Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tt00434)

Nov 29th 1997

Dear Sveinn:

I had set your inquiry aside to think it over.

You ask there about my thoughts on the "Etheric Brain."
 on an "etheric body" correlated to every human
 on "higher and lower centers"
 On periods of time and evolution.

I will try and give what I understand to be Theosophical answers.

It is relatively easy to deal with your last question first because some
informtion has been given on that and on cycles.

HPB in transmitting the information which the Adept Lodge has been
custodian of for millenia, mentions the periods of time involved in
evolution in SECRET DOCTRINE. Vol. 2, pp 67 to 74. I found some
corroberative figures and statements in THEOSOPHIST, Vol. 5, pp 48-9;
THEOSOPHIST, Vol. 2, p 80; THEOSOPHIST Nov. 1885, p. 115-6; LUCIFER, 6,
pp, 27-31, 176; LUCIFER, 10, pp. 98-100; LUCIFER, Vol. 4, pp 30; LUCIFER
13, pp. 183-4; LUCIFER 14, pp. 514-5;

There are many more references, but I have always had difficulty fitting
the 4 Yugas, into the scheme of years that mark the cycles given to us, and
also to fit our present position in regard to those cycles. As a matter of
curiosity it exists but as to the practicability and use of such
information, I am uncertain. No doubt, the Adepts, to whom "the ultimate
divisions of Time" are no secret can do this with ease.

As I understand it, there are 7 "globes" -- each represents a condition or
stage of developing consciousness. These could be said to correspond to
the 7 days of a week. As the evolutionary stream passes through any one of
the "Globes," it has an opportunity to grow in terms of assimilation to the
influences that predominate there. A complete passage around the 7 Globes
is termed a "Round."

Within each "Globe" are 7 divisions of time, probably also correlated to
the 7 universal influences and to the "globes." These have been termed
"Races." And, within each "Race," are the "sub-races," "family-races,"
etc...

A few date/times are given to us in the SECRET DOCTRINE. SD II 68 footnote
denotes the time of the Evolutionary clock for us. SD I 662 seems to give
us the exact date and time for the beginning of our present Yuga, the Kali
Yuga. We are just over 5,000 years into it.

In an article "Premature and Phenomenal Growths," THEOSOPHIST, January
1884, HPB also makes some valuable statements as to our present exact
evolutionary position.

You quote the period given for the "family race," Sub-race," from SD II
435, and if these figures are extended (without considering the intervening
sandhyas [twilights] and minor pralayas, we can arrive at some figures
which i sense are not correct. I have tried to adjust these with the Yugas
and have failed to arrive at anything exect enough.

==

 Etheric Brain, ours and the Universal :


Now, as to an "Etheric brain" I have not found HPB using the term
"etheric"
except as a contrast to the word she uses for the invisible side of nature,
the astral. She also is quite positive about Akas not being the ether of
science.
[ see SD I 76fn, 97, 140, 205fn, 255, 257, 296fn, 326, 515fn, 534-5, II -
135, 298fn, 594fn ]

A brain implies a form -- something that becomes a repository of events and
is also used by INTELLIGENCE during the process of evolution.

It seems clear that when any Evolutionary period commences it is a
reincarnation of an earlier one. In other words there is Kosmic, Cosmic
and
other designations of collective forms used through which INTELLIGENCE,
WISDOM, PLANNING, acts. It also implies that there are BEINGS, once Men
and Women, such as we now are, who have transcended the merely
ratiocinative stage, and have broadened their perceptions outward to the
infinite, as well as inward to the SPIRITUAL SOURCE which is enshrined in
every being of whtever grade or level of consciousness/intelligence. These
are made into the Agents of the UNIVERSAL MIND in reshaping and recreating
the new Cosmos, which is in effect arising from the "ashes" of the old one.
 they are given various names by the ancients: Builders, Cosmocratores,
Dhyan Chohans, Dhyani Buddhas, Ah-hi, Prajapatis, Rishis, etc... many
terms, each designating some particular duty which is theirs.

So a UNIVERSAL BRAIN would in effect include every being that is under the
preocess at that time and place of co-evolution with uncountable numbers of
beings which Karma has associated it with.

In a footnote in LUCIFER, Vol. 7, pp 475-6, HPB wrote:

"Occult philosophy reconciles the absurdity of postulating in the
manifested Universe an active Mind without an organ, with that worse
absurdity, an objective Universe evolved as everything else in it, by blind
chance, by giving to this Universe an organ of thought, a "brain." The
latter, though not objective to our senses, is none the less existing; it
is to be found in the Entity called KOSMOS (Adam Kadmon in the Kabbalah).
As the Microcosm, MAN, so in the Macrocosm, or the Universe. Every "organ"
in it is a sentient entity, and every particle of matter or substance, from
the physical molecule up to the spiritual atom, is a cell, a nerve center,
which communicates."

 "This is precisely what occult philosophy claims; our EGO is a ray of the
Universal Mind, individualized for the space of a cosmic life-cycle, during
which space of time it gets experience in almost numberless reincarnations
or rebirths, after which it returns to its Parent-Source."

"The Occultist would call the "Higher Ego" the immortal Entity, whose
shadow and reflection is the human Manas, the mind limited by its physical
senses. The two may be well compared to the Master-artist and the
pupil-musician. The nature of the Harmony produced on the "organ," the
Divine melody or the harsh discord, depends on whether the pupil is
inspired by the immortal Master, and follows its dictates, or,
breaking from its high control, is satisfied with the terrestrial sounds produced by
itself conjointly with its evil companion--the man of flesh--on the chords
and keys of the brain-organ."

"In the course of natural evolution our "brain-mind" will be replaced by a
finer organism, and helped by the sixth [Buddhi] and the seventh [Universal
Vision--of ATMA] senses. Even now, there are pioneer minds who have
developed these senses..." [ see SD I 161-2 II 444-5 ]

"Mesmeric and hypnotic experiments have proven beyond doubt that sensations
may become independent of the particular senses that it is supposed to
generate and convey it in a normal state...it is already demonstrated and
beyond any doubt that under certain conditions our consciousness and even
the whole batch of our senses, can act through other organs [than the
brain], e.g., the stomach, the soles of the feet, etc. The "sensing
principle" in us is an entity capable of acting outside its material body;
and it is entirely independent of any organ in particular, in its actions,
although during its incarnation it manifests itself through its physical
organs."


In an article entitled "Kosmic Mind" LUCIFER, April 1890, HPB indicates in
part:

"...because consciousness in every universal atom and the possibility of a
complete control over the cells and atoms of his body by man, have not been
honored so far with the imprimateur of the Popes of exact
science...Occultism tells us that every atom, like the monad of Leibnitz is
a little universe in itself; and that every organ and cell in the human
body is endowed with a brain of its own, with memory, therefore,
experiences and discriminative powers. The idea of Universal Life composed
on individual atomic lives is one of the oldest teachings of esoteric
philosophy..."
 HPB Articles, vol. II, p. 180


"Man is undeniably endowed with a double set: with [1] natural or physical
senses--these to be safely left to physiologyto deal with; and, with [2]
sub-natural or spiritual senses belonging entirely to the province of
psychological science...It is the spiritual EGO of SELF that serves as the
fundamental base, determining the tone of the whole life of man--that most
capricious, uncertain and variable of all instruments, and which more than
any other needs constant tuning..."

"Therefore, we say, man in addition to the physical, has also a spritual
brain.
If the former [physical] is wholly dependent for the degree of its
receptivity on its own physical structure an development, it is, on the
other hand, entirely subordinate to the latter [spiritual], inasumch as it
is the spiritual EGO alone, and accordingly as it leans more towards its
two highest principles [fn." Buddhi andAtma"] or towards its physical shell
that can impress more or less vividly the outer brain with the perception
of things purely spirtual or immaterial. ..."

"On the other hand, the more spiritual a man, the more active his fancy,
and the greater probablity of his receiving in vision the correct
impressions conveyed to him by his all-seeing, his ever-wakeful EGO. The
spiritual senses of the latter, unimpeded as they are by the interference
of the physical senses, are in direct intimacy with the highest spiritual
principle; and the latter though per se quasi-unconscious part of the
utterly unconscious, because utterly immaterial ABSOLUTE--yet having in
itself inherent capabilties of Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Omnipotence
which as soon as the pure essence comes in conact with pure sublimated and
(to us) imponderable matter--imparts these attributes in a degree to the as
pure Astral Ego.

"Hence highly spiritual persons will see visions and dreams during sleep
and even in their hours of wakefulness: these are the sensitives, the
natural-born seers...Those less spiritually endowed will see such dreams
but at rare intervals, the accuracy of the latter depending on the
intensity of their feeling in regard to the perceived object...."

 HPB -- "The Universe in a Nutshell" THEOSOPHIST, Jan. 1882
 HPB Articles, Vol. II, pp. 298-9


So, you may notice that a number of your inquiries are partly answered in
these few quotations. I hope that this may prove of service and help to
you.

>From hints given here and there I have noted that it is suggested as in
"Elixir of Life" [ Five Years of Theosophy, p. 1 ] that there is the
posibilility of developing a "permanent astral body." I can only partly
understand this and have been seeking for a definite rationale in
understanding this. I believe it has something to do with the development
under tuition of a master of the chela's inner self and nature, and is
enormously affected by the degree of control that the chela acquires over
his "feeling-kamic" nature.

HPB wrote a rather difficult to understand, but probably the most important
in this connection entitled "Psychic and Noetic Action" LUCIFER, Oct & Nov.
1890 (HPB articles, Vol. 2, pp 7 - 27).

Have you had an opportunity to review and study this closely ? There are
also some important suggesions made by her in TRANSACTIONS OF THE BLAVATSKY
LODGE, pp. 66-76 in the Edition published by Theosophy Company.

With my best wishes as always, Dallas

I am writing this in haste as I have taken time over answering, so please
excuse any typos that may have crept in. D.

==