Theos-Talk Archives (December 1995 Message tl00538)

>Bee
>I was taught from theosophy -scratch that hypnotism wasn't good for you. The
>whole thrust of Theosophy is to develop your will intelligence bodies &
>etc. & if you give power over yourself to any outside entity live human
>dead human or other you're not building up yourself spiritually.

Letting yourself be hypnotized or hypnotizing others is wrong
because it always weakens the will. However self-hypnotism can be
a valid technique and has been carefully integrated into most forms of
yoga for centuries. It is probably the only safe and painless way to
change or modify our own world view. Hypnotism is a form of
suggestion and when we suggest positive things to ourself it is
usually advantageous. When G de P says that self-hypnotism or
self-suggestion is wrong I think he means in the sense of trying
to convince ourselves of something on a lower kama-manas level
such as trying to quit smoking by listening to a self-hypnosis or
subliminal tape. I agree with him that such a thing even when it
is effective is a short-term solution rather than being a long-term
solution. However the technique of self-suggestion of trying
to see ourselves as a manifestation of spiritual energy rather than
just a material body for example is certainly effective because
it helps shift our conscious to a higher plane or vibration. The
power of suggestion is well-known in psychology but has been
used in occultism and magic for many centuries but it should
always be used with care and discretion.

<snip>...
>>the brain and nervous system sink below the threshold of ordinary
>>consciousness into the vibrational rates of the glass or other object stared
>>at. Quiet is induced but it is the quiet of death of the mineral kingdom."
>
>I have done this myself when first I began to meditate and I know of many
>people who use something external to concentrate on in meditation. From the
>above it would suggest that it is not the thing to do. Interesting thought.
>
>Bee Brown

G de P is pointing out one of the possible pitfalls of meditation
on an object -- he is not saying that the technique itself is wrong or invalid.
It is not that meditation on an object is "not the thing to do" but rather that
it be done correctly. If done incorrectly one tends to fall asleep being
hypnotized by the operation. This is what will often happen to us if we
try this without a guru or teacher. If done correctly the technique will
result in one-pointed concentration for a few seconds. This one-pointed
concentration when fully developed allows us to go beyond our thoughts
and look directly at ideas and images. It is rather like an important
foundation or a basic-first-step in real meditation.

Jerry S.