Index: Seven precepts of initiation - We are reflections of a soul - Ethical Conscience - Who we are and who we become - Maturation of the physical identity - Sublimation of the sexual energy - Conscience and physical senses - Development of the senses - Physical and subtle senses
«…is there a connection between the Aura and the Service for the Wellbeing and the Progress of Humankind?»
In the prologue that introduces this subject (see) we established the reasons for our research, aimed at reaching at least two goals. We intend to discover the potentiality of the conscience, in order to improve the latter through suitable methods; also to recognize our subtle identity by differentiating it from the material identity.
Research, knowledge and direct experience are the theorem of initiation; in other words it means to know oneself and to practice for the purpose of reaching one’s inner apex.
The practice on oneself is necessary in order to develop latent potentialities. Once the latter are developed, they can be used on the outside with several degrees of altruism until we reach the «service for the wellbeing of the humankind».
Seven precepts of initiation
Let’s remember the first seven precepts of the initiatory teaching:
1) The true man is the thought, because the ability to think makes us conscious of being and it allows the creation of intelligence (knowledge) in order to advance, improving ourselves through a series of acts of will (strength);
2) The true Initiate is the soul, that enlightens the physical mind by completing it with its presence (inner communication and method of presence);
3) The initiatory path is an inner way, outside it there is only illusion;
4) Initiation is the link between conscience and physical reason and it is developed from the ùnion between physical intelligence and Reason of the soul (higher initiation);
5) The soul is the expression (reverberation) of the energetic nucleus called monad (allegory of the inner God) from which the spiritual conscience expands;
6) The way of progress and inner liberation goes through the building of the mental bridge, which links different aspects of the same conscience.
7) By expanding his mental abilities man frees himself from the bonds of the animal nature (the physical body). After that it will be possible to commit for the building of the link with the higher conscience.
Part 1
We are reflections of a soul
The aura is the reflection of the vital energy called soul, whose inner reverberation is called intelligence. The aura is characterized by the conscience and it becomes the area of consciousness and mental potentiality.
If we observe the image on the right we can deduce some details of its composition: colors and external links. These details will be dealt with further on, in the essay on the methods for the expansion of the aura. For the moment we can think of the aura as an energetic mirror impressed by the energy of thoughts, feelings and emotions. It has combinations of colors that are a consequence of the mental activity of the man inside it.
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Ethical conscience
Mental tendencies and attitudes of man are the criterion to measure conscience; they indicate where his mind is focused and on which aspects he addresses his efforts. The quality and the strength of propositions change when the attention moves; the latter focus the area of conscience that colors the aura, defining the nature of the service. Emotional colors can be grouped in two big sections: the egocentric and the altruistic. The prevalence of one or the other gives tone and it tinges the individual’s activity (*), originating two main parts: interested and disinterested service.
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(*) The colors of the aura and the light of the soul. Absolute good and absolute evil don’t exist; in the same way there isn’t an absolute color in a mind. We rather have mixtures where a tint prevails. This will last until man evolves through one of the processes of mental specialization, which gives form to more and more defined colors. On the last evolutionary stretch the conscience reflects the main color, white, which symbolizes the brightness of the soul.
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Interested service originates from a reason subject to itself, concentrated on its wellbeing; it follows its desires and passion and it only acknowledges its own judgments or similar ones.
Altruistic service is impersonal and its reward is to take pride for a well accomplished task. A characteristic of altruism is the purity of a conscience which is free from pompous tones of ideologies and dogmas. Furthermore, mental freedom and harmonious conscience induce to listen not only to ourselves. Listening through the heart is true altruism.
Who we are and who we become
Many cultures divide man’s individuality in two sections, although they might use different words to describe them. One is the “subtle identity”, which corresponds to the subtle conscience; the other is the “physical identity”, corresponding to personality and its attitude.
The subtle identity (spirit) is the part of conscience that preserves a memory of itself.
The subtle essence pre-exists the physical existence and it is the permanent aspect of man. The spirit is the “immortal” part of man and from this idea originates the figurative expression of “celestial man” and “son of God”. To the subtle identity corresponds a mind with the same features; it has, though, the faculty of free will.
The physical identity is the impermanent (mortal) aspect of human existence.
Personality lacks of memory and it builds itself by social and cultural imitation (learning), despite the mutability of passion and emotional impressions. To the physical identity corresponds reason which is incapabable of free will and it has the faculty of free choice.
The difference between physical reason and subtle mind produces the separation that prevents them from being in contact. It can happen, then, that for a long time the two identities ignore each other’s existence and they proceed towards substantially antithetical directions. (*)
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(*) This aspect is represented in the astrological figuration; in the zodiac the signs linked to the personality rotate from Aries towards Taurus, whilst the signs connected to the soul rotate from Aries towards Pisces.
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When the influence of the subtle identity reaches the personality, the physical conscience reacts by trying to get closer to the pole where the influence comes from. This interaction originates from the law of affinity and magnetic attraction for which every higher simile attracts a lower simile in the energy field they have in common.
As a consequence of the higher influence, the attention of the reason directs towards its direction, originating an approach march called “initiatory path”.
Maturation of the physical identity
The childhood of the physical conscience is mainly an egocentric stage, where reason is focused on itself and its own (pre) conceptions. According to the eastern tradition, this period can last many lives (700 and beyond).
An intelligent detachment from emotions opens the adult stage of physical identity, where the maturation is reflected in the reason, upsetting its ability of thought. The effect of this development is a particularly dynamic mind that, joined with a remarkable expansion of conscience, originates a superior mind (*). The consequence is that a higher level of consciousness and inner sensitivity are the access to the subtle planes of thought, now able to receive impressions from the planes of the archetypes as well.
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(*) Mental poweris the will that has become strength of thought that determines the mental level.
Power and mental quality don’t depend on the quantity of notions impressed on the memory, but on the concentration given from the will to the energy of thought; in other words it depends on the speed of frequency (vibration) produced by the mental substance. Therefore the strength of the thought depends on the speed of its mental connections (synapses) rather than the piling of information. The storage of notions (passive or feminine aspect) and the development of mental concentration (active or masculine aspect), are two different processes that give two different results.
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In the uncertainty of the first stage of growth, the childlike mind is particularly busy to discover itself (who am I, what do I want?); to discover and satisfy its own needs* (bi- sogni) and its own desires.
The duration of the second stage can’t be forecast; during this time the reason is attracted by the great force of sexual energy. Reason is conditioned by sex and is projected in the direction of pos-sesso**; the latter becomes the source of the main conflicts with itself and whoever or whatever it wants to subdue. This stage is characterized by egocentrism and egoism, produced by the insensitivity of the material senses, unable to reciprocate the influence of the soul.
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*Play on words in the Italian version. “Bisogni” means in Italian “needs”. The word divided in two: “bi-sogni”, gives “sogni” which means “dreams”.
**Another play on words. “Possesso” means “possession”, whilst the word split in two: “pos-sesso” gives the word “sesso” which means “sex”.
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The constructive part of knowing oneself consists of balancing the different aspects that make one’s own psychic essence, starting from the sense of self-affirmation, self-esteem and ability to relate with others. The excesses that could blind reason should be avoided; so the excess of self-esteem or the ability to relate that becomes seduction and moral subjugation.
The maturity is the time when man can replace the principles of free choice with those of free will. These two words are often confused or swapped but, in actual fact, they have completely different meanings.
Free choice is characterized by improvisation. The reason makes casual and fortuitous choices, result of unclear-minded and often emotional judgments. The freedom of choice is accompanied by the idea of luck and bad luck.
Free will is characterized by a coherent and clear-minded judgment that follows a cautious consideration. Free will originates from the mind acting together with the potentiality of the higher Ego (*). From this match begins the so-called superior mind, able to conceive objective analysis and to mature conscious judgments and decisions.
Compared to the freedom of choice, the free will appears like a kind of foresight that man can use to free himself from the dangers of occasional choices.
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(*) In order to understand the meaning of the higher Ego, let’s say that its mental position is the super-consciousness. It means that it sits between the level of conscience of the soul and that of physical conscience. By comparison, we can say that if reason is the expression of physical conscience, the Ego is the expression of the super-consciousness of the soul. Therefore the Ego becomes the vehicle between the two entities. As a consequence, the most advantageous way of developing one’s potentialities is to build a “bridge” between the mind (lower self) and the higher Ego.
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Sublimation of the sexual energy
Sexual activity (eros) is meant to generate pleasure and push the individual to generate other forms, which will be stimulated by the energy of the soul. Therefore the creativity of sexual energy (libido) is limited to the generation of earthly envelopes of a mortal nature. For this reason many philosophies consider its creativity as an illusory force. Every transitory, ephemeral and impermanent form is considered an illusion.
Once improved its qualities, the tension of this energy gives strength to the psychic substance, which will be able to create forms of thought of a higher order. At the top of the physical journey, mental creativity becomes intuitive intelligence, originating thoughts more and more refined and complex.
Sexual energy is an attracting force, neither good nor bad for itself. Through the senses, it brings a kind of chemical-hormonal falling in love that allows nature to survive the dissolution of the earthly envelopes. The sexual drive, then, leads individuals to reproduce and prevent the extinguishing of the species; on the astral plane this is the most important service that man can give to the life of the planet.
Mental exaltation as well (ideological or religious) is a product of sexual energy. More precisely, it comes from the generating center connected to the genitals. The antithesis of exaltation, which dims the mind, is illumination, which expands it.
In some cases the illumination is produced by the sublimation of sexual energy; such as when it turns into the drive to reach a high degree of self-conscience, which leads the energy of the subtle conscience to fall into the physical conscience and illuminate its mind.
The accomplishment of this task occurs through a long process of mutation where the self-consciousness has a prominent role. By re-awakening the conscious will, in fact, man can turn the sexual energy into an intelligent and conscious instrument (mental plane); when this is sublimated it turns the mind into a source generating extremely pure forms of thought (higher mental plane). After conquering this plane (mental) we go on to develop the different degrees of inner perception.
Eastern doctrines state that the process of material elevation reaches a point where it overcomes earthly limits, closing the chain of physical generation (spiritual plane). This means that once overcome a certain limit of development there’s no part of a conscience that can be adapted to a material form. The man generated by a divine idea can develop only on the planes of spirit. The development of conscience and therefore of man, though, can’t help considering that the abilities of the physical senses as well must be celebrated, just like psychic abilities. The development of the conscience of what we perceive is a condition originated by the interaction between mind and senses, which must be educated simultaneously.
Conscience and physical senses
The physical senses are originated by the will of the conscience to perceive the outside world. Through mental will (that replace instinct and impulse of the physical nature) they can be expanded.
Development of the senses
The illumination produces a mental vision that goes beyond the caducity of the physical senses, originating the metaphor of the third eye. This seems to imply the existence of other senses; it is not so. Every sense has a subtle use and the different perception depends on the point of conscience where the perception is used. From emotionality develops the astral vision, whilst from logics we have a purer mental vision and so on, up to the spiritual vision.
By developing the mind we can appreciate a wider horizon of conscience. This ùnion overcomes the limit of the physical reason up to build a higher mental vision: the so-called third eye. Beyond this point the superior mind links to the subtle conscience and the mind approaches the spiritual vision. In order to succeed it is necessary to start with order. The first obstacle is the link between reason and conscience.
Amongst the techniques to expand the link between reason and conscience, the most effective to educate the subtle use of the senses is visualization. Furthermore, visualization gradually inhibits physical-animal perceptions, freeing the mind from their exclusive dependence.
Physical and subtle senses
Hearing
The physical hearing is perceived through the ears; by developing mental sensitivity, though, it allows us to perceive the motion of feelings. By extending this faculty we soon become aware of the presence of other people’s feelings and of sensations that we used to consider alien.
Mental hearing is developed through empathy. It originates from the link between two hearts and it enables us to communicate without words. The ability to link mentally with the world of ideas is the preamble of vertical telepathy (*), which links the conscience of the subtle planes with itself.
Mental hearing and intuitive mind develop the plane of wisdom.
When intuitiveness becomes a constant aspect of intelligence it allows the acknowledgment of the characteristic tone of an individual or the fundamental tone of a group. The mind finds the joining points among several elements by guessing that even when they are very different, properties have similar aims and methods. This is the ability of synthesis.
By joining the differences through common points we can recognize symmetries and correspondences in any field of knowledge.
The subtle hearing is a source of beatitude because it recognizes the omnipresence of sound (which mystics interpret as a chant) as an evolving and unifying means of cosmic existence, whose tones become the fundamental models of every living form.
Its symbology is the Sacred Word, the Lost Word and the Words of Power. The exoterical representation of sound is the Pillar of Harmony of ritual use.
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(*) «Vertical telepathy is possible when the expansion of the sense of hearing is such to interest Psyche.» In other words vertical telepathy is the phenomenon of communication between the higher Ego and personality, viz. the physical mind. Its presence is necessary for the accomplishment of illumination.
The expansion of the sense of hearing we are referring to is the chance for man, during his evolutionary development, to become aware of the so-called higher psychic powers, called siddhi by the Easterners. The “powers of the mind” are the subtle counterparts of the physical senses. For example, the sense manifested as hearing on the physical plane, on an astral level becomes clear-hearing, whilst in the higher mental level it is telepathy. Old Commentaries call the senses manifested on the astral plane “phenomena of lower psychism” and those belonging to the subtler planes of the mind, namely closer to the higher Ego, are called “phenomena of higher psychism”.
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Touch
Physical touch allows us to recognize the characteristics of what or whom we get in contact with.
Emotional touch means to get in touch with sensations or ideas that have a similar emotional expression.
Mental touch, called psychometrics, is the faculty of reaching the heart of the idea and the word by overcoming the form or expression that encloses it, obscuring its essence.
Mental contact can be experienced as an acknowledgment, a memory or an anticipation of what is perceived.
Intuitive touch increases the sense of mental and spiritual orientation (see horizontal and vertical orientation). Feeling with participation means that the hands can become powerful instruments of energetic reception and transmission.
Spiritual touch is the ability to recognize the spiritual unity in every form.
Its symbology is the touching that marks the recognition among similes, or the imposition of the hands as an initiatory or therapeutic transmission, or the consolamentum (see consoled friars).
Sight
Physical sight is the perception through the eye.
Emotional sight conceptualizes colors but it also builds moral models and imagines new forms of thought.
Mental sight is the ability to conceptualize the inner spaces of symbols and geometrical forms.
Intuitive sight allows to conceptualize the sounds of ideas and their motion.
It is the mental vision symbolized by the third eye.
Spiritual sight is pure perception.
When a concise and brief idea appears to our mind, it can’t be interpreted straight away and it is perceived as a dazzle. It is a psychic flash that we can’t interpret but whose content enlightens the mind.
These are the small and big illuminations that enlighten the way of the researcher; they can be skillfully multiplied.
Its symbology is represented by sacred lights. It is the metaphor of the half light, which represents the sight of the lower reason, and the full light, representing the vision of the higher conscience, the impersonal intelligence not tainted by the emotions of the physical senses.
Taste
Physical taste distinguishes the flavors and controls the lower procedures of taste.
Emotional taste is imagination.
Mental taste is the ability to discriminate every form of duality, included the difference between the thoughts of the higher Ego and those originated by the personal self.
Intuitive taste is intuition itself. It is the immediate knowledge obtained through the direct perception of what is known, rather than by learning notions. (see knowledge through contact).
Spiritual taste is the evolutionary drive that the subtle conscience (soul) uses to involve the personal self (physical conscience) in its project of manifestation. The soul uses its own experience to build better physical forms, which will allow it to affirm more and more in the world of matter.
Its symbology is the Cup of Libations; either the sweet taste of enlightened love or the bitterness of its betrayal is taken to the mouth (which represents man’s conscience) through this cup. It is possible to distinguish, then, desirable from hateful actions.
By discriminating chaos from truth and beauty, namely separating harmony from dissonance; good from evil; real from unreal, taste becomes the sense of Balance and Justice. We match it with the symbol of the Scales that measure and the Sword that separates the opposites.
Smell
Physical smell perceives the smell that excites several psychic elements, originating emotions that change the mental attitude.
Sensorial stimulation concerns all senses, but it is especially true for the sense of smell. By selecting the smells we can determine a particular state of alignment and mental receptivity. This is why special smells are used in ceremonies.
The olfactory sense on the emotional plane is the system of religious devotion and idealism based on the desire to own and elevate what we love or to destroy what is antagonist.
The olfactory sense on the mental plane is the faculty to discern.
The olfactory sense on the intuitive plane is intuitive idealism and mystic orientation, untied from any religious system but marked by impersonal spirituality.
The olfactory sense on the spiritual plane is the principle of the mind in its creative activity, in order to perfect the link between personality and inner spiritual planes.
Its symbology is the ritual Fumigationsof essences whose vibrating quality moves particular sensations; it can also correspond to definite zodiacal characteristics. 
