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HPB-SB-14-78: Difference between revisions
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{{Style P-Align center|1=LIGHT.<br>November 18, 1882.}} | |||
{{Style P-HPB SB. Title continued|“Shells.”|14-77}} | {{Style P-HPB SB. Title continued|“Shells.”|14-77}} | ||
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{{Style P-No indent|origination till they can even obtrude themselves against our will, just like objects of external perception—belong to an organic consciousness to which we have ourselves transferred them. The ''Ego'' is incessantly labouring at the construction of an organism whereby its voluntary activity may be exchanged for a spontaneous one. All education and training have this for their aim. None of the higher voluntary results can be obtained till the lower ones have become thus organically spontaneous. And the whole of our living is nothing else than this process of thus imaging ourselves forth upon a reactive basis, which Mr. Noel and I, at least, believe to be conscious forces of nature, co-ordinated, actuated, inspired, and disciplined—in one word, ''organised''—by our formative energies.}} | {{Style P-No indent|origination till they can even obtrude themselves against our will, just like objects of external perception—belong to an organic consciousness to which we have ourselves transferred them. The ''Ego'' is incessantly labouring at the construction of an organism whereby its voluntary activity may be exchanged for a spontaneous one. All education and training have this for their aim. None of the higher voluntary results can be obtained till the lower ones have become thus organically spontaneous. And the whole of our living is nothing else than this process of thus imaging ourselves forth upon a reactive basis, which Mr. Noel and I, at least, believe to be conscious forces of nature, co-ordinated, actuated, inspired, and disciplined—in one word, ''organised''—by our formative energies.}} | ||
Now, so far as this process is complete, there is an organised representation of ourselves resulting in characteristic phenomena which no longer require our voluntary origination. But those phenomena, Mr. Noel will say, however elicited, are still phenomena of ''our'' consciousness. Not altogether so even now, for there is a stage beyond the spontaneous, the automatic. Many physical acts, of which some required an elaborate conscious training, are ever afterwards performed without any observable consciousness at all, unless attention is accidentally directed to them, which, by the by, usually impairs their facility. And often, nay constantly, in a long train of associated ideas, each of which suggests its successor, intermediate links do not emerge into consciousness at all. | Now, so far as this process is complete, there is an organised representation of ourselves resulting in characteristic phenomena which no longer require our voluntary origination. But those phenomena, Mr. Noel will say, however elicited, are still phenomena of ''our'' consciousness. Not altogether so even now, for there is a stage beyond the spontaneous, the automatic. Many physical acts, of which some required an elaborate conscious training, are ever afterwards performed without any observable consciousness at all, unless attention is accidentally directed to them, which, by the by, usually impairs their facility. And often, nay constantly, in a long train of associated ideas, each of which suggests its successor, intermediate links do not emerge into consciousness at all.* We may go so far as to say that the degree of consciousness of every process which must still be called mental is in an inverse ratio to its facility. | ||
But though the ''tendency'' is thus to automatism, it is usually only the lower results of the personal life which become thus completely organised. In exceptional cases, possibly, where there has been great brain power, even more difficult processes of intelligence may be spontaneously reproduced—spontaniety, be it repeated, always testifying to organic co-ordination. This is the opinion of Mr. Thomas Lake Harris,† no less than of our Eastern teachers. And the “shell” would, for a long time at least, retain enough to give fragmentary “tests of identity,” when in psychic ''rapport'', though rarely enough to stand a tolerably severe cross-examination. And I may mention here that long before I had heard of the “shell,” the idea was suggested to my mind by my own experience, and that of others, in Spiritualistic investigations. It was really the most tenable hypothesis by which to account for the curious abundance of isolated tests, with the invariable inability to follow these up by particulars which would be equally within the memory of the deceased individual. Had I been myself a medium, that is, in ''direct rapport'', I have no doubt that these further “tests” would have been supplied in any quantity from my own mind. But when the facts did not admit the supposition of scraps of information picked up by the medium for purposes of imposition, the phenomenon was that of a disintegrating memory. | But though the ''tendency'' is thus to automatism, it is usually only the lower results of the personal life which become thus completely organised. In exceptional cases, possibly, where there has been great brain power, even more difficult processes of intelligence may be spontaneously reproduced—spontaniety, be it repeated, always testifying to organic co-ordination. This is the opinion of Mr. Thomas Lake Harris,† no less than of our Eastern teachers. And the “shell” would, for a long time at least, retain enough to give fragmentary “tests of identity,” when in psychic ''rapport'', though rarely enough to stand a tolerably severe cross-examination. And I may mention here that long before I had heard of the “shell,” the idea was suggested to my mind by my own experience, and that of others, in Spiritualistic investigations. It was really the most tenable hypothesis by which to account for the curious abundance of isolated tests, with the invariable inability to follow these up by particulars which would be equally within the memory of the deceased individual. Had I been myself a medium, that is, in ''direct rapport'', I have no doubt that these further “tests” would have been supplied in any quantity from my own mind. But when the facts did not admit the supposition of scraps of information picked up by the medium for purposes of imposition, the phenomenon was that of a disintegrating memory. | ||
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Now I will not call this subtle organism of habitual modes the personality, because Mr. Noel understands by that the transcendental unity of the ''Ego'', and I do not want to dispute about words. But if its objective existence is conceded at all, we must conceive it as an association of forces far more vital, far more intimately blended and complicated, than those which combine for the phenomena of physical life in the outer body. Its separation from the ''Ego'' would be the withdrawal of the latter from objective personal consciousness. It is just this withdrawal which, even in this life, we are trying to effect in every effort of self-control and self-reconstruction. But there is a great body of mere innocent habit in which we dwell contentedly. The complete arrest of our spontaneous life would be return to a state of absolute subjectivity, until we had evolved new modes by that voluntary energy in which the ''Ego'' most truly consists. It is this intermediate state of subjectivity which I understand by what the Adepts, through their expositor, call ''Devachan''. But before we can attain it, after physical death, there is a longer or shorter period required for disengagement from those objective modes, including all the interests and dispositions for which there are no longer the occasions and opportunities afforded by our life here. When this separation has been effected completely, these collective modes do not at once disintegrate, but maintain their union for a time, and in the state of union are what is called the “shell.” | Now I will not call this subtle organism of habitual modes the personality, because Mr. Noel understands by that the transcendental unity of the ''Ego'', and I do not want to dispute about words. But if its objective existence is conceded at all, we must conceive it as an association of forces far more vital, far more intimately blended and complicated, than those which combine for the phenomena of physical life in the outer body. Its separation from the ''Ego'' would be the withdrawal of the latter from objective personal consciousness. It is just this withdrawal which, even in this life, we are trying to effect in every effort of self-control and self-reconstruction. But there is a great body of mere innocent habit in which we dwell contentedly. The complete arrest of our spontaneous life would be return to a state of absolute subjectivity, until we had evolved new modes by that voluntary energy in which the ''Ego'' most truly consists. It is this intermediate state of subjectivity which I understand by what the Adepts, through their expositor, call ''Devachan''. But before we can attain it, after physical death, there is a longer or shorter period required for disengagement from those objective modes, including all the interests and dispositions for which there are no longer the occasions and opportunities afforded by our life here. When this separation has been effected completely, these collective modes do not at once disintegrate, but maintain their union for a time, and in the state of union are what is called the “shell.” | ||
Now the perpetuation and vitality of such an organism would consist in its co-ordination, and consequent ability to respond to those excitants, which, in association with the ''Ego'', educed the phenomena of personal life. The “shell” has no self-consciousness, for it has no self; it has no originating power, no plan or purpose. But the habits of its co-ordination continue, and it may be drawn by those attractions into ''rapport'' with living intelligences. That is its opportunity. Then come the indispensable excitants, and the consequent automatic responses. The same questions which would have elicited from your friend, had he been living and present, ''merely spontaneous'' answers, without the necessity of reflection, you will get with equal readiness from his “shell.” If your friend was a ready scholar, the “shell” will quote you Greek and Latin. | Now the perpetuation and vitality of such an organism would consist in its co-ordination, and consequent ability to respond to those excitants, which, in association with the ''Ego'', educed the phenomena of personal life. The “shell” has no self-consciousness, for it has no self; it has no originating power, no plan or purpose. But the habits of its co-ordination continue, and it may be drawn by those attractions into ''rapport'' with living intelligences. That is its opportunity. Then come the indispensable excitants, and the consequent automatic responses. The same questions which would have elicited from your friend, had he been living and present, ''merely spontaneous'' answers, without the necessity of reflection, you will get with equal readiness from his “shell.” If your friend was a ready scholar, the “shell” will quote you Greek and Latin.* And so on. | ||
It is to another class of “shells,” the “elementaries,” that will-power, intelligence, and consciousness are attributed by the author of the “Fragments of Occult Truth.” With these I propose to deal next week in reply to Mr. Noel, when the larger and more difficult question of the “Loss of the Spirit” will have to be met. | It is to another class of “shells,” the “elementaries,” that will-power, intelligence, and consciousness are attributed by the author of the “Fragments of Occult Truth.” With these I propose to deal next week in reply to Mr. Noel, when the larger and more difficult question of the “Loss of the Spirit” will have to be met. | ||