Theos-Talk Archives (August 1995 Message tl00184)

Martin,

I'll have to go through some of my Leadbeater books to provide
you with some pertinent info. Have to do it off line, or it'll
get too expensive. During the Kahuna workshop of 2 years ago,
Serge King taught us the rudiments of astral travel. I've tried
it once or twice, but it needs lots more practice than I've
given it to be able to really do it. It's not something I'd
like to talk about on the e-mail, because of the chance of
misconceptions creeping in. I think that this is something one
has to learn from someone who's really good at it, in person,
under supervision. But I will find you some useful quotes in my
CWL books.

For now Laya Centers. I think what I found in "Turbulent
Mirror" by John Briggs & F. David Peat fits in with the
theosophical concepts, at least somewhat. I'll quote & let you
judge for yourself.
This is a book meant for amateurs.

But first Baborka's glossary:
"Laya-Point or Laya-Center signifies that state where substance
(Prakriti) becomes homogeneous & is unable to act or
differentiate."

I'm looking for quotes in the SD. It's not that simple. I have
the 1977 edition of the Theosophical University Press, which is
a reproduction of the 1888 original:
p.148 "a 'neutral center' is, in 1 aspect, the limiting point
of any given set of senses. Thus, imagine 2 consecutive planes
of matter as already formed; each of these corresponding to an
appropriate set of perceptive organs. We are forced to admit
that between these 2 planes of matter an incessant circulation
takes place; and if we follow the atoms & molecules of say the
lower in their transformation upwards, these will come to a
point where they pass altogether beyond the range of the
faculties we are using on the lower plane. In fact, to us the
matter of the lower plane there vanishes from our perception
into nothing- or rather it passes on to the higher pane and the
state of matter corresponding to such a point of transition
must certainly possess special and not readily discoverable
properties. Such "7 Neutral Center," then are produced by
Fohat, who when as Milton has it - "Fair foundations (are) laid
where on to build ..." quickens matter into activity and
evolution."

Now to "Turbulent Mirror". Around p. 136 the book covers
Prigogine's researches which contradict the 2d law of
thermodynamics that the universe is running down & will
eventually succumb to heat death or entropy.
Prigogine researched non-equilibrium dynamics. "equilibrium is
the state of maximum entropy where molecules are paralyzed or
move around at random. It is that thingless soup which Clausius
said the universe is heading towards. ....
"Prigogine uses the word chaos in 2 distinct, though
sometimes interchangeable ways. There is the passive chaos of
equilibirum and maximum entropy, where the elements are so
intimately mixed that no organization exists. This is the
"equilibrium thermal chaos"' of the eventual lukewarm universe
predicted by Clausius. But the 2d kind of chaos is active, hot,
and energetic - a 'far from equilibrium turbulent chaos'. This
is the chaos that attracted the attention of (several
researchers) ... Prigogine was one of the first contemporary
scientists to discern that in this far-from equilibrium chaos
strange things may occur. He discovered that in
far-from-equilibrium states, systems don't just break down, new
systems emerge." One example given
"Driving between rush hours on the thruway, we're only
minimally affeted by other vehicles. But towards 4 o'clock,
traffic becomes heavier and we begin to react and interact with
the other drivers. At a certain critical point we begin to be
'driven' by the total traffic pattern. The traffic has become a
self-organizing system." Another example are slime molds who
operate randomly, but when food gets scarce they self organize
into a cohesive entity which moves across the forest floor
until a new suitable location is reached. Another example is
heating a liquid, the lower surface hotter than the upper. At
first the flow of the liquid is smooth ... near equilibrium.
The heat difference between up & down grows. It goes into a far
from equilibrium state,.. gravity pulls more strongly on the
upper layer which is cooler and so more dense. Whorls & eddies
appear & continually become more turbulent. The system verges
on almost complete disorder. When the heat can't disperse fast
enough without the aid of large convection currents, the
bifurcation point is reached. The system shift out of its
chaotic state. The whorls transform into lattices of hexagonal
currrents. Turn the heat up further & the hexagons turn into
chaos."

I find similarities between the SD and these modern findings.
Maybe you will as well, & just maybe we're beginning to learn
how laya centers functions.