Quest Magazine

Printed in the  Winter 2023 issue of Quest magazine. 
Citation: Smoley, Richard,  "From the Editor’s Desk" Quest 111:1, pg 2

Spooky action at a distance. Three times.

Let me explain this cryptic utterance.

The first time: 1687. Sir Isaac Newton published his Principia Mathematica, which first set out his theory of gravity.

People had problems with this. The “mechanical philosophers”—followers of Descartes—objected to the concept of gravity because it set out a nonmechanical form of influence: the gravity of one body affected another even at a distance. Newton couldn’t explain the cause of gravity: he just posited it as a hypothesis, but it turned out to be one that worked very well.

The second time: the early twentieth century. Albert Einstein objected to quantum entanglement—the ability of objects to share a condition even though they are separated—as “spooky action from a distance.” He didn’t like quantum theory, which was at variance with his own theory of relativity. A coming Grand Unification Theory is supposed to harmonize these two theories. We’re still waiting for it.

The third time: now. As Mitch Horowitz ably explains in this issue’s article, psi research, conducted in countless experiments over the last 150 years, has proved the existence of such powers as clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis, and even retrocausation—the ability of an act in the future to affect one in the past. Yet the scientific community still resists these findings, and the gross biases of the media (I mean those read by the intelligentsia) leave the hapless public believing that science has refuted the existence of psi capacities. But the exact opposite is true.

In each case, the underlying problem is the same: skepticism about proven scientific findings because many thinkers cannot accept the idea that there can be a causal connection between two events that are not proximate in time or space.

The physicists never really found a mechanism to explain gravity, so they finally had to give in and posit it as one of the fundamental forces of the universe (to be understood later on—maybe). As for quantum theory, the Nobel Prize‒winning physicist Richard Feynman once remarked, “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.”

This takes us to the fundamental problem in science: causation. All of scientific theory is predicated on causation: the idea that one thing affects another in a consistent and predictable way. But there is nothing in human thought that is shakier than the concept of causation. As far back as 1913, the British philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote, “The law of causality, I believe, like much that passes muster among philosophers, is a relic of a bygone age, surviving, like the [British] monarchy, only because it is erroneously supposed to do no harm.” (For more about this, see my book The Dice Game of Shiva.)

One of the most influential treatments of causation was by the Scottish philosopher David Hume in the eighteenth century. Hume begins by saying that as he looks over the whole range of things that are called causes, he can find no one characteristic they have in common: being a cause is not a property like color or size or shape; the same is true of effects. He inferred that since being a cause or an effect is not an innate property, it is a matter of relation. “This relation,” he wrote, is “constant conjunction.”

Hume’s insight had a great effect on Immanuel Kant, who said that it wakened him from his “dogmatic slumber.” Kant developed his entire philosophy as a consequence. He said that causation (like certain other basic concepts such as identity, necessity, and negation) were not the inherent properties of objects in the world but merely “categories” by which we apprehend those objects.

Kant’s theories proved revolutionary in their own right. In any event, the problem of causation has never been solved: it may have no relation to the actual world “out there” but may simply be a way employed by the human mind to make sense of it.

Of course this puts large brackets around all scientific conclusions, which are based on the premise that one specific thing or event will inexorably lead to another. But nothing of the sort may actually be the case.

Furthermore, since causation is based on “constant conjunction,” scientists stumble over what appears to be remote causation, having difficulty believing that an object can influence another despite separation in time and space. Yet, as we have seen, science itself has proved—three times now—that this does occur. One more time, a narrow and inaccurate view of causation is impeding the progress of actual scientific findings.

Science has already stretched the limits of the human mind almost beyond capacity. When it comes to acknowledge the reality of psi phenomena, it will do so again.

Richard Smoley

Printed in the  Winter 2023 issue of Quest magazine. 
Citation: Buys, Lauren ,  "The Esotericism of the Spine and the Cerebrospinal Fluid" Quest 111:1, pg 28-30

By Lauren Buys

Behind the glare of my computer screen lay a womblike and mysterious space impregnated with Persian rugs, pink lilies, and plump billows of incense smoke. A commandingly calm voice oozed through the speakers with a sentence that immediately made me sit up a little straighter: “The energy of God in the body is the spine; it’s a very exquisite thing.”

My first sip of knowledge from the offerings of my teacher, Carolyn Cowan, stirred a thirst within me for more. What did she mean by this statement? How did she know? Was this Divinity that she spoke of within my spine too or just everyone else’s?

Living in a society obsessed with getting ahead, I’d paid little attention to the architecture that was supporting my every movement. Many of us modern-day humans, in our technologically advanced and goal-oriented matrix, tend to thrust our skulls forward, ahead of the rest of our bodies—a stunning surplus of spines moving about the world in mostly unconscious misalignment. Whether they’re craned forward to gaze at our cellphone screens to avoid eye contact with a stranger or as a desperate attempt to separate our thoughts from our feelings, our heads are getting away from us.

Anterior head syndrome is the term for this postural problem plaguing the planet. If the energy of God does reside in the spine, could our saddened postures be limiting our ability for self-actualization or liberation? Could a deeper understanding of the spine and its shrouded mysteries open us up to a higher level of awareness?

The ancient Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, and Hindus all taught that within the human composition lay the laws, elements, and powers of the universe. Everything that existed outside of man had its analogue inside of man. Pagan mystery teachings focused on demonstrating the relationship between the macrocosm and the microcosm—between God and human. They also held that there was a microcosm of the entire physical body within the brain.

By studying the human constitution, the sages, hierophants, and priests of antiquity were able to understand the greater mysteries of the celestial blueprint. Every part had its secret meaning; every measurement formed a basic standard by which it was possible to measure all parts of the cosmos.

It was believed that the human being herself was the key to the riddle of life, for she was the living image of the divine plan. The human body, not the individual but rather the house of the individual, was thought to have been the tomb of a sacred principle. In hatha yoga, the spine is considered the center of our sacred anatomy, the axis mundi, a ladder to the Divine. To the early anatomists, the upper vertebrae of the spine were known as Atlas: the same Atlas as the giant of Greek mythology, who carried the heavens upon his shoulders (the heavens being represented by the cranial sphere). In ancient Hindu thought, the spine was represented by the Ganges River, a river of life flowing downward. Its tributaries were the distributors of nerve instinct and impulse to all parts of the body.

Before we go any further into esotericism, let’s take a look at the more practical and scientific side of the spine and the magical fluid with which it is bathed.

In the womb, the first part of the fetus to develop is the neural tube. From this tube, the spine is manifested downwards, carrying the central nervous system along with it. The central nervous system, which can be thought of as the electrical wires that run the machine that is your body, then branches off to form all the vital organs (that Ganges River analogy begins to make more sense here).

The entirety of this developing central nervous system is immersed in a substance known as the cerebrospinal fluid. In fact, the brain and spinal cord of the growing fetus are both organized around this clear fluid. As adults, we make 450 to 600 milliliters of it (over two and a half cups) per day and have approximately 150 milliliters of cerebrospinal fluid in us at all times.

The cerebrospinal fluid bathes the outside of the brain and the cavities within it, known as ventricles. Then the fluid travels down the hollow central canal of the spinal cord and saturates the outside of the spinal cord too. Although the spinal cord ends at L2 (the second lumbar spinal vertebra), the cerebrospinal fluid continues to move down through to S2 (the second sacral spinal nerve), where the root chakra and the kundalini energy, esoterically speaking, reside.

Although many people (including me) have spent most of our lives knowing very little about it, the role of the cerebrospinal fluid is huge. It is a vehicle for the transmission of information to the brain, a transporter of nutrients and hormones to the central nervous system, an instructor of stem cells on whether to proliferate or differentiate, a manager of circadian rhythms, a regulator of appetite, an eliminator of waste, and a shock absorber for the brain, pineal, and pituitary glands.

Among the brain cavities mentioned above is the third ventricle, the exact midline space of the head, which is surrounded by the pituitary gland in front, the pineal gland in the back, and the hypothalamus and thalamus on either side. This third ventricle is called the Crystal Palace by Daoists, the Cave of Brahma in Sanskrit texts, and the Third Eye by Theosophists, and it happens to be filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

On the inner walls of this third ventricle are cilia: slender antennae with receptors to monitor information, light, growth factors, hormones, flow, movement, and vibrations. Through the water experiments performed by the Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto, we know that fluids absorb, store, and transmit energy. We also know that our ancestral cerebrospinal fluid was seawater and that it evolved as a way to receive signals from the environment. Could this mysterious liquid be the fluid conductor of Source energy into our bodies? Could this essence be the Divine spark that allows us to be aware of our beingness?

Dimethyltryptamine, more familiarly known as DMT or the “spirit molecule,” is widespread throughout the plant kingdom. It has been used in shamanic rituals to create mystical, psychedelic experiences. Hypothesized to be released at birth and death and during vivid dreams, this amber substance is also endogenously present in the cerebrospinal fluid. Randolph Stone, the founder of polarity theory, stated, “The soul swims in the cerebrospinal fluid.” Dr. Andrew Still, founder of the American School of Osteopathy, envisioned the cerebrospinal fluid as an intermediary in the movement of divine intelligence.

If you were to tag a single molecule of cerebrospinal fluid and follow it throughout the course of the day, it would move through the four different ventricles of the brain, all the way down through the spine to the sacrum, and back up again. In a healthy person, it would take twelve hours for this process to reach completion. Simply speaking, we flush our brains with this substance twice a day.

Since the breath is the vehicle for delivering energy to the brain and we have the ability to control and manipulate the breath, we can use it to accelerate the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid. Through this breath control and the application of tightening and squeezing the muscles typically used to digest our food, assist in elimination, or create a baby (also known as the body locks or bhandas), we begin to rapidly push the cerebrospinal fluid up into the brain. As the breath is held, the cerebrospinal fluid creates a mechanical stress, a pressure against the pineal gland. As the breath is released, a stimulation of the cilia takes place, and sacred chemicals (dimethyltryptamine and serotonin) are released from the pineal gland, which allows for the opening of the thalamic gate at the brain stem. This gate, which is usually closed, is connected with the reticular activating system or RAS. The RAS is responsible for our levels of awareness. Most stimulation of the RAS comes from our senses, from what we see or what we hear. If we were in bed at night and heard a tinkering at our front door or something rattling at the window, our RAS would be responsible for that awareness.

However, when our senses are closed off and the sympathetic nervous system and pineal gland are aroused through the control of breath and the application of the body locks, the thalamic gate opens. Energy from the lower centers of our body moves right into the brain, causing superconscious states of gamma brainwave patterns. This would feel like bliss, ecstasy, an orgasm of the brain—a release of the kundalini energy.

Our spinal columns are made up of thirty-three vertebrae. The number thirty-three has many sacred associations. According to tradition, Jesus was crucified at the age of thirty-three. The thirty-third time that the name of the patriarch Jacob is mentioned in Scripture, he has a vision: “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it” (Genesis 28:12). There are thirty-three deities described in Vedic litanies. This number is also regarded sacred among secret societies in Europe and America.

Included in these thirty-three vertebrae is the sacrum. Sacrum, literally translated, means sacred bone. It consists of five fused vertebrae. Could these five fused vertebrae represent the five senses brought under control in order for the thalamic gate to open? Just as David in Scripture had to strike Goliath, the egoic giant within us, with five stones between his brow, could silencing our five senses allow energy to be correctly elevated to the space between the brow—the third ventricle, the area of the pineal gland? Is it also possible that the anointing, the chrism, and the oil of gladness spoken of in the Bible, could refer to the sacred secretions released by the pineal gland upon activation through the pressure created by the cerebrospinal fluid? Is the Promised Land, “filled with milk and honey,” a metaphor for a state of transcendence reached through the process of raising the kundalini energy or the Christ seed? Could reaching this milk and honey‒filled heaven be the result of liberation experienced through the release of serotonin and DMT (serotonin being a milky substance and DMT amber in color, like honey)? “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” (Genesis 32:30). “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matthew 6:22).

That compelling sentence spoken in my first kundalini yoga class enabled me to delve into a world of which I previously had almost no knowledge but will continue to make all the difference in my own spiritual practice. The spine, serpentine in its flexibility but strong enough to support the entire architecture of our bodies, is a structure that, if paid attention to, can be a powerful magic wand. Our bodies, the robes of our spiritual nature, are actual universes that may be used to access the Divine within each and every one of us. If we take a moment to breathe, pay attention to the inner workings of our miraculous beings, to pull our anteriorly positioned heads out of our cellphone and television screens, and bring ourselves back into alignment with our truth, we may be able to climb the ladder of ourselves, slay the egoic Goliath causing our inner turmoil, and reach the Promised Land of liberation, even if for a moment.

Born and raised on the luscious coastline of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa, Lauren Buys is a Kundalini Global Yoga teacher who now resides in New York City.

Printed in the  Winter 2023 issue of Quest magazine. 
Citation: Hebert, Barbara,  "Viewpoint: The Third Object, Unity, and Altruism" Quest 111:1, pg 10-11

By Barbara Hebert
National President

The Theosophical Society (TS) is based on the principle of freedom of thought. In 1924, the General Council (the international governing body of the organization) wrote the following:

As the Theosophical Society has spread far and wide over the world, and as members of all religions have become members of it without surrendering the special dogmas, teachings and beliefs of their respective faiths, it is thought desirable to emphasize the fact that there is no doctrine, no opinion, by whomsoever taught or held, that is in any way binding on any member of the Society, none which any member is not free to accept or reject. Approval of its three Objects is the sole condition of membership. No teacher, or writer, from H.P. Blavatsky onwards, has any authority to impose his or her teachings or opinions on members. Every member has an equal right to follow any school of thought, but has no right to force the choice on any other. Neither a candidate for any office nor any voter can be rendered ineligible to stand or to vote, because of any opinion held, or because of membership in any school of thought. Opinions or beliefs neither bestow privileges nor inflict penalties. The Members of the General Council earnestly request every member of the Theosophical Society to maintain, defend and act upon these fundamental principles of the Society, and also fearlessly to exercise the right of liberty of thought and of expression thereof, within the limits of courtesy and consideration for others.

This statement highlights the uniqueness of the TS as an organization. Even though there is a body of teachings, no one is required to believe or even study those teachings. What does bind us together as members in the organization are the Three Objects. Before joining the TS, each of us agreed that we are in sympathy with them. These Objects are:

1. To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color.

2. To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science.

3. To investigate unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity. 

These Objects cast a wide net and can be understood in any number of ways. Frequently, individuals perceive the First Object as being inclusive of all beings; the Second Object as an adjuration to learn about various religious traditions, philosophies, and science; and the Third Object as an encouragement to investigate parapsychological avenues. 

Again, we are each free to interpret the Objects as we see fit; however, it seems that much deeper interpretations are applicable. These Objects bind us together as an organization, but even more importantly, they point us toward our ultimate goal: an altruistic way of life in which we serve others. They are a guide that will help us live a life dedicated to the unfoldment of consciousness—not just our own consciousness, but the consciousness of all life.

In her essay “Human Regeneration,” Radha Burnier, the late international president of the Theosophical Society, writes, “Although the Theosophical Society has three objects, it surely has only a single purpose, which is to uplift humanity from the moral and spiritual point of view.”

This work, the upliftment of humanity, is the spiritual path which we are hoping and working to tread. Many have written or discussed the meaning of walking the spiritual path from a Theosophical perspective. If we sum up many of those writings, it becomes clear that walking this path leads us to an inner awareness—not just a theory, but a real Knowing—of the Oneness of all life. This then leads us to the further realization that we must live in such a way that we are serving all life.

The First Object, then, is paramount. Recognizing the unity of all life lays the foundation for Theosophical living. From the perspective of many members, the Second and Third Objects provide a means for us to reach an increasingly deeper understanding of this unity. 

Through the Second Object—the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science—we may find ourselves searching for the thread of the Ageless Wisdom, which exists in each of these areas of human endeavor. The more we search and learn, the more we expand our brains and minds, or in Theosophical terms, the lower mind. We eventually realize that while the lower mind is a valuable component of this physical incarnation and must be honed for our use, it is limited in its scope. We must move beyond it, but in order to do so, we must first understand its uses and limits. 

The Third Object—investigating the unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity—helps us move beyond the limitations of the lower mind. This Object implies the existence of natural laws of which we are currently unaware. It also suggests that our current understanding of ourselves does not grasp the inherent vastness of who we truly are in our essence. 

Clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience, along with other types of parapsychological phenomena, emanate from natural laws that we, as yet, do not understand. Nevertheless, they are simply an extension of the senses that will, in the amplitude of time, come into fruition for all of us. Other natural laws, which we likely don’t fully grasp, include the laws of karma, periodicity, and so on.

An understanding of these natural laws and the grandeur of our true selves does not come from a growth of psychic powers; rather, it comes from quieting the lower mind and then transcending it. As we transcend the lower mind through approaches such as meditation, contemplation, prayer, and being in nature, we have the opportunity to touch higher aspects of ourselves. In other words, we begin to expand our conscious awareness of our buddhic nature. As we do so, we begin to gain, even for a brief moment, a glimpse of the unity of all life. This glimpse indicates an expansion of consciousness. As the consciousness of an individual expands, it expands the consciousness of all life. 

As we investigate the various aspects that can be included in the Third Object, as is the case in this issue of Quest, it is helpful to remember that the goal of the search is not to develop psychic abilities per se but rather to expand our conscious awareness of the unity of all beings, which extends beyond theory and belief into a Knowing. For many, this Knowing compels us to live a life of altruism whose goal is to serve humanity.  

Printed in the  Winter 2023 issue of Quest magazine. 
Citation: Ulics, Rozi,  "Members’ Forum: Parapsychology from the Therapist’s Couch" Quest 111:1, pg 9

By Rozi Ulics

Wir sterben viele Tode solange wir leben, der letzte ist nicht der bitterste.
We die many deaths throughout life, the last is not the most bitter.

—Karl Heinrich Waggerl

Many years ago, personal tragedy landed me on the therapist’s couch. My brother had passed away from a brain tumor, and I was struggling to cope. During one particularly intense therapy session, something unexpected happened. A large black bird launched itself from a strand of trees in the distance, soared across the parking lot, and alighted on the ledge outside the window. Fixing me in its gaze, it started to peck at the glass. And then kept pecking—for an uncomfortable length of time. We gaped, my therapist and I.  “How remarkable,” she said, more than a little unnerved. “What do you think your Theosophists would say about that!?”

At the time, I had just found the Theosophical Society, and as far as my therapist was concerned, the verdict was still out. It wasn’t the Society’s stance on the paranormal that concerned her, for she was very open-minded. It was more the potential for “cultish” influence that gave her pause—especially for a client already on shaky ground.

I myself wasn’t yet quite sure what “my Theosophists” would say about this black bird. I was still new to Theosophy. Was it an omen? A ghost? A warning? Nothing at all?

To me personally, it seemed like a message: “Come.” Perhaps like many of us, I have always found that the pull of the so-called “other side” has always been a bit stronger for me than life in this one. Even without the guarantee that there even was an “other side,” in my state, the current world seemed pretty meaningless. What was the point?

The powers of the mind, especially when paired with strong emotion, are extraordinary. These powers sometimes get unleashed when we are least in control. High fever, head injury, trauma can cause people to display extraordinary skills not present before. When these are entertaining skills. such as the power to suddenly compose full orchestral sonatas without ever having touched a musical instrument, society nods its head in indulgent approval. But when the power involves invoking the tap-tap-tapping of a raven on our chamber door, then it’s a different story. Superstition or dismissal creep in. Such things are most often explained away as random occurrence. But this is harmful. People who are already struggling become even more confused. Helpful messages are then rejected or misinterpreted. Arbitrary things “out there” happen to us, and the world becomes a very scary place. Who can be surprised when vulnerable people fall under the influence of bad actors then?

Theosophy tells us a different story. The universe is full of meaning. The unexplained powers of the mind are real. They can give us signs to follow to what is authentic in life. Rather than things “out there” happening to us, it is the other way around.  The things in the inner world, over which we can have full control if we know how, project out into our environment and draw experience to us. How we respond to these experiences is also in our control, although it takes hard work. And for some of us, professional help.

It seems my powers of the mind were posing a choice I couldn’t ignore, and thankfully my therapist didn’t dismiss. I could either invest in life and be useful, or go already. But I couldn’t stay where I was, feeling sorry for myself and lost.

I bless my therapist for turning me in that moment towards Theosophy. That we have a society where such things as parapsychology and other uncomfortable topics are not only openly explored but given a sensible, nondogmatic context, is remarkable! How lucky we are. What a force for good we can be in the modern world. People are starved for meaning. They are starved to know there is order and purpose in life—even in the events that have no explanation. Ultimately, they are starved to know that they are not alone in this world. If they are not alone, they don’t have to cling to one person or organization to feel safe. Because all of humanity is in this together. That’s the role of the Theosophical Society: to help offer meaning to those who feel meaningless. Because we are all Theosophists in the end. Some of us just need an unnerving tap to know it.

Rozi Ulics is past president of the D.C. National Capital Lodge of the TSA, and has served on the board of directors of the Mid-South Federation and Theosophical Order of Service. She currently serves as Eastern district director on the board of the Theosophical Society in America.