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FOOTNOTES TO “MEDIUMS AND YOGIS”

[The Theosophist, Vol. III, No. 8, May, 1882, pp. 197-198]

[The author of this article, identified only by three stars, in the course of his explanation of the difference between yogis and mediums, says: “As the magnetic power is directed to any particular faculty, so that faculty at once forms a direct line of communication with the spirit, which, receiving the impressions, conveys them back to the physical body.” To this H. P. Blavatsky remarks:]

Sixth principle—spiritual soul.

In the normal or natural state, the sensations are transmitted from the lowest physical to the highest spiritual body, i.e., from the first to the 6th principle (the 7th being no organized or conditioned body, but an infinite, hence unconditioned principle or state), the faculties of each body having to awaken the faculties of the next higher one, to transmit the message in succession, until they reach the last, when, having received the impression, the latter (the spiritual soul) sends it back in an inverse order to the body. Hence, the faculties of some of the “bodies” (we use this word for want of a better term) being less developed, they fail to transmit the message correctly to the highest

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principle, and thus also fail to produce the right impression upon the physical senses, as a telegram may have started for the place of its destination faultless, and have been bungled up and misinterpreted by the telegraph operator at some intermediate station. This is why some people, otherwise endowed with great intellectual powers and perceptive faculties, are often utterly unable to appreciate—say, the beauties of nature, or some particular moral quality; as, however perfect their physical intellect—unless the original, material or rough physical impression conveyed has passed in a circuit through the sieve of every “principle”—(from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, up to 7, and down again from 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, to No. 1)—and that every “sieve” is in good order—the spiritual perception will always be imperfect. The Yogi, who, by a constant training and incessant watchfulness, keeps his septenary instrument in good tune and whose spirit has obtained a perfect control over all, can, at will, and by paralysing the functions of the four intermediate principles, communicate from body to spirit and vice versa—direct.

[The author says: “The Yogi forms a direct connection between his spiritual soul and any faculty, and, by the power of his trained will, that is by magnetic influence, concentrates all his powers in the soul, which enables him to grasp the subject of his enquiry and convey it back to the physical organs, through the various channels of communication.” H.P.B. adds:]

Or—direct, which is oftener the case, we believe.

[The author also says: “If he desires to traverse space in spirit, this is easily done by him by transferring the faculty of will. . . .” H.P.B. adds:]

From the physical to the Spiritual body and concentrating it there, as we understand it.