Esoterically the human being is made by mineral substance, animal substance, psychic substance and spiritual substance.
The nourishment that feeds the physical body contains characteristics and radiations of the birthplace that, once absorbed, stabilize in the cells and determine their organic-emotional characteristics.

Food affects the cells of the physical body; its principles influence its activity and its radiations ‘magnetize’ it to the territory (homesickness is this, too) where he drew his vital substances for a long time.
It is a kind of energetic poisoning that determines dependence from the birthplace.

The chemical-energetic dependence on food is accompanied by the habit to taste, viz. the assuefaction to the culinary habits of the people, originated by the kind of territory they are in.

If food affects body and physical mind, though, the Initiate is educated to influence his diet in order to turn it into an instrument for service, used to give his body and emotions (the astral body) all the effects he wants to give it. Nourishment, then, becomes an occult vehicle for emancipation. It is a precious ally to accomplish the metamorphosis of the earth-water element, which solidly contributes to the transmutation that devotionals call purification.

If we join together two old rules, the result is that ‘whilst the body becomes what it eats, the thinking being becomes what he thinks’.

Obviously for certain aspects the two rules can coincide, but it is a bit extreme to turn alimentary praxis into philosophy or an article of faith.

Alimentary praxis is based on certain concrete and necessary factors. Among them we must consider the physical and energetic use and abuse required by bodily activity. It is unlikely that the body of a lumberjack can endure the daily work by following the same alimentary praxis of a philosopher. If this element can appear debatable, though, the next one cannot.

Alimentary praxis undergoes imprinting of different nature. Among the biggest, we find the cultural one on the surface and the genetic one deeper down.

Cultural imprinting is to be found in alimentary habits of the individual through the conditionings that affect him during all his life (family, religious, national culture, etc.) the second factor is the most important and at the same time the most underestimated.

Genetic imprinting is, in plain words, the memory of habits and physiologic needs, acquired and transmitted to the individual through DNA from all the generations that preceded him.

From this we can also draw an ‘esoteric’ example.
In initiatory Schools it is taught that obesity and avarice are psycho-somatic factors, both caused by the danger of great famine that forced ancient peoples to excruciating mass exoduses and to a cruel natural selection. From those who were most hit (impressed = imprinting) comes the need and ability to ‘hold’ what is useful and necessary to survival. But I don’t want to bore you with a long diversion.

Genetic imprinting originated by remote causes can be modified. In order to do it harmlessly, it must be recognized in its form and essence. This is part of the esoteric question: ’who am I?’ which every candidate must face sooner or later.

The modification of an imprinting must undergo a slow and intelligent action of de-conditioning until it reaches the most desirable ‘modern’ form.

On this subject I remember a teaching from the texts about Agni Yoga: ‘…if being vegetarians was the fundamental condition to reach Initiation, elephants would all be initiates.’

I would like to advise you to pay great attention to the subject of individual nourishment; I would put it this way: ‘how would I want my physical vehicle and what do I want to do with it?’.

Surely I don’t want a city car to do extreme off-road driving; likewise I don’t want an off-road car to go shopping to the supermarket around the corner! I would certainly avoid any extreme position on the subject, which wouldn’t be useful or conclusive.

The esotericist follows every subject with composure and ethical sense, avoiding conspiracy hunting that would turn them into articles of faith or an exasperating war flag. The adept should keep as far away as possible from the latter, leaving to the exaltation of childish minds the continuation of holy wars that smell like sulfur.

by Athos A. Altomonte