[cover: 24 Books of Esoteric Philosophy by Alice Bailey.]
[The content of this article was extracted from Alice Bailey's books after atomatically searching the text “light in the head”.]
<28> (A Treatise on White Magic, pp. 212-213.)
"... The centre between the eyebrows, commonly called the third eye has a unique and peculiar function. As I have pointed out elsewhere, students must not confound the pineal gland with the third eye. They are related, but not the same. In The Secret Doctrine they are apparently regarded as the same, and the casual reader can easily confound them but they are by no means identical. This H. P. B. knew, but the apparent confusion was permitted until more of the etheric nature of forms was known. The third eye manifests as a result of the vibratory interaction between the forces of the soul, working through the pineal gland, and the forces of the personality, working through the pituitary body. These negative and positive forces interact, and when potent enough produce the light in the head. Just as the physical eye came into being in response to the light of the sun so the spiritual eye equally comes into being in response to the light of the spiritual sun. As the aspirant develops he becomes aware of the light. I refer to the light in all forms, veiled by all sheaths and expressions of the divine life, and not just to the light within the aspirant himself. As his awareness of this light increases so does the apparatus of vision develop, and the mechanism whereby he can see things in the spiritual light comes into being in the etheric body.
This is the eye of Shiva, for it is only fully utilized in the magical work when the monadic aspect, the will aspect, is controlling. ..."
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<29> (A Treatise on White Magic, pp. 214-215.)
"... The seeing of the light within all forms through the agency of the third eye (brought into being through the realization of the light in the head, the spiritual light) is but the correspondence to the physical eye, revealing forms in the light of the physical sun. This corresponds to the personality.
The aspect of control through magnetic energy and the attractive force in the spiritual eye, which is the dominant factor in magical work, is the correspondence to the soul. In a most mysterious sense, the soul is the eye of the monad, enabling the monad, which is pure Being, to work, to contact, to know, and to see. ..."
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<30> (A Treatise on White Magic, pp. 236-237.)
"... The situation might be stated in the following terse statements. The rules already studied convey the truth anent the magician.
1. The soul has communicated with his instrument in the three worlds.
2. The man on the physical plane recognises the contact, and the light in the head shines forth, sometimes recognised and sometimes unrecognised by the aspirant.
3. The soul sounds forth its note. A thought-form is created in consonance with the united meditation of the soul and the man, his instrument.
4. This thought-form, embodying the will of the ego or soul, cooperating with the personality, takes to itself a triple form, constituted of the matter of all three planes, and vitalized through the activity and by the emanations from the heart, throat and ajna centres of the white magician—the soul in conjunction with its instrument.
5. The personality sheaths, each with its own individual life, feel they are losing their power and the battle between the forces of matter and the force of the soul is violently renewed.
6. This battle must be fought out on the astral plane and will decide three things:
a. Whether the soul will, in any one life (for some life holds the critical stage), be the dominant factor and the personality from henceforth be the servant of the soul.
b. Whether the astral plane is no longer the plane of illusion, but can become the field of service.
c. Whether the man can become an active co-operator with the Hierarchy, able to create and to wield mental matter, and so work out the purposes of the Universal Mind, which are prompted by boundless and infinite love, and are the expression of the One Life. ..."
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<31> (A Treatise on White Magic, p. 247.)
"... As every student knows, there are two centres in the head. One centre is between the eyebrows and has the pituitary body as its objective manifestation. The other is in the region at the top of the head and has the pineal gland as its concrete aspect. The pure mystic has his consciousness centred in the top of the head, almost entirely in the etheric body. The advanced worldly man is centred in the pituitary region. When, through occult unfoldment and esoteric knowledge, the relation between the personality and the soul is established there is a midway spot in the centre of the head in the magnetic field which is called the "light in the head", and it is here that the aspirant takes his stand. This is the spot of vital import. It is neither land or physical, nor water or emotional. It might be regarded as the vital or etheric body which has become the field of conscious service, of directed control, and of force
utilisation towards specific ends. ..."
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<32> (A Treatise on White Magic, pp. 422-423.)
"... It is therefore largely a matter of perfecting the mechanism of the brain so that it can rightly register and correctly transmit the soul impressions and the group purposes and recognitions. This involves:
1. The awakening into conscious activity of the centre between the eyebrows, called by the oriental student, the ajna centre.
2. The subordinating then of the activity of this centre to that of the head centre, so that the two vibrate in unison. This produces the establishment of three things:
a. Direct conscious alignment between soul-mind-brain.
b. The appearance of a magnetic field which embraces both the head centres and so definitely affects the pineal gland and the pituitary body.
c. The recognition of this field of dual activity in two ways: as of a light in the head, an interior radiant sun, or as a dynamic centre of energy through which the will or purpose aspect of the soul can make itself felt. ..."
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<33> (A Treatise on White Magic, pp. 527-528.)
"... The members of the hierarchy represent those who have achieved peace and quiescence, and can be impressed; aspirants and disciples represent those brain cells which are beginning to fall into the larger divine rhythm. They are learning the nature of responsiveness. The mass of men are like the millions of unused brain cells which the psychologists and scientists tell us we possess but do not employ. This analogy you can think out in greater detail for yourself, but even superficially it will be apparent to you that when this point is grasped, the purpose for which humanity exists, the objective before the group of world mystics and workers, and the ideal set before the individual aspirant, are the same as in the individual meditation; the achieving of that focussed attention and mental quiet wherein reality can be contacted, the true and the beautiful can be registered, divine purpose can be recorded, and it becomes possible to transmit to the phenomenal form, upon the physical plane, the needed energy whereby the subjective realisation can be materialised. The aspirant does this in connection with his own soul purpose if he is successful in his endeavour; the disciple is learning to do this in relation to group purpose, and the initiate cooperates with the planetary purpose. These constitute the inner group of vitally alive brain cells in the planetary brain, the entire human group, and it is evident that the more powerful their united vibration and the clearer the light which they reflect and transmit, the more rapidly will the present inert mass of human cells be brought into activity. The occult hierarchy is to the planetary Life what the light in the head is to the average awakened disciple, only on so much vaster a scale, and with such an adequate inner alignment that students such as those who read these Instructions cannot understand the true significance of the words. The point to be grasped is that through humanity on the physical plane, the nature of reality will be revealed; the true and the beautiful will be manifested; the divine plan will eventually work out, and that energy be transmitted to all forms in nature which will enable the inner spiritual reality to emerge. ..."
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<34> (A Treatise on White Magic, pp. 594-596.)
"... The second point I would touch upon is that all this deeply esoteric work must only proceed under the direction of the skilled teacher. Platitudinously, the aspirant is told that "when the pupil is ready, the Master will appear". He then settles comfortably back and waits, or focuses his attention upon an attempt to attract the attention of some Master, having apparently settled in his mind that he is ready or good enough. He naturally gives himself a spiritual prod at intervals, and attends spasmodically to the work of discipline and of purification. But steady and prolonged undeviating effort on the part of aspirants is rare indeed.
It is indeed true that at the right moment the Master will appear, but the right moment is contingent upon certain self-induced conditions. When the process of purification has become a life-long habit, when the aspirant can at will concentrate his consciousness in the head, when the light in the head shines forth and the centres are active, then the Master will take the man in hand. In the meantime he may have a vision of the Master, or he may see a thought-form of the Master, and may get much real good and inspiration from contact with the reflected reality, but it is not the Master and does not indicate the stage of accepted discipleship. Through the medium of the light of the soul, the soul can be known. Therefore seek the light of your own soul, and know that soul as your director. When soul contact is established, your own soul will, if I may so express it, introduce you to your Master. With all due reverence again may I add, that the Master waits not with eagerness to make your acquaintance. In the world of souls, your soul and His soul are allied, and know essential unity. But in the world of human affairs and in the process of the great work it should be remembered that when a Master takes an aspirant into His group of disciples, that aspirant is, for a long time, a liability and oft a hindrance. Students over-estimate themselves quite often, even when repudiating such an idea; subjectively they have a real liking for themselves and are frequently puzzled as to why the Great Ones give them no sign, nor indicate Their watching care. They will not and They need not until such time as the aspirant has used to the full the knowledge which he has gained from lesser teachers, and from books and printed scriptures of the world. Students must attend to the immediate duty and prepare their mechanisms for service in the world, and should desist from wasting time and looking for a Master; they should achieve mastery where now they are defeated and in the life of service and of struggle they may then reach the point of such complete self-forgetfulness that the Master may find no hindrance in His approach to them.
It will be apparent therefore from the above that I cannot give specific instructions as to the awakening of the centres and the burning of the etheric web which will result in the release of energy. Such information is too dangerous and too intriguing to be put in the hands of the general public, who are driven by desire for some new thing, and lack right poise and the needed mental development. The time has come however when the fact that there is an energy body underlying the nervous system must be recognized by the world at large, and when the nature of the seven centres, their structure and location should be grasped technically, and when the laws of their unfoldment should be widely known. But more than this cannot yet be safely given. The intricate nature of this science of the centres is too great for general usefulness. The teaching to be given in any particular case and the methods to be applied are dependent upon too many factors for a general rule and instruction to be given. The ray and type, the sex and point in evolution must be considered and also the balance of the centres. By this I mean the consideration as to their over-development in one case and under development in another and as to whether there is a preponderance of the force below or above the diaphragm, or whether the main energy is concentrated in that central clearing house, the solar plexus. The quality and the brilliance of the light in the head has to be studied, for it indicates the measure of soul control and the relative purity of the vehicles, and the various etheric "webs" have to be carefully dealt with, and also the rate of vibration of the web and the centre. A synchronisation has to be set up and this is most difficult to bring about. These are only a few of the points that the teacher has to note, and it is apparent therefore that only a teacher who has achieved synthetic vision and can see a man "whole," or as he really is, can give those instructions which will reverse the ancient rhythm of the centres, destroy without pain and danger the protective sheaths, and raise the kundalini fire from the base of the spine to the exit in the head. ..."
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<35> (Esoteric Psychology - Vol. I, pp. 130-131.)
"... c. Light, or radiation, the effect of the interplay between the life and the environment.
The first point that I seek to make is a difficult one to grasp for those beneath the rank of initiate or accepted disciple of the higher stages. The soul is that factor in matter (or rather that which emerges out of the contact between spirit and matter) which produces sentient response and what we call consciousness in its varying forms; it is also that latent or subjective essential quality which makes itself felt as light or luminous radiation. It is the "self-shining from within" which is characteristic of all forms. Matter, per se, and in its undifferentiated state, prior to being swept into activity through the creative process, is not possessed of soul, and does not therefore possess the qualities of response and of radiation. Only when,—in the creative and evolutionary process,—these two are brought into conjunction and fusion does the soul appear and give to these two aspects of divinity the opportunity to manifest as a trinity and the chance to demonstrate sentient activity and magnetic radiatory light. As all that we shall posit in this treatise is to be approached from the angle of human evolution, it might be stated that only when the soul aspect is dominant is the response apparatus (the form nature of man) fulfilling its complete destiny, and only then does true magnetic radiation and the pure shining forth of light become possible. Symbolically, in the early stages of human evolution, man is, from the angle of consciousness, relatively unresponsive and unconscious, as is matter in its early stages in the formative process. The achievement of full awareness is of course the goal of the evolutionary process. Again symbolically speaking, the unevolved man emits or manifests no light. The light in the head is invisible, though the clairvoyant investigators would see the dim glow of the light within the elements which constitute the body, and the light hidden in the atoms which constitute the form nature.
As evolution proceeds, these dim points of "dark light" intensify their glow; the light within the head flickers at intervals during the life of the average man, and becomes a shining light as he enters upon the path of discipleship. When he becomes an initiate, the light of the atoms is so bright, and the light in the head so intense (with a paralleling stimulation of the centres of force in the body), that the light body appears. Eventually this body of light becomes externalised and of greater prominence than the dense tangible physical body. This is the body of light in which the true son of God consciously dwells. After the third initiation, the dual light becomes accentuated and takes on a still greater brilliancy through the blending with it of the energy of spirit. This is not really the admission or the recombining of a third light, but the fanning of the light of matter and the light of the soul into a greater glory through the Breath of the spirit. Something anent this light has been earlier indicated in A Treatise on Cosmic Fire. Study it and seek to understand the significance of this process. In the understanding of these aspects of light comes a truer perspective as to the nature of the fires in the human expression of divinity. ..."
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<36> (Esoteric Psychology - Vol. I, pp. 229-230.)
"... In the turning of the great wheel, cycle after cycle, these two rays come into functioning activity, and in between their objective cycles the other rays dominate and participate in the great work. The result of this interplay of psychic potencies will manifest in the eventual transmutation of the earth substance, and its resolution back again into that of which it is the objective condensation. Again language fails to find the needed terms. They are as yet non-existent. I mention this as an indication of the difficulty of our subject. Intangible etheric substance has been condensed into the dense tangible objective world. This—under the evolutionary plan—has to be again transmuted into its original condition, plus the gain of ordered rhythm and the tendencies and qualities wrought into the consciousness of its atoms and elements through the experience of externalisation. This resolution is noted by us as radiation and the radio-active substances. We are looking on at the transmutation process. The resolving agencies are fire, intense heat and pressure. These three agencies have already succeeded in bringing about the divisions of the mineral kingdom into three parts: the baser metals, as they are called, the standard metals (such as silver and gold and platinum), and the semi-precious stones and crystals. The precious jewels are a synthesis of all three,—one of the basic syntheses of evolution. In this connection, some correspondences between the mineral kingdom and the human evolutionary cycles might here be noted:
1. The base metals ----------------- physical plane. Dense Consciousness. The first initiation.
2. The standard metals ---------- astral plane. Self-consciousness. The second initiation.
3. The semi-precious stones --- mental plane. Radiant consciousness. The third initiation.
4. The precious jewels ------------ egoic consciousness and achievement. The fourth initiation.
The correspondences of fire, heat and pressure in the evolution of the human being are self-evident, and their work can be seen paralleling that in the mineral kingdom.
The mineral kingdom is governed astrologically by Taurus, and there is a symbolic relation between the "eye" in the head of the Bull, the third eye, the light in the head, and the diamond. The consciousness of the Buddha has been called the "diamond-eye." ..."
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<37> (Esoteric Psychology - Vol. II, pp. 606-610.)
"... Revelation of Light and Power and Attendant Difficulties.
The problems with which we must now deal belong in a totally different category. They have no relation at all to emotion or to the astral plane but constitute the specific difficulty of the aspirant or the advanced man or disciple who has learnt to focus himself in the mental nature. They are problems connected with achieved contact with the soul, which results in the illumination of the mind and a definite influx of power.
These difficulties only come to the man in whom the throat centre and the ajna centre are awakening. The moment that any difficulty is sensed in relation to the phenomena of light, the psychologist or the physician can know that the pituitary body is involved and that consequently the centre between the eyebrows is beginning to be active and awake.
The problem of power, sensed by the aspirant and seeking expression in his life, falls into two categories:—
1. The sense of power which comes through the effort to do definite creative work. This necessarily involves the activity of the throat centre. Where there is this inflow of creative force and where there is no real use made of the inflowing energy in the production of creative work, then there is very apt to be difficulty with the thyroid gland.
2. The sense of power which takes the form of ambition, and of an integration which is brought about by the force of that ambition. This frequently succeeds in subordinating the various aspects of the lower nature to that ambition. When this takes place the ajna centre is active and is synchronising its vibration with that of the throat centre. This leads to real difficulty and is one of the commonest forms of ambition to which the aspirant and the disciple succumb.
One can also divide the problem of light into two groups of difficulties if one so desires—one related to the physical registering of the light in the head and the other to the acquiring of knowledge.
This registering of light within the periphery of the skull is connected with the relation to be found between the head centre and the centre between the eyebrows; that is, between the area (localised around the pituitary body) and that localised around the pineal gland. The vibratory effect, you know, of those two centres can become so strong that the two vibrations or their "pulsating rhythmic activity" can swing into each other's field of action and a unified magnetic field can be set up which can become so powerful, so brilliant and so pronounced that the disciple—when closing his eyes—can see it plainly. It can be visually sensed and known. Eventually, and in some cases, it can definitely affect the optic nerve, not to its detriment but to the extent of evoking the subtler side of the sense of sight. A man can then see etherically and can see the etheric counterpart of all tangible forms. This is physiological and not a psychic power and is quite different to clairvoyance. There can be no etheric vision apart from the usual organ of vision, the eye. The sensing and the registering of this light in the head can lead to its own peculiar problems when the process is not correctly understood or controlled, just as the registering of the energy of power (coming from the mind in its will aspect or from the soul through the will petals) can prove definitely detrimental to the personality, when not consecrated or refined.
Again, this registering of the light falls into certain definite stages and takes place at certain definite points in the unfoldment of the human being, but is more likely to occur in the earlier stages than the later. These are:—
1. The sensing of a diffused light outside the head, either before the eyes or over the right shoulder.
2. The sensing of this diffused misty light within the head, permeating, apparently, the entire head.
3. The concentrating of this diffused light until it has the appearance of a radiant sun.
4. The intensifying of the light of this inner sun. This is in reality the recognition of the radiance of the magnetic field, established between the pituitary body and the pineal gland (as expressions of the head and the ajna centres). This radiance can at times seem almost too bright to be borne.
5. The extension of the rays of this inner sun first to the eyes, and then finally beyond the radius of the head so that (to the vision of the clairvoyant seer) the halo makes its appearance around the head of the disciple or aspirant.
6. The discovery that there is, at the very heart of this, a point of dark blue electric light, which gradually grows into a circle of some size. This occurs when the light in the head irradiates the central opening at the top of the head. Through this opening the various energies of the soul and the forces of the personality can be synthesised and thus flow into the physical body, via the major centres. It is also the esoteric "door of departure" through which the soul withdraws the consciousness aspect in the hours of sleep and the consciousness aspect plus the life thread at the moment of death.
The registering of this inner light often causes serious concern and difficulty to the inexperienced person and the intensity of their concern and fear leads them to think so much of the problem that they become what we occultly call "obsessed with the light and so fail to see the Lord of Light and that which the Light reveals". I would point out here that all aspirants and occult students do not see this light. Seeing it is dependent upon several factors—temperament, the quality of the physical cells of the brain, the nature of the work which has been done or of the particular task, and the extent of the magnetic field. There never need be any difficulty if the aspirant will use the light which is in him for the helping of his fellowmen. It is the self-centred mystic who gets into difficulty, as does the occultist who uses the light which he discovers within himself for selfish purposes, and personal ends.
An incidental difficulty is sometimes found when the "doorway out into the other worlds" is discovered and becomes, not a door for rightful and proper use, but a way of escape from the difficulties of life and a short cut out of conscious physical experience. The connection then between the mystic and his physical vehicle becomes less and less firmly established and the link gets looser and looser until the man spends most of his time out of his body in a condition of semi-trance or a deep sleep condition.
Students should make no effort to see the light in the head, but when it is sensed and seen—then there should be a careful regulation and registration of it. Second ray types will respond to this phenomenon more easily and more frequently than first or third ray types. First ray people will register the inflow of force and power with facility and will discover that their problem lies in the control and the right direction of such energies. ..."
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<38> (Discipleship in the New Age - Vol. I, pp. 14-15.)
"... You would find it useful to keep what might be called a spiritual diary. This does not involve the daily entering of the day's events and has no relation to the happenings which may concern the personality. Note this. In this diary you should record the following:
1. Any spiritual experience which may come to you, such as contact with some Presence, either that of your own soul, the angel of the Presence, contact with some disciple and eventually—when your life and work and discipline warrant it—contact with one of the Masters. Record this in an impartial way, preserving the scientific attitude and seeking ever a practical explanation before accepting a mystical one. A spirit of agnosticism (not of atheism) is of real value to the beginner and preserves him from the snares of the world illusion and of lower psychism.
2. Any illumination which may come to you, throwing a flood of light upon a problem and revealing the way that you or the group should go. Any intuition which—corroborated by the reason—carries one forward into knowledge and evokes the wisdom of the soul and its registration by the brain, via the mind.
3. Any telepathic happenings between you and your fellow disciples. This telepathic interplay should be cultivated but it must be most carefully checked and counterchecked and the strictest accuracy preserved. Thus we shall have the fostering of the spirit of Truth, which is the governing principle of all true telepathic communication. An Ashram functions telepathically when fully and rightly organised.
4. Any phenomena of a mystical and spiritual kind should also be noted. The seeing of the light in the head comes under this category. Its brilliance should be noted, its growth and dimming; the hearing of the Voice of the Silence which is the voice of the soul but not of the subconscious; the registering of messages from the soul or from other disciples and world Servers; expansions of consciousness which initiate you into the conscious life of God, as it manifests through any forms and the hearing of the note of all beings. A close study of the third part of The Light of the Soul (the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) will indicate the type of phenomena which should find its place in this diary.
5. Any experiences of a psychic kind which do not come under any of the above headings. Those mentioned above come under the heading of the higher psychism and concern the higher psychic faculties, spiritual perception, intuitive knowledge, mental telepathy (and not the telepathy which is based upon the solar plexus activity). The lower psychic experiences can also be noted—whether pleasant or unpleasant. Once noted, however, they should be forgotten for they are of no moment. ..."
