Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00030)

>QUESTION:   Are the results in accord with what Theosophy has to
>say concerning the Astral Plane and the various kinds of Entities
>that inhabit it ?  Are there any maps or warnings associated with
>this ?  How valid are they ?
>

Exactly what does "Theosophy" have to say? It depends on
whether you read Judge or CWL.


>Are there any real dangers (such as those on which there is Lore
>as precautions are taken by those who use "Ceremonial Magic."
>And if there are dangers, what form do they take, either in
>potential or in fact ?
>

Crossing the street is dangerous. So is life. Without risk
you will get nowhere at all.


>I ask this, since knowing about this in advance, gives the
>inquirer some idea of what the new "ocean" is.  Can "maps" be
>made ?  Or does everyone have to plunge in, and seek to swim (or
>float, or be wafted) to some ideal spot of safety, where they can
>see, defend themselves ( against what ?) and show others what the
>safe road is ?
>

Maps have already been made. HPB's 7-planes and 12 Globes
is a map. So is the Qabalistic Tree of Life. In the inner worlds,
there is a lot of psychological projection, and the real danger
doing this is that a lot of repressed stuff becomes conscious.


>What are the individual powers left to a person who enters this
>plane?  Is he as strong and as powerful "there" as he may be
>"here ?"
>

You will have the same strength and "power" as you do in your
dreams, little more or less. So use your dreams to practice first.


>Are there any residual effects implanted in the viewer,
>adventurer, or seeker, as a result of such a visit ?  If so, what
>are they ?  If there are none, then why not ?
>

If not, then why bother? Of course there are karmic effects.
The whole point is to make them.


>How accurate or true is our memory of what we experience "there
>?"
>

How accurate are our five physical senses? How reliable are
our dreams? Our imaginations? Our fancies? If we are clever,
we can learn from all of these.


>Has anything "new" been observed or discovered ?
>

Yes.

>Have the propositions that Theosophy advances concerning
>"Kama-loca" (the plane of desires-after death state) or
>"Devachan" (Blissful state of Spiritual life between two
>lives--also an after-death state) been verified ?
>

Possibly. But few who do this kind of thing are Theosophists
and most could care less about these two things. You can
pretty much see what you want to in the astral & mental planes.
If you look for Kama-Loka, you are apt to find it.


>Is there a single "Observer," "Witness," "Perceiver" in us, which
>remains independent of any set of observations that we witness ?

No. There is absolutely no such independent witness. In this
I agree fully with Buddhism. The observer always changes or
effects what is observed.


>In other words, is our Consciousness one or many ?

Consciousness is one. Identity can be many.


> What serves
>to unify:  1.  Memory,  2.  our sense of continuing identity ?

Yes. But this continuity is broken after death, thus making us
forget past lives because we lost memory. There are magical
techniques to maintain this continuity.


>[ Incidentally, if the ancient Hindus claimed that our existence
>here is illusory (mayavic) then one fact is clear -- there is
>something that is an essential part of us, that IS NOT ILLUSORY,
>that observes and remembers the various experiences on several
>planes, and records them somewhere for future comparison and
>reference ! ]
>

Pray tell me what that something is. So long as you look, you
will not find it. An observer, by definition, is part of an observed
and both form a duality and thus are mayavic. This is Buddhism
rather than Hinduism.


>There are probably many more questions, but if those can be set
>down and gradually a fund of answers be built up around them, I
>think some progress can be made.  It would be good if we can all
>do this together, as a project -- at least we would all emerge
>somewhat wiser, I believe.
>

OK. I have given you my part of the project. But all of what I
have said is pretty standard stuff in Buddhism, yoga, and other
esoteric schools and are not my "pet" views. I only subscribe
to them because they fit my own experiences.

Jerry S.