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Altered states of consciousness are the key to magical powers.
The particular state of mind required has a name in every tradition: No-mind. Stopping the internal dialogue, passing through the eye of the needle, ain or nothing, samadhi, or one-pointedness. In this book it will be known as Gnosis. It is an extension of the magical trance by other means.
Methods of achieving gnosis can be divided into two types. In the inhibitory mode, the mind is progressively silenced until only a single object of concentration remains. In the excitatory mode, the mind is raised to a very high pitch of excitement while concentration on the objective is maintained. Strong stimulation eventually elicits a reflex inhibition and paralyzes all but the most central function — the object of concentration.
Thus strong inhibition and strong excitation end up creating the same effect — the one-pointed consciousness, or gnosis.
Neurophysiology has finally stumbled on what magicians have known by experience for millenia. As a great master once observed: "There are two methods of becoming god, the upright or the averse." Let the mind become as a flame or a pool of still water. It is during these moments of single-pointed concentration, or gnosis, that beliefs can be implanted for magic, and the life force induced to manifest. Table 1 on page 33 shows a number of methods that can be used to attain it.
The Death Posture is a feint at death to achieve an utter negation of thought. It can take many forms, ranging from the simple not-thinking exercise up to complex rituals. A very fast and simple method consists of blocking the ears, nose and mouth, and covering the eyes with the hands. The breath and thoughts are forcefully jammed back until near unconsciousness involuntarily breaks the posture. Alternatively, one may arrange oneself before a mirror at a distance of about two feet and stare fixedly at the image of one's eyes in the mirror with an unblinking, corpselike gaze. The effort required to keep an absolutely unwavering image will of itself silence the mind after a while.
The particular state of mind required has a name in every tradition: No-mind. Stopping the internal dialogue, passing through the eye of the needle, ain or nothing, samadhi, or one-pointedness. In this book it will be known as Gnosis. It is an extension of the magical trance by other means.
Methods of achieving gnosis can be divided into two types. In the inhibitory mode, the mind is progressively silenced until only a single object of concentration remains. In the excitatory mode, the mind is raised to a very high pitch of excitement while concentration on the objective is maintained. Strong stimulation eventually elicits a reflex inhibition and paralyzes all but the most central function — the object of concentration.
Thus strong inhibition and strong excitation end up creating the same effect — the one-pointed consciousness, or gnosis.
Neurophysiology has finally stumbled on what magicians have known by experience for millenia. As a great master once observed: "There are two methods of becoming god, the upright or the averse." Let the mind become as a flame or a pool of still water. It is during these moments of single-pointed concentration, or gnosis, that beliefs can be implanted for magic, and the life force induced to manifest. Table 1 on page 33 shows a number of methods that can be used to attain it.
The Death Posture is a feint at death to achieve an utter negation of thought. It can take many forms, ranging from the simple not-thinking exercise up to complex rituals. A very fast and simple method consists of blocking the ears, nose and mouth, and covering the eyes with the hands. The breath and thoughts are forcefully jammed back until near unconsciousness involuntarily breaks the posture. Alternatively, one may arrange oneself before a mirror at a distance of about two feet and stare fixedly at the image of one's eyes in the mirror with an unblinking, corpselike gaze. The effort required to keep an absolutely unwavering image will of itself silence the mind after a while.
