Chapter 8 ::: Enlightenment - Sun
Mystical States of Consciousness & Free Will By Richard Alan Miller, © 2007
Introduction When I taught Parapsychology and Shamanism at the University of Washington in 1976, the only real books on the subject were mostly rehash of such works as Carlos Castaneda and various Brazilian Bruhos (sorcerers). I wanted something with more depth. That's when I discovered Dr. John Curtis Gowan work at Northridge. Gowan was a veteran educational psychologist whose primary work involved the fields of guidance, measurements, and gifted children. This led him toward the nature of creativity, and the first title in his all-important trilogy: “The Development of the Creative Individual.” This joining of the Erikson affected stages and the Piagetian cognitive stages unified Periodic Development Stage Theory, where creativity was identified as the cognitive development stage beyond formal operations. The second book, “The Development of the Psychedelic Individual” identified psychedelia (mind expansion), as the subsequent cognitive stage beyond creativity (corresponding with Eriksonian generativity period). This led him to write his third and most important book in the trilogy “Trance, Art, & Creativity.” This monumental trilogy led him to receive a Nobel Prize in Psychology. The third book became a classic work on the ontology of mystical states, and eventually to the development of the Northridge Development Test. This third book named three modes of contact between the conscious ego and the collective preconscious. I used this third book for more than eight years, finding it absolutely consistent with my understandings of various mystical states and observed paranormal phenomena. It was basically a psychological analysis of the relationship between the Individual Ego and the Numinous Element in three basic modes: Prototaxic, Parataxic, and Syntaxic (modes of consciousness). The taxonomy goes from a state of complete cognitive chaos (such as schizophrenia) through other types of dissociation and trance (which are regarded as prototaxic model). This then goes to a middle ground of parataxic modes, which involves some amelioration of the relationship with the conscious ego through successive states of archetype, dream, ritual, myth. The final stage of consciousness, known as Art (syntaxic mode) implies some cognitive control (involving creativity, biofeedback, and meditation) among others. Definitions are now needed to proceed with this ontology. The Numinous Element - To begin this journey, one must postulate the existence of the numinous element, what Jung called the “collective unconscious.” (also known as “The Spirit of Man.”) The Aztecs called it “Smoking Mirror,” which indicates an impersonal aspect. Also known as “the clear light of the Void,” it tends to not be personal in nature. For reference, one would never think of playing with high voltage electricity without the most careful insulation preparations. Similar precautions are also necessary with the numinous element. In the prototaxic mode, the requirement is the excursion of ego-consciousness and the loss of memory of the encounter. In parataxic mode, the matter is handled through ritual and images. The Three Illusions - First discussed in Laurence LaShan monumental work “The Medium, The Mystic, and the Physicist,” the physical universe is associated with our ordinary states of consciousness, and does not represent ultimate reality. Ultimate reality is also outside time, as it is outside space. Ultimate reality also transcends our sense of separate personal consciousness. Space, time and personal consciousness are thus the three illusions. It was Mark Twain who once said that every idea goes through three stages: “First people say it is impossible, then they say it conflicts with the Bible, and finally they end up believing it believing it.” Prototaxic Experience - Characterized by loss of ego, known as Trance states of consciousness. Parataxic Experience - Characterized by the production of images, whose meaning is not clear or categorical, known as Art states of consciousness. Syntaxic Experiences - Where meaning is more or less fully cognized symbolically, with ego present. This state is known as the Creative State of consciousness.
Ontology of Mystical States
Trance States of Consciousness: Schizophrenia Panic-Reaction Developmental Forcing Unstressing Trance Group Trance Dance Possession Trance Mediumistic Trance Shamanistic Trance Initiation Paraphernalia and Familiars Magic Hypnosis Hysteria Autohypnosis and Autogenic Training Psychedelic Drugs Mescaline LSD Marijuana Delirium Sensory Deprivation ESP Effects Hallucinations Auditory Visual Hypnagognic Sensory Deprivation Death of Agent Healing and the Conquest of Pain Folk Healing with Drugs ( South America ) Psychic Surgery Hypnotic Control of Pain Accelerated mental Process Mastery of Fire Psychokinesis and Poltergeist Phenomena Out of Body Experience Mob Contagion Glossolalia Xenoglossia Single Limb Trance – Automatic Writing Religious Trances
Art States of Conscnousness
Archetypes Dreams Nightmares Hypnotic Investigation of Dreams Dreams and Creativity Dreams and the Paranormal Lucid Dreams, High Dreams, and Programmed Dreams Myth Myth and Animals Totemization of Myth Talismans Myth and Ritual Ritual Art Image Magic Art as Representation of the Numinous Metaphysical Art Art and Creativity
Creative States of Consciousness
The Three Illusions The Right Cerebral Hemisphere Function Siddhis ES P, Telepathy, Precognition, Psychometry, Accelerated Mental Process Human Auras and Kirlian Photography Healing and Anesthesia from Pain Power of Fire Psychic Heat OBE, Traveling Clairvoyance, Levitation, Magical Flight Psychokinesis Breathing, Autonomic Processes, Kundalini, Psychic Sound Trantric Sex (Jhana-6) Creativity (Jhana-5) Symbolization in Verbal Creativity Cognitive, Rational, and Semantic Personal and Environmental Psychological Openness Hypnosis Drugs ESP Dreams and Creativity Preconscious Self-Actualization Joy, Content, and Expectation of Good Serendipity Control of Environment Sense of Destiny Acceptance of Self, Others, Nature Spontaneity Detachment and Autonomy Brotherly Love Unhostile Sense of Humor Psychological and Semantic Flexibility ”Witness Phenomenon” Biofeedback (Jhana-4) Alpha Wave Training and Implications for Meditation Alpha and Creativity Orthocognition (Jhana-3) Morality Healing Meditation (Jhana-2) Nichiren Shoshu Transcendental Meditation Psychocatalysis Arica Zen Vedanta Integral Yoga Psychedelia and Ecstasy Responsive Experiences (Jhana-1) Adamic or Time Ecstasies (“Access” or Jhana-0) Knowledge Ecstasy (Jhana-1) Knowledge-Contact Ecstasy of Degree 1 (Jhana-2) Knowledge-Contact Ecstasy of Degree 2 (Jhana-3) Knowledge-Contact Ecstasy of Degree 3 (Jhana-4) Unitive Stage Ineffable Contact (Jhana-5) Transcendental Contact (Jhana-6) Ineffable Union (Jhana-7) Transcendental Union (Jhana-8)
Yoga Forms
The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yog , which means “union” of “contact.” Yoga is the science of the union of the human being with the divine that dwells within. The various great mystical texts of India , such as the Bhagavad-Gita, mention the following great divisions of Yoga. Hatha Yoga – Ha means the moon and tha the sun. This branch of Yoga is concerned with the regularization or control of the breath. This is to modify the circulation of the prana or vital fluid in the physical body. By modifying prana, the yogi acts upon his psychic being, then on his mind, which is then modified. Thus, this is the yoga of physical exercises, or postures (asanas). This is essentially a Shivaist yoga. Raja Yoga – Also known as royal yoga, it begins where Hatha yoga ends. Its emphasis is the mind, the goal being to direct the current of prana. Mental concentration plays an essential part. It is essentially a Vishnuist yoga. Bhakti Yoga – This is the yoga of devotion, of love for the divine and for the guru who is its human form. Because of its devotional nature, this yoga is one of the most accessible to the Western mind. Karma Yoga – This is also known as the yoga of action and its subdivided into a number of other yogas. This is the yoga of duty accomplished without affection, selfishness, or self-interest. It is exemplified in the great instruction given to Arjuna by Krishna in the Gita, when the young prince, on the battlefield of Kurukshitra, hesitates before fighting. Jnana Yoga – Also known as the yoga of knowledge, it is the intellectual realization of the divine that leads to an intuitive realization. Any of the various yogas are superimposed one upon another. It is important for the student to9 have a teacher (or guru), for in following the practices at random and without dir4ection, the student is liable to fall into a kind of physic passivity, absolutely the opposite of the mystic experiences of yoga. The purpose of the teacher is to regulate the exercises and assign the method suitable to the individual disciple. Tantric Yoga
Tantra is a spiritual method or yoga that takes into account both inner and outer realities. Derived from the root words meaning “to expand,” “weave,” or “extend consciousness,” Tantra implies a continuity beyond the physical plane. Tantra teachings evolved in India and eventually spread to Nepal , Tibet , China , Japan , Thailand , and Indonesia . These teachings are particularly relevant in this period of materialism and narcissism, since all human activities can be used as tools in the Tantric path toward liberation. Tantra practices are a meditation system that aims at the experiences of the highest bliss in physical and spiritual relations by cultivating the totality of one's erotic potential. Ancient scriptures containing the mystical teachings and ritual instructions of Tantra are called tantras . Briefly, they teach that earthly delights stem from the union of opposites and are achieved with an ideal partner. Such a union is said to exemplify the harmony of creation and be a step toward perfection (i.e., union with God). The power of love thus becomes central to the whole of existence. Kama , or desire, is a creative principle that aims at the perfection of life on earth, just as the divine love that Krishna bore the shepherd girl Radha, representing the cosmic energies of creation in action on earth. Among the Tantric aids to meditation are mantras, sacred sounds that may be visualized as yantras, and mandalas, symbols of psychic wholeness. Kundalini is a Sanskrit word for the normally latent psychosexual power that, when awakened, ascends through the central channel of the subtle body. The root word kunda means “a pool or reservoir of energy.” Kundalini is likened to a coiled snake, ready to strike at any moment. When this energy is correctly directed, it can bring about cosmic consciousness and liberation. Varui8ous meditations for the awakening of Kundalini have been given for each herb in the Ritual Use section of my book The Magical and Ritual Use of Aphrodisiacs. The first action required by Tantric yoga is the cleansing of the nadis , the more highly developed nerve ganglia points in the body. These points have also been associated with the charkas but are really like tubes connecting the various charka points. This purification is carried out by means of special body postures (asanas) and by breathing exercises (pranayama). The mind is trained to concentrate itself upon a point or an object, real or imaginary, in order to remain calm and take the form that the will of the yogi wishes to impose upon it. This mental process is called Dhahran (concentration). When the mind can identify with the divine presence in every human being, a state called Samadhi has been reached.
Sex Magick The alchemy described in the Tantric texts is often obscure and the secret door will not open to the uninitiated without a key. Rather than transmuting baser metals into gold, this alchemy actually takes place within the body. It is a hermetic distillation of actual bodily fluids, where the body itself provides all the instruments and utensils used by the alchemist. By appropriating ritual movements, the gross substance within oneself can be transformed into the subtle quintessence that can reinvigorate the physical frame. Through a series of rituals, the body begins to “glow”; this activates supernatural faculties and puts the practitioner in communication with any entity in the universe. This naturally presupposes a complex system of subtle anatomy and physiology based on the charka or plexuses of the etheric body, All power is promised to those who can siphon the lower energy toward the upper, but this is almost impossible for the layman. A tremendous need for discipline is required, discipline that is usually beyond the capacity of the average individual. A sympathetic resonance does exist between the charkas, however. By Tantric methods, the Kundalini can be made to blaze up through the charkas, igniting each until this stream of flame reaches the crown, or sahasrara charka One rite commonly celebrated in many Tantric sects is known as the chakra-puja , or circle worship. The participants sit in a circle, alternating male and female, implying complete mutual equality among those present. One couple sits in the center of the circle. A ceremonial meal consisting of wine, meat, fish, and bread is followed by a rite of sexual intercourse. Those food items represent certain fundamental categories equated with the elements and the interior faculties of the body. Wine symbolizes fire and the subtle draught of immortality that the Tantric must learn to distill and drink. Meat symbolizes air and the bodily functions that must be brought under control. Fish represents water and the techniques of sexual occultism. Breath is the earth, or the natural environment, which must be understood and controlled. Sexual intercourse ( maithuna ) symbolizes ether, the quintessence of all the elements, and is a means to the final goal of all Tantric endeavors. Though it one apprehends the ultimate reality. The sex act in its normal, gross form may occasionally bring a fleeting revelation eternal truth, but that would be rare, as the smoke of passion usually clouds the mind. Sex as a sacred ritual unclouded by passion can reveal being, expand consciousness, and confer true bliss. The way through pleasure ( bhukti ) can lead one to redemption ( mukti ). Sex, from this perspective, can be a way of salvation. This is the basis of the secret of tantra.
On the Practice of Ritual and Ceremony There are three phases of every ritual process: • Separation from profane or daily life, • The transition stage, or twilight zone, which lies between, • The new order or perception of reality that occurs in the sacred time of the soul. The in-between, or twilight zone, creates a st6ate of receptivity. Ritual acts reawaken deep layers of the psyche and bring the mythological or archetypal ideas back to memory. Magic is the transition from passivity to activity in which the will is essential. By contrast, schizophrenic magic is not followed by realistic action; the fantasy is a substitute for action where the ego should be weak or even absent. Ritual is often considered the celebration of a myth. Myth functions as a paradigm, or model. In this school of thought, the construct of a ritual can be seen as the enactment of the myth, the myth being recognized as the source of all action. Myth is a dynamic expression of the motivational power of the archetype at its core. The main value of ritual is for the soul. Ritual can be defined as an imitation of a numinous element (or god form) in the life of the aspirant. Ritual can be seen as the outward or visible form of contact or as an epiphany with an inward or spiritual grace. It is essentially a metaphorical expression of creative imagination. The symbol always starts on the inside as a form of consciousness and is projected outward. Magical rituals contain basic elements that appear in approximately the following sequence:
• Setting up the circle to define a working area. • A form of banishing to clear the working area and help concentration and focusing. • Middle Pillar exercise to bring in light and build up libido or magical potency. This helps participants visualize their subtle body or body of light. • Invocation, or the “calling in” of the desired god form or attributes in an attempt as self-transformation. • Changing of a Eucharist with the energy of the god form, and its consumption as an epiphany with the god. • Meditative period. • Banishing to return the aspirant to normal consciousness. • Closing the temple. These steps may be expanded to include divination, dance, dramatic scenarios, or sex magic acts. Any appropriate gestures may be added (like massage or mudras), but none of these basics can be omitted without incurring the peril of exposing the soul to random forces. The purpose of ritual lies in its expression as an art form. Partaking in its performance is an end in itself. The spiritual import lies in the quality with which the ritual is conducted. Ritual, as symbolic action, is the enactment of mythic patterns for the sheer joy of the relationship with the archetypal dimension. Remember, the purpose of the ritual; is an end in itself. This can leave no room for rationalizing the need for results.
Sex Magick The first use of sex within the rituals of western traditions of magic began with the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), an 800- year-old Masonic order in Germany . Members had studied the Hindu traditions of Tantra and found the energy contained in those rituals was greater than in any other know technique. At the turn of the century, Aleister Crowley became their new Outer Head of the Order (O.H.O.) and rewrote those rituals for a more contemporary application. For a clear picture of this technique, it is recommended that the stude4nt first read chapter 16 of The Tree of Life by Israel Regardie, followed by pages 82-86 of Liber Aleph, The Book of Wisdom or Folly by Aleister Crowley. The “Mass of the Holy Ghost” is described on page 86: de Formula Tota On the complete formula. Here then is thy Schedule for all Operations of Magick. First: thou shalt discover thy True Will, as I have already taught thee, and that Bud therefore which is the Purpose of this Operation Next, formulate this Bud-Will as a Person, seeking or constructing it, and naming it, according to thine Holy Qabalah, and its infallible Rule of Truth. Third: Purify and consecrate this Person, concentrating upon him, and against all else. This Preparation shall continue in all thy daily Life. Ark well¨ make ready a New Child immediately after every Birth. Fourth: make an especial and direct Invocation at thy Mass, before the Introit, formulating a visible Image of this Child, and offering the Right of Incarnation. Fifth: perform the Mass, not omitting the Ipiklesis and let there be a Golden Wedding Ring at the Marriage of thy Lion and thine Eagle. Sixth: at the Consumption of the Eucharist accept this Child, loosing thy Consciousness in him, until he be well assimilated within thee. Now then do this continuously, for by Repetition cometh fourth both Strength and Skill, and the Effect is cumulative, if thou allow no time for it to dissipate itself. We will now describe in simple terms how this formula is applied to sex magic: • Discover your true will. What is the purpose of the operation? Or perhaps you wish to have some event occur, etc. • “Name it” – as a person, an entity which has its own personality. It could be that wish to change a habit. If that is the case, then treat this new proposed change as a new entity, a new person who is not you. This is the detail to the purpose. • Purify and consecrate this new person. This is the point where you and your mate generate the desire, the foreplay with each reminding the other continuously of the purpose of the operation. This is the bud-will. • Formulate an image of this bud-will into a child a magical child). With entry, you both begin to redefine the child. The proper term for this is synergy: the creation of new information to add and supplement the original intent. It is the invocation. You begin to live what you create. For visualization, the Red Lion is the male essence and the White Eagle is the female men strum. Form a bond with the gold ring. This is the climax! The Red Lion becomes the White Lion and the White Eagle becomes the Red Eagle. • Consume the Eucharist and know that no other energy is necessary. After the climax, both male and female should eat the semen and menstrum. The Eucharist in alchemical terms is the Philosopher's Stone. Note: The thought during a sexual climax …. happens! (This is the Masonic secret) As a final note, it should be remembered that only odd numbers of mushrooms should be eaten, never even numbers.
Purpose of Magick People who take a major mind alternant are actually performing an act of magic. The first and most important question that should be asked is, “Why am I performing this act?” In other words, “What is the goal?” Classical Hinduism suggests four possibilities: • Increased personal power, intellectual understanding, improvement in life situation or insight into “self.” • Duty, to help others, providing care or rehabilitation. Healing. • Fun, sensuous enjoyment, and pure experience. • Transcendence, liberation from the three basic illusions: space, time, and ego. Attainment of mystical union.
Once a goal has been selected and defined, the next most important question should then be asked: “What is your method of reprogramming?” I recommend reading “The Psychedelic Experience” by Timothy Leary. This manual guides one through the intermediate states between death and rebirth. It systematically list the levels of consciousness met after normal consciousness leave the place of routine reality. It attempts to forewarn and prepare the voyager for the range of visions to be encountered. Leary's manual is based on the Bardo Thodol. The Bardo Thodol , which first appeared in English as the Tibetan Book of the Dead in 1927, is used in Tibet as a breviary to be read or recited on the occasion of death to help the dying person concentrate on the experience he or she is about to undergo. It is a road map to the cycles of events after death that lead to either liberation or reincarnation. In highly symbolic language, the spirit is told what to expect in each of the three stages between death and rebirth. The first stage describes psychic happenings at the moment of death; the second stage describes the dream state that follows and the “karmic” illusions that occur, and the third step describes the beginning of prenatal feelings, or the return of the ego. Leary's The Psychedelic Experience is the perfect book written for this for of magic. He has modularized each point correctly, including the ability to literally create rebirth! With this manual, one can actually reprogram attitudes, behavior patterns, and goals in life. Everyone should experience a controlled programmed LSD-like trip once. It is a form of initiation.
Autarchy
The term autarchy synonymous with autocracy , the system of government where power is held by an individual. An autocracy is a form of government in which the political power is held by a single person. The term is derived from the Greek word autokratôr (lit. "self-ruler", "ruler of one's self"). Autocracy is not synonymous with totalitarianism , as this concept was precisely forged to distinguish modern regimes that appeared in the 1930s from traditional dictatorships . It also isn't synonymous with military dictatorship , as these often take the form of "collective presidencies" (see the South-American juntas ). However, an autocracy may be totalitarian or be a military dictatorship. But, it may also be a liberal autocracy governed by an "enlightened despot" who allows a significant amount of individual rights, such as freedom of speech and private property. The term monarchy differs in that it emphasizes the hereditary characteristic, though some Slavic monarchs traditionally included the title "autocrat" of part of their official styles. The actual power of the monarch may be limited. Historically, many monarchs ruled autocratically but eventually their power was diminished and dissolved with the introduction of constitutions giving the people the power to make decisions for themselves through elected bodies of government . The autocrat needs some kind of power structure to rule. Only a boss of a street gang or a barbarian chieftain can truly rule with only his personal charisma and his fighting skills. Most historical autocrats depended on their nobles, the military, the priesthood or others, who could turn against the ruler and depose or murder him. The true nature of a historical autocracy can be difficult to judge.
Add Free Will and True Will
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