Your ame, 54c
Human and Insect Behavior, 13d-15a

Idealism and Morality, Basis of Peace, 2a-b

Ideas Our Own? Are, 86d-88a
IllnessesResult of Unconscious Violations of Laws, 47b
Illumination in Previous Incarnation, 138a
111 Persons, 46b
Illusion, 118a
Illusion and Hallucination, 57c-59b
Image of the Order, Build Proper, 41a
Immortality of Essence, 78d
Impetus of Knowledge, The, 32a-33a
Implements of Evolvement, Tools, The, 38b-40a
Importance of the Physical Body, The, 85b-86d
Important? Which Step Is Most, 134b-135c
Impressions, A Natural Function, 45b
Impressions, Heeding Psychic, 43c-45b
Impressions Similar to Memory, 37c
Incarnation A Progression? Is Each, 137a-138b
Incarnations, Between, 78d-80a
Inclcate in Children To Enjoy Doing, 138d
Infants, Transition of, 65c-d
Initiate Good WillDont Wait, 139c
Initiation in Front of Sphinx, 115c
Inner SelfCourt of Last Appeal, 124a
Insanity, Basis of, 30a
Insect Behavior, Human and, 13d-15a
Insight Gained, 99c
Intelligence (Order), Cosmic, in V.L.F., 92b-c, 93d
Intelligence, Path of Pur, 4a-6c
Interaction and Interdependence of Cosmic
Manifestations, 53d
Interference with Karma, 139c-140d
Interfering With Cosmic Lessons, 60a-61a
Interpretation of Psychic Experience, 19c
Introvert Power of Thoughts, 101a
Intuition and Gambling, 84a-85b
Intuition and Reason, 56a-b, 57c
Intuition Dependable? Is, 129c-131c
IntuitionSixth Sense, 124b- 127c
Intuitive ImpressionPsychic Aspect of Will, 55d-56a
Inventory of Weak Points, Prepare, 68c
Invocations and Affirmations, 28a-b
Is Conservatism Always Advisable? 125d-126d
Is Each Incarnation A Progression? 137a-138b
Is Intuition Dependable? 129c-131c
ls It Wrong to Ask for Material Things? 125b-d
Is There A Law of Averages? 77a-78c
J
Jealousy, Avarice, Emotional Outbreaks, 66b
Jewelry Can Carry Subtle Influences, 132a, b
Judgment From Hunches, 44c-d

Karma, Balancing, 11 la-112b

Karma Does not Dctate, 83b, c
Karma, Interference With, 139c- 140d
Karma Mitigated by Contra Laws, 16b
Karma vs. Forgiveness, 15a-16c
Karmic Laws and Principies, 46c-d, 47c
Keys to Progress, 39a
Knowledge and Conviction Lead to Ability and
Responsibility, 35b-c
Knowledge, Complete, Attune With Cosmic, 79c
Knowledge From the Soul, 131a
Knowledge Is Experience, 60b
Knowledge of Cosmic Laws A Need, 68a
Knowledge or Object Not Impeding Progress Is
for Use, 39d
Knowledge, The Impetus of, 32a-33a

Language, A Universal, 67a-c

Law of Averages? Is There A, 77a-78c
Law of Causality, 82d
Law of Compensation, 111b
Law of CompensationCause and Effect, 15b, 16a
Laws, Cosmic, Continu To Function, 78a
Laws, Natural and Cosmic, 101d-103a
Learning A Foreign Language, 129d-130a
Learn To Deal With Problems, 88c-d, 89a
Lens, ConcaveAll Rays to One Point, 119a
Levels of Consciousness, 93c
Lewis, Dr. H. Spencer, 66d
Lewis, Dr. H. Spencer, and Ancient Teachings, 17c-d
Life Elsewhere in the Universe, 50a-c, 51b
Life Teaches Each of Us, 60a
Life, The Righteous, 8d-10b
Lingering Parental Authority, 108d-109c
Link, Our, With the Cosmic, 130d
Locke, English Philosopher, 86d-87a
LossGain, None; Essence Ever-Changing, 78d
Lynching A Man Accused, 52b

Machine, Marriages Made hy, 94d-95d

Magical Power of Amulets, The, 131d-132c
Magic, Medifocus and, 12b-13d
Majority RulesAccepted Concept, 52a-b
Malice Compounds Causes, 47b
Manifestations Are Cosmic Laws, 102d-103a
Man Is A Living Soul, 85d-86a
Mans Conquest of Himself, Failure, 66b-d
Mans Existence, 112c-114a
Man Thinks, As A, 20d-21d
Marriages Made hy Machine, 94d-95d
Materialism and Materialist, 125b-c
Medifocus and Magic, 12b- 13d
Meditation Periods Are Exercises, 59c
Mental Telepathy, 13c
Meteorology and Space Age, 90c
Methods for Solution of Problems, 87c, 89a-d
Migration, Planetary, 91a
Mind Power, Cosmic, (Super Mind), 74d
Miss or Mrs.? Are You, 54b-d
Morality and Ethics, UniversalFirst Step, 2c
Moris and Ethics, 69a, d
Moris as Rational Philosophy, 91d-92a
Mosaic Code, 9a
Moses and Hammurabi, 128c
Movers, Prime, Individuis, 134b
Museums (R-fC) Established by Dr. Lewis, lid
Mystical? Are All Psychic Experiences, 98a-100a
Mystical Exercises, Daily, 116c-117c
Mystical Experience, 27b-c
Mysticism, Occultism vs., 26a-28b
Mystics, Rational, 122a-124b

Natural and Cosmic Laws, 101d-103a

ame for Acts and CausesKarma, 140d

Need, Fulfilling A, 19d-20d

Neoplatonic Philosophy, 5c-d
New Akhnaton Shrine, The, 115a-l 16c
Noetic Experience, 31c-d
Nothing Is; All Is Becoming, 118c
Nous (Two Phases) Spirit and V.L.F., 63b
Nutrition, Concentrated Forms of, 90d

Obedience of Children, 109a

Occultism vs. Mysticismy 26a-28b
Oracles of Delphi, 98c
Other Rosicrucian Groups, 40a-41a
Our Public Attractions, 10c-12b
Overpopulation Problem, 90d

Paramnesia, Semiloss of Memory, 38b

Paranormal Hearing, 43b
Parapsychology Field, 42d
Parental Authority, Lingering, 108d-109c
Past, Present, or Future and Einstein, 80b-c
Path of Pur Intelligence, 4a-6c
Peace, Problem of World, 2a-4a
PeaceWhen in Harmony, 78a, c
People, Superior, Entitled to Advantages? 2a
Perfect? Are New Souls, 34b-35a
Perfection? Can We All Attain, 67c-69a
Perfection, Gradual, 68b
Personality Perfected Through Levels of
Consciousness, 34c
Philosophy of Plato, Scrates, Aristotle, 14b, 17b
of Bacon, Emerson, Descartes, 17b
Photography, Trick, Illusion, 62a
PioneerA Radical, 126b
Planetary Steps to Evolution, 50a-51c
Plan, Organize, Master Life, 34a
Plea of Self for Understanding, 31c
Polarity, A Reason for Causality, Magnetism, 82b
Potential, ConcentrationA Dynamic, 119a-d
Power of Amulets, The Magical, 131d-132c
Power, Ruthless, vs. Ethics, 69c
Prayer To Change Ways of Others, 13c
for Enlightenment, 16c
Prediction, 132c-134b
Priests of Egypt and Babylon, 128d, 129a
Principie of Equity and Physical Phenomenon, 47c
Privacy, Psychic Development and, 6c-8d
Probabilities, 77c-78b
Problem of World Peace, 2a-4a
Problems and Limitations Mentally Established, 35d-36d
Problems A Part of Karma, 36a
Problems, Seeking Advice for, 89b-c
Professor, Absent-Minded, 32d
Prognostication, Prediction, Fortunetelling, 132d
Progression? Is Each Incarnation A, 137a-138b
Proof of the Existence of God, 112d-l 13a
Property of Subordnate Bodies, 106b
PsychePsychic, Psychology, 74b-c, 75a-c
Psychic Body, The, 61a-63b
Psychic Development and Peace, 65d-66d
Psychic Development and Privacy, 6c-8d
Psychic Development? What Is, 74a-76b
Psychic Impressions, Heeding, 43c-45b
Psychic Sounds, 28b-32a
Psychology of Coincidence, The, 37c-38b
Purgation Essential in Attainment, 122b
Purpose and Behavior, Motive and ForesightWill, 55a-c
Purpose of Living Here, 8c
Purpose of the Body, 86c
Purposes of Life, One of the, 14d

Quantity Make Right? Can , 5Ic-53a

Questions, Biblical, 127c-129b

Radiations of V.L.F. Create Aura, 100c

Rational Mystics, 122a-124b

Realize A Need, Jolted To, 20c

Reason and Intuition, 84a
Reason and Intuition To Be Used, 56a-b
Reason, Love, and Soul, Air, 74a-b
Rectitude-Compensation-Satisf action, 11 Id
Reincarnate Several Times To Leam, 137c
Reincamation, Proof of, 38a-b
Relating Thoughts to Life Forc Within, 8a
Reliahility of Our Senses, 57a-59b
Religion-Reorientation of Viewpoint, 9Id
Repression and Self-Control, 45b-46b
Repression of Psychic Urges, 45a
Repression and Glandular Disturbances, 45d
Requests to Cosmic-Specific, 79d
Responses and Behavior Known, 14c
Response to AttackDistribute Literature, 40d-4a
Responsibility for Acts of Society, 140b
Responsibility of Space Exploration, 21d-22c
Responsivity to Sentiments, Emotions, 22d-23a
Result of Application to Teachings, 69a
Retrogression of Soul Personality, 137b
Reviving the Dead, Science, 64a-65b
Reward, Goodness Brings Its Own, 138b-139c
Right? Can Quantity Make, 51c-53a
Righteous Life, The, 8d-10b
Ring, A, Has No Inherent Magic, 131d
Ripples of Stream-Soul Personality, Soul, 93a
Rite of Lustration, 122b-d
RoseCroix University, History, 109c-110b
Rosicrucian Digest DirectoryAddresses, 105a, c
Rosicrucian Groups, Other, 40a-41a
Rosicrucians Should Know, Fact$, 103b-106d
Rosicrucian Teachings and Cosmic Principies
Reflected, 35c

Sanctum Rooms in Supreme Temple, 7a-b

Science Museum and Planetarium, lia, 12a
Science Recognizes the Human Aura, 76c-?7a
Science Reviving the Dead, 64a-65b
Seeing Is Believing, 57a-b
Seek Aid of Cosmic as Instructed, 44a
Self-Consciousness and Soul Personality, 93b
Self-Control, 46a-b
Self-Control, Repression and, 45b-46b
Self-Discipline and Moral Character, 70a
Self, Ego, in Mystical State, 99a
Senses, Reliability of Our, 57a-59b
Sense, The Sixth, 124b-125a
Service Effective for Reconciliation, 112b
Services, Chosing Funeral, 41a-42c
Serving Principie, 69d
Shrine, The New Akhnaton, 115-l 16c
Silent, When To Be, 114a-115a
Sixth Sense, 131a
Sixth Sense, The, 124b-125a
Solution of Problems, 87c, 89a-d
Sophia, A Spiritual Personality, 5a
Soul and V.L.F. Cause Us To Be, 62b
Soul Consciousness Manifests Anywhere, 51c
Soul Personality Our Response, 92c
Souls Perfect? Are New, 34b-35a
Soul, UniversalInner Self, 34c-d
Sounds, Psychic, 28b-32a
Space Age, Effects of the, 90a-92a
Space Exploration, Responsibility of, 21d-22c
SpaceTime Continuum Theory, 80b-c
Speak When Words Are Golden, 114a
Sphere of Intellect-Nine Divisions of, 4a
Spirit, Humanitarian and Rosicrucian, 70c
Spiritual-Associated With Subconsciousness, 113c
Stages of Development of Soul Personality, 50a
State of Self-Hypnosis, 101c
States of Consciousness, Advanced, 23a
Step Is Most Important? Which, 134b-135c
Study Your Schedule of Living, 89d
Subconscious and Psychic Influence, 56b
Subject for Meditation Registered in Cosmic, 59c-d
R O S I C R U C IA N P R E S S , L T D .,

Subterfuge in Compensation, 112a

Success f MatrimonyTrial and Error, 95d
Suffering and Suppression of Conscience, 23d
SufferingResult of Inharmony, 83d
Summum Bonum of Life, 138c
Superstitions, Medieval and Modern, 122a
Survive Death? Does Consciousness, 92a-93d
Symbol of The Rosicrucian Order, 40b

Teachings (AMORC) from Ancient Writings, 17d

Technique or Art of Meditation, 123b
Technique To Be GainedIntuition, Use of, 129c-d
Telepatny, Mental, 29c, 30c
Test of Ethics, The, 69a-70b
Therapy, All, Has Benefit or Merit, 71d
Think Good; Do Good, 139b-c
Thinks, As A Man, 20d-21d
Thoughts Determine Enjoyment, 139a
Three Things Necessary for World Peace, 3d, 4a
Time, the Fourth Dimensin, 90b
Time Zones and Attunement Periods, 59b-60a
Tolerance, 135c-136d
Tools, The Implements of Evolvement, 38b-40a
Toronto International Convention, 56b-57a
Trance States, 98b
Transition of Infants, 65c-d
Treasury Dept., U.S., Accountants, 106a
Truths, About Abstract and Ultmate, 117c-118d

Understanding Actions and Behavior, 67a

Understanding in Tolerance, 136c-d
Unfoldment Consists of Power of Mastery, 138b
Union of Two Souls, 94d
Union With the Divine, 124b
Unity, Cosmic Whole, Includes My Being, 117a
Universal Language, A, 67a-c
Universal Mind, 86d, 87c-d
Unrestricted Thought, 14b, c
Unconscious Wrongs, 46c-47d
Use of All PrincipiesMaster, 35b
Use of Wealth, The Accumulation and, 35a-37a

VibrationsVales at Different Levels, 43a

Violation of Cosmic, Natural, Laws, 140c
Vital Life Forc, 92b-93c
Voices Discemed: Physically, Psychologically,
Psychically, 28c-32a
w
Wealth, The Accumulation and Use of, 35a-37a
What Is Faith Healing? lOOa-lOld
What Is Psychic Development? 74a-76b
What Is the Fourth Dimensin? 80b-81d
What Is Will Power? 54d-56b
When To Be Silent, 114a-115a
Which Step Is Most Important? 134b-135c
Will, 86b
Will, Dominant, Upon Misunderstanding, 23c
Will-Instructions in for Place of Burial, 41d, 42a, c
Will Power? What Is, 54d-56b
Winner in Thermonuclear War, 66a
Wisdom aiid Accumulated Experiences, 60b
Wisdom of All Time, Access To, 8d
Words-Spoken To Engender Ideas, 114a-c
Work, The Ancient, 16c-18a
World, Mans, Exists Within, 21a
World-Subj ective and External, 117d
Worry? The Control of, 88a-90a
Wrongs, Unconscious, 46c-47d
Wrong To Ask for Material Things? Is It, 125b-d

Young and Od, A University for, 109c-llla

Zones and Attunement Periods, Time, 59b-60a

JO STK

LITHO IN U S . A .

Finim
A privte publication
for members of AMORC

Refuge of a
Courageous Spirit
Leo Jud ( 1 4 8 2 - 1 5 4 2 ) , renowned
Swiss reformer and mystic, lived
in the aboye house in Zurich,
Switzerland, for nineteen years.
Known to his contemporaries as
M eister Leu , he was fearless in
his criticism of bigotry and superstition. Like Zwingli, another
reformer of the period, he sought
to bring about a reformation
within the doctrines of the
Church.
Together they proclaimed that the congregation,
not the hierarchy of the clergy,
represents the Church. His orations were noted for their subtle,
mystical precepts.

Greetings!
V

IS THE THEORY OF EVO LUTIO N ACCEPTABLE?

Dear Fratres and Sorores:

The strongest objection to the theory that

man has descended from lower organisms
comes from the fundamentalist religious
sects. They consider that the evolution of
the species is a direct contradiction of the
biblical story of creation and that it also
tends to degrade man.
The biblical account in Genesis conceives
of man as a spontaneous creation, that is, a
creation that carne into existence in the
physical form in which he now appears. It
also states that man is the image of his Creator, that he is the highest creation inreference
to the faculties and attributes that he exhibits.
If, of course, the Bible is to be taken literally
as being the exact word of God and on those
grounds no further facts can be considered,
then one conclusively closes his mind to all
other knowledge.
In numerous ways, it is shown by science
by means of empirical knowledge that the
Bible is a collection of legends, historical facts,
and personal revelations. The Bible can be
refuted in part, especially when one realizes
that those who contributed to it lacked much
of the knowledge available today.
In the still popular King James versin of
the Bible, at the beginning of the opening
chapter of Genesis, there usually appears the
date 4000 B.C. as the time of creation. This
date is easily refuted scientifically by geology,
astronomy, archeology, and Egyptology. It
is known from the translation of Egyptian
hieroglyphs and cuneiform tablets that there
were well-established cultures that had been
in existence for centuries at the time the
Bible states as the beginning of creation.
Geologists, by means of the so-called earth
clock (the ages of the earth revealed in its
strata), disclose that this globe has been in
existence for millions of years. Radioactive
carbn in objects can be recorded in such a
manner as to establish their age accurately.
This latest method of physical science has
confirmed estimates that archeologists have
given to artifacts that far antedate the crea
tion date set forth in the Bible.

The modern space age and its space probes

and explorations will put to a severe test the
literal interpretations of the Bible. Science
is not resorting to heterodoxy or heresy; it
is, rather, impartially searching for truth.
If it is established that life exists on other
celestial bodies and not exclusively on earth
and if other beings equal to or superior in
intelligence to man are found, this will then
make erroneous the statement that the earth
alone was selected as the habitat of an es
pecially created beingman. It must be
realized that the early prophets and contributors to the Od Testament accounts did not
conceive of heavenly bodies as being other
worlds. In fact, most of them were of the
opinion that cosmologically the earth is the
principal body in the universe.
At the time when Nicolaus Copernicus
(1473-1543), astronomer, promulgated his
idea that the sun and not the earth was the
center of our universe, he became the victim
of attack by the theologians. They accused
him of detracting from the divine eminence
and importance of man. Man was Gods
chosen creation, they said, citing the Bible'
The earth was created solely for him.
Consequently, if the earth were not the
center of the universe and if it held a sub
ordnate position, mans status would thus be
inferior, also. Copernicus himself wrote, In
the center of everything rules the sun; for
who in this most beautiful temple could place
this luminary at another or better place
whence it can light up the whole at once?
in fact, the sun setting in a royal throne
guides the family of stars surrounding him
. . . the earth conceives by the sun, through
him becomes pregnant with annual fruits.
Today, nearly five centuries after
Copernicus, truth is again in conflict with
religious orthodoxy. Even a high school student in his studies has the evolutionary
processes in nature demonstrated to him.
Breeders of cattle and poultry know the
mutations that result by special breeding; in
fact, they depend on such for the improvement of their stock. The horticulturist and

even the amateur gardener can discern the

variations caused in plant growth and form
by environmental effects.
What seems to strike particularly at the
human ego and dignity is the belief that
organic evolution in relation to man means
that he comes from a monkey. Most of
those who acrimoniously inveigh against the
theory of evolution have never read any of
Darwins works or any other textbook on the
subject. Their opinion is that evolution is
atheistically designed to attack their faith.
Charles I}arwin has not declared in his
works that man is a direct descendent of any
particular primate. His postulations and researches present the idea that there is a
tree of genealogical descent and that there
are related forms branching off from common parents. Simply put, he meant that life
carne originally from simpler common forms.
In the passing of time, these common forms
as parents had many branches from their
original stock. These branches or their varia
tions account for the different species due
to natural selection and environmental
factors.
In his renowned work, The Origin of
Species, Charles Darwin states that these
variations account for different organisms as
the result of competition for restricted food.
Those with favorable variations survive and
produce their kind. Man was not created as
he is, but various factors in his existence, in
his gradual survival, have brought about his
organic structure. Further, the impact of
present conditions will gradually make other
changes in him. Mans hands, for example,
were not spontaneously given to him as they
are, but their prehensile quality was developed with his need to cope with his environment.
In his works, Darwin shows that the embryological development of the individual
tended to follow roughly the evolutionary
development of their races revealed by fossil
remains. That is to say that human embryo
goes through changes which can be observed

and which correspond to earlier forms of

organisms whose fossilized remains have been
found. This indicates that man preserves in
himself the early forms of living organisms
through which his physical being passed until
he reached his present highest stage of
development.
Instead of this being shocking and detracting from the status of man, it actually indicates that man may not yet have reached his
zenith of attainment. There is the potentiality
of still further development, which is a yet
greater tribute to cosmic law and phenomena.
We think that Charles Darwin beautifully
expressed this thought in the following words:
Man may be excused for feeling some pride
at having risen, though not through his own
exertions, to the very summit of the organic
scale; and the fact of his having risen, instead
of his being placed there aboriginally, may
give him hope for a still higher destiny in
the distant future.
Organically, man is an animal. To try to
separate physically or to distinguish the
organic functions of man from other animals
is an absurdity. The cells of the human have
the same basic function, such as irritability,
metabolismo reproduction, and excretion, as
living cells in other forms of lower life. It is
the physical vehicle of man which the evolu
tionary theory states is a product of evolution
and contines to be.
What reflection does this have upon the
religious, the mystical, and philosophical
conception that man is a living soul ?
Theology contends from its hagiography, its
collection of sacred writings, that man alone
has soul. From one point of view only, can
this postulation be supported. Man, at least,
as the most intelligent being on earth, has
the most highly developed self-consciousness.
It is this consciousness of his emotional
and psychic nature that causes him to conceive that entity of his personality which
he calis soul. He terms it divine, and it is
divine if we designate all cosmic forces as
being of a divine nature. It is erroneous to

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say that man alone has a soul. If, as previously stated, beings having a self-consciousness equivalent to man are found in the
future to exist in the greater universe; then,
certainly, they would have the equal right to
claim such an entity as soul.
Until man became homo s a p ie n s , a
rational, highly developed self-conscious be
ing, he had only the essence of soul but no
conception of it. In the lower animals, there
is that same vital forc and consciousness,
which gradually evolved in man to its own
awareness and designates itself soul. Those
who fear that the theory of evolution demeans the status of man will perhaps learn
before another century has passed that there
are many other factors that strike at mans
egotistic conception of being the central
object of all creation.
Fraternally,
Ralph M. Lewis,
Imperator
Is

Religin Obsolete?

My attention was recently attracted to an

article, the first sentence of which said, To
day, Christianity is a spent forc. The
article then proceeded strongly to attack
Christianity particularly and religin in gen
eral, stating that religin is out of date, has
no place in the modern world, and only exists
because of the financial resources that various
religious denominations have assembled. The
article further stated that through these
financial resources religin has been able to
perpetate itself, plus the fact that by the
continual promotion of superstitions it has
been able to maintain its followers in a state
of fear, enabling the particular denomination
to retain certain dominance and control over
its followers.
I must concede that I read the article
with considerable interest and a complete
realization that there is some element of
truth in these statements. I had long realized
that if Christianity or any other religin did
not possess the financial backing to support
its doctrines and was unable to keep its fol
lowers in fear of what might happen if they
discontinued their allegiance to their certain
beliefs and practices, it would lose a tremendous amount of its control.
These statements express points of view
which every intelligent individual should try

to consider without bias or prejudice. Is it

really true that religin is a spent forc in
the world? In other words, is religin obso
lete and no longer applicable to the modern
world? In asking this question, I do not
propose that I am able to give the final answer. It is a question that has been asked
and answered by those probably more capable
than I to analyze all the important factors
that are involved in a fair consideration of
the subject. However, I believe that, as
Rosicrucians, we have a right to analyze this
question in terms of our beliefs, understanding, and philosophy. I do not claim that I
am speaking on behalf of the Rosicrucian
Order in giving my opinions, or is it necessary that you, as a Rosicrucian, should accept
my point of view.
I believe that the statement that religin
is a spent forc and is obsolete applies only
to the religious concepts that exist at the
present moment, or, instead of concepts, ap
plies more specifically to the religious prac
tices of today. Religin has become in many
parts of the world a big business. It is
organized and controlled. It is no longer so
much an attempt on the part of man to approach God as it is for groups of men to lay
down the procedures and practices of living
in accordance with standards which they
have adopted. In other words, religin would
appear to have become a spent forc or to
have lost its real valu in direct proportion to
the extent that it devotes itself to the upholding of man-made principies and creeds.
I do not know whether there has ever been
a pur state of religin, but in my study of
the lives and teachings of such individuis
as Buddha, Christ, and Mohammed, it ap
pearsinsofar as we are able to understand
what their true lives and ideas were at the
time they livedthat they had little interest
in organizing complex and unique organizations such as many religions have become.
The practices and beliefs, as well as the outward forms of religin, it seems to me, have
lost sight of the fundamental principie that is
common to Buddha, Christ, and Mohammed,
as well as to many other religious leaders.
That is that man is a living forc and owes
the existence of himself and this life forc to
a higher forc that existed prior to him. The
essence of religin, I believe, is that there
exists a transcendental forc or being. It is
unimportant how that infinite existence

which is beyond our comprehension is defined, but we as living beings are related to
that forc.
Religin should deal with mans relationship to his source. What he may philosophize
and develop as interpretations of what the
various practices of life should be is secondary. If one believes in the practices of a
certain church and receives certain satisfaction from it, there is nothing either particularly beneficial or harmful in following those
principies and practices so long as he realizes
that they were not ordained by God Himself
but only represent mans interpretation of
methods for contacting God.
The mystic believes that there is a cise
relationship between man and the Creator.
He further believes that each entity, each
living thing, is an expression of the Divine,
and that each living entityman, in particularmay communicate in his own way with
that divine essence from which he sprang and
of which he is a part. Mans desire to be
conscious of that relationship is, in my estimation, the essence of religin; and if I do
things differently than another to attain that
end, it does not make my religin any less
important, less practical, or less effective.
I do not believe with the author of the
article to which I referred that religin is a
spent forc; but I do believe that many of
the efforts that are made to keep religin
an established institution are spent forces
that might well be spent completely. What
we need is not more religious organizations
or institutions functioning in the ame of
religin. What we need is a more complete
concept of the mystical relationship between
God and man, which can only be developed
within our own selves. Mans relationship
to God, regardless of how he may interpret
that relationship or interpret God, is the es
sence of religin. Since man is created by
and maintained by a transcendental forc
which we cali God, religin will never be
obsolete to the extent that what we cali reli
gin may help us to attain a satisfying rela
tionship to that forc.
Religious denominations will come and go
and probably the ones we have now will be
completely forgotten in the thousands of
years that may go on in history; but man
will still strive to relate himself to the source
from which he carne.A

Premonitions N o Superstition
A frater from Montana brings to our attention a newspaper clipping, entitled, Butte
Boy 12, Suffocates in Tunnel Cave-in. The
article contines: A 12-year-old Butte boy,
who said he dreamed Thursday night of be
ing buried beneath earth and boards, Friday
suffocated in a tunnel cave-in at a gully west
of Butte. . . . The tunnel was a hole four feet
deep with an entrance four feet long, covered
by dirt and boards.
Too often, such occurrences are passed off
as coincidence, superstition, or figments of
the imagination. But the cases on record
show premonitions to carry infinite details of
an event. Times and places are clearly
marked. The whole event passes in review
in the mind of the person prior to its happening.
For a person who has never had an experience of this kind, the reports of others are
hearsay. It is difficult, if not impossible, to
visualize the character of a premonition
when one has never experienced the phenomenon. Only those who have had premo
nitions of one kind or another are in a position
to testify, and their number is relatively
small.
Premonitions take many forms. Sometimes, it is merely a feeling a person has.
Sometimes, it is an actual physical reaction
in the way of chills, nausea, or effects associated with shock or danger. Premonitions
may manifest as sounds or voices, or as visual
images in the mind. We cite herewith two
further examples of premonitionsone visual,
the other kinesthetic.
A young couple of our acquaintance determined to go bowling at a bowlarium which
they had not visited in years because new
alleys had been opened which they had
patronized instead. The decisin to go was
made about 6 p.m. Just as they were ready
to depart, the young man took suddenly and
unexplainably ill, a factor which cancelled
the evenings plans. About fifteen minutes
later, an explosion shattered the night air,
rattling windows and generally shaking up
things for miles around. The bowlarium
which they had planned to visit had blown
up exactly at the time that they would have
been on the premises had the change in plans
not occurred.
Shortly after the explosion, the illness
disappeared as mysteriously and quickly as

it had appeared. The two incidents, the illness and the explosion, were not associated
until later, of course, but the time elements
coincided upon later reconstruction of the
events.
The bowiarium had been closed for repairs
and paint fumes had built up in subterranean
passageways. The young couple was unaware
of the closure, however, and would have
driven to the site. Most probably they would
have left their car in order to read any posted
signs explaining why the operation was
closed. It would have been this maneuver,
in their opinion, that would have placed them
at the doorway of the bowlarium at the time
of the explosion, and they would have been
the only casualties since no one else was near.
In another case, a man, also a personal
acquaintance, was driving a truck on a highway marked by heavy shrubs and sandy
banks. On one particularly straight stretch,
without any warning, a large triler truck
pulled out of a blind Crossing immediately
ahead. My acquaintance applied his brakes
and all butgave up any chance of avoiding
a collision. Then the triler truck mysteriously disappeared. But before he had time to
wonder about it, he saw the same triler
truck doing exactly the same thing, only this
time it was a few hundred yards beyond him.
By this time, his speed had decreased and he
was able to slow sufficiently to allow the
triler truck time to clear the Crossing in
front of him. Had he not been slowed by the
act of the premonition, he could not have
avoided a collision.
These events and countless others related
by people from everywhere in the world give
credence to the fact of premonition. The
greater questions that lie before us are
Why? and How? At first glance, it
would seem that events must be preordained
and, if they are, then man has no control
over his fate and all his efforts to be master of
his destiny are to no avail.
This is no idle speculation, for premonition
does indeed mean that events are predictable.
If they are predictable, there is a serious
challenge to mans claim to free will. From
reasoning of this kind, fatalists are born; and
fatalists are prone to let decisions ride, to assume no responsibilities, and simply to wait
for things to happen.
Fatalism is an unfortunate outcome of
phenomena of this kind. Although premoni

tions are indeed glances into the future, a

future which seems ready-made and unavoidable, the truth of the matter is that certain
future events based on things as they are now
can be avoided by changing these things.
There is little question by even the most
skeptical that prediction of one sort or another
is possible. Scientists do more and more predicting every day on the basis of available
data and known conditions. The future is
nothing more than a projection of the present.
If a runner is presently covering one mile
every five minutes, we can say with reasonable accuracy where he will be five minutes
from now.
Most of the things we do in life are so
much a part of our habit systemsour subconscious behaviorthat someone with sufficient knowledge of these patterns could predict a great deal of the future, for the future
is a conclusin of events and causes that have
transpired before.
People who have highly developed intuitive faculties can often see in a flash the
conclusin of certain events now in progress.
All things being equal, this conclusin would
be reached in due course of time. However,
in the seeing of it, which constitutes foresight,
a person can amend the events of the present
and thus alter the future state as well. The
intuitive faculty is infinitely sensitive to
conditions, causes, and their obvious outcomes. It is pre-eminent as a factor in judgment. A person who possesses it is in command of his destiny, for he has that blessing
of blessings, foresight, the power to see what
lies ahead.
Premonitions are an exaggerated and
unique aspect of foresight, and as such they
can be protective and progressive, leading to
gains in a persons stature and well-being.
They are the result of the intuitive capacity
to analyze events and reach a conclusin almost instantaneously.
A final word on this subject: Many would
be hesitant to act on the basis of a premoni
tion since that type of foresight is not
generally accepted. Many also cannot differentiate between premonitions, imagination,
or dreams. This is part of the difficulty in
bringing intuitive foresight into play.
In Rosicrucian instruction, the student is
encouraged to develop natural selection
through a process of attunement. By this

method, he poses the question and directs

it to the Cosmic. This naturally attunes him
with the elements that are related to his
question.
The student is further taught to set aside
temporarily any impressions that do not re
late to him at the moment. One must realize
that there are subjective impressions which,
like some dreams, have no relationship to his
life. Such impressions simply leak through
the receptor senses of an individual, yet impress him with as much clarity as those which
are directly related to him.
Selectivity must be developed through
practice. If the rule of thumb outlined
above is followed at the beginning, a person
will soon be able to sort out the meaningful
from the unmeaningful with some facility.B

Reincarnation in the Western World

A question which was asked at a recent
Rosicrucian conclave was Why is reincamation not more widely accepted in the Western
world? Probably, it is due to the fact that
the theory of reincarnation has been closely
related to the Eastern religions. It has, therefore, become a part of the thinking of those
who live in the areas influenced by these
religions whether or not they are adherents
of them.
We generally think of the Western world
as being Christian. That is a rather broad
statement and, certainly, it is subject to much
discussion and analysis. Nevertheless, regardless of what may be our personal beliefs, the
Christian concept as promulgated by the
denominations which represent that religin
is more or less fundamental to the Western
world.
Christianity saw fit in the early days of
its organization to throw out the concept of
reincarnation. There are indications in some
of the earliest Christian writings that it was
neither an unknown or a condemned con
cept on the part of some of the earliest
Christians. There are phrases in the Bible
itself and in the writings of some of the early
Church Fathers that indcate familiarity and
a degree of sympathy with and even belief
in reincarnation. When groups of men decided to formlate Christian doctrines, then
Christianity as an organized religin began
to differ from Christianity as a spontaneous

religious belief on the part of individuis.

As among many other doctrines, some of
them valid and some of them of little importance, reincarnation was discarded and
not considered a part of Christian doctrine.
Since Christianity has become the basis of
much Western culture, reincarnation has
been given little attention by the majority
in the religious field during the past eighteen
hundred or more years. Consequently, the
theory of reincarnation was left out of West
ern culture. It has been reintroduced from
time to time. Theosophy, the Rosicrucian
principies, and other teachings have maintained the theory of reincarnation and retaught it time and time again.
It is my opinion that it is becoming more
acceptable, and its gradual rather than sudden acceptance is a good sign. There is no
proof that reincarnation is anything more
than a theory, but it is one that is worthy of
the most serious consideration. All the schools
of thought in the East that accept reincarna
tion offer many convincing philosophical
principies. It seems unlikely that the theory
of reincarnation could have thrived and survived in connection with many other constructive thoughts and yet be invalid. Those
who have studied the subject have found to
their own satisfaction evidences of truth and
much comfort in the belief.
We are not going to promote a theory by
making it a doctrine or a dogma. It is best
that reincarnation continu to be offered to
the Western world in the way that the Rosi
crucian philosophy offers it. Reincarnation
is presented as a theory that has validity but
not necessarily proof. There is no need to
prove the theory of reincarnation because
you and I would be no different in any
respect at this moment if it were proved to be
absolutely true or absolutely false. The same
conditions, the same vibrations of the Cosmic
that effect us at this moment, would continu
to affect us regardless of mans proof or disproof of this or any other theory. What is
important in the theory of reincarnation is
that it is an important link in an individuals
building a workable philosophy for himself.
That which contributes to the construction
of a philosophy that gives courage and stability in times of stress, and wisdom in times
of prosperity, is most worthy and valuable.
I am a firm believer in the theory of re
incarnation, and I have observed the lives

of many who also believe in it. It seems to

me that of all the theories that have been
advanced by man throughout his history as
to the origin and purpose of life reincarna
tion is not only the most logicalalthough,
I might add, that logic would not prove it
truebut also the most satisfying. I have
known more individuis who exemplify true
peace of mind because of their belief in reincamation than I have known among any
who held other beliefs. I mean by this that
I believe that the theory of reincarnation
contributes more to a satisfactory philosophy
of life than any others that have been evolved
and developed in all of mans philosophies
and religions.
If you find that the theory of reincarnation
meets a responsive note in your own consciousness and soul, then by all means cling
to it. It is a key that will help you face the
future, face the problems that are a part of
life, and it will also help you to use your
achievements and successes constructively.
You will understand life better and will have
a philosophy that will give you an understanding of your problems, pain, suffering,
and discouragement. You will be able to use
more wisely those bits of achievement and
what the world popularly calis luck because
of your understanding of the theory. It will
also help you to live a better life because you
will live with the constant reminder that you
have a part in the creation of your future
and that you can use your abilities to help
yourself and your fellow man. You will
know, too, that there will be a time when
you will be much wiser and have many
more abilities than you have now.A

Backsliding Through Incarnations

A frater in Nova Scotia brings up an interesting question on the subject of retrogressing,
or going backward, in ones evolutionary
path. He states: Mankind has within itself
the potentialities of its moral and spiritual
life, and under favorable conditions a gradual
development should be in evidence. The attainment of an individual in one incamation
depends upon the states reached in the last
one; and in view of these inherent potentiali
ties one would naturally enjoy a degree of
development all along the line.
Unfortunately, in varied instances, there
appears to be deterioration instead of progress.

I am aware that in our economic way of life

there are extenuating circumstances; but in
view of human potentialities and the opportunities offered in the various incarnations
shouldnt mankind rise above circumstances?
The answer to this fraters question de
pends upon what we define as progress, or
development. On the surface, it would seem
as though we do slip backwards at times. We
suffer financial reverses, social reverses, or
reverses in our personal well-being, health,
or otherwise. These reverses are real enough,
but they are not standards by which we
should measure the growth and development
of the soul personality.
We may imagine the soul personality with
its development as a traveler on an etemal
pathway. His direction is always forward,
but along the way he encounters different
conditions. There are good days and bad
days; good weather and bad weather; days
of exuberance and days of despair; downhill
and uphill; smooth roads and bumpy. Each
bad event is a reverse in relation to the way
things had gone before, but the bad events do
not reverse the over-all forward movement
of the traveler.
The growth and development of the soul
personality is a matter of gathering knowl
edge, or experience; a forward or expanding
movement. Experiences, once had, cannot
be retracted. They may be erased from
memory, but they had their effect on the total
structure of the personality at the time they
happened. Not all our experiences are happy
ones, but each adds to the soul personalitys
font of knowledge and, as such, constitutes
growth.
Development, or unfoldment, in and of
itself, is not necessarily an enjoyable experi
ence. Its results should provide more joy and
harmony in our life, however, and ultimately
this is true. We do learn from experience,
and it is not our nature knowingly to invite
pain and discomfiture into our lives. As we
mature, we avoid more of the pitfalls of life;
we make better choices; we are more aware
of what we can change and what cannot be
changed. We develop a sensitivity to the
harmonics of our environment and guide
ourselves accordingly.
We are prone to identify personal progress
with financial standing and physical wellbeing. There is no doubt that, ultimately,

these go hand in hand, but in the learning

stage mistakes will be made and rectification
will be necessary.
Economic handicaps are often self-imposed
in the sense that people approach financial
problems on a conditional basis. They want
economic stability, but they want it their
way. They want so and so much, and they
want it now. In their attempt to arrive at
economic stability in this way, they usually
experience conflict since, in the final analysis,
such stability must be achieved through industry and Service. It must be earned.
How much does a person really need?
Food, clothing, and shelter are basic human
needs. Adequate supplies of these can usually
be secured for very little mney. This is
where everyone who is financially insecure
should start in his thinking. When these
needs are satisfied, then further goals can be
set commensurate with the success achieved
in attaining the first goal.
What many of our discouraging experi
ences, or reverses, can do for us is to reorient
our thinking; draw our attention back to
basic vales. Too often, we are wasting time
and effort in our approach to problems when
we could be employing ourselves to greater
advantage in other directions.
As we have pointed out many times in
the pages of the Forum, happiness and adaptation to life are attainable anywhere along
the pth of life. One does not necessarily
have to wait for many incarnations before
he can experience a degree of happiness.
We can compare the growth of the soul
personality to the growth of a child. Children
grow in spite of all the obstacles in their
path. They grow physically and mentally
through experience. They can lead happy,
well-adjusted lives all along the way. How
ever, many do not learn to adjust or be happy
until they mature.
Many never learn in this life. Others learn
at different stages. We would not say that a
child is deteriorating or going backwards in
his growth when he has difficulty learning
certain lessons. Many find it harder to learn
at an older age than at a younger. Some find
it harder to adjust in some periods than in
others. The soul personality will experience
similar stages, some of which will certainly
give every indication of sliding backwards.B

Valu of Scepticism
A frater, addressing our Forum, asks:
How sceptical should a Rosicrucian be?
When does scepticism become a stumbling
block or a hindrance to the learning of
truth?
There are two proper ways to approach
all new knowledge, whether it be the result
of personal experience or that which is re
lated to us by others. The first method is
to subject knowledge to empirical proof.
This consists of our endeavoring to substantiate it by the evidence of the senses.
Obviously, the empirical proof is not infallibleour senses can be deceived. How
ever, since we live in a world of reality,
such proof must be accepted unless reason
indicates the probability that it may be false.
In such an event, empirical proof should
not be permitted to become dogmatic. The
intelligent person keeps his mind flexible.
His mind is kept responsive to different conceptions; it is kept prepared to analyze even
contradictory ideas. We may summarize this
approach to new knowledge as liberalism .
The second method is that of abstraction.
It concems concepts, or ideas, advanced but
not demonstrable at the present either by
ourselves or those expounding them. These
are, for example, postulations and philosophies which for the time are incapable of
being proved to our senses. They are not
conjectures, however, but rational conclusions which cannot be related to facts. Many
such abstractions may become tomorrows
empirical knowledgethat which may be
seen, heard, or felt.
To reject such abstractions because they
cannot at the moment be evidentially supported is to limit our visin. Many vital
influences in the lives of men in the realm
of philosophy, religin, and government were
once but ideis which inspired them, appealed
to their reason, and yet had no factual foundation. Therefore, what the preponderance
of experience cannot deny and reason can
not refute, we should also accept as relative
truth and knowledge.
Most men are willing to accept the reality
of every experience if it has the confirmation
of the senses. Unfortunately, however, they
do not subject their experiences to the inquiry
of reason. As a result, it often requires sub-

sequent events to disprove what the senses

once mad appear to be absolute truth. Perception and reason must collaborate if we
are to have practica! truth. By practical
truth, we mean that knowledge which will
serve us as having a degree of reliability and
usefulness.
Appearances are deceiving and we must
learn that that which is obviously apparent
may have at times a contrary nature. This
is the kind of experience which must be
intimately had rather than be taught to u
by another, Sense experiences are personal
and emphatic. In contrast to what another
may relate to us about circumstances, that
which we personally observe seems mor
dependable. It is only when we are disillusioned and discover that experiences may be
other than they seem to be that we alter our
intellectual approach to life. It is then that
the sceptic is bom!
Two factors are characteristic of the true
sceptic. He is first a sophisticat. He must
have become familiar with the vicissitudes of
life. He must have a knowledge of various
human personalities and the diversities of
human character. As a sophisticat, he is as
well a realist. This does not mean that he
is devoid of idealism and aspiration. How
ever, he has arrived at a point in his per
sonal development where there is a fair
degree of balance between imagination, visualization, emotionalism, and reason.
He knows that all that man conceives i$
not always possible of materialization in this
life. What is imagined or visualized, h
understands must first be related to material
reality if it is to become more than a subjective experience. Even a mystical or religious
experience if eventually it is to enlighte
other men and quicken their inner consciousness must be made to appear rational; at
least, it must appear to serve some aspect of
their nature. An intellectual sophisticat is
one who has walked, talked, and lived with
various levels of society.
The other characteristic of the sceptic is
his emphasis on prudence. This caution is
exhibited by a survey of every situation or
proposal. The sceptic never accepts anything
by its prima facie valu; in other words, he
is not given to impetuosity. This survey
allows him time for a review of what may
have been preconceived ideas or hastily
formed judgments. Such prudence on the

part of the sceptic may accordingly lose him

an opportunity which snap judgment might
otherwise afford him. However, such a disadvantage will be offset by the decided advantage of avoiding a serious mistake.
A sceptic, or one generally having this
popular appellation, is more often not so in
fact. One who displays an evident hostility
toward all change or resents the new or
unfamiliar just because it is such is not a
sceptic. Such a person is principally fearful of the need to abandon convictions
which he has or prefersright or wrong.
He resents contrary ideas which challenge
his judgment.
Often such a person is merely afflicted
with a severe inferiority complex. The only
way in which he can respect his own opinions
is to discredit all others! It is characteristic
of the so-called sceptic that he will not inquire into a new proposal or subject but will
immediately advance a criticism which re
mains unsupported either by fact or logic.
He is in reality a bigot and is intolerantnot
sceptical.
Some of the pseudo-sceptics are only mentally indolent. Inquiry into new fields of
thought, unfamiliar situations, or self-analysis
requires mental effort. They prefer to sacrifice new knowledge and the benefit that might
accrue from it rather than to dispel predetermined ideas and begin to learn anew.
The pessimist is often confused with the
true sceptic, a fact which does the latter a
real injustice. The pessimist is one who
habitually assumes the negative point of
view for every idea or situation advanced to
him. His opinion is not the result of an open
mind or of inquiry; it is, rather, a distrust
of the ultmate success of any venture. The
consistent pessimist is one whose morale
has been shattered. He is a victim of some
psychological condition and, as a result,
lacks self-confidence. He is afraid of the
new, the different, or the unusual. He feels
incapable of coping with that which may
test his personal powTers.
This attitude may have caused him to ex
perience a series of failures, which, in turn,
inclined him to feel incompetent to contribute
to the satisfactory culmination of a new
enterprise. Even if the pessimist is not called
to particpate personally, he is psychologically
conditioned to believe that success or achieve-

ment is wholly an element of chance and that

the odds are generally unfavorable.
Scepticism as a system of philosophical
thought dates back to Pyrrho of Elis in the
third century before Christ. Pyrrho found
that much that men held as positive knowl
edge was nothing more than false opinion
and erroneous preconception. The growing
spirit of inquiry and rationalism of that time
caused a serious empirical investigation of
much that had been accepted upon faith.
It was soon discovered that sensory experi
ences often deceive men. There was then
the further realization that all of the knowl
edge of the senses is only relative, not
absolute. To show his distrust for knowledge
of the senses and his utter unreliance upon
them, Pyrrho was related not to have turned
aside even for an approaching wagn or for
a precipice in his path. He refused to believe
in the danger that he perceived, and it is re
lated that his friends had to rescue him in
such circumstances.
At a later period, Carneades, a successor
of Pyrrho, became the principal exponent
of scepticism. He pointed out, as well, the
contradictions of the knowledge of the senses.
Hawks have keener eyesight than men; dogs
have more acute scent. To each of them,
within the range of their particular superior
sense, the world is more expansive than it is
to man. Carneades then asked which is the
real world, the one the dog experiences, that
of the hawk, or the one of man? Each sense
also has an excellence of its particular
quality. An apple is yellow; it is likewise
sweet and fragrant. To each sense, separately,
the apple has an outstanding appealing
quality. But again, Carneades asked, what is
the true nature of the apple? What criterion
have we to rely upon?
Carneades also was acrimonious in his
criticism of reliance upon reason as conclusive knowledge. It is related that, while
in the service of the embassy in Rome, he
one day would arge eloquently on a point
of ethics; the next day, he would arge just
as forcefully but in a contradictory vein. This
was done to prove the relativity of knowledge.
From such extreme beginnings, there developed sound scepticism tempered by time.
The sincere sceptic is one who follows a
triple approach to all new knowledge. The
first step is evaluation. This consists of determining the relation of any new proposal

or situation to ones immediate or indirect

interests. We cannot be expected to devote
our time to or to have equal interest in all
subjects or matters. Thus before we give it
further consideration, we must find how
cise the proposed matter is to our experi
ence, talents, the demands of our life, and
our moral and social obligations. We are not
intellectually capable, or are we temperamentally suited, to have a serious interest in
all matters that are brought to our attention.
Thus such a survey or evalution is most
important.
The second step is analysis. As stated,
this consists of going behind appearances,
not being affected by phenomenalism or the
emotional appeal alone in examining any
iiew experience. It requires one to question
implied authority or purported facts. It is
necessary to distinguish between speculation
and empirical proof. If proof is not possible,
then the rational grounds of the theory or
postulation presented must be determined.
The third and final approach of the sceptic
is one of acceptance or rejection. If knowl
edge meets the first two tests satisfactorily,
then one must give it all the enthusiasm that
his emotions can engender. In this way, he
will get the utmost advantage and enjoyment
out of the new experience, for he is then on
safe ground and the probability of subsequent
disappointment or disillusionment is remte.
Conversely, if the first two tests leave doubt
as to the valu of the new knowledge or of its
veracity, it must be rejected at once.
Such scepticism as this is recommended
to every Rosicrucian. It is never a block
or a hindrance to the learning of truth.X

Cycles of History
Interest in cycles has been evidenced by
man over a long period of time. In our
correspondence here at Rosicrucian Park, we
see an unwavering interest in this subject.
Correspondence regarding cycles results particularly from the interest in the book, Self
Mastery and Vate with the Cycles of Life ,
by the first Imperator of this jurisdiction, Dr.
H. Spencer Lewis, published by the Supreme
Grand Lodge.
As stated in his book, we cannot enter into
correspondence to establish, interpret, or
comment upon the cycles of any individual.
The book serves him as a guideline for

studying the cycles that affect his life.

Through study and experience, he can use it
as a map to lay out a path, or way, to follow
so that he can avail himself of the general
principies of cycles to the best advantage.
The theory of cycles involves the relation
ship of each element of the environment to
the others. There is considerable controversy
in this area, which goes from one extreme to
another. There is the one who, for example,
believes that every movement in the universe
or on this planet in some way directly affects
him. The opposite belief is that each individ
ual is an island, unaffected by the circum
stances about him. Both extremes are rather
ridiculous, especially when we analyze the
intellectual potentialities of the human being
and realize that he should be able to draw
more logical conclusions.
We are neither a victim of our environ
ment, or are we under such control of the
environment that we cannot do anything
without its affecting us. On the other hand,
we cannot live isolated from our environment.
Modern psychology has indicated that man
is not only affected by heredity but also by
the forces that play upon him in his environ
ment.
I,
personally, cannot go into a discussion
of the many theories in regard to cycles or,
as far as that is concerned, into the many
theories that have to do with mans situation
on earth and his future as they may be af
fected by other conditions outside himself.
We do know that the movement of the earth,
the position of the planets, and the whole
universe have an inter-reacting play upon
each other. To a degree, gravity is an interrelationship between the various parts of the
universe, one body reacting upon the other.
The common illustration of the tides of the
earth as affected by the gravitational forces
of the moon and other celestial bodies is an
indication of such effects.
To what extent the movement of the members of the universe has upon individual hu
man beings living on the earth is more
controversial. No doubt, there are cycles of
change just as there as pulsating cycles
within our own beings that have an effect
upon every other condition. We live in cycles
the cycles of daylight and dark, the cycles
of the seasons, the cycles of the general
changes that take place in our environment,
some natural and some man-made. There are

cycles within our own bodiesthe changes

in blood pressure, the rate of respiration, and
the rhythm of the heartbeat. All these con
ditions seem to be in different patterns; but
one thing that is sure insofar as cycles are
concerned is that no man has yet perfected
an interpretation of all the cycles that play
upon the human being.
History is said to repeat itself. The con
ditions that exist at one time often exist again.
Man is not only affected by the physical
pressures of his environment, but also by the
nonphysicalthat is, by the life forces and
the knowledge and experience that have gone
before him.
Some time ago, I had occasion to examine
in fact, I had to read thoroughlya legal
document which was prepared about thirtyfive years ago. In reading it carefully, I
repeatedly carne across parts that called to
mind the events that caused certain specific
paragraphs to be included. In other words,
the document had been prepared to meet the
demands of a certain situation, and the con
ditions that existed at the time required
certain inclusions to be made in it.
It occurred to me then that there are only
two or three people living today who had
had experiences similar to mine and would
know, therefore, why these particular provisions were included in that technical docu
ment. Following this line of reasoning, it
also occurred to me that probably in the
future someone reading the same document
might wonder why a particular item was in
cluded. He might conclude that the provision
was unnecessary, and he might possibly delete
it. Then circumstances similar to those that
occurred some thirty-five years ago might
come about again and, as a result of the par
ticular provisions being deleted, a problem
will arise. The problem may be difficult to
solve, but eventually a solution may be
worked out and a provision that will meet a
similar situation may again be included in
the document.
In other words, history repeats itself because man does not learn by the experiences
of others. Something that seems superfluous
in ones experience today may have been
very important at another time. Not having
had the experience, he is unable to appreciate
why a provision in a legal document, for
example, was made so specific. But if he
experiences the same difficulties again, then

he will either understand the provisions or,

if they have been superseded, he will go
through the experience again, having to for
mlate the provisions to cover the situation.
This in a sense summarizes a great deal
of mans history. He does not draw upon
the experiences of others sufficiently and is
unable, therefore, to avoid using considerable
time to correct the same errors that his forefathers learned to correct. Many times, we
forget why man has decided upon certain
procedures and provisions. We may think
that the ideas are old-fashioned, are no longer
of particular or specific use to us, and so they
are thrown away, discarded and ignored.
But difficult experiences will cause us to come
to similar conclusions; and so it is that in the
history of mans civilizations, their rise and
fall, we have indications and illustrations of
historys repeating itself in essentially the
same manner many times,
Why is it that man cannot learn by these
experiences? It is probably because he is
intensely aware of his present situation.
Most of us live so wrapped up in the demands
of the moment that we lose the perspective
that is necessary for drawing upon the ex
periences of the past. While man has become
very proficient in many things, he has never
gained efficiency in utilizing the experience
of others. We have all gone through the
experience of some event that was either
to our advantage or disadvantage; and when
we see another faced by a similar circumstance, sometimes we ofPer unsolicited advice.
This advice is seldom taken in a kindly man
ner. The other individual seems to have to
learn just as we have had to; whereas, if we
would utilize the lessons of history and realize
that the whole of life is a series of cycles, we
could save ourselves a lot of trouble by draw
ing upon the experiences of others.
Cycles in themselves are not as important
as our application of them is concerned. The
individual must live, regardless of the cycle
in which he lives. There is a rhythm to the
universe, and if we are able to bring our
selves into a harmonious relationship with
that rhythm, we shall be better able to ad
just to the demands of life that are a part
of our experience. To work with the cosmic
forces that cause the universe to be is certainly going to be more conducive to our
welfare, well-being, and evolvement than to
work in opposition to them either in ignorance or because of our failure to cooperate.

No book or guide on cycles that anyone has

ever written for man to use as a model for
his life can be the exact model for my life or
for yours. We can only refer to such guides
as a map upon which to plan our own steps,
possibly to point us in the right direction.
There are those who are constantly seeking a
way to utilize an external situation or condition. I recently read of the importance of the
fact that we are soon to enter a new age, the
Aquarian Age, and according to the rosy
picture painted by the writer, the entering of
the Aquarian Age will bring great relief and
benefit to the human race. We shall all be
better, and we shall all have better lives in
this new age if we are to believe the argument of the article. This, I seriously doubt.
I do not question the fact that there are
ages that change, that a new cycle will begin,
that the Aquarian Age will bring new influences and subtle effects on our environment;
but in the final analysis, the relationship to
his environment lies within the individual.
It does not make any difference what age
we live in or what cycle we may be concerned
with at the moment, our primary concern is
our own evolvement, our spiritual awareness
of our inner self.
The biggest challenge before us today, as
in all times in the past and all times in the
future, is to learn to know ourself, to listen
to our inner self. The soul of man is the
seat of his being. It is both the gift of the
Creator and the motivating forc by which
we live. To gain full awareness of this inner
self, of soul, is to unite ourselves with the
Creator, with God, with the Supreme Being,
or whatever terminology we want to use to
designate the Infinite. The soul is the one
contact, the one part of us that is synonymous and identical with the Absolute.
Mans destiny is to become aware of that
soul, to know its potentialities, to know its
meaning, and gain the knowledge and experi
ence that is stored within it. As we gain in
our knowledge of the soul, we are able to
evolve in our outlook, conceptions, mentality,
abilities, and in the use of our potentialities.
This applies not only to our present life but
to the incarnations to follow. In this way,
we move toward an ultimate unin with the
Creative forc which is evidenced within the
soul.
Regardless of what cycles may concern
man, the ages in which he lives, or the
history that has gone before, his obligation

to himself and to his Creator is to utilize

every possible forc that will aid in the
development of his psychic self and bring
about the awareness of the full potentiality of
the soul. This will always be a difficult task.
It will never be simple. There may be periods
which will be more conducive to development
than others, and it is our duty to try to discover them. But whether we live in one
age or another, or whether one cycle is affecting us or another, it is still our duty to work
toward the evolvement of our inner self.
If we do not do it now, regardless of the age,
the cycle, or the period in which we live,
we shall probably never do it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that now
is a very good time if we know what to do
with it. Now is the only time that we are sure
of. If we are going to evolve at all, we are
going to have to draw upon our own experi
ence as well as that of the whole human race
and utilize the methods, procedures, exercises, and practices that will contribute to our
development. This in essence is the substance of the Rosicrucian teachings. They
provide the philosophy and the procedures by
which we can evolve the awareness of self
and give predominance to the soul over the
physical body in a material world.A

Self-Suggestion
A frater rises to speak to our Forum members: There have been a number of arricies
in popular periodicals and newspapers on
the subject of self-hypnotism, or self-suggestion. Many of the things governing our
daily lives are matters of suggestions received
from televisin commercials, billboards,
magazines, conversations, and such. Could
some of the aspects of our Rosicrucian teach
ings be simply a matter of hypnotism, or
self-suggestion? Where does suggestion begin
and end as a controlling factor in molding
our personality and character?
The essence of this question is do we
deceive ourselves in conducting some of the
experiments of the Order? Are we suggesting to ourselves results which, in fact, do not
exist? There is no doubt that suggestion is
a most effective and subtle factor in influencing our thoughts and actions in life. Its
subtlety exists in that we are not always
aware of the stimulus or suggestion which
causes us to act in a certain way. We often

are prone to ascribe our actions to our reasoning and conclusions when, in fact, our
emotions have been aroused by some subtle
suggestion which motivated us in a certain
direction.
A suggestion is an element of a complex
idea. It is, in other words, one of several
ideas that have formerly become united as
a single thought in our minds. Usually, the
suggestion is the central or strongest element
of such a complex idea. When it is experienced, it associates with itself immediately
and often without our conscious effort all
other ideas which are related to it. We may
say that the idea of a suggestion is a symbol
of all the other ideas which can be related
to it. When we see a picture of the sun,
we think of light and heat. When we see
a mountain stream, we think of coid water,
a vacation, or of fishing. We recall all ideas
which our personal experiences may have
associated with a mountain stream. Such
thoughts arise immediately in the fore of
consciousness upon perceiving a mountain
stream.
The factor of imagination also plays a
prominent part in connection with sugges
tion. An object perceived may by the faculty of imagination be extended as an idea
into a new and different order than we have
actually experienced. How many times, for
example, have we pointed to a cloud formation and said, See how that cloud resembles
a horse galloping? We have never seen
a horse galloping in the clouds, but the form
of the cloud extends itself by suggestion into
an order, or arrangement, that resembles our
experience of a horse galloping.
The psychology of advertising and selling
uses the principie of suggestion extensively
to create and awaken desires within the indi
vidual for the producs which the manufacturer wishes to sell. In the hot summer when
one is usually thirsty, a billboard may have
an illustration of a huge cake of ice beside
which hovers a polar bear. Through the top
of the ice is thrust a bottle of a favorite drink
with beads of moisture on it. It is most appealing. It draws to itself all our experiences
with cooling drinks and the gratification of
our thirst. It makes us seek a drink or become more conscious of our thirst.
In the Rosicrucian teachings, obviously, no
exercises or experiments are given for the
purpose of deceiving the student. Nothing

would be accomplished by such perfidious

means. The student would eventually learn
of such misrepresentations. Further, the Or
der can be strong only by having an intelligent and truly accomplished membership.
However, there is no doubt that certain of
the activities of the Order inadvertently do
act as suggestions, causing the individual
who is not analytical to presume to have
results which he does not. Such presumption
can be overcome easily if the member attempts to be analytical.
We have known members who, in conducting exercises, have squinted their eyes
or tumed the light in their room so as to
cause certain reflections to further their experiment in a purely optical way. The result
was an optical illusion. Ideas were suggested
by appearances which were not true realities.
Afterwards, these members would say, of
course: I am not sure what I experienced.
It may have been self-suggestion One asks
why they purposely arranged the physical
elements in a manner to produce an effect
that was illusionary. They reply, Without
doing so, I would have had no results.
Such students would rather deceive themselves intentionally than admit failure. That
kind of attitude is unfair to the Rosicrucian
Order and its principies. It is far better for
the member to fail and realize that he needs
further study and practice than to falsify
results and imply that the experiment can be
successful only by deception and self-sugges
tion.X

The Final Judgment

A frater in the Province of Ontario,
Caada, calis our attention to a statement in
the book, Mansions of the Soul, which reads:
The doctrine of reincarnation includes the
coming of final judgment. The frater then
asks if this is supposed to be an individual
or mass judgment. Also, if we are judged
individually, what happens if we fail to pass
the judgment? What happens to us as egos?
Are we destroyed?
Questions such as these prey heavily on
many peoples minds, especially those who
have been raised in a religious discipline
which emphasizes final judgments and everlasting damnation for those who fail. In
mystical language, the final judgment is a
symbol which represents ultimate karma.

There is no judgment which dooms man

eternally. No one by any stretch of the
imagination could possibly equate such a fate
with justice.
Judgment as we think of it in mystical
language is the constant action of karma.
Every moment of our life, our behavior and
thoughts are being judged. This is no per
sonal judgment, but rather the impersonal
action of karma. While we are alive in any
particular incamation, we may not reap the
penalties or the rewards imposed by karma
because of mitigating circumstances.
We may forestall the effects of judgments
that are in our favor or those that would exact
penalties of us. But at transition, all mitigat
ing factors vanish and karma balances the
scales once again. At transition, judgment is
exacted and, at rebirth, we take what balance
of penalty or reward is exacted of us and
begin anew from that point.
Because of this, transition has often been
referred to as the last judgment in religious
and mystical literature. And for each incarnation, this is true. Transition is the last and
the final judgment: a time when full restitution is made for those acts not fully compensated for in the past life. But when we
incamate again, we are judged again, for
there can be no life without the actions of
karma ever present.
When in mystical literature it is said that
even the doctrine of reincarnation includes
the coming of final judgment, it simply means
that a time will come when the soul person
ality reaches maturity and need not incarnate
or be judged any more.
It is not a question of whether a person
will pass or fail. When he has reached the
time of final judgment, his failures are all
behind him and he has won the exalted state
of at-one-ness with the Cosmic. We may
look upon the journey of a soul personality
as a long trip with many stops along the way.
The final stop marks the end of the journey,
a time of arrival, a point of completion. It is
not a point where more decisions have to be
made, where one may take the right or
wrong road, where one may experience breakdowns, failures, barriers, or obstacles to
success.
There is no tuming one back, no rejection,
no damnation. Such would be contrary to
the purpose and function of life, which constantly strives to be!B

Thoughts That Destroy Man

A frater now presents this question to our
Forum: Is it true that jealousy, selfishness,
greed, and desire for power over people will
not only destroy a person, but also those
around him as well?
There are two ways to approach an answer
to this question: First, is it meant that negative, adverse thoughts in themselves have an
efficacy, a forc that can destroy a human?
In other words, do such thoughts radiate like
a destructive energy? Or does it mean that
the psychological and sociological effects of
such thoughts produce destructive and harmful conditions affecting people?
Let us approach the subject from the point
of view of the first assumption. To believe
that merely holding in mind certain malevolent thoughts, thoughts that may be directed
toward another, will harm a person is bordering on the belief of sympathetic magicor
Black Magic. This is the assumption that
such thoughts, like darts or arrows, reach out
into space toward the one that they are
directed to and figuratively pierce the consciousness of their victim.
It is further assumed by those who believe
this that the object of such thoughts cannot
have adequate defense against them, particularly if he does not know they are being
directed against him. Our answer to this is,
as has often been said in our monographs and
Rosicrucian Digest that you cannot be af
fected by the malevolent thoughts of others.
By this, we mean that you cannot be taken
possession of by destructive thoughts which
may be focused upon you.
We do not deny, from the standpoint of
natural phenomena, that the transmission,
or projection, of thought is possible. There
are too many examples that such is apodictical. Modern science in parapsychology, in
the realm of extrasensory perception, is experimenting with the transmission and reception of intelligence without any physical
mdium; and, of course, our members have
many exercises to demnstrate this as well.
However, this does not indicate that destruc
tive thoughts will pervade the mind of the
one whom they are intended for without
his having any defensive mechanism to
resist them.
Fortunately, as our monographs point out,
the Guardian of the Threshold, namely,
our own conscience, the moral standards

which we have established and which are of

our own subconscious, or the psychic self,
repel such thoughts. The thoughts of others
that are mentally transmitted to us are never
as potent as those that are engendered directly in our own consciousness. If one suggests to himself that he will not be influenced
by any thought that is adverse to his own
moral and ethical standards, he will not be.
If one, however, sincerely believes in the
primitive reasoning and superstition of Black
Magic, he then becomes a victim of it. Actually, he is a victim of his own mind. In
believing that such thqughts can affect him,
he reduces or lessens the resistance of his own
mind to them. In fact, what he does is to
implant into his own consciousness the idea
that he is to be, or will be, affected by such
malevolent thoughts.
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, in his most effective
and enlightening book, Mental Poisoning,
states that individuis who believe in the
power of evil thoughts to affect them are
poisoning their own minds. They make
themselves victims by submitting to such
beliefs. They worry, they develop a nervous
condition and anxiety, and through a somatic
relationship, this causes a decline in their
health. They erroneously attribute these
symptoms to the evil thoughts of their
enemies. They become convinced that Black
Magic really does have an efficacy. As a
result, fear increases and so do physical depletion and illness, which they consider as
still further proof that they are victims.
Primitive people have been known actually
to die from the fear and belief that Black
Magic rites were being exercised against
them and that they were being affected by
them. Oftentimes, such persons actually
developed physical symptoms corresponding
to what those invoking the Black Magic rites
desired to have them suffer. This, again, is
the effect of autosuggestin, thoughts that one
implants in his own mind. For analogy, it
has been shown in demonstrations of hypnotism that an operator could suggest to the
hypnotized subject that he was developing
a severe blister on his hand. If the hypnotic
state were induced long enough, an actual
blister would appear on the hand of the sub
ject. This shows the effect of the power of
our own thoughts. Of course, in the case of
hypnotism, the thought of the operator replaced the thought of the subject.

Persons who must be around those who

have an intense hatred or jealousy of them
will experience such thoughts as a feeling
of mild depression. It cannot hurt them beyond this feeling for the reasons we have
given. The auras of those who hold such
malevolent thoughts radiate vibrations which
induce inharmony in the aura of those
around them. This produces emotional sensations of uneasiness and unhappiness. In
fact, persons who are around those holding
such thoughts of hatred, though the thoughts
are not even directed toward them, will ex
perience this feeling of depression. Such
thoughts can do no more than that if one
is determined to resist them with his own
thoughts. It is because they are his own
thoughts and are intmate; therefore, they
are far more powerful than those directed
toward him by others existing around him.
When such a feeling of depression is experienced as a result of someone in your
presence or environment, it is best, if possible,
to leave that environment. In other words,
you should change your surroundings if you
can. Once beyond the contact of such an
aura, this radiation is no longer detected. If
one cannot change his environment, then
certain principies that are given in the degrees of the Rosicrucian Order can be applied.
These are particularly set forth in the Ninth
Degree.
Now, the way in which jealousy, hatred,
avarice, and other adverse thoughts can de
stroy those who have them and even other
persons may be termed the psychological
aspect of this subject. One who harbors
malicious thoughts is poisoning his own mind.
He keeps himself in a negative, emotional
state. It is a condition of continual agitation
of his nervous and digestive systems. He
disrupts the internal harmony of his own
being. There is in man, as we know, a
psychosomatic relationship. His emotions,
as every physician, psychologist, psychiatrist,
and Rosicrucian knows, have an impact upon
his nervous system, which, in tum, affects
his glands, digestive system, and major
organs. The hateful and jealous person eventually shows the agitation of his emotions.
The tensin under which he labors gradually
distorts his features so that he (or she) looks
mean. Numerous ailments can arise from
a long duration of such thoughts and feelings
being locked up within one. It is truly a

slow-acting poison. Peptic ulcers, hypertension, cardiac afflictions are but a few of the
adverse effects by which one can destroy
himself.
Psychologically, such a person in a group
can cause dissension. He may create suspicion among others; spread gossip; pit one
individual against another. Unless action is
forcefully undertaken to remove him because
of his actsnot his thoughtshe can and will
harm others around him. But, we repeat, it
is what he may say or do that defames or
disrupts society. It is not any power which
his thoughts have upon others.X

AM O RCs Beliefs
Many who express an interest in AMORC
ask for a statement of its beliefs. They want
to have a codified doctrine which they can
identify with AMORC, a doctrine regarding
life, death, creation, man, God, and similar
subjects.
As every member knows, the Rosicrucian
Order has no such codified doctrine. A state
ment of beliefs in particulars is diametrically
opposed to the true purpose of AMORC. Rosicrucians are, figuratively speaking, walking
question marks. They are seekers who realize that mans consciousness is always evolving; that current conceptions are subject to
change.
The Rosicrucian is developing an attitude
and aptitude for change. Through the intui
tive faculty, he is able to respond to the
requirements for harmony in connection
with what each day brings forth. He is
searching not so much for final answers as
for understanding of todays problems in
relation to his ability to cope with them.
Those who want a statement of beliefs are
often looking for an organization which will
support their own convictions. They want
an itemized list against which they can
compare notes. If their notes agree, they
join. If not, they look elsewhere.
AMORC is interested in having in its
membership only those who are truly seeking, those who are prepared to explore the
universe with an open mind and who have
no fixed idea as to what lies behind natures
still unopened doors. It encourages inquiry
and invites into its group those who wish to
discover the universe through its unique
mystical process.B

Is Retaliation Justified?

The Survival of Consciousness

A soror asks whether it is possible to forget

and forgive. How, she asks, can a dignified
silenCe be maintained in the face of indignity
and persecution?

A soror rises to address our Forum. She

asks, How may one explain with candor
to a person who is not a Rosicrucian the sur
vival of consciousness, sometimes termed
earthbound personalities, without giving the
impression that we are spiritualists? Some
times, the bereaved experience tactile or other
sensations which bewilder them, and they
wonder if the deceased has not contacted and
comforted them.
This question really includes two different
subjects, though both are related, namely,
the survival of consciousness and earthbound
personalities. The latter, of course, is dependent on the acceptance of the idea of the
former. The survival of consciousness
emerges, perhaps, from the earliest of all
religious doctrinesimmortcdity. The Egyptians were the first in history to give credence
to immortality. From a Fifth-Dynasty inscription on the wall of a tomb we have this:

We would say that it is possible to forget

and forgive, but whether a person should is
another question. There are many who take
indignity upon indignity, who turn the other
cheek, who forget and forgive without thought
of retaliation. They base their action on the
concept that to retalate is to lower oneself to
the level of the antagonist.
On the other hand, never to question in
dignity and persecution is to allow the growth
and enjoyment of these measures by others.
A man who constantly tums his cheek to
indignities and persecution probably would
not allow weeds and rocks to encroach on his
crops. He would cultvate his fields and root
out the thorns and grasses that threaten the
well-being of his harvest. Such a man would
not allow rodents or termites to attack his
home. He would not allow rust or grime to
harm his car. He would retalate, fight fire
with fire, in order to preserve the good and
the wholesome.
The phrase, turning the other cheek,
should not be interpreted as a mandate to
ignore the worlds cruelties and inadequacies,
which need attention and correction. A person must stand up to these; he must take
measures to bring about a better situation; he
should retalate.
If the phrase, turning the other cheek,
has any significance at all, it would be found
in a persons determination to do what is
right, regardless. People who are engaged
in right action, in positive and corrective
measures, are often subjected to the catcalls
and depreciatingremarks of others. They may
be ostracized and criticized for their beliefs
and their convictions. In this case, to retum
like behavior would be lowering oneself to the
level of the antagonists. Anger, caustic retorts, fighting back on the same level would
avail them nothing. Here, then, is where the
cheek is to be tumed.
Positive action on a high plae commensurate with a persons ideis is called for.
Retaliation in this sense is certainly justified
and called for.B

They depart not as those who are dead,

but they depart as those who are living.
Why has man believed that he is immortal?
It is, perhaps, an extensin of the instinct of
self-preservation. The vital forc in both man
and all anmate things resists forcefully that
which would cause its cessation. When man
became a rational being, he became conscious
of this driving impulse to live. Death was
but a very obvious contrast, a cessation of
all those attributes men associate with life
and which they wish to continu.
The tangible, corporeal part of man was
seen to die and lose its power, to disintegrate
and lose its form. However, primitive men,
as we learn from their language and artfacts, conceived man as a dual being. The
rational, conscious, feeling being was considered an entity, a spirit, embodied within
the physical. By comparison with the body,
it was intangible and invisible; yet it was
realized sufficiently to be thought to exist.
At birth, this invisible entity, this other
aspect of the duality, entered the body in
some manner. Its functions, or attributes,
appeared to be concomitant with birth or
life. So, breath and air were identified with
spirit or soul. At death, this entity, this in
visible, personal self, seemed to depart. Since
it was always invisible, there was no indication at transition, at the cessation of physical

existence, that there was the termination of

this spirit as well. It had seemed to exist
before birth, to imprgnate the body with
breath, and, therefore, at death it was presumed to be released and to survive.
The Egyptians thought at first that only
the soul, or Ba, as they termed it, survived.
However, later they thought that the body,
too, would be resurrected. The Osirian rites,
so-called, were ritual dramas through which
were enacted the birth, death, and rebirth
(or resurrection) of Osiris. It was taught in
the mystery schools that all men would ex
perience a resurrection similar to that of
Osiris and would live again in the Afterworld.
Again, we find a Fifth-Dynasty inscription
relating:
As Osiris lives, so shall he also Uve;
as Osiris died not, so shall he also not die;
as Osiris perished not, so shall he also
not perish.
The soul in the Afterworld was to be
judged in the great Hall of the Gods. Technically known as Psychostasia, it was the
process or method of weighing the soul on a
great scale. The soul was weighed against
Maat, or Truth, which was symbolized by a
feather. In one pan of the scale was the Sym
bol of Ba, the soul, and, in the opposite, a
feather, depicting Truth.
To the ancient Egyptians, the one who
passed all tests would attain to immortality
and exist in human form; his earthly person
ality would survive. Like the later Greeks, the
Egyptians thought that those who were accepted as good would enjoy after death the
highest pleasures that were known on earth.
In most of the fundamentalist religions
today, heaven is a definite placenot a state
of mind. The blessed exist in an ethereal
manner but, nevertheless, possess their mortal
personalities, the appearance by which they
were recognized on earth. This, of course, is
a primitive transference of the continuation of
this life to the next one sans all this lifes
adversities. To the average individual, a
survival after death means the continuation
of self and its sensations. They find it difficult to comprehend an entirely different state
of consciousness that might prevail after
death. It is like trying to explain what green
and blue are to a sightless person.
To the advanced mystic and metaphysician, survival after death, in most instances,
has an entirely different connotation. He

realizes that the qualities of our sense facultiescolor, sound, dimensin, tactile sensa
tions, and even pain and pleasurecannot
exist after death since they are the consequence of the mortal, physical organism.
Even perception, the state of awareness or
the kind of consciousness that would survive,
must be different, just as most other forms
of consciousness of which we are aware and
which appear to be dependent upon a rela
tionship to the physical organism. If one
destroyed a violin, he could no longer play
compositions upon it. However, can or does
the music which did issue from the violin
persist after the instrument no longer exists?
In other words, can something of conscious
ness, some level of it, persist when the physi
cal organism through which it functioned
ceases to be?
The human organism, the molecular structure, is impregnated by a vital forc or energy
by which it becomes anmate. It thus sets up
templets, or pattems, of itself by which it
reproduces and transmits its kind. The recent
scientific discovery of the DNA, the living.
molecular system that perpetuates itself,
confirms this much.
However, does this vital forc, when it is
eventually separated from the molecular
structure at transition, retain something of
the consciousness of self as a kid of aura?
Does the consciousness, like a drop of colored
fluid falling upon a stream of water, merge
with the stream yet retain its identity? Mystics say that it does, but they state, also, that
this awareness is quite unlike anything we
experience in our mortal bodies. Therein is
the difference between most views held by
orthodox religin.
Immediately following transition, is it pos
sible that there is a sympathetic, vibratory
relationship between this kind of surviving
consciousness and mortals on earth? This
would appear to be true where there has been
a strong emotional bond between the deceased
and the one who remains. Mystical tradition
says that such a bond exists but not in the
spectacular, primitive way suggested by the
so-called psychic seance addicts. This delicate
unin, like the faint aroma of a rose that has
been removed from a room, lingers for only
a short time. Apparently, it is detected only
by persons of great sensitivity or by those
who have had a strong emotional bond with
the departed. It is for this reason that every-

one cannot substantiate the claim of a sur

vival of consciousness. or is it easy to
explain how consciousness is retained in the
Cosmic. Especially is this true when the
body and the vital forc which impregnated
it are separated.
There are many hypotheses and theories in
connection with the survival of consciousness.
None of them as yet can be placed upon a
basis that would be acceptable generally and
scientifically.
With such a subject, we are treating of a
phenomenon that does not easily lend itself
to ordinary methods of objective analysis.
Science, within the necessary empirical
bounds by which it is guided, is not hostile
to the idea of the survival of consciousness as
many religionists believe. Rather, science
simply admits that it cannot explain what
has often been experienced so as to demn
strate it within the requirements and laws of
its method.
We sincerely believe that the Rosicrucians
come closer than any other system of thought
in attempting to reconcile such subjective
experiences and psychic phenomena with
demonstrable, physical laws. Of course, we
cannot show a surviving consciousness in the
afterlife as we would a projection on a screen,
but we are trying to raise the consciousness of
the individual so that certain experiences
will have reality to him.X

Rosicrucians and Revolution

A Frater rises to say: Inasmuch as Rosi
crucians are bound to obey and uphold the
laws of the country in which they are citizens,
to what extent, if any, may they involve
themselves in the overthrow of a tyrant or
tyrannical govemment in their country? By
this, I mean their participation in the planning, aiding, or carrying out of insurrection,
rebellion, revolution or the joining of such
activities when initiated by others? Also, to
what extent, if any, may a Rosicrucian go
into these activities for a country not his
own?
First, we quote a question appearing in the
application form for Rosicrucian membership, which a candidate is obliged to answer
in the affirmative. It states: Do you try to
practice good citizenship and obey the laws
of the country in which you live? Second,
the Neophytes Great Oath, sent to every

Rosicrucian in the Neophyte Degrees, has as

part of its second point the following words to
which members are requested to subscribe:
I promise I will honor and respect the Flag
of my country and the country in which I
live; that I \yill never be guilty of treason;
that I will be a good and useful citizen, contributing to the advancement and welfare of
the country in which I enjoy the privilege of
being a resident. Candidates who have refused to subscribe to these obligations have
been and are rejected.
How, then, should such principies be reconciled with the activities of a citizen of a
country who participates in a revolution or
insurrection against the established govem
ment? Should such a member of AMORC be
suspended? Or if the individual is qualified
in every way to be a member but is a political
revolutionary, should his appeal for membership be refused? We believe, and perhaps
this is a moot philosophical question, that
a distinction must be drawn between the
machinery of government, its system, or administration, as such, on the one hand, and its
function on the other hand; that is, the manner in whch it serves the people which it
implies it represents. Certainly, every citi
zen is obliged within legal channels to
support a governmental system of his country
that in its general operation and purpose
gives evidence of endeavoring to work for the
welfare of the people. This does not mean
that the citizen is obliged to be in agreement
with every policy of the prevailing govem
ment and its administration. He should be
allowed to voice his criticism and, through
the channels provided, work toward remedial
measures for those things with which he is
not in accord.
In democracies and republics, legal means
are established by which a govemment
which does not satisfy the majority of the
people may be changed. This majority, of
course, is not necessarily always right. Mobs
are often more numerous than enlightened
leaders. These mobs may use their majority
power to bring about changes which, in
effect, may be a regression rather than an
advancement. In democracies, where there
is freedom of expression and representation
in the government, such a risk of majority
fault has to be endured.
Where, however, an oligarchy or a tyran
nical dictatorship exists, which in practice is

adverse to the national welfare and the in

terest of the people, an entirely different
situation prevails. From a Rosicrucian point
of view, requesting that a member respect
his government where there is a sincere effort
to further public interest is to be distinguished
from the support of a government obviously
having a selfish motive furthering officialdom
only. A government may make a mistake
in policy. The most liberal and honest govemments in history have done so. A revolu
tion seeking to overthrow such a govemment
by forc is unjust. However, where people
are being oppressed by their government and
exploited to further the interests of those who
hold the reins of government, revolution is
justified.
We have stated that a distinction must be
made between the mere machinery of gov
ernment and the administration by govern
ment in behalf of its citizens. An obligation
to government is had by the peopleif not
under compulsin, with the belief or at least
the presumption that such a government
represents their interests and that of the
nation as a whole. When by subsequent
events, it is found by intelligent and just
citizens whose concern is the welfare of the
nation and its people that the government
has defaulted in its professed aims and refuses
to rectify its mistakes, the people should then
take whatever means are necessary to right
that injustice. Obviously, the first attempts
to rectify the erroneous prevailing state of
affairs should be by negotiation and the per
suasin of reason. Objection to the injustices
should be presented with due probity by
officers of government and representatives of
the people.
Where unreasonable obstinacy is shown
by the government and where attempts are
forcefully made to suppress the complainants,
there is no other course but revolution by
whatever means necessary to accomplish the
liberation of the people from their shackles.
This means that as a last resort only there
should be open rebellion against the forms of
oppression imposed on the people. It may
mean open warfare as a final effort to remove
the tyrannical oppressors.
Certainly, no mystical or spiritual organization can say it is wrong to use militant
methods to achieve justice and free a people
from suffering when all other alternatives
have failed. In such instances, the end justi-

fies the expedient method. There is no doubt

that in such revolutions passion may at times
submerge reason and most regrettable atrocities be committed. This occurred in the
French Revolution as well as in the American
Revolution. Yet no one who is a student of
history will deny that circumstances provoked such revolutions. Revolutions of that
kind are most always the final act of desperation when the rational appeals of the real
representatives of the people have failed.
Certainly, an individual, attempting in
good faith by his words and actions, to assist
in liberating his country and his people from
an oppressive government by supporting a
revolution in his land when all other means
have failed, should not be denied Rosicrucian
membership. However, it often takes careful
analysis and judicious investigation to deter
mine whether a revolution is truly necessary
and represents a just cause of the majority
of the people. Sometimes a demagogue,
posing as a patriot and liberator, will incite
the people against the government by deliberately misrepresenting its policies. Without
calm thinking and inquiry into the circum
stances such incitement can lead to much
harm.
As to whether one should volunteer or in
other ways aid a revolution that is taking
place in another country is also a polemic
question. Shall men go to the aid of a nation
that is suffering injustice to alleviate human
suffering? Is this considered an intervention in the internal affairs of another nation?
This is a question that we are confronted
with today. It is paramount in the news.
Soviet Russia has professed to liberate peoples
of other nations by revolutionary mens. Red
China has made like claims. The United
States is now declaring that it is liberating
the people in South Vietnam from a threat
of Communist oppression, and in Santo Do
mingo there is a similar intervention.X

Ecumenical Council and . . . ?

The religious world and civilized states in
general were impressed with the alleged objectives of the current Ecumenical Council
of the Romn Catholic Church. Certain objectives were given wide acclaim in the press
of the world. Foremost, was the announcement of the Vatican that an effort was to be
made to achieve Christian unity, literally to

cise ranks. There were lofty preachments

by the Pope, cardinals, and bishops about the
distress in the world, the paucity of understanding among peoples, and the need for
Christian brotherhood.
Apparently, various of the Protestant sects
did not consider such expositions of the
Romn Church as mere religious cant, for
they heralded the event from their pulpits.
Has, however, the Council and the subsequent functions of Catholic agencies, Orders,
periodicals, and the Hierarchy itself given
concrete evidence of the motive which they
so loudly and widely proclaimed?
The Council did not agree to abolish the
traditional objection to freedom of conscience.
Obviously, until it is agreed that every man
has the right to conceive God as he desires
and worship Him in a way compatible with
that belief, there can be no true brotherhood
unless, of course, brotherhood is to be construed as meaning that all Christian sects
merge their identities and doctrines in that of
the Romn Church.
Again, another prominent example that is
incompatible with the professed purpose of
the Ecumenical Council is the continued attack upon the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC,
by Romn Catholic publications. Concomitant with the Romn Churchs appeal for
peace in the world and the putting aside of
hatred and that conduct which pits man
against man, brochures and publications
vilifying AMORC continu to circuate.
There is not a month that passes without
Catholic booklets and leaflets in various
languages being published throughout the
world ridiculing Rosicrucians and deliberately distorting and misrepresenting facts
concerning the Orders activities.
Most of the literature follows in the same
vein. First , such literature states that re
gardless of what AMORC may say as to what
it is, it is nevertheless a religious sect. The
Catholic literature presents this in such a
manner as to indicate that some vile practice
has been discovered or revealed.
If we were a religin, we would be proud
to admit it. Further, if we were then under
the provisions of the Constitution of the
United States and similar laws of most of the
advanced nations of the world, we would
enjoy freedom of religin. In other words, if
we were a religin, we would have as much

right to our beliefs and practices as the

Romn Church. Further, there is the impli
cation that there is something improper in
our being a religinif we wereand that is
inconsistent with the professed efforts of the
Romn Church to bring about religious unity
and tolerance.
The second point upon which such Romn
Catholic attacks dwell is that we have lodge
rituals, initiations, and passwords. For this
reason, they continually stress in their literature a similarity between AMORC and Freemasonry. There are, of course, numerous
organizations besides the Freemasons and
AMORC that have lodges and ritualsthe
Knights of Columbus is one!
Of course, the Romn Church knows this,
so then why relate the Rosicrucian Order to
Freemasonry? It is because Freemasonryhas
been an anathema to the Romn Catholics
for centuries and represented as a kind of
diabolical activity from which they should
be as free as from Satan himself. This associating AMORC with Freemasonry in their
articles is intended to be a severe admonishment to Catholics to have no contact with
AMORC.
Third , great stress is put upon the fact
that Rosicrucians issue by mail, discourses
and monographs concerning their philosophy.
The manner in which these articles inveigh
against this suggests that such a method is
innately immoral or that a manuscript
studied at home and received through the
mail in some manner loses the efficacy of its
contents. The inconsistency of this kind of
attack is the fact that the Knights of Colum
bus, a Romn Catholic organization, carries
large advertisements regularly in general
newspapers and popular magazines offering
courses in Catholicism through the mail.
Still another point of attack by the Romn
Church in its public organs is that Rosicru
cians pay monthly dues for the privilege of
membership. They imply that this is horrendous. The implication in such articles is that
the payment of dues indicates commercialism.
This, we must frankly state, is sheer hypocrisy on the part of the Church. The average
devout Catholic family pays his churchand
is obliged to tithea sum which is far more
than AMORC members pay in monthly dues.
Further, Rosicrucian members are not
continually importuned, each week or month,

to support this or that function as are most

Catholic Church affiliates. Our Rosicrucian
membership dues include, among numerous
other things, a monthly copy of the Rosicru
cian Digest, the official periodical of the
Order. However, most Romn Catholic periodicals are not given freely to Catholics who
tithe. They are obliged to pay for a separate
subscription for such publications.
The next emphasis given in the derogatory
literature issued against AMORC by the
Church is in the fact of our rituals. These
articles, usually written by some member of
a Catholic Order and so designated, seem to
delight in extracting out of context some part
of a ritual, thereby attempting to make it
appear ludicrous. The Romn Church rituals,
if presented in such a manner, would appear
far more fantastic, weird, medieval, and
superstitious than any AMORC ritual; but
no one would deny them the right to use
their rituals. Why, then, should they resort
to deriding the rituals of others, which are
equally significant to their users?
As far as fraternal orders are concerned,
AMORC is numerically small, principally because we are a study organization. However,
we are the largest metaphysical and mystical
Order in existence although, in comparison
to social, religious, and political societies, we
are numerically small. And our resources,
in comparison to these others, are also relatively small. Yet the Romn Church is always
iihplying in its articles of attack that AMORC
has a tremendous accumulation of resources.

How ludicrous is this attempt to defame

AMORC, when the Romn Church itself is
referred to as a multibillion-dollar financial
empire. This very phrase is part of the
actual caption of an article appearing in
the April 26, 1965, issue of the V. S. News
and World Reporta world-renowned news
magazine. The article mentions the tremen
dous wealth and Ubusiness enterprises in
which the Church engages, stating:
. . the
story of the Vatican and its wealthwherever
you turn, the Vatican is revealed to have a
hand in big-time investments.
The Rosicrucian Order never attacks any
society, organization, or religious sect. We
shall be and are militant in our defense. We
cannot remain silent when Romn Catholic
literature contines its maligning of the
Order. We must present these insidious at
tacks to our members, and, also reveal th
inconsistency of the professed purpose and
motives of the Ecumenical Council and the
Romn Catholic heirarchy on the one hand
in contrast to its activities, on the other, and
its attitude toward whatever it considers
might become an attraction for its members.
Every Rosicrucian is invited to obtain from
AMORC, without cost, a quantity of brochures entitled Catholicism vs. Rosicrucianism. The brochure is a frank exposition of
our defense to the intolerance and injustice
of Romn Catholicism. These brochures are
for you to distribute whenever the question
arises regarding the Romn Catholic Churchs
literature attacking AMORC.X

A Reminder: The Rosicrucian Forum is a prvate publication for members

of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, only. To allow it to circuate otherwise
defeats its purpose and is a violation of ones obligation.

TtUft&Ue

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A prvate publication
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The House of Mystery

In the heart of Paris, surrounded
by narrow slreels and torluous
alleys, is the home of the famed
alchemist, Nicols Flamel. It
was a rendezvous for alchemists
and occultists of the fourteenth
century. To the orthodox and
tradition-bound minds of those
times, science, alchemy, and Hermeticism were considered hereti
cal ventures. Flamels home,
therefore, was thought by them
to be a strange link with a supernatural world.

Greetings!
V

VALUE OF RITUALS
Dear Fratres and Sorores:

Where there are those individuis who

profess to dislike ritualism, the cause may
be found to be a lack of understanding of
its nature. Unless a ritual is self-evident as
to its nature and intent, it may become a
meaningless ceremony. A ritual is a symbolic action. It depicts in dramatic symbolic
form an event or purpose. In its gestares,
actions, wording, and accouterment, it synthesizes, that is, compresses, some extensive
teaching as a moral principie, philosophical
concept, or event. A ritual, ceremoniously
presented, graphically represents an idea or
a series of them. Like other drama, it enacts
a collection of thoughts or happenings in an
abbreviated and impressive manner.
Many traditional rituals, whether religious
or secular, are a grouping of acts and signs
to depict a more elabrate function. Once it
is understood and related to a specific meaning, a symbol can effectively substitute for
an otherwise long explanation. Common
examples are the flag of a nation, the dollar
sign, the Christian cross, King Solomons
seal, and the caduceus, an ancient symbol
adopted by the medical fratemity. Symbols
are a kind of system of shorthand to illustrate simply extensive and sometimes com
plex ideas.
Though a ritual includes symbols and
thereby communicates intelligence in a condensed form, its purpose goes beyond this.
A ritual is action and not merely the exposition of a series of inert signs. It is intended
basically to arouse and portray human
emotions related to the purpose for which
the ritual exists. In other words, it is in
tended to projct subtle feelings and cause
psychic and emotional reactions, which an
inert symbol cannot do. A ceremony can be
composed of ritualistic acts, each act suggesting the spirit of the event or the purpose
of the ceremony. The coronation of a king
or queen, the vesting of an individual with
an honorary academic degree by a university, the various religious funeral and
marriage ceremonies are such examples. The

initiations of candidates into various Orders

and societies are further examples.
Such rituals and the ceremonies of which
they are a part are intended to induce in
the participant or the spectator a sympathetic response to the significance of the
event. He should know not only the meaning
of the occurrence but should personally feel
its effects as well. The ritual ceremony
should arouse compassion, devotion, loyalty,
or whatever virtues are related to the cause
being portrayed. Simply stated a ritual must
make an emotional and psychic appeal as
well as an intellectual one.
Let us consider, for analogy, a school
graduation ritual and ceremony. The student
could receive the certifcate, or diploma,
privately in an envelope sent through the
post, indicating that he had graduated and
had met all the requirements of the school.
Though this method would provide a certain
gratification, it would not have the effect
that the ritual ceremony of graduation does.
In the ritual, the student acts and watches
others act. The conclusin of his studies and
his personal attainment are dramatized. The
self, the ego, is appealed to by the emphasis
placed upon the accomplishment. The indi
vidual, the student, is momentarily singled
out in the presence of others, and there is
personal recognition such as the coid print
on a certifcate alone could not provide.
The reason why some individuis declare
that they dislike rituals is because they may
have seen some that were inexplicable in
their complexity. A ritual is not meant
primarily to be an ostentatious display of
costuming, lighting, or exhibitionism. It
should have a specific objective, a definite
idea to convey, and a state of mind or cer
tain feelings to induce within those taking
part. Consequently, good ritualism is systematically constructed; it is prepared from
point to point, never losing sight of the
necessary continuity leading to its finality.
Though every effort in the ritual should be
made to appeal to the esthetic and psychic
sensibilities of the individual, what is done

must always be understood. To be effective,

what each part of the ritual is contributing
to the whole should be realized.
If symbolic acts or devices are used, they
must be ones which will be familiar to those
witnessing the ritual, or else the ritual
should include expository remarks about
them. When rituals fail to accomplish their
objective, it is due mostly to the interspersing
of symbolic acts or devices which are left
unexplained. They thus make the ritual
confusing to the participant, if not even
ludicrous. Many religious sects are guilty of
this neglect. They enact traditional rituals
in their churches or temples which may be
thoroughly understood only by their clergy.
Therefore, many of the laity look upon them
as a conglomeration of meaningless acts.
When there is no emotional and sympathetic
response to a ritual and no thorough understanding of the symbols which it uses, it
becomes ludicrous to the individual and he
personally feels embarrassed in watching or
participating.
It is not possible for anyone to be devoid
of ritual in his life. Everywhere that one
tums in his daily affairs, simple rituals are
being performed which depict moris, ethics,
and social customs. A gentleman removing
his hat in the presence of a lady, the saluting
of the national flag, extending ones hand in
greeting, a standing ovation for a dignitary,
or the laying of a cornerstone are a few of
a multitude of commonplace ritual-ceremonies.
There is a psychological relationship be
tween appeals made to our esthetic sense
and ritual acts. For analogy, the arrangement of framed paintings on the walls of
our homes, whether they be originis or
merely prints, is a ritual because it is a
pleasurable and meaningful act to our esthet
ic sense. There are certain forms, designs,
or scenes which gratify the visual sense of
harmony, color, and symmetry of design of
each of us. Or perhaps such framed pictures
may be symbolic reminders of a personal

experience such as the visiting of a par

ticular place or one we desire to visit.
Arranging these paintings or pictures on the
walls in a certain way so as to exact the
most effective impression from them is
therefore, a ritualistic act.
Doing anything in a habitual and cere
monial way that will perpetate a desired
ideal and emotional feeling is a ritual. To be
devoid of ritual in our lives, we should have
to be without all sentiment and the higher
emotional states. Therefore, when we hear
someone profess not to like ritual, we should
realize that it is not ritual in its entirety to
which he objects, but only those rituals
which he cannot appreciate or understand.
After all, we should not condemn a whole
class of human experiences because par
ticular ones are ineffectual. We do not
dispense with food entirely merely because
there are certain kinds we dislike.
We must also realize that most rituals
have a stimulus upon several of our senses,
not just one. Rituals may be both seen and
heard; many include music, spoken parts,
and sound effects. They may have a certain
rhythm of motion, such as in the performing
of a perambulation. Special scents of a
symbolic nature, such as incense or perfume,
may be used. Also, through such acts as
genuflection, personal handclasps, and salutations, the participants in rituals receive
tactile stimuli, which further aid the engaging of the whole self in an intmate way.
Fratemally,
Ralph M. Lewis,

Imperator

Psychic Revelations
The student who first approaches the
study of that area known as the psychic
the opposite of the physical and materialis
anxious to gain certain skills and abilities
and prove to himself the existence of the
psychic world. It is, therefore, common for

The Rosicrucian Forum is Published Six Times a Year (every other month) by the Department
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Entered as Seeond Class Matter at tiie PosA Office at San Jos, California, under Seetion 1103
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our Correspondence Department to receive

questions from members in all degrees of the
study which are substantially the same or
concern the same thesis, such as How can
I advance myself psychically and how can
I judge my psychic experiences?
The reason that we cannot answer this
type of question in the way that we would
define a word in a dictionary or answer a
question in mathematics by solving a prob
lem and showing the proof is because we
are dealing with an evolving situation. I
have written many, many times that one
of the purposes of human life is to evolve
and that evolvement is a process of going
from a state of unawareness to one of
awareness.
In the psychic sense, evolvement is to
raise our consciousness so that we may
become aware of the mind of the Absolute,
of the Cosmic itself. This process is not one
that can take place by reciting a formula,
performing an experiment, or witnessing a
ceremony. Men have tried this for centuries.
In one form or another, they have gone
through various processes hoping to find the
answer to the mysteries of life and the uni
verse.
These rituals, ceremonies, and initiations
have become a part of the practices of re
ligious and other types of groups; and,
furthermore, all have a certain valu in that
they help attune mans consciousness to an
area which is removed from the strictly
physical and direct him toward the realization of higher forces. In the centuries of
mans existence as an intelligent entity
similar to what he is today, he has made
much progress in his life by changing his
environment and gaining knowledge. How
ever, what we sometimes fail to consider is
that this has been a long process. The first
individual many centuries ago who did not
like sitting in the dark after the sun went
down possibly had vague thoughts about
some type of illumination, but it was many
centuries later before the type of illumi
nation which we have today carne into
existence.
In other words, mans physical achievements have taken place very slowly. In
accepting so many physical accomplishments
and changes in the world, which seem so
familiar to us today, we forget the long
human history that has brought us the bene-

fits of modern living that we enjoy. If it has

taken man centuries to develop his ability
to use the laws of physics and chemistry and
apply them practically to his environment,
surely we can only presume that to develop
psychically is going to require an equal
amount of energy and effort. Consequently,
the Neophyte who is impatient regarding his
psychic development should stop to consider
that he and his ancestors have evolved for
centuries in their relationship to the physical
world of which he is a part; and only now
has he become acutely conscious of the necessity to evolve insofar as his psychic abilities
and attributes are concemed.
Another reason why we cannot answer
the question of psychic revelation in one
sentence or in one book is that it is a growing process that must take place within the
individual. Much physical evolution has
taken place outside of him; that is, much of
his experience of change has been made
within his environment rather than within
himself. Psychic achievement must take
place within the mind and consciousness.
Therefore, it requires intense concentration
and the direction of ourselves to our intemal
faculties and attributes.
The entire Rosicrucian teachings are a
part of this instruction. They cannot be condensed into space or time because they do
not know or are not subject to the limitations of time and space. We evolve, and to
evolve means to grow into a greater aware
ness. We do not read a paragraph of a book
and immediately become psychic. We do
not change the habit pattems of an entire
life by simply wishing to know something
else. For that reason, the psychic experience
is something that must become very per
sonal. What may be a revelation to me and
what I may believe to be a direct psychic
contact with an intelligence higher than my
own may have no significance whatsoever
if I repeat to another what I have sensed
or the knowledge that I seem to have gained.
Psychic experience does not convey the
ability to repeat what we have leamed inwardly. Knowledge from psychic sources
forms the background upon which we can
build our thinking and behavior, and, there
fore, put into effect what we have gained
within ourselves. On this basis, no one can
interpret anyone elses psychic experiences
or judge their validity because they are only

a part of ones experience and not that of

someone else.
A mathematical problem can be analyzed
objectively. The plans for a building can be
studied objectively by a group of individuis
loking at the same plan. But the impressions
that have reached my inner self and my
inner consciousness as the result of my
personal meditation and concentration are
not objective phenomena that can be examined by the eyes of others or with the
microscope of science. They are part of the
great puzzle of the evolvement of myself
that I have been able to put together to a
certain degree. Only time and experience
will fit the pieces of these experiences into
a pattem which I can interpret fully. Then,
possibly, as some great masters and avatars
have done, I can pass on to others through
language some of the concepts which I have
gained.
In the meantime, those who seek to understand psychic revelations and evolve psychi
cally must direct a portion of their thought
and time to this area of their living, to the
application of the principies which the
Rosicrucian teachings make available, and to
the gradual awareness that they are subject
to two areas of beingthe physical world
and the psychic.A

Is Pantheism Contrary to Christianity?

A frater, rising to address our Forum, asks:
Is pantheism unchristian? If it deviates
from Christianity, what are the salient points
of this difference?
The word itself conveys its meaning firly
well. Literally translated, pantheism means
God in all things. It is distinct from theism
in the sense of not representing a personal
deity. Pantheism expounds that God permeates every manifestation of reality as a
forc, as an intelligence. God is not isolated
in a place; He is not confined to a single
being or entity. God is a divine emanation,
that is, the very order, the very essence, by
which everything has reality.
This is not to be construed as meaning that
objects or things of themselves are God.
Baruch Spinoza, the Dutch philosopher, was
definitely a pantheistic mystic. However, he
contended that no sum of thingseven though
God manifested through themivas God.
He held that the Deity was greater than any
collection of particulars.

Whether a tree, a rock, a star, a plant, an

animal, or a man: the essence, the divine
nature of God, is in all these things. The
whole pulsating cosmos, the great universe,
is infused with God. The Deity is in and of
all things. However, no single thing can be
said to represent the nature of God. It is but
one of a myriad of expressions of the divine
efficacy.
The Greek Stoics, too, were pantheistic.
To them, the law and the order by which
things had their nature was the impulsation
of God in them. Thus, the atomic energy,
for example, by which matter has its form,
is the manner in which God manifests in
that kind of reality. In plant life, God is
the vital forc by which growth, nutrition,
and the functions of a plant occur. In animal
life, the sensations, the lower forms of con
sciousness, are the workings of the pantheistic
power in it. In man, all of these lesser ex
pressions of God, or functions, are included,
along with the higher attributes which man
terms soul.
In this sense, nature is God, but not exclusively so. That is, God exists in the
phenomena of nature, but He is not limited
to it. He is all that is, but He is potentially
far greater than all that there is. The real
pantheist does not worship nature as God,
as the average Christian is wont to believe.
Rather, he sees in nature God working
through it. Everywhere the pantheist tums
there is the handiwork of this universal,
divine forc. To the pantheist, God is not
beyond some distant galaxy; rather, the
nature of God is as cise as any cosmic or
natural expression which man can see or
touch.
The pantheist, of course, is not an anthropomorphist. He does not consider him
self an image of God or believe that God
has any image. In fact, how can you image
a God Which is all and Which is also yet to
be more? To the pantheist, God is Mind if
you mean by that that what exists is the re
sult of divine intelligence. He is energy if
you mean by that the dynamic movement of
the universal forces. God is substanceif
you mean by that that everything that has
a form, or reality, is of God.
Christianity is an eclectic and syncretic
religin: It has been borrowed from the
Judaic faith, Zoroastrianism, Gnosticism, and
the doctrines of the early mystery schools.

These concepts influenced the early disciples

and later Church Fathers. Many of the
Church Fathers, who passed on at the ecclesiastic councils what was to be included in
the doctrines of Christianity, were former
scholars of Greek philosophy.
Christianity, however, is singularly theistic,
that is, it has the belief in a sol, personal
Deity. This Deity is thought of as being
detached from the world, from the physical
universe. He is not infused in essence throughout it. Its nature is not His nature. He
stands in relation to the world and all reality
as a sculptor does to a statue which he has
created or as a watchmaker to a clock. He is
a creator, but His own nature is not inherent
in that which He creates. He manipulates
the world by arbitrary will. He is not the
law and the order by which things continu
their existence.
A watchmaker, for further analogy, has
brought the watch into existence as the result
of the genius of his mind and the skill of
his hands. Nevertheless, his mind is not the
power by which the mechanism of the watch
runs. So, too, nature is considered a divine
creation; but, having been created, functions
by its own intrinsic forc according to the
Christian conception. God can, according to
the Christian view, alter or change the func
tions of matter, but once it has been created
it is self-generating.
Further, Christianity looks upon the Deity
as an arbitrary will to which appeals can be
made. He is a patronizing, loving Father,
and men are His children. Thus, nothing
is immutable, everything can be changed if
it be the will of God. God is aloof from
what He has created and must be appealed to
directly. Nothing possesses the exact quality
of His nature any more than a clock contains
any of the intelligence of its maker.
Consequently, to consider God as being in
everything in essence is to the Christian a
thought that seems sacrilegious. He believes
that it brings God down into the world in
stead of permitting Him to remain in a state
of isolated transcendency. Pantheism, there
fore, is different from theism as represented
by Judaism, Christianity, Islamism, and
divers other sects.
Pantheism, however, is not lacking in spiritual reverence. In fact, the average pantheist
may and often does feel a greater intimacy
in unin with God than does the Christian.

The dualism of Christianity, God on the one

hand and material reality on the other,
makes it difficult for many Christians to feel
that they can bridge this hiatus.
We can say that the Rosicrucian philosophy
insofar as it treats of the nature of God (and
we are not a religious sect but a mystical
brotherhood) is a form of mystical pantheism.
We hold that the Divine Consciousness is in
and around us. The closest point that we are
to the Divine is in our own nature. We do
not need an intermediary to intercede for us.
We can communicate with the Divine or
Cosmic Intelligence directly within us and
we can attain that unin that is experienced
as Peace Profound.X

More Questions About Reincarnation

One of the subjects which produce the
most questions for the Forum and the Cor
respondence Department is that of reincar
nation. It has been written upon so many
times that if a member will review carefully
all that is contained in the monographs
which he has received to date, together with
the books on the subject published by the
Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, and available
from the Rosicrucian Supply Bureau, as well
as the articles in past issues of the Rosicru
cian Forum and the Rosicrucian Digest, he
will have covered practically all that is
known about reincarnation.
We do not know all the answers in regard
to reincarnation because a part of the experi
ence related to it lies outside of our physical
experience. We cannot attempt to presume
an experience that we have not yet had
consciously as our own. We can only
theorize in regard to such types of experi
ences.
Therefore, what we know about reincar
nation is what we have experienced in our
own lives and have leamed from those who
have recorded their experiences. Possibly,
we are not destined in a physical lifetime to
learn more about reincarnation than we
already know. The most important thing we
can do at the moment to learn about it and
have our questions answered is to live to the
fullest extent possible and in such a way
that, as we evolve, we shall gradually reach
a place where such knowledge will be ours.
If all the answers to questions regarding
immortality, reincarnation, the purpose of

existence, and, in fact, all the perennial

questions of philosophy were suddenly to be
answered, then there would be no purpose
in continuing to live because the process of
life is to evolve toward an understanding of
this knowledge. We cannot gain intmate
knowledge without experiencing it.
Many times I have used this same illustration: We cannot learn to play the piano
by reading a discourse on how the piano is
played. It could tell all about the mechanical
structure of the piano and all about the
techniques that are used by the greatest
pianists who have ever lived, but if we
memorized such a discourse and sat down
to the piano, the results would be substantially the same as if we had never read it.
In other words, knowledge alone is not
the means of producing the application or
the techniques of knowledge. The concert
pianist has gained something more than
knowledge. He may know nothing more
about the physical nature of a piano than
I do, but he can play it. That is the difference. Experience and techniques brought
about through years and years of work,
practice, and instruction have made the
difference.
The Rosicrucian teachings, as we are told,
provide the exercises that help us develop
techniques. In a larger sense, all life is a
process of participating in exercises that will
help us develop the technique of under
standing and relate ourselves to the fountain
and source of all knowledge so that eventually we may be at one with our Creator and
possess the entire knowledge of the Cosmic.
In the meantime, when our questions con
cern subject matter such as reincarnation,
with its eventual culmination in another life,
in another area, we can only make presumptions that are based upon the knowledge that
we already have.
These comments come about as a result
of a series of questions concerning the ability
to remember incarnations and whether
physical vales can be maintained from one
incarnation to another. In the book Mansions of the Soul, by the first Imperator, Dr.
H. Spencer Lewis, he discusses in some detail
the basis of these theories. The memory
between incarnations is one which has been
discussed many times in these pages, as well
as in Dr. Lewis book. In view of the fact
that we have trouble remembering things

in this incarnation, how do we expect to

remember perfectly a time which was differ
ent from now, one which possibly even
involved the use of another language and a
different series of behavior patterns? I can
not remember in detail everything I did
one week ago today. Is it particularly astonishing that 1 have no recollection whatsoever of what I did a thousand years ago,
that is, if I were physically incamated at
that time?
Our total characterour point of view
and the basis of our philosophy of lifeis to
a degree a memory of previous incarnations.
What we are, our fundamental attitudes,
are in their total manifestation the result
of prior experiences, even though we cannot
pick out the specific incidents. The fact that
each of us is bom different, with a different
mental content, a different point of view, as
well as ideas and concepts that develop in
our consciousness but which are not all due
to our environment, are strong indications
of the fact that they are manifestations to a
degree of the experiences of previous incar
nations.
In other words, our total behavior pattern
and our mental outlook are composites of
experiences that have taken place before.
Therefore, the individual incidents of a
previous incarnation are truly secondary to
the use of the attributes and faculties of our
nature which have evolved through previ
ous incarnations. Our obligation is to develop
the abilities and attributes which we find
within ourselves in order to carry on toward
future incarnations and be better prepared
and better able to cope with the situations
and circumstances that will be ours in
another environment at another place and
time.
Insofar as the relationship of physical
vales between incarnations is concemed, I
feel that this concept is based upon an
exaggeration that we naturally place upon
physical vales at the present time. We are
taught early in the teachings not to place
too much emphasis upon physical possessions; but in a materialistic world, we
normally do. Every human being has certain
physical possessions which he prizes, not
necessarily for their intrinsic, or money,
valu but for other reasons. As an example,
I have a number of books that do not have
a tremendous valu in terms of dollars, but

I prize them highlypartly for the way in

which I carne to possess them, partly for
their contents, partly for sentimental reasons
related to the author or a reference to some
individual whom I knew personally. Many
reasons other than the nature of the object
itself can enter into why valu is placed in
its possession.
In other words, the vales that I place in
these objects are those that I have experienced within myself, and another would not
find them to have the same valu. No doubt
you have similar physical possessions that
you valu but which I would not valu. A
few times in my life, I have had the expeiience of seeing the physical possessions of a
deceased person disposed of. It is a pitiful
event to witness. Objects that have no valu
whatsoever except to the deceased individual
are thrown away onto the garbage heap,
bumed, or destroyed. Something that an
individual has prized for a lifetime has no
valu to someone else because there was no
intmate experience or emotional relationship with it.
The books that I most highly prize will
probably some day be treated the same way
because no one else will see in them the
same valu and their actual physical valu
is probably no more than the paper or the
substance from which they are made. Therefore, if it were conceivably possible for you
to find a physical object or treasure which
you put aside in an incamation five
hundred years ago, it is doubtful that it
would have great valu to you now. Let us
say that you were a wealthy man at one
time in the past and hid your wealth in the
form of what was then considered valuable
and that you could find it today. What you
may have considered to be of valu at that
time, what may have been the mdium of
exchange, might have no valu whatsover
today. There was a time when pieces of
wood were used instead of coin. Would they
be of valu to you at the present time?
Probably not.
The real vales which we carry over
from past incamations are not physical.
They are the advances we make in our
thinking, in our consciousness, and in our
individual development. The vales that are
etemal are those which are the very opposite of the physical and material. Therefore,

if we are to refer to the Biblical passage

to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven,
then taking that phrase symbolically, the
treasures that we shall accumulate are those
which have no dependence whatsover upon
any material or physical object. They are
the treasures that have the permanent vales
of love, knowledge, understanding, realization, and an awareness of our place in the
universe to the degree to which we can
understand it.
On such principies, we shall build up
vales that will form our character and
mental attributes in future incamations.
True vales lie within the awareness of the
inner self. They will be permanent and will
constitute the soul personality, the real self,
whether or not we are incamated in a physi
cal body.A

Is Nature Cruel?
A frater, rising to address our Forum, asks,
How does cruelty in nature comply with
cosmic law?
First, we must also ask a question, Who
is it who says that nature is cruel? Is it not
man who makes that accusation? Man arrives at this conclusin because of the effects
which the various phenomena of nature have
upon him. It is man who establishes the
vales of good and bad and of kindness and
cruelty . It is interesting to note that even
these human vales are relative. What man
adjudges adverse or beneficial under one
circumstance, he may consider the opposite
under a different condition.
What may be endemic to one people and
accepted as good by them will be thought of
as calamitous by another. For example, the
periodic inundation of the Nile River irrigates many hundreds of thousands of acres
which otherwise would be desert land. The
waters of the Nile bring with them alluvial
soil from equatorial Africa. Throughout the
centuries, layer upon layer of this soil has
built up a deep and most fertile land bordering each side of the Nile. However, the same
periodic flooding by a river in some other
part of the world not dependent upon such
a phenomenon would perhaps mean disaster
to them. As most regional floods do, it would
destroy farms, cities, and take heavy toll in
human and animal life.

In such an instance, was nature really

cruel or was it man adjudging her functions
in terms of valu to himself? Volcanic eruptions have taken the lives of many persons in
the annals of history, and they, too, have at
times changed the courses of rivers favorably.
They have also disclosed valuable mineral
deposits. On other occasions, they have destroyed what man has considered of valu to
himself and then have been adjudged a
calamity. The same variations of good and
bad have been applied to rainfall. In certain
areas of the world such as South Africa and
Hong Kong, which are desperately in need of
rain, a heavy, prolonged rainfall, filling
reservoirs in those nations, would be welcomed as a beneficent act of nature. But
people in other parts of the world would
deplore what they would term a ruthless
caprice of nature if torrential rainfall wiped
out their crops.
It is necessary for man to realize that na
ture is a series of causes and effects which
are entirely impersonal and indifferent. Na
ture is not teleological. There is not a purposeful mind directing each of these acts.
What occurs in nature is by the necessity of
what it is. It is not by any intent. Psychologically and philosophically, no act can be
called cruel unless there is a mind behind it.
A mind implies that the causes are reasoned
and willful, and that that mind is able to
discern the consequences of its acts. Where
there is mind, it is presumed by man there
are the same sensations from which human
vales arise.
We must instead think of nature as being
like an implement, a forc to be harnessed,
utilized and, as much as possible, directed by
man in accordance with his sense of vales
which, incidentally, change quite frequently.
For further analogy, a knife may become a
most useful implement in preparing food and
even in protecting a life. But, likewise, it
may become a lethal weapon. In itself, like
nature, it is valueless. It is potential only
with valu, that is, with the power and with
the purpose to which man may apply it.
Can we say that nuclear fission, or fusin,
as a phenomenon of nature is either cruel or
beneficent. Atomic bombs using such forces
in World War II were the means of killing
thousands of persons. However, the same
forc harnessed to generate power in various
parts of the world is constructive and useful.

But, again, it was man who relegated the

different vales to the use of nuclear power;
in other words, to the purpose he established.
It is often lamented that nature is cruel
in permitting mentally deficient or horribly deformed children to be bom into the
world. It is asked, What is natures pur
pose in doing these things? Here, again, we
find man transferring human attributes, intellect and emotion, to nature. Nature has
no purposeif we mean by that our usual
connotation of the word. Nature is not trying to attain a specific end, to achieve a goal.
Rather, she is pursuing the course of her internal causes which motvate her. The de
formed child or the mentally deficient one is
the result of certain biological mutations
disturbing or altering immanent patterns of
nature. The effects are the result of causes
which perhaps man himself brought about,
however innocently.
For further analogy and to make this
clearer, let us think of billiard balls on a
billiard table. One ball in motion is headed
for a pocket on the table. Of itself, it has no
intention to enter that pocket. Its motivation,
as the laws of Newton point out, would cause
it to go in a straight line, which in this case
is in the direction of the pocket. Enroute,
however, it is partially obstructed by another
ball. As a result of the impact, the first ball
veers off, its course is changed, and it does
not enter the pocket. So, too, do changes
occur in matters pertaining to natures relations to man. The human being cannot perceive all the mutations and conditions which
may have an effect upon nature and cause
it to do the things which he evaluates as
cruel.
Man must further realize that happiness
is not inherent in life. There is no such
thing as a happy state or condition existing
in nature, waiting for man to discover and
enjoy it. Happiness, like cruelty, are condi
tions which man creates in his state of living.
Happiness is the trying to bring into harmony with our own being that which will
further it and which will result in what we
term pleasurable sensations. For further
analogy, an unskilled person, drawing with
good pencils and paper, will, nevertheless,
make a crude and to-the-eye scrawling network of unsymmetrical lines. The artist,
however, using the same materials and draw
ing combinations of straight and curved lines,

composes what is visually pleasing. In this

instance, again, it was man, not the materials or forces, which created the difference
between the two kinds of work done.X

Children in AMORC
A certain soror speaks for many other
members when she asks why boys of Rosi
crucian parents are not allowed to partic
pate in convocation rituals and other adult
activities of the Order.
Boys are not excluded because they are
boys, but because they are children. Girls,
unless they serve in the ritualistic capacity
of Colombe, are likewise excluded from
adult activities. This exclusin is not meant
to deny children the opportunity of Rosi
crucian training and instruction, but such
training is basically the parents task. Par
ents who are Rosicrucians cannot help but
inclcate the spirit of the Order in their
children, and their lives as Rosicrucians
should set an example the children will want
to follow. Membership in the Order is reserved for adults simply because the presentation is made at the adult level.
The Order does provide a more elementary presentation of mystical principies
through its Jnior Order program. Boys and
girls who are in the Jnior Order are preparing for full membership, and when they
reach adulthood, they are in a position to
truly enjoy and master the teachings with
comparative ease.
Whether or not a child participates in an
organized system of mystical instruction is
really secondary to the more important consideration that he be taught the Rosicrucian
way of life by direct conversations and
experiences with his parents.
Children, unlike adults, usually have all
they can do in the way of organized study
to keep up with their school work. It is
important at this time of their lives to con
cntrate on developing the tools for modern
livingnamely, reading, oral and written
expression, mathematics, and logic. The
more time they give to these, the better able
they will be to express and apply their
innermost feelings and convictions. While
children are engaged in the practice of these
arts, their parents can gradually bring about
a love of mysticism, a love of knowledge,
and a love of life through the natural com-

munication that exists between parent and

child.
Children are exceedingly group conscious
as they approach their teens, and being
accepted by their peers weighs heavier on
their minds than most other things. Their
attention is centered on their physical and
mental growth, and they are concentrating
on making an adjustment to a changing
world. Individuality is not yet firmly estab
lished, and children will hesitate to break
with the conventions of their group. It is not
easy for children in this age group to reflect,
medtate, or define objectives for themselves.
As they approach adulthood, however, these
things come more naturally. They have been
weaned from school and home where be
havior pattems were set for them. They now
take on the full burden of thinking for them
selves. They are ready for serious study, for
adult Rosicrucian membership.
Exclusin of children from temples is a
policy that recognizes that children become
easily distracted from the import of the occasion; their attention span is short; there is
a failure to appreciate the full significance
of what is going on; and natural restlessness
is cause for disturbance. There are undoubtedly exceptions to the rule: there are
children who are adultlike in their ap
proach to such occasions. But taking all
children as a group, with different levels of
interest, appreciation, and patience than
their elders, it would be patently unfair to
the adult membership to deny them the
silence and reflective state of a Rosicrucian
convocation.
To further justify the wisdom of reserving
convocations for adults, it must be remembered that each adult is there by choice;
that he is motivated by a deep desire to
learn. Children may or may not be there for
the same sincere purpose. They may be
there only because it is part of a family
activity; they may be brought to the convo
cations rather than appear there because of
a real interest.
Every parent should keep in mind that it
is not attendance at convocations or even the
reading of Rosicrucian literature that will
insure that a child acquires an interest in
the Order. Rather it depends on the rela
tionship established between parent and
child in day-to-day contact. A father and
mother who casually bring Rosicrucian

philosophy to bear on the various activities

and discussions between themselves and
their children, who talk freely and at length
of the good of the Orderits history and
ramificationssuch parents will not have to
fear that their child is missing anything
essential or that he will fail to develop an
interest in AMORC and all it entails.
As time goes on, however, the growth and
extensin of local Rosicrucian groups will
undoubtedly bring about the establishment
of even more active Rosicrucian youth programs. Such programs will be well-adapted
to the particular needs and interests of
children and will serve to supplement their
regular school activities. They will be created for children explicitly and will best fill
the need sensed so deeply by parents.B

Do We Project During Sleep?

Addressing our Forum , a frater of South
Africa asks: Do we project during sleep?
We probably project our consciousness, our
personality, or self more during sleep
than we do during our waking hours. In
fact, the projected consciousness and the
awareness of the self of another have more
often been reported about one who was
asleep at the time. In other words, the person
whose projection was perceived had no realization that he had projected. He was perhaps
asleep and had no thought before retiring of
projecting to the one who perceived him, or
to anyone else.
Most persons find it difficult to project their
consciousness intentionally simply because
in endeavoring to do so they become too objective. In other words, they arrest their
consciousness, that is, they become so involved in the procedure of projecting that
they cannot penetrate to that level of con
sciousness by which projection is accomplished. Furthermore, there are the factors
of health and negative states of mind which
obstruct the function of projection.
In sleep, we are in a subconscious State
fundamentally. The receptor senses, such as
hearing, seeing, etc., are nearly dormant.
They can be aroused to their full intensity,
however, although the scale of consciousness
is tipped toward the subconscious functions.
We must not think of the subconscious as
being but a single state of phenomenon.

Rather, it is a stream of consciousness in

which various levels of phenomena merge
one into the other. The self, the you, may
have experiences on various levels of the
subconscious. Our dream states are usually
on a lower level of the subconscious, bordering on what we ordinarily term the subjective. Since most of them are on this lower
level, we recall parts or the entirety.
The self, the inner part of you, may
through a higher level of your subconscious
reach out in sleep to another who may be
either awake or asleep. Such a person, how
ever, would need to be in a vibratory or
sympathetic attunement with you or, otherwise, he would not perceive your projected
personality. Just as the one who is asleep
does not willfully or voluntarily project his
personality, so another, the recipient, may
simply happen to attune to the projected
consciousness at the time. Let us use an
analogy for further explanation: Have you
ever switched on your televisin set without
first tuning it or noting what channel it was
on? When you did switch it on, an unexpected picture was projected on the screen.
That was because your televisin receiver
was at the moment correctly in resonance,
that is, attuned to the transmitted wave
length.
The recipient of the projection may experience it in various ways. The projection
he perceives may be visual, that is, seen as
a faint blue cloud or, perhaps, it may be visually more distinct as the image of the pro
jected personality. Then, again, the projection
may not take the form of a visual impression
at all but will be tactile, that is, there will be
the feeling of the presence of another. If the
recipient knows the one who is projecting
in his sleep, he will, of course, recognize the
visual image. He may even be able to identify
the nonvisual impression, that is, merely the
presence. Of course, a recipient may be at
tuned momentarily to a projection of someone of whom he has no knowledge. Many
persons who have thought they have seen
apparitions of the dead or some miraculous
supernatural phenomenon have really experienced a psychic projection. However,
not knowing the nature of such a phenom
enon, they have resorted to conjectures about
it.
The one projecting in his sleep is most
often not aware that he has projected. He

may be quite surprised to learn that another

has experienced a projection of his personality. He may believe that the other person
was merely dreaming about him. However,
the recipient of such projections is most often
awake. The one projecting, of course, may
at times have a vague impression of a psychic
experience when he awakens. He may recall
what seems to him to be an indistinct dream
of having journeyed to some place and of
having seen persons or things which he cannot recall in detail. He may tell others, I
had a strange dream, but it was very vague.
I cannot remember what it was all about.
So-called theophanic, or religious, experiences
are often only a projection of the selfor
the opposite, a reception of the projection of
someone else. The devout orthodox religionist, having no knowledge of such a subject,
may think of it as an epiphany, that is, a
bodily manifestation of some divine personage.
Can we, however, project intentionally
when we are asleep? That is possible if,
before falling asleep, we suggest to ourselves
that we wish to reach out in consciousness to
a certain place or person. This must not be
merely a casual thought. The objective, or
purpose, in mind should be carefully visualized. If a place is intended which we have
once visited, then all details of it should be
recalled in memory and assembled on the
screen of our consciousness. We should try
carefully to reconstruct all objects that were
previously seen, their color, form, and location, as though we were doing a painting.
We should try further to actualize our
realization by trying to recall any scents,
sounds, or even climatic effects of the place.
Then when this mental picture is as com
plete as we can make it, we should dismiss it
from our minds with the thought that we
wish to revisit the place in projected con
sciousness. The same mental construct should
be made of a personality to whom we wish
to project during our sleep.
Those Rosicrucians who have attained the
degree in the Order wherein projection is explained will find that most of the expounded
principies can likewise be applied to that
phenomenon during sleep. As has been explained in the monographs it is, perhaps,
needless to add that ones privacy cannot be
violated by the projection of another if he
does not desire it.X

Is Man Without Soul?

A frater from Iowa has commented on a
short review on the life of a famous Germn
scientist. In the article, it was stated that
the scientist had succeeded in eliminating
the doctrine of Vitalism from scientific
thinking. He was said to have done this by
establishing that the energy and heat output
of the human body exactly equals the food
and oxygen intake. This, of course, can also
be said of an internal combustin engine.
This is an od saw among the hard core
mechanists; those who see man as a machine
and nothing else. Vitalism is a doctrine that
sees the functions of a living organism as
due to a vital principie, or forc.
How the mechanists can overlook the so
very obvious presence of a life forc is hard
to fathom. What form this life forc takes
is another matter and is, indeed, a philosophical question; but to observe things in
motion and then say that no forc is involved is academic bigotry at its worst. Few
would deny that the human body is a
machine; that it is an intricate complex of
nerves, flesh, and blood. However, it is
animated by a vital life forc and when so
animated expresses consciousness and mind.
A mechanistic philosophy contends that
human behavior is a series of actions and
reactions, a system of automatic responses
to specific stimuli. Life is held to result from
the interaction of food and oxygen. Such
interaction releases energy, and this energy
is to the mechanists the basis of life . But
what is vital life forc other than a universal
energy? Vital life forc, like electricity, is a
great potential which will manifest under
certain conditions anywhere, at any time.
Like electricity, it is not created by chemical
interaction but is released or brought to
manifest by such processes. Vital life forc,
like electricity and magnetism, is an obvious
factor in living matter.
The mechanists may concede that there
is a forc which animates living matter, but
this forc is the same as electricitya physical energy that is part and parcel of the
physical universe. But that it brings with
its manifestation any of the so-called attributes of conscious life as distinct attributes
is considered absurd. That there might be a
soul, an inner man, a unit of self separate

from the body, is held to be even more

absurd.
If we trace an average sense experience
from origin to point of perception, we find,
for example, that sight depends upon light
waves passing through the eye, striking the
optic nerve, converting into nerve impulses,
transferring thus to the visual cortex area
of the brain and stimulating certain cells in
that area. This stimulated area may initiate
other nerve impulses that control movement,
association with other areas, or thought
images. This is the extent of the mechanical
aspect of perception. But what happens
then? Something (y o u ) is aware of all this
happeningsomething that transcends the
machine and the forces that carry and relate
stimuli.
What is the y o u then? This is not easy to
describe in so many words; but for all practical purposes, we can continu to cali it
soul. The soul is that which cogitates, grows,
evolves, remembers, and carries that distinct
personality which is you.
In these days when science has defined
matter in terms of energy (in concurrence
with the ancient Rosicrucian concept of spirit
energy), it is no more unusual to think that
there can be an invisible energy complex
(soul) on which experiences, images, or
memory pattems can register than to think
that these things register on a visible energy
complex (brain matter). It is easy for us
to visualize images in the form of electronic
impulses registering on tape, film, or on
some other visible media. Yet it must be
remembered that televisin and radio images
in the form of electronic impulses register
and are carried on invisible energy bands.
Why can there not be an invisible soul
which carries the identity of an individual
personality, just as there is an invisible
electrical frequency which carries the iden
tity of a televisin image from station to
receiving set? Why can there not be an
invisible soul which finds expression for its
particular identity through a corresponding
physical mdium such as the human body,
just as the invisible televisin character
takes form through the properly correspond
ing physical receiving set?
The human soul is as much a reality
today as ever before in history. Its nature
may be redefined, but its existence is the
essence of conscious life.B

Is Our Life Ordained?

A frater of Aruba, Netherlands Antilles,
addressing our Forum, says: Our teachings
tell us that the Akashic records have all
knowledge of mans past, present, and future.
My question is that if the Akashic records
state that an individual will become a physician in this life and if through mystical
development he becomes aware of this, why
should he bother to study? Or, even if he
is not aware of it, why should he bother to
study? He will become a doctor, anyway!
It is best that first we review the mystical
doctrine of the Akashic records, that is, as
to what they are. The Akashic records indicate the indelible intelligence of the Cosmic,
the potential forces as causes from which all
things come forth. Consequently, in this
cosmic intelligence, all things are potential.
Everything is already there in essence.
Nothing can ever come forth, no matter
how seemingly new, that has not already
been rooted in the Creative forces or latent
intelligence of the Cosmic. In th Cosmic,
there is neither time or space. What will
come forth objectively a million years henee,
for example, exists cosmically now in its
germination in the concatenation of causes
that lead up to it.
However, the Akashic records must not
be construed as fatalism. The doctrine does
not mean to imply that there i^ a fixed,
inescapable fate for each human being. Let
us look at the matter in this light: For
analogy, we shall say that A, B, ,and C are
potentials of development in the Cosmic.
They are established in the Akashic records
as part of the primary substance and process
of all things. A, we shall say, is a human
mind, the will and intelligence of some
human being. B and C are possible of becoming a chain of events leading to a
different career or profession. Now A, as a
human being with an independent will and
mental powers, can bring forth from the
Cosmic into his life either one of the poten
tials, B or C. In other words, by the way he
studies, his associations and preparation, he
sets into motion either the cosmic forc B
or C. This B or C may materialize, the result
of their causation, that is, the acts of pur
being; but it is A that is really determining
which of these shall manifest in his life.

To refer bact to the problem and question

the frater has propounded, it was potential
in the Cosmic, in the Akashic records, that,
being a person of intelligence, one of several
careers for him would be possible. But as a
cosmic entity himself, he could make the
choice as to what it should be. It was, therefore, by his study, his university and technical preparation, that he was to become a
physician. In other words, it was not
destined that he was to be a physician
regardless of whether he desired to be one
or not. He was a potential within himself as
part of the Cosmic and as such could fuse
and bring together in his earthly environment those factors by which he would
become a physician.
Other persons might be a cosmic potential
of what the world would cali a material and
social failure. They might be indolent and
have a personality and mentality such as
would never allow them academically or
otherwise to prepare for a successful career.
What the Akashic record doctrine endeavors
to explain is that man is not an absolute
creator no matter how new or different that
which he may bring forth. The ideas which
man has are a part of the intelligence of the
Cosmic; but in the Cosmic, they are not of
any exact language or of any particular form
or mode; they only assume such in the
human mind. In devising or inventing anything, man is only utilizing the cosmic
potentials within himself. The Cosmic is
formless in its flux, but through it anything
can assume form.
To clarify this, we may use an analogy:
The clay of the potter is an amorphous
substance. However, it is potential with
anything that the hands and intelligence of
the potter can shape within it. Plato, in his
Dialogues, used the analogy of a block of
marble. Within it lies unshaped the figure
that the sculptor eventually brings forth
from it. So, too, is it with the primal sub
stance to which the Akashic records refer.
Allegorically, there is written in itnot in
word, of course, but in possible accomplishmentall things which may be conceived by
man or which cosmic motion itself in its
pulsation will cause to appear.
As Rosicrucians, we cannot accept fatalism
under any designation or guise principally
because it is not logically sound and is inconsistent with the very nature of man. The

mental processes of manreason, will, memory, and imagination, for exampleare

exceedingly fertile. They permit him to
impose his intelligence and personality upon
matter and his environment. If he is to
follow a predetermined, specific course in
life, then why has he these factors through
which certain choices are possible?
Fatalists reply that the choices which
man makesno matter how often he may
vacillate in doing soare, in the final result,
what he was destined to do. This would
seem to be a meaningless cosmic act and a
dissipation of effort. If it were predetermined
that one must conform to a certain course in
life, then why should it appear that there
is a deceptive implication given the mortal
that he is choosing his own acts? Why, in
other words, were the functions of reason
and will made a human endowment? Such
kind of philosophy as fatalism certainly does
no credit to that intelligence which we like
to attribute to a Universal Mind or Supreme
Being.X

The Creative Thinker

A soror writes: Much is said about Cre
ative thinking, and I have wondered about
the Orders role in this field. Is this a major
emphasis in our work, or is it only secondary
to such subjects as reincamation, intuition,
time and space, psychic phenomena, and
metaphysical work? Also, what really is a
creative thinker? Isnt all thinking Cre
ative?
To this sorors question, we take the firm
position that the Order lays a great deal of
emphasis on Creative thinking. To think
creatively is to reshape our environment
more to our liking. Thinking creatively is
the means whereby we mold the elements
of life into a more harmonious and satisfying expression. Creative thinking is the key
to achievement and happiness. A person who
can create is a master of his environment.
Conversely, one who cannot create can
never sense an expansin of consciousness;
he can never find an outlet for the most
basic drive with which man is motivated
the extensin of self .
Let us briefly review the process of Cre
ative thought: Thought is said to be Creative
when it brings about a new perspective on

an od matter. It is Creative when it draws

relationships b e tw e e n on e matter and
another. It is Creative w hen it produces a
third point, a new concept, from the elements already there. Thus, it fulfills the
law of the triangle as well.

To illustrate this process, let us bring

into focus and center our attention on a
common problem. The problem is made up
of elements already there. Let us say that
the problem is not being able to accomplish
all that we wish to in a given time. The
elements already there are (1) a specified
number of hours, (2) the things we are now
accomplishing, and (3) the things we would
like to accomplish in addition.
Bringing these elements together in our
thoughts is the first step in Creative thinking.
Weighing and sorting them is the next. In
this step, we question each activity to which
we are already giving time. Can we give
less time to it? Can we eliminate it? What
is it accomplishing? Is it more meaningful
to us than one of the activities we should
like to have time for but have not been able
to fit into our schedule?
We may even jot down the activities
which take our time from morning to night.
The more clearly we pose our problem, the
more quickly shall we find a solution. When
all the elements of our problem have been
brought into focus, our normal mental
capacities will relate them, sort them, and
regroup them; and from our subjective mind
will come one or more possible solutions or
alternatives.
What could some of these alternatives be
for those of us who never have enough time?
1. It may be that there isnt enough time
in each day for us to do all that we wish
to do. If this is the judgment reached
by our subjective reasoning, then we
shall be forced to decide between one
thing or another.
2. It may be that some of the things we
want to do can be combined with others
that we are doing now. We may kill
two birds with one stone, as the od
saying goes. The subjective mind will
give us the clue.
3. It may be that some of the things we
are presently doing are inefficiently
programmed. A more efficient method
may be forthcoming from the subjective
mind.

4. It may be that some of the things on

our list can be just as well accomplished
by others. If it is the job we want done
and not just the satisfaction of accomplishment, then we can detail someone
else for that activity.
Many persons who find themselves in the
dilemma of not having enough time are
guilty of a super-reasonable drive for accomplishment. They want to do the job, and
they want to do as many jobs as possible in
order to satiate their drive for accomplishing
something. They drive themselves, not to get
a particular job done, but to satisfy a per
sonal desire to a c c o m p l i s h .
Accomplishment, in and of itself, is not
a wholly justifiable end; or does it add to
our growth or development and subsequent
well-being. Accomplishment must have a
purpose outside itself, and a constructive
purpose as well. Our activities also should
be analyzed against this background.
By focusing our attention on the problem
and taking time to reflect on it, we shall
very likely come up with at least a partial
solution to it; and another step toward
something final and definite.
We have dealt briefly here with only a
single problem. There are many others that
confront each of us daily. For each of these,
the steps are the same: Define the problem;
bring into focus as many elements of the
problem as possible; allow time for objective
and subjective analysis (the reflective
period); and wait for answers.
As a matter of course, it is good practice
to list our problems and continu this list
until we are reasonably sure we have everything of importance down. This is a prvate
affair, and we need not feel that anything
is too inconsequential or too exaggerated. If
its in the nature of a problem, something
we want in the way of materials, security,
health, human relationships, job, sociability,
or what have you, it should be put down.
Creative thinking must have a point of
origin; something to work on. Therefore, the
first requirement is to make a list of things
to which we want to apply Creative thinking.
Let us enumerate a few common examples
of what such a list might contain:
1. My car is running down and I cant
afford another. How shall I get to the
places I need to go when it finally
breaks down?

2. Someday, I may not be able to work,

either because of od age or illness.
What shall I do to care for myself at
that time?
3. Every winter, I have one coid after
another. What shall I do?
4. We arent on speaking terms with our
neighbors, a very difficult situation
since we must pass each other often in
the course of a week. How shall we
solve this?
5. I have a problem remembering where
I put things at work. This is time consuming and detracts from my valu to
the company.
6. I would like to be with groups of people
of like mind and interests. Sometimes
life alone becomes very boring.
A list of examples such as these could go
on and on, and, essentially, we are merely
jotting down each latent wish of ours, some
unaccomplished end we have or have had
in mind. As you think about your own, add
them to your list and begin working on each
in turn.

As for the Orders role in Creative think

ing, our primary concern is to have our
members become Creative, original thinkers;
to think for themselves; to form their own
conclusions after due deliberation of the
facts. There is nothing we want more than
to see every member reflect the cosmic wisdom and power that infuses his being and
express the Creative power that is within.

This, the Rosicrucians maintain, is mans

rightful heritage. He has the capacity and
responsibility to attain a perfect state
through his Creative powers, and it is the
Orders obligation to show him the way.
The way , as has been pointed out before,
is to initiate a process of examining od
beliefs. Why do people act and believe as
they do?
Next, the nature of things is shown to the
studentthe nature of things as they have
been presented in the schools of arcane
wisdom for centuries; the nature of things
as pur unadulterated by bigotry, special
interests, and ignorance. Then the collective
thoughts of the worlds great thinkers, past
and present, are precisely applied to the
lesson at hand through the Concurrence.
Against this font of knowledge, the Rosi
crucian student can begin to weigh and

compare his own experiences. He can begin

to see what they have in common with each
other and how they compare to the experi
ences of others. Eventually, he can trace his
experiences back to a fundamental cause,
a starting point; and there, if he chooses,
he can begin again. The student is thus well
prepared to think creatively.
Now it remains for the Order only to
explain the method of correlating this
knowledge and experience into useful applications. This it does through its ritual and
experiments. Through symbolism and the
dramatization of ideas in Rosicrucian rituals,
the lessons of the Order are deeply impressed
in the individuals memory.
The Order welds to his very being the
concepts that he chooses for his guide, and
he begins to live the life he wants to lead.
Repeated exercises are as essential to the
proper development of the mind as they are
to the body. Only exercise can bring fulfillment. Only exercise can bring about the
necessary patterns for Creative thinking.
Only by talking can one learn to talk.
Only by writing can one learn to write. So,
only by thinking can one learn to think.
The Rosicrucian Order provides the finest
program ever devised to provide humanity
with pur, concise thought and an efficient
means of utilizing that thought to the betterment of its members and society.B

The Word Went Forth

A Frater of New York addresses our
Forum: In philosophy, I have read many
definitions of the Logos. It has been referred to as the Mind of God, the Substance
of God, etc. The whole concept of the Logos
is not very clear to me, and I would appreciate it if you could throw some light on this
subject.
It would appear that certain existing
conceptions of the doctrine of the Logos had
their origin in ancient Egypt in the once
capital city of Memphis, millenniums before
Christ. Especially is this relationship apparent where the doctrine is referred to as the
Word of God. The prevailing deity of
Memphis was Ptah. He was the patrn god
of the artisans, or craftsmen. With the
passing of time, the priesthood of the
mystery school of Memphis conferred a
distinctly metaphysical distinction upon

Ptah. He was elevated in their doctrines to

be the Creator of the Universe, the Supreme
Craftsman.
But far more impressive was the manner
in which the prieshood conceived that Ptah
created the world and all that existed therein. They declared that his thoughts were
objectified, made manifest by his spoken
word. His speech was the Creative forc that
brought his ideas into reality. To the ancient
Egyptians of Memphis, the term heart was
synonymous with mind. In the ancient inscriptions, we find many references to
Ptahs creating by the spoken word. For
example, It is he (the heart) who causes
that every conclusin should come forth, it
is the tongue which announces the thought
of the heart.
Then, again, we are told in these Memphite inscriptions that all things come into
being through that which the heart (mind)
thought and the tongue (speech) commanded. Here, then, in this remte age, an
Egyptian priesthood held that the speech of
a Supreme Deity was the law and the power
by which all being was created. Centuries
later, the doctrine of the Logos became an
essential element of Greek philosophy. The
word Logos is of Greek origin and has no
exact equivalent in any other language.
In Greece, the Logos idea began with the
philosopher, Heraclitus, of Ephesus (c. 535475 B.C.). Heraclitus said that truth, or
reality, is the Divine Soul of the World. This
divine soul manifests itself in endless cycles
of birth and death and in the process of
becoming, change, and decay. It is the Logos,
or the Will of God. In other words, divine
Reason, or Law, is immanent in the world
and manifests in form or reality. This is a
teleological concept, that is, the belief in a
mind-cause behind all, which is called the
Logos. All human laws, Heraclitus expounded, are the result of one, all-pervading divine
Law, the Logos. It prevails as much as it
will, and it is sufficient and more than
sufficient for all things. This makes the
Logos the hidden harmony, the intelligent
power by which all exists.
With the philosopher, Anaxagoras
(500(?)-428 B.C.), the Logos is made an
intermediary between God and the World.
It is the regulating principie of the universe.
The Deitys power emanates as law and
order. It reaches down and brings into exist-

ence all of the material world. In fact, this

Logos is embodied in the natural world as
the Reason and W ill of God. Nature is thus
an expression of the divine Reason and Will.
The Logos, consequently, is the link by
which the microcosm is related to the divine
world, or the macrocosm.
The Stoics in their philosophy revived the
Heraclitan doctrine of the Logos and further
developed it. To the Stoics, fire was the
primary substance out of which all else
carne; but this fire was an instrument of
the Logos. It was a vehicle for the universal
divine Reason and WillMind with fire as
its agent. However, according to the Stoics,
the Logos was not in all beings equally.
Only men can fully participate in the Logos.
In other words, the nature of everything is
the result of the Logos. It is the Word by
which the particular has its existence
whether it be a tree, a star, or a man. But
in man, there is a great channel for the
Logos. Therefore, by realizing himself, man
can participate more fully in the cosmic
processes of which the Logos consists.
Further, according to the Stoics, Words
and Thoughts are the very same thing regarded from different aspects. A spoken
word is a thought made manifest. The Word
was the energizing of the immanent Reason
of God, the Logos. Under certain conditions,
creation had to have the spoken word, the
pur thought alone not being sufficient. For
the Stoics, the world was a live entity.
Technically, this belief is known as hylozoism, that is, the idea that everything is alive.
Simply stated, the Logos was the Reason
of the Divine, and it was a divine Creative
forc as well. All things existed as a result
of this Logos. It permeated them. There
fore, all things were living. This did not
mean that the Stoics did not differentiate
between what we term anmate and inanimate things. Rather, animate things were
but a greater participation in or development
of the Logos; but nothing was without that
vital forc to some degree, or it could not be.
In ancient Alexandria, a Jewish theology
developed that was syncretic; that is, it
borrowed from the Greek philosophy, which
was taught extensively in that city of great
learning. It was an attempt to fuse certain
philosophical doctrines with the earlier
Jewish theology. Here we find the doctrine
of the Logos taking the form that God spoke

the Word and then worlds were created. In

this theology, the Word of God only created
the world and gave things their form. How
ever, it required the Spirit, or Breath,
to give life to what the Word had created.
The great Jewish philosopher, Philo, also
expounded that the Logos was an intermediary principie between God and the
world. Christian writers found the Stoic idea
of the Logos fruitful. Since the Logos was
declared to be present in many human souls
as a kind of Divine Mind, or Consciousness,
they stated that it could then become the
instrument, or mdium, by which men could
commune with each other. The Logos, in
other words, was a nexus by which men
were spiritually bound together.
Justin, a Greek father of the Church,
taught that Christ is the Spermatic Logos,
that is, the Reason of God; this Logos being
first immanent in the Fathers Bosom. It
was then sent forth as the spoken word for
creation and revelation. Those who believe
in Christ are men in which the Divine Seed,
which is the Logos, dwells. Christ was the
Logos incarnate; the Word and Reason of
God were embodied in Him, according to
later Christian writers.
The Sepher Yetzirah, or Book of Creation,
of the Hebrew Kabala, is reminiscent of the
Logos and the Creative relationship of
thought and the spoken word. Later Chris
tian writers had God reveal Himself as
Vital Law to be obeyed and lived. This,
in a sense, had a pantheistic implication. The
Logos doctrine, however, has an affinity
with mysticism. It emphasizes the divine
Reason permeating all things and being
within each human being. The mystical
aspect is that the Logos, or Mind, behind the
cosmic process is said to be infused in each
mortal. Therefore, each man can strive to
attain unin with the Divine through the
mdium of self. Meister Eckhart, the great
mystic of the Middle Ages, revived in his
writings reference to the Logos.
In conclusin, we quote from the writings
of the eminent Egyptologist, Dr. James
Breasted. In referring to the ancient god,
Ptah, of Memphis, and the belief that his
spoken word objectified his thoughts, Dr.
Breasted says, Are we to recognize here
the prehistoric background of the Logos
doctrine of New Testament days? Tn the

beginning was the Word, and the Word was

with God, and the Word was Godis this
here an echo of remte human experience
on the Nile? X

Tensin and Strain

A question currently in the minds of
many individuis and worthy of discussion
by any intelligent group concems the tensin
and strain of our so-called modem society
and our modern existence. Tensin and
strain have been so emphasized in recent
years that many have come to believe that
many of the ills of modem man are due to
psychosomatic causes. There has been found
to be a correlation between tensin and cer
tain diseases, such as those that affect the
digestive system, the heart, and even the
nervous system.
It has been shown that complete relaxation in many cases alleviates a physical
condition for which there is no apparent
physical cause. I doubt, however, that all
physical illnesses are caused by nonphysical
conditions; but no doubt any physical condi
tion can be exaggerated by the state of mind
and mental outlook of the one who is experiencing it.
How can we conquer the demands of the
present when time has become so valuable
to us? The accumulated experiences of man
that have been passed on to us seem to
crowd in upon us, and we rush to partici
pate in them to gain our new experiences.
In other words, we have an increasing
obligation. As history moves on, we have
more and more precedents and experiences
of others to follow. At the same time, because of the pressures of other circumstances,
we seem to have less and less time to absorb
the knowledge and benefits of other peoples
experiences although they are so readily
accessible to us.
Even if tensin and strain are not the
cause of disease or physical inharmony, as
some authorities of psychosomatic medicine
believe, they are, nevertheless, critical con
ditions of our times. We are taught in the
Rosicrucian philosophy that to live properly,
that is, to have a life that is reasonably
content, is to live in harmony with all the
forces about us. Balance and harmony are
set forth as the basic principies for the maintenance of health and for mental growth,

as well as for psychic achievement. Only by

living in cooperation with the cosmic laws
can we anticpate a type of life that will be
worthwhile and lead to a purposeful end.
So, it is very important to learn to utilize
any factor that will help us gain relief from
the tensin and demands of our present
existence.
Not long ago, I found a quotation which
is appropriate at this time. It is from the
writings of Winston Churchill, who only
recently passed through transition after a
long, eventful life. This was written in 1932,
and I am going to quote it completely, as
follows:
Many remedies are suggested for the
avoidance of worry and mental overstrain
by persons who, over prolonged periods,
have to bear exceptional responsibilities
and discharge duties upon a very large
scale. Some advise exercise, and others,
repose. Some counsel travel, and others, retreat. Some praise solitude, and others,
gaiety. No doubt all these may play their
part according to the individual temperament. But the element which is constant
and common in all of them is Change.
Change is the master key. A man can
wear out a particular part of his mind by
continually using it and tiring it, just in
the same way as he can wear out the
elbows of his coat. There is, however, this
difference between the living oells of the
brain and inanimate articles: One cannot
mend the frayed elbows of a coat by rubbing the sleeves or shoulders; but the tired
parts of the mind can be rested and
strengthened not merely by rest, but by
using other parts. It is not enough merely
to switch off the lights which play upon
the main and ordinary field of interest; a
new field of interest must be illuminated.
It is no use saying to the tired mental
musclesif one may coin such an expressionI will give you a good rest, I
will go for a long walk, or I will lie
down and think of nothing. The mind
keeps busy just the same. If it has been
weighing and measuring, it goes on weighing and measuring. If it has been worrying, it goes on worrying. It is only when
new cells are called into activity, when
new stars become the lords of the ascendant, that relief, repose, refreshment are
afforded.

In this quotation, we find the experiences

of a great man who participated in many
activities during his lifetime. This was the
means by which he apparently was able to
control tensin and strain to some extent.
If he had not developed this ability, he
certainly would not have been able to do
what he did in the years of his life when
many ordinary individuis would have retired rather than to assume the obligations
which he did.
There is no doubt that the healing power
of change is one which may be normally
overlooked. The schools of philosophy in
ancient Greece frequently agreed with the
principie that change is the one reality.
Change is always taking place. Therefore,
to look upon it as a means of relieving the
tensin and strain of the moment, of bringing a healing forc to affect our lives, is to
apply the principies of our own teachings
by drawing upon the cosmic forces to sustain us.
If change is a manifestation of the Cosmic,
then when we change and modify our ordi
nary procedure, we are cooperating with the
cosmic laws. I recently had the personal
experience of finding that a change of
pattern helped me considerably in overcoming a difficulty that was pressing at that
time. A great deal of my work requires me
to read, to study, to analyze, and I found
that by not using my eyes for a period of a
few hours, by not even reading light ma
terialsimply resting, doing nothingthe
pattern was broken that otherwise might
have contributed a degree of tensin.
Change is important within itself as a
healing forc, and that is what is so difficult
for many to grasp. They believe that to
change means to take on a completely
different type of living. Many individuis
seem unable to enjoy a simple vacation
because they become too involved in anticipating and preparing for it and then madly
rushing to do whatever they set about to
do. I know that every employer has watched
his employees retum from a vacation ob
viously not refreshed but only more tired
than they were when they left work. The
change became a challenge rather than a
form of relaxation.
Change can be active. It need not be a
state of doing nothing in contrast to work,
which is doing something. Like Winston

Churchill, many have found that turning to

the arts when their primary work was in
business, politics, or some other field afforded a means of relief. Many have painted
and become good at it, whereas the primary
purpose was merely to find a change.
I believe that we should give more
thought and study to the whole pattem of
our lives. We have a tendency to fail to
adjust as we should to the availabilities of
pattems to which we could have access if
we but reached out to them. Our daily lives
become more or less a routine. We arise at
about the same time. We go through certain
procedures before going to our work. We put
in our eight hours of work and usually
return home for further work, or we may
seek pleasure in the evening, which may be
more work than we had during the day.
Change is breaking up this pattern. We
should go for a walk during the noon hour;
do something entirely different during the
evening; and take a few minutes a day to
contmplate our place in the universe.
Meditation and concentration take so little
time in comparison to the hours that we give
to eating, sleeping, working, and the other
things that we think are neoessary. Yet so
many of us fail to utilize the few moments
that would provide a change which would
break the pattem of our existence.
Medtate upon the principie of change as
being a healing forc and try to apply this
principie actively to your life. You may find
it well worth the few minutes consideration
it requires.A

Developing Intuition
A frater asked our Forum: Is there an
optimum point beyond which the intuition
cannot be developed?
Even in our monographs, we commonly
use the term, developing intuition. How
ever, it is more probable that we actually
develop the process by which we experience
the functioning of intuition. Academic organic psychology as taught in most colleges
and universities rarely makes reference to
the term, intuition. If it does, it relates it to
instinct and insight.
Instinct, briefly explained, is said to be a
trauma experienced by the organism in its
process of development from lower stages of

life. Such trauma, or shocks, become impressed as a memory in the genes of the
living cells, constituting a kind of collective
consciousness that has inhered for hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of generations. Consequently, when any circumstance occurs
which is similar to that which caused the
original impression on the genes, we then
experience a reflex action. In other words,
we react instinctively toward such circumstances. Our instincts are then a long,
established behavior which is part of the
intelligence or, rather, experience of our life
forc. In the main, instincts tend toward the
preservation of life and the general wellbeing.
Quite often, we are inclined to attribute
to intuition the impressions or urges which
we have and which are, in fact, instinctive
in origin. Insight is a fairly appropriate word
for describing the phenomenon of intuition.
By insight is meant a judgment arrived at
without apparent reference to our peripheral
senses such as sight and hearing or the resort
to reason. Intuition manifests as a selfevident idea, leaving no doubt in our mind
as to its reliability after it seems to have
flashed into consciousness without our having labored over it. It appears to come from
nowhereexcept from the depths of our
consciousness. It does not, as said, arise as a
conclusin following an immediate process
of reasoning upon a particular subject. In
other words, it does not seem to come
directly from our reasoning faculty.
Most frequently, intuition in its finality
is related to some matter to which we have
given considerable previous thought without
having arrived at a satisfactory conclusin.
In fact, it may concern a subject which we
have once dismissed as being inexplicable
and inscrutable; that is, to which objectively
we could find no solution or answer.
The intuitive idea, often called a hunch,
may also come into consciousness as an
apparently new concept, a virgin idea. At
times, this may be due to our having forgotten that we once entertained a thought
related to the intuitive impression. A term
that psychology has related to intuition or,
rather, insight, is unlearned knowledge.
It is because the intuitive impression, or
idea, appears to be objectively unlearned by
us in the manner in which we become conscious of it.

How does this process occur? Does the

Cosmic implant in our minds a wealth of
knowledge in the form of a language that
sweeps into our objective mind or that we
may be able to cali forth at times? In the
Cosmic, figuratively, there is not an infinite
library of the arts, sciences, philosophies, etc.
Such kinds of knowledge are all humanly
devised. If there were, as often said, any
cosmic language, the mortal mind would not
be able actually to comprehend it. We can
appreciate an intelligent communication
only in the form of a language known to us
and in accord with our general knowledge
and background of experience.
We must understand intuition as being
rather a kind of higher judgment, occurring
within us because of the cosmic intelligence
and consciousness which is impregnated in
the cells of our being. It is a part of the
subconscious stream flowing through us.
This intelligence, we may say, at times
reorganizes and rearranges our experiences,
the ideas which are registered in memory. It
produces from them a different, a better and
more harmonious, pattern of intelligence.
This final arrangement, then, is so excellent
that we are immediately impressed with it
when it is released into our conscious mind.
It is so clear that our reason is not able to
refute it. This judgment, therefore, exceeds
our reasoning.
It is when we have failed to arrive at a
conclusin through our objective thought
processes and when we are still anxious for
an answer that this desire as an impression
is carried into the recesses of our subcon
scious. There, as unconscious work , it is
carried out. In other words, the Cosmic
Mind contines with the problem. It draws
on all of the factors of our experience, our
personal font of knowledge. It tries to
assemble the thoughts in a manner such as
will solve the problem. Of course, we are
not aware of this process. That is why it is
called unconscious work.
Ultimately, though not always, a synthesis
of ideas drawn from our experience and
knowledge is arranged by this higher judg
ment and released as a composite, new
thought. It arrives as a flash, like a sudden
inspirationand not by a piecemeal continuity.
We can encourage this intuitive knowl
edge through certain practices. One is

If we have a problem or
something which we do not understand, we
should first quietly think about it. We
should use the faculty of reason with which
we have been cosmically endowed. Our
reason, though not infallible, can and will
often make many things have a greater
perspicuity. In fact, the intuitive process will
not usually work upon any idea, any series
of thoughts, unless there has first been an
exhaustive attempt to apply the reasoning
process. A simply lazy mind does not stimulate intuition. By contemplation, sitting
quietly and thinking about it, we release
into the subconscious the idea, which has an
accompanying emotional impact, the real
desire for knowledge. It is the sincere at
tempt to arrive first at the knowledge ob
jectively. The real seeker after knowledge
or the mastery of a situation arouses his
intuitive processes. Therefore, we do not
really develop intuition; but by contempla
tion and meditationwhich we develop
through practicewe make more facile the
release of the intuitive knowledge.
The optimum, or limit of success of the
function of intuition, is dependent only on
the experience and general depth of thought
of the individual. The more serious and
profound the thinker, the more the intuition
has to work with and the greater the valu
of the knowledge which it transmits into the
conscious mind. A mentally shallow person
will quite infrequently be inspired or have
any intuited knowledge of importance come
to him. The function of arrangement by the
Cosmic Mind which constitutes intuition is
in itself unlimited. However, what we give
it to work with by observation, cogitation,
and study are the determining factors of the
extent of its helpfulness to us.X
contemplation.

Initiation
Initiation brings into the realm of reason
the purpose and into the realm of emotion
the spirit of ones introduction into the
mysteries.
This quotation, written by the Imperator,
is the most comprehensive definition of
initiation that has ever been put into words.
Initiation is a difficult concept to limit to a
few words. Because of the fact that so much
is involved in the initiatory process and

purposes, any attempt to define it further is

to limit the idea.
We do know that man is prone to mimic
and to daydream. Therefore, whether or not
he has an innate sense, or instinct, of curiosity, we do know that he has a propensity
toward imitation. Children play their own
made-up games, which usually are based
upon imitation. They may imitate the
family unit of which they are a part, each
playing a different part than himself.
They may play a game involving other
people whom they know in their own community, school, church, or some other group
in which they participate, or they may even
go further and possibly with some adult
direction play games that take on the characters whom they never knew personally but
of whom they have leamed, such as Robin
Hood, Wyatt Earp, or someone else whose
adventures or life appealed to them.
Even as adults, we are prone to participate
in an imitating or performing act. The plays
upon the stage of the legitmate theater, the
motion picture screen, and the televisin
industry would not exist if it were not for
this desire to project ourselves into the per
formance of a play, either real or imaginary,
or actually to take part in one.
Man is a performer. He secures satisfaction and enjoyment through participation in
certain types of activities. He is also a
leamer; but, psychologically, it has been
proved that leaming becomes more efficient
and more complete when it can be coupled
with some type of a participation process.
Children in school are frequently taught new
facts by a process of play-acting.
Initiation, then, is a means by which
mans leaming process and his attempt to
attain the highest ideis possible are put into
a performing pattern. By initiation, an indi
vidual either by watching an initiatory team
or participating in the initiatory process goes
through certain movements that set the
proper environment and tone of the situation
to help him attain a degree of understanding
and knowledge.
The Rosicrucian Order is known as an
initiatic organization; that is, its initiations
are not purely for the purpose of entertainment but rather to inspire. The initiatory
process, as given in the initiatory degrees of
the Rosicrucian teachings and as performed
in the Rosicrucian Lodges, aid the individual

to gain the proper point of view and attitude

that will help him to achieve the evolvement
and direct him toward the Cosmic Con
sciousness he hopes for. So it is, as the Imperator has written in his definition, that
the initiatory process makes it possible for
man to have a better realization of the
purpose of the mysteries, that is, the knowl
edge of the Cosmic and the universe.
The process of initiation helps man to
relate these purposes to the reason, by which
he analyzes most of the physical world. It
also makes it possible for him to realize the
spirit of the mysteries and gain a sense of
feeling and depth in their realization. In
other words, it relates the individual to the
feeling that accompanies the process of
growth and evolvement.
Thus, initiation is a dramatic act that
helps man experience the realization of his
place in the universe and his intmate, per
sonal relationship with the cosmic scheme.
It makes him aware that there is more to
life than the physical which he perceives
about him.A

Projecting Peace
A frater, addressing our Forum, now
asks: How can we as Rosicrucians project
peace to those around us? Is this a process
of assuming peace and then radiating or
projecting it? Can this be done in ones
immediate environment and in the world
at large?
We think that before there is an attempt
to expatiate on the projection of the idea of
peace, an understanding should be had on
the meaning of it. Again, in this we are
confronted with the problem of semantics.
We use the word peace frequently, but can
we adequately explain it? Further, is what
we cali peace a plenary definition of the
word? Is it not possible that the word em
braces more than we are accustomed to
associate with it?
To most persons, peace is simply imperturbability, that is, the avoidance of that
which is disturbing to their tranquility. To
others, it is merely the negative opposite of
war or conflict. Thus, according to such an
idea, if a people were not at war and if they
could successfully avoid any perturbance,
peace would then reign!

Now, let us look critically and analytically

at such notions as we have just advanced,
Work to many persons, that is, the fulfillment of duties and obligations, is disturbing
to them. They would prefer to avoid as many
demands as possible being made upon either
their mental or physical selves. Thus, if
they resort to a state of partial inactivity,
they experience what to them may be a
state of peace. Still others avoid any thought
about world affairs or the problems of civic
or community life. Such is annoying or
aggravating to them. By avoiding or refusing
to give thought to such matters, they are not
perturbed. And by the notion that imperturbability is being at peace, then such
individuis are enjoying peace.
There are those who avoid any confrontation, that is, any issue that might arise and
involve them, regardless of its nature. Such
avoidance of any conflict is their notion of
peace.
Intelligent and thoughtful persons, how
ever, can see the potential and actual danger
inherent in such conceptions of peace as
were just outlined. Mankind and civilization
have not made those advances such as we
recognize by trying to escape or evade
realities. If there are actual or apparent
worthy objectives to be had and if obstacles
stand in the way, they must be confronted
and surmounted. This requires effort from
which may arise such perturbances as fa
tigue and irritation. However, all attainment, whether mental, physical, or spiritual,
is had by the expenditure of effort and the
sacrifice of creature comfort at times. A
hermit may by his isolation avoid many of
the annoyances of society, but his kind of
peace contributes nothing to mankind. In
fact, it does nothing to establish peace in the
broader and more inclusive sense of the
word.
Consequently, peace is not a negative
state exclusively. It is not always a matter
of avoidance. Peace is also positive. It is
active in achieving and establishing certain
conditions which bring about social and
individual harmony. Much of the racial
turbulence and violence which we now
witness in the United States and other areas
of the world could have been avoided if the
false notion of peace, as meaning imperturbability, had not prevailed. In other
words, if persons had become perturbed

enough about the conditions that were developing and then exerted themselves sufficiently to do something about them, a true
racial harmony and peace might now prevail.
The idea or desire for peace arises when
our personal harmony or well-beingmen
tal, physical, or psychicis disturbed. The
approach, then, should not be one of escape.
or should it necessarily mean the suppression of all that which seems to trouble
or distract us. The matter in question should
first be fairly and frankly surveyed. The
causes should be ascertained if possible.
Then each individual with others who may
be concerned should seek a remedy for the
situation. Peace is made; it does not just
come about. It results as a state of constantly doing. Peace is not a vacuum, the
absence of unpleasantness, but rather it is
the creation of conditions for reasonable
gratification and harmonious experiences
and sensations.
Therefore, if we wish to induce a state of
peace cosmically with our thoughts, we first
must have an understanding of wherein the
turmoil exists. We must have some idea of
what conditions should not be so that we
shall know what to remedy. The thought we
have should not be just the general idea of
peace but should assume more the idea of
a specific remedial suggestion. We should
try to visualize the cause and direct the
thought for the elimination of that cause.
We must construct peace with our projected
thoughts by applying them to that which
opposes it.
Let us suppose, for analogy, that there is
a general strike in the community which is
causing a ,tie-up of vital transportation resulting in the shortage of certain essentials
to the populace. We wish to bring about
peace cosmically. It is necessary, if we are
to have any effect, to try to discera wherein
the difficulty lies and strive for the elimina
tion of it or the improvement of the condi
tions. This may require the focusing of our
consciousness and thoughts upon certain
persons who may be the central figures in
the situation. In a sense, what we are now
endeavoring to accomplish through Medifocus is to bring about peace. We single out
individuis who by their conduct are vital
factors in circumstances that obstruct or lead
to peace.X

Bed Time Tales

Stories With

A Moral

Dramatically
Told!

once said that the mind of a

A philosopher
child is like a blank tablet. The story of his

later life will be the result of the impressions

registered on the young, receptive mind. Rules
of conduct, moris, and virtues must appeal to
the fertile imagination in the formative years.
They must be dramatized and put on the level
of the childs experience. A story that fascinates
and holds the attention remains in memory
and with it whatever lessons it conveys.
Here are Bedtime Tales for children from
2/4 t0 ^ years of age. They relate the familiar
things of nature, things seen every day. But, in
addition, they teach a moral, inculcating a prin
cipie of character that the child will want to
emulate.
The several stories may be played over and
over, each time with increasing benefit to the
young listener. This is a small investment in
the great future of a child.

High Fidelity Recording

Double-Sided, 12-inch
Prepared By
RALPH M. LEWIS, F. R. C.
A high quality, long-playing record of
standard unbreakable material.
Priced at $2.65
(1 9 / 3 sterling)

(California residents add 4 % sales tax.)

ROSICRUCIAN SU P P L Y BUREAII
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u sic r iic im

FURlUH
A prvate publication
for members of AMORC

Spinosa9s Home
This modesl dwelling in Amsterdam, Holland, was the home of
the c e le b ra te d p h ilo so p h e r,
Baruch Spinoza, 16 3 2 -16 7 7 . Because the frontiers of his mind
extended far in advanee of those
of his time, he was execrated
alike by Christians and Jews as
an atheist. He held that a conception of a personal God, a God
of will, moods, and ideis, was
beneath the dignity of the Di
vine. He was one of the most
profound of all thinkers and was
so imbued with a love of the
Divine that he was called Godintoxicated.

Greetings!
V
V V
THE MECHANIZED MENACE
Dear Fratres and Srores:

In transportation, we find a practical application of the relationship of time and

space. Transportation causes an apparent reduction of space by lessening the period of
time to traverse it. We use the varied means
of transportation to quicken our passing
from a given point to another with the least
effort to ourselves.
Mass transportation is usually confined to
the centers of interest of the population of
an area. The ancient Phoenician mariners
traveled from the eastern end of the Mediterranean along the whole coast of North
Africa and even up the Atlantic shores of
Spain. But unless they were traders or explorers, the majority of such peoples limited
their travel to the few miles surrounding
their community where their principal ac
tivities were located. If history relates it
correctly, this was from their homes within
walled cities to adjacent cultivated lands,
mines, temples, and ceremonial areas.
There are a number of factors today which
increase the extent of travel and place a
greater demand upon transportation facilities. The sphere of interest of the average
individual has expanded. The shop or office
may be five to twenty miles from his resi
dente. His areas of recreationgolf links,
ball parks, race tracks, and open country
may also be an equal number of miles from
his home.
Further, the time allowed to travel this
distance may be no more than when the in
dividual went a shorter distance by a slower
means fifty years ago. In past decades, the
worker may have had to travel a distance
of only five city blocks by bicycle in order
to arrive at 8:00 a.m. Today, the worker
may still be obliged to check in at 8:00 a.m.,
but at an industrial plant far out at the
edge of a sprawling metrpolis. The only
way to accomplish this is by quicker trans
portation. He cannot annihilate the distance;
but with shorter time, the former is made
to seem less.

Aside from the essential requirements of

transportation in moving masses of people
and commodities quicker, certain other fac
tors have entered into the problem. Most
every normal person desires to enlarge his
sphere of interest. Both figuratively and literally, he likes to look beyond the horizon.
Especially is this true of youths and young
adults. Repetition inculcates ennui and detracts from whatever pleasure certain scenes
or places once provided. Theirs is then the
desire for change. Also, there is in everyone
to some degree the spirit of adventure, the
urge to discover the new and different which
may provide an added thrill to life. Consequently, with the more rapid means of
transportation, the modern automobile, peo
ple have expanded their sphere of travel by
many miles. They now seek pleasure or
what they term a kind of happiness many
miles from their homes.
Of course, this pushing out into the hinterland has expanded many business enterprises and introduced new ones, providing
employment and adding to the economic
welfare of the country. It likewise has de
veloped areas that were once unproductive
agriculturally, or were even wasteland.
Those who enjoy nature, free from the artificiality of modern civilization, are now often
compelled to travel much farther to find an
uncontaminated virgin area.
There is, however, a terrific price which
modern society is paying for such advantages
as the automobile has provided. The highpowered motor car gives many a false sense
of mastership and superiority. In their nor
mal lives, due to their level of intelligence
or to social or economic circumstances, they
may feel immured by their surroundings
and have little or no opportunity to assert
their egos or to rise above their fellows. They
feel suppressed and inferior. However, with
their foot upon the accelerator, governing a
powerful engine, they experience an exhilaration, a sense of liberation from their
bonds. They then feel equal to any other

individual regardless of his social or eco

nomic status as they race or pass him on
the highway. Figuratively, there is no limit
to this kind of expression of individual and
personal power by such persons except that
of the capacity of the engine.
Automobile manufacturers are quite aware
of this psychological factor and exploit it in
their advertising appeal and by increasing
the power of the cars which they produce
each year. They realize that from the point
of view of legal and safety factors there are
relatively few places on the highways of
the principal nations where the full speed
capacity of such cars can be used. But there
is a demand for it and it is encouraged.
Therefore, those individuis who have such
a compulsin vilate trafile laws and jeopardize life for the momentary thrill to be had.
Modern city planning is now adapted to
the automobile. An increasing amount of ex
pansin about cities is predicated entirely on
the assumption that the automobile will be
used to make them a successful venture.
These are suburban residential traets and
huge shopping areas. To enjoy these facilities, automobiles must be used. City trans
portaron facilities to accommodate these
areas are either nonexistent or inadequate.
Many of these new centers provide shops
and advantages that the older city centers
do not. Therefore, the public is induced to
patronize them. Without an automobile,
however, this is either impossible or becomes
a great inconvenience.
Without a car or without access to one,
the housewife feels incommoded. Further,
there is a social factor which contributes to
this situation. The automobile in the modern
society of the more prosperous nations has
become a status symbol. Not to have a car
of a fairly recent vintage signifies in the
minds of many persons a reflection upon the
social and economic standing of the family.
In fact, to have a car which obviously is a
number of years behind in design, even if it
is in good mechanical order, may be con-

sidered discreditablelike having the lady

of the house appear in a gown of the Victorian age.
Consequently, the automobile has become
a principal part of the life of the average
family and especially so in many of the
Western nations. The question now is
whether it has become a mechanized menace.
Are we sacrificing too much of the really im
portant vales of life for it? The highway
tax and tolls increase almost every year to
accommodate the ever-increasing traffic load,
that is, the need for building bigger high
ways. The building of these highways is now
taking precedence over esthetic and other
utilitarian requirements in many cities.
To allow the motorists to further annihilate time and space, the geometrical law that
a straight line is the shortest distance be
tween two points is being applied ruthlessly
by state and motor vehicle bureaus. Sections
of cities are gutted by wide laes of concrete
and asphalt which slash through their cen
ters or skirt them, ruining green belts and
parks. Ugly networks of overpasses and skyways snake and twist by prominent buildings and homes, blocking out sunlight and
adding an hourly pandemnium of roaring
and screeching.
There is a lessening of green belts and
parks in a number of communities because
they are obliged to submit to their replacement by large blobs of black asphalt or con
crete to provide parking facilities. One looks
out the windows of a hotel or office building,
or even of an apartment building or a prvate
residence, to see a heterogeneous collection
of cars parked nearby. These islands of unattractive car parks are on the increase
because of the demands by city ordinances
that certain definite space to accommodate
a number of cars must be allotted by every
new business enterprise. In fact, many businesses must pay more for land for parking
areas than for the space needed for the
actual operation of their business. As one approaches an airport of a large city, his plae

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lowering over it, he looks down upon these

blobs of asphalt with their myriad rows of
cars. Also, he sees networks of concrete
shredding the cityroads and boulevards for
the ever-increasing volume of cars.
National parks and recreation areas are
being obliged to sacrifice certain of their
sections of beauty; they must cut trees and
uproot shrubs to lay down bleak black as
phalt to provide for the motor car. Beautiful
boulevards, once tree-lined, have forfeited
their trees to provide one or more additional
laes for traffic. Often there is left no available space to replace them.
Only recently has an effort been made to
control smog that is caused principally by
the poisonous fumes of the exhausts of automobiles. During traffic hours, when the cars
crawl along at a slow pace nearly touching
each other, the air which the drivers breathe
is fouled by exhaust fumes.
It has been stated by economists that the
United States is so deeply entrenched in
motor car production that it is essential to
its economy that at least eight million cars
be produced a year. If the production falls
much below that, a chain reaction of depression sets in, affecting myriads of dependent industries and their workers. This
means that millions of automobile wners
in the United States must buy a new car,
or at least another one, within a given time
or their financial status, their jobs and income, will be affected.
At present, these conditions give no indication of lessening; rather, it is apparent
that they are increasing. Again, we ask how
much more are we willing to sacrifice of
our environment esthetically, of our health
and safety, and of our financial security for
the motor car? A continuation of present
conditions for another decade projects an
image of a mechanized menace to society if
110 relief is provided.
Fratemally,
Ralph M. Lewis,
Imperator

Valu of Life
What is the true valu of life? This is a
question that every individual has asked.
Life is so complex that it is difficult to screen
the true grain from the chaff in order to
select the enduring vales from among all

the impressions that constantly impinge upon

consciousness. We are continually faced with
the process of selection; and, therefore, the
valu of life sometimes loses its meaning, and
tragically so for those who surrender and
give up rather than strive to understand
to some degree, at leastwhat life is for.
The ultmate answer to the valu and pur
pose of life cannot be found in any one
physical life span because it is only a small
segment of life and not the whole. We can
not possibly judge any situation until we
have as much knowledge about it as is available.
The mathematician, the scientist, or the
worker with any problem desires to secure
all contributing information about the prob
lem before attempting a solution. Only by
knowledge and experience can a solution be
reached. How can we as individuis, realizing that the longest life span of a human
being is only a small segment of the total
expression of life, hope to be able to explain
lifes scope and purpose on the basis of one
life?
The theory of reincamation teaches that
man lives many lives. That in itself is an
indication that no one life span will provide
the necessary knowledge and experience to
enable us to grasp the complete meaning of
life. It is evident that many lives are neces
sary before we begin to gain an understand
ing that will be conducive to the realization
of the nature of life.
I am sure that all of us have heard comments about the contributions that some person has made to human welfare in a lifetime.
Particularly after someone has passed
through transition, comments are made about
his life and what he has or has not contributed to human welfare.
I am frequently annoyed when I hear
about how much a person has contributed
to the welfare of the world, of the universe,
or of his fellow human beings because I
believe that that is not the only basis upon
which the valu of human life should be
judged. This concept is based to a degree
upon hero worship. The outstanding characters in history are constantly being held
up as examples of those who have made
great contributions to human welfare and
history.
If we look back over history, we find that
selected lives stand out in any standard text-

boak or record of the subject. We may sometimes wonder about those whose lives are
not recorded and ask what was the purpose
of their existence. It would appear from the
record of some historians that the only people
who have lived fruitful and good lives were
the few who stand out now in retrospect.
Actually, history should be a composite of
all the lives of each individual and the total
lives of all.
There is more to life than becoming a
hero or an outstanding individual in one
particular field at one particular time or in
one particular era of history. What life has
contributed to his evolvement is a far more
important consideration. An individual who
has lived has done so in order to evolve his
realization of himself as a divine entity. To
the extent that he has evolved a degree of
consciousness of his divine nature, his life
has been a successand possibly more of a
success than some of the heroes whose lives
have been recorded in history.
At first, consideration of this idea may
seem selfish, and someone will ask, Is not
the important function of life the Service that
we can give to our fellow men and to human
welfare? It is true that, in the course of
our own evolvement, we must realize that
man does not stand alone as an individual
entity in relation to the cosmic forces and
the divine energy of the universe.
At the same time, our purpose is to evolve
our realization of that status. We shall find
in the process of evolvement that we shall
express the nature of that toward which we
aimthe Divine. If our understanding is correct, the Divine is the embodiment of love,
mercy, and justice; and so, by taking the
proper steps to self-evolvement and selfrealization, we shall practice love, justice,
and mercy as a part of our experience of
life and contribute thereby to the evolvement
of other human beings just as we contribute
to our own.
The true valu of life is the realization that
life is a gift from the Divine which we should
cherish, nourish, cultvate, and learn to understand so that when the individual soul
retums to1 the Divine, it will return with
full consciousness of its evolvement and all
the steps that brought it through the cir
cular route from the Divine to the Divine.A

Is Disagreement Our Fate?

Agreeing to disagree seems to characterize
more political and academic discussion groups
than ever before. Thus a frater from the
Province of Quebec asks if this is what we
have to look forward to, ad infinitum. It
would seem, he says, that the goal of mankind is to reach agreement, or harmony; not
disagreement! Are we, therefore, really going
away from our goal rather than advancing
toward it?
Since harmony is by all standards the goal
of mankind, any interruption of it or any
obstacle to it would seem to be leading man
away from his goal. Nothing bothers man
more than to have his peace of mind constantly jeopardized by the people and events
that surround him.
The search for harmony takes on many
hues, however. The more elementary the
mind of the person, the more basic is his
search. The more evolved person correspondingly finds his search more involved. This
itself is a paradox from which there seems
no escape; but taken under proper perspective, it does exhibit intrinsic advantages, as
we shall see.
There are people who make little effort
to bring harmony and accord into their en
vironment. They are indifferent to the hue
and cry around them. They move wherever
the forces of their environment push them.
They try not to remember. They dont think
ahead. They are prepared for what life brings
themnothing more. While they are healthy
and have a place to sleep and something to
eat, they are probably experiencing harmony.
When any of these are taken away, this
class of mankind experiences a misery from
which there is no relief by way of its own
initiative. This class is sometimes said to
be vegetating; it will flourish or die, depending on what the environment provides.
Like more primitive animals or vegetables,
these people can enjoy a complete life span
in relative harmony as long as nature or
their environment supplies their basic physi
cal needs. Their mental processes are such
that they do not become involved in deep
association, reflection, or projection of events
in their lives. These mental processes are
the things that prey on the life of the more
evolved human being and jeopardize his continued peace of mind. That literary master-

piece, Unto Thee 1 Grant, is very specific in

its admonishment to man on this point.
Before leaving our first classification of
humanity, it must be realized that while this
class can enjoy relative harmony when all
things go well, it has no recourse when things
do not. It is equally subject then to a sustained period of disharmony as it becomes
a victim of the environment on which it is
wholly dependent. Thus, without advanced
mental processes, this class exercises little or
no control of its environment and remains
subject to the vacillations and caprices of
nature.
One further question might be posed at
this time: How harmonious is a primitive
state of harmony? Well, harmony is har
mony; it is a state of imperturbability. This
state is the same wherever it is experienced.
What we probably ask is whether the elementary mind enjoys or appreciates har
mony as much as the more advanced mind?
Here the answer can be a more positive no.
Harmony, or imperturbability, in elementary life cannot be savored, enjoyed, or appreciated to the same degree as it can in
more advanced life. Appreciation and enjoyment of a good thing depend upon the
ability to compare it with a lesser good
the ability to associate, reflect, and project
thoughts and events. The greater the degree
of comparison, the greater will be the sense
of enjoyment or appreciation.
There is next the great middle class of
mankind, people who lead what we cali a
normal, average life. They have their ups
and downs, their moments of peace, their
moments of anguish. They are aware of
the eccentricities of their environment, and
each in his own way attempts to cultvate
a way of life that will insure a continued
state of harmony. They work at bringing
harmony into their lives, and they work at
eliminating the agitating elements that encroach on their peace of mind.
It is the group at the upper mental level
of this great segment of societythe intellectuals, the artists, the professionals, the aggressive business headswho often experience
the greatest difficulty in inding and sustaining harmony. They are most often afflicted
with illnesses that result from nervous ten
sin. They, of all people, appreciate harmony
most. Therefore, they miss it most. It might
be said that the degree of tensin is in direct

proportion to their appreciation of harmony

and their failure to achieve it.
Their failure to achieve harmony is most
likely associated with their attempt to bring
harmony under some set of rules within the
framework of their objective outlook on life.
Theirs is an attempt to have some dependable, concrete basis on which harmony can
be established. If this objective, measurable
basis is employed, they expect that harmony
will, ipso facto, result.
Harmony, however, is the result of a
balance between the various elements of so
ciety, elements which are always in a state
of flux. To bring about a sustained period
of harmony, man must be prepared to cope
with a changing environment and adapt his
perspective to its requirements and needs.
Harmony has no basic recipe which can be
found and then followed for all time without
further effort. To sustain it requires a constant study and observation of ones environ
ment and a willingness to work at meeting
its requirements.
This task is eminently the mystics. At
least, he has access to the proper viewpoint,
the laws of harmony, and the greatest ap
preciation of it. He has the tools and the
desire. What he may lack is persistence.
The road to harmony, controlled and sus
tained, is hard work and effort. Even the
mystic cannot be blamed for tiring, or for
his failure to sustain his desired goal. Only
the most advanced, the most highly evolved,
the most mature of minds can easily manip
late the many facets of life without frustration, despair, or discouragement. He is truly
master of his fate and brings the course of
his life into consistently harmonious paths.
The mystic savors harmony as none other.
He is so aware of the many possibilities in
life that his choice of the most harmonious
path is all the more satisfying and Creative.
Harmony is always achievement for the
mystic. It is something which he never
takes for granted, and thus it always comes
as a reward. His ability to reflect, project,
and associate are so well developed that he
sees more than do others around him.
What does the mystic see? What does he
observe about the nature of harmony which
enables him to control and sustain it? He
observes, as we have mentioned, that har
mony depends upon the elements of the en
vironments being brought into balance. This

assumes that there are elements out of bal

ance. The mystic terms none of these ele
ments bad or good. They are either in
balance or out of balance; but they are
opposed to each other, as positive or negative,
or as the two ends of a teeter-totter. Every
viewpoint, every action, every belief has its
opposite and is itself opposed to that which
opposes it.
To achieve balance, or to experience har
mony, both sides must always be brought
into consideration and be understood. The
twain shall never meet. Agreement is not
essential to harmony, or is it a factor in
it. Thus, acknowledging keeping company
with disagreement and, in fact, welcoming
or inviting it are indeed steps forward in
mankinds search for harmony. Man needs
not only to learn the fact of opposites in his
environment; he needs also to work with
these opposites with the idea of bringing a
balance between them.
As an example of the stages of man in his
search for harmony, let us imagine a primitive tribe which has not yet learned to con
trol its environment by storing up food for
the lean seasons. While the season of plenty
is at hand, the tribe experiences no hardship
and lives in relative harmony. Yet during
this season of plenty, the members of the
tribe are unable to reflect on what the lean
season may bring. They are not comparing
notes. They are not particularly savoring
their food and good weather. They are there,
and that is that. When the lean season comes,
the hardship is there, and that is that. They
still do not reflect on ways and means by
which this can be eliminated. They flourish
or die, depending on what the environment
provides.
In more advanced stages, mans mental
development permits him to compare different states. By such comparison, he develops
different degrees of appreciation. In the winter, he can look forward to the summer which
is to come. He can enjoy both the anticipation of it and the event itself, for he can
compare it with a lesser or worse state. In
the summer, he can project his consciousness
to the winter ahead and make some preparation to alleviate the hard conditions of that
season.
In this state, however, man can also an
ticpate as well as experience his frustrations.

The very existence of a good and a bad

season are often frustrating to him. The
more elements he can foresee with which
he may not be able to cope, the more frustration he experiences. This tendency accelerates and becomes more pronounced as
mans intellectual capacities increase; and it
is not until he is initiated into the mysteries
that the trend reverses itself to the point
where he is able to cope with his greater
awareness and intellectual capacities. At this
point, he first of all recognizes the seasons
as equal elements in his life. Thus, he draws
from each its fullest potential for his wellbeing. In each element, he looks for that
which will lend to his enjoymnt by its
presence in his life.B

What Is An Atheist?
Generally, one who denies the existence of
a Supreme Being as a Deity or a conscious
cause behind all reality is technically considered to be an atheist. However, many are
placed in this category who are not true
atheists. Not to accept the conception of God
which is had by a person or sect may cause a
nonbeliever to be execrated as an atheist.
Thus, an individual may not accept the
notion of a personal or anthropomorphic God.
He may not accept the idea that there is a
humanlike being who transcends mortals and
rules their destiny. To his mind, such a belief
may seem elemental and primitive. By refuting such a conception, he is considered
an atheist because those who do believe it
will recognize no other image.
The pantheist who conceives a Universal
Mind , disembodied from any form and permeating all existence, is also generally accepted as an atheist by the orthodox Romn
Catholic, Protestant, and Jew, for example.
To the average religionist, God is a being
with certain personal qualities; not to accept
this conception is to him atheistic. Of course,
we must recognize that theism is the belief
in a Supreme Being. Therefore, those who
cannot concur in such a view would be by
definition contra-theistic or, in other words,
atheistic.
But is one who has a reverence for the
majesty of creation, the magnitude of the cos
mos, the universality of its function, and its
impersonal influence on all creatures an athe-

ist because he does not adhere to the orthodox

religious conception of God? Is the thoroughgoing naturalist, who believes that all that
occurs is not the result of a special divine
fat but rather the orderly manifestation of
natural law, an atheist? Further, may one
be called an atheist if he has a deep love
and admiration amounting to a reverence
for all the natural phenomena which he experiences in and about him? One may be
called a pagan who has a cise affinity and
attunement with a magnificent sunset, the
cool fragrant earth, the vivid colors of growing things, and the brotherhood of life experienced by all living creatures. But is he
an atheist?
Is one an atheist who loves life, who finds
joy in being alive, and who feels humble
before all the cosmic forces of which reality
consists? Must one center his spiritual devotion solely upon a conscious cause or some
theurgical beginning? Is it not sufficient to
recognize the subordination of man, accepting that he is part of an infinite whole which
must and does transcend his own intelli
gence? Cannot man be exalted in the reali
zation that he is an integral part of a vast
cosmic organism? Why should he presume
that there was a teleological cause like unto
himself with a purpose for everything that
occurs and which is striving toward some
imagined State of perfection?
What many men cali God is only a transference of a human paternal relationship to
an image that their minds have constructed.
It gives them a sense of security and a refuge
from their errors and weaknesses to think
that something greater than themselves may
have the qualities of compassion and wisdom
which they need. Men find it difficult to
carry the burdens of their consciences, and
the thought of transferring them to and
sharing them with a higher intelligence gives
them comfort. But must all those who think
differently bear the stigma of being termed
atheists?
What of those who are not vitalists? In
other words, there are those who do not believe that there is a mind or conscious cuse
behind the cosmos. To them the universe
is mechanistic. It is a series of impersonal
ponderous forces, functioning, perhaps, in an
orderly way. Whatever happens, happens by
the necessity of its inherent nature. It is not
motivated by any kind of intelligence.

Atoms, cells, worlds, galaxies, and man

himself are but the natural result of these
mechanistic processes and forces. To these
thinkers, there was no beginning, intentional
or otherwise. There could only be Being in
its ceaseless state of ever becoming in an
oscillation from simplicity to complexity.
Intelligence in man is an organic process,
so they believe. It is a phenomenon that oc
curs from the reflex action and reaction of
life forc. Except in its complexity, it is no
different than the order and change observed
in the structure of inorganic matter or in
the functions of compounds in the chemists
test tube. Being must always be, they assert.
Non-Being is an impossibility. It is only an
assumed absence of what is. Therefore, it is
the nature of Being to be, to strive to become;
and it is that which gives it its eternal motion and transition from form to form.
When such thinkers say, strives to become,
do they not also imply that there is intent
or at least a responsivity to certain conditions or qualities of Being? If there is such
a responsivity, or sensitivity, by which a
thing or condition perpetuates its basic na
ture, may it not be likened to a kind of
consciousness? Wherever there is conscious
ness, there is at least an elemental form of
mind. Pur Being, then, could be conscious
mind. In inheriting and trying to perpetate
in his nature that striving to be, man sets
a purpose for it; that is, he establishes objectives and conditions which to him represent the full state of his personal being.
Consequently, it is difficult for man to deny
a transcendent power and in his analysis of
it not to find that it possesses certain quali
ties similar to consciousness. Even those who
hold to this mechanistic conception stand in
open admiration of its magnitude. They are
humbled by its stupendous operation. They
thrill to its infinity and immutability. Its
greatness awes them. They are ever aware
of their own subordination. They do not personalize these qualities for worship as does
the religionist. However, the sum of these
qualities inculcates in them a sense of piety
for the omnipotence for which the religionist
strives, but often with a lesser realization.
The man who claims to be an atheist in
reality is one who rebels at some particular
conception of a human and cosmic relation
ship to which he is not receptive.X

The Pleasure Principie

It is a physiological fact that living entities try to avoid pain. This principie is
used in many experiments that have been
conducted in psychological laboratories. By
creating a mild electric shock, it is possible
to control animals in the paths or directions
they take. The experiencing of a shock will
cause them to turn around and try another
route.
Many years ago, it was found that the
fencing of large areas of land could be made
more economical by electrifying the fences.
If any animal touched the strand of wire, it
would receive a mild electrical shock. In
this way, many large animals could be kept
within certain limitations with one wire in
stead of an expensive fence.
As children, we tried to avoid pain and
also tried to do those things that would bring
us satisfaction, pleasant sensations, or pleas
ure. We might conclude that the living entity
is a pleasure-seeking, pain-avoiding mechanism. From the strictly physical point of
view, this statement is not exaggerated. We
do live to try to gain pleasure and satisfac
tion and avoid problems that produce pain
or irritation.
This principie has been the basis by which
man has created all of his social and moral
standards. In some cases, it has been carried
to extremes. We find that gradually there developed a series of ideas, or concepts, based
on the belief that man should be subjected
to a certain amount of pain since he attempted to avoid it.
The conclusin was that it was good for
man to have to experience what he did not
like and that it was probably not good for
him to participate in those activities that
brought him enjoyment and pleasure. We
find, therefore, that, during the so-called
Victorian Age of the last century, many
modes of behavior became a part of the
standard conduct of what was considered
to be the well-educated and cultivated class
of men and women.
They condemned certain pleasures. Many
individuis who can remember events about
the turn of the century and shortly thereafter, particularly up to the period of
World War I, know that life became rather
strict under many of the commonly accepted
standards of living. I remember distinctly

that, as children, my brothers and I were

not permitted to play on Sunday. We had
to remain serious all day. If we enjoyed
ourselves, it was a sin in the eyes of many
individuis.
Here the human being was inventive because he realized that most people would not
forgo certain pleasures at the mere whim
of someone else. Consequently, the principie
of morality was related to religin, and it
became the belief of many churches and of
other religious groups that any pleasure
should be frowned upon.
These religious beliefs directed man not to
participate in certain pleasures, particularly
those that gratified the physical senses. As a
result, the use of alcoholic beverages or to
bceo and gambling, playing games, going
to the theater or to a ball game, or participating in other activities, which actually are
not in the strict sense of the word in any
way related to the moral status of the in
dividual, were condemned in the ame of
religin.
The child who lived in a home that abided
by such a strict code did not play on Sunday,
not merely because his parents said not to,
but because he was taught that God said not
to play. Adults were informed that God said
not to drink or do anything that was for
the purpose of being enjoyed. By instilling
in the minds of young people the concept
that God would punish any breaking of the
moral code, young people were impressed
and actually were made afraid to do the
things that might have been perfectly normal.
As I look back on it now, I can see that
children playing on Sunday did not vilate
any code of God or man. I am certain that
if God is concerned with the behavior of
human beings, He has something more to
do than to care whether little children play
or sit around with their hands folded on
certain days of the week.
The point I am trying to emphasize is that
many of these codes, or concepts, that con
demned certain pleasures were put in the
ame of religin merely to give them an
agency that would lend strength to their
enforcement. Without putting these practices
in the ame of God, no one would have
paid any attention to them. By making them
a decree of God, however, man had his
choice as to whether he would conform to

these supposed laws of God or suffer etemal

punishment.
It is little wonder that many people reared
under such rigid restrictions tumed away
from organized religin when they became
adults. To use religin as a tool, or weapon,
with which to control the actions of other
individuis to my mind is no different from
the slave-master in ages past who used the
whip to control his subjects. If religin can
not stand upon its positive facts and prin
cipies, then it is not worthy of standing at
all. If it is to be used only to frighten small
children into conforming to certain types
of behavior, then it does not offer much
hope for the world.
Actually, there is little if any relationship
between religin and moral action. The
moral codes are those that man has made
either for his own convenience or to forc
his pwn ideas and opinions on others. Certainly, we have leamed in recent years that
the moderate use of alcohol, for example, or
the playing of games on Sunday, or the going
to a ball game for recreation on a Sunday
afternoon are not in themselves evil.
It is possible that gambling can be made
to have evil effects and that alcohol, tobacco,
coffee, tea, chocolate, or even spinach may
have detrimental effects if used without moderation and good sense. But from the moral
point of view , these things in themselves are
neither good or evil. On the other hand, if
anyone can enjoy a degree of pleasure from
their moderate use, there is certainly nothing
to condemn him for on a moral basis.
If man has been made to seek pleasure
and avoid pain, surely this system of living
is not to be looked upon as degrading. It is
also true that in the ame of religin men
have purposely suffered, exposed themselves,
and become ascetics because they believed
that by abusing the physical body they might
gain better favor in the eyes of God.
These concepts are not as prevalent now
as they once were, and every person living
today should be thankful for that fact. He
should be thankful that he can look upon
the physical body as a vehicle for his real
self, the soul; that it is to be used for his
evolvement and convenience and to bring
him some degree of pleasure and happiness.
Man is obligated to use the physical body
intelligently, to avoid its destruction, and to
avoid creating pain that it might suffer.

Man can carry to extremes the concept

of materialism. If he places the seeking of
pleasure above any other valu, then the
seeking of pleasure becomes morally wrong.
But it is not morally wrong to try to live
a balanced life, to try to evolve the inner
self and a realization of that self, and at
the same time particpate in those activities
that bring a degree of pleasure.
Therefore, I believe that the basic philosophy of the Rosicrucian Order confirms that
man has the right to seek happiness. The
first obligation of the Rosicrucian or of any
intelligent person is the evolvement of his
soul. In dedicating his life to his own psychic
evolvement, he need not live a miserable
existence, putting aside all those acts and
types of activity that might bring him a de
gree of pleasure in a world where there are
always problems and difficulties with which
he must cope.
There is balance to all existence. Man
cannot hope to live a life of continuous pleas
ure. Neither should he do anything that
would deprive himself of the pleasure that
is his just due.A

Mans Many Minds

How many minds does a person have,
and what are the functions of each? asks a
soror from central Caada. This question
brings to mind the sometimes paradoxical
state of affairs with regard to vocabulary.
While we invent more words to help clarify
our understanding of the things of the world,
we also add to the general confusion by
breaking things down into more and more
parts. It is upon this aspect of the sorors
question that we wish to dwell on this occasion.
There is a tendency today to complcate
the essentially simple facts of life. Human
nature, human behavior, and human relations are described in thousands of new
words and concepts. In the world of art, music, and science, we see this same tendency
to build tremendous vocabularies in order to
describe every possible variable in each element.
Pink is no longer pink but now comes in
a thousand shades or more. Music is not the
simple assembly of notes on a musical instrument but is a growing complex of tones
and overtones. In science, the simple atom
is no longer simple but now has more parts

than a modern automobile. There is probably

no end to which a thing can be described. As
mans consciousness expands, he will con
tinu to elabrate on the nature of things
in his environment.
Vocabulary, like the language of which it
is a part, is a system of symbols which man
has developed to describe the universe around
him. At one time, language symbols closely
approximated the images they described, as,
for example, the picture writing, or hieroglyphs, of the ancients. This was similar to
merely comparing two similar things in
order to convey the thought of that thing.
For instance, a woman who wanted to match
a shade of pink would take an actual sample
to the market instead of asking for it by a
ame or other symbolic description.
Groups of sounds with associated visual
symbols (language) were next used to de
scribe the elements of life. Communication
was thus expedited, and thoughts were conveyed in a less cumbersome manner. A
woman now could simply ask for pink
and receive the color she wanted without
showing a pattern or carrying a sample.
This language system is fine as long as
the variables are kept to a minimum. But
as the variables increase, language becomes
too cumbersome. When there is only one
pink to choose, the word pink is adequate.
When other shades of pink are introduced,
then other words must be formed to describe
the variations.
At the present time, the increasing num
ber of variables in every field of activity is
straining mans resources to find new words
for them. Even as new words are formed,
their number is becoming an unwieldy and
hard-to-handle affair. How far can man go
with words alone? How large can he build
his vocabulary?
With these questions facing him, man is
now turning to numbers, describing the
world around him in terms of digits. To
get a certain shade of pink now, the housewife simply asks for Pink-7834. It is easy
to see how many shades of pink can be
accommodated in this way with a minimum
of symbolism. All-number phone systems,
numbered postal zones, merchandise order
numbers, and the fabulously wide use of
numbers in the electronic industry are examples of the trend toward numbers as a
form of language.

Numbers are, of course, basic to the nature

of things, for, as Rosicrucians have always
maintained, all the variables in the universe
are nothing more than a difference in num
ber of vibrations of spirit energy.
Although the exact numbers are not set, it
might be said, for example, that a red cherry
is a manifestin of spirit energy vibrating
at 10,000,000,000 vibrations per second. A
white cherry might be spirit energy vibrating
at 10,000,000,007 vibrations per second.
Coid water might be a manifestation of
spirit energy vibrating at 6,000,000 vibra
tions per second. Warm water might be said
to be vibrating at 6,000,003 vibrations per
second.
In this way, the whole spectrum of cosmic
manifestations could be accounted for in
terms of numbersa way of describing the
complex manifestations of the phenomenon
of spirit energy, which in itself is a simple
unit, One.
Of Mind, we may say the same thing.
Surely it is also a simple unit, One, but manifesting in a complex of variations. Thus, the
growing number of descriptions of mind:
the unbalanced, the integrated, the unconscious, the objective, the subjective, the sub
conscious, the superconscious, the outer, the
inner, the middle, and so on. These terms
describe the activities of mind and are not
in themselves different kinds of Mind . Men
tal phenomena occur in as many variations
as do colors and sounds, and it is possible
that the various manifestations of Mind may
also be classified by number. Like a Pink7834, then, a person may be described as a
Genius-683, a Schizophrenic-782, or an Objective- 515.
But behind all of this, there is only the
Universal Mind , a basic attribute of the
Cosmic, which is responsible for all mental
phenomena.B

Compendium of Questions and Answers

A frater from Carmel, California, submits
a series of interesting and challenging
questions to this Forum. Any one of them
could be answered extensively because of its
subject. However, though brief, the answers
given here will represent the Rosicrucian
conclusions.
(1)
Does science now know and concede
that the universe expands and contracts, not

in space but in its own pulsating, ubiquitous

sea of energy? If not, isnt it possible that,
through findings of the astronauts, it will
claim this discovery as its very own, but
under a new ame?
The existing theories and facts regarding
cosmology and ontology are now subject to
critical analysis as the result of new scientific discoveries. These new theories have
been inspired principally by the findings of
the radio telescope. There have been two
major prevailing theories concerning the
birth of the universe, the galaxies, stars, etc.
One is the explosion theory. This theory
contends tht a great original compression
of matter and energy exploded and that its
particles for untold ages have been rushing
away from the point of explosion in all
directions. Some of the particles having
nearly the speed of light! Out of such explosions there carne, it is contended, galaxies,
solar systems, stars, etc. This is also known
as the expanding universe theory.
Another theory, known as the stable
universe theory, claims that the universe
is constant in its material, that it is deteriorating and at the same time re-creating
itself; therefore, it is neither expanding or
contracting.
The Rosicrucian hypothesis is that pur
being is energy. As such, it is never inert
but is always oscillating between two ex
treme poles. One pole, we term negative
since it is the lesser concentration of energy.
The other, we term positive since it is the
most concentrated state of cosmic energy. In
its vibratory oscillation, this cosmic energy,
or being, creates the electromagnetic spectrum of energies of which we now have
knowledge but of which there is much yet
to learn. In other words, the cosmos pulsates,
and its process of pulsation produces the
basic natural phenomena which man experi
ences. The Rosicrucians have long held this
concept. However, an astrophysicist, whose
ame we do not recall, recently in an article
for a popular publication expounded a
theory which to some extent paralleled the
Rosicrucian conception. Of course, as yet,
there is no exact empirical proof of any of
the broad cosmological theories. The Space
Age will probably confirm some concept
now held or substantiate a new one.
(2)
Since Being is ageless, isnt it pos
sible that countless times it has manifested

in forms other than our present systems of

suns, galaxies, etc.?
Present-day science has very well estab
lished within the bounds of its research and
instrumentation that the physical laws of
nature, or what we cali such, are universal.
For example, the basic laws of physics
known to earth seem to apply equally well
to the remte reaches of space. Stars millions
of light years away appear to be composed
of elements familiar to man. We can pre
sume that such laws have always functioned
the same way and produced similar results
in every age of the universe.
However, we may say that a natural law
is what appears to have a uniformity of
phenomena but has had such uniformity
within the experience of man. Such laws as
man experiences may be going through an
infinitesimally minute change. Thus, eons
ago, some existing laws may not have been
the same or may not be in an equally remte
future. Light from distant stars reaches us
millions of years later. Nevertheless, their
chemical composition, the result of certain
basic laws, is familiar to us now. Therefore,
at least, laws causing such phenomena were
also in existence in that great past.
(3) At first blush it would appear that
bees, with their developed color awareness,
are more developed or evolved than dogs,
who are said to perceive only a monochrome
world. How can this be reconciled with the
fact that dogs dream, exhibit shame, remorse, etc.? Was necessity the factor in this
case or can there be some other explanation?
Darwins theory of adaption to environ
mental influences would certainly apply
here. In other words, we cannot accept the
idea that the bee carne into existence spontaneously with the attributes which it now
exhibits. Rather, we would hold that the bee
evolved its faculties and attributes by the
necessity of its survival. However, if we may
make a comparison of vales, we believe
that the degree of self-consciousness of a dog
which is displayed in such behavior as
shame, remorse, and dreaming places it in
a higher category in the scale of develop
ment than the bee. But others may point out
that the social organization of the bee, which
is highly developed, is an example of an
exceptional organized behavior.
(4) Isnt it a fact that many mystics

men like Boehme and Swedenborgrelated

cosmic sights and experiences (or visions),
which were definitely colored by their own
misconceptions or Catholic teachings? For
instance, compare the writings of these two
men with those of Walt Whitman or Nostradamus. Can this be explained?
Subjective experiences, those had within,
which are of a psychic nature, can only be
expressed objectively in the language and
terminology of the individual having them.
Mystics of the Middle Ages, for example,
were often religionists as well, that is,
devout members of some sect or at least
students of the prevailing theology. Some,
of course, were well versed in philosophy
and others were not. To many at the time,
philosophy was considered a pagan teaching.
As a result, the experiences of these mystics
would be related in phrases and terms of
the Bible or some other religious lexicn.
The Absolute, the Cosmic, to them would
mean, perhaps, a theological heaven and its
opposite, a finite hell. Goodness would be
defined by them in the conduct of Biblical
characters. Spirituality would be construed
as behavior conforming to some decalogue
or moral code. Conversely, however, the
more well-read mystic, the one familiar with
classical philosophical literature, would be
less apt to express his mystical experiences
in such terminology. All of this proves that
the mystical experience is an intmate one
to the person having it and cannot be effectively communicated to another.
(5)
I realize that Cosmic Consciousness
is inexplicable, but cannot this question be
answered? During the period of this oneness with the Cosmic, does the recipient
know that he is the Inner Self of every
human being, and is he aware of all their
thoughts at one time?
To put it succinctly, Cosmic Consciousness
is the personal awareness by the individual
of his unin, or oneness, with the whole of
the Cosmic. He is conscious of a greater
consciousness of an entity, but that entity in
itself is formless and embraces all else
within it. The one having the experience of
Cosmic Consciousness is outside the bounds
of time and space. He is everywhere and yet
io no particular place. or does he have
any awareness of duration of his personal
consciousness; so there is no realization of
what we cali time.

Though such a state gives man the sense

of feeling at one, or en rapport, with all
Being, yet that does not mean that he has
an individual realization of all things. Most
certainly, such Cosmic Consciousness would
not include the memory patterns or thoughts
of other humans. There are, of course, stages
of elevated consciousness, cali them planes,
if you wish, where attunement with other
minds is possible; and this experience has
been had by many. But such is not what is
generally meant by Cosmic Consciousness
as it is briefly explained here.X

The Importance of News

A member reporting on his studies comments upon the complexities of todays news.
If we think back in history to when the town
crier brought the news to the community
and to the individual members of that com
munity, we realize that news-reporting methods have changed. The small town newspaper
and the city newspaper used to bring us the
important news developments of the day; but
now a complicated situation faces us when
we examine the news reporting of the era
in which we live.
News is constantly being showered upon
us. Major radio stations throughout the West
ern world produce frequent news programs.
When I have occasion to tum on the radio
while driving my car, I notice that news
can be received at almost any time of the
day. In Southern California, and probably
in other parts of the country, there are radio
stations that broadcast nothing but news continuously twenty-four hours a day. Coupled
to the radio broadcast of news, there is tele
visin news coverage that gives us not only
verbal reports but also pictures of events
that may have happened only a few minutes
before the program was put on the air.
This constant showering of news on the
consciousness of the public is saturating
mans thinking and making it more and
more diffcult for him to draw his own conclusions abouf events. I remember that dur
ing the Second World War, when, to the best
of my knowledge, this type of news coverage
became prevalent, a prominent military officer advised wives and families of men overseas to select one news program a day and
listen only to it. Otherwise, they were ad
vised, they would be constantly confused by

trying to sort out the various bits of news

that they received every few minutes to see
what the picture or the actual situation was.
There is no question that a part of mans
purpose for living as a physical, human be
ing on this earth is to familiarize himself
with and gain understanding of and a degree
f control over his environmentthe most
intmate thing with which he is related. Man
is bom into the circumstances that exist
about him.
I am referring to the elementary elements
about himair, earth, water, and fire. These
are the elements that, in the allegorical sense,
surround him. As soon as he is born and is
an independent entity, free of the physical
connection with his mother, he is in that
environment. Since he is born into it, any
intelligent individual should realize that it
is only logical that a part of the reason he
is here is to work with that environment.
Therefore, I cannot agree with those who
would go to the extreme of saying that man
should ignore the news of the world. I be
lieve that the intelligent individual living
in the society of the present century should
be somewhat familiar with what is going
on in the world. If man is placed in this
environment to gain knowledge and ex
perience, then, logically, he is supposed to
be familiar with what is going on in this
environment. At the same time, when news
is directed to him by so many media, he
does have to be selective in his attempt to
understand it.
The member who asked the question con
cerning the reliability and availability of
news today and our relationship to it probably takes into consideration that, unfortunately, there is much news reporting that is
not absolutely reliable. There is a tendency
for certain writers of the news story to be
more concemed about the number of readers
than about the reliability and authenticity
of the news.
I could give many illustrations, and probably every reader of these comments can
also think of many times and circumstances
when news was interpreted by a news m
dium such as a newspaper, radio broadcast,
or televisin program in a sense that distorted the actual news itself. The stress is
upon the sensational.
The report of an event is made to appeal
to the emotions of the reader or listener, and

many times it throws completely out of perspective the actual news. This is an unfortunate circumstance, one that is not going
to be quickly remedied because as long
as the general public reacts to extreme interpretations of facts, those responsible for
preparing the news are going to continu to
make that news sensational.
I had an experience some time ago that
brought to my attention how important it
is to be selective of the news. There is one
newspaper which I read regularly every
morning. I find that it gives me a reasonable
summary of the information that I need, and
I am speaking particularly of information
which I need in my work as an official of
the Rosicrucian Order.
Consequently, every morning I read the
high lights of this particular newspaper. During a vacation when I was away from my
office for two full weeks, these newspapers
accumulated and were laid aside carefully
for me to peruse when I returned. I remembered from previous experience when I had
been absent from my office that I had used
considerable time to go through the papers
that had accumulated.
The thought occurred to me that possibly
that was a waste of time; so instead of taking
the papers and looking at them in the order
they had been received, I did just the opposite. I picked up the latest paper, read it, and
then went back one day. After going back
three or four days, I found it was unnecessary to read the rest of them for two significant reasons:
One was that many itms that had been
important when they happened had been
clarified or their importance had become
less significant. A short item might conclude
a matter which a few days before had appeared to be quite important. The other
reason was that many items which might
have given me concern or required some at
tention were no longer pressing after two
or three days and did not need to be considered at all.
I found that reading the news backwards
eliminated a lot of time and effort because
those things which were not important had
ceased to be repeated in the papers after a
few days or a solution had been found. Con
sequently, I have tried to take the attitude
since that time of examining all news in
retrospect.

When I read the daily newspaper or

hear a news broadcast, I try to remember
that it may be changed; the impact may be
different in the light of a few hours than it
seems now. Frankly, there are very few
times in our livesfor which we should be
thankfulthat we have to make a decisin
within a matter of minutes. When it is necessary, we should learn to draw upon our
intuition for guidance. Fortunately, however,
we are usually able to postpone until further
information is obtained some decisions that
would appear to be imminent by the news
of the moment.
I would suggest that as Rosicrucians, then,
we assume our responsibility of being fa
miliar with our environment, of being up
to date with the news; but, also, that we be
selective in interpreting the news. Those
items that seem to be the most emotional
and the most likely to cause immediate problems should be deferred for a few hours or
overnight if possible. Many times, sleeping
on a problem or waiting a few hours for
further news developments will lessen the
tensions and concern that otherwise we
should have had to face.A

Automation and Our Lives

A frater rises to address our Forum. He
says, I will never buckle a seat belt around
me and put myself at the mercy of any car.
I will not engage a reservation on any
instrument-guided plae. Am I right or
wrong?
We assume that the frater here expresses
a personal rebellion against the increasing
encroachment of automation upon the lives
of people today. It is a belief that a highly
mechanized world makes man a mere
button pusher, an automaton. To an
extent, a great deal of what were routine
chores in mans life in the next generation
will become automated. Some persons will
resolve to the point of being nothing more
than the central switch to put into motion
the mechanical devices that will surround
them. At first, millions will welcome this
transition of life. It will seem to them a
liberation from work and the gaining of
additional leisure time. Eventually, however,
the majority who think only in such a
manner will sink into a quagmire of ennui,
a torturous boredom.

However, automation does not necessarily

subject man to becoming a slave to mechani
cal devices or merely a responsive instrument for setting other equipment into
motion. It must be realized that behind all
automation, including the mechanical brain,
or Computer, there exists the human intelligence. It is the human mind that is the
initial creator of such devices,
The more required of automation, the
more intelligence, skill, and technical learning is also required to design and construct
it. Automation pushes man upward. It compels him to hamess his mind to projects of
greater importance. It liberates him from
drudgery and the mediocre. Plowing, harrowing, and harvesting by tractor instead of
with horses did not enslave man to machinery. Rather, it made it possible for him to
free his hands and his mind so that he could
engage himself with other more complex
problems. This has advanced agriculture.
Intelligent and ambitious people will
avail themselves of this new freedom to
prepare for the more intricate affairs of life.
There will be a transitory economic reverse
for a time as automation releases more and
more unskilled workers, or those with a very
limited skill. These persons will suffer unless
assisted by the state. Such assistance, of
course, is not to be solely financial but also
one of learning new trades and skills.
Strange and even as improbable as it may
seem now, automation will eventually ereate an increasingly large pool of new employment. The mechanisms will need to be
manufactured, and all the processes of such
manufacture cannot be automated. Further,
there will be the added demand for electronic technicians, engineers, draftsmen,
appraisers, programmers, and others in fields
of endeavor not yet even anticipated.
It is this, however, that makes the prob
lem of increased school dropouts so serious.
These young dropouts have nothing to offer
but a pair of unskilled hands for common
labor. As one writer upon the subject has
said, perhaps there will always be a need
for janitors and garbagemen, for example.
But such jobs will be inadequat to absorb
the increasing number of unskilled laborers.
Metaphysically, man is only functioning
fully as a Homo sapiens when he uses the
higher powers with which he has been
endowed. It is mans mind which must

direct his hands skillfully. It is the mind

which converts the environment so that it
will serve some useful purpose for man.
Automation, therfore, is a challenge to man
to utilize his higher faculties and make
intelligence his instrument and means of
livelihood. Man does not lose his individuality through automation unless he tries to
compete with it. We repeat, man must make
automation serve him. He exercises his
superiority and intelligence by devising more
and better ways for the mechanical world
to advance him in health and achievement
and to provide him peace of mind.
When man places himself in a reliant
position upon some form of instrumentation
such as the mechanism of an airplane, the
automatic lift, the escalator, the Computer,
and the like, he is not really being subord
nate to it. He must realize that human
intelligence conceived that equipment.
Further, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
skilled, intelligent workers manufactured the
device. In using such equipment, the indi
vidual is depending not really upon the
machine but upon effective general methods
devised by othr human minds to alleviate
discomfort and expedite mans purposes.
It is futile for man to oppose automation.
This is the age of mechanics and electronics.
The complexity of society, the increase of
population, the rising cost of living, even
the common demands of life require auto
mation to compnsate for them. These
demands are challenges to the newly trained
and Creative minds of our age. These minds
will continu to invent machines, equip
ment, and instruments to surmount the
obstacles of our modern society. Man will
adjust to automation as he has to every
other great transition which has affected his
life in the annals of history.X

Visualization
Visualization is mental perception. We
loosely apply the term to almost any mental
process that reproduces the actual physical
process of perception. Many people visualize
by closing their eyes and imagining that
they are seeing an actual scene as they first
perceived it by the sense of sight.
Some people, however, have better auditory memory than they have visual. I hap-

pen to be one of those. I can better re-create

in my own mind sounds that accompanied
an event than I can the visual appearance
of the event. If I referred to my mental per
ception of an event that took place an hour,
a day, a month, or a year ago, I should say
in general terminology that I was visualizing
the event although my actual mental process
would be that of hearing again the sounds
that accompanied the event.
Visualization, then, we might say, is the
process of re-creating a mental perception.
To be able to visualize well is the result of
having given proper attention to an event
in the first place. If a situation, a fact, or a
condition is impressed upon consciousness
thoroughly and completely, it can be recalled
easily and in a sense seen all over again.
Things with which one is familiar and
deais with frequently are usually the easiest
to visualize. He can shut his eyes and see
his home, a room, his office, or his workshop,
or something else with which he is familiar.
It is sometimes difficult to visualize indi
vidual human features, but the total of a
group of individuis can be visualized easily.
This may be due to the fact that visualiza
tion, or the recall of situations that existed,
is spread over a good many items or conditions and is not confined to any one individuals appearance.
Insofar as being a Rosicrucian technique,
visualization is related to concentration; that
is, it is a Creative process. When one visualizes in connection with concentration, his
purpose is mentally to create a situation.
When he visualizes by recall, he is simply
bringing back to consciousness that which he
has already experienced.
When one visualizes in the process of men
tal creation, he is creating a situation that
he wants to experience at some future time.
An individual who is ill will visualize a
state of health. The one who has needs will
visualize situations that will fill those needs.
If he concentrates properly upon the visual
image that he has created in his mind, he is
bringing up to reinforce his visual concepts
the Creative processes of the soul, of the inner self, which will help to bring these vis
ualized conditions into a state of actuality.
Therefore, one is taught in the Rosicrucian
teachings to develop the ability to visualize
and to practice it whenever he can so that
he can clearly conceive a situation, either

through sight or another sense faculty, or

through a combination of these faculties.
It is well when a person has idle time to
practice visualization. I am looking now at
a picture on a calendar on the opposite wall
of my office and, as I dctate these words, I
cise my eyes to see how well I can see the
details of that picture. After a number of
triis, I find that I increase my ability to
reproduce the picture in my mind.
The same process can apply to something
that one wishes to attain. He can visualize
a situation to which he aspires or for which
he hopes and, if he visualizes it clearly
enough, he uses the Creative ability of his
mind to bring it into a state of reality.A

Should W e Influence Others?

A frater of Texas addresses our Forum:
Do we have the right or the responsibility
to present our ideas to one who seems content and is set in dogmatic beliefs that to us
appear far from truth? We like to think
that we have advancedhave more light
but how may we be sure?
An opinion, or belief, is not conclusive.
It is abstract and may or may not constitute
truth. One may personally be convinced of
something; yet if he cannot substantiate it
empirically, that is, evidentially, so that it
may be realized equally by others, its valu
is principally for him alone. To impose ones
speculations, assumptions, or unsupported
beliefs upon others is an affront to the
freedom of thought of others.
When a subject is abstract and cannot be
factually supported but one honestly believes
that it will be helpful to another individual,
diplomacy must be used. This is especially
so if the other person has rather positive
ideas of his own. The best procedure is to
try to engage the person in a discussion
concerning the subject, provided he displays
no objection to speaking about it. However,
one should not assume a pedantic attitude,
that is, that he is teaching him something.
The ego of almost everyone resents being
put in a subordnate position, especially by
one to whom they consider themselves equal.
In such a friendly exchange of ideas, if
what one says does have greater merit, if
it is more logical, it then should make an
impression on the other person and influence
him favorably. However, as we all know
(and some of us are also guilty of this),

there are those who are obstnate. They will

defend to the last their own conceptions
even when they come to learn that such are
wrong. This is because they are unwilling
to concede error.
Many dogmatic beliefs and ideas traditionally held by others have behind them
a kind of blind loyalty and devotion to their
origin. Thus, a religionist may be a devout
supporter of a faith. He feels an obligation
to accept and affirm every statement and
traditional utterance given by his religious
sect. In many cases, he is intelligent and
knows that many of the religious truths
of his sect are really obsolete myths, superstitions, or misconceptions. However, he
cannot bring himself to make such an
admission to others, for, if he did so, he
would feel that he was betraying his religin.
Such a person is indeed unfortunate. He is
enslaving his own mind by a misplaced
devotion.
It is often rather a simple matter to
discern this type of individual. He knows
that many of his dogmatic beliefs are innately puerile. He is afraid to enter into a
discussion of them because what he professes
to believein contrast to the facts presented
by otherswould appear to be ludicrous. He
brushes away all attempts at discussion with
an assumed air of finality, implying that he
knows what he believes is truewhich he
does not.
It is best, then, when one wishes to intro
duce an idea of his own, which may be
self-evident to him but which cannot be
supported objectively, that he merely offer
to discuss opinions. If his ideas are more
consistently related to the subject and if his
listener is reasonable and has an open mind,
he will probably be influenced to agree.
However, one should not be surprised if
sometimes the other person is able to refute
ones own abstract ideas with facts which
he has and which one did not realize existed!
If, however, one knows that what he
expounds are truths, that is, that he can
introduce irrefutable facts and authorities
to support them, then each assertion that
he makes should be evidenced as he proceeds. There is nothing quite so irritating in
a discussion as for someone to say about his
own ideas: I know they are true, and yet
not say anything to prove that they are.
(continued overleaf)

Even when one has the light, the truth

not only intuitively but objectivelyto support his ideas, he must not assume, we
repeat, the attitude of a pedagogue. In other
words, one must not appear to want to be
teaching others unless he is an accepted
teacher. We all know how objectionable a
person may be, no matter how well-informed
he is or how right his views, if he attempts
to dominate the conversation and is obviously trying to influence his listeners.
One must come to realize that each indi
vidual is at a certain level of consciousness,
that is, breadth of mind, depth of reasoning,
and capacity to understand. One cannot
preciptate a person immediately into a
higher level of consciousness; he cannot give
him greater comprehension. Individuis
must grow into greater mental and psychic
stature. Each must learn through personal
experience and also through the accumulated knowledge of others, which is gained
by study.
In a brief, frank, and friendly discussion
of a subject that seems to be mutually
interesting, one can soon ascertain the intel
ligence and depth of thinkingas well as the
toleranceof the other person. It is then
that one has the opportunity to influence
himif, of course, ones ideas have superiority in their clarity and if it is possible to
support them by other than ones own
opinions.X

Meditation
Meditation is the process by which the
mind is able to digest that which it has per
ceived. It is well illustrated by the parallel
concept of physical digestin. Through all
the channels of perception that man has
physical and psychicthere enter the mind
many, many perceptions. Some of these constitute no more than a fleeting glance or
sensation that hardly produces any more
response than a vague impression.
Such perceptions do not usually make a
profound impression upon consciousness and
the behavior that results. Other impressions
are vital and strong. They usually enter con
sciousness accompanied by an emotional ex
perience: Something that amuses and causes
one to laugh may be remembered longer
than a fleeting impression that has no emo
tional accompaniment. Of course, that which

brings pain and grief may also by the emo

tional overtone profoundly impress itself
upon consciousness.
All that man perceives, learns, and adds
to the total state of consciousness, storing it
in memory for future use, must be meditated
upon if it is to become useful. There are
other living entities besides man that can
learn to talknot well, perhaps, but to a degree. A parrot that can talk well can be
taught to say profound words that express
the thoughts of the greatest thinkers; but
they are of no valu because they are in a
sense like a physical object that is unused.
Knowledge and experience to be useful to
man must be formulated in consciousness
into impressions, conclusions, and motivations that cause him to act, to use the ex
perience and knowledge that he has gained.
Therefore, meditation is a dynamic process.
It is the process whereby man may take
inventory and review what he already has
experienced and learned in order to assemble
his knowledge and experience and utilize it.
Some seem mistakenly to believe that medi
tation is a state in which one merely re
laxes, closes his eyes, and literally does noth
ing whatsoever. This is not the true concept
of meditation.
In meditation, one should direct his con
sciousness withinbut to what he already
knows. He should analyze his experiences
and seek to discover new connections be
tween items of knowledge that he already
possesses. The great discoveries and achievements have been the result of mans thinking,
of his meditation. Before the electric light
was invented, all the knowledge necessary
for the invention was within the mind of
Thomas Edison, who invented it. It was
within his mind that he put the parts together that produced the end he desired.
The man who fails to medtate, who fails
to take the time to assemble knowledge so
that he can arrive at new conclusions and
form new ideas, is failing to live a full life.
He is like the squirrel who hides nuts in
trees but does not go back to collect them
to eat when food is scarce. Meditation is the
means by which man coordinates his knowl
edge and experience, regardless of whether
they be physical or psychic. Meditation leads
to a balanced, well-rounded existence, to new
vistas, new horizonsin short, to har
mony.A

Is Conscience Racial?
A frater from Caada, addressing our Fo
rum, says: I recently listened to an address
in which the statement was made that con
science is racial and individual. He was
discussing the seven ages or dispensations of
the Bible, the second age in particular, commencing after the great flood when the peo
ple were not ruled by a king or government
but by their own consciences. His position
was that, since conscience is racial and in
dividual, the result was a world full of sin
and wickedness.
To me, this does not appear to be true
since cosmic laws and the laws of nature operate everywhere alike. However, there have
been times in the history of man, such as the
Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades, when
it was considered right to torture and kill the
enemies of a particular religin. Did the
men who instigated and perpetrated those
deeds suffer qualms of conscience?
Conscience is not an innate code of mor
is implanted in man by a divine decree. If
conscience were a specific course of beha
vior native to all mankind, all people who
believe themselves motivated by conscience
would behave alike. It is all too apparent
that individuis and groups of persons who
sincerely consider themselves acting in accordance with conscience will not agree on
its dictates. Conscience is related to what is
referred to as the moral law or moral will.
This is an impulse on the part of the indi
vidual to resort to behavior which he adjudges to be righteous. For analogy, we may
believe that there is a universal sense of justice had by all people. Admittedly, the
sense of justice is often more pronounced in
some persons than in others. This justice
is not a knowledge learned. Rather^ it is
an instinctive evaluation of the difference in
experiences insofar as they react upon the
welfare of human beings. It is the faculty
of being able to determine the mean, that
is, the equilibrium, between extremes. For
its expression, this sense of justice depends
upon the observation of opposing conditions
and what may be considered as contributing
to the hurt of an individual.
A member of society may be conditioned
by his social environment to consider slander
as being no hurt to another. Consequently,
his sense of justice, his sympathetic feeling

for another, would not be aroused because of

the derogatory remarks made. This same
person might, however, show resentment if
a stronger and larger man were to brutally
beat a smaller one for what he could not ac
cept as a good reason. Instinctively, his sympathy would then be engendered for the
helpless victim. This sympathy could man
ifest as an interceding in behalf of the weaker man or what would be called an act of
justice.
We thus can see that justice as a code or
an effective practice is dependent upon ones
training, environment, and the prevailing
customs. Justice, psychologically, consists
of our instinctive concern for our own wel
fare sympathetically extended to others
whose welfare we believe to be jeopardized.
What to the individual constitutes a disruption of social or other vales sufficient to
invoke his sense of justice is influenced
greatly by the customs of the society of which
he is a part.
We have dwelt on justice to this extent
because it offers a plausible analogy for con
science. The moral will or impulse behind
conscience, we may assert, is innate. It is
cosmically endowed. To paraphrase Kant,
the desire to do good is the only real good.
Men thus, by the categories of their beings,
have this nisus, this urge to do good. Wherever men are, in whatever period of history,
this moral impulse is innate. However, this
impulse is subject to intellection, that is, to
individual interpretation. As a feeling, it
must be framed in some ideation, in some
thought form. We want to do good. But what
is the good? It is in determining the intent of
the good that men fall into that disparity of
conduct that causes righteous-minded people
to move in different directions.
Race indubitably conditions or molds the
interpretations of good upon which the prac
tice of conscience depends. The races differ
in their emotionalism and, having also been
subject to specific customs for centuries,
their social vales and moral codes are dif
ferent. As a result, the goods of conscience
are not equal for all people. This difference
is overcome when there is an amalgamation of the different races in one nation
which has adopted a universal moral code
over a period of time.
It is this impact of social custom and, of
course, religin upon the self-expression or

the objectifying of conscience that causes

one people to abhor the conduct of others.
In such instances as the Spanish Inquisition
and numerous other examples of Christian
persecution of non-Christians, all the participants were not devoid of conscience in the
psychological sense. They were really imbued with a sense of righteousness, the de
sire to do good. However, their acts were
a result of ignorance. They displayed an
extremely limited conception of the nature
of good.
For analogy, one who is brought up in a
sensual environment, where pleasure means
the gratification of the appetites and pain is
construed as bodily suffering only, can be
conscious of merely a very low standard of
what constitutes the good. He will know none
of the joys of aspiration, the joys of har
mony of mind and body. He will never thrill
to the lofty beauty of sound, symmetry of
form, or poetic expression.
The consciousness of such a person may
never soar beyond the grosser impressions of
his receptor senses. His imagination may be
dulled by the forcefulness of immediate real
ity to which he gives himself. He is unable to
visualize and find happiness in an idealism
not yet materialized. None of such transcen
dental states of mind, which are the acm of
living to the mystic, the philosopher, and the
poet, could be conceived by such persons as
goo, for they are psychic and mental dullards. Yes, these unfortunate ones have con
science. They have the moral urge to do good,
but it is choked by a limited consciousness of
self.
Until there is a more fully expressed con
sciousness of self, there will be all of the
inequalities of conscience which are so apparent today. The cosmic impulse, the motivation of conscience, is in every human
being. However, it is within the province of
man to develop his own potentialities. If
this were not so, there would be no need
for such organizations as the Rosicrucian
Order.
There are certain goods as moral precepts
which manifest as conscience among almost
all peoples. They are vales which are so
integrated with the human welfare that
they cannot well be ignored by any society.
The right of possession is one of these. Men
will fight for personal, tribal, or family

property because it is like an extensin of

their own beingit is part of them. Such
property is realized to be essential to their
welfare. Consequently, it is taboo, or prohibited, to take what belongs to anotherat
least, within the same social circles, within
the tribe, or the family. Theft becomes an
evil , the respect of anothers property a
virtue.
The same applies to rape and murder for
the same obvious reasons. On the other hand,
there is no offense to conscience, to the
moral impulse, when the possessions of other
tribes are taken as a prize of war. Along
the same line of reasoning, men consider
killing in war as a good, and, therefore] it
is considered compatible with conscience. On
the other hand, the extended consciousness
which conceives an ideal for mankind, that
prohibits the taking of life, sets a higher
standard for its particular conscience. Under
no circumstances would it conceive killing
as a good.
We will never equalize the practices of
conscience until there is less disparity in the
expansin of the consciousness of men.X

A New Spiritual Age

A frater, addressing our Forum, states:
I was taught in church as a youth that the
end of the world is bound to come and that
the time would be easily foretold by certain
signs, as follows: First, all the comers of the
earth would be known to man; there would
be no more land to be discovered. Second,
the anti-Christ would come and cruel and
godless men through war would commit the
never-heard-of crimes and spread destruction
and desolation and cause suffering to humanity as no man ever did before. Third,
the Christ will come to bring peace and har
mony. After some other lesser signs, the
final end will comedestruction through fire
and water.
Now, it is evident to everybody that on
our planet there is no more land to be dis
covered; the anti-Christ already was born,
lived, performed his vile work and died. Humanity knew him under the ame of Adolf
Hitler. Of course, he himself did not know

who he really was, but, certainly, he did noth

ing short of what the anti-Christ had to do:
The crimes, destruction, desolation, and suffering caused are still bleeding wounds. He
was the one whom Mr. Churchill at the time
mentioned as the enemy of God.
Would it be strange that if, in the present
or near future generations, there should come
a good man to give us the so-long-desired
peace? Of course, he will be known by some
ame of the time. He may not know that
he is the Christ. He will not wear sandals
or tunic, or have a beard, or have a halo
around his head such as we see in pictures.
He will wear clothes of the period. If my
memory serves me well, I have even heard
some mystics admit that Christ is on earth
at the present time. To the average man,
all this may seem fantastic, something that
comes from dreamland; but the first two
signs are evident. Will our Forum discuss
this?
The frater has brought to our attention
some interesting as well as controversial
points. As for Adolf Hitler, his conduct
was certainly commensurate with what the
ology has defined as the anti-Christ. How
ever, by no means can he be said to be
more base in his inhumanity than numerous other persons throughout history. The
ancient Assyrian war lords against whom
even the Od Testament cries out were just
as nefarious and brutal as Hitler. In addition, we could mention specifically many of
the Mongol conquerors. These men destroyed
hundreds of thousands of persons at one
time, including helpless noncombatants
men, women, and children. They scourged
cities; destroyed crops, works of art, temples
and all that represented the sacred and
social achievements of man.
It is true that Hitler visited more destruc
tion upon humanity than others, but this was
not because he was more perverted than his
predecessors. While Hitler had no more sinister motives than his predecessors, he had
at his disposal modern science and the great
er masses of people living at his time; with
these, his acts of brutality resulted in greater
attrition. Man is not to be measured by the
quantity of his acts but by their quality. In
perversity, history has shown many who
were equally symbolic of the anti-Christ
spirit.

As for the destruction of the world, this

has been prophesied for many different periods in the worlds history. Ecclesiastics
were once almost unanimous in their setting
of the date as A.D. 1000, for the fulfillment
of the edict of such destruction as presaged in
Revelation: towns were deserted, Christians
prayed in masses for forgivenessbut the
earth went on. From the standpoint of interpretation, it is necessary to know just
what is meant by the theological reference
to the destruction of the world which fails
under the doctrine of eschatology, or the end
of things. Does it mean human society, civilization, and all of human accomplishment?
Or does it mean the actual disintegration of
the earth as an astronomical body in space?
The earth could, at any time, be destroyed
by natural phenomena without any refer
ence to mans moral or spiritual conduct.
There is speculation from a scientific point
of view that our earth is an offspring of
worlds in collision; therefore, another bombardment of meteors as large as asteroids
could conceivably cause the earth to be
seared by fame and its rotation and axis
so altered as to dislodge the seas. More prob
ably, then, Biblical prophecies have reference
to the destruction of human society. Cer
tainly, such destruction would be more dependent upon mans behavior than upon the
destruction of the earth itself.
It is logical that, with the world becoming
more populous and there being little escape
to unoccupied lands, societys disorders
would become more prevalent. Once people
could take refuge in some remte land and
begin a new society that conformed more to
their ideis. Now man must submit to the
pressure of mass opinion, whether or not he
as an individual is in accord with it. He is
swept along by the overwhelming tide. Many
of our early pioneers were, in fact, escapists.
They found the dangers of penetrating jungles and Crossing mountains and seas to be
less hazardous than remaining in their home
land, subject to political and religious persecutions.
Unfortunately, too many persons are still
imbued with a Messianic complex. They are
content to hope and pray for salvation by
means of the sudden appearance of some
spiritual or supernatural being who will
lead them out of the chaos of their own
making. Such an attitude is principally the

greatest weakness of mankind. It consists

of dependence upon another to assist the in
dividual to surmount conditions which, in
the main, he has precipitated.
There are numerous persons with a Christ
Consciousness, or illuminated minds, in our
world today, who could become real leaders
of humanity. They are more or less helpless
to aid until individuis first make the at
tempt to evolve their own consciousness. The
first Master of each of us must be the one
within ourselvesour own higher nature.
The frater speaks of a good man to give
us the so-long-desired peace. No individual
can give mankind peace in spite of itself.
Peace is a collective function. Peace is organized and developed by men, just as is
war. We can have leaders of peace, but
they must have followers who are willing
to sacrifice for the elements of which peace
is composedjust as men do for war. Where
men are reluctant to circumvent their own
passions and lower natures so that spiritual
principies may rise to the top, there will
be no peace regardless of who our leaders
are. In fact, spiritually evolved men could
not become leaders until they had the support of the lesser levels of humanity. Most
men who look for someone to establish peace
on earth really mean that they want someone
to prevent the destruction of their properties
and the loss of their lives to allow them to
continu their usual thoughtless, material
habits of living.
No man can remake men. He can only
set forth cosmically inspired precepts and
exemplify them by his life. The rest must
be the personal effort of the masses of
individuis. They must sincerely seek to emulate such principies. Christ and other avatars have given the world highly adequate
spiritual philosophies by which peace may
be attainedprovided man makes the effort
to live by these spiritual teachings left him
as a heritage. We need no new Messiah or
savior. We do need a personal enlightenment on the part of humanity.X

Can A Mystic Be Masterful?

A soror addresses our Forum: Some per
sons believe that the mystic should or must
assume a basically passive role in life,
making no demands, asking for nothing,
simply letting what will be drop into his

life. Does not mastery imply intelligent,

aggressive use of some things and principies?
Should he ever ask for or demand what he
needs?
The characteristics and qualities that
some individuis attribute to a mystic are
unfortunate. They assume that a mystic is
a sheer idealist, that he lives more or less
in a visionary world, that he is incapable of
confronting reality. Their image of a mystic
is of a harmless, ineffectual, benevolent but
highly impractical individual. Others conceive a mysticeven if he is a maleas
being physically effeminate in appearance.
In the past, this idea prevailed with regard
to artists and musicians. Even many of tjie
historical paintings of the great religious
founders, especially that of Christ, portray
them as lacking in masculine appearance.
There is a psychological factor underlying
this custom. Gentleness, compassion, and
esthetic traits have long been associated with
the female of the species; man, conversely,
being thought of as more aggressive and
militant. Certain habits and customs alone
were associated with the gentle sex. The
popular assumption was that spirituality and
tenderness are more womanly traits than
masculine. If a man as a mystic or religious
teacher was said to have such qualities, then
the artist would portray him as being feminine in appearance if he actually had not
seen the individual. Many of the paintings
of the saints of the Middle Ages are examples of this.
Thus, mystics have been imagined to be
passive, not only in their demeanor but in
their relations to life. They were thought
not to assert their physical and mental
powers to combat opposition or to surmount
obstacles. Furthermore, there has been the
mistaken habit of conceiving mystics as
persons somewhat removed from the worldly
realm. That is, they were thought to belong
to a privileged class which could and did
invoke powers and forces to do their bidding
without their needing to resort to the com
mon exertions of average mortals.
Consequently, if a man were successful
in business or a profession, such believers
would definitely assert that he was not a
mystic. In fact, if one were ineffectual in
meeting the demands of the day and really

a material failure, he would be popularly

accepted as a mystic so long as he could
expound mystical clichs and terminology.
The inability to succeed in material affairs
is often erroneously construed as being a
requisite of mystical elevation above the
mundane demands of this life.
To say that such ideas are a false notion
of a mystic is but a mild reproach. They
actually are sheer ignorance and an injustice
to an untold number of mystics, both men
and women, who share the problems and
responsibilities of this life equally and successfully with other persons.
The true mystic wants insight, illumination, not merely for the purpose of achieving
cosmic unity or for a clearer understanding
of creation and natural phenomena, but also
for learning how to live in harmony with
this life. He wants to learn what his mission
is if possible and how to make the utmst
of this span of mortal consciousness. He is
very much aware that he is a mortal. He
realizes that only his soul personality is
immortal. Consequently, like every mortal,
he has all of the conditions, demands, and
obligations of human society to meet. He
wants to understand these things and use
natural laws intelligently and constructively.
The real mystic is not an escapist. He does
not want to retreat from the world permanently so as to avoid conflicts with it and
enjoy only a personal imperturbability. He
realizes that what he is privileged to receive
during his meditations he is cosmically
obliged to use, not just for himself but for
all mankind. The greater the illumination of
the mystic, the greater his devotion to man
kind and the greater his humanitarian spirit.
Mystics have sought retreat and refuge
from the world only that they might rediscover in silence their own inner selves. Once
fortified by the influx of light and Cosmic
Consciousness, they were exuberant and
anticipated with delight the opportunity to
mingle with their fellow humans and help
them. But, nevertheless, they were eager,
also, to enter into the constructive affairs of
the day. For a mystic to achieve his goal of
removing ignorance and certain superstition,
alleviate suffering, enlighten mens minds,
and cultvate tolerance requires action. It
means dynamic action. In fact, mastership
is a form of perfection. And perfection comes

from practice; it is the art and science of

doing.
It is only the pseudo mystic who resorts
to baleful looks, wears long robes in public,
and shows a disdain for the ambitious and
constructive activities of modern man.X

Sorting Our Psychic Impressions

A soror poses a question which in many
respects echoes those of other students. She
is at the point where psychic manifestations
are beginning to occur. She is concentrating
on her psychic centers and is experiencing a
tingling sensation in the area of her forehead. Lately, when she closes her eyes, there
are purple clouds all around. It has been this
way for several months, and she is having
difficulty in breaking up this manifestation
and progressing into other areas. Usually,
she can ignore the problem; but in the past
few weeks, the phenomenon has made her
increasingly nervous.
If you are perceiving certain things psy
chically and have done so over a long period,
you should take a break in performing your
exercises and allow yourself to become
purely objective for a short time. At any
appearance of a psychic manifestation which
has no ready meaning for you, try to becqme
objective and do not think about it during
this time. It is important to keep a balance
between the objective and psychic aspects
of our nature. Psychic manifestations must
be weighed according to their apparent mean
ing to us.
When developing psychic faculties, we are
apt to have psychic manifestations of various
sorts, not all of which are meaningful or
related to our development. They are simply
the result of a psychic sense facultys opening up and becoming more sensitive. There
fore, it is a good rule of thumb to ignore or
dismiss those that have no immediate or ap
parent meaning. Psychic messages which we
are supposed to receivewhich are relative
to our well-beingwill come to us repeatedly
and with a minimum of obstruction or vagueness. The Cosmic has no purpose in veiling
that which it wants us to know.
Realizing this should help you to avoid
manifestations which are puzzling and bothersome. This should be kept in mind as you
perform your exercises over the next few
months.B

Enjoy the
New, Convenient
Schedule of
Classes at
Rose-Croix University*
The greatly expanded curriculum in the
1966 Summer Study Program offers new
subjects to hundreds of Rosicrucian mem
bers who have completed the basic courses
offered by Rose-Croix University in previous years. At the same time, the program-

ming of classes has been so arranged

that members may now attend any ONE,
TWO, or THREE full weeks, with a com
plete course of study offered each week.
Nominal fees are based on weekly units
also.

Happy Hours
The interesting presentation of practical
by unique methods of demon
straron and student participation make the
weekly courses here equal to the longer periods of instruction at other institutions of
learning.
Go to school the Rosicrucian waywhere
facts are fun, learning is a labor of love, and
study is zestful. Plan now to make your
summer vacation profitable. Good fellowship
with people who think as you do and unforgettable experiences await you. Write for
the free booklet which gives you full particulars. Address: The Registrar, Rose-Croix Uni
versity, Rosicrucian Park, San Tose, California
95114, U. S. A.
Information

*OPEN TO ALL ACTIVE MEMBERS OF AMORC

Extent of Previous Education Not Important

R O S IC R U C IA N P R E S S , L T D . , S A N J O S E

L IT H O IN U . S . A .

FORUM
A prvate publication
for members of AMORC

Where Alchemy Reigned

The famed and beautiful Rosenberg Castle in Copenhagen, built
by the renowned king, Christian
IV. As a patrn of the arts, he
sponsored alchemical research in
the subterranean recesses of this
castle.

Greetings!
V
V V
WHY DOES MAN REJECT WISDOM?
Dear Fratres and Sorores:

The human race seems reluctant to live

according to the bits of wisdom so painfully
acquired through the centuries. There are
reasons why the masses of mankind do not
take advantage of this accumulated wisdom.
Knowledge is experience. It is acquired
either intimately through personal contact
with the vicissitudes of life or by the study
of the experiences of others. For analogy, a
certain food is salty. We learn this through
directly tasting it or we accept it as a fact
from the statement of another in whom we
have confidence.
The wisdom of others which is proffered
verbally or exists in books and other sources
of learning usually is not sought after unless
it is conceived as being of some advantage.
The fact that there is reputed to be a profound source of wisdom vailable does not
necessarily mean that the average person
will seek it out or even accept it. He most
likely predetermines in his own mind the
valu of such wisdom in relation to his immediate self. In other words, he evaluates
it as to what he believes it may contribute
to his personal satisfaction.
Each of us can think of numerous subjects, the knowledge of which and a familiarity with their particulars would not only
broaden the human understanding but would
perhaps also cause a greater appreciation of
nature, rid one of superstitions, quicken the
reason, and stimulate the imagination. But
the sphere of personal interest of many in
dividuis has not been related to such subjects, and that kind of knowledge or wisdom,
therefore, has no attraction for them.
For example, the subject of philosophy has
no appeal to multitudes of persons. Actually,
it is not that what philosophy includes in its
myriad of topics is without interest to such
persons. It is hardly possible that the average
intelligent person would not be interested
in some phase of philosophy since it em
braces all the inclinations and basic thoughts
of mankind. However, those who do not in

vestgate the wisdom of philosophy are not

aware that its contents may and perhaps do
include several topics of interest to them.
The same may be said of such subjects as
psychology, metaphysics, and mysticism.
They, too, touch upon .the whole being of
man, both his material and so-called imma
terial selves. However, the man who is in
terested in sensuous activities and pleasures
will look for only that which symbolizes
them, that is, which suggests such possible
gratification. If some source of wisdom does
not in its title or in some of its characteristics suggest such physical pleasures, he
most certainly will not investgate it.
Consequently, we can see that wisdom
so-called is often denied or ignored by men
either through their lack of interest in its
content or because they are ignorant of the
satisfaction and benefits which it might pro
vide them.
Education, of course, with its academic
pursuits, puts individuis in touch with a
variety of knowledge with which they might
otherwise never become acquainted or inquire into. But even when they have access
to certain knowledge, it may not seem of
benefit to them. They may not accept it
because of their inclinations and personality.
For further example, we cannot expect
everyone to pursue an extensive course of
higher mathematics, such as differential calculus, for instance, even if it might become
a means for them to better understand cer
tain phenomena of nature. Certain individ
uis may prefer instead to apply their
intelligence to therapeutics, that is, to the
wisdom of health and the curing of disease.
The human ego must also be taken into
consideration in this problem. History reveis
events, the result of human thought and action. It discloses, therefore, the past strengths
and weaknesses of man and the civilizations
which he has created. A review of history
discloses obvious mistakes in human judgment which resulted in calamitous events.
History repeats itself only because human
nature does so.

If men would search out in history corresponding conditions to circumstances of to

day and be guided by the past, much misery
could be avoided. It is not always that men
are ignorant of this parallelism in history,
but rather that the human ego often assumes
that it is superior in intelligence to human
beings of the past and, therefore, can surmount successfully the same obstacles with
little change in procedure. Sometimes they
may be successful, but most times it would
be preferable for men to adjust their activi
ties so that there would be no need for a
recurrence of certain causes and effects of
the past. There is wisdom in history, but
many refuse to recognize or abide by it.
To some extent, we have used here the
words knowledge and wisdom as if they were
synonymous. Actually, they are different.
Wisdom consists of knowledge, but all knowl
edge or cognition is not necessarily wisdom.
A man may have much learning, a great
accumulation of facts, and yet not be wise.
Wisdom is apodictical, that is, tested and
applied knowledge. It is the skill, or rather
judgment, that is born of experience as to
the proper use of knowledge.
All knowledge does not stand the test of
time. True wisdom does. It is sagacious in
meeting circumstances and applying what is
known in the right manner. Time proves or
disproves decisions that men make. The
knowledge that survives and contines to be
applicable when called upon is Wisdom X

Transition Is Inevitable
These comments are based upon a question
incorporating the title. The question was
asked, Is transition inevitable? I believe
that one of the most profound impressions
made upon my consciousness when I first
associated with the Rosicrucian Order many
years ago was an article written by the Imperator at that time, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis.
This article, incidentally, has now been
published for members in a booklet form

under the title Absent Healing. In the ar

ticle, Dr. Lewis made the statement which
is the title of this article, Transition Is In
evitable.
Man reaches a point where the physical
body no longer fulfills his needs or its pur
pose. The fact that man does not know when
that time will arrive is unimportant. The
fact is still an actuality. The body is of
the material world, and all material has a
limited existence. It is true that there are
edifices that were constructed from material
in ancient times and that still survive to
some degree, but their end is definitely
limited in time. Some material objects last
longer than others, but none will last forever.
In the Infinite, or the Eternal, only those
vales which are not a part of the material
world will endure. Eternity is the realm of
the Cosmic, of the soul, of the immaterial,
and it is in that area that life has its origin
and its end. It is to that area that life must
return in some form; therefore, if man is an
evolving soul, as Rosicrucian philosophy con
ceives him to be, the material container in
which he finds himself at this particular
point of his incarnation is a limited one insofar as space and time are concerned. Space
and time, of course, are material concepts,
also, and restrict or limit the physical mani
festation of man.
Man has contemplated transition or, as
popularly known, death since he has been
intelligent enough to think about it. The
matter which comes to our attention today
is that death is being considered differently
than in many past periods of history. Those
who live in this century realize that there
have been many changes in mans thinking
and living. We are, no doubt, in an era of
change that is different from any that has
ever existed in all mans history.
I want to point out that at all times in
history man, of course, has thought that he
has been faced with problems different from
any he ever had before. The fact is that the

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difference today is not that he has more

problems or more acute ones but that, because of the speed with which he has de
veloped communication and transportation,
his problems arrive in larger groups and
more rapidly than they may have in the
past. Man is, therefore, confronted with
more decisions than at any time in the past.
The attitude toward the mystery of death
is also a part of the change in mans think
ing. Death, in a sense, is constantly receding
because of the advances in therapeutics that
have made it possible to conquer or at least
control some of the diseases that were the
essential causes of death even a generation
ago. At the same time, the death rate by
accidents is becoming more of a menace
because of mans advancement in transporta
tion. Regardless, the life span has increased.
I can remember in my own lifetime when
the life span on the average was only about
forty years or less, and now it is substantially more.
Socially, the concept of death has also
changed and, consequently, the rites associated with death and the mourning that used
to be a part of the death ritual are becoming
less and less emphasized. Unless an outstanding individual passes through transition,
one does not find that the world is directly
affected by transition as such.
All this adds up to the fact that man is
coming more and more to adopt the point
of view that death is just an unfortunate
incident in the course of life. Cari Jung has
stated this somewhat differently and believes that the traditional view of death
should be considered as the fulfillment of
lifes meaning and its goal in the truest sense
instead of a mere meaningless cessation. In
this sense, life has meaning, and death is a
part of that life.
A half century ago, death was a more
common companion than it is today and,
therefore, it was considered more significant.
I believe that man is in error by trying to
play down, as it were, the importance of
death. There is more and more a tendency
to look at death rather facetiously, as is well
illustrated in a popular motion picture of
the present time, entitled The Loved One.
While humorous in many respects, it makes
a joke of death, which may or may not be
conducive to good, sound, mental health.

When grief was freely expressed, it was

an outlet for those who survived the death
of one who was closely related or associated
with them. Today, grief is looked upon
more as something that should be hidden or
covered up. We see very little of the od
traditional practices of mourning. A person
looks twice today if an individual wears a
black arm band or a widow dresses exclusively in black. I am not saying that these
outward expressions of grief were necessarily
good, but I am saying that the emotional
outlet of grief is natural and has a certain
healing effect upon the individual. The indi
vidual who suffers most by the adjustment
to the death of a loved one is the one who
tries to hold in his feelings. The late Rabbi
Liebman in his book Peace of Mind pointed
out how essential it is to express grief by the
normal emotional responses. In this way,
grief, through expression, carries one over
the transitional period which is so important
to the adjustments necessary for the indi
vidual who has lost one whom he holds dear.
In other words, controlling our emotions
can be carried to extremes, and I believe that
all of us should adjust our thinking to the
fact that when we are faced with the loss
of a loved one, we are going to have an
emotional experience which is a part of the
process of adjustment. To inhibit, control, or
keep sublimated those emotional responses
can only lead to further difficulties insofar
as our adjustment is concerned, and in some
types of individuis can lead to a very diffi
cult mental adjustment to the realities of
living that must continu.
This, then, is the lesson for us to learn
when we face the transition of others about
us. But what is even more important is what
is the attitude that we should have toward
our own transition? First of all, we should
acknowledge its inevitability. As we grow
older, we reach the point where transition
comes nearer, and we become keenly aware
that it will take place. There is no doubt
about it.
Today, when modern science strips immortality of its former importance in our
thinking, it sometimes becomes difficult for
the individual to grasp the fact that he is
taught in Science and even in some religions
and philosophies that the immortality of
the personality with which he has become
familiar in this earth life may not be the

type of immortality which is ordained for

man. We are very jealous of our individualities since we have become familiar with
them here on this earth, and it is difficult
for us to conceive oT a time when that par
ticular expression of self no longer will exist.
Frankly, we do not know to what extent the
personality survives, but, in accordance with
our Rosicrucian philosophy, we are confident that the life forc that causes us to be
animate beings is a forc of an immaterial
nature that will continu to function in some
other area and at some other time insofar as
our concept of continuing time is concerned.
What is important now and what we
should have learned from life to this point
is that all life is important and that each
moment takes care of itself in a sense. To
live today as best we understand and as honestly as we can interpret the laws that
function about us is the key to the next
moment of living, whether that moment is
still a part of our existence here in a physical
universe or whether it is somewhere else.
This is so well-expressed in the book Unto
Thee I Grant that if we would carry with
us in our minds the thought of the following
quotation, I believe we would gain by it.
Opportunity does not perish with thee in
death. Be honest here, thou shalt be wise
hereafter.
These thoughts confirm the concept that
I have tried to express. Live this moment,
and future life, wherever and whatever its
nature may be, will take care of itself. To
be honest with ourselves today, to live a good
life as well as we can honestly interpret it,
will provide the foundation for wisdom in
the future.A

Are Family Ties Maintained?

A soror from Belleville, Ontario, comments: Many Rosicrucians seem to feel
that the people they are associated with in
this incarnation have been cise associates
in previous lives and will be again in the
future. In any Rosicrucian literature which
I have read, this idea has not been put forth.
Are these members merely being romantic,
or do you feel that this idea is correct? Your
brother in this life may be your little girl
next time, and so forth (for example).
This aspect of reincamation is seldom
dealt with because of its implications that

family ties are part of a cosmic plan. From

the cosmic viewpoint, each personality is on
its separate path, growing and evolving
without regard to material ties and standards. Its evolutionary path may take it
through all kinds of earthly environments
and through all sorts of family relationships.
One of the strongest principies of the doc
trine of reincamation is that the personality
is freed periodically from a particular set of
circumstances, freed so that it can start out
anew with lessons learned in past incarnations. To be obliged always to return to
similar circumstances is not consistent with
the principie of rebirth. Rather, it ties a
broad cosmic event to the limitations of an
earthly, mundane frame of reference.
Each individual must leam to think of
himself as a kindred personality, not only
to an earthly family, but also to the whole
family of personalities that issue from the
Cosmic. This is the Cosmic Consciousness
toward which man is growinga conscious
ness of the greater unit of Beinga con
sciousness expanding beyond the limitations
of the objective plae.
For this reason, there is a de-emphasis of
personal ties in Rosicrucian writings on the
subject of reincamation. We do not feel that
the subject should be sought out and studied
with that end in view. We want the doctrine
of reincamation to mean more than that to
the reader. We wish to emphasize its relationship to personal growth and development. We want people to see in it a rational
concept of immortality that ties the indi
vidual to the Cosmic over a long period of
time.
This is not to say that there can be no
association between worldly ties and a personalitys path of evolution, but this is only
a secondary consideration.
The religions of man lay great emphasis
on the continuation of family ties after
transition, or death. This is a carry-over from
the great emphasis that the ancients placed
on the continuation of mans whole earthly
environment, not to mention his family ties.
Today man looks with disapproval on the
rites and practices of his ancient forebears;
but, in effect, his concept of life after death
still carries many of the same ingredients.
What are the true possibilities of continued family ties from one incarnation to
the next? We may better understand this

pattern by reviewing the rules that govem

the incarnation of a soul personality. In the
process of incamating, a soul personality is
drawn to a particular physical vehicle by
the natural attraction that exists between the
two. It seeks out a corresponding body in
which it can best continu its pattern of
development. This is not left to chance or
contemplation. The correspondence arises
out of the natural potential for attraction
which each has to the other.
We can compare this search for a correspondent to the search of one atom for other
atoms that will correspond to its needs or
attraction potential. In chemistry, this at
traction potential is called valence. An
oxygen atom, for example, has a valence of
-2. That is, its outer circle of electrons, or
electrical charges, is missing two electrons
in order to complete a circle. The hydrogen
atom, for example, has a valence of + 1. It
has only one electrn circling its nucleus
and will seek out atoms with missing elec
trons in order to combine and thus make
complete circles. Thus, we very often find
two hydrogen atoms, each with a valence of
+ 1, combining with an oxygen atom with a
valence of -2. Together, they form a hydrogen-oxygen compound called water.
By greatly exaggerating the action of
atoms or, rather, by compounding it into
the complex constitution of a human body
or the soul personalitys aura, we can visualize these larger units as having valences
alsoelectromagnetic fields which are drawn
to each other through their natural propensity to achieve balance. Thus, a soul
personality is unerringly drawn to that body,
to that family, to that situation which will
fill its immediate needs for growth and
human expression.
To carry this phenomenon one step fur
ther, it is safe to assume that the family, the
situation, and the environment are evolving,
too. This includes the human environment
as wellthe people and family into which a
person is born. All things being equal, the
rate of development in each of these units
is approximately the same. Thus, it would
seem that there would be a tendency for
those units to recombine incarnation after
incarnation. This would be most true in
those situations where the most cohesive
family and community patterns existed. Per
sonalities that break with family and com

munity ties would probably sustain that

break through incarnations.
Those who are most concerned about the
break in family ties, who are cise and
strongly attracted to each other, are prob
ably the ones most likely to continu these
ties through incarnations.
There is no other rule governing the
association of personalities from one incar
nation to another except that of need, or
correspondence, as determined by the nature
and state of the individual aura.B.

Universal Ethics
The prevalent and widespread corruption
in government and in society generally is
reminiscent of similar conditions in past
centuries. It has reached such alarming proportions that it has been suggested that a code
of ethics be adopted for intragovemmental
relations in the United States. The purpose
of a code of ethics is to equalize the evaluation of certain human conduct. It does not
intend to restrict initiative and the exercise
of individual intelligence. It proposes to
show that particular activities cannot be permitted when their effects, though advantageous to one man or a group of men, may be
harmful to others.
There is a distinction between an ethical
provision and a legal prohibition. The state
may establish a law which declares it illegal
for certain acts to be performed. It is, of
course, assumed in a democracy that such a
law was enacted for the benefit of society.
However, in the strictest sense many laws
do not have a foundation on ethical princi
pies. They may, for example, be enacted for
economic, political, or hygienic reasons. A
primary principie of ethics is that the con
duct of an individual be such that he does
not take unfair advantage of others. Philosophically, the effect of an ethical code is to
so govern human conduct that individuis
are given equal opportunity to exercise and
to preserve their rights and powers. Perhaps
a simple summation of the practical aspects
of ethics is to refer to it as an attempt at
justice in human relations.
Commonly, ethics is thought of as being
quite independent of moris. The latter are
the guiding principies by which a human
being seeks to conform to a spiritual idealism.
Moris are either inherited as a religious

doctrine or they arise from ones personal

interpretation of what is spiritually proper
in his behavior. In morality, the individual
holds his judge to be a god or a divine princi
pie. His whole moral structure is predicated
on satisfying what he conceives to be the
divine principie as he experiences it. He has
a sense of righteousness in so conforming,
whether other men accept his conduct or not.
Generally speaking and as a distinction
from moris, in practice at least, men are inclined to look upon ethics as a kind of working agreement to their mutual advantage.
They think of the fulfillment of an ethical
code as being one of expediency rather than
as an obligation to some superior or spiritual
power. If one looks upon ethics from this
point of view, he may be inclined to vilate
its code if he can do so without exposing
himself to any religious censure or fear of
divine penalty. Conversely, however, one
will avoid intentionally violating a personal
moral principie, even if it is to his material
gain. The psychological reason for this is
that a sense of guilt mitigates all satisfaction
that we derive from the gain, provided, of
course, that the moral mpetus is strong
enough. It must be apparent, then, that for
a code of ethics to be successful, that is,
voluntarily adhered to by an individual, it
should have a relation to his moral standards.
It is a common complaint today that there
is a decline of morality. This being so, how
is a code of ethics to be established upon
morality and yet be effective? It is first
necessary to realize that there will always be
a considerable portion of any society that
will manifest a deficiency of the moral sense.
There are many persons incapable of an
abstract idealism which transcends personal
objective gratification. The satisfactions of
such persons are sensual. Good to them is
only an appeasement of physical desires, a
satisfaction of the appetites, love of posses
sions, and the like. The self of this type of
person is very limited. There is no extensin
of the emotions and sentiments to include
compassion and the welfare of others. The
morally deficient are unable to realize the
satisfaction of an ideal which may be termed
humanitarian. They do not set up ends
which are related in any way to psychic and
emotional feelings of a high order and which,
when attained, bring a subjective pleasure.
It is necessary, then, to determine the most

general moral qualities of a society and to

formlate a system of ethics from them.
What are the general moral qualities of a
society? What society is to be taken as a
standard for selection? When asked to express his moral convictions, the average person is likely to quote exegetical references
or the edicts of a religious creed with which
he is familiar. Unless he has personally
experienced the psychic and emotional feeling that accompanies the moral edicts, such
are not part of his moral being. The true
moral creed is one that has its counterpart
in the immanent impulse of the individual
to do good. The creed is but an objectification of the moral or spiritual inclination. It
is a subjective urge which finds its ideal in
some religious principie. These subjective
urges, usually referred to as moral impulses,
we may presume to be universally innate in
man. It is obvious, however, that the moris
of society are not universal. This is evidence
that the different moris which men express
or avow are but interpretations of their in
nate urges. The objectification of the moral
impulse, its expression, is dependent upon
(a) the intelligence and education of the
individual and (b) the customs and conventions of society.
The needs and relations of a primitive so
ciety are quite different from those of a
modern complex civilization. The relations
between members of a primitive society are
far simpler than those of a highly organized
state. In the primitive society there would
be fewer incidents or activities that would
be offensive to the innate subjective moral
impulse. Because of the needs of a simple
society, men would be far more inclined to
accept certain relationships as necessary and
beneficial to their welfare and thus not construe them as immoral. When men are not
able to conceive an alternative in human
conduct and when such seems absolutely
essential to them, its performance does not
cause any sense of guilt. For example, polygamy and polyandry are not considered taboo
in many primitive societies where there is
a shortage of one sex or the other. The killing of the aged and incurable has often in
the past been consistent with the social moral
sense where it had become a customary eco
nomic necessity. Therefore, the needs and
customs of society have always been an im
portant factor in the development of its

moris. The individual is likely to believe

that his moral principies are solely and divinely conceived or inspired. He does not
realize that the slowly evolved conventions
of his society have often formed a mould for
those psychic and emotional urges to which
he refers as his conscience and his moral self.
From the foregoing, it is patent that, if we
are to look to the moral codes of different
societies and religious sects as the basis for
the development of universal ethics, we will
only be confused. It is necessary to resort
directly to the cause of moris, to their sub
jective or psychic motivation.
AJI men recognize a transcendental power
of some kind. They are conscious of their
own human limitations and know that man
is not self-sufficient. This transcendental or
supreme power is conceived either as being
natural, as the mechanistic forces of nature,
or as supernatural, namely, a god or a divine
intelligence. In either instance, it appears as
neither expedient or proper for the indi
vidual to participate in any activities which
he considers offensive to the recognized su
preme power. Instinctively, man feels a
dependence on a power which exceeds his
own abilities. Not being thoroughly familiar
with the nature of this power, he is disinclined to offend it, partly because of fear of
retribution and partly because of a respect
for its majesty. As a result, there is an almost unconscious proscription of any prac
tices which attack any generally accepted
nonhuman authority.
Most men, therefore, would understand
and appreciate the need of a basic rule of
ethics which would prohibit conduct offensive
to the conceived inanimate and exalted au
thority, whether it be God or nature.
The instinct of preservation which motivates the individual toward various kinds of
personal security is likewise an excellent
ground for the establishment of ethical pro
visions. Any conduct which would jeopardize the physical or mental well-being of
another could readily be recognized as detrimental. Even though the individual is not
directly concerned, he will support the prin
cipie of personal security, for he realizes
that he may need to invoke it sometime in
his own behalf. It may seem that this princi
pie has no moral connotations according to
the way we defined moris previously. The
fact is that all men who, for example, recog

nize a divine omnipotence are of the belief

that such a power has conferred certain
inalienable rights upon them. One such right
is their personal security or well-being.
This inalienable security is not limited to
an attack on, or a violation of, the person.
It is also extended to all that the enlarged
self of the individual includes. Thus, it in
cludes ones family and property, for these
we feel are a part of our self-interests. As
a consequence, whenever conduct potentially
jeopardizes the security of anothers property
or vested interest, it is construed as a violation
of the inalienable right of security. Any rule
of ethics which seeks to prevent such conduct
is psychologically satisfying. Thus, for exam
ple, a rule of ethics not permitting one to
take unfair advantage of another in a busi
ness transaction whereby a loss of property
would be incurred is related to an underlying subjective motive.
Misrepresentation, violation of promise,
perfidy, intimidationall of these are in
substance unethical in human conduct because they vilate moral precepts. Misrepre
sentation, or untruth, is unethical because it
destroys necessary faith in human relations.
For a meeting of minds and cooperation be
tween individuis, a common ground must
be established. An untruth is an unreality.
One mind is thus laboring under an illusion.
To permit untruth would obstruct all human
relations unless each person were able to
reduce all matters under consideration to
their factual elements. Since such is not
always possible, society, therefore, would be
frustrated.
Intimidation strikes directly at the moral
principie of the right of self-assertion or free
dom of expression, which men consider a
divine prerogative. Experiencing the intimi
dation of others arouses the sense of justice
within persons; this is the feeling which one
has for his own immediate security and
which is emotionally or sympathetically ex
tended to another under like circumstances.
Basic moral codes, or the virtues, have all
been engendered by subjective impulses, by
that which men have found offensive to their
sentiments and moral idealism. Men have
made human relations, insofar as virtues are
concerned, conform to their instinctive desires. However, where any desire conflicts
with the collective good of society, mans
better judgment tells him it is essential to

subjugate it. Man realizes that society is

necessary to individual welfare. Therefore,
no primitive urge is condoned which will
destroy this society. The Decalogue in the
Od Testament and similar moral codes in
other religious works are clearly fashioned
from mans realization of the need of selfdiscipline. It also constitutes an effort to
reglate his conduct in conformity with his
inherent sympathetic feeling toward his
group or kind. These inclinations of self-love
which he has to extend to others man conceives to be of divine or moral origin.
A system of ethics must fail, therefore,
unless it is definitely related to these innate
moral impulses. If only the basic subjective
urges are considered in the formation of
such a code, the ethics will not conflict with
the different social customs. The uniformity
of the code could be more easily established.
As it is now, ethics is mainly an arbitrary
system of conduct decided upon by various
groups of individuis. In other words, objectives are first determined by the group. Then
it is agreed that certain conduct is either
wrong or right in attempting to realize such
objectives. The right conduct of any code
of ethics must be related to basic moral
principies or there is no personal emotional
response upon the part of the individuis
pledged to support it.
Ethics is a system of rules. Behind the
rules must be the motivating spirit of the
moral or spiritual nature of man.X

The Rosicrucian Type

A frater has written concerning some
literature he read claiming that individuis
who become interested in self-improvement,
metaphysics, occultism, or what used to be
called New Thought are not entirely normal.
According to this literature, only those who
are misfits or are poorly adjusted to their
environment and to the demands that life
makes upon them are seekers of information
through these channels. He asks us to comment on this statement and to answer the
question whether Rosicrucians are normal
human beings; or, rather, whether normal,
well-adjusted human beings are attracted to
the Rosicrucian Order and to types of study
which to some extent parallel the Rosicrucian
teachings.

The observation read by the frater is

probably the superficial viewpoint of some
one who is aware of the fact that sometimes
individuis who may appear to deviate
slightly from normal are attracted to ideas
which may be exaggerated or which have
little basis in fact or on the basis of proof.
There are organizations and groups which
appeal to the fantastic and which attract
attention by making claims that cannot be
substantiated and are far beyond the credibility of an intelligent, reasonably normal
human being. The sensationalism of socalled cults and groups which attract notoriety and newspaper attention are wellknown in many parts of the world.
In the many years that this organization
has functioned in the Western world, it has
witnessed hundreds of such groups come to
the attention of the public and disappear.
There flash through my mind books, pamphlets, newspaper stories, and various presentations of groups that within the last
twenty-five or thirty years were notoriously
existent for a short period of time and then
disappeared altogether. Less than ten years
ago, a book that was sensationally based
upon a rather erroneous concept of the
theory of reincamation attracted much at
tention, but it has not been particularly
noticeable recently. In other words, if a
group is formed simply to attract attention
or to gain a following through extravagant
and sensational claims, then those who are
probably less than stable may be a part of
those who are its followers.
Another matter to consider in connection
with the fraters comments is just how a
normal individual is to be defined. Psychologists and educators have not been able to
agree as to what exactly constitutes a normal
individual. In the broadest sense of the word,
a normal individual is an average individual.
Therefore, if we take the norm to be that
of the average, anyone who deviates from
this normal point, or from the average,
would be abnormal. This would include such
geniuses as the late Thomas Edison, Albert
Einstein, most of the leading scientists to
day, as well as theologians, educators, psychologists, philosophers, artists, musicians,
and anyone else whose behavior, under
standing, achievements, and accomplishments are different from the norm. Those

who are below the level of the norm also

would be in such a classification.
If we answer the question directly as to
whether people who are different from the
normal associate with the Rosicrucian Order,
I believe that the answer would be in the
affirmative. Individuis differ in their aims,
purposes, backgrounds, heredity, and environmental training and experience. Consequently, it is difficult to pick out exactly
what is the normal; and, in fact, very few
of us would care to be identified as a socalled average man. The picture of the
average man is of a rather dull individual
who does not very often think for himself,
does nothing to make himself stand out from
the crowd, lets his environment domnate
him, accepts other peoples opinions, and, in
fact, lives a life more or less according to
accepted norms or standards and uses no
imagination of his own. The popular con
cept of someone who deviates from the
normal is, of course, a fanatic. This is also
a difficult term to define, but a fanatic does
differ from a near-normal individual in that
he usually permits fixed ideas or even obsessions to domnate his judgment.
If we are to classify the types of indi
viduis who are interested in the Rosicrucian
Order and become members, we have to use
the plural types rather than the one word
type . There is no Rosicrucian type in the
sense of one type of individual being of a
certain character, intelligence, environment,
race, creed, nationality, or sex; or is there
any other determinant factor to differentiate the individual who becomes a Rosicru
cian.
The Rosicrucian of today is more apt to
be from a cross-section of the country or
social status in which he lives. In a Rosi
crucian Convention, for example, there will
be a good cross-section of the area covered
by the Convention. There will be humble
people and people of advanced status socially, economically, or otherwise. There will
be teachers and educators, as well as workers
in the mechanical and other fields that are
essential to a modern civilization. But if we
analyze all these individuis, including our
selves, we shall find that three factors make
up the types of those who seek association
with the Order to study its teachings.
The motivating purpose of affiliating with
the organization or becoming interested in

it is the key indicator of these types. The

first is those who express curiosity. Curiosity, to a certain degree, is a valuable trait,
and we want members who affiliate with
the organization to be curious as to what it
can do. However, we do not want members
who come in only because of curiosity. The
curious are individuis to whom anything
that is new to them or not completely understood is a challenge. They want to join the
organization simply because it is something
different in their experience, and they join
merely to find out what it is.
One reason why the Neophyte degrees are
provided in our teachings is to meet the
needs of these curiosity seekers. In the three
Neophyte degrees, we find, in a sense, a
presentation of the Rosicrucian philosophy in
miniature, or in brief. The individual going
through the Neophyte degrees will gain a
basic idea of the Rosicrucian philosophy and,
if his interest is sufficient, he will continu
in order to gain more knowledge and ex
perience, as well as to expand the elementary principies which are presented in these
teachings. Therefore, the Neophyte degrees
serve to elimnate the curiosity seeker. The
one who affiliates with the organization
purely out of curiosity and for no other
purpose will tire before the Neophyte de
grees are completed.
The average person of the curious type is
not a particularly stable individual insofar
as committing himself to a continued course
of study such as the Rosicrucian teachings.
He will tire, or he will be attracted again
because of his curiosity to some other activity, which may be similar or different, and,
for the time being, he will lose interest in
any organization which attracted his curi
osity only temporarily.
The second type is the escapist. He is trying to escape the problems of his life, his
environment, and the demands that life has
made upon him. He is seeking a way to
solve his problems through means other than
his own efforts. Such an individual may be
having considerable difficulty with problems
of health, finance, family, or some other
critical adjustment in his life. He has
probably tried various ways to solve these
problems. He may have sought advice
through various channels, including social
welfare organizations, churches, psychologists, and any other type of group or indi

vidual that offers direction and help to

others. This individual may finally take the
step of turning over his problems to something or someone else, and he is led to
believepossibly through his own imagination to some degreethat the teachings of
the Rosicrucian Order will relieve him of
these responsibilities and problems.
This person differs from the curiosity
seeker in that he has possibly a selfish motive
for affiliating with the organization; but,
at the same time, he has a motive deeper
than mere curiosity. Instead of discouraging
him, the Neophyte degrees may cause the
concept with which he entered the organi
zation to be enlarged upon and grow into a
true desire to go ahead with the teachings.
I am confident that many who have joined
the organization to escape the pressures of
their environment, hoping to escape the
necessity of reaching solutions to different
problems, have found in the Rosicrucian
teachings the means of dealing with their
environment, and they have gone on to become good members and well-adjusted indi
viduis.
In other words, the escapist is the indi
vidual who is trying to escape pressures that
have been brought upon him; but when
properly directed, he will use knowledge and
instruction to deal with his environment.
This type of person is welcome. He is needed
because he shows that the organization can
be practically and effectively used as a
means of directing an individual^ problems
toward a solution.
The third type is the student. He is inter
ested in evolvement. He joins the organiza
tion in order to obtain the mximum use of
the innate abilities and attributes that were
ordained to be used. He may have given
considerable thought to various schools of
study and has probably done much investigation in philosophy, religin, metaphysics,
New Thought, and other subject matter. He
joins with a desire to learn and to apply his
learning to his own life. He will become an
ideal member of the organization; but,
probably, he is among the minority who
join.
Most persons have to be prodded somewhat. They are brought into association with
a type of study such as the Rosicrucians
offer because they feel a lack within themselves. Of course, the one who joins the

organization to evolve also realizes that

there is something missing in his life, and
he is going to search for it. This is a true
student, and he becomes a true Rosicrucian
whether or not there are introductory de
grees of study.
In the end, the escapist and the one seeking evolvement can become equally advanced and accomplished; but of these three
types, those who are aware of their shortcomings and seek to develop their innate
abilities are the ones who have determined
from the very beginning to look toward
psychic and mental evolvement.
We might say in summary that all types
who affiliate with the organization realize
a lack of something. They realize their incompleteness and that they may or may not
be considered normal from the standpoint
of the society of which they are a part. How
ever, they realize that regardless of what
they are or where they may be in their own
evolvement, every human being has a spark
of life within him that can be evolved to
ward a purposeful end. Those who come
seeking to move toward that end are seeking
an eventual perfection, and until they reach
such a degree of evolvement, they are aware
that they must deal with their imperfections
and with their limitations. Only by learning
of his true relationship with the Cosmic and
the Divine is one able to overcome the limi
tations of his own being.A

Attending A Church
Because Rosicrucian work often touches
those areas of study involved in religious
disciplines, it is common for members to ask
us questions relating to their particular
faith. Many, however, feel that their Rosi
crucian work substitutes for a religious
affiliation. Others wonder whether or not
they can be loyal to both. Many ask outright if they should or should not go to
church.
It really is not our place to advise on the
correctness or incorrectness of this activity
on the part of our members. Whether or not
they go to church is principally their con
cern. We realize that a religious attitude, or
faith, can be nurtured and cultivated apart
from a church. Moris and ethics can be
taught in a frame of reference other than a
church. Certainly, an inquiry into the true

nature of Being can be held apart from the

church. In fact, such an inquiry is hardly
compatible with the purposes of a church.
Churches serve the purpose of preserving
a prescribed faith and dogma. This faith and
dogma were evolved out of original mystical
principies that were later amended by the
personal experiences of a man and woman
who termed themselves messengers,
prophets, or simply servants of the
Lord. From these experiences, they formulated a set of rules that are intended to
govern the behavior of their adherents in
every phase of their lives.
These rules are unequivocally based upon
the interpretation of the messenger. They
may or may not be valid. They are usually
the source of the controversy and conflict
that periodically fiares up in religious
circles. They are likewise the reason for
peoples quitting the faith or switching
faiths.
It is not on mystical principies that people
disagree, for mystical principies are facts of
existence that are common to all observers.
Like natural laws, they are the basis on
which man determines his behavior each
moment of his life.
Since churches and religious sects exist
to preserve a doctrine of faith based on
revelation, the question of whether a Rosi
crucian member should support a church
depends on whether he agrees with that
particular set of rules aid interpretations
of mystical principies. Many members of
AMORC are members of churches when
they apply for membership, and in many
cases they do not find their new affiliation
incompatible with their church connections.
The good that exists in religious principies
is also to be found in AMORC, and on this
common ground they find fulfillment in
both.
If a person is in conflict with the dogma
and the practices of a church but believes
in the mystical principies on which his
faith is founded, he will still be able to find
both affiliations compatible since AMORC
requires no adherence to a dogma, a dogma
which might have conflicted with that of
the church.
In this line of questioning, it must always
be remembered what AMORCs aims and
objectives are. Then the question of affilia
tion with churches or other groups resolves

itself accordingly. We espouse free inquiry

into the nature of Being. We encourage
people to think for themselves. We ask our
members to explore the elements of their
existence. We ask them to question. And
while they are in the process of doing all
this, we are offering for their inspection and
judgment the many thoughts and works of
manthe mystics, the philosophers, the
scientists, the artists, the prophets, and the
followers of all these.
Furthermore, while the member is developing his mental and physical faculties,
he is adding a powerful ally in his search
for truthintuitionthat special sense that
enables him to perceive beyond the covers
of the books he reads and beyond the words
he hears. Intuition, a personal attunement
with the Infinite, gives him a source of
knowing right from wrong that is equal to
the inspired minds that preceded him.
The Rosicrucian Order is teaching its
members to discover and utilize their latent
faculties. It provides its members with materials of every sort, but it asks that they
make their own judgments. We know that
good and evil are relative concepts. What is
good for one may not be good for another,
or what is good for one today may not be
good for him tomorrow. Each situation, each
act, must be judged in relation to all the
factors involved.
The function of society is not to make a
judgment for its members, but to enable
them to make that judgment themselves.B

Is Evil An Actuality?
A Frater in England, addressing our Fo
rum, states: It is sometimes said that evil is
merely the absence of good in the sense that
darkness is the absence of light. But it would
appear from statements in certain Rosicru
cian literature that evil is more than the mere
absence of good, that it is a definite forc
that consciously and deliberately works in
opposition to Light, Life, and Love.
To arrive at a conception of evil, one first
must have a positive good. In other words,
what is evil must be the contra state of that
which is conceived as good. There are really
no universal goods, that is, systems of be
havior, moral or ethical, which all mankind
accepts alike. Consequently, there are few,
if any, acts which are universally accepted as

evil. Even murder is not condemned by every

society. Among some primitive societies, the
sacrifice of human life is an accepted rite;
whereas elsewhere it is condemned as mur
der.
Mystically and, we might also say, psychologically, it is not the act itself which is
evil but the motive behind it. The only
positive evilor that which we could so
designateis an act which deliberately intends to vilate what is accepted as good. For
analogy, one who does that which society
holds to be the opposite of good is socially
and perhaps legally performing an evil act.
However, if it is done because the individual
conceives it to be right, if it is done in ignorance, or if it is done for its own intrinsic
valu rather than merely to destroy a good,
it is not a positive evil. For further analogy,
prevarication, or lying, is considered morally
and ethically evil in almost every society.
However, an individual may make a false
statement deliberately because he believes
that it is best to do so under certain circum
stances. He does not prevarcate with the
intention of executing evil.
However, were one to deliberately and,
we may say, with a satanic delight seek to
malign or destroy that which other men hold
to be good, that, then, is the nearest act to
what may be called a positive evil. In nature,
there are no inherent malevolent forces. Conversely, also, there are none which are benevolent. In other words, nature has no such
vales. They are only human determinatives
in relation to the effects of natures phenomena upon man. A forc in nature at one
time may render one set of conditions that
may be considered beneficial and at another
time just the opposite. Rain, for example,
can bring relief from drought, but it can
also produce floods. It is man who attaches
valu to the particular effects.
There are and have been men and institutions that have deliberately set themselves
to the proposition of tearing down those
standards and principies which others have
established as good. These malicious men
and institutions know that others will con
sider what they do to be evil. They are not
usually acting in such a manner only because
what they do will be adjudged evil. Actually,
they are acting in accordance with what, in
a perverted sense, they think to be to their
own personal good.

There is a large religious monastic Order

that is powerful and ruthless. It professes to
be Christian and to be acting for Christianity.
Throughout history, it has deliberately taken
part in the undermining of governments,
striking at religious freedom, opposing other
faiths, politically harassing public school
systems, and performing a myriad of other
similar antisocial acts. It has resorted to
intrigue, deception, mendacious statements,
and the violation of many accepted moral
and ethical standards. At times in past his
tory, it has been banished from nations. How
ever, its premise in doing these things is
that all of its acts are justified in attaining
its Summum Bonum, that is, the supremacy
of the faith it is pledged to support.
Such institutions and individuis are evil
and dark forces only in contrast to what the
majority of intelligent and circumspect men
hold to be the good. A conception of good
which requires the obliteration of all that
otl^er men hold to be good is, we repeat,
the nearest thing to being intrinsically a
positive evil. Since, philosophically, there is
no absolute universal good as an innate idea
in the minds of all men, then all men have
a right to any personal conception of good
which will not destroy the mutual welfare
and well-being of mankind. But, to have as
an objective or ideal that which prevens
other humans their moral expression is fundamentally evil. An ideal or objective has a
positive, that is, an actual evil content if it
tends to destroy that positive opposite held
by all the rest of mankind who strive to fulfill a personal sense of righteousness.
There are definitely those who deliber
ately intend to destroy or negate that which
is conceived to be Light, Life, and Love by
other men. Such persons are basically evil
in purpose. The content of good and evil
are, of course, within the human conscious
ness. Man may, and often does, use the
neutral forces of nature to serve such ends
as may be adjudged evil. There are not,
however, any supernatural evil forces which,
like beasts of prey, seek to destroy and figuratively to devour mankind. Such an idea
is superstitious and primitive.
The conception of the personalization of
good and evil go far back into antiquity.
The ancient Zoroastrian faith, founded centuries before Judaism and Christianity,
apotheosized good and evil. In other words,

Ormazd was the good principie and represented light. Ormazd was opposed by Ahriman , the principie of darkness and evil. This

doctrine eventually evolved into an imagined

conflict between the gods of light and dark
ness for the possession of mens souls.
This dualistic system was elaborated upon
by the Manichaeans and, finally, carne to
influence the ancient Judaic doctrines, resulting in evil personalized in Satan and the
good principie in Jehovah.X

The Element of Doubt

Someone has asked why it is that we
speak of the Rosicrucian in the Neophyte
degrees as a walking question mark. It is
certainly true that the ideal Rosicrucian
should always question all events and circumstances of his existence and environment.
This inquiring attitude is an extensin of
the human instinct of curiosity. It is the
means by which man is aided in his accumulation of knowledge and experience. If he
had no sense of curiosity and no motivation
for questioning the events and circumstances
of his environment, then life would be very
dull and he would have little incentive to
be more than a vegetative type of animal
rather than the highest form of animal life,
which motivates itself and attempts to accommodate itself to environment.
Man is a living soul in a physical en
vironment, and the only way that he can
gain by the experience of this combination
is to the extent that he is able to adjust him
self to the circumstances that are a part of
his physical environment and a part of his
inner self, or soul.
There are many individuis who have
reported to me that they wished they had
become members of the Rosicrucian Order
months or years before they did. I read a
letter only recently from an elderly soror
who lamented the fact that she had not become a member at least thirty or forty years
sooner. She further lamented that many
years ago she learned of the Rosicrucian
Order and had an opportunity to affiliate,
but at the time she doubted the advantages
that might come from such affiliation.
The element of doubt that enters into
ones consideration of anything that is new
or different can sometimes be an aid, but at
other times it can be a stumbling block to

evolvement and progress. By all means, man

should live by the judicious use of caution.
There are many pitfalls in life and in ex
perience. The more complicated human
society becomes, the more pronounced such
pitfalls become. There are those who would
purposely deprive us of our rights and
property if there were no laws and regulations to impede them. There are events in
nature that interfere with the smooth-running of our lives. As long as we are living,
sentient beings, we are constantly faced with
the necessity of making decisions. Throughout our daily existence, we are forced over
and over again to make choices, to select
between alternatives, and to decide which
alternative, process, or step to follow.
Now, it is good judgment when we are
faced with something new, when a decisin
is to be based upon a new presentation, to
exercise caution so that we will not be
harmed, either through actual physical injury or illness, by being deprived of our
money or other property, or even by being
deprived of our self-respect for having made
a stupid error. But while caution is a most
important trait to be developed by each of
us and we should approach a new situ&tion
with an element of doubt, we should, at the
same time, learn how to judge circumstances
so that we do not pass by opportunities that
will give us help, pleasure, or other benefits.
In other words, the individual who learns
of the Rosicrucians, for example, and does
not affiliate because of doubt, because he
has heard of other organizations that possibly
were not all that they represented themselves to be, or because in some way he was
not able to carry out the conditions of membership which were offered, should not make
a decisin purely on the basis of hearsay or
upon his experience with other groups. An
investigation should be made specifically
of the circumstances at hand. If that person
does not join the Rosicrucian Order because
he has heard that there are other organiza
tions that are not legitmate or because he
has heard that somebody joined another
organization and did not gain from it, then
he is simply acting without knowledge and
judgment and only upon hearsay and rumor.
Every circumstance should be judged on
its own merits. When we have decisions to
make in life, it is not enough that we ask
our neighbors and friends or listen to the

gossip of those about us as to the advantage

or validity of the choice that we are considering. We should go to the sources that
provide us with knowledge, that will give
us the facts. It is agreed that we should
always use caution, but our eventual judg
ment should be based upon the facts of the
matter and not merely upon our feeling
toward the decisin that we are to make.
Many of us are unhappy today because
of our decisions of yesterday. It is pathetic
to realize that we are missing out on what
would be an enjoyable and profitable ex
perience simply because we were wrong in
our decisin when we had the choice. If we
reflect upon and honestly analyze the de
cisions which we have made that proved to
be in error, we shall find that practically
all these decisions were made without adequate means of arriving at a fair judgment.
We usually made erroneous decisions because of our fear to face the facts or our
failure to secure all the facts.
Do not rely upon the judgments of other
people alone, but secure all the information
possible in order to base your decisions upon
as many facts as can be accumulated. Then
if your judgment is wrong, at least you have
made it honestly. You have only yourself
to blame. You have investigated to the best
of your ability. Furthermore, you have
increased your ability to investgate and
accumulate facts upon which to make de
cisions. That in itself is important because,
as you develop the ability through experi
ence to make decisions, you will become
better equipped to analyze any new situations with which you are faced. You will,
therefore, be better able to make future de
cisions that will be more accurate than some
that you made in the past.A

A Souls Journey
Here, abbreviated, is the report of a mem
ber in Zaria, Nigeria. After an initiation
ceremony, he sensed that something (cali
it my dual self ) pulled out of his material
body and was making rapidly toward the
clouds. He realized that his material body
was still lying on the couch. During this
wonderful experience, he could not tell how
far he had traveled, comparatively speaking.
One thing which carne to his mind was that
he was approaching the Cosmic Mind. After

a moment, two personalities seemed to swoop

down and forcefully bade him to turn
back! In a hurry, then, he seemed to turn
back and rush to the couch to join his body
once again. He asks: Could the two per
sonalities who turned me back be the Keepers of the Gates of Death?
On the following Thursday, this member
had a clairaudient experience which also
told him, Go back! Go! He asks: Has the
latter experience any relationship with the
former? If I had not been forced to retum
by these two personalities, what could have
happened to me? Would this have meant
death actually?
What we must first understand is that, in
psychic journeys of this kind, neither the
soul or the personality travels through
space or goes anywhere in the ordinary
sense of the term. The consciousness of the
individual simply extends itself and increases its area of awareness. As the con
sciousness expands, it is natural for him to
believe that he is actually traveling in time
and space. This, however, is an erroneous
interpretation of the facts. What is actually
happening is that the consciousness is aware
of more of the vibratory essence of Being.
This vibratory essence is always present,
but ordinarily it is not perceived by the ob
jective sense faculties. Such an expansin of
consciousness is one of the purposes of
initiation. The experiences one has during
such a period are usually related to his
immediate or future welfare. They are often
advice and are sometimes realized as audioimpressions, sometimes as visual symbols,
and sometimes as stimulations of other sense
organs such as feeling or smelling.
The distinct impression that this frater
received was to go back. The fact that the
impression was received on two or more
occasions indicates that it relates to some
thing definite in his life. Exactly what the
command was referring to is not for us to
say; but it undoubtedly referred to some
activity in the fraters life and was an admonishment to retrench, to think twice, or
to reverse himself on some decisin he had
made. Just what that would be, the frater
himself would know best since he had
probably made a move of some kind shortly
before of which he had had doubts.
His failure to heed this impression may
have resulted in some dire consequence

possibly transitionas indicated by the na

ture of the symbolism in his experience.
The images of our dreams and psychic
experiences are most often symbolic and
should not be taken literally. In some instances, psychic experiences are literal; that
is, the images exactly match a real experi
ence which we have had or will have. The
difference is usually obvious. Experiences
that come to us through symbols have no
apparent meaning. The meaning has to be
searched out. Experiences that come to us
through exact images need no interpretation.B

Valu of Confession
A frater, addressing our Forum, states, I
would like to know something more about the
subject of confession in relation to religious
practice. I know this subject has been previously discussed by this Forum. I am
particularly interested in the basic principies
of confession, why it has been made a part
of religious systems. Confession seems even
more significant today in light of the fact
that psychoanalysis uses what certainly is
a method of it.
Confession can be either oral or written.
It can be a brief spontaneous recital or an
elabrate analytical declaration made to a
single individual or to a group; or it can
constitute a general avowal not particularly
directed toward any human. Why does the
individual voluntarily confess? What is the
motive behind it? A confession is prompted
by a psychological aggravation, the result
of a mental conflict. Knowledge which the
individual has conceming his own relation
ships, his conduct, or the conduct of others
is experienced as being in conflict with his
own moral sense. The subject of the con
fession is, therefore, foreign to the psychic
self of the individual. It tends to produce
anxiety and mental distress by its contrary
nature. Relief appears only to be had by a
confession, by an avowal of sin.
From this it can be seen that the motivating factor of confession is the individuals
conception of sin. Unless the individual is
conscious that he has violated his accepted
religious, moral, or social creed, he has
nothing to confess. The wrong or evil con
duct must be a personal conviction. It
must be an intentional abuse of what the

individual has morally subscribed to as good.

A codereligious, moral, or ethicalwhich is
not in accord with the moral or spiritual
self of the individual will not give rise to a
desire on his part to confess its violation.
To be considered an evil or sin, the deed
must first constitute an offense against the
self. The moral precepts underlying the
compulsin of confession may be associated
with an external counterpart, as a religious
or moral system, but they must have become an integral part of the self-consciousness of the individual. The realization of
wrongdoing thus becomes a psychic disturbance. If this distress did not occur, the in
dividual would never resort to confession.
In fact, the confession is a form of purging,
of ridding oneself of a distraction so that,
psychically and emotionally, purity of
thought and, most of all, peace of mind may
be restored. In almost all religions, including those of the non-Christian sects and of
the mystery schools of antiquity, the rite of
lustration or purification was always related
to confession.
Fear, of course, plays an important part
in the instigation of a confession. The in
dividual seeks a remission of his sins to
avoid the prescribed punishment of his
religin. Almost all religions ascribe to the
Deity and often to his supreme temporal
representative the faculty of perceiving
mans sins directly, whether he confesses
them or not. Consequently, the devotee believes he cannot successfully conceal them.
As a result, he confesses them, not to acquaint his god with his evil acts, but to show
that he wishes to expate them. To the sinner who fears, a failure to confess is held
to be a further indulgence of his wrong
doing; it is a compounding of it, incurring
a heavier penalty.
The confession may assume the form of
a creed to which the individual subscribes.
Thus, for example, he declares that he believes himself to be of such a nature but incomplete and imperfect and he prays for
light and divine intervention. The form of
many prayers is in itself a confession, concluding with the appeal for absolution of sins.
Psychologically, the individual can derive
a satisfaction from his confession only if it
is made to an authority who can grant forgiveness or help him to attain it. The
authority must be external and can be ap-

proached outwardly or through the mdium

of self. The mere reciting of evil acts committed does not provide a psychic or
emotional relief unless the sins are absolved
or there arises from the confession some
means of atoning for them. The principie
involved here is that the individual believes
that he has impaired his own spiritual nature
or his faith by his evil conduct. Restitution
must be made by him personally or through
an intermediary who will restore the original
state within him.
To explain this, we may use the analogy of
a man who finally discards a large quantity
of refuse from his own home because it has
offended his sense of orderliness and cleanliness. Though this refuse is no longer
present, having been discarded, the home is
not quite restored to normal. The refuse has
left stains upon the floor and walls. These
he must remove so that the house will assume its original cleanliness. Thus, a contriteness is not enough in confession. The
individual wants security as well, the conviction of the restoration of his original
moral and spiritual status. This is attained
in accordance with the rites and dogmas of
the faith of the individual. As one of the
fathers of the early Christian church said,
The soul is healed by confession and declaration of sins, with sorrow and the prayer
of the church.
Confession has been popularized by
Christianity as a fundamental rite of the
various Christian sects. However, confession
appeared in the rituals and customs of
those people of antiquity who preceded
Christianity. There is no Babylonian or
Assyrian word for confession, but there is
evidence of the idea. It is indicated that the
individual acknowledged before a deity an
offense against religin, justice, or moris.
In Babylonia, the concept of sin was principally a violation of the prescribed ritualism.
There has been found, inscribed in cuneiform, the Sumerian confession: Uncleanliness has come against me; and to judge my
causeto decide my decisin, have I fallen
down before thee. In connection with
Sumerian rites of purification is found the
phrase pit pi, which means opening of the
mouth. It appeared that a requirement of
cleanliness was the speaking of the truth, a
cleansing of thought.
In Egypt, there are no formal ritualistic

requirements of confession. However, in ef

fect, confession is very much in evidence in
the liturgies of ancient Egypt. The Book of
the Dead , a collection of ancient liturgies,
reveis a number of them. The ancient
Egyptian had a highly developed sense of
wrong conduct. The virtue of right conduct
was set forth in numerous places. The Book
of the Dead declares that Ka, the soul, was
to be weighed in judgment after death. In
the great judgment hall of the next world,
Osiris and forty-two gods presided in judging
the worth of the soul of the deceased. Ka,
as the heart and soul combined, was placed
in the tray of a scale. In the opposite tray,
weighed against it, was Maat, or truth, symbolized by a feather.
The Egyptian anticipated such an ordeal
of judgment after death and prepared for
it by avowing what constitutes a negative
form of confession. This negative confession
is really a declaration of his rectitude or innocence instead of an admission of guilt.
For example, we have this ancient affirmation from an od papyrus: I did not speak
lies, I did not make falsehood in the place
of truth, I was not deaf to truthful words, I
did not diminish the grain-measure, I was
not avaricious, my heart devoured not
(coveted not?).
In the Hebrew there is a definite word
for the meaning of sin and of confession. A
number of actual confessions appear in the
Book of Genesis. In Chapter 32, Verse 10,
Jacob confesses his unworthiness: I am not
worthy of the least of all the mercies, and
of all the truth, which thou hast shewed
unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed
over this Jordn; . . . In Genesis, Chapter
42, Verse 21, Jacobs sons confessed their
guilt: And they said one to another, we
are verily guilty concerning our brother, in
that we saw the anguish of his soul, when
he besought us, and we would not hear;
therefore is this distress come upon us.
A further example of these Hebraic con
fessions is found in Psalms, Chapter 51,
Verses 2 and 3: Wash me thoroughly
from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my
sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.
Romn Catholicism has made the rite of
confession an integral and necessary part of
its faith. The doctrinal viewpoint has come
through a process of evolution amounting to

a refinement. At the sessions of the Council

of Trent, during the middle of the 16th
century, the canons with respect to confession and the absolution of sins were finally
established. Session XIV brought forth the
declaration that confession, in fact, consists
of three elements: contrition, confession,
and penance. Chapter I of the same session
holds that the sacraments of penance are a
necessity and an institution. It is not suf
ficient for one to have been baptized a
Christian. It is necessary that, as a sinner,
he make the sacramental confession to be
worthy to repent and to ask for absolution of
his sins.
Chapter IV defines contriteness, that is,
the cessation of sins when we realize our
guilt, as being of two kinds, namely, imperfect contriteness and perfect contriteness,
the former being repentance based upon fear
of everlasting punishment. In such an instance, an individual confesses only to avoid
the consequence of his acts. On the other
hand, perfect contriteness is a full realization
that the act is a sin against God, accompanied
by a personal dislike of immortality regardless of whether or not it incurs punishment.
The confessional sacrament, the Church professes, changes imperfect contriteness to per
fect. The Church, it implies, brings about
the desire in the individual to expiate his
sins through the sacrament.
The Church declares, of its sacramental
confession that it is By Divine right neces
sary and established. Perhaps Clement of
Rome expressed the principie upon which
the Church bases its necessary Divine right
when he said, It is better for a man to
confess his sins than to harden his heart.
A great controversy has centered about the
theory of the absolution of mans sins by any
institution or any representative thereof. A
churchman has said in defense of the
Churchs practices that a criminal must be
rid of his criminal tendencies and those implements by which he can harm others before he can be admitted to the peaceful
society of the state. Then, likewise, he contends, must a sinner be prepared to enjoy
spiritual society. Through absolution, the
inward sins of heart must be put away.
The priests or clergy are called the instruments of the Church. It is claimed that,
as individuis, they do not absolve the mortal
sins of him who confesses. They are but a

channel for God. They prepare the indi

vidual for a proper state of contriteness, for
a consciousness of his sin against God; they
further acquaint him with the nature of
penance and thus create the condition from
which divine forgiveness by necessity follows from the goodness of God. In fact, in
an advertisement by a Catholic fraternal
organization in a newspaper the fatherconfessor is tritely referred to as a prvate
wire to God. One of the Churchs fathers
referred to the confessor as animae carus,
or souls friend.
From the point of view of the real mystic,
absolution of sins through the mdium of
another mortal is not necessary. The mystic
acknowledges the necessity of confession on
the part of each individual, the confession
being the purging of that which is in conflict with ones moral precepts and a neces
sary requisite for peace of mind. Our moral
code, our spiritual principies, are an integral
part of self. We cannot find satisfaction in
that which we realize abases self, namely,
sin or what we conceive to be sin. By confessing, we formalize our evils. In other words,
we weed them out and set them apart from
what we consider to be good conduct. By
prayer, by direct communion with the God
of our Hearts, we acquire that wisdom and
that strength by which to prevent a recurrence of that which we acknowledge as sin.
However, the real mystic knows that con
triteness is not enough or is penance.
Neither one of these will completely remove
the consequences of certain sins which in
themselves may be contrary to natural and
cosmic laws. We must at times suffer
punishment for our evil deeds. Our acts
and thoughts are causative. If they have set
into operation natural laws as causes, we
must eventually expect to experience the effects of such causes, known mystically as
karma. Gods laws are immutable and apply
to all men equally. Only by counter acts,
causes which we set into motion by deeds of
righteousness, can we mitgate the adverse
ones which we have established.
A man may find psychological consolation
in thinking that a mere rite has absolved
the consequences of a hurt which he may
have brought to others. Mystically, however,
such forgiveness only robs him of the real
determination to sacrifice to attain the good
which will correct his nature and strengthen

it. Easy forgiveness cultivates negligence.

Man must experience the consequence of
his wrong deeds or at least suffer by his own
efforts to right them.X

Rosicrucian Metamorphosis
A soror from New York asks for the
Rosicrucian interpretation of metamorphosis
and whether it is wrong to practice this form
of art.
The dictionary gives several definitions of
the term, the first relating it to magic or
the supernatural. For many years, this was
the association people generally had with the
word. They envisaged a human being
turned into a werewolf or a cat transformed
into a beautiful princess.
Biologically, however, metamorphosis re
lates to the natural transformation of certain
species during their growth period, such as
that of the tadpole to the frog or the Cater
pillar to the butterfly. Gradually, the term
has come to mean a complete change in
the inherent structure of a person or object.
It is now common to say that a city underwent a complete metamorphosis over a
period of years or that a person in whom
great changes of personality and character
are noted has undergone a complete meta
morphosis.
It is in the latter usage of the term that
Rosicrucians seek out and accomplish meta
morphosis. We do not think of it in any
magical sense but as a result of the use and
application of certain cosmic principies in
the life of the individual.
And it is true that by and large Rosi
crucians do practice the art of metamor
phosis in this way. They develop their
intuitive sense and bring into the very
substance of their beings a noticeable change.
Their auras are affected by their concentrated thoughts and respond to their new
approach to life. Through Rosicrucian study
a new pattem of vibratory energy emerges,
and thus a new personality is born.
Many thousands of members have testified to this change in their livesa change
recognized and reported by their families
and friends. It is one of the notable results
of Rosicrucian membership.
Rosicrucian metamorphosis is accomplished through one of the most fascinating
programs of study and initiation ever con-

ceived. The member is first invited to review

his od beliefs and customs. He is then confronted with fundamental facts regarding
the universe. To these, he relates his od
beliefs and customs. He ritualistically and
mystically buries those that have been
working to his detriment, and then he proceeds to replace them with more positive and
thoughtful acts. He responds to that which
is harmonious and seeks out the most harmonious path in life.
To the medieval alchemist in search of
the philosophers stone, the metamorphosis
of man was also an ideal. His search for the
elixir of life was indeed a pursuit of the
necessary ingredients to bring man to a
higher state, to rid him of his impurities,
and to bring about his rebirth in a pur and
uncontaminated form. The alchemists search
for gold was most often a symbolic quest,
with gold depicting the purified personality
or soul. The gross metis from which gold
was to be made depicted the gross nature of
man, which required purification in the
crucible of life.
It is not strange that metamorphosis was
once associated primarily with magic, for
the change that often occurred in people
properly inducted and trained in the mys
teries must have seemed magical to the
average person in those early days of learning.-B.

W hy Kneel?
A soror of England, addressing our Forum
and referring to a book which she has read,
quotes from it as follows: The physical,
etheric centers become by the very act of
kneeling (that is, genuflection) attuned to
certain currents encircling the earth and
ever available to those who desire help from
the unseen. By associating prayer with kneel
ing, man is not only aided but to a certain
extent guarded from pernicious influences
likely to dominate him in any other position
that the body can assume.
Then the soror asks our Forum: In view
of the Rosicrucian Orders teachings that
man need not kneel but can stand upright
before his Creator, which view appeals tremendously to me personally, I am wondering about this different standpoint.
As Rosicrucians, we do not believe that
by kneeling we are any the more subject to

subtle forces of nature permeating the earth

than by standing. There are natural, magnetic forces that permeate the soil which are
vitalizing. Nearly everyone has experienced
the relaxing and soothing comfort that comes
from walking barefoot on the grass. This
same titillation may be had by lying prone
on the grass so that the bare arms, legs, face,
and neck come in contact with it. These
negative currents, negative in comparison to
the relative positive ones of the suns rays,
are vitalizing and healthful. There is, how
ever, no particularly significant psychic regeneration to be gained by such a practice
except that which may come from the relaxation derived and the restoration of bodily
harmony.
Kneeling, or genuflection, as it is known
technically, for ceremonial and religious purposes goes far back into antiquity. Principally, it rises from primitive psychological
impulses. All of us recognize or are compelled to submit to that which is considered
superior to our own status. There are those
whom we accept as being physically, spiritually, economically, socially, or politically
more powerful than we. We acknowledge
this superiority by one or more different
gestures. It is done as a sign of humility
to the power or status which that person
or thing represents. This can be done by
the bowing of the head and often by genu
flection, of which a curtsy before royalty is
a modified form.
To stand erect in a position equal to that
of a person who is generally accepted as
superior in some capacity has in past times
been considered an affront to the dignity of
that individual. Even a dog will roll on its
back, exposing the most vulnerable part of
its body to a more powerful adversary that
towers above it. Instinctively, it thus symbolizes its sense of inferiority. In antiquity,
in the Orient and elsewhere, slaves, captives,
and even subjects were obliged to prostrate
themselves in a prone position before a king
or potentate.
Actually, genuflection is an act of hu
mility. It indicates ones respect, admiration,
and recognition of the power or distinction of
someone or something. One kneels in a
sacred place, such as a shrine, a temple, or
a church, to symbolize the significance of
that place. The act depicts that divine or
spiritual relationship which he reveres. Of

course, all who kneel in a sacred place are

not subjectively motivated to do so. Some
persons are merely conforming to custom or
to the compulsin of a religious rite.
One does not necessarily have to resort to
genuflection to experience submission to his
conception of a Supreme Being. One can
stand erect to say a prayer. In fact, ancient
Egyptian wall paintings reveal the Egyptians
standing erect before the image of their
gods. In bas reliefs in the tombs of the nobles
in the city of Akhetaten built by Pharaoh
Akhnaton, he is shown standing erect, with
arms upraised in salutation to Aton. Aton,
the Sun, was a symbol of the spiritual light
and power of the One God. Further, Akhna
ton has been portrayed by the ancient artists
in muris and on stelae as standing before
the great altar in his Sun Temple, performing rites, some of which have descended to
us today.
Therefore, there is no universality in
religious ceremonies requiring kneeling. This
vares as does the requirement of wearing
a hat or not doing so or of removing the
shoes in a sacred place. Principally, kneeling
is the instinctive impulse to humble oneself
and show submission where words or acts
would seem to be less effective in conveying
the emotions felt.X

The Lost Word

A frater from Italy asks for more informa
tion on the lost word: What is its use, and
what is its purpose?
This word, which is spelled out in Rosi
crucian monographs, when uttered silently
or aloud, has a vibratory nature which
corresponds with certain Creative and protective principies in mans psychic centers.
The vibrations set into motion when the
sounds of this word are uttered stimulate
the psychic centers in such a way that they
affect the people and situations that fail
within the reach or influence of a persons
aura or thoughts.
The Rosicrucian learns that all things in
the universe are vibratory in naturethat it
is only through vibrations that he is even
aware of his own existence. Things in vibration respond to other things in vibration,
and vibrations of a low scale may have
corresponding or related vibrations in a
higher scale. Thus, a stimulation of a vibra-

tory nature in one scale would find a

response or have an effect on a corresponding vibratory element in another scale.
The thought of a thing, a shoe, for exam
ple, has a vibratory nature that corresponds
to the shoe itself. It is possible that the
stimulation of one would in some way affect
the other. The correspondence between
physical and nonphysical counterparts may
be difficult to measure and not readily apparent, but the correspondence between
thought vibrations, vibrations of the human
aura, and vibrations of sound can more
easily be seen to interact and affect each
other.
It was discovered long ago that the lost
word with which Rosicrucians are con
cerned corresponds in its vibratory nature
to certain principies which cause a condition of a protective nature, in the aura, and
which through the psychic centers open
channels for cosmic attunement and subsequently inspired judgment on the affairs of
the moment.
Members should experiment with the use
of this word in accordance with the instructions in their lessons. As with all exercises, the more attention that is given to the
exercise of the word, the better will be the
results. There is little more that can be said
in an open letter of this kind, but we invite
members who have reached this point in
their studies to report on specific instances
in which the use of the word has brought
about the desired effect.B

Suelden Illumination
We have a letter from a Soror, the contents of which forms the basis of an interesting Forum discussion. The letter, in part,
says: I had a wonderful experience about
two months ago, the first of its kind which
I have been longing to have. Since this ex
perience, I have had several others. It
seemed as if I were swished away suddenly,
and when I awakened some two hours
afterward I knew I had had a psychic ex
perience. The importance of this communication is in the first line quoted above. The
Soror had longed for years for certain experiences of a psychic nature constituting
Cosmic Illumination. Then, suddenly, it
occurred. Since that time, she has had
other such experiences.

What encouragement those words should

be for many Rosicrucians! It is regrettable
that many members are of the opinion that
psychic development must and should correspond with the comprehension that they
have of the principies and laws by which
the development may be brought about. For
an analogy, if a monograph lays down six
concise rules for preparation for the attainment of a perfect state of concentration, it
is believed by some that if they read the
monograph thoroughly, two, three, or pos
sibly four times, and are thus able to repeat
the rules to themselves verbatim, success,
then, should follow. If this were so, when
one finished the First Degree of the Order,
he would have not only intellectually mastered its contents but he would be able, with
ease, to attain the objective of the First
Degreewhatever it may be. Automatically,
one might say, with the completion of the
Seventh Degree in AMORC each individual
should have attained Cosmic Illumination
and Cosmic Consciousness.
Since some find personal development not
exactly corresponding with the monographs
and degrees, they believe either that there
is something lacking in the instructions they
are receiving or that possibly there is a deficiency in their own natures which prohibits them from experiencing that ecstatic
state of consciousness. You can put ten
years travels over the face of the globe into
one book. You can put forty years laborious
research in some realm of science or literature between the pages of a textbook. You
can put a great composers masterpiece
perhaps the work of a lifetimeon one fifteen-minute phonograph recording. You can
appreciate in one hours time the salient
points of a painting by Rembrandt or
Michelangelo. In eight years, you can learn
all the known faets about chemistry, a
science that took centuries to develop. What
does all this prove? Only that there is no
relationship between intellectual compre
hension in time, and the actual mastery of
a science or art. No surgeon or musician
became famous by merely watching others
or reading how it can be donepractice
makes perfect.
The Rosicrucian monographs cannot give
you Cosmic Illumination. None of the re
sults you desire through Rosicrucian membership are actually given in the mono-

graphs. The monographs are not like parts

of a great cosmic jigsaw puzzle, so that
when you have the last monograph, you
have the last part, the puzzle is complete,
and lo! you have attained Cosmic Conscious
ness.
The teachings of the degrees are a series
of causes which will, if you let them, pro
duce a series of effects within you. Some
causes will have their immediate effect;
others will not be so rapid. Why this is so is
due to two major reasons: first is volition.
One student may not have the same will
power, the same tenacity to stick to a thing
and apply himself. He may skim through
his monographs looking for the interesting
things, the things that particularly appeal to
him at the moment, as though he were reading a newspaper. The subjects which do not
strike his fancy he disregards. On the other
hand, he may be indolent and a continual
procrastinator, always going to begin tomorrow to really start to study. At least,
that is what he says to others, whether he
believes it himself or not.
His closet, bookcase, or desk drawer at
home may have more Rosicrucian doctrine
in it than he has in his consciousness. The
desk drawer, bookcase, or closet may contain
a large stack of unopened or unread mono
graphs. Statistically, by the number on the
monograph he is receiving, he is in a certain
degree, but in comprehension and development, he may not even have begun. Is it any
wonder that his development does not correspond to the number of the degree on his
monographs?
The second reason for non-illumination,
which really includes the first reason as well,
is the inequality of man. How difficult it
often is to make two persons, even with the
same educational background, understand
the same thing alike. There is no greater
example of this than religin. Even public
announcements seemingly clearly worded,
and of a nature that should only be interpreted in one way, will *be acted on by some
in one manner and by others in another. So
much for the differences in perception and
intelligence.
This inequality also includes the variations in the psychical development or responsivity of each person. Our own Rosi
crucian monographs tell of the law of cosmic
evolution, of the 144-year cycle from birth

to birth. Now, obviously, according to this,

some humans have advanced much further
than others. Some have experienced more
incamations than others. They are further
toward that state of perfection which eventu
ally results in absorption of the personality
into the Absolute. Thus they are able to
command and utilize at will, to a greater
extent, their psychic powers than others far
lower in the scale of personal evolution.
Some of these persons have had remarkable experiences of a psychic nature before
ever affiliating with AMORC. Most of them
did not understand or know how to convert
their experiences into useful things; but,
nevertheless, they had them. Once acquiring
the intellectual aspects, the manifestations
became comprehensible, and always quite
simple, especially the work of the earlier
degrees. Those, on the other hand, who have
the desire for light but have not yet acquired
that sensitivity to it because of not having
had as many incamations, make progress a
little more slowly. But if they were not
members of the Rosicrucian Order at all,
this sensitivity in order to be quickened,
might require many more incamations.
We can emphatically say that AMORC,
or any equivalent worthy study of these
subjects, hastens that final perfection and
also the lessening of needed incamations. It
is not because one is a member of AMORC,
but because of what AMORC has done for
himin other words, shown him how to do
for himself.
Cosmic Illuminationthat great influx of
Divine Lightthat if had for but a moment,
gives man an insight into the Cosmic whole,
and that places him en rapport with it, may
never come to some during this lifetime.
There are, however, many lesser attainments
to be had which diminish the hardships of
life and make living more enjoyable, and
which can be had long before Cosmic Illumination is ever experienced. The stimulation
of imagination and the binding of it to mundane things of the world, so that we can
order our existence and draw upon nature
for the things we need, the ability to project
consciousness, of being able to effect many
simple cures, and being able to command
many of natures forces, these are no trivialities, and all of them may come, we repeat,
before Cosmic Illumination.

There cannot be any time established as

to when Cosmic Illumination will occur in
anyones life, and all of the above related
factors are sufficient reasons. You can only
conscientiously keep trying and take each
result that comes to you as a gratification
for the efforts expended in the hope that
possibly you will have attained it before
transition. When it comes, it will be sudden.
It will be overwhelmingan afflatus you
will never forget. Further, when the channel has been opened and the psychic centers
are working in the unisn required to manifest the phenomenon, the faculty will not
be easily lost.
The experience, however, cannot be turned
on and off like a water faucet. The Cosmic
is not required to demnstrate either its
existence or versatility of performance to
remove mans skepticism. Whether or not
man has faith in these powers alters them
not one iota, just as whether or not man
conceives of an intelligence being immanent
in the universe does not alter the intelligent
direction of it. Therefore, man cannot commercialize or sensationalize these higher
cosmic powers. The Cosmic has a purpose in
permitting man to experience these powers
and to use them, and unless mans motives
parallel the Cosmic, he will never be able
* to engender them. Of course, one who has
attained Cosmic Illumination and has a
realization of its worth, would never attempt
to defile these powers by a sensational dis-

play of them, for he considers them too

sacred.
Those who demand that they be given
the power of Cosmic Illumination by such
and such a time, or they will drop Rosicru
cian membership as being of no benefit to
them, make themselves ludicrous in the
eyes of real students of mysticism. They
show by their statements how little, even in
comprehension, they have of what they
seek. Also, those who say, It is about time
that I received Cosmic Illumination, indicate that they are relating time and compre
hension with psychic unfoldment. They have
not taken into consideration their personal
incarnation cycle.
Ones social backgroundpolitical or fi
nancialor intellectual status, has naught to
do with psychic proficiency. One whom the
social or financial world might desgnate as
quite an ordinary person might actually be
or become one of the most illumined of all
mena sage. Refer to the eminent characters
in the history of sacred literature. Most all
the masters and adepts were of a humble
station in life, possessing little of the worlds
goods and having tattered raiment. We do
not wish to be misunderstood. It is not
necessary for one to practice asceticism,
self-mortification and denial to attain the
state of Cosmic Illumination; but the fact
that one is of a humble station does not by
any means bar the portis to him.X

A Reminder: The Rosicrucian Forum is a prvate publication for members

of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, only. To allow it to circuate otherwise
defeats its purpose and is a violation of ones obligation.

MuAtical 9Uu*HMxU04t
" ESSAYS OF A MOVERN MYSTIC"
By

D r.

H.

S p e n c e r L e w is

'hence comes this inner illumination? It is part of

the Cosmic, the universal consciousness. The wisdom of
the Cosmicof the universal minddescends, expanding
outward. Figuratively speaking, it is like a spiral. It
permeates mans consciousness to become the superior
intelligence of his subconscious mind. There it lies ready
to be called forth and used by every mortal.
Rationalism and materialism are undermining the
dogmatism of many religions today. It is mysticism that
will be the strong element in preventing further deterioration of morality. This book, Essays of A Modern
Mystic, will disclose the personal confidence and enlightenment that mystical insight can give to an in
dividual. You will find an inner peace and a sense of
security in reading the chapters of this book. Here is a
work written without prejudice. It is simple, forceful,
and convincing in the truth which it reveis.

LOOK AT THESE CHAPTERS

1 . God and the Cosmic
2. Cosmic Gifts
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Free Will
About Healing
Reincarnation
Psychic Centers
Psychic Faculties of
Children
8. Prenatal Influences

9. The Soul of Twins

10. Human Auras and
Science
1 1 . Hypnotism
12 . Amputation and Psychic
Development
The inner visin of the mystic
is the eye of the soul.

13 .
14 .
15 .
16 .
17 .

Jealousy and Love

Sleep
The Fountain of Youth
About Hunches
Demonstrating Psychic
Power
18 . Telepathic
Communi catin
19. Swedenborg and
Jacob Boehme
20. Mystical Numbers

2 1. Do Animis Have
Souls?
22. Cremation
23. Transition

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Herbert Spencer9s Home

In Queens Gardens, London,
stands this well-preserved edifice
in which the English philosopher, Herbert Spencer, resided.
It reflects the dignity of this
prominent thinker, who lived in
the second half of the 19th century. This period began the great
scientific movement which found
Spencer trying to reconcile phi
losophy and science. To the sci
entist, he was not sufficiently
specialized; to the philosopher,
he was too technical. A friend
of Darwin and Huxley, he held
that evolution is an intentional
progressthat there is purpose
in creation .

Greetings!

V
V V
LOYALTY, THE GOLDEN INGREDIENT
Dear Fratres and Sorores:

One of the most admirable qualities of

human nature is loyalty. Without it, there
can be no mutual dependence between per
sons and groups of persons. Loyalty has
many implications associated with it. One
of them is reliability under stress and in
circumstances which were not anticipated.
When causes are known about things or
conditions and results can be foreseen or
predicated, it is possible to prepare for them.
But, unfortunately, all events are not known
in advance or even their probability realized.
The loyalty of others, then, is a bulwark in
such an emergency or crisis.
But what is loyalty psychologically and
philosophically? Is it a blind faith or a confidence born out of reason and experience?
Loyalty is a certain insight which an indi
vidual has into the character and personality
of another or into a particular set of circum
stances. The loyal person has discovered to
his personal satisfaction certain characteristics or qualities which to him are admir
able, which have a particular virtue. They
complement or are in accord with certain
ideis or accepted standards which the loyal
person has. In other words, in a sense, if
one is loyal toward someone or something,
it is because he sees in them that which is
in agreement with a conception or ideal of
his own.
All people have an affection and an affinity with that which has a correspondence
to their own emotional selves and to their
cherished views. Such things have an int
mate relationship to them. An individual
may be guilty of certain actions of which
one may not approve or which may offend
others; but if his habits or character repre
sents something which one considers the
most important factor and if it is in accord
with ones own highest vales, then he will
be loyal to him notwithstanding.
One can never be sincerely loyal to anything which he does not thoroughly know
or understand. Loyalty to certain qualities
takes time; one must first have certain

personal vales that he recognizes and accepts. Then when they are discovered in
another person or in some immaterial re
lationship or abstract thing, there is an
immediate affinity with them. Loyalty is a
defensive, a protective, and a sacrificing
attribute. One is loyal because he wants to
sustain and preserve that which to him
seems right or good. This good does not
necessarily have to correspond to a moral
good, however. There is an od adage about
loyalty among thieves. Such persons, re
gardless of societys moral standards which
they have violated, have found in each
other a quality which they respect. Consesequently, their reaction is the support of
this element and is manifested as loyalty.
Some persons have what is termed a more
loyal character than others. This is dependent upon the personality and psychological make-up of the individual. Where
individuis are concerned, one must at least
have a sympathetic bond with the other
person or persons before loyalty can be had.
There must be, we repeat, some factor which
engenders this sympathy. If there is nothing
about another which arouses a sympathetic
emotion, affection, or attraction for him,
there can be no loyalty to that individual.
Some individuis are so egocentric that
even kindness shown them evokes no feeling
of gratitude or responsive kindness. All is
accepted for the gratification of self, and
that gratification does not include the acts
of others; consequently, they are incapable
of loyalty.
Often persons display loyalty to a princi
pie which indirectly may also include others.
This loyalty to some cause or system with
which one is in sympathy will then be ex
tended to any or all persons who may seem
to be in accord with it, even though they
are not known personally. Members of a
labor unin who are loyal to the precepts
of their association will, likewise, often be
loyal to the officers of that unin because
they are officers, even though some or all
may be scoundrels.

Can loyalty be engendered, that is, developed in persons for an individual, an

organization, or some abstract thing such
as an ideal? Succinctly stated, can one pre
determine whether another will be loyal to
what he may desire him to be? The only
way in which loyalty can possibly be anticipated is by determining the interests and
convictions of the person concerned. Obviously, if he displays no interest in that
which has valu to another, it will be impossible to elicit loyalty from him toward it.
What is termed disloyalty is often only the
absence of loyalty in some situation where
it should be required. In other words, the
individual initially never had an actual
interest in the other person or situation that
compared to his own interest; or, at least,
his was not of the same intensity. Consequently, he does not have the same sympathy toward that interest and is not ready
to make the sacrifice for it which loyalty
requires. In not doing so, he is not being
disloyal; it is only that he is not sufficiently
interested. Often the loyalty expected to be
displayed in a crisis was predicated on a
misconception of interest. A person by his
actions may seem to be devoted or to give
full support to anothers interests. Actually,
however, his association with him or his
activities may be for quite a different mo
tive. Consequently, when his real interest
ceases to exist, he then no longer exhibits a
seeming attraction or sympathy for those
qualities or functions to which the other
person expected loyalty.
One cannot select loyal people casually;
he must know that their character, ideis,
and motivations correspond to some degree
to his own. A person may develop a sense
of loyalty for another or for a cause gradually over a period of time. This is because
he discovers eventually that the interests of
his associates have a relationship to his own
feelings or conceptions. Thus, in being loyal
to them, he is also being loyal to himself.
One may also acquire a loyalty to a cause

or person by ultimately incorporating their

essential interests as his own. A loyal employee, for example, is often developed in
just that manner. If he likes his work, is
given reasonable consideration by his superiors, and finds that the environment and
associations are favorable, a sympathetic
bond is established. The employee wants to
maintain these agreeable elements. He thus
develops an affection and attachment for
them, constituting loyalty.
One who has the loyalty of others truly
has a great treasure because true loyalty has
no price. It cannot be bought. One can, of
course, purchase simulated loyalty, which is
nothing more than a fawning attitude. Its
falsity, however, is always indicated in that
the individual will never make a sacrifice
to maintain his hypocrisy; and sacrifice is
the basic element of true loyalty. Whenever
that for which one feigns loyalty ceases, so
then do the assumed acts of loyalty cease.
Many a man has had what he thought were
loyal friends and when adversity struck and
he was no longer able to shower gifts or
confer advantages on them, they deserted
him at a time when true loyalty should have
been displayed.
There is also nothing quite so contemptible
as the disregard of others loyalty. For such
a golden ingredient of human nature, the
least one can do is to recognize it. The failure
to appreciate loyalty shows a coarse char
acter. In fact, it is often confounding as to
how a person who disrespects loyalty in
another can ever elicit it for himself. In
other words, what is there about him that
causes loyalty for him?
And it must be remembered that one
cannot teach loyalty. There must be done
that which creates in others the responsive
and sympathetic feeling which constitutes
the expression of loyalty.
Fraternally,
Ralph M. Lewis,
Imperator

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Must Prayer Be Original?

A Rosicrucian has asked whether, when an
individual prays, he must always compose
his own prayers or if equal benefit is to be
obtained from the reading of prayers written
by someone else. This brings up an interesting point concerning the nature of prayer.
Before the question can be answered, we
shall have to come to an agreement as to
what constitutes prayer. I presume that the
simplest definition of prayer might be con
sidered to be communion with the Supreme
Being, or God.
Actually, prayer should also be considered
as an intmate relationship with forces above
or beyond our own level or scope of exis
tence. Any condition that helps raise our
consciousness to a higher level, to a more
intmate relationship with the forces of the
Cosmic which exists aboye and beyond us,
or which we may better say transcends our
general area of existence, is certainly a proc
ess worth giving time and consideration to
improving and utilizing.
Prayer is essentially mans voluntary re
lationship with forces above him because it
is the one act that he can do intimately with
in himself at any time. None of us know
how another individual prays or whether he
uses the word prayer to apply to thought
processes that may or may not normally fail
into that category.
Many years ago, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis
wrote an introduction to a book published
by the Rosicrucian Order, entitled Mysiics
at Prayer . In that introduction, he said,
From the mystical point of view, our
prayers should be expressions of desires for
a continuation of the benedictions God has
already granted, and which He, in His su
preme wisdom, has seen fit to bestow upon
us. Make prayer the transcendental and sub
lime pleasure of your inner selfmore im
portant, more enjoyable, more uplifting and
benefiting to your entire being than any
other of your earthly experiences.
In these few sentences, we find a tremendous amount of information. First of
all, it states that, mystically, prayer should
be an acknowledgement of the conditions
that exist within our consciousness at any
given time. That is, we use prayer as an expression of our desires or the wishes which
are a part of our intmate experience. There

is no reason, according to this principie, not

to express our wishes and desires, Dr. Lewis
stated later in the same introduction, as long
as we acknowledge the fact that man does
not make the final disposition or decisin on
all matters. We must work in relationship
to cosmic law, which sets forth that man
proposes and God disposes.
Another factor in this statement is the
fact that man must acknowledge the benefits that he has already experienced. He
must always be aware that he is a part of a
larger scheme and that what has been his
experience, whether he liked it all or not,
is, nevertheless, a part of his total life ex
perience, which is contributing to the de
velopment of his soul so that ultimately it
can re-relate itself to the source, or its origin.
Consequently, in acknowledging the benefits
of this experience, whether we understand
them in whole or not, we place ourselves in
a position to utilize better such experience
in the future.
The other outstanding factor of the foregoing quotation is that prayer can be made
one of the most important functions of the
inner self, that is, the expression of the soul.
In very few things that the average indi
vidual does, does the inner self function as
an entity. The inner self, in spite of our high
aims or ideis, is always subjugated in a
sense to the objective consciousness in which
we have our objective life and awareness.
If prayer, in whatever form we may
practice it, expresses some of the principies
that I have enumerated here, then its source
is of little consequence. Prayer must be the
true feeling of the individual, and, if he
expresses those feelings in words, the source
or origin of the words is of second consider
ation to the expression itself. Some of the
masterpieces of all the modern languages
are to be found in prayer. In the English
language, for example, in the Book of Common Prayer 3 are some of the finest ex
pressions of mans relationship to the Divine.
In such books as Unto Thee I Grant and in
religious writings and the writings of the
saints in all languages, we find the perfection of the use of words in the expression
of the innermost feelings of the individual
when seeking to have a cise relationship
with the Supreme Being and the Cosmic.
Therefore, prayers do not have to be
original. They have to have meaning; and

if prayers are read or utilized that are written by someone else, those should be selected with which we as individuis find a
harmonious relationship that causes our own
state of mind to be placed in a relationship
with the Divine or the Cosmic and produces
a sense of peace and reassurance.
There does not even have to be a time set
aside specifically for prayer and for that
purpose only, although it is most helpful
that such a time be utilized. Prayer can be
snatched from the busy world of today. In
only a few seconds, we can actually enter a
state of prayer when we express thanks for
that which sustains us or ask guidance from
the powers that enter into our inner being.
Life is a part of us. It is the way in which
we are connected to the Cosmic Mind. It is
the channel by which wisdom and know
ledge may reach us. All that we can know
through the inner self must come through
this channel of life. If we are constantly
acknowledging the existence of that inner
self and its relationship to a higher life
within us, we are developing a habitual response to the Cosmic and, thereby, we are in
closer attunement and relationship with the
higher forces of the universe and are thus
able to draw upon them when they are
needed.
The individual who studies philosophy,
religin, metaphysics, mysticism, including
the Rosicrucian teachings, but does not use
prayer and meditation whenever there are a
few moments that can be utilized will never
develop the ability to seek an immediate
response when it is needed. It is living the
life of contemplation, meditation, and prayer
that causes man to be in an environment of
his own making and enables him to draw
upon divine forces for sustenance and direction.
There was a time when many men believedand, of course, there are some who
still dothat only by isolating ourselves from
the affairs of the world, by going into a
monastic type of existence, could we reach
a condition where we would be able consciously to draw upon the divine essence of
the universe whenever we needed it orwished
to use it. No doubt, there are many sound
arguments in favor of monasticism and isolation; but it is nt the only way. Many
saints have lived an active life. We can live
in a complex, modern world and still

acknowledge our relationship to a divine

source. We can be aware of cosmic law at
the same time we are studying physical
laws. We can take a moment numerous
times a day to acknowledge our place in the
universe, to give thanks to a higher forc
that supplies our life, and to petitin it for
guidance, wisdom, and direction. We can
also take time to utilize what we have
learned, to direct these forces for the good
of others. In other words, prayer is the
avenue to an intmate awareness of God and
the Cosmic. If we are to have a full life, we
must become intimately associated with
these forces and not regard them as some
thing to cali on only occasionally. We must
regard them rather as something to live with
all the time because a constant state of aware
ness of their existence brings to us the ability
and facilities of using them at all times.A

The Mastery of Life

A frater in central California asks an obvious but not always too well understood
question. Would it be possible, he asks,
for an article on mastery to be published in
the Rosicrucian Forum? This topic is of con
siderable interest to many students, espe
cially as it relates to the exercises and lessons.
A discussion of the qualifications for mysti
cal mastery would be most interesting.
As most members know, the official public
information brochure of the Rosicrucian
Order is entitled The Mastery of L ife . This
is the promise of the Order to those inquiring
minds seeking an answer to lifes great
questions and problems. Such mastery, of
course, involves a diligent application of the
teachings.
Many people miss the point of this
promise; to them, mastery implies being able
to sit aside and make the universe do ones
bidding. This is the type of mastership that
dreamers dream of, a magical sort of exis
tence wherein the wave of a wand or the
use of some other strange and secret power
will enable them to reshape life according
to their innermost desires. They seek the
path whereby the world will get in step with
them. This is a Pollyannish and unrealistic
interpretation of the subject.
True mastership is concerned with the
reshaping of the individual; with striving to
get in step with the world, meeting its re-

quirements, learning to know it, making adjustments in keeping with its criteria. Here
we use the term world as meaning the uni
versal order.
A wrong interpretation of mastery has led
many a student up blind alleys. While he
concentrates all his efforts on trying to
make a chair fly through the air or have
another person bow effortlessly to his will,
he is delaying the day when true mastery
will make such theatricals unimportant and
real accomplishment an everyday event.
Lifethe universemay be looked upon
as a great instrument. It has inherent characteristics, just as a violin, a piano, a carpenters tool, or a camera has parts that are
uniquely and irrevocably the nature of the
instrument. The practitioner of these instruments also attempts to master them, just as
Rosicrucians attempt to master life. By
mastering their instruments, such practitioners do not try to change the intrinsic nature
of those instruments; rather, they employ
themselves in understanding their nature
and potential. First, they are apprentices.
They study the instruments in all their
parts. They begin to apply themselves and
bring forth apprentice-type resultssour
notes, ragged cuts, fuzzy pictures. These are
what their instruments produce.
Blame the instruments? Easy enough to
do. Its done often enough by countless
persons, by people you know. Sit in on a
friends show of slides. Throughout, you may
hear excuses from a practitioner who has
not yet mastered his instrument. How about
the musician who missed a note because of
poor light or the carpenter who made a
rough cut because of a dull saw? They may
be legitmate excuses, but the instruments,
nevertheless, were not used to their full
potential.
From apprenticeship to mastership is a
long hard road. To acquire perfection in the
use of an instrument takes countless hours
of practice and exercise. And the burden of
learning and accomplishing falls wholly on
the practitioner. The instrument stands there
tomorrow just as it stands todaystolid, immovable, impersonal, oblivious to a practitioners efforts to master it. It will also get
out of tune, dull, or dirty. And this, too, is
left for man to adjust, fix, or clean. The
mastery of the instrument is clearly mans
initiative. The instrument offers nothing but

itself. It is a passive agent, which must be

employed by active man if it is to be useful
and display the marvels of its potential.
If we look on life as an instrument and
man as a practitioner, we can understand
better the mystical interpretation of mastery.
The mastery of life means understanding
the intrinsic nature and potential of life and
employing the elements of life to achieve
the greatest possible results from them.
Like an instrument, life stands tomorrow
as it stands today: stolid, immovable, im
personal, oblivious to mans attempts to
master it. Because of its inherent characteristics, however, it seems to offer one thing
today, another tomorrow. And this, too, is
left for man to adjust to. The mastery of life
is clearly mans initiative. Life offers nothing
but itself. It is a passive agent, which must
be employed by active man if it is to be use
ful and reflect the glories of its potential.
With each individual, then, the mastery
of life involves an understanding of his own
nature, an attempt to discover his own
potential and to make the most of it. If a
man makes the most of what he has, he has
indeed mastered his life. He draws from his
very being all that his being is equipped to
do, and he employs these elements to their
fullest. Thus, every person can become
master of his own life, for everyone has a
life to live. He only has to work at making
the most of it; using it, caring for it, practicing and exercising until everything that
issues forth from it is a delight and a thing
of beauty to all who behold it.
To what extent have you mastered your
life? Have you been working on the wrong
thing? Have you been concerned about
virtue issuing forth from the depths of your
being; or have you sought to blame the sour
notes, the rough edges, the fuzzy pictures on
a world gone bad? Have you sought to have
the world issue forth with songs of cheer,
with overtones of brotherly love, with clear
resplendent pictures without your ever
having lifted a finger to bring forth one
note, one image, one thing of beauty?
I am reminded of my young son, sitting
before his organ, impelled to practice, his
countenance one of utter despair: Well,
Richard, the organ wont play itself, we
say. And so it wont. But its so hard, so
terribly demanding to lift a finger, to smile,
to clean, to share, to build, to create. Yes,

very hard, but wonderfully rewarding; the

most rewarding experience man can have
the employment of the law of the triangle
by bringing action to bear on a passive agent
to produce a result.
To the aspiring mystic, life offers continual opportunities for Creative endeavors,
for making each day worth living. The
pianist has only the piano; the carpenter
only his tools; the photographer only his
camera; and yet, with one single instrument,
they constantly create as they master. Their
lives are full of the producs they make
through one endeavor. Compare this to the
mystic, who has all of life as an instrument
on which he can act. The possibilities of
Creative production are infinite.
It is for the great instrument of life itself
that the Rosicrucian Order prepares its students. Its lessons are uniquely those which
a mastery of life requires. First, the student
learns the instrument itself. Then, slowly,
he strikes a note here, then a note there,
gradually rendering for himself and others
a life of unparalleled beauty and grandeur.
It is the student who can bear up under the
initial drudgery of exercises that seem not
to produce anything who will live to see his
diligence and application pay off. As surely
as he exercises Rosicrucian principies, just as
surely will he experience Rosicrucian mas
tership.
These results will not come by osmosis.
Life will not play itself. You cannot wake up
in the morning with a stark expression,
stare out at the world in a sombre vein and
wait for something good to come your way.
You are the good that must go its own way,
playing upon life those qualities that you
wish to issue forth, that will fail on the ears
of others as well as your own. Like the
pianist, if you want to fill your life with
beauty, sit down and play!
Like a musician, make a checklist by
which you can evalate your present efforts
against what is required for the mastery of
the instrument.
1. C a r e o f t h e I n s t r u m e n t : Do you follow such simple steps as occasional deep
breathing, a moderate diet, the flushing
of your body with ampie fluids? Do you
keep your body trim and clean at all
times?
Your mind, your home, your work, your
friends are also part of the instrument

we cali life. Are they kept orderly and

clean, well read, well cared for, exposed
to constructive, harmonious experiences?
2. L e a r n in g t h e I n s t r u m e n t : Are you
making every effort to understand others
and the life around you? Do you regularly seek information and facts about
the world in which you live? Are you
diligently absorbing and contemplating
the lessons in your monographs and in
supplementary materials?
3. E x e r c is e a n d P r a c t ic e : Most time-consuming and most important on the list
is exercise. Are you working at living a
Rosicrucian way of life? Do you work
daily to bring light, life, and love into
your being and surroundings? Do you
spend a certain amount of time each day
consciously trying to bring forth a more
beautiful image of humanity, namely,
yourself? Are you working on yourself
rather than worrying about others behavior and accomplishments or lack
thereof?
This is the problem in mastership: It is
knowing what we really are striving for.
The fraters question was well taken, and
we trust that these few comments will help
more fratres and sorores to attain this much
sought for goal.B

Must Mystics Go Into Retreat?

Another soror addresses our Forum:
When does a mystic go into retreat to find
the secrets, or the mysteries, of God?
This whole question is quite controversial
in its respective elements. First, it assumes
that a personal God, or Deity, has secrets,
or mysteries, which are being kept from
mankind. If this is what is actually meant,
it is a recurrence of an od theological doc
trine. In the Middle Ages and even more
recently among certain religionists, it was
assumed that God, or a Supreme Being, had
a special knowledge or wisdom by which the
phenomena of nature occurred, which was
to be kept inviolate. Man must never attempt to probe into such mysteries since it
was contended that to do so would be sacrilegious.
For several centuries, this was the basis
of conflict between science and rationalism,
on the one hand, and orthodox religin, on
the other hand. Science searched for natu-

ralistic physical causes for the phenomena

man experienced in the world and even
in his own being. Religin asserted that
these matters were outside the province of
human intelligence or mans right. They
were the secrets, or mysteries, of God, never
to be known by man. Science countered this
argument by saying that man should know
everything that is possible for him to know
through his own efforts.
Philosophy, metaphysics, and true mysticism take the same position as science in
this matter. There are mysteries, but they
are only such because they are matters that
man has not yet been able to fathom. They
will vanish, their clouds of obscurity dissolve, before penetrating knowledgeif and
when such is acquired. There is nothing
cosmically that should not be known. There
is no sacrosanct wisdom that is cosmically
denied man.
This does not mean to imply that man
has the intellectual or other capacities to
comprehend the plethora of reality and all
phenomena that exist. There undoubtedly is
much that man, no matter what his future
intellectual heights, will never have the
ability to comprehend. But his ignorance
will not be because of any cosmic ban or
prohibition, but rather because of the limitation of mortals.
It is the duty of man, therefore, to sean
the universe within him and without with
the light of reason and the powers of an
enlightened judgment. The more that he
discovers about the cosmos, the more he adds
to the glory and majesty of any concept of
the Deity which he may have. We have
often said that man is the creator of his God.
By that we mean that the image man has
of a Supreme Being, or Mind, is the result
of the unfolding and development of his own
understanding. Most men have remade their
God several times in their lives since their
first childhood conceptions. Each time of
inner growth on the part of the individual
resulted in his having a transcendent con
ception of his God.
To explore the mysteries, the cosmic phe
nomena not yet understood by us, does
require certain preparation. There are the
empirical and what we shall cali the sub
jective, or intuitive, approaches. The first, the
empirical, is the objective; it is the use of
our sense faculties to examine thoroughly

all that we observe to determine their causes

and nature. This is the method of science,
which can and does clear up many centuriesold mysteries once thought to be beyond the
understanding of man.
The other method, the subjective, the
intuitive , is the philosophical and mystical
way. There are many things in life whose
manifestations and operations are already
known to us scientifically by objective
means, but their relationship to our lives
still remains unknown. In other words, what
valu should we attach to these things? How
can they be adapted to the welfare of man?
What purpose should man assign to them?
This is where philosophy and mysticism
enter. Philosophy contemplates a pattern, a
scheme for man, into which his knowledge,
acquired objectively and scientifically, may
fit. The concept which he arrives at by
using this method is not always right, and
his ideology may have to be changed as ex
perience shows it to be imperfect. However,
it is better that such deductive attempts be
made rather than to have a knowledge which
is nonapplicable to our lives.
The mystic, too, may in his attunement
envision a meaning to what previously had
been to him a mystery. To him, then, it
may become clarified. But, subsequently, he
is morally obligated to communicate his
intuitive enlightenment to others. Further,
it should not rest upon his mystical experi
ence alone. If it is to be useful in a mortal
world, he must reduce his experience to a
factual and apodictical state so that others
may perceive it. A mystic may take the
conception of his experience to a liberal
scientist to try to substantiate it in an ob
jective, physical way. It must be granted,
of course, that a mystic may envision a solution to a so-called mystery which is be
yond the possibility of substantiation in our
present day.
For analogy, in a meditative state, the
mystic may realize intimately immortality
and know that the consciousness of self does
survive death. However, it may be extremely difficult for the mundane sciences
of biology and psychology, for example, to
confirm the elements of the experience of
the mystic. In other words, immortality
will still remain abstract. But, possibly, a
generation or more in the future, proof of
the mystics experience may be found.

Next, we are concerned with the subject

of retreat, which the sorors question also
includes. This retreat must be carefully
understood from the mystical connotation of
the word. It does not necessarily mean becoming an anchorite, that is, a recluse. One
does not have to withdraw from society and
from the world. He does not have to practice
self-mortification. Rather, it means being
alone with self. It is to introvert the con
sciousness so as to attune with the deeper
and finer impulses of self. It means to exelude for a period the usual inrush of ob
jective sense impressions so that intuition
and the more profound and spiritual aspeets
of the being may be experienced. Even more
succinctly stated, it means to realize the
self on another level of consciousness. It is
to get away from the objective momentarily
and to shut it out. It is also to exelude the
objective aspect of reasoning and let the
prepared thoughts of intuition come through
to the conscious mind.
It is not simple to attain this state of a
higher level of consciousness in a crowded
and often raucous world. We cannot always
find that aloneness which is desired. On the
other hand, this does not mean retreating
into a dense forest or climbing to the top of
a mountain to dwell there. This aloneness
often can be had within the privacy of ones
own sanctum during some period of the day.
Other persons have found the necessary
temporary release from the objective self
while walking in the park or while seated
on the bank of a river, or even when seated
quietly in a public library with a book be
fore themwith their consciousness reaching
out into the Cosmic rather than just to the
pages of the book.
When should this attunement, or retreat,
be undertaken? There is no specific time; the
time is when one experiences the urge to be
alone with self. When one feels that he
wants to embrace the Absolute, when he
wants to break out of the shell of routine
affairs that grip the consciousness as in a
vise, then is the time to be alone with
self.X

The Ease of Belief and Disbelief

Frequently, members beginning the study
of Rosicrucian philosophy find some con
fusin in their thinking as a result of the
concept stated in one of our early Neophyte

monographs emphasizing that the Rosicru

cian philosophy transcends belief. This con
cept, as I interpret it, is a traditional part of
the Rosicrucian philosophy because of the
fact that belief alone tends to be super
ficial. There seems to be a tendency on the
part of many individuis to think that the
process of belief is enough to establish a
philosophy of life and a way of living. Such
an outlook on a philosophy of life is so super
ficial that it is apparent by the lives and
expression of many that merely stating that
they believe something is easier than making
the effort to formlate a philosophy of life.
A basic principie upon which affiliation
and association with a number of religious
groups is based is the acknowledgment of
belief in their tenets. If men and women
acknowledge that they acceptthat is, that
they believethe tenets of a particular re
ligious denomination, group, or cult, then
they are considered to be a part of that
group. They have, in the terminology that
is used by some of these groups, been
saved, that is, saved from that which does
not conform to the beliefs to which the
group subscribesif we wish to be very
technical in our definition. Such individuis
then have a further belief that by such
acknowledgment they have fulfilled a part
of their lifes obligation, have adjusted them
selves, as it were, to the fulfillment of their
destiny. It is obvious, therefore, that belief
can be used as a mere dulling or as a form
of anesthetic to ease the functioning of the
mind. The acceptance of someone elses be
lief has a tendency to stop the function of
originality and creativity within the indi
vidual mind.
I do not interpret the Rosicrucian teachings as condemning all belief or inferring
that belief is in itself wrong. The fact is
that this would be a rather faulty conclu
sin since all of us acknowledge belief in our
daily lives. For example, when we cross a
bridge, if we are not engineers, we might
not understand the construction of that
bridge and how it is that it supports the span
and the load that it carries across a river or
an open area in space. Therefore, as we set
our feet upon that bridge, we believe that it
has the strength to support us. Without that
belief, we would be hesitant ever to cross
any bridge. If we did not believe that an

automobile would respond to the Controls

that we use as drivers, we would not be able
to drive because we would be in constant
fear that something would happen.
Therefore, it is logical that we have to
accept certain beliefs in those areas of which
we cannot possibly be completely informed.
We cannot all be experts in every phase of
lifes experiences; therefore, we place our
confidence in the experts and the specialists.
Our acceptance of the technical knowledge
of someone else to build a bridge, an auto
mobile, an airplane, a telephone, or any
other object that we use with reasonable
frequency is an acknowledgment of our be
lief in the inherent function of the object
with which we are going to deal.
This type of belief in a sense differs from
the voluntary acceptance of a series of
statements of someone else. To state upon
affiliation with a Christian church that one
believes in the Apostles Creed is simply to
accept what someone else has written down.
What I say here does not constitute a criticism of the creed, but it does constitute an
acknowledgment that the creed is an association of ideas written by other human beings
much like ourselves. To accept a belief with
out being able to verify the factual contents
of the statement is to tum over to someone
else the ability that we have to arrive at
conclusions and formlate philosophies, permitting a belief to supplant investigation,
research, and application of the innate
powers with which we were born that allow
us to examine for ourselves that which
exists outside of us.
While it is true that belief is often a
means by which an individual finds it easy
to substitute an attempt to arrive at his own
conclusions and formlate his own philoso
phy of life, it also works to a sense in re
verse. The individual who claims to be an
atheist is also accepting a belief of someone
else rather than of himself in the usual
sense. Atheism is very easy. It is just as easy
to deny as it is to affirm. The person who
accepts a belief in God as defined by a re
ligious group is the one who is finding, as
I have already pointed out, an easy way to
accept somebody elses philosophy. The person who accepts a belief that there is no God,
in other words, an atheist, is finding an easy
way to be a nonconformist. This type of

individual is usually using a denial, a men

tal rejection of a situation, to substitute for
his own ability to reason what a basic phi
losophy should be.
The habit of disbelieving is so effortless,
so easy, in fact, that we are hardly aware
of it. There are individuis who go through
life claiming that the thoughts and actions
of almost everyone they meet are wrong
and that they do not agree with them. In
other words, they are disbelievers. Now, it
is well that we should, as stated in the
Rosicrucian teachings, be walking question
marks, but the intelligent member is always
seeking to learn and to evolve his own con
sciousness. Therefore, he neither believes
or disbelieves simply because someone else
has believed or disbelieved. He does not sub
scribe fully to what we might cali readymade theories.
Anyone who is seriously interested in his
own evolvement knows that this process is,
in its final stages, an extremely individual
matter. He is willing to examine with tolerance the true beliefs of others and to draw
from them whatever appears to be useful to
him for the formulation of his own philoso
phy. Therefore, remember that mental re
jection of the other persons ideas, as well as
their acceptance, is simple.
The formulation of a satisfactory philoso
phy requires time and effort, frequently a
whole lifetime. We should neither be believers or disbelievers upon impulse or
upon the advice of another. We should al
ways be aware that we have experience to
gain in this life. The way in which we
gain that experience and the way in which
we use the results of our experience are
foundations upon which a philosophy of life
will be built. Then our behavior will appear
to others to be an example of what we have
accepted, of what are our beliefs and disbeliefs.
It appears in history that the general
trend is to turn from belief to disbelief and
again to belief. Today, we are living in an
era of rejection, where many, many indi
viduis of all ages are more concerned in
being noticed by their rejection of accepted
practices and principies than by contributing
to their own evolvement or to the welfare
of men. Remember, it is easy to mentally
reject any concept; but remember, also, that

the process of rejection should be one of

study and analysis, not merely being a
parrot to say no to anything that someone
else may have found of valu.A

Enjoying the Obvious

Simplicity is a well-worn topic these days
when everyone talks about going back to the
simple life. It seems that every facet of education tends to make life seem more com
plex. Everything is being broken down into
its component parts. Everything is made up
of a lot of other things. No subject is simple
any more, and this is cause for worry for
lots of folks. They start looking back to the
good od days.
Keeping life simple is important. In the
midst of complex technology, people
shouldnt lose sight of the simplicity of com
mon, daily occurrences. They shouldnt lose
sight of the obvious. Many who once see the
anatomy of a situation or thing they previously enjoyed, no longer enjoy it. Seeing a
movie being madebehind the scenes, as it
werespoils the effect of the movie for them.
Seeing food prepared in a restaurant spoils
their dinner. Hearing a medical lecture
gives them all sorts of symptoms. Dissecting
the universe throws them into a state of con
fusin and insecurity.
Life is a series of manifestations. It is a
continuum of events, a sequence of happenings. The explanations we give these events
do not change the events themselves.
However we explain the phenomenon of
the heavens, for example, there is no change
in the effect that the day and night have
upon us. The days, with light and the warming sun, are welcome events to be enjoyed
and savored. Nights, with their more restful
note, their twinkling stars and often seen
moon, continu to have their romantic, stilling effect. So, a star is a great ball of fiery
substance, radiating poisonous gases and
deadly cosmic rays. If that is all one can
think of as he gazes up at the starry heavens,
he is missing the obvious reality of the
momentthat the star is no threat to him;
that it is a radiant asset to the beauty of the
night as he observes it from his position on
the earth.
People often get into arguments over the
explanation of the nature of things, as
though the arguments were the realities

themselves. When a person who believes in

reincarnation, for example, discusses the
subject with someone who does not, the argument on either side has a disturbing effect
on the other. It is as though some new truth
had been introduced. But arguments are not
new truths; they are only attempts to arrive
at truth, which is neither new or od but
only that which is.
No matter how we explain life after
death, whatever really happens goes on happening just as though no one had ever
argued about it. People live and people die,
and behind this there is a truth about what
really happens. This truth prevails no mat
ter who wins an argument; no matter if
both sides are wrong. Thus, entertaining or
suggesting new ideas on such topics as life
and death should not disturb people. The
ideas do not change the true nature of things.
They are either wrong, or they are approaching the truth. That which most nearly approaches truth should be the most welcome
of all.
We see in this that man mourns the loss
of his ideas or notions about things more
than the loss of a truth. He would rather
sacrifice truth in the interest of holding fast
to his beliefs and customs. His search for
truth is too often rhetorical. There is no real
desire to discover anything that will disturb
the status quo. Man is ready to face truth
only when the pressures of discovery and
need forc him to consider another way.
Even then, he is a reluctant party to truth.
The world today faces many moments of
truth, times when men and women are
constantly being forced to adapt and adjust
previous beliefs to new discoveries and attitudes. It is well to remember in these times
that nothing is really changing in its essential nature. It is only man who is looking at
the same thing anew.
In the world of philosophical concepts,
man is especially susceptible to dogma, to
staying in the same course, for he has so
little tangible evidence on which to base a
change in course. Thus, a disruption of a
philosophical concept can completely undo
a person. Still, it is in the field of philosophy
that man will have to face his greatest test
of adaptation and adjustment over the next
few decades. Time-honored concepts will be
challenged. Is there a God? Is man the master of his fate? Is he immortal? Is he con-

scious after death? Already millions of

people say No to these questions. Are
they right? Are you right?
In the final analysis, it does not matter
so much who is right. What does matter is
that people are in search of truth. What does
matter is that truth is revealed. If a concept
cannot stand up to questioning, then it must
be less than truth. If a concept is truth, then
questioning it will only serve to further its
validity.
Our advice is not to let the concepts them
selves disturb you. You are living in truth.
The obviousness of everyday events and
feelings are the truth. Ideas are only descriptions of that.B

Getting the Most From Membership

A soror asks our Forum this question:
What is the best way or method to get the
most benefit out of Rosicrucian member
ship?
To a great extent, the answer to this
question depends upon what we seek in
membership, that is, what we expect from
it. We may divide the essential benefits of
membership into three divisions: The first
is knowledge, the second is development, and
the third is Peace Profound. Now let us con
sider each of these three briefly.
We cannot accomplish anything without
knowledge; it consists of information, facts,
procedures, a technique, or an art. We may
stumble at times into a series of circum
stances by which we may attain what we
desire. However, such a state is a rarity.
Anything worthwhile, whether in business,
a profession, the arts, or sciences, requires
preparation. Knowledge is acquired experi
ence. This experience is either gained personally through direct participation or it is
a matter of learning the accumulated ex
periences of others.
We have to study to gain knowledgethe
accumulated learning and experience of
othersin addition to our own personally
acquired experiences. The reason should be
obvious. We cannot crowd enough personal
experience into our lives to learn all that
we should know. Further, it might not even
be possible for us to have the same experi
ences that certain persons have had whose
knowledge we need . So, we study the ac
cumulated knowledge and wisdom of man

kind in its various channels for our enlightenment.

Therefore, the first step in Rosicrucian
membership toward results is a serious,
conscientious study of the monographs. The
individual who does not do this, who is derelict, who allows his monographs merely to
accumulate is missing the basic, the first
essential, of Rosicrucian membership bene
fits. We have little patience with the member who says he has uno time to study the
monographs. A monograph can be studied
and its essence extracted, that is, absorbed,
within one hour a week! The average person
spends that much time daily with a news
paper. Many persons spend several times
that period sitting before their televisin
sets.
There are, of course, legitmate exceptions,
situations where there is an accumulation
of monographs: illness, some emergencies,
or travel. Other than such conditions, very
few persons can honestly say that they have
no time during an entire week to spend one
hour to read and study a monograph. In
fact, the person who claims he does not have
an hour to himself is admitting that his life
is badly organized. Most of such claims are,
in truth, due to indolence or lack of interest.
Not investing interest in the teachings is
going to produce very poor dividends in
membership benefits.
The second factor of importance in Rosi
crucian membership is development. As
Rosicrucians, we learn and come to know
that man has many powers and even latent
faculties that he rarely uses. In some instances, he has not even realized that he has
them. The teachings are intended to acquaint
us better with the world around us and show
us how we may use cosmic and natural phenomena more effectively for our benefit. But
they are also intended to help us to know
ourselves better and use ourselves more fully.
The teachings, thus, are intended to be applied so as to awaken and develop to the
fullest extent our psychic and subliminal
powers and forces.
A man goes to a gymnasium to do weight
lifting or calesthenics in order to develop
unused muscles. When the muscles enlarge
and harden, they are able to accomplish
more, whether at work or play. The Rosi
crucian knowledge presented in the teach
ings is for the development of the intellect,

the intuition, and the mental and psychic

processes generally. This, of course, results
in a greater potential of accomplishment for
work or play in the life of the member.
This development is linked to study, to
the acquisition of knowledge presented in
the teachings. It must be taken out of the
category of mere intellectuality or reading.
There must be practice. Just to read the
exercises, for example, which are intended
to develop the psychic centers and their
functions, accomplishes nothing more than
presenting statements of fact. The member
who merely reads his monographs patently
does have an advantage over one who does
not. But if he does nothing more, he is yet
far behind in realizing Rosicrucian membership beneits.
The third category to which we have re
ferred and which is a necessary requisite of
successful membership is Peace Profound .
The term Peace Profound sounds like a
romanticism; some persons may not be able
to understand its relationship to the plebian
affairs of every day. Peace Profound has
both negative and positive vales. Its negative valu is imperturbability. We would all
be much happier if we could be free of those
irritating, annoying, and frustrating circum
stances which we encounter frequently in
our living. They perturb us. Therefore, a
very definite kind of peace is the elimination
of such perturbance.
There is also the positive valu of Peace.
It is to acquire pleasing, harmonious sensations, a deep inner pleasure, a contentment
with the world. Perhaps it is more aptly
described as the titillation which we cali the
joy of living . This, then, is the summum
bonum of the Rosicrucian teachings. Through
the use of the teachings, we may attain true
happiness, not just a gratification of our appetites but also a satisfaction of our higher
emotions and sentiments and of our moral
and idealistic selves. With knowledge of
the Rosicrucian teachings acquired through
study and with the awakening and develop
ment of all our cosmic powers, we can
aspire, then, to a course in life, an end,
which when realized will provide this genuine happiness which is Peace Profound.
Many sincere students of AMORC have
been inspired through their study of the
teachings and the new knowledge and power
they have gained to enter into new, more

satisfying, and more lucrative vocations.

Even those who do not change their occupations or professions because of the impact of
the Rosicrucian teachings do gain a new in
sight into their work and a different approach that bring them a greater happiness
and, of course, personal peace.
There are persons who find life hard, unpleasant, even seemingly meaningless. It is
not because they are in poverty or afflicted
with illness, but rather that they are in an
unsettled state of mind. They do not know
exactly what they want to make of their
lives. They may think that gaining great
wealth and sensual pleasure is all that is
necessary. In such pursuits, though, they
may often lose their health and self-respect
and become embittered. Each of us has
known or met persons like that. Conversely,
we have met others with far less worldly
goods, who are obviously enjoying life immensely and, apparently, by living simply.
But their philosophy of life, what they have
associated with life, what they have put into
it and extracted from it, is quite different
from that of the embittered people.
You may say that this amounts to having
a different outlook on life and that it is a
matter of personal philosophy held by the
individual. To use an od adage: There is
nothing wrong with the worldjust the
people in it. It is true. To a great extent,
we shape our environment, the conditions
that will make us happy or otherwise. It is
a matter of personal philosophy, but a
philosophy of the right kind! It is this that
the Rosicrucians are endeavoring to do. They
are not trying to assign to each member a
ready-made philosophy, but rather to give
to each the elements by which he can create
a sound philosophy best suited to his person
ality, intellect, and temperament.
Therefore, the best way or method to get
the most benefit out of Rosicrucian member
ship is to start to coordinate knowledge,
development, and Peace Profound in the
manner briefly outlined here.X

Awareness of Our Limitations

There are some schools of thought that
claim that the human being has no limita
tions. This was a concept of some individuis
associated with what became known in
the early part of this century as the New
Thought movement. The proponents of the

theory to which I am referring made the

claim that there is an unlimited supply of
all that man needs and that by adopting a
philosophy which claims that no limitations
exist, we can draw upon that unlimited
supply at all times and never know the con
cept of limitation.
This is a most intriguing theory and,
naturally, anyone who is aware of any type
of limitation would like to subscribe to a
theory that denied the existence of limita
tion. If by following a formula, repeating a
series of words, or simply acknowledging be
lief or agreement with a system or series of
principies evolved by someone else, we could
in a sense be free of all limitations, then it
would certainly be a happier, pleasanter
world in which to live, and we would have
everything that our hearts could desire.
As I have already said, there are some
schools of thought that are based upon this
principie. One closely related to it is the
principie of affirmation, the principie that
simply by affirming we have what we do
not have, we attain what we have not at
tained. The use of the phrase, Every day I
become better by believing I am better, is
an example of this type of philosophy. Many
individuis who have wholeheartedly and
enthusiastically subscribed to such a philoso
phy have been somewhat discouraged by
realizing that the denial of pain does not
stop pain, that the denial of the fact that we
have nothing does not produce wealth. In
other words, the stating in our minds or re
peating orally that limitation does not exist
does not solve our problems or supply our
wants.
Some years ago, I was acutely concerned
with a problem that was fundamentally
anatomical. I had a limitation in the physi
cal body, and my concern seemed to exaggerate it, as is commonly the case. Finally,
a very wise Rosicrucian doctor, whom I
respect, said to me one day, You act like a
man with one leg, who refuses to use a
crutch. This comment registered in my
consciousness. I learned that a limitation
must be acknowledged. A man with one leg,
regardless of how many times he may affirm
that he is not limited by one leg or whether
he refuses to acknowledge a physiological
fact, does not change the circumstances. A
crutch or artificial limb is needed if one has
only one leg.

However, we do have the ability to

transcend or surpass a physical limitation. I
know of an individual who lost one arm and
who, nevertheless, became a successful professional manin fact, he did better in his
field than many have done with both their
arms. I have before used the illustration of
an acquaintance of many years ago who
became an outstanding musician after he
was totally blind. Men can accomplish great
things in life in spite of their limitations
rather than by trying to deny the limita
tions. In other words, we should be aware
of our limitations but realize at the same
time that they can also be means to an end
that is successful.
If my friend of many years ago, who be
came blind while he was studying at a conservatory of music, had simply stated, This
is the end of my career, he could have spent
the rest of his life bemoaning his limitation.
Actually, however, he continued by study
ing Braille and music, and he became an
outstanding musician. I am not trying to
belittle a physical limitation. I know from
personal experience how trying a physical
limitation can be. Such a limitation is constantly impinging upon consciousness and
causing an individual to be aware of that
limitation. All who have experienced physi
cal limitations have sought for and hoped
that there was a possibility by which they
could completely overcome them, that there
was a magic word or formula that would
make it possible for them to be a success,
to control themselves, and to replace every
thing representing a degree of limitation
with all that they need.
Limitations, insofar as the life of the
average individual is concerned, usually are
in the area of the physical body; in other
words, in the area of health or of physical
possessions. To put it another way, they are
in the economic experience or because of
social contacts. If we are lacking an im
portant anatomical or physiological function,
we are going to be acutely aware of that
limitation, and it is going to take determination and much more work than if we had
our full physiological equipment. In order
to accomplish even the relatively simple
things in life, we shall have to use more
effort and energy than the one who is fully
equipped; but, at the same time, we should
realize that no one has every physiological

factor of his body perfect at all times. We

are all prone to illness and accidents, and
adjustments must necessarily be made to
compnsate for the limitations that are ours.
The same principie is true in the economic
world. I believe that no one has ever attained all the wealth that he thought he
would like to have. We all feel limitations
in attaining our physical desires. We all
think that we could use more than we have.
But the individual who bemoans his lack of
money or material property is using time
that could better be directed toward trying
to gain some of the possessions that he thinks
he lacksin other words, in trying to over
eme his limitations. It would be better to
direct ourselves toward the accumulation of
a degree of economic independence rather
than to bemoan the fact that we are not
millionaires.
The individual who feels that he is handicapped by not having the proper social
contacts and relationships could better di
rect part of his time toward making acquaintances and making himself of interest
to other individuis rather than bemoaning
what he lacks. The fact is that we all have
limitations. So often we have heard a person
say that he could not explain why an event
occurred or why a particular occurrence
should be a part of his experience. Such an
individual should be aware of the fact that
if he could explain all events and experi
ences, then he would not have to go through
an experience that is a part of his present
process of living.
In other words, if I could explain every
event, every catastrophe, and every piece of
sorrow, grief, and suffering that other indi
viduis or that I myself might experience,
then I would not be incarnated in this par
ticular time and place. The fact that I can
not explain some of the suffering and grief
in the world is in itself proof that I have to
be here to live in these particular circum
stances in order to experience the impact of
my present environment upon me. Such
experience is a part of my evolvement and
will lead to the gaining of the knowledge and
ability that will sometime make it possible
for me to explain that which is now unknown.
The philosophy of life that no limitation
exists is unreasonable, but we can evolve a
philosophy of life that will make us aware

that our niche in our present environment is

to gain experience and knowledge that will
help us to overcome limitations and reach
a time when limitations will no more affect
us. Remember that most of our limitations
have to do with the physical body and our
material environment. Looking toward the
psychic, the mystical, the spiritualand finding true vales thereis the basis of developing a philosophy of life that will not be
affected or impeded by limitations.A

A Time for Choosing

A soror I chanced to meet during a recent
Rosicrucian convocation asked for further
clarification on the subject of discernment.
This word evidently had come to her during
a period of meditation and had some special
significance at the time. Discernment, of
course, is a faculty of rational beings, a
faculty which permits comparison of vales
and enables man to choose a good as opposed
to a lesser good. Discernment is the ability
to judge the quality of an object or situation.
It follows that the more acutely one can
discern the difference between two altematives, the better he is able to follow the path
which will improve his life.
For many people, there are no great variations in the events of their lives. There are
no blacks or whites. Everything takes on a
grayish hue, a sameness that spells monotony
and boredom.
A person with great discernment sees
many hues. He sees a hundred shades of
green in every tree, countless expressions in
the faces of those he meets each day, untold
opportunities in every situation that crosses
his path.
The person with discernment is a person
with a life filled with the wonders of cre
ation. He is conscious not only of the hues
that color the rocks and fields, but also of
the many facets of human experience. There
is no sameness for him. He knows black from
white and all the vales in between. He has
choice, a choice as varied as his ability to
discern the differences around him.
Discernment comes with mystical develop
ment. It is the intuitive insight of the mystic
an art to be sought after, to be treasured,
to be used for the greater expression of the
Cosmic within man. It tells him always the

better path to take. It leads him always to

the most gratifying goal.
How does one achieve discemment? By
making judgments. By making decisions. By
exposing oneself to alternatives. With each
set of alternatives, with each decisin, with
each judgment, discernment grows; and
with growing discernment, there comes a
fullness of lifea panorama of experiences
unparalleled in human history.B

W hy A Rosicrucian Museum?
What is the relationship between the purposes and functions of the Rosicrucian Order,
AMORC, and an Egyptian Museum? In
other words, why does AMORC conduct such
an activity as a museum? There are several
reasons which we believe are not only justifiable but also essential to the welfare of
AMORC.
First, it must be understood that having a
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is not a commercial venture. It is a nonrevenue producing activity. There is no fee or admission
charge for either the visiting Rosicrucians or
the thousands of the public, including school
and college groups, who annually view its
exhibits.
As every Rosicrucian knows, the history
of AMORC is divided into two categories:
the traditional and chronological. The former
concerns the early beginnings of the mystery
schools of Egypt, which were the first assemblies of men and women to inquire
seriously into the universe around them and
to probe into their own natures. Though
the word Rosicrucian was not known then,
at least many of the symbols and even some
of the rites, and especially the spirit of in
quiry of the Rosicrucian Order today, had
its inception in those beginnings, which later
spread to Greece, Rome, and elsewhere in
Europe.
The chronological history, the written
aspect of the Order, goes back to the very
earliest period of printing and, before that,
to the handwritten manuscripts. Some of
these were at first recondite, and later there
were published references in the works to
the Brethren of the Rosy Cross. The
chronological records outside of the archives
of the Order itself are somewhat confused,
showing various times for its inception. This

is because nonmember authors related the

beginning of the Rosicrucian Order to the
first time they personally carne in contact
with some public reference to it. As a result,
there are erroneous accounts, showing the
Order as having begun at different times in
different countries.
However, there are a romance and a fascination about the traditional mystery schools
to which the Rosicrucians are so much obligatedfor their motive, at least. Consequently, we have always desired to perpetate
their traditions, not only in word but also in
symbol and form. Therefore, since the be
ginning of the second cycle of AMORC in
the Western world 50 years ago, all of our
temples have been designed in simulated
Egyptian architecture. This is just as most
of the law courts, for analogy, and halls of
justice and public libraries for several
centuries have been in their outer architec
ture of Grecian or Romn style, that is, of
the classical periods.
Then, too, as Rosicrucians, we must ever
be conscious that history and human events
are not disconnected. They are a concatenation of causes and effects. Each civilization,
each culture, stands upon the foundation of
what preceded it. As one historian has said,
We stand upon the shoulders of those who
have gone before. What we are as a civili
zation may seem on the surface unlike any
thing preceding it. However, we know that
it is really our inheritance of language,
science, and art that has made it possible for
us to make the advances we recognize. We
have not started from a beginning in our
times.
History is not a dead past. Human natures
traits, inclinations, and tendencies change
slowly. Man is still very much motivated by
his primitive emotions; and under the veneer
of his current so-called refinement and cul
ture, he is much the same as he was one
hundred or even 5,000 years ago! History
repeats itself because so do the factors in
human nature which, in turn, cause events
which make history. If we study history, we
learn that there are not only those things
which are creditable to human nature but
also the gross mistakes man has made. If
we heed history, we can avoid many pitfalls
into which society has previously fallen.
Historians and students of history can point
out many parallels between what we do

today and what, for example, the Greeks

and Romans did centuries ago.
It is remarkable how many things commonplace to us, which we think are of our
times, actually began in Egypt. Everything
from beer to taxes, with a world of other
things in between, began in Egypt. In fact,
we have two fascinating illustrated booklets,
entitled It Began In Egypt , which are published by AMORC to reveal these startling
beginnings of many of our present-day cus
toms which originated thousands of years
ago.
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, the first Imperator
of the second cycle of AMORC, was fascinated by the artifacts of Egypt, especially
because of the reasons heretofore mentioned.
He acquired through the years a number of
rare original Egyptian objects such as
scarabs, jewelry, steles, etc. As early as
1928, he decided that his personal collection should be made available for examination and appreciation by the Rosicrucian
members. Therefore, he donated this ma
terial, worth a considerable sum, to the
Rosicrucian Order, AMORC. In the first
administration building of AMORC in that
year, a few cases were erected along one of
the walls of the lounge adjoining the temple
(not the present Supreme Temple). This,
then, was the nucleus of the present Rosi
crucian Egyptian Museum. In the 1930s,
the collection having grown considerably,
the first unit of the museum was erected as
part of the administration building.
In subsequent years, through Dr. Lewis
efforts, a fine selection of Egyptian antiquities was acquired from prvate collections in Egypt and Europe. To this, equally
rare Babylonian and Assyrian pieces were
added. Finally, a handsome wing was added
to the museum, but this was still only a part
of the administration building. This addition
was made during the early years of the last
decade.
The public, always invited to attend,
listened to qualified attendants explain the
artifacts as they walked from gallery to
gallery. These artifacts show the beginnings
of mans belief in the afterlife and in immortality and depict the development of
handicrafts, arts, writing, architecture, re
ligin, and philosophy.
The pressnewspapers and magazines
became aware of the collection and wrote

about it. Visitors from throughout the world

continu to stop at Rosicrucian Park to see
the Rosicrucian Museum and its now re
nowned collection. Objects in the museum
have been authenticated by such renowned
Egyptologists as Dr. Georg Steindorff, who
held the chair of Egyptology at the Uni
versity of Leipzig for over 20 years, and Dr.
Etienne Drioton, former Director of Antiquities for the Egyptian Government and Curator of the world-renowned Cairo Museum.
At present, Dr. Max Guilmot, noted Egyptologist of Belgium and a member of
AMORC of France, is our consultant.
Today, professors and teachers from universities, colleges, and schools bring their
classes to the Rosicrucian museum to study
its collection, which is now the largest in the
Western United States. Several technical
works on Egypt and Assyria have photographs and texts about objects in the Rosi
crucian collection, and they speak highly of
them.
What does all this mean? It means that
many educated and culturally minded
people are drawn to Rosicrucian Park who
otherwise might not have heard of the Order.
Then they not only admire the museum but
highly respect the organization that is mak
ing this free cultural contribution to the
community and to society generally. They
inquire about the activities of AMORC and,
of course, a number of them become mem
bers. There is no attempt on our part to
solicit visitors for membership unless they
evince interest.
From this, it can be seen that the Rosi
crucian Egyptian Museum is not only some
thing of which every member should be
proudeven if he has never had the opportunity of visiting itbut that it is also
an excellent mdium of public relations.
However, the growth of the museum col
lection has crowded the present building.
Further, it was also necessary that AMORC
extend its administrative facilities, which are
likewise overcrowded. A separate adminis
tration building would have been inefficient
because it would have necessitated the Cross
ing of lawns by the staff between the new
and od units. So, it was decided to build a
new and handsome separate Rosicrucian
Egyptian Museum and move its collection
into ita tremendous task. The od museum
building can then be converted to adminis-

trative use since it is attached to the present

administration facilities.
Obviously, all of this is a matter of great
cost, though necessary, as you can realize.
There is no support available from either
the State or Federal governments for museums anywhere in the United States.
AMORC must be its sol support, and such
is possible only through the generous donations of our members for this cause. We do
not ask for fees from the public because we
wish to avoid any misconception that the
museum is a commercial enterprise and because of tax reasons.
So, this is why AMORC has a museum
and is building a new Egyptian M useum X

Rosicrucian Techniques
1. Assumption
Assumption is a concept based upon the
process of assuming ourselves to be functioning as a different entity from what we in
reality are. To practice assumption is to assimilate the experience and to a degree the
consciousness of another. In much religious
literature, there has been a great deal of
mystery surrounding this concept.
Many religious leaders have practiced
assumption in order to speed the under
standing of their message to the minds of
others. In the tradition of most of the worlds
best known religions, there are references to
the assumption by avatars, or masters, of the
lives and consciousness of those who heard
their message. Thus they were able to use
the channels existent about them for the
perfection of their message.
Surely, an individual as intelligent and as
evolved and with the access to wisdom as
Buddha, Jess, or Mohammedor which
many of the great philosophers and masters
hadcould not have conceived of his message
being grasped in its entirety within the lifetime he had to share with his followers.
Those who followed the teachings of such a
master could learn only of the periphery of
his ideas.
In a sense, therefore, these masters had
to attempt a forced system of teaching,
bringing to the minds of their followers their
ideas in such quantity and with such forc
that it would make an impression that would
reverberate through the centuries after they
no longer existed as physical living beings.

Assumption was probably the process used

to accomplish this end.
When we assume the identity of another
individual, we do so in order to try to im
press upon him the importance of a fact, a
bit of knowledge, or the wisdom of a certain
type of action. In accordance with the instructions in our monographs for accomplish
ing assumption, we mentally visualize and
conceive ourselves to be the person whom
we are trying to impress.
We should imagine ourselves taking on
his characteristics of behavior and even his
appearance; then, when we have thought
and concentrated upon that to the point
where we conceive ourselves to be momentarily that individual, we implant the
thought or idea in our own consciousness
exactly as if it were in the consciousness of
the other individual. By this process, we
should be able to influence others toward
higher ideis, nobler purposes, and toward
the gaining of knowledge, provided they are
to any degree whatsoever receptive to our
thoughts.
Assumption cannot forc knowledge, ac
tion, belief, or ideas which are wholly unacceptable to the other individual. Just as
the hypnotist cannot make anyone perform
an act which he is morally and ethically
opposed to performing, neither can someone
cause another to do anything that he does
not choose to do volitionally. No human
being by any mental process can cause
another to act against his will.
Assumption is the process of planting the
seed. That seed must be accepted and grow
within the consciousness of the individual in
whom it is implanted. We are not our
brothers keeper in the sense that we are
responsible for his behavior. We are responsible only for fulfilling our obligation to
give him proper direction, to offer help, and
to implant constructive ideas in his con
sciousness. Our obligation then ceases.
Eventually, all of us must act upon our
own; but those who aspire toward Cosmic
Consciousness, toward higher ideis, assume
the responsibility of transmitting, transferring, and implanting these ideis by word,
by deed, and by the mental process of as
sumption within the minds of others so that
all men may eventually direct their attention
and consciousness toward their Creator.

2. Projection
Projection is a process of the extensin of
consciousness. The Rosicrucian philosophy
holds as a fundamental principie that time
and space are purely physical conditions.
They are in a sense limitations of the physi
cal mind. Time is in reality no more than
the duration of consciousness. Space is no
more than a gap in our ability to perceive.
Therefore, consciousness transcends the
limits of time and space.
Consciousness is a continual process of
conception within the mind. The mind of
man is also the instrument of recall and
creation. That consciousness should be
limited to the physical brain of an individual
is purely an assumption that has grown out
of a materialistic philosophy. Consciousness
does not necessarily exist in my brain. The
brain serves as a mdium for its expression;
but consciousness is in every cell of my body,
and it can expand into my aura and even
beyond that into the area about me.
When we speak of projection, we are
concerned with this expansin of conscious
ness. Projection is the ability of conscious
ness to take over in areas removed from us
in what we ordinarily consider the realm of
time and space. When I project, I become
conscious more acutely of a situation that
may lie beyond the physical limitations of
my being.
We are so familiar with the situation im
mediately about us that projection seems to
be a very strange phenomenon when it is
first presented to us. Possibly, our first ex
periments with projection should be limited
to nearby places; that is, to the next room
or to a place with which we are very fa
miliar and which is near by. Such experi
ments help to break down the illusion of
space and time to which we are slaves under
so many other circumstances.
Projection is not a process by which we
satisfy curiosity. Even if we attain a degree
of perfection in the process of projection, it
is not necessarily for the purpose of eavesdropping on someone else. We cannot enter
the privacy of anothers consciousness re
gardless of how perfect our ability to project
may be. In a sense, we can only go where
we are permitted to go. We can only expand
our consciousness into areas where it will
find harmony and attunement with itself;

otherwise, consciousness ceases to be a con

tinual and extended process. Consciousness
should manifest as a continuing process; to
interrupt it would be to cause a break in the
continuity and would make projection impossible.
Some have asked what is the valu of pro
jection. Projection has no particular valu
except that upon occasions it can be used
for obtaining vital information that cannot
be obtained otherwise unless, possibly,
through mental telepathy. We can influence
other individuis or at least do our part to
ward influencing them by assumption.
Many times, processes are combined.
Meditation and concentration, for example,
are not always individual, separate processes.
Neither are assumption and projection.
Possibly, the most valuable use of projection
is for those who for some reason or another
have to remove themselves from the vicissitudes or problems of their immediate en
vironment.
There is the classic story of an individual
who was wrongly sentenced and who spent
many years in prison. His jailers believed
that he would become mad from the effects
of isolation. By projection, however, he maintained his sanity and a cise relationship
with a loved one from the time of his confinement until his transition.
During even recent times, many of those
in concentration camps during the Second
World War and others who have been confined in countries under certain forms of
government that restricted their actions and
movements have been able to maintain
their evolvement, sanity, and growth by the
process of projection, which enabled them
to escape the problems and hardships of the
moment. Many individuis who have endured ill health and suffering have likewise
been able to project their consciousness away
from the physical limitations of their op
pression of the moment.
Therefore, the process of projection is a
technique by which consciousness is ex
tended in order to allow us to remove our
selves from the immediate environment. It
is the process of fulfilling our potential
ability to recognize the idea as being more
important than the material. It permits us
to take our proper place in the universe, unfettered by the limitations of time and
space.A

Is A New Messiah Born?

A frater, addressing our Forum, says,
Some time ago I read in our literature a
statement that a great leader would be born
among the Oriental people. This person
would eventually lead them forward religiously and politically. He would have a
great influence upon the whole world.
I was surprised to see a statement in the
July, 1965, issue of ReacLers Digest to the
effect that such a child was born on February 5, 1962, in the Middle East. The author,
Ruth Montgomery, quoted Jeane Dixon. The
child was born of humble peasant origin.
Mankind, Mrs. Dixon was reported to have
said, will begin to feel the great forc of
this man about 1980, and his power will
grow mightily until 1999, at which time
there will be peace on earth to all men of
good will. Can the Forum discuss this sub
ject?
The hope and search for a Messiah is
thousands of years od and, of course, still
persists in the hearts and consciousness of
man. It is psychologically the result of mans
sense of helplessness to completely combat
environmental, social, and political conditions which adversely affect him. He hopes,
prays, and intensely desires, therefore, that
someone will be able to deliver him from his
actual or imagined oppression. Since most
times what man confronts seems so monu
mental, so overwhelming, he believes that
only a human having supernatural aid or
powers can surmount the obstacles or vanquish the opposition he experiences.
Many individuis have been obsessed with
a Messianic complex, believing themselves to
be saviors of mankind, political as well as
religious. Some were abnormal, but others
were sincere crusaders. The word Messiah
is of Hebraic origin. When it is translated
into Greek, it is Christos, or Christ. Jess the
Christ was literally Jess the Messiah, the
word Christ being a title affixed to his ame.
There have been several others before the
time of Jess who also bore this title.
Originally, the word Messiah was a title
given to the King or Pontiff in ancient Israel
and Judah. It was conferred because of the
anointment of the individual, which was an
act symbolic of authority. It was conferred
upon those who were to become a vice-regent
of the Deity and the ruler of the people. In

other words, it was a title of secular and

spiritual authority. Later, the title Messiah
became the designation of those who were
expected to deliver the people from foreign
oppression. And, in the case of the Jews, a
Messiah was intended to bring about the
formation of a world-wide Jewish empire.
It is strange, however, as exegetical
authorities point out, that there is no ref
erence in the Od Testament, which title is
unmistakably used with reference to a
future movement. In other words, the Od
Testament does not use the word Messiah
in the sense of a common deliverer of man
kind.
The idea of a deliverer, or one who in the
future was to liberate a people or lead them
to a life of greater fulfillment, apparently
goes back far beyond the time of the Hebraic
reference to the word Messiah. For example,
a papyrus and tablet found at Cairo contains a prophecy made by a priest in the
time of Snefru of the Xllth Dynasty. Dr.
James Breasted, noted Egyptologist, interpreted the inscription as speaking of a
shepherd of men in whose heart there is no
evil, and the tablet asks Where is he today?
Doth he sleep perchance? Behold! his might
is not seen. Dr. Breasted contends that this
inscription might be referring to the son of
god, Re, or possibly to a future king who was
to shepherd men out of their adversities.
The Romn oppression of the Jews caused
a fusin of the dissident elements among
them. They then contended that the anointed
king who was needed, that is, a Messiah,
must be a genuine son of David. Since
there was no claimant to the throne of the
legitmate title, such a person thus was to
come forth from the future.
Jess was crucified by Pontius Pilate, not
because of his religious beliefs, but as a
political criminal. It was because of Jess
defiance of Romn law and because he ac
cepted the title of King of the Jews. How
ever, it is believed by some scholars that
Jess never claimed to be a Messiah. In
fact, it is related that he forbade his disciples
on several occasions to refer to him as Mes
siah . However, since Jess used the title,
Son of God, his disciples took that as a
hint that it was likely a Messianic claim.
There were many after Jess who did
claim to be Messiahs, one of whom was
Menahem, son of Judah, the Galilean who

appeared during the siege of Jerusalem. He

valiantly led the attack upon the Romn
garrison clothed in royal garments. It is said
that he fell, a victim of his Messianic pride.
However, Simn bar Kozeba was probably
the more perfect fulfillment of the popular
Jewish ideal of Messiah. History records no
other that more closely approximated this
Jewish conception. His people generally
recognized him as a Messiah, and he regarded himself as such. Certainly, his feats
were those of a liberator and leader. He
temporarily redeemed Jerusalem from
foreign oppression, In less that a year, he
conquered 50 fortified cities and 945 towns
and villages. His army consisted of 200,000
men.
Of course, modern fundamentalist Chris
tian sects believe in the doctrine of parousia,
that is, the second coming of Jess as the
Christ, to deliver again that portion of man
kind that has lived righteouslyaccording to
the Christian doctrines! There will always
be the desire and hope on the part of man
that some individual, inspired and divinely
aided, will bring justice and peace to a
troubled world. There will come out of every
generation a man or certain men who are
highly enlightened and who will, to some
extent, advance mankind toward the goal of
peace on earth. There is no reason why sch
a person should not be bom in the East, the
Orient, as well as in the West. Slowly but
surely, the people of the West, the Occidentals, the Caucasians, will learn that there
are no particularly chosen people and that
spiritually and intellectually advanced per
sons are not confined to any geographic area.
However, we very much doubt that any
man now born will by the year 1999 effect
peace on earth. Peace begins with the indi
vidual. He must learn to discipline his passions, appetites, and desires and aspire to express the higher emotions of self, the socalled moral and spiritual aspects of man.
No one person can bring peace to the world;
men must bring it about themselves. Jess
and many other avatars and Masters before
him outlined a way which, if followed ,
would have meant peace. But men allow
themselves to be dominted by their primi
tive natures.
The article to which the frater refers says
that the Messiah is to bring about a condition where there will be peace on earth to

all men of good will. This, by the very

phrase just quoted, does not signify a uni
versal peace on earth. It refers to a peace
to all men of good will. Therefore, unless
the individual has attained that state of con
sciousness which good will implies and de
sires to have peace by making the necessary
personal sacrifices to bring it about, there
can be no universal peace. Peace that will
exist on earth only for men of good will, we
are afraid, will not make the world much
better than it is now.
What of the multitudes who are not of
such good will, who are avaricious, envious,
especially sensual, intolerant, etc.? Will they,
anymore than now, make the sacrifice of
personal restraint so that peace can be ex
perienced by all men? All that we can hope
for, therefore, is that leadersMessiahs, if
you wishwill be born who will inspire the
greater majority of men actively to cultvate
the elements of peace existing in their own
consciousness and personality. It is from this
personal point of reference and self-control
that the conditions of peace collectively
among the masses and nations must arise.
We have not read the particular article
that the frater quotes, but, in the way it is
referred to, I am afraid it is just a little too
visionary to accomplish the end set forth in
the short time of 33 years. Human nature
never has and cannot be expected to make
except by some miracle such a quick
change, and we are not inclined toward a
belief in miracles. We must not confuse the
quick transition in technology and educational advancement which we have been
making in recent years with the much slower
control of the basic human emotions. These
emotions are always just beneath the surface refinement of the intellect and environ
ment.X

How Original Are Our Thoughts?

A frater of Caada now rises to address
our Forum. He says: In one of the mono
graphs, it is mentioned that stimuli from
within produce thought images, etc. I would
like to know from what source these images
and feelings come from within? Are some
the result of external stimuli and others
produced from memory associations? How
original are some thoughts? Do some
thoughts come from the consciousness of a

higher Intelligence apart from the awareness

of self?
Technically, this subject is known as
epistemology, or the science and nature of
thought. The mental processes of thought
are still in the exploratory stages. Much has
been learned regarding the brain, the senses,
the nervous system, and what is generally
termed mind in connection with cognition.
However, there is much yet to be known or
which is still but speculation in the realms
of psychology and psychiatry with regard to
the subject.
Generally, we can say that cognition, or
thought, is of two specific kinds, that is, per
ception and conception. The first, percep
tion, is specifically and directly related to
our sensory impressions, as sight, hearing,
feeling, tasting, and smelling. Stimuli, vibra
tions from the world around us, impinge on
our receptor organs; for example, our eyes.
From them arise the particular qualities of
that sense and its images, as, for example,
color, form, and dimensin. Form and di
mensin, of course, as categories and quali
ties, are related to both sight and touch.
The thought which arises out of percep
tion is an immediate kind of knowledge. In
other words, we cannot see, feel, or hear
something without there also arising in con
sciousness an immediate thought image to
correspond to it. The image is a symbol of
the stimuli, the vibrations received, and their
translation into the particular sensations of
the sense. Vibrations of wave-lengths of light
act upon the retina of the eye. There they
produce nerve impulses, the various sensa
tions that, when translated in the brain,
give us the visual imageform, color, etc.,
constituting the experience. We thereupon
think this thing or know it as a visual ex
perience immediately.
However, with what we perceive through
our receptor senses, there may come associated ideas recalled from memory, which will
enlarge upon the sense experience we are
having. For analogy, when we see something,
then, by association, we may remember a
similar experience or the image may suggest
other ideas, expanding the cognition which
arises out of the visual perception.
It has been contended by psychologists
and has been a polemic discussion in philoso
phy for centuries that what we perceive is

not true reality. We never perceive reality

direct, that is, the thing in itself. It is only
a phenomenon of which we are aware. In
other words, between our realization and
actuality lies a whole mechanism of mental
processes which we cannot penetrate with
our consciousness.
There is, also, that other contributing
factor to thought and the cognitive process
conception. This may be explained as the
reasoning process, the volitional organization
of our thoughts. Conception, ideation, the
forming of ideas, is dependent upon our per
ception. There first must be certain experi
ences that result from our sense qualities
before we can think, before we can conceptualize.
In this type of thinking, conceptualizing,
we are calling forth from memory various
ideas which have been stored there and their
images. We then combine and recombine
them into what may become in its composite
and complex form a seemingly entirely new
idea. There is no idea, however, which we
can have that is actually devoid of the
qualities of our senses previously experi
enced. Every idea we have must include
such attributes as color, dimensin, taste,
hot, coid, sweet, sour, fragrance, hard, loud,
soft, etc. Even abstract ideas which have no
external counterpart, that is, which have
never been experienced objectively, are,
nevertheless, not entirely original thoughts.
Such abstract ideas, for example, are such
notions as God, justice, beauty, immortality,
and good. No thing in itself is any one of
these things. However, from our contact
with the world and its reaction upon us,
upon our emotions and intellect, we form
such abstract ideas.
For further analogy, there are certain
human relations or conduct which produce
a sympathetic response within us, sentiment
and behavior which we have come to cali
justice. The idea, the term justice, the mean
ing of justice, is a product of our reasoning.
It is a conception. But it is not wholly a
virgin thought. It is the result of combining
the sensations of perception with our emo
tional feelings.
There is an unconscious work that goes
on within our subconscious mind. By un
conscious, we mean that we are not
objectively aware of this work. Certain ex-

periences once had and perhaps forgotten

become associated and formed into images
in the subconscious and then are flashed
into the conscious mind. These are what we
cali intuitive thoughts. In the form in which
they appear in our conscious mind, they may
seem to be new, virginal stimuli.
If we analyze these intuitive ideas, we
become aware that in their elements, their
components, they are and must be composed
of the qualities of our senses once experienced. If they were not, we could not comprehend them. Therefore, we cannot have an
idea so original that it has no relevancy with
the qualities of any previous thought. It
would have no identity to us, no meaning
whatsoever. For all practical purposes, how
ever, the effect of the intuitive thought is
that it is new and different. Most certainly,
in its entirety, as we realize it, it seems to
be such.
Are all the thoughts we have the direct
consequence of our own perception and con
ception? Is it not possible that we could be
the recipient of thought which is consciously
or unconsciously transmitted to us from the
minds of others? In our Rosicrucian teach
ings, as many members have found in their
personal experience, we know that so-called
mental telepathy is possible. Statistical tabulations in the science of parapsychology disclose that this phenomenon of extrasensory
perception is not an imagined one. But such
thoughts that are transmitted to us and
which we do perceive are dependent on our
own cognitive process for their ultmate interpretation.

For analogy, if we received a mental

message of the words, red rose, they could
be comprehended only because we had come
to know from our personal experience what
the words red and rose mean. If, instead,
the words had come to us in a foreign lan
guage, then the only familiar image would be
the letters of the alphabet of the telepathic
messageif the message were visual; if it
were auditory, then the only familiar quality
would be the sounds of the letters as spoken.
As man has evolved and developed from
a primitive being through eons of time, he
has acquired a group consciousness. In other
words, the human race in its ascent has had
certain environmental, biological, and psychological reactions collectively which have
left impacts upon its consciousness. These
have become infused in the genes of every
human being as instincts, desires, and psychosomatic impulses. These come to the
fore of consciousness as sensations, feelings,
and drives. But then they clothe themselves
in our accumulated ideas, for we would not
be able to realize them at all if they did not
do so.
The thoughts which become associated
with these ideas as symbols of them are not
always true archetypes of them. In other
words, psychiatry knows that the ideas
which man consciously associates with many
of his emotions stemming from the sub
conscious are not always true pictures of
their cause. A wrong transposition often
takes place between the deeper subconscious
motivation and the final objective realiza
tion.X

INTERNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN CONVENTION

AUGUST 7 - 12, 1966

ROSICRUCIAN PARK - SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95114

E n jo y t h e s e f e a t u r e s o f p e r s o n a l in stru c tio n :
Understanding
Truth
Wisdom
Fellowship
Academic Freedom
Qualfied Instruction

Complete Laboratories
Modern Classrooms
Extensive Library Facilties
Personal Demonstrations
Field Trips
Supreme Temple Convocatior

Prepare now to be one of the happy thron

gathering at Rose-Croix University during Jul
and August. Attend one, two, or three weeks c
summer study. Write for a free copy of Th
Summer Study Program. Address:
T h e R e g is tr a r

R o s e -C r o ix U n i v e r s i t y

R o s ic r u c ia n P a r k
S a n J o s , C a l i f o r n i a 9 5 1 1 4

(N o p reviou s c o lle g e tra in in g n eed ed fo r th ese in fo rm a

fa sc in a tin g se ssio n s.)

msicrucii

F0RU1H
A prvate publication
for members of AMORC

Center of Influence
T h e on ce fa m o u s p alace o f th e
D u ch esse d e B ou rb o n . In this
settin g o f g r a n d e u r , L o u is
C laude d e Saint-M artin, em in en t m ystic, w rote his renow ned
w ork, Ecce H om o, w h ile a
gu est o f th e D u ch esse. T h e
p alace h as sin ce b e en used as
th e official resid en ce o f th e
P resid en ts o f F ran ce.

Greetings!
V

DANGERS OF M ODERN W ITCHCRAFT

Dear Fratres and Sorores:

Nuclear physics and space craft would

seem to be worlds apart from witchcraft. At
least, the former is associated with the intellectual achievements of modern civilization. The latter is apt to be thought of as but
the practice and belief of primitive society.
Actually, in such nations as the United
States and England, which represent the
Progressive society of our times, witchcraft
thrives. Further, its practitioners use the
habiliments and devices of this age of science
and technology to perpetate beliefs that
apparently predate history.
In England today there are witchcraft
cults composed of men and women of all
ages. These persons are a cross section of the
society of that nation. They are in various
occupationssome are even students in universities. They participate in orgies and rites
that are not only fantastic, but often revolting. Their ceremonies pervert sacred rituals
of religions, principally catholicism. To the
observer, or to whomever it may be recounted, their rite of the black mass ap
pears to be a deliberate obverse presentation
of certain sacerdotal and theological doc
trines; in other words, a kind of mockery
and blasphemy.
Though this may be the impression gained
from the rites, this is not their intention, but
an incident of it. The purpose is the desire
to invoke satanic powers and forces. By defiling what men may conceive as good, or
divine, these modern witches conceive that
they appease the forces of evil and command
their powers to do their bidding. Consequently, to accomplish their end, they defile
and debase all moral principies and convictions of enlightened society and religious
idealism.
The psychological principies underlying
these rites are the traditional and common
ones of magic. Where witchcraft is practiced,
even among primitive peoples of Australia,
Africa, or South America, it must be realized
the rites and ceremonies may vary considerably. However, the precepts, the primitive

reasoning behind them, are the same. Those

familiar with such reasoning can soon detect
the false conception. This belief in magic
has been explored and analyzed by anthropologists and ethnologists. Foremost among
these were Dr. James G. Frazer, whose work,
The Golden Bough is renowned. The text,
Primitive Culture , by Sir Edward Burnett
Tylor is also a classic on the subject.
To have some understanding of what motivates these modern practitioners of witch
craft, a brief sketch of the nature of magic
is hereby presented. Sympathetic magic has
two min divisions: The first has been
termed contagious magic. The basis of this
is the belief that there is a material connection existing between objects. Objects, or
their parts, once related, will retain their
connection even though they are separated.
This may also be called the law of similarity .
In other words, things which are similar, or
seem so to primitive reasoning, suggest to the
imagination that they possess a sympathetic
relationship . Consequently, even though
separated, this similarity is conceived to
constitute an ethereal bond that connects
them.
Whatever happens to one part of an ob
ject happens to the other in the belief of
contagious magic. For that reason, people
of primitive tribes have collected nail parings, hair, and drops of blood of another
human, so as to influence that person
through those objects.
Homeopathic, or mimetic, magic is the
other principal divisin of sympathetic
magic. This is sometimes alluded to as symbolic magic. The psychological principie of
this is that like produces like. The result
can thus be obtained by imitating a cause.
If a cause produces certain effects; then, by
imitating that cause, the same results should
occur. Natives have been known, for ex
ample, to take the roots or slips of red roses
and place them in a broom, or straw, with
the belief that they would then produce
yellow roses because of the color of the
straw.

Another example is the attempt by mimetic magic to produce rain. A hole is dug
in the ground and then water is slowly
poured into it to simlate rainfall. The very
early Greeks, and peoples of contemporary
cultures, performed orgiastic fertility rites in
fields. They thought that by such a symbolic
means it would be suggested to nature that
she should be fruitful and produce abundant
crops.
Witch doctors, or shamans, of Africa and
South America are known to make effigies
of their enemies. These are sculptures made
out of beeswax, mud, and the human hair
of the victim, if possible. The effigy is then
pierced with a needle in the regin in which
it is desired that pain, or death, shall be inflicted upon the enemy. This, again, is contagious magic and symbolic magic combined.
The effigy has been made to resemble the
enemy. Like produces like by similarity;
by piercing the effigy with a needle, the
effect should be the same as if he were
personally stabbed. Also, if the actual hair
or blood is used in making the effigy, then
objects once related retained their connection. In other words, there is then a
bond between the hair on the effigy and the
one from whom it was taken. What is done
to the effigy, therefore, would likewise affect
the victim.
In modern witchcraft, these primitive
notions prevail. Especially is symbolic or
mimetic magic employed. For the moment,
let us try to follow such rudimentary reason
ing. First, the individual must believe that
there are bsolute opposites and not merely
relative ones. Evil cannot be thought of in
just the relative sense by these witches, as
they proclaim themselves. In other words,
evil is not considered just a difference or
deviation from good, but rather it is thought
to have a positive but contranature of its
own.
There is, then, a duality of forces ubiquitous in nature. One is the good, the benef-

icent; and the other is thought to be the

evil, the satanic. Both of these, as the ancient
Zoroastrians contended, are universal entities and are personalized. Satan is a being;
he is as anthropomorphic to most of these
believers as God is to certain of the orthodox
Christian sects.
As the devout adherent of Judaism or
Christianity believes he will be rewarded
and blessed for his devotion, so, too, the
modern practitioner of witchcraft thinks he
also will be rewarded and blessed by the
satanic power. However, between magic and
religin there is an important distinction.
In religin, the devotee seeks, through ap
pealvocative or otherwisethrough prayer,
to petition for that which he desires. He does
not believe that he is capable in his own
right of bringing about supernatural phe
nomena. He believes this must be achieved
through the will of a Deity.
In magic, however, it is thought that the
end desired can be accomplished in either
of two ways: Through a direct appeal to an
imagined personality, an evil entity; through
invoking, releasing, and directing the satanic
powers. These are released by means of
certain rites and ceremonies.
As incongruous as it may seem, we may
see a kind of parallel between this conception
of magic and science. The scientist, by vari
ous devices and means at his disposal, causes
the laws of nature to produce that phe
nomena which he desires. Science, however,
is actually using forces and powers that do
exist in nature. In magic, the majority of
such are imaginary, or self-hypnotic, effects.
It must be realized that all witch doctors,
medicine men, and sorcerers are not neces
sarily ignorant of what they are doing.
Some of these individuis are well learned
in certain natural phenomena. They are,
perhaps, familiar with herbal extracts from
which potions are made, the properties of
which function as an anesthetic, or produce
hallucinatory states. These witch doctors

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often know the means of inducing hypnosis.

To their ignorant fellow tribesmen, the
things they do seem to be miracles. They
appear to represent the manifestation of
supernatural powers invoked by the witch
doctor.
Further, certain of these individuis are
shrewd natural psychologists. They under
stand the fears and superstitions of their
people and play upon them. They know how
to induce hysteria and how to plant suggestions subtly so as to cause certain be
havior responses. Some of the priesthoods
of the past and the present have resorted to
these same methods. I have seen witch doctors peform in Africa and have seen them
awe their audience, thereby winning their
support in whatever they wished to ac
complish.
Also, by means of tribal ceremony, certain
secrets of nature are passed down, that is,
transmitted, from one shaman or witch
doctor to anothermost often from father to
son. These secrets may concern medical
properties of plants; how to produce anesthetic and hypnotic effects, and how to
achieve certain cures. It must also be admitted that certain of these individuis do
have an immanent psychic power. They
have a strong intuitive faculty and often
exhibit an uncanny power of divination.
There is a religin of evil as there are
those of sanctity. Such a religin is related
to malevolence, that is, to what may be
called an evil being. Further, such persons
are as devoted, if one may use that term, in
their belief and practice to such an end as is
the churchgoer to his Deity. Those who
pursue such a religin of evil have a sense of
security, false though it may be, in the be
lief that the satanic power which they worship protects its own as faithfully as any
benevolent Deity.
All through history there have been cults
devoted to malevolent powers whose rites
have been both terrifying and revolting.
Aleister Crowley, English writer of the
twentieth century, is reputed to have been
a potentate of an organization devoted to
such orgies in ritual form. Certain of his
literature and he himself were banned from
particular countries.
The special danger of this modern witchcraft is the entrapment of innocent persons
of low intelligece and emotional instability.

The sensuous appeal of such practices to the

lower nature of those individuis may cause
them to have a complete disregard of selfdiscipline and moral restraint. They are
often led by the complete licentiousness of
the ceremonies to fall into a hypnotic state
and act as directed. Further, the sensations
they then experience are to them the true
reality of life, its positive aspect. In other
words, moral turpitude and depravity are
made to seem right. Morality is depicted as a
weakness of character, the lack of fortitude
to indulge life fully.
Fraternally,
R a lp h M. L e w is ,
Imperator

Are the Pyramid Prophecies Infallible?

A frater rises to ask, Are the prophecies
of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh infallible?
My reason for posing this question is that I
have often read that the Exodus of the
Hebrews from Egypt took place during the
reign of Pharaoh Akhnaton (1378-1350
B.C.). However, according to the prophecy of
the Great Pyramid, the event occurred on the
15th day of Nisan in 1486 B.C., to quote the
Symbolic Prophecy of the Great Pyramid by
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis.
The interpretation of the pyramid prophe
cies, it is true, gives the time of the
Exodus as beginning on the 15th day of the
month of Nisan, during the reign of Pharaoh
Akhnaton. However, Egyptologists and historians are not in accord as to the exact date.
Some set a date during the 14th century,
which would be the time of Akhnaton;
others vary the time by several centuries.
It all depends upon what they take as their
basis for determining the date. For example,
we give the dates as indicated by the following authorities: Poole, 1652 B.C.; Hales,
1648; Ushar, 1491; Bunson, 1320.
Certain exegetical, that is, biblical, authori
ties also contend that the Exodus occurred
during the 15th day of Nisan which, ac
cording to them, was the first month of the
Egyptian calendar and corresponds to our
April. Other authorities hold that the Exodus
undoubtedly occurred before the end of the
13th century. This, of course, would be
after the reign of Akhnaton. Still other
historians hold that the Pharaoh referred to

in the Bible at the time of the Exodus was

Merneptah, who reigned during 1225-1215
B.C.
From all this, we can see that the general
authoritative opinion is at least very cise
to the time estimated for the Exodus from
the Pyramid prophecies. In the aforementioned book, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis says,
Reaching backward into these prophecies,
let us begin a brief index of them with the
Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. This is
defined in the pyramid at the intersection of
the floor line of the ascending passage with
the central line of the descending passage,
giving the date of the 15th day of Nisan
(April 4) in 1486 B.C.
The Great Pyramid of Gizeh is one of the
many pyramids of Egypt that were built
along the Nile for some 60 miles. Its distinction is twofold. First, of course, it is the
largest of all the pyramids in Egypt and the
greatest structure ever built in the ancient
world. A few facts about it reveal what a
stupendous undertaking it was. Its base
covers 13 acres. It rises to a height of 480
feet. It is estimated that there are some
2,300,000 stones in it, averaging 2
tons
each. When he visited Egypt with his conquering army, Napoleon estimated that
there was enough stone in the Great Pyra
mid to build a wall about 3 feet high entirely around France. Some of the individual
blocks weigh 50 or more tons.
The core of the pyramid is of granite, and
the outer stone courses are limestone. It was
at one time faced with slabs of polished
limestone, which shone brilliantly in the in
tense sunlight of Egypt. The polished lime
stone was later removed by the Arabs except
for a few remaining stones at the base.
Pyramidologists have estimated that the
weight of the pyramid in proportion to its
mass is relatively equivalent to the massweight ratio of the earth. It is said that one
of its passageways in antiquity was oriented
toward what was then the Polar Star. The
feat of constructing such a work during the
reign of Cheops (IVth Dynasty) required
tremendous engineering skill and a know
ledge of the arts and sciences, some of which
there is no evidence as having been in
existence as long as 150 years before.
The construction of the Great Pyramid in
its interior is puzzling even to modern
Egyptologists. It would seem that the plan

originally conceived for it was changed

during construction. A passageway was begun that led to an unfinished chamber,
which is erroneously called the Queens
Chamber. This chamber is in the exact
center of the pyramid. Subsequently, this
passageway was blocked off and an ascend
ing one of larger dimensions was constructed. It is popularly called the Grand
Gallery and leads to the Kings Chamber.
This much larger structure has within it a
huge empty sarcophagus (coffin) of stone.
The blocks that cise off the original passage
way are so huge that archeologists have
wondered where they were stored while the
Grand Gallery was being constructed. They
would have obstructed the passageway and,
certainly, would have interfered with the
funeral cortege which would have had to
pass along the way to the Kings Chamber.
But another factor concerning the Great
Pyramid is the mystery as to why its in
terior finish is different than that of the
other pyramids, not only in Gizeh, but also
those along the Nile further south. The pyra
mids were intended as the eternal home
of the Pharaoh. They were the depository
of the body of the Pharaoh and his soul, although the soul, called Ba, was thought to
leave the body at will and return to it freely.
The sarcophagi of most of the great kings
in the other pyramids bore inscriptions,
hieroglyphs and paintings, principally from
the religio-magical writings called the Book
of the Dead. But the sarcophagus in the
Kings Chamber of the Great Pyramid did
not contain the body of the Pharaoh Cheops,
or were there any inscriptions on the inside
or the outside of it. Further, there are no
paintings or hieroglyphs on any of the walls
of the Great Pyramid, as was the custom
with the pyramids of the other kings.
The Pharaoh Cheops is related to have
been a tyrant and quite egocentric, as were
many of the other Pharaohs. Consequently,
it would not have been modesty on his part
that kept him from decorating the pyramid
with vainglorious accounts of his achievements. Traditions of the mystery schools
relate that the Great Pyramid was intended
as a place of initiation. It was intended, they
say, for an entirely different purpose than
the other pyramid-tombs. They also state
that it was a monument to the knowledge of
the times, knowledge which was in the pos-

session of a select body of persons, that was

to be left to posterity, the whole pyramid
being a symbol of that knowledge.
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis in his work The
Symbolic Prophecy of the Great Pyramid ,
says, Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian,
wrote in his famous records a reference to
the pyramid and its significance in which
he states that the ancient people planned to
build, and actually did build, two great
pillars (one in brick and one in stone) upon
which the ancients inscribed their discoveries and marvelous knowledge that it might
be preserved for the future. Josephus concludes this reference with these words, Now
this pillar of stone remains in the land of
Siriad (Egypt) until this day.
It is on this point we find the great
Coptic writer, Masoudi, whose manuscript is
preserved in Oxford, stating that the Great
Pyramid contains the wisdom and acquirements in the different arts and sciences, the
science of arithmetic and geometry, that
they might remain as records for the benefit
of those who could afterward comprehend
them. He explains that the Great Pyramid
contains the knowledge of the stars and their
cycles, along with the history and chronicle
of past times and predictions of things to
come.
It was, as Dr. Lewis relates, Sir Norman
Lockyer who was . . . one of the scientific
investigators who pointed out to the world
at large the significance of the relationship
between the orientation or precise location
of these pyramids and temples to astronomical facts of the times in which the structures
were built.
Some of the dimensions studied in the
Great Pyramid do have a mathematical re
lationship to historie events to such an
extent that they appear amazing to us. How
ever, most modern Egyptologists and archeologists scoff at the idea. Yet, on the other
hand, they admit that they are confused by
many aspeets of the Great Pyramid. On the
other side of the subject, there is some merit
to the claim that the theory of prediction
from the measurements of the Great Pyra
mid have been exaggerated by many modern
writers. This is particularly true of those
who try to show that the Great Pyramid by
its mathematical proportions confirms almost
everything in the Bible, even in the New
Testament. They exaggerate out of due pro-

portion either minor facts or mere theories

or implications, often casting aside contrary
evidence.
One of these writers had long prophesied
in his book that on September 16, 1936, a
great world calamity and transformation was
to take place. He methodically delineated
this by charts and diagrams based on pyra
mid measurements. He related that not only
on that date was there to be a world transi
tion of events as predicted by the pyramid
builders, but that some great phenomenon
of physical proportions was to manifest also
in the pyramid itself at that time. As he
related it and as newspapers and others
quoted him, the event to occur was literally
to be earth shaking. Certainly, on such a
date no one would want to be present in the
Great Pyramid!
However, on the exact date of September
16, 1936, the eventful day as supposedly
predicted thousands of years ago, the present
Imperator and two of his party were in the
Kings Chamber. There they conducted an
ancient ritual and intoned vowel sounds in
conjunction with it. Suffice it to say that
they were the only persons present, and no
other representatives of the esoteric schools
which had written so profusely about the
coming event were even in the vicinity of
the Great Pyramid.
There is much about Cheops pyramid
that we do not know yet. Pharaoh Cheops
must have had a most admirable administration because Herodotus, the Greek historian,
who visited Egypt in the 5th century B.C.,
stated that 100,000 men were engaged for 20
years in the construction of the Great Pyra
mid. Obviously, to feed and house that
number of men and to take them out of
their usual channels of pursuit without disrupting the economy of the country re
quired an excellent administration.X

Harmony and Balance

The perfect state of the human being is a
state of harmony. This harmony is a balanced relationship between all phases of
existence. To be at complete peace with one
self and with the Creator, as well as with
the universe in which we live, is to be in
complete harmony with all these external
and internal factors. This state of harmony
or balance is referred to in the Rosicrucian

teachings as harmonium, and this word

carries the connotation of perfection, peace
of mind, and the achievements that man has
hoped to attain. It is the concept of the fulfillment of all ideis that man could ever
conceive of attaining or toward which he
has ever directed his consciousness or efforts.
To attain this state of perfect harmony is
to master our destiny, but it is doubtful that
we will attain absolute and perfect har
monium as long as we are in a state of
evolvement where we must be incarnated in
a physical body. If such a perfect state were
obtained, we would no longer be at a point
of evolvement where it would be necessary
to be a physical entity. In other words, we
would have evolved to a point where we
could attain a higher plae of existence or
manifestation.
In the meantime, then, the challenge to us
as living beings is to attempt in all our ef
forts to attain a degree of harmony as high
or as perfect as it is possible for us to attain.
This is done by being aware of all the func
tions of the human being. The individual
who has lived a purely physical life, based
upon the satisfaction of his physical desires
and living in terms of a materialistic philoso
phy, will never achieve harmony until he
changes his point of view.
In other words, the first step for the hu
man being to attain this state of harmonium
is to become aware of the fact that he is a
dual entity; that he is soul and body; that
he is different from the rest of the physical
universe in which he has a common relationship insofar as his physical body is concemed. The first step toward establishing
harmony is to become ware of our psychic
nature, as well as our physical, and attempt
in every way we can to give proper consideration and assignment of valu to these two
phases of our being. This, someone might
say, is what the Rosicrucian teachings, as
well as certain philosophies and religions, try
to establish. This is true. We might say that
the purpose of the Rosicrucian teachings is
to help man to evolve to the point where his
psychic and physical beings will be in tune
with each other and a degree of harmony
established.
Any inharmonious conditions tend to upset
the balance of our existence. Every situation,
from a mild disease or illness to major
problems in living, concerns this problem of

harmony. If two people who marry were

always in harmonious relationship to each
other, there would be no separation and divorce. If families could always be in a har
monious relationship with each other, there
would be no difficulties or problems within
the family. If society, made up of many
families and many human beings, could
bring about the establishment of harmony,
which would include tolerance and proper
respect for each other, there would be no
need for law enforcement officers. Peace
would be established throughout the world.
In other words, harmony, whether within
our being or within our society, is the ult
mate answer to a perfect relationship insofar
as the course of life is concerned.
Inharmony, as I have stated, results in
disease, misery, disappointment, frustration,
and all those negative factors that plague
mans experiences. Someone has asked if all
disease is due to inharmony, why is it that
children and possibly those incompetent to
judge for themselves still suffer disease? The
same reason applies. Inharmony and imbalance can exist in an infant or a child of
any age, partly due to inherited characteristics and partly due to environment. Each
of us is to a degree what we have inherited
from our forefathers. To a still further de
gree, we are the effect of the environment
that was produced by our parents and those
about us when we were infants and children.
If our heredity and our environment contributed to a harmonious situation, our life
is better than it would have been otherwise.
If there was inharmony, then we very early
may have developed diseases or afflictions
that gave us trouble in infancy or childhood
and some that may have even continued into
adult life. The obligation of the parent is to
establish harmony for the growing child.
That is why the Rosicrucian teachings are
effective not only for the individual who
studies them but for the individual who will
apply them in his environment and establish
the proper circumstances under which young
people can develop.
We cannot blame the laws of the universe
for illness on the part of a child simply because the child does not know what is taking
place. There are many factors in adult life
that we still do not know but are a part of
our experience. Our responsibility is to so
live as to create harmony within and about

us, so that we as individuis evolve as a re

sult of our efforts and so that we contribute
to our environment in a manner that may
help others to evolve and establish harmony
within themselves and within society.
The key to the establishment of harmony
is the recognition of the vales that have
been ordained in the universe, to give them
all proper weight. We must also realize that
our psychic nature is more important than
our physical; that our mental attributes must
be evolved; and that the true center of life
is within the soul, which is immortal and
must be cultivated to become harmonious
with the physical body in which it is temporarily a resident.A

The Great Controversy

It is not strange that the battle waging
between the theists and the atheists finds its
way into the forum question box, for cer
tainly no question has more far-reaching
implications or excites more interest in
philosophical discussions than the current
controversy on the nature of God.
Whatever an individuals personal belief
or conviction, the question is current, and
the arguments cali for evidence and proof.
Simple declarations of belief, the weight of
tradition, the inner sense of conviction
these will not do in a controversy so deeply
rooted as this. Rosicrucians everywhere will
be meeting this question head on, and it is
incumbent upon all members to weigh their
answers, to study the issue, and to give fair
measure to all sides.
Rosicrucians have always held that there
are only two things we know for sure: We
are and we know that we are. What we are
the true nature of man and the universe
is a constant subject for argument. In dealing with the God concept, Rosicrucians have
left this subject to the individual interpretation of their members. Rosicrucian invocations begin with the phrase God of our
Hearts, for we know that God has as many
images and definitions as there are people
in the world.
However, the argument between atheists
and theists is deeper than this, for the athe
ists contend that there is no God. There is
an ever-growing segment of humanity committed to this view. Communism as a politi
cal entity is officially committed to atheism.

The proportion of atheists in non-Communist

populations is also growing. It was estimated
a few years ago that as many as 70 million
persons in the United States alone were
leaning toward atheism. Today, religious
groups are becoming alarmed at the notion
fostered among their own number that God
is dead! It is a live and powerful issue
within the religious community, not to mention the nonreligious segment of society.
Where does the Rosicrucian stand on this
issue? Our individual positions vary, of
course, but as a group, open-mindedness s
called for. There is a great need here for
clarification of terms, of meanings, of semantics. The Rosicrucians first question is,
What do you mean by God?
What is really under attack today in re
ligious circles is a concept of God. Many
clergymen are attempting to remove the
hoary concept of an anthropomorphic, primi
tive deity, and instill in its place something
closer to the pantheistic concept fostered by
most Rosicrucians and other mystics.
There is probably no real attempt on the
part of any clergyman to eliminate every
kind of God concept. What they are undoubtedly trying to do is to evolve a concept
that is more in keeping with mans emotional
and rational growthmore in keeping with
what man now knows about the structure
and nature of his universemore in keeping
with the dictates of an evolved conscience.
To the Rosicrucian, this is a welcome sign,
for theirs has never been a personal deity
who suffers from the caprices of humankind.
Theirs has not been a deity with human
characteristics; a deity who plans and thinks,
cogitates and judges, creates and destroys;
a deity to whom man can appeal for favors
or reverses in universal laws and principies.
To the Rosicrucian, God is a ame for the
universe. The universe is a cohesive whole,
of which our small physical existence is
a part. Thus God is also this, and we are
parts of Him. The universe is substance, but
it also has soul, and mind, and life. Thus
God has these attribues as well, and our
bodies, souls, minds, and our lives themselves
are but particles of God.
To say there is no God is to say there is
nothing. Does the atheist deny the existence
of anything ? If not, then, by the above
definition, he does not deny God. When an
atheist denies God, he is really saying there

is nothing apart from existence itself; no

separateness, no super being which exists or
acts independently of the universe itself. Is
this not pantheism too? There is indeed little
difference between pantheism and atheism.
In one, the universe is called God; in the
other, it is not.
If the nature of God is the nature of the
universe and if the moral and spiritual fiber
of mankind depends upon knowing and
harmonizing with this nature, then moral
and spiritual vales will continu whether
or not we cali the universe God. The basis
of morality lies in harmonizing with the
pattern and requirements of the cosmic
order, whatever that order may be.
Understanding this, man should have no
aversin to calling the universal order God.
Placing God in this frame of reference takes
none of the grandeurnone of the omnipotencenone of the glory from Him. He
is still the a l l , the f a t h e r of creation,
who always has been and always will be.B

W hat Is Luck?
A frater of Nigeria, now addressing our
Forum, says, I have a question about which
I should like the comments of the Forum.
It is about what is called bad luck. Can it
be said that all bad luck (or all good luck)
is the effect of karma? In fact, just what is
luck? Further, is there actually any such
thing as an accident?
We offer the definition that luck is a combination of circumstances which may either
affect an individual beneficially or adversely, whose actual causes are unknown to him
and which he assumes to be the result of a
supematural power. A psychological factor
amounting to superstition enters into the
belief in luck. Since the circumstances which
account for luck are not understood by the
individual, he is inclined to believe that
there is a supernatural element involved,
that luck consists of certain powers or forces
inherent in nature or in things which are in
some manner invoked to bring about the re
sults which are experienced. These forces, it
is believed, function independently from or
dinary natural phenomena and affect an in
dividual because of certain of his acts or
because of other causes which motvate them.
The believer in luck, then, whether he real
izes it or not, is likewise a believer in magic.

Luck, that is, the conceived powers, is im

personal. It neither has the intent to further
the welfare of a person or to work to his
detriment. It all depends, it is generally
thought, on what kind of method or act is
used to exert that power on the affairs of
man.
We may use an analogy to make this
conception of luck more comprehensible.
Whether they express themselves so or not,
those who believe in the existence of luck
are thinking of it as being like a large dam
storing a tremendous potential power of
water. Now this dam can be properly opened
and its flow of water used to create the most
favorable conditions; or the water can be
wrongly released and its uncontrolled power
do great damage.
When an individual who believes in luck
is affected by unanticipated circumstances
in a very definite manner, he believes that
he has unconsciously invoked the super
natural powers of which luck consists. He
may, then, as in magic, try to determine
what caused the luck. If there were an miusual preceding event or act that attracted
more than ordinary attention, he might con
sider that as having a sympathetic bond or
relationship with the power of luck. Consequently, thereafter that incident, event, or
thing, as the case may be, becomes either an
ornen of bad luck, an act, or an amulet to be
used to produce repeated good luck.
Luck is nothing more than belief in magical powers which man may under certain
conditions invoke for or against his affairs.
The manner in which this magic is to be
released or controlled to accomplish an end
is extensive. It is as varied as the imagina
tion of man. It comprises a vast schema of
his superstitions. Many persons carry amu
lis, which in some way have become associated in their minds with a successful event
which they considered lucky. It may be a
coin which they found preceding the lucky
event or some object given them; or it may
be a religious amulet such as a cross, a miniature image of a saint, a particular prayer,
or prayer beads.
Likewise, protective amulets are wom or
carried to ward off bad luck. It is thought
that such objects have a nexus, that is, a
bond, with supernatural powers which will
mitgate other forces that might be detrimental. This, of course, is a primitive belief

due to primitive reasoning. However, all

persons believing in luck are not of a primi
tive society. Prominent athletes, jockeys,
football players, etc., have been known to
carry lucky pocket pieces. Many successful businessmen have some charm, that is,
some object, in their office or on their desk
which they believe exerts a lucky influence on their projects. Many men, such as
soldiers in battle, are inclined toward the use
of phylactery and the belief that inanimate
objects attract supernatural powers, which
to them means luck.
Actually, religious amulets and those
merely carried for luck, although purely a
matter of superstition and, of course, having
no immanent power in themselves, may,
nevertheless, become a psychological stimulus to the individual. They may induce a
state of confidence to bolster his courage and
make it possible for him to conquer a situ
ation or to surmount an obstacle which he
could not otherwise do. This is because the
individual then believes himself as not being
solely dependent upon his own power but as
having the additive power of the religious or
other amulet. This prevents what otherwise
might result in acts of timidity or hesitancy.
It constitutes the psychological factor of
suggestion. It has been known that a star
ballplayer fell far short of his usual game
when he realized that he had left his lucky
piece at home. Psychologically, this resulted in inhibiting the power and skill that
the player usually concentrated upon his
game.
It has been noted that some persons are
said to be lucky. This means that they have
often been the recipients of unusual favor
able circumstances. Why is this so? It could
be found that there are just as many persons
subject to a series of unfavorable events. It
is quite difficult, though oftentimes possible,
to analyze a series of circumstances, be they
good or bad, and find the natural causes
which brought them about. The individual
himself is one factor in the chain of actions
and events which correlate with those cir
cumstances to his benefit. For analogy, if
you walked where someone had dropped a
large bank note and were the first to see it,
and, of course, did not know who the owner
was, the effect might be called luck. It might
seem that certain powers had favored you;
but, actually, it would have been a series of

concomitant causes and effects of which you

personally were one.
It could have been another person who
saw the bank note first. The fact that it was
not, however, does not mean that it was in
tended that you find it. It could be shown
by time and other factors that, when you
started to walk from where you were and
when the other person started who lost his
bank note, it was inevitable that the two
events would ultimately coordinate.
Karma does enter into luck, but only to
the extent that by our own acts and by
natural causes we often bring the events
about. If traced back analytically, many
things called luck would be found to be the
result of something we did by word or act;
it would be apparent that they were a part
of a chain of events that brought the final
result which we cali luck. This is karma in
a sense because karma is nothing more than
cause and effect. It is not an intentional
favoring or an act of retribution.
Accidents, logically and psychologically,
in their basic nature are similar to what is
called luck. In fact, an unfortunate accident
is often referred to as bad luck. Unlike
luck, however, man does not try to induce
an accident because most of them are negative in their effect. We may define accidents
as unanticipated happenings which befall
man. Simply stated, they are a series of
causes and effects of whose development we
are not aware until suddenly they impress
themselves upon our consciousness in a
forceful, personal way. For further analogy,
one may step suddenly into the path of an
approaching car. Neither the victim or the
driver is aware of each other in advance.
The result is termed an accident. Actually,
it is a very probable event if the causes could
be known in advance. It would then be ob
vious that the result would be just what
happened.X

Keys to Mentally Creating

One of the most important abilities which
man cari gain and use is that of mental cre
ating. Mental creating is one of the potentialities of the human mind that distinguishes
the human being from other members of the
animal world. To be able to conceive completed concepts within the mind and then
in the world of actuality work toward the

realization of those concepts is an ability

which distinguishes the human being from
all other parts of the creation of the universe
as far as we know it. It is the result of mans
ability to use his mind creatively that he has
evolved the type of civilization in which we
live and which has accumulated the works
of art and other accomplishments of man
throughout human history.
The technological age from which we
benefit today is the result of the farsightedness and the mental Creative ability of inventors and individuis who have been able
to put into actual existence those dreams
which began as ideas within the mind. I am
not here attempting to analyze the valu of
technological advancement, or to appraise
the valu of todays civilization. I am simply
pointing out that man does have Creative
ability within his mind. He should, of course,
use that ability for constructive and purposeful ends that will benefit humanity and
lead the human race toward a re-uniting of
itself with the cosmic forces which ordained
it. Regardless of the use man makes of his
creations, the fact exists that he has created
them. Even the weapons of destruction are
the result of mental creating. That such
weapons are morally wrong, there is no
question; nevertheless, they have been cre
ated.
Many of the creations of man as they have
evolved and have been brought into existence
in the physical world have no moral signifi
cance in themselves. It is purely the use that
man makes of them that makes their exis
tence good or evil. Almost any forc can be
used constructively or destructively, and the
human race as a whole has been criticized
for creating contrivances or attaining tech
nological advances which are in advance of
the moral ability to use them. However, in
these remarks we are concerned primarily
about mental creating and how each indi
vidual may be able to evolve the ability to
create even more effectively than he may
have done in the past.
One of the points that is stressed in the
early teachings of the Neophyte Degrees has
to do with mental creating. This is because
so many who affiliate with an organization
such as the Rosicrucian Order hope to attain
the ability to use their latent mental powers
more effectively than they may have done
in the past. It is for this reason that in the

early Rosicrucian studies stress is given to

the development of those abilities which lead
to mental creating. These abilitiesat least
in their most fundamental formare probably the development of intuition, the ability
to concntrate and to visualize. All three of
these important steps are necessary, either
voluntarily or involuntarily, if we are to
mentally create, if we are to do more than
be daydreamers. Almost anyone can have
ideas which may seem ahead of the actual
time in which the individual lives, but it is
the minority who carry such ideas into
actual application.
Intuition is the first of these three subjects
introduced into the Neophyte grades. As we
well know, intuition can be considered as a
sixth sense. It is the ability to look within
our own nature, or being, and gain im
pressions that do not orignate through the
five physical senses. I am not going to
analyze here the various techniques which
have an important bearing on mental cre
ating. Rather, I refer you to the monographs
themselves for information regarding intui
tion, concentration, and visualization. In our
teachings, we provide the basis by which an
individual can develop the techniques in
these three fields. It is most important that
we follow the instructions as well as practice
the exercises and experiments that are given
in these early degrees, or we will not develop
the techniques or have the use of the tools
necessary to evolve substantially in the area
of mental creating. Intuition, as I have al
ready stated, is the first of these steps. The
higher the degree with which man is able
to draw upon intuition for knowledge and
direction, the more positive will be the in
formation which he can use.
Concentration is the process of focusing
the mind in order to bring about a mental
concept. We concntrate primarily in order
that all the mental powers at our disposal
will be directed toward the fulfillment of an
idea which has evolved in consciousness. The
steps to develop the ability to concntrate
effectively and efficiently are set forth in the
monographs. To refresh the mind in regard
to the procedures which we should learn, I
again refer to the neophyte monographs.
Closely associated with concentration is
visualization, the ability to see in the mental
sense what we hope to achieve or what we
hope to produce. The individual who cannot

visualize or has not developed the art of

visualization is frequently frustrated in his
attempts to mentally create or even to secure
intuitive impressions or to concntrate effectively. It is very important that we paint
a picture, theoretically speaking, of what we
hope to achieve, so that we can actually see
in our minds eye what we expect to achieve.
In our early studies, when the subject of
visualization is first presented, and at other
points in the monographs where it is analyzed and instruction is given concerning it,
we are given various exercises that help us
to enforce this ability to visualize. Since
probably no individual ever achieves absolute
perfection in visualizing, everyone should
continu to practice the exercises that help
create the ability to visualize. The mistake
made by so many Rosicrucian students, after
reading a monograph and a set of exercises,
and practicing a few times, is to forget it
and not refer to it again. The exercises on
visualization should be done repeatedly and
continu to be done over ones life span,
since practice constantly re-enforces our
ability to be able to picture what we hope to
mentally create. If we cannot visualize in
detail and with perfection what we hope to
bring about, we will never succeed in achieving the ends that we set out to accomplish.
All these remarks were brought to my
attention because of a question on the part
of a member concerning how he could
further develop the ability to visualize. As I
have stated in these comments already, I can
add nothing to what is contained in the
monographs on the subject. But I do want
to point out a factor that will detract from
visualization if we do not guide ourselves
properly. There has been much praise and
much criticism of the development of tele
visin, particularly in the United States
during the past ten or twenty years. Tele
visin has become a common part of home
life, and many people devote a great deal of
time to watching the programs. Now, there
has been criticism that televisin has detracted to a certain extent from cultural
efforts and from other worthwhile efforts. I
will not attempt to enter a controversy as
to the valu or lack of valu of televisin in
the home, because I believe that everybody
enjoys televisin to some degree. However,
we should be completely honest about it.
Some people claim to buy a televisin re-

ceiver for cultural purposes. I will be frank

and state that I have a televisin set purely
for the purpose of entertainment. I look at
it as a relaxation and for entertainment, and
I think probably this is the most effective
field for televisin.
What we must remember in regard to
televisin, motion pictures, picture magazines, picture books, and other quite common
types of presentations today that emphasize
pictures, is that if we do too much objective
viewing, we are detracting from our own
ability to visualize. To sit before a televisin
set for two, three, or more hours, causes one
to become completely objective and turn
over to a mechanical contrivance the pre
sentation of what is entering consciousness.
In other words, the machine does the visual
ization. All we do is observe.
Observation is one method of learning, but
it cannot be used to the exclusin of all other
methods. To relinquish to a box in our living
room or family room (a machine that pic
tures) everything that we have to deal with
in life, outside of actually making a living,
is to surrender a part of our own abilities.
If we must look at a world of pictureseither
on the screen, before a televisin set, or in
books or magazineswe should remember
that we are dealing with a completely ob
jective factor, while the development of the
process of visualization within consciousness
is to a certain degree a subjective factor that
must be evolved within us.
We cannot surrender our own efforts to
ward becoming proficient in visualization by
wasting all of our time looking at something
that has already been objectively visualized.
Pictures can be used to practice visualization,
such as when an individual examines a pic
ture, shuts his eyes and then recreates that
picture in the mind. It is a good exercise to
develop our ability to visualize.
It is interesting to me that some Rosicru
cian students think that they do not have
time to read the monographs and continu
to practice all the exercises, but they do have
time to do many of the things which entertain them, or do what they want to do, such
as, for example, watching televisin a certain
number of hours a week.
Practicing visualization need not detract
too much from your leisure time. I would
strongly urge every Rosicrucian to use at
least five minutes a day to practice visualiza-

tion. That can be done upon waking in the

morning, before arising. Set your alarm
clock five minutes earlier than usual, and
practice, according to various exercises given
in the monographs, how to visualize. You
will gain by it. You will be surprised, in fact,
how much you will gain. Consistent practice
of even a few minutes a day over a period of
a few months extended into a period of a
few years will literally change your life. Try
it and see.A

Denial of Self
In an age where Victorian ideas are being
discarded in about every line of thought,
what of the very basis of our moral fibre
the virtuous life? Will such concepts as
humility, loyalty, charity, selflessness, and
generosity be labeled outdated as well?
Are these virtues irrevocable? Are they part
and parcel of the fabric of creation? Or are
they, as other thoughts, the conceptions of
mortal man, conceived and employed to serve
his needs alone and with no basis in fact
for their appearance on civilizations scheme?
One such time-honored virtue is self-denial,
or selflessness. Since the beginning of written
history, at least, man has been exhorted to
deny himself. Accounts of the lives of the
avatars give example after example of their
practice of this principie, and from their ex
ample men carry the practice into succeeding
centuries.
A virtue, to be valid, has to have practical
application. It must work in the lives of the
people who are concemed with it. Thus, self
lessness, or self-denial, must be of benefit to
man in his adjustment to life if it is to be a
true virtue. It must aid him in his efforts to
live in harmony with the Cosmic; otherwise,
it is not truly a virtue.
If this is true, then self-denial, or selfless
ness, for its own sake, is not an essential or
desirable pattern of behavior. or should we
say it is valid as a sign of obeisance or indulgence to a higher power.
Self-denial is often associated with reli
gious rites, for in religin man sought to enforce the rules which he thought necessary
for the preservation of the individual and
society. Since the interests of self must to
some extent be subordinated to the interests
of society in order that society be preserved,

it has always stood to reason that a degree

of self-denial is a virtue for that end. Yet,
it need not be a virtue if only other ends are
served. Thus, we should ask ourselves what
end is to be served when we are exhorted
to deny ourselves; for it is in that that we
must determine whether or not the act is a
virtue.
There are always those who prey upon the
virtuous for selfish reasons and personal gain.
They are masters of chicanery. They are the
con men who acquire goods from the labor
of others. They are the parasites who thrive
on the good works and efforts of their neighbors. It is so natural for them to take ad
vantage of their fellow men that they hardly
take notice of his plight. To the victor go
the gains. And it is not by superior strength
or cunning that this is so, but simply by the
very frame of mind which occupies these
lechers; just the simple fact that they will
do it and think nothing of it.
It was interesting to know that in a recent
survey of the life and habits of the chimpanzee, the con game was also in evidence;
the taking advantage of another through devious means. Thus the practice is instinctive
and is not restricted to man. But we must
be on guard against it and be able to distinguish between virtue and corruption.
Early in life we are admonished to choose
the smaller of two pieces of cake which are
offered to us. This is a time-honored prac
tice of teaching children self-denial, charity,
etc. But is it valid? What are we teaching
the second personthe one who then gets the
bigger slice? What personal or social interest
is served in this example? When we sacrifice
merely for the benefit of another who is an
equal, how do we justify such action? Such
indoctrination can cause a lack of selfresponsibility, one of the great problems of
our time.
The care and preservation of self is a primary responsibility. It is each persons first
concern. This cared for, he is then free to
assist othersto help them to help themselves.
As a member of society, man soon realizes
that his personal welfare often depends upon
the welfare of the whole of society, and he
learns that a bit of self-denial here and
there is the only means whereby he may pre
serve his existence and welfare in the long
run.
( continued overleaf)

Self-deiiial is valid as an aid to health.

Over-indulgence is often a source of destruc
tion, and a curbing of the appetites may be
necessary for over-all health and longevity.
Self-denial is valid as an instrument wherewith man earns the appreciation and respect
of his fellowsa source of strength and se
curity throughout life.
Self-denial is not valid when it simply
takes from one and gives it to another. Men
are often asked to give till it hurts. They
are often asked this by groups who give
nothing in return; who certainly are not
hurting as they collect gift after gift from
the virtuous giver.
When you give, give for a purpose. Give
because the gift will help you and others
to accomplish a greater good. Do not give
for givings sake. Do not give just to exhibit
a degree of selflessness. Do not give, sacrifice, or deny yourself things that you could
better use for yourself than for the person
or group you are sacrificing for.
Each person is a cosmic manifestation;
each body is a temple; each life is an exist
ence. All of these are the responsibility of
the individual to care for, develop, ennoble,
and cherish. To do less is to shirk a cosmic
responsibility.
Religious groups are often guilty of abusing the practice of a virtuous life. Because
of greed or selfishness on the part of their
leaders, religious followers are exhorted to
give, and give, and giveto make any and
all sacrifices for the glory of God. What they
sacrifice, then, what they toil and sweat for,
simply changes hands and swells the coffers
of religions hierarchies.
There is a point to self-denial and selfless
ness when it helps the common good. But it
is foolhardy to give to another power over
the affairs of your life, to subordnate your
personal cosmic mission to another.
Be careful of self-denial. It is good only
when it serves the selfs greater cosmic mis
sion: good, when it means saving for some
cherished dream; good, when it means dieting to preserve health; good, when it helps
the whole group of which you are a part to
improve and build a happier, more wholesome unit. Not good, when you grow thin
and poor while others grow fat and rich;
not good, when there is no specific goal in
mind; not good, when self is downgraded or
depreciated in any way.B

Does Science Humble Man?

A frater, addressing our forum, asks,
Where did mans self-styled special cre
ation absurdity originate? It has been of
no help to him spiritually and has quite
definitely hastened the elimination of many
rare forms of wild life.
Mans natural ego or developed conscious
ness of self, combined with his experience,
caused him to consider himself a chosen
being and to incorprate this idea in his
sacred writings. This self-importance arse
out of his apparent gradual realization of
his superiority to other living creatures. He
learned that he could capture or kill animals
having far greater strength and showing
greater physical attributes than his own. His
intelligence was a characteristic which did
excel that of other living things of which he
had knowledge.
Eventually, in the development of religiomagical principies and notions, man con
ceived primary causes of all that existed,
such being gods or a God. There reasonably
followed from this the notion of a hierarchy,
or scale of created things: In other words,
some things standing in relationship to their
conceived creator as being of greater importance than others. Since man considered
himself superior to other living things, it
was logical for him to assume that he was
created to be such.
The notion of spirit or soul, the realization
of immanent feelings for which man could
not discover a parallel in other animate
things, placed himin his estimationnext
to his god or creator. He believed that this
inner self of his was a direct nexus, that is,
a bond, with the first cause, his god, or Deity.
It is true, of course, that this egoistic idea
of special creation has caused man to be
as destructive as it has inspired him morally
and spiritually. In many cultures, he carne
to assume that the whole earth was an
especially chosen habitat for himself. He
exploited natural resources and often disregarded the phenomena of nature, believing
that all manifestations were for his exclusive
benefit. His attitude toward other living
things has been more of cruelty and disregard than otherwise.
In his theology, man has found it difficult
to reconcile the adverse conditions in na
ture, those things that were opposed to his

personal interests, with his belief that he was

a special creation. The most the religious
creedist could do and has done in most
instances was to attribute unfavorable events
in nature to being a divine punishment.
The Deity, as declared, was thought to become angry because of something man had
done and, therefore, punishment was inflicted upon him. In the Bible, for example,
there are many such instances: Leviticus
26:18: And if ye will not yet for all this
hearken unto me, then I will punish you
seven times more for your sins. And in
Isaiah 13:11: And I will punish the world
for their evil, and the wicked for their
iniquity__ Millions still believe today that
calamitous events such as floods, earthquakes, great fires, and avalanches are the
acts of God.
Of course, believing or wanting to believe
that he is a special creation has given man
much confidence and faith in himself. He
has expounded in his theology that he is a
creature of special interest to a Deity and is
personally guided. In other words, theology
declares that mans every act is watched
over or that it is in accord with some divine
plan.
Science now, inadvertently, is beginning
to humble man. It is exposing and robbing
him of some of his cherished myths. Science
has done this through the centuries with its
discoveries of natural law as opposed to
mans older belief in thaumaturgic acts, that
is, miracles. For centuries, man believed in
a geocentric cosmology. He believed the
earth was the center of the universe. At great
sacrifico to themselves, Copernicus and
Galileo disproved this notion. Their doing so
constituted the first step in depreciating
mans divine importance. In particular, astronomy has shown and contines to show
that the moon, planets, and other celestial
bodies are material and are not gods or
possessed of any more cosmic properties than
any other substance.
The emphasis upon the probability of
many solar systems similar to our own
existing in our galaxy or in one of the other
millions of galaxies stresses the strong proba
bility of life elsewhere than on earth. Today,
the most prominent astronomers and astrophysicists and biologists are speculating upon
the existence of highly intelligent beings

elsewhere, who equal or excel the Homo

sapiens of earth.
The insignificance of the earth becomes
more and more apparent as man grasps the
magnitude of the cosmos. As one scientist
said recently in a radio broadcast, We see
mankind living upon earth, one of the nine
planets of a rather mediocre sun, around
which all re revolving while incessantly
spinning on their axes. Now, visualize our
sun as belonging to a galaxy of 100 billion
other suns; the nearest 4 1/3 light years
away, the most distant . . . 100,000 light
years. A light year, as you know, is the
distance light travels in a year, traveling at
the rate of 186,000 miles a second.
Dr. Frank D. Drake, Associate Professor
of Astronomy at Cornell University and
formerly Chief of the Lunar and Planetary
Sciences section of the jet propulsin labora
torios at California Institute of Technology,
believes that intelligent beings exist else
where than on earth. He said, The task of
locating advanced civilizations in outer space
is difficult but very likely a possible one,
using the technology we now have. We have
an excellent probability of finding at least
one civilization every thirty years, once we
begin a careful search.
What reaction will this have upon man?
Will it make him less spiritual, less moral?
Will he feel isolated and rely entirely upon
his own resources? Will he develop, figuratively speaking, an extreme inferiority com
plex? The new generation growing up with
this concept of the universe and mans place
within it will find satisfaction in realizing
their cosmic unity. In their comprehension
that there are other beings elsewhere in the
cosmos, these persons of tomorrow will thrill
at the magnitude and majesty of cosmic
phenomena. In other words, instead of feeling dehumanized, classed as just another
living entity, they will reverence the fact
of their cosmic brotherhood with other in
telligent beings.
However, a tremendous responsibility will
rest upon science. It will be necessary that
it adopt a universal code of ethics with regard to its experimentation and, particularly,
with the application of what it discovers. It
will not suffice for science to say that such
codes are the obligation and function of re
ligin and philosophy.
( continued overleaf)

Science, for example, is well on the way

to directing the mutations of chromosomes
in the genes. With knowledge that the RNA
and DNA are actually building blocks, or
templates, by which living matter repro
duces its forms, man will learn how to alter
these templates, or pattems. He may, for
example, be able to change the memory retention of the elements of the living cell so
that entirely different kinds of intelligent
beings can be created. He may so imprg
nate these intricate elements of the cell with
impressions that they will become or bring
forth geniuses far exceeding what normal
evolution could bring about. Also, figuratively, it is just around the crner as an achievement for man to be able to control sex so
that a male or female child may be but a
matter of choice of the parents; or they may
be able to produce a type of living being
that would be a neuter, that is, sexless.
Such a gigantic power, once imagined
only to be within the realm of the gods,
requires a high degree of vales and ethics
for its control. After all, it is one thing to
learn that these things are potential or an
actual possibility and another to see that
they are done not as a scientific achievement
alone, but also as a step forward for the
welfare of all humanity.X

Availability of Mystic and

Occult Knowledge
From time to time, there are those who
question the modern Rosicrucian concept of
making the Rosicrucian teachings available
to every intelligent human being who is interested in these teachings or in his own advancement. Some have been severe in their
criticism, claiming that it is disrespectful to
the teachings and the ideis which are taught
by the Rosicrucians to make them public or
so accessible to anyone who might seek them.
In fact, this basic idea was well stated in a
question recently presented by a member
when he worded it this way: If the mystic
teachings have been so carefully guarded in
the past, why are the Rosicrucians so willing
to teach them now to the multitude?
There are a number of approaches to the
consideration of this question. It is true that
many sacred teachings, many of the concepts
of mysticism and occultism, were guarded in
certain eras of the past. In the traditional

history of the Rosicrucian Order, we learn

that the mystery schools of ancient Egypt
were organized in order to preserve and to
study and investgate further the mystery
teachings that became the foundation for
much of modern mysticism and occultism.
Why were they carefully guarded? The
answer is very simple. It was due to political
pressures that would have unjustly and without proper consideration condemned those
teachings had they not been made prvate
and kept under a degree of control by those
who respected these ideis.
This illustration in history, where one
religin was accepted by the political powers
of ancient Egypt and where no other
questioning of mans religious or philosophical concepts was permitted, is more or less
basic to the reason why such teachings have
been guarded at many periods in history.
We do not have to go into ancient history
to find further illustrations of this kind.
Within the present century, there have been
occasions when man had to guard his belief
in the mysteries and not make them public.
During the time that I have been associated
with the Rosicrucian Order, I can remember
when the members of the Order in a European country sent copies of the translations
of the monographs or of the Rosicrucian
teachings because they knew that their
country would soon be overrun by a power
that condemned these teachings. All during
the Second World War, I kept these mono
graphs in a safe place here at Rosicrucian
Park and returned them after the war was
over. By this means, the monographs were
still available without the work of translating
them again to the language of the country
which could not use the teachings during
that time.
Now, it is obvious that the teachings, dur
ing the period that a political power would
not permit them to be used, were not being
made available to the multitude, so to speak;
but, in the enlightened countries of the
Western world today, are we to believe that
the multitudes are not prepared for the
Rosicrucian teachings? Are we not even
further obligated to make these teachings
available to all who sincerely want them?
In fact, should we not be obligated to openly
act as agents to promote and propagandize
these teachings, so that everyone can become
aware of them and make the decisin for

himself or herself as to the valu of the

teachings?
When there is no pressure from organized
groups in the ame of politics, religin, or
under any other ame, to control the teach
ings that can be beneficial to man, then
mans obligation is to make the teachings
available. Furthermore, under the circum
stances in which we live today in an enlightened era, it is possible to control the
dissemination of such teachings through
other means. Whereas in the past it was not
possible to do so, today men can be judged
as to the extent of their depth of interest.
For example, in this jurisdiction of the
Order, when an individual becomes a mem
ber of the organization, regardless of his age,
race, sex, economic situation, social position,
political position, education, or by any other
standard, that member joins as a Neophyte,
and he is obligated to study the introductory
Neophyte Degrees of the Order. These three
Neophyte Degrees serve as the testing ground
for sincerity. If the individual is sincere and
ready to be prepared for the study of the
teachings the Rosicrucians have preserved,
then he will humbly and conscientiously go
through these Neophyte Degrees regardless
of what may be his background, training, or
previous experience.
The Neophyte Degrees in a modern free
society serve as the bulwark between the
individual who might not be sincere and
the teachings that the Rosicrucians have to
offer. I do not have before me at this moment
the latest statistics, but I do know that many
who join the organization do not complete
the Neophyte Degrees. These degrees, there
fore, have served their purpose. Those who
are not prepared, or are unwilling to assume
the obligation that comes with the knowledge
of the higher degree teachings, automatically
eliminate themselves. Some, of course, elminate themselves because of lack of motivation
to continu, or to put it bluntly, pur laziness. Their desire to exert effort, to study
and gain the knowledge contained in these
teachings, is not equal to the effort re
quired.
There have been times in history, both
ancient and recent, when it was advisable
for the Rosicrucian teachings to be kept
under certain restrictions and regulations.
There are other timesand certainly now is
one of these timesin an enlightened age,

when the Rosicrucian teachings should be

available to anyone who wishes to become
familiar with them. It is the obligation of
the Order to make these teachings available,
and at the same time to prepare sincere
individuis for the profound teachings and
experience that come after suitable introduction. This is the method by which the
teachings are presented today, and we should,
as individual Rosicrucians, feel obligated to
bring this message to everyone so that everyone may choose if he wishes to follow this
system of thought and study. If he decides
not to, after we have made the presentation,
then the responsibility is his. We have done
our part in making the material available.
-A

Necessary Evil?
A frater from a country in Central
America calis our attention to an oft-spoken
phrase: . . . a necessary evil. He asks:
Since so many people believe in the idea
that there are necessary evils, and since
the Rosicrucians propose that a negative
forc is part of the cosmic nature, is it really
true that evil is a necessary part of life
something that will always be with us?
Evil, in the sense of a malevolent forc
acting against man, is neither necessary or
destined for mans posterity. The negative
forc of which Rosicrucians speak is not
necessarily evil, or bad. It is rather a phase
of the action of life forc as it races from
one pole to another. It is now positive, then
negative; now active, then passive. Positive
and negative phases are characteristic of life
forc; characteristics which are responsible
for motion and activity; characteristics which
create states of balance or imbalance; charac
teristics which make for harmony or inharmony.
The Imperator has explained negative as
being that which is less in comparison to
something that is more. In this sense, the
terms are relative. For example, a full quart
bottle of milk is positive in comparison to a
half-filled bottle.
Negativeness, therefore, is destined to be
always with us. There will always be opposite poles. The twain shall never meet.
The action of life forc itself exeludes any
possibility of things being different in this
respect. Any other arrangement would spell
imbalance, and this the universe does not

tolerate. Balance, or harmony, then, does not

mean that everything has achieved the same
valu. Rather, it means that there are equal
amounts of opposite vales.
It is common for people to err in determining the factors that will bring about
harmony. To many people, harmony is a
state or condition in which all people agree.
It is a condition in which all things have a
common goal. This of course is not harmony.
It is a form of stagnation against which some
will always rebel.
Even as our own viewpoints change as we
go through life; even as our viewpoint vares
from those around us, so also does the world
divide itself, so that on every issue we can
find men and women poles apart.
The well-worn phrase to use psychology
on him is an adaptation of this natural
phenomenon. When people use psychology
they are in effect playing the game of opposites. They hope to entice or convince
others by appealing to the opposite of what
they really want.
The so-called law of averages also draws
its validity from this same phenomenon.
Nature just has to balance itself. In trying to
do so, it flows between extremes. Its action
is often likened to that of a swinging
pendulum.
Man too seeks balance. It is frustrating
to him to have to ride a never-ending
pendulum-type existence. Therefore, he
fights the swing of the pendulum away from
his present state. His determination and
belligerence are evil. He becomes a forc
acting with intent against the laws of nature.
He refuses to change himself. He defies
those who do change, or those who have
moved away from himand he becomes a
forc for evil. THIS is unnecessary, for man
can and must learn to swing with the
pendulum. He must learn to appreciate the
natural movement of life forces. He must
bring a balance of positive and negative
phases into his viewpoints and perspective,
and live accordingly.
There is no easy way to accomplish this,
for man will always have an innate resistance to change. But it can be accomplished.
Negativism can be lived with, and harmoniously. Negativism is necessary. But evil , the
belligerence arsing out of mans resistance
to change, can be obliterated. It is un
necessary.B

Karma and Our Decisions

The substance of a question being addressed to our forum by one of our fratres
is, To what extent does karma act upon
our decisions? Does it, in other words,
definitely affect us?
We must avoid the error of assigning the
same meaning to karma as to fate. There is
the tendency for those who know of the
doctrine of karma to distort it. If, however,
we go back to the basic premise which karma
represents, this error cannot be made. Karma
is defined as, and truly means, the law of
compensation, or the law of cause and ef
fect. More succinctly put, that for every act
there is a reaction; that is, for every deed in
thought or otherwise there must follow from
it an effect. But these causes and effects are
as impersonal as the natural phenomena of
gravity, light, or electricity. There is no in
tent, no imposition behind karma.
Perhaps the misconception of the word
arises from that aspect of its definition re
ferred to as the law of compensation. This
seems to imply that a mind, a person, or
some supernatural being is weighing or
judging our acts and meting out a compensa
tion accordingly. Thus the notion becomes
easily associated with fatalism, which generally implies a teleological, or mind, cause.
Since karma, too, is impersonal, a natural
working of laws and their effects which we
trigger by our acts, mental or physical, it
is neither wholly beneficial or detrimental.
In other words, karma neither tries to punish
or to reward man. The effects that follow
from the causes we institute may be evaluated by us as being either good or bad, but
certainly there was no such motive behind
them.
If, for analogy, we throw a switch in a
circuit and the voltage damages a piece of
equipment, we do not attribute such as an
adverse intent or, in fact, any intent of the
electrical circuit. Conversely, if we throw a
switch and the manifestation is one from
which we derive benefit, neither do we con
ceive such as being intended for us by the
electrical forc. Karma, then, is simply a
series of cosmic and natural laws about
which we should learn as much as possible.
We should learn how, in invoking or causing
them to function, they will affect us.

Karma, therefore, does not influence the

decisions which we make except in the
manner in which we think and how we have
developed our personalities and characters.
If, for further analogy, we are selfish and
greedy, we shall do those things and put
into effect such acts that will cause events
from which we believe there will follow
benefits to ourselves and to no one else.
What we do not foresee is the side effects
that the puerile nature of such reasoning
may bring about. From the causes we invoke, there may follow a series of effects,
both to our good and to our detriment.
Karma may have a definite effect upon
our decisions only as the result of past ex
perience. For example, we may have undertaken something in the past that brought us
considerable tribulation. Subsequently, if we
are called upon to make a decisin which
will cause a somewhat similar circumstance,
we are naturally inhibited by recalling the
adversity of the past. This past, too, may be
an experience in our subconscious and then,
intuitively, we are wamed by the inner self
to proceed or not to proceed, as the case may
be.
Of course, almost all of us at times ignore
these intuitive impressions. We may be inclined to consider them mere emotional im
pulses and ineffectual as compared to our
reasoned conclusions. Then we proceed, only
to find later that our intuitive impression
would have been right and our vaunted
reason at the time was wrong. This is, of
course, karma; but, again, we say that
there is no intention on the part of karma to
affect us one way or the other. It is only that
we failed to heed the universal knowledge
derived from an effect of an experience once
had and impressed in the subconscious.
There is not one of us who at some time
or other has not thought it best not to
continu or to proceed with something which
we may have started or planned for. This
so-called second thought is more than likely
an intuitive impression. Again, we say it is
not necessarily a volitional cause. In other
words, it is not an intention on the part of
any power or being that is guiding or helping us at the time. Rather, it is a recollection
of an experience. It is like having a finger
that was once bumed, and we recall the
experience; but it is up to us whether we
wish to risk burning it again.X

The Significance of Christ Consciousness

In a Rosicrucian forum at a conclave, the
question was presented asking for a defini
tion of the term Christ consciousness, and
wanting to know whether the term Christ
consciousness had the same meaning as
Cosmic Consciousness, or the consciousness
of an evolved Master, or the consciousness
which every individual has the potentiality
of eventually attaining.
Actually, the use of so many different
forms of terminology to describe various
shades of meaning can become confusing,
particularly when we draw upon various
religious and personalized beliefs in order to
gain terminology. The term Christ con
sciousness to me should be limited to the
vocabulary of a religin, to the Christian re
ligin in particular. I do not believe that the
term Christ consciousness has any more
significance than to use the term or ame of
any other avatar. We could, it seems to me,
equally well refer to Buddha consciousness,
Mohammed consciousness, or some of the
other great masters and avatars that have
taught humanity.
However, because of the prevalence of
Christian terminology in the Western world,
Christ consciousness has come to take on the
characteristics of a special terminology, and
has, under some systems of definitions, been
separated from the character and personality
of the man Jess. In this sense, I see no
reason to use the term, because if Christ
consciousness is not a religious or a personal
ized concept, it is a reference to a high de
gree of consciousness or advanced state of
consciousness, which can readily be defined
as Cosmic Consciousness, or Mastership.
Every student of life and of the attempt
to gain a knowledge of the Absolute should
beware of the trap that terminology sometimes produces. I have heard an individual
speak convincingly . Upon analysis of what
was said, I realized that he did nothing but
freely use, in a well-planned vocabulary
with interesting illustrations, various terminologies. Christ consciousness has in some
areas come to be considered as a very sacred
concept, and, no doubt, to some individuis
it does carry that meaning. But why not use
a more simple term in the first place? Why
not refer to a sacred concept of conscious-

ness, or Divine Consciousness, or Cosmic

Consciousness? All are concepts of a con
sciousness within the grasp of the human
being.
We do not need to borrow too liberally
from other concepts or systems of thought.
More important to each of us is the will to
develop our own consciousness toward a
higher degree of understanding of the Cosmic
of which we are a part. If the purpose of
mans life is to attain understanding of him
self, his environment, and his divine source,
then anything that elevates his consciousness
in that direction is to his benefit and will be
valuable for his own experience. In this
sense, whatever he calis the accomplishment
or degree of accomplishment that he may
attain is secondary to the attainment itself.
On the other hand, a confusion of terminologymixing philosophy, religin, and in
dividual convictionscan also be perplexing
to others who are trying to attain the same
ends. We should realize that while terminology can be convenient or confusing, we
have an obligation to our fellow men to live
our lives in a way that will be to some degree
an inspiration for others to seek the higher
vales. To confuse that living with complicated terminology, involved with other mens
philosophies and religions, may cause indi
viduis to wander longer than they should
in arriving at a goal. Our goal is to attain
divine knowledge and understanding, and
we need not camouflage our methods, the
way we attempt to go to make the attainitent possible or the attainment itself. We
simply should direct ourselves toward raising

our consciousness to a higher level, regard

less of what we may cali that state of con
sciousness.A

W hy Transition?
A soror has written concerning the tran
sition of a loved one and, like so many
persons, asked the etemal question, Why ?
We realize that there are always deep
questions when we experience the loss of a
loved one; and even though there may be
an understandable answer in the cosmic
scheme, it is no less a tragedy in the lives
of those of us who experience the loss. An
answer to the question does not make it
easier.
We can see in the laws of the universe
around us that nature is both positive and
negative; both active and passive; both violent and calm. This is the way of the Cosmic,
and this inherent structure is evident in
all aspects of its manifestations. This is
the over-all reason for destruction. We can
probably say that every human being has
these potential characteristics within him; a
pressure point, so to speak, which vares with
the individual and, depending on the momentary circumstances, can manifest in
varying degreesalmost without prediction,
intent, or reason.
Emotional pressure points in people are
like physical pressures; they arise from a
multitude of causes, causes which are often
difficult to isolate.
This, in part, is the way of the Cosmic;
and in its etemal motion and progress, the
cycle of creation and destruction goes on.B

INTERNATIONAL ROSICRUCIAN CONVENTION

AUGUST 7 - 12, 1966

ROSICRUCIAN PARK SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95114

INDEX OF VOLUM E XXXVI (Comprising the entire Six lssues of the 36th Year)
NOTE-The small letters after the page numbers refer to position on page: a, upper half of first column; b, lower half
of first column; c, upper half of second column; d, lower half of second column. Titles of articles are italicized.
Sepher Yetzirah, or Book of Creation, 42b
A
Symbolic Prophecy of the Great Pyramid,
Ability to Transcend Physical Limitation, 110c
Dr. H. S. Lewis, 124d, 125a, 126a
Abstract Idealism Transcends
Unto Thee I Grant, 54a, 77b, lOOd
Objective Gratification, 79b
Buddha, Christ, Mohammed vs. Forms of Religin, 4d
Acceptance of Belief Stops Creativity, 105d
Accomplish, Desire To, 39c
c
Actualize Realization: Recall, 36b
Can A Mystic Be Masterful? 70b-71c
Agitation of Nervous and Digestive Systems, 17b
Carneades, Successor of Pyrrho, lla-b
Akashic RecordsWhat They Are, 37c-38b
Catholic Church and Ecumenical Council, 21d
AMORC Attacked by Romn Catholic
Catholicism vs. Rosicrucianism, brochure, 23d
Publications, 22b-23c
Causes and Effects, Impersonal, 33a, b
AMORC, Children in, 34a-35a
CharacterOur Point of ViewMemory, 31c
AMORC-Numbers and Resources Small, 23b
Children in AMORC, 34a-35a
AMORC Studies Hasten Final Perfection, 94d
Choice To Be Made for Career, 38a
AMORCs Beliefs, 17c-d, 84b-c
Choosing, A Time for, 11le-112a
A New Spiritual Age, 68d-70b
Christ Consciousness, Persons Have, 70a
Apply Creative Thinking, 30d, 40a
Christ Consciousness, The Significance of, 139c-140c
Apprenticeship to Mastership, 102b
ChristianityFrom Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Gnosticism,
Are Family Ties Maintained? 77b-78c
Doctrines of Mystery Schools, 29d-30c
Are the Pyramid Prophecies Infallible? 124c-126d
Christianity Is A Spent Forc, 4b-c, 5b
Arguments Are To Arrive at Truth, 107c
Christianity? Is Pantheism Contrary to, 29b-30c
Arranging Pictures on A WallRitual, 27c
Church, Attending A, 83d-84d
Arts, Sciences, Philosophies, Humanly Devised, 45a
Churchill, Winston, Quote From Writings, 43a-b
Asceticism, Self-Mortification, Denial Unnecessary, 95d
Civilizations Stand Upon Preceding Ones, 112d
A SouVs Journey, 87b-88a
CodeReligious, Moral, Ethical, 88c
Aspiring, The, Are Responsible, 114d
Cognition: Perception and Conception, 118a-c
Association, Reflection, Projection of Events, 53d
Coincidence, Superstition, Imagination, 5c
Assumption, Rosicrucian Technique, 114a-d
Communion With Supreme Being, 100a
Atheist Really Says, 128d-129a
Compendium of Questions and Answers, 59d-61c
Atheist? What Is An, 55c-56d
Compensation, Law of Cause and Effect, 138c
Attainment Is by Effort and Sacrifice, 47b-c
Comprehension vs. Mastery of Science or Art, 93d
Attending A Church, 83d-84d
Confession,
Valu of, 88a-91a
Attraction PotentialValence, 78a, b
Conflict Between Science and Rationalism, 103d
Auras and Malevolent Thoughts, 17a
ConsciousnessContinual Process Within the Mind, 115a
Automation and Our Lives, 63b-64b
Consciousness, Group, 119c
Automobile, A Status Symbol, 51b
Consciousness of Self Limited, 68b-c
Availability of Mystic and Occult Knowledge, 136b-137c
Consciousness, The Survival of, 18c-20b
Avenue to Awareness of God and Cosmic, 101c
Contemplaron of Seeker Arouses Intuitive Processes, 45c
Awaken and Develop Psychic Powers, 108d
Contribution to Welfare of World, 52d-53a
Awareness of Our Limitations, 109d-lllc
Controversy, The Great, 128a-129a
Convocations, Reserved for Adults, 3.4d
B
Cooperate With Cosmic Laws, 43d-44b
Backsliding Through Incamations, 8b-9b
Copernicus, Astronomer, Sun the Center, 2c-d
Balance and Harmony, 42d, 43a
Coptic Writer, Great, Masoudi, 126a
Balance Between Elements of Society, 54c
Cosmic Consciousness, 61b-c
Balance, Harmony and, 126d-128a
Cosmic Mind, Approaching It, 87b
Basis of Social and Moral Standards, 57b-58b
Council and... ? Ecumenical, 21d-23d
BehaviorAdjudged Righteous, 67b, d
Council of Trent, Confession, 90a
Behavior Pattem, Mental Outlook, Composites, 31d
Courses Through Mail, 22d
Being is EnergyR + C Hypothesis, 60b
Creation, Biblical Account, 2a-b
Being, Nature of, 84a, c
Creative Process and Recall, 64d-65a
Being vs. Non-Being, 56c
Creative Thinker} The, 38d-40d
Belief and Disbelief, The Ease of, 105b-107a
Cruel? Is Nature, 32c-34a
Beliefs, AMORCs, 17c-d
Curiosity of Applicants, 82c
BigotIntolerant, Not Sceptical, 10c
Cycles of History, lid-14b
Birth of the Universe, Theories of, 60a
BodyVehicle for the Soul, 58b
D
Books:
Dangers of Modern Witchcraft, 122a-124c
Absent Healing, Dr. H. S. Lewis, 75c
Death Birth, 18d, 19a
Book of Common Prayer, lOOd
Decalogue in Od Testament, 81a
Book of the Dead, Right, Wrong, Conduct, 89c
Decisin on Hearsay? 86d-87a
Dialogues, Plato, 38b
Decisions, Karma and Our, 138c-139b
Golden Bough, The, Dr. James G. Frazer, 122c
Democracies, Republics, and Mobs, 20d
It Began in Egypt, 113a
Denial of Self, 133a-134b
Mansions of the Soul, Dr. H. S. Lewis, 15b, 31b
Denominations, Religious, Come and Go, 5b
Mental Poisoning, Dr. H. S. Lewis, 16c
Depression, When of Presence or Environment, 17a
Mystics at Prayer, (Introduction), lOOb-d
Destruction of World or Human Society, 69c
Origin of Speeies, The, C. Darwin, 3a-d
Develop Consciousness Toward Higher Degree, 140a
Peace of Mind, Rabbi Liebman, 76c
Developing Intuition, 44b-45d
Self Mastery and Fate with the Cycles of Life,
Direct Consciousness to the Known, 66d
Dr. H. S. Lewis, lid

Disagreement Our Fate? Is, 53c-55c

Disbelief, The Ease of Belief and, 105b-107a
Discernment Ability To Judge Quality, lile
Discuss Opinions, 65d, 66a
Disharmony, Sustained Period of, 54a
Divine Intelligence Within to Peace Profound, 30c
Dixon, Jeane, Readers Digest, 1965, 116a
Does Science Humhle Man? 134c-136b
Doubt, The Element of, 86a-87b
Do We Project During Sleep? 35a-36b
Drama, Ceremonious Ritual, 26a-d
Dues, AMORC, and Gatholic Church Tithe, 22d-23a

Earth, Insignificance of the, 135c

Ease of Belief and Disbelief, The, 105b-107a
Ecumenical Council and... ? 21d-23d
Effects of Karma, 90d
Egyptologists, Museum Consultants, 113c
Element of Doubt, The, 86a-87b
Elements of Existence, Explore, 84c
Element, Supematural, in Luck, 129b-d
Emotions, Control of, Slower, 117d
Enjoying the Obvious, 107a- 108a
Enlightenment and Moral Obligation, 104d
En Rapport With All Being, 61c
Environment, Be Familiar With, 63a
Escapist - From Lifes Problems, 82d-83a, c
Ethics, Universal, 78c-81b
Ethics, Universal Code of, 135d
Evil An Actuality? Is, 84d-86a
Evil? Necessary, 137c-138b
Evolution Acceptable? Is the Theory of, 2a-4a
Evolvement, A Process:
Toward Awareness, 28a-29a
Toward Understanding, 31a
Exercises for Techniques in R + C Teachings, 31b
Experience, Knowledge Add to Soul Personality, 8d
Experience and Knowledge, Correlating, 40c
Explore Mysteries, Empirically, Intuitively, 104b-c

Faith and Dogma Preserved, 84a-b

Family Ties Maintained? Are, 77b-78c
Fatalism, 6b, 37d, 38b-c
Fate? Is Disagreement Our, 53c-55c
Father-Confessor, A Prvate Wire to God, 90c
Food, Oxygen of Body = Energy and Heat, 36c
Forces, Dual, Ubiquitous in Nature, 123b
Foresight and Destiny, 6d
Forget and Forgive? 18a
Forth, The Word Went, 40d-42c
Freemasonry and Rosicrucian Order, 22c
G
Geologists Earth Clock; Millions of Years, 2b
Getting the Most From Membership, 108a-109d
God Exists in Nature, 29c, 30b
God, Nature o, Current Controversy, 128a-129a
Good Thing Compare With Lesser Good, 54b
Government Administration and Machinery, 21a
Great Controversy, The, 128a-129a
Grief, Freely Expressed, 76c
Groups, Religious, Abuse Virtuous, 134b
Guardian of the ThresholdOur Moral Standards, 16b-c
H
Harmonium Perfection, Peace,
Achievements, 127a-128a, 138a-b
Harmony and Balance, 126d-128a
Harmony Is the Goal of Mankind, 53c-55d
Heart Was Mind Memphis Egyptians, 41a
Heaven in Fundamentalist Religions, 19b
Hall of the Gods Judgment Hall, 19a

Happiness, Not Inherent in Life, 33d

Hebrew, Definite Word Sin, Confession, 89d
History A Composite of Lives of All, 53a
History, Cycles of, lid-14b
History of AMORC, the Traditional, Chronological, 112b
History Reveis Human Thought, Action, 74d-75a
How Original Are Our Thoughts? 117d-119d
Hypnotism Demonstrations, 16d
i

Ideas vs. True Nature of Things, 107c

Illumination, Sudden, 93b-95d
Imagination and Suggestion, 14d
Immortality Egyptians Credence, First, 18c
Imperfections and Limitations, 83d
Imperturbability Avoiding Disturbances, 46d, 54a
lmportance of News, The, 61c-63a
Impressions, Sorting Our Psychic, 71c-d
Impressions Within Self Are of Evolvement, 29a
Incamations, Backsliding Through, 8b-9b
Individuality vs. Automation, Competition, 64a
lnfluence Others? Should We, 65a-66b
Ingredient, Loyalty, the Golden, 98a-99d
Initiated into the Mysteries, 55c
Initiation, 45d-46c
Initiation Place Great Pyramid, 125d
Insight Describes Intuition, 44c-d
Insight, Intuitive, Is Discernment, 11Id
Instinct, A Trauma Experienced, 44b-c
Instrument Life, the Universe, 102a-c, 103a
Intelligence, Human, Creator, 63c, 64a
Interior Different Finish (Great Pyramid), 125c
Intuition, Concentration, Visualization
Neophyte Grades, 131a-133a
Intuition, Developing, 44b-45d
Intuition That Special Sense, 84c
Is A New Messiah Born? 116a-117d
Is Conscience Racial? 67a-68c
Is Disagreement Our Fate? 53c-55c
Is Evil An Actuality? 84d-86a
Is Man Without Soul? 36c-37b
Is Nature Cruel? 32c-34a
Is Our Life Ordained? 37c-38c
Is Pantheism Contrary to Christianity? 29b-30c
Is Religin Obsolete? 4b-5b
Is Retaliation Justified? 18a-b
Is the Theory of Evolution Acceptable? 2a-4a
J

Jess, Crucified as Political Criminal, 116d

Joumey, A SouVs, 87b-88a
Judgments of Other People, Reliable? 87a
Judgment9The Final, 15b-d
Jung, Cari, View of Death, 76b
Jnior Order Program, 34b
Justice as a Code Is Dependent, 67c-d
JusticeSympathetic Response to Human Relations, 118d
K
Karma and Our Decisions, 138c-139b
Karma, UltmateFinal Judgment Impersonal, 15b-c
Keys to Mentally Creating, 130d-133a
Key To Help Face Future and Problems, 8a
Kneel? Why, 91d-92d
Knights of Columbus, 22c-d
Knowledge Alone, Not Means of Techniques, 31a
Knowledge Arrangement by Cosmic Mind, 45d
Knowledge, Availability of Mystic and Occult, 136b-137c
Knowledge Is Acquired Experience, 108b
Knowledge Is Experience, 74a
Knowledge, Psychic, Forms Background, 28d
Know Ourselfthe Inner Self-A Challenge, 13d

L
Lacks Material and Physical, llla-b
Law of Cosmic Evolution, 94b-c
Laws of the Universe, Positive, Negative, 140c
Levels of Consciousness, 66a
Lewis, Dr. and R + C Egyptian Museum, 113a-b
Life A Sequence of Happenings, 107b
Life Forc Action One Pole to Another, 137d, 138a
Life Is Connection to Cosmic Mind, 101a
Life Ordained? Is Our, 37c-38c
Life Strives To Be! 15d
Life, The Mastery of, 101c-103d
Life, Valu of, 52b-53b
Limitations, Awareness of Our, 109d-lllc
Light, Life, and Love, 85d
Live A Full Life, Failing To, 66d
Live by Caution, 86c
Live by Spiritual Teachings Peace, 70b
Lives Well Adjusted, Happy, 9b
Logos, Doctrine of, 40d-42b
Logos, Mind, Behind Cosmic Process, Mystical, 42b
Lost Word, The, 92d-93b
Loved One, The, Looks at Death Facetiously, 76b
Love, Knowledge, Understanding Eternal, 32b-c
Loyalty, the Golden Ingredient, 98a-99d
Luck? What Is, 129b-130d
Lustration or Purification, Rite of, 88c, 89b
M

Magazines:
Rosicrucian Digest, 30d
Rosicrucian Forum, 30d
Magic, Black, 16a, d
Magic, Sympathetic, 122c-123b
Man, An Animal Organically, 3d
Man Considered Himself Chosen, 134c, 135a
Man Establishes Vales, 32d, 33c
Manichaeans, 86a
Mankind, Class(es) of, 53d, 54b, 55b
Mans Destiny, 13d
Maris Many Minds, 58d-59d
Man, the Creator of His God, 104b
Man, Thoughts That Destroy, 16a-17c
Man Without Soul? Is, 36c-37b
Marble, Block of, Analogy by Plato, 38b
Masterful? Can A Mystic Be, 70b-71c
Mastership, False Sense of, 50d-51a
Mastery of Life, The, 101c-103d
Mechanists Basis of Life, 36d
Mechanized Menace, The, 50a-52b
Media (News) Many; Be Selective, 62b-c, 63a
Medifocus To Accomplish Peace, 47d
Medtate and Concntrate To Change Existence, 44b
Meditation, 66b-d
Meister Ecchart Revived Writings Logos, 42b
Membership, Getting the Most From, 108a-109d
Memory Between Incarnations, 31b-c
Menace, The Mechanized, 50a-52b
Mental Ability, for Benefit and Unity, 131a
Mentally Creating, Keys to, 130d-133a
Messiah Born? Is A New, 116a-117d
Metamorphosis, Rosicrucian, 91a-d
Mind Converts Environment, 64a
Minds, Maris Many, 58d-59d
Moral Law Related to Conscience, 67b, 68a-b
Moris and Ethics, 83d, 88c
Moris - Inherited or An Interpretation,
78d-79a, c, 80a, 88c
More Questions About Reincarnation, 30c-32c
Motor Car Production Essential, 52b
Museum? Why A Rosicrucian, 112a-114a
Must Mystics Go Into Retreat? 103d-105b
Must Prayer Be Original? lOOa-lOlc
Mystic and Occult Knowledge, Availabilty of, 136b-137c

Mystic Be Masterful? Can A, 70b-71c

Mystics Go Into Retreat? Must, 103d-105b
Mystics Task, 54c, 55a
N
ame for the Universe God, R + C, 128d
Nature Cruel? Is, 32c-34a
Necessary Evil? 137c-138b
Negative Less Than More, 137d
Neophyte Degrees and Mental Creating, 131b
Neophyte Degrees Meet Needs, 82c
Neophyte Degrees Testing Ground, 137a-b
Neophytes Great Oath and Laws, 20b-c
News, The Importance of, 61c-63a
New Thought, 81b, 83b
New Thought Movement, 109d-110a
Norm the Average, 8Id, 82a
Numbers To Describe the World, 59b-c

Obligation To Make Teachings Available, 136d, 137c

Oligarchy or Tyrannical Dictatorship, 20d-21a
Obvious3Enjoying the, 107a-108a
Occult Knowledge, Availability of Mystic and, 136b-137c
Opinin or Belief Is Abstract, 65a
Ordained? Is Our Life, 37c-38c
Order, Religious, Monastic, Ruthless, 85c
Original Are Our Thoughts? How, 117d-119d
P
Pagan, Called A, 56a
Pantheism Contrary to Christianity? Is, 29b-30c
Peace, Inner Pleasure, Joy of Living, 109b-c
Peace of Mind in Reincarnation, 8a
Peace, Organized, Developed by Men, 70a-b
Peace, Projecting, 46d-47d
Perception and Reason Collaborate, 10a
Perception of Projected Personality, 35c, d
Perceptions Enter All Channels to the Mind, 66b
Perfection, Final, Hastened by AMORC Study, 94d
Pessimist Lacks Self-Confidence, lOd
Philosophies, Mixed, Confuse Terminology, 140a-b
Philosophy, Field of Mans Greatest Test, 107d
Philosophy of R + C Order, 58c
Philosophy, R -j- C, Transcends Belief, 105c
Philosophy the Right Kind, 109d, lile
Piety, Sense of, for Omnipotence, 56d
Play the Piano by Reading? 31a
Pleasure Principie, The, 57a-58c
Power, A Transcendental, 80a, c
Practice Good Citizenship? 20b
Prayer Be Original? Must, 100a-101c
Premonitions No Superstition, 5c-7a
Pressure of Mass Opinin, 69d
Presuming Results and Optical Illusions, 15a
Principie of Affirmation, 110a
Principie of Ethics, A Primary, 78d
Problem, Center Attention on, 39a-d
Problem in Mastership, 103d
Problems Different From Ever Before? 75d, 76a
Program for Utilizing Thought, 40d
Progress Made in Changing Environment, 28b-c
Project During Sleep? Do We, 35a-36b
Projecting Peace, 46d-47d
Projection, Rosicrucian Technique, 115a-d
Proof of Empirical Knowledge, 9c
Prudence, of Sceptic, lOb-c
Pseudo Mystic, 71c
Psychic Abilities, Now Necessary To Evolve, 28c
Psychic Impressions, Sorting Our, 71c-d
Psychic Revelations, 27d-29a
Psychologists and EducatorsNormal Individual, 8Id
Ptah, 40d-41a
Purpose of Life, 52c, 53b, 62a
Pyramid Prophecies Infallible? Are the3 124c-126d
Pyrrho of Elis and Scepticism, lia

Questions About Reincamation, More, 30c-32c

Questions and Answers, Compendium of, 59d-61c
Question Things, 84c
R
RNA and DNA, 136a
Racial? Is Conscience, 67a-68c
Raise Consciousness for Awareness of Absolute Mind, 28a
Readers Digest, July, 1965, Jeane Dixon, 116a
Re-Creating A Mental Perception, 64c
Reincamation, Doctrine of, 77b-78c
Reincamation in the Western World, 7a-8b
Reincamation, More Questions About, 30c-32c
Reincamation Teaches Meaning of Life, 52d
Rejection, Acceptance of Ideas, 106d
Reject Wisdom? Why Does Man, 74a-75b
Relationship, Our, With Forces Beyond, 100a
Relief, Refreshment, Afforded for Worry, 43b-44b
Religin A Tool or Weapon, 58a
Religin Obsolete? Is, 4b-5b
Religin Spent Forc Existing Concepts, 4c
Reshaping Individual, True Mastership, lOld
Response to the Cosmic, Developing, 101a
Retaliation Justified? Is, 18a-b
Retreat Alone With Self, 105a-b
Retreat? Must Mystics Go Into, 103d-105b
Revelations, Psychic, 27d-29a
Reverses No Standard To Measure Growth, 8c
Revolution, Rosicrucians and, 20b-21d
Rite of Purification, 88c, 89b
Rituals, Initiations, Passwords, 22c
Rituals, Valu of, 26a-27d
Rosicrucian Digest, 30d
Rosicrucian Forum, 30d
Rosicrucian Metamorphosis, 91a-d
Rosicrucians and Revolution, 20b-21d
Rosicrucian Teachings, Substance of, 14a
Rosicrucian Techniques, 114a-115d
Rosicrucian Type, The, 81b-83d
Rules Goveming Incarnation, 78a
s

Scepticism, Valu of, 9c-lid

Schools, Greek: Change, the One Reality, 43c-44b
Science Humble Man? Does, 134c-136b
Science Impartially Searches for Truth, 2c
Secrets of Nature Transmitted by Tribal Ceremony, 124a
Self-Consciousness, Highly Developed in Man, 3d
Self, Continu To Exist? 77a
Self, Denial of, 133a-134b
Self-Discipline, the Need of, 81a
Self May Reach Out in Sleep, 35c
Self-Suggestion, 14b-15b
Series of Concomtant Causes and EffectsLuck, 130c
Should We Influence Others? 65a-66b
Significance of Christ Consciousness, The, 139c-140c
Skill and Judgment, 75a
Sleep? Do We Project During, 35a-36b
Smog Control, 52a
Society, Primitive, Needs and Relations, 79d
Sophisticate First; Then Sceptic, 10a
Sorting Our Psychic Impressions, 71c-d
Soul, 3d, 134d
Soul, Essence of Conscious Life, 37b
Soul in Afterworld Judged Psychostasia, 19a
Soul Is Healed by Confession, 89b
Soul? Is Man Without, 36c-37b
Soul of Man, Awareness of, 13d
Source of Man Religin Deais With, 5a
South Vietnam and Santo Domingo, 21d
Soviet Russia and Red China Liberate People, 21d
Sphere of Personal Interest, 74b-c
Spinoza, Baruch, Dutch, Pantheistic Mystic, 29b

Spiritual Age, A New, 68d-70b

State, Perfect, of Human Being, 126b
Stoics, Greek, Pantheistic, 29c
Strain, Tensin and, 42c-44b
Student Interested in Evolvement, 83b-c
Subconscious State Sleep, 35b
Sudden Illumination, 93b-95d
Suggest to Oneself the Consciousness, 16c
Superstition, Premonitions No, 5c-7a
Survival of Consciousness, 19b-20b
Symbols, A Kind of Shorthand, 26a, 27a
T
Teachings Produce Effects Within, 94a
Teachings, Rosicrucian, Made Public, 136b
Technicians, Engineers, Draftsmen, Demanded, 63d
Techniques, Rosicrucian, 114a-115d
Tensin and Strain, 42c-44b
The Final Judgment, 15b-d
Therapeutics Now Controls Diseases, 76a
The Survival of Consciousness, 18c-20b
Theism, 55d
Thinker, The Creative, 38d-40d
Think for Oneself, 84c
Thoughts? How Original Are Our, 117d-119d
Thoughts That Destroy Man, 16a-17c
Time for Choosing, A, 11lc-112a
Time vs. Increasing Obligation, 42d
Transition Is Inevitable, 75b-77b
Transition, Why? 140c-d
Truth, Living in, 108a
Turmoil Exists, Understand Where, First, 47d
Tum the Cheek, 18a-b
u

Unconscious Work Done by Cosmic Mind, 45b

Understanding and Control of Environment, 62a, 64a
Understanding the Nature and Potential of Life, 102c
Universal Ethics, 78c-81b
Universal Mind, 59d
Untruth Is An Unreality, 80d
V
Valu of Confession, 88a-91a
Valu of Life, 52b-53b
Valu of Rituals, 26a-27d
Valu of Scepticism, 9c-lid
Vales From Past Incamations Eternal, 32b
Vales, Basis of Philosophy of Life, lile
Vatican Announcement for Christian Unity, 21d
Vibrations of Thought, Aura, Sound, 93a
Violation of the Inalienable Right, 80c-d
Virtue To Have Practical Application, 133b
Visualization, 64b-65a
Visualization, Practice Five Minutes A Day, 132d-133a
Visualize Valences as Electromagnetic Fields, 78b
Vital Life Forc in Man, 18d
Vocabulary, A System of Symbols, 59a-b
w

Warned Intuitively, 139a-b

Ways To Approach New Knowledge, 9c
What Is An Atheist? 55c-56d
What Is Luck? 129b-130d
Why A Rosicrucian Museum? 112a-114a
Why Does Man Reject Wisdom? 74a-75b
Why Kneel? 91d-92d
Why Transition? 140c-d
Will of God - Logos, 41b-42c
Wisdom, No Sacrosanct, Denied Man, 104a
Wisdom? Why Does Man Reject, 74a-75b
Witchcraft, Dangers of Modern, 122a-124c
Word, The Lost, 92d-93b
Word Went Forth, The, 40d-42c
Work Fulfilling Obligations Is Disturbing, 47a
Worry and Mental Overstrain Remedies, 43a-c

R O S IC R U C IA N P R E S S , L T D ., S A N J O S E

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L.ITH O IN U . S . A .