Ralph M. Lewis, Does Self Survive Death?

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DOES SELF SURVIVE DEATH? A Survey of Immortality and Spiritism

Ralph Ralph M. Lewis Lewis

R 

The Rosicrucian Order AMORC San José, Californi California a MJ-140

1173

MJ-140

Rosicrucian Order - AMORC ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS (Supplementary Lecture)

-BPage One

DOES SELF SURVIVE DEATH? by Ralph M. Lewis, Imperat Imperator or Over 2000 years years ago Epicurus Epicurus said, "Where we are, are, death is not. not. Where Where death comes, comes, there we are not." He meant to allay the the ordinary ordinary fear which which men have of death. death. There is also in his words the indication indication that consciousness consciousness is is self se lf. . Therefore, what occurs when consciousness consciousness may be absent from HTe body, body, or departs from it, it, cannot cannot concern the self because the self is not there there to experience experience it. it. Simply put, put, self cannot be separated separated from consciousness. Furthermore, Epicurus' statement was a direct acknowle acknowledgmen dgment t of the duality of man. man. On the the one hand is the body and the gross material material elements, and on on the other hand, hand, the ego, ego, the self. self. The horror horror with with which which some people people look upon the the disintegrating integrating body need not concern man, man, because at such times, times, according according to the thought thought of Epicurus, Epicurus, self has departed. It is not there to experience what is ordinarily attributed to death. Some people have always believed that death definitely terminates the consciousness— that that when we die, die, self self ends— ceases ceases to be. According to the remarks of Epicurus, Epicurus, this then woul would d obviate obviate the fear of death. If self is no more upon the occasion occasion of death, death, then nothing nothing can disturb us either here or elsewhere because we are are not. not. Conversely, the opposite opposite is true. true. If consciou consciousnes sness s leaves the body body at death death and resides somewhere else on some other plañe, plañe, then death should not trouble us either, either, for wherever we might might be at least least we would not be enduring the experience of death. This question as to whether self perseveres after death has not only con cerned the ancients, but is is also a polemic polemic discussion discussion today. today. It may be be summar summarize ized d as: "Does self, the consciousn consciousness, ess, survive survive death?" The only distinction which we are ordinarily able to make between an animate body and an inanimate one, or one one that has just recently recently passed passed through death, death, is that in the dead one there is a cessation of certain functions which were natural natural to the living body. body. If we were to dissect the dead human body, we would would find find that there are no organs organs missing; the heart, liver, liver, and kidneys are there. there. We would would find as well that no members of the the body had vanished, and that everything everything in the inanimate or dead body is as it was a few seconds, seconds, minutes, or hours before death occurred, insofar as the substance substance is is concerned. concerned. However, we would would admit that some intangible, invisible, motivating forcé that had animated the parts of the living body had disappeared, accounting accounting for the cessation of the functions. functions. This motivating motivating forcé in itself is unknown. unknown. No one one has ever seen it it apart apart from a living living body. In fact, fact, it can only be realized realized through through its its manimanifestations, the things that it accomplishes or causes a living body to perform. When When a common common clock, clock, an alarm clock, clock, ceases to function, that is, is, when it no longer performs the purpose for which which it was intended, the recording recording of time, time, what what has happened? happened? We may examine the clock. clock. We can remove its its face, face, and and we can remove remove its back. When When we look into it, it, we find find that all of the parts apparently apparently are there, there, the hands, hands, the myriad myriad screws, and so

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forth forth. . Some mysterious mysterious entity, entity, however, has has escaped escaped from it. We claim that this mysterious entity is the potential energy of the coiled spring in the clock. clock. When When a spring is woun wound d up, up, accor accordíng díng to the laws of physics, ics, we say that there is in that coiled coiled spring spring a potenti potential al energy, an energy that has a capacity to produce and accomplish. accomplish. In other words, as the spring is unwound, this potential potential energy energy is dissip dissipate ated d in work, namely, performing performing functions of of the clock. clock. However, with all of that explanation, no one has ever seen this potential potential energy. energy. No one one can describe its its appearance. appearance. It is something something which occurs under certain conditions. conditions. We know the formula for producing producing it, it, that is, is, to wind wind the the clock, clock, and when when we do so we restor restore e to the clock its functions functions again. again. However, each of us, us, I am sure, sure, is relucta reluctant nt to believ believe e that the energy of the the clock, that which causes it to function, function, exists exists apart apart from the spring. spring. We do not believe that by winding winding the spring, spring, or by coiling it up, up, we have in some some miraculous miraculous way way captured the energy or drawn it as as an entity from out of space. Many persons, however, think that the ego, ego, the sel self, exists in a manner manner similar similar to to the energy energy in a clock spring. spring. They believe believe that self proceeds proceeds in a mysterious mysterious manner manner from the the parts of the body, body, from the the mechanis mechanism m of of the body itsel itself. f. Consequently Consequently these persons hope to find find some formula whereby at death they can figuratively wind up the body so that once again from its parts they will restore the functions of the animate body, the consciousness consciousness and awareness of of self self. . Obviously, these persons consider it ridiculous to hold that this consciousnes consciousness s of self can or does does exist apart from from the mechan mechanism ism of the body, from its its organs and membe mb ers. rs . To them, them, it is is just as fantastic fantastic as to think that the harmony harmony which comes from the strings of a violin can or would exist apart from that instrument when when it is not not played, played, or that the sweet notes notes of a trumpet would persist after the trumpet no longer exists. On the other hand, hand, there are millions millions of persons through throughout out the world world today who believe believe that the forcé which animates a living body, body, namely namely life life and and the the consciousness consciousness of of sel self, f, are one— ne — in other words, words, that the the life forcé and our awareness of self are one and the same thing. thing. They believe believe that that this life forcé, forcé, which which has as its attribute attribute se s elf, is like like the invisibl invisible e wind wind which which agitates the leaves and boughs boughs of a tree. tree. It suddenly causes them to dance and flutter and gives them all of the ap pearance pearance of a living thing, and then just as as suddenly suddenly ceases, and the the boughs become inert and deathlike in appearance. They believe that this invisible life forcé, which they also think is self, self, enters the body at birth birth and departs departs again at at death. Therefore, Therefore, it is is independent, an immaterial entity, entity, having having no dependence dependence upon the the body whatsoever. But when when it enters, enters, it animates it and at the same time produces the State of self-c self-cons onscio ciousn usness ess. . They contend, contend, however, that this ego or self is not the effect of life forcé acting acting upon the parts of the body. Consciou Consciousnes sness s of self is is not like the tick of a clock coming about from the movement of the parts, but rather the self has existence existence and is is an an entity entity which which enters the body body as as life life forcé. forcé. It is, therefore, their conclusión conclusión that this ego is is not encumbered encumbered by the the

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Rosicrucian Order - AMORC ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS (Supplementary Lecture) Lecture)

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body, and at death it freely freely returns returns to that that source source from whence whence it carne. Inasmuch as this this ego is is so independent, the personali personality ty after death, death, to them, perseveres. Let us us look at the facts of experience. experience. Self is far more real to us than our own bodies. The fact that you are the realization realization which makes you distinct to yourself and separate from all other persons and all other things, things, is the most real experience of your being. One can lose his arms in an accident, or he he can lose his legs, or he may lose his arms and legs, legs, and perhaps perhaps an eye, and yet his self has not diminished. He is just as as real to himsel himself f as he ever was, regardles regardless s of the reduction of his body. The sensation sensations s of self, self, the awareness awareness of your own being, are far more intense than the experiences experiences you have of anything else. else. The realization realization you have of your foot or your hair, hair, through touch or sight, sight, are not nearly nearly as intimate as the impulses, impulses, the impressions of your own conscious existence. existence. It is because because of this that it is so diffic difficult ult for so many persons to believe that such a positive reality as self could cease to be, could termi ter mina nate te, , could vanish into nothingness nothingness at death; death; henee, the almost universal universal innate conviction conviction that the self, self, the personality, survives death. Sócrates says in the the Phae Phaedo do, , that all men recognize recognize that the body is composed of many elements, that it it is compounded, in other words. Furthermore, he relates that it is is the common experience experience that the body is dis soluble. soluble. We have, have, many of of us, us, had the misfortun misfortune e of experienci experiencing ng this this dissolutio dissolution n of of the human human for form. m. Then he further relates how the ancient Egyptians had achieved the art and Science of preserving the physical body, body, so that it can endure for centuries centuries intact. intact. And he reasons that the soul is not not compounded compounded of many elements but is one substance, and we know the soul is immaterial since no one has ever been able to perceive it objectively. objectively. If, If, therefore, a dissolu dissoluble ble substance substance such as the body, composed of many elements, can be made to endure for a great length of time, time, is it not logical logical to presume presume that that which which is immaterial, immaterial, such as the soul, soul, should then be immortal and should endure for even greater periods of time than the body? Immortality Immortality has been a preferred preferred doctrine doctrine with man, man, ever since he has been been able to give any thought thought to his being. There There is a reason of expedi expedieney eney as well well for the doctrine doctrine of immortality. immortality. Life is is no utopia, utopia, it is filled with disapp dis appoi ointm ntment ents, s, disco discoura urage gemen ment, t, grief, grief, disillusion, pain, pain, and suffering. And in in the sunset years, years, and sometimes before, before, men come to realize how futile it is to undo injustices which they have brought brought about due to their ignorance or malice. malice. And, therefore, they hope in another life to atone for their mistakes, mistakes, to make retribution, and to realize ideáis for which which there is not sufficient sufficient time in this this mortal mortal span span of existence. Consequentl Consequently y another existence existence for self is desired after this one.

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We must also not overlook the factor of the instinct of self-preservation. tion. It is a compel compelling ling forcé; forcé; it causes us to fight, to struggle, and to live on here, to put up with all sorts of things things so that we can endure endure for a period period of time in our presen present t state and form. form. This same instinct of self-preservation makes us reluctant to admit or to accept the belief that all must end at death. death. This instinct finds gratification in the thought thought that death death is but a change change of residence, residence, and, and, as Epicurus so allegorically allegorically expresse expressed d it, it, a Crossing Crossing of of a threshold threshold from one chamber into another and the closing of a door behind us. Are There any facts which actually support the doctrine of immortality? It is is one thing to speculate, speculate, to resort to abstract reasoning reasoning about the matter, and to to reverence traditions traditions and legends legends concerni concerning ng it, it, and it is still still another another to be able to find some evidential principi principies es which any reasoning reasoning mind can acce accept. pt. There is an oíd aphorism, aphorism, "the "the economy of nature," which in essence means that nature never wastes either her substance or her efforts. Floods may seem to be a waste of great energy and of of the efficacy of water; water; hurricanes, the dissipation dissipat ion of power as well, but but according according to this aphorism aphorism all of these things fit into a whole plan and contribute to a whole good. Matter Matter is is never destroyed. destroyed. It is an axiom of Science which has been proven as as fact fact. . Forms may change. change. The things which which we perceive perceive as as color, color, shape, and as as having having other certain qualifications qualifications do constantly constantly change. change. If things are are not lost in nature, what has occurred? Just their expression expression has has been altered altered. . The causes of these expressions expressions are im mortal ta l. The basic basic laws laws persist; the idea, idea, if you conceive conceive the the cause as as m i n d , o r the potentiality poten tiality, , if you conce conceive ive it it merely as as law— they they are are the immortal spirit of of nature and of form form. . The ancients used to demón dem ón  strate this principie principie with the use of fire, fire, the burning burning of an object. object. An object appearing in one form when ignited will be changed into a series of other other expressions, expressions, such as the fíame with with its heat and and light, light, the ash, ash, and then then finally impalpable impalpable elements of the the ash itself will disappear. disappear. Change Change of form, form, yes, but there is always an immort immortali ality ty of law and cause. There is much evidence of immortality of a kind in physical science. Biology Biology affords us an excellent excellent example. The chil child, d, through through heredity, inherits the the characteristic characteristics s of his parents. Certain Certain physical physical and and mental characteristics characteristics are immortaliz immortalized ed in the child child. . Everyone Everyone who leaves leaves a descendant descendant is assured that his characteristics, characteristics, that his family stock, are preser preserved ved in them. them. Thus one may have the lips of his mother, or the smile of a revered revered father father. . Again, one may display the determinadetermination of a father or the the humility humility of the mother, or the the scholasti scholastic c inclinations of of a grandfather. These are indications indications of biological biological im mort mortal alit ity. y. Physical Physical immortalit immortality y is an ideal of marriage. Parents want to perpetúate perpetúate in their offspring offspring those characteristics, characteristics, those traits, which they admire in each other. The protoplasm, the living living substance, is like a time capsule capsule. . Several Several years ago a university university in the United United States develope developed d what what was known as a time capsul capsule. e. It was construct constructed ed of special tempered temper ed Steel and substances to resist the ravages of time. time. In it there were posited posit ed objects

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and articles representativ representative e of the the culture, culture, learning, learning, and achievements of our age, with the intention that they be preserved for posterity. This time capsule was then hermetically hermetica lly sealed and placed in a specially constructed constructed vault to to be opened centuries henee. henee. The living cell is is like like that. that. It contains contains the the fruits of of the moment, and immortali immortalizes zes them them in the beings beings that evolve evolve from from it in the future. There is also what may be termed an intellectual or a social immortal immortal  ity it y. The thoughts and writings writings of those minds which which have have captured captured the the imagination of peoples of today are iinmortalized in the consciousness of later humans. For example, Plato Plato is is far far more alive today, today, far more more a vital spirit in thou though ghts ts, , than he was during during the period of his his physical physical existence. His words words are so iinmor iinmortal talize ized d that they take him him into more hom ho mes, es , and they they have reached far more hearts and consciousnesses consciousnesses than those who heard him him when he spoke in the academy academy. . As one writer writer has said, said, think of the lives today that are consecrate consecrated d to Buddha's Eightfold Eightfold Path of livin living. g. This is is a conception conception which has been so immortalized immortalized that millions now have it it as as their ideal ideal. . Again, Again, think of the thousands of mortals who annually trek to Mecca, Mecca, a custom also immortalized immortalized by a doctrine. doctrine. Even deplorable events of history history are are immortalized. immortalized. Each generation generation is is made aware of the ravages of the Assyrian Assyrian hordes and of their brutality, brutality, and also also of the horrors and tortures tortures of the Spanish Spanish Inquisition. It is good that even these be im im mortalized, mortalized, for they tell us of the depravit depravity y of human human nature. They point out emphatically the weaknesses of man better than we could learn by example. William William James, James, whose whose writings on psychology psychology are a elassie, elassie, says we consider sider that the the stream of thought can can cease any any time— that we can stop stop thinking. On the the other other hand, each of of us is inclined inclined to believe believe that the soul is is an incorruptibl incorruptible e substance, and that it does not cease to be, be, but rather persists into eternity. eternity. James further says says that psychologically we support this belief in immortality by the moral valúes which which we attach attach to to the soul. soul. In other other words, if we think a substance substance is worthy worthy to be immortal, it therefore therefore should should be. be. By the the same same token, we consider that any substance which which is is not not worthy worthy should perish perish. . The soul soul, , according to this reasoning, reasoning, having a moral valué, valué, must must therefore therefore persist. James also points out that the average believer believer in immortality immortality will not recognize the consciousness consciousness as possibly possibly being a single factor with two attributes. attributes. The consciousness which which perceives a world world outside of of ourselves may be also the same consciousness which causes us to realize self. self. To use a simple analogy, the conscious consciousness ness may be like a great great light, light, a searchlight searchlight if you will, which which when when it plays plays upon things out o ut side of of us us brings them them into light, and we realize realize them; likewise likewise we can turn this this consciousness consciousness around, around, invert it it, and through introspection introspection become aware of self. The argument against this this of the believers believers in immortality immortality is is that if self-consciousness and the objective consciousness are the same function,

Does Self Survive Death?

Rosicrucian Order - AMORC ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS (Supplementary Lecture)

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then, when the consciousness is introspected, we should be aware of the existence of our own brain and should be conscious of its individual cells. cells. Since we are not conscious of the brain brain but just of self self, , there there fore, fore, they contend, contend, the self-consciousn self-consciousness ess is separate and apart from that consciousness which causes us to realize the external world. The soul is conceived by many persons to be of the universal universal essence, a forcé that is is ubiquitous ubiquitous and eternal. eternal. The essence is thought thought to to be drawn into or to pass through mortals, whereby they become conscious bein be ings gs, , and their ego is thereby thereby established. Upon death, death, this uni uni  versal essence or consciousness is drawn out of the body and absorbed back again into its its source, source, the whole. This mystical mystical conception conception is called absorption into the Absolute. We may liken it it to to water water flowing from from a pitcher pitcher into a glass. glass. As the water water passes into into the glass, glass, it acquires acquires an identity, a distinction distinction, , a personality, if you will. will. It still keeps its identity identity as as water water ununchanged. At death, or when when the glass is shattered, dis disin inte tegr grat ates es, , disappears, appears, the water water returns to its its source, source, flowing back again into the pitcher. If one were were to look into the pitcher, he woul would d not be able to determine from the the quantity of water water therein therein what part, or portion, of it it has been in the glass. The same water water would would still be there, there, but it would would have merged merged with the whole, whole, ready again to enter another another glass which which might be prepared prepared for it. Its Its distinction would would not exist after the destruc destructio tion n of of the glass, after its return to the whole. In general, without going into the specific doctrinal aspects of the Rosicrucian teachings, which cannot be dealt with here, we can say that the Rosicrucia Rosicrucian n conception conception of soul is similar. similar. Rosicrucians Rosicrucians con tend that soul is an an extensión of Divine Consciousness, Consciousnes s, a mind, if you will, or a universal universal soul which permeates everywhere. When the laws laws of nature have creat created ed a living living form, form, such as the human human body, the uni uni versal soul extends itself into that body, body, and the the body becomes becomes a conscious soul and has has personalit personality y and ego. ego. In its its absolute State, the Rosicrucians say, say, this universal universal soul may be compared compared to sunlight, which which is is the harmon harmony y of all colors. The separateness of each color does not exist in the harmony of the white light; however, when when sunli sunlight ght is made made to pass throu through gh a prism, it is is so dispersed persed and refracted refracted that its its wavelength wavelengths s fall fall into an order which we know as the spectrum, and we then have the various colors with which which we are familiar. familiar. These colors have personality. They seem quite distinct from each each other under such circumstances, but when we remove the prism they again merge into the whole harmony harmony of white white light. light. They are not lost; lost; they are there, there, ever ready to appear when another prism prism is is made to refract them them. . The Rosicrucians contend contend that the mortal mortal body's relation to the the soul soul personality personality is like like that— the body gives gives expression to an aspect of this universal soul and the consequent personalities upon death merge again into the whole universal universal soul soul. . They are not lost, lost, and they are ever ready to make their their reappearance, or manifest manifest again again when another body has been provided.

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There are still others who who conceive conceive the soul as a kind of super sub stan stance ce. . Like some of the philosophe philosophers rs of ancient times, times, they look look upon the soul as as consisting consisting of atoms of intelligence, like the the monads of Leibnitz. Those monads monads or soul-atoms soul-atoms enter the human body to gather gather there with the atoms atoms of matter, and they constitute constitute a finer finer substance which is likened to the ego or soul. soul. At death, these persons contend, the atoms of intelligence or soul return to the stream of their source, and they survive therein. Moreover, they retain the cons conscio cious usnes ness, s, the personality which they acquired when they were ínherent in the body. With these doctrines, with these speculations, with these legends and traditions traditions which have come on on down to us through the centuries, the stage was slowly being set for a very special advent, advent, a doctrine that was to challenge the imagination of man. From the earliest earliest times, times, reports by word wor d of mouth mouth and in writing writing have related the experiences which men have had with appari apparitio tions, ns, commonly known as ghosts. ghosts. These ghosts are are related to be shadowlike bein be ing gs, sometimes of humans, a kind of intangible substance, and yet one which which the periphera peripheral l senses can can detect. detect. There are many physical causes to suggest to to primitive primitive minds the existence existence of apparitions. A combination combination of moonligh moonlight t and shadows in a forest forest will cause a strange pattern to form upon the ground; ground; a slight movement movement of the leaves will alter the the patter pattern n and actually actually give it animat animation ion as well well as form, form, and and then, again, cause it it to suddenly vanish. This has a very definite reality to the mind. mind. Reflections Reflections on water wate r and on sand, sand, like mirages, can account psychologically chologically for the belief belief in ghosts. ghosts. I hardly hardly believe believe that there is is anyone who has not experien experienced ced a shock shock, , been been startle startled d at least, least, upon awakening at night to discover over against the wall or near a window what appear appeared ed to be a form, form, a man, or grotesque grotesque creature. creature. If he collected himself sufficientl sufficiently y to examine it, it, he would would find it was merely merely the manner manner in which which the draperies hung. hung. Then again, again, persons who have carelessly tossed their clothes upon a chair would be horrified on a sleepless night to look across the darkened room and seem to see a human figure seated in a chair near the bed, with perhaps a dog at his feet feet. . If such a person were not too terrified, he would would switch on the light and discover that it was merely the arrangement of the clothes which had assumed a fearful shape. Mental aberrations, hal h allu luci cina nati tion ons, s, and obsessions obsessions have also caused persons to imagine such things as apparitions, but but it must be admitted admitted that genuine psychic phenomena have been experienced at times in the past, past, even by primitive primitive minds. However, so simple were the minds, and so inexperie inexperienced nced with the laws involved, involved, that they could not comprehend comprehend what what they perceived, and thus were terrif terrified ied and gave gave vent to their unbridled imagination. imagination. In 1846 1846 strange incidents incidents occurred. In all probabili probability ty similar similar incidents dents occurred many times before, before, but but these attracted attracte d exceptional attention, tion, and they they seemed to integrate into an explanato explanatory ry theory all the speculations that had gone before with respect to the survival of con sciousness sciousness after death and apparitions. One by the ñame of Michael

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Weakman occupied a small house in the town of Hydesville in New York. One night he heard strange noises apparently coming from immediately outside. outside. He went out and made a careful investigation investigation but could not detect their cause. cause. The noises continued, unabated, unabated, for a considerab considerable le time. time. Weakman, Weakman, not being able to account for them and being being so disturbed, finally left Hydesville. The house was then occupied occupied by John Fox and his two daughters, Kate Kate and Margaret, respectivel respectively y eleven and fourteen fourteen years of age. age. One night night they, they, too, heard heard the noises, and they continued continued to experience experience them them. . Finally in December December of 1847, 1847, they discovered covered that the noises seemed to to reveal an intel intelli lige gence nce. . They had a sequence in periodic periodic intervals, in the the form of a code of signaling. A neighbor, named Isaac Post, Post, suggested suggested that the the alphabet be used in in endeavoring endeavoring to communicate communicate with these purported purported intel int elli ligen gence ces. s. The result, according according to the testimony testimony of a number number of witnesses, was a disclosing of secrets which had been known by many persons in the community munity who had departed departed from this earth some time before, before, and so so it was assumed that the origin of these raps and taps which which were heard in the home were departed beings endeavoring to communicate with mortals. The spectacular accounts then received considerable publicity. The first scientific inquiry into the theory of communicating with the dead is beli believe eved d to have been made made in the city of St. St. Louis, Missouri Missouri, , in June of of the the year 1882 1882. . Interest in the phenomena phenomena grew rapidly and and in 1885 1885, , 14,000 persons in America America petitioned petitioned the United States Senate to commission a scientific inquiry inquiry to determine determine whether whe ther there was any basis in fact for these strange occurrences. From such inquiries and out of of such public interest, a new religión was born, namely, Spirit Spirit ism, ism, or as it is commonl commonly y called, spiri spiritu tual alis ism. m. Seance Seance circles were established throughout the United States and also spread to Europe where numerous persons participated in the experiments and gathered to witness witness the the demo demonst nstra ratio tions ns. . Likewise, there was a spread of journals devoted devoted to the topic, topic, purport purporting ing to relate accounts of the the experiences of persons who had crossed crossed into the beyond, and of the methods used to communi communicat cate e with with them, them, and so so forth forth. . What is is spiritualism? What did its its followers followers actually believe? What practices practices did they have, have, and from them what doctrines developed? The first simple, simple, concise theory theory of what spiritism spiritism is, is, what it hopes to accomplish, and what what its ends ends are strangely strangely enough was proclaimed procla imed by a medica medical l physician, physician, a Dr. Dr. L.H.D. Rivail. He was not renown renowned ed in his practice, though he was a reputable physician; physician; perhaps he was unheard unheard of except in his immediate immediate circles, circles, but but his intense intense interest interest in psychic psychic phenomena compelled him to write under the pen ñame of Alian Kardec, and his writings writings by that ñame were read throughout throughout the the world. He define defined d spirit spiritism ism and its ends as as this: the soul, the ego, ego, that that part part which which is is you, does not die. die. It survives survives death as as an intangi intangible ble entity. entity. It is is a disembodi disembodied ed intelligenc intelligence e (as if if you could could think of mind mind existing existing without without body or form) for m), , and this disembodied disembodied intelligence intelligence he referred referred to as spir sp irit it. . These spirits of the departed departed seek seek to to manifest manifest after death in various material material ways ways here on earth, earth, in ways that can even be obobjectively seen or heard. heard. They principally manifest and communicate

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Rosicrucian Order - AMORC ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS (Supplementary Lecture) Lecture)

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with mortals through certain privileged beings, beings, and under certain conditio ti ons. ns . These privileg privileged ed beings are are known as médi mé dium ums. s. Kardec Kardec further contended that the soul reincarnates again, but in the interim, before it takes takes up residence residence in another another body, it may materializ materialize e on the earth plañe many times, to be perceive perceived d by many mortals. mortals. The object of spiritism, as Kardec Kardec defined defined it, it, is that man should turn to these spirits, spirits, especially especially those those who are good, good, that is, of moral excellence, as mentors. Just as as humans will consult authorities here, or will try to emulate persons persons of moral excellenc exce llence e on this plañe, plañe, they should turn to these departed departed beings beings to be guided as as well. However, he admonishes that there are also malevolent spirits which will resort to trickery trickery and deception and, as they did on the the earth plañe, plañe, will will lead mortals mortals astray if if they are not cautiou cautious. s. Conse Con sequ quen entl tly, y, by this Kardec Kardec implies that the departed consciousness or soul takes with it all of its charac character terist istics ics, , all of its its weaknesses, weaknesses, all of its its moral defi defici cien encie cies, s, if it it has any, and can and will, if given the opportunity, opportunity, display display them them in the hereafter to the detriment of unwary mortals. It should not be presumed that such a doctrine and such reasoning or lack of it, it, as you will, applied applied only to gullible and credulous persons. It should not be be thought that the believers in these spiritual spiritualistic istic doctrines were ignorant of the inner workings workings of the the human mind and of basi psychologi psychological cal principies. This phenomenon phenomenon seriously attracted attracted the attention attention of scientists of reput repute; e; for example, example, it attracted attracted Alfred Alfred Wallace, naturalist, naturalist, whom wh om many considered the precursor of the the Darwinian Theory. Theory. Again, Willia William m Crookes, renowned renowned physicist physicist (one (one of his many contributions contributions to Science being the discovery discovery of the the element tha thall lliu ium) m), , after investigating the phenomena for some time, wrote a scientific analysis analysis of his findings, and he summed them up by saying: "I do not say these things are possibl si ble. e. ][ say they they exist." Subs Su bseq eque uent ntly ly, , his reputation reputation in Science was at stake. stake. He was not only ridiculed by the layman or public at large large, , who were in no position position to take a stand because of their lack of knowledge and actual experience with the phe nomena, but but also by his his own colleagues. In 190 1900 0 another éminent scientist, Sir Oliver Lodge, Lodge, was drawn into this field of research. research. He was professor professor of mathematics mathematics at the the University of London, and in the field of physics he contri contributed buted much original original work to the the discovery discovery of the speed of the ion, ion, and much data on the knowledge knowledge of electromagn electromagnetic etic waves, the basis of radio transmission. In 1910 he became the foremost investigator of psychic phenomena and wrote a number number of books on the subject, one of which which is a classic, The Surviva Survival l of Ma n , which which definitely definitely establ established ished his acceptance acceptance of the the idea that the consciousness of man does survive death. Scores of scientists now now became became interested, some possibly possibly for the purpose of disproving others, others, but the majority were seriously convinced of the possibility, remóte as it it might might be, be, that consciousness consciousness in some some manner manner did not cease when when death occurred. Giovanni Schiaparelli, Italian astronomer, was one of these. these. It was he who had discovered discovered

Does Self Survive Death?

Rosicrucian Order - AMORC ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS (Supplementary Lecture) Lecture)

-BPage Ten

the geometric geometric pattern or lines, lines, if you will, will, on the planet planet Mars, which which he called canals and which instigated an investigation into that field of speculation and exploration. Psychical Psychical research societies were now being being forme formed. d. The first first of these was in London, England. The President President was Sir Oliver Oliver Lodge. Lodge. Another Another was formed in New York City; the forme former r Imperato Imperator r of AMORC, Dr. Dr. H. Spencer Spencer Lewis, Lewis, was its its president. These societies were composed composed of eminent eminent men of science and literature. They were not illiberal. They were there to find out what basis there was for the phenomena and try to determine determine the the cause of the the results or the demo demons nstra tratio tions. ns. The New York Psychical Research Society included such eminent personages personages as Isaac Funk of Funk & Wagnalls Wagnalls Dictionary Dictionary fame fame. . The proof of spiritism spiriti sm was contingent contingent upon whether there was such a faculty of mediumship. If mediumshi mediumship p really existed, then the results therefr therefrom om would would have factual basis. basis. A médium médium is is one who is defined defined as as an intermediary intermediary between between this world world and and the next. next. Psychical Psychical research societies found that a great number of these médiums were common frauds. frauds. Their fraudulence fraudulenc e was often exposed. exposed. Sometimes it was very crude, crude, but but in most instances the ingenuity displayed by these fraudulent médiums was amazing. amazing. It showed misdirecte misdirected d intelligence and ability, ability, and constitutes a separate field of of inquiry and discussion. discussion. The motive motive of of these charlatans was almost always always monetary. They hoped to enrich themselves by preying upon the grief-stricken who hoped to bridge the void between this life and a possible other one and thereby communicate with and enjoy an intimate relationship with their departed loved ones, ones, even if but momentarily. Notwithsta Notwithstanding nding the examples of of fraudulent mediumship, many, many incidents that occurred in these seances seances were verified methodically and criticall critically. y. Such verifications revealed revealed that humans, or certain certain ones at leas least, t, upon occasion occasion did display or exhibit strange faculties or powers, powers, which could not be overlooked and must be proved for further understanding. A médium of note during this early period p eriod of research, research, one who all authorities authorities agreed was was sincere and whose phenomena phenomena did display unusual innate powers, was a Mrs. Piper. Piper. Dr. Dr. Hyslop, an authorit authority y on psychi psychic c phenomena, and whose whose work Enigmas of Psychic Psychic Phenomena Phenomena is a classic on the subject, subject, often often interviewed interviewed her-cTunng her- cTunng her seances. seances. To cite cite a few examples, upon one occasion occasion she described described in detail a collection collection of canes which which Dr. Dr. Hyslop Hyslop had, had, and which which he had locked in a chest in this country and had not used for years. years. Some of them were even badly damaged. damaged. Upon another occasion, Dr. Dr. Hyslop was supposed to be comcommunicating municating through a médium médium with his deceased deceased father and, and, in accordance with with his tests tests and inves in vestig tigati ations ons, , he asked the purported purported voice of his father what had happened to a certain mutual friend and whether this this friend, friend, who resided resided in a foreign country, continued continued to attend church. church. The voice of the the purported purported deceased deceased replied that the friend no longer attended attended church because because of an organ. organ. After After considerable effort, effort, Dr. Dr. Hyslop was able to communicate by corresponde correspondence nce with this friend, friend, who

Does Self Survive Death?

Rosicrucian Order - AMORC ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS (Supplementary Lecture)

-BPage Eleven

was now an aged man, and he he learned he had just recently severed his connections with the church over a dispute with the officials in connection nection with the installatio installation n of an organ. organ. Another Another serious and and reputable investigato investigator r was Yza Trisk. Trisk. On one occasion, casion, he was attending attending a seance seance conduct conducted ed by a renowned renowned médium méd ium in Stockholm. Suddenly Suddenly the the médium médium spoke spoke in in a strange voice and uttered uttered the words, "I left earth twenty-four hours ago." ago." And thereupon the the médium, while in the trance, trance, drew a sketch which which was immediately immediately recognized recognized by Mr. Mr. Trisk Trisk as as the the portrait portrait of of a French French poet. poet. He cabled at once, and after after some time was able to verify verify that that the French French poet had died within within the 24-hour period. In fact, fact, at the time that the médium médium related related this information, the death of of this this French poet was not even generally known in his own country. Psychology has an explanation for that type of mediumship whereby a person person assumes assumes a foreign character, that is, is, a characte character r that is not his own own. . Sometimes these médiums claim claim to be speaking in the voice of an Indian Indian guide, guide, or some Greek sage who had passed passed away centuries centuries ago. ago. Again, they will assume the character character of some eminent man of the the immediate mediate or distant past past. . James calis this type of phenomenon phenomenon the secondary personalit personality y of an individual. individual. He explains it thus thus. . We like like to imagine ourselves as other persons. persons. We like to emulate people. people. The lives lives and and accomplishments accomplishments of others impress us. Imitating Imitating and and mimicking mimicking are instinctive with humans, and so so we imitate the voices, voices, gestures, and manners of others. others. In a trance State, this character character which which we emulate emulate and which which is a subsubjective ideal ideal dominates the subjective mind. The médium médium therefore speaks as he heard heard the voice of the one whom whom he idolizes, or as he imagines the voice sounded from what he has read or heard describe described d to him. The words words he speaks in this trance trance State are are thus his secondary secondary personality. When the médium médium returns returns to to the state of objective objective con sciousness, frequently he will not remember remember what has occurred, and when he is informed he will believe believe that he has communica com municated ted with these dead persona personages ges and that the words words which which carne from his own lips were theirs. Messages which are purported to come from the dead through médiums often strangely strangely show the environmenta environmental l influences of the médium. Thus the the vocabulary of the so-called departed speaking through the médium will often contai contain n idioms and slang, and display display the culture culture or lack of culture and education which constitutes the background of the médium himself. For example, example, a departed departed being speaking through a médium médium in in Brooklyn Brooklyn will often often have a very definite Brooklyn Brookl yn accent, regardless regardless of how long ago the being departed departed from this earth. earth. Again, departed departed beings, speaking through through a médiu médium m in Alabama, will will have a very strong Southern Southern accent. accent. This would would indicate the messages messages are a product product of the the médium's mind. However, James makes a frank admission. admission. He says that oddly enough persons who have never been exposed to spiritualistic traditions, traditions, who

Does Self Survive Death?

Rosicrucian Order - AMORC ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS (Supplementary Lecture)

-BPage Twelve

know nothing about them, them, have read nothing of the subject, subject, when when in a trance state will often speak in the ñame of a departed departed person. When When a scientist scientist says, says, "oddly enough," he means that he has has no explanation explanation to account for it. Such persons will often explain the death agony of of the one who is deceased, deceased, and such has has often been verifie verified d by the relatives of the deceased. deceased. Such persons will also frequently frequently describe describe what are are purported purported to be the experiences experiences of the one residing residing in another world or región. Médiums often relate what has occurred thousands of miles distant from where they are located located. . Thus they they will describe incidents happenin happening g in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt, perhaps, when they themselves are located in Boston, or they may describe something which occurs in some little town in the interior of a South American country, when they are residing in Seattle. In their objective objective state, state, such médiums will often often admit that the places they have mentioned mentioned in the trance are not known to them objectively. They even have no knowledge knowledge of of them geogr geograph aphica ically lly. . These are example of the proof of mental telepathy. Early psychologists would not recognize the then theory of mental tele pathy, beca because use as it was promu promulga lgate ted d in the past, it seemed not to be based based upon any natural or physical laws laws and was associated associated solely with supernaturalism. As they understood understood mental telepathy from those who expounded expounded it at at the the tim t ime, e, the mind as an independent independent entity could be be transmitted, leave the body intact, in other words, and travel to a distant mind, communicate with it, and then return to enter the sender's body again. again. This was so fantastic that that it it was dispensed dispensed with by psychology as being outside the bounds of rationalism. But with the development development of neuro neurolo logy gy, , the science of of the nervous system, and with intensive intensive expen exp enme ment ntat atio ion n in high-frequency high-frequency electri electrical cal current currents s and and electroma electromagnet gnetic ic waves, and, and, further, further, with the more recent experiments experiments in encephalograph, it was proven proven that the brain neurons or cells generate an electrical current which is measurable. There was a probability, therefore, that under some some conditions or circircumstances these cells might produce transmissible electric waves, such as in radio, radio, and that another mind could attune to such wavelengths and that that therefore there would be established established in the receiving brain sensations corresponding corresponding to the transmitting transmitting brain. brain. In other words, the receiver receiver would would be conscious of the sender's ideas. ideas. With With this physical physical probability, science then became intereste interested d in telepathic telepathic performances of médiums. Mediumship Mediumship may be divided into two classe classes: s: one of of these, these, the psychic, relates relates to purported Communications with departed intelligences in another world, or on another plañe. plañe. The Rosicrucians say, say, with with respect to this, this, that that if the consciou consciousnes sness s of an individ individual ual survives survives death, if it is is liberated liberated from from its its confinement confinement in the the physical body, it certainly certainly would not desire to seek the mundane immediately and to limit itself to the physical physical world world again. again. Further, it would would not want wan t to to resort to those petty, by comparison, activities and interests of a finite world. It would seem logical that the Cosmic perspective would be far more

Does Self Survive Death?

Rosicrucian Order - AMORC ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS (Supplementary Lecture)

-BPage Thirteen

appealing to a liberated self after death than what this world could offer it it. It would would not want, in the interim, interim, to degrade or depr de prec ecí í ate its advantages by returning to earth in any form or manner to play banjos, blow blo w trumpets, trumpets, and do other childlike things in the dark and dingy rooms of a médium. It is generally generally recognized psycholog psychological ically ly that one of the greatest bonds between individuáis is the emotion of love love. . Certainly, Certainly, then, then, this would wou ld be the closest closest affinity or nexus between between souls souls as as well. well. Therefore, liberated liberated souls, souls, beings who might reside in the the hereafter, woul would d be more bound bound to their loved ones ones whom they left behind behind and would would be inclined, inclined, if this were possible, to com municate municate with them rather than through any strangers, strangers, any médium, for exam ex ampl ple, e, who resorted resorted to strange practices practices motivate motivated d in many instances instances by the desire for fees. The proof that love is a strong and intense emotion that binds persons together together becomes more apparent from the phenomena pheno mena that occur under the the stress of wartime wartime conditions. conditions. It is not uncommon for us to hear or read of mothers suddenly becoming conscious of a son's passing through transition transition on a distant distant battlefie battlefield ld or combat zon zone. e. A subsequent subsequent comparison of facts shows that the mother's reception of the impression occurred two or or three minutes after death was supposed supposed to have taken place. The son's intense intense love for his mother, accompa accompanie nied d by his visualizati visualization on of her, her, resulted in the the phenomenon phenomenon of a projected projected consciousness consciousness of himself himself which the mother mother perceived. Then again again, , if there is the the possibility possibility of communicatio communication n between the living and the dead, dead, is it it not plausible to believe believe that those on the Divine plañe, plañe, those who are freed from physical limitations, would not reach down to the objective, temporal world to communicate and make themselves themselves ap ap parent to the limited objective objective faculties of mortals? mortals? Is it not more probable that we mortals would be obliged to transcend our objective consciousness, to rise rise above this world world by another consciousness, to elevate ourselves to the plañe of consciousness upon which the departed is presume presumed d to exist? It is logical not to expect expect the Divine con con  sciousness of a departed soul to cloak itself in material substance and make itself so grossly manifest that individuáis here on earth can see, feel, or hear it. it.

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