Doug Fisichella...
Douglas Fisichella is a Student of the Arcane School founded by Alice A. Bailey and a life long student of the worlds religions
Focus
In an effort to address what is sometimes referred to as "alignment" of the personality vehicles I would like to point to a few of the interactions between the vehicles themselves. The polarization or "focus" of personal identity predominantly in one vehicle subdues or effectively moves the activities of the others into the background. As we are all aware the human personality consists of the Physio-etheric, Astral, and Manasic vehicles. These are alternatively known as the physical body, emotional body, and the mental body. In most of humanity the desirable balance between the vehicles has not yet been attained and one of them is dominant. For our day and age the predominance of the physical needs is fairly rare and this level of consciousness sometimes known as Lemurian need not hold much of our attention. The emotional focus referred to as Atlantian consciousness is very common, and the Arian (a very misused and misunderstood term) holds the focus in the mind.
As we proceed, we must assume for argument's sake that there is a reasonable capacity in all the bodies in order to examine the situation in a useful manner; a reasonable capacity for thinking being present as well as emotional sensitivity, with one being dominant for example. If we are to consider practically these situations for the moment it would seem sensible to preclude any severe emotional or mental disease or disorder.
When the consciousness is focused or polarized in the emotional nature we can sometimes see very erratic behavior in the physical body. It is the outer reflection of all the inner happenings in the consciousness of the person in question. There are many people in the world who seem to be running around looking for the next thing that would justify an emotional outburst, righteous indignation or some other call to arms because of a perceived injustice. They are not necessarily concerned with taking appropriate and measured action, just getting upset. It seems to occupy much of the news coverage of the day.
In a person who is polarized this way it seems, at least during the violent periods of upheaval, that the mind takes a back seat and has little ability to influence the behavior of the individual. In that state the mind is blocked from the access to the physio-etheric body by the state of siege under which the astral body is functioning. Logic has no chance to even leak through. I believe that a person in that most extreme example would have no idea that he was fulfilling the implication which triggered his reaction. Of course this can be seen in far less dramatic circumstances but the issue is the same. Thought must precipitate down from the finer levels of the Manasic plane through the Astral to effect the functioning of the physical man.
In the case of mental polarization the astral body is still an intermediary of sorts, but with the energy focused more on the mental plane the astral has less power to dominate and block the process. With time spent in this type of state the emotional nature is purified and controlled and those violent reactions curtailed. The emotional needs have been relegated to a position of far less importance and only indulged if the mental nature sees it as prudent. The same can be said of the physical needs. Food or water, sex, and any other drive are natural functions and should be heeded when the time and circumstances prove favorable. If the Astral body is dominating rather than the mind the body can be made to suffer. Over indulgence in food can cause the physical body to become ill and overweight. Other examples of this are easy to imagine.
With the polarization in the mind and the emotional drives stilled, the desire nature is transmuted into aspiration, an important tool to the aspirant and the disciple after him. The emotional nature then becomes a willing partner in the developing man rather than a hindrance. This is a crucial step in human development. With the emotions quieted and the mind active and vivified the aspirant gains access to abstract levels of thought and becomes a conscious creator. These thought forms are then infused with and strengthened by astral matter. The desire nature galvanizes the man into action to bring his new creation to fruition on the physical plane. This can be anything from a new invention to a simple but positive modification of his own behavior and attitudes.
All of the above serves as an illustration of the reasoning behind approach of the occult sciences. In order to create effectively the occultist must embrace the ways of the mystic in its far more emotional approach because to suppress the emotions or clamp them down actually impedes the process. We must use all of the tools at our disposal in a measured and balanced way. This is the Noble middle path.
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