| The many theological hypotheses and theories | | | | transformation, they were actually referring |
| regarding the survival of consciousness are | | | | to the human soul. |
| without a basis from the scientific | | | | |
| standpoint. Orthodox science even look | | | | The acceleration of evolution was referred to |
| askance towards the findings of | | | | by the Master Jesus when he mentioned the |
| parapsychology. Accounts such as Near-Death | | | | "strait and narrow path." According to him |
| Experience, spontaneous past life recall, | | | | only the few would discover this path. These |
| hypnotic regressions, Out-of-the-Body | | | | are the teachings that the Master promised to |
| Experience, and psychic phenomena in general | | | | give to his disciples at a time when they |
| seemingly point to the immortality of the | | | | were totally prepared for it. These esoteric |
| soul; however, conventional science still | | | | doctrines and mystical practices are "lost" |
| find such occurrences inconclusive. | | | | in the present-day teachings of the Churches. |
| Fundamentally, science, however, does not | | | | We need not say any more of this. |
| oppose the notion of the existence of the | | | | |
| soul or of its immortality; it is at present | | | | At present there are many esoteric schools |
| researching through empirical methods to | | | | and organizations, both East and West, |
| prove or disprove it. However, it is realized | | | | helping mankind to evolve at a rapid pace. |
| that the phenomenon of the soul does not | | | | Among the creatures of the four kingdoms, man |
| readily submit to objective analysis. Science | | | | is the only one able to take his evolution |
| realizes the limitations of its instruments | | | | into his own hands. By working with nature, |
| in the detection of the existence of the | | | | humanity would make much progress. If society |
| soul. | | | | en masse reaches the consciousness level |
| | | | attained by the saints there would be no more |
| There is another aspect to immortality and | | | | wars and needless conflicts. This is not an |
| this concerns the physical form. Physical | | | | impossibility. Mortal, human thoughts make us |
| immortality is an ancient belief and is to be | | | | believe in our limitations--limitations that |
| found in many cultures. In legends and in | | | | actually do not exist. |
| tales we find the theme of physical | | | | |
| immortality repeatedly. The possibility of | | | | Soul culture helps us to rapidly evolve and |
| its attainment is well believed in among most | | | | to reach the goal set for us human beings by |
| metaphysicians. There are many highly | | | | our Progenitor. In soul-culture there are |
| spiritually developed yogis who are said to | | | | three basic practices to consider: |
| have reached the state of physical | | | | meditation, energy-work, and soul-refinement. |
| immortality. We personally possess the secret | | | | |
| teachings that according to our preceptors in | | | | Meditation |
| metaphysics, allow one to acquire immortality | | | | |
| not only of the soul, but of the physical | | | | Meditation is the most basic practice in |
| body as well--at least, it extends man's | | | | soul-culture. It has been engaged in by |
| life-span way beyond the norm. | | | | saints, prophets, sages, and mystics |
| | | | throughout the ages. There are many |
| In Taoism spiritual and physical immortality | | | | meditational methods designed for various |
| are both given careful consideration. | | | | purposes. The Hindu yogis have their own |
| Regarding physical immortality, there are | | | | methods of meditation, just as the Buddhists |
| many alchemical formulas supposed to | | | | and the Taoists have theirs. The Western |
| immortalize the material body. Those who | | | | Tradition also possesses its own forms of |
| achieve physical immortality are called | | | | meditation. |
| hsien. To the ignorant these alchemical | | | | |
| formulas are supposedly made out of mineral | | | | The basic purpose of meditation is to attune |
| or herbal substances; but to the | | | | one's conscious mind with one's Higher Self, |
| knowledgeable, they refer to the internal | | | | one's Soul, or one's inner divinity. In |
| processes of chi or energy. The methods for | | | | prayer we speak and the higher Intelligences |
| attaining spiritual immortality is associated | | | | listen; in meditation, the higher |
| with the spiritual realization of Tao, the | | | | Intelligences speak and we listen. Hence, |
| Absolute, the "Mother," the "Source of all | | | | meditation helps us to receive spiritual and |
| things." To Lao Tzu, death does not touch the | | | | divine impulses emanating from God and one's |
| one who has realized the Tao. | | | | highest being. Inspiration and |
| | | | self-empowerment are the result of true |
| According to certain spiritual teachings | | | | meditation. |
| immortality is the continuous awareness of | | | | |
| Self-existence and being without ever lapsing | | | | In the more advance practices of meditation |
| into an unconscious state no matter what | | | | we are led gradually to higher and higher |
| psychological and physical conditions or | | | | dimensions or planes of consciousness where |
| transformations take place such as sleep, | | | | we would ultimately unite or become aware of |
| concussions, or death. It is the state of | | | | our Spirit--the Monad. This attainment is |
| realizing one's divinity and unity with the | | | | referred to by Western writers as "Cosmic |
| Source of all. Immortality and the state of | | | | Consciousness." In an ancient scripture we |
| being eternal are associated with one's | | | | are taught a method of meditation: |
| divine Parent. Unless one recognizes and is | | | | |
| aware of this unified state between one's | | | | "The Self, the inner spirit, ever dwelleth |
| identity and the Divine Being, one is not | | | | within the hearts of men. Patiently separate |
| immortal, one merely undergoes various | | | | Him thou from the cover of the body in which |
| changes and is subjected to the whimsical | | | | He liveth, even as thou takest off the blades |
| forces of nature. Immortality from this point | | | | of a reed-plant. Him know thou as pure and |
| of view is not something that we | | | | immortal; know thou, He is pure and |
| automatically acquire when we pass through | | | | immortal." (Kathopanishad, II. 6.17) |
| transition. It is a state that we may acquire | | | | |
| here and now. The realization of one's unity | | | | Energy-Work |
| with God is the confirmation of one's | | | | |
| perpetual existence. There are many systems | | | | Before the advanced practices of meditation |
| that purport to teach the aspirant the | | | | may be successfully carried-out, one's whole |
| methods of acquiring mystical realization and | | | | force-field and energy-structure would have |
| unification with the divine being, they | | | | to be purified, strengthened, refined, |
| usually belong to the esoteric section of our | | | | awakened, restructured, and empowered. This |
| world-religions; like religion proper, some | | | | practice is referred to as energy-work. |
| of these mystical schools believe theirs to | | | | |
| be the best. Popular metaphysics as a whole, | | | | The various components of the microcosm that |
| embraces many of the above concepts regarding | | | | has to be worked upon in energy-work includes |
| immortality. | | | | the physical body, the chakras, the aura, the |
| | | | etheric channels, the etheric webs, the |
| The desire for immortality have also taken | | | | electronic belt, and the subconscious mind. |
| hold on the minds of computer engineers. To | | | | There are material and psychic toxins |
| these scientists the computer is analogous to | | | | accumulated in the vehicles of the |
| the human brain. They hope that one day a | | | | Personality that have to be eliminated; and |
| super-computer would be created where every | | | | karmic stains that have to be removed. These |
| function of the brain would be duplicated, | | | | negative energies causes lots of problems, |
| and that it would be possible to transfer or | | | | not only in one's higher spiritual |
| download the human mind and consciousness | | | | cultivation practices, but also in daily |
| into it thus creating an artificial | | | | life. Many of our so-called bad-luck stems |
| habitation for the soul-intelligence. This is | | | | from these etheric rubbish accumulated upon |
| their strategy for immortalizing the soul-"a | | | | our system. |
| ghost in the machine" reality. Related to | | | | |
| this is the supposition that computers and | | | | Soul-Refinement |
| micro-chips would be so advanced and | | | | |
| sophisticated in the near future that it | | | | Evolution requires soul-refinement. In order |
| would probably generate artificial | | | | to raise one's vibrations and improve the |
| intelligence-that is, thoughts and feelings | | | | quality of one's force-fields it is also |
| of their own. | | | | necessary to refine one's soul-nature, one's |
| | | | character. It is a person's low character |
| SOUL FACULTIES | | | | that generates and attracts negative energies |
| | | | and it would be senseless to constantly |
| The soul has various psychic faculties though | | | | perform energy-work when the time could be |
| most of them are not being used by the | | | | spent in more beneficial meditational |
| average person. The use of these faculties | | | | practices. For this reason, aside from |
| often result in strange paranormal activities | | | | energy-work, one has also to work upon |
| or phenomena. Most psychic phenomena | | | | spiritualizing one's character--getting to |
| associated with the dead are actually caused | | | | the root of the problem, so to speak. Almost |
| by the living. For instance, hauntings are | | | | all religions teaches this aspect of |
| often believed to be "dead persons" appearing | | | | mysticism--a moral standard is set for us to |
| to the living, while in most cases hauntings | | | | follow. However, sometimes we find it |
| are caused by the astral forms of people who | | | | difficult to live up to the standard laid out |
| are asleep and inadvertently appearing to | | | | for us. Sometimes we may consciously know a |
| others. | | | | thing to be right, but subconsciously we are |
| | | | impelled to think, feel or do the opposite. |
| Some of the various psychic faculties are: | | | | We experience an inner conflict. Metaphysics |
| Clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, | | | | offer certain methods to overcoming this |
| telepathy, psychokinesis, precognition, | | | | conflict, and to restructure the subconscious |
| soul-travel, and bilocation. These psychic | | | | mind with positive energy patterns. |
| faculties may be developed. It is not merely | | | | |
| a gift. Those who are born with them usually | | | | CONCLUSION |
| have acquired them through psychic-training | | | | |
| programs in past-lives. The "powers" that we | | | | It is regrettable that this work could not be |
| mentioned above are considered to be the | | | | presented in a more perfect manner, and that |
| lower faculties of the soul. These powers | | | | it remains much to be desired. What we have |
| belong to the etheric, astral and lower | | | | written in this paper merely represents the |
| mental bodies. There are higher spiritual | | | | tip of the iceberg. There is much more to be |
| faculties and these are associated with the | | | | taken into consideration than what we have |
| higher components in the microcosm, such as | | | | addressed in this paper. The Ancient Wisdom |
| the Higher Mental, Buddhi, and Atma. | | | | is a storehouse of metaphysical knowledge and |
| | | | we advise the interested reader in mystical |
| SOUL CULTURE | | | | matters to delve into its study. Certain |
| | | | aspects and knowledge concerning the whole |
| Spiritual evolution, when left to nature, | | | | immaterial part of man, as well as the |
| progresses at a snail's pace. Plant-like | | | | destiny of the Soul goes way beyond the |
| consciousness may take millions of years just | | | | understanding and reach of conventional |
| to reach the animal consciousness stage. | | | | science and psychics. Nevertheless, There are |
| Human beings, likewise, in the natural course | | | | many more things that could be said about the |
| of evolution would similarly require eons | | | | Soul, not only from the metaphysical point of |
| just to attain human perfection or | | | | view, but also from the anthropological, |
| godhood--the next kingdom above humankind. | | | | psychological, philosophical, and religious |
| However, there are spiritual practices that | | | | perspective. It is for this reason that we |
| assists one to shorten this time | | | | appeal to the reader to do some personal |
| tremendously. What would take a million years | | | | research and acquire the necessary |
| could all unfold in a single lifetime. This | | | | information that would lead to a greater |
| was alchemy's biggest secret discovery--the | | | | understanding of the Soul--not solely in an |
| transformation of lead, which is symbolical | | | | intellectual way, but also experientially in |
| of the imperfect human being, into gold, | | | | a mystical manner through spiritual |
| which represents the perfect man. Why wait | | | | cultivation. In the early stages of this |
| for nature to transmute lead into gold when | | | | paper we spelled the word Soul with a small |
| it could be done in the laboratory by | | | | first capital-letter; now we end this work |
| duplicating and accelerating nature's | | | | using an upper-case. After studying this |
| processes? This was the alchemist's | | | | paper the reason should be obvious. One last |
| reasoning. Though they exoterically referred | | | | advice: Know Thyself! |
| to metals as the subject of their | | | | |