The Rosicrucian Forum

August 1942 - June 1945

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A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,
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THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, C alifornia,

under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal A ct of Oct. 3, 1917.

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No. 1
AUGUST, 1942
Vol. XIII
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ODE TO GOD
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. . In its sublime research, philosophy

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M ay measure out the ocean-deep may count
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The sands or the sun's rays but, G o d ! fo r Thee

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There is no w eight nor measure; none can mount
Up to Thy mysteries: Reason's b rig h te st spark,

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Though kindled by Thy lig h t, in vain would try
To trace Thy counsels, infin ite and dark;
<1
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And th o u g h t is lost ere th o u gh t can soar so high,
Even like past moments in e te rn ity.............

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The
chain
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f
being
is
com
plete
in
me;
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In me is m atter's last gradation lost,
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A
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the
next
step
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p
irit
D
eity!
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1 can command the lightning and am dust!
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A monarch, and a slave; a worm, a god!

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Whence came 1 here, and how? so marvelously

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onstructed
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conceived?
unknown!
this
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Lives surely through some higher energy;
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For from its e lf it could not be!

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C reator, yes! Thy wisdom and Thy word
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C reated me! Thou source o f life and good!

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Thou sp irit o f my spirit, and my Lord!
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Thy lig h t, Thy love, in th e ir b rig h t plenitude

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Filled me with an im m ortal soul, to spring
O ver the abyss o f death; and bade it wear
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The garments o f eternal day, and wing

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Its heavenly flig h t beyond this little sphere
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Even to its source to Thee its A u th o r there.

G avriel Romanovitch Dershavin.

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM

Page 2

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ear F ratres a n d S orores :

W hat are the dangers the individual not in

combat or liable to combat confronts in the present world-wide conflict? This is a question seri
ously contemplated by many persons who hesitate
to express it. Present events have already proven
that the non-combatant often has suffered equally
with the warrior in a physical sense. Historically
it is a false assumption that today, for the first
time in the sanguinary annals of war, man has in
tentionally sought to strike behind the lines of
conflict at the helpless non-combatants. Rather, it
should be said that from the military viewpoint
it is the first time that he has been so successful
at this operation upon a large scale.
It has long been a sound military theory that
war can go on indefinitely if the bases of supply
and the industrial army behind the warriors can
remain intact. Obviously the best trained army
in the field will fail if its sources of food and
equipment behind it are destroyed, not to mention
its demoralisation, if it learns that that which it is
fighting for has been decimated. One only needs
to refresh his memory on the military campaigns
of Sennacherib, King of Assyria about 681 B. C.,
to reveal how even that ancient sought to flank
his enemys armies in the field and strike back of
them at the granaries and capture the women and
children, and thus bring the foe to their knees.
Such methods more often failed, only because a
strong force could prevent the break through. To
day, air power and well organised sabotage succced, in the behind the lines attack, where the
ancient military geniuses failed.
W ar may start out upon a plane of ethics,
but usually, as the campaign becomes more in
tense, it reverts to its palmary basis of victory at
any price. Historians have a pleasant way of
glamorising .war, perhaps by emphasising the end
attained, which often, to the reason, seems to
justify it. Either their ignorance or intentional
omission conceals the methods which were often
used by past notable heroes to accomplish their
ends. Consequently, it is sheer stupidity for any
one to romance about war, or to surround it
with an atmosphere of decency or nicety. W ar
is what Sherman said it was. Therefore, no na
tions participating in a life-and-death struggle can
or doresort to chivalry. Chivalry consists of
that humanitarian quality of considering the other
fellow. W hen an adversary has his fingers tightly
clenched about your throat and the point of a
dagger at your heart, just how much can you af
ford to concede to him? A t least, this is the atti

V
tude of those whose responsibility it is to prose
cute the war.
This attitude is brought home forcefully, in
fact engendered in the consciousness of the soldier
on the front line, in a very brief time by the
realism of the circumstances which he confronts.
The non-combatant who stands watching his home
consumed by fire, the result of a ravishing air raid,
while perhaps the mangled body of his small
daughter lies at his feet, is also quite aware of an
instinctive urge to retaliate in any way. The re
sult, from a strictly military point of view, is that
the soldier's morale becomes higher. Conditions
require that his morale be that attitude of mind
conducive to fighting, namely, that he display a
belligerency toward the enemy. Futhermore, the
non-combatant whom the flames of war have
seared, as in the analogy above, becomes by the
experience a more ardent supporter of the behindthe-lines campaign. He develops an Ill do my
darndest to get even spirit.
The function of war is destructive, whether it
is an offensive or defensive one. N o matter how
idealistic the end sought, no war is won except by
the nower which causes the greatest destruction
of the lives and resources of its enemies. It is
impossible to expect war to be anything else but
of such a nature. It becomes, therefore, not a
question of having a nice war, but rather, of
avoiding any war. However, once a nation is
obliged to enter war, as we are, it must accept
it with all of its horrors. There is no compromise.
Either civilisation develops a substitute for war,
or it must endure it for what it is. Consequently,
when war descends, rests upon a people or a
nation as an evil cloak, it is too late to lament
that attitude of mind which by necessity comes
from it.
It is to be expected that certain writers of the
press, and of monthly publications, and speakers
in radio broadcasts who are professional propa
gandists, will stimulate and disseminate ideas of
hatred, retaliation, and revenge. Psychologically,
these ideas are essential to inculcating that fury
and passion which must be so that one can de
stroy, and as we have said, war is rooted in de
struction. It seems brutal, bestial, that we must
expect such doctrines to be extant, but they are
the attributes of war, just as pain and death are
the consequence of disease.
From a mystical conception, it is foolhardy, on
the one hand, to believe war necessary, and to
loyally patriotically, wish to support our govern
ment in it, and, on the other hand, hope to re
move from it that sting upon which war depends

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORM

for its successful culmination. W e are deep within a war, which no matter how you look upon the
struggle, is survival for those principles which the
majority of peoples in America and its allies con
ceive to be right. Therefore, we must expect to
be encouraged to hate those who, it is declared,
promulgated the conflict, and further, to hold no
method or acts in actual conflict in abeyance,
which will conclude the war victoriously for our
nation and its allies.
From the point of view of war psychology, such
propaganda is fundamentally essential. You can
not fight a man you love; you cannot kill the
people of a nation which has committed wrongs
against you unless your passions are aroused with
great intensity. That one is expected to feel this
way is most deplorable, it is admitted. That
humans should harbor such thoughts is contrary
to every religious and mystical preceptbut so
is war. If we have allowed international condi
tions to reach such a point of confusion that war
develops, then these conditions follow as a natural
consequence, just as day follows the appearance
of the sun.
The greatest danger to the non-combatant is
the psychological effect upon his mind, upon his
thinking, and his attitude toward peoples, which
will remain with him long after the war. Now
as Rosicrucians, we can generalise our feelings in
such a way that we do not lessen our sincere de
sire to help our respective nations in their hour
of peril, and yet, not embitter our souls and
become entirely carnal. In other words, unfor
tunately, many individuals have to personalise
their feelings, just as they personalise their God.
They cannot intentionally dislike or hate just a
principle, a method, a policy, or a system. It is
impossible for them to become aroused over an
inanimate, vague generality. They must always
reduce these things to material forms, principally
people. Each of you knows how some individuals
will manifest a hatred toward any person associ
ated with some activity which they dislike,
whether that person has personally brought them
an injury or not.
Consequently, we find today persons who do
not vent their hate upon the political systems and
groups which have precipitated them into the
present war, but rather, they have developed a
personal hatred toward all peoples of the nation
ality or of the race associated with the political
system. It is not uncommon to hear people refer
with intense hatred to the Japanese, as a race or
as a people, as bandy-legged,' slant-eyed,"
monkey-faced," etc. Such is a misplaced hatred.
It is a venom that is most dangerous, for it holds
a race and a people as a whole responsible for
what a few or a party have committed as a gross
wrong.

Page 3

Japan as a nation was very wrong in the com

mission of many of her acts which have involved
America in war, and this country, therefore, is
justified in looking upon Japan as an enemy and
as a foe. However, the disparaging of a people,
that is, their physical proportions and their ap
pearance, is child-like and unwarranted. To criti
cise the physical appearance of any race implies
a racial superiority on the part of those doing the
criticising. A fter all, is not this just one of the
reasons why the Allies are engaged in war, name
ly, to do away with the false conception that one
race is more God-like than another?
The danger the average citisen faces today as
a non-combatant, we repeat, is that his hatred
will become personal, rather than impersonal.
Hatred cannot be turned off and on like a water
faucet. W hen the Allies are victorious, as they
eventually will be, and the systems against which
they have fought have been destroyed, if the
peoples have nurtured a personal racial hatred
in their consciousness, such will continue long
after the peace conferences. The ebullience of
that hatred may become the cause of future racial
wars at a time toward which we now look for
continuous peace.
The systems against which we fight are wrong,
at least that is the way we now see them with our
present understanding. It is these political struc
tures which are our foes, and they should and
must be defeated, and we must have that feeling
toward them that we have toward all wrong. But
certainly we should not display a hatred toward
every man, woman, and child who lives under the
yoke of those systems. In other words, they
should not be disparaged as human beings. Rosi
crucians, generalise, not personalize, your feelings.
Fraternally,
R a lp h

M.

L e w is ,

Imperator.
F ro z en F o o d s
Frosen foods have become exceedingly popular
during the past two or three years. They are now
used abundantly throughout the entire United
States, especially in the N orthern and Eastern
cities where it is difficult to obtain fresh vege
tables during the winter months. Even here in
California practically all of the markets have a
frosen-food refrigerator. These frosen vegetables
are attractively packaged, and since they are pre
pared for immediate use, have become a real labor
saver for the housewife.
It is natural that our Sorores would write to
us asking our opinion of frosen foods. Typical
of such questions is this one from a Soror in the
East: For practical reasons I have been using
quite a few of the frosen foods and should like

Page 4

to know whether or not to continue to do so.

Can you tell me whether the spiritual properties
are destroyed in the process of freesing?
This and similar questions are worthy of our
attention here in the Forum. Let us therefore
consider this matter for a few minutes. The vege
tables we eat restore to the physical body much
of the chemical and mineral elements that are
used up in the process of daily living. Green
salads are highly recommended because of their
abundance of mineral content. Sometimes much
of the food value is lost through cooking vege
tables, and thus the heavy meal of the day should
include a certain amount of fresh green stuff.
The question in our minds is whether or not
anything is destroyed by freezing these vegetables
for future consumption. Perhaps we can take a
clue from the laboratory of the biologist or from
the chemistry laboratory of a concentrated-food
manufacturer. W hen it is desirable to study the
action of a certain culture, the technician goes to
the refrigerator and brings out a test tube. If it
is examined immediately, it will be seen that the
culture is in a state of rest. To the untrained
it may seem that the life within the tube is dead.
But gradually as the tube warms up and reaches
room temperature or higher, a complete change
takes place, and the contents of the test tube
can be seen teeming with life. W e realise that
under the cold temperature the culture was at
rest, as though asleep. W e would call it a state
of quiescence or suspended animation. W hen the
tube is warmed up, however, the culture virtually
comes back to life. It continues its process of
assimilating, growing, and reproducing itself by
cell division.
Now if the researcher desires to destroy the
test-tube contents, he does not put them back
into the refrigerator, but rather he subjects them
to great heat. Heat will destroy the life in the
tube; cold will merely stop the process of ger
mination and growth. This is why it is neces
sary to keep milk, eggs, and other types of food
in a refrigerator. If milk becomes warm, it will
sour because of the germination of the bacteria
in it. You can freese the milk in the bottle and
keep it indefinitely. It will not sour when
thawed unless it is permitted to warm up too
rapidly.
In the cold limates of the North, it is still a
common practice of the farmer to freese meat
in the fall for use throughout the winter and
spring. W hen he desires a piece of meat, he
simply goes out to the icehouse and saws off
whatever he wants, takes it back to his kitchen,
and thaws it out before cooking. Incidentally,
such meat is far more tender and tasty than
fresh meat.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Experimentation has shown that the same thing

can be done with fresh vegetables if they are
properly packaged before putting them in the
refrigerator. They may be stored for many
months with no apparent harm. Upon chemical
analysis they are found to be unchanged and
just as nourishing as when first packed.
In order to destroy the spiritual property of a
food it is necessary to destroy the chemical and
mineral properties as well. Intense heat for a
long period of time will do this, but cold, on
the other hand, will preserve it. Those of our
Fratres and Sorores who wish to use frosen vege
tables on the table may do so without concern
for the loss of food value.

The Intuitive Urge

The intuitive urge is a phrase that all of you
have heard many times in our Forum as well as
read in articles in the Rosicrucian Digest. Per
haps you may feel it is becoming a boring sub
ject. The fact of the matter is, it can never
become a bore to the student of mysticism. There
are so many interesting ways in which so-called
intuition manifests.
A Frater asks, How is the intuitive urge best
recognised? He states that he has found upon
analysis that what he thought was intuition was
not, and that he has failed to realise a true intui
tive urge until it was too late to benefit by it.
It is easy to believe that almost all of us have
had this same experience. How often it happens
that we are forced to say, If I had only followed
up that hunch, everything would have turned
out all right. O r perhaps we have been forced
to think, I was sure my action would be for the
best since I was following an apparent Cosmic
urge. W e are forced to admit by these experi
ences that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a
real urge from a decision which is the result of
cold, objective reasoning.
Although it has been explained many times, it
is possible that some of you do not realise that
true intuition is a function of the Cosmic Con
sciousness. In other words, it is one of the many
ways in which Cosmic Consciousness manifests
If you will keep this fact constantly before you,
you will gradually overcome the tendency to
worry because of failure to develop the intuition.
You will then concern yourself with the devel
opment of Cosmic Consciousness instead. You
will realise that with such development of Cos
mic Consciousness will come a natural use of
the intuition.
Intuition is not something that will manifest
after careful, logical, objective thought and reas
oning. It is a spontaneous thought or idea that
will break in upon your consciousness even dur
ing the process of trying to think your way out

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of a problem or situation. Sometimes the intuitive

urge seems fantastic and unreasonable. Some
times it seems to have no place in the picture of
our objective thoughts. However, if it is truly an
intuitive urge, no logical thought will reason it
away. It will keep coming back time and time
again and will even pound at us when we are
carrying out action contrary to it. This is an
occasion when we perhaps will regret not fol
lowing the hunch.
Due no doubt to a simple experiment given
very early in the Rosicrucian work, the average
member has a wrong impression of the use of in
tuition. The result is that he becomes discouraged
with his attempts to stimulate and awaken this
dormant faculty of the subjective consciousness.
This simple experiment is the one that suggests
that the member ask questions of the inner self
and pause a moment in his thinking, awaiting
an intuitive answer. This experiment has a very
important purpose. It is to force the student to
become aware of the fact that he has an inner
self that can be relied upon in emergencies. It
forces the student to relax his objective mind for
a moment or two and seek help through medita
tion. The simple questions that are used such as
asking for the correct time of day are incidental
to the exercise. The answers received are of
little consequence, for after all it is still a simple
matter to look at a watch when one desires to
know what time it is. The act of doing the ex
ercise, however, has a far-reaching effect upon
the development of Cosmic Consciousness. It
trains one through practice to develop the habit
of calling upon the inner voice for help and
assistance. If the habit is formed in the simple,
unimportant things of life, then it will be used
at times when the student is truly in need of
Cosmic help and assistance. The results obtained
under these latter circumstances plainly demon
strate the progress and development that have
been the result of early practice and perseverance.
The thought, then, that persists in spite of evi
dence against it, may as a rule be considered an
intuitive urge, the whispering of the still, small
voice within. It is usually spontaneous and
comes in a flash. It is a completed picture or
thought. It does not come on gradually, step by
step, as a carefully thought-out-plan. It may
come to us in the form of a dream. It may arrive
while in meditation when the mind is relaxed
from the mundane affairs of life. On the other
hand, it may flash into our minds when otherwise
engaged mentally. W e may be driving down the
street in our car and have a flash or urge regard
ing some personal affair or perhaps even an affair
of another. It might even be an impression in
the nature of a prediction. But of one thing we

Page 5

can be sureit cannot be entirely forced out of

our consciousness if it is a true flash of intuition.

Care of the Teeth

Frater Nestor of the state of Massachusetts
presents an important subject for discussion to
day. It is the cause of sound and of decaying
teeth. He states that this question should be dis
cussed not so much from the physical point of
view as from the metaphysical viewpoint. He
specifically asks, W hy will a tooth decay in spite
of prophylactic precautions?
Now in spite of the fact that our Frater desires
this question discussed from the purely meta
physical viewpoint, we will have to concede that
actually it is a physical matter. Anything that
might be mentioned here this morning from the
metaphysical side must not be confined to the
teeth, for it would apply to every cell of the
physical body. There are metaphysical methods
of maintaining health and vitality, of stimulating
cell growth, but they include muscle, nerve, bone,
blood, and in fact every classification of cell life.
The Rosicrucian teachings deal exhaustively with
this matter of the application of metaphysics, not
only in the spiritual things of life, but the physi
cal as well. W e can say to Frater Nestor that
what he has learned in his studies in regard to
the maintenance of vital, healthy organs, what he
has learned in the way of polarisation of the
blood and the formation of cells, he should apply
daily to the maintenance of the teeth.
W hen we make a study of the teeth and how
they are formed, how they came into being in
the first place, we realise that fundamentally
they are no different than a cell of blood, a cell
of fat, and especially a cell of bone.
To the average person all that there is to a
tooth is that which he can see. This is indeed
unfortunate, for his attention is confined only
to the whiteness or dullness, as the case may be,
of the enamel of the teeth. Let us look beneath
this enamel for a moment.
If we examine the cross section of a tooth, we
find that it consists of the crown of enamel, and
next a layer of what is called dentine. This den
tine surrounds a cavity called the pulp cavity,
which continues down into the roots of the tooth.
The pulp is most important, for it is made up of
blood vessels, nerves, and loose tissue, including
special cells that send slender processes along
with nerve fibrilsthread-like fibersinto tubes
which run outwards through the dentine. All
around the roots of the tooth is a substance like
a cement. This cement overlaps the lower edge
of the enamel.
Nerve energy is fed through the roots of the
tooth, and the tooth cells grow and develop in
the pulp cavity. Metaphysically we would give

Page 6

our attention to the nerves and blood vessels that

feed the teeth through their roots. W hen we
have an unhealthy condition in any other area
of the body, we apply our treatment to the sympathetic nerves that are most closely related to
the affected part. The same is true of the teeth.
W e have ways and means of stimulating blood
circulation in the parts of the body. These same
methods should be applied to the jaw bones,
gums, and teeth. Simply because we do not
specifically stress methods of treating the teeth
does not mean they cannot be so treated.
W e have pointed out that although our frater
has stressed the metaphysical side of preventing
tooth decay, the physical is equally important.
Let us see, then, what causes it. First of all we
will concede that daily cleaning with a dentifrice
is the first step to prevention of tooth decay.
But, as our Frater points out, decay occurs in
spite of our efforts. W hat causes it?
It is generally believed and, in fact, proven,
that acids forming in the mouth either from fer'
mented particles of food or from an over-acid
condition of the body attack and cause the enamel
to erode and become soft, much as the chemi'
cal action of the sulphuric acid within a storage
battery will cause corrosion to form upon the
metal clips or wires connected to the terminal
posts. If this tooth decay is due to acid forma'
tion, then an alkalizing agent should be used to
prevent it.
Technically, tooth decay is known as caries.
In fact, this term is not confined to the teeth,
but refers to decay of bone structure as well as
other things that have no part in our present
discussion. And so we will find in the words of
the physicians such references as this: Caries
decay of the teethconsists in the dissolving out
of the earth salts in the tooth substance by acids
formed in the mouth. As we have suggested,
these acids can be due to other conditions than
lack of proper brushing. A generally acid sys'
tem, for example, will cause acid secretion of the
salivary glands. It is not too unwise to suggest
that the pulp formation in the pulp cavity might
at times be overly acid, thus causing a soft, pulpy
enamel, easy prey to attack from outside agents.
So far in these comments regarding the teeth
we have said little or nothing about the gums.
Insofar as maintaining healthy teeth is concerned,
the care of the gums is vital. They should be
thoroughly massaged twice each day with a good,
stiff"bristled brush. This, of course, can be done
during the orocess of the usual dailv cleaning
given the teeth. This massaging of the gums
stimulates blood circulation and promotes a
healthy condition of the mouth and hence the
sockets in which the teeth are mounted. The
gums, incidentally, can be treated metaphysically

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

just as can other parts of the body. Augment the

external, physical method of gum massage with
the metaphysical treatment.
W e have made no mention of seeing a dentist
regularly, for we feel it is a conceded point.
However, the next time you visit a dentist, ask
him his opinion of a proper dentifrice and what
system of gum massage is best. Your dentist is
in a better position to answer your questions
than anyone else.
Our Frater and Grand Counselor, J. Lewis
Blass, Ph. G., D. D. S., has written a book in
collaboration with a colleague, H arry Roth, B. S.,
D. D. S., that should be in every home. It is
entitled, Keep Your Own Teeth. This book
gives careful instructions in cleaning and mas'
saging the teeth and gums and has the added
benefit of instructions in proper food and meth'
ods of eating to keep the teeth healthy, in fact,
eating to keep the entire body healthy. This
book can, we believe, be obtained from The
Allied Dental Council, New York City.

Sterilization
A frater in the high degrees of the Rosieru*
cian teachings presents us with a subject for dis'
cussion that has probably occurred to many stU'
dents. It is the question of sterilisation of food
through the application of heat. W hat happens
to the potential life when an egg is immersed in
hot water? In what way is milk sterilised as in
pasteurisation?
Our Frater suggests that we kill something, and
that something is the power to germinate. The
power to reproduce its kind is removed from the
bacteria in the milk. He states, however, W e
do not actually kill life, as in some shape or other
life still remains in the milk, otherwise there caiv
not be change from one condition to another.
The specific questions asked are : W hat micro
scopic cells have been destroyed and how?
W hat becomes of this particle that ceases to
function?
W e learn early in our study of the nature of
matter that nothing in the universe can be de
stroyed. Nothing is ever lost. If it were possible
to measure the universe a million years hence, it
would be found to be the same as it is in the
present.
The process of applying heat to a substance
so changes that substance as to destroy life seem'
ingly. The life force, however, is not actually
destroyed. Its direction of manifestation is
changed. This change by fire is such as to prevent
further development of the egg, the bacteria, or
cell in its natural form.
The process of pasteurisation is not, as sug'
gested by our Frater, the same as sterilisation.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

In pasteurising milk, for example, only a pro'

portion of the bacteria are killed." Pasteurisa'
tion requires that the milk be raised to a certain
degree of heat, that is, the boiling point. This
kills" all the mature forms of organisms that
may be present. In order to kill" the spores
the seeds or reproductive body of bacteriaa
very high degree of temperature is required.
Boiling the milk for a long period of time will
do this. By a long period of time we mean several
hours. The spore or reproductive body of bac
teria and other low vegetable organisms is far
more resistant to heat and chemicals than the
full-grown, mature organism.
In sterilising surgical instruments, it is neces'
sary to subject them to strong chemical antisep'
tics or high temperatures for long periods of time
in order that the life force of the seeds be so
changed that the bacteria cannot grow, develop,
and reproduce themselves. Otherwise, should
they be transferred to the blood stream during a
surgical operation, infection would result, not as
quickly, perhaps, as it would if the mature or'
ganisms were so transferred, but there would
nevertheless be infection.
Fire, as we have learned, is the great purging
agent used for the purpose of transmutation.
Naturally, it is not the actual physical flame that
brings about the change, but rather the degree
of heat radiated by the flame. Thus any degree
of temperature above normal, i. e. room, temperature, will bring about some degree of change
in a substance to which this heat may be applied.
If prolonged, the degree of change that takes
place will be increased.
Since heat is the active agent in bringing about
the change, chemicals and antiseptics that radiate
heat may be used. Thus surgical instruments
that might be damaged by heat by fire or steam
are immersed in chemical solutions in order to
sterilise them. The life force of the mature bac'
teria as well as of the spores is so changed that
it does not manifest in the normal manner that
nature intended.
It has been stated by our Frater that life is
not destroyed in pasteurisation, for in spite of
this precaution, change will take place in the
milk, such as turning sour." W e have borne
out this fact by explaining that the life seed is
not affected by pasteurisation. However, the
process of sterilisation is sometimes used when
it is desired to preserve certain kinds of food.
From the Rosicrucian point of view we under'
stand that it is the vibratory rate of the cell, the
bacteria, that has been changed by the process of
raising to a high temperature. All that there is
in the universe is vibration. All that manifests
to us is the result of combining vibratory rates.
The difference between a live, healthy blood cell

Page 7

and one in a state of rest is the difference in the

vibratory rate of its positive nucleus and its negative shell or outer layer. W e can change the
nature of the cell by changing its vibratory rate.
This can be and is done by the application of
the purging agent, heat. Thus in sterilisation and
pasteurisation, no microscopic cells" have been
destroyed; they have only been changed by the
process of transmutation.

Mystical Insight and Perception

From our correspondence we find that most
members never tire of further explanations or
comments upon subjects closely related to mysti'
cism. To gain knowledge we must understand
the use of the apparatus with which we perceive
things and the ability to gain understanding
through insight into our subjective consciousness.
Of course, the first step in the gaining of any
ability is through knowledge. W e might ask who
can teach us, and the answer would normally be :
one who knows. By knowing" I mean one who
has gained the theoretical knowledge and has put
that knowledge into experience. If I had some'
thing physically wrong with me that seemed to
need adequate medical or other therapeutic care,
I would put myself in the hands of a capable
doctor. If I were reasonable and rational at the
time, I would allow that particular physician in
whom I placed my confidence to use his knowl'
edge and experience to decide what should be
done. This is because he would have experience
and knowledge in the field of therapeutics that
I did not have. O n the other hand, there seems a
tendency that any individual who reads a book on
psychic phenomena can set himself up to advise
others regarding mystical states, psychic appari'
tions and all kinds of non'objective experience.
He seems to feel he has gained a mastery over
subject matter which he has not adequately
studied.
An individual who enters this organisation en'
ters to study a philosophy, a science, if I may
call it that, which he has not had in an academic
field or in the usual field of physical experience.
He will have to begin at the bottom, and any
individual who is not sincere enough in his desire
to gain the knowledge of mysticism that Rosicru'
cianism can offer to study these Neophyte grades,
is not, in our estimation, ready for psychic de'
velopment. Therefore, these degrees will be ele'
mentary. They will be the equivalent of the
freshman or sophomore year in the University
which anyone would have to go back and repeat
if he changed his profession. Just as I would ex'
pect the professor in a particular field to be able
to direct me properly in gaining that knowledge,
so you who are potential mystics, who are begin'
ning this work, must put your confidence in the

Page 8

teachers who are directing you and who have

gone before.
Fortunately, in Rosicrucianism that does not
have to be confined to any two or three individuals. Rosicrucianism as contained in your
monographs is not the personal opinion of the
teachings of an individual. W hat the Orders
officers are attempting to do-is to direct you to
best understand the heritage of Rosicrucianism,
and to the best of our ability create an additional
heritage for the future with your cooperation. If
we are going to glimpse a mystical insight, we
must understand what we are approaching. I
have defined mysticism as the doctrine that true
knowledge of God, truth and the cosmic scheme
is attainable through immediate intuition or insight in a manner differing from ordinary sense
perception.
Mysticism throughout the history of all religions, throughout the long history of the Christian church and of those initiatory organisations,
such as the Rosicrucians, has been interpreted as
mans attempt to reunite himself with the source
from which he came, to actually become one with
the God. There are various routes by which we
might arrive at that union, and there are various
stages of union by which we gain a comprehension
of the light ahead. The lives of great mystics of
the past illustrate more than we can describe the
effect that this knowledge and experience have
had.
In this definition I have related mysticism with
objective perception. Objective perception is
what we can perceive through our sense faculties.
Now, everything that cannot be perceived in this
manner must come from another source. It comes
from the mind of the soul, or that phase of our
mind known as the subjective. I wish to stress the
fact that we must conceive the mind as a unit
and the objective and subjective as phases. Fur
thermore, we must always be conscious of the
fact that the brain is the seat of functioning of
the objective mind, and as long as you and I are
in physical bodies it is in that objective mind that
we think and have our being, as far as our con
scious states are concerned. In this particular
stage of evolution and development man is not
an individual who can think in the subjective
mind. Every thought we gain through intuition
that comes as a result of the knowledge of the
totality of the experience of the soul that is in the
subjective mind is that which we learn and be
come able to bring over into objective conscious'
ness. It is then that we become aware of those
processes, and that is why very early in the work
of this organisationin apparently simple experi
mentswe start training you to work upon the
ability to bring to the objective consciousness that
subjective storehouse of knowledge where you
can grasp hold of it when you want it. Practice

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

those exercises, and you will find you will gain

benefit in direct proportion to the time spent with
them. They are the key to the source of all
knowledge, the key to the understanding of your
position in the cosmic scheme.
Perception and insight differ. W e have sense
or objective perception; then there is a subjective
or psychic perception that comes from the sub
jective mind into our consciousness. Perception
is usually associated with the learning process;
that is, without perception how would we learn
anything? Nothing would come into our con
sciousness. W hile insight, differing from percep
tion, is considered an innate ability, or more
properly a potentiality, we might illustrate by
saying that perception in its broadest aspect is
elementaryinsight is co-ordinating. If I wrote
two plus two equals four, everyone could easily
perceive the marks I made; everyone who knew
what the Arabic numerals were could read the
signs I placed there. Possibly there would be
some young children who could read and point
out that two and two are four. However, only
experience through insight would cause them to
conceive the thing as a whole, to conceive a state
ment of physical fact that there was taking place
there a symbology of a manifestation of a law of
nature that two plus two are four.
The concept, the idea of the whole comes
through insight, not through perception. No
amount of perception will make it possible for
you to bring unrelated facts together. A t this
moment I perceive movement, I perceive a door
opening ant| closing, I perceive lights; but, if I
should perceive an individual arising, moving
away, then a door opening and the individual dis
appearing, by insight and co-ordination of the
sense perception I would put that all together and
would know he got up and walked out of this
room. This is the elementary ability we have in
our minds to co-ordinate our sense perceptions.
W hat if you only had perceptive ability and no
insight? You would be unable to put together the
unrelated conditions of your perception. Insight
and intuition are more closely related, because
it is through intuition that we gain subjective
knowledge, knowledge that is in the storehouse of
memoryknowledge of experience that comes
over into this life from previous lives, and also
that which we accumulate here. W e cannot keep
all our memories in the objective mind; we can
only recall and recollect. It is to this great store
house that we must turn to think of the experi
ences of yesterday.
Intuition is the path of insight. W e recall cer
tain memories easily according to the laws of
learning that the psychologist teaches us, but we
do not so easily co-ordinate these laws or these
previous facts. It is through the function of in
sight that we are able to gather together all im

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

mediate perception and all past experience and

cause them to function as a whole, so we see the
whole thing. Someone said something to the effect
that this existence on earth is only a manifesta'
tion of truth, but the actors who play are only
known to us by the things with which we associ'
ate them, so consequently, we never see the entire
play, the entire drama never takes place before
us from a physical point of view. Therefore, man
must not only gain the ability of insight to put
together the sense perceptions that he can gain in
his particular nook or corner of his environment,
but he must further gain the ability through the
power of intuition to bring out that knowledge
which will make it possible for him to fit in the
blank spaces that the performers about him do
not fill in.
Do you know the difference between an indi'
vidual who is a victim of his environment and
one who is a master of his environment? Possibly
no one is an absolute master of environment.
Have you not somewhat envied the individual
who seemed to feel at home in any situation, and
compared him with the individual who never
left the village where he was born and possibly
does not conceive anything beyond that point?
W hat is it that the first one has? He has experi'
ence that has been correlated with the memories
of his entire being; he has brought it all together;
he has filled in the blank spots and has rounded
out his existence. It is true that travel and par'
ticioation with other people in various activities
will help bring that about, but there have been
great learned men who have also stayed within
the confines of their village and still were able to
gain an insight into human nature and into uni'
versai understanding that was not gained by many
who traveled
I have already stated that we readily distinguish
between two modes in which the mind functions.
W e usually call these the objective and subjective,
and sometimes it helps us to* turn over in our
minds the terminology that will cause us to see it
from different viewpoints. The external mode in
which our attention is absorbed in things around
us is the objective phase; that is, it is a mode of
our existence which is being constantly modified,
constantly being played upon, and constantly re'
acting with the physical phenomenal world. On
the other hand, there is the internal mode of our
existence in which the mind may be described as
opened or illumined. It is a phase in which per'
sonal consciousness exists. It is the source of all
the intuitive knowledge which can come into our
being Thus I have repeated the same thing in
about four different ways, because I want you, as
Rosicrucians, to become more and more conscious
that if you are to gain that which you seek in
affiliating with this organisation, you are going to
have to become more and more familiar with the

Page 9

equipment which you have to use for this pur'

pose. If mysticism is a state of attainment of
unity with our Creator, then it implies that man
is on the road somewhere between the beginning
of that future and the eventual attainment. If
we could see graphically, pictured the march of
human beings that move through the world,
through the worlds history, and through the pres'
ent time, we would grasp the various positions
that each has occupied in his particular point of
advancement and particular phase of understand'
ing.
No two of us can be at the same point, and
furthermore, no measure of instruction can de'
termine where we are, because what we are at'
tempting to attain is not something that can be
measured by any unit of measure that you can
possibly conceive. W e have to bear in mind that
when we are dealing with the metaphysical we
are in a field beyond our objective reasoning, ex'
cept insofar as we have developed our intuitive
abilities to gain an understanding of that field.
Our understanding does not set a scale or a basis
upon which to begin. In mysticism the impeding
or detrimental conditions to a mystic conscious'
ness are those due to the external type that affect
our mind, our being. Those who truly develop
intuition and become leaders have become aware
of the firsthand source of insight and intuition.
To compare these two modes by experience we
learn that the external world is a closed world,
closed down to the very limitations of the things
of which it is made, of the physical that exists
to provide a place for this physical body to mani'
fest, whereas the world of appreciation of the
internal mode of our mind is open and free. It
knows no limitations in the sense that we under'
stand limitations. The mystics describe it as the
eternal world, a world in which it is impossible
to conceive of a barrier on any phase of its boun'
dary, because barriers can exist only in a world
where physical standards are maintained.
How are we to go about the development of
this mystical insight and intuition? The Rosicru'
cian teachings are proyided for that very purpose.
However, I want to tell you something if you do
not already know it; that is, it takes hard wor\.
You would be surprised at the number of students
who affiliate with this organisation and then,
when they find that out, they begin to wonder if
they want to go on. If you sit still nothing will
ever happen to you, unless the roof falls in. You
have to do somethingput yourself into motion.
You have to have the impelling energy to start
using vour potential abilities, and while they can
be easily proven in the field of physical laws, it is
no less so in the fields of metaphysical or mystical
experiences. If you are to attain something you
must begin upon a basis that you already know
and understand. You will find that the ele'

Page 10

mentary experiments and explanations in our

monographs provide those media. You begin with
the time of day, with the flame and aura of a
candle, with the directing of your attention to
one fixed object, with the learning how to visual
ise by experience all things that are somewhat
familiar to you, with which you can begin to
work and begin to deal without a feeling of
strangeness and uncertainty. Some are disap
pointed when they think they have to work with
something they already know about. But you
cannot work with anything else. From the known
to the unknown is the process of the cosmic, and
it is the process of your life.
You are born into this world with certain ele
mentary reactions physiologically. It is even
doubtful in the minds of the best psychologists
as to what instructions or native abilities you are
equipped with when you come into this world.
How did you arrive at your present state of being
then? By gaining the experience of others
through what they could tell you. That created
your knowledge and only knowledge, because
secondhand experience, while it sounds good, is
never usable. You put that into effect, and by
doing so you became intelligent men and women
who became able to speak a language and to per
form certain skills, most of them in the particular
fields which you have chosen or in which you
are interested.
The psychological approach to a complete un
derstanding of being has clearly indicated that
the ideas, thoughts and values can occur from
external and internal causes. True insight after
it is developed, and it is always in the process
of being developed, makes it possible for us to be
able to solve the problems of our existence. Fre
quently there comes into the mind a fact, or
train of thought, which previously existed in the
field of attention but which escaped that field of
attention. In other words, we were looking at
something and then looked away and did some
thing else. A few days later there comes into
thought that very same thing. W hat brings it?
It comes from what we ordinarily term recall'
or memory. W hen we become aware of the
fact that that is a thing which was experienced
in the past and is not a sense experience of the
time being, we are using our insight; that is, we
are developing more and more our ability to co
ordinate the faculties of mind into the considera
tion of everything as a whole.
Sometimes insight expresses itself in a most
sudden phase. Some flashes of knowledge and
understanding come to us after periods of rest
or change of thought. I believe everyone has had
the experience of retiring with a problem on his
mind and waking up with the solution apparent;
or has had the experience of having a weighty con
sideration occupy his attention for days, but some

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

relaxation or some sudden condition that took his

mind off it for a while will bring him back to a
clearer view of the situation. W hat happens in
the meantime, what is that in our minds which
causes us to be able to reapproach a subject from
a different point of view with a clear picture?
Insight is the ability of the mind to co-ordinate
what it has gained. The degree of our co-ordina
tion depends upon the degree of our psychic de
velopment, and our psychic development, in turn,
depends upon the degree of confidence and use
we place in intuition. It is through true insight
that our conscious valuations rise to a free world,
or to what Plato described as the eternal realm
of ideas, where those things which are greater
than that but which can be perceived in terms
of physical limitations exist in the fullness of
their own being, and they are able to reach into
that world and cause it to be one with our con
sciousness. Various states or steps in that series
of acquisitions on the part of our own being are
developed at various times through our lives. In
tuition and insight are developed simultaneously.
Dependence and confidence are two of the great
est assets that man has for the developing of an
understanding of true values, and incorporating
these values into our consciousness. It is true
that Rosicrucian teachings say they do not
have to be based upon faith alone. However, faith
and confidence are important steps in helping us
to reach the next higher phase in the unknown
on the path that we are traveling. W e need not
be ashamed of having faith in the way that those
who have gone before us have selected. W e truly
will want to establish our own proofs as we go
along, but man must be shown and gain the com
prehension that he must accept for the things
until he can prove them otherwise. The infant
must accept the fact that food will nourish him,
and he does so without reasoning. The child in
school accepts the fact of the illustration which I
gave above, although his insight does not give him
a complete picture of the mathematical formula;
but as time goes on he is able to understand these
theories, these facts, in terms of his own experi
ence. It is only through that experience that a
true insight makes it possible for him to continue
to realise them.A.

W hy Various H um an Races?
W e have a Frater now arise to ask this
FORUM the following thought-provoking ques
tions: The how and why of the existence of
the various human races pussies me. W hat is the
role each race plays in the unity of mankind? In
other words, what does each race contribute to
the destiny of all humanity? Is the human con
sciousness, or rather the soul, obliged to pass
through the various races to acquire its necessary

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

experiences, and is that why races exist? Which

is the superior race?
In many occult circles, and in schools purport'
ing to teach mysticism, it is frequently expounded
that God, or the Divine Mind created the races
as they are by a fiat and for a purpose usually
associated with the mystical progression of human
consciousness. In such a doctrine, these organisa'
tions reveal a fault common to their philosophy,
and divergent from the true principles of mysti'
cism, and from the teachings of Rosicrucianism.
All things are not the fiat of God or the Cosmic
Mind. Upon a first consideration, this may even
seem blasphemous. In the ultimate, of course,
every manifestation in nature, every reality is the
consequence of teleological order, that is, of the
order of which the Divine Mind consists; how'
ever, this does not denote that each function, each
change, each particular of our world or of the
universe, which we can perceive, has been or'
dained to be just as it is at the time we experience
it. W e can believe and accept that the initial
cause of all, the Divine Consciousness having an
awareness of the whole, knew all things in their
potentiality, that is, was aware of any results
that would come from the causes that were es'
tablished by its natural laws. W e do not believe,
however, that there were always intents or pur'
poses for each result beyond the laws themselves.
Namely, for example, that the Divine Mind or'
dained the law of gravity so that its function
could be used by man in his construction of
things, and in his personal industry. Rather, we
contend that gravity is one of the laws of a
stupendous Cosmic order not yet fully realised
by man, and its functions are only conceived by
man to have been designed for his benefit. In
this we agree with Spinosa, philosopher and mys'
tic, that after men had persuaded themselves
that everything that happens happens for their
sake, they had to regard that quality in each thing
which was most useful to them as the most im'
portant, and to rate all those things which af'
fected them the most agreeably, as the most
excellent.
Such students assume that man is the pivotal
point in the universe. They contend that nothing
is only the natural consequence of a physical law.
They hold that its final end exists in some re k '
tionship to man. Thus to them, for example, light,
heat, color, sound, and the chemical combinations
are not fully understood, or their function com'
plete, until the human mind can see in them
some Cosmic purpose to serve man. This kind of
reasoning is based upon the old orthodox re'
ligious concepts that the universe was created as
the theatre for man, and that he was spontan'
ously created to act in it. It is the result of con'
fusing man, the highest manifestation of nature,
with the idea that all else exists for him. A

Page II

majestic tree in a forest is no more a product of

nature than a toadstool, nor are all of the sur'
rounding living things conceived to bestow grandeur upon the tree.
Man himself is the result of a number of causes
which are of the Divine system. His functions
as man are also of the great universal order.
Therefore, there are many things contiguous with
his life and with his existence here on earth that
are part of the same Cosmic order as himself, but
they were not designed to serve him. It is part of
his nature that he can see in them benefit to him'
self and command them, but this does not mean
that the purpose he perceives is one that exists in
the mind of God as well.
Therefore, we boldly say that the races are the
result of physical causes, natural laws, and that
they were not created with the intent of serving
any spiritual or material end for man.
Several of the Praters questions can be an'
swered by the facts and particulars of the science
of Anthropology. Exactly where and when man
came upon earth is not yet agreed upon. It is not
definitely known. If it is finally accepted in
scientific circles that the Sinanthropus Pe\inensis
was actually a human, then man roamed the
earth the early part of the Quaternary Age, per'
haps ten million years ago. If we wish to have
man begin with the earliest known date of his
artifacts, that is, the first flint instruments which
he has left us, then his existence was compara'
tively recent, about three hundred thousand years
ago. It is a corollary that man must have tramped
the earth not unlike the dumb beasts about him,
for eons of time, for centuries upon centuries of
mental midnight, before even that light of intel'
ligence which made possible the chipping of flints
dawned upon him.
The first real differentiation of man, that is,
where we can determine the various characteris'
tics of him, is the Cro'magnon of about 10,000
B. C. Variability is one of the most potent fac'
tors in mans ascent to his status today. W e know
that no two people are exactly alike, even identi'
cal twins of the same ovum can be recognised
apart by those who know them very well. These
differences produce \inds. If these kinds are iso'
lated and perpetuate themselves, and are kept
separated, we eventually have types. And finally
these types develop into what we term races.
A fter isolation, adaptation appears, which is
still another contributing factor to racial develop'
ment. For example, people living in tropical
areas where solar radiation is extreme become
adapted to it by an intense pigmentation, a dark'
ening of the skin, which shields them from the
strong ultraviolet rays, and this adaptation also
causes their flaring nostrils, because of the heat
and moist climate. Conversely, a cold, dry climate
causes depigmentation, as the ultraviolet rays are

Page 12

required for heat. Likewise, the nose becomes

narrow and pinched at the nostrils. In temperate
and northern climates, the stature is much greater
than in the tropics. Sexual selection also con'
tributes to the characteristics of a race. There'
fore, if those living in the jungles, whose pigmen'
tation is more intensenamely, those of black
skinare healthier and produce more children,
the racial color will tend toward deeper pigmen'
tation. The reverse is true in the northern
climates.
Anthropologists today recognise that there are
three great races of man. The constituent indi'
viduals have many points of resemblance, that is,
they have many physical characteristics in com'
mon. These three races have occupied the conti'
nents of the Old W orld, and have spread to the
New W orld where they freely mix. The three
races are the white, yellow-brown, and the blac\.
They are so called because the color of the skin
is the most obvious and discernible physical char'
acteristic. There are no species of man. Man
himself is a species. Consequently, all of the
races breed freely, with subsequent fecundity.
All of the groups are just races, or rather sub'
races, such as the Alpines, Nordics, and Hamites
of the white race. The Mongoloids, the American
Indians, and the Malays are of the yellow-brown
race. The Negroes, the Negrillos, and Negritos
are of the blac\ race. This division of the species
homo, or man, it is believed, came about through
six great dispersals of humanity over the face of
the earth.
1. The soread of the Neanderthal man over
habitable Europe. The late Neanderthal
man existed about 20,000 B. C.
2. The spread of the Australoid type, who was
like the Neanderthal man, but slightly more
modern, until he reached Africa. He was
perhaps the pre'Dravidian, who eventually
came to settle India.
3. The spread of the Negro over Africa and
eastward through Egypt and through
Arabia to India, the Philippines, and the
Malay Penninsula.
4. The spread of the Aurignacian types of the
Iranian plateau to modern Asia and back
to Europe. The Aurignacian is a later
modification of the Neanderthal man.
5. Spread of the Neolithic man, not later than
5000 B. C., from the Asiatic plateau,
through Asia to America, and also over
Europe to Great Britian. It is this type
which is believed to have become our Ameri'
can Indiansthe Mayans, Astecs, Incas,
etc.isolation and adaptation accounting
for the differences in their physical ap'
pearance.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

6. The spread of the Neolithic man from the

Eastern Mediterranean to India, and also
through Egypt into parts of Africa along
the shores of the Mediterranean.
The black and white races are the most diver'
gent. The yellow'brown race is nearer to the
white race. Anthropologists give us a schematic
diagram of the races and sub'races. This diagram
is in the form of a tree. The tree springs from
the Neanderthal man. The first branch is the
black race and it has its various limbs, the N e'
groes, Negrillos, and Negritos. Further up the
trunk is the yellow'brown race, with its sub'races,
and finally the white race, with its branches, the
Alpine, Nordics, Hamites, etc. In blood assimila'
tion, the yellow'brown race is closer on this tree
of races to the white race than to the black. The
order of arrangement is not by superiority, but
in order of appearance.
The black race has been held back by its geo'
graphical location. The climate greatly affected
them. They were enervated by the extreme heat,
and handicapped by dense jungles and the dis'
eases which are so prevalent in them. In other
words, the black race was compelled to spend so
much of their life energy in just living that their
intellectual and cultural attainments were result'
antly slower. The white race was stimulated by
the cold winters and the healthfulness and fer'
tility of the temperate sones in which they flour'
ished. The Negro, however, when removed from
these environmental obstructions and afforded the
same opportunities for intellectual development
has advanced himself rapidly, and there are many
noted examples of his contributions to science,
literature, and the arts. W e only need mention
one of thesethe renowned Dr. George W ash'
ington Carver. He is now eighty years of age.
He was born a slave in a log cabin; today he is
an eminent scientist and a collaborator with
Henry Ford in the experimentation for producing
synthetic foods. Simply, it amounts to the fact
that the white race had a tremendous advantage
which the Negro, or those of the black race, are
gradually overcoming, to their credit.
The Neanderthal man, who settled in the Nile
Region, perhaps about 8000 B. C., had a rich
soil with an ideal climate to further him. He
flourished in this incubator of civilisation, at a
time when the black race was still struggling with
the far more rigorous, almost insurmountable
forces of nature in equitorial Africa.
From the mystical point of view, the soul es'
sence in each of the three primary races is the
same. It is the same flow of Divine Consciousness
from the Universal Soul, and it is no more or less
perfect in the black man, than in the white or
yellow'brown man. The soul gravitates to the
physical body best suited for the development of
the personality which accompanies it. In the Cos'

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

mic scheme of things, it is the personality which

evolves from incarnation to incarnation, until it
is as perfect as the soul which it reflects. If the
soul, with its personality needs the experience of
a life within the body of a Negro, or within the
body of a Mongol, it will enter such bodies.
It is a false conception or doctrine to believe
or expound that the soul enters the body of the
white man last because it experiences its greatest
expression in that form. The highly evolved per'
sonality displaying spiritual qualities may fre'
quently dwell in the body of a Negro. Certainly
each of you of this FORUM, in your own world'
ly experiences, has known men and women of the
black race who exhibited more compassion, more
humanitarian qualities, more kindliness, more toi'
erance, and more love for their fellow human
beings than many persons of white skin whom
you know. The pigmentation of the body does
not denote the degree of ones spiritual attain'
ment.
As explained, though the races, regardless of
their physical differences, can breed freely, it is
inadvisable to practice miscegenation. Especially
is this so between the black and the white races.
W e have seen that these races through eons of
time have developed, out of an extremeness in
environmental or physical conditions, opposite
physical characteristics. It is not a question of
which is the superior race. Both have their ad'
vantages, but they are so biologically divergent
that they repel each other, even though sexually
they might be attracted. Consequently, marriage
between the two races is detrimental to the best
qualities of each. Thus these hereditary qualities
do not freely amalgamate as they do in an ad'
mixture of the Chinese and Nordics, for example.
The only moral wrong in such intermarriage,
from a mystical point of view, is that it is a sin
against nature. In other words, by such breed'
ing, man is breaking down what nature has built
up in each race as its strong qualities. However,
because marriage between the black and white
races is biologically improper, there is no reason
not to look upon each race with equality other'
wise. In a Cosmic sense, they are equal, and in
an intellectual sense, the black race, as a whole,
just needs the advantages which the white race
has so long enjoyed, and then it will make equally
tremendous strides.X.

Shades of Meaning
A Frater of the Pacific Coast, and another of
the Atlantic Coast of the United States, ask
about the same questions of this FORUM. The
Frater from the W est asks: W hat is the dis'
tinction between Cosmic Consciousness and
Christ Consciousness, if any?" The Frater of the
East Coast asks: Kindly make clear for me the

Page 13

shades of difference and merging of Cosmic law,

natural law, spiritual law, and divine law. Are
they different aspects of one universal law apply'
ing as manifestations on different planes of con'
sciousness?
A good workman is made better by good tools,
but a poor workman is never made good by any
tools. Every science, every philosophy, every pro'
fession, has its vocabulary, its mode of expression.
Its coined words are the tools to help its work'
men. Unfortunately there is often a tendency to
become lost in a mase of technical terminology
which may obstruct the workman rather than
assist him. This proclivity develops from different
workmen fashioning their own tools to do the
same kind of work, and giving them different
names.
Some scientists, for example, are so submerged
in their laboratories, in paraphernalia, and equip'
ment, that most of their mental effort is utilised
in knowing how and when to use such equipment
rather than in the development of new ideas to
disclose natures laws. It is rather old humor, but
true nevertheless, that the barefoot boy with a
fishing pole cut from the limb of a tree, and with
a bent pin for a hook, will frequently secure a
greater catch of fish than the prosperous vaca'
tioner with his expensive tackle, reels, and im'
ported artificial bait. Sometimes, too, the amateur
photographer with just a "fixed lens box camera is
able to obtain better photographs than one who is
burdened down with multi'lensed cameras, filters,
exposure meters, and range finders. The formers
mind is free to devote to the end in view; the
other is buried beneath a mass of instruction for
operating his complicated technical equipment.
In schools of philosophy, it is also a common
practice to attempt to show distinction and a de'
viation from previous or contemporary lines of
thought, not by developing virgin ideas or con'
cepts, but by coining new words and phrases for
the same definitions, principles, or laws.
Now let us first consider whether there is a
distinction between Cosmic Consciousness and
Christ Consciousness. Cosmic Consciousness
means the consciousness of the Cosmic. It denotes
the Divine Intelligence, the Mind of God, which
as a system of law and order pervades the entire
universe, and is thus known as the Cosmic. This
consciousness exists within every mortal as his
soul. W hen we become soul conscious, that is,
aware through attunement of this great conscious'
ness of the Divine, of the Cosmic within us, we
are consequently in rapport with the Cosmic. W e
are then experiencing Cosmic Consciousness.
Such an ecstatic experience may last for but a
moment, and usually does. In that brief interval
we experience not only that physical unity with
the universe which the mystics have long called
at'one-ness, but our minds are likewise freed from

Page 14

any limitations, namely, all things are known to

us. Unfortunately, we retain but a portion of the
impressions of such a noetic experience. That is,
perhaps but very little of such gleaned wisdom is
brought back to our objective consciousness.
This Cosmic Consciousness is the supreme state
of consciousness which any being in mortal form
can experience. Let it be said, therefore, that
there are not gradations of Cosmic Consciousness.
One either experiences it as it is, or he does not
at all. The only differences are the frequency
with which persons may enter the state of Cosmic
Consciousness, and the degree to which they
bring back into the objective state the impressions
they had.
To put it more pointedly, Zoroaster, Confucius,
Buddha, Moses, Mohammed, Amenhotepand
Christdid not exceed each other in the \in d of
Cosmic Consciousness which they experienced.
From our records, it would seem that Christ was
the most enlightened, as a consequence of His
frequent periods of Cosmic Consciousness. Be'
cause He was, His experiences, His attunements,
have been called the Christ Consciousness, as
though it were distinctly different in nature than
the Cosmic Consciousness had by Moses, for ex'
ample. The Mohammedans might just as well
refer to the Cosmic Consciousness of their avatar
as Mohammedan Consciousness, and the Parsees
to theirs as the Zoroastrian Consciousness, and so
on. Mystically, therefore, that is, from the point
of view of the true student of mysticism, Christ
Consciousness and Cosmic Consciousness are
synonymous.
As to the other Fraters questions, he really
answers them himself, precisely and effectively.
In the universe there are but two kinds of law.
First, that which is of divine origin; second, that
which is of mans conception. In our Rosicrucian
teachings we are told that the great creative force
of the universe is J^ous, and that it consists of
two polaritiespositive and negative. The posi'
tive is that which manifests in the immaterial
realm as life force, consciousness, and the psychic
qualities. It is also the constituency of soul and
the attributes of soul. The negative polarity
which we Rosicrucians term spirit energy, mani'
fests as matter and as all those laws found in the
physical things in the universe. W e Rosicrucians
call the positive aspect of Nous, that is, its mani'
festations, spiritual, and the negative material.
The unity of both is the Cosmic, the Divine.
Therefore, all laws other than those which man
conceives, as the laws of the land for example, are
really divine, whether they appear as the phe'
nomenon of conscience or the compounds in a
chemistss test tube. There is but one universal
system of laws. Man, however, has given them
various names to denote that difference in their

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

function and manifestation which he perceives, or

imagines that he does.
Fratres and Sorores, remember that every true
philosophy endeavors to develop a unity of all
nature. T hat is what a true philosopher strives
for, and every true system of mysticism strives
toward an all'inclusiveness of things with God.
W here a terminology tends toward disunity and
separateness, you are being led from truth, not
toward it. X.

O ur Brothers Keeper
A Frater from the Southwest, we believe ad'
dressing our Forum circle for the first time, asks:
How careful must we be not to impose upon or
make prisoner of another mind, even for good?
Must each mind have a certain liberty of choice,
even of knowledge to work out its own progrs'
sion? Can we interfere with this progression?
Each of us is familiar with well'meaning
friends and with those relatives who endeavor to
help us, and yet who in reality interfere with our
own welfare. The decision as to how much or
little, or when we should aid another, is a most
difficult one. Suppose, for example, we see a
friend about to commit some deed which we very
definitely know is legally, morally, and particular'
ly Cosmically wrong. The first impulse is im'
mediately to warn and restrain him, for his own
benefit. Under such circumstances we are actu'
ated by the highest moral purpose, the influence
of the inner self. On the other hand, mystically
we should ask ourselves, Has it been intended
Cosmically that that individual shall commit an
error, suffer, and learn through such suffering?
If we intercede, are we obstructing the Cosmic
purpose?
This whole question reverts to certain princi'
pies of Karma. As stated in the Rosicrucian
monographs, and as has often been stated in this
Forum, the Cosmic does not punish man through
Karmic law with the intention of inflicting suf'
fering upon him, nor even to punish him. The
Cosmic is not a disciplinarian, but rather, in its
manifestation of Karmic law it is an instructor.
It desires that man shall learn and change his
ways of living and thinking by his own evolution,
and not by any compulsion. If man, for analogy,
butts his head against a stone wall repeatedly and
painfully, and finally learns how futile such an
effort is, it is not that the Cosmic erected the wall
to punish him, but rather, that it lets him ex'
perience the consequence of his own acts so that
he may learn the right from the wrong.
If we have committed human mistakes without
realising their severity or the pain they may have
inflicted upon others, the Cosmic by means of
Karmic law may place us in a series of circum'
stances where, if we continue our wilful wrongs,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

we will suffer until we learn. The suffering comes

as a result of our attitude of mind, and of the
acts which come from that attitude. Karma mere'
ly establishes the path along which we must
travel. Since, therefore, the Cosmic wants man to
learn through Karmic conditions, and not to pun
ish him, we can and should help our fellows
under certain circumstances.
W hat are these circumstances? Every time
that you are aware of an impending danger
physical, mental or moralto another human be'
ing, it is your duty as a human to forewarn that
person, to help himif he displays the right at tv
tude. First, such a person must be willing to have
you assist him. If he is adamant in his refusal, if
he is blindly stubborn, will not listen, then make
no further attempt to help, as such an attitude
of mind indicates that he must yet experience the
pain of his misconduct, to learn. Second, if the
person admits that you are right and acknowl'
edges that what he or she seeks to do is ethically
and morally wrong, and in violation of Cosmic
law, and expresses himself as believing that he
can evade retribution, again you must do nothing
further to aid such an individual. His wilful,
conscious violation of what he is aware consti'
tutes a Cosmic law, proves that he is in need of
that lesson he most surely will learn from his
own acts. If you persist in aiding an individual
under such circumstances, then you yourself be'
come a transgressor of Cosmic law.
It is simple to learn whether you can be of
help to another in these matters. Kindly call the
person aside and explain the situation to him, and
then guide yourself accordingly by his reactions.
Do not be arrogant, pedantic or officious. Some
well'meaning persons who wish to be benefactors,
compel those they seek to help to resort to the
very wrong conduct they want to prevent, and
bring misfortune upon themselves as well, by their
thoughtlessness. Every normal individual has a
sense of pride. He does not want to be humiliated
by being reprimanded in public, by appearing
ignorant or malicious in the presence of others.
Thus if you are aware of the indiscreet conduct
of another, which may cause him ill, do not rep'
rimand him or demand that he cease his activities
in the presence of others. Whereas in private he
might heed your admonishments and advice,
under the circumstances of being in the presence
of others he will desire to maintain his pride as
an individual, presumed capable of thinking for
himself. Thus he will continue to do what you
do not want him to do. By your lack of thought'
fulness you will have forced him to do the very
thing you wanted to save him from. Therefore,
be judicious in wishing to help others. Do not
treat people as children or insult their intelligence.
Another point to realise is that to gain master'
ship in anything we have to be self-reliant. There

Page 15

is nothing that quite instills confidence like per'

sonal victory by the realisation that we have ac'
complished something by our own direction and
powers. The more confidence one acquires
through individual attainment, the more inde
pendent he becomes of his fellows. W e do not
mean to suggest by this statement that one should
no longer seek to work with his companions, but
rather that he should expect to contribute to the
united effort of society, not constantly be a re'
cipient of it.
One who has everything done for him becomes
a parasite. He is continually dependent upon
others. Further, he becomes a weakling in every
sense of that word. He lacks experience in the
use of his own attributes and abilities, and con'
sequently has not the courage to venture on his
own initiative. Most regrettable is the fact that
his own faculties of imagination, or reason, and
of will power may atrophy from non'usage. Self'
reliance is born out of effort. It takes mental and
physical energy to rely solely upon what you can
do yourself. Since by nature most men are so
constituted as to be indolent and to avoid effort,
they welcome things done in their behalf by
others which they should, and could do, for them'
selves. Each of us only needs look at incidents in
his or her own life to realise this inherent weak'
ness. Consequently, if you start doing those
things for that kind of peopleof whom there is
a tremendous number in the worldyou rob
them of their initiative. It is one thing to come
to the assistance of one who is striving to accom'
plish something for himself through his own ef'
forts. It is another to undertake it for someone
without his participation.
You are not a philanthropist, a benefactor, or
a good humanitarian if you make men dependent
instead of independent. Also, one who realises
the success of his own efforts acquires from that
a far greater enjoyment than as if the results
were brought about by another.
One of the greatest of all pleasures which men
enjoy is the realisation of an ideal. It is the
climax of a mental stimulation. This climax is
built up by our own desires and efforts. Each
thing we do to reach it, each time we try it, each
time we think about it, makes the distant end to'
ward which we are moving more enticing, until
when we finally reach it there is nothing that can
take the place of that sweet realisation of attain'
mentof victory. W hen others do things for us,
which we can do for ourselves, we have been
spared the effort and the exertion, it is true, but
we are also denied the tremendous satisfaction
that comes from doing it ourselves. Cosmically
we should conceive ourselves as each others as'
sistant, especially if we need and desire such
assistance, but we are not each others guardians
or mentors. X.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 16

Earthbound Personalities
Now, it is a Soror's turn to ask some challenge
ing questions. This Soror is of the New England
States. She asks : Does the psychic body live, for
want of better expression, in the Cosmic or spirit'
ual world until the next birth, and return with
the soul to the body, still looking as it did when
transition occurred? I am sure there are earth'
bound bodies. Do they thin\ that they are work'
ing, eating, etc.? If so, how do they work
through someone elses mind? Are there many
departed in the streets, in our homes, and here
and there going around the same as we are in
our daily life, and do we see them if we are so
developed?
In answering these questions, let us first admit
that the somatic quality of the psychic nature of
man is puzzling to many Fratres and Sorores. W e
refer to the psychic body of man, and yet we
affirm that it is entirely unlike the corporeal body
of man. Concisely, we declare that the psychic
nature of man is quite different from the physical,
and yet we assign to each the word body. It
is from this word body that the confusion arises.
By common usage and experience, we think of a
body as a material substance, and metaphysically
we use the word to differentiate the physical as'
pect of man from the Divine or Soul Essence.
However, body is used frequently and correctly
to designate the entirety or the whole of any'
thing. Thus, for example, we refer to a body
of laws. The psychic body is, therefore, the
whole or entirety of the psychic essence in man.
It is the psychic substance within him. Again,
we are inclined to think of a substance as matter,
as that which has a destiny, for example. How
ever, we will agree that the collected properties
or qualities of a thing are its substance, even
though it is not matter. Thus, for example, the
magnetic field around the pole of a magnet is its
quality, its substance. W e can readily under'
stand, therefore, that a horseshoe magnet, for
analogy, has two kinds of bodies; first, that body
which is composed of its atomic and molecular
structure, the material side of it, which we can
touch, and which, if we strike it with a hammer,
will ring with the sound of the blow. Second,
it has that body which is the field of attraction,
which surrounds the open ends of the magnet,
namely, its poles.
This magnetic body even has a shape, which is
the limits of its sphere of attraction. To make
this understandable, if you place some fine iron
filings, spread thin, upon a flat sheet of paper,
and then place a horseshoe magnet beneath it,
with its open ends or poles turned up toward the
bottom of the paper, you will observe the filings
attaching themselves, or rather arranging them'
selves, above the poles of the magnet, even though

the paper is between them and the magnet. You

will, therefore, see the limits of this attraction,
that is, you will see the extent of the pull of
the magnet upon the filings. This limit is the
sphere of attraction, the magnetic body. You
fratres and sorores who have Unit No. 1 of the
Rosicrucian Laboratorium (which is obtainable
from the Rosicrucian Supply Bureau), which pro'
vides equipment for magnetic experiments in
your home, have noticed this.
To use another analogy, you have walked along
a street in a dense fog and have come upon a
street lamp which seemed to have a halo of light
about it, or rather an aura of light. Now, did
not this aura have as much body in the sense that
its qualities had a substance which was confined
to a certain area, as did the lamp itself? I am
certain you will answer this in the affirmative.
Therefore, the psychic consciousness within man,
which resides in each cell of his being, and which
enters with the air that he takes into his lungs,
and which contains the positive polarity of T^ous,
the divine, creative force in the Universe, forms
a kind of magnetic field within him. To put it
simply, all of these cells in the human body
radiating the psychic consciousness are harmoni'
ously united, and together they constitute a body
of consciousness, or to put it more specifically, a
psychic body.
A shadow is not a substance, in the sense that
we think of matter. On th other hand, a shadow
has its body, in that its characteristics constitute
a certain whole. A shadow has a form. Specifical'
ly the shadow of a tree is different than that of
a horse. Likewise, the psychic body has a form.
W hen it resides within the physical body, it fol'
lows its contours or shape, because the cells with
their psychic consciousness are in every part of
our material beings. However, the psychic body,
unlike a shadow, has more than just form. It has
certain qualities. Its qualities depend upon the
human personality. To the extent that we de'
velop, that is, strengthen, the psychic body by al'
lowing the psychic consciousness within us to
manifest to our mortal minds, it becomes like we
are. By this, we mean that the psychic body then
has those qualities of kindness, goodness, crude'
ness, or refinement that we display in our daily
conduct.
Now, it is true that the psychic consciousness
is perfect, because it is Divine, but it is also
clothed with the robe of the influence of our
thinking and acting while it is in our mortal body.
Think of the psychic body being you, the self,
that is, what you believe, think, love, hopeall
of these intangible qualities having existence, but
without the physical part of yourself. The soul
is the psychic consciousness flowing through you,
but the shape, to use a homely expression, that the
soul takes in you, that is, as it is molded by your

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

objective self, that then is the psychic body.

A t transition, the soul and physical body are
parted. The physical body disintegrates, loses its
somatic form. The elements of which it is com'
posed, return to their original state in matter.
The soul, with the personalitythat is, all of
those qualities which you have attached to it, and
which are your psychic bodyis drawn into the
Cosmic, into the great Universal Soul from
whence it came, and there it must reside for the
unexpired portion of the 144'year cycle, before
it may again enter a physical form. The person'
ality, the ego, the you remains intact in the Uni'
versai Soul or Cosmic. It retains its memory of
experiences of the earth plane. It, however, has
no traffic with the earth plane; that is, it does not
flutter hither and yon among mortals, or concern
itself with their affairs in this interim of existence.
Neither in the strictest sense of the word does
the personality select its next body. Rather the
two, the physical body and the soul and per'
sonality are attracted to each other. The soul
essence, with its personality, when it is the exact
time for it to return to earth, is drawn to that
mortal body which has been created, and which
will best serve it, according to Karmic law. You
have seen or heard of those extremely intricate
filing systems where each card has its information
punched in it as little holes, like the perforations
of a player piano roll. The cards are then
dropped in a machine which automatically segregates them by air. The air suction passing
through the perforations draws all cards which
are punched alike, that is, having the same in'
formation, into the same compartments. Likewise,
when the soul draws to itself a body having the
exact constituency it needs for the further evolu'
tion of the personality which accompanies it.
There is one general exception to all of this,
that is, the earthbound personality. Naturally a
personality that has attained that development
where it heeds conscience and strives to live ac'
cordingly is evolving rapidly. There are, how'
ever, those personalities who commit or omit deeds
that are wilfully in defiance of their conscience.
Such persons expect or believe that they can
avoid the consequent Cosmic penalty. They, of
course, must learn their lessons. If not here, then
in a future incarnation. However, occasionally
the personality has this realization of its errors,
just at the time of death or transition. In other
words, the personality, while on its death'bed,
while the soul is still in the mortal body, will
realize that what it has done during its lifetime
is extremely opposed to Cosmic law, and that,
further, it has set into motion such acts as will
continue to bring harm to another or others
after it leaves this earth plane. It realizes it can'
not undo what it has already done as injury to
others, and that they must be compensated for in

Page 17

the future, but it does desire to prevent further

wrongs which may accrue as a result of what it
has done. A fter transition, such a personality,
because of this extreme agitation, this contriteness,
this vital change in its conception and its desire
for rectitude, will hover on the earth plane.
Since this realization of its own imperfection
occurred before actual transition, and constituted
a tendency toward proper development, the Cos'
mic affords the personality the opportunity after
transition to move upward in the scale of evolu'
tion, by preventing further wrongs which might
add to its Karma. Such a soul is thus allowed
as an earthbound personality to do its construc'
tive work, that is, to prevent wrongs which would
otherwise come about through its previous acts,
and to do this kind of work through mortals on
earth. The unexpired portion of the Cosmic
cycle, or that number of years which the soul
personality should remain on the Cosmic plane
before rebirth do not begin under such circum'
stances until it has performed its duty, namely,
until it is no longer earthbound. This is why
earthbound personalities are so insistent upon
accomplishing their ends.
This insistence, and often their difficulty in
working through mortals on earth, is what hinders
them, because those who do not understand fight
against them, in the fear of such phenomena. If,
for example, one before transition has created a
condition which would bring harm to a mortal,
after transition, then, as an earthbound personal'
ity, he will endeavor to acquaint the mortal with
the impending particulars, namely, to forewarn
him. The earthbound personality will try to warn
the mortal by words, by sounds, or by acts. It
will try to manifest itself as a projection and then
enact the future dangerous event, simply trying
to get its message across.
If the mortal is superstitious and if, unfortu'
nately, he is ignorant of psychic phenomena and
of Cosmic laws, he will become quite alarmed
at these attempts to reach him: Such a mortal will
do all within his power to exclude such experi'
ences and consequently the earthbound personals
ty becomes more and more frantic, and the mortal
becomes terrified about that which in reality can
simply and easily be concluded. The mortal, if he
does not understand these things, should consult
a true mystica deep student of mysticism, such
as a Rosicruciannot the numerous frauds who
often advertise themselves as spiritual advisers,
and who will resort to trickery and charlatanism.
The Rosicrucian will permit the earthbound
personality to attune with his consciousness, to
convey its vital message, and then he will impart
it to the mortal for whom the message was in'
tended. More often, the Rosicrucian or mystic
will help the other mortal to himself attune with
the earthbound personality. Once th earthbound

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 18

personality has been successful in reaching the

right person, and if that person does as he is
requested, which will always be a proper request,
the psychic phenomena caused by the earthbound
personality will cease, and it will be released to
enter the Cosmic realm and begin that period of
the 144'year cycle which it must remain there.
Earthbound personalities do not tramp about
the streets and eat, sleep, and indulge in physical
things and needs, for their bodies are purely
psychic, as explained above. They have no earth'
ly connections, except to convey information
about that which will keep them earthbound
to the consciousness of those who should know
about it. They do none of the things, nor resort
to such conduct as the superstitious attribute to
entities called ghosts. The phenomenon of
earthbound personalities must not be confused
with the practices of spiritism. Those who fear
these attempts of earthbound personalities to
reach them, more often do so in their ignorance
of the Cosmic laws, and because of their un'
familiarity with such phenomena. X.

Mass Suggestion
1 am sure you will all be interested in the ques'
tion of a Frater who attended the Convention
here at Rosicrucian Park this year. In presenting
this question let me explain that this Frater is in
the advertising and publishing business, and
naturally he is primarily interested in the Rosi'
crucian principles as they may be related to his
personal interests, and this is quite the right atti'
tude for him to have. This Frater has asked the
question If enough people have faith in a
product, would not this mass suggestion make the
product beneficial to others? I can see by the
smiles and expressions on your faces that you
have deducted the flaw in the reasoning of this
question. Perhaps the frater did not even realize
the error of his reasoning, but you will notice
that he presumes that this mass suggestion is going
to change the physical substance of the product
so that it will benefit others in spite of what it
may be made.
A re we to assume that mass suggestion is go'
ing to change the physical structure of a denti'
frice that has been made popular by advertising?
W ill the contents of a fancy package be im'
proved and finally become beneficial to one simply
because advertising has convinced thousands of
people that it is the best product of its kind?
Since this frater's question is a direct one, we
can answer him directly by stating that this mass
suggestion would not make the product beneficial
to others. But remember thisthat if the product
did not measure up at least partly to the claims
made for it, its thousands of original users would
soon lose confidence in it. Then there would be

no further mass suggestion that the product was

good.
If our frater had worded his question a little
differently, we would have an entirely different
point of discussion here this morning. Suppose,
for instance, his question had been W ill mass
suggestion on the part of thousands of users of a
good product increase the sales of this particular
item? Now we have a horse of a different hue.
Most certainly this mass suggestion that would
be accompanied by whispering campaigns and
over'the'back'fence gossip would have an effect
upon the sales of this product. Its fame would
be spread rapidly throughout the land. This
might happen even with an inferior item or
product. Note that the effect here is not upon
the product itself but upon the buying public.
In this country at least, the majority of us are
affected to some degree by bombastic advertising
and specialized advertising psychology. For this
reason it is often possible for the high'pressure
promoter to build a successful business with a
partially inferior product simply through the me'
dium of clever advertising.
Briefly we recall such an instance that occurred
quite a number of years ago. There was an inci'
dent in the life of a well'known business man
who placed on the market a sweet'smelling nicely'
packaged soap and charged 25 cents a bar, a
small bar at that, and bragged to business asso'
ciates that the soap cost him less than one cent
per bar to manufacture. Even at that time this
product was far below the average standards of
the day. The promotion campaign was a success;
this business man made millions of dollars. In'
cidentally, this particular soap is still a popular
seller, and it is still an inferior product insofar
as actual ingredients are concerned. Advertising
made this possible. The people were affected by
this advertising and not the soap. This was not
changed in any way by the mass suggestion that
it was a good product and, in fact, the best soap
ever offered to a gullible public.
In conclusion let us say that our thoughts may
influence others around and near us, and our
mass thoughts may be far reaching in their effect
but they will only affect the minds and thoughts
of others. They will not, except under certain
unusual and ideal circumstances, exercise control
over matter in the manner suggested by the
frater's original question.

Choosing O ur N ext Life

A British frater joins our FORUM CIRCLE
to ask: W hile giving thought to reincarnation,
I have often wondered if one can choose or de'
cide for oneself what profession or calling to fol'
low in the next incarnation. Suppose a man or
woman is unable to follow, or fails for some

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

reason or other to pursue the calling for which

he is most fitted, and supposing this is not discovered until late in life1is it possible to decide
for oneself to come back and follow that calling
in the next incarnation, or is that beyond our
power?
I wish, according to mystical interpretation,
that the Cosmic principles were as simple as this,
and our choice or desire was all that was neces
sary to fashion the course of our future incarnations. If this were so, man would be the master
of Cosmic law, insofar as it relates to him. It
must also be realized that mans choice in mat
ters such as this, would not always be motivated
by the highest ideals. A person might have such
talents that could be employed in a nefarious
way, and not succeeding with them in one in
carnation, he might choose to continue in the
next. But even if this is an extreme illustration,
and presuming that the individual has great talent
in music, and wishes to use it constructively, but
is unable to accomplish all he wishes with it in
one lifetime, he still has not the absolute preroga
tive to demand or to select the same profession in
the next.
To answer this question fully, again we must
resort to basic Cosmic principles which are
known, such as Karmic law. O ur personalities,
as we know from our Rosicrucian monographs,
evolve from incarnation to incarnation. They are
like gems in the rough, which through contact
with lifes experiences and vicissitudes become
highly polished. As they are polished, they be
come translucent, that is, they allow more of the
light of the soul to emanate from within us. It
is a Cosmic law that this progression of the per
sonality to attain the perfection of the soul within
shall ever go on. There is never any retrogression
we never slip backward, no matter what our
conduct or foibles. W e do at times, however,
have an arresting of our development, namely, we
make no further progress until our consciousness
is imbued with the experiences of certain Cosmic
principles which we should know.
To the extent which we fail in one incarnation,
according to Karmic law, do we involuntarily
acquire the conditions of our next life. For ex
ample, if we wilfully suppress our feelings of
compassion and sympathy for other human beings,
and look upon all others and their lives and prob
lems from a strictly rationalistic point of view,
we thereby create another life for ourselves of
experiencing that lack of human understanding
on our own behalf which we displayed toward
others. If we have been instrumental in ruining
anothers life, in destroying his reputation, and
perhaps robbing him of the rewards of years of
labor, we must in some other incarnation come to
know consciously the pains such a person ex
perienced, by ourselves going through similar cir

Page 19

cumstancesunless we become enlightened and

make amends in our way of living. Thus some
persons are allowed to gain prominence, fame, and
fortune, to the amazement of others, in spite of a
demeanor of arrogance and intolerance. It is be
cause the Cosmic realizes that they can only learn
by the force of a fall from a great height.
If you are guilty of extremely nefarious con
duct in one life, no matter what your talent, your
inclinations, or your desires, you would not be
permitted to pursue them in another life, if they
are not consistent with those events and circum
stances needed to teach you a lesson in the next
incarnation. If one is not guilty of any severe ill
conduct during his life, and his personality has
really expanded in this incarnation, then the per
sonality will be influenced by the memory of its
previous experiences and interests, and in the next
life it will be drawn again to the same cultural
and intellectual sphere. In other words, under
such circumstances, the Cosmic will not intercede
by the negative imposition of Karmic law. Such
persons, for example, will often manifest a genius
for music during childhood, even though the
parents have no such talent. Such talent is not
a biological heritage, but rather a Cosmic one.
It behooves us then, if we are aware of no great
breaches in our conduct, nor of any violations of
Cosmic law which stand out glaringly in our con
science, to prepare ourselves for the next incar
nation by furthering a talent or talents which we
may have. If you discover too late in life to
change, that your real interest is not in your
present occupation or profession, but rather in
an awakened talent, develop it with a view to
fully enjoying it in a life to come. Make it be
come your avocation or hobby now. Learn all
you can about it. Surround it with the deepest
affection and sincerity. Do not make it a per
functory interest.
Perhaps this one great possibility adumbrates
all else in the Rosicrucian teachings. Several thou
sands of Rosicrucian members have come to
realize talents and faculties which they possessed
in a dormant state, and of which they had no
knowledge prior to their membership in
AMORC. I have known AM ORC members who
were bookkeepers, merchants, engineers, and
housewives, who, for example, always admired
literary ability, but who had been unable to ex
press themselves satisfactorily in writing; yet,
after a year or two of AM ORC membership, be
came promising writers. N ot only did they come
to write essays quite satisfactorily, to the extent
of having some of their articles published in peri
odicals, but they discovered in such writing an
immense source of personal happiness. For years,
even though they had many of the usual material
things that go to make for comfort in our present
living, they had been aware in their lives of the

Page 20

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

lack of something. In other words, there was

something, they did not know what, which was
needed to make them rapturously happy. The
Rosicrucian teachings, by quickening their inner
consciousness, aroused their imagination, stimu
lated them intellectually, directed them into new
channels of thought, and made it possible for
them to coordinate this faculty aptly with their
powers of observation, concentration, and eventu
ally there manifested a longing to describe their
perceptions and feelings.
Still others developed through the Rosicrucian
teachings, a talent to play musical instruments, or
to create something by the means of some art or
craft. In fact, a goodly portion of those who at
tend the three wee\s term of the Rose Croix
University each year here in San Jose are those
men and womenRosicrucianswho late in life
have learned what they have missed. They now
want to enjoy this interest, even though they can
not change their profession or domestic life, and
so by means of the Rose-Croix University, they
prepare themselves for a field of endeavor toward
which they wish to be drawn in a later incarna
tion.
W e have students at the Rose-Croix University
each summer, men and women just like your
selves, who have families, children, husbands and
wives, jobs, trades, and professions, who are giv
ing vent to an awakened talent, perhaps in art,
music, or one of the sciences, which in their youth
they never had a desire for, or an opportunity
to study. Many of these persons have had just
a common school education, but through the
simple, effectual presentation of the subjects in
the Rose-Croix University, they are now finding
themselves and preparing for the next incarnation
and, in addition, getting so much more out of
life now. W hat they hope to pursue in their
next life may become a reality, unless, as said
above, they have committed such actsor will
do so in this lifeas will compel Karma to inter
cede; and then, of course, they will have to ex
perience a series of events which might possibly
compel them to deviate from their present inter
ests and preparations.X.

T he Absence of Light
Here is a very interesting discussion that I
would like to bring before the Rosicrucian Forum
this morning. This question is the result of a
statement comparing evil to darkness and good to
light. In other words the statement that evil holds
the same relationship to good that darkness holds
to light has brought forth the question How
can we be aware of darkness if there is no such
thing as darkness?

Briefly we can only be aware of the fact that

there is no light. W e are not aware of a created,
actual condition opposite to light. Darkness is
not an active positive condition or thing. It is not
real although we may become conscious of it
through the sense of sight. But do we see the
darkness? N ot if the theory of the mechanics
of the human eye is correct. W e learn through
our study of the eye that it depends upon light
for its function. Light entering the eye activates
the sensitive nerves that make up the optic nerve,
and impulses are sent to the brain, and the result
is that we see. The eye is sensitive to light waves
only, not to darkness.
Now how can we bring about darkness?- W e
cannot create it or bring it into being by pushing
a button or snapping a switch. W e can, however,
obtain light in this manner. The only way in
which we can obtain darkness is to shut out the
light. If you wish to protect the eyes from the
light rays, you close the eye lids or place an
opaque substance over the eyes; by drawing blinds
and draperies, or similar objects, you can to some
degree shut out the light and bring about this
darkness. Even so you only obtain a condition of
lesser light, never a condition of darkness. There
are not degrees of darkness, rather there are de
grees of light. The shutter of a camera, for in
stance, exposes film to various degrees of light.
It does not create various degrees of darkness
within the film chamber. W hen we make the
statement There is no darkness we do not mean
that there is never a condition that the average
person thinks of as darkness, rather we mean there
is not a created, active condition of darkness.
On the other hand there is such a condition of
light. Light is active, positive, creative, stimula
tive and travels through so-called space in ac
cordance with the wave theory of light. Dark
ness has none of these characteristics or qualities
because it is not something of itself, rather it is
the absence of something. You can dispel dark
ness by turning on the light but you cannot dispel
light by turning on darkness. W e are not truly
aware of darkness in the strictest sense of the
word for darkness is not something that activates
the optic nerve. It is not truly a condition at
all but rather the absence of something. W e see
light and light reflections, and these reflections we
see in various grades or degrees. But without
some light we cannot see at all. Thus in the
darkness what we are aware of is the fact that
we cannot see, not the fact that we can see dark
ness. Darkness is the lack of a manifestation.
Light is the reaction or manifestation of natural
phenomena.
Evil is comparable to good as darkness is to
light. W here goodness fails to manifest evil will
seem to have existence. It is not, however, a mani
festation but rather the failure of a condition to

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

develop. W e can and do dispel evil with good

ness but we cannot affect goodness with evil ex
cept by removing, discarding or eliminating good
ness.

Determining Cosmic Impressions

A frater asks this FORUM a series of questions
which I believe will interest all of our FORUM
CIRCLE. He asks: How can one distinguish
between impressions that arise in ones mind that
come directly from the subjective consciousness
and those which come from the objective con
sciousness? In other words, when one receives an
impression, how is he to determine whether that
impression is born as a virgin thought in the
subjective consciousness, or whether it is some
thing that the objective mind had received in the
past and has remained in the storehouse of mem
ory until the present? Permit me to use an
analogya man is in a restful, quiet mood, not
particularly meditating, but rather in a mood of
reverie. He is suddenly seized with an idea. The
idea concerns a new chemical formula. Did this
idea come from an infinite psychic source, a subconsciousness, or is the idea the result of some
previous suggestion, impression, or thought being
registered on the brain by either one or all of
the five objective senses?
This is rather an intricate question, or rather
series of questions, because it concerns alike psychological and mystical principles, both of which
are of course treated in the Rosicrucian mono
graphs. First, let us make plain that we cannot
have any, as the frater puts it, virgin thought.
All of our concepts must be and are composed of
the elements of that which is known, and which
is the content of our knowledge. If we were
suddenly to become aware ofthat is, to perceive
sensations as an ideaa concept that had no re
lationship to previous concepts or objects of
knowledge, it would not be intelligible to us. Our
common experiences make that comprehensible to
each of us I am sure.
Every idea you have ever had, that is, even if
it is a radical departure from anything you actu
ally have experienced, is inherently composed of
forms, shapes, things, and colors that are some
what like something else that you already know.
In other words, an idea must be similar to the
qualities of the things with which our senses are
familiar, or we could not describe it or orient it in
our consciousness. A n idea we have is new only
in that it has not been objectively perceived by
us or others in its present form, that is, we have
not heard, read, or externally experienced it as
we now conceive it.
Things of which we become conscious, even
ideas, must be of the nature of that substance of
which our consciousness is composed, or we can

Page 21

not relate them to time, place, or to substance in

the universe. Some of the elements of every idea
we will have are now inchoate in our storehouse
of memory in the subjective mind. As time goes
by, we of course add to the modification of these
elements, which in turn become further elements
for our future use. W e know that everything we
objectively perceive through one or all of the
objective senses is segregated into impressions and
filed in the association areas of our mind, the bins,
if you will, of the storehouse of memory. Each
time there is a recurrence of similar experiences
by suggestion and by association, these original
elements drop out of the bins and reassemble
themselves into the original experience had.
To take the analogy given by the frater, if he
did not know what the term or science of chemis
try was, or if he had never seen the symbols used
in chemistry to denote natures elements and the
compounds of them, he would not know that
he had received the impression of a chemical
formula while in reverie. This indicates that
what he received, and which was new to him was
the formula, not that of which it was composed.
W hen we try to reason a problem to a con
clusion, we are utilizing our will forcefully to
draw from memory the experiences had and to
relate them to impressions in our objective con
sciousness, to attain the desired end. It is like an
individual who wants to enter one room from
another through a narrow door and take with
him several pieces of furniture. He may try first
and find that the furniture seems too bulky. Then
he may go to a shelf to look in a book to see
whether there are any experiences recorded there
which will tell him how to nest the furniture
properly so that it will pass through the door
freely. This looking in the book is equivalent to
trying to recall past useful experiences from
memory A fter considerable effort and placing
the furniture in various arrangements, possibly
following a suggestion he may have read in the
book, he succeeds in moving all of it into the
next room. Such a procedure is a crude analogy
of the process of reasoning, using impressions in
the objective consciousness as objects of knowl
edge, and receiving from memory others as well.
A t times, as we all know, we may struggle
with a problem, applying to it syllogistical reasoning, and yet the desired combinations of the ele
ments of thought are never satisfactorily arrived
at. In such instances, objectively we seem to fail.
W e may, as directed in our Rosicrucian mono
graphs, just before falling asleep and while in
that borderline state where the objective and
subjective consciousnesses are about equal, sug
gest the whole problem to the subjective conscious
ness, and then dismiss it in its entirety from our
outer mind. The next morning, or perhaps the
next day when we first again think of the prob

Page 22

lem, the solution may flash into the objective con

sciousness in vivid detail. W hen this occurs, the
solution, as it often is, may appear so simple that
we are amazed, if not just a little chagrined, that
we did not arrive at it in our previous deliberate
cogitation.
How is this accomplished? The subjective con
sciousness is far more proximate to the Divine
Mind which constitutes complete knowledge than
is the objective mind. The elements which we
have suggested to it, and in fact implanted in our
subjective mind just before falling asleep, are
there assembled by the Divine intelligence in
their proper order. W hen we again think of the
problem the elements are released in a complete
and desired order, which is a solution of the
problem to the objective mind.
The above is an experience that I am quite cer
tain is not uncommon to many fratres and sorores,
and there is nothing strange or mysterious about
it. W e do not always succeed because sometimes
what we are working with as a problem is Cosmically impossible. This may be known or un
known to us at the time. It may involve the
misuse of Cosmic and natural laws, therefore,
there cannot be any successful solution to it. For
example, we cannot speculate that the moon is
composed of green cheese, and try to support this
absurdity in our reasoning, and failing to do so,
implant the problem in the subjective mind and
expect that it will become an actuality which
later will be released to us in a logical form.
However, aside from this psychological pro
cess, there are higher Cosmic principles which we
must understand, and the results of which come
to us as intuitive \nowledge. The fraters ex
ample first given above is of that kind. He was,
as he states, in a reverie, in a reflective state, yet
not thinking about anything relative to the
chemical formula which flashed into his objective
consciousness. It was not the result of having
struggled with a problem and having suggested
it to his subjective mind where it was finally
worked out and returned to him objectively.
W hether we realize it or not, many times we
make ourselves channels for such Cosmic impres
sions, or intuitive knowledge such as this frater
had, not alone by our kind of thinking, but the
idealism which we maintain. W e often unwit
tingly prepare ourselves to become an instrument
to be used by the Cosmic to serve humanity.
Allow me to state how this is accomplished. A
man may have studied chemistry in high school,
perhaps in college. It may have interested him as
a hobby as well. Yet he is not a professional
chemist, nor does he seek to earn his livelihood
by such profession. He is, however, and this is
important, sufficiently acquainted with the science
to recognize its symbols and to read a formula.
He has never set about to engross himself with

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

any of its serious research problems or to apply

it to any urgent industrial need.
Perhaps one day while walking through the
slums in his city, he is moved by the darkness and
dinginess of the homes, and the fact that they are
devoid of some of the health-giving rays which
emanate from the sun, and which freely enter the
homes in the more prosperous districts of the
city. To rebuild many many blocks of these
homes would be a terrific expense to the community, as would be the installation of lighting
elements which radiate the necessary energy ar
tificially. Perhaps he surmises, while moved deep
ly within by the plight of the people, that some
how, some day a chemical substance can be
painted upon the walls of the rooms which will
be energized by merely switching on an ordinary
electric lamp; that is, when an ordinary lamp is
switched on the light from the lamp will cause
the wall substance to become irradiant with its
health-giving rays. He has not the slightest con
ception of how this may be brought about chemi
cally, nor does he undertake the solution of such
a problem. The whole idea, the wish for such an
achievement, was motivated by his intense sym
pathy and desire to help the unfortunate people.
Perhaps almost immediately after leaving the
district, he dismisses the idea, I repeat, without
once dwelling upon its technical aspects. Some
night months later, or maybe even years later,
(and if fundamentally his character and comport
ment remain on the same plane of sympathetic un
derstanding) while alone in his study, stretched
out in his favorite chair before a fire, with a sense
of well being and of peace, seemingly from no
where suddenly enters his consciousness a chemi
cal formula, which is associated with an idea that
greatly helps the distressed people whom he had
seen years before.
The Cosmic had selected him to provide the
way and the means of aiding those persons. Tt
had intentionally organized in his subjective mind
the objective knowledge which he had already had
into a useful, complete idea, to fulfill a motive
which was born out of the finer impulses of his
psychic self. The Cosmic had merely arranged
the formula in his objective mind, like an in
visible hand reaching over the shoulder of a chess
player and properly setting a play on the board
before him.
The Cosmic has often given man intuitive
knowledge in a manner even more indirect than
this. To use the same analogy, the man might
have had a knowledge of chemistry, as we said.
He also might have visited some poverty-stricken
district and had compassion for the people and
wished he knew how he could help them, but he
might not have had the slightest idea of how it
could be accomplished. The Cosmic might then
later not only intuitively have given him the for

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

mula of the special fluorescent paint with its

health-giving qualities, but the idea as well.
W hy would the Cosmic delay several months
or years before giving this intuitive knowledge?
Upon this, of course, we can only speculate. W e
may surmise that it is to allow the individual more
worldly experience, or to give him a further intellectual background so that he would be able to
grasp the magnitude of the intuitive knowledge
when he received it. Then again perhaps to ascer
tain the stability of his character in the interim,
to put him through tests which would determine
whether he would become acrimonious toward his
fellow beings, or continue his love for them under
all circumstances.
How may we tell if such ideas are Cosmic impressions direct, that is, intuitive knowledge, or if
just a rearranging in our subjective minds of that
upon which we have first mentally labored with
reason. I believe I have already answered this.
If we have reasoned upon the content of the idea
we have, then it is a subjective process when its
solution comes to us. If we have never gone into
the nature of the subject, never dwelt upon it, or
never reasoned about it, then it is intuitive JnowL
edge, the whole idea and the structure being of
Cosmic origin. Only the elements, the concepts
of which it is composed, or the material knowl
edge with which it is integrated are of the mortal
mind.X.

W ere the Ancient Druids Mystics?

A frater asks the question: W ho were the
Druids, and were these ancients mystics? If they
were, did they in some manner perpetuate their
teachings and are they extant today?
This frater desires to know three definite things
1. The ethnic origin of the Druids; 2. their
culture; 3. the dispersal of their culture. The incunabulum of the Druids is very negligible and
has resulted in much confusion and controversy
about these peoples. Having considerable interest
in this subject personally, and, fortunately, having
a rather large specialized private library, I made
enough research to convince mvself that this con
fusion does prevail in fact. However, sufficient
direct and indirect evidence does exist to convince
one that the Druids must have, by something they
did, tremendously influenced the minds of the
people in antiquity.
Lewis Spence, in his admirable work on the
subjectwhich is one of manysays : The earli
est notices of religion in Britain allude to a
strange cult called Druidism, which, as we have
seen, the Gauls believed to have originated in
their country. An extraordinary mass of ponder
ous nonsense has been accumulated through the
centuries relative to the nature and beliefs of this

Page 23

cult, and it is only recently that modern methods

of study have been applied to an examination of
such fragmentary material relative to it, as is
worthy of examination and has come down to
us.
There is in America today an extensive society'
known as the Druids. However, some years ago
Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, at that time also having
an interest in the subject, inquired of the officials
of this modern organization what their connec
tion was with the ancient Druids. The officials
courteously replied that there was no direct rela
tion and that the name was borrowed, and in
their rituals, if I recall their reply correctly, they
commemorate the ancient Druids. So much for
any modern connections of the same name.
Archaeology discloses that the Druids did exist
as a sect in ancient Gaul and in Britain, and there
are artifacts of their culture and megalithic re
mains of what are believed to have been their
temples. Archaeology, however, disputes the mys
ticism and culture which have long been associ
ated with their name, because there is no direct
scientific evidence of same. On the other hand,
the great classical historians and geographers, as
we shall see, whose words are otherwise accepted
and have often been proven scientifically correct
by later findings, refer to the great culture of the
Druids.
Though archaeology has not yet been able to
find evidence of the learning and wisdom of the
Druids, neither has it been able to disprove the
weight of classical literature, to the effect that the
Druids were a people who possessed great esoteric
attainment. One theory prevails that the Druids
were a continuation of the Cult of the Dead,
which came out of Northwest Africa. This is
based upon the similarity of the sacerdotalism
and ritualism of the Druids, as we know it by tra
dition, to that of other peoples of the era. It is
generally conceded that the content of the Boo\
of the Dead of the Egyptians, being first reduced
to writing about 3400 B. C., and the Osirian
myths were an inheritance of a ritualism for ante
dating that date, and the source from whence the
Egyptians obtained that liturgy was the same as
from whence the Druids obtained theirs; namely,
it is believed that neolithic man, or, more spe
cifically, the cromagnon established himself in
Northwest Africa and developed there a quite
high state of civilization prior to the earliest
Egyptian civilization, and then about 10,000 B. C.
migrated Eastward to the Nile Valley, and N orth
ward up through the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal
and Spain) to ancient Gaul and to Britain. There
fore, this theory purports to show, as I have said,
a common relationship of the religious postula
tions of the Egyptians and the Druids, and to
which, incidentally, many of the classical writers
allude

Page 24

A t the dawn of British history, we discover

Druidism as a sect highly praised by people of
the Keltic (or Celtic) race, but not having been
of Keltic origin. In all probability, the religious
concepts and practices of the Druids were
adopted by the Keltic invaders of Britain. Caesar
said in his accounts that Druidism ascended in
what is now Britain, but it is not known whether
at that time he spoke authoritatively, or but
voiced his opinion. Caesar further stated that
Britain was the mecca of Druid disciples from all
parts of the civilized world. Of that, we do not
think there should be any question because of the
great admiration of the Druids had by the classi
cal writers, and of the latters' direct statements to
the effect that the Druids were visited by the
learned of the ancient nations.
In the popular mind, Stonehenge, the great
megalithic ruins which stands upon the Salisbury
plains, not far north of London, erected it is esti
mated about 1700-1800 B. C., is held to be a
temple of the Druids. I had the pleasure of per
sonally examining it and photographing it with
both still and cinema cameras. I am certain that
the thousands of Rosicrucian members who have
seen it in our motion picture entitled, Along
Civilizations Trail were impressed with the mys
tical significance of its structural arrangement.
All archaeologists concede that it was used as a
temple. That appears obvious in its relationship
to the East, and the rising sun, its altar, etc.
W hether it is the work of the Druids must, how
ever, still remain a mystery.
Since numerous theories as to the ethnic origin
of the Druids prevail, it is well to venture still
another, and that is that they were aborigines,
peoples indigenous to Britain and Gaul, and made
contact with a culture which either came from the
East, or which flourished in Northwest Africa.
On the other hand. I do not lose sight of certain
impressions which have forced themselves upon
me in my travels to the sites of ancient civiliza
tions, and in making a study of the primitive
religions of peoples in many sections of the world.
I am definitely of the opinion that a people will
attain certain enlightenment and will alike apo
theosize certain profound phenomena, without
having been influenced by each other. To put it
simply, that masses of people alike have mass con
sciousness at certain stages of their ascent, no
matter where they are geographically located.
Let us now consider such learning as the Druids
were said to possess. Strabo, geographer and his
torian of 64 B. C., informs us in his renowned
Geography, that the Druids of Gaul were stu
dents of a natural and moral philosophy, namely,
students of science and of philosophy. He also
informs us that they were the most just of men
and arbiters of disputes, both public and private.
Then again, Pomponius Mela, A. D. 40, some

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

one hundred years later, and also a geographer,

refers to them as teachers of wisdom. He also
states that they professed a knowledge of the
size and shape of the world, and the movement
of the stars. It is known that the Druids did
possess an alphabet known as the Ogham. It de
rived its name from the Keltic king of eloquence
and learning. Inscriptions of this have been
found, and it is the forerunner of the Q-Keltic, or,
namely, the Gaelic language. Caesar informs us
that the course of instruction given by the Druids
lasted twenty years. He also states that the young
men flocked to the classes and that some such
classes had as many as a hundred pupils at one
time.
It is interesting to analyze some of their teach
ings, as they are related to us historically by the
ancient Kelts, upon whose accounts we must rely
for want of direct evidence. The Druids believed
in the eternity of matter, in an atomic condition;
namely, they held, as do modern physicists, that
matter in its essence is indestructible. They also
affirmed the eternity of water, which for want
of knowing iust how they meant this would ap
pear to be a less enlightened concept. Remarkable
is their doctrine that the passive or female prin
ciple of the Divine pervaded both; in other words,
that the negative bolarity of the Divine Creative
Force existed in all matter. This dualism, account
ing for manifestations, does reveal an intellectual
depth.
They also held that at some inconceivably dis
tant period, Celi, the active principle (positive)
concentrated its energy in the passive principle
or Ced (negative), and as a result of this contact
or union, the sun was produced. Under the in
fluence of the sun, the atomic elements took solid
shape, became a plastic chaos known as Calem.
To define this, it was their conception that the
cause of the physical universe was the coming to
gether of the positive quality in the universe, with
its opposite the negative, resulting in the creation
of the sun and the unity within the sun of a
creative force, being both negative and positive.
The sun in turn creating atoms which were
molded to comprise all reality, all the particulars
of matter Rosicrucians will seriously contemplate
these concepts of thousands of years ago, and will
be amazed at the similarity to certain aspects of
their own teachings.
The Druids had developed a Zodiac; the name
of the Zodiacal signs are those of the deities or
gods, whose various emanations come to the earth
through the sun. The vernal or Spring equinox
was called Eilu (second generation). The sum
mer solstice was known as Havhin (summer tem
perature) . The autumnal equinox was Elved (or
harvest) ; and the winter solstice was Arthan. In
this knowledge of the equinoxes and solstices, we
see an understanding of the fundamentals of as

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tronomy, comparable to that had by many of the

ancient civilizations.

Though, on the one hand the Druids had an

alphabet, and inscriptions are found which are
attributed to them, yet, we are told that they
imparted their knowledge to students orally, Pos
sibly the imparting of their wisdom in this manner was done as a sacerdotal rite after each pupil
had assumed certain obligations and made necessary vows. Of course, so far as we know, they
left no hagiography.
It is also interesting to note that they practiced
the healing arts. Of especial interest to Rosicrudan students of alchemy is that they gathered
certain herbs for the purpose, notably mistletoe.
The gatherers had to be clothed in white, the
almost universal symbol for purity, and, further,
the gatherer had to have his feet naked. He was
obliged to precede his undertaking with a sacrifice,
and to cull the plant in a prescribed sacred way.
The religious rites and mystical conceptions
which are attributed to the Druids, and the
legends of their wealth of esoteric knowledge, are
perhaps the most renowned of their accomplish"
ments. I quote from the Prologue in Book One
by Diogenes Laertius, Third Century B. C., biographer of the ancient philosophers:
. . . and
among the Celts and Gauls, there are people
called the Druids or Holy Ones, for which they
cite as authority the M agicus of Aristotle and
Sotion, in the 23rd book of his Succession of
Philosophers. In other words, Diogenes Laertius,
in his work two hundred years before Christ,
makes reference to an account appearing in the
literary work of Sotion of Alexandria, now lost,
and written about three hundred years before
Christ. All of these references to the learning
and the esoteric attainments of the Druids by the
ancients cannot be wholly discarded.
W e are told elsewhere that the true temples
of the Druids were natural groves. This, however, conflicts with other accounts.
They as a sect taught immortality, to which
almost all of the ancient writers, who allude to
the Druids, make reference. Their religious views
also included the doctrine of reincarnation; however, they believed that the soul did not return to
earth until quite a lengthy time had elapsed. In
other words, it dwelt for some duration in the
other world. According to Strabo, Diodorus, Cic
ero, and Tacitus, their religious organization had
several well-defined, priestly classes, each with its
subdivisions. In other words, it consisted of, first,
its strictly religious rites. Then the oracular, for
divination or prophecy. The magical, the ad
ministrative, and finally the bardic, the last being
the poetical or literary division.
W e know, I repeat, as much as we do about
these things because of the Keltic religion. It is
believed that the Keltic and Druid religions were

Page 25

interchangeable. The Kelts being great admirers

of the Druids, adopted their doctrines and litur
gies almost in their entirety. The inner teachings,
ritualism, and esoteric truth of Druidism were
perhaps taught by secret priesthoods, as in ancient
Egypt. There is much strength given the convic
tion that there was a later exchange between
them. That there was a traffic of the scholars
between the two remote regions is evidenced by
numerous references to the Druids by the ancient
scholars. It is held by students of comparative
religions, that there is a similarity between the
doctrines of the Druids and those of ancient
Persian Mithraism. It was in Mithraism and Zoro
astrianism that there was developed the concept
of a definite conflict between good and evil, each
being personalized so that the struggle was really
between a god of righteousness and a satanic be
ing. Accordingly in Druidism, this conflict was
extolled and the good principle always triumphed.
Plutarch, in his celebrated essay On the Face
in the Orb of the Moon, gives us fragments of
what are purported to be Druidic teachings. The
translaters of Plutarchs works, I have noted, have
appended a footnote that the characters men
tioned in that part of the essay may have been
Greek sailors, who were left stranded in Britain,
and gave themselves over to the songs and litur
gies of the Druids, preferring them to their own.
W e also notice that the Druids, as is so common
among primitive peoples, apotheosized the sun, or
caused it to become a central principle in their
religious philosophy. To the Druids, the sun was
a Divine force and influence, and it was symbol
ized by the bird, the wren.
The chief seat in Scotland of the Druids was
the island of Iona, the ancient name of which was
Inis Druineach, or the Island of the Druids,
but they fought the Romans throughout Britain
and in Gaul, to preserve their own customs. It is
held that they believed the Romans a decadent
people. Tradition informs us that in many ma
terial and utilitarian respects, they were superior
to the Romans. The Druid boats were held to be
far superior to the first Roman galleys to touch
the shores of Britain.
Most historians agree that the Druids disap
peared due to two reasons: First, in Gaul and
in lower Britain there was tremendous Roman
opposition to them, and a consequent Romanizing
influence of the nature of their religion. Second,
in Britain, beyond the sphere of Roman influence
the introduction of Christianity tended to lessen
the strength of Druidism. Christianity was far
cruder at that time than Druidism; nevertheless,
in its philosophy, in its teachings, in its ritualism,
and in its dogma, it referred to Druidism and its
mystical principles as paganism.
The Romans attacked Druidism on political
and not on religious grounds. The Druids had

Page 26

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

splendid organization ability and were zealous

patriots. It is this that the Romans are said to
have feared. On the other hand, Caesar was
quite strident in his writings about the fearful
human sacrifices of the Druids. If the Druids had
practiced human sacrifice, they most certainly
would not have had so highly evolved a system
of instruction and practiced the mystical prin
ciples which they did. Such an inconsistency
cannot be conceived. I venture to say that
Caesars references to their human sacrifices
were part of an ancient campaign of prapaganda,
atrocity propaganda, if you will, to discourage
interest in Druidism, and to justify the Roman
suppression of themhistory repeats itself, does
it not? The Druids, under this onslaught, re
treated to the mountains and into the forests, and
hid in caverns where it is related they continued
to teach surreptitiously the sons of noble Gaulish
patriots.1X.

H ealing W hile 111

In our weekly lessons, especially those of the
early degrees, we occasionally give a warning to
our members in connection with the use and ap plication of the Rosicrucian principles in their
daily lives. W e recall one such warning in which
it is stated that a person should not give healing
treatments unless he or she is well. This warning
does not say that one cannot heal when ill; it
simply states that one should look to his own
physical condition before using the work to heal
others. Recently this warning has been, chal
lenged, and this morning I would like to read
this challenge to you and then discuss the ques
tion here in The Rosicrucian Forum. Here is
the statement from our Soror :
Some people challenge the idea that they can
not heal another while ill, saying they have
proved that they can.
Now let us look at the question carefully.
Notice that it implies the statement has been
made that one cannot heal another while ill. The
challenge is against something that has not been
said. W e have only stated that it is better to
treat others by contact methods only when one
is in a healthy physical condition. This warning
is given because one in ill health needs all the
energy he can possibly obtain for himself. He
requires the retainment within his own physical
body of all of the magnetism he can build up by
deep breathing and proper eating.
Regardless of the negative condition of the
physical body it can be quickly polarized on the
positive side by deep breathing. Once there is an
abundance of the positive element, a positive con
tact treatment may be given, but the difficulty
is that the treatment cannot be as lasting and as
strong when given by one who is ill as by one in

good physical health. Now it is quite true that

one may be used as a medium for Cosmic healing
regardless of his own personal condition, but it is
wrong to say, I can heal even when I am sick.
In the first place, we do not actually heal others;
we are simply mediums for the healing soothing
vibrations of the Cosmic. This being true our
own personal health is not an important factor in
giving an absent treatment. Since the operator of
the system becomes the medium for the Cosmic,
he naturally is a recipient of soothing, healing
vibrations just as is the patient.
In order to heal it is necessary to attune to the
great Cosmic forces within. Such attunement will
bathe the healer in strong, healing vibrations just
as the patient will be so bathed through the effort
of the healer to bring the patient into harmony
with the Cosmic. W e can realize by this reason
ing the great value, to the student, in applying
the teachings he has received in regular daily
periods of directing health, peace and harmony to
his fellow beings everywhere.
W e can urge all of our members to follow a
regular planned system of work and worship in
behalf of fellow members and mankind generally.
A period for such work should be selected from
those listed in Liber 777 and then maintained
daily. It is not necessary to focus upon any one
individual or personality, but a general radiation
of peace and harmony will bring the best results.
The more often you repeat this process the closer
you become attuned to the divine forces. This
close attunement will result in better health with
steady inner growth and development. In short
one may be a medium for Cosmic healing regard
less of his own ill health; however, his magnetic
healing by laying on the hands will be weak if he
is ill and run-down.

Success W ith Experiments

A Soror, I believe new to this Forum circle,
says: I am often distressed and considerably dis
couraged in my Rosicrucian studies; first, because
I am not successful with each of the given experi
ments, even though I conscientiously try and I
thoroughly understand the explanations given in
the monographs. Second, in discussing the teach
ings and my progress, or sometimes I believe the
lack of it, with other members of my degree, I
am disheartened to learn that they have often ac
complished that wherein I have failed, though
occasionally I have had success with the same
thing they have. Also at times they have not
succeeded in those experiments with which I have
had modest success. I would like to know why it
is that I have this sporadic success. W hy is it that
others can succeed where I fail, for they describe
their successes in such glowing terms.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

W e begin our answer by first considering the

human equation. W e are not equal, and we of
ten forget this fact. That is why we reiterate it
in so many ways in The Rosicrucian Forum,
the Rosicrucian Digest, and in the monographs.
As a species, we are all Homo sapiens. If we are
normal, we all have arms and legs and all of our
organs and functions, and there does seem to be
such a similarity between us. On the other hand,
just a little thought will make each of us realize
that we are extremely different. Science recog
nizes that we are entirely unlike; even identical
twins are unlike to some small extent. Mystics
hold that we are alike only in the fact that we all
originate in the same manner and all have the
same divine essence or soul force within us. That
being so, how can we expect to react alike to
every experience?
People attending the same classes in school do
not comprehend each lesson alike. People do not
react alike to the same environmental circum
stances. Some will take them calmly, some be
come excited, others extremely emotional. A
group of people will not observe, and recall from
memory alike, the same incident they have wit
nessed. Every person who has served on a jury
more than once or twice knows from experience
that witnesses of an automobile accident, for ex'
ample, will each, as a rule, differently describe
the particular circumstances. One will say that
the automobile was in motion when the accident
occurred. Another will say that it was standing
still. One witness may say that the automobile
was in the middle of the intersection, and another
will say that it had not yet approached it. Now
this deviation in testimony is not due to the fact
that these individuals are perjuring themselves,
nor that they have any ulterior motive in not
agreeing with each other. It is just due to the
differences in concentrating, in analyzing what
they perceived, and in recollecting the entire in
cident.
Then again, our responsiveness is different.
O ur natural sensitivity, our talents, and our abili
ties are not alike. Some of us are artistically in
clined. W e like to paint, to draw, and we have
some talent in that line. Others are musically in
clined; they can play a musical instrument, or
sing. There are those who are mechanically in
clined, who like to build or construct something.
Others are literarily inclined; they like to write.
Some love to study. Some are inventive; still
others adventurous. I hardly believe there is any
individual among us who does not excel his neigh
bor in some way or other. He may not be the
most proficient man in his town in that particular
trait of character or facultv, or even in his very
block or street, but he will be able to do some
thing: just a little bit better than his next-door
neighbor.

Page 27

Now, isnt all this true? If this inequality is

so evident in a material way, and in an intellec
tual way, it also applies to our psychii responsive'
ness. True, the soul force in us is perfect and
divine. The souls in each of us are alike; but we
are in various degrees of development insofar as
expressing that soul force is concerned. That
makes us each a little different psychically. Each
of us can be reached, or rather affected, some
what differently psychically. Again, some of the
endocrine glands or the psychic centers within us
are more or less developed in some than in others.
That makes it possible for us to have success with
certain experiments which use those glands, where
others might fail, and vice versa.
In interviews with members, I have met Fratres
and Sorores who were very discouraged with ex
periments concerning the mystical phenomenon of
projection. A fter drawing them out in conversa
tion, they would finally admit that they were not
completely devoid of success in projection, but
they were unable to perform all of the experi
ments concerning it alike, and they would have
no success with some and fair success with others.
In other words, some Sorores have never been
able to receive a projection. They have never
been consciously aware of the personality of an
other in such a manner as could be called projec
tion. On the other hand, they relate, with a sense
of pride in accomplishment, that they have been
able to project to others, or that others have re
ported having seen their projections, and they
knew it was theirs because their friend described
what they were doing upon the occasion, what
they wore, and would even give the time and
place. This just proves that certain members are
more responsive to reception than to transmission,
and conversely with others.
Then I have known those members who, to
date, have had no success at all with projection
either reception or transmissionand yet have
remarkable healing powers. The radiation of the
energy from their hands can be sensed by anyone,
even by those who have no knowledge of these
laws and principles. Yet these persons bemoan
the fact that they are failures in projection. In
other words, it is unfortunate that members ex
pect to have complete success with every mystical
principle. Such is hardly possible.
You might ask, then, why we include all of
these experiments in our monographs, if everyone
cannot succeed. W e put into our monographs a
great variety of experiments so as to demonstrate
a number of laws and principles and include a
number of exercises to stimulate and awaken all
of the faculties of the individual. W e know that
the individual is bound to have success with some
of them, those toward which he is most re
sponsive, and which are most in accord with his
or her particular stage of advancement. If we did

Page 28

not do this, we would then be obliged to guess

which of the exercises and experiments would be
best for all members alike. W e would be contra
dicting ourselves. W e would be reverting to the
false belief that everyone is alike, and that there
fore, everyone will react to those exercises which
we might arbitrarily select. It might be our mis
fortune, then, just to select some with which cer
tain types of individuals would never have any
success, and so consequently, such individuals
would have a continuous failure throughout the
monographs. On the other hand, I have never
known a conscientious member, that is, one who
has honestly tried and has been intelligent in his
application of the Rosicrucian teachings, who has
had continuous failure.
Then, again, we must look at this matter in this
light. The various exercises and experiments
which we want our members to try have to be
introduced sometime in the monographs; that is,
they must come up somewhere in the system of
instruction. W e try, and it has been the policy
of the Order, to introduce them in those degrees
most related to the principles which they use. As
soon as they are introduced, the member imme
diately, or a short time thereafter, tries the ex
periment. But it must not be expected that as
soon as he learns of it and tries it, he is going to
have immediate corresponding success. Some
members do think this. As soon as they learn of
an experiment which is supposed to produce cer
tain results they try it, which in itself is all right,
but if they fail they are extremely discouraged.
They must realize that often an experiment must
be tried several times, allowing a reasonable inter
val betweenperhaps a week or ten days.
If you bought a book on swimming and diving,
for analogy, and turned a page to a new chapter
and saw there an illustration of a certain kind of
dive, and opposite, instructions as to how it
should be accomplished, I do not think you would
expect immediately after seeing the picture and
reading the page of instruction, which might take
five minutes, that you could go out to a swimming
pool and accomplish that dive as proficiently as
the illustration shows. You would realize that
you would need some practice, that you would
need to repeat it a few times, before you could
have the success shown in the illustration. That
is the same kind of good common sense and reas
oning which you should use in performing your
experiments and conducting the exercises of the
Rosicrucian teachings.
Remember, too, that your general health and
environmental conditions play a great part in
whether or not you are going to succeed. Let me
make it plain that one does not have to be a
physical culturist, nor does he have to be in per
fect health to have success with the psychic dem
onstrations and experiments. So long as you are

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

not in physical pain and your consciousness is not

agitated by any distress, you are physically sound
enough to conduct the experiments. On the other
hand, if you have had a very severe day, if you
have been toiling hard, if you have spent a lot of
nervous energy and are pretty much exhausted,
mentally and physically, more so than usual, then
of course you cannot expect to have the same re
sults that you would have if you were fresh. If
you are grief-stricken, terribly worried, again you
will not have the same success with the experi
ments.
Now, almost all of our members have their
duties, their home lives, and their business or
professional lives; consequently, at the end of a
days work or activity, they have a normal fatigue.
But just because they are normally tired does not
mean that they should abandon or not attempt
their studies. I say with a degree of modesty
that I believe I work mentally as hard as most of
our members, and I think I dissipate just about
as much of my mental energy in performing my
duties. And yet, I find that if I relax after dinner
in a comfortable chair, or lie down and take a
nap for fifteen minutes, I am rejuvenated suf
ficiently by this relaxation so that I can have a
fair degree of success with those experiments to
which I will naturally react.
To some I may not react, as I mentioned above,
and I may not succeed with them. If there are
experiments which you are required to do which
you feel need more than the usual effort, then
put those aside for a Sunday morning, or for
whatever time during your schedule you will find
yourself the most refreshed. There are very few
of our experiments that take over five or ten
minutes to perform, especially those of a psychic
nature. If you have carefully studied the prin
ciples in the monographs, the laws underlying
them, and familiarized yourself with the pro
cedure, you can conduct the actual experiment
almost any time, anywhere, in just a few minutes.
W hen someone tells you of his or her success
with experiments and exercises in the mono
graphs, and especially of those with which you
have failed for the time being, regain your confi
dence in yourself by recalling those experiments
with which you have had success. Relate your
own dominant experiences. You will find those
equal to the ones had by the other Frater or
Soror.X.

News and C hatter

Perhaps the greatest news to bring to the at
tention of you Fratres and Sorores throughout
the world who compose our Forum circle, and
who in spirit are assembled here with me in my
office, is the fact that the 14th annual Rosicru
cian Convention just concluded was exceedingly

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

successful. I do not mean alone that everyone

just enjoyed themselves, or that they derived great
benefit from the, lectures, lessons and demonstra
tions which they witnessed and heard. Rather,
I mean that the attendance was far greater than
we, the officers of the Supreme and Grand
Lodges, had anticipated. W e are not inclined
to be pessimistic. On the other hand, travel con
ditions throughout the country made it appear
that it would be quite some inconvenience to
members to come to the Convention this year,
and that therefore in all probability we might ex
pect a diminishing to perhaps even one-third of
our usual annual conclaves. To our joy and
amazement, the attendance was many hundreds,
and fell short of normal attendance by very little.
This was exceedingly gratifying to all of the
officers, for two reasons. First, there is just as
much labor and just as much preparation required
to arrange a convention for a handful of persons
as for many hundreds, so we were glad to have
the greater number participate in the activities.
Secondly, it indicated that the Fratres and Sorores
realized that this was a critical year. They knew
that there is a certain weakness among people
in every emergency, in every adverse circum
stance, a tendency to resort to abandonment, to
give up all worthwhile things, and figuratively to
crawl into a hole and pull the hole in after them.
If such an attitude of mind would really help to
bring the war to a close, we would be the first to
recommend it; but it does not. Psychologically it
is detrimental to the individual himself. Further
more, economically and in every other way it is
injurious to institutions, organizations, and so
cieties that should be perpetuated. O ur members
realized this, and so despite the handicaps and
the more than usual effort required to come to
the Convention, they attended.
Nearly every state of the Union was repre
sented and several foreign countries as well. So
far as we are concerned, and so far as we have
heard from all those who attended, it was a joy'
ous occasion. If you were not one of those pres
ent, or even if you were, plan to come next year.
W e are going to have another Convention, unless
governmental decree because of any emergency
may make it impossible.
W e have already mentioned in the last issue
of the Rosicrucian Digest that our recent RoseCroix University summer term was the largest
that we ever had. Isnt that encouraging? Isnt
that representative of the Rosicrucian spirit? A l'
though the war required a change in faculty (that
is, some of our professors were tied up with other
institutions and could not get away for our summer term) we did have a most efficient faculty
and added a number of new courses that were
well accepted.

Page 29

While speaking upon the subject of the RoseCroix University, I want to reiterate that every
member is eligible to enroll. It is not open just
to high degree members but to every student of
the Rosicrucian Order. Furthermore, you do not
have to have a college or a university education.
In fact, you do not even have to have a high
school education. It is true, we have a good many
students who hold degrees from other universities
attending the Rose-Croix University. Then we
also have a great number who have just a common
school education. I f you can read your Rosicru
cian monographs, if you can understand them
(and you do or you would not be a Rosicrucian
member) then let me assure you that you will be
able to understand fully and get the utmost bene
fit from the instructions at the Rose-Croix U ni
versity, as they are simply and effectively pre
sented bv the faculty. W rite today for the free
book, The Story of Learning. Now you may
have had that book some time past, but there are
new editions of it. It explains the present subjects
included in the curriculum, some of which are
entirely new. The tuition fee is very reasonable,
and in this way you can combine a vacation, the
Convention, and a term at the Rose-Croix U ni'
versity all in one, for a short period of time and
for an economical amount.
A great number of our Fratres are now in the
armed forces, in every branch of the service of
our Government. W e are happy to sav that the
great majority of them are retaining their Rosi
crucian membership, and in fact, there is no
reason why they should not. Sometimes, how
ever, when a Frater is suddenly inducted into the
army, he will send a telegram of this nature:
Have been inducted into army. Must discon
tinue membership. W e know that he is con
fused, that he does not understand, and he be
lieves that the circumstances will compel him to
cease his membership. Then we write to him,
explain the conditions, and ciuote to him from the
letters of many of those who are already in the
service. He learns that the United States Govern'
ment (and the Canadian Government as well) is
desirous of having its men receive mail, because
mail keeps up morale, and that no matter how
often their addresses are changed, the Govern
ment will forward the mail to them.
True, if they are sent to a foreign country,
there may be a delay of a few weeks before they
get their mail; but once the contact is established,
it comes through regularly. Further, they will
learn, as many have, that except when in actual
combat they will have time to read their mono
graphs as they would read a newspaper or maga
zine. It is true they will have to dispense for the
time with some of the experiments or rituals, but
they will have the advantage of the inspiration of
the teachings and of the principles. And once

Page 30

they are in army or navy life they will find that

different attitude of mind, that uplift, that en
couragement and vision that comes from the
monographs, a valuable adjunct to keeping the'
morale high and helping them to adapt them
selves to their new surroundings, as has been so
expressed by many of the Fratres in the service.
Sometimes we receive letters which would be
amusing if the circumstances were not so serious.
A member will write: Please discontinue my
membership as I must buy war bonds. Now the
absurdity of this is that their nominal monthly
membership dues would not equal a war bond in
the first place. Secondly, everyone today is trying
to do his bit, and will buy war stamps an,d war
bonds. But the United States Government does
not expect us to stop eating, stop sleeping, or
cease or reject our affiliations which are morale
builders, nor our assistance to those institutions
which are an integral part of and needed in our
civilization. If we were to cease all of our ac'
tivity, all of our support of worthy institutions,
and just buy war bonds, we would bring about a
national disaster. That is not expected of us.
There are many little things we can cut out,
not completely but to some degree, so as to add
to our purchase of war bonds, but certainly the
elimination of our membership is not one of them;
and if we think it is, then it shows how lightly
we hold our membership and how superficial it
is to us. A M O RC buys war bonds as an institu
tion as well, and it makes some sacrifices to do so,
but it certainly is not going to hold up your
monographs or do some other drastic thing which
is necessary so as to buy more war bonds. Let us
be reasonable about it. O ur country wants us
to be reasonable in the service we render it. W e
most certainly would not stop eating or buying
clothes that we need, in order to buy war bonds.
In many ways, as the sensible member realizes,
his membership is a necessity; if it does not have
the value of a necessity, then one should not be
a member of it at all. Rosicrucian membership
is not a plaything or a superfluous interest.
Now I would like to call your attention to an
interesting new book. It is entitled The Secret
History of Francis Bacon and it is by that cele
brated author, Alfred Dodd, who has written a
number of works on the life of Francis Bacon,
his Rosicrucian connections, and his authorship of
the Shakespearian writings. This book will be a
very valuable addition to your library, and as
well you will find it very interesting. W e have
secured a limited number of copies from London,
England, and we offer the book to you postpaid
at $1.45 per copy. May I suggest that you obtain
a copy, but do not delay in placing your order
because when our supply is exhausted, we may
not be able to obtain any more, or there may be
a great delay before the next shipment. A few

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of the Chapters of the book are as follows:

The Personal Story of Francis Bacon
W ho was Francis Bacon?
Queen Elizabeth and Francis Bacon
The Personal Relationship of Queen Elizabeth
and Francis Bacon
Shake-Speare, Nom de Plume
The Feverish Haste to Finish His Lifes W ork
RosicrosseMasonry
This work contains many of the original poems
and writings and also refers to the secret code or
cipher of Francis Bacon.
I wonder how many of our Fratres and Sorores
are getting the utmost from their Rosicrucian
monographs. W e here at Rosicrucian Park, who
are occupied with the Rosicrucian teachings daily,
writing about them, talking about them, preparing
them, are expected to be very conversant with
them and know exactly where every principle or
law is to be found, and in a general way we do.
W e know that certain principles are discussed in
the Sixth Degree, others in the Fourth Degree,
others in the Seventh, the Third, etc. But we
cannot say definitely on what page and in what
paragraph every phrase or sentence or definition
may be foundand no one would have such a
perfect memory as to be able to. Conseauently,
in answering letters or in conducting this Forum,
if we had to thumb through two or three or half
a dozen monographs of the degree each time we
wanted to hunt up a point so as to quote it
exactly or so as to refresh our memory, we would
waste considerable time. Frankly, therefore, we
are very thankful each day that we have com
piled indexes to the Rosicrucian monographs, indexes that not only tell us exactly what degree
a subject is in and what monograph, but what
page and paragraph as well. The index directs
us, without loss of time, right to the source of
the information we want.
I know of many good members who are faith
ful students and who do not have these indexes.
I cannot understand why they have not, since the
indexes are economical, and since these members
can afford them. Do they realize how much
valuable time they are wasting in thumbing
through monographs looking for that which is
needed? Furthermore, just to turn the pages of
the index and look at the list of subjects re
freshes ones memory with the topics, and stimu
lates interest.
Then the index serves another purpose. It tells
every place in all of the degrees where a subject
may be found. For example, we know that the
topic of 'Nious is principally discussed in the
Fourth Degree, and yet there are many other im
portant references to it, not so elaborate, in many
of the other degrees. Suppose you wanted to
gather together for study and for review, all in

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

formation pertaining to Nous. W ithout an index

you would turn to the Fourth Degree, and there
you would find it. But, vaguely you would remember that the subject was also discussed in
other degrees here and there, but where? Think
of the time lost in making that search.
Frankly, the indexes weld your monographs
together in a very efficient way. I am reminded
of their value by the fact that I have just seen
a copy of the newly prepared index for the
Fifth and Sixth Degrees. You need not purchase
all of the indexes at one time, but by all means,
at least purchase the index of the degree in
which you are studying. The following is a list
of these indexes and the prices of them, postpaid
to you:
Neophyte Index (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Degrees) .25
Temple Index (to and including 4th Degree) .50
Temple Index (5th and 6th Degrees)............1.00
Temple Index (7th, 8th, and 9th Degrees) ....1.00
Temple Index (A Degree)...............................1.00
Temple Index (BDegree, Part 1)..................... 75
Temple Index (B Degree, Part I I ) ................... 75
Temple Index (C Degree, Part I ) ..................... 75
The actual printing cost of an index is insig
nificant. The price is a result of many days
labor in compiling it in its present form.
W hat are vou doing with vour Rosicrucian
Digests? Actually, most of you like to keep them.
A number of you have them bound, which the
Rosicrucian Supply Bureau does for you at an
economical price, but you should, if you can,
allow others to read the magazine before you file
it away. Your Rosicrucian Digest is not a
private publication. It is in all of the public
libraries that are prominent in various parts of
the world, and in this country. There are topics
in it that are bound to interest others if they are
at all studious, if they are at all mystically in
clined, if they are at all interested in the various
aspects of life.
The average man or woman is interested in
current events, because they touch life so strongly
at this time, and he or she is greatly concerned
with the tomorrow, with whether or not there
will be a great social revolution, whether or not
many of our institutions will change, how many
things we have accepted will be done away with;
will we have greater freedom or less, assurances
of peace or none. Therefore, the current series

Page 31

of articles entitled, W hat of Tomorrowap

pearing in the Thought of the M onth depart
ment of the Rosicrucian Digestshould inter
est any person who is alert to the times and in
terested in tomorrow. H need not be a Rosicru
cian, but the article may be instrumental in bring
ing him into the Rosicrucian organization. So
lend your copy of the Rosicrucian D i g e s t But
see that you get it back.X.

Projection and Prophecy

A Frater again asks the question, Can we
project into the future? As this question has
been discussed from various viewpoints in these
pages before, we will only comment briefly here
concerning the subject. The question might be
answered by asking another question; that is,
Can you or any individual project to any state
or condition which cannot be conceived? In
other words, if you projected to the future, in all
probability you would be projecting to your con
ception of the future. How would you be able to
distinguish between what you conceive to be the
future and what is actually the future? Until
we have advanced to a high degree of psychic
understanding and achievement, our abilities are
confined or limited by our conscious experience.
As long as we are so limited we are going to be
influenced by our own desires and imagination.
The only purpose of projecting into the future
would be to determine the answer to some ques
tion that would serve us now. In all probability
most desires to know the future are based upon
selfish motives. Prophecy that is reliable is prob
ably not based so much upon the ability to see
the future as it is to read and understand intelli
gently that which exists now and in the past.
How often it is that we look back on our lives
and see how simple it seems now to be able to
have foreseen what was going to happen. Possibly
you can remember a serious error you made at
some past time, and now in looking back at the
experience you can hardly understand how it
was that you did not see what was coming. In
other words, we have been given by our Creator
the abilities of judgment and understanding, and
what we need more than to try to gain additional
powers is instead to gain control and full use of
the abilities which we already have. Then the rest
will come as a matter of course.A.

The
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Mysteries
Within Your
Family
Circle!

The world is at your fingertips in ihe peace and quiet of your home. Free
dom to investigate the unusual, to study the mysteries of the earth, now exists
within the friendly atmosphere of your home circle. For centuries those who
openly dared to study the nature of God, declared the earth round or probed
the inner workings of the mind, were scoffed at, scorned and subject to death.
The thinker and seeker who had the sincere desire to satisfy the urge to
"know" was obliged to expose himself to these abuses. No longer is this
necessary. The Readers' Research Academy brings to you in simple, interest
ing manuscript form the startling disclosures of the scientists who challenge
obsolete ideas, the suppressed teachings of the
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the members of your family may participate in
the fascinating discussions which will arise from the
reading of these unusual discourses. Select any
Stonehenge. T h e a n
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cient temple of an early

Amenhotep IV, Egyp

tian Pharaoh. One of
the worlds g r e a t e s t
m y s t ic s . B ea d th e
course, Faiths of the
World.

brotherhood whose sec

(No. 1) ARCANE COSMOLOGY. Man has always wondered
rets of nature are grad
about the Cosmic speck called the earth. Is the earth a cell
ually becoming known.
with life on its surface, or i3 it a great cell with life on
its inside? In other words, have we a cellular universe? This new theory is startling
in its revelation, complete with charts and diagrams.

(No. 7) MYSTICAL BIBLE INSTRUCTIONS. This course reveals outstanding informa

tion. Did Christ die on the cross? The facts of the unknown periods of Christs life.
Was He a member of a secret brotherhood? Who were His sisters and brothers that
are referred to etc., etc.?
(No. 5) MYSTICAL ADVENTURES. Do you feel there is something beyond the every
day life that casts an influence over you? Would you like to venture into the realm of
psychic experience and phenomena? This course will enchant you with its simplicity
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There are a number of other courses available. Two discourses of any course
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ordering, please do so by number, and send to address below. The courses
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~ /\J
Per Mo.

THE READERS RESEARCH ACADEMY

ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A.
* 'V WW v
T H E R O S IC R U C IA N P R E S S , L T D . , S A N JO S E

Cellular C o s m o lo g y .
The universe as a cell
with the earth as its
center. Amazing in its
i n t e r e s t in g scientific
facts. Can you refute
it? Bead about it.

sm
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A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A ,,

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THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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Vol. XIII
OCTOBER, 1942
No. 2

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WHEN AUTUMN COMES AGAIN

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SOROR ETTA RICE.

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY
OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
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OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

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Page 34

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ea r F ratres and Sorores:
W h y does G od perm it this terrible conflict?
T h is is a common plaintive query h eard to
day. Because of their inability to answ er it,
the religious faith of m any persons is being
sorely tried. Still others, because no satisfac
tory explanation is forthcoming from their
church, feel justified in term inating their re
ligious affiliations, if not actually developing
atheistic tendencies. D uring these times, the
mystic and m etaphysician can, if they realize
it, especially serve hum anity well, for their
doctrines go far tow ard answ ering those
questions w hich orthodox religions either
evade, or to w hich they make further u n sat
isfactory replies.
T h e problem of orthodoxy today is the a t
tem pt to perpetuate outm oded theological
conceptions, an d to have them accepted
conceptions w hich do not correspond w ith the
general know ledge which is extant. T o the
old theology, G od is personalized. H e is a
being in m any respects paralleling the human
himself. In other w ords, to millions of minds,
G od is actually anthropom orphic. T h a t is,
he has a form w hich resembles th a t of man.
In fact, m any sincere C hristian believers con
ceive the D eity as a benign old gentlem an
like the traditional paintings depicting the
H ebrew patriarchs. T hese believers, in their
theophanic experiences, actually se e m to
see G od in just this m annerin a flowing
robe, and w ith a w hite beard.
T h is relationship of G od to man, namely,
th a t of a father to his children, is a most
lim ited concept, an d implies a paternal bond.
T h is conception is borrow ed by C hristianity
from Judaism, as one can easily discern by
an exam ination of the books of the O ld T e st
am ent. T o the devotees of m any orthodox
C hristian sects, G od is the im m ediate creator
of all things. T h a t is to say, to them each
thing on earth, in the universe, in fact, w as
conceived in its form and spontaneously pro
duced by the arbitrary edict of G od, in ac
cordance w ith a pre-existing plan, man him
self being no exception. F urth er, this plan,
according to orthodox dogma and creed, has
n o t yet been fully culminated; it is still pro

V
gressing; it is incomplete. F o r example, that
branch of theology know n as eschatology
treats of the end of the w orld, ultim ate re
surrection, final judgm ent, etc., all of w hich
are in the future of the plan.
A ccording to orthodox conception, events
occur in the w orld by virtue of tw o funda
m ental causes, w hich really reduce to b u t one
cause. F irst, the M ind of G od, the personal
desire and creation of the D eity; and, second,
those things w hich man creates or motivates
by the virtue of his mental processes and con
duct. M an, how ever, is not entirely as free
a cause as this w ould indicate, according to
orthodoxy. T h e ethical influence enters into
w h at we do as humans. It is said, th a t if our
acts are virtuous, consistent w ith those dic
tates of right conduct w hich G od and H is
only begotten Son have laid dow n, they are
good an d w e are then conform ing to the will
of G od. In other w ords, w e are doing just
w hat w e are supposed to do. It is the equiva
lent of G od acting through us, says the
theologian.
O n the o th er hand, if w e oppose the good
as set forth in canonical law, the T e n Com
m andm ents, etc., we are not displaying a
freedom either. Such evil conduct is said not
to have originated solely in our thinking, but
rath e r w e are being influenced b y S a ta n by
th a t m alevolent spirit opposing G od. T o sum
marize then, w e have a universe, a w orld of
things im m ediately created by G od, and,
further, as w e find in G enesis 1:31, A nd
G od saw everything th at he had made, and
behold it w as v ery good. N otw ithstanding,
however, th a t all things are of the good,
S atan is said to exist, and he corrupts and
interferes w ith this program of good. T h is
malevolent being may even seize upon man
and claim him. H ow ever, orthodoxy affords
man a certain medium of protection. If he
heeds the w ords of G od, the laws of the
Scriptures, he m ay be draw n back into grace,
into the folds of G o d s goodness, w here he
has an imm unity to the assailm ent of Satan.
N ow , here is w here confusion begins to
enter. T h e confusion is caused b y the fact
th at these dogm as are neither consistent w ith

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

rationalism nor w ith hum an experience. T h is

salvation is not a collective enterprise. T o p ut
it more cogently, all of hum anity need not
subscribe to the orthodox doctrines o r to the
literal interpretation of G od's w ords before
the individual w ho does so can be blessed.
A million persons can be sinners and suffer
w hat is related to be their punishm ent or final
judgm ent, and, yet, one w ho has lived the
life" will be rew arded. A ccording to this
conception, then, it would appear necessary
only for each hum an to be either a follower
of G od or of S atan, and then either be re
w arded or punished accordingly. W h e n ,
however, the individual has led a G od-fearing life and faithfully adheres to his creed,
and suffers calam ity and misfortune, it is
most shattering to the faith of the orthodox
religionist.
M an evaluates the circumstances on the
basis of his p aternal relationship to G od. If
G od is a father, as man is to his m ortal flesh
and blood children, then G od m ust certainly
be aw are of m an's personal conduct. If man
is righteous in his living, w hy then m ust he
suffer at the hands of God? Since all things
occur as the fiat o f G od, according to this
orthodox view, then it is believed th a t all suf
fering, all m isfortune is arbitrarily imposed
by the D eity. But w hy, w hy, mourns the
confused orthodox devotee, m ust this be so?"
Since his G od has been m ade to parallel
himself so greatly the orthodox C hristian lik
ens D ivine justice to hum an justice. H e, man,
w ould not affirm it good or just to punish a
son w ithout revealing w hy he did so, espec
ially if th a t son had faithfully sought to live
in a m anner w hich w ould please the father.
T h e w icked m ust be punished. T h e orthodox
can understand that. Such is com m ensurate
w ith their own m undane affairs, b ut w hy
should the innocent suffer as well, especially
w hen they seek to live according to a p re
scribed G odly conduct? T o d a y sees the
cathedrals, the churches, the sanctuaries, and
the homes of the orthodox bombed, burned,
and in shambles. W h e re is the om nipotent
beneficence of G od during such times?
T h e clergy of orthodoxy m ay seek to ex
plain th a t the aggressors are the nefarious
agents of the Devil, and that the conflict is
one betw een the good and the w icked ~ and
th a t ultim ately th e orthodox will survive in
victory, and the wicked will be defeated and

Page 35

find further retribution in a hell. Still this is

not good reasoning and it is not satisfying,
and the orthodox C hristian does apply the
rule of reason to much of his spiritual faith,
w hether he adm its it or not. A s said, from
the theological point of view, all hum ans are
the children of G od. Is it patern al wisdom
to allow the good, the w ell-behaved, the
righteous children to be attacked by those
under the direction of a malevolent spirit?
M u st the good lose their lives by being vic
tims of the evil ones, w ith a father looking
on? M en w ould ad judge such conduct in
hum an family relations as b rutal an d lacking
in filial love, an d y et in orthodox theology
such a condition prevails in the relationship
of men to their G od.
Is it any w onder then th at the orthodox
C hristian believer wails: W h y does G od
perm it this terrible conflict?" H e must be
lieve, he w ants to believe as he has been
taught, th a t a G od exists. H e w an ts to think
th at th at G od, his F ath er, is the creator an d
director of all things an d their functions.
W h e n , how ever, bloodshed, m assacre, and
the horrors of w ar b reak out, engulfing those
who, by his religious standards, are the good,
it is so glaringly inconsistent w ith the con
duct of even a good mortal th a t it bew ilders
him and often causes him to lose faith. It is
not sufficient to say th a t G od acts in divers
w ays and man m ust not presum e to under
stan d them. O rth o d o x theology has purpose
ly sought to m ake G od understandable by
making him th a t kind of father w ho corre
sponds to the relationship of a m ortal father
to his children. It has declared G od to be
the shepherd of his flock. All of these home
ly similes have been given man so th a t G od
can become com prehensible as a D ivine Be
ing w ith a com passion tow ard men, as men
have tow ard each other, only of an infinitely
greater extent.
T h en w hen there are occurrences such as a
great w orld w ar, w hich cannot be satisfactor
ily explained b y such a relationship, it is easy
to conceive the effect upon the mind of the
orthodox believer. A ll of his life such a b e
liever has spurned philosophy. H e has look
ed upon mysticism, m etaphysics, occultism,
yes, even science, as anti-C hristian, as ag
nostic, if n ot even o ut and out exponents of
the devil. H e cannot, therefore, immediately
accept their doctrines, once his faith is brok-

Page 36

en, so he becomes bitter an d cynical, and

more likely an atheist.
T h ere are m any devout C hristians, of
course, w ho recognize science as being based
upon the stu d y of the operation of n atu ral
law. T o such persons, physical phenom ena
show the M ind of G od w orking in the uni
verse to develop a theatre or a place in w hich
the soul of man can function. T h e y never
theless hold th a t each thing has its originally
conceived Divine place, th a t each rock, tree,
or star, though functioning according to
physical law s or scientific principles, w as
conceived by G od, th at is, th a t particular law
w as conceived by the D eity to do just th at
thing, to serve an end related to the further
ance of m ans spiritual life. G od, to them,
becomes the individual supervisor of H is
handiw ork, nam ely, H is laws an d the souls
of men. T hough these latter views are a
little more progressive, and therefore liberal,
they still leave unansw ered in the minds of
such individuals the question of w h y a just,
all-wise G od, the F ather, perm its the perver
sion and the m isapplication of those n atural
laws he has created.
It is such a catastrophe as the present w ar
w hich becomes a severe test for orthodoxy.
Each time she endures, but is alw ays w eak
ened just th a t much more, losing more and
more of those she needs to spread her gos
pel. It is only a m atter of time w hen such
limited conceptions m ust fall ap art, and an
other conception of G od will take its place.
W ill C hristianity itself survive? Yes, but
only if it casts out the literal interpretation of
the w ords of its great avatars and of the
C hrist himself, and takes as its creed their
true m ystical m eanings. It m ust be learned
th at things w ere not spontaneously created,
but th a t all is the m anifestation of the crea
tive pow ers in the universe, the active prin
ciple of the Divine M ind. Evolution is a
divine exam ple of this progressionone thing
merging into another, spiralling upw ard in
its development.
All things are good because all things are
of the same ultim ate D ivine source. T h ere
are no satanic or m alevolent forces function
ing in the universe as external agencies, prey
ing upon man. W h a t man conceives as evil
is his inharmonious adjustm ent to all th a t of
which he is a part. W h a t suffering he ex
periences is not arbitrarily imposed upon him;

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the suffering is merely a functioning of the

same law s as give him his being. H um an
m isfortune is a m an-m ade product. T h e good
have perm itted the conditions to develop
which now envelop them, and so they suffer,
not by punishm ent but as an effect of a cause,
a cause th a t comes about through their own
neglect. Fire, for analogy, is both good an d
evil, the distinction being m ade in how we
direct it, or fail to do so. If individuals do
not take the means to prevent a forest fire,
or to supervise the negligent ones very care
fully, th ey m ust burn in the forest w ith the
careless ones w hen the fire begins. T h e fire
makes no distinction.
T h e Divine Pow er, to make our lives con
sistent w ith the Infinite Intelligence, rests
w ithin us. G od is at all times w ithin man. If
man fails in his life, fails in his own world,
he has no one to find at fault b ut himself or
human society, of which he is a part. N o G od
neglected him. M an is his b ro th ers keeper
to the extent th a t he m ust make his brothers
u nderstand these things so th at they can
work intelligently w ith the Divine M ind
functioning through them. T herefore, the
mystic, the Rosicrucian, says th at G od does
not perm it o r order, nor does H e interfere
w ith the w holesale destruction of life and
property now being experienced as w ar.
M a n is the cause o f that which now con
sum es him . Even those w ho did not directly
bring it about and w ho consequently seem
innocent, indirectly, through their toleration
of political corruption and economic evils,
brought the situation about. T h e mystic says,
therefore, if you w an t to look to G od in times
like these, or at any time, then tu rn to your
own inner consciousness for understanding
and for a com prehensive view of m ans true
place in hum an society. T h ere you will find
th at means w hich will m ake it impossible for
such catastrophes to come about in the future.
F raternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Im perator.

Emotions
O u r emotions and the m anner in which
they affect us are among the most interesting
phases of the study of psychology. W h e n we
recall the sensations we have experienced as
a result of em otional activity, we find that the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

seat of these sensations is invariably the

region of the solar plexus. T his fact has resuited in m any false impressions as to the
importance of the solar plexus region. T h u s
it is claimed by m any so-called teachers of
mystical sciences th a t the solar plexus is the
most im portant o f all of the psychic centers.
T h ere are those who will tell you th a t the
development of psychic pow er is dependent
entirely upon the activity of the solar plexus,
and all th at is needed is to sit quietly for sev
eral hours concentrating upon this plexus of
nerves.
W e frankly adm it th at a great plexus of
nerves of the general nervous system does
term inate in this solar region, b u t this is not
the only p a rt of the body w here such nerve
plexuses are to be found. In fact, such ter
minals supply nerve energy to all parts of the
body, keeping the vital organs in proper
working condition. T his is one of the im
portant reasons w hy the Rosicrucian system
of healing is so stim ulating to sluggish in
active organs and glands of the body.
Let us alalyze for a moment the physical
sensations th at accom pany a sudden shock
caused by intense fright. T h e very first con
dition w e notice is a sort of sinking hollow
feeling in the pit of the stomach, followed or
accom panied by a feeling th a t the blood is
rapidly draining aw ay from the face. In fact,
this is exactly w hat is happening. T h is ac
counts for the pale appearance of one b adly
frightened. W e have all heard the expres
sions, he turned w hite w ith f e a r/' an d he
was w hite as a sheet."
U sually there is an intense quivering over
the entire body; w e lose m uscular control.
T h e teeth wil chatter, the knees will become
weak. M any persons are unable to w ithstand
such shock, and will actually lose conscious
ness or faint. T h ere will be rapidly altern at
ing sensations of heat and cold w ith intense
perspiration. M a n y even have the experience
of losing the ability to speak. T h e statem ent,
he w as scared speechless," is no joke. T h ese
sensations are reactions th a t usually accom
pany great fear, but nevertheless they are not
entirely confined to the emotion fear, for
practically all expressions of the emotions
result in these same physical sensations.
T h e degree of reaction naturally is in di
rect proportion to the degree of excitement.
In other w ords, if the stimulus is not great

Page 37

and is of short duration, the reaction will be

slight, and w e quickly recover or return to
normal. O n the other hand, if the stimulus
is great and of long duration, the emotion is
intensely excited an d consequently our re
action is of a larg er degree.
T h ese emotions w ith w hich w e are all
familiar, through their reaction upon us, are
the sensations of the subjective mind. T h e y
are set into motion or action by the instincts.
F o r example, w hen w e are in great danger,
the instinct of self-preservation will set into
action the emotion fear. T h e emotions are
ag itated either from external stimuli received
through the physical senses or they m ay be
agitated from w ithin through memory. F or
example, you m ay recall a terrifying experi
ence h ad in the past, and by concentrating
upon it, visualizing it, actually reliving it,
bring about every sensation of the emotion
fear.
Sometimes a person will quite suddenly,
for no reason th a t is apparent, have physical
sensations an d a feeling of w eakness th at is
identical w ith th a t w hich accompanies an ex
citation of the emotions. T h ese are the dif
ficult experiences to understand an d explain.
In view o f the fact th a t the emotions are the
sensations of the subjective mind, it seems
quite plausible th a t these unexplained experi
ences m ust come from the inner subjective
self rath e r than through physical objective
conditions. Since the emotions m ay be stim
ulated from w ithin, as well as from w ithout,
it is quite possible to experience an emo
tional reaction to a subjective experience.
T h is is proven to some degree by the fear
one experiences from a so-called b ad dream
or nightm are."
In recent correspondence w ith a frater of
our O rd er from the northw est portion of the
U nited S tates, w e found th a t he experienced
a great sensation of fear during one of his
Rosicrucian experim ents. H e has stated th a t
only on one or tw o other occasions in his life
has he h ad such a sensation, an d each w as
caused b y external stimuli; in other w ords,
through the objective senses, hearing and
seeing. T h is frater is not subject to easy
fright an d has faced physical danger on
m any occasions w ithout great emotion or
fear. N evertheless, he reports th a t during a
dem onstration o f Rosicrucian laws and prin
ciples of concentration and attunem ent, he

Page 38

w as gripped w ith such fear th a t he could not

even extinguish the lights in his sanctum an d
retire to his bedcham ber. H e w as virtually
afraid to go into any dark hall or room in his
home. Y et he states th at it w as not outw ard
fear or a fear of bodily harm , b ut seemed to
be entirely w ithin, coming from the inner
being.
A short time after his experience, he learn
ed of the sudden and violent transition of his
nephew to w hom he h ad been extrem ely
close. N atu ra lly this new s brought him great
sorrow an d a desire to know w hen his
nephew met his untim ely end. U pon investi
gation and careful inquiry our frater suc
ceeded in obtaining this inform ation, an d to
his surprise found th at the day and hour co
incided w ith the day and hour of his unusual
sanctum experience. In other w ords, a t just
about the time he w as in the sanctum per
forming the experiment, his nephew w as fac
ing death w ith the U nited S tates N av y in
one of the im portant engagem ents in the far
Pacific. H e feels that perhaps somehow he
w as attu n ed to his nephew an d took unto
himself the sensation of fear which, w ithout
doubt, the nephew w as a t th a t very moment
experiencing.
N ow , this is not a t all an impossible
thought. T h e emotions, as w e have stated,
are of the subjective self. T h ey have their
expressions deep within, though usually they
are the result of external stim ulation. Being
closely associated w ith the inner subjective
self, w hich is m ost closely related to the soul
force and its attribute soul personality, an
experience of the nature described b y our
frater m ight easily provide the stimulus for
an outw ard experience of the emotion fear;
th a t is to say, the actual physical reactions
th a t are usually attributed to the emotion
fear.
T h e re are those who have developed their
psychic sense organs to such a degree th at
they enjoy so-called clairvoyance and clairaudience; th a t is, they see and hear p sy
chically. W h ile in attunem ent, such a one
m ight have an impression of an impending
danger; perhaps to someone closely related
to him, or perhaps even to a perfect stranger.
O n the other hand, the impression m ay be of
a great catastrophe th a t will have no personal
effect upon him. Such m ight come through a
m ental picture or may even register upon the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

sense of hearing. A n experience of this n a

ture w ould cause the sensation of fear which,
depending upon the clarity o f the m ental pic
ture or impression, w ould be either of long or
short duration.
In such a case the individual is fully aw are
physically as w ell as psychically of w h at is
occurring, w h at is causing the stim ulation to
the emotions. It is also possible for one to
have an identical experience psychically and
not be aw are of it objectively. W e quite fre
quently attain a condition of attunem ent w ith
the psychic forces w ithin y et have no outer
objective experience. U n d er such conditions,
if psychically w e contact a condition or ex
perience th a t on the objective plane would
cause great fright an d intense emotion, the
experience coming from w ithin w ould cause
the sam e reaction. H ow ever, w e would not
know the actual cause of the emotional upset.
It is practically impossible to state w ithout
reservation th a t our frater, w hose letter in
spired these rem arks, is rig h t in his analysis
of his experience, but his analysis is never
theless a possible explanation of his sudden
fear w hen outw ardly he h ad nothing to fear
and nothing objectively disturbed or startled
him. It is true th a t he did not come to this
conclusion until after he learned of the tra n
sition of his nephew , and b y cold reasoning
he arrived a t his explanation. H ow ever, as
a general rule the explanation for an experi
ence th a t persists in our consciousness, in
spite of all possible evidence to the contrary,
is usually the correct conclusion.
It is extrem ely beneficial to our grow th and
developm ent to stu d y and analyze our emo
tions and the m anner in w hich w e react
to them; in other w ords, our physical sen
sations and responses to great emotional
activity.
i

A ttaining Happiness
N ow a soror asks several questions which
command the attention of this Forum . A t this
time, however, w e will consider b u t one, one
which w e think to be of the m ost general in
terest. She asks: W h y are happiness and
abundance so confined, and sorrow and strife
and lack so w idespread?
T h is m ight be briefly answ ered by just
saying, the form er is a positive acquisition
and the latter is an undirected an d inevitable
effect. N ow to define these term s simply, let

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

us think of hum an activities, the things w e do

consciously and unconsciously, as a num ber
of small stones w hich have been throw n into
the air. If w e place a certain value upon some
of these, such as calling them happiness,
and wish to catch them, th a t requires concen
trated effort. It am ounts to a positive action.
C ertainly you will concur that it is more dif
ficult to catch some of the stones in m id-air,
than it is just to perm it them to rain dow n
upon us and on the ground. T h e law of
gravity will bring the stones to the ground
an d dow n upon us if w e are in their path,
w hether w e w an t this to be so or not. If w e
w ish to control the fall of some of the stones
or to arrest some of them, that, as said, re
quires m ental and physical exertion.
H appiness, therefore, is a state of mind
and a kind of pleasure, depending upon our
personal defining of it, w hich w e seek to ac
quire. W e desire to convert some of our ex
periences into it. W e hope or try to direct
natural influences and conditions to shape
themselves into happiness, by various means,
some more or less intelligent than others. O b
viously, as w e well know, th a t dem ands an
effort upon our parts. Concom itantly, how
ever, the conditions of our environm ent, and
those acts of ours which w e do not inquire
into or attem pt to supervise, bring about more
num erous results w hich we m ay not favor.
It is not th at the function of n atu ral law,
uncontrolled or undirected b y the hum an
mind is going to w ork to m ans detrim ent.
T here is no good or evil in the function of
natural law. T hese values are placed on them
by man, in accordance w ith how they affect
his w elfare. W h e n we are ignorant of n a t
ural law, the possibilities of its affecting us
unfavorably are very great because w e inad
vertently oppose it. Since most men give little
thought to nature generally, in pursuing their
own aims, they, therefore, find th a t life con
sists of a greater am ount of sorrow an d
strife than happiness and abundance.
U pon first blush, it w ould seem th a t the
more man sought to attain happiness, th a t is,
to transm ute the experiences of his life into
that state, the less w ould become his sorrow
and his lack. How ever, the opposite is often
true. Some men rob P eter to pay P au l.
T h a t is, they devote all of their energies to
reach a single goal, the elements of which
comprise their ideal of happiness. In doing

Page 39

this, they neglect their health, their moral

standards, and they disrupt their proper rela
tions w ith their fellow hum ans. C onsequent
penalties for such violations, as disease, sor
row, and h atred displayed tow ard them by
those envious of such success as they m ay
have had, rob w h at they finally achieve of
the content of much of the happiness they
expected.
H appiness, it is safe to proclaim, is the ul
tim ate aim in the life of most men, an d
though it is sought after so extensively, it is
nevertheless a m ost ab stract ideal. N o two
men conceive it exactly alike. T h ere is no
fixed happiness, no one state b y which the
other kinds of happiness can be measured, or
be declared as falling short of it. H appiness
is as diversified as the minds of men and
their appraisals of the rew ards of life. P er
haps this point can be made more succinct b y
saying th at w hatever w e like, an d w an t more
of, is happiness.
T h is m ight be an effrontery to the m oral
ists who would not w an t to concede th at the
satisfaction of concupiscence and of the vari
ety of the appetites in general is the happi
ness w hich is sung by the poets. W h e re,
however, is the distinction to be made b e
tween the gratification a miser has in count
ing his coins an d th a t which the artist finds
in painting the gorgeous tints and the pe
num bra of a sunset? You cannot remove the
pleasurable content of happiness. W h a te v er
constitutes the ideal of pleasure to an indi
vidual, th at is his happiness.
T h ere is, however, the utilitarian aspect of
happiness which m ust not be overlooked. It
is p atent th at the constancy of happiness is
a quality th a t is preferred. A lm ost all who
seek happiness w an t it to become a perm a
nent condition of their lives and not an evan
escent one. C onsequently, a happiness th at
is ap t to dissolve or be easily decim ated by
circumstances m ust have a lesser value than
one th at w ould not. P lato tells us in his d ia
logues th at the m ental pleasures are the true
happiness. H e reasons th at the philosophers
nam ely, the students and those culturally
inclined have h ad the opportunity to ex
perience both kinds of pleasure bodily and
mental and since they choose the latter it
must, therefore, be the more satisfying and
enduring.

Page 40

E picurus defines happiness as pleasure, but

he holds th at the latter is of tw o different
kinds, th at is, positive and negative. T h e
pleasure most men seek is negative in nature.
It is but a freedom from pain, says Epicurus.
Such a pleasure proportionately increases in
ratio to the diminishing pain. T o use the
classical simile, it is like the pleasure th at
comes from scratching an itch. F irst one
m ust have the itch, and, second, only to the
exten t th a t the itch becomes most disagree
able can great pleasure be had in ridding
oneself of it.
A true positive pleasure, according to E p i
curus, consists in avoiding pain and seeking
pleasure in an agreeable state as som ething
to be sought afte r in its own right, and not
as a desired after effect.
W e m ay also look upon pleasure from the
point of view of its qualitative and quantita
tive natures. It is far better to indulge in a
general state o f pleasure than to experience
an intense one of limited duration. A care
free life, w here peace of mind prevails and
the horizon of our daily existence is free from
the clouds of w orry, but w here possibly no
intense gratification can be had is preferred
to periodic moments of great ecstasy, w ith
intervals of strife. It must be adm itted th at
a general state of happiness could be had by
more people, by avoiding a conflict w ith life
th a t is, by sim ple living. W h e n man pits
his purposes against nature, he finds pleasure
in his achievem ents, but he often m ust p ay a
terrific toll in suffering and sacrifice to attain
his end, especially if he gives no concern to
his body and to nature in doing so.
F urther, m ost of the things men strive for
are evanescent. W h e n man finally acquires
them, their content has changed, or he him
self has changed, and he finds them devoid
of much of w h at he expected. T h e R osicru
cian and the mystic, in their conception of
happiness, take the middle course, or rather,
w e should say, they em body some o f the ele
ments of the philosophies of happiness which
w e have considered above. T h e Rosicrucian
contends th a t the ultim ate aim of life is per
sonal happiness. In the event th at this may
be considered a selfish motive for living, let
us further explain. A happiness th a t is de
rived solely from bodily pleasures, the g rati
fication of the passions and appetites, is in
deed ephem eral. W e say this not from the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

m oralist's conception, but from a strictly

practical point of view. T h e m ore we indulge
a passion o r appetite, the more satiated we
become an d the less pleasure is derived from
it. Logically, w ith the n atural diminishing of
such pleasures in later life, the less enjoyable
becomes our existence, if th at has been our
ideal.
C onsequently, though the Rosicrucian con
tends th at one should live life fu lly , not w ith
draw ing from circum stances from w hich ex
periences can be had, he should also live life
intelligently, kn o w in g ly. Avoid, through un
derstanding, not by retirem ent from life or
the practice of self-abnegation, those situa
tions and those conditions w hich m ay bring
such discomfitures and irritations as will
cause you to m ake your ideal of happiness a
mere relief from them. T o o m any men and
women live so unintelligently an d w ith such
abandon th a t they are forever contracting
m ental an d physical pains, w hich eventually
cause them to see the end of life and of h ap
piness- as existing in nothing but a freedom
from their particular distemper.
If one lives know ingly and tem perately, he
finds sheer joy in just living. Such freedom
from distraction, however, is n ot complete
happiness to the Rosicrucian. T h e other as
pect consists in the exercise of his mental
creative faculties. It is found in the satisfac
tion th a t comes from the developm ent and
exercise of ones talents and abilities. It is
found in intellectual attainm ent an d spiritual
aw akening. M an is never fully living until
he is able to bring som ething useful into
existence in his w orld, no m atter how small,
just as he him self has been b ro u g h t into exist
ence. M a n is causative. H e can conceive and
bring about effects, an d o f all living things
he excels in this. U ntil he functions, th ere
fore, as a creative being, he is not truly liv
ing. H e is missing som ething, an d th at lack
makes him uncom fortable and dissatisfied
with life.
Such a happiness as w e have ju st described
is unlimited. It knows no boundaries but the
im aginative capacity o f the individual. E ach
such pleasure inspires a still greater one.
M an thus lives physically in accord w ith n a
ture, an d m entally and spiritually in accord
with the Cosmic M ind, and from each aspect
of his life, he enjoys a pleasure, b u t neither
conflicts w ith the other. A happiness of this

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

kind m ay not be the final happiness th at

m an m ay experience: sometime in the distant
future, bu t today a t least it is the most con
stan t kind of happiness, and one from w hich
as yet there have been found to be no ill
consequences.X .

How Closely A re W e Attuned?

A frater in the early degrees, and w e m ight
say a new -com er to our Forum circle, asks an
interesting question this morning: W h y is it
that w hen our souls are attuned w ith each
other, th a t as one segm ent of the universal
soul experiences a certain thing or problem,
all other souls do not experience it also?
H e bases his question upon the teaching
th at w e are as one, since all beings are ani
m ated by the same soul force w hich is uni
versal. H e desires to know w hether or not
all beings will have the same experience at
the sam e time since there is no soul sep ara
tion. W e m ust be rem inded again th at though
the soul force perm eating all beings every
w here is identical and of the same U niversal
soul force, w e nevertheless do have individual
personalities. In other w ords, each has his
own personality th at is, and alw ays has been,
unique w ith him, different from the personal
ities of all of his fellow beings everyw here.
W e re this not the case there w ould be no dif
ference in the genus man. All men w ould be
alike in grow th, understanding, know ledge
and evolution.
T his personality which is different in each
of us, w e often call the personality of the
soul because it retains its identity even after
transition w hen the soul force is released
from its earthly bonds and is absorbed back
into the source from whence it came. It is the
personality th at grows and develops as we
learn the lessons of life and face problem s of
an everyday existence.
Insofar as attunem ent is concerned, this is
constant a t all times. In other w ords, the soul
force in all persons is in constant attunem ent.
T his m ust be so since the same force ani
mates every soul, every bit of life tissue and
each live, anim ate being.
H ow , therefore, can the soul force of one
be out of attunem ent w ith that of another if
all is a part, an unseparated part, of the uni
versal soul? It could and perhaps w ould be
out of attunem ent if each being h ad an

Page 41

individual soul or even a sep arate segm ent

of soul force. T h e very fact th at attunem ent
is constant makes possible such experiences
as mental telepathy, intuition an d divine
guidance.
W h e n one speaks of being attu n ed to an
other, w hat he really means is th a t an a t
tunem ent has been established betw een his
ow n outer objective consciousness and his
own inner subjective self. T h is is an impor
tan t point to keep in mind. T h a t is, attu n e
ment is not som ething th at takes place out in
so-called space or a t the location of the one
to whom thoughts are being directed, but
rath er w ithin the m ind and consciousness of
the experimentor. Y ou m ust seek attunem ent
w ithin yourself, for therein lies the contact
w ith the Cosmic forces and w ith the mind of
any individual from whom you seek thought
impressions.
But let us n ot digress too far from our
fra te rs original question, w hy do not all
souls that are attu n ed experience the same
problem s? H ere he infers physical, m aterial
problems, those th a t we face in lifes every
day experiences. W h e n w e are confronted
w ith such a serious problem of life an d w e
have exhausted every know n channel to solve
it, w e then seek Cosmic assistance an d guid
ance in meeting these trials and tribulations.
W e retire to the sanctum or some quiet loca
tion th at is conducive to m editation and there
concentrate upon the condition th a t is giving
us so much difficulty. A fter carefully an
alyzing the problem an d its ramifications, w e
ask divine guidance and wisdom w hile at the
same time removing the problem from the ob
jective consciousness and placing the objec
tive mind in a receptive mood by eliminating
all thought, all impressions, of our m aterial
self and its surroundings. In this m anner we
attune to the inner self, the Cosmic force
within us. W e thereby become one w ith the
Cosmic and enjoy the spiritual peace and
harm ony of Cosmic Consciousness.
D uring this process of seeking Cosmic
help and guidance, it is possible for a fellow
being in m editation at the same time to have
an impression of our problem, b u t he need
not necessarily experience our problem; that
is to say, have the problem become an actual
p art of his own personal everyday affairs.
W e do, while attuned to the divine inner
self, sense or feel joy and happiness of

Page 42

others. W e also sense and feel the sorrow s

and grief of our fellow beings, though we
do not necessarily sense their actual physi
cal experiences of gross material conditions.
T h ere is a definite line of dem arcation be
tw een the purely physical and the purely
spiritual side of m an's dual qualities through
w hich the physical cannot penetrate. H ow
ever, w hat does penetrate are the emotional
sensations and inner experiences, the result
of our outer m aterial problems.
W h e n we are w orried and mentally upset
because of financial reverses, for instance,
our m ental condition will be reflected in our
Cosmic attunem ent periods and perhaps
sensed by others. T h e fact that our trouble
is financial reverses may never be know n by
others whom w e contact or who contact us
on the higher plane.
Suppose we are extrem ely pleased or h ap
py over some pleasant event that has occur
red in our life'perhaps an unusual prom o
tion in our business affairs bringing w ith it a
large increase in salary this w ould be pure
ly a physical m aterial experience of m undane
life. D uring this particular time of joy an d
pleasure, if we should seek attunem ent w ith
the Cosmic and there contact others and be
objectively aw are of such contact, these
others w ould probably know and sense our
joy and elation but they might never know its
cause. In other words, m ight never know
th at we had recently received the business
prom otion and increase in salary.
O n the other hand, some m ight receive the
impression intuitively and realize not only
our elation and happiness but actually know
its cause. Y et they need not necessarily have
the same experience in their own m undane
lives.
W e can see th a t m any more or less physi
cal m aterial experiences have their counter
parts in the spiritual realm. F o r instance,
under the same conditions described above,
w e w ould display our joy and happiness to
those w ith whom we are associated on the
m aterial plane by our physical reactions and
enthusiasm . O thers w ould sense th at some
pleasurable event had occurred in our life
but unless we revealed the cause of o ur h ap
piness, they w ould not know of it.
T h e fact is, then, that others do sense,
through spiritual attunem ent w ith their inner
beings, our own reactions and emotions to

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

physical m aterial experiences on this earthly

plane. A ll who are attuned to each other
have virtually the same spiritual Cosmic ex
periences. N o t all are aw are of this fact, for
far too often w e are not objectively con
scious of the results we obtain through C o s
mic contact.

M ans Physical Evolution

A frater of the N ew E ngland states arises
before this Forum to ask, Is the theory of
evolution w hich contends th a t man has as
cended from the apes offensive to Rosicru
cians? D oes it seriously contradict our m ys
tical conceptions and our belief as to m an's
spiritual attainm ent as man?"
A theory of evolution, philosophically, a f
firms th at things or particulars have had a
common origin in a single substance, and
from th at simple state have gone through n u
merous successive changes, one thing m erg
ing into another, becoming more developed
and more complex. E volutionary processes
are all about us in nature. Sometimes the de
velopment seems to be m erely a process of
grow th, the necessary changes betw een birth
an d m aturity, such as a rose passes through
from the time it appears as a bulbous leaf
until it has finally bloomed. A t other times,
it is possible to trace w h at seems to be a di
rect descent from one kind of distinct plant
or animal life to another.
N o one will deny the fact th at man as a
species has also evolved, an d th a t environ
ment, geographical and cultural, has h ad a
trem endous effect upon human life. Side by
side w ith our most advanced specimens of in
tellectual attainm ent, products of our highest
cultural ad vantages and of our civilization,
such as scientists, philosophers, mystics, a r
tists, and adm inistrative geniuses, w e find in
the w orld today the A ustralian bushm en and
other aborigines equally primitive. T h a t this
latter type of primitive person can have in
tellectual an d cultural evolution has often
been dem onstrated by taking the offspring
and rearing them in modern civilized circles,
affording them the advantages of presentday education. A generation or two later,
there are types produced having a high degree of intelligence and refinement. T his,
then, is a kind of evolution.
T h e objection by certain people has not
been to this ethnic evolution, but to the af

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

firming that man has ascended from a lower

form of anim al life. T his is offensive to cer
tain religious groups because it contradicts
the Biblical story in the O ld T estam en t th at
G od created man in his image. But even the
Bible itself is in conflict on this point. T h e
Book of J a s h e r/'o n e of the apocryphal books,
condem ned by church councils and intention
ally removed from the O ld T estam ent, in
C hapter 1, V erse 11, states concerning crea
tion: A nd w hen all of these things w ere ful
filled, behold Jehovah appeared in E den and
created man and m ade him to be an image in
his ow n eternity." H ere w e find man de
clared to be an image o f G od's etern ity,
w hich w ould mean G od's immortality, his in
corruptible and indestructible nature. It ob
viously does not refr to m a n s physical form
or body, which is most certainly not eternal.
H ad this story been allowed to rem ain in the
Bible instead of being expurgated, the reli
gious groups w ould not have even their pres
sent reasons for feeling offended by the
theory of m an's ascent from a lesser organic
form.
T h e principal point of objection is th at
this theory lessens m an's degree of divinity,
makes him but an animal. T h e literal inter
pretation of the Book of G enesis," puts the
homo sapiens in the exalted position of hav
ing been spontaneously created. It makes
m an's body, physically as well as spiritually,
not the result of a progression through eons
of time, by means of a system of natural laws
and physical phenom ena to its present form,
but a being especially conceived by the C re a
tor. T o these religionists, if the evolutionary
theory as advanced by Jean Baptiste Lam arck,
then C harles D arw in, later by T hom as H u x
ley, and now a host of others is true, it casts
a cloud of doubt upon the spiritual n ature of
man. If, these creedists protest, man is but
an outgrow th, a development of other or
ganic life, a m utation of a species brought
about by natural selection and physical en
vironm ent, this w ould truncate the belief th at
he has a soul; and, of all living things, only
man distinctly possesses this divine essence,
they contend. In other w ords, if man is
but another animal, it is not probable th at
the D eity would imbue such a lesser being
w ith such a spiritual property as soul, they
continue.

Page 43

H ere w e see a queer kind sof reasoning.

T h ese religionists believe an attem pt is being
m ade to deny man the possession of certain
spiritual attributes, only because the conceiv
ed cause of his physical existence is clouded
in doubt. It is the equivalent of a m ans be
coming alarm ed th a t a fish he has supended
from a pole w hich rests upon his shoulder
doesnt exist because someone has told him
th a t there is no b ody of w ater near a t hand.
T h e opposition to the theory of evolution
became crystallized by the doctrines and
w ritings of the celebrated naturalist, C harles
D arw in (1809-1886). H is w ork, T h e D e
scent of M an ," caused a w ave of contention
to rise against his w ritings, and he w as her
alded by religious groups as an heretic and
an atheist. A s is usual, prejudice took the
form of com pletely excluding all know ledge
which m ight rem ove it. In other w ords, all
scientific data th a t w ould tend to support the
fundam ental relationship of man to his p ur
ported nearest of kin, the anthropoid apes,
w ere suppressed or efforts m ade to do so.
F or example, fresh in the memory of most
men and women to d ay is the celebrated T e n
nessee trial, w here a school teacher w as to be
discharged for teaching the precepts of evo
lution in a public school in th at state, an d
w as defended ably by a noted criminal a t
torney. It once and for all bro u g h t the issue
out into the light. It, of course, could not
culminate it for there still remains much to
substantiate the scientific postulations, on the
one hand, an d to break down narrow preju
dice on the other. T o all intelligent, rationalminded persons w ho had not previously given
thought to the m atter or studied much about
it, it w as established, however, th a t man has
ascended from a low er form of life. From
w hat particular branch he has come has not
been as yet fully agreed upon. H e may
not be the direct descendant of an y one of
the anthropoid apes now known, b u t rather
an ab ru p t departure, a m acro-evolutionary
species. T h is theory we will consider later.
W h a t, briefly, is the evidence to support
m ans relation to other organic beings and to
show a possible evolutionary connection?
M an is a m ulticellular being, belonging to a
class called M eta zo a . In this class are found
all of the mammals. T h e closest of kin to
man, those highest in the scale of accom plish
ment, as w e m easure them by m ans functions

Page 44

and activities, are the P rim atesth at is, the

apes, monkeys, and lem ursof w hich group
it is often said the H om o sapiens, or man, is
one. T h e Prim ates all have certain hum an
characteristics, the first and the most common
exam ple being the prehensile hands an d feet.
Such hands an d feet can be used for grasp
ing, and to them man owes a great deal for
his dexterity and ability to develop crafts
and to em ploy the things about him. T h e
hands m ust be able to follow the m in dto do
its bidding.
Prim ates also have like collar bones and
fingers w ith flat nails. A ll Prim ates have an
arboreal existence, th at is, they live princi
pally in trees. M any aboriginal hum ans live
in like m anner. In fact, m an shares 98 of the
same characteristics w ith the chimpanzee, 87
w ith those of the gorilla, 56 sim ilar to the
orangutan, an d 84 like th at of the gibbon.
T h o u g h man has m any som atic functions the
sam e as other mammals, am phibians and
birds, to no other living thing is he structure
ally so greatly related as to the apes.
T hom as H uxley, renow ned E nglish biolo
gist, said M an is not as far removed struc
turally from the gorilla as those differences
w hich separate the gorilla from other apes.
T h o se of you w ho have h ad the opportunity
to study em bryology, or to examine the com
parative stages of the hum an em bryo w ith
those of other multicellular beings, will find
striking resemblances betw een them in the
early processes o f development. Let us con
sider the developm ent of the hum an nasal
cavity in its embryonic stages. W e find it
constitutes a recapitulation of the conditions
present in the various classes of vertebrates.
A t the end of the third w eek of fetal life, the
rudim ents of the olfactory organ (nose) ap
pear as two thickened integum ents, like plates
which are in contact w ith the under surface
of the fore-brain. A w eek later, or the fourth
week, in fact, these plates become depressed.
In other w ords, a deep cavity is formed, and
the physical appearance of the face stru ctu r
ally is am azingly like th a t of the fish. By the
seventh week, the mammalian or anim al con
dition is reachedthis is the third prenatal
m onththen the appearance of the face is
definitely like th a t of a hog.
M an y structures of m an's body, in his pre
natal development, pass through tem porary
stages w hich are typical of the adult condi

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tion in various classes of vertebrates. In gen

eral, m an's organs develop in a m anner simi
lar to those of o th er animals, and a t times ap
pear identical to the ad u lt stage of such other
animals. M a n 's development, however, p ar
allels th a t of the anthropoid apes of the P ri
mates for a longer time th an th a t of other
mammals. T h e com parison of man and mon
key for four successive stages in the develop
m ent of the em bryo is m ost startling, as I
have said. T h is is particularly noted in the
head regionan d regions o f the eye, ear,
and forelimb. It w ould require an expert
biologist or zoologist to point out any dif
ferences th a t exist. O n e also notices great
sim ilarity betw een stages of the em bryo of a
pig and of the hum an, especially in the region
of the head an d the hind limbs, o r w h at con
stitutes the legs of the hum an. T h e child has
very definite ape-like characteristics th at are
dropped a t birth.
V estigial structures, th a t is, vestigial or
gans, which are the rem ains of well devel
oped functional organs in other forms of life,
are found in man, such as: (a) In the inner
corner of the eye is a fold o f conjunctiva, th at
is, a mucous m embrane covering the front
of the eyeball. It is technically called plica
similimans. It is held to be the reduced third
eyelid, as is found in the A m phibia (fish-like
vertebrates) and birds, and b y w hich the eye
is closed, (b) M an also possesses muscles to
move his ears, either w hole or in part, as do
dogs and horses, for example, b ut has lost
such control. It has been conjectured th at he
has lost such pow er of control because w hen
he came to stan d erect he acquired greater
mobility of the head, and thus did not need
to move his ears. In rare cases there are
found persons w ho can still move their ears
by such vestigial muscles. A t one time dur
ing prenatal developm ent (in the em bryo)
the hum an ear has a point like certain mon
keys. T h is characteristic even persists after
birth w ith some people, (c) In an early per
iod o f prenatal life, a projection of the verte
bral column, as a tail, is quite evident. D ur
ing later development, this projection is g rad
ually w ithdraw n w ithin the body, so th at the
term inal p art of the vertebral column, or
coccyx, which represents the tail vertebrae of
lower animals, does not project. H ow ever,
there are also rare cases on record w here the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

coccyx has rem ained elongated in man and

definitely constitutes a tail.
M ore recent scientific developments have
brought out additional evident relationships
betw een man and the anthropoid apes, w hich
cannot be passed by or m itigated as to their
im portant support of the theory of the evo
lution of man, physically, from low er organic
beings. A blood relationship exists betw een
men and apes by the fact of their suscepti
bility to like diseases. A pes have been ino
culated w ith syphilis, which w as acquired by
their blood as readily as in man. Blood tests
have been developed, which, by their reac
tions make it possible to distinguish betw een
all hum ans and animals, such as cats, dogs,
horses, etc., however, these tests show no
distinction betw een the blood of man an d the
ape.
B ut a com paratively short time ago, #a D r.
R ichard B. Goldschm idt, renow ned professor
of biology a t the U niversity of California,
declared it m ay never be pssibl7tb find the
so-called missing link betw een man and
the apes. T h e sinanthropus pickm nsis is
considered by anthropologists to 'b e the most
primitive human, w hbs fossil rem ains have
been found. T h is type acquires its technical
name because of his numerous ape-like ch ar
acteristics, and because of the site of the fos
silized remains. H ow ever, science has pro
claimed him not an ape, but a man. T h e
problem has been to find some link betw een
the sinanthropus pickinensis w hich will show
the imperceptible change on up the scale of
life to him and thence to the Homo sapiens,
or m odern man,
T h e early theories of evolution w ere found
ed upon a m icro-evolutionary process, nam e
ly, small alm ost i m p e r c e p t ib le m utations
(changes) in a species, causing one to g rad
ually merge into the other. N ow , D r. G old
schm idt is of the opinion that m acro-evolutionary changes m ay have taken place w hich
w ould suddenly produce w hat eons of time
w ould be required for by the m icro-evolu
tionary m ethod. T his is to say th a t some
cataclysm ic condition may have caused a
complete anatom ical change and started a
new species like man, which w as not only
able to survive but able to perpetuate itself.
T his being so, then man w ould not be ascend
ed directly from any of the present an th ro
poid apes. H ow ever, he would be of the

Page 45

same common origin, as the above evidence

tends to prove.
All of this, from a mystical point of view,
w e repeat, need n o t disturb the concept of
m an's spiritual attainm ent an d his intimate
proxim ity to G od. M an can still possess soul,
still be the spiritual acme of all living things,
and yet have a body which is b ut an evolu
tionary continuation of preceding lower or
ganic beings. T h e Cosmic plan could consist
in imbuing a certain complex type of living
organism w ith so u land man could be it. If
we think of the b ody as a container in which
m ay be placed various intangible commodi
tiessuch as the instincts, emotions, selfconsciousness, reason, and soulth e n in the
Divine scheme of things the commodity of
soul, such as man experiences, could be w ith
held until the container, the right kind of
body, had been developed in the evolutionary
process into th a t w hich it w ould best fit and
function. It does not require G od to have
spontaneously created man out of thin air, so
th at he may possess soul.
T h e Divine P lan could be equally as well
served, and the m ystical principles as well,
by having a body developed from lesser com
plex organism s to th a t which man now is,
and through which, th e n ,, the soul could be
realized and expressed. It is absurd, m ysti
cally, to assum e th a t since .man has soul, or
those attributes of his psychic n atu re which
w e define as siich, th a t therefore in every re
spect the body w hich houses th a t soul must
be distinctly different from those other physi
cal forms or organic beings in existence. F or
analogy, a house m ay have a light w ithin it,
and this light m ay give th at house a distinct
atm osphere or personality, cause it to be
more highly appraised than an y o th er,h o u se
on the street. T h is does not imply th a t th a t
house .was built ju st for th at light, nor does
it signify th at structurally there is no rela
tionship between th a t house and all others on
the street. Furtherm ore, it w ould not be ad
visable or reasonable to declare th at the
house w ith the light is distinct in origin from
all of the others, w hen but a little investiga
tion would show th a t all other houses, like it,
had roofs, rafters, studs, foundation walls,
etc., even though their arrangem ent might be
a modification of or an elaboration upon
them.

Page 46

Y es, just as w e Rosicrucians say man must

spiritually evolve in his thinking and in the
perfection of the elements of his personality,
so w e Rosicrucians affirm th at man organi
cally is a progression upw ard from simpler,
low er organic beings. W h y not take pride
in ou r physical and m ental development th at
is m ade m anifest in our present form, as a
glorious example of the evolutionary law of
nature.
W e fully agree, as Rosicrucians, w ith the
following imm ortal w ords of C harles D ar
win, and I ask you, as you read them, if you
see in them the thoughts of a man who is an
atheist, or rath e r those of a great man w ith a
great soul. H e said: F or my ow n part, I
w ould as soon be descended from th a t heroic
little m onkey w ho braved his dreaded enemy
in o rd er to save th e life of his keeper, or from
th a t old baboon, who descending from the
m ountains, carried aw ay in triumph his young
com rade from a crowd of astonished d o g s
as from a savage w ho delights to torture his
enemies, offers up bloody sacrifices, practices
infanticide w ithout remorse, treats his wives
like slaves, know s no decency, and is h aunt
ed b y the grossest superstitions.
M an m ay be excused for feeling pride at
having risen, though not through his own
exertions, to the very summit of the organic
scale; and the fact o f his having thus risen,
instead of having been originally placed
there, m ay give him hope for a still higher
destiny in the. distant future.
W e must, however, acknowledge, as it
seems to me, th a t man w ith his noble quali
ties, w ith sym pathy which feels ifor the most
debased, w ith benevolence which extends n o t
only to other men but to the hum blest living
creature, w ith his G od-like intellect which
has penetrated into the movements and con
stitution of the solar system .. w ith all of
these exalted pow ers M A N still bears in
his bodily fram e the indelible stam p of his
lowly o rig in /'X .

T he Phenomenon of V ibrotury
A soror w ho has obviously not y et attained
the higher degrees of A M O R C , asks an in
teresting question: Is it true th a t by the
touch of objects, immaterial things, w e can
ascertain som ething about the n ature of their
form er owners? T h a t is, can we tell some

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

thing of their personality, condition of health,

possibly state of m indor is this strictly a
superstition to be put out of m ind?"
T h e soror refers to the psychic phenom e
non know n as vibroturgy, w hich in its func
tion includes basic n atural laws, w hich are
today more and more being supported by
physicists an d physiologists alike, as they
venture out onto new ground. It is quite true
th at for centuries this faculty of the human
w as scoffed a t an d relegated to the realms of
magic and superstitionif not the so-called
black arts.
T h ere w ere tw o reasons w h y this w as done
first, the disinclination on the p art of gen
eral science to investigate the psychical; sec
ond, the-tendency upon the p art of m any ex
perim enters w ith the psychic p art of m an's
being to exaggerate their experiences, either
for reasons of deception, or because of an
over-exuberance o f satisfaction w ith their
discoveries.
T h is phenom enon of detecting the physical
an d m ental qualities of a person from inani
m ate objects, once in their possession, w as in
the p ast referred to as thaum aturg, w hich in
a general sense m eant the producing of
mircle-like phenom ena b y m eans of Cosmic
o r Divine pow ers. Still another nam e for the
practice, and one w hich is still in common use
is p sych o m etry. T h e Rosicrucian O rd e r has
assigned this phenom enon the nam e of vibro
tu rg y, because, as w e shall see, this is the
most appropriate nam e since it is in accord
ance w ith those laws underlying the nature
and operation of vibrations.
W ith in the last century, psychical research,
or the scientific investigation of various psy
chic phenom ena, has made quite some ad
vance. T h ere is still a rath er illiberal attitude
evidenced on the p art of m any of its investi
gators. O n e contributing factor to know ledge
on the p art of siich investigation is the nu
merous excellent examples reported, w hich
science adm its, b ut on the other h and is un
able to explain by its orthodox experiences.
In the realm o f psychical research, there is
a division of the subject know n as cryptesthesia. T h is technically means the perception
of things, persons, and places by other than
the use of physical or norm al senses. A nd
Pragm atic C ryptesthesia is but another name
for psychom etry, or as w e say vibroturgy.
Several cass of this have been authenti

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

cated and reported in D r. R ichets treatise on

Psychic Research. I would like to quote
some of these cases before w e begin a Rosicrucian explanation of the underlying causes
of vibroturgy:
M iss X . related to the S. P. R. (M ay
1895) th a t some papers w ere show n to her
th a t seemed of no special significance, but
th a t she felt an intense reaction of blood and
horror. T h e papers had been taken on the
battlefield of Sdan. M rs. P iper on m any oc
casions often handling locks of hair or other
objects, has given precise particulars of the
persons to whom they belong.
A M iss E dith H aw thorne has reported a
good case of pragm atic cryptesthesia (vibro
tu rg y ). M r. Sam uel Jones sent her a fossil
found by a miner in a coal pit. T h e father of
this miner had been killed in a mining acci
dent. M iss H aw thorne says she h ad a hor
rible vision of a dead man prone on the
ground, w ith blood issuing from his mouth
and nose.
Now , how do w e account for these things?
W e are taught in our Rosicrucian mono
graphs, and have been given sufficient exer
cises to dem onstrate to ourselves, th a t just as
every living th in g animals, plants, etc.has
an aura, an electro-m agnetic radiation from
its body, consisting of the spirit vibrations of
m atter and the positive vibrations of the life
force w ithin it, so do inanim ate bodies have
auras as well. T h e atoms w hich compose in
anim ate things have an aura of their attrac
tion, which is a field or an are a of radiation
around them. In addition, they acquire the
m agnetic influence of the hum an au ra of those
in w hose possession they have been, especial
ly if they w ere in intim ate contact w ith the
person w ho ow ned them. T his resolves down
to the fact th a t inanim ate substances, such as
wood, metal, and glass can be affected by the
highly sensitive vibrations w hich are em a
nated by the hum an aura, especially under
certain conditions of intense emotion, th at is,
that they will retain in their own natu re the
radiations of the hum an aura.
You have all had the experience of enter
ing a room in a hotel, for example, th at w as
physically attractive. It w as airy. Also, per
haps, brilliant sunshine poured in through the
w indow s; there w ere no visual or olfactory
disturbances, in other w ords, the furniture,
the w allpaper, the design of the room itself

Page 47

w as not ugly or distracting to the eye, neither

w as there any offensive odor. N o tw ith stan d
ing this, there w ould be a feeling of uneasi
ness which you w ould experience, a tense
ness, and possibly a vague fear about rem ain
ing. W h y ? Simply because some unfavor
able incident occurred in th at room involving
the former occupants. T h ey m ay have been
under a great stress of emotions. P erhaps
some one died w ithin the room, under a cloud
of questionable circumstances. A great crime
may have been perpetrated in the room. T h en
again someone m ay have experienced some
horror or great grief there. T h e resultant vi
brations of the au ras of such persons affected
the atomic relationship of the m aterial sub
stances of the room.
N ow , those psychic vibrations of the aura
did not alter the structure of the atom s and
molecules of the articles themselves, or their
m aterial n ature w ould have changed; rather,
such psychic vibrations em anating from the
human became immured, if you w ish, w ithin
the magnetic fields of the atoms. T h e y caused
the vibrations of m atter, by w hich w e discern
ed its existence, to affect us likewise psychi
cally. T o p u t it w ith great clarity, just as the
vibrations of the atom s w hich compose the
w alls are carried by light rays to the retina
of our eyes and we become conscious of such
a reality as a wall, so, too, there comes from
it, under certain circumstances, these rad ia
tions im pregnated in its atomic substance
from hum an auras, and these vibrations do
affect our sym pathetic nervous sy stem . W e
then become conscious of certain psychic im
pressions of the personalities w hose auras
w ere in contact w ith the m aterial substance
the wall.
T housands of persons have h ad these ex
periencesone does not have to have been a
student of Rosicrucianism b u t most of the
thousands have no know ledge of these laws
of nature and are frightened by them because
of their ignorance. Consequently, every ob
ject w ith which w e come in contact is to a
degree affected by our aura, namely, our aura
mingles w ith the atomic aura of the substance
of the article. A person can select an object
having belonged to someone unknow n to him.
H e may not even know the sex, race, or n a
tionality of the individual, and y et he may be
able, if he is a t all able to attune himself w ith
the finer vibrations of a psychic nature, to

Page 48

receive startling impressions about the per

sonality of the former owner.
T ak e a piece of gold jewelry belonging to
an unknow n person, and hold it firmly in
your clenched left hand for a period of three
to five minutes. Relax while holding it, be
seated com fortably if you wish, and concen
trate upon the gold jew elry in your clenched
hand. N ex t place the same object in your
right hand an d repeat the process. A t the
end of the experim ent you will begin to get
definite impressions about the person, or
persons, to whom the jewelry belonged and
w ho w as in physical contact w ith it. You
m ay conceive a sick or healthy man, or a
youthful, enthusiastic young woman, or nu
m erous other general impressions of a like
nature.
W e know th at a negative energy, like an
electric current, if you wish, flows down the
left arm and passes through an d radiates
from the thum b and first two fingers. If the
aura of the other person, the one who ow ned
the object you experim ent w ith, w as predom i
nantly negative, you strengthen those neg a
tive vibrations by holding the object in your
left hand. T h e impressions from the object
are received up your left arm to your sym
pathetic nervous system, and there reduced
to vibrations of a frequency w hich you can
interpret in your objective consciousness.
A positive energy flows dow n the right
arm, and likewise radiates through the thumb
and first two fingers of the hand of th at arm.
C onversely, if an object retains the positive
vibrations of its former ow ner and is held
in the right hand, such vibrations will be
strengthened by holding it in th a t hand. If
perchance the object is predom inantly n ega
tive and w e hold it in our rig h t or positive
hand, and then if w e hold it in the left hand,
the vibrations of the object will be ap t to be
neutralized an d the impressions had of it
w ould be som ew hat w eak and ineffectual.
It has been dem onstrated th at anim ate and
inanim ate things give off vibrations th at can
actually be photographed. If, for example, a
small leaf, w ith its veins exposed, is com
pressed against a highly sensitive photo
graphic plate and le ft for some time in a dark
room before developing, its aura m ay be seen
on the exposed plate. Even gold coins left
in the same m anner, in contact w ith sensitive
photographic plates, have show n th at inani

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

m ate m atter has a radiation of its atomic n a

ture, an au ra of its substance.
T h e question might be asked, assuming
th at inanim ate articles can retain in their
atomic fields the vibrations em anated by hu
m an beings w ho touch or hold them, and
th at other hum ans can receive such vibrations
from the inanim ate object, w h at causes the
others to perceive the vibrations in terms of
persons being well or ill, old or young, etc.?
W h a t causes us, we reply, to interpret the
vibrations of light which are filtered b y the
substance of things, as the colors green, blue,
red, etc.? In other words, w hy do w e inter
pret vibrations of light in term s of color?
You m ight reply, because we have rods and
cones in the structure of our eyes, w ith ap
propriate nerve connections to brain areas,
which cause us to have such perceptions. W e
say, therefore, th a t likewise w e have such
psychic centers to receive an d transform the
delicate psychic vibrations w hich we receive
into grosser ones, and which in turn cause us
to have a consciousness of them, as the reali
ties of our experience, as things, in other
w ords.
W h e th e r w e are consciously aw are of it or
not, w hen w e are in the presence of a sick
person, for example, th a t p ersons aura has
an effect upon us and causes us to have cer
tain sensations. T h ereafter w henever w e are
in the presence of another sick person, even
though he or she may ap p ear well to our
sight, w e again feel those same sensations
which come from the aura, an d there arises
in our consciousness, through association, the
recollection of those other persons who w ere
ill, and our memory of the form er sensations.
T h e same m ay be said of our contact or as
sociation w ith insane persons, those w ho are
rad ian t w ith health, those w ho are highly de
pressed, or those who are evolved spiritually.
W h e n by vibroturgy, we pick up an object
and receive its vibrations, it causes the mem
ory of those experiences w ith similar such
sensations to be released in our conscious
ness, an d w e have mental pictures constitu
ting the general age, mental state, and health
of the form er possessor of the object.
T o have success w ith experim ents of this
kind, you of course must have a degree of
psychic sensitivity to such vibrations. T h e
coarseness of your hands, w hether you have
callouses on your fingers or palms, that

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

doesnt enter into it. T h e best w ay is to hold

the object, like a coin, for example, tightly
betw een the thumbs and first two fingers of
both your right and your left hands. In this
manner, the positive and negative flow of the
vibrations of your aura, passing dow nw ard
through your arms, will come in contact w ith
the vibrations of the object. By concentrating
on the object a t the same time, you aw aken
and strengthen the sensitivity of the nerves
in your arms. Y ou also become more familiar
w ith the impressions you receive, react more
easily to the vibrations had from the object.
If you are frightened or nervous, such a con
dition disturbs your own aura and interferes
w ith your success.
It is alw ays best, in conducting experi
ments in vibroturgy, to first obtain an article
about the previous ow nership of which you
know nothing, so as to avoid self-deception
through auto-suggestion or stim ulating your
im agination. Second, try to select an article
that has had an intimate association w ith its
owner, th at is, has been w orn on the person
of someone or been used a great deal by th at
person, and th a t m ay have been w ith him or
her under all circumstances of daily life, as,
for example, a necklace, a fountain pen, a
ring, a w rist w atch, or a pencil. T h e vibra
tions from it will thus be more intense.
W h e re individuals, by holding articles in
their hands, are able to go a t quite some
lengthand accurately sointo the descrip
tion of the original owner, it is not alw ays a
dem onstration of vibroturgy, especially if the
former ow ner is still living. Such results
really mean th at the person practicing vibro
turgy has more often been able successfully,
though possibly he is not aw are of it, to a t
tune himself w ith the mind of the former
ow ner through the vibrations of the object.
C onsequently, w hat he is experiencing is a
projection of his consciousness to the other
person.
H ave I had any experiences personally
w ith vibroturgy? Yes, I recall one experience
in particular, perhaps because it w as the most
definite. I w as assisting our late C u rato r of
the Rosicrucian E gyptian M useum , F ra te r
K endal Brower, in our museum laboratory, in
unpacking a shipm ent of rare and very old,
authentic E gyptian antiquities. F ra te r Brow er
w as to restore some of them, as is necessary
w ith nearly all antiquities before they are

Page 49

put on exhibition, th at is, to treat them chem

ically and to classify them by their nature
and history. T h e re w as an inventory list, but
as yet I h ad not consulted it. I had helped
place several articles upon the large tables.
Finally I picked up a small one. It w as round
and about the size of a half dollar, ebony
black, and perhaps a quarter of an inch in
thickness. I felt a strange sensation go
through my h an d as I picked it up. I cannot
exactly describe this'sensation, but it w as one
of repugnance, a revulsion. It w as like the
realization th a t you have stepped upon a
snake in high grass with your b are feet.
I quickly p u t it down an d then I exam ined
the object. It w as a hideous amulet. It had
been shaped into the form of a dem oniacal
looking face. T h e description of the inven
tory was then consulted, which show ed that
it w as of an early dynasty, several thousand
years old, a fetish used b y priests as a sym
bol of evil forces believed to be ex tan t in the
universe. In fact, it w as a symbol of hate
and of a curse to be invoked ag ain st persons.
N o one know s for how m any years th at de
vice had been used by individuals w ho h a r
bored a great hate for others and who
thought th at this fetish in some w ay tran s
m itted their h ate to those whom they w ished
to destroy. N ow , of course, the fetish in no
w ay could rad iate such a pow er as w ould de
stroy or injure others. It w as purely an ex
ample of black magic, a ludicrous supersti
tion. N evertheless, the object itself had ab
sorbed into its atomic structure the vibrations
of the hum an auras, and it w as these which
I sensed im m ediately upon picking it up.
T his w as confirmed by others to whom I
handed it, w ithout relating my own personal
experiences.X .

Cosmic Masters
A soror stim ulates our thoughts w ith the
following statem ents and questions: I have
m editated much on the statem ent th a t w hen
one is ready, a Cosmic M aster will appear.
Probably because of my unw orthiness, I have
not made th at contact. T h e thought occurs
m any times th a t m aybe the M aster is w ithin
ourselves and will manifest only w hen a high
degree of perfection is reached. C ould th at
be a correct interpretation?
T h a t there is a conclave of spiritual minds
th at m ortals can turn to for enlightenm ent

Page 50

and guidance, under certain circumstances, is

an old m ystical doctrine. A rath er common
term in m ystical literature for these minds, as
w e mention in our m onographs, is the H o ly
A sse m b ly . T o define the H oly A ssem bly
strictly in a brief manner, w e can say th at it
is a G re at C onclave of Invisible M asters.
T hese M asters constitute a conclave of per
sonalities w ho have passed through all of
the experiences of earthly life as ordinary
mortals* T hey, however, not only learned
their lessons here but came to excel in the
application of Cosmic and natural laws to the
m aterial and w orldly problems of life, and
likewise received a profound understanding
of self.
N ow , to present it in just a little different
w ay. Some of these personalities w ere of
humble station in life; others w ere of noble
birth. Each, however, contem plated life's
mysteries and slowly developed a sensitivity
and a responsiveness to the voice of self, to
the Cosmic M ind w ithin his being. E ach
sought to m ake his personality, his ego, his
moral conduct, his m anner of living, and his
dem eanor tow ard his fellow hum ans commen
surate w ith the Divine impulses o f his being,
namely, the voice of the inner self.
A s time elapsed and as incarnations pass
ed, the personalities of these individuals be
came more and more spiritual, th a t is, they
conform ed to the dictates of the soul, became
so closely attuned w ith the soul th at they
w ere really more spiritual beings th an they
w ere mortals. N ow , from this description, I
am quite certain you can immediately think
of religious and mystical personalities in his
tory w ho w ould be of such a high state of de
velopment. A s said, their m astership consist
ed in an excellence of their ability to under
stand the so-called mysteries of life, and to
utilize this m ortal span of existence, as it is
Cosm ically intended.
T h ough after transition, upon the occasion
of their final incarnation, these personalities
w ere absorbed into the Cosmic, they w ere
given the pow er to assist mortals, th at is, their
intelligence can be projected from the Cosmic
realm, to be psychically perceived by mortals
here, especially those m ortals w ho are so d e
veloped as to be able to attune themselves
w ith facility w ith their inner selves. In this
w ay, these m asters can and do give tutelage
to hum ans on the earth plane.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T h ese M asters m ust not be confused with

the old ecclesiastical references to angels and
angelic entities. W h e n they are completely
visually perceived which is very seldom
they appear as ordinary m ortals, usually in
the costume an d the physical appearance of
their last incarnation. A rcane records relate
that the num ber o f these Cosmic personali
ties, or entities of this conclave, varies from
about 144 to b u t 100. In all probability, there
are even less th an 100. In the Cosmic, the
minds alone are entities, th a t is, they retain
their self-consciousness, b u t of course no
physical form or being. If you can think of a
mind disem bodiedwhich is extrem ely dif
ficult to d o you w ould then be realizing the
am orphous natu re of these Cosmic M asters.
It may seem unbelievable or difficult to
conceive th a t such a phenom enon exists. It
may seem th at w e are bordering on the fanci
ful tales and stories of m ythology and of
superstition. Let me assu re you that much
of legend an d m yth and fan tasy is b ut an
exaggeration, a distortion of inchoate truths.
Persons partially perceive a truth, and
through ignorance or fear m ake no further
investigation, they then but enlarge upon
their incomplete experiences, and such de
velop into the fantastic tales of mythology,
and often into the accounts of so-called re
ligious experiences.
As stated in the Rosicrucian monographs,
it is not A M O R C 's intention to convince you
th at such a C onclave of Cosmic M asters pre
vails, as can become m an's mentors under
certain conditions. You must be convinced of
this yourself, by an experience th at is inti
mate to your inner consciousness and which
has all of the efficacy of a self-evident truth.
You will, or alread y have been given w ays
and means to dem onstrate to yourself these
m atters relating to Cosmic M asters, even
though the accounts about them may now still
appear to your mind b ut a verisimilitude.
You must also understand th a t you cannot
force the appearance of the Cosmic M asters.
You cannot compel their advice an d inspira
tional guidance. You cannot bring about a
contact w ith them in undue time. You must
pass through a development, a series of inner
psychic adjustm ents and unfoldm ent, before
you are eligible for such Cosmic contacts.
T h e more im patient you become, the more
discouraged, the more inclined to abandon

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

hope, the farther removed you become from

w hat you had aspired to. D iscouragem ent,
impatience, lack of faiththese are tests. A n
attitude of arrogate insistence, of intellectual
challenge but puts an insurm ountable barrier
in your w ay. Remember w hat our late Imperator has often said, T h e Cosmic and its
law s do not have to prove themselves to
m an." W h e th e r he believes or adm its th a t
certain divine precepts exist, they do nevertheless, and they will continue long after
m ans mortal mind, which has questioned
them, has been removed from this earth plane
by the very laws it challenged or refused to
recognize.
A misconception occasionally arises in the
minds of some Rosicrucians. T h e y believe
that since contacts can be m ade w ith Cosmic
M asters, and such intelligences assist mor
tals, th a t consequently they should resort to
such contacts frequently for aid in all of the
prosaic m atters of their everyday affairs. If
the Cosmic M asters would venture to advise,
direct and to arrange all o f your affairs, they
in fact w ould be violating Cosmic law. Such
continual assistance w ould constitute robbing
you of your birthright. In other w ords, you
have been given the faculty of reason by
which you w eigh the value of w hat you per
ceive in the World about you. You have been
given an inner self to caution you w ith re
spect to the actions of your objective self.
You m ust learn to harm onize these tw o n a
tures of your being. It is intended th a t you
learn to acquire wisdom by such experiences
as m ay come from the adjustm ent of your
inner self to the w orldly one, and conversely.
If you w ere never perm itted to fail, never
perm itted to make an error o r to commit a
w rong, or to suffer pain, never perm itted to
learn of the folly of a rash decision m ade b y
an impetuous objective mind, you w ould b e
come but an autom aton. A s our m onographs
explain, you could not have the freedom of
conform ing to your own nature, for all things
then would be done for you. In fact, eventu
ally your pow ers of thought, the strength of
your will, even your sense faculties would
begin to atrophy from disuse.
As is also stated in the Rosicrucian m ono
graphs, the Cosmic M asters, contrary to the
erroneous opinion held by some students of
mysticism, do not attem pt to regulate all of
our m undane affairs. T h e Cosmic M asters

Page 51

w ere those w ho excelled in hum an enterprise.

T h ey w ere m aster painters, physicists, chem
ists, industrialists, mystics, and theologians,
and, in addition, h ad a vast fount of know l
edge of Cosmic causes an d results. T h ey
know w h at has preceded today. T h ey are
aw are of the present and can easily anticipate
the future as a n atu ral progression from w h at
now exists. If, as the m onographs relate,
they w ere to constantly advise man in all of
his business, social, domestic, and health a f
fairs and relations, he w ould be an em inent
successbut he likewise w ould be a failure.
H e w ould fail in being unable to exercise his
personal initiative and utilize his own ju d g
ment in such m atters as the Cosmic intended
th at he should, by conferring upon him such
powers.
T o w h at extent, then, are w e assisted by
the Cosmic M asters. First, w e are not helped
by them in those minor p etty m atters, about
which it is expected we should make our own
decisions and be consequently responsible for
our own acts. Second, w here, however, our
ignorance or our w ilfulness inclines us tow ard
nefarious or perfidious acts, namely, gross
violations of Cosmic law, which may cause
injuries to others or compel us to incur serious
karmic debt, the Cosmic M asters cause us to
have an impression, as a suggestion or in
spiration, tending to m otivate us to act dif
ferently. Such a Cosmic impression m ay not
be realized as an audible command, b ut rath er
as a complete visual impression as the result
of our conduct. In other w ords, the entirety
of our acts, the consequences and ramifica
tions of them are seen as an intuitive flash.
In this w ay, w e are made to know w hat will
occur if w e persist in a continuation of our
thinking and doing. W e are not adm onished
as to our punishm ent. W e are instead given
to know the error of our w ays. W h e n we
consciously and maliciously continue after
such w arnings by a Cosmic M aster, the retri
bution will rest upon our heads.
I cannot say here exactly how you will
know w hen a Cosmic M aster addresses you.
Such explanations are extensively given in
the m onographs w hich you have received, or
will receive. H ow ever, the impressions you
will receive from a Cosmic M aster will be
distinctive, th a t is, quite different from th at
which constitutes a usual Cosmic impression,
and which comes directly from the self within.

Page 52

T h e principal difference is this, w hen you re

ceive an impression from the Cosmic through
your inner self, as a communication to your
objective mind, it is quite impersonal. You
have no impression of any personality, of an
entity associated w ith it. It is as impersonal
as the printed w ord. A m essage from a C os
mic M aster, how ever, is accom panied by the
consciousness of a hum an entity, th at is, you
will m entally conceive, perhaps, the facial
contours, or even be aw are of the full form
of the M aster. Sometimes the m essage will
be verbal and, of course, then will have a
tonal quality just as if a hum an had spoken
to you. T h ese visual and auditory vibrations
will be detected by your psychic senses of
hearing and seeing not by your physical
eyes and ears.
T h e old adage, W h e n the pupil is ready,
the M aster will a p p e a r/' is often m isunder
stood by the disciple of mysticism. T h is a d
age does not necessarily refer to a Cosmic
M aster, that is, one of the invisible personalities th a t go to compose the H oly Assembly;
it also applies to the M aster within.
W h o is the M aster within? It is your Inner
Self, and conscience is his voice. W e know
th a t the soul force brings into our being a
Divine Intelligence, and th at th a t intelligence
exists in every cell of our being. T h e ag g re
gate of this intelligence, the collective whole,
is our psychic body, and this intelligence then
is our personal M aster. It is the voice of con
science, alw ays ready to guide and direct us.
In fact, it is the other aspect of our dual n a
ture. T herefore, w hen it is said, w hen we
are ready the M aster will appear," it likewise
means th at w hen we cease living entirely by
reason, guiding ourselves exclusively by em
pirical know ledge, w hen we stop putting ab
solute and sole confidence in our physical
senses and begin to practice introspection (by
th a t w e mean w hen we seek to inquire into
our ow n being, by turning our consciousness
in w ard ), then a t that time will we become
fully aw are of the w hisperings of the M aster
w ithin.
T his M aster w ithin is never distant, never
foreign to us, nor is he ever unconcerned w ith
our w elfare. H e is alw ays ready to know ing
ly and rightly advise us, if w e will perm it
him. If, how ever, we suppress these urges of
his, if w e live a somatic life, a sensual exist
ence, w e bar the portal and the M aster can

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

not make his appearance. O n the other hand,

we m ust not expect the M aster w ithin, or the
Cosmic M aster, alw ays to make an ap p ear
ance w ithin our consciousness, just because
w e think th at he should. T h e re are m atters
which come entirely w ithin the jurisdiction of
your w orldly affairs, such as how your house
should be painted, w h at job you should take,
w hether you should buy a new car w hen you
can, and we cannot expect the M aster w ithin
to perform or decide such things for us. It
would be profaning his exalted place.
Furtherm ore, as our m onographs teach us,
w hat w e often imagine to be serious or evil
consequences m ay not be so in a Cosmic
sense. O u r finiteness, our inability to com
prehend the w hole of a series of n atu ral laws
and their results, w h at preceded the present,
and w h at must follow m ay m ake an inevitable
chain of events occurring a t the morrint look
quite evil, and w e may implore Cosmic aid or
the M aster w ithin to intervene. Such an in
tervention m ay not be forthcom ing, because
the immediate circum stances, even if they
cause us pain for the moment, are actually
perhaps contributing to a great good, of
which w e are incapable of realization a t the
moment. P ersons who appeal to the M aster
w ithin or to the Conclave of Cosmic M asters
a t such times an d are n ot relieved, imagine in
their limited understanding th a t they have
been forsaken. A s time passes, they will
learn otherwise.
Readiness for the M aster w ithin to appear
is not dependent upon ju st your sincerity and
your preparation, that is, your practice of
methods of attunem ent of the outer mind with
the inner. It also depends upon the circum
stances, th at is, w hether you objectively
should cope w ith them, or w hether they are
of a natu re to have the M a ster w ithin, or a
Cosmic M aster lend inspiration an d extend
advice. On the other hand, since so m any
students look for an epiphanic experience, a
bodily m anifestation of a M aster, they often
disregard intuitive know ledge an d Cosmic
inspiration, and because of this eventually
the door to such channels is closed to them.
T h ey have been receiving the proffered assist
ance of the Cosmic M asters and have failed
to recognize it because they have been pursu
ing illusions, w aiting for some elaborate
physical m anifestation to appear.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

A w ay to assure continued counsel from

the M aster w ithin and the Cosmic M asters is
to express gratitude, w hich is an unselfish act
and show s th at you are conform ing to your
higher self. E ach night before finally lapsing
into sleep, express sincere gratitude for all of
the impressions you have received from the
Cosmic and through Cosmic means, and
w hich you have heeded, an d also express
thanks for those w hich you have inadvertent
ly neglected to recognize. If you do this, you
then signify a spirit o f readiness to have the
M aster appear.X .

Can You Stand T he Shock?

T h e main caption of a new series of adver
tisem ents issued by A M O R C is Can Y o u
S ta n d T h e Sho ck of the next T en Y ears. It
is intended to shock persons out of their pres
ent complacency, nam ely, th a t the inconven
iences, the transitions which w e now exper
ience, an d w hich will increase in severity d u r
ing th e duration of the w ar, will end at its
close and th a t norm al times will return.
Some of these superficial and minor changes
of today will be done aw ay w ith w hen peace
is restored. H ow ever, our w ays o f living will
never be the sam e again. Am erica s w ealth
and stan d ard of living for citizens will in the
future be gauged to the economic necessities
of the nations and the peoples of the w orld.
T h e old isolation spirit of " W e are better and
best; let them (the rest of the w orld) take
care of themselves as best they m ay is
doomed. T h e man in the street will know th a t
th at attitude contributed to th e present w ar.
In the last w ar, this country's economic re
sources w ere barely scratched; casualties
w ere insignificant in com parison to those suf
fered b y other nations. T h e w ar w as some
thing across a great ocean and irked the av
erage citizen, b u t never severely h u rt anyone
in this country except those w ho w ere injured
or gave their lives. T his time it will be differ
ent. A great num ber of A m erican citizens are
so shortsighted th a t they cannot even as y et
see th e proverbial handw riting upon the wall.
C asualties must and w illb arring a miracle
be very heavy for this nation before any
ultim ate victory is obtained for the Allies.
A s yet, Am erica has not come to full grips
anyw here w ith the enemy. O u r forces are
dispersed throughout the w orld, trying to re

Page 53

gain isolated sections or hold w h at w e have.

A true second-front offensive, a concerted
effort, will require several million men to be
locked a t one time in a life-and-death stru g
gle, to w hich the Stalingrad com bat is b ut
a prelude. T h ere will h ard ly be a family
in America w ho will not have it force
fully brought to their attention th a t not just
our enemies b u t hum anity a t large m ust
revolutionize th eir w ays o f doing things.
T h e psychological changes are going to be
trem endous.
M illions of people w ho have become ac
customed to just w orking hard, playing hard,
and coasting through life, are going to be
obliged to do som ething more. T h e y are go
ing to become conscious of the fact th at
working is not enough, th at they m ust give of
themselves, and th a t they are p a rt o f a w orld
citizenry. T h ey will be torm ented by their in
ability to cope w ith new religious ideals and
w ith th e great sacrifice of personal liberty
liberty th a t they thought they had been fight
ing to assure. T h e y will be throw n back upon
their own m ental lives. T h e y will be required
to digest emotional influences they h ad never
thought about or felt before, an d w hich they
had left to leaders o r to a certain high-brow
class" to consider an d to w ork o u t for them.
Life will become too complicated. It will prey
upon their minds, even w hen they have lei
sure time. Suicides will mount, riots will be
frequent, panic an d hysteria will exist during
the several decades of this adjustm ent.
In past centuries, in the countries of
Europe, these social disturbances existed on
a limited scale. W h e n the pressure became
too great for some, a safety valve w as pro
vided, namely, individuals could charter boats
or take passage on some w indjam m er to some
promised land in the N e w W o r ld . T h e y
carved a section for themselves o ut of some
remote w ilderness, and established a colony
along the lines o f w h at they conceived to be
best or preferred. T h o u g h this entailed d an
ger and hardships an d a great deal o f cour
age, on the o th er hand, these pioneers w ere
to an extent escapists. T h e y w ere avoiding
the continuation o f an environm ent th at w as
pressing in on them, and w hich to surm ount
w as nearly impossible.
T o d ay there is no such safety valveno
escape outlet. T h e w orld is crow ded, and
established governm ent prevails over every

Page 54

foot of land on the globe, w hether it be

sparsely or thickly populated. You m ust re
main w herever you are, take the circum
stances, and change to conform or be emo
tionally, psychically, and m entally torn asun
der by the strange, the different w orld in
w hich you will find yourself tomorrow.
N o longer will the average man or wom
an be allow ed to leave the governm ent to
politicians alone, or to tyrannic leaders. N o
longer will he be able to allow ecclesiastical
heads to issue sacerdotal and theological rites
and creeds for his spiritual nourishm ent. Each
of these will be found at fault. Religion will
be obliged to reorganize its methods to such
an extent th a t spiritual concepts will again
become individual, the spiritual life, the moral
guidance, will be the inner direction of each
man and woman.
All of this means a greater place, a far
greater w orld, for those w ho are m ystically
trained and prepared to find happiness. Such
persons are taught how to find peace o f mind
themselves. T h ey learn w here to gain
strength w hen there is no m aterial source of
pow er to w hich to turn. T h e student of Rosi
crucianism knows about his body, his mind,
his soul, emotions and instincts, and their re
lationship. H e knows w here to find inspira
tion. H e know s how to aw aken and develop
talents w hen his old trades and routine train
ing begin to fail him.
T his new era just ahead, of turmoil, of up
set, will nevertheless be the golden age for
Rosicrucianism . It will be the time w hen Rosi
crucians can, if they are true students, not
just members w ho belong to the O rd er, ap
ply w hat they have been studying. Each
month, hundreds of male Rosicrucians are
finding satisfaction in the fact that the Rosi
crucian teachings are assisting them in estab
lishing the right attitude of mind and helping
them to become adjusted to the m ilitary life,
w hen around them m any others are either in
despair or resort to an attitude of abandon
ment, th at of giving up everything they once
held to be w orthy.
W e m ust not, however, take refuge in a
smug attitude of W ell, I am a member, I am
already in. It is now your duty to w ork, to
work harder than ever, to further A M O R C .
N ever let a day pass w ithout having leaflets
of the O rd e r in your pocket to give to some
one, to help some m ortal prepare for this

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

transition of the w orld that is coming, which

is, in fact, underw ay.
I am not taking an exaggerated position by
saying th at w hen you bring into the O rd er a
new m em ber during these times, you may
actually be saving a life. W e know th a t the
present m ental attitu d e of some individuals
will lead them to great disaster w hen these
changes w hich w e have been considering
come about, unless they become prepared
now. S peak to someone every d ay about the
Rosicrucians. Give a leaflet or a copy of the
Rosicrucian D ig est to someone to read.
Is th ere a d ay th at passes during which
you do not speak to a man or w om an on a
bus or street car or in a shop o r store about
the new s of the day? Is there not someone
w ho says to y o u or you to him th a t things
look b ad or different, or makes some other
passing comment? W e ll, after that, reach
into your pocket o r purse and say, I think
you w ould like to read this and h an d the
person a leaflet. If you w ork in some w ar in
du stry w here thousands congregate, leave
leaflets here or th e respeak about tomorrow
and o f th e Rosicrucians.
Y es, w e are proselyting, definitely, and so
m ust you. T h is is no time for timidity, no
time to hide o n es light under a bushel basket
by saying to yourself, I am a Rosicrucian,
but I hesitate to speak to others about it; they
might not u n d erstan d . D o not listen to this
address or read these rem arks w ith com pla
cency. D o som ething about spreading Rosi
crucianism now. I am going to make a bold
statem ent: It is not sufficient just to be a
member of A M O R C . If you are not truly,
earnestly, in some w ay helping at this time to
bring members into the O rd e r so th a t they
can be prepared for this age w e are about to
enter, you are derelict, not just in your mem
bership obligations but as a member of hu
m anity as well. D o not excuse yourself with
I m too busy, I'm rushed, I hav en 't time to
m yself.
Y ou meet people w herever you are. Each
day you speak to someone, even if it is just
to say hello. W e ll, add a few w ords to that
hello. Say, I think you m ight like to read
this, an d then h an d him a leaflet. T h e events
of the d ay are a topic of conversation every
w here, and w hen you become p art of such a
conversation, speak out along the lines of
w hat we have considered here. G et people to

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

read the Rosicrucian D igest" concerning the

problems of the w orld tomorrow. U rg e others
whom you believe to be interested in selfimprovement o r whom you think Rosicrucianism might help, to read our literature and to
become members.
You are convinced that Rosicrucianism can
and will help an individual, otherw ise w hy
are you a m em berthen have the courage of
your convictions.- T hese are not the days to
w alk our own private paths. You m ust help
others to become members, or face the sting
ing reproach of your conscience, th a t you are
just sliding along, listening, reading, taking
to yourself but not giving out. Yes, each
member pays his dues, but th a t does not help
the individual who needs Rosicrucianism to
become a true citizen of tomorrow, and to
find himself.
T ak e stock of yourself. W h a t are you do
ing to help the Rosicrucian O rder? H ave you
a leaflet of A M O R C in your pocket at this
tim eor are they in a half-opened bundle on
some closet shelf or in a desk draw er, or
buried in a corner beneath other pushedaside objects? H ave you ever read the booklet
published by A M O R C , T hings You C an Do
T o H elp"? D id you ever do any of the things
suggested? If not, w hat w as your excuse for
not doing so? H ow long has it been since
you have referred to that booklet? Do you
even know a t this time w here it is? D o n 't
sigh and say to yourself, I m ust get to these
things one of these days." W rite fo r litera
ture at once. A sk for the booklet, T hings
Y ou C an Do T o H elp." Read it again. S tart
out while this appeal is fresh in your mind.
T his is a call to d u ty a duty to hum anity.
W e w an t you to respond. W e w an t to see
your letter pass through our departm ents in
the next m onth w ith a request for literature,
w ith a request for simple things you can do
to bring others into the O rd er and to p repare
them for tom orrow. T here will be some who
will backslide, w ho will just listen silently to
this or read it, then put it aside. T h e y will
not w rite. W e know that, but so will they
know itevery time they look into the mirror
and look straight into their ow n eyes. T h ere
are some w ho m ust be exceptionsthose who
are injured, w ho are helpless, and w ho are
seriously ill. T h e y cannot do these things.
A sk yourself, are you one of these? If not,
you can help.X.

Page 55

Transm itting M ental Messages

O nce again w e have before us a request
for more inform ation on th a t ever-popular
subject m ental telepathy. M em bers of our
Forum circle have virtually been deluged
with the pros an d cons of this subtle art. It
hardly seems fair to the m any loyal members
of the Forum , w ho are regular in their a t
tendance, to discuss this m atter further u n
less, of course, some truly outstanding reve
lations are b rought to our attention. Simply
to answ er here in the Forum the questions
th at are p ut to us each w eek b y new members
o f the O rd er h ard ly adds to the know ledge
and understanding our readers have already
attained through the study of their Rosicru
cian m onographs, the Rosicrucian Forum
talks and their ow n personal experiences in
practicing m ental telepathy.
A s w e have stated, this subject is ever
present and upperm ost in the minds of m any
of you; and this is as it should be, for we can
all appreciate the advantages of being adepts
in the projection an d reception of thought vi
brations. N evertheless, there are m any other
mental laws and principles equally as im
portant which should have equal place in our
search for hidden m ental pow er. W e do on
occasion receive comments an d statem ents in
dicating a lack of entire understanding or
perhaps an im portant point th at is m isunder
stood. It is just such a comment th a t prom pts
our discussion this morning.
O ne of our new members, and consequent
ly a new comer to our Forum group, asks for
more inform ation in directing a m essage to
the mind of another. T his member has diffi
culty in sending such a m essage because he
attem pts to form ulate the thought in the
spoken language. N ow it is im portant to re
member th at the Cosmic does not give con
sideration to an y chosen language, nor does
it take a m essage in English then translate
it into Spanish, French, R ussian, S candina
vian, or any other native tongue of the one
to whom we w ish to send a message.
It is custom ary to say th at w e think in a
particular language peculiar to our national
ity, and to a large extent this is true. H ow
ever, w hen we form ulate a m ental picture of
a book and direct this picture to another
whose language is different than ours, the
thought he receives, if the experim ent is sue-

Page 56

cessful, will be of a book and he will recog

nize it as such regardless of w h at this item is
called in his ow n native language. T h e mis
take is often m ade of trying to send a long
w ord m essage by m ental telepathy; th at is to
say, a m essage of w ords in our ow n language.
N ow suppose you succeeded in sending such
a thought to one who did not speak your
language. H e probably w ould not under
stand any p a rt of it. T h e fact is, however,
th a t the experim ent as a w hole w ould prob
ably fail.
T hese statem ents are an attem pt to impress
you w ith the im portance of thinking in pic
ture language. W h e n you think o f a book,
visualize a book and try to see it in the m inds
eye, as it w ere. O r as w e say in the Rosicrucian m onographs, see it on the m iniature
screen of the closed eyelids. N ow it is known
th at such an ac t is difficult, but we have stated
before in this Forum circle som ething th at is
easy to acquire is hardly w orthy of our effort.
In other w ords, we place value only upon that
w hich is difficult to obtain. If everything we
attem pted w ere simple, requiring little or no
effort, w e w ould soon lose the desire to exert
ourselves either m entally or physically. W e
only benefit insofar as m ental grow th an d d e
velopm ent are concerned by those things th at
challenge our ability and w hich w e meet and
conquer by the sw eat of the brow/* as it
w ere.
T o go back to this m atter of sending one a
m ental message; suppose you desire to meet
a friend on a particular street corner. Instead
of trying to direct a w ord m essage such as
M eet me on the corner of M ain S treet and
F irst A venue," form a mental picture of this
particular corner, see the buildings there, the
traffic in the streets and all things about it
th at are familiar to you. T h en include a pic
ture of your friend standing there w aiting for
you or perhaps w alking dow n the sidew alk
or rounding the corner, w hichever you prefer.
You can also place yourself in the scene if
you wish, perhaps in the act of greeting the
friend. If it is easier for you, you m ay visual
ize your friend in the act of leaving his or her
home and traveling to the street corner w here
you wish to meet him. W h e n you take him
there mentally, have him look up a t the cor
ner clock if there is one, or a t his w atch. You
m ust see the w atch or clock plainly in your
m ental picture so that you can actually note

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the time as it is given by the hands of the

timepiece. T h is hour, of course, should be
the one selected in your plan to meet your
friend.
W h e n this pioture is released to the C os
mic mind in th e m anner set forth in the Rosicrucian m onographs, it is n ot delivered to the
friend in the form of a w ord message. H e
simply has th e desire to or thought of going
to the certain location selected by you. H e
m ight have no impression w hatever of meet
ing you there. H e m ay not ever have an in
tuitive im pression of the reason for his action,
b u t simply a deep inner urge carrying him
along tow ard the fulfillment of the engage
ment planned by you.
Y our subjects mental attitu d e must be ser
iously considered in this experiment, because
this attitu d e m ay result in th e failure of the
experiment. If, for example, he is deeply en
grossed in the m aterial things of life, it may
be hours before he will respond to the gentle
inner urge. In fact, there may be no response
w hatever until a fte r he is asleep and his ob
jective mind is free from its material bonds.
It is for this reason th at we recommend p rac
ticing this experim ent late a t night w hen the
subject of o u r concentration is perhaps asleep
o r a t least in a quiet m editative mood.
T h ese suggestions have all been set forth
here in the F orum before, and w e hope it will
not be necessary to deal w ith them again, but
if it is found th a t results are still m eager in
spite o f continuous efforts, w e naturally will
bring forth w h at helpful hints w e can so there
will be g rea ter results to this and other
experiments.
N ow before setting this subject aside to
leave room in o u r talks this morning for other
interesting phases o f the Rosicrucian w ork,
w e w ould like to give you some o f the
thoughts o f one of our sorores an d co-w ork
ers, the results of her m editations upon the
reasons for one's failure at m ental telepathy.
T h is soror's thoughts are truly w orthy of a t
tention. W e w ill, therefore, quote her mes
sage in its entirety.
T onight, I w ould like to talk to you about
th at m uchly-discussed subject of sending
m essages. T o o .many of us have such vague
ideas concerning -this im portant subject, do
not have a clear definition of the law in
volved, or even have a clear idea as to w hat
and w hy m essages are transm itted.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

First, w hat m essages are sent, or we

m ight say, should be sent? M essages tra n s
m itted through the Cosmic, the all pervading
force, should be of some im portance not just
mere fancies of the idle mind, trials to see if
w e can do it'. Remember th a t trifling w ith
this great force can be a very serious offense
and so should never be taken lightly. D o not
clutter up the atm osphere w ith silly chit-chat
th at does not even w arra n t a letter! Confine
your m essages to vital needs. In this w ay
your m essage has a b etter chance of going
through to the person to whom you w ish i t
W h y do w e send messages through the
Cosmic? A t times necessity cannot w ait for
mails, telegram s or even telephones. D uring
w ar times such as w e are experiencing today,
w e have such a complete censorship of mails,
telephonic, radio and telegraphic service th at
they cannot be relied upon to perm it messages to arrive as they are sent out. T h u s
through mental transm utation of messages
we eliminate all o f these uncertainties.
N ow w e have disposed of the problem of
determ ining w h at kind and sort of a m essage
w e should send as w e have eliminated all but
vital ones. So th a t im portant phase is decid
ed. H ow about our reason for sending this
message? Is it purely for a personal selfish
reason? W e ig h it in your mind carefully,
considering every angle, being absolutely
impersonal in your decision. Is your reason
good or evil? C onsider the recipient, will
this know ledge bring harm to him or an y
one else concerned either directly o r indirect
ly? T h is is one o f the most im portant deci
sions to be made. If any harm, any personal
discom fort or unrest, should be inflicted
know ingly by you, then the harm will more
than return to rest on your doorstep. H ere
the law of K arm a comes into the picture.
T h ere are m any reasons w hy you do not
have success, or should I say app aren t suc
cess, in sending messages. U ntil you become
an adept in th e a rt of concentrating, d o n 't
pick the corner drug store filled w ith h u ngry
school children a t noontim e or the bank on a
S atu rd ay m orning w hen M onday is a holi
d ay in which to send your message. Be a
little bit more logical in your selection. If you
have even a little bit of common, every-day
horse sense, use it! Choose a quiet spot,
preferably your sanctum in your ow n home.
T h ere you can be more assured of y o u r pri

Page 57

vacy for an uninterrupted period of time.

O nce there, relax, have a period of m edita
tion, no m atter how short the time, before you
begin to send your message. O nce you begin,
picture clearly all the details concerning the
person, surroundings and the p a rt you play
in this one-act dram a. T h e details of this are
given in one of th e early m onographs.
S tate your m essage clearly, concisely,
briefly. T h en here you run into some more
troubleyou forget or d o n 't know how to let
your m essage go; release it to th e Cosmic so
it can go through to the other person. You
m ust com pletely dismiss the m essage from
your consciousness once you have stated it.
D o some physical o r mental w ork th a t com
pels your attention. F or it is only after this
complete an d utter release to the Cosmic th a t
the m essage can be transm itted successfully.

Experiments For Forum Members

T h is constitutes a new venture for our
Forum m em bersone I hope you will all en
joy. Periodicallynot in every issueI will
give herein the outline o f an experim ent
w hich you will be able to conduct in the p ri
vacy of your ow n home. T h e requirem ents
and accoutrem ents will be very simple. T h ey
should all b e available w ith little o r no ex
pense to you. A t times it may be necessary
for you to purchase simple little items obtain
able in your tow n or city, for just a few cents.
T h ese experim ents will be of a n atu re from
which w e hope every Forum member, re
gardless of his degree in A M O R C , will be
able to derive benefit. T h e experim ents will
consist of the application of general principles
of the Rosicrucian teachings. I will briefly
outline the experim ent and w hat w e are a t
tem pting to accomplish b y it, and those gen
eral laws and precepts underlying the phe
nomenon, so th a t no one will be ignorant of
w h at he is attem pting.
Before w e proceed, let me make plain th a t
w e do not expect th a t each Forum member is
going to have absolute success w ith every
proposed experim ent. Some m ay n ot have
an y results w hatsoever. F u rth er, those w ho
do not experience w h at w e herein describe
m ust not become despondent and resort to
self-condem nation. A s w e discussed in our
last Forum, each of us does not respond alike
to the same phenom enon. Some of us are

Page 58

more sensitive, th a t is, more responsive to

certain psychic conditions and impressions
than others. N o student can do all things in a
Cosmic and psychic sense equally as well,
any more than in our daily lives can every one
of us be proficient in all of the arts an d sci
ences, because w e know w e have different
talents and abilities. W h e re a s you m ight not
have any degree of success w ith this partic
ular experim ent o r the one which m ay follow
it, you m ight have excellent results in subse
quent ones, an d other members m ight fail in
those. D o not be chagrined b u t try again on
some other night.
U nfortunately it will not be possible for me
to answ er each of you personally upon your
experiences w ith these experim ents, nor will
it be possible for any of the other officers to
do so. In fact, it will not be necessary for us
to w rite to you about w h at results you may
have, for w e will try to make the explanations
accom panying each of the experim ents suf
ficient. H ow ever, w hen you w rite comment
ing on this issue of the Forum , an d suggest
ing questions which you would like to have
answ ered, as w e alw ays w ant you to do, you
may, if you wish, tell us if you like this new
feature, and of your results w ith the experi
ment. W e w ould be happy to have such
comments.
T w o years ago at our annual Rosicrucian
Convention held here in Rosicrucian Park, on
the T h u rsd a y night of the week, w hich is the
occasion for the Im perator to perform a mys
tical exercise and to dem onstrate some of the
mystical principles, I dem onstrated an experi
m ent th a t to my know ledge had never been
perform ed before. It, of course, embodied
our Rosicrucian principles, w hich . in turn
means th at it conform ed to Cosmic laws. T o
assist w ith the material presentation of the
experim ent, I had to design and assist in the
construction of an elaborate device w hereby
three different angles of my face appeared
concom itantly to the audience.
T h is construction required the utilization
of those laws o f physics appertaining to the
angles of the reflection of light. In other
w ords, the fratres and sorores seated in the
F rancis Bacon A uditorium here in Rosicru
cian P a rk could sim ultaneously see my full
face, and on the left of it my left profile, and
on the right of it, the right profile. T h is, of
course, w as a rath er w eird spectacle, since it

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

seemed as though one w ere looking upon

three people, an d yet, of course, all visages
w ere identical in appearance. N ow , this w as
not done to m ystify the audience or for strict
dram atic effects, b u t as a necessary means for
them to w itness the subsequent psychic aspect
of the dem onstration. In fact, the fratres and
sorores, a t th e conclusion of th e evening ses
sion, w ere all invited to come upon the stage
(which m any did) and inspect the arran g e
ment of lighting an d th e m irrors, w hich made
the physical aspect of the experim ent pos
sible. P erhaps you w ere one of those present
a t the Convention.
N ow , a few days ago w hen I w as contem
plating this new venture of occasional experi
m ents for our Forum readers to perform , I
came across a letter from a F ra te r in C alifor
nia, reporting upon his accidental discovery
in his own sanctum of the same phenom enon
w hich w e dem onstrated at the Convention.
I do not believe this frater w as present at the
Convention, or he w ould have recognized the
sim ilarity betw een his adventitious experience
and the form al experim ent w e conducted.
Im m ediately I realized th at this frater's ex
perience could be utilized as a basis for a
simple perform ance of the more elaborate ex
perim ent w hich I h ad conducted in our audi
torium. T h is fra ter w as not quite positive of
w h at he h ad come upon, y et w ell expressed
himself, so I do hope he reads this issue and
then reconducts the experim ent w ith our ex
planation in mind.
W e know th a t the hum an au ra is an ad
m ixture of positive an d negative vibrations.
T h e negative vibrations are of the spirit ener
gy of the atom s w hich compose the substance
of our bodies. It is the sam e spirit energy
th at is the underlying force of all m aterial
substance. O n the other hand, the aura like
w ise consists o f a positive radiation of the
nous force, or th a t divine force taken into our
beings w ith our breath. Being more positive,
it is thus unlim ited. N ow , w hen w e concern
ourselves m ostly w ith bodily interests and
live in accordance w ith the dictates of the
body alone, our auras are m anifestly and
dom inantly negative.
Conversely, the more we aw aken the psy
chic centers b y the intonation of the vowel
sounds an d by certain psychic exercises that
are given us in our m onographs, the more we
expand our au ras and the more they project

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

themselves into space, because they become

m ore positive and, as I have said, the positive
quality of our au ra is unlimited; it does not
cling to our bodies.
A negative aura is usually quite depress
ing, is never very stim ulating, as a rule, to
those w ho contact it. T h e positive aura, be
ing more of a divine nature, containing w ithin
its properties m ore of the spiritual content, is
stim ulating, invigorating, and causes those
w ho are contiguous w ith it to experience a
sort of afflatus.
N ow , w e know a t times, th a t our past in
carnations, th a t is, the personalities of our
past incarnations, m anifest themselves to us.
W h e n w e are relaxed and get into a subjec
tive state or psychic state, sometimes, for a
fleeting glance, w e see a transform ation of
our own visage as w e know it, from our per
sonality of today to as it w as in past incarna
tions. T h e past incarnation personality w hich
w e most frequently experience is the last one,
for it is the m ost immediate. W h a t w e are
today is an imm ediate continuation of w hat
w e w ere yesterday. W e em otionally and
spiritually begin in this life w here w e left off
in the last one. O u r dom inant sentim ents and
our outstanding emotions, those most intim ate
inclinations w hich w e have today, which go
to make up our ego, and w hich constitute our
self, are obviously more related to the last
incarnation than they would b e to an y subse
quent ones, so, a t times w hen in m editation,
or in our sanctum before our m irror, w ith our
candles lighted, if w e give w ay to these fa
miliar w aves of emotion w hich come from
w ithin, spiritual urges, w e are most apt then
to see the personality of our last incarnation
m anifest before us.
Sometimes, how ever, w e will see two faces.
W e will know th a t both of these faces are
ours, and though w e cannot reason how or
w hy, w e will likewise know th a t both of these
faces, though different in appearance, w ere of
the same period or the same incarnation.
Sometimes w e will see a face of our own th at
is very uncom plim entary. It m ay appear
cruel, hard, even a trace of brutality, a m ean
ness about it, a personality w hich w e w ould
not w ant others to know, and yet, frankly, it
is a reflection of an aspect of our nature of a
past incarnation. T h en , again, w e m ay see a
face of the same period prevail, w hich is
kindly, cultured, refined, w ith a luster in the

Page 59

eyes, an openness, a benignity; that, too,

then is another aspect of our nature.
Furtherm ore, w e know th a t o u r body has
tw o polarities of energy w hich flow through
it. D ow n the rig h t side of o u r nervous sys
tem and flowing dow n our rig h t arm out
through the radial nerves of the thum b and
first two fingers, is a positive energy. D ow n
the left side of our nervous system an d dow n
the radial nerves of our left arm , dissipating
itself through the thum b and tw o fore-fingers
of th at han d an d arm , is a negative energy.
I repeat again th a t this positive energy is
more definitely related to an d prom pted by
the positive nous force w e receive through
breathing, and the negative is o f o ur body
and of the m aterial substance.
C onsequently, in these experiences before
the mirror, w e will sometimes see the dis
torted face or the face th a t is unkind or th at
is representative of the low er qualities of our
nature, this being the left profile, the negative
side of our being. C onversely, the face th at is
more representative of the spiritual qualities
of our n atu re will be the rig h t profile. T hen,
again, the image sometimes w ill ap p ear as a
full face to the left of us, w ith the negative
qualities, an d then disappear, an d w e will
next see a full face w ith the positive qualities
to the right of us.
W h e n the frater first experienced this in
his home sanctum , n o t know ing o f these prin
ciples, an d ap p aren tly not having been to the
Convention, he first w ondered w hether w hat
he w as seeing w as an optical illusion, for as
he looked into the m irror he saw tw o images,
one to the right of him and one to th e left of
him. H e thought it m ight be due to ocular
fatigue; th at due to looking into the m irror
too long his eyes h ad become tired an d per
haps gone out o f focus, and that, therefore,
he w as seeing tw o images. W h e n , however,
he covered up his right eye, lo an d behold,
the left image still rem ained, an d w hen he
covered his left eye and uncovered his right,
the right image returned. F u rth er, both
images w ere different in their facial expressions^-one kindly, inspiring an d lofty, and
the other m elancholy, suggesting in the facial
contour a character th at he w a sn 't particu
larly happy to recognize as being of himself.
T h e frater w as actually seeing tw o different
aspects of his personality of the past, the re

Page 60

suit of the dual aspects of his own n ature and

of all of our natures.
N ow I w ould like you to try this experi
m en t. Light your two candles before your
m irror, that is, place one just a little to the
left of the m irror and the other just a little to
the right, but so that the light of the candles
is reflected in the mirror, and seat yourself so
th a t your reflectionthe m aterial reflection of
your facecomes directly in the center o f the
m irror, but so th a t there is sufficient room for
the psychic reflections to be seen to the right
and to the left of the physical image.
Relax, spread your feet apart, and keep
your hands unfolded in your lap, or if there
are arm s to your chair, let one arm rest on
each arm of the chair. G aze a t your reflection
in the mirror, a t a point just betw een your
eyes; in other w ords, just above the root of
your nose. It is not necessary to concentrate
w ith such fixity th at you strain your eyes, ir
ritate them, an d cause them to w ater. If you
have an inclination to blink them, do so. O f
course, do not turn your head aw ay. O n the
other hand, do not keep tense. You are a
spectator. Y ou are w aiting for som ething to
occur in th at m irror. You are not certain just
w hat will happen, and therefore you are
w aiting for the development to take place.
Y ou are not putting objects or reflections
there, you are not creating them, so conse
quently you expend no energy and you will
not become fatigued.
If a face appears to your left, stu d y it care
fully. If none appears to your rig h t in the
mirror, then cover your left eye w ith your
hand and gaze a t the mirror ju st w ith your
right eye. N ow , it may so happen, as it some
times does, th a t another full-faced reflection
will appear just above the reflection of your
physical image in the mirror. In such an in
stance, if you study th at image carefully, you
will see the positive characteristics on the
right side of the face, and on the left the
negative.
I think that this is sufficient explanation for
you to proceed upon. I w ould advise you,
however, to try to darken the room, so th a t
the only light is from the candles an d so th a t
all you see reflected in your mirror, if you can
so arrange it, is your own person and the
candles. If there are a num ber of other
images in the mirror, it w ould be difficult for
you to lose yourself, to get into the subjective

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

state, to m ake the necessary attunem ent w ith

the past incarnations. You do n o t w ant other
things to d istract your attention.
Sometimes w hen you gaze upon your own
face, th a t is, the physical image as reflected
in the m irror, a portion of your body will dis
appear, an d even a t times the reflection of
your physical image will disappear and the
w hole m irror will appear absolutely blank,
an d then will come the reflections w ith which
the experim ent is concerned.X .

H ealth and Spiritual Awakening

A frater in the N eophyte degrees ad
dresses this Forum as follows: C ertain of
the m onographs imply th a t good health is
necessary for spiritual development. T h is dis
courages me very much. W ill you please
further explain?"
F irst, let us take the positive view. T h e
healthier we are, the greater are our accom
plishments, all else being equal. It must be
ap p aren t th a t if tw o persons have equal abil
ity and training, as artists for example, the
one having the g reatest health should be able
to excel in his w ork. It is, of course, possible
to enum erate, if w e had the space, the great
w ork done in the sciences and in the arts
throughout the centuries, by those who were
cripples and invalids, or w ho lacked one fa
culty, th at is, w ere deaf, dumb, or blind. In
such instances, th e achievements w ere not
w ithstanding th e handicaps of the individ
uals. H ad such geniuses h ad good health,
norm al bodies an d faculties, as judged by the
law of averages and hum an experience, w e
could assum e th a t their w ork w ould have
been far greater.
M ental and physical activity require exer
tion. E xertion in turn utilizes energy. W h e n
w e are ill, one of tw o things occurs, either w e
are not producing the m uscular and nerve
energy and vitality of which w e are capable,
or a great portion of it is being dissipated by
the nature of our ailment. Furtherm ore,
success in an y kind of skillful w ork, mental
o r physical, requires concentration, and con
centration in turn again means the utilization
of energy. A ll of our faculties m ust be h ar
nessed to the task, or a t least a num ber of
them. If an illness is accom panied b y pain,
or even just discom fort, th at constitutes dis
traction. W e become conscious of the an

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

noyance and our attention is divided between

the self-aw areness and w hat we w ant to do.
H ave you ever attem pted to w ork out a book
keeping problem , or to prepare an y piece of
mechanism, or perform some other exacting
task w hile having a headache? If you have,
you know from personal experience th a t ill
health does interfere w ith our efficiency.
A ccording to all of the foregoing, then, it
w ould appear th a t only those who are in
perfect health can truly achieve, do their best.
O n the other hand, one can be far from per
fect in health, and, as related above, can ac
complish an outstanding w ork. If this w ere
not so, very little progress w ould have been
m ade in the w orld, and very little w ould now
be made. T h e fact is th a t no one is yet able
to determ ine just w h at constitutes perfect
health. N o two hum an beings, even those de
clared to be very healthy specimens, are ex
actly alike. Physiologists are only able to
arrive a t a norm, th a t is, out of every so
m any thousands of hum an beings who are
not experiencing any organic or functional
defects, the mean average condition of them,
the size, the function of their organs and
bodily structure is taken as a norm al stan d
ard. If one falls below that, he is sub-norm al.
If he exceeds it, he is abnorm al. C onsequent
ly, the closer one approaches such an aver
age, the more perfect (?) his health is said
to be.
W e know, however, th a t millions of people
are not in pain, th at they have no acute suf
fering, or distracting discomfort, and y e t they
are below this arbitrary set standard. Like
wise, from these millions come almost all of
the spiritual, philosophical, scientific, literary,
and industrial accom plishments of hum anity.
W e should not presum e from this th a t one
should disregard the standard, and not a t
tem pt to improve himself physically. R ather,
w e imply th a t possibly you can do as well
w ith your talents and abilities as one w ho is
considered norm al in every way.
H ealth does not confer talents upon you;
rath er it makes it possible for you to utilize
them to a greater extent. A person may be
physically a splendid athletic specimen, y et
m entally have moronic tendencies, and m oral
ly be sadistically inclined. W h a te v e r you
have inherited physically and spiritually,
health intensifies their potentialities for ac

Page 61

complishment. If you havent any such in

heritances, health alone will not provide them.
M ystically speaking, the body is the temple
of the soul. It is th mold in w hich the per
sonality, an attrib u te of the soul, is shaped.
T h e body cannot contam inate o r corrupt the
soul force. T h e la tte r is not changeable. It
is eternal an d imm ortal. W h a te v e r attain
ment th e personality has acquired from a
previous life, th a t is, th at proxim ity w hich it
may now have to th e Divine n atu re of the
soul w hich it reflects, it will not lose by the
acts of the m ortal. W ro n g fu l acts, or inat
tention to spiritual studies an d exercises in
tended to cultivate the personality will not
cause the personality to regress. A t most, the
personality will b u t rem ain status quo. T h e re
fore, if the body is diseased, or if one is quite
ill, it does not m ean th a t sincere effort and
practice on the p art of such a person, along
Cosmic lines of study, will not stim ulate the
psychic self, develop the personality never
theless.
W e are all in degrees of good health, since
health is a sort of hierarchal order, according
to these arb itrary stan d ard s w hich man has
adopted, so, too, b y degrees do w e aw aken
our spiritual qualities. O n e in less health
than another, both having the same high mo
tives, achieves, b u t less, than one in good
health. A n im perfect vessel m ay not hold
quite so much w ater as one w hich is perfect,
but it will carry som e. T h e man w ho w alks
will not cover as much ground in the same
length of time as one w ho runs, b u t he will
advance so much farth er th an the one who
bem oans his inability to run, and therefore
remains inert. Still further, unless you suffer
pain continuously, you can, even w ith periods
of ordinary discom fort, develop spiritually.
N o hum an being is capable of unlimited, un
opposed spiritual advancem ent, because no
hum an being has th a t perfect state of com
plete balance and unity at all times betw een
the physical an d psychic selves, w hich would
be so necessary.
If great vitality and m uscular strength,
and freedom from disabilities of any kind are
an absolute essential for psychic develop
ment and attunem ent w ith the soul conscious
ness w ithin, then every athlete would be a
g reat mystic. A h ealth y animal, however, is
not a sign of spiritual potentialities. If you
have reached th at point in the evolution of

Page 62

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

your spiritual personality th at you desire a

greater attunem ent w ith the Cosmic, and you
w ish to be a possessor of more divine know l
edge, and, likewise, you are a splendid physi
cal specimen, your opportunities are then
trem endous. O n the other hand, if you are
physically robust and in sound health, and
have no inner sensitivity to the spiritual a s
pect of your being, all of your health will be
of no avail, insofar as spiritual developm ent
is concerned. T herefore, as Rosicrucians, w e
say, strive for health so as to make more
rapid strides in your spiritual aw akening,
since you have th at desire and th a t inclina
tion, but if your health is not good, do not
think that such means a cessation of all aw ak
ening of self.X.

The Im portance of Fire

F ire is one of the most interesting phases
of natural phenom ena. O f th e four principals
fire, earth, air and w a te rfire has perhaps
caused more speculation an d experim ent on
the p art of man than any other one of the
four principals. It has been w orshipped,
feared and cursed by man in his effort to
understand and control it. T h e ancient phi
losophers and sages have w ritten volumes to
explain the various phenom ena of fire, its
origin, purpose and how it can be useful to
man. F ire has become to m any a m ystical
symbol, to others a religious symbol. T o the
ignorant and superstitious, it has been a sym
bol of evil destructive forces, som ething to
be feared. T o the more enlightened, it has
symbolized purity of purpose, know ledge and
understanding. T o the scientist and chemist,
fire is all im portant for, in dem onstrating
chemical processes, fire an d heat have been
found indispensable.
W h e n w e m editate upon this g reat phe
nomenon, we cannot help but realize an d ap
preciate w hy fire w as so im portant to the
ancients. W e no longer smile at the ignor
ance of those of the p ast and even m any of
the present w ho w orship fire as a m ighty god
or goddess. Stop and think for a m inute of
the m any blessings we enjoy in life th a t are
dependent upon fire and heat for their very
existence. Consider just the mechanical pow
er th a t man has developed to add to the com
forts of m odern life. S ta rt w ith the steam

engine for example; w ithout fire and heat it

w ould not exist. A n d there are the gasoline
and crude oil engines and motors th at require
the heat of an electric spark for their opera
tion. T h is also applies to electrical power,
w ithout which m odern man w ould be virtu
ally lost for it too depends to a large extent
upon fire and heat.
E verything th a t exists in the universe con
tains a degree of heat th at can be m easured
by m odern scientific instrum ents. Even those
things, or those phenom ena which it is our
habit to call cold, actually contain heat;
and w e m easure their tem perature in degrees
of heat, not cold. In science today there is a
theoretical absolute zero tem perature. But
w ith all of the massive and unusual equip
ment w ith w hich science has experim ented,
the scientist has not y et reached a state or
condition of absolute zero tem perature. Even
if this state should be reached in low ering the
tem perature of a substance, the substance
w ould still contain heat, for after all this is
purely a relative condition, and m easuring
devices would have to be changed to meet the
new condition of tem perature to w hich the
substance had been lowered. T h ese sta n d
ards, we m ust remember, are set an d estab
lished by man an d the laws of science.
T h e distinction between heat and cold can
be likened to the distinction betw een light
and dark. Just as there is no positive d ark
ness, there is no positive condition of cold.
D arkness is a state or condition, the result of
the absence of light. F or example, if you
wish to construct a photographic dark room,
you do not build a room an d p ut darkness
into it. Instead, you so construct the room as
to shut out as much external light as possible.
T h e light is ever present trying to get in, and
no m atter how seem ingly d ark is the dark
room, actually there is alw ays some degree of
light present.
T h e same is true w hen low ering the tem
perature of a m aterial substance. T h is is done
by removing or shutting out degrees of heat.
N o m atter how low the tem perature, there is
alw ays some degree of heat present. It is this
degree of heat th a t is m easured on the th er
mometer or m easuring device attached to the
machine th at is being used for the dem on
stration of absolute zero tem perature. A s the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

machine is developed to steadily low er the

tem perature or remove or force out the heat
from a substance, the m easuring device m ust
be changed and modified to meet the new
sta n d ard arbitrarily established.
E arth ly m atter as w e know it through the
physical senses owes its existence largely to
heat. W ith o u t heat life w ould not be. W ith
out life there w ould be no material substance
w hatever. In other w ords, even the so-called
inanim ate m atter th a t w e daily, hourly, in
fact a t all times, come in contact w ith is the
result of life, grow th or a building up process.
T a k e just the clothing that w e w ear; w e have
wool from the sheep, silk from the silkworm,
cotton from the cotton plants, leather from
the hides or skins of animals, and all are de
pendent upon life, which is in turn dependent
upon heat. T his gives an opportunity to ap
preciate how im portant heat is and w hy the
ancients paid respect and salutation to the
life-giving rays of the rising sun.
M ystically, fire is the symbol of purity. It
is a great purifying agent and is used in in
d ustry as well as in the laboratory for this
very purpose; th a t is, the purifying of m a
terial substances and the transm utation of
m atter by heat and fire. It is hardly necessary
to point out the m any w ays in w hich fire as
an agent of purity is dem onstrated. A lm ost
everyone is familiar w ith the fact th a t fire is
necessary for extracting pure metals from ore
w hich is burned in the retort. W e are quite
familiar w ith the use of fire in tem pering
m etals used in industry. T h ese processes are
a m atter mainly of removing impurities from
the metal and changing its molecular stru c
ture through the application of great heat.
T h e Rosicrucian discussions of fire an d its
im portance have resulted in m any questions
being subm itted to the D epartm ent of In
struction; some w e are sure will prove inter
esting to the members of our Forum circle.
H ere, for example, is a recent question sub
m itted for our consideration: W h a t is fire,
w hy do certain m aterials burn w hile others
do not? Briefly, fire or flame is the com bus
tion th at occurs w hen certain gases are re
leased from a m aterial substance, the tem
perature of which has been raised to a su f
ficient degree to release these gases. T h e sub
stance itself is not w hat burns. It is the re
leased gas mixing w ith the carbon in the air
th at causes the actual combustion.

Page 63

T h ere are m any simple laboratory tests to

dem onstrate this. T h e sm othering of a flame
is one m ethod w hich is familiar to all of us.
T h e snuffer placed over a candle flame shuts
off the supply of oxygen and the flame dies
out. It is obvious to the observer th a t it is
not the candle w ax or even the w ick th a t is
burning, for it is n oted th at the flame appears
to be slightly above the candle, h ard ly touch
ing it. If it w ere the w ax alone th at w as
burning, the wick w ould not be necessary.
F urther, the entire candle w ould soon be en
veloped in flames. T h e wick acts as the agent
for the release of the gases from the w ax as
well as from the w ick itself. T h e released gas
is the result of transm uting a solid material
to m atter in its gaseous state b y the applica
tion of heat.
T h e lack of ability of a substance to burn
depends upon its heat - resisting qualities
which in turn are determ ined b y its molecular
structure. Some solids are so constructed th at
they do n ot readily release gases under heat
conditions. It is then necessary to increase
this tem perature to a large degree. T h ere is
no absolute insulator for heat just as there
is no absolute insulator for electricity. In
other w ords, w h at w e term a heat-insulating
material is one th a t has a high degree of heat
resisting qualities. H ow ever, if the tem pera
ture is raised to a sufficient degree, this in
sulating m aterial w ould be consumed.
Electric insulators are the same. A m aterial
or substance m ay act as a good insulator for
a low voltage b u t b reak down w ith an in
crease of current an d electrical force. A s
bestos is a m aterial th at is fire resistant.
N evertheless, if the h eat is raised to a suffi
cient degree an d m aintained for a sufficient
length of time, the asbestos w ould eventual
ly break dow n an d b e consumed. T h e same
is true of metals an d other substances th at
w e are accustom ed to thinking of as fire
repellan ts.
W e can see, therefore, th at w hen w e make
-the statem ent th a t a certain m aterial is fire
proof, we mean th a t under ordinary circum
stances it will resist fire. But this is a purely
relative statem ent for if the tem perature w ere
sufficiently great, the fire - proof m aterial
would soon be destroyed.

Balked
By a Word!
D o e s a D e fin itio n S ta n d B e tw e e n
Y o u a n d U n d e rs ta n d in g ?

lle w
Z n la e
Z itie n I

. . . .

Does the lack of meaning of strange words and terms block

your study progress? Do you find yourself caught in a web
of uncertainty as to the inner, esoteric significance of mys'
tical phrases? Are you one of many who finds the common
dictionary inadequate in providing the true philosophical
interpretation of rare words? Do you know the Rosicrucian
definition of Spirit, Cosmic, Soul, Cosmic Consciousness,

fourth dimension, harmonium, Karma, Nous, projection,

shekinah, etc.?
Stop guessing at truths. Obtain the Rosicrucian Manual
and learn the proper meaning and use of all the unusual
mystical words of your monographs.

T h e

S t u d e n t s G u i d e

Read between the lines of your lessons, by the aid of

the -Rosicrucian Manual,11 the student's guide book.
It is an encyclopedia of official Rosicrucian terms and
phrases. It also contains diagrams and explanations of
all symbols and outlines of the habits and customs of the
Order. Further, it has special instructive articles
on such topics as the Great White Lodge and
how to obtain psychic illumination. It is, in fact,
many books in one. Profusely illustrated, large,
bound in red silk cloth and stamped in gold, it is
a magnificent reference work for all Rosicrucian
students. It is priced, postpaid, at

O nly $2.35 per copy.

R O S IC R U C IA N
ROSICRUCIAN PARK
T H E R O S IC R U C IA N P R E S S , L T D . , S A N J O S E

S U P P L Y

B U R E A U

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM
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A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, C alifornia,
under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal Act of Oct. 3, 1917.

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Vol. XIII

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DECEMBER, 1942

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REBIRTH

Sometimes, my eyes are tired with too much seeing.

! close them, silently, to be alone;
To shut out days and nights of living, being
A puppet in the show that must go on . . .
I find a place beyond the weary waiting,
And far beyond the chaos of the day,
Where there's no pain, nor any hesitating,
Where there's no sorrow and no sick delay.
I know this place and when my heart has found it
I fold it gently in my arms and take away
A spark to earth and build an altar 'round it,
An unseen altar where I kneel to pray.
When all the terror of this world's proud seeming
Bears down my spirit to the dust of earth
I find the light of heaven in my dreaming,
My soul in silence finds its glad rebirth!

B
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Soror Marion B. Shoen.

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No. 3

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
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Page 66

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ea r Fratres and S om e es:
T h e circum stances of the times make us
m ore than usually analytical of certain atti
tudes of mind. O ne of these is tolerance.
W h a t constitutes tolerance? W h a t is its com
m endable use, and likewise its abuse? It is
quite natural th at w e applaud, figuratively
an d literally, all beliefs and conduct w hich we
favor, th a t is, th a t conform to our stan d ard s
of right, and our ideals. O bviously, then, one
is n o t displaying tolerance w hen he approves
of th a t w hich to his ow n mind is free of
criticism.
T olerance is called for w hen w e perceive
th a t action, physically, m entally, or morally,
on the part of another or others, which devi
ates from our own m anner of thinking and
doing. H ow ever, tolerance goes beyond a
m ere indifference. O ne is not ad judged tol
eran t w ho w alks by unconcerned as youthful
vandals throw stones against a glass store
front. It m ust be quite apparen t th at w h at
some people assum e to be a tolerant attitude
on their p art am ounts to lack o f proper social
consciousness or moral restraint. From a
m oral point o f view, w h at is conceived to be
a good, a spiritual, precept cannot be com
prom ised w ith w h at is held to be evil; nam e
ly, virtue cannot be tolerant o f vice, or it
w ould not be virtue. W h e re there are held
to be standards of perfection, fixed condi
tions, or things by which to determ ine a right
course of action, then patently th a t which op
poses them w ould be the w rong. T o sym
pathize w ith or to permit others to indulge
these opposites o r w rongs w ould not be toler
ance, b u t a tacit consent to their continuation.
W e now reach the crux of the philosoph
ical problem of tolerance. It is: W h a t is so
reliable, so undisputably right, th a t one
should not be tolerant of anything contrary
to it? Should such norms of tolerance exist
entirely w ithin an individuals consciousness,
or should they have an external existence?
F o r an exam ple, the staid P uritans, as we
now look upon them w ith a w ider perspective
the result of tim ew ere cruelly intolerant
people. C ertainly w e think of them as an ex
am ple of gross intolerance. H ow ever, most

V
of the torture an d the painful punishm ent, to
put it mildly, w hich they m eted out to those
whom they held to be guilty o f immorality o r
w itchcraft, w as done in good faith. Individ
ually and collectively, as a religious people
an d as society, th ey w ere inw ardly convinced
th at certain w ays of living, certain kinds of
conduct, w ere proper, an d if otherw ise, evil.
T o countenance w h at th ey conceived as
w rong on the p a rt o f others, to them w ould
have am ounted to a participation in the
w rong-doing. C onsequently, so long as the
Puritans sincerely believed they w ere right,
and there w as no factual evidence to the con
trary, they w ere then not intolerant.
It m ust be ap p aren t th a t such reasoning
w ould perm it an y group of people to concur
upon certain things an d w ays as proper an d
right, and if th ey w ere sincere, their suppres
sion of others w ho did differently would not
constitute intolerance. It is further apparent,
that if this practice w ere allow ed to continue
unabated, the freedom of a people would
soon be abolished.
In fact, this brings up th e question of w h at
am ount of freedom shall each of us tolerate
upon the p a rt o f others. It is cogent th at if
an arb itrary freedom w ere sought by each in
dividual, th a t is, if he w ere perm itted to do
exactly as he pleased, there w ould be no
social order. T h u s, in a dem ocratically or
ganized society, individuals are free to choose
the necessary lim its of their own powers and
conduct, an d to select others to determine
that for them. Such rules, laws, or principles
are then enforced by the m ajority against the
whole, an d are held to be the right. T h e in
dividual sacrifices his right, as a member of a
dem ocratic society, to refuse arbitrarily to
conform to the m ajoritys wishes. Conse
quently, w hen he does violate such laws, the
other members of society cannot show him
tolerance, an d themselves still be considered
law -abiding.
Such laws of society are artificial stan d
ards. T h ey m ay have no archetypes in n a
ture, th at is, in our instincts, in our emotions
and even in our sentim ents. Furtherm ore,
time may prove them, as history has often

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

shown, w rong in the sense th a t they are in

jurious to the w elfare of society and the in
dividual. B ut to perm it the individual, as
such, to violate them, w ould be to disinte
grate the bonds of organized society. A t the
time, the imposing of these rules and laws
upon the occasional recalcitrant w ho objects
does not constitute intolerance, even though
the individual in later decades or centuries
m ay be proven to be right in his objections.
U ntil the mass consciousness of those w ho
compose society changes or evolves, peoples
are n o t actually intolerant because they are
incapable of know ing the falsity o f their own
concepts and judgm ents. O n the other hand,
a people, w hether composing a sect, cult, o r a
state, are indisputably intolerant if they a t
tem pt to enforce laws o r regulations against
individuals, if such individuals have not first
had their inalienable right of freedom to ex
press themselves for or against the adoption
of such laws or regulations. F urth er, if the
standards and restrictions do not take into
consideration the w elfare and benefit of those
whom they are to affect, then their adop
tion constitutes an attitude of intolerance.
T h e mere arb itrary decision th a t others m ust
do and think as you, even if you have a
great num ber of supporters of your view, is
intolerance.
T olerance is an attitude o f unselfishness.
It is a just countenancing o f the freedom of
expression and action of each individual, so
long as such does not conflict w ith the con
scientious standards w hich a people as a
whole have set up for themselves. Reli
gious conceptions, for example, are individual
things. N o person or group of persons can
prove G od except to themselves, as individ
uals. It depends upon the individuals degree
of enlightenm ent as to how G od may be con
ceived, o r even the conception of a G od. C o n
sequently, to insist upon a sta n d ard o f belief
is to presum e to know w h at is spiritually ac
ceptable to all men. T o enforce such a sta n d
ard is intolerance, because it robs man of his
divine heritage of individuality, of the v aria
tion of his personal perception and appercep
tion. It attem pts to fit to a mold his personal
evolvement. A s an individual, then, you are
being truly tolerant w hen you perm it others

Page 67

to think an d to act as they please, so long as

they:
(a) do not deprive you an d others of the
same right.
(b) do n ot oppose, by their actions and
thoughts, those stan d ard s o f living
and orderliness w hich a free people,
as individuals, have unselfishly estab
lished for the w elfare of a w hole
society.
F raternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Imperator.

Cosmic Consciousness and the

Life of Christ
W h ile it is true th a t this is n ot a religious
organization, there has alw ays been the atti
tude upon the p a rt o f the O rd e r o f considera
tion for the value of sacred w ritings. It is
am ong the great teachers an d mystics, includ
ing religious leaders, th a t w e find illustrations
of various forms of m anifestation th a t w e are
seeking to u n d erstan d in our experience.
W h ile a g reat am ount of m aterial has been
w ritten upon the subject of cosmic conscious
ness, it will be interesting to com pare some
of the principles of cosmic consciousness as
illustrated in the life of C h rist and H is
teachings.
T h e m astership an d ultim ate accomplish
ment are illustrated in the life of Christ. If
we would consider the life of C hrist as a
dram a or a stage production th a t took place,
w e w ould gain as much from it as if w e actu
ally participated in th a t dram a w hen H e real
ly lived. T h e actual full realization of the
soul an d the attainm ent of this C hrist con
sciousness is the greatest m anifestation th at
w e are able to look up to in a physical body.
Jesus constantly tau g h t cosmic consciousness
by H is references to the Kingdom of H eaven.
T h e Kingdom o f H eaven technically means
th at w hich is esoteric. It is not a physical
state. It is not m erely a state of mind, an d if
you will read the N ew T estam en t passages
referring to the Kingdom of H eaven w ith
th at in mind, you will gain a new meaning.
T h e Kingdom of H eaven is w h at w e might
say is the inner circle o f hum anity. V erily
I say unto you th a t there be some of them

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 68

th at stan d here w ho shall not taste of death

till they have seen the Kingdom of G od.
T his has been interpreted as a physical event.
It is the birth of understanding w ithin the in
dividual, the grasping of cosmic conscious
ness w ithin the hum an being. T h e following
is also illustrative: R epent ye,* for the K ing
dom of H eaven is a t hand/* It is n ot some
thing to be looked for or sought for a t a fu
ture place or time,* it is som ething th at is
here. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of H e a v e n /' T h e poor in
spirit are those w ho have throw n off the a t
tachm ent for m aterial and physical things.
W h a t does spirit mean from the Rosicrucian
standpoint? T h e negative phase of N ous
which is m aterial. T h e poor in spirit are
those w ho are poor in m aterial attachm ents,
those w ho no longer confine their aspirations
to a gaining of material know ledge, an d have
throw n off the limitations of any physical
means of lim iting it.
A ll m aterial things w e see are spirit. T h e
Kingdom of H eaven is the complete state of
consciousness w hich causes us to expand our
abilities. If you do not have a conception
w holly based upon the physical, then w h at is
left? T h e conception of all. Cosmic con
sciousness w as presented by C hrist in a m an
ner th a t those w ho gained the opportunity to
understand it w ould be able to understand.
T ak e this passage also, w hich has sometimes
been translated or a t least interpreted in a
physical sense: F or w hosoever hath, to him
shall be given, and he shall have abundance;
but w hosoever hath not, from him shall be
taken aw ay even th at w hich he h ath . W h a t
are they talking about? T h e abundance of
understanding; th a t is, he w ho has an y con
ception beyond the physical sense is ju st be
ginning to gain a picture of the w hole uni
verse, and w ith each step he takes, w ith each
point of his understanding, will come more
and more know ledge. Look at the individual
w ho has denied any efforts outside of the
objective senses. H e is so tied up in his own
lim itations th a t he becomes bound to that
very stan d ard and becomes a doddering old
m an.A.

Some Questions Answered

I have a question for your consideration
this m orning th a t comes from one o f our
members from the E ast w ho visited us d u r

ing the 1942 Convention. T h is member asked

the question, If evil is uncreated, w here does
it acquire th e pow er to pro p ag ate evil or its
kind? T h is question suggests that evil m ay
be ex ten d ed o utw ard from us ju st as we e x
ten d to others thoughts o f love, peace and
harm ony. T o believe th a t th e Cosmic will act
as a medium for such thoughts of a so-called
evil n atu re is w rong an d has been proven so
by hundreds of tests an d trials. T h is ques
tion borders upon a discussion of black magic
w hich is som ething th a t w e w ish to avoid
here this morning, for, after all, w e have cov
ered it so often in the p ast few m onths th at
it surely is quite fresh in memory. H ow ever,
black magic is based upon the belief th a t socalled evil thoughts can be directed to the
minds of others an d they will be harm ed by
them. K nowing the medium of thought tran s
ference, it is easy to realize th a t so-called evil
thoughts will not be carried over this divine
channel. W e see, therefore, th a t so-called
evil is not pro p ag ated a t all.
W e have said th a t evil is uncreated and in
fact non-existent, thus it is a negative condi
tion caused by the absence of a positive, ac
tive force. It is only this positive, active force
th at can be p ropagated into so-called space.
T h u s w e send, direct an d transm it thoughts
of peace, love, harm ony, health and w ell-being to our F ra tre s and Sorores and friends
everywhere. W e w ould not an d in fact could
not send an y other kind o f thoughts. W e
might have other thoughts, b u t w e will not
be able to propagate them. T h e y will stay
w ithin us, there to grow, develop and cause
us much suffering and discom fort mentally as
well as physically.
W h ile on this subject there is another
thought th a t I w ould like to bring to your a t
tention. It is this: D o vibrations from op
posing members of the family of an invalid
interfere w ith the healing of a patient though
the patient him self is receptive?
Judging from w h at has been stated before,
the thoughts of these opposing members of
the p atient's fam ily w ould have no effect
w hatever; b ut w e have another serious con
dition to w o rry about and this is the patient
himself. H e can easily sense the antagonistic
attitude of the members of his family, this by
their outw ard actions and attitu d e tow ard
him, not necessarily by some strange, subtle
inner force. Even so we usually radiate an

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

antagonistic aura w hen m entally upset, and

a sensitive person m ight easily sense our
m ental attitude through contact w ith the
aura. N ow the minute our patient becomes
aw are th at there are those of his family w ho
oppose him and his methods of getting well,
he will be so upset inside th a t his efforts to
attu n e to the great Cosmic forces will be
frustrated, not by the opposing members of
the fam ily but by the patient's reaction to
this m ental opposition.
In m ental absent treatm ent the best w ork
is done w hen there is full and complete co
operation betw een the patient and the practi
tioner. T h e patient m ust be m entally free to
submit himself entirely to attunem ent w ith
the great forces of the Cosmic and the vibra
tions of his fellow friends and F ratres. Such
m ental freedom cannot be attained so long as
there is a tendency on the p art of the family
to be antagonistic.
In view of some of the above statem ents
you m ay w onder then if it is permissible, or
even possible, to send healing treatm ents or
to visualize a change for the better in the
lives of m aterialistic non-mem bers w ithout
them asking for it or even knowing it. W e
have alw ays said th at for best results, the p a
tient m ust ask for help. W e even require that
all who seek the assistance of the Council of
Solace w rite to the D irector and specifically
ask for help. T his is done for an im portant
reason. It is not th a t the w ork depends en
tirely upon faith but rather th a t such an ex
pression of desire on the p art of the patient
shows his w illingness to cooperate w ith the
Council and shows that he has confidence in
the assistance w e are in a position to render.
It isn't th a t such w illingness to cooperate is
absolutely necessary, but it simplifies our
w ork and makes it easier to direct positive,
beneficial thoughts to the patient quickly and
efficiently. In other w ords, such full coopera
tion on the p art of the patient speeds up the
required time for attunem ent w ith him and he
thus receives the greatest good from the w ork
being done in his behalf.
N evertheless, w e can direct assistance to
one w ho is of a m aterialistic nature and not
inclined tow ard the m etaphysical form of
healing w ork. Little can be done w hen such
a person is aw ake and w ilfully fighting
through concentration your attem pts to di
rect thoughts to him; but if you will w ait

Page 69

until the patient is asleep, and thus objective

ly unconscious, you can reach him w ith your
thoughts of peace, love, harm ony and health.
T h e attunem ent is w ith the divine inner
forces which are of the Cosmic, and when
there is no objection set up b y the objective
consciousness, then it is possible to help the
patient by absent treatm ent.
You have h eard it stated th at for success
in hypnotism you m ust have the cooperation
of the subject. W ith o u t this cooperation your
experim ent will fail. But if your subject is
asleep, you can then direct him by suggestion.
T h e same is true in directing healing vibra
tions to one w ho is antagonistic to anything
th at is not strictly of the m aterial plane.

Make A Will
In my position as an officer of A M O R C ,
I also serve in the capacity of a counsellor to
m any members. T h e y discuss their intimate
problem s and affairs freely w ith me. W e do
not solicit such consultation, b ut are happy to
render w hatever service w e can. T o one who
has not h ad much experience w ith hum an n a
ture, and the problem s w hich confront per
sons, it would seem th at members of their
family should and w ould act in the capacity
of their advisors in m atters other than health
and legal affairs. Indeed, such would be
m ost appropriate if at all times an intimate
and confidential relationship existed between
members of a family. F rankly, an d most re
grettably, not only does such a bond of sym
p ath y and u nderstanding not alw ays exist
betw een some members of a family, but there
may be actually a d istru st betw een them. A
blood relationship betw een b ro th er and sis
ter, father and daughter, son and mother, for
example, does not guarantee a unity of inter
ests or like tem peram ents. F requently a per
son m ay be closer to a stranger, th a t is, to
one w ho has no biological connections, than
to a blood relative of the imm ediate family.
It is n o t an uncommon experience for mem
bers of a family to be divided upon subjects,
and the barrier of likes and dislikes between
them m ay be insuperable. A son may be a
sincere student of m etaphysics and m ysti
cism; the father m ay ignorantly and w ith
prejudice criticize the study as trash, and the
time devoted to the interest as a w aste.
A gain, a husband m ay have ju st somatic and

Page 70

superficial interests, w hereas a w ife may be

culturally inclined, m ay be an ard en t seeker
after new know ledge and the developm ent of
any talents w hich she m ay have. T h e hus
b an d m ay be of a captious tem peram ent, op
posing and criticizing his w ife's interests at
all times.
T h e spirits of these persons w ho are seek
ing personal developm ent will be broken un
less they can discuss their interests an d their
problem s w ith someone tolerant of them and
sym pathetic. So arrogating are the requests
of the members of a family a t times th a t they
cause their sons and daughters, or brothers
and sisters as the case m ay be, to cease their
pursuits. In fact, these unfortun ate persons
a t times believe th a t their inclinations m ay be
w rong because of so much family opposi
tion to them. W h e n they are assured b y one
th a t is sym pathetic th a t they have a rig h t to
their pursuits so long as they are construcive and not m aterially affecting others, they
become rejuvenated in spirit, the flame of in
terest in life is rekindled.
It is for these reasons th a t m any persons
consult me personally, and other officers of
A M O R C , on the personal affairs of their
lives and their conceptions and ideals. Some
of their ideals and personal convictions they
m ay never have discussed w ith members of
their family because of an anticipated unsym
pathetic response and their desire to avoid a
family logomachy.
O n e of the points of family dissension is
not infrequently religion or religious rites.
O n e member of the family m ay be an ortho
dox creedist, an ard en t supporter of the
church and its rites, w hich in itself is proper.
E ach individual has a rig h t to gravitate to
those religious conceptions w hich it is pos
sible for him to accept, in accordance w ith
the G od of his h ea rt. It is entirely im
proper, how ever, w hen such a person seeks
to impose his views upon another w hose con
sciousness can em brace a higher, or at least
a different, understanding of the natu re of
G od, imm ortality, life and death, and other
philosophical an d religious states of hum an
existence and the afterlife. T h e more pro
gressive member of the family m ay be compeljed to further his spiritual studies and in
vestigations secretly. H e m ay have taken the
bold step of breaking his affiliations w ith the
family religion, not criticizing it, ju st not

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

practicing the creed, because inw ardly he

cannot accept it.
Such a person m ay also sincerely w ish th at
upon his final transition he receive a certain
funeral ceremony, that is, th a t such rites be
perform ed for him as are com m ensurate w ith
those views he h ad while living. T h e re is
h ard ly a man w ho is such a hypocrite th a t to
himself he will profess an interest in certain
doctrines an d beliefs, and a t the sam e time
not care w hether the disposal of his b ody is
consistent w ith w h at he professes to believe.
If during his life he has no philosophy, no
concepts concerning birth an d death an d im
m ortality, an d his physical an d spiritual rela
tionship to G od, then it can be understood
th a t he w ould n ot care about the rite of the
final initiation or death. On th e other hand,
if w hen w e live these things mean som ething
to us, w e do not w an t even our cast-off bodies
to become a p art of any practice th a t w ould
be opposed to those ideals w hich w e cherish.
U nfortunately, though such persons hope
an d inw ardly desire th at their w ishes and
ideals be fulfilled an d realized, they do n o th
ing about them except w ish. In the personal
conferences to w hich I have referred above,
individuals have told me w h at they w ish for
w hen they pass through transition, as a fun
eral service. T h e y have stated th a t their
mystical concepts prohibit them from having
their bodies interred, th a t is, buried in a cof
fin in the ground to disintegrate slowly, o r to
have an y attem pts m ade to preserve them in
definitely b y embalming processes. T h e y have
related th a t they are in agreem ent w ith the
Rosicrucian funeral ritual w hich requires
cremation, so th a t the ashes m ay be returned
to the original elements of m atter from
w hence they came, in as sh o rt a time as pos
sible. T h ey have further stated th a t they
realize th at the soul becomes sep arated from
the body a t death, and th a t an y attem pt to
preserve the b ody thereafter is co n trary to
Cosmic law. T h e y have also m ade plain th at
they have far less com punction about cre
m ating the form er temple of th e soul, nam ely,
the body, an d perm itting it to free its ele
m ents quickly, th an to let it decompose in a
coffin in a grave.
It is adm itted th a t this is a controversial
religious and m ystical subject. T h e problem
here is not w h eth er one is rig h tth a t is, cre
mation or burial and the other w rong;

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

rather, th a t it is right for the individual to

have his body disposed of after death in
a m anner consistent w ith his beliefs and in
accordance w ith his form erly expressed de
sires. I have asked such individuals if they
h ad m ade a will. Sometimes they smile and
say, I am not an affluent person. I have no
great properties. W h y should I make a will?"
Such persons labor under the mistaken im
pression th at the making of a will implies a
kind of conceit th a t one is an im portant per
sonage, or w ealthy.
T h e extent of your properties is not the
m atter a t issue. Y ou m ay not have more than
one hundred dollars' w orth of possessions,
yet you do w an t them given to those you
love, honor, and respect. Y ou w an t those
properties committed to others after your
death, as you w ould do w ith them yourself
if you w ere giving them aw ay before your
death. If you have books th a t are rare, for
example, and w hich you treasure, you w ould
not w an t them to come into the possession of
one w ho had such a paucity of interest in
literature th at the volumes w ould be buried
beneath a pile of discarded articles in a gar
ret or basem ent. T h ere is no w ay you can
have any assurance th at such will not be
done unless you leave a will.
E ven if you have no possessions to leave
as an inheritance, real or personal, unless you
arrange to have your w ishes regarding your
funeral rites respected, such a ceremony may
be conducted as will be com pletely opposed
to w hat you now wish. If you have no con
cern about your funeral rites, w hat they sym
bolize or represent, then do not profess now
to show any interest in m ysticism , and kin
dred subjects.
A friend of mine, a member of A M O R C ,
w ho h ad only one relative w ith whom he w as
in close association, considered the Rosicru
cian funeral rite an elevating and appropriate
close to a cycle of hum an life. H e likewise
thought crem ation the most sanitary and ap
propriate w ay to dispose of one's earthly re
mains. H e often said, at a time w hen there
w as no reason to expect his imm ediate de
mise, th at that w as w hat he w anted an d pre
ferred w hen he passed through transition.
O n several occasions I advised him to make
a will and to nam e an executor, setting forth
his wishes in w riting. H e assured me th at he
would. W h e n he finally passed through

Page 71

transition, no will could be located. A p p ar

ently he had overlooked preparing one.
T h en there developed an em barrassing
situation. T h is close relative, w ith whom he
h ad no bond of intellectual or spiritual inter
ests, insisted th a t a funeral service of an or
thodox religious sect (of w hich this relative
w as a member) be perform ed. T h is sect op
posed cremation. M y friend w as not in sym
path y w ith the religious doctrines of this
sect, and furtherm ore, w as not a member of
it. In life he w ould have vigorously protested
the imposing of its rites upon him, because
inw ardly, spiritually, he could not accept
them. T o have this ceremony perform ed after
his transition undoubtedly w ould have pleas
ed the relative, b u t on the other hand, it
w ould have been offensive to the memory of
w h at my friend believed and desired. It w as
only w ith the greatest persuasion th a t we fin
ally had this relative concede th a t my friend
receive a Rosicrucian funeral ceremony, that
which he had alw ays w anted. A will nam ing
an executor to carry out his w ishes w ould
have avoided controversy an d an extrem ely
em barrassing situation.
Just recently, still another example of
this neglect in preparing a will w as force
fully called to my attention. A member of
A M O R C for years, in the high degrees, who
resided in a nearb y w estern state, h ad beeh
in correspondence w ith me. H e h ad been in
poor health for quite some time, and he w ish
ed to visit Rosicrucian P ark, w hich he had
never done, speak to the various officers, and
take a series of treatm ents at the Rose-Croix
Sanitarium . W e adm onished him th at the
journey to San Jose might be som ew hat
arduous for a man of his age, as he w as in
his late 80's. H e w as a professor at a uni
versity in his state.
N evertheless he came here, accom panied
by another good F rater, a neighbor, and I
enjoyed talking to him. T h o u g h he w as aged
in years, he w as very brilliant of mind, very
alert, and very sincere. H is entire family,
even his wife, w ere ardent supporters of a
religious sect, w hich religious sect in itself is
more liberal than m any others. N o one in his
family w as a Rosicrucian except himself, and
they w ere very unsym pathetic tow ard his
Rosicrucian beliefs. H e w as extrem ely happy
at arriving at the mecca of his interests, be
ing escorted throughout the buildings and

Page 72

grounds, and meeting the various personali

ties who form erly had been mere names to
him. H e w as adm itted into the Rose-Croix
Sanitarium for treatm ent, and cautioned that
he should not exercise and not w alk about
much.
A most regrettable incident occurred. O n
a rather w arm day he did w alk about, and he
w as stricken and passed through transition
w hile in San Jose. H is good friend, w ith the
collaboration of the officers of A M O R C , a r
ranged for the body to be sent to an under
taker, and then the friend communicated w ith
the family, w ho immediately ordered the for
w arding of the body to his home for services
there; otherw ise, the Rosicrucian funeral
service w ould have been held here at Rosi
crucian P ark for him.
A bout ten days later, after the services had
been perform ed in the other state, his friend,
the member w ho had accom panied him here,
sent us a letter w ith a num ber of new spaper
clippings attached, showing th at disregard
ing his ideals, w hich had not been expressed
in a will, a funeral service had been held for
him under the rites of the religious sect to
w hich his w ife and the other members of his
family belonged. T hough he w as eulogized
by his friends, associates and fellow profes
sors of the university who spoke of his ch ar
acter, yet not one m entioned his prim ary in
terest and love for years, w hich h ad been
Rosicrucianism. N o t even one mentioned
w here he had passed through transition, w hy
he had been in San Jose, or his connection
w ith his beloved O rder.
T h e reason for all this: religious prejudice.
T h e members of the family took advantage
of the situation, and insisted upon exercising
their will and their wishes, w ithout respect
for the ideals of the departed. If this F ra ter
had h ad a will, and h ad nam ed an executor
w hose m oral and legal duty it w ould be to
carry out the w ishes of the deceased, he
w ould have had the Rosicrucian ceremony
em bracing those principles w ith w hich he w as
in accord.
So I say to each of you, if you have not
m ade a will, prepare to have one m ade now ,
regardless of w hether you have considerable
properties or none. If you w ish a Rosicrucian
funeral service, or if you w ish crem ation, an d
further, if you desire th at the ashes of your
earthly rem ains be sent to Rosicrucian P ark

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

and interred in our beautiful grounds here

beneath a rosebush or plant or some other
symbol of life an d growing things, so express
it in your will.
T h e preparation of a will is not a costly
thing. A n y atto rn ey will help you draw it up
for just a few dollars. O r, you m ay study the
S ta tu te o f W ills in your own state an d pre
pare your own will w ithout consulting an a t
torney, which will be just as legal if you
carefully follow the requirem ents of law.
A M O R C can provide you w ith a general
d raft if you w ish a form show ing how a
will should be prep ared by ju st requesting
it and sending 6c in postage for its mailing.
-X .

D uality and the Cosmic Scheme

F requently there is repeated in the mono
graphs, an d in these pages, the im portance of
man understanding the duality of his present
form of existence. D uality has even been re
ferred to as a Rosicrucian doctrine or funda
m ental principle of belief. I w an t to stress at
this time a psychological fact th a t Rosicru
cianism is prim arily based upon a monistic
conception of the universe; th a t is, a concep
tion of oneness. Y ou w ho have studied in the
fields of formal philosophy have read of the
controversies as to the natu re of reality, the
m ind-body problem, how the mind and body
w ork upon each other and the problem of
w hat constitutes true know ledge an d experi
ence. In Rosicrucian philosophy w e can
bring back all these argum ents to the one
central principle th a t there is an underlying
single force in the universe.
I would like to have every Rosicrucian
visualize th a t there is a central source from
w hich all things come. N am e it w hatever you
choose; G od, N atu re, the A bsolute, U ltim ate
or Suprem e Being, b u t from th a t particular
point comes everything th a t is. Everything
th at comes from th a t source is w h at we term
N ous. N ous is all inclusive in th at it consti
tutes th at m anifestation of the C reator. It is
identical w ith the cosmic scheme.
I would like to distinguish betw een G od
and the cosmic. Some do not and it is not
necessary tth a t you do, but I consider G od as
the prime M over, as the fundam ental Force,
as the C reator, an d like all other hum an be
ings, I personalize th a t G od. W ith all the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

argum ents you can give against the personal

ization of a deity, you yourself are the last
person you can convince th at G od cannot be
personalized. M an can only consider a force
above him in term s of his ow n experience.
G od has put into effect in the U niverse cer
tain laws and principles which are operating
tow ard an end th a t he designed to be accom
plished. W e cannot view w hat th at end is at
the present time. H ow is H e going to bring
about th a t end? H e is going to set into force
the operation of certain law s th a t will all
w ork tow ard th a t end. It is those laws that,
from a technical standpoint, w e call cosmic.
v T h e cosmic is the operation of the laws, or
w e m ight say it is their existence. H ow does
th at cosmic m anifest on earth? T h e trouble
w ith the understanding of N ous is our tend
ency to limit any dfinition. W e think of a
four-letter w ord and we unconsciously in our
mind begin to limit w hat it can possibly
mean. T his desk, myself, you, the light in
this room, the sound, everything is in N ous.
W e m ight say N ous is the creative force of
the universe, it is one, it is a single thing
m anifesting to cause the w hole universe to
exist. W e are only aw are of the physical
phases of it th at our physical perceptive ap
paratus can perceive. T h ere again from the
hum an standpoint w e divide N ous into the
two polarities, and there is w here w e have
our law of duality. Remember, the law of
duality operates only on a physical plane.
It absolutely does not exist outside of the
perception of man. It is a m an-conceived
idea. N ous is one.
T o elaborate upon that point, let us first
look at it from our viewpoint and then try to
separate ourselves from that viewpoint. H ere
on the earth we divide all the m anifestations
of N ous into two categories. H ow do w e de
termine these categories? By w h at w e learn
to perceive objectively and w hat w e do not
objectively perceive. I have tried for years to
think of a good analogy for this fact. T h e
nearest I can arrive to it m ight be this: You
who live in the M iddle W e s t or w ho have
traveled from the M iddle W e s t know the
long freight trains th at are draw n across the
plains. Y ou see such a train from a distance.
W h a t if someone would make a mask for
your eyes that m ade it possible, if you looked
at the freight train, to see only one car. Y our
vision w ould be so limited th at only the w idth

Page 73

of one car w ould pass, and it w ould w ork

like a moving picture projector in such a w ay
th at it w ould shut off the perception betw een
the cars. W o u ld you ever conceive through
this visual perception the idea of a complete
train? R egardless of w hether th a t train had
five cars or five thousand, all you w ould per
ceive w ould be oneNcar. T h e only conscious
ness you w ould have of the passage of a unit
of cars w ould be your perception of time that
took place w hile this ap p aratu s moved in
front of your eyes. W h a t limited w h at you
saw? T h e physical apparatus w hich w as set
up in front of your face limited it. If you
threw aw ay th a t contraption you w ould see
the w hole train.
V isualize the w avy line representing N ous
and the m anifestation of everything in the
universe. Y ou will observe th a t N ous, but
instead of ju st one, you find you have five
channels, seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting and
smelling. Into those categories fall w h at you
perceive of th a t N ous. In other w ords, it is
just like the individual cars of a train. You
see those vibrations th at fit your physical ap
paratus. If th at physical apparatus could be
throw n aw ay, all the vibrations of the uni
verse, all th at is w ould be app aren t to you.
You would u n d erstan d the whole. If th at
could be done, w ould there be a state of dual
ity in the universe? W h a t is duality based
upon then? T h e conception of duality is
based upon calling those things physical, ma
terial or phenom enalor w hatever term you
w ant to use th a t fall w ithin the range or
category of our objective senses; b ut w hy is
a category th at falls in that range any differ
ent than th at w hich does not? W h a t is the
difference betw een perceiving the one box car
of the train due to the limitations of the con
traption th at w ould fit over your face and
perceiving the w hole train? W h a t I am try
ing to present is the perception th a t we must
realize the w hole universe is governed by
these cosmic laws. T h ese vibrations of N ous
th at are put into effect to cause these condi
tions to come to a definite end are all one
and the same thing.
If our consciousness expands to the point
w here we can take in a broader scope of all
that is, we will receive a more complete pic
ture. How ever, th a t must be gradual. In fact,
it is a p art of grow th. W h e th e r w e grow to
the point w here w e ever know the w hols is

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 74

not as im portant at the moment as the fact

th a t w e have not grown enough, th at w e can
gain m ore.A.

Some Current Activities

From time to time, through the pages of
this Forum , w e have the opportunity of in
forming our members of various activities
taking place or being planned. It is quite n a t
ural th a t a considerable p art of our time is
dedicated to m atters pertaining to this coun
try 's w ar effort. W ith a large num ber of our
members already in m ilitary service, and a
much larger num ber engaged directly or in
directly by concerns or organizations having
to do w ith w ar production, it is natural that
w e should be vitally interested in the w elfare
of these individuals who constitute w hat will
be a part of this organization's membership.
W e feel th a t one of our first obligations is
to the men in m ilitary service. W e all are
aw are th at the change from civilian life to
one of the branches in m ilitary service is a
radical change, and it is im portant th at the
individual be helped by assisting th at individ
ual in m aintaining, as much as possible, some
of the advantages and privileges of civilian
life. M em bership in this organization is one
of those privileges, and through special a r
ticles previously appearing in this Forum and
in the Rosicrucian D igest." which have been
m im eographed, w e are able to advise our
members as soon as they become aw are of
immediate induction into m ilitary service how
best we can assist them to maintain their
membership. Furtherm ore, through the kind
contributions of m any members it has been
possible for us to assure members in m ilitary
service th at they need have no fear of their
membership privileges being suspended due
to inability to meet their dues. T herefore,
w hen members in military service inform us
of not being able to contribute their entire
dues, w e are very liberal w ith arrangem ents
which make it possible for them to continue
their membership w ithout interruption. N a t
urally, these individuals m ust sacrifice some
of the membership activities due to the re
strictions of m ilitary life, but the response of
hundreds of members for the benefit they find
in continuing their membership is most g rati
fying to us and repays the organization and
the assisting members many times for making
these arrangem ents possible.

All members are familiar w ith the help th at

is being given to members in countries w here
rem ittances are difficult. T h ro u g h the patron
plan, which so m any members are supporting
each month, w e are now in a position to assist
these individuals to carry on their affiliation.
Some time ago, in fact, one section of one of
our allied countries w as unable to make any
rem ittances w hatsoever, and it has been most
satisfying for us recently to be able to inform
these members, some of whom have not re
ceived m onographs for over a year, th at they
now can resum e their affiliation w hether or
not the making of rem ittances has been sim
plified. It is explained to them th at this not a
charitable act b ut merely an act upon the p art
of the organization made possible by the p a t
ron contributions of our members in this
country w ith the feeling th at should the posi
tion be reversed, w e know they w ould do the
same.
In these times while mail is irregular, one
w ay in w hich you and every member of the
organization can cooperate w ith us is by be
ing patient w hen there are delays in the mail.
M ail must take second place to the instru
ments of w ar, insofar as the transportation
facilities of this country are concerned. T h ere
fore, mail sometimes reaches us as much as a
day or two later, or even more, than it form er
ly did. T his ad d s complications th at require
th at we handle this mail as prom ptly as pos
sible here and forw ard proper answ ers back
to the members. B ut w ith our m any addition
al problems there are sometimes delays at
any point from the time a communication
leaves you until one again arrives at your
address. W e ask your cooperation and con
sideration in these delays, know ing th at some
of our time an d effort is being devoted to the
consideration of others w ho are also asking
for special consideration under these present
conditions.
Some members ask w h at their attitude
should be tow ards extending the organization
at this time. O u r Extension D epartm ent is as
active as it ever w as. T h o u san d s of people
are in a position to avail themselves of the
opportunity for self-im provem ent and, in fact
are seeking the inspiration and instruction
th a t membership in this organization will
bring them. It is proving to be a firm founda
tion for those faced by problem s and bereave
ments brought about by the present condi

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tions. T herefore, regardless of how busy you

may be, do not forget th at it takes only a few
minutes to have the proper literature w ith you
and to speak an encouraging w ord to help
someone to benefit from this organizations
activities.A

T rue Initiation
M an y individuals realize th at w hen a true
initiation takes place the initiation is more
m ental than physical; nevertheless, for most
hum an beings, the physical steps w hich go
with the initiatory process are quite im
portant. T h ey serve to provide the back
ground or to contribute to the environm ent
which is conducive to initiation. If on the oc
casion of initiation we w ere all able to enter
a great C athedral or a tem ple of this o rg an i
zation, we w ould usually find th at there al
ready existed those vibrations which w ere
conducive to the purpose of the initiation
ceremony. It would, no doubt, be easier for
us to gain the full meaning of initiation under
such circum stances. T h e mistaken idea in the
minds of m any individuals is th at such an en
vironm ent is absolutely essential to initiation.
In other w ords, it is a hum an trait to po st
pone initiation until those times w hen such
an ideal setting will be available. I have
heard members of this organization state th a t
they will have their first initiation w hen the
opportunity perm its them to visit a city w here
a temple exists. It can not be denied th a t all
members of this organization should be desirious of participating in a tem ple initiation,
but postponing the experience of initiation
until that condition is possible is merely d eny
ing themselves a more complete u n d erstan d
ing of the principles to which they are apply
ing themselves in the study of the Rosicru
cian teachings.
It has been repeated in these pages, and in
all Rosicrucian w ritings, th at the intellectual
com prehension of the Rosicrucian teachings
is possible to anyone w ho can read the E n g
lish language intelligentlyor any other lan
guage in w hich they are prepared. A high
school student, if he applied himself to our
lessons, could probably gain a reasonably
good intellectual understanding. But the main
purpose of the Rosicrucian philosophy is n ot
to present an intellectual com prehension of
any subject m aterial. W^here it does, in cases

Page 75

of the instructive natu re of certain lectures

and in the w ork of the Rose-Croix U niver
sity, the purpose is secondary to the real p u r
pose------th at o f making experience possible
upon the p art of each individual. You can
borrow the intellectual attainm ents of another
in fact, th a t is w h at w e are doing, to a cer
tain extent, w hen w e read a textbook or any
factual m aterialbut you cannot borrow the
emotional experience of another. You may
feel glad or sad w hen someone w ho is close
to you is experiencing the same emotion, but
your emotion will not be theirs, regardless of
how close th e event contributing to this re
sponse m ay be to each of you. In other
words, the true deep-seated emotional reac
tions of each of us are something that is
strictly our private property, and w e know
that it is through the experiencing of the
emotional factors involved w ith every experi
ence th at w e really make up our own charac
ter and contribute to our personality.
W h a t Rosicrucianism as a philosophy is
most desirous of doing is bringing about an
understanding of life and the Cosmic forces
through the personal experiencing of these
conditions as related to the individual. Ini
tiation is no more or less than a term given
to all of this experience on the p art of the in
dividual. T herefore, to experience initiation
directly, purpose, sincerity an d desire for
self-im provement an d understanding are pri
marily the forces th at bring about a success
ful conclusion.
I referred earlier in these comments to the
fact that w e as individuals excuse the present
circumstances as n o t conducive to initiation.
T h ere have been a few individuals who have
immediately forsaken their membership due
to present w orld-w ide conditions, economic
uncertainty, or the imminent possibility of
military service. T hese individuals lacked the
very experience to which I have referred. O n
the other hand, as has been pointed out in
various articles and announcem ents in the
Rosicrucian D igest," hundreds of our mem
bers under various circum stances have main
tained their affiliation and viewpoint. A still
more outstanding example of this point of
view has come to my attention in the case of
a man serving in the A rm y w ho has affiliated
w ith the organization since being in military
service. A fter the six introductory lessons to
the N eophyte G rades he, in due time, re

Page 76

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ceived the first initiation. T h e report which

he sent on his initiation is to me an ou tstan d
ing example of success in initiation an d in the
true experiencing of the ideals for w hich it
stands. H is experiences are stated as follows:
D ue to conditions beyond my control, I w as
unable to actually do the initiation but I pic
tured it like I w ould like to do it in my im ag
ination. It w as very beautiful and as real as
if I actually did it. I am out here in the desert
some miles from . W e live in pup
tents, two to a tent, the only large ten t is the
kitchen. T h e nights are blacked o u t and w e
are not even allow ed to smoke. Show ers are
som ething w e fondly remember; w e are in
groups of men at all times and very seldom
alone. I read this initiation alone in the eve
ning, just as the sun w as going down, color
ing the desert w ith vivid hues of red and blue
and w hite. I couldn't perform the initiation
as required, still, I had as inspiring a back
ground as one could ask. W h e n I return to
civilization, I am going to go ahead and p er
form the procedure as outlined in your
instructions."
C ertainly this should be a lesson for all of
us w ho m ay be w orking under conditions o r
dinarily considered to be not conducive to
initiation, yet far better than w ere the condi
tions w hich this F ra ter faced. I believe th at
this man has gained a true know ledge of cer
tain fundam ental Cosmic laws, and if he will
continue this viewpoint he will contribute in
m any w ays to th e w elfare of hum anity all his
life. H e will not have to w ait until m ilitary
service is complete; he is not the type of in
dividual w ho w aits. H e does w h at is to be
done; in other w ords, he strives to un d er
stand and use the forces of his environm ent
rather than perm itting himself to function at
their m ercy.A

Ancient Healing M ethods

H ow old is the Rosicrucian system of heal
ing? T h e age of a method or process may
lend little to its efficaciousness. W h e th e r
a m ethod accomplishes w h at it purports is
really the im portant factor. T h ere are m any
things of w hich age is the essence, b ut most
certainly the treatm ent of disease is not one
of them. A rem arkable principle of treatm ent,
employing heretofore unknow n or untried
laws of nature which produce seeming mir

acles, m ight be, relatively, an overnight dis

covery. C ertainly, therefore, no intelligent
man or wom an would banish such a system
or refuse to resort to it because it w as new or
recent.
T h e fact remains, however, th a t actually
the fundam ental principles of Rosicrucian
healingin a broad sense, its techniqueare
thousands o f years old. T h e m ethod of treat
m ent as presented in these m onographs is an
evolved process, the result of scientific re
search w ithin the confines of our O rder.
T hough this process is quite old, by no means
is it as ancient as the principles which it
employs.
T h ese fundam ental principles of healing,
namely, the draw ing to ourselves of the life
essence, the divine force of life, or as we
say, the positive polarity o f N ous for the
healing of self an d others, w ere in use as far
back as the M iddle Kingdom of ancient
E gypt. T h e M iddle Kingdom, or F eudal A ge
of E gypt, began about 2000 B. C.
Insofar as the masses of people a t th a t time
w ere concerned, the tru e know ledge of the
w orkings of n atu re w as dissem inated to them
as an adm ixture of religious and magical
rites. It suffices to say th a t know ledge as
such could only be taught to a com parative
few. T h a t few consisted of those w ho w ere
prepared for the reception of know ledge, in
tellectually an d by the aw akening of self. It
w as these few thousand w ho com posed the
ancient m ystery schools. In these m ystery
schools, healing w as a highly developed art.
Considerable know ledge of the hum an anato
my, the function of the heart, the nervous
system, and the brain, o r w h at is known as
physiology, w as actually reduced to writing
on papyrus scrolls, some of w hich today are
in the possession of museums throughout the
world.
T h e P harao h or E gyptian king w as tradi
tionally held by his subjects to have great
healing pow ers. It w as thought th at he
derived these from the god O siris. O siris
w as the god representing Ra, the creative
force of the universe. P harao h s or kings were
believed to be divinely appointed, and thus,
it follows th a t they w ere thought to possess
divine virtues and powers. T h e P haraoh, be
ing mostly busily occupied w ith m atters of
state, and frequently participating in w ars of
conquest or defense, had little time to super

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

vise the healing of his peoples. Consequently,

such duties w ere left for his deputies to per
form, the high priests, or as they w ere
know n, the K heri-H ebs.
T h e treatm ents w ere given stricken people
in the magnificent temples which w ere used
periodically as great clinics. B ut first, accord
ing to the records left by the E gyptians them
selves, a priest m ust receive from the god
the m easure of the divine life-essence w ithout
w hich he could not perform his duties satis
factorily in the tem ple." T h u s these KheriH ebs, preceding the days w hen they m ust
treat for disease on behalf of the P haraoh,
w ould silently a t night enter the great tem
ples w here statues representing the deities
w ere lined against the massive inscribed
w alls, in an impressive array. T h ere, in the
heavy silence of a desert night, they would
go through certain m ystical exercises and
offer certain prayers. T hen, w ith the images
representingn the great god forces in the uni
verse tow ering above 'them, each w ould turn
his back to the god w h3 straigh tw ay began
to make magical passes dow n it from the
nape of the neck to the lower vertebrae. By
these passes the magical life-essence sa-ankh
of the god w as transferred to th e b o dy" of
the K heri-H eb. A fter such a ceremony, the
king or the K heri-H eb can now perform ef
fectively all the ceremonies which are con
nected w ith the giving of life," or healing, in
other w ords.
T his m ethod of healing or effecting cures
w as also know n as substitution." In other
w ords, loaning of the healing forces from
his (the gods) soul energy (the s a )" to
others. T h e healing pow er w as applied to the
body of the patient by bestow ing upon it
(by the nape of the neck) its protective fluid
at four intervals." T o summarize, a m ethod
of revitalizing themselves w as used by the
K heri-H ebs and the great teachers o f the
m ystery schools. T h ey understood th at this
energy of a divine nature, this sa ankh or
life-essence, w hich they received, could be
applied to the nape of the neck and dow n the
vertebrae of the patient, producing rem ark
able salutary results. T h ey further u nder
stood th at they w ere not really doing the
curing, that they w ere but substitutes" for
this energy which entered their beings and
which they transm itted to others.

Page 77

N ow let us presum e, if w e w ant, th at it

w as mere superstition and supposition on
their p a rt th at a life energy w hich they could
draw upon existed in the universe. It must
be adm itted, how ever, th at their associating
of the vertebrae w ith nerve energy and with
the creative forces of life, now scientifically
established as fact, w as no mere conjecture
or coincidence. F urther, the sim ilarity of
these ancient p racticeseven though perhaps
not as highly developed as our Rosicrucian
technique to our present Rosicrucian method
cannot be considered merely a coincidence.
In a future issue of one of our Sixth D e
gree m onographs, w e are reproducing an il
lustration th at appears on an ancient E g y p
tian stele (inscribed stone) w hich shows the
god A m en-R a applying his hand in passes
over the back of a king w ho kneels before
him. In other w ords, it is an illustration
thousands of years old, show ing the applica
tion of the life fo rce> the conveying of the
healing energy to the nervous system in the
region of the vertebrae. You w ho are inter
ested in ancient history, and who would like
to confirm these historical quotations, can re
fer to Sir E. A . W a llis B udges w ork entitled
From Fetish T o G od," page 35, and to
T h e H ealing G ods of A ncient Civilization"
by D r. W a lte r A ddison Jayne. T h ese books,
we believe, are both to be found in the larger
public libraries. N eith er is obtainable from
the Rosicrucian Supply B ureau.X

Can Civilization Be Destroyed?

A good member from the A tlantic Seaboard
of this nation rises to direct a question to this
Forum . She asks: Do you think th a t unless
the peoples o f the earth turn to G od, learn
ing to know an d follow universal Cosmic law
as w e Rosicrucians know it, the existing form
of civilization will vanish?"
T h is is a question often much considered.
T h ere are those w ho argue th a t our civiliza
tion is too well entrenched in point of time to
be obliterated. T h e time factor, so far as our
civilization is concerned, is most inconsequen
tial w hen com pared to the duration of the
other great past civilizations. T h e period of
E g y p ts great culture began in the so-called
feudal age of th at land about 2000 B. C., and
lasted to approxim ately 1000 B. C. A thou
sand years! T h e Babylonian civilization, in

Page 78

eluding the contributing cultures, and reach

ing a climax w ith H am m urapi, also lasted ap
proxim ately one thousand years. T h e G reek
civilization m ay be said to have really begun
w ith Solon, 594 B. C. It lasted from its great
est glory at the time of Pericles, to the last
of the H ellenistic period, about 200 B. C., a
total of nearly four hundred years. If we
think of the rise of Rome beginning w ith its
complete dom ination of the Italian peninsula
by 275 B. C., and its end in effect about two
generations afte r Theodosius, 475 A. D., the
length of th a t civilization then w as about
seven hundred years.
O u r civilization as w e know it, th a t is, the
age of rationalism and the rejuvenation of
culture, began about the late 16th C entury,
during the period of Francis Bacon. Philoso
p hy designates it the beginning of th e mod
ern period of thought. Such great thinkers
as D escartes, Spinoza, Leibnitz, Locke, and
Berkeley, w ere born and expounded their
great concepts nearly all w ithin the same cen
tury, and some w ere even contem poraries.
If, then, w e consider the beginning of our
civilization as occurring afte r the great socalled dark ages or middle centuries, it is less
than 350 years old. T h e far older civiliza
tions fell, so age, in and by itself, could be
no assurance th a t such a decline and fall
could not recur in our times.
A s w e have often had occasion to say be
fore, civilization is a process of refinement.
F irst, a refinement of the external world, a
tem pering of n ature's effects upon us by our
learning how to control them. A true civiliza
tion, however, is more than just a refinement
of environm ent. It is also a refinement of the
n ature of man himself. It consists of the
aw akening of his mental powers, and more
over, developing in him a m astery o f his ow n
elem ental nature. You most certainly will
agree th a t there is a differencea vast one
betw een a civilized man and a man living in
civilization. A truly civilized man is one w ho
is cultured and has acquired th at refinement
of self w hereby he conducts himself w ith due
com port in any surroundings, no m atter how
savage they m ay be. O n the other hand, the
most brutal, degenerate, and vulgar people
can and do thrive in a civilized environm ent.
It m ust be apparent th at an absolute civiliza
tion does not exist until the people of it are

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

civilized in consciousness, and not merely go

through the external forms.
W e look about us an d w e see the g ran d
iose display of a civilized environm ent. G reat
edifices an d industries, fast transportation
an d communication, the conquest of disease
these seem th e monuments of a civilized
people. C oncom itantly, how ever, the people
of this sam e civilization resort to the most
savage conduct, and m urder each other en
masse. H ow can civilized people do this?"
it is asked. T h e fact rem ains th a t the great
m asses o f people are not civilized. T h e y are
b ut tenants in civilization. T h erefo re, until
the individual becomes civilized, n ot just his
environm ent, w e will have recurrences of the
slaughter w e now are experiencing.
A n uncivilized man, in the sense just de
scribed, will continue to use a civilized envir
onment, the sciences an d the arts, as an in
strum ent to further his avarice and his bestial
inclinations. G an g sters and criminals, for ex
ample, use and ta k e adv an tag e of the modern
w eapons and automobiles. A n ape will hurl
a microscope in a rag e just as readily as he
w ould a stone in his n atu ral habitat. M en
w ith strong reasoning pow ers and a m astery
of advanced science have w orked as diligent
ly to further a cruel w ar of aggression as un
educated savages stalking th eir enemy in a
jungle. E ducation, in a general sense, can
give no gu aran tee o f bringing forth a civilized
man. E ducation m ust include the develop
m ent of moral discernm ent and the cultiva
tion of th e higher emotions if it is to succeed
in contributing to true civilization. If it does
not, all it produces is a m entally superior a ni
mal, more capable, through sharpened wits,
of enforcing his b ru tal desires.
Look about you. H ow m any people are
truly civilized or even trying to be? Almost
all of them are participants in the outer bene
fits o f civilization which someone else has
produced. H ow m any o f them are trying to
improve themselves beyond a mere training
which will fu rth er them materially? H ow
m any of them are concerned about self, that
is, the real p a rt o f themselves and their per
sonal conduct, their ethical perform ance in
society? H ow m any are concerned with
w h at effects their acts m ay have upon their
community or the times?
N otw ith stan d in g this rath er melancholy
presentation, our civilization cannot decline

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to the point of those of the past. A t the

most, it can be retarded or rem ain com para
tively inert in some respects for a time. F or
the first reason, the m inority of 'truly civilized
people, regardless of the m ultitudes who are
not, are far m ore num erous than they ever
w ere before in history. F urther, know ledge
is so w idely distributed today, th at is, its
sources, books and m anuscripts, and th a t
w hich aw akens the self, such as art, litera
ture, and good music, th at it could never be
com pletely stam ped out or suppressed.
Even in the dark ages, certain secret
sources of know ledge w ere know n to those
w ho aspired to enlightenm ent. T h e y were,
of course, very few and extrem ely difficult of
attainm ent. N ever again could there be such
a paucity of existing know ledge. In past
times, during the eras of darkness after the
fall of civilizations, there w ere hordes of
barbarians w ho would descend and destroy
sources of culture, principally for the lack of
appreciation of it. T hose hordes do not exist
today in the sam e num ber or w ith the same
spirit. A people in m any sections of the w orld
m ay often lack inner refinement, b ut they are
experienced enough to know th a t know ledge
makes possible those material advantages and
com forts w hich they crave. Consequently,
they w ould not seek out and destroy all
sources of know ledge for the reasons of their
own avarice and selfishness. T hus, those who
w ish know ledge for the purpose of spiritual
advancem ent w ould still have their sources.
T hose few individuals in every thousand,
then, w ould and will keep civilization from
declining to th a t abasem ent of the past ages.
A s one philosophical w riter has put it,
there are certain threads of civilization that
have been strengthened in each age, reg ard
less of the periodic ravage of civilization. One
of these is the realization on the p art of the
average man th a t a study of natural pheno
mena, natu re's laws, makes for his greater
com fort, w hether he himself is a student of
them or not. T herefore, the condoning of in
tellectual b readth by the citizen o f each cen
tury, though it m ay not make him as an in
dividual more civilized, prevents man from
ever again approving the destruction of the
w ays and means of learning. H ow ever, until
man becomes civilized, w e must, as humans,

Page 79

continue to retard by our ow n conduct th at

rapid personal evolvement to G od-like beings
of which Rosicrucians know w e are capable.
-X

God and the Beginning

A Soror of the m idw estern section of the
U nited S tates now asks this Forum a ques
tion w hich is quite definitely of pure mefap h ysics. T h ere can be no doubt th a t it con
cerns a priori know ledge, an d first causes,
which are the very content o f true m eta
physics. H er question is: W h a t and w here
w as G od before the beginning?f
It is quite ap p aren t th at this question sup
poses a beginning. W e may presum e th a t the
beginning to w hich the Soror has reference
is of th e entire Cosmos, the w hole universe.
By universe, w e mean not in the astronom ical
sense, ju st our solar universe, b u t all being
everywhere, m aterial and imm aterial. T h e
conception of a beginning of th e universe is
desirable to the minds of m ost men, even
though it is not justified by p u re reasoning.
T his is because hum an experience in the
everyday w orld of reality is continually con
fronted by w hat seems a series of beginnings
and endings. V e ry little seems ubiquitous
to us.
,
F irst, in our personal actions w e are causative. W e sta rt consciously num erous chains
of action, as, for example, w e will ourselves
to do this or that. W e establish certain
goals o r ideals or finalities for our acts and
thoughts, and these to us constitute ends.
N ature, too, seems causative. A s w e observe
her w orkings w e discover cycles, processes,
seeming beginnings and progressional devel
opments th at app aren tly reach a climax or
end. T h en again the dimensional world, th at
is, m atter w ith its form, adds to the concep
tion of a beginning and an end. M a tte r seems
to begin w here it is perceived, and it appears
to end w here space begins. Furtherm ore, a
definite change betw een one form of m atter
and another establishes the idea of the be
ginning and the end of their sep arate quali
ties, th a t is, their size, color, etc. O u r own
existence very realistically seems to have a
beginning in birth, and an end in death. From
all of this, we are to be excused in tran sfer
ring the conclusions of our finite conscious
ness to the universe as a whole, and to sup

Page 80

pose th a t it, too, has a beginning and an

ending.
T h e reason w hy many of us do not ques
tion o u r presum ptions in these m atters is be
cause of the confirmation which they receive
in th e religious literature of all ages. Since
alm ost all of the so-called sacred w orks, such
as the Bible, Koran, G ranath, and A vesta,
through the m ouths of their prophets, pro
claim a beginning for the universe, the aver
age man feels duty bound to observe such an
idea. H e is a t least ordinarily disinclined to
dispute it.
M ost persons who are scientifically in
clined, as well as Rosicrucians, know for ex
ample th a t m atter is indestructible. T h ey
u nderstand th a t the complete disintegration
of any object into even impalpable p arts has
not actually destroyed m atter, b u t reduced it
to those elements which the senses can no
longer discern. T h ey know, therefore, th at
w here on the one hand they m ay say th at
something has come to its end, it is only rela
tively so. T h e y fully understand th a t in m at
ter, beginning and ending as term s should
apply only to the change w hich m atter u n d er
goes. If, then, the phenom enon o f m atter is
ubiquitous, th a t is, w ithout a beginning an d
an ending, certainly the universe as a w hole
m ust be eternal and never had beginning. In
this statem ent we conflict w ith religious cos
mology a n d the story of creation. G od is held
to be the creator of all.
W e will not a t this time enter into a dis
cussion of w hether G od is a personalized be
ing, a mind, or a consciousness. If, however,
G od created all else, then logically G od w as
the first cause, and is eternal; th at is, H e must
have alw ays been, for w here else could the
D ivine Being have been? If th e D ivine Being
could com e into existence from a substance
or pow er, o r H im self have been created, then
G od w ould n o t have been the first cause; in
fact, th a t w hich brought Him into existence
w ould be. G od being eternal, and having no
origin, and being the w hole o f existence, from
w hence then came the things of H is creation?
T o put it simply, w ere the heavens w ith their
m yriad stars, nebulae and w orlds, an d all of
the phenom ena w e perceive here on our
earth, brought forth from a void, as sacred
literature, literally interpreted, w ould have us
believe? G od, as a first cause, w as a plenum.
H e w as the w hole of everything. A void or

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

a condition of absolute nothing, consequently,

could not exist. Furtherm ore, if a void did
persist, by the fact of its persistence it would
be som ething, w hich w ould mean th at G od
w as not all-pervading. T h ere w ould be G od,
and there w ould be this void.
It is deduced, then, th a t G od m ust have
caused all th in g s to come forth by w h at is
term ed divine an d natural law, from H is own
being. T h e re w as nothing else from w hence
they could come if they had beginning. O n
the other h and, if all things in substance
w ere created b y a G od from H is own nature,
then in fact they w ere not even created, for
they w ere alw ays of Him. It m atters not th at
men an d the earth and other living things for
example, as w e know through the various
sciences, can be proven to have not alw ays
existed as they now are. T h eir essence, the
mind, the law s an d principles by w hich they
have evolved into their present form, have
never had a beginning, for th a t w as and is of
G od. If w e contend th at m atter is not de
stroyed w hen its form disappears, then most
certainly men an d things h ad no beginning,
nor will they have an y end in essence, re
gardless of w h eth er they disappear as w e
now know them.
Som ething cannot come from nothing, for
nothing is a negative illusionary state. N o th
ing is b ut our inability to perceive something.
N othing is n o t an anterior state; it is poster
ior. In other w ords, there cannot be a n o th
ing until th ere is first a som ething. It is a
corollary th a t the universe could not have had
a beginning from nothing. E very effect is of
its cause or causes. If G od w as the first and
moving cause, an d there w as nothing to act
upon H is n atu re or for Him to act upon, then
the universe is b u t the infinite eternal motion
of G o d s ow n nature. It can never have
an end for the sam e reason as it had no
beginning.
Let us realize th at there are only positive
things in th e universe. E nd, space, darkness,
etc. are only relative. W e use the term nega
tive in science, philosophy, and Rosicrucian
ism to indicate a com parative deficiency or
lack in som ething, in com parison to a more
positive condition. W e as Rosicrucians often
state in our teachings th at a negative state is
one of reception, th a t is, one which is ready
to receive m ore o f th at w hich is positive.
Since the universe as a w hole is being, it is

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

all th at which is; everything, therefore, has

some degree of positiveness. T his is so even
w hen to our limited consciousness something
seems to have vanished. Let us remember
that the positive things of the universe are
not those w hich change, like snow melting
and coal being reduced to ash. Such are
m ere changes. U nderlying those changeable
forms, inherent in them , is the true positive
nature of the universe, and th at never dimin
ishes and never has an end.X

A nother Forum Experiment

W e are most gratified by the encouraging
response to our introduction of the new
Forum feature, Special Experim ents," w hich
we hope to have continue. It seems from the
correspondence received th a t m any members
had form erly experienced the phenom enon
explained in the experiment, but w ere at a
loss to understand its functioning and m ean
ing. Several w ho had never had the experi
ence, tried the experim ent and w ith success.
T h e results of these experiments, of course,
w ere know n to several of th e officers of the
staff, before they w ere brought to the a tte n
tion of this Forum . How ever, after you have
tried them, and if the greater num ber of you
have success w ith them, they will then later
be released in the m onographs at an appro
priate point in th e degrees for all future mem
bers. So actually you members of this Forum
are participating in research for the O rd er
w hen you fa ith fu lly and conscientiously p er
form these experim ents. W e , therefore, earn
estly request you to inform us of your re
sults. T ry each experim ent not just once, b u t
twice, w ith an interim of three or four days
between, and then send us your frank report.
N ow the experim ent you are to perform
this time is an elaboration upon one in the
monographs. But it is very, very different in
m any respects. T h ere has been and there
still is a considerable controversy w ith regard
to w hether there is a real distinction betw een
m ind and brain. T h ere are some psycholo
gists and physiologists w ho contend th at
brain and mind are organically one, but th a t
they are dual in function. T h ere are other
specialists and schools of thought, prom inent
am ong them being the Rosicrucians, w ho a f
firm th a t they are separate. T h e Rosicrucians
say th a t the brain is not the seat of mind;

Page 81

th at mind, as the infinite intelligence w orking

through man, is situated in every cell of his
being. T h ey point out th at cortical and cere
bral operations, removing nearly all of the
brain, have not diminished those functions a t
tributed solely to mind, as distinguished from
brain.
N otw ithstanding, the Rosicrucians do not
attem pt to d etract from the im portance of the
brain as an organ, an d they affirm th a t there
is a trem endous interrelationship between
brain an d mind. E ach, in other w ords, hav
ing its vital sphere, but being integrated for
certain functions. T h ere is no doubt about it
th a t a w hite horse, for analogy, is separate
from a black horse, and yet they, as a team,
m ay accomplish a w ork o f w hich neither of
them is capable separately. T h erefo re, though
the success and prom inence of people in the
w orld, and their ability to m aster their envir
onment, does not entirely depend upon brain,
neverthelessits developm ent the extent of
the neurons in its various are as does play a
prom inent part. T h is fact m ust be taken into
consideration in assisting individuals to find
their place in life.
People cannot b e collectively treated as
equals, physically and m entally. T o do so is
to display an injustice tow ard some. T o quote
D r. R. J. Berry, renow ned P rofessor of A n a
tom y and H istology: T h e im portance of all
of this is th a t w e are now beginning to know,
and to be able to prove, th a t th ere are a num
ber of underdeveloped hum an individuals
who do not possess a num ber of fully devel
oped cortical neurons (brain nerve cells). Y et
w e go on expecting these un fo rtu n ate people
to react to their environm ent in a normal
m anner and delude ourselves th at psycho
analysis can replace nature. Just as bricks
can n o t be m ade w ithout straw , neither can a
brain deficient in cortical neurons give a nor
mal reaction to the environm ent, nor can
suggestion take the place o f neurons."
F o r further example, we as Rosicrucians
say th a t mem ory is more than impulses which
are registered in a certain area o f the brain.
W e refer to the storehouse of memory in the
subjective m ind, in w hich there are deposited
experiences which the soul inherits. In other
w ords, mind has its memory, the experiences
of w hich are released into the objective con
sciousness of our brain at times. Even cer
tain very orthodox m aterialists confirm this

Page 82

w ithout intending to do so, by a substitution

of different phrases and terms. T h e y contend
th a t the neuron has memories w hich it in
herits a t birth, as a factor of heredity. O ur
new ly acquired experiences react w ith this
memory in the storehouses of these neurons,
and they m otivate us into certain courses of
action, which, w ithout them, w e m ight never
experience.
T h e cortical areas of the brain are virtual
m atrixes; great masses, in other w ords, of
these neurons. In man all of the cortical
areas o f the low er anim als are retained. In
other w ords, man has all of the areas which
an y animal has, bu t they are separated by
still more areas of cortex. T h ese additional
ones a re term ed association areas. In these
association areas occur m any of those mental
phenom ena, such as judgm ent, ideation, that
is, the forming of ideas, reason, intellect, etc.
It is these m ental functions w hich alter the
action of the hum an from generic to individ
ualistic. In other w ords, it is these higher
m ental processes that make it possible for us
to act as individuals and not display the con
duct of a herd or flock.
T h e capabilities of the human will differ
according to the num ber and mode of con
nection of fully developed neurons within
these association areas. It is estim ated th at
man has three times as m any cortical neurons
(brain nerve cells) as any other animal. Now,
as said, though all hum ans do not alike have
the same number of neurons, an d thus some
will have greater capabilities than others, the
more fully developed and stim ulated are
those w e do have, the greater the possibilities
of getting the utm ost from the pow ers we
have. F or an analogy, a hatchet is not as
effectual a tool as an axe, but the diligent use
of a hatchet m ay accomplish much more than
the perfunctory use of an axe. It is just an
other example of the old tale of the hare and
the tortoise. So it behooves us to accelerate,
to quicken, if you will, these cortical neurons,
and that is the purpose of this experiment.
T h e association areas of the brain are sur
rounded by still other areas, w hich are like
small islands in the brain. T h ese association
areas consist of five layers, each w ith the
same types of granular and pyram idic neu
rons, which m ay be found in o th er neuronic
tissue in the body. T h e small islands to which
w e referred are the sensory areas, o r recep-

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

toral areas. T h e y receive the impulses of the

sense organs. T h u s, for example, there are
the visuo-sensory area and the audio-sensory
area. A round these sensory areas are the
psychic areas. T h is term, psychic, is not used
in the spiritual sense, but rath er to distinguish
the functions of ithese areas from other more
purely physiological ones. T h e impulses as
from sight, for example, received in the visuosensory area, th a t branch w hich controls the
visual sensations, are tran sferred to the psy
chic areas w here they are classified. T hen
after they are classified in a m anner not th o r
oughly understood as y e tthey are synthe
sized, integrated, or, in other w ords, united
in the association areas to compose the higher
processes of thought.
N ow , let us simplify this rath er technical
explanation:
1s tT h e sense organs which receive the im
pulses.
2 n d T h e sensory area in the brain to which
the impulses are directly conveyed.
3 rd T h e p sychic area, so-called, w here the
impressions are classified.
4 th T h e association areas w here the im
pressions are united to compose ideas and
objects o f knowledge.
T h ese association areas are not completely
localized so as to have absolutely no connec
tion w ith each other, but in a general sense
they m ay be said to be local.
- O ften w h at am ounts to genius in an in
dividual is due >to the special development of
the neurons in a particular association area.
In other w ords, in the construction and con
figurations o f the brain, one area in an in
dividual m ay become more sensitive or high
ly organized. It has a greater num ber of de
veloped neurons than another. C onsequent
ly, the uniting of impressions by that area
will be accom plished more readily, and pro
duce greater results than the same area in
another individual. Y ears ago it w as be
lieved th a t individuals w ho displayed a genius
in m athem atics or language, for example,
had generally such a high degree of intelli
gence th at they could be m asterful in an y
thing to w hich they would apply th at intelli
gence. In other w ords, as one physiologist
has said, it w as thought: If a man could
w alk fifty miles to th e north, he could w alk
as far to the south." H ow ever, in almost all
instances it is now recognized th a t genius is

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

limited to the particular responsive association area. It h as been my experience and

great honor to know one man w ho w as an
apparent exception to this conclusion. T his
individual, w hen focusing his full intellect
upon a problem, regardless of how rem ote it
m ay have been from his form er considera
tions, w ould achieve results am ounting to
genius in alm ost all of his attem pts. T h is man
w as the late Im perator, D r. H . Spencer Lewis.
H ow m any of these association areas are
there? Some authorities contend there are
four. T h e concensus of opinion is th a t there
are three, nam ely, the frontal, or anterior, the
occipital or posterior, and the medial. T h e
posterior area is in the occipital region. P u t
your hand behind your head, feel the hollow
in your neck. T h e top of th a t hollow, a t the
very base of your skull or brain is this poster
ior association area. It is concerned partic
ularly w ith the organization of the experi
ences w hich are formed from th e visual and
auditory sensations you have. It is especially
concerned also w ith the developm ent o f tal
ents, such as draw ing, music, singing, and
so on.
T h e anterior o r frontal association area is
just behind your forehead, and extending
backw ard about tw o inches across the top of
your cranium. T o put it more simply, con
sider an area from just above th e middle of
each eye, up and receding as described. T his
area being in closer connection w ith the body
sense area, th a t is, w ith th a t area w here the
sensations of your body are recorded, it is
especially concerned w ith the organization of
experiences based upon internal sensations.
T hese internal sensations are your bodily
appetites and desires.
N ow , the experim ent which you are to
conduct is to stim ulate and depress th ese as
sociation areas. In other w ords, first you are
to stim ulate the functioning of the neurons in
one of these association areas. You m ay have
some talent, such as singing, being able to
d raw o r ipaint, the playing of an instrum ent,
and then again you may only have a love of
these. You will, however, try to quicken such
capabilities as you have, or a t least arouse
them, b y this experiment. T o do this, you will
apply the positive polarity of the N ous ener
gy, th a t flows dow n the radial nerves of your
right arm, and w hich radiates from the thumb
and first two fingers of the right hand.

Page 83

Let us suppose you have the talent to draw

or paint, o r at least a very strong desire to
do so. Some evening w hen you can have
quiet, place a draw ing paper or sketch pad,
or canvas an d paints, w hatever you use or
wish to use, in or n ear your sanctum , so long
as they are accessible. You m ay prepare your
sanctum in the usual m anner, w ith the
candles an d the incense burning, or use w h at
ever accessories are custom ary for your san c
tum period. N ext, step to a w indow or door
and take several long, deep inhalations of
air, and then slow ly exhale after each. T h en
return to your sanctum and seat yourself
com fortably. Close your eyes, if you wish,
an d take ano th er long, deep b reath and hold
it just as long as convenient. W h ile doing
this, place the thum b an d first tw o fingers of
your right h an d firmly up in the hollow of the
back of your neck, against the base of the
skull, which, as w e have said, is the occipital
region, the posterior association area. Slowly
exhale, as you continue to press your fingers
of your right han d against the neck and skull.
Y our pressure m ust be firm b u t not painful.
R epeat this three times, th at is, the inhalation
and exhalation of the breath, w hile holding
your fingers constantly in the position de
scribed. W h e n you have finished, remain
seated for a minute. D o n ot move about.
You will first experience a coolness about
your head, accom panied by a m ental clarity.
You will seem to be very much m entally alert,
even if you w ere formerly tired o r drowsy.
N ow, try to exercise your talent, draw or
paint a definite object w hich you had in mind,
or try, if you are musically inclined, to play
an ordinarily difficult number or composition.
If you are inclined tow ard poetry or prose,
sta rt w riting imm ediately after the exercise.
Y ou should first have in mind, before you
even begin the exercise, w h at you w ish to
w rite about.
A nd now for the other exercise. Let us
presum e th a t you have a certain bodily appe
tite or desire, w hich you wish to control and
which ordinarily you struggle w ith from time
to time. W h e n you feel this tem ptation com
ing on do not ju st try to will yourself to op
pose it o r to control it. Go some place w here
you can be alone for a few minutes, if your
sanctum is not convenient. A gain take fresh
air into your lu n g s inhale an d exhale sev
eral times, then be seated. Place the thumb

Page 84

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

and first two fingers of the left hand against

the center of your forehead. It is from the
radial nerves of these left fingers that the
negative energy from the sym pathetic nervous system radiates. T h e tips of these left
fingers should be pressed about an inch above
the root of the nose, just above an im aginary
line draw n betw een the two eyes. W h ile the
tips of the left fingers are held thus, exhale.
E m p ty your lungs of air, that is, as much as
possible, an d keep them th at w ay as long as
you can before breathing again. T h is is the
reverse process of the former exercise. T h e
negative vibrations of the energy of the sym
pathetic nervous system, especially after you
have dispelled the air from your lungs, will
depress the activity of the neurons in the an
terior association area, w hich have to do w ith
experiences related to the appetites and bodi
ly desires. Y ou will find after three or four
minutes of this exercise th a t you have gained
control of yourself.
N ow try these two exercises an d let us
have your rep o rt.X

T he Problems of Life
A nd now let us spend a few minutes in
discussing the daily material problem s of the
average member of society. W e need not be
rem inded th a t such problems are ever present
and upperm ost in ones consciousness. T h is
is particularly true during these days of
w orld strife and intrigue.
T h e point w e w ish to comment upon this
m orning is the extent to w hich w e should
perm it these problems to enslave us mentally.
W e must adm it that we are frequently face
to face w ith a problem which, a t the moment,
seems insurm ountable. O ften the task a p
pears of such dimension th a t w e are aw ed by
its possibilities. W e can think of nothing b ut
the direst consequences, the greatest of grief,
resulting from it. Y et there is h ard ly one who
has not come to realize th at the greatest harm
from such a problem w as the loss of sleep
and m ental w orry which w as experienced
during the time.
P erhaps the only problem that has the least
bit o f perm anency is th at of chronic illness
w hich brings w ith it constant physical pain.
E ven this, how ever, is transitory in th a t there
is progression and retrogression. E ith er the

condition gets considerably w orse or definite

ly better.
N ow this is tru e of all m aterial problems,
and is a fundam ental law in the m aterial
w orld; th a t is, nothing m aterial is fixed, but
all is under constant change. Hence, w e say
in our m onographs th a t m atter is unreal.
T his statem ent applies equally to material
problems. T h e y are unreal in th a t they have
no perm anent existence.
W e are all fam iliar w ith the old proverb,
T im e heals all w ounds. T h is simply means
th at w ith the passing of time, conditions so
change an d a d ju st themselves, th at troubles
and difficulties of the past are forgotten and
no longer interfere w ith our m aterial activi
ties, physical or mental.
W e have often said, M an is m aster of his
own destiny, he brings into his life by his
own actions all th at is good for him or all
th at causes him w orry and grief w ith the n at
ural exception of illness an d transition of a
loved one.
Let us look a t a very common and natural
experience in the life of an average person.
W e will say th a t this man, in our hypotheti
cal case, has a fair position w hich pays him a
m oderate salary. A t the time his expenses
are such as to require him to b u d g et his in
come carefully in order to enjoy a few m a
terial pleasures for himself an d family and at
the same time save a small sum tow ard unex
pected expenses and increases in the cost of
living. H e is getting along quite well under
his present arrangem ent and so is quite
happy. T h en he gets the idea th a t he w ould
like to have a new car. P erhaps his family
fosters this idea. H e then contacts several of
the automobile agencies in ibis city, and after
dem onstrating several makes of cars, he
comes to the realization th a t actually he can
not afford a new automobile; b u t by this time
several high pressure salesm en sta rt to w ork
on him, an d the first thing he knows, he has
w ithdraw n his savings and used them as a
down paym ent on the new automobile. H e,
of course, has also signed a contract to pay
a certain sum o f money per month, which he
cannot afford, for the rem ainder due on the
car.
H e and his family are very hap p y w ith the
new automobile; for now they can take short
trips and rides on w eekends and get out into
the open country once in a w hile and even

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

take longer trips during the vacation period.

But our M r. Citizen now finds th at his living
expenses have definitely increased and he
can no longer save a small am ount of his
salary each m onth for emergencies. T h is is
all used up in operating the car. H e begins
to w orry about this and bem oans his m isfor
tune. H e loses much sleep thinking about his
problem and his inability to improve the con
dition in w hich he finds himself.
Being an average person, he will n o t adm it
that the trouble is of his own making, but
lays the blame on fate or some other ethereal
cause w hich has no foundation in fact.
W o rry and m ental anguish dog his footsteps.
H e gets deeper and deeper in debt; his health
is jeopardized, an d his w ork suffers. Still he
is unable to better the situation; mainly be
cause his w orry has no law an d order o r sys
tem or plan to it. H e simply lies aw ake at
night thinking about his debts and w ishing
he had the money to pay his bills. H e fails
to form a plan w hereby he can adju st his af
fairs and place them on a sound foundation.
T hen too, he has raised his stan d ard of liv
ing far beyond the pow er of his income, and
it is difficult to go back. O ne alw ays finds it
difficult to sta rt over again.
W e could go on and on leading our unfor
tunate victim o f circumstances deeper and
deeper into life's sordid details, but this is
sufficient to illustrate the point th a t man by
his actions does create his m isfortunes to a
very large degree. T h e one consolation, the
bright spark in life, however, is. th e know l
edge th a t even these self-m ade worries, this
hand-picked grief, is transitory, evanescent
and will change w ith the changing tide of
life. W e know, too, that w ith a little thought
and intelligent planning w e can quicken the
action bringing about the change w hich will
better our position and eliminate our m aterial
troubles and w orries. T hus w e can see th at
constant w orry and mental anguish are not
the answ er to a problem bu t rath er enhance
our suffering. W h y do we suffer during trials
and tribulations? Is it not because of fear,
fear of the final outcome, or shall we say of
the future? O bviously it m ust be fear and
lack of confidence to face the future problem s
life holds in store for us.
Rosicrucianism helps us to avoid the grip
of fear and w eakness. It teaches us to a n
alyze the past, com paring it w ith the present,

Page 85

thus giving us an u nderstanding of w h at to

expect in the future. W ith this ability to
understand, w e eliminate fear and w orry and
face the future w ith vigor and vitality, mak
ing the most of our daily opportunities and
present activities. Rosicrucianism w ith its
many ramifications an d supplem entary inter
ests prepares us to know and u n d erstan d the
pitfalls and problem s of life. W e no longer
have to go blindly along life's p ath learning
our lessons through trial and error. O u r in
sight into the w ays of hum anity gives us a d
vance know ledge of the outcome of an act or
activity. T h en , too, the very know ledge th at
nothing m aterial is perm anent, th a t all w orld
ly things are transitory, helps us to plan
ahead and p repare in advance our life's
ambition.
W ith our know ledge and u nderstanding of
w h at life is an d w hy w e are here, everyone
should be able to sit dow n and plan a pro
gram th at will lead to the ultim ate success of
his goal in this present incarnation. T h e dif
ficulty w ith m any, however, is th a t they have
no conception of w h at they hope to attain in
life. N aturally, w ith no particular desire or
ambition, it is impossible to outline a plan of
action. T h e first thing one should do, there
fore, to break the bonds of m ental w orry is
to look ahead and determ ine wihat one expects
to get from life and then, once setting a goal,
lay plans w hich will ultim ately lead to success.
By so planning one reaches out beyond the
present obstacles and inconveniences to daily
life. T h e shining ray o f hope far ahead
keeps aflame the spark of am bition an d desire
w ithin the being. M entally w e are lifted high
above the daily pitfalls and take hurdles and
obstacles in our stride as it were. T h e reason?
W e are so b usy w ith the business of attain
ing the success of our am bitions th a t w e have
no time to become involved in the w orries and
cares of the day. W e will so plan our m a
terial affairs th a t the problem s will be cared
for practically w ithout effort on our part.
O nce w e can eliminate w orry an d mental
stress, we can turn our energy to logical, in
telligent plans of action.

O ur Belief In God
W e have before us today a question of
such a nature as to tax th e thought of the
m ost profound philosopher, yet one th at may
be answ ered quite easily by the more simple

Page 86

folk. T his question is subm itted by a F rater

of the N eophyte grades, and perhaps w as not
intended for this Forum session b u t rath er
intended for the D epartm ent of Instruction.
T h e F ra ter asks how a Rosicrucian would
answ er the question, W h y do you believe in
the existence of G od? Someone of his ac
quaintance, perhaps a close friend, asked him
this question and he w as unable to give an
intelligent answ er. W e are not surprised be
cause it is, as we have suggested, a most pro
found subject. A great m any volumes have
been w ritten in the past to prove th e exist
ence of G od. T h e greatest philosophical
minds the w orld has know n have prepared
hundreds of treatises and discourses, even
psalms and hym ns to G od, setting forth be
lief in the D eity and show ing the hand of
G od in the w onderful functions of the
Universe.
T h e origin of the belief in G od is not im
po rtant to o u r discussion this evening for we
have talked of these m atters many times be
fore. In fact just w ithin the last few days
such w as the topic of a most scholarly mes
sage that will no doubt appear in our current
Forum publication.
Let us briefly comment upon the p art of
our F ra te rs question th a t asks how would a
Rosicrucian answ er the query, W h y do you
believe in the existence of G od? T h e dif
ficulty we immediately face is the fact that
Rosicrucians are not confined to any one race
or nationality o r religion. O ur Jewish mem
bers will answ er this question differently
from our C hristian students. M oham m edan
Rosicrucians will have a different interpreta
tion than will our Buddhists, for example.
Seldom do w e find two C hristians w ith iden
tical beliefs as to the existence of G od, fun
dam entally, perhaps, but not specifically.
T his religious difference in the people of
the w orld has, as we all know, been the cause
of much strife, intrigue, and w idespread con
flict. T h e crusades into the H oly Land are
typical of w h at we mean. In the m ajority of
these, the invaders from th e occidental w orld
hardly knew w h at they w ere fighting for.
H istory show s th at most w ere of a w ild b a r
baric nature, for culture and know ledge had
not yet filtered into the E urope of the M iddle
A ges b u t in fact, w as brought back by some
of the victors as spoils of w ar. Remember
that the E ast and so-called N ear E ast w ere

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

vast civilizations w ith highly evolved educa

tional and cultural systems long before E n g
land and E urope enjoyed these progressive
advantages. T h is digression from our main
theme is to point out how ridiculous religious
prejudices an d intolerance have been in the
p ast and can be even today.
W h e re G od is concerned Rosicrucianism
takes an extrem ely broad and to leran t view
point. T h ere is no such thing as a Rosicru
cian G od o r a specific G od for Rosicrucians
an d y et the belief in God is a requirem ent of
membership in the O rder. E very member
should be well versed in the Rosicrucian defi
nition o f G od. W e say the G od o f our hearts,
the G od w e understand and can feel close to
w hen w e seek understanding and comfort.
A s w e grow in m undane know ledge and
through it evolve in soul or spirit attunem ent,
we frequently change our interpretation of
God. T h e closer w e are to o u r G od the better
we know him and, naturally, th e more intelli
gent will be our answ er to the question,
W h y do you believe in the existence of
G od?
T his, w e can see means th a t the answ er to
the question given by a member o f the O rd er
in the higher degrees will be quite different
from th at o f a N eophyte. Y et these tw o Rosi
crucians m ay be members of the same reli
gion, perhaps even the same church. W e do
not mean to imply that through the Rosicru
cian teachings we necessarily change our
understanding of G od or change our belief
in G od, b u t rath er our understanding is
strengthened, for w e are able to truly know
God, and not have just a blind faith in G o d s
existence because it is the popular belief of
the d ay o r has been handed down to us by
our fathers and forefathers.
It is difficult to say we know a thing to be
true o r not to be true w ithout some degree of
first-hand experience w ith it. If we have
never seen an automobile, it is difficult to con
ceive it through an o th ers description, and
especially w ould it be h ard to answ er the
question, W h y do you believe th at an auto
mobile exists? If w e h ad not had the ex
perience of seeing, feeling, an d riding in an
automobile, o u r answ er w ould be particularly
vague, based entirely upon o ur faith in the
individual w ho gave us our inform ation. In
other w ords, our answ er w ould be, I believe
in the existence of an autom obile because my

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

neighbor tells me such exists, and he says he

has seen one, and furtherm ore, others believe
it exists; therefore, it must be so."
W ith the average person, the existence of
G od is quite the same. G od is something that
is accepted w ithout question. It is beyond the
m ortal mind to com prehend. It is an imma
terial thing w ithout m aterial comparison. W e
can only know G od second hand, th at is to
say by his w orks. T h e same is true of mani
festations in nature. Let us look at the phe
nomena of electricity for a moment. C an we
ever know electricity itself, or is it not only
its secondary effects that w e know? W e can
not see electricity, and actually we cannot
even feel it. W h a t w e see, feel, hear, or smell
in electricity are m anifestations of it only. In
the law and order of the universe, w e see the
m anifestation of G od. W e come to know
G od through his w orks; m aterially, tHis is as
close to G od as w e can come. Immaterially,
however, w e have a different m easuring stick.
It is not im portant that each have the same
conception of w h at G od is in order to know
him. T h ere m ay be as m any conceptions as
there are persons in the world, yet each may
be equally close to know ledge of G od's exist
ence. T h e conception of one will be far more
satisfactory to him than could possibly be the
conception of another. T h e immaterial m eas
uring stick lies w ithin th e psychic and emo
tional selves. T h u s the inner development and
evolution th a t comes w ith communion an d a t
tunem ent enhances the extent of our real
know ledge of the existence of God.
O ne might say, I know that God exists by
the sense of satisfaction and emotional pleas
ure I derive from prayer and inner contem
plation. I sense and understand G od in a
m anner that defies w ord description. Because
of this understanding, I believe in the exist
ence of G od." A nother m ight say, I believe
G od exists because of the law and order of
m aterial m anifestations seen throughout the
universe. F or example, w hen I plant a kernel
of corn, I can be assured th a t corn will grow
and not oats, w heat, or string beans. W ith
out law and order, I cannot be sure of an y
thing. Surely such a system must be the
w orkings of the hand of G od, for man w ith
all his advancem ent could not do it. O nce
you can feel and sense the closeness of God,
an explanation of w hy you believe in his ex
istence becomes easy for you.

Page 87

D uring a discussion in one of our first

Forum meetings, our late Im perator, D r. H.
Spencer Lewis, stated, T h e G od th at recre
ates himself and makes himself revealed to
you in your inner self is the only G od th at
you can know. H e is the G od of your h eart
as well as the G od of the U niverse. If you
attem pt to ad o p t a G od of an o th er's u nder
standing, he is going to be more difficult for
you to understan d than the G od th at lives
and throbs and moves and has his being in
your own consciousness." T h isth e G od of
your h e a rtis the suprem e creator, the G od
of all G ods, the great architect, the Divine
F ath er of all creators, the creator of the un
created, and the founder of the U niverse,
omnipotent, om nipresent, and the sole everliving G od."

Werewolf A W eird Superstition

A soror in distant N ew Z ealan d addresses
this Forum , I believe for the first time. She
says: I have recently read the book W h ite
M agic. Please w ould you tell me if there is
a Rosicrucian explanation for one becoming a
poltergeist (noisy g h o st). In this same book,
mention is m ade of devil w orship in London
at the present time. I am particularly inter
ested in w h at this book says about w ere
wolves. I have understood th a t such beings
w ere im aginary."
Books about the phenom ena of magic, su
perstition, and abnorm al practices are alw ays
highly entertaining, in a gruesome sort of a
way. T h ey lend a fascination w hich w e can
not resist; instinctively, perhaps, because
they afford the thrill of d anger w ith an ac
com panying realization th at w e are secure.
It is, perhaps, for the same reason th a t w e
derive pleasure from seeing a hum an fly, socalled, climb up the side of a tall building, or
a man make a trem endously high dive into a
very small and shallow pool of w ater. It is
the excitement aroused which gratifies us.
U nfortunately most such books cater just
to the thrill and ad d little or nothing as a
philosophical, mystical, o r scientific explana
tion of the phenom ena. C onsequently there
is always doubt left in the mind of the reader
as to w hether such phenom ena are in accord
with natural law, some sort of sup ern atu ral
ism, or the result of ignorance and fear. I
have known persons w ho readily laughed at

Page 88

first a t the mention of certain superstitious

phenom ena, th at is, w hen such w ere related
in a general m anner to them. In other w ords,
their credulity w as not attacked, but w hen
the details w ere fantastically an d dram atical
ly told them they becam e confused and in
clined to believe th at such m ight be fact after
all. Furtherm ore, seeds of fear had been im
planted in their consciousness. C onsequently,
w hen such tales or purported experiences are
related to you, if you are sufficiently interest
ed in listening to or reading their hair-raising
details, persist then in your interest, to the
extent of getting the psychological o r scien
tific explanation as well. D o not give yourself
over to the acceptance of results of hum an
conduct until you exhaust every means to
know their cause.
I have not read the book to w hich the soror
refers, but obviously it m ust have been prin
cipally devoted to relating causes and experi
ences, but affording very little explanation
about them, or she would not have addressed
our Forum. Since she is particularly interest
ed in the details about werewolves, it is this
which we shall consider.
A werewolf, it is believed, is a hum an who
has the pow er to transform himself into the
form of a wolf. Sometimes this transform a
tion is perm anent until liberated b y certain
means, o r it m ay be for a short time periodi
cally. T h e technical nam e for this purported
practice of transform ation into a wolf is
know n as lycanthropy. T h e w ord is derived
from tw o G reek w ords meaning " w o lf-m a n
T h e E nglish w ord, werew olf, means manw olf.
T h e superstition is w orld-w ide. In fact, in
every age in tales and legends, m any record
ed as historical and legal fact, there are re
lated incidents of these transform ations, w ith
all of their various sordid details. T h e super
stition existed among very primitive and ig
norant peoples, as it still does, and also
am ong classes of the educated as well. It
w as know n to the ancient G reeks. Aesop, for
one, m ade mention of it in his famous fables.
T h e Rom ans also knew of lycanthropy. In a
translation of literature of the period, we read
that those w ho resorted to this w eird p rac
tice of changing their forms w ere called
versipelles, or literally turn-skins.
In Italy, among illiterate and very super
stitious peasants, the belief in werewolves

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

still prevails. It is believed th a t a man so un

fortunate as to be born on Christm as night
shall eventually run on all fours, grow long
claws, an d th a t his body will be covered by
the hair of the wolf, and th a t eventually he
will reso rt to necrophagy (corpse eatin g ). In
P ortugal and the Azores, a belief exists th at
a seventh son, w here there w ere no girls, will
belong to the devil, and will become a w ere
wolf.
V olum es could be w ritten on the cases re
ported. M an y persons w ere executed as
werew olves in the middle centuries, upon the
accusations of others. T im e after time it w as
alleged th a t certain individuals w ere attacked
by wolves in the forests, which undoubtedly
w as true, since wolves w ere common in such
districts. It is also related, for an example,
that the person defended himself by inflicting
a knife *wound in the neck of the animal, and
that the w olf fled. U pon his returning to his
home, the individual w ould come across a
stra n g e ror perhaps a member o f his own
fam ilynursing a similar w ound in the same
region of the neck. It w as assum ed, or it w as
often claimed, th a t the w ounded person ad
m itted th a t he w as the w erew olf released by
the stabbing of the wolf.
T h e belief generally prevailed th at a h u
man w as released from the state of lycan
thropy, if ano th er w ould inflict a w ound upon
the body of the wolf, of w hich he w as pos
sessed. Likewise, if the discarded w olf skin,
which w as shed w hen the hum an assum ed
his regular form, could be found and burned,
he m ight suffer trem endous pain for the d u ra
tion of the burning, but w ould b e perm anent
ly freed from the dem oniacal transform ation.
In this, w e see an example of homeopathic
or sym pathetic magic. It w as thought th at an
intangible relationship existed betw een such
a w olf skin an d the hum an form, and the
burning w ould consequently cause pain to
the m ortal by means of this bond.
C hildren w ere often found in the forests
partly devoured, since in p ast centuries the
small villages and tow ns frequently bordered
upon vast primeval forests. Such bodies were
often declared to have been attacked and
partly eaten by werewolves. In fact, individ
uals w ould testify that, in passing, they had
frightened off beings of half hum an and half
w olf form, w hom they saw devouring the
child.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

It is a sad com m entary upon religion th at

it gave lycanthropy official recognition, not
as a superstition, but as an actual phenom e
non. T heology accepted lycanthropy as a
branch of sorcery during the 16th and 17th
centuries. It affirmed th a t humans, by satanic
means, could be actually transform ed into
various noxious animals, inimical to the inter
ests of others, the commonest form of such
transform ation being a wolf. M any theolo
gians w rote lengthy epistles telling of the
dem oniacal w ay in w hich the feared tran s
form ation occurred. In particular, is the w rit
ing b y the cleric, }. Bodin, entitled " D e
M agorum D em onom ania, in F ran k fo rt, in
1603. So well established b y the theologians
was lyncanthropy as an actual evil phenom e
non, th a t num erous cases of it w ere tried in
the ecclesiastical courts in all seriousness.
O ne H enri Boguet, in 1601, w as the grand
judge of the ecclesiastic court of St. Claude.
So m any w ere the cases of this nature which
he tried, th a t he drew up a code of law that
lycanthropes (w erew olves) should, as a pen
alty, be strangled and burned.
T h e beginning of the 17th C entury w as
m arked by an epidemic of lycanthropy. H u n
dreds and hundreds of cases w ere reported.
A t first blush, it may seem am azing th at a
good num ber of these cases actually confes
sed to being werewolves, and committing
such crimes as w ere attributed to such imag
ined dem oniacal beings. F o r example, in
1603, a boy of fourteen, Jean G renier, con
fessed th at he w as a w erew olf. H is confes
sion stated th a t he had eaten children and
had attem pted to devour members of his own
family. In the record of the trial, it w as re
ported th a t he ran on all fours, and ate food
in the disgusting m anner of a beast. N o tw ith
standing the times, he w as finally believed to
be insane and committed to an institution in
stead of being executed. T o show th e low
ebb w hich society had reached at the time,
some w riters, prom inent in the period, w ere
so credulous as to profess th at they h ad actu
ally seen men change into wolves. O ne P etrus
M arm orius, in his opus D e S ortitegus, de
scribes such a purported experience of his
own.
Since lycanthropy has no existential basis,
w h at accounts for its w idespread an d per
sistent belief? It perhaps arises out of one of
the oldest superstitions, m etam orphosis, the

Page 89

change of hum ans and animals into other

forms, even into inanim ate things. T h is in
turn is undoubtedly founded upon the most
primitive of all religious conceptions, namely,
anim ism . It is the assum ption th a t all things,
even the inanim ate, possess a sp irit th a t is a
kind of soul, th a t consequently all things can
and do, according to this conception, display
virtues or a malevolent power. T h u s a stone
m ay be good an d a friend, and, on the other
hand, a tree trunk m ight be a demon. T h ere
fore, it w as only o n e step further to believe
th at by malediction these entities could tran s
form themselves, take on other forms to fur
ther their nefarious plans.
Since, of course, as everyone know s who
has pets, the higher animals do display cer
tain m ental an d physical traits sim ilar to hu
m ans, it w as not much tax upon the human
im agination a t times to see a relation between
them and people. In fact, even to d ay we
caricature the habits and conduct of people
b y animals. Someone is said to be piggish,
or as dull as an ox, strong as a bull, sly as a
fox, etc. Furtherm ore, sham an and high
priests of primitive religions took advantage
of these credulities upon the p art of their fol
lowers, to sim ulate having such pow ers. By
the clever ruse of covering themselves w ith
the skins of animals, they dram atically ef
fected such transform ations.
T h is alone, how ever, does not account for
those num erous incidents w here atrocities
w ere committed by persons w ho confessed to
being w erewolves periodically. It is obvious
ly one thing to believe th a t such a phenom e
non exists and th a t o th ers possess a pow er of
m etam orphosis, and still another to sincerely
believe th a t you possess it an d th at, in fact,
you are exerting it. T h ese latter persons h ad
a form of m adness, w hereby the individual
imagined himself a wolf. T h is m adness was
common in antiquity and in the M iddle A ges.
H erodotus, ancient G reek historian, recog
nized it as mental aberration. Pliny, in his
w ritings, w as equally critical of the belief in
lycanthropy.
Even during the intellectual night of the
M iddle A ges, certain physicians and others
w ere of the opinion th at it w as a form of in
sanity. N evertheless, they believed th at the
insanity w as due to an intrusion o f the indi
vidual b y dem oniacal spirits. In o th er w ords,
that he w as possessed by an evil pow er or

Page 90

force. T his attitude reflected the general

opinion of the times in regard to the nature
of insanity. M odern alienists an d psychi
atrists are generally of the opinion th at Jycanthropy is a disease endemic to a people.
Sim ply put, th a t am ong certain peoples, their
social order becomes so low th at there results
such a degradation of character th a t the in
dividual imagines himself a beast. T h ere
after he acts and resorts to th a t kind of con
duct, mimicking some animal.
H ow ever, w e can, I believe, go further
than th a t in our explanation. M en tal ab erra
tion, th a t is, certain types of m ental diseases,
cause the individual to become easily pos
sessed o f an idea, which obsession dominates
all of his acts and thoughts. If he is religious
ly inclined, prom inent religious characters or
incidents in religious history or tradition may
become such a strong suggestion th a t he con
ceives himself participating in th e incident as
though he w ere one of the characters. If he
has been inclined tow ard a prevailing super
stition, the elements of it become a fixation
in his mind. A great num ber of insane per
sons, those confined in m ental institutions
today, have religious complexes. T his, of
course, is no reflection upon religion. It does
mean th a t m entally w eak persons, th a t is, de
ranged, w ho w ere of a very religious nature,
becam e obsessed w ith the elements of their
beliefs and distorted such beliefs. I have
know n of women (and it is a rath er common
experience, though none-the-less p athetic),
w ho thought they w ere to become a m adonna,
the m other of a new messiah or saviour.
Since the superstition of lycanthropy had
such a hold upon the poor, half-starved peas
ants of the M iddle A ges, it is quite un d er
standable how this easily influenced insane
people of the period to believe th a t they actu
ally w ere werewolves.
T h o se of you w ho w ish to exhaust the con
tent of this subject in an intelligent and
studious w ay should consult such w orks as
Phantom s of the Living," by F. Podmore;
W ildm en and Beast C hildren," by E. P.
T ylor; and F ra ze rs Totem ism and E xo
gam y." T hese are rather technical w orks and
cannot be obtained easily, though one or
m ore m ay be available in the large public
libraries.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

I repeat, th a t the purpose of discussing this

subject in our Forum is to further one of the
principles o f Rosicrucianism, namely, to ex
punge supers tition.~ ^X

Sharing Your Joys and Sufferings

A F ra te r in the N eophyte G rades has
questioned the third step o f the experiment
given in the first m onograph o f the second
degree w here it refers to th e necessary steps
to take in attem pting to revise one's thinking
for the elimination of em phasis upon the per
sonal ego. It is custom ary for a great deal of
our thinking to be individualistic. Even w ith
out selfish motives it is, nevertheless, quite
custom ary, and, in fact, frequently necessary
for us to devote a considerable am ount of
time an d th o u g h t to ourselves an d thereby be
able to best fit ourselves into our environm ent
and the schem e of the U niverse o f which we
are a p art. T h is necessity makes it doubly
h ard for us to use our will pow er to direct
our attention and thought tow ard the accom
plishm ent of lessening our attention and par
ticularly our speech to the personal I." In
other w ords, trying to consider ourselves as
a p a rt of the w hole is in direct opposition to
the dem ands of our daily lives, particularly
from an economic and social standpoint of
considering ourselves as an individual seg
m ent of society.
It is m entioned in the particular experiment
relating to this subject, th a t w e should keep
in mind constantly th at our sufferings and
joys are shared by m anyshared by those
w ho are attu n ed w ith us; th a t we are not
alone, sep arate and com pletely distinct from
all others, b u t we are really a soula soul
which is also a p art of all other souls and we
are attuned w ith mind w hich is our mind and
w hich is a p a rt of the m ind of the C reator.
It is in this w ay th at the action of one of us
affects the action of all. T h is does not mean
th a t w e physically share the actual pain or
suffering of other individuals w ho may be in
such a state, b u t every sincere and aspiring
student of tru e Rosicrucianism cannot help
b ut reach those points or times w hen he feels,
for no ap p aren t reason, the emotions accom
panying sorrow and disappointm ent. In a
w orld of suffering w e m ust frequently turn
our attention from ourselves as individuals to
realizing the total feelings and emotions of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

all living beings. Just as a few drops of ink

will change the color of a quantity of w ater
much greater, so will the inharm onious
thoughts and purposes of a few interfere w ith
the progress of all. T o day, w hen p a rt of the
w orld's population is intent upon destruction
and aggression, w e feel the responsibility of
our fellow men an d realize th a t p a rt of our
own sufferings, disappointm ents, and difficul
ties are particularly due to this intention and
purpose upon the p a rt of a few. H ow can we
counteract this? B y devoting ourselves as
much as possible to constructive thought; by,
regardless of w h at m ay be the dem and of
our need of the time, holding constructive
thoughts of love, peace, and tolerance for all
hum anity. M any w ho are w orking ag ain st us
are doing it because they have never known
anything else. T h e y have been trained w ith
this in mind, an d w e in turn are responsible
to resist their efforts physically and mentally.
In order to preserve these very ideals to
w hich w e aspire, our first efforts m ust be in
the physical. W e m ust m aintain the institu
tions and our ow n physical lives to enable us
to carry out the very ideals to w hich w e sub
scribe. But at the sam e time w e m ust remem
ber th a t our responsibility does not end there,
th a t it is only a beginning of which, as in
m any phases of life, the physical step is only
a foundation or beginning for the real pur
pose and understanding. Food is a necessity
to the body; it is likewise a fundam ental ne
cessity to the soul in th at unless our bodies
are properly nourished and m aintained, we
will not be able to provide a suitable vehicle
for the expression of the soul. A t a time
w hen w e must resist negative forces w e must
physically be prepared to do this, a t the same
time realizing th at w e are not striving really
to m aintain physical institutions but to pro
vide those institutions as vehicles for the
ideals which w e have.
It is too easy for us to say, W h a t can I
do?. W e should not belittle w h at each of us
can do because the future of civilization de
pends upon w h at w e do now. Just as the
w orld today is governed by the forces of ag
gression w hich are out in front, so th e w orld
of tom orrow can be governed by the ideals of
right living if we hold those thoughts as per
m anent in our minds. Let every Rosicrucian
adopt as his m otto that henceforth, reg ard
less of w h at his daily occupation is, he will

Page 91

think beyond the actual doing of his immedi

ate work, on the basis th at each thing he does
is a means tow ard providing for the perpetu
ation of the ideals w hich he holds himself
ready to sustain an d defend. A few minutes
a num ber of times a d ay spent in sending out
our thoughts of peace and harm ony will set
into motion th e proper tide of tho u g h t and
ideals.
T h is is n ot enough, however; w e cannot
m erely fulfill an obligation b y thinking a
few times a d ay in term s of peace an d h ar
mony. W e m ust p u t these same constructive
thoughts and purposes into action b y expres
sing the ideals th a t exist beyond them. H as
not everyone experienced how a rum or will
spread? W h o has n o t w orked am ong a group
of people w hen a rum or has started and be
come suddenly the only topic o f conversation
am ong all individuals w ho h eard it? T h e
reverse is true; a few w ords of encourage
ment, a few w ords of hope properly placed
in the minds of individuals will react in the
same m anner. Smile a t your fellow w orker
instead of scowling in such a w ay as to em
phasize in his m ind his own problem s and
difficulties. P oint out in all your conversa
tions the good th a t you can see in the U n i
verse, and, in fact, in the daily news. Re
p eatedly call to the attention of everyone
w ith whom you carry on conversations, the
advantages w hich w e so often overlook.
C ount up in y o u r ow n mind b y taking an in
ventory of the things which you enjoy and
find out how they out-w eigh the m any dis
agreeable things in life. By building these
ideals in your ow n m ind and passing them on
to the minds of others, w e are doing a definite
p art in aligning ourselves w ith the construc
tive forces of the U niverse, and not only will
w e be adding to the w ell-being of other peo
ple w ho will be im m ediately benefited, b u t
w e are contributing som ething to the U n i
verse as a whole, as well as placing ourselves
in a position w here w e as individuals m ay be
definitely benefited.A

Concentration and M editation

O u r Forum is now asked to consider the
following questions: C oncentration and med
itation, as term s, are frequently interchanged.
M ystically, is there no true distinction be
tween them? If there is a difference, w hen

Page 92

shall we m editate, and likewise w hen shall

w e concentrate?
It is adm itted that often the w ords medi
tation and concentration are substituted
for each other in speaking an d in w riting,
w hich is a practice that is w rong. T h ere is
not only a true mystical distinction betw een
them in m eaning, but also in their purpose.
A s an approach to this subject, w e will avoid
the usual dictionary definition, w hich w ould
not be of much assistance in the com parison
of these two w ords from the mystical point of
view, and even otherw ise it is not fully ade
quate. C oncentration is the focalizing, the
bringing to a central point of anything. C o n
centration, therefore, is a positive function.
It denotes action. If, for example, a general
is going to concentrate his troops in a certain
area, he gathers them together, unites them
closely w ithin a designated region. Some
thing, obviously then, cannot be concentrated
w ithout action being brought to bear. Its
former status, w hatever it w as, m ust be alter
ed before it can be said to be concentrated.
N ow w hat happens w hen we are said to
be concentrating upon som ething in a m ental
sense? A ctually, w e are directing our con
sciousness, our ability to perceive and to
realize something, into certain channels. W e
are bringing our consciousness to bear on one
focal point. T h u s if w e are concentrating
upon a musical selection being played by a
symphonic orchestra in a great auditorium
w here w e are one of the audience, w e are di
recting our consciousness to have its full sen
sitivity confined principally to one sensethe
faculty of hearing. O u r consciousness, in
other w ords, w ould be concentrated on the
auditory impressions we receivedthe musi
cal notes heard. Likewise, if w e are concen
trating upon something which we are looking
at, w e are focusing our consciousness partic
ularly upon our visual impressions. In fact,
w hen w e visually concentrate, as w e all
know, w e often fail to hear someone w hen
they speak to us, because we are not direct
ing our consciousness to the sense of hearing.
In such an example, our consciousness has
become centered in that sensory area o f the
brain w here impulses th at come to our eyes
alone are being registered.
It is apodictical, therefore, th a t you cannot
be in a completely mentally passive attitu d e
and yet be concentrating upon som ething. In

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

fact, th a t is w h y some persons fail with m ys

tical concentration. T h ey are instructed to
concentrate upon a thing or condition to ac
complish a particular result. P erhaps they
proceed to relax and allow themselves to
enter into a sta te which induces sleep, and so
then they fail. You m ust remember th at con
centration involves action. It is positive in its
nature.
C oncentration equally applies to your noe
tic functions; th a t is, to converging your
thoughts upon a single principle o r idea.
Suppose you are quietly seated in the semi
darkness of yo u r sanctum . Y ou are deeply
engrossed in thought, oblivious to your sur
roundings. Y our mind is struggling w ith
some problem o f param ount im portance to
you. Y ou do not see, hear, or feel. All of
your m ental faculties are devoted to assem
bling the thought impressions and concen
trating them upon the problem w ith which
you are engaged. T h is very definitely is a
process of concentration, even though it is
entirely different than concentrating upon an
orchestra playing or visually concentrating
upon the changing scenes on a motion pic
ture screen. Y ou m ust look a t it in this light:
W h a te v e r com pletely occupies your mind by
the fact th a t you focus your consciousness
upon it, that, then, constitutes concentration.
In such an example, your consciousness once
again is the prim e m over. It is active; it is
doing the concentrating. Y ou are in a posi
tive state m entally.
M editation requires ju st the opposite pro
cess th a t is, in the m ystical sense. In medi
tation, you do not m entally go to a thing;
th at is, you do not move y o u r consciousness,
your realization, outw ard to something, nor
do you search w ithin yourself for ideas, as in
reasoning. In true m editation you become
passive. Y ou prevent your consciousness from
roaming, as it w ere. W h e n you find yourself
thinking upon an experience had, or giving
yourself over to ab stract thought, you im
m ediately free your consciousness as best
you can from such occupations.
A period of m ystical m editation is begun
by first eliminating as nearly as possible all
the impressions of your objective senses, such
as the sounds you w ould ordinarily hear, or
light an d colors or tactile sensations, th a t is,
sensations of touch. In other w ords, you ex
clude the objective w orld from your con

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

sciousness. N ow this is not easily accom

plished, and requires much practice. It is best
attained by beginning w ith one of your ob
jective senses a t a time, compelling yourself
to suppress th a t particular sense, then pro
gressing to the next, and so forth.
Y our environm ent is im portant to your
success in m ystical meditation. If you are in
noisy surroundings, obviously it is difficult
not to hear. F urth er, it is difficult to exclude
visual im pressions which distract you, even
if your eyes are closed, if the room w hich you
are in is brightly illuminated. W h e n you
have gone th a t far, then as one o f our Rosi
crucian m onographs relates, T h e mystic
conceives him self in the center of a m iniature
universe. H e begins to separate himself from
all else for his m editation." In o ther w ords,
nothing else is, but yourself. Y ou are con
scious just o f your own being. Even then,
you m ust not become so analytical in your
self-consciousness as to take cognizance of
your feelings, th a t is, your emotions and
sentim ents, for imm ediately then you would
be resorting to concentration and no longer
be in a state of meditation.
F rankly, a state of m editation is one o f
reception, w here a development or a condi
tion is to occur, w ithin you, w ithout your
actuating it in any w ay. N ow during such a
period of m editation, ideas intuitively may
flash into your consciousness. T h eir full im
port will be know n to you, and you will not
need to reason about them, and you will not
concentrate upon w hat enters your conscious
ness. A s another of our Rosicrucian mono
graphs relates, T w en ty or thirty minutes of
such indw elling is one of the best Cosmic
tonics for the body and the mind which you
could have." It is, in fact, true m ysticism ,
because you are brought in close communion
w ith self, and self is an extension of the
Divine Consciousness of G od. T o p ut it in
other w ords, w hen you know self you know
God.
In ord in ary term inology, and as the phrase
is commonly used, concentration of mind
means the centering of our consciousness, our
aw areness, upon our perceptions. It means
being conscious of those things w hich w e dis
cern by means of our objective senses. M edi
tation is popularly associated w ith reflection,
w hich is really another form of concentration.
Reflection, w e can say, is concentration upon

Page 93

thought. It is the occupying of our conscious

ness w ith ideas, the results of experiences we
have had, or the conclusions of our reason
ing. Such m editation is really, to repeat, b ut
a different aspect of concentration, and must
not be confused w ith the passive, receptive
state of mind of w hich mystical m editation
consists.X

M oon Gardening
W e notice of late th a t our members of this
Forum circle have become deeply interested
in the subject of planting by the moon. P er
haps this renew ed interest is the result o f the
crusade for V icto ry G ardens and home
grown vegetables. M a n y have requested us
to discuss again the results of o ur own ex
perim ents here a t Rosicrucian Park.
You will rem em ber our talks o f several
years ago w hen o u r late Im perator, D r. H.
Spencer Lewis, called our attention to the ex
perim ents he w as conducting an d how his
findings supported the theory of planting by
moon phases. In spite of the fact th a t thou
sands of experim ents have supported these
findings, there are still hundreds of scientists
who deny an y possibility of moon influence
upon plant an d anim al life.
D uring the p a st y ea r our D epartm ent of
Instruction has been called upon m any times
to give w h at inform ation there is available on
this subject. M an y o f you will be interested
to know th at there are books th at can be
bought th a t deal extensively an d scientifically
w ith this subject. T h e scientist and author,
Rudolph Steiner w rote such a book entitled,
Practical T rain in g in A griculture." D r. L.
Kolisko is the author of tw o valuable books,
T h e M oon and the G row th of P lan ts," also,
W o rk in g of the S tars in E arth ly Sub
stances." T h ese three w orks can probably be
obtained from the public library. D r. C lark
Timmins has w ritten an d published a treatise
entitled, P lanting By T h e M oon." H e has
also provided a garden calendar to be used
in conjunction w ith his booklet. T h is can
be obtained from alm ost any book dealer.
Planting By T h e M oon" and the garden
calendar are extrem ely reasonable in price.
All of the above-m entioned publications are
highly recom m ended to the student who is
seriously interested in this subject.

Page 94

In our previous discussion, m entioned a

few m inutes ago, D r. Lewis called our atten
tion to the flourishing grow th of a plot of
grass th a t h ad been planted a d ay or two
before full moon as com pared w ith the small
grow th of a similar plot planted tw o days
after full moon. T h is result is quite in accord
w ith th e findings of the scientist-gardener
Rudolph Steiner. T h e vegetables planted two
days before full moon have produced ab u n
d an t crops far in excess of those planted after
full moon and a t other times during the
month.
In the F ebruary, 1941, issue of the Rosi
crucian D igest under the title, As Science
Sees It, there is a reprint of a new s article
from a British new spaper show ing the m an
ner in w hich the E nglish farm er an d home
gardener has profited by the reports of those
experim enting in this field.
In this new s article, w e find the scientist's
explanation for the prolific grow th of plants
placed in the ground forty-eight hours before
full moon. T h is scientific report states, T h e
m oon's pull draw s up the sea giving us our
tides. T h e moon then m ust also d raw up the
w ater w hich lies in the soil. W a te r draw n
from a low soil level comes from an area un
reached by p la n t roots and, therefore, is very
rich in plant foods. It is in effect a super
stim ulant for seeds, galvanizing them into
imm ediate and lasting activity. M oonlight, it
is held, converts certain chemicals in th e foli
age into sugar and sugar is a grow th encour
ager p ar excellence. W h e th e r or not we
concur w ith this scientific explanation is not
im portant. W h a t is im portant, how ever, is
the fact th a t there is an influence on plant
and animal life, and certain schools of sci
ence recognize and accept this fact.
A n interesting personal experim ent to per
form th a t will show this fact is, stran g e as it
may seem, to visit one's b arb er an d to have
one's hair cut just before full moon an d no
tice how rapidly it grows out again. D o this
several times keeping a careful record o f the
experiment. T h en have the hair cut during a
w aning moon for a while and note an y dif
ference in the time required before you are
again in need of a haircut.
T his same experiment m ay be tried on the
lawn, th a t is, mow the law n or have it mowed
a day or two before full moon an d notice how
rapidly it grows out again. T h en reverse the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

procedure mowing the law n on a w aning

moon to note an y difference in the grow th of
the grass. T h is is not a superstitious idea as
a g reat m any people seem to think, b u t a fact
th at can be proven by anyone who cares to
m ake the experiment. Rose bushes and other
plants th a t require pruning show much more
rapid grow th w hen pruned just before full
moon than they do w hen pruned after full
moon. T h e sophisticated citizen of the aver
age city, large or small, will perhaps scoff a t
these ideas b u t not so the simple farm er w ho
has actually tried these experim ents, conduct
ing them in an intelligent system atic m anner.
O n some future occasion w hen our time is
not limited, as it is this m orning, w e will go
into this subject in more detail, especially the
question o f w h y p lan t grow th is more prolific
ju st before full moon th an a t other times d ur
ing the month. F o r now, how ever, it is suf
ficient to know th at there is a difference and
th a t it is possible to obtain reports, even d e
tailed explanations, from the w ritings of emi
nent experim enters in this interesting field.

Strength For Adversity

R epeatedly, it has been stated th at Rosi
crucianism is n o t a fair w eather philosophy.
In other w ords, it is a system of teaching th at
m ust meet all conditions, favorable or un
favorable. I have received this m orning a
letter from a F ra te r w ith whom various of
ficers have recently corresponded, and w ith
whom our Council of Solace has cooperated
in meeting a series o f problem s. T o quote
from his letter in p art, he states: W e cer
tainly are glad th at things are a t last clearing
for us an d th a t the future looks brighter. I
have had a long sickness of w hich I am not
y et entirely recovered, b u t several m onths
ago found my condition so improved th a t I
w as able to take over a position which paid
me considerable more th an I h ad been earn
ing. T h e understanding w e received from
the O rd e r proved a rock upon w hich w e
could cling to in our adversity, an d upon
w hich w e w ere able to sta rt building again.
It is very reassuring to find this F ra te r ex
pressing his conception of the O rd e r as a
rock or foundation upon w hich he w as able
to stan d in spite o f the difficulties w hich have
been his lot in p ast months. If every individ
ual had a philosophy of life, then those in

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

dividuals w ould have a foundation upon

which to build and tow ard which to turn
w hen adversity and difficulties faced them.
In the economic panic of some years ago,
m any individuals committed suicide w hen
their fortunes w ere lost in the stock m arket
crash. In doing so, they clearly illustrated
th at they lived only for one thing'th e value
of m oney or m aterial w ealth. In other w ords,
they clearly indicated th a t all they hoped for,
all aspirations w ere based upon w h at money
could buy. W h e n that w as gone, there w as
nothing. M a n y others, more than w e have
any w ay of determ ining, had a philosophy of
life w hich w as n o t based upon money or an y
material value, and, consequently, since the
time th a t their money and w ealth has been
gone they have really lived for the first time
in their lives. M any turn to their hobbies;
m any w ho m ade large incomes now live
m odestly bu t happily. N o individual w ho is
w hat w e might call a red-blooded hum an b e
ing is desirous of evading responsibilities th at
are found to be his.
W e , as Rosicrucians, know th at to attain a
complete understanding of the w orkings of
the mind and of the Cosmic to arrive, in turn,
at an ultim ate purpose for the universe, w e
must experience all the phases of th a t uni
versal existence th at come in our w ay. T h ere
fore, w e can honestly realize th a t both for
tune and adversity will be ours, th at happi
ness cannot be known w ithout living it, and
that pain will not exist in the universe until
it becomes a reality to us through experience.
Only the actual living of all phases will teach
us the w hole o f life. T herefore, w hile man
should strive to overcome adversity, he will
make a serious m istake if he only bew ails his
lot and attaches the blame for his difficulties
entirely outside himself. M an m ust strive to
realize th a t adversity is a teacher, an d re
gardless of how hopeless one's physical situ
ation m ay be, his efforts m ust be th a t much
more directed tow ard the understanding of
the purpose of these apparently unfavorable
events.A

Change of Environment
A question of a F ra ter concerning environ
ment is one w hich has faced everybody a t
some time in his experience. It concerns the
justification of changing ones environm ent
due to adverse circumstances that have taken

Page 95

place consistently in an environm ent w here

one has rem ained for some time. T h e real
point of the question is w hether or not one is
a cow ard in refusing to face the true actuali
ties of a situation by leaving an environm ent
in which problem s and adversities have been
consistently existent. W e have discussed in
these Forum pages before the effect of vibra
tions in various places, and it has definitely
been established th a t negative an d inharm on
ious vibrations can produce conditions to
w hich w e are unable to ad ju st ourselves, and
under such circum stances all our efforts and
purposes are th w arted w hile w e rem ain in
such an environm ent. M an y have h ad the ex
perience of living in a house, a tow n or a cer
tain geographical area w here nothing seemed
to function in accord w ith the ideals, purposes
and am bitions of the individual. M an y would
react to the point of this question b y stating
th at to leave such a condition is a mere act of
cow ardice o r refusal to accept the situation.
T his is not, how ever, the complete answer.
T h e true answ er lies in the consideration of
w hat w e have tried to do ourselves to meet
the adverse conditions. W h e n negative vibra
tions exist it is m any times possible to replace
them w ith positive vibrations. T h is is done
by proper living, proper thinking, and by
such physical assistance as the intonation of
constructive vowel sounds, an d keeping our
lives running as harm oniously an d smoothly
as possible. W h e n such attem pts are made
consistently and seem to have no effect, and
an individual is furtherm ore thw arted w ith
difficulties th a t seem unjustified, then he is
not acting cow ardly b u t using good judgm ent
to arrange, if it is w ithin his power, to make
a change of environm ent, even though it may
be only b y moving a block aw ay.
C areful thought an d consideration should
be given to such changes because one cannot
run aw ay from problem s or difficulties th at
he may think exist w ithin his environm ent
and outside himself w hen, in reality, the
problems are no more than his own atti
tudes an d viewpoints. T herefore, careful
analysis, honest criticism, and consideration
are necessary before arriving a t a conclusion;
furtherm ore, this is the conclusion th at is best
to be w orked out b y oneself, as w hatever may
be the opinion of someone else m ay only in
terfere wiith your reaching the correct de
cision.A

HeJiUid *7<4e Veil

TA T H A T will to m o rro w bring fo rth ? W h a t inevitable changes are
v v occurring, fo r which we must prepare? A re we subject to catas
tro p h ic happenings which will a lter our ways o f living our peace
o f m ind w ith o u t a means o f a n tic ip a tin g them ? W ill religion sur
vive the present m aterialism ? Is individualism to be subm erged in
the dictate s o f the state, a fte r the war? W ill taxation be lessened,
or will the wave o f extravagance continue, com pelling even g re a te r
taxes?
The straws in to da y's wind p o in t to w hat is now in the fo rm a tiv e
state. The a le rt man and woman can sensibly adjust himself and
herself to tom orrow 's happenings, if th ey will. W h a t we may expect
o f the fu tu re has been considered in a series o f articles entitle d,
" W h a t o f T om o rrow ? " published in the Rosicrucian Digest. A con
cise presentation o f them, w ith many interesting additional facts,
has now been released in an attractive booklet b y the same title .
IT IS FREE.
Everyone wants to peer ahead, to have assurance and ce rta inty,
not to be sw ept along helplessly by the tid e o f events, especially if
the fu tu re is established upon fa ctu al things, and not a fa na tical
system o f divin atio n. Therefore, everyone will be anxious to read
this booklet. It is your d u ty to place it in as many hands as possible.
The booklet also contains an inspiring message o f how the Rosicru
cians can help the individual to f i t into the new era which awaits him.
Your friends, acquaintances and strangers all will be happy to
read this free booklet. W r ite now, to d a y, fo r as many copies as
you know you can give o u t or mail. W a ste none, b u t p u t a q u a n tity
into circulation. Just ask fo r the booklet, " W h a t o f T om orrow ?"
Address your request to the:

ROSICRUCIAN EXTENSION DEPARTMENT

Rpsicrucian Park, San Jose, California, U. S. A.

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

>A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A g

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM
A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,
THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal Act of Oct. 3, 1917.

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Vol. XIII

FEBRUARY, 1943

No. 4

C O M M U N IO N
How best may I serve?
I asked.
Then o ut o f the dark and the silence
There came a voice:
Do w hat you will with your life,
You have your choice.
W ho speaks this command?
O r is it a jest?
O r a sigh o f the ethers,
M oving in winds,
Distant, ageless . . .

I cried,

You commune with M ight, it said,

That fo r countless lives
You have evaded.
Into Its wave,
Under the sweep o f Its wing,
You come a t last,
Strong and tearless.
A nd what shall I do with these words,
Placed in my hands?
G ive them to him who now
A t the cross-way stands.
Tell him to try again, again, and again.
Tell him th a t is the way
In the w orld o f men.
Soror Frances Vejtasa.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 98

Greetings !
V
D ea r Fratres and Sorores:
E veryone w ants to play. W h a t a pathetic
failure some people make of the effort. It
seems quite logical to most persons th a t aca
demic instruction and lengthy training be re
quired to fit one for the w orkaday w orld.
Schools, colleges, adult centers, an d corre
spondence courses are accepted as essential
preparatory methods to convert one's general
abilities into specialized efforts th a t can be
m arketed as personal services. H ow ever, it is
presum ed th at the opposite of w o rk p lay
is not only a natural desire, but th a t everyone
knows how to satisfy i t T h e average in
dividual is of the opinion th at any p rep ara
tion for play is limited to learning the rules of
some game, or acquiring the technique of a
particular sport in which he m ay indulge.
T h e first mistake m ade by those w ho are
play starved" is the confusion of the time
available for play w ith play itself. C ertain ly
no one w ould be thought a diligent w orker
w ho set aside so m any hours each day for
labor and yet did no work. How ever, today
millions of persons look forw ard to the end
of their daily w ork routine, or the w eek end,
in itself, as the beginning of their play. W h e n
they finish their chores, lay their tools down
on a bench, or cover their typew riters, a tran
sition of interests occurs which they have
been accustom ed to think o f as play. T h ere
is no doubt th a t they tem porarily, for an hour
or two, or overnight, experience a certain
relief, a lessening of tension, and a recovery
from fatigue. Soon, however, they are physi
cally recovered, and then w ith each addition
al hour of leisure there is a diminishing of
satisfaction.
M illions are anxious to return to w ork each
M onday, not because they enjoy their labors,
but, of the tw o periodsthe w ork an d the
so-called p la y the former is more easily en
dured. T h e re are w orkers who sigh each day,
w ishing for the vacation period as a release
from their duties and for the leisure it entails.
W h e n the vacation times arrives, after the
first tw o or three days needed for recupera
tion of energy, they find the following days
appalling, long, and dull. T hese persons, as

V
all hum ans, have an intense desire for play,
but they never have it gratified. In their
minds, they continue to associate leisure time
w ith play gratification. T h e y strive for long
er recesses from work, only to find they af
ford no p articular pleasure.
M an y men have exhausted themselves
m entally and p h y s ic a l ly , i m p a i r e d their
health, in fact, to am ass fortunes so th a t they
could retire a t fifty an d play. T o their
am azement, the most agonizing years of their
lives w ere spent during such retirem ent. T o
friends an d acquaintances, they then dispar
aged the idea of play, b ut in fact they had
never p lay ed th e y d id n 't know how they
had been ju st idle.
W a lk about an y large Am erican city on a
S atu rd ay night. Cocktail lounges, taverns,
and bars in the best hotels, as well as in the
side alleys, are crow ded w ith people. It has
become a S atu rd ay , an d perhaps a Sunday
evening routine. A few m ay be intoxicated,
that is n ot the m atter at issue. W h y are per
sons crow ded into these sm oke-laden, hot,
stuffy environm ents? T h e prices they pay for
their refreshm ents are prohibitive. T h e y sac
rifice personal com fort to be jostled about by
strangers. A sk any one of them individually
if he prefers the liquid refreshm ents served
there, and he will most likely reply, not
particularly." A s well, he will not proclaim
an y definite affection for the congestion, the
bad air, or for m any of the patrons w ith
whom he m ust associate. T h en w hy does he
do so? I have to play, I can 't w ork all of
the tim e," will probably be the answ er.
T h ese persons are not liquor enthusiasts or
habitus o f dives. T h ey are probably as mor
ally circum spect as the fellow around the
corner beating a drum an d hallelujahing the
passers-by. B u t they are escapists. U n fo r
tunately, they have confused th at w hich dis
tracts their attention from their daily routine
thoughts an d activities w ith the n atu re of
play. A fter several hours o f such escape,"
most o f them will adm it it w as not especially
enjoyable, but as least it w as different from
their occupational dem ands. I have used as
an exam ple those who f r e q u e n t cocktail

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

lounges and bars. N um erous equally effective

examples could be cited w here the factor of
liquor w ould not enter.
In all such examples it is evident th at the
proper understanding of play has not been
had by the individual. O ne is only actually
playing w hen he is experiencing fun or
pleasure from w h at he is doing. P lay is a
positive state. T h e satisfaction it affords
m ust be sought afte r as diligently as the re
sults of work, but one finds enjoym ent in do
ing so. T h e erroneous interpretation o f play
is to consider it a negative state, a condition
of idleness, a mere suspension or forgetting
of the usual affairs and duties. W h e n , for
analogy, you climb a m ountain trail w ith a
pack on your back, and eventually every
muscle aches, every nerve seems to cry out
in protest, nothing seems quite so enticing as
the thought of rest and release from the or
deal. W h e n you finally cast off the pack and
sit upon the ground, for the time that it takes
you to recover, nothing seems quite so sw eet
as your relaxation. How ever, w hen th at per
iod passes, then w hat? You either experience
restlessness w ith the enforced idleness, or
you resum e your laborious climb.
T h a t about describes the average person's
ability to play. H e acquires a kind of nega
tive pleasure that comes from ease. It quickly
passes aw ay, and w ith increasing pent-up
energy, leaves him irritable. H e returns to
w ork as the only channel to spend such ener
gy, and w onders a t life's inability to provide
him w ith happiness. Such persons look at
their next door neighbors, w ho for example,
are stripping dow n an electric motor, building
a tool chest, or poring over certain textbooks
in their home libraries on a S unday morning
and refer to them as gluttons for w ork."
A ctually such neighbors may be having real
fu n . T h e y are playing intensely. T h e y are
doing som ething different, and w hat they
w ant to do. T h e thought of doing it is an
ideal and the accom plishment and realization
of it is a great satisfaction. Sure they are
working to do it, in the sense that they are
expending energy, but in every other sense
they are pla yin g . A t the end of the day they
may be m entally or physically dead tired
but happy and satisfied. N o one who uses
his playtim e merely for indulging in escape,
can ever know such real fun.

Page 99

H ow do you begin to play? By doing some

thing you w ant to do, and w hich brings you
a pleasure th at more than m itigates any labor
which it entails. If you prefer to do just n oth
ing, you are not normal. You are either con
tinually exhausted, or need to consult a physi
cian. T h ere isn 't a normal, h ealthy person
who cannot think of something he or she
w ould more enjoy doing or accomplishing
than mere idlingb u t often they d ont think
of it in term s of play. W h a te v e r compels
your concentration, the occupation of your
consciousness, or y our hands, an d from which
you derive a h ealth y m ental exhilaration, is
play. T o think th a t you m ust indulge in some
nonsensical game or uninteresting activity to
play, is absurd. T o gauge w hether you are
truly playing is to determ ine w hether you like
it. Consequently, play is a personal thing.
T o enter into som ething called play and
which provides you no satisfaction, is labor,
no m atter w h at the setting or how many
others m ay participate.
D o n t try to p lay until you are rested.
W h e n you are extrem ely tired, even eating
becomes an exertion. P lay w ith others if you
wish, but alw ays play for yourself. In other
w ords, play for the gratification you obtain
from it an d n ot for the adjudging of your
skill or ability. Com petitive sports and games
may compel you to expend energy and ef
fort beyond the point w here it is enjoy
able to you. If you are so psychologically
constituted th at you derive satisfaction only
in winning, regardless of the price you pay
in after effects, then competitive games and
sports are a suitable play for you.
T h e one who know s how to really play,
becomes a better w orker. H is w ork becomes
a means for providing for his enjoym ent as
well as for his sustenance.
F raternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Im perator.

Mind and Brain

T his m orning w e have a question from a
Soror in an E astern C ity th at w e feel is well
w orthy of our interest. O u r Soror w rites,
A s a Rosicrucian I u nderstand th at life can
go on w ith or w ithout brain. B ut I also
understand th at the brain is the material
mechanism through w hich mind or the know

Page 100

ing consciousness of man functions. So the

question arises, if the brain is put out of com
mission, w hat happens to the thinking, know
ing p art of our consciousness which always
seems to me to be m an's soul?"
N ow this question is probably the result of
a statem ent in an early lesson, T h e mind of
man is the thinking, know ing p a rt of his con
sciousness; w herever there is consciousness
there is mind; w herever there is mind there
is consciousness; w herever th ere are mind
and consciousness there m ay or m ay not be a
b rain." T h e early m onograph points out the
fact th at mind controls the functions of the
body w hen the brain is asleep or drugged.
It is further shown that small one-celled ani
mals are agitated and affected by varied
colored lights and other stimuli b ut th at they
have no organic structure w ith a seat of sen
sations such as a brain.
M ind and consciousness obviously are
present in the one-celled animal b u t not ob
jective m ortal consciousness. T h is has led to
our S oror's statem ent th a t life can go on
w ithout brain. If we interpret this in a strict
ly orthodox m aterial w ay, we w ould have to
assume th at it means hum an life w ould con
tinue as usual even though the brain w ere de
stroyed or removed from the body. It is true
that portions of the brain have been removed
by surgery and thus nervous diseases and
paralysis have been corrected or cured. W e
recall the report of such an operation w here
by the patient w as restored to normal health
and proved to be a brilliant m athem atician,
and yet from childhood she had been on the
verge of idiocy and apparently devoid of in
telligence. M any who have been stricken
with brain tumor have been cured by the re
moval of some of the affected tissue. T his is
an extrem ely delicate operation, and in the
m ajority of cases, the patien t dies on the
operating table. H ow ever, the surgery is
generally reported successful, th a t is, the
brain tum or and affected tissue w ere success
fully removed, but from shock and other
causes the patient has met death.
N o doubt life can continue under certain
forms of brain injury, usually to the cere
bellum. However, in m ost cases death follows
injury to the medulla oblongata. T h is is the
deep portion of the brain often referred to as
the base of the brain. T his section is so deli

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

cate th a t natu re has taken special means of

protecting it from average injuries.
Looking at this question broadly we can
concur th at life exists w ith or w ithout brain.
T h ere are various seats of organic intelli
gence in anim al life, th at is, varied capacities
for learning, from the very highest form
found in man to the very lowest, possessed by
the least of animal life. T h en w e can go
further to the form of life th at has conscious
ness and, apparently, intelligence b ut not an
organic structure w ith a seat of sensations
such as a brain. T h is form of life has mind
and consciousness but not the mortal aw are
ness w ith w hich we as human beings are
familiar.
A ssum ing th at the brain, through injury, is
put out of commission or is deadened by
drugs, w h at of the mind and consciousness?
F irst of all w e must agree on one point and
th at is th a t this consciousness is divine and
immaterial, n ot the m ortal objective aw are
ness th at w e usually refer to as conscious
ness. Since it is divine, it is not seated in any
one portion of the hum an body. It is in the
legs and arm s just as much as in the vital
organs of the body. It is in the torso as well
as in the finger tips. It flows throughout the
body w ith the circulation of the blood. In
fact, this divine essence is the very life of the
cells th a t make up the hum an anatom y o r the
anatom y of any animal, or even plant life for
th at m atter.
A nd so this divine consciousness that we
say is the thinking, know ing p art of man is
not necessarily affected by the destruction or
drugging o f the brain. You cannot destroy it
no m atter w h at you may do to the material
body. You w ould not say that destruction of
the body also destroys the soul even though
life in the conscious state is dependent upon
the soul force in each living cell of the body.
You can cut off a finger and thus detach it
from the body, but you do not destroy the
life force in either the hand or severed finger.
W h a t you do, however, is cut the finger off
from its source of life force. If you extinguish
an electric lamp by cutting the w ire w ith a
pair of pliers, you do not destroy the elec
tricity flowing through the lamp. You simply
cut off the lamp from its source of electricity.
In the case of the severed finger, its source of
life force is the blood th at flows to it and to

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

each and every p art of the hum an body so

long as life continues in the body.
It is stated, G od breathed into the nostrils
the breath of life, and man became a living
s o u l/ In other w ords, through the breath of
life w e supply the body w ith life force. T his
life force continues to anim ate the living cells
of the body until the body and life force are
separated. T h is life force is the divine con
sciousness or mind. It continues to exist
either w ithin a physical body or w ithout.
W h e n death occurs, the life force is expelled
w ith the exhaling of the last breath. T h e
body is then separated from the divine con
sciousness or, in other words, the body is cut
off from its source of life force.
W e have stated that severing the finger
does not destroy the divine consciousness
that fed the cells in the finger. T h e sam e is
true of the destruction of the brain or brain
cells. T hrough such destruction w e merely
separate these cells from their source of di
vine consciousness. N aturally, physical m a
terial consciousness is affected because the
brain is the organ of the body through which
mind w orks. It has for its expressions the
physical senses such as seeing, hearing, feel
ing, tasting, and smelling. T hese senses are
most closely related to the brain. W h e n cer
tain parts of the o rg an b rain are injured
we will experience paralysis of certain of the
sense organs. P erhaps w e will lose the pow
er to speak or the pow er to hear. In other
w ords, the various sense organs m ay be
paralyzed by brain injury. T h e point is th at
just as removing an eye will prevent us from
seeing w ith th a t eye, an injury to a certain
portion of the more complicated and highly
refined organ brain will affect the sight
and cause this eye to be blind. In neither case
do w e affect the thinking, knowing p a rt of
man, which is mind. T h a t divine psychic con
sciousness, th a t is of the soul force, anim ating
the body of man and giving life force to all
living things.

T he Junior O rder
H ave you ever stood and w atched little
street urchins playing? T h ey are dirty, di
sheveled, undisciplined, but dynamic, literally
bursting w ith energyand bright-eyed.
T h e life of such a child is a great gamble.
W ith in him Or her is a trem endous potential

Page 101

contribution to the civilization of tom orrow

or perhaps a moral liability. O n e factor can
remove th at element of chance and guarantee
th at the child will become a useful member
of tom orrow 's w orld. T h a t factor is proper
direction.
Education is not sufficient. Some of the
people who have the most distorted ideas and
who are often responsible for the w orlds
economic and social upheavals for which we
are all m ade to suffer, have had excellent
educations. W h a t they lacked, however, w as
proper idealism, th a t is, guidance tow ard the
true ends in life. A cadem ic training in schools
and colleges becomes an efficient tool, which
no one will deny, b u t it m ust be rightly ap
plied or it may become a dangerous instru
m ent in the h ands of unscrupulous persons.
W ell-m eaning parents are often at fault.
T h ey shift the responsibility of inculcating
into their children the proper viewpoint and
outlook on life, to the schools and teachers.
Developing a consciousness of future duties
and proper aspirations to have in life consti
tutes an inner train in g a building of char
acter, w hich takes place out of the school.
Such is not the prim ary duty of institutes of
learning. M an y parents w ould like to direct
this influence on the lives of their children,
but often are not certain just how to begin.
Repression, punishm ent, and nagging, as
D o n t do this, or You m ust do th a t, is
im proper child psychology. T h e child, in a
simple, interesting manner, m ust learn for
himself o r herself w hy something should or
should not be done.
H ow is this all accomplished? T h e Junior
O rd er o f T orch Bearers makes this possible.
Children from five to fifteen years participate
in its activities. Its problems are divided ac
cording to the age groups of the children. It
is like a club in which each child has a part,
with certain duties to perform . A sense of
pride, as well as responsibility, is developed.
T h e talents of the children are also aw aken
ed and certain ideals or objectives are kept
before them continually, as an incentive.
T h e Junior O rd e r of T orch Bearers is not
a religious movement, nor is it affiliated w ith
any religion. It is absolutely non-sectarian.
Furtherm ore, it does not in any w ay inter
fere w ith or attem pt to supplant the religious
beliefs of children. Little chapters of this
movement are established throughout the

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Page 102

w orldthere m ay be one in your community.

If you are a parent, will you investigate
and see how your children m ay participate in
its m any benefits? T o the children it is fun;
to the parents it is a w onderful influence. If
you have no children, will you kindly interest
your friends who do? A ny child, regardless
of nationality or religion, is welcome. T h ere
are no large fees or purchases to be made.
H elp us further this great cause and thus,
in a practical w ay, you will be m aking for a
lasting peace, by developing the vision, the
view, the outlook of the children of today.
W rite to us today and learn the address of
your local Junior O rd er C hap ter or how to
establish one. Remember th a t the tw o or
three adults who conduct these Junior O rd er
activities in cities, do so w ithout any mone
ta ry com pensation. T im e and service are their
contribution tow ard the ideals for which this
movement exists.X.

Idiocy
W e now have an interesting thought for
discussion from a Soror in the E ast, and I
will read it to you so th a t we can see all of
its aspects.
Is it possible for the V ita l Life Force to
enter a body and a soul not to enter? F or
example, there are children in institutions who
are called idiots and, to all appearances, they
have life but no mind, and as long as they
live they grow in body but are as a very small
baby in all other w ays. T h ey are as babies
of a few w eeks of age even though they may
live to be m any years old as the calendar
goes. Is the soul lacking in such persons? If
not, w h at is lacking?"
I have read the question and statem ent in
its entirety simply to give you an opportunity
to see a t a glance all of the thoughts th at our
Soror has in mind.
Im m ediately we can see several errors of
reasoning in this question. In the first place,
one cannot continue to live as an individual
entity w ithout both soul and V ital Life Force.
Y et in the body of the unborn child there
flows life force and not soul, b u t this is not
individual life force of the child b u t rather
of the mother. In other w ords, soul enters the
body of the infant baby w ith the taking of
the first breath of life and the bab y becomes
a living soul. T h e life force in the baby's

body before birth w as the life force of the

m other ju st as in the case of some vital organ
of the m other or even one of the extremities
such as an arm or h and or leg. W h e n the
baby breathes for the first time, it becomes an
individual in a sense, for it no longer depends
upon the m other's life force for its animation.
A t the sam e time it is imbued w ith soul force
and personality. So w e can see th a t individ
ual life force an d soul enter the body of the
new -born b aby a t the same time.
Let us consider a second thought in con
nection w ith this question, an d th a t is the ex
istence of m ind along w ith so-called idiocy.
In other w ords, is the so-called idiot w ithout
mind? O u r Rosicrucian studies make clear to
us th a t m ind is most closely related to soul
and personality and th a t mind is present in
all forms of life even to the lowliest o f organ
isms, even those w ithout an organ such as a
brain. Rosicrucianism teaches us th a t Divine
M ind controls th e functions of the involuntary
organs of the body such as the action of the
heart, the circulation of the blood, the peri
staltic motion o f the intestines, the opening
an d closing of the pylorus, and, in fact, the
action of all of the vital organs over which
w e have no voluntary m uscular control. N ow
w e can readily see th a t if mind controls these
functions then all living things and beings
m ust be possessed of mind, regardless of their
ability to analyze and reason objectively. W e
conclude, therefore, th a t the child born a socalled idiot n o t only has life force anim ating
the body, along w ith soul, b u t also Divine
M ind which, as we have said, is closely re
lated to soul.
T h ese facts lead us, therefore, to still an
other im portant point in this question; w hat
is missing, w h at makes for idiocy in the case
of one so afflicted from birth? Since it is not
the lack of soul or D ivine M ind, it m ust be
som ething else. W e have learned from our
studies and our analysis of man th a t he is
possessed w ith a most im portant and complex
organ through w hich his mind w orks. T his
organ w e call brain. T h ro u g h it we enjoy all
of our outer sensations. T h ro u g h it we be
come conscious of our inner sensations and
experiences. W ith o u t it w e w ould not be
aw are of the w orld about us, neither would
w e be aw are of emotional sensations. O ur
sense im pressions register upon us through
the organ, brain. T h ese impressions become

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

a p a rt of memory. W h e n w e recall an experi

ence and bring it back into the present, we
use the organ, brain. If the brain is injured
from accident or disease, it no longer func
tions properly. O u r outer reaction to the in
jury will depend upon the extent to w hich
the brain is harm ed. F o r example, pressure
on a particular area from a head injury or
blood clot will cause paralysis of the speech
organs, or will prevent us from being able to
w alk, or m ight blind us or take aw ay the
sense of hearing. It m ight take aw ay all
memory of p ast experiences even to the ex
tent of not know ing one's name. O ften such
brain injuries cause one to experience socalled am nesia. W e frequently read of such
cases in the daily new spapers. Sometimes the
illness is of long standing, a t other times the
patient recovers quickly. T his all depends
upon the cause o f the the trouble and its per
manency. T h ere is nothing actually missing in
the body of the idiot afflicted from birth, b u t
the brain usually is injured and fails to de
velop properly, due to illness and disease.
In the m ajority of these cases, the injury is
very great, and m any portions or areas o f the
brain are affected. T herefore, the idiot may
have no pow er of speech except perhaps for
guttural sounds in the throat. H is locomotion
nerves and muscles may be affected, making
it difficult for him to walk. U sually he has
no contact a t all w ith the storehouse of mem
ory. T h a t is, he cannot recall to memory any
impressions th a t m ay have registered there.
Feeble-m indedness and m ental disease are
conditions of the organ called brain, not con
ditions of the soul or Divine M ind. M any
times these conditions can be eradicated by
proper treatm ent. O ften they seem to defy
all m anner of therapeutics including surgery.

Prove U nto Yourself

T h is morning I place before you for com
ment one of several communications from a
very new member of the O rd e r w ho ap p ar
ently has failed entirely to understand the
purpose of the Rosicrucian O rd e r and its
teachings.
T h is F ra te r has w ritten a long letter to the
D epartm ent of Instruction each time he has
read one of the m onographs of the M a n d a
mus group. H e starts in imm ediately to criti
cize each statem ent, each paragrap h , each law

Page 103

or principle, presented to him. N o w the fact

th a t he asks questions of the D epartm ent of
Instruction is quite all right, for our members
know th a t they are alw ays privileged to seek
our help and advice in these m atters. A fter
all, it is the duty of the director of a class or
study group to help the stu d en t w ith his les
sons w hen they are not understood. But this
F ra ter of whom I speak questions the very
authenticity of the O rd e r's teachings. H e
constantly challenges the D epartm ent of In
struction to prove b y dem onstration th a t there
are such practical inner abilities as1intuition,
m ental telepathy an d other principles th a t are
included in the early work. A typical sta te
ment th a t show s the attitude he has taken is
this: O n such an d such a n ig h t a t a partic
ular hour I sent you a mental m essage asking
you a question. N ow I dem and th at you
w rite to me and answ er th a t question thus
proving to me th a t you are the w ell-developed
m aster mind th at you claim you are."
Imagine, F ratres and Sorores, such a re
quest or, in fact, n o t a request but a dem and
from one of our B rothers on the path. O f
course it stands to reason th at such a dem and
w ould not be forthcom ing from a member of
the higher degrees, or even of the early
Tem ple w ork, for such members have a better
undrstanding of Cosmic law, its purpose and
how it m anifests. T h ey know too th a t none
of us here a t Rosicrucian P ark ever use the
Rosicrucian laws an d principles for the p u r
pose of answ ering such a challenge o r for a
bombastic dem onstration of the principles
th at actually w e use daily in our business of
Cosmic service.
Yes, for the purpose of class instruction
m any mystical dem onstrations have been
made in the p ast an d m any will be m ade in
the future, b ut w hen a curiosity seeker, or
even a member of the O rd er for th at m atter,
dem ands a dem onstration for proof of a prin
ciple, it is feared th at he will be greatly
disappointed.
O u r late Im perator, D r. H . Spencer Lewis,
w as frequently confronted w ith this sort of
thing. M any, m any times members o f the
O rd er meeting him for the first time w ould
challenge his ability to apply Cosmic law fox
material dem onstrations. H ere at our Couventions members would approach him while
he w as relaxing for a few m inutes in quiet
m editation sitting on a bench in the P ark and

Page 104

greet him w ith such rem arks as: Brother

Lewis, I am F rater Smith from Podunk. I
have alw ays w anted to meet such a great
m aster as you. T h e m onographs claim that
astounding m anifestations can be dem on
strated through Cosmic law. I h av en 't been
able to do this, will you show me how or
make a dem onstration for me? I need proof
of these things."
W e ll F ra tre s and Sorores, it is h ard ly nec
essary to tell you D r. Lewis answ er to such
a request for, as a m atter of fact, he has told
you of these occurrences himself right here in
our Rosicrucian Forum sessions. It is suffi
cient to say, however, th at at no time did Dr.
Lewis ever lay claim to any degree of great
ness or mastership. If each and every one of
us could and w ould imitate the sincere hum
bleness lived and displayed by our late Imperator, we w ould never have to w orry about
inability to use and dem onstrate Cosmic prin
ciples. O n e of our earliest fundam ental prin
ciples, and am ong the most im portant adm on
ishm ents, is th at of humbleness and humility
in all of our efforts in behalf of the Cosmic.
It w ould behoove each and every one to make
a careful study of the Rosicrucian code of
life, then put into daily practice as m any of
the points as practicable.
W e have digressed som ew hat to illustrate
the im portance of humbleness, b ut to get back
to our challenging F rater and his belligerent
correspondence, when any of you have occa
sion to help a young student in a similar men
tal state, try to point out the folly of his a t
titude. T ry to help him realize th at he will
never gain anything from his membership in
the O rder, for he dulls and tarnishes w hat
possible development m ight be his b y lack of
faith and belief in the O rd er, its officers and
class m asters, as well as our teachings. It is
not right to upbraid such a member or to
chastise him for his rem arks. W e m ust take
the attitude of forgiveness for he knows not
w h at he does. W e must, however, adm onish
him and point out the error of his thinking.
If we can help him over this m ental obstacle,
he will in all probability prove to be a good
Rosicrucian and very adept in the practical
application of the teachings.

Age A nd Mystical Enlightenment

A frater in T exas arises in our Forum
Circle to ask the question, Is there any rec

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ord of a person receiving Cosmic Conscious

ness after passing the age of sixty?"
T h is is a n atu ral question for those of ad
vanced years; however, in this particular in
stance, the num ber of years are h ardly to be
considered advanced age. W e each of us
think o f success as being the satisfactory cul
mination of some enterprise. W h a te v er enter
prise w e are in, and in w hich w e wish to be
successful, w e draw heavily upon our powers,
our faculty of reason, ability to observe and
concentrate, an d our physical strength as
well. W ith the passing of years, there is a
certain conservation of our pow ers developed,
the result of our experiences and more m ature
judgm ent. T o d ay , for example, each of us
can do certain things equally as effectively
as w hen w e w ere you th sand w ith less ef
fort. T h is is explained b y the fact th at ex
perience has show n us how and w e avoid un
necessary expenditure of effort and avoid
delays and discouraging mistakes.
W ith the advancing years, however, our
physical pow ers and m ental energy diminish.
O u r endurance is less, and of course we each
become conscious of this fact. E ventually we
reach an age w hen there are some things of
which w e are no longer capable. It follows
th at since m ystical enlightenm ent or Cosmic
C onsciousness is also an attainm ent, th at we
are inclined to think th at the pow ers neces
sary for it likewise diminish as we grow
older.
T h e re is no parallel betw een mental and
physical d e v e lo p m e n ts and that afflatus
know n as Cosmic Consciousness. Physical
and m ental achievements are obviously de
pendent upon the condition of the body and
the m ental strength of the individual. Since
advanced age means a gradual deterioration
of the body and those m ental faculties de
pendent upon the brain, pow ers derived from
them are lessened. Cosmic Consciousness as
a state of attunem ent of self w ith the mind of
the Cosmic, w hich exists w ithin us as a soul
force, is an ecstatic, spiritual condition which
neither our body nor our m ental powers can
produce. N o one ever w ent through a kind
of m ental gym nastics of applying reason and
logic to compel a union of his objective and
spiritual selves and succeeded. F urther, no
one in the pink of health " w as able by th at
factor alone to elevate his mortal conscious
ness to th a t realization w hich am ounts to a

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

oneness w ith the Cosmic M ind, w hich is one

of the h e i g h t s tow ard which the mystic
strives.
C onsequently, if one in m ental and physi
cal perfection cannot by such a state alone
achieve Cosmic Consciousness, conversely,
then, the diminishing of his or her physical
and intellectual pow ers does not interfere.
A rcane records disclose th at T h e G reat Il
lum ination came to most of the renow ned
avatars, m ystics, and enlightened religious
leaders betw een the ages of 35 and 37 years.
If it w ere not attained then, another common
period w as 70 years of age! O f course, in
every age, in betw een and even preceding 35
years, Cosmic Consciousness has been attain
ed, the above ages being the most common.
It is only necessary to mention at this point
th a t the hum an life advances through cycles.
If each of us did not, by our arbitrary indif
ference to Cosmic law, interfere w ith the p ur
pose of these cycles, w e w ould experience
certain developm ents in each cycle as nature
intended. Since w e do interfere, w e delay
such developm ents; we cause them to come
much later in life than they ordinarily should
or not at all. U nder ordinary circum
stances, the ages from 21 to 35 years, consti
tute m ans greatest period of objectivity. D u r
ing this interval, he is personally developing
and m ore frequently exercising his physical
and intellectual pow ers and faculties. H e is
training his memory, he is storing up impres
sions, he is utilizing his objective receptor
senses, to acquaint himself w ith the strange
w orld in w hich he finds himself.
D uring such a time, he is, frankly, more of
an extrovert. In other w ords, he is obliged to
live outside of himself so as to become ori
ented an d to m aterially and socially establish
himself in the physical w orld. It is a time
w hen men are preparing for trades an d pro
fessions, entering the business world, begin
ning to rear families, and to assure such fami
lies of economic security. It is a period w hen
the objective senses m ust reign supreme. It
is a period for acquisition and assimilation,
rath er than for w eighing values o r contem
plation. C orrespondingly, women as a w hole
are likewise in a greater state of objectivity
during these cycles.
A t 35 the character has been fairly well
established. Ideals have been fashioned and
the individual begins to have quite m arked

Page 105

preferences as to w h at he expects to receive

from life. H e sacrifices some of his aggres
sive spirit for an attitu d e of evaluation. H e
begins to judge the w orld around him and
become more discrim inating in his own ac
tions. H e sta rts to rid himself of earlier habits
and practices, prim arily because they now
appear inconsequential and unappealing. T his
does not b y an y m eans imply th at he becomes
any less vigorous in his conscious activity.
In fact, a man an d w om an usually find their
lives a t 35 far more active than ten years
earlier.
T h e beginning o f this, w h at we m ay term
the rational life, leads to reflection an d less
impulsiveness. T h e individual is inclined to
temper his desires and their fulfillment by a
greater consideration of the results of his acts
upon others. W h a t once he m ight have done,
regardless of consequences, he is now re
luctant to do, if it seems unjust or will cause
others a probable hurt. In other w ords, a
transition is occurring w ithin him. T h e self
is gradually coming into its ow n. W ith many
persons, these impressions of the self do not
at that age go much beyond certain moral
and ethical restraints, am ounting to a little
further refinem ent of character. If, however,
one has h ad an interest in mysticism and oc
cultism previously, and has done quite some
study in those fields, it makes for a greater
indwelling of consciousness, a more w hole
hearted tendency tow ard attunem ent w ith the
selfand this process becomes more facile
during this period. E ventually the afflatus,
the experience of Cosmic Consciousness, is
had.
Also the cycle of 35 to 37 is a period w hen
many persons, for the first time in their lives,
develop an y interest in mysticism. T h e reason
is the same as given above, nam ely, it is the
cycle w hen the subjective nature begins to
mature. C onsequently, such individuals, if
they are conscientious in their studies and
practices, experience Cosmic Consciousness
or Illum ination not until the 40s or 50s, or
possibly around 70 years of age.
T h e fact rem ains th a t the average age of
A M O R C members is about 40 years, there
fore, if you are 50 or 60 years of age, and
have been a stu d en t of A M O R C an d m ysti
cism for a few years, there is no reason for
you to feel th a t you are p ast an y age period
for mystical attainm ent. T h e fact th a t your

Page 106

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

objective pow ers are naturally diminishing

som ew hat has no relationship to your inner
development, since mystical consciousness
has no dependence upon the objective nature
of man.-X .

T he Problem of Evil
A C anadian Soror, a member of our Forum
Circle for some time, presents an interesting
problem in a very excellent m anner. She says:
A M O R C states th at there is no evil, but
m erely degrees of good, w hich is putting the
m atter too euphemistically. I m ean real evil
w hich is certainly extant in the w o rld
w itness the present w ar. D oes the L ord's
P ra y er not contain a plea to deliver us from
evil? It does seem to be more than a lesser
degree of good. Just as a person w ho has
been denied the opportunity of learning the
polite usages of society an d the niceties of
life is in a definite condition of uncouthness,
or one w ho never learned to read or w rite in
the state of illiteracy, so one w ho does not
know good is in a state o f non-goodor so
it seems to m e."
A ny attem pt to philosophically or just logi
cally reconcile good and evil, to make the la t
ter appear as degrees of the form er alw ays,
upon first blush, seems inconsistent w ith rea
son. P erhaps th at is w hy the subject is one
of the paradoxes of m etaphysics. In hum an
experience, the conduct w hich is attrib u ted to
good alw ays appears to be very definitely
different from evil. O rdinarily it seems as
though good and evil had inherent in them
certain elements which w ere eternal, th a t is,
constant. If this w ere so they w ould alw ays
be recognized for w hat they are an d the
problem w ould be very simple. If, for exam
ple, anyw here and at any time all men and
women, regardless of race, creed, or educa
tion, could point to certain conduct o r h ap
penings and say with sincerity, there is evil,"
or there is good," then their definition w ould
be a simple m atter. It w ould indicate th at
both evil and good had positive qualities, like,
for example, the tastes of salt and of sugar.
W h a t actually happens is th a t a large por
tion o f hum anity sincerely term good w h at
others condemn as evil. In the example of
sugar and salt, such arbitrariness w ould be
called an error, because no m atter w h at one
m ight call them, they w ould alw ays retain

their real qualities. C onsequently, it stands

to reason th at before we can define evil as a
condition distinctly separate from good, we
m ust define the positiveness of goodif th at
can be done.
G ood itself has no separate tangible qual
ity. It is not a thing or substance, w hich we
can discern ap a rt from other things or con
ditions. If I declare th a t this is good, some
one will ask me, W h a t is good?" T h ey will
m ean w h at is it th a t I am so designating.
T h is connotes th a t good is a notion of our
minds w hich arises from our judgm ent of
som ething else. I say this is a good pen, and
th a t is a good book. By th a t I mean th a t the
function, the purpose, the v ery n atu re of the
pen o r book is satisfactory to me. I interpret
the function of th e pen to w rite well. I con
sider the function of a book either to interest
me o r provide me w ith inform ation. If it does
this, to me it is good, nam ely, it conforms to
my conception o f w hat is rig h t or proper for
it. N ow it is v ery simple for you and me to
determ ine w hether a pen or a book is good in
this sense. E ach of us know s the first cause
behind them, nam ely, the reason or intent of
their creation. Simply, w e know w hy the
pens and books w ere made, w h at w as ex
pected of them. F urther, w e know they w ere
conceived to serve us. If they do, they have
fulfilled their end, they gratify u s and th at
is our notion o f good.
Suppose som ething is given to us, the func
tion of w hich is not know n to us, or th a t we
m ust ju st surmise. P erhaps in our use or a t
tem pted use of the thing, w e m ay find it
agreeable or not so. If w e can seem to con
vert it to a use th a t satisfies us, then it is con
ceived by us as having a good quality. O n
the other hand, if we find it puzzling, perhaps
annoying because it is not understood b y us,
it then is n o t good. O bviously, if w e know
the cause an d function o f things and condi
tions, an d w e find them agreeable, such are
proclaim ed good. All of th a t w hich is oppo
site, w e think to be evil. It is logical then th at
som ething m ay not be inherently evil b ut only
conceived so b y us, because we do not u nder
stan d its purpose and find it not agreeable.
Let us look upon a rainstorm , for analogy.
If w e w ere not aw are of the contribution of
w ater to the life of all things, and did not
know th a t subsequently such rain w as bene
ficial, the storm w ould most certainly be an

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

evil experience. T h e disagreeableness of a

rainstorm , especially if w e m ust be in it, sug
gests nothing in the event itself w hich can be
construed as good. O nly as w e consider the
whole, the need for rain and w h at follows
from it, does it seem to be good. W ith our
m ortal, finite perception and reason, it is fre
quently impossible for us to relate occur
rences and circumstances to some greater
purpose of which w e have no know ledge.
T herefore, the immediate happenings by
themselves are adjudged evil.
T his sam e reasoning m ay be referred to
the good of morals. W h a t our conscience
dictates in a general sense is held to be the
criterion for a moral good. If m ost of us
w ould act impulsively on conscience, w ithout
referring its silent voice to analysis, then
the good of morals w ould be nearly alike to
all persons. In fact, w e m ight then say th at
good h ad a positive quality which everyone
could recognize and ac ce p t T h e fact remains,
however, th a t w e each seek to interpret our
moral urges. W e try to define them b y our
experiences, subject them to the fallibility of
our reasoning. Since in this process w e are
very individualistic and different, a great crop
of varying kinds of good springs up, about
which men do not agree.
T h en there are other standards from w hich
w e derive our notion of good. T h ese are the
exegetical w ritings and the sacred books. If
w e sincerely believe th at a book w as w ritten
by a D ivine prophet and th a t his w ords come
b y D ivine revelation, this again gives good,
o r the content of the book, an arb itrary posi
tive quality. Simply put, if in such sacred
w orks as, for example, the Bible, the Koran,
G ranath, and the A vesta, certain deportm ent
is avow ed to be good, w e then imm ediately
consider the opposite as a very definite evil.
A ctually, however, such a religious good is
purely relative. It is common know ledge th at
the C hristian does not hold to be good all
th a t is so proclaimed in the M oham m edan
Koran, and, conversely, the former does not
recognize all of the prescribed conduct of the
Bible as good. Consequently this makes it
appear th a t all of hum anity can never be
guided b y any same positive principle of
good, nor can there be things o r conditions
so defined w hich to all alike mean evil. T o an
extent, this m ust alw ays remain so, a t least
so long as hum ans are individuals, an d their

Page 107

differences persist, for good and evil are

principally notions of their minds.
T h ere are certain evident exceptions to
this. T h ere are conditions which all men
necessarily recognize alike, because they are
all equally dependent upon them. W e as hu
man beings, for example, know th a t the de
fiance o f certain law s and principles of nature
causes our d eath an d the deterioration of the
very basis of society. Since life and some
kind of social organization is necessary for
our existence an d our prim ary w elfare, all of
th at w hich furthers these is held to be good,
and the co n trary is eschewed as evil. T h u s,
men look upon all health m easures and all re
lated thereto as having the value of good.
Likewise, th ey feel the need for society to
restrain the pow erful, th e strong from com
pletely crushing the weak. T h a t which gives
the w eak some protection is held to be the
good of a social order. T h ese general kinds
of good will continue to persist. W e instinc
tively are d ependent upon them and feel that
they are rig h t because w e benefit from them.
T h a t is w hy w e think of w ar, m urder, rape,
and theft as evil. T h e y affect our security.
T o each o f us, our w elfare, our comfort, our
freedom from w orry, fear, or any kind of
disagreeableness is good and its opposite
evil.
T h e more cultured, the more sensitive we
become, the more sentim ents w e develop and
the more kinds of evil w e conceive. T h ere
comes a time, then, w hen even social coarse
ness becomes a kind of minor evil. As, for
example, in primitive society selfishess and
greed are not held to be a deviation from the
good. O n the other hand, to d ay they are
ethically held to be an evil.
T o summarize, men m ust agree on their
goodan d their evil. T o the mystic, the
nearest approach to a positive, absolute evil
is the w ilfull defiance of w h at self defines as
the good. But, afte r all, this again makes the
content of good an d evil but notions of the
individual's m ind. X .

Mystical Short-cuts
A frater in A ustralia, new to our Forum
Circle, asks: A re there m ystical short-cuts?
Is it necessary to study, to practice, and to
slowly develop certain pow ers and the inner
consciousness? A re there m ethods known

Page 108

w here in a few weeks one may be capable of

doing w hat the mystics of old did? If this is
possible, w hy are not these tim e-saving sys
tems, these improved w ays of attainm ent,
passed on to we Rosicrucians?
I have a friend w ho knew th a t I have been
studying Rosicrucianism for some time. O c
casionally w hen w e engaged in conversation
and the mystical topics becam e som ew hat
profound, he w ould hasten to leave o r in
other w ays disclose his lack of interest, and
even his inability to com prehend. C onse
quently, he never came to really know an y
thing of the true purposes and philosophy of
the A M O R C teachings. Recently a man set
himself up in our community as a mystic.
T h is self-designation w as to my know ledge
contrary to true mysticism. H ow ever, he be
gan holding classes weekly, for fees, which
are in themselves in one week, as much as my
m onthly dues. M y friend called on me the
other day and excitedly related th a t he had
become a student of this mystic.* H e was
high in his praise of him. M y friend said th at
he did not need to read and study, and be
come fam iliar with certain term s and sciences
as I did to become proficient in mysticism.
H e had joined w ith several others in this
class' and perform ed certain exercises for an
hour or so each time, and this w as to give
him vision of a mystical n atu re and powers
as well, equal to every need, w ithout having
to learn principles and law s'. H e told me
th at this w as a m ystical short cut which no
one else possessed. N ow am I being deprived
of som ething, or is my friend being deluded?"
K nowledge, w ithout the capacity to execute
it properly, is of little value in the everyday
w orld. T h eo ry and speculation stim ulate our
im agination and make our thinking more per
spicuous. H ow ever, only the ability to apply
w h at w e know gives real confidence. T h is ap
plication of know ledge is called technique.
F o r an analogy, a man may know the theory
of combustion engines. H e m ay know how
the gas engine of his own automobile func
tions, but unless through practice he has ac
quired the technique of repairing his engine
w hen trouble occurs, his theoretical know l
edge is of little value. Proficiency in piano
playing, as another example, consists then in
n ot only knowing how to read the musical
score and the position of the keys, b ut in
actual playing. T h eory takes com paratively

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

less time in this latter exam ple than the co

ordinating of the fingers w ith the eyes and
w ith the sound, of w hich piano playing con
sists. A n y little boy or girl learning to play
a musical instrum ent can confirm this.
T h eo ry an d practice alone make for pro
ficiency, for m astery in an y art or science.
T h e body, the pow ers o f the individual, must
be harnessed, th a t is, they m ust be syn
chronized w ith the ideas in the consciousness.
C onversely, w e can sometimes learn b y prac
tice, w ithout an y reference to theory, but in
such instances w e often learn w rongly and
m ust undo much to realize an y true perfec
tion. M a n y men who th ought they w ere fair
horseback riders, having learned by riding
on their fathers* farms in childhood, h ad to
begin again as soldiers in the cavalry. T h eo ry
disclosed th a t their m ethods w ere not safe or
beneficial for either the horse o r rider over
long periods. T herefore, know ledge, as theo
ry, should precede practice w herever possible.
T h e two w hen coordinated make for real ac
complishment.
Is attaining the heights of mysticism an
exception? It is not. T h e theory of mysticism
is a personal approach to G od, the use of self
as a channel to reach the Divine A gency and
to experience oneness w ith the Cosmic. A l
low me to ask these questionsw hat are you
joining through mysticism? M an, his self,
and the Cosmic. T h a t is true, b u t w hat is
man? W h a t is self? W h a t are the limitations
and differences betw een them? T hen, again,
w h at is the Cosmic? the Divine? in contra
distinction to man an d self? W h y should
such unity be sought after? W h a t are its
fruits? D oes such a practice entail dangers?
A re there rig h t and w rong methods? C er
tainly from all of this, it can be seen th at to
attem pt an y exercises w hich purport to estab
lish a m ystical bond, w ithout first having an
sw ered satisfactorily the preceding questions
is to invite possible calamities.
T h e fact is, th a t w ithout study, w ithout an
sw ers to such questions, the N eophyte is not
certain w h at he seeks, an d w h at to do w ith
it if an d w hen he acquires it. T o go a t a thing
so blindly is the equivalent of taking a man
into a central pow er station and showing him
how to throw a series of m aster switches,
controlling high line voltages of perhaps
75,000 v o ltsan d telling him nothing more.
If he has no understanding of the m ethod by

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

which such pow er is generated, how long the

loads should be sustained, and w h at is de
pendent upon the flow of such current, it is
quite apparent th a t his act, the throw ing of
the sw itch, m ight be disastrous. A s a further
analogy, it is equivalent to saying, W h y
should a man devote years to the stu d y of
electrical engineering when, by a short cut,
I can show him how to throw sw itches con
trolling dynam oes in a few minutes?
T h e exercises contained in the Rosicrucian
m onographs constitute a very minor p a rt of
the entire Rosicrucian system of instruction.
It is possible, perhaps, to read all of the Rosi
crucian exercises and dem onstration methods
in a period not exceeding tw o or three
months. Such w ould be a short cut to results
b u t w h at pitifully disastrous results for
alm ost all w ho attem pted it. A parallel ex
am ple w ould be giving a three-year-old child
a loaded revolver w ith which to play. It is
not a short cut to an end, if the m ethod has
its prep arato ry instructions, its necessary
background, its ramifications of know ledge
removed.
I have know n individuals w ho have been
members o f legitim ate schools of mysticism
in the O rient an d in the W e ste rn W o rld ,
w ho partially com pleted their studies and
then decided to violate their vows an d prosti
tute their know ledge. Subsequently they set
themselves up as individual teachers, charg
ing sizeable fees for so-called quick methods.
T h e y then proceeded not to teach the philoso
phy, the truths, the laws w hich they had
learned, but just the technique of applying
them. T h is, o f course, w as easier, more spec
tacular, and m ade it possible for them to
gain their revenue more quickly. T h e y w ere
shrew d enough never to remain long enough
in one city to see the harvest of their nefarious
plan. T h e y travelled from city to city, leaving
dire results in their wake. W h a t w ere the
resultsnum bers of people w ith broken minds
and health. A ll insane asylums an d mental
institutions have m any inmates w ho sought
such quick short-cuts. O ne of w hich is, for
example, teaching a student how to induce
hypnotism in another, or to gain control by
some m eans of the minds of others. T h e psy
chological background, and the evident d an
gers, w hich require considerable study, are
neglected. Is it not all too evident w h at the
consequences w ould be?

Page 109

T h e Rosicrucian O rder, A M O R C , is one

of several organized, authentic channels for
mystical enlightenm ent and the stu d y and use
of age-old Cosmic principles. A ssociated w ith
A M O R C as members of the F. U. D. O . S. I.,
a Federation of venerated m ystical orders,
are several other schools an d m ystical socie
ties, w ith an historical background. N early
all of them, in their degrees, refer to the same
Cosmic principles. I have met their leaders,
and I have been initiated into some of these
orders in E urope. O u r late Im perator, D r. H.
Spencer Lewis, w as an officer in m any of
these affiliated societies. In none o f them,
however, w here the teachings w ere similar to
A M O R C 'S , did w e find any short-cuts. T h e
time th at had to be devoted to various sub
jects of phenom ena and m ystical principles
w as often identical. Sometimes, a m onth or
so less, o r a few w eeks more than A M O R C .
Like A M O R C , they realize the candidate
m ust have so much know ledge and practice
before he can conclude a subject. T h e N eo
phyte could n ot dem and or purchase any
quicker w ay. If he w ished to risk his health,
and his mind, he could gamble w ith short cuts
by leaving the legitim ate orders an d going
to some individual teacher having no authen
tic background except w hat he claimed for
himself.
W ith the facilities and means, and the
w orld-w ide recognition at the disposal of
A M O R C , it could triple, yes, quadruple its
membership over night, if it w ould publicly
announce an d attem pt to teach m ystical short
cuts. T h ere are alw ays credulous an d gullible
people w ho w ould be willing to risk their lives
for such short-cuts, so as to avoid conscien
tious effort. H ow ever, A M O R C s reputation
today an d in the p ast is founded upon an in
telligent use o f Cosmic principles, not an ig
norant, hurry-up, m isapplication of nature's
laws. B ew are of mystical sh o rt-cu ts.X.

Religious Emotion
W e have received numerous questions from
our members concerning various types of ap
peals th at are being made through the medi
um of advertising w hich deal entirely with
the response of the individual to certain types
of religious feelings. T hese appeals are fre
quently found in various publications in which
there is an attem pt m ade to ap parently teach

Page 110

the individual that, w hatever m ay be his re

ligious beliefs, he is falling sho rt of the maxi
mum use of the divine forces in the universe.
It is, of course, true th a t the average individ
ual is not fam iliar w ith the potentialities of
this force or, as the Rosicrucians w ould ex
press it, he is n o t using all his innate pow ers
and abilities.
W e m ust b ear in mind th a t every individ
ual, in one w ay or another, responds to the
desire to be more acquainted w ith an d realize
more fully the significance of communion or
attunem ent w ith G od and w ith the cosmic
scheme. H ow ever, man m ust realize th a t this
is accom plished through his own effort and,
furtherm ore, th a t no set of religious princi
ples or pseudo religious practices can bring
about in him a conception of his relationship
to his M aker unless there is created, as the
result of instruction or study, a true experi
ence th a t is accom panied w ith one's convic
tions. M an has alw ays been subject to the
religious convictions of another. It is well
know n th at certain religious feelings become
so definite in the mind of the individual hav
ing some certain experience th a t this individ
ual feels obligated to attem pt to force this
experiencew hich is, after all, his own per
sonal experienceonto another's life, and we
m ight add, the total experience of another
individual. W e have repeatedly pointed out
in these pages, and in our teachings, that
second-hand experience is of no value. T h e re
fore, the Rosicrucians have alw ays tried to
point out to their members th at the true re
ligious emotions are brought about by our
ow n understanding and experience.
T ru e religious emotions are those based
upon reverence, love, p ity all leading to an
ultim ate state of ecstasy. It is n o t necessary
th at this last attainm ent be accom plished
through any one pattern or formula, as ex
pressed by a n y religious creed, doctrine, or
system of beliefs. T h ere are m any religious
people who profess no particular creed but
rath e r have found suitable outlets for their
religious beliefs and principles in a well b al
anced life and in the developm ent of a phi
losophy of life which is, to them, their means
of adjusting themselves to their environm ent
and to the forces of the universe w ith w hich
they find themselves in contact. T o appeal to
one's religious convictions or emotions, in
order to direct them along certain prepared

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

lines of thought, is an attem pt to limit the

creative ability of the individual.
U nfortunately, today we find th a t almost
anything can be done in the nam e of religion.
O rganizations, w hose functioning might be
questioned if th ey w ere not religious, can
make all kinds of claims as to the benefits
th a t will come to the individual. T h ese claims
can neither be proved nor disproved because
of the fact th a t one cannot be forced to bring
into the field o f m aterial the proof o f his or
h er experiences, w hich he can claim actually
happened in the guise o f religious experi
ences. E stablished religions are n o t attem pt
ing to advance claims other th an the benefit
th at can come to the individual through his
communion w ith G od under the religious
practices established. But those w ho use re
ligion as a m eans of advancing a theory or
new set of principles of living are not a t
tem pting to b etter the individual as much as
they are to appeal to certain emotions o f th a t
individual to bring about an im aginary fea
ture for the particular system of thought
offered.
Reviewing in o u r minds the history of the
hum an race w e will see m any evidences of
w here fear has been used to force the in
dividual into certain religious beliefs. T h is is
easily done by holding before th a t individual
a fear of the consequences of n ot adopting a
certain religious viewpoint. E tern al punish
m ent or eternal ecstasy are the results of our
behaviour under this form of appeal. H ow
ever, w ith the expanding consciousness of the
hum an being bro u g h t about b y the advance
in civilization, an d particularly in physical
sciences, this appeal has lost its hold. M en
and women are no longer afraid of natural
phenom ena w hich are understood. T h u n d er
and lightning w ere, in the past, interpreted as
being evidences of G od's displeasure. Even
today w e find those who interpret earth
quakes, floods, o r other u n fo rtu n ate occur
rences as being the result of the direct inter
vention of G od due to his displeasure w ith
m an's behaviour. A nother appeal which is
now used to a ttra c t attention of certain fol
lowers is the personalization of G od to the
extent th a t G od can be reduced to the status
of an advisor or helper of th a t particular in
dividualth a t man can become able, through
a certain set of rules or instructions, to com
mune directly w ith God, an d the intended

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

inference is th a t w hen this process is under

stood G od will assum e all the individual's
problem s and he, in turn, will be free of hav
ing to use his ow n initiative and effort.
Com m unication w ith G od is not a new
thing established by a tw entieth century
school of th o u g h t or cult. It is, and has been,
an aspiration of man ever since he has been
able to think as an individual. But the m ys
tic, the individual w ho desires this communi
cation, m ust first come to the realization th a t
G od is m anifest in all things, including him
self, and th a t true communication will come
in direct proportion to the ability to ad ju st
his thinking and living to a harm onious rela
tionship w ith these forces w ithin and outside
of himself. Briefly, Rosicrucians will see th at
this is a statem ent of the Rosicrucian view
point o f m an's communion w ith his C reator.
O u r advice, in answ er to these m any mem
bers w ho inquire concerning various religious
movements, is to judge correctly the m otive
behind the appeal. Is it m erely to attract a
following o r to sell a course of study, or is it
founded upon the earnest desire of one who
has a true religious feeling to lead others to
closer com munication w ith his creator? F u r
therm ore, rem em ber that religion and reli
gious emotions are som ething that are diffi
cult to share. W e each m ust follow certain
paths in our lives alone. W e must arrive at
certain conclusions and, as a result, will have
those experiences which will prove to us, and
to us alone, w hat, after all, is the relationship
that we, as individuals, bear to the rest of the
universal forces th a t exist.
A good criterion for the judging of a re
ligious appeal is w hether o r not it conforms
with our own convictions. W e are not forced
to accept the religious opinions of others b ut
w e are privileged, and it is indeed a very
great privilege, to be able to live as w e are
convinced is the right w ay and the means to
a better understanding. T herefore, as Rosi
crucians, our obligation is to respect the true
religious beliefs of others and to do nothing
intentionally w hich will interfere w ith the
practice on the p a rt of others of those rights
which they consider sacred. A t the same time
we, in our ow n minds, make those reserva
tions w hich perm it us to adopt any system of
religion th a t is suitable to our ow n needs and
satisfaction.
Recently, at a series of lectures conducted

Page 111

by this organization, a group, respecting cer

tain religious principles, decided th a t some of
the m aterial presented in the lectures w as
contrary to their particular beliefs. N o doubt
this is true because, after all, this particular
group or religious denom ination w ould be ac
cepted even if it did have different beliefs
than someone else; but, in their zeal to pre
sent their theory, they started a cam paign to
distribute certain tracts and leaflets to every
one in atten d an ce a t these lectures. W e do
not object to such a p racticeth is is w ithin
their rig h tsb u t the honest reaction on the
p a rt of those attending the lectures w as not
favorable to their cause. T h e y did not feel
th a t they could be responsive to a group th at
would base their presentation of a religious
belief upon w h at they considered the errors
of non-religious literature. T herefore, unfor
tunately, some of these individuals w ere held
in ridicule w hereas they m ight have won re
spect h ad they been more aw are of the true
hum an em otions to which th ey could have a p
pealed in bringing other individuals to see
their w ay of interpreting G od.
T ru e, this organization is n o t religious, in
the sense th a t it does not dictate the affiliated
mem bers' religious convictions. N either does
it uphold or deal in a religious system, creed
or belief, b u t w e do w ant to cultivate in the
minds of our members the recognition of re
ligious experience an d an aw areness of its
true place in our scheme of living.A.

H idden Meanings
W e frequently receive from members ques
tions w hich are the result of references in
the m onographs indicating th a t the member
should and can read between the lines and
thereby gain impressions, ideas, an d practical
applications of the Rosicrucian teachings.
T h is fact has sometimes been m isinterpreted
due to the m isunderstanding of the reader of
the m onographs, w ho failed to grasp the
exact intent of this inference. Some members
have even gone so far as to believe it is es
sential on their p a rt to read into the mono
g rap h sand, in fact, into all m aterial provid
ed to instruct members in the Rosicrucian
philosophy hidden m eanings and symbol
ism; w hen, actually, the m aterial is not in
tended to convey any meaning other than
th at which is apparent. Even correspondence

Page 112

has sometimes been m isinterpreted. All cor

respondence from officers, and those under
the direction of officers carrying on member
ship correspondence, strives to be frank and
direct in answ ering the inquiries of members
concerning the teachings, or in advising them
concerning their ow n problems or application
of the principles. W e w ish to assure you
that we w ould not intentionally attem pt to
hide any of the principles or helpful instruc
tion which are possible for us to convey in
w ords or symbols. T h e im portant thing to
remember is the last p art of the preceding
sentence; th a t is, all principles of an esoteric
and psychic n atu re w hich can possibly be
conveyed through a physical medium, such
as a printed page, are very carefully present
ed in all of our instructions, w hether it be
m onographs, m agazines, or personal corre^
spondence.
O u r members should never lose sight of
the fact that w hen w e deal w ith a non
m aterial thing, w e cannot reduce th at non
material into m aterial term sonly in a rather
vague and symbolical m anner. It has fre
quently been stated th at no one other than
ourselves can explain a psychic impression or
experience. In other w ords, w h at happens to
us individually of a psychic nature is purely
a personal experience. P ast experience, train
ing, and understanding have led to the actual
occurrence of the condition, and only w hen
th a t experience is interpreted in terms of our
own existence, our personal lives, our aims
and desires w hich are strictly personal prop
erty, can w e begin to reach any sort of a con
clusion as to the real intent an d purpose of
the experience itself. In other w ords, I can
not interpret your personal experience except
in terms of m y experience; therefore, my in
terpretation w ould only on very rare occa
sions have any bearing or significance upon
your experience or need of the moment. It is
evident then th a t w h at w e gain in this life is
only partly brou g h t about by the experience
and influence of others.
I do not m ean in these comments to undervaluate the vast am ount of know ledge which
is our heritage of the past or of the experi
ences of other hum an beings w ho have travel
ed a path sim ilar to our own, but I do wish
to stress th a t the value m ust be recognized
both in terms of its possibility of helping us
and in terms of its limitations. S ugar has a

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

high value. A greater utilitarian Value has

been placed upon it now than in m any years
because of the limited m ethod of distribution
of the available supply, but because we place
a high value on it, and most of us take steps
to distribute the use of it reasonably, does
not mean th at th at value can be carried over
to things for w hich w e would not ordinarily
purchase sugar. F o r example, it is not w ithin
the realm of probability th at w e w ould use
sugar instead of gold or silver for a medium
of exchange in our present condition. In
other w ords, su g ar has a value for the uses
to which sugar can be p u t b u t n o t to be used
instead of precious metals, precious stones,
or even other readily useable commodities.
T h e same applies to our heritage of history
and know ledge. T h ey combine the experi
ences of others an d have a definite value in
providing each o f us w ith a b etter back
ground an d plan of living, b u t they cannot in
any sense replace the G od-given potential
abilities an d inherent know ledge of the soul
which w e bring into this incarnation. T h e re
fore, w hen it is stated th at w e m ust read
between the lines in order to gain the maxi
mum know ledge and benefit from our Rosi
crucian philosophy and teachings, or from
any other constructive and w orthw hile study,
it means th a t w hat we read betw een the lines
is the result of w h at our previous experiences
have been as a means of utilizing the know l
edge conveyed to us by the printed page, to
gether w ith our general know ledge and ex
perience in arousing and quickening those
psychic faculties which will perm it us to gain
impressions direct from the Cosmic.
As a result of the consideration of these
comments, I believe most members will begin
to understan d b etter than before th at w h at
is m eant by reading betw een the lines is the
result of two im portant factors; first, the line
of thought th a t is established in the read er's
mind as a result of the contents of the mono
graphs or read m aterial itself. T h a t is, the
subject m atter will have a relationship to
something in our own experience thereby
causing thoughts in regard to previous ex
perience an d know ledge to come into our
minds and probably take a new relationship
to our general thinking. In this w ay experi
ence and know ledge of even some years'
standing will have new significance, although
it m ight never have m eant anything to us had

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

it not been brought into our objective con

sciousness as a result of the ideas w hich have
been presented to us through the w ritten
word.
T h e second w ay in w hich we gain im
pressions is som ew hat dependent upon the
past explanation; th at is, th a t not only will
our previous experiences and know ledge be
brought into our immediate consciousness b ut
these facts being new ly arranged in our
thinking will put us in a state of attunem ent
that makes possible gaining intuitive im pres
sions. All our teachings are interdependent,
in such a w ay as to be a constant stim ulation
to our intuition. In other w ords, one aim of
the Rosicrucian principles is to develop a
state of Cosmic consciousness, a condition
which does not necessarily alw ays develop as
a sudden com pleted thing or as a complete
inspiration, b u t as a grow thjust as our ob
jective consciousness develops over a period
of time.
Cosmic consciousness, then, as stated in
various parts of our teachings, is a condition
that develops ap a rt and in addition to our
usual conscious states. From the time w e are
infants until w e reach m aturity our conscious
ness grows as the result of sense impressions
added to by our ability to reason, and by the
intuitive ability of our subjective minds to
transfer know ledge and experience of p ast
incarnations into a p art of our general think
ing. T his is the process of building w h at w e
might term T h e soul's m ind" in contradis
tinction to the objective mind, which is the
mind of the body. It adds the state of Cosmic
consciousness to objective know ledge an d ex
perience. T h e increased use of our own in
tuitive ability developed by a sincere and
conscientious application of the principles
which have been laid down b y mystics of the
past, together w ith our practice and ability
to listen to the voice w ithin us w hich is the
record of all our past lives, plus an actual
contact w ith the divine mind, makes it pos
sible to understand more than is app aren t to
the physical senses.A.

W here Does Life Begin?

A F ra te r raises an interesting question by
referring to our statem ent in the m onographs
that while lower animals have souls to a cer
tain extent, although differing from hum an

Page 113

beings, th a t it is also stated th at outside of

living things, th at is, in the vegetable and
mineral kingdom, there are no souls. H e p ro
ceeds to point out th at biology teaches us
and proves through e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n th at
there is no definite line which can be pointed
out as separating vegetable an d animal life
in the low er forms. In other w ords, the line
betw een living an d non-living things is not
definite. T h ere are small organism s w hich are
very closely related to both the animal an d
vegetable kingdom to such an extent th a t
some of these microscopic forms take on
characteristics w hich are, to a certain extent,
both anim al an d vegetable.
T h e question raised by this F ra te r is In
view of these facts, a t w h at stage of develop
ment does the soul begin to m anifest in ani
mal life?" In order to gain an understanding
of this interesting problem, we m ust bear in
mind some of the fundam ental principles in
reg ard to those forces which w e distinguish
as living an d non-living. Let us review in our
minds the Rosicrucian conception of life. W e
state th a t one force em anates from the source
of all things and pervades the universe. T h is
force, vibratory in nature, sets up those vibra
tions w hich make possible the m anifestation
of all things, and is dual in its character. W e
divide it into its tw o polaritiespositive an d
negative. T h e positive polarity is the soul
force or vital life force; the negative polarity
is spirit. Spirit is the prim ary m anifestation
of all the universe, because it is spirit which
makes up those m anifestations th a t register
upon the hum an and animal sense organs. In
other w ords, it is m aterial, and w e base our
reasoning for a physical universe upon the
m anifestation of this force which causes all
th at is physical and m aterial to be.
In every form of living and non-living
thing, w h eth er it is a solid, liquid, or gas, we
find spirit. T h e only difference in these mani
festations being in the particular rate of vi
brations of this spirit energy. T h e material
m anifestations throughout the universe are
spirit. O u r body is a m aterial substance and
therefore is spirit. N ow , it is very evident to
anyone th a t all m aterial things, form sor,
to be more specific, vibrations of sp iritth at
we consider as inert or non-living insofar as
m anifestation and appearance are concerned,
have a complete absence of living attributes;
but it is equally ap p aren t th at in all living

Page 114

things there is som ething added to spirit th at

makes those living things, while having m any
sim ilar characteristics in common w ith other
forms of m atter, take on, in addition, other
characteristics and traits which clearly dis
tinguish them as living organism s. T h is other
elem entor more clearly, this positive force
of the universal creative energy w e call
vital life force, or, in the hum an beings,
soul. N ow , if this is a force an d a m ani
festation of the highest vibrations o r rad ia
tions of the universe, w e can readily u n d er
stan d th a t it m anifests in different degrees
and the hum an being partakes of the high
degree of this radiation. In other w ords, in
the hum an being w e find the force or rad ia
tions of spirit and soul combined in the most
perfect m anifestation w e know on this plane
of existence. In o ther w ords, w e find spirit
as m anifesting in a body w hich is a vehicle
for this vital life force m anifesting as a soul.
T h e intelligence w hich the hum an being is
capable of attaining, his capabilities of using
m atter, his high degree of sensitiveness to
higher forces, and his appreciation of the
G od-pow er w ithin him as well as his higher
emotions, indicate th a t his prim ary function
is to develop a personality w hile in this physi
cal body, based upon the potentialities of the
soul.
If we proceed dow n the scale of the animal
kingdom, w e see in the higher animals a well
developed body, in m any respects similar to
our own, and also through the behavior and
adaptability o f the anim al w e see m anifested
various degrees of the intelligence which is
due to these entities being living things, an d
thereby infused w ith a certain am ount of the
vital life force. G oing further down the scale
of life w e gradually reach points w here the
soul force is in evidence only to the extent
th a t the m atter is infused w ith it to the extent
w here it is w h at w e ordinarily term live
m atter. In other w ords, the singled-celled
anim al o r vegetable is prim arily spirit, yet in
fused w ith a certain am ount of the vital life
force to cause it to be sensitive to various
stim ulations and thereby to differ from m atter
which produces this sensitiveness.
T h e m anifestation of vital life force in
low er living forms is such that it does not
bring w ith it intelligence an d the potentialities
of personality, but it is there in all things th at
live, w hether they be plants or animals. In

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

fact, this dual m anifestation of spirit an d soul

exists through all things. By our ability to
perceive, w e find th a t in those things in which
the degree of life is very low or entirely non
existent, the dual characteristic is so small
th at it is ap p aren t to us only as m atter, or the
m anifestation of spirit. Just as spirit becomes
subordinate to soul in the highest developed
hum an being, so does soul become subordi
nate to m atter in non-living things; but,
nevertheless, b oth polarities are states ex
istent even in the rock or the soil, b ut to such
a small extent th a t it cannot be interpreted
to us.A.

Persecution of the Jews

A n d now w e give ear to this soror's ques
tion: W h y have the Jews been alm ost con
tinuously subject to persecution throughout
history? A t times, as now, there are loud
cries against it, y et it has and continues to
exist in the centers of w h at are ordinarily
held points of w orld culture. W h y is m arty r
dom im m anent w ith these people, or w hy are
they so ordained to a life of isolation and
abuse?
T hough this soror does not imply such a
thought, th ere are today those who h arbor a
suspicion th a t the Jews are innately responsi
ble for the horrors of persecution which they
have endured. T h e infam ous persecution of
the Jews cannot be understood unless there
is a brief review of their racial and historical
origin. T h is m ust of n e c e s s i t y be very
sketchy, for an y treatm ent of it professing
thoroughness w ould require volumes and
then w ould n o t be complete.
Racially, the Jew is of two types. First, the
Semitic, d ark w ith a fine nose and features,
not greatly unlike the A rab, to whom he has
an ethnic relation. T h e second type, Arm enoid, or ancient H ittite, w ith a coarser nose
and an appearance of blondness. Commonly,
the w ords Jew an d H ebrew are interchanged,
but a distinction should be m ade between
them. P roperly the w ord Jew means man of
Ju d a h /' after a small district, of w hich Jeru
salem becam e the capital. C onsequently, in
this sense, Jew refers to nationality and to
religion, rath e r th an to race. O n the other
hand, H ebrew is a racial designation. L iter
ally it m eans a member of certain tribes of
the northern Semites. T h ese included the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Israelites, Am m onites, M oabites, and E d o

mites. G enerally, it refers to the Israelites.
From the foregoing, it can be seen th a t one
could be a H ebrew and yet not be a Jew,
namely, th a t racially he is of th at blood, b u t
does n o t subscribe to Judaism. A s a people,
so far as history relates, they began in th at
area w hich exists betw een the T igris River,
in w h at is now Iraq, and the N ile in E gypt.
A t first, and as they continued to be for cen
turies, they w ere principally nomadic. T h a t
is, they roam ed the fertile regions to the
north, betw een these two river valleys, driv
ing their flocks before them. G eographically,
they w ere placed under the pressure of tw o
great rival states in A frica and Asia, nam ely,
E g y p t to their W e st, and the A siatic pow ers
of Babylon, and later A ssyria to the E ast.
A s a nom adic people, they had no cen
tralization an d no common bond, each little
group, consisting of one or several families,
moved separately across the so-called fertile
crescent of the eastern end of the M editer
ranean. E ach m ade laws unto itself, w hich
necessity compelled, and w hich evolved into
customs. In all probability, m any of these
tribes w ere at one time quite hostile to each
other, just as w e find to be the case am ong
the Bedouin tribes in A rabia and the N ear
E ast today. T h e first and principal nexus
which w as developed w as their conception
of G od a one suprem e, paternal being
Yahweh* T heirs w as not the first monotheistic
conception. It w as probably acquired from
the E gyptians, but they greatly augm ented it.
D uring the time of A m enhotep IV , P h a
raoh of E gypt, the concept of one G od, the
first the w orld h ad ever know n, w as not uni
versally accepted. T housands of E gyptians
w ere reluctant to put faith in such a radical
idea. W ith the Jews, however, Y ahw eh be
came a national G od as well. T h e people
w ere not only his children, b u t his subjects.
H e w as their king, and com manded them
through their prophets. R egardless of the
w ealth and political, and m ilitary m ight of
E gypt and A ssyria, the Jews w ere inspired
to preserve, against any odds, the Kingdom
of Y ahw eh. T h is is an im portant point. T h e
Jews w ere not fighting to survive as a political
unit, as a civilization prim arily, but as a peo
ple desiring to establish a life that they con
ceived w as desired by their G od. T h ey w ere
m otivated as a people, b y a religious spirit

Page 115

rath er than by one of aggression or m aterial

ism. T h ey w ere n o t just pitting themselves
against nations of g reater pow er, but, in fact,
they were, as they thought, pitting their G od
against all of the false gods.
W e hear how in antiquity the Jews w ere
taken prisoners, persecuted, an d m ade slaves,
as if persecution began w ith them in very
ancient times. T h e fact rem ains, however,
th a t they w ere n ot an y more enslaved in such
times than w ere the prisoners of w ar of any
of the other states or tribes w hich opposed
the m ilitary machines of E g y p t an d the A sia
tic pow ers. T h e E g y p tian s fought the A s
syrians ju st as diligently. Rameses III con
ducted cam paign afte r cam paign into w h at is
now Syria, an d m ade slaves of the early
H ittites and N o rth ern M editerranean peo
ples. I have seen, deeply inscribed on the
w alls of the T em ple M edinet H abu in E gypt,
life-sized figures, depicting A ssyrian prison
ers of w ar taken b y the E gyptians, show ing
their torture and maiming b y the E gyptians,
which is equivalent to anything w hich the
Jews suffered a t their hands. Conversely,
later the A ssyrians did the sam e to the E g y p
tians, M edes, H ittites, Babylonians, and m any
other peoples. Sennacherib, the A ssyrian
King, for example, c o m p le t e ly destroyed
Babylon an d turned the course of the River
over the capitulated city.
T h e Jews, how ever, being a t first less or
ganized and not b y inclination as ferocious
an d w arlike as the A ssyrians, for example,
w ere often easy p rey for them. F u rth er, for
a considerable time, the Jews refused to fight,
even in self-defense, on the S abbath, a fact
of which their enemies took g reat advantage.
C onsiderably later, w hen all nationalistic
and all bonds of religious an d national cus
toms w ere breaking up in the real chaos of
the G raeco-R om an Em pire, the Jews stood
out like a rock in the m idst of the ocean.*
T h e y stead fastly m aintained their national
independence, which, as said, w as related to
their monotheistic conception. In other w ords,
these things w ere uniting them w hen the rest
of the w orld w as falling into dissolution. A t
this time, their leaders w ere n ot just kings,
but royal priests. T h e y w ere priests of a
G od-K ing who governed the people. Religion
and nationalism becam e united in a strong,
unique harm ony.
W e have people w ho are citizens of the

Page 116

same state, of the same country, but often

they will not agree as to religion, and this
greatly separates them. Such a condition did
not exist in the kingdom of Judah. G od and
the state w ere one. T hus, though the cul
tures of the different civilizations sw ept over
the Jews like w aves over a rock, only one left
a deep impression upon them. T h is w as the
Roman. Rom an rites and customs are m erged
w ith m any Jewish ones. T his, however, is
not even realized by m any of the p resent-day
Jews.
In the early years of the F irst C entury,
Rome established procurators, G overnors of
Judea. C onsequently, Judea w as no longer
governed b y Jews. T h is brought about m any
clashes, w hich h ad far reaching consequences
and led to a real persecution of the Jews,
w hich had no roots in ordinary m ilitary con
quests such as those of E gypt and A ssyria.
A s, for example, Pontius Pilate, A. D. 26-36,
outraged Jewish feelings by outlaw ing cer
tain param ount customs of theirs. T h e Jewish
historians, Josephus and Philo, record the
w ay in w hich he goaded the people to revolt.
H e deliberately brought into Jerusalem sta n d
ards upon w hich there w ere banners flying,
w hich deified the Roman Em perors. H e well
knew how sensitive the Jews w ere to accept
ing any other but their sole God. T h e Jews
petitioned P ilate to remove them. T h ey im
portuned him for six days and in desperation
w ere going to offer themselves in m artrydom
and tear the stan d ard s down, w hen finally
P ilate ordered their removal. In addition, he
resorted to such offenses as using their T em
ple money to build Roman aqueducts.
Still another example is Caligula, Rom an
official in A. D . 37. H e set himself up as a
Divinity, much to the disgust and offense of
the Jews, and this brought much trouble. In
the subsequent riots, the Jewish quarters w ere
sacked and the cultured Jews w ere insulted
and humiliated.
A nother custom contributing to the perse
cution of the Jews w as the diaspora. T h is
consisted of a dispersion of the Jewish cus
toms throughout the known w orld. T h is dis
persion w as both voluntary and compulsory.
T h e Jews w ere m ade slaves and sent to v ari
ous sections of the know n world. W h e n their
state began to break up, the free Jews mi
grated to different countries, in search of
some security and a place to rehabilitate their

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

nation. W h e rev er they w ent, they either

found themselves ostracised, or found reli
gious customs w hich offended them. C onse
quently, they solidified as groups, keeping to
themselves and building strong w ithin them
selves their racial, national, an d religious
characteristics an d customs, in which they
found solace.
N evertheless, even though so isolated, they
exerted trem endously strong influences upon
all of the peoples about them. It is not be
cause the Jews proselyted others, b u t rather
because their conceptions an d ideals appealed
to m any of the investigating peoples of the
lands w hich they inhabited.
A t first the C hristian church m erely w ished
to prevent fu rth er inroads of Judaism on the
G entile peoples. T h e first restrictions had to
do w ith C hristians practicing or preaching
any form of Judaism, rath er th an w ith the
Jews themselves. T h e Rom an E m peror Jus
tinian, fanatical C hristian convert, who abol
ished the schools of ancient philosophy, w as
the first E m peror to interfere w ith Jewish re
ligious instruction. H is proclam ations advo
cating unfair discrim ination ag ain st the Jews
quickly developed into an actual oppression
of them, on the p a rt of the peoplethe man
in the street. T h e principles set forth in the
Codex T heodosionus, constituting a dis
crimination, perm eated the W e ste rn W o rld
w ith the idea th a t the Jewish people were in
ferior. P aren ts so tau g h t their children and
forbade them to play w ith Jewish children,
and this idea grew w ith each generation,
until it w as accepted as an absolute f a c t one w hich no one questioned.
T h e third a n d fourth L ateran Councils
(C hristian C hurch) 1179-1215, m arked the
grow th of Christian reaction to the Jews. T h e
Jews w ere referred to as infidels! T h ey w ere
compelled to w ear a special badge desig
n ating their race an d religion a peculiar
round black hat. T his, in itself, w as igno
miny. F urtherm ore, they w ere compelled to
live absolutely sep arate from all other peo
ples, thus resulting in the foundation of the
infam ous ghetto system.
In the M iddle A ges, the T w elfth C entury,
for example, accusation of the Jews, as an
excuse for the g reat persecution and oppres
sion of them, w as originated. Such consisted
in the outrageous and unfounded charges
th at the Jews resorted to m urder in their

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ritual, and that they w ere secretly poisoning

the wells. Since during such times, plagues
w ere sw eeping E urope from the filth, lack of
hygiene, and from unsanitary wells, about the
only w ater supply available, hatred for the
Jews crystallized into attributing to them the
deliberate poisoning of the wells.
W holesale expulsion of the Jews in various
countries of E urope began. F erd in an d and
Isabella of Spain issued an edict on M arch
31, 1492, expelling the Jews from th a t coun
try, w here they and their families so long had
been established. By the year 1597, the
whole of W e ste rn E urope w as now closed to
the Jews. T o the credit of H olland, it must
be said th a t she forbade Jewish persecution.
In fact, the celebrated philosopher, Spinoza,
born in A m sterdam , w as of P ortuguese refu
gee parents.
It is strange, to say the least, that som e of
the nations today w ho cry of the oppression
and persecution of their people, are renow ned
for their bloody pogroms, their m assacre of
the Jews. T h e Polish N ationals, for example,
vigorously pursued their v e n d e t t a policy
against the Jews. T h e celebrated boycott
of all Jews in P oland began in W a rs a w as
recently as 1912.
In Russia, 1919-21, some of the greatest
m assacres of peoples in all history occurred.
W h o le communities of Jews w ere killed.
Some w ere put to death horribly, no consid
eration being show n for age, sex, or infirmity.
A despicable lie w as circulated to vindicate
those taking p a rt in the brutalitiesthe Jews
w ere accused of cannibalism. If cannibalism
did exist on the p art of some of the Jews, it
was because they w ere intentionally starved
to death by the Russians. A nother notorious
Russian practice, which shocked the whole
world, w as the yellow ticket system. A ny
Jewess w ho w ould proclaim herself a prosti
tute and carry a yellow ticket so identifying
her and w orn conspicuously, or presented
upon dem and, w ould be allow ed her freedom
in Russia.
W h a t has been the result of all of this p er
secution, th a t is, the effect upon the Jews? It
accustom ed them to hardship, w hich made
them self-reliant and independent of the help
of others. It brought to the fore all of their
innate abilities an d traits upon w hich they
could rely. It compelled them to m aster and
make a success of means of livelihood not

Page 117

chosen or preferred by other peoples. It com

pelled them to be shrew d, exacting, farseeing,
to be thrifty, an d to plan for an uncertain
future, and not to p u t too much reliance in
the affluence of the present. F o r example, a t
one time the practice of lending money w as
thought by C hristians to be despicable, not
w orthy of them som ething only for the
Jews to do. C onsequently, the Jews became
w ealthy and astu te bankers. T h en w hen the
practice becam e general a nd successful the
prejudice against it w as removed by the
C hristians.
Since the Jew has kept his Semitic, racial
strains fairly pure and strong, as a people
they are very easily identified, and this w orks
to their detrim ent. Consequently, w hen any
one o f them is guilty of an actual crime or a
moral w rong, he or she is not only alone con
demned as an individual, b u t since it can be
seen th at the guilty person is a Jew, it re
flects upon his w hole race. N ow , other peo
ples may do likewise an d they are severely
censured, but principally as individuals. Since
their racial identity is n ot so easily known,
their race is not held responsible for their in
dividual acts. Such persecution is ap t to con
tinue, w ith varying degrees, so long as the
Jews as a race are so homogeneous.
T h e same feeling of anti-Sem itism w ould
manifest itself ag ain st the M oham m edans
for as a people they are alm ost as strong a
racial and religious u n itif, as a whole, they
w ere as erudite, an d if there h ad been built
up through the p ast as g reat a tradition of
h atred against them. T h e situation of the
Jews constitutes a vicious circle. T h e more
the Jews are persecuted, the more they be
come com pressed, for reasons of se l^ p re ser
vation, into a group. T h e more they are so
integrated, the more one actual or imagined
w rong deed by one of them involves their
whole race.X .

Entering the Sanctum Period

It m ight be presum ed th a t every Rosicru
cian is thoroughly fam iliar w ith the necessary
preparations for entering a sanctum period or
convocation. H ow ever, from letters which
occasionally come to my attention, I believe
th a t some are not. A ccom panying certain
m onographs an d rituals are instructions, th at
is, w hat to do on specific occasions. It is at

Page 118

other times, w hen members are left to their

own resources, th at I believe fratres and
sorores are in doubt as to w hat to do during
their sanctum period.
F irst, w hy a sanctum ? A sanctum is your
holy of holies. It is a place you have conse
crated to your b etter self, to your G od, to
your ideals, an d for the exclusion of your
ordinary activities for a brief time. E ntering
your sanctum constitutes a rite of transition,
th a t is, a change from the w orld of your
usual thought to one of devotion. W h e n you
enter your sanctum , it presupposes a w illing
ness to leave behind you things of the every
day w orld, th a t is, your concern about ordi
n ary affairs, your household, business and
social problem s and duties.
F urther, it indicates a change of mental a t
titude, one of receptivity and passivity. D u r
ing your sanctum period, you are going to re
ceive, and you are going to learn. You enter,
or should enter the atm osphere of your sanc
tum, as does the little child, a first-grader,
w ho enters his classroom a t school. You are
to come w ithin the presence of a great teach
er, to acquire and to assim ilate knowledge.
Y ou are not there to command or expound
or to po rtray your personal greatness. W h e n
you are in your sanctum , you must have th at
attitude of hum ility w hich one senses alone
at night on the desert, or while on a m ountain
top gazing into the inky canopy of the heav
ens, w ith its shim mering stars, its galaxies,
nebulae, and stellar w orlds.
If you are especially proud of some ac
com plishm ent for that day, if you feel flushed
w ith a w orldly success, quite certain of y o u r
self m aterially d o n 't enter your sanctum .
A ll th at you m ay have done in a temporal
w ay can m ake no impression on the realm
w ith which you are to com munethe Cosmic.
Such sm ugness will only caus you to try to
w eigh every impression you m ight receive
solely b y the w orth your reason places upon
it. T h ere is no greater obstacle to true en
lightenm ent than th a t self-assurance which
am ounts to over-satisfaction w ith oneself. If
you have been particularly fortunate during
the day, you should feel grateful w hen you
enter your sanctum that you had the un d er
standing to m aster w orldly conditions. Realize
th a t you can accomplish even greater results
w ith further enlightenm ent and w ith a deeper
insight into your own nature.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Likewise, if you are acrimonious an d cyni

cal, and feel th a t life is futile, do not begin
your sanctum convocation. By such thoughts,
you presum e to know the full purpose of the
Cosmic plan an d in your finite opinion have
found it w anting. T h is attitu d e am ounts to
a sacrilege.
U nless it is an em ergency, a m atter of the
most u rgent and serious consequences, do not
begin your sanctum period ju st for the p ur
pose of seeking a Cosmic intervention, a help
for yourself an d others. T ry to make the
reason of your sanctum period a desire for
enlightenm ent, for understanding, for the
purging of fear, ignorance, an d doubt from
your mind. T h in k of each sanctum convoca
tion contributing to your grow th, the growth
of self so th a t you m ay retu rn to the outer
w orld, the w orld of m undane interests w ith
confidence and renew ed ability, to personally
m aster situations, meet dem ands upon you,
so th at you will be more free to become a
g reater servant to hum anity.
F u rth er, frequently enter y our sanctum for
no other reason th an just to g ratify the self,
that is, w ith no tho u g h t of obtaining m aterial
advantages from the period. By gratifying
self, w e mean allow ing the real p art of you,
the Cosmic M ind w ithin you, to experience
joy and Peace P rofound, b y being placed in
an environm ent conducive to it. H ourly we
draw on self, either consciously or uncon
sciously, to fortify the objective man, to meet
his needs. It is only proper th a t occasionally
vou allow the self to revel in a familiar a t
m osphereone of Cosmic A ttu n e m en t. T h ere
m ust be food for the soul occasionally, as
there is for the b ody and mind.
D o not cheapen the dignity of your sanc
tum by shrouding it in undue m ystery which
m ay cause members of your family or friends
to deride you, or to speak ignom iniously of
the ceremony. Y our sanctum m ay be private
and should be during your ceremonies, but
there is no reason to b ar the door and refuse
to allow others to see the interior w hen you
are not using it. Y ou can create respect for
it by allow ing it to be seen, an d thereby di
vesting it of an y air of supernaturalism it may
have to the minds of others.
Conversely, the use of an y means to con
ceal the fact of your sanctum an d th a t you
conduct periods of m editation, study, and
contem plation therein, should be avoided

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w herever possible. H ave the courage of your

convictions. Y ou are sincere in your belief
in the ideals of the Rosicrucian O rd er, the
soundness and helpfulness of its teachings;
then never feel an y sham e or em barrassm ent
if one discovers" th at you are a Rosicrucian.
Simply an d kindly, and in a few w ords, ex
plain w h at the purposes of A M O R C are, to
a skeptic, or allow him to read the brief, ex
planatory booklet, W h o and W lia t A re T h e
R osicrucians. D o not try to convert such an
individual, against his desires, to Rosicrucian
membership, for you w ould only be draw n
into controversy and strife. O n the other
hand, if one displays real in te re st then go
further, explaining about the teachings of the
O rder, and giving him other literature w hich
invites him to become a member.
O nce having the right attitude of approach
to the sanctum convocation, w ash y our h ands
thoroughly. T his is the old traditional rite of
lustration, or purification, and depicts th at
you enter your sanctum pure in mind an d
purpose. If your m onograph does not, for
the occasion, designate a special ceremony,
then light your tw o candles on your altar, see
that your m irror is in place, and next light
your incense. If you have a Rosicrucian
membership apron, place it upon your person.
It is the symbol of service, of readiness to
w ork in the interests of the O rder, and as
well designates your fraternal relationship to
the thousands of other fratres and sorores
thus assembled.
N ext, stand before the altar, and make the
sign of the R osy Cross, as directed in the
N eophyte G uide sent to you early in your
membership. T h is is not a religious sign, b u t
rather a fraternal one. If you have the Rosi
crucian phonograph record entitled, S anc
tum Invocation, w hich is recorded in the
voice of our late Im perator, D r. H . Spencer
Lewis, play th a t w hile seated in your usual
chair. Keep your feet ap a rt and flat on the
floor, your hands resting, unclasped, in your
lap. D o not rem ain stiff an d alert. Be re
laxed, and com fortable; enjoy this period. If
you do not have this phonograph record,
then repeat to yourself softly the prayeraffirmation w hich is given in the booklet,
T h e C athedral of T h e Soul, a copy of
which you have, or repeat some other short
prayer given in one of the initiation rituals,
or in the book, M ystics at P ra y e r.

Page 119

D uring the ceremonial aspect of your sanc

tum convocation, try to have no other lights
b ut the candles on your sanctum altar. If
necessary to read, use a lamp giving sufficient
light, b u t so shade it th a t most of the illumi
nation falls ju st upon your reading material.
T h e deep shadow s thus caused are restful
and prevent an y objects in the room from
standing o u t prom inently, so as to detract a t
tention from y our purpose. If you are to per
form a dem onstration, do so quietly and ef
ficiently. D o not guess. R ead carefully any
instructions pertaining thereto. Perform the
experim ent no more than twice on the same
occasion, for the period of time recommended.
If no time is given, let no experim ent take
more th an fifteen minutes. Some will require
much less time, depending upon their nature.
N o impression w hich you m ight receive
during your attem p t a t psychic dem onstra
tions is too prosaic to accept. E veryone has
some importance. In fact, do not look for
certain kinds o f impressions. Let w hatever
will occur come to you. D o n 't extend your
im agination so as to reach out searching for
impressions. F u rth er, do not accept any h ap
pening as evidence of a psychic phenom enon.
In other w ords, do not com pletely abandon
good common sense and experience, in your
anxiety for results. D o not try to attach psy
chic significance to ordinary physical p h e
nom ena. If, for example, w ax suddenly runs
dow n one side of a candle, or the candle flame
flickers to the left or to the right, or the in
cense suddenly burns out, do not imagine an
omen in such a happening, or th at it augurs
something.
Accom panying every true psychic result or '
dem onstration, there is alw ays the inner reali
zation th a t it is such. Y ou sense the psychic
condition. Y ou feel a raising of the vibra
tions of the sanctum ; you feel it in your solar
plexus, the w hole room seems to be charged
w ith an energy. E ven more im portant, is the
fact th at you will have some understanding
of w h at occurs. Y ou are not left in doubt.
A bove all, let go w hen such dem onstrations
occur. D o n 't fight ag ain st them, d o n 't remain
tense, d o n 't stare or strain your ears for
sounds. T r y as much as possible to cast off
all sense of objectivity. T h in k of yourself as
detached from the physical w orld, as floating
through the reaches of space, w ithout any
burden, m ental or physical, as though you

Page 120

w ere out in the cold darkness, floating w ith

the heavenly bodies, far up, an d a t great
ease, looking dispassionately, yes, even in
differently back upon the earth as a celestial
traveler m ight do.
T h ro u g h o u t the m onographs, w e suggest
num erous procedures, by w hich you are to
experience th a t afflatus of Cosmic Conscious
ness or attunem ent w ith the H oly A ssem bly
and the C athedral of the Soul. A s time goes
by, a n d you practice> you will develop little
w ays, intim ate to yourself, that will m ake this
attainm ent quite facile. U sually each member
comes to know th a t by m om entarily holding
a certain thought, a m ental picture, o r repeat
ing a w ord to himself, he almost in stan tan
eously creates the condition, the state of mind
and self th a t he wishes. T hese personal little
idiosyncracies, little m ental pictures or w ords
w hich w e develop, cannot be universally ap
plied, th a t is, they undoubtedly w ould be very
inept for any other member to use. T h ese
m ental pictures which w e find useful often
are the results of past experiences w e have
had in this incarnation or another, and w hen
we hold them in our consciousness, w e stim u
late our psychic centers by the sensations
they create, and prepare ourselves for the
psychic state w e w ish to enter.
W h e n you are to study a m onograph d ur
ing a sanctum period, stu d y it. T h a t is, study
it just as you w ould anything else. S trange,
but some members are under the impression
that stu d y in the Rosicrucian O rd e r has an
entirely different m eaning than the general
definition of th a t w ord. If you are objective
ly to com prehend, to know w h at you are
about to do in Rosicrucianism, you must con
centrate on the text of your m onograph.
S tudy does not mean just reading, as, for
example, the daily reading of your new s
paper, a popular magazine, or a fiction story,
w here you just pick w ords and ideas here and
there, and piece them together for the mo
ment, so as to carry your consciousness along
and then forget it all the next day. Such
casual reading does you no real good. Y ou
w ant to know these laws and principles. You
w ant to make them a part of yourself, of
your life. T o do this, you must understand
and rem em ber the essential points of a mono
graph. W e do not expect you to memorize
or repeat them as they appear, w ord for
w ord. W e do, however, expect that w hen

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

you finally lay your m onograph down at the

end of y o u r sanctum period th at if, for ex
ample, some other Rosicrucian w ere to ask
you w h at you h ad been studying, you could
reply by saying it w as thus and thus, and
give an intelligent sum m ary of the contents
of the m onograph. A fter all, if you havent
the subject in mind, it is not w ith you, it is
not a p a rt of you. It still rem ains on the
pages of th e m onograph.
T o close your sanctum period or convoca
tion, if no ritual is proposed for the occasion,
again stan d before your altar, make the sign
of the cross, an d then extinguish the candles.
T h e la tte r is done by the use of either a
snuffer, or b y m oistening your fingers and
snuffing the candles out in th a t manner.
N e v e r blow o u t the candle flame on your
sanctum altar. Such a practice is contrary
to old m ystical rituals an d the reason w hy
will be explained a t some later time. Allow
your incense to burn out, even if it continues
two or three minutes after the close of your
sanctum convocation.
You may, if you are not using the Rosi
crucian sanctum invocation and ritual phono
graph record, to w hich w e have referred,
place your left han d over your heart, and
your rig h t over your left, thus making the
sign o f a Rosicrucian Convocation or form
ing a lodge. N ow , w hile thus standing, re
peat an other sh o rt prayer. Y our convocation
is then finally closed an d you can, of course,
resume an y of your usual duties, or arrange
your sanctum for other purposes.X .

H as H ate Any Advantage?

A frater of W isco n sin brings to the atten
tion of this Forum w h at appears as a con
troversial subject. H e says: C an hate, pro
vided it is not habitual, have a beneficial ef
fect upon our personal well-being? I had
occasion lately to study an d analyze Alexis
C a rre ls M an T h e U nknow n,' w here I have
found un d er different headings statem ents,
which, to my u n derstanding as a Rosicrucian,
seem to co n trad ict one another. I will quote,
first, under M a tte r O v er M ind and V ice
V e rsa , I find T h u s envy, hate, fear, w hen
these sentim ents are habitual, are capable of
starting organic changes and genuine dis
eases. M o ral suffering profoundly disturbs
health.' T h e instability of modern life, the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ceaseless agitation, and the lack of security

creates states of consciousness which bring
about nervous and organic disorders of the
stom ach and of the intestines, defective n u
trition and passage of intestinal microbes into
the circulatory apparatu s.' Colitis, an d the
accom panying infections of the kidney and
the bladder are the rem ote results of m ental
and m oral unbalance.'
T hen, under the heading of, H ow M an
A ttains H is H ighest D evelopm ent/ I find,
M an attains his highest development w hen
he is exposed to the rigors of the seasons,
w hen he sometimes goes w ithout sleep, and
sometimes sleeps for long hours, w hen his
meals are sometimes abundant and sometimes
scanty, w hen he conquers food and shelter at
the price of strenuous effort. H e has also to
train his muscles, to tire himself an d rest, to
fight, suffer, and be happy, to love and to
hate. H e needs alternately to strain and re
lax. H e m ust strive against his fellowmen or
against him self'."
W h a t D r. C arrel says in the above quota
tions m ay appear inconsistent, a t least, upon
first blush, a little confusing, but as w e shall
see, they are not. H e says, as the Rosicru
cians have long taught, that negative emo
tional disturbances interfere w ith the h ar
mony of the psychic body and the physical
well-being of man, nam ely, hate, fear, and
extreme anxiety prevent the mind of man, the
Cosmic Intelligence of each cell of his being
from carrying out the duties assigned to it.
Such interruption eventually becomes objec
tively apparent in diseases of some kind. If
you disturb the harmonium of mind and body,
you cause ill health.
O n the other hand, it is true that a certain
am ount of opposition to life, conflict, adver
sity, and com petition w ith nature's elements
and our fellows strengthen the body and
mind, and make life more pleasurable, w heth
er w e alw ays realize it or not. It is a physio
logical fact, th a t certain tendons w hich have
a degree of elasticity m ust be stretched and
strained occasionally, or they begin to atro
phy. U nused muscles become flabby and
m ental faculties th at are not frequently stim
ulated by profound thought or challenged by
problems, become dulled and man becomes
stupid. A t least, his cerebrations become re
duced to nothing more than mere responses
to his environm entlike that of a lower ani

Page 121

mal. A rigorous
tion of body and
tion of body and
all of the pow ers

life dem ands the full exer

mind. It compels coordina
mind an d the utilization of
of which w e are capable.

O bjectively, the more of ourselves we are

compelled to use, the greater the possibility
of our achievements. It is a m atter of history
th at a civilization w hich depended upon slaves
perform ing their manual and m ental duties
for them soon rapidly declined through de
generation o f the abilities and faculties of its
people. F rankly, w hen a people get soft,
they are doomed. T h a t is w hy a nation
which has more leisure time, the result of
labor-saving devices and methods, m ust adopt
rigorous, healthful sports. M ental and physi
cal inertia are ruinous to man, as he is not
so constituted to endure it.
By no means, how ever, should this be in
terpreted as m eaning th a t man should en
gender hatred, fear, an d anxiety. If man is
vigorous in his living, he is bound to experi
ence relative moods. It would be difficult for
him to avoid them. T h e more we achieve, for
example, the more w e are bound by contrast
to feel discouraged and disappointed w hen
our stan d ard is not continually sustained. It
is impossible for us to sustain a constant emo
tional state, thus the penduluum of our feel
ings, our sentim ents m ust frequently swing
to the opposite. It is this variation, this
fatigue and relaxation, this contentm ent and
anxiety, for example, w hich prevent life from
becoming a m onotony th at w ould otherw ise
drive us insane. A constancy, the sameness
of anything, is very contrary to the universal
law of motion or change.
T h ere is a difference, however, betw een
m inor anxiety and an abject fear. T h ere is
also a radical difference betw een aggravation,
annoyance, an d blind hatred. All through
life, we have these negative states, an d they
contribute to m aking the positive ones much
more enjoyable by com parison. N ev erth e
less, m astery of life comes in keeping these
negative states w ithin bounds, so th at they
become a stim ulation, yes, an incentive, and
not a means of self-destruction. T h e human
emotions, like the arm ature of an electric
motor, must rotate, b u t never get out of con
trol, or they tear the body apart. T h is con
trol is one of the main objectives of Rosicru
cian stu d y .X.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 122

W here Does Life End?

A recent letter from a Soror refers to an
article which she read in a popular m agazine
telling of a girl who, while seriously ill or
recovering from an operation, passed through
transition or, a t least, w as declared dead by
the attending doctor. H ow ever, not giving
up, the doctor used certain methods of stim u
lation to the h eart w hich restored the girl's
consciousness in a space o f about five minutes
or less. In other w ords, from the standpoint
of the attending physician at least, as w as re
lated in this article, the girl w as w h at w e or
dinarily w ould call dead for a period of a
num ber of minutes.
T h e girl reported in her experience that
she h ad no consciousness of this time w h at
soever. It w as just a state of nothingness. In
other w ords, no memories w ere carried over
from this experience. O u r Soror asked w hy
w as there no consciousness either of the ob
jective or subjective. In other w ords, from
her rem arks, or inference, the question is
raised as to w hether or not such an experi
ence m ight be interpreted by some as a valid
argum ent against the im m ortality of the soul.
T o discuss this question intelligently we
m ust consider tw o other questions. T h e first
is, w h at is death from the standpoint of using
th a t w ord as an indication of the cessation
of the m anifestation of life in the physical
body? From a physiological standpoint w e
can see th at the state of death, or the point
a t which transition takes place, is w hen all
bodily functions associated w ith life cease.
A pparently th a t is w hat took place in the
case of this girl, but we know th at natu re's
processes are gradual; that the life force is
m anifest in the body during the time w e con
sider it a living body and is sustained by eat
ing an d breathing. W e , however, know th a t
a man can live for a considerable length of
time w ithout food or w ater. In other w ords,
of the vital properties established b y taking
food or w ater into the body there is enough
of a reserve to maintain bodily functions for
a considerable period of time after their in
take into the body has been discontinued.
T h e same is true, to a certain degree, w ith
breathing. H ow ever, we know th a t suffoca
tion takes place very soon, sometimes in a
m atter of seconds, after breathing or the in
take of air into the lungs ceases. T h ere is,

however, nothing to prove th at certain vital

processes m ay not continue in the body for
a m atter of m inutes after the last breath is
taken. In other w ords, all studies of nature
and m anifestations of life, as w e know them,
seem sustained gradually by the intake of
life-giving substances and, in all probability,
they also leave gradually. T herefore, it is
doubtful th a t an y instrum ent o r m ethod exists
w hich is capable o f being m anipulated in the
hands of a m an and determ ining the exact
moment of transition, or the time that life
ceased to exist an d death begins insofar as
the body is concerned. O u r first considera
tion of this question raises the highly techni
cal question as to w hether or not, during the
interval th a t this girl appeared as having
passed through transition, she w as actually,
from a physiological standpoint, dead. If she
w as not, as w e m ay safely presum e from the
above, an d from her response to adequate
treatm ent, then w e are justified in presuming
th at her state o f existence during th at period
w as th at of a coma or a complete state of un
consciousness w hich w ould explain the lack
of memory of th a t period of time.
T h e second point to consider is the result
of the consideration of the first. Because our
first explanation m ight be interpreted as an
alibi this questionw h at if the girl did die?
N ow presum e th a t an actual state of transi
tion took p lacehow can we explain a state
of nothingness afte r transition w ithout deny
ing the im m ortality of the soul? F ortunately,
the problem is n o t as big as it seems because
the ord in ary reaction to this story is based
upon a false prem ise. So m any individuals
who believe in the im m ortality of soul also
believe th at imm ediately after transition the
soul has certain ad d ed abilities or character
istics imm ediately. In other w ords, these
individuals believe th a t the soul develops
through the state of transition. T h is theory
has no foundation w hatsoever, and it is then
for us to accept as a fundam ental premise
th at the soul th a t passes through transition is
no different th an w as th a t soul w hen it w as
resident w ithin the body. E verything gained
by the soul for the developm ent of a person
ality is indicated in life as coming about as
the result of experience. It is logical to be
lieve th a t this experience m ust continue as a
means of fu rth er developing th at personality.
T herefore, to believe th at one is all-wise, and

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

a complete m aster of all situations imm ediate

ly after the state of transition, is to believe
th a t w hen the soul is released from the body
it has no further lessons to learn b ut immedi
ately becomes perfect. W e cannot accept
such a theory. It, in no w ay, fits in w ith our
conception of the universal or cosmic scheme.
O n e is unable in his daily life to account,
in memory, for every moment. In fact, the
average individual cannot account for every
moment even after an hour has passed. O u r
conscious states are not m ade to burden us
by the retention in memory of every passing
incident. W h e n ev e r w e meet a strange or
new situation w e are unable in memory, even
a few hours later, to remember, at least to put
into w ords, w h at our experience of the first
few moments in a situation actually were.
T h a t's w hy m any individuals legitim ately are
unable to testify in regard to incidents occur
ring around an accident or other unexpected
events. T heir reasoning does not become
clear until the emotional responses immedi
ately resulting from the incident have re
sumed a nearly norm al condition. T herefore,
again refer to the girl in this story. Even if
she did pass through transition the new situ
ation m ight not have brought responses which
could be carried over into memory, even a
few hours later; or the individual passing o u t
of life in a semi-conscious condition might
not, in that length o f time, resume a state of
aw areness in another plane.A.

Rest W hile You Sleep

T h is morning w e have a request from a
member of our Forum circle to discuss th a t
all im portant subject, sleep, and the effect of
earth currents or rays upon the body during
the sleeping state. It is h ardly necessary to
point out the specific benefits w e receive from
our periods of rest, for these are quite obvious
to us. A fter all, w hen the body and mind are
tired and exhausted, there is no tonic of
greater value than several hours of complete
relaxation and sleep.
D uring sleep the body building processes
are at w ork renew ing w orn-out tissue, re
building blood cells, storing energy for the
ordeals of the coming d a y s w ork. Seldom do
w e hear com plaints from the outdoor m anual
w orker that he has difficulty getting proper
rest. U sually such a w orker is physically

Page 123

rath er than m entally tired, and unless being

exhausted to a point of being ill, he will go
off into a deep restful slum ber w ithin a m atter
of a few minutes after his head touches his
pillow.
T his, how ever, is not the case w ith the of
fice w orker or the one w hose labors are all
m ental w ith little or no physical exercise or
labor. In m any respects this type o f w orker
retires to his bed m ore tired and exhausted
th an the outdoor laborer. H is m ental efforts
during the d ay n o t only exercise the mind
but tend to g reatly deplete the nerve energy
of the body. It is extrem ely helpful, there
fore, to indulge in some form of physical ex
ercise after th e d a y s w ork is done. T h is
stim ulates the circulation of the blood, exer
cises m any of the organs of the body and
even tones up the nervous system, all of
w hich renew s ra th e r than uses up nerve en
ergy. N atu rally such exercise should not be
indulged to excess for this will only defeat
its purpose. Such exercise, especially if tak
en outdoors in th e fresh air, will relax the
m ental processes an d thereby prove restful.
A relaxed mind free from the cares of the
d ay is alw ays beneficial and conducive to
proper rest and sleep.
T h ere is undoubtedly some tendency on
the p art of m any to blame their inability to
sleep properly on inharm onious conditions in
their bedrooms, an d w e can be assured th at
a large percentage of these cases have good
cause for their beliefs. It is a fact th a t the
color scheme in a room can be inharm onious
to the individuals n atu re and cause irritation
and restlessness. It is true th a t cross currents
of the ea rth s m agnetism can be and are a t
times upsetting to the harm ony of the body.
N evertheless, it is also true th a t m ental fa
tigue and w orry cause the same restlessness
even w hen everything else is in perfect
harm ony.
If the condition th a t interferes w ith proper
sleep is a m ental one, w e can use certain men
tal exercises to free ourselves from these en
slaving negative conditions. But then if we
find such exercises are of no benefit we must
look elsew here for our difficulty. Some years
ago there w as a sh o rt discussion in the Rosi
crucian D igest containing suggestions for re
laxing the mind an d mental processes first
before going to sleep, and thereby promoting
body relaxation an d good restful sleep. T his

Page 124

discussion advocated peaceful meditation,

freeing the mind of the cares an d w orries of
the day w hile concentrating on the parts of
the body as recommended in an early mono
graph. Such practices are of definite value in
prom oting deep slum ber free from annoying
dream s and m ental experiences during sleep.
T h ere are times w hen we have no success
w hatsoever in applying these law s and prin
ciples. It is then that w e turn to certain other
possible causes for our unrest. Q uite fre
quently we will find the cause an inharm on
ious m agnetic condition due to sleeping in a
w rong position w ith relationship to the elec
trical currents of the earth. If we would take
advantage of these earth currents, we must
experim ent for a w eek or ten days to deter
mine which direction gives us the most rest
and is most soothing to the psychic nervous
system. N o general law can be laid down as
to the best direction in which to sleep, th at
is, w hether the head should point north,
south, east, o r west. T h is is something unique
w ith each individual and with each change
of location. Some schools of thought say al
w ays to have the head of the bed tow ard the
north. But w e find th at w here this is good
for one, it is harm ful to another.
W e find certain persons who reason that
lying dow n on the ground, or even the floor
of the home, w ith the head tow ard the north
will rebuild strength and energy. Y et there
are those who derive more benefit from plac
ing the head tow ard the east or w est or even
tow ard the south. W e see, therefore, th at
this question is controversial, bu t w e do know
th at there is a particular direction th at is best
for each individual and for each location.
W e suggest, therefore, th a t those who are
experiencing difficulty in sleeping, and who
aw aken in the morning tired an d depleted in
energy, look into the possible causes of this
condition and try to eliminate them using the
methods recom m ended in the m onographs.
Some of these recommendations are given in
the very F irst N eophyte D egree. It is pos
sible th a t m any of our higher degree mem
bers have forgotten these simple rules for
sound sleep. It would behoove them, there
fore, to review some of their early lessons.

Active and Inactive Cycles

A nd now F ra tre s and Sorores, we are
again called upon to make some statem ent,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

comment, or explanation regarding one of the

ancient landm arks of the Rosicrucian O rder.
T his question is presented to us by a member
of our circle living in an eastern state, and
who has recently completed the F ifth D egree
of study.
T h e question requests some definite infor
mation as to the reason w hy the O rd er from
ancient times until now has had its cycles of
activity followed by a dorm ant period. T h e
F rater states th a t this law, rule, or regulation
seems a little peculiar and an explanation
would prove of interest to our Forum readers
generally.
P erhaps this ancient law of the O rder does
seem peculiar to m any of us to d ay who live
under m odern conditions and circumstances
with more or less freedom of activity w ithout
political an d religious influence or prejudice.
But how are w e possibly to know the deep
inner reason for the establishm ent of the
108-year cycle of activity and dormancy?
T h e truth of the m atter is th at the origin of
this law has been lost to us through the an
tiquity of the O rd er. P erhaps in the ancient
days w hen the O rd e r flourished in the near
E astern countries, especially E g y p t and P al
estine, the then Suprem e Council of the
O rd er w as not as careful to record each and
every rule, law or policy governing the
O rd er's activities and the relationship of the
various branches one to the other. Presum ing
this to be the case, it is easy to conceive that
this 108-year law of active and inactive
cycles could have been established for very
definite and im portant reasons and yet no
actual w ritten record kept of the specific
reason or necessity for it. T h e fact of the
m atter is the rule did become a law and a
very valuable one at that, for because of it
we can trace the chronological history back
through the various countries of the w orld
showing the periods w hen the O rd er car
ried on extensive p ropaganda w ork forming
lodges and groups of students, members, and
bearers of light.
T his law, as w e have suggested, is virtual
ly a landm ark of the O rder. Its very exist
ence has helped our historians to trace the
O rd er's activities back through the ages to
the very beginnings of the ancient mystery
schools from w hence our w ork came.
T h e fact th a t there is a dorm ant period of
108 years following each active cycle does

Page 125

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

not mean that Rosicrucianism goes out of

existence during that time. It simply means
that the members of the O rd er an d their
families become silent w orkers for the d u ra
tion of the dorm ant cycle. T h e teachings and
initiations are handed dow n from one to an
other in each individual family and thus the
signs, seals and jewels of the O rd e r are pre
served and held intact until the next active
cycle is begun.
T h e O rder in each country has its own
particular birthdate, consequently it is found
active in one country while another country
is in its dorm ant cycle. Going back several
hundred years in the O rd e r's history, we find
th a t while it flourished in F rance and H ol
land, it w as dorm ant in G erm any and E n g
land, but just about the end of the active
cycle in H olland and France, the Germ an
and English groups had their rebirths. D ue
to the new know ledge of printing and the
use of the printing press, this rebirth of the
O rd e r in G erm any and E ngland w as given
w ide publicity, and perhaps for the first time
in its history, the O rd e r becam e well known,
as far as its m undane existence w as con
cerned, to the profane as well as to the seek
er of light and the initiate. T his resulted in
the false belief and report th a t the Rosicru
cian O rd er came into existence or w as found
ed for the first time in the 17th C entury.
Such misinformation w as perpetuated for
several hundred years, either maliciously or
through ignorance, even up into the present
cycle of activity in this country. It is gratify
ing to us, how ever, th at encyclopedias and
reference w orks generally throughout the
U nited States and other English speaking
countries give a true and proper account of
our O rd er and its antiquities.
In the very beginning of a studen t's mem
bership in the O rder, we urge him to obtain
and read the history of the O rd er compiled
and w ritten by our late Im perator, D r. H .
Spencer Lewis. T his book is entitled Rosi
crucian Q uestions and A nsw ers W ith Com
plete H istory." D r. Lewis has explained in
much detail the active and inactive cycles of
the O rd er and the effect this law has h ad
upon the O rd e r's activities throughout the
ages. T h e history of the O rd e r is fascinating
and stirs the im agination of the student. It
answ ers a g reat m any questions th at arise in
the mind as one progresses through the de

grees. E very member should be familiar with

the origin of the O rder, its aims and p ur
poses. W ith o u t such know ledge it is not
possible to answ er adequately the inquiries
of friends, relatives, and acquaintances who
will at some time, perhaps w hen you least ex
pect it, question you regarding your interests
and your membership. H ad our F rater, men
tioned earlier in this discussion, read the his
tory of the O rd e r he would not have had oc
casion to bring this question or request to our
Forum circle for discussion.

M etaphysical Healing
A t various times we have discussed in
these pages different methods of healing and
of m aintaining health. A s Rosicrucians, we
see the value in all methods and try to use
various theories an d practices constructively
in the m aintenance of health and the com
batting of disease.
T o some people the term m etaphysical
healing" is alm ost synonym ous w ith w hat we
w ould call magical or miraculous healing.
T his is truly a misconception because a prop
er understanding of m etaphysical healing or
of m etaphysical principles is using no laws
more mysterious o r more miraculous than the
laws which are used by doctors of various
healing arts. In o th er w ords, the principles
which the medical doctor or the drugless doc
tor use are the result of the learning of the
operation of n atural laws and how they apply
to the hum an body. W h a t these doctors do
w ould appear to be miraculous, in the eyes of
savages, merely because the process and ex
planation of w h at w as done would be beyond
the understanding of a primitive individual.
It is for this sam e reason th at those who
have no know ledge of the m etaphysical prin
ciples involved in the m ethods used and
tau g h t by the Rosicrucians might believe,
w hen they see evidences of successes of the
Rosicrucian m ethods, th a t the very processes
could be attributed to a miraculous interven
tion in the ordinary n atu re of things. T h e ex
amples in the N ew T estam en t of the times
w hen C hrist seemingly perform ed miracles of
healing are some of the highest m anifesta
tions of m etaphysical healing. U nfortunately,
they have not been so recognized. Some re
ligious creeds instead of trying to show the
m astery of the laws of natu re and the C os

Page 126

mic and the understanding of m etaphysical

principles w hich C hrist used, have rath er
done all they could to make w h at he did
stan d in the field of miracles. It is difficult to
understand w hy some religions do not seem
to desire th a t their followers should grasp an
u nderstanding of fundam ental Cosmic laws,
th a t rath e r they should remain in ignorance
of the laws used and look upon anything
w hich they do not seem to understand or be
able to explain in term s of their experience as
som ething bordering upon the supernatural
or miraculous.
It might be well for us to define m eta
physical healing. M etaphysical healing is
more than prayer. P rayer for health and cure
of disease is, in its final analysis, no different
than any other prayer which is, after all, a
supplication to the C reator in whom we place
confidence for guidance and health. T h ere
function today, under the nam e of M eta
physical healing, various schools of thought
w hich are no more o r less than system s of
pray er or system s of religious belief which
have adopted the term m etaphysical either
to m ystify their followers or inquirers, or
sim ply they have used the w ord applying to
it their own definition or interpretation. It is
questionable if even m any leaders of so-called
m etaphysical movements could define ex
actly w hat m etaphysics means. A n accepted
definition of m etaphysics might b e T h e
stu d y or inquiry into the ultim ate and funda
m ental reality. T h is is a philosophic or aca
demic definition, and m any students of socalled m etaphysics are very confused to see
w herein this definition fits their ideas or p u r
poses. T h e confusion results from the fact
th a t they have applied m etaphysics as a term
to som ething else. In other w ords, they have
established their own definition o f the w ord.
In our R o se-C ro ix U niversity sessions
there are various discussion courses under
the direction of a com petent faculty member
w here such ideas as this are discussed. O n e
purpose o f the various subjects tau g h t in the
Rose-Croix U niversity is to show the rela
tionship th at exists betw een academic studies
and the fundam ental principles o f various
sciences in com parison w ith the fundam ental
Rosicrucian principles, doctrines, and ideas.
In this w ay the Rosicrucian in attendance at
the U niversity is able to see substantiated
Rosicrucian principles in term s of physical

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

laws an d theories and, on the other hand, is

able to see the Rosicrucian principles made
effective in other fields of study.
T o retu rn to the subject of m etaphysics. It
will not be difficult for the Rosicrucian to
understand this accepted definition. T o make
the study as to w h at is real in this universe
is clearly, to the Rosicrucian, an evidence of
going beyond th e physical w orld. T h e very
elem entary principles of Rosicrucianism are
based upon the fact th a t the physical and
material are tran sito ry and tem porary. T h a t
M an 's body is a p a rt of the m aterial w orld
and is subordinate to the soul, which is the
real p art of M a n s body. It is evident then
th at w hile w e as Rosicrucians search for the
ultimate an d fundam ental reality, w e will be
searching beyond the realm of the m aterial or
beyond the realm of physics w hich is a study
closely related w ith the physical w orld. W e
can therefore see th a t in the w ord m eta
physics itself is a partial explanation of its
meaning: m eta meing a prefix derived from
the G reek m eaning after o r beyond. T h ere
fore, m etaphysics m eans beyond physics, out
side the realm of the n atu ral or physical
w orld w hich w ould indicate as interpreted by
the Rosicrucian, th a t the true reality, th at is,
those things w hich have real value and are
the ultim ate aim of M an 's understanding and
attainm ent, lie in the field of m etaphysics.
M etaphysical healing then is using forces
beyond the physical w orld. T h e vibrations
properly directed in our h ands are making
use of forces not ordinarily recognized as
having a physical existence of their own;
even m ore especially in the giving of absent
treatm ents, the individual giving the treat
ment becomes subordinate to the force he is
using in th a t he only is a directing medium
between the Cosmic forces and the individual
receiving the help. In other w ords, w hen w e
give an absent treatm ent, as o dd as it may
seem, w e actually do com paratively little.
W e only, b y the use of certain laws tau g h t
to us, make ourselves channels through which
these forces w hich w e have studied may be
directed. A gain it is clear th a t there is no
miracle or process of magic involved. It is
rath er the use of forces w hich w e are study
ing an d of w hich w e have much more to
learn. T h a t is w h y true m etaphysical healing
can be used in conjunction w ith or in addi
tion to any o th er therapeutical m ethod and

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

will not interfere in any w ay w ith any trea t

ment rendered b y a physician of any school
at the same period of time. In fact, it is wise
that m etaphysical and physical healing m eth
ods should be used a t the same time because
in th a t w ay w e have a capable physician do
ing all w ithin his understanding and pow er
to direct the healing forces and constructive
abilities of the body. In addition, w e are
bringing to bear from beyond the physical,
by the use of tru e m etaphysical principles,
the other side o f existence, the true reality
which makes health and living worthwhile.
-A .

T he M ind and H ealth

F ratres and Sorores of the Forum Circle
perm it a diversion from our usual Forum dis
cussions for just a few minutes. I w ould like
to bring to your attention a new spaper article
that recently came across my desk w ith a
day's correspondence from our students.
It is entitled Science U ncovers P ath
W h e re F aith C ontrols H ealth." T h is article
goes on to say th a t science has recently identi
fied a netw ork linking mind and m atter, and
that over the branches of this netw ork thought
and faith definitely control health. T h e list
of illnesses given th a t are the result of mental
strain and w orry include asthm a, hay fever,
sinusitis, grow ths in the nose, stomach ulcers,
headaches, skin rashes, nervousness, and
m any others.
It is stated th a t not all conditions are so
controlled, and the mind is never above a
complete cure; how ever, w ithout faith added
to w hatever else is being done, no cure of
any disease is likely. T his article also points
out th at m any medical physicians are apply
ing this system or these laws to themselves.
It is show n th a t the so-called netw ork com
prises two main parts. O ne is the autom atic
nervous system and regulates the action of
the heart and functions of the autom atic or
gans of the body an d glands. O bviously this
autom atic nervous system " is the sym pa
thetic nervous system of w hich Rosicrucian
ism has taught for m any years.
T his new s w rite-up attem pts to show th a t
although faith healing is not exactly a new
thing, it is being explained for the first time,
and th a t this explanation is coming from
medical scientists w ho have been investi
gating its possibilities for the past ten years.

Page 127

N atu rally we a re h ap p y th a t science is mak

ing such profound research and will, through
its findings, bring th e facts to light for the
benefit of the general public. T h is will be
beneficial to us in our own w ork and, of
course, will assist iany oth ers in their efforts.
T h ere is no need to take up your time here
citing the long list of illnesses an d cases that
have been corrected or cured through ad ju st
ment of circum stances, environm ent, change
in type of w ork, reading habits, an d especial
ly thinking habits. Y ou are all fam iliar with
such things through our pw n Council of
Solace cases an d also through correspond
ence w ith hundreds of members of the O rd er
each year w ho have b rought changes in their
lives through the application of the laws and
principles given in the Rosicrucian mono
graphs. H ow ever, there is one case reported
in the article th a t is w orthy of our attention
because it shows the reaction, upon the physi
cal health, of g reat inner emotion.
T his is the case o f a little boy six years old
w ho suffered severe attacks o f asthm a. O n
one occasion he w as carried o ut of his home
prostrate from asthm a. N urses w ho saw him
reached to get adrenalin to m ake him breathe
easier. H ow ever, before it could be adm in
istered the doctor stopped them. H is investi
gation show ed th a t the attack followed a dis
agreem ent w ith his paren ts about some o f his
toys. H e w as very upset over the quarrel. It
happened th a t the doctor knew the little boy
well and h ad treated him for these attacks
before. So the doctor talked to the youngster
about various things and played w ith him for
awhile thus taking his mind off the argum ent
w ith the parents. A s the little boy became
happy and joyful again, the asthm a attack
left him. T h e doctor continued to see the
child every few d ay s and p u t into effect a
plan to teach this little fellow to have faith
in himself and his abilities. T h e asthm a is
apparently cured an d the boy is now strong,
healthy, and robust. H e has also overcome a
rath er severe case of speech impediment.
F ratres and Sorores, these things are re
ported as the new findings o f science. T h ey
have been fundam ental facts dissem inated in
the Rosicrucian teachings for years. It is true
th at man is as he thinks, and through his
thinking brings about much of the ill health
an d suffering of w hich w e are so conscious
in this modern high-speed life of ours.

The Universe Beneath Your Reading Lamp!

^ITHIN the cloister of your own home, in your favorite nook illuminated by the rays
your reading lamp, you may find adventure and startling knowledge. Without
the aid of stupendous telescopes or the intricate paraphernalia of the physicist,
you can glimpse some of nature's profound secrets. Your pulse will quicken as your thoughts
explore space, and you contemplate the form of the strange world you live in. For cen
turies man thought the earth the center of the universe. This theory was then challenged
and supplanted by another. Then he was told the earth was a minute speck in a sea of un
limited space. This theory, too, is challenged with the advent of the new
one of the bending of light waves.
I t)

J of

Now comes one of the most unique and gripping cosmologies of all.
It is that the earth is a gigantic cell. The earth itself is the universe,
and that within its center are vast Cosmic bodies which we previously
thought were millions of miles distant. It is declared that the earth is
like unto all other cells of living matter and that it has life and action
within its center. This intensely interesting subject is discussed in a
series of simply understood and to the point lectures entitled ARCANE
COSMOLOGY. It is one of the special subjects
taught by the Readers' Research Academy. The
course consists of twenty-one lectures. Two a
month will be sent you for only 50c a month.
You can subscribe for one month or for as many
months as you please, until the course is com
pleted. Do not fail to get this real enjoyment
and pleasure for this nominal sum.
Address:

T he inner surface is a nega

tive, magnetic area, and the
center positive, accounting
for the condition of the sun
and other phenomena

The
READERS RESEARCH ACADEMY
ROSICRUCIAN

PARK,

SAN

JOSE,

CALIFORNIA,

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

T his is a cross section of

the universe, the earth; in
its center is space w ith the
sp e ck s c a lle d p la n e ts .
Aroun d the inner edge of
the outer circle can be seen
the topography of the earth,
mountains, plains, etc.

U. S. A.

,A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A , .
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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 130

Greetings !
V
D ear F ratres and Sorores:
O n e w ho is seen mumbling to himself, ap
parently unaw are of the presence of others,
is usually an object of am usem ent or pity.
In fact, such persons are frequently abnor
mal, in the sense th a t they live alm ost con
stantly w ithin a subjective w orld. T h e y con
stitute psychopathic cases, the result of an
inherited or acquired mental disease. T h e
w orld of reality, of which most of us are very
much aw are and w ith which we m ust concern
ourselves, becomes illusionary to these vic
tims. T h ey are unable to distinguish the fig
ments of their im agination and the incidents
of their thought w orld from the particulars
their senses convey to them. T h e idea has as
much concrete existence to them as has a per
ception. Since it is simpler to m arshal and
control our ideas than our experiences, these
unfortunate persons prefer ideas of their own
selection to the oftentim es harsh realities of
the outside w orld.
P sychiatrists and psychologists are not
quite certain as to w hat constitutes a normal
mind. T h e only standards by which such can
be determ ined is the law of averages, namely,
a survey of the m ental state of a great num
ber of persons. Such norm alcy is indicated
by the individual's being able to distinguish
betw een realities which are external to him
self, on the one hand, and the results of his
own m ental processes on the other. O bvious
ly, it is one thing to imagine circumstances,
and it is quite another to actually experience
them objectively. Consequently, a normal
person would, it is presumed, fluctuate his
consciousness betw een the w orld outside him
self and the w orld within, as circumstances
dem and.
O bjectivity or being aw are of our objective
surroundings is vitally im portant, if we are
to concern ourselves w ith the objective world.
It m ight be disastrous for us to resort to re
flection, to muse upon a problem or a past
experience, w hile crossing a busy thorough
fare, which is very much an objective affair.
W e are compelled to be objective if w e ex
pect to reach out w ith our consciousness
through our senses and bring a picture to
ourselves, that is, an experience of the outer

V
world. F u rth er, if w e wish to direct our en
vironm ent, to use it in any m anner, w e must
be objectively conscious of itw e m ust see it
or hear it, for example.
It is patent, how ever, th at we are not just
a m achine for registering the impressions of
the w orld about us, b u t th a t it w as intended
th at w e also translate them. T his translation
is p artly a subjective process. It consists of
such functions as reasoning, idealizing, imag
ining, recollection, and apperception. W h ich
is of g reater im portance to us, the regis
tration or the translation of impressions?
Such a question is highly polemic. It is the
equivalent of inquiring w hich is the more im
portant, locating needed w ater, or drinking
it? T h e two are aspects of one process.
F requently w e perceive things to which
our minds unconsciously respond. T hus, un
der such circum stances, w e think of the ob
jective function as being the only one that
has taken place. Such objective activity which
does not require one to use the faculty of
reason and of cogitation, is either exceeding
ly elem entary o r is habitual. N o intelligent
man w ants to be exclusively a creature of
habit, nor does he w an t to so live that he
merely responds to his environm ent w ithout
volition as does a lower animal. U nfor
tunately, how ever, most persons today are
becoming more an d more creatures of habit,
and likewise extroverts. T h ey are almost
continuously living outside themselves.
T h e pressure of the w orld o f events and
circumstances crow ds in upon millions of
persons today. E ach conscious period is de
voted to perception, to trying sentiently to be
aw are of the complex environm ent. T h ey
have come to reg ard the m astery of their
lives, the ability to cope w ith existence as
depending w holly upon the acquisition of a
trem endous accum ulation of external experi
ences. T h is empirical know ledge presses in
on them an d becomes a confusion, which
causes them to sense their helplessness. In
desperation, they reso rt to external conclu
sions, the established ideas and opinions of
others whom they consult, or w hich is offered
to them as advice through the media of
special books, radio program s, and editorials.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

All of w hich is m erely an additional accum u

lation of external data. It is not an intimate
product of their ow n minds. It causes them
to have even greater dependency upon the
objective aspect o f their lives. E ventually the
individual loses the pow er to organize his
own thoughts and to do his own reasoning.
Frankly, the average man, w hen he says, I
think, really m eans th at w h at he relates is a
concurrence, an approval of w hat he has read
or heard somewhere. T h e conclusion or
opinion he expounds is not a product of his
own mind or the result of reflection by him.
M ost men take a problem, not to them
selves, not into the cham bers of their own
minds, but to the first directory o f persons
whom they can consult. O ne of the lost arts
is th at of being alone with se lf. M editation
and cogitation have become irksome because
the man in the street has become accustomed
to thinking in fixed forms, in term s of m anu
factured conclusions which have been given
him. It is difficult and as unknow n a pro
cedure for him to organize his own ideas and
to reason out a problem, as it is for m any
housewives to bake their own bread. H e pre
fers standardization to the effort required for
initial thought.
From early morning till late at night, M r.
Business M an and M r. M echanic are cram
ming their consciousness w ith perceptions.
T h e y are attuned to the w orld around them.
W h e n they come home from office or shop,
they read the new spaper or listen to the radio
before they retire. H ard ly ever are they alone
w ith their ow n concepts. In fact, few have
concepts w hich are strictly their own. T h e
deeper qualities of their reasoning become
dorm ant. T h e y find it next to impossible to
close their eyes and to sustain an idea long
enough to analyze it intelligently. T h e con
sciousness rebels from the unusual labor.
T h e y prefer to consult an encyclopedia, a
dictionary, a friend anything b u t them
selves. Consequently, more men are becom
ing followers, not leaders, even in their ow n
private lives. T h e y are intentionally w rap
ping up their fortunes w ith their ideas of
those few upon whom the m any have come
to depend. T h e y are loud in their cries for
dem ocracy, and yet unw ittingly they con
tribute to the establishm ent of a dictator o f
thought, b y suppressing their own pow er of
reflection and reasoning.

Page 131

Before this nefarious habit w as formed, the

average youth or the young man often found
himself soliloquizing while perhaps w alking
down a country lane, lying beneath a tree,
or even slouched in a chair in the privacy of
his room. P erh ap s there w as som ething which
mystified him. H e began to talk to himself
about it. T h a t is, he w ondered aloud. H is
w ondering took the form of a self-interrogation. A voice w ithin answ ered him. It w as
the self, reasoning, fashioning, an d shaping
the replies, the result of the challenging ques
tions he put to it. Finally, as the conversa
tion continued, he found himself listening to
his own w ords. H e w as thrilled a t the p ro
found solutions th a t w ere engendered w ithin
his own mind. Sometimes answ ers came
spontaneously, in a flash, in tuitively. T h e y
caused him to w onder as to their source.
O ften he received answ ers to a question,
through this talking to self, w hich put him to
shame. H e felt contrite th at he had been
content so long to m isunderstand, or be m ys
tified b y som ething, w hen in a few moments
through this dialog w ith self the clear solu
tion came.
Since most o f us did this kind of talking
when we w ere young, w hy not go back to
this habit of youth occasionallytake a half
hour each d ay to talk to se lf. A sk questions
of yourself as you w ould of another. Slowly
at first, because you have grown aw ay from
the custom, the answ ers will come. P erhaps
you will find yourself arguing w ith self. Y ou
may find yourself the inner self chiding
the objective self. From the b attle of selves
will come clearer thinking and an independ
ence from those sources to which you have
been so bound for advice.
If you cannot take the time to be alone, to
have this intim ate conversation w ith self, you
are a slave^fo the objective, the outer world.
If you cannot have these m ental conversa
tions, these pros an d cons, constituting a selfanalysis, if you find it impossible to get into
th at state, you are as abnorm al as the person
w ho m entally resides entirely in the subjec
tive world, an d w hom the w orld calls insane.
N o man is tru ly san e an y longer, if he can
not alter his consciousness at will, th a t is,
tran sfer it from w ithin to w ithout, and vice
versa.
F ratern ally ,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Jmperator.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 132

O ur Belief In God
H ere is an interesting question from a high
degree member of our O rd e r w ho has been
associated w ith our Forum circle for m any
years. H e presents us w ith the following
thought: Recently, in my com pany, the
statem ent w as m ade that if you believe there
is a G od, there is a G od, and if you believe
there is no G od, there is no G od. I disagreed
but could not find an answ er. W ill you please
comment on this in the Forum circle?"
In the first place, let us be rem inded th at
everyone has his own personal interpretation
of G od. T h is G od will be the result of en
vironm ent, guidance from others, religious
creeds and doctrines to which one adheres,
one's personal studies, investigations and
m editations, as well as a great m any other
conditions and circumstances.
A s one progresses through life evolving
and developing his understanding of the laws
and principles of the U niverse, his u n d er
standing and interpretation of G od m ay
change m any times. O n the other hand, his
original conception may simply be stren g th
ened and his belief and faith greater than
ever before.
T h ere are those who drift from one reli
gious ord er to another ever seeking the an
sw ers to their questions and thoughts reg a rd
ing G od and the U niverse. E ach change one
makes brings about a change in one's u nder
standing and conception of God.
T o say th a t if you believe in G od there is
a G od, and if you do not believe in G od there
is no G od, is not sound argum ent. It is the
equivalent of the native deep in the jungles
of C entral or South America who has never
seen an automobile, stating th a t.th e re is no
such thing since he has never seen one and,
therefore, does not believe in it. You cannot
obliterate or p u t out of existence a thing o r
condition, a law o r principle, simply b y your
lack of belief in it or your failure to u n d er
stand it. Y ou m ay not believe in the law of
gravity, b u t your refusal to believe will not
prevent your destruction b y this law if you
jump from the roof of a ten-story building or
throw yourself over a precipice into the can
yon below. Y ou may not derive an y benefit
from the existence of a thing or condition be
cause you refuse to believe in it, b ut those

who do believe can understand and enjoy

personal happiness from their understanding.
A blind faith an d belief in G od is not nec
essarily advocated, and y et to derive the
g reatest benefit possible from know ledge of
G od's laws requires the first premise th a t
there is a suprem e law, a divine mind, a God,
personal or impersonal, th at is greater than
man and all earthly beings. W ith o u t such a
premise you can never know G od or attune
to the divine laws of the U niverse. Such a
premise requires a degree of blind faith and
belief, b ut this is eventually changed to deep
understanding an d knowledge.
T h ere have been hundreds of creeds and re
ligious dogm as expounded and preached to
the peoples of the w orld since the beginning
of self-consciousness in man. Probably the
earliest conception of a superior being th at oc
curred to primitive man w as th at of animism.
T h is conception w as probably w orld wide,
w herever prim itive man roam ed in search of
food and shelter. T h is animism w as a reli
gion and man believed in it just as sincerely
as the p resen t-d ay C hristian believes in the
Immaculate Conception. A later belief is th at
of polytheism o r a belief in m any Gods, such
as a G od for each of the seasons, a G od for
the crops, a G od for rain, a G od for the sun,
a G od for the moon, and a G od for repro
duction and, in fact, a G od for every possible
condition th a t h ad a bearing upon man and
his relationship to the U niverse.
D ue to the influence of the g reat king of
E gypt, A m enhotep IV , w ho has been pro
claimed by em inent authorities as the w orld's
first thinker," there is today throughout the
civilized w orld a universal belief in a one
single G od, ruler of all, just, kind, om ni
potent and om nipresent. Y et there must be
m any tribes of so-called uncivilized peoples
w ho still hold to a belief in m any G ods and
who still perform rites and rituals to appease
the G ods an d invoke their blessings. W o u ld
we say th a t since such tribes do not believe
in our ow n p articular G od th a t our G od does
not exist? A n d yet, on the other hand, w e
w ould not say th a t although w e have evolved
above polytheism and no longer believe in it,
it is still possible th at the primitive tribesm an
is right and th a t there are m any Gods. R ather
w e w ould say th a t the tribesm an is right to
believe in G od b ut th a t his conception is
primitive, th at actually only one G od con-

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

trois the U niverse and the conditions w hich

the tribesm an attributes to m any G ods.
T h e person w ho m ade the statem ent th at
G od is, only if you believe he is, has attem pt
ed to intim ate th a t G od is only a reality and
has no actual existence. W e are, therefore,
taken into the realm of actualities an d reali
ties. T o the individual only that which he can
realize and know has any existence to him.
Consequently, it is only our realities, or th at
w hich w e realize, which has any effect upon
us w hether actual or not. T herefore, w ithout
a realization o f G od, an understanding of
G od, either direct or through his w orks and
m anifestations, G od has no effect upon us.
It so happens th a t w ith self-consciousness
and aw areness, w e all have a realization of
the m anifestations of G od. M any will have
a different term, w ord, or expression for it,
but changing the w ord will not change the
m anifestations. It is obvious th at w e cannot
deny th a t there is a greater law in the U ni
verse than man, and as we have stated,
everyone understands this law in his own
personal, perhaps peculiar to some of us,
w ay. C an w e not see, therefore, th e beauty,
the logic and sound philosophy of the Rosi
crucian interpretation: T o Rosicrucians there
is b u t one G od, ever living, ever present,
w ithout limiting attributes or definite form of
m anifestation it is the God of our hearts, a
phrase found throughout our ritual an d medi
tation practices. T h e G od which we conceive,
of w hich we can be conscious, which sooner
or later m anifests in th at strang e intimacy
w ithin us, becomes the G od of our hearts.
Rosicrucians are of m any creeds and re
ligious faiths in all parts of the w orld, but
there is absolute unity in this one idea of
G od, the suprem e intelligence, the divine
mind. In ancient rituals w e find this as p art
of the Rosicrucian Pledge. M an is G od and
son of G od, and there is no o ther G od but
m an. But this has a mystical meaning and
is not to be taken literally. W e repeat the
famous statem ent of M ax M uller. T h ere
never w as a false G od, nor w as there ever a
false religion, unless you call a child a false
m an. W h e n the so-called heathen p rays to
or w orships an idol, he is not w orshiping a
false G od, but rath er a false interpretation of
the one true living G od, the G od th a t he is
trying to idolize, attem pting to interpret, the
G od of his heart.

Page 133

A re M y stica l E xercises D an g e ro u s?
O ccasionally fratres o r sorores w rite th at
since trying some particular exercise in the
m onographs, they have experienced nausea,
fatigue, vertigo, or some other slight afflic
tion; consequently they become alarm ed and
w onder w hether the mystical an d psychologi
cal exercises w hich they are requested to per
form are potentially dangerous.
It is quite n atu ra l th a t if w e have been ex
periencing no p articular discomfiture and then
apparently are taken suddenly ill, w e seek to
determ ine the cause. T h ere are tw o w ays to
determ ine the cause of a physical distress.
O ne is to have a proper diagnosis of the
symptoms by a physician o f one of the recog
nized schools of therapeutics. T h is consti
tutes a scientific inquiry into the n atu re of
your condition. T h e other is to begin to
speculate on the cause. Such speculation
takes the form of attributing responsibility to
any new activity or change in routine. T h is
kind of speculation is a form o f superstition.
It is characteristic of the reasoning o f a primi
tive mind. A ctually we have know n of some
persons who w ere so presum ptive in their
thinking or lack of it as to conceive a
series of business reverses as due to their
A M O R C m embership. Since such adversities
began about the tim e of their affiliation, to
their minds, the parallelism of the dates sug
gested some connection.
Each mystical exercise, no m atter w h at its
n ature o r in w h at degree of the teachings it
m ay be found, has been subject to test per
sonally by the Im perator. Likewise, more
often, every officer of the staff, as well as
hundreds of members in this jurisdiction and
abroad have tested it before it has been pro
posed to the general membership of A M O R C .
In fact, the m ajor portion of the fundam ental
experiments of the Rosicrucian teachings
have been a p a rt o f the official teachings of
the Rosicrucian O rd e r in E urope for m any
years before they w ere introduced in the
W e ste rn W o rld . Consequently, if there w ere
anything inherently w rong in such exercises
it w ould have been revealed long ago and
they w ould not have been continued. F u rth e r
more, no single im portant experim ent incor
porated w ithin the m onographs of A M O R C
has ever been deleted, either because it w as
found to be ineffectual or harm ful.

Page 134

O n the other hand, a t times an individual

will try an experim ent, follow the instructions
as given very carefully, and subsequently will
experience some minor suffering. In such an
instance, there can be no doubt th at the ex
perim ent contributed to his illness, if each
time it is repeated the same results are ex
perienced. D oes this seem incongruous? H ow
can th a t w hich is not harmful, nevertheless,
be the cause of his discomfiture? T h e answ er
is th a t the member attem pting the exercise
w as considerably sub-norm al in health, or in
such a severe condition of health th a t the
exercise taxed him too greatly.
F o r analogy, I think w e will all adm it th at
inherently th ere is nothing dangerous to one's
health in w alking up a flight o f stairs or in
bending over and touching our fingers to the
floor, how ever, if one is suffering from a car
diac or h ea rt ailment, most certainly they
should not indulge these ordin ary innocent
acts. F or example, one of the Rosicrucian
exercises th a t causes some few members dis
comfiture is th a t concerning deep breathing.
N orm ally deep breathing, so long as the
breath is held as long as it is com fortable, is
healthful. O n the other hand, a person w ith
a very w eak h ea rt m ay experience vertigo or
nausea after attem pting it. T h e reason is not
to be found in the exercise, b u t due to their
sub-norm al condition. A person not suffering
from this ailm ent derives much benefit from
these breathing exercises.
If you know your physical condition is one
th at w ould be strained or taxed by such a
breathing exercise, or by any physical exer
tion, do not attem pt it. If you do not know
your condition and if immediately after the
exercise you feel discomfiture, cease that par
ticular exercise im m ediately. F urtherm ore,
th a t is sufficient w arning, or should be, for
you to have a thorough examination to deter
mine the state of your health. H ow ever, any
illness you m ay experience days o r weeks
after a Rosicrucian exercise has absolutely no
relation to it an d it w ould be a ran k ab su rd
ity, if not a superstition, to imagine it.
Remember the developments w hich these
m ystical exercises are intended to engender
are psychical not physical. T h e psychic de
velopm ent m ay take a long time, but any
physical response from them is immediate. A
headache, an attack of dizziness, a pain in
the eyes cannot intelligently be attributed to
a sanctum exercise begun or perform ed a

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

week or a m onth ago. Sometimes w hen per

sons suddenly seem to develop an illness and
they sta rt to conjecture about it, and grope
around in their imagination for the cause,
they presum e th a t they m ay have over
developed or excessively stim ulated some
psychic center. T h e y conceive th a t they may
have acquired an excess of some m ysterious
pow er, which, uncontrolled an d not under
stood, is w orking havoc w ithin them. Such
an attitu d e of m ind indicates the fear which
the stu d en t has o f the m ystical exercises, the
lack of confidence in them, born of ignorance.
It reveals th a t he has not thoroughly studied
and com prehended those m onographs w ith
their explanations, preceding the exercises
given.
In w orking w ith mystical laws, you are
using Cosmic principles to produce divine
m anifestations. Such forces are creative.
T h ey are not trying to ensnare men and
women, like some m alevolent being conceived
by a savage. A ctually w hen persons think
th at they are playing w ith highly unreliable
pow ers w hen conducting m ystical exercises,
they are confusing mysticism w ith the super
stitious practices of black magic. A person
w ho m ay overindulge in a m ystical exercise,
cannot, b y th a t overindulgence, violate any
Cosmic principles and he cannot produce any
dangerous, inharm onious condition w ithin
himself.
Suppose an exercise calls for concentration
for a period of th ree to five m inutes to obtain
a certain result. C ontinuing beyond th a t time
produces no ad d ed psychic results, advan
tageous or disadvantageous. It might pro
duce a tem porary headache, ju st as possibly
would viewing a long motion picture or any
other similar strain. Sometimes members de
liberately ignore the instructions in the mono
graphs w ith respect to the period of time and
frequency th a t an experim ent or exercise
should be conducted. T h ey believe th at if it
is stated in the m onograph th a t certain results
can usually be obtained by doing the exercise
ten minutes, th a t if they perform it for an
hour, they can achieve six times the benefit.
M ost mystical exercises constitute a specific
procedure. In other w ords, so much time is
required to elapse before results are to be had
if at all. P rolonging the period is useless.
F or analogy, if it requires tw enty steps to
take you to your front door to see w hether
the delivery boy has left your evening new s

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

paper, if the evening paper isnt there, w alk

ing tw enty steps further beyond the door
isn't going to m ake the new spaper appear.
F requently w e hear of persons who have
gone insane from indulging occult practices.
T h ere are a num ber of such cases in m ental
institutions. T h en , after all, are occult p rac
tices dangerous? Investigation has shown the
cause to be one of tw o reasons. F irst, an d
prim arily in the m ajority of such instances,
the occult practices of such individuals w ere
not concerned w ith true mystical principles.
M ore often they w ere the result of ignorant,
primitive abnorm alities, which every true oc
cultist cam paigns against. A great m any of
such u n fortunate persons have been victims
of charlatans w ho tau g h t them a conglom era
tion of perverted O riental magical rites, d an
gerous to the health of the mind, merely to
exact trem endous fees from them. O th ers
have been sim ply people w ho w ere griefstricken and have sought to communicate
w ith some departed beloved personality.
T h ey have, through the machinations or ig
norant practices o f some clairvoyant," in
dulged idiotic rites, in good faith, which ulti
m ately resulted in w eakening their minds.
T h e individuals responsible for this have gone
their w ay and left their victims behind.
O ften A M O R C has been accused by some
persons as being unfair and unkind w hen we
have w arned against following individual
teachers who have no background of a repu
table organization, or very definite connec
tions. T h a t is w hy in our literature and in
our advertisem ents, we use the phrase, T h e
Institution B ehind the O rganization," and
then in connection w ith it usually show a
panoram ic view o f Rosicrucian P ark and
some of its buildings. By th at picture, w e are
trying to convey the idea of the stability and
the dependability o f the Rosicrucian teach
ings and of the O rd e r itself.
Second, there are persons w ho are m ental
ly ill, o r are unsound of mind before they
enter a study, an d the slightest concentra
tion, w hether on philosophy, law, or stenog
raphy is too much of a strain and they be
come insane. M o st certainly, no system of
study, w hether it teaches m etaphysics or in
surance can be held responsible for such re
sults, w hen the person revealed no symptoms
of his m ental state previously. Psychiatrists
will tell you th a t six out of ten persons w ho
are insane have a religious complex. From

Page 135

talking w ith them, one w ould presum e th at

religion w as responsible for their unfortunate
condition. T h e fact th at millions o f religion
ists are quite sane proves otherw ise. It is be
cause m any m entally w eak people are ex
trem ely em otional an d are draw n to religious
studies w hen on the verge o f insanity. T h e
same m ay be said of mysticism, m etaphysics,
and philosophy. T h ey , like religion, are n ot
responsible for such un fo rtu n ate incidents.
T h o se persons w ho claim otherw ise are p rej
udiced and cannot support their u nfair criti
cism statistically.X .

Everyday Relativity
A frater arises to ask this Forum the ques
tion, In a recent m onograph there is one
thought I do n o t u n d erstan d an d th a t is th a t
the outer w all o f living cells is negative. If
that is so, how can the cells group together to
form tissue, for example, or other matter?
W e know, an d it is a law, th a t like polarity
repels like."
In the particular m onograph to w hich the
frater refers appears this statem ent, A cell
is the earliest form of living m atter; it is a
small globule, either solid an d opaque, or
solid and tran sp aren t; it is slightly elliptical,
having an o u ter w all or coating, vibrating
with a negative quality, an d a nucleus in the
center, which, vibrating w ith a positive qual
ity, invariably conform s to th e m anifestation
of a perfect circle o r sphere." C onsequently,
it would seem inconsistent th a t tw o cells
could be attracted to each other if their outer
polarity is identical. A ccording to the estab
lished law, it w ould ap p ear th a t such cells
should repel each other. H ow ever, if th a t
w ere so in fact, the actual process of grow th
b y accretion w ould not be possible.
W h a t m ust be realized is th a t both nega
tive and p ositive, as polarities o r as a vibra
tory condition, do n o t have a fixed content.
T o be more perspicuous, all negative states
are not alike; also, neither are all positive
ones. W h a t a t one time by its function, its
phenom enon m ay appear negative, in relation
to some other condition, m ay m anifest as
quite positive. T h e outer w all o r membrane
of a cell is negative in relation to the vibra
tory n atu re o f the nucleus or center. H ow
ever, the same membrane, b y contrast, may
be positive to ano th er cell the radiations of

Page 136

w hich are stronger. C onsequently, the two

cells can unite.
T his brings up the question, w hat is m eant
by the negative or positive content of an y
thing? In various phenom ena which m anifest
dually, each of the aspects has certain definite
characteristics by which it can be known.
T his is to be found in electrical batteries,
m agnets, electrical currents, et cetera, to
which the term s negative and positive are
applied.
It would seem, then, th at there is no real
definition for determ ining w hat is negative
and w hat is positive, and th a t the terms are
arbitrarily assigned for identification of dif
ferences only. A ctually this is not so. In the
low er Rosicrucian T em ple D egrees, we dis
tinguish the different polarities of sp irit the
underlying energy of m atter, by the m athe
m atical content of their vibrations, namely,
w hether the vibrations are even or uneven in
number. H ow ever, there is a broad philosoph
ical definition for the positive o r negative
quality of any substance or condition. It is
the positiveness o f a thing or condition con
stitutes the m axim um o f its nature. T o further
define, the full and absolute nature of a thing
or condition is its positive state. If a thing or
condition is capable o f exceeding its present
state, then it is not positive but negative.
W h a t, as a homely analogy, is the positive
state of a liquid qu art container? It is its full
capacity of a q u art of any liquid. T h at, then,
is its m axim um n a tu re. O ne can expect n oth
ing more of it. O bviously, any less than the
utilization of the full capacity of the qu art
container is a negative aspect of its possibili
ties. Suppose only 16 ounces of liquid w ere
placed in the qu art container. Its negative
quality would be 50% or just half of the
possible maximum capacity. T hen, if w e
poured the contents or the 16 ounces into a
pint jar (which holds 16 liquid ounces), the
former negative quality w ould now become
positive because it w ould constitute the maxi
mum capacity of the sm aller jar.
W e are ap t to think th a t relativity is some
strange, extrem ely complex working of n a
ture th at only geniuses can understand. R ela
tivity, w hen applied to certain aspects of n a t
ural phenom ena, is difficult to com prehend
because it can only be presented by means of
involved m athem atical equations. O n the
other hand, there are simple dem onstrations
of relativity in our everyday affairs, but we

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

are unaccustom ed to thinking of them in th at

light. If w e come forth w ith the definite
statem ent th a t as human beings we are in
capable of discerning the absolute fixed n a
ture of anything, then relativity looms large
and it becomes more understandable.
Reality, all th a t w e identify by name, form,
and quality, an d th at seems precisely the
same each d ay an d century, is actually un
know n to us in its pure or absolute state.
Before w e become conscious of any reality,
no m atter how common it is to us, there are
one o r m any m edia constituting an interm edi
ate agency th a t brings it to us. F o r example,
an apple is red; it is round; it is sweet; it is
fragrant, w e say. Each one of these qualities
goes to m ake up the simple whole, the idea
w e have of it in our mind. But w hat truly is
the apple? W e perhaps m ay never know.
W e never perceive the apple directly. T h e
impulses, the vibrations w hich actuate our
eyes, sense of smell, and taste stand between
us, th a t is, o u r sensations and th a t something
w hich gives off those impulses. T o a color
blind man, the same red apple may be green.
T o a dog it is g ray or really colorless.
E verything of w hich w e have know ledge
is perceived, know n, or understood partially
or w holly through something else. N othing
stands in direct connection to or as contigu
ous w ith our consciousness. W e know o f no
absolute being in the universe. Everything
seems as it is, because of this or th a t or some
thing else. If w e change the relationship of
things and conditions, w e alter their nature
to ourselves a t least. T h ey become something
quite different to our comprehension.
A nother fra ter asks a qilestion which is
related to this subject. H e says, If there is
no sound w hen a tree falls, unless somebody
is present to h ear it, as our m onographs ex
plain, am I correct in my supposition th at
there also w ould be no tree visible unless
someone w ere present to see it?"
H e is correct in his supposition. T h ere
w ould be no tree, as the hum an eye perceives
it, w ithout the eye being there. T h e eye per
ceives visual impressions, light waves, which
in the consciousness are tran slated into form,
dimension, an d color. T h ere is some actual
ity in the forest, some substance, thing, or
condition, w hichever term you wish to use,
which gives off the vibrations and which so
filters the light w aves as to cause us to per
ceive visually a tre e w hen the eye is there

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to receive them. W h e n the eye is not there,

the actuality, w hatever it is, still persists, but
w e can never know w h at it is in its absolute
sta te if it has an absolute nature.
W h e n , for further example, the light grows
dim in the forest, as dusk approaches or the
forest becomes more dense, the individual
tree seems to lose its colors, the w hole be
comes more or less a silhouette. Even some
of its branches are no longer discernible.
T his further proves th a t our different m ental
pictures of the tree are related to various con
ditions. W e are not quite sure which percep
tion is the real tree, or if there really is a true
state which represents the actual natu re of
the tre e .X .

Spirit and G ravity

A F ra te r refers to a statem ent made in our
teachings to the effect th a t it is only the laws
th a t M an makes th a t M an can change. F o r
tunately, the laws which most affect hum an
ity as a w hole are Cosmic laws and laws
which M an m ust learn to live w ith instead of
trying to replace.
O n e of the most universal laws in the
universe and, at the same time, one of which
we think of rarely is the law of gravity.
W h e n w e do consider this law w e consider
it in term s of its action upon us; th at is, it
m ight be safe to say th a t as hum an beings,
we think of a center of force located some
w here in the interior of the earth th a t holds
everything on the surface of the earth to th at
particular planet. W e com pare gravity w ith
magnetism in th a t w e are familiar w ith m ag
netic attraction of an ordinary magnet. F or
example, holding a piece of metal in immedi
ate connection w ith the m agnet itself in a
form th a t can be released only b y appling
more energy than the m agnet itself exerts.
A s hum an beings, w e think of all the material
th at is on the face of the earth as being held
to the earth in just the same m anner as a
piece of metal is held to a magnet.
M an has tried to overcome the law of
gravity and he is egotistical enough to believe
that this has been done to a certain extent in
the m odern inventions having to do w ith
various types of aircraft. H ow ever, this is
not tru e in the strictest sense of considering
this force. It is m erely the acknow ledging
and use o f the law o f gravity that makes pos
sible all types of air transportation. In other

Page 137

w ords, modern air transportation is an exam

ple of w here M an has cooperated w ith C os
mic law w hether he acknow ledges it or not.
T h is same principle can be applied to all
Cosmic laws from the standpoint o f us as in
dividuals. W e find th a t apparently m any of
the laws o f the universe operate in a m anner
th at limits us just as the law of gravity limits
our movements in th e universe, b ut as M an
has shown his ingenuity in applying his
know ledge o f the law o f gravity in such a
w ay th at he can ap p aren tly minimize its a f
fects by leaving th e earth 's surface to a limit
ed extent, so M an can learn to w ork w ith
other universal law s in such a m anner th a t he
is able to overcome their strictest lim itations
and direct his efforts in such a m anner th at
he is using the very principles which would
apparently seem to b in d him. T h is, in short,
is a statem ent of one of the prim ary purposes
of M a n s existence on the earth; th a t is, to
learn to live effectively and purposefully in
his environm ent.
T h e law o f g ravity like all other laws in
the universe can be found m anifesting on a
much larger and much smaller scale than im
m ediately is apparent. It is the law of gravity
th at causes the planets to m aintain their rela
tive positions to the sun. It is the same law
of gravity th at causes the sun and its com
plete solar system to m aintain its position, in
turn, to the other bodies existent throughout
the universe. Its action is so definite th at
M an, even w ith his limited understanding of
its entire significance, can be observing and
recording these observable facts be able to
predict the position of the heavenly bodies at
points far distant in the future w ith a very
hiqh degree of accuracy.
In the beginning of these comments I re
ferred to the fact th a t w e consider the force
of gravity as localized w ithin this earth. W e
have seen an d o f course w e really know th at
this is not tru e because it is the law w orking
throughout the universe, but, nevertheless,
w e do not even take this observation as seri
ously as w e should because this same law
actualy is w orking through the m ost minute
particle of m atter as com pletely as it w orks
in the largest of the bodies making up our
universe. W e are tau g h t th at the negative
and positive m anifestations of the universal
force th at reach o u r planet are of two kinds
or bring about two different m anifestations
m atter and life. In other w ords, they are the

Page 138

vital life force and spirit. Spirit is defined to

us as th a t force which m anifests itself in m at
ter in the form of cohesion and adhesion. In
other w ords, it is the force th a t causes m atter
to be in the form perceived by o ur senses.
W ith o u t spirit nothing w ould hold its shape,
to put this principle in a popular and easily
stated form. A solid object, such as a rock or
stone, if spirit w ere not present, w ould simply
cause to exist as one solid obiect an d dissi
pate itself into the universal spaces. T h e
general misconception upon the p art of every
one, and, in fact, a misconception which exists
in our every d ay thinking is th a t this spirit
force is independent of other forces, w hereas
in reality, spirit and gravity, for example, are
one and the same thing.
T h ere is no point in the earth th a t is the
center of gravity in the sense th a t some ob
ject like a big m agnet lies at th at particular
point. T h e force of gravity in the earth as a
w hole is the expression or the existence of
spirit in every atom th at goes to make up the
entire earth. G ravity exists in the forming of
this spirit energy in the sm allest obiect that
vou may have in your hand. It is the com
bination of the spirit forces in all objects of
all segments of the earth that make us the
entire force of gravity throughout the uni
verse. T h e larger the body the more spirit
energy w e find com pressed or existent w ithin
the w hole body. T herefore, w hen w e consid
er in terms of the relative strength of gravity
in the moon, the earth, and the sun, w e would
realize that the gravity on the moon w ould be
less than th a t on the earth and on the sun
more. In o ther w ords, putting this in term s of
our know ledge and experience w ith w eights
and movements, a hum an being on the moon
with very little energy could probably jump
m any feet into the air, w hile on the sun he
w ould probably be unable to even move an y
muscles in his body because of the grav ita
tional forces. O n the earth ou r body is built
in accordance w ith th e size of the earth so
th a t it adapts itself to the particular gravita
tional force o f the earth.
T h e w hole purpose of this discussion is to
help us to realize th a t the universal forces
w ith w hich w e deal and w hich are m anifesta
tions of Cosmic law are operating throughout
us and throughout the universe. W e can
neither deny their existence nor can we
escape these laws. W e m ust realize the m ani
festation of the forces of the Cosmic in the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

smallest particle as well as in the largest

bo d y .A.
A p p ly in g th e P a tro n F u n d
M a n y m onths ago, in fact the time th at the
U nited S tates entered the present w ar, it be
came very ap p aren t to the adm inistrative of
ficers o f the organization th a t something d ras
tic h ad to be done to m aterially assist m any
members to m aintain their membership, due
to circum stances beyond their control. F or
years, as w e all know, there h ad been a g rad
ual increase in expenses, even before the
present W o rld W a r. T h e price of paper had
climbed, the cost of office m achinery had in
creased, the labor scale h ad increased, and
yet the dues of A M O R C w ere fixed at the
same am ount an d had been for nearly fifteen
years. W h e n members in foreign countries
w ere suffering due to the exchange, th a t is,
the more or less devaluation of their money,
it becam e impossible for them to pay the dif
ference betw een the value of their money in
their own country and the value of it in the
U nited States. In some lands it w ould have
m eant th at they w ould have h ad to pay dues
am ounting to th e equivalent of four or fiive
dollars a month.
D ue to the trying times, these members
w ere desperately in need o f the continuation
of the helpful teachings of the O rder, th e in
spiration derived from them, and the useful
principles they could apply. T o have severed
their membership w ithout at least attem pting
to partially help them w ould have been unRosicrucian. O n the other hand, looking at
it from the purely practical point of view, ob
viously the organization could not continue to
carry those individuals or p ay the g reat dif
ferences in dues m onth afte r month. It w ould
have been too great a strain. T h en , again, in
some countries the situation w as even more
severe. A t the outbreak of the w ar, the gov
ernm ents of those countries p ut a com plete
em bargo, a stop order, on the exporting of all
dues or moneys o ut of th at country. C onse
quently, those individuals could not pay dues,
and it w ould have required the organization,
the G ran d Lodge of A M O R C , to carry the
load of all printing, postage, correspondence,
and the m ultitude of other expenses incident
to m aintaining membership w ithout an y fi
nancial assistance from any source.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

A nd so we m ade an appeal to our members

fo each o f /oto voluntarily become a
P atron, th at is, to increase your dues 50$
m onth if you w ould, which money would be
used, first, to help members in foreign coun
tries, to carry their dues and make up the
differences in exchange for a reasonable
length of time; second, to help the organiza
tion meet the greatly increased price of m a
terials and operation, since there had been no
qeneral increase in dues. W e are happv to
sav th a t the great m aiority of the member
ship responded; and further, of th a t number,
a great m any still continue faithfully to keep
up their P atron dues. O f course, some con
tributed the additional 50$ one month, and
then never again, w hich w as hardly of any
help at all.
N ow w e come a t this time to report to you
on the m anner in w hich the money of this
P atron fund, has been and is being applied:
1. Applied directly on the dues o f mem
bers, unable to pay, in military service of the
U nited N ations, or upon the dues of members
who are limited in the exportation of funds
because of governm ent restrictions.
2. T o com pensate the organization for dif
ferences in exchange rates betw een countries,
and thereby perm it members to submit their
funds at par, th a t is, at the value of the
m oney in their country. F or example: T h e
funds subm itted b y the members in C anada.
3. F o r the paym ent of special w ar taxes
levied by other governm ents. F o r example:
W e are required to affix, in advance, ex
change tax stam ps on each piece of literature
enterinq C anada, as well as the Rosicrucian
D ig est entering C anada.
4. F o r giving special help in the m ainten
ance of membership to those residing in the
British W e s t Indies, w here the exportation
of funds is absolutely frozen. Even those
w ho have money are not allow ed to send it
out of the country to m aintain their member
ship.
5. T o help meet membership dues of mem
bers resident in E ngland, w here the exporta
tion of funds is limited.
A lthough, as said, this fund likewise w as
to com pensate for the greatly increased ex
penses of operation, so far it has not been
used for this purpose. U ltim ately this m ay
have to be done; b u t if it does not become
necessary, then any balance th a t may exist,

Page 139

th at has accum ulated, will be used as a re

habilitation fu n d a t the conclusion of the w ar.
You m ust realize, I am sure, th a t the Rosi
crucian Lodges an d the Rosicrucian activities
are not only disorganized in m any of the
occupied countries of Europe, b u t th at the
Rosicrucian O rd er, m aterially speakingits
Lodges, its properties, and its paraphernalia
have been seized and destroyed, and all
th at exists of the O rd e r in such countries is
the zeal, the light, an d the desire th a t still
burns w ithin the consciousness of its members
those w ho still live. W h e n the w ar is over
and those people are liberated, they will need
some receptacle in w hich their light may
burn, some place w here they can meet, and
some financial assistance to get those few ma
terial things necessary, th a t the O rd er again
can grow and carry on its mission.
From a legal point of view, constitution
ally, the O rd e r in this jurisdiction is not ob
ligated to support or to rehabititate the O rder
in other jurisdictions. But let us not forget
th at w e are a b ro th erh o o d not a bro th er
hood just of the U n ited States, or just of
N o rth and South Am erica, b ut a brotherhood
in purpose of men an d women throughout the
civilized w orld. If w e have a loaf of bread,
it behooves us to help appease the hunger of
those who have none.
T herefore, a t th e conclusion of the w ar,
such funds as m ay still exist in the P atron
F u n d providing each o f you continues to
support it'-*will be used to do printing in
some of these lands, to help them to obtain
regalia, to rent an d furnish a Lodge room, or
to distribute literatu re for them, to establish
an d maintain for a brief period a tem porary
office for inquirers, to conduct certain digni
fied propaganda to allow the depressed peo
ples of E urope to know th at there is such a
vehicle as the Rosicrucian O rd e r to which
they can tie fast an d ride forw ard to a better
future.
T h a t is the future plan of the P atro n Fund,
provided, of course, I repeat, each o f you
continues to be conscientious in your obliga
tions and keep up th a t small contribution of
50$ or w hatever am ount above th a t you can
contribute each m onth in addition to your
dues. It m ay constitute a small sacrifice now,
not as much a sacrifice, how ever, as it w ould
have been a y ear o r tw o ago for some of you,
b u t while you can contribute do so faithfully,
because the statem ents made above have

Page 140

show n w h at has been done w ith the money

you have contributed, also w hat will be done
w ith any m oney which may rem ain in the
fund.
I w ould like to add also that a t this forth
coming Convention, as a t past Conventions,
committees voluntarily form ed b y members
will exam ine the books and financial records
of the A M O R C G rand Lodge. A n y member,
regardless o f w h at degree of the O rd e r he is
is, has the privilege of being a member of
such a committee. In fact, we urge members
to organize themselves into such committees,
in o rd er to m ake such investigations they de
sire, and to submit a report of their findings
to the Convention for the approval of the
delegates and members. Such reports are on
file here, and m ay be examined b y an y active
member a t an y reasonable time. Such commitees will be urged this year to examine into
the P atron Fund, and see the m anner in
w hich your contributions have been recorded
and to see th a t they have been disbursed in a
m anner th a t conforms to w h at has been said
above.X .

A nother Forum Experiment

A gain w e w ish to thank the members of
our great Forum family for their kind support
in sending reports on their Forum experi
m ents. Remember, w e repeat, you are doing
a pioneer w ork. Y our findings will influence
our including these experim ents, w hich are
based on natural and Cosmic laws, in the of
ficial teachings of A M O R C . E ach report
you m ake will be read and analyzed by my
self. Please, however, do not expect me to
personally acknow ledge each.
N ow for the next experim ent and mystical
exercise. H ave you ever had a monition?
T h a t is, a sudden intuitive flash in the form
of a question, and its right answ er sim ultan
eously? P erhaps the experience m ay have
been the realization of a definite problem and,
concom itantly, the solution to it. Y ou may
reply to this question, W ell, often I have
taken a question o r a problem to the Cosmic,
as tau g h t in our m onographs, and sometimes
immediately, or subsequently the answ er or
the solution w ould be forthcom ing. H ow
ever, th a t is not w hat w e are referring to.
In such an instance, you first consciously cre
ated your question, or the problem developed

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

objectively out of your affairs and then you

took it to the Cosm ic M ind for assistance.
W h a t w e have reference to is th a t the con
sciousness o f the problem or the question is
as unfam iliar an d as unexpected as the an
sw er o r the solution th at you received. In re
ality, you had previously never given thought
to the question or the problem. T o put it even
more simply, alm ost everyone has heard some
one say, S trange, you know an im portant
question just came to my mind an d the effec
tive answ er as well. If I only knew someone
w ho had need of such inform ation, how use
ful it could be to them . I, and perhaps you,
have often also h eard persons say, You
know, if I w ere in this o r th at business, I
w ould overcome th at problem w ith which
they are faced, b y doing so-and-so. T h en
they go on to relate an outstanding, very
practical solution. You know th a t the busi
ness and its problem is quite distant to their
occupation, th a t is, their everyday calling.
You ask them, W h a t ever m ade you think
of such a problem? It does n ot immediately
touch your life o r affairs. T h e y will most
obviously reply, R eally I do not know, it
iust daw ned upon me, or rath er it came as a
flash.
W h a t happens in such cases is th at usually
the individual does nothing further about his
experience. H e either m erely relates it to a
friend, or keeps it to himself an d eventually
forgets it. T h e answ er or the solution w ould
be extrem ely helpful to the person o r the con
cern who is in need o f it. In fact, the question
or the problem realized in such an experience
is usually so v ery definite in all of its details
th at b y its n atu re we know just w h at people,
perhaps not b y nam e b u t by their circum
stances, or w h at institution or business or
ganization w ould be m ost benefited b y the
know ledge we have received. H ow ever, as
said, the average person does nothing about
such experiences, for he is hesitant to offer
advice on th a t of w hich he is n ot know n as
an authority. T h en again, he m ay feel that
the proffering of such inform ation, unsolici
ted, m ay be offensive to those whom he thinks
may not be in need of it, even though it
would seem as though they should have it.
T h ese conclusions b y one having such an ex
perience are false, as w e shall see.
Let us sta rt from the beginning to undertand these mystical laws and principles in
volved in this ex p erim en t In the Cosmic

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

sense, w e hum an beings are not puppets, we

are dual beings. In addition to the physical,
outer self as w e know it, w ith its functions of
grow th, assimilation, reproduction, locomo
tion, etc., there is also the inner self, the soul,
w ith its D ivine Consciousness, which makes
us self-conscious beings, able to see and to
know the w orkings o f th e Cosmic. O u r soul
has its attribute of mind as well as the body
has the organ o f brain, and these make it pos
sible for us to think, to evaluate o u r world,
and to adjust ourselves to other Cosmic crea
tions about us men and m atter. C onse
quently, it is futile through prayer, petition,
appeal, o r an y method, to expect Cosmic in
tervention in our tem poral affairs, to the ex
tent th a t the Cosmic will do those things for
us which lie w ithin our own provisions.
If, for example, w e are very much in need
of employment, no m atter how sincere we are
and how pathetic o u r appeal, the Cosmic will
not lay in our laps an invitation to a job or a
position. If the Cosm ic w ere to function in
th a t m anneras unfortunately so m any be
lievei t w ould be really contributing to the
disuse, to the atrophying of our faculties and
pow ers. W h y should w e be capable of visu
alizing, imaging, reasoning, and m arshalling
our thoughts, if it w ere intended th at the
Cosmic do all of these things for us, merely
upon our petition. T h e Cosmic is not a genie,
w hereby, b y the mere w aving of a w and, our
every wish is fulfilled. If w e have truly tried
to help ourselves and have had no success, an
appeal to the Cosmic will resu ltif w e are
w orth y in an intuitive or Cosmic message,
outlining the procedure by which w e can ob
tain or do as is necessary for us. In other
w ords, the thing desired has not been pro
vided by the Cosmic. R ather, the w ay has
been delineated for us. It still requires our
initiative an d individual pow ers to bring
about the final result. W e grow stronger be
cause of it; this w ould not be so if nothing
further w ere required of us.
Sometimes th a t Cosmic revelation, the pro
cedure disclosed, requires our communicating
w ith a certain organization, or calling upon a
person in a certain line of w ork, because they
can best help us. Furtherm ore, if two persons
are equally in need, th a t is, they are equally
in need of the sam e solution of a problem, or
a problem which is quite similar, an d they ap
peal to the Cosmic, the solution m ay not be
the sam e for each. T h e procedure for the

Page 141

solution, w hich the Cosmic im plants in the

consciousness as a suggestion is alw ays com
m ensurate w ith the intelligence an d the ex
perience o f the individual. A fter all, is th at
not logical? N o tw o people are intellectually
alike, nor have they had identical experiences
in life. A procedure Cosmically proposed to
one person m ight n ot be thoroughly com pre
hensible to another, even if his problem w ere
the same. C onsequently, the Cosmic puts us
in touch w ith those circumstances, events, ob
jects of know ledge, an d people w ho can best
assist us.
How ever, th ere is another side to this m at
ter. It obviously w ould not be sufficient to
Cosm ically inspire M r. Jones w ith the idea
of calling upon M r. Smith, w ho has the in
formation needed to solve his problem if M r.
Smith w ould n o t cooperate. Such w ould be
an ineffectual process and certainly the C os
mic is capable of bridging any possible over
sights such as hum ans would m ake in their
thinking. T herefore, an essential requirem ent
is that all parties concerned w ith the Cosmic
p la n the recipient (th e one to get the bene
fit), and those w ho are to help m ust be
m ade aw are o f their particular p art.
Rosicrucian members, business men, for
example, w ho h ave been laboring w ith a
problem of vital im portance to their w elfare,
an d perhaps hum anity's as well, have finally
turned to the Cosmic as a court of last ap
peal. Eventually, perhaps during one o f their
periods of m editation, they w ould receive, as
an intuitive idea, a solution in the form of a
plan to follow. T h e plan m ight require th at
they call upon a m an connected w ith a cer
tain industry or financial group. T h is they
would do, an d a fte r outlining their proposal
to such an individual, to their am azement, he
would say, You know, it is perhaps a coin
cidence th a t very recently I have been think
ing along those sam e lines. In fact, I have
been going over in m y mind m any of the very
things you propose. T herefore, I am inter
ested and will be glad to further entertain
your ideas." W a s it, after all ju st coincidence
th a t the needed m an, the one w ho could help
w as in sym pathy w ith the idea an d h ad been
recently thinking ab o u t it? N o t a t all. In the
Cosmic plan, such an individual w as selected
to play a p art. C onsequently, he w as Cos
mically m ade to think about the problem.
W h e n the one w ho needed aid called upon

Page 142

him, he w as m entally prepared an d in the

fram e of m ind to assist him.
C an you now begin to understan d w hy
some men and women, all of us a t times, in
tuitively receive impressions of questions,
w ith their complete answ ers, or a problem
w ith its final solution, even w hen w e have
not sought them? It means th a t w e have been
Cosm ically selected because o f our particular
reasoning, background, or experience, to help
someone else. It m atters not w hether w e are
in a business related to the answ er or to the
solution of the problem. T h e fact th at w e are
capable w ithin our objective thinking, of
forming the rig h t answ er or the rig h t solu
tion is the reason w e have been Cosmically
ordained to serve.
U sually such a problem and its answ er or
solution rem ain very dorm ant in our con
sciousness for several days after it is first
registered. If, after 72 hours of such an ex
perience, no one communicates w ith you in
person, or b y letter, telegram , cable, or tele
phone, then it becomes your m oral d u ty to
offer the results of your experience to those
w ho need it. Y ou will alw ays know, n ot by
nam e perhaps, bu t by the n atu re of such a
Cosmic revelation, the kind of people, insti
tutions, or concern to be best served b y it.
W h e n approaching them then, do n ot say
th a t you have h ad a Cosmic urge to do so, or
have been Cosm ically inspired, m erely for
mally, in w riting or in speaking, sta te th at
you have an idea w hich you think will be
useful to them and you are happy to offer it
fre ely. T h en clearly set forth the idea as it
w as given to you, and you have rendered
your Cosmic service. H ow ever, you will be
Cosmically rew arded. Such ideas received in
such a m anner are usually so needed an d so
beneficial to the one w ho receives them th a t
he is extrem ely grateful. H e will express his
g ratitude in some m aterial or other w ay w hich
you are entitled to accept. But never ask for
com pensation. M ystically, this principle can
be entitled T h e Cosmic L aw o f Service *
E ach night before you retire, rath er just
before falling asleep, w hile in a transitory
state, nam ely the borderline betw een the
states of objective and subjective conscious
ness, say to yourself: '7 offer m yself to the
Cosmic, in accordance w ith the law o f serv
ice. M a y m y pow ers o f m ind, the attributes
o f m y being, be used where th ey m ay best
s e r v e By doing this, you are offering y o u r

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

self to the Cosmic, through the suggestion

m ade to your inner self, w hich is alw ays a t
tuned w ith the g reat universal Cosmic M ind.
P erhaps the n ex t day, or m aybe even
m onths later, you will experience some un
usual question, w ith its answ er, or a problem
an d its solution w hile you are in meditation,
or even going about your affairs. Sometimes
this m ay come even the n ex t morning. A t the
first opportunity, after having such an ex
perience, w rite dow n the details; then w ait
for someone to call upon you or even to casu
ally ask you the question, the answ er to
which you now have, and then give it to
them. If no one comes to you, then do as di
rected above.
T ry this experim ent soon. Y ou will derive
satisfaction from it, from this law of service.
Furtherm ore, it will open up opportunities to
you. T h e Cosmic does com pensate.X.

T he Akashic Records
A Soror from the Southw est asks this
Forum : I w ould appreciate being given a
g reater u nderstanding of the A kashic Rec
ords, w here (I h ad heard said) is recorded
all th at ever w as o r ever will be. H ow does
one correlate a com prehension of this w ith a
com prehension of the creative pow er of
thought, the directing, free choice, etc.; or
does one look upon these records as upon the
keyboard, upon w hich it m ight be said is the
tone of every composition th a t ever w as
played or ever will be played?"
T h e Soror h as w ritten the answ er within
her own question. T h e A kashic Records is a
mystical and allegorical term depicting the
indelible records of all events, circumstances
and happenings of the p ast an d of the future
which exist in the Cosmic Consciousness.
Since the Cosmic Consciousness, or the In
telligence o f G od, as a source and as order,
is the ever con stan t cause of things which are
an d w hich will develop, all things are in
scribed therein. T h e Cosmic law s are the
moving spirit of the Consciousness of God.
In other w ords, G od or the D ivine alw ays is;
th at is, it is substance. B ut it is the Con
sciousness, the thought o r intelligence of
G od, if you will, which causes this substance
to assume the variations of w hich w e are
conscious. C onsequently, this moving, inde
term inate substance, the Consciousness of
G od, is a potential of all th in g sth at which
is, which has been, and w hich will be.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Since in the Consciousness of G od time

does not exist, th a t is, there is no division be
tw een past, present, and future, bu t instead,
there is but a graduated scale of becoming,
of change, one thing into the other, nothing,
therefore, actually is, to the extent th a t it has
an y degree of perm anency. It is only the
confusion of our finite minds th a t causes us
to think of som ething as being arrested, as
being a t rest, an d causes us to say th at it is,
or to think of the present. T h e Conscious
ness of G od, therefore, is a kind of plenum
it is full w ith everything. T h e mystics of old
referred to this self-sufficient state, this com
plete substance an d know ledge, th a t is, in
telligence for m anifesting itself in every and
all w ays, as the A ka sh ic R ecords. T h e w ord
A kashic' is derived from the S anskrit w ord
A s k a w hich, in the S ankhya philosophy,
m eans indeterm inate essence such as space
or ether.
T h e Soror propounds the question th a t if
all things are determ ined by, or are potential
w ithin the Cosmic Consciousness and the
A kashic Records, how can we reconcile th at
w ith our ability to individually create, seem
ingly a t will. In other w ords, if everything
will eventually come to pass, and is inherent
w ithin the A kashic Records, are we, as hu
mans, actually bringing anything into exist
ence w hen w e think, plan, and create? If
everything is w ithin the Cosmic or A kashic
R ecords, th a t is, already planned, is it not
futile to attem pt to m arshal our sensible ex
periences and things of the w orld, to produce
something? W h y not let things just take
their course?
W e could reason this w ay, b u t it would be
w rong in principle. W e w ould be consider
ing our intelligence as in competition w ith the
Cosmic and since the former has more effi
cacy, resigning ourselves to w h at it might
bring forth. W h e n w e plan and create, w e
are not so separate a being th a t w e are actu
ally reaching into the universe or our im
m ediate w orld, taking hold of things, and
fashioning them as a boy w ould reach into a
basket to grasp an apple. W e are a p a rt of
the great Cosmic Consciousness. W h e n w e
think, the Consciousness of G od is striving
to think through us also. Especially is this
true w hen w e use the higher processes of our
mind, not m erely the ordinary objective re
sponses to our environm ent. M an is himself,
all of his faculties, his abilities to visualize, to

Page 143

organize an d create, a m anifestation an d a

p art of the Cosmic Consciousness. T herefore,
w hatever man does, he is doing because it is
his nature to do so.
M an is free only to follow the dictates of
his nature. W h e n he brings an idea he has
into m anifestation, like an inventor creating
some device, m an is after all exercising those
pow ers w hich w ere given him as a human,
and w hich it w as intended th a t he use. H is
consciousness th a t conceived the device is of
the Consciousness of the Cosmic. It is bound
to it, as all things of the universe are bound
into one orderly process. T h e m aterial ele
ments w hich his m ind utilized to further its
ideas, and w hich becam e the finished product,
the invention, w ere all com posed of the ele
ments o f m atter.
It might be arg u e d th a t the final form of
the invention w as new . It could be said by
some th a t it existed now here else in nature
until it came to th e mind o f the inventor.
Such reasoning, how ever, only brings us back
to the point th a t you cannot separate the
mind of the inventor from the Cosmic C on
sciousness. F o r analogy: Y ou cannot say
th a t the sun is an independent cause of
grow th an d o f light an d o f h eat on our earth.
Behind the sun th e re are the causes which
brought it into existence. So, too, behind man
are those causes w hich m ake it possible for
him to create w h at he does. Since G od and
the Cosmic are the cause of man, then poten
tially w ithin the Consciousness of the Cos
mic, within the A kashic Records, exist all of
those things w hich it is possible for man to
bring forth.
O n the other h an d , if m an did n ot create,
if he presum ed th a t all things w ould ultim ate
ly come forth w ith o u t any attem pt upon his
p art, he w ould be denying expression of D i
vine Consciousness through himself. T h e
Soror implies, in a portion of her question,
th at if we contend th a t all things exist in the
A kashic R ecords, an d th a t they will eventu
ally come to pass through or independent of
man, w e have a conception of fatalism . It is
true, it is beyond m an's pow er to prevent th at
w hich is decreed or w ritten, allegorically
speaking, in the A kashic R ecords. How ever,
it is w ithin m an's pow er to m ake it possible
to realize m any o f these things w ithin his
present cycle of incarnation b y asserting his
own intelligence an d m anifesting them soon
er. P ure fatalism w ould preclude the possi

Page 144

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

bility of man in any w ay influencing the per

iod of m anifestation. In other w ords, fatal
ism w ould not only definitely establish th at
something h ad to come to pass, regardless of
m ans m ental processes, but it w ould be im
possible under fatalism for man to either ac
celerate o r delay the happening. T h e doc
trine of the A kashic Records adm its of no
such fatalism or lim itations on m an's divinely
conferred pow ers of m ind.X .
A w ak en in g O u r T a le n ts
A frater w ho has been a rath er silent mem
ber of our Forum Family, now addresses this
body. H e says: I know th a t in our Rosicru
cian m onographs exist the laws and exact
procedure w hereby w e can aw aken and de
velop our talents and latent abilities. U n
doubtedly some o f this inform ation has been
digested previously by me, but for the mo
ment I am a t a loss to organize it for use.
W h a t are talents? H ow are they acquired?
A nd, most im portant, how can I organize any
I m ay possess, and finally, how can I apply
them to my living?"
Let us discard the conventional definition
of talent. A s an imm ediate beginning, to
serve our purpose, w e can say th a t talents
are aptitudes w hich w e display. A n aptitude
to m ost of us m eans general inclination to
w ard som ething, such as, for example, me
chanics, w ith perhaps more ability in th at
than in some other endeavor. T h is seems ir
reconcilable w ith talent, as perhaps you are
accustom ed to think of it. It is the habit to
think of one having a talent as possessing
such particular ability th a t he will exceed one
who does not have the same inclination.
Let me use an analogy: T h ere are two
men; one is a prom inent stu d en t of lan
guages, a teacher of them, in fact; the other
is a clerk in a large office. T h e clerk is rest
less in his w ork; he is fascinated w ith me
chanical things. H e likes to toy w ith machin
ery, engines, motors, and devices. Besides
having th a t love, he displays a mechanical
talent, an ability to do mechanical things
better th an anything else w hich he does. O n
the other hand, the other man, the linguist,
has no particular interest in m achinery or
mechanics. M o st certainly w hatever he does
m echanically is not equal to his linguistic
ability. H ow ever, w hen b y necessity he does
devote his tim e to mechanical things, he can

accomplish more with them than the clerk

who has a talen t for mechanics.
In your ow n experience, you have perhaps
known people w ho w ould have m ade fair a t
torneys or mathem aticians, better than usual
perhaps, because they excelled in those or
related fields w hen called upon, but who
nevertheless detested them an d w ould do
better in their chosen field. T h is belies the
popular conception th at one w ho has a talent
alw ays can achieve more w ith it than one
who does n o t have it. A talent, therefore, is
a personal responsiveness, a sensitiveness on
your p a rt to dem ands m ade upon your facul
ties or intellectual pow ers, a sensitiveness
which exceeds an y other you have, so far as
creative ability or ability to accomplish is
concerned. Because of th a t sensitivity, that
instinctive an d organic inclination on your
part, the perform ing of all acts directly con
nected w ith it com e easier for you. Since it is
easier, th a t is, n o t so laborious, an d since it
satisfies you emotionally, you like it as well.
It does prove th a t greater possibilities for you
lie w ithin the channel of your talent.
T h ere are tw o w ays of explaining this sen
sitivity of talents. T h e m aterialists theory is
th at in certain cortical and association areas
of our brain the neurons (nerve cells) are
more highly developed, this development
sometimes being a coincidence, and a t other
times a m atter o f heredity. H ow ever, the
m aterialistis are not in accord as to w hether
the predisposition o r talents can be tran s
m itted from fath er to son. D r. A ugust W e ism ann, w hose w orks have become a classic on
heredity, says G auss w as not the son of a
m athem atician; H an d els father w as a sur
geon, of w hose musical pow ers nothing is
known; T itian w as the son and also the
nephew of a law yer, while he and his brother,
Francesco Vecellio, w ere th e first painters in
a family w hich produced a succession of
seven to the artists, w ith diminishing talents.
T h ese facts, how ever, do n o t prove th a t the
condition of th e nerve-tracts an d centers of
the brain, w hich determ ine specific talent, ap
peared for the first time in these men; the ap
propriate condition surely existed previously
in their parents; although it did not achieve
expression." T h e point of interest in this
statem ent is n o t w hether the talents have
been transm itted from parents, b ut th a t the
appropriate condition" can exist w ith some
people and n ot achieve expression."

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T he Rosicrucians have a mystical explan

ation for the possession of this sensitively
am ounting to talents, which w e all have to a
certain degree. T h e personality of the soul
is distinctly separate in th a t it is not bound
by family relationships, th a t is, each of our
personalities are different, regardless of fam
ily connection. Cosmically, in other w ords,
we are not ordained to pursue a life or pro
fession sim ilar to th a t of our parents, unless
such is necessary to the evolvement of our
personality. If it is our mission in life, th at
which w e m ust learn, an d the m anner in
which w e m ust serve, then, of course, w e may
be inclined, through a predisposition, to do
those things w hich our parents have also
done; in other w ords, to follow the same
pursuits.
In this incarnation, our parents are those
who, by their training and b y their associa
tion w ith us, can contribute best those experi
ences w e need for the perfection of our soul's
ego the personality. H ow ever, w e m ay
have entirely different predispositions or tal
ents than our parents. T h e talents are en
dowed on us because by the pursuit of those
interests w e can best serve the Cosmic and
acquire those earthly experiences necessary
for the rounding out of the soul's personality,
the developm ent of self. H ow ever, the C os
mic endow m ent of those talents is quite
w ithin the findings, in other w ords, w ithin the
explanations offered by the physiologists and
psychologists. In other w ords, physically
speaking, this endow m ent consists of the sen
sitivity of certain nerve-tracts and areas of
neurons in our brains.
T h e mechanical process and the physiolog
ical aspect are quite necessary if w e are to
m anifest talents, for, after all, talents are not
something, even though the Cosmic intends
them for us, th a t m ysteriously descend upon
us like a vapor from the heavens. T h ey are
physically and m aterially developed w ithin
us but the Cosmic has decreed the ones they
shall be. T h is mystical an d Rosicrucian prin
ciple concerning talents further confirms or
is in harm ony w ith science. E ach time w e are
placed upon this earth plane, unless we have
incurred a great karmic debt, we are caused
to have such parents w ho will further our
psychic developm entthe perfection of self.
Consequently, our parents will be those
w hose native intelligence and sensitivity to
the finer and nobler things of life and

Page 145

those ends necessary for creating from their

environm ent will be greater. T h e parents
may n o t have the education nor the fame
w hich the child will attain. It will be found,
however, th a t they have those instinctive and
psychic qualities w hich will contribute to the
excellence in attainm ent of their progeny. A
son, because of his oratorical ability and logic
m ay become a fam ed attorney. H is father
m ay be a humble farm er, b u t it will be proven
easily th a t th e fath er has a keen intelligence
an d excellent reasoning pow ers.
A gain, talen t is not alw ays related to in
telligence, th a t is, th e procedure of thought.
T a le n t springs from certain emotional re
sponses as well. A great d epth o f feeling, of
compassion, o f love, and th e ability to ex
press self musically, for example, is as much
a talent as an intellectual aptitude, such as
literary ability.
A particular talen t is designated by the
area of the brain w hich is a seat for certain
pow ers o f m ind an d the exercise of certain
emotions. W h e n the soul enters the body, its
incarnated ego h as the mission, the incentive
to develop along certain needed lines, to ex
press itself in definite channels. T h a t incen
tive is th a t w hich causes the areas of the
brain best able to bring about th a t mission to
become especially sensitive an d m anifest as
talents. T h erefo re, in reality, the develop
m ent of the bo d y an d the brain as a vehicle
for the soul an d its ego, conform to a pre
scribed p attern . It is not difficult for the body
so to develop, because the soul has been put
in a body w hich h as been selected to meet the
dem ands w hich will be m ade upon it. It is
like an inventor, w ho has a certain design
which he has visualized an d w ishes to create
being given the m aterials b est suited to his
purpose.
So far it w ould seem from our discussion
as though w e could not escape our talents.
E verything appears to be preconceived for
us, however, let us n o t forget th a t we mortals
have been given wills, w hich perm it us to
reject and to deny our pow ers o r to recognize
them. T herefore, w hether talents which are
latent w ithin us are exercised and brought to
the maximum of their efficacy, depends sole
ly upon us as individuals. If w e deny a talent,
w e reta rd the developm ent of self, the per
sonality in this incarnation.
T alen ts are never so dorm ant th at we can
not become conscious of their existence. T h e

Page 146

usual discovery of a talent consists in finding

the easy m anner in which w e can develop the
technique to do som ething, or the immediate
com prehension w e have of the details of
some a rt or science, combined w ith our like
ness for it. A n inclination to try something,
a mere fascination for some endeavor is not
an indication o f a talent. M a n y of us have
thought w e w ould like to do a certain thing.
A fter some application to it, w e found it
laborious and difficult for us to com prehend,
and therefore no longer enjoyable.
If you have a longing to indulge an a rt or
a science, to be a mechanic or m athem atician,
try i t D o not give up your present profes
sion o r occupation, but m ake it a hobby or
avocation. V e ry shortly you will find w heth
er you have the aptitude. T h is will be indi
cated by the ability to concentrate w ithout
effort on the instructions of w hatever you are
pursuing, and, w ith practice, a rapidly de
veloping perfection and an increasing, rath er
than decreasing pleasure. F urth er, you will
find th a t as you exercise the talent (an d this
is a further proof th a t it is on e), you will be
able to observe in your w orld, your daily en
vironm ent, w ays and means of utilizing your
ability never dream ed of previously. Just as
a man who acquires greater physical strength
is able to lift g reater w eights w ith ease, so
one who exercises his talents finds about him
more and more channels for their expression.
T h ere are usually one or more talents
w hich w e possess and of w hich w e are very
much conscious. Sometimes, since they seem
so dom inant, w e devote ourselves to them, to
the exclusion of others perhaps one m ay
even have g reater possibilities. It, therefore,
becomes necessary for us to aw aken these
subm erged talen tsrather, to discover th a t
w e have them. T o do this, you m ust suggest
the nature of certain vocations, trades, arts,
or sciences as an idea to your subjective
mind. A llow the stimulus of those ideas to
arouse w ithin you any special responsiveness
you m ay have to them. F or exmaple, go to
an opera, or visit an a rt gallery and look a t
good paintings, try describing an incident of
the d ay in w riting. See if you can m entally
create an improvement on some mechanical
device. In other w ords, let your conscious
ness dwell on unaccustom ed experiences,
som ething to w hich any talent sensitivity you
m ay have can respond. T h e m ental area of
w hich a talent m ay consist in your brain may

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

be now as a parched ground w aiting for rain

to give it life.
A n excellent w ay to aw aken talent is to
visualize people in different trades, profes
sions, arts, an d sciences, to w hich possibly
before you have given little or no thought.
W h e n you visualize them doing these things,
if you feel a quickening in y our solar plexus,
a sort of suppressed excitem ent, th at then is
your cue to investigate th at particular sphere
of activity further. Go to the place w here
these things are being done, th at to which
you respond, an d see if you can have this
experience directly, or try imitating the ac
tivity in your home, by studying or reading
about it. M an y a man never knew he h ad a
talent for art, for example, until he started to
dab around w ith som eone's p alette and b ru sh
es. Finally he senses a m astery, an ease of
achievement, an d a satisfaction th a t inw ardly
told him, I have discovered a ta len t."X.

Influence of Color
A soror from E n g lan d now arises and says:
O n this my first visit to the Forum Circle,
I have a few question about colors to ask.
W h y is it th a t colors w hich become one per
son will not look well on an o th er person of
similar coloring of eyes, hair, etc? W o u ld it
be possible to guide the development of the
personality som ew hat by surrounding oneself
w ith certain colors? In other w ords, would
not certain colors, like certain types of music,
have an effect on the personality?"
Color plays a trem endous p a rt in our lives,
not alone by the fact th a t it seems to exist for
us and w e utilize it therefore, b u t also the in
fluence it has upon us, of w hich we are not
conscious. T h ere are m any reactions to our
environm ent, such as places w e are in and
clothes th at w e w ear, w hich w e do not a t
tribute to color, b u t erroneously to other con
ditions. Before w e consider the psychic and
psychological effects w hich color has upon
our lives, it is b est first to understan d some
thing of its physical nature, th a t is, its rela
tion to certain other common forces and phe
nomena of the universe.
Before the experim ents of Sir Isaac N ew
ton, so com paratively a short time ago as the
early p art o f the E ighteenth C entury, it w as
not known th a t all of the colors w ere com
ponents of sunlight. From his time began a
serious inquiry into the natu re of color. W e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

m ust realize th at color can be perceived by

us by other stimuli than light. F or example,
pressure on the eyeball will produce varying
colors. T his signifies that color has a physio
logical content, th at is, for example, red and
blue are not entities or qualities th at just
register on our consciousness from the out
side w orld. If w e can produce a color sensa
tion by pressing our eyeballs, then it is some
agency w hich stim ulates the eye and causes
the sensation of color to exist w ithin us, w hen
w e look upon a colored object. In other
w ords, a green object is not intrinsically
green. Som ething comes to us because of th a t
object, w hich visually is a stimulus and causes
us to become aw are of the sensation of green,
which w e associate w ith it.
T h e m ost trained eye never sees more
than seven prim ary colorsthis is, however,
sometimes a subject of dispute. T h ese seven
prim ary colors are red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, indigo, and violet. Color, as N ew ton
found for us, th a t is, the cause of the sensa
tion w hich we have is due to various wave
lengths o f light. If w e pass sunlight through
a narrow slit and let it fall upon a prism,
there is produced a spectrum . T h is spectrum ,
to the eye, looks like a band of color, varying
from the reds on the one extrem e end, to the
violets on the other. In this spectrum, all
colors exist which w e are able to perceive;
and though they are of various intensities,
hues and lusters as well, th e hum an eye can
select only w hat appears to be seven prim ary
colors. A ll else are variations of them. T h ese
prim ary colors are the borderlines of the
changes in w ave lengths of the sunlight.
A ctually in the spectrum there are no such
sharp distinctions betw een w ave lengths.
O ne really gradually m erges w ith the other,
but the hum an eye cannot detect such minor
variations. F urther, in sunlight there are
actually no colors, even though the spectrum
shows them as such. T h e y are, w e repeat,
but w ave lengths of different frequencies or
vibrations o f light.
W h a t, then, makes objects seem to have
color? O bjects or m aterial substances, be
cause of the molecules of which they are
composed, have a certain density. T h is den
sity has certain absorption an d reflection
qualities w here light is concerned. W h e n
sunlight falls upon an object, certain of the
w ave lengths are absorbed by the object.
T hose w hich are not, continue and are real

Page 147

ized as color. Consequently, the color of an

object is produced by its absorption. A pure
w hite substance reflects all or nearly all of
the w ave lengths of sunlight, and so they are
harm onized an d the object appears w hite
which is a m ixture o f all of the colors. C on
versely, th a t w hich appears as a black object
is one th a t has absorbed all of the w ave
lengths of w hich color consists, and there
fore th a t object appears devoid of light and
color. A com pletely tran sp aren t object is one
th at perm its the w ave lengths of light to pass
through it w ithout alteration, and conse
quently it appears colorless.
A simple dem onstration, proving th at the
density of substances causes changes in their
pow er of absorption, an d therefore changes
their color, is to crush colored glass. A piece
of brilliantly colored blue glass, w hen crushed
into a very fine pow der, appears to the eye as
white. W h e n n o t crushed as fine as a pow
der, such as m inute granules, the color blue
is different th an before it w as crushed. In
other w ords, w ith each variation of density
of the substance, there is a variation of its
color.
Provided, then, th a t color consists of w ave
lengths w hich correspond to the w ave lengths
of light, how do the eyes tran slate these w ave
lengths into color sensations? T h is is still a
m ooted question. T h e soundest theory, and
one w ith w hich Rosierucians are in accord,
is th at w ithin the area of the retina, w here
the cones are located, are nerve endings. In
fact, the cones have been identified w ith
these nerve endings. T h ro u g h these nerves
flows an electro-m agnetic vibratory energy.
T h e vibrations of this nerve energy are so
synchronized as to correspond to incoming
frequencies, the stimuli of the light waves.
W h e n the exact vibrations of red excite a
corresponding nerve ending, the sensation of
red is produced.
Still an other theory related to this is th at
psychologically th ere are only three funda
m ental colors, red, green, an d violet. E very
w ave length of light w hich w e perceive ex
cites all three o f th e nerve endings responsive
to these colors. If the red is the most intense
ly excited w e see red. If the green, we see
green. If tw o or three of the fundam ental
colors are excited in about equal intensity,
they are mixed to produce the sensations we
have of the other colors.

Page 148

W h a t does all of this prove? N am ely, th at

color is nothing more or less than the im ping
ing of w ave lengths, vibrations of light upon
the vibrations of certain nerve energies,
which, in turn, produce o ther vibrations w hich
we realize as sensations. T h e w hole hum an
system , from the sm allest cell to the energy
th a t causes us to contract muscles and exert
strength to lift a w eight of 150 pounds or
more is a vibratory force. T h is vibratory
force is of different frequencies (rates of
speed) and of different w ave lengths. All
th a t w e experience objectively are vibrations,
w hich in tu rn produce sensations, w hich
groups of sensations constitute our objective
consciousness. C ertain organs, certain sy s
tems of the body function according to speci
fic frequencies of energy (vibratory rate s).
A ny disturbance of a rate necessary for a
functioning causes an inharm ony, a sensation
of pain, for example. It is like striking a
w rong note, w hich causes a discord.
O u r emotions are the result of stimuli,
w hich cause certain effects, just as w hen we
strike a certain key on the piano keyboard,
w e hear a certain pitch o r note. A perfectly
tuned keyboard will alw ays produce the same
notes w hen the sam e keys are struck. T hink,
then, of the w hole hum an organism as a key
board. A ll of its organs, system s, an d func
tions are therefore tuned to certain vibrations.
W h e n ev e r an energy or force, or radiation of
a certain vibratory rate comes in contact w ith
the hum an body, it will cause an organism
or system of the body, th a t is, which is in
resonance w ith it, to respond. Some of these
external vibrations cause use to respond in a
natural and beneficial w ay. O thers cause a
discord in our emotional reactions, for exam
ple, and w e feel irritated, nervous, depresed,
or ill.
Since the hum an aura is an electro-m agnetic field of radiation of the energies of the
hum an body, other energies w hich are of
about the sam e frequency, and external to it,
can impinge upon it. Some of these im ping
ing vibrations are not detected by our senses
of sight or hearing w hatsoever, but they
nevertheless disturb the aura. O ne hum an
aura can react upon another favorably or un
favorably. W e know th a t every musical note
has a sym pathetic note or harmonic above or
below it in the scale. Likewise, though the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

vibrations o f the hum an au ra are actually vi

brations th a t cannot be detected by the hu
man eye (w e sense them psychically an d be
lieve w e experience them visually), they do
correspond to certain colors or w ave lengths
of light low er in the scale of vibrations.
T herefore, one perso n s au ra may be pro
nouncedly blue, another violet in the h ar
monic scale of color and light. C onsequently,
colors w hich are sym pathetic to such funda
m ental colors of o ur au ra will please us.
Such a color undoubtedly will be our se
cret or express choice. W e will feel better
w earing o r being in the environm ent of such
a color. Such a color th a t pleases us inw ard
ly may not, how ever, actually harm onize w ith
out physical coloring, w ith our eyes and our
hair, nam ely, colors w hich m aterially or ob
jectively harm onize w ith our complexion and
eyes m ay n o t b e o ur psychic color w hatso
ever. T h e re are m any women, for example,
who w ear a color w hich does n o t please them.
A ctually, in a psychic sense, it is n ot their
color, an d th ey have a secret longing for an
other, b u t th ey will not use it w ith their cloth
ing because of th e v anity th a t it does not
m atch their physical coloring. O ften w e per
ceive colors w hich sym pathetically clash w ith
our aura. T h e y disturb the frequency o f the
aura, the vibrations of our person, and we
should alw ays avoid them. N o one can tell
you w h at is y our psychic or emotional color,
you m ust experience it. Colors have an effect
upon our moods, only because they are sym
pathetic to our auras, or disturb them.
If you can obtain various true-colored elec
tric light bulbs, th a t is color which is not
painted upon the glass b u t th a t is inherent
in the glass itself, representing the spectrum
of prim ary colors, try o ne a t a time in a
standing lamp. Place yourself beneath the
lamp, seated if you wish, all other lights ex
tinguished and all daylight excluded, and de
term ine w hich one produces a feeling of clos
est satisfaction, th a t is, th a t makes you feel
most a t ease, or th a t stim ulates you. You
can also mix the colors by trying a combina
tion of the different bulbs in the lamp, to a r
rive a t a pleasing hue. Colors effect your
personality only in the sense th a t they either
p ut you a t ease an d let the self be expressed,
or they cause an internal conflict which mani
fests as irritability.X .

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

P sy ch ic P e rc e p tio n
M an y of our members request not only in
form ation concerning m ethods of developing
our psychic senses, but further inform ation
regarding how w e perceive and come to know
anything th a t exists about us. T h e process of
gaining inform ation or know ledge is through
perception. Perception m ight be defined as
M an 's capacity to gain impressions or to
cause im pressions to register on one's con
sciousness. T h e simplest perception m ight be
seeing. T h is sensation of sight causes the
thing w e see to be impressed upon o ur con
sciousness, b u t there is also the field of psy
chic perception w here w e gain inform ation
other than through the usual objective chan
nels of perceiving. T h e objective mind per
ceives through the sense organs. T o dis
tinguish w hat constitutes psychic perception
is to consider th at all psychic perceptions are
those perceived by the subjective other than
through the medium of objective senses.
E verything that is psychic is, in a broad
m anner of speaking, the opposite of w h at we
consider physical or material.
W e m ust bear in mind th at we cannot iso
late perception to one kind. I am going to
speak of various kinds of perception, for w e
cannot exclusively interpret our perception
in term s of one organ. E verything you do
is influenced by more than one physical or
gan. A t this moment you are hearing, seeing
and feeling. T hose three senses are particu
larly predom inant at this moment, insofar as
your conscious process is concerned. You
cannot rid your mind of any one sensation
which you now experience and still be con
scious of everything going on in your envir
onment. T herefore, we see th at objective per
ception plays an im portant p a rt on the basis
of furnishing us w ith the know ledge we ac
quire as a p art of our background, inform a
tion and reasoning.
W h e n w e look out from ourselves an d in
terpret w hat w e perceive, w e look through
our own experience and understanding, just
as if w e w ere looking through colored glass
es. W h e n we put a lens of a certain color
over our eyes, w e imm ediately change our
visual w orld and throw a different light on
our perception of everything; th at is, w e see
in a different w ay. T h e sum total of our ex
periences colors our perception to the extent
th a t w hen one beholds any situation a partic

Page 149

ular type of interpretation imm ediately fol

lows. T o the business man there will be an
economic factor involved in w hatever tran s
actions he participates in; th a t is, he will
consider how much he can make, w h at the
value is in term s of money, etc. A n orthodox
believer, one w ho is bound by certain ortho
dox tenets th a t bind him to certain creeds,
looks out into the w orld and sees sin and
wrong. In his desire to create good he has
created in his ow n mind a perception of sin;
and so sin exists in a w orld w here there may
also be good, m erely because of the beliefs
which the individual has accepted and
through w hich media he looks out and inter
prets the environm ent about him. I have
often tho u g h t th a t sin w ould not exist in the
w orld if it did n ot in the thinking of man.
H e looks for it an d it is there. Y ou only
have to look for good to find it. I do not
mean to say all is good, because nothing is
of one nature. T h e re is the positive and the
negative. W e m ust realize th a t b oth must
be perceived. H ow ever, w e can accentuate
an y factor b y interpreting it in term s of our
own conception, and as w e look tow ard the
qood and the ideals which w e set in our own
lives or as a sta n d ard for our family, then
w e will see those things reflected on the out
side. It has been said th a t to the pure all
things are pure.
If w e w ent on to consider occupational
and professional dem ands th a t are placed
upon us, w e w ould see how the w orld opens
its doors in such a w ay th a t w e are able to
perceive w h at w e seek. T h e artist sees beau
tiful color in som ething w hich to the u n train
ed eye may be nothing more than a landscape
or a sunset; the musician hears music w here
we might not. Intellectual perception, that
which b rin qs to o u r mind factual know ledge
or inform ation, involves not only these orqans
of perception, b ut involves the w hole self, the
complete being; physical, m ental and psychic.
T h ere has been a tendency within the last
tw o decades to w ork tow ards specialization
in m any fields until w e begin to think in terms
of specialization and sometimes miss the
w hole picture. W h e n w e consider man as a
human being, as a living soul having subjec
tive and objective faculties w ith which to
ad ap t himself to the universe, he m ust be
considered as a whole. Y ou cannot break
him dow n into a brain, h eart and organs of
various kinds, or various perceptive ap p ara

Page 150

tus. W e m ust consider him as a unit, be

cause he functions as a unit an d not as an
organ or m erely as a mechanical entity. H e
functions because all th at is w ithin has been
m ade to co-ordinate w ith the forces w hich
have caused him to be. W h e n all are co
ordinating and w orking as designed, then a
state exists w hich w e in Rosicrucianism call
harm onium , w hich is perfection. P erfec
tion in the universe is the balancing of those
forces w hich exist w ithin. M an cannot draw
a strict dividing line, regardless of how he
m ay try. M an looks about him in the w orld
and he know s this is true. T h ere is n ot a
definite line betw een daylight and dark;
there is twilight. T h ere is n ot a definite
change betw een a child and an adult; there
is grow th. T h ere is not a sudden change
w hen you try to gain a new technique; there
is development. T h ere is not a sudden ac
quisition of facts w hen you read a book;
there is gradual understanding. All those
processes are processes of nature. Perception
is not the final w ord. It is only the beginning,
only the w ay b y which w e start, iust as raw
tim ber comes into a saw mill and eventually
through certain processes comes out a finish
ed product, or w heat is threshed, ground and
finally turned into flour and then bread. N o
sudden change takes place, regardless of
how quick the process may be. T h ere is still
an element of change m anifest throughout
nature.
T ransition is a law of nature, a change
w here no definite line exists. T herefore,
w hen man begins to define in his own mind
the difference betw een the perceptive quali
ties, how much he must depend upon one or
the other, or how well he could get along
w ithout one or the other, he is beginning to
set up false standards w hich b ar the w ay to
further com prehension, or a t least hold up his
advancem ent or development. H ow much
man injures him self by setting up false stan
dards or false points at w hich to aim w e are
unable to tell, but w hen w e take honest in
ventory of our own efforts, we know how we
have held up our ow n progress m any times
or a t least interfered w ith our own enjoym ent
and pleasure of life b y setting up in our
thinking a limitation beyond which w e will
not pass. Such a viewpoint is n o t conducive
to grow th. W e are not, in an objective cap a
city, capable of draw ing these lines. W h o are
we to say w hat are physical phenom ena and

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w h at are psychic phenomena? M an cannot

interpret objectively. H e can only perceive
objectively and learn to interpret subjective
ly through psychic perception.
Before going into more detail on the psy
chic phase of perception, let us think of w hat
it is th at brings the ability to perceive to us.
W e expect something, and w h at happens?
W e have a sensation. N ow the w ord sen
sation is derived from sense; th at is, the
sense to w hich w e apply a particular type of
perception. If a sudden light flashed before
me at this moment, w h at w ould happen? I
would perceive it. A s a resu lt o f light being
focused on the retina of my eye, in my mind
would come an aw areness of th at light. W h a t
if th at light w as sudden? W h a t would my
reactions be? P robably I w ould be startled
and perhaps the pupil o f my eye would
change. I m ight sta rt to move aw ay as if
something w ere coming tow ard me. A simi
lar response could be b rought about by you
if a sudden loud noise or unfam iliar sound
would take place in a room in w hich you per
ceived and registered in your consciousness.
Sensation is the means by w hich w e perceive;
it is a process b y which perception is made
possible. Sensation b y itself w ould only pro
vide an autom atic response upon the p art of
living beings. If there w ere not som ething
w ithin you to interpret a sensation, you
would be unable to ad ju st yourself properly
to external stimuli. T h ere w ould not be an y
thing taking place, except physical reaction.
As hum an beings above and beyond the ani
mal scale of life, w e differ in our use of sen
sation; th at is, to man the senses reveal that
which passes. T h e obiective senses reveal
that which goes on and on before us day
after day, bom barding our receptive ap p ara
tus w ith various types of stimulation. M an
has. in addition to his receptive faculties, the
ability to reason. A s the senses reveal th at
which passes, reason reveals th a t which re
mains, which m akes it possible to analyze a
sensation which otherw ise w ould be only a
physical passing thing.
I have m entioned the sense faculties; th at
is, the organs of perception. Let us consider
their positive an d their negative potentialities.
I am going to apply negative in this particular
sense strictly to th e m aterial physical things
which exist because o f the m anifestation of
the negative influence of N ous; th a t is, the
m anifestation of spirit. O n the other hand,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

there are positive m anifestations; th a t is,

those things w hich result because of the soul
force w ithin us, the positive m anifestation of
N ous. If an anim al has no sensation at all
beyond the mere ability to react, such as a
one-celled animal being stim ulated by a drop
of acid, it is quite certain th a t perception is
extrem ely limited. In other w ords, if a onecelled animal is stim ulated by a drop of acid,
there is probably no self-analyzation of th at
condition. T h e re is merely a w ithdraw al or
an attem pt to get aw ay from w hatever is
causing trouble. M an will use reason and a t
tem pt to analyze the cause and effect, and
possibly how to avoid a sim ilar condition in
the future. Such reasoning processes are not
w holly tied up w ith the objective faculties.
W h ile man can reason in his objective mind,
if he reasons clearly he must bring into play
his subjective mind. Being able to use merely
his objective reasoning, which after all is no
more than a series of conclusions, is only us
ing p art of m ans abilities, while th at which
comes from the subjective is a w orld of
know ledge which is a universal perception of
the Cosmic M ind.
W e will not consider here a detailed analy
sis of m ans sense faculties. T h e objective
faculties, as we know, are seeing, hearing,
feeling, tasting, and smelling. D ue to the
fact th a t w e are constantly basing our think
ing and decisions upon the inform ation th at
reaches us through these faculties, it is
quite apparent th a t w hen psychic impres
sions do reach us they are interpreted in
term s of these objective faculties. In other
w ords, w hat is commonly called clairvoy
ance, is said to be psychic seeing. T h e
actual fact of the m atter is that a psychic
impression is interpreted in terms of sight by
the mind because it has no other w ay of un
derstanding the impression because of the
habitual use of sight. Psychic perception, on
the o th er hand, w hile it is usually considered
in term s of our five physical senses is only
artificially divided in our own minds into five
divisions like our objective sense faculties.
P lease do not let me convey the idea to you
th at these things can be so easily isolated into
five divisions, as can physical senses. T h ese
divisions are purely artificial. It is only a
m atter of my interpretation at the moment. I
doubt, and it has never yet been proved to
me to the contrary, that there is any differ
ence betw een any types of perception. A s w e

Page 151

think and analyze in o ur minds after a cer

tain psychic experience is over th a t it w as a
sound or w as a sight, it is m erely because
th at impression could not register in our con
sciousness in an y o th er form an d become
known to us. T h erefo re, w e place th at inter
pretation upon it; w e simply interpret it on
the basis of our understanding. T h a t is w hy
there is a certain vagueness as to the localiza
tion of psychic perception. W h e n one has a
sense of prem onition the tendency is usually
to be just a little confused, because something
is evidently try in g to impress itself on our
consciousness; it is w orking w ithin on the
subjective consciousness.
If man is so dependent upon experience in
order to in terp ret physical sensation properly,
how can he believe he can localize a psychic
perception? Localization is strictly a physical
phenom enon; th ere is no localization in the
psychic w orld. Localization is only in terms
of o ur own physical bodies; it does not exist
in a psychic w orld. T h a t is the reason we
cannot alw ays be sure of w h at constitutes
physical an d w h at constitutes psychic phe
nomena. W h e n w e perceive th at which is
psychic, w e imm ediately attem pt to interpret
it in term s of physical perception. W e can
not help that; it is a perfectly n atu ral process.
If w e w ere to sa y th a t the subjective mind
had one main channel for perception, we
would say it w as intuition, and th at is w hy
in the early w ork o f this organization w e
sta rt training the individual to be aw are of
th a t quality. Intuition is th e raising of the
conscious level; th a t is, it is bringing the
threshold of the subjective consciousness
closer to the realization of the objective, be
cause man cannot be conscious of thoughts
in the subjective consciousness. H e cannot
reason in the subjective consciousness, and
as long as w e live confined in the physical
body, w e cannot use the subjective conscious
ness in the sam e w ay w e use the objective
consciousness. T h e know ledge o f the uni
verse, the soul of G od Himself, flows from
the subjective into the objective, and makes
us aw are of th a t w hich w e cannot find in
physical perceptions.
W e are all striving tow ard psychic percep
tion in order to gain know ledge. W e know
th a t if w e are in a reasonably norm al state of
health w e can learn b y a certain am ount of
perseverance, patience, and time all we
need to of physical know ledge. H ow ever, to

Page 152

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

gain infinite know ledge w e have to go on an

other path. T h ere have been those w ithout
academic training who have gained infinite
knowledge. Infinity lies in the progression of
intuition. A s more and more w e gain the
ability to use the intuitive faculties of our ex
istence, we advance tow ard m astership. In
tuition is a continuation, a progressing out
tow ard the gaining of th a t which w e seek.
T h ere are a num ber of things w e perceive
th a t cannot be isolated to one sense faculty.
O ne of the things w e believe w e perceive all
the time is space. Space, insofar as the sub
jective mind and psychic perceptive abilities
are concerned, is nonexistent. It exists only
in term s of m easuring localization in a physi
cal w orld, because everything th at exists is of
a vibratory nature. P a rt of these vibrations
are not perceived w ith our physical senses.
T h e one U niversal Law, the Cosmic M ind,
as is looks out over all the universe, immedi
ately sees before it every point th a t exists,
internal o r external, and therefore, there is
no perspective for such a point. In the C os
mic M ind perspective does not exist.
W e see from this sum m ary the im portance
of developing our physical sense to w ork to
its highest capacity and also to be ever on
the alert for th a t know ledge th at comes to us
through intuition and impresses itself on our
minds in a form th a t w e m ust interpret in
term s of our experience. K now ledge is not
essential to psychic developm ent b u t as we
increase in know ledge w e increase in our
ability to put psychic impressions into p rac
tical and w orthw hile m anifestations in our
lives.A.

M ental Massage
I have just received a report from one of
our new members th at is truly encouraging
for it shows faith and belief in the teachings
of the early degrees. In his report o ur F ra ter
comments upon the m any w ays in w hich he
is applying the rules of concentration.
Y ou will all remember the im portant exer
cise in the F irst D egree th a t requires focusing
the objective consciousness upon the p arts of
the body beginning w ith the soles of the feet.
It is possible th a t all of us do not realize the
im portance of this experiment. In the first
place, the m onographs state th a t it is a m eth
od of stim ulating Cosmic Consciousness.

Some of our students m ay w onder w hy this

is o r how it can be.
W e have learned th at Cosmic Conscious
ness is th at inner sensation of attunem ent
w ith the great throbbing, pulsating Cosmic
energy pervading all things in the universe.
It is th a t feeling of ecstasy we experience
w hen at onem ent w ith the G od of our H earts.
W e have learned to seek deep w ithin our be
ings for this all im portant developm ent rath er
than to search for it in the vastness of outer
space.
Since we know it is within, in fact, a p art
of the psychic b ody of man, w e turn to the
inner self for contact w ith this Cosmic C on
sciousness. By turning our objective thoughts
to the p arts a n d organs of the outer body
gradually w e become aw are of the inner body
or, as it is properly called, the psychic body
of man.
T h ro u g h con stan t repetition or practice of
the exercise w e tend to aw aken our seeming
ly dorm ant inner faculties and bring about
such pleasurable experiences as psychic sight,
hearing, smelling, or, in other w ords, an extention of the perceptions. T his experim ent
goes farth er th an that, however, and, in fact,
has other valuable uses. F or instance, w hile
bringing about an aw areness of the inner self
it is directing healing energy or pow er to the
p arts of the body. W h e n w e are in pain, for
instance, w e can ap ply the exercise to bring
about relief from our misery. By concen
trating on an injured area w hile holding the
breath w e hasten the curative properties w ith
which n ature has endow ed us. Severe bleed
ing can be checked to a great extent by blood
coagulation through concentrating upon a cut
or injury. Swelling and pain in a strained
muscle can be counteracted by this same pro
cedure. If w e do not realize these facts until
we reach the higher degrees of study w e lose
a great m any benefits of Rosicrucianism
w hich we m ight otherw ise have enjoyed.
T h is brings us back to the report of our
F ra ter w hich I m entioned in my opening re
marks. T h is F ra te r has discovered th a t the
concentration experim ent can be most useful
if properly an d regularly applied. N o w it
just so happens th a t this gentlem an has a
tendency to w ard falling hair. H e noticed
this especially during the last two years. H e
reports th at one of the things he first noticed
about the concentration experim ent w as a
w arm ing sensation to the scalp accom panied

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

by a feeling of life and activity around the

hair cells. H e claims th a t he noticed th a t his
scalp w as less dry than it had been for a long
time. T his gave him the impression th a t the
exercise had som ething to do w ith it. T h e re
fore, he began to give more and more atten
tion to his scalp and hair w hen using the ex
perim ent. In fact, he states th a t he now does
the exercise several times a day concentrating
exclusively upon the scalp. T his F ra ter w rites
th at there seems to be less falling hair and
th a t the hair seems healthier than it has been
in years. H e qualifies his rem arks by saying
th a t it may be imagination but he will not
accept it as such until he has experim ented
further.
O u r F ra ter has not been in the O rd e r suf
ficiently long to know all th at is taking place
w hen he concentrates upon a particular p art
of the body, consequently, he w onders about
the sensations he experiences, especially the
app arent rise in tem perature. H ow ever, you
members of the Forum Circle have no doubt
all noticed an increase in tem perature and a
w arm ing effect, the result of this exercise. In
the first place, holding the breath tends to
stim ulate blood circulation. It vitalizes the
blood cells w ith a strong positive magnetism.
T h is m agnetic energy or life force becomes
stronger throughout the body w hen w hold
the breath. W e have discovered that it is pos
sible to direct this energy mentally through
concentration. It can be centered, as it were,
in any portion of the body w here it is needed
the most through the pow er of the mind.
T his m agnetic energy is, as w e have suggest
ed, the life force of the body and m anifests
in two forms or elements, the so-called Posi
tive and the so-called N egative. T h e com
bination of the tw o constitutes the total en
ergy of life. In this respect the body is liken
ed unto a large perm anent b a r m agnet w ith
its field of energy surrounding it or radiating
out from it. N ow if this energy is concen
trated or built up in any one particular p art
of the body, heat will be noticed as a sec
ondary reaction or effect. T his is w hy our
F ra te r notices a w arm th over the scalp w hen
he directs this life energy to the head and
scalp. T his energy w hen concentrated stim u
lates the bodily functions. In this case it has
the same effect as gentle m assage of the scalp
w hich as you know causes the hair oil to
build up and come through the pores giving
a luster to the hair. T h e same effect can be

Page 153

obtained by brushing the hair w ith a stiff

bristled brush. A gain we do the same thing
w hen we m assage the gums w ith a tooth
brush. It has been pointed out to us here in
our Forum Circle th a t it is this m assaging
th a t makes the teeth healthy, not the dentrifice used.
T h e restoration of hair or stim ulation of
hair growth to a completely bald head is a
rath er difficult thing. H ow ever, heat treat
m ents have helped, an d these can be obtained
in various w ays.
T h is recalls previous discussions here in
our Forum Circle in which our late Im perator, D r. H . Spencer Lewis, gave us interest
ing facts and advice regarding baldness and
falling hair. P erh ap s it will be interesting to
mention some of the points he brought out
for the benefit of those of you who w ere not
fortunate enough to be present during these
interesting discussions.
W e recall an occasion back in the fall of
1935 w hen D r. Lewis explained th at stim u
lating circulation of the blood in the scalp
w ould stren g th en hair growth and improve
the health of the hair cells. H e suggested sun
treatm ents of sh o rt duration accom panied by
gentle m assage. A t th e same time he report
ed comments he h ad received from several of
our members w ho h ad experim ented w ith
capsicum vaseline a t his suggestion. C apsi
cum vaseline produces great w arm th and
heat. In fact, it will even burn the skin if per
m itted to rem ain on an area of the body for
too long a period. A n y who choose to try
this should, therefore, take w arning th at if
heavily applied or allow ed tp stay on too long
it will be quite uncom fortable. H ow ever, as
D r. Lewis told us, a very light application
tw o or three times a week will tend to grow
hair. T his m ay be left on for a half hour or
more w ithout harm . D uring the first eight or
ten minutes it m ay feel quite hot. A fter th a t
the heat subsides an d is no longer noticed.
T h is is not a guaranteed remedy, and all who
try it will do so a t their own responsibility,
but of the m any w ho have used it we know
of none who have been disappointed.

Soul Energy
W e have stated frequently th at we can
become so involved in term inology th at we
lose sight of the real meaning th a t we w ant to
convey through these terms. In the N eo

Page 154

phyte G rades of our teachings one of the ob

jectives is to assist the new member to be
come fam iliar w ith w hat w e m ean by certain
terms. T h roughout the Rosicrucian teachings
every attem pt has been m ade n o t to introduce
m any new term s or to coin w ords to have
certain m eanings, b u t rath er to use accepted
term s applying the meaning w hich m ay be
different than ordinarily assigned to these
terms. T h e term spirit" is a good example.
It is used in some teachings an d some reli
gious beliefs to be synonym ous w ith soul.
W e use spirit" to mean the m aterial energy
although the term spiritual" is still used in
our vocabularies w ith the accepted meaning
of being alm ost equivalent to psychic or
states w hich are not physical. W e m ust re
member th a t term s are only keys to the real
meaning the true know ledge an d wisdom
comes from grasping w hat is beyond the
term s themselves so th a t no am ount of term i
nology will m ake us either more or less a d
vanced, but since w e are forced to use w ords
as a means of conveying inform ation it is es
sential th a t w e be agreed upon w h at these
w ords mean.
A F ra te r being som ew hat confused w ith
some differences has asked for a more com
plete explanation of how we distinguish be
tw een soul" and vital life force." From
some articles or p arts of the m onographs th a t
he has read he has gained the impression th at
we sometimes consider these tw o terms syn
onymous, other times separate.
W e acknow ledge th a t all energy comes
from one central source. E nerg y has been
defined as an internal or inherent pow er th a t
brings about the capacity for action or work.
In the strictly scientific sense w e find energy
defined in physics as the capacity for per
forming w ork. T herefore, from the original
source of energy th at reaches this earth
comes w ith it the force th a t m akes possible
all existence, w hether th a t existence is p er
ceptible to the objective senses or not. T h is
force, according to Rosicrucian term inology,
we call N o u s" an d acknow ledge its division
into a positive and negative polarity. T h e
negative polarity is in turn called spirit";
the positive is called vital life force." T h ese
term s are defined in the m onographs and
have been discussed repeatedly in these
pages and other publications of the O rder.
T h e question arises as to w h at is the rela
tionship betw een soul" and vital life

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

force"? Soul is considered in our teachings

as th a t p a rt of the hum an being which causes
us to have consciousness. In other w ords, it
is the real ego it is the non-m aterial th at
exists in the b o d y and functions through the
medium o f the body w hile w e are on this
earth plane; it is a segm ent of G od in th at
all souls are related or connected to each
other. W e are a p a rt of this great force
which is the source of all forces and, in fact,
the final purpose of all existence.
T o m aintain th e existence of an y entity it
has to be connected in some w ay w ith a
source of supply. T h e light in an ordinary
electric light globe is present w hen and if the
pow er or energy which w e call electricity"
flows through the globe in a proper manner.
E veryone know s by experience th at the dis
connecting o f an electric circuit eliminates
the light b u t does not affect in any m anner
the physical form of the light globe or its
mechanical arrangem ent w hich makes pos
sible light w hen the electric current flows
through it. In other w ords, the light globe is
like the body. It is a vehicle for the expres
sion of the force th a t enters and causes this
globe to fulfill its purpose. T o make a rath er
broad analogy, w e m ight say th a t the globe,
like the body, is a spirit energy, th at the elec
tricity* flowing into it in ord er to make it serve
its purpose is com parable to the vital life
force th a t causes the globe to have a useful
existence; an d th e light w hich is produced
as a result of there being both a physical
globe and a force flowing through th a t globe
is com parable to the soul w hich is resident
w ithin the body. Just as light is the purpose
of the globe, so soul is the purpose of the
human being. T h e globe w ithout light w ould
have no utility value; the body w ithout soul
w ould simply b e a total of its chemical com
position an d w ould have no useful purpose
as a body.
Soul cannot exist w ithout vital life force
any more th an light can exist in a light globe
w ithout electricity. V ital life force, however,
can m anifest in spirit or in m atter composed
of spirit w ithout the com plete m anifestation
of soul as w e know it. F o r example, in the
plant kingdom there is spirit an d vital life
force to cause the plant to be a living thing,
but there is no evidence of soul or conscious
intelligence. T h e purpose of natu re in the
plant w orld seems to be to create a living
object w hose ultim ate purpose is not in any

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w ay connected w ith our realization of con

scious state. Soul and vital life force then
are so closely connected, a t least in the hu
man body, th a t it is difficult to distinguish
between them. O ne complements the other.
-A .

A n Open M ind
T h e question of m aintaining an open mind
is brought to our attention in a letter from a
Soror who comments upon the reaction of
one, not a member of this organization, to a
lecture he heard presented b y a field repre
sentative of the O rder. In this lecture the
representative of the organization m entioned
some facts concerning reincarnation and evo
lution. T h e individual stated th a t her friend
w as shocked b y these comments and refused
to see any value in the organization's teach
ings because of the affect of the considera
tion of these tw o subjects alone. N aturally,
the question of w hether or not this person
w ishes to affiliate w ith the O rd e r is a m atter
for him personally to settle, but it is reg ret
table th a t an entire decision should be based
upon the mere fact of not accepting one or
two theories.
A n y member of this organization knows
th at w e do not have any set of doctrines to
w hich an individual m ust give complete sup
p ort to the extent of dropping all other beliefs
or convictions th a t he m ay have previously
felt w ere best. In other w ords, principles of
benefit th a t come from affiliation in this o r
ganization are not entirely built upon either
of these two principles or, in fact, any other
one or two isolated principles unless w e do
acknow ledge the fact th a t one must have a
belief in the existence of a Suprem e Being
upon which to base their concept of our
teachings. It is regrettable th a t m any hum an
beings have barred the door to success and
happiness m erely because they could not a d
just their thinking to som ething different than
they have thought of in the past. It m ight be
w orthw hile for us to analyze w h at beliefs or
opinions actually shock us. It is doubtful if
a person has an honest, open-m inded attitude
th at any idea will shock him unless the shock
is due to a m oral basis instead of intellectual.
T h e question then is: W h a t is the basis of
intellectual shock? It can only be the refusal
of the individual to w an t to gain know ledge
outside his immediate sphere of existence. T o

Page 155

one who believed th a t the earth w as flat and

w ho w as sufficiently narrow -m inded not to
have a desire to u nderstand his position in
relationship to the earth an d the rest of the
universe, the revelation th a t the earth w as
round w ould be a shock. It w ould be a shock
for the simple reason th at for the uninform ed
individual to reshape his conceptions and be
liefs w ould require a complete change in his
thinking and a certain am ount of effort to
bring ab o u t this change. T o arrive a t the
point directly, it is safe to say th at about the
only reason th at an individual can be shock
ed intellectually is because o f pure laziness
or bigotry based upon a false premise.
W e are n ot any of us entirely beyond some
affect of change in intellectual conceptions.
W ith in the life of alm ost any read er of these
comments w e have known those who have
alw ays opposed the effectiveness of any a d
vancem ent. I can remember individuals who
could prove to their own satisfaction, a t least
in their argum ents, th a t th e automobile w as
a passing fancy an d would never be proved
an adequate an d w orthw hile means of tran s
portation. Even more recently there have
been those who have argued th a t the airplane
could never be successful, th a t electricity
w ould n ot become a common, usable energy,
and m any other things w hich have been de
veloped b y far-sighted individuals w ould not
be of an y use o r value. T h ese individuals
have so believed prim arily, not from the
standpoint of analyzation of facts, b u t m ere
ly because they did not w ish to change their
own habits an d system s of living.
If we a re going to make a tru e analysis of
w h at constitutes an open mind, w e will have
to go back just as is done in the analyzation
of the facts th a t are assembled b y a detec
tive in attem pting to arrive a t a motive of an
individual insofar as his aims in life are con
cerned. If an individual's motive is to live
for the purpose of grow th, both physically
and m entally, th a t is, if an individual wishes
to become successful in life in accordance
w ith the meaning usually assigned to success,
then th a t individual's motive m ust certainly
be to ad a p t every possible means th a t is
placed in his environm ent as a m ethod of a r
riving a t the end w hich he seeks. T o the in
dividual w ho claims th at he w an ts to be suc
cessful, w ho w ants to gain know ledge and
pow er and y et w ho ascribes definitely to
everything w hich he has alread y decided to

Page 156

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

accept w ith the idea of never changing his

viewpoint or attitude, he is only fooling him
self. H e is not in any sense of the w ord tak
ing an open-m inded attitude.
A s already stated, a truly open mind re
quires that an individual be ready to exert
effort, to be ready to m ake trials of those
things put into their environm ent w hich may
be conducive to better living. N ow , one can
move to the extrem e in the o th er direction.
T h e gam bler takes a chance on alm ost an y
thing. H e is not concerned w ith the m ethod
but only w ith the possibility of successful
result. In our teachings It has been stated
th a t a Rosicrucian is a walking question
mark. N ow to w hat extent should w e be
questioning life about us? I think w e should
first of all be ready to consider new facts re
garding life and the universe. T h is is a ques
tion contained in the application form for
membership. W e must be ready a t all times
to w eigh evidence presented and not to jump
a t conclusions merely because someone else
believes a certain w ay, but to consider w heth
er those facts if actually and m orally sound
will, if conscientiously and properly applied,
bring some realization an d satisfaction into
our own lives. T h e open-m inded person must
be sincere, he m ust respect the sincereness of
others and be willing to consider the conclu
sions th a t another sincere person has reached.
It takes no prophet to understan d from even
casual observation th a t the w orld in many
respects is going through changes w hich will
make a different w orld tom orrow than we
have ever know n in the past. W h o are going
to be the leaders of this world? It is obvious
th a t those who can be successful, who can
point the w ay tow ards a fuller and better life
for m ost people are going to have a trem en
dous p art in the form ation of new social,
political and economic schemes. T herefore,
if w e are to play a p art w orthy of the ideals
to w hich w e subscribe as members of this
organization, we, too, will be completely
open-m inded in being ready to exert effort
if necessary in order to be in a position to
be ready to give consideration to new facts
and ideas th a t may present them selves.A.

T he Middle Path
Probably w e
cian teachings,
som ew hat of a
the sense th at

little realize th at the Rosicru

or rath er its philosophy is
middle path. T h is is true in
this organization not being

w holly in conform ity w ith either extrem e

orthodox science or orthodox religion takes
a position betw een them and uses the values
of both in perpetuating and adding to its own
principles.
O rthodox religion is based prim arily upon
certain creeds an d doctrines which have been
established by consent of those who have ac
cepted th a t particular religious system. W h ile
religion theoretically is based upon revelation
and M a n s concept of G od, it is regrettable
th a t m any extrem e forms of orthodox reli
gious beliefs have deviated from th at posi
tion to the extent th at w e find even the in
dividual w ho m ight be considered the most
removed from accepting a religious doctrine
or creed to actually being more dependent
upon inspiration and revelation than the
m ost devout in applying himself to the prac
tice of certain accepted creeds and doctrines.
N evertheless, w e find m aterialistism on the
other extrem e side of the picture. T h is sys
tem of belief sw ings so far tow ard m aterial
istic foundations for all its theories an d prac
tices is such th a t it does not take into consid
eration anything not available for objective
proof.
T h ese tw o extrem es have lead in m any
times, to outright controversy betw een sci
ence an d religion. O ne of the most notable
w as the controversy on organic evolution in
which orthodox religion believed th at the a c
ceptance of such a theory would in actuality
be in direct opposition to the fundam ental
teachings of their creeds an d religious prac
tices. W h e n ev e r two such extrem e view
points exist, there is bound to be built up
friction betw een them. T h is friction leads to
intolerance; intolerance accents m isunder
standings, until it actually becomes an ac
cepted belief am ong m any people th at reli
gion and science are in direct opposition to
each other. In more recent years this atti
tude has changed. Religion has found that
it cannot thrive by basing its entire point of
view and activity upon m an-m ade creeds. In
m any cases the creeds and doctrines have
not been changed b u t they have been inter
preted more liberally. M oral and social con
cepts have been altered. In the lifetime of
most of us certain churches who have now
opened their recreation rooms to the youth
of the com munity for wholesome recreation
w ould have considered such a practice a dis
grace and an outright sin in the eyes of their

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

former religious beliefs. Science, on the

other hand, has become more and more in
accord w ith the fact th at all wisdom and
know ledge is not revealed to the objective
sen se sth a t M an must depend upon some
inspiration and revelation to coordinate the
facts w hich he collects in the objective w orld.
T his has been illustrated in the w ritings of a
num ber of outstanding scientists in com para
tively recent years. T h is trend indicates that
men and women are thinking differently
th a t they are thinking in term s of life as a
whole rath e r than trying to make their lives
fit into one small scheme or interpretation.
T his has been evidenced over a long period
of time and particularly in the organization
a good m any years ago as so-called new
thought movem ents" which lead almost into
an epidemic of popular psychology. U n fo r
tunately, there have alw ays been those who
are w aiting to take advantage of trends of
peoples thinking, consequently, there grew
almost overnight m any system s of teaching,
or rather, opinions of individuals, most of
which w ere prim arily organization or insti
tuted to take advantage of peoples desire to
coordinate their thinking. In other w ords,
the dissatisfaction on the p art of m any peo
ple w ith both the accepted tenets of orthodox
religion and the limited outlook of m aterial
istic science caused them to begin to search
for a reasonable compromise th at w ould make
them able to see life in a more complete light.
T h e activities th a t sprang into being w ere
psuedo-religious and psuedo-scientific, these
having little basis for fact but being prim arily
aimed at profiting by the search of those in
dividuals who had not found complete satis
faction in either of the extrem e system s of
thought.
It is in this field that we find m any sincere
seekers w ho are not trying to revolutionize
the w orld. T h ey do not, as orthodox religion
would claim, wish to break up the ethical and
moral sta n d ard s of society. N either do they
wish to belittle the scientific values th at have
come through the investigation and practice
of great men, but they are looking for a sen
sible and rational coordination of all facts;
they are seeking an explanation of existence
th a t has not been satisfied in any other field.
N ow it is regrettable that m any of these peo
ple w ere disappointed in their search th a t
they w ere influenced by those w ho had only
the desire of teaching principles which they

Page 157

called new th o u g h t" or occultism" under

the guise of liberal thinking. In this same
position, a t this middle point, has stood the
Rosicrucian teachings for centuries uphold
ing a true science of G od, not interfering
w ith M a n s religious convictions b u t willing
to profit from all the advancem ent th a t sci
ence has m ade and, at the same time, show
ing M an in his true religion to his C reator
and the developm ent of all his possibilities.
It is a difficult position because it is not ac
cepted by either extrem e of thinking and it is
in the center of controversy among cults and
individuals who, as already pointed out here,
are neither sincere in purpose nor have a
true philosophy of life to present. T herefore,
the position of this organizations teachings
still remains the middle point in w hich it is
necessary to educate those true seekers for
know ledge th at there are no mysterious short
cuts to the understanding of life but a ration
al conception of m ans relationship to his
creator. T h a t is w hy the organization must
carry its m essage through various forms of
propaganda to every seeker. It m ust reach
into the reading habits of everyone to present
its m essage in order th at these people may be
directed and not fall victims to those groups
w ho seek only to perpetuate themselves
rather than their ideals. A t the same time, it
must continue to recognize the contributions
of religion and sciences and help direct its
members to become useful in the service of
both.
T h is is our position today, and it is on this
position th at social practices and ideals for
the future will be based. W e m ust each not
forget our obligations in doing our p art to
continue the expanding of these principles.
-A .

Soul Force Again

T h e other d ay w e w ere commenting upon
the large volume of correspondence directed
to the E d ito r of our Forum and briefly an a
lyzing the subjects th at seemed to be of
greatest interest, it w as determ ined th at eas
ily eight o u t of ten requests for Forum dis
cussion or elaboration dealt w ith soul force
and related subjects.
It w ould seem th a t the soul of man w ith its
attributes holds the attention of our members
to a greater extent th an any other one of the

Page 158

Rosicrucian principles. In reviewing previous

issues of the Forum w e find th at soul, reincarnation, and K arm a have held definite
prominence for m any years. P erhaps every
conceivable thought along these lines w orthy
of consideration has been covered repeatedly.
F or this very reason w e have avoided these
subjects as much as possible during the last
year or two.
H ow ever, I would like to take a few min
utes of your time this morning to present an
analogy suggested by a member of the Forum
Circle w hich I think is interesting. It is ad
m itted th a t this thought is not a new one and
no doubt has occurred to m any students be
fore. H ow ever, it is presented a bit different
ly and w e hope will assist some of you who
have difficulty w ith the subjects soul force
and personality.
Y ou are all familiar w ith the electricity and
light globe explanation given in our mono
graphs and also in our book, M ansions of
the S o u l/' T h is explanation is quite clear,
and no one should have difficulty w ith it.
N ow the analogy presented by our F ra te r is
very similar, but instead of using electricity
of the kind which flows in the wires of a
lighting system in a house, it uses pow er
know n as radio frequency. O u r F ra te r likens
the great soul force which pervades all space
and anim ates all beings to the vibratory scale
of radio frequency. H e likes to think of the
source from w hich the soul force em anates as
a trem endous generator of radio w aves so
pow erful th at it blankets the entire universe
w ith its electrical vibrations. In a sense this
is exactly w h at happens for do we not look
upon the sun as the source of this great en
ergy which anim ates the w orld of life and
sets up a throbbing, pulsating motion which
in turn is the very symbol of living things?
T h e sun, therefore, is our huge generator of
soul energy.
O u r F ra ter continues w ith his explanation
saying th at each one of us is like an individ
ual receiving set w ith fixed frequency, th a t is,
we do not have tuning dials w hereby w e can
change from one frequency to another. Each
receiving set, being individual is slightly dif
ferent in characteristics, but nevertheless,
fundam entally the same. C onsequently, we
each have our own peculiarities w hich make
up the personality of the soul. F o r instance,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

some receivers are more refined than others;

so, too, w ith certain personalities, some are
w eak in their ability to m anifest outw ardly
the pow er w hich they receive from the tran s
mitter. T h is is also true of m any of us w ho
are plodding th e path to perfection.
O u r explanation goes further and states
th a t w ith age an d usage the receiver goes
through certain changes. It evolves, as it
were, an d its characteristics improve. In the
language o f the technician, it is tolerances
change. It might, as a result, vibrate to a
higher frequency than before. T h is is likened
to spiritual grow th and a step up the ladder
tow ard perfect union w ith the Cosmic. W ith
the changing tolerances and resulting change
in characteristics the reproduction improves.
T h e receiver then begins to m anifest an o ut
w ard expression of the pure quality of the
received pow er an d energy w hich is flowing
in and out of the vacuum tubes, condensers,
resistors, wires, and other p arts th a t go to
make up its physical appearance.
O ur F ra te r continues his comments, but the
above statem ents are sufficient for you to
grasp the idea of his analogy. W e leave it
w ith you, therefore, to think about an d an a
lyze in your spare time, rath er than to devote
more of this all-too-brief period of Forum
discussion to it.

W hat Is Karma?
A F ra te r from an eastern city presents us
w ith an interesting thought this morning. H e
w rites as follows: Should w e unceasingly
strive to overcome all hardships? I can al
most know the answ er is yes, b u t why? If w e
are to suffer from Karma in the earthly life,
w hat will it avail to fight or resist? If once a
thing is overcome, will w e not have to ex
perience the sam e thing again in another
form?"
In our comments let us first o f all recall
w hat w e have learned regarding Karma. O u r
teachings tell us th a t K arm a is a law of learn
ing through experiencing, not a law th a t ex
acts a h u rt for a hurt, or, as it has been stated
in the Rosicrucian M anual, It does not exact
an eye fo r an eye and a tooth for a to o th
N evertheless, m an does reap as he sows in
the m ajority of cases, but this is because he
is usually a stubborn student and m ust learn

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

his lessons the h ard w ay. In a sense, K arm a

is a law of retribution, but all it asks is th at
we grow and evolve inw ardly developing
character and personality. Karma does not
say necessarily th a t you m ust suffer for your
faults and mistakes. It only says th a t you
m ust recognize your errors and strive to the
best of your ability to overcome them. T h ere
is nothing vicious in this law any more than
a parent is vicious w hen he punishes his child
in an effort to teach him to understand right
from w rong as recognized by the stan d ard s
of society.
It is easy to appreciate w hy w e should
unceasingly strive to overcome all h ard
ships." In short, w e should so strive for the
purpose of learning our lessons of life and
how to cope w ith m aterial problems. T h is is
just as im portant to any degree of spiritual
attainm ent as the development of the psychic
glands, for instance. If w e do not strive to
conquer these hardships, how can w e ever
really know w h at it means to suffer, how,
therefore, can w e ever feel real sym pathy
and com passion for our fellow man w hen he
suffers? W e so often hear the trite expres
sion, I am so sorry for you, I know ju st how
you feel." B ut unless we too have h ad an
identical experience and overcome it through
personal effort, w e cannot truthfully make
such a statem ent.
O u r F ra ter suggests th at w e will have to
face again the same experiences we overcome
though they m ay touch us in some oth er form.
T his w ould not seem logical if w e have actu
ally overcome the hardships in the first place.
N atu rally by overcoming it w e mean thor
oughly understanding the problem an d hav
ing evolved to a higher understanding as a
result of the experience.
Let us take some common everyday occur
rence for an analogy. W e may learn from
the stu d y of physics th a t an automobile can
be driven around a curve a t thirty miles an
hour w ithout danger, but a t a higher speed
is likely to overturn. P erhaps w e are not
convinced by the statem ents of our teacher,
so w e defy the law s governing the safe speed
w ith w hich a car m ay take a curve. Let us
suppose our car goes off a t a tan g en t and
overturns. F ortunately none of the occupants

Page 159

are injured but the driven has learned a great

lesson and learned it the difficult w ay. If we
have learned our lesson well, and w e feel at
the time th at we have, there should be no
reason to ever have to repeat such an experi
ence or face such a hardship. T h ese laws of
physics have been dem onstrated to us in a
most striking m anner. O n the other hand,
time heals all w ounds, and it is possible th at
the experience did n ot make a lasting im pres
sion. Consequently, we forget all about the
law of centrifugal tendency, w hich means the
tendency of a body to continue in a straight
line, and we again become careless w ith our
driving. A gain we take a curve much too fast,
an d our car turns over again. T h is time, how
ever, the occupants, even ourselves, are pain
fully, some even seriously, injured. T h is time
our suffering is far greater, an d necessarily
so, because w e did not learn our lesson in
the first place. W e will know by this th at we
also make much of our physical earthly h a rd
ships by our ow n failure and carelessness,
not all of it, of course, but sufficient to cause
us to adm it openly the im portance of care
fully w eighing each decision w e make before
carrying it through to a conclusion.
T o sum up quickly our F ra te r's points, we
find it to our definite advantage to face and
overcome our problem s and hardshios in
order th at w e m ay be prepared to help others
in similar circumstances and appreciate iust
how and w hy others suffer from w orldlv
problems. T o fight or resist a problem or
hardship, though it m ay be a Karmic condi
tion, is to strengthen the personality and
carry us perhaps another step forw ard on the
oath or another rung higher u p the ladder to
perfection.
W e will not have to experience an identi
cal hardship even though it m ay appear in
some other form if w e have learned o u r les
son well in the first place. If not, then n at
urally w e are potential violators o f the laws
which led us into difficulty in the first place.
Before com pletely closing these comments
it w ould be well to rem ind our F ra te r th a t a
Karmic condition m ay be overcome w ithout
great suffering simply b y an early recognition
of the w rong an d an effort to make am ends
through assistance an d service to G od and
the Cosmic.

oocLecia^ti P a te n til

Prenatal nlluence and Quuue. . . .

ARE HO LONGER SECRETS
H E R E is m ore to be done while waiting for the
event th an knitting soft little garm ents or plan
ning. M others, during each prenatal day you have
a psychological responsibility a duty th at goes far
beyond just providing for your well being and the
actual necessities.
Fathers, it is a prim itive belief th at your contribu
tio n of good heritage, ancestry, and health is sufficient.
T h e m ental environm ent you help establish in the
hom e, no m atter how subtle, can leave its stamp upon
the future tem peram ent of your anticipated son or
daughter.
T h ere are things you each can say or do which can
influence the unborn personality. Remember th at all
lovable dispositions and cranky ones too are not
inherited. I f shock and fear can be detrim ental to the
expectant m other, so, too, can other conditions be
equally as effective but beneficially so.

Prenatal influence and culture are neither new nor

theoretical and also far rem oved from the realm of
theory is the fath ers part of this obligation.

A REM ARKABLE DISCLOSURE

M others and fathers, dont wait for the arrival to
begin this cultural influence. Y ou owe it to yourselves
as prospective parents to learn these plain, but littleknown facts. W rite today for the com plim entary book
let entitled C hild C ulture. I t will be sent you with
out obligation. I n a straightforw ard m anner, it tells
how you may receive this helpful advice and instruc
tion. T housands of parents are grateful today, as they
look upon their children, for having had this inform a
tion. Address:

%e Cliild Culture Institute

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R O S I C R U C IA N P R E S S , LTD , S A N J O S E , C A L I F .

COLLEGE H E IG H T S
S A N JO S E , C A L IF .

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A .,
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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM

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A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, C alifornia,
under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal Act of O ct. 3, 1917.

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DO YOU JUST BELONG

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No. 6

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JUNE, 1943

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Vol. XIII

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Ar e you an active memberthe kind that's liked so well

Or are you just content to wear the pin on your lapel?
Do you attend the meetings and mingle with the flock
Or do you stay at home; do you criticize and knock?
Do you take an active part to help the work along?
Are you satisfied to be the kind that "just belong"
Do you ever go to visit the frater or soror who is sick,
Or leave it all to just a fewthe few who work and stick
Classes and meetings we're sure you've heard about;
We'll appreciate it if you attend and help us out.
Come to every meeting; help with hand and heart
Don't be just a member; take an active part.
Now, frater, soror, you know right from wrong,
Be an active member! Please don't "just belong"!
Anonymous

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(C ourtesy o f Benjamin Franklin C hapter, A M O R C , Bulletin)

(R eprinted in appreciation o f its sincere message)

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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Page 162

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ear Fratres and Sorores:
C haracter is far more personally evolved
than it is inherited. C ertain em otional and
intellectual qualities w hich contribute to char
acter can be inherited. F or example, the
tendency of Latins to emotionalism can be
passed from parents to offspring. Likewise,
a high degree of intelligence, w hich may
make possible profound thought and good
judgm ent, m ay also be inherited. O n ly to
this extent is Our character inchoate a t birth.
C haracter m ust be aroused or developed
m ainly by associations, instruction, and sug
gestion, nam ely, factors of environm ent. As
is said in the Rosicrucian m onographs, the
essence of character is a personal idealism .
Psychologically, even those persons whom
society refers to as criminals often display
the elements of good character. T h e y are
determ ined; they are often courageous, loyal,
even self-sacrificing, but unfortunately they
have a misplaced ideal. T h o se same attri
butes could have been directed into channels
which might have m ade them splendid citi
zens instead of anti-socials.
It is not difficult to com prehend the effects
of certain influences upon the ideals of the
form ative m ind of a child. If a father, for
example, has been subject to a series of ad
versities, continuous unem ployment, possibly
due to the fact that he has no specific train
ing which he can m arket, he may presum e
th a t he is personally being discrim inated
against, H e becomes more and more em bit
tered w ith a society w hich seems to have con
spired to keep him and his family in pov
erty. H e voices his acrim ony and disappoint
m ent in the presence of his small son. H e
continually denounces the affluent, the suc
cessful person, as an enemy of those in his
own station in life. T h e child, naturally sym
pathetic and responsive to his p aren ts' com
ments, in all probability, comes to develop a
dislike, which may m ature into a hatred, for
those w ho are prosperous. Likewise, later in
life, he may feel th a t such persons have
gained their material goods and possessions
solely at the expense of such people as the
members of his family. In his own mind, he

V
may seem justified, therefore, in depriving
them of their returns, their properties and
possessions b y an y means. A ctually, he is
noble in spirit. H e considers himself a kind
of modern Robin H o o d t o prey upon the
affluent to aid th e less fortunate.
C haracter, thus, is a bending of our nature
and of o ur will and interests tow ard an end
which w e believe is right. A strong char
acter is one w ho will endure great personal
physical sacrifies and suffering to attain his
end. A weak character is one who has not
the strength o f mind or the exercise of will
to meet the dem ands upon him which an ideal
he may have m ay exact. O n the o th er hand,
ill health often contributes to w h at may be
said to be w eak character. Psychological dis
turbances do likewise. T h u s, if a person is
physically w eak, to the extent th a t his nerve
energy is g reatly depleted, he has not the
strength to enforce will, nam ely, his desires.
A person m ay also be suffering from neu
rasthenia, the result of some nervous shock,
which would cause him to develop some
phobia or inhibition. W h e n ev e r confronted
with the elem ents of the experience which
caused the phobia, a fear, a w eakness would
grip him. H e is robbed of the objective
strength o f will. T h e result is a display of
w hat is popularly term ed "w eakness of
character."
W h e re the child or young person is of
normal mind an d health, an d the parents are
truly desirous of building character in such
a person, it is not so difficult a task as or
dinarily im agined. T h e first step is to de
term ine a course of ethics, the right and
w rong of conduct, and certain stan d ard s of
morals th a t should be held up as an ideal in
life. T h e p arents, however, m ust realize th at
they cannot fashion the lives of their children
entirely a fte r themselves. T h e w orld an d
society are constantly changing. T h e right
of any conduct should not be just the per
formance o f some detailed procedure, but
rath er the effect the procedure may produce.
Simply put, parents m ust n o t condemn as
w rong, mannerisms, likes, dislikes, and cus
toms of their children m erely because they

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

differ from their own. R ather, they must

w eigh the outcome of them. If their child's
interests and habits of the day are not detri
m ental to society, nor contrary to an intelli
gent interpretation of the purpose of the ob
served laws of nature, they are r ig h t even
if the parents m ight have thought the same
conduct w rong in their day.
T h e question of morals and virtues is a
more delicate one. If the parents interpret
these as a limited sectarian creed, they might
find their children coming to live in opposi
tion to them. W ith all due respect to religion
and theology, the moral values are often so
ham pered by th e stilted doctrines in w hich
they cloak them th a t another generation w ith
its new outlook cannot possibly accept them
in a literal sense and still live a normal life.
It is b etter for the parents to indoctrinate
their children w ith a liberal interpretation of
the moral values. It is more cogent to explain
the realistic harm o r injury th a t may come
from a violation o f a moral standard , than to
continually exhort them to right conduct be
cause this or th a t book, teacher, or tradition
dem ands it. A child is a hum an being. H e
thinks and he reasons. Give him explana
tions for pursuing a moral life or right con
duct th at he can readily realize and under
stand from his own experiences. Cite analo
gies w hich have their foundation in his own
w orld of activity. T h ere is no know ledge
and conviction more intimate th a n our own
experiences.
O nce these things are done, the ideals
upon w hich character are founded are well
established. T h e next requisite is the stren g th
ening of character. T his dem ands no avoid
ance of the support of the personal ideal,
regardess of the sacrifices th a t might need to
be made. M any persons have but a nominal
character, th a t is, they express themselves as
wishing to conform to certain noble princi
ples. T h eir w ords, at least, w in the respect
and adm iration of their friends an d acquaint
ances. T h e y often later shock their intimates
by a m isconduct w hich is diam etrically op
posed to their self-delineated character. It is
not th a t such persons w ere actually hypo
critical. T h ey w ere sincere in w h at they ex
pounded as their ideals, but in a crisis they
had not the strength to carry through, and
consequently took the path of least resistence.

Page 163

N o one can have his acts or deeds, no

m atter how well intended or executed, ac
cepted by everyone. Furtherm ore, no one is
perfect. W e can all stan d some improvement.
O n th e other hand, w e all have enough vanity
to w an t to continually hear p raiseespecial
ly if sincere for our efforts. Indubitably,
such approbation engenders our enthusiasm
and incites us to g reater efforts of the same
kind. M an y times, however, the constructive
criticism will ultim ately do us more good than
a casual, even if sincere, compliment. If a
constructive criticism has merit, it tends to
correct a w eakness in w hatever w e are seek
ing to accomplish. It stands to reason th at
once this w eakness is rem edied we have
really gained and our efforts will then be
w orthy of even g reater praise. If we resent
such criticism, th a t is, fight against it, and
seek only compliments, o u r character is
w eakened. O u r ideal will suffer because w e
are not able to give to it our best. By refus
ing simple and inoffensixe constructive criti
cism, there will come a time w hen w e m ust
face real severe, sharp censure, and being
unable to w ithstand it o r unprepared for it,
our whole spirit will be crushed possibly
our life ruined.
T h is is only one of tjie tests and dem ands
the building of ch aracter m ust accept and
meet. Still ao n th er is association w ith perr
sons w ith whom w e are not particularly sym
pathetic, or w ho are not sym pathetic to our
interests. If you w ish to have other than a
nominal character, compel yourself to w ith
stan d co n trary opinions, habits, and customs
which m ay be very definitely opposed to your
own feelings. If you are inw ardly convinced,
not merely obstinate, th a t your ideals are
right, persist in them in the face of adverse
surroundings an d tem ptations. A nyone can
believe w h at he w ishes, and live the life he
w ants by being an anchorite, by isolating
himself from society. It takes courage, how
ever, to live according to your own ideals in
a hostile environm ent. If you do not avoid
such circumstances, b u t meet them fairly, you
are not ap t to find yourself precipitated in
events which will overwhelm you and sweep
aside your convictions.
T h o se w ho live a sheltered life continu
ously try to su rro u n d themselves w ith peo
ple and events w hich will alw ays mirror
their own convictions, and th ey are, in fact,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 164

endangering themselves. T h ey become weak,

in th a t they never have to assert themselves
to enforce their ideals. W h e n a crisis arises,
such persons find th a t they have a phlegm a
tic, puerile character th a t snaps under the
strain. T o summarize, form your ideal, make
it sound and workable. N ext, purge y our
self of such w eaknesses w hich refusing to
realize their existence conceals. You will
then have developed a resistent character.
Fraternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Imperator.

Will Power Applied

I w ould like to tell you about a conversa
tion I h ad recently w ith one of our very loyal
members w ho had just return ed home from
the arm y. F irst, however, let me say th a t he
is in the higher degrees of stu d y an d has been
a sincere student throughout his membership,
one, making every effort to apply Rosicrucian
philosophy in his daily life. In fact, his g reat
est aspiration in life is to be a sound, practical
mystic. In spite of all his efforts a t exercise,
practice, an d use of the teachings, he has al
w ays felt th a t som ething w as holding him
back. H e has been in search of some key or
clue to an elusive, iiitangible som ething th a t
seemed to prevent a com pleteness, a fullness
in his life. P erhaps there are m any of us w ho
feel o r have felt the same w ay.
T his F ra te r felt th a t some pow er w ithin
w as closed to the outer man, an d if he could
ever release it, he w ould take on a certain
drive or push th a t w ould be th e means of
carrying o u t m any plans and ideas th a t h ad
w elled up w ithin, checkreined and prevented
expression.
In association w ith this F ra te r before his
induction into the arm y, he often commented
upon his seeming lack of will, an d know ledge
of how to apply it in coping w ith the m aterial
problems o f the w orld. H e did not realize
perhaps th a t it w as not so much a lack of
will as it w as a lack of decision as to w h at he
truly desired to accomplish in this life. If w e
have no definite plan, no goal ahead, no real
reason to drive tow ard a focal point, w e have
no real test of our true strength and ability
to use our will power.
W ell, this w as the state of mind in w hich
our F ra ter left for the arm ed forces. It w as
his lot to be sent to a very pow erful branch

of the service and one most im portant to the

eventual success of the w ar effort of the
U nited States. Briefly, this branch of the
service is extrem ely difficult to stand up un
der, physically. T h e training period means
h ard tortuous w ork day and night. N o one
is perm itted to pam per the physical body.
T h e w hole structure is designed to prepare
the soldier for service under the most trying
conditions.
Y ou can imagine how difficult it is for one
w ho has more o r less enjoyed the luxuries of
moden civilization w hen he first arrives a t
such a training station.
U ndoubtedly, m any men rebel, spiritually
a t least, to the requirem ents o f m ilitary life.
O thers, on the other hand, will simply resign
themselves to their fate an d go along from
day to d ay blindly following the routine set
forth for them. Still others seem truly to
benefit b y their experiences. T h e y not only
try to enter into the spirit o f their environ
ment, b u t they find real use for latent, seem
ingly inert pow ers th at th ey did not even
know th ey possessed.
O u r F ra te r of whom I speak to you this
morning turned out to be o f this latter classi
fication. H e states th at a t times w hen he w as
sure he w ould keel over from sheer exhaus
tion, he w ould grit his teeth an d exert every
ounce of will to keep going an d invariably he
would sense an influx of pow er th at w ould
carry him along, seem ingly w ithout effort.
H e has come to realize the true meaning of
the pow er o f th e will, how it can be directed
to conquer the problems and hardships of life
and at the same time build the character and
personality through meeting, facing, and
overcoming these obstacles to m astership.

Unselfishness
Am ong the m any im portant virtues of mod
ern m an there is none of greater value to
m an's spiritual grow th th an th a t of unselfish
ness. Y et very few of us apply this principle
truly as a definite p a rt o f o u r program of
progress and development.
E arly in the w ork o r stu d y of Rosicrucian
ism w e adm onish the member to assume an
humble attitu d e tow ard the physical w orld
about him an d especially tow ard the material
blessing th a t he m ight enjoy from time to
time. H ow difficult it is, however, to live up
to these requirem ents perfectly.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

W e find ourselves a t a disadvantage every

step along the w ay. If we are humble in most
of our m aterial activities, we are ap t to leave
the impression th a t w e are w eak and w ithout
spiritual strength. O n the other hand, if w e
do not outw ardly express some degree of aw e
and w onderm ent, w e are thought to be b o ast
ful, arrogant, and lacking in culture. M an y
times under both conditions or circum stances
we become m isunderstood, outcast members
of society.
F o r these very reasons it is sometimes dif
ficult to apply the laws of selflessness com
pletely in our everyday affairs. W e come to
w onder then ju st w h at w e should do to over
come this situation. If w e are w eak a n d hum
ble in our business ventures, w e are consid
ered gullible and easy prey to the bombastic,
w orldly extrovert. W e experience the neces
sity of having to fight constantly for our
rights and personal interests.
If w e can judge from correspondence oc
casionally received from members of our
O rd e r w ho are forced by circum stances to
live alm ost an entire w orldly life, this m eta
physical law offers a very great problem. W e
are often requested to give advice th a t will
lead to a w orthy solution. Y et, this too is not
easy, m ainly because the circum stances in
each case are more or less unique an d m ust
be analyzed carefully. G enerally, however,
we can learn from experience how to live a
life of helpfulness, sym pathy, and un d er
standing tow ard our fellow man, w ithout re
linquishing one iota of our physical, virile
strength. T h is strength is truly im portant to
us for it is the strong, positive side of our en
tire makeup. W e can be deeply appreciative
of G od's gifts and continue to enjoy the
physical, as well as the spiritual benefits of
life and a t the same time grow inw ardly,
evolving in character and personality w ithout
groveling in the dust at the feet of other men.
Y et, me m ust make a serious effort to avoid
a t all times a petty, tem peram ental fram e of
mind. W e find this so often typified by the
individual w ho is easily hurt and annoyed
when he is required to do something, go some
place or p u t him self o u t, as the saying goes,
for another, possibly a member of his own
family, w hen he feels he w ants to do some
thing else. W e are sure that such a fram e of
mind leads one far from the path w here he
bogs dow n in his own selfish interests. W e
grow, develop, and learn our lessons through

Page 165

service to G od an d mankind. T herefore,

think as little as possible of your ow n petty
interests. Seek a bro ad er viewpoint in your
life. Let y our thoughts include others beside
yourself w hen you perform your daily duties
or indulge in your business ventures. A bove
all, avoid self-pity for your lot in life, remem
ber no m atter how b ad conditions are for you,
there are thousands upon thousands who
suffer more an d are in circum stances that
m ake yours seem heavenly.

Forum Experiment
O u r happiness often seems to be dependent
upon simple things. M ost of us do n ot realize
this until rath e r late in life perhaps, not
until w e have sought futilely the purported
pot of gold a t the end of the rainbow . Some
times this realization can be h ad only by
truncating all those things w hich a t first
seemed the v ery soul of our happiness. T hen,
after a com paratively brief period of ad ju st
m enten o u g h to recover from the shock
we find some form er prosaic thing or condi
tion producing happiness equal to w h at we
once thought only abundance could provide.
W h a t constitutes happiness affords an op
portunity for g reat philosophical speculation.
How ever, on this occasion I w ould like to
call to your attention one o f A ristotle's refer
ences to happiness. H e said th a t happiness
consists of th ree kinds o f goods: F irst, the
goods of the soul, nam ely, the virtues. Sec
ond, the goods of the body, noble birth or
good family, and health of b o d y an d mind.
T h ird , the goods of th e w orld. T h ese latter
he designated as prosperity, th a t is, provid
ing for sufficient bodily com forts. A ristotle
contended th a t even a sage could not be
h appy if he w as in ill health or in w ant. A nd
so no one of the goods is sufficient for hap
piness; all three enum erated above are neces
sary. If one exam ines these goods carefully,
he will see th a t they exclude most all of those
conditions an d possessions w hich m ost men
think contribute to happiness, such as wealth,
fame, an d tem poral power.
Regardless o f w h at you now believe means
future happiness, you also will adm it that
m any of your ideals of tw enty or thirty
years ago, which, a t th a t time, you thought
the acme of happiness, have become but
chimeras w ith the passing of time. A s you
look back, you realize th at some habit, some

Page 166

article or custom, unsuspected then, w as the

real monum ent of your happiness. Even now,
as you think about it, it brings you pleasure.
P erhaps it m ay have been the simple walking
along a country lane, barefooted, w ith the
moist grass refreshing to the touch, a memory
from which moments of unadulterated happi
ness can be gained. T hen, again, m aybe the
sprig of some shrub, by its fragrance, causes
the recollection of an incident during which
happiness w as experienced. T h e scent of
new -m ow n hay, a m oonlight ride on a canal
barge, the crunch of snow beneath fast-flying
steel sleigh runners, the deep shadow s of a
forest, the w alking behind a plough, the m ak
ing of things by hand to fashion your home
or to build up your business things like
these, simple, ordinary, perhaps meaningless
to others, m ay be symbols of sheer happiness
to you. In them you relive former moments
of ecstasy. T h eir w orth cannot be m easured
to you in dollars and cents, and you w ould
not sell them for all the gold in the world,
for if you had all of the gold, you w ould only
wish to acquire w ith it a happiness equal to
th a t which those simple things can provide.
It is quite proper th a t w e seek new kinds
of happiness, or rather, new experiences
w hich m ay contribute to th a t state of well
being which w e think of as happiness. If,
however, w e wish to enlarge on our happi
ness, w e m ust not disregard th at which has
been tested and tried, and which w e know
engenders happiness w ithin us. T h e best
method is to recollect experiences of our
early life, if these are memories w hich cause
us to sense happiness, then we should ac
quire som ething of th at period, something
which represents the experience, to keep b e
fore us. T h e re will be some object, n atural
or m an-m ade, th a t will serve such a purpose.
P erhaps it will be a flower, a photograph, a
book, or a musical selection. By association,
it will cause you to partially at least experi
ence the old sentim ents o f the past. In your
stu d y room or sanctum , or even w here you
retire, set up these small objects, th a t they
m ay stim ulate your memory and facilitate
your current happiness.
M any homes, though luxuriously furnish
ed, are cold, austere, only because simple
little things depicting homely, intim ate exper
iences have been left out. C reate your en

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

vironm ent, surround yourself w ith things

which please the objective memory.
If you w ere to end your life today, up to
the present, there w ould be some m aterial
form, representing some sensation or group
of sensations which w ould be the epitome of
all your life's happiness. In other w ords,
there w ould be some one thing which w ould
symbolize the happiness th a t you may have
derived from the years of y our life. All h ap
piness w hich you came to know w ould be
inherent in w h at it w ould suggest to your
mind. Even now, can you not think of some
thing th a t w ould represent all the happiness
th at you have experienced during this incar
nation, the acme of it, at least?
Likewise, in each of your p ast incarnations,
some objects or experiences stand out as de
picting the happiness you attained in those
lives. T h e memory of those experiences re
sides w ithin the personality of your soul th at
has incarnated. It is p art of the subjective
consciousness, the inner self. W h en ev er you
are in the presence of such symbols of the
happiness of p ast lives, you experience a
rath er peculiar sensation. You may realize
th a t so far as you can recall in this life, you
have never visited the place or seen the ob
ject before, y et the fam iliarity persists, and
the pleasure o f it as well. Someone else may
find nothing attractive about the place or the
object, b ut you will experience a quick, tig h t
ening little sensation in the region of the
solar plexus, som ew hat similar to the sensa
tion of excitement. F urther, you may not be
able to visualize or recall any particulars re
lated to the symbol. It will be just the gen
eral effect w hich it has upon you. If you
have this experience, you m ay be assured
you are confronting a symbol of happiness
of a past incarnation.
T h ese symbols are very diversified. T h ere
is no particular form w hich they will take,
nor are they of any specific kind. T h ey are
as innum erable as the experiences related to
happiness in this life. F o r example, one per
son m ay find great pleasure in going to a
morass and seating himself in a cabin and
looking across the dismal sw am py grounds.
Even a picture or etching o f such a landscape
m ay give him moments of happiness and
actually arouse his spirits instead of depress
ing him. In some unexplained manner, such
a setting in one past life contributed to his

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

happiness. D eep w ithin his soul are im plant

ed the sensations which are aroused by the
similar setting in this life. I know a person
who is fascinated, and experiences great ex
altation, upon the reading of stories or see
ing motion pictures which depict a fugitive
successfully eluding his pursuersespecially
if the fugitive is not a criminal. In his present
incarnation he himself has never had this ex
perience in actuality. H e, personally, has
never been a fugitive.
W e sometimes think how odd it is, and
w onder a t the peculiar quirk of nature, w hen
w e see the things which some people find
pleasure in collecting, and which have neither
intrinsic, historic, nor educational value. O ne
can see m any examples of this kind of col
lecting at a hobbyists exhibition. Such a col
lector cannot tell you w hat there is about the
strange objects he has gathered together
w hich brings him pleasure, but he does ex
perience happiness in the presence of them.
It is just another example of w hat w e are
endeavoring to explain at this time.
Cosmicly, our lives are not one incarnation,
but consist of a num ber of them. T h e periods
of occupancy of the body by the soul and the
periods w hen it resides on the Cosmic plane
together form the life of the soul, just like
the periods of sleep and of w akefulness con
stitute the life of the soul in this body during
one incarnation. So consequently, our happi
ness depends not just upon the present ob
jective experiences of this incarnation, b ut
also w h at happiness we can arouse w ithin
ourselves from the memories of past lives.
I w an t you to experim ent w ith making your
days, your life here and now, more happy by
gathering together the things which have
brought you pleasant experiences, the feel
ings of well being in the past. First, collect
some small thing or things which represent
past happy experiences of this life, an d put
it or them w here you can be associated w ith
them intim ately for at least an hour of each
day. N ext, try and recollect those things th a t
affect you strangely, that is, from w hich you
seem to derive a thrill or ecstatic sensation
w henever you are in their presence, even if
you do not realize w hy. Such, as w e have ex
plained, are sym bols of the happiness o f past
lives. W h e n you obtain such a thing or some
object representing the sentiments, as a pic
ture, for example, place it in your sanctum or

Page 167

in some other p art of your home. M ake it

your business to try to recall the incidents
w hich originally occurred, and the p a rt th at
object or scene played in your past life. It
stands to reason th a t if you can recall the
contributing factors to your p ast happiness,
th at is, the happiness in other lives, your
enjoym ent of them now will be objec
tively realized, as well as ju st psychically
experienced.
T h ere is one w ay in particular this may be
accomplished. D uring a s a n c tu m period,
w hen all is com paratively quiet and you are
relaxed, seated, facing your altar, place the
symbol, w hatever it m ay be, betw een your
two lighted candles. T h en , w ith all the other
lights extinguished an d the smoke from the
incense gently sw irling up about the candle
flame, concentrate y o u r gaze upon the sym
bolic object. D o n o t stare hard, ju st look at
it. W h e n you begin to experience the usual
gratifying sensations th at come from looking
upon the object, or getting its scent, if it is
one of fragance, then close your eyes. You
will have aroused the psychic m em ory, the
memory of self. T h ere should flash into your
consciousness, vivid, b u t brief, a scene, the
setting, the occasion in w hich the symbol
originally existed.
Let me w arn you: Do not overw ork your
imagination. D o not try to imagine the p art
or incident to w hich the symbol w as related
in the past incarnation. Let this come to you
through the psychic consciousness and form
itself upon the screen of your mind. D o not
force it, because if you do, it will be only an
illusion which will not satisfy you. D o not
concentrate w ith eyes open upon the object
longer th an three m inutes a t a time. D o not
sit in m editation afte r each period of con
centration for more than five minutes. I am
sure you will find, if you do this, th a t your
room or sanctum will take on a different en
vironment. It will become a place w here you
can more easily find sanctuary, throw off the
troubles and w orries of the day, and find
your w hole spirit, your whole emotional self,
transcending your usual moods.
You will also feel rejuvenated after a
period in such surroundings. T h ere will be
nothing th a t will annoy or irritate you. T h e
whole will have a soothing effect upon your
aura. A fter all, m any people have dens or
studies. It is only because th ey like to col

Page 168

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

lect, in those places, things which stim ulate

their minds and keep them conscious of
pleasant things, of experiences which rep re
sent to them the mission in life which they
have idealized. M ost of them do not know
the significance behind their choice, except
th a t they like to get into this environm ent
they have created for themselves.
H ere is the w ay to create a marvelous
environm ent; but instead of just draw ing
upon this lifes experiences to do so, we
are offering or suggesting a w ay to draw
upon past lives as well to build up your pres
ent happiness.X

Adoption of Children
A Soror says: W e have not been blessed
w ith children of our own. D uring the first
years of our m arriage, this vital m atter seem
ed to give us little concern. As time w ent by,
w e felt w e w ere becoming selfish in not tak
ing on parenthood, at least by adoption. W e
are b y no means w ealthy. W e are one of
those millions that constitute the great middle
class. A s such, w e are com fortably situated
and could easily afford to give a child not
only an excellent home, but such care and
training as could and w ould make it a w orthy
member of the hum an society which w e hope
for in the w orld of tomorrow. T h e bringing
up o f children w ith high idealism and wellequipped for the battle of life, in the opinion
of my husband and myself, is the moral ob
ligation of all those w ho can. I w ould not
personally recommend that a man an d w ife
adopt a child, w here economically the child
m ight be caused to suffer later, or w here it
w ould be accepted into a family for the mere
purpose of gratifying the enjoym ent of its
foster parents. It m ay seem strange th at
w hen persons have such a sincere love for
children and are anxious to adopt them, it is
really difficult to obtain inform ation as to
how to proceed. It is true, an attorney can
give complete inform ation as to legal require
m ents, but as to w here the children may be
obtained, he knows little, if an y more than
those inquiring. T h e Rosicrucians have ex
tensive ram ificationssources of inform ation
can the Forum advise me?
F requently, requests for such inform ation
are directed to the Im perator. T herefore, a
short time ago he instituted a cam paign to
determ ine w here the institutions having chil

dren for adoption are to be located, an d

further, w hat their requirem ents may be.
T h e result has been the receipt of a great
num ber of letters from childrens homes and
similar institutions in nearly every S tate of
the U nion, setting forth w hat is required of
the applicants, the future foster parents. W e
are hap p y to announce th at we are now in a
position to p ut all of the F ratres and Sorores
who long to adopt a child in touch w ith such
reputable institutions, and to give all neces
sary inform ation as well. T h is inform ation
will be freely given as an A M O R C service;
however, we do request you to provide the
necessary postage stam ps for a reply. Kindly
do not ask for this inform ation unless it is
your desire to adopt a child, as o f course it
takes time to compile these facts and com
municate them to you.
F u rth er, you m ust analyze yourself men
tally an d emotionally before attem pting to
adopt a child. A sk yourself, for example,
w hy you w ant to adopt a child. T h en hon
estly answ er such a question. Is it a mere
innovation, som ething new, a diversion, be
cause of pride, a tem porary amusement? A re
you thinking ju st of the enjoym ent which
you personally will derive from the presence
of a child? A re you fully aw are of the sacri
fice you must m akeof the dem ands upon
your time? D o you know th at the responsi
bility of proper care for the child will ham per
your freedom, and the independence which
you have enjoyed? You will not be able to
leave home as frequently for travelling, or to
shop, or to go to shows w henever you please,
as heretofore. Y ou will have to give up m any
of the superficial pleasures which have per
haps become p art of your life, and remain
more confined to home. D o you feel th at the
love of the child, the experience of sharing
in its developm ent and unfoldm ent, are suf
ficient com pensation for the loss of w hat may
have been your principal pleasures up to
now?
D o you fully realize how dependent upon
you the child will become? If you refuse to
make all necessary sacrifices of m any of your
com forts an d of much of your freedom, the
child will thereby suffer in health and morale.
A re you willing to resort to menial, ordinary,
and oftentim es not very pleasant duties for
the care of the child, to give it perhaps w hat
in the future you may ill afford, if adversity

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

strikes you? F rankly, are you willing to

make the child come before your ow n inter
ests and your ow n life? If you cannot sin
cerely agree to these things, you are not tem
peram entally suited to be a parent.
If you seek such inform ation, th a t is, re
garding the adoption of a child, w rite a short
letter to the Im perator asking for inform ation
about the adoption of children." U n d er the
direction of the Im perator, his personal secre
taries will reply. Please do not forget the
needed postage stam ps.X

Substitutes for Candle Experiment

A F ra te r in m ilitary service in commenting
upon th e lack of facilities w hile in service by
w hich to carry o n m any of the experiments,
asked particularly regarding the possibility
of there being a substitute for the candle ex
perim ent which he can perform under condi
tions w here privacy and facilities are limited.
E very member eventually realizes more and
more as he advances through his studies th a t
the m aterials w ith w hich w e w ork to perform
the exercises and experim ents presented in
our teachings are actually mere items of as
sistance to help us to adjust ourselves to the
processes which w e are trying to learn. In
other w ords, M an has m ade himself a slave
of the physical w orld.
W e have repeatedly stated in our teach
ings th a t M an is equipped w ith both an ob
jective and subjective mind. H e lives about
ninety percent of the time in the subjective,
w hen, in reality, M an w as ordained to use
both the objective and subjective faculties,
w ith w hich he is born, in a more or less equal
m anner. T heoretically, M an should live fifty
percent in a subjective w orld. T his does not
mean th a t he is to go around half of the time
as if he w ere in a trance or in any o th er w ay
ad o p t peculiar forms of behavior th a t in
themselves w ould be out o f harm ony with
most o f our fellow men, because this would
be co n tra ry to the social standards and cus
toms b y w hich w e live. Life, as a whole,
sums up to the fact th at M an has become a
slave to the physical; he leans too heavily
upon physical support.
Let us use the exam ple of an individual
w ho m ight have been misfitted w ith glasses
and, afte r a proper examination, it w as found
th a t glasses w ere not necessary. In such a
case a w ise physician might not remove the

Page 169

glasses imm ediately, b u t by gradually de

creasing their stren g th an d re-educating th at
person w ith the p roper use of his eyes, he
might bring th a t individual to the point w here
glasses w ere no longer necessary. In other
w ords, the glasses w ould serve as a physical
crutch in bringing about th at individual's
re-education.
M an y other things used in our experim ents
and exercises are of a sim ilar nature, a crutch
or physical aid. If M a n had the grasp of the
possibilities of his subjective faculties he
w ould n o t need to use anything of a physical
n atu re to u n d erstan d a non-physical fact, but
since w e are all in th e habit of directing our
time and efforts in connection w ith a physical
object, it is of extrem e im portance th a t w e
continue to benefit ourselves b y using those
objects th a t will ac t as a help on the road to
w ard this type of development. Because of
the symbolism of th e candle an d the flame
w e find a close connection betw een the physi
cal and the nonphysical. F ire has alw ays
been considered b y M an, w hether he has so
expressed it or not, as close on the border
line to a physical a n d nonphysical entity.
M an has alw ays been fascinated b y fire and
there is a certain sociability developed by a
group around a camp fire or a fireplace. In
other w ords, th ere is som ething in the very
radiation of controlled fire itself th a t tends to
act upon o ur general nervous system in such
a m anner th a t it is conducive to sociability or
serious thought, depending upon the circum
stances. U ncontrolled fire also has a certain
emotional effect upon an individual. O ne
m ight state th a t the only emotional effect is
due to fear o f one's well being or of one's
loss of property, but, nevertheless, fire th at
is com pletely o u t of the scope of endangering
the individual still can cause panic or a t least
a tenseness if one is aw are of the fire itself.
W ith th e candle w e are able to bring into
our w orkshop, w hich is the sanctum of each
Rosicrucian member, th e m anifestation of fire,
an d if w e take ad v an tag e of this physical
thing to help direct our thoughts along cer
tain lines b y concentrating upon the candle
flame, w e remove m any inhibitions to our ob
jective reasoning. In a sense w e let dow n"
physically and by centering our w hole atten
tion upon one item instead of many, w e are
impressionable for psychic development. O f
course, it is n o t possible for us to sit around

Page 170

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

a t an y time w e choose and concentrate upon

a candle flame. Some situations m ake th at
impossible all together; therefore, w e m ust
use more effort to direct our thoughts aw ay
from distracting and environm ental condi
tions in ord er to be conditioned for the psy
chic impressions th at w e seek.
M any o f the experim ents presented in our
m onographs can be equally well done w ith
substitutes if one has the determ ination to
make the best o f the situation. Remember
th a t no physical tool in itself is the key to
psychic development, but th a t same physical
object is a help. O ne can visualize a candle
flame and sometimes accomplish the same
purpose as w ithout the candle. Instead of a
candle flame, a regular noise such as the
ticking of a clock can be substituted an d your
w hole attention can be directed to that. T h is
will help you free your mind for those intui
tive bits of inform ation th a t come from the
subjective to the objective mind. C om plete
relaxation is the best exercise th a t anyone
can practice, and to relax under circum
stances w here there is noise or activity th at
w ould ordinarily occupy your attention is an
extrem ely difficult process and requires the
best disciplining of one's mind. T h ere is
value in this very process, and one w ho can
discipline himself to the point of relaxing
w here he can reason and think clearly, and
keep his mind open to intuitive impressions
in spite of an unfavorable physical environ
ment, is perfom ring a great service for him
self and truly is well on a path of attainm ent.
T herefore, never become discouraged in our
teachings if you do not have the imm ediate
physical facilities for all the exercises, ex
perim ents, an d rituals. A t the same time, do
not ad a p t an attitude of giving up because of
this lack. Remember th at those w ho m aster
their lives are those w ho do so in spite of
their environm ent, not because o f it. A

Exercises to Advance
In a recent letter to our D epartm ent of
Instruction, a F ra ter w ho is am bitious to gain
as much in as short a time as possible, asks
for exercises or experim ents to perform th at
will accomplish the m ost advancem ent w ith
the least effort on his p art. U nfortunately,
no one has y et discovered in this w orld how
to accomplish something w ith little effort. I

say unfortunately, but th a t is n o t quite the

rig h t w ord to use as it is neither fortunate or
unfortunate; it is merely the law an d order
of the universe in which w e live.
I know th a t this member does not mean
in his letter th at he is trying to gain the a d
vancem ent he seeks w ithout giving some ef
fort on his p a rt tow ard accom plishing it, b u t
if it w ere possible to acquire perfection, un
derstanding, m astery, an d health w ith no ef
fort a t all, then a system o f instructions such
as ours w ould n ot have to exist because
everyone w ould know th e w ay once they
w ere told a few w ords. A s I have already
inferred, there is no magic w ord or key th at
opens the door for the solution of all our
problems regardless of w h at they are. W e
do not gain in life by sudden infusion of both
know ledge an d ability. T h ese things are
usually gained in a process by w hich w e ac
quire certain abilities. In learning to play a
musical instrum ent, to operate a typew riter,
to swim, or to dance w e have to make a cer
tain am ount of effort and direct it tow ard both
the attaining of know ledge necessary and the
physical skills w hich will p ut th at know ledge
into operation.
If acquiring the know ledge alone would do
the w ork, it w ould be necessary merely to
read a book or a set of instructions on how
to p lay the piano, for example, or o perate a
typew riter, to become an accom plished pian
ist or typist. A nyone w ho has h ad experience
in reading instructions regarding a certain
process realizes how much different it is to
try to do the actual thing described than to
get an idea in m ind of w h at it is all about.
P robably everyone h as had the experience of
buying some kind of an ap p aratu s o r even a
piece o f furniture w ith instructions included
on how to assem ble it; it takes a while espec
ially for those n o t m echanically minded, to
apply the instructions and get the intended
result.
T h e exercises an d experim ents in our
teachings are like the exercises and experi
ments in learning an y o th er technique. T h ey
are the means to an end. Some will grasp
them faster than others, b u t all will have to
use a certain am ount of time or effort in per
fecting the ability to use them. W e will find
certain benefits coming from th e conscien
tious application of the principles to the best
of our ability. Sincerity a n d a desire to ac

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

complish som ething m ust be the first of our

aims, and the second m ust be the w illingness
to use the time and effort w hich w e have
available for th at purpose. W h e n w e actually
analyze the experim ents and exercises in our
teachings w e find they really dem and very
little time. If w e will conscientiously go
about using them w ithout using our strength
or effort beyond the point w hich w e can well
afford, w e can pu t into effect the practice the
laws an d principles presented in o ur mono
graphs. Five or ten minutes each day, if
more time is not available, devoted to the
sincere and consistent application of the prin
ciples tau g h t in the m onographs will p u t us
on the p ath tow ard the achievem ent w hich
we hope to obtain. T herefore, sincerity, con
sistency, and patience are necessary if w e are
to receive the benefits w hich w e hope from
these instructions.A

How to Study
It is very advisable th a t w e periodically
meet w ith others for discussion, an d for the
exchange of ideas. O n such occasions there
are those w ho ask questions w hich w e m ay
not have entertained; but once w e have
heard them, w e are as anxious to know the
answ ers, as though w e h ad asked them our^
selves.
On the other hand, it is dangerous to de
velop the habit of having others continually
explain, read, and interpret for us, or lecture
to us, for th a t develops a dependence upon
others. W e come to feel th a t we, ourselves,
cannot quite learn or know unless others do
the thinking for us. Individuals w ho have be
come accustom ed to class instruction exclu
sively, find it almost impossible to read a
book or a m anuscript, alone, and digest it.
T h ey lack the experience of how to assim ilate
thoughts by themselves and select from them
the most im portant. T h ey become, shall w e
say, invalids in their learning. T h e y are like
some persons w hose digestive system s are so
unstable th a t they m ust receive food w hich is
term ed pre-digested, because organically they
are incapable of preparing it for digestion.
T h e uniqueness o f the Rosicrucian system
or m ethod of study is the fact th a t it makes
you a follower of your ow n thoughts, of your
own pow ers and abilities, rath e r than a fol

Page 171

low er of personalities. T h e Rosicrucian sys

tem of instruction makes it possible for you,
no m atter w h ere you are located, to m aster a
know ledge o f life an d self, as an individual.
T o do this, how ever, it is necessary th at you
know how to properly stu d y > th at you make
study not a laborious method, b u t an interest
ing, useful one.
T h ere are persons w ho actually confuse
studying w ith reading. In other w ords, w hen
they read som ething w hich is of a fictional
nature, they call it entertainm ent. W h e n they
read som ething of a non-fictional nature, they
call it study. T h e y read both in the same
m anner; consequently, they forget th a t which
they should learn, ju st as quickly as they
forget the elem ents o f an ordinary story. You
cannot read y o u r m onographs or the articles
in the Rosicrucian D igest" or T h e Rosi^
crucian F orum " in the same m anner th a t you
w ould read a new spaper o r a popular m aga
zine. In fiction, the characters of the story do
all the w ork for you. T h e y do the thinking,
an d they express the ideas, an d they solve
the problem s w hich the sto ry establishes.
Y ou are ju st a kind of spectator looking a t
the page an d w atching the developments be
fore you.
Study requires a different technique. In
study m aterial th ere are m erely facts or
statem ents p u t forth, as simply as possible,
bu t it is expected th a t you are going to work,
th a t you are going to digest them, th a t you
are going to reason about them. T h a t is w h at
some people do not understand. T h ey skim
through their m onographs, or read them
quickly in the same m anner as they w ould
read fiction. W h e n they have finished, the
result is confusing to them. T h e fact is, they
have not w orked; they have expected the
author to expend effort for them. Conse
quently, th ey like to go to a class w here,
again, the speaker does th e w ork for them.
H e analyses an d breaks dow n the points. H e
separates thoughts. H e ham mers home ideas,
all o f w hich requires a minimum of m ental
effort on the p a rt o f the listener.
H ere is w hat you should do in studying
your m onographs: R ead each paragraph
slowly enough so th a t you can thoroughly
com prehend it. If you do not com prehend
the p aragraph, do n ot progress to the next

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

one. U nlike a story, there is not going to be

a n y climax w here everything is going to be
finally explained in th e last two or three lines.
W h e n you read a paragraph , you either get
the m eaning or you do not. So stay w ith it
until you do. If it is understandable, progress
to the n ext one.

know your m onograph and the experience

will satisfy you. You will know th a t you
have gained som ething from the study period,
because you can say to yourself at any time
during the w eek, I have gained," and you
can recite to yourself w h at you have gained,
th at is, the things you really learned.

N ow w hen you have finished the w hole

page, turn the m onograph upside down, or
lay it just to one side, o u t of your sight.
Close y o u r eyes, and say to yourself: W h a t
have I read?" O f course, do not try to repeat
the contents w ord for w ord, parrot-like. W e
do not w a n t you to get the w ords of the
m onograph; w e w ant you to get the ideas.
If you cannot express the thoughts on th a t
page to yourself, in a com paratively few
w ords, then they have not registered in your
consciousness. So pick up the m onograph
again, and read the page over, parag rap h by
paragraph, until you can p u t it dow n an d re
p eat to yourself the one, two, or half-dozen
principal ideas w hich th a t page contains.

N ow a t first this procedure is going to take

a little time, because you will have to train
yourself to s tu d y . A fter a while, it will be
come easy for you, especially if you study
regularly each week, an d do n ot allow mono
graphs to accum ulate. Furtherm ore, you will
never be satisfied thereafter to merely read a
m onograph, a n d you w ill have learned th e
distinction betw een reading and stu d yin g .
Y ou w ould be surprised in how m any schools
today there is a special course of instruction
to teach stu d en ts how to study. A ctually
they do n o t know how; th ey just read, and
reading is not stu d y in g .X

W h e n you have been able to do this, jot

dow n those few ideas on a piece of paper,
representing the thoughts of th a t page. T h en
proceed to the next page, an d do the same
w ith each subsequent page. W h e n you have
finished, you will have on a scrap of paper
m aybe ten or fifteen lines representing the
essence o f th a t m onographthe main ideas
it conveys. T h en sit back an d say to your
self: N ow , I have com pletely studied the
m onograph. A s a whole, w hat did the mono
graph tell me?" See if you can repeat to
yourself, not w ord for w ord, o f course, the
ten, fifteen or tw enty points of im portance
w hich you w rote. If you cannot, refer to
your notes until you know them.
O nce you can recall all th a t you have w rit
ten, then refer to the inside printed cover of
the m onograph, if it has one, and you will
find a sum m ary of the im portant points in
th a t m onograph, which A M O R C has pre
pared, See w hether your personal notes cor
respond to them. See if w e m ay have given
some im portant ideas in the m onograph which
you did not notice. If w e have, hunt up the
ones w e have shown so th a t you do not miss
them. W h e n you have done that, w hen you
have followed this procedure, you really

Have You Done Your Part?

T h e Rosicrucian F orum is n ot a one-sided
affair. It is a w ork of collaboration. It re
quires you, on the one h and, an d the Im pera
tor an d his associates on the other, to make
it alive an d interesting. T h e Rosicrucian
Forum is intended to answ er such questions
as pertain to th e Rosicrucian teachings, the
philosophy of the O rd er, an d their applica
tion to the affairs of y our life. Such questions
are, of course, answ ered in p a rt in the cor
respondence betw een th e members and the
officers. O n th e o th er han d , the Forum per
mits a fuller an d more exhaustive treatm ent
of such m atters. H ow ever, w e cannot give
answ ers unless questions are subm itted, and
if each F o ru m " read er ju st reads the a n
sw ers w hich others hav e subm itted, finally
there w ould come a time w hen there w ould
be no questions received. O bviously, the
more questions, the m ore variety of topics
w hich can be included in th ese pages.
W h e n th e Rosicrucian Forum w as orig
inally instituted by o u r later Im perator, D r.
H . Spencer Lewis, there w as an accum ulation
of questions. Since th a t tim e these questions
have all been treated in th e Forum . Some
have been answ ered as m any as two or more

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

times in the intervening years. W e do not

wish to answ er the same questions over and
over again, for th a t w ould not be inspiring to
us and most certainly w ould not be interest
ing to those of you w ho have been members
of this Forum for years. C onsequently, w e
ask you pointedly, H a ve you done your
part? E ach tim e you have com pleted the
reading of a F orum issue, have you fram ed a
question in your mind an d then reduced it
to w riting a d ay or so later and sent it to
the Im perator for future answ ering in these
pages? Really, as a Forum collaborator, this
is your duty.
Please try not to ask questions w hich are
alw ays related to the same subject. E x p an d
your know ledge and the usefulness of the
Rosicrucian teachings by inquiring into dif
ferent aspects of their principles. F or exam
ple, w e have in our files about three h u ndred
unansw ered questions, w hich have been sent
to the Rosicrucian Forum over the p ast sev
eral years, th e m ajority of which are divided
betw een tw o subjectskarma an d reincarna
tion. M ost of the questions on karm a, like
wise, those on reincarnation, a re similar. O b
viously, if w e answ ered each one of them,
n early every article in the Rosicrucian Forum
w ould treat not only these subjects, b u t
w ould concern alm ost identically the same
principles. T his, I know you will agree, w ould
m ake very dull reading. W e adm it th a t those
two subjects are very popular and contain a
w ealth of thought and w e have not neglected
them by any means. W e have devoted con
siderable tim e and space to them as the pages
of the Forum will evidence. H ow ever, w e re
quest, let us have a little variety. Y ou can
arran g e this variety b y asking questions on
other principles. W e will, however, from
time to time continue to include interesting
questions w ith answ ers on the subjects of
reincarnation and karm a.
A few newcomers to our Forum Circle
have been disappointed because their ques
tions w ere not imm ediately answ ered, how
ever, the fact is th a t some of their questions
h ad been dealt w ith thoroughly just before
th e y became a member o f the F orum , and, of
course, they did not know that. Some others
ask such personal questions, w hich b y their
natu re w ere limited strictly to the activities
of their ow n lives and concerned no princi
ples or m atters w hich w ould be of interest to
anyone else, so obviously they could n o t be

Page 173

used. Y our questions, speaking generally

now, should concern the principles, laws, an d
experim ents w hich are contained in th e mono
graphs on w hich you w ish more light. Y our
questions should also ask how to apply cer
tain of th e Rosicrucian instructions to m atters
of health, business, an d social problem s. Y our
questions m ay also include a consideration of
the recent findings of science in its various
aspects, an d about th e problem s of our times
other than political theories. T h is gives
you a trem endous sphere of interests upon
which to draw .
D o n ot feel disappointed if y o u r question,
even though it does fall into one of these
divisions, is n o t answ ered in the very next
issue. If it is regarding one of the topics
m entioned above, it will be answ ered in some
future issue.
I w ould like you to look upon this w hole
subject in this light. T h in k of yourselves
seated about th e larg e table in the confer
ence room a t Rosicrucian P ark . Y ou are in
a quiet, com fortable, a n d appropriate atm os
phere. T h e Im perator is seated at one en d of
the table and a t the other end w e have some
one taking dow n in sh o rth an d w h at is being
said. W o u ld you n ot think it stran g e if all of
those present, except ju st a very few, re
m ained silent, only listening intently the
few asking all o f th e questions. Y ou w ould
undoubtedly think it more p roper and stim u
lating, and, further, a true forum , if all pres
ent could o r w ould join in. W e ll, now, re
gardless of w here you are, you are p a rt of
this Forum , ju st as much as though you w ere
here in our conference room. If you are re
maining silent, not asking questions, th e n you
are contributing to this stran g e situation. So,
speak up, figuratively rise to y o u r feet. Y ou
m ay have an idea, a question w hich has never
been voiced before, an d the answ er to it m ay
be not only interesting, b u t very beneficial to
all present, nam ely, to all w ho share these
pages. Send y o u r questions today, tonight,
to the Rosicrucian F orum , attention of the
Im perator, Rosicrucian P ark , San Jose, C ali
fornia, U . S. A .X
A S eein g S o u l ( ? )
A fra ter in N ew Jersey now arises to ask
this F orum : I w as recently introduced to a
man w ith ex trao rd in ary pow ers of a Cosmic
nature. I h eard th a t he did, an d finally saw

Page 174

him heal the sick, w hen their doctors gave up

hope. M en and women go to him for advice
and in the form of a prophecy he gives them
their answ er. W h e n I became better ac
quainted w ith him, I m ade up my mind to
ask him how he acquired this pow er. H e
told me he w as born a seeing soul. C ould it
be possible th a t a man is born w ith a seeing
soul, an d w h at is a seeing soul an d the C os
mic law s w hich govern them? Is there an y
know ledge in the archives of the Rosicrucian
O rd e r of a man born w ith this seeing soul,
an d w h at he could accomplish w ith it?
T o begin w ith, the term Seeing So u l is one
th a t I never have personally encountered in a
perusal of mystical literature. In all proba
bility, the gentlem an coined the phrase as an
explanation of his own psychic perception.
T h e individual is endow ed w ith greatly de
veloped psychic faculties, which perm it him
to do norm ally w h at students of psychic
phenom ena are hoping and attem pting ulti
m ately to do. In th e Cosmic scheme of things,
every norm al hum an being should so have
developed his psychic faculties th a t he can
have psychic sight, hearing, and the use of
the psychic sense to the sam e ex ten t of use
fulness as his physical ones. M an has these
faculties w ithin him. H e has in his psychic
centers or glands, the governors intended b y
nature to control th a t flow of the psychic in
telligence, o r Cosmic M ind, w hich w ould
m ake possible seeming miracles.
T h e fact remains, however, th a t the aver
age man h as little or no indications of his
psychic pow ers, except the occasional intui
tive flashes, infrequent telepathic communica
tions, and the sensing of the vibrations of the
auras of others. In most instances, he is so
ignorant o f th e causes of these phenom ena
th a t he fears to speak abo u t them because he
believes others m ay think him m entally un
balanced. T h e continuation of this fear and
ignorance has caused him to finally neglect,
if not w ilfully suppress the psychic functions
of his ow n beingth a t is, a t least suppress
all of those over w hich he can exercise con
trol.
W ith the spread of know ledge of these
m atters, such as is the purpose and function
of the Rosicrucian O rd er, more and more
persons are beginning the exploration of self.
F urther, they are endeavoring to expand
their lives b y aw akening their dorm ent

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

pow ers. M a n y find it a slow procedure

after all of their years of neglect. T h eir only
satisfaction is th e infrequent and very en
couraging response to th e exercises which
they practice for stim ulating and quickening
their psychic consciousness. T o them, it is
m ost am azing w hen they find a person who
norm ally an d w ith com parative ease can di
rect his psychic pow ers and senses ju st as
he does his peripheral ones.
T h ere are tw o kinds o f persons w ho have
the faculty to m anifest psychic pow ers at
will. O n e w e m ay say is a M a ster and the
other is one w ho has never lost the ability
since childhood and uses it instinctively, b ut
usually not kn o w in g ly. T h e m aster is one
w ho perhaps early in life, before he has had
time to be entirely subm erged in objective
interests an d activities and caused to put
reliance only on his objective faculties, has
been tau g h t m any Cosmic law s and prin
ciples. H e m ay have been a student of
mysticism w hile but a young child. H e may
have been un d er the tutorship of m ystically
developed paren ts w ho unfolded to him the
natu re of his ow n being an d gave him exer
cises th a t kept active his natural psychic
pow ers, w hich all children have norm ally
developed.
A gain, a m aster m ay be one w ho has a
highly evolved personality, w hich in this in
carnation, very early in life, caused him to
w an t to stu d y and investigate, and to prac
tice those principles an d laws which satisfy
the inner self. T h is practice kept open the
channels by w hich self freely draw s upon the
Cosmic M ind. Such persons will develop and
display a great healing efficacy. T h ey may
be able to tell other people more about them
selves, their inclinations, and w h at they will
do, th an such persons realize. It is because
this kind of m aster can in terp ret the au ra of
those w ith w hom he speaks. In o th er w ords,
he can visually a n d psychically perceive it.
H e likewise can attu n e w ith their inner
selves, an d consequently know their real per
sonality w hich cannot b e concealed from his
psychic perception.
T h o u g h such a m aster does these things
naturally, there is a very definite distinction
betw een him an d others w ho m ay do like
wise. T h e m aster of Cosmic principles,
though he is very much a hum an, under
stands w h at he is doing. H e directs his

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

pow ers intelligently, sanely and safely. T h e

m aster know s th a t his soul, and the self, can
become conscious of no more than is possible
for th e soul of any o ther hum an w ho will
likewise study and practice. T h e true m aster
of these subjects fully understands th a t he
has not been endow ed w ith some special con
sciousness, o r w ith a seeing soul. F urther,
he know s w h at he should do w ith his pow ers
and w h at he should not do. M oreover, the
m aster know s how to teach others, just as
C hrist did, to do the same as he himself.
F urther, the m aster understands how not to
pervert or to lose the efficacy of his ow n
being.
O n the other hand, there are persons born
w ith these psychic pow ers, as w e all are, b ut
unlike most of us, because of their favorable
associations and environm ent, they have
never done anything to destroy their n atural
development. C onsequently, their psychic
faculties have grown in pow er w ithout the
intervention of reason, fear o r superstition.
F requently such persons are simple folk, th a t
is, born o r reared in some isolated region.
T h e y are children o f nature. T h ey are free
from the hustle and bustle of the modern
objective w orld. W h ile on the other hand,
they have not the advantages which educa
tion affords, and m any times no such in
spiration as organized religion m ay give
them. T h e y are also independent of such
dom ination as those influences often exert.
N o one ridicules their psychic experiences.
N o one scoffs at their relating of their C os
mic perceptions because most all of the per
sons around them accept these things. T o
their associates, these things are as ordinary
as ones objective seeing or hearing.
T h ere comes a time, however, w hen these
persons leave their favorable environm ent,
and figuratively go out into the world. T o
their am azement, they discover th a t they can
do things, perceive and understand w h at
seems to be beyond the scope of other
mortals. O ther men discover their pow ers
and consult them for their guidance, or flock
to them to derive the benefit of their healing
effluence. Such simple persons then imagine
th a t th e D ivine Being has especially endow ed
them w ith some efficacy w hich other men do
not possess. Sometimes they think th a t a
spiritual being has taken possession of them,
or th a t they have been chosen as a messiah,

Page 175

or, again, as in this case to w hich the frater

refers, th a t th ey have a seeing soul. Since
such persons are usually ignorant of the tru e
n atu re of their own pow ers, unlike the m as
ters w ho have developed them knowingly,
they cannot teach others how to be like
themselves, th at is, able to do the same
things psychically.
I have personally know n individuals h av
ing this n atu ral psychic development, th a t is,
w ho never allow ed it to degenerate from
childhood. T h ey could not explain w h at
they did o r how th ey did it, except th a t
something occurred w ithin them th a t raade
it possible for them to perform seeming
miracles. It m ust b e ap p aren t th at there is
considerable danger in patronizing these p er
sons, th a t is, those w ho use these natural
psychic pow ers and w h o do n o t understan d
their functions. Such persons do n ot know
to w h at extent they m ust exercise their facul
ties, and, equally as im portant, w hen n ot to
use them. M an y of these so-called natural
psychics in p ast centuries w ere b u rned as
witches; first, because the populace feared
their pow ers an d did n ot u n d erstan d the
cause of them; and, second, these n atural
psychics, know ing nothing o f the Cosmic
law s w hich m ade their pow ers possible, did
actually b u t innocently often misuse them.
T h e results b ro u g h t upon them public op
probrium , an d eventually their death.
Just as all men n atu rally possess eyes, but
some come to have poor vision or see n o t at
all, so all men possess psychic intuition, and
the psychic pow ers o f self and soul. U n fo r
tunately, m ost men, through neglect, cause
these v ery pow ers to merge on complete
dorm ancy.X

Breathing Exercises
A n im portant m eans tow ard assisting our
general developm ent is contained in the
breathing exercises w hich a re outlined at
various points in th e m onographs. T h ese
exercises, as a rule, seem simple b u t are
nevertheless im portant even though in the
case o f some individuals they m ay seem to
be a problem. I am thinking particularly of
a question asked b y a F ra te r w ho finds the
b reathing exercises difficult due to his own
condition of health. In this case, the F ra te r
asks how h e should perform these exercises

Page 176

if they seem to be a burden upon him physi

cally o r if a satisfactory substitute can be

found for the exercises.
In general, the exercises contained in our
m onographs are for the purpose of develop
ing either psychic or physical well being. A t
least all exercises contribute in one w ay or
another tow ards accom plishing one o r both
of these purposes. H ow ever, it m ust be re
membered th a t the exercises and experim ents
w herever contained in o u r teachings are not
an end in themselves b u t alw ays a means to
an end. T h a t is, the exercises do n ot in
themselves com plete an activity to accom
plish a purpose except th a t they contribute
to the gaining of our ability to use certain
faculties o r latent pow ers w ithin ourselves.
A farm er w ho plows ground does not be
come a n agriculturist or accom plished farm er
merely by th e process of plowing. N either
does th a t process guarantee the success of
a crop unless certain steps are taken to
follow in the finishing of the proper p rep a
rations of the soil and the sowing of the seed
necessary to produce a crop. N evertheless,
it is a very im portant step in the process. A s
I have pointed out in reg ard to our exercises
and experim ents, it is a m eans to an end, not
an end in itself. T herefore, all exercises m ust
be approached w ith the idea th a t they will
bring about the attainm ent upon the p a rt of
the individual a certain am ount of proficiency
in a particular plan.
Insofar as the breathing exercises are con
cerned, these serve tw o purposes, both from
the physical an d from the psychic standpoint.
By properly infusing our bodies w ith the life
giving forces in the atm osphere w e are help
ing to create the balance necessary to proper
harm ony and m aintenance of health in the
body. W e also take into o u r system s the in
tangible, or, should I say, the imm aterial
qualities th a t go to m ake up the nonphysical
side of our being.
O u r exercises an d experim ents m ust be
adopted to the capacity of the individual to
perform them. A ny process w hich in itself
is going to do more harm than good is imme
diately offsetting the eventual purposes or
aims of the exercise itself. A n individual w ho
has a physical disability th a t in an y w ay
w ould be affected by the strenuous per
form ance of these exercises m ust take into
consideration an intelligent adjustm ent of the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

use of these exercises to his capacity to p er

form them. In such cases, there is one general
rule th at can be relied upon. T h a t is, never
tax yourself to the extent of using your p hy
sical body beyond the point it can operate in
a healthy m anner. If holding the breath, for
example, causes discom fort then only hold
your b reath for the length of time th a t you
can do so conveniently and easily. N ever
strain beyond th e point w here any uncom
fortable physical results are apparent. If this
rule is follow ed carefully you can still per
form the experim ents to a certain extent, an d
you will gain the benefits which they will
produce to the extent th a t you are able to
perform them.
T h ere are no particular substitutes for
breathing exercises. Even if one is able to
take not more th an a few deep breaths and
imm ediately exhale them, he is a t least direct
ing the necessity of filling his lungs a few
times a d ay w ith com pletely new fresh air.
You will find th a t this development will be
assisted b y perform ing breathing exercises to
the extent you find it possible.A

Our University
I believe th a t w e can be justly proud o f the
program for this y ear's term of the RoseCroix U niversity. In spite of m any hardships
and handicaps, w e have been able, up to this
time, to com plete our plans for th e regular
university term which begins on June 21 an d
continues for a full three w eeks' period.
Some of o u r faculty are in the arm ed
forces, an d it has been a difficult y ear to
secure substitutes b u t after w orking w ith this
problem for the p ast few m onths w e have
read y for the students w ho intend to register
for this y ear's term one of the most elaborate
courses of stu d y th a t have ever been planned
by the university. In each college o f the uni
versity this y ear, the student will have com
petent instruction from Rosicrucian members
trained in their particular fields and subjects,
and, in addition, be able to select one o r tw o
special courses from another college to ad d
to his interest an d inform ation.
O u r faculty is chosen prim arily from
am ong faculties of other colleges, universi
ties, and schools throughout the country.
Some of our faculty come alm ost across the
continent to spend the three w eeks' term a t

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the university and the following week for

the convention. T h ey leave their respective
cities imm ediately after the term of the school
in w hich they are teaching is completed and
take up their w ork here a t a time w hen they
should be enjoying a vacation. T h is makes
it possible for us to have a specially trained
faculty th at is composed of individuals who
stand high in academic fields and, who, here
a t the university, are able, not only to give
complete courses in their particular fields, but
to add to those courses the significant inter
pretations th a t link the subjects closely w ith
Rosicrucian teachings. E very instructor, as
he proceeds through the course of study, cor
relates a t every point possible the instructions
of the particular subject which he is teaching
w ith the Rosicrucian interpretation and the
Rosicrucian teachings.
T h ere are tw o questions frequently asked
regarding the Rose-Croix U niversity; one is:
w hat is the am ount of m aterial th at is cov
ered in any particular subject during one
term? T h e university term is purposely
limited to a minimum time, which is three
weeks, due to the fact th a t the students
could not atten d for a longer period, b ut
during th a t three w eeks' term there is enough
w ork given to make this term equivalent, in
sofar as com parison w ith other academic
courses is concerned, to the six w eeks' term
offered by m any universities and colleges
throughout the country. It is true th a t the
students have to w ork during this period.
T h e y have continued class sessions from 8:30
in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon,
and then are required after 5:00 to spend a
minimum of an hour and a half a day in
research and study w ork either in the labora
tories o r in the Rosicrucian Research Library.
I do not mean to say th a t the w ork is too
hard, but I do m ean to say th a t it is thorough
an d students enjoy i t E very minute possible
during the d ay is devoted to classroom lec
tures and laboratory dem onstrations o r re
search and study.
T h ere is also a lighter side of the univer
sity. It is not all hard w ork. T h e re are,
from the inspirational standpoint, the sessions
under the direction of the G rand M aster of
the Tem ple once a week; there are special
lectures included in the course of stu d y b y
the Im perator, Suprem e S ecretary, an d
G ran d M aster; there is student body organi

Page 177

zation which usually includes inform al g ath

erings, picnics, an d other activities for the
enjoym ent of th e students, and, altogether,
there is concentrated into these three weeks
a period of instruction and enjoym ent which
every student finds is an inspiration for years
to come.
O f further im portance is the utilitarian
value. M an y students have found th at they
have had sufficient w ork in certain fields to
pass civil service exam inations and to meet
certain requirem ents th at various types of
em ployers require in certain fields of study.
T herefore, in addition to being able to ex
p an d their concept of certain subjects and
have a b etter understanding of the relation
of these subjects to Rosicrucianism as a
whole, these students have acquired th at
w hich will assist them to go back and do
their particular w o rk better. W e are going
to stress those phases of physical sciences
this year th a t will help those w ho are en
gaged in vital industries to be more compe
tent in their positions.
T h e second question most frequently asked
is regarding the students w ho atten d the uni
versity. W h o a re they? W h a t are their
backgrounds an d preparation? T h e average
stu d en t w ho atten d s this university is the
average member o f A M O R C . T h e y come
from all w alks of life involving very little
academic p reparation to advanced degrees of
leading universities or colleges. T h e y come
because they are desirous of self-im prove
m ent an d because of a love for know ledge.
T h ere are no restrictions insofar as academic
training is concerned, and persons of any
age, o r either sex m ay attend. T h e only
requirem ent is membership in A M O R C and
the ability to com plete six m atriculation lec
tures p rep arato ry to registration. T h ese lec
tures are no m ore difficult than the regular
m onographs. If you can read the mono
graphs and the Rosicrucian D igest" an d the
Rosicrucian F orum " you can read and com
prehend the m atriculation lectures an d an y
o ther o f the m aterial offered in the university
classes. E veryone derives benefit from his
attendance in direct proportion to the effort
w hich he devotes to his studies. If he com
pletes the course of stu d y satisfactorily
w hich anyone can do by conscientious appli
cation of the instructors' suggestions and

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 178

help, he receives a certificate of completion

indicating th a t fact.
A s I stated, w e are proud of w h at w e are
accom plishing and our plans for this y e a rs
term. W e hope th a t this will be only a
beginning. P o stw ar plans for the university
are n o t form ulated in detail b u t ideas have
alread y been established for activities th at
will expand its w ork more than one hundred
percent. N ew courses will be offered, addi
tional capable members will be ad d ed to the
faculty, and, in general, more and more bene
fit will come to those w ho attend. M ore spe
cific inform ation regarding the scope of
activities of the university is presented in
the booklet w hich w e have prepared as a
prospectus for the university w ork. It is
entitled T h e S tory of L earning. If you
do not have a copy you should request one
from the reg istrar of the university and
familiarize yourself w ith the scope of this
activity and m ake your plans for attendance
a t some future tim e.-A

Building Karma
In view of the fact th a t the subjject of
K arm a has been discussed num erous times in
these pages as well as developed in some
detail through the m onographs themselves,
there is little w e can add to th e subject in
general. From time to time, however, there
are questions w hich deal w ith certain phases
of K arm a in a m anner th a t has not h ad spe
cific discussion although the subject may
have been touched upon.
O n e such question concerns the effect upon
K arm a o f an individual adhering to an ideal
even though the ideal is w rong. Some years
ago a popular motion picture w as built
around the life of a man w hose loyalty to
the enterprise w ith w hich he w as affiliated
b rought him one problem after another, yet
he w ent on holding to the ideal of the firm
for w hich he w orked w hich actually w as an
ideal in his own mind. W h ile his ideal w as
based upon th e service th a t the firm could
render, the actual policies and m anagem ent
of the firm w ere definitely tied up and only
concerned w ith the financial gains regardless
of the m ethods used to bring them about.
H ere w as the case o f an individual devoting
his life to a m istaken principle, but, never
theless, in the services w hich he perform ed

in w orking for his ideal of the firm, rath er

than for the actual policies th a t existed, he
accom plished g reat good for m any people
even though he, himself, did not alw ays profit
m aterially b y w h at he w as doing.
N o doubt, th e individual w ho h ad this
question in mind has considered the status of
individual living in countries today which, by
their actions, clearly indicate th at their poli
cies are ones o f aggression w ith no concern
for individual life, property, o r principles. Is
the individual w ho subscribes w holeheartedly
to the aims an d ideals of such a political
system going to suffer b y future Karma? It
is difficult to determ ine to w h at extent motive
affects Karma, b u t from the best inform ation
and research possible upon th e subject, it
appears th a t motive has considerable to do
w ith it. In other w ords, if a person is to do
w h at he believes is right b ut in the process
someone else is harm ed, there is not the same
implication as if the same individual set out
to perform th e act w hich resulted in harm
instead o f this harm being coincidet to an act
which, upon the p a rt of the individual, w as
n ot intended. A n individual driving a car
w ho w ould n ot turn aside to avoid hitting
another person is h ard ly less responsible for
th a t persons injury th an if he deliberately
set out in some o th er m anner to injure the
person, b u t one w ho is driving a car and
when faced b y the imminence o f possibly
harming ano th er w ould do everything w ithin
his pow er to avoid such an accident, but,
nevertheless, n ot being able to escape from
rendering harm is ap parently n o t taking on
the Karma th a t w ould be m ade b y planning
an actual physical injury to another hum an
being.
It cannot be adm itted entirely th a t motive
is the complete determ ining factor of Karma.
If w e do w h at is w rong in w h at m ay be our
period of developm ent and grow th, w e are
going to have to com pensate for it. In other
w ords, even w ith th e b est o f intentions, if
I commit an error th ere is some m anner in
which I will have to p ay for th a t error in
order to have th e experience of learning to
direct myself differently. A child w ho touches
a hot stove, an d w ho has n ot y et learned
th a t pain follows contact w ith a heated ob
ject, may have a good motive, b u t because of
this lack of u nderstanding the burns will be
no less severe. In other w ords, Kam ra m ust

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

alw ays be considered a means tow ard

teaching us to b etter ad a p t ourselves to our
environm ent. T h a t is the positive side of
K arma.
In most considerations of the subject, w e
are frequently m ore tem pted ito consider its
negative phase th a t Karm a is a burden
w hich brings problem s and difficulties to us
in the form of revenge, or merely, to make
us suffer pain as a punishm ent for our errors.
T h e re is no force in the universe wiith which
w e m ust cope th a t is w orking in aoy w ay to
cause us to be punished, unless it is M an
himself. T h e law of Karm a w orks only in
the m anner illustrated by the child and the
stove to teach us a lesson. It is only w hen
w e resist having to learn the lesson, w hen
w e fight against having to take our just p art
in learning through actual experience th at
K arm a becomes a burden and becomes multi
plied because of our refusal to cooperate w ith
the laws by w hich it operates. T herefore, if
a person subscribes to a false ideal K arm a is
built up which will result in th a t individual
being placed in situations w here he will have
certain difficult experiences b roug h t upon by
his own good intentions or those of other
individuals. T h e best he can do is to face
rath er th an fight the situation, to study it
carefully, and plan his life according to the
m ethods by w hich he can m ost rapidly u nder
stand and accomplish the learning of the
lesson w hich he has failed to learn in the
p ast.A

Measuring Development
W e have discussed in these pages before
th e fact th a t psychic developm ent cannot be
m easured by an y physical standard. Some
individuals failing to realize this sometimes
take inventory an d are not sure th a t they
have gained w h at they should in proportion
to the effort they have conscientiously put
forth.
Such is 'the case of a F ra ter w hose corre
spondence came to my attention recently. I
have every reason to believe th a t this F ra ter
has been sincere in the study o f our teachings
up to one of our higher degrees. I cannot
vouch for the fact th a t he has daily and sys
tem atically practiced the exercises necessary
to develop a perfect technique, b u t a t least
his sincerity is beyond questioning. N ow he

Page 179

is som ew hat un ad ju sted in his thinking as to

w hether o r n o t he has accomplished enough,
an d in th a t consideration he is probably
thinking in term s of something of a physical
natu re to prove th a t development. I feel th at
he has accom plished more th an he m ay ob
jectively realize. If we have gone through
our studies looking for the spectacular w e are
going to be disappointed. A ll Cosmic prin
ciples are identical w ith w h at w e realize as
m aterial laws, and, as a result, m anifest
through these law s. W h a t occasionally oc
curs contrary to such a law w e m ight con
sider a miracle.
A F ra ter w rote to this organization during
the depths of the depression alm ost pathe
tically to the effect th a t he w as desperately in
need of w ork, finances o r some type of ma
terial asssitance. H is letter w as referred to
our Council o f Solace w ho com municated
w ith him. T h e organization gave as much di
rect assistance as possible a t the time an d the
usual m etaphysical assistance of th e Council
of Solace an d the officers o f the O rd e r w ere
directed to him. C onsiderable time passed
an d to my know ledge, a report never came
from this individual until o u t of curiosity I
h ad the impulse to w rite to him an d ask if he
h ad m ade a report to the Council of Solace
an d if our help h ad assisted him. T h is w as
probably a t least four o r five years afte r the
event took place. T h is member replied th at
three days a fte r sending us the communica
tion desperately appealing for help, which
w as about the sam e time th a t w e received his
request and instituted m etaphysical help on
his behalf, he secured employment in a posi
tion for w hich he w as well trained which
brought him a satisfactory income, and th at
he had been stead ily employed in this posi
tion ever since. T h e im portant point I wish
to em phasize is th a t he said th at th e reason
he did not w rite further to us w as because he
knew th a t this position h ad nothing to do
w ith our help o r intercession b ut th a t it w as
just a lucky b reak " and w ould have h ap
pened any w ay if he had ju st w aited.
F rankly, this type of thing is som ew hat
discouraging to us an d y et it is one possibly
exaggerated case of m any others of n ot as
great importance. People w ire or w rite us
for help in personal problems or health and
w hen the help com es m any of them say th a t
they would have recovered or conditions

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 180

w ould have improved in the normal course of

events w ithout a communication to us. In
other w ords, it seems th a t these individuals
believe th a t if the Council of Solace or the
m etaphysical assistance w hich is rendered
does anything it will do something spectacu
lar. Possibly they expect a million dollars to
fall out of the sky. If such a thing happened
their credit m ight go to our m etaphysical as
sistance. H ow ever, Cosmic principles do not
w ork in th at m anner. W h e n w e intercede on
behalf of an individual requesting our help
we only do so to help direct certain law s to
m anifest in a w ay .that is perfectly n atural
and in accord w ith the abilities and Karm a of
the individual. A s a rule, nothing unusual
happens, if b y unusual w e mean m ysteriously
selving the problem. F rankly, I believe th at
w hen an individual is desperately ill or faced
by a vital personal problem and some change
for the b etter comes th a t this could be classed
as more th a n usual. It is because we, to the
extent of o u r know ledge of Cosmic laws,
have helped to direct them into constructive
harm ony w ith the activties and purposes of
the Cosmic.
T h e individual w ho is asking for this help
m ust also realize th a t he m ust w ork w ith us.
T h is is no reflection upon the thousands of
people whom w e help and w ho acknow ledge
th e help, because after all, w e are not doing
this merely for the comments th a t w e obtain.
W e give freely of this help to anyone re
questing it, member or nonmember. T h ere
fore, learn to m easure your developm ent b y
the so-called common events in y our life. D o
not take a superficial inventory, b u t an hon
est one of yourself and remember th at m any
of us are so busy doing nonessenfcial things
th a t w e do n o t have time to do those which
are simple but nevertheless essential. A t least
practice some of our more simple experiments
and exercises daily and w hen a particular
m onograph does not contain a specific exer
cise, avail yourself of a few moments to p rac
tice on one in another m onograph.A

Phenomenal Powers
A F ra ter states th a t his sister recently re
ceived some literature w hich contained a
num ber of circulars promising w onderful
m ental developm ent through the practice of
the exercises w hich these circulars gu aran

teed to teach. T h e literature w ent so far as

to intim ate th a t the course of stu d y offered
w ould make it possible for an individual w ho
studied it to develop phenom enal pow ers and
perform such feats as w alking barefooted
through fire, w alking on w ater, and m any
other sim ilar miraculous accomplishments.
T h e frater asked to be advised w hether
through th e practice of deep breathing or
concentration or an y other know n process
such things could actually be developed, and
if so, h o ^ o ften it w ould be necessary to
practice the exercises to be able to do these
ap parently m arvelous things.
T h o se m em bers w ho have entered the
higher degrees of our organization an d even
those in th e low er degrees should be in the
process of becoming more an d more aw are
th a t the gaining o f know ledge an d the devel
opm ent of the use of psychic pow ers is the
result o f a period o f study an d development.
It is n ot possible for anyone to guarantee
exactly w h at another individual m ay be able
to accomplish. T h is organization does guar
antee th a t in proportion to the individual's
sincerity an d purpose and his application of
the principles w hich w e teach, th a t th e result
will be the ability of the individual to better
ad ju st himself to the environm ent in w hich
he is placed a n d thereby attain certain de
grees of happiness and health to exceed th a t
which m ight otherw ise have been developed.
O n the o th er hand, for an y individual or
group to prom ise th a t an o th er individual
would be able to accomplish miracles would
be ridiculous in the sam e sense th a t it is im
possible for th e teach er to prom ise sucess and
perfection in a n y course o f stu d y o r proce
dure upon w hich an individual enters. F u r
therm ore, in re g a rd to th e claims m ade to
which this F ra te r referred, it is well for us
w hen considering these claims an d descrip
tions o f such phenom enal pow ers as to be
able to w alk barefooted through fire or on
w ater or an y other thing w hich w e do not
consider commonplace, to honestly analyze
ourselves an d ask this one question: W o u ld
w e be happier if w e could do these things?
If such a question is honestly p u t an d an
sw ered, m ost o f us will realize th a t w e w ould
not be satisfied to gain these abilities in them
selves. T h a t is, w h at possible good could we
accomplish thro u g h m erely being able to do
or accomplish such an action if it h ad no fur

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ther purpose? I do not mean to infer th a t the

accom plishm ent of these abilities is impos
sible. V arious records, including th e Bible,
tell us of m asters w ho have w alked on w ater
or suffered certain persecution and h ad no
resulting harm come to them. T w o fam iliar
stories are the occasions w hen Jesus w alked
on the w ater and D aniel entered the lions*
den, bu t rem em ber th a t w hen these feats
w ere accom plished they w ere not accomplish
ed as an end in themselves; they w ere ac
complished for a specific purpose. Jesus did
not w alk on the w ater in ord er to secure a
crow d to listen to his message. If he h ad re
sorted to such a procedure his systems of
teaching w ould have failed to have the value
or the appeal th a t they did have.
T h e purpose of any consistent study w hich
is conducive to psychic developm ent is to
bring about the fullest use of those pow ers
as they will become usable to us in our p ar
ticular lives and environm ent. If w e are able
to apply these principles in small things w e
will find in the case of an em ergency th at w e
have a storehouse of pow er upon which to
call th a t we m ay not objectively realize, b ut
if w e think in term s of developing these pow
ers only for the sensational accom plishment
of the thingf, w e m ay find th a t w e are lacking
in the very abilities which w e seek to devel
op, happiness and reasonable success in our
imm ediate lives.A

Mystical Significance of Cremation

A Soror asks of us assem bled here: W ill
you kindly explain in the columns of the
Forum just w hy the Rosicrucians think th a t
crem ation is strictly the correct w ay of dis
posing of bodies after transition?
M an y persons abhor crem ation as a means
of the disposal of the body. T o them, the
thought of its reduction to its simple elements
by the use o f fire seems harsh. T h is is be
cause they are accustom ed to think of the
effects of flame upon the* living body. T h e
body is insensible to pain; it is b u t a mole
cular mass after the transition of the soul.
C ertainly o n e s sensibilities should be more
disturbed by the thought of th e body being
slow ly decomposed in a vault o r in the
ground than b y cremation. By the burial
m ethod either extraneous life, insects, take
possession of it, o r the natural decomposition

Page 181

germinates insects w ithin the decaying or

gans an d putrifying intestines. V ery few
persons can afford the kind o f embalming or
interm ent w hich w ould greatly delay this
inglorious distintegration of the hum an form.
H istorically, crem ation is one of the oldest
and one of the m ost prevalent methods used
by ancient m an for the disposal of the body
after death. W ith the exception of the E g y p
tians, w ho embalm ed the bodies o f the de
ceased, and th e C hinese an d the men of
Judea, w ho burried them in sepulchres, cre
m ation w as a general practice of the ancient
w orld. A bhorrence of it came about princi
pally because of th e influence of the C hris
tian C hurch. T h e C hristian doctrine of re
surrection an d purification, literally inter
preted, conceives the need for the body to
remain intact, th e assum ption being th a t on
the final resurrection d ay the righteous dead
will step from their graves an d resum e their
place in the K ingdom of G od.
H um an experience, as the result of exhum
ing bodies, has disclosed th a t w ithin a com
paratively few years, o r less, afte r burial,
there is n au g h t left b u t skeletal remains.
Sometimes even these have disintegrated into
dust w hen moved even b u t slightly. C onse
quently, if the C hristian doctrine of resur
rection is to be interpreted in the sense th at
the m ortal body is to retu rn to the living, as
it form erly w as, a t th a t momentous time it
w ould necessitate G o d s covering the skele
ton w ith new living flesh. If this miracle
w hich w ould need be perform ed, is possible
w ith G od, then G od could equally as well
spontaneously reassem ble the elements of the
crem ated body, an d restore it to its original
state. T herefore, burial affords the orthodox
C hristian no distinct ad vantage over crema
tion. Simply put, G od could reassem ble the
infinitesmal elem ents of a crem ated body just
as easily as he could p u t flesh upon the
skeletons of those w ho have been buried.
T h e Bible, how ever, both th e N ew and
O ld T estam ents, is quite replete w ith p ara
bles and pronouncem ents th a t indicate it w as
not intended b y th e ancient prophets an d by
C hrist th at m an should try to keep the physi
cal body in tact after transition or death.
In fact, in G enesis 3:19 w e find: . . . for
dust thou art, and unto d u st shalt thou re
tu rn . P aten tly , an y attem pt to preserve the
body is therefore in defiance, shall w e say,

Page 182

of the ancient M osaic and C hristian law,

unto dust shalt thou retu rn . Even more imp o rtan t is the fact th a t careful preservation
of the inanim ate body constitutes a glorifica
tion o f it, w hich is in opposition to the C hris
tian principle o f the duality of m an."
M ost all C hristian literature conceives th e
soul as th e principle spiritual entity of m ans
composite being, the body being b u t a temple
from w hich the light shines forth. T h e body,
except if w e have a misconception of it or a
false pride as to our physical form, w e will
readily adm it, consists of the same elements
as other m aterial things. D aily experience
tells us this. D uring life w e are continuously
assim ilating, as food and w ater, the chemical
elements of the earth, not to increase soul but
b o d y. T herefore, w hen the soul has d ep art
ed, the logical as well as th e tru ly C hristian
method w ould be to have the body return to
those simple elements from w hich it sprang,
as quickly as possible.
T h ere is no cleaner and more wholesome
m ethod for this than crem ation. Fire, by
which crem ation is accomplished, is an an
cient mystical symbol of the process of p u rg
ing and purification. A ll forms of m atter
w ere reduced in the alchem ists crucible to
their pristine state, and then from out of
them new forms w ere b rought forth.
T h e Rosicrucian conception of cremation
is not unlike w h at every real stu d en t of
C hristianity conceives as the proper spiritual
and sanitary disposal of his body after death.
T h e Rosicrucian conceives death as b ut a
transition, a change of existence, a change
from one plane of consciousness to another.
In reality, it is an initiation by w hich the self,
the personality of the soul, comes to acquire
new experiences and to pass over th e th res
hold into a larger and greater cham ber of
existence. W h e n the soul is in th e body, it
is confined to a small tem ple, w ith com para
tively limited opportunities. W h e n it passes
into the universal consciousness from whence
it cam eor the Cosm icits personality m ust
perform activities of a greater scope. Just as
he personality, in accordance w ith the C os
mic law of progression, evolves, spirals to
w ard perfection, so the earthly elements
change from the complex to the simple and
again to th e complex.
D isintegration o f the body is m erely a re
lease of th e atomic energies so th a t they m ay

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

change, th a t is, assemble again into new

forms, either anim ate or inanim ate. A ny a t
tem pt b y m an to arrest th is change consti
tutes a violation of Cosm ic law. W h e n the
soul leaves the body, the physical garm ent
has served its purpose. W h y preserve its
outm oded an d inadequate form. Release it
as quickly as possible so th a t the elements of
m atter m ay be reborn in a new form. T h is
rebirth m ust be. It is Cosmic decree. C rem a
tion, w e repeat, is a clean, pure, an d mystical
means for the reduction of the b ody to its
original state. It completes the cycle of d e
volution an d evolution quickly once the soul
has departed.
A s one au th o rity on crem ation has said,
All decaying animal rem ains emit gases
which ultim ately become converted into vege
table grow th o r grow th of some kind such as
trees, crops, gardens, grass, etc. It may be
taken as certain th a t the gaseous products
arising from a crem ating b o d y am ounting,
although invisible, to no less than 97% of its
w eight, 3% only rem aining as solids in the
form of a p u re w hite ash become in the
course of a few hours integral an d active ele
ments in some form of vegetable life." T h is
is the beautiful thought in connection w ith
cremation. W e are bringing new life and
form from out of o u r discarded body. From
our ashes, phenixlike, arises some new sub
stance, some new material entity, attesting to
the im m utability o f m atter. W h y try to pre
serve a discarded body, w hen its elements
m ay b etter serve the Cosmic schem e by blos
soming forth, perhaps as a magnificent rose,
to bring beauty, perfume, an d happiness to
other mortals, o r by their chemical substance
nurture some o th er growing thing. W e are
by this means im m ortal in body as well as in
soul. In other w ords, the elements which
once com posed our physical body live again
in o th er things, eternally.
T h e ashes of the crem ated body, according
to Rosicrucian tradition, m ust be scattered
upon open w ater Or placed in dam p soil w ith
in seven days afte r the crem ation. T h e fol
lowing is a brief description of the Rosicru
cian funeral cerem ony as it appears in the
Rosicrucian m anual:
T h e Rosicrucian funeral service is a cere
mony of celebration in its spirit, a t w hich
time those assem bled around the body o f the
frater or soror take p art in a ritual significant

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of the passing through a H igh Initiation of

the one w ho is no longer limited by the w ork
of the O rd e r in its m aterial form on this
plane. Purple, rath er than black, is used to
express the sacredness of the occasion (th at
is, w herever decorations or drapings are used
in the T em ple or hom e). Flow ers are used
to express the beauties o f life. Sorrow is ex
pressed only because of the absence of the
member from such personal contact as h ad
been enjoyed in the past. T h e Tem ple C eremony m ust be perform ed a fter the hour of
noon (as the sun journeys to the W e s t) and
the ideal hour is late in the evening so th a t
the service m ay end about m idnight and the
body remain in th e Tem ple (before the A ltar
in the E ast) until after sunrise the next m orn
ing, w hen it m ay be taken to a vault, b u t
preferably to a place for cremation. T h o se
not members o f the O rd er m ay be invited to
the service and such friends and members of
the family should be seated on special seats
a t the N o rth east of the Tem ple. T h e rule is
th a t the R. C. ceremony m ust be the last
cerem ony perform ed; if there is an y other
religious or fraternal organization ceremony,
it m ust precede th e R. C. Service. O ne of the
most beautiful p arts in the ceremony is when,
after the opening of the service, a special
prayer, and some other points, the M aster of
the T em ple perm its the G uardian of the
Tem ple w here the F ra ter or Soror h ad a t
tended, to stan d beside the body and remove
the Rose from the Lodge apron (which is on
the b o d y ), w hile speaking these w ords; From
our m idst has departed one expression of
Soul w e have loved. A cross the Cosmic
T hreshold has passed another Initiate into
the T em ple o f G od. In th a t Tem ple there are
degrees of understanding, grades of advance
ment, cycles of progression, and then th e
Sublime D egree of Perfection w herein thou,
oh, departed one, shall be one of the Divine
Illuminati and enter again the School of E x
perience w here w e shall once more enjoy thy
noble, loving com panionship. In this earthly
initiation, the Rose and the C ross w ere given
unto thee in the form of this apron to w ear
as a symbol of thy readiness to serve hum an
ity. T h y body and personality w ere en
sconced by the Rose and Cross. In th y D i
vine initiation thou shalt have no need of the
Cross, for thou h ast borne thy C ross well
and G od hath laid it aside; b u t the Rose in

Page 183

all its sw eetness an d perfect developm ent

shall rem ain w ith thee as a symbol of the un
folding of th y soul experience. T o symbol
ize this, I, G uardian of the earthly T em ple
of th y w ork, do now remove from thine
apron the Rose, and in the h and of thine
earthly body I place another rose, fresh w ith
Life, F ragrance, an d P urity, th a t it, too, m ay
return unto the d u st of the earth to rise again
and through resurrection become m anifest in
all its g lo ry '."
T h e ashes of o ur fratres an d sorores w ho
have been crem ated, and w hich are sent to
Rosicrucian P ark, are interred here in the
soft soil, in accordance w ith a very brief in
term ent ceremony. Rose petals are inter
mingled w ith them , and th e y are caused to
give life to some growing thing w hich is
p lanted above them. Symbolically the bodies
of these members live again, th a t is, the ele
ments o f their physical forms, w hile their
souls an d consciousness reside on the C os
mic P lan e .X

The Fourth Dimension

A Soror residing in one of the G ulf S tates
arises to address this Forum . S he says: T h e
F ourth Dimesion is an all-engrossing subject
to me. I w ould like a sum m ary o f w h at it
represents, philosophically, scientifically, and
in particular, w h at it means to Rosicrucians.
Let us first consider the other th reethe
conventional dimensions of length, breadth,
an d thickness. In ordinary experience, these
three seem very real to us. N early every
visual object seems to have these qualities.
H ow ever, th e y are not independent of the
forms of m atter. N o one, for example, has
ever perceived the dimension of length by
itself. C onsequently, the three dimensions
are conditions w hich the mind appears to as
sociate w ith objects of sight an d of touch.
A ctually, w h at is it th a t w e realize as di
mension? T o our consciousness, every form
of m atter, th a t is, every particular w hich w e
discern visually or b y touch, appears to have
specific limits to its nature. W h e n w e per
ceive an object visually, let us say, the im
pulses b ro u g h t b y the light w aves and finally
transm itted to the visual center of our brain
produce sensations there. T h ese sensations,
as consciousness, cause us to have an idea, a

Page 184

m ental picture of the object seen. W e then

identify it by nam e. T h e whole idea becomes
a form, a thing which w e see. W h erev er
this object appears to change its nature, th at
is, to become som ething different than the
idea w e have of it, that, to our minds, then
constitutes its limtis. Beyond these limits,
it is another form or condition w hich w e
perceive. T h e limits of the extension of
som ething, therefore, constitute its fixed
dimensions.
Simply put, a dimension is the direction in
w hich extension takes place. A form of m at
ter, call it a log, extends, shall w e say, so
m any feet horizontally; it has length. It ex
tends so m any inches above the ground; it
has height. It recedes so m any inches from
us; it has w id th . O bviously this condition of
dimension could not be realized by us if the
direction w hich the extension of something
takes had no limits. T h u s, for example, if
you lie dow n on a summer day and look
straig h t up into a clear, cloudless sky, w ith
nothing else visible, w hat you perceive is
dimensionless.
A n object's extension, that is, w h at con
stitutes our idea of its form, may have its
limits caused b y other than the apparent b e
ginning of some other form. A n object's
limits, its dimension, m ay be caused by space,
by its appearing to have nothing bounding it.
In other w ords, the conception of dimension
m ay be caused, not just by the ap p aren t end
of one form an d the beginning of another,
but also by a form seeming to be surrounded
by w h at w e call space. In fact, if there w ere
no such condition w hich w e perceive as
space, w e w ould have no idea of dimension
at all. N o m atter how m any objects w e m ight
have, different in appearance, color, texture,
and substance, if there w ere not absolute
breaks in such a mass, th a t is, separations
w here nothing seems to exist, all the objects
w ould seem b u t to constitute a design of a
single form. If, for further example, all you
could see in every direction w as a great col
lection of colors and differences in substance,
and you could not separate them so th a t
space could exist betw een them, the bulk
w ould appear as a whole to you. T h ere
w ould be no limit to its direction, only v aria
tion of its expression.
M a tte r is th a t w hich seems to occupy
space. T h e limit of a form of m atter in space

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

constitutes its dimensions. A ctually, then, all

th at dimension tells us is the extent of a
mass of molecules w hich produce the sensa
tions which w e perceive as a form, seen or
felt. D imension is also an indication of the
limits of o u r physical senses of sight and
touch. V isual objects actually do not dangle
in a state of nothing or in a void, as w e think
of space. T h e so-called space surrounding
an object is a plenum. In other w ords, space
is not a void; it is just as full of energies as
th a t w hich w e call m atter. M atter is th a t
energy or collection of force w hich is a mass
th at w e can perceive. T h a t w hich we cannot
perceive as such a mass, w e call space. O u r
senses cannot discern the transition, the
gradual change, from a form of m atter into
this hypothetical space. So, to our conscious
ness, som ething is, and seems to have limits
as to its positive nature, an d these limits w e
call its dimensions.
O n the o th er hand, we m ay say th a t space
has dimensions also. W e m ean b y that, th at
space appears to be bounded or limited by
something w hich does have existence, for we
measure space also. Space ends, w e say,
w here m atter or mass begins. Finally, then,
dimensions are th e directions in w hich m atter
and space seem to extend themselves. Since,
however, space is an illusion of the mind,
and really is substance too, just as is m atter,
then dimensions have no actuality, for there
are no real limits in the universe. T h e y are
merely notions of the hum an mind.
T h e consciousness has devised other kinds
of dimensions. T h ese are the states of pa st,
present, an d fu tu re . W h a t w e are immediate
ly conscious of, an d w hich is not a recollec
tion, or a p roduct of im agination, w e call the
present. If w e extend our consciousness be
yond w h at w e realize as the present moment,
it is term ed the fu tu re state. If w e perm it it
to enter an antecedent state, to think back
w ard, it is said w e are dwelling in the past.
T his seeming progression of consciousness is
called time. H ow ever, there are hiatuses or
gaps o f consciousness, just as space appears
to exist betw een the m anifestations of m atter.
F or example, th ere is realization, the aw are
ness of som ething, or in other w ords, the
conscious interval. T h en th ere is the gap of
which w e are ordinarily not aw are, which
breaks the continuity of o u r consciousness.
It is these fractions of a second w hich perm it

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

us to retain the impressions w e receive long

enough to realize them. In other w ords, the
sensations of w h at w e perceive m ust be re
tained long enough for the mind to identify
them. If impressions w e r e c o n t i n u o u s l y
crow ding in on us, our state of consciousness
w ould be so kaleidoscopic th a t w e w ould
have only a realization of a confused mass of
impressions. So our experiences are broken
up by the mechanism of our minds into a
series, like links in a chain.
Each experience is registered in memory,
w here it may rem ain for but a few seconds or
for years. A s said, w e can only be conscious
of one experience a t a time. T h a t which oc
cupies our consciousness is alw ays of the
so-called present. In fact, consciousness, as
a state of realization, is alw ays no w . C o n
sciousness is of us, and w e are alw ays of the
present. W h e n w e are conscious of an ex
perience which w e designate as past, it is be
cause w e realize th a t the experience is a re
collection. W e are able to determ ine betw een
a present consciousness of ideas just being
formed, and those w hich are recalled from
memory, and w hich are occupying our pres
ent aw areness.
T o use a homely analogy: W e look out of
a w indow and take a photograph of the scene
we behold. T h e scene w e see is o f the im
mediate, the present, as w e gaze upon it. W e
then develop the picture, fram e it, and place
it on the w all beside the w indow . W e look
out of the w indow a t another scene, which
likewise is of the present moment, an d we
realize it. W e now turn and look a t the pic
ture which w e photographed. A s w e are con
scious of the picture, it is in the now of our
mind, and yet w e realize the difference be
tw een it and w hen w e observed the same
scene through the window . So w e call the
photograph the past. T hese gaps past,
present, and futu reare entirely notions of
mind, for in the universe there is neither be
ginning nor end, no moving forw ard to a
final point. T h ere is only change; nothing is
old, nothing is new. T h ere is only tran s
formation.
T o further understand this, we can think
of the unievrse and all of its m anifestations
which are occurring as like a m erry-goround. It is constantly in motion, b ut it is

Page 185

progressing tow ard no final state or end.

T h en a man steps on the moving m erry-goround. It m arks the beginning for him, th at
is, a beginning for his relationship w ith the
m erry-go-round. It is a change of his posi
tion. W h e n he steps off again, he makes an
other change in his position, and he is aw are
of the interval betw een, o r w hat seems as an
interval to him, betw een the p ast change,
w hen he stepped on, and the present change,
w hen he steps off. H ow ever, the m erry-goround has been in continuous motion. T h ese
changes of m ans position in relation to it
have never interrupted or altered its constant,
its alw ays present motion. T h e fixed changes,
the interruptions w ere entirely w ith man, not
with the m erry-go-round.
T h a t there is no true relationship between
w h at w e conceive as past and present, and
the timeliness of nature, w e m ay cite a still
further example. W e look up a t the star
A lpha C entauri. A s we gaze upon it in the
heavens, it is very much of the present. W e
see it as imm ediate as anything else w e look
upon. T h e light, however, causing the visual
impressions w e have of the sta r now, actual
ly left it some [our years ago! T herefore, w e
do not see the sta r as it is. T h e present of
the sta r to us, is not as it is in nature. Since
nothing is a t rest, nothing is actually of the
present, except as our consciousness arrests
the impressions of it for our realization. W e
hold a t rest, for a fraction of a second, th a t
which comes to us through our senses. W e
m ake the present. In nature, everything is
becoming, nothing is fixed o r definite, as
H eraclitus, the ancient philosopher, told us
centuries ago.
N ow it can be easily seen th a t space-tim e
is a factor w hich greatly determ ines the n a
ture, the illusion shall w e say, of the other
dimensions. T h u s one school of th o u g h t
philosophers and scientistscall this space
time factor the fo u rth dim ension. T h e Rosi
crucians likewise say th a t the dimensions of
space and time, nam ely, past, present, and
future, for example, are truly illusions. T h ey
are not actual qualities of the universe as men
ordinarily think of them. H ow ever, they say
th a t there is a veal dim ension of all things
which constitutes their fundam ental quality.
T h is is the vibratory rate of atoms an d mole
cules. T h is dimension, further, is the inces

Page 186

san t pulsation, the rhythm ic throbbing, the

gyrations of the particles of energy th at com
prise the entire universe. M an perceives an
infinitesimal p a rt of these vibrations of the
Cosmic through his senses. Because of them,
he comes to know or a t least to form ideas
about the w orld around him. H is interpreta
tion of these vibrations may and undoubtedly
do give him a m ental picture th at is different
than the absolute ,actual nature of the cause
of the vibrations themselves. T h is dimension
is the fourth dim ension to the Rosicrucians.
M an m ust perceive it, namely, these rates
of vibrations, before he can apply to them
the illusions of the other dimensions of time
and space, to complete the arbitrary concep
tion he has of their nature. C onsequently, w e
repeat, the fourth dimension to the Rosicru
cians is the only true m easurem ent of exist
ence. It is th a t which actually attunes us to
the kindred m anifestations in the universe.
Really, it should be called the prim ary and
only dimension of physical existence. It is
the actual variation of the vibrations of
things which accounts for their m anifesta
tion. T hese variations or changes are not
illusions. O ne could not identify a form of
m atter, for example, by saying it is six feet
b y three feet by two inches. T h a t would
tell us nothing of the kind of m atter. W h e n ,
how ever, in the future, w e learn the specific
num ber of vibrations of the various forms of
m atter, we will be able to distinguish one
from the other by just realizing their number,
because that constitutes m atters real di~
m ension. X

Never Blow O ut Candle Flame

A Soror says: Somewhere in Rosicru
cian literature, perhaps in T h e Rosicrucian
F orum , mention w as m ade one time th at
candles on an altar, w hether in a temple,
cathedral, or home sanctum , should never be
extinguished by blowing them out. I believe
it w as said th a t they should be snuffed out
by a snuffer, w hich is preferred, or b y mois
tening the finger tips. T hough it w as declar
ed th a t there w as a mystical meaning for this,
the liturgical explanation for this w as not
given. M ay w e learn the reason now?
T h e use of candles, tapers, torches, and
lamps in connection with mystical and reli

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

gious ceremonies is a very ancient one. A l

most every religion extant today, such as
C hristianity, Judaism, M o h a m m e d a n is m ,
Brahmanism, etc., has m any ceremonies in
which candles or torches play a prominent
part. Since rem otest antiquity, light has been
a symbol o f spiritual qualities. T his, of
course, is quite com prehensible. M ost primi
tive people w ere natu re w orshippers. T h ey
w ere profoundly impressed w ith all natural
phenom ena such as thunder, lightning, rain,
the sun, stars, an d the seasons. T h ese con
ditions and things had a very direct, intimate
effect upon their lives. F u rth er, since it w as
not possible for them to control these forces,
they apotheosized them, th at is, they w or
shipped them as deities.
Prim itive peoples are principally agricul
turists or nom ads; they are constantly made
aw are, therefore, of their dependence upon
the sun, more so than the average man or
woman is today, in th at it affects so many
of their habits an d customs. It provides them
w ith w arm th, it causes things to grow in their
presence, and to their simple understanding
it apparently moves across the sky in majesty.
Its fierce rays also caused great respect for
its efficacy. M oreover, it dispelled the dark
ness of night in w hich lurked all the terrors
and fears im agined by a primitive mind.
Consequently, light, a product of the sun,
became a sacrosanct quality of nature. In
m any religions, the sun w as the principal
deity in a virtual pantheon of gods. M ithra
was the god of light of the Z oroastrians; Ra
of the E gyptians, and Y n ti, the sun god of
the Incas. T h ese are b ut a few examples.
Ignorance has ever been symbolized by
darkness; in other w ords, an obscurity of
mental vision an d of understanding. C on
versely, light has come to mean wisdom, par
ticularly esoteric com prehension or personal
illumination. T h e flame has also depicted the
fire of divine zeal w hich burns w ithin the soul
of every man, an d which m ust be kept alive
if, spiritually, m an is not to become a cold,
emotionless being, devoid of all compassion,
and m arked by a loss of the godly qualities
which are his n atu ral heritage.
F urther, the flame and light have become
a symbol of a qu est, of m ans mission in life,
namely, the search for more knowledge.
T oday, m any universities, colleges, and scien

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tific institutions have incorporated the torch

or lamp of know ledge in their official in
signia, to depict their lofty aims. M any
w orld-w ide fraternal organizations such as
the Rosicrucians, Freem asons, Theosophists,
and M artinists use candles and torches in
their rituals, to w hich they refer as either
luminaries, flambeaux, cressets, etc. F req u en t
ly, a num ber of candlestw o , three, five, or
sevenare used in such ceremonies. T o each
candle or light a different significance is
attached. T h u s each m ay represent a plane
of the hum an consciousness in its evolution
a ry progress, or again, mind, m atter, an d
soul, or birth, life, and death. In the past,
even the substance of the candles had a sym
bolical significance. T h e e a r l y C h r i s t i a n
C hurch used candles m ade exclusively of
beesw ax, the w ax depicting the achievement
of a bees labor in gathering honey, and for
w hich they sacrificed their lives.
M ystically, am ong the esoteric O rd ers
such as the Rosicrucians, it is thought impos
sible to extinguish, that is to com pletely de
stroy the flame of a candle depicting the sym
bolic light. N o m atter how dark a place or
region, light is there to some degree. T h is is
not only a m ystical principle, but a scientific
fact as well. L ight is a positive quality of the
universe. It is of being, of all substance;
therefore, it can never cease to be. D arkness
is a negative condition. It has no actual
state. It is relative, it is merely a lesser d e
gree of light. Simply put, darkness is b u t
lesser light. Light exists throughout the uni
verse. It is ubiquitous. H ow ever, conditions
make it possible for it to be more intense in
some places than others. Light, therefore, can
not be dispersed in the sense th a t it can be
entirely thru st out of some areas of the uni
verse. A room m ay be brilliantly illuminated,
and another, right next door, m ay be said to
be dark; but w ithin both, light of varying
degrees exists. In a so-called dark room,
then, light has not been removed, destroyed,
or really extinguished, there is just less of it.
M ystically, w hen candles are illuminated,
it depicts th a t some of the greater light,
meaning the light th a t perm eates the entire
universe, the energy, has been concentrated
on these objects, as a flame, to serve a specific

Page 187

purposeto teach a lesson. W h e n the lesson

or ceremony is com pleted, we do not ex
tinguish the light, I repeat, in the sense th at
w e have dstroyed or put out of existence the
flame of the candle. By snuffing the candle
w ith a snuffer, or b y moistening our fingers,
w e have merely changed its concentrated
m anifestation. W e have caused the particu
lar flames, the points of light on the candles,
to merge w ith the w hole energy of light ex
isting everywhere.
T o give you a little better understanding,
we will use a sim ple analogy: W h e n man
dies, his soul is not extinguished. M ystically
speaking, it is absorbed into the absolute uni
versal soul, the Cosmic, from w hence it came.
It follows, therefore, th at w hen we snuff a
candle flame in our sanctum , we are merely
doing likewise, causing light to be absorbed
into its source. W h e n , however, w e blow out
the candle flame, it is taken as the intention
to disintegrate th e flame, of trying to cause
it to no longer exist as light, even in its in
visible, intrinsic, vib rato ry form. T his pro
cedure, therefore, is considered a profane
w ay of extinguishing a candle flame, in all
Rosicrucian an d authentic esoteric O rd er
rituals and ceremonies.
I w as particularly im pressed w ith the im
portance of this rite in a temple ceremony of
the Rose-Croix O rd e r of France, in which I
received a high degree initiation in Paris in
the year 1936. Likewise, the extinguishing
of the candles w as again stressed, at the
conclaves of the F. U . D. O . S. I. in Brussels,
Belgium, in w hich I participated, representing
the A M O R C . B rass ornam ental snuffers
w ere used for the purpose.
In our Lodges an d C hapters, candle snuf
fers are also used by the Colombes in ex
tinguishingor ch a n g in g th e m anifestation
of the flame on the candles. It is suggested
th at every member obtain (if he or she does
not already have one) a snuffer from an
oriental store, or a store selling Chinese and
F a r E astern objects. T h e price will not ex
ceed one dollar. Some members will be able
to make their own. W e m ay be able to ob
tain one for you if you cannot make or locate
one in your ow n district.'

Page 188

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

The Law of the Triangle

A Soror asked for further comments re
garding the law of the triangle. H er question
is based particularly upon that m onograph in
the N eophyte D egrees w herein it is men
tioned th a t w e do not become conscious of
the process of the operation of this law until
it is actually in effect. T h e reference in the
m onograph states th a t w e are conscious of
the change w hich is actually the second point
in accordance w ith the law of the triangle.
W e know th a t the fundam ental sym bology
of the triangle is its representing three which,
according to our principles, represents a p er
fect or a com pleted thing. Perfection m ight
be represented by the law of the triangle in
th at cause, process, and effect make up the
sequence of an y condition. A ccording to the
law of physics and in various fields of life
sciences, there is alw ays a cause an d an ef
fect of any condition. T his can be m ost sim ply
illustrated b y a force. If a force is exerted
upon an object, the effect of the force is usu
ally the movement of the object or a change
in its condition. T herefore, we see a perfect
m anifestation o f the operation o f a law.
A force is an intangible thing and is almost
inconceivable. W h en ev er there is a force
exerted it is usually exerted upon som ething.
It is h ard for us to learn to think, in a physi
cal sense, of a force moving through space
unless w e think of it as potentially being able
to make a change in an object w ith w hich it
comes in contact. A ll events in our lives are
governed, more or less, b y change. If no
change took place life w ould be com pletely
static or, in fact, it w ould actually be non
existent in the sense th at w e know it. C o n
sequently, w e think in terms of effects for
alm ost everything th a t w e do. T h is effect
m ay be of a constructive or destructive n a
ture; it m ay be purposeful for ourselves or
for the good o f hum anity, as a whole, never
theless, it is the definite effect of a cause, or
causes, th a t we, or soemone else has set into
existence.
In the case of im portant events th a t happen
in our lives, particularly those w hich have a
very great bearing upon our future, w hether
they be for a positive or a negative end, the
cause is not usually apparent immediately.
H ow often have w e all had the experience of

falling o r slipping. W e are not conscious of

it until we reflect upon the condition; there
fore, the cause, or the first point as represent
ed by the law o f the triangle, is overlooked
and w e are n ot conscious of the condition
until the process has actually taken place
which, in th e case of slipping on an object
which we did n o t see on the floor, w ould be
the process of falling. T h e result o r comple
tion of the w hole cycle w ould be w hen w e
finally stopped falling and w ere in a position
of com parative rest. T h e effect w ould prob
ably be some bruises or even more serious
consequences. T h is illustrates the paragraph
in the m onograph w hich points out th a t in
m any events w e a re not conscious of w h at is
occurring until w e have already come to the
second point o f the process as is symbolized
by the triangle.
Individuals w ho live com pletely objective
ly and who never attem pt to analyze their
position in life o r events th a t confront them
are more likely to be those w ho believe in
luck or good fortune. If som ething happens
to them th a t is different th an m ight be ex
pected or beyond th usual course of every
d ay events, th ey are looking upon the pro
cess an d the effect as the w hole thing and
overlook the causes. A s w e said before, these
causes are seldom ap p aren t immediately.
T h ey go back sometimes a m atter of weeks,
months, o r y ears in our lives, b u t w hen every
thing has w orked tow ard the point w here the
causes have grow n to m anifestation, then the
process m ay be received as more immediate
than the grow th o f the causes.
If w e are to b e successful in adapting our
selves to o u r environm ent an d to the forces
of the universe w ith w hich w e must cooper
ate, w e m ust learn to use our pow ers of
reason to analyze all th a t happens to us an d
try to piece together in o u r minds the cause,
process, and effect of all events and accom
plishment. T h is will help us to appreciate the
possibilities of an y action w e may take or
plan we m ay m ake as being potential causes
of future favorable or unfavorable events. In
th a t manner, b y experience and the setting
up of other causes by know ledge and judg
ment, w e can direct those causes to be estab
lished and processes to be begun th at lead
tow ard satisfactory an d w orthw hile accom
plishments o r effects for our ow n well being.
-A

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 189

INDEX OF VOLUME XIII (Comprising the Entire Six Issues of the Twelfth Year)
N O T E The small letters after the page numbers refer to position on page; a, upper half of first column; b, lower
half o f first column; c, upper half o f second column; d, lower half of second colum n.

A ctivity, current, 74a

A doption o f Children:
A M O R C s service for, 168b
Information regarding, 168b
Childs dependence, 168d
Parents preparation, 168b
Akashic Records, 14 2d
A m enhotep IV , 132d
A nthropology, 23d
A ttunem ent, 41a
Aura:
Its vibrations, 47b
Positive and negative, 58d
Aurignacian, 12b
A ztecs, 12b

B
Babylonian Civilisation, 77d
Berry, Dr. R. J., 81b
Books and M agazines:
Book of the D ead, 23d
D escent o f M an, 43c
From Fetish to G od, 43a
H ealing Gods o f A ncient C ivilization, The, 77c
Jasher, 23d
Keep Y our O w n T eeth, 6c
Rosicrucian D igest, 75d, 94a
Secret H istory o f Francis Bacon, 30b
Story o f Learning, 29c

Caligula, Roman A . D . 37, 116b

Candle :
Experiment, 169a
Extinguishing flame of, 186a
M ystical significance, 187b
Symbol o f flame, 186d
Snuffers, 187d
Character:
Building, 16 2d
Formation and influences upon, 163a
Children, the adoption o f, 168a
Choosing next life, 18d
Civilizations, 77d
Color :
Influence of, 146d
T heory, 147b
Colors, primary, 147a
Concentration and M editation:
D istinction betw een, 9 Id
D efination, 92a
Cosmic :
A ssistance, 140c
Guidance, 41c
Impressions, 21a
M asters, 49d
Plan, 45c, 72d
Cosmic Consciousness, 13b
and the life o f Christ, 67c

Council o f Solace, 179c

Reports to, 179d
Cremation :
M ystical significance of, 181b
Rosicrucian conception of, 182b
Rosicrucian funeral service, 182d
Cycles :
A ctive and inactive, 124b
of life, 105a

D
Darkness 20b, 187b
Darwin, Charles, 43b
D evelopm ent :
Effort in re. to 170c
Insight and intuition re., 9d
M eans of, 175d
M easuring, 179b
N o short cuts to, 107d
Duality and the Cosm ic scheme, 72c
Druids, ancient, 23b

Ego, elimination of, 90c

Emotions, 36d, 37c, 148a
Religious, 109d
Environment:
Change of, 95b
Complex, 130d
Epicurus, 40a
Evil, 68c, 106a
Evolution, mans physical, 42c
Experiments and Exercises:
Breathing, 175a
Candle, 169a
Caution re., 176b
Exercise to advance, 170a
For Forum members, 57c, 81a, 140b, 165c
Habit control, 83d
Latent talent, 83b
Mirror, 60a
Mirror, 60a
Success with, 26d
Telepathy, 56a
Vibroturgy, 48a

Faith, blind, 132c

Feeble'mindedness, 103b
Fire, 7a, 62a
Foods :
Frozen, 3d
Spiritual property of, 4c
Sterilization o f, 6d
Forum :
Experiments, 57c, 81a, 140b, 165c
Origin, 172d
Questions, 173a
Your part, 172c

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 190

Fourth D em ension, 183d

Fudosi, 187d

G
Gardening, moon, 93c
God:
B elief in 85d, 132a
and the B eginning, 79c
Goldschmidt, Dr. Richard B , 45a

L
Lamarck, Jean Baptiste, 43b
Lewis, Dr. H Spencer, 83a
Liber 777, 26c
Light, absence of, 20b
Lodge apron, 183b
Lycanthropthy, 88b

Gravity, law of, 137c

H
H ate, 120d
H appiness :
A ttainm ent of, 38d, 165c
C ontributions to, 166a
Symbols o f past, 166d
H ealing:
A bsent treatments, 69a
A n cien t methods, 76a
M etaphysical, 125c
W hile ill, 26a
H ealth :
and interfering thoughts, 68d
and spiritual awakening, 60c
Hereditability, 162a
H obby collecting, 167a
H oly Assem bly, 50c

Mail, in wartime, 74d

Mass Suggestion, 18b
M atter, 184b
M ayans, 12b
M eanings, hidden, 11 Id
M editation, 92b
M ental messages, 152b
Transm itting, 55c
Memory, storehouse of, 8 Id
Metamorphosis, 89b
M etazoa, 43d
M ind:
and brain, 81a, 99d
and health, 127a
Normal, 130b
M onition, 140b
M onographs, how to study, 1 7 Id
M ystical :
Enlightenm ent, 104b
Insight and Perception, 7c
M ystical Exercises, caution, 132c, 13 3a

Hum an races, lOd

H uxley, Thomas, 44a

Neanderthal man, 12b

N eolithic man, 12b

N ew s and chatter, 28d

Idiocy, 10 2b

N ous, 14b, 73b

Incas, 12b
Indexes, prices of, 30d, 31a

Initiation, 8d, 75a

Insulation, 63d

Objective perception, 8b

Intuition, 4d
and insight, 8d, 9d, 10b

Old Testam ent, 43a

Intuitive knowledge, 23a

M anifestation of, 131c

Order, Rose Croix o f France, 187b

Open mind, 155a

Intuitive U rge, 4c

Invironm ent, 9a, 179a

Parasite, 15c

J
Junior Order, The, 101b

K
Karma, 14d, 158d, 178b
Karmic Law, 19b
Keeper, our brothers, 14c
Kelts, 24c

Pasteurisation, 6d
Patron Fund:
A pplication of, 138b
Foreign help, 139b
Future plans, 139d
Perception :
Everyday, 131b
Kinds of, 149b
Objective, 8a
Psychic, 149a

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Persecution, Semitic, Arabic, 114c, 116b

Personalities, earthbound, 16a, 17b
Planting:
by moon phases, 93c
Books on, 93d
Play, the art of, 98a

Page 191

Soul:
Energy, 153d
Force, 15 7d
Space, 184d
Spectrum, color, 147b
Spirit and gravity, 137a
Stability of Rosicrucian Teachings, 13 5a

Polarity, I35d
Power :
Phenomenal, 180b
Dorm ent, 174b
Pre'D avidian, 12b

Study:
Technique, 171b
Rosicrucian system of, 1 7 lc
Subjective consciousness, 2 Id
Suggestion, Mass, 18b

Problems of life, 84b

Projection and prophecy, M e

Psychic bodies, 16a

Psychiatrists and psychologists, 130a
Psychopathic cases, 130a

Talents:
Awakening of, 144a
of great men, 144d
Talks to self, 131c, d,
Teeth, care of, 5c
T elepathy, 55c

Races, lOd
Reasonong, suppression of, 131b

T hinking, value of independent, 131a

Tolerance, 66a

R elativity, 13 5c
R eincarnation, 18d

Transition, 150b, 183a

Triangle, law of the, 188a

R eligious em otion, 109d

Rest and sleep, 123b
Rose Croix:
University, 20a, 29c, 176d, 177a
Order o f France, 187d
Rosicrucian :
A ttitude o f peace, 91b
Conception o f evolution, 46a
C onvention, 28d
D uty, 54b
Extension departm ent, 74d
Funeral service, 182d
Initiation, 76a
Laws and principles, 37d
Membership service, 74a
M otion pictures, 24a
Propaganda, 54c
Post'war attitude, 53a

u
U niversity, Rose Croix :
Faculty, 177a
Term, 177b
Registration, 178a
Urge, intuitive, 4c
U ltr a v io le t rays, l i d

v
V endetta policy, 117a
Vestigial organs, 44c
Vibrations, 95c
Vibroturgy, 46b

Teachings, 5c, 19d, 75b

Rosicrucianism, 75d, 94d

s
Seeing Souls, 173d

W ar:
A ncient and m odem , 2b
M ystical conception, 2d

Sense organs, 82c

W ar Bonds, A M O R C S purchase of, 30b

Shock, 53a

W erew olf, 87d

Sleep, 123b

W ill, making of a, 69d

Snuffers, candle, 187d

W ill power, 164a

(jjnvuici
E P IP H A N Y P O S S IB L E . . .
c a n a bodily m anifestation of
th e Divine b e b ro u g h t ab o u t? Did
the sim ple a n d sincere desires of
th e an cien ts voiced in p ra y e r
c a u se Cosm ic intervention in tim es
of n eed ? H as m a n lost his h eritag e
to invoke the Divine Powers, or is
th e m ystery of m iracles a secret
ch erish ed b y a few? Here is a frank
d iscussion b o th from the m ystical
a n d scientific points of view. W hat
constitutes m iracles? They a re re
v e a le d a s a n orderly w orking of
n a tu ra l law s law s th at can b e
co m m an d ed by those who have the knowl
edge. Do y o u know w h at so-called miracles
a re possible in y o u r life to d a y w ithout m ys
tery, stra n g e rites or practices? The R eaders'
R esearch A cad em y com posed of m en a n d
w om en th ro u g h o u t the w orld w ho desire
sim ple, helpful su p p lem en tary rea d in g offer
you th e follow ing course of rea d in g entitled,
"The M ystery of M iracles." You m a y s u b
scribe to this course for only one m onth or
six, a s y ou choose discontinue w h en ev er
you will. A dd to y o u r fount of know ledge.
REMEMBER
THAT YOU
TWO LARGE
DISCOURSES
for only

50c per month

P R IN T E D IN U . S . A .

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

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM
AUGUST, 1943

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Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal Act of O ct. 3, 1917.

Vol. XIV

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A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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SUPPLICATION
Let me this once cry aloud!
Let fly the shroud
O f panic clutched against the walls
O f the gnarled mind's halls;
Let echo out
Fold on fold the shout
O f cold anguish from burning heart;
Let tears lastly start
To moisten this dry grief.
Consecrate belief
Which died here unborn;
Let me mourn
Who loved her promise.
Permit the slim surmise
That time may resurrect
The stricken intellect.
GILES HOLDEN.

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY
OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC. AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK. SAN JOSE. CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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Page 2

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ear F ratres and Sorores:
T h e horrors and detrim ents of w ar are all
too obvious to most persons. W ith the in
creasing intensity and duration of the con
flict, the m aterial and physical disasters as an
afterm ath are apparent to the m ost casual
observer. Ships are returning daily w ith their
cargoes of w ar-torn bodies. T h e periodically
published casualty lists are being upped.
In every S tate of the U nion and nearly every
Province of C anada, and in the lands of the
Allies and A xis alike, new hospitals and sani
tarium s are being erected in anticipation of
the fruits of w ar. W ith each passing
month, more and more families are becoming
intim ately aw are of the w ar's existence by
the loss from their immediate circles of a son,
husband, brother, or father. It is a loose con
sensus of opinion, however, th a t the active
dangers and dam age of w ar will end w ith the
cessation of conflict. From then on, it is con
tended, the general program will be one just
of construction. It is frequently related th a t
there possibly will be some internal friction,
strikes, riots, agitation, as the pendulum
sw ings back and civilization goes through an
adjustm ent from an arm ed camp into a
w orkaday w orld.
It is apparent from such reasoning and the
preview of post-w ar plans as expounded by
representatives of governm ents, institutions
an d organizations, th at certain other hidden,
insidious effects of the w ar are not being
dealt w ith. C ertianly every intelligent person
m ust realize their existence. Is the fact th at
little o r nothing is being said about them or
being done to stem them, an indication of
indifference? Possibly because the effects are
more psychological than physical is the rea
son th at they evoke less alarm , though the
consequences are none the less severe.
T h e prim ary principle of dem ocracy is free
dom. T h is freedom connotes an independence
o f the individual from an y social or political
influences th a t he himself has n ot helped to
establish. T o bring about this dem ocracy, or
rather, to m aintain it in a state of w ar, w e
have had to create conditions w hich have
actually robbed the individual of his self

V
dependence, an d th a t very independence for
w hich dem ocracy stands. In theory, a t least,
this self-dependence is restored to the in
dividual w hen dem ocracy is victoriousb u t
will the individual w an t it then?
Let us take the exam ple of the thousands
of girls o f high-school age, or those w ho have
ju st com pleted courses in commercial or trad e
schools. T h e dem and for the services of
these girls is overwhelm ing. It is very defi
nitely an em ployees' m arket. Industries bid
one ag ain st the other to engage them. Such
bids are n o t entirely on the basis of m onetary
appeal. In addition to sometimes nearly
fabulous salaries for their experience, the ap
peals consist also of no experience neces
sa ry , big p ay w hile you learn , less hours,
frequent rest periods, etc. etc. In them
selves, these offers m ay seem to be innocuous,
in fact, an indication of social development
an d improvement. H ow ever, the m anner in
which these inducem ents are carried o ut does
have a disastrous effect upon th e conscious
ness of the social obligations of such young
people.
A n ideal environm ent is now often in
terpreted as a disregard for discipline. T h ese
young people resent supervision, considering
it not in tune w ith the m odern times. T h o u g h
their actual w orking hours per week, in other
than w ar industry, m ay be only forty, a d
monishm ent about idleness during such hours
is objected to as an effrontery. Periodic ab
sence from actual w ork duties for conversa
tion, smoking, and indulging in soft drinks,
goes beyond necessity. Justified reprim ands
result in their quitting the job. Increased
pay and special privileges, are exacted b y
concerted action, intim idation, rath er th an
merit of service. T h ere are exceptions, yes;
b ut in the ag g reg ate th ey are too few.
T h ese young people have never w orked
elsew here previous to their present w ar time
occupations. T h e conditions they dem and
in fact, e x a c t s because of the times, represent
to them a sta n d ard th a t should and m ust be
m aintained. It is logical th a t even though no
intelligent person w ants the deplorable w ork
ing conditions of thirty years ago to return,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

an equitable m erit system m ust be revived.

Com pensation m ust not be based just upon
the rendering of service, but rather, the kind
of service perform ed. W ill these same young
people be willing to compete w ith each other,
to rise to the top in the next ten or tw enty
years? W ill they come to realize th at they
m ust m ake their w ay in the world? W ill they,
instead, dem and th at society carve a place
for them by virtue of their existence? W ill
they shift their individual independence and
responsibility to th a t intangible factor, the
State?
Com petition has alw ays been the spice of
lifethe challenge th a t brings out the best
in hum an nature, insofar as ability an d initia
tive is concerned. T h a t such com petition m ust
alw ays be regulated to give all a chance can
not be denied. T h e big question is: W ill
the new generation w ant a chanceor ju st a
sure thing handed to them on a silver platter?
M ost of the men in the A rm ed Service are
n ot of this type. T h ey have w orked under
norm al conditions as well as the oldsters
w ho have stayed behind. T h e problem is the
average boy an d girl of teen age w hose social
m aturity has been induly accelerated by the
needs for w hatever service he or she can
render.
H um an emotions run deep, far deeper than
sentim ents. A ny experience th at stim ulates
the emotions intensely, leaves a searing mem
o ry impression. A s said in the Rosicrucian
m onographs, memory im p r e s s io n s create
channels in our consciousness through w hich
they frequently escape w hen released by sug
gestion. H atred now is being fanned. T h is
em otion is being m ade dom inant in the con
sciousness of people. It is creating definite
m em ory im pressions from w hich it can arise
a t an y time b y association w ith such im pres
sions. T his h atred is necessary to w ar. O nly
the insane can kill w ithout w rath or w ithout
an aroused sense of preservation. Conse
quently, the necessary propaganda of w ar is
hate. If you dislike hate, then also dislike
w ar, for you cannot have the la tte r on a mass
scale w ithout it. People cannot fight for im
personal things. T h e y actually do not fight
for theories or ideologies. Such m ust seem to
touch their lives intim ately and to arouse hate
and w rath.
B rutality m ust necessarily be encouraged
as a requisite of w ar. A nice w ar never ex

Page 3

isted. T o the soldier, the m an in actual com

bat, in the air, on land, or sea, b ru tality or
cruelty is a stark realism w ith w hich he is
confronted. It is n o t one-sided, however. It
is n o t alw ays ju st inflicted on the enemy.
H e, too, experiences the resu ltan t suffering.
H e sees the actual blood; he feels the intense
pain o f a body w racked and p artially dis
membered. It is an unpleasant d u ty which
he perform s, p erhaps under the h eat of emo
tion; b ut in the cooler moments which follow,
he experiences the reactions of revulsion to
the w hole surroundings and a desire to be
done w ith it an d th a t kind o f existence as
quickly as possible.
W h a t of the young generation, of the
civilian population in this country, for exam
ple, w hich experience such inhum anity only
in the movies, in m agazines, an d in cartoons?
T h eirs is an illusion. T h e y see justified cruel
ty and bru tality to w ard the enemy, y et they
experience no personal pain, no revulsion, as
does the actual soldier. T h is encourages un
disciplined emotion, and seems to justify the
venting of one's feeling to the fullest if w e
conceive our motive as right. It makes hum an
life cheap in com parison to the ends to be
gained. It flaunts m urder, w ithout the ob
jectivity of personal reaction to its effects
such as the soldier actually experiences.
H ow much has this w ave of materialism,
of sensualism, of concern about food, de
struction of peoples and places, money and
leisure, figuratively seared th e souls of the
rising generation? H ow far have the times
suppressed m oral discernm ent, the selfdiscipline of the young people? P ost-w ar
plans m ust take into consideration cultural
stimulus and an appeal to the finer sensi
bilities o f these young people, or th e roaring
tw enties after the last w ar will be com para
tively mild to w h at w e will experience. C on
verse propaganda, dram atizing the ideals of
civilization, the beauties o f noble effort and
tho u g h t an d of living in a sensible w ay, m ust
begin imm ediately afte r the cessation of the
w ar. If it does not, the prevalent attitu d e of
the utm ost from life a t all costs will prevail.
F ratern ally ,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Imperator.

Page 4

Does Blood Transfusion A lter Personality?

A Soror of the S tate of F lorida w ho has
recently recovered from a serious gangrenous
appendix operation now addresses our Forum .
She says: Since the blood transfusions, I
have noticed a peculiar som ething about my
self th a t isn't m yself, an d I find m yself even
y et frequently stopping w h at I m ay be doing
a n d going to the Cosm ic for a readjustm ent
or correlating of som ething th a t I cannot lay
m y hands on. M y m editations on this lead
me to believe th a t science, in classifying hu
man blood, has much to learn, an d th a t as w e
develop th e inner m an, even o u r blood takes
on higher vibrations, or th a t intangible some
thing w hich cannot be carried from one to
another through transfusion. I w ould like to
have this m atter discussed in the Rosicrucian
F orum .
T h e science of blood transfusion, since its
earliest inception, has gone through num er
ous changes, modifications, and even a t times
a return to some practices w hich w ere once
discarded. N o liberal-m inded physician, bac
teriologist, or biologist w ould declare th a t the
science is perfected and th a t m an has com
plete know ledge of all of the effects which
the injections of blood from one persons
veins into another m ay have upon them.
Pathologically, the practice seems to have
great therapeutic value, and undoubtedly
m any lives have been saved because of it.
W h e th e r the psychological or psychical re
sults of transfusion are innocuous is still a
mooted question. It is doubted th a t an y ex
tensive experim entation along this line of in
quiry has ever been attem pted. T h e physical
beneficial results of transfusion have adum
brated any more subtle, adverse, o r otherw ise
harm ful consequences w hich m ay exist.
Blood transfusion m ay even d ate back into
antiquity; in fact, there is good reason to b e
lieve th at it does. H ow ever, the first au th en
tic record of it appears as recent as the 17th
C entury. It w as first perform ed on a hum an
being by Jeans D enys in M ontpellier, on a
boy of fifteen years of age. In th e early ex
perim ents, blood w as taken from a lamb or
calf and w ith ap parently good therapeutic
results a t the time. W e presum e, b y that, it
is m eant th a t the patient seemed to recover
or gain in strength.
T h e coagulation of the blood, outside of
the body, w hich is a natural function, w as

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the prim e difficulty the early experim enters

encountered. In other w ords, as w e all know
from common experience, blood w hen remov
ed from a blood vessel or vein tends norm ally
to clot. O ne w ay to overcome this w as to re
move the fibria (fiber-like substance) w hich
forms clots. From 1835 onw ard, this defibrinated blood w as used w ith degrees of suc
cess. It w as soon discovered th at bloods of
different anim als w ere in c o m p a t ib le w ith
those o f hum ans. T h o u g h blood from ani
mals seemed to give tem porary relief, it soon
broke dow n an d w as destroyed in the veins
of man. C onsequently, if one h ad too m any
of such anim al transfusions, th a t is, if the
m ajor am ount of one's blood w ere of th a t
kind, d eath m ight ensue.
A Scandinavian scientist by the nam e of
Jansky show ed th a t this incom patibility ex
ists in all races of man betw een blood of
different individuals. E xtensive research re
sulted finally in a general grouping of hum an
blood into four different groups for the pur
pose of transfusion. A presum ed advance
m ent over the early m ethod of defibrination
to prevent coagulation w as the injection into
the blood o f a solution of sodium citrate.
H ow ever, it is now believed th a t it is this
citrate w hich accounts for unpleasant though
mostly mild reactions after transfusions. Such
physical disturbances, of course, will also
affect the moods. O n e feeling slightly ill,
obviously will n o t have the usual enthusiastic
outlook, an d perhaps will be inclined to wish
to avoid his usual duties in other w ords,
producing lethargy. T o d ay , m ost authorities
prefer the earlier method, w ith improvements,
of course. T h a t is, using the defibrinated
blood an d direct transfusion from the donor
to the receiver.
T h e blood, in antiquity, w as often thought
to be the substance in w hich soul or its ele
ments resided. T h is w as perhaps greatly
suggested b y the essential relationship of
blood to life itself. W ith a great loss of
blood, there w as, of course, a loss of con
sciousness an d perhaps life. T h o u g h the
blood is b y no means the substance of soul,
or the Divine Consciousness, it is the chem
ical and m aterial agency w hich perhaps best
serves it in man. M u ndane or physical sci
ence adm its th a t each living cell of th e body
carries out in its ow n substance all the chem
ical processes necessary to its existence.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T h e m aterials w hich these cells need m ust be

carried to them. T h a t w hich they discard
m ust be carried from them. T h e blood is the
great transportation system for the cells.
Since each cell carries o u t in its ow n sub
stance all the processes necessary to its ex
isten c e/' it infers th a t the cell possesses an
intelligence w hereby this is accom plished.
T his intelligence is self-contained, is im preg
nated w ithin the cell, and it m ost certainly is
not u nder the control of the brain of m an o r
under the direction of m an's m ortal thinking
processes. In each cell exists the D ivine C on
sciousness, and each cell, therefore, has an
end or function to perform , just like a little
m anufacturing plan t w ith its ow n superin
tendent, as general science readily adm its.
T h e cell takes from the blood the substances
it needs for its chemical production, w hether
th a t production is the m anufacture of more
blood or of teeth, tissue, o r hair. But the in
telligence of the cell m ust also enter it b y
some means.
In our Rosicrucian teachings, w e are told
how certain positive qualities of the universal
Cosmic substance are carried in the air. E ach
inhalation of the air, each b reath w e take,
has w ithin it this nous, this intelligence of
the Cosmic. It is then brought into the blood,
and finally it im pregnates all cells. In o ur
Rosicrucian teachings w e are told fu rth er
th at the soul of m an is not a separate entity
which each individual possesses, b u t rather,
a divine effluence, an em anation which passes
through all men alike. T his one soul has as
attributes the personality, the self. It is
this self w hich causes men to be different in
their com port. T h is self is modified, w hile in
the physical body. T h e m anner in w hich w e
live and think does not alter the n atu re of
the Cosmic intelligence o f each cell of our b e
ing, b u t it does affect their expressionthe
self w ithin. T h e aggregate o f the intelli
gence of the cells is our psychic being or self.
T h e w ay w e respond to this influence, the
Cosmic intelligence w ithin us, therefore, con
stitutes our personality. T h ese fundam ental
tendencies and characteristics of ours, or in
fluence upon the cells, can be transm itted
from parents to children as hereditary fac
tors. O f course, they m ust be very basic an d
not m ere wishes o r nominal habits.
If one has, for example, great psychic de
velopment, th a t tendency is transm itted to

Page 5

the child. T h e son or daughter, of course,

m ay deny o r suppress it, b ut th a t sensitivity
exists as a potentiality -that can be quickened
an d aw akened if o ne wills to do so. C onse
quently, o ur blood is affected by o ur reaction
to the psychic self. T h is m utation w ould n o t
show , o f course, un d er a microscope, nor
w ould it be revealed in a test tube. But then
again, the intelligence th a t causes each living
cell to carry o ut in its own substance all the
chemical processes necessary to its existence,
as science says, cannot be seen, w eighed, or
m easured either.
C onsequently, w hen blood is transfused,
those intangible qualities of the cells w hich
cause personality, are injected into the blood
of the recipient also. H ow ever, before they
could alter or in an y w ay greatly affect our
own personality o r ideals, or the expression
of the inner self, w e w ould need considerable
more of this foreign" blood than our own.
O ne, two, three, or four transfusions certain
ly w ould not be sufficient to produce any
psychic change in us. N orm ally, nature
m anufactures far more blood in our own sys
tem than w e w ould require from transfusion.
Consequently, the m ajority of the cells w ould
bear our own influence. F urtherm ore, the in
tim ate influence of our thinking w ould soon
begin to change the personality of the
foreign" transfused cells.
In the blood are secreted the hormones
w hich are deposited in it by such glands and
bodies as the pancreas and pituitary. T h ese
horm ones are v ery vital hereditary factors.
It is a physiological fact th a t they stim ulate
p arts rem ote from those in w hich they are
secreted. If, therefore, certain horm ones in
an individual stim ulate a p art of the brain or
one organ more th an another, then a blood
th a t has more of these kind o f horm ones is
going to produce a very definite kind of per
sonality. Such blood, if transfusion continues
in sufficient quantities, w ould of course un
doubtedly alter the psychic and psychological
n atu re of the one receiving the transfusions.
T h e fact still rem ains, however, th a t to date
no extensive blood transfusions have been
undertaken on a larg e enough scale to perm it
a stu d y of this problem.
W e have m any Rosicrucian physicians
now serving w ith the A rm ed Forces, in the
medical corps, w here unfortunately such
transfusions m ay be n eededth a t is, a great

Page 6

num ber to each individual. It is hoped th at

their understanding of these principles, com
bined w ith their specific professional training,
will cause them to make an extensive study
of this interesting problem . P erhaps tomorrow
we may, through blood transfusion, quickly
m ake preferred personalities to order, so to
speak.X

Solving Problems T hrough Change

In a recent issue of this Forum an article
appeared w hich pointed out th a t there are
times w hen w e reach a condition in relation
to our environm ent w here a change of en
vironm ent is the only solution tow ards read
justing ourselves to a more healthy an d better
form of living. O n the other hand, it w as
pointed out, w e cannot blam e everything on
our environm ent and th a t a change of en
vironm ent is usually only necessary to solve
problem s w hen the w hole of our surround
ings has proved unsym pathetic, or, w e might
say, out of harm ony w ith our entire life and
purpose.
Frequently, an individual's problem s are
centered about one point in his environm ent
and th a t particular point is exaggerated. Re
cently a F ra te r asked if w e thought he w as
rig h t in breaking up a long standing p artn er
ship, pointing out th a t he could n o t do as
w ell financially by himself b u t th a t w orking
w ith one of his associates h ad come to the
point w here he could not get along w ith him
an y longer. Before such a change is made
one m ust consider implications beyond the
imm ediate impulsive feeling th a t accom panies
such a condition. O n e m ust consider the w el
fare of his fam ily and his own w elfare inso
far as his future ability to fulfill his obliga
tion is concerned.
In considering this problem further, it is
well to remember th a t to a certain extent, we
never grow up. A ll adults retain certain
child-like qualities. In extrem e cases of cer
tain forms of insanity an individual m ay be
perfectly norm al except th a t possibly the
reasoning ability has not developed beyond
th a t of a very young child. In other w ords,
the person has grow n up in one phase of life
but has rem ained a child in another. M ore
common, though, are certain childlike char
acteristics th a t w e all carry, having become
well balanced adults in m ost w ays b ut still

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

having certain childlike conceptions. A s a

result, w e are som ew hat prone to daydream .
A lm ost everyone a t some time in life, usually
a num ber of times, has a feeling th a t his eco
nomic, social, an d personal connections are
not w h at they should be an d the pasture over
the fence looks a great deal greener. M an 's
failure in business an d social an d moral short
comings can sometimes be traced to a child
like impulse w hich causes feelings and emo
tions to be subordinated to reason. If one
allows a desire for a radical change, either
in his business or family affairs, to become
predom inant an d fixed in his m ind he will
find th a t he is gradually becoming more and
more influenced by emotional inclinations
rath er than by sound judgm ent. I am con
vinced th a t m any hum an problem s are more
m ental than actu ally a p a rt of environm ent.
If every individual w ho has a problem to face
w ould strive to make a conscientous effort to
lessen the attention he is giving to the prob
lem th a t problem w ould have more of a ten
dency to clarify itself. In other w ords, by dis
tributing our thinking over all phases of liv
ing, w e are less tem pted to em phasize one
particular point w hich in the case of a prob
lem w ith its u npleasant announcem ent, is ex
aggerated. T h e time given to dw elling upon
a problem seems to cultivate it an d cause it
to grow. T o dismiss the problem from our
minds, a t least for occasional intervals, and
direct attention to our general affairs and
analyze the benefits an d values th a t w e find
are pleasant to us, is going to present a dif
ferent picture of our imm ediate environm ent.
A lw ays b ear in mind w hen considering a
radical change th at, w hile you are discontent
ed and dissatisfied a t the moment, y our a t
tention m ay be prim arily directed tow ard one
individual or item because th a t is th e particu
lar, imm ediate irritating point w here you find
it easy to attach your desire for a change.
C areful consideration is necessary to d eter
mine w hether this is tru e or w h eth er you
have added to the particular person or thing
some of the characteristics th a t you imagine
makes up y o u r discontentm ent. If you will
remember th a t the problem or the unsettled
condition resulting from ap p aren tly unpleas
a n t a s s o c i a t i o n s is of your own making
rath er th an being entirely due to an o th er in
dividual or condition outside yourself, you
will realize m ore fully th a t to change your

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

immediate conditions w ould mean merely

transferring your attention som ew here else.
If you do not change yourself in the process,
you will, in all probability, and after a com
paratively short time, have the same dissatis
faction w ith someone or som ething else in
another environm ent. T herefore, in consid
ering changes of environm ent or association
also consider w h at changes you will make in
yourself to better a d a p t yourself to the new
situation.A

Fasting and Spirituality

A F ra te r of the G re at Lakes region in the
U nited S tates propounds an interesting ques
tion to this Forum . H e says: I am just con
cluding a tw o w eeks' fast, during which time
I took nothing b u t w ater, w ith a trace of
lemon juice in it. I have read th a t fasting is
quite beneficial to the spiritual, m ental, and
physical natures o f man. W ill you please in
form me w hether fasting does help one to
develop psychically, or w hether it merely
helps one physically? If the O rd e r has any
teachings relative to fasting, such as the
length of a fast an d the benefits to be de
rived therefrom , I w ould be very grateful to
receive th e m /
It is not an exaggerated statem ent to say
th a t most all peoples in America, C anada,
and E ngland, and certain of th e E uropean
nations during norm al times, eat too much.
In the consumption of food, most all of us
allow ourselves to be governed entirely by
our appetites instead of employing reason as
well. W e eat at each meal so long as the
food pleases the palate and gratifies the ap
petite. U ntil a com paratively recent time,
there w as little or no consideration of w h at
constitutes a balanced meal, so far as the
constituents of w h at w e eat w ere concerned.
T h e average sedentary male w orker, the
m an seated in a shop or office, eats far too
much. T h is excess o f food is an actual b u r
den, just as much as if he h ad to carry a
suitcase o f ten or tw enty-five pounds around
w ith him a t all times. O bviously it fatigues
him and retards m ental and physical activity.
T his excess w eight is likewise a contributing
factor to h eart ailm ents. It has been esti
m ated th a t each pound of hum an flesh has
nearly a mile of blood vessels. T h e more
such miles, the greater the dem ands upon the

Page 7

h eart to pum p blood through such a v ast cir

culatory system. M ost of us know these
things, b ut do little o r nothing about them
until the disastrous results are objectified as
some ailment, an d o u r physician w arn s us to
adopt a diet unless w e w an t to become an
invalid o r cease living.
It is endemic to man as a species, as well
as to the lower animals, to be m ore inclined
tow ard the appetites and passions. W h e re
appetite and reason conflict, it takes strong
will to enforce the dictates of the latter.
Simply put, w e have good intentions about
eating less, b u t w hen w e are seated before an
appetizing meal, the appeal of the food, plus
the habit of heavy indulgence an d th e grati
fication, overpow er the little exercised will.
Rigid diets, except in cases of illness or dis
ease, which physicians m ust then enforce,
would n ot be necessary if w e w ould diminish
the consumption of w h at w e ordinarily eat.
In o th er w ords, w e would not physically
reach th a t condition w here w e w ould be
obliged to deny ourselves this or th a t for
health, if long before, we h ad continued to
eat all things tem perately.
T h e hum an body is a mechanism, a m ar
velous machine, th e m ost complex in exist
ence. It h as the means, if not abused, of re
plenishing its deterioration and restoring the
energy it expends for its operation. Its suf
ficiency is best m aintained w hen it can re
store itself more rapidly than it deteriorates.
T h is is accom plished through rest or a dimin
ishing of its activity, namely, easing the w ear
an d tear on its organism s. T o bring this
about, a natu ral function has been provided
b y n atu reit is sleep. D uring this period,
m any of the processes are slowed to a mini
mum. It compels a kind of abstinence from
certain of our physical and m ental activities
which ordinarily m ake considerable dem ands
upon the hum an machine. If n atu re finds this
process necessary, th a t is, sleep, w h y should
w e not collaborate, as rational beings? In
oth er w ords, intelligent fa stin g , periodically
gives the digestive system and org an s a rest,
a chance to recuperate. If w e did n o t over
eat, as most o f us do, such fasting from a
physical point of view w ould n o t be neces
sary or even advisable. T h e fasting need not
exceed more than a d ay or two.
E very m ental w orker knows how excess
eating o r heavy meals affect him, w hether or

Page 8

n o t he abides b y the lesson of the experience.

T h e public speaker or lecturer will never go
on a platform to deliver an address, which
dem ands the best of his m ental pow ers, under
the influence of an e xten d ed stom ach. It
causes lethargy, sleepiness, and sluggishness
of mind. T h e great am ount o f food in the
stom ach compels a trem endous flow of blood
to th a t organ to assist w ith the digestive pro
cesses. T h e blood flowing aw ay from the
brain cells o r neurons depletes their supply
of oxygen and their psychic polarity, and
thinking becomes laborious. Likewise no
w riter, business man or business woman, will
attem pt an y enterprise w hich requires quick
m ental response, after a heavy meal.
F asting is also a religious, magical, and
ceremonial custom an d rite. F asting is some
times practiced for penitence, for propitia
tion, and as a preparatory rite before begin
ning some sacram ental eating o r initiation.
F or thousands o f years, forced fa stin g has
existed am ong peoples for various reasons.
It began in all probability due to the scarcity
of food am ong primitive peoples, an d during
some of the trying times o f the ancient civ
ilizations. T his forced fasting produced ef
fects on their minds and bodies w hich they
w ished to have recur. T h u s one w ho is p ar
tially starved or receiving inadequate food
m ay lapse into semi-consciousness, during
which intervals strange dream s may be in
duced because of the subnorm al condition of
the bodyits w eakness, for example. Such
dream s m ay have been interpreted b y the in
dividual as supernatural forces revealing a
unique know ledge to him. T h e experience,
insofar as the dream sta te w as concerned,
m ay have been very pleasant. N atu rally , to
induce it again, he w ould resort to fasting.
Consequently, fasting becam e a p art of m any
magical ceremonies.
Likewise, certain foods, though p leasant to
taste, produce ill effects a t times. Such foods
are declared taboo w hen primitive devotees
a re to participate in a religious ceremony.
F o r some reasons not know n to us today,
ancient peoples considered some foods pro
fane and not to be indulged prior to religious
rites. T h e ancient E gyptians, for example,
forbade the priesthood of the m ystery school
of M em phis to eat certain fish an d beans.
Likewise, P ythagoras forbade his disciples
to eat beans and certain other foods. T h u s

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

also am ong the Koita, an aborigine people of

N ew G uinea, a w om an during pregnancy
m ust abstain from certain kinds of fish.
In m ost all o f the m ystery schools, fasting
w as a rite o f preparation preceding an initia
tion. It w as believed (an d in a sense it is
true) th a t foods may convey some impurities
to the body. A t least such impurities m ay
exist for hours before being cast off as ex
cretion. C onsequently it w as contended in
these m ystery schools th a t such impurities
m ight affect the harm ony o f the body, or
m ight interfere w ith its reception of the di
vine pow ers to be transm itted to it through
the ritual o f initiation. T h e fasting really
constituted a n act of purification before ini
tiation. T h en again, it m ay have had a very
good physiological basis, w hich w as under
stood. W e do know th a t some foods produce
mild toxic poisons w hich have an effect upon
the clarity o f th e mind.
A n excellent example o f this rite of prep
aration, in relation to fasting, is to be found
in the G reek E leusiniain o th e r w ords, the
Eleusinian m ysteries of ancient Greece. T h ese
mysteries centered about the life of m ythical
characters, principally D em eter and her
d au ghter Persephone. It w as related th a t
D em eter w as persuaded to take food afte r a
nine-day fast. T herefore, this fast w as imi
tated by all of the initiates before receiving
their own initiation in th e Eleusinian m ys
teries. A ccording to a preserved ancient
formula, each initiate exclaimed after his
fast, I have fasted. I have drunk the
Cisceon. T h e latter w as a sacram ental food.
A s w e have said, penitence is the motive
behind much religious fasting. T h e penitent
believes th a t he humbles him self by fasting.
H e is inflicting self-suffering upon himself,
and thinks th a t by such a means he may
evoke spiritual sym pathy an d consideration
of his plight. F asting in ancient E gypt, as
well as in com paratively m odern times, is
practiced as an expiation for sins. In ancient
Babylon, such fasting for expiation for sins
w as accom panied by m ourning, wailing, an d
confession.
A T ib etan cerem ony perform ed b y monks
and Lam as is know n as the Continued
F a st. It lasts four days. T h e first tw o are
preparatory; devoted to prayers, confession,
and devout reading. T h e third day is a strict
fast; in fact, the monks are n ot even allow ed

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to sw allow their saliva. T h e fourth day is

again devoted to prayers and confession.
T h e fast continues until sunset of the fourth
day.
T h ough C hrist fasted for forty days before
beginning H is m inistry, H e left no definite
rules for fasting. F asting, as a rite an d prac
tice, existed in the earliest of C hristian dog
mas. It w as particularly em phasized in C hris
tian doctrines by the great theologian T e rtullian, 230 A . D ., w ho Latinized C hristian
w ritings.
T h e Rosicrucian teachings take a sane and
sensible view o f fasting, both from the physi
cal an d the psychical points of view. W e are
told in o u r m onographs th a t the body can
exist only until half of it is depleted o r con
sumed. T herefore, the stories of persons go
ing w ithout any food and water for forty
days or more, or w ithout taking an y stren g th
ening substance, are false or exaggerated.
O n the other hand, occasional fasting is rec
ommended w hen it does not rescind a physi
cian's orders not to do so.
In o u r teachings w e are told th a t the more
hungry w e a re up to a certain point, of
coursethe more predom inantly negative the
blood quality; consequently the m ore N o u s,
the positive quality of the air, w hich w e take
into o u r lungs, and w hich is thus taken up by
the blood. W h e n the system becomes hun
gry each blood cell is giving its utm ost nour
ishm ent and vitality, draw ing on a greater
scale the vitality of the air in the lungs." T o
fast, or nearly so, betw een dinner a t night
and noon the next day, increases vitality. In
other w ords, after indulging in the evening
dinner, eat nothing further except perhaps
fruit juice and a roll the next m orning. If
you can dispense w ith b reakfast entirely
w ithout pangs of hunger, do so. T h is allows
the system to really get h ungry by noon, and
the cells of the blood thus draw more of the
positive N ous quality to themselves an d in
crease the vitality. It is not advisable to
fast w hen the body is tired." T herefore,
fasting between m orning and evening o r d ur
ing our w ork day is not proper, except occa
sionally, because of the energy being spent.
Spirituality is not a quality o r a property
of the physical body. O ne cannot eat himself
into a state of quickened spiritual conscious
ness. T h ere is no psychic fo o d for this p ur
pose. T h ere is no diet th a t can assure one

Page 9

psychic developm ent or unfoldm ent. A ny

w ell-balanced diet th a t contributes to your
health, w elfare, an d harm ony of body and
mind, makes possible more rapid psychic de
velopment. T h e food itself in such a diet
does n ot affect th e spiritual nature, b u t the
consequent health from it does help the nor
mal developm ent a n d functioning of th e psy
chic pow ers.
It is a m istaken idea and a perverted prac
tice o f asceticism to suppress the desire for
food, in the belief th a t w ith the degradation
of the b ody th ro u g h abstinence o r fast, spir
ituality will follow in the wake. Just because
an excess am ount o f food m ay cause ill health
and physical suffering it is no premise for
reasoning th a t stringent fa stin g will increase
the pow er of the spiritual nature. T h e re is
no m aterial substance th at can alter o r affect
the spiritual content of man. M aterial things
can only affect their ow n kind, such as the
body. A very ill b o d y does not alter the
spiritual property, w hich is immutable, b u t it
does prevent th a t spiritual p roperty from
having the proper kind of medium for its
expression.
A t times in our Rosicrucian studies it is
recom m ended for certain psychic exercises
th a t a partial fast o r special diet be followed.
T h is is done so th a t the body m ay function
more perfectly to suit the needs of th e psychic
functions a t th a t particular time. Such a fast
is not advocated as a regular practice, nor
even for all psychic exercises.
Rosicrucians will be happy to know th a t a
v ery em inent specialist, a gastroenterologist
w ho is a renow ned physician and a member
of A M O R C , has p repared a m anuscript on
the subject of diet an d foods, w hich is tec/inically correct from the physician's point of
view, and also takes into consideration the
Rosicrucian principles. It emphasizes the ex
ceptional know ledge which A M O R C pos
sesses w ith respect to foods, digestion an d
the process of eating. T his is a most useful
contribution to th e O rder. W e a re also
h appy to say th a t it is w ritten in very sim ple
language so th a t a n y man o r wom an, an y
member, can u n d erstan d it an d get the u t
most from such an im portant subject w ith its
vital influence on health. T h e y can b e sure
th a t they are getting the Rosicrucian view,
and as well th e last w ord in scientific knowU
edge on the subject. T h is will be prepared as

Page 10

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

another book of the Rosicrucian Library, to

be published in the very near future. W a tch
fo r the announcem ent! T h e price o f the book
will be economical. It will be useful to your
health, to your peace of mind, an d to the
utm ost application of the pow ers of your
being.X

How and W hen to Review

A frater of a m id-w estern state relates to
this Forum the following: W h e n reviewing
th e m onographs and reading here an d there,
I am im pressed w ith the am ount of knowl
edge contained in them, and good know ledge,
too, th a t I had forgotten, all of w hich applies
to my daily life. I had forgotten there w as a
m onograph containing such good advice on
vocations, for exam ple."
T his frank statem ent justifies o ur devoting
a little time to the topic of stu d y review .
M em bers are m otivated by several reasons in
w anting to review. Some of them are proper
and some of them constitute a w aste o f time
and effort. U nfortunately, the m ost common
desire to review is prom pted by w rong rea
soning. It is natural for us to think o r rath er
to assum e th at our psychic developm ent or
our ability -to dem onstrate the principles of
the teachings should correspond to our com
prehension of them. O n the other hand, if
th a t w ere so, then each time w e read a mono
graph and understand it we should likewise
be able to execute w ith perfection every exer
cise therein, regardless of its nature. In some
kinds of instruction, w here com prehension
alone is necessary, accom plishment does im
m ediately follow. H ow ever, w here a devel
opm ent o f certain functions o th er th an the
intellectual aspect is necessary for attain
ment, the latter does not alw ays follow.
T h ere are examples of this in business
training. A girl is studying typing. Each
page o r tw o of her textbook constitutes an
assignm ent, a definite lesson. It is simply
w orded. Possibly in fifteen o r tw en ty min
utes, she has read the assignm ent. It is then
so clearly understood by her th a t w ithout a
doubt she could relate it w ith accuracy to an
other. B ut can she be seated a t h er type
w riter and imm ediately type th e subject of
the assignm ent a t .the required speed, after
reading the lesson? She cannot. W h y ? Be
cause she has to coordinate her sight as she

looks at the text, w ith h er fingers w hich move

across the keys. T his muscular and visual
coordination requires practice. You will agree
th at it will avail the young girl stu d en t noth
ing to continually review, read the same text
time and time again, simply because she could
not perform the exercise. So it is w ith some
Rosicrucian students th a t reach a certain
m onograph or a certain point in some degree.
Because they h ave h ad no success or seem
to have none w ith a certain exercise or ex
perim ent, they w ish to go back and review.
T h ey presum e they have failed to understand
some principle o r point.
In personal interview s w ith such members,
I have questioned them on the teachings of
the degrees through w hich .they have passed.
In most all instances they u nderstand the
laws and principles as well as an y other
member. C ontinuous review w ould have ad d
ed little o r nothing more to their u nderstand
ing. T h eir lack o f success w as sometimes due
to insufficient practice o f an exercise o r some
other factor w hich no am ount of review could
alter, such as w orry, intense excitement, or
severe illness. T h ese are frequently the
causes of failure w ith the experiments. A c
tually w hen such a person reviews, he is cre
ating a greater obstacle for himself.
T h ere is, as all Rosicrucians realize, a defi
nite continuity to the studies. E ach principle
or thought m erges into another to comprise
the philosophy of life of w hich Rosicrucianism consists. Y ou may further think of the
m onographs as being like steps o f a staircase.
N o one step is sufficient, nor is any single
step a greater contributing factor to your
reaching the top. If one step lifts you higher,
it is only because o f its dependence on all
others. T herefore, each subsequent mono
graph elaborates, develops, and throw s fur
ther light on th e ideas presented in previous
ones. If one m onograph is read an d under
stood and if no success is had w ith an experi
m ent w hich it m ay contain, the studying of
the next m onograph m ay be more beneficial
than a rereading o f the former.
O u r minds a re not encyclopedic. W ith the
passing of time, principles learned early in
the studies, if n ot frequently used, grow dim
in memory. W e do not w an t to entirely for
get them, and, then again, an occasion may
arise which m ay require us to use them. Such
instances w arra n t review . Even so, this does

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 11

not mean going back and rereading page

afte r page of each back m onograph of one or
tw o or more p ast degrees. Such is an un
necessary expenditure of effort, and a use
less retarding of your progress.

easily, in the future, the full content of a

m onograph. C onsequently it is unnecessary
w hen reviewing to have you read all of the
m onographs of a degree in order to acquire
the desired inform ation.

A sk yourself w h at it is you have forgotten?

W h a t is it th a t you are not quite certain
about? W h a t is it th a t is vague in your mind,
th a t you w an t to recall about the teachings?
W h a t principle is it th a t you w ant to again
thoroughly understand, so as to apply it to
some imm ediate problem. In other w ords,
generalize the know ledge w hich you need.
F o r example, does it concern concentration,
memory, m editation, projection, nous, o r the
144 y ea r cycle. T hen, once having the gen
eral subject in mind, refer to your index,
find o u t exactly in w h at degree, w h at mono
graph, and on w h at pages there subjects are
expounded. N ow , turn to those two, three,
o r dozen m onographs. D o not sta rt to read
them page by page, but rath e r turn to the
sum m ary inside each back cover. Look a t the
sum m ation of the points of th a t m onograph,
and if the sum m ary does not contain w h at
you are looking for then tu rn to th e n ex t
m onograph. In this manner, w ithin fifteen
m inutes you can examine a dozen mono
graphs w ithout reading their contents, and
finally locate the one or tw o m onographs th a t
specifically contains the principle or principles
th a t you w an t to review. T h e n read them,
not as you w ould a fiction book, n ot as you
w ould som ething th a t is just going to pass
through your mind, b u t read them w ith un
derstanding so th a t you can relate their con
tents to yourself, until it is a p a rt of your
consciousness.

Furtherm ore, to g et the utm ost o u t o f the

Rosicrucian teachings and for an intelligent
review as well, w e suggest departm entalizing
your studies. A s th e frater said, w ho a d
dressed this Forum , h e had n ot realized how
im portant an earlier m onograph w as concern
ing vocations. I did not quote all he said,
b u t he stated, also, th a t the particular mono
graph concerning vocations aw akened in him
an intense desire to become an accountant.
N ow he is well on his w ay to accountancy,
a profession w hich will make him happier
than anything he h ad done in his life. A t
the time he first read the m onograph he w as
n o t concerned w ith a vocation. H e w as n ot
thinking of m aking a change, possibly a
change did not seem necessary, and so he
undoubtedly just read it an d dismissed it
from his mind. T h e thing to do, however,
w hen a m onograph concerns som ething w hich
m ay very definitely touch upon your life in
the future, is to list the contents in a note
book under a general heading, even if you
have indexes to the m onographs. F or in
stance, particular principles th a t concern
health, p ut under health. T h in g s th a t have
to do with em ploym ent, business, vocations,
w rite them under such headings, w ith the de
gree, monograph, an d page w here such prin
ciples may be found. In this w ay, you will
eventually come to find th at m ost every as
pect of your life can be definitely related to
the teachings.

N ow , you can see from the foregoing, th at

this w ould not require you to w ithhold your
current m onographs and to go back an d la
boriously sta rt from the beginning of an y de
gree. T h a t is w hy w e have a sum m ary in
the back of each m onograph. It serves a dual
purpose. It helps you to test your u n d er
standing. W h e n you have studied a m ono
graph each week, as you glance a t those sum
m aries there should imm ediately come into
your mind a full understanding of w h at each
sentence suggests. If it is vague to you, then
you have not studied your m onograph, and
you should go back and read it. T h e o th er
reason is to help you determ ine quickly and

If you have a problem of finance, if you

have a problem o f adjusting yourself to
environm ent, o f m aking changes in your
character, o f aw akening talents, of acquiring
n ew ideas, you can figuratively an d literally
flip open a notebook and look under such
headings and find th e appropriate principles
of the teachings th a t are related thereto.
M ake the teachings serve you in this intelli
gent w ay. D o n 't periodically lose a lot of
time by ju st arb itrarily stopping your current
studies and cutting yourself off from all ac
tivity to go back a n d reread all of your mono
graphs. M uch o f such inform ation you will
not really need in yo u r present degree.X

Page 12

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T he Initiation Process
A m ong the questions which reach us in regard to initiation, it is evidenced, from time
to time, th a t the individual w ho is approach
ing the perform ance of an initiation is not
quite sure of his ground. By this is m eant
th a t since the process is different from any
thing th a t the individual has done before, he
realizes th a t he is approaching something
th a t is outside of previous experience.
In o rder to fully understand the process of
initiation an d all th a t it can m ean to the in
dividual, it is necessary to approach the sub
ject from the psychological standpoint; th at
is, to interpret initiation in term s of the be
havior of the individual and of the m ental
processes th a t m ust accom pany an d result
from the initiation ritual. Before initiation
can be considered by itself it is necessary to
consider as a background the purpose in the
process of the ritual, due to the fact th at
ritual is the procedure w hich w e use in the
initiation. A s ritual is a process o r a means
to an end it is difficult to limit its interpreta
tion to th e form ality of a definition. T h e
reason for this is because a ritual cannot be
lim ited to a n y particular act. T h e fact is th at
anything w e do is, in a sense, according to a
ritual. W h e n ev e r w e conform to social cus
toms and practices, as, for example, w hen w e
use certain implements w ith w hich to eat, w e
are perform ing a ritual because the physical
process is th e accepted means by w hich an
end will be brought about. Ritual in itself is
of no value an d can therefore m ean nothing
unless the ritualistic process prepares us and
brings us tow ard the end w hich w e seek to
accomplish. T h a t is w hy some people reach
the conclusion th a t ritual is w orthless. T h ey
perceive the perform ance of an elaborate
ritual w ithout understanding th e end to be
attained. F o r th a t reason they cannot enter
into the spirit of the perform ance an d seem
to think th a t it is merely a form ality for the
am usem ent of, or to mystify, th e individual
participating or w itnessing th e particular per
form ance. T h is idea is particularly establish
ed due to the fact th a t various social organi
zations have w h at is called a ritu al or an
initiation w hich is no more th an a funprovoking activity, and in the sense th a t it
provides hum erous situations an d leads the
individual an d those w itnessing the process

to an attainm ent of a certain am ount of en

joym ent, w e again see th a t this process is
truly ritualistic.
A ctually, a ritual w hich is accomplishing
som ething, as in the form o f tru e initiation,
has a much b roader meaning an d foundation
than this. T h e principle upon w hich ritual is
based is n o t m erely a m an-m ade idea, but is
a form ality for illustrating, in a small w ay,
certain law s of the Cosmic scheme th at exist
throughout the universe. W e accept the
theory th a t th e principles upon w hich the
universe functions are based upon law, order,
and system, so w hen w e perform a ritual
w hich is in ten d ed to p u t us into b etter rela
tionship or harm ony w ith this law and order,
w e are duplicating, in a small w ay, the prin
ciples of th e Cosm ic. W e can well consider
the Cosmic process as a macrocosm and the
ritual as a microcosm because w e are illus
trating certain principles here w ithin the
scope of our ability an d understanding. It is
for this reason th a t ritual, to be effective,
m ust be perfect. In fact, an im perfect ritual
is not, in the strictest sense, a ritual a t all.
It is m erely a h ap h azard perform ance of cer
tain movements an d activities. W h e n ev e r you
w itnessed a ritu al in connection w ith a reli
gious cerem ony o r w ith an y o th er group ac
tivity, you have only been inspired by the
ritual w hen th a t ritual proceeded w ithout a
flaw. M an y organizations' rituals are based
purely upon various activities such as drill
w ork an d p ag ean try w hich is perform ed by
the ritualistic team, an d its effect in inspiring
or even entertaining the p articipant o r w it
nesses is bro u g h t about through its precision
and absolute perfection of movement. Such
perfection in ritual is actually establishing a
small duplication, or, w e m ight say, a repre
sentation of the laws of the Cosmic and con
tribute to our ability to harm onize ourselves
w ith those law s w hich w e are trying to
understand.
W ith this concept of ritual in our minds,
w e can now proceed to the consideration of
one ritualistic process th a t of initiation.
From the standpoint of our teachings, initia
tion is defined on the cover o f each initiation
ritual w hich y ou receive. R efresh y o u r mem
ory as to this definition. W e see in this defi
nition th a t both reason an d em otion are in
volved in th e process o f initiation. U pon
analysis, w e all know th a t each norm al hu

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

man being possesses the ability to reason,

and he also has certain emotional traits and
characteristics w ithin his being. Reason can
be developed and improved by the acquisition
of know ledge an d through the experiencing
of that know ledge in the process of life. W e
are given the ability to reason, but w e gather
together th m aterial w ith w hich w e reason
as w e a d d to our store of facts an d know l
edge. A n y individual w ith the ability to read
and understand w h at he reads can, w ith a
reasonable am ount of concentration, acquire
know ledge upon an y subject he wishes. F o r
example, in o u r ow n teachings, the norm al
human being could read our lessons an d
after having read all of them could probably
pass an acceptable exam ination upon the
contents of the facts and know ledge set forth
in them, but to m ake those facts of an y value
he w ould have to experience them; in other
w ords, bring them into use. W h en ev er w e
reach the point o f experiencing know ledge
and facts, w e reach another attribute of our
being, th a t of our em otional affectiveness.
Em otion m atures as w e learn to live. T h e
infant has no barriers to em otional expres
sion. If its actions are im peded it m ay show
emotions of an g er w hile an adult w ho has
become em otionally m ature will curb emo
tional responses. Em otion goes beyond rea
son and know ledge in th at w e not only have
a conscious realization of a fact or process
as an experience, b u t th a t this experience be
comes so much a p a rt of us th a t w e feel its
existence, and as a result, our w hole be
havior, our w hole view point in life is affected
more by the feeling w hich accom panies a
memory of an act than by the know ledge
necessary for the perform ance of the ac t it
self. It is this feeling of intim acy th a t comes
through our em otions th a t m akes M an w an t
to seek beyond the realizations of his im
mediate know ledge. W ith o u t emotion M an
would have neither the desire nor the incen
tive to look beyond this imm ediate sphere of
existence, bu t due to the fact th a t the emo
tions w hich bring the responses in M an of
true deep feeling, as in the case of love an d
reverence, there is constantly before him the
desire to make this feeling more profound,
more a p a rt of his being. It has been said
th a t a true test o f an individuals m aturity is
based upon the control of his emotions. W e
all face situations w here w e w ould like to

Page 13

give vent to our emotions rath er th an to solve

our problem b y cool, hard reason. T h a t is
w hy w hen w e are using our rational minds
w e think w e can predict w h at w e w ould do
in a crisis, b u t w hen the crisis comes w e are
more prone to act upon the em otional re
sponses w hich the crisis provokes. W h e n it
is all over w e realize th at w h at w e did w as
no t w h at w e ordinarily would think our ac
tion would be on the basis o f sound judgm ent
an d reason. It does n ot necessarily require a
crisis to bring about an em otional response.
W h en ev er M an faces som ething new or
w hen he approaches th a t w hich is unknow n,
his emotions take the upper h an d and he
sometimes finds th a t the desire for know l
edge in the field o f th e unknow n is n ot equal
to cope w ith the fear th at is based upon su
perstition o r error, an d thereby causes a hesi
tancy a t the point of passing from the know n
to the unknow n.
T h e conflict of reason an d feeling m ake
m any individuals pass up opportunities of a
lifetime. Reason m ay raise th e thoughts of
caution w hile feeling m ay direct th e individ
ual to throw aside caution an d proceed.
W h e n faced by such a decision, it is neces
sary th a t w e make b est use o f both o ur feel
ings and reason in being able to direct our
acts so th a t w e can proceed o r restrain our
next step based upon the benefit th a t will be
the eventual outcom e of the p articular pro
cess or step under consideration.
M a n s interest in the unknow n, o r his de
sire to go a little beyond his im m ediate en
vironm ent has caused him to w ork o ut pro
cedures an d means b y w hich he can pass
from the know n to th e unknow n. In a broad
sense of the w ord, schooling in the accepted
academic sense is one such process in th e
acquisition of a b etter adaptation to our lives
and environm ent. Initiation is such a proce
d ure th at forms a bridge o r helps M an to
take the step w hich will rationally an d emo
tionally place him in the fram e o f m ind to
gain th a t w hich he previously did n o t have.
If w e are to consider initiation from the psy
chological standpoint, w e m ust be sure of
w h at w e mean by psychology. T w o accepted
definitions of psychology exist today. O ne,
th a t psychology is a science of mind, an d the
oth er th a t psychology is a science of be
havior. R egardless of which w e accept, w e
all m ust realize th a t psychology is a stu d y of

Page 14

M a n 's life in an environm ent. Consequently,

his m ental states are a p a rt of th a t study and
his reaction to th a t environm ent, th a t is, his
behavior, is another part. Initiation is defi
nitely a form of behavior, and as a process
initiatory behavior can be classified in tw o
w ays, th a t is, from the objective a n d from the
subjective. T h e objective consideration of
th e process w hich prim arily is concerned w ith
physical behavior. T h e results from initia
tion w hich w e hope to obtain are those th at
will carry us beyond the limitations of our
ow n consciousness an d m ake it possible for
us to enter th a t sphere of being w here con
sciousness is broadened, an d w e are better
able to experience the know ledge th a t has
been obtained. T his is, prim arily, an individ
ual process. W e are seeking to accom pany
our physical grow th and accomplishments
w ith a similar grow th and accom plishm ent in
the psychic realm of our being. T herefore,
as w e approach the process b y which th at
can be attained, w e m ust consider w h at will
be the physical aspects of a n initiatory
behavior.
W e will find first th a t the approach will be
like th a t approach to an y other thing th a t is
unknow n. W e will question the procedure,
w e will question the details, asking ourselves
how this process can bring about anything
th a t is w orthw hile. Let us take, for example,
the temple initiation for the first degree of
this organization's membership. W h a t is the
purpose of this ritual, w hy is th e neophyte
lead from point to point to the tem ple and
given explanation of the various points of the
temple? W h y is the neophyte finally led to
the Shekinah w here, in accordance w ith the
traditional history of the organization, he is
physically raised from his knees to an erect
position before the Shekinah. W e m ust un
derstand th a t all this process is placing us as
n ear as it is possible to a physical parallel of
w h at should be happening psychically. In
the process o f going through these physical
steps w e are placing ourselves in a position
of being able to begin to glimpse and com
prehend the psychic accom panim ents of w h at
w e are actually practicing physically. W h e n
the neopyhte is raised a t the Shekinah he is
actually exemplifying the raising o f his con
sciousness, the raising of his psychic facul
ties to an equal level of im portance of th at
illustrated by the physical movement. T h e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

physical act of raising" causes the idea

to be established perm anently w ithin the
consciousness.
It is difficult to explain every physical pro
cess of ritual an d initiation, b u t it is interest
ing to observe th a t the participant w ho con
scientiously enters into the spirit of the pro
cess is able a t a future time, to look back and
realize th a t every movement an d every ac
tivity w ithin th e initiation h ad a meaning th a t
has served as th e basis an d fu rth er under
standing over a long period of time. T h ere
fore, w e find th a t experience is, after all, the
final test an d it has been proven, time an d
time again, th a t the physical representation
of the psychical developm ent which is hoped
to be obtained is a constructive process in
bringing about such development.
W h e n the initiation is perform ed by the
individual alone, there is probably a natural
response upon the p a rt of the individual
w hich causes more hesitancy, and, to a cer
tain extent, fear th at is n o t existent w hen the
initiation is a group process. I do not believe
th a t an y m em ber o f this organization will fail
to adm it th a t he approached the first initia
tion ritual w ith considerable hesitancy and
question an d his ow n mind. P a rt of this
hesitancy is b ased on the fact th a t upon first
exam ination of the initiation, it definitely ap
pears to be som ething entirely different from
anything ever done before. A s th e individual
has no exam ple to follow other than th e in
struction of th e printed page, the question
actually arises in the individual's mind as to
w hether an y hum an being has ever gone
through this process b y himself. C ertain
p etty fears interfere; th a t is, it is the fear of
ridicule in the event th a t he should be ob
served. T h e re is the feeling of lack of a d
justm ent to th e process due to the fact that
the process is looked upon as unusual o r dif
ferent. If w e approach the initiation being
inexperienced an d n ot quite sure of its pro
cess, w e are a p t to be hesitant an d unable to
delete from o u r thinking the question of w hat
someone else w ould say if he saw us doing
the things necessary for the ritual. So w e see
it is difficult to take the physical steps which
illustrate an d se t up a counterpart of the
psychic developm ent w hich w e seek. In this
decision w e a re facing one of the first tests
of the individual w ho has decided to try to
bring into th e realm of his reason and feeling

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

his introduction into the m ystery w hich con

stitutes the unknow n. O nce the step is taken,
once w e decide th a t there m ust be something
w orthw hile here o r otherw ise it w ould n ot
exist, once w e do our best to lay aside p etty
fears an d concepts, w e have m ade our first
step tow ard the attainm ent o f Cosmic con
sciousness, and the grow th of our inner be
ing. W e have determ ined to go through the
physical steps w hich are the prelim inary pro
cess to the duplicating of those steps psy
chically b y using the media through w hich
psychic developm ent will be illustrated.
From the standpoint of the subjective con
sideration of th e initiatory process, w e must
turn to introspection. Introspection is a p ro
cess of leaving the realm of physical behavior
and looking inside ourselves a t our mental
processes. A s w e proceed through the initia
tory ritual individually, w e are constantly
torn betw een those objective and subjective
impulses th a t force themselves upon o ur con
sciousness, p r e c o n c e i v e d ideas constantly
coming to our attention. T h e very process of
the ritual itself, th a t is, reading th e instruc
tions providing the necessary physical accom
panim ents, all tend to gather the immediate
consideration of o u r senses on these things
causing us to feel th a t w e are a t a loss and
unable to put together all the p arts of the
w hole th a t w e are trying to build. G radual
fam iliarity as w e proceed w ith the physical
steps of the initiatory ritual aids in our un
derstanding and sureness of going ahead.
F urtherm ore, if w e have the conviction th a t
thousands of other individuals have perform
ed this sam e ritual, w e are aided in our ow n
consciousness and encouraged to proceed.
T h e psychical accom panim ents to the ini
tiatory procedure will be learned as w e pro
ceed from the process an d from one initiation
to another. If w e look back now a t the vari
ous initiations w hich w e have perform ed,
w hether or not w e felt a t the time th at w e
h ad reasonable success, w e are alw ays able
to pick o u t a t least one or tw o points th a t
b rought a m om entary sense of satisfaction.
It is in these points th at w e have illustrated
the principle of the true purpose of ritual;
it is here th a t w e have physically perform ed
a process in such a m anner th a t w e have h ad
slightly aw akened or brought into being a
small p a rt of illumination th a t h ad n o t pre
viously existed. W e m ight think of th e ini

Page 15

tiatory process as being likened to th e open

ing of a door th a t makes possible the p as
sage of our physical being from one room to
another. So initiation is an opening th a t
causes an influx of new know ledge and ex
perience an d capacities to flow to us, an d
insofar as w e are capable of adjusting our
selves to receive th a t flow, to th a t extent are
w e aided and helped.
T h e ultim ate ends o f the initiatory process
are illumination an d Cosmic Consciousness.
O n e m ight sta te th a t there have been cases
of Cosmic Consciousness w here illumination
took place m om entarily an d th a t there w as
no preparation for the experience. Such an
argum ent has been used ag ain st the necessity
of ritual. T h e n arro w interpretation over
looks the fact th a t the w hole of an individual
life is actually a ritualistic process. Initiation,
th a t is tru e Cosmic initiation, takes place
w hen w e have finally, through certain physi
cal steps an d m ental processes, fitted our
selves into the scheme w here w e are in attunem ent w ith those forces which will bring
about illumination. M an y of lifes experi
ences are therefore steps of initiation. W e
m ay n ot be conscious of them as such b u t
they, nevertheless, so exist. It is the con
scientious perform ance of an initiatory p ro
cess th a t aids an d speeds up the ultim ate end
to be obtained. W h e n we have finally placed
ourselves in a p roper attunem ent, it is com
p arable w ith the electrical m otor or o th er a p
paratus th a t is properly w ired, the influx of
pow er will come. T h e safe is opened w hen
the com bination has been turned in various
w ays from point to point. E ach point seems
unim portant, b u t the com bination of them all
brings about the purpose th a t is th e opening
of the door.
It is n o t possible for us to m easure all of
our accom plishm ents of initiation. It comes
through time an d experience an d a further
realization th a t th e translating of psychic
^abilities is n ot alw ays imm ediately possible in
terms of physical experience. T h e m ost in
spired artists have been dissatisfied w ith their
w ork because w h at they m ade in a musical
composition, a painting, or an y other form of
art, has been a m ere replica o f the inspiration
th a t bro u g h t about the idea. So it is in our
livesthe points of illumination w hich w e
obtain m ust b e used to prove as n ear as pos
sible our behavior to be on a plane w ith these

Page 6

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ideals an d principles, and w e thereby tran s

late inspiration and illumination into experi
ence and bring ourselves th a t much closer to
final and complete illum ination.A

Seeing the Soul at D eath

A F ra te r residing in one of the large cities
of the U nited States, and w ho likewise is a
practicing medical physician, now addresses
this Forum . H e says: I have been a stu d en t
of the Rosicrucian teachings abo u t six years,
w hich have been o f great benefit to me and
my w ork as a physician. N o w I am asking
for inform ation w hich you m ay please answ er
in the Forum . A bout three years ago I w it
nessed a patient passing aw ay. A s I entered
the room I noticed a gray cloud o r haze over
the patient, w hich disappeared as I w alked
tow ard it. O n several other occasions I no
ticed a w hite-silvery haze over the body
w hen in a casket. Could it hav e been the
soul leaving the body? W h y w as one gray
in color an d the other white? I have n o t as
yet seen the sam e haze entering a new born
b ab y .
T h is is a phenom enon w hich, though w e
cannot say it is common, nevertheless has
been w itnessed upon num erous occasions. T o
w ard off the rem arks of the cynics, w e will
readily adm it th a t some of the reported in
stances m ay have been the result of super
stitious beliefs, w ith their consequent fear
and delusions. In other cases, some persons
w ith an over-active imagination an d a paucity
of know ledge o f the principles of mysticism
and occultism m ay have im agined such re
sults. C onversely, however, are the reports
of those w ho have had no experience w ith
psychical research, w ho are not even familiar
w ith its term inology, and w ho likewise are
not imaginative. T heir description of a haze
or cloud forming over a body w hich is pass
ing through transition is sim ilar to all other
accounts. T h en also, there are those who,
like this F rater, have been serious students
of mysticism for years, and likewise are
sensible professional or business people, not
given to self-deception o r exaggeration. T h eir
accounts, in the main, are sim ilar to all other
descriptions of this phenom enon. Conse>
quently, such persistency of this experience
w arran ts a serious consideration of the sub
ject b y any thinking o r inquiring mind.

T h is phenom enon is a result of n atu ral

Cosmic law s a n d principles. In general, w e
would be inclined to think o f such a vaporous
substance hovering over the body, o r seem
ing to em anate from it ju st before death, as
being the soul. O fte n w e call it soul, only
because the w ord best seems to generalize
the spiritual qualities an d pow ers of man as
distinguished from those of his body. A ctu
ally, how ever, th e soul does n o t materialize.
It has no m aterial substance o r form, nor
does it ever assum e one. L et us remember
th a t th e soul in m an is n ot a segm ent of some
substance, n o r is it a quality w hich is sep
arate w ithin each hum an being.
T h e soul of m an is o f th e one U niversal
Soul, the Intelligence of G od, w hich flows as
a spiritual efficacy through all men alike. W e
may again use a n analogy which we have
often used. T h e soul force is like an elec
trical cu rren t w hich flows through a circuit
of electric lamps. It causes each lamp in the
circuit to m anifest light an d color, each dif
ferently perhaps, y et th e essence of all the
lamps, the current, is the same. T h is soul
force w ithin m an has, or shall w e say en
genders, certain attributes. T h e principal one
is know n as the psychic b o d y. T h e Cosmic
intelligence o r soul force is n ot confined to
one area, section, o r organ of the body, as
m any philosophers once thought. R ather, it
perm eates each cell o f the m atrix of cells of
which the hum an organism is composed. E ach
cell has its duties, its functions, w hich con
tribute to the w hole purpose for which th e
hum an body exists. T herefore, as the cells
in their protoplasm ic substance compose the
physical form, for example, o f the heart, the
psychic consciousness o f those same cells
comprises a psychic body, o r th a t w hich cor
responds to the physical form of the heart,
namely, a psychic heart.
T o b etter visualize this, let us use still a n
other analogy, th a t of th e street lamp in a
fog. F irst, w e see the actual lamp itself, th a t
is, the glass fixture w ith its metal supports,
from w hich th e light shines forth. T h en around the outside of the physical form of the
lamp, an d extending either a few inches or
a few feet from it, is a radiation, an effluence
or aura. T h is au ra conform s to the general
form o f th e lamp itself. In other w ords, it
seems to surround it. T h is aura then, for
analogy, constitutes the ethereal counterpart

TH ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of the m aterial form of the street lamp. T h e

soul o f the street lamp, figuratively speaking,
is the electric current. T h e psychic body of
the street lamp, also allegorically speaking,
is the aura or haze w hich surrounds it.
T herefore, in like m anner, our psychic body
conforms to the general contour of our physi
cal body.
T h ro u g h exercises w hich w e are tau g h t in
our Rosicrucian m onographs, in the teachings
of the O rder, w e can project, as w e say, this
psychic body a t a distance from the physical
body. O rdinarily the psychic body clings to
the physical, th a t is, it extends from it not
more th a n a few inches or feet, like the m ag
netic field th a t surrounds the poles of a
m agnet. Since the psychic body encompasses
the intelligence w hich directs the function of
each o rg an and system of the physical body,
so it has certain corresponding faculties as
well. T h u s the psychic body has w h at is
know n as psychic sight, hearing, feeling, etc.
T h e psychic consciousness, the divine con
sciousness of man, can therefore become aw are of c i r c u m s t a n c e s and surroundings
w hich are rem ote to the physical body. T h e
psychic body w ith its consciousness can be
projected instantly, for example, across the
w orld, in accordance w ith certain Cosmic
principles, and the hum an can become aw are
of events happening there.
N atu ra lly the psychic body an d conscious
ness does not sever or lose its connection at
such times w ith th e physical body. It re
mains connected w ith the physical body even
though it projects itself through time and
space. T o use another simple analogy, the
beam of a flashlight m ay make an object
visible one hundred feet distant from the
flashlight itself. H ow ever, the beam has not
detached itself from the flashlight to accom
plish this feat. It merely has pro jected
elongated itself retaining all the while a
connection w ith the lamp an d the lens from
and b y w hich it is projected. O th er mortals,
under ideal conditions and by the exercise of
their ow n psychic fa c u ltie s, m ay perceive
projected psychic bodies. Sometimes they
are visually perceived. A t other times, only
the personality is sensed w ithout the su g
gestion o f a form. T h e commonest experi
ence of th e projection of the psychic b ody of
another is in the form of a cloud o r dia
phanous haze.

Page 17

A t death, or th a t transition which sep

arates the body and the spiritual qualities or
soul forces of man, w h at happens then to the
psychic body? T h e soul, of course, is draw n
into the U niversal S o u l from which it w as
never detached. I m ight answ er fu rth er b y
asking a question: W h a t happens to the elec
tric current w hen you turn off a lig h t or
switch off an electric fan? T h e current still
exists, read y to m anifest again w hen th e m a
terial connection h as been provided. T h e
psychic body o r self o f a hum an is only ab
sorbed into the U niversal Soul. It is n o t lost;
rather, it harm onizes w ith all of the person
alities an d the psychic bodies th a t go to make
the one Cosmic Soul. A gain I ask a ques
tion to fu rth er my answ er: W h a t happens to
the colors red, green, an d blue, w hen th ere is
no medium such as a prism to refract w hite
light? T h e w ave lengths of those colors are
all blended together, to make th a t harm ony
o f all the colors of w hich w hite light consists.
So it is w ith the psychic bodies and person
alities in the U niversal Soul.
Just prior to the last breath, on the occa
sion of transition, th e psychic body projects
itself; th a t is, it seems to extend a few feet
from the physical body. It is n ot liberated,
it is still bound to th e physical body b y the
silver cord (a trad itio n al m ystical term for
th a t essence of the psychic body w hich re
mains attach ed to th e living physical b o d y ).
T h e greatest essence o f the psychic bo d y a t
such a time can be sensed, o r rath er I should
say perceived, as a cloud o r haze. Sometimes
it is in the form o f an oval, from an end of
which there is seen to descend this silver
cord as a kind o f spiral of vapor. T h e small
est end of th e spiral appears to enter the
body a t the solar plexus.
It is really to be doubted th a t w e see this
form ation w ith o u r physical eyes. R ather, we
psychically sense this formation, an d these
impressions are transm itted along o u r sym
pathetic nervous system and reduced to vi
brations w hich cause the psychic body of the
person to visually appear, or seem to appear
to us. T h is is proven b y the fact th a t there
m ay be tw o persons in a room, one of whom
may see the psychic body as a cloud over
the person w ho is passing through transition,
w hile the other does not. O bviously, if it
w ere a m aterial substance, it w ould b e visible
to anyone w ith norm al eyesight. T h e reason

Page 18

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

one does not see it is th a t he or she is not

attuned, o r his or her psychic sensibilities are
no t sufficient to detect it. T his psychic sensi
bility is technically called hyperaesthesia.
A s soon as transition occurs, the cloud or
haze usually disappears, though a t times it
may seem to remain near or above the body
w ithout an y attachm ent thereto, until actual
interm ent or cremation. T h is later phenom e
non, the reason for the psychic body rem ain
ing after transition, is another topic for dis
cussion in some future Forum .
T h e color of the psychic body and its tex
ture, as it seems to the observer and as this
F ra te r detected it, is usually a g ray or silvery-w hite, and it has n au g h t to do w ith the
spiritual quality of the soul essence. F re
quently the room a t the same time will seem
to have a coolness, as though the tem pera
ture had been suddenly low ered an d the a t
m osphere of the room will be p leasan t
exhilarating, in fact. M ost all w ho have ex
perienced this phenom enon are a t the time
never frightened, b u t rath e r fascinated. T h o se
w ho are ignorant of the principles concern
ing it, afterw ards, in allowing their im agina
tion free reign, conceive fantastic ideas about
th a t w hich they have experienced, an d w hich
results in fear. T h e fear, then, is a result of
their reasoningor lack o f doing so about
their experience.
M a n y registered nurses, practical-m inded
and w ith scientific training, have experienced
this phenom enon in hospitals an d in private
homes w here they have atten d ed patients a t
the time they w ere passing through tran si
tion. T h e Rosicrucian m onographs, of course,
trea t this subject much more fully.X

Practical Rosicrucianism
O u r class discussions conducted for the
benefit of student members during the 1943
annual Convention proved interesting to a
great m any. T herefore, it seems appropriate
to bring some of these thoughts before our
assem bled members of the Forum Circle. T h e
following rem arks and comments consider a
few of the fundam entals of Rosicrucianism
and their practical application in our every
d ay affairs.
V e ry early in our Rosicrucian studies w e
delve into the principles of concentration, the
use of will power, and the art of visualization.

W e learn from our studies th a t w e should

petition the Cosmic for assistance only after
we have exhausted all physical means of ac
complishing our desires an d needs. W e learn
further the im portance of carefully analyzing
a condition or situation to determ ine w hether
o r not it is w o rth y of Cosmic consideration.
F or instance, w e know th a t motive is ex
trem ely im portant, therefore, our desire or
need m ust be 50 per cent or better altruistic
in motive. A w ish th a t is largely o r fully
selfish will fall upon a d eaf ear.
W h e n seeking the assistance of the C os
mic w e m ust be read y an d willing to do
everything possible to help. P erhaps one of
the greatest reasons for the average failure
is lack of aid on the p a rt of the seeker for
help. In other w ords, if one desires a job,
he m ust be ju st as willing to go out and look
for w ork as he is willing to ask the Cosmic
to assist him in finding it. T o simply sit re
laxed in the sanctum concentrating for a job,
w aiting for the prospective em ployer to call
on the phone is w ishful thinking of the sever
est kind. Furtherm ore, w e m ust go to the
Cosmic w ith a definite plan of action, not for
the purpose o f dictating to the Cosmic, b u t
in order to properly concentrate upon the
need. H ow can w e properly visualize some
thing if w e have no idea of w h at it is we
w ant?
W h e n one desires to p u t over a business
deal, he m ust first of all thoroughly under
stan d w h at he w ants to do. If it is to borrow
money, for instance, he m ust know exactly
how much he needs and w h at he plans to do
w ith it. If he is vague on these points, he will
have great difficulty arran g in g the loan re
gardless of his petitions to the Cosmic. H e
m ust also have a definite idea of w here or
from whom he is going to seek the loan.
A fter his plan of action is well laid and he
presents his request to the lender, he may
then call upon the Cosmic to help influence
the lender in m aking a favorable decision.
W e might, on the o th er hand, successfully
call upon the Cosm ic for help in selecting one
from whom w e could borrow the money. In
this case, w e petition an d receive Cosmic
guidance in a personal an d business affair.
A fter visualizing an d concentrating upon
the problem o r desire, w e turn it over to the
Cosmic and sit quietly in m editation aw aiting
an impression th a t will influence o ur line of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

action. T his m ay not be forthcoming a t the

time of m editation, b u t often some time later
w hen w e least expect it, though usually a t a
time w hen it is m ost needed and w hen it will
do the greatest good.
In putting the system of concentration into
practical operation, remember it is im portant
n ot to do it m erely to test the laws, th a t is,
simply to see if th e y will w ork. It is success
fully used only w hen in real need of assist
ance. T h a t is w h y w e alw ays tell the student
not to be discouraged w hen his experiments
fail for he can be assured th a t success will
come w hen he is truly in great need of C os
mic guidance.
T h e law of the triangle and the w ay it can
be used is of great interest and yet is some
thing -that proves confusing to m any students.
T his law states in simple form th a t all mani
festations are culm inations of the uniting of
tw o conditions. T h is law is the basis of
chemical form ulas an d physical phenom ena.
F or instance, w e join, through th e filament
wires of a n incandescent lamp, electricity in
tw o separate w ires. T his electricity w ould
constitute Points 1 and 2 of the triangle. T h e
third point w ould be the light given off or
em itted b y the lamp. W e know th a t so long
as these tw o w ires a re separate there will be
no m anifestation an d th a t all w e need do to
produce a phenom enon is to brijig the wires
together through an electrical appliance.
T h e sam e thing is true in applying the law
to personal or business problem s. In this
case, w e ourselves are alw ays the first point
of the triangle, this is true in any personal
experience. W e should alw ays, therefore,
think of ourselves as the first point of a
triangle.
N ow if you have a house th a t you w ish to
sell, you m ust seek and unite w ith a prospec
tive buyer w ho obviously is the second point.
W h e n you come to an agreem ent as to price
and term s of the sale, then the union of the
tw o points of th e triangle is com plete. It is
then th a t the third point is reached and w e
have a m anifestation of the law of the tri
angle. W e should plan all of our activities
according to this fundam ental principle or
law and b y carefully going over each step
and analyzing o u r plans in advance, w e can
determ ine the exact outcome of every one of
our activities.

Page 19

O ne of the greatest benefits of Rosicrucian

study th at w e as Rosierucians enjoy is the
m ental exercise an d developm ent w hich seems
to be a natural result of our experim ents. W e
are led into hundreds of interesting fields be
sides our actual philosophical discussions.
W e learn to think and reason in an intelli
gent, beneficial w ay so th a t w e can sta rt out
w ith a problem and solve it through analyti
cal reason an d logic. T herefore, w hen the
average Rosicrucian is faced w ith a condition
o r situation th a t w ould leave m ost persons
floundering w ith frustration, he takes hold of
it w ith calm an d confidence. H e first studies
the circum stances th a t caused the condition
to determ ine th e required action to eliminate
it. H e knows th a t every symptom has a cause
an d to remove the cause is to overcom e the
situation. T h e removal of the cause can be
overcome only by recognizing it. R eason an d
logic bring forth this recognition. T h u s w e
see th a t am ong o th er law s an d principles th a t
are practical and useful, w e have th e prin
ciples o f applied logic to ad d to our abu n d
ance of know ledge an d to call upon in time
of need.
Suppose w e analyze for a moment the real
purpose o f Rosicrucian membership. You
w ould be surprised to know the num ber of
persons w ho join the O rd e r w ith th e idea in
mind th a t once membership is established
everything will be perfect for them an d they
will be able to violate every one of th e n a t
ural laws w ithout ill effect an d suffering.
N ow we all know how ridiculous is such a
belief.
A s Rosicrucians w e study the law s of n a
ture, both physical an d spiritual. W e study
them, th a t w e m ay b e able to live in harm ony
w ith these law s an d th u s benefit b y this close
attunem ent. Know ing the laws and their
penalties, w e d are n ot violate them, for such
violations will do us far more harm than in
the case o f one ignorant of the laws. T h is
divine plan is em ulated in m any m an-m ade
law s governing the conduct of society. F o r
example, if you drive your car into a stran g e
city and violate a m inor traffic regulation
through ignorance of the law, chances are
the traffic officer w ill adm onish you an d ex
plain the regulation to you, b u t if a resident
of the same city violates this law, the officer
will cite him for it, an d he will be required
to p ay the penalty or fine, w hatever it m ay be.

Page 20

N ow this does not mean th at ignorance of

divine and natural law will perm it you to go
scott free, not a t all. E veryone will suffer
from a violation, but w e w ho know better,
suffer more, internally or through conscience
than the one ignorant of his act ag ain st the
divine plan. Y ou m ight say: T h en one is
better off if he is ignorant of the law for then
he suffers less for its violation. B ut F ratres
and Sorores, w h at w e seek to do is to show
the folly of inharm onious living and the ad
v antage of living in peace and harm ony w ith
the Cosmic. N o one can violate Cosmic law
and not suffer. If w e know the penalties and
consequences of such violation, w e will strive
to live and act in accordance w ith the divine
plan.
T h e story of the Rosicrucian kitty is fa
miliar to m any of you, b u t it illustrates well
the point w e desire to make. I first h eard this
story m any years ago w hen touring w ith our
Beloved Im perator w hen he w as Suprem e
S ecretary of the O rder. T h e story goes
som ething like this. O nce upon a time there
w ere tw o little kittens w ho often sat together
before the open hearth w arm ing themselves
by the fire. O ne little kitten w as w hite, he
w as a Rosicrucian kitten. T h e o th er one w as
black or ta b b y color, it makes little difference
which. N ow these two kittens often discussed
their experiences in life and the current
events of the day. O n e evening w hen all
w as quiet and peaceful the discussion turned
to natural law and the possibility of injury
by fire. T h e little black kitty suggested th a t
they perform an experim ent to see if the fire
w ould burn. H e thought it w ould be a p retty
certain test if each w ould stick a paw into the
fire. N ow the little Rosicrucian k itty h ad
been educated in the w ays of n atu ral phe
nom ena and from his studies he h ad learned,
w ithout pain, th a t fire w ould burn. So he
imm ediately inform ed his friend th a t he h ad
been told fire w ould burn. T h e other k itty
questioned th e statem ent b y asking, H ow
do you know ? H ave you ever experienced
it? W e ll anyw ay, a doubt rose in the mind
of the Rosicrucian kitty. H e began to think
th a t perhaps he had been fooled all these
years and m aybe he w as w rong. So upon
agreem ent, together they p u t their paw s into
the flames. N eedless to say, they suffered
great physical pain from their burned paw s.
T h e black kitty learned from trial an d error

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

th a t fire w ould burn. T h e w hite kitty proved

to his com plete sorrow th a t even he w ith his
great know ledge of n atu ral law w as also
subject to suffering an d pain w hen he com
m itted a violation. H e suffered greatly w ith
in his conscience to think th a t he knew in the
first place w h a t w ould happen an d y et he
w as foolish enough to violate th e law. T h u s
his suffering w as greater th a n the physical
pain o f the black kitty.
F ra tre s an d Sorores, w e do not become
Rosicrucians to be immune to penalties, to
become so g reat th a t w e can go through life
violating every n atu ral law an d order w e can
think of w ithout suffering. N o one can, for
example, bu rn the candle a t both ends, w eek
in an d w eek out, year afte r y ear an d expect
the body to rem ain strong an d healthy. W e
m ust abide by n atu re's intent an d rest occa
sionally to give the body a chance to recup
erate. Like all physical pain, fatigue is a
n atu ral w arning system. It means, relax,
rest, an d get some sleep. T h e b ody cries out,
G ive me a chance to rebuild m y energy.
N ow I know perfectly well th a t there are
little secrets in our studies th a t help us to
w ithstand such to rtu re to th e physical body,
b u t how m any of us think to stop our activi
ties for even a few minutes and sit quiet and
relaxed w hile breathing deeply an d concen
tratin g on the p arts o f the body? Even some
of our highest degree members run to the
medicine chest for aspirin w hen they experi
ence a headache. T h e y forget all about their
exercises w hile in pain. M a n y have been
term ed one - nig h t - a - w eek - Rosicrucians.
T h e y w ould n o t have the headache in the
first place if th ey daily an d hourly lived the
life of a Rosicrucian.
F ra tre s an d Sorores, this is o ur philosophy
of life and w e should live it. W e expect to
profit from our membership in the O rder, and
w e will, b ut only to the ex ten t o f the effort
w e p u t into it. Being a Rosicrucian should
mean far m ore th an ju st a hobby, b u t unfor
tunately far too m any of us fail to see it th a t
w ay, not intentionally, m ind you, b u t w e fail
to appreciate th e g reat opportunities th a t are
ours as Rosicrucians.
It is obvious th a t I have digressed in a w ay
from my opening rem arks, b u t y e t w e find
th a t little can be ad d ed to our lessons deal
ing w ith the practical application of the
principles. T h ese facts are well explained

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

and clearly set forth in language w e can all

u nderstand. H ow ever, perm it a suggestion
for daily practice. F irst analyze your activi
ties for each day in the week, then sit dow n
w ith pencil and paper and w ork out a routine
th a t you can follow w ithout overtaxing your
energy. Include in this routine a sanctum
period, even if it is just for ten or fifteen
minutes. T his period should be devoted to
m editation and attunem ent while directing
thoughts of help, peace, kindness, an d health
to your fellow beings everyw here. If you
can so arran g e it, make your daily sanctum
period a t a n hour th a t coincides w ith a
C athedral of the Soul contact. Remember
th a t these periods stim ulate the psychic con
sciousness an d assist you along the p ath to
spiritual attainm ent. D uring the d ay try to
follow th e law s you have learned in reg ard
to m ental harm ony. Keep before you posi
tive, vital thoughts and plans for the future.
A bove all, keep interested in life and its ex
periences. Y ou will find an enthusiast is by
far happier than one w ho never shows inter
est in anything.
W ith the above start, it will be possible
for each o f you to ad d to your routine, m any
healthful activities that are in accord w ith
and harm onious to the Rosicrucian principles
of life.

Glands and Criminals

A fra ter o f O hio now arises in tu rn to ask
this F orum the question: Is it possible th at
the abnorm al grow th of the thyroid gland
w ould turn a former loving, dutiful, and faith
ful w ife into a tyrannical, faithless, an d im
moral person? T his is w h at seemingly h ap
pened to a case in my experience. T h e w ife
w as loved w ith all of the h eart of the hus
band an d trusted profoundly. T h e w om an
had a tw o-pound goiter removed by one con
sidered an expert in th a t branch of surgery.
A fter this event, the home could no longer
be considered a family abode. It w as pre
cipitated into a H ad es.
W h a t causes persons to suddenly ac t bes
tial or to develop vicious personalities and
criminal tendencies, or to seem to be born
w ith such propensities? In every society,
these anti-sooials, or unsocials have been a
problem for thousands of years. E ach civil
ization o r society has treated them in accord

Page 21

ance w ith the level of its intelligence and

understanding. In th e C hristian Bible (I
John 3:8), we read: H e th a t com mitteth sin
is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from
the beginning. Crim inals, or those w ho vio
lated the early C h r i s t i a n dogm as w ere
thought to be be possessed of devils. A S a
tanic influence, it w as believed, gained en
trance to their being and took control of their
reason an d will. In o th er w ords, criminal
tendencies w ere not attrib u ted to organic or
m ental aberrations, b u t rath er to exterior in
fluences. C onsequently, the only rem edy w as
to drive evil, the foreign influence, the socalled devil from the hapless victim. V arious
methods w ere em ployed, such as prayer, b ap
tism, and such cruel uses as flagellation, sta r
vation, an d burning a t the stake. T h e latter
practices w ere in accordance w ith the pre
vailing ignorance an d superstition.
Lombroso, an Italian, w as the first to offer
the w orld a tex t on the stu d y of criminals,
from the strictly scientific point of view, leav
ing out all reference to supernaturalism . In
1876, he released his c h a l l e n g i n g work,
L'U om o D elinquente (T h e C rim in al). H e
contended th a t the crim inal w as a sub-hum an,
a kind of anthropological freak. Simply put,
th a t the criminal w as a hum an form, but
lacked those innate qualities w hich w ould
make him truly hum an as all other men, the
theory here being th a t the crim inal w as an
atavistic creation. In other w ords, a throw
back to a low er anim al, y et nevertheless hav
ing a hum an form. C onsequently, since he
lacked some essential qualities necessary to
make him anthropological as other men, he
w as ever doomed to a criminal career. But
Lombroso w as a scientist and fortunately he
also h ad the adm irable ch aracter to adm it an
erroneous hypothesis w hen subsequent re
search proved it to be so.
Later, after considerable labor along the
lines of his theory, Lombroso adm itted th a t
possibly only half of the num ber of those
w ho w ere criminals w ere so because of men
tal or physical causes. T h e others, he held,
w ere the victims of circum stances. It w as far
easier to detect the contributing environm ent
or social causes of crime than the hidden
pathological ones.
It w as D r. C harles G oring, E nglish physi
cian, who disposed of the crim inal type the
ory. T h e followers of Lombroso tho u g h t th a t

Page 22

the anthropological criminal, nam ely, the one

born w ith such tendencies, had alw ays cer
tain characteristics th a t could be detected;
th a t they w ere stam ped as a type. If an in
dividual had a certain physiognom y, a cer
tain shaped head, eyes separated by a specific
w idth, and other physical appearances, this,
according to their theory, branded the in
dividual as a criminal. H e m ight n ot be a r
rested because he looked this w ay, or im
prisoned, b u t he w as under suspicion of be
ing o f th a t type. D r. G oring exploded the
theory. H e m ade an intensive stu d y of E n g
lish convicts. H e finally held th a t there are
as m any various physical types am ong crim
inals as among other men. F u rth er, he ex
pounded th a t there are likewise no m ental
crim inal types. It alw ays h ad been th e belief
th a t the habits and tem peram ents of criminals
all ran according to a certain type as well.
T h e findings and conclusions of D r. G oring
th a t they do not, as w e all know, have been
confirmed. Crim inals represent every physi
cal type and are of every intellectual plane.
In m any respects, some o f them m ay b e su
perior in some quality to a non-crim inal
person.
C rim inals are not actually born, b u t rath er
individuals are born w ith physical an d mental
deficiencies which result in their being so de
void o f such social responsibilities as causes
them to become criminals. Crim inal acts are
the result of a cause. O ne isnt born w ith a
criminal intent, but one can be born w ith the
abnorm ality or subnorm ality w hich engen
ders it.
T h e feeble-minded are an excellent ex
ample. Invariably they have g reater physio
logical developm ent than a norm al boy or
girl of the same age. T h is developm ent may
prove a menace an d consequently th ey should
n ot be perm itted to associate w ith children.
Because of their less controlled em otional re
actions, they sometimes resort to b ru tal or
bestial acts following puberty. It is because
of this individualistic development, this acute
ness of certain functions only, th a t makes it
possible for the feeble-m inded to b e read
ily led into careers of crime. F o r instance,
their lack of inhibition, coupled w ith strong
sex im p u ls e s leads them to c o m m it sex
abnorm alities.
M any crim inals are not born w ith the
physical or organic propensities th a t lead

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

them to crime, nor does environm ent alone

convert them to criminals. R ather, the later
irregularity o f the functions o f their endo
crine glands makes them such. O n ly in re
cent years has this been attested to, though
the Rosicrucian teachings have for m any
years expounded the salutary, and a t times
the adverse effects, of the glands upon hum an
conduct an d personality.
T h e glands have a dual purpose. F irst
they regulate the flow o f certain forces and
energies w hich the hum an nervous system s
receive from w ithout. Second, they regulate
the flow o f fluids and the proper function of
organs w ithin the body itself. E ach gland
has not this dual purpose. Some, in fact, per
form one or the other. T herefore, glands can
control such physical characteristics as our
grow th, height, and w eight, an d they can
also control such psychic qualities as the per
sonality w ith its attributes o f love, hate, as
piration, an d spiritual comport. By psychic,
w e m ean th a t which is distinguished from the
physical in this instance.
T h e frater w ho has b ro u g h t this question
to our attention w onders w hether the removal
of the thyroid gland m ay have caused the
w om ans change o f personality. A hypo
thyroid, th a t is a lack of its functioning,
causes one to incline tow ard obesity. T h e
circulation becomes very poor, the fingers and
toes often have a bluish tinge. Psychologi
cally the intellect becomes dull. T h e mind
m ay rem ain fine, th at is, quite rational, b u t it
lacks energy. T h e hypothyroid does not in
cline one to crime or viciousness, though the
endocrine glands do affect each other. In
fact, some have a very definite affinity w ith
each other, w hile still others seem to balance
o r am eliorate each others functions. T h ere
fore, the rem oval of the thyroid w ould con
stitute a terrific shock to the w hole glandular
system , an d could bring ab o u t such a change
in personality.
T h e gland w hich contributes most tow ard
crime and degeneracy w hen it is abnorm al in
its functioning is the T h y m u s. It is the en
docrine gland th a t lies just below the thyroid,
or behind the upper chest bones. T h e thym us
gland should cease being one of the dom inant
glands after the age of six or seven years.
W h y it should cease its principle activity is
not a s y et know n. H ow ever, if it continues
to be dom inant it becomes excessive in its

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

functioning and produces emotional instabil

ity. Such a person is known as a thym uscentric person. In other w ords, he is domi
n ated b y the excesses of his thymus gland.
A s said, most of such persons constitute
our degenerates and criminals. Such a con
dition frequently causes hom osexuality, the
love of intim ate relations w ith one of the
sam e sex. T h e pathological liar, the one
w ho, w ithout qualm s of conscience lies con
tinuously, is also most alw ays a thym uscentric. Such an abnorm ality or excess of the
thym us causes the person to have a complete
disregard for all social proprieties. In other
w ords, he will cheat and steal, for example,
w ithout an y m oral sense of his w rongdoing.
H e has no definite sense of responsibility to
w ard his fellow hum ans. H e is often vicious
and brutal if not m urderous. H e conse
quently is an a n tiso cia l, only because his o r
ganic mechanism is no t functioning properly.
T o confine this person to a penal institu
tion, a prison, or penitentiary, safeguards so
ciety from his depravations. If, however,
nothing is done to correct his condition, he
has becom e an expense, a liability to society.
A dvanced penology makes a study of these
victims of deform ity and seeks to trea t them
as patients, and to cure and restore them to
society. T h eir acts, though of their own will,
are prom pted by perverted urges, for w hich
they are not m orally responsible. E xperi
m entation has show n th at the stim ulation of
the gonads and the pituitary glands tend to
correct their condition.
T h e Rosicrucian exercises for the aw aken
ing, developing, an d normalizing of the func
tioning of the endocrine glands can be of
much help to such victims. W e know through
our ow n personal experiences as Rosicrucians
how beneficial such exercises as given in our
m onographs m ay be. T h e intonation o f cer
tain vow el sounds obviously has salu tary ef
fects upon the glands, as well as do the mi/stical breathing exercises.
F ear, anger, hate, love, courage, an d a de
sire for service are regulated by the endocrine
glands. T h e brain is the seat of impressions
w hich are registered in it. T hrough the fa
culty and processes of reasoning, these im
pressions become our cognition w h at w e
know or think. Im proper functioning of the
glands can cause fear by the discoloration
and distorting of all of the impressions which

Page 23

w e m ay receive through our senses an d which

are registered in the brain. T o use a simple
analogy, let us think of the brain as a photo
graphic plate, sensitive to light rays. F urther,
think of the glands as filters, such as are used
in photography. Some filter out the red rays
of light, others the blue, green, etc. N ow , if
one gland as a filter dominates, w h at is the
result? It continuously filters o u t the rays
which respond to it. Consequently, the photo
graphic plate does n o t register such w aves of
light and it is lacking therefore in certain
pictorial qualities. T h e picture formed on
the photographic plate obviously w ould be
distorted or imperfect.
So, too, a deficiency o r excess of the func
tioning of the endocrine glands m ay affect
your personality, y o u r w hole life, in fact. A s
D r. Kapp, author of our Rosicrucian book
entitled: G lan d s O u r Invisible G u ard ian s,
has said in this excellent w ork, W a r s b ru tal
ize man because they stop the full play of his
endocrines. H e m eans by this th a t w ars
cause great shocks to the glandular system
b y the continual stim ulation of the adrenal,
gland, w ith the forced courage th a t it pro
duces. T h is over-stim ulus of the adrenal
g land often brings about sex excesses, as an
afterm ath o f w ar, an d the expression of
force, even to the point of crim e.X
Sense Im p a irm e n t vs. P sy ch ic B o d y
F ratres and Sorores, perm it a few brief
comments upon a question th a t I believe will
prove of some interest to all of us. T h is
question comes from a member an d regular
atten d a n t of our Rosicrucian Forum Circle.
T h is F ra ter asks, Is there an y connection
betw een color blindness or o th er visual faults
an d psychic sight o r betw een deafness and
psychic hearing?
T h is question precludes th a t so-called psy
chic experiences are required to make some
form of impression upon the physical sense
organs. But suppose w e had been born blind,
and a t no time h ad experienced vibrations of
light. A fter all, it is reaction to light th at
makes it possible for us to see. Is it likely
th a t psychic experiences w ould register upon
the sense o f sight? O r if they did, w ould w e
b e conscious of it? In other w ords, the n or
mal person has or has had in his lifetime the
G od-given ability to see. T h u s through the

Page 24

sense of sight he is familiar w ith the m aterial

w orld about him. H e distinguishes colors be
cause of a particular property of light and a
special function of the eye. W e show a child
a color crayon and say blue." T h e child
looks a t it an d repeats blue." W e do this
tim e an d again until the child recognizes the
color each tim e he sees it. L ater in life if he
has an experience of psychic sight, th at agi
tates the nerves of the eyes an d brain caus
ing him to see the same color, he will state
th a t he saw the color blue w ith the psy
chic eye.
Suppose the eye nerves are so injured th at
nothing affects them, not even psychic vi
brations. It is obvious th a t th e experience
will register in some other w ay rath er than
through the sense of sight. It is mental im
pressions or experiences th at w e have th at
call to memory physical experiences, hence
w e say w e see, hear, feel, taste, or smell,
psychically.
P erhaps w e have all had the experience of
a dream in w hich varied action takes place
and yet w e do not rem em ber the experience
or action in the physical. W e w onder about
it, puzzle over it, and try to recall w h at w e
did during the d ay th a t brought about the
experience. W e strive in vain to remember.
Probably w h at happened w as due to impres
sions received through the five senses th a t
failed to register consciously; th a t is, due to
preoccupation w e w ere not aw are of the
sound, sight, or smell, w hen it im pressed it
self upon the storehouse of memory. N ever
theless, in the dream these impressions did
register. T h e y came back to our conscious
ness w hile w e w ere asleep and to us it w as a
bran d new experience.
V iew ing the hum an aura is a very good
w ay to dem onstrate by experim ent the phe
nom ena of psychic perceptions. W e are told
in our m onographs that under certain ideal
conditions w e can see the human au ra of an
other person. T h e use of the w ord see in this
case is loose or careless, for actually w e do
n ot see the aura, rather, w e perceive it. W e
are conscious of it, but not in the ordinary
w ay. In other w ords, perceiving the aura
through the sense of sight is not like viewing
an object w ith the eye. In the first place, the
aura is a psychic condition or rath e r due to
th e natu re of the psychic body. T o perceive
it, then, requires a subjective or psychic state

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

or condition. W h e n relaxed and in a sub

jective state w e m ay perceive the aura seem
ingly through the sense o f sight b u t there
are persons w ho become aw are of the natu re
of an o th er's au ra through sounds th a t they
seem to hear. By this you will realize th a t
w e perceive or become conscious of psychic
experiences in a w ay th a t is quite different
from the physical functions of the objective
sense organs. Psychic experiences are im
pressed upon us. W e have impressions of
w hich w e are conscious, an d w e often m ake
the m istake of thinking w e are objectively
aw are of these things w hen actually it is all
subjective. Remember the psychic b ody is
perfect. It is not affected b y an y physical im
pairm ent. A surgical operation m ay require
the rem oval of an arm o r leg, b u t the psychic
body of one so injured rem ains unaffected.
T h is fact is proven b y viewing a psychic pro
jection o f one w ho is crippled or maimed.
W e w ould say, therefore, th a t color blind
ness, eye injury, defective au ditory nerves,
or an y other sense im pairm ent will have no
effect upon an y psychic conditions th at may
be perceived.

M any M etaphysical Movements

A t one of th e public lectures given b y our
field representative, an individual inquiring
regarding this organization asked w hy there
are so m any m etaphysical o r self-im provem ent organizations in existence. H e said his
question w as prom pted b y th e fact th a t he
h ad received literature from various such o r
ganizations an d th a t individuals had ap
proached him concerning still others. H e
w an ted to know w hy, even more than the
fact th a t th ere seemed to be numerous
groups, th e re w as also, to a certain extent,
some hostility betw een various groups. T h e
question raised b y him, then, w as: W h y , if
so m any organizations claim to have the
truth, can th e y not be b ro ad enough to see
the tru th elsewhere?
Let us consider this last point first. T h e
question arises: D oes an y one organization
or institution have full control of the tru th ?
T h is m ight further raise a philosophical dis
cussion as to w h at constitutes truth. W e will
leave th a t for ano th er discussion and consid
er here w h eth er or not any group or individ
uals can have the complete an d only concep
tion o f the truth. A n organization th a t w ould

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

make a claim th a t it h ad control of all the

truth in the universe, o r infer th e same thing
by saying th a t it alone w as the tru th fu l and
the rig h t group, is assum ing a defensive posi
tion in th at the burden of proof will rest w ith
it an d actually, in any sensible consideration
of the suggestion, no group could present
actual proof of such a claim. T h e Rosicru
cians, let it be stated here frankly, have never
claimed to have all the tru th o r to have ex
clusive control of the tru th w hich they pre
sent. T hrou g h o u t their long history they
have claimed to be composed of conscientious
students w orking tow ard the truth , teaching
other students w ho have a sim ilar desire for
seeking, a t the sam e time, m aking use of
those tru th s an d principles w hich it has
found.
Possibly the best test of such tru th insofar
as bettering our ow n lives and environm ent
is of a utilitarian nature. T h a t is, the laws
and principles w hich the Rosicrucians have
found to be w orthw hile have been proven so
by their use and the effect of the use upon
th a t individual a n d his imm ediate surround
ings. T h e Rosicrucians have alw ays been
equally tolerant concerning an y other in
dividual or group of individuals w ho are
seeking the truth. T his organization does
not condem n any individual's affiliation w ith
other groups, as long as they are morally,
ethically, and legally upright in their activi
ties. A queer thing is th a t some organizations
or groups which claim to have an exclusive
control of the truth are the ones m ost partic
ular regarding w h at o th e r groups their mem
bers m ay desire to contact. Some organiza
tions forbid their followers to affiliate w ith
any other kind of organization. It is difficult
to understand how a group th a t claims to
have the truth could possibly object to its
members affiliating w ith another legitim ate
group except for one thing. T h is one thing
m ust be th a t they them selves doubt the
veracity of the tru th w hich they are teaching.
In other w ords, they acknow ledge in their
action th a t there m ust be truth som ew here
else, and they know if their followers affiliate
w ith another group th a t they will suffer by
com parison w ith the second group an d may
lose their followers to someone else. If this
first group actually had the truth, how could
they possibly fear their f o llo w e r s joining
another group w hich in any w ay m ight in

Page 25

terfere w ith their progress? T herefore, one

w ay of determ ining the sincerity an d legiti
m acy of an y society or organization is to
find out its broad-m indedness of all tru th s
and principles.
A s to w hy so m any groups exist, it is dif
ficult to say except th a t every hum an being
is given the rig h t to reason and to form ulate
opinions and conclusions. T h e more aggres
sive of these individuals, once th ey have
form ulated w h at to them seems to be an
original idea, or, a t least a modification of
someone elses idea to the extent th a t this
belief is new, g ath er around them a certain
num ber of followers, usually followers of
this particular personality, and there w e have
the beginning o f an other group. U ntil society
makes it necessary for certain activities to be
regulated, these activities go on w ithout reg
ulations. T h ere w as a time w hen schools
could be started by an y individual, b u t w hen
society saw the need for the protection of
individuals w ithin this society to the extent
o f know ing w h at schools to choose, th ey set
up stan d ard s to w hich a school m ust conform
if it is to be a proper channel for education.
T herefore, as m any independent schools do
n ot exist as in other times. W h e n society
provides for the protection of all individuals,
it will be b etter to make all organizations
state their purpose, background, and general
plan o f future activities. T h en people will
begin to look into the natu re of a group th a t
m ay attract their attention.
U nfortunately, to d ay anyone can o rg an
ize a religious o r m etaphysical organization
and carry on an y kind of teachings th a t it
sees fit under th e guise of being religious or
metaphysical, an d an y conscientious student
w ho will stop to examine the facts know s
th a t most of these are as far rem oved from
religion o r m etaphysics as it is possible to be.
I recently asked a follower of the so-called
m etaphysical group to define the w ord m eta
physics" and found th a t he could n o t give
an y kind of an intelligent answ er or even a
dictionary definition.
Possibly there is good an d harm in so
m any movements. W e all are different in
our particular phase of development. W h a t
will a ttract one person will not a ttra c t an
other, and certain individuals have it as a
p art of their lot o r Karm a to have to pass
through various stages of seeking until they

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 26

find the right thing. T h ere is no harm in a

num ber of organizations if they are sincere
and constructive in purpose. T h e harm' comes
w hen petty bickering enters and w hen the
true aim is lost in the process of trying to
establish another movement for financial or
personal gain. It should be the policy of
members of this organization to help true
seekers to its teachings, not because of the
fact th a t w e a re the only organization th at
m ay have know ledge and practical applica
tion of it, b u t because w e know from the
benefits w hich w e have found how others
can be helped in an equal m anner. It is not
o ur policy to proselyte and to direct our a t
tention to securing members from am ong
oth er groups b u t by letting these individuals
b y their ow n development, find w h at w e have
to offer a t the proper time. W e have m any
members w ho have been m any years in find
ing this organization. T h eir testim ony of the
value of our teachings is sufficient to prove
their value. T herefore, let us alw ays realize
th a t w e are entrusted w ith a sacred light
and an obligation to carry it as far as w e
can so th a t it will benefit oth er people, and,
a t the same time, acknow ledge the right of
everyone else to their own ideas and opinions.
-A

Spirit and M ind

M a n y interesting discussions w ere held
during our recent annual Convention, an d no
doubt some of these discussions will be
brought before our Forum meetings through
o ut the coming year. W e , therefore, feel it
in order to mention a request m ade b y a visit
ing Soror during one of the class instruction
periods this sum m er.
T h is request asks for a definition of the
difference betw een spirit and mind. T h e
Rosicrucians make a distinct difference be
tw een these tw o phases o r m anifestations of
being. In the first place, th a t w hich w e call
spirit has naught to do w ith so-called spirits
of the astral w orld. It is th a t m anifestation
of th e source of all things th a t is vibratory in
its nature, yet intangible and of a so-called
negative state. It is the pulsating energy th a t
causes m anifestations to which w e give the
term m atter.
T h e re is no question th a t an intelligence or
law and o rder controls the forms into w hich

spirit essence develops, and this intelligence

w e could label mind. In other w ords, Cosmic
mind is the intelligence back of the develop
m ent of spirit essence into tangible forms of
m atter w hich w e know through the five
physical senses.
M ind is th a t thinking, know ing quality of
the being th a t is m ost closely related o r a s
sociated w ith th e soul force in the body.
W h e n w e think of mind w e divide it into two
planes o f activity in o rd er to distinguish the
so-called outer, m aterial experiences w ith
those th at are o f the inner, divine portion of
m ans consciousness. Consequently, w e often
speak of the D ivine M ind an d brain, or w e
m ight say the subjective mind and the objec
tive mind. Such term s or expressions are
synonym ous. T h u s w e see th a t mind is dual.
T h a t is, it has a dual function. T h e divine or
subjective controls all of the subjective func
tions of the b o d y or rath er those th at perform
autom atically w ithout m ental effort on our
p art. T h e o u ter mind is th a t phase of mind
more closely related to m ans material life,
the objective actions and functions.
W e say th e mind an d not the brain is the
thinking, know ing understanding quality of
man and all living things. W e see this in cer
tain reactions to stimuli on the p art of cell
life w here there is no obvious seat of sensa
tion or o rg an such as brain. W e , of course,
adm it the im portance of brain insofar as ob
jective u nderstanding is concerned; never
theless, there is life w ith intelligence w ithout
brain.
Brain is an o rg an of the anim al kingdom.
M ind functions through it and w e become
aw are of ourselves and all things about us
through the function of this im portant organ.
Should it become injured or its function in
terrupted for an y reason, our understanding
an d o u r interpretation of the m aterial w orld
w ould be changed, perhaps w arp ed beyond
reason. W ith the objective mind we reason
an d classify all of o u r m ental experiences.
T h u s w e recognize odors, light and sound
vibration, vibrations of ta ste and other purely
m aterial experiences in life. T h ro u g h reason
an d our ability to think w e can separate in
telligent borderline expeirences from those
sim ply caused by uncontrolled dream s that
a re the result of tossing into the hat, as it
were, a m yriad of m ental experiences shak
ing them up, taking out a handful and trying

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to fit them into a reasonable pattern of order

and intelligence.
T o briefly sum up w hat w e learn from this
short comment, spirit and mind are different,
because spirit is a form of vibrating energy
set into motion b y mind. T his statem ent, of
course, alludes to the Cosmic m ind the orig
inal source o f all things and m anifestations
in the universe. S pirit as an intangible energy
is o f a negative nature, hence, earthly or ma
terial in the forms it takes on the earth plane.
M ind, on the o th e r hand, is complete being
neither positive or negative. H ow ever, as it
functions it will either m anifest one w ay or
the other according to the particular function.
F o r instance, in the construction of th e body
of m an w ith its physical organs it is func
tioning in a negative form, but in the soul
force th a t anim ates th e body it is positive in
its functions.
T h u s w e learn th a t man, as a being, is
dual. H e consists of a physical m aterial body
vibrating w ith negative spirit essence into
w hich he has b reathed the breath of life, soul
force, th e positive, vibrating soul energy, the
other quality of the Cosmic mind.

Education Is Essential
Fellow members o f th e Forum C ircle I
w ish to apologize for digressing from our
usual discussions this morning to talk to you
about a subject th a t is a little foreign to the
n atu re an d purpose o f our w ork here. Y et
I cannot help bu t feel th at the following re
m arks have some merit, because they deal
with the youth of our nation and, in fact,
the nations of the w orld.
N o doubt you have noticed th a t w ar and
its toils are conspicuous by their absence from
our discussions an d from the pages of all
Rosicrucian publications. It is difficult to
enter into such a subject w ith a com pletely
unbiased attitude. F or, after all, each of us
has his ow n personal opinion on m atters of
the ideal governm ent, w ar, and politics.
R egardless of our personal opinions, how
ever, w e m ust all concur th a t the w orld in its
present state of chaos, though dam aging to
all peoples in the final end, is m ost dam aging
to the you n g er generation, th at is, the young
men an d women betw een the ages of fifteen
and twenty-five. T h is is so for several rea
sons. F irst, and perhaps foremost, these

Page 27

young people build or rath er receive a com

pletely false idea of w orld stan d ard s. In
m any w ays they are exploited b y captains of
big industry. N o t in th e sam e w ay as y ester
y ear w hen there w ere no child labor laws
and legislature to protect the youngsters
from sw eat shops'* an d low w ages, b ut
rath er a condition to the opposite extreme.
P erhaps I can b etter explain w h at I mean
b y relating to you a conversation of recent
d ate w ith a young boy just going into his
seventeenth year. In other w ords, he is six
teen years old. T h is young chap is in his
second y ear o f high school an d the conver
sation w as centered around education, his
schooling an d w h at he anticipated for the
future. F rankly, I w as adm onishing him for
playing hooky" from school an d a t the same
time trying to im press him w ith the im port
ance o f an educational background. T h is
young fellow inform ed me th a t he d id n 't care
if th e school b u rn ed dow n" for p retty soon
he w ould go to w ork in the cannery for 85$
an hour w ith time a n d a half for overtime
an d p retty soon he w ould be old enough to
become a w elder an d earn from sixty to
eighty dollars a w eek, so w h at good w ould
it do him to go to school and bother w ith an
education. T h is boy, as you can see, has had
his sense of values w arp ed b y the terrific
com petition for labor, even if it be child labor.
Just think o f it for a moment. H ere is a
young boy in the prim e of youth throw ing
aw ay his entire fu tu re on the false premise
th at the few dollars he can earn during this
period o f labor inflation will establish him or
p repare him for conditions to come. T h e
glorious road to im m ediate w ealth glitters
w ith such brilliance th a t this b oy and thou
sands upon thousands like him a re blinded to
the darkness of th e day s just around the bend
w hen education will again be the sta n d ard of
o n es achievem ent in th e m aterial w orld.
R ight a t the p resen t time conditions are
adverse to the young m an of seventeen and
eighteen years o f age. A fter all, he knows
th a t w hen he g rad u ates from high school he
will be required to go into the arm ed forces
of the country in w hich he lives, and, of
course, in m any countries this event will oc
cur even a t a more ten d er age. A g reat m any
of o ur boys have given much th o u g h t to this
m atter and feel th a t since the d raft is in
evitable it is b est th a t they earn all th at is

Page 28

possible betw een sixteen an d eighteen years

o f age. I do not mean to lay blam e o r even
fully criticize these young people, b ut rath e r
ask th a t each of you give some thought to
this question and w herever y our advice and
suggestions will bear fruit, point out how
much more im portant education is now and
will be later on during the period of w orld
reconstruction. T h e future m an of th e
w orld will not be the boy o f today w ho
quits high school to earn seventy dollars a
week for a y ear or tw o before being called
into th e service w ith no greater possibilities
than a non-comm issioned officers rating.
R ather this m an will be the young chap w ho
today makes every effort to improve his men
tal capabilities w hile in high school so th a t
he can take an d pass certain governm ent ex
am inations open to all w ho have properly
prepared themselves. T hese exam inations, if
passed, m ake the boy eligible for college
training in the particular field of endeavor he
has chosen. T h ese college an d university
training periods are designed to give one a
liberal education and a t the sam e time train
him for a commission either in the n av y or
the arm y w hichever has been selected.
If defense and other industries did not
make such glamorous offers an d com pete so
strenuously for the labor of the young boys
and girls there w ould be no recourse b u t to
finish high school an d get as much out of it
as possible. You m ight say th a t one point
has been overlooked, that the boy w ho is go
ing into labor instead of com pleting his edu
cation is learning a trad e and will be skilled
in the field he has chosen, thus, alw ays able
to earn a com fortable salary. T h e tru th is,
how ever, very few learn enough to do them
any good in later life. T a k e the w elder, he
learns one job of welding in one o r tw o
weeks. H e then continues this one job so
long as he remains on the project. T h ere
isnt time for him to learn more. T a k e the
m arine electrician, he learns his trad e in a
few w eeks w hereas the old tim er spent
several years in apprenticeship, b u t this new
man has ju st one job to do. H e is n o t an d
cannot be a full-fledged, licensed m arine elec
trician. T h ese statem ents are n o t based upon
hearsay, but upon facts b rou g h t to light in
discussing these m atters both w ith the young
man in the trad e and the older skilled trad es

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

man w ith years of experience and practice

behind him.
A s first stated, an apology is in order for
bringing this m atter before you, b ut yet I feel
it w o rth y of o u r consideration if w e hope to
save the youth o f this nation and of the
w orld from this folly of their own reasoning.
Remember, education is still open to him if
he will only tak e advantage of it. It is ex
trem ely easy in this country to receive a
proper education, one th a t will prepare the
boy o r girl for a fitting place in the w orld o f
tomorrow.

T he H ealing Power of the Cosmic

A F ra ter has asked for a fuller explanation
of how the forces in the Cosmic are directed
into a healing pow er by the individual adm in
istering the Rosicrucian treatm ents. H e pre
sumes th a t all healing forces w hich are utiliz
ed by the individual applying them are al
read y existent in the Cosmic, and th a t the in
dividual m ust learn how to direct these forces.
It is tru e th a t the healing forces, as well as
all constructive forces, are a p a rt of the C os
mic; in other w ords, a p art o f the creative
forces in the universe, originally set into oper
ation by the C reator. T h e Cosmic is -the title
applied to all purposeful forces in the uni
verse, and, in the b roadest sense of the theory
of their being, all forces are purposeful even
though w e are unable to see the immediate
purpose of a particular activity. N ow , since
these forces are greater than M an himself,
in fact, they are forces w hich a re a p art of
M an, it is reasonable to believe th a t M an has
no control over them. N evertheless, the prin
ciples of healing as conceived b y Rosicrucian
ism do not infer necessarily th a t M an does
control an y forces, w hether w ithin him or
outside himself.
It is pointed out in o u r early degrees of
study, th a t the fundam ental basis of the main
tenance of health an d w ell being is based
upon harm ony. T h a t is, w hen the body and
those various p arts are in harm ony w ith each
other, and w hen the body, in turn, is in h a r
m ony w ith th e nonphysical forces of the uni
verse, a state of equilibrium exists w hich is
constructive to th e most perfect m anifestation
of the body w hich is actually a sta te of per
fect health. M a n s effort, then, to m aintain
health an d to bring about health w hen dis-

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ease and inharm ony exist is to try to re

establish harm ony and balance in his system
an d betw een his body and the psychic forces.
T herefore, in using the principles w hich w e
teach for the m aintenance of health an d the
relieving of unhealthy conditions, M an must
learn how to cooperate w ith th e forces th at
are resident w ithin the Cosmic and thereby
m ake him self a channel through w hich these
forces can be applied more directly.
In Rosicrucian healing, the individual w ho
is acting as this go-betw een betw een the
Cosmic forces an d the individual seeking
treatm ents is actually no more nor less th an
a tool w hich has been p u t to w ork a t the dis
posal o f these forces. W e know th a t the
sun's rays, to cite an example, have the pow er
to create actual fire. T his is done w hen these
rays are focused through a lens. In such a
case th e lens is the lesser of the tw o forces
concerned; in fact, the lens is not, in the
strictest sense of the w ord, a force a t all. It
is m erely the tool o r the director of the ener
gies w hich already exist in the sun's rays,
b u t diffused over a large space, the lens, by
redirecting these rays, centers th e composite
force of all the rays falling upon one p ar
ticular point w here they are so concentrated
th a t fire actually develops in inflammable
materials.
T h e hum an being, w hen adm inistering
Rosicrucian treatm ents, is com parable w ith
the lens directing the sun's rays. W h e n w e
learn through the instructions provided in the
Rosicrucian teachings, how to make ourselves
th e directors of the forces already existent,
w e are perform ing the sam e action as the
lens in directing the forces or rays of th e sun
to concentrate on one point. T h e science of
physics can give us an explanation of how
the lens changes the rays of the sun, b u t it
is som ew hat difficult for us to give an ex
planation of how M an can change certain
vibrations of Cosmic energies to be concen
trated on one point. T his fact, however, is of
less im portance than the fact th a t the system
w orks.
Rosicrucian healing is a practicable appli
cation of certain phases of th e Rosicrucian
teachings an d should not be confused w ith
the term inology ordinarly applied to system s
of healing, such as w ith drugs, m anipulation,
or an y other physical process. T h e term
m ental healing" is not a true descriptive

Page 29

term o f the Rosicrucian process. W e do not

heal by any p articular force or pow er of the
mind. T h e only pow er which w e use is the
know ledge o f directing forces alread y in ex
istence. T h e pow er o f know ledge perm its us
to place ourselves a t the disposal of these
forces in such a w ay th a t th ey m anifest in a
constructive an d creative form to the maxi
mum ex ten t th a t these forces can be directed
b y us as hum an beings.
T h is is an illustration of how im portant it
is for us to m aster to the best o f o ur abilities,
the principles w hich Rosicrucianism teaches
so th a t the know ledge of how to direct these
forces can be ours and, through practice and
application, to becom e proficient in the pro
cess.A

Is Education Progressing?
W h e n w e see the g reat im provem ent th a t
has been m ade in the educational institutions
throughout this country, a n d consider the
trem endous am ount of time an d m oney th a t
has been necessary to equip them, together
w ith the highly trained individuals an d spec
ialists w ho direct their activities, w e stop to
ask ourselves if our educational system is
furnishing our children an d young people
w ith an adequate conception of life and
b etter ability to m eet social adjustm ent.
T h e-ex tre m e pessim ist m ight look a t the
w orld today, and, due to the events tran sp ir
ing, question w h eth er or not our education
system has done an y good, b u t if one w ould
look a t the w hole picture more tolerantly, he
w ould see th a t education is a force th a t can
be used for constructive or destructive p u r
poses. E ducation in totalitarian countries
has caused th e populace to become alm ost
fanatic in the ideals to w hich th e country
subscribes. E ducation in this country has
generally tried to institute in the minds of
students the values of the principles of de
m ocracy an d individual rights, an d although
some question existed as to how well th at
w as done since this country's actual entry
into the w ar, w e h ave seen m any evidences
to indicate th a t the success of th e people for
w orking together for a common cause has
been rem arkable. Some of our enemies laid
their hope o f victory to the fact th a t this
country, due to internal difficulties could not
possibly unite for a productive w ar effort.
T hough w e have h ad our problem s an d dif

Page 30

ferences betw een individuals and groups just

as exist in a large family, the fact is th a t w e
are all w orking nevertheless tow ard the same
ends and subordinating these differences
w hen the w elfare of the larger group become
more im portant to our individual well being
than the imm ediate w elfare or progress of
our own individual opinions or ideals.
T h e educational system in the U nited
S tates has become a model for the w orld in
m any respects an d yet, it falls short in one
im portant pointth at is, the cultivating an d
encouraging of personnel to direct its activi
ties. T h ere are actually hundreds of teach
ers w ho have prepared themselves ad equate
ly to be good teachers w ho have left J:he
teaching p r o f e s s i o n to enter w ork which
pays more money. It is true th a t w e need
m any of these people in the w ar industries
today, b u t is any w ar industry of an y more
im portance than the education of youth which
m ust take over the m aintenance of peace in
the w orld to come? T h is does not mean th a t
it w ould be necessary to p ay teachers the
same income th at can be paid in industries
in the time of pressure, such as this time, b ut
it does mean th at the conscientious teachers
m ust be assured of a future independent of
m aterial w orry if they are to be entrusted
w ith the directing of our children an d our
neighbor's children in forming their concepts
and ideals for the future. F requently, small
political groups, such as local school boards
and individuals prim arily interested in their
own political gains, are the ones w ho have
the final voice in reg ard to a teacher's term
of office and salary. Surely this is not a
problem to be placed entirely in the h ands of
a small group, but one w hich concerns every
individual. If you w ish to be assured of your
children's w elfare and of the progress o f the
educational system w hich will teach these
children to live in this com plicated w orld
w hich they are entering, it is your d u ty to
make it a point to become inform ed of the
school law s w ithin your district, city, or state
and see th a t you and other parents whom
you know, as well as adults w ho are n ot p ar
ents, take an interest in the m aintenance of
good and adequate system of education.
Politics has its place but it does n ot have
its place in the determ ining of the future w el
fare of your children. It is y o u r obligation
as well as th a t of anyone else to see th a t con

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

structive efforts only, insofar as it is hum anly

possible, are p u t into effect in the system of
education upon which you are depending to
teach your children to be adjusted to a sane
an d healthy form of living.A

Forum Questions Answered

F ratres an d Sorores of the Forum Circle,
it seems necessary to call your attention
again to a few facts regarding our meet
ings an d the purpose of these personal
discussions.
F irst of all, these m eetings are called th at
w e m ay have an opportunity to clear up all
of our misconceptions an d m isinterpretations
of the Rosicrucian teachings and their ap
plication in o u r individual lives. W e all have,
a t some time or other, puzzling thoughts and
confusing experiences th a t annoy us, pre
venting our proper grow th and development.
T h ese Forum discussions are intended to as
sist us along the rocky p ath to the smooth
highw ay o f understanding th at lies beyond.
T h is being the specific purpose of our
meetings, w e n aturally invite everyone to
participate by subm itting their ideas, impres
sions, experiences, and questions to the di
rector of these talks. In extending such an
invitation w e place no lim itations upon its
acceptance. In other w ords, w e do not re
quire th at the questions subm itted be of any
specific nature. H ow ever, w e only discuss
those th at w e feeel will be of benefit to a
large m ajority of our Forum membership. If
w e did not do this, w e w ould find ourselves
operating for the interest of one or tw o in
dividuals; this obviously w ould be unfair to
the rest of us.
D o you w onder w hy this m atter is being
m entioned here today? P erhaps you do;
therefore, I will ease your suspense. D uring
the p ast five o r six m onths a large num ber of
questions have been received by the D irectors
of the Forum meetings th a t we have been
forced to set aside w ithout further explana
tion. E ither they are questions th a t have
been thoroughly perused w ithin recent per
iods or they prove too personal for general
discussion. O u r policy in such cases is to
express thanks for the suggestion an d an
sw er the question personally outside of our
meeting.
T h ere are, however, m any requests th a t we
cannot fulfill; alw ays there is a specific and

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

im portant reason for this. F o r instance, m any

requests are received for an explanation of
some psychic medium's m ethod of operation
or a member of the Circle will have w itnessed
some stage perform ance th a t has mystified
him an d he will w rite to us to explain it to
him. T h e same is often true of the individual
m em bers psychic and even physical experi
ences in life.
T h e m ajority of such questions subm itted
to the Forum w ould prove of general interest
and a t first seem w orthy of careful considera
tion, b u t the difficulty lies in the fact th a t w e
lack first-hand experience w ith the question
or subject and, therefore, can offer no real or
concrete explanation. A ll w e can do is to
speculate upon the subject and from the
w ording of the question say w hat m ight have
happened or state some particular m ethod of
operation th at could have been used to achieve the reported results. T his, I am sure
you will agree, is not fair to the perform er or
medium, neither is it fair to the student bring
ing th e m atter to our attention.
Y ou will all agree th at to know a thing or
fact related to the so-called psychic w orld w e
m ust experience it ourselves. W ith o u t such
experience w e are a t a loss to explain it.
T herefore, if a psychic medium of the fortune
teller type sits before us w ith a deck of cards,
relaxed and playing solitaire, w hile relating
to us facts of our recent p ast an d of our pres
ent, perhaps w e can tell another to a fairly
accurate degree w h at system of m ental rea
soning and psychic pow er he is calling upon
for the inform ation. H ow ever, if someone
else visits such a person and comes aw ay
mystified then calls upon this Forum Circle
to explain the phenom ena w e have an entire
ly different situation w ith w hich to contend.
W h a t w e might say under these conditions
w ould throw little light on truth upon the
m atter, for it w ould be nothing more th an an
analysis of w hat might have taken place, in
other w ords, speculation.
T h is also applies to personal experiences
such as dream s, visions, sounds and noises in
the night while asleep or perhaps even in
m editation. U nless one is perform ing a p ar
ticular experim ent in a definitely prescribed
m anner th a t will bring forth certain previous
ly know n results, another cannot explain it,
not having had the necessary first-hand
experience.

Page 31

A s I stated once before w e have received

m any such questions in recent m onths, no
doubt some have w ondered w h at happened
to their question, w h y it has n ot been taken
up in the Forum Circle. It is possible th at
your unansw ered request falls in one of the
catagories m entioned here this m orning. If
it does then you will u nderstand w hy it has
not been m entioned in these pages. N o w
please do n t let our rem arks discourage you
in any w ay because you cannot alw ays de
term ine w hether or n ot your thought, idea,
or experience can be used. T herefore, if you
have an inspiration to w rite to the editor of
the Forum , feel perfectly free to do so. In
fact, w e not only invite you, but w e urge you
to submit your requests. W ith o u t them it is
difficult to conduct our Forum meetings.
In closing these rem arks perm it me to ad d
th at there are a few, a very few questions
th a t cannot be discussed for the reason th a t
they lie too far ahead and beyond th e scope
of the average member of our Forum Circle.
It is necessary to let such questions rem ain
unansw ered until the member reaches the
highest degree of our work. A fter all, even
in the N eophyte D egree the beginner has
thoughts an d impressions th a t he w ould like
answ ered in th e early degrees, b ut w hich be
long to the highest of esoteric w ork an d m ust
rem ain so. In order th a t you will b etter un
d erstan d w h at I h av e reference to, I give
you th e following quotation: W h e n a man
or wom an has w orked and practiced the vari
ous exercises and has developed steadily
through the degrees, has reached the highest
degrees and beyond there comes a time as to
all of us w hen he or she will pass through
transition. N o w w hen th a t soul is again in
carnated into this plane of life w h at happens
about further development? Is th a t soul
again bro u g h t into contact w ith the initiate
as a m atter of course, or does it just have to
take its chance as it w ere? Such a question
m ust of necessity rem ain unansw ered, b u t
w e can and do offer encouragem ent b y sta t
ing th a t it probably w as not luck or chance
th at brought you into contact during this
p articular incarnation. E ither you w ere d e
sirous of know ledge ready to study or a t
least curious about the n atural laws of man
an d the universe, or you w ould not have re
sponded to the call in the first place.

Balked
By aWord!
D o e s a D e fin itio n S ta n d B e tw e e n
Y o u a n d U n d e rs ta n d in g ?

. . . .

Does the lack of meaning of strange words and terms block

your study progress? Do you find yourself caught in a web
of uncertainty as to the inner, esoteric significance of mys'
tical phrases? Are you one of many who finds the common
dictionary inadequate in providing the true philosophical
interpretation of rare words? Do you know the Rosicrucian
definition of Spirit, Cosmic, Soul, Cosmic Consciousness,

fourth dimension, harmonium, Karma, Nous, projection,

shekinah, etc.?
Stop guessing at truths. Obtain the Rosicrucian Manual
and learn the proper meaning and use of all the unusual
mystical words of your monographs.

T h e S t u d e n t s G u i d e
Read between the lines of your lessons, by the aid of
;he Rosicrucian Manual, the students guide book,
[t is an encyclopedia of official Rosicrucian terms and
phrases. It also contains diagrams and explanations of
ill symbols and outlines of the habits and customs of the
Order. Further, it has special instructive articles
on such topics as the Great White Lodge and
how to obtain psychic illumination. It is, in fact,
many books in one. Profusely illustrated, large,
bound in red silk cloth and stamped in gold,- it is
^
a magnificent reference work for all Rosicrucian
students. It is priced, postpaid, at

O nly $2.35 per copy.

R O S IC R U C IA N
ROSICRUCIAN PARK
P R IN T E D IN U . S . A .

S U P P L Y

B U R E A U

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

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

cv

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM
A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,
THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER
Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal A ct of Oct. 3, 1917.

Vol. XIV

OCTOBER, 1943

No. 2

AUTUMN
Autum n, shorn o f summer fin ery
Displays a w ardrobe fa r richer
A n d more beautiful still
Than when a summer sun shone
O n pinks and greens and yellows
A n d unblemished daisies on the hill.
Man, stop and learn this lesson in design
M ere seasons G o d's hand, cannot confine.
Patrick Burton

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
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>

Page 34

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ea r Fratres and Sorores:
D uring norm al times, on Sundays and holi
days, w hy are the public highw ays congested
w ith automobile traffic? Is it ju st the love of
the people for the great out-of-doors, and for
the sensation of an effortless rapid movement
of the body? T hose are perhaps some of the
explanations; however, the reason goes deep
er and has a more serious psychological foun
dation. W e avoid m onotony an d ennui only
by the continuous vacillation of our con
sciousness. A fixed state of consciousness,
th a t is, the retention of an idea w hich does
not change causes m ental fatigue, w hich de
velops into irritability. T h e re is no greater
torture than boredom, as m any can testify.
T h ere are tw o w ays of actuating our state
of consciousness. T h e first is to have it im
pelled w ithout volition on our part. W e may
look a t or listen to something, for example,
w hich continuously excites our mind w ith
its varying impressions. C hanging sounds,
spoken w ords, the movement of objects, vari
ation of colorsthese things hold attention
by the sensations they produce w ithin us,
thereby causing our consciousness to be ac
tive. In fact, consciousness w ould become
dorm ant if one sense impression, a sound for
instance, w ould be sustained so th a t w e could
hear or be aw are of nothing else. T h is is
know n to w orkers in shops and industrial
plants, w here for hour after hour their ears
m ay be assaulted by some particular an d con
sta n t sound, such as the w hir o f a m otor
driven saw. Eventually this sound is blocked
out of their consciousness; they no longer
realize it. Consciousness needs change. It is
kept active only by the varying impressions
it receives, w ith the resultant sensations from
them.
T h e second w ay of actuating o u r con
sciousness is by our will, by thinking, b y
reasoning, by organizing the ideas which
have already registered in our m inds into
new and different conceptions. A man m ay
be seated in a cave, w here no external im
pressions can reach him, w ith no sounds or
sights to attract his attention, y e t his mind
m ay be furiously active because of his re

V
flections. T h e studious type of individual, the
thinker, can alw ays self-stim ulate his con
sciousness. T h u s, he can be assured th at he
will never experience the m onotony of an
inert mind. T h ro u g h practice, his m ental
pow ers have become flexible and intellectual
activity is quite facile for him.
Conversely, however, the other types of
individuals, w hich unfortunately constitute
the m ajority, find self-instigated m ental ac
tivity strenuous and laborious. T h ey prefer
th at they rem ain passive and th at the w orld,
instead, act upon their consciousness. Con
sequently, for this to come about they must
have bodily activity, w hich they find less dis
turbing than the exercise of mind. In other
w ords, they decide to place themselves in
such a position th a t their environm ent will
act upon them, th a t scenes will ever change
w ithout their ever having to direct their own
consciousness. T o use a simple analogy, if
you w ant som ething to move before your
eyes, you either exert the effort to move your
hand or som ething else up and down before
your face, or you can go to the window , re
main stationary and let things on the thor
oughfare move themselves before your vision.
T h e m ajority of people prefer the latter type
of activity. T h e y find it more pleasing to
move their bodies along the highw ays for the
changing environm ent it affords, and because
it continuously assaults the consciousness
w ith different sense impressions th at prevent
m onotony an d thereby cause pleasant, though
often superficial interests. T h e fact th a t this
is so is evident in th at they frequently change
the direction in which they drive their cars
for pleasure, an d vary their rate of speed.
T h e y are constantly seeking a new thrill, a
further stimulus of consciousness, w ithout
the exercise o f their m ental pow ers. T h ey
prefer to be acted upon, rath er than become
active themselves.
T h e cause o f this deplorable condition is
often to be found in the homes of these peo
ples. M any of them are w ealthy and ow n
luxuriously appointed homes, or are in quite
m oderate circum stances. W h e n they remain
at home, o th er than for sleep, dining, or to

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

entertain, they feel immured in a prison. T h e

home is not really such to them, but merely
a shelter or residence. T h ere is nothing in it
w hich stim ulates their im agination or causes
an active state of consciousness from which
they can derive enjoym ent. A home m ust be
the habitat of your interests as well as your
body. It m ust afford an outlet for your emo
tions and your desires as well as a place to
hang your hat. In its furnishings, devices, or
appurtenances, their must be som ething th at
will challenge your mind and stim ulate your
thinking in a pleasing w ay. A home does not
need to be a school room or laboratory w here
tedious m ental occupation is dem anded of
you. It should, how ever, provide interests to
your mind w hich are restful, relaxing, and
which move your consciousness pleasantly,
w ithout the need of accelerating your body
30, 40, or 80 miles an hour along the high
w ay, to get the sam e results.
If you cannot conceive of w hat to bring
into your home th a t will afford these m entally
constructive, not dissipating pleasures, you
are poverty stricken, even though you may
be w ealthy in m aterial possessions. If you
have no hobby, no special m ental interest
which brings ycfii great satisfaction in your
idle moments, you are abnorm aly o u are an
extrem e extrovert. You are thus unable to
create your own environm ent, and you are
obviously a slave to forces and factors which
act upon you. A m an who says, W e ll, there
is no particular avocation w hich appeals to
me, is in the same breath saying, I have no
desires, except the instinctive ones of my ap
petites. I find no pleasures, except in eating,
drinking, and bodily indulgences. M ost per
sons w ho must continually be moving about,
go here and there for diversion, are doing
so because they cannot find it in their own
minds, and, yet, they are alw ays restless.
A ctually, the external excitement for w hich
they are ever in search is not thoroughly sat
isfying to them. If they would adm it it, they
are alw ays w anting something more b u t they
do not know w hat.
I recommend th a t such persons read some
of the popular science, mechanics, and crafts
books th a t are on new sstands. In time, they
m ay find some craft, some illustrations, or an
article related to it th a t will appeal imm ediate
ly to their latent talentstalents w hich they
may not realize they have. I suggest also th a t

Page 35

they visit some of the hobby shops in differ

ent cities, that, for example, have on display
model railroad equipment, and kits for home
experim entation in chem istry, radio, an d elec
tricity. I fu rth er suggest th a t they w rite for
the catalog of H an d e H om e Shop M ater
ials. * Its suggestions for things th at can be
m ade a t home, an d the devices and tools for
such a purpose stim ulate the imagination of
anyone who m ight be mechanically inclined.
A lso they should visit the display of a rt
students in schools or universities w hen they
are open to the public. T h ere is a trem endous
sense of satisfaction in creating, in fashioning
ideas into things. Y ou may never become a
R em brandt or a Rhodin, but you will enjoy
your efforts trem endously. You m ay never
have had clay in your hands before. If, how
ever, there is an y unsuspected a rt in your
being, no m atter how elem entary, as you start
to use the simple tools of the beginner scluptor, and see a form taking shape under your
fingers, you will get a sense of satisfaction
like nothing you have ever before experienced.
You do not have to have a palatial home
for these things. A corner in a basem ent or
an attic will suffice. Even a little table in
some p art of one room on w hich you may be
able to w rite or d raw . H ave you ever tried
writing? Y ou m ay am aze yourself at the re
sults, if you do. N o one can really learn to
w rite, by going to a school w hich professes
to teach it. Such a school, adm ittedly is use
ful in teaching the rudim ents, such as gram
mar, English, an d technical fundam entals for
the presentation of ideas, and for the m arket
ing of your finished product. H ow ever, the
development of ideas and the expression of
them comes from practicetry it.
O nce you develop m ental pleasures and an
outlet for them in your home, you will not
need to rush here an d there for recreation or
for a change of scenery. You will not object
to the fact th at your body rem ains stationary
for a few hours, because your mind will be
scintillating and your consciousness will be
revolving from one experience to another,
under the magic touch of your new -found in
terest and your own will.
F raternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Im p e ra to r.
^Chicago W h e e l M fg. C o., 1101 W e s t M onroe
Street, C hicago, 111.

Page 36

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

What Is Illumination?
A Soror from the S tate of W a sh in g to n
rises to address our Forum . She asks: D oes
illum ination come in vivid, fleeting flashes of
pure know ledge? D o these flashes consist of
brief pictures of the future an d indelible
memories of the past? D o w e catch clear-cut
visions of our duties and responsibilities and
of the reasons for our tribulations? Is such
the beginning of illumination?
In the m ystical sense, illumination is not
very clearly defined b y m any w riters upon
the su b je c t It is often confused w ith m ys
tical experiences in general. T h e kinds of
m ystical states of consciousness are varied
perhaps nearly as diversified as are the ob
jective ones. F or the purpose of answ ering
this question, w e will divide m ystical experi
ences into tw o general kinds. T h e first w e will
consider are those w hich w e will call ecstatic.
Such consist of a sense o f suprem e joy, of
intense pleasure. T h is joy or pleasure is not
related to the satisfaction of an y appetite, as
the quenching of a thirst or the indulging of
some food. It is a beatitude, and therefore
m ost difficult to express in term s related to
our common objective states of consciousness.
P erhaps the best definition is to say th a t it
is an im perturbability of mind an d a complete
harm ony of the body. It is similar, for analo
gy, to a state of partial w akefulness afte r a
deep n ight's sleep, th a t is, w hen w e have just
come out of a sleep, y et are n o t fully aw ake.
In such an instance, w e are ju st sufficiently
aw ake so as to be conscious o f our complete
relaxation and to enjoy th e sensation of ease
w hich it affords. A ll determ inate factors are
non-existent. W e do not know exactly w ho
w e are or w here w e are. W e are conscious
only of a sense of intense enjoym ent. N o
one thing or condition seems to contribute to
those sensations. T his kind of ecstatic ex
perience is often referred to as at-one-m ent,
attunem ent and Cosmic Consciousness.
T h e second general kind o f mystical ex
periences is of the noetic type. By noetic, w e
mean th a t they have an intellectual quality.
T h eir context seems to ad d to our font of
know ledge. From such experiences w e seem
to derive considerable enlightenm ent. T h is
m ay consist of the removal o f doubts th a t w e
m ay possess or the solution of a problem, the
answ er to confounding questions, o r an ex
hortation to act in some w ay. T h e know ledge

th a t is im parted to us during such a state

m ay be in a vocative form, th a t is, it m ay be
as a spoken comment. A gain, it m ay be
visual, appearing as letters or w ords in bril
liant colorspurple, perhaps, or fiery red
against the screen of our consciousness.
Sometimes this noetic quality is also ac
com panied by the qualities of the ecstatic ex
periences. W e m ay have, for example, a
titilation of o u r senses, to be possessed by
w aves o f vibrations th a t seem ingly pass
through our bodies like exhilarating electrical
currents. W ith each w ord im parting know l
edge, w hether auditory or visual, w e m ay ex
perience sensations com parable to those of
intense excitement. T h ese sensations some
times are centered in the region of the solar
plexus.
T h e noetic experiences, then, are those
th a t constitute m ystical illumination. T h e re
cipient of them definitely is conscious of a
revelation am ounting to an addition to his
know ledge. It may be an accum ulation of
facts o r inform ation th a t goes beyond w h at
he has ever been able to obtain objectively.
F urther, it is alw ays quite soul-satisfying.
T h is is sometimes accom plished in a n ega
tive w ay b y the removal of obstacles, confu
sions, an d doubts, an d the clarification of
situations w ith w hich the individual m ay have
been confronted. A gain, it m ay occur as
positive know ledge, as an inspiration th a t
directs us on an entirely new course of action.
T h e experience m ay propose a mission in life,
as som ething to be accom plished or attained.
In this entire sense, illumination is the re
moval of the darkness of mind w hich objec
tive thinking alone is unable to accomplish.
Illum ination can correct misconceptions, or it
can inspire entirely new conceptions.
T o use a fu rth er analogy, w e m ay think of
a m an in a d ark room. H e is groping about.
H is h ands re st upon a h ard rough object.
H e cannot be certain o f th e n atu re of w h at
he feels. It could be a num ber of different
things. W h a t his surroundings are, he can
only conjecture. Suddenly the room is flood
ed w ith light. Perception is now facile. H e
cannot only experience his surroundings, bu t
com prehend them as well. A n y w rong im
pressions w hich he derived from the sensa
tions about things in the room w hile he w as
in darkness are rectified b y the clarity w hich
they have w hen exposed to the light. O n the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

other hand, a m an may be confined in a d ark

room and actually see, hear, and feel n o th
ing. H e m ay form absolutely no ideas as to
his w hereabouts or w hat may exist about him.
T h u s he may be in a confused state of mind.
W h e n the room is illuminated, he is enabled
to see. H e can orient himself and he can
begin to evaluate the things of his su rro u n d
ings. C onsequently, a course of action sug
gests itself which he could never have con
ceived w ithout the light. In like m anner does
m ystical illumination so help man.
M ystical illumination is alw ays brilliant, to
use a w ord associated w ith physical light.
W h e n w e are illumined, w hat becomes know n
or th a t w hich w e psychically become con
scious of, has great perspicuity. M ystical
light alw ays has the same intensity. In other
w ords, it is alw ays accom panied b y u n d er
standing. If we w ere left in doubt afte r such
an experience, it would imply th a t m ental
darkness remained; consequently, w e could
not refer to the experience as illumination.
T h e greatest variation of illum ination is in
the time factorthe duration, shall w e say,
of the sta te of the Cosmic Consciousness.
A ll such periods, w hen actually m easured by
time, are brief, varying from a second to a
few m inutes, a t the most. T o the inner con
sciousness it m ay seem an eternity. T h e
longer the duration of the consciousness, the
more the noetic quality the more divine
wisdom acquired.
T o use still another homely analogy, let us
say the only means of illumination of a room
is a single electric light bulb of 250-w att
capacity. T h e room is entirely dark except
w hen this bulb is sw itched on. O bviously,
w hatever the contents of the room, they will
be equally illuminated w hen the light is on,
w hether for a second or for ten minutes, be
cause the light is alw ays of the same inten
sity. C onsequently, w hatever is seen during
the second period is seen as clearly as d u r
ing the longer interval. T h e longer interval,
however, allows greater observation, more
opportunity to see. W h a t, therefore, is ex
perienced in a flash of mystical illumination
is just as com prehensible to a neophyte or
student as w hat is perceived in a period of
three or four minutes. In the latter period,
how ever, the experience m ay be far more
extensive. A num ber of successive short in
tervals of illumination may equal a longer

Page 37

period insofar as the final enlightenm ent of

the individual is concerned.
It m ay be asked, w h at of the one w ho is
said to be illumined? Does this mean th a t
his enlightenm ent is constant, th at he is con
tinually conscious of Cosmic wisdom? A b
solutely not. W h e n mystics refer to one be
ing illumined, it m eans th a t he has the know l
edge, through training an d experience, of
how tq enter these states of divine or m ystical
attunem ent a t will, an d thereby receive an
additional influx of wisdom from the Cosmic
M ind. If one w as actually in constant atone-m ent w ith the Cosmic, th a t is, if he w as
conscious only of the Infinite at all times,
he w ould lose all sense of objectivity. H is
bodily functions and m aterial existence w ould
decline.X

The Art of Comprhension

M ost logically it will be asked, Is com
prehension an a rt or is it an acquired ch ar
acteristic w ith w hich w e are born?" From
the standpoint of th e development of the in
fan t through childhood to an adult it appears
th a t it is expected th a t the normal hum an
being will be born w ith the ability to com
prehend an d thereby use the native pow ers
w ith w hich he is equipped to gain knowledge,
experience, and, w e hope, wisdom. C om pre
hension is then an autom atic process in the
sense th at in the average type of teaching
w e do not consider the ability of com prehen
sion on the p a rt of the individual, but simply
accept it as a m atter of course and presum e
th at the individual will com prehend all w e
teach or else sim ply fail in all learning. T h e
individual w ho fails to com prehend anything
or sufficiently ad ju st himself to the reason
able dem ands of society is looked upon as a
misfit or an actual case of m ental deficiency.
A F ra ter recently w rote to our departm ent
of correspondence listing a series of questions
upon a num ber of th e m onographs, there be
ing so m any questions concerning a mono
graph th a t in ord er to have answ ered the
questions it w ould have been necessary to
com pletely rew rite the m onograph w ith a
num ber of com m entaries upon each sentence
or each particular point. It is clear th at com
prehension of the principles which the mono
graphs presented w ere missed b y this F rater.
N ow to consider the a rt o f com prehension
from the standpoint of being used by any

Page 38

individual requires us to give an analysis

occasionally of our ability to com prehend,
acknow ledging th a t we are born w ith an
innate ability to learn and u nderstand but
that, like m any other abilities, is limited to a
certain extent and m ust be developed. T h ere
fore, the a rt of com prehension lies in the use
fulness w hich w e make of our inborn abili
ties to com prehend and learn. O u r mono
graphs are so presented th at the individual
w ho gives them careful study an d allows the
ideas to become a part of his thinking will
gradually fill in the missing points which are
not clearly understood.
In a recent issue of this Forum an article
w as w ritten on study itself. T h is should be
read not once but referred to occasionally
by every individual w ho is attem pting to
gather inform ation or acquire know ledge
th ro u g h the process of reading. T h ese com
m ents will be limited purely to the learning
ability of the individual. If the individual
does not receive the know ledge contained in
the w ritten w ord w e m ust not conclude, as
pointed out above, that there is a lack of
som ething insofar as native ability or train
ing is concerned. In other w ords, the mere
failure to understand or com prehend does
not mean, to put it bluntly, th at the individual
is m entally unsound or of inadequate devel
opm ent. It usually means th a t there is or
has been an error or a series of w rong habits
in the life of the individual and the failure
to use his com prehension as he should.
F irst, there are physical conditions. A n
individual w hose eyes are under a strain
w hile reading cannot have the same ability
to com prehend as one w h o reads w ithout any
visual fatigue. T h e individual w ho is not
well physically or extrem ely tired is unable
to com prehend the printed w ord as efficiently
or com pletely as one in perfect physical con
dition. U nfortunately, m any people do not
realize th a t w hen they are ill or physically
tired their eyes, being an organ of the body,
are just as much affected by th a t illness or
tiredness as is any other organ, an d th a t fre
quently to use a time of rest or convalescence
for a great am ount of reading is n o t only
detrim ental to the entire physical system, but
is largely a w aste of time insofar as com
prehension is concerned. Leaving out the
possibility of physical illness or fatigue, m any
individuals have d e v e lo p e d poor reading

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

habits. R eading for com prehension is truly

an a rt and if the individual has failed to
learn to read w ith the idea of com prehension
in mind and is merely a w ord read er or even
a sentence read er he is depriving himself of
the full m eaning and contents of w h at he is
reading.
T o acquire th e art of com prehension in
reading then is to read w ith the idea of re
ceiving the full import of w h at the reading
m atter actually conveys, and by constantly
stopping an d analyzing and rereading th at
w hich is not clear until it becomes habitual
to grasp and retain a sum m ary of it w ithin
consciousness. A fter r e a d i n g inform ative
m atter, if you cannot repeat to yourself in a
terse yet inclusive m anner w h at has been
read you have not properly developed the
a rt of com prehension. Y ou are n o t including
in your habits the complete m astery of w hat
you w ish to obtain.
W o rd s, w e m ust remember, are m an-m ade
symbols to express in convenient form th at
w hich could n ot be expressed otherw ise ex
cept in true experience. W h e n I read a text
book I read the description of the experience
o f others. It is impossible for all experience
to be put into these inadequate symbols, and
particularly is this true of our teachings w hen
w e are dealing w ith nonm aterial things and
for w hich there is no m aterial vehicle for its
expression. In o th er w ords, w e are all aw are
of w h at a poor medium w ords are to express
experiences th a t have to do w ith our emo
tions. T herefore, the emotional responses
th at come from reading are n ot something in
the w ords themselves b u t an emotional con
dition w ithin our own being th a t is m ade pos
sible as the result of the suggestions received
through the com prehension of the group of
w ords w e have read.
T o return to our teachings, these teachings
are intended to make individuals realize their
true r e l a t i o n s h i p to the Cosmic scheme.
W h a t the entire Cosmic scheme is cannot be
expressed adequately in w ords. T h ese w ords
can only be guideposts to set up the proper
thinking th a t leads to the emotional responses
w ithin the individual th at puts him in attunem ent w ith the fundam ental principles which
he w ishes to gain. T herefore, in studying try
to develop the a rt of com prehending the
m eaning of the printed page but do not be
come discouraged w henever a phrase is not

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

com pletely understood. S tudy its possible

m eaning in connection w ith w h at is under
stood and do not be afraid to give time to
allow the ultim ate idea to develop, because
it is by dwelling upon the subjects an d prin
ciples presented th a t we truly acquire the art
of com prehending, not only the individual
w ords and sentences, but of translating w hat
has been com prehended into experience and
experience into satisfaction and w isdom .A

Music and the Glands

F ra tre s and Sorores here is a thought th a t
may be of some value to you in your inner
development. A member of our Forum Circle
asks: Is music beneficial in the developm ent
of the glands?"
In com menting on this thought suppose we
review a little of w hat we have learned about
some o f the psychic glands, especially the
pineal and pituitary. T hese are the two very
im portant glands located in the area of the
head an d w hich are most closely related to
the psychic body of man, th a t is to say, act
as transform ers for the induction of inner im
pressions from the subjective inner being to
the outer consciousness. In our effort to de
velop Cosmic Consciousness or illumination
we give much attention to the stim ulation of
these tw o bodies. W e spend much time con
centrating upon them. W e seek to sh u t out
m aterial experiences through m editation in
order to allow the inner self full sw ay and
every opportunity to function through the
pineal and pituitary glands.
T h e mystics long ago d is c o v e r e d th at
through the physical nervous system and on
through the sym pathetic system the psychic
glands w ere sensitive to outer physical vibra
tions both of light and sound. A s a result of
these discoveries m any elaborate methods
w ere invented to bring the physical senses
into contact w ith vibrations of light and
sound th a t w ould be harmonious to the psy
chic body and especially the glands.
A s Rosicrucian students w e have learned
that there is a very definite relationship be
tw een light and sound vibrations. W e have
dem onstrated these laws in the laboratories
here a t Rosicrucian P ark m any times. In
fact, just a few years ago our late Im perator,
D r. H . Spencer Lewis, designed and con
structed a very large elaborate instrum ent
known as the L ux-a-tone Color O rg an . T his

Page 39

instrum ent w as displayed and dem onstrated

to a large gathering of Rosicrucian members
during an annual Rosicrucian Convention in
San Jose. T h e instrum ent w as designed pri
m arily to illustrate th e effect of light, color,
and sound upon th e psychic body an d to
show th a t these vibrations do very definitely
stim ulate the em otions through th e nervous
system an d glands.
W e only bring out these facts to once
again impress you w ith the im portance of
music and a rt th a t is harm onious to the psy
chic body. It is true, of course, th a t n o t
everyone responds to music in the sam e m an
ner. T h ere are persons w ho gain far more
psychically from a beautiful painting, a sym
metrical design in the form of a building or
perhaps even a piece of m achinery th an from
a musical composition. T h is is a natural
thing. N evertheless, the glands of the body,
p articularly the tw o m entioned earlier, do re
spond to certain harm onious chords and
sounds even in th e individual w ho shows
little or no outer reaction to music. All music
lovers have individual ideas of w h at they
p refer in music. A composition th at will stir
one to the inner depths will have no effect
upon another. T h e sam e is true w ith a rt and
color design.
It is surprising, in a w ay, th a t music can
grow upon o n e / T h a t is to say, a person
w ho professes to dislike music can learn to
like it through coming into contact w ith it
and listening to it frequently. T h is is seen in
the illustration of the opera goer. Invari
ably the p art of the opera he mentions as lik
ing the most is th a t num ber or rath er music
th a t is familiar to him. M ost people dislike
only the music they cannot understand. In
this regard a music appreciation class is rec
ommended. O nce w e appreciate the meaning
of the composition, the picture the composer
has painted in harm onious as well as inhar
monious sound, w e like it and benefit b y it.
T h e same is true in any art, even the
dance, which started in ancient times to sym
bolize certain thoughts and actions of man.
T h e ceremonial dances and temple ritual
dances w ere designed to please the g ods and
seek their favor. T h ese dances, perform ed to
rhythm ic beats an d later to sound w ith
rhythm , played upon the emotions, not only
of the perform ers b u t of the audience as well.
M an has not changed emotionally, except in

Page 40

refinement, in all these centuries. F or a large

m ajority of the people of the w orld today
enjoy dancing to so-called modern rhythm
music. T h e y also enjoy seeing others per
form in the exhibition dance. T h ere are few
am ong us w ho w ould not enjoy visiting the
South Sea Islands or the jungles of different
continents and w itnessing the natives in their
various ceremonial dances to the beat of
drum s and tom toms.
It is true th a t w e receive a certain inner
stimulus from seeing an d hearing the vibra
tions of light and sound. If we did not, w e
w ould not enjoy them. N atu rally as w e grow
in spiritual developm ent w e are inclined to
w ard certain refinements and, therefore, de
rive more benefit from the aesthetic arts, than
those of a brutal and perhaps lowly tendency.
Hence, we find the individual who scorns the
m odern dance and the dance rhythm to w hich
it is perform ed. It could be added th a t all too
often one w ho so scorns does so n o t because
of personal refinem ent but rath er from an
egotistical, supercilious view tow ard life and
society.
T hese rem arks on the subject of music and
its effect upon the glands of the body w ere
intended to be brief b u t have apparently
evolved into a dissertation on the subject of
the arts generally. H ow ever, I believe they
tend to em phasize the fact th at the glands
are affected by outside stimulus in the form
of vibrations w ith special emphasis on music
and sound.
P erhaps a w ord of suggestion as to how
to apply these principles is in o rd er a t this
time. T o begin w ith, our instructions tell us
to use certain vowel sounds during o ur sanc
tum m editation periods. T h a t is to say, w hen
preparing for a sanctum period w e should
p artak e of certain deep breathing exercises,
and just previous to relaxing before the sanc
tum table, intone one of the vowels th a t w e
have learned from the studies. T h e reason is
know n to all of us, but w e reiterate to refresh
the memory. T h ere is a corresponding musi
cal note for each nerve center along the
spinal column. T hese notes or keys of sound
are harm onious to the particular nerve notes.
T h ese nerve areas correspond to particular
parts of the body. T h a t is, they feed the
p arts and organs w ith stim ulating nerve en
ergy. W h e n w e excite these nerves the as

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

sociated p arts are affected and stim ulated to

action. T h e re is a particular sound vibration
for each p articular gland. T herefore, w hen
we wish to stim ulate the pineal gland w e
not only concentrate upon it b u t w e also in
tone the vowel th a t stim ulates the nerve note
th at is directly associated w ith this gland an d
the area of the head in w hich it is located.
T h u s w e receive double benefit.
If it is possible to do so play a phonograph
record during the m editation period. U se a
composition th a t you particularly enjoy or
react to. T h is is done in the various Rosicru
cian Tem ples throughout the w orld. It is
conducive to directing as well as receiving
thoughts of peace and health. T h ese are sug
gestions for use in the home sanctum .
A side from the sanctum you can benefit b y
sound and music. A t each opportunity sub
ject yourself to a musical evening. If a t home
and you have a radio, turn it on an d listen
while relaxed and in a m editative mood.
Select a concert hour or organ selections.
M ost radio stations present such a musical
program a t some time during each evening of
the week.
H ere is another thought of value. If you
are so inclined an d feel you w ould enjoy
playing music, take up some musical instru
ment, perhaps a violin, or similar string in
strum ent. W in d instrum ents are very valu
able, especially one w ith a long ran g e of
sound. T h e value of playing an instrum ent
yourself has m any points. T o mention just
one, the vibrations are not only impinged
upon the consciousness through the ears but
are actually felt through the sense of feeling.
If you are not inclined to play an instrum ent,
then try singing. You do not have to be an
expert or even have a beautiful melodious
voice to benefit from singing. Furtherm ore,
everyone can learn to sing. It is just a m atter
of trying w ith most people. N atu rally some
require training and practice, but this is not
necessary w hen you simply sing for your
own am usem ent. T h e spiritual value receiv
ed is not confined to stim ulating the glands
and nervous system for after all w hen you
sing you are usually happy and in good men
tal spirits. Y our thoughts and attitude are
pleasant, therefore, definitely positive. W e
are taught to try alw ays to keep our minds
positive by th in k i n g only c o n s t r u c t i v e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

thoughts and making an effort to look upon

hum anity w ith love, harm ony, and peace
profound.

Page 41

Psychic Perception of Animals

to thinking how silly the w hole thing w as and

I guessed m aybe Id better sta rt figuring a lot
of good excuses to tell my wife, P at, w hen,
bounding through the bushes and almost
knocking me over, came the two dogs."

O ne of our fratres in N ew Y ork C ity has

sent a news article which he thought w ould
be of interest to this Forum, T h e article opens
a field of discussion which is most interesting
and concerns principles of particular interest
to us First, w e will quote from the article
itself:
M r. N eale explains he w as visiting C ap
tain G eorge Rollins, and asked if the latter
ow ned a dog. T h e C aptain, w ho owns an
Irish Setter, asked his visitor if he would like
to see the dog upon its return home. M r.
N eale said yes, but since his visit would be
brief probably the dog would not return be
fore he left. T h e C aptain bow ed his head
a moment and w as silent, until his guest
thought he had forgotten about the dog, and
then their conversation w as resum ed. In a
short time there w as a sound a t the door, and
w hen it w as opened the S etter came bounding
in. M r. N eale allow ed it w as lucky the dog
came home early, but the C aptain said, 'T h a t
w asn t luck; I called him /
T h e C aptain then explained he had used
the Silent Indian Call. H e said he had fram ed
a picture of the dog in his mind, and then
said to himself: T erry, come home! T erry ,
come home!' A lthough I thought the w hole
deal queer, reports M r. N eale, I soon forgot
about it until one day w hen I w as out h unt
ing w ith two Pointers that w ere pretty wild.
W e started w orking a canyon, and raised a
covy of quail th a t flushed, hit a ridge, and
w ent over the other side, w ith the two P oint
ers after it. It w as good-bye, Pointers. I
blew my w histle until I w as blue in the face.
I figured the quail w ould circle and then the
dogs w ould come back, so I sat dow n to wait.
P re tty soon I spotted the two dogs about a
mile aw ay, and they had raised more birds,
and seemed to be trying to chase them out
of the county.
I w as tired and disgusted, and it w as get
ting late, and I w anted those Pointers to come
back. It w as then th at I thought of the S ilent
Indian CalL I sat there thinking just w hat
the two of them looked like, and said, Girls,
come home! G irls, come home! T h en I got

H ow do these things occur? A re animals

actually sensitive to impressions which are
beyond the range of our norm al objective
faculties, an d which m ight be term ed psychic?
I wish to relate experiences of my own to in
dicate th at dogs are sensitive to our unex
pressed emotions, which they apparently de
tect through the radiations of the hum an
aura. I have a G erm an Shepherd. H e is a
large dog, about tw enty-six m onths old, and
still is very much imbued w ith the puppy
spirit. H e takes his seista during the afte r
noon hours, and then desires to expend his
rejuvenated energy in romping and playing
w ith me, upon my arrival in the evening.
T ho u g h I exercise him and dissipate some of
this surplus energy by leading him on a fast
trot or run alongside my bicycle, he still has
sufficient energy left to bound about and play.
T h ro u g h receiving extra care an d attention,
he displays a great affection. It is his greatest
pleasure to be constantly in our presence.
W h e n I retire to my study, after dinner, he
is not inclined to lie down, b ut still w ants me
to play w ith him, an d show him attention.
T ho u g h I can und erstan d the reason for his
actions, it is often a little aggravating, espec
ially if I w ish to relax for an hour before
beginning an evening of w riting or studying.
I have observed, however, th a t as soon as
I prepare the sanctum for my evening convo
cation, extinguishing the lights in the room
and lighting the candles, and beginning my
m ystical exercises, a change comes over him.
U p to th a t time, he m ay have been tugging
a t my trouser leg, or standing up putting his
paw s on my shoulders and barking challengingly into my face. H e will then imm ediate
ly get down, turn, w alk a few feet to a small
rug, virtually let himself fall w ith complete
relaxation, and place his nose between his
paw s. H e will not move once during the
period of m editation and concentration, last
ing from ten to tw enty minutes* F urther, at
the close of the convocation, though he m ay
get up an d move about, he is from then on
more quiet an d obedient. Possibly now it has
become a habit, because as I light my candles,
he imm ediately associates the previous im-

Page 42

pressions of the strange influences upon him

self which follow, and submits to them.
I have tried, w ith considerable success, to
call him m entally to my side from his prone
position during the sanctum period. Some
times he will arise and come quickly to me
and stand looking up quizically in my face.
A t other times, he will just lift his head and
look w ith cocked ears in my direction. I have
found, too, th a t my ow n self-confidence or
assurance of being able to perform this feat
of transm itting m ental com mands determ ines
my success. W h e n ev e r there w as a slightest
doubt in my mind that I w ould succeeed, 1
never d id . F urther, w henever I w as m ost
successful in effecting a Cosmic contact d u r
ing the sanctum period, and could em otion
ally sense the reactions upon my ow n con
sciousness, so th at I experienced a kind of
ecstasy, then, too, w ould I be most success
ful in any experim ents w ith the dog.
Physiologically, of course, as it is well
know n, dogs have a range of perception of
sound which far exceeds th a t of the hum an
ear. H ow ever, all that they give evidence of
hearing cannot be attributed to physical
sounds, in other w ords, disturbances of the
air. T h ey obviously discern phenom ena w hich
are of a psychic origin, th a t is, fall w ithin the
category of the m ental and psychological.
T h e y have a consciousness of impressions,
which, to their limited reason, they seem to
think they hear, or objectively see.
I have seen my dog, as have my guests,
rise suddenly from the floor, w hen he w as
apparently asleep, and cross over to a corner
of the room, and look up into space, cocking
one ear and then the other, as he turned his
head to hear something apparently. If it
w ere actually an external sound he w as h ear
ing, the dog w ould have left the room an d
gone outside of the house to investigate
further. If he heard a sound w ithin the wall,
he w ould have put his nose against it to con
firm by smell w h at he h ad heard. H e w ould
likewise, then, scratch the surface, indicating
an anxiety to get at the source of the dis
turbance. H ow ever, he does none of these
things.
I have also observed him go to the side of
my study in w hich my sanctum is located,
suddenly as though an intruder had entered
there, and look into the sem i-darkness of the
shadow s as though som ething w as actually

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

visual to him. H e will concentrate his gaze

there, which to me seems b ut space. A t times,
he will turn about while doing this, and look
questioningly at me, as if to say, C a n 't you
see it? W h a t does this thing or person
w ant?" Sometimes he will b ark a t space. T o
one who has no understanding of these un
derlying principles, it w ould be most un
canny. From such perceptions on the p art of
intelligent and highly sensitive animals and
their consequent conduct, have arisen much
of the superstitious tales associated w ith them
in antiquity and the M iddle A ges.
O u r late Im perator, D r. H . Spencer Lewis,
had an E nglish bulldog, of which he w as
extrem ely fond. T h e dog w as his constant
companion and virtually w orshipped him, as
the expression in its eyes indicated. D r.
Lewis perhaps com manded the dog silently
and m entally as often as he did vocally. H e
could call the dog m entally to his side in his
study w henever he w illedprovided the dog
w as in a passive, quiet state. W h e n ev e r D r.
Lewis experienced a projection of the con
sciousness and personality of some member
in his sanctum , which he often did during the
late evening hours as he w orked, his pet dog
w ould likewise experience it. Sometimes the
dog would be alarm ed. T h e hair would stan d
up on the back of his neck and he w ould give
a menacing low growl, as he looked into
space a t an objectively invisible intruder,
A sanctum is the focal point for much psy
chic phenom ena. It is the place w here we
sincerely affirm our beliefs. It is also the
place w here w e lift our consciousness to
commune w ith the Cosmic mind. E ach physi
cal element of its arrangem ent is symbolic of
some Cosmic principle and of honored, tra
ditional rituals. T h e candles an d their flame,
the incense and its spiralling smoke, the Rosy
Cross these inspire us as w e gaze upon
them. It is, therefore, only w ith reverence
and humility th a t we approach our sanctum ,
no m atter how humble its surroundings. T h e
atm osphere there becomes charged w ith the
positive vibrations of the aura. Like articles
which have been contiguous w ith a rose, re
taining its fragrance after the rose has been
removed, so, too, the immediate things of the
sanctum retain the positive influence o f our
aura for a considerable time. Consequently,
we will sense the presence of others most
frequently during our sanctum exercises in

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the vicinity of the sanctum . A condition has

been established in the sanctum conducive to
the m anifestation of Cosmic principles.
A sensitive hum an, w hen in the presence
of ano th ers sanctum , feels the soothing, h ar
monious vibrations. T his is often experienced
also in a great cathedral, in a synagog, or in
M oham m edan mosques, m any of w hich I
have visited in the N ea r E ast and the O rient,
w here the souls of men have expressed them
selves. D ogs and cats likewise are very re
sponsive to such an environm ent. M y dog,
as guests at my home have observed, will
often enter my study, approach my sanctum ,
and then, in turn, carefully sniff each object
on the little altar. H e is obviously puzzled by
the peculiar im pressions he receives from
them, for he examines m inutely each object
as well. H e will not so inspect other objects
in the room; neither can it be said th a t he
does this because of the incense, for ord in ar
ily he will avoid incense, because its frag
rance actually irritates his sensitive nostrils.
Let us not forget th a t the same life intelli
gence which actuates m ortals, exists in ani
mals, as well. Life force in men is no differ
ent than th a t in any other living thing.
Consciousness is an attribute of the great
U niversal M ind w hich actuates m atter, and
gives it those properties which cause it to be
know n as anim ate. W ith complexity, or w ith
the higher expressions of life, there developes
those variations of consciousness w hich we
know as consciousness of the self, or soul
consciousness.
T his undoubtedly leads to the question, to
be considered more fully a t another time:
do animals have souls? M y answ er to this
is, y e s. A nim als possess the same rudim en
tary essence of soul as man, but they do hot
possess the highly evolved consciousness of
its existence, and consequently are unable to
conform to, or express it as well as man.
M an, of all animals, has soul consciousness,
nam ely, the profound realization of the ego,
the evolved personality. A nim als have the
psychic senses, th at is, the sensitivity to the
Cosmic forces, of w hich the life intelligence
w ithin them is a part. H aving a less devel
oped rational nature, brain, and intellect, for
example, they are often more responsive to
their psychic im pressions than is man, for
they do not oppose them. H ow ever, since
they lack the necessary soul consciousness,

Page 43

they cannot conceive the meaning or u nder

standing of w h at they sense. T h ey merely
respond to it, as an autom aton.
T h is explanation m ay be quite shocking
to the orthodox religionist, as he has been
taught, and w ants to believe for his personal
satisfaction, th a t the soul of man basically
has nothing in common w hatsoever w ith any
attrib u te of the natu re of an animal. T o the
Rosicrucian, the fact th at there is something
in animals in the form of an intelligence,
w hich Cosm ically is the same in man, even
though it is n ot realized in animals to the
same extent, is in accordance w ith Cosmic
law. It is rath er w h at may be technically
term ed p a n p s y c h i s m , th at is, the function
of the D iv in e M in d in all t h i n g s as an
Intelligence.
W e are rem inded of the illuminating w ords
of the Dominican M onk, G iordando Bruno,
w ho, in the Sixteenth C entury, sacrificed his
life to proclaim the brotherhood of all living
things. O f general interest to us a t this time
are his w ords: E very p art of creation has
its share in being an d cognition." T h ere is
a difference, not in quality, but in quantity,
betw een the soul of man, the animal, and the
p lan t." Am ong horses and dogs, there are
single individuals w hich appear to have al
m ost the understanding of m en."X

Assembly Call
N um erous attem pts have been m ade to
w rite stories and plays, the theme of which
is concerned w ith the future life. M an y of
these plays have been unusually popular. In
fact, two in com paratively recent years th a t
come to my mind are O u tw ard B ound" and
O ur T o w n ." A nother play recently brought
to my attention is entitled A ssem bly C all."
It is based upon a topic in the minds of al
m ost everyone a t this tim ethe large casual
ties th at go w ith w ar.
It is interesting to follow various au th o rs
analysis o f a play or story w hich is based
entirely upon their ideas of a future life. As
no one is able fco determ ine exactly w h at this
future state will be and how it exists, it is
quite certain th a t these plays reflect either
the pure im agination or the convictions of the
w riter. I am rath er inclined to believe th a t
the better of these stories concern the latter
case; th at is, w hen the author has attem pted

Page 44

to put into story form his convictions and

ideas concerning not only the state of the
future life but his own ideals an d principles
and, in fact, his philosophy of life illustrated
in this form.
T h e play O utw ard B ound is probably
the best know n in this field. It has been re
vived a num ber of times and some years ago
m ade into a motion picture. T h e popularity
w hich it received indicates an abiding interest
on the p art of even those w ho, ordinarily,
m ight not read serious m atter upon the sub
ject, an d further indicates th a t a t one time
or another w e all contem plate life as a whole
and not m erely limited to our physical exist
ence here.
T h e publishers of A ssem bly C all are so
convinced th a t it carries a m essage of hope
and inspiration to men in the arm ed forces as
well as to parents, loved ones, and friends of
the men now participating in the w ar, th at
they have done an unprecedented thing in
releasing the play in book form for reviewers
before it is actually staged. T h ere is no doubt
th a t the play is an inspiration, particularly to
those w ho do not have a philosophy of life
upon which to face the inevitable possibility
th a t m any of our men will not return. T h e
play is based around the story of a crash of
a bomber in w hich all but one of its occu
p ants are killed. T h e setting of the play is
supposed to be a setting in a future life. O ne
interesting phase of the play has been car
ried o u t in various m anners by other authors
w ho have w ritten on this subject before; th at
is, the adjustm ent upon the p art of the in
dividual to realizing that transition has actu
ally taken place. In all probability this phase
of these types of plays is based upon truth.
In other w ords, it is reasonable to conclude
th a t if life is a continuous process and th at
the real p art of us, th a t is, mind and soul
continues to exist beyond the lim itations of
this material w orld, nevertheless, w e are no
different w hen w e are passing into th at other
sphere of existence than w e w ere prior to
th a t step. T h is theory w hich constitutes our
ideas, aspirations, hopes and convictions is
som ething th a t is a p art of our real self and
is no different ten minutes after transition
than it w as ten minutes prior to transition.
It is upon this supposition th a t m any find
fault w ith certain spiritualistic phenom ena.
I have known of cases w here individuals have

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

attem pted to contact those w ho have passed

through transition for advice. I know of a
case w here a w om an w ho actually dom inated
her husband, m anaged all affairs and refused
to recognize his judgm ent in even the sim plest
m atter, began to consult mediums after his
transition, in an effort to contact him for a d
vice on various business m atters upon which
she would have refused to entertain his sug
gestions w hen he w as in a physical state of
existence. W h y this individual, even if such
contact w ere possible, should be an y better
able to give advice after transition than be
fore is a question th at m ust stretch the imag
ination to the furthest possible point, because
in all probability, as already stated, w h at w e
are is w h at w e continue to be regardless of
w hether we have a physical vehicle w ith
which to express ourselves o r not. T his does
not mean th a t considering the lapse of a
period of w h at w e know as time does not
give the soul an opportunity to progress and
advance afte r transition, b u t it does indicate
th a t all life is continuous an d w e m ust con
tinue to grow in know ledge an d wisdom even
after the short period of this life.
In this play A ssem bly C all various ex
planations w ere m ade on the p a rt of those
w ho had suffered the accident in the bomber.
Some of them thought it w as a dream; others
thought th a t they w ere delirious or a trick
w as being played upon them. T h e gradual
process of how they came to realize the facts
is most interestingly presented in this play.
T h e leading character is represented as one
being considerably more advanced than the
others; one w ho is able to realize the facts
and make an adequate adjustm ent more
quickly than th e others. H e, in turn, w as
thereby able to help those w ho could not see
the self-evident facts of the situation. A most
interesting point is further b rought out in the
course of th e play showing the continuation
of w h at our true ideas m ay be. T h e leading
character asks w hy he should still be w earing
his uniform th a t of a pilot. T h e answ er is
because o f the regard and love he h ad for
th a t uniform an d w hat it represented. In
other w ords, the principle is illustrated that
th a t to w hich w e attach ourselves in the
physical universe is som ething th a t will con
tinue to be w ith us as long as w e still have
the m ental attitu d e of holding to the desire
to cherish the particular thing.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

It seems to me th a t this most interestingly

changes the idea th a t is prevalent concerning
the individual w hose only aspiration in life
is the accum ulation of w ealth. W e have all
heard the comments concerning such an in
dividual. In fact, it is the basic belief of some
religions th at w ealth is error. T h a t is, th at
this w ealth to which an individual has dedi
cated himself cannot be taken w ith him into
the other w orld. W h ile this is literally the
idea here illustrated, the fact th at if an in
dividuals only concern in life is the accum u
lation of w ealth in the form of money he will
in a sense actually take it w ith him. In other
words, if th at is w h at he m ost w ants, th a t is
w hat he will have, but in another life this
w eight of w ealth will continue to be a burden.
In fact, a growing burden even as it w as to
some extent a burden in the physical exist
ence, until gradually the realization comes
that the attachm ents have been faults an d it
will be necessary to throw off th at cherished
desire of the accum ulation of w ealth for a
much higher purpose and concept of life. "On
the other hand, the individual w hose main
purpose in life has been th a t of service and
the aspiration to things w hich are not neces
sarily of m aterial value is preparing the chan
nel through w hich it will be possible to grasp
the next step, w hatever it may be.
A ssem bly C all m ay be criticized in the
m anner th at all stories o r plays dealing w ith
this subject have been criticized before. In
the first place, it will certainly not agree w ith
all religious beliefs in regard to imm ortality
in the future life. In the second place, and
this applies to all similar stories, in the desire
to build up the atm osphere and elaborateness
for dram atic effects, the play raises more ques
tions than it can answ er. W h ile this type
of story is enjoyed and causes one to think,
there is alw ays a certain letdow n; th at is, the
failure or the inability of the author to carry
through to a satisfactory answ er for all ques
tions involved. H ow ever, it m ust be realized
that this is inevitableth a t if w e knew all
the facts concerning the future life there
w ould be no play w ith any m ystery or ques
tion about it. It would be based upon facts
alone. Consequently, the individual m ust not
be disappointed th at the play does n ot turn
out to be a final answ er and the full facts re
garding the future.

Page 45

O ne criticism of the play can be advanced

in regard to its treatm ent of the contact of
those who have passed on w ith those who
rem ained on the earth plane. In the play it
self this is rath er overdone for the dram atic
effects and for the continuity of the story
itself, nevertheless, w ith this slight criticism
the play is still interesting and w orth seeing.
If it is presented in a theater near you it
w ould be well w orth your while to spend an
evening for the pure enjoym ent of a good
play which handles a most difficult subject
as well as w e can conceive it possible. M ore
than this, it will carry an inspiration and an
appeal to m any who have neither the solace
of religion or a philosophy o f life to help
them face such inevitable consequences th a t
m ust come in these times. It will even lead
m any individuals to a sincere investigation
of the possibilities of life and immortality.
W e can hope th at this type of play will
be a p art in fitting us to a better life in the
peace to follow this conflict.A

Missing-Dead or Alive?
A soror of N ew Y ork S tate now submits a
question to this Forum . She asks: Is there
an y w ay in w hich it can be determ ined
w hether a person w ho is missing is dead or
alive? I mean, of course, a w ay through the
Cosmic. T o me, it w ould seem logical th at
if a person w ere alive, there w ould be some
response through the Cosmic and if dead,
there w ould be no n e.
A s our late Im perator had occasion to com
ment in one of the degree m onographs, the
last W o rld W a r did more to substantiate
m ystical principles, doctrines, and the Rosi
crucian teachings th an any other event in
modern times. It provided innum erable crises,
circumstances w here love and self-sacrifices
prevailed. T h e same circum stances exist to
day. Such occurrences are most effectual in
dem onstrating, or rath e r w e should say, in
voking Cosmic principles.
Too often w e attem pt to utilize a Cosmic
principle w ith an attitu d e of mind of skepti
cism, or just for idle curiosity; also some
times to merely boast of our personal attain
ment. T h e Cosmic M ind cannot be imposed
upon, or m ade to further the entertainm ent of
m ortals. N either does the Cosmic need to
satisfy or convince men of its existence, and

Page 46

its m ethod of operation. T h e result is th at

more often w e fail to have success w ith our
experiences because of our w rong approach
to them. H ow ever, on the b attle field, the
realities of life are stark naked. T h ey are
divested of all superfluities and sham. W h e n
one is in terrible pain an d is about to lose
m ortal consciousness, perhaps forever in this
incarnation, he seeks to consciously contact
his loved ones, o r he does so w ithout effort,
because of his love. H e is not imbued w ith
the spirit of curiosity or experim entation.
Since he is m otivated by such high purpose,
he thus invokes the Cosmic laws quite easily.
N um erous cases w ere recorded during the
last w a rand confirmedof the loved ones
a t home seeing the projection of a son, hus
band, or sw eetheart, just before the moment
of transition. T h e loved one w as able to con
firm the time and the circum stances w hich
they psychically perceived, by a b uddy w ho
returned later, and w ho had been a t the
actual scene of the transition. T h e m ind of
the loved one a t home is constantly attuned
w ith those in the service, even w hen they are
objectively concerned w ith their tem poral af
fairs and interests, subjectively the memory
of th e personality of the loved one is fore
m ost in the mind. T h ere is, therefore, a con
tinuous receptive state, a condition of attunement. W e m ay use the analogy of a radio
receiver w hich is continuously attuned to a
specific w ave length of a transm itter. W h e n
ever, during the tw enty-four hours of the
day, the transm itter goes on the air, its mes
sage will be detected immediately by the a t
tuned receiver.
A s for the m an in the service, his love for
the one he left behind is equally as intense.
H e does not need to try and frame a m ental
picture of the loved one, the picture is al
ready seared into his consciousness. T h u s
the transm itter so to speak, is also tuned to
the receiver tw enty-four hours a day. It is
only necessary for the sw itch to be throw n,
for the current to begin its instantaneous flash
through space to im part the intelligence from
one to the other.
T h e switch w hich establishes this com
munication between tw o such persons is an
intense emotional stimulus. Such, for exam
ple, as the sudden realization th at transition
is about to occur. T h e final surge of love of
the service man for those w ho remain, a last

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

feeling for th at w hich represents to him the

most cherished memory and im portant fac
tor in his life, constitutes this switch. T h is
thought m otivated by the efficacy of the inner
self and its transcendent love, combined w ith
the perfect attunem ent, means the loved one
at home will m ost often receive the projection
of the personality passing through transition.
Sometimes this will be experienced as a
flashing scene in the consciousness, corre
sponding to the actual surroundings and the
incidents causing the transition. A t other
times, it w ould be b ut a sudden shock, like
a dull sensation of pain, accom panied by emo
tional depression, and a distinct impression
of the personality o f the one passing through
transition. A t such a time, the person at
hom e will be ap t to utter: Som ething has
happened to F rank. I do not know w hat,
but I feel he no longer lives." In the m ajority
of instances, such an impression will be
proven to be correct.
T h ese contacts, how ever, do not alw ays
occur. T h ere are a great num ber of reasons
w hy. Principally, a g reat m any of the tran si
tions occur so suddenly th at there is not even
those seconds necessary for the love of the
d eparting one to fashion itself into a thought
th at can be transm itted. H ow ever, then a
different series of circum stances and phe
nom ena m ay exist. T h e bond betw een the
minds, th a t is, the m ortal relationship, has
been discontinued. W h ile both persons still
lived they alw ays felt som ew hat close, even
w hen they w ere not actually thinking about
each other. T h is w as due to the impressions
continually in each other's subjective mind.
It is difficult to describe such sensations, but
it is equivalent to feeling the presence of an
other person seated in the room w ith you, a
person to whom you are very close, an d be
tween you there exists a great m utual
understanding. Y ou do not have to turn
around to speak to them, or continuously
look a t them. T h ere is a quality th at you
sense w hich causes you to know that they
are present. W h e n one or the other party,
so closely attuned, has passed through tra n
sition, th at particular kind o f unity is dis
rupted. You feel as though something has
been severed. It is not a painful sensation,
nor is it depressing, except for a brief inter
val. C onsequently, one w ho experiences this,
even though they m ay not have become aw are

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of the actual transition, is quite certain th a t

the missing one has passed on.
A gain, there are the cases of those men in
the service who have been reported missing
by their com manding officers. T h ey may
have been seen in a battle in w hich there oc
curred a num ber of casualties. A fterw ard,
they m ay not have been found, or only a p art
of their equipment has been located. T h e
circum stantial evidence points to the fact th at
they w ere lostra th e r killed in action. T h e
m ilitary authorities m ay so record the inci
dent an d report it to the nearest of kin. H ow
ever, such a m other, wife, or sw eetheart, as
perhaps you have had occasion to know, will
sometimes not accept such evidence. H er re
fusal is not alone due to a proclivity to be
lieve the loved one still lives. In other w ords,
it is not just a desperate clinging to a futile
hope. A ctually this loved one still feels this
nexus, this invisible cord th a t has alw ays
bound them. T h ey know from this conscious
ness th a t their kin still resides on this plane;
that he has not passed through transition.
All they can say, all they know to themselves
is th a t he still lives. O thers may attrib u te
their statem ents to blind hope, and thereafter
forget the incident. Y ears m ay go by and
suddenly the m other, wife, or sw eetheart, as
the case may be, will experience a vivid p ro
jection, in which m any details are revealed.
T his will be a new contact w ith the loved
one, and then they will objectively, as well
as psychically, realize th at the loved one does
still live.
E ach day you will find in your new spaper
accounts about the return of service men,
w ho for example, w ere thought to have been
lost a t sea m onths ago. T h e account will also
relate how one or more of his loved ones w ere
alw ays strangely convinced that he w as
still alive.X

W here Should Exercises Be Performed?

A recent communication indicates th a t a
F ra te r has read or heard th at a projection
can be perform ed easier and more effectively
a t a high altitude, such as on a mountain or
any other elevated place than at sea level or
a t low er altitudes. H e asked if this is true
and w anted to know if there are places which
are more conducive to the successful perform
ance of all experim ents having to do w ith
our inner self, and if the student should make

Page 47

an effort to obtain these proper surroundings

before proceeding w ith exercises an d experi
ments which are a p art of our course of
study.
Frankly, I do n ot know w hether or not
there has ever been an y proof of the effect of
altitude upon the perform ance of projection,
but speaking in general of the perform ance
of any exercises having to do w ith m ental or
psychic development, it seems to me th a t
there is no basis w hatsoever for believing
th a t altitude w ould have any bearing on the
outcome of the perform ance. T h e reasoning
which leads to this opinion or generalization
is th at the only possible effect th a t altitude
could have upon the human being would be
physically. It is well known th at an individ
ual w ith high blood pressure is not as com
fortable at higher altitudes as he is at low
er ones. T h ere are other conditions w here
an individual is physically better off at one
altitude than another. T his is purely a m atter
of the physical body in th a t it is better
adapted to certain physical conditions than
to others. H ow the effect of air pressure
which, after all, is the actual difference be
tw een altitudes, can have an y bearing upon
our psychic or m ental qualities or abilities is
extrem ely difficult to conceive. T h e only pos
sible connection could be th isth at the suc
cessful perform ance of any exercise is to be
assisted by physical well-being. T h a t is, w e
do not operate as efficiently w hen we are
below par physically, as w hen w e feel per
fectly well and sound. T herefore, it could
be generally concluded th at th e individual
w ho w as not a t his physical best a t a high
altitude or at ano th er extrem e could not do
an y type of exercise or exert effort in any
m anner as efficiently as he could if he w ere
at a more desireable location w hich w ould
prove more conducive to his physical w ell
being.
W e have com mented before in these pages
upon the fact th at a hum an being is more or
less prone to procrastinate, w aiting for a fav
orable time and place to do something, and
it may be th at this speculation upon the p art
of some people is m erely to convince them
selves th a t their failure is due to something
outside of themselves rath er than to their
lack of consistent application of effort. It has
been proven m any times, however, th a t w hile
we are w aiting for favorable places or condi

Page 48

tions to do w h at w e have set about to ac

complish, w e are usually w asting time, and.
th a t individual who goes ahead regardless of
the conditions and does the best he can even
though it m ight not be perfect, m ay accom
plish more in the long run. T h is w ould lead
us to conclude th at the most proper setting
for the practices of exercises such as those
contained in our teachings is the setting
w hich w e provide ourselves. It is far more
im portant th a t w e provide a m ental setting
for this w ork rath er than to be too concerned
about the physical circumstances. In other
w ords, regardless of the place w hich we have
selected for study or practice of these exer
cises, or regardless of the conflicting circum
stances th a t exist in and about this place, the
individual w ho approaches the act of study
and practice w ith the proper viewpoint and,
w ith the desire to improve himself, is going
to find the place, or at least a significance of
the place, regardless of the actual physical
conditions.
M a n y individuals have become discour
aged and given up their association w ith this
organization because of these reasons alone.
T h e y read the exercises in the early degrees
and think th a t w hen they have the oppor
tunity to arran g e a sanctum or make other
arrangem ents they believe would be condu
cive to study and practice of these exercises
they will perform them, but in the meantime
they will just let the m atter pass. T h ey go
on reading the m onographs but they do not
have the insight into them th at they w ould
have if they had actually gone ahead w ith
the exercises to the best of their ability, and
thereby realize, even in a small w ay, the ap
plication of the principles which they are
studying. N aturally, w hen know ledge goes
ahead of experience w e gradually become lost
from the principles w hich we are following,
a n d not having the personal experience to
back up the principles, or any principle which
w e discover, w e fail to find the full signifi
cance and im portance of the teachings w hich
w e are trying to grasp.
I do not think anyone w ould join this or
ganization m erely to obtain factual know l
edge. N o t th a t this know ledge w ould not be
interesting, but the purpose in trying to ex
p an d one's consciousness to live a fuller and
better life in the sense th at we usually apply
m eaning o f these w ords, is to be able to gain

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

a new outlook upon life through the use of

principles w hich heretofore m ay have been
unknow n, or, a t least, not recognized insofar
as their practical use is concerned. T h e teach
ings which are b rought out in the early part
of our teachings are designed to read ju st an
individual's thinking to a b etter an d more
normal relationship to his environm ent and to
the realization o f the use th a t he can make
of his potentialities. M erely telling a person
will not make him conscious o f a fact, but
his entire view point an d outlook upon life is
changed by directing his activities and efforts
in a w ay w hich will cause these things to
become m anifest in his consciousness. It is
here th at practice is necessary because it is
only through practice th a t experience results.
T herefore, since the prim ary reason of the
consideration of the teachings of this organ
ization is to include them in our w hole life
concept, it is logical th a t w e should not over
look an opportunity to p u t these principles
into effect through the exercises th at are out
lined, regardless of w hether or not the situa
tion seems m ost ideal for the beginning of
this practice. T h e illustration of learning to
p lay a musical instrum ent has possibly been
used so m any times th a t w e fail to remem
ber its full significance, b u t alw ays b ear in
mind that as in the case of playing a musi
cal instrum ent the technique comes prim arily
through practice, not mere acquisition of
know ledge.A

Sex and Soul Force

W e now hear from one of our students and
members of the Forum Circle w ho w rites to
ask further elucidation of a technical point
or phase of our teachings pertaining to rein
carnation and evolution. It is surprising to
note the m any students th a t are fascinated by
the broad, intelligent m anner in w hich rein
carnation is presented in our w ork. Y et such
a subject is so w ide in scope as to bring forth
m any argum ents an d controversies.
U pon close exam ination of these discus
sions we generally find th a t they are not of
particular im portance to a proper u n d erstan d
ing of the laws as a w hole b u t rath er pertain
to the various side lights and ramifications
th at are n atu ral to such a trem endous field
of thought.
T h ere are m any an d varied interpretations
of reincarnation just as there are m any theo-

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ries pertaining to it. O u t of the E ast has

come the m ajority of these theories and out
of the W e s t has come the largest num ber of
personal and ofttim es false interpretations.
T h e Rosicrucian understanding and ex
planation is indeed unique. It is beautiful in
its simplicity yet m asterful in answ ering the
questions and doubts in the mind of the stu
dent. W h e re else will you find such a great
spark of light and hope for the future as in
the Rosicrucian theory of reincarnation. T h e
thousands of letters received from our mem
bers each y ear expressing a new joy in life,
a real reason for living, bear out our own
complete confidence in the teachings of
A M O R C th at have been handed down
through m any centuries from the w orld's
greatest thinkers and mystics.
Is it not solid com fort to know th a t transi
tion from this conscious earthly span is mere
ly another milestone in the path to ultim ate
perfection? T ry to recall the feeling of de
spair th a t you perhaps experienced before
your affiliation w ith the O rder. T hro u g h
memory, is it not possible to again sense the
terrifying emotion connected w ith not know
ing w h at the future m ight hold in store, or
how fearful you m ight be w hen you finally
come to the end of this life span?
W ith your greater know ledge, your clear
er understanding, you no longer have such
m ental stress. M ost of you are far too busy
experiencing life, gaining all th at you can
while here on this occasion know ing th at
such earthly know ledge will help w hen you
incarnate again and continue the grow th and
expansion of your character and personality.
I have inadvertently diversed, I am sorry.
T o go back to our Soror's letter, she mentions
the fact th a t all of the novels she has read,
th a t surround the characters w ith an air of
m ystery through the use of reincarnation, the
incarnate personalities are alw ays of the
same sex. In other w ords, the hero alw ays
returns in another life as a male, the heroine
as a female. T his student asks for proof that
this is not the caseremember th a t Rosicru
cianism does not teach th a t the personality
will alw ays be of one sex. In her discussion
of this point our Soror suggests th a t If the
great source of all things in the universe
m anifests as a dual force, positive an d nega
tive, is it not reasonable to suppose th a t the
male and female principle w as created out of

Page 49

this dual force, an d th at just as this duality

of negative and positive continues to exist in
all phases of life, so will female rem ain female
(or negative), male remain m ale( or posi
tive), through all incarnations until perfec
tion is attained."
N ow this is a very interesting thought well
expressed and w orthy of analysis. First, we
will agree th a t the great source of all things
in the universe does m anifest in duality or
rath er w e should say is a dual force of posi
tive and negative vibrations. T h e negative,
as you will recall, w e refer to as spirit es
sence, is the vibratory force th a t brings into
existence all earthly m atter, even the physical
body w hether it be the female body or the
male body.
T h e positive energy of this source is of the
mind, th at is, of a higher order th an spirit
essence. It is the spiritual force as distin
guished from the physical. It rem ains a p art
of the atm osphere an d is the life force taken
into the physical body through the function
of the lungs. Remember the Rosicrucian
ontology G od breath ed into the nostrils of
man the breath of life and man become a liv
ing soul." T h e fact is, the soul force or spir
itual quality is sexless, in the sense th at we
associate sex here on earth. H ow ever, there
is some law th at makes for sex distinction in
animal life. Let us see w h at this law is. It is
known from close observation th a t the animal
body is dual in its sex. In other w ords, the
male body contains a degree of the female
element. Frequently, the percentage is un
usually high; the sex glands then are such
as to bring out feminine characteristics in the
male species. N atu rally this also w orks in
reverse. T h u s, wTe will find the female w ith
overly strong male characteristics. T h e ideal
will be about 75% male or female an d about
25% of the opposite sex. In a male body this
percentage will soften the tendency tow ard
a brutal animalistic nature.
Science an d the field of eugenics have
sought for years to determ ine the actual
cause of the birth of a particular sex. M an y
theories have been expounded b u t just as
often these theories have been exploded for
they fail to stan d up under actual test. P er
haps some d ay man will succeed in his search
and will be able to scientifically reproduce
animal life in an y predeterm ined sex. So far
this is virtually a hit and miss proposition.

Page 50

H ow ever, it is obvious th at this greatest of

all n atural law s follows the rule of attraction
an d repulsion, the negative element a ttract
ing unto itself a particular quantity of the
positive male element, the proportion of each
determ ining th e sex of the embryo. T h e ovum
or egg w hich is of a negative polarity is fer
tilized by the sperm, sometimes called the
gene. T h e result is a fertilized seed contain
ing a potential energy or force th at will grow
and develop into a reproduction of its kind.
T h e num ber of positive genes entering into
th e r e p r o d u c t i o n process will determ ine
w hether or not the em bryo is male or female.
N o te this is purely a physiological process
and has nothing to do w ith the soul force
th a t will eventually anim ate the infant body.
Insofar as the stories or novels read b y our
Soror are concerned, these m ust of necessity
contain an air of mystery. A t the same time
they m ust be rom antic for average reader in
terest. T h e y are novels, not scientific articles
of revelation intended to set forth and ex
plain th e facts as discovered by the ancient
and, of course, the modern mystics. Imagine
how uninteresting the reader of novels would
find a book th a t contained no love interest.
N atu rally the author could not have his hero
and heroine be of some other sex in a prev
ious incarnation. T hese novels all tend to
deal w ith the soul m ate idea.
Insofar as the proof dem anded by our
S oror is concerned, this is indeed a difficult
thing. A s in m any principles of mystical
science the burden of proof m ust lie w ith the
individual student and investigator. In other
w ords, through his own personal experiences
he will find the proof he seeks and dem ands.
Such proofs are intangible; they cannot be
transferred b y any of the physical means at
our command. T h e y cannot be photographed,
for instance, neither can they be tran sferred
to the outer consciousness of another. T h e
individual m ust experience them through his
own sincere desire and purity o f purpose.
T h e simple facts as presented in the Rosi
crucian teachings are as has already been
suggested. T h e soul force even the soul per
sonality is sexless; it is pure and free from
earth ly bondage, w hen separated from the
physical body. Cosmic law determ ines the
necessity for reincarnation in an y particular
body. If for purposes of evolvement an earth
ly span in the female body is required, so it

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

will be. A fter all, there are lessons th at each

requires th a t can only be experienced in the
female form. Likewise, there are lessons th at
can only be learned by the male. T h e same
is true of the races and religions of mankind.
A s we have alw ays pointed out, however, the
process is ever one of progression, never do
w e retrogress from the steady journey up the
lad d er to ultim ate perfection.
Like the school child, w e m ay have to do a
p articular course over again o r w e may even
have to go back to a low er class to brush up
on o u r lessons an d experiences, b u t none the
less w e are continuing the stead y journey
w hich will lead us to complete at-one-m ent
w ith the Cosmic mind.
In our journey w e have no free choice in
the m atter of reincarnation. T h is m atter is
entirely in the h ands of the Cosmic. W h e th e r
or n o t it be distasteful to be born a male, if
w e need the lessons of a male, w e will so re
incarnate. O u r actions now an d our actions
in -the p ast w ill influence our n ex t life; but
w e cannot dem and a certain environm ent for
the Cosmic will make the arangem ents th at
are necessary an d best for us at the time.

H as Palmistry Any Basis?

A Soror of N ew E ngland addresses this
Forum circle for the first time, I believe. She
says: It h as been said th a t no two persons
have identical lines on their respective hands.
Rosicrucian m onographs say th a t memory is
the w orking tool o f creation. A lthough, of
course, the lessons do not say so, I w onder
w hether the lines on our h ands must, there
fore, be m arks of experience, so to speak.
E very h an d does seem to have a few main
lines w hich are similar. I am not inclined
tow ard superstitution, b u t these facts make
me w onder if there w as ever an y basis for
palm istry.
P alm istry is an ancient pseudo-science and
a form of divination. T echnically it is re
ferred to as chirom ancy, an d a t one time w as
p art of the official practises of ancient Rome.
E ven as late as th e year 1475 A. D ., the chief
elements of palm istry w ere codified, th a t is,
incorporated into a recognized system of
practise and interpretation.
T h e theory of chirom ancy, or palm istry, is
the assum ption th a t there is a correlation be
tw een the han d and the brain and, therefore,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

by means of it individual character can be

read. F urther, by the same means, it is claim
ed th at the future of the individual can be
predicted.
It is often not realized by the 4clientele*
of the palm ists by w h at m eans they profess
to make their interpretations. It is interesting
to disclose the m ethods of the palmist who
has m ade a pseudo-science of his profes
sion." T h e general shape of the h and is the
first classification they consider. N ext, the
flexion-folds (the lines), and then the muscu
lar projections (the m ounds) a re examined in
connection w ith the doctrine of signatures
and the influence of planets." T h e left hand
is usually p referred for a reading" since it
is less deform ed by w ork, th a t is, its charactersitics are less concealed by callouses or by
a roughened texture.
French p r a c t i t i o n e r s of palm istry have
placed hands in seven classes. T h ey are:
e l e m e n ta r y , g rand (possibly meaning the
hand of an aristocrat not exposed to any
abusage), necessary (this probably means an
ordinary han d subject to common usage, in
cluding some menial labors), the artist, phi
losopher, psychic, an d the mixed.
T h e outstanding feature is said to be the
thumb. T h e line surrounding the base of the
thumb is the life line. A t least, th at is one of
the suppositions o f the earliest palmists. If
the line is w ithout sinuosities (w ithout w ind
ing or folds) the line is said to represent h ap
piness. T h e first phalange of the thum b is
said to signify will; the second depicts the
extent of the individuals logic. T h e ball of
the thum b is term ed the M ount of V enus,
and on its feautres depends, it is said, the
individuals success or failure. N ex t to the
line of life, w hich it joins beneath the indexfinger, is the line o f the head. Above and
parallel to it, it is declared, is the line o f fa te,
and parallel to it, and tow ard the heel of the
hand, the line o f fortune. From the origin of
the life line to the base of the little finger
runs the line of health.
T h e suprem acy of man is greatly depend
ent upon the prehensile characteristic of his
hands. M uch o f m ans environm ent, now
m astered by him, w ould have been insuper
able if not for the dexterity of these members.
It is the hands w hich are capable of executing
the conceptions of the mind. O therw ise, so
far as man is concerned, the w orld w ould

Page 51

never reflect his ideas. T h e hands have fash

ioned m ans ideas into forms. N ex t to the
head and the h eart the hands have been eulo
gized in liturgies as one of m ans greatest
gifts. T h e h ands have likewise been thought
capable o f bestow ing blessings an d evoking
curses. T h e h ands of a craftsm an w ere, p a r
ticularly in ancient times, thought to be pos
sessed of an inherent theurgical pow er be
cause of their creative ability. Even, today,
as w e w atch the skillful fingers of a m astercraftsm an, a w orker in ceramics, a sculptor,
or a goldsmith, for example, it alm ost seems
as if they possess an independent intelligence
instead of m erely following the commands of
the mind. Is it an y w onder, then, th a t people
of low intelligence or superstition in the p ast
believed th a t there w as a definite correlation
betw een the lines of the h and an d the brain?
It is also a kind of elem entary reasoning th a t
the hands of people perform ing the same
kind of w ork should have common charac
teristics. T h u s, it w ould be believed th a t th e
hands o f philosophers should be similar, an d
those of blacksm iths. Scientifically, there has
not, as yet, been discovered an y rational facts
to support the hypothesis of chirom ancy.
A common misconception in connection
w ith the practise of palm istry is th a t those of
an aesthetic nature, i. e. those of an artistic
tem peram ent or profession such as musicians,
p h i l o s o p h e r s , painters, should have long
slender hands an d fingers. C onsequently ad
m inistrative geniuses, or those of excellent
business executive ability, w ould have short
thick hands and more o r less stubby fingers.
Y ou have h eard these claims yourself. Look
around you. You will find as m any artists
and w riters, successful ones also, w ith short
stubby hands as those w ith slender ones and
visa versa. T h e late I m p e r a t o r , D r. H .
Spencer Lewis, although having excellent a d
m inistrative talent, w as artistic in tem pera
ment and found his greatest expression in
w riting and painting y et his h ands w ere thick
and his fingers heavy and short.
All hum ans do have, speaking generally,
similar flexion-folds (lines) ju st as all norm al
persons have ten fingers. A t th a t point all
sim ilarity ends and the variation is as great
as there are people. T h e fact also rem ains
th at persons w ith long life lines have died
young, and those w ith short ones have lived
to a venerable age. It m ight be asked, then,

Page 52

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

how is it th a t some palmists can m iraculously

delineate the character of the one w hose
palms they read? T his faculty is not due to
palm istry but rath er to the highly developed
sense of character analysis of the individual
and som ething m o te. Some of these in
dividuals are psychically sensitive. T h ey feel
readily the au ra of those persons w ith whom
they come in contact. From the vibrations of
the aura they are able to detect the person
ality, the character o f the individual, reg ard
less of his or her objective appearance. T h ey
can tell w hether the individual is spiritually
evolved, kind in disposition, tolerant an d sym
pathetic. Likewise they can determ ine w h eth
er he is cruel, niggardly and bigoted. T h ey
are also able to determ ine w hether a p er
son has aesthetic tastes, is w orried, in good
health, etc.
It would, in all probability, be impossible
for them to describe the sensations which
they have from the impressions of the aura,
but they can, and particularly through ex
perience, define them rightly. T h e fact th at
they hold the hand, ostensibly to read the
palm, actually provides them w ith a closer
contact w ith the aura. T h ey undoubtedly
could, and w ould, obtain the sam e results
from placing their fingers upon the forehead
of the client, for example. It is perhaps true
th a t some palm ists are not aw are of the
source of the impressions they receive, th a t
is, that enter their consciousness as they look
upon the m ounds and lines of the clients
hands. T herefore, they actually believe th a t
they are reading the palms.
It m ight be said that those w ho possess a
high degree of psychic developm ent and are
apt at cryptesthesia, use palm reading, crystal
gazing, playing-cards, teacup readings, etc.,
as mere props. In other w ords, they are used
as a material and dram atic background for
their im m anent and, often little understood,
functions. F urther, these props go a long
w ay in impressing the clients.X

Values in Ancient Beliefs

A Soror has mentioned our frequent refer
ence to know ledge and beliefs o f the p ast
and asked the question w hether o r not it is
actually true th a t know ledge of ages past is
more valuable than know ledge w hich is avail

able today. It is not to be supposed th at

merely because know ledge or discoveries are
old th at they are necessarily the best. It is a
self-evident fact th a t m any scientific discov
eries and advancem ents w ithin our own life
times are definite improvements over condi
tions th at existed in the past, and, in fact,
have brought benefits and contributed to the
happiness of the hum an race as a whole. O n
the other h and, it can be pointed out th a t
many scientific achievements have been used
for the very opposite purpose, b ut the use of
an achievement, w hether it be in the field of
know ledge or in the field of m aterial ac
complishment, cannot be the final means of
determ ining its value. A lm ost anything which
we can conceive can become a blessing or a
curse through use.
T o return more directly to the question of
knowledge, w e m ight ask, W h a t existed in
ancient times th a t can be of practical benefit
to us today?" T im e and time again it has
been proven th at those who have advanced
beyond the level of the age or condition in
which they lived h ad been, to a certain ex
tent, persecuted because of the violation of
the accepted principles and facts of the time.
U nfortunately, it has m any times been the
religious beliefs of a people or an age th a t
have violently been in disagreem ent w ith
new ideas an d advancem ent of any kind.
T h ere seems to be a certain tendency on the
part of hum an natu re in reg ard to being
hesitant in changing their fundam ental ideas,
beliefs, or practices. In com paratively recent
years certain mechanical inventions have
been condem ned, not because they actually
w ere a m oral error but simply because people
did not w ish to ad ju st themselves to a new
and extrem ely different situation. H istory has
shown us num erous examples w here individ
uals engaged in research, study, and contem
plation have discovered law s an d principles
which w ere far beyond those generally ac
cepted at the time. Among the early G reek
philosophers there are those who, w ithout the
aid of instrum ents which are accessible today,
form ulated certain laws an d principles which
have since been proven. F o r example, the
atomic theory w as reasonably well advanced
in these early times, but it is actually only
w ithin the last h undred years th a t this theory
has again been brought to light and estab
lished on a more firm scientific basis.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

M any social ideas have not been improved

upon in centuries. Someone has said th a t all
philosophy since the time of Plato has been
m erely footnotes upon his w ritings. In other
w ords, w e have not been able to achieve an y
thing outstandingly new and different in re
gard to social philosophy and the ideas pre
sented by P lato and his contem poraries. F or
alm ost two thousand years w e have h ad the
example of the ideal system of ethics and
m orality in the religious concept given us by
C hrist which has never been improved upon
in theory and w hich still is far from existing
in actual practice. M anuscripts from before
the time of C hrist hold to M ankind's lofty
ideas of M an 's relationship w ith M an and
G od as well as logical theories to account for
certain physical phenom ena. M any of these
have not been even approached insofar as
practical thinking upon the p art of M an is
concerned. Some of this is due to the fact
th at the know ledge actually w as suppressed
and th a t in view of the social and religious
concepts of the time, a serious consideration
of the principles presented w ere not allow ed
to be expressed as useful experience by the
m ajority of the people. Consequently, w e
live in w hat w e consider to be a more en
lightened age w here w e are able to go back
through the centuries and pick out those
ideals, principles, and teachings which prove
an inspiration and a foundation upon which
we can build w ith our more complete ideas
and facilities.
T h is is even more true in the field of m ys
ticism. T h e age of the earth or of mind de
velopm ent can have little or no bearing upon
the ability of the individual to attune himself
properly with his C reator. T ho se individuals
w ho have, through proper living and devo
tion, developed a close contact w ith G od
have been able to carry m essages to hum an
ity th a t will probably never be duplicated
insofar as a point of perfection is concerned.
W ith the grow ing concept of a mechanistic
universe and the fact th a t the physical achievements of science have caused M an to
live more and more in an objective world,
w e have been prone to overlook the direct
know ledge expressed by those w ho have so
lived so that they m ight attain it. T herefore,
it is not true to make the final statem ent th a t
m erely because an idea or an accom plishment
is old in terms of years or in terms of m an's

Page 53

civilization th at it is better, but it is true to

say th at we owe a vast debt to the past, and
furtherm ore, th at w e should have the intelli
gence to pick out of the past those things
which w e know contain value, and w ith a
much broader view point apply this know l
edge an d these principles to the modern cir
cum stances and conditions in w hich w e live.
T h e Rosicrucian teachings have tried to
perpetuate this ida and to draw upon th at
w hich is good and w orthw hile to hum anity,
regardless of its source, insofar as time or
personality is concerned. W e do not shut our
eyes to the circum stances of today an d realize
th at know ledge available today is im portant
to our living, b ut w e do recognize th at there
have been times w hen individuals have seen
the light of know ledge an d tru th far beyond
the ability of most men to see it in any age,
and th a t it is a p art of our individual obliga
tion to G od and to all civilization to draw
upon the source of know ledge.A

Strange Influences
A frater from A rizona now addresses this
Forum . H e says, I hold some mining claims
in a w ild area of this state. T h ere are some
psychic conditions w hich exist in these m oun
tains w hich have me greatly perplexed. In a
certain canyon, th ere are adverse vibrations
which almost overpow er me bodily and men
tally. It is h ard to w ork the claims in this
region, for at times one feels as though he is
being crushed in a vice. T his is not due to
any of the usual physical conditions, such as
the altitude or an y abnorm al physical condi
tion of myself. O ften while w orking there,
I have felt as though unseen eyes are con
stantly w atching me. A s strange as it may
seem, there are some sections w here it is al
most impossible to enter, an d y et there are
no m aterial obstructions. It w ould seem as
though invisible barriers w ere erected. I
have succeeded in entering only w ith the
greatest difficulty m ental and physical dis
comfiture. A t times the canyon is lighted
w ith an eerie, greenish-blue light w hich does
n ot cast any shadow s. A nother frater, who
has accom panied me into this region, says
th at the intensity of the vibrations is in a line
from South to N o rth . N either of us is the
im aginative type. C ould these conditions be
caused by invisible hum an beings?"

Page 54

W e know, as Rosicrucians, that projection,

or bilocation, as it is called in psychical research, is possible. Projection consists of
the projection of the hum an consciousness
and personality through time and space, and
beyond the psychic body. It is also possible,
under certain conditions, as we know from
our m onographs, for other hum ans to perceive psychically the projected psychic body
or consciousness of another. Also, at other
times, the psychic body actually cannot be
discerned visually, but it m ay be sensed. W e
m ay feel the presence of another. A common
experience of this is to feel as thoguh some
one is gazing upon us. T h is often causes us,
w hen we are relaxed an d resting, for exam
ple, to raise our heads or to turn about and
look behind us, because w e feel conscious of
another presence. M an y of the epiphany re
lated in sacred literature, and which w ere
thought to be bodily m anifestations of the
D eity, undoubtedly w ere bu t an aw areness of
a psychic projection of a human. Being ig
no ran t of the true nature of the phenom enon,
those who experienced it believed it a m ani
festation of G od.
Such psychic projections, of course, need
the Cosmic realm for their m anifestation.
C onsequently, the Cosmic w ould not be an
accessory to anything which could be con
strued as malicious or nefarious. T herefore,
the psychic projections are alw ays accom
panied by the most sublime sensations of
harm ony and peace. T h e person first exper
iencing them m ay be objectively alarm ed be
cause of the strangeness. A fter a few sec
onds, the peacefulness reigns supreme, and
the stimulus of his psychic consciousness re
moves all fear.
T h e point w e wish to make in all of the
foregoing is that individuals are not p er
mitted, through the exercise of their psychic
functions, to use the projection of their con
sciousness to terrify others. C onsequently,
w e have reason to believe, the circum stances
which the frater relates having occurred in
the canyon, are not due to the psychic but
rather to physical properties.
T h e n ature of man is a mass of energies
and forces, such as the atomic and chemical
properties of his bones, flesh, organs, an d
blood, the electrom agnetic properties of his
cells and the afferent and efferent flow of
currents along his nerves. H e likewise exists

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

in a sea of energies, some of which have

a corporeal m anifestation, which he calls
m atter. O th ers are more intangible, such as
light and heat. Still others affect him, but
he d oesn't realize it.
O n e o f the great m ysteries still unfathom ed
is the exact n atu re of gravity, which affects
us all an d m aterial things about us. T h e law
of gravity, know n as the universal law of
gravity, w as first given us by Sir Isaac N ew
ton. A ccording to this law, every material
thing in the universe attracts and is attracted
by every other m aterial thing. W h e n we
lay two books near each other on the table,
each pulls the other; b u t the force is so tiny
th at nobody notices it. T h e gravitational
attraction betw een objects is proportional to
their mass, and the inverse square of the dis
tance betw een them. T h o u g h the true n ature
of gravity has n ot yet been fathom ed, w e so
commonly experience it th a t we are not con
fused by it.
T h ere are vital radiations o f energy to
which w e are often and sometimes harm fully
exposed. Commonly, these are the radiations
of the so-called radioactive minerals. A radio
active substance is one th a t spontaneously
emits alpha and beta rays. T h is means th at
they emit w aves of energy of different pene
trating pow ers. T h e theory o f radioactivity
is th a t atoms of certain substances are u nder
going a process of spontaneous disintegration
and are forming new atom s which are dis
tinct, in physical an d chemical properties,
from their parents. T h e radiations serve as a
measure of their disintegration. O ne of the
miraculous things about these radioactive
substances is the trem endous am ount of en
ergy set free during their process of disin
tegration, and their great penetrating power.
Such radioactive substances are, for example,
radium, uranium , ionium, etc. H um an cells,
that is, cells of living tissue, w hen exposed to
these intense radiations, which, ordinarily are,
invisible to the naked eye, can be severely
injured or com pletely destroyed. T h ese rad ia
tions under direct control have been used,
w ith varying degrees of success, for the cure
of certain diseases. A t all times, however,
they m ust be used w ith the g reatest caution.
Large deposits of such radioactive ore emit
such trem endous bom bardm ents of their rays
th at they sometimes interfere w ith the tra n s
mission and interception of hertzian, or radio

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

waves. A t Rosicrucian P ark, in our P lane

tarium (with the display of other instrum ents
for dem onstrating astronom ical and terres
trial phenom ena ), w e have w h at is know n as
a Cosmic R a y Coincidence C ounter. It w as
especially elaborated upon in our physics
laboratory. It detects the Cosmic R ay bursts,
and is used to dem onstrate them. It will like
wise detect all deposits of radioactive sub
stances w ithin a limited range of the instru
ment. W h e n , for exam ple, a few gram s of
radium salts in a vial, carefully w rapped
around w ith several folds of thick lead, are
placed w ithin the field of detection of the
instrum ent, the energy of the radioactive sub
stance, w hen amplified b y instrum ent, emits
sounds like the rapid firing of a machine gun.
T h is reveals the penetrating pow er of the
rays.
T his radioactive energy m ay also have a
very definite effect upon gravity, and this
question is now being investigated by science.
T h e re are m any indications th at this is so.
F or example, there are tw o places on the
Pacific Coast, know n as m ystery areas. O n e
is in O regon, w hich I have visited. T h e other
is a few miles from S an Jose. W h e n one
w alks into this limited area, a few feet in
diam eter, his sense of balance is disturbed.
O n e is compelled to lean a t a considerable
angle to maintain balance. T h e leaning is in
no w ay uncom fortable. In fact, to stan d w h at
is ordinarily erect w ould be. Even a plum bline and all objects in the area are equally
out of balance, insofar as their relation to
ordinary gravitation pull is concerned.
In the O regon area, on the premises are the
rem ains of a w ooden shack, w hich once cov
ered the shaft of a mine. T h e ore w as sm elt
ed there as well. T h e discarded residue w as
cast back dow n the abandoned shaft, and
in th a t particular ore, there m ust have been
a very high degree of radioactive substance.
So intense is the concentrated radiation,
th a t it apparently affects the earth 's g rav ita
tion in that limited field. O f further interest,
is the effect physiologically and em otionally
upon persons standing there. It causes one
to first feel very tense, then depressed. F u r
ther, one experiences the sensation of pushing
against some invisible pressure. T h ere is also
a tendency tow ard nausea.
Such radioactive energies often conflict
w ith the rays of certain strata of the earth,

Page 55

and cause areas sometimes only a few feet

square, other times m any y ard s in diam eter,
where no vegetation will grow, not even the
most rugged w eeds. Furtherm ore, in such
areas, no living things, insects or birds, will
remain because their nervous system s are a f
fected by the stran g e m agnetic disturbances.
O ne such place is located near H igh Point,
N orth Carolina, an d is know n as M y stery
Circle." W e have published a picture of it
in our Pronunziam ento N o. X IV , w hich goes
to the members w ith M andam us N um ber Six.
It is likewise believed th a t the ability of
b ird spigeons, for exam pleto retrace their
course at great heights from the earth, even
in foggy w eather, an d at great distances, is
due to their sensing the paths of these earth
rays, following them, just as airplanes are
guided by radio beams.
In all probability, the canyon in w hich our
frater has had this stran g e experience, con
tains a large deposit of degenerating radio
active substances. T h ese energies have a f
fected the gravitation in the area, and caused
a peculiar m agnetic condition. T h e sensitive
sym pathetic nervous system of the hum an de
tects these vibrations and as the sym pathetic
nervous system controls those glands w hich
regulate our emotions, would likewise cause
uneasiness, restlessness, and depression, as
well as certain physical discomfiture to one
who remains long in the region. A Cosmic
Ray, or radioactive mineral detection instru
m ent brought into the canyon w ould soon
verify the physical cause of the phenom enon.
In various parts of the w est, in fact, through
out the world, Indians an d aborigines refer
to certain m ountains, canyons, and areas as
being under the influence of ghosts and devils.
T h e conditions w hich are described by them
are very obviously due to the same so rt of
phenom ena which the frater has experienced
in the canyon in A rizona.X

The Subjective and the Objective

So m any terms used in connection w ith
our teachings are used so frequently th a t u n
less a complete u nderstanding of the m ean
ings implied by the term inology is well estab
lished in the individual's mind the w ords be
gin to lose their full importance. T h e very
foundations of our teachings rest upon a
dualistic concept, th a t is, of body and soul,

Page 56

or in broader terms, material and immaterial.

T h e m ental aspects of these two states are
referred to as the objective and subjective
minds. W h ile one degree of the organiza
tions teachings is devoted almost entirely to
the attributes of these two phases of mind it
is very im portant th at we constantly analyze
our understanding oF th ese m anifestations in
order to be able to appreciate the scope of
each, and furtherm ore, to know the poten
tialities of these two m anifestations of our
m ental life.
O rdinarily, w e relate the objective mind to
the physical senses. W h a t w e are able to
perceive through our physical sense organs,
such as the eye and the ear together w ith the
organs of smell, taste, and touch, w e assem
ble in our minds as a total of inform ation th at
has reached us through these paths, and the
sum total o f consciousness which is the result
of all th a t we have gained through these
physical senses constitutes the content of the
objective mind. If the objective mind w as
exclusively limited only to th at w hich w as
gained through the physical sense it w ould
sim ply be a mass of impressions like the im
pressions th at a motion picture projector
throw s upon the screen. T h e motion picture
screen m ight represent the objective mind if
there w as no other attribute of the mind. In
this sense w e see th a t the screen is unaw are
of the picture that is projected upon it.
N either is it able to take a series of pictures
and put them together. In other w ords, a
screen is merely a place w here one succeeding
picture after another appears w ith no rela
tionship upon the screen itself as to the fact
th a t there even existed a series of pictures
rath e r than one individual one. If the objec
tive mind had no other abilities than the
ability to receive the impressions th a t come
through the physical senses it w ould be simi
lar to the motion picture screen. T h e objective
mind is only a part of the total m ental func
tion. T herefore, w ith the abilities of reason
and judgm ent our minds are able to call in
other functions beside the mere reception of
impressions from the outside, and to coordi
nate and make these impressions have a re
lated sense not only w ith each other but w ith
our total m ental states as a whole. T h ese
abilities come from the subjective mind.
T h e subjective mind is distinguished from
the objective in th at since w e are constantly

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

aw are of the impressions received from the

outside, w e do our thinking, apparently, in
th a t objective mind, an d the qualities or
phases of our thinking which are brought
from the subjective and used only in connec
tion w ith th a t w hich w e objectively perceive
in the ordinary course of events, seem to be
merely secondary contributing factors. T h ere
fore, w e are not aw are of the subjective fac
tors in the sense th a t w e are objectively
aw are. T h e su b jectiv e, mind is literally the
mind of the soul. It carries w ithin it the very
potentialities of life. It directs the involuntary
actions of the body, it causes the h eart to
beat, the lungs to breath, the food to digest,
and in fact, the various steps th at are neces
sary to the m aintenance of physical life. It
also is a storehouse in th a t it has the attribute
of perfect memory and a relationship with the
mind of G od of w hich it is a p art, and there
fore, is a source of perfect know ledge and
inform ation. W ith in it also lies the ability
of perfect reasoning. Its reasoning, w e are
told, is deductive in th a t it accepts sugges
tions b rought to it from its own source and
from the objective mind and releases back
into our objective consciousness the results
of its w orkings.
In this brief resum of the general func
tions of the objective an d subjective minds
we see how obvious it is th a t one is dependent
upon the other. In th e final analysis w e
see the dual w orking of an elaborate set of
mental states, an d w hereas we divide these
m ental conditions into the two phases in
w hich w e ordinarily apply th e term s objective
and subjective; w e see th a t they are b u t two
m anifestations of the same thing and th a t we
could not live a life in an environm ent w ith
which w e are fam iliar w ith only one or the
other functioning properly. It is w ith reason
and judgm ent th a t w e call into operation the
full functioning of all m ental abilities th at we
can rally, to w ork upon a condition or prob
lem. W e are constantly called upon to make
judgm ents. W e m ight define judgm ent in an
inform al m anner as being m erely a final deci
sion which w e make m entally after using all
the forces of our consciousness as best
we can.
If we say, for example, th at last S unday
w as a beautiful d ay w e are rendering a ju d g
ment based upon know ledge and experience.
In such a judgm ent the content of the mental

THE ROSICRUCIN FORUM

states is considered as the subject which

makes the judgm ent, and last S unday is the
object of the judgm ent. In this sense w e are
confining the m eaning of subject and object
to the self and to the things th a t lie outside
the self respectively, w hich is an illustration
of how much credit w e give to the function
ing of the mind as a w hole in attem pting to
break it down in its tw o different parts. All
judgm ents indicate th a t the self, th a t is, the
subject of the judgm ent, is giving certain ex
periences. If I sa y I am looking forw ard to a
trip next week, the trip is the object and I am
the subject of this judgm ent, and it means
th a t I have come to the conclusion th a t the
trip will be interesting or probably pleasant,
and therefore, I anticipate the actual partici
pation in w h at the trip will bring about.
T h ese simple illustrations show th a t we
are constantly involving in a series of ju d g
m ents everything w e will do in which w e are
considering our relationship to the external
w orld to the purely objective w orld, an d w e
are attem pting to form a judgm ent w ithin our
own being based upon w hat w e believe to be
our decision. T h e complications th a t enter
this decision reflect the total know ledge and
experience th a t have been ours throughout
our lives, an d the more im portant the ju d g
m ent to the course of our lives the more effort
we will bring to bear in causing our final
judgm ent to be consistent w ith our aims and
purposes in life. A s a result of calling in
more factors to influence the final form of the
judgm ent we m ake a judgm ent more compli
cated and difficult to decide upon as it affects
more and more our experiences and relation
ship w ith others. Furtherm ore, there are
judgm ents in w hich w e have to confine the
whole process of judgm ent to the self. T w o
individuals m ay be eating two nearly identi
cal apples picked from the same tree a t the
same time. O ne w ould say th a t the apple is
sweet. T h e o ther states th a t the apple is sour.
T h ey may even be eating tw o halves of the
identical apple. N ow if w e w ere observing
these tw o judgm ents it w ould be perfectly
natural for us to conclude th a t the judgm ent
of neither w as perfect. In other w ords, w e
could not conceive of two parts of the same
piece of fruit being both sour and sw eet, and
yet, tw o honest judgm ents w ere given. W h a t
w e are actually doing in a case of this kind is
basing our judgm ent upon a case of sensa

Page 57

tion rath er than the thing itself, an d sensa

tions are relative, depending upon various
circumstances th at go to affect the physical
being of the subject as a whole. If I w alked
into a room which w as a t a tem perature of
seventy degrees an d I h ad ju st come out of a
large refrigerator room, I w ould say th a t the
seventy degree tem perature room felt warm,
b u t if you h ad come in from the outside on
an extrem ely hot d ay w hen the tem eprature
w as over a hundred, you w ould say the room
felt cool. In other w ords, the subject of our
judgm ents w as in both cases the room heated
to a (temperature of seventy degrees, but to
me the room w as w arm , to you it w as cool.
W e see here how im portant it is th a t every
judgm ent which w e make is based upon not
only our know ledge of th e fact th a t a room
heated to this tem perature is considered a
normal am ount of h eat for such a room, b ut
our judgm ent is affected not only by know l
edge of facts, but b y immediate or p ast ex
perience. T h is clearly indicates how often it
is th a t we make errors in judgm ent. W e are
honest in judging the tem perature of the
room depending upon our feelings, an d m any
hum an beings are honest in making judg
ments having to do w ith ethical or moral
stan d ard s of actions of other people, b u t their
judgm ent is just as a p t to err as is our ju d g
m ent of the com fortableness of the tem pera
ture of a room.
A ny judgm ent w hich is based upon the
content of experience is limited an d modified
by th at experience. In fact, all judgm ents are
going to have to be finally determ ined by the
question of w h at has preceded in our imme
diate environm ent, an d in fact, in our whole
life, upon which the judgm ent at the moment
is made. Feelings, then, are an im portant
factor in influencing our judgm ent. Even by
our feelings w e define our concepts an d even
our own w ords. T h a t is w h y tw o individuals
arguing upon purely subjective subjects, or
arguing, let us say, on the subject of religion
or politics, can be in disagreem ent and con
tinue to argue w ithout arriving a t an y com
mon point of agreem ent because neither one
is giving any credence to the term inology and
concepts of the other. E ach has arrived at
his judgm ent of w h at is the correct consid
eration of the m atter based upon his own
feelings and experience, and consequently,
neither is able to consider the judgm ent, or

Page 58

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

rath e r the inform ation and experience of the

other, sufficiently to make his own ju d g
m ent entirely unbiased. In fact, I believe we
can go so far as to note th a t judgm ent is even
unbiased because a judgm ent is n ot exclusive
ly the com bination of sense impressions, but
rath e r the w ay the sense impressions are put
together in our ow n consciousness and in
cludes, as I have already pointed out, the
w orking of the entire mind in a com bination
of circum stnaces. T h e individual best fitted
to his environm ent is the one w ho realizes
th a t his full m ental abilities must be used to
best cope w ith the outw ard situation an d he
will direct every possible effort tow ard de
veloping all of the potentialities of his mind
in o rder th a t w hen judgm ents m ust be m ade
th a t have an im portant bearing upon his life
or the life of someone else, it will be m ade as
broad as it is possible, based upon his own
mental concept, which is also broad. T h e re
fore, the individual w ho lives entirely in his
objective consciousness, who makes no a t
tem pt to develop the potentialities of the sub
jective, is living a one-sided life, an d surely
his judgm ents are not as dependable or as
accurate as one w ho gives sincere application
to developing all his m ental abilities.A

Forty and Mysticism

A soror, active in a chapter of A M O R C in
Florida, brings to this Forum a topic in w hich
the chapter membership is interested. She
asks: W h y does man come into the m ater
ial w orld after a sojourn on the Cosmic plane,
and, as an average, make no attem pt to con
tact mystical or m etaphysical organizations,
or become inform ed on these subjects, until
past the prime of life.*'
Let us first answ er by saying, man is a
complex entity. M an has two natures or
aspects of his being. Both, of course, are the
result of Cosmic law. T h ere is the body,
w ith its num erous systems, such as the cir
culatory, digestive, nervous, etc. T h ese are
dependent upon the V ital Life Force of N ous.
T h e atomic structure of the body, the chem
ical, m aterial mass is an effect of spirit ener
gy, upon w hich all m atter depends for its
existence. In addition to the m aterial aspect
of m a n s being, there are those qualities de
lineated as psychic or spiritual. T h ese con
sist in a general sense of the realization of

self by the individual and his moral discern

ment, w hich is frequently designated as
conscience.
T h e urges of the body m ust necessarily be
intense in youth. T h e body has ends to serve,
biologically, w hich can only occur w ithin a
given num ber o f years. T h e natural process
of living destroys cells, breaks dow n cell life
and tissue hourly. T h ese m ust be continually
replaced through the process of metabolism.
G row th, by w hich physical m aturity is reach
ed and the b ody is able to fulfill its biological
functions, requires assimilation. T h is means
a taking into the body of m aterials, in excess
of w h at it discards. T o do this, every appe
tite an d every desire of the body is stimu
lated, and th e physical interests m ust pre~
dom inate, from a natural point of view. T his
does not mean th a t the young man or boy or
girl m ust be anim al entirely, an d excessively
sensuous. It does mean, however, th at his
psychic faculties will be subordinated during
this interval. It means th a t 'the young person
will be more inclined by instinct tow ard ma
terial things.
T h ere is still another factor for us to real
ize. W e could n ot understand or have crea
tive ideas o f o u r own w ithout first gathering
external experiences. W e think in term s of
things w hich w e know. If, for example, a
man w ere born w ithout an y one of his five
peripheral senses seeing, hearing, feeling,
tasting, and smelling he w ould never be
able to think. Ideas arise from sensations.
E ach sensation w hich w e receive is identified
b y the mind, given a meaning, an d these sen
sations and m eanings are gathered from early
childhood. W h e n w e are norm ally intelligent
and observant, w e have m any sensations from
the impressions of empirical things around
us, and w e build up a stock of m ental m ater
ial by which w e can think. A person not ob
servant has little experience. H is thinking is
fallow, and his life, therefore, empty.
O u r objective m inds are like a blank tablet
a t birth. Im pressions m ust be registered upon
them. T h e early years of our life are the
years o f experience. T h e objective w orld d ur
ing these early years is a great m ystery.
N early every sensation, the result of im pres
sions received through our senses, is thrilling
to us. T h ese sensations are new, unusual,
fascinating. G reater pleasure is found by the
young person, as is natural, in sensation, than

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

in reflection or m editation. F urther, w hat has

the young man or w om an to reflect upon until
he has acquired experiences?very little. F or
a very young person to look back is to look
into a void, but to look ahead a t all of the
strange and unusual things w hich challenge
his inquiry, is to find excitem ent and adven
ture. T h e objective senses are particularly
alert during these early years, and the brain
cells are especially responsive to empirical
impressions, as w e all well know. N atu re
planned it thus. Y outh is the age for the
collection of im pressions and not for their
classification.
E ventually a m aturity of the body is reach
ed, from a physiological standpoint, and the
biological functions and purposes of the
physical existence are being fulfilled. By th a t
time, m any lessons have been learned. P er
haps the futility and uselessness of some of
the experiences w hich w e have acquired is
realized. T h e appeal of the external w orld
is not lessened altogether, b u t w e find judg
m ent exerting itself. T h e reason has now
som ething to d raw upon. C onsequently it
tem pers the tastes, and discrim ination devel
ops. T h ere is m ore reflection and analyzing.
In a norm al person, a state of balance b e
tw een introversion and extroversion takes
place. T h e individual begins to find pleasure
in the internal operations of his mind, in, for
instance, m editation and thinking . H e then
becomes more intim ate w ith self. Conscious
ness, in other w ords, is poised betw een the
w orld w ithin and the w orld w ithout.
T h e feelings and impulses of intuition, the
values of virtue, and conscience, become m ys
teries as inviting, as alluring as once w ere the
sensuous things of the w orld. In fact, the in
dividual is able to find in the appeals of the
self th a t w hich is less transcient and more
satisfying. H e does not discard his empirical
or w orldly knowledge-not a t all. In fact,
he interprets the impressions of self in the
light of the things of the world. H e begins
to desire to serve m ankind in some w ay, not
necessarily in a spiritual capacity, but in a
creative, productive w ay. H e uses his w ordly
know ledge and experience to accomplish this.
H e w ants to express his com prehension of
G od or of the universe, or of being, and to
do this he uses, analyzes and frames his ideas
in the terms of those w orldly experiences,

Page 59

which w ere built up in the early years of

his life.
It is during this period in the life of a nor
mal individual, if he has been perm itted by
environm ent to develop as a hum an should,
th a t he seeks m ystical or m etaphysical move
ments, or rath er th a t w hich they represent.
H e now turns to sources th a t satisfy these
new inclinations, ju st as once he sought that
w hich only satisfies the somatic appetites.
O u r statistics disclose th a t th e average age
o f the Rosicrucian member is 44; average age
of males 43 an d th e average age of females
45. W e m ight say th at this is the average
age of the m aturity o f mind, th a t is, th e tem
pering of the physical self w ith reason and
w ith the psychic influence of the inner self.
A ctually the p roper age for the flowering of
the psychic self of man should be between
35 and 37 years.
W h e re the parents are Rosicrucians, the
psychic perception or qualities of th e spiritual
self dom inates the young person earlier in
life. T h is is because the child or youth, is
encouraged to reso rt to self, to reflect upon
his inner n atu re sooner. If children, there
fore, w ere not perm itted to give themselves
over entirely to their objective natures, we
w ould find the ag e of inclination tow ard mys
ticism about 30 years, w ith the exception of
some, five to ten years later or earlier.
Let us n o t forget, however, th a t it is na
tu res plan th a t the body be considered first,
for it is the temple w hich m ust house the soul.
T o attem pt to m ake an ascetic out o f a child
is to cause neuropsychosis, and abnorm ali
ties of mind and body. Let us adm onish you
to keep alive the psychic attributes of the
child and young person, but also expect them
to be more inclined tow ard m aterial and
physical interests, than spiritual or Cosmic
ones. T h e child should be a healthy, normal
young animal, w ith a budding inner con
sciousness. D o n o t decide to make a disem
bodied soul out of him.X

H eaven and Hell

Fellow members of the Forum Circle, it
sometimes appears th at regardless of how
often a subject or point is discussed here,
there are some w ho fail to grasp the import
of our explanations. T h ere are some subjects
th a t are brought before this Circle time and

Page 60

time again. E ither our explanations are in

complete, our readers overlook our state
ments, or certain questions are ever popular
w ith the new student.
It w ould alm ost be impossible to state the
num ber of times w e have commented upon
the question of heaven and hell. Y et w e find
in our current correspondence five o r six com
m unications requesting further elucidation.
T ypical of such comments is this, I learned
in the m onographs th a t soul is one, not in
dividual. C onsidering this in the light of my
previous training th a t the soul of those w ho
are good goes to heaven and the soul of those
w ho are wicked, goes to hell, I am confused.
H ow can this separation take place?"
W e hope it will not be necessary to bring
up this subject again, for to the m ajority of
you assem bled here it is old an d w orn thin
w ith usage. In a few brief rem arks w e w ould
like to say .that this question of heaven an d
hell causes more doubt and fear in the young
mind than any other single doctrine tau g h t
today. It seems to be the bogy-m an of
C hristianity in its modern presentation." A s
children, how often have w e h eard the a d
m onishment Be a good child o r you will go
to hell w hen you die." T his is like telling a
youngster to behave or you will call the
policeman. U nfortunately, this m ethod of
fear psychology makes a lasting impression.
It makes for doubt, superstition and fear of
an unknow n future.
T h e Rosicrucian understanding and ex
planation rectifies this error of reasoning.
W ith it there is no longer doubt as to w h at
occurs after death." It is truly pitiful to see
an individual approaching the great beyond
who has not y et attained an y degree of
u nderstanding or, in other w ords, has no
philosophy of life, hence none of transition.
T h e fear th a t surrounds such a person is
truly terrible to witness. Y ou w ho have con
fidence and know ledge m ay w onder w h y
others have this fear. It is simple to realize
for, after all, it is only something th a t w e do
not understand th a t we fear. W e are afraid
of w h at w e think m ight happen. W e cannot
prepare ourselves w ithout actual know ledge
of the great beyond.
W e are asked by the clergy, W h e n the
great judgm ent day comes, will you be
ready?" Frankly, isn't that a most alarm ing
thought to place in the mind of an individual

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w hether a child or adult? It suggests all

m anner of dire consequences for life's errors.
W h a t good such a m ethod can do one in life
w e cannot com prehend. C ertainly one can
n ot attain the things or learn the lessons or
have the experiences intended for him while
constantly plagued w ith fear of being purged
by fire after transition.
A nsw ering o u r Forum question, w e m ust
again stress the fact th a t there is no sep ara
tion of the soul force from its source either
during o r afte r transition. T h ere is one uni
versal soul. E ach individual has personality,
an attribute of soul. T h is personality is re
vealed by the ch aracter of the individual.
H eaven o r hell is experienced b y the in
dividual through the voice of conscience."
In other w ords, the inner conscience speaks
from within an d tells us o f our sins. If w e
do a w rong to a fellow creature, w e suffer the
pangs of conscience until this w rong is m ade
right. If w e are of such a low state of devel
opm ent as to be calloused an d brutal, w ith
no concern w hatsoever, w e will, sometime in
this life or another, suffer to the same degree
and in a like m anner, thus balancing the
ledger," as it w ere. It is in this m anner th a t
the character evolves, the personality grows,
and w e eventually attain a degree of com
passion, feeling, and understanding for our
fellow beings.
O ur heaven is the pleasures an d benefits
w e enjoy here o n earth an d in the hereafter;
our hell, the suffering, the misgivings, the
mental agony an d fear of the consequences
of our trespasses against others. T h ere is no
other H ell," no other H eaven," only th a t
w hich w e ourselves create in the complicated
process of living.

Seeing Past Incarnations of O thers

A frater from E astern C an ad a arises to
ask this question of our Forum : Is it possible
to see someone else's previous incarnation?
T o me it seems possible because I have ex
perienced w h at I accept to be the p ast incar
nations of others, upon tw o different occa
sions. M y first experience w as in the year,
1934, while eating dinner in a restaurant.
M y young lad y com panion sat opposite me.
Suddenly I could see her as a baby girl, about
one year and a h alf old. I smiled, so naturally
my friend inquired w h at I w as smiling about."

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

O u r own p ast incarnations are not alw ays

objectively visible to us w hen w e experience
them. M ost frequently, the past incarnations
appear to us subjectively. W h e n practicing
the exercises deliberately for this purpose,
w e sometimes seem to enter a sta te of re
flection or musing, w hich appears dreamlike.
W h ile in this subjective state, in w h at actual
ly m ay be ju st a m atter of seconds, w e see
ourselves in the surroundings of another place
for a time. A ctually the appearance of our
selves in a p ast incarnation m ay be entirely
unlike our p resent physique or features
even of a different sex. So different may be
the past appearance th a t if another w ere to
see us, they w ould n o t even recognize the tw o
personsthe p ast and the presen tas being
the same one. N o m atter how unlike in ap
pearance, w e alw ays recognize, rath e r I
should say, sense ourselves.
F urther, a t the time of the experience, it
does not occur to us as strange or unusual
th a t the figure in the p ast incarnation should
be so unlike us today. O u r perplexity occurs
only a fte r w e retu rn to our norm al or objec
tive state and m ake the com parison betw een
the tw o personalities. T h ere is a reason for
this. W h e n w e experience our past incarna
tions, our consciousness is then existing in
memory, and the m em ory is th e p r e s e n t and
not our actual physical selves. W h e n w e
actually lived in the time of the p ast incarna
tion, w e did not then think ourselves stran g e
or different, but quite natural. C onsequently
w hen our consciousness goes back into the
Cosmic memory an d recalls the p ast person
ality, it is like reliving it, and thus w e are not
strange to ourselves.
W h e n w e are having one of these subjec
tive experiences of p ast incarnations, a visitor
in the room, o r a member of the family w ho
m ay be present w ith us, m ay think th a t we
are just day-dream ing, or perhaps ju st taking
a nap. T h ere are no physical signs of this
subjective experience w hich w e are under
going.
H ow ever, there are times w hen there is a
fleeting, objective transform ation to p ast in
carnations. T h e result often is a kind of
tropism, th a t is, an involuntary turning into
the past personality. W e m ay not even have
been attem pting an y such exercise, an d only
if w e w ere looking into a m irror w ould w e
observe this metam orphosis occur. T h e re are

Page 61

certain very peculiar sensations w hich pre

cede this change of personality, w hich w e
objectively experience a t times. F irst, the
blood seems to drain from the face, the face
seems extrem ely cold and numb, an d the
facial muscles become tense. T h is m ay be
accom panied by tension in the region of the
solar plexus, follow ed by a feeling of intense
excitement. T h e num bness seems to dep art
from the face, an d the flesh gradually in
creases in tem perature. W ith this, th ere is a
sensation of the features actually changing.
It is difficult to describe, b u t it is as though
some invisible force w as gently rearranging
the eyes, nose, mouth, in fact, molding the
contours of the face.
T o the person n o t know ing w h at is occur
ring, these sensations m ay be quite alarm ing.
H e m ay think he has suddenly become ill.
I recall my ow n first experience. I immedi
ately w ent to a miirror, w hich w as obviously
a n atu ral reaction. M y facial features w ere
blurred. M y eyes w ere w ide open an d the
m irror adequately illum inated, an d I w as n ot
sleepy, nor h ad I been. I blinked my eyes,
bu t the features becam e no more distinct.
T h en I felt the chill and num bness of my face
gradually diminishing, the blur, which w as a
kind of cloudy haze, seemed to dissolve from
m y face. I then w as looking for perhaps fif
teen or tw enty seconds directly into a reflec
tion th a t w as actually another personality
b u t I also h ad th e realization th a t it w as
me. It is a strange, exciting, but gratifying
experience.
A t other times, under like conditions, I
have seen a succession of fleeting faces, w hen
looking into a m irror, the transform ation be
ing so rap id th a t some w ould not be distinct
to me. T h is phenom enon w ould be accom
panied by equally vacillating emotions. It
w ould be as if I w ere sensing emotions cor
responding to each of the changing person
alities. T h e experience w ould then cease as
rapidly as it began. I have brought these ob
jective experiences of changing personalities
on in different w ays. F irst, during my sanc
tum periods, w hen I intentionally sought to
do so, by practicing certain m ystical exercises.
Second, by gradually putting myself into a
psychic state of attunem ent b y discussing
these principles a t length w ith others.
O n one o r tw o occasions, the transform a
tion w ould have actually occurred before I

Page 62

realized it, an d another person present w ould

call my attention to the facial changes, nam e
ly, showing th a t they w ere aw are of some
thing occurring. T o those w ho do not under
stan d the natu ral law and the Cosmic prin
ciples underlying this phenom enon, the m eta
m orphosis is quite alarm ing. Consequently,
in conclusion, it is possible to see the p ast
personalities of others a t times. It is not a d
visable to try and interpret their meaning for
others. T h e one who is experiencing inti
m ately his ow n past incarnations will recollect
a t the time more of the incidents connected
w ith the personalities, than you could hope
to know by looking a t the transform ations.
X

Be It the Will of the Cosmic

O u r good friend an d F rater, W illiam Ray,
now rises w ith a suggestion for our consid
eration. H e points out the fact th a t our late
Im perator, D r. H . Spencer Lewis, alw ays
stressed the im portance of ending our p ray
ers and petitions w ith the phrase, If it be
the will of the Cosmic, it is done." O u r F ra te r
feels that w e have not sufficiently em pha
sized the im portance of this statem ent. P er
haps he is correct. H ow ever, w e find th a t in
practically all of our m onographs, letters,
articles, and discourses, w e have tried to im
press the student w ith this idea. W e have
stated over an d over again th at man cannot
dem and anything of the Cosmic as his rig h t
ful heritage. T his is like saying, T h e w orld
owes me a living, so I w ont w ork for, or
contribute anything to society." T h is is defi
nitely w rong. If we w ould reap, w e m ust
sow. It is m an's duty to himself and the
com munity in which he lives to contribute to
the w elfare of others and offer som ething to
society thereby establishing his right to enjoy
communal intercourse.
Petitioning the Cosmic is much the same.
W e should analyze our problem o r desire
first and determ ine w hether or n o t w e are de
serving, w hether or not w e are in real need,
and if that w hich we desire is beneficial an d
right for us. A fter a very critical analysis,
if our wish still seems reasonable and free of
personal, selfish desire, then w e may, in all
sincerity, petition the Cosm ic for aid. W e
should not dem and or attem pt to force an y
thing in our petition, but alw ays express the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

thought, If it be the will of the Cosmic."

In this w ay w e are not attem pting to interfere
in any w ay w ith the Cosmic plan o r scheme
of things. A fte r all is said an d done, the
Cosmic knows b etter than w e w h at we should
do and w h at is best for our own progress
and w elfare. A ll too often w e err in our
reasoning especially w hen it is dulled by
earthly desire an d the w ish to gratify the
hu n g er of the physical senses. How ever, as
F ra te r R ay suggests, w e guard ourselves and,
in fact, w e are guided arig h t even if our cre
ative m ental effort is in error b y qualifying
our wish w ith th e suggestion th at it only
come to pass or m anifest if the Cosmic so
wills it. It is suggested further b y our F ra ter
th at w e point out the im portance, the nobility
of this phrase. H o w easy it could be to mis
use it, and overuse it, to a point w here it
becomes trite, commonplace, even desecrated.
T h is must, n aturally, be avoided. T h e thought
or spoken w ord Be it the will of the C os
mic" or another version T h e will of G od
and the M a sters" should be expressed in all
solemnity w ith full an d com plete respect for
the M asters an d the D eity. A s a m atter of
fact, even our petitions should be approached
w ith the same attitude. H um bleness and
humility before th e Cosmic M asters is most
im portant to success in the practice of m ysti
cal and psychic principles. If you cannot ap
proach the Cosm ic w ith aw e an d an humble
attitu d e your desire is certainly one of little
im portance in the Cosmic plan. All too often
we try to lean upon the M asters for help in
our simple daily physical ordeals, most any
of which can be solved through the m aterial
means at hand. Remember, then, your prob
lem must truly b e w o rth y of Cosm ic consid
eration, and alw ays com plete your request
w ith Be it the will o f the Cosm ic" or some
similar thought of equal value and import.

Cosmic Ethics
A soror in S outhern C alifornia, addressing
our Forum , says: T h is is the first time I
have come before the Forum w ith a question.
Is it right in th e eyes o f the Cosm ic to seek
to obtain a result w hich you consider of
benefit to the m ajority of people concerned,
by subterfuge, w hen it is impossible to get
the result you w an t b y honest and open
methods a t the time you feel it necessary?

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

F or example, m any of the regulations now

being m ade by our leaders, for the purpose
of changing our present system of free enter
prise to one of a socialistic nature. I w ould
not use subterfuge in my own business, b u t
I notice m ost people approve of the present
m ethods used by our leaders because they
believe it will bring about a change beneficial
to the m ajority of th e p eo p le/'
T h is intelligent question brings principle
and expediency into conflict. It is likewise a
question of ethics. T h e problem of ethics is
the natu re of right and w rong. T h ere is no
universal right, th a t is, a rig h t w hich all men
have alw ays a t all times accepted. W h a t is
right is and has been m ostly m ade relevant
to the experiences of the individual and his
intelligence, by w hich he judges circum
stances. T h ere a re tw o kinds of rights w hich
people am ong themselves recognize. F irst,
those they have arbitrarily agreed upon an d
legislated as their governing rules. T h u s, to
violate som ething w hich is legally recognized
as the law is ethically w rong, even though the
individual m ay have no com punction about
disregarding it. T h en there is the right con
duct to w hich the individual personally sub
scribes, w hether the com munity recognizes it
or not. T h is latter right is deeply rooted in
his m oral sense, and in w hat he interprets as
the good. T h ese latter rights, we m ight say,
are determ ined b y individual conscience.
If w e are perm itted by our environm ent
and training to become sensitive to the dic
tates of self, w e gradually develop com pas
sion and a love of our fellowman. T h is con
sists in conceding other men the same state
of mind as w e desire for ourselves. In other
w ords, w e sym pathetically feel for another
all of the injuries which w ould h urt us, w h eth
er physical or m ental. O u r conscience, th ere
fore, as a subjective stan d ard w hich w e have
perhaps unconsciously developed, will not
perm it us to participate in, o r countenance,
any activity w hich w ould impose upon others
w hat we ourselves w ould not w an t to endure.
A ll conduct, therefore, w hich conforms to
conscience, w e designate as right, w hether it
is expressed by others or not.
Im m ediately in this, w e can see tw o kinds
of rights brought into conflict w ith each
other, nam ely, the rights of principle, those
of rule and law, and the right of expediency
or conscience. C ertainly the rights of con

Page 63

science are expedient because from the in

dividuals personal point of view, they serve
a most practical end. T h e fact of the m atter
is th at w hen a rig h t deviates too far from the
right of conscience, no m atter how well en
acted it is as law, people will violate it. Such
enacted rights should then be discarded an 4
new ones legislated, which will conform to
the mass conscience.
It so happens, therefore, th a t frequently
people resort to subterfuge an d direct viola
tion of expressed opinion, or the rig h t of law
to perform acts w hich serve the rig h t of their
conscience. If it is a right of conscience they
are serving, they will in all probability be
perform ing an unselfish act, rendering a serv
ice to others an d doing no inury other than
violating the expressed rig h t or the law.
W h e n w e serve conscience, if w e are norm al
hum an beings, w e a re likewise serving the
Cosmic, and it is proper.
T h ere are, how ever, obvious dangers in
such a practice. F irst, there are various levels
of personal development, of th e evolution of
the personality. A ctually, the dictates of con
science of different peoples could conflict,
even though all their motives m ight be Cosmically inspired. T h e variation in interpre
tation and the personal developm ents could
account for this. F u rth er, if each individual
w ere perm itted to act according to the right
of conscience as he u n d erstan d s it, some
would take adv an tag e of this freedom to in
directly do great harm to others, claiming
th at conscience guided them. Consequently,
it is necessary for peoples to vote on those
principles of right w hich n earest approach
the right of conscience. T h o u g h such rules
m ay not favor all, th ey will represent the
m ajority, and thus aid the g reatest number.
In corrupt politics, so prevalent in the
w orld today, often th e rights enacted as law
do not represent the mass conscience of th e
people, n or have the people really h ad an op
portunity to accept or reject them b y ballot.
T h a t is w hy it is so necessary to say th a t
perfect governm ent is impossible w ithout a
perfect people. G overm ents an d political sys
tems are not m ade in heaven, b u t are m aninspired. T h e idealism an d support of the
political system, as our late Im perator, D r.
Lewis, has said: cannot rise higher or be
stronger than the consciousness of the people
behind it. X

Rainy Day Reading

FALL and WINTER

Q n sih e

pijjm atin

H COLD driving rain, w et streets a n d slipp ery h ig h w ay s h a v e one m erit th ey

a re conducive to th e full enjoym ent of g ood
re a d in g in comfortable home surroundings.
M ake your inside hours du rin g the lo n g fall
a n d w inter evenings provide y ou w ith inside

information-in terestin g facts a b o u t subjects

THE MYSTERY OF MIRACLES

W h a t stra n g e pow ers d id th e an cien ts p o ssess? Are
m iracles divine or n a tu ra l p henom en a? This trem endous,
interesting problem is d iscu ssed from b o th th e scientific
a n d m ystical point of view . (32 d isco u rses.)

SOME MYSTICAL ADVENTURES

Do y o u a t tim es feel th e re is som ething b ey o n d th e
ev e ry d a y life w h ich ca sts a n influence over you? W ould
you like to a d v e n tu re into th e realm of p sychic ex p e ri
en ces a n d p h en o m en a? G ratify your w ish es w ith this
course. (35 d isco u rses )

NUMEROLOGY
W hat lies b eh in d th e veil? W hat w ill th e m orrow
b rin g forth? C an num erology p rovid e th e an sw e r, or is
it a pseu d o science? A v ery enlig h ten in g co u rse of
read in g . (16 d iscourses.)
WE ARE HEREWHY?
H ave you ev e r given serious th o u g h t to the ab o v e
question? Are you just chaff to b e b low n ab o u t? This
course is a ratio n al, com mon sen se p resen tatio n of facts
you ca n not d en y (39 d isco u rses.)
SUPERNATURAL
Do you w o n d er if th ere is an o th er w orld a n d w h eth e r
it influences our lives h ere? H ave you h a d s tra n g e
psychic ex p erien ces? If these topics in terest you, re a d
this en lightening course. (16 d iscourses )

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the simply expressed, fascin atin g topics of
th e cou rses issu ed b y the R ead er's R esearch
A cadem y.

ARCANE COSMOLOGY
Is th e ea rth after a il a cell w ith life on its su rface,
w h en all o th er cells h a v e life in th eir cen ters? Is the
ea rth a g r e a t b a ll, inside of w h ich m an lives? H ere a re
s tartlin g facts a b o u t o u r e a rth not g e n e ra lly know n.
(15 d isco u rses.)
LIFE EVERLASTING
C a n w e p ro v e b y logic th a t life co ntinues after d eath ?
O r is th e co n cep t b u t a foible of m ankind? L earn in
sim ple la n g u a g e w h a t o n e of A m erica's g re a te s t h is
to rian s a n a p h ilo so p h ers h a d to s a y on this su b ject.
(4 d isco u rses )
LIFE'S MYSTERIES
Do you realize th a t e a c h h o u r of yo u r life you sta n d
u p o n th e brink of a ch asm th e ch asm of eternity? Are
you satisfied to e n d u re y e a rs of life in ig n o ra n ce of its
p u rp o se? If you a r e a seek er, this serie s of d isco u rses
w ill b e m ost satisfy in g to you. (18 disco u rses )

idle ev en in g h ours into ad v e n tu res in th e

m ental w orld.

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P R IN T E D IN U . S . A .

T H E R O S IC R U C IA N P R E S S , L T D ., S A N J O S E

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A ^
I I

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I Ir T T i T T T i f f i
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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 66

Greetings !
V
D ear Fratres and Sorores:
T h e rendering of service is one of the
m ost commonly expounded purposes o f m any
societies and organized groups of peoples.
In the list of the aims of m ens civic clubs,
church groups, and m etaphysical fraternities,
the w ord service heads them all. It has be
come a trite little nicety th a t very often is
but a subterfuge for unadulterated social
functions.
W ith all due justice to m any of such
groups and the individuals w ho comprise
them, it is adm itted th a t they often attem pt
to render service in conform ity w ith the p ar
ticular construction they put upon the w ord.
W ith o u t going into the etymological origin
of the w ord, it can be assum ed th at it means
to help. If the desire is truly engendered by
an unselfish attitude, except for the satisfac
tion one derives from rendering service, it
is then highly commendable. O n the other
hand, the m otive of service is not alone suf
ficient, and it is this aspect of the subject
that often is not understood.
A m other refers w ith paternal pride to her
small son or daughter, as m other's helper."
T h e pride exists in the appreciation of the
incentive of the child to help. T o herself, or
to other adults she will smilingly adm it th at
the rendered service w as more often an ad d
ed burden and responsibility to her. T h is
can, of course, be excused in a child, but
most often those adults, individually or col
lectively, w ho insist upon perform ing a pub
lic or personal service, are equally as in
efficient and cause unintentional responsi
bilities for those they seek to help.
F irst, let us consider the psychological
factors behind the offer of service. If you
wish to help an individual, regardless of the
nature of such assistance, it implies your be
lief th a t he is inept a t doing som ething him
self. It is an indication th at you think his
efforts not sufficient, or too slow. N o, you
do not intend your aid to be an insult, yet
it m ay am ount to such.
T o use a homely analogy, you see an aged
man about to cross a heavily trafficked th o r
oughfare. H e w alks slowly to the curb and

V
obviously is not capable of quick movement.
His ability to confront an d to by-pass the
rapidly moving stream o f vehicles seems
pathetic to you. You are m otivated b y the
highest purpose kindness, compassion
w hen you step up an d tak e his arm, and en
deavor to assist him across. Y ou a re of
fended w hen he straightens up, and in a
rath er terse m anner, inform s you th a t he
can do quite well, th an k you. Y ou dismiss
the incident as the unappreciative attitu d e of
a cantankerous old man. A ctually you were
thoughtless. M o st all intelligent persons are
conscious of their lim itations o r their dimin
ished powers. It does not help their esteem
to be m ade to realize th a t such are not con
cealed facts, and th a t oth ers perceive them.
Such, adm ittedly, is vanity an d hum an w eak
ness, but w e all are possessed of it.
W h e n you w ish to render service, do not,
by act or w ord, indicate th a t you are imbued
with sym pathy. N o one b u t a parasite w ants
to become a recipient of charity o r an object
of sym pathy. It is far b etter to assume the
attitude o f cooperation in such instances of
service; in other w ords, th a t you w ould like
to w ork w ith, o r share the problem or re
sponsibility of the individual.
T o turn again to our analogy, w alk up to
the elderly person an d cross th e thorough
fare w ith him, adjusting your stride to his.
M ake some com ment upon the difficulty of
crossing. Y our presence protects and en
courages him an d accom plishes your end. If
he expresses the desire to be helped, then
you can more easily do so w ithout fear of
offending probable sensitive pride.
T h ere are those, fortunately for the w orld,
who still have no overwhelming dislike for
work. T o them, num erous duties an d de
mands upon their time constitute a challenge
to their ability an d to their pow er of ac
complishment. T h e y are never happier than
w hen to others it m ay appear th a t they are
subm erged w ith obligations o f various kinds.
T o insist upon rendering them a service be
cause you think they need it, places them in
an em barrassing position. T h e y do not w ant
to offend you b y refusing your offer, and, on
the other hand, th ey do n ot w an t to be de-

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

prived of their enjoym ent of the circum

stances, which, unbeknow n to you, they have
intentionally created for themselves. If such
a person is obviously happy in his environ
ment, he needs no service rendered him. D o
not inconvenience and annoy him b y forcing
your services upon him, just so th a t you can
feel righteous.
A gain, may you not a t times be very presumptious w hen you offer to serve others?
A re you really alw ays in position to assume
initiative and the responsibility for your ow n
acts? A re you trained and qualified for th at
which you w ant to do for someone? If your
service will be inefficient, slow, or possibly
costly in time and m aterials, to the one you
expect to help, you are not rendering any
assistance, b u t actually and frankly making
a nuisance of yourself. T h e spirit of serv
ice, so frequently referred to, does not ex
cuse the unintelligent application of it, which
is so commonly seen. Y ou have no right to
offer something w hich you cannot adequate
ly provide. D o not insist upon serving, w hen
your service will not be equal to the dem ands
m ade upon it.
You m ust also realize th a t you have no
right to deprive another of his initiative or
of his personal experiences. It is good for
us, a t times, to struggle w ith a certain am ount
of adversity and to learn lessons. A s said,
we are all just a little bit w eak, and w e are
all inclined to let the other fellow do it, if
he will. C onsequently, you are sometimes
depriving one o f the developm ent of his
strength of character w hen you are so
anxious to serve him, in order to satisfy
your own sense of virtue. It behooves you
to consider well all of these factors before
proffering service.
F raternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Imperator.

Numerology and Vowels

frater now submits his first questions to
our Forum . T h e y are: W o u ld a girl nam ed
A lm a or D ora be the same ty p e of child if it
w ere given another nam e n o t having these
same vowels? W o u ld pronouncing these
nam es affect the child, or the ones saying
them? W o u ld th e sam e be true about boys
being nam ed Ira o r R onald? W h a t are the

Page 67

best nam es for boys and girls, as far as vowel

sounds are concerned?
First, the popular theory of num erology
can be traced back to the time of P ythagoras
and his school of disciples a t Crotonia, Italy,
and also to the Cabalistic theory of numbers.
According to P yth ag o ras, num ber w as the
key to n atu re's m yriad m anifestations. If w e
know the num ber an d order, by w hich reali
ties occur, w e can control m atter. E ach thing,
to P y thagoras, h ad its existence in a m athe
matical relationship to all other things. F u r
ther, he sought to explain the progression of
all being, the evolution of nature, if you will,
by number. T o each number, he assigned a
geometrical symbol, such as the square, tri
angle, circle, etc., indicating w h at is repre
sented. T h e num eral one depicted the be
ginning. Four depicted honesty and stabil
ity, etc.
T o many, his system w as a m ystery, not
only during his ow n period, b ut for centuries
afterw ards. T h a t he w as a profound thinker
is indicated by the fact th a t he w as the first
one to show the scientific an d m athem atical
relationship betw een notes in the musical
scale. H e experim ented w ith the vibrations
of the strings of a lyre. H e dem onstrated
th a t the difference in the notes w as propor
tional to the lengths of the strings. T h u s the
note o f a string could be predicted by com
paring it w ith the lengths of the others of the
instrum ent. H is theory conceived a harmonic
scale of all being in the universe. T hings
w ere not separate; things m erged one into
another, ju st as low and high notes fit into a
mathem atical arrangem ent in the musical
scale.
In the H ebrew C abala, it traditionally had
been declared th a t G od's creative pow ers
w ere symbolized b y ten num bers, and these
in turn w ere related to vowels, giving the
spoken w ord a creative efficacy. From these
facts and theories em erged new truths, and
as well a m yriad of misconceptions, distor
tions, an d superstitions. In a general sense,
the popular theory of num erology prevalent
today, of w hich there are num erous varia
tions, contends th a t for each letter of a nam e
there is a specific num ber. T h is num ber is
represented as having a vibratory value. In
m ost instances, th e vibratory rate is arbi
trarily arrived at, nam ely, there is no rational
basis for its having been established. T h e

Page 68

sum total of the numbers for each letter of

the name is said to depict the vibratory con
tent of it. These totals, or numbers are then
designated as either beneficial or detrimental
to the one who bears the name. There is no
relationship whatsoever to the actual intona
tion of the name, that is, how the name may
sound.
Regarding these particular number sys
tems, we quote our late Imperator: How can
the letters of a word have any bearing upon
the vibratory value of the name, if some of
the letters are n o t pronounced? In so u n d
va lu e , what is the difference between la ugh
and laff, or la f; yet the numerical valuation
of la u g h and la f would be distinctly different
according to number systems'. And, how
can you give a number* value of 1 to the
a in fa th e r , and also give 1 as the number
value of a in h a t and h a y ? Is it not apparent
that these three as are of different values?
. . . The deep student of sounds and their
mystical values will realize at once how utter
ly absurd such number* systems are, from
the above argument."
When, however, we do not attempt to as
sign a number value to a letter of the alpha
bet, but rather to the pronouncing of words,
to th e sp o k e n vo w els, we have natural law or
harmonics as a basis to work upon. Regard
less of the language spoken, there are but
twelve distinct vowels used in the pronounc
ing of words. These may be slightly modi
fied in some languages, but essentially they
are the same. . . . W e find, therefore, that
all names are composed of sounds which may
be analyzed into the twelve sounds of one
octave.* Each vowel of a name, therefore,
has a vibratory rate as a note or sound.
These vibrations, or intonations, of course,
do affect the psychic centers or glands. Some
of them are repressive and others stimulating.
Consequently the uttering of a name may
have, as we know from our own personal ex
perience, harmonious, pleasing effects upon
us, or on the other hand, irritating effects. If
one were to be subject to a constant calling
of his name, or had to repeat it himself fre
quently, it would have very definite psycho
logical and physiological effects upon his or
ganism. Since this is not so with the average
person, the vibratory effects of the vowels of
our names are not a vital factor in our suc
cess or happiness in life.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

So as not to go into an elaborate technical

description of these musical notes having
numerical value in vibrations, which corre
spond to each of the twelve combinations of
vowels of which names are composed, we
offer the following simple method for the
selection of an harmonious name. When you
speak a name which you wish to assign your
child, first be certain that you have the proper
pronunciation, then pronounce it carefully.
Next, notice the effect upon you as you speak
it. If it seems harsh, chilling, grating, ex
plosive, crisp, or flat, reject it. If it is ex
hilarating to the ear, pleasing, if the tonal
qualities suggest inspiring thoughts, if it is
dynamic, especially for a boy, then select it.
Just think of the men and women who re
fuse to use their first name because of its
sound, because of the emotional disturbance,
and the embarrassment the pronouncing of it
causes them. W h y incumber a child with a
thoughtlessly selected name? Is not your
child's future also more important, that is,
his vwelfare and peace of mind, than the
honoring of some relative by the use of his
name. If the relative's name is not pleasing
and harmonious, dont harness your son or
daughter with it, even if you must incur the
relatives d isp le a su r e . W rongly selected
names have actually caused children to have
phobias, to become exceedingly self-conscious,
and to develop in ferio rity c o m p lex e s . Make
your child proud of his name. He may have
to bear it and use it longer than you.X
Can W e Believe Our Senses?
As frequent illustrations are provided in
our teachings indicating the unreliability of
the objective senses, these facts give rise to
the question as to whether or not we can
ever be certain of what we perceive. That is,
is everything an illusion and nothing posi
tive? From a purely physiological point of
view, it can be conceded that there is no way
of ever proving that what we perceive is
actually a copy of what exists outside of us.
For example, what we hear as a sound is
the result of vibrations that strike sensitive
membranes within the ear. These vibrations
are not sound, but are translated in the brain
to be what we perceive as sound. A similar
illustration is true in the case of visual sen
sations. The eye is equipped with a lens

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

similar to a camera. It projects a picture of

w hat is seen outside upon the back of the
eyeball on that portion of the eye known as
the retina. T h e optic nerve carries this im
pression to the brain w here we experience
the sensation of sight, and due to o u r mem
ory and reasoning w e are able to p u t these
impressions together and say th a t we p er
ceive an object outside ourselves.
It is a fact, however, th a t w e cannot prove
th a t w h at w e perceive is actually a duplicate
of w h at exists outside, but w e draw the gen
eral conclusion and w ork upon the premise
th at w e do actually perceive in our minds
exactly w h at exists outside ou r bodies, upon
the basis th a t all hum an beings react in a
similar m anner to the same type of stim ula
tion to the senses. T h ere is no other logical
conclusion to draw , and so w e are correct in
basing ou r reasoning upon the assum ption
th at the five physical senses are truly the
w indow s of our minds by w hich we perceive
everything th a t exists in the w orld outside
of our own bodies. A being w ithout sense
organs of any kind could never know an y
thing o f the w orld about him. H e w ould be
living in a perpetual state of total darkness,
soundlessness, or the lack of any other type
of sensation.
N evertheless, it is true th a t our perceptive
organs are not completely accurate. W e per
ceive things differently than as they actually
exist in m atter or space. O n e of the most
common illustrations of this fact is the ap
pearance of parallel lines. F or example, if
w e look a t a railroad track extending into
the distance, w e know th a t the rails are
parallel, b u t they appear to run together and
cease to be parallel in the distance. A ny
textbook on psychology will illustrate a num
ber of geom etrical illusions in which the eye
is apparently confused by w h at it perceives.
T h e arrangem ent of certain lines and angles
will cause the length of lines to be under
estim ated or overestim ated so th at our per
ception is entirely different from the actual
thing th a t w e see. A fter m easuring those
lines, however, w e can clarify our under
standing through know ledge and com pensate
for the error in perception.
O utside of these general illusions w ith
w hich m ost of us are familiar, the norm al
mind does not ordinarily confuse the im
pressions that come to it. T h e jnind is able,

Page 69

from know ledge an d experience, to interpret

sensations an d to perceive all things logi
cally. T h e m ind th a t is norm al has a tend
ency to be system atic an d to arran g e its im
pressions an d perceptions in a form which
give them continuity and a logical meaning.
T h ese facts do not mean th at the normal
mind is not a t times subject to mistakes. T h e
illusions to w hich w e have referred are mis
takes w hich are due p artly to the sense organ
itself, and p artly to our experience an d un
derstanding of the sensation. M isinterpreta
tions o f sensations an d m ost illusions, re
gardless of how they are interpreted or ex
plained, fall into this category of the normal
mind making a m istake or error in judgm ent.
F or example, if a person is w alking along a
path or w alk in the dark, he m ay mistake a
bush or a post for an animal. O r, if he is
carrying a large sum of money an d having
concern for those funds, he m ay mistake an
inanim ate object for a b an d it as a child m ay
m istake a shadow in his room for a bear.
T h is is simply an exam ple of a m isunder
standing of sensations an d is an illusion in
w hich the norm al m ind m ay be tem porarily
deceived. It is clear th a t these are usually
not due entirely to a m istake of the sense
organ itself, b u t rath e r to an error in inter
preting the sense impression due to other
m atters having a predom inant control of
consciousness a t the moment.
A nother good exam ple is the interpreta
tion of sounds as w e are listening for a p ar
ticular sound. If w e have an appointm ent at
a certain hour an d expect someone to call a t
our home a t th a t time an d w e have nothing
to do b ut w ait, w e will in terp ret every sound
as possibly being an indication of the arrival
of th at caller, w hereas norm ally these famil
iar sounds w ould n ot even reach our con
sciousness. It is the ability o f a norm al mind
to correct these m istakes an d errors which
distinguishes the norm al m ind from the ab
norm al mind, or the sane from the insane.
R egardless of the stren g th of an illusion or
the impression the m isinterpretation makes
upon our minds, the norm al mind will even
tually correct this error, while the insane
mind will firmly believe in the thing as first
perceived an d is unable to correct the illusion.
M ore closely related to illusions are other
traits of the mind know n as hallucinations
an d delusions. A hallucination differs from

Page 70

an illusion in th a t it is entirely subjective.

By saying it is subjective w e mean th a t it is
a disorder of perception in w hich the ex
ternal sense organs do not participate. A
person having a hallucination believes he
perceives an external object w hen actually
there is no object corresponding to th e per
ception. T h e usual hallucination is best il
lustrated by those associated w ith the sense
of hearing and seeing. If an individual hears
voices w hen there are no voices, o r sees ob
jects w hen no objects are there, he is defi
nitely having a hallucination. It is the re
verse process of norm al perception. In other
w ords, we stated th at the norm al m eans of
seeing is for the vibrations from an object
outside of us to be projected through the
lens of the eye to the retina and then inter
preted b y the mind. In a hallucination the
exact opposite is true. T h e mind gains a
perception and believes th a t the perception
has come from the retina of the eye, and
further believes th at it sees the object o u t
side th at is the basis for the hallucination
that actually exists in the mind. T h e se visual
and auditory hallucinations are very common
in m any forms of abnorm al behavior but
rarely, if ever, exist in the mind o f a norm al
person. M ost psychologists state th a t a n o r
mal person never has a hallucination w hile
we are all subject to illusions.
A delusion can be defined as a mistaken
belief. It is the result of arriving a t an erron
eous conclusion. A norm al mind can have
a delusion, b u t the abnorm al m ind exagger
ates a m istaken belief and accepts it as cor
rect evidence. T h e delusion differs from
either an illusion or hallucination in th a t it
is not a sensory disorder b u t a complete de
rangem ent w ithin the m ind o r intellect. W e
m ight say th a t a delusion exists because the
mind mixes up its sensations and percep
tions and draw s a conclusion which is er
roneous. T his erroneous belief is due to
w rong judgm ent or faulty reasoning. E very
individual is subject to erroneous beliefs as
he is to illusions. T h ey exist in all o f us.
Prim arily, these beliefs are due to ignorance
in that w e do not know the facts of a certain
situation. F or example, my belief of w h at
m ay be the appearance of the surface of the
moon m ay be a delusion. H ow ever, it is not
an indication of any abnorm al traits in my
mind, but rath er due to pure ignorance of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w h at actually exists on the surface of the

moon an d the lack of ability to confirm or
deny the validity of my belief. M ore often
erroneous beliefs are due to prejudice. W e
frequently do not w an t to believe anything
th at w ould be contrary to our general phi
losophy o f life. E rroneous beliefs due to a
prejudice are particularly true in subjects in
volving religion an d politics. T w o people
w ith divergent beliefs can never argue suc
cessfully, because each one's beliefs are a
closed book to the other an d neither w ishes
to m odify those beliefs if he holds them as
convictions.
Lack of experience will also cause erron
eous beliefs. W e well know th a t a theory
until p u t into actual practice will create an
erroneous belief. W e can read the instruc
tions on how to do som ething, b u t find th a t
we have a w rong concept of the process
w hen w e actually try to do it. T h ese errors
in judgm ent are not referred to by m any
psychologists as being delusions, b ut rath er
merely mistakes. H ow ever, w hen an insane
pauper firmly an d truly believes he is a m ulti
millionaire, it is very obvious th a t his b e
havior is not based m erely on an erroneous
belief in the sense th at it is an error of ju d g
m ent o r opinion. Such an individual has a
delusion. F urtherm ore, the individual is not
insane because he has th a t delusion, b u t he
has the delusion because he is insane. A de
lusion, then, is a symptom o f mental illness.
All abnorm al behavior m ust have a cause,
and th a t explains w hy in the early treatm ent
of m ental diseases the approach w as entirely
w rong. Efforts w ere m ade b y reason an d in
junction to convince the individual th at the
delusion w as n o t correct, believing th a t if a
delusion w as corrected a norm al m ental state
would return, w hereas it is now necessary to
correct the m ental state an d the delusion will
leave. In this sense delusions can be com
pared to pain; if the cause is removed the
pain will cease. Stopping the pain will not
alw ays affect the cause.
In general, then, w e can summarize an d
say th a t illusions are errors of judgm ent of
the norm al m ind w hich eventually correct
themselves and produce no abnorm al be
havior. It is upon this basis, the basis of ex
perience, th at w e learn to correct any error.
It is on the sam e basis th a t w e can determ ine
w hether or not w h at w e believe to be a p sy

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

chic impression or know ledge coming to us

other than through the five physical senses
is an illusion or an actual impression. T h a t
is w hy in the early teachings of our mono
graphs w e repeatedly em phasize n o t being
too concerned about first impressions in re
sults of experim ents or asking questions
about them. N o one can interpret these first
impressions except ourselves, and th a t inter
pretation must be in terms o f experience.
E very individual has received know ledge
by intuition, or as w e more commonly say,
by a hunch. Experience in term s of time
is the determ ining factor as to w hether th at
hunch w as correct, and no o ther m ethod can
be a final criterion. So w henever we have
w h at seems to be an impression th a t is of a
psychic source and w e are confused as to
w hether it is an illusion or error in judgm ent,
w e m ust be content to put it aside and over
a period of time it will either be confirmed
or proven to be untrue. Just as w e can clar
ify a physical illusion by actually m easuring
the lines and angles involved, so experience
in daily living will verify a true psychic im
pression. A s w e consciously tend to verify
or deny these impressions, w e are becoming
more proficient in our ability to recognize and
discrim inate betw een these impressions which
m ay be due to im agination or error in ju d g
ment, and those w hich are actually tru e and
registered upon our consciousness by means
other than visual sensations.A

Shortening Reincarnation Periods

A Soror from the m idw est submits a ques
tion to our Forum . She say s: I have ponder
ed for some time on thisis not 144 years a
long time betw een incarnations afte r one has
become an older soul? Suppose some ad
vanced mystics should still have, after tran si
tion, a slight touch of imperfection so th at
another life on earth w ould be necessary,
w ould th a t earthly life and the time in the
Cosmic still have to be 144 years? I remem
ber reading, some place, of a highly evolved
soul w ho passed through transition, and who
w as immediately born right back.
T h e Soror has reference to the g reat Cosmic C ycle, the period from birth to birth.
T h is time is estim ated from the souls en
trance into a physical body in one incarna
tion until it enters the body in another in

Page 71

carnation. F o r example, if a man lives to be

60 years of age, and then passes through
transition, the difference betw een th a t num
ber an d 144 years is 84, an d the num ber of
years the soul will need to reside on the
Cosmic plane before incarnating again. T h is
is n o t an arb itrarily arrived a t cycle or per
iod. D eveloped students an d teachers in the
Rosicrucian O rd er, an d adepts an d mystics
of the m ystery schools have, after careful
stu d y and calculation for centuries of time,
arrived a t th a t figure. M any self-styled m eta
physical teachers o f to d ay have expounded
personal theories of this cycle. Such theories
proclaim short periods. Such conclusions are
their ow n an d are w ithout the basis of long
investigation. M o st of them are m erely spec
ulation arbitrarily accepted because they sup
p o rt the personal belief.
W h e n the personality, the expression of
the soul, the self, h as finally acquired perfec
tion, w herein it no longer opposes the Divine
n atu re of itself b u t responds entirely to it,
then the soul no longer need reincarnate.
W h e n this occurs for each individual no one
knows. It is as different as the differences of
developm ent for each soul-personality. It
w ould be like asking w hen will one under
stand a problem about w hich now he is still
perplexed.
H ow ever, the S oror's point is th a t since
there is gradual perfection of the personality
there should be a diminishing of the time,
nam ely 144 years, betw een incarnations.
Consequently, th ere should be some minutes
or years less each incarnation, until, ultim ate
ly, the soul w ould rem ain out of the body but
seconds after transition before it w ould enter
another. F irst, let us realize th a t the ideal
state for the soul is the Cosmic one. T h e
Cosmic state is the period w hen it resides in
the Cosmic realm. Such could be said to be
the positive period of the souls existence.
I ts residence in th e body conversely is the
negative period. T h erefo re, w ith th e devel
opment of the personality, w hen it gradually
reflects the soul com pletely after m any incar
nations, the time th a t it needs to remain in
the body gradually lessens, if an average is
taken over the w hole num ber of incarnations.
T h ere may, occasionally, be one or two in
carnations during this period of development
w hen the soul occupies the b ody for a greater
number of years but, on the whole, the time

Page 72

diminishes. H o w e v e r , the w hole Cosmic

cycle, th at is, the period from one incarna
tion to another actually becomes no less.
Let us use an analogy to better understand
this Cosmic law. John Jones struggles through
incarnation afte r incarnation. H e is, a t first,
insofar as his personality is concerned, crude,
extrem ely animalistic, and objective to a high
degree. T h e consciousness of self, the real
self is subm erged. H e suffers great personal
losses and hurts and he learns to overcome
his acrim ony, and to respond to those strange
feelings w hich he once took pride in brushing
aside. H e no longer thinks of the beauty of
mind an d the esthetic tastes as signs of w eak
ness. H e now know s hum ility an d com pas
sion'he experiences great illumination. H e
seeks to, an d exceeds in helping m ankind in
some m anner. T h e m ysteries of life, the fears
and superstitions begin to dissolve before his
quickening intelligence. H is pow er of accom
plishm ent and ability to command the forces
of nature increase trem endously. H e is called
by men a philosopher, a hum anitarian, a
venerable, a man of G od, a m ystic.
N ow , having attained this state, according
to Cosmic law, it is necessary to serve others
more than himself. T herefore, he may be
called upon to live 10 or 12 years in the
physical body, and then pass through tran si
tion so th at th a t experience of his untim ely
passing m ay influence the lives of some p ar
ents, teaching them a lesson through the grief
that they will experience. Even though he
passes through transition a t twelve years of
age, and he has reached th at peak of perfec
tion w here reincarnation will soon no longer
be necessary, still his soul will need to reside
132 years on the Cosmic plane, or the differ
ence betw een 12, his earthly life, and 144
years before incarnation again.
W h e n a person reincarnates alm ost im
m ediately after transition it is principally be
cause the soul has rem ained here on earth
nearly 144 years. W h e n the soul-personality
has reached perfection and if the Cosmic
mind desires it to do a w ork on the earth
plane for the full span of the possible life
cycle, then man w ould live to be 144 years,
and live in perfect health and understanding
and w hen he ceased living he w ould pass
through transition, and be reincarnated in
stantly. A lthough, in all probability, this may

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

have occurred in some isolated cases, it is in

no sense a general rule.
T h e length of time m an resides in this
body is going to determ ine the tim e the soul
must reside on the Cosmic plane. O n ly w hen
absolute perfection is reached will such earth
ly incarnations cease, we repeat.
T h e age of m any spiritual leaders a t the
time of their transition w as quite young.
Several w ere thirty-five, an d the great m ajor
ity under seventy. T h eir transition usually
occurred in accordance w ith those periods of
our life w hen Cosmic Consciousness is us
ually attained. If the ultim ate Cosmic C on
sciousness in the lives of such ad e p tsth at
is, final perfection-is n ot attain ed a t thirtyfive years of age th ey m ay continue for m any
years on this plane until the next of the seven
periods of o ur life w hen such illumination is
a p t to be had. It is strikingly noticeable how
the transitions of these spiritual luminaries
fall w ithin these periods of illum ination.'
Alw ays, however, m ust the soul reside the
required num ber of years on the Cosmic
plane to complete the positive aspect of the
144 year cycle.X

The Darkest H our

A frater o f C an ad a now arises to ask our
Forum: Is it true, as on the physical plane,
th at the darkest hour is ju st before the dawn?
I understand tem ptation to be a proving
ground, but from w here does it get its
pow er?"
Each individual, sometime during his life,
must pass through th a t w hich the mystics
an d Rosicrucians have for centuries term ed
the O bscure N ig h t of th e Soul." H ow and
w hen this comes about is fully an d properly
elucidated in the m onographs. T h is O bscure
or D ark N ig h t of th e Soul is characterized
by all th at w e attrib u te to darkness, namely,
despair, confusion, tem ptation, hopelessness,
and helplessness. It is reflected in every
channel o f our living. W e find ourselves w ith
a paucity of ideas, m entally not alert, even
seemingly sterile. W h e n problem s are con
fronted, they seem insurm ountable. E very
thing we attem pt has a nu g ato ry result. W e
find no inspiration w ithin ourselves, or in a
contemplation o f the future. M oreover, our
w eaknesses become glaringly obvious to us
and adum brate all or m any virtues in which

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

we might ordinarily take refuge. Even casual

avenues of escape seem closed to us. T h ere
fore, it is futile to travel or change our en
vironment, for these elements of dejection
and despair cling to us like a shroud. T h ere
is no com fort to us to try to lose our con
sciousness in such interests as motion pic
tures, or some sim ilar pastime, because even
our physical health is affected. W e can never
entirely relax, o r be freed from the heaviness
of h eart and disconsolation, w hich during
this time rests upon us like a yoke.
T his O bscure N ig h t does not necessarily
come to one w hile he is in the sunset years
of his life, o r w hile quite young. It may be
experienced anyw here betw een the years of
35 and 70. T h e time for its arrival is d eter
mined by our personal cycle of evolution,
th at is, the evolution of the soul-personality
of the individual. T h e soul-personality of
each person is continually evolving. T his
consists in our becoming aw are of self and
in adapting our w ays of life to the dictates
of this consciousness of self. T h e only spir
itual evolution which man can have is a
gradual approach tow ard th at perfection
which is of the soul w ithin him, an d which
he comes to realize. W ith each year of such
aw akening, the conflict between the body,
th a t is, the objective man, the appetites, the
desires and w orldly interests, on the one
hand and the high idealism an d moral sta n d
ards, on the other, w hich represent con
science or the spiritual nature, becomes more
severe. Internal dissension occurs. W e find
ourselves torn betw een devoting every con
scious moment to desire and the urge to be
more critical of life, more analytical and
circumspect.
In such a state, no happiness exists, for we
are no longer com pletely an extrovert, th at
is, living principally objectively, because w e
are now more and more conscious of the un
defined and persistent urges from w ithin.
W e cannot sim ply and easily extirpate the
old habits an d w ays of living. T h ey are too
firmly im pressed upon us. O nly the stro n g
est will, supported by the strength of the
vision of a new and more glorious life, can
accomplish that. Since in this stage of the
O bscure N ig h t w e are not quite certain of
w hat w e seek, w e do not thoroughly com pre
hend the im m anent impulses, w e are there
fore, unable to exert the strength to make

Page 73

the change in our lives. W e become our own

w orst enemy. W e find it extrem ely difficult
to live w ith ourselves, and others notice the
change in our personality, the disagreeable
ness of o ur presence during this period. O u r
old interests have lost their appeal, and yet
there is nothing quite satisfactory as a sub
stitute. O u r life has become dark, and it be
comes increasingly darker w hile this inde
cision goes on.
U nfortunate is on e during such a period,
who has no know ledge of th e m ystical prin~
ciples involved. If w e are superstitious, we
believe we are under the m alevolent influence
of some exterior pow er. T hereu p o n w e seek
continually, through various artifices, to ap
pease or mitigate such a pow er, y et the fear
of that which we do not u n d erstan d in
creases. O n the other hand, if w e are a sin
cere religionist, w e may not und erstan d the
cause of our dilemma any better, but w e are
apt to resort to prayer, hoping through it to
enlist the intervention of a deity in our be
half. T h e resort to prayer, the opportunity
afforded the soul to express itself, and for
the ego to commune w ith the Divine, will
effect the needed result. D uring such intro
spection and ttunem ent, illumination may
be had. T h e futility and evanescence of
m ortal existence will become clear. T h e eter
nal beatitude of truth, of an understanding
of the unchanging n atu re of the Cosmic will
be perceived. O ld interests will seem shallow
and vain, b u t there will also be seen in n a
ture, and experienced w ithin the realms of
the mind, beautiful, previously unrealized
treasures.
U nfortunately, however, the dogma of
m any religions often prevents such Cosm ic
experiences being used to the advantage of
the devotee. A fter having them through
prayer, he is compelled to interpret w hat has
been revealed to him, by m an-m ade creeds.
Consequently, in the process, he distorts the
vision given him, an d reverts to the Obscure
N ig h t.
T h e student of mysticism know s this test
will come, and he prepares for it. H e gives
himself over as much as the stren g th of will
permits, to his frequent intuitive urges. H e
seeks to understand and be guided b y them.
By no means does he abandon normal,
healthy physical existence. H e does, however,
try to exercise and use his psychic functions,

Page 74

and the aw akened inner consciousness as

much as he can, so th a t it may be his daily
guide in his m aterial affairs. H e tries to per
mit it to direct him objectively. H e seeks to
discipline the body by the selfand yet, I
repeat, live a natural, norm al life. H e may
not be willing to entirely accept the concep
tions about life which arise in his conscious
ness from the psychic impressions, especially
w hen they seem to contradict objective ex
periences. C onseqeuntly, he, like others, will
find himself gradually entering the darkness
of the O bscure N ig h t. T h ere comes a time,
however, even for the student of mysticism,
during this night th a t he m ust let go and
give the self the expression which it craves
in this cycle of m ortal existenceif he does
not, he retards his developm ent and loses his
opportunity until another incarnation.
T h e student of mysticism knows w hen he
is facing the crisis, because as the frater who
asked this question says: the darkest hour
is just before the daw n." W h e n every fibre
of his being cries out, and all th at is mortal
and physical about ourselves says for him
to return to the indifference of his previous
living and get rid of this torment, this con
flict; w hen the objective self argues th at no
m atter w hat might come if victorious, it can
not be w orth this sacrifice; w hen these arg u
ments arise in his consciousness, then the
student of mysticism knows the tem pter has
spoken and th a t the hour has come. T h ere
is a Cosmic com pensation for those who
courageously persist in facing this crisis,
and in furthering the evolution of their soulpersonality. W h e n it seems th a t they can
endure no more, and y et they still have the
desire to continue to struggle, Cosmic su p
port is received. T h e clouds of darkness
seem to suddenly, alm ost immediately dis
appear, and the struggle ceases. T h e in
dividual then finds it quite facile to gain con
trol of himself. H e begins almost imm ediate
ly to relegate his desires to their place an d
to put his mind and affairs in order. Insofar
as his interests are concerned, he now can
arrange them as he w ould books upon a
shelf. A t least, no thing seems impossible
anym ore, and no thing seems so terribly
all-im portant in its material value. Form er
false beliefs now appear in their true light
and are discarded. U seless and dangerous
habits are m astered. T h e purpose of life, the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

in d iv id u als single mission becomes an ob

jective having as much perspicuity as the
corner lamp post. T h is em erging from the
O bscure N ig h t, this clearing aw ay of the
clouds of darkness is w h at the mystics also
call T h e G olden D aw n."
Suppose one, during the darkest hour, the
time of crisis, abandons his faith, loses con
fidence in self, an d elects to return to the old
state o f consciousness, does the torm ent of
this despair and hopelessness continue? N o,
it passes on, b ut not quite so rapidly. T h en
you might ask: W h y endure this suffering
if freedom and peace of mind m ay eventually
come?" T h e answ er is, first, th a t peace of
mind does not come. T h o u g h the suffering
ceases, life th ereafter becomes listless. N o th
ing of the old w ay of living, to w hich the
individual m ay return, ever brings quite the
same enjoym ent. You have m et people, per
haps they w ere not students of mysticism,
w ho have passed through the O bscure N ig h t
in their lives, an d w ho have failed the test.
T h e bitterness they have tow ard life, the
deep skepticism they hold tow ard all things
is the sign of their failure. T h ere is deep
dissatisfaction w ith all existence, but there
are no alternatives w hich make themselves
known. F urtherm ore, th ere is alw ays the
stigm a of w hich one is aw are, th at he has
failed. O n e who fails to satisfactorily en
dure the tests of the darkest hour emerges,
we m ight say, into a cloudy d ay for the rest
of their mortal days.
H ow we can prepare for the darkest hour
is well delineated in the Rosicrucian mono
graphs^in a certain degree of the teachings.
It shall suffice here to say th at you should
n ot fail to utilize every exercise to aw aken
the consciousness of self, an d to contact the
Cosmic. From such, which you may not at
times think of great importance, comes g rad
ual enlightenm ent, a strengthening of the
inner self. T h ese exercises will not prevent
you from being tested or from experiencing
the D ark N ig h t of the Soul, during which
time all spiritual interests will seem to be of
little consequence, but the strength of your
personality, of self, previously aw akened
through the m ystical exercises of the Rosi
crucian teachings, will fortify you to per
severe until the G olden D a w n .
Remember th a t a sign of the approaching
of the O bscure N ig h t of the Soul is the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tem ptation to abandon all mystical or Cosmic

interests, to p u t them aside an d to consider
them rath er tedious or inconsequential, in
relation to the affairs of the day, an d to con
cern oneself only w ith w orldly things. If you
submit to such tem ptation, you are like the
man in a row boat on a calm sea, who is in
duced, because of the calmness o f the mo
ment, to cast his life preserver overboard,
in the belief th a t he w on't ever need it. X

Postwar Adjustment
A lm ost every new spaper or news analysis
which we read today makes some reference
concerning the status of the postw ar world.
T hese adjustm ents, w hen considered all to
gether are steps w hich various individuals
and groups believe should be taken in order
that a peaceful w orld can be assured and
that furtherm ore, each individual living in
that w orld will have the opportunity of
reasonable expression and freedom.
T h e phases of this postw ar adjustm ent, as
it is treated in general, falls into three class
ifications: T h e economic, the political, and
the social. E ach o f these is extrem ely im
portant. W ith o u t proper economic ad ju st
ment there m ay be derpessions or financial
panics which w ould be forerunners of dis
content, and therefore, foundations of an
other w orld conflict. Political adjustm ents
are necessary so th a t countries boundaries
can be properly defined, and governm ents
established to cooperate and to w ork w ith
other governments. Socially, the individuals
must have institutions, aside from the gov
ernm ent, th at will contribute to their w ell
being and ability to live together.
I do not believe anyone can disagree upon
these three points or the extreme im portance
of the possible gains in the w orld in these
three particular fields. Cooperation will be
needed since the ideas of no one individual
will be sufficient to bring about a satisfac
tory solution to the problems involved in
these particular fields of w orld structure.
T h e fact that various efforts are being m ade
now to face these problems squarely and
honestly is a m ost hopeful sign. But in a d
dition to these three, there is another field
little touched upon which we m ight call the
field of rehabilitation of the individual, both
from the standpoint of his physical well

Page 75

being and his em otional life. M an y will say

th at this emotional adjustm ent in the postw ar
w orld is one w hich will take care of itself.
In o th er w ords, it is pointed out th at through
out M an 's history, in fact, after every cycle
of adjustm ent which M an has h ad to face
w hen economical, political, an d social factors
have in any w ay been upset, upon return to
norm al conditions, the emotional problems of
the individuals usually have adjusted them
selves. T h e fact th a t this has been true, in
the past, at least apparently true, does not
take into consideration th a t a t the present
time, as we will proceed to point out here,
the emotional adjustm ents are more complex
than ever before insofar as the num ber of
individuals affected is concerned. F u rth er
more, the exact opposite o f the above con
clusion m ight also be true. T h a t is, that if
each individual could return to a satisfactory
emotional adjustm ent to his environment,
then economic, political, and social ad ju st
ments would take care of themselves. So we
see that all these factors are interrelated, and
the solving of one, while it will help to solve
the others, is n ot the complete and final
solution.
T h e future w orld, from the physical stan d
point, will be much smaller th an we have
ever conceived it to be in the past. T h e ad
vances of transportation and communication
th at have come about in the prosecution of
the w ar itself will make us all neighbors to
the rest of the w orld. T h e fact th at this
exists now in a m anner never before known
is one reason for the emotional disturbances
th a t are affecting the hum an race as a whole.
T h e im portance of the consideration of the
emotional instability o f individuals cannot
be underestim ated because no economic,
political, or social scheme will succeed w here
individual emotional instability exists. W e
are training, much against our will, b ut
nevertheless as a m atter of necessity, a gen
eration in the arts of w ar and killing as has
never been done before. M anifestations of
h atred of our enem y have been prevalent as
a n atural emotion th a t cannot be avoided
w hen w e consider th at our freedom and our
desire to live and progress is being interfered
w ith b y races an d nations, which, if they
h ad their w ay, w ould most certainly change
our structure of living and our w hole concept
o f freedom. W e cannot go into the right or

Page 76

w rong of w ar here we must consider it

only as an existing condition w hich we did
not w an t b u t w hich we m ust face just as we
m ight necessarily have to take steps to force
a burglar or trespasser from our private
property.
T h e extrem e tension th at goes w ith these
conditions w as brought to my attention in
a motion picture th eater recently. T h is p ar
ticular film concerned the occupation of N o r
w ay and the attitu d e of the citizens of th at
country to th at occupation. By careful plan
ning, a group of these individuals w ere able
to smuggle munitions and arms and w ere
w aiting for the proper time w hen they could
turn on their oppressors an d bring some
small relief to their village. T h e entire mo
tion picture dealt w ith this subject, and b y
the time the picture w as alm ost through a
trem endous build-up had been given to
this retaliation so th at w hen the scene in the
picture came w hen these individuals w ere
able to attack the oppressors, the tension
could be felt throughout the theater. In fact,
w hen the first shot w as fired in an actual
m assacre of the invaders of the country, a
cheer w ent on through the theater.
T his, some will say, is as it should be, but
I could not help thinking of the trem endous
emotional reservoir th at had been tapped and
the extrem e desire of the audience to see the
slaughter of hundreds of people, even though
it w as only in a motion picture. In other
w ords, the progress of the picture w hich no
doubt w as reasonable in accordance with
real life in the circum stances which it de
scribed, w as one of building up all the feel
ing th at man can have for retaliation and
killing. T o w hat are these channels of ex
pression going to be directed on the p art of
those who m ust settle dow n to live in a
peaceful world? T h e younger generation of
this country is living almost entirely on the
expectation of revenge and the time w hen
w e will slaughter so m any of our enemies
th at they will no longer have the pow er to
resist. W h e n the enemy is vanquished, will
these emotions suddenly cease or will they
be directed into other channels? In this ques
tion lies a factor of postw ar adjustm ent th at
is not receiving the attention th at other fac
tors are. W e m ust acknow ledge th a t these
emotional forces and intense feelings can be
made constructive as well as destructive, but

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

there is no glamour, if w e m ay use th at

w ord, in the constructive use of these forces
to the extent th a t these forces have been
used in a destructive form. W h a t shall w e
offer the younger person w ho has been raised
to adulthood through a period of w ar th at
will challenge his attention an d energies
equally to th at of actual participation in
battle? T o w h at institution will w e turn for
guidance of these people? T h e nation will
be som ew hat responsible, b u t will be in
volved more in term s of the mass of the
hum an beings as a w hole th a t constitute the
country rath er than in the individuals. It
would seem th a t the church should be a
contributor to the re-establishing of a normal
life, but w hether w e like it or not, w e cannot
deny th at the church is not as strong a factor
in the life of the average individual as it
could be. T herefore, the problem th a t faces
the church is w h at kind of a program will it
adopt after the w ar to a ttra c t those who
have the energies and forces pent up w ithin
them th at they w ish to expend.
E ducation will also be a contributing fac
tor, but will culture for cultures sake be an
attraction to the individual who w ishes to do
something to expend th a t energy th a t is pent
up w ithin him? O rganizations such as fra
ternities, social an d otherw ise, will also be
a means of attractin g some of these indi
viduals, but again the question rem ains as to
w hat will their program be to make construc
tive action attractive? W e cannot attem pt
here to answ er this question any more than
we can answ er the political and economic
problems th at will surely face us, but I can
raise the question so th a t the thinking man
and woman can become conscious th a t this
problem exists just as much as does the
problem of m aking a living in some trade,
profession, or occupation. If the leading
economists are called in by the nation to
map the future economy of the nation and
the world, w ould it not be wise th a t social
organizations such as the churches, the
schools, and other groups call in the leading
psychologists to deal w ith the emotional life
of the individuals w ho compose society? T h e
program to be devised will be the program
th at thinking men and women will w an t and
will come to know as we approach the time
w hen it is most needed.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

F or the present we m ust all, literally, do

everything w ithin our pow er to show the
benefits of peace to the present generation
to show th at the frontiers of science exist
today just as the frontiers of this nation
existed a hundred years ago, and th at there
is w ork to be done for the betterm ent of
hum anity w ork th a t has alm ost ceased at
the present day. T hese horizons are un
limited. W h e n the force th a t is now being
turned to destruction can be turned to con
struction and w e can find proper incentives
to direct men and wom en's hopes and asp ira
tions, w e will have solved an individual prob
lem w hich will go a long w ay tow ard solving
the problems of the masses. If people are
busy, contented, and directing their pent up
forces in a m anner w hich is to their benefit,
w e will have little concern about the progress
tow ard satisfactory postw ar adjustm ent. T h e
individual who has adjusted himself satis
factorily will gradually become associated
w ith groups of sim ilarly adjusted individu
als so th a t in time the w hole social structure
of a nation or of the w orld will be satis
factorily developed. T herefore, it is of ex
trem e im portance th a t the activities of the
individual be considered as well as of the
group.
It is difficult to raise questions of the type
that are contained in these comments and
not hold up some type of a plan; b ut the
plan of the individual in this particular field
is not enough. T h e plan w hich ultim ately
will develop will not be a plan th a t can be
itemized into a certain num ber of steps like
the solving of a m athem atical problem or the
putting together of a puzzle, because as it
has to do w ith the individual feelings of liv
ing beings, it will have to be a group feeling
th at will be developed because of a desire
to live and w ork together successfully. A t
the present time we have a feeling of p at
riotism which, regrettably, has never existed,
at least in this nature, during peace times.
Can we not see in this channel a possibility
of living an example in such a w ay as to
point out that if patriotism is necessary now
to win the w ar, it will be doubly necessary
to hold the peace, and the country w hich so
directs itself th a t the individual citizen will
find some degree of contentm ent and happi
ness will be the one th a t will dem and the

Page 77

most patriotism an d which, in turn, will have

a patriotic group of citizens?
W h ile w e cannot offer a solution to these
problems today, let us remember th at p sy
chological problem s exist as well as physical
ones, and th a t members of this organization
whose prime purpose is to deal w ith the
problems of hum an adjustm ent and hum an
living m ust bear their share of the respon
sibility of helping a w orld to develop in
which everyone can live a fuller life.A
O ld Souls?
A soror asks an interesting com pound
question, the elements of w hich are directly
related. She says: W h e n a child is m ature
for its age, or w hen an ad u lt is particularly
well balanced and possesses a m arked degree
cf natural intelligence, one will often hear
either of them referred to as an old soul.
Since each individual soul is a segm ent of
the D ivine Soul, then how can there be an y
difference in the age of these segments?
H ow can one soul be older than others?
Also we learn that even among very
primitive men there w ere a few who w ere
wise enough to be accepted as leaders by
the others. H ow did these few men become
so much w iser than the others, even a t a time
w hen man w as in the primitive stage? W e
see th at man w as gradually becoming ex
posed to experiences th at w ere making him
intelligent, but it seems these few men h ad
been exposed to even greater experiences
because they show ed m arked intelligence
already."
As to the first of these questions, let me
begin by asking a leading question. Since all
humans live on earth, and the same sun
shines on all p arts of the globe, w hy is the
skin pigm ent of some races darker than
others? Simply because some races have b e
come more exposed to ceratin o f the suns
radiations than others. So it is w ith the
souls of men. T h e soul is the universal con
sciousness of G od, the Divine M ind, if you
will, an essence which perm eates the entire
universe. In a sense, w e m ay say th at all
things are imbued w ith soul because the law
and order of the D ivine M ind, of which soul
consists, determ ines the phenom ena of all
things. T h e soul essence has its attributes in
inanimate m atter. It is those principles which

Page 78

the chemist and the physicist recognizes. In

living m atter, it is th at which the biologist
recognizes as the properties and qualities of
life. In man, it expresses itself as th a t selfconsciousness which m anifests as ego, moral
discernm ent, conscience, or, to sum it u p
personality.
Since the soul is an essence w hich perm e
ates all men alike, and is continually of the
same source, there cannot be an y variation
of its n ature in any man. It m ight be con
tended th a t even though the soul essence in
all men is alike, yet th a t quality itself could
vary. In other w ords, to use an analogy, all
men m ay drink from the same reservoir, b ut
the purity of the w ater m ay differ a t times.
H ow ever, if we adduce the statem ent th at
the soul essence m ay be inconstant, th a t is,
having a variation of perfection, then w e are
inferring th at the n ature of the Supreme
Being, or G od is a t times less than perfect.
As Rosicrucians, w e do not conceive a per
sonal G od, but a consciousness of God,
nam ely, the being of G od and H is mind are
one. T his mind or consciousness of G od,
we have said, is the soul essence in its most
positive form, which constitutes as well the
soul of man. Since neither time nor space
can affect the mind of G od, the essence of
this Divine M ind, w hich flows through the
most humble and primitive person, as well as
the most exalted, is as perfect, as com plete,
and as complex as is the soul of G ods Be
ing, or the Cosmic itself. T here are no de
grees or gradations of the quality of God,
so consequently there are no gradations of
perfection of the hum an soul.
How ever, it is dem onstrable and quite ob
servable th a t there is no equality in men of
the expression of those higher sentim ents,
functions, and qualities which are ordinarily
alluded to as the attributes of soul. In other
w ords, the dictates of m en's conscience and
the extent of their display of the cardinal
virtues is quite different in each. M an is not
just a soul, but a soul clothed with b o d y.
T h e objective mind, the thinking p art of
m ans mind interprets the impulses, the dic
tates of soul, and responds according to its
com prehension. If there w ere a uniform m a
terial or objective development am ong m an
kind, th a t is, if w e all had the same objective
intelligence, the same sensitivity to the soul
w ithin us, our reactions, our conduct, insofar

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

as our spiritual and m oral lives are con

cerned, w ould be uniform. If the objective
consciousness of each of us, for an analogy,
was like a photographic plate alw ays having
the same sensitivity, and in each case w as ex
posed exactly alike, to the uniform light of
the soul, the im pressions registered or photo
graphed upon la c h of our mortal minds
would be identical. B ut the variations in our
physical beings, the result of our environ
ment, heredity, an d our objective experiences
are like a num ber of persons photographing
the same object, w ith different cameras, w ith
dfferent lens openings, an d exposures, and
also w ith v arying degrees of film speeds;
they all get a picture of the object, b ut the
clarity of w h at they photographed, the qual
ity of it w ould v ary considerably, reflecting
the variations in the equipm ent and in the
technique used.
T h e soul in one who has experienced but
two incarnations, for example, and the soul
of one w ho has been on this plane many,
m any times are th e same in age, for the soul
essence, the consciousness of G od is time
less; it is never new an d it is never old.
W ith each incarnation, however, a mortal
has been ju st th a t much longer exposed to
the soul in him. E ach incarnation, his ob
jective thinking, the m ortal side of his mind
is influenced th a t much more by the con
sciousness o f the Divine w ithin him. P ate n t
ly, his thinking an d living, which constitute
his personality, evolve closer to a semblance
of the D ivine Self, w hich he is gradually dis
cerning. T h e person becomes more mellow
in tem peram ent, he acquires a deeper insight
into the profound things of life. H e shows
compassion, a sensitivity to conditions and
circumstances, w hich otherw ise would be be
yond his experience an d perception. His
sagacity, his obvious wisdom, m ay therefore
incline others to call him an old soul. W h a t
they mean is an evolved or older personality.
T h e person or ego, the se lf, in other w ords,
is older in the sense of the length of time of
its development, b ut not the soul.
T o use the analogy of an electric circuit.
In the circuit m ay be included or w ired a
number of sockets to accom m odate lighting
lamps. Suppose this circuit is one in your
own home. W h e n the lights, or lamps in a
room, after quite sometime, begin to lose
their form er luminosity, you do not say the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

electricity, or the house circuit is getting old

or less efficient. In fact, you know th at rela
tively speaking, the electric current is con
stant. You fu rther know th a t the cause of
the diminishing in brilliance is the difference
in the radiation from the lamps or bulbs.
You know it is due to their material condi
tion. T h e electricity, in the analogy, is the
soul force, the lam ps the bodies. T h e v ary
ing light w hich each em anates is the per
sonality. T h e term old soul is therefore an
erroneous figure of speech.
Sometimes a person can actually have in
carnated a less num ber of times than an
other, and yet have a far more highly evolved
soul-personality. T his leads us into the latter
half o f the S oror's questions. Even among
th e most primitive people, during w hat we
m ight call the D aw n A g e of mankind, some
men disclosed far greater intelligence and
realization of their psychic functions than
did their fellows. T his indicates th at bio
logically, perhaps, they w ere of a higher type
objectively, and therefore a p t to be more
inclined to respond to the psychic impres
sions of the soul. Since, however, excep
tional m entality and psychic development, or
evolution of soul-personality do not neces
sarily correspond, it more probably reveals
th at during the limited previous incarnations
of such an individual, he responded to and
conform ed to self more than others, and thus
becam e proportionately more enlightened
than his fellows.
Even if all m ankind sprang into eixstence
spontaneously, w hich it did not, still in a
given num ber of years, some individuals
w ould display greater spiritual inclinations
than others, simply because (and we must
not lose sight of this fact) man has been
given will. H e is not an autom aton, and he
m ay prefer to choose w hether he will em
phasize the objective or subjective side of
his life. T his choice determ ines the evolu
tion of his soul-personality. It accounts for
two persons under ideal conditions, like en
vironm ent, and heritage, nevertheless un
equally unfolding Cosmically. T h e mirror of
self is the D ivine heritage of every man. H e
m ay choose to look in it or not. H e w ho does
will have seen th a t much more than he who
does not.X

Page 79

W rite O u t Y o u r P ro b le m
A soror from Louisiana, addressing our
Forum,, says: In concentrating on a prob
lem, I do not get an y immediate impressions
or come to any definite decisions. I think of
it steadily but easily for a few moments,
then seem to become completely unconscious
of surroundings, even breathing. W h e re I
go to, I could not begin to explain, b u t after
it is over, the feeling of peace, calm, and sa t
isfaction which follows is so right, I feel
certain th at w hen the time comes to make a
move or do a thing, I will do w h at I should
do naturally and simply, and th a t it will be
the only thing th a t I should have done.
W o u ld you also, in connection w ith the
topic of problems, have someone discuss the
mystical value of w riting our problems, if
there is such a value as I seem to sense?"
T h ere are both psychological an d mystical
advantages in the w riting of a problem, or
the discussing of it with another. O rdinarily
the mind thinks in generalities, in groups of
ideas. Consequently, we sometimes have in
mind several ideas, which in and by them
selves are distinct, and w hich w e presum e
have logical and definite connection, but
which, in fact, do n ot exist. O ften w e have
conclusions, as well, about some subject at
which w e did n ot personally arrive. T h ey
are not the result of progressive intimate
thought of our own. W e think w e know the
subject until we are asked to explain it to
another. In the process of relating it, we
often find ourselves unable to communicate
the conclusion, because we find th at the
elements upon w hich it should be based are
lacking in our understanding. H ow m any
times have you tried to explain to another
something th at you have alw ays accepted as
knowledge, thought you knew it, only to find
how incomplete y o u r assum ption was? T h e
mind, insofar as we personally are concerned,
may be satisfied w ith vague generalities, w ith
an im perfect m ental picture, but w hen we
wish to convey it to another and give it form,
either in the spoken w ord or w riting, we can
obviously discern how incomplete have been
our thoughts. It is for this reason th a t teach
ing another adds to the thoroughness of our
own knowledge. W e cannot explain some
thing to someone else, if w e do not have a
clear com prehension of it ourselves.

Page 80

O ne of the greatest w eaknesses of most

people and th at which contributes to their
failures and lack of efficacy in their personal
affairs is their disorganized thoughts. A good
mechanic, for analogy, alw ays lays out his
tools on a bench or near a t hand, in the
proper order of their relation to each other,
so th a t he m ay use them more effectively.
A surgeon has his surgical nurse or assistant
arran g e all instrum ents in the order th a t he
m ay require them. A confusion of in stru
m ents m ight be costly in time, an d in the
life of the patient. M ost of us, however,
have jum bled ideas, the very ideas w hich we
need in our thinking. T h ese are confused
ideas about our personal affairs, from which
we often draw distorted or false conclusions
and w hich affect our lives accordingly.
A five-mintues' careful analysis of w h at
seems to be a problem m ight clarify it, so
th a t it m ay be more easily m astered. In fact,
such cogitation might actually reveal th a t a
problem did not exist a t all. T h is aspect of
the soror's question is purely one of rationalization. Be seated w ith a piece of paper
and w rite as if to a friend about your prob
lem. Begin by saying: my problem is, and
then carefully delineate it. D o n 't jump to
conclusions. F or example, do not say: I am
in b ad health. T h a t tells no story; it ex
plains nothing. H ow do you arrive a t your
assum ption th a t you are in bad health. Also,
do not say: I am not m yself. A gain, such
a statem ent is b u t a loose term by w hich you
cannot help yourself, nor can anyone else
help you. Y et, unfortunately this is th e kind
of thing most of us do.
A sk yourself: W h a t is the fundam ental
cause of my arriving a t the conclusion th at
I have poor health? If it is a pain, w here
does the pain seem to be localized your
head, back, leg, etc.? Is it transient or
chronic? W h e n did it begin? C an you as
sociate w ith its origin any causesan acci
dent, for example, or some other previous
discomfiture? D o certain of your acts con
tribute to it, or lessen it? By this sort of
reasoning you will have crystallized your
condition into clear-cut ideas, an d put them
in proper sequence. Y ou will have given
your condition an existence in time. F urther,
you will have brought forth probable causes
of it, which should be investigated. M ost
im portant, you will give yourself and others
o

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

an intelligent opportunity to find a solution

for the problem, which, if you had not a t
tem pted to express it, th a t is, write or speak
it to another, m ight have rem ained a vagary
in your mind.
Confession is an ancient custom. T h e
vocative or w ritten recitation of w h at w e be
lieve to be the commission o f a sin is w h at
confession am ounts to. It has been said th at
confession is good for the soul. W ell, it cer
tainly has a sa lu tary effect upon self, at
least. T o lock som ething up w ithin our own
objective consciousness, never give it voice
w hen conscience dictates th a t it is wrong,
is, so far as self is concerned, a compounding
of an evil. It first constitutes fear, and, sec
ond, an adm ission o f w rong, w ith the intent
to make no expiation. W h e n w e confess to
another or before the G od o f our H earts that
w hich the conscience dictates as w rong, we
are humbling ourselves; we are adm itting a
transgression. T h u s, m ystically w e evoke
Cosmic pow er an d understanding in our be
half. Confession also constitutes a kind of
emotional and spiritual ablution w e feel
cleansed in spirit afterw ards. Confession
does not necessarily relieve one o f his karmic
debt. W e still m ust com pensate by deed to
offset the w rong commission or ommission of
an act. H ow ever, it is a positive step in the
right direction. It is the facing of realities.
W e cannot correct a w rong until we adm it
it. T h e adm ission or confession provides a
psychological relief. It consists of the de
cision to rectify w h a t we realize as a w rong.
T o be Cosm ically helped w ith a problem,
it is first necessary to rationalize it, th at is,
as explained, to have a very clear compre
hension of w h at your problem is, or w hether
you really have one. W h e n you have written
it o u t, or spoken of it intelligently to another,
then take th at clear view w hich you have to
the Cosmic. T ry and be alone w here you
can at least have quiet for a few minutes.
N ext, ask the Cosmic, by a simple prayer,
to enlighten you, to help you in the solution
of your problem. D o not pass it on in its
entirety. It is your problem, an d ultimately
you m ust be the one to solve it. N ow hold
the clear picture of the details o f your prob
lem in your mind. B etter yet, in a few
words, say to yourself, or explain, as if to
another, the details of the problem th at you
arrived at, by th e previous process of analy

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

sis. T h en relax and dismiss the entire

thought of the problem from your mind, and
seek to attune yourself w ith the Cosmic. T ry
and forget your immediate surroundings.
T ranscend your environm ent, th at is, raise
your consciousness. Soon you will seem to
be serene, peaceful, experiencing quiescence.
Before this comes about, it may be from
three to fifteen minutes, but you will know
th a t you have mom entarily attuned w ith the
Cosmic. T h e problem will then be released
from your subjective mind to the Cosmic.
T h e result of this attunem ent and m ethod
will not be immediate. It m ay come within
a few hours, or a few days. It will be an
illumination in the form of an intuitive or
inspirational idea, or several of them related
and throw ing light upon the solution to your
problem. T h ese ideas will suggest practical,
objective, m aterial w ays and means to bring
about the result you desire. It does n o t mean
th at the problem will be laid in your lap,
solved. You will still have to do the doing,
but the course of action to be followed, and
which is m ost necessary, will be Cosmically
delineated.rX

Psychic Effects of H igh A ltitude

A frater in the A rm y A ir Corps now ad
dresses our F orum . H e says: Let me in
dulge a bit of your time w ith something I
have noticed since being in the A rm y. A
y ear ago I w as on active flying duty on our
A rm y's B-24's and B-17's. I cannot divulge
the maximum altitude these planes reach, but
I can say they are limited to m ans own en
durance. Because of my background in the
O rder, I kept up a series of experiments
along w ith the other members of our crew,
relating to our type of w ork, especially in
connection w ith high altitude! T h o se experi
m ents w ere simply telepathic involving the
crew members; the ground force, as well as
m any form ation flights. M y own particular
job w as radio operator.
O n the ground, w hen I first entered the
flying cadets, I w as tested for altitude re
action, and can take up to 29,000 feet pres
sure. T h e highest I have been is 25,000 feet.
A t this altitude, particular things begin to
happen. A ll of this, of course, is know n to
medical science. M an y times, at about 18,000
feet, I w ould hear w ithout earphones, while

Page 81

listening to the ro ar of the great motors,

symphonic music w hich I never recognized,
and m any times strange voices. A t other
times, I could even hear snatches of conver
sations I h ad carried on years ago. M em ory
impressions w ould sometimes become ex
trem ely clear, A t night, in the darkness of
the cabin of our plane, w ith our oxygen
m asks on, one w ould see faint, eerie, dull
glows of light th a t w ere not electricity, and
w hich w ould fade rig h t through the w alls of
the ship. I am not given to psychic fancies
and I know the scientific approach to such
phenom ena, y e t I w ould sw ear these things
do give the individual th a t same feeling of
enigmatic influence th a t the Im perator men
tioned in his account of the climb of his
p arty up M t. S hasta.
R egarding the experim ents . . . . about
75% of them came o ut correct w ith the
ground crew. In the plane, telepathy be
comes alm ost accurate; you cannot talk be
cause of the ro ar of the motors, except
through the interphone connection, y et if w e
w ere w atching o u t o f the w indow s, w e could
tell if someone in th e cabin w as near us, or
had left us, or even if they w ere thinking
happy or sad thoughts. In other w ords, I
contend th a t high altitude does have an ef
fect upon m an's thinking, up to a certain
point. T h ese supersensitive regions lie at
about 12,000 to 20,000 feet. Beyond th at
point you cannot discern the impressions be
cause of the physiological hazards, the dis
comfiture experienced. A gain let me explain
my own experience. O n the ground, I can
send in code a t about 16 wpm (w ords per
m inute). In the air, due to mechanical vi
brations, one cannot send over 10 wpm. A s
one goes higher, sending by key and in code
becomes more difficult. F irst, this is due to
an electrical breakdow n of high tension, not
only betw een keys b u t betw een coils. Second,
the person operating cannot think as clearly
an d m uscular response is difficult. In as
cending to high altitude, the speed is cut to
the ridiculously low rate of 3 wpm, think of
it! Breathing, of course, is difficult, even w ith
a special mask on. In trying to contact
others for messages, intense m editation only
brought sleep or passiveness. Just w h at
does all of this m ean?
Some of the answ ers, the reasons for the
phenom ena which the frater has experienced

Page 82

are know n to us. T h ey have their roots in

the fundam entals of physiology, psychology,
and psychic principles. M any of them, how
ever, can only be speculated upon, and can
only be confirmed after more extensive re
search in the postw ar w orld. H undreds, per
haps thousands of thoughtful m en, as this
frater, will m ake notations of their experi
ences for th e purpose of advancing know l
edge by further investigaton in a more peace
ful and constructive future time. T h e w orld
at large, th at is, the man in the street, came
to know more of psychic phenom ena and the
rudim ents of psychology as an afterm ath of
the last w ar than would have otherw ise been
possible in so short a time. H e had num er
ous personal experiences and he w anted an
explanation about them. C onsequently he
forced their investigation. Some of these in
dividuals w ere capable of experimenting
themselves, as the frater. O th ers passed their
experiences on to groups for such a purpose.
A s Rosicrucians, w e know th a t the more
N o u s which we take into our lungs w ith each
breath, the more we stim ulate and charge
the psychic glands, which, in turn, control
the flow of the D ivine force and intelligence
w ithin us. T h e more the psychic self is thus
aw akened, the more its functions an d its
faculties predom inate, the more w e are able
to overcome the otherw ise lim itations of the
peripheral senses.
T h ere is no connection betw een the ma
terial, chemical elements of air and the im
material, infinite properties of N ous, of which
w e have knowledge, however, the facts re
main th a t those obliged to inhale impure air
ordinarily do not have th a t sam e psychic
sensitivity and acuteness as will come in
fresh, clean air. F urther, w e know th a t some
of the groups of mystics to w hich great psy
chic pow ers have been attributed, have lived
in m ountainous regions. O n the other hand,
this same clean air is often available a t low
altitudes or on the sea.
T h ere is a physiological fact w hich m ust
not be overlooked, in connection w ith the
frater's experiences. W e know how often
w e are given exercises in our teachings for
the purpose of attaining w h at is term ed a
borderline state of consciousness. By this
w e mean th a t the scale of the subjective and
objective minds are in balance, are equal.
N either one of them is dom inating. W h e n

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

this is accom plished, w e are able to utilize

our psychic faculties to a g reater extent and,
as well, use the objective m ind. D uring such
a time, w e find mental creating, the projec
tion o f consciousness, an d w h at is called
m ental telepathy, more facile. W e have a
greater degree of success w ith them and
other psychic exercises. Such an equilibrium
or borderline state is often reached ju st be
fore falling asleep w hen retiring at night.
W e are in a sta te of semiconsciousness. T h e
objective faculties lose their acuteness and
yet we have enough self-aw areness to direct
w hatever exercise w e m ay choose. P hysio
logical experim ents conducted by physicians
and psychologists have disclosed th at the
less oxygen carried to the neurons and cere
bral cells, the less objectively conscious we
are. If w e decrease the am ount of oxygen,
w e approach this borderline state. W h e n it
is artificially induced by such a means, one
feels faint and seem ingly light, bouyant, un
able to concentrate or focalize his objective
powers. T his diminishing of the objective
faculties does n o t mean th at the psychic con
sciousness is likewise lessened. Up to a
certain point, the psychic consciousness is
quickened by this loss of strength of the ob
jective faculties. T h e psychic powers, we
might say, are more liberated.
D uring such a time, psychic phenom ena
of an exceptional n ature m ay be experienced
in a flash o f b u t seconds. E v ery m ountain
climber has h ad these experiences w hen
breathing becam e more labored and the air
more rarefied. In fact, physiologists claim
th at the reason w hy we lose consciousness
tem porarily from a rath er severe blow on the
head is th a t the pressure decreases the flow
of blood to the cells, and w ith lack of ox y
gen, unconsciousness follows. H igh altitude
accomplishes th e same result. T h e frontal
region o f the brain is th a t w hich governs
the interpretations of the psychic im pres
sions, the sentim ents, the Cosmic urges, etc.
G enerally speaking, the posterior region of
the brain is the association area for the ob
jective sense faculties, visual, auditory, etc.
T h e diminishing of oxygen to the brain ap
parently affects the posterior region sooner,
so consequently while our objective con
sciousness is w avering, the im pressions from
the frontal region, of a psychic nature, reg
ister more strongly. W e know also, as the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 83

frater relates, th at this hypersensitivity or

this psychic phenom enon occurs only for a
limited interval betw een the diminishing of
the objective consciousness and its complete
cessation. A s he stated, w hen a higher alti
tude w as reached, the psychic impressions
w ould cease as well, and all that phenom ena
attributed to the psychic.

faculties. If one does not u nderstand w hat

he senses, superstitious notions are bound to
arise. E specially will this psychic attunem ent
occur at high altitudes, for the physiological
reasons which w e have previously explained.

T h e free exchange of thought, w ithout

vocal expression by members of the crew, or
a sort of m ental telepathic communication
betw een them is a psychological fact th at
has num erous parallels. T hese men, com
prising a bom ber crew, are extensively train
ed to w ork as a team. F urtherm ore, they
know th a t each of their respective lives and
the success of their mission depend upon
their coordination and cooperation. Indif
ference, selfishness upon the p art of one
m ight m ean the sacrifice of all, under com bat
conditions. T hey, therefore, consciously a t
tune themselves to the personality of each
fellow member. T h ey study his moods, ges
tures, and reactions. T h e y assum e the same
responsibilities, are forced to react to the
same environm ent, are placed for m any hours
u nder nervous tension in the same conditions.
T h eir stu d y of each other is p artially un
conscious, like th a t of a man and w ife who
have lived together for a great num ber of
years, and know each other's moods, m an
ners, and habits. T hese crew members, in
so attuning themselves, become alert to the
mental and psychic changes in each other.
T h e y imm ediately sense a transition of feel
ing, or a dom inant emotional urge of any of
their fellows.
T hese circum stances and effects are not
uncommon in sports, th a t is, am ong teams,
and the sam e m ay be said of crews of
sailors, especially during the time of the old
w indjam m ers. T h e old sailor used to be a
superstitious person, only because of his en
vironm ent. H e w as m ade unusually aw are
of n atu res phenom ena, her m ajesty, her
pow er, as he w ould sta n d w atch alone on
deck for hours. T h e old sailors w ere often
uneducated and thus could not com prehend,
analyze, and understand n atu res phenom ena
w hich they so greatly observed, as well as
their own impulses. A lone on deck, under
an inky sky, on a vast sea, and one very
easily enters a m editative, subjective mood,
which provides am ple play for the psychic

A frater of N ew Jersey postulates to our

Forum a num ber o f questions on a most in
teresting topic. H e relates: In a com para
tively recent issue of a new s picture m aga
zine there w ere show n photographs of Soviet
scientific experim ents, w hereby death is
caused in a dog b y em ptying the body of
all of its blood. A fter ten minutes during
which no breath h as entered the body, the
animal is brought back to norm al life again,
by pumping the oxyginated blood back into
the body until the h eart and lungs resume
norm al functioning. O th er photos show, and
I have also read about, a severed d ogs head
exhibiting all o f the reactions th at a normal
dog w ould show, such as licking its chops,
cocking the ears, blinking the eyes, trying
to bark, eating food, w hile the food fell from
the gullet.
T hese experim ents certainly seem to in
volve m any of the principles w hich we, as
Rosicrucians, study, such as the relationship
betw een transition, psychic consciousness of
cells and organs, brain consciousness, etc.
In the first experim ent m entioned above,
w hy d id n 't the soul of the anim al d ep art from
the body? I presum e th a t it d id n t. I think
th a t som ewhere in our studies, there is a
statem ent to the effect th at life in the body
is not possible w ithout the soul, an d now
w hat about the severed dog's head? W h a t
kind o f consciousness is being displayed
here? A re the objective consciousness and
aw areness present in this severed head, as
w ere present w hen attached to the body?
O r, are these responses an d reactions due to
a combination o f chemical reactions, coupled
w ith the psychic consciousness of the cells
of the brain an d o th er organs of the head?
In this case, I presum e th at the soul has
vacated the bo d y .
Before specifically answ ering the frater's
excellently presented questions, let us con
sider certain fundam ental Rosicrucian c/octrines as a background. F o r m any centuries,
both primitive minds an d profound thinkers

Can a Living Part Retain the Soul?

Page 84

considered the soul substantive, that is, as

having a substance. Concisely, it w as con
ceived an independent reality, just as is the
body, but of a different constituency; conse
quently, it w as thought to enter the body
and be confined w ithin it like some foreign
m aterial substance. From such reasoning, it
followed as a corollary th at the soul must be
localized, th a t it must reside in some certain
member, region, or organ of the body. T his
provided lively speculation. T h e probability
of the exact location of the soul seemed de
pendent upon th a t organ or member of the
body, the functions of which corresponded
to w h at it w as imagined w ere the properties
of the soul. Since am ong the early philoso
phers and even to the time of D escartes,
reason and the rational life of man w ere con
sidered the functions of soul, it w as more
often thought that the soul resided in the
head, though D escartes believed th a t the
soul influenced the mechanism of the body
through the pineal gland. T h e h eart also w as
commonly believed to be the seat of the soul,
hence our referring moral conduct and senti
m ents to the soul, such as, H e is a goodh earted man."
A m ong other thinkers, the celiac plexus,
or solar plexus, because by its reflex actions
so m any emotional sensations are felt in th a t
region, w as likewise conceived as the seat of
the soul. T herefore, while these conceptions
persisted, it w as thought th at there could be
no existence of the soul in any other member
of the body, even if such a member w ere
kept alive w hen severed from the body. If,
therefore, the head of an animal w ere sev
ered from its trunk and m aintained life, it
w ould be thought that the soul still resided,
for example, only in the heart; it w ould be
concluded th at the severed head w ould be
soulless.
M an y of the legends about zombies, the
living dead, w ho w ere thought to be soulless,
w ere based upon the physiological fact of
certain persons being afflicted w ith catyleptic
spasm s. D uring such attacks, such persons
w ould give every indication of rigor mortis
having set in. T h en apparently they would
return from death itself, perhaps w ith pecu
liar, m arked after effects. T h ese persons
w ould be called soulless because it w ould be
presum ed th a t the soul would have departed
w hen the person had died, and could not

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

again be in this body, even though it ap p ar

ently w as quite alive. In other w ords, there
was little or no association of soul w ith just
life force itself, b u t w ith certain other factors
as well w hich th ey thought absent.
If, however, w e conceive, as w e do as
Rosicrucians, th a t soul is an intelligence, a
psychic consciousness which perm eates every
cell of the being from the roots of his hair
to the extrem ities o f his body, and th at the
V ital Life Force is a consequent attribute of
the whole, the viewpoint becomes changed.
If soul is everyw here in a body, as cell con
sciousness, the ag g reg ate of which constitutes
our psychic body, then the head w hich is
severed from a body and kept alive must
have soul w ithin it. It is stated in our R osicrucian teachings th a t w hen life leaves the
body, the soul also departs. Is this seeming
ly contradicted b y the case cited by the
frater? In this case, the dog w as said to be
dead for ten minutes, while the blood had
been removed. T h e n w hen the rejuvenated
blood w as pum ped back, the body gave evi
dence of life. W o u ld the new ly alive body
have no soul consciousness, and be just ex
hibiting muscular mechanism, the result of a
kind of chemical stimulus?
In answ ering this, we say first th a t these
scientists did not produce life, n or did they
claim to do so, consequently, life m ust still
have ex isted in th e cells of the muscles and
nerves of th e d o g 's body, to be vitalized by
the rejuvenated blood. U ndoubtedly in an
indeterm inate time, if the blood h ad not been
restored, the V ita l Life Force of the cells in
the com ponent p arts o f the body w ould have
ceased to be. Since life force existed in these
cells an d since it is an attribute o f soul, then
soul w as in the bo d y w hen it w as rejuvenated
by the blood being pum ped into it again.
Soul has no substance, in a m aterial sense,
it is n ot quantitative, therefore, the soul es
sence in a single cell has the same character
istics th a t it w ould have in an entire complex
organism , such as the dog's body. T h e only
difference being, th e more complex the o r
ganism, the m ore opportunity the soul has
for expressing itself.
In an y simple physical form, the psychic
consciousness of the soul can only m anifest
as an elem entary function. W h e re there is
an elaborate brain organism an d a conse
quent developed objective consciousness, by

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

which the soul can be realized, we have a

highly expressed psychic self and personal
ity. N o m atter how small a portion of the
entire organic system of the dog w as kept
alive independently, as, for example, just its
heart, th a t w ould possess the soul potential
ity of the dog, the psychic consciousness of
the cells of th a t living part.
In the case of the dogs severed head, it
w as exhibiting a dual consciousness, first the
mind of the cells, th a t is, the soul conscious
ness, w hich is an attribute of the life force
th a t rem ained w ithin these cells; second, the
objective consciousness of the organ of the
brain itself. T h e brain, through certain of
its association areas, w hen alive, naturally
functioned norm ally under such stimuli as
the sensations caused by the smelling of the
food.
W e must, as Rosicrucians and students of
mysticism and investigators into the phe
nom ena of life, p u t aside any traditional ab
horrence w e m ay have to the idea th a t soul
can only exist in man. Life and soul are not
one and the sam e thing, b u t w here there is
life there is also a soul or the governing mind
of the Divine. W e repeat, it is only in the
com plexity of life, in highly developed o rgan
isms, th a t more of the soul becomes manifest.
T h e soul of man is no more glorious than
th a t of a robin, but the expression, the selfconsciousness of the soulor personality
of m an far exceeds that of the robin. It is
w ith this understanding th a t the mystic de
tests the destruction of life, even w hen there
appears no alternative, and even w hen his
objective reason dictates the necessity of it,
for w hen he destroys life, no m atter how
elem entary, he is preventing some expression
of th e all-pervading soul essence.X

Is O ur Life Preordained?
O nce again w e return to the age-old
questions Is life and death preordained?
Is the p attern of m an's existence laid o u t
for him in advance? I realize, F ratres and
Sorores, th at w e have discussed these things
pro and con m any times here in our Forum
Circle. H ow ever, there are some subjects
th a t lead to so m any ramifications an d side
lights th a t they w ill always bring forth new
thoughts, new ideas, and different points of
view.

Page 85

A F rater living in C an ad a brings forth the

following, It w ould appear logical to assume
th at since the time of transition is preor
dained th at the m anner of transition would
also be preordained. T h is leads to the as
sumption th a t w ars and other disasters w here
the loss of life is g reat are also preordained.
O u r F ra ter adds, It would seem th at those
w ho pass through transition due to the w ar
w ould have died in any event. But to say
th at the personalities of these men have de
veloped to their limits in this incarnation
does not appear reasonable.
T h e Rosicrucian teachings inform us that
all things and conditions in the universe
operate according to law an d order. N othing
happens merely by chance, but rath e r in ac
cordance w ith a w ell laid Cosmic plan. T his
does not mean necessarily th a t on a partic
ular day and hour G od will arbitrarily put
the finger on you and m ark you for transi
tion. It does m ean th a t w e are here for a
specific purpose, th a t is to grow, an d evolve
through earthly experience. W h e n , in ac
cordance w ith this plan of evolution, we have
prepared ourselves for the g reat initiation
and are ready for further developm ent in
the Cosmic realm, transition will occur.
A s student mystics we seek through study
and application of Cosmic law, know ledge
of our growth and developm ent. T h is knowl
edge can be very valuable to us for through
it w e can have valuable inform ation of our
past, present, and even our future. It is
know n th at m any o f the ancient mystics w ere
able to prepare themselves for transition by
know ledge of just w here an d how it would
occur. T h e fact th a t all life an d death is ac
cording to a well laid plan should not lead
one into a state of mind w here he becomes
a follower of the school of fatalism . H ere is
truly a very great dan g er to ones future de
velopment. Such a state of mind causes an
attitude of m ental and physical lassitude.
Such a person will reason th a t since the
events of their lives are p rearran g ed , w hy
bother about life, w h y expend physical and
m ental effort to grow and develop; for w hat
is to happen will happen. If th ey are going
to die, they will die w henever G od so de
crees it. T h ey usually believe the system is
arb itrary w ithout rhym e or reason, merely
a haphazard spontaneous decision on the
part of God and the Cosmic.

Page 86

A ll natu re is governed b y universal C os

mic law. W h e n you plant the kernel o f corn,
corn will grow. If there w as no law or order
to the universe, you m ight w ell expect to find
w aterm elons w here the corn w as planted.
T h ere are certain fundam entals th a t affect
all men alike. T h e law of gravity, for exam
ple, is one of them. T his law is absolute and
w e know it is in accordance w ith the whole
plan of the Cosmic. H ow ever, the fatalistic
point of view w ould be, this law exists, I
am affected b y it so I m ight just as well step
off the edge of a cliff and be through w ith it.
T h e mystic, on the other hand, know ing this
law and how it w orks will utilize it for his
benefit and the benefit of m ankind generally.
Realize that this analogy is extreme, but it is
so expressed to dem onstrate the ridiculous
reasoning of the fatalist.
Let us agree th a t life and death are pre
ordained. T h ey are the result of n atu ral laws
a t work. T his, however, does not preclude
that on a certain day you will die regardless
of w h at you m ay do. E very effect has its
cause and every step one takes has its result.
A long w ith other faculties, man has reason
and the ability to think things out for him
self. T his gives man free choice to select his
path in life or do as he m ay choose. C onse
quently, he m ay easily endanger his life at
his own choice and thus hasten his departure
from this earth plane. F or example, an avia
tor may throw caution to the w inds and
launch upon an aerial adventure, perhaps
across a large body of w ater in an airplane
th a t w as not designed for such a trip. W o u ld
it be said th a t it w as in the Cosmic scheme
of this m ans life for him to take such a trip
and perhaps bring his life to a sudden close
through disaster? If w e w ould say this, then
we must also preclude th a t every thought,
every moment of activity, in fact, everything
any one of us may do is guided by the C os
mic scheme an d pattern of our lives. It h ard
ly seems reasonable th at every act of an in
dividual is the result of Cosmic guidance.
If it were, then m ans existence w ould be
simple indeed. It w ould never be necessary
for him to take any m atter into his own
h ands or to act upon any occasion, an d all
he w ould have to do would be to lay around
like one of the lesser members o f the animal
kingdom, responding only to inner urges of
the subjective consciousness w hich w e will

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

all agree are definitely controlled by the

Cosmic.
By this w e mean, for instance, urges in
response to the Cosmic law of self-preservation. If entirely guided b y the Cosmic, we
would simply seek rest an d sleep w hen tired,
food or sustenance w hen h u n g ry and shelter
from the elements. In other w ords, all action
on our p a rt w ould be animalistic. It is, even
now, b ut w e refine these actions by our abil
ity to choose o ur method o f response to the
inner urges. T h ro u g h choice w e b and to
g ether in com m unity life. W e work, eat, and
sleep a t set times in accordance w ith a manm ade system . Cosmic law does n ot decree
th a t w e have lunch from 12 noon to 1 P. M .
or th a t w e arise an d eat food a t 7:30 A .M .
o r have our office hours from 8 A . M . to 5
P .M . M a n -m a d e habits regulate these
things. N atu ral law will, on the other hand,
cause us to feel the urge to eat food a t noon
or in the evening. But habit an d tradition of
com munity life will play the largest p art in
causing hunger a t a certain time of day.
T h ro u g h habit w e may become hungry at 12
noon, but ano th er who is in the habit of h av
ing lunch at 1 o clock may not feel the urge
until this hour nears. So w e see w e do have
objective control over our objective m aterial
lives and activities. W e have been given the
right to choose. Hence, if w e w an t to go to
w ar, we go to w ar. If w e w ish peace, w e can
have peace. T h is refers to m ankind gener
ally, functioning as a group. Sometimes the
group is sw ayed by minority control, other
times b y m ajority. N evertheless, it is the
will of the group as a whole, w hether sw ayed
by m any or a few, that causes a nation of
people to make w ar upon another nation or
one class to exploit another class. N ow if
d eath by a gunshot w ound w hile in battle
w ith ano th er is the decree of the Cosmic,
w here indeed is the goodness of G od? W e
cannot say th a t G od caused the w ar except
perhaps in an indirect m anner. Let us see
w hat we mean b y this.
H ere w e have a nation or race of people
th a t through rap id growth o f population have
brought upon themselves the need for ex
pansion of territory, the necessity to reach
out into other lands for m arketing their foods
and produce. T h e y feel th at such expansion
is the only answ er to their problem. T h ey
m ay look about them and find they are b or

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

dered on one side by a small populace that

is rich in undeveloped farm land, w ater ways,
and rich m ineral deposits. It is decided to
exploit this sm aller nation either by diplom a
cy or conquest. M aybe diplom acy is a t
tem pted, bu t our small nation consists of a
very b right people who imm ediately recog
nize the hypocracy in the overtures extended.
It is seen th a t the only answ er is taking the
land by arm ed force. Both nations immedi
ately call up an arm y, one to protect, the
other to invade. T h is is natural, you w ould
fight your neighbor w ho tried by force to
take your home from y o u the law o f selfpreservation is a t w ork and so w ar is
declared.
T h e invading armies are on the march,
the defenders move into position read y to
give their lives for their homes, families, and
country. O th er nations take up the cause
either for protection against the agressor or
because of circum stances in behalf of the
agressor. T h e latter is usually because of
fear of persecution later, or because it is to
their advantage at the moment. M en are
now w arring upon each other, using the skill
of their greatest minds to conceive and con
struct machines of death, terror, and havoc.
E very member of society of these w arring
nations is affected, every one m ust accept his
share of the responsibilities. It is the nation's
responsibility as a whole. N o one can side
step or shirk responsibility of his nation's
Karma. N aturally, individuals will b e hurt,
m any will meet an untim ely death during the
course of battle, but it hardly seems reason
able to say that, this minute it will be John
Jones, the next m inute A lex Smith, today
A nthony A rturo, tom orrow Lee Sing. If this
w ere reasonable, then we truly w ould concur
that these men w ould have met their end by
gunshot w ound a t the exact hour, day, and
year regardless of w hat they m ay have been
doing, w here they w ere living, w ar or no
war.
W e all agree th a t a certain num ber of men
out of every million who fire deadly missile
at each other will be killed. T h e law of av
erages so decrees it. T his law does not pick
out the particular individuals and m ark them
for death. E very man entering a w ar area
realizes the danger and th at his chances of
coming through are not too great. Y et he

Page 87

knows th at he has an equal chance of being

shot or not being shot. H is m ental attitude
must necessarily be one of fatalism . H e is
practically forced to think th at the bullet w ith
his nam e on it will sooner or later get him.
If he comes out alive w ithout being hit, he
chalks it up" to fate. In talking to men who
have been in battle we alw ays find the atti
tude W h a t is to be, will be." If my num
ber is up, I'll get it." W e cannot argue th at
this attitu d e is w rong even though we may
believe it w rong. A fter all, these men who
are facing danger of death from a w arring
enemy m ust of necessity carry into b attle a
fram e of mind or an attitu d e best suited to
the imm ediate purpose. H ow ever, they do
not expose themselves recklessly or un
necessarily, for it is not th at they wish to die.
It is only th a t they realize their chances of
death are extrem ely great.
W h a t of the development, th a t is, the
spiritual developm ent of these young men
who meet an untim ely end through w ar. Is
this developm ent cut off, curbed or inter
fered with? T h is is indeed a difficult ques
tion to answ er. In fact, w e can do little more
than speculate upon it. T h e design for living
is prim arily to grow, expand, gain know l
edge, and eventually attain perfection. E ach
is on a particular rung of the ladder to Cos
mic development. W e can learn a lesson
well in a fraction of a second. Y et w e can
take years of earthly experiences to learn
other lessons. Is there an y one man who
know s of a particular lesson th at another
man m ust learn or ju st how the Cosmic will
require th a t he learn it?
Surely the in stan t of transition will bring
to the soul's personality great experiences,
great lessons, th a t will assist one along the
path. T h e experience of facing and w arring
w ith an enemy certainly m ust teach the per
sonality m any things th a t could not be ex
perienced in an y other w ay. Let us assume
th a t w e meet death in battle, even instantly,
certainly it m ust leave a lasting impression
upon the soul segment, an impression th at
will be carried, m aybe for years, w hile re
siding on the Cosmic plane aw aiting a new
life on earth, our next incarnation on the
physical plane.

Page 88

A re D ru g less P h y sician s R eliable?

T h e above is a question th a t is frequently
included in our correspondence, and is asked
in all good faith. W h a t prom pts such ques
tions? Is it the belief th a t surgery and ma
teria medica are alone the principal factors
in contributing to health? I think not. I do
not believe th at any intelligent person is of
the opinion th at any single existing system
of therapeutics today has a panacea for all
ailments, though unfortunately m any m eth
ods, by their claims, assiduously create such
a notion in the minds of the general public.
Knowledge of the hum an body, of bac
teriology, and related sciences is continually
evolving. Consequently w h at is not yet
known accounts for the failures in the vari
ous systems of therapeutics, that is, for their
inability to cure all patients. Each system
that employs dem onstrable laws of nature is,
however, contributing to the alleviation of
hum an suffering, to the extent of its know l
edge; for each is as yet not w holly perfect.
E very medical man w ho is not biased and
who has investigated other systems will a d
mit th at nature can at times be assisted w ith
out surgery or medicine, th a t is, to remedy
numerous kinds of ailments. In fact, every
progressive medical practitioner will prefer
prescribing w ays and means of a natural
kind to effect cures before resorting to chem
ical or medical properties. It is also just to
say that it is only those few of a much older
school of practice, and those who are fadists
in their profession, who, figuratively speak
ing, catalog diseases and ailments b y pills
and drugs to be given the patient.
T h e average m odern practitioner p re
scribes diets, exercises, certain attitudes of
mind, and m ental discipline more extensive
ly than he does little brow n or pink pills.
T h e progressive medical practitioner today
also utilizes hydrotherapy, electrotherapy,
and systems of treatm ent th a t are quite
definitely drugless. F urther, the liberal m ed
ical physician also uses w h a t w e m ight term
m ental healing, though he is not alw ays aw are of its underlying principles, or else he
thinks of it in the term of applied psychology
or psychiatry. H e knows quite well w h at
dangers exist in w orry, obsession, intense
excitement, em otional stress, and melancholy.
H e also knows th a t the will to do, fa ith , an d

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the proper m ental objective have great cura

tive values, w ithout which no m aterial means
of treatm ent is effective.
W h y then, through the years, have many
leading medical journals deliberately a t
tacked the drugless practice, referred to its
members as frauds and sought to stop the
dissemination of know ledge of the drugless
methods? F irst, an d this will be adm itted by
m any medical men, because of the m ercen
ary motive of some of their kind. Physicians
are mortals. A m ong them you will find those
who have high ideals and a compassion for
hum anity. Y ou will also find others who
look upon their profession merely as a lucra
tive livelihood, providing social prominence,
and an office of dignity. It is tru e th a t they
take oaths w hich are diam etrically opposed
to such views. O n the other hand, so do
other people take oaths equally as solemn,
and forget and violate them.
Some physicians, just as other men, are
imbued w ith selfish ambition. T o this latter
type a monopoly or trust, in the form of an
association, m eant not m erely the protection
of the public, but also the protection of per
sonal profit. T h e trust has become strong.
A physician not having membership in the
association is ap t to have doubt throw n upon
his personal integrity and ability in m any
circles so he becomes a member, though
there are m any advantages as well in such
membership. N um erous excellent medical
men have tried to oppose and liberalize, in
the interest of society, some of the regula
tions of the association. In the time of P a ra
celsus, S w iss physician and alchem ist in the
15th C entury, the circumstances w ere the
same. H e had w h at am ounted to revolution
ary ideas in his time. T h e old staid and con
servative medical practitioners w ere astound
ed. H ow ever, the ideas w ere sound and
workable, and since have been proven so.
T h ey w ould have advanced the practice of
medicine and therapeutics during his time, if
he could have h ad support o f them. H e tried
to have w h at am ounted to the A ssociation
of his time, entertain these ideas; at least,
thoroughly investigate them. Y et he w as
bitterly assailed b y his colleagues. P a ra
celsus w as hailed as fraud and y et the
cures he effected by scientific and natural
methods w ere numerous. H e w as, for ex
ample, the first physician to w rite a text

TH ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

upon occupational diseases. O nly recently,

nearly 400 years after his death, have glow
ing accounts and testim onies been published
about him by medical authorities, vindicating
his motives.
H ow ever, there is a second reason w hy
drugless system s have been opposed b y med
ical practitioners, w ho w ere fa ir-m in d e d
physicians as well. T h is reason has been
the lack of academ ic background, training,
an d preparation of m any drugless physicians
w ho attem pted to diagnose o r treat illnesses.
In m y opinion, the chiropractors, for exam
ple, until recent years a t least, have been
their ow n w orst enemy, due to their lack of
organization and due to their lack o f agree
m ent on certain educational requirem ents for
their members. T h e y perm itted the opera
tion of a few virtual diploma mills, which
ground out chiropractors unfitted for their
profession. A t least, no effort by their own
association or movement successfully stam p
ed out such practices for a considerable time.
Relatively, only a few years ago, a man
could have no academic background, be un
couth, even have a low I. Q ., and after a
period of six to eight weeks, of m ostly cor
respondence instruction, he could claim to
be a chiropractor, and in some States actually
acquire a license to practice.
T h e talking point of the M edical A sso
ciation, in such cases, w as this (an d it w as
a logical one): W ill you entrust your help
less little child, its life, or the life of a mem
ber of your family to such a person, w ith
such a paucity of technical know ledge? T h e
psychological reaction upon the public was
very bad and very favorable for the M edical
A ssociation. In California, w hich has been
one of the leading S tates for the develop
m ent of the chiropractic system, the academic
requirem ents are very high. It is reputed
th at in m any subjects, the study hours are
the sam e as they w ould be for a medical
student. T his produces a type of p racti
tioner who is intelligent, well trained, well
educated, and consequently inspires that
type of public confidence through w hich the
physician can do more for the patient.
W h e n the chiropractic organizations unite
to standardize their requisites throughout the
country, along these lines, they will then be
able to break dow n opposition to themselves
and their profession. T h e opposition has

Page

alw ays been able to point out to the legis

lators of different S tates the paucity of study
hours in such vital subjects as anatom y,
physiology, and histology in some chiroprac
tic colleges, in com parison to w h at the medi
cal man has had. T h e difference in some in
stances has been so great as to m ake some
of the drugless physicians ap p ear as ignor
amuses, b y com parison. W h o w as to blame
for the consequent legislation barring their
practice? principally the chiropractors
themselves. T h e y furnished the w eapons
which w ere used ag ain st them, by their lax
ity of rules for their own profession.
In the past, the m ost vital d eterren t factor
in the chiropractic profession has been the
disagreem ent of their leading schools on the
very fundam entals of their technique. If
they cannot agree on the fundam entals, they
should n o t be perm itted to practice upon the
public, w as an argum ent successfully used
against them.
T h ere are now m any thousands of excel
lent chiropractic physicians. T h e cures th a t
they have effected seem a t times nothing
short of miraculous, just as medical science
has accom plished the same. T h ese chiroprac
tors, it will be found, upon investigation, are
learned practitioners. T h ey know as much
about the hum an b o d y as is required of a
physician in an y o th er field o f therapeutics.
T h e y are likewise scientists, in the sense
th at they are investigators of n atu res phe
nomena, and constantly studying and inquir
ing. A drugless physician m ay be able to
help you, b ut it is advisable th a t you be cer
tain he is qualified to do so. F ind out w here
he g raduated an d w hen. T actfully, find out
the length of time h e w as required to be a
student. Should you do the same about a
medical physician? , It is h ard ly necessary
today. M dical men have set and h ad legis
lated high stan d ard s for themselves. O steo
pathy, for example, is a drugless system,
w hich now has a fairly uniform, high sta n d
ard of requirem ents for its physicians, which
builds confidence, an d th a t is the first factor
in getting benefit from the services of a
physician.
T h e Rosicrucian O rder, A M O R C , is
h appy to say th at it includes in its member
ship physicians of every system and school
prom inent, reputable medical men, sur
geons, and specialists in each of those fields,

Page 90

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

chiropractors, osteopaths, naturopaths, ho

m eopaths, and still others. W e , as an org an
ization, show no preference, and in our own
R ose-Croix Research Institute an d S an itar
ium, we have tried to harm onize the ad v an
tages and benefits of each system .X
T h e W h o le a n d P a rts
It is very interesting to observe over the
period of m an's history, how in the lifetime
of m ost of us a tendency has come about
w hich has shifted the emphasis from a con
sideration of the hum an being as a w hole to
the consideration of parts, then back to the
w hole again. E arly man, w hen he exam ined
himself, thought of the human organism as
a unit. T his not only applied to the physical
body as a w hole b u t even included his con
ception of himself as a body an d soul, not
in the sense th at we today usually consider
these attributes as being two different things,
but considering his whole being as one thing.
T o w ard the latter p art of the last century
w ith the trem endous advance and strides
m ade by science in the study of m any fields,
there gradually came about an era of special
ization. In m an's desire to better u nderstand
himself he began to analyze everything into
its com ponent parts. T his w as particularly
true in all sciences having to do w ith the
stu d y of living things. W h ile biology is con
sidered the study of all forms of life, it has
been divided into m any divisions through the
process of developm ent and research, each
division dealing w ith the one particular
m anifestation of life. T his division has not
only been confined to various fields of dif
ferent types of life, such as plant an d animal
and the divisions of those kingdoms, but to
a study of different parts of the same o rg an
ism. T h e tendency w ent to the extrem e of
causing much hairsplitting in the field of sci
ence. In the nam ing of various forms o f life
it came to the point w here every small dif
ference in a life form, such as a plant or
animal, w as considered as a subspecie of an
original specie until there actually existed
hundreds of subspecies, the distinction am ong
them not alw ays being clear.
T h e same has been true in the stu d y of
hum an behavior. W h e n psychology w as
still a branch of philosophical thought, man
w as usually considered as a complete o rg an

ism; then w ith the separation of psychology

from philosophy, an d the influences of the
advances in biology, m any schools of psy
chology sprung into existence by basing
their fundam ental principles upon the con
sideration of hum an behavior in terms of
operation of various p arts of the organism.
Such an analysis tended to break down the
concept of the organism as a whole until
man w as considered as a mechanism com
posed of certain parts, each operating in its
own w ay, and little attention w as given to
the function of the organism as a whole.
N ow the pendulum is sw inging back to
the consideration of man as an organism . In
fact, there is in existence an organismic
school of psychology th a t points out th at we
m ust consider all hum an behavior in terms of
patterns, not in term s of individual actions
of the various organs or units th at compose
man as a whole. T h is has been proven time
and again, and much research has been done
upon the subject. F o r example, w e all know
th at w orry or fear will affect our digestion;
th a t w e cannot be in perfect health if one
organ of the body is giving us difficulty. Yet,
how often it is th a t if a person is indisposed
by a bad cold o r some other minor condition,
he will spend his time reading, forgetting
th at the eye is a p art of the body and is
affected just as much as an y other organ of
the body is affected by the illness of another
part.
T h e concept of the hum an organism as a
w hole is strictly in accord w ith the Rosicru
cian philosophy. W h ile it is im portant to the
physician and to the specialist in any bio
logical field to stu d y the individual parts of
the body and to be able to deal w ith the
whole p attern of behavior from the thorough
know ledge of each p art of the body's nervous
system an d its connection w ith the organism
as a whole, w e m ust necessarily deal with
the hum an being as an entire organism in
alm ost every phase of our lives. It is only
in the laboratory or in treatm ent of diseases
or other abnorm alities th a t the specialists
know ledge o f the individual p arts is essen
tial. It is possible th a t some of the failures
of our social system, the existence of condi
tions such as exist today, are p artly brought
about b y the failure to take into considera
tion th a t man is an entire organism and must
be dealt w ith as such, rath er than w ith its

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

com ponent parts. Everyone is trying in his

own w ay to develop a fuller lifea life th at
will fit himself to the circum stances about
him w hich constitutes an adjustm ent to en
vironm ent. T o do this successfully he must
deal w ith him self as a whole. If w e adopt
the attitu d e of seeing all our behavior as a
group of patterns we will more easily fit
ourselves into a universe which is also com
posed of a m anifestation of a series of laws
w orking together for an ultim ate purpose,
rath e r than a series of independent forces
having no connection or eventual en d .A

O ld Masters vs. T he M odern

School of Music
H ere is a question from a Soror of the
Forum Circle th a t I know will interest m any
of you, b u t in a w ay I hesitate to mention it
this morning because it brings forth one of
those argum ents th at will never be settled.
H ow ever, here is our Soror's question. W h y
can m odern composers no longer create h a r
monious, beautiful, inspiring music like the
old m asters, or w hy is there no com poser in
this century w ho brings Cosmic born music?"
Im m ediately I can see the clouds forming
on the brow s of m any of you w ho are fol
low ers of the m odern harmonies. B ut re
member, as in all things each has his likes
and dislikes w here music is concerned. I
w ould say th a t music is much like a baby
learning to partake of food. A t first he does
not seem to like anything, b u t in a few hours
he learns to nurse and finds the m others milk
quite to his liking. L ater perhaps he is
sw itched from th e b reast to a prepared for
mula taken from a bottle. H e doesnt like it,
but after several feedings he finds it is not
so bad. T h en comes the period o f learning
to eat soft food such as m ashed vegetables.
H ow the parents suffer during this period
can only be know n b y those w ho have had
the experience. It is this w ay throughout the
childhood. P erhaps only in early m anhood
or w om anhood does one find he can learn to
like m ost any kind of food if he will b u t eat
it often enough.
W h y is it suggested that music is similar?
F o r the reason th a t most everyone has to de
velop a taste for music. M any of us may
seem to be born w ith a love and desire for
music, but upon a more careful scrutiny or

Page 91

analysis, w e find in m ost cases, it developed

from habit or practice. Some persons are
w hat w e term tone d eaf," and these by
necessity w e exclude from our discussion.
T h ey have their ow n loves and desires just
as essential as those of the music lovers.
O n e who may n ot be able to recognize one
tone from ano th er in music can be highly
sensitive to sym m etrical design, rhythm of
paint brush strokes an d other fine points of
art outside of music.
T h in k o f it for a moment, if an individual
w ent through life w ithout ever hearing a
piece of music, w ithout ever listening to a
sound classified as anything b u t noise, do
you believe he w ould recognize the beauty
of the Philharm onic Sym phony playing a
W a g n eria n overture, hearing it for the first
time? P ersonally I believe he w ould have to
listen m any times to gain anything at all
from it. I believe this because I find th at
every lover of music I have contacted, and
this runs into a large figure, w as subjected
to music from early childhood. In most cases
they are musicians themselves, b u t in every
case, members of their families w ere musi
cians or patrons of the musical arts.
F ortunately, music is now a regular p art
of the school curriculum, thus, even in the
first grade of gram m ar school the child is
given some music appreciation. L et us look
a t w hat happens for a moment. T h e teacher
plays certain phonograph records, usually
they are of a v ariety of different schools of
music. A fter the class is over you will find
th at nearly all of th e children will be hum
ming the simple tunes in preference to the
more complex ones. In nine out of ten cases
the composition m ost easily rem em bered will
be B rahm s L ullaby." A n d so the w ork goes
on. In the higher grades the music apprecia
tion class expands into w ider fields cover
ing all o f the g rea t com posers of the past
an d their various w orks. N o t until the stu
dent is in college o r finishing school does this
w ork take him to the m odern school of h ar
mony. P erhaps b y this time he has developed
a special love for a certain com poser and in
his mind there is no other real music or h ar
mony. N evertheless, as his classes in ap
preciation continue he begins to recognize
the beauty an d magnificence of the modern
complex harm onies. H e begins to understand
w hat he hears. H e sees in his mind, while

Page 92

listening, the picture or story behind the

harm ony of sound; slow ly but surely he developes a liking for the modern work.
Remember, we do not like a thing th a t we
do not understand. W e may adm ire a w riter
for his apparent know ledge of a subject we
do not com prehend, but w e can h ard ly say
th a t w e like his w orks. T h e same applies to
music or a beautiful painting, and especially,
if the music o r painting is of the "little com
prehended m odern school/* It is difficult to
express an unbiased view of this question
for, like all of you, I have likes and dislikes
th a t are personal and developed through
environm ent an d habit.
T h ere is another point here th at should be
stressed. I know few will agree, neverthe
less, many, even g reat music critics, have
found it true. It is this: a person enjoys
most, a piece of music w ith w hich he is
familiar. It can be tested personally w hen
you go to the concert or the opera, especially
the latter, and particularly if the opera is one
you have never heard before. Let us suppose
the soprano and tenor are great stars w ith
very fine voices. T h roughout the acts you
will adm ire the magnificence of the voices
an d acclaim them as truly w onderful, y et you
m ay not especially care for the compositions
they sing. Finally the climax is reached and
the orchestra leads into a melody th a t has
been m ade popular through public perform
ance. T h e tenor and soprano lead into their
parts; you are virtually enraptured b y the
beauty and grandeur of the perform ance, so
is everyone else. Y ou applaud, you rise from
your seat, you shout w ith the others of the
audience, Bravo, bravo. Y ou leave happy
and thrilled b y the perform ance. W h e n
asked w hat you enjoyed most, a t w h at point
the perform ers w ere a t their best, you will
say the entire opera w as good, b u t the last
number, and you will nam e it, w as the best
one o f all. T h is is because you knew the
composition before you ever heard the entire
opera. You m ay not believe this, b u t try it
for yourself and see if it does not w ork out
in this manner.
Let me show you another instance of the
same thing. Back in 1934 or 1935 w e w ere
fortunate in having a very famous violinist
play for us during the annual Rosicrucian
Convention. I will not nam e the gentlem an,
but many of you will remember the occasion.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T h is man had ju st completed a successful

tour o f the U nited States and h ad retired for
a short rest. T h e evening he played for us,
the F rancis Bacon Auditorium w as virtually
packed w ith visiting members an d delegates
from all over the w orld. F irst, the perform er
played a com plicated Italian composition,
then another still more com plicated work.
A ltogether he played about six numbers,
each more difficult than the last. T h is music
displayed his w onderful ability, his truly
m arvelous technique, both w ith fingering and
the bow. T h e audience w as aw ed alm ost to
the point of being spellbound. T h ey applaud
ed as an y audience would. T h en came the
final encore. H e selected, for this, a simple
Am erican melody, I believe, a Stephen F o s
ter composition. It w as then th a t the audi
ence gave vent to their love of music and
their appreciation of having the opportunity
of hearing so famous a violinist. T h ey stood
up an d clapped their hands an d shouted.
F o r aw hile w e even feared for the building
foundation. It w as necessary to call a ten
m inute recess to give them a chance to ex
press their emotions before w e could con
tinue w ith the evening's program .
T ru e, everyone enjoyed the ability and
technique, b ut it w as the familiar melody to
w hich they responded w ith th e greatest en
thusiasm . I dare say it w as the one thing
th at actually m ade the musical program a
success. W e have all seen this happen time
and again, so th ere must be som ething to it.
A s a m atter of fact, it is true in the case of
the younger generation w ho like modern
swing dance music. T h ey seldom like a socalled composition unless they have heard
it several times.
A s stated before> this controversy between
the m odern an d the old m asters will never
be settled for it is like the question, W h o
builds the best automobile? H ow ever, I
personally do n ot agree w ith the statem ent
that, there is no composer in this country
w ho brings Cosmic born music, or that, the
m odern com poser can no longer create h ar
monious, beautiful, inspiring music like the
old m asters.
In the first place, most of the music we
now h ear attributed to the old m asters is
virtually the w ork of the more recent ar
ranger. Remember th at a large m ajority of
the instrum ents used in the sym phony today

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w ere developed not so very m any years ago.

C onsequently, music has evolved trem end
ously and become extrem ely complex w ith
the passing of the years. It is true th at the
old m aster did w onders w ith his limited in
strum entation, but it is possible th at his w ork
w ould not have faired as well as it has if it
w ere not for the inventors of different types
of instrum ents. T h e harm onies th at are now
possible as the result of the available instru
ments is truly astounding. T h e m odernist
has no end of possibilities, w here on the
other hand the old m aster w as handicapped
and limited in w hat he could do. A nyone
w ho has played music in an orchestra realizes
the great difference in a twelve-piece parlor
orchestration and the same composition a r
ranged for a seventy-piece sym phony. It is
even difficult a t times to recognize the orig
inal theme. T h e modern instrum ents have
made this possible.
In the early days of the w ood w ind instru
ments an eight key flute w as unusual; now
the stan d ard is sixteen keys. Look at the
variation this gives. A t one time there w as
one stan d ard clarinet w ith a short range,
now the clarinet has seven different members
of its family, each w ith a very w ide range
of tones. It is safe to say th at the old m asters
would be delighted in m ost cases to see
and hear w hat the m odern arran g er has
done for his compositions. Remember I am
speaking in terms of good music as it is
now accepted, not modern dance and swing
orchestrations.
T o d ay there are truly great compositions
of the m odern school, not just a few, but
even more than w ere produced centuries ago.
It is not th a t they do not com pare to the old
m asters, it is simply a m atter of u n d erstan d
ing, learning to like them and recognizing
their greatness, their beauty and their real
effect upon the hum an emotions. I hope the
mentioning of this will not bring forth a
flood of correspondence from those of our
Forum members who like to while aw ay the
hours arguing in behalf of their favorite
composer.

Scientist Discovers H um an Aura

A student member and reader of T h e
Rosicrucian F orum has called our attention
to a pam phlet which sets forth the discov

Page 93

eries of a w ell-know n scientist. T h ese dis

coveries, like so m any others w ith w hich we
are familiar, are identical to facts and know l
edge tau g h t by the Rosicrucians of old and
which are still a p art of the Rosicrucian
teachings.
T h ro u g h o u t the years of our present active
cycle w e have been conscious of the work
of some few men of science who dare devi
ate from the straig h t and narrow path laid
down by the scientific b o ard of censorship.
T h e reason is th at such investigations invari
ably lead to channels considered beyond the
realm of w o rth y scientific experiment.
W h e n a student o f Rosicrucianism finds a
verification of our teachings in a scientific
publication or brochure, he imm ediately pre
sumes th at the rep o rt is w ritten by a member
of the O rd er. Such is the case in our corre
spondence this morning.
It seems th a t this pam phlet reports the
discovery of an unusual ray never before
known to science th a t radiates from the
hands, the eyes, an d nose of man. T h is ray
is said to be more pow erful than ultraviolet.
It is reported th at it will destroy yeast cells
and other microorganism. T h e article states
th at this radiation ceases w ith the death of
the body.
It should be obvious to any one of our
members th a t such a scientist, claiming to
have m ade this discovery, revealing it for
the first time, w as not a Rosicrucian member.
A fter all, if he h ad been a Rosicrucian, he
would not claim unto himself the credit of
the discovery. T h is radiation has been known
for m any years. It is spoken of in the w rit
ings of m any w ell-know n mystics of the
past and is a p a rt of the Rosicrucian teach
ings th a t deal w ith the construction of m atter
and its relationship to the universal soul
force.
O u r Soror sending us this report states
th a t on an occasion she w itnessed aura dem
onstrations and noticed th at the radiation
w as stronger w ith some persons than w ith
others. Especially w as this true in a com
parison betw een a youthful body and one
nearing the tw ilight of life. O u r Soror
w onders if this radiation w ould not be a
m easuring stick as to the life span, her
thought being th at an elderly body showing
a w eak radiation w ould indicate transition
in the near future.

Page 94

Perhaps it is trite to again com pare the

hum an body to the automobile storage b a t
tery. N evertheless, the sim ilarity of energy
is startling. T h e storage battery, although
constructed by man, nevertheless consists of
G od-m ade elements. M an has discovered
th a t certain elements go through chemical
changes u nder certain conditions. In other
w ords, some elements react upon other ele
m ents in a m anner th a t releases electrical
energy. A s long as these elements are new
the am ount of potential energy is strong.
W h e n the elements are old, and more or less
used up, the energy is w eak.
T h e body of man is much the same. A
young, healthy body is strong in potential
energy. T h e aged, w ell-w orn body is weak.
W h e re purely physical conditions are con
sidered, then the strength of the aura is a
measuring rod for health and possible life
span. H ow ever, there are other factors of
equal importance. O ne w ith a strong ener
getic active m ind will show a strong m ag
netic field about the head an d shoulders, y et
he m ay be w eak in physical o r bodily
strength. T h e spiritual qualities of man are
reflected in th e strength of his au ra or m ag
netic field.
A person w ho is strong and healthy in
body and mind, and w ho a t the same time
is well developed spiritually, will indicate
such health an d spirituality b y the w idth and
beauty of the hum an aura. O ne less spiritual
m ay still indicate a strong m agnetic field but
of som ew hat different quality.
It is needless to point out the im portance
of this radiation, of w hich the Rosicrucians
have known for years, for healing purposes,
for it plays a m ajor p a rt in our treatm ent
methods. H ow ever, it is not for the purpose
of destroying organism o r cell life b u t rath e r
to change the vibratory rate of the physical
elements of w hich the body is composed.
T h ese changes are com parable to th a t w hich
takes place w hen the storage b attery is
charged up in the automobile service station.
W h e n the physical elements of th e b attery
are w orn and old they will hold the charge
but for a short time. W h e n the elements of
the physical body are w orn w ith age its
energy is w eak and does not recover ra p
idly enough to prevent eventual death or
transition.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

W ith these brief comments upon our

Soror's report an d request for inform ation,
I would like to ad d th a t w e appreciate such
reports to the Forum C ircle an d urge all
members to send us any inform ation th a t
may come to their attention th a t they feel is
a verification of our ancient teachings. O u r
Rosicrucian scientists and investigators are
working every d ay w ith the law s an d prin
ciples th a t w e teach. T h ey seek new phe
nomena, new m anifestations, new uses of the
principles of G od as they relate to control
an d direct the physical m atter of which all
earthly things are composed.

W hy M ust Consciousness of Soul Evolve?

T h e fact th a t w e may eventually attain a
realization of the G od E ssence w ithin us,
and thereby become a Spiritual Im age of
God does not explain w hy this m ust be an
evolutionary process.
In affairs o f th e w orld th ere are tw o w ays
in which w e are m ade appreciative of an a t
tribute or a privilege. T h e first is n egative.
It consists in suddenly denying or taking
from us th a t w hich w e have taken for g ran t
ed. If it has been an im portant factor in our
w elfare o r in contributing to our happiness,
as soon as it is removed or as its effect is
gradually diminished, w e become corre
spondingly aw are of its value to us. T h e
second is the positive w ay. T h is consists in
suddenly or gradually acquiring something
not had before, from which w e become con
scious th a t there is flowing a new munificence
or enjoyment.
T h e wisdom of the Cosmic has seen fit to
apply the positive w ay to cause our apprecia
tion of the D ivine E ssence the soul w ithin
us. T h is does n o t mean th a t the soul essence
is im planted w ithin us in small quantities
gradually, b u t rath er th at w e are perm itted
to gradually evolve our consciousness o f it,
and to act in accordance w ith w h at we
realize. O u r response, th a t is, our reaction
to this consciousness of the soul becomes our
soul-personality.
It is quite probable th a t a sudden and
complete realization of our soul m ight blind
us, as the physical coming from darkness
into brilliant illumination tem porarily p ara
lyzes our vision an d confuses us. T h is again
shows Cosmic W isd o m in compelling an

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

evolving of the consciousness of the soul.

Also, let us not forget th at it is a Cosmic
law th a t man attain G od. O therw ise there
w ould be no need for the mind of G od, as
soul, to extend itself into w h at is know n as
m atter. W h e n the mind of G od extends it
self into m atter, as soul in m en's bodies, G od
has self-consciousness. T h e self-consciousness of G od is therefore found in m ans
consciousness of his own soul.'X

Breathing Exercises
Is it not infrequent th a t members of this
organization find in the teachings an account
of certain facts or an explanation of pro
cesses w hich they have know n all their lives,
or a t least have been familiar w ith for a con
siderable period of time. A good illustration
is found in a letter from a F ra te r who is now
a retired A rm y officer w ho m ade these ob
servations in the early p a rt of the stu d y of
the Sixth D egree. T h is F ra te r w rote in p art
as follows:
T h e w riter w as privileged to serve as an
A rm y officer in the old peace-tim e Arm y,
and in this capacity conducted m any classes
in pistol instruction. W e found in this w ork
that holding the breath w hile aiming w as a
w onderful factor in steadying the nerves.
W h ile the A rm y knows little, perhaps, of
the esoteric value of deep breathing, the ob
servance of a breathing technique' on the
target range w as quite w idely used.
Before firing the soldier w as instructed
to take several deep breaths, then fill the
lungs, let out just a little and hold the breath
while aiming. T his m ethod seemed to calm
the individual and take all th e quiver out of
the m an's arm. A ny soldier w ho ever a t
tended the Small A rm s Firing School at
Cam p P erry, O hio, remembers this system
as one of the fundam entals o f the training
course.
O n this point I am not positive, b u t I
have long been of the opinion th at vision too
w as improved by this method. In my ow n
experience it seemed to clear aw ay the cob
w ebs and make the target stand still."
T h ere is no doubt th a t the breathing pro
cess is one of the most im portant processes
of the body by which life itself is m aintained,
and it is hardly a step beyond common sense

Page 95

for any of us to conclude th at if life itself is

so dependent upon the breathing process,
th a t in the process m ust lie a great deal th at
explains the whole life process and the vital
ity which goes to make up the difference be
tween living and non-living m atter.
W e have learned in our m onographs th at
through the process of breathing w e are
taking into our being the vital life force, the
positive radiations of the forces of the uni
verse w hich have been p u t into operation of
existence. In order to m aintain th at universe,
we, being a p a rt of the w hole scheme, m ust
p artak e of th a t w hich causes it to be. W h e n
ever w e b reath deeply w e are charging our
body w ith a surplus of this positive force.
It is true th a t the body is limited in its capa
city to use this force, b u t if the body is
otherw ise in good health, or in other words,
if it is receiving the proper am ounts of the
negative element of the universe in the form
of food an d w ater, the large am ount o f the
vital force taken into the body through
breathing will complement the material es
sence which is alread y there and m ake us
better able to use our full faculties and
abilities.
In the experience outlined by this F rater,
w e notice his reference to the fact th at the
general effect of the deep breathing in the
circum stances w hich he described seem to act
as a tonic in the respect th at it calmed the
individuals and m ade them efficient in the
task w hich w as necessary. It is very prob
able to presum e th a t these individuals w ere
in good physical health. O therw ise, prob
ably had good food an d only needed a b etter
balance in their system th at w as given to
them by this deep breathing to cause their
full faculties an d abilities to be at th e peak
of efficiency.
W e can learn from this experience, and
m any have learned, th a t w hen faced by an y
difficult situation, w hether under an emo
tional or a physical strain, th a t a m om ents
relaxation accom panied by rythm ical deep
breathing is an immediate tonic. It has a
tendency to help establish harm ony in the
body. It lowers the blood pressure, slows the
speed of the pounding heart, an d it tends to
bring about relaxation, accom panied b y calm
ness and clearer viewpoint of conditions
which must be faced at th at tim e. A

S E P IP H A N Y P O S S IB L E . . .
c a n a bodily m anifestation of
th e Divine b e b ro u g h t ab o u t? Did
th e sim ple a n d sincere d esires of
the an c ie n ts voiced in p ra y e r
c a u se Cosm ic intervention in tim es
of n ee d ? H as m a n lost his h eritag e
to invoke the Divine Pow ers, or is
th e m y stery of m iracles a secret
ch erish ed b y a few? H ere is a frank
d iscussion b o th from th e m ystical
a n d scientific points of view. W hat
constitutes m iracles? They a re re
v e a le d a s a n orderly w orking of
n a tu ra l law s law s th a t c a n b e
com m anded by those who have the knowl
edge. Do y o u know w h at so-called miracles
a re p ossible in y o u r life to d a y w ithout m ys
tery, stra n g e rites or practices? The R eaders'
R esearch A cad em y com posed of m en a n d
w om en th ro u g h o u t the w orld w ho desire
simple, helpful su p p le m e n tary re a d in g offer
you the follow ing course of re a d in g entitled,
"The M ystery of M iracles." You m a y su b
scribe to this cou rse for only o ne m onth or
six, a s y o u choose d iscontinue w h en ev er
you will. A dd to y o u r fount of know ledge.
REMEMBER
TWO LARGE
THAT YOU
DISCOURSES
MAY RECEIVE
lo r only

50c per month

Readers Research Academy

Rosicrucian Park, San Jose, California, U. S. A.

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

PR I N T ED IN U . S , A .

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II ROSICRUCIAN
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FORUM

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A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal Act of Oct. 3, 1917.

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Vol. XIV

FEBRUARY, 1944

No. 4

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

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You will observe that this issue of the FORUM has

been reduced by several pages. This reduction is in con
formity with the War Production Board's paper con
sumption plan. Like many other publishers of magazines,
we are obliged to reduce our supply of paper a certain
percentage of our tonnage either by lightening the
weight of the paper or reducing the number of pages.
The former would affect the legibility of the text. There
fore the only alternative was to reduce each issue by
several pages. We hope you will bear with us in this
conformity to patriotic duty and we assure each member
of our FORUM family that, as soon as conditions permit,
the magazine will have its usual number of pages.

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and EVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY
M iiiM iiin iiiiM ia a a iii n o n

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 98

Greetings !
V
D ear Fratres and Sorores:
T h e exhortation, Live d an g ero u sly /' has
been attributed to the Germ an philosopher,
Friedrich W ilhelm Nietzche. T o a w orld
engulfed in w ar, w ith thousands of humans
sacrificing their lives daily, this w ould seem a
needless and ironical plea. T o N ietzche,
however, this did not mean m erely to en
counter physical dangers, nor to flaunt death
heroically. It m eant a fu ll experience of
life. All too often, the security and peace
which a people desire in their individual
lives am ounts to an isolation from the vicis
situdes of life. T h e complacency, for example,
of small villages and towns is often nothing
more than a condition of m ental and spiritual
stagnation. T h e individual must distinguish
between desired mom entary escapes from in
tense emotional agitation and a perm anent
condition which never challenges the ele
ments of self.
All know ledge cannot be communicated so
that the individual acquires understanding.
Experience is still an adm irable and neces
sary teacher. Especially is this so w here the
virtues, morals, and ethics are concerned. It
is most difficult, no m atter how elaborate
ones discourse upon it, to cause another to
realize the principles of justice, unless the
latter has personally experienced gross w rongs
himself. An improved social order can only
be supported intelligently by those who have
witnessed anarchy and despotism. Labor or
capital abuses cannot be successfully cor
rected by a people who have never been
touched by them. T h e mere presentation of
facts in the new spapers or over the radio
concerning the events of o u r day, no m atter
how cogent, are often inadequate to move us
to action. It is adm itted th a t passion and
intense emotion often blind the reason. It is
likewise true th a t th at which is plausible may
often leave us unconcerned, because it has
not fired our enthusiasm. Each voluntary
act of a hum an is m otivated by desire. H e
m ust w ant to do w hat he sets o u t to do.
W h e n the sentim ents and the reason com
bine, through experience, then w e find an

V
individual enthusiastically and intelligently
acting.
T h e individual who strives to build only
a bulw ark of security about himself, possibly
risks no moral or physical contam inations,
but his contribution to hum an society is nil.
In the event of an emergency, he is inclined
to go berserk o r become a liability to his
fellowmen, because of his lack of experience.
In the event th at there is no dem and made
upon him, like a hothouse flower, he has
one principal value, he is p retty to look upon.
H e goes about his limited routine w ay, never
disturbed, never distraught, never a bother
to anyone, and something of a staple o rn a
ment, like the b rass knocker on his door.
T h e whole of life is an a dventure. T h ere
are no prescribed certainties as to w hat you
will gain from each year of existence. T h ere
are no assurances as to the length of time
you will live. Such is determ ined by your
conduct and the influences of heredity and
environm ent. T h ere is but a trail upon which
you have been placed. You cannot turn back
and you m ust go ahead. As you proceed,
beyond each bend, each year, in other words,
there will be revealed experiences, events
which you cannot escape. Some may be
pleasurable, others painful. Some you will
learn may repeat themselves, and thus you
prepare for them and mitigate their effects.
But for every circumstance th at crosses this
trail of your life and thus involves you, there
are a hundred more aw aiting your exploration
and which are all about you. If you figura
tively w ear blinders as you progress through
life, you will avoid being shocked; unpleasant
ness will possibly be infrequent. But likewise
you will never know any intense exaltation,
or the thrill of discovery, or th e most satis
fying sensation th a t comes from possessing
a new -found knowledge.
I may use an analogy to describe the per
son w ho lives cautiously and seeks continu
ous security. H e is like the average American
tourist who travels in Europe. H e plans his
trip through travel agencies or bureaus, in
such a w ay th at his usual mode of living will
be disturbed as little as possible by his ven

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ture from home. H e makes certain that the

hotels of the cities he is to visit have accom
m odations as nearly approaching the con
veniences of his home as possible. H e fre
quently avoids native districts because of
their distracting customs and foreign odors.
H e patronizes the tennis courts and cocktail
lounges, and the luxurious eating establish
ments th at rem ind him so much of home."
W h e n he returns to his ow n country, he tells
of the a rt galleries and museums w hich he
has visited and, in fact, th e experiences he
has had in them. M any of the things he has
seen there, he could perhaps also duplicate
by consulting encyclopedias and books in his
own home tow n library.
H e has never in his travels dined in the
w orking m ans district of the foreign cities.
H e has never strolled along the grimy w ater
fronts of a shipping port nor shopped in the
poor m an's bazaars. H e has never spent an
hour conversing w ith the bootblack or the
stevedores of those countries about their
hopes and their opinions. H e has never
visited the courts of those lands, in person,
and w atched the parade of hum anity which
represented the various strata of society. H e
never engaged the small m erchant in con
versation, to whom the luxury of tourist trade
is unknow n. In all probability, he never
visited the cathedrals a t times w hen the tour
ists and guides w ere not adm itted and
mingled w ith th e simple and the devout as
they knelt in their ragged apparel, their lips
moving silently as they gazed upw ard at the
lavish display of ecclesiastic fixtures.
Such little adventures in travel often mean
contact w ith filth, squalor, possibly disease.
O n e often comes aw ay depressed, rath er than
elated, at w h at his money has afforded him
to see. H e is stirred up inside, b ut from
these emotional stimuli flow new ideals which
broaden the individual and make him a much
more valuable member of society and with
a far deeper understanding.
Stop being so morally correct and precise,
if it m ust make you ignorant of life. Live a
little more dangerously. O ccasionally visit
the night clubs and theatres having so-called
questionable entertainm ent. Find w h at so
attracts other people. See if you can analyze
or learn w hat causes man or woman, young
or old, to sit up on a high stool, in a subdued
light, in an atm osphere choked w ith cigar and

Page 99

cigarette smoke, and embibe liquor by the

hour. W h y do they intentionally seek such
oblivion?
Is an atheist going to lecture in your city?
hear him. G o w ith an open mind and de
term ine if he is truly an atheist or a mis
understood man. A re the Com munists m eet
ing to dam n the capitalists? D o n t fear being
seen entering as an interested spectator and
listener. A d v en tu re into the atm osphere.
Listen w ith reason an d faculties alert. You
will come aw ay either convinced th at your
suppositions w ere right, o r asham ed th at you
had assented to accept opinions which you
had never personally investigated. G o to the
juvenile delinquency or criminal courts, w hen
time permits, and listen to the sordid tales of
the unfortunate victims. A gain you will come
aw ay depressed, b u t w ith a firm resolution
to read and concern yourself w ith all m atters
which have to do w ith the correction of such
conditions in w hich hum ans become en
meshed.
Remember, your morals and your arbitrarily
adopted stan d ard s of living are no stronger
than the tests to which you p ut them. If you
cannot stan d the influence of some of these
adventures o f life, you are in a precarious
position, insofar as your character is con
cerned, especially in the event of your being
precipitated into like conditions. Live d a n
gerously but know inglyl Let no experience
by which you can profit and which does not
violate your own conscience escape you. N o
man or woman is righteous who has never
been exposed to life. T h ey are but an u n
known quantity, like an unopened and u n
tested parachute. T a ste a little of life! It
w ont sour you, but it will w het your appetite
to live more fully as a human should.
F raternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Imperator.

Undesirable H abits
Am ong personal problems w hich members
subm it to the officers and staff of this organ
ization, a notable one is a request for advice
on how to break w h at they consider an un
desirable habit. It might be of im portance
to everyone to give consideration to the m an
ner in w hich habits are formed, and w hat
habit is from a psychological standpoint, in

Page 100

order to understand better the processes

of the mind th a t have to do w ith habit
formation. T his is done adequately in the
m onographs, and for further inform ation
one can refer to any stan d ard textbook on
psychology.
Briefly, we m ight state th at a habit is the
unconscious repetition of an act, and while
we norm ally consider a habit to be a process
of the mind, it is so only in the larger sense
of our concept of the mind as existing in
all the cells of body. In other w ords, m any
habits are a system of m uscular activities.
For example, experim entation h as proven
that the habit of smoking is as much a habit
to a certain pattern of action as an addiction
to a mild drug. T h e individual w ho attem pts
to break himself of the habit of using tobacco
in this form frequently finds th a t w hen he
is occupied in a m anner w here he uses his
hands, he thinks less of smoking than he
does w hen he is unoccupied. If the chain of
motions accom paning the habit can be broken
a great deal is done tow ard breaking the
habit itself.
T h e question of undesirable habits of
course is related to the question as to w hat
makes a habit undesirable. P robably the only
really basic reasons for it being undesirable
would be from the standpoint of the main
tenance of health and from the standpoint
of our social activities and customs. In other
w ords, a habit which we find is detrim ental
to our physical well-being, or a habit which
causes us to act in a m anner not w holly ac
ceptable in our social sphere w ould be con
sidered undesirable. It is quite probable
th at anyone who concludes th at a habit is
undesirable will trace it directly or indirect
ly in some relation to one of the causes.
T his question in the mind of a person con
cerning a habit which he w ishes to throw off
is therefore constantly in his thinking. T h a t
is, he is thinking in terms of w h at is going
to happen to him physically if the habit is
perpetuated, or w h at other people are going
to say or think, if he continues to do the
thing to which he has habitually accustom ed
himself.
W ith this point of view, the difficulty of
breaking a habit then is made still more dif
ficult due to the im portance an d attention

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

which is devoted to the habit itself. In other

words, a great deal is accomplished in the
process of breaking a habit w hen we lessen
the im portance which we place upon that
particular habit. In an extreme case, an in
dividual w orries about the habit. T h e w orry
only builds up in his own mind the existence
of the habit so th a t w hen this is transm itted
to the subjective mind the habit becomes
even more firmly entrenched than it had been
before because in the mind constant atten
tion is being directed to the existence of the
habit. It becomes a suggestion to the sub
jective mind w hich is taken as fact due to
the deductive pow er of the subjective mind's
reasoning processes, and is so firmly en
trenched th a t the habit becomes almost the
same as a voluntary action. T herefore, the
first step after determ ining th at a habit is
undesirable and should be broken is to stop
exaggerating the im portance or the serious
ness of the situation in ones own thinking.
If the individual who desires to break such
a habit devotes the time spent in consider
ing the undesirability of the habit w ith which
he is contending, to develop habits which he
considers to be desirable, he will find the
undesirable habit gradually relaxing its
strength and claim upon his attention and
actions.
T h e average person, however, is not satis
fied to go about the breaking of a habit in
this manner. H e wishes to be heroic and by
mere force of will which brings him a lot of
discomfort and dissatisfaction, he suffers
through the process of beaking the habit
particularly so he can brag about his will
power w hen the proper occasion arises. T h e
next time you wish to set about changing
any habit w hich you feel is no longer ac
ceptable to your m anner of living, try the
process of lessening the im portance which
you place upon the habit and direct your a t
tention to som ething you wish to do. W h ile
it may seem to take longer to break yourself
of the undesirable habit, you will find that
it is less painful and of more value in the
long run. T h e very lessening of the habit's
importance will help you to dismiss it from
your mind, and you will not be able to relive
it or claim an y particular pow ers of mind in
having overcome the habit which you thought
w as enslaving y ou.A

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T he M ystery of the H oly Grail

A frater in C anada now asks the Forum
if w e can th ro w any further light on the
elusive H oly G ra il H e says, I have read a
num ber of legends about it and have also
spent several years of my boyhood only a few
miles from G lastonbury and am familiar w ith
th e abbey and the C hristm as rose w hich is
said to have grow n from the staff o f Joseph
of A rim athea."
T h e story of the H oly G rail is one of those
rom ances or legends which has grown out of
religious supposition and w hich has captured
the imagination o f the idealists and has like
w ise become a truism to the superstitious.
T h e term G rail" applies to a cup o r chalice
used by C hrist a t th e L ast Supper. It w as
also said to be the vessel in which Joseph of
A rim athea collected the blood w hich flowed
from the w ounds of Jesus. In this w e see the
imm ediate possibility for a magical belief.
According to the psychological law of the
association o f ideas, the primitive mind would
believe th a t any property or article touched
by Jesus, or contiguous to his person, would
thereby become imbued w ith the qualities of
H is being. Since C hrist represents th e Divine
and w as able to effect miraculous cures, it
becam e th e simple belief, of which contagious
magic consists through the association of
ideas, th a t th e G rail from w hich Jesus drank
could likewise effect cures. T his w ould, n a
turally, make the Grail, if it existed, a tre
mendous prize, not for its intrinsic o r historic
value alone, but because of the healing effi
cacy it could exert.
In the space of fifty years, nam ely, from
1170-1220, the great body of th e G rail
legends w as developed. H ow ever, it w as not
until as late as 1861 th a t complete texts of
the transcriptions of the legends an d ro
mances of the G rail, as they existed in the
13th and 14th centuries, began to appear.
T h e m ajority of the early m anuscripts refer
ring to the H oly Grail are fragm entary and
disputable, bu t sufficient to arouse interest.
T h e principal legends concern the G rail as
an object of search by th e K nights o f the
Round T able. In fact, it is one of th e m any
A rthurian romances. T h e legend w as given
further publicity by the famous poem by
T ennyson and the romance by Sir T hom as
M allory. A general theme relates th at the

Page 101

famous chalice, m ade of olive w ood and

edged in rare metal, after being used to catch
the blood of C hrist, w as preserved by Joseph
of A rim athea. Eventually, Joseph journeyed
to G lastonbury, Britain and placed it in safe
hands. From th e re it eventually passed to
W ales. W h ile in Britain, it is related to have
effected miraculous cures. In fact, there are
records of those w ho originally visited the
W elch hom e in w hich the purported H oly
G rail w as preserved, an d touched it or
drank from it, consequently, w ere said to be
cured. O n e such letter, dated F eb ru ary 5,
1859, reads: Cup lent this day to W illiam
Lloyd for the use o f his wife. Left a w atch.
C up retu rn ed M arch 7, 1859. C ured." T h is
is but another exam ple of the superstitious
belief in contagious magic. A touch of the
cup and th ere w as transm itted to th e toucher
the pow er believed to be resident in it. T h e
am using thing about the above incident is
th a t a cup, if actually once used by the
Christ, w ould be a priceless religious and
archaeological treasure, and yet it w as loaned
to an individual for no more security than
his w atch.
T heurgical o r magical properties w ere so
attributed to this cup and its surroundings
th at eventually persons imagined themselves
cured by m erely being on th e premises w here
stood the house in which, it w as related, the
cup had been preserved.
T h e g reatest value of the legends about
th e H oly G rail is th a t the G rail became a
C hristian sym bol o f virtues to be sought by
man. It represents transcendental ideals and
rare know ledge, enlightenm ent if you will,
w hich man should seek and attain. In fact,
the G rail, as such a symbol, has been em
bodied in m any mystical o r esoteric initiations
to teach the candidate a lesson by example.
T h e candidate is depicted as a knight, often
so garbed, in search of an actual cup o r Grail.
H e is m ade to peram bulate from station to
station in the tem ple o f initiation and a t each
place he is m ade to experience allegorically
and symbolically m any trials and tem ptations
intended to discourage him in his search. It
is necessary for him to ask a certain question,
b ut he is made, a t first, to ask the w rong
question for a num ber of times so th at, sym
bolically, his search for the G rail seems to be
blighted. U ltim ately, he is m ade to learn the
right question w hich he asks. T hen, the

Page 102

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

G rail, symbol of truth and know ledge, is

delivered to him. C onsequently, the Grail
has become to mystics an emblem of moral
purity, trium phant faith and gracious charity
for which men alw ays search. T o the mystics,
tw as not of wood, nor an y m anner of metal,
nor w as it anyw ise of stone, nor of horn, nor
of bone." Simply, it w as a spiritual object to
be spiritually discerned.
T h e philosopher s stone for w hich the an
cient an d m ediaeval alchemists so u g h t is
com parable to the H oly G rail. T o th e ma
terialistic mind and to the superstitious, the
philosophers stone w as a prim ary hidden
m aterial essence of nature by w hich men, if
they discovered it, would have th e key to
transform all m atter a t will. T o the mystics
an d philosophers, o r the transcendental aU
chem ists, th e philosophers stone w as the
quintessence of m an's ow n nature, the self,
the real being, which he m ust come to know
and which resides w ithin him .X

T he Search for T ruth

T o the attention of this Forum is brought
a fra ters rem arks. H e says: I have tried
to penetrate the law and o rder o f the uni
verse via analysis, speculation, m editation,
miscellaneous researchcause an d effect, etc.
W h a t is the proper approach to truth?"
It is this procedure o r approach which
philosophy has sought to posit for centuries.
If there w ere an agreem ent on the content
of truth by all who search for it, the problem
w ould then be simplified. It w ould require
only a com parison of w ays by w hich the
accepted conception of truth could be a t
tained. T h e m ost efficient w ay w ould be the
proper approach. T h e term truth is an excel
lent example of the false or presum ed know l
edge th a t so m any men have. T o most of
us it is a term for w hich w e have no clear
corresponding idea. W e speak of tru th freely
in our common conversation. If, however,
there is put to us the simple interrogation:
W h a t is truth?", we often find ourselves at
loss to define it adequately. H ow can w e
expect to find o r develop a proper approach
to som ething w hich is so indefinite in our
minds?
Perhaps, the reason w hy men have never
been w holly in agreem ent on the content of
truth is because it may have no positive

reality. T h e qualities o f tru th m ay depend

upon the notions of th e individuals mind.
T herefore, tru th w ould be relative to the
varying degrees of the minds of man. Let us
consider the subject from the opposite point
of view. W h a t determ ines an u n tru th l It is
the realization of something w hich confutes
truth, namely, th a t which destroys a concep
tion which w e have had. W h a te v e r proves
something u n tru e is th a t which, to our minds,
has greater reality, a more positive existence
than w h at w e believe to be tru e. F o r analogy,
if I see w h at appears as an apple in a dish
and, upon picking it up to eat it, find it is
a w ax model, th e idea of it being an apple
becomes an untruth to me immediately. W h a t
has happened? T h e idea of the apple is no
longer tenable. It has lost its reality to me.
F or the idea to be reality, th a t w hich I saw
to be an apple, experience has tau g h t me,
would have to stan d the test of being cor
roborated by my senses o th er than sight. l*c
w ould have to smell and taste like an apple,
as well. All of these sensations w ould have
to enter into the idea for it to become a tru th .
Since th e reality o f the idea of an apple
diminishes w hen I pick up a model o f it, the
tru th ceases as well. T h is w ould seem to
make truth dependent upon o ur sense ex
periences. If o u r senses corroborate an idea,
it has reality and, if it is real, it is true.
W e are the first truth of w hich w e have
knowledge. O u r own existence is a constant
reality to us w hile w e are conscious. N o
m atter how long w e may live o r w h at vicis
situdes of life w e experience o r w h at changes
in our thinking occur, w e never become less
real to ourselves. C onsequently, the fact th a t
we are is alw ays a truth. If w e have such
assurance about our ow n existence, if w e are
such a positive tru th to ourselves, certainly
we will not accept anything having less reali
ty as being a truth. T herefore, w e are in
clined to m easure the validity of anything,
the truth o f its reality, by w h eth er it is as
real to us as w e are to ourselves. B ut here a
difficulty enters. O u r know ledge of ourselves
is not entirely dependent upon our sense ex
periences. W e do not have to see o r hear
ourselves, for example, to know th a t w e are.
T h ere can be a surcease of all our objective
sense faculties an d y et w e will know th a t
we are. A s D escartes said: I think, th erefore I am ." T ru th which depends upon ex

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ternal causes, impressions received through

our senses, are relative. V ariatio n s of our
sense perceptions change the reality of the
thing. V ariations of spatial relations also
change the reality of a thing. T h u s, for
example, a d istant object appears to us as a
man. W h e n w e come closer, w e find it is a
tree. H ow then, w hen w e realize a thing, are
w e to know it as a truth? If, b y varying our
consciousness o r position, w e change its ap
pearance, w hich state is the true one?
T h e more constancy a reality has, the more
dependence w e place upon dt as a tru th . T h is
constancy does not mean th a t in actuality the
thing is as it appears to our consciousness,
but th a t it has sufficient perm anency to b e
come a factor w e can use as know ledge. T o
return to our analogy, a distant object to our
sight seems as man. W h e n closer to the
object, w e discern th a t it is a tree, b u t now
w e can corroborate our visual impressions by
touching the object and by sm elling the
leaves. So long as nothing changes these im
pressions of the object being a itree and since
the closer approach has given us m ore con
firmations th an the distant one, obviously the
idea of the tree has more reality th an the idea
of man.
T h ere is also a pragmatic test of truith,
namely, its practical value. W h a te v e r has
constancy, an d which cannot be altered so
far as ou r impressions of it are concerned,
and about w hich w e have no doubt, has a
practical value. Such things become th e
building blocks of our w orld, the things to
believe, to w ork w ith and to avoid o r accept.
If w e cannot fit som ething into our lives, if it
confuses us, then it is not real to us and,
consequently, not a truth.
T h e mere acceptance of an idea as having
external reality does not m ake it a truth.
O therw ise, w e w ould be accepting m any il
lusions as truth. Something having external
existence to us as a reality, m ust be subject
to every test of which w e are ordinarily
capable before being accepted as truth. W e
must realize it through each o f the physical
senses by which it can be discerned. F u rth e r
more, w e and everyone else m ust be incapable
of changing our experience of it.
A ll realities do not have existence in the
outside w orld; th a t is, they cannot b e re
ferred to as m aterial substances. T h e re are
ideas which w e have which are impossible

Page 103

for us to trace to an y particular sense ex

perience, to sensations of sound o r sight, for
example. Such ideas are the result o f our
reflection, our m editation, and they arise out
of a train of tho u g h t composed o f mixed
sensations. T h ey are just as clear in our
minds, ju st as real as w e are to ourselves
an d so they, -too, are truths. T h ese are
abstract truths. T h e y are n ot related to an y
material substances o r necessarily to an y
actuality anyw here. T h e idea is its ow n reali
ty. Consequently, there is nothing w hich can
contradict its existence in the mind unless
the mind itself supplants it w ith another idea.
Such ab stra ct tru th s, for example, are the
ideas o f G od, of a first cause o f all being, or
th a t being has n either beginning nor end, etc.
Someone else m ay have opposing ab stract
truths to ours, but, unlike relative truths, such
persons cannot prove them to us by any
m aterial means.
U pon relative tru th s w e all can fairly well
agree, because our sense organs a re not ex
trem ely unlike in sensitivity and th e external
causes of o u r ideas of w orldly things, an d
w e are affected nearly the same. A b stract
truths, conversely, can be as num erous as the
minds in w hich they originate. It is w ith re
spect to ab stract tru th s th a t th e greatest in
tolerance exists. T h e mind is convinced th at
these ideas it has a re realities, as real as th a t
w hich it experiences through sight, for ex
ample. H ow ever, it does not h av e the simple
means o f confirming such ideas, and it cannot
point to them for another to see an d feel
for himself. T herefore, w e presum e the other
person's conception, if different, is w rong and
yet w e are not in a position to prove o u r own.
A bstract truths m ust alw ays remain depen
dent upon the individual's understanding, the
extent o f his depth o f consciousness.
W h e re relative tru th s are concerned, reali
ties which seem to have a counterpart in th e
w orld, every physical and m aterial device
and means should b e used to test them. T h ey
m ust have enough constancy so th a t others,
using instrum ents an d their physical senses,
can likewise experience them. If th ey will
not w ithstand th e experience o f the objective
senses, discard these objective" tru th s. O n
the other hand, ab stract tru th s cannot be
taught. Just because you m ay recite o r o u t
line them to another does n o t mean th a t he
can experience them. T h e y have no existence

Page 104

beyond the m ind's ability to realize them as

an idea. M etaphysics, for example, concerns
ab stract truth. You can teach a system of
m etaphysics, but the ideas you teach m ust
find personal response as abstract tru th s in
the consciousness of the listener o r they are
not acceptable. You cannot create w ithin him,
by your w ords, the same positive sensations
as if you h ad him touch or feel some m aterial
object. W h e n you teach m etaphysics, you
only hope to stim ulate the consciousness of
the individual so that, eventually, he may
develop an idea th a t corresponds to the one
w hich you have. T herefore, ab stract truths
come about from personal reflection and
meditation w hich expand th e understanding.
Such truths cannot be confirmed objectively.
T h e one w ho dem ands th a t you prove your
abstract truths is, by his very dem and, re
vealing his ignorance of their nature. T h ese
abstract truths are often designated as in
tuitive truths, or Cosmic Illumination.-X

Childrens Psychic Experiences

H ere is a question th a t I feel will prove
of interest to the Forum Circle this morning.
I will read it to you first as it is presented by
a Soror from one of the M idw estern states.
M y sister's little boy, three years old in
June, has an im aginary or invisible playm ate
th a t he calls by name. H e seems perfectly
satisfied to play w ith her and he alw ays
w ants to share his food, toys, etc. I w ould
like to know if it is b ad for the childs men
tality to play like that. If he really plays
w ith a spirit child, I cant see an y harm in
it myself as long as he plays sometimes w ith
other children also. W h a t do you think
about it?
N ow it is not alw ays easy to determ ine
w hether or not the playm ate is purely a
product of the im agination o r truly a psychic
companion. In either case there is no reason
to assum e th a t the child will be injured
m entally or otherw ise b y this association.
F or th a t m atter, a child can be injured more
readily by a companion in the flesh, w hose
morals and ethics have been perm itted too
much freedom, than through hours of fun
and play w ith an invisible playm ate.
In the early degrees of Rosicrucianism w e
learn th a t the great original sin w as m ans
refusal to listen to the still small voice w ith

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

in. W e learn th a t m ans tendency to shut

out the spiritual divine things in his life,
turning tow ard, and putting his faith entire
ly in the gross, material w orld w ithout, has
led him aw ay from the p ath of light and
Cosmic understanding.
A s little children, perhaps each an d every
one of us enjoyed close attunem ent w ith the
inner self an d even h ad certain contact w ith
conditions in th e psychic realm. In the m a
jority of cases, how ever, w e w ere tau g h t to
look only to th e material, tangible things
about us w ith instructions th a t nothing is
real th a t w e cannot see, hear, feel, taste, or
smell. N ow w ith our contact w ith mysticism
and psychic phenom ena w e have to train
ourselves to attu n e the m aterial side of o ur
being w ith the already developed spiritual
self. W e strive to balance ourselves by
aw areness o f the inner self w ith the same
ease w ith w hich w e m ay open the eyes and
be aw are of the m aterial w orld about us.
W e generally find th a t the ag e w hen a
child is conscious of psychic conditions and
has psychic experiences is betw een one and
four years. A fte r th a t he begins to subm erge
the spiritual n atu re w ith m aterial things and
experiences. Sometimes this is done on p u r
pose because of his environm ent. F or in
stance, the average child is very sensitive
and easily h u rt o r em barrassed. H ence, if
he speaks of his psychic com panions to p ar
ents w ho lack proper understanding an d
they laugh a t him o r tell him it is his imag
ination, he will get the impression th a t there
is som ething w rong w ith him, th a t he is dif
ferent an d perhaps m entally unsound. It
behooves every paren t to be careful w hen
answ ering the childs questions lest serious
injury be done th a t may lead to lasting com
plexes. T h e inferiority complex in children
is so easily developed in this w ay.
N atu rally a child should be guided and
directed an d helped to develop his latent
tendencies. H e should be advised about his
associates in order th at he gain the most
from these com panionships. F o r instance,
if you learned th a t your child w as playing
w ith ano th er w hose home environm ent w as
detrim ental or w ho show ed unethical and im
moral tendencies, you w ould n aturally try
to take steps to prevent th e association. You
probably w ould even try to help the unfor
tunate youngster, but certainly you would

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

direct your ow n child in the right direction

to avoid an y serious harm befalling him.
Insofar as psychic com panions are con
cerned you should extend the sam e advice
and guidance. H ow ever, remember th a t it
has never been show n th a t such com panion
ship has ever been harm ful; on the contrary,
it is know n to be very beneficial. W e know
from our studies th at much of the m aterial
side of life is not w h at it appears to be.
M an far -too often receives a distorted view
of his surroundings and frequently m isinter
prets his m aterial experiences. It is m an's
realization of a condition, experience, o r
thing th a t is im portant, not necessarily w h at
a thing actually is. T h u s, an experience in
the psychic realm is just as im portant and
real to the child as any experience he may
have in the m aterial w orld about him.
It is well to encourage the child in his psy
chic experiences as well as his m aterial life.
T h u s you help him to gain the utm ost out
of his life. Y ou prevent an early loss of
spiritual contact. Remember too the benefit
he receives from an active imagination and
inner sight. T h ese faculties are very active
during childhood. T h ey should be kept alive
a t alm ost any cost.
A n adult w ho has lost the faculty of
imagination lives a very dull life. O n e w ith
the ability to clothe himself in a cloak of ob
scurity and retire for a few minutes into the
w orld of imagination returns to his surround
ings refreshed, happy and prepared for fur
ther w orldly ordeals.
Is C osm ic C onsciousness N ecessary ?
A frater from V irginia arises to ask this
Forum the question: W h a t is true Cosmic
Consciousness and w hy does one need it?
M uch has already been said in this Forum
upon this subject. Possibly w e can ad d some
thing new and review the previous explana
tions, as well. I have alw ays found th at a
facile approach to the subject is h ad by re
versing the o rd er of the w ords. F o r example,
if w e precede Cosmic w ith the w ord con
sciousness, forming the phrase Consciousness
of the Cosmic, w e have alm ost a self-explana
tory term. Let us realize th a t in attaining
Cosmic Consciousness, we are not actually
adding any external substance to ourselves,

Page 105

rath er w e are becoming conscious of that

w hich is already inherent in ourselves.
It is o u r belief th a t all law, order, and
m anifestation are the result of a divine cause.
F u rth er, w e consider this cause as being
teleological, nam ely, as being an Intelligence
or M in d . T h is mind or divine cause m ust
consequently be isotropic, th a t is, having the
same quality everyw here. C ertainly nothing
which exists could be independent o f the
functioning of the D ivine M ind, because, how
w ould it subsist? F u rth er, if som ething exists
independent o f this Divine M ind, it would
be a rival to it, an d the D ivine M ind, there
fore, w ould not be the first cause of all things.
Consequently, w e conclude th a t th e Divine
M ind is the m oving an d acting factor ac
counting for everything, be it an atom , man,
o r galaxy. W e Rosicrucians attrib u te to the
functioning o f this D ivine M ind th e nam e
C osm ic. T h e Cosmic then is the o rd er of
arrangem ent an d procedure o f action o f the
D ivine M ind. It is the com pound o f all n a
ture an d divine law. T h e Divine Being or
Intelligence, w e should say, is the cause
collectively speaking. T h e Cosmic, on the
other hand, is the m anner in w hich this cause
functions. It is its expression. T herefore,
the orderly w orking of the Cosmic law o f the
Divine is to be found in every m anifestation,
w hether it is soul, o r the H ertzian w aves
which m ake possible radio communication.
T h is D ivine M ind has self-aw areness.
T h a t is, it know s w hat it is an d w h a t it
seeks to accomplish. It has, w e m ight say,
realization of the w hole schem e o f its activity;
so the D ivine M ind, like the objective brain
of man, has a consciousness. T h is conscious
ness of purpose m ay be found in all things.
W h e n , b y experim enting in the physics
laboratory, w e learn how magnetism m ay be
induced in various substances, w e a re b e
coming conscious o f an aspect o f this Divine
Consciousness, as it functions through inani
mate m atter. W h e n , by the use of the micro
scope in the biology laboratory, w e observe
the properties of the protozoa, o r the simple
living cells, w e are becoming conscious of
how the Divine Consciousness functions in
living m atter. If w e lived long enough, p er
haps thousands of years, and h ad patience
enough and sufficient intellectual capacity, by
such objective observations, w e could become
sufficiently conscious of enough expressions

Page 106

of the D ivine M ind in m atter to begin to

realize its w hole scope. By such physical,
objective means, we m ight become conscious
of the w hole Cosmic order. Since, however,
the period of a m ortals life can never be so
extended, a consciousness of the whole Cos
mic cannot be had through objective percep
tion. It is entirely the w rong approach. It is
equivalent to a m ans hoping to obtain the
perspective of a beautiful little valley, by
w alking along its floor and examining each
tree, stone, stream, and dale. H e does learn
to appreciate the elements of which the valley
consists, and to realize their p articular im
portance, but the m anner in w hich they are
related to each other and how they enter into
the general natural beauty of the valley, he
cannot realize. T h e reason is quite apparent.
W h e n dow n in the valley, only a p art of it
can be seen by him a t any one time. If he
ascends a nearby m ountain, then all of the
elements, trees, stream s, and fields of the
valley are coordinated into one whole, which
he can see. T hen for the first tim e he b e
comes conscious of, not only th e particular
parts, but of the w hole valley.
F or Cosmic Consciousness, therefore, man
needs the proper perspective. H e needs to
realize not separate, particular m anifestations
of Cosmic law, as w e find through scientific
investigation, but th a t which represents the
w hole harm ony of w hich th e Cosmic consists.
W ith in man, the consciousness o f th e Divine
functions to accomplish m yriads o f marvelous
things. It has developed the configurations
of his body and brain, upon which he can
dwell. It has made it possible for man also
to experience the external w orld w ith all of
those forces and energies w hich go to make
up nature. It has m ade it possible for him
to be aw are of life impulses, the deep instincts
and emotions of his own being. T h o se ex
periences o f the nature solely w ithin him are
term ed se//. A consciousness o f self, and of
the external w orld in harm ony w ith it, con
stitutes a representation of the w hole Cosmic.
W h e n man has at one time such an extensive
consciousness of the Cosmic, th e unification
of its m any m anifestations, he experiences
great ecstacy, or the exaltation of his spirit.
T h e self, or the aggregate of th e conscious
ness w hich exists in every p a rt o f o u r being
represents far more of th e w hole D ivine M ind
than all o f the objective experiences we can

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

have. T herefore, the more w e concentrate

upon an d attu n e w ith the self, the more atone-ness w e have with th e D ivine M ind or
Cosmic. W e m ay summarize by saying the
more consciousness of self and its unity w ith
the absolute w hich w e have, the more we
have attained Cosmic Consciousness, because
more o f the Cosmic do w e experience.
W h y is such consciousness needed? In
reply, w e m ay ask, w hy does one ascend the
m ountain to obtain a panoram ic view o r more
complete picture of the valley? F irst, because
such an act helps to answ er questions he may
have in m ind as to the relation of various
things to each other, which he saw upon the
floor of the valley. T h e entire an d broader
perspective removes doubts as to the natu re
of the valley. It substitutes th e know ledge of
experience. F u rth er, there is the exhilaration
th a t comes from experiencing the beauty of
the whole, and a gratifying sense of adm ira
tion for the extent of th e entire valley, which
one could never have w ithout the perspective
from th e m ountain top. G reat works of n a
tu re raise th e spirit of man; they stim ulate his
im agination. T h e y encourage him to em ulate
them. Such experiences establish ideals which
challenge an d aw aken his creative powers.
T hese, then, are also the needs for Cosmic
Consciousness. O n e who has never experi
enced it cannot realize the Peace P rofound it
will instil w ithin him, nor how his w hole b e
ing will be purged of strife, hatred, jealousy,
and of w orries an d fears. O n e w ho has never
experienced it cannot hope to realize the in
flux o f know ledge, the virtual stream o f ideas
which will come to him a t the time, and by
which he will be able to rise above his former
environm ent and to create new w ays of living,
by w hich he will become m asterful and joy
ful. It will develop w ithin him, as well, a
confidence born from having know ledge of a
new source of pow er of attainm ent.
M u st one have the experience of Cosmic
Consciousness? T h e answ er is no. O n e can
live w ith an impoverished spirit, can be dull,
niggardly, inw ardly discontent w ith himself
and all else an d endure the years as they
come. O n e can, for analogy, remain forever
in a w asteless tract, barely subsisting, never
venturing to climb th e surrounding hills and
to look a t th e d istan t horizon and see w h at
lies beyond. A ttaining Cosmic Consciousness
is n o t com pulsory. N o indeed! It is a door

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w hich you can push open to an unbelievable

new state of aw areness, o r leave closed, as
you prefer. In such an instance w here one
does not push open the door of Cosmic C on
sciousness, I would not say th a t ignorance
is bliss. O n e not concerning himself w ith
Cosmic Consciousness m ay have certain tran
sient happiness. But w ith the periodic illumi
nation w hich Cosmic Consciousness affords,
therein lies beatitudes which cannot be real
ized w ithout the experience.X
H e a rin g V oices
T o the attention of this Forum has been
brought a letter representative of m any re
ports, and w orthy of our consideration. T h e
letter reads: O n several occasions I have
heard a voice; not exactly a hum an voice, but
more as a ringing voice vibrating through
space. It will say a distinct sentence and then
discontinue completely. T h is has happened
m ostly after I have gone to bed, although
it occurred a couple of times during th e day.
T hese sentences, a t the time I am in bed, are
of a n ature and vocabulary w ith w hich I am
n ot com pletely familiar. Sometimes the sub
jects are political and eloquent in nature. . . .
T h is does not frighten me in the least, in
fact, it rath e r fascinates me.
A nother letter reads, in part: W h e n on
one o r more occasions, you h ear a voice say
y our nam e or a sentence unintelligibly, w hich
is not audible to others, w h at is the cause?
I have had these experiences in my hom e.
T his is a very delicate field of phenom ena,
in w hich to venture. It is not because it is
impossible to explain, but popular opinions
as to the cause are very pronounced. In
making an explanation, based upon factual
principles, one is ap t to offend those who
sincerely believe otherw ise. In fact, th e dis
cernm ent of voices not audible to others, can
be the result of three fundam ental causes.
M an y times it is difficult to determ ine which
of these causes is responsible. It is advisable,
therefore, to divide this subject into three
parts, to-w it: physical, psychological, and
psychical.
P H Y S IC A L : A disarrangem ent of the
structure of the ear, due to disease o r injury,
often causes internal sensations w hich are
perceived as strange sounds. Because they
originate w ithin the elements of the org an of

Page 107

the ear itself, they appear to be quite loud

and often are believed to be from some ex
ternal source. Sounds th a t are caused by
internal conditions often seem to have such
great intensity th a t they are imagined to be
audible to others. F o r example, you can g rate
your teeth slightly, keeping your lips tightly
closed, and to y o u r ow n consciousness the
sounds em itted will seem loud enough for
others to hear. A ctually, others of norm al
hearing in your presence w ould not have
heard the sound. T h is is due to the fact
th a t th e vibrations caused by grating the
teeth are telegraphed directly to the organ of
hearing through bone induction. In other
w ords, the bones become a transm itting line
to the ear for the vibrations, w here th e y are
tran slated into sensations of sound. S tand
n ear one w ho is having a tooth drilled by a
dentist. T o you th e sound of the drill is not
a very loud buzzing. T o the patient, the
sound is intense because the vibrations of the
drill on the teeth, transm itted through the
bone to the ear, become more intense sensa
tions of sound th an the disturbance of the
air which you hear.
In these examples, of course, the individual
kn o w s, or is conscious of the origin of such
sounds. H e is aw are th a t they do not exist
ap art from him an d are in fact internal. T h is
is usually because there are sensations of
touch which accom pany them, such as pain
or discomfiture. W h e n , how ever, internal
sounds are intense and are not accom panied
by tactile sensations an d are not directional,
th at is, do n o t seem to come from a n y one
direction, the individual then is very much
mystified. H e is ap t to believe them to be of
external origin, b u t since no one is present
or nothing seemed to have caused the sounds,
the experiences seem to take on a super
natural origin. C onsequently, physical dis
turbances w ithin us, w ithout pain o r sensa
tion, and w hich produce sensations o f sound,
the h earer is inclined to attrib u te to w eird or
external forces. Such sounds m ay b e like
a very high-pitched whistle, or, again, like
frying o r crackling, if th ey are disturbances
within the ear. A com bination o f such sounds
m ay create th e impression o f hearing an in
coherent voice of an invisible speaker. Also,
such physical causes lead persons to imagine
th a t they are hearing music or so n g. If the
condition is not investigated and corrected^

Page 108

and if the person is ignorant of these facts,

the fear and consequent inhibitions m ay pro
duce psychoneurosis, nam ely, hysteria, ob
sessions, etc.
T h e question m ay be asked, if one hears
sounds, and there is no external cause dis
cernible, how is he to know w hether o r not
they are from such an ear affliction? If a
physical ailm ent, th a t is, an ear affliction is
the cause, w e will also have noticed during
the times such experiences become common,
a lessening o f hearing in one o r both organs,
o r perhaps slight inflammation. T h e dis
comfiture and the loss of hearing, as said,
m ay not actually accom pany the conscious
ness of the sounds, but if one has h ad them,
either not long before the hearing of such
sounds, o r the condition follows subsequent
ly, it is advisable to have an ear specialist
examine th e ears, and in all probability th at
will end the hearing of strange sounds.
P S Y C H O L O G IC A L : T h e term cryptesthesia refers to the often displayed hum an
faculty of determ ining events an d realities,
w ithout the means of th e physical senses.
C ryptes thesia consequently concerns psychic
phenom ena an d so-called clairvoyance. T h e
borderline betw een cryptesthesia and p sy
chology's investigation of extrasensory per
ception is very finely draw n these days. T o
elucidate: U ntil a com paratively recent time,
orthodox psychology considered entirely ex
traneous to its investigations all kinds of
reports concerning m ental telepathy. In fact,
it believed such telepathy and clairvoyance,
and even hypnotism , if not exactly a form of
charlatanism , at least devoted to the super
natural. C andidly, psychology w as seriously
interested in probing the functions of mind,
the realm of consciousness, reason, habit,
will, perception, etc. It believed th a t telepa
thy, for example, w as not such a n atural
mental process, and depended upon the claim
of the individual to extraordinary pow ers of
possibly a religious n a tu re and thus psy
chology felt it w as not incum bent upon sci
ence to give credence to these tales. In this
we have an example of academ ic bigotry.
F ortunately, time has changed this and much
w hich w as once left entirely to the category
of psychical phenom ena, or psychical research
is now p a rt of the serious investigation of
psychology as well. In fact, psychology now
declares th at mental telepathy is due to h y p er

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

esthesia, namely, a supersensivity of the

brain, not y et fully explained b y the physical
theories of science.
Consequently, psychology and psychiatry,
the latter concerned w ith the treatm ent of
mental disorders, have very definite explana
tions for the hearing o f voices. T o psy
chiatry, these experiences, as a rule, consti
tute the symptoms of m ental derangem ent.
O ne authority on insanity h as w ritten reg ard
ing the hallucinations o f the insane, A udi
tory hallucinations are the m ost common an d
usually are of the nature o f voices. . . M ost
frequently th e voices are derogatory and ac
cu sin g /' F u rth er, such hallucinations are
usually associated w ith th a t form of insanity
known as dem entia praecox. T h e im portant
point to be realized is th a t the hearing of
sounds is by no means a sole symptom of
insanity. T h e psychiatrists adm it th a t w here
such experiences are had as the hallucinations
of the insane, there are num erous o th er indi
cations as well, such as assum ing bizarre
postures, delusions o f grandeur an d persecu
tion, etc. N o one has ever h ad the experience
of hearing voices an d been ad judged insane
w ithout o th er associated symptoms. F urther,
the voices are usually, in the instance o f the
insane, derogatory and accusing." A nother
point of im portance is th at th e insane person
is never confused b y such audible experiences.
T o him, they are a reality. H e hears them
so frequently an d w ith such clarity, and b e
cause o f the abnorm al condition of his mind,
they are an actuality to him. A s w e learned
in o ur early Rosicrucian T em ple D egree
monographs, the basis of insanity is the in
ability of the individual to distinguish b e
tw een his subjective w orld, the w orld of
imagination and memory, an d the w orld of
objective experiences. Eventually, to the in
sane person, the figments of the im agination,
the internal w orkings of th e mind become
more real than the w orld in w hich he actu
ally exists.
If a person becomes alarm ed, and puzzled,
and curious because he occasionally hears
voices, w ords, sentences, o r musical notes,
for which th ere seems to be n o physical cause
beyond himself, he m ay be certain th at he is
not insane. If he is quite able to distinguish
such phrases from the norm al physical,
audible ones, again he may be assured th a t
he is displaying no symptoms of insanity.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

C an sounds or voices be audible, for w hich

there are no apparent physical causes, and a
person be normal? T h e answ er is yes. Such
experiences in the past, w ere called clairaudience, and the phenom enon falls partly
into the science of psychology and the realm
of w h at is classified as psychic phenom ena.
Let us take the cited example in the foregoing
letter which w e have quoted, namely, of su d
denly hearing our nam e called, only to dis
cover no one present. I hardly believe th at
there is a rational individual who at some
time or another has not experienced this. I
myself have through the years, upon three or
four different occasions, w hile reading or
studying, heard my first nam e called, quite
distinctly, loudly in fact. So positive w as I
th at it w as of an external origin, I instinctive
ly replied. In fact, it sounded like the voice
of a member of my family. In calling out
a reply and receiving no answ er, I w ould
then go and ask of the person whom I
thought had called, w h at they w ished, an d to
my astonishm ent, I w ould find th a t th e o th er
members of the household w ere absent a t the
time and could not have physically called to
me. T h is experience is rather common be
tw een persons closely attuned in thought, by
virtue of long association and common in
terests, such as, for example, man an d wife.
It is rath er a definite dem onstration of m ental
telepathy. Investigations of such circum
stances will sometimes reveal th at the one in
whose voice the call seemed to be, w as at
the time thinking of the individual; n o t th at
he w as actually m entally calling him, b u t th at
he h ad the person in mind quite clearly, and,
of course, the nam e w ould be associated w ith
the identity. From this concentration and
because of the close attunem ent, the receptive
party w ould appear to hear his nam e called.
T h en again, upon questioning the one whom
it w as believed called the name, he m ay even
sincerely deny having been thinking of the
other person. In such a case, it w as the in
voluntary functioning of the subjective mind,
the thought impressions of the personality
which transm itted, unbeknow n to the tra n s
mitter. A s a rule these impressions o f hearing
ones nam e called are received w hile one is
in a passive o r m editative mood, w hile rea d
ing o r relaxing, and frequently w hile sleeping.
A gain, one m ay be w alking along or quiet
ly resting, and to his am azement, suddenly

Page 109

realize th at he has been listening to a con

structive argum ent or polemic discussion
within himself. Such an experience is as if
you w ere an eavesdropper to a most interest
ing and instructive conversation. You will
realize th at on e of the voices w as very defi
nitely your own. It will have all o f the
inflections and characteristics w hich consti
tute your speaking voice. T h e other voice
will be strangely fam iliar and will have been
the most persuasive and logical in its re
marks. T h ese voices are really the conclu
sions of your tw o minds o r selves, the objec
tive and the subjective. T h e voice th a t w as
your own will be memory relating in detail
some idea, some plan, or experience you have
had, and putting the experience into the form
of a question o r proposal. T h e answ er w hich
comes will be from the depths of self, draw n
from your n atu ral restraints an d m oral con
victions, the result o f your developm ent of
your soul-personality. Simply put, it will be
conscience, using reason ofttim es to override
the narrow and perfidious argum ents of your
objective self.
M an y times you h ave voluntarily and con
sciously, of course, argued w ith yourself in
this very sam e m anner and then o th er times
you have dism issed the unconcluded m atter,
and put it on the shelf of y o u r subjective
m ind as unfinished business. T h en , w ithout
y our volition, a t some later period, quite re
mote perhaps, an d during a passive moment,
the subjective mind begins an analysis of th at
problem. T h e reasoning of the subjective and
the former reasoning of the objective m ay
conflict, consequently there develops a po
lemic discussion w ithin your consciousness.
Finally you become objectively aw are th at
you are listening to the voices w ithin your
self. W h e n you do become aw are of them,
the voices im m ediately cease. T h is is because
w hile intentionally listening you are concen
trating your objective faculties an d you be
come more objective than subjective. T h is
is a rath er common experience an d if not
understood the one having it is ap t to believe
th at he is communing w ith some supernatural
voices.
P erhaps it is ap p aren t now to m any of our
fratres and sorores w h y w e devote consider
able time in the early degrees to a stu d y of
the mind and how it works. If w e did not

Page 110

do so, m any w ould confuse spiritual causes

w ith psychological and physical ones.
P S Y C H IC A L : T h ere are voices which we
hear w hich are definitely caused psychically,
b y the Cosmic M ind, and w hich are realized
in us b y the psychological processes of our
own mind. Psychology, of course, will not
recognize these causes. It has tried, w ithout
definite success, to relate the results to auto
suggestion, self-hypnotism , hallucination, and
the effects of emotional stress. M an y liberalm inded psychologists adm it th a t the usual
scientific explanations do not fully account
for these m ysterious happenings, thus their
renew ed interest in psychical research.
A n individual m otivated w ith a sincere
desire to accomplish something of an un
selfish nature, b u t not know ing how to pro
ceed, will sometimes hear a clear, bell-like
voice directing him in the necessary proced
ure. T hese voices, com manding an d eloquent,
are alw ays inspiring, and never fearful.
Furtherm ore, the listener knows w ithin him
self th a t they have no physical cause, that
they are not uttered by a mortal. It is these
kinds of voices w hich the sacred literature
has called revelations. A braham Lincoln is
said to have adm itted such an auditory coun
seling during the crucial period of the Civil
W a r, on several occasions. G eorge W a s h
ington and other historical notables, in times
of crises, have also heard such voices, w hich
they attributed to D ivine causes, in ac
cordance w ith their understanding of such
m atters.
A ctually a t such times, the Cosmic M ind
has not spoken the w ords the m ortals seem
to hear. O u r sincere desire, the u rg en t inner
plea of the self for understanding has brought
it into attunem ent w ith th e Cosmic M ind.
T h u s an individual often draw s from the
great fountain of Cosmic know ledge, the
illumination and inspiration needed for the
solution of his problem. Such is called a
noetic experience, meaning one b y which
know ledge is derived through the higher con
sciousness. T h e subjective mind tran slates
the psychic reception of the Cosmic Intelli
gence into ideas w hich can be understood.
In other w ords, it p uts them into the w ords
of our language. T h is translation an d in
terpretation is instantaneous, an d the sensa
tions therefore are received in our objective
consciousness as a spoken w ord o r sentence.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

H ow ever, let me ad d th a t such Cosmic im

pressions are n o t alw ays of an auditory n a
ture. Sometimes they are visual. T h ey may
appear in o u r objective consciousness as the
flash of a p rin ted w ord or sentence, in great
letters of intense w hiteness.
N ow to summarize:
A . S tran g e sounds which resemble voices
and w hich are n o t completely intelligent, if
one has difficulty w ith hearing, o r an y dis
tress w ith the ears, are in all probability the
result of a physical disorder. T h e ears should
be exam ined by a physician.
B. A uditory sensations, the hearing of
voices, w hich seem to h au n t the conscious
ness, which distress and are fearsome, may
be a form of neurosis caused b y ill health.
A gain, it is advisable to consult a physician.
A n impression th a t seems auditory an d is
occasional, and is logical an d related to events
of the past or present, o r definitely associated
w ith known personalities, m ay be purely of
psychological origin, such as m ental telepa
thy. T h e individual can investigate these
latter auditory impressions, b y w riting or
consulting the person o r persons whom the
mind has associated w ith the voices he has
heard, and in th a t w ay determ ine w hether
they w ere the results o f m ental telepathy.
C. T h e occasional communication, as a
command or as an inspirational idea, w hich
is of an au ditory nature, and w hich is w holly
w ithin an d w hich is beneficial in substance
is of a Cosmic origin.
F or the individual's ow n w elfare, it is very
essential th at he carefully consider all of the
circumstances related to such au ditory ex
periences and not guess as to their cause.X

Release the Pressure

F ratres an d Sorores of the Forum Circle,
perm it me to deviate from our usual discus
sion to mention briefly a condition th a t seems
to be general throughout the w orld today.
It is the extrem e pressure of personal and
business affairs th a t h au n t each an d every
one of us. T h is condition is not confined to
an y group, race, or nation. It is w orld-w ide
in scope. T h e very business of existing and
living through each d ay is the pressure ex
perienced b y m any millions of people in cer
tain of the so-called occupied countries. T h e
stress and strain resulting from the complica

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tions of life are severe indeed. E veryone ex

periences it to some degree. W e find it dif
ficult to m aintain a normal, balanced m ental
attitude tow ard life and tow ard our duties to
hum anity as a whole.
W e m ust be especially careful during
these trying times to avoid a distorted men
tal viewpoint th a t m ay lead to serious com
plications in the future. It is simple enough
to become the victim of complexes in norm al
times, but now it is even necessary to strive
ag ainst such possible injury.
Fortunately, w e w ho are Rosicrucians,
have been ta u g h t through our studies m any
valuable facts of life which sim plify our re
lations w ith each other. W e have learned
the art of living, as it were. T h u s w e are in
a position to m aintain a balanced condition
of body and mind. M erely to know these
things, however, is not enough. T h e y m ust
be applied in our daily activities. Conditions
as they are today m ake it possible for Rosi
crucians to dem onstrate in a practical m anner
the know ledge and understanding they have
gained through their affiliation w ith the
O rder.
T o those w ho are not very far along the
path, and w ho a t times mentally question
the benefit they are deriving from exercises
and experim ents, perm it us to say th a t now
is the time for you to dem onstrate tru ly to
yourself just how much you really have
gained. N otice th a t w hen conditions seem
to be a t their w orst how you are able to cope
w ith the complexities th a t confront you.
N otice how your non-Rosicrucian neighbor
is upset by the little things in life w hereas
you solve such problem s w ith ease an d com
fort. You can do this if you will but use the
laws your teachings have given you. W ith
a proper balance betw een the physical an d
m ental forces you can avoid so m any of the
petty annoyances th a t your neighbor will
find difficult to bear.
T h ere is not an officer, group, or member
of the staff a t Rosicrucian P ark w ho does
not feel the pressure of additional duties,
extra w ork, and long hours of activity in b e
half of the O rder. It is true th a t the officers
have alw ays w orked more or less un d er p res
sure. H ow ever, w ith conditions such as they
are a t present, th e strain of trying to m ain
tain our creative w ork, w hile a t th e sam e
time supervising and directing adm inistrative

Page 111

departm ents th a t have been crippled for lack

of com petent departm ent heads an d the loss
of m any valuable employees, makes it ex
trem ely difficult a t times. W e find, however,
th a t periods of m editation, attunem ent, and
C athedral contacts lend th a t added energy
and impetus needed to release this pressure
built up during a d ay of w ork a t a pitch high
above normal.
T herefore, members of the Forum Circle,
do not forget the value of the various periods
of attunem ent th a t are arran g ed for th e bene
fit of all w ho desire them. W h e n you are
tired and your nerves are practically th read
bare from m aterial w orries an d pressure, re
lease yourselves through deep breathing, re
laxation and attunem ent w ith the divine in
ner being. Y ou will find new energy, new
life, a new desire to carry on even in the
face of the g reatest handicaps. T h is is just
one of the m any w ays in w hich Rosicrucianism is valuable an d of practical b en e fit

Should W e Continue Exercises?

A soror o f the A tlantic seaboard rises to
ask the Forum this question: Is it necessary
to keep up w ith all the old exercises along
w ith the new ones? I have been keeping up
w ith the thyroid gland exercises, concentrat
ing on the ear for different sounds, also on
the h eart."
G enerally, it is stated in the m onographs
how long an exercise o r experim ent should
be continued, th a t is, w hether it is to be done
once, twice or regularly. F irst, it is b est to
explain th a t the exercises can be divided into
tw o general groups. O n e of these groups is
for the purpose of dem onstrating a law o r
principle, for removing some topic from the
field of speculation and theory to one o f ob
servable, dem onstrable fact. In such cases,
if a member has once tried the experim ent or
exercise and has personally learned th a t the
law w orks and th a t it is n ot mere supposi
tion, an d has the benefit of the confidence
inspired b y such an experience, it is no longer
necessary to conduct the experim ent. F o r
example, in the early N eophyte degrees, the
sanctum member is given an exercise of
floating a toothpick o r b u rn t m atch upon the
surface of the w ate r in a bowl, an d agitating
the movement o f th a t toothpick o r m atch by
the use of his m ind power. H e is given a

Page 112

similar experim ent w ith drops of oil on the

surface of w ater, and he practices to bring
about m entally a com bination of these drops.
N ow , these little experiments, in them
selves, can never accomplish anything in the
w ay of improving the health of the individual
concerned or advancing him personally in
life. In other w ords, w hether he causes the
drops of oil to adhere to each other or not
is not going to change his social, economic
or political position. It is only intended to
dem onstrate the law that the hum an mind
can, as a cause, produce effects beyond itself,
that it can exert an influence over m aterial
things. T h e im portance of the experim ent is
to give the individual confidence in th a t law.
T hen, b y the use of that law, he can bring
about m arvelous effects in his life.
T heorizing on gravity, and w h at it ac
complishes, to one who m ay never have ex
perienced it would be difficult, but w e can
dem onstrate it easily by taking a small stone
and throw ing it in the air and letting it re
turn to the surface of the earth a t our feet.
T h is act in itself would accomplish nothing,
but, b y example, it w ould bring home to the
observer very effectively the great law of
gravity upon which so m any n atu ral phe
nom ena depend. So, w e say to you that,
w here exercises or experim ents are given,
no m atter how simple or elem entary in their
perform ance they m ay be, to dem onstrate a
law an d give you the benefit of actually ex
periencing it, do not fail to perform them.
O nce they w ork, once they produce the re
sults necessary, it is not obligatory for you
to continue w ith them each week.
T h e other type of experiments or exercises
has to do w ith immediate benefits derived
from them. In other w ords, th ey are not
intended just to prove a point to us but
actually to effect a result w hich w e desire
for reasons other than knowledge. A great
num ber of such exercises are contained in the
Sixth D egree of the O rder. T h is degree is
exclusively devoted to the system o f Rosi
crucian therapeutics or healing. T h ere are
num erous exercises given in it to help us
m aintain health and to correct discom forts of
a physical origin. N ow , naturally, if a mem
ber does not have a headache, it w ould not
be expected th a t he continue practicing, each
week, an exercise for the alleviation of a
headache. H e w ould only use such exercises

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w hen it becam e necessary to do so. O ne

does n ot go up an d dow nstairs in his house
just because he has a flight of stairs. T h e
stairs are there to serve a purpose and, w hen
the purpose does not exist, w e do n ot use
them.
H ow ever, in this second class of exercises
and experim ents, there are those w hich are
necessary to accomplish an end gradually.
In other w ords, one or tw o perform ances of
the exercise do n ot produce th e result. T h ey
must be kept up an d practiced over a long
period of time. T o use an analogy, one, who
w ishes to develop his forearm a n d biceps,
cannot expect to lift barbells or w eights
once and have the desired m uscular develop
ment. H e know s th a t he m ust try this exer
cise and keep it up over a period of time,
so th at the gradual developm ent will come
about. H o w long he w ants to keep it up is
determ ined by his satisfaction w ith the re
sults. If, afte r four o r five m onths of oncea-d ay exercise w ith the w eights, he finds
th a t he has the developm ent desired and if
he can m aintain th a t physical condition by
exercising ju st once or twice a week, then
th a t is enough. In our Seventh an d E ighth
Degrees, and, in fact, in num erous o th er de
grees, w e are given exercises for aw aken
ing certain la ten t faculties, for stim ulating
glands, for reaching the inner consciousness,
and these things cannot be accom plished over
night. T h erefo re, w e should rep eat such
exercises once or twice a w eek a t least, and
more often if possible, until w e feel th at w e
are really accom plishing som ething.
O ver a period of one or tw o years, there
might be as m any as tw enty-five such exer
cises, the reason being th a t w e sta rt the
member off w ith th e sim plest exercises first,
just as one w h o is going to practice lifting
weights starts w ith the lightest ones first.
W h e n you come to an exercise which, though
different in n ature, is to accomplish the same
result, th at is, to aw aken the inner conscious
ness o r to stim ulate the psychic centers, for
example, then, it is suggested th a t you discard
all of the previous exercises w hich have been
related to th a t particular factor. In other
w ords, it is n ot advisable to be doing a half
dozen exercises for the sam e thing.
A gain, in our m onographs w e are given
certain exercises for developing psychic per
ception; by this I mean the stim ulation of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

our psychic hearing, psychic sight, psychic

sense of smell, etc. W e are usually given
these one at a time. If you are w orking w ith
one for the aw akening of the psychic sense
of hearing, for example, and then later an
exercise is given you to aw aken the psychic
sense of sight, pu t aside the one concerned
w ith hearing and devote the time to the one
for seeing.
Let us presum e th a t a stu d en t has been
w orking on an exercise for some little time
and has not had the success o r results which
he believes he should have, and then, in the
m onograph, he is given an exercise for an
entirely different purpose. W h a t is he to do?
Shall he continue w ith the previous one, w ith
w hich he has not h ad much success, in addi
tion to the new one? O r shall he p u t aside
the previous one and devote his attention
w holly to the new one? It is suggested that,
if you have been conscientiously applying
yourself to one exercise and you have not
had the success you w ish, w hen the new one
entirely different in purpose is given you,
devote your time and attention to th e new
one. A t a later time, go back and try those
particular experim ents th a t interest you and
w ith w hich you w ould like to have more
success.
I am going to repeat som ething w hich w e
have m entioned in this F orum m any times.
M em bers m ust not expect th a t all will have
the same success w ith the same experiments.
W e are not equal intellectually or in psychic
developm ent nor are our environm ent and
health the same. Consequently, some o f us
can accomplish certain things b etter than
others. You know th a t w hen you w en t to
school, you w ere, perhaps, more proficient
in spelling than in geography, o r more pro
ficient in m athem atics than in music. T h e
same criterion applies to the psychic self.
T h ere are certain experim ents of psychic
accom plishment w hich you can do b etter
than someone else and there are some things
w hich others can do b etter than you. T h e re
fore, you m ust not expect to have one h un
dred per cent results in every exercise given
you. Furtherm ore, I w ish to repeat th at there
are conditions w hich affect us adversely at
times, such as, nervousness, w orry, distrac
tion or unusually poor health w hich m ay
come upon us for a few w eeks or months.

Page 113

T h ese things have a bearing upon the suc

cess of an exercise.
F or the benefit of those members w ho do
not have it, w e suggest the In d ex o f E x p e r t
m ents I believe a copy of this has been sent
each member, b u t you may have mislaid
yours. T h is Index of E xperim ents lists the
principal experim ents in the m onographs and
it helps in review ing exercises an d experi
ments. In stead o f going back through all
the m onographs to find these different exer
cises, you can look a t this index an d select
the one you w ould like to try again. T h e
index indicates, very definitely, in w h at de
gree and w h at m onograph the full explana
tion m ay be had. T h e Index of Experim ents
also indicates w hether the exercise should be
tried just once or twice or repeated indefinite
ly. T o those w ho w ould like a copy, w e will
be glad to send a duplicate, first-class mail,
for th e sum of ten cents (10$). Please do
not rem it in postage stam ps.X

Is Making Armaments Cosmically

W rong?
A frater now in a branch of the A rm ed
Services of Am erica, addresses our F orum .
H e says: I have been a member of the
O rd e r for quite a num ber of years, an d I
am thoroughly sold on the idea of doing my
utm ost to make this a b etter w orld. I am
also acquainted w ith the Rosicrucian views
tow ard w ar. P erh ap s because of these last
tw o facts. I have a serious question on my
mind: w ould it be Cosmically correct for one
to devise or perfect devices th a t w ould help
to destroy the enem y lives o r pro p erty more
effectively? T h e w ar might be ended sooner
thereby. But, on the other hand, such de
vices m ight also a t a later date b e used
against us. A s a Rosicrucian w ho w ants to
b e loyal to the country o f his citizenship, the
answ er is probably y e s / A s a Rosicrucian
w ho w ants to m ake the w orld a b etter place
not a more horrible hell, the answ er is
n o / H ow should a Rosicrucian, w ho w ants
to do as the Cosmic desires act in these two
opposite cases?
W a rs are m an-m ade calamities. If the
issues of a w ar w ere alw ays definitely clear,
th a t is, if one side w as alw ays m orally right
and the other entirely w rong, Divine o r C os
mic intervention could be expected in behalf

Page 114

of righteousness. T h e fact of the m atter is,

however, th a t the elements of w ar arise from
the conception w hich men have, and the
institutions w hich they establish. T h e b ru
tality and bestiality which a nation or group
of nations m ay exhibit in w ar is of course
a positive violation of Cosmic principles. O n
the other hand, often times the greed and
intense nationalistic views of some nations
provoke such w anton acts of their enemies.
T h u s they also become a negative cause of
the w ar. T h e fact remains, therefore, th at
though millions of persons are now innocent
and helpless victims of the ju g g ern au t of
w ar, y e t they and their governments, an d
their indifference to the w orld situation previ
ously are indirectly the cause of the present
conflict. F rankly, m any of the nations now
experiencing the horrors of w ar w ere contributorily negligent. T h eir attitu d e of ex
trem e isolationism, which prevailed for the
last tw o decades, fanned racial an d political
hatreds. M ore of an international attitude
w ould have prevented such circum stances
from' arising, and would not have m ade pos
sible the rise to pow er of dictators.
From the Cosmic conception, therefore,
w ar is hum anity's karm a. It will, it must,
an d we hope hum anity has learned through
this intense suffering. H aving actively, or
through indifference, depending upon w hich
side you are on, brought about the w ar, it is
too late now to consider the spiritual values
involved. T h e w ar m ust cease, and the
only w ay this can be done now is by apply
ing the greatest force possible to effect an
early victory. T his is going to mean a tre
m endous loss of life. It is too late, for
analogy, to think about the loss o f a limb,
w hen through negligence w e have perm itted
gangrene to set in. A t such a time, all to be
done is to get the best surgeon, w ith the
finest instrum ents, and am putate, thereby
hoping to save w h at m ay be left o f the body.
T h is is the realistic, and the philosophical,
and Rosicrucian approach to the present
situation. T his is no time to speak about
hum an fellow ship, international u n d erstan d
ing, the brotherhood of man, etc. All of
these idealistic conceptions should have been
voiced and p u t into effect before the presen t
conflict, and if they had, the conflict w ould
n ot be in existence. C onsequently, these
ideals m ust by necessity w ait until peace has
been restored. W h e n w e are in a fire, w e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

m ust use ad eq u ate means to extinguish it.

W h e n the fire has been p ut out, then arrange
for its future prevention an d discuss how
th a t can be done. A dm ittedly, it is horrible
to think th a t m ore effective devices for de
stroying hum an life and properties must be
developed, an d th a t w e m ust encourage their
developm ent to end the w a rbut they m ust
be produced. W e cannot become contrite
and righteous in the present situation, which
we, each of us, have brought about. N ow is
the time to fight the w ar w ith the instrum ents
an d implements of w ar. W e can earn our
expiation an d o u r sense of righteousness in
the postw ar w orld, by living, doing, and
thinking th a t w hich will make future w ar an
impossibility. Some of those w ho cry aloud
now against participating in the w ar and
against the creating of new instrum ents of
destruction to bring it to an end, w ere never
heard uttering a voice about the previous in
tolerable international conditions, o ut of
w hich this conflict sprang.
A s Rosicrucians, w e are as responsible as
anyone else for to d ay 's conflict. L iterally and
figuratively, our hands are bloodstained al
ready. T herefore, w e must carry through
w ith the d readed w ork, and then reconstruct.
T h is is the opinion, not of one, not of two
individuals, n ot o f the officers on the staff of
A M O R C alone, b u t of thousands of Rosi
crucians in A m erica and in th e battle-torn
and oppressed countries o f E urope, w ho serve
in the A rm ed F o rces.X

Keeping the Body Fit

F ra tre s an d Sorores of the Forum Circle,
we have a letter this morning th a t should be
w o rth y of a few m inutes' discussion. It is
from one o f o u r stu d en t members an d Forum
subscribers and deals m ainly w ith health and
m ethods of keeping th e body fit. O u r F rater
is ap p aren tly an advocate of the bar bell"
system of h ealth and longevity for he inti
m ates his displeasure a t n ot finding, in the
Rosicrucian m onographs, voluminous dis
courses on physical exercise an d gymnastics
for keeping fit.
P erhaps there are other F ra tre s and even
Sorores w ho have w ondered about this point.
Suppose w e talk about it for a few minutes.
In the first place, the Rosicrucian teachings
stress the im portance of health an d strength

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

th at the soul force may have every oppor

tunity to express itself and gain the most
from this life span or earthly sojourn. A
clean, healthy body is a requisite to a clean,
healthy mind, but the opposite is also true.
T h a t is to say, a clean, healthy mind is just
as im portant to a healthy body, in fact even
more so, than a healthy body is to a clean,
active mind.
T h e re are various w ays and means of ap
proaching and attaining an ultim ate end. T h e
Rosicrucian m ethod starts w ith the mind. It
attem pts to ad ju st the thinking and mental
n atu re of the individual, know ing once th at
this is accom plished the physical body has a
far greater chance for health an d strength
than it w ould have otherwise.
T o b e annoyed w ith Rosicrucian philoso
phy because physical .exercise is n ot espec
ially stressed is not fair o r reasonable. W e
do not, nor have w e ever urged one to join
the O rd e r on the basis th a t a special course
of instruction in bodily strength w ith a series
of physical exercises w ould be given w ith
the teachings.
T h e attitude this F ra te r has taken can be
com pared w ith a student w ho m atriculates
for a course in philosophy and then is great
ly annoyed w hen his teachers do not lecture
on the physical sciences. I see m any o f you
smiling, but strange as it m ay seem, w e had
just such an experience here in our ow n
U niversity a few years ago. O n this occa
sion the student w as quite annoyed w hen the
professors of Philosophy refused to lecture
on light, color, magnetism, and m any other
laws of the physical w orld th a t are generally
included in the arcane an d m undane science
course.
B ut let us understand th a t Rosicrucians
are practical and sensible in their approach
to good living. T h e y know th a t the health
of the body is an im portant requirem ent of
abundant life. H ow ever, there w ould be no
point in giving a course in physical culture
or taking up th e m embers' time w ith some
thing th a t is as easily available as physical
culture exercises. A fter all, every public and
private school is interested in this phase of
development. P ractically every tow n or city
in the civilized w orld today has a well plan
ned program of exercise and recreation avail
able for those of its citizens who desire to
take advantage of it.

Page 115

W e feel it w ould be just as much a w aste

of the members' time and energy to teach
physical culture as it w ould be to teach E n g
lish, m athem atics, or penm anship. T h ese
subjects are available through hundreds and
hundreds of channels the same as physical
culture. B ut Rosicrucian philosophy and the
varied fields into w hich it leads the student
is unique and obtainable only through mem
bership in the Rosicrucian O rd er. O u r dis
courses and m onographs advise us to keep
the body fit. T h ey advise a certain am ount
of physical exercise along w ith the specific
Rosicrucian experim ents, but w e do not a t
tem pt to say how the student should proceed
in getting his daily exercise. T h is is left en
tirely up to the individual w ho is the best
judge of w h at kind of exercise he prefers
and how he should go about taking it.
N ow just one point more before closing
these rem arks. T h e absence of an y one sub
ject from the Rosicrucian m onographs should
not be interpreted as an indication th at we
are against it o r feel th a t it has no place in
the scheme of life. Incidentally, through cer
tain m ental exercises, as tau g h t in Rosicru
cianism, it is possible to bring about the same
results as obtained in tw enty or th irty min
utes of violent exercise in the gymnasium.

Persecution of Rosicrucians
A soror from St. Louis states to this
F orum : I have often w ondered w h y the
Rosicrucians in years past, an d even up to
the present, have been persecuted so, w hen
they know so much about protecting them
selves and about th e laws an d forces for
meeting adversities. O f course, I know th at
C hrist suffered much w hile on earth an d that
H e w as a pow er H im self and could have
h ad everything H is w ay, but, in H is case,
the suffering w as intentional. H e knew th at
and did not try to avoid the consequences.
T h e soror must take into consideration the
distinction betw een know ledge an d technique.
Knowing the principles involved in a pro
cedure and being able to apply them m aster
fully are two entirely different things. O ne
can study and know w h at he, as a Rosicru
cian, should do to accomplish certain things,
or to fend off adverse circum stances. H ow
ever, unless he practices an d sincerely applies
those principles, he is in no more favorable

Page 116

circum stances than one who has n o t affiliated

w ith the Rosicrucian O rder. F urtherm ore,
m any Rosicrucians have not y et achieved
sufficient m astery to be able, psychically, to
perceive every attem pt to persecute them and
thereby avoid the circumstances. W e do not,
for example, expect one just entering the
T em ple D egrees of the O rd er to be so proficient.
T h ere is also another factor. Rosicrucians
are m ortals th a t reside in a m aterial objec
tive w orld, as do other humans. T h e y can
not continually rem ain in a passive or medi
tative mood. T h e y must concentrate objec
tively on their personal m aterial affairs cer
tain hours of each day, if they are to subsist.
D uring such times they w ould n o t be aw are
of perfidy instituted against them, even if
they could perceive objectively signs of it.
T hen, again, w e m ust not overlook the
Cosmic aspect of this m atter. H ow are we
to know but that some of the consequences
of persecution, humiliation, m ental and
physical suffering, sorrow and sacrifice, which
w e m ust occasionally experience as Rosicru
cians, are not the result of Karma? T h ey
m ay be imposed upon us, first, to teach the
lesson of perseverance against all o dds for
th a t w hich w e inw ardly conceive to be right.
F urther, those w ho are to lead in an y ven
ture, and certainly Rosicrucians are pioneers
and leaders in advanced thought, m ust be
tem pered by a plenitude of experience. O ne
w ho has not been through fire or experienced
it in some m anner is not well qualified to
com bat it. Such persecution as Rosicrucians
have experienced and do experience a t times
is a great crucible in w hich the m ettle of men
is tested. T h e w eaknesses of their character
are purged. T h e y emerge, in this o r another
incarnation, stronger than ever. T h o se w ho
are inherently w eak throughout so display
themselves in such crises, and are thus dis
missed from perform ing any great Cosmic
mission in the future. A plant w hich is ex
posed to the rigors of the elements, w hich
grows on stony ground high on the side o f a
mountain, subject to icy blasts an d torrential
rains, becomes hardy. Its struggle for exis
tence brings out the very essence of its nature.
Such plants and fruits are more fragrant,
sw eeter and less subject to devastating dis
eases than those raised in hot-houses or in
less rigorous surroundings.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Some of our greatest cultural achievements

w ere born in adversity, th at is, in w ar and
poverty. M an should not seek these condi
tions, b u t th e Cosmic often uses them as a
qualifying ground for those w hose purposes
it wishes to endure. T h e H uguenots fought
for religious freedom, not just for themselves
but for all m ankind, for they had suffered
persecution an d they knew w h at religious
intolerance m eant. T h e A m erican Revolu
tionists fought for freedom, for they knew
w h at oppression meant. T h e Rosicrucians,
as an O rd er, to d ay stan d an d fight, if need
be, for tolerance and for advancem ent o f
know ledge, /o r they kn o w w h a t suppression
of know ledge, intolerance an d bigotry mean
they have experienced it in the long years
of their existence. O n e w ho has not been
subject to such m alevolent influences is often
likely to take th e accounts of them lightly
an d to appease the d ark forces, thus confer
ring upon them strength. U ltim ately, such
appeasers, because o f their ignorance, are
engulfed b y the d ark forces. Suffering for
an ideal imbeds its meaning an d w orth deep
ly in our consciousness and makes o f it an
intim ate p art o f our very soul an d being.
Such common suffering for a noble cause
cements people of like th o u g h t together in
spirit an d in experience. P erhaps th a t is w hy
the Cosmic has so w isely perm itted the perse
cution of Rosicrucians a t intervals an d in
various w ays.
Speaking of persecution, I w ish to quote
from a recent letter received from an emi
nent frater of A .M .O .R .C . I respect his
w ishes and desires and, therefore, shall not
divulge his nam e o r the country from which
he comes until such time in th e future as,
in his opinion, this is possible. T h is frater
w as an officer o f the Rosicrucian O rd e r in
one of the countries of the w orld now oc
cupied by the A xis. H e w as on his w ay to
this country, in an official capacity for his
government, w hen W o rld W a r II broke out.
Since then, b y underground means, he has
been able to learn how m any Rosicrucians
there still are in his country, how they live
and how they are now deporting themselves
in the w ork of th e O rder. H e w rites: Rosi
crucians in are w orking underground
like the early C hristians in the catacombs of
Rome. T h ey m eet in small groups in isolated
places and travel there under m any disguises.
T h eir conspiracy is complete an d only highly

Page 117

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tested candidates are perm itted to join the

outer circle, but even then they do not meet
all the fratres. Concentration camp, which
means a slow death, w aits for those w ho are
caught. In spite of all these dangers, our
beloved G rand M aster of has not stopped
his organization w ork for a moment. H e is
maintaining contact w ith all members scat
tered all over the country, assisting them in
their different movements, inspiring courage
and faith for the final delivery from oppres
sion. H e is organizing new groups, he is
guarding our docum ents, translating A .M .
O .R .C . m onographs from E nglish into .
distributing them am ong the members in a
secret w ay, etc. A ll this w ork calls for a
trem endous am ount of courage, faith and
sacrifice for the O rder. So this small but
devoted group of Rosicrucians in can be
regarded as a pioneering outpost in the d ark
ened and evil w orld around, spreading ideas
of hope and faith.
M any people in this country cannot
u nderstand w h at am ount of suffering is going
on in . A fter more than four years of
physical and m ental tortures, m any people
are losing faith in G od who 'forg o t them .
T h ey are helpless and need encouragem ent.
From time to time I receive inform ation from
my Rosicrucian friends in . T h ey send it
to one of our members w ho is now in a
prison camp in and is perm itted to cor
respond w ith his friends once m onthly.
D o you not think th at such persons derive
more benefit from their Rosicrucian teachings,
which are seared into their minds, than some
in A m erica who claim they find it difficult
to spend an hour in study w eekly in their
homes? T h ere are also some few in this
country who complain th at it takes an hour
once a week by bus or streetcar to visit an
A .M .O .R .C . lodge o r chapter, even though
they are traveling in America in perfect safe
ty and com parative comfort. A re such per
sons, w ho are not willing to make even minor
sacrifices o r put up w ith little inconveniences,
qualified to truly serve the higher interest
of humanity? I think not. So possibly the
Cosmic truly does have a very w orthy reason
in subm itting Rosicrucians to persecution
periodically.X

Essenes and Lemurians

O ccasionally w e receive a question from
intelligent, inquiring members, to the effect:
A re the E ssenes or Lemurian movements in
this country in any w ay connected w ith w hat
their nam es represent? T o this w e must
rep ly absolutely n o t.
T h ere are at least four so-called E ssene
movements in this country, w hose literature
we have on file. N o t one of them dates back
over fifteen years in time. F urtherm ore, not
one of them has an y traditional connection
or an y legal o r docum entary relationship to
the original peoples w hose nam e they bear.
In fact, they w ere established b y one or two
individuals. T h ey have borrow ed the name
E ssenes because o f its traditional integrity,
because of w h at it represented in the past,
and because it w as one of the ancient wisdom
schools. But insofar as their p resent-day
teachings are concerned, and insofar as their
modern organization and methods of opera
tion are concerned, th ey are no more alike or
related to the ancient Essenes movement,
which had its main sanctuary on M ount
Carm el, in the N e a r E ast, than is the local
Y .M .C .A .
W h y , then, do they adopt the nam e of an
ancient organization? T h a t is very apparent
to anyone w ho thinks. It gives their Society
an impressiveness an d it suggests subtly th at
they m ay have some connection w ith the
ancient Essenes, an d th at they m ay be per
petuating and dissem inating the same revered
teachings of the original Essenes. T h e aver
age man and w om an is very gullible. T h ey
are superficial in their interests and take
everything a t its prim a facie value. T h ey
never question and never doubt th a t w hen an
organization styles itself the E ssenes, it
m ight in all probability not have an y con
nection w ith the ancient movement by the
same name. A n d it is only afte r they have
spent some sum of money subscribing to the
course of lessons, w hich one or two indi
viduals have themselves concocted, and
w hich a few h o u rs research in an y large
public library w ould soon prove, th a t these
persons discover th a t they have been taken
in and disillusioned. T h en they m ay com
plain to the P ost Office D epartm ent. M any
organizations w hich adopt the nam es of tra
ditional orders, under such circumstances,
then present their literature to show that

Page 118

very subtly they have not claimed to be the

original organization; they have m erely used
the nam e to honor it, an d th at there w as
nothing to really cause the individual to be
lieve th a t he w as connected w ith th e ancient
organizations. In a num ber of instances, they
are successful in establishing their cases. In
some instances they are not, because, not
w ithstanding their evasive literature, the fact
th a t they w ere representing themselves w ith
the nam e of a traditional order w as sufficient,
in the minds of the authorities, to create a
false impression.
W h a t should an individual do, then, to
determ ine if an organization styling itself,
for example, the E ssenes or the Lemurian s, has any connection w ith ancient so
cieties or peoples. First, w ith respect to the
Lem urians, (of w hich there are also several
organizations so styling themselves, the first
one having begun in F lorida not m any years
ago) no archaeological or historical evidence
is in existence w ith respect to the actual
teachings of the Leum rians. T h e only factual
evidence is geological. It points to the ex
istence of such a continent. T h e re are arti
facts, th a t is, rem nants of a culture on islands
of the Pacific, w hich suggest a related civili
zation betw een the islands, w hich may have
been p art of a now subm erged continent.
T h ere is actually N O alphabet, no language,
no religion, no philosophy in existence which
can be proved to be o f such a people.
Legends, tales, rum orsyes. So it w ould be
an absolute im possibility for an y organiza
tion styling itself Lem urian to expound
anything w hatsoever th a t had an y authentic
connection w ith the Lemurians. T hen, w hy
do they use the nam e of L em urian ? Be
cause again, it is an attractive catchw ord,
and to the unthinking person it appeals to
the im agination and he is led to believe that
there may be some connection. It gives
glam our to w h at they dissem inate as litera
ture, and w hich in and by itself w ould other
wise have little merit for its existence.
In other w ords, the teachings of many
such organizations have no distinction, philo
sophically or scientifically, and if they w ere
n ot fram ed in the nam e of an ancient organi
zation, they w ould not even be considered.
Such organizations should be challenged, thus
you use the nam e E ssenes, or you use
the name Lem urian, can you establish the
fact w ith docum ents th at th at w hich you

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

represent, th a t which you teach is based and

founded upon historical connections, w ith the
ancient organization or civilization w hose
nam e you use? T h ey cannot establish any
such fact, and in their reply the evasion
would be v ery obvious. T h en , if the indi
vidual w an ts to continue as a member of
something, w hich obviously is nothing but
nam e, th a t is his own responsibility and
choice.
Possibly some of these same groups using
the nam e E ssenes, or Lem urian, w ould
also use the nam e of such orders as the F ree
M asonic O rd er, A ncient M ystic O rd e r Rosae
Crucis, an d others, if they could w ithout
legal consequences. T h e y know, of course,
they often escape lgal consequences for
using E ssen es or Lem urian because the
rem nants of the former in E urope w ould not
bring an y action legally, and th e y know the
Lemurians cannot. W h e n an organization
in m odern times uses the nam e of an ancient,
historical movement, check your late edition
encyclopedias. G o to your main public
libraries an d look up the subject. You will
find im m ediately w hether or not they have
any connection w ith the ancient societies.
D o n t be deceived by a false front. Go be
hind the name.
T h e Rosicrucian O rder, A M O R C , has
alw ays been proud an d h appy to reveal its
connections w ith the w orld-w ide Rosicrucian
O rder, w hich has roots in the ancient move
ment. It has docum entary evidence of its
affiliation and connections w ith these orders
in E urope an d throughout the w orld. It has
documents of recognition from the ancient
esoteric societies, which met periodically as
a Federation in Brussels, Belguim, until the
present w ar began. It has official correspon
dence from the affiliated orders throughout
the w orld in its files. M an y of these docu
ments not only carry the seals and insignia
of the officers of these respected orders
affiliated w ith th e A M O R C , b u t they carry
as well the certification of G overnm ent offi
cials in their respective countries, vouching
for the authenticity of those signing the
docum ents. T h ese docum ents have been on
display in the principal cities of the U nited
S tates, at public meetings w hich hundreds,
an d in some cases several thousands, a t
tended, an d ' they are available for exam ina
tion during each of our annual Conventions

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

in San Jose, by the hundreds of members

who attend.
T hese are tangible factual things to sup
port A M O R C 's claims to w orld-w ide affilia
tion and authenticity. A ccep t no less from
any other organization, no m atter w hether
it uses the name E ssenes," Lem urian," or
w h at.X

Perfection
A frater addresses the Forum Circle this
morning and asks if anyone can be perfect
on this earth plane. H ere indeed is a per
plexing question. W e m ight ask in return,
W h a t do you mean by being perfect? Do
you refer to the m an-m ade laws governing
perfection? Just w hat is being perfect, in
the first place?"
In our w ork we often speak of attaining
perfection, that is, attaining a state in our
development w here earthly experiences are
no longer necessary for further developm ent
of the soul personality. Such a one is said
to be perfect in know ledge, understanding
and character. H e has fulfilled all of the
obligations placed upon him by G od and the
Cosmic. H e is, therefore, no longer required
to experience successive rebirth into an earth
ly state of being. As a personality perfect
in wisdom and a t one w ith the Cosmic he is
absorbed back into the pure essence from
w hence he came.
T h ere can be no degrees of perfection as
there are degrees of development. O n e has
either reached perfection or he has not, just
as a m ountain climber has either reached the
top of the m ountain or he has not. H ow ever,
until he does reach the top he m ay be enjoy
ing steady progress, that is to say, developing
step by step as he plods steadily onw ard
and upw ard tow ard the ultim ate goal he has
set for himself. U ntil he reaches this goal
we can only say th at he is progressing along
the path tow ard the mountain top.
A nother analogy is the one o f the m urky
window pane. T his w indow is so besm irched
that little or no light can come through. W e
go about the process of cleaning it. E ach
time it is wiped w ith a cloth w e find it a little
less dirty, perm itting a little more light to
enter. Eventually the glass is entirely clean
and clear allowing the bright light of d ay to
pour through w ithout interruption. In the

Page 119

process of cleaning the glass we cannot say

th at it is in an y degree of perfection. W e
do say, however, th a t it is gradually pro
gressing tow ard perfection and eventually
will be perfectly clean.
T h e same is true o f the personality of the
soul. T h ro u g h o u r experiences w e grow as
has been stated. T h is grow th is of an inner
nature. It is of the character an d personality
of the being. It is expressed through deep
love of hum anity, compassion, sym pathy, or
sorrow for the u n fo rtu n ate o f G od's beings.
O u r emotional reactions are often our y a rd
sticks or m easuring rods b y w hich w e are
able to know of the progress w e are making
in our struggle tow ard that ultim ate attain
ment, perfection. T h e m anner in w hich w e
react to incidents in th e lives of others plainly
indicates character th a t has been developed
through eons of experience both in the
Cosmic and on the earth plane.
It is relatively safe to say th a t no one is
perfect here on the earth. Some are more
developed than others, b u t if any have
reached a state of perfection, it w ould no
longer be necessary to continue a direct
earthly contact. W e , of course, m ust realize
th at m any are very far advanced and are
here for the purpose of assisting those less
fortunate. Even so, such ones are subject to
the m any hardships of an earthly existence
w here they, too, m ay grow an d develop even
further through their contacts and experiences.
W h e n w e consider this question from
a purely m aterial, earthly side we find it
difficult to perceive anyone as a perfect being.
M an-m ade laws an d requirem ents are much
too great a burden for one to be perfect.
Perfection o f this kind w ould mean even
more today than living a so-called angelic
life. T h in k for ju st a moment of the thou
sands of laws and ordinances th at man has
conceived for the purpose of community
life. E ach and every one o f us breaks m any
of these laws every d ay innocently and w ith
out knowledge. If our perfection w as judged
on these points, w e w ould fail utterly. F o r
tunately, the Cosmic conception of perfection
is far broader and exceedingly more intelli
gent than this, so much so th a t one can be
a scoundrel in the eyes of the populace, yet
be perfect according to the Cosmic plan.
W itn ess the crucifixion of the M aster Jesus.

HAVE YOU

Time on Your Hands

THESE LONG WINTER EVENINGS

IN T E R Evenings were m ade for reading. Snow, howling winds, rain beating
against w indow panes ^ all these add zest to good reading. G ood reading is the lit
erature w hich you feel is worthy of remembering and w hich does not give you that
guilty feeling of having w asted your time.
Spend an hour or two each week in broadening your know ledge of life, of its mys
teries, and of the accomplishments of great people. R ead the titles of the unusual
discourses below, and select the one w hich appeals to you. Each discourse is just
about the right length for a pleasant evening s reading. T hey are written in simple,
forceful language, and are released as interesting, supplementary reading by the Readers
Research A cadem y. Begin with what you want and discontinue w ben you please.
S O M E M Y ST IC A L A D V E N T U R E S

A RC A N E COSM O LO G Y

Pull aside the veil of the commonplace,

explore the unknown. (35 discourses)
No. 8 .

Is the earth a cell, and do we dwell in

it, instead of outside of it? (15 dis
courses) No. i.

E V O L U T IO N

NUM EROLOGY

T H E M YSTERY O F M IR A C L E S
WTiaf strange powers did the ancients

SUPERNATURAL

Is numerology a Divine science? Is it

possible to foretell the future by num
bers? (i6 discourses) No'. i6 .

Why are there different races? Has

man descended fromother beings? (i2
discourses) No. 2.

Have you strangepsychic or mental ex

periences? What causesthem,andwhat
do they mean? (i6 discourses) No. i4 .

possess?Are their feats possible today?

(52 discourses) No. 4 .

You may remit the small sum of 50 cents each month and receive two discourses, or you may
secure the entire course at one time, whichever you prefer. Furthermore, you may discontinue a
course at any point and transfer to another, by merely continuing the same payments. Subscribe
to a course today. Bring a world of interesting subjects into
, T yC D
the heart of your home. Order the course by number.
A

The R E A D ER S RESEARCH ACADEMY

ROSICRUCIAN

SA N

J O S E ,

PARK

C A L I F O R N I A
P R IN T E D

IN

U. S. A .

U.S.A.

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MONTH

ENTITLES Y O U T O T W O
LARGE DISC O U R SES
EACH M ONTH

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

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A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM

A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

I
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Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U .S . Postal Act of Oct. 3, 1917.

Vol. XIV

APRIL, 1944

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No. 5

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A DREAM FOR UNIVERSAL

BROTHERHOOD
Across the span of years I think I see
A newer world arise to greet the sun:
A world so fine and just, where there shall be
A fairer sky and place for everyone.
The black, the white, the Christian and the Jew
Will bear no cruel wounds of prejudice.
Nor will the world be fashioned for a few
To live in luxury but rather this:
"That there shall be a brotherhood for all
Where all mankind will dwell in happy peace,
The wise, the rich, the poor, the great, and small,
Where arms around will make all hatred cease.
A mighty caravan in armor white
Will lead the way where nations will unite."

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Mildred Kuebler.

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE. CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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Page 122

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ear Fratres and Sorores:
T h e peace of the w orld cannot be legis
lated. N either are its real elements formed
across conference tables, a t w hich sit the
dignitaries w ho represent the g reat powers.
A t this juncture of w orld affairs, too much
stress is placed upon the mechanics of peace,
namely, commerce, industry, geopolitics, im
migration, and production and too little
upon the hum an equation.
It is the man in the stree tthe bootblack,
mechanic, and clerk, for example who
fashions w ars and peace. It is well enough
to prate th a t w ar is a result of coalition of
nations, o r of selfish banking an d political
interests, but such, after all, are composed
of men. In every city there are those w ho
proudly boast th a t a certain w ealthy indus
trialist, the mayor, or some dom inant political
figure w as once the son of com paratively
humble parents. In fact, parents the w orld
over, w here conditions permit, hope and
dream th a t their offspring will aspire to and
attain a position of affluence and respect in
national and possibly international affairs.
T herefore, how these sons later, as diplomats,
heads of governments, and financiers exert
the pow ers they have acquired reflects the
character and development of their simple
beginningsthe influences of the man in the
street. T h e true articles o f peace are not
draw n up in the m arble halls of the courts
and capitals o f the nations of the w orld, but
in the personal aspirations and conduct of the
millions of little people. In their leaders, the
people see symbolized their own noble or
lam entable characters. C onsequently, let us,
daily and sincerely, each affirm as our C reed
o f Peace:
I am guilty o f war w hen I proudly exercise
my intelligence to the disadvantage of my
fellowman.
I am guilty o f war w hen I distort o th e rs
opinions, which differ from my own.
I am guilty o f war w hen I show disregard
for the rights and properties of others.
I am guilty o f war w hen I covet w h at an
other has honestly acquired.

V
I am guilty o f war w hen I seek to m aintain
my superiority of position, by depriving
others of their opportunity of advancem ent.
I am g u ilty o f war if I imagine my kin and
myself to be a privileged people.
/ am g u ilty o f war if I believe a heritage
entitles me to monopolize resources of nature.
I am g u ilty o f war w hen I believe other
people m ust think and live as I do.
/ am g u ilty o f war w hen I make success in
life solely dependent upon power, fame, and
riches.
I am g u ilty o f war w hen I think the minds
of people should be regulated b y force, rath er
than by reason.
I am g u ilty o f war w hen I believe the G od
I conceive is the one others m ust accept.
I am guilty o f war w hen I think th a t a land
of a m ans birth m ust necessarily be the place
of his livelihood.
F raternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
Im perator.

From Mystic India

In N o rth eastern India, near Benares, is the
little tow n o f S arnath. It is sacred to the
memory o f G atm a Buddha. A ll devout B ud
dhists, w ho can afford to do so, journey from
the four corners of the earth to this peaceful
hamlet. In S arn ath is a branch of the Society
of the Y ellow Robes of the Buddhist O rder.
Y ears ago, a S oror of A M O R C traveled to
that remote section of the w orld. T h ere she
is known by the simple nom de plume of
Sister V a jira. It w as her fascination for O ri
ental philosophy, languages of the E ast, and
th at first system of practical psychology,
B uddhism , w hich caused her to don the Y el
low Robes of the M aha Bodhi Society in
S arnath.
S eparated from the W e ste rn W o rld she
knew, except by communication, she has b e
come an astu te Buddhist scholar and student
of the Pali and S anskrit languages. T h e Pali

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

language is sacred to the B uddhist religion,

because it is said to approxim ate more closely
the tongue in w hich G atam a Buddha is said
to have discoursed. N othw ithstanding her
continual occupation w ith the studies and re
searches of the M ah a Bodhi Society, she has
most consistently m aintained her Rosicrucian
studies as well. Com m unications betw een
S arnath and Rosicrucian P ark, under present
conditions, takes m any months. H er letters
are alw ays scholarly, analytical, and inspir
ing. T h e y are as a b reath of pure m ountain
air to one confined in a great, smoky indus
trial city.
In a w orld torn w ith bloody, sordid, d e
basing realities, her lofty and cultural topics
help one to m om entarily transcend the
present. F urther, they help one to regain a
vision of the d istant horizon of mankind, the
refinement of self, the true civilization. In
her recent communication, she takes us to
task for quoting in the m onographs a refer
ence to N irvana, w hich she feels does not
adequately explain th a t mystical state. In
all probability, she is right. In fact, there are
some m ystical states w hich are ineffable and
inexplicable. T h ere are no w ords which are
capable of defining the realization which the
disciple has o f them. F urther, even the term
realization w hich w e use here is perhaps er
roneous in connection w ith such exalted
states. A fter all, to realize, implies a condi
tion of objective consciousness, a kind of
sensation.
' !
M any mystics will deny th a t Cosmic C on
sciousness, for example, is happiness, for by
so doing one confines such an afflatus to those
ideas w hich are associated w ith happiness,
namely, bliss, peace, im perturbability, et
cetera. Cosmic Consciousness is m ost cer
tainly more than a liberation of the senses
from pain or perturbance. A lso it is more
than titillation w e experience from com
plete satisfaction and contentm ent. F urther,
Cosmic Consciousness is more than a confi
dence th at is engendered b y knowledge, or
the assurance of personal power. All of those
things are term s w hich are related to the
values which the hum an mind has placed
upon its moods and notions. Consequently,
they are too finite to constitute an adequate
description of Cosmic Consciousness. All de
term inate factors are stripped from our con
sciousness, it would seem, w hen w e are in a

Page 123

state o f Cosmic Consciousness. T h ere should

be just a consciousness of self, b u t a self th at
pervades everyw here, a self th a t is timeless,
formless, dimensionless, th a t is, one and all
things. It is a consciousness w ithout desire
and w ithout need, consequently, it is selfsufficient. O bjectively, w e cannot possibly
realize such a state. W e can only experience
it w hen it comes to pass. T h e w ords w ith
which w e try to explain it, only defile it.
T h e N irva n a of th e B uddhist offers a simi
lar problem of com prehension. It is the
A b so lu te. A nd since the A b so lu te is all
things, no thing can represent it. A descrip
tion only com presses the A bsolute into com
paratively ugly, limiting ideas.
N ow , let me quote from Sister V a jira 's
recent letter to me on this topic:
A s you m ay know, from my file in the
Record D epartm ent, I am a member of the
B uddhist O rd e r w earing th e Yellow Robes
and doing a fair am ount of w ork w ith the
Pali Scriptures as regards translation. O ne
m ight ask if I am able to reconcile the laws
and principles an d teachings of the Rosicru
cian m onographs w ith w h at I find in the
teaching of the B uddha, or the D ham m a.
T h e scriptures of the S outhern School of
Buddhism, are vast enough. T h ere are one
or tw o outstanding points w hich makes the
Dhamm a, indeed quite distinct from all the
other religions in th e w orld. I am now fairly
well acquainted w ith w h at G otam a taught,
the P ath w hich he rediscovered. H ow ever, it
is not my intention to discuss here anything
in the natu re of differences. You know,
G otam a made g reat em phasis on the imper
manence o f m atter (and also o f the various
conditions of the m ind), and this is w here I
have found the m onographs dealing w ith
Spirit and dealing w ith N ous, so useful and
interesting. In m any w ays, the m onographs
have helped me to u nderstand som ething of
the so-called miracles w hich G otam a per
formed and of the exercise of certain states
of mind such as th e teaching and meaning
of projection. N o w in the M agus degree,
No. 12, para. 3: I read the following instruc
tion about projection: Really, in all projec
tion work, w e sim ply attu n e ourselves w ith
the place, th at is, w e attu n e our consciousness
with the place an d w e neither go to it, nor
does it stand still, or come to u s /
"I should like to quote here a passage from
one of the texts. It is describing a conversa-

Page 124

tion w hich took place betw een two of

G otam as disciples after they had arisen from
their Sanctum period.
T hus have I heard: A t this time both
the V enerable ones, S ariputta and M ah aM oggallana w ere staying a t R ajagaha in the
Bamboo G rove a t the Squirrels Feedingground in the same M onastery. N ow the
V enerable S ariputta arising a t eventide from
m editation w ent to the V enerable M ahaM oggallana an d exchanged kind an d friendly
greetings w ith him. Seated by his side the
V enerable S ariputta said thus: V e ry serene,
friend M oggallana, are you looking, very
pure and clear is your complexion. H as the
V enerable M aha-M oggallana spent today in
Peace?
I spent today, friend, in the exercise of
sense, m oreover I had pious converse/
'W ith whom did the V enerable M ah aM oggallana hold pious converse?*
'W ith the E xalted one (B ud d h a), frie n d /
F araw ay, friend, the E xalted O n e now
stays a t S avatthe a t T e ta G rove in the A n athapindika P ark. W h a t then? D id the V e n
erable M aha-M ogallana go by will pow er to
the E xalted O ne, or w as it the other w ay
about?
I neither w ent by will pow er to the E x
alted O ne, friend, nor did the E xalted O ne
come by will pow er to me. N evertheless
even as w ith him, so also w ith me the devasight and the deva-hearing are m ade c le a r/
(th e conversation is then described).*
T h e above example is sufficient for my
purpose. Like a num ber of other passages
in the B uddhist Scriptures, the m onographs
have literally shed much light on such aspects
of teaching and so have helped me to u n d er
stand the m eaning of deva-sight (divine or
psychic) and deva-hearing. T h e Com m entary
adds to the above passage w ith the following
note: *T h e T h e ra (E lder) w ondering w here
the M aster w as just then, developed the
light and saw him, w ith deva-sight seated in
his F ra g ra n t Chamber* and heard h im / A s
far as I can judge, I do not think I have h ad
any teaching about this light in th e mono
g raphit seems to be an additional factor
to the developm ent of the pituitary body.
N ow , M onograph 12 of the M agus D e
gree, and the letter accom panying this p ar
ticular m onograph deals w ith N irv an a in re
gard to, or in connection with, the w ork of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the cloud. P ag e one, para. 5, gives a quota

tion as to the m eaning of N irvana: N irvana
is not self-annihilation, b u t the extinction of
the mortal, sinful erring self; it is not non
existence, b ut the suspension of selfishness;
it is not dissolution of self into nothing, but
the attainm ent b y self of T ru th ; it is not
perm anent resignation, b u t tem porary bliss
and p eace/
H ad the above quotation stopped a t the
w ord T ru th , then the explanation would have
been passable. T h en comes two sentences
w here the w ords perm anent and tem porary
have been used b y an author who does not
seem to be v ery sure as to the fundam ental
nature of N irvana. T h e re is nothing tem
p o rary about N irvana. T ak in g the above
quotation in its entirety, an d w ith its connec
tion w ith reg ard to the cloud, the entire
m onograph is dealing w ith the practice and
description of a special m editation experience,
w hich the Buddhists term Jhana. T h is is the
Pali term; the Sanskrit term for such m edita
tion is D hyana. H ow ever, the w ord Jhana
has a w ider m eaning th an the latter. In
brief, there are four Jhanas, the fourth stage
being an im portant one. H ere is an ap t de
scription w hich I quote: O n e residual con
tent of the fourth Jhana consciousness, which
is dom inated b y sublim ated and clarified
mindfulness, the result of perfect equanimity,
gives rise to inw ard vision or intuition. It
is this Jhana th a t opens the entrance to higher
knowledge, including psychic pow ers, and
to self-enlightenm ent. It is therefore called
P ad ak a or basic Jhana in the com m entaries.
T h ese Jhanas are only a means. T h e
fourth Jhana is not N irvana. N one of the
Jhanas is N irvana. Even in the days w hen
G otam a w as touring the northern p a rt of
India preaching and teaching, this mistake
or m isunderstanding about the results of the
Jhana, or the Jhanas themselves w as often
made. M an y of G otam as disciples attained
or realized N irvana, w ith o u t going through
these m editations. In the same w ay it is pos
sible for one to go through these stages of
m editation, experience inner vision an d inner
hearing and have other psychic experiences,
w ithout attaining N irvana. N ow , w h at is this
N irvana? It is a B uddhist term. It w as not
used before th e time o f the B uddha; and
should you find N irv an a being used in any
of the H indu Scriptures, the term will have
been borrow ed, as they have borrow ed or

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

taken other teachings from G otam a and

pushed them in somehow or somewhere, w ith
their own. T h e B uddhas E nlightenm ent is
N irvana. W h a t he attained to or realized
under th at tree a t G aya, w as N irvana. H is
w hole life and m inistry here on earth, w as
a visible m anifestation of N irvana, or N ibbana to use the Pali term.
W h e n w e are dealing w ith N irvana, w e
are dealing w ith something th at is beyond
the five senses. H ere I shall quote a tra n s
lation which is about the nearest u n d erstan d
ing there is in the Pali, w ith regard to N ir
vana. T h e B uddha makes the following
statem ent:
V erily, Brothers, there is a condition,
w here there is neither the Solid (P a th a n i),
nor the Fluid (A p o ), neither H eat (T e jo ),
nor M otion (V a y o ), neither this w orld nor
any other w orld, neither Sun nor M oon.
T his, B rothers, I call neither arising nor
passing aw ay, neither standing still nor being
born nor dying. T h e re is neither substance
nor developm ent nor any basis. T his is the
end of suffering.
T h ere is, Brother, an unborn, an unor
iginated, th at has not become, th at has not
been formed. If, Brother, there w ere not this
unborn, this unoriginated, th at has not be
come, th a t has not been formed, escape from
the w orld of the born, the originated, the
become, the formed, w ould not be possible.
But since, Brothers, there is an unborn, an
unoriginated, th a t has not become, th a t has
not been formed therefore is escape possible
from the w orld o f the born, the originated,
the become, the form ed/
T h e re are other references to N ibbana in
the Pali Scripture, indeed there are m any
references. T h ere is another one which con
tains an im portant point for a Buddhist. T h e
B uddha himself is speaking, giving a desscription w ith reference to his quest: I sought
after the consummate peace of N irvana,
which knows neither rebirth nor old age,
neither disease nor death, neither sorrow
nor im purity;this I pursued, and this I won;
and there arose w ithin me the conviction,
the insight, th a t now my D eliverance w as
assured, th at t,his w as my last birth, nor
should I ever be reborn a g a in /
T h e Buddhists have a particular collec
tion of Scriptures know n as the D ham m apada. T o them the D ham m apada is ju st as

Page 125

im portant, as the B hagava G ita is to the

followers of the H indu religion, and inci
dentally, I may add, there is all the difference
between w h at is ta u g h t in these two books.
T h ere are two verses in the D ham m apada,
Nos. 153, 154. T h ese tw o versese are the
utterances of B uddha on his Enlightenm ent.
153. V ain ly have I w andered for m any
births, searching for the builder (craving) of
this house (b o d y ); the birth again and again
w as p ain fu l/
154. O builder of the house! You are
seen; you shall build no house again, all your
rafters (passions) are broken and the ridge
pole (ignorance) is shattered. M y mind has
attained the unconditioned (N irv a n a); it has
attained the end o f crav in g /
T h is w as the great cry uttered under the
Bodhi-tree at G aya (now known as B uddha
G a y a ).
O n page two of this same m onograph, the
explanation of N irv an a is continued: T o
attain a degree of physical blankness w here
the mind as well as the body w as a t rest and
the inner self stayed for hours or days in the
state of N irvana, w as considered to be ideal
and sp iritu al/
T h is statem ent is a reference to the
Jhanas, as m entioned before. T h ere is no
doubt about it, to enter into these stages of
m editation does afford one a good rest and
they are a good tonic for the body. T h e
B uddha himself, as a child, h ad an experience
of entering the first Jhana stage of m edita
tion. T h e memory of this experience came
back to him w hen he realized he w as w orking
on the w rong path, th a t is, only the physical
torture of the body. T h is memory came back
to him w hen he w as seated under this Bodhitree, and so it w as, through these Jhanas he
eventually realized N irvana. T h e two chief
disciples, S ariputta an d M oggallana m en
tioned in the text, w hich I quoted previously,
attained N irvana, or becam e A rahats, as
soon as they becam e the disciples of Buddha.
T h a t is S ariputta realized N irv an a a fort
night after he h ad become a disciple. H e
was staying w ith the B uddha a t this time
and heard the B uddha preach a particular
sermon to another disciple w ho had come to
the M aster w ith a difficulty. It proved to be
the necessary key, so to speak, for the S ari
putta. H e becam e an A rah at (one w ho a t
tains N irv an a).

Page 126

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

M oggallana attained A rahatship on the

seventh day after he became a disciple. H e
w as seated in m editation w hen drowsiness
overcame him. T h e B uddha knew this, ap
peared before him, and exhorted him to be
zealous. M oggallana then attained to N ir
vana.
T h ere w as another famous disciple known
as A nanda. H e eventually became the M as
ter's personal atten d an t in every respect and
w as w ith the B uddha during the P ari-N ib bana (or death of the B uddha). But in spite
of A n an d as close association w ith the Bud
dha, he never attained N irvana until some
time after the B uddhas d e a th /X

A New World
A frater recently asked for comments con
sidering an advertisem ent appearing in a
magazine w hich had come into his possession.
T h e advertisem ent gave a date followed by
the term, A N ew W o rld . T hen under this
heading w as a statem ent, T h e commence
ment of divine order. T h e body of the
advertisem ent proceeds to state in general
th at upon a date specified, and this date w as
only the year, not the m onth o r day, a new
w orld w ould begin. N ew societies w ould be
formed and if w e as citizens of the present
w orld desire to fit into the achievements and
order th at is to follow, w e must begin to
prepare now.
T hese ideals are well taken; b u t an ap
p arent misconception, supported in this a d
vertisem ent, is the confining of this new
w orld innovation to a specific year. I be
lieve th at this violates a fundam ental fact
that for every hum an being any new
life or any new outlook begins w hen
that individual aw akens to the necessity of
realizing the inadequate use he m ay be m ak
ing of some of his abilities. A new o rd er of
any kind is not going to begin for an y of us
on any certain date in the future unless w e
decide to make th a t date such a beginning.
Furtherm ore, it is unlikely that if w e have
any aw akening to the realization of new pos
sibilities w ithin our ow n beings, w e w ould
postpone to a certain time the beginning of a
new life or new outlook upon the w orld and
its inhabitants. T h e individual w ho d eter
mines to do som ething for himself, to utilize
all his abilities is going to do th at very thing
and take steps tow ard th a t accomplishment

w hen this idea becomes more than an opinion

in his ow n mind. It must, in fact, become
a convictionhis life m ust be dom inated by
the urge for improvement o r change and
w hen such an established conviction becomes
the prime mover of his destiny he will begin
a new life w hich will be a new w orld for him.
T o set a date w hich implies th at a t th at
time a new o rd er of things will come about
w hich will have a profound effect upon us
and cause all of hum anity either to go one
w ay or another is to deny th a t the individual
has any choice in his own life. If no such
choice exists then life is rath er futile. T h e
nam ing of a d ate for a change is, in fact,
m erely a form of the old philosophy of fatal
isma belief in w hich it is conceded th at
men are a t th e mercy o f all forces moving
outside themselves and they have no oppor
tunity or ability to m odify these forces, and
have no choice b u t to drift along w ith the
stream w herever it may carry them.
E very individual who has affiliated w ith
this organization has done so because he has
found either in its literature or through dis
cussion w ith friends w ho are familiar w ith its
aims an d purposes an incentive to use to an
advantage his abilities. In other w ords, some
thing th a t leads members to this organization
is dissatis factiondissa tis faction w ith w hat we
are accom plishing or how w e are living and
the sincere desire to make a more satisfactory
adjustm ent to those w ho compose the society
of which w e are a part, an d to contribute to
our own happiness. If w e m ust w ait a speci
fied num ber of years, months o r even days
for a time w hen forces outside of us are
conducive to bringing about happiness, we
are m isconstruing the creative forces of the
universe which are the sam e today as they
ever have been, an d alw ays will be, containing
potential abilities for men w ho learn to use
them. All n atu re illustrates a process of con
tinuous becoming, as stated by one o f the
ancient philosophers. T h is means th at no one
point of existence is usually the exact inci
dent of a larger change. A s this applies to
the individual so it applies even more to
groups of individuals. W h e n w e pick up any
stan d ard history textbook w e will find th a t
the general history of civilization or of m ans
progress in understanding the w orld in which
he lives is divided into certain parts and
eras. T h e three main divisions are: ancient
times, the medieval era, an d modern history.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

D ates are assigned to the beginning of each

of these eras, and, as indicated, the end of
the preceding ones, but no one living in the
year w hen w e now suppose that the ancient
times changed to the medieval age w as con
scious th a t th a t date w ould be so called in
the future. In fact, it w as probably m any
years before th a t date w as decided upon, and
the professional historian would not report
th a t date as indicating a mom entary change
but rath er a y ear in w hich numerous forces
w ere culm inated and a new and different
era w as indicated.
W ith the future as w ith the past, no one
date can possibly be determ ined for any new
age to begin. T endencies can be pointed out
and w e can cooperate, but as human beings,
we will make a new era and discontinue an
old one as w e grow in spiritual and intel
lectual capacity to use our abilities. It is not
wise for us to cling to any specific future
time. Someone has said th at if everyone
knew w h at w as going to happen tom orrow,
it w ould not happen. In others w ords, the
know ledge of the future w ould so m odify
our thinking of the present that that future
could not exist. W e are going to continue
to grow in our spiritual and intellectual o ut
look or recede, depending, not upon some
thing th a t m ay take place in the w orld about
us a t some future time, but mainly depending
upon w hat w e do w ith the present. T h is is
a general conception o f m any of the philoso
phies of our teachings. W e must live now
to the best of our understanding if w e are
to have a w orth-w hile future.A

W hy Does the Cosmic Require

Special Conditions?
A F ra ter who resides in O hio now arises
to ask our Forum a question. H e says: " W h y
is it th at the laws w hich w e have been tau g h t
can only be used in dire need, or for a seri
ous purpose? T h e law of gravity operates
consistently; w hen a child tosses a ball into
the air, it imm ediately falls to earth just as
the rain falls to nourish crops. All chemical
and physical laws operate equally as well
for a serious or frivolous purpose.
T h e question is one w orthy of considera
tion and does appear to place those w ho de
sire to invoke Cosmic laws at a disadvantage.
Insofar as the physical laws are concerned,

Page 127

every scientist or anyone fam iliar w ith the

different phenom ena of these law s knows th at
their function depends upon certain condi
tions prevailing. T o use the F ra te rs analogy
of gravity, according to the law s w hich N ew
ton discovered, th ere is a force of attraction
betw een everything, regardless of its sub
stance. T h e attraction depends upon th e mass
of the objects, their density, distance apart,
etc. Consequently, gravity is the force which
planets exert upon each other, th a t even two
apples exert upon each other, but w hich is
so minute th a t it is n ot discernible, and it is
the force w hich earth exerts upon a ball
throw n into the air b y a child. W h e re gravity
is concerned, an object m ust have sufficient
mass to be attracted b y the ea rth s pull,
w hen in the air, or it will float. T o dem on
strate gravity in the usual sense, one could
not use a balloon filled w ith helium. It would
float, or rise in the air, an d the dem onstration
of gravitational pull w ould be a failure. It is
quite obvious, then, th a t for physical laws
to be dem onstrated, there are certain neces
sary contingent conditions. W ith o u t these
conditions, the m ost learned scientists could
not invoke n atu res laws. Conversely, w ith
them, a child can dem onstrate the laws
known to the scientist.
T o use another analogy, w e hear by means
of the disturbances of the air. V ibrations
travel through the air to the diaphram of the
ear, w hich they oscillate. T o dem onstrate
this, it is necessary to have a jar in which
a bell is sealed an d suspended. W h e n the
bell is rung by m eans of an electric push
button, the sound can be heard em itting from
the sealed jar. If a pum p is attached to the
jar, and the air is evacuated, eventually, even
w hen the bell is rung, it cannot be heard.
T h ere is insufficient air to be disturbed b y the
vibrations of the bell, and there is, therefore,
no medium to carry the vibrations to our ears.
A nyone can dem onstrate this principle, pro
vided he has the m aterials through w hich the
laws can function. Physical laws need a
physical environm ent, and causes and effects
by which to w ork. Such physical conditions
are the only requisites of a physical dem on
stration. Purpose, mood, moral, or ethical
stan d ard s are entirely extraneous to such
dem onstrations.
W h e n , however, w e are concerned w ith
invoking Cosmic laws, the purpose, the
moral end is then a determ ining factor. W h y ?

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 128

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 p er
form ance of dem onstrations of n atural laws,
so, too, intent is a factor w here Cosmic laws
are concerned. Some F ra te r m ight ask, A n d
are not the physical laws, the laws which
manifest in nature, for example, integrated
with the Cosmic laws? A re the laws of the
chemist of a w orld ap a rt from those of a
mystic?" W e answ er by saying it is true,
there is unity in the universe. T h e macrocosm
and the microcosm are of one order, infused
with one intelligence. In the w hole scale of
Cosmic m anifestations, there is neither physi
cal, m aterial, or immaterial, there is but v aria
tion of effect. In the low er part of the scale,
figuratively speaking, such gross m anifesta
tions as occur and w hich w e perceive w ith
our objective faculties, w e call the physical
world. In the higher octaves of the scale,
there are such phenom ena as we attribute
to intelligence, reason, and cogitation, and
finally the so-term ed Divine or Cosmic princi
ples. T hese latter we relate to the functions
of the soul. W e could not expect to experi
ence Cosmic Consciousness, by resorting to
the mixing o f chemical com pounds in a labo
ratory, neither could we expect to construct
a more efficient mechanical apparatus by con
tinuous abstract reasoning, or merely by re
sorting to mystical attunem ent. E ach octave
of the Cosmic scale requires the use of princioles which are in harm ony w ith its efficacy.
W h e re Cosmic principles are concerned
those of the higher octaves of the scalep r e
cept, comport, and intent determ ine w hether
one will be successful. Skepticism, malice,
envy, and h a tre d these attitudes of mind
are hostile to invoking Cosmic principles.
T h ey are the w rong adm ixture to produce
the desired effects.
F or further analogy, one cannot m agnetize
a piece of w ood w ith cobalt steel, because
he is using the w rong physical principles.
Likewise, one cannot utilize the constructive
Cosmic principles w ith a nefarious or selfish
attitiide of mind. You m ust remember th a t
your sanctum is your Cosmic laboratory. If
you do not take into it the right tools, nam e
ly, the right attitude of mind, humbleness
and sincerity, you can only expect failure.
-X

A N a tio n a l L o tte ry
From time to time the question has come
before the people of this country regarding
the establishm ent o f a legal lottery in the
country for the purpose o f providing revenue
and thereby easing other sources of revenue.
A t the present time interest is som ew hat ex
istent again in this possibility an d a bill has
actually been introduced in C ongress provid
ing for a lottery to be conducted b y the
T re asu ry D epartm ent of the U nited States.
U n d er the term s of the bill being con
sidered at this time, the governm ent w ould
w ithhold a certain p art of funds used in the
purchase of lottery tickets, the balance being
used to provide the prizes of the lottery itself.
Proponents o f such a m easure hold th a t it
w ould raise a large sum o f money, making
additional taxes unnecessary, and those most
enthusiastic o f its support claim it would even
lower some existent taxes.
M em bers of this organization have from
time to time expressed opinions on the advisibility of a lottery in this country, and
some have asked questions regarding our
viewpoint tow ard lotteries in general and
w hether o r not this organization w ould favor
the establishm ent of a lottery. W e are not
going to express an opinion from a political
standpoint, as in conform ance w ith the policy
of this organization the political viewpoints
of our members should be determ ined b y the
members themselves, b u t there is more than
political implication in regard to the estab
lishment or legalization of a lottery.
T h ere is a definite ethical consideration to
be decided upon in the process of either sup
porting or opposing the adoption of such a
plan. T h e supporters of the m easure point
out, as stated above, th at the prim ary purpose
of lottery w ould be a painless form of reve
nue for the governm ent o r the municipality,
state or country th at instituted such a plan,
and this is the strongest argum ent in favor
of the plan. F urtherm ore they point out th at
most hum an beings are prone to gamble to
a certain extent regardless of w hether the
process is legalized, and th a t since such con
ditions exist th e governm ent could benefit
by legalizing the process, and thereby derive
a legitim ate revenue on the basis of activities
that nobody will deny exist to some extent.
T h is latter argum ent is a very poor one.
T h ere are a great m any things th at exist

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w herever hum an beings form organized so

cieties, but the fact that they exist is no
reason to establish a procedure by which
those things m ight exist legally.
A ll forms of crime, dishonesty, and vice
exist in alm ost a n y organized society, b u t to
look a t these things merely as existing con
ditions about w hich we can do nothing, and
legalize them sim ply w ith the excuse th at
since they do exist w e m ight as well arran g e
for them to be legal actions, is to deny the
fundam ental purposes of society w hich is to
provide a good life for every one of its mem
bers. In this purpose of society it is generally
agreed that th a t w hich the m ajority finds
good should become the standards and moral
basis for the directing or governing o f th a t
society, and those actions or processes w hich
are not in conform ance w ith the good of the
m ajority m ust be eliminated. T h e procedure
is usually to eliminate the source, w hile at
the same time, to carry on an educational
program th a t eventually will tend to lessen
the need of it and make the undesirable thing
nonexistent.
It is true th a t some would say in opposition
to th a t theory th a t man has been trying
through various forms of this process to
eliminate m urder and dishonesty ever since
hum an beings lived together as an organized
society and so far has not been completely
successful, b u t the success of a w orthy plan
is no t alw ays the final m easure of its validity.
Surely no one w ould deny th a t the fact th at
we have not been successful, as intelligent
hum an beings, in eliminating m urder is no
argum ent w hy no further attem pt should be
m ade tow ard the elimination of such an act
upon the p art of any hum an being.
A nother argum ent in favor of a lottery is
that it has been proved advantageous in other
countries and, in modified forms, in some
states of this country. Some years ago one
state legalized race track betting, which, after
all, is a form of legalized gambling. A fter a
trial of two years the law w as repealed. In
summarizing various facts concerning lot
tery, the Scottish Rite N ew s Bulletin recently
published some interesting observations on
the subject. It referred to the state which
w ithdrew the legal process of race-track b et
ting. It is stated in this article th at it w as
w ithdraw n for the following reasons:
T h re e reasons w ere assigned for this ac
tion; first, th a t the revenue produced for the

Page 129

S tate w as so far below expectations as to

be inconsequential; second, money spent on
the races w as m oney diverted from norm al
business; third, an d most im portant, the lot
tery created grave moral dangers which
threatened the n atio n s peace and prosperity.'
T h ese reasons, it is to be understood, are
not purely theoretical, b ut w ere conclusions
after trial, an d seemed to be borne o ut in
actual practice. T h e re are, how ever, even
more fundam ental reasons w hy a lottery is
not the m ost desirable form of providing
revenue for this country, and to outline these
I quote further from the above article in the
N ew s Bulletin issued by the Scottish Rite
of Freem asonry:
T h e chief dan g er in lotteries, as in other
forms of gambling w hether the stock m arket
or horse racing, is th at people g et the idea
th a t they can live in luxury w ithout working.
T h e virus of getting inordinate returns from
the expenditure o f slight effort o r funds
underm ines the virility of o n es character.
T h ere are those w ho hold th a t the whole
question o f chance o r speculation or gambling
hinges on m oderation, as in drinking, eating,
exercise, or playing games. In moderation
there are m any th a t see no harm in an y of
them. T h en th ere are other persons who hold
th at there is alw ays a first tim e for every
thing an d th a t it is easier not to form a habit
than to break it once it has been formed,
and so, of gam bling.
T h ere is one school o f thought on this
subject which points back to prohibition days
an d the am ount of money the Governm ent
lost by refusing to legalize the m anufacture
and sale of liquor, a sum th a t since repeal
of the eighteenth A m endm ent has averaged
almost a billion dollars a year. T h ese persons
contend th a t a certain sizeable portion of the
citizenry is going to gam ble any w ay and also
is going to drink an d that, such being the
case, the G overnm ent m ight as well collect
a revenue from it in the form of taxes. A ny
w ay, it is impossible to legislate people into
being moral.
O ver ag ain st this is a group of highly
respectable citizens who hold th a t there must
not be an y compromise w ith sin and that
gambling is a sin since it ignores the basic
concept that, in the paying o u t o f money in
a commercial transaction, one m ust receive
a fair equivalent in goods or services.

Page 130

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T his, no doubt, is a fair and tolerant view

point in regard to this im portant question.
T h e last paragraph points out a very funda
mental lesson w hy a lottery is not ideal, at
least in our social structure. T h is reason is
based upon the fact th at money is a medium
of exchange and money can only serve two
purposes w hen it is so used; in other w ords,
w hen it represents goods transferred, o r serv
ices rendered. W h e n money is received w ith
out such transfer of goods or services, it
immediately loses value in the mind of the
recipient. T h is can b e illustrated by observa
tion. H ave you know n individuals th a t never
had to w ork for their livelihood or have
everything given to them that they w anted?
T h ey have little respect for the services and
goods of other people. If their source of
unearned revenue is discontinued their ad
justm ent to society is extrem ely difficult.
In conclusion, there may be some question
as to w hether an actual moral o r ethical issue
exists in regard to a lottery. Fundam entally,
as Rosicrucians we believe th a t such moral
and ethical issues m ust be decided eventually
in the mind o f each individual. W e all know
that w hat m ay be w rong for one person may
not be for another, but beyond this conviction
and our opinion as an individual, we must
think of the w elfare of m any individuals
w hose moral and ethical stability m ay not be
such th a t they could resist the accom pani
ments of any process which could be con
sidered as degrading. W h ile this organiza
tion is not taking an official stan d upon the
question in these comments, it does believe
th at each individual member, before expres
sing himself or taking a definite viewpoint
on the subject, should consider the subject
theory from the viewpoints expressed here
and from other sources that they can obtain.
In other w ords, it is a question not to be
answ ered hurriedly, but one w here w e must
consider the w elfare of all hum an beings and
the effect upon those w ho m ay be w eaker
than ourselves.A

Practical Rosicrucianism
M any pieces of correspondence have come
to my attention recently th a t seem to me to
illustrate the practical use of Rosicrucian
principles b etter than anything else. T h ese
particular letters to which I am specifically
referring are from members in military serv

ice. I am going to quote some excerpts from

these various letters to show different points
of view th a t o u r members have in following
the teachings o f this organization w hile in a
far different environm ent than is usual in
civilian life.
T h ese letters come from men and women
in all branches of m ilitary service an d in all
ranks. W e num ber in this organizations
membership m any individuals in m ilitary
service holding ranks from a private to a
general. Consequently, from selected com
ments th at these individuals make w e are
about to see the viewpoints w hich they have
in m aintaining their membership during th at
rather difficult period of time.
I think th at m any of us in civilian life can
learn a lesson from m any of these comments.
W e sometimes are lax in our system atic
studies and offer excuses of time o r privacy
for properly carrying on the regular study
and application of the principles w hich are
brought to us in our w eekly m onographs, but
imagine these men who under circumstances
much more difficult than ours can ever be in
civilian life gaining definite benefit from the
principles w hich they are receiving. Surely
if they are able to do this under rath er un
favorable circum stances w e should be able
to do far more b y m erely determ ining to
apply ourselves to w h at w e have to do. T h is
all sums up to th e often repeated fact th at
man does n o t accomplish things because of
his environm ent b u t rath er in spite of his
environment.
T hese men and women are not w aiting for
peace and for ideal conditions to existthey
are doing som ething about the existent con
ditions, know ing th a t if they properly direct
their thinking an d lives today and influence
other people to do the same, the future will
be a far b etter w orld in w hich to live, not
because of w h at they are postponing, b u t
w h at they are doing right now. W e can
not give nam es an d locations of m ilitary per
sonnel, but the following excerpts are from
a few letters selected a t random to express
the opinion and show a cross section o f the
thinking o f o u r members w ho are now in
military service.
I can never express my appreciation to
you in w ords b u t I feel th a t the b est w ay
I can do th a t is to apply to the best of my
ability the law s and principles th a t are
b rought out in the teachings.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

I decided to join hoping it would, among

other things, show me the w ay to be a good
pilot. T h a t w as my prim ary reason b u t now
I have so m any reasons w hy I w an t to re
main w ith the O rd e r that I d have to repeat
each m onograph and echo their eternal truths
to tell you w hy I w an t to become a m aster.
T h e teachings o f the O rd e r so far have
show ed me the w ay to be a good pilot b u t
I have not yet achieved that."
A t no time in the past have I needed and
can use w h at the O rd e r has ta u g h t me as
much as now, an d I am deeply g ratefu l.
In this hard, sometimes alm ost cruel an d
deadly serious A rm y life, I h av en t much
time for studies and still less time for w riting
reports. N evertheless, I do faithfully study
your m onographs each Sunday, w hen off
duty, an d I do m editate during long marches,
ten-m inute breaks, in drillings and a t even
ings ju st before falling asleep.
O f course, it is impossible for me to have
an altar o r even regular study periods, b ut
still, I get from the meditations som ething
very d ea rspiritual happinesspeace of
mind and faith in the future. D eep in my
heart there is something w hich I cannot de
scribea subtle feeling of humbleness to
w ard G od and man is deepening, an d a
desire to w ork an d accomplish for the greater
glory of our C reato r and fellow men is grow
ing, and I know th a t this aw akening of new
and m ysterious (to me) consciousness comes
from the study of your principles an d I
fervently hope to attain to higher degrees.
-A

O ur A ttitude O n Surgery
N o t a day passes th a t w e do not receive
several letters and telegram s, inform ing us
th a t a member is to undergo a surgical o p era
tion. M an y of these communications request
to know the Rosicrucian attitud e upon the
subject, w hether surgery should be sanctioned
or not. T h e summation of our view on this
question m ay be contained in a short phrase
of tw o w o rd s common sense.
T h e normal hum an anatom y contains no
extraneous p arts o r organs. T h e economy
of n ature has not perm itted the incorporation
into the norm al physical structure o f any
superfluous parts. Everything th at is nor
mally a p art of us has a functional purpose,
w hether men are cognizant of it o r not. F u r

Page 131

ther, the developm ent of such branches of

science as biology, physiology, neurology,
anatom y, etc., have n o t reached such a degree
of perfection w here a refinement of the
human organism is possible b y the elimina
tion o f heretofore necessary organs. It obvi
ously affords some imm ediate relief to a
patient to have a n o rgan rem oved th a t is
causing intense pain. Such an am putation
process is n ot alw ays advisable, and is not
intelligent an d w o rth y of science w hen al
ternate m easures are possible. O n e would
not am putate a finger th a t had a painful
abrasion, an d w hich could be healed w ithout
serious after effects.
It might be contended th at m ost certainly
surgery w ould n o t be urged w hen alternate
methods are available. U nfortunately, such
has been the case, frequently, in the past. For
m any years it w as quite ap p aren t th a t the
function of the appendix veriformis w as not
known to medical science. It w as described
in textbooks generally as a slender, hollow,
prolongation of the bowel, varying in length
from three 'to six inches. It ends in a free
closed extrem ity. (from w hich it derives the
nam e veriformis, o r w orm -shaped). T h en the
description w ould conclude w ith w ords to the
effect th at it is n ot generally found in mam
mals, but is found in man, and am ong the
Prim ates, as the O ran g an d the Lem uroidea.
T h e description of its functional process w as
conspicuous b y its absence. Lack of such
know ledge is no disgrace to an y science, for
it is the object o f science to inquire into un
known causes an d purposes of th a t w hich
has existence. W h a t am ounts to indictm ent
of the earlier practices of medical science in
this regard w as the w holesale (am ounting
almost to a fad ) recom m endation of ap
pendectomy. Some of the cases w ere minor
attacks and h ad been experienced b y the
patient b u t once, an d often w ere n o t sub
ject to X -R ay exam ination, and possibly
could have been th e result of other causes.
T h e most noxious examples w ere those en
couraging a p are n t to have a childs appendix
removed w hen he w as o n the table for some
other abdom inal operation. T h e argum ent
advanced w as th a t it w ould remove the
possibility of the appendix becoming infected
later. In line w ith the lack of know ledge of
the o rg an s function, it w as implied th a t it
w as a useless appendage, a more o r less
mistake of nature, which man could remedy.

Page 132

In all probability, under such influence th o u

sands of persons h ad an organ, w hich is
necessary to th e digestive tract, removed.
A similar deplorable state concerned the
w ave of removal of adenoids an d tonsils,
even w hen they w ere not in an aggravated
or abnorm al state. I know, of my ow n ex
perience, th a t tw enty-five years ago, in one
of the most populous cities of this nation,
examining physicians for the B oard of E d u
cation w ould recommend to parents o f public
school children th a t th e latter have their
tonsils and adenoids removed to avoid fu
ture difficulty w ith them. T his is som ew hat
like recommending the am putation of your
head to avoid future headaches. In fact, how
ever, m any of these physicians w ere sincere.
T h ey w ere o f the opinion th at such organs
w ere not highly vital. T h e y m ight just as
well be removed.
T h ere is much of the hum an organism
which is still quite a m ystery to m anand
will be for some time to come. T h is tendency
to rem ove th at which gives some trouble, or
w hich m ight give trouble, an d the function of
w hich is not quite understood still prevails
w ith some surgeons. T h e patient m ust resist
this illogical and unscientific practice, an d
consult at least one other reputable physician
before subm itting to surgery under such
conditions.
W e began -this comment w ith the w ords,
common sense, and th a t truly is the Rosi
crucian attitude. T o take the position th a t
under no circum stances is surgery advisable
w ould be ab su rd and not com m ensurate w ith
good reasoning. T h e m ost practical need for
surgery m ust be obvious to any thinking per
son. It is th e removal from the hum an o r
ganism of extraneous m atter, which is injuri
ous to it. If one has a complicated and
intricate piece o f m achinery into which a
screw driver has fallen, it is p aten t th a t it
m ust be extricated o r the entire mechanism
will be ruined. Possibly the offending screw
driver could be rem oved b y pouring dissolv
ing acids upon it. Such a method, however,
w ould take considerable time, and m ight
w ork injury upon the other mechanism. T h e
practical thing to do w ould be to open the
machine, carefully move aside its gears and
levers, an d remove the foreign m atter, nam e
ly, the screw driver. If you have w ithin you
some foreign m atter which should not be
there, often a mechanical means such as su r

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

gery is ideal in m aking the necessary, imme

diate and beneficial repair. F urther, if you
have suffered an injury to an organ, which can
be repaired through surgery more quickly and
efficiently, it is to your benefit then to submit
to a surgical operation. N a tu re will heal.
M ethods of encouraging n a tu re s processes
should alw ays be used. W h e re, however, a
physical disruption o f n atu res m achinery has
occurred, then use a physical method, a me
chanical m ethod o f correcting the condition,
such as surgery, and let n atu re do the final
healing. It is n ot sensible to try to set a
bone fracture, for example, by m ental healing,
or by <the use of drugs. T h e practical method
is a mechanical adjustm ent. H ave the bone
set in its original position, and then let nature
and the Cosmic carry on from there.
A third type of surgical operation w hich is
advisable, is in the event of an emergency,
w here time is a vital factor. Let us return to
the example of the appendix, w hich has been
aggravated b y some cause and is giving dis
tress. T h e causes of appendicitis are adm it
tedly still quite obscure. T h e starting point
m ay be the im paction of a pin, toothbrush
bristle, or a fishbone in the appendix. T re a t
m ent could be given b y a physician, which
m ight rem edy th e condition. T h e sufferer,
because of prejudice or obstinacy, refuses to
consult a physician and the neglect of the
affected organ increases th e severity of the
condition. F inally an infection develops,
which causes the p atient intense pain. T h e
only solution is surgery. T im e taken for
other treatm ent w ould be too great a gamble,
and perhaps, prove fatal to the patient.
U nder all such circumstances, th e logical
thing to do is to subm it to surgery. T h e re
moval of an organ under such conditions is
necessary to save a life. It is as logical as
pruning dead limbs from a tree, w hich if they
remain, prevent its bearing fruit.
C o n trary to th e principle and spirit of their
oaths, some physicians w ho are specialists,
and this applies to the drugless profession as
well, ride their professional specialty a t the
expense of the patient. In other w ords, they
are going to cure him their w ay o r not at all.
A surgeon w ho is a true physician will advise
against an operation, except w here, in his
experience, he sincerely deems it necessary.
T h ere are thousands of surgeons of this la t
ter type. W e comment upon this subject,
free o f bias, because w e have as splendid

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Rosicrucian members, hundreds of reputable

practicing surgeons an d medical physicians,
as well as >those of other schools of th e ra
peutics.X

Extra-Sensory Perception
T h e term extra-sensory perception" has
become better know n in the p ast few years
than ever in the past. In fact, since the
introduction o f the term into the field o f
experim ental psychology and the populari
zation of experim ents having to do w ith the
extra-sensory faculties on radio an d in m aga
zines, m any have been led to conclude th a t
w hat is being discussed under the general
heading of extra-sensory perception is actu
ally a new discovery something which
hitherto w as unknow n in the field of hum an
thought and particularly in the field of sci
ence. It is actually true th at there is nothing
new about the stu d y of extra-sensory p er
ception, but the additional emphasis and con
sideration it has been given in the field of
academic experim entation has brought it new
popularity.
E xtra-sensory perception m ight be defined
as including all w hich w e perceive other
than through the usual channels o f our five
objective senses. In this rath er vague defini
tion it is im portant th a t w e be sure th a t w e
understand w h a t is m eant by perception
itself. It is not difficult to understand th a t
the very simple p arts of our consciousness
are m ade up because of sensations which
register upon th a t state of consciousness h av
ing come through our sense faculties. In
other w ords, w e see, for example, because
light affects certain nerve endings in the
retina o f the eye causing the sensation of
sight. A being w ithout any sense organs to
enable it to receive these simple sensations
from the outside w ould never know anything
of the w orld th a t existed about him. It is
questionable w hether a state of conscious
ness of any kind, if w e understand the gen
eral m eaning o f this term, could exist w ith
out sensations. W h ile sensation is a con
sciousness o f the quantities o f objects, p er
ception, on the other hand, is a consciousness
of the objects as a whole. W e do not ordi
narily state th a t w e have a sensation of an
object, such as a tree, bu t rather w e would
say th a t w e perceive the object, which, in
this case, is a tree as the result of various

Page 133

sensations which bring about the entire per

ception in our consciousness of a tree. S en
sation, then, is strictly limited to a stim ula
tion of the sense faculties o r a response to
th a t stimulation w hile perception is the sup
plem ent and interpretation of stim ulations
from the outside in term s of p ast experience
through the use o f m em ory an d reason. W e
are not aw are of p ure sensations b u t rath er
of com binations of sensations w hich, to
gether w ith our p a st experiences an d reason
form our perception o f a thing or a group of
things w hich causes stim ulation to reach our
consciousness through the medium o f the
nervous system. W e m ight conclude, then,
th a t a perception is the aw areness in con
sciousness of an y th in g th a t comes into th a t
state of consciousness usually b y m eans of
the five senses an d interpreted b y reason.
R egardless of w h a t may be the source of
the sensation o r th e impetus to becoming
aw are of the thing, the final aw areness in
consciousness of an id ea o r a concrete object
is w h at w e refer to as a perceptive process.
N ow ordinarily, a t least in th e interpretation
w ith which w e develop our intellectual quali
ties, w e are dependent upon the sensations
through our five objective senses to give us
our perception, b u t alm ost everyone knows
from actual experience th a t w e gain some
p art of o u r perception from sources other
th an the five senses. A ll experiences w hich
generally can be classified u n d er the broad
heading o f hunches, intuition, or prem o
nition is p art of the process contributing
to the perception of som ething. In the case
of a premonition w e usually gain the im pres
sion of an im pending ev en tw e are simply
adding to our experience as already exists
by a certain know ledge th a t seems to come
from w ithin, or w hich a t least does n o t come
from w ithout in the usual accepted m anner
by use o f the channels of the five senses.
Such a classification of perception, th a t is,
everything th a t comes o th er than through the
five senses has been grouped into the field
know n as extra-sensory perception.
M o st of the experim entation w hich has
been done in this field has been done in
telepathy. T h a t is the determ ining w hether
an idea or conception can be tran sferred from
the mind of one person to an other w ithout
physical means o r an y direct response on the
p a rt o f the physical senses of the recipient.
T h e experim entation in the field of thought

Page 134

transference has been held under different

conditions and has been scientifically tested.
V arious reports of these experim ents can be
found in sources too num erous to mention
here, but the general opinion of those direct
ing the experim ents has been th a t the cases
of correct transference of certain know ledge,
such as num bers appearing on a card, fre
quently has been sufficiently accurate to be
more than chance. H ow ever, most of these
experiments have been carried on w ith a
num ber of cards having no more than a total
of four to six characters so th a t the element
of chance w ould enter into the experim ent
and, of course, it w ould be logical th a t a
certain num ber of responses w ould be correct.
In a recent lecture a t the R ose-Croix U ni
versity an uncontrolled experim ent w as tried
in which the lecturer had a deck of ordinary
playing cards, thereby making the chances
of the person guessing the cards alm ost im
possible since there w ould be no two cards
in the w hole deck th a t w ere alike. T h e ex
perim ent w as som ew hat unsuccessful insofar
as correctly interpreting a card by telepathy
w as concerned. H ow ever, this experim ent
does no t prove or disprove telepathy. In
fact, it proves som ething far more im portant
and a fact w hich has been overlooked b y the
vast num ber of people w ho have attem pted
experiments in telepathy or related subjects.
T his fact is th a t perception, as alread y some
w hat indicated in the preceding comments,
is not a t an y time a single process of an y
single phase o f our mind o r body. T h ere
are certain organs in the body th a t are highly
specialized to carry out a certain process in
the w hole digestive process. Each organ has
a specific function an d usually adds to the
food a certain digestive fluid so th a t w hen
the food is passing through th at particular
state of the process of digestion it goes in a
new form to the next state.
T his idea of specialization causes us to
imagine th a t w e can equally specialize the
functions of the mind. A ctually, the process
of perception is not a process of one unit of
learning or thinking com parable to th e process
of the function of one organ in the digestive
tract in the animal or hum an body. W e do
not perceive by having our sensations travel
to one organ and come out in a new form in
a m anner th a t food passes through the stom
ach and is prepared for the next process of
digestion. W e perceive w ith our entire b e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ing. W h e th e r w e are aw are of it or not,

everything th a t we perceive is not merely
in the process o f seeing som ething. F or ex
ample, only by reflecting upon a sensation in
your mind will you com plete th e perceptive
process. E verything th at w e are is brought
to b ear upon th e perception of every sensa
tion th a t is b ro u g h t to the aw areness of our
consciousness. T h is psychological fact th at
is now a basic premise of one school of p sy
chology show s the psychological correctness
of the statem ent, A s a man thinks, so he
is. T h e same principle is illustrated by a
quotation from Em erson who said, I am a
p art of everything I have m et.
E verything w e do is according to a pattern
which has been built up w ithin us. T his
p attern is a phase of our individuality. It
has been sta te d b y w hat I u nderstand are
reliable authorities th at if a right-handed
person should lose his right h and or the use
of it, he could sign a check w ith his left hand
and regardless of how crude the writing
might be it w ould be recognized by a h an d
w riting expert as th at individual's signature
an d honored b y a bank. T h is same authority
goes so far as to state th at w e could even
sign a check b y holding a pen w ith our toes
and the signature w ould still carry a re
semblance w hich w ould be our particular type
of w riting. In other w ords, even an act as
simple an d app aren tly as lacking in dem and
for attention as the process of w riting re
flects o u r w hole being.
T h ese general observations show the po
tentialities o f training ourselves in better
perceptive pow ers. In o th er w ords, in the
general outlook w hich has developed on the
p art of most individuals an d in m any fields
of psychology th a t each p articular process of
understanding an d perceiving is the special
function of a particular p h ase of our mind or
body has limited our ability to perceive and
understand, w hereas if w e bring our whole
being to bear upon the process w e will be
able to expand our consciousness and under
standing of life as a whole. In this sense the
term extra-sensory perception has been
given a m eaning th a t is untrue. Before we
ever heard of th a t term or even before the
term telepathy w as ever used, it w as con
sidered th at hum an beings perceived through
their five senses and only through those five
senses. T h is fact is definitely contradicted
by the new concept of perception as a process

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of perceiving on the p a rt of the entire being.

In other w ords, w hen w e think w e are per
ceiving only through the physical senses we
are actually using other forces and abilities
of w hich w e are not aw are.
T elepathy, then, is not an isolated process
w hich can be used to see if you can remind
someone w ho has already left to bring home
som ething from the store, b u t it is a process
of our perception a t all times. W h ile we
think w e see o r hear something th a t brings
about the perception in our minds about the
object w hich causes the original sensation,
the fact is th a t w e see or hear only about
half of w hat brings about perception in our
minds. T h e m ost simple illustration o f this
fact is the notion picture. W h e n you enjoy
a motion picture you see continuity in motion,
b ut really w h at you see is a series of still
photographs one afte r another projected on
the screen. T h e question is, does y our eye
p u t this together a n d form a continuous mo
tion? Is it done in the mind or is there a
third factorthe factor of telepathy o r ex tra
sensory perception w hich causes a certain
coordination of w h at actually are no more
than sensations to the eyes and recorded in
consciousness as a continual process?
T h e field know n as extra-sensory percep
tion, if w e adopt this bro ad viewpoint, is
unlimited. In fact, it is the field of percep
tion itself an d raises the question w hether or
not there is such a thing as extra-sensory
perception and rath e r tends to convince us
th a t all perception, th a t is, all th a t w e are
able to learn, is the process by which man
continually becomes aw are of his environ
ment. T h e aw areness o f environm ent makes
possible the process of m ans adjustm ent to
environm ent and the greater ability he has
to draw upon the entire process of perception
and the intelligent use of reason in coordinat
ing his precepts makes possible a more and
more satisfactory adjustm ent to the condi
tions in which he lives. T herefore, the process
of perceiving the w orld is far greater than
the lim itations of any one sensory organ.
It is rather a combined process of the w ork
ing of m ans w hole being to coordinate his
sensory experiences and know ledge gained
w ith all that which is inherent in his soul.A

Page 135

C o u ra g e o f Y o u r C o n v ictio n s
A F ra te r states to this Forum: I love my
Rosicrucian studies. I have derived much
benefit from my membership. M em bers of
my family are continually abusive o f my in
terest and are dem anding th a t I cease my
membership, so this I m ust do. W h a t other
alternative is th ere for me?"
T h ere is a certain legal obligation which
w e ow e to members o f o u r im m ediate family,
such as husband, w ife, an d children. T h e
moral obligation m ust be kept alive by the
love and respect w hich is engendered within
us by our family. W h e n , b y their conduct,
members o f our fam ily extirpate th e bond of
love w hich should exist, w e are then free of
the obligation to respect them. N o member
of any family afte r attaining adulthood, is or
should be expected to subm erge his soulpersonality and its developm ent, as to cause
him to be divested o f his cultural interests,
in order to m aintain his domestic relations.
T h e family unit is intended to strengthen the
interests of the individual, b y exchange and
mutual support. A n y family w hich seeks to
deprive an y one o f its num ber of th a t to
which he as an individual is entitled, is m oral
ly and ethically w rong, and should be shown
no further consideration. It is am azing how
m any persons will let a false sense of obliga
tion to relatives, even the im m ediate family
members, adum brate their inherent hum an
rights. A person w ho seeks to prevent a n
other from pursuing his cultural interests an d
attaining further know ledge, for no other
reason than his b ig o try an d predjudice, is
like one w ho extinguishes a light in the room
so th at others m ay n ot see.
A sserting yourself, w here there is opposi
tion, is often adm ittedly not pleasant. T h ere
are ap t to be some harsh w ords, animosity,
and at least a tem porarily hostile environ
ment. A nything w orth-w hile requires some
sacrifice in life. F o r example, w e m ust sacri
fice com fort and recreation to earn a liveli
hood. A t times, w e m ust brave the elements
to reach a certain destination. W e often
must oppose great foreign m ilitary and politi
cal pressure, as a citizen, to m aintain our
national w ay of life. T herefore, if yo u r Rosi
crucian studies m ean anything to you, you
must also be a crusader. Since your member
ship, as a whole, is beneficial to you, and
further, since through it you can help others

Page 136

and the members of your family, you m ust

resist opposition, no m atter how close the
relationship w ith those w ho express their
prejudice. Y our ow n peace o f m ind under
such circum stances m ust not be taken into
considration. In fact, can you really have
peace of mind, if you know you are sup
pressing th a t w hich you rightly desire, and
w hich is beneficial, just because others resent
it, through ignorance.
T h ere is only one exception. If members
of your fam ily are prejudiced an d openly
oppose your membership, an d your persis
tence would w ork a hardship upon innocent
persons, nam ely, children in the household,
then an alternative m ust be resorted to.
U nder such circumstances, the following sug
gestions are offered. T o insure privacy of
your mail, have it sent to a P ost Office box,
w here only you m ay obtain it w hen you wish.
If you have no place a t home w h ere such
mail can be kept confidential, then arran g e
w ith a sym pathetic friend to keep your mem
bership mail a t his or her home. F o r stu d y
purposes, if it is not possible a t a local
A M O R C C h ap ter o r M inor Lodge, then use
the Public L ibrary. In th e library, once a
week, day o r evening, you will find th e quiet
and privacy to carefully read yo u r m ono
graphs and to make necessary notes in a
small notebook, which can be carried in
an inner pocket o r handbag. In this w ay,
you can keep abreast of the teachings.
Y ou will have the know ledge w hich they
contain for your daily use. A s for the
exercises and experiments, m any of them
can be conducted this Spring an d Sum
mer, in a public park, beneath a tree, along
side of a lake, o r on a bench overlooking a
meadow. O f course, you w ould n o t have a
formal sanctum , but on such occasions n a
ture w ould be your shrine. T o an y occasional
passerby, you would ap p ear to be either doz
ing o r resting, like any other person in the
park. In fact, however, you m ight be m edi
tating, o r in communion w ith the C ath ed ral
of the Soul.
Certainly, unjustifiable transgression of
your desire for know ledge and the Rosicru
cian teachings should be a challenge to your
initiative and sincerity. O ne w ho subm its to
the first pressure brought to b ear on him,
w ho does not seek a w ay out of his dilemma,
has a very passive membership interest. R e
member this, th a t w here the individual mem

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ber may have antagonism displayed tow ard

his membership affiliation by one of his
family, w hich m ay prove unpleasant, Rosi
crucian officers have had, an d continue to
have, considerably greater opposition brought
to b ear upon them. In m any countries in
E urope today, w hen a Rosicrucian officer be
comes know n as such, he faces torture, if he
does not disclose the identity of all members
o f the O rd er. A t best, his treatm ent is slow
death in a concentration camp. Even in this
country, during recent years, officers of
A M O R C w ho w ere responsible for the o r
ganization's progress, have been subjected to
attacks of crim inal conspiracy, resulting in
vilification of their character, intrique, and
the most abom inable persecution of them
selves and their families. T o discontinue all
of th a t these officers needed only to surrender
their principles a n d to abandon the O rd er
to its enemies. A fter all, these officers are
only human, an d they like to have their hap
piness an d peace of mind, b u t they would
not sacrifice all Rosicrucianism m eant to them
for their personal security. If they h ad not
m ade such sacrifices for the O rd e r in the
past, it would n o t be in existence today. Is
it too much, then, to ask the individual mem
ber to have th e courage of his convictions
and to make far less sacrifice to maintain his
individual membership?
N ever before in the w orld's history have
men an d women who have the courage of
their convictions been so greatly needed
everywhere. U n d er one subterfuge or an
other, for example, speakers before public
audiences are often acrimonious in their con
dem nation o f m ystical societies and philo
sophical orders. Sometimes these speakers
are in the hire o f religious or other groups
w ho are using them as instrum ents to attem pt
to suppress advanced thought, b y seeking to
p ut it in a ridiculous light. T o d ay , also, m any
persons, pressed into minor official capacity
by the needs o f government, are using the
powers delegated to them arbitrarily to assert
their personal prejudices. T h e audience often
knows little o f the facts, an d accepts the
rem arks of the speaker as authority. T his
dem ands th a t one who does know the facts
of the Rosicrucian O rder, for example, aqd
who knows w h at it is endeavoring to do,
w h at its motives and practices are, have the
courage to rise to his feet and challenge the
speaker. T h e speaker m ust be required to

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

substantiate as fa c t w hat he has said or else

retract his rem arks, in justice to the organi
zation which he has attacked, and in justice
to truth, w hich he has violated. N o o rganiza
tion is any stronger than the courage of its
members to defend it against an attack which
has no rectitude.X

N o Time to Study?
F ra tre s and Sorores of the Forum Circle,
permit me a few minutes to bring before you
a very serious situation or problem th at
threatens to jeopardize the progress of a
great m any o f our members and students.
M ore than ever in the history of our pres
ent active cycle do w e receive reports such
as this. E nclosed you will find my dues,
but will you please stop my m onographs.
T h e y are piling up on me for I have no time
to study. You see, I w ork in a defense plant
and hence am very busy these d ay s.
T h ese members are sincere in their desire
to belong to the O rd e r and support the m any
activities th at are m aintained for the benefit
of the general membership. H ow ever, it
seems difficult for them to set aside even one
hour a w eek for serious study of the w eekly
instructions.
W h e n for any reason a member does not
study his m onographs the officers and mem
bers of the staff are immediately concerned
for w e know th a t the member who does not
study is not receiving the benefits of member
ship th at he anticipated or th at w ere prom
ised him w hen his application was accepted.
W e of the staff are duty bound to do every
thing possible to encourage Rosicrucian mem
bers to study their m onographs and practice
their experim ents. A fter all, we are trying
to develop through the teachings of the
O rder, real Rosicrucians.
In practically all cases w e are succeeding.
H ow ever, there will alw ays be a few who,
for personal reasons, let their w eekly dis
courses stack up unopened and unstudied. In
a w ay this is unfair to the Supreme and
G rand Lodge officers and members of the
staff who exert their every effort to see that
the m onographs are mailed each week to all
active members. It is felt th at if each mem
ber could be present for a sufficient length
of time to note the trem endous effort neces
sary to the fulfillment of our obligations to

Page 137

our students, none w ould be inclined to ne

glect their obligation to study the m aterial
th at has been p rep ared for them.
F o r instance, w hen the average member
opens his m onograph and examines its con
tents he gives little thought to the effort th at
has gone into its preparation. H e reads p er
haps w ith interest and pleasure the inside
cover page y et gives no thought to the hours
and m ental th o u g h t expended in research
th at this concurrence would have meaning
and definite bearing upon the instructions for
the week.
W e , of course, realize th a t this is a n or
mal hum an w eakness; everyone is guilty of
i t T h e printer will examine a book not so
much w ith interest for its contents but rath er
with an eye for the w ork th at has gone into
the production of the volume. In other words,
how much effort w as expended to produce
the book and perhaps even its cost of pro
duction. T h e architect examines a new build
ing w ith an eye for b eauty and sym m etry of
design, the building contractor w ith an eye
for the tons of concrete and steel, the miles
of electrical pipe an d wire, the great quan
tity of w ater pipes and the thousands of
other things, including the man pow er that
w ent into the building construction. H ow
ever, these things will be of no concern to
the tenants of the building.
T h is same tho u g h t occurs in the p rep ara
tion of the stu d y m aterial prepared for our
members. M any, w ithout doubt, do ap p re
ciate the trem endous task being met by
A M O R C 's staff. W e have hundreds of let
ters in our files expressing appreciation for
the discourses and m agazines and the m an
ner in which they are prepared. O u r mem
bers w ho have so expressed themselves are
invariably good students. T h ey are so deeply
interested and desirous of developm ent that
they let nothing b u t em ergencies of a serious
natu re interfere w ith their sanctum night.
W e do not bring these things before you
w ith the thought of aggrandizem ent or a
desire to impress you w ith w h at the officers
do in behalf of the O rder, b u t rath er w ith
the thought th at some idea of the great effort
th at goes into the m onographs m ay tend to
stim ulate interest in them and inspire those
w ho do not stu d y as much as they should to
look w ith new light upon the real value to be
gained through a deep understanding of
Rosicrucianism.

Page 138

W e have said before and w e say again

th at the extent to w hich w e gain in life is
determ ined by the extent to w hich we exert
effort in living. If w e will b u t study and
apply Rosicrucianism in our daily living, we
will derive untold benefit from it. If w e do
not use it and live it, w e will soon lose
interest. W h e n w e lose interest w e will let
our m onographs pile up and will fail to hold
our sanctum periods each week.
T h e defense w orker today is handicapped
for often his environm ent is not conducive
to study. H ow ever, w e point o ut th at his
situation is far better than th at of the member
serving in the arm ed forces. T h e re are let
ters in our files from soldiers and sailors
a t home and over seas who have n au g h t but
praise for w hat they are gaining from their
Rosicrucian contact and the opportunities
they snatch during lull periods to study their
Rosicrucian lessons. Surely if these men can
keep up their studies, w e at home, even
though helping the w ar effort b y w ork in a
w ar plant, can set aside a t least one hour
a week to stu d y our w eekly monographs.
Insofar as other m aterial such as the R o sicrucian D igest and the Rosicrucian Forum is
concerned, the student has a full month to
read one an d two months for the other. S ure
ly everyone, regardless of how rushed or
busy he is, will find this much time to spare
in personal advancem ent through reading.
It is hoped th at these rem arks will be ac
cepted w ith the same spirit in which they
have been expressed here this morning, th at
is, merely a desire to help and encourage each
and every one to further developm ent through
a concentrated effort to maintain their Rosi
crucian habits and indulgences.

Pineal and Pituitary Glands

In a recent conversation w ith a member of
our Forum Circle th e discussion turned to
the im portant glands of the body. In com
menting upon the various functions of certain
glands and how they m ay be stim ulated
through mystical exercises w e w ere surprised
to learn th a t m any students of Rosicrucianism
are confused a t times, as to the distinction
between the pineal and pituitary glands.
T hese are the very im portant glands lo
cated in the head. It is very im portant to
have a definite understanding of their loca
tions. M any experim ents intended to stim u

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

late these glands are given in the Rosicrucian

m onographs. C ertain ones of the vowel
sounds are specifically intended to set these
glands into action. Since th e re is a definite
relationship betw een a particular gland and
a particular vow el sound it is im portant to
know w here the gland is located, how and
w hy it functions, and ju st w h a t effect the
sound will have upon the gland. T h e mono
graphs m ake these points quite clear. H o w
ever, there is such a fine distinction betw een
the pineal an d pituitary th a t it is easy to
appreciate confusion occurring in the mind
of the student.
R eferring to our m onographs an d other
stu d y material w e often find these glands
grouped together because their functions both
physiologically an d psychically are essential
ly the same. F o r instance, physiologically
each has to do w ith th e grow th and de
velopment of th e physical body. T h e y act
as regulators of various b ody functions such
as circulation of the blood, grow th of bones
and tissues, and the developm ent of sex and
emotional functions. O ccasionally a child
will be born into this w orld w ho will grow
and develop so rapidly th a t w hen he is four
teen o r fifteen years old h e will be seven or
eight feet tall. T h is condition is attributed
to abnorm al functioning o f the pituitary and
pineal glands. O ften th ere is the opposite
condition, th a t is to say, instead of a giant
w e will have one w ith a dw arfed body. T h is
too is the result of im proper functioning of
the pineal an d pitu itary glands.
Spiritually these glands function for the
same purpose. A s our m onographs explain,
they act as transform ers betw een the psychic
and the physical qualities of man. In other
w ords, they transform m ental impressions
from the inner m ind o r psychic body to the
o uter mind or physical body. W e call them
transform ers because their function in this
regard is very sim ilar to th e electrical in stru
m ent known as a transform er th at is used
to transfer energy from one circuit to another
w ithout direct connection. T h is is done by
w h at is know n as induction. T h e same
occurs w ith th o u g h t impulse which is energy.
A n impulse from the inner mind will be
induced upon th e outer mind b y transform er
action through the pineal and pituitary
glands.
W e often speak of m ans great sin and
b y this is m eant his failure to m aintain the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

high sensitivity of these im portant glands.

W e state th at they have atrophied through
nonusage. If, for a period of generations, w e
fail to use the arm s and hands, w ere this
possible, w e w ould eventually have offspring
w ithout hands and arm s other than perhaps
a grow th from the shoulders that w ould be
of no earthly use to us. T hroug h lack of
use we w ould lose these all-im portant parts
of our body. Physically w e have not lost
the use or benefit of the pineal and pituitary
glands. T h e y still function to regulate
grow th and developm ent of the physical
body. Psychically, w e have a different situa
tion. M an has for generations placed his
entire dependence upon the physical and as
a result he has lost much of his rightful
heritage. N ow it is necessary for him to try
to recover this through exercise, experiments,
and actual use of these psychic glands lo
cated in his head. Remember w hat our mono
graphs tell us about the development of the
pineal and pituitary bodies. T h ey cannot be
aw akened imm ediately but only through a
gradual norm al process. W ith some persons
it may take m any months, perhaps even
years. H ow ever, some will experience a
com paratively rapid grow th in possibly a
month or two. In any case, regular practice
of exercises pertaining directly to these
glands is essential for their development.
A s suggested in our opening rem arks, some
students are confused as to location of the
pineal and pituitary glands. T h e former is
a small object sim ilar in size and shape to
the soft palate in the throat. It is located
in the very center of the head. W e m ust
think of the head as a perfect sphere w ith
the pineal gland in its center. O u r symbol
of the circle w ith the dot in the center will
give you the idea. O r perhaps you will
better understand a golf ball w ith a small
round ball in the center which is the core
and then y ards o f thin rubber bands w ound
around the core ending eventually w ith the
h ard outer case. T h e inner core would repre
sent the pineal gland in the center of the
head.
T h e pituitary gland likewise is a very small
organ and is shaped similar to a green bean.
It too is located in the center of th e head
but w hereas the pineal is slightly above the
top of the ears the pituitary is about level
w ith the center of the ears and is just u n d er
neath the brain. You will notice th a t these

Page 139

two glands are closely located just as their

functions are closely related.
W e have m entioned th at the function of
these glands controls the grow th of the
physical body. T h is is especially true of the
pituitary. W h e n it is overactive w e have
rapid grow th o f bone and tissue. T h is gland
is most im portant to curative processes,
hence w hen treating through m ystical m eth
ods w e give particular attention to this gland.
Its function will help to produce reg en era
tion of w orn-out tissue. It will help to
eliminate and d estroy disease germs and
foreign m atter from the blood stream . W h e n
this gland fails in the case of a growing
child a dw arf-like body will result.
W h e n the pineal gland is developed above
normal in a child w e have w h at is term ed
a precocious child, b ut one who easily re
members m any of the impressions he gained
in a previous incarnation an d hence brings
them into his present objective consciousness.
Because o f this function of the pineal gland
and because in centuries past it w as so highly
developed in mystics, it has often been re
ferred to as the eye of the soul, o r another
term, the all-seeing eye. A lso in our own
w ork w e make m ention of the third eye.
W e sincerely hope th at our comments here
this morning will help any w ho are confused
regarding the location an d function o f the
pineal and p ituitary glands. Remember the
most im portant points are specific location of
each, general function of both, an d the
special o r particular function of the individual
psychic gland.
R e callin g P a s t E x p erien ces
F ratres and Sorores o f the Forum Circle,
I w onder how m any of you h ave noticed in
your visits w ith y o u r fellow students, the
extrem e difference to be found in individuals
an d personalities. T h is difference is occasion
ally b rought o u t forcefully w hen discussing
the Rosicrucian teachings an d w h at the stu
dent is seeking through his membership in
the O rder.
In one sense w e are all alike. T h a t is to
say, fundam entally w e seek the same things.
Peace of mind an d happiness through an
understanding of ourselves and our relation
ship to the Cosmic scheme, probably sums
up the essence o f w h a t w e seek. B ut as w e
progress through the degrees we find a

Page 140

special interest for this or th at or the other

thing. "A ll too frequently w e lose sight en
tirely of the fundam ental purpose of our
study an d investigation.
T o explain w h at w e have reference to let
us refer to a letter from a member in the
E ast w ho comments upon the benefit of his
investigations into previous incarnations.
F irst this F ra te r speaks of his talks w ith
Other members of the O rder. H e relates,
sketchily, rem arks and comments th a t have
been m ade to C hapter meetings an d else
w here b y students w ho are ap p aren tly side
tracked from th e true purpose of their studies.
F o r instance, he speaks of one such mem
ber w ho in the early degrees experienced
contact w ith the p ast th a t caused him to p re
sume th at in a form er incarnation he w as a
very impressive personality, w ho h ad a great
deal to do w ith the making of the history of
a certain E uropean pow er. N ow there is
nothing w rong w ith an experience o f this
kind in and b y itself. But all too often
w hether the student is right o r w rong, in his
know ledge an d belief, such an experience will
tend to lead him into channels of thought
w here he constantly lives in the past, forget
ting all about the im portance of the present.
T h in k a m om ent of how easy it is to fall
into a com plete state of retrospection. T h ese
experiences w ith a p ast life are truly interest
ing an d different from anything th a t w e ex
perience during o u r present earthly existence.
Reverting into the past is like reading a page
from ancient history, b u t the difference is
th a t w e bring ourselves,back into the present
w ith greater ease after reading a page from
history than w e do from the psychic ex
perience, because this latter is entirely per
sonal and m eans far more to us th an simply
reading o f th e exploits and experiences of
others.
W ith this thought you can see the danger
of too much living in the past." N o w we
do not mean to discourage these experim ents
in reincarnation by our rem arks this morning,
far from it. In the first place, experience is
the best teacher, hence w e learn from ex
perience. E ven in our present life w e profit
b y our experiences. T herefore if last year
or the year before w e entered into an enter
prise th at b rought us to grief, w e remember
it w ell and w e will not m ake th e sam e mis
take this year. C onstantly we d raw upon our
previous experiences for our present actions.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T h e more experiences w e have and can re

member the b etter equipped w e are to cope
w ith our present problems. N ow if through
memory or, in other w ords, recalling to mem
ory o f our p a st experiences, pleasant or
otherw ise, w e constantly live in the past, we
let life in the p resen t pass us by.
T herefore, o u r F ra ter o f whom w e speak
this morning points o u t th e fallacy o f con
stan tly thinking o f o ur experiences in a p re
vious incarnation. T h o se w ho are m ost guilty
of this are the ones w ho believe themselves to
be the reincarnation o f some famous per
sonality. W e h av e all m et such people and
in m ost cases w e find their entire conversa
tion, in fact th eir w hole lives, overshadow ed
by the one dom inating thought. I w as Cleo
p atra in a p a st incarnation" or in the past
I w as a great E g yptian king." T h ese are
not ju st gross exaggerations, F ratres and
Sorores; m any of you have met students who
are in such states of mind.
N ow the point our F ra te r w ishes to bring
out is th at the past, w hether it be in this
life o r a previous one, is extrem ely valuable
to us if w e refer to it w hen in need o f know l
edge for a p resen t-d ay action or decision.
W ith reference to the p ast we know how
to act now. F u rth er, w e have an opportunity
to m easure our grow th, our spiritual develop
ment. W e do th e same thing even w ithout
know ledge of a p a st incarnation. W e can
recall ourselves as w e w ere ten, fifteen, or
tw enty years ag o and make a com parison as
w e see ourselves today. W e find, for in
stance, th a t w e have either progressed m en
tally an d spiritually or perhaps in some cases
we have retrogressed. Still in other cases w e
m ay be a t a standstill w ithout an appreciable
degree of change.
T h e w hole essence of w h at o u r F ra ter de
sires to bring forth is th a t w e use o ur experi
ments into reincarnation for the purpose of
continued developm ent in our present earth
ly existence. C om pare ourselves as w e are
now w ith w h at w e find in a former life on
earth. E x ten d o ur memories of p ast experi
ences back through the ages, not ju st the
years, and profit in this present life b y the
form er experiences. O u r F ra ter is, indeed,
giving careful th o u g h t to his Rosicrucian
studies. H e is analyzing them well an d we
are sure th at he will derive a great deal of
know ledge from his experim ents w ith rein
carnation.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

E x p erim e n ts A g ain
It seems th a t this is an ever popular sub
ject to our Forum members and other stu
dents, for w eek after week, m onth after
month w e receive questions and requests for
further instructions or more suggestions for
improving results. H ere is a typical sta te
m ent from a stu d en t member and Forum
reader. I d o n 't know if I am different from
everybody else, b u t again you seem to expect
immediate results w ith an experim ent."
T his frater is referring to one of the
fundam ental exercises given in the lower de
grees of study. It is, concentrating upon the
parts of the body and a t the same time
holding ithe breath. W e are not going to
take your time this morning repeating the
value o f this experim ent or even adm onishing
you to keep a t <it day after day. W e have
mentioned it so often in our Forum talks of
the past th a t to m any it is probably proving
a bore.
U sing it as an example of all typical
exercises, how ever, w e w ish to point o ut to
our F ra ter and all others w ho think likewise
th at the officers and staff members do not
expect im m ediate results w ith an y of the
exercises. If the m onographs seem to imply
as much w e are sorry, for it is n ot so in
tended. In fact, the instructions attem pt to
impress the stu d en t w ith the im portance of
constant practice to insure not only perfec
tion but some definite indication of progress
in this work.
W e have stated time and time again th at
the experim ents are only a means to an end.
H ow ever, they have a dual purpose. F irst
they develop the glands and nervous system
of the body to such a high degree th at the
student is objectively sensitive to all subtle
vibrations of the inner self. Such a close re
lationship betw een the inner and outer quali
ties of man is extrem ely vital to a high degree
of success in the practical application of m ys
tical science.
T h e vibratory nature of the inner being is
so extrem ely high in frequency that the aver
age person is never aw are of it through the
physical or outer sensations. Rosicrucin
students do, how ever, sensitize the outer b e
ing through exercises to such an extent th at
he has an aw areness of w h at is going on
within. T his contact w ith the inner sensa
tions is often referred to as an extension of

Page 141

the perceptions because we begin to perceive

conditions out an d beyond o u r immediate sur
roundings or objective w orld. F or example,
clairaudience an d clairvoyance are terms
given to the ability to hear and see psychical
ly, as it w ere. In o th er w ords, certain vibra
tions from the inner being th a t are transferred
to the objective consciousness register as
sensations of sound. O th ers affect the sense
of sight an d w e say w e h ear or see p sy
chically.
T h e most common physical sensation to
spiritual vibrations is th a t of touch. M any
are conscious o f feeling vibrations" while
others experience through th e sense of smell
and taste. You will recall m any experim ents
in which w e test o u r grow th an d developm ent
by consciously extending the perceptions th at
we m ay have certain definite sensations
through the five physical senses.
T h e other im portant functions of the ex
perim ents is a dem onstration of laws, prin
ciples, an d theories expounded in our mono
graphs. In other w ords, the experim ents
given in the instruction are o f a natu re as
to prove these teachings to the skeptical stu
dent. N ow this purpose is no different than
any experim ent th a t m ay accom pany a law
or principle.
In subjects of science, for example, a
theory o r hypothesis is given an d an experi
ment follows to prove it. In an y m undane
subject expounded in o u r schools to our chil
dren the rules and principles are given, fol
lowed by examples and experim ents to test
and prove the rules. W e deem the exercises
very im portant for this if for no o th er reason.
W e do n ot w ish anyone to accept a theory
w ithout having the o p p ortunity to dem on
strate and prove it for himself. T h is w ould
not be fair to the Rosicrucian student or fair
to our teachings.
If ever any Rosicrucian is challenged by
an outsider as to th e authenticity of any
Rosicrucian principle of w hich he m ay have
come into contact, w e w an t the Rosicrucian
to be in a position to defend, by personal
first-hand know ledge, obtained through ex
perim ent and experience, th a t theory or law
under question.
W e m ust alw ays rem em ber th at w e grow
through practice. T h e language stu d en t who
learns a foreign language will soon loose it
if he has no o p p ortunity to speak it a t least
for a few minutes every day. W e have known

Page 142

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

persons in foreign lands who could read and

w rite E nglish but w ho w ould not d are a t
tem pt to converse because of lack of practice.
So like in all things practice leads to per
fection in the Rosicrucian work. W e can
not expect imm ediate results w ith the experi
ments any more than w e can expect one
seeing a piano for the first time to sit dow n
and play a concerto; it ju st cannot be done.
W e urge everyone once again to have
courage and faith in th e final outcome of
their efforts and to remember th a t the more
proficient you become, the m ore you will
seek proficiency. It will, therefore, be diffi
cult for you to m easure your development
w ithout retrospection, th a t is, going back
mentally to the days w hen results w ith early
exercises seemed to elude you.

T he H um an Side
T h ere is an old aphorism , G old is w here
you find it." Such m ay not be true fact,
w here the precious m etal is concerned, but
it is so w here interest and know ledge is con
cerned. O u r interests, to a great extent, are
closely allied w ith our talents. W h a t con
stitutes our 'talents is rath e r a debatable ques
tion. W e m ay presum e that a talen t is a
certain coordinating of o u r emotions and our
reason, w ith an innate sensitivity of a faculty.
T h e brain, w e know, has its association areas,
and these areas consist of a m atrix of neurons
or brain cells. T hese regions are related to
certain faculties, such as visual an d auditory
perception, imagination, memory, m athe
matics, esthetic tastes, th a t is, art, music, et
cetera. A special developm ent of o n e of these
areas, perhaps the result of heredity, or just
of birth, makes us particularly responsive to
all experiences which are related to it. P e r
haps because of its development w e can more
easily coordinate our m uscular an d other
powers to further its functioning.
T his special sensitivity produces pleasure
w henever w e experience anything w hich
gratifies it. C onsequently w e find enjoym ent
in the exercise of our talents. If w e are so
fortunate as to be endow ed w ith talents, it
will alw ays be found th a t our dom inant in
terests are principally related to them. T h e
sensitivity does not alw ays result in profi
ciency. A great lover of music m ay not be
a great musician. A lover of a rt m ay not be
an artist. H e may, however, long to create

in th at realm. In such a case, coordination

between the execution an d the sensitivity is
lacking. W h e n this sensitivity does exist,
the individual is very fortunate because he is
assured of a never-ending interest. H e never
finds enough time to g ratify all of its phases.
H ow ever, there are millions of other people
w ho do not necessarily have a deficiency in
these association areas, b u t rath er no one of
them is dom inant as a talent. C onsequently
their interests are balanced, and may even
mitigate each other, to the extent th at one
may often find himself bored, or undecided
as to w h at interest to pursue. Such a person
is very ap t to become an extrovert because
there is no impelling, inherent urge in one
direction. H e m ust be moved by something
w ithout, w hich will command his attention.
Such a person is ap t to let himself get into
that frame of mind w here he virtually w aits
for som ething to strike him forcefully, to
shake him loose from his lethargy. You know
of such persons in your own family or circle
of friends. W h e n th e d a y s labors are done,
they come home, relieved only th at the w ork
for the d ay is completed. T h e home hours
hold no other pleasant prospect for them.
T h ey switch on th e radio, as they slump by
the hour in a chair, listening to one program
after another. T h en , finally, in disgust they
switch it off. N e x t they glance a t the even
ing paper and throw th a t down. T h en they
pace the floor or w alk around the block.
T h eir lack of m ental gratification and occu
pation of the consciousness w ith diversified
interests irritates them, and they become
irascible. T h e y are also supercritical of w h at
others do an d think. Psychologically, they
are caused to envy the com parative peace of
mind and enjoym ent w hich others have in
interests of talents, or those they have cul
tivated. T h ese u nfortunate persons m ust be
taught that, like gold, interests are w here
you find them. T h e y m ust cultivate interests,
and this is accom plished by conscientious ob
servation and analysis of the things of their
environm ent. P erhaps much a t which they
look w ith this in view, a t first, will not in
trigue them. Eventually, however, some act,
some object, or some function of nature will
particularly appeal to their mental charac
teristics.
A llow me to cite such an example. A man
w as an assistan t statistician, employed b y a
large corporation. H e h ad no particular in

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

terests, not even m athem atics, which w as an

essential of his work. H is w ork w as a mere
means of a livelihood. H e had a ten-year-old
son. T h e father, a t night after dinner, was
distracted by th e natural jubilance of his son,
and w as ever hushing the lad. H is wife, a
cultured woman, had m any interests which
occupied her time. T his the husband envied,
and chided her for neglecting him, which she
did not. She w ould have been happy to have
him enter into her interests, o r to join him in
his, if he had any. O ne Spring evening, in
desperation a t his own ennui, he decided to
w alk about th e block. A pproaching an em pty
lot, he heard several youthful voices. W a lk
ing over, he found several boys playing sol
dier. Some had toy guns, which had been
purchased, and others had guns crudely
fashioned out of wood. A s is common am ong
children, th e privileged ones w ere chiding the
others for their crude toys. O ne o f the chil
dren not favored w ith a m anufactured toy
w as his ow n son. T h e father asked to ex
amine one of the m anufactured toy sub
m achine guns. H e m ade a rough sketch of
it, and returned home to his back porch. In
a few hours he had produced a model tommy
gun from scraps of w ood and tin, which
brought forth great adm iration and happi
ness to his son. T h e boy then brought about
other lads to see his fath ers discovered
handicraft, and these boys pleaded w ith the
man to make toys of a sim ilar n ature for
them. E ach of their requests w as a challenge
to his new ly-developed skill. Tim e flew by.
H e had found happiness in an interest which
had come from observation.
O th er men have fought off boredom and
found happiness and know ledge in a study
of wild life. Such interests are often stim u
lants of latent talents. T h ey arouse emotions
th at make us gentle, considerate, and u nder
standing. M en who once had no thought
about the unnecessary butchery of animals
w hich m asquerades under the title of sport,"
have become, because of little experiences in
their lives, not only benefactors to animals,
but authorities on their w ays and habits, and
have found a great outlet for their energies,
as well as fascinating interest. O thers, be
cause of equally simple incidents, and a d e
veloped love for animals, have cultivated the
a rt of w riting, by sheer effort to have others
experience th e same feelings tow ard animals.
In connection w ith this, I wish to quote a

Page 143

letter from a F ra te r w ho is a Corporal in

the Royal C an ad ian A ir Force, stationed in
C anada. It is ab o u t a deer th a t now has the
run of their air station. In this example, an
interest in an anim al has b rought forth a
simple and beautiful flow of w ords, describ
ing th e life o f this pet. T h e F ra ter says:
It will m ake me very hap p y to acquaint
you w ith our D eer Lady, know n as Kuw ana,
w ho w as found b y a cook, an d w as carried
to our station mess.
It is taken for gran ted th a t some of our
men w ho are equipped w ith rifles are re
sponsible for her being left an orphan.
N evertheless, our noble cook took on the
responsibility of being K uw anas foster
parent, and by fitting a nipple over a beer
bottle, he m anaged to keep her little body
and soul to g eth er w ith canned milk, till she
flourished into a fullgrow n specimen. It w as
decided by some o f the officers th at she
should return to her n atu ral w ild life and was
taken on tw o or th ree occasions to some dis
tan t point on th e Island. But K uw ana knew
nothing of her w ild life and alw ays returned
a little the w orse for the experience. Finally,
with the coming o f ano th er Com m anding O f
ficer, K uw ana w as p u t on strength w ith full
privileges of an A irm an.
It w ould do y o u r h eart good to see her
w andering th ro u g h the various buildings on
the station, w ith all the dignity of a queen.
She is n atu rally m ore interested in the can
teen and the mess halls, and in some in
stances w aves h er dignity aside by indulging
in a bottle o f beer th a t is placed in the side
of her cheek an d m anages it w ith the ease
of an experienced imbiber.
W e also have the com pany of two
spaniels, one red an d one black, and a sheep
dog we call R ags, w ho is a mass of dirty
gray wool, an d has by far a most developed
personality. T h e three of them sometimes
take after K uw ana and anyone not familiar
with their playful antics w ould fear for Ku
w ana fleeing in terror, as she climbs some
steep cliff that seems impossible even for her
lithesome self to ascend, only to come down
charging, striking ait her pursuers w ith her
forefoot w ith the accuracy of a boxer. A fter
the rumpus, the little canines come to lick
her nose, as much as to say, W e sure had a
lot of fun, d id n t w e? "

She Learned the

Secrets of the
Great Physician

The Art of Absent Healing

She had a family, a number of duties in other words, a very full life. She could not
be aware of every little pitfall in the way of health, so inevitably would come the result,
serious illness. Competent professional care, lengthy treatment, and the admonition to
"LET NATURE DO THE REST" would finally restore health. Once, after recovery, it
dawned on her in a flash. This mysterious something of nature was THE CREATIVE LIFE
FORCE that pulsated in every cell of her being. It was truly THE GREAT PHYSICIAN.
But why was it always shrouded in mystery? What was its true secret? She now knew why
physicians had never explained it to her. It was outside the realm of the laboratory or
the test tube. Its curative power came from the depths of the inner being. Each person
could direct this subtle force himselfif he only knew how.
Her interest brought her to the portals of the Rosicrucians. There she learned the se
crets of the Great Physician, the rational principles of self-healing.
You, too, may know something of these Rosicrucian principles of absent healing. The
secret healing principles of the Rosicrucians are given to members in proper sequence in
their studies. However, so that you may have the advantage of a summary of this knowl
edge in advance, there has been prepared for you a brochure entitled, "The Art of
Absent Healing." It is extremely helpful. It will be mailed to you for only 20 cents,
postage paid. It is a golden gem for Rosicrucian students, no matter what degree of
the studies they are in. Order a copy today.

THE

Rosicrucian Supply Bureau

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A.

T his book w ill be sen t only to

R osicruciaiis. Single copies O fW
m ailed anyw here, o nly .......

P R IN T E D

IN

U. S. A.

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

cv
ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM
A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,
THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER
Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U .S . Postal Act of Oct. 3, 1917.

Vol. XIV

JUNE, 1944

No. 6

PASSER-BY
You wore rags
And I wore velvet,
Passer-by.
Something in your stride
(Mingled humility and pride)
Made me turn to search your face.
I found the sum of yearning
And a quiet grace.
And in a space short as breath
I knew you to be at home
With flowers, with birds,
With children and with God.
You smiled;
I saw suns that never set,
Somehow felt strangely blest.
Now I go my way confused.
Who wore the velvet,
You or I,
Passer-by?
Anon.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

Page 146

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ear Fratres and Sorores:
T o d ay the term soul m ates has an oppro
brium attached to it, because frequently in
the past it has been associated w ith immoral
and licentious practices. Individuals and cults
have often tried to justify certain sexual
prom iscuity by explaining th a t they w ere in
spired to such conduct by their soul mates.
T h e general theory of the soul m ate is,
first, that there are souls which have a natural
affin ity for each other. T h is implies th a t in
the Cosmic scheme of things, there are some
souls which are insufficient, and th a t the ab
sent qualities are inherent in some other one.
T hus, for example, if the attributes of a soul
are A and B, one soul m ight be half complete
by just having A, the necessary B element
being resident in some other incomplete soul.
Consequently, A w ould be constantly seeking
B, and, conversely, B seeking A. T h is pre
sumes that souls A and B could not expect to
find happiness except through their unity, for
neither would be complete w ithout the other.
T h e soul mate, then, is not conceived just
as one who is merely compatible, or another
whose interests are mutual. C onsequently,
the influence of a soul mate, it is thought, can
be exerted, even though one does n ot actually
know the personality concerned. T herefore,
in the second place, such a believer thinks
th at somewhere in existence is the other half
of his personality or entity, aw aiting him. In
other w ords, sym pathetically, there is a nexus
between them, w hereby one is inclined to acts
which are often beyond his control. If one
does something which is not in accord w ith
good comport, he might excuse him self b y
saying it is the influence of his soul m ate
the random p art of himself. T h e theory holds
further th a t the tw o personalities o r soul m ates
those seeking each o th erdo n ot neces
sarily know the o ther's w hereabouts. A lso
they are often thought to be unable even to
visualize the appearance of each other.
T h e idea develops in this m anner. O n e has
a strange desire which cannot be defined, nor
satisfied by association w ith others, an d
which continually arises w ithin him. H e seeks

everyw here for its gratification. H e then con

ceives th a t he m ight eventually come across
a person, who, though objectively m ight not
be especially appealing, y et w ould have a
personality w hich w ould provide the de
ficiency in his own; in other words, the miss
ing element, th e soul mate. It is quite ap
paren t th at the subliminal urges which all
hum ans have an d w hich are a p art of every
norm al personality are often attributed by
unthinking persons to the stimulus or provo
cation of a soul mate.
Such a person may idealize his impulses.
H e visualizes them as a hum an form of the
opposite sex, an d begins seeking for such an
im aginary personage. T h e result is often a
series of offenses against public morals. F in d
ing some person w ho conforms to his ideal,
he derives a sensual pleasure for a time by
being in their presence. T h e object of his
strange affection may often have no such af
finity for him an d may become em barrassed
and annoyed b y the unw anted attention.
This, in itself, should be sufficient proof th at
the object of attention is not a soul mate, in
the sense conceived. Q uite frequently the
seeker for a soul mate is one w ho is already
married, thus his misconception complicates
the lives of several persons, and may bring
mortification or h u rt to the wife, or husband,
as the case may be.
W h a t is basically w rong, from a mystical
point of view, w ith the theory of soul mates?
Souls are not a substance, in the sense th at
they are composed o f a variety o f elements
like a chemical property. T h e soul of man is
the Divine Consciousness, the U niversal
M ind, which perm eates all men alike,* in other
w ords, exists everyw here. In essence, thus,
the soul is the same in all people. T h e soul
can therefore never be incomplete or insuf
ficient in anyone. T h e soul either is in the
fullness of its nature, or it is not a t all. T here
is no difference in the souls o f m en. T h ere
is only a difference in the personalities of
men. T h e personality is the consciousness of
the D ivine w hich w e h av eth e personal re
alization of the soul force w ithin us. T o the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

extent th at we are conscious of the Divine

Essence w ithin us, w e m anifest the ego, the
real self. T h e more one abides by the Divine
inclinations of the soul, the more the person
ality evolves, the more spiritual it becomes; in
other w ords, the more in accord w ith the soul.
T h e inner consciousness is like a mirror. In
it is reflected the Divine Essence of our being
soul. T h e more w e unfold this conscious
ness, the more w e aw aken it, the more w e
resort to it, the less obscure it becomes. T h e
clearer the mirror, the more definite the re
flection of the personality of the soul. T h e
more, therefore, w e see the soul w ithin us,
the more w e know our true nature. T h e more
of an ideal it becomes, the more w e are in
spired to conform to it. T herefore, the de
velopment of the soul-personality is purely a
personal achievem ent and an inner function.
W e are not required to assimilate from w ith
out any other elements*or soul m atesto
complete our spiritual nature.
It may be asked, does not polarity enter
into this matter? A re not men basically posi
tive, in contrast to women, w ho are basically
negative? T herefore, does not a man need
to seek the opposite polarity? Is he not in
complete w ithout it? T his duality of polarity
is limited to the biological constituency of
man. It is not related to the soul. P erhaps in
its early beginnings, mankind may have been
androgynous (bisexual). T h u s, biologically,
reproduction w as possible w ithin the same
organism , as it is even today in certain simple
living things. T h e subsequent division has
accounted for the polarity of sex and sex a t
traction. T h e soul, however, alw ays has the
same polarity. It is positive for both men
and women. T h u s, there is no such condition
as a positive soul seeking a negative one, or
vice versa. T h e soul in both men and women
is positive, in contrast to the material aspect
of the human, the body, w hich is negative.
So w e can see th a t any postulation of the
polarity attraction of souls is not consistent
with mystical principles and laws, and can
not be used to support the conception of soul
mates.
Some believers are psychologically abnor
mal, due to physical causes, such as glandular
deficiencies or excesses. T h e y experience
urges, sensations, and stimuli, which exceed
those of the norm al person, or a t least are
quite different. N orm al living interests and
associations leave such persons unsatisfied or

Page 147

frustrated. T h e y do not realize th at the cause

rests entirely w ithin themselves. Everyone
with whom they associate becomes depress
ing to them, and inadequate, insofar as w hat
they consider necessary to their well being.
C onsequently they are eventually inclined,
m any of them, to the belief th a t w h at they
seek in a personality o r hum an association is
resident in just one p erso n in a soul which
is their particular m ate, a being w hich pos
sibly can provide th a t which they cannot
obtain elsewhere. T h e y seek continually for
this illusion. Since it cannot be found, they
are further convinced th a t the qualities exist
in just one particular soul, accounting for the
difficulty in locating it.
T h e fact th a t a m an and w oman m ay have
much in common, an d enjoy each others as
sociations more th an th a t of any others whom
they know, is no proof of the soul mate
theory. E very hum an has likes. T h e condi
tion, the thing, or person th at satisfies them is
preferred. H appiness will be an outgrow th
of such m utual likes. T h is does not mean
that the souls of each w ere incomplete and
w ere united b y the attraction of their missing
elements. Such persons could find their same
enjoym ent in the com panionship of others
whose interests an d dispositions w ere the
same. T h e developm ent of the soul personali
ties of individuals m ay reach similar stages
sim ultaneously. C onsequently, the ideals and
com prehensions of such persons become sym
pathetic and alike, w hen they meet they are
draw n together through these common fac
tors, not because of an y attraction betw een
themselves. O nly w hen they have known
each other, have been in the presence of each
other, or have com municated ideas to each
other, does this m utual attraction exist. F u r
ther, this does not m ean th a t it w as Cosmically ordained th a t th ey should have similar
ideas or th a t they w ould be draw n to each
other.
If it w ould be presum ed th at each person
has a soul mate, all hum anity, then, would
be seeking ju st the o th er p art o f itself. C on
sequently, each p erso n s interests would be
bound up entirely in one other personality.
People, then, w ould n o t have any collective
interests. Affinity w ould be limited to just
one person for each of us. H um an enterprise,
collective achievem ent and sacrifice, w ould
end. It m ust also be remembered th at each
year of our existence, our spiritual urges and

Page 148

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

inclinations change, due to environm ent, as

sociations, education, training, etc. If there
w ere a specific soul m ate for each of us,
necessary to complete us, to round out our
being, then the factors of environm ent and
education w ould not affect us, because we
would rem ain unchanged and incomplete, un
til we united w ith a soul mate. B ut w e know
differently. E ven those w ho cling to the
theory of a soul m ate will have to adm it th at
their conception of a soul m ate today, is en
tirely different than it w as in their youth,
show ing th a t training and the influence of
environm ent have affected their urges, their
interests, and ideals. A ny existing soul m ate
that came into being w ith them, or even a
few years later, w ould certainly n ot have an y
thing in common w ith them now. T h e soul
mate idea m ay make a rom antic theory, b ut
it is not sound logically. It is not realistic.
It doesnt conform to mystical principles, and,
in m any respects, those w ho cling to it are
not altogether normal.
F raternally,
R A L P H M . L E W IS ,
lm peratov.

The Reincarnation Cycle

A frater refers to one of the neophyte
m onographs in which is m entioned the 144
year cycle w hich is the average, theoretically,
believed to exist between reincarnations an d
the general fact that has grown from ex
perience and observation th at each incarna
tion is readily divisible into cycles of ap
proxim ately seven years each. T h e F ra te r
asks a question th a t since 144 is n ot divisible
by seven, how does the seven year cycle of
development fit intp the 144 year life cycle?
In other w ords, w hy should not the intended
reincarnation cycle be either 140 or 147
years and thereby divisible into exact units of
the seven y ear cycle?
O n e answ er to this question is th a t certain
facts exist w hether or not they are in con
form ity w ith the consistency of our thinking.
In other w ords, to the best of our know ledge
and belief, these cycles w hich w e m ust a l
w ays consider as average and approxim ate
are as they are and not as we w ould w an t
them to be o r imagine th at they should be
theoretically. W h e th e r or not they fit in our

reasoning is n ot going to change them any

more than we can lengthen the d ay or night
by w h at we m ight particularly wish. In other
words, accept the theory of the length of
these cycles as truth th at exists, and if they
cannot be reconciled to our hum an reasoning
their validity is none the less questionable.
T h e second p a rt of the answ er to the ques
tion involved the fact th a t o ur m easurem ent
of time is purely m an-m ade an d it is very
crude. M an has been unable to divide the
period th a t it takes the earth to move around
the sun into (properly equal and divisible
periods of time. W e have divided it into a
period of 36534 days, and to make up for the
quarter of a d ay we have to ad d an entire
day to a y ear every four years to have it
come out right, or else in the course of a
hundred years o r more w e w ould have the
seasons reversed insofar as our present calen
dar is concerned, which, incidentally, w ould
not change the seasons but w ould change
only the names o f the months w hich we have
assigned to certain p arts of the y ear in re
lationship to the season th a t occurred a t th at
time. In other w ords, w h at this all means is
th at the y ear o r an y other period of time
upon which man has decided is a m an-m ade
affair and ju st how long an y cycle estab
lished as a p a rt of the creative forces in
the universe established by G od actually is
no one knows. If w e ad ap t our u n d erstan d
ing of life an d incarnation cycles to the
calendar th a t man has adopted to use as a
m easurem ent of w h at he is conscious o f as
time, w e find th a t the average is the 144
years for the incarnation cycle and seveny ear units of the life cycle itself. In other
w ords, these cycles are attem pts to reconcile
our m an-m ade m easurem ents as near as pos
sible to the facts th a t exist. If the cycles
v ary in term s of our years th a t does not in
any w ay make invalid the principles which
lie behind the cycles themselves. In every
thing w e do w e m ust alw ays bear in mind
th a t w e are m easuring various distances an d
time in terms o f our understanding. T h e
calendar of m easurem ent used by primitive
man seems very crude to us, b u t if man
continues to develop a know ledge and un d er
standing our existing m easurem ents will seem
equally crude to a highly developed race
that will exist in the future. K now ledge of
the fundam ental law s an d less egoism on the
p art of man to hold w h at he has established

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

or decided upon as correct will increase the

rapidity w ith w hich we become more aw are
of the true m eaning of the fundam ental laws
them selves.A

A re Psychic Experiences Real?

F ratres and Sorores, there is a tendency
on the p art of some of the students, whom
w e occasionally contact, to belittle and under
rate all that pertains to the psychic. O f
course, m any of us, in our enthusiasm , are
at times guilty of violating a very im portant
adm onishment, that is, to keep sacred our
experiences into the psychic realm. T his is
very im portant as I am going to try to point
out or emphasize. F or this purpose let us
construct a hypothetical case.
F ra ter Brown from an eastern city comes
to an annual C onvention at Rosicrucian Park.
D uring the course of the Convention W e e k
he makes the acquaintance of F ra ter Smith
from Seattle. N ow both of these good F ratres
are enthusiastic students of Rosicrucianism.
but F rater Brown has been especially suc
cessful in his exercises and experiments.
Both gentlemen are in the upper degrees of
study. H ow ever, Brown is more advanced
in certain aspects of the work.
F ra ter Smith, on the other hand, is of a
materialistic nature. H e has gone through
college, taking a science course and is rath er
expert in his know ledge of scientific facts
as they are taught in the textbook. H e has
a tendency to accept nothing th at cannot be
dem onstrated physically in public and ex
plained by tangible, m aterial things effective
upon the five physical senses of m an's ma
terial being.
F ra ter Brown has had the pleasure of
glimpses into the psychic realm. H e has felt
definite vibrating conditions at times during
his sanctum work. H e has enjoyed some
progress in psychic projection and sensing
through the psychic sense of sight the pres
ence of others in his sanctum. F ra ter Smith
has not had such a m arked degree of success
in psychic m atters. H e derives his enjoym ent
from Rosicrucianism from the scholarly dis
courses an d logical explanations of scientific
laws and principles th at w ere not w holly
explained to him w hen he w as in college.
H e occasionally hears stories about psychic
experiences, but pays little attention to them.

Page 149

N ow as I have stated, these fratres meet

for the first time w hile attending a Rosicru
cian Convention. F o r a reason neither can
quite understand th ey become very friendly
and in the course of events and conversation
they find themselves referring to their Rosi
crucian studies frequently in their casual
chats on the P ark lawns. O n one such oc
casion F ra ter Brown becomes rath er intimate
and launches into a very enthusiastic story of
a psychic experience of which he is the
recipient. In other w ords, he relates in de
tail events occurring during the reception of
a psychic projection w hile experim enting in
his sanctum. Because of his feeling of friend
liness for Brown, F ra te r Smith listens w ith
courteous attention, b u t w hen the story is
over Smith proceeds to tell Brown th at he
has never had such experiences and that
frankly he does not believe in them. H e is
very positive in his adm onishm ent and w arn
ing that such stuff will send you to the
sanitarium o r psychopathic w ard ." H e as
sures Brown th at through certain forms of
self-hypnosis Brown could bring about con
ditions of a m ental n atu re th a t w ould cause
him to think th at certain things occurred but
th at actually they never happen to one such
as himself w ho is a good loyal student b ut
one with his feet firmly on the ground."
W ell, w e can certainly appreciate how
F rater Brown feels by now. N ever before
has he had an y doubt about his experiences,
but then he realizes th at Smith is a pretty
sm art man and has learned a lot from his
study of science and w ork in various interest
ing fields w here a science background is a
necessity. F ra ter Brow n turns these thoughts
over and over in his mind seeking the answ er
which just does not seem to come to him. In
his desperation he seeks an interview w ith an
officer o f the O rder. It is only after this in
terview th at F ra ter B row n realizes th a t he is
actually the one on the right track after all.
T h is F rater vows once again never to reveal
to another those personal intim ate experi
ences that have becom e so much a p art o f his
life. H e finally realizes how right the mono
graphs are in w arning the member to keep
his experiences strictly to himself, guarding
them as closely as he w ould his most sacred
possession.
W h a t of F ra te r Smith? Is he ever
straightened out in his reasoning? Sometimes
he is but often not. H e continues to go about

Page 150

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

telling others th a t psychic experiences are all

figments of the imagination; just the result
of a condition brought on by lack of u n d er
standing of the m onographs; just poppycock
and w ithout sound foundation.
Perm it us to say now that F ra ter Smith
or anyone else w ith such an idea is w rong,
sadly w rong. Psychic experiences are just
as real, just as im portant and full of m eaning
as anything th at has ever occurred to one in
a fully conscious w ide-aw ake state of being.
T h e student member w ho has these experi
ences need not be concerned. W e hope the
new members w ith such happiness in store
for him will not be sidetracked and thus be
deprived of the rightful fruit of his R osicru
cian studies by the F ra te r Smith th at he
may perchance contact during the course of
his journey along the path of mystical
philosophy.
A re W e D u al?
A Soror in the M iddle W e s t b rought up a
problem w hich I think will prove to be of in
terest to this F orum . T his Soror is associated
w ith a large university. Consequently, she
moves in academic circles. In such circles
one will find intelligence, on the one hand,
and education, on the other, and rath e r fre
quently w e find the happy combination of
both intelligence and education. A lso in such
circles, one will often experience sophistry.
T h e pernicious disputation of such Sophists
is often confusing, as well as disquieting.
T h e Soror m entions th a t certain persons w ith
such sophistic trends of mind have challenged
the doctrine of duality, in connection w ith the
Rosicrucian teachings. T h ey take the posi
tion th at th e duality of m ans being is the cen
tral doctrine of Rosicrucianism. T h e y con
tend further th a t if it can be shown th a t man
is not a dual being, if, for instance, he is not
material and spiritual, then all of the super
structure of the teachings based upon such
a doctrine m ust necessarily fall o f its ow n
weight.
T h ey argue th a t the concept o f duality is
purely a psychological product. It is th e re
sult of m ans perceiving different extrem es
in n ature and im agining them to be separate
realities. F o r example, it is adm ittedly quite
difficult for the average man to think of d ark
ness as being merely the gradual lessening of

light. T o him, darkness has all of the posi

tive qualities of light. D arkness is the op
posite of light, yes, b u t the average man
thinks it ju st as actual a state. In fact, try
to convince him otherwise. Likewise, these
Sophists contend th at the p ast an d the future
are not actual states, b u t rath er functions of
the consciousness, and th a t the present, the
immediate, is all th at exists. H ow ever, they
further contend, it is m ost difficult to get
those not philosophically-m inded to adm it
th at past and future are not actualities. It is
easier for the mind, they say, to conceive
things out of the variation of the ideas which
it has, even if those things do not exist in
fact, than to account for, or to explain the
m inds notions. T h en they continue b y say
ing th at most men will agree th a t it is simpler
and less confusing to believe th a t rest, or
inertia is as real a condition as m otion. It
is difficult to understan d th a t a car parked
at the curb is relatively in motion the same
as the one speeding dow n the highw ay, only
that its motion is im perceptibly less. So they
erroneously accept rest as an absolute state.
Now , the Sophists continue, man experi
ences a variety of states of his own integrated
being. H e sees his limbs an d those organs
which are externally visible. H e has certain
other auditory and tactile sensations w hich
he can trace to his b ody and the w orld in
which it moves. T h e physical o r material is
very definitely a p art of his consciousness.
It is not ju st a reality to him, b u t he seems
to perceive it as an actuality. M o st men never
doubt th a t the cause of w h at they experience
might be quite different. T hen, further, in
their reflective an d m editative moods, they
also experience certain imm anent phenom ena,
the voice of conscience, for example. T h e y
are capable o f idealism an d aspiration, con
triteness, compassion, an d reverence. T h ese
are intangible qualities. T h e y are not like the
pain th at can be traced to a burn, o r a
pleasurable taste th a t can be associated w ith
some food being eaten. T h e y are quite m ys
terious. All they have realized is th a t they
emerge from the depths o f o n es being. T h ey
are intim ately a p art of man; in fact, even
more intim ate th an the body itself. O bvious
ly, then, these sensations of self become as
another entity, th e ego, if you will. F o r the
interim o f life it appears th a t this ego is
united w ith th e body. C onsequently, the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 151

duality of hum ans is accepted by most men,

because of these conditions, which most of
them do not analyze. In their conduct and
living, men react to each of these separately.
T h e inner being is given m any nam essoul,
astral body, psychic self, ego, etc. T o con
stantly make a separation betw een the m a
terial, on the one hand, and the spiritual or
psychic self, on the other, is thus a concession
erroneously m ade to an illusion, the Sophists
conclude.

they are separate to me. Certainly, for

analogy, in living I m ust take into considera
tion the visual realization of darkness. In
actuality, as previously said, darkness is only
th e absence of light, and has no existence of
its own. H ow ever, I could not deny the effect
of darkness, even if it is an illusion. I have
to carry a lantern a t night. I have to light
my home. W h e th e r darkness is o r is not, I
m ust adm it it has an effect upon my life, and
govern myself accordingly.

Such sound argum ent, much of w hich is

true, does not entirely dispose of the subject.
W h e th e r 'the duality of man is fact, is im
material, insofar as our daily living is con
cerned. W e live in accordance w ith our
ability to ad ju st and ad a p t ourselves to our
experiences. If, on the one hand, I experience
a m aterial aspect of my being, which I call
the somatic self or body, and w hich I cannot
remove, then I m ust cope w ith it. P erhaps
my body doesnt exist as I realize it. In all
probability it does not. It is only the discern
ment by my physical senses of the vibra
tions of the atoms, w hich gives me the men
tal picture I have of the form of my body.
H ow ever, I have to carry this m ental picture
around in my consciousness daily. I cannot
rid myself of it. It is the constant effect of
some causes. If I w ere to deny it, I would
suffer great distress, so w hether the body is
such as I conceive it or not, a t least I m ust
recognize it. T h e same applies to the psychic
functions of my being, call them soul or the
innate processes of the body, o r w hatever
you will. T h e y are a series o f sensations
which constitute a very definite p art o f my
conscious state. T h ese sensations of self are
so unlike those w hich I attribute to my body
th at I am obliged to react to their functioning.

Likewise, then, our answ er to the Sophists

m ust be, w hether o r not man is distinctly
dual in the sense th a t his body and its func
tions are separate actualities from the soul,
is not the m ost vital concern of Rosicrucians.
W h a t is, is serving each o f these aspects of
our being properly, in the light of our ex
perience of them. W e live b y w h at w e realize,
not by w h at things m ay b e.X

T h ese dual aspects either exist entirely in

my mind, or as an effect of some oth er causes.
W h e th e r these aspects are integrated and of
just one source, in other w ords, w hether they
are the result of the nervous systems, brain
an d glands is not of imm ediate import. W h a t
is, is th a t I m ust recognize these aspects of
myself. W h y should I argue w hether the
duality of my being, body and self are sep
a ra te actualities o r just aspects of one inte
grated system, such as different functions of
the sam e consciousness. In effect, they ap
pear as separate, and in living I am obliged
to trea t each aspect differently, so in practice

Is Radio A Cultural Influence?

T his question is raised by a Soror who
recently commented in some correspondence
regarding w hat she believed to be certain
detrim ental effects o f the average radio p ro
gram. I believe th a t the S oror w as possibly
a little too severe in her criticism, b u t w hen
she pointed o ut th a t in her family there are
children in their form ative years spending
m any of their idle hours, particularly in the
early evening, listening to h o rro r mysteries
and certain types of suggestive program s
which have to do w ith sex questions th a t
would not have been perm itted a num ber of
years ago, she felt the influence w as detri
m ental rath er than good, and w ondered if a
time w ould not come w hen radio program s
w ould be censored to a greater extent than
they are a t th e present time.
M any people upon reading this criticism
will know from experience th a t similar criti
cism has been directed ag ain st alm ost every
thing th a t has ever been b ro u g h t into exis
tence. M ost o f us can remember very well
th at motion pictures produced, particularly in
the 1920s, were, according to m any critics,
going to ruin th e rest of m ankind and there
w ould be no hope for the younger generation.
T h e most am using p art o f this is th a t th e
y ounger generation o f the 1920s are now
the fathers and m others o f the 1940s w ho
are criticizing the very thing in some types

Page 152

of entertainm ent today that their parents and

elders criticized tw enty or more years ago.
W e can find similar illustrations through
m an's history w here each generation has felt
very much the necessity of saving the exist
ing younger generation from the serious con
sequences th at w ere taking place at th a t time.
T his, however, is not a complete answer.
In the early 30's a very im portant step w as
taken in the proper censorship and regulation
of m any motion pictures. T h e motion picture
industry took a p a rt in directing the policies
th a t would produce entertainm ent o f instruc
tive and educational value and a b etter type
of motion picture resulted as a general rule.
T h e same steps, if they are to be to every
one's advantage, will have to be taken b y the
radio industry regardless o f w hether o r n o t
there are moral, ethical, o r such implications
resulting from th e type o f m any rad io p ro
grams now being aired. If the radio industry
itself does not m ake necessary changes, these
changes will be forced upon them b y the
listening public.
All changes will not be necessary from a
moral o r ethical point of view. T h e changes
th a t w ould improve the radio w ould b e to
eliminate considerable nuisance value. H ow
m any of us enjoy the so-called sh o rts" th a t
are now so prevalent on the radio? O n every
station betw een program s o r in the midst of
program s comes a thirty-second o r onem inute transcription, m any of w hich have
become so ridiculous as to insult the intelli
gence o f the listener. Y et, from the adver
tising point of view, these must be appealing
to a lot o f people or they would not be m ain
tained because the advertiser is not spending
money unless he is getting certain results.
W h e th e r or not th e radio is a cultural in
fluence, however, is not to be decided upon
these tw o or three items. C ertainly the radio
has the potentialities of being the greatest
cultural interest in the form of communica
tion th at man has ever devised. Some time
ago w hile being som ew hat indisposed, and
for w ant of something else to do, I h ad the
opportunity to listen to the radio constantly
throughout the day. I will agree w ith those
w ho criticize certain program s as n o t being
conducive to healthy living, particularly in
consideration of younger people w ho are
very easily influenced by th e antics o f crimi
nals, or super beings th at can w ithstand an y

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

thing th a t happens to exist in their environ

ment. I w as annoyed an d y et a t th e same
time am used b y the various short commer
cials th a t w ere interspersed between p ro
grams a t fifteen minute or half-hour inter
vals. D uring the course of th at day my
experience w as th a t b etter than half o f the
total time w as given to subject m atter which
w as constructive, and not only w as the sub
ject m atter itself constructive b u t it w as pre
sented by individuals w ho are authorities in
their fields. T h is does not mean th a t I w as
interested in every program . N evertheless,
the m aterial presented upon certain subjects
w as authoritative and w orthy of the listener's
attention. M an y of the program s during the
day w ere devoted to m atters w hich m any
housewives w ould find valuable. M an y com
m entaries upon new s w ere given in a sincere,
conscientious interpretation of the day's
events by professional reporters an d corres
pondents in a m anner easily understandable
by the average person.
A great deal o f this time also w as devoted
to music, both popular and classical, well
presented and meeting every taste and in
terest so th a t no o n e w ho listened could have
claimed it lacked value. I think w e are safe
in saying th a t radio as it exists today is a
definite cultural influence. Like m any other
things which are com paratively new, it is
being exploited w here the results are ques
tionable. T h ere are also phases w hich are
not the most highly desirable, particularly to
children and young people, b u t all in all I b e
lieve that most of us w ould not w an t to see
radio seriously curtailed and so limited th a t
we would not have the contributions now
made by large commercial firms w ho spend
enormous sums of money in presenting pro
grams to advertise their products. W e who
feel th a t this cultural advantage exists an d
th at there is room for im provement should
take upon ourselves the responsibility o f sup
porting advertisers w ho present a w orth-w hile
program on the radio. A s stated above, no
advertiser is going to present a program to
which he thinks no one listens. H e, in fact,
spends considerable sums o f m oney in de
term ining the size of his listening audience.
T herefore, if a program appeals to you, if
it is instructive, wholesome, entertaining, and
a good influence in y o u r home, you have the
right and the op p o rtu n ity to w rite your ap

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

proval of such a program by a short note,

not an elaborate letter. If the concern or
individual who makes -this program possible
provides a product which you can use, you
can give your support through the use of
th a t product.
If every intelligent thinking person in this
country would follow such a line o f action
then only the b etter class program s w ould be
supported, and they alone w ould be the only
ones economically possible from the stan d
point of th e advertiser.A

Did Slaves Build the G reat Pyramid?

A Soror of the M iddle W e s t addresses
this F orum . She says: Recently I heard a
man, who w as addressing a large gathering,
say th a t the P yram id w as built b y slave
labor. I w ould like to ask the Forum if there
is any authority for th e current belief th a t
slave labor w as used on the G reat Pyram id.
W o u ld the designers of the G reat Seal of
the U nited S tates have used, as a symbol of
our nation, a thing built by slave labor, th a t
is, labor used to satisfy self-aggrandizem ent
or selfishness? I can understand th at it could
have been conscripted labor, as th e y a re now
using conscripted labor.
Slavery did exist in E gypt, just as its many
variations exist in o u r enlightened (?) times.
T h e genius that planned the G reat Pyram id
and had it em body the know ledge which men
then possessed o f astronom y, mathem atics,
architecture, physics, et cetera, perhaps had
no other labor available. In all probability,
some of the artisans and craftsm en who
w orked upon its most intricate construction,
under the direction of its m ystery school de
signers, w ere slaves. In E gypt, a t the time,
there w ere num erous classes o f slaves, some
of whom w ere only technically such. It w as
the custom in the ancient w orld (and even
today) for w arring nations to enslave their
captive w arriors and much o f th e populace
of the defeated nation. T h ese persons w ere
im ported into the land of th e victor. T h ey
w ere either put to w ork on great projects
for the Pharaoh, or sold to nobles. T h ere
is no doubt about it th a t during the hate and
passion of such w ars, just as now, captive
prisoners w ere much abused. P erhaps it w as
retaliation for the indignities they h ad pre
viously imposed upon their victors.

Page 153

M any w ere m utilated or killed outright. I

have seen inscribed on the w alls of a pharaoh's palace, row s of bas-relief figures of
Asiatics chained together. Some bore metal
collars about their necks, through w hich
chains w ere looped, so th a t the entire number
w ere chained together. O th ers h ad their
arm s tied behind their backs a t the elbows.
Still others had their arms crossed and tied
to their thighs. A ll slaves did n o t fare so
badly. T h o se w ho h ad skill, w ho w ere arti
sans, w ere given a chance to practice their
trad e on the estate of th e noble to whom
they w ere sold, an d m any of them prospered.
T h ey often reared families and won promi
nence in the community. Slaves in the p er
sonal service of Ram eses III, for example,
w ere largely natives of Syria, A sia M inor,
and Libya. E arm an, noted Egyptologist, tells
us: T h ey proved very useful and gained
high office in state an d a t the c o u r t T h ey
became personal atten d an ts, and, in fact, the
nam e for this class of slaves, w hen translated,
is equivalent to our w ord butler. T h e y could
take p art in much o f the social life o f the
period, though th ey very seldom gained free
dom in the sense th a t they could be inde
pendent in their choice of livelihood or
domain.
T h ere w ere in E g y p t num erous serfs who
w ere little b etter th an slaves, an d m any of
them w ere economically w orse off. T h e y
w ere bound to larg e estates of th e nobles,
unless they could purchase their release by
means of the p ittance they received for their
labors. T h eir principal com pensation w as a
small share in w h a t they raised in grain,
fruit, and vegetables. A ll of this w as usually
required for their very sustenance. It does
not mean th a t th e y w ere alto g eth er unhappy,
for they w ere cared for and m any had certain
enjoym ents. T h en , again, if they h ad been
absolutely free, th ey w ould have perhaps
fared little better. W ith no resources a t their
disposal to p urchase an y lands o f their own,
they w ould have h ad to bid in the open m ar
ket against serfs an d slaves, for the hire of
their labor.
In some respects these slaves an d serfs of
ancient E g y p t w ere com paratively in no
w orse condition th a n th e free man in our ow n
country fifty years ago. H e w as free, yes,
free to move about w herever he w anted, and
to starve unless he h ad land or a special

Page 154

trade for w hich there w as a dem and. T h e

masses of such free men w orked long hours in
dirty, ill-lighted mills o r factories, breathing
foul air. T h eir pay w as so little, as to con
tribute to m alnutrition and its consequent
maladies. A ctually, they w ere slaves to the
economic system of the day, w ith no hope of
freeing themselves from it. T h e y h ad the
personal satisfaction, w hich m ust n ot have
been very gratifying, of calling themselves
free m en. It is conditions w hich m ake slavery,
not mere titles or political creeds. T h ere
are various kinds of bondage. M a n y men
are slaves, even in a democracy, b u t do not
realize it.
In the time of the building of the G reat
Pyram id, m ost all common or unskilled labor
w as composed of slaves and serfs. T o some
extent it also consisted of free men, w hose
status, like m any in Europe before an d since
the present W o rld W a r, w as n o t an y better
than slaves. H erodotus, ancient G reek his
torian, inform s us th a t it required 100,000
men tw enty years to build the G re at P y ra
mid during K hufus reign. T h e great design
ers and builders had to use w hat w as avail
able. T h ere w as no other labor. T h e men
may have been compelled to do the w ork,
could not escape from it perhaps, ju st as men
are conscripted to do m any things today,
much of w hich is perhaps not of their will or
liking. T h e re is no indication th a t such men
w ere more abused or m istreated th an w ere
w orkers elsew here in E gypt. In norm al times,
the slaves and serfs w ere well cared for.
D uring great periods of drought an d famine,
they suffered first and most. O n the other
hand, do not our less privileged classes suf
fer first, most, and longest during o ur eco
nomical depressions?
T h e foregoing is by no means intended as
a panegyric for slavery. It does m ean to em
phasize, how ever, th a t the use o f slave and
serf labor to build the G reat P yram id in the
time in w hich it w as constructed is no reflec
tion upon the morals or the high principles of
its designers. Remember, th a t in the w orld's
history, the abolition of slavery is rath e r a
new custom, and one th at most certainly, in
our so-called advanced times, is still n o t uni
versally prevalent.X

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Can the N um ber of Souls Increase?

A soror from M issouri arises to address
our Forum. She says: T h e age-old subject
againreincarnation. T h e birth rate has been
increasing the last few years, an d I have also
noticed th a t some days the boys are in the
majority; o th er days there are about the same
number of girls as boys. N ow , w h at I have
been w ondering is m any men are going
through transition daily on the battlefields of
war, an d no doubt these men have not ful
filled their mission in life. T h ey have been
called aw ay w hile they w ere still physically
able to keep body and soul together. Be
cause of this sudden and unnecessary change
in their vibrations, could not the Cosmic make
an exception to the rule of 144 years from
birth to birth, an d because of certain in
fluences w hich cause the women o f today to
conceive more readily, perm it those souls to
reincarnate afte r only a short time in the C o s
mic realm? If this is not a fact, then w hy all
over the w orld are so m any souls reincarnat
ing a t this time, while some years back the
birth rate w as diminishing, or have there a l
w ays been times w hen the souls ready to take
up their abode in the m aterial body w ere
many and other times there w ere few?"
T h e point w hich the soror is expounding
is : If a soul m ust reside on the Cosmic plane
the difference betw een the age a t death and
144 y ea rsth e Cosmic cyclehow can there
suddenly be an influx of souls? T h is con
fusion often arises. It is engendered by the
belief th at a limited num ber of soul-personalities are possible. Consequently, it w ould then
seem th at there could be no more births than
there are souls to enter bodies. O n the other
hand, w hen now, and as occurred m any times
in the past, there is a sudden increase in the
birth rate, does it mean the 144-year Cosmic
cycle of rebirth has been suspended, or al
tered in some w ay. In other w ords, does it
mean th at a num ber of soul-personalities are
not obliged to rem ain on the Cosmic plane
their full allotted period? N atu rally if such a
condition as the arb itrary suspension of Cos
mic laws could exist, it w ould cause chaos,
because all Cosmic principles are interrelated
arid constitute a whole. D isengaging one
would affect all, like removing a cog from a
delicately balanced and adjusted clock. F u r
thermore, man w ould have no real norm by

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

which to guide himself. If* on the one hand,

we are to learn Cosmic principles, by the
know ledge of w hich w e are supposed to stabi
lize our lives and become m asterful, and, on
the other hand, such Cosmic laws are revoked
at times or tem porarily suspended, w e would
indeed be helpless. T h e situation w ould be
come so insuperable th a t man w ould be in
constant fear of life.
Let us be assured, however, th a t the 144year cycle is not suspended. T h e misconcep
tion exists in the belief th a t there is a limited
num ber of soul-personalities possible. T h e
soul essence w hich perm eates all is an d must
be infinite, since it is of the Divine M ind. It
can have no qualitative or quantitative limi
tations. It is, for analogy, like a bottom less
pool of w ater w hich will fill any num ber of
vessels w hich are provided. Some portion of
the w ater m ay be filled in vessels over and
over again. Such is com parable to the soulpersonalities w hich incarnate. O th er portions
may be confined in vessels for the first time.
If, in the Cosmic order, m any lives a t a cer
tain time must have certain similar experi
ences an d then be w ithdraw n from the world,
the Cosmic m ay com pensate for this by al
lowing for the physiological and psychologi
cal factors w hich increase the birth rate.
T hese bodies contain additional soul-personalities. T hey, however, m ust not be called
new souls, because the soul essence w ithin
them is not new. Such essence is continuous
and ageless. W h a t is new is the expression
of the soul, the personality w hich it m anifests
in the body. T o resort again to the analogy
of a limitless pool of w ater, w hen a new clay
vessel (a body) is m ade to hold w ater from
the pool, the w ater it contains for the first
time is not new, only the receptacle an d the
appearance of the w ater is new. F o r rea
sons not com prehensible to m ankind, it m ay
be necessary often, in the passing of w hat
w e call time, for there to be more or few er
soul-personalities on earth. W h e n more are
needed, additional bodies are created for the
soul force to flow through, and to m anifest
as personalities. W h e n few er are needed, no
more bodies are created than there are rein
carnating soul-personalities. C onsequently,
w hen these soul-personalities eventually a t
tain perfection, they are draw n perm anently
into the Cosmic Soul and never reincarnate.
T h u s there are fewer soul-personalities on

Page 155

earth. T h is process can and often does di

minish the w orld population.
T h e soror says th a t the thousands of men
w hose lives on earth have been suddenly tru n
cated have not fulfilled their missions in life.
P erhaps not the missions which they con
ceived as their end, but in the Cosmic sense,
they m ay have fulfilled their missions, even
though their transition occurred w hen they
w ere quite young. It m ay be th at they w ere
intended to experience this horrible suffering
an d reincarnate en masse approxim ately at
the same time, according to the 144-year
period, to influence the w orld history of to
morrow. T h e personality w e have evolved,
the state of perfection w e have attained is a
determ ining factor in the selection of the
body in w hich our soul-personality will re
side in the next incarnation. A body, in su r
roundings an d of parents best suited to fur
ther our enlightenm ent, is the one our soulpersonality will enter in its n ext incarnation.
T h e Cosmic plan, however, provides th at
there shall be m any additional soul-personali
ties a t different times in the w orld's history,
to serve a purpose. It m ay be th at in the
W isdom of the Cosmic there should be m any
soul-personalities beginning their evolution in
life sim ultaneously, so as to effect a certain
condition.
W ill these additional soul-personalities
now being born be crude, elementary, and
primitive, since it w ill be their first incarna
tion? T h ey w ould be, except for the fact
th at they are born in a time w here environ
mental conditions are advanced enough to
evolve them in one incarnation equal to sev
eral incarnations in another less favorable
period in the w orld's history. F o r example, a
soul expressing its personality for the first
time in ancient Babylon w ould at the time
of its transition still be quite crude and lack
ing in any degree of enlightenm ent. T h e soul
expressing its personality for the first time
today, in m ost lands, due to the cultural ad
vantages of our time, can become much more
evolved in one incarnation. T h ere is a reason
for this. M an y of the superstitions, fears and
practices w hich terrorized the minds o f the
past, and which prevented mystical introver
sion and contem plation of self, have been
abolished. T herefore, the acceleration of the
developm ent of the soul-personality, under
ordinary conditions today, is much more rapid

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 156

than in the past. T hese souls expressing their

personalities for the first time, the result of
the great increase in birth rate, will not neces
sarily be prim itive.X
G o d a n d D estin y
N ow a frater of the M idw estern S tates ad
dresses our F orum . H e says: Religion, our
O rder, and other schools of philosophy teach
us th at G od ordained our destiny. W ith o u t
the will of G od, not a hair on our head can
bend and nothing can happen, if it is n ot H is
will, o r not according to H is laws. T h en these
teachings further say th a t man is a free agent
and man has his own will to make his own
destiny. T h e re seems to be an inconsistency
in these teachings, which I have tried to have
clergymen explain, and they could not.
N ow , in our teachings I find this same sh o rt
coming. T h ere can just be one truth. E ither
G od makes our destiny and w e cannot escape
from it, or G od created something less per
fect than himself and H e does not care now
w hat happens to this creation. I have thought
deeply and often about this, and I think it
is of sufficient interest to all of our fratres
and sorores, to w arran t a discussion in the
Forum/*
It is agreed th a t to most religions the y a rd
stick of rationalism cannot be applied. T h e
facts of experience and of scientific analysis
w ould prove m ost religious dogmas and their
hagiography false. C enturies ago, the early
C hristian C hurch w as confronted w ith this
circumstance. Gnosticism w as attacking its
dogma and placing the church in a com
promising position. Reason w as consistent
with common experience. It could cite ex
amples, w hich most men had to accept as
being self-evident. T h e church had sought to
meet this encroachm ent p art w ay, by accept
ing the philosophy and doctrines of A ristotle.
T h a t philosopher's explanations o f phenom e
na w ere still considered the acme of rational
ism, even though he had lived nearly 2000
years before. T his change on the p art of
the church encouraged individual thought, in
quiry, and analysis, insofar as Aristotelianism
was concerned. Rationalism w as stim ulated
after the long period of intellectual starvation
to which it had been subjected by the church.
Instead of the individual thinking and sta y
ing w ithin the m ental courtyard the church
had provided, namely, the doctrines of A ris

totle, he becam e encouraged to go afield.

T h e very analytical m ethods and logic of
A ristotelianism w ere applied against the
church itself. T h e church then could no
longer stifle intellectual freedom, and if it
had perm itted it to continue, unrestrained,
C hristian theology w ould have been torn to
shreds by the barbs of reason. It w as the
Church F ath er, T hom as A quinas, who
shrew dly saved the church. H e proclaimed
that reason should be accepted an d the facts
of experience relied upon, insofar as they are
concerned w ith tem poral m atters and nature.
W h e re G od an d the D ivine w ere concerned,
the finite reasoning of man w as considered
too variable and not capable of perceiving
the truth. T heology w as thereby m ade to
transcend reason. T h e Divine truths could
only be known through revelation. T h e bibli
cal revelations w ere the au th o rity for Divine
truth, an d faith in such authority m ust be
established. T h is principle has prevailed even
to the present. O n e is expected to have just
faith in theology. Reason is supposed to be
directed only tow ard the phenom ena of n a
ture and the affairs of men, insofar as the
church is concerned. T herefore, the incon
sistencies in religion, w hich the frater has dis
covered and w hich he has mentioned, con
tinue, and are m ost ap p aren t to every thinker.
H owever, these inconsistencies do not ap
ply to the Rosicrucian teachings. I greatly
disagree w ith the frater th a t the Rosicrucian
teachings proclaim th at G od ordained our
destiny." W e have never asked Rosicrucian
members merely to have faith in our doc
trines. In fact, one of our precepts is, w e
never know a thing until w e experience it."
F urther, through our teachings, w e have in
troduced innum erable exercises an d experi
ments w hereby the student member m ay dem
onstrate the statem ents made, realize them as
facts of experience. O n e of the ideals, the
objectives of Rosicrucianism is, the m astery
of life." Even the introductory book which
we send to inquirers is so nam ed. O bviously
one cannot be a master if he is compelled by
an external force, over w hich he has no con
trol, or to w hich he cannot appeal, o r from
which there can be no deviation in any sense.
W h y learn the laws of health, the rules of
mental creating, how to evolve consciousness,
remove habits, strengthen will, etc., as Rosi
crucians do, if w e are told or w e m ust b e
lieve th at in every respect, even in our tem

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

poral affairs, the course of our lives is pre

ordained for us. W h y w ould men be given
reason, the ability to judge their perceptions
and to make decisions on courses of action
to be followed, if their life w as a fixed fate?
W h y , in fact, w ould men have an innate
moral sense, a personal notion of right and
w rong, if, regardless, they w ere to be percipitated in a single direction?
N o, F rater, the w hole structure of the Rosi
crucian teachings opposes the doctrine of
fatalism and the subm erging of will. W e say,
as Rosicrucians, th a t a Divine M ind or G od
has established a system of development, a
body of laws, if you choose to call them such,
and which we call the C osm ic. M an is
no exception to them, in th a t he cannot escape
these laws. T o be independent of the Cosmic,
free in the absolute sense, something w ould
have to be self-created and ap art from all
other beings, w hich is impossible.
H ow ever, these laws of the Cosmic have
perm itted man a self-consciousness, a means
by which the D ivine becomes aw are of itself.
W h e n man, as a m anifestation of the Cosmic,
can perceive its operation, realize the func
tioning of the Divine, then the Divine is
aw are of itself. In fact, one of the philoso
phers has said, In man, G od has self-con
sciousness." W h e n w e are aw are of the
Cosmic and its m anifestations, morally, men
tally, and m aterially, we learn of its progres
sion. W e can, through will, of w hich w e are
capable, direct th a t our actions coordinate
with these laws of nature, or conflict w ith
them. T his conflict is a negative aspect of
the Cosmic progression, w hich brings about
devolution, a change of form. W e well know
that if w e oppose the law s of health, we
bring about the dissolution of our physical
existence, though not the destruction of the
m atter of which w e are composed.
W h y have w e been given will, by which
w e m ay even seek to conflict w ith the Cosmic
order? If w e w ere w ithout will, w e could only
experience the progression of the Cosmic, its
positive aspect. Consequently, its harm ony,
its m agnitude w ould not be appreciated b y
us, for no contrast w ould be known to us.
F or analogy, a person w ho is alw ays in the
light, and a light of certain intensity, w ould
have little regard for its import. O n ly w hen
that light diminishes in intensity w ould he
realize how much it h ad been contributing
to his w elfare. T herefore, by having will, the

Page 157

pow er o f volition, w e can choose to deviate

from the positive ord er of the Cosmic. W h e n
w e do so, w e eventually, through p ertu rb a
tion and m isfortune, realize our mistake. T h is
creates w ithin us a reverence and devotion
for Cosmic principles. T h u s w e are m ade to
love the Divine.
O nly as man loves the Divine does the D i
vine realize itself an d its ow n goodness. T h e
D ivine cycle is complete w hen the positive
goodness of creation, th a t which comes out
of the mind of God, returns to it, is reflected
to it in the spiritual urges and in the rever
ence which man has for it. It is like an arrow
shot o u t into space, w hich returns again to
the bow. If all th a t is is not just a mere
mechanical system, b u t is of a mind, a con
sciousness, then th a t mind or consciousness
must experience a gratification, a love. T h e
love of G od is m anifest in m ans love of Him.
T his love of man for the D ivine can only
exist because of hum an will. It is choice
which makes preference possible, an d prefer
ence is desire, and the love of the good is an
exalted desire in man, which he could not
have w ithout will. O n the other hand, this
free will of man is n o t absolute. It has its
limitations. W e are so constituted th at we
cannot escape Cosmic law. W e cannot be
divorced from the w hole order of nature, no
m atter how much w e choose. O u r free
agency, then, consists only in being able
either to conform to the Cosmic as w e p er
ceive it, or refuse to do so, and therefore,
sacrifices our w ell-being. T hus, I repeat, our
freedom is only relative, at the m ost.X

H ave You Unused Books?

In June, 1939, the Rosicrucian Research
L ibrary w as dedicated. T h e beautiful and
useful building includes several classrooms,
a biology laboratory, an d the library proper.
T h e library w as begun w ith a w ell-chosen
collection of authoritative books in the vari
ous arts, sciences, m etaphysics, philosophy,
and Rosicrucianism. T h e library is used by
visiting members, students of the R ose-Croix
U niversity, the faculty of the U niversity, and
the staff of A M O R C . It is also used to p ro
vide d istant m em bers, w herever they reside,
w ith specific answ ers to their questions.
T h e library has grow n to m any thousands
of volumes. Books for it have been garnered
from every corner of the w orld. M an y are

Page 158

rare and out of print. In some subjects, the

library is the most complete in the state. In
its operation, it conforms to the latest library
methods of filing and indexing. In appear
ance and in its facilities, it is most modern.
W e are proud to say th a t different college
and university classes in the vicinity, whose
students are em bryo librarians, visit the Rosicrucian Research L ibrary, to examine it as a
modern, specialized library.
W ith the growth of the Rosicrucian O rd er
and the Rose-Croix U niversity, the useful
ness of a research and reference library be
comes more and more apparent. A s much
as funds permit, w e ad d to the library by
purchases. H ow ever, m any books w e need
are not obtainable from the usual sources.
F urther, our supply of books from abroad
is necessarily limited because of the w ar.
T h ere is, however, the possibility th at you
have in your garret, basem ent, or on a shelf
or in some trunk, alm ost forgotten books
which the Rosicrucian R esearch L ibrary could
use. If you will contribute such books, you
will not merely be putting them upon the
shelves of the library, you will be putting
useful and needed inform ation into the pos
session of m any minds throughout the years.
Remember, th a t thousands of members who
may never, because of circumstances, be able
to actually enter our R esearch Library, will
nevertheless benefit from it. A ccording to a
plan which we adopted in 1939, these mem
bers, perhaps yourself, can ask questions
about unusual m atters of interest and benefit
to them, which our library staff will answ er
from the material at its disposal.
A t this particular time, w e are in need of
rare books by certain authors. H ere are the
ones desired in particular: A ny books by
Gerald M a ssey; W . Y. E v a n s -W e n tz ,
Thom as Taylor; E dw ards Carpenter; E . A .
W allis Budge; R u fu s M . Jones, A . E . Powell;
and Thom as Jefferson. T h e book Balthasar
by A. V an der N aillen. F urther, if you have
any other books on Rosicrucianism (not those
which w e publish), m etaphysics, philosophy,
occultism, history, art, literature, music, or
science, which are readable and for w hich
you have no further use, w e invite you to
kindly contribute them . If you frequently re
fer to such books, of course, do n o t sacrifice
them. If, however, you are not using them,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

we w ould indeed appreciate them for the

cultural and hum anitarian reasons cited
above.
Even constructive, inspiring, occult, or
mystical fiction w orks (not general fiction)
which you m ay have tucked aw ay and w hich
might now be collecting dust, could be very
helpful on the shelves of the Rosicrucian Re
search Library. T h e bindings may be w orn,
but w e can repair the w ork, unless it is in
very bad order, so th a t it can continue to
serve throughout the years. H ow ever, books
which have m any w ords throughout un d er
scored in ink or pencil, w e would prefer not
having because these m arks may distract the
reader. Such underscoring constitutes the
emphasis of one reader and they indicate
w h at he thinks is the im portant point o f the
subject. E ach reader, of course, prefers to
place his ow n interpretation on the im por
tance of the w riters w ords. Consequently,
such m arkings b y a previous reader are an
noying to the present one. A few such m ark
ings are not objectionable. Remember, how
ever, how often you have been irritated by
finding in a book you have obtained from the
public library, page after page w ith sentences
underscored an d w ith some previous read er's
annotations penciled in the margins.
If you have books you w ish to contribute,
and if you live in the U nited States, send
them by U . S. M ail, a t the book postage rate.
T his is a very low postage rate allow ed for
the mailing of books. Y our local post office
officials will tell you the cost. It am ounts to
only four cents for the first pound and three
cents for each additional pound. T ak e ad
vantage of this rate w hen mailing books.
A ddress y our package clearly to the L ibrari
an, Rosicrucian R esearch Library, Rosicru
cian Park, San Jose, C alifornia.
If you live in a foreign country, such as
C anada, M exico, A ustralia, etc., the postal
laws of your country undoubtedly provide a
special low postage rate for books as well.
Inquire about it. D o not include any letter
or communication, or other m atter w ith the
books, for such w ould require higher postage
for the entire package. Be certain th a t your
name and add ress are also w ritten clearly or
printed in the upper left h and corner of the
front of your package.
You will look over your unused books,
will you not? T h a n k y ou.X

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

M o o n Influences
W ith in the general theory of A strology
are certain sound principles. T hese principles
are the logical interrelations which A strology
suggests exist betw een all natural phenome
na. T here are far less grounds to oppose
this theory of astrology than the one which
purports to predict the particular affairs of
the individual. T h e contention of the astrolo
ger, then, is th a t the planetary motions and
conjunctions intensify and m odify the em ana
tions which proceed from the planets them
selves. T hese vibratory em anations are said
to impinge upon hum ans and thus to affect
their m ental, spiritual, an d physical selves.
Consequently, one born during a certain
p lanetary em anation, it is alleged, will be
more sensitive during life to th a t particular
influence. T h ese influences, affecting the
m any body processes and the organs, it
is theorized, produce a specific type or
personality.
T h e basis of probability is sound, as said.
H ow ever, the nature of the em anations of
these planets, w hether electrom agnetic, or the
enigmatic properties of gravity, astrology
has never tried to establish scientifically* U p
to now, the astrologer has apparently been
more concerned w ith the verification of effects
than w ith a determ ination of the qualities of
the causes. A n early exam ination into the
property of the causes m ight have given
astrology a place of eminence in the pub
lic mind, equal to astronom y. N eedless to
say, the theory th a t the planets can affect
the destiny of the human individual through
some unexplained em anations has alw ays en
gendered the ridicule of conservative science.
T h e tendency has been to hold th a t the
planets have little or no relationship to the
physical properties of man, his organism s, or
even his m ental processes; therefore, from
this point of reasoning, m ans destiny could
have no possible relationship to the great
spheres in space.
If each phenom enon is a system of laws
unto itself, then, of course, there could be no
relationship betw een gravity, for example,
and light, sound, magnetism, life, etc. But
science, itself, has been compelled by its ow n
splendid findings, to integrate m any o f the
various phenom ena and the causes of same.
It has since discovered th a t though, for con
venience, we departm entalize know ledge into

Page 159

such subjects as astronom y, physics, chemis

try, and biology, actually there is a scale o f
relationship betw een their basic laws. U p
until the time of Kepler, the motions of the
planets w ere thought to be independent of
each other, the motion of each entirely in
herent. W e m ay liken this belief to the ex
ample of a num ber of tops spinning separ
ately on a floor. In between each is space
and a condition of inertia.
S trange to say, the A strologer, Kepler, w as
the one who w as responsible for the revolu
tionary idea w hich gave un ity to the uni
verse. Johann K eplers (1571-1630) first
duties w ere of an astrological nature. H e
sought to m aster the astrological rules of
Ptolem y. A s a keen m athem atician, he sought
in the events of his life some verification of
the purported p lan etary influences. H e b e
came the C ourt A strologer of Em peror R u
dolph II of G erm any, and m ade the E m per
o rs personal horoscope. F ortu n ately for
science and m ankind, Kepler w as invited by
the prom inent A stronom er, T y ch o Brahe, to
assist the latter in his astronom ical observa
tory in P rague. H e profited much through his
associations and collaborated closely w ith his
superior. U pon T y ch o B rahes death, Kepler
w as precipitated into the im portant position
of C hief A stronom er.
H e began to form ulate theories of his own
and to question in particular one of the
theories of the ancients, nam ely, th at the
heavens are perfect, an d th a t the circle is the
only perfect curve, and, therefore, the orbits
of the heavenly bodies are circles. H e w as
inclined to the belief th a t the planets followed
an elliptical p ath in their celestial travels.
A fter m any extrem ely conscientious observa
tions an d stupendous m athem atical calcula
tions, a theory w hich he h ad postulated, he
proved. It resulted in his famous three laws
of planetary motion. T h e th ird an d promi
nent law is: Squares of the periods of revo
lution of any tw o planets are in the same
ratio as the cubes of their mean distance from
the sun. In effect, this m eans (and it w as
proven), th a t the revolution of planets, their
motion, is proportional to their distances.
Kepler h ad show n b y this discovery th a t
planets affect each other, th a t is, there are
law s o f motion th a t perm eate th e entire solar
system. H e had, in fact, given proof of unity
in our universe. T h in g s w ere n ot just separ
ate entities in space. O u r earth has a definite

Page 160

fellow ship w ith the other orbs, its com panions

in our universe. T h ere is a definite bond
which unites these w orlds in our immediate
universe.
H ere, then, w as not just abstraction or
theory, but th a t which could be experienced.
W h a t a trium ph for the mind of man. N a
turally Kepler, himself, w as highly elated at
his own achievement. T his is evidenced in a
letter which he w rote to a friend, and which
reads, in part: T h e book is w ritten; the die
is cast. Let it be read now, o r by posterity,
I care not which. It m ay well w ait a century
for a reader, as G od has w aited six thousand
years for an observer.
Sir Isaac N ew ton w as inspired in his in
quiries by Kepler. In his work, P rincipia,
published in 1686, he proclaim ed as a dem on
strable law of gravity th a t the attraction b e
tw een objects is proportional to their masses,
and inversely proportional to the square of
the distances betw een them. H ere again w as
being proclaim ed that a bond existed betw een
m atter in the universe. A ll things have this
gravitational attraction betw een them, w hether
millions of miles from earth, or m inute ob
jects on the table before us. H ow much more
of an influence betw een the Cosmic bodies
there still exists, w hich is not known, only
time and persistent inquiry can reveal. M o st
certainly man, a complex organism , consist
ing, as w e know, of nerve currents, rhythm ic
impulses, and cells w ith electric and m agnetic
properties, is not outside of the pale of these
influences of the planets. T hese electric and
magnetic currents of our being, and of w hich
life force m ust consist, cannot escape being
incorporated in the Cosmic scale of forces,
the existence of which Kepler, N ew ton, an d
such men of our time as the physicists, M illikin and C om pton have proved.
In our own Rosicrucian m onographs it is
stated th a t every seven minutes o u r w hole
body is slightly different in its astral and
chemical composition. T h e blood makes a
nearly complete tour or circuit through the
body every seven minutes. In seven minutes
thousands of cells in the body have been de
stroyed and w orn out. T h e y have come to
the end of their service to us, and they die,
to be replaced by more vitalized ones. T h e
outer skin, the cuticle, gives off certain p a r
ticles which are dead and useless every seven
minutes. T h e hair grows, the nails change
continuously. T h e bladder, kidneys, gall sac,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

and other organs change in function every

seven minutes, and keep doing so throughout
the night and day. In other w ords, you are
not the same person you w ere seven minutes
ago. In fact, you will be quite different in
m any w ays seven minutes from now, w e are
told in our m onographs. T h is shows perio
dicity, a cycle of change th at is related to the
activity of other phenom ena. It links man not
just w ith the earth but w ith the universe.
Changes, modifications of these cycles would
consequently affect the organic functioning of
man, slightly perhaps, b ut ju st enough to
alter his personality and his habits. If the
causes produce a uniform effect, then the
results have a constancy, an d this more than
implies certain basic theories of astrology
as correct. T h e proof, in a form acceptable
to all science, m ay materialize in the future.
In our Rosicrucian teachings, w e further
say th at the effect of the moon upon the emo
tions and psychic centers is very definite and
intense, m inute by minute. E ach seven
minutes, there is a new degree or different
degree of attunem ent created in the psychic
centers and glands of our bodies. You will
come to find, from your ow n observations of
the moon cycle, th a t certain days of the
month, even certain hours o f the d ay are b et
ter for you in reg ard to your meditations and
exercises. T h e periodicity of certain forms
of insanity, likewise, conform to the moon's
phases. T h is show s again th e influences the
em anations of the moon, w hatever they may
be, have upon certain abnorm al or subnormal
functioning of the glands in the hum an body.
T h e Rosicrucians, like m any of the ancient
schools of esoteric philosophy, have held th a t
the moons vibratory em anation is of a nega
tive polarity, an d has an effect upon vege
table growth, trees, shrubs, grass, flowers,
etc. T h is postulation w as alw ays scorned as
an old w ives tale, by the conservative
schools of science. Rosicrucian investigation,
in a definite scientific m anner, in its own
laboratories and under the direction o f our
late Im perator, proved th a t the Rosicrucian
conceptions w ere not ju st founded upon spec
ulation. O rthodox science, w hile on the one
hand having proven certain relationships be
tween the planets and the earth, by means of
the discoveries of Kepler, N ew ton, and
others, w ould not, on the other hand, enter
tain any inquiry into the field of moon in
fluence on plant life. It w ould seem th a t the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

different discoveries of such venerables as

Kepler and N ew ton would have inspired in
vestigation into this more or less parallel
field.
N ow , however, one of our very good fra t
res, an em inent physicist, doing research
for a large, internationally-know n scientific
laboratory in America, sends us a brief com
ment on the findings of a Y ale U niversity
professor. T h e Y ale Journal of Biology and
M edicine," it so develops, reports their dis
covery" of the relation between moon phases
and the activity of maple trees. Let me quote
from the news account of this purported new
discovery. T h a t the phases of the moon
have a profound effect on living organism s
may not be entirely fantastic, after all,* ac
cording to D r. H arold S. Burr, Yale P rofes
sor of A natom y, in the Yale Journal o f B i
ology and M edicine. H e describes prelimi
nary experiments, w hich apparently show a
strong correlation betw een the activity of
maple trees and the phases of the moon:
T em perature, barom etric pressure, relative
humidity, the w eather, and the phases of the
moon w ere noted. D aily rhythm ic changes
in the potential difference w ere recorded . . .
A study of the continuous recordings for sev
eral months disclosed the astonishing fact
of a trem endous and very sharp rise in the
average potential difference approxim ately
every thirty d a y s / W h ile adm itting th a t the
correlations are not exact, he declares th a t on
the basis of the evidence so far collected, one
could predict by electrical measurem ents, the
changing lunar phases, w ithin forty-eight
hours'."
If, then, the moon can pull upon the tides,
and m odify as well the rhythm ic develop
ment of grow th in plant life, it can probably
affect the emotions through its influence upon
the rhythm ic life force and the glands, w hich
are valves of th at life force. F urther, w h at
affects the emotions can alter the personality,
the moods, the tem peram ent, and the m ental
outlook. If the m ental outlook is altered, the
destiny of the individual m ay be affected, un
less, or course, he interposes will to discipline
his emotions and sentim ents.X

Developing Your Imagination

Is not imagination more of a detrim ent
than an asset to the average man or wom an
in the w orkaday world? W h y not see the

Page 161

world for w h at it is, than for w hat it is not?

W h y perm it ourselves the m om entary and
questionable pleasure of know ing living illu
sions? F u rth er, w hatever good imagination
contributes to m ankind follows only after it
has been tied to realities by the practicalminded person. Am I w rong in this view?",
so asks a frater of this Forum.
W e begin our answ er by the use of the
hackneyed phrase, It takes all kinds of
people to m ake the w orld." N o one type of
mind, the introvert, extrovert, the visionary,
or the pragm atic can be pointed to as the
ideal type. O u r ideals are fashioned b y our
interests and our accum ulated experiences.
F urther, since society consists of all of these
different types, w e cannot say w hat it w ould
be like if just one prevailed.
T h e hum an w ithout im agination would be
b u t a receptive o rg an a mere recording m a
chine. Some sound recording devices are able
to play back, th a t is, by the throw ing of a
switch, the ap p aratu s makes audible the m at
ter which had been recorded by it. T h e man
w ithout im agination w ould be quite like such
an apparatus. H e w ould perceive a variety of
impressions through his senses an d record
them in memory. U pon impulse, b y associa
tion of ideas, he w ould play them back, nam e
ly, speak or w rite ju st the original impres
sions which he had. T h e future sta te to such
an individual w ould rem ain a void, neither
fearful nor inspiring. Like others, of course,
he would have consciousness of a future mo
ment; however, to him it w ould have no
character, no quality, no kind of reality. T h e
future w ould be just a state in w hich some
thing could occur.
In the mind o f this type of individual,
w here there is a paucity of im agination, pro6ability is absent. E ach thing experienced re
mains just as it w as perceived, and can be
come nothing more, unless it changes in it
self. T h e idea w hich is formed, immediately
upon visually o r audibly perceiving some
thing, becomes a fixed reality. If such a per
son, for example, sees a tree, it m ust rem ain
a tree in his consciousness until in some m an
ner an actual change occurs in the tree. H e
cannot see in the tree a probability of its be
ing converted into so m any board feet. H e
cannot visualize th a t tree being a p art o f the
flooring in a bungalow . T h e w orld of such
an individual is very definitely limited by the

Page 162

range of his objective faculties. Beyond w hat

he can imm ediately see, hear, feel, taste, etc.,
nothing can exist to him. T h e p ast has a
specific nature. It is composed of the indi
viduals experiences; and the present is com
posed of those which he imm ediately realizes.
T h e future, to him, m ust alw ays be dark. In
the realm of time, the minds of such persons
can em brace really nothing more th an the
past and present. T h e y are incapable of ex
tending an idea of their sense experiences,
beyond the original sensation o f it. U n fo r
tunately, therefore, they are extrem ely ob
jective.
F urther, such persons are alw ays w ont to
ridicule fantasy and the products of im agina
tion. A book, a motion picture, or a play
which does not incorporate th a t w hich is in
the realm of their actual experience is severely
criticised by them. T h e y cannot em brace it.
T h ey are incapable o f emotional response to
anything w hich does not exist as a reality to
their senses. T h ese kinds of people m ust be
continually moved b y the world, b y the re
ceipt of external impressions. T h e y cannot
generate sensations w ithin their own minds,
which will cause them to act upon the world.
T o use an analogy, they are like a person
w aiting to be cooled by a breeze th a t m ay
arise, while another cools himself by causing
a breeze w ith a fan. M entally, the unim agi
native individual is continuously passive,
w aiting to be acted upon by the w orld o u t
side of himself. T h e person w ith imagination
creates a w orld w ith his consciousness, into
which he can move and experience sensations
which are impossible for the unim aginative
person.
It is adm itted th a t im agination is a n atu ral
function of mind. It is related to the m ental
processes, an d in some persons the associa
tion area of the brain, in w hich this faculty
seems to be centered, is perhaps more de
veloped than in others. Im agination is th e
logical extension or developm ent of an idea.
It is m ental creating. Im agination in its final
result m ay produce a new and complex ex
perience. In its beginning, however, it is com
posed of elements th a t are already know n.
W e can have no ideas w hich are n ot com
posed of experiences w hich w e have already
had. W e could not recognize them other
wise. T h e im agination thus takes a know n
fact, th at w hich originally has been external
ly experienced, and combines it b y associa

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tion, progressively, w ith other elements also

experienced. T h e result is a complex con
ception which, as a whole, will be new, and
most probably never previously experienced
externally. T h is complex w hole has become
an ideal, something w hich has probability,
and w hich can possibly be m ade a reality
in the future.
T h e man w ithout im agination is unable to
progress an d integrate his experiences. T h ey
all are separate. A is A, and B is B. H e is
never able to merge them in his mind. C o n
sequently his perspective m ust be limited un
til someone or som ething has brought A and
B together, m ade them a different reality,
which he can objectively perceive. U ntil then,
the com bination can have no existence for
him. F u rth er, he is unable to bring it about
himself.
W ith o u t im agination, hum an advancem ent
w ould have been very negligible. T h e b etter
w ay of everything*, w ould have had to be ac
cidentally discovered. It w ould never have
been sought for because it could not have
been realized.
T h ere is quite a definite distinction, as we
explain in our Rosicrucian m onographs, be
tween imaging an d im agining. O ne can form
various images in his mind, w hich images are
composed of certain elements of his actual
experiences. H ow ever, these images m ay be
fantastic, th a t is, as m ental pictures, they m ay
not be a logical extension or rational assem bly
of the conceptions of the individuals experi
ence. F o r example, in the anim ated motion
pictures of D onald D uck an d his escapades,
the incidents are psychologically a process of
im aging. T h ey consist of producing a series
of m ental images w ithout reg ard for reason
ing, th a t is, w ithout a logical extension from
w hat exists as reality. Such imaging, w e re
peat, is fantasy, and it is stim ulating to the
mind and entertaining, b u t it is not nearly as
useful as im agination.
Im agination consists in visualizing an ideal
which eventually can be experienced as a
reality. T h u s, if I look upon a desert area
and visualize it covered w ith verdure, and di
vided into an acreage o f orchards an d vine
yards, b y seeing in the m ind's eye, the w ater
of a distant m ountain lake b rought dow n to it
by a series of irrigation canals, I am then
imagining. Im aging, conversely, is n ot con
cerned w ith the possibility of the visualiza
tion ever becoming objective. Imagination,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

however, takes the reality of the present and

intelligently develops it so th at the idea can
become a form, and an objective.
It m ight be said, if w e are born w ith vary
ing degrees of the faculty of imagination,
then some of us can never hope to have an
imagination equal to others. T h a t is quite
true, but each of us can greatly develop our
imagination. W e can even exceed the faculty
of someone w ho ordinarily w ould have greater
imagination than we, but who has more or
less allow ed his im agination to become dor
mant. F o r analogy, some of us have not the
same pow erful physiques as others. H ow
ever, there is no reason w hy w e should allow
the m uscular structure, w hich w e do have, to
atrophy. W e can make the most of w hat
we have.
T h ere are simple little exercises which you
can use to stim ulate visualization and imagi
nation.. Compel yourself to see m entally in
m any things the probability of their being
other than w h at they appear to be. Suppose
someone gave you a quantity of fine lumber
of various-size pieces, all planed and ready
for use, and a num ber of w oodw orking tools
as well. Suppose, further, th a t you had a fair
skill in w orking w ith such tools. W h a t w ould
be your reaction? W o u ld you look upon the
piles of lumber and say, H ere are ju st so
many boards of this an d that length. A nd
would you also say, H ere are saws, ham
mers, chisels, planesnothing m ore. W o u ld
you be limited by just w h at you could per
ceive before you? Could you not also see,
m entally, these boards fashioned into, pos
sibly, a kitchen cabinet, a bookcase, or a
w ork bench? F urther, could you not see the
manner, the step-by-step process b y w hich
the rea lity the lum bercould assume the
form of your idea, the kitchen cabinet, for
example?
If you can do that, you are imagining. It
might be further said, W ell, I have alread y
seen such a bookcase and a kitchen cabinet in
the past, so th at is not im agining. W e re
ply, Yes, it is. W h e n you can conceive w h at
exists as one reality being evolved into an
other, you are im agining. Look about you.
W h a t changes can come from the things
which now have a limited existence to you?
Could your garage doors be locked different
ly? Could the furniture in your room have
any other possible arrangem ent? D o n t go
out and look at someone elses garage lock, or

Page 163

someone elses arrangem ent of furniture. In

your m inds eye, taking w h at you perceive,
begin to change its form.
H ere is another exercise. T a k e a piece of
p aper and draw upon it a num ber of simple
geometric forms, such as a square, circle,
oval, triangle, etc. M ake these forms suggest
images to you. Evolve them in your mind.
Combine circles an d straig h t lines to form
mentally, for example, a w agon w ith wheels,
a clock w ith hands, a chair, or a baby car
riage. T hen, again, as you look at people, try
to see in them some facial resem blance to
characters you have read about in history or
fiction. See, if in your m inds eye, they seem
to represent a certain type of personality.
All of this stim ulates the subjective pro
cesses of your mind, relating them to the fac
ulty of your memory. T h e w orld will no
longer be just w h at your objective senses
p o rtray it to be. It will become as infinite as
your aw akened pow er of visualization and
imagination. H ow free is the man w ith imagi
nation, because his m ind can never be fet
tered by an im poverished environm ent!X

Euthanasia Mercy Deaths

A soror of N ew Y ork says, in addressing
this Forum: T h e Bible says: T h o u shalt not
kill; b ut I w onder if we, as Rosicrucians, may
direct our thoughts tow ard destroying m atter
as it is alw ays becoming again, as long as w e
do it in a spirit of love and compassion. T h e
quality of mercy certainly is a godly instition.
H ere, again, is an exam ple of w here prin
ciple and expediency, o r necessity conflict. If
w e are to be guided solely by w h at is p ro
scribed conduct in the Bible and in certain
other sacred literature, w e w ould never kill
under any circumstances. T h o u g h one of the
T en Com m andm ents prohibits killing of
hum an life, on the o th er hand, the same Bible
advocates it under certain conditions. F o r
one of num erous exam ples, w e find in Jere
miah X X :4, F o r thus sayeth the Lord
A n d I will give all Judah unto the h an d of
the King of Babylon, an d he shall carry them
captive into Babylon, and shall slay them
w ith the sw ord.
T h e person w ho strenuously objects to
taking hum an life will often not have the
slightest hesitancy in the destruction of ani
mal life. H is conscience is clear, on the as

Page 164

sumption th at there is a moral w rong which

exists in destroying hum an life, b u t which
does not extend to other forms of life. T his
moral conception is based upon the presum p
tion th at hum an life alone is a depository
for the soul. A nimal life, it is presum ed, has
no such D ivine associations an d can be de
stroyed w ithout incurring D ivine displeasure.
T hese conclusions about animals w ere per
haps first born out of necessity, and, second,
out of primitive reasoning. A s far back as
anthropologists are able to trace the existence
of man, he w as as much a carnivorous be
ing as he w as herbiferous; consequently, the
eating of m eat w as an essential p art of his
diet. If he did not destroy animal life, his
own physical w elfare w as affected. N eces
sity governed th a t he not taboo the killing of
animals for sustenance, and in defense of
self. Because of his intellectual suprem acy,
his ability to outw it beasts, which w ere his
superior physically, it became logical to as
sume th at either they w ere devoid of the
Divine entirely, or possessed it in a lesser
quality. T h u s killing animals carried w ith
it very little compunction, if governed by
necessity.
O n the other hand, man, the norm al indi
vidual, has no moral com punction against
killing other hum ans, in defense of self or
those over whom he assum es protection. T h e
question, therefore, m ust center upon w hether
there are ever any extenuating circumstances
today which justify the taking of hum an life.
T h e general principle expressed in the ma
jority of sacred literature, and w hich in the
main is greatly inconsistent, as the Bible it
self, seems to be th a t to take hum an life
under the heat of passion is w rong; nam ely,
to kill for anger, hatred, avarice, jealousy, etc.
It would seem th a t the m otive is the d eter
mining factor as to w hether it is evil or a
sin to take hum an life. I do n ot think th a t
the most orthodox C hristian, or H ebrew , for
example, w ould have any qualms o f con
science in killing a maniac w ho w as about to
do bodily harm to his small son o r daughter.
Life is one of the m ost exalted m anifesta
tions of the entire Cosmic phenom ena, w hich
it is m an's privilege to experience. T o inter
rupt the functioning of life, to destroy the
form in w hich it exists, consequently, is a
seeming desecration. O n the other hand, w e
m ust not overlook the fact th at the Cosmic
has instilled w ithin us certain impulses w hich

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

it is considered unnatural to suppress, such

as, for example, the appetite to consume m eat
as food, and killing in self-defense. T h e re
fore, until w e learn of some w ay of not h av
ing to kill for a healthful an d norm al sus
tenance or for defense, such cannot be con
sidered a moral w rong. If one kills men
or animals w hen there are equally alternate
methods of meeting w ith an issue, and w here
such is definitely just a loss o f self control,
then obviously it is w rong. It is a violation
of the better p a rt of ourselves. In the Divine
M ind, the purpose or motive of the killing
most assuredly m ust be considered.
If, as the Soror says, the individual is truly
motivated by compassion and the desire to
eliminate the suffering of another, and no
possible alternative exists, such killing would
not be a violation of a Cosmic law. T o use
an analogy: Suppose one's dear friend w ere
suffering excruciating pain an d had been b ad
ly mangled in an accident. F u rth er, suppose
he and the friend w ere hundreds of miles
from any possible assistance and there w ere
no means of com munication o r transportation,
must he let the friend suffer untold agony be
fore the peaceful oblivion of death? C ould he
not bring his friend's suffering to an end now,
in love for him? Perhaps, you say, the one
w ho is suffering m ust experience his karm a
and th at you are interfering by taking his
life. W e say, such excruciating pain, even
for a few m inutes, w ould be a lesson which
would make a very definite impression upon
the consciousness of the sufferer. T o perm it
him to suffer agony, because o f a moral or
ethical code one m ay have, or because one
might be disinclined to tak e w h at he thinks
would be a risk, w ould h ard ly be a spiritual
motive in refraining from taking a life. It
would be one of selfish circumspection.
In organized society, w here men are close
to all of the resources of m odern civilization,
there is ordinarily no m oral righteousness in
one taking ano th er individual's life. Selfdefense, of course, provides the only extenu
ating circumstance, because behind self-de
fense is instinct, and instinct is of life, and
man cannot expect to conflict w ith life, in
tentionally.
F or further example, w here one has a
hopelessly insane child, perhaps an idiot,
there is still no justification for euthanasia, or
a painless, m ercy killing. O n e has no rig h t
to kill merely because he presum es a life to

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

be w orth nothing. T h e child is not suffering,

if it is an idiot, for it has no realization of its
future. Such an experience, further, m ay be
one th at the Cosmic intended you personally
to endure. T h e killing m ay create further
karm a for you. O n the other hand, I can
not conscientiously come out an d say th a t the
taking of human life, regardless of an y cir
cumstances, is a moral w rong. Such acts, like
all acts o f a moral nature, m ust be related to
the causes which prom pt them.
Let us remember th at the soul of the one
whose life has been taken by another, cannot
be detrim entally affected. T h e soul essence
is perfect. T h e evolution of the soul-per
sonality of the one who takes the life may,
if the motive is not in accord w ith the highest
Cosmic impulse of his being, be affected. In
other w ords, his evolution m ay be arrested.
Since there is a variation in the moral sense
or conscience of individuals, it is advisable
th at society m ust arbitrarily dictate under
w hat conditions it becomes a necessity to take
hum an life, for w h at seems to be the benefit
and w elfare of society. W ith an evolving,
social moral sense, capital punishm ent is be
coming distasteful to the peoples of m any
countries. Let us hope th a t the preservation
of nationalism, or w h at it represents to the
individual, may not in the future make it
necessary to take hum an life, as in w ar.X

Breathing and the Emotions

A F ra ter asks, C an feeling and emotions
be influenced through the conscious control
of breathing? , and also, C an not our
breathing assist the bringing about o f a state
suitable for m editation?
All questions having to do w ith breathing
or breathing exercises m ust find their an
swers, to some extent, in the fact th a t the
breathing exercises do exert a definite effect
upon the physical body and the mind. C o n
sequently, if they have purpose in bringing
about certain desired conditions they n atu ral
ly affect the entire physical organism an d the
process of the mind. T h e emotions are deepseated. T h ey are not com pletely under the
control of the objective mind. T h a t is w hy
we literally refer to emotions as being out
of control. In other w ords, our feelings will
frequently be in evidence regardless of how
hard w e may try to cause our actions an d be
havior to be different. A lm ost everyone has

Page 165

had the experience of wishing to keep his

emotions under control. A nger, sorrow, or
even laughter have been our physical mani
festations or a t least the behavior in connec
tion w ith these states or o utw ard signs of the
existing m ental state. W h o has not had the
experience of having his emotions come into
m anifestation a t a tim e w hen he desired most
n ot to evidence em otional tension. A frequent
example is w hen a serious event strikes us
hum orously and in spite of ourselves we may
smile or laugh to our own em barrassm ent due
to the fact th a t the occasion or the event may
not have been one w hich w as a laughing m at
ter. T h is is due to the fact th a t the objective
mind w on complete control over our emotions.
Emotions are som ew hat under the control of
the subjective in th a t they are not completely
able to be reconciled to reason. W e are not
alw ays able to control reason against an
emotional outbreak.
W e are never sure ju st w h at w e should do
under the stress of emotions. W e may ob
serve the actions of an other person in the
case of fear or some other emotional condi
tion and coldly reason how w e w ould have
reacted if w e h ad been th at person, b ut in
our attem pt to analyze w h at our reactions
would be w e lose sight of the fact th at there
are two different m ental states existing. O ne
is based upon reason, and w e w ould, no
doubt, do w h at w e reason w e w ould do pro
vided th at our actions an d feeling w ere under
the control of reason, but in the case of fear
or some other condition th a t brings forth an
emotional response, reason does not have the
ascendancy and em otions are n ot predictable.
If w e w ish to m aintain the control of the
objective mind an d reason over our behavior,
w e sometimes have to exert more than pure
will pow er to do it. It is in this connection
th at proper breathing is an aid, though it is
not a perfect cure for the impending condi
tion. If an individual approaching the m ani
festation o f an em otional state will relax as
much as possible u nder the conditions and
breathe deeply and rhythm ically for a short
period of time, it will usually be a stabilizing
influence. It infuses the body w ith the V ital
Life Force an d tends to re-establish an y
lack of harm ony th a t m ay exist betw een the
reason an d the emotions and acts as a tonic
to the entire system , thereby perm itting us
b etter control over ourselves, our thoughts,
and actions.A

Page 166

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

IN D EX O F VOLU M E X IV (Comprising the Entire Six Issues of the T hirteenth Y ear)

N O T E T he small letters after the page numbers refer to position on page; a, upper half o f first column; b, lower
half of first column; c, upper half o f second column; d, lower half of second column.

D
A djustm ent, postwar, 75a
A ltitude, psychic effect of, 81b
A ncient beliefs, 52b
Anim als, 43a
A ppendix, 131c, 132c
Arimathea, Joseph of, 101a
Assem bly call, 43d
A ristotelianism, 156b
Armament making, 113d
A strology, 159a
A ttunem ent, 81a, 83b, 104c
Aquinas, Thomas, 156c

B
Blood transfusions, 4a, 5c
Body :
Keeping it fit, 114d
Living part o f, 83c
Repair, 7d
Bond invisible, 46d, 47a
Brain, 26c
Breathing:
and the em otions, 165b
Exercises, 95a
Bruno, Giordando, 43c
Buddha, 122d, 124a, 125a, 126a

Cathedral contacts, 111c

Cell, 4d, 5a, 16d
Childrens psychic experiences, 104b
Chiromancy, 50d
Chiropractic physicians, 89a
Christ, 53a
Church, postwar, 76c
Clairaudience, 109a
Clairvoyance, 108a
Comprehension, art of, 37d
C oncentration for Cosmic help, 19a
C onfession, value of, 80c
Conscience, 58b, 63 a, 109c
Consciousness :
A ctuating our, 34a, 35a
Borderline, 82b
D efinition o f, 105c, 157c
D ivine, 4d, 5a, 146d
Loss of, 82d
Convictions, courage o f your, 135c
Cosmic :
Assistance, 18b, 19a
Consciousness, 36b, 37a, 72c, 104a, 105c, 106b, 123b
Ethics, 62d
H ealing power, 28a
Intelligence, 5b, 16d
M ind, 45d
Power. 80c, 81a
Principles and ritual, 12c
Ray coincidence counter, 55a
R equirement o f special conditions, 127b
Serving the, 63a, 74b
T ools, 128a
Cosmic law, 95a
Creed o f Peace, 122b
Crime, 129 a
Criminals and glands, 21b
Cryptesthesia, 108a
Cycle, 144 year, 148b, 154b

Dances, temple ritual, 39d

Dark night, 72d
Daw n age, 79a
Death :
M ercy, 163 d
Seeing the soul at, 16a
Delusions o f mind, 69d, 70b, 71a
D estiny and G od, 156a
D eveloping im agination, 161b
D iet, 9d
Duality, doctrine of, 150b, 151a

E
Earth rays, 55a
Education :
and politics, 30a
Progress of, 29d
and youth, 27c
Ego, 150d
Eleusinian mysteries o f Greece, 8d
Emotions :
and breathing, 165b
Control of, 13b, 165c
Mature, 13b
M usic, 29a
W artime, 3b
Endocrine glands, 22c, 23b
Essenes and Lemurians, 117c
Ethics :
Cosmic, 6 2d
Lottery, 128d
Exercises :
Breathing, 95 a, 165b
C ontinuing, 11 Id
Mystical, 61a
W hen and where to perform, 47b, 48a
Experiments :
A gain, 141a
Material for, 29a, 58c
M ystical, 36a
Practice of, 141c, 142a
Purpose of, 141b
Recalling past, 139d
Extra-sensory perception, 133a
Eye, 68d, 69a

F
Fasting:
and ceremonial customs, 8a
Christs, 9a
in Egypt, 8b
in Greece, 8d
and Rosicrucian teachings, 9a
and spirituality, 7a
in Tibet, 8d
Fatalism, 85d, 86a, 157a
Fear o f transition, 60a
Force :
D estructive, 77a
Healing, 28d
Forty and mysticism, 58d
Forum, 30b

G
Gambling, 129b
Glands:
and criminals, 21b
Endocrine, 22c
Functions of, 22c
Hypothyroid, 22d

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

M usic and the, 39a

Pituitary, 39a, 138b, 139a
Pineal, 138b, 139a
Thymus, 22d
and war, 23c
Gnosticism, 156b
God and destiny, 156a
G olden D aw n, 74c
Goring, Dr. Chas , English physician, 21 d
Grail, H oly, lO ld
Gravity, law of, 54c
Great Pyramid, the, 153a

H
Habits, 99d, 100a
H allucinations, 69d, 70a
Harmonic scale, 67d, 68a,
Harmonies, 93a
H arm ony and health, 28d, 29a
Hatred, 3b
H ealing power o f the Cosmic, 28d
H earing:
D efective, 107b, 108a
V oices, 107a
H eaven and hell, 59d
Hereditary factors o f personality, 5b
Hobbies, 3 5b, 142c, 143a
Hormones, 5d
H oly Grail, 102a
H uman aura, 93b
H um ility, 62b
Hyperaesthesia, I7d , 18a
H ypothyroid, 22d

i
Ideas, suppression of, 52d, 53a
Illumination, 15c, 36a, 72a, 73a, 81a, 104a
Illusions, optical, 69b
Imagination, 161a, 162a, 163a
Incarnations, 60d, 6 Id
India, 122d
Inferiority complex, 68c, 104d
Influences, strange, 53d
Initiation :
and attunement, 15a
D efinition of, 14a, 15c
Process, 12a
Purpose of, 14b
Results of, 14a
Ritual, 12a
Insanity, 108c
Introspection, 15a
Ionium, 54d

Jansky, Scandinavian scientist, 4c

Jhana, 124c
Judgment, 57a

K
Karma, 87b
Kepler, Johann, 159c, 160a
Killing, 164a, 165a

L
Law:
of gravity, 127c, 160a
o f motion in solar system, 159d
of self preservation, 86c, 87a
o f triangle, 19a
Lemurians, 117c
Lewis, Dr. H . Spencer, 39b
Library, Rosicrucian Research, 157d
Life:
A dventure of, 98d
D estruction of, 85a
Preordained, 85b

Page 167

Lombraso, Italian criminologist, 2 Id

Lottery:
Effect on character, 129c
N ational, 128c
Lux'a'tone color organ, 39b

M
M ailing books to library, 158d
M editation, 103c, 104a
M em ory :
and past incarnations, 61a
Impressions, 3b
M ental :
Creating, 82c
Healing, 88b
Telepathy, 82c, 109b, 133d, 134a, 13 5a
M etaphysical m ovements, 24d
M etaphysics, 104a
M ind:
Definition of, 26c
D elusions of, 69 d, 70a
D ivine, 26c, 27a, 77b, 78b, 105c
D ual, 55d, 56a
M aturity of, 59c
N ormal, 69d
Objective, 26d, 27a, 58d
M oon influences, 159a
M t. Shasta, 81c
M usic:
A ppreciation, 91c, 92a
and glands, 59a
M odern school of, 91a
M usical scale, 67d
M ystery :
A reas on Pacific Coast, 55b
o f H oly Grail, 101a
Schools, 8b
M ystical :
India, 122d
Principles, 73c
V alue o f discussing, 79d, 80c
M ysticism, and forty, 58b

N
N am e, selecting harmonious, 68c
Nature, 88a
N e w world, 126a
N ew ton, Sir. Isaac, 54c, 160a
N exus, 47a, 146b
N ietzsche, F. W ., 98a
N irvana, 123a, c, 124b, c, d, 125a, c, d, 126a
N oetic experience, 110b
N ous, 5b, 58b, 82a, 123d
N um erology and V ow els, 67a

Objective :
Consciousness, 35a, 80c, 83d
Control, 86c
Functions, 56c
M ind, 58d, 78b
T hinking, 7 8 d
O bligations to family, 135c
Obscure night, 72d, 73a, 74a
Old masters, 92d
Old souls, 77c
Outward Bound, 44a
Over eating:
Effect of, 8a
and heart trouble, 7b

P
Pali scriptures, 123c
Palmistry, 50a, 51a
Panpsychism, 43c
Paracelsus, 88d, 89a, 90c
Patriotism, 77b
Peace, creed of, 122b

Page 168

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Penitence and fasting, 8d

Perception :
D efinition of, 134b, 135a
Extra sensory, 113a
Persecution o f Rosicrucians, 115d
Personality, 4a, 5b, 18a, 78d, 79a, 85a
Philosophers stone, 102a
Physical :
H ealth and projection, 47c
Properties, 54b
Physicians, drugless, 89a
Pineal and pituitary glands, 138b, 139a
Plant life, 160d, 161a
Plato, 53a
Plays, 43d, 44a, 45a
Postwar:
A djustm ent, 75a
Planning, 3d
Practical Rosicrucianism, 18b, 130b
Principles, Rosicrucian, 83d
Problems :
Solving, 6a
W rite out, 79c
Projection, 17a, 24c, 46a, 47c, 54a, 82c, 123d
Psychic :
Body, 16d, 17a, 17b, 18a, 24c
Companion for children, 105a
Effects o f high altitude, 81b
Experiences, 149a, 104b
Perception, 24b, 41a
Sight, 17a
Psychology, 13d, 14a. 15a, 76c, 79c, 88b, 90b
Pyramid, the Great, 153a
Pythagoras, 8b, 67c

R
Radio:
Censorship, 15 Id, 152a
Influence, cultural, 1 5 Id
Program support, 152d, 153a
Radioactive substance, 54c, 55a
Radium, 54d
Recalling past experiences, 139d
Rehabilitation, postwar, 75b
Reincarnation, 48d, 49a, 71b, 140a, 148b, 154c, 155a
Revelations, 1 10a
Review :
H ow and w hen to, 10a
<
W ith index, 11a
Ritual :
C onception of, 12c
Dem onstrating Cosmic principles, 12c
Purpose of, 12b
Rose'Croix Research Institution and Sanitarium, 90a
Rose-Croix U niversity, 158a
Rosicrucian :
H ealing, 28d, 29a
Kitty, 20a
Library, books needed by, 157d, 158b
M onographs, 160b
Teachings, 84c, 85c, 90d, 93c, 104b 160b
Teachings and destiny, 156d, 157a
V iew point:
on armament making, 113d
on the destruction o f life, 85a
on surgery, 131b
W ork in A xis dominated countries, 116d, 117a
Rosicrucianism, practical, 18b, 130b
Rosicrucians:
in armed forces, 130b, 131a
and truth, 25a
Persecution o f, 115d, 135c, 136a

Sanctum period, 21a, 41d, 42c, 43a

Scientists discovery o f human aura, 93b
Seeing the soul at death, 16a

Self preservation, law of, 86c, 87a

Sensations:
and thinking, 58d
and misinterpretation, 69c
Sense impairment, 23d
Senses, can we believe our, 68d
Service, 66a, 67a
Sex:
and soul force, 48d
and the law of duality, 49d, 50a
Shortening reincarnation periods, 7 lb
Silent Indian call, 41a
Silver cord, l7 d
Singing, 40d
Slaves and serfs in Egypt, 153b, 154a
Sleep, 7d
Soul:
Anim al, 43b, 86b
Attributes, 5b
Consciousness, 94c
Essence, 77b, 78a, 84d, 94d, 147a, 155a, 165a
Force, 16c, 79a
M ates, 146a
Number of, 154c
Personality, 147a, 155a
Personality developm ent, 146d, 147a, 155d
Polarity, 147b
Speculation, 84a
Sounds, 107c
Spirit :
Essence, 49c
and mind, 26b
Spirituality
and fasting, 7a
and the physical body, 7b
Strange influences, 53d
Study, 137a
Subjective consciousness, 56c, 86b
Subjective state, 61a
Surgery, 131b

T
Tem perance, 7 c
Tem pter, 14b
Thinking, 58d, 59a, 8 Id
Thymus gland, 22d, 23a
Thyroid gland, 21b, 22d
Transition, 18a, 47a, 49a
T riangle, law of, 19a
Truth, 102b, 103a, 104a

Undesirable habits, 99d

Universal soul, 16b, 17c
Uranium, 54d

V alue, 52b
Vibrations, adverse, 53d
Vibratory force, 49c
V ital life force, 58b, 84c, 95c, 16 5d
V oices, hearing, 107a, 108a, 110a
V ow el sounds, 40a, 67b, d, 68a, 138c

wz

W ar:
Fruits of, 2a
Guilty of, 122a
and soul experience, 87c
and youthful employm ent, 2c, 27b, d
W ill:
and evolution, 79b
and obscure night, 73b
W ind instrum ents, 40d
W ood instruments, 93a
W riting out problems, 97c
Y outh, 27b
Zombies, 84b

t m

r^ A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

5K
ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM

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A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U .S . Postal A ct of Oct. 3, 1917.

Vol. XV

AUGUST, 1944

No. I

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VISION
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I lay me on the ground, a perfect calm
Pervades the pallid beams of day's recess,
The moon's full splendor soothing with its balm
The soul to dim and deep forgetfulness,
Has cast me from myself. By fancy freed
Into the stillness of a perfect void
With soul untrammelled and serene, I read
The fates of worlds existing and destroyed:
The purpose of the poet closeting
His breath in inked lines; the sweet intent
O f beauty prevalent in the flush of spring;
The mystery of the soul's embodiment;
The mind omniscient, eternal flowing,
Whence this thought comes and whither it is going.

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T. S. MacBride.

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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Page 2

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
Should you go ahead? Is the progress you
desire advisable? It is not an exaggeration
to say that much of the dissatisfaction which
some persons experience in life is due to the
progress which they have sought and made.
Progress is advancement, the moving toward
an objective. However, one can advance
toward darkness as well as light. Likewise,
one can advance in a descent, as well as in
an ascent. We are, for example, all progress
ing toward old age, yet old age is hardly an
end to be desired. Emphasis, therefore,
should not be put upon progress as a method,
but rather upon the end toward which prog
ress is directed. If your ends or ideals in life
are inconsistent with the functions of nature
or the actual welfare of society, then when
you progress toward them, you are perhaps
retrogressing from health, success, and
happiness.
In ordinary experience, what we desire
becomes to us an objective. The approach to
it is progress. If we want a house, and we
acquire a lot and the funds to build, we say
we are making progress. Often, though, the
progress in one direction may constitute
retrogression in another. We may be obliged
to make such sacrifices from an ethical,
moral, or physical point of view, that as a
whole we may have lost rather than gained
ground.
It is possible to evaluate human progress,
that is, progress in human affairs, by
comparison with progress in nature. We
speak of the evolutionary trends in nature.
We think of such an evolutionary process
as being progress. W hat is nature moving
from or to? As applied to nature, evolution
seems to be a development. Things have an
irreducible minimum of reality to us. Be
low that minimum, the object no longer has
existence to us. Consequently beginning
with that minimum, the only change which
is possible, so far as we are aware, is the
development of the object. This development
may occur as an accretion. In other words,
the object may assimilate from its environ

V
ment elements which cause it to take on
larger proportions, or to become more com
plex, without losing its identity. This de
velopment, then, can mean a greater func
tion, or extension of the attributes, or the
size of an object. For example, the ferns of
the steaming tropical jungles are a develop
ment over the same species grown in an
environment less favorable to them. Evolu
tion can also mean that development which
is a concatenation of changes. Starting at
its apparent irreducible minimum something
becomes a number of other things, eventual
ly returning to its original form. The most
complex of the changes is held to be the
highest point of that development. Such
cycles of development or evolution are com
mon in nature. The acorn becomes the oak,
which in turn brings forth other acorns.
The cell develops a complex, living form
a human being which in turn produces
other cells to form the embryo, et cetera.
Environment and heredity produce muta
tions, alterations in the structural and func
tional nature of living things. We are also
inclined to call such changes evolutionary
refinements. Thus an animals legs become
more slender and its paws or hooves smaller,
as the dogs, for example, by which it is able
to attain greater speed and agility. The idea
that this process is a refinement, however,
exists entirely in our consciousness. To na
ture, one necessity has no greater value than
another. The fish that becomes a reptile,
and the reptile that becomes a mammal,
with the change of climatic or geographical
conditions, from natures point of view, were
not progressions, they were actually just
adaptations. The refinements, so called, of
their functions, the discarding of some at
tributes and acquiring of others was only a
way of making each equal to the demands
of its existence. Only by mans conception
of the standards of living things is the mam
mal an advancement from the fish. We
hold a diamond to be of greater value than
carbon, from which it is created, only be
cause it has greater value to us. The dia
mond is not an evolvement from carbon,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

in the sense of having a greater value in

the scheme of nature.
The only development or real evolution
in nature is that series of successive changes,
by which a thing becomes more complex,
not just different. This complexity is a re
taining by a thing its original principle attri
butes, and the elaborating upon them or the
acquiring of others related to them. A com
plete metamorphosis, by which a thing be
comes something else, with less or just
different characteristics cannot be considered
a true evolutionary process. Only that which
has a cyclical change in nature, which be
gan with a simple state and attained a com
plex one, and then recurs in simple form is
evolution in the sense of actual development.
In our human affairs, then, we have a
norm by which to judge our progress. Prog
ress does not just consist, in our affairs, of
a change from what we have or are to what
we want to have or wish to be. It must be
an extension of what we have or are. You
have not become more complex, you have
not extended yourself, if you have acquired
greater learning at the sacrifice of your
health. You have not, by the same reasoning, progressed if you have gained great
wealth and economic security at the expense
of your self-respect and peace of mind.
Progress is not a shuffling of our virtues
and inherent assets, a discarding of some
for others. It must mean an elaboration of
the same evaluation which we put upon self
today. This does not mean that a substitu
tion of a right concept for a wrong one is not
progress. The recognition of a virtue is most
certainly the equivalent of its elaboration.
It is presumed that you recognize that a
healthy body and mind are basic require
ments of the human, in the physical and
mental sense. It is presumed that you recog
nize that observation and thought, or study
and reflection are necessary for the intelli
gent direction of self and your surroundings.
It is presumed that you recognize the need
of social unity, of working with your fellows
collectively, and yet preserving for them and
for yourself certain inherent rights and free
dom of expression. If you recognize these
factors as necessary to human existence and
welfare, then anything which expands them,
gives them more complexity, is real progress.
Anything which may tend to suppress them
or cause them to retrograde, no matter how

Page 3

appealing to the imagination it may be is not

an advancement from simplicity to complex
ity, but just change.
We are all today talking about the
progress we want, or which we expect to ma
terialize in the more or less immediate to
morrow. Is all that we so anticipate a true
progress, or may it not just be a deviation
from the present? Advancing toward some
ideals we have m ay actually be a retrogres
sion from the above necessary values which
we should put upon our existence.
Fraternally,
RALPH M. LEWIS,
Imperator.
Electronic Treatment
A frater asks this FORUM: Are there
dependable electronic devices for the diagno
sis and treatment of disease?
There are a number of manufacturers
making and selling devices operating accord
ing to theories of electronics, a number of
which are purported to diagnose and treat.
I have seen a number of these instruments,
which, in physical appearance, are indeed
very handsome, and to the ordinary layman
quite mysterious. I personally had experi
ence with one of the first of these devices,
brought forth by Dr. Albert Abrams, a
medical doctor, then in San Francisco. Dr.
Abrams was quite familar with the prin
ciples of health and disease expounded by
the Rosicrucian Order, and he had many
personal discussions and considerable cor
respondence with our late Imperator, Dr. H.
Spencer Lewis.
A broad interpretation of the Rosicrucian
conception of disease is an inharmony in the
vibratory nature of the body, an inharmony
within the cells by which certain organs and
functions of the body are thrown out of attunement with those Cosmic forces, by
which man is animated, and is caused to be
a conscious being. There is within man a
specific relationship between spirit, that is,
the vibratory electronic nature of the ma
terial substance of his body, and the Vital
Life Force and the Divine consciousness of
which his triune being is composed. Disease
is, therefore, primarily an inharmony. Upon
a similar line of reasoning, the theory of the
original Abrams electronic apparatus was
promulgated. It was contended that certain

Page 4

virus procured in their process of develop

ment and in their disintegration of normal
cells a particular electrical discharge. The
disease caused the cells in certain regions to
predominantly radiate an electrical current
of a specific frequency. Thus every disease
would have its vibratory frequencyits
specific measurable rate of inharmony.
The patient was seated with his feet
grounded, that is, placed upon two metal
plates which were wired to the ground so as
to lead to the ground any electrical impulses
which the body might receive. It was con*
ceived that the frequency of such electrical
impulses of the disease would be extremely
high. In other words, in the ultra radio fre
quency range. Consequently the device, in
sofar as its electrical circuit was concerned,
was arranged to use such transformers as are
used for radio frequency amplification. The
circuit produced an oscillating radio fre
quency current of variable frequency. The
specific frequency being known by the fixed
and variable resistence used, the number of
windings of coils, capacity of the transform
ers, etc., which were thrown mechanically
into the circuit by switches or push buttons.
Electrodes were connected with the output
terminals of the apparatus. Such an elec
trode would be gently rubbed, for example,
on the chest of the patient, the device having
been set at a frequency corresponding to
that conceived to be emitted by the virus
or diseased cells. When and if the electrode
passed freely over the surface of the chest,
it was presumed there was no reaction in
that region to that specific frequencyno
disease of that kind then was presumed to
exist.
On the other hand, as I was informed by
the particular operator whom I was assisting
in designing the amplification system, if the
electrode seems to meet resistance, that is,
adhere to the flesh, it indicated a state of re
pulsion had been met. The frequency of the
current in the electrode and that of the
emanation of the diseased cells were said to
be the same and the repulsion of the two
similar polarities for each other caused the
electrode to adhere to the flesh and not be
easily removed until the circuit was
switched off. Presuming that the particular
frequency at which the electrode developed
its adhesive action, corresponded to the vi
bratory rate of a virus, one had then diag

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

nosed the disease. The next process, of

course, was to begin the remedial treatment.
This, according to the further explanation
given me, consisted of transmitting by
means of the same electrode to this region,
high frequency currents which would attack
the virus and restore normalcy in the cells.
Dr. Abrams, of course, never claimed per
fection for his device. It admittedly was
very much in the experimental stage. He
was a pioneer. Unfortunately, he was con
ducting his research at a time when the pub
lic and the medical profession as a whole
knew little or nothing of electronics. At that
time, the average medical physician accepted
perhaps little else than the Roentgen ray
(X ray) and the fluoroscope as devices in
his practice. Treatment by ultraviolet ray,
short wave frequency, infrared, etc., were
mostly considered absolute quackery. Now
every progressive, modern physician knows
the value of these latter devices in artifically
producing what the sun gives off in its
emanations. They know, for example, that
there is a chemical substance in food and in
the skin itself, known as ergosterol, which is
excited by the ultraviolet rays, and which
produces the very much needed vitamin D.
Obviously the problem of Dr. Abrams
was to try and determine a means of classi
fying all virus according to the frequency of
its electrical radiations in the cell. Before
one could hope to successfully diagnose, one
would need to have an absolute scale of vi
brations corresponding to the diseases. Then
next what would be needed would be a
knowledge of that electrical frequency to
counteract them, or for treatment purposes.
Since the wonders of electronics known to us
today did not exist, this theory was con
ceived as highly fantastic and imaginary to
the average physician. Nevertheless, instead
of quietly assisting Dr. Abrams in his inves
tigations, many physicians of different
schools of therapeutics installed the ap
paratus and advertised absolutely scientific
electronic diagnoses and treatment, the new,
the modem, the sure way, etc., etc. These
startling announcements resulted in many
desperate patients resorting to this means of
diagnosis and treatment. In fact, the
majority of them were not helped and were
being made victims of a fraud. This, then,
really gave the opponents of electronic
therepeutics something tangible to fight its

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

progress and its really scientific investiga

tion.
Today there are a number of such devices
on the market, under various trade names,
with similar theories. The manufacturers of
them are cautious about making positive
statements with regard to their absolute cur
ative or diagnostic properties, but numerous
drugless physicians use them in their offices.
I know a number of them who make exag
gerated claims for them. In fact, the manu
facturers of many of these devices contribute
to capitalizing upon the gullibility of the
patients, and often the practitioners ignor
ance of the science of electronics. The de
vices, as you see them in the operators of
fices have innumerable red and yellow pilot
lights that flash on and off, and sometimes a
spark gap at which at intervals a discharge
of static electricity will jump from one ter
minal to another. Others have a loud tick
ing or vibrating noise which accompanies
the operation of the apparatus. The prac
titioner or physician most always is certain
to use these sound and light effects. It has
an immeasurable suggestive influence upon
the patient, but actually means nothing from
a therapeutic point of view. In fact, the
practitioner demands of the manufacturer
these light and sound effects in his instru
ment. It helps to aweinspire the patient. Be
fore me is a pamphlet for an electrical de
vice, which is used for therapeutic treat
ment, and apparently has some value. It,
however, is not free of this need to provide
these salesmanship effects in its apparatus,
so as to satisfy the physicians or operators
who purchase them. In its instructions, it
advises, in part, under the heading of Hum
Adjusting Screw: This screw has nothing
to do with treatments, but because some doc
tors prefer a loud hum and others a soft
hum, we have added this screw to the in
strument so that the doctor can regulate the
hum or physical vibration of the instrument
to his own satisfaction.
Is there a real field in what may be called
electronic medicine? Absolutely yes. It is
truly a new and great channel for the
further alleviation of human suffering. It is
necessary, however, that it be allowed an
unmolested development before being ex
ploited. Exploitation before something is
perfected destroys public confidence and em
barrasses and hinders scientific investiga

Page 5

tion. As we are taught in our Rosicrucian

studies, and as it is now a fairly well-known
scientific fact, the living cell has an elec
tromagnetic field. It is bipolar, that is, hav
ing two poles. The nucleus of the cell has a
positive electrical charge. The cytoplasm is
negative in its electrical charge. The cyto
plasm surrounds the positive nucleus or cen
ter. In between is a membraneous insula
tion substance. The cell is like a man-made
battery. There is an oxidation and acidity
which takes place in the chemical substance
of the cell, the result of the food assimilated,
and our breathing, and this chemical reac
tion produces the electrical charges. Dis
turbances in these chemical reactions causes
a change in the electrical charge and in the
production of heat of the cell. W hat is the
normal electrical charge of cells and the nor
mal relationship of the acids or chemical
substances which produce the electrical
charges? That is the problem still under in
vestigation. The electrical charges of the
cells can and have been measured. Further,
it is known that disease, exertion, and excite
ment affect these electrical potentials. We
have, therefore, come a long way in our
electronic therapeutics. We have not, how
ever, reached a point seen in newspaper ad
vertisements and as advertised by many
physicians. There is no electronic device
which is as yet capable of infallible diagnosis
and corresponding treatment.X.
Mystical Preparation
A very intelligent and sincere Soror now
propounds some interesting questions to our
FORUM. She says: Should one not give
himself over wholly to mystical study, to the
exclusion of all elseto such discipline as
would be given in a mystical school or mon
astery? Of course, I do not discount a rea
sonable amount of physical exercise to keep
the physical part of us fit, as I realize that a
poorly kept body is not a fit temple for Cos
mic use.
But to prepare oneself for world service
under the Master, should not all of our
energies and talents be given wholly to the
most concentrated effort for full enlighten
ment, even to the subordination of all other
qualities? To reach the top in any art, means
complete and concentrated effort along that

Page 6

particular line. Does this not also apply to

soul-personality development?
In the present world condition, manual
skill has such a wide field and the call for it
is so urgent. In spite of this, however, dont
you think it better for one to prepare for a
larger work in the coming years? For, while
war is an emergency, is not peace a greater
responsibility? Reconstruction seems to me
of greater importance than the present de
struction; therefore, I believe the pursuit of
soul unfoldment is the greater callabove
that of the exercise of talent even. Granting
this to be true, yet where will the cultural
life fit in the breath-catching period follow
ing the shock of war? W hat is its place in
the work of a material world? I should
greatly appreciate an answer to these ques
tions.
The essence of the Sorors exposition and
question is: When ones ideal of mystical
enlightenment is opposed by the expediency
of a workaday world, and a world under the
impetus of war, shall one turn his back upon
the world, or shall he, for the time being,
suppress his ideal?
The answer to this question is best ap
proached, not by a logomachy, but by a
frank determination of the purpose of the
ideal. The term mystical enlightenment is
in itself not fully explanatory. It might first
be askedenlightenment about what? Since
the enlightenment is prefaced by the word
mystical, it is presumed that it concerns
the way by which man may attain a con
sciousness of his intimate relationship with
God. By experiencing the Infinite Mind,
man will become exalted in spirit and in
spired to pursue a conduct free of the errors
of ignorance. Full enlightenment will and
can mean a mastery for the individual,
such mastery to consist in relegating dis
ease, fear, grief, et cetera, to their subordi
nate places in human nature. It also can
mean the full liberation of the higher and
creative faculties of the individual, by which
he may achieve all such desires as are con
sistent with mystical enlightenment. Ob
viously a life of mystical enlightenment
must and does mean for the individual am
plified personal happiness, amounting al
most to an ecstasy.
This is a great munificence which the in
dividual will enjoy, but does it carry with
it no obligations? Are Cosmic truths like a

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

great gold mine? Is each to be rewarded for

his selfish labors and to keep for himself en
tirely the nuggets which he has mined? He
may say it was by his ingenuity that he dis
covered the gold vein, and by the sweat of
his brow that he brought the ore to its sur
face. Still the miner has a moral obliga
tion, not necessarily to give his gold to every
passerby, but at least to pay a debt to a so
ciety, a government, a people who will per
mit him to take and to retain what he finds.
So, too, no matter how much initiative and
ambition the mystical aspirant has, he is
obliged to do more than utilize what he has
learned for his own personal, that is, his
immediate welfare. He may, without com
punction, disregard the one who knows that
mystical enlightenment is possible, but re
jects the way because it is laborious. How
ever, it is incumbent upon him to help the
spiritually starved to find a fertile soil in
which they may grow that which is needed
to appease their hunger. Therefore, no mat
ter how you proceed to acquire such enlight
enment, it ultimately must be expanded into
the world of men.
In fact, the application of much mystical
enlightenment for ones own happiness de
pends upon his relations with the world of
reality. One who has an afflatus of the soul
and perceives momentarily the absolute, at a
hurried glance, through a partially opened
gate, forever seeks to symbolize that ex
perience in some object by which his physi
cal as well as spiritual being may be enrap
tured. A composer turns from the lilting
melody of the bird on the bough of a tree,
to his composition, that he may capture some
aspect of the experience for future enjoy
ment. The true mystic realizes, therefore,
that the beauties of mystical enlightenment
are to be had in depicting them in the world
of mortal consciousness. The flight of the
soul must and can only be temporary. The
world claims its flesh, and the one who has
had a mystical experience can make of his
world a garden in which there grows the
flowers of virtue, which only the mystic can
cultivate. Once he has cultivated them,
others can and will enjoy them, and this is
his obligation.
It is difficult to develop that isolation of
consciousness, that silence by which one be
comes contiguous to the Cosmic, especially
in a world of strife and emotionalism which

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

grips the being like a vise. It takes will to

force distractions from ones consciousness,
and to immure oneself against disturbances
in a sea of temporal influences. It is easier
to escape, to seek a natural barrier, an actual
mountain, a lost valley, or remote island, in
which to exclude oneself. If one seeks this
easier way, a monastery, for example, only
because he hopes to return to the world with
an enlightenment as a kind of anodyne for
suffering humanity, he may be excused. If,
however, he seeks asceticism, and exclusion
from the world, only because it is the path of
least resistence, he is not actuated by noble
motive. One having so little courage and so
indisposed to hardship would never make
the effort to return, when he finds he can
lull himself into a virtual insensibility in a
world of isolation. Those who remain in
monasteries and retreats, and who never
dare the world, who never seek to return
with the treasures of spirit which might be
theirs, are parasites. They soon are as weak
in unfoldment as in purpose, and their
powers atrophy. They die behind stone
walls, whose silence and security make
prisoners of them, and mock their once noble
purpose. Of what Cosmic service are those
who remain in some mountain fastness and
keep locked within their breasts, as their
persons are confined to cells, the truths they
may have once gleaned? It is not for man
to possess Cosmic wisdom. It is for him only
to give of it as he receives. Man is like but
a glass, to allow light free passage, not to
confine it.
Yes, Soror, find in some physical environ
ment, the means of intensifying your con
centration upon spiritual ends, if you wish.
But resolve that it must be only until you
can once again refract the light you may
receive in a darkened world, by your actual
physical presenceby your participation in
the world of events. One can help anothers
burden to become easier by crossing to his
side, but he can never do so by standing on
the edge of the road and looking in his direc
tion, sighing in sympathy with the others
labors.X
Should W e A ttend Church?
A Soror has asked permission to address
our Forum, of which she is a member. She
says: I have a problem which bobs up con

Page 7

tinually, as it does with other Bosicrucian

members whom I know. The point is, how
to get along harmoniously with the church
and its worshipers. I always have seen the
shortcomings of many of their ways and
theories, and the more I am learning of the
truth, the more openly I see their fallacies.
When you are a misfit in a group, isnt it
better to separate yourself from it, than
to be aggravated by it? I recall that in
one of the monographs, we were advised to
join a church. I realize the value of just
one personalitys influence, but when people
have been taught to worship Christianity
and the clergy, instead of Christianity in the
first place, it is difficult not to be disturbed
by such beliefs.
Religion is an admixture of dogmatism,
sacerdotalism, and devotion. The average
religionistand we are all religionists to
some extentis motivated by the inchoate
elements of his emotional and psychic per
sons. This first takes the form of devotionalism. We sense a growing love or desire for
that which transcends our ordinary exis
tence and our own powers. The majesty
of the Cosmic dawns upon us and there is
engendered within us a reverential feeling.
One may have this sensation when standing
upon the brink of the Grand Canyon, for
example, or upon some high plateau, looking
upon the majestic sweep of a vast mountain
chain. We gradually become conscious of
the microcosmic and finite nature of our
being. This causes a full appreciation of
nature, or whatever we conceive as being
the primary cause of all. This inclines one
to put into ideas or thoughts the sensations
he has.
The next step, therefore, becomes dogma
tism. This consists of a series of positive
statements which purport to explain the
causes, the effects of which we feel. Dogma
tism is the attempt to define in ideas or
words the spiritual impulses which men
have, and the object of them. The average
person, therefore, who has experienced this
spiritual awakening or devotionalism gravi
tates toward that dogmatism or organized
religion whose sacred arcanum consists of
explanations that are acceptable to his mind.
If what a religion expounds does not produce
an idea within us that corresponds to the
spiritual impulses which we have, it is re
jected by us as inferior or untrue. In other

Page 8

words, the dogma must have self-evident

truth to our minds, and be compatible with
our emotional selves. For analogy, in many
of the great fruit packing companies, they
have a mechanical grader. This apparatus
consists of moving belts, upon which the
fruit is placed. The fruit is caused to slip
through various sized apertures which acmommodate it. Thus one will jog past a
number of openings until it comes to that
one which is just its size. So most of us act
with respect to religion. We drift from one
dogma, one series of religious concepts to
another, until some rational explanation is
commensurate with our inner emotions
that is, one which we feel to be true. Actual
ly it means that what that religion offers is
equal to our highest conceptions, to the
highest of which our understanding is capa
ble. Dogma is, therefore, relative to human
understanding. The sincere religionist of
each sect has perhaps an equal devotion to
those of every other one, an equal spiritual
response, but intellectually he is unable to
define his feelings in exactly the same man
ner as another.
Which dogma is right and which is
wrong? None is entirely either. Simply,
God is not entirely explicable or scrutable
by man. There is one standard which is
logical for determining the value of dogmas,
and which is founded upon other aspects
of human experience. It is, that any religion
which execrates all others is false, for no
man is irreligious who seeks to know more
of God and nature, no matter through what
channel he searches.
Sacerdotalism and ritualism also play a
prominent part in every religion. An or
ganized religion cannot exist without them.
Sacerdotalism consists of the priesthood or
clergy, and the paraphernalia which they
need for the expounding of their dogma, and
the performing of their religious rites. Dog
ma is a code of professed precepts, rites,
liturgies, and so on. To know it well and to
be able to converse in it thoroughly, requires
one well versed in it. Such men are specia l
ists, just as are physicians, attorneys, and
engineers. If these specialists did not exist,
the religious views would become more con
fused than they now are.
Ritualism, when understood, is very essen
tial to any religion or to any system of mys
tical development. Ritual is an experience

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

for the psychic and emotional side of ones

self, just as a se rm o n is an experience for
the reasoning and intellectual part of man.
Religion cannot consist exclusively of an
exposition of exegetical facts, for example.
It would then be but history, metaphysics, or
philosophy. Neither could religion consist
entirely of a series of rites and ceremonies
which just motivate our latent psychic or
emotional selves, for men are more than
sentient beings, they are thinking ones as
well.
The person who scorns religion for its
liturgies and rituals, and advocates that such
should be discarded by churches is not a true
religionist. He is asking that the church be
transformed into an auditorium where he
may instead hear public lectures. He thinks
the approach to religion is entirely an intel
lectual one. Such an individual must be
taught to distinguish between philosophy
and religion. W e cannot, for example, criti
cize a zebra for having stripes and think it
should be plain like a horseit is entirely
a different animal. In fact, the individual
who desires entirely the rational approach to
the mysteries is not even a mystic. If he
studies mysticism, he is merely a student
of the philosophy of mysticism. The true
mystic needs, in addition, certain rituals by
which to stimulate those attributes of his
being, which in no way can be reached by
dialectics and persuasive arguments.
One should encourage religion as a whole,
as an institution of society. Its moral in
struction and influence are badly needed.
If religion in all of its aspects were to depart,
society would decay. It can be argued that
one can develop his moral sense in numerous
ways, without church attendancethat is
true perhaps for you. On the other hand,
for every one who is thus capable, there are
several thousand who need the psychological
influence of mass suggestion and collective
action to accomplish the same results. What
we suggest our Rosicrucian members do is,
with an open mind, to circulate among the
churches of their communities. Such is in
itself a liberal education. Try and find out
the method of worship which may be com
mensurate with your awakened spiritual
consciousness. Then try and attend that
church with fair regularity. If, however,
there is none whose sermons and rites pro
vide free intercourse for your thoughts and

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

spiritual inclinations, by all means cease

your attendance. In such an instance, make
your sanctum your temple and your place
of worship. There worship God and the
Cosmic as you sense them, as you conceive
them in self and mind.
However, continue to speak well of all
organized religions, even those which you
know are primitive as yet in their concepts
and methods. Remember, most mens minds
are primitive to a great extent in their think
ing, even though the men live in modem
countries and are attired as of the Twentieth
Century. Thousands of such persons are as
primitive in their thinking as was the
general populace of 3000 years B. C. They
may be possessed of modern facts, but their
reasoning processes are still very elementary.
Your condemnation of any existing primi
tive religions, or what you consider primi
tive, is only to deny to these primitive minds
the very first step by which they start their
climb upward. Being, personally, particular
ly interested in primitive thinking, magic,
religion, and sacerdotalism, I have made it
a practice in m y travels to foreign lands,
in each country that I have visited, to attend
some church, temple, or mosque. I respect
fully watch, or even p a rticip a te in their
services and rites, if I am permitted to do
so, to try and realize what they experience.
I have found the same golden thread run
ning through the consciousness of all re
ligionists, but in each religion it was woven
into a little different pattern.X
What Is Life?
The question of life and its nature is close
ly related to so many studies that it becomes
an important question for consideration
throughout the Rosicrucian philosophy. We
are dealing with life in almost every phase
of our study. Consequently, its very nature
becomes important if we are to be able to
accomplish purposes and ends which are
related to our teachings.
Philosophy, biology, and religion have,
throughout their existence, attempted to give
answers to the problems of the nature of life,
and there have been so many interpretations
of this peculiar condition that we can find
almost any explanation that would fit all
particular opinions.

Page 9

The manifestation of life is, to the best

of our knowledge, unique on this planet,
although there is no actual, existing proof
that life may not exist in other parts of the
universe. Our tendency always is to think
of life in nature as being that with which we
are familiar, so when we consider the possi
bility of life on other worlds our first basis
of consideration is usually in terms of life
as we know it here, whereas if the truth
were known life on this world may be a
peculiar, or rather, an isolated manifestation
of a force of which life itself is only a part.
This force may exist in different forms in
different places.
The Rosicrucian concept of life is particu
larly outlined in the Fourth Degree. We
know from these studies that the source of
all things manifests on this earth in two
polarities. We can compare this force as
coming to the earth with the delivery of
electrical current to our homes. This force
of electricity comes into our homes from the
powerhouse or from another source by two
wires, each carrying a polarity of the force
itself. So may the universal force come to
earth and to us as individuals in two polari
ties, and through these two polarities all
things known to exist become manifest. We
designate, in Rosicrucian terminology, that
these two forces are Spirit and Vital Life
Force. The polarity of Spirit causes to come
into existence and to be maintained those
things which we classify as matter or physi
cal things. The Vital Life Force is the source
of life itself, and when we find these two
forces combining we have the manifestation
of life in matter such as in the body of a
plant, animal, or man.
Man is composed, then, of Spirit and Vital
Life Force. Without the Vital Life Force he
would be nothing but a collection of physical
matter. With the infusion, however, of Vital
Life Force there enters that particular com
bination of matter known as the body, and
with the continued influx of this force
through breathing, as the Vital Life Force is
contained in the air we breathe, we main
tain a balance between these two polarities,
the manifestation of which is life.
While this explanation on the basis of
Rosicrucian principles is comparatively
simple, the actual manifestation of life is
much more complicated, since we have to
consider also the attributes and accompani

Page 10

ments of this condition, namely, mind and

soul. However, let us confine our thoughts
here to the state known as life. From the
above explanation, then, we would conclude
that a perfect manifestation of life on the
physical plane of the earth is a true balance,
coordination, and harmony of Spirit and
Vital Life Force manifesting at this particu
lar level. If we find these two forces become
out of harmony with each other, then we
find life is also altered in that conditions of
disease or distress take place, and if the
harmony or balance is thrown too far out
of proportion, life in physical form ceases
to exist. Religion and other philosophies
have put different interpretations upon life,
but in this Rosicrucian interpretation we
find a workable and logical explanation that
causes us to have the foundation upon which
to build other parts of our philosophy.
The attitude of science in attempting to
study life has been to do so objectively as it
does in many other fields. It is not the scope
of science to question the purpose of the
things that it investigates. In other words,
it is usually considered the scope of philoso
phy and religion to ask the question W hy?,
while science confines itself to the answer of
the question How?. Science is not con
cerned as to why life exists or as to its ulti
mate purposes, but rather as to its nature
as an existing thing. Science starts with life
as an existent; philosophy goes deeper to
attempt to answer the question as to why
there is life and what is its source? It is
only by answering these questions that we
as Rosicrucians can attempt to look beyond
the mere appearance of things as they exist
about us and to grasp an understanding of
the purpose of the existence of ourselves as
individuals. We want to see ourselves as
being related to the past and the future. We
want to know how this life fits into the whole
scheme of the Creator and what we are in
the scope and extent of universal purpose.
In studying these important and difficult
problems we are attempting not only to
adapt ourselves successfully and efficiently
to the physical environment of this earth,
but to bring ourselves in accord and into
logical place in the scheme of all things; to
become citizens of the Cosmic as well as
citizens of the world. Nevertheless, the ques
tions continually arise in our minds as to
this life manifestation. We see a tree and a

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

stone and we wonder what the difference

may be. We consider one as animate, that
is, alive, and the other as inanimate, or as
manifesting the lack of life. While Spirit is
one of the forces necessary for the manifesta
tion of life, it is only a part of the force. It
is not life itself, and so the manifestation
of Spirit in the stone is isolated while in the
tree there enters another factor which causes
it to manifest in such a way that indicates
the presence of an immaterial force that is
life itself.
In a recent investigation of virtues which
are considered to be the cause of many
diseases, including the common cold and in
fantile paralysis, one of our leading uni
versities brings out the opinion that a virus
is a nonliving thing. While many diseases
are considered to have their source, or at
least to be aggravated by the presence of
bacteria and other minute life forms, virus,
which science also considers to play a part
in disease, is now considered to be lifeless.
The conclusion is based upon the fact that
in the chemical analysis of this virus their
complete composition is only that of various
protein chemicals and that there is no trace
in them anywhere of the B vitamins. Some
amounts of B vitamins have been found in
all forms of living matter that have been
investigated, and so this researcher points
out that the presence or absence of B vita
mins may be used eventually as a criterion
as to whether any matter or thing under
consideration may or m ay not be alive.
From a scientific standpoint this is a most
interesting theory. The word vitamin is
derived from the Latin word vita, meaning
life or vital. The word vitamin was given
to the discoveries of these substances which
were found essential for the maintenance of
life. Therefore, it is quite logical to conclude
that if these vitamins are not present in a cer
tain object, that the thing is not alive or does
not have life in the sense that we know it. To
connect this with our Rosicrucian principles
it raises the most interesting theory as to
whether or not what science has come to
know as vitamins in their many forms are
not, after all, anything more or less than a
manifestation of a combination of Spirit and
Vital Life Force. In other words, it is not
difficult to conceive that Spirit can maintain
matter and that Vital Life Force is the very
source of life itself, but we realize from our

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

explanation that when these two forces com

bine a peculiar condition takes place which
is the manifestation of life on earth. Many
believe that one of the results of this com
bination may be the creation of vitamins
themselves and that what we know about
vitamins is merely our finite understanding
of a process that takes place with a combina
tion of a Vital Life Force and Spirit on the
material plane. Should this theory be true,
and bear in mind that it is only a theory,
then we can appreciate how essential it is
that vitamins be given consideration in our
diets. Furthermore, we can realize that na
ture has acted to adequately supply living
things with the vitamins they need.
This concept may give us a different out
look upon the question of vitamins and make
us realize that they are as science has dis
covered, an important factor in maintaining
harmony and balance in a healthy living
body. In conclusion, however, it is well to
make one point of warning. If this theory
is true, then the Creative Mind of the uni
verse has seen to it that these vitamins or
different manifestations of Vital Life Force
and Spirit is present in all living things and
accessible to all living things. Twenty-five
or more years ago, the word vitamin was
not known; I do not have the exact date at
which the term was used. Prior to that time
probably almost as many people were living
healthy lives as there are today. In other
words, they did not know that vitamins ex
isted, but a lot of people, nevertheless, were
happy and healthy. They obtained their
vitamins without knowing it, just as the
average person obtains oxygen. Vitamins
are naturally contained in the foods we eat.
The discovery of vitamins was brought about
by discovery of deficiencies of growth and
physical condition of people who were by
necessity forced upon a deficient diet. In
other words, if we could eat in their natural
form, foods that we were intended to eat, we
would have an abundance of vitamins in
our diets.
Nature is liberal; in fact, it goes to ex
tremes. There are more than enough vita
mins in the food that we eat, provided it is
the right kind of food to meet our daily
minimum requirements. W hat has hap
pened, then to give the popularity to vitamin
pills and preparations? We listen to radio
advertisements and think, from the picture

Page 11

the advertiser paints, if we dont rush out

and buy a certain brand of vitamin pills we
wont last the day because of the lack of
vitamins in our diet. The fact of the matter
is that man has removed himself from the
eating of foods in the way that they were
intended to be eaten. We find very few
cases of wild animals suffering from vitamin
deficiency, unless it is due to conditions over
which they have no control, and the shutting
off of food supplies. They seem to secure
their vitamins in the natural foods they eat,
but m ans taste has become civilized with
his civilization. We like many things which
are probably in excess of what nature in
tended. We season, sweeten, and refine our
foods to appease our tastes rather than our
bodily needs, and there are few people who
are not guilty. The high refinement of foods
in manufacturing processes takes away the
vitality that was originally intended, and
consequently, if our diet is largely from
foods that have been devitalized we are go
ing to lack viamins, and in extreme cases
may be forced to have them taken into our
systems artificially.
I am not trying to advocate diet fads, as
we can pick up various publications and find
many differences of opinion on what one
should and should not eat to insure a proper
diet with adequate vitamins. Good common
sense alone will tell us that hastily-eaten
foods which are composed of highly refined
materials, over-cooked, and devitalized from
the way nature intended, are not going to
furnish us with an adequate diet.
It will be interesting to watch the research
and study in connection with life and diet,
and there are times in which man will have
to have the assistance of artificial feeding of
various necessities for life; but to base ones
decision as to what one should or should not
have upon the diagnosis made in the various
forms of advertising may lead to difficulties.
If vitamin deficiencies exist then the indi
vidual so suffering should take vitamins
under the administration of a competent
physician of his own choosing. When it is
necessary to replace anything in our bodies
that we have for some reason or other failed
to include, it is necessary to have advice of
those capable of passing honest and compe
tent judgment.A

Page 12

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Illusions of the Psychic

Truth does not always bring an immediate
satisfaction. The realization of it is often
quite disconcerting. It may cause a consider
able distracting adjustment in our affairs.
Consequently to seek, or at least to embrace
a truth often requires courage and sacrifice.
Though many persons affirm a desire for
truth, their statements are from the lips
rather than from the heart. When con
fronted with the truth that requires an
abandonment of their customary ways of
believing and living, they will often actually
oppose truth; they will prefer an hypocrisy
or a self-deception because it is familiar, or
because it requires less effort.
Truth that is suddenly thrust upon us is
often not as appealing to the emotional self
as some fantasy. Many persons cling to
superstitions only because they intrigue the
imagination and are surrounded with an air
of romanticism, which the reality of the
truth which exposes them does not possess.
To summarize, there are persons who prefer
a world, an existence of their own explana
tion, even if it be contrary to the facts.
Many such persons are students of mysti
cism and of psychic phenomena. Really they
should not be called students, for they are
but dilettantes of the subjects. They like to
have their curiosity sustained. They enjoy
residing on the outer circle of mystery, writh
the excitement and suspense which it pro
vides. For example, they attend seances of
a spiritualistic nature, and listen to the pur
ported communications from those who have
gone beyond. They visibly are awed and
thrilled by an apparent ectoplasmic mani
festation of a soul, in a darkened room.
They love to interpret every impression of
a visual or audible nature they may have, as
a Cosmic Master directly imparting wisdom
to them. Every light they see, and which
has no corresponding objective reality must
be, so they insist, of psychic origin. They
extol every book or public speaker who con
firms their opinion. They thoroughly enjoy
assumptions, and they are assumptions, for
such persons have not one iota of fact to
support the majority of their conclusions.
M any have not actually formulated a ra
tional system of premises by which to ex
plain that such experiences as they had are
exclusively of the psychic. Most regrettable

is their antagonism to any analysis of what

they experience. They openly refuse to par
ticipate in any experiments or discussions
which might easily prove that their psychic
experiences are actually not of psychic origin,
but are optical illusions or physiological
or psychological reactions to environment,
which anyone might have under similar
conditions.
I have actually seen persons indignantly
walk out of a public gathering, because an
intelligent lecturer tried to show that every
vision seen in a crystal ball, for example,
was not a divination or necessarily a mysti
cal experience. To others, they would after
wards relate that the speaker was a ma
terialist, who was not prepared for the
higher truths. By higher truths, they
meant the many false conceptions which
they personally wished to cherish. A higher
truth, if one means a Divine principle, will
stand the most analytical, materialistic, or
scientific scrutiny. It is stronger in its effect
upon our minds, subsequently, because of
such examination. The person who refuses
to have what he conceives as mystical or
spiritual laws tested or tried, or at least ex
amined in an open manner, is fastening his
mind on just what he wants to believe and
rejecting what actually may be so.
The statement by a lecturer that some
thing is not psychic phenomena, of course,
should not be accepted in itself any more
than your idea that it is. If, however, he
can show you that the same results can be
attained in a physical and psychological
manner, and if you are really a seeker of
truth, you will readily admit your former
deception. You will not want to confer upon
strictly physical phenomena the designation
psychic or mystical, if it is not. Sup
pose, for analogy, someone gave you a brick,
and said it was made of gold. You examine
it carefully and with your limited experience
concerning metals, it seems to be gold. Fur
ther, suppose a reputable chemist and assayer could, by a spectroscopic analysis,
show you that the brick was in fact not gold,
but just an alloy plated, would you be indig
nant at his revelation? Would you become
adamant and insist that it was gold just so
that you would not have to relinquish your
own erroneous opinionand thereby con
tinue to deceive yourself? I believe you
would not. You would perhaps be disap

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

pointed, but grateful in know ing th e tru th

and of learn in g th e w ay to determ ine real
gold. T hen, likewise, if w h at you believe are
psychic experiences cannot stand th e test
of ju st and liberal exam inations, discard as
psychic those experiences w hich you have
had. Expend y o u r efforts in th e search and
study of th e genuine. Place y our affection
upon an d give y o u r devotion to th e tru th ,
not to chim eras.
A gain we say th a t if those w ho are
interested in m ysticism , m etaphysics, and
occultism w ould devote some study to basic
science, physics and psychology preferably,
in addition to th e ir esoteric studies, th e y
w ould derive so m uch m ore from th e ir ex
ploration of th e realm of th e form er. N ot
having an y such knowledge, even ele
m e n ta ry of the above-m entioned sciences,
th e y are not prepared to recognize tru e
occult or m ystical principles and m anifes
tations. T h ey often w aste years of th e ir
lives in a self-deception, in believing certain
reactions th a t th e y have to be of Cosmic
origin, w hen th e y are in dubitab ty p u rely
psychological or physical.
It is for this reason th a t the Rosicrucian
teachings include and stress a study of n a
tu re s principles and laws, as th e y are m a n i
fest in th e various physical sciences. As w e
also study our physical being and the p h y si
cal w orld, w e know to w h at parts of the
scale of Cosmic m anifestations to attrib u te
w h at wre experience.
L et m e cite a hypothetical case of how
persons, intelligent enough, sincere in w a n t
ing to m aster m ystical and m etaphysical
principles, deceive them selves thro u g h lack
of know ledge of elem entary, basic law s of
the physical sciences. A w om an w ill w rite
and say: I have set aside a sm all room in
m y hom e for m y devotions. I notice alm ost
im m ediately th a t after p ra y e r in this room,
m y body becomes exceptionally charged
w ith a Cosmic or D ivine energy of some
sort. I t jum ps from m y body w hen I ap
proach th e door to exit from th e room. T his
does not occur in an y other room of th e
house. F u rth e r, I notice th a t if I go th ro u g h
a little ritu a l w hich I perform , th e energy
becomes m ore intense. T his ritu a l consists
of w alking about th e room th ree tim es, and
each tim e facing one of th e cardinal points
of th e compass for a few seconds, w here I
m ake a symbolic sign. Once I was in a

Page 13

h u rry because of th e pressure of personal

m atters an d om itted this ritu a l. M y con
science w as b o th erin g m e because I neglected
it. As I departed fro m the room, th e energy
w hich u su ally shot from m y fingers to the
door, a t a distance of about a n inch, was
lacking. T h en , again, I w as prevailed upon
to take dow n th e draperies in this devotional
room , an d send th e m and th e ru g to th e
cleaners. In w a rd ly I felt this ra th e r a sacri
lege, th a t is, th e tem p o rary disturbance of
this place w hich w as sacred to me. I am
convinced th a t I experienced im m ediately
th e re afte r a n act of retribution. D u rin g th is
tim e o r in terv al, u n til th e re tu rn of th e
draperies an d ru g , I did n o t experience th e
discharge of th e en erg y from m y fingers, no
m a tte r how long m y devotionals.
H ere w as a difficult situation. T o fra n k ly
state th a t w h a t th e w om an experienced was
a self-deception, th a t th ere was no relatio n
ship betw een th e discharged energy an d an y
desecration of th e room or neglect of th e
ritu a l w ould have been offensive to her. It
w ould have disturbed h e r confidence in us.
F u rth e r, w e did n o t have enough factual in
form ation as y e t to prove o ur th eo ry of th e
physical causes of h e r experience, so w e
w rote an d asked for a description of the ru g
an d th e door, as w ell as a few questions
un related to these things, so as n o t to cause
th e w om an suspicion th a t w e w ere m aking
en tirely a scientific analysis of h e r experi
ence. She cooperated. She explained th a t
th e ru g was O riental, beautiful in coloring,
an d w ith a h igh nap . It h ad been m ade in
In d ia an d presented to h er as a gift b y h e r
brother, w ho w as a n engineer in th a t land.
T h e devotional room being sm all, th e ru g
en tirely covered th e floor. T h e room h ad
once been used b y h e r bro th er as a lab o ra
to ry an d th e side of th e door facing into th e
room w as lin ed w ith sheet m etal, finished
to ap p ear as wood.
W ith o u t ap p earin g to digress from th e
subject, w e asked h e r to conduct a little ex
p erim en t for us. W e asked if she h ad an o th er
room about th e sam e size, an d w ith a door
hav in g a m etal knob or handle. She did.
I t w as a service room off th e re a r entran ce
of h e r ap artm en t. W e asked h e r to place the
ru g in it an d th e n to perform h e r ritu al.
N ext, to leave th e room , and as she left, note
w h at she w ould experience. W e th e n requsted h e r to rem ove th e ru g from th e room

Page 14

and rep eat th e same ritu a l and depart, and

also relate w h at she experienced. A fter an
interval, she m ade h e r rep o rt to us. A t first,
afte r p erform ing the circum am b u lato ry ritu
al, th a t is, w alking about the room on the
rug, th e discharge of energy was noticed as
she departed from the room. T h e n ex t even
ing she rem oved th e rug, an d personally
attired ju st as she was the n ig h t before, she
observed th a t no energy wTas discharged,
even though th e ritu a l w as repeated twice.
T he w om an w as obviously now quite con
fused. T h e experim ent h ad convinced h e r
th a t in some w ay th e ru g was th e cause of
the energy from h e r fingers. She w as in telli
gent; she didnt believe th e ru g w as im bued
w ith a n y su p ern atu ral force. She, therefore,
w ith a n open m ind, begged for an ex p lana
tion. I t w as th e n sim ple for us to explain
to h e r th e n a tu ra l physical phenom ena of
frictional or static electricity w h ich she had
produced w ith in herself.
As long back as 600 B. C., T hales, G reek
philosopher, found th a t am ber w h en rubbed
w ith w oolen m aterial w ould a ttra c t bits of
straw an d other lig h t objects. N ow, w e know
th a t m a n y other objects of different natu res,
w hen rubbed together w ill produce this same
effect. Objects w hich acquire this p ro p erty
of attractin g different other objects w h en
rubbed together are said to be electrified,
th a t is, th e y possess a n electrical charge.
Some substances w hich have a n electrical
charge produced in th em re ta in it, th a t is,
it cannot escape from them , an d th e y are
called insulators. Substances w h ich lead off
electrical charges are called conductors.
M etal substances are all conductors. T h e
w om an, b y w alking about th e room , was
rubbing th e soles of h e r le ath er shoes o n th e
high n a p of th e rg. T his friction produced
an electrical charge in h e r body. T his elec
tric ity w as at rest, or static, because it could
not escape h e r body, w hich w as as an in su
lator. W h en , how ever, she reached out h e r
h an d to grasp th e m etal door knob, th e m etal
being a conductor of electricity, led th e cu r
re n t from h e r fingers. I t jum ped th e gap
of space, an d a t th a t m om ent she experi
enced a prickly feeling a t h e r finger tips,
an d saw th e electrical discharges as a sm all
bluish light.
W h e n she did not perform th e ritu a l, th a t
is w alk about, insufficient friction betw een
the soles of h e r shoes and th e n ap of th e ru g

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

occurred to generate th e electrical cu rren t

w ith in h e r body. Likewise, w h en the ru g
w as rem oved en tirely , no noticeable fric
tional electricity w as generated. F or a con
siderable tim e, this w om an (an d m a n y w ith
actual experiences sim ilar to h ers) deceived
herself into believing th a t she w as experi
encing psychic phenom ena w h en it w as a
dem onstration of com m on physical forces.
T h e weeks o r years such persons have been
content to recognize such effects as hav in g
D ivine significance could have been devoted
to a study of th a t w hich actu ally concerns
the m ore profound an d in fin ite principles of
th e Cosmic. Do n o t fasten a n explanation
up o n a n effect y o u experience, unless you
have first exhausted all channels of investi
gation an d inform ation. X

W hat Is Love?
A soror, I believe a new com er to our
F orum , now arises an d speaks: Tw o years
ago, shortly afte r u n itin g w ith AMORC, I
w as visiting in th e W est, w h ere for several
Sundays I atten d ed a S unday school class.
T h e m em bers of this group w ere young m a r
ried couples, th e ir ages being from the late
tw enties u p in to th e late thirties. T his p a r
tic u la r S unday, discussion of th e lesson w as
m ost interesting. I t w as about love. T h e
question w as asked: Is love a n em otion of
th e body or of th e soul? To m y surprise,
in a group of about fifteen persons, every
one b u t I said th e y th o u g h t it w as an emo
tion of th e body.
M ay I state m y reasons for saying th a t
love is of th e soul: (a) If it w ere a m ere
physical em otion, w h y is it no one has ever
know n w h a t p a rt of ones physical self
loves? (b) F ro m personal know ledge, w hen
one loves deeply, th ere is no physical w ay
in w hich w e can possibly show all of the
love w e feel. T h ere is no com plete physical
expression. Of course, one can say words
of love, show love in deeds, an d kindness
for th e loved one, an d y e t all th a t isn t
enough. I t is such a deep em otion, it m u st
be som ething h ig h er th a n of th e body.
First, th e soror m u st be com plim ented for
h e r an aly tical approach to th e subject. She
is rea lly in search of knowledge. She does
not resort to recitation of a series of tim e
w o rn platitudes an d affirm ations on w h at
love is, o r a m ere quotation of poetic ex

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

planations which are not the actual result

of her own personal conclusions. Hers is the
truly philosophical approach to a subject of
inquiry. Whether love is of the soul or an
emotion possibly organically caused is, of
course, a question of origin. In other words,
does love spring from soul, the Divine es
sence of man, or is it a by-product of his
physical organism. Perhaps if we attempt
an explanation of what love is, its origin
might have greater conspicuity to us. Quite
often the nature of a thing points to that
from which it is derived. We love the Divine,
we love our children, we love music, we love
a delicious dinner. There is an apparent
distinction between these ends or the things
we love. In fact, we might arrange them
into a hierarchal order, with perhaps the
Divine at the top and the delicious dinner
at the bottom. We might even say that all
of these were not loves, but that the one of
food was an appetite. On the other hand,
there are many persons who love food when
they are not actually hungry, so it is not
purely a physical urge, but a mental one
also. We can say that it is a desire. What,
then, is a desire. It is the urge to acquire
something which will provide a pleasure.
No one desires that which is irritating or
painful to him. We always desire that which
furthers the harmony of our being, that
which provides gratifying sensations.
Can you distinguish between love and its
general effect upon us, and desire? You
love that which brings you physical, mental,
or spiritual satisfaction. You love only that
which complements some aspect of your
composite being, that is, in harmony with it.
The origins of some loves or desires are quite
apparent. They are obviously somatic. The
impelling desires for food and drink, which,
when gratified, are pleasurable, are some of
the lowest in the scale of desires. Though
necessary, they are appeased by very pro
saic substances or conditions. The love a
mother has for her child is idealized by us
because of the sacrifices which she will
make for it, yet that love is basically bio
logical. It is an extension of her self-interest,
of the instinct of self-preservation, if you
will, which includes the child. A normal
person can no more avoid giving everything
to satisfy the love for her child than she can
struggle to preserve herself. The child be
comes a dominant part of her self-interest,

Page 15

more so than her own physical well-being.

This love, then, for the child, is an inherent
emotional part of her whole being. The
same may be said of the love of a woman
for a man, or a m an for a woman. Even
the love of a man for his God is desire.
It is a poetic and romantic absurdity to
term one such impulse love and the other
desire. They are all loves, but as Plato said,
some are greater and others lesser. The
lesser ones we can seem to localize, relate
to specific parts or organs of our being,
because they are so limited in their func
tion. The lesser loves are negative in their
effect. Their ends are not sought in them
selves, but only to relieve a distressing situa
tion. As one philosopher has said, these
lesser loves or desires of the appetites are
like scratching an itch. One must first have
an itch before he has a desire to scratch it.
The satisfaction diminishes in proportion to
the lessening of the itch. The higher loves
are positive. They are for things which are
sought in themselves. They are not just
remedial, not, in other words, just to re
move an itch.
Intellectual love is an example of the
more noble loves. One wants learning, wants
to know for the sheer happiness which it
provides, not because it removes an irrita
tion. One possessed with an intellectual love
finds the desire increasing in proportion to
his attempt to satisfy it. Thus, the more one
studies and learns, if he desires knowledge,
the more intense the desire is. There is
never a plenary satisfaction. No love is
selfless. All loves include self. Where one
forfeits his body, his posessions, even his
life, for an object of love, it is because the
self has become more expansive and that
which is loved is included within the self.
It is, however, held in a higher regard than
ones own personal existence. The more re
fined, the more developed the self, the more
expansive it becomes. The developed self
includes, as essential to its existence, the
beauties of nature, human kindness and a
proximity to the Infinite Mind.
Consequently where the crude and primi
tive self is limited to the love of its somatic,
bodily welfare alone, the advanced self in
cludes all of that which is in harmony with
the human consciousness. The higher loves
are thus possible only with the aspirations
and expansion of the self. The more all-

Page 16

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

inclusive of the D ivine, the m ore we realize

th e D ivine, th e h igher and m ore infinite
become our loves. T h e one w ho loves m ore
th a n a n y th in g else the filling of his gullet,
an d the one w ho loves all of th a t w hich lives
because it brings h im closer to God, are
both m otivated by desires of th e D ivine.
T h e D ivine Consciousness in m a n directs
the organic urges th a t a body m a y live and
p erpetuate itself. T his same D ivine Con
sciousness in m a n produces a reflection of
its ow n n atu re , the ego or self. One cannot
develop his appetites beyond a certain point
because the functions th e y serve are in te n
tionally lim ited, so such loves are lim ited
in th e pleasure th e y engender. One, how
ever, can greatly accelerate th e conscious
ness of self an d th e loves of self are u n
lim ited and th e beatitudes th e y provide are
infinite.
E very cell of our being is im pregnated
w ith this love of self, this desire to preserve
the ego in every respect. T his love of self
is th e D ivine urge definitely expressing itself
throughout th e body. D evelopm ent of self
produces a n idealism th e content of w hich
extends beyond th e body an d finds its satis
faction in th e Cosmic. T herefore, if love
is desire, and if desire is of D ivine origin,
the loves of w hich m a n is capable are on a
graduated scale. T h e first ideals are found
in bodily w ants, th e n ext in intellectual
aspirations, and the highest in a m erging of
self w ith the Cosmic. As Socrates said, only
th e philosopher m a y know w h a t is the
greatest pleasure, for he has experienced
both th e pleasures of the body an d those of
the m in d (soul). T h e same can be applied
to love.
T h e soror, w e conclude, is rig h t in th a t
love is of th e D ivine Essence of m an , b u t it
m anifests throughout the integ rated n atu re
of m an , his m ind, brain, and body. No
n a tu ra l desire is therefore no t of D ivine
origin, b u t some are fa r m ore expansive in
w h a t th e y include. X
W illin g Y o u r B ody
A soror of N ew Y ork C ity asks a question
w hich w e believe of interest to this Forum .
H e r question is: Is th ere an y th in g incon
sistent w ith the philosophy of life em braced
b y th e Rosicrucians, in th e w illing of ones
eyes afte r death, for th e benefit of blind

soldiers? N o doubt you are fam iliar w ith

the g reat w ork being done b y th e tra n s
p la n tin g of th e cornea of a good eye of the
deceased, w ith in a few hours afte r th e ces
sation of life, to th e eye of a blind person.
M a n y religious sects object to th e dissec
tion of th e body a t death for a n y reason, no
m a tte r how altru istic th e motive. Such re
ligious opposition is p rin cip ally founded
upon a n illib eral in terp retatio n of sacred
dogma. Those C hristians w ho conceive a
resurrection of th e body, u pon th e occasion
of th e final ju d g m en t day, are th e m ost
strenuous opponents to th e bequesting of th e
body, or a p a r t of it, for h u m a n ita ria n p u r
poses. T h ey contend th a t such m u tilatio n
w ould p rev en t th e com plete resurrection of
the body to serve God w h en H is K ingdom
is established u p o n earth.
T h e inconsistencies of such argum ents
will, of course, be ap p aren t to a n y th in k in g
person. T h e average follow er of such sects
u su ally does n o t resort to th e m ost expensive
m ethods of em balm ing w hich are possible.
T herefore, in a m a tte r of years his body, a t
th e best, is b u t a skeletal rem ains anyw ay.
E ven th e E g y p tian m u m m y , representing
the highest ty p e of E g y p tian em balm ing, is
fa r from being a com pletely preserved
h u m an . T h e m ost efficient E g y p tian em
b alm ing req u ired th e rem oving of th e viscera,
b rain , an d num erous organs. E ven bodies
placed in h erm etically sealed tom bs or vaults
ev en tu ally become so deh y d rated th a t th e y
disintegrate in to im palpable elem ents. T h e
strangeness of th e reasoning of such Christions is h eightened b y th e fact th a t th ey
kn o w th a t th e body is dissoluble, no m a tte r
w h at precautions are taken. T h e y offer the
explanation th a t w h en th e final resurrection
of m a n on a rth occurs, b y D ivine w ill th e
p arts an d th e elem ents of th e dust, of w hich
it m a y th e n consist, w ill be reassem bled,
nam ely , th e dissolved body w ill be restored
to its fo rm er state, prio r to transition. If the
D ivine W ill can m iraculously shape dust
particles in to flesh and blood again, perhaps
hundreds of thousands of years hence, if it
w ill restore bones, w here no sem blance of
same m a y a n y longer exist, th e n , m ost cer
tain ly , it could also replace a m issing eye
or b ra in th a t h ad been bequested for the
benefit of h u m a n ity . W e have h eard these
religionists rela te th a t m en lost a t sea and
whose bodies becam e p rey for the m arin e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

life of the deep and w ere devoured, would

at th e resurrection th e n be restored intact.
If all of this can be accom plished, then, we
repeat, so can a m issing organ be regained
by th e same m iraculous pow er on such
occasion of resurrection.
F rom the Rosicrucian point of view, how
ever, w h en tran sitio n occurs, the body is no
m ore th a n a m a teria l shell, a substance w ith
out its original purpose. I t should be disinte
grated as rap id ly as possible, so th a t th e
chem ical elem ents of w hich it is composed
can, according to th e atom ic forces of n atu re,
form some other m aterial reality. Once the
vital life force, th e D ivine Consciousness is
departed, the body is no m ore th a n a stone
statue or a w ax dum m y. In fact, it is less
th a n these, because it has served its purpose
and therefore m u st dissolve. By accelerating
the process of dissolution, w e fu rth e r the
Cosmic law ; th a t is w h y Rosicrucians, for
m ystical, logical, and sa n ita ry reasons, advo
cate crem ation of th e h u m a n rem ains. It is
only a m aw kish sentim ent, or unsound re
ligious precept w hich seeks to preserve the
body. If, then, th e body is only th e m aterial
elem ents of n atu re , and not th e soul or self,
th e n w hen th e la tte r has departed, w h y not
use such physical elem ents in a w a y to aid
others, if you are so inclined?
By taking this view, w e are n ot urging
th a t every person bequest his body or parts
of it for therapeutic or scientific purposes.
H ow ever, if you feel so inclined, j^ou m ay
be sure th ere are no m oral or Cosmic p rin ci
ples w hich are being violated. C ertain ly the
sorors plan of bequesting th e corneas of h er
eyes, to restore th e sight of a blinded w ar
veteran, w ould be a m ore sp iritu al m otive
th a n desiring th a t th e cornea disintegrate in
an em balm ed body in a coffin. T h ro u g h the
corneas of h e r eyes, w hich she bequests to
one w ho is blinded, the others consciousness
m a y for years come to experience th e m a n i
fold w orks of th e D ivine, an d also perhaps
be able to contribute, by the restored sight,
to th e happiness of hum an ity . T h e atoms
of our disintegrated bodies w ill, w h eth er w e
w an t th em to or not, form into some other
assem bly, in the process of th e ir vibrating
gyrations. W ould they, how ever, become
m ore useful as chem ical elem ents in some
m aterial substance, th a n as restored living
tissue in an existing h u m a n being? I th in k
not. W e do not hesitate these days to give

Page 17

our blood as plasm a, th a t others m ay live.

W h y not, th en , if you are so inclined, be
quest th e corneas of y o u r eyes th a t an other
m a y perceive the lig h t of day an d experi
ence th e lig h t of knowledge? T h e attem p t to
preserve th e p hysical body is a n obsolete
custom, w hich h ad its beginning thousands
of years ago in th e m ost ru d im e n tary con
cepts of im m o rtality .-X
W h a t V a lu e Life?
A soror of O klahom a, addressing our
F orum , says: T h e book, U n to T hee I
G ra n t, n ev er fails to in terest m e an d cause
m e some w o rry . Sometimes it also causes
m e some concern, because it speaks lig h tly
of life. On page 49, it states Strive to live,
therefore, as long as thou oughtest, n ot as
long as th o u canst. T hen, on P age 50, m an
is chided for being w asteful of life, th row ing
it aw ay, as if h e h ad m ore th a n enough.
T his is v ery tru e an d easily com prehensible,
b u t a little fu rth e r dow n you read, W h a t
th e n is life, th a t m a n should desire it? W h a t
breathing, th a t h e should covet it? A nsw er
in g itself, th e book says: Is it n o t a scene
of delusion, a series of m isadventures, a p u r
su it of evil, linked on all sides together? In
th e beginning, it is ignorance, p ain in its
m iddle, an d its end is sorrow . T h e n a little
fu rth e r, w e read, Fools dread as m ortals,
an d desire as if im m o rtal. I t sounds like a
reflection on th e belief in im m o rtality , b u t
I know it is not. I w ould appreciate a Forum
discussion of these points w hich ap p ear to
conflict w ith each o th er.
L et us take th e first sentence w hich is
quoted, n am ely , S trive to live, therefore, as
long as thou oughtest, not as long as thou
canst. H ow long ought a m a n to live? T h e
answ er to this exists en tirely in th e po in t of
view w h ich w e h av e of life. F ro m th e bio
logical conception, a living th in g fulfills its
functional purpose w hen it has ceased re
producing its kind, or it is no longer capable
of doing so. T h e biological cycle of life does
n o t end w ith d eath, b u t w h en it fulfills th e
greatest function of th e life force itself,
n am ely, reproduction. T he fact th a t a living
organism m a y also b rin g forth wool to be
sheared, produce m ilk, or b rin g pleasure b y
its song or p lum m age are u n im p o rta n t to
natu re. T h e y are values th a t m an , n o t n a
tu re, has placed u pon living things. Conse

Page 18

q u en tly an y th in g , from th e p oin t of view of

biological necessity, w hich lives beyond th e
period of its fecundity, is living longer th a n
it should.
F rom one aspect of sociological req u ire
m ent, a m a n is living as long as h e ought,
w h en he is b y his conduct co n tributing to
th e w elfare of society. W h e n one, in his
occupation or trade, is aiding th e com m on
good b y accom plishm ent, such as producing
a need or ren d e rin g a service, he is fulfilling
his social function. W h e n h e ceases to do so,
in th e economic scheme of society, h e has be
come a liability. H is economic life cycle
has ended, even though as a n en tity h e con
tinues to exist. F rom th e political point of
view, w h en a m a n b y his conduct becomes
a n anti-social, w hen he interferes w ith th e
p u rsu it of happiness of others in society or
seeks to und erm in e society, his political life
or function has ended. A crim inal, from th e
political point of view of society, has lived
as long as he ought to as an anti-social. T his
does not necessarily m ean th a t his physical
life should be destroyed, b u t it is h eld th a t
unless he can be converted to useful citizen
ship, th e balance of his conscious living state
is w asted. E ven m ost religions place a lim it
on th e life period of m an. T h e y hold th a t
each h o u r th a t a n atheist lives, fo r exam ple,
h e is dam ning God, and his v e ry life is a
desecration of th e D ivine Pow ers w hich gave
h im existence. C onsequently, from th e
orthodox conception of C hristian ity , a m a n
has lived as long as he ought to w h en he
has b y his conduct fallen from th e G race
of God.
T o m erely love life is n o t ac tu a lly pos
sible. W e cannot separate life fro m certain
functions an d experiences w h ich it includes.
So fa r as w e, as individuals, are concerned,
life to us is a state of consciousness, of being
aw are of som ething, aw are of self, of events,
of objects. W ould you w a n t to live, fo r ex
am ple, confined in a room six feet b y six
feet, forever, even though y ou experienced
no physical discom fiture? W h y not? Be
cause life is interp reted b y you as a state
of realization an d of function in g in some
w ay. W ith o u t such functions, yo u w ould
n o t w a n t to m erely exist. C onsequently, you
do n o t love life, b u t those opportunities
w hich it provides to do an d to realize. Do
you not, therefore, in fact, believe th a t y o u r
life has tru ly ended w hen you w ill no longer

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

be able to accom plish or experience those

things for w h ich life has value to you?
F ran k ly , th e n y ou w an t to live only as
long as thou oughtest, n ot as long as thou
canst.
W h y desire life, its breathing, its physio
logical functions, its necessary pains, the
delusions, an d u ltim ate sorrow a t th e end,
for th a t is all th a t life from th e physical
point of view can m ean? You m u st super
impose u pon th e biological existence, or ju st
living, certain idealism , certain ends w hich
w ill brin g y o u happiness an d w hich w ill
outw eigh p u re sensual gratification, for such
is evanescent. I f one m akes his ideal ju st
th e satisfaction of his appetites, th e n w h en
he is no longer able to g ratify them , he has
outlived his life, even though h e continues
to exist, possibly for an o th er tw en ty years.
If you m ake life m ean to you m en tal
pleasures, th e satisfaction w hich comes from
learning, th e m o ral pleasures w hich come
from doing good, social pleasures w hich
come from co n tributing to th e w elfare of
society an d m a n k in d generally, th en life
w ill m ean som ething to you as long as con
sciousness rem ain s in y o u r body. Do n ot
value life unless y ou have a m eans of in te lli
g en tly using it. L ife w ith o u t intelligent ap
plication of its possibilities is an organic
autom atonism . One w ho lives in th a t w ay is
n ot a n y m ore th a n the little earthw orm th a t
he crushes b en eath his feet.
T h e Cosmic h as a purpose in th e creation
of life. N ot know ing fu lly th a t purpose, to
love life itself is a folly. T h ere is no pleasure
in living; th e re is only pleasure in doing
w ith life. W h y do m en com m it suicide?
Because th e purpose to w hich life can be
applied seems to have vanished to them .
T h ey do n o t w a n t to live because no one
actu ally desires a purposeless existence, in
sofar as his personal realization is concerned.
T ake aw ay m y reason for living, and you
m a y as w ell tak e m y life, for th e la tte r is
w orthless w ith o u t th e form er. X

W isdom of the Soul

A soror of a M idw estern state of A m erica
now addresses th is Forum . She says: In a
recen t m onograph, it relates: B ut th e w orld
ly consciousness in m a n th a t is a p a rt of th e
b rain , begins its cycle a t b irth absolutely ig
n o ran t. T h is w orldly consciousness and

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

brain have to deal w ith m an-m ade law s and

m an-m ade know ledge, such as reading,
w riting, arithm etic, engineering, art, music,
speaking of various languages, th e h isto ry of
countries and peoples, and th e principles of
daily affairs. A ll of this know ledge is not
D ivine wisdom, b u t w orldly wisdom, an d the
b rain an d w orldly consciousness of m a n
have to sta rt a t b irth and acquire this know l
edge grad u ally .
If this be tru e, how does m a n advance,
if he starts over each tim e as an absolutely
ign orant m ind? W here, then, do th e m inds
th a t m anifest as great singers, m usicians,
engineers, m athem aticians, and so on, ac
quire th e ir knowledge? T h ere are in the
w orld today m a n y girls fourteen or fifteen
years of age whose voices are m atu re, w ith
no sound of a childs voice. P erhaps I have
m isunderstood the m onograph. I ask for
fu rth e r enlightenm ent.
In this sorors rem arks and query , w e are
again confronted w ith th e polem ic subject
of th e distinction betw een m in d an d brain.
M ind m u st have consciousness. On th e other
hand, all consciousness cannot be defined as
m ind. Sim ple consciousness, for exam ple, is,
in effect, a perceptive and a responsive
q u an tity of an organism . In other words,
it is th e m eans b y w hich an organ has a
sensation of som ething external to it, an d
by w hich it comes to react to it. T ake y o u r
finger an d prod th e delicate tendrils of some
plants, an d you w ill observe th e ir im m e
diate recoil. T his indicates th a t y o u r touch
on the p la n t produced w ith in it a sensation,
w hich in tu r n caused th e p la n t to instinc
tiv ely react to th a t w hich irrita te d it. Obvi
ously m in d is m ore th a n ju st th a t k in d of
function, an d y e t it m u st have a conscious
ness by w hich it can be responsive to con
ditions. M in d is an intelligence as w ell, th a t
is, it is a state of cognition or know ing. T h e
principle distinction betw een m in d an d sim ple
consciousness is th a t th e sensations w hich
m ind receives become isolated. T h ey are
so set a p a rt and given id e n tity th a t th e y
become a thing, or an idea. T h e p lan t, to
re tu rn to th e above analogy, is no t able to
reta in and analyze th e sensation it has re
ceived from y o u r touch of it. It, therefore,
responds to th e sensation b u t does not
know it.
W hen w e speak of m ind and intelligence,
we are connoting an action. One cannot

Page 19

display m in d w ith o u t displaying action. T his

action is a purposeful control over certain
functions. T h e m in d in m a n is therefore a
purposeful cause. I t has a consciousness of
specific ends, w h ich it m u st attain . T his
m in d as a consciousness perm eates ev ery cell
of our being. I t is associated w ith th e v ery
vital life force w h ich anim ates us. I t is
therefore of th e universal, D ivine M in d
w hich im pregnates all living things. I t has
its ends or objectives im planted in it, w hich
im m ediately begin to m an ifest a t birth.
E ach cell has its order, its in stru ctio n as to
w h at it m u st do. Some cells create blood,
others tissue, others muscles, nerves, h air,
etc. T h e ir consciousness m akes th em aw are
of food an d other elem ents w hich are essen
tial to fu rth e rin g th e ir end, th e specific
orders w hich have been given them . T hus
th e m in d in th e cells is responsive to its
en vironm ent an d in tellig en t in being p u r
posefully causative. T h a t is, causing some
th in g to occur for a specific reason, like
causing th e developm ent an d grow th of th e
bones.
T his m in d an d its function has been popu
la rly called subjective, an d its activities are
in v o lu n tary . B y in v o lu n tary w e m ean th a t
w e do n o t (speaking of ourselves as a u n it)
have to w ill to m ake it com ply w ith its
duties. W e do n o t com pel th e cells to form
tissue or nerve system s, for exam ple. T h e
m in d of th e cells acts en tirely independent
of o u r volition. You m a y say th a t this
know ing an d consciousness of th e D ivine
M in d w ith in us, o r th e subjective, is en
tire ly concerned w ith th e in te rn a l w orking
and u n ity of o ur being. T his know ing and
consciousness is n o t concerned w ith th e
w orld in w hich m a n as a being o r organ
ism exists.
H ow ever, it m u st be obvious th a t a selfpropelled m achine, such as th e physical
organism of m a n m a y be likened to, m u st
be guided in its directions, in its actions, or
it m a y destroy itself. F o r analogy, th e
m arin e engineers of a great ocean-going
lin e r m a y m a in ta in m ost efficiently th e
boilers, tu rb in es, propellors, shafts, gears,
etc., b y w hich th e great ship sw iftly and
efficiently drives th ro u g h th e sea. H ow ever,
th ere m u st be a cap tain on th e bridge of
th a t ship to perceive th e sea, th e condition
of th e w eath er, an d to guide th e ship from
shoals, or else no m a tte r how efficiently the

Page 20

ship is in te rn a lly operated an d propelled,

it m a y destroy itself upon th e rocks. T h e
captain, w ith his in strum ents for th e obser
vation of th e sea, an d determ ining the
w eather, an d for ch artin g the course, and
sounding th e depths, is th e brain of th e ship.
T h e h u m a n b rain is also a receptor organ.
T h e cells of th e brain, like the cells of every
o ther organ of the body, are im pregnated
w ith m in d an d th e consciousness of m ind.
M in d has th e d u ty of creating th e cerebral
cells and neurons by w hich the b rain comes
to have a consciousness of its own. T his
b rain consciousness consists in converting
into sensations the im pulses th a t are received
thro u g h th e eyes, ears, an d other senses,
from things in the w orld outside. T herefore,
in fact, th e m in d produces an ap p aratu s
w hich has another kind of consciousness,
an d this other kind of consciousness is m ade
to respond to im pulses from w ith o u t th e
body. F u rth e r, this apparatus or b ra in is
m ade to isolate these sensations, hold them ,
so th e y become m ental form s or ideas, th a t
is, points of know ledge, things w e know of
th e w orld outside of us. T h u s th e b ra in can
function as a m inor m in d of its own, be
cause it can arran g e its ideas into purposes,
into ends w hich w e objectively tr y to attain
as th e things w e w an t to accom plish in our
d aily life. So w e have tw o m inds, th e D ivine
M ind an d th e lesser, or objective m ind,
w hich th e form er produces in th e organ of
b rain.
A t tim es, th e lesser m ind, th e objective
m ind, conflicts w ith th e D ivine M ind, th e
m in d of o u r cells. W h e n th a t happens, w e
are ap t to destroy ourselves. F or analogy,
if th e cap tain on th e bridge of th e ship,
w hom w e m a y com pare to th e objective
m ind, dem ands th a t th e m a rin e engineers
deep w ith in th e great ship, w ho keep all of
its parts ru n n in g sm oothly, force it to go
faster th a n w h a t th e ir experience an d w is
dom tells th e m is proper, th e w hole vessel
m a y vibrate apart, because of th e excessive
speed and strain. So, too, th e m a n w ho wills
him self to defy n ature, as it expresses itself
in th e h a rm o n y of th e m in d w ith in each of
his cells, is only destroying him self.
T h e know ledge w hich th e subjective m in d
possesses, th a t is, th e D ivine Consciousness in
o u r being, is quite com plete a t b irth . It
directs th e circulation of th e blood, th e fu n c
tioning of th e kidneys an d th e h eart, an d

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the resp irato ry action, for exam ple, in a

thorough-going m anner. I t cannot be in
structed by th e objective side of ourselves.
I t does n ot need to be ta u g h t b y us. On the
other h an d , it can pass on m u ch to the b rain
w hich w e can come to realize as in tu itiv e
impressions. It can teach th e objective self,
b u t the la tte r cannot teach it. T h e b rain , at
birth , conversely, is a tabula rasa (a b lank
slate. T h e m in d w ith in g rad u ally builds up
this organ of b rain , develops it, an d m atures
it. T h a t is p a rt of th e obligation of th e
D ivine M ind. I t is one of its purposes. It
constructs a n organ or device to receive im
pressions, classify them , an d reta in them ,
and this process goes on all d u rin g our n o r
m al existence. W ith th e passing of years,
th e h u m an , therefore, acquires a w ealth of
em pirical know ledge, th a t is, know ledge
gained th ro u g h the receptor or objective
sense faculties. Each b rain , therefore, is
ignorant a t b irth of w orldly knowledge. W e
are n ot born w ith a m a stery of languages,
history, customs of peoples, an d th e m ultitudenous facts of every-day experiences.
T h e perso n ality of th e soul incarnates
an d it retain s th e m em ory of its past ex
periences. T h e soul is in every cell of o ur
being. T h e soul is synonym ous w ith th e
D ivine M ind, of w hich w e have spoken.
A ssociated w ith it is th e in c arn ate person
ality and th e m em o ry of its expression in a
form er body. A ll objective th in k in g and
tra in in g w hich w e have in life, an d w hich
corresponds to th e conduct an d experiences
of our past lives, stim ulates an d aw akens th e
m em ory of th e soul-personality. W e find
th a t in certain subjects w e m ake g reater
strides th a n in others, an d w e say th a t th e y
seem so fam iliar, therefore, so easy to com
p rehend an d m aster. M a n y of o ur geniuses,
w ho in childhood possess a fan tastically ex
ceptional u n d erstan d in g of m athem atics, for
exam ple, are th e resu lt of this sym pathetic
response to a p ast experience an d train in g .
Psychology an d physiology explain this p h e
nom ena of th e genius as a n exceptional de
velopm ent of th e p articu la r association areas
of th e cerebrum th a t h ave to do w ith a
certain kind of ta len t o r ability. In fact,
it can be show n th a t such persons do have
abnorm ally-developed association areas cor
responding to th e ir exceptional talent. H ow
ever, such facts only fu rth e r confirm the
in h erited experiences, and th e influences of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

a past incarnation. I t is because of th e

special tra in in g and experience of th e soulpersonality in th e past th a t w hen it is in the
present body, th e m in d of the soul produces
a g reater developm ent of th a t area of the
b rain w hich m akes possible th e furth eran ce
of th e sam e talent. N otw ithstanding this
n a tu ra l inclination tow ard a study or art,
the resu lt of a p ast incarnation, w e are b o m
objectively ig n o ran t of such knowledge. W e
m ust, therefore, educate ourselves an d dis
cover th e response of our in n a te powers.
N o m a tte r how great th e experience of one
in m athem atics in a past incarnatio n , if he
never studies m athem atics in this in c a rn a
tion, h e w ill n ev er become know n as a
m athem atical genius. T he objective experi
ence is necessary, because, b y association, it
calls fo rth the la te n t wisdom of th e soul.
T h e soror also asked, T h en if th e objec
tive m ind, th e m in d of the b ra in is b lank
or born ig n o ran t a t birth, is it necessary for
us to rele arn all w orldly know ledge again,
w hen w e in c arn ate ? T he answ er is, yes,
b u t all w orldly know ledge is recorded, m ost
all of it, and in a m a tte r of a few years we
can acquire all of th e know ledge in a specific
field th a t m a y be know n to m an, and w hich
m en have devoted th e ir lives to acqu irin g in
the past. T h e n for the balance of o ur life
we are free to advance th a t knowledge. If
w e are p articu la rly responsive to a know l
edge because of th e experiences of th e past,
we w ill easily call over some of the know l
edge w e have gained in past lives and we
w ill, b y doing so, p articu la rly m ake a p a rt
of our organism of brain m ore responsive,
m ore receptive to quick learning. W e w ill
th en advance m uch m ore rap id ly in th a t
p articu la r field, in contributing to the w orlds
knowledge and developing our soul-personality fu rth e r. Also w e w ill become ju st th a t
m uch m ore responsive again to th a t kind of
know ledge if w e pursue it objectively in still
another in carnation. X

T h e M eaning of Prophecies
I t is n o t un u su al for us to receive com
m unications from individuals, m ost of these
from non-m em bers of the organization, ask
ing for our interp retatio n of prophecies
w hich have been m ade b y various in d i
viduals or have been included in p arts of
sacred literatu re . O ur view point reg ard in g

Page 21

prophecies has been stated m a n y tim es in

this m agazine, in o th er pieces of literatu re,
an d in articles in th e Rosicrucian D igest,
as w ell as in th e m onographs them selves. I t
is in terestin g to note th a t th e questions re
garding prophecies an d a desire for in fo rm a
tion u pon this subject alw ays increases as
circum stances in th e w orld or in o u r in d i
v idual lives increase to m ake us personally
concerned about w h a t is to happen. W h e n
those close to us are involved in w ar or an y
circum stances beyond th e ir control, it is a
p erfectly n o rm al condition for us to be con
cerned about th e general outcome, an d m a n y
people find a certain am ount of solace or
satisfaction in th e contem plation of prophe
cies, an d u su ally believe those w hich w ill
n earest coincide w ith th e ir ow n beliefs.
Ju st a t th e beginning, an d p rio r to th e
presen t w ar, prophecies w ere plen tifu l as to
th e possibility of w a r an d th e course of th e
w ar if one did develop. T h e exam ination of
some of these today points out how rid icu
lous an d shortsighted w ere m a n y of th e
p rophecy m akers or interpreters. V arious
periodicals devoted to prophecies, or subjects
related to them , h ave been m uch less explicit
as th e w a r continued and m a n y surprises
developed. B ut still th e y persist. In fact,
religious groups are flourishing up o n th e
basis of in terp retatio n s of Biblical prophe
cies. W e h ave w ritte n before in these pages
th a t th e failu re of m a n y prophecies th a t are
carried on sincerely an d w ith a n earnest
desire to in te rp re t th e trends as th e y relate
to th e fu tu re is n o t alw ays in th e prophecy
b u t in th e failu re to u n d erstan d an d proper
ly in te rp re t all th e causes. W e believe in
th e existence of a cause an d effect relatio n
ship, b u t it is h u m a n ly impossible to know
all th e causes, an d w ith o u t p rio r experience,
even if w e know th em , w e can n o t alw ays
in te rp re t ju st how these causes w ill act an d
react w ith com ing events.
Biblical prophecies are q u ite indefinite.
M a n y prophecies of th e fu tu re are based
u pon Biblical statem ents th a t h ave no b ear
in g on th e future. M a n y Biblical prophecies
th a t w ere used to indicate th e outcom e of
th e first w orld w a r are now being in te r
preted in term s of present conditions. T his
is n o t a n erro r in th e an aly zatio n of causes
an d effects b u t th e failu re of th e in te rp re ter
to appreciate fu lly th e cim cum stances in
volved in the actual m ean in g of th e state

Page 22

ments themselves. It must be remembered

that many statements in the Bible had a
specific meaning for the time when they
were uttered and any further meaning we
attach to them is of secondary importance
and mainly a matter of our own interpre
tation. To the mystical-minded individual,
careful study wl further indicate1 that
many of the so-called prophecies refer to
mental rather than to physical states. For
example, the statement in the apocalypse,
And time shall be no more has been fre
quently interpreted as the ending of the
world, and it can be equally as well inter
preted and more practically, in fact, if we
realize this means that time has to do with
our objective concepts and time will be no
more for the individual who so evolves that
he will not be limited and bound by time
or any other objective phenomena. In other
words, the attainment of a place or point in
our advancement where time will be no
more is not waiting for the world to end
as a physical entity, but raising our own
consciousness to the point where we will not
be exclusively dependent upon the objective
concept of time. There are many other
prophecies of a similar nature. There are
prophecies of the coming of the Holy Spirit
which would indicate a certain future status
of humanity but which rather indicates the
fact that a broadened and Cosmic conscious
ness will come to the individual at the time
when he has evolved to the point where it
can be conceived. W alt Whitmans poem,
Darest Thou Oh My Soul has frequently
been interpreted as the facing of death,
whereas if it is carefully reread with the
idea that it concerns the development of
Cosmic consciousness, a much more complete
understanding of his words will be seen in
that poem.
All in all, prophecies, insofar as picking
out isolated segments of sacred writing, or
as far as that is concerned, the writings of
any individual, finally are brought down to
the personal interpretation of the individual
who sets himself up as a prophet. While
prophecies are most interesting and are,
when not dwelt upon to the exclusion of
the personal affairs and personal develop
ment, a most interesting hobby, we should
not be too concerned with the future, but
rather to so live our present lives that re
gardless of what the future holds we will

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

be as well prepared as possible to fit into

that future scheme.A
The Significance of the Mirror
A Soror recently reported that she has
read in various places in our teachings cer
tain information concerning the meaning
and significance of incense, the candles and
other parts of the sanctum, but does not re
member having read or having brought to
her attention the significance of the mirror
as used in the sanctum.
The mirror has been used in allegory and
various acts of its meaning appear in the
writings of the alchemists and magicians of
the past, and so traditionally, the mirror has
been connected with ritualism and allegory
in many ways. To the Rosicrucian the mir
ror and sanctum become a part of his equip
ment. We all know that one can study,
meditate, and concentrate without any prepation of the surroundings. Many of the great
mystics have never had a sanctum, or at
least a sanctum in the physical sense in
which we consider the preparation of one.
Usually this was not from choice but from
the force of necessity. Some received their
greatest inspiration when in prison or other
wise confined. Some had no place to turn
but to nature. Buddha meditated under a
tree; Jesus went to the wilderness for forty
days, and many other illustrations could
be found to illustrate the fact that the prepa
ration of elaborate surroundings is not an
essential step in the attainment of any mys
tical experience or outlook.
On the other hand, proper surroundings
bring about ideal conditions which are con
ducive to the development and the atmos
phere which the student wishes to create.
Surely no one can enter a great cathedral
without a noticeable effect of the environ
ment of the interior of that cathedral upon
his consciousness. It is not all due to beauty,
to grandeur, but due to the purpose for
which the building was planned and the
sincerity with which thousands of people
have entered that particular building. It is
a m atter of vibrations; that is, the thoughts
and purposes which were caused to exist in
this area are of a constructive, positiv na
ture, and so the effect upon the person enter
ing such an area is that immediately, without

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

effort or even being conscious of the fact, he

enters to a certain degree into attunement
with the general surroundings.
As already stated, these identical condi
tions can be produced within the mind with
out the physical changes. As far as that is
concerned, we can see with our naked eye,
but if we want to see distinctly at a distance
we can improve our vision by the use of
proper lenses in the form of a telescope or
binoculars. These things aid us in bringing
about an atmosphere in an environment
which is conducive to that which we desire
to attain. Each individual sanctum is there
fore a miniature cathedral. It is a cathedral
in the sense of a place where one may enter
for knowledge and inspiration. The effect
that that sanctum will have upon the indi
vidual depends upon the sincerity of pur
pose in its preparation, and the ideals which
have been formulated in that place.
To aid in making that sanctum serve this
distinct purpose, we resort to various sym
bols. The incense and the candles, as has
already been stated, have been explained
elsewhere. The cross, the symbol of the
Order, contains in itself the meaning of the
Order and the extent of its purposes. The
mirror serves both to add to this whole
atmosphere of the sanctum as well as having
practical purposes. In the initiation of the
First Degree of the Order the mirror takes on
certain significance. It symbolizes a condi
tion which exists above us. In other words,
it is the microcosm. In the universe there is
one source of knowledge and energy just
as in the solar system there is one light
the sun. The moon is not a source of light;
its light is sunlight reflected by the moon
which gives us the effect of moonlight. In
the universe the knowledge and force of the
Creator is reflected in each point of creation.
We are a part of God as individuals, but we
are only potentially a part in that our true
part in the Cosmic or universal scheme be
comes apparent as we use ourselves as a
channel or media to reflect the glory which
is God. We, as creatures on the ladder of
experience gradually learning the ultimate
meaning of life through this process of ex
perience, are capable of reflecting in its full
glory the light which is from the Creator
of the universe. We reflect it only in part
until we reach a state of perfection, and then
are absorbed into that light. So the mirror

Page 23

in the sanctum symbolizes for us the whole

relationship of man to God. We see our
selves reflected, symbolic of the part of us
that can reflect the greater light.A
Cold W ater
In reporting upon the xperiments of the
Third Neophyte Degree, a Soror asks if there
is any special significance in the use of cold
water in the various exercises in which water
is used.
In referring to the experiments in which
water is used, you will remember that each
time water is mentioned the reference is
made definitely to cold water. This does not
necessarily infer the relation of temperature
of the water to the success of the experiment,
but is rather based upon the general concept
that cold water is fresh, pure water.
Possibly the purest water we can imagine
is that which comes, cold and clear, from a
mountain stream. Unless contamination
caused by human intervention has in some
way touched this water before or immedi
ately after it comes from the earth, we are
usually led to believe that this is the purest
form of water available. Such water carries
all the contents that water is expected to
have. It comes from the earth into the air
and is as highly vitalized as water can pos
sibly be. W ater can be made pure, or free
from germ-carrying bacteria by distilling or
boiling, but such water, while it will satisfy
many of the demands of the body, is not as
vital and does not contain all the contents
which the human body needs.
Our reference to cold water in the experi
ments, then, means the use of water which
has not been distilled or boiled, and which is
as pure as it is possible to obtain. Probably
spring water would be ideal, but as it is
usually not accessible, water from a city
water system is the next best thing, just as
it comes from the faucet. Someone will say
that possibly water from a well should be
equal to that from a spring. This would
probably depend upon the location of the
well and whether or not there had been any
contamination near the well.
The success or failure of the experiments
which require water will not depend upon
the use of the purest water possible, but pure
cold water not distilled or previously boiled
will be the most successful for use in these
experiments.A

W h a t W il l The Future Reveal?

W hat lies behind the veil? W hat will the morrow bring forth? Men have brought
burnt offerings to the gods, shared their worldly possessions, traversed mountains and
plains to visit oracles, all in the hope of having revealed to them the unknown future,
little realizing that it rested unshapen in their own hands. The minds of men have
labored for ages with various devices and methods to fashion a key that would unlock
the door that conceals the moment just beyond the present.
From antiquity the strangest of the systems attempting a revelation of the future has
been numerology. Is it but a shallow superstition of the ages, or does it provide the
means, sought since time immemorial, for a secret insight into the future?

The Ancient System of Numerology

The Readers Research Academy presents a series of enlightening discourses on the
subject of numerology. It is an expos of the many false systems which have suppressed
the truth about this fascinating topic. It goes back to the mystical meaning and divine
virtue of numbers which formed the important part of the philosophy of Pythagoras.
It discloses the trickery in the NAM E NUMBER systems sold generally in book form.
Two of these especially prepared manuscripts will be sent for the
ONLY
nominal sum of 50 cents monthly. You may subscribe for but one
A
month, or as many months as you desire. The discourses are easily
UU
understood and they will prove interesting and entertaining to you. Brings you monthly
Just send your remittance and request to the address below.
withrpostagepaid!

T H E R E A D E R S
ROSICRUCIAN PARK

R E S E A R C H A C A D E M Y
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U . S. A.

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

PR IN TE D IN U . 8 . A .

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A A A A A A A A A A A A

ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM
A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,
THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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E ntered as S eco n d C la ss M atter at the P o st O ffice at San J o se, C a lifo rn ia ,

un d er S ectio n 1 1 0 3 o f the U . S . P o stal A c t o f O c t. 3 , 1 9 1 7 .

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Vol. XV

OCTOBER, 1944

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All through the full round year I am thankful : :

For Life, Love and Labor : :
For this our wonderful world, and for a faith that bids me walk
joyously in it, undismayed by its follies undiscouraged by its
failures unharmed by its achievem ents and unafraid to leave it : :

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That my ears have not been dulled to the songs o f birds, the drone
o f bees, the m elody o f flowing streams, the dripping o f rain from
the eaves, the wind in the pine-tops, and all the myriad sounds that
swell the ensem ble o f N ature's chorus : :

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That my eyes have not been blinded to the m ajesty o f the stars,
the glory of the western sky at twilight, the glint of the humming
bird's ruby throat flashing in the sunlight, the colorful p a g ea n t o f
the flowers and the unnumbered glories in G o d 's g re a t g arden : :
That my soul can sometimes thrill responsive to the Music o f the
Spheres : :

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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For courage to love and not to fe ar the truth and TO SO LIVE

THAT I C A N BE AT PEA CE W ITH M YSELF : : For Freedom to
greet and worship the G re a t Spirit in the only way I know with
an abiding trust that H e who holds the stars in place will guide me
safely through Eternity : : For these to d ay and every d ay through
out the year and years I am thankful.
J . W . W R IG H T
(By special permission.)

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THANKS GIVING

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Page 26

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
Y outh delinquency is a reality. It is not
ju st the pessim istic view of some persons
whose m em ories of th e ir own early esca
pades have dim inished. It is a fact th a t the
m ajor portion of our felonies are today com
m itted by boys and girls u n d er tw enty-one
years of age. Such statistics are available
from a n y law -enforcem ent agency. Each
m in o rity group of society is endeavoring to
explain the cause, b y relation to its ow n p a r
tic u la r standards. Religionists contribute the
conduct of th e delinquents to the fact th a t
th e y have departed from th e old tim e re
ligion. T h ere are educators w ho hold the
present educational system as obsolete, and
therefore being responsible for th e prevail
ing deportm ent of juveniles. T h en , again,
there are chauvinistic societies w hich com
p lain th a t th e conduct is due to not instilling
a strong enough spirit of nationalism and the
love of th e ir country in th e m inds of the
grow ing youth. T he explanation of the ac
tu a l and assum ed child psychologists are
m yriad. A com mon theory of this la tte r
group is th a t delinquency is due to a ten
dency today to pay exceptional hom age to
exploits of daring. T h ey contend th a t youths
are inclined to defy convention for the reason
of exhibitionism . If th e y distinguish th em
selves in an y w ay, even im m orally, th e y a t
trac t attention, and this in tu rn satisfies
the ego.
T h ere are, of course, factors of im portance
in all of these argum ents. H ow ever, thou
sands of p arents who do not p articu larly
identify them selves w ith an y of th e above
groups, and have no opinion to express,
either pro or con, are in fact the basic cause
of the grow ing delinquency. T his delin
quency has been on th e upclim b long before
the w ar. T h e w ar w ith its em otionalism
an d its precipitation of you th into circum
stances w hich o rd inarily th e y w ould not ex
perience before m a tu rity has increased the
percentage of this delinquency.
T he sense of responsibility is a fu n d a
m ental requisite of good character. Respon
sibility can be defined, b u t you cannot teach
one to be responsible. One m a y le arn your

V
definition, b u t he w ill n o t appreciate it u n til
h e has ac tu a lly experienced th e content of
responsibility. R esponsibility centers about
th e v alid ity of something, an d th e validity,
in tu rn , m u st be associated w ith th e selfinterest. F o r g reater perspicuity, let us p u t
it this w ay I cannot feel resp o n sib le for
th e care of som ething w hich seems to have
no value to m e. If som ething is v ery prosaic
a n d p len tifu l, I am n o t p articu la rly con
cerned w h eth e r it is lost or dam aged. To
m yself, I rationalize th a t if it is lost or
dam aged, its replacem ent requires no effort
on m y p a rt or th a t of another. C an you
im agine th a t I w ould be g reatly im pressed
b y a len g th y oration on th e responsibility
w hich I should have for som ething, if to m e
it w ould h av e little validity? Such en tre aty
w ould of necessity fall upon deaf ears, be
cause it w ould produce no sym pathetic re
sponse w ith in me. If I violated this re
sponsibility w hich m ight have been th ru st
upon m e, an d was su m m arily punished, I
w ould feel g reat resentm ent. M y resen t
m en t w ould n o t be for a n y p en alty or dis
com fiture w hich m ight ensue, b u t for w h at
to m y com prehension w ould seem to be an
unjustifiable exercise of au th o rity .
If, then, responsibility has a dependency
u pon th e v alid ity of things, how do w e ac
quire this sense of value? Strictly, b y re la
tion of things to self an d o u r self-interest.
M a n y strain ed domestic relations, as betw een
husbands an d wives, for exam ple, are often
solely due to th e u tte r disregard b y one of
the value th a t th e other attaches to some
thing. T his disregard is n o t necessarily m a
licious. M ore often it is due to th e ignorance
of w h at th a t p articu la r th in g is contributing
to th e physical or intellectual w elfare of the
other. A w om an who has no m echanical
sense and w ho abhors tools or instrum ents,
b u t who has an inordinate love of orderli
ness, w ill often insist up o n p u ttin g out of
sight these things w hich h e r husband uses
in his hobby. W h a t m a y look to h er like
u n sig h tly w ires and gadgets to p u t aw ay,
m a y to h im indicate an experim ental elec
trical circuit upon w hich tim e has been
spent and from w hich m u ch pleasure has

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

been derived. She is deeply h u rt by his

reaction to h e r tid y in g up his w orkbench, or
the corner in th e basem ent w hich h e is
using. Self-interest, therefore, determ ines
value.
Som ething from w hich we derive benefit
or pleasure, and th a t serves our com plex self,
or seems necessary to our m ental, em otional,
or psychic self, is q uite im p o rtan t to us. T he
narrow est an d m ost ru d im e n tary self-interests are those w hich are related to the
p h y s i c a l s e lf s u s t e n a n c e , f o o d , d r i n k ,
clothes, an d com forts. No one questions th e ir
value to him self. It is alm ost instinctive to
assum e responsibility for such things. W e
w ill be good custodians of our lunch, because
we w an t to eat a t noon w hen w e are hun g ry .
W e w ill be v ery careful w here w e p u t our
shoes, if w e know w e are going to have to
tread over rough ground w hich is going to
be p ainful to our bare feet. On the other
hand, if w e w ould lose our shoes, w ith the
knowledge th a t though w e needed them ,
th e ir replacem ent w ould be im m ediately
forthcom ing, w e w ould have no responsibili
ty for a n y p articu la r p air of shoes.
T here are, therefore, to us direct an d in
direct values of things. T he direct value is
th a t w hich w e can perceive as in tim ately
contiguous to o u r self-interest. Indirect
values are those w hich are equally as im
p ortant, b u t w hich are not so easily p er
ceived and thus are lost sight of especially
by the inexperienced juvenile or adolescent.
T he boy m a y realize the value of having
some p air of shoes for his com fort. A girl
m a y realize th e value of clothes to satisfy
th e v an ity of h e r appearance. T hese are
direct values. T h e need for th e preservation
of the p articu la r objects is an indirect value,
because th e purchase of them has not, in
m ost instances, touched the im m ediate self
of these youngsters. Spending for clothes
does not deprive th em of a n y free tim e or
cause them an y fatigue, as th e y are en tirely
supported b y parents.
L ecturing the boy and the girl on the
various prices of commodities, how expensive
th e y are, etc., brings about no corresponding
feeling of responsibility. M oney earned and
how it is earned m a y to the boy and girl
be solely a problem of th e ir fathers an d
m others. If th e y have only spent m oney, its
value lies in w h at it can b u y for them . It
has a pleasurable content only. T h ey m ay

Page 27

not have experienced the effort p u t forth to

obtain it. In such an exam ple as above, there
are tw o practical solutions. Oblige the boy or
girl to perform definite chores for his or h er
allowance. If th e chores are not perform ed,
the allow ance is n o t forthcom ing. T his re
lates the earn in g of m oney to a personal ex
p en d itu re of effort. I t gives it a sense of
value, from w hich th ere springs th e neces
sary sense of responsibility.
T he n ex t w ay is to extend the boys or
g irls self-interest; for exam ple, to have it
include th e fam ily w elfare. If th is is accom
plished, his or h e r responsibility is th e n not
alone for th e ir im m ediate person, b u t also
includes the w hole fam ily. It could be ex
plained th a t th e fam ily lives on a budget,
an d th e budget includes an am o u n t for a
sum m er vacation, th e place of vacation being
one th a t w ould be p articu larly enjoyed by
th e boy or girl. F u rth e r delineate th a t if
expenditures for th e other item s in th e bud
get, such as clothes, exceed the am o u n t allot
ted, th e n the vacation is not possible for an y
m em ber of th e fam ily. T he average boy or
girl th e n begins to assum e a responsibility
for the w hole fam ily expenditure, w hich
though perhaps n o t necessary, has th e de
sired effect. T h ere are those w ho object to
a boy or girl in th e ir early teens being b u r
dened, as th e y call it, w ith such m atters.
T h ey proclaim : L et th em have th e freedom
of th e ir youth. T h e y w ill be b u rdened w ith
responsibilities soon enough in life. Such
an attitu d e of m in d is potent w ith danger.
A child or y o u th whose self-interests are not
extended in those ea rly years to include
indirect values w ill have a v ery constricted
sense of responsibility w hen he or she is an
adult.
I t is a m istaken conception th a t persons
w ill assum e responsibility ju st because it has
been th ru st u pon th e m later in life. Those
who can an d w ho have experienced values
early in life, w ill assum e responsibilities for
th em later. Those w ho have not, w h en th ey
are adults, w ill seek to escape such responsi
bilities. In fact, th e y w ill n o t even accept
th em as such.
A fam ily th a t is v ery self-centered, th a t
is, whose interests are concerned ju st w ith
its ow n w elfare, u su a lly rears children w ith
little or no social responsibility. Such youths
are ap t to u tte rly disregard th e p ro p erty
rights and values of others. T h ey w ill ru n

Page 28

across law ns, litte r th e sidewalks w ith candy

and other papers; th e y w ill deface public
buildings, ru n over flower gardens w ith b i
cycles and indulge in m a n y other activities as
are generally classified as vandalism . T h eir
homes, the m em bers of th e ir fam ilies, and
th e people of th e ir religious faith seem p a r
tic u la rly akin to them , and these alone have
values to them , an d for w hich th e y assume
responsibility. A ll else becomes so indirect,
so en tirely im personal as to have no value
to th e y outh and the sense of his responsi
bility to it is absent. T his can only be cor
rected b y th e developm ent of th e sense of
social responsibility. To do this, it is neces
sary to relate m ore and m ore w h at ord in ari
ly appears as extraneous, directly to the in
terests of the adolescent. F or analogy, th ere
are tw o beautiful homes on th e same street
w here there is also a hom e w ith a fam ily of
teen-age boys. It should often be m entioned
in the course of fam ily conversation and in
the presence of th e boys, th a t those b eau ti
ful homes, w ith th e ir fine law ns, shrubs, and
flowers add to the general appearance of th e
street on w hich th e boys have th e ir home.
It should be em phasized th a t the appearance
of those homes on th e street contributes to
the prestige of th e ir ow n com m unity, of th e ir
ow n hom e, in fact. It should be bro u g h t out
th a t such edifices on th e ir street create a
favorable im pression upon th e friends th a t
the boys invite to th e ir ow n home. T his is
invoking pride. P ride is ju st an o th er w ord
for self-esteem . W e, each of us, w an t to
th in k th e best of w h at w e hav e or w h at is
ours, because it is ours. If the yo u th feels
th a t his self-interest is actually extended to
include his street, his school, his com m unity,
th e n these things have value to him , and
consequently he assumes responsibility to
w ard them .
Religious and political prejudices, for ex
am ple, freely voiced by paren ts in th e pres
ence of children, cause th e objects of th eir
prejudices to have no value to th e youths,
and th e y assum e no responsibility tow ard
such things. I have know n adolescent youths
to go out of th e ir w ay to do dam age to
buildings of an in stitution because of the
unfounded prejudice held by th e ir parents
or th e ir church tow ard such institutions. In
fact, vocative prejudices have ju st th e oppo
site psychological effect upon th e ego of
youth, as som ething w hich he experiences

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

as a good. T h e object of th e prejudice seems

to offend his self-interest, so he strikes
against it an d is apt to become an anti-social,
nam ely, a delinquent.
Today, for fu rth e r exam ple, w here in
m an y fam ilies va lid ity is centered in m a
terial things exclusively, such as m oney and
th a t w hich it w ill buy, all cu ltu ral interests
suffer accordingly. T h ey are obviously cast
aside in the greed for w ealth. Responsibility,
then, concerns only acquiring and holding
big-paying jobs for the m oney w hich th e y
w ill produce, an d the things it w ill b u y to
satisfy th e lim ited self. H ow can children
in such fam ilies be expected to attach a n y
im portance to an y th in g else? H ow can
m orals, ch aracter, education, and th e arts
arouse an y sense of responsibility for th em
in the children of such families?- E xtend the
childs appreciation of the value of things in
life, and he w ill have th e proper attitu d e of
responsibility tow ard them .
F ra tern ally ,
R A L PH M . LE W IS,
Im perator.
T h e A im of O u r S tu d ies
E specially fo r the N eophyte, the follow ing
com m ents b y a m em ber now in the hig h er
degrees of th e organizations teachings is
m ost im p o rtan t.
C ertain ly one sees u pon arriv in g into th e
hig h er degrees the wiseness of all th e early
train in g an d how m uch it accomplished, th a t
no m a tte r how m an y m istakes you m ade,
how erroneous you m ay have been in y o u r
judgm ent or how feeble y o u r vision in th e
realm of objective living you still sensed th e
strength an d pow er and calm ness th a t la y
back of all those things and continued the
struggle to fin d y o u r w ay to th em .
One th in g w hich needs to be learned by
anyone u n d ertak in g a course of study is the
fact th a t th e u ltim ate aim or end of th a t
instruction can n o t come p rio r to follow ing a
certain system or procedure. W h atev er w e
set about to do we m u st do in a m a n n er
w hich is conducive tow ard th e desired end.
If an in d iv id u al had th e desire to become
a radio technician, it w ould be necessary
to begin a t th e beginning of th e instruction
w hich leads to th a t end. In th e elem en tary
in stru ctio n ce rtain laws an d principles re
garding electricity and m a n y other p h e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

nom ena w ould be necessarily a p a rt of th e

subject m a tte r to be studied. I t w ould n ot
be w asting tim e upon m aterial w hich was
elem entary or n o t directly a p a rt of th e sub
ject m atter, b u t th e necessity of coordination
of the know ledge necessary to serve th e back
ground for the eventual attain m en t desired.
T his is no less tru e in th e field of th e
study of our teachings. A studen t m a y n ot
alw ays u n d erstan d every subject th a t is p re
sented in th e ea rly degrees, or a t least he
m a y n o t com pletely u n d erstan d th e purpose
for th e inclusion of those subjects, b u t in
order to gain a step tow ards m astership w e
m u st realize th a t th ere are large an d sm all
steps, and m a n y of the sm all steps m ake
it possible for us to understan d an d eventu
ally m aster th e la rg e r steps.
O ur teachings aim tow ard coordinating
know ledge w ith practical use of th a t know l
edge. It has been repeated before th a t alm ost
an y intelligent person could grasp th e basic
principles of our philosophy throug h read in g
our m onographs, b u t th a t is no t enough.
Rosicrucians should be doers as w ell as
know ers. T h ey should be able to u n d erstan d
th e relationship of the know ledge available
to the circum stances of th e ir existence. W e
have provided m a n y w ays to gain this end
the exercises, experim ents, and initiations
all lead tow ard perfecting the stud en ts tech
nique. T hese are o nly guides, only as effec
tive as th e student m akes th em effective, and
it is through th e endeavor of th e student
him self to utilize these th a t th e end is ac
complished.
M a n y students lose sight of th e ir original
purpose in beginning an y activity. I n all
applications for m em bership in this organi
zation, w e set aside a space in w hich the
prospective student is requested to state his
m otive for w ishing to affiliate w ith th e or
ganization. T his m otive is v ery carefu lly
exam ined b y those w ho analyze th e applica
tions w hen th e y are received. T h e m otive
m u st be, first of all, consistent w ith th e p u r
poses of the organization. T h a t is, th e motive
m u st be indicative of a desire or purpose
w hich can be fulfilled by m em bership in the
organization. W e m ust, how ever, even con
sider beyond this point because w hile m a n y
motives can be fulfilled through th e stu d en ts
application of th e principles of the o rganiza
tion, m em bership in itself does not fulfill
these motives or purposes. I n other words,

Page 29

w e m u st see if u n d ern e ath th e expression

of th e m otive th e re is a sincerity upon the
p a rt of th e stu d en t to use Rosicrucianism as
a m eans and a w ay to direct him self tow ard
th e accom plishm ent of th e purpose w hich
he has in m ind. If this m otive is found to
be sincere an d in accordance w ith th e p rin ci
ples of th e organization an d n o t co n trary
to a n y m oral, ethical, or legal principles
w hich govern society today, th en the stu
d en ts m otive is considered acceptable and
m em bership privileges are extended to this
individual.
T his is as fa r as w e can go in considering
th e motive. F ro m th ere on, w h eth er or not
th e m otive is accom plished becomes largely
th e responsibility of th e student. I th in k
it w ould be of g reat im portance if each stu
d en t w ould re-exam ine from tim e to tim e,
le t us say a t th e end of each degree, the
m otive or purpose w hich he set fo rth in be
com ing affiliated w ith this organization. A
careful analysis on th e p a rt of th e individual
m em ber w ill reveal one or tw o things. F irst,
th a t th e individual has eith er succeeded or
failed in accom plishing this purpose. H ow
ever, this success or failu re w ill alw ays be
one of degrees, th a t is, th a t th e student has
gone p a rt w ay. A n honest analysis w ill
show m ost students th a t th e y have succeeded,
a t least in th e beginning, in accom plishing
this purpose. T h e other, a reflection th a t
w ill come fro m th e reconsideration of th e
m otive, m a y show th a t th e student has
changed his purpose and th a t th e original
m otive for affiliation w ith th e organization
is no longer th e p rim a ry , b u t m a y be th e
secondary m otive, or m ay have v ery little
interest.
T his is an excellent sign a sign of
grow th. W e all h ave certain aspirations in
childhood. W e h a d different ones in o u r
teens an d ea rly ad u lt years, b u t th e fact
th a t th e y have changed does n o t m ean th a t
ou r life is n o t consistent or w ith o u t purpose.
I t m eans th a t as w e have grow n in know l
edge an d experience our concepts h ave also
grow n an d o u r ideals an d u ltim ate purposes
in life have changed. Sincere application
an d stu d y of th e R osicrucian principles w ill
cause o u r m otives an d purposes to change*
as w e progress in these studies, an d th ese
changes, if th e y are established u pon sincere
devotion to o u r convictions an d principles,
w ill be changes fo r th e better. To th e n ew

IPage 30

student and to th e student now w ell on th e

P ath , w e say, do no t be discouraged b y the
m aterial necessary to be covered to reach
our highest degrees. N eith er be discouraged
if you find th a t y o u r aim s an d purposes
change som ew hat. Set y o u r aim high an d
cause y o u r thoughts an d outlooks on life to
evolve w ith physical, m ental, an d spiritual
grow th. A

W riting for Self-Expression and

Publication
Do you w ish to experience th e control an d
sublim ation of creative energy? T h en , tr y
to create through words.
W ritin g is an o p portunity for m en tal ex
ercise and for g reater expansion of th e in n e r
consciousness. One m a y w rite only for ex
pression an d give voice to th e self, w ithout
thought of publication; or one m a y w rite for
publication if th e them e is sufficiently origi
n a l to a ttra c t an d sustain read er interest.
To w rite fo r self-expression is m erely to
p u t on p ap er w hatever comes, u n m in d fu l of
spelling, punctuation, or w ord v ariatio n and
pow er. F orm th e thought c u rre n t into words
an d em pty th e m in d b y tran sfe rrin g the
w ords on paper. A good m edium for this
ty p e of w ritin g is the d ia ry in w hich one
talks to him self; or letters, w hich need never
be sent. I t is recorded th a t A b rah am L incoln
often w rote letters for his self-expression
th a t is, for releasing strong em otions w ith
out a n y in te n tio n of m ailing them .
If publication is the purpose for w riting,
th e first step m a y be ju st as stated; how ever,
afte r th a t, m u st come revision the going
back and organizing into expressive w ords
an d v ital paragraphs; th e elim in atin g of
trite phrases, an d ideas th a t have been hashed
and rehashed b y dozens of oth er w riters. As
one reconstructs th e article, these are some
of th e questions to be asked:
1. Is the them e or subject m a tte r original
enough to prove interesting to th e reader?
2. H as the article or poem a sufficiently
attractive beginning to arrest th e m ind?
3. H as it a sufficiently strong conclusion
to be a clincher?
4. Does the m iddle, or body, stay b y the
them e and develop th e subject m a tte r b y
m eans of definition, description, n arratio n ,
illustration, reasoning or analogy?

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

5. A re th ere in tru d in g ideas; th a t is, ideas

irrelev an t to th e topic?
6. Is w h at has been w ritten , m erely
theory?
7. W ere quotations used w ith o u t show ing
w h a t w as quoted an d from whose work?
8. If m ore th a n a few lines have been
quoted, an d th e copyright is n o t expired (ex
p iratio n tim e is tw enty-eight y e a rs), or th e
au th o r is living, has perm ission to quote been
obtained? P u b lish in g com panies u su a lly
hold th e copyright. If you are a professional
w riter, or th e quotation is len g th y , re m u n e ra
tion m a y be asked for a t th e tim e perm ission
to re p rin t is given.
9. Could th e them e be strengthened b y
telling it in less b u t m ore vital words?
10. If th e th em e is old, such as love of
neighbor, honesty, faith, th e C hristm as spirit,
etc., has it been handled from an en tirely
fresh view point or new angle? T o accom
plish this is a challenge to even a professional
w rite rs m ind.
11. H as th e them e been used in the Rosi
crucian D igest before, or a t least recently?
12. Is th e subject m atter, or th e trea tm e n t
of it, suited to o u r ty p e of publication?
T h e above are some of th e questions the
editorial staff m u st consider in judging the
m anuscripts w hich are subm itted. In addi
tion to this th e re is th e problem of space,
especially now w hen th e p ap er supply is
curtailed. E ig h t or n in e ty p e w ritten pages
constitute full len g th for one D igest article.
If th e article is longer, it m a y need to be
condensed, or divided to fit into tw o issues.
U nless th e article is such th a t it can be di
vided into tw o definite p arts th a t is, th e
P art 11 m ust n o t be too dependent upon
Part /, in order to sustain read er in terest
it is n o t advisable to w rite in tw o parts, b u t
ra th e r to take th e m ost attractiv e phase of
th e article an d w rite it for o n ly one issue.
Since m argins, as w ell as size of type,
differ, th e professional w ay is to estim ate
length b y w ords. G et th e w ord average for
a line, th e n m u ltip ly b y th e n u m b e r of lines
in th e m an u scrip t, an d place a t th e top of the
page in th e u p p er rig h t-h an d co m er; for
exam ple, W ords: 3000. F or long articles in
tended for th e Rosicrucian D igest, 2500 to
3000 words is a good length.
S horter m aterial th a n th a t m entioned is
often convenient, and fillers fro m 100 to 500
words each are used. These, of course, m u st

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

also be com plete in thought, an d have strong

opening and concluding sentences.
In th e u p p er left-hand corner, place y o u r
nam e and address, including y o u r grade of
study and key num ber. U n d er the title,
place y our pen nam e if you w ish to use one.
A cknow ledgem ents of m anuscripts w ill be
m ade as p ro m p tly as possible. If self-ad
dressed envelope w ith re tu rn postage is en
closed, w e hope to re tu rn the m aterial w ith
in four weeks, if not acceptable. Because of
lack of tim e, editorial com m ent w ith rejec
tions is seldom given.
To judge ones ow n m anuscript is m uch
m ore difficult th a n to judge th e w ork of
another, since unconsciously th e m in d
breaches th e gaps, and overlooks other e r
rors, as it travels over too fam iliar ground.
P u ttin g th e m an u scrip t aside for a few days
and re tu rn in g to it, helps; using some of th e
editorial standards h erein enum erated, as a
check, should also be an aid.
T h e E ditorial Staff welcomes y o u r best
lite ra ry efforts, and, as stated before, it is
to be rem em bered th a t the au th o r has been
com pensated even for the unpublished m a n u
scripts, in th e w ay of conscious articu latio n
and m en tal expansion. H e has dem onstrated
guidance of th e creative energy.
T h e E ditorial D epartm ent.
Success a n d F ailu re
If th e question w ere to be p u t b y alm ost
a n y individual as to w hether or n o t he
w ished to succeed in life, the obvious answ er
w ould be: Yes. T h e rep ly w ould be so
obvious th a t it w ould be doubted th a t few
people w ho so answ ered the question could
directly define exactly w h at th e y m e an t b y
success.
U sually, success is related to one of tw o
things in a n individuals life: it is eith er
directly tied u p to th e acquisition of certain
m a teria l things; or to th e a ttain m en t an d
m anifestation of certain ideals. T hese tw o
divisions are often arb itra ry , as ones ideals
m a y be p u re ly in a m aterial w orld, an d th e
attain m en t of certain m aterial w ealth or
possessions w ould be th e achievem ent of such
ideals. If w e are to deal w ith th e question
of success, w e th e n m u st deal w ith th e asp ira
tions of the h u m a n race; and th ere are as
m a n y different types of purposes on th e p a rt

Page 31

of individuals as th e re are individuals in the

U niverse.
W h ile th e re are general social aim s con
sidered to exist in th e m inds of civilized
h u m a n beings, th e re are also individual aim s
w hich u sually, in th e final analysis, take
precedent over a n y th in g else. T h e otherw ise
u p rig h t citizen m a y engage in questionable
business dealings to accom plish his ow n p er
sonal end w ith o u t th e thought, in ten tio n ally
at least, of being dishonest. In other words,
m a n y people have th e attitu d e th a t if th e
end justifies the m eans, an y process th a t w ill
brin g about th a t end is com pletely satisfac
to ry even if it th w arts the purposes, aim s, and
ideas of another. Such a person m ig h t ex
p lain his action b y saying th a t everyone
m ust be on guard to direct his ow n interests;
and th a t to have th em occasionally in terfered
w ith by someone else is good experience an d
w ill teach h im a lesson. T his general a tti
tude is m ore p rev alen t th a n w e m ig h t think.
I t exists not o nly on th e p a rt of individuals
b u t also on th e p a rt of nations th a t other
wise uphold ideals, peace, an d justice.
C onsequently, w e see th a t w h at is success
to one m a y be failu re to another, an d the
acquisition of w h a t w e m ig h t deem a state
of success m ig h t be th e v ery process w hich
w ould b rin g failu re to another. T h e only
w ay in w hich this could be different w ould
be for all m en to be concerned o n ly w ith
success as a group hope, and n o t m erely as
an individual achievem ent. W ith this con
cept, m en w ould w ork together for th e good
of all, hav in g an aim w hich w ould m ake the
success of one essentially dependent upon
th e success of another. W e m ig h t say th a t
one of th e m ajo r faults of o ur presen t social
stru ctu re now lies in th e direct opposite of
this condition: th a t th e so-called success of
one individual is fre q u en tly based u pon the
failu re of others.
Since success is such a relative condition
in th e w orld today, it is well th a t w e some
tim es give consideration as to w h a t state or
states w e m ig h t consider as successful. If an
individual has obtained all th e m a teria l pos
sessions w hich he has sought, h e m a y th in k
h e is successful, b u t if in th e attain m en t of
these things he has n o t gained a m easure of
happiness, certain ly w e have a point upon
w hich to question th e so-called success th a t
be believes is his.

Page 32

I t is no t given to m a n to know all the

Cosmic purposes b u t w isdom has m ain tain ed
th a t a satisfactory adju stm en t to th e environ
m e n t in w hich he finds him self is, a t least,
one step in th e process of gaining an u n d er
standing of th e purposes of life. Satisfactory
adjustm ent m eans happiness. W h en a rela
tionship betw een a n y tw o activities or forces
is harm onious, th e adjustm en t is considered
good; and, therefore, in th e case of the
h u m a n being an d his surroundings, h ap p i
ness w ould be an indication of such h arm o n i
ous relationship.
W e m ig h t say th e n th a t, in our u n d er
standing, happiness is a purpose of life. In
this, w e m u st carefully distinguish betw een
happiness an d contentm ent. Com plete con
te n tm e n t is n o t necessarily a good state of
existence. C ontentm ent, in its fu ll m ean
ing, w ould in fe r th a t th e re w as noth in g else
to do. A person m ight be contented an d have
no desire to better him self or th e w orld
about him . H e sim ply exists because his
w ants are eith er few or com pletely satisfied.
D iscontentm ent can go w ith happiness
strange as it m a y be because w e are far, in
m e n tal com prehension of, or application,
from using, all th e forces of th e U niverse
th a t p la y about us. T h e scientist m a y be
m ost h ap p y w hile involved in labor an d re
search; and m ost of us w ill in sta n tly adm it
th a t in an y w ork w hich w e like to do w e find
happiness. A t th e sam e tim e w e m a y be dis
contented w ith th e final results of o ur w ork
an d th e re b y gain certain happiness in th e
desire to im prove th a t w hich w e realize we
do im perfectly. T herefore, it is w orth-w hile
to consider th e attain m en t of a degree of
happiness as a m easure of success.
On this basis, th e pessim ist m ig h t observe
th a t th ere are few successful people. T h ere
seem to be m a n y people w ho are u n h ap p y .
U sually, th e ir unhappiness is based upon th e
exaggerated position in life w hich th e y place
u p o n one event or activity of th e ir own.
T h e y exaggerate a m isfortune or a loss.
T h e y cause such an attitu d e to be th e p re
d om inant p a rt of th e ir thinking. T herefore,
b y dw elling upon this one phase of th e ir
entire existence, th e y so accent it th a t it be
comes th e prevailing p a rt of th e ir lives. Such
a n individual does not w a n t to succeed. H e
carries a semiconscious desire to be a failure.
H e dwells upon th e breaks th a t h e has h ad
in life and b y so doing, he is able to a ttract

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

from those w ho are ap p aren tly successful,

th e atten tio n th a t w ill satisfy his ego. H e
th u s obtains atten tio n from his fellow be
ings, n o t because of w h a t he has done b u t
w h a t he has n o t done; and th e sym p ath y
sometim es th e re is too m u ch of it th a t is
directed to w ard h im takes th e place in his
life of th e atten tio n w hich he w ould receive
if h e w ere rad ia tin g success, optim ism an d
happiness.
Such a state is alm ost a perverted desire
to be successful. By this, I m ean th a t in th e
failu re of a tta in in g success, th e desire is re
versed; b u t nevertheless it is th e sam e desire
directed in th e w rong channel. T h e in d i
vidual seems to gain a certain k in d of h ap
piness even if th e only success he obtains is
success in th e process of failure.
I t is n o t easy for us to p u t aside o ur prob
lems, o u r sorrows, an d o u r m isfortunes, b u t
it can be done; an d w e w ho m a y feel th a t
o u r problem s are less th a n an o th ers, can
help others to gain th a t w hich as y e t th e y
have n o t been able to achieve. Sometimes
m isfortune itself, is a direct p ath to h ap p i
ness or to a degree of it.
One of th e m ost satisfactorily adjusted in
dividuals I know is a m usician w ho becam e
blind d u rin g his last y e a r a t a conservatory
of m usic. W h a t w ould m ost of us have done
u n d e r such circum stances? W e w ould prob
ab ly have bew ailed our lot in life an d be
come a b u rd en upon society an d o ur friends.
H e did not. H e spent a y e a r learn in g braille.
H e w en t back an d finished his education; is
now a p ro m in e n t m usician in th e state in
w hich h e lives; and owns a beautiful hom e
containing one of th e finest pipe organs
available, w h ich is his specialty in music.
M ost of us can th in k of sim ilar exam ples,
b u t w e do n o t have to face calam ities if we
w ould be in tellig en t enough to allow these
lessons to direct o ur lives. Possibly m isfor
tu n e m a y te n d to serve, in o u r existence, as
a developm ent of ch aracter an d even of h a p
piness a happiness th a t w ill be contagious
an d w ill prom ote a degree of it, as w ell as a
state of success, for others w ho m a y believe
th e y are lost in failure.
S u fferin g a n d K a rm a
T h e concept of K arm a is so great th a t the
questions concerning its th eo ry an d applica
tions, an d even effects u pon h u m a n life,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

never cease in th e m inds of those who study

our teachings. K arm a is a law w hich, if we
accept, w e m u st conceive as th e m anifesta
tion of a U niversal and Cosmic Law , a law
so great an d of such expanse, th a t w e are
dealing w ith causes and effects w hich do
n ot have th e ir origin w ith in our im m ediate
environm ent, b u t into w hich we m erely
enter, or touch; ju st as a light from th e sun
does not originate in our use of it, b u t from
entering into its environm ent b y the sm all
am ount w hich, through th e vast solar sys
tem , passes our earth.
If, in our im agination, w e can com pare
th e L aw of K arm a w ith the radiations of
h eat and lig h t from th e sun, an d also com
pare ou r relationship to K arm a w ith o ur re
lationship to these radiations of lig h t an d
heat, w e are in a sm all w ay enterin g into
a n open understan d in g of the existence of
this law , or force, and realization th a t th e
effect upon us, or th e usefulness of th e force
to us, m u st be in th e acceptance and u tiliza
tion, to th e best of our u nderstand in g an d
knowledge, of th e som ew hat casual touch
w hich w e have w ith th e w hole scheme or
idea. I n short, K arm a is in no sense a m anm ade law . I t is n othing w hich w e can ac
cept or reject. I t ju st is. Its function, in so
fa r as th eo ry is concerned, justifies for those
who accept th e theory, th e fact th a t th e U n i
verse an d its law s are established upon ju s
tice and upon the ability of m a n to be confi
dent th a t his life w ill function on th e basis
of cause an d effect.
W e use a p hrase th a t w e build o ur
K arm a. I n a w ay, this idea can be accepted
literally. T h e doing of good and w e con
ceive good to be those thoughts and actions
w hich are harm onious w ith th e total of th e
Cosmic schem e, as w e u n d erstan d it p ro
duces w h a t w e com m only call Good K arm a.
Good K arm a is conceived by us as th e b u ild
ing of o p portunity not necessarily th e sim
plification of living. To have Good K arm a
does not m e an n o t to have problem s o r ad
justm ent to o u r environm ent. I t is n o t a
short cut to easier living because the so-called
Good K arm a puts us in an environm ent es
sential for, or in relatio n to, a series of cir
cum stances challenging our best abilities an d
potentialities. I t m akes us m ore obligate^ to
live to th e fu ll extent of our possibilities. W e
are called upon for greater service for
greater b read th of intelligence in dealing

Page 33

w ith th e forces of life. W e are on o u r w ay

fo rw ard to th e re tu rn to the God state from
w hich w e are supposed to have originated.
I n contrast to Good K arm a, w e also ra th e r
freely, in so fa r as vocabulary is concerned
use th e term , Bad K arm a. I hope th a t
everyone, in reading these com m ents, w ill
realize th a t th e term s good an d bad are p u re
ly relative an d are used m ore in a p o p u lar
ra th e r th a n a technical sense. O rd in arily ,
w h a t w e realize in th e category of Bad
K arm a are th e circum stances w hich are to
be a p a rt of o ur lives, b u t w hich are in com
pensation for those acts, m en tal or physical,
w hich cause us to have to p ay for w h a t w e
have done in error, for w h atev er w e do, or
ra th e r h ave to tolerate as com pensation for
erro r or w rong doing, can be gen erally classi
fied as suffering. W h atev er is negative to us,
eith er m en tal o r physical, is a form of suffer
ing. To suffer is to be th w arted to be out
of harm o n y . W h e n th a t suffering is p h y si
cal, it consists of a m anifestation of physical
pain, or h in d ran ce to free, physical m ove
m ent. W h e n m en tal, th e p ain is no less real
b u t en tirely different, a p ain w h ich is diffi
cu lt to describe, b u t w hich nevertheless
w eighs up o n us an d hinders o ur fu ll m ove
m e n t an d activity, alm ost equal to, an d in
some cases m ore so, th a n physical pain.
T h e biological organism , from th e v ery
low est form of life to m an , him self, is so
b u ilt as to avoid suffering. T h e least stim u la
tion, in th e form of acid or an y other chem i
cal substance, adm inistered to a one-celled
anim al, w ill cause it to m ove aw ay from th e
p oint w hich is causing suffering. So, m a n
has placed accent u p o n th e avoidance of suf
fering, an d takes m a n y steps an d devotes a
great deal of en erg y in th e total tim e of his
life span to avoid suffering. Such a concept
has p u t m a n on th e defensive. M en h ave
been know n to give u p ideals, to change
th e ir m ode of living, to adopt creeds, to give
u p luxuries, to change th e ir opinions an d
convictions, if th e y have been convinced th a t
b y so doing suffering could be lessened or
avoided. U pon this attitu d e on th e p a rt of
m ankind, religion h as dictated its hold over
m an b y saying to h im th a t in th e acceptance
of certain religious doctrines or dogmas, fu
tu re suffering can be avoided; or in th e fea r
of p u n ish m en t w h ich w ould include suffer
ing, m a n m a y find religion o nly as a m eans
of to leratin g such suffering, an d n ev er ap

Page 34

proach a m ystical concept of an in tim ate

understan d in g of God.
F rom our point of view, we, as finite be
ings, can th in k of the effect of K arm a on the
sufferer, an d a t the sam e tim e th in k of the
results of suffering upon K arm a. O ur gen
eral concept is th a t suffering is like p ay in g
a bill. W e are lessening ou r Bad K arm a or
our K arm ic D ep artm en t in th e process of
suffering, as strange as this th eo ry m ig h t
seem to those w ho m ight exam ine it super
ficially. T h e point of view affects th e am ount
of suffering. T h e m a n w ho honestly adm its,
an d com pensates for his obligations, of w h a t
soever n a tu re th e y m a y be, w ill in th e long
ru n have a b etter m ental outlook an d m ore
eventual peace of m ind th a n he who m akes
every effort to resist the u ltim ate reckoning
w hich m u st come from th e created obliga
tion. T herefore, suffering is p a rt p ay m en t of
an obligation and, w hen so recognized, is to
a certain extent eased b y th e recognition of
the operation of this law . Some w ill ask
w h eth er or not suffering should be allow ed
to exist in a w orld established and m a in
tained by a ju st God. Surely, w e can realize
th a t even in m an-m ade affairs th ere m u st be
rules and regulations; and th a t a n y th in k in g
person w ill acknowledge th a t th e fu n ctio n
ing of such rules and regulations, w ith o u t
favor to an y m an, is a ju st policy. A n d so,
w ith God and his relationship to h u m a n ity ,
th e functioning of his established layvs, even
if w e suffer b y our error, is th e assurance
th a t w e w ill have an o pportun ity to gain by
th a t w hich w e do th a t is good. T h e fu n d a
m en tal w ay in w hich m a n can derive the
m ost from th e operation of this law is, th e re
fore, b y obtaining an understan d in g of the
Cosmic scheme an und erstan d in g to the ex
te n t th a t his understan d in g becomes a p a rt
of th e extent to w hich he w ill suffer for
error.
W e know th a t, in relationship to th e social
system u n d e r w hich w e live, th e re are cer
ta in things w hich are probably w ith o u t dis
p ute to be considered rig h t or w rong; and
if for th a t reason we go about o u r lives w ith
the desire to gain w h at w e can, an d w ith th e
in te n t to cause suffering on th e p a rt of o th er
beings for our ow n selfish purpose, w e can
not avoid p aying the debt w hich we, o u r
selves, are creating. In other w ords, w hen
w e in te n tio n ally cause anyone else to suffer,
w e are literally borrow ing from th e U n i

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

versal bank, th e store of all things. In our

d eterm ination to share in those things w hich
w e w a n t a t th e m om ent, w e are tak in g th e
course of o u r lives into o ur ow n hands ex
clusively. I t is as if we drew checks upon an
account in a com m ercial b ank in w hich we
h ad insufficient funds. T h e day is com ing
w h en a reckoning m u st be m ade, w hen we
shall eith er h ave to reim burse those to w hom
useless checks w ere given or settle o ur obli
gations w ith th e bank. W e have, so to speak,
levied upon fu tu re goods, an d w h en to ac
qu ire or en joy an y th in g th a t w e feel is
needed a t th e m om ent causes suffering on
th e p a rt of an o th er individual, w e are doing
th e identical th in g as over-draw ing th e b ank
account, b u t on a larg er scale. Suffering th a t
is a n eventual resu lt is th e n som ething w hich
w e m u st realize is rig h tfu lly ours w hich
w e have b ro u g h t about, an d w hich w e m ust
accept.
T h e question n a tu ra lly arises: w h at is the
effect of u n in te n tio n a l acts u pon o ur in d i
vidual K arm a? W h a t is th e effect, even if
o u r in te n t is to do good, an d we com m it
w rong? W e alw ays judge our enemies as
doing w rong, b u t it is conceivable th a t w ith
th e ir background of tra in in g an d u n d erstan d
ing, th e y m a y be conscientiously doing th a t
w hich is right. I t is a m ost difficult m a tte r
to an alyze such technical points of th e opera
tion of th e L aw of K arm a w h en w e rea lly
know so little about th e law as a whole, b u t
it w ould seem from th a t inform ation to
w h ich w e h ave access th a t u n in te n tio n a l acts
w ill n ot produce as severe K arm a as those
w h ich are in ten tio n al. T his seems to be a
h u m a n th eo ry reg ard in g retrib u tio n ; n ev er
theless, a child w ho knows no better, an d in
all ignorance, p u ts his finger into a flame of
fire w ill n o t be less b u rn ed th a n you or I,
w ho w ould do it purposely. I n other words,
w e cannot find a great deal of solace in u n
in ten tio n al acts w hich are done in error. I t
is because some suffering w ill result, th a t w e
le arn g rad u ally how to avoid erro r an d gain
a concept of good and tru th .
A n o th er question w hich repeatedly comes
to th e m in d of those considering th e L aw of
K arm a is: can K arm a be forgiven? T h e
C h ristian doctrine of forgiveness of sins as
is ta u g h t b y m a n y C hristian groups today,
an d as based u p o n the instructions an d w ords
of th e founder of C hristianity, is th a t th e
p en itent, w ho is tru ly so, can h av e com plete

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

forgiveness of sins. W e are told in a N ew

T estam ent chronicle th a t even th e crim inal
upon th e cross w ith Jesus H im self w as for
given and w ould pass w ith H im into a higher
realm . T his doctrine tru ly is of great satis
faction to the rea lly penitent, to those who
have a sincere an d conscientious desire to
rectify th e ir errors and thinking.
H ow ever, some w ill ask, if such a law as
th e L aw of K arm a exists, and can be set
aside by the m e n tal attitude of a n y h u m an
being, is, after all, the justice of God en d u r
ing, or is God one to be pacified th ro u g h
acts or adoration so th a t an y m a n can set
aside the debts of a lifetim e b y one act of
thinking? D ue to our lim ited knowledge of
all the law s involved, none can answ er this
question com pletely or satisfactorily because
m a n y w ill find solace and hope in one or the
other interp retatio n , b u t still anoth er factor
enters w hich m a n y do not consider: one
th a t concerns the ability to be com pletely
penitent. H ow m a n y tim es in our lives have
we objectively agreed to forgive b u t y et held
w ithin our ow n consciousness a definite re
serve? H ow m a n y people m a y have out
w ard ly come p en iten tly to th e ir priest or
m in ister and, in so fa r as every objectiv act
could be w itnessed, w iped th e slate clean of
sin and w rong doing, and to all appearances
w ere read y to th ro w them selves up o n the
m ercy of God? T h e y and God only know
the tru e position of th e ir status in relatio n
to th e Cosmic Law . By th e ir fu tu re w ill be
determ ined the eventual outcome of such act.
I confidently believe that, in term s of our
und erstan d in g of the K arm ic Law , not all
K arm a is erased b y even a com pletely pen i
te n t soul, b u t th a t it is offset by th e Good
K arm a th a t is created from th e n on if the
pen iten t person is tru ly sincere an d sets
about actually to live in practice an d th eo ry
a good life and the life bu ilt upon the ideals
established in his p en iten t mood.
W e have touched only upon a few of the
questions having to do w ith h u m a n suffering
and happiness an d its relationship to th e
U niversal laws. W e can le arn m ore only b y
sincere contem plation of these laws, an d b y
th e application thereof to th e best of our
understanding. T h ey are no t recorded in
an y book by the h an d of m an. T h ey are
recorded in the universe and can o nly be
read as w e experience th e ir operation. A

Page 35

M a ste rs a n d M y th s
I w ish to b rin g a w ord of w arn in g to our
m em bers about a deception th a t is occasion
ally introduced in th e ir m idst. F irst w e w ill
begin b y a review of some of th e profound
esoteric principles w hich are a p a rt of th e
arcan a of th e Rosicrucian teachings. It has
been long ta u g h t th a t eventually th e re comes
a tim e w h en th e soul-personality is no longer
req u ired to be em bodied in a physical form .
I t is th e perso n ality of m an w hich evolves to
spiritual perfection, an d not th e soul. T he
soul is th e un lim ited , absolute D ivine essence
in m an. T h e soul, as we have often pointed
out, is n o t a segm ent, it is not a p a rt of a
substance w hich has been deposited in m a n
separate from all o th er souls. I n fact, it is
an em anation from th e one great universal
soul, ju st as th e ray s of the sun are all of
th e sun. C onsequently, th e soul of each of
us is a t all tim es directly connected w ith
every o th er m o rtal an d alw ays has direct
connection w ith its source, th e Cosmic or
U niversal Soul. T h e soul essence in m a n
does n o t become affected or corrupted in an y
w ay b y its passage th ro u g h th e physical
form . I t is com prehensible th a t th e A bsolute
and D ivine Being, suprem e and om nipotent,
could n ot be dim inished or altered b y a n y
th in g else. If th e h u m a n soul, as a rad iatio n
of the great U niversal or Cosmic Soul could
be affected b y a n y substance body or a n y
th in g else th e n w e w ould be ad m ittin g th a t
th e D ivine is n o t im m utable. If the D ivine
w ere n o t infallible, it w ould be useless for us
to appeal to it.
So, the soul in the savage and in the m y s
tic, in essence, is identical. It is like a perfect
diam ond w hich m a y be set in eith er a d ia
dem or in a clot of clay. Regardless of its
setting, it is still a perfect diam ond. T he
extent of ones sp iritu ality consists in ones
conform ity to th e im pulses, th e urges, an d
the dictates of th e soul essence w ith in . Self,
w e m a y say, is our consciousness of our ow n
being, of o u r com posite n atu re an d o u r abid
ance by it. T his self-consciousness exists in
th e aborigine as w ell as in th e m ystic, b u t
in th e aborigine th e self-consciousness is
m ostly fashioned b y th e insatiable desires
of the body. Self in such a prim itive person
is co n tin u ally fram ed in bodily in terest an d
tem poral pursuits, fo r these m ore easily in
fluence th e consciousness of self. W ith tim e

Page 36

and the refinem ent of m ind, an d g reater

leisure, m en become m ore introspective; th e y
become m ore conscious of the sensations deep
w ith in them selves. T h e y respond to the
finer im pulses of the souls interests; th a t is,
th e y are not ju st lim ited to the urges of the
body and the im pressions of em pirical things.
T h e y come to p u t m ore an d m ore dependence
upon w h at w e term in tuition an d psychic
im pulses, or, as it is often said, th e voice of
conscience.
As this occurs, th e ir perso n ality evolves,
in other w ords, the outer expression of self
changes because th e y have come m ore an d
m ore u n d er the guidance of th e soul essence.
T h ey begin to reflect those finer attrib u tes of
th e b etter p a rt of th e ir n atu re , w hich we
call the virtues. As th e lig h t of th e soul
reaches the personality, it purifies it, and
like a m irro r the personality corresponds
m ore and m ore to the soul w ithin. It is like
polishing a m irro r and th e m eans of polish
ing it are education and m editation, an d as
w e polish it, th e personality has a g reater
reflecting surface and it radiates m ore and
m ore th e D ivine L ight, th e L ig h t of th e Soul.
A faultless m irro r is one th a t tech n ically has
an optical p lane surface. This m eans th a t
it has a high degree of reflection. Such a
m irro r, a t a little distance, m akes it alm ost
impossible to distinguish betw een th e object
an d the v ery clear an d distinct im age re
flected in it. You each know this from v ari
ous optical illusions, in w hich is used such
a m irro r in theatrical perform ances for en
te rtain m en t. So it is w ith the evolved p er
sonality, it becomes so perfect in its reflec
tion of th e soul essence th a t th e personality
itself is as perfect as th e soul lig h t w hich it
reflects. W h e n th e personality has so evolved,
th e n its m ission h ere on ea rth is complete.
Such a soul th e n m a y be term ed a M aster.
T h ere are a n u m b e r of such M asters who
have been so accepted since an tiq u ity . T h e
actual n um ber, how ever, is very, v ery small.
Such personalities or Intelligences no longer
rein carn ate, b u t reside on the Cosmic p lane
for a period of tim e. T h ey , of course, exist
on th a t plan e w ithout a n y physical form ,
an y encom passing form of a n y kind. I t is
th e equivalent of a state of consciousness
w ith o u t em bodim ent, a situation v ery diffi
cult to explain, and alm ost inscrutible.
U ltim ately these Intelligences, these Cos
m ic M asters, com plete th e ir duties on th e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Cosmic P lan e, th e n th e y are absorbed into

th e great U niversal Soul, into th e Cosmic
M in d itself. T h in k of a concentric w ave
spreading out u pon th e surface of a pond,
after a pebble has been dropped in to it,
ag itatin g th e surface of th e w ater. F or a
long tim e, th e w ave is distinguished from
th e surface of th e body of w ater. In other
words, you ca n see it spreading out fu rth e r
an d fu rth e r, b u t its crest, th a t is, the am pli
tu d e or heig h t of the w ave dim inishes. E ven
tu a lly it becomes less and less definite and
fin ally m erges so com pletely w ith th e entire
body of w ate r of the pond, th a t it is no
longer visible. So it is w ith th e personalities
of these M asters or Cosmic Intelligences. In
th e in terim , how ever, before being com plete
ly absorbed in to th e A bsolute of th e Cosmic,
th e y serve m ortals here on earth . H ow th e y
serve m ortals, n am ely you an d m e, is the
crux of this discussion, even though it has
been fu lly elaborated upon in th e official
m onographs of AMORC.
T hese Cosmic M asters, before being ab
sorbed in th e Absolute, an d w hile residing
on th e Cosmic plane, are interm ediaries be
tw een th e D ivine M ind, th a t is, th e Cosmic
Intelligence an d ourselves. T h e y are n ot
absolute interm ediaries. W e do n o t have to
approach th e Cosmic th ro u g h them , b u t th e y
can guide us w h en w e go astra y an d h elp us
to m ake a m ore direct contact, through our
ow n consciousness, w ith th e Cosmic. L et
m e em phasize th a t phrase. T h e y help us,
through our o w n consciousness, to m ake con
tact w ith th e Cosmic. T h e M asters are not
genii. T h e y are not some in tangible Cosmic
servant, w hom w e can beckon, th ro u g h o u r
selves or anyone else, to serve us in th e ordi
n a ry needs of th e day. I n o th er w ords, w e
cannot fig u rativ ely or lite ra lly ru b a m agic
lam p an d h ave th e M asters do o ur bidding.
W e have no M aster or M asters, w ho hover
over us like a m o th er h en hovers over baby
chicks, to p rev en t us from m aking h o u rly
m istakes. If M asters w ere personal guides
in th is sense, as so m a n y persons m ake th e
m istake of believing, in reality , th e y would
be directing th e acts of o u r lives. W e w ould,
therefore have no need for individual reason,
or no need for o u r in n ate faculties. F u rth e r,
th e re w ould be no need of th e law of karm a,
for none of us w ould ever m ake a m istake,
n o r w ould w e need to experience com pensa
tion as an effect of o ur m istakes. F u rth e r,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

each of us w ould be so perfect in our conduct

because of this guidance, w e w ould all be
M asters on earth , w hich, in fact, w e all
know too w ell w e are not. If M asters w ere
directing each of our acts, w e w ould be
nothing m ore th a n puppets, constantly tugged
an d pulled in one direction or another.
W h a t, then, is this guidance of th e M as
ters? T h e ir service to h u m a n ity is th e p ro
viding of inform ation, principally the rev eal
ing of th e technique w hereby w e m a y d irect
ly an d personally, through our ow n efforts,
contact th e M asters and not thro u g h a n y
one else.
L et us use an analogy to see ju st how th e
M asters guidance is perform ed. A public
lib ra ry contains an alm ost unlim ited source
of em pirical knowledge. Such knowledge,
how ever, is of no benefit to us, if, first, w e
do not desire it, and, second, if w e do n o t
know exactly how to locate it. P resum e w e
desire know ledge, w hich th e lib ra ry has,
th e n w e le a rn through our effort, b y m ak in g
inquiries, w here th e lib ra ry is located. N ex t
we en ter th e lib ra ry . P erhaps we are con
fused b y th e g reat nu m b er of books w hich
are available. B ut w e start, nevertheless, to
pu ll one dow n afte r another from th e shelves,
in search for th e p articu la r know ledge w hich
w e need, and possibly w ithout avail. T h en
suddenly w e see a large cabinet. It is th e
index file. W e look in it an d lo an d behold,
as w e th u m b th ro u g h th e cards, w e are
directed by th em to the proper section of
shelves an d to th e exact books w hich contain
the know ledge an d inform ation w e w an t.
N ow , th e Cosmic M asters function ju st as
th a t index file does. W e first study an d p re
pare ourselves an d m ake a n effort to p e r
sonally acquire Illum ination. If w e h ave
not h ad m uch success, th en th e Cosmic M as
ters inspire us, th ro u g h our ow n conscious
ness, to find th e source of th e inform ation
w e w ant. N ow , to re tu rn to th e card index
file in th e lib ra ry . I t doesnt actu ally lift
the book off th e shelf for us; n eith er does
it open th e book for us, it m erely tells us
w here it can be found, and th e n w e m u st go
to th e shelf and get th e book or books o ur
selves. So, too, th e Cosmic M asters do not
guide us h o u r b y h o u r in the affairs or prob
lems of our lives. W e m ust le a rn to do these
things for ourselves. I repeat, the Cosmic
M asters do not lead us along the w ay, b u t
point it out.

Page 37

T h e n ex t po in t is, can or does a n y in d i

vidual invoke th e Cosmic M asters for a n
other? C an I, for exam ple, a t w ill invoke
th e efficacy of th e Cosmic M asters, so th a t
th e y w ill do y o u r bidding? T h e answ er is
absolutely not. N o one has a n y epecial en
tree to th e Cosmic Intelligences for others.
You can o nly invoke th e M asters th ro u g h
y o u r ow n personal qualifications and be
cause y ou seek th e ir help an d because you
are w o rth y of it. Jesus said: I am th e
W a y . H e m ean t, live, strive, do as I do.
Jesus did n o t go about invoking Cosmic
M asters to become th e handm aidens of m o r
tals h ere on earth. T h e person w ho expects
a Cosmic M aster to intercede for him , w hen
he, either th ro u g h his ow n selfishness, igno
rance, or neglect, has brought upon him self
dire consequences, is going to be sadly d is
appointed. Persons w ho expect this are
eith er ig n o ran t of Cosmic or m ystical p rin ci
ples, or th e y are dow nright indolent and
hoping for some ex tern al pow er to do w h at
th e y should be doing themselves.
H ow ever, these eith er m isinform ed, indo
lent, and often credulous people m a y become
easy victim s of ch arlatan s an d im posters.
T hese im posters preten d th a t th e y possess
some strange efficacy or some m agical pro
cess w h ereb y th e y can invoke th e Cosmic
M asters for you w h en you are n o t able to
do so yourself. I n other w ords, these im
posters p reten d to be Cosmic lobbyists.
Sim ply p u t, th e y rep resen t them selves to
lobby a t th e threshold of th e Cosmic M asters
for you an d a t a fee. Oh, of course, th e y
are n o t as fra n k as th at. T h e ir technique is
first to disdain a n y m o n etary consideration
for th e ir lobby, n am ely , th e ir purp o rted
services. T h en th e y in tim ate th e y m ig h t ac
cept donations. In all probability, th e y claim
th a t w h a t th e y are doing is a h ig h ly or
dained m ission in life. T h ey profess th a t th e
Cosmic M asters have p articu la rly selected
th em to intercede for suffering h u m an ity .
T h ey go on to state th a t th e y are scouring
th e w orld to find ju s t those m ortals w ho are
in need of th e services of th e Cosmic M as
ters w hich th e y represent. A n d know ing th e
foibles of h u m a n n atu re , th e y appeal to th e
v a n ity of th e credulous individual as well.
T h e approach is som ething like this. T h ey
tell this credulous person th a t d u rin g some
purp o rted in itiatio n , w hich th e y h ad, th e
Cosmic M asters im p arted to th em th a t cer

Page 38

ta in h u m a n beings m u st be selected to do
the M a sters bidding. T h en this self-pro
claim ed em issary states th a t he is to find
such persons. H e goes on to say th a t h e has
looked into this credulous persons past in
carnations, an d he finds th a t this person was
a disciple of some g reat M aster thousands of
years ago. P erhaps he says th a t he knows
th a t th e y h ad tak en pledges in a past in car
nation, w hich th e y do not recollect, and th a t
th e Cosmic M asters told him to assist them
in renew ing such pledges. N a tu ra lly this
appeals v ery m uch to the v a n ity of the
credulous person. H e likes to believe th a t
even though he cannot recognize it him self,
possibly he w as rea lly somebody im p o rtan t
thousands of years ago, and th a t this im pos
ter, w ho claim s to be representin g th e M as
ters, recognizes this im portance an d is going
to help h im regain it in this life.
I f you are credulous, you w ill ask this
ch a rlata n how the great M asters w a n t you to
serve th em again. F irst, this Cosmic lobby
ist, this ch a rlata n w ill suggest th a t you a t
ten d private classes w here he is going to give
you v ery confidential inform ation w hich
comes direct to him almost, it w ould seem,
b y a leased w ire. H e im plies th a t a t these
private classes he w ill tell you w h a t th e
Cosmic M asters w a n t you to do. N ow, of
course, even th e m ost credulous person w ould
possibly suspect someone w ho claim ed to be
th e representative of the Cosmic M asters, if
he w ere engaged in th e w ork of an o rd in ary
livelihood, such as a gas station atten d an t, a
baker, or barber. Such duties w ould have no
rom antic atm osphere about them . T h ey
w ould have no glam our, to borrow a term
from H ollyw ood. T h e y w ould be too pro
saic an occupation. So the im poster su r
rounds him self w ith an a ir of in trig u in g
m y stery , w hich appeals to the im agination.
H e relates m a n y fantastic tales of w h at he
has done and w h a t he has experienced. H e
has come from E gypt or he has ju st retu rn ed
from a m onastery in India, w here all of the
great m ystics assem bled and conferred upon
h im a special initiation, an d a t w hich th e
M asters outlined his m ission, etc., etc. P e r
haps he actu ally is an O riental. P erh ap s he
is a H in d u , like m illions of others in India.
Still th a t does not give h im an y special
pow er, an d it does not m ake him a Cosmic
lobbyist, as he purports.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Such a ty p e comes to A m erica an d be

comes deeply im pressed w ith th e gullibility
of m a n y A m ericans, p articu la rly th e ir fasci
natio n for those who come from a distant
E astern lan d or rem ote Pacific Islands. H e
is easily tem pted to assum e a role as a great
teacher. T h e n ex t step is to ap p ear as a rep
resentative of th e great M asters, offering to
act as in te rm ed ia ry for you, for m e an d for
others. Such persons are fra n k ly frauds, be
cause th ey do n o t and cannot rep resen t the
Cosmic M asters for others, an d th e y have
n ot been ordained to select certain in dividu
als to serve th e Cosmic M asters. T h e Cosmic
M asters do th e ir ow n selecting.
W h a t is th e ir object? Is it n ot m ost ap
p aren t? C ourt an d police records are replete
w ith th e results of th e ir cam paign. Such
records include em bezzlem ent, th eft, fraud,
and m isrepresentation. T h ey contrive by
various artifices and subtleties to get th eir
victim s to assign to th em deeds to properties
an d to share in th e ir wills and to elicit from
th e ir victim s gifts of jewels and m oney. Of
course, th e y state th a t these things are not
intended for them selves. T h e y in fo rm the
gullible ones th a t such m aterial things are
to be used for erecting some sh rin e or sim i
la r activity. T h e y state th a t th e victim , after
giving th e m oney to th em as p u rp o rted rep
resentatives of th e M asters, w ill th e n be
blessed b y th e Cosmic M asters.
In addition to appealing to th e v a n ity of
th e credulous person, these ch arlatan s also
use fear psychology. T h ey tell th e victim
th a t he m u st do this or th a t, b y com m and
of th e M asters. T h e ch arlatan tells th em th a t
he knows of these com m ands because he is
in direct contact w ith th e M asters. T h en he
goes on to state th a t if th e victim w ill not do
these things h e w ill suffer, if n o t in this in
carnation, m ost assuredly in th e next. T h ey
fu rth e r add to th e ir ow n statu re, b y sug
gesting o r em p h atically declaring th a t th ey
are some k in d of roam ing ro y a lty . In
other words, th e y u su ally proclaim th em
selves some O riental potentate. F re q u en tly
th e y declare them selves to be a p rin ce of
some foreign co u n try or island. I have m a n y
letters in m y files from these alleged
princes. W e have investigated th e sources
of th e ir declared royal lineage th ro u g h the
w orld-w ide channels of AM ORC, an d th ro u g h
th e governm ent agencies in those countries,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

and w e have alw ays found th em to be bogus

titles.
Bew are those persons w ho p u rp o rt to re p
resent Cosmic M asters. Bew are of those w ho
have m issions in w hich you are supposed
to p la y a p art. If th e Cosmic M asters w an t
you to p la y a p art, you w ill know it direct.
I t w ill be outlined from w ith in , n o t th ro u g h
th e w ords of an o th er person. Keep sane and
safe. T h ere is no short cut to Cosmic en
ligh ten m en t th ro u g h some exotic personali
ty . You m ust com pensate for enlightenm ent,
th a t is, you m u st prove yourself th ro u g h
study and th ro u g h sacrifices of tim e and
effort. X
T h e M e a n in g o f W o rd s
F rom tim e to tim e questions from our
m em bers involve various w ords w hich are
used in the R osicrucian teachings. Before
w ritin g to us for fu rth e r inform ation about
a n y w ord or th e m eaning thereof, w e advise
our m em bers to consult a standard diction
ary, or if possible, an encyclopedia an d th e
glossary in th e Rosicrucian M a n u a l, w hich
although not containing all th e words in th e
Rosicrucian teachings, contains an ex p lana
tion of th e ir m ean in g as applied to Rosicrucianism . W e realize th a t even though a
m em ber takes these steps th e re are tim es
w hen com parative m eanings are sometimes
n o t clear, p articu la rly w hen repeated refer
ence is m ade in a m onograph or series of
m onographs to closely related words, or
words w hich in com mon use m a y have a
sim ilar m eaning.
One of the w ords w hich is so com m on in
our teachings an d in studies of a sim ilar n a
tu re th a t one m ig h t not stop to th in k of its full
m eaning, and upo n w hich w e receive m a n y
requests for a m ore specific explanation, is
th e w ord occult. In th e strictest sense of
m eaning, this w ord is derived from a L atin
source referrin g to th a t w hich is hidden
from sight, and therefore, not obvious to p e r
ceive. In this sense occult refers to those
things or principles w hich are no t im m edi
ately observed. T herefore, w hile certain
law s or principles can exist around us, if
th e y are not understood or if only th e ir effect
is noted, and even th e n not com pletely, th e y
w ould be said to be occult laws. F u rth e r
m ore, occult refers to th a t w hich is obscure
or has to do w ith certain arts and practices

Page 39

involving other th a n physical laws. T h e

v ery principles of occultism, as generally
understood, concern them selves w ith th e use
of these law s w hich are n o t o rd in arily im
m ediately clear to th e physical senses, an d
u sually, insofar as o u r perception of th em
is concerned, n o t even fu nctioning as p h y si
cal laws.
Occult, then, im plies activities of secret,
hidden, or m ysterious agencies, if w e accept
th e u su al an d obvious definitions. T h e
words, secret, hidden, an d m ysterious, how
ever, are m isleading because th e y refer only
to a relative state, an d th e agencies, forces,
or actions w hich m ig h t be so described exist
only in th a t category insofar as m a n s know l
edge is lim ited, an d he is therefore n ot able
to grasp th e full m ean in g of th e laws or
agencies w hich m u st be so described. T h e
v ery principle of w h a t w e w ould call occult
ism , th en , is th e process on th e p a rt of m a n
to b rin g into th e open the law s of th e Cosmic
and N atu re w hich are o rd in arily considered
secret; to reveal those w hich are hidden, and
to m ake know n those w hich are m ysterious.
In resorting to th e dictionary m ean in g of
occult, one w ill find th e w ord recondite
given in some dictionaries as a synonym .
T his w ord is n ot an absolute syn o n y m of th e
w ord occult, a t least in consideration of
the m ean in g of th e occult in th e foregoing
p a rt of this article. R econdite em phasizes
the idea of depth or p ro fu n d ity in reg ard
to ideas or principles. Its reference is u su ally
to know ledge beyond o rd in ary com prehen
sion. In this la tte r sense w e could also say
th a t occult referred to know ledge beyond
o rd in ary com prehension, b u t it is possible
for a th in g to be recondite an d n o t be oc
cult. In addition to h aving occult as its
synonym , recondite also has such words as
veiled and d ark m ean in g a subject m a t
te r about w hich w e are n ot fam iliar an d can
n o t u n d erstan d due to o ur lack of train in g .
C ertain subject m a tte r m a y be recondite b u t
n ot necessarily occult, so u su ally recondite
can be referred to as know ledge w hich is ob
tain ab le b u t n o t com prehended w ithout
special effort or train in g .
A n o th er w ord closely related to these two
is abstruse. T his w ord, som ew hat different
from th e tw o preceding, suggests rem oteness,
or being concealed from o rd in ary modes of
th o u g h t ra th e r th a n from som ething th a t
w ould req u ire special atten tio n in order to

Page 40

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

fathom an d u nderstand. I t u su ally refers to

things w hich, to th e individual, m a y present
som ething of great difficulty or com plexity.
W h ile n o t in a n y sense a synonym of th e
above words, an o th er closely related to the
m eanings is esoteric. T his w ord used in
contradistinction from th e w ord exoteric,
p ertains to a special knowledge. I n th e fu ll
sense of its m eaning, it is th e know ledge of
th e D ivine, of th e Cosmic, u su ally in contrast
to th e know ledge of th e w orld or th e physical
universe. I t is also used in the sense of p er
ta in in g to a n in n e r circle of adepts, those
who have thro u g h experience an d study
gained a n in sig h t into th e occult law s an d
th e so-called m ysteries of th e universe w hich
have brought to them a ty p e of know ledge
surpassing a n y physical lim itations. Esoteric
knowledge, th e n , is understood b y th e in iti
ated only. I t is a know ledge w hich is th e
resu lt of o u r seeking for th e explanation of
life an d th e m ean in g and purpose of th e Cos
m ic scheme. A

W hich Self Is Real?

A F ra te r in th e A ir Services of A m erica
now addresses o u r Forum . H e says: T h e
m ore I read of y o u r ideas on life, th e h ard e r
it becomes to reconcile th e real w ith th e
ideal. I t is a fa r c ry from sweetness an d
light, to the characters I m eet every day,
who disillusion m e by th e ir conduct. I am
try in g to cultivate an idealistic an d w ork
able philosophy of life, b u t can you give m e
a defense of idealism w hen confronted w ith
the realism of life? Is the psychological m an
the real one, or is the ethical m an the real
m an?
Should I tr y to counter evil w ith evil,
an d good w ith good, and th e re b y hold m y
grip on the realities and not become a w el
com e m a t for every abusive action? I t is
h a rd to live in a n ivory tow er w hen such
things as these happen. Please en lig h ten me.
I am of th e opinion th a t th e ideal is m uch
m ore satisfying th a n th e real, b u t b y living
in this m an n er, am I cultivating a w ishfulthinking attitu d e and a w ith d raw al from
rea lity ?
T h e F ra te r has condensed in a few words
the problem of living; th a t is, should w e live
eith er according to principle or expediency
or both? A nother phrase for expressing th e
sam e problem w ould be to live eith er by

m eans of th e least resistence o r to live to

fu rth e r a self-conceived purpose. A ll th a t
w e experience in life has re a lity to us. By
h ered ity , environm ent, train in g , and h ab it,
w e h ave n a tu ra lly form ed certain standards
of preference. A side from those things w hich
are n o t ac tu a lly physically p ain fu l to us, w e
are accustom ed to th in k of ce rtain things as
repulsive an d offensive to o u r good taste. If
one, for exam ple, has been reared in a n a t
m osphere of refinem ent, w here p ro fan ity has
been proscribed, those about y ou w ho use
it are considered vulgar. If it has been a
h ab it for y o u to be punctilious in th e care of
y o u r person, th e n one w ho in fre q u en tly
bathes becomes offensive to you.
Realities, th en , or the th in g s of our ex
perience h av e to us one of tw o qualities
p ro p er o r im proper. T h e p ro p er is w h at
seems adequate an d sufficient. As w e look
upon w h a t w e consider a p ro p er reality , it
seems to have n o lack. W e are, in o th er
w ords, n o t conscious th a t it needs, or falls
short of, an y th in g . T h e im p ro p er rea lity is
one w hich to o u r m in d is q uite insufficient.
I t is one w h ich obviously lacks some a ttri
butes or qualities w hich w e th in k necessary.
H ow do w e arriv e at determ in in g th e lack
of some re a lity w hich w e perceive? E ith e r
b y h av in g experienced one w hich in o u r
opinion w as superior, or b y conceiving a n
ideal state for th e rea lity w hich w e now p e r
ceive. Suppose I pick u p a n agate from th e
beach, w h ich h as been p a rtia lly ground an d
polished b y th e action of th e w aves an d sand.
I t has certain geom etrical m arkings w hich I
consider to be beautiful. H ow ever, this agate
stone to m e is im perfect, because it has a
sprinkling of w h ite specks th ro u g h it. H av
in g seen one like th is w ith o u t th e w h ite
specks, w hich appealed to m e m ore, th a t be
cam e m y stan d ard of th e p erfectly m ark ed
agate. A gain, suppose th e geom etrical m a rk
ings of this agate, in p art, consisted of w h at
appeared to be a series of crosses. A cross
h av in g m ean in g to m e, I w ould conceive th e
perfectly an d u n iq u e ly m ark ed agate as one
covered w ith crosses, an d w ith o u t a n y other
intelligible m arkings. N ow , perh ap s I h ad
n ev er seen a n agate solely an d com pletely
covered w ith crosses, so such a conception
becomes an ideal. I t is a m e n tal creation.
H ere, th en , is th e crucial p o in t of o u r
problem . W h ic h is th e real? W h ich should
I accept, o r reject? Should I accept th e

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

agates as I find them on th e beach as the

only real? T h en , again, should I instead
hold th a t m y ideal is real, and th a t some
tim e I should find a n actual agate w hich w ill
correspond to it? To a n extent, both are real.
Both are realized b y m y consciousness. One
re a lity is form ed b y our sense im pressions,
from th e im pulses th a t come to us th ro u g h
o u r sense of sight and touch, for exam ple.
T h e other re a lity is th e resu lt of reflection.
I t is caused b y being conscious of th e re
arran g e m en t of our ideas, b y reasoning, an d
b y u ltim ately producing a m e n tal picture.
W e could stop rig h t a t this point. W e could
hold th a t no agate has value, as w e find it
on th e beach, because th e y fall short of th e
ideal. T hen, again, w e could say th a t th e
m a teria l reality , th e agate on th e beach, does
have a value, b u t w e prefer th e ideal reality .
In this la tte r instance, w e w ould n o t be alto
gether opposing th e m a teria l rea lity ; w e
w ould be accepting th a t w hich w e had, for
th e lack of an y th in g better, b u t a t th e same
tim e co ntinually searching fo r som ething to
conform to th e ideal. T o abandon th e ideal
w ould m ean w e w ould never be hap p y . Once
realized, it has re a lity to us. On th e other
han d , to ignore th e m a teria l realities an d
dw ell en tirely upon th e ideal w ould p rev en t
us from converting th e ideal into actuality.
T o rev e rt again to our analogy, one w ho has
ju st idealized a perfect agate, b u t n ever
w alked th e beach looking for it, w ill n ev er
find it.
I n life, therefore, consider y o u r ideals as
y o u r standards of perfection. Consider th em
ju st as rea l as th a t w hich you experience
about you, an d w hich falls short of them .
T here are, therefore, realities of different
substances. T o convert one substance into
another, as, for exam ple, tran sm u tin g th e
ideal into som ething w hich cannot obviously
be experienced requires personal sacrifice.
W e m u st expect disillusionm ent an d disap
pointm ent. In th e first place, rem em ber
y o u r ideal is not com monplace. I t is some
th in g w hich you conceive as a perfection of
w h a t you o rd in arily objectively experience.
T herefore, it is a reality. In an ideal, w e are
transcending th e ordinary. A n ideal w ould
no t be a n ideal if it w ere som ething w hich
w as com m only perceived. If you are n o t
read y for, or w illing to achieve these h ig h er
realities, these ideals, th e n dismiss th em from
y o u r m ind. T h e m ost com m on p a rt of y o u r

Page 41

w orld of re a lity is th a t w hich forces itself

u p o n you. T h e m ost difficult p a rt of y o u r
w orld of rea lity is th a t w hich you are try in g
to create in it.
Be sensible about y o u r ideals. Do n o t tr y
to fly before y ou can jum p. T ranscend th e
p resent by easy stages an d th ereb y gain
stren g th as yo u conquer. T h ere is n o th in g
so d isheartening as reaching for th e m oon
w hile you are still in th e valley. F irst tr y
ascending th e h ig h er peaks in this w orld,
figuratively speaking, before stretching y o u r
aim s out to a d istan t globe. If you have
m in o r faults of ch aracter w hich you recog
nize, do n o t su ddenly aspire to sainthood.
T he tran sitio n is too great to m ake a t once.
A ttem pts to do so w ill only break y o u r sp irit
an d cause y o u to be em bittered w ith life.
M ake y o u r ideals, th e realities of y o u r con
ception, those w h ich can be easily converted
into realities of y o u r experience. H av in g
gained one step, th e n take another. If you
have an ideal w h ich fa r transcends th e reali
ty of y o u r d aily experiences, hold it o n ly as
a fin a l objective. N ext, visualize a series of
lesser attain m en ts b y w hich th e u ltim ate can
be reached. T h e lesser attain m en ts w ill en
thuse you an d provide the m eans to th e final
objective. A t least realize th a t y o u r ideals
are real. B ut to give th e m substance, y ou
m u st convert th em into th a t w hich can also
be realized b y y o u r p erip h eral or objective
sense faculties. T h e m a n w ith o u t th e facu l
ty of idealization w ould o n ly be h a lf real.
P a rt of h im w ould be as nonexistent as if he
h ad a m issing arm . X
C o llec tiv e K arm a
A Soror from N ew E ngland, I believe a
new com er to o u r F o ru m , w rites: A n d now
a question for th e Forum: Is th e re such a
th in g as universal ka rm a? P erh ap s I should
say, K arm a th a t involves th e g reater p a rt of
th e h u m a n race a t presen t at w ar. Does p e r
sonal k arm a account for th e p a rt th a t each
and every soldier, sailor, and pilot m u st take
in this w ar? I n o th er words, is this w a r
som ething th a t h a d to be to w ipe out th e
indebtedness each one owes th e en tire race?
T his is deep w ater, b u t one w onders if it is
fa ir to hold one person, or one nation, or
one group of persons or nations responsible
fo r such a holocaust?

Page 42

W e, each of us, are too inclined to th in k

in term s of th e individuals im m ediate act
and its results. If w e stum ble into some one,
h u rtin g him , w e very readily perceive th a t
w e are the cause of his h u rt. W h a t, how
ever, if som ething w e have created as an en
tity brings in ju ry to another? W e are in
clined to consider th a t connection rem ote
and feel ourselves not liable for th e conse
quences. In fact, how ever, w e are responsi
ble for those agencies w e create or p erm it to
be created, and w hich inflict inju ries or com
m it wrongs. T h ere are active an d passive
causes of effects. If w e are th e passive cause,
we m a y be as responsible as if w e are th e
direct m oving cause of some result.
In th e la w of the land, th ere is in th a t
division know n as torts, w h at is called con
tributory negligence. F or analogy, th e la n d
lord has refused to rep a ir a stairw ay in a
public building, w hich has several loose
steps. You are a te n an t and you know of
these conditions, and yet .you do noth in g to
w arn y o u r visitor to be cautious. H e falls
and is severely injured. You are equally
guilty w ith th e landlord, because yours is a
contributory negligence in not inform ing
y o u r visitor. Y ours was a negative guilt, a
failure to act, a failure to rig h t an im pend
ing w rong, or to m itigate a danger.
W e cannot ju st live in society, especially
w hen w e are constantly p ra tin g about our
freedom an d rights, taking from it a t all
tim es, and y et not be responsible for w h at it
does. W e create a state. T h e state is th e
creation of th e individual, o riginally in
tended to serve th e collective interests of
individuals. W h a t th a t state does is some
th in g for w hich the individual is responsible,
w h eth er he has taken p a rt in it or not. You
cannot allow a fire to be started in y o u r
backyard and disavow a n y responsibility for
w h at it burns. T h e officials of a governm ent
are the servants of th e people. You are re
sponsible for th e ir acts. You delegated th e
authority, in fact, or b y ratification. If you
are indifferent to w orld affairs, n o t interested
in foreign trad e and export, no t concerned
w ith internationalism , you are co n trib u to rily
negligent for w h a t m a y be done th a t w reaks
havoc upon others.
T h e average persons interest in th e affairs
of the w orld extends no fu rth e r th a n his job,
his fam ily, his im m ediate interests, an d his

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

home. If, b y such indifference, he allows

corruption to en ter his governm ent, b y
w hich it defrauds other peoples an d nations
of th e ir livelihood an d causes economic op
pression, th e individual is responsible for
th e afte rm ath of dire consequences. W h en ,
later, bombs fall on his hom e or his son is
shipped to a d istan t lan d to engage in w a r
fare, he cannot cry out: I am innocent.
I am one of th e peace-loving peoples. W h y
should I suffer? T hings th a t represent us
are p a rt of us. W h a t th e y do on our behalf
is the equ iv alen t of o ur doing it ourselves.
W e have k arm ically engendered causes, col
lectively w ith others, w h eth er w e are con
scious of th em o r not. T hus, k arm ically we
m u st collectively experience th e effects of
such causes, w h eth er th e y be good, bad, or
indifferent.
I t is n o t unreasonable, from this po in t of
view, th a t innocent children suffer u n d er
such conditions. Such children as ours, an d
w e have exposed th em to th e dangers an d
th e y w ill be h u rt. A n in fa n t is n o t im m une
to b u rn because h e is inn o cen t of the n atu re
of fire, if his p aren ts place h im close to a
large open fireplace. L et us rem em ber th a t
th e law s of th e Cosmic are im m utable and
exacting.
W a r is a collective blunder. I t is th e re
sult, on th e one h an d , of cunning, avaricious
people, w ho exploit other people to a point
w here th e y la te r strike out in blin d rag e in
th e ir pain. On th e other h an d , it is also
th e resu lt of those persons w ho eschew an y
concern about monopolies an d th e economic
needs of neighboring countries, so long as
they, as individuals, are secure in th e ir ow n
livelihood. By th e ir diffidence, these in d i
viduals encourage th e m alevolent acts of
those w ho actu ally produce w ar. Yes, w e
m u st suffer collectively for o ur universal
karm a, because, collectively, w e are th e
cause of m a n y events w hich are now occur
ring. P erhaps w e alone are n ot responsible.
P erhaps o u r fath ers or gran d fath ers began
th e circum stances or m ethods w hich have
fin ally provoked w ar. H ow ever, if w e have
tolerated these m ethods so long as th e y did
n o t perso n ally seem to affect o u r lives, w e
w ere com pounding th e causes. If you w ish
to enjoy h u m a n society, you m u st be re
sponsible for its acts, for society is you, an d
you, an d you. X

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

P sy ch ic M in d a n d A m p u ta tio n
A nother F ra te r in the A rm ed Services of
th e U nited States asks an excellent question
of this Forum . H e says: I have a some
w h at hazy understan d in g of th e psychic
m ind, as the resu lt of certain facts given m e
in m y studies. I n fact, I am som ew hat con
fused. In one of the m onographs it says, in
part: T he consciousness of all of th e cells
unites into one com bined consciousness . . .
it is u nited consciousness th a t constitutes the
psychic m in d . How, if at all, w ould th e
psychic m ind be affected, if this u n ited cell
group (or the body) lost certain of its parts?
I have seen a n individual who h ad no lim bs,
and m a n y w ho lacked at least one lim b.
W h en am putation takes place, th ere ceases
to be a need for a directive intelligence in the
part. T hen, w ould not this subtract from th e
collective consciousness or psychic m in d ?
A brief answ er to th e F ra te rs question
w ould be to say th a t the psychic m in d is
qualitative ra th e r th a n quantitative. O ur
psychic m ind does not consist of a given
nu m b er of cells, w hich, if reduced in n u m
ber, w ould lessen the content of th e psychic
m ind. T h e psychic m in d cannot be added
to or subtracted from b y cells in th e body.
L et us p u t it this w ay. One has been touched
by som ething, or he has not been touched
a t all. I t is n o t a question of w here or how
m uch he has been touched, b u t w h eth er he
has been. T he consciousness in each cell is
of th e Cosmic M ind. I t has a preconceived
du ty to perform , w hich it intellig en tly does.
T his d u ty consists in hav in g th a t cell, in
w hich it resides, add to some p a rt of th e
body or to perform some function in the
h u m an organism . I t need not be aw are of
or concerned about th e other cells. If each
cell perform s its duty, the w hole collectively
w ill serve a com m on purpose, the h a rm o n y
of the body. T hough the Cosmic M ind, w hen
extended into living cells, has a specific d u ty
in each, nevertheless the cell becomes a
direct channel a t all tim es to its source. You
m ay, for analogy, use a certain leased tele
phone line to receive new s ju st from one
distant city, y et th a t line in its electrical
functioning conform s to the basic principles
of physics, th e sam e as an y other telephone
line. T hus, w hile you are using th a t line,
you are using n a tu ra l principles th a t are
universal, regardless of th e lim ited purpose

Page 43

for w hich you are usin g the line. T herefore,

a single cell is, I repeat, as m uch a channel
of th e Cosmic M in d as are all of th e cells
together in the h u m a n body.
T h e loss of several billion cells in y o u r
body, by th e am p u tatio n of a leg or arm ,
does n ot dim inish th e Cosmic M in d w hich
flows into y o u r being. T he am p u tatio n of
y o u r arm ceases th e direction of the Cosmic
M in d over those cells w hich w ere in th a t
lim b. H ow ever, y ou still have equal access
to th e great Cosmic M ind, th ro u g h th e other
cells in y o u r being. N ot u n til every cell
in y o u r being is rem oved w ould you be de
void of Cosmic M ind. Also, if you h ad b u t
one (if th a t w ere possible) cell left in y o u r
organism , you w ould have th e full conscious
ness of th e Cosmic M ind, b y m eans of th a t
cell.
W h en a h an d has been am putated, for
exam ple, freq u en tly th e u n fo rtu n a te person
w ill seem to have sensations w here once th e
fingers or h an d existed. T h e collective cells,
w ith th e ir m ind, form a psychic body, a
m in d body, if you w ill. T his psychic body
corresponds to th e physical body, ju st as a
shadow gen erally corresponds to th e object
w hich casts it. T h e cells, though having
th e ir ow n duties to perform , also have a
harm onious relationship w ith each other.
Some cells are obliged to u n ite w ith others
to produce a com plex organ or substance.
W h en a h an d has been rem oved, th e re
m ain in g cells ad jacen t to th a t region have
p a rt of th e ir fu nction blocked. T h e y extend
or project th e ir consciousness, in other w ords,
in search of th e cells th a t are no longer there.
T his projection of th e consciousness of th e
cells causes one to h ave a peculiar sensation
w hich seems to originate in th e region of
w here once w as th e am p u tated p art. T his
condition continues for some tim e afte r th e
am putation.
W h en it w as stated to science b y in dividu
als w ho h ad such experiences, it w as de
m eaned as p u rely illu sio n ary or th e psycho
logical reaction to th e shock of am putation.
T his constituted m e re ly an assigning to th e
category of th e u n k n o w n th a t for w hich a t
th e m om ent th ere w as no explanation.
N ow physiology has a m ore em phatic ex
plan atio n for this phenom enon, an d a t least
it p a rtly confirm s th e long-expounded Rosi
crucian explanation. I t is this: w e have
m otor an d sensory nerves. T h e la tte r, as th e

Page 44

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

nam e im plies, convey im pulses th a t cause

sensation. T h e re is a com plex tran slatio n of
these sensations in the brain , w hich cause
us to approxim ately realize th e exact spot
or origin of th e im pulses. If this w ere n ot
so, according to this explanation, we w ould
ju st feel p a in an d not know w here it occur
red. In o th er w ords, w e have a dual realiza
tion in th e b rain , first a pain, and, second,
th e orientation o r place of origin. T h e fu n c
tioning is som ething like this, to use an
analogyth e b ra in is like a great telephone
sw itchboard panel. F irst th ere is a sound
or signal, a buzzing, and this w e can liken
u n to pain. T h e buzzing, how ever, does n ot
inform us from w hence the signal comes,
b u t a t the sam e tim e w e see on th e p anel
of th e board a little red ligh t flash. Above
this lig h t is th e designation as to the point
of origin of th e buzzing. Now, th e sensory
nerves have plexuses in th e b rain , an d each
is connected w ith certain regions of th e body.
W e are thus conscious of the p ain an d of th e
region as w ell. T he sensations of p ain occur
en tirely in th e brain, not w here th e h u rt
occurs. T h e sensation is tran slated in th e
b rain to become associated w ith th e point of
origin. W h e n w e b u m our finger, th e sen
sation of th e b u rn actually does n o t occur
in th e finger tip, b u t w a y up in th e b rain.
Since, how ever, w e are also conscious of th e
origin of th e b u rn , sim ultaneously w e have
th e illusion of the pain occurring in th e
finger tip. T his procedure is technically
know n as th e translation of sensation.
N ow , fu rth e r, th e physiologists say, th ere
is n o t a sh arp dem arcation betw een one
region an d another, insofar as sensation is
concerned. W e have a pain an d several or
gans or n e a rb y regions sym pathectically re
spond. T herefore, in the sw itchboard of the
b rain , sensations w hich have th e ir point of
im pulse adjacent to a p a rt th a t has been
am putated, w ill cause us to be conscious of
a sensation seem ing to come from w here the
am putated p a rt once w as. X

Crosses In the Sky

A Soror of Illinois now addresses our
F orum . She says: R ecently a w om an w rote
a le tte r to th e Views on M a n y Topics de
p artm en t of a Chicago new spaper, in w hich
she described having seen tw o crosses one
at sundow n of a certain evening, an d one

rad ia tin g from th e moon. She asked if a n y

one else h ad seen them . T h re e letters w ere
la te r p rin ted in the colum n, in answ er to
hers. Tw o of these letters rea d as follows:
In rep ly to Olive R. B urnes h aving seen a
cross in the sky, rad iatin g from th e m oon, at
10:30 p . m ., m y m other an d I, too, w itnessed
this sight, an d m u st w rite an d say th a t it
w as m ost b eautiful to w itness. A t first w e
could n o t believe our eyes an d called neig h
bors to confirm o ur seeing th is cross. If I
rem em ber correctly, this cross was seen on
A ugust 1st, a t 10:30 p. m ., an d again this
cross appeared on th e 2nd, an d v ery fain tly
on th e 3rd.
T h e second le tte r reads: R egarding the
crosses in th e sky, I w ish to say th a t I saw
a w h ite cross a t n ig h t an d w ondered if it
w ere only m y eyes, b u t I looked a t it from
different angles and still saw it. Could it be
th a t th e rose cross was for o u r brave m en
w ho are giving th e ir lives for those in pow er,
for those w ho have so m u ch greed, an d the
w hite one for those w ho are still at w ar? I
hope these crosses are some k in d of om en so
th a t o u r dear ones can come back an d live a
n a tu ra l an d h a p p y life w ith th e ir fam ilies
and friends. I have n ev er seen an y th in g
like it before.
T h e Soror continues: I, m yself, did not
see these crosses, b u t I h ave n o reason to
believe th a t th e y w ere n o t visible, as all of
these people saw them . T h e re w ere a few
la te r letters p rin te d about th em also. N ot
m ore th a n a few m onths ago I read about a
sim ilar h ap p en in g som ew here else, an d I
th o u g h t it m ig h t be a n in terestin g m a tte r for
the Forum . Is th e re a n y significance to such
happenings, an d w h at could be th e ir cause?
In th e rea lm of psychology an d p ara p sy
chology, such som ew hat sim ilar experiences
are often term ed m onitions. A m onition is
a notice w hich someone has of the occur
rence of som ething. T h u s, for exam ple, I
m a y be suddenly conscious of a frien d en ter
ing a hospital; th a t is, I hav e th is experience
w ith in m y ow n consciousness. In q u iry la te r
confirm s th a t th e friend, in fact, w as in ju re d
and tak en to a hospital a t th e exact tim e of
th e m onition. T his, how ever, is no indica
tion of a su p e rn a tu ral influence. I t is an
excellent dem onstration of eith er projection
a n d /o r m en ta l telepathy. Some such m oni
tions are accom panied b y aw areness on th e
p a rt of th e recip ien t of some sign or device,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w hich to him is a symbol of the experience.

A lw ays, how ever, th e symbol is accom panied
by a definite m eaning. T here is n ever an y
speculation by th e recipient as to w h at it
m eans. F u rth e r, the symbol is ra re ly seen
by anyone else w ho is not as in tim ately as
sociated w ith th e cause of the happening.
In m y opinion, the case referred to in the
new spaper is not a tru e m onition. N eith er
does it have a n y Cosmic significance. I be
lieve it to be sim ply a n a tu ra l phenom enon,
a physical one. Such physical phenom ena
have been the basis of m a n y superstitions,
by people who refuse to reason and who p re
fer to attach a sup ern atu ral significance to
a n a tu ra l cause, of w hich th ey are n ot aw are.
Superstitions are engendered b y th e h ab it of
m an y persons to in v e n t a reason for th a t
for w hich th e physical cause can eith er not
be received, or not readily understood. Such
not understood n a tu ra l events have actu ally
at tim es come to play a trem endous p a rt in
the religious w orship of people. F or exam ple,
no one knows ju st w hen, possibly in preh is
toric tim es, at least we know long before
Christ, a huge fiery stone fell from the
heavens on the A rab ian desert. T h e sim ple
A rabian tribesm en w ere obviously aw ed by
the phenom enon. T h e huge black stone was
considered an om en from the heavens. Even
though the tribes in the vicinity h ad th eir
respective trib al gods and th e y w ere often
in conflict w ith each other, th e y w ere un ited
in considering th e phenom enon a m onition
divinely sent. T h e y called the black stone
the K aaba, m eaning cube. Collectively, th ey
built a house to shield it. I t is located in
w h at is now know n as the C ity of Mecca,
sacred to m illions of M oham m edans, a place
visited as a shrine b y every devout M oham
m edan w ho can afford the pilgrim age. In
fact, this black stone is nothing m ore th a n a
m eteorite. T housands of m eteorites an n u a lly
fall upon the earth from the heavens. T his
p articu lar one w as observed; and, m ore im
portant, it was actually located by these
superstitious people, w ho bu ilt a trad itio n
about it. H ad th e y know n th e physical
cause, th e y w ould not have im agined one
and substituted th e ir religious concept.
Form ations of clouds in the sky, as in the
region of the moon, have been com mon in
history. M a n y tim es in the past, such
strange form ations w ere proclaim ed as
auguring the end of the w orld, or the second

Page 45

com ing of Christ. T housands of persons have

been know n to divest them selves, d u rin g the
D ark Ages, of th eir wrorldly possessions, and
prep are for th e g reat Ju d g m en t day because
of such phenom ena. T h ey w en t to th e m oun
tain tops an d to th e hills, aw aiting th e great
event. T h e m ind, perhaps to th e credit of
h u m an ity , strives to give m ean in g to every
th in g it perceives. In th e absence of an ob
servable m eaning, it transfers th e cause
direct to the D ivine. T h en , b y deductive
reasoning, such persons tr y to relate such a
D ivine cause as th e y conceive it to some p a r
ticu lar event in th e ir lives. W h atev er cir
cum stance, tem poral or religious, has the
greatest influence upon th em a t th e tim e is
the one w ith w hich th e y associate it.
In this p articu la r event, a cross of course
suggests to th e average person in A m erica
som ething of a C h ristian origin. Seeing it
appear in th e heavens, w ith no ap p aren t
physical cause, im plied th a t it was an omen
from Christ. N ext, w h at did th e om en m ean?
T he logical deduction of such credulous p er
sons w ould be a relationship to th e w ar, the
w ar obviously being the greatest influence
upon th e ir lives at this tim e. T h e w ar also
being d iam etrically opposed, in effect, to
C hristian religious precepts, m ade th e sign
appear proper to th e u n th in k in g m ind. T he
illogical aspect of such reasoning m u st be
ap p aren t to a n y th in k in g person. W h y a
D ivine om en concerning th e w ar in the re
gion of Chicago? W h y not an om en w hich
w ould be seen thro u g h o u t the entire w orld?
N ext, w h y a cross? C ertainly God isn t ex
clusively Christian. H ow about th e th o u
sands of M oham m edans, Jews, Parsees, and
th e Buddhists, Confucianists, and Taoists
who m a y be found am ong o ur Allies, who
are giving th e ir lives as well? T h e cross,
certainly, has no p articu la r significance to
them .
A ctually atm ospheric changes and cloud
form ations often refract th e b rig h t lig h t of
the moon an d even distort the lig h t of the
stars an d cause th em to assum e striking
forms. Such form s actu ally exist to th e sight,
b u t th e y are certain ly not D ivine omens.
F rom th e Cosmic po in t of view, if m en are
to be given a sign of significance as a m ystical
symbol, th e m ean in g w ill be clear in th eir
consciousness. T h ey w ill n o t need to surm ise
or guess as to its significance. X

Page 46

THE R0S1CRUC1AN FORUM

H o m e In itia tio n s
T he value of your sanctum initiations is
not in th e ir reading, b u t in th e ir perform
ance. In itia tio n is not an intellectual a tta in
m ent, but ra th e r an em otional stim ulus and
a psychic experience. A statem ent ap p ear
ing on th e fro n t cover of each In itiatio n
m an u scrip t reads: In itiatio n brings into
th e realm of reason the purpose, an d into
the realm of em otion the spirit of ones in tro
duction into the m ysteries.
T his is a truism . If th e m ysteries are con
strued to be th e esoteric tru th s, th e n a read
ing of th e In itiatio n provides a sum m ation
of w h at w e hope to accom plish by perform
ing it. H ow ever, u n til you actu ally emo
tionally and psychically experience th e reac
tions described, you w ill never have the tru e
sp irit or in n e r feeling of th e m ysteries.
L et us use a n analogy. You b u y a new
large phonograph record of a sym phonic or
chestration or rendition of an opera w hich
you have never heard. W ith the purchase
of the record is included a pam phlet w hich
recounts th e historical background of th e
m usic an d tells the tale for w hich th e m usic
has been composed. You read th e pam p h let
and w hen you have finished you have no
appreciation of the music. T he m usic cannot
be realized b y reading about it. M usic ap
peals to the em otions through other th a n the
intellect. T h e value of th e recording w ould
be en tirely lost to you, no m a tte r how m a n y
tim es you read th e pam phlet or how m a n y
critics review s of the orchestras rendition
you m ig h t have read. C ertainly if you w ere
sincere w hen you originally purchased the
record, you w ould not ren d e r its value use
less to you by never p lay in g it, and b y m ere
ly reading the accom panying description.
W h y , then, do some of our fratres and
sorores act in the same m a n n e r w ith th e ir
sanctum Initiations? No am ou n t of reading
of th e text in the m anuscript can determ ine
for th em w h a t psychic experience, w h a t ec
static sensations th e y w ill have w hen th e y
actu ally place themselves in th e sp irit of
the initiation, as required. As you sta rt to
perform the initiations, as our late Im p erato r
often related, you th e n aw aken past m em o
ries of th e soul-personality. T h e in n e r self
rejoices in th e renew al of its experiences.
T h e peram bulation in y o u r sanctum , the

atm osphere of solem nity, w ith y o u r candles

lighted on th e a lta r an d y o u r incense ignited,
and th e speaking to self w ith in have a de
sired effect u p o n 3^our d u al n atu re. You can
no m ore read th e ritu a l an d tr y to im agine
such results th a n you can read th e p am p h let
w hich explains the record an d im agine th e
effects of its tones upon y o u r emotions.
H ave y ou ever been inspired, had an in
tuitive revelation, a com plete idea of great
im portance m ake itself crystal clear in y o u r
consciousness? Of course you have. D id you
notice, u pon such occasions, w h at a stim ulus
the experience was to y o u r w hole m e n tal
processes? Im m ed iately th e re afte r you could
easily recall events and facts th a t fu rth ered
the inspiration, w hich enlarged upon it. I t
was as if th e in sp iratio n al idea was a key
w hich unlocked m y riad associated an d use
ful ideas. You w ill perhaps recall, upon such
occasions, how facile it w as to reason about
m atters w hich w ere concerned w ith th e in
spirational idea. W e m ig h t say th a t such an
idea seemed to energize, for a brief tim e at
least, the w hole processes of m ind.
L et m e assure you, fratres an d sorores,
th a t if you can conscientiously perform y o u r
sanctum in itiatio n s and are inducted into the
spirit of them , th e psychic stim ulation w hich
you w ill receive w ill m ake y o u r com prehen
sion of th e m onographs m ore facile. M a n y
Rosicrucians, hav in g h ad a satisfactory p e r
form ance of in itiation, have found th e m
selves able to in teg rate in th e ir m inds p rin ci
ples of th e teachings w hich previously h ad
been vague to them . Y our failu re to perfo rm
th e initiations or y o u r neglect to do so,
rath e r, constitutes a self-denial of h alf of th e
value of R osicrucian m em bership.
I w ish to m en tio n h ere a m ethod a soror
has used to assist herself to en ter into th e
sp irit of th e m ysteries. She says: A n o th er
th in g I m ade w as a m in iatu re Rosicrucian
tem ple. N ow , dont sm ile a t m y feeble ef
forts, for it proves a great help in visioning
th e in itiatio n cerem ony. F irst I availed m y
self of a larg e box, about tw o feet long and
eighteen inches w ide, b y four inches deep.
W ith colored p ap er of different hues, I cut
out triangles a n d squares an d strips, placing
th em in th e ir respective order, according to
th e diagram in th e Rosicrucian M anual. On
the inside of th e cover, I m ade a diagram
like th e one in our in itiatio n m onograph.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T hus, w hile perform ing th e ritu al, I follow

the positions in th e diagram s, an d if and
w hen I go to the tem ple to attend one of the
initiations, I shall have m ore confidence in
m yself as to w h at direction to follow.
T he soror h ad m ade a model into w hich
she could project h e r consciousness. She
moved h e r consciousness from place to place
in th a t area, as if it w ere in fact a large
T em ple in w hich she could actu ally p e r
am bulate. You have on th e w alls of y o u r
homes photographs or paintings of la n d
scapes. P erhaps th e y are w oodland or
m arine scenes. W h y do you have them ? It
is not ju st alone for the technique of th e
artist w ho p ain ted them , or because of th e
photographer w ho took them . I t is n o t ju st
to show his skill of perform ance. Is it n ot
also th a t you m a y lose yourself in th e vista
th e y portray? As you project y o u r conscious
ness into th em an d lose y o u r aw areness of
the surroundings in your room, you can r e
capture some of th e enjoyable experiences
you once had w hen actually w alking along
such a forest trail, or clim bing over rocks,
against w hich th e waves crashed, splashing
you w ith stinging beads of salt w ater. You
have these paintings or photographs because
of the em otional response th e y cause w h en
you look upon them . T hen, w h y n o t be as
realistic, for th e sam e reasons, in th e p er
form ance of y o u r sanctum initiations? X
S p irit a n d M a tte r
In referrin g to fundam ental principles of
the ea rly degree teachings of the Order, a
soror asks the question, Is m a tte r an ac
cum ulation of spirit? W e, of course, are
using th e w ord sp irit as defined in o ur Rosi
crucian term inology; th a t is, the force or
vibratory essence th a t causes th e m an ifesta
tion of m atter. W h ile m a n y m eanings have
been assigned to spirit, it is im p o rtan t to
bear in m in d this definition. It is, in fact,
the negative m anifestation of the creative
force of God functioning through th e u n i
verse w hich brings into being the m aterial
aspects of our environm ent in fact, our
ow n physical body.
T his m anifestation of the creative force is
m ost essential for th e providing of th e proper
vehicle through w hich the soul can operate

Page 47

and have experience. Spirit, th en , is the

v ib rato ry essence w h ich goes to b rin g about
the m anifestation of th a t w hich w e know
as physical and m aterial things. T his does
not m ean th a t it in itself is m aterial. It
w ould be incorrect to answ er the above ques
tion in th e affirmative th a t m a tte r is sim ply
the accum ulation of spirit to the po in t w here
it becomes evidenced to th e h u m a n senses
as w e m ig h t th in k of m in u te bacteria being
accum ulated in such quantities th a t th ere
would be enough to be perceived. Spirit
enters into the m anifestation of m a tte r like
the tw o gases, h ydrogen an d oxygen, en ter
into th e m an ifestatio n of w ater. W h en these
two gases are p ro p erly com bined u n d er
proper circum stances, the resu ltin g product
of th e ir com bination has no sim ilarity to the
two gases them selves. In other words, the
product is en tirely different from the two
things w hich compose it. W a te r has none of
the ap p aren t characteristics of hydrogen and
oxygen w hich compose it. So it is in the
evolvem ent of th e m anifestation of m atter.
T he radiations of spirit are a v ib rato ry
energy w hich builds up th e m a n y m anifes
tations of m a tte r b u t w hich are n ot in th e m
selves a m a teria l thing. T his m ig h t be illu s
trated b y com paring spirit w ith electricity.
In this sense, sp irit is to m a tte r w h at elec
tric ity is to lig h t produced b y an electric
lig h t globe. E lectricity is an invisible v ib ra
to ry essence. W e u n d erstan d certain of its
causes an d effects, b u t w e u n d erstan d little
of its ow n n atu re . T his invisible essence
know n as electricity, can cause, u n d e r cer
tain circum stances, light to be m anifest, or
w hen it is used to ru n an electric motor,
w ill cause pow er o r force to be m anifest.
It is clear th a t th e light or the force is
jio t electricity, b u t electricity causes th e
pow er or lig h t to be evident. So it is th a t
spirit is the God-m ade vib rato ry force w hich
causes m a tte r to be m anifest w hen it is
directed in a ce rtain w ay. I n other words,
it lies deeper th a n m a tte r itself; it is the
cause of fu n d am en tal being from a physical
standpoint, a t least on this ea rth plane.
S pirit m a y m an ifest elsew here in th e u n i
verse in a different form , b u t here on this
earth , to fit th e developm ent of th e p er
sonalities of th e souls w hich are in carnated
here, it m anifests in a form w hich w e in te r
p ret as m atter. A

<AWWiacei.
S EPIPHANY POSSIBLE . . . can a
bodily manifestation of the Divine
be brought about? Did the simple and
sincere desires of the ancientsvoiced
in prayercause Cosmic intervention
in times of need? Has man lost his heri
tage to invoke the Divine Powers, or is
the mystery of the mircales a secret
cherished by a few? Here is a frank dis
cussion both from the mystical and
scientific points of view. W hat consti
tutes miracles? They are revealed as an
orderly w orking of natural law slaws
th a t can be commanded by those w ho
have the know ledge.

Do you know w h at so-called m iracles are pos

sible in your life todayw ith o u t mystery, strange
rites or practices? The Readers' Research Acad
em y-com posed of men and women throughout
the world w ho desire simple, helpful supplemen
tary readingoffer you the following course of
reading entitled, The Mystery of M iracles.
You may subscribe to this course for only one
m onth or six, as you choosediscontinue w hen
ever you w ill. Add to your fount of knowledge.

Remember That Y ou May Receive

T W O L A R G E D IS C O U R S E S
for only 5 0 ^ per month

The Readers' Research Academy

R osicrucian P ark, San Jose, California, U.S.A.

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

P R IN T E D IN U . S . A ,

.A

A A

A A A

A A A A A A A A

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM
A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,
THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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Vol. XV

DECEMBER, 1944

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Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal Act of O ct. 3, 1917.

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No. 3

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ON PRAYER
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I cannot teach you how to pray in words.

God listens not to your words save when He
Himself utters them through your lips.

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And I cannot teach you the prayer of the

seas and the forests and the mountains.

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But you who are born of the mountains and

the forests and the seas can find their
prayer in your heart.

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And if you but listen in the stillness of the

night you shall hear them saying in silence,

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"Our God, who art our winged self, it is thy

will in us that willeth,

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It is thy desire in us that desireth,

It is thy urge in us that would turn our nights,
which are thine, into days which are thine also."
By Kahlil Gibran in THE PROPHET.

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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Page 50

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V
D ear Fratres and Sorores:
I n our doctrinal w ork, nam ely , th e teach
ings and ritu als of th e O rder, w e are p rin
cipally governed by tradition and b y experi
ence. W e cherish all traditions w hich have
come dow n to us as a heritage. T his is so
especially if th e y conform to the ideals and
purposes of AMORC, and if th e la rg e r p e r
spective an d the advancem ent of tim e have
not m ade th e m obsolete. W e are also influ
enced, of course, by irrefutable experiences.
W h a t w e discover and le arn th ro u g h re
searches in o u r ow n laboratories and lib rary ,
or w h at has been com m unicated to us from
other reliable sources, and w hich can stand
the test of tru th have a definite effect upon
ou r teachings. Consequently, though fu n d a
m e n tally our precepts are unchanged today,
w hich is a trib u te to the contributions m ade
b y our R osicrucian precursors, y et w e have
enlarged upon w h at th ey left us, as th e re
sult of our ow n findings. M a n y of the
m onographs today, in content, are m a teri
ally different th a n th e y w ere a decade ago.
T hese, in tu rn , w ill be considerably different
te n years hence. It is in this m a n n e r th a t
th e Rosicrucian teachings advance, and, in
tu rn , advance the individual m em ber of the
Order.
M a n y of th e principles of th e teachings,
how ever, depend for th e ir effectiveness upon
th e construction placed upon them , th a t is,
th e in te rp re tatio n m ade b y th e m em ber. If
he in terp rets them rightly, in accord w ith
th e ir proper relationship to n a tu re an d the
Cosmic, th e y prove useful and beneficial to
him . If he w rongly interprets them , th e y
e ith er become ineffectual or a t least so com
plex as to be difficult of understanding. As
th e principles are expounded in th e m ono
graphs, th e y represent a point of view w hich
has developed after m uch test and applica
tion. T his test usually consists of tria l b y a
n u m b e r of m em bers and officers of th e O r
der, and an eventual agreem ent as to defi
nition. T hese agreem ents on definition are
policy, w hich th e Suprem e and G ran d Lodge
officers p u t into effect from tim e to tim e.
T hese policies rem ain rigid, unless fu rth e r

V
experience an d th e developm ents of tim e
disclose th e need for alterin g or m odifying
them .
I th in k you w ill be v ery m u ch interested
in a recen t policy of AM ORC w hich sets
forth certain specific definitions on subjects
of the teachings. T his policy w as issued by
the Im p erato r to officers of th e staff. I t ap
pears below, ju st as it w as given to each of
these officers. P erhaps you w ill also find it
useful in distinguishing betw een m ystical
and psychic experiences, an d those experi
ences w hich are often confused w ith both.
T he follow ing definitions shall be consid
ered official R osicrucian in terp retatio n s of
certain phenom ena. I t shall be th e d u ty of
all staff m em bers to ap p ly these construc
tions to th e ir answ ers on questions concern
ing these phases of our teachings:
M Y STICA L:
A. A n y phenom enon w hich is the conse
quence of m a n s consciousness being
m ade contiguous w ith th e Cosmic or
D ivine M in d th ro u g h th e self. L ike
wise, a n y principle b y w hich it is ac
com plished.
B. In the strictest sense, a m ystical ex
perience involves a u n ity of the m o r
tal consciousness w ith th a t of th e D i
vine or Cosmic M in d for a v ary in g
period of tim e. T h e follow ing are the
results w hich in p a rt or as a w hole
alw ays follow:
N o e t ic : Illu m in atio n , th a t is, a n in
flux of know ledge w hich transcends
th a t o rd in arily h ad b y th e individu
al. Such know ledge alw ays fu rth ers
th e highest m oral ideals of w hich
th e individual has been capable.
P h y s i c a l : T h e in d ividual experiences
g reat exaltation or ecstasy. H e feels
as th o u g h he has been in th e pres
ence of his conception of th e D ivine.
P s y c h o l o g ic a l : T h e recipient of the
experience is eith er p erm an en tly or
for som etim e afte r th e experience
freed of all h ab itu al fears. H is m oral
resolves an d self-confidence are given
trem endous im petus.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

C. O bviously to the m ind th e illum ination

m u st take th e form of either visual or
aud ito ry impressions. Such im pressions
are self-sufficient. T h e y need no fu r
th e r elucidation, or else th e y w ould
n o t be illum inating. W h e re th e in d i
vidual struggles for in te rp re tatio n or
w here he experiences fear or conflict
w ith his m oral values, his is n o t a
m ystical experience.
PSYCHIC:
A. A n y phenom enon w hich can n o t be a t
trib u te d to th e physical or objective
faculties of m an, and w hich reason
ably m a y be held to be th e conse
quences of th e Cosmic or m a n s spir
itu a l self; likewise, an y principles by
w hich it is accom plished.
B. I t is p aten t th a t before a n y phenom e
non should be attrib u ted to th e p sy
chic,, a thorough search for all possible
physical causes of it m u st be m ade or
else th e individual is a p t to delude
him self. A psychic experience p a ra l
lels objective experiences, in th a t its
sensations m a y correspond to all of
those w hich are physically realized.
P sychic experiences m a y be divided
into tw o general kinds:
F i r s t : Those w here you are conscious
a t all tim es th a t you are th e recipi
e n t of im pressions com ing to you.
I n such instances you are as a spec
ta to r w atching an o rderly sequence
of happenings, nam ely, th a t one
th in g properly follows ano th er as a
cause and effect.
S e c o n d : Those experiences w here you
are conscious at all tim es th a t you
are th e m otivator or prim e mover,
as, for exam ple, w hen you are m o
m e n ta rily conscious of self being
distan t from w here you actu ally are
physically. In such an instance, you
are aw are th a t the self is th e cause
of w h at occurs.
C. T ru e psychic phenom ena have th e fol
low ing effects upon the one experienc
ing them :
M e n t a l : T h a t w hich is experienced
is quite understandable, insofar as it
is perceivable. As said previously,
things w hich occur have an in te lli
gible order and freq u en tly give rise

Page 51

to subsequent inspirational ideas.

T h e reason for th e experience or
th e m eans b y w hich it is realized is
n o t alw ays im m ediately app aren t,
how ever, an d m a y req u ire subse
q u en t personal experiences, or study.
Consequently, no o th ers in te rp re ta
tion of it can be held valid. W hen,
of course, th e individual is th e in
ten tio n al o r p rim e m over in other
w ords, precipitates the phenom ena
he know s his reason for so doing.
P s y c h o l o g ic a l : W h en fear is h ad of
a pyschic experience, it is not be
cause th e elem ents of th e experi
ence th rea ten the w ell being of the
individual, b u t only because th e in
dividual is afraid of the u n fam iliar
experience. C onsequently, a n y ex
perience w hich by its incidents in
duces fear fo r ones person or chas
tity , is n o t of psychic origin in th e
Cosmic or sp iritu al sense.
P h y s i c a l : T h e individual m a y im m e
diately th e re afte r experience a h ig h
ly em otional state for a few m in
utes, like one having w itnessed an
exciting event. T h e em otional reac
tion w ill n o t be u n p leasan t an d w ill
often stim ulate th e intellectual fac
ulties. Conversely, m ore often a
eq u an im ity and com plete relaxation
are experienced.
D. F rig h ten in g experiences w hich have no
ap p aren t objective origin, an d w hich
are fearfu l in th e ir elem ents and seem
to th rea ten th e m en ta l, m oral, and
physical w ell being of the individual,
or w hich rep eated ly harass an d p e r
tu rb h im are due eith er to dream s,
physical disorders, or m en tal ab e rra
tions. By no m eans should these be
considered tru e psychic experiences in
th e occult sense. F u rth e r, such p er
sons are probably ill and need a p h y
sicians care.
Included w ith th e experiences w hich are
in fact dream s or m en tal aberrations, are
those kaleidoscopic im pressions w hich have
no sem blance of ord er and w hich in th em
selves are not intelligible.
F ra tern ally ,
R A L PH M . L EW IS,
Im perator.

Page 52

Attracting A Highly Evolved Soul

R ecently w e received a telegram from a
fra te r inform ing us th a t his w ife w as in labor
an d expecting a child m om entarily. I n his
telegram , as hundreds do an n u ally , he so
licited th e assistance of the Council of Solace
to ren d e r w h a t aid th e y could Cosm ically for
th e prospective m other. In th e course of his
telegram , th e fra te r fu rth e r said: Also assist
in a ttractin g a h ighly evolved soul to th e
body.
I n this request there is a w ealth of m y sti
cal principles involved, w hich need some
fu rth e r clarification, or at least some fu rth e r
am plification.
I n th e first place, as w e have often said
an d as said elsew here in this F orum , a soul
does not evolve. T he term , evolving of soul,
is a vicarious expression. I t is a loose te rm i
nology w hich by h ab it w e fall into. If the
soul w ould be a p a rt w hich has been broken
off from th e great U niversal Soul, an d is re
tain ed in m ortal form for a life span, th en
m a n m ight have the pow er to influence it
detrim entally. It w ould be certain ly some
th in g over w hich he w ould have absolute
control. Since, however, the soul essence is
like a n electric cu rren t flowing from a
generator and passing throu g h num erous
electric bulbs, w hich it illum inates in its pas
sage, no single bulb th e n can influence the
current. C onsequently, th e cu rren t flowing
th ro u g h th e bulbs is alw ays of th e same
n a tu re as w h en it left its generator. If the
soul essence in m an has an unbroken contact
w ith the U niversal Soul, it m u st therefore
alw ays be of the same q u ality of its origin.
T o extend this rationalization, if th e source
of th e soul essence is D ivine, an d th e souls
in m en are b u t an em anation of it, th en
logically all m e n s souls are perfect an d D i
vine. C ertain ly it w ould be absurd to th in k
th a t m a n has it in his pow er to degrade th e
D ivine. T his w ould elevate m a n in im
portance above the Divine. F u rth e r, th a t
w hich is D ivine and perfect already, m ost
c ertain ly cannot be evolved or have an y
fu rth e r degree of perfection. Consequently,
it is th e personality w hich in carn ates w ith
th e soul, w hich evolves from in carn atio n to
incarnation. T his personality is th e ego
w hich th e soul forms b y expressing itself
through th e body. T im e and experience re
fine this self or personality. T his refinem ent

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

consists in th e selfs being m ore an d m ore in

accord or harm onious w ith th e soul, of w hich
it th e p erso n ality is th e reflection. T h ere
fore, if one is to attra c t th a t w hich is h ig h ly
evolved a t b irth , it m u st be a h ig h ly evolved
self or p ersonality, an d this accom panies the
soul into th e new born body.
T h e question is, does th e body of th e n ew
born babe en tirely have th e pow er of attra c
tion, or does th e soul-personality perhaps
choose its tem p o ral residence, nam ely , the
h u m a n form in w hich it is to reside? A t
tran sitio n , each soul-personality is either
puerile, strong, advanced, or not. As you
look about you, you see expressed th e p er
sonalities of y o u r neighbors or friends w hom
you know w ell. As y ou experience th e ir
personality, y o u are experiencing th e stages
of th e ir in n e r developm ent. You know th a t
some of those persons w hom you contact
d aily are cruel, deceptive, avaricious, bigoted,
or kind, charitable, hu m an e, an d noble.
T h ere are lessons to be learn ed b y each
before an advancem ent can be m ade b y the
soul-personality. L et us realize th a t in the
Cosmic th e re is no such th in g as seniority.
T im e is a n inconsequential factor. W h e th e r
it takes one life or 100 lives for a given les
son concerning Cosmic principles to be in
w ard ly com prehensible b y a soul-personality
is im m aterial to th e Cosmic M ind, so actu ally
no soul-personality retrogrades. I t eith er re
m ains relativ ely in e rt in an in carn atio n , or
it actu ally advances. I t advances if it has
the experience w hich it needs an d if it de
rives from th a t experience th e needed lesson.
If one is exposed to experience, and y e t re
futes th e obvious lesson, h e is th e n req u ired to
re-experience th e same consequences, n ex t
tim e perhaps w ith stronger em phasis, eith er
in this life or another. If, for exam ple, one
m u st le arn to be hum ble an d n o t arrogant,
h e m a y be placed in such circum stances or
en v iro n m en t w h ere he can le a rn th e m e an
in g of h u m ility . If he refuses to accept th e
obvious, th e n his advancem ent is retarded,
b u t n ot retrograded. In his n ex t in carnation,
h e is d raw n to those p aren ts w ho b y h ered i
ty , learn in g , an d circum stances are best
suited to provide a life w here th e things he
needs to know are indigenous to th e place
in w hich he w ill earn his livelihood.
T h e foregoing does n ot m ean to im p ly
th a t th e p are n ts have no m eans of a ttra c t
ing th e k in d of soul-personality w hich th e y

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

desire for th e ir children. T h e m a n n e r in

w hich th e y have lived and in w hich th ey
th in k fashions th e personal advancem ent
w hich th e ir ow n soul-personality w ill as
sume. I t also n a tu ra lly determ ines the kind
of soul-personality th a t w ill be entru sted to
them in th e little bodies of th e ir new born
children. A h ig h ly evolved soul-personality
is not going to be draw n into a child of
parents w ho are bigoted or m alevolent, even
if the parents w ish it. You w ill a ttra c t th a t
degree of soul-personality into the body of
a new born child w hich is com m ensurate
w ith y o u r ow n preparedness to fu rth e r its
experiences and y o u r own. R em em ber th a t
in the re a rin g of a child, there is an influence
being brought ,to bear upon th e soul-personalities of the parents as w ell as upon the
child. I t is a tiest and an opportunity for the
soul-personalities of parents and of th e
children.
T he m ere desire for ones child to be pos
sessed of a highly-evolved self is quite in
sufficient in itself. One m ust p repare him self
or herself. H e m u st substantiate th e desire
w ith conduct w hich shows sincerity an d a
w illingness to sacrifice for sp iritu al ends.
Still fu rth e r, no individual, group, in stitu
tion, order, or church can draw to th e body
of a new born child a highly evolved soulpersonality. Such, as said, is en tirely con
tin g en t upon the w orthiness of the parents.
T he m ost th a t an organization, such as
AMORC, can do is to help prospective p a r
ents through th e Rosicrucian teachings to
evolve as m uch as possible in this in c a rn a
tion, as an assurance of having a m ore h ig h ly
evolved soul-personality th a n w ould o th er
wise be realized in th e ir children. L et m e
m ake p la in an d em phatic, how ever, th a t
m ere m em bership in the Rosicrucian O rder,
of course, provides no such guarantee. X

The Great Seal of the United States

A Soror of M on tan a now addresses our
Forum . She says: T he new one dollar bill,
w ith th e G reat Seal of the U nited States,
w ith its obverse side on the rig h t an d th e
reverse side to th e left, came u n d e r discus
sion, an d I w as asked to explain w h y th e
G reat P y ra m id w as selected as an elem ent
for the G reat Seal of our country. Of course,
I h ad to adm it th a t I did not know , b u t did
express m yself som ething like this: th e eagle

Page 53

w ith the dove of peace and arm s symbolizes

the idea th a t this n atio n has peace as its
m ain objective, an d w ill m ain ta in it b y force
if necessary. T h e G reat P y ram id , on th e
other hand, is a constant rem in d er th a t this
n atio n has its roots m ore firm ly fixed in an
even g reater civilization th a n ours, an d th a t
the G reat P y ra m id is a connecting lin k be
tw een A tlantis an d h e r greatest h o u r of evo
lution an d th e ideals an d aspirations h a r
bored in th e h earts of th e founders of these
U nited States of A m erica.
T h e Sorors in te rp re tatio n does n o t devi
ate g reatly from th e p rofane historical sig
nificance of th e Seal, and, as w ell, its m y sti
cal im port. F irst, le t us consider th e pro
fane historical facts of the origin of th e G reat
Seal of the U n ited States, as are provided by
the D ep artm en t of State of th e U n ited States.
A few hours after th e adoption of th e D ec
laratio n of Independence, a need for a Seal
to im press upon official papers w as realized.
L ate on th e v ery afternoon of Ju ly 4, 1776,
the C ontinental Congress appointed a com
m ittee to b rin g in a device for a Seal for the
U nited States of A m erica. T h e results of
this com m ittee proved not satisfactory to the
S ecretary of th e Congress. T herefore, still
two other com m ittees w ere, in succession,
formed betw een th e years of 1776 an d 1782,
for th e purpose of designing the Seal and
subm itting it to Congress for adoption.
T h e th ird com m ittee, on M ay 9, 1782,
subm itted a design b y W illiam B arton, a
private citizen. M r. B arton h ad been selected
to prep are a design because he h ad studied
h eraldry. T h e rep o rt was referred to the
Secretary of Congress, Charles T hom as, who,
w ith the com m ittee m em bers, after some con
sideration, suggested th a t changes be m ade
in M r. B artons design. M r. Barton, u n d er
th e in flu en ce of th e com m ittee an d certain
other persons w ith h ig h governm ent connec
tions m ade th e desired changes. T h e new
design was fin ally subm itted on Ju n e 20,
1782. T his w as accepted and becam e the
present G reat Seal of th e U nited States.
N ow , la y before yo u a new One D ollar
bill and study th e Seal, as w e give you th e
S tate D ep artm en ts official in terp retatio n of
its symbolism. On th e obverse side (front)
of the Seal, w hich is on the rig h t end of the
bill as you look a t it, you w ill see a spread
eagle, w ith an escutcheon against its breast.
T h e stripes of this escutcheon rep resen t the

Page 54

several states all joined in one solid, com

pact, en tire. T h e solid w h ite b an d across
the u p p er p a rt of the escutcheon, w hich, in
fact, unites th e stripes, it is said: U nites
the w hole an d represents Congress. T he
m otto E P lu rib u s U n u m (one of th e
m a n y ) w hich is seen in the b an n e r flying
on eith er side of the eagles head, alludes
to this union. I t w ill be noted th a t in one
claw of the eagle, there is held a n olive
b ranch, and in the other arrow s. T hese, w e
are told, designate the powers of peace and
of w ar. Im m ediately above th e eagles head
m a y be seen a constellation. T his denotes
a new state tak in g its place an d ra n k am ong
o ther sovereign pow ers. T h e stars of the
constellation represent the collection of great
w orld powers, and thus it signifies th a t the
U nited States has entered such a congre
gation.
On th e reverse side of the Seal, th e left
end of the bill as you look a t it, is seen the
pyram id. I t is, how ever, not necessarily th e
G reat P y ram id , because there w ere m a n y
sim ilar pyram ids in Egypt. I t is stated th a t
this p y ram id signifies strength an d d u ra
tion. T h e eye above the p y ram id an d the
m otto A n n u it Coeptis m ean, H e (God)
h a th prospered our undertakin g . T his, it is
said, alludes to the m a n y in terp retatio n s
th a t Providence or th e D ivine h ad favored
th e A m erican cause. T he date on th e p y ra
m id, a t its base, nam ely, 1776, an d th e words
N ovus Ordo Seclorum (a new order of th e
ages), it is held signify th e beginning of th e
A m erican era, w hich com menced from th a t
date. A ll of th e above, th en , is th e official
in terp retatio n of the G reat Seal, as given b y
th e State D epartm ent of the U n ited States.
T h ere is m ore to be said. T h e A ll-Seeing
E ye and the p yram id are very old symbols
w hich have long been used by esoteric orders
an d orders using esoteric sym bolism , as, for
exam ple, th e Rosicrucians and th e F ree
m asons. It is know n th a t a m a jo rity of th e
signers of th e D eclaration of Independence
w ere Rosicrucians and Freem asons. F re e
m asonry is v ery proud of the fact an d has
often m entioned it in its journals. T h e Rosi
crucian O rder is no less proud of th e p a rt
its m em bers played in the early form ation
of this country, and we, too, have h ad occa
sion to m ake m ention of these facts in our
publications.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

I t is know n th a t B enjam in F ra n k lin g reat

ly influenced th e final design of th e G reat
Seal subm itted b y th e th ird com m ittee. Ben
ja m in F ra n k lin w as a Rosicrucian. W h e n h e
w en t to E urope on a diplom atic m ission for
th e U n ited States, h e availed him self of th e
o p p o rtu n ity of m eeting w ith th e Rosicru
cians in Europe. L ater, in some of his cor
respondence, h e m entioned th e early Rosi
crucian colony of P ennsylvania. H e praised
th e ir assistance in co n tributing th e tra n sla
tion of th e D eclaration of Independence into
m a n y foreign languages for dissem ination
b y th e governm ent of this co u n try to the
governm ents of o th er powers thro u g h o u t th e
world. T his tran slatio n w as exclusively p e r
form ed a t th e Rosicrucian colony in P e n n
sylvania, an d is a historical fact noted in
records of th e U nited States an d in the
archives of th e State of P ennsylvania. I t is
also recorded in th e classical h istory of the
establishm ent of th e early R osicrucian colony
in P en n sy lv an ia, b y th e noted Rosicrucian
an d M asonic historian, Ju liu s F riedrich
Sachse.
Being a R osicrucian, is it a n y w onder
th a t F ra n k lin influenced th e acceptance of
such symbols as th e A ll-Seeing E ye an d th e
P y ra m id in th e G reat Seal. In esoteric sym
bolism, since th e tim e of an cien t E gypt, th e
eye has been used in this m a n n e r to m ean
the all-pervading consciousness an d m in d of
God, w hich is ever present an d w hich looks
w ith u n d erstan d in g upon all things. In ou r
R osicrucian E g y p tian M useum , we have
original antiquities bearing this symbol,
w hich date back into th e early dynasties th o u
sands of years ago. T h e p y ram id has long
been used as a geom etric as w ell as an eso
teric symbol. I t w ill be noted th a t the p y ra
m id in th e G reat Seal has th irte en courses
of stone. F u rth e r, it w ill be observed th a t th e
eye is set in a triangle above th e pyram id.
T his signifies th a t th a t w hich w ould be a
tru ly great achievem ent, no m a tte r w h a t it
be th a t is b u ilt m u st have approval in th e
M in d of God, in other w ords, H is acceptance.
In passing, le t us note how th e U n ited
States h ad a t its v ery inception used th e
p hrase N ew O rder of th e Ages. M a n y
persons to d ay speak contem ptuously of the
p hrase N ew O rder, only because it has
been a slogan of a radical political idealogy,
b u t those w ho speak disparagingly of it are
possibly n o t aw are th a t th e phrase, N ew

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

O rder is p a rt of th e m otto of th e ir ow n
country. A N ew O rder did begin w ith the
U nited States. L et us hope th a t the precepts
of our co u n try w ill alw ays rem ain of th e
sam e high order, and as n ew an d as ad
vanced as th e y w ere in 1776, w hen religious
dogma an d avariciousness had so little effect
upon th e h igh motives of the founders of
our G overnm ent. X

Reading the Akashic Records

A F ra te r addressing ou r F orum says: I
have a question to ask this F orum . I t is
H ave a n y of o u r m em bers developed th e
ability to read th e great A kashic Records?
I have re a d th a t th e A kashic Records are a
record, dow n to th e m in u test detail, of all
th a t has occurred in th e solar system since
it was in a nebulous state. So, w ith th a t in
m ind an d w ith so m a n y of th e historical
records destroyed b y th e m ost destructive of
all anim als m a n or distorted b y m an , it
would be a good th in g if some of us would
get a t some historical record th a t is reliable.
T he w ord, A ka sh ic, etym ologically has its
origin in th e Sanskrit w ord A kasa. In th e
S ankhya philosophy of th e H indus, original
ly w ritte n in th e Sanskrit language, th e w ord
A kasa m eans an in d eterm inate substance, as
ether or as space is generally conceived.
T herefore, m ystically, th e A kashic Records
are the com plete know ledge of all th a t is,
w as, and shall be, w hich exists in th e in d e
term inate, intangible, all-pervading Cosmic
M ind. T h ere is no past, present, or fu tu re in
th e Cosmic M ind. In fact, tim e is nonexis
te n t in th e Cosmic. A ll th a t w ill be in th a t
fu tu re w hich m a n conceives already is in th e
Cosmic. A ll th a t m a n thinks as past is still
cu rren t in th e Cosmic.
I n contrast to th e Cosmic, w ith its im m u
table law s, b y w hich things and events occur,
m a n s m in d is relatively stationary. Conse
quently, events an d things seem to approach
our consciousness and to depart from it.
T hus w e are inclined to th in k th a t things
are not y e t or have been. I t is difficult for
us to u n d erstan d this. I t is adm ittedly ab
struse, because w e reason b y m eans of ex
perience, an d experience is contingent upon
our consciousness. L et us, how ever, look a t
th e m a tte r in this light. In fact, let us use
a hom ely analogy to illustrate our point.
W e shall th in k of the Cosmic as one of those

Page 55

m erry-go-rounds, w hich are used for th e

am usem ent of children, an d upon w hich
th e y ride a t carnivals. On this m erry-goro u n d are a n u m b e r of objects, such as im i
tatio n horses, camels, etc. T hese objects
n ever dim inish in size or have a n y less exis
tence, no m a tte r how often th e m erry-goro und revolves. A m an standing on th e
ground, to one side of th e m erry-go-round,
w e w ill liken u n to th e h u m a n consciousness.
H e is o n ly aw are of those objects on th e
m erry-go-round w hich actu ally pass in his
field of vision, im m ediately in fro n t of him .
W h a t h e sees th e re is th e present to him .
W h a t goes on an d revolves out of his sight
is th e past. W h a t has n ot y e t tu rn e d to en ter
his view, he considers as th e fu tu re. I n fact,
w h at th e m a n sees, has seen, or w ill see are
all actu ally p a rt of th e m erry-go-round at
all tim es. In so far as th e m erry-go-round is
concerned, th e y are alw ays w ith it an d th u s
to th e m erry-go-round th e y are alw ays th e
present.
So, too, it is w ith the Cosmic M ind, all
things h ap p en by v irtu e of th e Cosmic law s,
an d th u s all things continuously exist in
th e ir essence in th e Cosmic Consciousness.
N othing can be lost to th e Cosmic M ind, for
all is of th e Cosmic M ind, in the sense th a t
ev ery th in g is of its Cosmic law . T his etern al
record of all in th e Cosmic is th e indelible
A kashic Records. A m a n can read th e
A kashic Records b y attain in g m o m en tary
states of Cosmic Consciousness. By this
m eans, he w ill receive such illu m in atio n as
w ill restore know ledge of w h at has tran sp ired
an d is lost, or know ledge w hich m a y be
found th ro u g h search and b y diligence.
Often, th ro u g h th e in d ividuals state of
Cosmic Consciousness, th e A kashic Records
divulge th e m eans for realizing som ething
as a developm ent in th e fu tu re. T h e spon
taneous, in tu itiv e ideas, w h ich are often re
ferred to, an d w hich have inspired persons
to create things w hich do n o t now exist,
come from this source, the A kashic Records.
I t m u st be ap p aren t, of course, th a t th e in
delible record of th e Cosmic law s an d th e
m em ory of th a t w hich is in th e Cosmic are
not actu ally a physical record. T h e A kashic
Records is an allegorical term . I t does not
allude to a n y actu al historical, physical in
scription to be found a t an y price. T h e read
ing of th e A kashic Records does n o t consist
of reading a n y com m unication th a t has been

Page 56

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w ritte n in a n y language, w hich is suddenly

revealed to th e eyes of m an. T h e te rm
reading th e A kashic Records, is also alle
gorical. I t m eans the translatio n of o u r Cos
m ic im pressions into objective, com m onplace
term s and into w orkable ideas for everyday
use. W henever you m editate in y o u r hom e
sanctum an d are rew arded by enlighten
m ent, by an understanding, by h elpful ideas
b y w hich you can brin g into existence things
or conditions, you th e n have been reading
th e A kashic Records.
T oday w e are rediscovering things w hich
once existed thousands of years ago. A t the
tim e th ey are discovered, w e sometimes th in k
th a t th ey are quite original, for w e have not
y et learned th a t th e y once existed in the
past. L ater, to our am azem ent, w e m a y find
th a t it is a duplication of som ething w hich
h ad been done and lost to th e m em ory of
m an. T he electrolysis process, b y w hich w e
are able to electronically plate m etals, by
w hich w e use a cathode and an anode in a
chem ical solution, through w hich an electri
cal cu rren t passes and causes an em anation
of electrons from a m etal to deposit itself
about some other m etal is considered a v ery
m odern process. H ow ever, ju st recen tly
th e re has been discovered in E gypt an a n
cient device w hich definitely h ad electrodes
in a container, w hich was obviously intended
to contain a solution to accom plish some
th in g exactly sim ilar to th e electrical p latin g
w hich w e do today. T hus, through th e il
lum ination w hich the inventor has today, he
is perm itted to read the A kashic Records.
H e often, therefore, brings into existence
th a t w hich, b y the passing of tim e and the
destructiveness of m an, has become lost to
the objective m em ory of h u m a n ity . X

Appealing to the Cosmic

A Soror in the East, addressing this
F orum , asks: W h y is it th a t w hen a person
m akes an appeal to the Cosmic for a hom e,
health, and b etter living conditions th a t th e y
are not g ranted?
I t is obvious th a t some fratres an d sorores
are exceedingly disappointed w hen th e y have
conscientiously followed instructions an d the
desires th e y sought to have gratified do not
m aterialize.
H as the law in such instances failed? W as
th e statem ent m ade in the m onographs p u re

ly speculative, o r has the individual him self

failed in ap p ly in g th e law ? A n a tu ra l or
Cosmic la w is im m utable. It is know n as a
law because of its persistence, its u n failin g
un ifo rm perform ance w hen p ro p erly invoked.
If certain forces or powers of n a tu re w ould
m anifest for some persons an d n ot for others,
o r m ig h t w ork u n d e r some certain conditions
today b u t n o t tom orrow , th e y w ould n o t h ave
th a t order an d dependability w hich w e a t
trib u te to Cosmic law. Consequently, failu re
in exercising th e law m u st be due to th e
individual. T h e individual often is quite
u n aw are of his w rong direction of th e law ,
and, therefore, w e shall cite some of such
exam ples so th a t you m a y avoid m istakes
th a t resu lt in disappointm ents.
A m a n works in the office of a large com
m ercial organization. H e is perhaps in his
ea rly thirties. So fa r as age is concerned, a
great fu tu re p o ten tially lies ahead of him .
H is p a rtic u la r duties are ro u tin e; th e y do
n ot req u ire considerable specialized tra in in g
n o r do th e y oblige h im to assum e g reat re
sponsibility. H is salary is com m ensurate
w ith his w ork, b u t necessarily low because
of th e k ind of duties he has. In th e sam e
office is an o th er young m an , no b etter ap
p earing, w ith no b etter personality, n o r does
he have a n y m ore native intelligence. H ow
ever, this la tte r y oung m a n obtains prom o
tions. H e seems alw ays quite read y for each
position offered to him . H e assumes th e new
duties w ith u n d erstan d in g an d executes th em
well. T h e first y oung m a n is envious of th e
la tte rs prom otions and considerable increase
in salary.
L et us assum e th a t this first young m a n
has some know ledge of m ystical principles,
of m en tal creating. H e desires a prom otion
to an o th er position in his office an d he clearly
visualizes th e details of such a position. In
fact, he m e n tally sees him self seated a t the
desk an d doing w h at m ig h t be req u ired of
him . F u rth e r, h e sees th e larg er p ay check
being given h im a t th e end of each w eeks
labors. T h e n h e concludes his m editations
b y directing a date, th e exact day, in other
words, w h en th e m anifestation of his desire
for prom otion shall occur.
T h e d ay arrives, b u t his desire is u n satis
fied. H e review s th e procedure w hich he has
followed. W as h e selfish? H onestly to h im
self h e says he was not. If he h ad received
th e position, h e w ould have given some of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

his m o n etary increase to help w orth y causes.

T h e fact is th at, Cosmically, the young m a n
w as not entitled to th e fulfillm en t of his
wishes. H e was u n p rep a re d an d he was do
ing n othing to prep are him self. H e was ask
ing for prom otion, for greater responsibility,
and m ore m oney, b u t he w as n o t prepared to
e a rn it. T hus, in effect, he w as selfish, be
cause he was not exchanging abilities for the
advantages he w anted. E ach n ig h t w hen he
w ent hom e, he forgot his office, w ith th e ex
ception of th e desire for prom otion. N ever
once did he seek to study an y texts or go to
a n ig h t school to acquire th e know ledge th a t
w ould be dem anded of him in his new posi
tion. H e spent his leisure hours en tirely in
recreation an d in self-indulgence, w hereas
the other young m a n w as studyin g hig h er
accountancy th ree nights a week. T his la tte r
young m a n was acquiring a fount of know l
edge w hich he could offer his em ployer in
exchange for the prom otion an d th e rew ards
the advanced position w ould bring. H e was
not expecting an u n ea rn ed com pensation. H e
was giving tim e an d effort so th a t he m ight
receive. Obviously, then, the desire of the
first young m a n w as not Cosm ically fulfilled,
because such fu lfillm ent w ould have been
harm fu l to another. If h e h ad received the
prom otion, he w ould not be entitled to it,
un train ed as he w ould be, and, therefore, he
would be doing unsatisfactory work.
A nalyze y o u r desires before directing th e ir
m anifestation. H ave you a rig h t to express
them or to expect them to be fulfilled? Still
another exam ple is th e one w ho desires good
health and w ho applies m e n tal principles
in th a t direction, w ith o u t result. H ow is the
individual conform ing to w h a t he rea lly
w ants? H e is desiring good health , on the
one hand, and, on th e other, is refusing to
change his mode of living w hich contributes
to his ill health. If one know ingly eats
w rongly, dissipates, and overworks, he can
not expect Cosmic law to perform in his be
half, w hile he w ilfu lly violates other Cosmic
principles. T here is an old legal adage about
one com ing into a court of justice w ith u n
clean hands. T his m eans th a t the one seek
ing relief from an injustice is him self a
wrongdoer. T he sam e m a y be applied to
dircting the m anifestations of our desires.
Do not ask or expect m unificence from the
Cosmic, if you are violating Cosmic p rin
ciples. X

Page 57

Where Is the Cosmic Plane?

A fra te r of E n g lan d now arises to address
this F o r u m . H e says: W h ere is th e Cos
m ic P lane? Is it ju st an extension of those
low er vibrations w hich our objective senses
and m in d in te rp re t as th e earth plane, so
th a t th e re is a slow m erging of th e low er
vibrations of th e e a rth plane into th e h ig h er
octave vibrations of th e Cosmic plane, like
we find in a piano? T hen, again, does the
Cosmic perhaps have a separate existence
w ith a considerable gap betw een th e v ib ra
tions of th e tw o planes?
If w e th in k of th e Cosmic plane as a state
of consciousness ra th e r th a n a place9 w e w ill
have a b etter u n d erstan d in g of its tru e m y s
tical n atu re. In th e first place, in th e Cos
mos or th e universe as a whole, things do
n ot have place. E v ery th in g is in every
th in g else. Place o r position is a n illusion
of th e h u m a n m ind. It is because of o ur
sense perceptions, o u r objective faculties and
th e ir physical lim itations, th a t things seem
to have a relationship to us in place and in
tim e.
In th e Cosmic ev erything is integrated.
E ach th in g is of th e essence of every other
thing, or it is dependent upon th e same
things for its existence. T h ere is no actual
independence, w h ereb y a th in g is off b y it
self. To b etter p resen t this idea, let us take
th e analogy of th e h u m an hand. You raise
y o u r h an d above y o u r head, or you extend
y o u r arm so th a t th e h an d is a t y o u r ex
trem e right. T h en again you m ay d raw in
y o u r h an d so th a t it m ay lie against y o u r
bosom. W h en you do this, you are accus
tom ed to saying y o u r h an d is close or is
distant, depending upon its position to y o u r
body. A ctually, how ever, y o u r h an d is never
aw ay from you. It is alw ays a p a rt of you,
w h eth er extended above y o u r head or ly in g
in y o u r lap. W h y is this so? Because yo u
is y o u r w hole body collectively y o u r legs,
laps, chest, an d so on, so w herever y o u r
h an d is it is attached to a p a rt of y o u r body,
to y o u r arm , in fact. T herefore, though
y o u r h an d m a y have a relationship in posi
tion to y o u r feet or y o u r head, for exam ple,
be n e a r or aw ay from some p a rt of y o u r
body, it is nevertheless alw ays a p a rt of you
an d therefore never distant from you. You
is n ot a p a rt b u t all of you. W h a t touches

Page 58

one p a rt of you is in touch w ith all of you.

If som ething touches y o u r foot, you w ould
not say som ething has touched m y foot, b u t
it has not touched me. So, too, this reason
ing m a y be applied to the universe. T h e sun
m a y be m illions of m iles distan t from the
earth , y e t actually both are together because
the sun, th e earth, and th a t w hich seems to
be betw een th em and w hich is only a dif
ference in appearance are actu ally all joined
together. So, too, th e h u m a n body is one
u nit.
Consequently, the Cosmic plane is n o t an
actual or physical place, existing som ew here
in th e universe, neith er is the Cosmic plane
an isolated series of m anifestations or v ib ra
tions, separate and a p a rt from th a t p he
nom ena w hich, for exam ple, w e experience
w ith our peripheral senses of sight an d h ea r
ing. L et us th in k of th e universe as a w hole,
as a scale of m otion, this m otion being in te l
ligence or m ind. In th e low er octaves, this
m in d or intelligence functions as th a t order
or those law s w hich underlie th e various
physical forces w hich w e know as elec
tricity , light, m agnetism , and so on. In th e
higher octaves, the sam e intelligence, th e
sam e universal or Cosmic m otion m anifests
as consciousness and self-consciousness, soul,
and so on.
T h e Cosmic plane, then, really consists of
those octaves of m otion or intelligence w hich
exceed th a t w hich the physical senses of
m a n m a y discern. To use a n analogy, w e
know th a t lig h t as a phenom enon exists be
y ond th e ocular range, th a t is, below an d
above the in frared an d ultraviolet blue of
th e spectrum , w hich th e eye is able to de
tect. So, too, there are various other p h e
nom ena w hich occur an d w hich th e objec
tive h u m a n consciousness cannot perceive in
a physical sense. W e are, how ever, equipped
w ith a hypersensitivity; th a t is, w ith facu l
ties an d perceptions w hich transcend o u r ob
jective pow ers, and by w hich w e can realize
these certain other phenom ena.
T hese other occurrences, w h en so p er
ceived b y these in n e r faculties of ours, we
call th e Cosmic. T h ey are, how ever, con
sta n tly about us. It is ju st a m a tte r of p er
ceiving them . T hey are never d istan t or
a p a rt from our being. N eith er is the Cosmic
plan e up or above. Insofar as our relatio n
ship w ith th e universe is concerned, w e as

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

beings are n e ith e r up n o r down. Such posi

tions are m ere notions of th e h u m an m ind.
I t w ould be fa r m ore appropriate to refer to
th e Cosmic p lan e and its vibrations as finer
an d m ore rap id th a n those of m atter.
A gain, w e m ig h t say, to be v ery exacting,
th a t all planes of consciousness, all th a t we
perceive th e m a teria l an d im m aterial are
alike of th e Cosmic. In fact, all th a t is of
th a t m otion, of w hich th e D ivine M in d or
Intelligence consists and w hich m anifests as
law an d order, is Cosmic, is it not? It w ould
be m ore appropriate, therefore, to declare
m a tte r an d physical existence a negative
Cosmic p lane, because it is lim ited; and
spiritual realizatio n an d m anifestation, as
w e call them , a positive Cosmic plane. In
fact, in th e earlier m onographs of our Rosi
crucian teachings, w e do say th a t m a tte r is
a developm ent of the p rim a rily negative
p o larity of N ous, and, conversely, th a t V ital
L ife Force an d consciousness are p rim a rily
th e results of a positive p o larity of Nous,
and both polarities are of th e Cosmic. T he
Cosmic plane, then, to be even m ore spe
cific, is th a t p lan e of consciousness w hich is
m ore extensive an d positive th a n th a t p lane
upon w hich m a teria l things are realized
b y us.
If you w ere to acquire an additional
physical organ of sense perception, some
n ew facu lty th a t w ould m ake the m a n i
festations of th e so-called Cosmic p lane as
facile to perceive as are th e o rd in ary im
pulses of lig h t an d sound, you w ould no
longer th in k of those m anifestations as be
in g so lofty. T h e y w ould become com m on
place, an d y ou w ould assign th e appellation
Cosmic P lane to som ething a little less p e r
ceivable an d com prehensive. Do n o t forget
th a t actu ally m u ch w hich you accept today
as th e developm ents of m aterial science once
appeared as happenings of th e Cosmic p lane
to persons of several centuries ago. T h ey
did n o t know how to com m only b rin g them
into th e rea lm of objective perception. T h e
reduction of phenom ena to a point or to a
level w here it can be easily perceived an d
directed b y o u r m aterial senses an d objec
tive consciousness does n o t m ake it less Cos
m ic, th a t is, less of D ivine origin. A ll th a t
is an d w as, an d all th a t w ill be is of th e
sam e D ivine Intelligence an d creation, no
m a tte r b y w h a t m eans w e come to realize

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

it. T h e Cosmic plane, therefore, is m erely a

p lane of consciousness w hich, b y com parison
to th e realization of our objective senses,
seems to be m ore rare and m ore extensive.
X

Origin, Meanings of Baptism

A Soror, addressing our F o r u m , says:
W ill you please discuss in th e F o r u m th e
subject of baptism in relation to th e Rosi
crucian teachings. If one, through th e teach
ings, reaches a p oint and feels the desirabil
ity of baptism an d th a t this cleansing w ould
benefit th e person spiritually, should one
join a church, or is this necessary? Can one
perform a sim ilar ritu a l in th e hom e sanc
tu m ?
A nother Soror arises to speak on th e same
subject. She says: W h a t is the tru e m ean
ing of baptism an d how im p o rta n t should it
be in ones life? Is it really necessary to be
baptized in a church? If I never am b ap
tized, w ould it rea lly m a tte r?
L ike m a n y rites, ceremonies, an d ritu als
now a n in te g ral p a rt of C hristian liturgies,
baptism has been borrow ed from C hris
tia n ity s predecessors. In fact, baptism is
rooted in the rites and cerem onies of m a n y
prim itive peoples and in practices, w hich
C hristians p refer to call pagan. A m ong m ost
all prim itive peoples th ere is a rite to be
found, w hich has a strong resem blance to
baptism . I t is u su ally a cerem ony of p u ri
fication b y m eans of ablutions or w ashing.
To th e m ost sim ple m ind, it is obvious th a t
w ate r w ashes aw ay foreign m a tte r and th a t
w hich is considered dirty. I t usu ally re
moves quite easily th a t w hich obscures
things in a physical sense. W ashin g m akes
apparent, therefore, th e original n a tu re and
color of th ings; it restores th e ir virtues,
insofar as th e ir appearances are concerned.
D u rin g various phases of life, or follow ing
certain periodic physical conditions, p rim i
tives considered an individual taboo, n am e
ly, unclean an d im pure. Such an individual
w as isolated b y th e tribe u n til he could be
cleansed and th e taboo removed. Being u n
clean w as n o t ju st construed in a physical
sense, b u t often in a m oral one as well.
T h u s th e taboo could m ean th a t th e in d i
vidual was surrounded b y an essence of evil,
th e resu lt of certain conditions. T his evil

Page 59

w as held tangible enough to be th o u g h t th a t

it could be scraped o r w ashed off. T his w as
a req u irem en t, in fact, before th e individual
could be restored again to society. A m ong
th e an cien t Jews, an d even before, nam ely ,
am ong th e H ebrew s, w ashing w as one w ay
of ridding self of a taboo, an d of m o ral u n
cleanliness. T his w ashing w as n o t a sym
bolical rite a t this tim e, n o r was it am ong
m ost prim itive people, b u t a m a teria l m eans
of rem oving im agined m a teria l stigmas.
F or exam ple, am ong th e K afirs of South
A frica, th e guilt of m u rd er, o r causing th e
death of another, m u st be w ashed aw ay
u n d er a prescribed cerem ony an d in a m ost
solem n m an n er. T h en , again, th e Basuto
w arrio r bathes afte r battle to w ash off the
ghosts of his victim s. It is related th a t th ey
w ashed w ith a lustral w ater, n am ely , a
w ater th a t is m ost efficacious for p u rifica
tion, because it has been blessed. T his bless
ing is th o u g h t to im pregnate or infuse th e
w ater w ith D ivine qualities.
W a te r was at one tim e th o u g h t to be the
prim ordial elem ent from w hich all else
sprang. T his is th e p rin cip al doctrine, in
fact, of th e philosopher T hales, w ho lived
about th e Sixth C e n tu ry B.C. I n m ost p rim i
tive reasoning, w a te r is anim istic, th a t is, it
is conceived to be alive. T h ere is m u ch to
suggest this to th e elem en tary reasoning of
the prim itive m ind. W a te r has m otion, it
changes in its p attern s, it seems to have
moods, therefore, it appears living an d alive.
T h e an cien t H ebrew s referred to it as liv
ing w ater. Still fu rth e r ap p a ren t support
of this conception, are th e facts th a t w ater
gratifies b y q u enching th irst, aids in grow th,
and assists in m ak in g food m ore palatable.
C onsequently, w ate r as a whole, to th e m ost
sim ple m inds, has alw ays seemed to contain
great powers. N om ads an d ea rly peoples
w ho w ere p articu la rly close to n a tu re in
th e ir living soon discovered th a t certain
springs h ad or seemed to have healing prop
erties. So w ater w as fu rth e r th o u g h t to p ro
vide for th e preservation of m a n s life, if
not also his im m o rtality , an d to th ereb y
sooth th e spirit of m an.
I t was seem ingly logical for m a n to be
lieve th a t b ath in g in w ater n ot o nly p ro
duced physical advantages th e rem oving
of foreign m a tte r b u t sp iritu al benefits as
well. T h e H indus are an excellent exam ple

Page 60

of this belief. To them , m a n y rivers are

sacred, and p articu la rly the Ganges. T he
H in d u devotees plunge into the Ganges and
expect th e ir bodies to be cleansed of a life
tim e of sins. From the foregoing, we m ay
see th a t ethnic or racial baptism s w ere origi
n ally baths of purification of th e spirit, not
by sym bolism , b u t by m eans of an actual
phenom enon.
A m ong prim itive peoples, a child a t a
certain age is initiated into th e m ysteries.
T hese initiations constitute an introduction
to th e reasons of certain physiological
changes taking place in his or h er natu re.
Such initiations often occurred a t the age of
puberty. I t w as likew ise com m on at such
initiations to confer a nam e upon the child.
T he initiation, a t w hich th e n am e was con
ferred, w as often in the form of baptism ,
just as today a nam e is conferred in con
nection w ith the C hristian rites of baptism .
W e are told th a t the P olynesian tribes en
tire ly im m ersed the child in a pool or in
the sea, or th e y dipped a green tw ig in
w ater, accom panying the act w ith prayers
and chanting. F in ally th e priest asperged
or sprinkled the head of the child w ith th e
d ripping twig. T he startling sim ilarity to
m odern form s of baptism is apparent.
Candidates for initiation in th e E gyptian
rites of Isis and Osiris w ere baptized b y the
K heri Hebs, nam ely, the H igh Priests who
officiated. A t tim es, the hierophant, the one
directly in charge of the en tire initiation,
w ould perform the baptism al rite. Of all of
the principal rites of th e ancients, w e are
told, those used in connection w ith th e Eleusinian M ysteries are perhaps b etter know n
to th e general student. A t th e tim e, how
ever, w hen the E leusinian M ysteries w ere
in effect, to divulge th em was to be ostra
cised by society and condem ned as a crim i
nal. O nly th e priests, initiates, an d candi
dates w ere perm itted to w itness them . P u ri
fication by w ater was p a rt of th e ancient
rite. T h e candidate w as bathed and th en
em erged from the bath w ith a n ew n am e
(ritu alistic), w hich was conferred upon him .
T he rite symbolized a new birth, a b irth of
g reater understanding, a w ashing aw ay of
m isconceptions, a regeneration, and th e new
n am e signified th a t the candidate was now
a n ew individual. T h e G reek Catholic
fathers considered this rite, according to

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ecclesiastical history, as being p arallel w ith

the la te r C hristian Baptism.
In th e Old T estam ent, the w ord baptism
appears only fo u r tim es, although the w ord
im m ersed, used in a corresponding w ay, ap
pears freq u en tly . F or centuries, the early
Essenes, th e B rethren in W hite, as th ey
w ere com m only know n, used the rite of
lu stratio n by w ater as a form of baptism .
To them , it w as a rite of m ystical p u rifi
cation. I t h ad a fa r m ore profound m eaning
th e n th e m ere w ashing aw ay of an y ta n g i
ble substance. W e m a y say th a t Jo h n was
the one w ho popularized baptism , an d con
trib u ted to h av in g it m ade, eventually in
la te r centuries, a p rin cip al rite to be in
cluded in th e C hristian doctrines, by the
chu rch fathers. John, of course, preached
his B aptism of R epentance. T his rep e n t
ance, like th e ancient rites before it, was
sym bolized b y cleansing w ith w ater. I t de
picted th e purification of th e soul an d the
lu stratio n of th e spirit, so th a t m an m ig h t
be reborn, find his salvation, an d so forth.
As an exam ple of this conception, we find
in Jerem iah 4:14: Oh Jerusalem , w ash
th in e h e a rt from wickedness, th a t thou
m ay est be saved. H ow long shall th y vain
thoughts lodge w ith in thee? T his cleansing
w as a purification, it was contended, for an
approach to th e Kingdom of God. F u rth e r
research reveals th a t in la ter C hristian rites,
b aptism w as know n as th e life-giving
b ath , th e second N ativ ity , th e w ashing
aw ay, sym bolically, of the sins of m an. It
was th e rite b y whicli m an becam e th e Son
of God, th ro u g h experiencing a reb irth ; a
b ath in g in the sanctification of God.
I n m odern m ystical an d esoteric cere
m onies, various form s of baptism are p rac
ticed, for th e ir sym bolical im port. In m ost
instances th e y do not consist of im m ersing,
b u t of asperging or sprinkling. In th e eso
teric or m ystical sense, it is n o t held th a t
th e re is a n y actu al efficacy or pow er la te n t
in th e w ater, b y w hich a tran sitio n of m a n s
sp iritu al n a tu re is m ade to occur. In fact,
m ystically, th e w ater depicts th a t m a n by
elevating his thoughts, b y his resort to the
v ery rite itself, has so changed his attitu d e
of th in k in g and w ays of living th a t he is
experiencing a lustration, a purification of
m ind. In other words, though it is not held
th a t w ate r itself produces this change, y et

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the w ate r is sym bolical of th a t change

w hich is thought to have come over m an
because of his v o lu n ta ry participation in the
rite. T he entire cerem ony represents a re
g e n e r a t i o n a transcending of the old and
adm ittedly erroneous w ay of living an d the
rem oving of false beliefs. Likewise, it rep
resents a raising of the consciousness to the
Cosmic M ind. I t m a y be said th a t by this
rite one signifies his w illingness to em brace
the consciousness of God and to be reborn
into a life here on this earth, conform ing as
closely as is h u m a n ly possible to the D i
vinely inspired revelations w hich w ill come
to him . By being reborn into a life does not
m ean th a t one w ill im m ediately occupy a n
other body, b u t it does m ean he w ill have
another state of consciousness, w ill have a
different outlook, change those conceptions
w hich have form erly constituted his m oral
and sp iritual life.
In m ysticism , this rite of lustratio n or
purification does not alw ays exclusively in
clude th e sym bolical use of w ater, b u t also
the elem ent fire. In a m aterial sense, fire
as a force of n a tu re is a great purg er of all
th a t is im p u re in m etals, and as we know
from experience, a reducer of elem ents to
th e ir original p u re state. T herefore, it is ap
p ropriate to use it as a symbol in ceremonies
w herein one seeks to purge him self of the
baser elem ents of his own nature.
In m ysticism , as it is expounded in the
Rosicrucian doctrines, each of us, sometime
during our life, m u st past through this rite
of lustration, though not alw ays to the same
extent of purification. Each of us m ust
eventually come to realize certain of our
m isconceptions an d aspire to abide m ore
fu lly th a n heretofore by the spiritual in
clinations of our n ature. W e can perform
such a rite of purification w hile upon o ur
knees in some church or cathedral, u n d er
the guidance or direction of a rabbi, m inis
ter, or priest, or w e can sim ply accom plish
this sam e end in our ow n Sanctum or a n y
place th a t w e have sanctified b y our
thoughts and b y the use of p ra y e r and
solemn resolve.
F rom the R osicrucian point of view, the
fact th a t one m a y never have subm itted to
th e form al rite of baptism by an y religious
sect, C hristian or otherw ise, does n ot m ean
th a t his soul has been lost. T he Rosicru-

Page 61

cians do state th a t an approach to God,

th ro u g h self, alone in ones hom e m a y be
eq u ally as effective. Rosicrucian doctrines
m ake p lain th a t it is the attitu d e of m in d of
th e individual an d the state of his con
sciousness w hich determ ines w h eth e r he w ill
experience spiritual rebirth, an d w h eth er his
consciousness w ill tru ly be elevated, w hich
is, after all, the purpose of baptism . A cere
m ony is a secondary factor, an d m erely an
in stru m en t, n o t th e objective to be attained.
X

Metaphysics and Consciousness

A question concerning conscious and the
subconscious w hich a m em ber rec en tly sub
m itted to our D ep artm en t of In stru ctio n
clearly indicates th a t in some cases a com
plete u n d erstan d in g of the relationship be
tw een philosophy and m etaphysics on one
h an d , an d consciousness an d h u m a n be
havior on th e other, does n ot exist upon the
p a rt of some students. M a n y students, or
possibly I should say those w ho have studied
m a n y subjects related to m etaphysical p rin
ciples an d p opular psychology, have devel
oped theories based u pon th e ir read in g b u t
have failed to gain a n u n d erstan d in g of the
connection betw een th e ir theories an d every
d ay living. R osicrucianism attem pts to re
late th e theoretical an d the practical, and if
w e are to effectively brin g about this re la
tionship w e m u st know certain things about
th e subject m a tte r in w hich w e deal. T he
w ord m etaphysics w as originated n o t by a
philosopher, b u t b y a n individual w ho cata
logued the w ritings of A ristotle. A fter he
finished the books th a t A ristotle h ad w ritten
on physics an d biological phenom ena, he
used th e G reek w ords w hich m ean th a t
w hich is afte r physics, or th e books after
th e physics.
D ow n th ro u g h tim e, m etaphysics has been
changed from th e original m ean in g to using
th e prefix m e ta to m ean after, beyond or
above, so th a t m etaphysics today carries al
m ost as m a n y m eanings as th e re are p er
sons to use it. M etaphysics, in th e form al
philosophic sense, refers to the study or the
arriv in g a t th e u n d erstan d in g of a tru e
reality. M etaphysics, in a p o p u lar sense,
can m ean an y th in g from affirmations to
spiritualism , and in an y sense of the w ord,

Page 62

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

it has v ery little relation to either. I th in k

th ere should be a science called m etapsy
chology, the m eaning of w hich w ould be
sim ilar to w h a t th e prefix m eta com m only
m eans; th a t is, above or beyond psychology,
th e study of h u m a n consciousness.

tw o gases w h ich compose it. So fa r as th e

m aterialist is concerned, consciousness is an
em ergent ju st as the tone is an em ergent, a
com bination of th e touch of th e h an d on th e
strin g of th e h arp .
Such a philosophy, of course, degrades th e
value of consciousness and th e idealist can
n o t accept it. O ur own awrareness a t a n y
m om ent contradicts a m aterialistic concep
tion of consciousness. H ow can you be
aw are of w ho, w hat, an d w here you are?
H ow can y ou be aw are of experiences an
hour, a day, one y ear, or te n years ago,
unless th e state of aw areness is m ore th a n
th e m ere p hysical em ergence?

F rom th e standpoint of pu re m etaphysics,

th ere are even schools of thoug h t th a t m a in
ta in m ind is the only reality. Such a m eta
physical system is called extrem e idealism
to the point of conceiving th a t n o thing real
exists except m in d or consciousness. T h e
tru th of th e m a tte r is w h eth er you believe
or even profess to believe in th e rea lity of
m in d an d consciousness, you are m ore
aw are of consciousness th a n of a n y other
thing. In fact, you are aw are of nothing
except as it is strained thro u g h w h at you
know is consciousness. Consciousness is like
a sieve; everything th a t comes into y o u r be
ing b y perception becomes a p a rt of your
thoughts an d concepts an d em erges in y o u r
m ind as a p a rt of y o u r consciousness. So
rea l is consciousness to our m in d th a t it has
been th e foundation for the belief or hope
in im m ortality, because m a n cannot con
ceive how this th in g w hich is alm ost iden
tical to m a n him self can possibly be a m ere
coincidence.

T h e Rosicrucian philosophy m ain tain s th a t

consciousness is n ot m erely a product of
chem istry. I t is considered th a t conscious
ness is a m eans of und erstan d in g th e rea lity
for w hich th e m etaphysician, in a form al
sense, seeks. Com pare consciousness to y o u r
field of vision. As you look out over a la n d
scape, or even over a room, y ou b rin g into
focus on th e retin a of y o u r eye a field of
vision. A ll phases of it are different. Some
p arts of it are illum inated; some p arts are
shadows. T h ere are different colors. In
other w ords, y ou see all th e phenom ena
w hich y o u r eyes are able to perceive. If th e
illu m in atio n w ere not good, th e shadows
w ould be m ore pronounced. You can com
pare consciousness w ith th a t field of vision.
Consciousness is a picture of o u r entire
m en tal content, b u t it is n o t all equalty
illum inated. O nly the cen tral p a rt of it
seems to be, an d around th a t cen tral p a rt it
g rad u ally begins to fade out, ju st as if you
w ere looking a t a scene illu m in ated b y a
spotlight. Such a scene w ould be h ig h ly
illu m in ated a t its central point, an d as ones
eyes move fro m the cen tral po in t tow ard
th e edge of th e area of illu m in atio n th e
lig h t w ould become less and less intense.
G rad u ally a fte r the faded edges th ere w ould
be a d ark area, no longer affected b y the
light. W m a y com pare consciousness to
th is illu m in ated area. W h a t w e are m ost
aw are of a t a n y tim e is equivalent to the
cen tral illu m in ated portion u pon w hich a
spotlight is focused. In other words, th a t to
w hich our atten tio n is directed is th e p a rt
of o ur consciousness th a t is clear cu t and
m ost definite. I t includes the thoughts th a t
are im m ediately before us at th e p articu lar

F rom th e m etaphysical standpoint, the

m aterialist w ould answ er: W h e n a finger
plucks a string of a h arp , w h at happens?
T here is a sound th a t is a note, and so the
m etaphysical principles of m aterialism
w ould indicate th a t the note produced by
the touch of the finger upon th e strin g of
th e h arp is exactly parallel to th a t state
w hich w e call consciousness, w hich is
touched off b y a chem ical reaction th a t
causes life. T h a t is a concept co n trary to
th e belief of the idealist. Is consciousness,
afte r all, nothing m ore th a n an emergence?
If you are fam iliar w ith various physical
theories you w ill know th a t a n em ergent is
a condition w hich results from tw o com bin
in g conditions. F or exam ple, hydrogen an d
oxygen are tw o gases th a t are in this room
th e y are in th e atm osphere in certain
quantities, b u t com bine th em in proper re
lationship and th e resu lt is w ater. W a te r is
an em ergent, it is not an elem ent in the
strictest sense chem ically speaking. I t em er
ges as th e result of chem ical com bination
and has none of th e characteristics of the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

m om ent. W e are less aw are of o th er p o r

tions of consciousness w hich are com parable
to the edge of th e area illum inated b y a
spotlight. In o th er words, figuratively speak
ing, our consciousness is m ost intense a t the
central point w hich has our im m ediate a t
tention, an d fades off into vagueness and
shadows as it departs from th a t cen tral
point.
In this area, aw ay from th e cen tral point,
are recollections w hich w e can b rin g into
the area of conscious attention a t a n y m o
m ent. You m a y n o t be aw are of y o u r nam e
as you read this, y e t you can b rin g it into
th e foreground of consciousness in a second.
Beyond th a t in a darker area or edge of
consciousness, are things in th e storehouse
of m em ory. T h ere m em ories reside w hich
are n o t alw ays easy to bring u p m erely by
the forcing of o u r attention tow ard them .
Since so m a n y term s have been given to
conscious phenom ena th ere can be no doubt
th a t confusion exists in the m in d of anyone
w ho has h eard a n u m b er of th e term s. T h e
psychologist F reu d is credited w ith p o p u lar
izing th e term s subconscious an d unco n
scious. H is followers and various schools
th a t sprang from his teachings have in te r
preted the term s even differently th a n he,
u n til now so m a n y term s an d degrees of
m eaning are used for so-called subconscious
states by each p articu la r school or teach er
th a t clarification is necessary for th e te a c h
ings of a n y one psychologist.
T he subconscious m ind of the psychoana
lytical school has freq u en tly been considered
as alm ost the equivalent of th e term sub
jective consciousness of our teachings. I
w ould like to m ake it clear here th a t such a
conception is en tirely erroneous. To th e best
of m y u nderstanding, in com paring Rosicru
cian philosophy w ith these term s, th e con
scious m ind, in th e popular sense, is no m ore
or less th a n those parts of consciousness
w hich I have com pared to th e outside area
or the fringes, sch as th e shadows th a t
exist in the extrem e area of illu m in atio n
from a spotlight. In this som ew hat shaded
p a rt of our consciousness, if w e m a y use
the term , th e re are recollections an d some
m em ories w hich are n o t n e a r th e cen tral
point of consciousness and cannot alw ays be
im m ediately brought into objective con
sciousness. N evertheless, the subconscious

Page 63

rem ains n o th in g m ore th a n th e fringes of

objective consciousness, an d th e failu re to
b rin g o ur atten tio n to bear upon a n y point
w ith in it, is n o t due to its being a p a rt of
a separate consciousness considered as an
en tity in itself.
T h e subjective consciousness of th e Rosi
crucian teachings is the consciousness of th e
subjective m in d , an d the subjective m in d is
m erely o u r term inology for a m anifestation
of a portion of th e Cosmic o r universal
m ind. A t th a t p o in t w here o ur com plete
m in d overlaps or m erges into th e universal
m in d or th e Cosmic itself, w e are dealing
w ith th e tru e subjective m ind. I t is thro u g h
th e channels of in tu itio n th a t w e are able
to b rin g im pressions from the subjective into
consciousness, an d th ereb y d raw u pon th e
universal m ind.
To sum m arize these ideas w e can illu s
tra te th em b y d raw in g a sm all circle about
tw o inches in d iam eter an d calling it th e
objective m ind. If w e draw an o th er circle
around this one w ith a diam eter of about
tw o and a h alf inches, th e area betw een th e
tw o circles w ill rep resen t th e fringes of con
sciousness w hich are n o t alw ays ap p a ren t to
us, an d it is th e area o rd in arily referred to
as th e subconscious. N ow if w e d raw or
im agine an o th er circle su rro u n d in g these
tw o w hich has a diam eter eq uivalent to
th a t of our solar system , w e w ill call th a t
th e Cosmic or u n iv ersal m in d of w hich our
entire consciousness is a sm all segm ent. It
is tru e th a t phenom ena does exist on the
fringes of our m in d s in w h at I have ju st
described as th e subconscious. M etaphysical
schools an d even certain phases of m ystical
experience have been criticized because psy
chologists and philosophers state th a t ex
perience o r in fo rm atio n from th a t m in d is
n o t a liftin g u p of ourselves b u t a re tu rn to
savage instincts an d th e elem en tary m in d of
th e past. T hese individuals w ould explain
autom atic w ritin g an d certain other ph e
nom ena as being p u re ly a m anifestation of
th e subconscious an d w ould tr y to m ake a
p arallel exam ple of the m ystic as reaching
in to these fringes of consciousness for in
spiration.
T h is is definitely n o t tru e in th e in te r
p retatio n of th e R osicrucian philosophy. W e
do n o t d raw in sp iratio n an d knowledge
m erely from th e so-called subconscious. T he

Page 64

subjective m ind, w hich is our m eans of re

la tin g ourselves to the Cosmic m ind, is the
source from w hich w e d raw know ledge and
inspiration and attem pt to b rin g it into the
central spotlight of our objective conscious
ness. T h e subjective consciousness, th en , is
th e channel through w hich w e b rin g im
pressions from the Cosmic m ind, ju st as th e
five physical senses are th e channels through
w hich w e b rin g im pressions from the p h y si
cal w orld. F rom either source th e y are
b rought into the scrutiny of our objective
consciousness, and th ereby are tran slated
into know ledge and experience.
Consciousness of w hich w e are m ost aw are
is th e focal point of our everyday living. It
is th e state of aw areness, th e one th in g
w hich w e as individuals exclusively possess
an d w hich cannot be invaded b y anyone
else. W ith in it reside our hopes, aims, de
sires and m ost secret ideas. It is alm ost th e
equivalent of our ego and thro u g h th ere we
p erpetuate ourselves as a continuous living
being from th e m en tal standpoint. I t is no
w onder th a t the hope of im m o rtality is to
p erp etu ate this consciousness w hich seems
alm ost identical w ith self. A

Has God Changed His Mind?

A fra te r of S aint Louis has brought to the
atten tio n of this F o r u m an in terestin g new s
article concerning the recent attitu d e of the
C hurch of E ngland on th e subject of cre
m ation. T h e article reads: London, Oc
tober 12, 1944 (A .P .). . . . T h e C hurch of
E ngland reaffirm ed yesterday th e stand th a t
th e doctrine of resurrection of th e body did
n o t preclude crem ation, and th a t such a
practice w as law fu l and w ith o u t theological
significance. Speaking a t th e convocation of
C anterbury, Canon G uy Rogers said: T his
clear statem ent of the Bishop w ill b rin g re
lief to th e m inds of m a n y people, p articu
la rly a t a tim e like the presen t w h en people
are so concerned about w h at is hap p en in g to
th e bodies of th e ir loved ones, possibly after
being blow n to pieces b y shellsand bombs.
T his is another exam ple of in tran sig en t
dogma. Ecclesiastical dogma is the official
opinion of the church. I t is rea lly m ore
th a n th e opinion; it is also th e sacrosanct
law of th church. T his dogma is based u p
on presum ed authority. T his au th o rity in

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tu rn is derived from the science of h erm e

neutics, in o th er words, from an in te rp re ta
tion of th e Scriptures. Such in terp retatio n
professes to be th e ecclesiasts, or church
dignitaries u n d erstan d in g of th e W ord of
God. Consequently, in an exaggerated
sense, church dogm a is held to be founded
upon th e W o rd of God, though expressed
in th e words o f m en.
F or centuries, th e C hurch of E ngland has
inveighed against crem ation, as still do m ost
of th e orthodox C hristian sects. T h ey con
tended th a t crem ation was in conflict w ith
th e doctrine of th e resurrection of the body,
one of th e fu n d am en tal doctrines of Chris
tian ity . A ccording to this doctrine, eventu
ally m e n s bodies w ill be resurrected to
again, on th a t final judgm ent day, be occu
pied b y th e soul. In accord w ith such re a
soning, a n y destruction of th e body or re
duction of it to im palpable parts, would
m ake it im possible to be restored to house
the soul. T herefore, crem ation was a sacri
lege, because it in terfered w ith D ivine p u r
pose, as th e theologians in terp reted it. All
persons an d m ovem ents or organizations
w hich advocated crem ation w ere guilty of
heterodoxy, n am ely , being a t variance w ith
established religion.
To th e sim ple church lay m en of the past,
as w ell as to m illions of th em today, these
decrees against crem ation w ere n ot arb i
tra ry in terp retatio n s of th e ir religious lead
ers, b u t th e y w ere caused to believe th a t
God h ad w ritte n or em phatically spoken, in
effect, th e w ords: N o c r e m a tio n To
them , to be even m ore explicit, it seemed
th a t God him self h ad ordered th a t crem a
tion should be held a sacrilege. As m a n y of
our Rosicrucian m em bers have experienced,
as w ell as thousands of other intelligent,
liberal-m inded persons, to advocate crem a
tion w as to be execrated by ones orthodox
Christian association and neighbors as being
irreligious. W h e n Rosicrucians, for exam
ple, tried to p o in t out th a t Biblical an d
sacred lite ra tu re did not specifically inveigh
against crem ation, th ey w ere frow ned upon
as heretics, as those who disputed the v ery
W ords of G od.
N ow today, w e have this recan tatio n by
the C hurch, this reversal of dogma. If all
along it was God wrho h ad disapproved of
crem ation, as th e theologians w ere all too

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w illing to allow th e ir devoted an d credulous

lay m en to believe, th e n such lay m en are
today faced w ith a peculiar situation. I t is
this th a t God m u st have changed his m in d .
T he idea of th e D ivine M in d s reversing it
self in such a fund am en tal principle is ob
viously ludicrous. It is a glow ing exam ple
th a t th e m ajo r portion of church dogma is
of h u m a n conception. Such h u m a n concep
tion should be divorced from a n y attem p t to
m ake it appear the W ord of God. If this
is not done, th e n the la y m an is u ltim ately
confronted w ith either Gods reversing H im
self or God seem ing to insist upon circum
stances w hich are so inconsistent w ith h u
m a n experience an d intelligence as to strike
at th e v ery h e a rt of faith in C hristianity.
T he fact rem ains th a t there are m a n y dog
m as still expounded, w hich have become
equally as obsolete as the one form erly de
crying crem ation.
From the logical point of view, it is am az
ing th a t the attack on crem ation by religious
sects has lasted as long as it has. T h e
prem ise of the attack was alw ays m ost u n
sound. If it w ere a sin to crem ate th e body
because it m u st be left u n im paired so th a t
it could fulfill the need of th e doctrine of
resurrection, w h a t th en of its n a tu ra l disin
tegration? T h e ord in arily em balm ed and
buried body, after tw o centuries, does not
even consist of a skeletal structure. T h e
coffin in w hich it w as contained and th e soil
in w hich th a t reposed are all interm ingled.
T im e, the elem ents, and insects eventually
reduce the body to the same degree as fire,
b u t in a less pleasing m a n n e r to th e im
agination. If, according to th e doctrine of
resurrection, God w ere going to call together
the disintegrated elem ents of the in terred
body, so th a t it w ould again be a form cap
able of holding th e soul, then, too, God
could equally as w ell restore th e body th a t
had been crem ated.
A ctu ally th e in congruity w en t even fu r
th e r th a n this and caused th e m ost orthodox
la y m an some uncom fortable m om ents even
though he m ight not adm it it. W h a t of th e
body of a loved one lost a t sea and de
voured b y fish and assim ilated into th e ir
digestive systems? W h a t of th e bodies th a t
w ere crem ated b y accident; th a t is, b y be
ing b urned com pletely and reduced to ash
in a fire in th e ir homes? W h a t of those

Page 65

bodies blow n to infinitesim al bits b y high

explosives? W ere such u n fo rtu n a te persons
to be victim s of som ething beyond th eir
power? W e re th e y to be denied th e Doc
trine of R esurrection granted those whose
bodies h ad been b u ried intact? W h a t was a
ju st God going to do about them ? If God
could restore th e ir bodies on th e so-called
d ay of resu rrectio n to again house th e ir
liberated souls, th e n w h y w ould he n ot do
it for those w ho h a d been crem ated?
One can o nly im agine how m a n y tim es
recently, d u rin g th is w ar w h en thousands
are m eeting u n n a tu ra l deaths w hich reduce
th e ir bodies to atom s, such questions m ust
have been p u t to th e church bishops. Obvi
ously th e ch u rch m en m ust have been quite
em barrassed. To insist th a t those w ho died
as w arriors, whose bodies w ere blow n to
pieces, w ere to be denied D ivine privileges,
w ould be th e equivalent of attrib u tin g an
injustice to God so the bishops did th e
rig h t and noble thing. T h ey adm itted th a t
crem ation w as a practice th a t w as law ful
an d w ith o u t theological significance.
H ow m uch lo n g er m ust such religious
can t continue on th e p a rt of church ian ity ?
W h y n o t ad m it th a t the in terp retatio n s of
sacred S criptures are, at th e ir best, b u t an
a rb itra ry thing, dependent up o n h u m a n in
telligence and errors of h u m a n th o u g h t an d
reason? W h y declare th a t a conscientious
inconform ity w ith such in terp retatio n s is a
sacrilege or a defiance of Gods law ? W h y
n ot ra th e r have one accept an in te rp re ta
tion, if he can, or reject it if he cannot?
If he cannot conscientiously accept dogma,
allow h im to ev en tu ally gravitate to an u n
d erstanding th a t does b rin g h im peace of
m in d w ith o u t th e in tim id atio n th a t if he
deviates h e is g u ilty of h eresy and sin . X

The Arts and Mysticism

A Soror w ho resides in th e M idw estern
section of the U n ite d States now asks a
question of this F o r u m . She says, So m uch
has been said about m usic an d art. Does
one have to have an u n d erstan d in g of them
before h e can have th e u n d erstan d in g of the
Cosmic law s?
A know ledge of th e esthetic arts, such as
painting, sculpture, an d music, is not essen
tial to m ystical developm ent or insight. T h e

Page 66

cultivating of ones esthetic talents, how

ever, often does quicken m ystical conscious
ness. F u rth e r, by excellent exam ple, it often
m akes m ore com prehensible certain basic
Cosmic principles. T h e esthetic arts of
painting, sculpturing, an d music, for exam
ple, are concerned w ith bea u ty. F rom th e
esthetic an d psychological point of view, w e
m ight hold th a t b eauty concerns all of th a t
w hich w e sense as harm onious to o u r objec
tive faculties and our em otions. I n other
w ords, it is th a t w hich is pleasurable to th e
sight and to the ear. T h ere is no estab
lished b eau ty of sound or line th a t is ac
ceptable in every degree to all persons alike.
O ur interpretations of th e beautiful depend
u pon our degree of sensitivity to th e h arm o
nies of n atu re. T he m ore m aterial, th e m ore
objective an d physical anim alistic, in o th er
w ords a n individual, th e m ore coarse an d
general are his conceptions of beauty. You
w ill find th a t such persons sense of th e
beautiful is alm ost alw ays d irectly related
to those sensations w hich affect his appe
tites. If one allows his consciousness to be
continually dom inated b y th e coarse im
pulses th a t produce sensations of physical
pleasure, he w ill miss en tirely those fin er
harm onies w hich the poet, the m usician, and
artist enjoy.
A good analogy of this, I believe, an d one
I have used before, is an orchestra composed
of drum s, bass, and strin g instrum ents. If
th e louder an d intense sounds of th e drum s
and brass instrum ents are given em phasis
and dom ination, the notes of th e strin g in
strum ents w ill be com pletely subm erged and
not h eard b y the ear. T h a t w hich appeals
to th e esthetic sense, as the sy m m etry of
line, the penum bra of color, and th e h a r
m ony of sound is by contrast m u ch m ore
delicate and sensitive th a n those o th er p h y s
ical appeals and im pulses of w hich w e are
ord in arily conscious. Such finer sensations
n a tu ra lly approach th a t plane of sensitivity
of w hich th e spiritual consciousness m u st
consist. A real artist, a lover of n a tu re s
h arm ony, as expressed in color an d line,
and a great m usician can be and often are
in closer proxim ity to th e ir spiritual n atu re s
th a n are m ost m en. T he high er self has be
come sensitized, hypersensitive, if you w ill,
because of th e ir esthetic interests. I t is no
criteria, how ever, th a t every artist an d m u
sician or composer is a m ystic. I t does m ean

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

th a t th e y m a y be closer to th e threshold of
th a t consciousness of self, w hich w ould lead
th em to Cosmic Consciousness, if th e y w ould
advance ju st a little fu rth e r. If one rem ains
content, how ever, ju st w ith his m usic and
his art, he m a y never have those m ystical
an d theophanic experiences w hich lie ju st
beyond.
F u rth e r, one w ho pursues the p ath of
m ysticism , seeks God thro u g h self, an d who
has th u s sensitized his consciousness to be
receptive to th e finer sensations an d the
h ig h er vibrations of th e Cosmic, develops a
keener esthetic taste. H e m a y not become
an artist or a m usician, b u t he does come to
enjoy th e esoteric or m ystical feeling, if you
w ill, of m a n y of th e great paintings an d
m usical compositions. W h ere before such
paintings m a y have been attractiv e in th e ir
coloring, exhibiting to h im exceptional
draftsm anship, now he derives in addition
a u n iq u e realization of th e ir m eaning. H e
experiences a subtle feeling w hich th e w hole
com position seems to em anate, as an em o
tional effect, an d w hich h e cannot describe
in words. A gain, w h ere before he m ight
have been aw ed b y th e profusion of irra d i
an t colors of a sunset, now it causes as w ell
an afflatus of his soul. H is w hole being is
stim ulated b y w h at he feels an d not m erely
b y w h at he sees w hen h e is in the presence
of such a phenom enon. T h e individuals
m ystical studies, I repeat, m a y never m ake
h im an artist, b u t th e y do quicken his in
terest in, an d profound appreciation of, th e
great w orks of a rt and of music.
F rom th e intellectual po in t of view, the
study of a rt an d of m usic teach v ery em
p h atically and graphically th e h arm o n y of
color and sound. T h ey show th e scales and
rh y th m s and th e m ath em atical relationship
of n a tu re s m anifestations. Sim ply put, th e y
cause one to respect th e so-called law and
order of th e Cosmic. Seeing and h earin g
these m anifestations of n a tu re inclines one
to in q u ire into th e hig h er aspects of these
sam e harm onies as th e y m an ifest on a m ore
lofty plane, or in those octaves w hich are
term ed th e spiritual. I reiterate, how ever, a
serious study of a rt and m usic is n o t essen
tial for attain in g the m ystical state, b u t one
does com plem ent the other. B eauty is h a r
m ony, as w e have said, an d h arm o n y of self
w ith th e Cosmic M ind is th e objective of
m ystical attain m en t. X

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

The Theory of Visualization

Page 67

m in d or consciousness. A n exact opposite of

this concept is th e m etaphysical th eo ry of
th e m aterialist w ho states th a t the u ltim ate
rea lity is m a tte r, or m a tte r in m otion. These
tw o view points w ill b rin g to our conscious
ness th e im portance of arriv in g a t o ur ow n
conclusion as to th e real9 for visualization
m u st be in term s of w h at w e th in k is real.
T h e objective idealist comes to th e conclu
sion th a t w h ile m in d is th e final reality ,
th ere also exists m a tte r w hich w e can p er
ceive an d come to u n d erstan d . T h ere is also
th e extrem e idealist th a t claim s th a t m a tte r
does not exist, th a t it is o n ly an illusion.

F rom various m em bers come questions re

garding th e experim ents and exercises in
our degrees w hich have to do w ith th e th e
ory and process of visualization. One F ra te r
recen tly asked th e question, Ju st w h at shall
I visualize? I presum e from th a t F ra te rs
question th a t he w as som ew hat confused be
tw een th eo ry an d practice. U n til one can
clearly u n d erstan d th e division betw een
these tw o factors, it is tru e th a t success in
visualization w ill be incom plete. Insofar as
the m ethod or technique of visualization is
concerned, th e m onographs are conclusive.
T h e first details in regard to this process of
technique are contained in the concluding
lectures of the T h ird Neophj^te Degree, and
are fu rth e r am plified in higher T em ple de
grees. T h e student needs no fu rth e r in stru c
tion regard in g procedure of technique th a n
can be found here, and it is en tirely u p to
h im or h e r to develop the necessary tech
niques through use and practice. T h e p u r
pose of these com m ents is not to add a n y
th in g to the m onographs insofar as m ethod
and technique are concerned, b u t to con
sider a n u m b er of factors th a t have to do
w ith a th eo ry and u n d erly in g purpose of
visualization w hich w ill add to th e m em
bers u n d erstan d in g of the process and th e re
by contribute to m aking his technique m ore
efficient.

T h e fu n d am en tal problem of m etaphysics

has alw ays been to establish an in te rp re ta
tion of th e definition betw een appearance
and reality . M ost of us are n ot sufficiently
concerned w ith these theories; in fact, in
actual practice m ost of us are naive realists
in philosophy, w hich m eans th a t w e m erely
accept things as th e y ap p ear to be and ad
ju st o u r lives w ith o u t going to th e trouble
of an aly zin g w h eth e r w h at actu ally consti
tutes appearance is or is n o t identical w ith
th a t w hich is real an d p erm anent. Such a
philosophy in practice is n o t too bad, b u t
w h en w e approach a m ore com plete in te r
pretation of life, w e are falling short of
being able to definitely fix o ur aim s and
purposes, unless w e have arriv ed a t a m ore
specific u n d erstan d in g of w h a t holds the
m ost value to us.

If w e are to u n derstand visualization as a

process, w e m u st u n derstand th e foundation
upon w hich th e process stands. O ur teach
ings are constantly influenced by th e m y s
tical, m etaphysical, and occult approach.
From th e standpoint of the m etaphysical
foundation, w e m u st realize th a t th e form al
definition of m etaphysics m eans the arriv in g
at a know ledge or u nderstanding of th e u lti
m ate or final reality. Before w e can visual
ize properly, before w e can have a tru e
estim ate of a n y th in g w hich we perceive, w e
have to have know ledge of w h at th e m a
terial is w ith w hich w e are dealing. W e
m ust have some philosophy of our ow n
w hich w ill explain and m ake understandable
to us th a t w hich is real. T he im plications
of m etaphysics, then, are th a t som ething has
to be fu n d am en tal to all other things. T h e
m etaphysical theory of the idealist is th a t
the one final and fundam ental rea lity is

N a tu ra lly it w ill be asked, H ow is all

this applied to th e subject of visualization?
It is applied because th e occult purpose of
visualization is a m eans or a key to the use
of th e powers of m e n tal creation. W e can
m ake form s w ith o u r hands, b u t if w e are
to use our fu ll potentialities w e m u st be able
to fall back u pon th e m in d pow er w ith in us
an d m e n tally create th e things an d condi
tions w hich are m ost needed and useful to
us. Before such creation takes place through
th e process of visualization, w e m u st answ er
th e question as to w h eth er or n ot th a t
w hich w e create is going to be substantial
or tran sito ry . If w e are m aterialists, our
desires and hopes are concerned w ith the
m aterial. If w e are idealists, our desires,
hopes, and aim s are for th e preservation
and use of those things w hich are p erm a
n en t, irrespective of th e changes w hich take
place in a m a teria l world.

Page 68
T he problem , therefore, is w h eth er or not
you w ish to create som ething th a t has en
d u ra n c e endurance beyond the physical
w orld in w hich w e live. If we are to assign
higher values to the w orld outside the m a
terial plane, th e n our m en tal creating or
visualization w hich w ill advance us, w ill be
p rim a rily concerned w ith those fields. O ur
aim s w ill be tow ard m astership ra th e r th a n
tow ard m aterial process. T his does not m ean
th a t w e cannot rig h tfu lly attem p t to visual
ize and th ereb y create a proper physical
and m aterial environm ent provided th a t
such a creation is for the purpose of serving
as th e m eans to an end and not m erely to
bring about an end by the possession of m a
terial property.
I am convinced th a t m a n y of us, p articu
la rly w hen w e w ere new enthusiasts in th e
studies of this organization, did not stop to
analyze th a t w hich w e attem pted to visual
ize an d thereb y hoped to b rin g into our
environm ent. As I exam ine the experiences
of m a n y people w ho have dealt w ith these
laws, th e m ost am azing th in g is not the
failures of these novices bu t th e u n u su al
success th ey h ad in creating th a t w hich
th e y attem pted to do. In other words, w hen
w e first le arn of the process of visualization
and th e fact th a t such a process m a y b rin g
into existence or into our environm ent some
th in g th a t is n o t already there, o ur im m edi
ate response is to m ake a test or tria l upon
the m aterial basis.
M ost of our everyday values are rep re
sented to be m aterial values, and some peo
ple w ho have thought th e y failed in using
the process of visualization have in rea lity
succeeded, and th e ir belief th a t th e y failed
was due not to the visualization process b u t
to the fact th a t th a t w hich th ey obtained
was som ething th ey did no t w an t afte r all.
In other w ords, the success or failure, de
pending upon how w e look at it, w as n o t in
the process b u t in not analyzin g values be
fore attem p tin g the process itself.
W e have to re tu rn to the question of
w h at is it w e rea lly w ant? W h a t is u lti
m ate reality? W h a t is tru e value? T his
takes us again to the problem s of m e ta
physics, and th e subject of w hich it rem inds
us is th e explanation of th e Rosicrucian con
ception of rea lity and actuality. Rosicrucianism is to a certain extent a form of ob
jective idealism . It believes th a t m in d and

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

consciousness partake of the m a tte r of u lti
m ate real. I t believes th a t nevertheless a
physical w orld exists and th a t m an, w hile
in this w orld, is a p a rt of th e m aterial phase
of creation. W e, therefore, are dual; w e are
m a tte r an d we are soul. In o ur term inology
we assign th e te rm a c tu a lity to th a t ex
te rn a l m aterial w orld th a t is outside of us.
E v ery th in g w hich is ex ternal to m ind, in
cluding o u r bodies, is, in th e Rosicrucian
vocabulary, actuality. On th e other h an d ,
th a t w hich w e perceive, the sum total of
all o ur sensations, the concepts w hich exist
as a resu lt of these sensations in our m inds,
are to us reality. T herefore, it is obvious
from this explanation th a t w hile actu ality
rem ains constant, it is one m anifestation of
th e u n iv ersal creative force. R eality is n ot
th e sam e for a n y two individuals. R eality is
o ur p rivate property, an d w e can not prove
th a t o ur concept of the real definitely con
form s to actuality. W e perceive ex tern al
objects w hich w e call actu ality , b u t all th a t
w e know about them is o ur realization,
w hich is th e in terp retatio n w ith in o ur con
sciousness of th e sense im pressions th a t e n
te r consciousness.
It is ap p aren t from this explanation of
our term inology th a t reality , th en , is th e
sum total of o ur conscious states. R eality is
closely related to our m ost in n a te hopes an d
desires. W e build our rea lity depending u p
on our po in t of view, upon our philosophy
of life. If we are to ap p ly th e process of
visualization constructively, it w ill be to
w ard th e purpose of helping us to m ore
com pletely realize w h at w e have considered
to be tru e values and tru ly real.
I stated earlier th a t th e process of the
technique of visualization is so w ell and
com pletely stated in the m onographs th a t
th ere is little th a t we can add concerning
th e process. O nly practice an d use w ill
m ake th e process of technique perfect.
T h ere are certain exercises given in th e
m onographs w hich explain how we can be
gin w ith sim ple things an d g rad u ally de
velop th e ab ility to visualize th em after
sh u ttin g o u r eyes. W e see, therefore, th a t
visualization is the ability to reproduce p e r
ception in o u r consciousness w ith o u t th e
physical sensation en terin g through o ur
sense organizations. To develop th e tech
nique, w e m u st necessarily rep eat over and
over again th e sim ple exercises w hich w ill

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

b rin g about perfection of its use. I t is a
problem w ith w hich w e are faced from
childhood w h en w e start to le arn th e m u l
tiplication tables, to adulthood w hen w e are
le arn in g various occult laws.
I t is interesting to observe how necessary
it is for each of us as hum ans to constantly
have to be m otivated in order to do things.
F ew of us do a n y th in g w ithout view ing in
th e fu tu re some ty p e of rew ard or com pen
sation. M ost of our everyday activities are
m otivated b y economic and social pressure.
V ery little w ould be done if w e w ere not
forced to do it in order to have som ething
to ea t an d a place to live. I n this respect
we are psychologically still im m atu re, an d
ju st as a child m u st be m otivated an d en
couraged w ith prizes or w ith some other
com pensation to le arn his m ultiplication
tables, w e m ust, to a certain extent, be m oti
vated in order to learn higher laws. As
adults, how ever, w e should provide self m o
tivation. W e should see th a t ahead of us
lies a fu lle r life, and th a t the steps tow ard
th e attain m en t of th a t life should be m oti
vation sufficient w ith in itself.
T h e question n a tu ra lly arising is H ow
effective is the law of m ental creating?
T h e student often asks can he visualize a n y
th in g h e wishes an d have it come true. T he
answ er is yes, b u t as in m a n y other
things th e re is an if, or, to use th e popu
la r term , a catch. You can visualize, and
b y visualizing b rin g an ything into y o u r en
viro n m en t you w ish, provided, and this is
the catch, th a t you are consciously or u n
consciously perfectly w illing to assum e all
the obligations seen and unforeseen, an d the
responsibilities th a t m a y come w ith th e suc
cessful accom plishm ent of y o u r creative
process.
Some people have visualized a farm b ut
deep dow n in them selves th ey did n ot w an t
to do th e h a rd physical w ork th a t th e
ow nership of a farm w ould entail. Some
have visualized a financial fortune b u t th e y
did n o t w ish to take upon them selves th e
responsibility an d obligation of investm ent,
protection, and even social responsibilities
th a t a large am o u n t of m oney w ould en
tail. Some people have visualized th e p er
fect state of h ea lth b u t th ey did n o t w ish
to discontinue h arm fu l h ealth habits such
as smoking, drinking, overeating, or th e
eating of foods th a t w ere not nourishing.

Page 69
W e cannot have riches and h ealth or a n y
th in g else in this universe, unless we are
com pletely w illing to assum e all th e obliga
tions in d iv id u ally an d socially th a t are en
tailed by th e ir existence. T his is th e occult
principle of visualization. V isualization w ill
succeed w hen w e tru ly visualize and a t
tem p t to b rin g in to our en v iro n m en t th a t
w hich w e tru ly w an t, th a t w hich is in ac
cord w ith o ur concept of tru e value and
rea lity an d w hich, therefore, w ill be some
th in g th a t com pletely becomes a p a rt of our
w hole philosophy of life and w ill lead us on
tow ard o ur goal, w h atev er it m a y be.
T ru e motives are a p a rt of o ur w hole con
scious view point. You cannot visualize w ith
reservations because you are w h a t you are.
T h e Cosmic forces th ro u g h w hich o ur pow
ers of m en tal creatin g m ust function w ill
no t be deceived b y a n y m en tal reservations
w hich you have. T herefore, if you w ish to
visualize an y th in g w ith the idea of m en tally
creatin g an d b rin g in g it into existence, study
carefu lly its possibilities and the obligations
it w ill increase. W h e n you are com pletely
satisfied th a t you know w h at the results w ill
be, and if you are w ith o u t a n y reservation
w hatsoever in a position to assum e th e re
sponsibility of such a m anifestation, and if
y o u r technique in th e visualization process is
good, you need h av e no hesitation o r doubt
as to its successful accom plishm ent. A

Physical Assets
R ecently in some of the correspondence
received b y the organization a com m ent was
m ade b y a n o nm em ber to the effect th a t it
appeared as if AM ORC m ade a g reat deal
out of th e fact th a t th e adm inistrative head
q u arters of the organization at Rosicrucian
P a rk w as w ell kept, b eau tifu lly landscaped,
th e buildings w ell established an d attrac
tively designed. T h e com m ent stated th a t it
m ig h t be in ferred th a t AMORC w as m ore
interested in convincing th a t it h ad a p hysi
cal organization th a n it was in p erp etu atin g
its tru e teachings an d philosophy. F u rth e r
com m ents seemed to indicate th a t th e in
q u ire r h ad in m in d th a t an organization
could c a rry on ju st as effectively in a h u
m a n ita ria n purpose an d in the benefit of
m an k in d w ith o u t a physical institution.
T h ere is no doubt b u t th a t this question
is true. M a n y of th e great teachers, both
religious and philosophical, h ad no physical

Page 70
assets. W e cannot judge ano th er h u m a n be
ing insofar as th e basic traits of his ch arac
te r are concerned, p u rely up o n his physical
possessions. A m a n m a y or m a y n o t have a
high degree of character regardless of w h at
m a y be his financial status. N evertheless,
th ere is one im p o rtan t m a tte r th a t is n ot
considered in these argum ents; th a t is, th a t
w ith A M ORCs physical in stitu tio n th ere is
a definite indication of stability. T o anyone
w ho has ever visited Rosicrucian P a rk and
seen th e beautiful designs of th e buildings
and grounds, th ere can be no doubt th a t
AM ORC is an established organization one
th a t is h ere to stay, not a m ovem ent h id in g
m erely behind an idea w ith n o th in g to back
it up. T h ere are m a n y individuals and
groups of individuals who are constantly
claim ing to be bringing about a n ew p h i
losophy or a new religion w hich upon in
vestigation have n othing of a physical n a
tu re to indicate a type of stab ility w hich
w ould give confidence to th e seeker. I do
not m ean b y this th a t anyone w ill affiliate
w ith AM ORC m erely because it does have
a n established physical institu tio n behind
the organization, b u t it does contribute to
confidence. A nyone w ill realize th a t AMORC
intends not only to perpetuate its teachings
today, b u t to continue to do so tom orrow ,
a y e a r from tom orrow , or fifty years from
tom orrow . A person affiliating w ith an or
ganization th a t has such facilities behind it
can be assured th a t it is not a m ovem ent
th a t w ill cease to exist as soon as it attracts
all the followers it cam throug h an em otional
appeal a t th e m om ent.
T h ere are individuals w ho m ake it a
business to establish organizations in th eir
hats. In other words, th e y sta rt a m ovem ent
w ith a lot of prom ises an d appeals p u rely
for th e purpose of attractin g as m u ch of a
follow ing as possible w hich w ill be to th eir
financial benefit. A t th e sam e tim e, th ey
invest nothing to insure stability or to in
dicate th e continuance of th e organization
in th e fu tu re because th e y h ave in m in d
o nly to obtain as m uch as th e y can w hile
th e appeal is popular and th en discontinuing
th e m ovem ent or going elsew here an d open
ing another in th e same pattern .
T h a t is w h y it does not p ay to have con
fidence in a m ovem ent w hich has no ad
dress b u t a post office box or m erely the
n am e of an individual. I do n o t m ean this

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to be in te rp re ted th a t th e re are n ot some
sincere individuals who are attem p tin g to
in te rp re t h u m a n values an d try in g to con
sciously m ake a contribution to h u m a n w el
fare, b u t such individuals w ill not m ake
claim s th a t can n o t be judged b y reason.
T h e y w ill n o t ask for large sum s of m oney,
if th e y have no in ten tio n of establishing a
physical organization.
W e are pleased w hen w e h e a r favorable
com m ents concerning Rosicrucian P a rk be
cause it is o u r purpose n o t m erely to m ake
an attractiv e place physically, b u t to m ake
th e attractiveness representative insofar as
it is ph y sically possible, of th e ideals and
p erm an en cy w hich th e organization rep re
sents. P hysical b eau ty is a relative thing,
b u t it is sometim es as n e a r as w e h u m an
beings can approach to th e representation
on a physical plane of th e ideals an d hopes
w hich w e hold m ost valuable. A

Dangers of Yogism
A soror of A ustralia, for th e first tim e,
addresses this F o r u m . She says: I w ould
be interested to know w h y to adopt the
Yoga system of living an d its principles
m eans tak in g a step backw ard in civiliza
tion for O ccidental persons. I can t quite
u n d erstan d w h y you say th is.
T h e soror refers to an adm onishm ent to
o ur students, w hich appears in one of our
m onographs, to be m ost cautious before in
d ulging various O riental practices an d p h i
losophies, because some m a y prove to be
d etrim en tal to th e health, an d others are not
in accord w ith th e progressive idealism of
th e W estern civilization. First* le t m e m ake
p lain th a t such a statem ent precludes an y
tho u g h t of lim itin g the studies of our Rosi
cru cian m em bers. T h e m otive behind it,
born out of u n p leasan t experiences, is to
prevent, if w e can, our fratres an d sorores
from doing in ju ry to them selves through
m isunderstanding.
L et us approach th e subject by saying
th a t m uch w hich is expounded in disserta
tions or o rally in private classes in A m erica,
for exam ple, b y self-styled exponents of
Yogism deviates from th e original system.
T h e adh eren t, in good faith , practices m uch
w hich is offered as this aspect of H in d u
philosophy, o n ly to le arn la te r perhaps th a t
it is a perverted presentation. T h ere have
been m a n y w ho have presented them selves

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

on public platform s, in this co u n try as

H in d u teachers of Yogism, w ho w ere n eith er
H indus nor h ad th e y ever been to In d ia, n or
h ad th e y ever studied th e purest form of
Yogism. I recall an incident th a t was
brought to m y attention. I t w as related th a t
a speaker occupied a large audito ru m in
N ew Y ork C ity and was p u rported ly lec
tu rin g on Yogism and other aspects of H in
du philosophy. H e wras v ery careful to ca rry
out th e necessary staging and dram atic ef
fects for the im pressing of his audience.
H e had, for exam ple, large pots of incense
b u rn in g in conspicuous places in th e au d i
torium . H e also had, as his assistants, a t
tractive young girls, w earing diaphanous
robes of lavish O riental design. H e him self
w ore a m eticulously w ound tu rb a n and col
orful silken robe, but he w as thoughtless
enough to w ear shoes of leather. T o real
scholars and students of H in d u philosophy,
this branded him a t once as a fraud. T he
sincere H indu, if as orthodox as this speaker
represented him self to be, w ould n ot have
w o rn th a t w hich is of the hide of an a n i
m al. T h e destruction of anim al life for an y
purpose w hatsoever w ould have been re
p u g n an t to the devoted and orthodox H indu.
T h e Yoga system in H in d u philosophy is
b u t a branch of th e v ery scholarly an d pro
found S ankhya philosophy. T h e Yoga sys
tem w as rem oved from this com plete p h i
losophy, of w hich it w as a p art, an d th e n
expounded separately. T he Sankhya, or p a r
ent philosophy does not recognize a p er
sonal God. Some w ho have m isunderstood
its doctrines have even declared it to be
atheistic. Yoga in its la te r developm ents (no
one of course knows w hen it occurred) h ad
loosely injected th e concept of a personal
God. W e say loosely injected, because since
it w as never constituted to expound a p er
sonal God, th e concept alw ays appears th e re
in as not en tirely relevant. T his injection
of a personal God is indissolubly connected
w ith th e subtlest form of m a tte r. In other
w ords, God is a personal being in th e Yoga
system , and y et H e exists as a subtle ele
m e n t or force, b y w hich m a tte r is given its
expression. T hough God is personal, yet,
according to th e Yoga system , H e is subtlely
present, in th e pantheistic sense, in all
things. Philosophically, it therefore becomes
difficult to recognize this theism , on th e one

Page 71

h and, an d this p a n th eism , on the other. It

am ounts to saying th a t God is definitely
an d exclusively th ere, y et H e is rig h t here
also.
A u n io n or absorption into this God was
th e original object of Yoga. T his aspect of
Yoga, w e m ig h t say, conforms to th e objec
tives of m ysticism . I n practice, this un io n
is said to be effected by a diversion of the
senses from the ex tern al w orld, to a concen
tratio n of th o u g h t w ith in . E ach of th e senses
should be dom inated by th e sensations of
self w ith in an d its u n io n w ith God. In
other words, n o t to do aw ay w ith th e facul
ty of seeing an d h earin g , for exam ple, b u t
ra th e r to direct th e ir perception in w ard , by
w hich to attain a vision and a h earin g of
th a t in n e r u n io n of the self an d God, to
have a com plete self-realization, if you will.
W h e n one was able to see, h ear, an d to feel
this u n io n eq u ally as w ell as he can ordi
n a rily th e ex tern al w orld, th e n he has cul
m in ated his application of the Yoga system
satisfactorily.
T h e practices include extrem e m easures of
hypnotism an d self-m ortification. T h e d an
gers of it lie in th e self-m ortification or selfabnegation. T hese am o u n t to extrem e p rac
tices of diet, rigid postures, an d v ery rigid
concentration, an d b reath in g exercises. P e r
sons w ith cardiac an d resp irato ry ailm ents
m ig h t lose th e ir lives in indulging such ex
trem e practices. O thers, by th e exceptionally
rigid concentration exercises, m ig h t b rin g
about nervous breakdow ns, if n o t lose th e ir
sanity. T h e form of ascetism w hich strict
Yogism advocates, am ounts to nihilism ,
n am ely avoiding an d doing aw ay w ith the
obligations to society and th a t necessary exte m alism w hich is a n essential p a rt of our
W estern civilization and culture. If one
wishes to h ie aw ay to a m o u n tain retrea t
an d to live as an anchorite, spending hours
in blissful oblivion an d concentration in th e
Cosmic state, an d n o t concern him self w ith
his fellows an d th e ir problem s of living, he
m a y become a successful Yogi. T ru e W est
ern m ysticism teaches th a t such a practice
w ould be a defeat of m a n s Cosmic obliga
tion to his fellow m en and inveighs against
it. A n y system of Yogism w hich deletes an y
of these factors above, is, afte r all, not
Yogism except in n am e. X

The
Worlds
Mysteries
Within Your
Family
Circle!

T h e w orld is at y our fingertips in th e peace and quiet of y o u r home. Freedom to investigate

the unusual, to study the m ysteries of th e ea rth , now exists w ith in the frien d ly atm osphere
of y o u r hom e circle. For centuries those who op en ly dared to stu d y th e n a tu re of God, de
clared the earth round or probed the in n e r w orkings of the m in d , w ere scoffed at, scorned
and subject to death. T h e th in k e r and seeker w ho h ad th e sincere desire
to satisfy the urge to know was obliged to expose him self to these
abuses. N o longer is th a t necessary. T h e Readers Research A cadem y
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closures of th e scientists w ho challenge obsolete ideas, th e suppressed
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S t o n e h e n g e . T he a n
our universe. W ith in th e d ignity of y o u r hom e the m em bers of your
c ie n t tem ple of a n e arly
b ro th e rh o o d w h o s e se
fam ily m a y particip ate in th e fascinating discussions w hich w ill arise
c re ts of n a tu re a re g ra d
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(No. 6) MYSTICAL BIBLE INSTRUCTIONS. This course reveals outstanding informa
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sent each month for only

50e

P e r Mo.

THE READERS RESEARCH ACADEMY

ROSICRUCIAN

PARK,

PR IN TED IN U . S . A .

S AN JOSE,

A m enhotep IV , E g y p
tia n P h a ra o h . One ut
th e w o rld 's g r e a t e s t
m y s tic s . B e a d th e
course, F a ith s of th e
W o rld .

CALIFORNIA,

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

U.S.A.

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM

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A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER
Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U .S . Postal Act of Oct. 3, 1917.

Vol. XV

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FACING THE SHADOWS

(A w arded First Prize in the Paris "H e ra ld ,"
during W o rld W a r 1}

When I behold the tense and tragic night

Shrouding the earth in vague symbolic gloom,
And when I think that ere my fancys flight
Has reached the portals of the inner room
Where knightly ghosts, guarding the sacred ark
O f brave romance, through me shall sing again,
Death may engulf me in eternal dark
Still, I have no regret nor poignant pain,

For

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No. 4

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FEBRUARY, 1945

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V V V V V

.^r-^ A A A A A A A A A A A . A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

Better in one ecstatic, epic day

To strike a blow for GLORY and for TRUTH,
With ardent, singing heart to toss away
In FREEDOM'S holy cause my eager youth,
Than bear, as weary years pass one by one,
The knowledge of a sacred task, undone.
By Private W illia m I. Grundish,
U. S. A rm y in France, W o rld W a r I

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY
OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY
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Page 74

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Greetings !
V V V
Dear Fratres and Sorores:
T h e attitu d e of m ind has alw ays h ad its
directors. Like those cardinal directions of
th e compass, th e y are four in n u m b er;
nam ely, th e y are forw ard, retrogression, and
to th e right and to the left. T hus th ere are
alw ays those w ho by th eir thin k in g an d b y
th e policies w hich th ey form are definitely
constructive and creative. Such an attitude
is obviously progressive or the forw ard direction. Conversely, there are those w ho,
for various reasons, sometimes u naccounta
ble, or because life has caused th em to be
em bittered, are retrogressive in th e ir th in k
ing. T h ey are continually opposing the
existing status, thinking illogically, and
seem to find a perverted enjoym ent in de
struction and obstruction.
Of the four directions in w hich thought
and subsequent action m ay move, th e right
and le ft are m ost com m only know n. T h e
rig h tist is a conservative. H e is inclined to
the influence of tradition and is relu ctan t to
tru n ca te tested and approved customs for
even the m ost prom ising new opportunities.
T h e rightist is quite often an obstacle to
progress, or a t least a delaying factor b y his
punctilious attitu d e of w eighing everything
by w h at has been done. H ow ever, th ere is
m uch to be said in defense of th e rightist.
H e is not m aliciously try in g to reta rd prog
ress. H is is an attitude of caution and a
reluctance of chancing the loss of w h at has
been gained and proven to have m e rit,.o n
the probability th a t som ething b etter m a y
be obtained. T he rightist, therefore, is a
tem porizing influence upon extrem e ra d i
calism and often a preserver of past accom
plishm ents. T h ere is and m ust alw ays be a
rig h tist m ovem ent or attitude of m in d in
every w ell-balanced society, w hatever its ob
jectives.
On the other hand, the leftists like to style
them selves liberals. T he average leftist, how
ever, is of the opinion th a t progress consists
in ju st freeing oneself from certain rig h tist
ideals or customs. It is a m istaken concep

tion, for analogy, th a t ju m ping off the boat

into th e m iddle of the stream m eans th a t by
such a rad ical d ep artu re you are going to
m ake sw ifter an d easier passage. T h ere is a
v ast distinction betw een a tru e liberal a tti
tude and a rad ical one. W e do n ot seek
freedom unless w e are fu lly aw are or have
good reason to believe th a t w e are fettered.
H ow does one know th a t he is fettered? It
is first necessary to have in m in d some end
or objective w hich you cannot obtain be
cause of restraint. O nly w hen you are con
scious of a restrain t, does th e idea of free
dom arise. N o m a n w ould call him self a
prisoner, even if behind h eavy bars, if he
h ad no desire to be elsewhere. Since h e has
no desires, th e y could not be opposed by
any th in g .
T h e real liberal, therefore, is n ot one who
deliberately sets u p ideals or courses of ac
tion ju st to be co n trary to existing stan d
ards. Such a person is nothing m ore th a n a
dissenter, an d an agitator. H is ends are ob
viously n o t constructive. H e is n o t in ten d in g
to supplem ent or supplant, b u t to te a r dow n
the existing. T h e true liberal is one w ho
w ants to be free of th a t w hich he believes
encum bers h im from attain in g th a t w hich
h e th in k s w ill serve, not ju st him self, b u t
all others b etter th a n an existing th in g or
condition. T herefore, the tru e liberal de
votes m ost of his energies and talents to the
p rom ulgation of his own leftist ends. H e
lets his objective itself become com petitive
w ith th e conservative rightist. H e does not
devote him self to tearin g down, assaulting,
and abusing th e rightist. A fter all, such
tactics, even if successful, w ould n ot actu
ally establish th e leftists own ends. Conse
q u en tly , m a n y self-styled liberals are n o th
in g m ore th a n dissenters and destructive.
T h e y conduct acrim onious cam paigns b y
w ord of m outh, or in p rin t, against estab
lished activities and enterprises, an d y et
th e y offer absolutely nothing superior or
even equal to th a t w hich th e y attack. Such
false cam paigns can and o ften do deceive
m a n y persons b y th e ir strid en t voices

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

against this or that. A tru e liberal is know n

b y his cham pioning of th a t w hich h e wishes
to replace th e existing. If one is co n tin u ally
attacking th e existing b u t never presenting
in an equally prom in en t w ay w h at he has
to offer as its successor, you w ill know h im
as a dissenter an d agitator, travellin g u n d er
the subterfuge of a liberal.
T oday it is said th a t w e are on th e
threshold of great political, economic, an d
religious changes th a t this is a tran sito ry
period. T his m a y or m a y not be so. I n fact,
every decade has been transitory , insofar as
some im p o rta n t aspect of society is con
cerned. E very great w ar compels tran sitio n
because it stam ps out and destroys m uch of
w h a t existed, an d in building anew , w e are
all inclined to build differently. T ru e lib er
als or leftists realize th a t this is th e tim e
th a t is opportune for them to fu rth e r th e
presentation of th e ir distinctly different
plans an d th e y are in telligently an d con
structively, as w ell as sincerely expounding
them . Consequently, the public m ind, con
scious of changes th a t m u st come as a resu lt
of th e necessary era of reconstruction, is
focused upon th a t w hich professes to be
liberal an d leftist. This situation affords the
dissenters and agitators an unprecedented
o pportunity in our tim es. T h ey lau n ch a t
tack a fte r attack, in bitterness and w ithout
an y purpose o ther th a n to exercise th e ir
m alice and bias against th a t w hich dis
pleases them , as individual or prejudiced
groups and all in the n am e of liberalism.
T h ey b u y tim e over n ational radio hookup
and sta rt a series of scurrilous attacks, skil
fu lly w orded to iavoid the law s of defam a
tion of character. T h ey issue little pulp
new spapers of four or six sheets, for w hich
th e y solicit subscribers or even give th e
sheets aw ay to fu rth e r th e ir purpose of a t
tack on established institutions or customs
w hich th e y personally dislike.
A n exam ination of such periodicals w ill
often show colum n after colum n of vituperous assault upon w ell know n individuals,
organizations, or corporations. One w ill have
to h u n t to find w h a t is offered as a substi
tu te or replacem ent for w h at th e y seek to
te ar down. T h e pages of such periodicals
are replete w ith th e words or phrase, liberal
m ovem ent, or w ith the phrase, w e liberals

Page 75

of A m erica, etc., etc. These periodicals have

and hold a considerable following, w hich is
not difficult to u nderstand. F irst, m ost of
th e ir readers have, as w e have tried to point
out, confused dissension w ith tru e liberalism .
Second, u n fo rtu n ately , th e re is a perverse
streak in h u m a n character, to w hich w e all
of us a t tim es are subject. T his is jealousy
of pow er an d of success. T h ere are those
who are so psychologically constituted th a t
th e y derive a sadistic en joym ent from see
ing th a t w hich is p ro m in en t an d influential
become a ta rg e t for attack. T h e nefarious
desire blinds th e ir reason. W h e n in these
false liberal periodicals, th e y read of attacks
on established an d successful institutions,
th e y do n o t in q u ire behind th e statem ents
made. T h eir sense of justice is stem m ed.
T h ey n ev er once in q u ire into the v alid ity
of th e statem ents. Even a cursory investi
gation, like a resort to an encyclopedia,
w ould often prove th a t th e charges w ere
m endacious. T h e fact is, such readers, be
cause of a peculiar quirk of m ind, w a n t to
believe th e w orst about th a t of w hich th e y
are envious.
T h ere are also individuals or groups who
lack constructive plans or th e ability to so
develop one; th u s th e y are incapable, in th e
m a n n er of a tru e liberal, of attractin g a tte n
tion to them selves by th e ir ow n m erit. A
n u m b er of such gain prom inence b y the
perverse m ethod of sallying forth as liberals
and attacking all of th a t w hich is p ro m in en t
an d thus gaining th e atten tio n of those who
like such attacks or who actu ally m isu n d er
stand and th in k th e m to be liberal views.
Be cautious, be intelligent, be analytical!
W h e n you read articles in periodicals (no
m a tte r how extensively th e y are circ u lated ),
w hich p u rp o rt to be liberal an d w hich re
sort to attack w ith o u t offering equally as
sound substitutes as th a t w hich th ey attack,
investigate them . Do n o t accept as factual
m ere statem ents appearing therein. Do not
let y o u r ju d g m en t be imposed upon. Do n ot
u n w ittin g ly give y o u r support to sm ear cam
paigns a n d destructive elem ents of society.
AMORC, th e Rosicrucian Order, has only
recen tly been subject again to such abuses,
b y several of these p urported and false lib
eral publications, one of w hich w e know has

Page 76

certain selfish motives. I n this periodical,

AMORC was accused of being a Fascist or
ganization. E v ery Rosicrucian m em ber an d
student knows how diligently w e tr y to
keep our literatu re free from political partisanism , and how ridiculous such a charge
is in fact. T h e basis of this u n w arra n te d
attack is th a t about ten or tw elve years ago
one W m . D udley Pelley (now accused b y
the U nited States G overnm ent as a leader
of a subversive m ovem ent), w rote a book
w hich we recom m ended in the Rosicrucian
Digest. T his attack cleverly stopped a t th a t
point of explanation. I t did not explain th a t
the book we recom m ended h ad to do strictly
w ith m etaphysics and no t politics. I t did
not explain th a t a t th a t tim e W m . D udley
P elley w as not g uilty of subversive conduct,
and it did not explain th a t the content of
P elleys book or his article on m etaphysics
was prin ted at about the sam e tim e in T h e
A m erican M agazine. T h e w hole insidious
im plication left for the readers was th a t
P elley then was, as Pelley now is, and th a t
therefore w e w ere recom m ending a book
w hich supported his Fascist views. T h e
authors of this attack knew differently.
T h ey knew th a t th e ir other references w ere
ju st as exaggerated, and w ere only p a rt
tru th s, b u t th e y also knew th a t th e average
reader w ould not investigate fu rth e r and
w ould accept the statem ents as fact. H ow
ever, th e y m ust have been deluged w ith
letters of righteous indignation from Rosicru
cian m em bers for m a n y w rote stating th e y
w ould w rite an d some sent copies of th e ir
letters of protest to the periodical.
Also a m agazine, w ith a very fu tu ristic
title, ap p a ren tly issued u n d er th e guise of
liberalism , w rote an attack on cults and
ism s, w hich sought certain advantages u n
der th e pretext of religion. I t was obvious
th a t several of those m entioned w ere n ot
tru ly religious societies, though th e y w ere so
incorporated an d so represented them selves.
H ow ever, it accused AM ORC of being a r e
ligious m ovem ent, th a t is, AMORC w as
grouped in w ith these as a religious sect.
Now, it is w ell know n to every m em ber
th a t AMORC is not incorporated as a re li
gious organization or church, and has re
peatedly referred to itself in all of its lite ra
tu re as a non-religious organization. R efer
ence to our incorporation articles by anyone,

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

or b y a m em ber of the staff of th a t m ag a

zine, or to a n y of the leading encyclopedias
an d to histories, on ROSICRU CIA NISM , in
the public libraries, would have revealed th e
tru th ; nam ely , th a t the Rosicrucian O rder is
not a religious organization, and, therefore,
should n o t have been included in such an
article. T h e article was w ritte n in a su p er
cilious style an d w ith a false liberal p rete n
tion. M a n y Rosicrucian m em bers w rote le t
ters of protest about the m endacious state
m ents contained in the article w ith respect
to AMORC. One fra te r in F lorida w rote a
m ost effective protest and elicited from the
E ditor in Chief a letter of apology, w hich
we quote in p art:
I w as v ery n a tu ra lly distressed to read
y o u r analysis of th e article, Cults of the
L eft B ehind, an d in the J a n u a ry issue of
blank th e re w ill be a statem ent th a t I am
sure th e theosophical group ( theosophical
group in this sense m eaning a group de
voted to th e philosophy and study of God
and sp iritu al m atters) w ill definitely ap
prove of.
On m y ow n behalf, I w ould like you to
be aw are of th e following: I sent th e a r
ticle, Cults of th e L eft Behinds back to th e
authors to have certain changes m ade, w hen
I first read it, b u t w hen it w as fin ally re
tu rn ed , I w as aw ay from th e office an d re
lied on th e ju d g m en t of an editor who is no
longer w ith th e m agazine. M r. B lank has
recen tly joined th e editorial staff of blank.
Because he is a m a n of sp iritu al dignity
and in teg rity , I can assure you th a t th ere
w ill no longer be an y th in g published of an
upsetting or dubious n atu re in blank.
F ra tern ally ,
R A L PH M . LE W IS,
Im perator.

What Are Accidents?

T h e N ew Y ork M inor Lodge of AMORC
conducts a m o n th ly forum . T h e m em bers
propound a n u m b e r of questions concerning
th e R osicrucian teachings, an d m atters re
latin g to th e ir principles. I t is a n excellent
activity an d one w hich should be encouraged
in all AM ORC lodges an d chapters. One of
the questions in th e ir last fo ru m was p ro

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

vocative of considerable thought. I t was:

W h a t is the m ystical and m etaphysical ex
p lanation of so-called accidents? I t was sug
gested th a t we, too, consider the subject in
our F o r u m , w hich we shall now do, w ith
pleasure.
L et us first realize th a t every philosophical
topic, or one th a t has a speculative basis, can
not alw ays be approached m ystica lly. U n
fortunately, th e w ord m ystical has come to
be confused w ith the m ysterious, or th a t
w hich is abstract or abstruse. M ysticism and
m etaphysics are both branches or aspects of
philosophy. As related to the above question,
I believe th a t m etaphysics or th e doctrine of
first causes could be stretched to apply, b u t
not v ery aptly.
In ord in ary experience, w h a t do w e m ean
by accident? H ow , in fact, do we recognize
one? A sudden event occurs, affecting an
individual. T he cause of it is either u n p re
m editated or inordinate.
T hereu p o n the
event is referred to as an accident. W e are
all quite conscious of causes. In fact, w e are
so constituted th a t w e seek to find one for
every effect. If an effect cannot be related
to a n y ap p aren t intelligence th a t is, if w h at
occurred was not instituted b y some person
in ten tio n ally w e begin to suspect an acci
dent. If fu rth e r investigation discloses th a t
the event w as precipitated b y a factor or
factors w hich are beyond the bounds of w h at
we consider th e orderly arran g em en t of
causes an d effects, w e are th e n positive in
our assertion th a t it is an accident. F rom
this, w e can see th a t accidents do n ot escape
having causes, b u t th a t w e consider th e ir
causes as being random ones. I t is, according
to the p opular notion, as though a cause h ad
divorced itself from an orderly progression
and r a n am uck in space and tim e.
L et us use a hom ely analogy, w hich we
have used before in connection w ith this
sam e topic. A m a n chooses to cross a busy
thoroughfare in th e m iddle of the block, in
stead of an intersection. H e is struck b y a
car w hich w as driven a t a proper speed.
W ould it be called an accident? No, because
the p rincipal cause w as an inten tio n al one.
Such a situation has b u t one ratio n al con
clusion. T h e individual h ad in ten tio n ally
brought about th e condition b y not crossing
at th e intersection. W e can see how th e
causes w ere related to each other. Such a
condition as fin ally occurred, w e can easily

Page 77

reason w ould alw ays exist as a potentiality,

nam ely, if th e person crossed in th e same
m anner.
N ow, to use an o th er analogy. A m an
w alks along a sidew alk, on w hich he has a
rig h t to be. A piece of th e cornice of the
building high above him , falls, striking h im
on the head an d k illing him . T h e general
opinion w ould be th a t such is an accident.
W h y ? It w ould be contended th a t h ere w as
n eith er in te n t as a cause, n o r th a t w hich was
p a rt of a n a tu ra l progression of causes. A ctu
ally, how ever, c o n tra ry to com m on opinion,
such was not a n accident, b u t th e resu lt of a
proper cause, a cause as consistent w ith n a tu
ra l an d m ystical law s as a n y o th er event
w hich m en w ould n o t call an accident. T he
efficient cause, th e one th a t actu ally dislodged
th e stone th a t killed the m a n was v ery m uch
a p a rt of a concatenation of unperceived
causes. T h e fact is this: w hen m a n is unable
to anticipate or to perceive w h at to h im is a
chain of logical causes an d events, th e sudden
an d unexpected realization of one of such
causes h e designates an accident.
N othing can escape th a t persistency of
phenom enon in n a tu re w hich w e call law.
C onsequently, all things occur b y a progres
sion of causes an d events. N othing is actual
ly spontaneous, except in th e im pression it
m a y m ake u p o n us. N othing is a n a rb itra ry
in stitu tio n of d istinct causes an d effects, ap a rt
from the forces an d law s of n atu re. Even
m a n s w ill is no exception. O ur w ill is a
cause, b u t it is p a rt of th e Cosmic p la n th a t
w e exercise w ill, so w e cannot escape doing
so. M a n s com prehension of these law s and
this order is so lim ited, so finite th a t all th a t
w hich he cannot relate to his conception of it,
he term s accident. T h e m an w ho walked
ben eath th e fallin g cornice w as governed in
his m ovem ent b y th e law s of propulsion. T h e
speed w ith w h ich he covered th e distance
along the sidew alk corresponded to those de
velopm ents of change an d m otion w hich
caused th e cohesive pow er of th e cem ent
h olding th e cornice to lessen an d fin ally for
g rav ity to d raw th e loose p a rt dow nw ard.
A ll of these causes coincide w ith th e law s of
cause and effect. I t is a complex u n ity or an
order w hich m a n often does n ot conceive,
an d w hich he does n ot thoroughly u n d er
stand, so consequently h e has th e notion th a t
certain results are accidents or chance.

Page 78

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

I t m ight seem chance or accident to a la y

m a n th a t a m eteorite strikes a p articu la r spot
on th e e a rth s surface, instead of some other.
Yet, if a m athem atician and a physicist w ere
to know the exact w eight of th e original
m eteor and th e particle itself w hich broke
off from it, as w ell as its p articu la r m otion
in space, th e extent of its incandescence or
gaseous n a tu re w hen it reached th e atm os
pheric belt of th e earth, an d m a n y other fac
tors involved, th e n indubitably th e y could
calculate w ith alm ost exactitude ju st w here
it w ould land, and to them it w ould be no
accident. H av in g such know ledge of th e
causes, accident or chance as notions, w ould
n ot en ter into its landing on a precise spot.
I t w ould be inevitable th a t th e m eteorite
w ould lan d w here it did. N ot know ing such
things, w e are often inclined to substitute the
te rm accident for the series of actual b u t not
realized causes. X

T he N a tu r e of God
A soror of th e M idw est now arises to ad
dress our F o r u m . She says: R ecently
am ong a group of advanced Rosicrucians of
this city, th e subject of th e n a tu re of God
arose. T h ere w ere various presentations of
the idea. Some w ere conflicting, as, for
exam ple:
God is perfect and knows no evil.
God knows both good an d evil.
God is both good and evil.
Of course, I have m y ow n ideas about
God. B ut I am learn in g to know how e r
roneous a great m a n y of these are; so, most
graciously, I w ould welcome fu rth e r Rosi
crucian statem ents on this m ost im p o rtan t of
all questions.
A nother soror, from w ar-to rn England,
also arises to express opinions, an d ask q u es
tions of this F o r u m , on the same topic: Is
God creating him self through m ankind? T h e
law of all being is cellular. M an is a p o lar
ized cell in the greater polarized cell of the
universe. M ankind is evolving as m illions of
sm all cells governed by th e sam e law s as
th e cell of the universe. Is this God the vast
cell? T hen, as I see it, now w e each have a
certain definite character, an ideal to attain.
T his p attern fits perfectly into its ow n place.
God depends upon each of us h arm onizing
and fitting into the design.

In alm ost all of th e liturgies an d ritu als of

the R osicrucian teachings, th e deity is re
ferred to as th e God of our H earts. A d
m ittedly, such does not attem p t a definition
of th e Suprem e Being. In fact, w ithout m ak
ing an extensive research th ro u g h the de
grees of th e teachings of our O rder, I can,
w ith assurance, say th a t th e re is no precise
fram in g into w ords the idea of God. T h e
prem ise upon w hich th e teachings are
founded in th is m a tte r is to delineate as
th oroughly as possible th e m anifestations of
God, so th a t H e m a y be experienced b y the
individual. T h is is to p erm it th e individual,
in accordance w ith th e personal developm ent
of his in n e r consciousness an d aw akening of
self, to define God in a m a n n e r th a t is com
prehensible to him . T hus, th e God of y o u r
H e a rt is th e God th a t you understand. W e
w ould v en tu re to say th a t in every little
assem bly of a dozen Rosicrucians, te n of
th em w ould agree on the R osicrucian ex
p lanations of D ivine phenom ena as ta u g h t
b y AMORC. In all probability, how ever, not
m ore th a n tw o in a group of th a t size could
or w ould be in accord as to w h a t constitutes
the n a tu re of God.
T o an y individual, God is th e synthesis of
certain of his experiences. E ach individual is
im m ured in a w ealth of personal feelings,
in n e r responses, observations, an d intellectu
al developm ents out of w hich th e idea of
God springs. E ven w here persons appear b y
th e ir religious affiliation, th e ir church a t
tendance, to h ave accepted th e sam e concep
tion of God, in th e final an d m ore specific
analysis th e ir concepts disagree. A fter all, to
th e average individual, God is not alone a
substance or a m ind-cause, but, as well, God
is inchoate in th e incidents of life itself. In
other words, m en sum u p m o ral values and
the objectives of life as th e y see them , and to
th em these are of th e n a tu re of God. In fact,
it is these la tte r w hich cause th e greatest
divergencies in th e opinion of the n a tu re
of God.
W e w ill endeavor to sum m arize a few of
th e p ro m in en t conceptions of God. W e w ill
also indicate w h y some are n o t com patible
w ith a tru ly m ystical conception of a Su
prem e Being. N ex t and finally, we shall
attem p t a v ery brief m ystical definition. T h e
latter, for th e reasons alread y given, w ill, of
course, n ot be en tirely acceptable to all ad
vanced Rosicrucians or students of m y sti

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

cism, b u t should include several elem ents

w hich are:
T h e i s m : P rin cip ally , this is th e belief in
a personal God. It is a belief th a t God is an
actual being an d as such is th e cause of all
of th e re a lity of th e universe, w hich, of
course, includes m a n him self. T heism m ore
th a n adm its th e existence of God, it m akes
H im a tangible being a rea lity h aving form
an d personal consciousness. Theism , in its
broadest sense, includes polyth eism and
henotheism . T h e form er is the conception
th a t th e re are several gods, each h aving cer
ta in pow ers of creation and w ho possess p er
sonal consciousness as does m an. H enotheism
is th e ascribing of a suprem e pow er to several
gods in succession; sim ply put, th a t th ere is
a kind of h ie ra rc h y of gods, th e powers of
each increasing in accordance w ith his rank.
I n polytheism th e form s w hich the gods take
are m ultitudinous th a t is, th e y m a y be like
alm ost an y th in g and, therefore, polytheism
approaches an d often is allied w ith idolatry.
In fact, polytheism is a n earlier an d m ore
prim itive conception of theism .
I n th e highest sense, theism is the belief
in a single God, b u t still a personal God. H e
is a God th a t thinks, plans, and has m a n y
or n e a rly all, according to th e literal view
of th e S criptures, the em otions an d senti
m ents of m a n him self. T his aspect of theism ,
th e belief in a single God, is know n as m ono
theism . T heism fu rth e r expounds th a t this
personal God or being transcends the world.
H is n atu re , his actual reality, are rem ote
from m a teria l substance. H e is said to dwell
in a place or in a state or condition w hich is
ap a rt from an y other substance or th in g
w ith in th e universe. On th e o ther han d , it is
said th a t H is spirit and H is know ledge are
im m an en t in th e w orld. To u n derstan d this
better, theism , w hich we m a y say includes
th e average orthodox C hristian religion, is
th e belief th a t God as a personal being does
no t dw ell in th e w orld or in an y w orld, in
fact. H ow ever, it is held th a t God asserts
him self in such a m a n n er th a t H is spirit,
H is D ivine personality and know ledge direct
all reality , all m en and things of th e u n i
verse. T heism consequently affirms th a t God
reveals him self as theophanic experiences to
m an, th a t is, H e m anifests to m a n s con
sciousness.
T heism m ost freq u en tly includes th e a n
thropom orphic conception of God. T his

Page 79

m eans th a t God is conceived as an exalted,

om nipotent, an d om niscient being in h u m a n
form . To th e theist, God is a m an. H e sees,
hears, speaks, an d talks as h u m an s do, b u t in
a m a n n e r fa r exceeding th e ir powers. As this
n arro w view of theism gives form to God, it
likewise assigns H im a position in space.
God is above, H e is in th e heavens in a
specific place. T h e orthodox theist in A m eri
ca, w ho points u p w ard to th e abode of God,
is probably n o t aw are th a t the theist of
A u stralia, for exam ple, w ho is also pointing
upw ard, is actually, because of his relative
position on the face of th e earth , pointing in
a different direction to God.
T h e th eist is one for w hom abstraction is
perhaps qu ite difficult. It is n o t possible for
h im to express devotion for a D ivine cause
and effect. R eality to h im is substance; it is
som ething th a t m u st fall w ith in th e cate
gories of dim ension and form , or else it is a
vagary. God being a real, a n in tim ate ex
perience to him , h e consequently clothes th a t
experience in those ideas of form an d sub
stance, w hich his m in d can em brace. T h e
idea of God as consciousness, or as a m in d
is too in tan g ib le for h im an d he abhors it.
T h e qualities of goodness, w hich the theist
attrib u tes to God, seem to h im to flow from
the sam e causes as he experiences goodness
com ing from his fellow hum ans. God has
com passion; H e loves h u m a n ity as a fath e r
loves his children. God despises evil, as m en
do; therefore, H e smites H is enem ies, u sing
His m eans to do so, ju st as m en w ith in th e ir
lim ited cap acity do likewise. W h atev er m a n
conceives as evidences of God, he seeks
w ith in his ow n capacity, w ith in his ow n
m ortal being, for exam ples of these functions
of God. Sim ply p u t, to th e theist, m a n is
the offspring of God, not ju st sp iritu ally b u t
physically as w ell. T he Biblical statem ents
th a t w e are ch ild ren of God are taken lite ra l
ly b y th e theist. T h ey cause h im to d raw
a parallel betw een Gods functions and
his own.
D e i s m : T his conception contrasts striking
ly w ith theism . D eism is th e recognition of
a Suprem e Being, a Being th a t is the teleological o r m ind-cause of th e universe. T h e
deist contends th a t God does n o t continuous
ly exercise H is w ill an d intercede in th e
affairs of m an. T h e deist conceives th a t God
w as an in itial cause. H e created all things
as th e y now are, an d has p erm itted th em to

Page 80

exist and function according to th e precon

ceived plan. To the deist, therefore, God is
a rational explanation of th e cause of all
existence. T h e deist contends th a t God can
not be personally experienced th ro u g h m a n i
festations in th e consciousness of m an. T h e
deist takes th e position th a t w e know God
by view ing H is works, w hich are evidences
of th e w isdom of God, b u t th a t th e deity
does not reveal know ledge to hum an s in d i
vidually. D eism is a form of gnosticism and
is generally not w ith in the scope of orthodox
C hristian theology. H ow ever, b y no m eans,
it m u st be obvious, can the deist be con
sidered an atheist.
P a n t h e i s m : T his is a distinctive d ep artu re
from both theism and deism. T h e p antheist
also conceives God as a first cause. T his
m uch is not unlike theism an d deism. H is
God, how ever, does not transcend th e w orld,
b u t is en tirely im m an en t in it. T h e p a n
theists God is absolutely form less. H e is
w ithout p articu la r form because H e is all
things. H e perm eates the entire universe
and pulsates through all things in it. T h e re
fore, no single form could be conceived by
m a n to represent God. In fact, th e tru e
p antheist is not a dualist. In other words, he
does not recognize God and m atter, or God
and reality. T o him th ere is only one tru e
reality, and th a t is God, th e m oving, in te lli
gent, active cause of everythin g existing
everyw here. W h a t m an experiences as rea li
ty or the p articulars of the w orld, according
to the pantheist, are b u t th e variations of
this incessantly active m ind, or God, w hich
is ubiquitous.
To the pantheist, God, for exam ple, is in
a tree, H e is in a star, in a leaf, as w ell as
in a new -born babe. A ll of these things, he
says, are in accordance w ith th e n a tu re of
God, w hich is th e ir v ery essence. T h ere is
m ore of God, m ore of H is infinite essence
in some expressions of H is being th a n in
others. M an is one of such com plex expres
sions. D evelopm ent, or w h at w e te rm evolu
tion, is an accretion of the w ays in w hich
God m anifests as a single thing. F o r analogy,
a bouquet of flowers has m ore of th e fullness
and com pleteness of those attrib u tes of fra
grance and beau ty of color th a n has the
single flower. So, too, m an has m ore of God
w ith in him th a n a tree or star has, because
of th e num erous attributes of w hich m a n
consists. H ow ever, no one thing, or a n y

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

group of things could be all of God, even

though it w ould be m ore of H im , because
God is in fin ite an d th ere are no lim its to
w h at H e can be or is.
T ru e m ysticism includes m a n y of the
aspects of pantheism . T h e m ystic does not
isolate God. H e does not rem ove H im from
th e w orld of m aterial things. To th e m ystic,
all law as expressed in an y phenom ena, m a t
ter, energy, an d in the spiritual consciousness
of m a n is th e m in d of God. M an is the
greatest expression of this all-pervading m in d
of God, because it is in m a n s form alone
th a t God is aw are of H im self. W h en m an
is conscious of his ow n D ivine self, God th en
is conscious of H is ow n n atu re. Gods selfconsciousness is expanded, is increased to the
extent th a t m an k in d realizes its own D ivine
natu re. God, therefore, is ever creating H is
ow n self-consciousness, as th e soror has said.
T h e philosophy of L eibnitz offers some
excellent exam ples of m ystical pantheism .
L eibnitzs doctrine of preconceived h a rm o n y,
a definite p la n for th e universe, into w hich
all things fit and w hich constitute the n atu re
of God, to a great extent, parallels th e views
of th e soror given above. T h e m onad, accord
ing to L eibnitz, is the sm allest particle of
reality. T hese m onads are im bued w ith a
consciousness. E ach is aw are, if you w ill, of
a specific objective, a d u ty to perform , w hich
has been instilled in him . T h e m onads are
arran g ed according to a g rad u atin g scale of
im portance, or, shall w e say, com plexity.
T h e lowest of th e m com prise m atter, w hile
the highest are those w hich com prise selfconsciousness, th e ones th a t are aw are of
th e ir ow n n atu re. T hese m onads cluster to
gether in accordance w ith th e preconceived
p lan of God. Soul m onads cluster to those
w hich com prise th e body; those of the body
cluster to th e soul. N eith er is try in g to help
the other. E ach has its ow n duties to p er
form , b u t like p arts in a great m achine, th ey
all fit in together, in accordance w ith the
plan of th e in v en to r or designer. A ccording
to L eibnitz, God does n o t have to intercede.
H e does n ot h ave to adjust things because
each th in g is im bued w ith his consciousness
at the outset. E ach has its purpose, and all
function together harm oniously. T h ey be
gan together to serve a purpose, and th ey
cannot escape th a t purpose.
As to w h eth er God created good and evil,
th a t is p u rely a theological and polemic dis-

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

cussion, and it ends now here, because n eith er

good nor evil are positive. T h ey are notions
of m ind. No tw o people, for exam ple, w ould
agree on w h at constitutes good. W e m ig h t
take this point of view: th e re is only one
positive reality, and th a t is God, and the
substance of God. If there would be som e
th in g a p a rt from God, th e n evil could exist,
b u t th ere cannot be a n y th in g ap a rt from th a t
w hich is, an d certain ly God cannot be an y
less th a n w h at H e is, so H is positive n atu re
continues. On the other hand, th ere are
aspects of existence, so fa r as w e hu m an s are
concerned, w hich seem to p articu la rly satisfy
o ur com posite natures, and w e prefer to call
those com plim entary conditions good. Con
versely, all opposite, w e say, is evil.
I t m ig h t be asked b y someone: are not
rape an d m u rd er, w hich are v ery positive
acts, evil? W ould you say th e y are good ju st
because th e y exist in the w orld an d because
all th a t exists m ust be of th e n a tu re of God?
O ur answ er is, w h at occurs, in itself is n ot
an evil nam ely, the violation of v irg in ity
or com pelling another to die. D eath, for
exam ple, is inevitable and th e same society
w hich abhors m u rd er, sanctions w ar. T h e
nearest approach to evil is w hen w e have
certain m oral standards th a t is, w hen we
believe th a t certain things represent the in
te n t of God, and w e believe this from our
feelings w ithin, from th e dictates of self
and w hen, n o tw ith s ta n d in g , we defy these
m oral precepts. If I believe a th in g to be
good, an d th e n w ilfu lly tr y to extirpate it, I
am approaching evil, for I am seeking to
defy w h at I believe to be of D ivine origin.
B ut things, in them selves, cannot be evil,
only th e m otive w hich m a n has in b ringing
th e n about is evil. A barbaric people, for
exam ple, w ho in th e ir crudeness are m u rd e r
ous and lecherous, and y et w ho are n o t con
scious to them selves of a n y m oral transgres
sions, are not evil. I t is quite true, and we
have m uch evidence of this in the w orld
today, th e y m ay be destructive to h u m a n
society. In such events th e y m ust be disci
plined for the preservation of society, w h eth er
it is a sm all group or a nation, bu t th e y are
not evil if th e y are in th a t stage of develop
m e n t w here th e y are not w ilfully defying
w h at to them constitutes th e D ivine good.
Evil is relative to the h u m a n conception. If
good is the best, then everything is of the
best except w here m an tries to dep art from

Page 8 1

th a t w hich he believes to be the good, or

w here he changes his conception of w h at
is th e best. X

T he Meaning of Truth
P robably every h u m a n being is, to a cer
tain extent, searching for tru th . T ru th an d
u ltim ate re a lity are tw o of th e p rim a ry p rob
lems of m etaphysics in th e desire to arrive
at an u n d ersta n d in g of w hat, after all, is
final in th e schem e of things. It is difficult
to an sw er questions, how ever, such as one
fra te r w rites w h en he d irectly asks, Ju st
w h at is tru th ? I t w ould not be wise to take
the space in this Rosicrucian F orum to dis
cuss all th a t th ere is of tru th , even though
it is a fascin atin g subject.
T h e in q u ire r is referred to various tex t
books on philosophy in w hich can be studied
and an aly zed th e ideas of tru th th a t have
been developed b y philosophers an d thinkers
throughout th e h isto ry of h u m an thought.
H ow ever, one th in g is tru e, I believe, an d
th a t is th a t according to all explanations of
tru th , in th e final analysis, tru th is relative.
W e m ean b y this th a t w h a t m a y be tru e for
you m a y n o t alw ays be identically tru e for
everyone else. T ru th m u st be m easured in
term s of th e consciousness of the individual
w ho does th e judging. In other words, w e
m u st le a rn th a t in so far as o ur und erstan d in g
is lim ited, so m u st o ur concept of an y final
ideas an d purposes in th e universe also be
lim ited. O nly God can know absolute tru th
because o n ly H e can include in H is con
sciousness all things th a t are, an d thereby
be able to group in to proper relationship
isolated things, an d give th em m eaning and
purpose.
M uch of th e efforts of philosophy, p sy
chology, an d religion have been developed
tow ard a n a ttain m en t of tru th , or at least
a degree of tru th . M a n y of these theories,
how ever, do n o t fit into th e everyday life
of an individual. M ost of us can adjust our
th in k in g b etter to an idea of evolving tru th ,
but such a concept requires th e ability to
change o u r ow n opinions an d convictions
w here needed. I t requires us to be openm inded; th a t is, to keep our decisions subject
to changes an d revisions. T his prevents p ure
stubbornness an d th e refusal to see new con
ditions an d relationships form ing.

Page 82

M a n cannot arrive a t an y reasonable con

cept of tru th if he bases th a t concept p u rely
upon the physical w orld an d his objective
senses. T ru th is not confined to an y physical
en tity , w heth er it be m a n s body or a n y
other form of creation. T ru th is God, as we
have alread y said, and if w e are to m ake a
concept of it, or of u ltim ate reality , w e m u st
know , insofar as it is possible, th e m ean in g
of life and th e know ledge w hich th e soul
can c a rry through various incarnations to its
present point of advancem ent. A ll religions
and philosophies m ust reflect a certain
am ount of tru th as the resu lt of a serious an d
careful consideration of life an d its en viron
m ent, b u t we, as h u m a n beings, are blinded
to th e entire tru th even though w e m a y not
be in erro r in our judgm ents an d concepts.
By this is m e an t th a t even if w e could alw ays
know th a t our judgm ent an d conclusions
w ould be correct, w e could still be fa r from
th e tru th , m erely because of th e m aterials
upon w hich w e based our convictions.
T his fact can be illustrated. L et us im agine
th a t th ere exists a huge w indow m ade u p of
sections of glass, each section being of a
different color. Im agine also th a t in tellig en t
beings live in such a relationship to this
w indow th a t th e ir environm ent is lim ited
to th e lig h t w hich passes th ro u g h one colored
section of this glass. In o ther words, an in
telligent being lives in the area of th e lig h t
w hich passes through th e red glass, for ex
am ple, an d has no concept of existence o u t
side of th a t area upon w hich th e red lig h t
falls. T his individual, then, w ould be objec
tively aw are only of th e lig h t th a t cam e
th ro u g h th a t portion of the w indow an d his
environm ent w ould be m ade up only of th a t
p a rtic u la r light. In such a hypothetical case,
th e re w ould be th e individual w ho lived
alw ays in a red light, ano th er in a blue light,
and so forth, for every color th a t w as in th e
w indow . E ach w ould in te rp re t his w orld on
th e basis of th e lig h t in w hich h e perceived
it, an d each w ould believe in an objective
sense th a t th a t p articu la r colored lig h t in
w hich h e lived and w hich revealed his su r
roundings w as th e one an d tru e reality . To
a ce rtain extent, each w ould be statin g a
tru th a n d y e t none of them w ould know of
th e p u re w hite lig h t th a t contained all colors
in itself.
W e see h ere an illustration of how tr u th
is relative to intelligence and en vironm ent

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

in this p articu la r im ag in ary case. E ach of

these individuals w ould believe th a t all
rea lity was in term s of w h at he perceived;
an d if it w ere possible for these individuals
to discuss w ith each other th e ir environm ent
in term s of light, none of th em w ould be
capable of conveying to th e other th e p a r
ticu lar idea of th e colored lig h t in w hich
h e lived. E ven if this w ere possible, probably
th e m ost d o m inant one w ould tr y to convince
th e others th a t th e lig h t in w hich he lived
was th e real one. In other w ords, in a group
of in telligent beings one w ould tr y to become
a leader to m ake the others th in k th a t th e
p articu la r lig h t th a t he experienced w as in
some w ay m ore im p o rtan t th a n th e lig h t
w hich an o th er experienced. T h e rea l tru th
could probably n o t be arrived at. In other
words, th e idea th a t a p u re w h ite lig h t
entered th e w indow an d w as th e suprem e
rea lity or actual tru th in reg ard to lig h t
w ould be beyond th e ir com prehension be
cause no w h ite lig h t as such passed th ro u g h
th e window .
H ow then, we ask, m ig h t these individuals
ever arrive at final tru th and u n d erstan d in g
of u ltim ate reality ? It is obvious from this
explanation th a t it could n ot be th ro u g h th e
process of objective perception or reasoning.
T h e only w ay th a t a concept of w hite lig h t
could be obtained b y these individuals w ould
be th ro u g h some k in d of m ystical experience
or tran scen d en t conception w hich w ould
b rin g into th e ir consciousness th ro u g h ch a n
nels o th er th a n those of th e objective sense
faculties, th e fact th a t tru e rea lity was not
th e phase of lig h t w hich th e y perceived, b u t
a w hite lig h t en tirely different an d u n know n
in th e ir physical an d objective experience.
So it is w ith m a n in his attem p t to arrive
a t tru th o r u ltim ate rea lity of his life and
being. T h ere is n o t a h u m a n being alive
w ho can ever conceive of final tru th or actual
rea lity w ith his objective senses. Those w ho
have h ad such glim pses of these final con
cepts h ave done so through a process of m y s
tical experience w hich has opened th e w ay
to know ledge an d u n d erstanding, th a t lies
fa r beyond th e ran g e an d lim itations of ob
jective sense faculties. W e can c a rry this
illu stratio n to th e philosophies, th e religions,
an d beliefs of m an. E ach p articu la r group
or organization is in te rp re tin g rea lity and
tru th in term s of an experience an d a convic
tion. E ach one of us, basing our in te rp re

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tation of rea lity and tru th on our experience

and convictions, is seeing tru th only in p art.
O nly those w ho are developed throu g h m y sti
cal experience have reached a stage of de
velopm ent w here th e y begin to conceive of
the m ean in g th a t is back of all th e perplex
ing interpretations of tru th th a t seem to con
front us daily. T h e real tru th , the u ltim ate
rea lity of form al m etaphysics, is com parable
to the w hite light w hich is a source of all
colors.
W ith this illustration an d com m ents I
have attem pted to express m y belief th a t
there are fun d am en tally no differences or
inconsistencies betw een sincere faiths and
philosophies as th e re are divergencies. If w e
choose to bind ourselves so exclusively to a n y
system of belief th a t w e purposely sh u t out
a n y other in te rp retatio n of th e tru th , th en
w e are lim iting our ow n ability to reconcile
our experience w ith ultim ate tru th . W e
m ust be w illing, as I have alread y said, to
m odify o u r concepts of tru th . T h e only tru e
religion can come through a m ystical con
ception in w hich w e are w illing to raise our
selves above the level of an y system or creed,
regardless of how satisfying it m a y be to o ur
objective senses an d reason, and th e n gain
a glim pse into the final and ultim ate tru th
in re a lity th a t lies behind all m anifestations.
A
M isuse o f P sy ch ic A b ility
A nother m em ber arises to direct questions
to this F o r u m . T he questions are: uCan th e
average person develop psychic ability? W h y
are people, such as m edium s w ho dabble in
psychic phenom ena, so undeveloped in other
respects? If psychic ability is an especially
developed pow er, w h y are these people ra th e r
on th e coarse side? I dont w ish to criticize
them , I am only seeking inform ation. Is
psychic ab ility a spiritual quality, or is it
ra th e r like a ta len t?
T h e soror has posited a num ber of w o rth y
questions. T he com m onest form of psychic
function is a kind of hyperesthesia. T his
m eans a supersensitivity th a t goes beyond
th e o rd in ary powers of objective perception.
T h e individual has visual and aud ito ry p e r
ception, for exam ple, w hich is not experi
enced com m only b y others. H e is freq u en t
ly term ed clairvoyant or clairaudient. In th e

Page 83

strictest sense, all phenom ena perceived or

realized b y a person, an d w hich are not
o rd in arily discerned by th e use of th e five
objective senses, are attrib u ted to psychic
powers.
T h e D ivine Consciousness or th e M in d of
God, w hich is m anifest in every cell of our
being, w hich is explained in o ur Rosicrucian
teachings, and w ith w hich our subjective
m in d is m ore closely attuned, is term ed th e
psychic intelligence. T his is done to differ
en tiate betw een m ind, th e intelligence of
soul, to w hich th e psychic intelligence is re
lated and, on th e other h an d , th e objective
an d physical faculties of m an. T his D ivine
M in d o r sp iritu al pow er w ith in us, has its
organs, its in stru m en ts, if you w ill, b y w hich
th e objective m a n is p u t m ore easily into
attu n em en t w ith it. T hese organs are quite
physical. T h ey are composed of tissue, blood,
an d nerves, as are, for exam ple, th e h eart,
lungs, eyes, an d so forth. T h e distinction be
in g th a t these organs of th e sp iritu al m in d
an d consciousness are intended p rim a rily as
transform ers. T h e y reduce th e h ig h er v ib ra
to ry ra te an d freq u en cy of the Cosmic force
th a t flows in an d aro u n d us, to low er range
frequencies or octaves w hich can be p er
ceived b y our b ra in consciousness. Such
organs of th e h ig h er intelligence w ith in us
are th e sym pathetic nervous system and the
psychic centers w hich are specific glands.
H ow these fu nction an d how th ey m a y be
used is explained in detail b y th e science and
philosophy of th e Rosicrucian teachings.
A person m a y h av e a h ig h ly evolved soulp ersonality or self, or he m a y not. In both
instances, how ever, the individual could be
equally as psychic; the reason being, th a t
both m a y have th e ir psychic centers equally
p h ysically developed, so th a t th e y are equally
sensitive to th e self w ith in an d to th e Cosmic
forces p erm eatin g th e universe. T h e person
h aving th e h ig h ly developed soul-personality
has g reater m oral standards an d a m ore pro
found com prehension of the experiences
w hich h e receives. H is use of th e powers
he has access to is for purposes w hich are
b roader an d m ore h u m a n ita ria n th a n those
of th e other. H e uses his supersensitivity for
en lightenm ent, an d to take some p articu lar
problem to th e Cosmic for solution. H e seeks
in sp iratio n an d th e ab ility to accom plish th a t
w hich w ill advance not alone him self b u t
m an k in d generally. T h e other individual,

Page 84

who has not such a hig h ly developed soulpersonality, b u t w ho is equally as psychic,

so fa r as his psychic organs an d centers are
concerned th a t is, so fa r as th e ir develop
m en t goes uses his pow er for m ediocre and
lim ited purposes. As a rule, he uses it just
to extend th e range of his objective sense
faculties to see, to hear, and to feel to a
greater exten t th a n he can objectively. P rin
cipally, he uses his psychic faculties for tele
pathic phenom ena, for attu n in g w ith the
m inds of others, to read th e ir thoughts. T his,
u n d er certain conditions w here ones psychic
organs are w ell developed, is a m ost sim ple
accom plishm ent of hyperesthesia or psychic
powers. Such a person does n ot know how
to use his psychic pow ers to com m une w ith
the D ivine M in d or to receive tru ly m ystical
illum ination. G radually, in tim e, he w ill
evolve his u n derstanding and th en , if n o t in
this incarnation, in the next, he w ill use his
psychic pow ers for a m ore exalted an d noble
purpose.
L et m e use an analogy. One has a m ag
nificent radio. I t is th e latest developm ent
in radio reception an d th e science of elec
tronics. I t m akes possible th e reception of a
large range of frequencies and is capable of
the reception of even a sm all tran sm itte r at
a great distance. I t is sim ply and efficiently
controlled b y the operator. T h e reception is
clear and th e loud speaker reproduces tones
w ith rem arkable accuracy. By m eans of this
radio in stru m en t, everything w hich is broad
cast in the co u n try is possible of reception.
T h e tu rn of a dial or the push of a b u tto n
brings im m ediately the choice of sym phonic
orchestras, lectures b y noted educators, in
spirational addresses by philosophers an d
scholars, fascinating descriptions of foreign
lands and peoples, moving, dram atic events,
an d as w ell, of course, m uch com edy an d
types of program s w hich border on v u lg arity ,
an d inane, m oronic topics. A person w ho is
desirous of good en tertain m en t an d w ho dis
likes v u lg a rity and who appreciates th a t
w hich appeals to the finer em otions and
sentim ents w ill select a program over this
radio in stru m e n t in accordance w ith his p er
sonal tastes an d responses. T h e one w ho likes
loud, boisterous program s, ligh t an d frivolous
types of entertainm ent, and prefers n ot to
th in k or le arn , w ill select the other ty p e of
program . E ach, how ever and this is th e im
p o rtan t point has at his disposal the use of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

this splendid in stru m en t, w hich is capable of

reaching out an d transform ing an d reducing
to th e level of his consciousness, th a t w hich
is beyond his o rd in ary objective perception.
So, too, the evolved soul-personality in this in
carnation, w ho is already quite psychic, uses
his in stru m en ts of psychic sensitivity to fu r
th e r th e b etterm en t of self. If th e one w ho is
n ot so evolved, b u t whose psychic faculties
or organs of psychic perception are equally
developed is inclined to m isuse them , not
m o rally b u t ethically, he, shall w e say, dis
sipates these pow ers like th e m a n w ho uses
th e m agnificent radio in stru m e n t for silly,
useless program s.
T h e la tte r types are often th e professional
psychics, w ho prognosticate, th a t is, tell for
tunes an d give readings. T h ey are m ost often
n ot m y stically inclined, an d therefore not
aw are of th e m isuse of th e ir psychic faculties.
W h y are th e y p erm itted to so use them ? T h e
answ er is, so long as th e y do n ot violate
Cosmic law s an d in ju re others, th e y can use
th e ir psychic sight, hearing, an d so on, in the
m a n n e r as described. H ow ever, th e y do not,
b y m eans of th e ir psychic faculties, ever
receive th e trem endous influx of know ledge
know n as Cosmic Consciousness. T h ey are
n ever developed by the Cosmic to th e realiza
tion of a m ission, n o r is th e re given to th em
a n y outstanding point or principle for the
betterm en t of h u m an ity . T hough th e ir psy
chic organs an d faculties, th e ir transform ers,
if you w ish, are quite developed, th e y do not
know how to use th em to reach th e higher
planes of th e Cosmic. T o use an o th er
analogy, a m aster m echanic can accom plish
m a n y tim es th e results of th e lay m an , even
though both h ave th e same tools a t th e ir dis
posal. These persons who so use th e ir psychic
faculties g rad u ally learn, I repeat, an d th e n
u ltim ately th e y become g reat m ystics an d
perhaps m asters of Cosmic law . If th e y le arn
th a t w h at th e y are doing is w rong an d persist
in doing so, th e n th e y in c u r karm a. G rad u
ally, th e ir psychic perception dim inishes and
th e y w ill find it fa r m ore difficult to recover
th a n one w ho is try in g to aw aken it for th e
first tim e.
I t m ig h t also be asked, w h y is n ot every
one, w ho sincerely seeks to attu n e w ith th e
Cosmic to use such experiences as he m ig h t
receive unselfishly, given n a tu ra lly m ore
h ig h ly developed psychic faculties? L et us

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

not forget th a t the psychic organs are p h y si

cal. As w e have often said in o ur m ono
graphs, w e w ould all have developed psychic
senses if our customs and our habits du rin g
childhood w ere not such as to ig n o ran tly
cause us to suppress the developm ent of these
organs. W e often m isuse our powers through
superstition or through fear, or le t them atro
p h y from nonuse. T he R osicrucian teachings
are designed to quicken and stim ulate these
organs, bring them to the no rm of fu n ctio n
ing intended by th e Cosmic. F u rth e r, some
persons, b y the process of organic develop
m ent, have especially developed psychic
faculties, and even w ith abuse or lack of
concern for th eir care, th e y still are fa r m ore
developed th a n the average person. Such
individuals are the so-called natural psychics.
F or fu rth e r analogy, w e know th a t some
people have rem ark ab ly strong an d perfect
teeth, even though th e y have no t exercised
a n y m ore care for them th a n others. T his is
due to biological and physiological causes.
T he exceptional, u n in ten tio n al developm ent
of psychic faculties is, therefore, in all proba
b ility likewise due to physiological causes.
Such persons have rem arkable opportunities
if th e ir soul-personality is evolved enough in
th a t incarnation to cause th em to realize it.
A person whose soul-personality is evolved
and w ho also has developed psychic powers
of perception never resorts to brum m agem
displays of his abilities. To h im th a t w ould
be a definite m isuse and perversion of his
God-given faculties. C onsequently, you never
see him taking p a rt in theatrical p erfo rm
ances or in carnivals, or w ith a sign outside
his office or home, bearing the words: P sy
chic R eader. H e uses his powers for p u r
poses w hich transcend such com m on exhibits.
T his, I believe, explains w h y th e average
com m ercial or professional psychic is often
uncouth and lacking in an y know ledge of
m ystical principles. Often, for business reasons, th e y use th e term inology of m ysticism
and occultism. A discussion w ith them , how
ever, w ill soon reveal th a t th e y are b u t
fam iliar w ith the vocabulary and have m ade
no study of th e term s and phrases th e y use,
and have no corresponding ideas of th e ir real
m eaning. T h ey use them as a sort of aca
dem ic w indow -dressing to im press th e ir gul
lible clientele w ith th eir false p rofu n d ity and
erudition. X

Page 85

D o W e R e aso n A fte r D e a th ?
One of our good fratres in Porto Rico asks
the follow ing in terestin g questions of our
F o r u m : Does h u m a n consciousness reason
w hile on the Cosmic P lane? W h a t kind of
consciousness do hum an s have on the Cosmic
P lane? F o r exam ple, if m y tran sitio n h ap
pened a t this tim e, and I found m yself on
the Cosmic P lan e, w ould I m eet m y fa th e rs
consciousness an d w ould I be in position to
relate to h im th e h o rrid happenings in our
p resent w orld? A n d w ould his consciousness
be also in a position to feel surprised an d in
tensely interested in the inform ation I could
im p a rt to him ? Of course, such questions
m a y seem absurd, b ut I express th em in this
m a n n e r to m ake clear the real po in t I w ish
to elucidate; an d also to discover th e degree
of co n tin u ity th e re is betw een o u r present
m o rtal consciousness an d o u r fu tu re Cosmic
Consciousness.
L et us begin b y dividing existence after
death, or afte r tran sitio n , into th ree states.
T h e first of these is w here the personality,
th e ego, or self, does n o t im m ediately pass
into th e realm of th e Cosmic, b u t ra th e r is
earth-bound. I n such an instance, th e soul
force, of course, is liberated from th e body
b y tran sitio n , b u t th e personality or self of
th e individual lingers on as a n in ta ct en tity ,
in a n in term ed iate stage betw een this p lane
an d th e Cosmic P lane. I t is like a disem
bodied consciousness th a t is quite aw are of
the objective w orld an d th e details of its '
form er physical existence.
W e shall use a n analogy to describe this
ra th e r com plicated situation. T h in k of a
b eau tifu l w ild flower grow ing on th e grassy
slope of a m o u n tain . I t is v ib ran t w ith th e
life essence, w hich, for the sake of ex p lan a
tion, w e shall com pare w ith th e soul force.
I t conform s to all th e m anifestations of life,
w hich it is possible for it to express. I t is
rugged, sym m etrical, and beau tifu l in its
hues an d fra g ra n t in its odor. T h e n th e
h eav y boot of a m o u n tain eer in ad v erten tly
crushes out its existence. T h e life force is
released from th e cells of th e flowers stru c
ture. T his en erg y of w hich life consists, of
course, is n o t destroyed, b u t it is no longer
confined to th e physical form of th e flower.
H ow ever, p a rt of th e personality of the flower
lingers on in tact; th a t is, its fragrance re

Page 86

m ains behind for some tim e before disap

pearing. T his fragrance is earth-bound. So
it is w ith th e earth-bound personalities of
hum ans. T he m em ory of the subjective m in d
rem ains in ta c t in those instances w here the
self w as not able, for exam ple, to com plete
some w ork or to fulfill some obligation Cos
m ically ordained for it. T h e self strives to
influence objective conditions, to b rin g about
certain results, to fulfill a plan.
T o use still another analogy, it w ould be
as if suddenly y o u r physical body w ere to
disintegrate com pletely. You w ould have no
substance, you w ould have no tongue w ith
w hich to speak, no physical h an d w ith w hich
to reach out an d touch someone. H ow ever,
y o u r consciousness w ould be qu ite intact.
Y ou w ould be aw are of yourself an d fu lly
cognizant of w h a t you w anted to do. T h ro u g h
yo u r subjective consciousness you w ould also
be aw are of th e thoughts of others and
m a teria l conditions on the physical p lane
generally. T his w ould n o t be a pleasant
situation and you w ould be anxious to have
y o u r consciousness released from its aw are
ness of th e physical w orld, because of y o u r
in a b ility to function in it properly. You
w ould strive to perform y o u r duties as soon
as possible. You could not, of course, in ju re
anyone or detrim en tally affect th e lives of
others. In fact, Cosmically, you w ould re
m a in earth-bound ju st long enough to ac
com plish th e m ission th e Cosmic intended.
D u rin g such a brief earth-bound existence,
you w ould be quite aw are of friends, re la
tives, an d fam iliar places and things.
T h e second kind of survival of conscious
ness afte r transition is an absorption into a
p lane of Cosmic Consciousness. T his is th e
com m onest form of existence of consciousness
a fte r transition. A gain, of course, th e soul
essence w ould be liberated from th e body an d
be p a rt of th e U niversal Soul, w ith o u t the
necessity of flowing through a n y physical
body. T h e personality or self w ould be
m erged into th e great Cosmic M in d or D ivine
Consciousness. L et m e m ake plain th a t th e
self w ould not be lost in the D ivine Con
sciousness, like a drop of w ate r fallin g into
a lake. R ather, y o u r self-consciousness w ould
fit into a n harm onious relationship w ith th e
w hole of the Cosmic M ind, into an order
th a t depended upon th e developm ent of y o u r
p a rtic u la r soul-personality. L et us th in k of

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the great Cosmic M in d or Consciousness as

consisting of octaves of a m usical scale. O ur
individual personalities or realizations of
self are b u t degrees of our expression of
this D ivine Consciousness m anifesting in
us as soul. A fter tran sitio n , therefore, in the
low er octaves of this D ivine Consciousness,
reside those personalities w hich are crude or
less evolved. A n d u pw ard, according to a
g raduated scale, an d in th e h ig h er octaves
w ould be included those personalities w hich
w ere m ore evolved, m ore closely attu n ed
d u rin g life w ith th e soul force of th e ir beings.
Now, this is a difficult subject, so w e w ill
approach it from still an o th er point of view.
I shall use still an o th er analogy, one I have
used a t other tim es. A fter transition, each
p ersonality, each self would, like a w ave
band of th e color spectrum , fall into its
p roper relationship. In th e Cosmic, all of
these personalities or selves w ould com prise
one g reat whole, y e t none w ould ever lose
its distinctiveness. T h e yellow band, for ex
am ple, in w hite su n lig h t is n ever visible, b u t
let th a t w hite lig h t pass th ro u g h a prism ,
w hich w e w ill say represents th e physical
body, an d it is refracted again. I t expresses
its individual p erso n ality or yellow color.
W h ile th e p erso n ality is th u s a p a rt of the
w hole Cosmic order, it is aw are of itself, b u t
it cannot express itself separately. It is as
though th e red an d green colors in w hite
sunlight w ere conscious of th e ir personalities
b u t could n o t express th em separately u n til
given an o th er body or prism b y w hich th ey
could be refracted separately. W h ile in this
Cosmic Consciousness, you w ill be so occu
pied w ith th e obligations related to th e in
fluences of th a t state an d w ith w h at the
personality m u st experience th ere before re
in c arn atin g again th a t you w ill n ot be con
cerned w ith th e m atters an d p articu lars of
m o rtal existence. T his consciousness w ilt
have aw areness of other personalities. You
w ill feel close to all, for you w ill have a
consciousness of h u m a n brotherhood th a t
w ill go beyond th e blood relationship of
p arents, brothers, sisters, an d so on, of y o u r
last incarn atio n . Rem em ber, y o u r soul-personality m a y have existed m a n y tim es before
on th e ea rth plane. Since th ere is no factor
of tim e in th e Cosmic, you are close to all of
those w hom you loved an d who loved you,
regardless of th e centuries past in w hich you

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

knew them . In th e Cosmic, you w ould n ot be

discussing tem poral affairs. T h e experiences
there, insofar as im portance w as concerned,
w ould fa r transcend the interests of w orldly
existence. You w ould not have a form or
facial or bodily appearance, or a separateness
as delineated in the old theological concep
tion of heaven.
T h e th ird state of this survival of con
sciousness includes only the m ost h ig h ly ad
vanced soul-personalities, those especially or
dained as Cosmic m asters. Such soul-person
alities w ill nev er again in c arn ate in physical
bodies. T h ey are given duties to perform ,
to assist in the guidance of m ortals on earth
w ho are striving for illum ination. T h ey are
to help those w ho have noble aspirations.
T h ey do not govern th e lives of m ortals on
earth. T h ey do not stand at m a n s elbow to
serve h im as a genii. T h ey do inspire m en
to reso rt to certain w ays of living an d help
them to find m eans of experiencing th e self
w ith in and to a tta in to Cosmic Consciousness.
H ow ever, th e m ortal m ust first have m ade
great progress through his ow n efforts,
studies, experiences, and m editations before
he can expect such Cosmic assistance. A nd
w h en such assistance is given, w e repeat, it
is only to help th e m ortal to help him self,
n ever to accom plish for him w h at he should
do him self.
Such Cosmic M asters have a n aw areness
of self. T h ey know th a t th e y are, b u t th ey
are w ithout personality as w e know it or
u n d erstan d it. Of course, it is m ost difficult
to describe, because w e have no tru e com
parison in our existence. I t w ould be some
th in g like the equivalent of know ing th a t you
are, w ithout a n y of the configurations u su al
ly attrib u ted to self. In other w ords, you
w ould not be able to identify self b y nam e,
b y fam iliar habits, b y certain sensations, and
so forth. H ow ever, like in th e state w e first
described above, th e Cosmic M aster is also
quite aw are of th e m ortal existence of those
h u m an s h e strives to enlighten.
I t m a y be a v ery pleasing thou g h t to be
lieve th a t we continue to function m en tally
in consciousness of self quite as w e do on this
ea rth plane afte r transition, b u t such is not
so an d it is not consistent w ith Cosmic p rin ci
ples. T h e only p artial acceptance is in the
instance of earth-bound personalities. X

Page 87

Rosicrucian Teachings and Personalities

W e are alw ays gratified to receive letters
from m em bers w ho indicate th a t from the
teachings of th e organization th e y have
found experiences in th e ir lives w hich have
proven th e value of these teachings. T h e final
criterio n for th e ju d g m en t of a n y set of in
structions or philosophy depends u pon how
w ell w e can m ake those teachings effective
in o u r ow n lives. Ju st because an idea, or a
system of ideas, helps someone else m eans
n oth in g to us unless w e can m ake it help
us too. W h ile this m a y seem selfish to a
certain extent, it nevertheless is th e final
m eans b y w h ich w e judge an y th in g w e do.
F re q u en tly a m em b er w ill express a re
peated desire to contact individuals w ho w ill
direct h im in these teachings or in other
philosophy an d u n d erstanding. Such in d i
viduals sometim es h av e a m istaken opinion
th a t an o th er p erso n ality can do fo r them
w h at th e y cannot do for themselves. It is
fa r b etter th a t w e realize th a t those w hc
gain th e m ost fro m a n y ty p e of instruction
are those w ho m ak e th e teachings an d th e
principles, ra th e r th a n th e personalities, the
fu n d am en tal purpose of th e ir efforts. O nly
those w ho h ave fo und a firm basis in th e ir
philosophy of life have som ething upon
w hich to stan d in tim es of stress or need. If
you could read, as I do, the com m unications
from m em bers th ro u g h o u t th e w orld, m a n y
of w hom have m ad e sacrifices fa r beyond
w h at m ost of us in th is cou n try can conceive,
y ou w ould be m ore convinced of th e value
of th e principles of this O rders teachings.
I know of cases w h ere th ey have served as
th e foundation u p o n w hich individuals have
been able to reb u ild th e ir lives. F or exam ple,
th ere are several m em bers in E n g lan d who
lost ev ery th in g d u rin g the series of a ir raids
of a few y ears ago th e ir homes, th e ir p er
sonal pro p erty , an d sometimes m em bers of
th e ir fam ilies. U n d e r circum stances such as
these th e value of o nes philosophy of life is
brought to a rea l test, and those w ho have
gained a foundation in th e ir u n d erstan d in g
an d know ledge, up o n w hich th e y can bravely
face th e fu tu re , hav e gone through a test th a t
w ill sustain th em even m ore definitely in
th e future.
As h u m a n beings, even the m ost retirin g
of us are gregarious; th a t is, a t one tim e or

Page 88

another w e all seek the association of other

h u m a n beings. H ero w orship is so strong
in m ost of us th a t w e freq u en tly go out of
our ow n w ay to seek a personality to look
up to. Such is a n a tu ra l state of m an, b u t it
is, a t th e sam e tim e, a problem , because to
place our faith and hope an d ideals in a
personality, regardless of our good in ten tio n
or th e good in tention on the p a rt of th a t
personality, is to lim it ourselves to the m in d
of another. W h e n w e look about us in all
phases of social activities, w e see m a n y ex
am ples of personality leadership. I n m a n y
cases w here th e personality has been of the
rig h t caliber, th e activities have been success
ful. In other cases the m ovem ents or activi
ties have failed because th e y could n o t rise
above th e lim itations of one personality.
F a r g reater th a n a n y perso n ality are the
ideals held in th e m inds of m ost m en. A ll
w ho strive to live in accordance w ith th e
highest virtues w hich m a n can conceive, w ill
acknowledge, upon short consideration, th a t
these ideals are greater th a n can u su ally be
expressed in th e individuality of an y one
person. Yet, th ere is a tendency on th e p a rt
of h u m a n ity to tr y to project personal ideals
into th e individuality of other persons. W h e n
these persons in some respect fail to live u p
to th e high ideals w hich th e y have been
m ade to represent, w e are inclined to become
disappointed or even despondent because w e
see m anifested th e very traits th a t are ty p i
cally hum an. In the case of a child, or a
h u m a n being in a low er status of develop
m e n t th a n th a t w hich w e believe w e o u r
selves have reached, it is only n a tu ra l th a t
follow ing a personality should be an ideal
state of society. P ersonality leadership is
n a tu ra lly sought in such states of existence
because th e individuals in such stages of de
velopm ent do not have th e b read th of vision
to create th e ir ow n idealism . H ow ever, one
of th e obligations of advancem ent upon the
p a rt of m a n as a race is his ab ility to th in k
abstractly, his ability to realize th a t the
ideals w hich he seeks and th e aspirations
w hich are his, are fa r above the range of an y
h u m a n personality. W e have ever before us
th e m ore difficult w ork of establishing o ur
aim s an d aspirations in a w orld of ideals.
W e m u st seek th e raising of o u r ow n po
tentialities to th e level of those ideals an d w e
m u st direct our efforts, not tow ard a p e r
sonality b u t tow ard the ideals them selves.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

I cannot em phasize too strongly the fact th a t

this is the m ost difficult of th e tw o paths.
As alread y indicated, w e have h ad the
experience from tim e to tim e of m em bers
expressing in th e ir correspondence a desire
to contact other m em bers to w hom th ey can
look upon as leaders for fu rth e r instruction.
It is established in our Lodges an d Chapters
th a t certain m em bers should assum e certain
responsibilities of leadership ju st as the offi
cers of th e Suprem e Lodge an d the G rand
Lodge m u st also assum e such leadership, b ut
it is n ot th e in ten tio n of this organization
th a t these individuals, regardless of th eir
office in o u r physical organization, should
become th e ideal w hich th e m em ber seeks,
b u t ra th e r th a t the ideals m u st supersede
all personalities.
W h en w e th in k of the actu al an d tra d i
tional h isto ry of this organization going back
n ot only into m onths an d years, b u t into
centuries, w e gain a glim pse of th e tem po
ra ry status of a n y one personality. T his is
in no w ay a n attem p t to belittle th e great
personalities th a t have m ade this organiza
tion w h at it is. W ith o u t th e philosophy of
such leaders as Sir F rancis Bacon, de SaintM artin , R obert Fludd, M ichael M aier, D r.
Lewis, an d m a n y others, th e organization
could n ot be w h a t it is today. T h e im p o rtan t
fact to rem em b er is th a t these v ery individu
als w orked w ith one purpose in m in d to
establish an organization rep resen tin g ideals
w hich th e y pledged th e ir w hole lives to p er
petuate, an d it is the ideal m ore th a n the
personality th a t has continued outstanding
from one generation to an o th er and w hich
m ain tain s th e organization a t the present
tim e.
W e as m em bers of this organization today,
m u st realize th a t our responsibility is also
to assist in th e m ain ten an ce an d perpetuation
of th e ideals w h ich form th e basic philosophy
of Rosicrucianism . T hese ideals m a y be u n
attain ab le in a state of perfection in m a n y
of us in o u r p resen t lives, b u t th e y can be
a constant challenge, an aim tow ard w hich
we can direct our efforts. I again point out
th e fact th a t to direct o ur aim s and asp ira
tions tow ard im personal ideals is m ore diffi
cult th a n to follow a personal leader. Those
who are being tested an d found not w orthy
of assum ing this obligation w ill be led off
from time to tim e by some strong personality
w hom th ey contact and w hom th e y w ill seem

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to see as a m aterialization of th e ir ideals in

a personal form ; it can be no other w ay.
Some personalities who have th e ab ility to
direct and control others take advantage of
th a t ability by presum ing th a t th ey are th e
personalization, of th e ideals of the followers
th ey seek. O nly disappointm ent can result
for those w ho give th e ir w hole support to an y
h u m an personality, and only sincere desire
and constructive effort can guide those w ho
see beyond th e person to the ideals tow ard
w hich w e can all direct ourselves.
H ow w ell it has been brought hom e to
those w ho have suffered, w hether in these
recent years or a t an y tim e in th e past, th a t
no individual, no other h u m a n being can fill
th e vacancy in th e ir lives th a t suffering and
tria l have created. Such an em ptiness can
be filled only from w ithin, b y th e convic
tions an d aspirations w hich w e ourselves
build an d w hich become a p a rt of our en
v ironm ent as w e w alk up the path tow ard
achievem ent. In th e popular sense w e call
such a foundation a philosophy of life. It is
w ell th a t w e of like m inds should u n ite to
gether so th a t w e m ight all be benefited and
inspired b y th e successes and problem s of
others. T his w ill give us an opportu n ity to
constructively use the social instincts w hich
are in us and a t the sam e tim e help us all
to see th a t w e are w alking on a great p ath
and upon w hich w e m ust face th e individual
im pedim ents.
I t is the sincere hope of those who provide
you w ith these teachings and act as officers
of this organization th a t each step of y o u r
progress w ill give you added inspiration and
encouragem ent to hold steadfastly to y o u r
ideas and, a t th e same tim e, to w illingly
assum e the obligations w hich you find neces
sary to m ain ta in , and perpetuate the source
of these ideals. I t is w orthw hile th a t we
each should re-dedicate ourselves to th e p u r
poses w hich w e have found of value and to
th e ideals of this organization so th a t this
organization w ill, insofar as it is physically
possible, continue to be a representative
group of m en and w om en who are stead
fastly directing th e courses of th e ir lives
tow ard a greater life and purpose th a t lie
ahead. Such purpose w ill ca rry us fu rth e r
th a n can th e inspiration of an y one p er
sonality. As w e gain and grow w e m ust
realize th a t th ere are others on this p ath
whose disappointm ents and discouragem ents

Page 89

m a y be far m ore of a problem to them th a n

our setbacks are to us. I t th en becomes our
responsibility to help these others. W e can
not dictate the affairs of o ur fellow m en, but
w e can assum e th e obligation of attem pting
to point out the dangers an d pitfalls th a t
m a y be avoided. A

Planes of Consciousness
In th e study of consciousness an d th e a ttri
butes of consciousness, a question arises on
the p a rt of m em bers in th e h ig h er degrees
th a t is qu ite w ell expressed b y a fra te r who
asks, A re th ere definite planes of conscious
ness th a t can be separated specifically from
each other?
I t is v ery difficult to im agine consciousness
being broken dow n into different p arts or
divisions. W e w ell know from experience
th a t different phases of consciousness come
to our atten tio n repeatedly. T h a t is, w e do
n ot dw ell reg u la rly only upon one phase of
conscious thought. I t is thro u g h the practice
of concentration th a t we can d raw our con
sciousness to one p articu la r th in g and a t
tem p t to b rin g to focus all th e pow ers of
m in d an d th o u g h t in to one channel.
Consciousness is g enerally considered as a
whole. I t exists th ro u g h o u t our body, not
only in o u r physical brains b u t in each cell.
T h e content of consciousness at a n y one
tim e, even w h en it is p rim a rily directed to
w ard one th in g or one purpose, is still m ade
u p of its com ponent parts w hich are the
results of our ow n p articu la r knowledge, ex
perience, an d desires. Because of some
w ritings on th e subject of consciousness, p a r
tic u la rly w h en Cosmic consciousness is m e n
tioned, th e idea is created th a t th ere are
certain planes th a t are distinct an d separate
from each other. W h ile this is tru e to a cer
ta in extent, w e m u st not lose sight of the
fact th a t th ere is no definite line of dem arca
tion betw een an y so-called planes of con
sciousness. T h e te rm expanding conscious
ness recen tly used as th e title of an essay
in th e Rosicrucian D igest u n d er th e Ca
th ed ral Contacts section of th a t m agazine
explains this concept.
W ith this concept we realize th a t con
sciousness is an attrib u te of h u m a n life th a t
can grow. W h e n D r. Bucke, in his book
Cosmic Consciousness, speaks of sim ple con

Page 90

sciousness, self-consciousness, an d Cosmic

consciousness, I do not th in k he intended to
convey th a t th e re are th ree separate, isolated
conditions, b u t ra th e r th a t these term s ap
plied to th e culm ination of certain states of
consciousness. E ven superficial observation
inform s us th a t n a tu re does n ot o rd in arily
w ork in extrem es. T h ere is no definite di
vision, for exam ple, betw een lig h t an d d ark
ness in n atu re . W e cannot state th a t a n y one
p a rtic u la r po in t in tw ilight or d aw n is th e
exact ending of darkness and th e beginning
of light. Also th roughout n a tu re w e find
evidence, such as th e seasons g rad u ally
changing from one to th e other, an d the
dates w hich w e set as th e ir actual beginning
and ending are, to a certain extent, a rb itra ry ,
although based upon certain astronom ical
phenom ena.
T h e sam e is tru e of consciousness. T h e
sim plest form of consciousness is found in
life low er th a n th a t of m an. In ea rly m an,
how ever, or even today am ong races w hich
w e consider m uch low er in th e scale of de
velopm ent th a n those w ho are o rd in arily
considered to be living in civilized an d cul
tu red civilizations, th e re is evidence of this
gradual tran sitio n betw een w h at D r. Bucke
refers to as sim ple consciousness an d th e selfconsciousness of the average m a n an d w om an
today. P lanes of consciousness, th en , is m ere
ly the term inology w hich w e ap p ly to a m ore
or less relative state of developm ent. As we
evolve consciously, w e are able to acquire
a new outlook on our environm ent an d to
judge differently th e concepts th a t m a y exist
in other planes of consciousness.
A lw ays in th e h u m a n m in d h ave been
questions as to th e ivhys and w herefores of
w h a t ap p a ren tly is divine wisdom. F ew of
us are able to satisfy in our ow n m inds such
questions as, W h y does God or a D ivine
M in d p erm it suffering and trag ed y in the
w orld? W e can gain some insight into this
question w hen w e realize th a t th e plan e or
stan d ard of consciousness for a D ivine Being,
if it exists in a n y sense in the same m a n n e r
as does h u m a n consciousness, w ould be able
to conceive of an en tirely different set of re
lationships th a n w e can com prehend. In
o ther words, th e gap betw een D ivine M in d
an d Consciousness and our own conscious
ness is of such a degree th a t w e cannot lift
our ow n th in k in g to th e same level of th a t

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w hich exists in th e Cosmic or in th e D ivine

M ind.
A p arallel illu stratio n can be found by
com paring ce rtain phases of sim ple con
sciousness w ith o u r own. In anim als w e find
evidences of sim ple consciousness. Ju st w h at
is all inclusive in this te rm is n o t gen erally
agreed upon. F o r exam ple, some m ay argue
th a t an in tellig en t dog or horse can use a
certain degree of reason w hile others state
th a t even th e m ost in tellig en t of anim als do
n ot reason a t all b u t have a h ig h degree of
ab ility to u n d ersta n d an d ad ju st them selves
to th e m ore or less com plicated dem ands of
th e ir environm ent. A nyone w ho has ow ned
a pet, such as a dog, w ill u n d erstan d how
often h u m a n consciousness an d its con
clusions are forced u p o n th e sim ple con
sciousness of such an anim al. W e ten d to
create th e a n im a ls en v iro n m en t an d m ake
its decisions in term s of o u r consciousness.
W h e n a dog, fo r exam ple, is said to be w ell
train ed an d behaved, it is sometim es not
necessarily a developm ent of w h a t m ig h t be
considered can in e intelligence, b u t ra th e r
th e degree of ad ap tab ility w hich w e have
ta u g h t th a t an im al to develop in term s of
our ow n desires for its behavior. W h e n a
dog does w h a t w e w a n t it to, w e say it is
in tellig en t an d w ell train ed ; w hereas, is it
n ot conceivable th a t an an im al is m ore in
telligent if it functions in term s of its ow n
consciousness w ith o u t being forced to do
w h a t m an, in term s of his consciousness, has
decided is best fo r it? T h e sam e idea can be
carried fu rth e r b y considering th a t m a n m a y
be som ew hat a t fa u lt in forcing his conscious
ness u pon a low er form of consciousness.
P ro b ab ly one reason w h y m a n suffers
h ardships an d faces problem s is because the
D ivine Consciousness or M in d is fa r m ore
to le ran t th a n h u m a n consciousness an d gives
m a n m ore freedom to fu nction w ith in the
realm or scope of his ow n possibilities or
u nderstanding. I n other words, it is doubtful
th a t th e D iv in e M in d forces its high state
of consciousness upon m a n as m a n forces
his u n d erstan d in g an d desires upon low er
anim als. On th e other h an d , th ere are tim es
w h en w e m ake decisions fo r low er anim als,
as in th e case of a pet, th a t are definitely to
th e ir benefit. W e lim it th e ran g e of a n an im al
by ty in g it u p on a leash o r confining it in
an enclosure so th a t it w ill n ot become a
nuisance to th e neighbors or ru n in fro n t

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of an autom obile or otherw ise endanger its

ow n life. W ho has no t ow ned a dog an d seen
the obvious look of disappointm ent on its face
w hen it is forced to be restrain ed w hile it
w ants to do som ething else; or w hen it is
necessary to sh u t it in an enclosure w hen its
m aster is going aw ay and it w ould obviously
prefer to go also?
H ere w e are using w h at w e believe to be
a higher state of consciousness, because of
the u n d erstan d in g w hich th a t consciousness
includes, for th e benefit of a low er form of
consciousness w hich could n o t possibly see
all th e im plications involved or u n d erstan d
them . So here again it is n o t inconceivable
th a t God is fa r m ore considerate of th e in d i
vidual th a n w e m ig h t ord in arily conclude,
and th a t m a n y of the things th a t become a
p a rt of our environm ent, m a n y things th a t
are forced upon us other th a n th ro u g h o u r
ow n choice are done so because in th e long
ru n th e y prove beneficial for o u r ow n de
velopm ent and even our ow n w ell-being. If
w e conceive, th en , of consciousness as evolv
ing or expanding, w e w ill u n d ersta n d th a t
w hile it is difficult to d raw definite lines
betw een planes of consciousness th e re are
obviously definite degrees of advancem ent.
T h e im p o rtan t factor for us is n o t th e a t
ta in m e n t of a definite p lan or degree b u t
ra th e r our devotion, as best w e u n d ersta n d it,
to the constant grow th and usefulness of this
h ighly valuable attrib u te of our souls. A
D o A n im a ls E v o lv e Self?
T he M aster of a Rosicrucian C h ap ter asks
perm ission to address our F o r u m . H e says:
A question was asked b y one of o ur sorores
a t a C hapter m eeting, w hich I w ould like to
subm it to the F o r u m for discussion. H e r
question was: Do anim als have th e pow er
of evolving them selves by visualizing a
higher state in th e ir subconsciousness?
T he proof of a n y answ er to the exact ques
tion asked b y th e soror w ould be dependent
upon w h eth er or n o t it can be proved psycho
logically th a t anim als, other th a n m an ,
visualize. Such a faculty, it is generally con
ceded, has been lim ited to m an. I do not
m ean to im ply th a t it is the inten tio n of the
Cosmic th a t m an alone should visualize, b u t
at this m om ent in Cosmic tim e, he is the
only anim al th a t does.

Page 91

T h a t anim als do evolve an d do develop a

self-consciousness is a know n fact. T h e m ore
developed the self-consciousness, th e m ore it
approaches a n ascent soul aw areness. I t is
m a n s consciousness of self th a t constitutes
his realization of his d u ality an d a n apprecia
tion of his D ivine n atu re. Self-consciousness
does n o t alone consist of perception of y o u r
physical form , y o u r arm s, eyes, h air, and
so forth. I t likew ise composes those subtle
em otional feelings, responses, an d sentim ents
w hich include m o ral im pulses, th e dictates
of conscience, an d those in n e r elem ents of
personality a p a rt from y o u r som atic or
physical being. T ry an d define expressions
of soul to yourself. Do n ot tr y to explain
w h at you th in k th e substance of soul is or
its origin an d purpose. Sim ply set fo rth in
y o u r ow n m in d those qualities or attributes
of y o u r ow n being w hich yo u d istin ctly feel
an d believe are evidence of y o u r soul-person
ality. You w ill soon agree th a t it is quite
difficult to separate from self-consciousness
such im pressions as you have; in fact, you
w ill perhaps say th a t y o u r evidences of soulpersonality an d self-consciousness are one
an d th e sam e thing.
A nim als do give definite evidences of ele
m e n ta ry expressions of this self-conscious
ness. T h ey show h u rt to th e ir sentim ents.
Dogs feel contrite w hen th e y hav e done a
w rong an d w ill often hide from m aster or
m istress. Of course, it could be said th a t th e y
are doing so m erely as habit, th a t th e y once
com m itted a sim ilar w rong for w hich th e y
w ere punished. T his u ndoubtedly does ex
p lain some of such acts, b u t n ot all of them .
I am of the opinion th a t th e y dislike, from
reasons of sen tim en t m ore th a n th e fear of
p unishm ent, th e offending of a m aster or
mistress. T his constitutes an extension of
th e ir self-consciousness, to include th a t w hich
th e y love ap a rt from th e ir ow n physical
selves. A display of th e so-called virtues are
indications th a t a h u m a n is being m otivated
b y self an d an expression of his soul. If this
is so, th en some anim als are developing th e ir
soul-personalities as well, for m a n y exhibit
th e same virtues.
P erhaps all this is a circum locutory m a n
n e r of saying th a t all anim als h ave soul. To
say th at, is to en ter upon h ig h ly contro
versial ground. P ersonally, from m y u n d er
standing of th e n a tu re of soul, I m ost cer
ta in ly w ould say th a t anim als are im bued

Page 92

w ith th e essence of soul nam ely , th a t th e y

have w ith in th e m th e sam e D ivine In te lli
gence, the sam e universal soul th a t m a n
possesses. T h ere is, how ever, a difference in
its expression. T h e soul-personality of a n i
m als is fa r less developed th a n m a n s. To ex
press it in still another w ay, th e an im als
self-consciousness, his aw areness of self, th e
expression of his soul is fa r less th a n th a t of
hum ans.
L et us use a n analogy of a 150-w att elec
tric light bulb. Such a bulb m a y be placed
in an obscure lighting fixture, in w hich it
is unable to efficiently radiate all of the light
of w hich it is capable. T hen, again, th e same
bulb m a y be placed in a m agnificently de
signed, large fixture w here little of its illu m i
n ation is lost. T h e q u ality of th e source of
the light is th e same. It is only th e reflecting
capacity of the fixture w hich houses it th a t is
different. If w e as Rosicrucians believe th a t
soul is not a separate segm ent of the u n i
versal, Cosmic Soul in each of us, b u t ra th e r
is a flow of it thro u g h m ankind, and, fu rth er,
if w e say this U niversal Soul is th e D ivine
M ind, th en obviously it is ubiquitous; it is in
all living things. T h e m ore com plex th e
living organism , th e m ore evolved it becomes.
P hysically, th e m ore evolved a being, th e
m ore possible for it to become evolved sp irit
u ally as well. A n anim al, not h aving th e
physical and m e n tal developm ents of m an ,
is unable to experience soul as m a n does. H e
has a sim pler form of consciousness. T h e
physical developm ent of m a n alone, we
readily adm it, is not all th a t is required for
the evolution of soul-personality, b u t it is
definitely essential. I do not m ean m uscular
developm ent, I m ean the type of organism
w hich m a n is. A n y being not h aving the
m en tal functions, and, for exam ple, th e sym
pathetic nervous system w hich m a n has de
veloped, w ould find it quite difficult to be
come as conscious of self or of soul expres
sion, as h um ans do.
A nim als, as intelligent dogs, definitely
evolve th e ir aw areness of self. A dog th a t
has his em otional self appealed to, w here his
sentim ents are stim ulated throu g h kindness
and affection, shows increasing sensitivity or
response to w h a t w e know as self-conscious
ness. T he dog begins to disclose in his m a n
nerism s his aw areness of th e emotions of
others, and to personally display th a t w hich
w e call the virtues. A dog w hich co ntinually

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

associates w ith a h u m a n being, w ho fries to

appeal to these aspects of th e an im als n a
tu re, responds quickly. If th e offspring of
tw o dogs, raised u n d er these ideal circum
stances, could be placed in a like environ
m en t an d th e n th e ir offspring in tu r n reared
u n d er sim ilar conditions, and this continued
w ithout v ariatio n for several generations, a
h igh degree of self-consciousness w ould be
developed in th e anim als.
I t has been said th a t if w h en a dog finally
comes to realize th a t he is a dog, w h en he is
able to distinguish betw een his personality
an d th a t of h u m an s, he w ill no longer be a
dog, regardless of his physical form , b u t a
m uch m ore h ig h ly evolved being. One of
th e characteristics of evolved self-conscious
ness is, of course, th e ability to clearly dis
tinguish self from all else, an d to be able to
com pare self w ith the ex tern al w orld and
w ith others of o u r kind. F u lly developed
self-consciousness, w here the self has a welldefined rea lity to the individual, is as real as
his foot or his arm , and is n o t m erely a
series of indefinite sensations.
T h e greatest asset in the developm ent of
self for the evolution of the soul-personality
is introversion. T u rn yo u r consciousness in
w ard an d reflect upon self a t least a few
m inutes each day. Experience an d analyze
the im pressions of self. V isualize these im
pressions; have th em take form in y o u r con
sciousness. Become acquainted w ith you.
Stop living ju st outside of yourself entirely.
X
A C o m m e n ta ry O n F irst P rin cip les
To every conscientious stu d en t th ere comes
a tim e w hen he or she realizes th a t th ere is
tru th in th e fam iliar saying th a t haste
m akes w aste. T h ere is a desire upon the
p a rt of everyone w hen som ething new is
begun, to attem p t to ru sh th ro u g h it. T his
is p articu la rly tru e of n ew students who
en ter o ur teachings because th e y desire or
hope to gain some p articu la r inform ation or
experience w h ich does n o t seem im m ediately
available. F or this reason, some of th e m ost
im p o rtan t fu ndam entals of R osicrucianism
are sometim es overlooked.
In th e p relim in ary m onographs th a t begin
th e stu d y of th e N eophyte Degrees th e re are
some of th e m ost profound, m etaphysical,
m ystical, an d occult principles th a t th e m ind

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of m a n can conceive. U nfo rtu n ately , th e y

are not alw ays obvious to the read er of these
first lectures upon the occasion of th e first
reading. M a n y a student has learned, how
ever, th a t to go back and review an d recon
sider these points, w ill open his eyes to th e
m eaning contained therein.
L et us sum m arize here some of th e o u t
standing points of these early teachings. W e
cannot do this in detail because a detailed
analysis of all these principles w ould be a
repetition of th e m onographs themselves. It
is hoped th a t b y com m enting on the various
points some of the fund am en tal law s an d
ideas can be brought out and presented in a
m a n n er w hich w ill aw aken students to the
need of u n d erstan d in g all phases of o ur
teachings an d w hich w ill m ake th em realize
th a t no one po in t in th e ir progress is an y
m ore im p o rta n t th a n the other.
One of th e first things w hich w e learn ed in
these ea rly m onographs w as th a t tim e an d
space are concepts only of the objective con
sciousness. U p to this point m ost of us have
been so fam iliar w ith the necessity of coping
w ith the lim itations of tim e an d space th a t
w e w ere h a rd ly aw are of these tw o condi
tions as such, th a t is, as controlling every
phase of existence. A lm ost all our lives and
activities are devoted in some w ay to racin g
w ith tim e or overcom ing th e lim itations th a t
space forces on us. In these first principles,
how ever, w e are presented w ith the fact th a t
tim e and space are only realizations of o u r
objective m ind; th a t th ey affect o nly the
m ortal and physical parts of our being, and
th a t th ere is no tim e or space for th e sub
jective in n e r consciousness or m ind. I t is
through this principle th a t we catch o u r first
glim pse into th e realization th a t m a n has
abilities and potentialities w hich he can de
velop th a t w ill not be regulated or directed
by those physical lim itations by w hich h e
has directed so m uch of his life an d efforts
u p to th a t tim e. T he realization th a t m a n
can u ltim ately achieve an understan d in g of
the use and abilities of his in n e r faculties
and m ind is th e key to the use of m in d
power.
A nother point in these early teachings is
the realization th a t m an as a living being
on this earth is duo he has a divine m in d
and a brain. T his point m a y not seem so
new to the student first studying these m ono
graphs, b u t in reality, it is a fun d am en tal

Page 93

ru le for our philosophy. T h e soul, w e learn ,

is n o t an attrib u te of our physical being, b u t
th e actual final connection betw een us and
an u n d erstan d in g of an u ltim ate or suprem e
reality. I t is the final solution, o r a t least
the m eans or possibility of solution to all
problem s th a t m a y be a p a rt of this or an y
past or fu tu re life. W e th e n le a rn th a t b e
cause of this d u ality m a n is capable of de
veloping a n ab ility for th e use of this force
in him . T h e m eans b y w hich w e gain in
form ation an d know ledge from this attrib u te
of our being is th ro u g h th e process know n
as intuition. In tu itio n stands as a sixth sense
in reference to o u r com plete consciousness.
W e are alread y fam iliar w ith the fact th a t
m ost of our know ledge comes to us through
our five physical senses, an d to m ost of us,
a n y other ch an n el of inform ation or know l
edge en terin g o u r consciousness is u n h ea rd
of. T hen, w e le arn th ere is a sixth channel
th e channel of in tu itio n , th e sixth sense
if w e w ish to call it th a t, w hich opens direct
ly upon th e w isdom of th e universe, th e soul
of God, an d provides us w ith an invaluable
source of in stru ctio n an d know ledge once
w e develop th e technique for its use.
W e m u st le a rn to use intuition. T his is
n o t unusual. A lthough w e m a y h ave fo r
gotten it, w e all h ad to le a rn to use our
physical senses w h ich are th e other channels
to consciousness. A sm all b aby cannot even
focus its eyes, th e sense facu lty w hich we
have learned to use most. So as in th e p hysi
cal body w e m u st le arn to use physical
senses, th ere is n o th in g different or n ew in
our h aving to le a rn to use this ch annel of
intuition. T h ro u g h o u t all these first p rin ci
ples we are exposed to new concepts. W e
gain a logical u n d erstan d in g of m a n y of
them an d find th a t it is th e n o rm al process
b y w hich m a n can come to know God, as it
is n ot synonym ous w ith m y stery , an d th a t
those phases of tru e m ysticism th a t m a y seem
to some to be m ysteries are only so in te r
p reted because of lack of know ledge an d
u nderstanding.
A ll th ro u g h these first principles w e are
led to a new concept of in itiation, w ill pow er,
an d m a n s general place in th e universe. W e
could gro on in d efin itely stressing and am p li
fy in g the various principles involved, b u t
th at, after all, is som ething th a t no one
person can do for another. You can read
volumes of com m entaries on every m ono

Page 94
graph and principle of th e Rosicrucian teach
ings, b u t w e can give you only th e teachings
them selves an d enough additional in stru c
tions such as these, to m otivate y o u r study
an d m ake y o u r own use and application of
these principles. N o one can m ake y ou a
Rosicrucian or an adept except yourself. A
D o Y o u W is h to b e a C h a p te r M em b er?
A le tte r from a m em ber asking, H ow
can I become a m em ber of an AMORC
C hapter? brought to o u r atten tio n th e fact
th a t th ere m u st be other m em bers w ho have
the same question in th e ir m inds. W e could
answ er this question b y referrin g m em bers
to th e Constitution an d Statutes. W h ile
every m em ber should be generally fam iliar
w ith th e C onstitution and Statutes of the
G rand Lodge, w e m ake every effort to try
to augm ent these rules an d regulations of
the G rand Lodge b y com m ents an d fu rth e r
explanation.
A C hapter is a group of Rosicrucian m em
bers, th a t is, Sanctum M em bers w ho re
ceive th e ir m onographs for stu d y in th e ir
ow n homes, w ho v o lu n tarily form a group
for th e ir m u tu a l enlightenm en t an d benefit
as w ell as for the satisfaction th a t comes
from th e social contacts th a t can be m ade
w ith others of like m inds.
A C hapter, then, is a supplem ent, an
additional featu re to th e reg u la r hom e m em
bership. W h e n a Rosicrucian affiliates w ith
a C hapter he does not in a n y w ay change
his m em bership status from w h at it h ad
been p rio r to his C hapter affiliation. In
other w ords, th e C hapter is an addition to
m em bership and therefore increases the
benefits of those who are affiliated w ith it.
T o be successful a C hapter m u st depend
upon the cooperation and in terest of the
m em bers w ho so decide to w ork together.
H ere a t Rosicrucian P ark u n d er th e direc
tion of th e Im p erato r and w ith th e assist
ance of other officers and m em bers of th e
staff, th e w ork of th e C hapters, insofar as
ritu als, special instructions, in terestin g e x
perim ents, an d instructive m otion pictures
are concerned, is prepared an d distributed
am ong th e Chapters an d Lodges of this
jurisdiction. T hese su pplem en tary an d addi
tional features w hich become in terestin g to
th e m em ber are constantly being im proved
and having n ew features added to them .
T herefore, th e m em ber w ho is affiliated w ith

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

th e C h ap ter has the o p p o rtu n ity of p artici
p atin g in these interesting an d instructive
features of m em bership w hich, a t least a t
th e p resen t tim e, are im possible to m ake
available to th e individual m em ber due to
the elaborateness of the equipm ent.
To re tu rn to th e original question, H ow
can a m em b er become affiliated w ith a
C h ap ter? th e first step is to determ ine
w h eth er a C hapter alread y exists in th e
locality w h ere you live or in a city n e a r
enough so th a t you could trav el to its ses
sions. A d irectory of m ost of th e C hapters
an d Lodges is found in th e back of th e
Rosicrucian D igest. If th ere is a city n ea r
you th a t is n o t listed and you w ish to know
definitely w h eth er or not th ere is a C hapter,
w e w ill be glad to in fo rm you. If th e re is
a C h ap ter in th e area w here you live, you
can contact th e M aster or S ecretary an d ask
for an application to affiliate w ith th e C hap
ter. A n y active m em ber m a y affiliate, an d
you m a y m ake such application to th a t
local group.
If th e re is no C hapter in th e im m ediate
area w here y ou live, it is possible th a t one
could be established if enough m em bers
w ould w ork together. T h e C onstitution of
th e G ran d Lodge provides th a t w h en fo rty
m em bers p etitio n th e Suprem e G ran d Lodge
for a C hapter, dispensation can be g ranted
for th em to establish a C hapter. W e have a
com plete procedure by w hich th e proper
steps are tak en to b rin g a C hapter into
existence. If th e re are not fo rty m em bers
in y o u r area th e n it n a tu ra lly postpones th e
tim e w h en a C hapter can be established, b u t
it gives an added incentive for you to assist
in increasing th e organizations m em bership
in y o u r area. You can even point out to
prospective m em bers th a t w h en the m em
bership in y o u r city or locality has grow n
sufficiently, a local C hapter an d even tu ally
a Lodge can be established.
W e hope th e tim e w ill come w hen every
p rin cip al city an d tow n in this jurisdiction
w ill have a C hapter, a C hapter w hich w ill
take its place am ong other constructive an d
w orthw hile organizations in th e com m unity
a local organization of w hich every Rosi
crucian can be proud. If you an d all other
m em bers w ill w ork together in desiring to
have th e additional benefits of C hapter
m em bership, th e n we w ill be successful in
C hapter organization. A

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

S en d Y o u r Q uestions!
W e fre q u en tly receive letters from m em
bers of our large F o r u m fam ily, stating
som ething like th e following: I enjoy T h e
Rosicrucian F orum because it seems to a n
ticipate so m a n y of m y questions. If I have
questions in m ind, I know th a t if I ju st w ait
long enough I w ill find them answ ered in
T h e Rosicrucian F orum .
T his, on th e one hand, m akes us very,
very h appy, because w e like to know th a t we
are ren d e rin g a service, th a t w e are able to
provide inform ation w hich is useful, helpful,
and personally g ratifying to th e m em bers of
our F o r u m fam ily. W e hope to continue
having th e contents of th e F orum be of th a t
n atu re, and as soon as p aper restrictions are
lifted, to again increase the pages of the
Forum in num ber.
H ow ever, w hen you w ait w ith y o u r ques
tions, looking forw ard to having them even tu
ally answ ered in T h e Rosicrucian F orum , do
you realize th a t you rea lly m a y be w orking
a h ardship upon us? Suppose each m em ber
of our F o r u m fam ily, each w ho participates
in our circle of readers w ere to th in k likew ise
and each tim e he h ad a question w ould not
w rite in, w ould not address the F o r u m , but
would keep it to him self, w aiting to eventu
ally have it answ ered w h at w ould be th e
result? W e w ould have very few, if an y ,
questions an d th e interest value of th e
F orum , its service to you, w ould be m uch
less. So w e kin d ly request you to send y o u r
questions to T h e Rosicrucian Forum .
W hen, du rin g the course of the day, you
have a question arising in y our m in d w hich
m a y have developed out of conversation w ith
others, personal experiences, or som ething
you have read and w hich is appropriate to be
discussed in the F orum , jot it dow n an d at
th e v ery earliest opportunity, th a t n ig h t or
the n ex t day, w rite us the question. Y our
le tte r can be brief. It does not have to be
extensive. I t can just relate the question,
w ith th e request th a t it be considered for an
answ er in the Forum .
You can fu rth e r help us, if, before w ritin g
vour question to th e F orum , you take ju st a
few m in u tes tim e in y our hom e an d glance
at th e titles in th e last tw o or th ree issues
of th e F orum w hich you have, to be certain
th a t y o u r question is not sim ilar to o r related
to some other question answ ered in an issue

Page 95

ju st a short tim e before. Some m em bers, who

have subm itted questions to th e F orum , have
been disappointed because th ey w ere not
answ ered in the forthcom ing issue. T he
reason for this w as th a t to answ er th e ir
question, even though it was n ot identical
w ith an y recen t one, w ould m ean cover
in g the sam e subject w hich h ad alread y been
discussed in th e F o ru m , perhaps ju st tw o or
th ree issues back. If the m em ber h ad re
ferred to previous issues, he w ould n ot have
subm itted th a t question an d he w ould not
have been disappointed because it w as not
im m ediately answ ered. F u rth erm o re, be sure
th a t y o u r questions are of a n a tu re th a t con
cern m etaphysics, m ysticism , philosophy,
science, an d Rosierucianism . T h ey m u st be
of general interest; th a t is, do n ot ap p ly only
to y o u r ow n personal relationships, b u t w ill
be of value to you an d of help to others.
Please m ake this contribution to T h e Rosi
crucian Forum . If each of you do this, the
F orum w ill be ju st th a t m uch m ore in
teresting.
Rem em ber, if y o u r question has n o t been
recen tly answ ered, or one sim ilar to it, it
still m a y n o t ap p ear in an im m ediate issue.
Tt m a y req u ire tw o or th ree issues before it
w ill appear, because of th e fact th a t answ ers
are arran g ed some tim e in advance before
th e issue is published. B ut I w a n t to im press
upon you th a t th e F orum is n o t a one-sided
affair. A fo ru m consists of questions an d
answers. O ur obligation, o ur d u ty is to
answ er th e best w e possibly can, w ith the
resources an d facilities at our disposal. Y our
job is not only to receive those answ ers, b u t
to help create th em b y subm itting in terest
in g questions.
Y our question does n o t alw ays have to
concern ju st som ething th a t is pending; in
other w ords, w h eth e r you should do this or
w h eth er you should do th at. I t m a y also
concern som ething in th e past. I t m a y be
about som ething th a t has occurred an d you
w a n t to know th e principle involved, th e
Cosmic law or circum stances w hich brought
it about. You m a y w a n t to know w h eth er
or n ot you should avoid such events or con
ditions in th e future.
So w e ask you to please let us have y o u r
F o r u m questions.
T h in k about them and
send them . A ddress y o u r le tte r to th e E ditor
of T h e Rosicrucian F o ru m , R osicrucian P ark ,
San Jose, C alifornia. X

^4eQcdewcM^Jo.
l/HaeMta4ixlU*ta
P E R S O N A L

IN S T R U C T IO N
a t th e

R O S E -C R O IX

U N IV E R S IT Y

\ \ T A S your youth a disappointment? Did circum ^ stances and necessity deprive you of completing
your education? H ave the years shown that regard
less of your early training there are things you should
have learned facts that would make life more under
standable and enjoyable now? Opportunity is not
lost to you it knocks again at the gates of the RoseCroix University. Satisfy that longing to delve into
the mysteries of science to work in fully equipped
laboratories. Sit in modern classrooms, participate in
discussions concerning the great philosophical truths
of the ages. Listen to competent Rosicrucian instruc
tors simply and fascinatingly answer those questions
that have long puzzled and intrigued you.

F u n

a n d F a c ts

Go to school again the Rosicrucian way. No

previous college or university training required. Re
turn home with reborn personal power and a confi
dence founded upon useful knowledge. A d d one week
to your usual two weeks vacation and attend this
summers term of the Rose-Croix University. Good
fellowship, splendid associations, and unforgettable
experiences await you. W rite today at once
for free booklet of full particulars. Address
Rose-Croix University, Rosicrucian Park,
San Jose, California.

L ow
T u itio n
$35.00
June 18th to July 6th
(T H R E E W E EK S)

T H E R O S IC R U C IA N P R E S S

L T D ., S A N J O S E

PR IN T ED IN U . S . A .

*
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5K
ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM
A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,
THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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APRIL, 1945

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Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, C alifornia,
under Section 1103 of the U . S. Postal Act of O ct. 3, 1917.

Vol. XV

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No. 5

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A GOLD STAR HERO

(In A p p re c ia tio n o f an 18-year-old Am erican boy.)

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He gave us a star to remember,

The day when he marched off to war;
A little white cross to remember
That stands on some distant shore.

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He sent us a short simple missive

To quiet our hearts in despair,
A few loving words to console us
And lighten the burden we bear.

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He gave us a message that blazons

Where eagles alone dare to fly;
Where only gold stars and white crosses
Will pattern the blood-crimsoned sky.

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MILDRED IRENE KUEBLER, F. R. C .

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 98

Greetings !
V
D ear Fratres and Sorores:
We live in this world. T h a t ought to be
sufficient reason to look upon it intelligently.
T his w orld, w ith w hich o u r lives are id en ti
fied, is no t ju st the earth. I t is also th e w orld
of h u m a n events. In fact, these events, of
w hich m a n is th e cause, m ore often vitally
affect us th a n do such phenom ena of ea rth
as earthquakes, floods, an d cyclones. I do not
th in k I w ill be disputed w hen I say th a t w ar,
for exam ple, has caused m ore h u m a n suffer
in g an d p rivation th a n an y n a tu ra l catastro
phe in th e m em ory of m an.
T h e causes of w ar are m an y . If you could
sum u p all of the stupidities and vices of
w hich m a n is capable, you m ig h t h ave a
fa irly accurate ledger of the causes of w ar.
H ow ever, w e can generalize th a t w a r is fre
qu en tly caused b y either a societys lack of
m orals an d ethics, or an attem pt to enforce
unw orkable ones upon others.
E v ery th in g is realistic. W h a t appears to
have perm an en cy is only so in contrast w ith
a m ore rap id ly changing th in g or condition.
T h e entire h u m a n experience, as contrasted
to m a n y phenom ena of n atu re, is recent.
T herfore, th e re is m uch w hich to the m in d
of m a n has th e illusion of stability. Some of
these assum ed stable things have an d con
tin u e to serve m en well. O thers are changing
an d w e are relu c tan t to adm it th e change.
In fact, w e often oppose it. F or ages the
average m oral sense has inclined th e in d i
vidual to protect the w eak and th e helpless
u n d er a n y conditions. T h e abuse of the
sm aller b y th e larger, an d often m ore pow er
ful, aroused th e im m an en t sense of justice.
T h a t is all as it should be. H ow ever, u n fo r
tu n ately , w e are often deceived b y relative
circum stances. W e continue to protect th e
sovereignty of sm all nations, w hich should
not continue as ^uch in these tim es. I t is n ot
th a t th e tim es have changed th e principles
of justice an d th a t now :we m ay sanction th e
oppression of the w eak b y the strong. I t is
ra th e r th a t th e conditions of today p rev en t
m an y nations from ever being o th er th a n
extrem ely w eak, and thus th e y should n o t
rem ain m enaces to a w orld peace and security.

V
It m a y be in sp irin g to th in k of a com para
tively sm all population isolated in th e m idst
of an a rra y of pow erful nations defying all,
in th e ir desire for independence and survival
as a nation. I t appeals to th e im agination
an d in n a te sportsm anship. T h e idealist,
therefore, is desirous of aiding such a people
in m a in ta in in g th e ir sovereignty a t all costs.
But is such a n attitu d e feasible? T h ere is
also an expedient approach to this problem
of th e freedom of a sm all nation.
W h a t w ill th e ir independence provide,
w hich am algam ation w ith a m ore pow erful
neighbor w ill not? L et us presum e th a t A
constitutes a group of pow erful nations. E ach
is w ea lth y w ith resources, w ith trad e agree
m ents, an d access to g reat seaports. T hese
nations are in a pow erful economic an d m ili
ta ry position, an d able to preserve th e ir
status. F u rth e r, th e ir system of governm ent
is perhaps n o t extrem ely liberal, b u t n eith er
is it despotic. T herefore, th e populace of
these pow erful countries enjoys as m uch
lib erty , as a whole, as do th e citizen ry of
an y o th er n atio n less pow erful, and fa r m ore
th a n some.
On th e o th er han d , B is a sm all nation.
A ctually it is a n abortion. I t is a la n d w hich
was once w h ittled from a larg e sovereignty.
In the in terv en in g centuries, it has a ltern ate
ly been absorbed and th e n become separated
m a n y tim es. I t has th e rig h t to grow as an
independent nation, to h ave its ow n govern
m ent, an d to inflate its ego w ith th e w ind of
nationalism . I t can fly its ow n flag, have its
ow n p itiful, inadequate a rm y an d navy,
w hich, n o tw ith s ta n d in g this inadequacy,
constitutes a terrific tax b u rd en to its com
parativ ely sm all citizenry.
Now, w h a t does all of this sovereignty of
th e sm all n atio n m ean to its citizens? W h a t
are th e y gain in g b y living in a com pressed
te rrito ry , desired b y all others? T h e citizen
finds th a t h e has no greater liberties th a n the
citizen of th e large, eq u ally as liberal n eig h
boring nations. H e finds th a t he lacks m a n y
of th e privileges and benefits w hich th e citi
zens of these la rg e r nations enjoy. H is busi
ness opportunities are less. H is nation has

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

not th e varied resources in its contracted area

to in su re a n y degree of steady em ploym ent.
H e finds th a t his industries are unab le to
com pete in w orld m arkets w ith m ore pow er
ful neighbors. H e is hem m ed in b y tariff
walls, custom s, an d im m igration restrictions
w henever h w ishes to move. T h e citizens
in th e large neighboring nations can b rin g
goods to th e ir factories from sources hundreds
of m iles d istan t, w ith in th e bounds of th e ir
ow n country, w ith o u t duties and m o n etary
restrictions. T h e citizen of th e little nation,
figuratively, can h a rd ly tu r n around w ith
out confronting th e restrictions w hich th e
sm allness of his ow n country imposes upon
him . Of course, these conditions likewise
affect h im cu ltu rally . P rosperity is a sup
po rter of th e arts an d sciences. H is govern
m e n t is proud of its sovereignty, b u t extrem e
ly im poverished a n d can do little for its citi
zens except to expound th e glories of being
a n independent nation.
T h ere is no hope for the fu tu re of such a
nation. I t cannot possibly grow. T h e m ost
it can ever expect is a status quo. To the
politicians of such a little nation, such sov
ereignty m a y h av e a v ery definite advantage.
T he politician m a y become a big fish in a
v ery little pond. T o th e average citizen of
th e sm all nation, it is a discouraging, souldepressing fu tu re w hich he faces. T hese cir
cum stances resu lt in th e am bitious individual,
the one w ith initiativ e and vision, eventually
leaving his nation, m igrating to one of the
larg er neighboring states w here he perceives
a possible personal future.
T h ere is also th e aspect of continual in
trigue an d pressure, to w hich the little n ation
is co ntinually exposed. One of th e pow erful
nations m a y assum e th a t u ltim ately the little
nation w ill disintegrate by its ow n lack of
in te rn al cohesion. T his pow erful natio n de
sires th a t if th a t should happen, the little n a
tion should n o t be absorbed b y some rival.
Consequently, it starts a cam paign of indoctrin izatio n in th e little sovereignty. I t starts
to influence th e political parties of th e little
country. I t hopes to p u t into pow er those
w ho favor one pow erful neighbor as against
another. E v en tu ally th e little natio n comes
to realize th a t its sovereignty, its in d e
pendence is, afte r all, a farce. It is being
dom inated politically by a neighbor, an d y e t
it is not enjoying a n y of th e advantages
w hich the citizens of the pow erful neighbor

Page 99

do. F u rth e r, th e little n atio n th a t opposes

an d snubs a pow erful neighbor m a y ev en tu
ally be a victim of aggression b y it. W h e n it
is invaded, it w ill th e n be abused because of
its form er attitude. I t cannot expect th a t
other pow erful n ations to w hom it w ill ap
peal w ill im m ed iately rescue it. T w o strong
m en, for analogy, w ho fear each o th ers
strength, w ill often ra th e r le t one or th e
other abuse a w eak er m a n th a n risk com bat
w ith each other b y intervening.
L et us d raw a circle upon a piece of paper,
about fo u r inches in diam eter. W ith in this
circle w e w ill d raw a dozen sm aller circles,
each about a q u a rte r of an in ch in diam eter.
T h en w e w ill d raw fo u r or five circles, each
about one-sixteenth of an in ch in diam eter.
T h e first, large circle, we w ill call th e w orld.
T h e dozen circles w e shall n am e larg e n a
tions. T h e sm aller circles w e shall te rm
sm all nations. You w ill note w h en y ou have
done this th a t th e re is a considerable space
betw een th e v ery little an d th e larg e circles,
w ith in th e g reat big circle. T his is a p ictu re
of th e w orld as it w as, shall w e say, tw o
hu n d red an d fifty years ago. Betw een th e
larg e circles an d th e sm all ones in th e area
of th e w orld, th e re w as m uch room for ex
pansion. E v ery little circle or n atio n could
grow . I t could spread out; it could add ap
p a re n tly n ew territo ries or holdings to itself,
like a cell in th e process of accretion. T h ey
could do this w ith o u t too fre q u en tly pressing
against th e la rg e r nations.
T im e has changed this w orld picture. T h e
circles are now pressing against each other.
T h e w orld is crow ded w ith nations an d th eir
possessions, an d spheres of influence. T h e
big nations are pressing tow ard each other,
a n d in betw een are th e sm aller ones. As th e
pressure increases, th e little ones crack and
disintegrate, an d are fin ally pressed into th e
form of th e la rg e r ones. T his process w ill go
on for m a n y decades. H ow m an y , no one
knows. I t presages th e eventual u n ity th a t
w ill come o ut of th e m an y . N atio n after
n atio n w ill be forced together. T h e y w ill
conflict; th e re often w ill be bloody in te r
ludes. N ationalism w ill u ltim ately go. T h ere
is no m ore room for separateness, o n ly u n ity ,
a one w orld can survive.
C onsequently, to be realistic, it is fa r b etter
th a t some of th e sm aller nations of E urope
be am algam ated w ith th e m ore pow erful
ones. I t is tru e th e y will sacrifice th e ir

Page 100

sovereignty as a nation, but th e y w ill gain

g reater freedom an d opportun ity for th e citi
zen. T h e o nly danger lies in a co rru p t neig h
bors absorbing the sm aller ones. H ow ever,
if political despotism is stam ped o ut of the
w orld by a coalition of the pow erful nations,
th e n each little nation even tu ally becom ing
one w ith the larger rem ain in g bodies, w ill
be b etter serving its citizens.
T here w ere m a n y persons w ho w ere
shocked a t th e recent developm ents a t th e
Y alta Conference in th e Crim ea, w ith re
spect to th e big pow ers attitu d e to w ard th e
sovereignty of Poland, for exam ple. On the
surface, it seemed a violation of P o land as a
nation. R ealistically, a P oland politically
am algam ated w ith Russia can accom plish for
th e people of P oland fa r m ore th a n th e y
could ever expect to realize w edged in be
tw een Russia, G erm any, an d E ngland. P oland
has no m ore actual political sovereignty. She
is politically en tirely w ith in th e economic
and m ilita ry sphere of Russia. T h e fact th a t
she is, is a guarantee th a t she w ill n ot be
violated b y a n y other pow erful neighbor, at
least not as often. T h e fact th a t she is able
to reta in h e r nam e an d a sem blance of
sovereignty, as agreed upo n b y th e Big T hree,
is only a concession to th e die-hard trad itio n
of nationalism , w hich ev entu ally m u st go in
the shrinking w orld of tom orrow.
F ra tern ally ,
R A L P H M . L E W IS,
Im perator.

Debts Or Gifts Which First?

A soror, I believe addressing this F o r u m
for the first tim e, asks: W h en a person
w ith a steady incom e is in debt an d h e or
she desires to m ake presents to others, w hich
should come firstth e indebtedness paid, or
gifts purchased? T his is assum ing, of course,
th a t the gift w ould delay p ay m en t of the
debt and if enough desires to give gifts w ere
had, th e debt m ight never be paid. I sup
pose th a t th e desire to give presents is a
spontaneous in n e r voice, but also doesnt an
in n e r voice obligate one to indebtedness?
Debts an d gifts, from th e Cosmic po in t of
view, involve h u m an relationships, y o u r con
duct w ith y o u r fellow hum ans. T h ere are
tw o different aspects of this sam e relatio n
ship. W e m ig h t say th a t one is positive and
the other negative. T he positive aspect is

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

being m oved by th a t expression of the in n er

self, w hich w e know as love for h u m an ity ,
or as com passion, to serve an d to extend our
affection to m ankind. A gift m ay be m oti
vated b y th e positive desire to do a charitable
act, to provide som ething to alleviate h um an
suffering. You give to th e poor, to the
h u n g ry , to th e needy. Y our only com pensa
tio n is th e in n er satisfaction you derive from
th e fu lfillm en t of th a t urge, w hich you ex
perience. T h en , again, w e give gifts, also
as a positive action, because w e like someone.
W e have an affection for them , an d th e
object is a token of our esteem o r our
affection.
Such giving of gifts, as an indication of
our em otional self an d sentim ents is quite
instinctive. I t is v ery prim itive an d ele
m ental. I t is n o t lim ited strictly to hum ans.
Dogs have been know n to share th e ir foods
w ith other anim als, to take a bone to a less
fo rtu n ate an d h u n g ry friend. Likewise, dogs
have been know n to drop th e ir toys, as a
ball, for exam ple, at th e feet of a four-footed
friend, as an indication th a t th e y w ere sh ar
ing th e ir treasures w ith him .
T h e negative aspect, from th e Cosmic point
of view, of th is h u m a n relationship is debts.
Debts, how ever, first begin as a positive b u t
objective relationship. I t m a y be a tran sa c
tion w hich has no m oral or spiritual im pulse
a t its bottom ; strictly one of expediency. For
analogy, y ou m a y need m oney to take a trip
to a d istan t city to see about obtaining an
excellent position there. You borrow a sum
from a frien d for th e purpose. So far, such
relationship is positive b u t distinctly a n ob
jective o r m a teria l transaction. I t is positive
on y o u r p a rt because you are th e prim e
m over. You in stitu ted th e transaction. You
asked for an d negotiated a loan. Once you
h ave borrow ed th e m oney, th e n the negative
Cosmic aspect develops. T his negative aspect
consists in say in g or doing no th in g w hich
w ill in te rfe re w ith y o u r m oral obligation to
this o th er person. If you un d ertak e an y th in g
w hich disturbs th a t obligatory relationship,
you b rin g eith er h u rt to th e one who loaned
you th e m o n ey or h u rt to y o u r ow n ch arac
ter. You pledged paym ent. T h a t pledge
represents to others y o u r conception of tru th ,
y o u r m o ral conception of th e right. To inten tio n alty violate or deliberately m ake im
possible th e fulfillm ent of th e pledge is to
degrade th e in n e r self. Consequently, you

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

cannot u ndertake a n y positive action, even if

m otivated b y self, w hich w ill conflict w ith
the Cosmic negative aspect th e debt.
I n th e instance of a debt, the negative Cos
m ic aspect has alread}^ been established. It
has, to use th e vern acu lar of th e day, a
p rio rity on y o u r in n e r self it comes first
because it is first.
T his m u st not be taken to m ean th a t w hen
w e have contracted obligations or debts
w hich m ost all of us havew e should not
give a n y gifts. I t does m ean, how ever, th a t
a n y positive acts m otivated by self, as gifts,
m ust be lim ited or restricted to th e extent
th a t th e y w ill n o t interfere w ith the p ay m en t
of debts, th e first an d negative aspect of
y o u r self-expression, w hich has been already
established. T h e failu re to give a gift, w here
a debt m akes it impossible, brings no in ju ry
because no relationship has y e t been m a n i
fested objectively. T h ere is no dependenc}r
upon you. W h ere you have a debt, you have
som ething th a t alread y exists, an objective
relationship, an d you therefore m ust com ply
w ith th e Cosmic principle not to disturb th e
m oral obligation resting upon you. T his
m ay a t tim es b rin g m ental conflict. I t m ay
brin g th e personal polemic argum en t as to
w heth er to neglect the debt or forget the
gifts or to m ake them less expensive. If,
how ever, w e w eigh the values, m editate a
m om ent, stop reasoning about it, th e self,
th e conscience, w ill tell us th a t the negative
aspect of th e debt has priority, and if w e do
not com ply w ith it, it can do h a rm to us or
to th e creditor. X

Are W ealth and Mysticism Compatible?

T w o fratres now ask our F o r u m related
questions. One fra te r asks: H ow is the
m a stery of Cosmic law related to or in
fluenced b y a m aterialistic approach to th e
acquisition of m aterial w ealth and personal
glory? I cannot convince m yself th a t it is
wise to reject th e urge for m aterial benefits
a nd possibly some luxuries, in favor of total
p u rsu it of in n e r peace and Cosmic Conscious
ness. I have held to the conviction th a t th e re
should be some balance betw een th e p rac
tices of th e law s of God and those ap p aren tly
necessary in p u rsu in g economic w ealth or
a t least security. T his problem has been m y
m ajo r concern in approaching these studies
th a t I am now receiving.

Page 101

T he other fra ter, from the M idw estern

section of th e U n ited States, states: In one
of th e m onographs it says: consider w h at
y o u r m otive is in seeking for th a t upon w hich
you w ish to concentrate. A re you seeking
for self alone? H ow do you reconcile this
statem ent w ith m a n y of th e healings m ade
b y Christ? H ow about th e blin d beggar w ho
asked for an d received healing? C hrist said:
W hatsoever y e shall ask in p ray er, believe
th a t ye h ave received an d y e shall receive.
L et us begin w ith th e question of th e fra te r
first above. As I see it, his questions resolve
dow n to w h eth e r o r n o t it is in trin sically
w rong to acquire m a teria l w ealth. By w rong,
w e m ean m o rally an d sp iritu ally im proper,
or evil, if you w ill. I f w ealth is sp iritu ally
or Cosm ically im proper, th e n obviously a n y
attem pts to acquire it w ould .be inconsistent
w ith an attem p t to become sp iritu ally de
veloped. W e m ay , fo r o u r purposes, define
w ealth as a n abund an ce of m aterial things,
o r a m eans b y w hich th e y can be acquired.
W ealth is p u re ly relative. I t is n ot absolute.
You are w ealth y , depending on th e value
placed upon w h a t you possess. A m a n who
possesses a larg e q u a n tity of gold is w ealth y ,
as long as th ere is a dem and for gold. A n
other m a n m a y consider him self w ealth y
because he has accum ulated th e largest col
lection of an odd assortm ent of fishhooks.
Collecting th e hooks is his hobby. E ach one
has value to him . T h e la rg e r th e n um ber, th e
g reater his w ealth in these things to him self
an d to all w ho th in k as h e does. Obviously,
th en , w ealth can an d does, in all parts of th e
w orld, consist of alm ost everything.
Since no one th in g represents w ealth, th e
things of w ealth are n ot in trin sically evil.
T h ere are those w ho actu ally believe gold
an d silver are im bued w ith an evil pow er
because th e y h ave been long associated w ith
a pernicious use of w ealth. Such a belief is
p u rely anim ism , an d should n o t be con
sidered b y in tellig en t persons. I f th e things
of w ealth can n o t be in trin sically evil or op
posed to sp iritu al ends, th e n w h a t of w ealth
m a y be corrupt? T h e answ er is th e pow er
w hich it m a y b rin g to bear. You cannot
separate w ealth from pow er. If w ealth is an
accum ulation of som ething w hich others
value and desire, th e n it has a power. I t is a
com m odity w h ich w e can use effectively to
b u y m aterials, purchase service, as w ell as
to influence people. Ju st as some u n th in k in g

Page 102

people are inclined to believe th a t th e things

of w ealth are evil, so some likew ise th in k
th a t its pow er is also evil. P ow er is a con
centration of energy, of things or conditions.
In itself, a pow er is purposeless; therefore,
it is n eith er good n o r evil, constructive n o r
destructive. I t is th e m in d behind th e pow er
th a t puts it to use, th a t can m ake its results
ap p ear as good or evil. T h e pow er of w ealth
w hich is used to build schools, libraries, m u
seums, an d hospitals is th e sam e pow er th a t
is used to te a r dow n public m orals an d cor
ru p t governm ent. T h e pow er of w ealth is
needed, and individuals should be perm itted
to acquire an d to exercise it so long as th e y
disclose no im proper m otive in so doing.
Should a person m ake w ealth his goal? As
a m a tte r of fact, as I have w ritte n previously
on this subject, one cannot set out to m ake
w ealth his goal. H e first has to have th a t
w hich am ounts to w ealth. You ju st dont be
gin to be w ealthy. You first m u st become a
success in some enterprise w hich w ill provide
w ealth. B ut suppose one w ants to be a su c
cess in an enterprise or profession so th a t he
m a y ev entually be w ealthy? Is h e th w artin g
or opposing spiritual idealism , and perhaps
b u ry in g it beneath a m aze of m a teria l rea li
ties? W e answ er th a t by saying, it depends.
If th e individual is not avaricious, has not
ju st a love of possessions; if, in fact, he w an ts
w ealth to fu rth e r not only him self personal
ly, b u t some h u m a n ita ria n ideal w hich w as
engendered b y his sp iritual sentim ents an d
im pulses, th e n he is not acting co n tra ry to
self.
One m ust have a very balanced n a tu re , it
is adm itted, and m ust discipline him self, to
be a success m aterially and y et be able to
move tow ard m ystical attain m en t. If one
does not let business pursuits cause h im to
violate his m oral precepts and th e dictates of
conscience, he is safe. If he does n ot le t his
m a teria l interests depiive him of o p p o rtu n
ities for introspection, reflection, an d study,
he m a y still be a m ystic and a successful
business m an. I have know n, and kn o w sev
eral m en w ho are successful in th e advertis
ing, banking, industrial, and trad e w orlds.
T h e y are w ealthy m en, and y e t th e y are
deep students of m ysticism and Rosicrucianism . T h ey not only study m ysticism an d th e
AM ORC teachings, b u t th e y ap p ly th e p re
cepts in th e ir business transactions. T h ey
have tim e and again used portions of th e ir

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w ealth to fu rth e r those aim s developed out

of th e ir m editations.
L et us n ot forget th a t m a n is a dual being,
both physical an d spiritual. H e has a rig h t
to econom ically secure th e w elfare of his
physical existence b y w ealth. If he does n ot
use this w ealth exclusively fo r his ow n b ene
fit or th e d etrim en t of others, h e is n o t in te r
ferin g w ith th e evolution of his soul-person
ality. R ational, W estern m ysticism does not
sanction asceticism, self-abnegation, th e de
n ial of com fort an d even reasonable luxuries.
Instead it advocates th e acquisition of m y s
tical illu m in a tio n ? w hich perm its a Cosmic
direction of life h ere and now, according to
Cosmic an d n a tu ra l laws.
As for th e second fra te rs questions, we
have a rig h t to ask in p ra y e r for ourselves,
for h ealth , for aid w ith w orldly problem s, so
long as such appeals are n o t m otivated by
avarice an d cupidity. If w e w ish to get w ell
so th a t w e m a y n o t be a h in d ran ce to o u r
selves an d others, th e n w e are justified to
ask for D ivine assistance. Yes, m ost assured
ly, w e can ask for things from w hich w e w ill
d irectly benefit, providing o ur in te n t or
m oral is right. T h a t is w h y w e stress con
sideration of th e in te n t an d w h eth er th e
lim ited self alone is going to be benefited.
C ertain ly th e fra te r w ould n o t in te rp re t his
Biblical quotation to m ean th a t C hrist w ould
answ er a n y p ra yer, regardless of w h at th e
supplicant asked. C ertain ly w e cannot p ra y
to w reak vengeance u pon another. M ost as
suredly w e cannot p ra y to gain u n ju stly a n
o th ers possessions. If it w ere ju st sufficient
to set into m otion a certain ritu a l or rite, or
to p ray , in other words, th e n p ra y e r could
be used as an in stru m e n t to oppose Cosmic
laws. W e w ould have th e situation, to use
an analogy, w here p ra y e r as a Cosmic law
w ould be like a log ly in g crossways in the
Cosmic stream and dam m ing up the orderly
flow of its in ten t. X

Is There A Collective Conscience?

A soror associated w ith o u r staff arises and
addresses this F o r u m . She says: One of
our m onographs states, in part: E ach godly
home, each sacred domicile, each den or
cham ber, room or cave, grotto or tem ple, in
habited b y God-loving, to leran t and k in d ly
n atu res filled w ith vibrations of goodness,
m ystical u nderstanding, and D ivine attune-

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

m ent is w atched over by this invisible

guardian, w ho w arn s aw ay intru sio n and
w ho sounds a note of clear w arn in g w hen
evil approaches. M y question is: Is this
conscience guarding th e hom e, etc., a collec
tive conscience, or some separate en tity ?
A place becomes a san ctu ary by th e m a n
n e r in w hich it is consecrated b y h u m a n
action and thought. A tem ple is not sacred
by virtu e of its nam e, nor even the purpose
for w hich it w as constructed, or because of
the site, or th e intrin sic value of the m aterials
of w hich it is composed. I t is m ade sacred
by th e m ystical transm utation of th e v ib ra
tions of its environm ent. Regardless of oppo
sition th a t m a y arise through th e follow ing
statem ent, I affirm th a t m aterial objects and
substances are definitely affected b y the
h u m a n au ra and by concentrations of th o u g h t
brought to b ea r upon them . I do not m ean
th a t ou r thoughts and feelings, w hich n a tu
ra lly v a ry th e h u m a n aura, actually alter,
as a physical transform ation, every m aterial
object w hich comes into the sphere of th e ir
influence. I do m ean, how ever, th a t very
intense em otional states greatly inten sify the
radiations of th e h u m a n aura, cause the
m olecular n a tu re of substances n ea r th em to
absorb some of th e tangible vibrations of the
aura. It is as though the m aterial substance
could store these radiations for a lim ited
tim e, as a m etal m a y become m agnetized,
and then, in tu rn , em anate these radiations
to a lesser degree. To use an analogy, it is
like some substances w hich retain th e fra
grance of a perfum e long afte r the one who
had it upon h e r person has left the vicinity.
It is not a n uncom m on experience, perhaps
you have h ad it, for one to feel depressed in
certain strange rooms, in a hotel or in public
buildings, or, conversely, to be highly elated,
fn such a n environm ent there m a y be
n othing visible w hich, by suggestion, w ould
cause us to have such sensations. H ow ever,
investigation has revealed m a n y tim es th a t
in such a place incidents involving great
h u m a n m isery, suffering, grief, or the oppo
site in tense happiness and inspiration
occurred over quite a long period of tim e.
T hese conditions apply to a place used for
religious or sacred purposes. E ach votary,
each ad h e ren t who enters there, moved b y
the b etter p a rt of him self, by devotion, and
b y sp iritu al love, deposits som ething of his
n atu re w ith in the area and th ereb y tra n s

Page 103

m utes it in to a sacred place. A place w here

one invokes th e presence of God b y p ray e r
or m editation, or b y com m union w ith the
Cosmic takes on an atm osphere of tra n q u ili
ty , of q u iet exh ilaratio n , th a t is sensed by
everyone w ho enters, even those w ho are not
m y stically or religiously inclined. T h e very
air seems charged w ith th e h ig h er positive
vibrations of th e au ra. H ave you not ob
served persons, w ho m a y be ju st tourists
sightseeing, w ho are p erm itted to go into
w h at w as once a sacred site or th e ru in s of
a tem ple. H istorically, th e y m a y know little
about th e place. T h e y m a y never have h ad
a n y know ledge of th e rites and cerem onies
w hich w ere used th erein . U p u n til th e tim e
of th e ir entrance, th e y m a y have been loud
an d boisterous. M ost tim es, for reasons th ey
cannot explain, th e m a jo rity w ill be reserved
in th e ir m a n n er, m o re q u iet in th e ir gestures,
an d even speak in a h u sh ed voice. You have
u ndoubtedly often sensed this feeling w hen
you have been in th e sanctum of a m em ber,
or visited a little cross-roads church. H ow
ever, this condition of sacred feeling and
m ystical vibration, an d this feeling of good
ness is often lacking in stately cathedrals.
I n some such lofty edifices, m agnificent in
th e ir appointm ents, th e re is no conduciveness
to rest. One m ay ac tu a lly feel ill at ease and
depressed.
W e know th a t o u r conscience, th e m oral
self is alw ays closely attu n ed w ith th e D i
vine M ind, an d therefore does become the
g u ard ian of o u r threshold. I t w arn s us
against o ur ow n conduct an d thoughts, and
th a t w hich is c o n tra ry to spiritual in c lin a
tions an d soul im pulses. I t also m akes us
alert to dangers. W h e n we are in a sanc
tu a ry or place consecrated to an d used for
D ivine purposes, th e sensitivity of our own
conscience is quickened self is aw akened.
W e a ie raised to a m ore lo fty plan e of con
sciousness an d aw areness b y the v ib rato ry
conditions w ith in th e edifice or place. W e
find ourselves m ore easily p u t in rap p o rt
w ith th e self w ith in or conscience. It is for
this reason th a t attu n e m e n t w ith th e in n e r
self is p referred an d sought in a san ctu ary
y o u r sanctum , y o u r cathedral, y o u r church
aro u n d th e corner. Inspiration, guidance,
protection these are often experienced in
such an environm ent.
T h e experiences w ith in a san ctu ary th a t
is, inspiration, guidance, an d so on are not

Page 104

alw ays ju st th e resu lt of y o u r in dividual

conscience. Such experiences m a y be due to
the projected psychic selves of others. A
sa n ctu a ry becomes a place of attractio n , a
place w here those w ho m editate find th e ir
thoughts an d psychic consciousness converg
ing. O ften in m editation, you h ave been
suddenly aw are of yourself in some u n
fam iliar place, b u t one th a t is m ost g ratify
ing, soothing, ecstatic in its effects. I t often
m a y be a tem ple in th e O rient, a M oham m e
dan M osque, or an a lta r upon some m o u n
tain. T h e self, w hen released b y m editation,
w hen freed for a few m inutes from objective
consciousness, if it is not directed to a n y p a r
tic u la r place, is m ost often d raw n to an
enviro n m en t harm onious to its ow n n atu re.
I t is ju st like a child w hen h e is perm itted
to leave his hom e and to go out of doors for
a few m in u tes; if he has no p articu la r m is
sion, he is attracted to other children because
of sim ilar interests and h arm o n y of thought.
T herefore, a san ctu ary often becomes a r e
pository fo r th e spiritual selves of those dis
ta n t an d in m editation and p ray er. O ften
such persons are not fu lly aw are th a t th e ir
psychic selves have been to such a sanctuary.
I t m a y have been an unconscious projection.
W h ile th e psychic self is at such a sanc
tu a ry , it adds to th e positive, spiritual, vibra
tory qualities of its environm ent, like a
b rea th of fresh air or a beam of su nlight
entering a closed space, if someone opens a
w indow or raises a shade. T his collection
of thoughts, of vibrations of the h ig h er selves
of persons, concentrated in a sa n ctu a ry or
sanctum , am o u n t to a collective conscience.
Such selves im m ediately rebel an d w ith d raw
from an y conditions or an y circum stances
th a t are co n tra ry to the Cosmic, for th e y are
functioning on the Cosmic plane. A n y dis
tu rb an ce of them w ould obviously affect the
v ib rato ry conditions of th e sanctuary. If you
are present, y o u r in n e r self, yo u r conscience
w ould detect this change im m ediately an d it
w ould be tran slated to y o u r objective con
sciousness as a w arning. T he w arn in g m ig h t
no t take th e form of a p articu la r description
or explanation of the cause of th e change,
b u t you w ould sense it perhaps b y being ill
a t ease an d becom ing alert an d cautious.
Therefore, in such a place consecrated to
tru th an d Cosmic law , w e have as w ell as
our ow n conscience th e influences of the
psychic selves w ho revel in sanctuaries, as a
collective conscience. X

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

The Ouija Board Craze

A fra te r from N ew Y ork addresses this
: Since being a m em ber, I do not
recall this F o r u m s ever discussing th e sub
ject of the O uija board. T his subject should
in te rest a n y Rosicrucian, or a t least cause
h im to question th e v alid ity of th e results of
th e operation of th e board. Is th e O uija board
a m eans of en tertain m en t, to be tak en lightly,
or is it a m eans of reliable inform ation? Per*
sonally, I cannot u n d erstan d it, an d it has
m e thinking. Is th ere a n y reliable solution?
I am seeking a n answ er.
T h e O uija board cam e in to prom inence in
the U n ited States after W o rld W a r I. I t was
introduced from Europe, w h ere it h ad existed
for some tim e in various form s. I t has p er
sisted since th en , b u t it is extrem ely p o p u lar
again, due to th e em otional in stab ility caused
b y th e circum stances of th e tim es. F o r the
benefit of those w ho m a y n o t know exactly
w h a t th e O uija board, or p lan ch ette is, w e
shall explain. I t is a board, u p o n th e face
of w hich are arran g ed letters of th e alphabet,
figures, an d certain other characters. U pon
this rests a sm all board o r pointer, w hich
serves as a p en or pencil w h en in th e
operators h and. B y m eans of this, h e auto
m a tica lly or w ith o u t volition spells o ut w ords
to compose messages. I t is th e assum ption
on th e p a rt of m ost users th a t some in te lli
gence or psychic pow er beyond th e ir own
personality is th e cause of such messages. In
m a n y instances, th e phenom enon is quite
m ysterious or u n can n y . T h is adds to its a t
tractiveness to m a n y m inds.
I t is d u rin g tim es of g reat em otional stress
th a t th e average individual is inclined to this
an d sim ilar practices. E x trem e em otionalism
causes a decline in th e u su al reasoning. T h e
em otional feelings b ru sh aside rationalism .
F u rth e r, th e average individual in a crisis is
often u n ab le to so m arsh all his thoughts and
his w ill pow er as to gain sufficient control
over him self an d th ereb y su rm o u n t w h atev er
obstacles confront him . I t is a psychological
fact th a t a w eakened physical condition les
sens w ill pow er and self control. T h e essen
tial of w ill is th e focusing of th e stren g th of
m ind. A person w ho is v ery ill finds it ex
trem ely difficult to m u ster sufficient energy
to discipline and control th e em otions. H e
w ill w eep easily at th a t w h ich is sad and
w ill laugh often alm ost h y sterically at a
F

o r u m

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

slightly am using incident. W h e n one is

desperate because of circum stances w hich
engender great em otional stress, he is inclined
to believe th a t his personal powTers h ave been
truncated. Because of th e fear th a t grips
him , h e fra n tic ally seeks an external source
or pow er w hich he can depend upon, or
w hich a t least w ill be able to supp lan t his
ow n deficiency. Since th e O uija board or
planchette seems to provide a chann el or be
come a m edium through w hich inform ation
and guidance can be had, such a n individual
resorts to it.
W a r produces a sense of helplessness
am ong m a n y of th e civilian population who
have sons, fathers, or husbands in th e service.
T h ey feel un ab le to ren d e r th em assistance
in th e ir tim e of need. T his helplessness p re
cipitates fears an d often an u nthinkin g . T his
in tu r n encourages recourse to an y practices
w hich p u rp o rt to provide h elpful inform ation
about a loved one in im m in en t danger. F u r
th er, grief for one w ho has actu ally passed
on is often th e m otivating factor for one r e
sorting to such strange methods. T h ere is
the hope of renew ing the bond w ith th e d e
ceased. Since w om en are m ore em otional
th a n m en, in tim es such as these th e y are
m ore often the victim s of th e O uija board
craze. F re q u en tly persons indulge in it w ith
friends, w ith a n open attitude of skepticism.
T he inexplicable occurrences, th e strange
phenom enon puzzles and im presses th em
u n til th e y become unquestioning devotees
of it.
O uija board phenom enon is autom atic
w riting. As W illiam Jam es, em inen t p sy
chologist, has said, it is th e lowest form of
m edium ship and th e low est grade of this
practice is w here th e subject, know ing th e
source of his com m unication, nevertheless
feels im pelled to w rite. T h e individual allows
th e objective self to be excluded from reason
ing and from conscious participation in the
experience. H e excludes his objective self,
even though he realizes the initiative for his
acts comes from elsewhere. In psychical
research, or psychic phenom ena, th e re is
w h at is know n technically as cryptesthesia.
T his m eans a psychic sensitivity to know l
edge th a t is obtained by other th a n th e com
m only objective m anner. O ur conscious
m ind, or state of consciousness, functions
dually. T h ere are some w ho hold th a t we
have tw o m inds or selves, th e objective and

Page 105

subjective. T h en , again, th ere are others w ho

contend th a t we h av e b u t one self. A t tim es
it is objective in its fun ctio n in g an d a t other
tim es subjective. W e shall presum e, for ex
plan atio n here, th a t th e re are both an objec
tive self and a subjective m in d o r self.
M ost of oui- conscious acts, those th a t w e
em em b er objectively, are registered as w ell
in th e subjective m ind. I n sleep, th e y often
recu r as dream s, even though th e y m a y have
happened in rea lity years ago, perhaps in
childhood. F u rth e r, m a n y experiences w hich
w e have had, such as, shocks or m o m en tary
deep fears, th e incidents of w hich w e have
forgotten en tirely , are nevertheless registered
in th e subjective m ind. C onsequently, w h en
th e y are released ag ain in th e objective m ind,
th ey have an originality. T h ey seem as a
new idea or concept to our objective con
sciousness. Since th e y have not been reasoned
about th a t is, have n o t been p ro p erly or
ganized an d are h ap h a za rd in th e ir release
th e y are often distorted an d frightening. I t
is like a m a n w ho w h en occupied w ith one
th in g nam ely, th in k in g of som ething else
is at th e same tim e p u ttin g a n u m b e r of
objects absent-m indedly upon a closet shelf
w ith o u t an y ord er o r arrangem ent. Some
tim e afterw ard, n o t realizing th a t these ob
jects are th e re an d piled w ith o u t an y security
on the top shelf of the closet, h e opens th e
door quickly. D ow n u pon h im fall th e objects
w ith an alarm in g clatter an d v ery confusing
array , surprising, perhaps shocking him .
T h en , again, o ur objective self has its sec
ondary personality. O ur p rim a ry p ersonality
is th e one w hich w e m anifest to others an d
w hich we are conscious th a t w e are. O ur
secondary perso n ality m a y be th e one w hich
w e are fearsom e of becoming, or the change
w e w an t to m ake in ourselves. I t m a y also
be th e p ersonality w e w ould like to m im ic
or to im itate. Q uite often we w ill n ot ever
express to others th a t w e consider ourselves
w eak in certain of o u r emotions, habits, or
virtues. In o u r m inds, w e w ill associate th is
weakness w ith certain people. I t seems to
correspond to th e ir conduct. W e m a y lik en
it u n to characters w hom w e m a y despise,
w hom w e have m et or read about. T h u s
these ideas, in th e subjective, become our
secondary personality. I t is, of course, n o t
the psychic or sp iritu al self. T h ere are m a n y
w ays in w hich this secondary personality, or
the subjective th o u g h t process (an d h av in g

Page 106

noth in g to do w ith the Cosmic m in d ) m ay

come to the fore.
C ryptesthesia, w hich w e have m entioned,
m a y be either accidental or experim ental.
A ccidental cryptesthesia is w here suddenly,
as a m onition th a t is, as a sudden an nounce
m e n t or inspiration thoughts w ill come to
the fore of the objective or th e outer m ind.
Sometimes such thoughts are logical, clear,
and w ith specific m eaning, as a k in d of
know ledge w hich proves to be useful. Such
are pragm atic tru th s an d m a y be caused by
m en tal telepathy; in other words, b y being
m o m en tarily in attu n em en t w ith th e m in d
of another. O ften such m onitions or psychic
know ledge about som ething is proven to be
veridical by subsequent investigation. I n
spirational know ledge or noetic experience
th a t is, new knowledge w hich comes b y this
m eans of cryptesthesia is a Cosmic divulgence. In such instances, there is n ever fear
or confusion related to th e experience. T h ere
is alw ays ecstasy an d uplift, a feeling of exal
tation. On th e other hand, experim ental
cryptesthesia is w here th e individual in te n
tionally suppresses th e objective m in d or self,
and fu rth e r leaves him self w ith o u t an y
preparation, an d w ithout und erstanding, to
the im pressions w hich m a y come h ap h a za rd
ly from the secondary personality or the
subjective.
In the case of autom atic w ritin g o r Ouija
board practice, the subject sets him self be
fore the board and places his hands lig h tly
on the inscriber or p ointer w hich is up o n the
large board. H e asks th e board aloud, or to
him self, a question. H e th e n w aits for the
in v o lu n tary jerking of his arm , a m u scu lar
contraction, w hich causes him to move the
pointer across the surface of th e larg e board,
stopping a t letters of th e alphabet, th e n at
figures, so as to spell out a cryptic answ er.
If such a person is sincere in this practice,
th e answ ers he receives he u su ally accepts
as com ing from some intelligence extraneous
to his ow n m ind. Obviously such a subject
w ould not be a devotee of this practice if he
thou g h t th e message w as being tran sm itted
to him solely from w ith in the recesses of his
ow n m ind.
As explained, sometimes the messages are
not intelligible; th e y are but a ju m b le of
words. A t other tim es, th ey m a y be b u t
a sim ple yes or no to a question. T h e
resu lt m a y be either w h a t the subject de

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

sires or w h at he fears, depending upon w hich

sentim ent an d em otion related to th e ques
tion has m ade th e strongest im pression upon
his subjective self. F u rth e r (an d this is w h at
m akes th e practice so acceptable to some subjects), nam es, personalities, an d places are
often spelled w hich th e subject tru th fu lly
can say he does n ot recall ever h aving heard
or seen. T h is causes h im to believe th a t the
inform ation im p arted to h im m u st originate
from some extraneous intelligence. H e does
n ot realize th a t th ere is m uch registered in
th e subjective w hich h e has forgotten, o r of
th e cause of w hich he is un aw are, an d th a t
it can produce th e th o u g h t im pressions he
now has. Sometimes a shock or fea r had
w h en a child w ill deeply affect this la ten t
p a rt of o u r m ind. T h e subjective w ill assign
to th e experience ideas, certain qualities, as
incidents an d persons, w hich th e em otional
disturbance actu ally did n o t have originally
related to it. D u rin g such an uncontrolled
an d undirected subjective state, as w h en one
is using a O uija board, such im ages or
thoughts w ill th e n be released to th e objec
tive m ind. T h e subject w ill be aw are of the
original shock, w ith all of its em otional dis
turbances th a t is, he w ill experience it again
b u t th e re w ill be associated w ith it now
un fam iliar incidents, nam es of persons,
places, or things. Consequently, th e subject
believes th a t he has suddenly been p u t in
touch w ith some evil force or entity. Several
such experiences m ay , if th e subject does not
come to u n d ersta n d them , seriously affect
his sanity.
N um erous experim ents have been con
ducted in psychic research to prove th a t the
overw helm ing m a jo rity of such m essages
and ideas received b y m eans of autom atic
w ritin g or th e O uija board strictly originate
w ith th is secondary personality, or th e u n
controlled subjective. For exam ple, a young
w om an w ho h ad been w ritin g autom atically
was asked to recall th e n am e of a gentlem an
she h ad once seen. O bjectively she w as u n
able to recollect th e first syllable. H er hand,
how ever, w ith o u t h e r knowledge, w rote down
th e la st tw o syllables. T h e A m erican Society
of P sychical Research reports a subject who
was in a p artial tran ce state and using a
planchette, an d w ho h ad his hands pricked
b y the investigator. T h e m oving h a n d had
no sensation to the subject. I t was en tirely
u n d er th e dom ination of th e subjective. T his

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

hand, how ever, w rote out a protest against

the p a in inflicted upon it. W h e n th e other
relaxed h an d w as pricked, the subject objec
tively felt the p ain and it brought forth a cry.
T h e O uija board, w hen one is n a tu ra lly
hypersensitive, sometim es m akes m en tal
telepathy quite facile, because the subject is
m ore in a subjective th a n an objective state.
C onsequently, he is brought into attu n em en t
w ith m inds w hose thoughts he receives an d
w hich his ow n subjective self causes h im or
h e r to in v o lu n tarily w rite. Such exam ples
are rare. T h ey are u su a lly easily proven to
be telepathic. In th e m ajo rity of instances,
the individual practicing autom atic w ritin g
or using th e O uija Board is being deceived
by his secondary personality; th a t is, h e is
answ ering his ow n questions. H e is n ot being
guided b y a n y intelligence or power. H e is
sim ply p u ttin g him self a t the m ercy of u n
organized, la te n t im pressions w hich he is
unconsciously digging from the depths of his
ow n subjective m em ory. T h e m ore u n
fam iliar such im pressions or experiences, th e
m ore certain th e subject is th a t he is com
m unicating w ith another intelligence. O ften
the inco n g ru ity an d irra tio n a lity of th e im
pression received w ill greatly shock th e in d i
vidual; m a y cause h im to have a phobia,
w hich w ill dom inate him for years.
R ecently such a case cam e to m y attention.
She is a v ery charm ing elderly w om an. Some
w om en friends of hers had induced h e r to
sit in a t a O uija board seance w ith them .
T hese w om en w ere strict religionists b u t
w ere victim s of th e craze caused b y the
em otionalism of th e tim es. T he elderly w om
an sat opposite ano th er a t th e board, and
several questions w ere asked. T he replies
w ere pleasing and intriguing. T he elderly
w om an an d th e others knew nothing of the
fu n d am en tal principles u n d erly in g th e ir acts.
She w as led to believe th a t she was being
reached b y some intelligence ap a rt from h e r
self. She w as re lu c ta n t to proceed w ith such
practices. She felt th a t she w as delving in to
som ething w hich perhaps was not proper,
y et th e fascination w as too strong for her.
L ater, w hen alone, she tried the O uija board.
S uddenly a m essage w as spelled out w hich
was to th e effect th a t she was dam ning God,
and th a t h e r soul w as forever to be doomed
to H ell and to rm en t because of w h at she w as

Page 107

doing. Over an d over the words ran g in h er

consciousness as she realized w h at she h ad
spelled out. She w as shocked n e a rly in to
senselessness. She w as being dam ned by
God! She w as to suffer g reat torm ent. T h e
w om an w as fra n tic a t th e experience. W h e n
ever she relaxed th ereafter, th e th o u g h t pos
sessed her. T h e phobia h ad been established,
an d she w as h au n ted b y the fear an d could
n o t rid herself of it.
W h a t w as th e cause? H e r practice w ith
th e O uija board h ad , from th e v ery begin
ning, been co n tra ry to h e r m o ral an d ethical
propriety. I t w as c o n tra ry to those principles
an d beliefs, th e resu lt of h e r rationalism .
T his delving into som ething w hich appeared
to be su p ern atu ral, each tim e she practiced
it w as offending h e r la te n t principles. F in a l
ly, w h en once try in g th e O uija board, th e
subjective revolt m anifested itself. R eally h e r
ow n self objected, b u t th e objection w as
couched in w ords of h e r subjective thoughts;
n am ely, th a t she w as doing som ething irre
ligious or sacrilegious. She h ad n ev er placed
these in n a te objections in words. T h e sub
jective did. I t seemed as though God w as re
p roaching h er, consequently th e shock. I h ad
great difficulty in ex plaining th a t it w as her
ow n self reproaching her, and th e form
w hich it h ad tak en th e actual w ords an d
sentences w as an expression of th e la te n t
fear she h ad alw ays h ad th a t she m ig h t be
offending God. I n addition, a t th e tim e, she
w as ill an d w as u n ab le to resist th e fear
w hich h ad been im p lan ted b y h e r subjective
personality. She is now tak in g trea tm e n t for
h e r general health . W ith th e recovery of h e r
health , h e r w ill w ill be sufficiently strong to
establish counter suggestions, as th e resu lt of
h e r u n d erstan d in g of w h at actu ally occurred.
In tim e, she w ill reg ain h e r composure.
Do n ot delve in to O uija board practices
for en tertain m en t. A fter all, if you know th e
factors, it is n o t en tertain in g . If you do not
know them , it is dangerous to continue th e
practice. O nly psychic research experim enters
an d students u n d e r th e direction of com pe
te n t instructors should investigate such p h e
n om ena and th e n th e y should have a strict
ly open m in d an d a ratio n al p oint of view.
T h ey should n ev er have a n y false p resu m p
tions th a t th e y are delving into su p ern atu ral
pow ers or entities. X.

Page 108

T h e R ise a n d F all o f C iv ilizatio n s

A m em ber com m enting upon th e social,
political, an d economic conditions in th e
w orld of today has asked w h eth er or n o t we
believe th a t the present w orld conflict m a y
spell th e end of civilization as w e know it.
I t is probable th a t no one can foresee th e
correct answ er to this question for th e sim ple
reason th a t we, from the view point of h u m a n
beings, cannot piece together all th e causes
and effects necessary to brin g about a fa ir
analysis of these conditions. T h e outcom e
lies not in th e in ten sity of conflict an d
trouble, b u t in th e m ethods by w hich h u m an s
tr y to rea d ju st them selves.
In this sense a cifilization can be com
pared to an individual life. W e w ell know
of m a n y illustrations w here people have been
faced b y extrem e periods of adjustm ent, be
cause of accident, ill health, or loss of fin an
cial resources, and w hich necessitated th e
changing of th e ir w hole lives. Some do n o t
recover from such conditions th e y give up.
O thers are w illing to take the experience as
a lesson an d tr y to rebuild th e ir lives, an d
th e re have been those w ho have b u ilt b etter
th a n th e y did before, because th e y have been
able to accept th e experience as a m eans of
direction tow ard a b etter life.
T h e sam e circum stances apply in general
to a civilization. Civilization can go th ro u g h
m ig h ty conflicts and periods of ad ju stm en t
and w ill survive or fail, depending u pon how
th e results of the condition are used. If w e
can m ake a peace th a t w ill be p erm a n en t
due to th e sincere desire upon th e p a rt of th e
p articipants in this peace to have th a t state
come about, civilization w ill be benefited,
even though its benefit w ill have come a t a
terrific price. H ow ever, if th e in d ividual
nations and th e persons composing these n a
tions are set com pletely upon benefiting th e ir
ow n selfish interests and thereb y lose sight
of a lasting peace, then civilization m a y be
in th e balances; a t least, it w ould hav e to be
tried again, an d such a tria l m ig h t be too
severe for it to survive.
T hroughout history civilizations have risen
to ce rtain heights and th e n receded. A n y
student of history can cite m a n y illustrations
of those groups of people who have forged
ahead and reached a high state of cu ltu re,
m erely to go back to alm ost a p rim itive state
again; then, other civilizations have de

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

veloped, an d w e m u st bear in m in d th a t a
civilization is no m ore o r less th a n th e un ited
concepts of the individuals w ho compose th a t
p articu la r civilization. T h ere h ave been
m a n y theories advanced as to th e cause of
the rise an d fall of cultures, b u t probably
all, w hile containing some tru th , have not
been com plete or adequate. A t least w e do
know th a t theories h ave n o t saved civiliza
tions, because adequate theories w ere form u
lated b y philosophers h u n d red s of years ago
an d y et cultures have risen an d been for
gotten.
T h e answ er to th e question of th e m ean
ing of this m ovem ent of h isto ry an d th e rise
an d fall of cultures lies in th e concept of life
w hich m u st be viewed from o u t as w ell as
from w ith in o u r environm ent. T h e history
of civilization is, in a sense, a stage upon
w h ich th e d ram a of cu ltu re an d h u m a n ad
ju stm en t takes place, an d w e being partici
pants in this d ram a fail to see it from th e
standpoint w e could if w e w ere detached on
lookers.
W e have com pared civilization to th e in d i
vidual. T h is com parison m a y be carried even
fu rth er. W e u n d ersta n d th a t o u r bodies are
th e form , or th e vihicle, in to w hich th e soul
rein carn ates to give th a t body expression and
purpose. I n th is sense, th en , th e capacity of
th e vehicle th a t is, o ur body w ill be the
d eterm ining factor as to th e developm ent of
th e soul th a t w ill fill th a t vehicle o r form .
As o u r bodies are to th e re in c arn atin g in d i
v idual soul, so nations an d cultures are re
lated to th e individuals w ho in c arn ate through
these p articu la r cultures. I n th is sense w e
m ig h t th in k of a civilization as th e body of a
vehicle of an en tire people, an d as such, sub
ject to th e sam e conditions w hich b rin g about
b irth , grow th, an d decay, ju st as o u r own
p hysical bodies.
T his concept of rein carn atio n gives us
some u n d erstan d in g of th e cause an d purpose
of civilizations an d cultures. T hese cultures
are in a form of vehicle ju st as th e h u m a n
body, an d since a n y form has a lim it or a
capacity, this k in d of form , too, m a y reach
a po in t w here it can be filled no m ore. In
th e past, all these various civilizations g rad u
ally advanced to th a t p oint w here th e m ore
advanced souls th a t is, those w ho w ould
be th e leaders could n o t find fulfillm ent of
th e ir ow n K arm a w ith in th e scope of such a
civilization.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T hese highest-evolved souls cannot re in

carn ate w ith in th e lim itations of th e cultures
w hich th e y have outgrow n, an d so w h en this
condition comes about such a civilization be
gins to recede. I t no longer can be th e
greatest culture or point of progress of th e
h u m a n race, since it can no longer attract,
through the experience w hich it holds,
the highest-developed soul personalities and
leaders to direct th e destiny of m ankind.
Such a civilization m a y continue to exist for
a tim e. I t serves th e sim ple K arm ic needs
of ce rtain individuals, b u t from the stan d
point of leadership am ong individuals and
am ong groups, it no longer is adequate.
T h e question is w h eth er or not it is neces
sary for a civilization to recede or w h eth er
w e can, b y in telligent direction, m a in ta in
such hig h standards, such aim s an d ideals,
so th at th e civilization itself m a y n ot be
lim ited. I n the schem e of things th is m a y
be possible. W e do not know, b u t it m a y be
th a t th e destiny of th e h u m a n race is to
create th e society in w hich m a n w ill be able
to continue to rein carn ate indefinitely, or a t
least as long as experience is needed on this
physical plane. If th a t is th e case, th e n it
becomes a p a rt of the K arm a of each of us
to contribute our share to the m ain ten an ce of
those ideals an d principles in support of th a t
civilization w hich w ill hold out un lim ited
scopes an d possibilities of function for the
highest ty p e of individuals. If this is to be
brought about, th e n each individual is obli
gated to aspire to th e highest ideals possible,
so th a t th e general culture or civilization of
w hich h e is a p a rt w ill never be lost for lack
of attractio n for grow th, and w ill continue
to fill th e need of a place for m a n s develop
m en t on earth. A.
E n d o f th e W o rld
A fra te r arises to propound a m ost in
trig u in g an d profound question to our F o r u m .
H e says: I am interested in eschatological
theories th e doctrine of last things. W h a t
is th e Rosicrucian conception of th e end of
the w orld, of n atu re , and of m a n ?
Eschatology, or th e doctrine of last things,
is m ore com m only associated w ith religion
and theological dogma. In fact, it plays a
v ery pro m in en t p a rt in n ea rly all religion.
F or exam ple, every religion or philosophy
w hich advocates im m o rta lity, the survival of

Page I9

the soul o r p erso n ality after death, is ex

p ounding eschatology. W h a t is theorized as
the end of a n y existing state or condition is
an eschatological concept. Speculation on
these ends is as old as th e beginnings of the
history of thought. A ll peoples, including
the E gyptians, Babylonians, A ssyrians, P e r
sians, Greeks, an d Rom ans, h ad liturgies and
doctrines presaging an d explaining th e ca
tastrophic en d of th e w orld, its fu tu re re
new al, th e state of th e dead, an d so forth.
T h e Greeks an d e a rly Rom ans held th a t those
w ho offended th e gods, afte r d eath w ould be
confined to T a rta ru s. T h e A n d am an Islan d
ers believe th a t th e spirits of m en n ot th e ir
souls afte r d eath a re sent to a vast jungle
b eneath th e flat earth . E v entually, e a rth
quakes w ill cause this flat ea rth to tu r n over
an d th e rem ain in g living w ill be ben eath and
th e dead restored to th e ir places above.
T his doctrine of ends is rooted in certain
psychological functions of th e h u m a n m ind.
I t is engendered fro m th e lim its of h u m an
perception an d prim itiv e thinking. M a n is
causative. H e is q u ite conscious of th e fact
th a t b y his ow n thoughts an d consequent
actions, h e pu ts th in g s in to m otion. A th o u
sand tim es a d a y w e begin som ething. W e
pick u p a paper. W e take a step. W e call
someone into o u r presence. T his beginning
is th e creating, or sta rtin g of som ething th a t
so fa r as w e are aw are did n ot exist in ex
actly th e sam e m a n n e r previously. W e m a y
have often picked u p a pencil to w rite. H ow
ever, each tim e w e pick it up, th a t begins
an event o r h ap p en in g w hich is n o t con
tinuous w ith th e one before, so fa r as w e can
determ ine. I t appears as a separate occur
rence w hich w e began. In o u r m inds, we
fre q u en tly establish ends fo r th e acts w hich
w e have begun. Such a n en d is th e fulfill
m e n t of some purpose w e have, or som ething
wrhich, to us appears as a distinct m an ifesta
tion. F or exam ple, I w a n t to w rite m y n am e
on a piece of paper. I begin b y picking up
th e pen. I end w h en m y signature is on th e
paper, w h en th e purpose is fulfilled.
L et us presum e I see a door beginning to
close. T h e o n ly fin ality to such a n act, as fa r
as I am concerned, is w h en th e door is actu
ally closed. T h e on ly conclusion w hich the
m ovem ent of th e door itself could suggest is
th a t it w ill becom e closed. T herefore, th e
beginning of such a n act suggests its ow n
end. W h a t I did n o t perceive w as perhaps

Page I IQ

a slight breeze as a cause w hich started the

door m oving. Beyond th e breeze th ere m a y
have been some m otion w hich caused it.
Still beyond th a t w as w hatev er caused the
m otion. A ll such w ould be beginnings of the
doors startin g to close. I n fact, w e m ight
continue going back, ad infin itu m ; to try
an d find th e tru e beginning of th e doors
closing, only to discover th a t th ere n ever was
a n y beginning, one th in g alw ays leading to
another. W h a t w e conceived of as th e be
ginning w as th a t p articu la r cause w hich we
w ere capable of perceiving b y our fac u lty of
sight. A ll of th e others w ere beyond our
discernm ent.
T o use this sam e analogy, in all probabili
ty , th e end of such an action w as n o t a t the
tim e w h en w e saw th e door closed. Beyond
th a t w hich wTe saw, th ere m ig h t have been a
pressure exerted upon th e supporting fram e
w ork of th e door b y its closing. F u rth e r,
th e re could have been a transm ission of v ib ra
tions from th e im pact of th e closing, th ro u g h
out th e w hole structure. Such vibrations
m ight have caused objects to slightly move
on th e w all, or dust to be dislodged, w hich
w ould in tu rn change slightly the b rilliance
of th e color design on a carpet ly in g beneath.
So, w e m ig h t go on forever try in g to find an
end to th e action of the doors closing. W e
w ould eventually concede th a t th e closing
of th e door w as only th e end of our ab ility
to discern w h a t happened thereafter. Such
presum ed beginnings and ends of things, or
ones w hich w e a rb itra rily establish ourselves,
are so com m on to us th a t it is m ost difficult
to conceive th a t som ething could be w ith o u t
beginning an d end.
T h e notion of beginning and end is also
due to th e ap p a ren t separateness of things in
th e ir seem ing existence in space. H ere is an
apple. T h ere is a p ap er w eight. T h e y are
vastly different in form and m a n y other
qualities. Betw een them is space w hich, to
th e objective senses, is a condition of nothing.
T o m y consciousness, w h ere th e apple takes
on its form in space is its beginning. W h ere
the p ap er w eight or th e space begins is w here
the apple, as such, ends or has its lim its.
T h a t th e re m a y be in th a t little space b e
tw een th e tw o th a t is, betw een th e apple
and th e pap er w eight a universe of energy,
a scale of electronic m otion b y w hich th e
apple an d th e pap er w eight are actu ally
linked together is beyond the objective senses

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to perceive. Consequently, th e apple, th e

p ap er w eight, an d th e space betw een them ,
to m y consciousness, each has a beginning
an d a n end.
I t is extrem ely difficult for the average
m a n an d w om an of today to conceive th a t
the universe or cosmos, as a whole, alw ays
existed. T h ey th in k , an d find it m ore com
patible w ith th e ir everyday experience to be
lieve, th a t the heavens w ere created a t one
tim e out of nothing. It is v ery difficult for
th em to conceive th a t nothing could n o t be.
T h a t th ere w as and m u st have alw ays been
som ething. T h e idea of in fin ity or co n tin u u m
is m ost difficult to grasp. I t is co n tra ry to
h u m a n experience. T h ere is absolutely
n o th in g w hich w e can objectively perceive,
because of th e w ay we are constituted, th a t
has such a q u ality as infinity. T h e sky has
its boundaries of clouds or th e horizon th e
sea likewise. T h e senses also have th e ir
lim its of perception. I t follows, th en , an d
seems to th e average person alm ost apodictical th a t th ere m u st be a beginning an d an
ending to all things.
T h e n ex t step in such an order of th in k in g
th a t is, for those who are inclined to be
lieve th a t th e re are absolute beginnings an d
ends is to tr y and explain th e n a tu re of
eventual ends w hich have n o t as y e t been
experienced. T h e conception of th e en d of
the w orld has been a p o p u lar one w ith
peoples of all tim es. A t one tim e, it w as
estim ated th a t the cessation of th e w orld
would occur a t a tim e ap proxim ately tw o
thousand years after the date of creation, as
given in the Book of Genesis. V arious C hris
tia n sects have in terp reted Biblical term inolo
gy as p redicting the specific date of th e w orld
catastrophe, an d the parousia or second com
ing of Christ.
T h e Rosicrucian conception of an en d of
th e w orld is strictly the physical or scientific
conception. I t m eans eith er th e d isin teg ra
tion of th e ea rth or th a t tran sitio n of its
clim atic an d other physical conditions as w ill
m ake it no longer inhabitable b y m a n or a n y
expression of life.
H ave w e a n y proof th a t th e ea rth w ill
cease to be as it now exists? T h ere are no
proofs, b u t th ere are astronom ical an d geo
logical speculations based u p o n study of th e
cosmic bodies in space and th e strata of th e
ea rth itself. T h ere is every indication in th e
reaches of space and, in fact, in o ur ow n

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

stellar system , of o ther planets having u n d er

gone drastic changes in relation to th e ir suns,
th a t o u r ea rth w ill pass through. T h ere are
indications th a t th e y w ere once bodies in
space h av in g conditions sim ilar to ours now.
These bodies are dead, w ithout atm osphere
or life of a n y kind, even microscopic.
T his assum ption, how ever, th a t th e ea rth
a t some tim e w ill no longer be habitable con
flicts w ith th e assum ptions of m a n y religion
ists. T h e y like to believe th a t th e ea rth w as
specifically chosen b y God as the th e atre of
m a n s existence m a n , in th e ir estim ation,
being th e cen tral purpose of all Cosmic p h e
nom ena. T h e earth , therefore, to them , m u st
etern ally defy all law s of change w hich
apply to other heav en ly bodies. P resum ing
th a t th e cosmological and astronom ical as
sum ptions th a t th e e a rth w ill some d ay cease
to be, or a t least be no longer habitable, are
right, does th a t m e an th e en d of m an? In
all probability, yes. I n th e Cosmic order or
scheme of things, th e great Cosmic Soul m a y
no longer need to experience itself in h u m an
consciousness; therefore, th e h u m a n con
sciousness m a y cease to be.
A gain, since w e know th a t th e phenom ena
of th e Cosmic is cyclical, it is rem otely pos
sible th a t life an d consciousness m a y begin a
new cycle elsew here, perhaps in one of th e
island universes thousands of lig h t years dis
ta n t fro m our m ilk y w ay, in w hich o u r ow n
earth exists as a speck. Change is a law w hich
every intellig en t person is able to recognize
in th e study of n a tu re , n a tu re being an expression of th e Cosmic being. F or o u r ea rth
to persist as it is w ould be a defiance of this
law of change. I h av e not the slightest doubt
th a t a t a rem ote tim e m an k in d w ill cease to
be. I n fact, even before th en , m en as w e
know th e m w ill be as different from th e
fu tu re m a n as th e prim itive P ithecanthropus
erectus is from th e H om o sapiens or m o d em
m an. As to n atu re , it can never have a n end,
if w e m e an b y n a tu re th e u n d erly in g law s
w hich give Cosmic B eing its expression. T h e
m anifestations of n a tu re m u st change. N a
ture, how ever, cannot be rem oved unless th e
great Cosmic ceases to be, w hich is a n im
possibility because n othing is an im possi
b ility w ith o u t som ething. N atu re is an in
trinsic characteristic of the Cosmic. It, for
analogy, is like th e sound of a call; one is th e
result of th e other. Cause produces its effects.
T he Cosmic is th e cause of n atu re, n a tu re

Page 111

being its p h enom enal appearance. E very end

is b u t a tran sitio n to a n ew beginning, so let
us n o t deeply concern ourselves w ith ends.
X.

Good and Evil

T h e problem of good an d evil is one th a t
has been discussed b y thinkers an d philoso
phers th ro u g h o u t all tim e. In a n y age and
in a n y in d iv id u als life, th e problem does not
fail to ap p ear a t one tim e or an other, so it is
n ot u su al th a t to those of this organization
the problem s evident in th e w orld today
should give rise to th e repetition of th e ques
tion as to w h at is th e status of evil in th e
world.
W e cannot hope to solve th e problem , b u t
we can g ain o u r ow n u n d erstan d in g of it
th ro u g h consideration an d analysis. By evil,
we m e an a n y th in g th a t interferes w ith our
m ost cherished plan s or hopes, or an y th in g
w hich, b y its in terference, causes som ething
w hich w e are doing to be stopped; in te r
ference w ith th e accom plishm ent of a p lan,
or th a t w hich in fin al analysis causes us to
suffer p a in of eith er body or m ind. I n th e
objective sense w e can classify evil in to tw o
types. O ne of these is com m only referred to
as n a tu ra l evil. T h is category includes evils
th a t are beyond h u m a n control an d w hich
are due to th e processes o r forces of n atu re.
T h en , th e re is th e o th er category of evils
w hich are a t least som ew hat w ith in th e pow er
of m a n to control, u su a lly referred to as
m oral evils. T hese m ig h t include disease
an d m o ral problem s, such as, sin, vice, crim e,
an d sim ilar categories.
T h e pessim ist, in considering n a tu ra l evils,
is inclined to agree th a t th e w orld is against
h im th a t every action of n a tu re is to be con
sidered as som ething w hich m a n m u st fight.
T his view point has been expounded b y p h i
losophers an d th in k ers alike, an d it leads u p
to th e pessim istic conclusion th a t it w ould
be b etter if w e w ere n ev er b o m th a t life is
futile in th e face of try in g to live in com peti
tion w ith forces w h ich exist about us, and
b rin g about earthquakes, floods, an d in te r
ference w ith o u r plans, an d over w hich we
have no control w hatsoever. T h ere are those,
how ever, w ho claim th a t h u m a n life is m ore
th a n th e p u rsu it of illusions, th a t good does
exist an d consists of n o t alone th e attain m en t
of pleasure, b u t ra th e r is a condition th a t can

Page 11

grow a n d brin g about a feeling of satisfac

tion. W e cannot prove th a t th ere is m ore
pleasure th a n p ain in th e w orld, or th a t one
is g reater th a n th e other; but w e do know
that w ith th e advancem ent of m a n as a th in k
ing being, h e is certain ly in a position to feel
m ore k eenly the existence of evil.
T h e m inds of anim als are probably not
p rim a rily concerned w ith pain fu l m em ories
or anticipation of fu tu re difficulties. As far
as w e know , th e anim al m in d concerns itself
w ith th e present. As th e h u m a n is sensitive
to these n a tu ra l evils, so is h e sensitive to
w h a t good he seems to find in life, an d it be
comes impossible for h im to balance th e good
an d th e evil th a t seem to befall him . I n spite
of th e fact th a t th e re is a constant possibility
of suffering in h u m a n life, the u ltim ate fact
is th a t m ost people seem to obtain consider
able satisfaction from life. E ven th o u g h to
m a n y individuals it m a y seem th a t th e re are
few er m om ents of happiness th a n of sadness
or th w arte d hopes, it does not necessarily
follow th a t m ost people find life w orthless.
Those w ho suffer th e m ost are fre q u en tly
not th e ones w ho are th e pessimists. I n spite
of th e ir pain, th e y find m a n y satisfactions
in life.
I n th e contem plation of m a n y ideals, even
in th e consideration of n atu re , of b eau ty an d
of tru th , w e do not alw ays strive against
hostile forces, b u t find in th e process itself a
satisfaction th a t is closely akin to happiness.
T h u s it is in th e final analysis u p o n th e p a rt
of in telligent beings, th a t all th e shortcom
ings of our existence over w hich w e hav e no
control, such as, desire, w an t, p ain , an d
craving, are not altogether necessarily evil.
T h ey are certain conditions of existence th a t
cause life to be fuller. T h e y keep us m e n tal
ly and physically in action. T h e experience
causes o u r outlook to be enlarged. W e le arn
and organize th e accum ulated know ledge,
an d therefore, are better able to form ulate
our u ltim ate purposes; an d our p ersonality
developm ent is increased.
M oral evil is stric tly a social condition. If
an individual lived en tirely b y him self, he
w ould suffer n a tu ra l evil an d n a tu ra l
pleasures, b u t th e evils connected w ith th e
fulfillm ent of duty, fear of pu n ish m en t, de
sire for approval, guilt or sin, w ould n o t be
know n to him . M oral evil is closely related
to m a n s choice. H e does not choose evil
w ith in te n t to com m it it. H e m erely chooses

TH ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

evil because he believes he is choosing be

tw een tw o possible w ays of life or m ethods
of approach; an d because of som ething lack
ing eith er in his outlook or general u n d er
standing, he fails to see th e consequences of
m oral evil. E ven m o ral evil is th e test of
m a n s living w ith m an. If w e are to develop
free personalities, w e m u st have the choice
of experiencing th a t w hich is proven to be
evil.
T hus w e see in this brief survey of th e
m ore or less a rb itra ry classification of evil
th a t both seem to be w ays of testing m a n s
developm ent. T h e only satisfactory ex p lan a
tion of these conditions is th e w orking of the
law of K arm a in it w e see th a t m a n w ill
com pensate for all choices w hich he m akes
an d w ill gain in being th w arte d or being
helped by th e consequences of his desires.
T h ere is one factor from th e occult an d Rosi
cru cian standpoint th a t w e m u st n o t lose
sight of. F irst of all, w e m u st rem em ber
th a t w e can n o t ignore evil. W h e n philoso
phers speak of th e problem of evil, th e y are
speaking of a th in g v e iy real to each h u m a n
being, b u t from th e occult sense, its rea lity
is subordinated to th e good. T h ere are m a n y
opposites in th e w orld, positive an d negative,
lig h t an d darkness, good an d evil, b u t in all
cases th e positive, th e light, the good, are in
existence w ith a closer relatio n w ith th e tru e
rea lity of th e universe th a n are th e negative,
th e darkness, an d th e evil.
W hen, from a n occult in terp retatio n , the
over-all assertion is m ade th a t since evil is
negative an d nonexistent, w e need only con
sider th e good an d th e positive, w e are sim ply
closing o u r eyes to obvious facts. To m erely
state th a t evil is negative an d therefore can
n o t affect us is to obviously fail to recognize
th e circum stances th a t exist about us. As we
have alread y considered, th ere are n a tu ra l
an d m oral evils in th e world. T h a t th e y are
of a negative ch aracter and are secondary
in im portance to th e positive m anifestations
does n ot to a n y ex ten t m odify the fact of
th e ir existence. T he individual who suffers
p ain is face to face w ith th e m ost realistic
conception of th e problem of evil. T o tell
th a t individual m erely th a t evil is negative
is in no w ay going to lessen th e pain, o r m ake
h im feel th a t evil is som ething th a t is only
an illusion, w h en his senses co n stantly in
form h im of th e reality , insofar as he is
aw are of th e condition.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

In a larg er sense w e m ust not forget th a t

th e classification of good an d evil in to a posi
tive and negative m anifestation is one p u rely
based upon h u m a n und erstan d in g an d ability
to perceive. If w e could see th e w hole pic
tu re of u niversal m eaning, w e w ould find
erro r in our judgm ent. N evertheless, it is a
w orkable p la n for m a n to realize th a t w h at
w e classify as positive and negative can be
so conceived th a t th e positive can, in th e end,
overcome th e negative.
A t one p oint in one of o u r ritu als, the
statem ent is m ade th a t D arkness is th e ab
sence of lig h t. T h e tru th of this statem ent
is obvious to us. I f w e are in a brig h tly
illum inated room an d every opening of th a t
room leads to an o th er room of absolute dark
ness, w e w ell know th a t if w e should open
the door of th e lighted room th e lig h t w ill
shine out into th e darkness. U n d er no cir
cum stances could w e conceive of th e opposite;
th a t is, the darkness com ing into th e room
and replacing p a rt of th e light. T his is an
illustration of th e positive and negative
status, of lig h t an d darkness. I t m akes clear
the fact th a t lig h t can overcome darkness,
th a t w hile darkness is real to ou r senses, and
it w ould be false to deny its existence, w e can
nevertheless in some m a n n er produce lig h t
w hich w ill counteract it. So, w hile evil is
classified as negative and w hile w e cannot
deny its effect u p o n us, w e can realize th a t
good, being its opposite, can replace it. T h e
experience w hich w e gain through th e process
of try in g to attem p t th e replacem ent of good
by the condition of evil w ill b etter fit us,
on the whole, to th e problem s of th e universe,
and m ore closely to th e problem s of our ow n
individual lives an d environm ent. A.
M e n ta l F itness
M odern com m unication and tran sp o rtatio n
has freq u en tly been pointed out as a m eans
of th e w orld grow ing sm aller, of m aking each
individual m ore aw are of th e problem s of
other h u m an beings. Consequently, w ith a
lessening of th e isolation of individuals we
are becom ing m ore aw are of th e ir problem s;
and possibly now in a w orld approaching a
new period of adjustm ent, we are faced m ore
freq u en tly w ith those who seem to be lack
in g in all the abilities to produce a satisfac
to ry adjustm ent to th e ir environm ent. M a n y
m en w ill be re tu rn in g to society n o t only

Page 113

w ith physical difficulties to adjust, b u t w ith

m en tal problem s th a t w ill m ake th e ir ad ju st
m en t to society considerable of a problem .
W ith these factors observed, th e question
re-occurs tim e an d tim e again reg ard in g the
m ethod by w h ich w e can become b etter fitted
m e n tally to th e problem s of every d ay living.
Someone has asked, H ow can w e control our
moods an d dejection in th e face of failu re
an d problem s? W h ile it is com pletely n o r
m al for every in d iv id u al to be em otionally
affected by b oth problem s an d success, it is
acknow ledged th a t th e best of m e n tal fitness
an d m e n tal h e a lth is m ain tain ed b y those
w ho are able to control these conditions. A n y
force u n d e r control is useful. I t is w hen w e
p erm it a force to get out of control th a t th ere
is possibility of lack of ad ju stm en t or danger
from th e force itself.
T h e tre a tm e n t of m en tal illness has ad
vanced a g reat deal in th e lifetim es of m ost of
us. A t one tim e m e n tal disease or ill-adjustm en t w as considered in an e n tire ly different
category th a n physical illness. M ore an d
m ore, how ever, w e are considering th e
h u m a n organism as a whole, an d realize th a t
w hen th a t organism is n o t in perfect h a r
m ony, w h en a lack of h ea lth exists, th e m in d
as w ell as th e body m u st be tak en into con
sideration.
M en tal h y g ien e is the science of develop
in g p ro p er social relationships. T h e in d i
vidual afflicted w ith an y k ind of a m en tal
illness is u su a lly an extrem e individualist.
H e lives in accordance w ith his ow n reac
tions to en v iro n m en t, w hile th e so-called n o r
m al in d ividual m u st constantly adjust h im
self to th e dem ands of social intercourse. T his
applies n o t o n ly to th e individual classified
as m e n tally ill it applies to all of us. W e
cannot alw ays give v en t to o u r tru e feelings.
T h e child le arn s ea rly in life th a t certain
emotions m u st be kep t u n d er control, th a t to
give th em free re in is n ot going to accom plish
th e tru e satisfaction hoped for, b u t in rea lity
is going to create problem s in th e v ery ad ju st
m en t th a t is sought. T h ere are tim es w hen
w e w ould like to m ake evident o u r feeling,
p articu la rly w h en w e are irritated , b u t th ere
is a realizatio n th ro u g h reason an d experi
ence th a t to do so m a y seriously th w a rt o u r
chances of accom plishing w h at w e w ish to do.
Moodiness an d dejection are th e com mon
results of failure. T h e failu re m a y be sim ple
or d irectly related to th e m ost im p o rtan t

Page 114

affairs of o u r lives. T he individual w ho al

lows dejection an d moodiness to tak e over
his th in k in g is sim ply b ringing him self m ore
an d m ore w ith in his ow n n a tu re an d sh u t
tin g out th e hope of finding path s for solu
tion to his ow n problem s. T h e individual
w ho is easily dejected, w ho becomes m oody
w hen things go w rong, is creatin g a condi
tion w ith in him self th a t in m a n y respects can
be com pared to a foreign grow th w ith in th e
physical body. Ju st as th e u n h e a lth y grow th
of tissues an d cells w ithin th e body gives rise
to a m alig n an t condition in m a n y cases, so
does th e dw elling upon and constant th in k in g
about our possible failures an d problem s
b rin g about a m en tal grow th w hich is n o t
conducive to m e n tal health, and w hich w ill,
if allow ed to develop, take over th e en tire
stru ctu re of o u r reason an d thinking.
Em otional stability is th e ab ility u pon the
p a rt of th e h u m a n being to subordinate his
feelings to th e circum stances about him . If
a n individual tries to do his w ork w ell, tries
to m a in ta in his social and personal rela tio n
ships to th e best of his know ledge an d th e n
fails in th a t, if he does not secure th e recog
nitio n he expects for his w ork or th e u n d e r
standing he hopes for from am ong his closest
associates or m em bers of his fam ily, his r e
action is fre q u en tly th a t of discouragem ent
an d failure. T h e individual w ho is em otion
ally unstable m a y begin to dw ell u pon these
failures, on this lack of recognition and
understanding, u n til his w hole th in k in g is
m erely going about in circles; an d this leads
to the developm ent of self-pity. In th e ex
trem e case, this is th e first step tow ard m en tal
ill-health. W e m u st rem em ber th a t none of
us can alw ays be successful in every ven tu re,
nor can our actions alw ays be understood by
those about us. T h e self-analysis th a t is m ore
im portant th a n the morbid dw elling upon
our problem s is to determ ine honestly
w h eth e r or not w e are doing th e best w e can.
I f th e individual has a job to do an d puts
everything into it in an honest attem p t to
accom plish it w ell and then receives no
recognition, h e m ust be able to develop the
a ttitu d e th a t he gave the best he could, an d
if it w as h o t successful or recognized, th ere
was nothing else he could do.
T h e im p o rta n t question th a t m u st be p u t
to ourselves because w e alone are th e only
ones who can answ er it is D id w e rea lly
do our best? T h e individual who broods

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

over failu re w h ere no effort w as m ade is de

ceiving no one b u t him self. T his effect on
th e individual concerned is freq u en tly over
looked, w hile in fact it is one of th e m ost
im p o rtan t considerations in th e m aintenance
of a good an d h ea lth y outlook. To become
dejected over failu re, w hen one has done his
best, is inexcusable except w h ere it serves
as a n incentive to do better. B ut failu re based
m erely u pon hope of success an d u pon lack
of conscious attem p t to do ones best, is use
less and m e re ly the resu lt of a n individual
id ly d ay d ream in g th a t success can come
w ith o u t effort.
As in th e case of m a n y so-called opposites,
th e borderline betw een th e n o rm al an d th e
abnorm al is n o t clearly defined. E ach in d i
vidual has his ow n peculiarities. W e each
have o ur ow n irrita tin g h abits o r methods.
If someone w ith w hom you associate irritates
you, stop an d ask honestly how m a n y things
do you do th a t irrita te him ? I n other words,
in a com plex social stru ctu re, such as th a t
in w hich w e live, o ur personalities and em o
tions are n o t o u r private p ro p erty as th ey
w ould be if w e w ere herm its or if w e w ere
living detached from all o th er h u m a n associa
tion. O ur feelings affect th e lives of those
w ho are in close relationship to us; an d if
w e are to m a in ta in a so-called n o rm al status,
th e n we m u st recognize this relationship and
know th a t all adjustm ents w hich w e m u st
m ake are of com prom ise not compromise
of o u r convictions and the ideals w hich w e
hold as a philosophy of life, b u t com prom ise
in w orking w ith other individuals who are
also faced w ith problem s o r w orry, dis
couragem ent, an d adjustm ent, ju st as w e are.
Some people point out th a t th e influence
an d stress of m odern civilization is the cause
of m ore an d m o re m en tal ill-health. W h e th e r
or n ot th a t is tru e cannot be satisfactorily
proven, as w e w ould n ot have records for
m ore th a n a com paratively few years of th e
relationship of n o rm ality an d abnorm ality
in th e w orld th a t is, th e relationship in
term s of population. W e do know th a t th e
m ore com plex th e social stru ctu re the m ore
w e are called upon to m ake adjustm ents
w ith other social beings such as ourselves.
If w e are in tellig en t enough to w a rra n t the
benefits of th e m odern social stru ctu re, then
w e m u st develop a strength to m eet the prob
lem s as w ell as th e benefits w hich this so
ciety places upon us.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

I n th e broadest sense, we m igh t in te rp re t

th e w orld crisis of today as existing because
of th e failu re of m ankind to accept th e prob
lem s as w ell as th e benefits of civilization.
I n other w ords, it is a m ost difficult period
of adjustm ent, an adjustm ent w hich is forced
upon us in com pensation for our desire to
accept th e benefits th a t civilization has
b rought to us, w ithout w ishing to also ac
cept th e responsibility. As individuals con
sidered in this social relationship, th e final
analysis of our ow n abilities m u st be based
upo n honest appraisal and recognition of our
aptitudes and o u r lim itations. I t is ridiculous
for a m a n to tr y to accomplish th e impossible,
b u t it is not ridiculous for a m a n to strive for
an ideal greater th a n the im m ediate scope
of his vision.
A tta in in g a goal does not alw ays b rin g the
highest degree of satisfaction. N o doubt
everyone has h ad the experience of a le t
dow n or som ew hat of a disappointm ent
w hen he has finally accom plished the th in g
tow ard w hich he has been w orking. T h ere
fore, it is en tirely w ithin th e realm of reason
th a t m a n aim h ig h er th an he can reach, and
th a t each step of accom plishm ent be m ore of
a joy an d of a satisfaction th a n the attain in g
of a lesser end or aim.
F rom our view point, as Rosicrucians, w e
are try in g to develop a tru e ind ividuality
th a t w ill include the characteristics of this
reincarnation. W e are try in g to m ake th a t
in d iv id u ality a n addition to th e to tality of
our soul consciousness, so th a t it w ill have
accom plished in this incarnation some of th e
benefits w hich can be carried on into a b etter
and greater life. To do this we m ust face both
the problem s an d success of our lives, but
not build our entire hopes upon the accom
plishm ents th a t can be lim ited to one life
tim e. In doing this we are studying and
experiencing th a t w hich we hope w ill con
trib u te to this over-all picture; b u t w ith the
grow th of our scope of know ledge an d u n d e r
stan d in g we, in tu rn , are affecting other
m em bers of society also, and owe an obliga
tio n to those w ho m ay have m ore difficulties
th a n we. N ow , and in the future, m a n y
calls w ill be m ade upon us to assist those
whose adjustm ents to life and its conditions
are in a fa r m ore difficult status th a n our
own. W e w ill find those broken physically
and m entally, through no choice of th eir
own, w ho w ill need understanding and help

Page 115

to again become constructive citizens of our

co u n try and of a social com m onw ealth.
A re w e w illing to assum e th e responsibility
of assisting these individuals, or is th e desire
for know ledge an d u n d erstan d in g p u rely sel
fish? If w e w ill n o t assum e this responsibilit}^
w e are falling sh o rt of th e experience w hich
w e ourselves m u st gain. T h e re is no use
bem oaning th e evidences of evil in th e w orld,
b u t th ere is every reason to recognize th a t
w e are h ere to le a rn som ething from them .
W h e th e r our lot be to extend a help in g h an d
to those less fo rtu n a te th a n ourselves, or th e
taking of an im p o rta n t or active p a rt in th e
complex social activities of h u m a n ity as a
whole, these steps w ould be b u ilding tow ard
an eventual peace and u n d erstan d in g be
tw een m ankind. T o help ones neighbor m a y
be our lot in life a n d m a y be th e k ey to the
better u n d erstan d in g of our ow n K arm ic
status. A.
M a rria g e a n d S p iritu a l D e v e lo p m e n t
A question asked b y a soror, of this F o r u m
is: Do you consider m arriag e incom patible
w ith sp iritu al developm ent?
T his question is one th a t has plagued theo
logians an d ecclesiasts for centuries. In fact,
alm ost since its inception, C h ristian ity has
had one or an o th er of its sects adopt celibacy
th e abstinence fro m m arriag e b y its
clergy. Resorting to herm eneutics, o r th e
science of in te rp re tatio n of th e Scriptures,
the theologians h av e tried to ju stify this kind
of asceticism. I t w as the influence of socalled p agan religions, those w h ich fa r an te
dated C h ristian ity , w hich m ade itself felt in
th e doctrine of celibacy. In other words,
insofar as C h ristian ity is concerned, celibacy
is a syncretic conception a borrow ed one.
F or exam ple, th e m onastic system of B ud
dhism is far older th a n C hristianity. F u rth e r,
in the early days of Rome, th e State tried to
force continued celibacy upon its vestal vir
gins. N o tw ith stan d in g the g reat honors and
rew ards w hich w ere show ered u pon these
girls, th e y u ltim a te ly retired from th e ir
sacred duties an d retu rn ed to profane life
and m arried. T h e re was a constant req u ire
m en t for m ore an d m ore to serve in such h o ly
places, w ho w ould keep th e vows of absti
nence from m arriag e.
T h e first C h ristian C hurch Council w hich
definitely forbade m arriag e b y th e clergy
was the Spanish Synod of E lvira, A. D. 305.

Page 116

In 1051-1089, Pope Leo I I and U rb a n II, at

th e Councils of Rome an d A m alfi, adjudged
w om en w ho m arried priests or th e clergy to
be no b etter th a n actual slaves an d to be
treated as such. F re q u en tly th e wives of th e
clergy w ere scourged as hav in g defiled the
priests sacred status b y m arriage. T h e G reek
Catholic C hurch, w hich h ad its see a t Con
stantinople, w as fa r m ore liberal in this m a t
ter. T h ey p erm itted students atten d in g theo
logical sem inaries to resign before being or
dained, an d th e n th e y m ig h t m a rry . Subse
quently, th e y could re tu rn to th e sem inary,
com plete th e ir studies, become ordained, and
y e t reta in th e ir wives.
T h e belief th a t celibacyth e abstinence
from m arriage is necessary w h ere one is to
devote him self to spiritual activity is a false
notion. A good exam ple of such im m atu re
reason is to be found in th e tenets of M anichaeanism , w hich in cidentally g rea tly in
fluenced th e views of th e ea rly C hristian
church on th is subject. M anichaeanism con
sists of the philosophical ideas of one, M a n es,
a student of Z oroastrianism and C hristianity.
One M an ich aean te n et is th e diabolical origin
of all m a tte r, including th e h u m a n body.
T his is distinctly an influence of Z o ro astrian
ism. I n other words, th e soul is fro m God,
th e source of all L ight. T h e body is a prison.
I t is corrupt, and a place of darkness in
w hich th e soul is held as a prisoner. T h e
body is held to be evil, lim ited, w eak, de
ceptive, consisting of all of th e contraries
th a t compose good. T his conception parallels
th e views of th e O rphic philosophy, an d is
also to be found in th e P latonic doctrines.
Consequently, m a n s tw o natu res w ere held
to be in continual conflict the body w ith its
desires and passions, an d th e soul w ith its
inspirations and ideals. W h a t w e consider
as th e n orm al h u m a n desires, essential for
physical and biological existence an d d e
velopm ent, w ere, according to these concep
tions, held to be nothing else b u t tem ptations.
T he Stoics too, held the em otions an d desires
to be weaknesses of th e flesh. I am seek
ing, says Seneca, to find w h at is good for
a m an , not for his belly. W h y cattle and
w hales have la rg e r ones th a n h e.
T h e n orm al desires, then, w ere ju st tem p
tations p u t in th e souls w ay b y a satanic or
diabolical pow er or intelligence. One w ho
served God could, therefore, n o t serve th e
body. T o show his inclination to and his

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

acceptance of sp iritu al m atters and precepts,

a m a n m u st negate the evil; n am ely, the
som atic urges of his body. I t was to be ex
pected th a t th e lay m an who w as striving to
a tta in sp iritu al ascendancy w ould often sub
m it (as a n indication of his w eakness) to th e
tem ptations of th e body. I t w as to be ex
pected th a t h e w ould find sexual satisfaction
in m arriage. T h e clergy, on th e other hand,
or those w ho h a d a sacerdotal calling, m u st
prove th e ir w orthiness b y transcending
w eaknesses of th e body. T h e y m u st show
th e ir w orthiness, n ot b y ju st releg atin g th e ir
desires to th e low er order of th e ir n atu re , b u t
b y com pletely suppressing them , as, fo r ex
am ple, th e desire for m arriage.
T h e fa lla cy of this w hole reasoning m ust
be quite ap p aren t. T h e prem ise u pon w hich
it rests is th a t th e body is fu n d am en tally evil
an d certain n o rm al desires of th e body are
therefore tem ptations. T h e enlightened m in d
realizes th a t ev ery desire of th e body th a t is
norm al is G od-inspired. I t is a law in h e re n t
in m atter. I t follows from th e necessity of
living m atter. M a tte r is an expression of
God. T herefore no evil can possibly exist in
th e n orm al satisfaction of som atic desires.
O nly th e perversion or m isuse of th em can
be m o rally considered a sin or w rong con
duct. If m a n lim its him self to expression
through only one channel of his n atu re , he is
th e n evil. T h e ascetic, w ho w ith th e best
intentions in th e w orld, denies his somatic
body its n o rm al functions, an d w ho practices
celibacy is b y his acts dam ning D ivine laws.
H e is, w h eth e r h e realizes it or not, fa r m ore
evil, from a tr u ly Cosmic an d m oral point
of view , th a n th e h ealth y , norm al-m inded
person w ho lives a n atu ra l life. You cannot
separate a lig h t from its lam p. You cannot
live a sp iritu al life a p a rt from y o u r body.
A m o rally circum spect an d n o rm al m arried
life offers no obstacles to sp iritu al aw akening.
T oday w e h v e m a n y system s of asceti
cism, advocated b y persons w ho represent
them selves to be spiritual leaders. Some of
these persons a re subnorm al or abnorm al;
th a t is, from a psychological po in t of view
th e y are lacking. T h ey m a y be g lan d u lar
freaks. T h e y m a y be psycopathic cases. T h ey
are qu ite aw are, some of them , th a t th e y are
different from other m en. T h e y cannot find
happiness an d enjoym ent in n o rm al living
because of th e ir deficiency. T herefore, th e y
tr y to escape from life. T h ey tr y to create

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

an artificial state in w hich th e y find satisfac

tion or enjoym ent, and th e n th e y hold th a t
up, expound it as the ideal. A nd since th ey
are physically deficient and cannot enjoy
n orm al physical relations, th e y decry those
w ho can, and declare such a w ay to be false,
corrupt and evil. T h ey advocate th a t the
o nly spiritual w ay is to devote oneself e n
tirely to the h ig h e r life, denying the m aterial
or physical.
T h ere is no denying the fact th a t such
persons delude th e ir followers. I have know n
of individuals of this type w ho have actu ally
broken u p homes. W om en w ho w ere desirous
of sp iritual aw akening, of attain in g Cosmic
Consciousness, w ere told b y such individuals
th a t th e y m u st leave th e ir husbands or m u st
cease having no rm al relations w ith them .
T his caused great sorrow an d m isfortune.
Some of these w om en n ea rly lost th e ir m inds
because th e y tr u ly loved th e ir husbands, and
y e t th e y did n o t w a n t to feel th a t th e ir souls
w ere being dam ned because th e y did; so
they trie d to stam p out th e ir love for th e ir
husbands, and th e psychological results m u st
be apparent. E v ery th in g th a t is n a tu ra l is of
n atu re , and n a tu re is of God. R em em ber
th a t an d you w ill have no difficulty in de
te rm in in g w h eth e r som ething is or is not
com patible w ith spiritual ends. X.

Using the W ord

A fra te r in W h ittie r, California, now asks
the F o r u m this question: I w ould like to
ask th e practical use of th e w ord or words
w hich come to us psychically or Cosm ically
from tim e to tim e. If th e y sometimes relate
to people or places, how m a y one corroborate
them historically? T ake th e w ords th a t have
come to m e, th a t is, N ethrida Rosityl. In th e
little spare tim e I h ad a t th e lib ra ry , I have
not been able to find an y reference to them .
T h e words could be a persons nam e or th e y
could be som ething else. T h e y m ig h t even
have some h ieratic m eaning to w hich I do
n ot have the key. I w ould appreciate m ore
enlightenm ent.
T his subject is w ell covered and explained
in th e m onographs. H ow ever, w e shall en
deavor to th ro w m ore light upon it on this
occasion. M a n is a composite being; h e is
em otional, physical, intellectual, an d sp irit
ual. A ll those term s refer to the different
aspects and attributes of th a t w hich is m an.

Page 117

E ach one of m a n s physical senses has its

p articu la r dualities. L ight is one of th e q u ali
ties of sight, an d fragrance is one of the
dualities of th e olfactory sense. T h e w hole of
m a n s being is harm oniously united. I t is
like a m usical in stru m e n t th a t has been tuned
lo a certain note an d is in resonance w ith
th a t note. W h e n ev e r th a t note is played, the
en tire in stru m e n t responds to it. H ow ever,
these fu n d am en tals in each individual are
slightly different. T h ere is, for exam ple, a
p referred frag ran ce or scent to w hich each
of us responds m o re th a n to others. T h ere
is also a p referred color to w hich w e each
react.
T h e w ord th a t comes to us Cosm ically at
tim es th a t is, flashes into o ur consciousness
w hen it is in to n ed or spoken produces a
vib rato ry effect on o u r psychic centers. T h e
vibrations of th a t n o te represent, as a h a r
monic, th e specific vibrations of o ur being.
W e respond to it. I t tunes all o u r faculties
an d attrib u tes, as a m usician tunes th e strings
of his violin, so th a t th e y are in th e ir proper
relation to each other. To m erely u tte r the
ivord gives us pow er. W e sense a n ex h ilara
tion. O ur m inds becom e clear an d w e feel
p hysically strong. O ur spirits are raised.
T he exact m e an in g of th e w ord is incon
sequential. Som etim es it m a y have an actual
m eaning; th a t is, it is in o ur ow n language
an d w e can u n d ersta n d it. T h ere is a cor
responding idea for it. I t m a y be such a w ord
as rose ; it m a y be flower ; it m a y be
m o u n ta in or su n . T h en , again, th e w ord
m a y be a strange com bination of u n in te l
ligible syllables, w hich, w hen pronounced by
us, sends a w ave of vibrations th ro u g h o u t th e
w hole body, u su a lly centering, finally, in the
solar plexus an d th e n dying aw ay. W h en
th e w ord is n o t com prehensible to us, we
should n o t be disturbed, because it is n ot th e
m ean in g of th e w ord th a t is im p o rtan t, b u t
th e effect it has. I t is not m erely sufficient
to say th e w ord in o u r m inds, w e m ust
actu ally speak it vocally. U sually, w hen w e
first Cosm ically experience it, it is both visual
a n d auditory. W e see it em blazoned on the
screen of o u r consciousness in such a w ay
th a t w e n ev er forget its spelling. S im ultane
ously, w e h e a r w ith in our in n e r or psychic
consciousness its pronunciation. W ith this
p ro n u n ciatio n th e reverberation an d pow er
of th e w ord is felt thro u g h o u t o u r w hole be
ing. Consequently, 'there is n ever a n y doubt

Page 1<8

or confusion as to w h eth er one has received

the word. If it doesnt produce th e effects I
have m entioned, it is not th e w ord.
H ow and w h y does the w ord come about?
It m eans th a t w e have reached a certain
u n ity in o u r personal developm ent, th a t w e
are beginning to aw aken our psychic faculties
and so stim ulate th e psychic centers th a t all
th e p arts of o u r being, w hich are dependent
upon those psychic centers, are being co
ordinated, w orking in u n ity . T his h arm o n y
of our being produces th a t w ord, th a t effect.
I w ould ac tu a lly say th a t th e h arm o n y , w hen
w e become conscious of it, clothes itself in an
idea an d syllables, as a w ord. L et m e give
you a n analogy. Suppose w e w ere rea lly a
stringed in stru m e n t and all th e p arts of our
being, th e d ifferent parts of our n atu re , w ere
like separate strings. M ost of th e tim e o ur
being is out of tune. Some of th e strings are
n ot pro p erly related to the others. T h en , w e
set about to correct this condition th ro u g h
study and th ro u g h m ystical exercises. F in al
ly, th e y are all brought into th e p roper re
lation w ith each o ther so th a t, like th e strings
of a violin, w h en all plucked together a t one
tim e b y a skilled m usician, th e y produce one
single resonant chord. T h a t sound, as w e
experience it, m a y produce various effects.
W e m a y sense, psychically, a corresponding
color. P erhaps w e experience a p articu la r
scent, or a sound w hich m a y ap p ear as a
w ord to us. T herefore, th e w ord is rea lly a
form , fashioned b y the m ind, for a v ib rato ry
condition w hich w e have attain ed psychical
ly. Consequently, know ing th a t th e w ord
represents th e acm e of our psychic h arm o n y
or else it w ould n o t have come about, th e
real purpose an d practical value of th a t w ord
is to use it w henever we feel inharm onious,
w hen w e are depressed em otionally, feel ill,
or w hen we have some crisis to m eet an d need
to d raw on our com plete powers of body an d
m ind. W e should rep eat this w ord softly to
ourselves tw o or th ree tim es, an d w e w ill feel
the results.
Of course, th e w ord should only be used
a t such tim es as I have m entioned above.
Otherw ise, it is no t beneficial. A gain I re
peat, do not concern yourself as to w h eth er
th e w ord m akes sense from an etym ological
point of view. T h a t is unim p o rtan t. V ery
fre q u en tly th e re are two words w hich p ro
duce this effect, though not w h en u ttered
separately. T h e y m ust be used in conjunc

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

tion w ith each other and th ere m u st be no

substitution of words. By th a t I m ean th a t
a w ord does n o t come to us Cosm ically for
this purpose today; th a t six m onths from
now, w e receive an o th er w ord; an d th en
later, perhaps, th e original w ord comes back.
T h a t is n o t th e w ay it occurs.
One n ev er know s w h en he is going to re
ceive th e word. W e tell about it a t a certain
point in th e m onographs because, a t th a t p a r
tic u la r place, th e principles rela tin g to it are
best explained. But, ju st because w e p u t the
explanation in a p articu la r m onograph and
in a p articu la r degree, it doesnt m e an th a t
th e developm ent an d actual experience of the
w ord w ill come to th e individual a t th a t tim e.
Some persons hav e experienced th e w ord be
fore becom ing m em bers of th e Order. T h ey
knew th a t a certain w ord, w h en th e y said
it to them selves, fascinated them , m ade them
feel peaceful an d quiet, or gave th em in n e r
strength, b u t th e y did n o t know w hy. W h en
th e y reach th e point in th e studies w here
this is explained, th ey u nderstand. T h ere are
others w ho u n d erstan d about th e w ord from
our explanations, b u t th e y do n o t have an y
experience w ith it u n til several years la te r
perhaps. T h is doesnt m ean th a t th e y are
less psychic. T h ere are a n u m b er of factors
en terin g in to th e situation, such as, personal
developm ent, personal life, and other condi
tions. T h e com bination of th e various factors
is slightly d ifferen t w ith everyone, ju st as
everyones fin g erp rin t is slightly different.
X.
Im b e c ility an d K arm a
A n o th er in terestin g question now comes to
th e atten tio n of this F o r u m . I t is: In case
of im becility, is th e soul-personality sup
pressed d u rin g th e present incarn atio n , or is
th ere a self-conscious developm ent th a t is not
objectively observable? Is th e im becile w ork
ing out his k arm ic debt as a resu lt of errors
com m itted in previous in carn atio n s?
T his question m ig h t be answ ered v ery
sim ply b y say in g th a t w here th ere is no
self-realization, th ere is no personal karm a.
W ith o u t going deeply again in to th e subject
of k arm a or th e law of m oral or Cosmic
com pensation, le t us rem in d all th a t k arm a
is n o t ju st adverse. U n fo rtu n ately , m a n y
persons are inclined to tr y an d ex p lain the
principles of k arm a just by th e adversities
experienced in life. T h a t w hich an in d i

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

vidual experiences as great success, h ap p i

ness, or so-called good fortune m ay likewise
be th e resu lt of karm a. K arm a being a m a n i
festation of th e law s of causality, nam ely,
cause and effect, th ere are th e n causes of
beneficial karm a. K arm a being m oral causes
and effects th a t is, concerned w ith principle
as w ell as results it seeks to instru ct those
w hom it affects. T o m ake this plain, a p u rely
m echanistic series of causes w ould be w ith o u t
a n y in ten t. T h e la w of gravity, for exam ple,
once invoked, seeks to d raw th e mass of th e
object, w hich has been thro w n or propelled
into th e air, back to the earth , regardless of
w h eth er anyone becomes conscious of th e
falling object or not. T he la w of gravity is
strictly an im personal law of n atu re. Con
versely, th e laws of karm a cannot be. If th e y
w ere, th e re w ould be nothing gained by
karm a. W e are n e ith e r punished, n o r are w e
rew arded b y karm a. W e are b u t experienc
ing an effect w hich w e have brought about.
T hrough karm a w e learn w h at kindness,
tolerance, and h u m a n ita ria n ism m a y b rin g
forth. Likewise, through k arm a w e le arn
w h at hatred , envy, avarice, and o th er Cos
m ically w rong conduct m ay m anifest. T hese
results w hich w e experience are exam ples,
instructions, pointing the w ay to be followed
or to be avoided.
It m u st be apparent, then, if one is not
fu lly conscious, for exam ple, of suffering, or
how m uch his living deviates from th e n o r
m al, h e has gained nothing b y th e circu m
stances. If I carelessly re n t a house in w hich
to reside and w hich contains g reat q uantities
of dangerous explosives in its basem ent, an d
I do not discover this, I have learned n o th in g
by th e circum stances. I w ould be ju st as
hap p y in m y ignorance as if I h ad first care
fully searched th e house and found it free of
a n y such danger. T o teach m e a lesson of
caution, it w ould be necessary for m e to le arn
th at th e house h ad explosives in it. M y great
concern th e re afte r w ould m ake a lastin g im
pression upon me.
T his leads to th e question of th e one who
was b o m an imbecile. H e is not capable of
self-realization. H e acts like an autom aton.
H e is not capable of the m ental state of ob
servation and reflection, and no coordination
betw een such tw o states is possible. H e is,
therefore, unable to evaluate his u n fo rtu n a te
status, in com parison to th a t of n o rm al
hu m a n beings. I n fact, he is unab le to be
aw are that his is an u n fo rtu n ate condition.

Page 119

C onsequently, he is n ot experiencing an y
karm a. A ctu ally , such a soul-personality
m ig h t be a h ig h ly evolved one, b u t it is
tem p o rarily arrested w hile in th e deform ed
body. I t has no realizatio n of itself. I t is as
though it w ere still on th e Cosmic p lan e and
h ad n ot y et in c arn ate d in an o th er body. T h e
evolution of such a soul-personality is n ot
altered b y such a n in carn atio n , for th ere is
no experience had.
T h e state of im becility, from a Cosmic
point of view, is n o t to teach th e imbecile,
b u t ra th e r to teach those w ho are responsible
for its w elfare an d care. T h e p aren ts or
others w ho have th e b u rd en an d experience
of the care of an im becile are th e ones who
are capable of fu lly realizing th e state of
affairs. S ubsequently, th e y eith er learn
h u m ility , forbearance, and com passion, and
consequently evolve them selves from some
past false conduct, or th e y do not. If th e y
do not, b y such a n attitude, th e y are b u t
establishing fu tu re karm ic causes of even
m ore adverse effects to follow.
I have know n of h au g h ty , proud fam ilies,
vain in th e ir genealogical descent. T h ey con
ceived them selves superior in th e ir b irth ;
th e n to them w as b o m an im becilic child.
N ot only did th e y experience p atern al shock,
b u t perhaps even m o re a shock to th e ir ego.
Instead of accepting th e circum stances and
n o t endeavoring to conceal them , th e y would
sequester th e child aw ay in an in stitu tio n or
in th e ir ow n hom e. N ever w ould th e y dis
cuss or reveal th e fact of th e childs existence.
Instead of realizing, b y such an experience,
th a t all persons o r m ortals are subject to
m aterial and physical vicissitudes, and be
com ing m ore to le ran t of others m isfortunes,
they kept u p th e ir p retex t of superiority.
T h ey w ere n ot le arn in g the k arm ic lesson
intended for them , an d th e y w ere only in
viting m ore drastic experiences in fu tu re in
carnations. H ow ever, th e im becile child was
n ot experiencing a n y k arm a, because he had
no realization of th e event of his ow n ex
istence. I repeat, th a t w ith o u t such realiza
tion, w ith o u t th e capacity of experience,
th ere can be no k arm a. T his does n o t apply
to a person w ho g rad u ally goes insane or who
has lucid periods in w hich he is fu lly con
scious of his state. I t does not ap p ly also to
those w ho are dom inated b y hallucinations.
Such persons are capable of self-realization,
even if th e experience is clouded in illusions.
T heirs, then, is a personal k arm a. X.

Supernatural!

The World of Mysterious Phenomena

xyTHAT are the strange journeys of th e soul? W ho speaks th e words you h ea r w ithin?
A re th e visions you glim pse, an d w h ich lift }rou to th e heights, p ranks of th e m ind
or are th e y m o m en taly glim pses into a w orld of phenom ena of w hich m a n is y et iti
ignorance? Is there an intelligence w hich m anifests in an ex trao rd in ary m a n n e r or
can all un u su al experiences he explained by n a tu ra l law an d order?
T h e w ord S u p e r n a t u r a l rings th ro u g h o u t the w orld today as it
has for centuries. But in this age an im p a rtial investigation and a
serious study of the unu su al can be had. W h a t g reater fascination
is th ere th a n th a t of the unknow n? W h a t g reater en jo y m en t can be
h ad th a n an in q u iry into th e m ysterious? T h e greatest m inds of all
.u
ages have p u t themselves to this task of investigation. Some oppose
O r
i
and contradict each other, b u t th e ir findings constitute a w ealth of
J*
knowledge.
DT h e R e a d e r s R e s e a r c h A c a d e m y has collected th e ir w ritings and
is presenting them in a sim ple and efficient m a n n er for all who
enjoy good reading and w ho seek an instructive pastim e. T h e fol These courses are the
door to a natural
low ing are b u t a few of th e m a n y courses the R eaders Research open
world of mystery.
A cadem y offers you:
SUPERNATURAL
SOME MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURES
ARCANE COSMOLOGY
(The strange theory of our universe)

WE ARE HEREWHIT?
THE KEY TO THE UNIVERSE
UNIVERSAL. SPIRIT
(The truth about Cosmic Consciousness)

You m a y have two len g th y lecture-lessons of an y course y o u select

each m onth for the sm all sum of b u t 50c p er m onth. You m a y dis
continue the course at w ill or tran sfe r to an o th er a n y tim e you desire.
T h ere is no b etter w ay to occupy y o u r spare tim e, or no m ore profit
able enjoym ent th a n these exceptional courses of reading. Send your
request for th e course and rem ittan ce to:

T H E

R E A D E R S

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Within the comfort and

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these strange truths
are revealed.

A C A D E M Y

ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CA LIFO RN IA , U .S .A .

R O S IC R U C IA N P R E S S , L T D ,

S A N JO S E , C A L I F .

PR IN TED IN U . S . A .

.y -y v A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A .,

.wr.-i!

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H I I I H I

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ROSICRUCIAN
FORUM

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A PRIVATE PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF AMORC,

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER

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Entered as Second Class M atter at the Post Office at San Jose, California,
under Section 1103 of the U .S . Postal Act of Oct. 3, 1917.

<1

Vol. XV

JUNE, 1945

No. 6

<1

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MANTRA FOR KWANNON

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O thou jewel of the Lotus,

(Om manipadme hum),*
Blest Wisdom, heeding all,
Approach, come near:
Renew me with thy goodness;
Restore me with thy gladness;
Lift me to thy Lotus;
Draw me to thy quiet;
Persuade me as the water to the sun.
Adjure thou me to charity;
Incline me more to sympathy;
O thou jewel Kwannon,
Suffuse my meditation
With thy sublimated grace.

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TEMPORATOR

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*The mystic trifo rm is the jewel o f the lotus.

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR (EVERY

OTHER MONTH) BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF AMORC, AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, ONE DOLLAR and SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ANNUALLY
FOR MEMBERS ONLY

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THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Page 122

Greetings !
V
D ear Fratres and Sorores:
T h e fixation th a t there is a chosen people
is im planted firm ly in the m inds of m any.
T he psychological propaganda of th e N azis
th a t th e G erm ans by race and b y heritage
w ere a chosen people was m uch ridiculed in
A m erica; however, m an y of those who de
rided such N azi propaganda w ere actu ally
only disagreeing w ith the N azis th a t th ey
w ere the chosen ones. P ersonally th ey w ere
convinced th a t there is a p referred or chosen
people, and it is the class of w hich th ey are
mem bers.
This idea of a chosen people arises out of
th e psychological factor of self-esteem . T his
self-esteem, in tu rn , is an extension of the
instinct of self-preservation. E v ery anim al,
and m a n as well, w ill w ithou t reasoning
fight for the continuance of his physical be
ing. M an has evolved m uch fu rth e r th a n
the other anim als about him . H e has a de
veloped self-realization, a consciousness of self.
T his self is a com bination of his in tellectual
abilities, his talents, his powers of accom
plishm ent, and his m oral conceptions. W h a t
I think, w h at I believe, w hat m y ideals are,
w h at I am able to do are as m uch a p a rt of
m y being as are m y body and its organs.
Consequently, I w an t to preserve them . To
have them subm erged is a kind of am p u ta
tion of p a rt of myself. To elim inate m y
ideals and m y opinions entirely w ould be a
blow to m y ego. I would as instinctively
rebel against it as I w ould against being
drowned. W h a t is of our integrated self we
esteem. W e are proud of it. To give o u r
selves a kind of prom inence is to give the
im m aterial p a rt of dur being an existence
equal to our physical self.
Some persons have such talents or qualities
as are not prosaic. T h eir prom inence i$ ap
p are n t to everyone and th y accordingly re
ceive acclaim . T h eir ego or pride is properly
assuaged. F or everyone w ho receives such
distinction and recognition b y th e ir fellows,
there are thousands who do not. W ith in th eir
breasts, how ever, is this sam e urg e for the
preservation of the im m aterial self, to have

V
it recognized. W h ere the individual is in
capable of personal distinction, he resorts to
group prom inence. H e w ants to be a p a rt of
som ething th a t w ill seem to elevate self and
give it th a t prestige, th a t transcendency
w hich it cannot m anifest by itself. These
individuals seek out" societies, groups, cliques
who have honors because of som ething th ey
have accom plished collectively, or because of
w h at some few of its m em bers have done.
T hese persons feel th a t by being m em bers
of such groups or bodies, th ere is thus tra n s
m itted to th em th e necessary distinction to
g ratify th e ir need for self-esteem. You have
often h eard th em say: I am a m em ber of
this or th a t group, of w hich P resident So-andSo was a past m em ber. A gain, th ey w ill
say: Some of th e w ealthiest or m ost learned
m en have been m em bers of the society w ith
w hich I am affiliated. Some persons even
try to find this esteem, this preservation of
the ego in th e ir race, or th eir religion. T h ey
w an t to feel, to believe th a t their race, th eir
creed, th e ir social standing is th e preferred,
th e chosen one. It gives th eir ego a sense of
security and well-being.
T his psychological factor is rooted deep in
the n atu re of m an , and it can an d does ac
count for m a n y of his difficulties. It is one
of th e greatest provocations of nationalism .
A n ation is a group of people who arb itra rily
have draw n an im ag in ary line about th em
selves. Sometimes this line was intended to
keep out the views and actions of others.
Sometimes th e lin e has been in terp reted as
keeping w ith in , exclusively for the group
itself, its ow n w ays and beliefs. T he h u m an
is relu c tan t to ad m it th a t the society of w hich
he is a p art, th e n ation in w hich he finds
him self is in ferio r or even ju st equal to
another. H e often calls it patriotism w hen
he is extrem ely boastful in declaring th a t
w h at happens" w ith in his natio n al boundaries
is the best. F re q u en tly this patriotism is b ut
a self-endorsem ent, another exam ple of seek
ing self-esteem in the n atio n ality in w hich
one is born. T ru e patriotism * a loyalty to a
nation, would adm it the n atio n s weaknesses
as well as its virtues. T ru e patriotism is also

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

a feeling w hich says in effect: I am on this

team and I will play w ith it honestly and
fairly w hile its objectives are th e same,
nam ely, honest and fa ir. Such real p atrio t
ism is en tirely different from th a t of th e one
w ho tries to eulogize every custom , every
practice w ith in the national boundaries, just
because he is a citizen of the country. P sy
chologically, such an attitude consists of de
claring the w hole of w hich you are a p art
as the best, w h eth er it is or not, so th a t it
m ay confer distinction upon yourself.
T here is, then, a great tendency of peoples
to m ake those of th e ir natio n ality ap p ear as
a chosen people, th a t th e ir egos m a y bask in
the reflected light of being either A m erican,
British, Russian, F rench, or so on. It is, in
m y opinion, fa r better to say: I am proud of
w h at A m erica does, th a n to say: I am
proud of being an A m erican. T his often
insincere glorification of natio n ality to in
directly glorify the ineffectual ego of the
individual is dangerous. It inclines m an y
persons to assum e a supercilious attitude
tow ard peoples in other lands. T h ere are
m an y nationalists in the U nited States who
actually look w ith pity and contem pt upon
those who are born or who reside elsewhere.
Those born in the U nited States have been
favored by circum stances, as history reveals.
T his th ey should realize. It is en tirely w rong
to th in k th a t the rest of the w orld need be
come A m erican citizens or m igrate to this
country and become im bued w ith A m erican
ism. T he peoples born elsew here are equal
in potential happiness and personal achieve
m en t w ith those born inside our political
fences and boundaries. T hey have h ad and
w ill have, by virtue of complexities th a t have
evolved through the centuries of political
history, m a n y obstacles to overcome before
th e y can enjoy th e privileges w hich we do.
T he reason th ey do not enjoy them now, nor
have them , is not because th ey are an in
ferior or unchosen people. W e are a com
paratively young nation, a land new ly pio
neered. W e have m a n y advantages here,
principally because tw o or three centuries
ago peoples elsew here cduld throw aside
the yoke of obsolete conditions an d come
here to a new land, free of encum brances,
to begin again.
T he proper spirit is to recognize all peoples
as being equal in potential accom plishm ent
and to recognize all lands as possible of prog

Page 123

ress if certain lib eral and constructive steps

are taken. T h e U n ited States should be
pointed out as an exam ple of w h at can be
for h u m an ity . It m u st n ot be pointed out as
the place w here these things alone can be
done. It m u st n o t be exem plified as the place
w here the w orlds chosen or superior people
reside. A ll is lost for h u m a n ity if it, is m ade
to appear th a t o nly in A m erica, or only by
becoming a citizen of the U nited States can
or does one acquire such a superior w ay of
living. Such an attitu d e fosters isolationism.
A ctually, groups hav in g such w rong ideas
advocate a lessening of cooperation or a u n ity
of the U n ited States w ith other nations, for
fear th a t o ur superior or chosen position
m ight become contam inated by contact w ith
other peoples. T his isolationist sp irit con
siders others in ferio r and desires to keep
them so. If w e have advantages, it is in cu m
bent upon us to help the rest of th e w orld
a ttain them , n ot ju st here, b u t everyw h ere.
R ecently I saw a m otion picture publicly
exhibited in theatres, issued as propaganda
by a b u reau of th e U n ited States G overn
m ent. It in ten d ed to extol the virtues of the
B ureau of Im m ig ratio n and our treatm en t of
im m igrants an d refugees to the U nited
States. T h e k in d an d considerate treatm en t
of im m igrants, as exhibited in the film, was
perhaps in th e m ain factual. T h e aggrandize
m en t of A m erica, th e im plication th a t th e
rest of th e w orld w as b u t a crude, uncu ltu red ,
an d even p rim itiv e region was ridiculous. It
m ade it ap p ear th a t n o t only w ere all of the
finer things of life to be found in the U nited
States, w here a superior people lived, but
th ere is no hope for these things to be h ad
elsewhere. I t w ould have been a far m ore
in telligent p resentation,, as w ell as m ore
diplom atic, to have show n refugees escaping
the chaos of E urope, an d com ing here as one
of the m a n y places free at the tim e from
turm oil. T h e hope th a t nations of Europe
could again a tta in th e ir rig h tfu l place am ong
civilized, peaceful states, w here peoples th ere
could enjoy these privileges w hich w e have
here w as not only overlooked, b ut w as sup
pressed. I t w ould h ave likewise been tactfu l
to disclose th a t m a n y other thousands of
refugees from E urope have gone to our sister
republics in South A m erica, w here th ey can
enjoy th e tra n q u ility and culture of the big
cities there, w hich generally exists in the
N ew W orld, Instead, the whole em phasis of

Page 124

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

the film w as th a t A m erica, and becom ing an

A m erican, is the salvation of m ankind.
W hile on the one han d a W orld S ecurity
Peace Conference was being held in San
Francisco to u n ify nations, to b rin g about
a peaceful w orld and a peaceful people, this
film was exploiting A m erican nationalism .
T h e U nited States is a m em ber of the fam ily
of nations. A n egotistical display by a m em
ber of an y fam ily does not m ake for h a r
m ony w ithin it. W e are not a chosen people.
W e are a people w ith a m ore w orkable sys
tem a system th a t is w orkable anyw here,
w ith an y other peoples on the face of the
earth.
F ratern ally ,
R A L PH M . L E W IS,
Im perator.

Imagination and Imaging

It is not unusual after the experim ents re
latin g to visualization presented in the early
degrees th a t m em bers ask the typical ques
tion, H ow can I im prove upon m y ability to
visualize? T h e answ er to this question lies
in the com plete understanding of the process
of visualization and in the related subjects
of im agining and im aging. It has been re
peatedly stated in these pages and in sugges
tions from the D epartm ent of In stru ctio n re
garding visualization th a t we m ust look upon
visualization as a technique in fact, as a l
m ost an art.
A technique is usually the m ethod of p ro
cedure by w hich an end is accom plished. For
exam ple, to refer to a m any-tim es used il
lustration, the technique necessary for a p er
son to become a m usician is th e in tricate
m ovem ents of the fingers in th e m a n ip u la
tion of the m usical instrum ent. T h e gaining
of this technique is closely related to h ab it;
th a t is, the pianist, through repeated p rac
tice of various exercises on the keyboard of a
piano, gradually builds up a set of h ab it sys
tems th a t cause his fingers to respond alm ost
invo lu n tarily to the w ritten music. To a n y
one w ho has attem pted to le arn a process,
such as playing a piano, or an y other com pli
cated in stru m en tal accom plishm ent, it is w ell
know n th a t practice is the m ost essential
feature in the gaining of the technique and
the resu ltan t m usic ability. Know ledge alone
w ill not do it. A person could be a w alking
encyclopedia of m usic term s an d y et be u n

able to p u t th a t know ledge into use so as to

b rin g about m usic, unless it was accom panied
by proper practice an d gradual attain m en t
of the desired technique.
W e see, therefore, in th e gaining of a
technique, th a t w e are attain in g a step th a t
w ill lead to the eventual purpose th a t we
have in m ind. T h e technique in itself is not
necessarily th e end to be achieved. T h e m usi
cian does not practice exercises on the piano
m erely for the exercising of his fingers, but
in order th a t he m a y tran sfer th a t ability to
th e production of music. U sually w e refer to
processes req u irin g a learned technique,
w hich is a perfection of certain h ab it systems,
as an art. T his is because th e a rt is the
product of th e technique or process.
In the process of visualization we are deal
ing w ith a technique w ith the idea of perfect
ing th e a rt of visualization the a rt of being
able to hold in o ur m inds an im age, a re
produced p icture of the th in g w ith w hich we
are concerned in visualizing. N orm ally, we
do n ot th in k in term s of images in th a t we
are aw are of th e creation of im ages in our
m inds. T h e th in k in g process of th e average
individual w hen broken dow n into tw o ele
m en tal p arts is com paratively simple. It is
so sim ple th a t it is difficult for th e average
individual to analy ze the process. A ctually,
the process consists of h ard ly m ore th a n fleet
ing pictures in th e m in d brought about by
hopes or m em ories, and by a process of sub
vocal talking; th a t is, carry in g on in our own
th in k in g a conversation or co n tin u ity of
words. M ost of us w ould like to th in k of the
process of th o u g h t as som ething g reater th an
idle pictures an d co n tinuity of words, b u t
this is all it is, u n til we determ ine to use the
thought processes and to build u p the a rt of
th in k in g b y giving consideration to th e im
provem ent of th e process an d brin g in g into
rea lity th e possibility of m aking b etter use
of this p articu la r attrib u te of our con
sciousness.
T he R osicrucian student is one w ho has
decided to at least attem p t a b etterm en t or
perfecting of all his abilities am ong these
th e ab ility to th in k , an d therefore, th e ability
to develop creative thought. C reative thought
precedes accom plishm ent. A nim als do not
th in k creatively, a t least for the m ost p art,
to th e best of o u r knowledge of an im al life.
T h ey react to environm ent and th e ir lim ited
ab ility of m em o ry is closely coupled w ith

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

h abitual reactions. M an, on the other h and,

given the ability to reason, has the p o ten tiali
ty before h im of alw ays being able, by the
use of his ow n m ind and thought, to re-group
past experiences, to analyze knowledge, an d
to anticipate the fu tu re in term s of this
thought process. T he fact of the m a tte r is
th a t few have even attem pted to develop the
m axim um use of the thinking process, and
still few er w ho have attem pted it have ac
com plished anything. Those w ho have m a s
tered the use of th e ir ability to thin k have
usually become outstanding in th e ir p articu
la r field. T h ey are th e pioneers in in d u stry ,
science, and social relationships. T h ey are
the individuals w ho have done w h at was,
p rior to th a t tim e, thought to be the im pos
sible. T h ey have set for themselves an ideal,
or purpose, and have directed th e ir energy
and thought tow ard its accom plishm ent.
V isualization is one step in the use of the
unlim ited powers of thought. It is based
upon the principle th a t if we can see
literally see in our m in d s eye the th in g
w hich we set out to achieve, w e are setting
the stage for its actual appearance, or com
ing about, w ith in our environm ent and o ut
side ourselves. It is here th a t it is necessary
for us to be able to create in the m in d the
picture w hich w e w ish to have become an
actuality. T his picture is m ore technically
referred to as an image. T he im age, insofar
as it is related to th e m ind, is the rep ro d u c
tion of a th in g w hich we have actually ex
perienced w ith the physical senses, such as,
w hen we rem em ber and picture a house, a
street, a person, or an y th in g w hich w e have
seen or experienced in objective living. On
the other hand, an im age can be created
th a t is, w e can d raw upon our m em ory, we
can p u t together various experiences an d in
form ation w hich w e have accum ulated and
create an im age in our m inds th a t does not
have its absolute duplication in experience.
T his does not m ean th a t we can conceive or
picture an y th in g th a t is beyond our m e n tali
ty to grasp, b u t th e architect, for exam ple,
can, by his know ledge and experience, create
in his m ind a visual im age of a building th a t
does not y et exist. I t can be different in de
sign and appearance from an y building ever
bu ilt by m an. F urtherm ore, it w ill be neces
sary for the architect to create such an im age
in his m ind, before he can duplicate th a t
im age on paper in the form of draw ings and

Page 125

plans w hich w ill be the m eans of directing

the constructing engineer to duplicate in
stone, wood, or brick the im age in the m ind
of the architect.
Now, it is m ost im p o rtan t in using this
process an d developing it th a t w e u n d erstan d
the term s used, an d w h at w e practice. In
other words, w e m u st be concerned w ith
knowledge and experience. Knowledge w ill
include the m ean in g of the tools w ith w hich
w e are dealing. W e m u st distinguish, first
of all, betw een im aging and im agination.
T h e im age is a clear-cut picture; im agination
refers m ore to the process. Im agination con
structively used is invaluable. I t is th e factor
w hich m akes it possible for the architect, for
exam ple, to conceive a new design in build
ing; th a t is, to h ave created in his m in d the
im age of a building different from an y th a t
has existed before.
N ot all im agination is creative. M ost
im agination is m erely idle w ishing or d ay
dream ing. To m e re ly p erm it ideas to go
undirected th ro u g h o ur m inds is a process
of uncontrolled im agination th a t leads to
nothing unless, u n fo rtu n ately , it leads to
disappointm ent. To m erely hope an d im agine
th a t things can be different from w h a t th ey
are, or th a t w e can be different from w h at
we are, and doing n o th in g about it, is m erely
speculation. To m ake a com parison w ith the
m usician again, it is like an individual who
m ig h t w ish to be popular am ong musicloving people an d in his idle m om ents sim ply,
as a process of idle im agination, thought of
him self as a m usician, b u t did n o th in g more.
Even if he could visualize him self as a m u si
cian, if no th in g m ore th a n th a t w ere done, he
n ev er w ould become a m usician. In other
w ords, the im age tow ards w hich the process
of visualization is directed is th e foundation
or basis for grow th an d accom plishm ent, but
it m u st be followed w ith creative im agination.
T his creative im agination is m ore th a n idle
daydream ing. I t is p u ttin g together the
k now n facts and m ak in g an effort to find out
the unknow n, so th a t the picture can be com
pleted and th e m ethods outlined w hich are
physically necessary to b rin g about its actu
ality. T h e process of visualization sums u p to
the fact th a t effort an d energy are req u ired
if it is to be effective. N ot only energy or
p lain w ork is necessary, b u t consistency. E x
ercises th a t b rin g about th e ability to visu
alize and reason constructively are som ething

Page 126

th a t can only be gained by doing, as in an y

other technique. It m u st not be overlooked,
how ever, th a t th e energy spent in such con
structive thought is very little less th a n the
same tim e and energy spent b y m ost of us in
idle im agination w ith no fu tu re purpose in
m ind. System atizing our thin k in g processes
as w ell as our physical possessions is an im
p o rtan t step in our ability to gain th e a rt of
visualization. T he conscientious direction of
our thinking in a m an n er w hich w ill m ake
us use ou r thought powers constructively is
p rim a rily a m a tte r of determ in atio n an d a
little w ill pow er, instead of idly doing n o th
ing and hoping for som ething different or
som ething better. A.
T h e F o u n d a tio n fo r P eace
M a n y letters are reaching us a t th e present
tim e, asking questions concerning the end of
the w ar and the kind of peace to follow. It is
impossible to answ er specifically m a n y of
these questions, and it w ould not be of an y
particu la r advantage, either to the organiza
tion or to the individual questioner, for th e
officers of the O rder to w rite individual le t
ters stating th e ir own opinions on th e m atter.
W e m ust not forget th a t because of so m a n y
factors involved in the fu tu re peace of the
w orld we are dealing w ith com plicated con
sequences and effects w hich, even if th e y
could be assembled and critically analyzed,
would not be sufficient since th ey are based
upon h u m an reaction in m a n y cases, reac
tion w hich w ill be m ore of an em otional
n atu re th a n th a t founded upon reason.
One question, how ever, w hich can be dis
cussed broadly is, W h a t are the tru ly fu n d a
m ental factors th a t w ill b ring about an
established w orld peace? T he questioner is
interested in know ing if the U nited N atio n s
Conference nowr in process is dealing w ith
the fu ndam ental issues of w orld peace; th a t
is, w ill this conference get to th e bottom of
the m a tte r and bring about conditions, reg u
lations, and agreem ents th a t w ill be con
ducive to peace? T his question only the
fu tu re can answ er in term s of events w hich
w ill follow th e conference.
T h ere is one th in g upon w hich, no doubt,
every intelligent person w ill agree th a t the
conference now in session is a step in the
right direction. W e cannot expect im m ediate
perfection in efforts tow ard peace from a

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

w orld to rn b y w ar, b u t all efforts are v alu

able. I t is qu ite probable an d this is no re
flection u pon those who are striving am ong
th e ir respective countries to b rin g about a
m ach in ery for th e m aintenance of peace
th a t no peace conference or conference of
nations w ill arriv e at the fu n d am en tal factor
th a t is necessary for th e perm anence of peace
in the w orld, ju st as no com m unity or or
ganization has ever arrived a t th e fu n d a
m en tal factor for elim inating crim e.
T h e desire for peace m u st first originate
in the m inds and hearts of individuals. If
we are to h ave peace on a world-w ide scale,
w e m ust first h ave peace upon a sm all scale.
If am ong a few people th ere exists friction,
h ighly divergent differences of opinion and
uncontrolled em otions resulting from th eir
differences, we can read ily see th a t th ere
w ill be no thorough desire upon th eir p a rt
to dismiss differences and live together in
peace based upon justice.
It is a p a rt of th e anim al n atu re to respond
pugnaciously to those things w hich in terfere
w ith w h at m ig h t be th e p articu la r desire,
in ten t, or purpose of the individual. Con
sequently, anim als w ill fight over food, and
so h u m a n beings w ill fight w ith each other
over an y th w arte d desire. H ow ever, m a n
kind is different from the anim al w orld in
th a t he is given reason. W h en tw o in d i
viduals m eet to exam ine th eir differences of
opinion an d to express th e ir ow n individual
desires, it is expected by civilized society and
b y the highest ideals of social living, th a t
these tw o individuals w ill n ot let th e ir emo
tions get out of control and end th eir rela
tionship in an out-and-out fight, but w ill
instead b rin g in to use the highest achieve
m en t of th e objective m in d of m an ; th a t is,
reason, and by reason be w illing to m ake a
compromise. W h ile differences of opinion
m a y exist a t th e conclusion of the com pro
mise, the m a tte r w ill, at least, have been
settled in tellig en tly and w ill not have been
based en tirely upon feeling. T herefore, if
peace is to exist in th e w orld it m u st begin
to exist m ore an d m ore in the m inds of m en,
an d am ong m en in th eir individual dealings
and relationships w ith each other.
T he Rosicrucian philosophy teaches the
existence of th e microcosm and macrocosm
th a t is, th a t the w hole is m ade up of its parts
and th a t th e sm allest cell m ust function in
h arm o n y if the en tire universe is to be h a r

Page 127

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

m onious, and so it is w ith individuals and

w ith nations. If each country and th e com
bined countries of the w orld are going to
actually reach a foundation for th e accom
plishm ent of peace, it m ust be based upon
the individual desire of each person m aking
up the group for peace to w ish for it in
th e ir ow n individual relations w ith each
other and have th a t desire even exceed the
desire for individual acquisition or dom i
nation.
Some m ight say th a t m ankind has n ot y et
reached such a state of developm ent as to
perm it th e existence of reason to dom inate
his thinking of peace w ithin him self. In
other words, we know if we face the facts
th a t m a n is fund am en tally selfish in m a n y
respects. It has been common in the h istory
of civilization for m en in political speeches,
in th e ir religious practices, p articu la rly upon
th e ir day of w orship, to uphold the highest
ideals of w hich th e ir race and society was
capable. N o doubt, we have each h ad the
experience of having the m isfortune of being
acquainted w ith a n individual w ho on S u n
day w ould be the loudest in his statem ents
of faithfulness to his God and fellow m en,
and who on M onday w ould cheat his neigh
bor, his custom er, or ruthlessly foreclose a
m ortgage, or perform a dozen acts so at
variance w ith the ideas expressed in connec
tion w ith his religion th a t it w ould seem im
possible th a t the individual could be th e same
person in both cases.
Incidentally, the religion and the philoso
p h y of m odem tim es have done little to
change this view point upon the p a rt of m a n y
m en and women. Religion is an institution.
It has become som ething th a t can be p rac
ticed through a form or a process, b u t is
actually com pletely disassociated w ith the
daily life of the individual for the rest of the
week. T he individual, if faced w ith this fact,
w ould not adm it th a t he did not practice his
religion or th a t he had intentions of violating
it, b u t in actual day by day living his p ri
m a ry purpose is to fulfill his ow n desires
regardless of th e ir conflict w ith an y ideals
to w hich he m ight subscribe through a r e
ligious process.
T his is not m ean t as a condem nation of
religion or of an y idealistic philosophy of
life. T he leaders of the great churches of the
m odern w orld have tried to point out th a t
religion, if it is to be a potential force in the

w orld, m u st be one th a t is lived an d not

m erely talked. T h e m o d em w orld, how ever,
has so forced upon m a n the ideas of com pe
tition and acquisition th a t th ey have become
p aram o u n t issues in th e p lan n in g an d lead
ing of daily lives. I t is th e tru e u n d ersta n d
ing of m an him self th a t is the key to peace
and to an ideal w orld. M an w ill have to be
ta u g h t th a t th ere is m ore value in getting
along w ith o th er h u m a n beings and keeping
him self rig h t w ith his C reator th a n th ere is
in try in g to m odify an d adjust his environ
m en t to th e ends w hich serve his own
purposes.
A ll idealistic tren d s of th in k in g on the p art
of m a n w ill contribute to this, b u t in m y sti
cism a tru e realizatio n of m a n s relationship
to God is th e final solution a concept real
ized b y m a n th a t th e v ery source of his life
and being, th e very things w hich are m ost
essential to h im an d u pon w hich h e m ust
depend for all th a t is of real value, can come
thro u g h a m ystical in terp retatio n an d a d i
rect know ledge of God. If peace is to be
param o u n t in th e w orld, an d we are to select
an y one fu n d am en tal as the foundation for
lasting and tru e peace, it w ill be answ ered
in th e m ystical concept, the und erstan d in g
b y m an, gained th ro u g h knowledge and ex
perience, th a t he has a direct contact w ith
God and th a t he can cultivate and use this
contact for his ow n happiness as w ell as th a t
of others. A
T h e C h ild o f th e S u n
P h arao h A m enhotep IV m ight w ell be
styled the king who sacrificed an em pire to
create an etern al m o ral an d spiritual influence
upon th e m inds of m en. T he m aterial ac
com plishm ents of th e m onum ental X V III
D y n asty of E g y p t w ere literally sacrificed
upon th e a lta r of y o u n g A m enhoteps u n
precedented greatness in the w orld of ideas.
W h a t he lacked in adm inistrative aggressive
ness an d th e in clin atio n to personally ride at
the head of his legions to p u t dow n revolt,
he displayed in a strong and fearless ideal
ism , in rev o lu tio n ary fields of endeavor.
Like all of those since his tim e, w ho have
broken w ith obsolete traditions, he w as a
radical. T h e elem ents of his radicalism ,
w hich m ade h im a ta rg e t for intrigue, have
subsequently been venerated and em ulated
as th e highest achievem ents of a civilized

Page 128

people. M ore th a n an y P haraoh before him ,

he recognized the equality of w om en w ith
m en. T h e young king, w ho h ad a m ost
tender love for his m other, Queen T iy , an d
his beautiful Asiatic wife, N efertiti, p e r
m itted the tw o talented w om en to share
p rom inently w ith him in governm ent. T his
exam ple encouraged a general recognition of
the equality of w om en w ith m en, am ong
those of th e strata of society beneath him .
T he sharing of the responsibilities an d th e
direction of domestic life of the nobles and
th eir wives are pictured in beautiful m u rals
upon the w alls of th e ir tombs.
F re q u en tly historians have referred to
A m enhotep IV as the first great personality
in h istory, for he was a m an w ho stood
upon his ow n accom plishm ents and was not
p rim arily a product of his times. N o his
torian has ever attem pted to rob A m enhotep
IV of the pristine n atu re of his m ost in sp ir
ing and reverent w ritings, by attrib u tin g
them to an y other source. How ever, I should
like to point out th a t the sensitivity and es
thetic n a tu re of the young P harao h brought
him in contact w ith ideas w hich cultivated
the germ s of his subsequent great concepts.
A m enhotep IV (Ikhnaton) becam e fasci
nated art an early age w ith the religiophilosophy of Eye, a priest and the husband
of a childhood nurse. T he M y stery School
of M em phis, w ith w hich Eye was m ost con
versant, h ad tau g h t in centuries past th a t
P tah was the artifice-god. H e influenced and
inspired artisans and craftsm en in th e ir
works of genius. H e symbolized the creative
talents of m an. Now, P tah grad u ally had
expanded to become the Great A rchitect of
the U niverse. M ore striking, P tah becam e
not an im age or one of the num b er of p er
sonal gods of E gyptian polytheism , b u t a
creative, D ivine M ind. Eye could have
quoted to his young king, the following lines
from a poem by a M em phite priest, w hich
was th e n current:
It (the m ind) is the one th a t brought
forth every successful issue.
It is th e tongue w hich repeats the
thought of th e m ind;
It (the m ind) was the fashioner of th e
gods
A t a tim e w hen every D ivine w ord
Came into existence by the thought of
th e m ind;
A nd th e com m and of the tongue.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

H ere was th e concept of a God as a U n i

versal Intelligence, and his spoken word was
his efficacy. T hutm ose III states on his
tom bstone th a t he owed his success to the
guidance of his h e a rt, to w hich he listened
confidently. H e fu rth e r said: Lo, it is an
oracle of th e God, w hich is in everybody.
T h e sensitive an d philosophically m inded
yoim g king could n ot have been u n aw are ot
such trem endous m oral utterances, w h en he
w rote his fam ous Psalm s. In proclaim ing his
m onotheism , a belief in a sole god, he cry s
tallized the evolving philosophy of the M y s
te ry Schools, of w hich th ere is every in d i
cation he was a student-initiate. To him ,
A ten was a sym b o l of a single intelligence
behind and above all sentient or w orldly
things, even beyond all of the local gods,
whose images h e sought to destroy. T he
force by w hich this intelligence executed its
designs, th e things of the world, was the
spoken word. T his, then, was an early pro
nouncem ent of the subsequent Logos. T he
dependence of all things upon this U niversal
Intelligence is b eau tifu lly expressed in the
very words of Ikhnaton:
H ow m anifold are all of th y works!
T h ey are hidden from before us,
O, thou sole God, whose powers no
O ther possesseth.
Ik h n ato n saw in this U niversal M ind, not a
vainglorious, conquering God, b u t a bene
ficent, com passionate F ath e r of all. T his
God was a source of pow er and of tru th .
Those w ho sought th e m anifestations of this
God, to in q u ire into the greatness of n atu re,
w ere said by h im to be living on tru th .
A m enhotep IV (Ik h n ato n ) attracted to
him self an d his God, after his accession, the
most idealistic an d artistic personages from
throughout his E m pire. H e encouraged them
to self-expression in th e city of A khetaten
(horizon of A te n ), w hich he b u ilt as a m o n u
m en t to his m ission of enlightenm ent. T he
influence of th a t city and the schools w hich
sprang from it have left th e ir im pression
upon subsequent civilizations. T h e Rosicru
cian O rder, AM ORC (a philosophical fra
te rn ity ), has devoted itself to searching out
th e rays of A ten , or tru th s th a t have r e
flected thro u g h o u t the centuries. It is w ith
pleasure, therefore, th a t w e h ea rtily endorse
th e adm irable book, Child of the S u n 9 by
M arg aret D ulles Edw ards. It presents the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

life of A m enhotep IV, or Ikhnaton, in story

or n arrativ e form for children.
T his book is w ell-illustrated, w ell-bound;
and as it is w ritte n for children, it is in v ery
sim ple language. It w ill m ake a v ery lasting
im pression on them . It is nonsectarian and
in no w ay w ill influence their religious be
liefs. It is historically accurate. I t can be
obtained from the Rosicrucian S u p p ly
Bureau, San Jose, California, for th e nom inal
sum of $1.75. W e h ea rtily recom m end this
book for children of th e Ju n io r O rder of
T orch Bearers, for the children of Rosicrucian
parents, and, in fact, for a n y child interested
in the rom ance of the beginnings of great
things. X
E x p erien cin g G o d
A gain a fra ter addresses our F o r u m . H e
says: D escribe for us in detail the experiencing of God. H ow can we be sure th a t w e are
in contact w ith God? W h a t are the qualities
of that experience?
W h a t a trem endous task to assign to an y
hum an! If I w ere to describe m y sacrosanct
experiences, those th a t I conceived to be of
God, in all probability m any others could
not accept them . God is as m uch an ideal to
the h u m a n consciousness as H e is a reality.
T he very n a tu re of God is a disputatious sub
ject. T here are religions and philosophies
w hich ascribe to H im certain determ inate
qualities. T here are also sects and systems
of thought th a t consider God inexplicable and
ineffable. Obviously God, to be, m u st have
a definite reality, b u t he also m ay exist in as
m a n y ideals in the h u m a n consciousness as
there are hum ans. E ach individual w ill ex
perience the reality of God in the lig h t of his
ideal. A greem ent on th e content of the ex
perience of God m u st then, of necessity be
not possible.
L et m e use an analogy. W e shall assum e
th a t a tree has a definite actuality, as we
o rd inarily see it. In fro n t of th a t tree stand
three m en. Each gazes upon it. T h e y all con
cur th a t it is a tree and th a t it exists. Ask
each of the three how th ey in te rp re t th e ir
experiences of the tree. In other w ords, w h at
does the experience of the tree m ean to
them ? I t is quite w ith in the bounds of proba
bility th a t one w ill relate to m e th a t th e tree
has a potentiality of so m any board feet of
lum ber w hen it is m illed. From it can come

Page 129

fu rn itu re for a five-room home. T he second

m an m ig h t rep ly th a t th e tree keeps th e hot
sun from b u rn in g th e delicate tendrils of
grow ing things beneath it. Also, by its roots,
it prevents an erosion of the soil after heavy
rains. To him , therefore, the tree is a p ro
tective elem ent of n atu re. T he th ird m an
m ight say: I experience in the tree a m a
jestic sym bol of th e law s of grow th and de
velopm ent. To m e th e tree is a th in g of
b eau ty an d a m o n u m en t to D ivine creation,
a n in spiration to m a n .
F rom this w e can see th a t each m an would
find satisfaction in experiencing the tree in
accordance w ith his u n d erstan d in g and w h at
he could com prehend as its relation to h im
self. A ccording to this conception, w hatever
a m a n experiences as God or w h at approaches
his ideal of God, and if he loves it, h e is th en
loving God. F rom this reasoning, it m ight
appear th a t m a n could be loving a diversity
of things, and y et be said to be loving God.
Rut does n ot diversity exist in the u n ity of
God? God is n ot one th in g ; th a t is, H e has
no single q u ality to conceive th a t God has,
is to assign certain lim itations to H im . It
am ounts to saying th a t God is this, b u t th a t
H e is nothing else. F rom w hence cam e all
of the m u ltip licity of things w hich m a n ex
periences? Is it not from th e n atu re of God?
God could n ot have created them from some
other source, or it becomes necessary for us
to explain th e origin of th a t source. If God
is the sole creator of th e universe an d all th a t
is in it, th e n all things are of Gods natu re.
God being all things w hich exist, all th a t is
both substance and thought, it is beyond the
finite capabilities of m a n to experience the
en tirety of God, or th e sum of all of his ex
pressions. A t best, w e can become conscious
of b u t extrem ely few of such m anifestations.
H ow ever, if a n y single th in g w ith in o u r con
sciousness has th e sacred and sublim e validity
of God to us th a t is, seems to p articipate in
th e n a tu re of God th e n w e are experiencing
the w hole of H im . By such m eans w e are p u t
contiguous w ith all things of th e Divine.
F or analogy, I stan d upon th e ground,
gazing up a t a great oak tree. I am profound
ly im pressed by its m ajesty. W h a t I see sug
gests its u n ity , its sym m etry, its strength
and beauty. Y et w h a t I see is never th e en
tire tree, for I can n o t see each little twig,
each separate leaf, w ith its variegated color
ing and its slightly different shape. I cannot

Page 130

be conscious of every variation of th e tex tu re

of the bark covering every lim b of the great
tree. In fact, no m atter how I m ove about it,
or w h at position I take in relation to it, never
do I see th e w hole tree a t one tim e. H ow
ever, I do perceive enough of it to appreciate
w h at the great tree m ust be like in its w hole
ness; enough of it do I perceive for m y m in d
to perfect a n ideal of it. I am capable, then,
of loving th e tree as fu lly as if th ere w ere
never a n y gaps in its form , to m y senses.
T hus, w h at symbolizes the n a tu re of God to
me, w h at possesses all of those qualities of
th e om nipotent and omnific to m e an d w hich
transcends a n y other subjective or em otional
experience of w hich I am capable, is God
to me.
I t m atters not if such an experience is e n
gendered w ith in m a n b y a stone im age, the
sun, or the conception of an intangible Su
prem e M in d as the D ivine principle. I t is
not th a t in w hich m a n im m ures his concep
tion of God th a t m atters, but w h at th e ideal
of God causes to occur w ith in m an. A m an
w ho conceives God as a deity of su p erh u m an
form , capable of envy, jealousy, h atred , and
retrib u tio n confers upon H im all of the
m eanness and w eakness of h u m a n character.
H e is not tru ly experiencing God. H is con
ception is th a t of a m ore pow erful en tity th a n
m an w hich he fears and respects because of
his fear. I t is m erely an attem pt to reconcile
an im agined cause to the inexplicable p h e
nom enon w hich he experiences. Such a God
as an ideal does not correspond to th e m ost
noble and spiritual qualities of w hich m a n s
m oral sense is capable. I t is no t a God w hich
inspires the objective m an to transcend his
w ay of living an d to discipline his passions
and to em ulate an ideal by w hich he w ill
perfect his character and his personality.
M a n y a prim itive being who falls upon
his knees and looks a t th e sun w ith reverence
and w ith th e em otion of love pouring from
his squinting eyes, is experiencing God far
m ore th a n one w ho sits in the splendor of a
great cathedral, w ith an ideal w hich is la ck
ing in th e tru e m otivating force of God. To
the prim itive, as he gazes upon th e sun, he
sees in th a t physical m anifestation all of the
great joy and blessings w hich he has ex
perienced by v irtue of it. H e is filled w ith
a sense of devotion for the w arm th , light,
and courage w hich the sun has im bued in

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

him . H e feels his dependence upon this

pow er an d he senses a consideration of his
w ell-being by it. H e is, in tu rn , filled w ith
a great desire to show kindness and compas
sion to others, in consideration for th e good
ness of living w hich he is enjoying from
w h at he conceives as God. In th e m irro r of
his consciousness th e re is reflected the erro r
of his ow n w ays as he conceives them , in
com parison to th e greatness of his ideal, the
sun, the God. I t m atters n ot th a t the sun is
not a God, o r th e moon, or an y one th in g or
principle w hich th e m in d of m a n can con
ceive. I t is only th a t th ere is som ething
w hich can com pel m a n to exorcise th e m a
levolent elem ents of his ow n lesser natu re.
M ost certain ly , th a t w hich w ould m ore logi
cally appeal, b y a process of ratiocination, as
the n a tu re of God, b u t w hich w ould not exalt
m a n s consciousness, w ould n ot be an ex
perience of God.
P erhaps Spinoza, rep u ted to have been a f
filiated w ith th e R osicrucian O rder an d re
now ned as a m ystical philosopher, has done
m ore th a n anyone else to strip God of his
d eterm inate qualities an d left h im to m an
as b u t an experience. H e said th a t all things
are of God. E v ery th in g is the outcome of the
u n ity of the D ivine n atu re. Therefore, n o th
ing m erits p ity , contem pt, or h atred by m an.
It is in cu m b en t u pon m a n to u n d erstan d all
of these things, an d consider them as a p a rt
of th e w hole of God. W h e n w e u n d erstan d
this, conflict ends, for God cannot conflict
w ith him self. Spinoza says th a t o ur o rd in ary
loves beget suspicion, envy, an d fear. W h en
we attach an affection to m aterial things, we
are co ntinually fearin g th a t w h at w e love we
m ay lose. W e are also suspicious of some
th in g w hich seems to have a greater m e rit
th a n th a t w hich w e love. W e are jealous of
those w ho possess m ore of th a t w hich w e
love. T h e love of God, Spinoza claim ed as
the highest love. I t is th e love of th e eternal,
the love of the im m utable, a love for th a t
w hich n eith er changes n o r loses the essence
of th a t w hich attracts us. T h ere is no love,
says Spinoza, w hich opposes the love of God,
for it is a n u n changeable h u m a n experience.
O ur consciousness is being absorbed into the
consciousness of God w hen w e love him , for:
. . this in tellectu al love of m in d tow ard
God is th e v ery love of God w ith w hich God
loves him self, n o t insofar as H e is Infinite,
bu t insofar as H e can be expressed by the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

essence of th e h u m a n m ind considered u n d er

the form of etern ity .
To experience God, pursue w ith all of
your deepest devotion and faith th a t ideal
w hich is th e highest expression of w hich
your in n e r self is capable. W h en th e ideal
has become a reality, w hen it moves you to
the extent th a t it is p a rt of y our conscious
ness, dom inates y o u r thinking and y o u r do
ing, and in it you find lasting peace and
happiness, you are then experiencing G od.
X.
T h e P ro b le m o f D ues
From an offhand consideration, it m ight
seem th a t the ideal m ethod in an organiza
tion, like th a t of AMORC, w ould be n ot to
charge dues. It m ight seem th a t it w ould be
m ore feasible, perhaps m ore in keeping w ith
the high purposes of the Order, to allow
m em bers m erely to m ake contributions on
the basis of th a t ra th e r hackneyed phrase,
a love offering. T he only difficulty about
th at, from a practical point of view, is th a t
th e love of some persons is not as deep as
th a t of others. A ll persons w ould be receiv
ing equal benefits from the organization, b u t
sharing u nequally in the obligations an d in
the support of th a t of w hich th ey are
members.
One of th e basic principles of the Rosi
crucian O rder is th a t all m em bers are ac
cepted equally. A ll are fully recognized.
T here are no privileges show n to a m em ber
because of his professional, social, or eco
nom ic status. A m a n who is a m illionaire
and w e have a n um ber of m em bers w ho are
and a m an w ho works w ith his hands for
v ery nom inal wages each week are accepted
alike. T h ere are no social considerations
show n to the w ealthy m em ber. E xperience
has shown us, how ever, th at, in organiza
tions w hich operate on the love offering
basis, there is a very strong inclination to
show preferences to th e individual who
m akes the largest contributions. In other
words, th e y cater to th e w ealthy m em ber;
th e y need his support to m ake u p for those
who do not contribute or w ho contribute
very little. Consequently, inequality enters
into the trea tm e n t of m em bers. T h e big
donor, the one who gives large love offer
ings, gets special concessions and trea tm e n t
and the individual who cannot contribute

Page 131

generously does not. T his does n o t en ter

into th e situation w here each m em ber pays
the same am o u n t of dues. H e is not evaluated
on th e basis of a n y financial contribution.
T h ere is also th e realistic side of this prob
lem. T h e organization has its specific ex
penses each m o n th ; th a t m u st be obvious to
an y in tellig en t person. I t has to p ay for
p aper an d p rin tin g , tons of it; it has every
kind of office eq u ip m en t and appliance to
m ain tain , as w ell as th e salaries of its p er
sonnel to pay. T h ere are thousands of dol
lars spent in postage an d in th e m ain ten an ce
of the grounds an d buildings. T hese item s
m u st be m et. If each m em ber is pay in g a
specific am o u n t in dues an d is, to an y ex
ten t, pro m p t in this pay m en t, the officers
know th a t th e y can depend on a specific in
come to m eet expenses. T h ey can apportion
am ounts of m oney for this purpose and for
th a t purpose. It gives them a certain am ount
of freedom in plan n in g , because th e y have
th e w h erew ithal to c a rry it out.
T he u n th in k in g person sometimes criti
cizes AMORC for charging dues, on the basis
th a t sp iritu al tru th s and teachings should
have no price an d should n ot be sold. W e
thoroughly agree w ith th em in p art. W e
have p u t no price on the teachings of the
Order. I t w ould certain ly be an in su lt to
the Rosicrucian teachings to th in k th a t th e y
could be bought for two dollars a m onth.
F u rth erm o re, such u n th in k in g persons often
say, In an cien t tim es, even in the m edieval
period of the O rders history, there w ere no
dues, ju st an occasional contribution by a
m em ber. T h a t is tru e, b u t todays opera
tion of th e O rder is en tirely different from
w h at it w as in those tim es. A message w ould
come by w ord of m o u th th a t th e b reth ren
w ere going to m eet a t a certain place w hen
the m oon w as high. I t w ould be stated th a t
one of th e m asters w as to fu rth e r in stru ct
them in some of th e teachings of the Order.
Consequently, th e y w ould travel at th e ir
own expense to this d istan t place an d stand
out in th e open, p u ttin g u p w ith all kinds of
inconveniences an d m aking all kinds of sacri
fices to h e a r th e w ords of the itin eran t
teacher. T oday th e pressure of tim e an d
circum stances w ould n ot m ake th a t possible.
T h e average m em ber could not quickly leave
his hom e, fam ily and position, and travel to
some place to receive the teachings orally,
n o r w ould he be content to stand out u n d er

Page 132

the hot sun or u n d er the moon in th e chill

of the night, perhaps in a m ud d y field, to
listen to words of wisdom from the teacher.
T oday he expects conveniences in everything
in w hich he is interested. T oday the average
m em ber w ants to rem ain at hom e, except
for a w eekly visit to a lodge or chapter, and
study in th e privacy and convenience of his
home. H e w ants the teachings and principles
of the O rder delivered to him . H e is not just
content w ith w ords; he w ants charts, d ia
gram s, illustrations, tests and exam inations.
It is for these things then, for these con
veniences, for these methods of extending the
teachings to him th a t the m em ber pays his
dues.
Those, who have been in the O rder for
even ten y ears tim e, can, if th e y look back
to w hen they first affiliated, realize th a t there
are m a n y things given to the m em b er now
th a t w ere not extended to him then. T he
m onographs them selves have been increased
in content, there are m any extra enclosures,
diagram s, charts, points dealing w ith the
teachings and th e im provem ent of the m em
ber, th a t w ere not given ten, fifteen, or
tw en ty years ago. A ll these things are, n a tu
rally, an expense to the organization. T h ey
are an increase of benefit to the m em ber and
an increase in operational expense to the
Order. How ever, the dues of th e organiza
tion are still only two dollars a m onth, the
sam e as they w ere in 1926. In th e light of
all the trem endous upsurge in costs, I be
lieve th a t AMORC m em bership is one of the
v ery few things th a t has not increased in cost
to the individual.
A gain, there are m em bers, belonging to
various other national fra tern al organiza
tions, who state th a t th e ir dues in these other
groups are only one dollar a m onth or p er
haps eighteen dollars a year, and th a t th eir
dues are, therefore, six or seven dollars
cheaper a y ea r th a n in AMORC. W e adm it
this fact. H ow ever, m an y of those m em bers
do not realize th a t th e ir initiation fee into
those other organizations is sometimes fo rty
to a hundred dollars higher th a n th a t of
AMORC. Sometimes th e ir in itiatio n fee is
equal to ten years of m em bership dues in
AMORC and, on top of th a t, th e y still have
to p ay th e one dollar or a dollar an d a h alf
a m onth to such an organization. F u rth e r
m ore, m em bership in m ost other fra tern al
orders does not involve the sending or giving

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to the m em bers of an y th in g having a m a

terial cost. T h e m em bers belong to such an
order and visit its lodges. T h ey receive no
m agazines, no correspondence, no w ritten
answ ers, no charts, no diagram s, nothing ex
cept a m em bership card an d th e lig h t to
visit the lodge.
Now, I w a n t to touch upon an other prob
lem in connection wdth this m a tte r some
th in g th a t is often m isunderstood. T he dues,
as we have explained above, constitute a spe
cific obligation on th e p a rt of th e m em ber. A
m em ber m u st realize th a t this is his obliga
tion as long as h e is a m em ber, ju st as the O rder
has a specific obligation to him . T h ere are
no circum stances w hich m itigate or set aside
th a t obligation. A m em ber w ill sometimes
m ake a contribution, a donation over and be
yond his dues a t tim es, and this is indeed
m uch appreciated. T h e fact of th e m a tte r is
th a t AMORC could not continue to operate
and to c a rry on m a n y of its non-revenueproducing activities, if it w ere n ot for such
contributions. It could not m a in ta in its M u
seum, it could n o t m ain ta in its P lan etariu m ,
it could not give thousands of books to public
libraries, it could n o t ca rry on th e Council of
Solace an d sim ilar activities w ith o u t dona
tions from m em bers, for the sim ple reason
th a t the dues, as we have said, are in su f
ficient to m eet all those expenses. W h en an
individual m akes this contribution and says
th a t it is a donation, to be used for this or
th a t purpose or as th e O rder sees fit, we have
a rig h t to p resum e th a t he m eans w h at he
says. W e do n o t th in k th a t he w ants this
applied on dues n o r th a t we should take it
into account w h en his dues become delin
quent. Consequently, regardless of how
m a n y contributions a m em ber m ay m ake,
th ey are distinct an d separate from his dues.
T herefore, w h en his dues are in arrears, he
receives a rem in d er of his delinquency just
as do a n y of th e o th er m em bers, just as do
m em bers w ho hav e n ever given an y dona
tions. If, after th e period of grace w hich is
allowed a m em ber has elapsed, his m em ber
ship becomes inactive so fa r as the studies
are concerned, such a m em ber has no right
to be offended.
W h en a m em b er has gone m a n y weeks
w ithout th e p ay m en t of dues m onths, in
fact and has nev er w ritten a n y answers
to our letters, w e assume th a t he is not in
terested an d discontinue his study m em ber

Page 133

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

ship. O ften then, such a m em ber finally

w rites to the G rand Lodge and, in his letter,
he w ill take an attitude sim ilar to this: I
am indeed surprised th a t the Rosicrucian
O rder w ould discontinue m y active m em ber
ship because I am a few m onths delinquent
in dues, since, du rin g the last tw o or th ree
years, I have contributed tw enty-five dollars
in donations. I should th in k th a t the organi
zation w ould take th a t into consideration.
In other words, w h at the m em ber is really
saying is this: I sent you tw enty-five dol
lars in donations, b u t I also w anted you to
consider it as extra dues in the event I be
come delinquent. W e cannot do this. T h e
contribution m ust be for one or the other
thing. If the m em ber w ants to give it for
dues, we w ill gladly credit it to dues. If he
w ants it to be a donation, then he should not
expect it to affect his dues.
Let m e also state th a t no students m em
bership, so fa r as the studies are concerned,
is ever discontinued for delinquency in dues
u n til th a t person has received several letters
and notices advising him of his delinquency,
asking him w h at is w rong and offering to be
of help if possible. If the m em ber w rites
th a t he is in a desperate situation and needs
an extra th irty days, over and beyond the
weeks of grace we have already allowed him ,
we are hap p y to m ake such an arran g em en t
and proceed to do so. W hen the m em ber
ignores all our letters and allows his dues to
continue delinquent, there is no other a l
ternative for us b u t to assume th a t he is not
interested, and for th a t reason we discon
tin u e his m em bership.
W h en the w ar first began in Europe, m a n y
m em bers, as we have explained, w ere u n
able to rem it th e ir dues to this country, be
cause the tran sm ittin g of m oney was pro
hibited b y th e ir governm ents as a w artim e
m easure. Obviously, the O rder could not
continue full m em bership to these m em bers
w ithout dues, and th ere had to be some
m eans to take up the slack in incom e for
operation. T h en th e re w ere m em bers in
some foreign countries who could tran sm it
th e ir dues to this country, but the exchange
was so high th ey could not afford to p ay the
difference. T his left a deficit to be m ade up,
if th ey w ere to be carried. W e proposed th a t
our m em bers in A m erica become patrons of
these u n fo rtu n a te m em bers and help them
to continue m em bership by voluntarily add

ing fifty cents to th e ir own dues in this

c o u n t i y . In other words, if a m em ber w ould
pay two dollars an d fifty cents m onthly, in
stead of the reg u lar tw o dollars, the extra
fifty cents w ould assist th e O rder in m a in
tain in g th e m em bership of those who w ould
otherw ise have to discontinue. A good n u m
ber of our m em bers have done so, an d we
now have on h an d some extra funds, m ore
th a n was necessary to c a n y these m em bers
in foreign countries. T his surplus fu n d w ill
be used for rehabilitation purposes; nam ely,
to help the O rder establish itself in those
lands in E urope th a t have been ravaged by
w ar. W e w an t to help th em get out a m aga
zine, help th em get th e ir literatu re printed,
fu rn ish new q u arters an d m ain tain a p erm a
n e n t secretary, for th e y are absolutely desti
tute. Consequently, w e are asking all of you
m em bers who becam e patron m em bers, and
generously raised y o u r dues to tw o dollars
and a h alf a m onth, to please continue w ith
th e p ay m en t of th a t ex tra fifty cents m o n th
ly as long as you can.
L et m e assure you th a t there is h ard ly a
place w here you could spend fifty cents th a t
w ould do as m uch good as th a t p articu la r
fifty cents w ill. T h ere are all kinds of gov
ern m e n t agencies collecting sums of m oney
to b u y clothes and food for peoples, b u t th ere
are few governm ent agencies th a t w ill p ro
vide m oney to help the individual orient
him self, to re-find him self, to establish peace
w ith in him self, an d rid him self of the h atred
and bitterness of the past few years. I feel
th a t the Rosicrucian teachings are m ost ideal
ly adapted to such a problem , and therefore,
y o u r fifty cents, as p atro n dues, is going for
a cu ltu ral an d spiritual ch a rity. X

Mental Creating and Affirmations

A Soror of N ew Y ork C ity addressing our
says: In a recent lecture read in
o ur N ew Y ork M in o r Lodge, th ere w as cited
the incident of a w om an ill w ith cancer for
m a n y years, w ho h a d tried to cure herself
w ith affirmations. T h e w om an failed, it was
stated, because she w as affirming som ething
th a t was n ot true. W h a t is the difference
betw een m en tal creatin g and affirm ations?
Affirming is m ak in g vocative an end de
sired. E xam ples of affirmations are: I am
w ell ; I am becom ing a success ; and so on.
Conversely, m en tal creating is evolving by
Forum ,

Page 134

a process or m ethod, in proper sequence, the

end desired. I t m u st be ap p a ren t to every
intelligent person th a t creating, bringing
about an end desired, is m uch m ore practical
th a n m erely affirm ing th a t it exists, or th a t
it shall exist. If w h at one affirms exists and
is capable of objectively being realized, then,
patently, it is not necessary to affirm it. If it
does not exist so as to be objectively realized,
th en the intelligent approach is to create it.
T h e m a n w ho is a success does n o t need to
affirm it, th a t is, to declare th a t h e is. If he
is not a success, the delusion of saying th a t
he is w ill not m ake him one.
It is com m on practice for m a n y so-called
m ystical and m etaphysical organizations to
advocate the m ethod of reciting affirmations.
T h e first reason th e y give is psychological.
It is held th a t the positive view point, th a t
one is or w ill do or realize som ething, is very
necessary to bringing it about, especially if
it is m ade vocative, th a t is, spoken. W ith
this, anyone w ill agree, we m u st have the
conviction th a t w h at w e w an t is possible of
com ing into existence, or th a t it can be had.
T he negative attitude of m in d disperses
m ental an d physical powers.
T he second and strongest em phasis these
organizations give to affirmations is th a t th e
affrm ation in itself w ill become a factor in
m anifesting th e en d desired. T h u s, for ex
am ple, th e y contend th a t if I affirm: I w ill
take a trip to N ew York, and say it often
enough th a t it w ill draw out of th e Cosmic,
out of the subjective m ind, Or som ew here
else, th e necessary inchoate factors to m a
terialize th e wish. Such is fun d am en tally
unsound m ystically, and it is the w eak aspect
u n d erly in g the practice of affirmations ex
pounded by such organizations. I n fact, it
borders on superstition, and is rem iniscent of
magic and prim itive reasoning. I t is a v er
sion of sym pathetic or im itative m agic. I t
consists of setting up an image, w hich is the
affirm ation itself, w ith the belief th a t th ere
is an affinity or bond between it an d th e
actual thing, because the affirm ation re
sembles it. I t is the assum ption th a t in some
w ay the affirm ation w ill convert th a t w hich
resem bles it into its ow n nature. N o am o u n t
of affirming, I w an t a hom e, is going to
draw th e actual m aterials together an d as
semble th em into a reality corresponding to
the n a tu re of m y affirmation. T h e person
w ho just affirms is indolent. H e is m entalfy

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

an d physically lazy. H e is tran sferrin g en

tire ly w h at is p rin cip ally his ow n responsi
b ility an d obligation to som ething else. T he
affirm ation serves best as a m en tal stim ulus,
as a necessary incentive for personal ac
com plishm ent. If I affirm th a t I w an t a
home, I m ean th a t th a t is m y ideal, the end
th a t I shall w ork for, b u t I w ill need to start
to brin g it about.
A com bination of m en tal affirmations and
m en tal creating is th e m ost practical m eans
of com ing to realize w h at we desire. First, af
firm w h at you w an t. Be certain th a t it is not
a w him , th a t it em otionally moves you,
thrills you w h en you contem plate it. W hen
you affirm w h at you w ant, the m en tal pic
tu re w hich y o u r words have form ed, bring
you happiness. N ext, consider th e subject
of th e affirm ation, the th in g desired, as the
en d, and yourself, y o u r present status, as
the beginning. T h ere is obviously a void be
tw een the two, a void th a t m ust be bridged.
Be fu lly aw are th a t th e void cannot be actu
ally overcome b y an y theurgical pow er or
an y affirmations u ttered like incantations.
T h e beginning, y o u r present status, m u st be
enlarged to grow into w h at you have af
firm ed. A n o th er w ay of looking a t it is to
th in k of w h at you w ant, the com plete pic
tu re, as a circle. T h en th in k of w h at you
are an d w h at y ou have now as a dot in the
center of th a t circle. T h a t dot m u st expand
u n til it fills out th e circle or u n til the dot
and th e circle are one.
Consequently, th e first need is to try to
determ ine how m uch of w h at you affirm,
w h at you desire, exists as separate elem ents
in y o u r present circum stances, and know ing
th at, th e n you are conscious of w h at you
need an d w h at to concentrate upon. If I
affirm th a t I shall have a home an d w ish as
w ell to m e n tally create it, I should proceed
as follows. I w ill reduce the picture of the
hom e th a t I hav e in m in d to its sim plest
com ponents. I w ould determ ine, if I h ad the
property, the lu m b er, the electrical equip
m ent, paints, h ard w are, and necessary labor
for th e home. If I did not have these things,
th e n did I have th e m oney or th e m eans of
acquiring them ? Suppose I b ad none of these
things? I w ould th e n hold th a t th e first step
w ould be to acquire the m oney for m y home.
If m y reg u lar incom e w ould not be sufficient
to provide such m oney, th en I w ould need to
ren d er some service, to do som ething extra

Page 135

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

to augm ent m y income. I w ould realize th a t

really th e first step w ould be to m ake m yself
useful in some additional w ay so as to get
the needed m oney. I w ould th e n hold defi
n itely in m ind th e need for such service. I
w ould suggest to m yself, to the inn er self,
th a t I be inspired in m y daily observations
by some idea of service. I w ould ask the
Cosmic to help m e to find in m y affairs some
th in g w hich by m y own efforts I could con
v ert into th e act of service.
I
w ould keep this thought in its sim plest
form , upperm ost in m y daily consciousness.
I w ould draw to m yself th e needed sugges
tions for this service. N ow, let m e explain
fu rther. T his draw ing to m yself w ould not
be a m agical pow er, a m ere chan tin g of
affirmations. I t w ould be th a t I w ould be
come especially conscious of a n y circum
stances or things w hich had an y relationship
to m y need. I would, for analogy, be like a
m an v ery m uch in need of a piece of red
paper. As he w alked dow n the street, every
thing th a t was colored red w ould p articu
la rly attract his attention. H e w ould be
draw ing this color to his attention. By as
sociation of ideas, all red things he observed
w ould m ake him conscious of his need for
red paper. Obviously, then, he w ould locate
the red p aper m uch m ore quickly th a n if he
did not keep his need in m ind. T h a t is w h at
w e m ean by draw ing things to ourselves. By
suggesting our need to the Cosmic an d to our
own subjective m inds, we p u t these agencies
to w ork for us. T h ey point out, as a hun ch ,
as an intuitive flash, or inspiration, things
in our environm ent th a t w e can use in our
process of m e n tally creating.
As th e te rm applies, you are a creator.
M en tally you are a builder. You are the
doer, the prim e mover. T he affirm er is a
m ere w isher. H e wishes or w ants som ething
and th a t is as fa r as it goes unless he also
em ploys m en tal creating. T he com bination
of both m en tal creating and affirming, w e re
peat, is best. In fact, tru e m ental creating
is impossible w ithout first affirming, first
positively asserting to ourselves definitely
and concisely w h at we w ant. T h e affirm a
tion is th e direction in w hich our creating
pow er m ust go. I t is the signpost telling us,
Move along this w ay. Y our destination
lies ahead. W e cannot just sta rt to create.
W e m ust first have the conception, th e p lan
of th a t w hich is to be built. Can you im agine

a m a n saw ing boards, p laning them , and

n ailin g th em together h ap h azard ly an d th en
suddenly stopping to view w h at cam e out of
his labors? T h a t w ould be a kind of creating.
It w ould be m ak in g som ething th a t perhaps
did not exist before; how ever, w ith o u t the
intelligent direction, the results of th a t kind
of creating w ould be monstrosities of little
or no use to us.
Of course, in affirm ing or establishing an
objective to be realized, w e m u st avoid one
th a t is co n tra ry to Cosmic principles. W e
m u st not conceive som ething th a t is m orally
or ethically w rong, or is co n trary to n a tu ra l
law . If w e do, w e m a y fail in o ur creating.
A n d even if w e do create som ething w hich
is Cosm ically w rong, it m a y like a F ra n k en
stein prove to be our ow n undoing. H ow
ever, in m e n tally creating, w e alw ays have
th e o p p o rtu n ity of first dissecting our affir
m ation, our objective into its m a n y parts.
E ach p a rt th e n is exposed to our u n d ersta n d
ing, and if an y p arts are m alevolent or nocu
ous, th ey can be extirpated and th e entire
purpose or m ental picture revised before
beginning. X
O rd e r o f M elch ized ek
A fra ter of San Francisco arises to ask our
W ho an d w h at is th e O rder of
M elchizedek? W h y is it m entioned in the
Bible?
T h e n am e M elchizedek, literally tra n s
lated, m eans K ing of Righteousness. H is
to ry and legend recount th a t M elchizedek
w as K ing of Salem. H e was likewise a priest
of th e M ost H igh, in th e tim e of A braham .
H e was, therefore, one of the Priest-K ings of
an tiq u ity , a com bination not u n u su a l in
those tim es. As an exam ple, after C yrus the
P ersian liberated th e H ebrew s from Babylon
and p erm itted th em to re tu rn to Jerusalem ,
th e y started th e re a religio-state. T h e H igh
P riest of th e religion, w hich th ey organized
an d w hich becam e Judaism , was also the
K ing of th e state of Jerusalem .
I t is related th a t M elchizedek brought out
bread an d w in e fo r A b rah am and blessed
him . A b rah am in tu r n gave M elchizedek
tithes (Gen. X IV : 18-20). H ere is a u n ique
situation A b rah am , the prophet, th e ac
counts of whose sayings and activities have
become th e basis for th e Jew ish religion, gives
tithes to a k ing an d H igh Priest. W h eth er
Forum :

Page 136

the la tte r is a fact or legend m ay never be

know n, but the tale has found its w ay into
the Old T estam ent. H istorically, however,
there is no question of the fact th a t Melchizedek was a Priest-K ing. D u rin g a la tte r
period w hen A lexandria reigned as the
w orlds center of learning, the Jew ish propa
gandists there w ere eager to w in proselytes
for Judaism . M elchizedek appealed to them .
T he stories about him could be used as an
intrig u in g approach to Judaism . In the first
place, M elchizedek w as a non-Je w ish m ono
theist. T h ey could point out th a t even though
he w as not a Jew, y et he favored A braham .
H e knew of the greatness of A b rah am and
of the p rophets views, and th a t he gave the
prophet w ine, bread, and his blessings, so
the tale of M elchizedek was used as an in
stru m en t to w in converts. These propa
gandists even w ent so far as to apotheosize
M elchizedek; th a t is, they attrib u ted high
spiritual qualities to him . T h ey placed him
in the same category of glory as E lijah,
Joseph, and David. T hey claim ed for him
w h at had been claim ed for the other three,
nam ely, th a t he partook of certain super
n a tu ra l features; th a t he had no fath e r and
no m other, and w as w ithout beginning or
end. In the M idrash, H ebrew scriptural
exegesis, nam ely, traditions, it is related th a t
A braham learned the practice of ch arity
from M elchizedek. I presum e this arose
from the account th a t A braham gave tithes to
the Priest-K ing. Philo, great Jew ish eclectic
philosopher, says of M elchizedek: T h e logos
(law ), the priest whose inheritan ce is the
tru e God.
A story is told of M elchizedek in the
E thiopian Book of A d a m and E ve, before it
was tu rn ed into a C hristian work. T h e tale
is perhaps of E gyptian origin in m a n y of its
elem ents. Out of th a t account sprang a sect
th a t becam e know n as the M elchizedekites.
It is related th a t N oah told his son Shem,
before his death, to: take M elchizedek, the
son of C anaan, w hom God has chosen from
all generations of m en, and stand b y the
dead body of A dam after it has been brought
from th e A rk to Jerusalem , the center of the
earth, and fulfill the m in istry before God.
T h en th e story recounts th a t th e angel M i
chael took aw ay M elchizedek, w h en fifteen
years of age, from his father. T h e angel
anointed M elchizedek as a P riest an d brought
him to Jerusalem , the center of th e ea rth .

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T h e angel, likewise, told the la d s fath er to

share th e secret o nly w ith Shem. W h en th ey
w ere in Jerusalem , the H oly S pirit spoke out
of the A rk in th e Tem ple, and afte r the body
of A dam h ad been hidden, greeting M el
chizedek as the first-created of God. Shem
th en w en t forth, carry in g bread and w ine,
and, assisted b y th e angel, brought the body
of A dam to its destination. T h e n we are
told th a t M elchizedek offered th e bread and
w ine upon th e a lta r th e y built n e a r the place
w here A d am s body was deposited. Shem
fin ally departed, leaving the lad in his gar
m ents of skin an d u n d er the sole protection
of the angel. N o one on earth, it is said,
knew the w hereabouts of M elchizedek u n til
at last A b rah am m et him . In connection
w ith the account of A b rah am an d his sacri
fices in Jerusalem , it is interesting to note
th a t th e T em ple w here A brah am is said to
have m ade his sacrifices, is th e only m o n u
m en t revered alike by Jews, Christians, and
M oham m edans.
T h e sp iritu al im portance given to M el
chizedek, his representing of the H oly Spirit,
his ca rry in g out a m ission for God, his pro
tection b y an angel, m ade h im a figure of
strong appeal to th e im agination. D u rin g the
T h ird C entury, a C hristian sect was form ed
whose m em bers w ere know n as M elch ized ek
ites. T h eir leader or organizer was Theodotus, a m oney changer. T h ey expounded
th a t Jesus was a n o rd in ary m a n like an y
o ther m o rtal u n til the tim e of his baptism
w h en th e S pirit en tered H im an d H e became
illum ined. T h ey also tau g h t th a t M elchize
dek was a n in te rm ed ia ry betw een th e angels
and m en. F u rth e r, th a t A braham consulted
M elchizedek because of his in term ed iary
state. T his, of course, was founded upon the
tale of th e angel M ichael being M elchizedeks protector an d com m unicating w ith him .
T his sect flourished for a w hile an d h ad its
ow n initiations an d rituals com prising its
m ysteries or teachings.
D u rin g th e ea rly E ighteenth C en tu ry in
E urope th ere w ere M elchizedek Lodges of
Freem asons. It is related th a t these lodges
w ere form ed an d bore th eir titles so as to ad
m it Jew s into th e M asonic Order. A D egree
was know n as th e Royal Priest, or the D egree
of M elchizedek. I n m odern tim es th ere have
been groups sty lin g themselves in A m erica
an d in Europe, the Order of M elchizedek.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

T h ey functioned as fra tern al and secret

orders. T h ere is, how ever, no historical
source w hich discloses th a t they have an u n
broken lineal descent from the third -cen tu ry
C hristian sect b y the same nam e. M a n y in
teresting rites and teachings, it m ust be ap
p arent, could be originated and in v en ted
to surround such a n intriguing character,
both historical and legendary, as M elchizedek. Such teachings, however, w ould in no
w ay be utterances of M elchizedek, K ing of
ancient Salem, n o r could they ever be proven
to have been his conceptions. X

Learning to Concentrate
A fra te r in the M idw estern section of the
U nited States directs an interesting question
to our F o r u m . H e says: W h y is it so diffi
cult to concentrate w ithout becoming very
easily distracted?

Page 137

scious, for exam ple, of only visual im pres

sions things we see; auditory im pressions
things we h ea r; or tactile im pressions
things w e feel, at a n y one tim e. T his m ay
seem to be inconsistent w ith y o u r experience.
You m a y often seem to h ea r and see some
th in g sim ultaneously, each kind of experi
ence appearing to have equal atten tio n value.
W h a t actu ally occurred, how ever, w as th a t
y o u r consciousness was vacillating, a lte rn a t
ing rap id ly from one kind of im pression
to another. T his altern atio n can be so rapid
th a t we have th e illusion of being conscious
of two different kinds of sensations concom
itan tly . F or analogy, it is like a m a n rap id
ly altern atin g the beam of a flashlight in
the dark from one object to another. If he
did it fast enough, you w ould n ot be con
scious of th e in terv al in between. It w ould
seem as though both objects w ere illum inated
sim ultaneously.

C oncentration is the focalizing of certain

elem ents or forces. For exam ple, a con
vergent lens concentrates the light; nam ely,
focalizes th a t light w hich falls upon it. M en
tal concentration can function in various
ways. It can be either predom inantly n eg a
tive or positive. W h en w e concentrate our
consciousness to be receptive to certain im
pulses com ing to us through one of the p eri
p heral senses, th a t is a form of negative con
centration. A n exam ple of this is w hen we
concentrate upon th e voice of a speaker over
the radio. W e are directing, focusing if you
w ish, the sensitivity of our consciousness to
the sensations of sound. W e are not try in g
to accom plish an y th in g outside of ourselves
w ith our powers. R ather, we are try in g to
devote our w hole objective sensitivity to just
the auditory im pressions we are receiving.
A positive application of concentration is
w hen w e earnestly speak to another, w hen
all effort is being p u t into the conversion of
ideas into sounds to be com m unicated to
another. In fact, w e cannot speak in telli
gently unless w e do concentrate on coordi
natin g our th in k in g and speech.

N atu re has m ade this arran g em en t for a

good purpose. To be fu lly aw are of im pulses
com ing th ro u g h our senses, vibrations of
things, it is necessary th a t the w hole of our
consciousness be focused upon it. If we w ere
to be aw are of several sense im pressions of
different kinds at one tim e, we w ould be con
fused. F u rth e r, w e w ould be dispersing our
consciousness, directing it in various ch an
nels. Consequently o ur consciousness of an y
one th in g w ould be ineffectual. How ever, if
o ur consciousness is m ade to continually and
repeatedly vacillate from one kind of sensa
tion to another, w e also do not have sufficient
tim e to realize fu lly a n y one kind of sensa
tion. O ur ideas or u n d erstan d in g of such
sensations become vague an d often confused.
T he difficulty w ith m a n y persons is th a t th ey
are p erm ittin g a vacillation of th e ir con
sciousness. T h ey are not harnessing it to one
k ind of im pression. F or exam ple, w hile th ey
are reading a book th e y are also try in g to
listen to th e radio. T h eir -consciousness is
rap id ly shifting from visual to au d ito ry im
pressions. T h e resu lt is th a t th ey get no
satisfactory results, no real enjoym ent from
either.

T he negative type of concentration, m ak

ing our consciousness receptive to external
im pressions, is the one th a t presents diffi
culties to m a n y persons. Psychologically we
can be conscious of only one thing, one series
of im pressions a t a time. W e can be con

M en tal desire gives strength to w ill, and

w ill focuses th e consciousness. If you are,
as w e all are, co n tin u ally exposed to a bom
b ard m en t of im pressions from the outside
w orld, th e n it is necessary to choose w hich
of such im pressions w e w an t to be lasting,

Page 138

to retain , and to understand. T h ere m ust

be a sincere desire. You m ust rea lly w a n t to
read, or to hear, or feel something. You m u st
em otionally feel a greater gratification by
concentrating the consciousness on certain
kinds of sensations th a n on other ones. If I
w ould ra th e r listen to some silly, m oronic,
comic p lay on the radio th a n to read a book
of useful inform ation, then it is going to be
m ost difficult for m e to read, if the radio is
w ithin listening distance. M y consciousness
w ill be continually vacillating from m y
reading to listening to the radio. I w ill not
have sufficient desire to give m y conscious
ness the stim ulus to focus it upon m y rea d
ing. If you do not w an t to do w h at you are
concentrating upon if there is no satisfac
tion in it, or sense of d uty you w ill never
sufficiently concentrate upon it. I t m a y be
easier for you to concentrate on a radio
en tertain m en t th a n a m athem atical problem .
H ow ever, if you rea lly w an t to m aster the
problem , if you believe it necessary, if yo u r
conviction is strong enough, you w ill be able
to concentrate.
W e are often engrossed by things w hich
com m and our attention and hold o ur concen
tratio n w ithout effort. A n accident occurring
before ou r eyes w ill hold our full visual a t
tention w ithout an y effort. It is because the
sensations w e are experiencing produce
strong em otional responses w ith in us. T h ere
is an instinctive fascination about th e dan g er
ous situation occurring im m ediately before
us th a t compels us to w an t to see it. M a n y
sensations p la y directly upon o ur instincts
and our basic emotions. T hey , therefore,
arouse our curiosity, a n a tu ra l desire w hich
focuses our consciousness w itho u t effort on
our part. For all else w e m ust by o ur th in k
ing create the desire w ithin ourselves. If we
do th a t w e can easily concentrate. If you
w a n t to w atch a ball game or boxing m atch,
you have no difficulty in concentrating on
it. If you w an t to w atch a fashion review
or h e a r a sym phonic orchestra, you find no
effort in concentrating. T he degree of con
centration is determ ined by the stim ulus be
hind it th e desire. T he desire, w e repeat,
is the im petus for concentrating. A person
who does not w an t to study, w ho has no love
for knowledge, w ho does not like to read
other th a n effortless fiction, finds it m ost
difficult to concentrate. W h en he places a
book, a lecture, or m onograph before him , his

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

consciousness is continually seeking to

escape. I t is m oved by his other interests. I t
focuses upon those things it prefers or w hich
are easier for it.
M a n y people have no intellectual desires.
T h ey are moved only b y those things w hich
are g ratify in g to the body and its appetites.
T h ey find satisfaction only in food, drink,
an d pleasures of th e body, and th a t w hich
keeps th em from thinking. Such persons
w ould find it alm ost impossible to study.
M en tal desires are foreign to them . Conse
qu en tly , concentration on th a t w hich has no
appeal to th e m in d w ould be extrem ely diffi
cult for them . If you are indifferent about
the subject up o n w hich you are to concenttrate, you w ill n o t succeed w ith it.
A w aken y o u r curiosity before you begin
to study. S tim ulate y o u r im agination so as
to create sufficient desire or im petus for con
centration. A sk yourself certain relev an t
leading questions, as: Do I know this or
th a t? Can m a n accom plish this or th a t?
W h y do w e do this or th a t? In other
w ords have a self-quiz beforehand. Ask
yourself questions th a t tease you, th a t w ill
compel you to wra n t to know th e answ ers and
w hich you th in k are related to th e subject of
the m onograph. You w ill find th a t th a t w ill
be sufficient incentive for you to concentrate
on th e contents, for you w ill be looking for
an d w a n tin g th a t w hich w ill g ratify the de
sire you have. T h e m ore you sustain a
desire n am ely, keep alive an in terest the
easier it is to concentrate upon th e subject of
th a t interest. T h e person who regularly and
fa ith fu lly , at a given tim e each week, studies
his m onographs finds it increasingly easier
to concentrate upon them . T he interest, the
desire, is sustained from one w eek to the
next. T h e person who irre g u la rly studies
loses the co n tin u ity of thought. T h e desire
dim inishes in in ten sity , or eventually disap
pears. T h e n ex t tim e such a person picks
up a m onograph, he has no incentive to con
centrate. T h ere is no m otivating appeal.
H is concentration, therefore, easily vacil
lates to th a t w hich does appeal.
Some persons com plain th a t concentration
is tiresom e. C oncentration is n ever fatiguing
so long as it has th e proper in terest or desire
stim ulus. If concentration is fatiguing to a
person it is because he does not w a n t to focus
his consciousness on the p articu lar subject.

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

D id you ever h e a r of a fiction lover say con

centration on a light, fascinating novel was
tiresome? D id you ever h ea r the m usic lover
say th a t his concentration upon th e p er
form ance of a great m usician w as fatiguing?
O nes eyes m a y often tire from use, b u t con
centration never tires one w here the interest
exists.
W h en you find th a t you cannot concen
tra te upon som ething, ask yourself: A m I
really interested? If you are not quite cer
tain, sta rt to speculate on the n atu re of the
subject upon w hich you are to concentrate.
A rouse w ithin yourself sufficient interest and
you w ill find concentration easier. If you
cannot do this, th e n you w ill not succeed be
cause you do not w an t the subject of y o u r
concentration. On the other hand, concen
tratio n is m ost difficult if one is physically
or m e n tally tired, no m a tte r how great the
interest. Do not tr y to concentrate on a n y
th in g if you are exhausted. I t is b etter to
take a tw enty-m inute nap. You m a y feel so
fatigued th a t you w ill believe a tw entym inute nap w ould not be sufficient in m ost
instances it w ill be. Complete relaxation for
tw en ty m inutes, in sound sleep, is th e equiva
lent of renew ing energy spent du rin g two
or th ree hours. W h en you aw aken, stim u
late yourself b y w ashing y our hands and
face in cold w ate r or taking a cold shower.
You w ill th e n find concentration m ore facile,
provided th a t th ere exists the desire.
I t is, of course, alw ays best, even w h en one
has sufficient in terest in a subject, not to con
centrate upon it u n til first elim inating a n y
distractions. T ry to avoid an y unnecessary
extraneous sounds, extremenesses of tem
p eratu re in the room, or an y th in g w hich
m ight compete for y o u r attention. You m u st
realize th a t the sensitivity of all people is
not alike. Some are m ore sensitive to au d i
to ry im pressions th a n visual ones, an d vice
versa. T here are those persons w ho can
listen m ore in te n tly to a subject in w hich
th e y have an interest, th a n th e y can con
centrate on th e sam e topic in a book. Such
people m u st be p articu la rly cautious to get
aw ay from sounds w henever th e y are going
to read.
Success in anything, to a great extent,
m eans intense interest. If you are only
superficially interested in som ething, th en
the interest or desire, such as it is, soon
passes aw ay. A lw ays in direct ratio to the

Page 139

in terest is th e pow er of concentration. Con

cen tratio n lessens w ith th e interest. As con
cen tratio n lessens, th e m astery of th e sub
ject lessens, an d failu re enters w here suc
cess m ig h t have been. You m ust have desire
before you can have concentration. X

Sanctum Privacy
R ecently tw o im p o rta n t questions w ere
asked at th e F o ru m of th e AMORC N efertiti
M in o r Lodge in Chicago. T h ey were: W h en
a person has no p riv acy a t hom e to study,
w h at is th e best m ethod to help oneself, p a r
tic u la rly w h en instructions call for exer
cises, incense an d vowels? and Because of
conditions of privacy, does a substitute sanc
tu m period in the m orn in g have as good an
effect as the reg u lar T h u rsd ay n ig h t period?
T h e problem of privacy is one th a t m ust
be thoroughly considered b y the individual.
H e cannot im m ediately assum e th a t because
he doesnt have th e ideal conditions no
priv acy is possible, an d th a t he m ust abandon
th e studies. W h e re an o th er m em ber of the
fam ily, a h u sb an d or wife, is n ot a m em ber
and y et is to leran t, a fra n k exposition of the
problem is best. State th a t )rou are a m em ber
of a fra tern al philosophical order, explain
th a t y o u r studies are constructive and good
an d yet, like those of an}r fra tern al order,
m u st be kept secret th a t is, private. State
th a t you have, therefore, selected T h u rsd ay
evening or w h atev er tim e you do choose, for
y o u r ow n p riv ate stu d y hour. State th a t you
w ish this p riv acy for study an d for the
practicing of certain exercises and th a t it
w ill take an h o u r or two. Ask the other m em
b er or m em bers of y o u r fam ily to respect
y o u r privacy d u rin g th a t tim e. A to leran t
h usband or w ife, or other m em ber of the
fam ily, w ill respect such a request.
W h ere intolerance and prejudice exist in
th e fam ily, as u n fo rtu n a te ly th e y often do,
p aten tly th e problem of privacy becomes
m ore com plicated. If the w ife is a m em ber
and cannot find privacy d u ring the evening
because of in terferen ce by other m em bers
of the fam ily, th e n she should use an after
noon or m o rn in g period or some h o u r w hen
others are aw ay.
L et us presum e th a t it is impossible for a
m a n or w om an to have privacy an y hour
d u rin g the d ay or n ig h t in th e ir own hom e
so as to be able to conduct the AMORC

Page 140

rituals or exercises. If the m em ber lives in

a city w here there is an AMORC lodge or
chapter, he or she can arran g e w ith the
officers to arrive before convocations begin.
These officers w ill provide one co m er of the
tem ple, w here the m em ber can read his
m onographs privately. Often th e lodge or
chapter officers w ill arrange, for a lim ited
tim e, a corner of the lodge or ch ap ter p rem i
ses w here a m em ber can priv ately conduct
his exercises. A gain, suppose th a t th ere is
no lodge or chapter in the city. T h en , the
m em ber can, by correspondence w ith the
G rand Lodge, sometimes be directed to a n
other m em ber who m ay have a sanctum
w hich he could m ake available occasionally
for the perform ance of rituals an d exercises.
Some m em bers, who have lacked privacy,
have m ade a point of taking th e ir m ono
graphs or studies regularly to th e ir P ublic
L ib ra ry. T h ere they find quiet and no in
terference. T h en th ey have arran g ed w ith
another m em ber for the use of th a t m em b ers
sanctum occasionally for the necessary ex
ercises, dem onstrations, and rituals. D u rin g
the spring, sum m er, and early fall, some
m em bers, not having privacy at home, have
taken th e ir m onographs to n earb y parks and,
in the b eau ty of n a tu re s tem ple, have
studied and m editated and, if alone, have
even practiced some of th eir exercises. T h e
old adage, w here there is a will, th ere is a
w ay, also applies to creating th e privacy
you need. Still other m em bers, w ho have no
privacy a t hom e or who experience opposi
tion to m em bership, have even gone to the
homes of sym pathetic friends. T h ey ostensib ly m ake a w eekly visit to a friend for social
reasons. T h e friend, even though not a m em
ber, understands the need for p rivacy and
gladly provides the use of a room for an
h our or two.
W e have suggested th a t all m em bers hold
th e ir sanctum period on a T h u rsd ay evening
to assist in u n ity of thought and also because
T h u rsd ay is the traditional sanctum day.
L et us suppose th a t each m em ber begins his
period of m editation at eight oclock p. m .?
local tim e, each T hursday. Since th ere are
R osicrucian sanctum m em bers in every p a rt
of the w orld, it w ould m ean th a t actually,
w henever you begin to m editate on T h u rs
day, you w ould become attuned w ith m em
bers situated in th eir sanctum s in some p a rt

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

of th e w orld a t eight oclock th e ir tim e, al

though it m ig h t be a different h o u r by y o u r
tim e. H ow ever, it even goes beyond this.
Since circum stances prevent m a n y m em bers,
th roughout the w orld, from conducting th eir
sanctum periods on T h u rsd ay , th ey have
had to substitute other days and hours during
the week. T herefore, w henever you have
y o u r sanctum period, you w ill be p articip at
ing w ith a n u m b e r of other m em bers in dif
feren t p arts of th e w orld w ho are in Cosmic
attu n em en t. T h e efficacy of a sanctum period
exists p rin cip ally in the devotion of the m em
ber, the sincerity and effort he puts forth
an d the elevation of his consciousness to the
C athedral of the Soul w here repose the m inds
of others. No m a tte r w h at h o u r a m em ber
has chosen for his sanctum period, if he is
sincere an d if h e successfully applies the
m ystical principles w hich have been given
him and his consciousness is introverted and,
through self, reaches the Cosmic, he w ill
produce effects of a lasting and beneficial
n atu re. I repeat th a t we p refer th a t T h u rs
d ay n ig h t be retain ed as the sanctum night,
if possible, because of its trad itio n al n atu re.
H ow ever, so far as the m ystical elem ents, or
attu n em en t w ith others and w ith the Cosmic
are concerned, alm ost an y h o u r is potential
w ith success, if th e sanctum period is con
ducted properly. X
A re th e T e a c h in g s D an g ero u s?
H ere w e are going to answ er an o th er ques
tion w hich was asked at the F orum session
of th e N efertiti M in o r Lodge in Chicago.
T h e question is: W ill an y of the things wc
do in our work a t an y tim e have a tendency
to low er o u r v itality and our resistance?
It is presum ed th a t the w ord w ork as
used in th e question, refers to th e Rosicru
cian teachings, practices and exercises. It
should be apparent, from statistics and the
testing of tim e, th a t if th ere are an y serious
deficiencies in th e teachings, and if the
principles of the organization are fu n d am en
ta lly unsound, it would have been m a n i
fested a great m a n y times. Thousands and
thousands of persons have crossed the th resh
old of AMORC an d have become m em bers.
T housands and thousands of them , in every
p a rt of th e world, have been m em bers of the
O rder for years an d are still m em bers. T h ey
are persons from every w alk of life, the

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

highest to the lowest. T he great m ajo rity

of these persons, w hether of the professional
class or otherw ise, are profuse in their praise
of w h at the w ork of the O rder and teachings
have done for them . T hey state th a t the w ork
has not only given them a greater insight
into the so-called m ysteries of the universe
and th e ir ow n being, th a t it has not only
brought them greater enlightenm ent an d
peace of m ind, but th a t it has helped them
in a practical w ay. It has helped th em w ith
th e ir h ealth and w ith th eir thinking. It has
relieved them of fears and superstitions. T his
should be sufficient proof th a t in h e re n tly
th ere is n othing dangerous or contrary to
n a tu re s laws in the Rosicrucian teachings.
It is tru e th a t the most constructive p rin ci
ple or th in g can at tim es become an in stru
m e n t for w rongdoing and, as such, be de
structive. A chalice or a cross, or an y sacer
dotal ap purtenance or instru m en t m ean t for
spiritual use, can become a lethal weapon.
I t can be used to strike down a m an and take
his life. If th a t does occur, certainly no in
telligent person would say th a t a cross or
chalice is a m urderous weapon. Instead, th e y
w ould say th a t those things have been w rong
ly used and th a t there was nothing in trin si
cally w rong or m alevolent in the things
themselves. As another analogy, let us sup
pose th a t y o u r physician advises you th a t
exercise is as essential to good health as are
n u tritio n and rest, since exercise causes the
h ea rt to beat faster, the blood to circulate
m ore rapidly, and the breathing to become
deeper, and all of these things are beneficial,
everything being equal. However, an ex er
cise th a t is conducive to health w hen a p er
son is norm al, m ight be the m eans of taking
th e life of a person who is not norm al. L ike
wise, the exercise th a t m ight bring the bloom
of h ealth to the cheeks of a young person,
such as playing tennis, m ight bring th e p al
lor of death to the face of an elderly person
w ho tried the same strenuous exercise.
T he Rosicrucian teachings are construc
tive and beneficial w hen used rig h tly , not
done in excess, an d w hen the person is n o r
m al. L et us take, for exam ple, the b reath in g
exercises w hich are included in the teachings
of AMORC. T hese exercises are not as ex
cessive as are some of the breathing exercises
of the O riental philosophies or of Yoga, for
instance. N o person, w ith a norm al' h ea rt

Page 141

and free from a resp irato ry disease, can in

an y w ay be d etrim en tally affected by the
Rosicrucian b reath in g exercises if he follows
the instructions given in th e m onographs.
W e do, how ever, credit the m em ber w ith
o rd in ary intelligence. W e, the officers and
instructors of AMORC, cannot know w h eth er
or not a m em ber has a serious respiratory
disease, such as tuberculosis. T h e m em ber
knows if he has it and, consequently, he
knows th at, because of this condition, he can
not participate in certain things. T herefore,
such a m em ber should, n atu ra lly , refrain
from the b reath in g exercises, not because the
exercises are at fault, b u t because he is not
in condition to m ake use of them . If such a
m em ber proceeds w ith the breath in g exer
cises an d is d etrim en tally affected an d de
vitalized, w e cannot say th a t the Rosicrucian
teachings are responsible b u t ra th e r the lack
of good com m on sense of the individual.
I t is tru e th a t m em bers are required to
concentrate in conducting a n u m b er of exer
cises or studies. Y et this concentration is not
excessive. In reality , it is not as m uch as is
required of m a n y students of the sciences,
such as, biology an d bacteriology. T h ey
spend hours concentrating, through m icro
scopes, to note organic changes and m ake
records of them . T h e y are concentrating
m ore in ten sely and spending far m ore energy
th a n a R osicrucian does in his concentration
studies. If an individual lowers th e standard
of his h ealth in the stu d y of bacteriology, be
cause of long periods of concentration, one
cannot blam e th e science of bacteriology. It
is n ot at fault. R ather, it should be said th a t
the student should have used good judgm ent.
H e should have disciplined himself. H e
should n o t have concentrated to excess. So
it is w ith th e R osicrucian teachings. You are
given specific periods of tim e to conduct these
exercises, periods of tim e w hich w e know
are not injurious to a n y person h aving a
reasonable degree of health. If a m em ber, of
his ow n accord, concentrates or perform s
some exercise four or five tim es the length
of tim e req u ired an d th ereb y injures h im
self, he is at fault, n o t th e Rosicrucian teach
ings. T herefore, I assure you th a t th ere is
n othing th a t you w ill be asked to do in the
m onographs th a t w ill low er y o u r v itality or
y o u r resistance, if you are a norm al person
and follow the instructions; on the contrary,
these exercises w ill be beneficial. X

Page 142

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

IN D E X O F V O L U M E X V (C o m p risin g th e E n tire Six Issues o f th e F ifte e n th Y e a r)

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.

Abraham, 135d
Abrams electronic treatment, 3d, 4a
Accidents, definition of, 77a
Causes of, 77b
Adam and Eve, Ethiopian book of, 136b
Adaptation, 2d
Affirmations, 133d
Psychological effect of, 134a
Aim of Rosicrucian Studies, 28d
Akashic Records, 55a
Akhetaten, city of, 128d
All-Seeing Eye, in Great Seal, 54b
Amenhotep IV, 127d
AMORC, local Chapters, 94a
Not a religious movement, 76b
Physical institution, 69d
Amputation, psychic effect, 43a
Animals, consciousness of, 90c
Evolution of, 91b
Appealing to the Cosmic, 56b
Arts and Mysticism, 65d
Art of visualization, 124c
Asceticism, fallacy of, 7a, 116d
Aten, symbol of single intelligence, 128c
Attitudes, conseivative, 74b
Liberal, 74c
M ental, 74a
Attracting a H ighly-evclved Soul, 52a

B
Baptism, origin and meaning, 59a
Barton, W illiam , designer of Great Seal, 53d
Biblical prophecies, 21 d, 22a
Biological life span, 17d
Book for children, 127d, 128d, 129a
Brain and mind, 19a, 20a
Bucke, Dr. R. M , 89d

Cause and effect relationship, 21 d

Celibacy, 115d, 116a
Cells, 5c, 19c
Chapters, local AMORC, 94a
Charlatans, 37d
Child of the Sun, 127a
Chosen people, fixation, 122a
Superior, 123c
Church attendance, 7b
Church of England, on cremation, 64b
Civilizations, rise and fall, 108a
Ccld Water, 23c
Concentration, desire for, 138c
Difficulties, 138c
Fatiguing, 138c
Learning, 137a

Conscience, collective, 102d

Consciousness, after transition, 85c, 86b
And metaphysics, 61c
Of animals, 90c, 91b
Planes of, 89c
Conservatives, definition of, 74b
Cosmic, appeals to, 56b
Consciousness, 55d, 89d
Masters, 35c, 87a
Cosmic Plane, consciousness on, 85c
W here is it? 57c
Cremation, 17a, 64b
Criminals, 18a
Crosses in the sky, 44b
Cryptesthesia, 105b, 106a
Cyrus the Persian, 135d

D
Debts or gifts, precedence of, 100b
Definitions:
Conservatives, 74b
Evil, 81b
Liberals, 74c
M ystical7, 50a
Psychic, 51a
Deism, 79d
Delinquency, dues notices, 133a
Juvenile, 26a
Desire, and love, 15c
Development, evolutionary, 2b, 3a
Disease, Rosicrucian conception of, 3d, 10a
Divine consciousness, 16a, 20b
D ivine essence, 16b
Dogma, mistaken, 16c
Dogmatism, 7d, 8a
Donations, 132c
D uality of man, 93b
Dues, problems of, 131a
Weeks of grace, 133b
Patrons, 133b
Dynasty, XVIII. 127a

Earthbound ego, 85d

Edwards, Margaret Dulles, 128d
Electricity, 47d
And psychism, 14a
Electronic apparatus of Dr. Abrams, 3d, 4a
Electronic treatment, 3d
End of the world, 109b
Eschatology, 109b
Evil, definition of, 81b
Evolution, 2b, 3a
Expenses of Order, 131c, 132b
Experience, objective, 21a
Experiencing God, 129a
Eye, philosophy of, 128b
Eyes, willed to blind soldier, 16c

Page 143

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

F
Failure, and success, 31b
First principles, 92d
Food and health, l ib
Forum, Rosicrucian, questions for, 95a
Franklin, Benjamin, and Great Seal, 54c

G
Geniuses, child, 20d
Glorification of nationality, 123a
God, experiencing, 129a
Of artifice, 128b
Nature of, 78b
Rosicrucian concept of, 78c
Good and evil, 111c.
Great Seal of the United States, 53b
Guardian, conscience as, 103d

H
Habit, 124b
Health and food, li b
Hindu Yoga, 70d
Home initiations, 46a
Horizon of Aten, 128d
Hyperesthesia, 83b, 84a

I
Ideal vs. the real, 40b
Ikhnaton, 128a
Words of, 128c
Illusions of the Psychic, 12a
Imagination and Im aging, 124a
Distinguishing between, 125c
Imbecility and Karma, 118d
Immigrants, 123d
Initiations, and Baptisms, 60b
A t puberty, 60a
Fees, 132b
Home, 46a
Purpose of, 46b
Introversion recommended, 92c
Intuition, 93c
Isolationism, 123c

J
James, W illiam , and Ouija Board, 105b
Jews, in Masonic Order, 136d
Judaism, 135d
Juvenile Delinquency, 26a

K
Karma, and im becility, 118d
And suffering, 32d
Civilizations as vehicles for, 108d
Collective, 41 d
Law of, 33a, 34d, 35a

L
Leadership, responsibilities of, 88c
Overdependence on, 88d
Leibnitzs philosophy, 80d

Liberalism, 74c
Life, after death, 85a
Value of, 17c
W hat is it? 9b
Logos, 128c
Love, and desire, 15b
Offering, 131a
W hat is it? 14d

M
Macrocosm, 126d
Manes and Manichaeanism, 116a
Manuscripts for Rosicrucian Digest, 31c
Marriage and spiritual development, 1l5d
Masonic Order, 136d
Masters, and m yths, 35c
Cosmic, 36b, 87a
Melchizedek, Order of, 135d
Degree of, 136d
Giving tithes, 135d
M elchizedekites, 136b
M eaning of words, 39a
M eaning of prophecies, 21b
Mediums, psychic, 83b
Membership, lapsing, 132d
Patron, 133c
M ental creating, 69a, 133d
M ental fitness, 113b
Merry-go-round, analagous to Cosmic, 55c
Metaphysics, consciousness, 61c
Definition of, 61 d
Microcosm, 126d
Midrash, 136b
Migrate, need to, 123b
Mind, Cosmic, 55b
Objective, 20b
Subjective, 19c, 20b
Mirror, significance of, 22c
Misuse of psychic ability, 83b
M ystery School, Memphis, 128b
Mystical:
Enlightenment, 6d
Phenomena, definition of, 50d
Preparation, 5d, 6a
M ysticism, and Arts, 65d
And wealth, 101b

N
Nationalism, 98d, 99d, 122d
Nature of God, 78b
Nature of love, 14d
N azi, propaganda, 122a
N efertiti, 128a
Neophyte lessons, 92d
N ew York Lodge forum, 76d

o
Occult, m eaning of, 39a
Opposites, law of, 111c
Ouija Board, 104a

P
Pantheism, 80a
Patriotism, 122d

Page 144

THE ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Peace, foundations for, 126a

Pelley, W m Dudley, 76a
Personalities and Rosicrucian teachings, 87c
Philo, 136b
Physical assets of AMORC, 69d
Planes of Consciousness, 89c
Plato, 15c
Political life-span, 18a
Progress, 2a. 3b
Propaganda film, 123d
Prophecies, Biblical, 22a
M eaning of, 21b
Psalms of Amenhotep, 128c
Psychic: A bility, misuse of, 83b
And physical phenomena, 13c
Centers, as transformers, 83d
Mind and amputation, 43a
Phenomena, definition of, 51a
Ptah, artifice-god, 128b
Publication, writing for, 30a
Purpose of life, 17d, 18a
Pyramid, in Great Seal of U. S., 54b

Q
Queen T iy, 128a
Questions for Rosicrucian Forum, 95a

R
Reasoning power after transition, 85c
Religion, definition of, 7a
Responsibility, for war, 41 d
Of parents, 26a
Retrogression, soul-personality, 52d
Ritualism, 8b
Rosicrucian attitude, toward cremation, 17a
Toward prophecy, 21c
Toward religion, 8d, 9a
Rosicrucian concepts, of disease, 3d, 10a
Of end of world, llOd
Of God, 78c
Of life, 10a
Rosicrucian D igest, articles for, 30c
Rosicrucian Forum, questions for, 95a
Rosicrucian leadership, 88b
Rosicrucian Park, 69d
Rosicrucian studies, purpose of, 28d
First principles of, 92d
Piosicrucian teachings: Personalities, 87c
Changes in, 50a
No price on, 131 d
Terms defined, 50c

s
Sacerdotalism, 8b
Sachse, Julius Friedrich, 54c
Sanctuary, as collective conscience, 104b
Sanctum, need of, 22d, 23a
Privacy, 139c
Science, 10b
Self, deception, 13d
Esteem, 122a
Expression through writing, 30a
Real, 40b

Shem. 136b, 136c, 136d

Sociological life-span, 18a
Socrates, 16b
Soul: As D ivine Mind, 20d
Attracting at birth, 52a
Wisdom of, 18d
Soul personality, at birth, 52 a
Im becility, 118d
Of animals, 91b
Sovereignty of nations, 98d, 99a
Space and time, 93a
Spinoza, 130c
Spirit, 9b, 10c, 11a
And matter, 47b
Spiritual development, and marriage, 115d
Charity, 133d
Spoken word, 128c
Subconscious mind, definition, 63c
Not the subjective, 63b
Success and failure, 31b
Suffering and Karma, 33d
Symbolism of mirror, 23b
Sympathetic nervous system, 83d

T
Teachings, dangerous, 104d
Telepathy, 84a
Theism, 79a
Thutmose III, 128c
Tim e and Space, 93a
Truth, search for, 12a
M eaning of, 81c

u
Unanswered appeals to Cosmic, 56b

V
Vestal virgins, and celibacy, 115d
Virus, 10c
Visualization, theory of, 67a
Vital life force, 9c, 10a, 11a
Vitamins, lOd, 11a

w
War, causes of, 98a
Responsibility for, 41 d
Water, cold, in experiments, 23c
W ealth and m ysticism, 101b
W illing the body, 16b
W ishing or creating, 135b
Wisdom of the Soul, 18d
Word, the, as a harmonizer, 118b
Cosmically received, 117b
Words, m eaning of, 39a
W riting for self-expression, 30a

Y
Yogism, dangers of, 70d