them. Such experiments, however, completely rule out any such thing from the outset and forever! While
an investigator, through artificial assistance, may ultimately be able to push some sensitive or
mediumistic human being out of his earthly gross material body into the Ethereal World nearest to him,
but not a hair’s breadth above the region to which he belongs in any case by virtue of his inner
development. On the contrary, through artificial assistance he cannot even bring him that far, but always
only to the environment nearest to all that is earthly.
However, this environment nearest to the earthly can only contain all that of the beyond which is still
closely earthbound, that which remains chained to the earth by its inferiority, its vice and passion.
Naturally, now and then something more advanced will also temporarily dwell in this environment.
But this is not always to be expected. Nothing exalted can be there, purely by virtue of the Natural Laws.
Sooner would the world be turned upside down, or... the soil for anchoring the Light would have to be
present in a human being!
It is hardly to be assumed, however, that this should be found either in an experimental subject or in
such a groping investigator. Thus the danger and uselessness of all experiments remain.
Moreover it is certain that without the presence of a highly advanced human being, purifying
anything of a coarser nature, something of a really higher nature cannot approach a medium, much less
speak through him. Materializations *(turning gross-material) from higher circles are altogether out of the
question, to say nothing of such popular pastimes as knocking, movements of objects, and so on. The gap
is far too wide to be easily bridged.
Even with a medium, all these things can only be carried out by such souls in the beyond as are still
very closely connected with matter. Were it possible otherwise, that is to say, if an exalted being could so
easily make contact with humanity, then there would have been no need whatever for Christ to become
man, but He could have accomplished His Mission without this sacrifice. *(Lecture No. 14: The
Redeemer) The souls of men today, however, are certainly no more highly developed than at the time of
Jesus on earth, so that it cannot be assumed to be easier to establish connection with the Light now than it
was in those days.
Now, psychic scientists declare, of course, that their primary aim is to establish the fact of the
existence of life in the beyond, and especially the fact that life continues after physical death; and that in
view of the doubt prevailing today very strong and forceful arguments are needed, hence earthly tangible
proof, to breach the defenses of the adversaries.
But this reasoning does not justify the repeated endangering of human souls in such a wanton way!
Besides, there is really no compelling need to set about convincing malevolent opponents at all costs!
Surely it is well known, and already made clear in Christ’s statements, that they would not be prepared to
believe even if an angel came directly from Heaven to proclaim the Truth to them. As soon as the angel
had gone they would simply insist that it was a case of mass hallucination and no angel at all, or trump up
some other excuse. And if any thing or any body were brought, which or who remains in an earthly state,
i.e. neither vanishing nor becoming invisible, there would again be other excuses, just because it would
then be too earthly for those who do not wish to believe in a beyond. They would not hesitate to declare
such proof a swindle, the person a dreamer, a fanatic, or a swindler. Whether it be too earthly or too
unearthly, or both together, they will always have something to find fault with or to have doubts about.
And if they know of absolutely no other way, they will fling mud, proceed to vigorous attacks, and will
not shrink from violence.
Therefore, no sacrifices should be made in order to convince these doubters! Still less, however, for
many of the so-called adherents! With a strange kind of arrogance, these think that, due to their generally
rather vague and fantastic belief in life in the beyond, they can make certain demands on it in order to
“see” or “experience” something. They expect from their guides other-worldly signs as a reward for their
good behavior. The expectations they harbor, which they consider to be their natural due, are often as
utterly ridiculous as the knowing, benevolently forgiving smile with which they mask their real
ignorance. It is poison to stage performances for these masses; for since they imagine they know so much,
the experiments are little more to them than well-earned hours of entertainment, in which those in the
beyond are expected to act as music-hall performers.
Now, leaving aside the big experiments, let us consider small ones, such as table-turning. These are by no means as harmless as people imagine, but because of the extreme ease with which these practices
can spread they are a very grave danger!
Everyone should be warned against this! Enlightened persons must turn away in horror when they see
how casually these things are treated. How many adherents seek to display their “knowledge” in various
circles by suggesting experiments in table-turning, or by introducing into families, with smiles or
mysterious whispers, the almost playful practice with letters and a glass, or some other aid, which, when a
hand is laid on it lightly, glides or is drawn toward various letters, thus forming words. With uncanny
rapidity all this has developed into party games carried out amid laughter, derision and at times a
pleasantly scary sensation.
Every day older and younger ladies, in families or alone, are seated at little tables before a piece of
cardboard on which letters have been drawn, which, if possible, must even be of a very special design, so
as to provide the hocus-pocus stimulating the imagination, which actually is quite unnecessary; for the
object would also be accomplished without it, if the person concerned has even a slight tendency towards
these things. And there are countless numbers of them!
Modern psychic scientists and leaders of occult societies are glad of this, because real words and
sentences are formed which the performer has neither consciously nor unconsciously thought of. He must
become convinced through this and increase the number of adherents of the “occult.”
Publications of occult societies point to this, speakers support it, and appliances are made and sold to
facilitate all this nonsense, and thus almost the entire occult world acts as a well-functioning henchmen of
the Darkness, in the honest conviction of being priests of the Light!
These occurrences alone prove the utter ignorance that lies in occult endeavors of this kind! They
show that of all these people no one really sees! It must not be regarded as proof to the contrary if now
and then some good medium has developed from such beginnings, or rather, to be more correct, if a good
medium in the early stages was temporarily attracted to them, this must not be regarded as proof to the
contrary.
The few people predestined for this have in their own natural development a totally different
protection, carefully watching over every step, which others do not enjoy. However, this protection is
only effective in natural self-development, without any artificial aids! For protection lies, as a matter of
course, only in anything that is natural.
As soon as there is the slightest help, whether through exercises by the person himself or from
another source in the form of magnetic sleep or hypnotism, it becomes unnatural, and is thus no longer
completely in harmony with the Natural Laws which alone can grant protection. When ignorance, as it
exists everywhere today is added to this, then it becomes disastrous. Volition alone will never replace
ability when it comes to action. But no one should exceed his abilities.
It is of course possible that among the hundreds of thousands who engage in this dangerous pastime
there may be here and there one who really escapes unpunished and enjoys good protection. There are
also many who will only be harmed in such a way as is not yet apparent on earth; and not until they pass
on must they suddenly realize the follies they have actually indulged in. But there are also many who
already bear physical evidence of harm, although they will never recognize the real cause during their life
on earth.
For this reason the ethereal and spiritual process occurring during these pastimes must be explained.
It is as simple as everything in Creation, and by no means complicated, yet more difficult than many
imagine.
In the present state of the earth the Darkness has, through the volition of mankind, gained the upper
hand over everything material. Thus in all material things it stands to all intents and purposes on its own
familiar ground, and can therefore manifest to the fullest extent in the material. Hence it is in its element
there, fighting on soil with which it is well acquainted. It therefore, for the time being, dominates over the
Light in all that is material, i.e. gross material.
The consequence is that in all things material the power of the Darkness becomes greater than that of
the Light. In such pastimes however, as table-turning, etc., the Light, i.e. what is exalted, has absolutely
no part. At best we can speak of evil, thus darkness, or of something better, i.e. more luminous.......
Thanks for reading, to be continued next week Sunday.