curiosity.
Those and others that I have read through the years, offer only one particular
aspect. All
are alike, only the circumstances
(the place and personality of the medium, for example) vary according to
the authors,
and all, naturally, commit a similar error in supposing that a soul may incorporate
itself into a living being, and assume that being's personality to deliver
some message, give some advice, or ask assistance. Whenever such works
are written by persons having only a rudimentary knowledge of high mystical
principles, one should certainly judge them kindly and admit that, after
all, they are perhaps useful if, in the final analysis, they could but
direct some seeker toward more authentic Light. But some authors of the
books I have read lately, have followed a traditional, valid way for
a long time, and how they can still maintain the theories that they defend
so implicitly surprises me, and makes me unhappy. Their only excuse,
and
I willingly concede it to them, is that their mystical quest has not been
as complete, sure and serious as one would hope, and that they have not
accorded to their guides and masters the unconditional devotion expected
of all seekers of the true Light. The 'old man' not being completely cast
aside, old beliefs have remained in them, and have risen again at the
time
of some experience, covering this in false, tawdry, finery and producing,
in the final analysis, an enthusiastic and disappointing narrative from
a disciple who may be most worthy in every other respect.
The teachings of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, however, are explicit on
the subject of communication with the beyond: soul personalities who have
left the physical plane do not return before the moment of their
reincarnation. They do not incorporate into a medium in order to
communicate with the living, and at this point I wish to quote the
definition of spiritualism given in the American edition, of the
Rosicrucian Manual:
"Spiritualism - A religious doctrine attempting to use some of the psychic
manifestations of Soul, some of Spirit, and some of Personality, to
sustain a theoretical scheme of the Soul’s activities here on Earth, or in
the Cosmic, after the change called transition. Spiritualism as a system
or a 'science' is taboo with Rosicrucians, for they know that
spiritualistic explanation of various phenomena is wrong, that many
so-called mediums are unaware of the facts, know little or nothing of the
laws and principles which they are attempting to demonstrate, and
sometimes bring serious situations and sorrows into the lives of those who
are being guided by Furthermore, Rosicrucians know that 'souls'
do not return to Earth in a material form and that the departed 'spirits'
do not
materialized demonstrations as entities, and that communications received
from the Cosmic, or through the psychic bodies of living persons, are
not
always what they seem to be to the spiritualists."
And for a better understanding of what will follow, I shall reproduce the
definition of the word 'subconscious', given in the dictionary of the same
Manual:
"Subconscious - The entire stream of consciousness with its
various levels which are subliminal, that is, which lie behind our realizations
of self
and of the external world. The objective and subjective consciousness
are but two of the levels of the stream of consciousness. The subconscious
is
directly related to the Cosmic or Universal Mind."
Does the Rosicrucian definition imply that communication with the departed
is impossible? Absolutely not! Such communications are possible, but they
operate in a manner radically different from the general practice used;
they do not require the help of mediums, and still less of revolving
tables or other procedures of the same kind.
It
is in my private sanctuary in the Cathedral of the Soul that the Master
will soon recall the true principles to apply in this regard, but
a
complementary definition would seem to be useful.
In the definition given in the Rosicrucian Manual, it is stated repeatedly
'Rosicrucians know', and the question which will naturally come to mind
will be 'How do they know? How can they know?' This point should be
clarified.
In the first place, Rosicrucians 'knows' through the teachings that are
imparted to them and that embody the ancient wisdom, the sacred knowledge
gathered from the most authentic traditional sources all over the world,
the synthesis of the whole initiatory knowledge (adapted to the modern
world), as recognized and tested by the Masters in the past and today.
Next, Rosicrucians know through experience. Actually the technique of the
Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, in its slow but certain progression to the
highest point, leads each sincere, loyal, industrious and zealous member
to verify for himself the principles which he is learning, and this at the
moment of his advance and of his inner enlightenment, where success is
assured if he has proved sufficiently persevering.
Thus in the course of his successive journeys 'around the triangle' he
will be able, from the Seventh Temple Degree, to have not only a
reasonable and true explanation of the Cosmic plane but also be able,
using modern language, to 'go there and see', and he will ascertain in
that way the accuracy of the theoretical ideas which have been inculcated
in him at that time. In stating that 'Rosicrucians know', we refer
accordingly to the teachings so far as they have gone, and to the proof of
the teachings which each member individually is able to reap from these
teachings in their experimental and practical phase. Therefore one would
be at a loss to know how to make a sounder statement, peremptory as it may
appear at first sight...
But
the moment has come to receive 'the utterance' of the Cathedral of
the Soul and, the ritual having been performed, the visualization having
been achieved, I am once again in this environment of high spirituality,
of sublime vibrations, seated at my Cosmic desk, waiting for the Master
who soon appears and takes his place beside the immense stained glass
window a few steps away from me. He knows the visualized question, and
I do not need to repeat it. With hands folded on my desk, and eyes
closed, I
let my consciousness register the vibratory message of the Master which
later, on the physical plane, I translate for you:
"Life is one: it is not limited to the material plane only.
"Life is vibratory, and one could say that all vibration is life.
"The unique universal force itself is life, as are also the secondary
laws, the secondary manifestations of the fundamental energy.
Recently
several works have come to my desk, publications from different countries,
dealing with communications with
the beyond. In one of them, "Petain, Hero of the Somme" (sic),
addressed a brief message to humanity. In another, an entire family,
departed in tragic circumstances, asked, through the voice of the medium,
to be directed and helped on this plane which is such a shocking
experience for them, and so, at the time of the appeal, the wandering
souls incorporated themselves into a receptive being and communicated
through
their intermediary with an audience more or less restricted but always
impressed. I read these books
from one end to the other, sometimes through
duty, more often through
