The Complete Works of Yogy Ramacharaka. William Walker Atkinson
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aware of the thoughts emanating from the minds of others, even though the other minds may be far removed from him in space.
There is one great point of difference between this special sixth Physical sense and the five astral senses. The difference is this: The five astral senses are astral counterparts of the five physical senses, functioning upon the astral plane just as the five physical senses function upon the physical plane, there being an astral sense corresponding with each physical organ, although the astral impression is not received through the physical organ, but reaches the consciousness along lines of its own, just as does the impression received through the physical channels. But this special sixth physical sense (let us call it "the telepathic sense," for want of a better name) has both a physical organ through which it receives impressions, and also an astral sense counterpart, just as have the other physical senses. In other words, it has an organ just as truly physical as is the nose, the eye, the ear, through which it receives the ordinary "telepathic" impressions, and which is used in all cases coming under the head of "telepathy." The astral counterpart is used on the astral plane in certain forms of clairvoyance. Now for the telepathic physical organ through which the brain receives the vibrations, or thought-waves, emanating from the minds of others.
Imbedded in the brain, near the middle of the skull, almost directly above the top of the spinal column, is to be found a small body, or gland, of reddish-gray color, cone-shaped, attached to the floor of the third ventricle of the brain, in front of the cerebellum. It is a mass of nervous matter, containing corpuscles resembling nerve cells, and also containing small concretions of gritty, calcareous particles, sometimes called "brain sand." This body is known to Western physical science as the "Pineal Gland," or "Pineal Body,", the term "pineal" having been given it by reason of its shape, which resembles that of a pine-cone.
Western scientists are completely at sea regarding the function, purpose and use of this organ of the brain (for an organ it is) . Their textbooks dismiss the matter with the solemn statement, "the function of the pineal body is not understood," and no attempt is made to account for the presence and purposes of the "corpuscles resembling nerve cells," or the "brain sand." Some of the textbook writers, however, note the fact that this organ is larger in children than in adults, and more developed in adult females than in adult males - a most significant statement.
The Yogis have known for centuries that this "Pineal Body" is the organ through which the brain receives impressions by the medium of vibrations caused by thoughts projected from other brains - the organ of "telepathic" communication, in short. It is not necessary for this organ to have an outward opening, as has the ear, nose and eye, for thought vibrations penetrate matter of the consistency of the physical body, just as easily as light - vibrations penetrate glass, or X-ray vibrations pass through wood, stone, etc. The nearest illustration of the character of thought-vibrations is found in the vibrations sent forth and received in "wireless telegraphy." The little "pineal body" of the brain is the receiving instrument of the wireless telegraphy of the mind.
When one "thinks" he sets up vibrations of greater or lesser intensity in the surrounding ether, which radiate from him in all directions, just as lightwaves radiate from their source. These vibrations striking upon the telepathic organ in other brains cause a brain action which reproduces the thought in the brain of the recipient. This reproduced thought may pass into the field of consciousness, or it may remain in the region of the Instinctive Mind, according to circumstances.
In our last lesson, "Thought Dynamics," we spoke of the influence and power of thought, and we suggest that, after finishing the present lesson, the student reread the Fifth Lesson, in order to fix the two lessons together in his mind. In the previous lesson we told what thought-waves did - in this one we tell how they are received. Telepathy then, for the purpose of this lesson, may be considered as the receiving by a person, consciously or unconsciously, of vibrations, or thoughtwaves, sent forth, consciously or unconsciously, from the minds of others. Thus, deliberate thought transferrence between two or more people is Telepathy; and so, also, is the absorption by a person of the thought-vibrations in the atmosphere sent out by other thinkers without any desire to reach him. Thought-waves vary in intensity and force, as we have explained in the previous lesson. Concentration upon the part of the sender or receiver, or both, of course greatly intensifies the force of the sending, and the accuracy and clearness of the receiving.
CLAIRVOYANCE.
It is very difficult for us to speak intelligently of the phenomena coming under the head of Clairvoyance without getting into the subject of the Astral Plane, as Clairvoyance is an incident of the Astral Plane and belongs to that subject. But we cannot go into details regarding the Astral Plane, as we intend to devote an entire lesson to that subject, so we must go on with the subject before us, with the understanding that the student will be given an explanation of the nature and incidents of the Astral Plane in due time. For the purpose of this lesson, however, we must ask the student to accept the statement that man has within him faculties which enable him to "sense" vibrations which are not responded to by his ordinary physical organs of sense. Each physical sense has its corresponding astral sense, which is open to the vibrations alluded to and which interpret such vibrations and pass them on to the consciousness of man.
Thus, the astral sight enables man to receive astral light-vibrations from an enormous distance; to receive these rays through solid objects; to perceive thought-forms in the ether, etc. Astral hearing enables one to receive astral sound-vibrations from enormous distances, and after a long time has elapsed, the fine vibrations still remaining in existence. The other astral senses correspond to the other physical senses, except that like the astral senses of seeing and hearing they are an extension of the physical senses. We think that the matter was well, if rather crudely, expressed to us several years ago, by an uneducated psychic, who, after endeavoring to explain the resemblance of her astral senses to her physical ones, at last said, awkwardly; "The astral senses are just the same as the physical ones - only more so." We do not think that we can improve upon the explanation of this uneducated woman. All persons have the astral senses alluded to, but comparatively few have developed them so that they can consciously use them. Some have occasional flashes of astral sensing, but are not conscious of the source of their impressions, they merely knowing that "something came into their mind," and often dismissing the impression as an idle fancy. Those awakening into astral sensing are often as clumsy and awkward as is the infant when the physical senses begin to receive and translate impressions. The infant has to gauge distance in receiving impressions through the eye and ear, and also in the matter of touch. The infant in psychism has to pass through a similar experience, hence the confusing and unsatisfactory results at the beginning.
SIMPLE CLAIRVOYANCE.
In order to intelligently understand the several forms of clairvoyant phenomena, more particularly those forms which manifest in what we will call "space clairvoyance," i.e., the power to see things at great distances, we must accept as facts the occult teachings (which the latest discoveries of modern physical science are verifying) that all forms of matter are constantly throwing forth radiations in all directions. These astral rays are many times more subtle and fine than ordinary light rays, but they travel in the same manner and are caught up and registered by the astral sense of sight just as are ordinary light rays by the physical organs of sight. Like ordinary light rays these astral light rays move on infinitely, and the highly developed and trained astral senses of the advanced occultist register impressions from distances incredible to the average reader who has not studied these matters. These astral light rays penetrate and pass through solid material objects with comparatively no difficulty, and the densest bodies become almost transparent to the trained clairvoyant vision.
In all of the several forms of clairvoyance herein noted, there are of course various degrees of clairvoyant power on the part of the clairvoyant. Some manifest extraordinary power, others average, and the majority possess only occasional and more or less rudimentary power of sensing on the astral plane. This is the case with simple clairvoyance as well as with the higher forms, which we will presently describe. Accordingly, one may possess some of the characteristics of simple clairvoyance and lack the others.
By simple clairvoyance we mean the power to receive astral impressions from near by, the clairvoyant not possessing the power to see distant things or to sense things