The Study of Man

The Study of Man

General Education Course

On-line since: 23rd June, 2002

By Rudolf Steiner

Translated by Daphne Harwood and Helen Fox
Bn 293, GA 293

These fundamental lectures contain the core of Steiner's view on the psychology of the human being. He covers such topics as mental pictures and will; memory and imagination; the soul activities of thinking, feeling, and willing; the forces of sympathy and antipathy; the twelve senses; the hierarchy of forces that move the will; and much more. This volume was part of the basic training material given by Steiner to the teachers of the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart and is still an important part of Waldorf teacher training.

First English edition (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., London, and Anthroposophic Press, N.Y.), 1947. Translation made from the first edition in German, 1932.

Second edition (Rudolf Steiner Press), 1966. Translation revised from the fifth edition of the German text, 1960. Second impression of second edition, 1975.

The German text of the following lectures is published under the title Allgemeine Menschenkunde als Grundlage der Pädagogik (No. 293 in the Bibliographical Survey, 1961).

This English edition is published by permission of the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach, Switzerland. From Bn 293, GA 293.

CONTENTS

	Cover Sheet
	Foreword
	A Note on the Revised Translation
	Contents
	Lecture I	August 21, 1919
	Egoism and Materialism. Life before birth and after death. Pre-natal Education. Union of Spirit and Soul elements before birth. Union of these with Life-Body after birth. Importance of breathing in uniting the three-fold man. Nature of sleep in child and adult. The teacher makes his relation with the child through what he is, — which depends on his thoughts about the world. Children must learn to breathe and to sleep ...
	Lecture II	August 22, 1919
	Mental picture and Will not understood to-day. Image character of mental picture which is devoid of reality or being. Mental picture stems from life before birth, Will from life after death. The former works through antipathy, the latter through sympathy. Memory arises through heightened antipathy, Imagination through heightened sympathy, as also sense pictures. Contrast of nerves and blood. Decay and seed. True function of motor nerves. Three places where sympathy and antipathy meet. Cosmic relations of threefold organism of man. Concepts produce carbonic acid, imaginative pictures oxygen. Need for planting seed pictures in child.
	Lecture III	August 23, 1919
	Equal importance of teachers of children of all ages. Twofold division of man has supplanted older division into Body, Soul and Spirit. Conservation of energy not true for man. Intellect grasps only the dying, Will, in sense perception, grasps the becoming. Unique nature of ‘pure thinking.’ Nature could not exist without man. Dead human bodies are yeast to earth. Man thinks with bones as well as nerves. Origin of geometry lies in movement. Man keeps earth alive. Man not merely a spectator but a stage for cosmic events. Transformation, not conservation, is true law of life.
	Lecture IV	August 25, 1919
	Will and feeling not understood to-day. Will never fully realised in life, something remains over. The three Spiritual Principles: Spirit-Self — Manas — Manes; Life Spirit; Spirit Man. The three Soul Principles: Consciousness, Intellectual and Sentient Souls. The three Bodily Principles: Astral, Etheric and Physical. How Will works in these. In physical, as instinct — animals act according to their physical bodies. In etheric, as impulse. In astral, as desire, which reaches to soul element. Through his ego man raises these to motive. Behind motive lie, in the unconscious, wish, intention and resolution which live in the three Spiritual Principles. Story of lady and horses, illustrating cleverness of the unconscious. Teacher must understand hidden being of man. Marxist education illustrated. Repetition, not exhortation, affects the Will ...
	Lecture V	August 26, 1919
	Each of the three soul activities includes qualities of all. Balance of sympathy and antipathy in the senses. Human and animal senses. Child lives in sympathy. Moral development through antipathy. Between willing (sympathy) and thinking (antipathy) lies feeling which comprises both. True nature of judgment. Feeling is cognition in reserve and will in reserve. Meeting place of blood and nerves. Beckmesser and Walther. Wagner and Hanslick. Variety of feeling in different senses. Reality must be won through work.
	Lecture VI	August 27, 1919
	Soul reveals itself in sympathy and antipathy. Light of consciousness in thinking. Unconsciousness of Will. Feeling lies midway. Man wakes in thinking, sleeps in willing, dreams in feeling. Types of children and how to help them. Ego, youngest principle of man, can only live in images, not in real forces of the world. How ego lives in thinking, feeling and willing. Difference of the two parts of Faust. Waking — knowing in images: Dreaming — inspired feeling: Sleeping — intuitive willing.
	Lecture VII	August 28, 1919
	Soul apprehended through sympathy and antipathy: Spirit through states of consciousness. All comprehension comes through relating things. In childhood man principally Body; in middle years Soul; in old age Spirit. Body may block Spirit in old age (Kant — Michelet — Zeller). Man may belie Soul in middle years. Willing united with feeling in childhood, cognition with feeling in old age. Sense perception related to willing-feeling, not to cognition. Hence it lives in dreaming-sleeping. Moritz Benedikt's work. Two zones where man sleeps — sense sphere on periphery and inner sphere of blood and muscle. Physical-chemical processes in both. Intermediate sphere of decaying nerve substance is sphere of waking, where man becomes light, sound, etc. This is space aspect. In time, forgetting is sleeping, memory is waking.
	Lecture VIII	August 29, 1919
	Effect of sleep on ego. Need to regulate remembering and forgetting. Connection of Will and memory. Interest begets memory. Each soul force contains the others as well. The Twelve Senses. Sense of another's ego lives in sympathy and antipathy. Touch, Life, Movement, Balance related to Will: Smell, Taste, Sight, Warmth to feeling: Ego-sense, Thought, Hearing, Speech to knowing. Interrelation of senses. Colour and form perceived by different senses. Goethe and colour ...
	Lecture IX	August 30, 1919
	In first seven-year period child develops through imitation: in second through authority; in third through individual judgment. Need to permeate thinking with logic. The syllogism. Conclusions live in waking life and should not be memorised. Judgments carried in feeling. Concepts enter sleeping soul and affect body. Concepts of child form face of adult. Characterisations needed', not definitions. Relate everything to Man. Prayer metamorphosed to Blessing. In first period child assumes world is moral; in second beautiful; in third true ...
	Lecture X	September 01, 1919
	Consideration of Body. Spherical (Sun) form of head. Moon form of breast. Radial form of limbs. Jaws are stunted limbs in head. Blood and muscle nature of limbs. Tubular limb bones: rounded head bones. Metamorphosis in bones. Head centre is within: breast centre outside: limb centre in periphery. Sense of cosmic relations in ancient sculpture. Head arrests limb movement. Head and breast turn limb dance to song and music. Head man reveals Body: Breast man Body and Soul: Limb man Body, Soul and Spirit. Council of 869 A.D. and its consequences. Head alone is evolved animal, not breast or limbs. Teacher must understand man as microcosm.
	Lecture XI	September 02, 1919
	Relation of head to Body, Soul and Spirit. In first period of childhood Soul and Spirit are dreaming and sleeping outside child, hence he imitates. Head fully formed at change of teeth. Relation of Breast and Limbs to Body, Soul and Spirit. Head perfected but sleeping. Limbs awake but unformed. Teacher can only educate part of child. First mother milk, then mother speech awaken child. Teacher's task to continue this awakening. Writing should be learnt by way of breast and limbs, and developed from drawing and painting. Elementary school concerned with breast man. Relation of memory and imagination to physical growth.
	Lecture XII	September 03, 1919
	Relation of human organs to outer world. Head the oldest formation. It shapes the human being, but has tendency to create animal forms. Trunk and limb systems prevent this, and transform animal forms into thoughts. Trunk system related to plant world. Oxygen changed to carbon in breathing. Plants would arise in man if he retained carbon. Illnesses caused through plant nature asserting itself, Plants are pictures of illnesses. In digestion only middle process of combustion occurs, How breathing — the anti-plant process — unites with this middle. Hygiene of future. Mechanics of limb movement, behind which lie the forces in which the ego lives. These forces dissolve the mineral in man. Destructive illnesses arise when this does not happen. Lines of therapy.
	Lecture XIII	September 04, 1919
	Head formed from within out; limbs from without in Man acts as dam for in-rushing Soul and Spirit. Balance between destructive activity of these and constructive of Body. Part played by chest and limb systems. Nature and effect of fat in child. Living elements absorb Soul and Spirit, decaying let them through. Blood opaque to Spirit, Nerve transparent. Spirit active in bodily work, Body in mental. Relation of sleep to different forms of bodily activity. Purposeful movements needed. Eurythmy and Sport. Sport practical Darwinism. Relation of sleep to different forms of mental activity. Interest essential ...
	Lecture XIV	September 05, 1919
	In Head, nose represents trunk, jaws limbs. Actual limbs are jaws of a spiritual head which continually devour man from without. Upper part of chest man develops to head nature in larynx — the “head of the throat.” Sounds of speech, nasal, etc., correspond to parts of head. When second teeth appear grammar needed as corresponding skeleton of speech. Lower trunk develops limb character towards puberty in sex organs which are coarsened limb nature. Inner warmth necessary as correspondence, i.e. Imagination. Examples in imaginative treatment of subjects. Camera Obscura and theorem of Pythagoras. No pedantry permissible in teaching. Schelling. A maxim for teachers ...

Link: http://wn.rsarchive.org/Education/GA293/English/RSP1966/19190821a01.html

Meaning of Aura Colors

By Gregg Prescott

All living things that need oxygen to survive have an aura. They generate a large magnetic energy field that can be sensed, felt and even seen around the physical body. We all can tell when someone doesn’t feel good to us, like they are full of anger or if they really live in their heart and feel deeply. You do not need to be psychic to feel/read an aura.

If a person walks past, very close to you, they may unintentionally steal some of your energy. If someone suddenly reaches out and grabs your arm, they are interrupting the flow of energy around your body. An example of this might be a time when you were talking to someone and you thought they were standing to close to you. You may have even thought to yourself, “They’re in my space,” and then you backed away. Even this slight intrusion into your aura or ‘space’ can interrupt your personal flow of energy and you may feel like you have been slimed.

An aura is usually 3 feet from your physical body, however an incest or rape survivor has an aura about 50 feet around them, which means in a movie theatre or a bus/train you sit in their stuff!!! I can clean this for you.

Auras are commonly associated with people. Sometimes we even use them to describe people: “He has an aura about him,” or “She just has a glow about her”. But in fact all living things generate this field of energy. When associated to a person, the aura can provide insight into the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of the individual.
Life is full of colour and like so many other things on your path, colour also has meaning. They are representations of messages from your higher self, God, dreams, whatever the label. But you don’t have to be a Metaphysician to understand the importance of colour in your life. It exists in every day experiences.

Many people associate the colour white with God, pink with love and purple with royalty or spirituality. The following is a brief outline of primary colours and their common interpretation.

Explanations Of The Color In Any Aura

Red Aura: What are Red Auras and what does it mean to have red as one of the dominant colours of the Aura? The Aura colour that surrounds an individual reflects their personality and point to their future destiny.

Red Aura people are enthusiastic and energetic individuals, forever on the lookout for new adventures. They are adventurous with food, travel and sexual partners. The mantra of the Red Aura colour individual is “I’ll try anything once.” Because of their devil-may-care approach to life they often find themselves in hot water.

Red Aura people are quick to anger and can lose their temper over the slightest thing. But on the upside they are generous with their time and energy when called upon for help.

They are normally strong in body and mind and do not succumb to physical or mental illness easily. Because of their robust health and fitness the Red Aura individual likes to be physical and will excel in sports. People with a predominant red Aura colour can easily become bored and need to move on to different interests, projects and relationships. Because then they leave lots of unfinished ventures in their wake. But if they set their mind to a project and can stick to it, they will have remarkable success and can become extremely wealthy.

Red Aura people are direct, to the point and forthright and are not afraid to make their point of view heard. They don’t normally have hidden agendas or ulterior motives. What you see is what you get with the open and up front Red Aura individual.

Above all else the Red Aura individual needs to be number one. Their competitive nature and need to succeed will drive them towards great success in life. They are not good team players and won’t take orders from others. Because then they will prefer to run their own one man business or be in positions of authority over others.

Yellow Aura:

What are Yellow Auras and what does it mean to have Yellow as one of the dominant colours of the Aura? The Aura colours that surround an individual reflect their personality and point to their future destiny.

Yellow Aura people are analytical, logical and very intelligent. They tend to excel in careers that involve teaching and study and make excellent inventors and scientists. They can have a tendency to work too hard and can easily become a workaholic putting their work above personal relationships.
Yellow Aura people are perfectly happy in their own company and do not suffer loneliness. They are prone to mental health pressures, though and can become withdrawn and depressed when stressed.

The Yellow Aura individual is a brilliant communicator and can display their skills on a one to one basis and in front of large crowds. They are confident in their abilities to get their ideas and messages across and will inspire others.

Yellow Aura people have very good observation skills and can read people easily. They possess extremely good perception. Because they do not suffer fools gladly and will choose their few friends carefully. Any friends they do have will need to match the Yellow Aura person’s wit and intellect.
The Yellow Aura individual tends to put their head above their heart when faced with difficult choices and decision making. They are unorthodox and unconventional thinkers and not afraid to experiment with different ideas and original concepts. To some the Yellow Aura seems a little eccentric with unusual interests and hobbies. They are attracted to anything which is considered avant-garde, intellectual or unusual.

The main fault of a person who has a predominant Yellow Aura is that they can be overly critical of themselves and others.

Pink Aura:

What are Pink Auras and what does it mean to have pink as one of the dominant colours of the Aura? The Aura colours that surround an individual usually can reflect their personality and point to their future destiny.

Pink Aura people are by nature loving and giving. They love to be loved too, they gather around them close friends and family at every opportunity. They like to host family events and are very generous of their time. They have a high regard for their health and will look after their bodies with good diet, nutrition and exercise.

Pink Aura people are very romantic and once they have found their soulmate will stay faithful, loving and loyal for life.

The Pink Aura individual is a natural healer, highly sensitive to the needs of others and has strong psychic abilities. They also have very creative ideas and strong imaginations. Because these personality traits the Pink Aura person makes great writers of novels, poetry or song lyrics.

The Pink Aura individual hates injustice, poverty and conflicts. They strive always to make the world a better place and will make personal sacrifices in the pursuit of this ideal.

Pink Aura people are strong willed and highly disciplined and will expect high standards from others. They have strong values and morals and seldom deviate from them. Because of their honesty and likeable nature they are valued as employees but also make excellent employers because of their sense of fairness.

Green Aura:

Green Aura people are highly creative and very hard working. They strive for perfection in everything they do. They have a very determined and down to earth nature and will not allow fanciful dreams and unrealistic ideas to colour their world.

Their creativity takes the form of practical matters such as gardening, cooking and home decorating. The Green Aura individual has a fine eye for beauty and will ensure their appearance and clothing, home and surroundings are both practical and beautiful.

Green Aura people tend to be very popular, admired and respected. They make for very successful business people and can create much wealth and prosperity for themselves. Green Aura people like security, stability and balance in their lives. Any plans they make a well thought out and because this, they seldom make rash mistakes.

Close friends of Green Aura people will be treated to generosity, loyalty and practical advice. Green Aura people do not suffer fools gladly and choose their friends very carefully. People with a predominant green Aura tend to be rather health-conscious and ensure their diet is nutritious; health giving and tasty. They are always in tune with nature and love the great outdoors.

Orange Aura:

Orange Aura people are gregarious, generous, social souls. They love to be in the company of others and don’t mind being the centre of attention or just another face in the crowd. They want to please others and are often the best gift givers, being very thoughtful and generous.

The Orange Aura individual is normally good-hearted, kind and honest. They are very in tune to the emotions of others and can sense and feel their pain and joy. Orange Aura people can be very charming, but part of their charm is in their sensitivity to others. They have the ability to make everyone feel at ease in their company.

The Orange Aura individual can be hot headed and quick to lose their temper. But on the positive side they are equally quick to forgive and forget if a sincere apology is offered and accepted. They do not hold grudges.

Orange Aura people are confident of the impression they make on others and can use this to their advantage. They tend to lead very successful and happy lives. On the down side Orange Aura people tend to be impatient and tend to rush into projects, relationships and experiences too quickly. They normally need to act immediately and consider the consequences later.

Purple Aura:

Purple Aura people are highly psychic, attuned to the emotions and moods of others and very sensitive. People who have a predominant amount of purple in their Aura are seen as mysterious and secretive.

The Purple Aura individual possesses a philosophical, enquiring and intuitive mind. They love to learn and never stop exploring and enquiring into new subjects and areas that interest them. Because this they tend to be extremely interesting and knowledgeable people.

The Purple Aura individual does not have a wide circle of many friends. But the friends they do have are held close and are respected, admired and loved. People with a predominant purple Aura tend to be unlucky in love but once they have found their perfect soul mate is loyal and loving for life.

Purple Aura people connect well with animals and nature. They are attuned to animals and can sense their emotions and feelings. Purple Aura people tend to take in and care for strays as their loving and caring nature makes it difficult for them to turn strays away.

Blue Aura:

Having a predominant blue Aura or energy field surrounding you can point to a number of personality traits. Totally blue Auras are quite rare but can show up as one of the boldest Aura colours in people with strong personalities.

Blue Aura people are the master communicators of the world. They have the ability to convey their thoughts, ideas, views and concepts eloquently and charismatically. They make for excellent writers, poets and politicians.

Blue Aura people are also highly intelligent and very intuitive. They certainly have the head and heart balanced in making difficult decisions and choices. They are incredibly good organisers and can motivate and inspire others.

People who have a predominant amount of blue in their Auras are peacemakers and have the ability to calmly smooth out angry situations. They prize truthfulness, direct communication and clarity in all their relationships. The downside of the Blue Aura personality is that they can take on too much, become workaholics and neglect their personal relationships.

Gold Aura:

Gold Aura people are lovers of beauty and have a very artistic flair. They appreciate the finer things in life and like to adorn themselves and their homes with items of exquisite beauty. They love to entertain and prefer the company of many. They do not feel intimated by being the centre of attention – just the opposite in fact as they like to be the sparkling gem in a stunning crown.

The Gold Aura individuals are very attractive and love to attract attention,
affection and admiration from lots of people. Because this the Gold Aura person will have many, many friends. But they are not just takers of time, affection and attention; the Gold Aura individual will give of their time, energy and love generously.

The charm and charisma displayed by the Gold Aura personality adds to their attractiveness. They are great listeners and can make anyone feel comfortable, important and interesting in their company.

Gold Aura people hate to be criticised and cannot stand any of their flaws exposed. Their main flaw is that of being overly lavish. They like to impress and give the most generous gifts and host the most impressive social gatherings, even if their budget won’t allow this.

They are very proud and fiercely independent and extremely reluctant to ask for help from anyone.

White Aura / Silver Aura:

Silver Aura people are exceptionally gifted. How they use their gifts wisely is their life lesson. Silver Aura individuals are bestowed with sensitivity, intuitiveness, psychic ability and practicality. They can use their spiritual understanding in very practical ways. Because this they can relate to many people and are often found in teaching, mentoring or counselling careers.

Silver Aura people have immense versatility and adaptability and are capable of getting the most out of virtually every opportunity in life. Their high intellect enables then to make the right decisions quickly and follow through with action.
People who have predominant silver Auras are seen as very attractive. They attract many admirers. But Silver Aura people are very discerning and choose their friends carefully and their lovers very carefully.

Silver Aura people tend to be well blessed in looks, personality and talent and as such are seen as incredibly lucky people. Success seems to come easily to Silver Aura people.

Brown Aura:

Light Brown indicates confusion or discouragement. The lack of confidence in ones self, the present situation or in the subject being addressed. Dark Brown indicates selfishness, fault finding, and a tendency toward deception.

Black Aura:

Indicates hatred, negativity, major illness or depression, cheap, miserly. This colour is always a bad sign.
sourceby Gregg Prescott, M.S.
Editor,BodyMindSoulSpirit

Source: http://www.spiritualunite.com/articles/what-is-the-meaning-of-each-aura-color/

The Evolution of Human Consciousness

See how you resonate with the 16 characteristics of this evolved level of human consciousness, as described by Ervin Laszlo…

1. I am part of the world. The world is not outside of me, and I am not outside of the world. The world is in me, and I am in the world.

2. I am part of nature, and nature is part of me. I am what I am in my communication and communion with all living things. I am an irreducible and coherent whole with the web of life on the planet.

3. I am part of society, and society is part of me. I am what I am in my communication and communion with my fellow humans. I am an irreducible and coherent whole with the community of humans on the planet.

4. I am more than a skin-and-bone material organism: my body, and its cells and organs are manifestations of what is truly me: a self-sustaining, self-evolving dynamic system arising, persisting and evolving in interaction with everything around me.

5. I am [an] evolved manifestation of the drive toward coherence and wholeness in the universe. It is the same essence, the same spirit that is inherent in all the things that arise and evolve in nature, whether on this planet or elsewhere in the infinite reaches of space and time.

6. There are no absolute boundaries and divisions in this world, only transition points where one set of relations yields prevalence to another. In me, in this self-maintaining and self-evolving coherence- and wholeness-oriented system, the relations that integrate the cells and organs of my body are prevalent.

7. The separate identity I attach to other humans and other things is but a convenient convention that facilitates my interaction with them. My family and my community are just as much “me” as the organs of my body. My body and mind, my family and my community, are interacting and interpenetrating, variously prevalent elements in the network of relations that encompasses all things in nature and the human world.

8. The whole gamut of concepts and ideas that separates my identity, or the identity of any person or community, from the identity of other persons and communities are manifestations of this convenient but arbitrary convention. There are no “others” in the world: We are all living systems and we are all part of each other.

9. Attempting to maintain the system I know as “me” through ruthless competition with the system I know as “you” is a grave mistake: It could damage the integrity of the embracing whole that frames both your life and mine. I cannot preserve my own life and wholeness by damaging that whole, even if damaging a part of it seems to bring me short-term advantage. When I harm you, or anyone else around me, I harm myself.

10. Collaboration, not competition, is the royal road to the wholeness that hallmarks healthy systems in the world. Collaboration calls for empathy and solidarity, and ultimately for love. We are part of the same whole and so are part of each other.

11. The idea of “self-defense,” even of “national defense,” needs to be rethought. Patriotism if it aims to eliminate adversaries by force, and heroism even in the well-meaning execution of that aim, are mistaken aspirations. Comprehension, conciliation and forgiveness are not signs of weakness; they are signs of courage.

12. “The good” for me and for every person in the world is not the possession and accumulation of personal wealth. Wealth, in money or in any material resource, is but a means for maintaining myself in my environment. Exclusive wealth is a threat to all people in the human community.

13. Beyond the sacred whole we recognize as the world in its totality, only life and its development have what philosophers call intrinsic value; all other things have merely instrumental value: value insofar as they add to or enhance intrinsic value. Material things in the world, and the energies and substances they harbor or generate, have value only if and insofar they contribute to life and well-being in the web of life on this Earth.

14. The true measure of my accomplishment and excellence is my readiness to give. Not the amount of what I give is the measure of my accomplishment and excellence, but the relation between what I give, and what my family and I need to live and to thrive.

15. Every healthy person has pleasure in giving: It is a higher pleasure than having. I am healthy and whole when I value giving over having. Sharing enhances the community of life, while possessing and accumulating creates demarcation, invites competition, and fuels envy. The share-society is the norm for all the communities of life on the planet; the have-society is typical only of modern-day humanity, and it is an aberration.

16. I recognize the aberration of modern-day humanity from the universal norm of coherence in the world, acknowledge my role in having perpetrated it, and pledge my commitment to restoring wholeness and coherence by becoming whole myself: whole in my thinking and acting — in my consciousness.

If you had an “aha experience” while reading even just one of these ideas, you have the foundations of Akashic [Unity] consciousness. And if you had this experience all the way through, you already possess this crucial consciousness.

~by Ervin Laszlo~https://creativesystemsthinking.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/the-evolution-of-human-consciousness/

Original source: Akasha Think (aka, Unity Consciousness)

Living in the Now

By Neven Paar 

PART I

As you are born, so will you die. In this process, the duality of human existence, its inevitability, the Ego is formed and acts as a sense-based intelligence, a protector of the physical body, a survival mechanism that you associate with who you are or who you think you are — your identity, the Self. Because it deludes you into thinking that you are It, the Ego plays an important part in the maturation process and the establishment of consciousness.

As something that belongs to duality, the Ego becomes the localization of your consciousness in the body and as the silent observer of the processes of the mind, you notice that the Ego has a distinct way of operating: It thinks in terms of Past and Future. The past is your interpretation of events, a summary of willful actions and behaviors — things that you were a part of or that happened. 

The Ego uses the past to make decisions about the future. It uses logic and emotion to make these decisions. In most cases, your decisions are not premeditated, but are a result of how the Ego feels at any given moment. Nevertheless, your decisions are invariably the result of memories dredged up from past. This is how the Ego operates — using the past to plan future events. 

By creating a myth-image around the name you are given as well as your personality, likes, and dislikes, the Ego takes care of the physical body and props up your persona. It seeks to protect the Self and shield it from the perceived wrongs that occur as a result of contact with other people's Egos as well as the situations you face. It is always on the defensive and it views the Self as separate from the rest of the world. Many people never get beyond associating the Ego with the Self; the ego becomes the persona and must be bolstered and defended at all costs.

However, if you disassociate yourself from the Ego, upon proper introspection you will discover another part of yourself, namely a silent witness whose role is to watch the mental processes of the Ego and your reactions to the events of daily life. This part of the Self, the Higher Self, is motivated by another faculty of the Self — Love.

The Super Ego

Motivated by the Unity of all things and manifested by a feeling that you are no longer separate from the rest of the World, the faculty of Love is triggered by thinking beyond the Self or the Ego. An Ideal, something to strive for and live up to, it vibrates at a higher frequency than the Ego and, when experienced, produces an emotion that feels better than any emotion the Ego generates.

You are an emotional human being whose overall purpose is to be "happy." When you are able to lose yourself in this emotion of Unconditional Love, you will find it greater than the Ego's insatiable appetite for Self-Love. 

You are naturally conditioned to follow what "feels best." Once you realize that Unconditional Love can be the guiding force in your life, you function out of Unconditional Love rather than the Self-Love needs of the Ego. This in turn raises your consciousness beyond the physical plane. You start to develop virtuous characteristics and your behavior begins to be ethical and moral, a quality that is valued in our society and a willful choice for you to aspire to. 

Acting ethically allows you to "live in the Now," a state experienced more as an emotion than as a thought. The Ego is still present; the Ego is always present, but is mostly silenced by living in the Now. When things happen to you, the Ego will "rear its head" and try to guide you. But if you identify the source of this "guidance" as originating from the past Ego-imprints, you realize it is coming from the Ego and you will reject it. 

Acting from Unconditional Love is something that occurs intuitively and connects you to your Spirit. Because you can "lose yourself" in it, you tend to act under its influence. By losing yourself in the "in-the-moment process," you gravitate towards things that make you lose track of time and space.

The mind thinks in terms of past and future. Going beyond your mind means overcoming past and future thoughts and influences. It seems almost natural. And it is. Because in the Now, in the realm beyond Past and Future, beyond the Ego, is the Spirit. 

The Now

This Spirit is the highest part of you as a human being. You are not just Spirit, but a compilation of different elements. Spirit is the highest part of you and you gravitate naturally towards that which is highest in you. It is a natural inclination.

A Kundalini awakening is a transformative experience that plays out over many years in most instances. The Self goes through a process that deals with the expansion of bio-energy and consciousness. Its goal is to catapult the Self into the Now permanently. The mind is bypassed and instead of thinking logically and emotionally, the Self starts to develop an ability to think intuitively and act according to what the Spirit, the highest part of you, wills. 

This is what is meant when people talk about being one with their Holy Guardian Angel. According to Qabalistic teachings, the Holy Guardian Angel is the part of the Self derived from the Spirit. For human beings, it is the highest conception of God that can be conceived from a material standpoint.

Kundalini acts like a switch implanted within the Self by a higher Source that allows us to evolve past the material, physical world in a relatively small amount of time. It is the Great Awakening, the Rebirth from the Christian Pantheon, and the purpose of all religion. 

Because the Now is a place of pure potential, being one with Spirit, allows you to function at your highest potential. In this Pure Potential, all of your highest dreams and desires can come true because you are able to will them into existence. Past conditioning has no hold on people who live in the Now, especially those who have awakened kundalini. They operate at a hyper-consciousness level, which puts them in touch with Cosmic Consciousness.

Cosmic Consciousness

Once the kundalini has activated and the circuit is functioning properly with the connection to the Bindu point at the top back of the head, consciousness funnels out of this point and the initiate experiences the spiritual realm of non-duality. By focusing on this point, all thoughts and emotions are self-reconciled and the initiate experiences pure joy and unobstructed inspiration. That means being in a state of inspiration 24/7 since this fire is unhindered by the workings of the Ego which houses the duality of the mind. Hence by realizing non-duality, the initiate is constantly in the Now and experiences the power of pure consciousness and potential.

With the self-sustaining Kundalini energy now working in you, a whole new world of potential opens up. No task is too hard, no dream is too big, no obstacle can prevent success in any given area of life that you will into existence. By being in the Now, the concept of Will Power, which is your ability to manifest reality, is enhanced a hundred fold. The energy moves towards the Bindu at the top back of the head and you lose yourself in transcendental states through music or art or other awareness observing exercises.

The feeling that is generated is best described as the "Glory of God" alluded to by Jesus Christ and is the exact state he was talking about when referring to the Kingdom of Heaven. This is due to the rapture that is felt in the heart as the self-sustaining Kundalini circuit becomes fully active. Every action makes you feel as if you’re the star in an Epic movie. You are truly a King; the external world is your Kingdom. As a silent observer, you are outside your being, able to control body language and voice tonality and able to convey the desired effect to the people you interact with. The secret to being, and remaining, in this state, or in the "zone," is to be in the Now.

 
PART II

The Kybalion is a book written in 1908 by the Three Initiates, which to this day stands as one of the greatest, if not the greatest work on Hermeticism. The reason for its power is that it elucidates the Laws of Creation, which are seven in number, and which when applied, serve as a manual to living as a spiritual being on this planet. 

Although compiled by the Three Initiates, its origin is attributed to none other than Hermes Trismegistus, the forefather of all Western spiritual, religious, philosophical, and occult thought. Still revered and respected by all seekers of truth who come across it, this esoteric book has stood the test of time. It is timeless in essence, because the Laws of Creation are timeless and eternal. 

Studying The Kybalion and applying its Laws in my daily life bestowed on me the grace of a full kundalini awakening 12 years ago. Although its wisdom is immense, this article focuses on the specific teachings related to "Being in the Now" and mental transmutation, Laws that govern Creation, which when properly understood and applied, provide the master key to rising above the Ego. We can become demi-gods in relation to those who are unaware of these Laws and who are used by them instead of using them consciously.

The Kybalion is a guide on how to function in and relate to this world. Free copies are available on the internet. Like me, you'll probably read and reread it many times because it sheds light on many occult, spiritual, philosophical and religious truths, and these Seven Laws of Creation are in essence the very source and foundation of everything.

One must grasp the concept and ultimate truth that "The All," which is the Universe, is a mental construct and it can be changed by altering thoughts and beliefs about it and ourselves. By saying mental what I mean is that our minds are the connecting link between Spirit and Matter and all of the planes of existence between the two. So what you think about determines the kind of reality you live in. 

There are many planes of existence, but four primarily for humans: the physical plane, the astral plane, the mental plane, and the spiritual plane. And by using the mind, and our willpower and imagination, we are able to traverse those planes and alter our concept of reality to an unimaginable degree.

Mental transmutation is the art and practice of changing our own moods and mental states into their opposites as well as inducing others through thought induction to do the same. We all communicate telepathically, even though we are unaware of it most of the time. Our thoughts influence others on a subconscious level. Therefore, mental transmutation is the art of consciously changing the vibrational frequency of our own thoughts and feelings as well as those of other people.

The first and most important Law, upon which all other Laws are built, is "The All is Mind, the Universe is Mental." Without this first Law, none of the other aspects of these teachings are possible since the first Law is the master key to unlocking the power of our minds and to using them to shape our reality. The first Law goes hand in hand with the second Law which states, "As Above, So Below," which means there are planes of existence occupying the same space and time that overlap one another. Consciously managing your life from the higher planes allows you to control and rule the lower planes.

The All is Mind, the Universe is Mental

In order to ascend from the Lower to the Higher Planes, you must understand and accept that there is a Higher Self as well as an Ego, i.e., the two aspects of Self existing at the same time inside each and every one of us. And learning to consciously disassociate from the Ego gives you the power to align with the Higher Self and change your moods and states as well as those of others. 

The Ego exists in the mind only and has no place in the "Now." It relates to the world through duality and shapes our personalities. It likes and dislikes things, and it perceives reality through the lens of opposites. In The Kybalion, it is part of the Law of Polarity which states that everything in the Universe has an opposite. The opposite of the Ego is the Higher Self or the Spirit. Consciousness oscillates between the two and we decide through attention and awareness whether we are going to align with the Ego or with the Spirit at every given moment in time.

The Ego exists as a result of past conditioning and our interpretation of life events. Over time, since our birth, we interpret life events through either a positive or negative lens. This is the way we build up our Ego. By interpreting through the perspective of duality, our Ego becomes locked to the wheel of Karma and learns to unify ideas and concepts throughout life.

The Higher Self operates through love, inspiration, and exists ONLY in the Now. It is non-dual, it has no likes and dislikes, no personality, but is the part of us that is our character. This is our Spiritual Self. Therefore, to experience the Now, you will experience the Higher or "God" Self. Both Ego and Higher Self exist simultaneously and we tune into each by listening to the thoughts they whisper to us. 
The Higher Self is in the spiritual plane and, compared to the Ego, is the dominant part of the Self. The Ego exists on the mental and astral planes and cannot reach into the Spiritual plane. The Ego also filters into the physical plane since its modus operandi is self-sustenance, self-preservation, and survival of the physical body. It seeks to protect itself and individualize while the Higher Self finds unity within all things. In the physical body, both the Ego and Higher Self are found and we partake equally of each. 

Each moment in time, we are given a choice which one we will listen to and obey. The Spirit is literally our body double, our Doppelgänger, occupying the same space and time just at a different frequency so it is imperceptible to our senses. Twelve years ago, the realization of this fact induced a kundalini awakening.

We are made in the image of our Creator; we create through thoughts, through our minds. Imagination is the highest aspect of the Self. It is for all intents and purposes, God or the Creator. The difference between consciousness of man and of God is a matter of degree — nothing more. The Creation and dream of God is the Universe, while being made in God's image we are given the ability to dream and imagine things. This is what makes us "as God." The way in which we both create.

"As man thinketh, so he is." This old saying is as true now as it was hundreds of years ago when it was spoken by Greek philosophers. What you think about determines what kind of reality you live in. Knowing this, you can deduce that if you can control your mind and what you think about, you can control the experience of living on this planet. Thoughts induce energy all around us, and once you learn to control your thoughts and raise your own vibrations through the use of your Willpower, you will have a degree of control over your own reality that is otherwise impossible.

There is a fourth dimension, called the dimension of vibration. The Kybalion states, "Nothing rests, everything moves. Everything vibrates." The difference between Spirit and matter is only a difference in vibration. Matter vibrates at such a low density that it is visible to the human eye, since it also is comprised of matter. But spirit vibrates at a higher frequency, invisible to the naked eye, but very present and real. We experience it through the sixth sense — the Mind's Eye.

A kundalini awakening is an awakening to this dimension of vibration. The dimension of vibration is the dimension of energy. Apply this concept now to thoughts and you will have the master key to controlling your vibration frequency. Using your Willpower, you can control the vibration of your thoughts and thoughts of others. To change your vibration and your emotion, you have to apply your Fire/Spirit aspect and focus your attention. It works by meditating or holding your attention consciously on an idea or archetype in order to affect the emotional aspect of Self and change it. Emotion is passive; it receives impulses from Willpower, or by lack of Willpower. It can be transmuted by other people's Willpower. 

If you are not consciously in charge of your reality, other people are. This is why the strong people of the world are stubborn and only listen to themselves. Because to do otherwise is to put your reality into other people's hands. These Laws are kept secret by the people in power because if the truth was out about how reality is shaped, those in power would no longer have any power over others. Being able to apply the Law of Vibration is the scepter of power for complete control over your life. Let those with ears of understanding hear this ancient wisdom. This is mental transmutation. And it is as real as your and my flesh and blood. All one has to do is apply the Laws consciously and with intent.

The Kybalion states, "To change your mood or mental state, change your vibration." Every thought has an opposite. Love has hate. Up has down. Truth has lies. Fear has courage. And so on. And since we live in a world of duality, we can change all emotions into their opposites. Now love cannot be changed to courage. And fear cannot be changed to lies. One can only change emotions into their own opposites. Hence, hate can be changed to love. Fear to courage. Weakness to strength. And so on.

Yin/Yang-Duality

A fearful person can spend all of his life overshadowed by fear and he will not achieve anything. Since focusing on one thing means amplifying it in the mind, it doesn’t matter if you are thinking, "Don’t focus on fear, don't focus on fear." You are still thinking about fear.

But if you focus on its opposite, and hold your attention on courage for a time, you will raise your fearful vibrations into courage, and prevail. But to accomplish this successfully, you must first have an idea of how to enter the "Now" since the "Now" is the place of pure potential where mental transmutation becomes possible.

The Willpower is the Fire element in us. It is the Spirit Self. By applying Willpower to accomplish anything, you are being in touch with your Spirit. The Spirit works through Fire which in turn affects the Water element. The Water element is the memory through which the Ego is formed. It belongs to the past and plans the future, as are all operations which include the Ego. Memory is the water element, it is changeable and unfixed. And it is moved by the Moon since the Moon is the regulator of emotions. This is Hermeticism — understanding of the Universe in a logical and practical way. Hermetic Science is the true science of who we are. It is the Source from which all religion originated. 

Spirit and Fire can always act on Water and Water can drown out Fire, but cannot touch Spirit. In other words, the Ego cannot affect your Spirit, but if you associate only with the Ego, you will forget you even have a Spirit. Willpower is the conscious application of the Spirit through the Fire element. So when we talk about Willpower, it means applying our Spirit and Fire element to change our Water element, our impression of who we think we are, and the reality around us. Fire is regulated and controlled by the Sun. It is light, it is Spirit. It is the First Source, the Father, as the Moon is the Second Source, and the Mother. But these opposites need one another to exist. We, humans, are in the middle of it all.

There is a gap between thoughts and since the Ego is always active and always talking. Quieting the Ego means filling this gap. This can be done willfully because the principle of Willpower is higher in degree than automatic chatter of the Ego. The mind is like a muscle, and the more you work on it, the stronger it gets and it becomes easier to induce silence at will.

In this gap between thoughts, exists the Now — a rapturous state in which to lose yourself for a time, until you are once again conscious of the Ego's thoughts. Depending on how strong your Willpower is, this may last a short or long while. The key is awareness and attention. Focus your attention on silencing the mind which, in turn, raises your awareness. In the Now, you can alter your reality through mental transmutation and realize your highest potential since the Now is a place of pure unlimited potential where anything becomes possible.

This means that if you wanted to become an artist, a musician, or a famous actor or politician, it is a very real possibility. But you must first forget who you think you are, your limitations, and learn to access the "Now" so that you can squeeze the juice of pure potential from it and remake yourself. You must believe this is possible, because it is. Your power of belief is the springboard to making it real. If these are just mere words for you, you will accomplish nothing. Such is The Kybalion. It is "strong meat for men," while the masses are fed "milk for babes." Rule or be ruled.

This is the Matrix. And you are a hero of your own story, although you probably don't know it yet. You are given the ability to dream as well as the power to accomplish those dreams. But if you listen to the Ego that tells you you cannot do something then you will be right, you cannot. If you listen to the Spirit that tells you you can be anything you want to be, again you will be right. The choice is always yours. Such is the Law.

Source: http://www.kundaliniconsortium.org/