In the early development of humanity all were involuntarily clairvoyant. This was caused by the loose connection between the vital and dense bodies. Since then these bodies have become much more firmly interwoven in the majority of people, but in all sensitives the connection is still loose. It is this looseness which constitutes the difference between the psychic and the ordinary person, the latter being unconscious of all but the vibrations perceived through the five senses.

   There are two classes of sensitives: those who have not yet become firmly enmeshed in matter, and those who are in the vanguard of evolution. The latter are divisible into two grades: First, those who by their own will are unfolding the vibratory powers of the organs now connected with the voluntary nervous system and thus becoming voluntary trained clairvoyants or occultists; the sense centers of their desire bodies are spinning in a clockwise direction. Second, those who are developing in a passive, weak-willed manner. They reawaken the solar plexus or other organs connected with the involuntary nervous system, and develop a mirror-like picture of consciousness of the inner planes similar to that possessed by man in the Lemurian Epoch. The sense centers of their desire bodies are rotating in a counter-clockwise direction. Thus they become involuntary clairvoyants or mediums who have no control of the clairvoyant faculty.

   The second grade are often the prey of earthbound spirits, who constitute themselves "spirit guides" and develop their victims as "trance mediums"; or if the connection between the medium's dense and vital bodies is particularly lax, they develop him into a "materializing medium." Spirits of a high ethical nature do not usually control a medium; it is rather the earthbound and low spirits who do this. There is no transforming power in death. The sinner does not become a saint nor the ignorant become wise of it. It is a pathetic sight to the trained clairvoyant to see the imposition practiced by unprincipled spirit controls upon many sensitives.

   The wise spirit-control manipulates the organs of speech or other parts of the body from outside. But the inexperienced spirit sometimes enters and takes possession of the body in such a manner that it cannot leave when it wishes. Then the Ego has lost its body, and its personality becomes entirely changed. Elementals, a class of subhuman spirits, frequently take possession of the shells or discarded bodies of low human beings, and then act upon mediums as spirit controls. In spirit materialization the ether from the medium's vital body is drawn out through the spleen, and is used as the basis of materialization, attracting to itself particles of dust to make it visible. The medium's vitality is seriously depleted by this process, producing extreme exhaustion, and often causing the medium to resort to stimulants or drugs.

   Sometimes evil spirits pose for years as saints just to get possession of their victims. Usually they give out nothing but high-sounding platitudes and goody-goody nonsense of no value whatever. They delight in leading their dupes into trouble, after which they usually abandon them. Having controlled a medium during life, the control may oust him at death from the vehicles which contain his life experience and retain them for centuries, thus disastrously retarding that Ego in his evolution. We would therefore voice a warning to all our students not to allow themselves to be guided or controlled by spirits whom they cannot see and about whom they know nothing.

   In the case of hypnotism, the hypnotist gains control of his victim by first requiring him to make himself perfectly negative or passive. The hypnotist then proceeds to work upon the head of the subject's vital body, squeezing it down through the physical head so that it lies around the neck in thick rolls. The connection between the Ego and the dense body is thus severed as in sleep. The physical head is now filled with ether from the hypnotist's vital body. Thus he obtains power over his subject, because through the connection thus established he can transmit commands and compel the hypnotized person to do his will. When a hypnotist has once established connection with his subject, he can maintain it as long as he desires, and the victim can be brought completely under his domination, independently of distance. Death alone will break the connection. It is highly inadvisable to attend spirit séances or hypnotic demonstrations, for there is danger that some low spirit there may attach itself to us and cause us much trouble. It is also inadvisable to burn incense, for when we inhale it, we inhale elemental spirits with it which tend to incite us to sensuality or negative practices.

   The ouija board and planchette furnish another method by which discarnate spirits or elementals may gain control of unsuspecting victims. In using these for amusement many a negative person has been gradually brought under control, first by having the hand and arm used and finally the entire personality. Parents should never allow their children to use the ouija board as a plaything.

   There is a way by which all may protect themselves from external influence and domination. When we live a life of purity and our days are filled with service to God and man, our thoughts and actions are of a pure and noble nature. We thus build up and make positive our finer vehicles so that no outside entity can effect an entrance to our aura or control us in any way. We also build the soul body, the two higher ethers, by this method, which constitutes a radiant spiritual force that no outside entity can pass. The object of the Rosicrucian method of development is to emancipate the pupil from dependence upon others and make him self-reliant in the very highest degree. If we are the slaves or tools of hypnotists or of disembodied or elemental spirits, we cannot obey the God within nor listen to the dictates of the Higher Self.

  (You are welcome to e-mail your answers and/or comments to us. Please be sure to include the course name and Independent Study Module number in your e-mail to us. Or, you are also welcome to use the answer form below.)

1. Name and describe the different classes of sensitives.

2. Explain the nature of "spirit controls;" how they operate, and the dangers in connection with them.

3. Of what does spirit materialization consist?

4. What is the usual nature of communications from "spirit guides?"

5. What is the great danger to the medium after death?

6. Explain the process of hypnotizing.

7. Why should we not attend spirit séances or hypnotic demonstrations or burn incense?

8. What is the danger of using the ouija board?

9. What is the advantage of the Rosicrucian method of spiritual development?