Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl00593)

JRC:

In your recent posting, you start off writing as through you were
responding to the discussion on the term "blasphemy", but quickly
come back to the same discussion we've had many times before.

(One of these times, I'm sure we'll tire of the whole thing, and
leave each other alone, pending any new, original ideas that
either of us may have on the subject, and not just test the
improved ability of our "sharper claws" to penetrate armor.)

I've been not making it a point of taking on the psychic stuff, by
either expressing my views on the subject in detail, nor by
providing citations from the theosophical literature regarding it.
But it seems like after a while, your resentment over my stray
comments accumulates to the point where you feel an outburst
against me is necessary, and I have to decide how to respond.

You mention that I've taught you to "throw aside all notions of
empathizing with the point of view of another, and to simply state
my own perspective as forcefully as possible." That certainly was
not something I either try to practice or teach others.

I suppose that you may get the feeling that I've been that way in
the past, because there have been times when you've posted things
and gotten praise. There have been times when I've been the only
person that attempts to contrast what you've said with a
traditional theosophical view, which you're quick to dismiss as
mere intellectual stuff.

Perhaps because I tend to put most of what I say in my own words,
you cannot dismiss it like you might dismiss some of the
theosophical quotes that Bee has posted. Since I'm writing as my
ideas and my views, you have to dismiss *me* to silence them.

Your sensitivity to perceived rankings is likely due to your
feeling rejected by traditional theosophical groups, because
there's a natural reaction to stop listening when someone mentions
they're psychic. This reaction by people in those groups,
though, is wrong, because you are as capable of deep thought and
original insights as anyone else. Not everything you say can be
dismissed as subjective astral experiences, divorced from the
actual reality of life.

There is not really a scale here, with judgment of people being
made. Psychic abilities do not put someone *lower* on a scale, not
any more than they put someone *higher*. Spiritual and
intellectual development is entirely independent of sensory powers
and faculties acquired in a particular lifetime. There is no basis
to judge a person with budding psychic powers, to either put them
ahead of others in evolution nor to classify them as having
recessive, Atlantean traits.

I see you as seeing a scale here where there is none, and reacting
to it by insisting upon a scale of your own, where you end up on
the higher end. This scale, in Alexis' words, ranges from those
with hypothetical truths versus those with perceptions based upon
so-called higher senses. In your words, it would range from those
that are merely intellectual to those with inner sight, where you
equate "inner sight" with the psychic.

You say that I continue to make "utterly condescending statements
of any manifestation of inner abilities." I'd disagree. But I
don't equate "inner abilities" with psychic abilities, and would
consider Richard Ihle's helping of some high school student a
better example of inner abilities than someone seeing the color
blue in an aura.

Alexis, like you, puts high regard in the psychic, so it's natural
to find Alexis applauding you for your "honest and insightful"
remarks. You both may find a problem when I talk about bringing
others to Theosophy, saying I'd like to lead them to a higher form
of understanding, because you've already stated your disagreement
with its doctrines. Perhaps you'd find this viewpoint contemptuous
of the beliefs of others. I'd find the contrary view contemptuous
of the theosophical philosophy, putting it no better than
someone's subjective viewpoint.

As I look at people in the world, I expect to find many of
awakening spirituality and insight where the psychic is either not
there or does not play a dominant role in their lives. The
appearance of extraordinary powers is not the sign of an awakened
soul. The sign is in wisdom, intelligence, compassion, empathy,
and a desire to unselfishly make the world a better place.

Finally, you seem to have a problem with my wanting to respect
peoples' appreciation of the sacred, regardless of their foolish
beliefs, yet at the same time wanting to speak out for what I
consider the truth, uninhibited by the neurotic reactions of
people to the particular words I use to express myself in.

You say that HPB went after people's sacred cows, and that in the
search for truth, one should be free to pursue it without regard
to people's feelings.

I'd say that people's feelings are important, but their
unjustified emotional reactions to things are not. I should, for
instance, be able to express myself using the word "cat" without
regard to someone's unexpected phobia of that word. Here there is
no harm intended in the word and the reaction is clearly the
listener's psychological problem. That is different than trouncing
upon someone's beliefs because of not liking the beliefs, without
regard to the effect upon their spiritual lives.

You mention that an attack on people's beliefs is justified,
because if the beliefs are based upon illusion the beliefs will be
upset sooner or later anyway. That may be so, but I wouldn't
prematurely rip open a baby flower bud or cut open a cocoon, just
because "sooner or later..."

On the other hand, I'd agree with this idea in another direction.
I'd say that sooner or later people's false beliefs, beliefs based
upon illusion, will be subject to challenge and the reality of
life will make itself known. And precisely because of this, people
will come to see the illusory nature of the psychic and will start
to awaken to higher faculties of consciousness.

Best Regards,

-- Eldon