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diff --git a/16269.txt b/16269.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2c74a7c --- /dev/null +++ b/16269.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2574 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Thought-Forms, by Annie Besant +C.W. Leadbeater + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Thought-Forms + +Author: Annie Besant +C.W. Leadbeater + +Release Date: July 12, 2005 [EBook #16269] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THOUGHT-FORMS *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Melissa Er-Raqabi and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. + + + + + + +THOUGHT-FORMS + +BY ANNIE BESANT +AND C.W. LEADBEATER + +[Illustration: Publisher Logo] + +THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE LTD +38 GREAT ORMOND STREET, LONDON, W.C. 1 + + + + +_First Printed_ 1901 +_Reprint_ 1905 +_Reprint_ 1925 + + +_Made and Printed in Great Britain by_ +PERCY LUND, HUMPHRIES & CO LTD +THE COUNTRY PRESS +BRADFORD + +[Illustration: FRONTISPIECE--MEANING OF THE COLOURS--(see html version +for this and other illustrations.)] + + + + +FOREWORD + + +The text of this little book is the joint work of Mr Leadbeater and +myself; some of it has already appeared as an article in _Lucifer_ (now +the _Theosophical Review_), but the greater part of it is new. The +drawing and painting of the Thought-Forms observed by Mr Leadbeater or +by myself, or by both of us together, has been done by three friends--Mr +John Varley, Mr Prince, and Miss Macfarlane, to each of whom we tender +our cordial thanks. To paint in earth's dull colours the forms clothed +in the living light of other worlds is a hard and thankless task; so +much the more gratitude is due to those who have attempted it. They +needed coloured fire, and had only ground earths. We have also to thank +Mr F. Bligh Bond for allowing us to use his essay on _Vibration +Figures_, and some of his exquisite drawings. Another friend, who sent +us some notes and a few drawings, insists on remaining anonymous, so we +can only send our thanks to him with similar anonymity. + +It is our earnest hope--as it is our belief--that this little book will +serve as a striking moral lesson to every reader, making him realise the +nature and power of his thoughts, acting as a stimulus to the noble, a +curb on the base. With this belief and hope we send it on its way. + +ANNIE BESANT. + + + + +CONTENTS + + PAGE +FOREWORD 6 +INTRODUCTION 11 +THE DIFFICULTY OF REPRESENTATION 16 +THE TWO EFFECTS OF THOUGHT 21 +HOW THE VIBRATION ACTS 23 +THE FORM AND ITS EFFECT 25 +THE MEANING OF THE COLOURS 32 +THREE CLASSES OF THOUGHT-FORMS 36 +ILLUSTRATIVE THOUGHT-FORMS 40 +AFFECTION 40-44 +DEVOTION 44-49 +INTELLECT 49-50 +AMBITION 51 +ANGER 52 +SYMPATHY 55 +FEAR 55 +GREED 56 +VARIOUS EMOTIONS 57 + SHIPWRECK 57 + ON THE FIRST NIGHT 59 + THE GAMBLERS 60 + AT A STREET ACCIDENT 61 + AT A FUNERAL 61 + ON MEETING A FRIEND 64 + APPRECIATION OF A PICTURE 65 +FORMS SEEN IN MEDITATION 66 + SYMPATHY AND LOVE FOR ALL 66 + AN ASPIRATION TO ENFOLD ALL 66 + IN THE SIX DIRECTIONS 67 + COSMIC ORDER 68 + THE LOGOS AS MANIFESTED IN MAN 69 + THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL 70 + ANOTHER CONCEPTION 71 + THE THREEFOLD MANIFESTATION 71 + THE SEVENFOLD MANIFESTATION 72 + INTELLECTUAL ASPIRATION 72 +HELPFUL THOUGHTS 74 +FORMS BUILT BY MUSIC 75 + MENDELSSOHN 77 + GOUNOD 80 + WAGNER 82 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + FIG. PAGE +MEANING OF THE COLOURS _Frontispiece_ +CHLADNI'S SOUND PLATE 1 28 +FORMS PRODUCED IN SAND 2 28 +FORMS PRODUCED IN SAND 3 29 +FORMS PRODUCED BY PENDULUMS 4-7 30 +VAGUE PURE AFFECTION 8 40 +VAGUE SELFISH AFFECTION 9 40 +DEFINITE AFFECTION 10 42 +RADIATING AFFECTION 11 43 +PEACE AND PROTECTION 12 42 +GRASPING ANIMAL AFFECTION 13 43 +VAGUE RELIGIOUS FEELING 14 44 +UPWARD RUSH OF DEVOTION 15 46 +SELF-RENUNCIATION 16 44 +RESPONSE TO DEVOTION 17 46 +VAGUE INTELLECTUAL PLEASURE 18 50 +VAGUE SYMPATHY 18A 50 +THE INTENTION TO KNOW 19 51 +HIGH AMBITION 20 52 +SELFISH AMBITION 21 52 +MURDEROUS RAGE 22 53 +SUSTAINED ANGER 23 53 +EXPLOSIVE ANGER 24 51 +WATCHFUL JEALOUSY 25 54 +ANGRY JEALOUSY 26 54 +SUDDEN FRIGHT 27 55 +SELFISH GREED 28 56 +GREED FOR DRINK 29 56 +AT A SHIPWRECK 30 58 +ON THE FIRST NIGHT 31 59 +THE GAMBLERS 32 60 +AT A STREET ACCIDENT 33 61 +AT A FUNERAL 34 62 +ON MEETING A FRIEND 35 64 +THE APPRECIATION OF A PICTURE 36 64 +SYMPATHY AND LOVE FOR ALL 37 66 +AN ASPIRATION TO ENFOLD ALL 38 67 +IN THE SIX DIRECTIONS 39 66 +AN INTELLECTUAL CONCEPTION OF COSMIC ORDER 40 69 +THE LOGOS AS MANIFESTED IN MAN 41 69 +THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL 42 and 44 70 +ANOTHER CONCEPTION 45 70 +THE THREEFOLD MANIFESTATION 46 70 +THE SEVENFOLD MANIFESTATION 47 70 +INTELLECTUAL ASPIRATION 43 72 +HELPFUL THOUGHTS 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 74 + + PLATE +MUSIC OF MENDELSSOHN M 78 +MUSIC OF GOUNOD G 80 +MUSIC OF WAGNER W 82 + +[Transcriber's Note: Some of the plates are displayed out of sequence to +correspond with references to them in the text.] + + + + +THOUGHT-FORMS + + +As knowledge increases, the attitude of science towards the things of +the invisible world is undergoing considerable modification. Its +attention is no longer directed solely to the earth with all its variety +of objects, or to the physical worlds around it; but it finds itself +compelled to glance further afield, and to construct hypotheses as to +the nature of the matter and force which lie in the regions beyond the +ken of its instruments. Ether is now comfortably settled in the +scientific kingdom, becoming almost more than a hypothesis. Mesmerism, +under its new name of hypnotism, is no longer an outcast. Reichenbach's +experiments are still looked at askance, but are not wholly condemned. +Roentgen's rays have rearranged some of the older ideas of matter, while +radium has revolutionised them, and is leading science beyond the +borderland of ether into the astral world. The boundaries between +animate and inanimate matter are broken down. Magnets are found to be +possessed of almost uncanny powers, transferring certain forms of +disease in a way not yet satisfactorily explained. Telepathy, +clairvoyance, movement without contact, though not yet admitted to the +scientific table, are approaching the Cinderella-stage. The fact is +that science has pressed its researches so far, has used such rare +ingenuity in its questionings of nature, has shown such tireless +patience in its investigations, that it is receiving the reward of those +who seek, and forces and beings of the next higher plane of nature are +beginning to show themselves on the outer edge of the physical field. +"Nature makes no leaps," and as the physicist nears the confines of his +kingdom he finds himself bewildered by touches and gleams from another +realm which interpenetrates his own. He finds himself compelled to +speculate on invisible presences, if only to find a rational explanation +for undoubted physical phenomena, and insensibly he slips over the +boundary, and is, although he does not yet realise it, contacting the +astral plane. + +One of the most interesting of the highroads from the physical to the +astral is that of the study of thought. The Western scientist, +commencing in the anatomy and physiology of the brain, endeavours to +make these the basis for "a sound psychology." He passes then into the +region of dreams, illusions, hallucinations; and as soon as he +endeavours to elaborate an experimental science which shall classify and +arrange these, he inevitably plunges into the astral plane. Dr Baraduc +of Paris has nearly crossed the barrier, and is well on the way towards +photographing astro-mental images, to obtaining pictures of what from +the materialistic standpoint would be the results of vibrations in the +grey matter of the brain. + +It has long been known to those who have given attention to the question +that impressions were produced by the reflection of the ultra-violet +rays from objects not visible by the rays of the ordinary spectrum. +Clairvoyants were occasionally justified by the appearance on sensitive +photographic plates of figures seen and described by them as present +with the sitter, though invisible to physical sight. It is not possible +for an unbiassed judgment to reject _in toto_ the evidence of such +occurrences proffered by men of integrity on the strength of their own +experiments, oftentimes repeated. And now we have investigators who turn +their attention to the obtaining of images of subtle forms, inventing +methods specially designed with the view of reproducing them. Among +these, Dr Baraduc seems to have been the most successful, and he has +published a volume dealing with his investigations and containing +reproductions of the photographs he has obtained. Dr Baraduc states that +he is investigating the subtle forces by which the soul--defined as the +intelligence working between the body and the spirit--expresses itself, +by seeking to record its movements by means of a needle, its "luminous" +but invisible vibrations by impressions on sensitive plates. He shuts +out by non-conductors electricity and heat. We can pass over his +experiments in Biometry (measurement of life by movements), and glance +at those in Iconography--the impressions of invisible waves, regarded by +him as of the nature of light, in which the soul draws its own image. A +number of these photographs represent etheric and magnetic results of +physical phenomena, and these again we may pass over as not bearing on +our special subject, interesting as they are in themselves. Dr Baraduc +obtained various impressions by strongly thinking of an object, the +effect produced by the thought-form appearing on a sensitive plate; thus +he tried to project a portrait of a lady (then dead) whom he had known, +and produced an impression due to his thought of a drawing he had made +of her on her deathbed. He quite rightly says that the creation of an +object is the passing out of an image from the mind and its subsequent +materialisation, and he seeks the chemical effect caused on silver salts +by this thought-created picture. One striking illustration is that of a +force raying outwards, the projection of an earnest prayer. Another +prayer is seen producing forms like the fronds of a fern, another like +rain pouring upwards, if the phrase may be permitted. A rippled oblong +mass is projected by three persons thinking of their unity in affection. +A young boy sorrowing over and caressing a dead bird is surrounded by a +flood of curved interwoven threads of emotional disturbance. A strong +vortex is formed by a feeling of deep sadness. Looking at this most +interesting and suggestive series, it is clear that in these pictures +that which is obtained is not the thought-image, but the effect caused +in etheric matter by its vibrations, and it is necessary to +clairvoyantly see the thought in order to understand the results +produced. In fact, the illustrations are instructive for what they do +not show directly, as well as for the images that appear. + +It may be useful to put before students, a little more plainly than has +hitherto been done, some of the facts in nature which will render more +intelligible the results at which Dr Baraduc is arriving. Necessarily +imperfect these must be, a physical photographic camera and sensitive +plates not being ideal instruments for astral research; but, as will be +seen from the above, they are most interesting and valuable as forming a +link between clairvoyant and physical scientific investigations. + +At the present time observers outside the Theosophical Society are +concerning themselves with the fact that emotional changes show their +nature by changes of colour in the cloud-like ovoid, or aura, that +encompasses all living beings. Articles on the subject are appearing in +papers unconnected with the Theosophical Society, and a medical +specialist[1] has collected a large number of cases in which the colour +of the aura of persons of various types and temperaments is recorded by +him. His results resemble closely those arrived at by clairvoyant +theosophists and others, and the general unanimity on the subject is +sufficient to establish the fact, if the evidence be judged by the usual +canons applied to human testimony. + +The book _Man Visible and Invisible_ dealt with the general subject of +the aura. The present little volume, written by the author of _Man +Visible and Invisible_, and a theosophical colleague, is intended to +carry the subject further; and it is believed that this study is useful, +as impressing vividly on the mind of the student the power and living +nature of thought and desire, and the influence exerted by them on all +whom they reach. + +[Footnote 1: Dr Hooker, Gloucester Place, London, W.] + + + + +THE DIFFICULTY OF REPRESENTATION + + +We have often heard it said that thoughts are things, and there are many +among us who are persuaded of the truth of this statement. Yet very few +of us have any clear idea as to what kind of thing a thought is, and the +object of this little book is to help us to conceive this. + +There are some serious difficulties in our way, for our conception of +space is limited to three dimensions, and when we attempt to make a +drawing we practically limit ourselves to two. In reality the +presentation even of ordinary three-dimensional objects is seriously +defective, for scarcely a line or angle in our drawing is accurately +shown. If a road crosses the picture, the part in the foreground must be +represented as enormously wider than that in the background, although in +reality the width is unchanged. If a house is to be drawn, the right +angles at its corners must be shown as acute or obtuse as the case may +be, but hardly ever as they actually are. In fact, we draw everything +not as it is but as it appears, and the effort of the artist is by a +skilful arrangement of lines upon a flat surface to convey to the eye an +impression which shall recall that made by a three-dimensional object. + +It is possible to do this only because similar objects are already +familiar to those who look at the picture and accept the suggestion +which it conveys. A person who had never seen a tree could form but +little idea of one from even the most skilful painting. If to this +difficulty we add the other and far more serious one of a limitation of +consciousness, and suppose ourselves to be showing the picture to a +being who knew only two dimensions, we see how utterly impossible it +would be to convey to him any adequate impression of such a landscape as +we see. Precisely this difficulty in its most aggravated form stands in +our way, when we try to make a drawing of even a very simple +thought-form. The vast majority of those who look at the picture are +absolutely limited to the consciousness of three dimensions, and +furthermore, have not the slightest conception of that inner world to +which thought-forms belong, with all its splendid light and colour. All +that we can do at the best is to represent a section of the +thought-form; and those whose faculties enable them to see the original +cannot but be disappointed with any reproduction of it. Still, those who +are at present unable to see anything will gain at least a partial +comprehension, and however inadequate it may be it is at least better +than nothing. + +All students know that what is called the aura of man is the outer part +of the cloud-like substance of his higher bodies, interpenetrating each +other, and extending beyond the confines of his physical body, the +smallest of all. They know also that two of these bodies, the mental and +desire bodies, are those chiefly concerned with the appearance of what +are called thought-forms. But in order that the matter may be made clear +for all, and not only for students already acquainted with theosophical +teachings, a recapitulation of the main facts will not be out of place. + +Man, the Thinker, is clothed in a body composed of innumerable +combinations of the subtle matter of the mental plane, this body being +more or less refined in its constituents and organised more or less +fully for its functions, according to the stage of intellectual +development at which the man himself has arrived. The mental body is an +object of great beauty, the delicacy and rapid motion of its particles +giving it an aspect of living iridescent light, and this beauty becomes +an extraordinarily radiant and entrancing loveliness as the intellect +becomes more highly evolved and is employed chiefly on pure and sublime +topics. Every thought gives rise to a set of correlated vibrations in +the matter of this body, accompanied with a marvellous play of colour, +like that in the spray of a waterfall as the sunlight strikes it, raised +to the _n_th degree of colour and vivid delicacy. The body under this +impulse throws off a vibrating portion of itself, shaped by the nature +of the vibrations--as figures are made by sand on a disk vibrating to a +musical note--and this gathers from the surrounding atmosphere matter +like itself in fineness from the elemental essence of the mental world. +We have then a thought-form pure and simple, and it is a living entity +of intense activity animated by the one idea that generated it. If made +of the finer kinds of matter, it will be of great power and energy, and +may be used as a most potent agent when directed by a strong and steady +will. Into the details of such use we will enter later. + +When the man's energy flows outwards towards external objects of desire, +or is occupied in passional and emotional activities, this energy works +in a less subtle order of matter than the mental, in that of the astral +world. What is called his desire-body is composed of this matter, and it +forms the most prominent part of the aura in the undeveloped man. Where +the man is of a gross type, the desire-body is of the denser matter of +the astral plane, and is dull in hue, browns and dirty greens and reds +playing a great part in it. Through this will flash various +characteristic colours, as his passions are excited. A man of a higher +type has his desire-body composed of the finer qualities of astral +matter, with the colours, rippling over and flashing through it, fine +and clear in hue. While less delicate and less radiant than the mental +body, it forms a beautiful object, and as selfishness is eliminated all +the duller and heavier shades disappear. + +This desire (or astral) body gives rise to a second class of entities, +similar in their general constitution to the thought-forms already +described, but limited to the astral plane, and generated by the mind +under the dominion of the animal nature. + +These are caused by the activity of the lower mind, throwing itself out +through the astral body--the activity of Kama-Manas in theosophical +terminology, or the mind dominated by desire. Vibrations in the body of +desire, or astral body, are in this case set up, and under these this +body throws off a vibrating portion of itself, shaped, as in the +previous case, by the nature of the vibrations, and this attracts to +itself some of the appropriate elemental essence of the astral world. +Such a thought-form has for its body this elemental essence, and for its +animating soul the desire or passion which threw it forth; according to +the amount of mental energy combined with this desire or passion will +be the force of the thought-form. These, like those belonging to the +mental plane, are called artificial elementals, and they are by far the +most common, as few thoughts of ordinary men and women are untinged with +desire, passion, or emotion. + + + + +THE TWO EFFECTS OF THOUGHT + + +Each definite thought produces a double effect--a radiating vibration +and a floating form. The thought itself appears first to clairvoyant +sight as a vibration in the mental body, and this may be either simple +or complex. If the thought itself is absolutely simple, there is only +the one rate of vibration, and only one type of mental matter will be +strongly affected. The mental body is composed of matter of several +degrees of density, which we commonly arrange in classes according to +the sub-planes. Of each of these we have many sub-divisions, and if we +typify these by drawing horizontal lines to indicate the different +degrees of density, there is another arrangement which we might +symbolise by drawing perpendicular lines at right angles to the others, +to denote types which differ in quality as well as in density. There are +thus many varieties of this mental matter, and it is found that each one +of these has its own especial and appropriate rate of vibration, to +which it seems most accustomed, so that it very readily responds to it, +and tends to return to it as soon as possible when it has been forced +away from it by some strong rush of thought or feeling. When a sudden +wave of some emotion sweeps over a man, for example, his astral body is +thrown into violent agitation, and its original colours are or the time +almost obscured by the flush of carmine, of blue, or of scarlet which +corresponds with the rate of vibration of that particular emotion. This +change is only temporary; it passes off in a few seconds, and the astral +body rapidly resumes its usual condition. Yet every such rush of feeling +produces a permanent effect: it always adds a little of its hue to the +normal colouring of the astral body, so that every time that the man +yields himself to a certain emotion it becomes easier for him to yield +himself to it again, because his astral body is getting into the habit +of vibrating at that especial rate. + +The majority of human thoughts, however, are by no means simple. +Absolutely pure affection of course exists; but we very often find it +tinged with pride or with selfishness, with jealousy or with animal +passion. This means that at least two separate vibrations appear both in +the mental and astral bodies--frequently more than two. The radiating +vibration, therefore, will be a complex one, and the resultant +thought-form will show several colours instead of only one. + + + + +HOW THE VIBRATION ACTS + + +These radiating vibrations, like all others in nature, become less +powerful in proportion to the distance from their source, though it is +probable that the variation is in proportion to the cube of the distance +instead of to the square, because of the additional dimension involved. +Again, like all other vibrations, these tend to reproduce themselves +whenever opportunity is offered to them; and so whenever they strike +upon another mental body they tend to provoke in it their own rate of +motion. That is--from the point of view of the man whose mental body is +touched by these waves--they tend to produce in his mind thoughts of the +same type as that which had previously arisen in the mind of the thinker +who sent forth the waves. The distance to which such thought-waves +penetrate, and the force and persistency with which they impinge upon +the mental bodies of others, depend upon the strength and clearness of +the original thought. In this way the thinker is in the same position as +the speaker. The voice of the latter sets in motion waves of sound in +the air which radiate from him in all directions, and convey his message +to all those who are within hearing, and the distance to which his voice +can penetrate depends upon its power and upon the clearness of his +enunciation. In just the same way the forceful thought will carry very +much further than the weak and undecided thought; but clearness and +definiteness are of even greater importance than strength. Again, just +as the speaker's voice may fall upon heedless ears where men are already +engaged in business or in pleasure, so may a mighty wave of thought +sweep past without affecting the mind of the man, if he be already +deeply engrossed in some other line of thought. + +It should be understood that this radiating vibration conveys the +character of the thought, but not its subject. If a Hindu sits rapt in +devotion to Krishna, the waves of feeling which pour forth from him +stimulate devotional feeling in all those who come under their +influence, though in the case of the Muhammadan that devotion is to +Allah, while for the Zoroastrian it is to Ahuramazda, or for the +Christian to Jesus. A man thinking keenly upon some high subject pours +out from himself vibrations which tend to stir up thought at a similar +level in others, but they in no way suggest to those others the special +subject of his thought. They naturally act with special vigour upon +those minds already habituated to vibrations of similar character; yet +they have some effect on every mental body upon which they impinge, so +that their tendency is to awaken the power of higher thought in those to +whom it has not yet become a custom. It is thus evident that every man +who thinks along high lines is doing missionary work, even though he may +be entirely unconscious of it. + + + + +THE FORM AND ITS EFFECT + + +Let us turn now to the second effect of thought, the creation of a +definite form. All students of the occult are acquainted with the idea +of the elemental essence, that strange half-intelligent life which +surrounds us in all directions, vivifying the matter of the mental and +astral planes. This matter thus animated responds very readily to the +influence of human thought, and every impulse sent out, either from the +mental body or from the astral body of man, immediately clothes itself +in a temporary vehicle of this vitalised matter. Such a thought or +impulse becomes for the time a kind of living creature, the +thought-force being the soul, and the vivified matter the body. Instead +of using the somewhat clumsy paraphrase, "astral or mental matter +ensouled by the monadic essence at the stage of one of the elemental +kingdoms," theosophical writers often, for brevity's sake, call this +quickened matter simply elemental essence; and sometimes they speak of +the thought-form as "an elemental." There may be infinite variety in the +colour and shape of such elementals or thought-forms, for each thought +draws round it the matter which is appropriate for its expression, and +sets that matter into vibration in harmony with its own; so that the +character of the thought decides its colour, and the study of its +variations and combinations is an exceedingly interesting one. + +This thought-form may not inaptly be compared to a Leyden jar, the +coating of living essence being symbolised by the jar, and the thought +energy by the charge of electricity. If the man's thought or feeling is +directly connected with someone else, the resultant thought-form moves +towards that person and discharges itself upon his astral and mental +bodies. If the man's thought is about himself, or is based upon a +personal feeling, as the vast majority of thoughts are, it hovers round +its creator and is always ready to react upon him whenever he is for a +moment in a passive condition. For example, a man who yields himself to +thoughts of impurity may forget all about them while he is engaged in +the daily routine of his business, even though the resultant forms are +hanging round him in a heavy cloud, because his attention is otherwise +directed and his astral body is therefore not impressible by any other +rate of vibration than its own. When, however, the marked vibration +slackens and the man rests after his labours and leaves his mind blank +as regards definite thought, he is very likely to feel the vibration of +impurity stealing insidiously upon him. If the consciousness of the man +be to any extent awakened, he may perceive this and cry out that he is +being tempted by the devil; yet the truth is that the temptation is from +without only in appearance, since it is nothing but the natural reaction +upon him of his own thought-forms. Each man travels through space +enclosed within a cage of his own building, surrounded by a mass of the +forms created by his habitual thoughts. Through this medium he looks out +upon the world, and naturally he sees everything tinged with its +predominant colours, and all rates of vibration which reach him from +without are more or less modified by its rate. Thus until the man learns +complete control of thought and feeling, he sees nothing as it really +is, since all his observations must be made through this medium, which +distorts and colours everything like badly-made glass. + +If the thought-form be neither definitely personal nor specially aimed +at someone else, it simply floats detached in the atmosphere, all the +time radiating vibrations similar to those originally sent forth by its +creator. If it does not come into contact with any other mental body, +this radiation gradually exhausts its store of energy, and in that case +the form falls to pieces; but if it succeeds in awakening sympathetic +vibration in any mental body near at hand, an attraction is set up, and +the thought-form is usually absorbed by that mental body. Thus we see +that the influence of the thought-form is by no means so far-reaching as +that of the original vibration; but in so far as it acts, it acts with +much greater precision. What it produces in the mind-body which it +influences is not merely a thought of an order similar to that which +gave it birth; it is actually the same thought. The radiation may affect +thousands and stir up in them thoughts on the same level as the +original, and yet it may happen that no one of them will be identical +with that original; the thought-form can affect only very few, but in +those few cases it will reproduce exactly the initiatory idea. + +The fact of the creation by vibrations of a distinct form, geometrical +or other, is already familiar to every student of acoustics, and +"Chladni's" figures are continually reproduced in every physical +laboratory. + +[Illustration: FIG. 1. CHLADNI'S SOUND PLATE] + +[Illustration: FIG. 2. FORMS PRODUCED IN SOUND] + +For the lay reader the following brief description may be useful. A +Chladni's sound plate (fig. 1) is made of brass or plate-glass. Grains +of fine sand or spores are scattered over the surface, and the edge of +the plate is bowed. The sand is thrown up into the air by the vibration +of the plate, and re-falling on the plate is arranged in regular lines +(fig. 2). By touching the edge of the plate at different points when it +is bowed, different notes, and hence varying forms, are obtained (fig. +3). If the figures here given are compared with those obtained from the +human voice, many likenesses will be observed. For these latter, the +'voice-forms' so admirably studied and pictured by Mrs Watts Hughes,[1] +bearing witness to the same fact, should be consulted, and her work on +the subject should be in the hands of every student. But few perhaps +have realised that the shapes pictured are due to the interplay of the +vibrations that create them, and that a machine exists by means of which +two or more simultaneous motions can be imparted to a pendulum, and that +by attaching a fine drawing-pen to a lever connected with the pendulum +its action may be exactly traced. Substitute for the swing of the +pendulum the vibrations set up in the mental or astral body, and we have +clearly before us the _modus operandi_ of the building of forms by +vibrations.[2] + +[Illustration: FIG. 3. FORMS PRODUCED IN SOUND] + +[Footnote 1: _The Eidophone Voice Figures._ Margaret Watts Hughes.] + +[Footnote 2: Mr Joseph Gould, Stratford House, Nottingham, supplies the +twin-elliptic pendulum by which these wonderful figures may be +produced.] + +The following description is taken from a most interesting essay +entitled _Vibration Figures_, by F. Bligh Bond, F.R.I.B.A., who has +drawn a number of remarkable figures by the use of pendulums. The +pendulum is suspended on knife edges of hardened steel, and is free to +swing only at right angles to the knife-edge suspension. Four such +pendulums may be coupled in pairs, swinging at right angles to each +other, by threads connecting the shafts of each pair of pendulums with +the ends of a light but rigid lath, from the centre of which run other +threads; these threads carry the united movements of each pair of +pendulums to a light square of wood, suspended by a spring, and bearing +a pen. The pen is thus controlled by the combined movement of the four +pendulums, and this movement is registered on a drawing board by the +pen. There is no limit, theoretically, to the number of pendulums that +can be combined in this manner. The movements are rectilinear, but two +rectilinear vibrations of equal amplitude acting at right angles to each +other generate a circle if they alternate precisely, an ellipse if the +alternations are less regular or the amplitudes unequal. A cyclic +vibration may also be obtained from a pendulum free to swing in a rotary +path. In these ways a most wonderful series of drawings have been +obtained, and the similarity of these to some of the thought-forms is +remarkable; they suffice to demonstrate how readily vibrations may be +transformed into figures. Thus compare fig. 4 with fig. 12, the mother's +prayer; or fig. 5 with fig. 10; or fig. 6 with fig. 25, the serpent-like +darting forms. Fig. 7 is added as an illustration of the complexity +attainable. It seems to us a most marvellous thing that some of the +drawings, made apparently at random by the use of this machine, should +exactly correspond to higher types of thought-forms created in +meditation. We are sure that a wealth of significance lies behind this +fact, though it will need much further investigation before we can say +certainly all that it means. But it must surely imply this much--that, +if two forces on the physical plane bearing a certain ratio one to the +other can draw a form which exactly corresponds to that produced on the +mental plane by a complex thought, we may infer that that thought sets +in motion on its own plane two forces which are in the same ratio one to +the other. What these forces are and how they work remains to be seen; +but if we are ever able to solve this problem, it is likely that it +will open to us a new and exceedingly valuable field of knowledge. + +[Illustration: FIGS. 4-7. FORMS PRODUCED BY PENDULUMS] + + +GENERAL PRINCIPLES. + +Three general principles underlie the production of all thought-forms:-- + +1. Quality of thought determines colour. + +2. Nature of thought determines form. + +3. Definiteness of thought determines clearness of outline. + + + + +THE MEANING OF THE COLOURS + + +The table of colours given in the frontispiece has already been +thoroughly described in the book _Man Visible and Invisible_, and the +meaning to be attached to them is just the same in the thought-form as +in the body out of which it is evolved. For the sake of those who have +not at hand the full description given in the book just mentioned, it +will be well to state that black means hatred and malice. Red, of all +shades from lurid brick-red to brilliant scarlet, indicates anger; +brutal anger will show as flashes of lurid red from dark brown clouds, +while the anger of "noble indignation" is a vivid scarlet, by no means +unbeautiful, though it gives an unpleasant thrill; a particularly dark +and unpleasant red, almost exactly the colour called dragon's blood, +shows animal passion and sensual desire of various kinds. Clear brown +(almost burnt sienna) shows avarice; hard dull brown-grey is a sign of +selfishness--a colour which is indeed painfully common; deep heavy grey +signifies depression, while a livid pale grey is associated with fear; +grey-green is a signal of deceit, while brownish-green (usually flecked +with points and flashes of scarlet) betokens jealousy. Green seems +always to denote adaptability; in the lowest case, when mingled with +selfishness, this adaptability becomes deceit; at a later stage, when +the colour becomes purer, it means rather the wish to be all things to +all men, even though it may be chiefly for the sake of becoming popular +and bearing a good reputation with them; in its still higher, more +delicate and more luminous aspect, it shows the divine power of +sympathy. Affection expresses itself in all shades of crimson and rose; +a full clear carmine means a strong healthy affection of normal type; if +stained heavily with brown-grey, a selfish and grasping feeling is +indicated, while pure pale rose marks that absolutely unselfish love +which is possible only to high natures; it passes from the dull crimson +of animal love to the most exquisite shades of delicate rose, like the +early flushes of the dawning, as the love becomes purified from all +selfish elements, and flows out in wider and wider circles of generous +impersonal tenderness and compassion to all who are in need. With a +touch of the blue of devotion in it, this may express a strong +realisation of the universal brotherhood of humanity. Deep orange +imports pride or ambition, and the various shades of yellow denote +intellect or intellectual gratification, dull yellow ochre implying the +direction of such faculty to selfish purposes, while clear gamboge shows +a distinctly higher type, and pale luminous primrose yellow is a sign of +the highest and most unselfish use of intellectual power, the pure +reason directed to spiritual ends. The different shades of blue all +indicate religious feeling, and range through all hues from the dark +brown-blue of selfish devotion, or the pallid grey-blue of +fetish-worship tinged with fear, up to the rich deep clear colour of +heartfelt adoration, and the beautiful pale azure of that highest form +which implies self-renunciation and union with the divine; the +devotional thought of an unselfish heart is very lovely in colour, like +the deep blue of a summer sky. Through such clouds of blue will often +shine out golden stars of great brilliancy, darting upwards like a +shower of sparks. A mixture of affection and devotion is manifested by a +tint of violet, and the more delicate shades of this invariably show the +capacity of absorbing and responding to a high and beautiful ideal. The +brilliancy and the depth of the colours are usually a measure of the +strength and the activity of the feeling. + +Another consideration which must not be forgotten is the type of matter +in which these forms are generated. If a thought be purely intellectual +and impersonal--for example, if the thinker is attempting to solve a +problem in algebra or geometry--the thought-form and the wave of +vibration will be confined entirely to the mental plane. If, however, +the thought be of a spiritual nature, if it be tinged with love and +aspiration or deep unselfish feeling, it will rise upwards from the +mental plane and will borrow much of the splendour and glory of the +buddhic level. In such a case its influence is exceedingly powerful, and +every such thought is a mighty force for good which cannot but produce a +decided effect upon all mental bodies within reach, if they contain any +quality at all capable of response. + +If, on the other hand, the thought has in it something of self or of +personal desire, at once its vibration turns downwards, and it draws +round itself a body of astral matter in addition to its clothing of +mental matter. Such a thought-form is capable of acting upon the astral +bodies of other men as well as their minds, so that it can not only +raise thought within them, but can also stir up their feelings. + + + + +THREE CLASSES OF THOUGHT-FORMS + + +From the point of view of the forms which they produce we may group +thought into three classes:-- + +1. That which takes the image of the thinker. When a man thinks of +himself as in some distant place, or wishes earnestly to be in that +place, he makes a thought-form in his own image which appears there. +Such a form has not infrequently been seen by others, and has sometimes +been taken for the astral body or apparition of the man himself. In such +a case, either the seer must have enough of clairvoyance for the time to +be able to observe that astral shape, or the thought-form must have +sufficient strength to materialise itself--that is, to draw round itself +temporarily a certain amount of physical matter. The thought which +generates such a form as this must necessarily be a strong one, and it +therefore employs a larger proportion of the matter of the mental body, +so that though the form is small and compressed when it leaves the +thinker, it draws round it a considerable amount of astral matter, and +usually expands to life-size before it appears at its destination. + +2. That which takes the image of some material object. When a man thinks +of his friend he forms within his mental body a minute image of that +friend, which often passes outward and usually floats suspended in the +air before him. In the same way if he thinks of a room, a house, a +landscape, tiny images of these things are formed within the mental body +and afterwards externalised. This is equally true when he is exercising +his imagination; the painter who forms a conception of his future +picture builds it up out of the matter of his mental body, and then +projects it into space in front of him, keeps it before his mind's eye, +and copies it. The novelist in the same way builds images of his +character in mental matter, and by the exercise of his will moves these +puppets from one position or grouping to another, so that the plot of +his story is literally acted out before him. With our curiously inverted +conceptions of reality it is hard for us to understand that these mental +images actually exist, and are so entirely objective that they may +readily be seen by the clairvoyant, and can even be rearranged by some +one other than their creator. Some novelists have been dimly aware of +such a process, and have testified that their characters when once +created developed a will of their own, and insisted on carrying the plot +of the story along lines quite different from those originally intended +by the author. This has actually happened, sometimes because the +thought-forms were ensouled by playful nature-spirits, or more often +because some 'dead' novelist, watching on the astral plane the +development of the plan of his fellow-author, thought that he could +improve upon it, and chose this method of putting forward his +suggestions. + +3. That which takes a form entirely its own, expressing its inherent +qualities in the matter which it draws round it. Only thought-forms of +this third class can usefully be illustrated, for to represent those of +the first or second class would be merely to draw portraits or +landscapes. In those types we have the plastic mental or astral matter +moulded in imitation of forms belonging to the physical plane; in this +third group we have a glimpse of the forms natural to the astral or +mental planes. Yet this very fact, which makes them so interesting, +places an insuperable barrier in the way of their accurate reproduction. + +Thought-forms of this third class almost invariably manifest themselves +upon the astral plane, as the vast majority of them are expressions of +feeling as well as of thought. Those of which we here give specimens are +almost wholly of that class, except that we take a few examples of the +beautiful thought-forms created in definite meditation by those who, +through long practice, have learnt how to think. + +Thought-forms directed towards individuals produce definitely marked +effects, these effects being either partially reproduced in the aura of +the recipient and so increasing the total result, or repelled from it. A +thought of love and of desire to protect, directed strongly towards some +beloved object, creates a form which goes to the person thought of, and +remains in his aura as a shielding and protecting agent; it will seek +all opportunities to serve, and all opportunities to defend, not by a +conscious and deliberate action, but by a blind following out of the +impulse impressed upon it, and it will strengthen friendly forces that +impinge on the aura and weaken unfriendly ones. Thus may we create and +maintain veritable guardian angels round those we love, and many a +mother's prayer for a distant child thus circles round him, though she +knows not the method by which her "prayer is answered." + +In cases in which good or evil thoughts are projected at individuals, +those thoughts, if they are to directly fulfil their mission, must find, +in the aura of the object to whom they are sent, materials capable of +responding sympathetically to their vibrations. Any combination of +matter can only vibrate within certain definite limits, and if the +thought-form be outside all the limits within which the aura is capable +of vibrating, it cannot affect that aura at all. It consequently +rebounds from it, and that with a force proportionate to the energy with +which it impinged upon it. This is why it is said that a pure heart and +mind are the best protectors against any inimical assaults, for such a +pure heart and mind will construct an astral and a mental body of fine +and subtle materials, and these bodies cannot respond to vibrations that +demand coarse and dense matter. If an evil thought, projected with +malefic intent, strikes such a body, it can only rebound from it, and it +is flung back with all its own energy; it then flies backward along the +magnetic line of least resistance, that which it has just traversed, and +strikes its projector; he, having matter in his astral and mental bodies +similar to that of the thought-form he generated, is thrown into +respondent vibrations, and suffers the destructive effects he had +intended to cause to another. Thus "curses [and blessings] come home to +roost." From this arise also the very serious effects of hating or +suspecting a good and highly-advanced man; the thought-forms sent +against him cannot injure him, and they rebound against their +projectors, shattering them mentally, morally, or physically. Several +such instances are well known to members of the Theosophical Society, +having come under their direct observation. So long as any of the +coarser kinds of matter connected with evil and selfish thoughts remain +in a person's body, he is open to attack from those who wish him evil, +but when he has perfectly eliminated these by self-purification his +haters cannot injure him, and he goes on calmly and peacefully amid all +the darts of their malice. But it is bad for those who shoot out such +darts. + +Another point that should be mentioned before passing to the +consideration of our illustrations is that every one of the +thought-forms here given is drawn from life. They are not imaginary +forms, prepared as some dreamer thinks that they ought to appear; they +are representations of forms actually observed as thrown off by ordinary +men and women, and either reproduced with all possible care and fidelity +by those who have seen them, or with the help of artists to whom the +seers have described them. + + * * * * * + +For convenience of comparison thought-forms of a similar kind are +grouped together. + + +ILLUSTRATIVE THOUGHT-FORMS + +AFFECTION + +_Vague Pure Affection._--Fig. 8 is a revolving cloud of pure affection, +and except for its vagueness it represents a very good feeling. The +person from whom it emanates is happy and at peace with the world, +thinking dreamily of some friend whose very presence is a pleasure. +There is nothing keen or strong about the feeling, yet it is one of +gentle well-being, and of an unselfish delight in the proximity of +those who are beloved. The feeling which gives birth to such a cloud is +pure of its kind, but there is in it no force capable of producing +definite results. An appearance by no means unlike this frequently +surrounds a gently purring cat, and radiates slowly outward from the +animal in a series of gradually enlarging concentric shells of rosy +cloud, fading into invisibility at a distance of a few feet from their +drowsily contented creator. + +[Illustration: FIG. 8. VAGUE PURE AFFECTION] + +_Vague Selfish Affection._--Fig. 9 shows us also a cloud of affection, +but this time it is deeply tinged with a far less desirable feeling. The +dull hard brown-grey of selfishness shows itself very decidedly among +the carmine of love, and thus we see that the affection which is +indicated is closely connected with satisfaction at favours already +received, and with a lively anticipation of others to come in the near +future. Indefinite as was the feeling which produced the cloud in Fig. +8, it was at least free from this taint of selfishness, and it therefore +showed a certain nobility of nature in its author. Fig. 9 represents +what takes the place of that condition of mind at a lower level of +evolution. It would scarcely be possible that these two clouds should +emanate from the same person in the same incarnation. Yet there is good +in the man who generates this second cloud, though as yet it is but +partially evolved. A vast amount of the average affection of the world +is of this type, and it is only by slow degrees that it develops towards +the other and higher manifestation. + +[Illustration: FIG. 9. VAGUE SELFISH AFFECTION] + +_Definite Affection._--Even the first glance at Fig. 10 shows us that +here we have to deal with something of an entirely different +nature--something effective and capable, something that will achieve a +result. The colour is fully equal to that of Fig. 8 in clearness and +depth and transparency, but what was there a mere sentiment is in this +case translated into emphatic intention coupled with unhesitating +action. Those who have seen the book _Man Visible and Invisible_ will +recollect that in Plate XI. of that volume is depicted the effect of a +sudden rush of pure unselfish affection as it showed itself in the +astral body of a mother, as she caught up her little child and covered +it with kisses. Various changes resulted from that sudden outburst of +emotion; one of them was the formation within the astral body of large +crimson coils or vortices lined with living light. Each of these is a +thought-form of intense affection generated as we have described, and +almost instantaneously ejected towards the object of the feeling. Fig. +10 depicts just such a thought-form after it has left the astral body of +its author, and is on its way towards its goal. It will be observed that +the almost circular form has changed into one somewhat resembling a +projectile or the head of a comet; and it will be easily understood that +this alteration is caused by its rapid forward motion. The clearness of +the colour assures us of the purity of the emotion which gave birth to +this thought-form, while the precision of its outline is unmistakable +evidence of power and of vigorous purpose. The soul that gave birth to a +thought-form such as this must already be one of a certain amount of +development. + +[Illustration: FIG. 10. DEFINITE AFFECTION] + +_Radiating Affection._--Fig. 11 gives us our first example of a +thought-form intentionally generated, since its author is making the +effort to pour himself forth in love to all beings. It must be +remembered that all these forms are in constant motion. This one, for +example, is steadily widening out, though there seems to be an +exhaustless fountain welling up through the centre from a dimension +which we cannot represent. A sentiment such as this is so wide in its +application, that it is very difficult for any one not thoroughly +trained to keep it clear and precise. The thought-form here shown is, +therefore, a very creditable one, for it will be noted that all the +numerous rays of the star are commendably free from vagueness. + +[Illustration: FIG. 11. RADIATING AFFECTION] + +_Peace and Protection._--Few thought-forms are more beautiful and +expressive than this which we see in Fig. 12. This is a thought of love +and peace, protection and benediction, sent forth by one who has the +power and has earned the right to bless. It is not at all probable that +in the mind of its creator there existed any thought of its beautiful +wing-like shape, though it is possible that some unconscious reflection +of far-away lessons of childhood about guardian angels who always +hovered over their charges may have had its influence in determining +this. However that may be, the earnest wish undoubtedly clothed itself +in this graceful and expressive outline, while the affection that +prompted it gave to it its lovely rose-colour, and the intellect which +guided it shone forth like sunlight as its heart and central support. +Thus in sober truth we may make veritable guardian angels to hover over +and protect those whom we love, and many an unselfish earnest wish for +good produces such a form as this, though all unknown to its creator. + +[Illustration: FIG. 12. PEACE AND PROTECTION] + +_Grasping Animal Affection._--Fig. 13 gives us an instance of grasping +animal affection--if indeed such a feeling as this be deemed worthy of +the august name of affection at all. Several colours bear their share in +the production of its dull unpleasing hue, tinged as it is with the +lurid gleam of sensuality, as well as deadened with the heavy tint +indicative of selfishness. Especially characteristic is its form, for +those curving hooks are never seen except when there exists a strong +craving for personal possession. It is regrettably evident that the +fabricator of this thought-form had no conception of the +self-sacrificing love which pours itself out in joyous service, never +once thinking of result or return; his thought has been, not "How much +can I give?" but "How much can I gain?" and so it has expressed itself +in these re-entering curves. It has not even ventured to throw itself +boldly outward, as do other thoughts, but projects half-heartedly from +the astral body, which must be supposed to be on the left of the +picture. A sad travesty of the divine quality love; yet even this is a +stage in evolution, and distinctly an improvement upon earlier stages, +as will presently be seen. + +[Illustration: FIG. 13. GRASPING ANIMAL AFFECTION] + + +DEVOTION + +_Vague Religious Feeling._--Fig. 14 shows us another shapeless rolling +cloud, but this time it is blue instead of crimson. It betokens that +vaguely pleasurable religious feeling--a sensation of devoutness rather +than of devotion--which is so common among those in whom piety is more +developed than intellect. In many a church one may see a great cloud of +deep dull blue floating over the heads of the congregation--indefinite +in outline, because of the indistinct nature of the thoughts and +feelings which cause it; flecked too often with brown and grey, because +ignorant devotion absorbs with deplorable facility the dismal tincture +of selfishness or fear; but none the less adumbrating a mighty +potentiality of the future, manifesting to our eyes the first faint +flutter of one at least of the twin wings of devotion and wisdom, by the +use of which the soul flies upward to God from whom it came. + +[Illustration: FIG. 14. VAGUE RELIGIOUS FEELING] + +Strange is it to note under what varied circumstances this vague blue +cloud may be seen; and oftentimes its absence speaks more loudly than +its presence. For in many a fashionable place of worship we seek it in +vain, and find instead of it a vast conglomeration of thought-forms of +that second type which take the shape of material objects. Instead of +tokens of devotion, we see floating above the "worshippers" the astral +images of hats and bonnets, of jewellery and gorgeous dresses, of horses +and of carriages, of whisky-bottles and of Sunday dinners, and sometimes +of whole rows of intricate calculations, showing that men and women +alike have had during their supposed hours of prayer and praise no +thoughts but of business or of pleasure, of the desires or the anxieties +of the lower form of mundane existence. + +Yet sometimes in a humbler fane, in a church belonging to the +unfashionable Catholic or Ritualist, or even in a lowly meeting-house +where there is but little of learning or of culture, one may watch the +deep blue clouds rolling ceaselessly eastward towards the altar, or +upwards, testifying at least to the earnestness and the reverence of +those who give them birth. Rarely--very rarely--among the clouds of blue +will flash like a lance cast by the hand of a giant such a thought-form +as is shown in Fig. 15; or such a flower of self-renunciation as we see +in Fig. 16 may float before our ravished eyes; but in most cases we must +seek elsewhere for these signs of a higher development. + +_Upward Rush of Devotion._--The form in Fig. 15 bears much the same +relation to that of Fig. 14 as did the clearly outlined projectile of +Fig. 10 to the indeterminate cloud of Fig. 8. We could hardly have a +more marked contrast than that between the inchoate flaccidity of the +nebulosity in Fig. 14 and the virile vigour of the splendid spire of +highly developed devotion which leaps into being before us in Fig. 15. +This is no uncertain half-formed sentiment; it is the outrush into +manifestation of a grand emotion rooted deep in the knowledge of fact. +The man who feels such devotion as this is one who knows in whom he has +believed; the man who makes such a thought-form as this is one who has +taught himself how to think. The determination of the upward rush points +to courage as well as conviction, while the sharpness of its outline +shows the clarity of its creator's conception, and the peerless purity +of its colour bears witness to his utter unselfishness. + +[Illustration: FIG. 15. UPWARD RUSH OF DEVOTION] + +_The Response to Devotion._--In Fig. 17 we see the result of his +thought--the response of the LOGOS to the appeal made to Him, the truth +which underlies the highest and best part of the persistent belief in an +answer to prayer. It needs a few words of explanation. On every plane of +His solar system our LOGOS pours forth His light, His power, His life, +and naturally it is on the higher planes that this outpouring of divine +strength can be given most fully. The descent from each plane to that +next below it means an almost paralysing limitation--a limitation +entirely incomprehensible except to those who have experienced the +higher possibilities of human consciousness. Thus the divine life flows +forth with incomparably greater fulness on the mental plane than on the +astral; and yet even its glory at the mental level is ineffably +transcended by that of the buddhic plane. Normally each of these mighty +waves of influence spreads about its appropriate plane--horizontally, as +it were--but it does not pass into the obscuration of a plane lower than +that for which it was originally intended. + +[Illustration: FIG. 17. RESPONSE TO DEVOTION] + +Yet there are conditions under which the grace and strength peculiar to +a higher plane may in a measure be brought down to a lower one, and may +spread abroad there with wonderful effect. This seems to be possible +only when a special channel is for the moment opened; and that work must +be done from below and by the effort of man. It has before been +explained that whenever a man's thought or feeling is selfish, the +energy which it produces moves in a close curve, and thus inevitably +returns and expends itself upon its own level; but when the thought or +feeling is absolutely unselfish, its energy rushes forth in an open +curve, and thus does _not_ return in the ordinary sense, but pierces +through into the plane above, because only in that higher condition, +with its additional dimension, can it find room for its expansion. But +in thus breaking through, such a thought or feeling holds open a door +(to speak symbolically) of dimension equivalent to its own diameter, and +thus furnishes the requisite channel through which the divine force +appropriate to the higher plane can pour itself into the lower with +marvellous results, not only for the thinker but for others. An attempt +is made in Fig. 17 to symbolise this, and to indicate the great truth +that an infinite flood of the higher type of force is always ready and +waiting to pour through when the channel is offered, just as the water +in a cistern may be said to be waiting to pour through the first pipe +that may be opened. + +The result of the descent of divine life is a very great strengthening +and uplifting of the maker of the channel, and the spreading all about +him of a most powerful and beneficent influence. This effect has often +been called an answer to prayer, and has been attributed by the ignorant +to what they call a "special interposition of Providence," instead of to +the unerring action of the great and immutable divine law. + +_Self-Renunciation._--Fig. 16 gives us yet another form of devotion, +producing an exquisitely beautiful form of a type quite new to us--a +type in which one might at first sight suppose that various graceful +shapes belonging to animate nature were being imitated. Fig. 16, for +example, is somewhat suggestive of a partially opened flower-bud, while +other forms are found to bear a certain resemblance to shells or leaves +or tree-shapes. Manifestly, however, these are not and cannot be copies +of vegetable or animal forms, and it seems probable that the explanation +of the similarity lies very much deeper than that. An analogous and even +more significant fact is that some very complex thought-forms can be +exactly imitated by the action of certain mechanical forces, as has been +said above. While with our present knowledge it would be unwise to +attempt a solution of the very fascinating problem presented by these +remarkable resemblances, it seems likely that we are obtaining a glimpse +across the threshold of a very mighty mystery, for if by certain +thoughts we produce a form which has been duplicated by the processes of +nature, we have at least a presumption that these forces of nature work +along lines somewhat similar to the action of those thoughts. Since the +universe is itself a mighty thought-form called into existence by the +LOGOS, it may well be that tiny parts of it are also the thought-forms +of minor entities engaged in the same work; and thus perhaps we may +approach a comprehension of what is meant by the three hundred and +thirty million Devas of the Hindus. + +[Illustration: FIG. 16. SELF-RENUNCIATION] + +This form is of the loveliest pale azure, with a glory of white light +shining through it--something indeed to tax the skill even of the +indefatigable artist who worked so hard to get them as nearly right as +possible. It is what a Catholic would call a definite "act of +devotion"--better still, an act of utter selflessness, of self-surrender +and renunciation. + + +INTELLECT + +_Vague Intellectual Pleasure._--Fig. 18 represents a vague cloud of the +same order as those shown in Figs. 8 and 14, but in this case the colour +is yellow instead of crimson or blue. Yellow in any of man's vehicles +always indicates intellectual capacity, but its shades vary very much, +and it may be complicated by the admixture of other hues. Generally +speaking, it has a deeper and duller tint if the intellect is directed +chiefly into lower channels, more especially if the objects are selfish. +In the astral or mental body of the average man of business it would +show itself as yellow ochre, while pure intellect devoted to the study +of philosophy or mathematics appears frequently to be golden, and this +rises gradually to a beautiful clear and luminous lemon or primrose +yellow when a powerful intellect is being employed absolutely +unselfishly for the benefit of humanity. Most yellow thought-forms are +clearly outlined, and a vague cloud of this colour is comparatively +rare. It indicates intellectual pleasure--appreciation of the result of +ingenuity, or the delight felt in clever workmanship. Such pleasure as +the ordinary man derives from the contemplation of a picture usually +depends chiefly upon the emotions of admiration, affection, or pity +which it arouses within him, or sometimes, if it pourtrays a scene with +which he is familiar, its charm consists in its power to awaken the +memory of past joys. An artist, however, may derive from a picture a +pleasure of an entirely different character, based upon his recognition +of the excellence of the work, and of the ingenuity which has been +exercised in producing certain results. Such pure intellectual +gratification shows itself in a yellow cloud; and the same effect may be +produced by delight in musical ingenuity, or the subtleties of argument. +A cloud of this nature betokens the entire absence of any personal +emotion, for if that were present it would inevitably tinge the yellow +with its own appropriate colour. + +[Illustration: FIG. 18. VAGUE INTELLECTUAL PLEASURE] + +_The Intention to Know._--Fig. 19 is of interest as showing us something +of the growth of a thought-form. The earlier stage, which is indicated +by the upper form, is not uncommon, and indicates the determination to +solve some problem--the intention to know and to understand. Sometimes a +theosophical lecturer sees many of these yellow serpentine forms +projecting towards him from his audience, and welcomes them as a token +that his hearers are following his arguments intelligently, and have an +earnest desire to understand and to know more. A form of this kind +frequently accompanies a question, and if, as is sometimes unfortunately +the case, the question is put less with the genuine desire for knowledge +than for the purpose of exhibiting the acumen of the questioner, the +form is strongly tinged with the deep orange that indicates conceit. It +was at a theosophical meeting that this special shape was encountered, +and it accompanied a question which showed considerable thought and +penetration. The answer at first given was not thoroughly satisfactory +to the inquirer, who seems to have received the impression that his +problem was being evaded by the lecturer. His resolution to obtain a +full and thorough answer to his inquiry became more determined than +ever, and his thought-form deepened in colour and changed into the +second of the two shapes, resembling a cork-screw even more closely than +before. Forms similar to these are constantly created by ordinary idle +and frivolous curiosity, but as there is no intellect involved in that +case the colour is no longer yellow, but usually closely resembles that +of decaying meat, somewhat like that shown in Fig. 29 as expressing a +drunken man's craving for alcohol. + +[Illustration: FIG. 19. THE INTENTION TO KNOW] + +_High Ambition._--Fig. 20 gives us another manifestation of desire--the +ambition for place or power. The ambitious quality is shown by the rich +deep orange colour, and the desire by the hooked extensions which +precede the form as it moves. The thought is a good and pure one of its +kind, for if there were anything base or selfish in the desire it would +inevitably show itself in the darkening of the clear orange hue by dull +reds, browns, or greys. If this man coveted place or power, it was not +for his own sake, but from the conviction that he could do the work +well and truly, and to the advantage of his fellow-men. + +[Illustration: FIG. 20. HIGH AMBITION] + +_Selfish Ambition._--Ambition of a lower type is represented in Fig. 21. +Not only have we here a large stain of the dull brown-grey of +selfishness, but there is also a considerable difference in the form, +though it appears to possess equal definiteness of outline. Fig. 20 is +rising steadily onward towards a definite object, for it will be +observed that the central part of it is as definitely a projectile as +Fig. 10. Fig. 21, on the other hand, is a floating form, and is strongly +indicative of general acquisitiveness--the ambition to grasp for the +self everything that is within sight. + +[Illustration: FIG. 21. SELFISH AMBITION] + + +ANGER + +_Murderous Rage and Sustained Anger._--In Figs. 22 and 23 we have two +terrible examples of the awful effect of anger. The lurid flash from +dark clouds (Fig. 22) was taken from the aura of a rough and partially +intoxicated man in the East End of London, as he struck down a woman; +the flash darted out at her the moment before he raised his hand to +strike, and caused a shuddering feeling of horror, as though it might +slay. The keen-pointed stiletto-like dart (Fig. 23) was a thought of +steady anger, intense and desiring vengeance, of the quality of murder, +sustained through years, and directed against a person who had inflicted +a deep injury on the one who sent it forth; had the latter been +possessed of a strong and trained will, such a thought-form would slay, +and the one nourishing it is running a very serious danger of becoming a +murderer in act as well as in thought in a future incarnation. It will +be noted that both of them take the flash-like form, though the upper is +irregular in its shape, while the lower represents a steadiness of +intention which is far more dangerous. The basis of utter selfishness +out of which the upper one springs is very characteristic and +instructive. The difference in colour between the two is also worthy of +note. In the upper one the dirty brown of selfishness is so strongly +evident that it stains even the outrush of anger; while in the second +case, though no doubt selfishness was at the root of that also, the +original thought has been forgotten in the sustained and concentrated +wrath. One who studies Plate XIII. in _Man Visible and Invisible_ will +be able to image to himself the condition of the astral body from which +these forms are protruding; and surely the mere sight of these pictures, +even without examination, should prove a powerful object-lesson in the +evil of yielding to the passion of anger. + +[Illustration: FIG. 22. MURDEROUS RAGE] + +[Illustration: FIG. 23. SUSTAINED ANGER] + +_Explosive Anger._--In Fig. 24 we see an exhibition of anger of a +totally different character. Here is no sustained hatred, but simply a +vigorous explosion of irritation. It is at once evident that while the +creators of the forms shown in Figs. 22 and 23 were each directing their +ire against an individual, the person who is responsible for the +explosion in Fig. 24 is for the moment at war with the whole world round +him. It may well express the sentiment of some choleric old gentleman, +who feels himself insulted or impertinently treated, for the dash of +orange intermingled with the scarlet implies that his pride has been +seriously hurt. It is instructive to compare the radiations of this +plate with those of Fig. 11. Here we see indicated a veritable +explosion, instantaneous in its passing and irregular in its effects; +and the vacant centre shows us that the feeling that caused it is +already a thing of the past, and that no further force is being +generated. In Fig. 11, on the other hand, the centre is the strongest +part of the thought-form, showing that this is not the result of a +momentary flash of feeling, but that there is a steady continuous +upwelling of the energy, while the rays show by their quality and length +and the evenness of their distribution the steadily sustained effort +which produces them. + +[Illustration: FIG. 24. EXPLOSIVE ANGER] + +_Watchful and Angry Jealousy._--In Fig. 25 we see an interesting though +unpleasant thought-form. Its peculiar brownish-green colour at once +indicates to the practised clairvoyant that it is an expression of +jealousy, and its curious shape shows the eagerness with which the man +is watching its object. The remarkable resemblance to the snake with +raised head aptly symbolises the extraordinarily fatuous attitude of the +jealous person, keenly alert to discover signs of that which he least of +all wishes to see. The moment that he does see it, or imagines that he +sees it, the form will change into the far commoner one shown in Fig. +26, where the jealousy is already mingled with anger. It may be noted +that here the jealousy is merely a vague cloud, though interspersed with +very definite flashes of anger ready to strike at those by whom it +fancies itself to be injured; whereas in Fig. 25, where there is no +anger as yet, the jealousy itself has a perfectly definite and very +expressive outline. + +[Illustration: FIG. 25. WATCHFUL JEALOUSY] + +[Illustration: FIG. 26. ANGRY JEALOUSY] + + +SYMPATHY + +_Vague Sympathy._--In Fig. 18A we have another of the vague clouds, but +this time its green colour shows us that it is a manifestation of the +feeling of sympathy. We may infer from the indistinct character of its +outline that it is not a definite and active sympathy, such as would +instantly translate itself from thought into deed; it marks rather such +a general feeling of commiseration as might come over a man who read an +account of a sad accident, or stood at the door of a hospital ward +looking in upon the patients. + +[Illustration: FIG. 18A. VAGUE SYMPATHY] + + +FEAR + +_Sudden Fright._--One of the most pitiful objects in nature is a man or +an animal in a condition of abject fear; and an examination of Plate +XIV. in _Man Visible and Invisible_ shows that under such circumstances +the astral body presents no better appearance than the physical. When a +man's astral body is thus in a state of frenzied palpitation, its +natural tendency is to throw off amorphous explosive fragments, like +masses of rock hurled out in blasting, as will be seen in Fig. 30; but +when a person is not terrified but seriously startled, an effect such as +that shown in Fig. 27 is often produced. In one of the photographs taken +by Dr Baraduc of Paris, it was noticed that an eruption of broken +circles resulted from sudden annoyance, and this outrush of +crescent-shaped forms seems to be of somewhat the same nature, though in +this case there are the accompanying lines of matter which even increase +the explosive appearance. It is noteworthy that all the crescents to the +right hand, which must obviously have been those expelled earliest, +show nothing but the livid grey of fear; but a moment later the man is +already partially recovering from the shock, and beginning to feel angry +that he allowed himself to be startled. This is shown by the fact that +the later crescents are lined with scarlet, evidencing the mingling of +anger and fear, while the last crescent is pure scarlet, telling us that +even already the fright is entirely overcome, and only the annoyance +remains. + +[Illustration: FIG. 27. SUDDEN FRIGHT] + + +GREED + +_Selfish Greed._--Fig. 28 gives us an example of selfish greed--a far +lower type than Fig. 21. It will be noted that here there is nothing +even so lofty as ambition, and it is also evident from the tinge of +muddy green that the person from whom this unpleasant thought is +projecting is quite ready to employ deceit in order to obtain her +desire. While the ambition of Fig. 21 was general in its nature, the +craving expressed in Fig. 28 is for a particular object towards which it +is reaching out; for it will be understood that this thought-form, like +that in Fig. 13, remains attached to the astral body, which must be +supposed to be on the left of the picture. Claw-like forms of this +nature are very frequently to be seen converging upon a woman who wears +a new dress or bonnet, or some specially attractive article of +jewellery. The thought-form may vary in colour according to the precise +amount of envy or jealousy which is mingled with the lust for +possession, but an approximation to the shape indicated in our +illustration will be found in all cases. Not infrequently people +gathered in front of a shop-window may be seen thus protruding astral +cravings through the glass. + +[Illustration: FIG. 28. SELFISH GREED] + +_Greed for Drink._--In Fig. 29 we have another variant of the same +passion, perhaps at an even more degraded and animal level. This +specimen was taken from the astral body of a man just as he entered at +the door of a drinking-shop; the expectation of and the keen desire for +the liquor which he was about to absorb showed itself in the projection +in front of him of this very unpleasant appearance. Once more the hooked +protrusions show the craving, while the colour and the coarse mottled +texture show the low and sensual nature of the appetite. Sexual desires +frequently show themselves in an exactly similar manner. Men who give +birth to forms such as this are as yet but little removed from the +animal; as they rise in the scale of evolution the place of this form +will gradually be taken by something resembling that shown in Fig. 13, +and very slowly, as development advances, that in turn will pass through +the stages indicated in Figs. 9 and 8, until at last all selfishness is +cast out, and the desire to have has been transmuted into the desire to +give, and we arrive at the splendid results shown in Figs. 11 and 10. + +[Illustration: FIG. 29. GREED FOR DRINK] + + +VARIOUS EMOTIONS + +_At a Shipwreck._--Very serious is the panic which has occasioned the +very interesting group of thought-forms which are depicted in Fig. 30. +They were seen simultaneously, arranged exactly as represented, though +in the midst of indescribable confusion, so their relative positions +have been retained, though in explaining them it will be convenient to +take them in reverse order. They were called forth by a terrible +accident, and they are instructive as showing how differently people are +affected by sudden and serious danger. One form shows nothing but an +eruption of the livid grey of fear, rising out of a basis of utter +selfishness: and unfortunately there were many such as this. The +shattered appearance of the thought-form shows the violence and +completeness of the explosion, which in turn indicates that the whole +soul of that person was possessed with blind, frantic terror, and that +the overpowering sense of personal danger excluded for the time every +higher feeling. + +[Illustration: FIG. 30. AT A SHIPWRECK] + +The second form represents at least an attempt at self-control, and +shows the attitude adopted by a person having a certain amount of +religious feeling. The thinker is seeking solace in prayer, and +endeavouring in this way to overcome her fear. This is indicated by the +point of greyish-blue which lifts itself hesitatingly upwards; the +colour shows, however, that the effort is but partially successful, and +we see also from the lower part of the thought-form, with its irregular +outline and its falling fragments, that there is in reality almost as +much fright here as in the other case. But at least this woman has had +presence of mind enough to remember that she ought to pray, and is +trying to imagine that she is not afraid as she does it, whereas in the +other case there was absolutely no thought beyond selfish terror. The +one retains still some semblance of humanity, and some possibility of +regaining self-control; the other has for the time cast aside all +remnants of decency, and is an abject slave to overwhelming emotion. + +A very striking contrast to the humiliating weakness shown in these two +forms is the splendid strength and decision of the third. Here we have +no amorphous mass with quivering lines and explosive fragments, but a +powerful, clear-cut and definite thought, obviously full of force and +resolution. For this is the thought of the officer in charge--the man +responsible for the lives and the safety of the passengers, and he rises +to the emergency in a most satisfactory manner. It does not even occur +to him to feel the least shadow of fear; he has no time for that. Though +the scarlet of the sharp point of his weapon-like thought-form shows +anger that the accident should have happened, the bold curve of orange +immediately above it betokens perfect self-confidence and certainty of +his power to deal with the difficulty. The brilliant yellow implies that +his intellect is already at work upon the problem, while the green which +runs side by side with it denotes the sympathy which he feels for those +whom he intends to save. A very striking and instructive group of +thought-forms. + +_On the First Night._--Fig. 31 is also an interesting specimen--perhaps +unique--for it represents the thought-form of an actor while waiting to +go upon the stage for a "first-night" performance. The broad band of +orange in the centre is very clearly defined, and is the expression of a +well-founded self-confidence--the realisation of many previous +successes, and the reasonable expectation that on this occasion another +will be added to the list. Yet in spite of this there is a good deal of +unavoidable uncertainty as to how this new play may strike the fickle +public, and on the whole the doubt and fear overbalance the certainty +and pride, for there is more of the pale grey than of the orange, and +the whole thought-form vibrates like a flag flapping in a gale of wind. +It will be noted that while the outline of the orange is exceedingly +clear and definite, that of the grey is much vaguer. + +[Illustration: FIG. 31. ON THE FIRST NIGHT] + +_The Gamblers._--The forms shown in Fig. 32 were observed simultaneously +at the great gambling-house at Monte Carlo. Both represent some of the +worst of human passions, and there is little to choose between them; +although they represent the feelings of the successful and the +unsuccessful gambler respectively. The lower form has a strong +resemblance to a lurid and gleaming eye, though this must be simply a +coincidence, for when we analyse it we find that its constituent parts +and colours can be accounted for without difficulty. The background of +the whole thought is an irregular cloud of deep depression, heavily +marked by the dull brown-grey of selfishness and the livid hue of fear. +In the centre we find a clearly-marked scarlet ring showing deep anger +and resentment at the hostility of fate, and within that is a sharply +outlined circle of black expressing the hatred of the ruined man for +those who have won his money. The man who can send forth such a +thought-form as this is surely in imminent danger, for he has evidently +descended into the very depths of despair; being a gambler he can have +no principle to sustain him, so that he would be by no means unlikely to +resort to the imaginary refuge of suicide, only to find on awakening +into astral life that he had changed his condition for the worse instead +of for the better, as the suicide always does, since his cowardly action +cuts him off from the happiness and peace which usually follow death. + +[Illustration: FIG. 32. THE GAMBLERS] + +The upper form represents a state of mind which is perhaps even more +harmful in its effects, for this is the gloating of the successful +gambler over his ill-gotten gain. Here the outline is perfectly +definite, and the man's resolution to persist in his evil course is +unmistakable. The broad band of orange in the centre shows very clearly +that although when the man loses he may curse the inconstancy of fate, +when he wins he attributes his success entirely to his own transcendent +genius. Probably he has invented some system to which he pins his faith, +and of which he is inordinately proud. But it will be noticed that on +each side of the orange comes a hard line of selfishness, and we see how +this in turn melts into avarice and becomes a mere animal greed of +possession, which is also so clearly expressed by the claw-like +extremities of the thought-form. + +_At a Street Accident._--Fig. 33 is instructive as showing the various +forms which the same feelings may take in different individuals. These +two evidences of emotion were seen simultaneously among the spectators +of a street accident--a case in which someone was knocked down and +slightly injured by a passing vehicle. The persons who generated these +two thought-forms were both animated by affectionate interest in the +victim and deep compassion for his suffering, and so their thought-forms +exhibited exactly the same colours, although the outlines are absolutely +unlike. The one over whom floats that vague sphere of cloud is thinking +"Poor fellow, how sad!" while he who gives birth to that sharply-defined +disc is already rushing forward to see in what way he can be of +assistance. The one is a dreamer, though of acute sensibilities; the +other is a man of action. + +[Illustration: FIG. 33. AT A STREET ACCIDENT] + +_At a Funeral._--In Fig. 34 we have an exceedingly striking example of +the advantage of knowledge, of the fundamental change produced in the +man's attitude of mind by a clear understanding of the great laws of +nature under which we live. Utterly different as they are in every +respect of colour and form and meaning, these two thought-forms were +seen simultaneously, and they represent two points of view with regard +to the same occurrence. They were observed at a funeral, and they +exhibit the feelings evoked in the minds of two of the "mourners" by the +contemplation of death. The thinkers stood in the same relation to the +dead man, but while one of them was still steeped in the dense ignorance +with regard to super-physical life which is so painfully common in the +present day, the other had the inestimable advantage of the light of +Theosophy. In the thought of the former we see expressed nothing but +profound depression, fear and selfishness. The fact that death has +approached so near has evidently evoked in the mind of the mourner the +thought that it may one day come to him also, and the anticipation of +this is very terrible to him; but since he does not know what it is that +he fears, the clouds in which his feeling is manifested are +appropriately vague. His only definite sensations are despair and the +sense of his personal loss, and these declare themselves in regular +bands of brown-grey and leaden grey, while the very curious downward +protrusion, which actually descends into the grave and enfolds the +coffin, is an expression of strong selfish desire to draw the dead man +back into physical life. + +[Illustration: FIG. 34. AT A FUNERAL] + +It is refreshing to turn from this gloomy picture to the wonderfully +different effect produced by the very same circumstances upon the mind +of the man who comprehends the facts of the case. It will be observed +that the two have no single emotion in common; in the former case all +was despondency and horror, while in this case we find none but the +highest and most beautiful sentiments. At the base of the thought-form +we find a full expression of deep sympathy, the lighter green indicating +appreciation of the suffering of the mourners and condolence with them, +while the band of deeper green shows the attitude of the thinker towards +the dead man himself. The deep rose-colour exhibits affection towards +both the dead and the living, while the upper part of the cone and the +stars which rise from it testify to the feeling aroused within the +thinker by the consideration of the subject of death, the blue +expressing its devotional aspect, while the violet shows the thought of, +and the power to respond to, a noble ideal, and the golden stars denote +the spiritual aspirations which its contemplation calls forth. The band +of clear yellow which is seen in the centre of this thought-form is very +significant, as indicating that the man's whole attitude is based upon +and prompted by his intellectual comprehension of the situation, and +this is also shown by the regularity of the arrangement of the colours +and the definiteness of the lines of demarcation between them. + +The comparison between the two illustrations shown in this plate is +surely a very impressive testimony to the value of the knowledge given +by the theosophical teaching. Undoubtedly this knowledge of the truth +takes away all fear of death, and makes life easier to live because we +understand its object and its end, and we realise that death is a +perfectly natural incident in its course, a necessary step in our +evolution. This ought to be universally known among Christian nations, +but it is not, and therefore on this point, as on so many others, +Theosophy has a gospel for the Western world. It has to announce that +there is no gloomy impenetrable abyss beyond the grave, but instead of +that a world of life and light which may be known to us as clearly and +fully and accurately as this physical world in which we live now. We +have created the gloom and the horror for ourselves, like children who +frighten themselves with ghastly stories, and we have only to study the +facts of the case, and all these artificial clouds will roll away at +once. We have an evil heredity behind us in this matter, for we have +inherited all kinds of funereal horrors from our forefathers, and so we +are used to them, and we do not see the absurdity and the monstrosity of +them. The ancients were in this respect wiser than we, for they did not +associate all this phantasmagoria of gloom with the death of the +body--partly perhaps because they had a much more rational method of +disposing of the body--a method which was not only infinitely better for +the dead man and more healthy for the living, but was also free from the +gruesome suggestions connected with slow decay. They knew much more +about death in those days, and because they knew more they mourned less. + +_On Meeting a Friend._--Fig. 35 gives us an example of a good, +clearly-defined and expressive thought-form, with each colour well +marked off from the others. It represents the feeling of a man upon +meeting a friend from whom he has been long separated. The convex +surface of the crescent is nearest to the thinker, and its two arms +stretch out towards the approaching friend as if to embrace him. The +rose colour naturally betokens the affection felt, the light green shows +the depth of the sympathy which exists, and the clear yellow is a sign +of the intellectual pleasure with which the creator of the thought +anticipates the revival of delightful reminiscences of days long gone +by. + +[Illustration: FIG. 35. ON MEETING A FRIEND] + +_The Appreciation of a Picture._--In Fig. 36 we have a somewhat complex +thought-form representing the delighted appreciation of a beautiful +picture upon a religious subject. The strong pure yellow marks the +beholder's enthusiastic recognition of the technical skill of the +artist, while all the other colours are expressions of the various +emotions evoked within him by the examination of so glorious a work of +art. Green shows his sympathy with the central figure in the picture, +deep devotion appears not only in the broad band of blue, but also in +the outline of the entire figure, while the violet tells us that the +picture has raised the man's thought to the contemplation of a lofty +ideal, and has made him, at least for the time, capable of responding to +it. We have here the first specimen of an interesting class of +thought-forms of which we shall find abundant examples later--that in +which light of one colour shines out through a network of lines of some +quite different hue. It will be noted that in this case from the mass of +violet there rise many wavy lines which flow like rivulets over a golden +plain; and this makes it clear that the loftiest aspiration is by no +means vague, but is thoroughly supported by an intellectual grasp of the +situation and a clear comprehension of the method by which it can be put +into effect. + +[Illustration: FIG. 36. THE APPRECIATION OF A PICTURE] + + +FORMS SEEN IN THOSE MEDITATING + +_Sympathy and Love for all._--Hitherto we have been dealing chiefly with +forms which are the expression of emotion, or of such thought as is +aroused within the mind by external circumstances. We have now to +consider some of those caused by thoughts which arise from within--forms +generated during meditation--each being the effect produced by a +conscious effort on the part of the thinker to form a certain +conception, or to put himself into a certain attitude. Naturally such +thoughts are definite, for the man who trains himself in this way learns +how to think with clearness and precision, and the development of his +power in this direction shows itself in the beauty and regularity of the +shapes produced. In this case we have the result of an endeavour on the +part of the thinker to put himself into an attitude of sympathy and love +towards all mankind, and thus we have a series of graceful lines of the +luminous green of sympathy with the strong roseate glow of affection +shining out between them (Fig. 37). The lines are still sufficiently +broad and wide apart to be easily drawn; but in some of the higher +examples of thought-forms of this type the lines are so fine and so +close that no human hand can represent them as they really are. The +outline of this thought-form is that of a leaf, yet its shape and the +curve of its lines are more suggestive of a certain kind of shell, so +that this is another example of the approximation to forms seen in +physical nature which we noted in commenting upon Fig. 16. + +[Illustration: FIG. 37. SYMPATHY AND LOVE FOR ALL] + +_An Aspiration to Enfold all._--In Fig. 38 we have a far more developed +example of the same type. This form was generated by one who was +trying, while sitting in meditation, to fill his mind with an aspiration +to enfold all mankind in order to draw them upward towards the high +ideal which shone so clearly before his eyes. Therefore it is that the +form which he produces seems to rush out from him, to curve round upon +itself, and to return to its base; therefore it is that the marvellously +fine lines are drawn in lovely luminous violet, and that from within the +form there shines out a glorious golden light which it is unfortunately +quite impossible to reproduce. For the truth is that all these +apparently intricate lines are in reality only one line circling round +the form again and again with unwearied patience and wonderful accuracy. +It is scarcely possible that any human hand could make such a drawing as +this on this scale, and in any case the effect of its colours could not +be shown, for it will be seen by experiment that if an attempt be made +to draw fine violet lines close together upon a yellow background a grey +effect at once appears, and all likeness to the original is destroyed. +But what cannot be done by hand may sometimes be achieved by the +superior accuracy and delicacy of a machine, and it is in this way that +the drawing was made from which our illustration is reproduced,--with +some attempt to represent the colour effect as well as the wonderful +delicacy of the lines and curves. + +[Illustration: FIG. 38. AN ASPIRATION TO ENFOLD ALL] + +_In the Six Directions._--The form represented in Fig. 39 is the result +of another endeavour to extend love and sympathy in all directions--an +effort almost precisely similar to that which gave birth to Fig. 37, +though the effect seems so different. The reasons for this variety and +for the curious shape taken in this case constitute a very interesting +illustration of the way in which thought-forms grow. It will be seen +that in this instance the thinker displays considerable devotional +feeling, and has also made an intellectual effort to grasp the +conditions necessary for the realisation of his wishes, and the blue and +yellow colours remain as evidence of this. Originally this thought-form +was circular, and the dominant idea evidently was that the green of +sympathy should be upon the outside, facing in all directions, as it +were, and that love should lie at the centre and heart of the thought +and direct its outgoing energies. But the maker of this thought-form had +been reading Hindu books, and his modes of thought had been greatly +influenced by them. Students of Oriental literature will be aware that +the Hindu speaks, not of four directions (north, east, south, and west), +as we do, but always of six, since he very sensibly includes the zenith +and the nadir. Our friend was imbued from his reading with the idea that +he should pour forth his love and sympathy "in the six directions"; but +since he did not accurately understand what the six directions are, he +directed his stream of affection towards six equidistant points in his +circle. The outrushing streams altered the shape of the outlying lines +which he had already built up, and so instead of having a circle as a +section of his thought-form, we have this curious hexagon with its +inward-curving sides. We see thus how faithfully every thought-form +records the exact process of its upbuilding, registering ineffaceably +even the errors of its construction. + +[Illustration: FIG. 39. IN THE SIX DIRECTIONS] + +_An Intellectual Conception of Cosmic Order._--In Fig. 40 we have the +effect of an attempt to attain an intellectual conception of cosmic +order. The thinker was obviously a Theosophist, and it will be seen +that when he endeavours to think of the action of spirit upon matter he +instinctively follows the same line of symbolism as that depicted in the +well-known seal of the Society. Here we have an upward-pointing +triangle, signifying the threefold aspect of the Spirit, interlaced with +the downward-pointing triangle, which indicates matter with its three +inherent qualities. Usually we represent the upward triangle in white or +gold, and the downward-pointing one in some darker hue such as blue or +black, but it is noteworthy that in this case the thinker is so entirely +occupied with the intellectual endeavour, that no colour but yellow is +exhibited within the form. There is no room as yet for emotions of +devotion, of wonder, or of admiration; the idea which he wishes to +realise fills his mind entirely, to the exclusion of all else. Still the +definiteness of the outline as it stands out against its background of +rays shows that he has achieved a high measure of success. + +[Illustration: FIG. 40. AN INTELLECTUAL CONCEPTION OF COSMIC ORDER] + +_The Logos as manifested in Man._--We are now coming to a series of +thoughts which are among the very highest the human mind can form, when +in meditation upon the divine source of its being. When the man in +reverent contemplation tries to raise his thought towards the LOGOS of +our solar system, he naturally makes no attempt to image to himself that +august Being; nor does he think of Him as in any way possessing such +form as we can comprehend. Nevertheless such thoughts build forms for +themselves in the matter of the mental plane; and it will be of interest +for us to examine those forms. In our illustration in Fig. 41 we have a +thought of the LOGOS as manifested in man, with the devotional +aspiration that He may thus be manifested through the thinker. It is +this devotional feeling which gives the pale blue tinge to the +five-pointed star, and its shape is significant, since it has been +employed for many ages as a symbol of God manifest in man. The thinker +may perhaps have been a Freemason, and his knowledge of the symbolism +employed by that body may have had its share in the shaping of the star. +It will be seen that the star is surrounded by bright yellow rays +shining out amidst a cloud of glory, which denotes not only the +reverential understanding of the surpassing glory of the Deity, but also +a distinct intellectual effort in addition to the outpouring of +devotion. + +[Illustration: FIG. 41. THE LOGOS AS MANIFESTED IN MAN] + +_The Logos pervading all._--Our next three Figures are devoted to the +effort to represent a thought of a very high type--an endeavour to think +of the LOGOS as pervading all nature. Here again, as in Fig. 38, it is +impossible to give a full reproduction, and we must call upon our +readers for an effort of the imagination which shall to some extent +supplement the deficiencies of the arts of drawing and printing. The +golden ball depicted in Fig. 42 must be thought of as inside the other +ball of delicate lines (blue in colour) which is drawn in Fig. 44. Any +effort to place the colours in such intimate juxtaposition on the +physical plane results simply in producing a green blur, so that the +whole character of the thought-form is lost. It is only by means of the +machine before mentioned that it is at all possible to represent the +grace and the delicacy of the lines. As before, a single line produces +all the wonderful tracery of Fig. 44, and the effect of the four +radiating lines making a sort of cross of light is merely due to the +fact that the curves are not really concentric, although at first sight +they appear to be so. + +[Illustration: FIG. 42. THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL] + +[Illustration: FIG. 44. THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL] + +_Another Conception._--Fig. 45 exhibits the form produced by another +person when trying to hold exactly the same thought. Here also we have +an amazing complexity of almost inconceivably delicate blue lines, and +here also our imagination must be called upon to insert the golden globe +from Fig. 42, so that its glory may shine through at every point. Here +also, as in Fig. 44, we have that curious and beautiful pattern, +resembling somewhat the damascening on ancient Oriental swords, or that +which is seen upon watered silk or _moire antique_. When this form is +drawn by the pendulum, the pattern is not in any way intentionally +produced, but simply comes as a consequence of the crossing of the +innumerable microscopically fine lines. It is evident that the thinker +who created the form upon Fig. 44 must have held in his mind most +prominently the unity of the LOGOS, while he who generated the form in +Fig. 45 has as clearly in mind the subordinate centres through which the +divine life pours forth, and many of these subordinate centres have +accordingly represented themselves in the thought-form. + +[Illustration: FIG. 45. ANOTHER CONCEPTION] + +_The Threefold Manifestation._--When the form employed in Fig. 46 was +made, its creator was endeavouring to think of the LOGOS in His +threefold manifestation. The vacant space in the centre of the form was +a blinding glow of yellow light, and this clearly typified the First +Aspect, while the Second was symbolised by the broad ring of +closely-knitted and almost bewildering lines which surround this centre, +while the Third Aspect is suggested by the narrow outer ring which seems +more loosely woven. The whole figure is pervaded by the usual golden +light gleaming out between the lines of violet. + +[Illustration: FIG. 46. THE THREEFOLD MANIFESTATION] + +_The Sevenfold Manifestation._--In all religions there remains some +tradition of the great truth that the LOGOS manifests Himself through +seven mighty channels, often regarded as minor Logoi or great planetary +Spirits. In the Christian scheme they appear as the seven great +archangels, sometimes called the seven spirits before the throne of God. +The figure numbered 47 shows the result of the effort to meditate upon +this method of divine manifestation. We have the golden glow in the +centre, and also (though with lesser splendour) pervading the form. The +line is blue, and it draws a succession of seven graceful and almost +featherlike double wings which surround the central glory and are +clearly intended as a part of it. As the thought strengthens and +expands, these beautiful wings change their colour to violet and become +like the petals of a flower, and overlap one another in an intricate but +exceedingly effective pattern. This gives us a very interesting glimpse +into the formation and growth of these shapes in higher matter. + +[Illustration: FIG. 47. THE SEVENFOLD MANIFESTATION] + +_Intellectual Aspiration._--The form depicted in Fig. 43 bears a certain +resemblance to that in Fig. 15; but, beautiful as that was, this is in +reality a far higher and grander thought, and implies much more advanced +development on the part of the thinker. Here we have a great clear-cut +spear or pencil of the pure pale violet which indicates devotion to the +highest ideal, and it is outlined and strengthened by an exceedingly +fine manifestation of the noblest development of intellect. He who can +think thus must already have entered upon the Path of Holiness, for he +has learnt how to use the power of thought to very mighty effect. It +will be noted that in both the colours there is a strong admixture of +the white light which always indicates unusual spiritual power. + +[Illustration: FIG. 43. INTELLECTUAL ASPIRATION] + +Surely the study of these thought-forms should be a most impressive +object-lesson, since from it we may see both what to avoid and what to +cultivate, and may learn by degrees to appreciate how tremendous is our +responsibility for the exercise of this mighty power. Indeed it is +terribly true, as we said in the beginning, that thoughts are things, +and puissant things; and it behoves us to remember that every one of us +is generating them unceasingly night and day. See how great is the +happiness this knowledge brings to us, and how gloriously we can utilise +it when we know of some one in sorrow or in suffering. Often +circumstances arise which prevent us from giving physical help either by +word or deed, however much we may desire to do so; but there is no case +in which help by thought may not be given, and no case in which it can +fail to produce a definite result. It may often happen that at the +moment our friend may be too entirely occupied with his own suffering, +or perhaps too much excited, to receive and accept any suggestion from +without, but presently a time comes when our thought-form can penetrate +and discharge itself, and then assuredly our sympathy will produce its +due result. It is indeed true that the responsibility of using such a +power is great, yet we should not shrink from our duty on that account. +It is sadly true that there are many men who are unconsciously using +their thought-power chiefly for evil, yet this only makes it all the +more necessary that those of us who are beginning to understand life a +little should use it consciously, and use it for good. We have at our +command a never-failing criterion; we can never misuse this mighty power +of thought if we employ it always in unison with the great divine scheme +of evolution, and for the uplifting of our fellow-man. + + +HELPFUL THOUGHTS + +The Figures numbered 48 to 54 were the results of a systematic attempt +to send helpful thought by the friend who has furnished us with the +sketches. A definite time was given each day at a fixed hour. The forms +were in some cases seen by the transmitter, but in all cases were +perceived by the recipient, who immediately sent rough sketches of what +was seen by the next post to the transmitter, who has kindly supplied +the following notes with regard to them:-- + +"In the coloured drawings appended the blue features appear to have +represented the more devotional element of the thought. The yellow forms +accompanied the endeavour to communicate intellectual fortitude, or +mental strength and courage. The rosy pink appeared when the thought was +blended with affectionate sympathy. If the sender (A.) could formulate +his thought deliberately at the appointed time, the receiver (B.) would +report seeing a large clear form as in Figs. 48, 49, and 54. The latter +persisted for some minutes, constantly streaming its luminous yellow +'message' upon B. If, however, A. was of necessity experimenting under +difficulty--say walking out of doors--he would occasionally see his +'forms' broken up into smaller globes, or shapes, such as 50, 51, 52, +and B. would report their receipt so broken up. In this way many +details could be checked and compared as from opposite ends of the line, +and the nature of the influence communicated offered another means of +verification. Upon one occasion A. was disturbed in his endeavour to +send a thought of the blue-pink connotation, by a feeling of anxiety +that the nature of the pink element should not be misapprehended. The +report of B. was that a well-defined globe as in Fig. 54 was first seen, +but that this suddenly disappeared, being replaced by a moving +procession of little light-green triangles, as in Fig. 53. These few +drawings give but a slight idea of the varied flower-like and geometric +forms seen, while neither paint nor crayon-work seems capable of +representing the glowing beauty of their living colours." + +[Illustration: FIG. 48. HELPFUL THOUGHTS] + +[Illustration: FIG. 49. HELPFUL THOUGHTS] + +[Illustration: FIG. 50. HELPFUL THOUGHTS] + +[Illustration: FIG. 51. HELPFUL THOUGHTS] + +[Illustration: FIG. 52. HELPFUL THOUGHTS] + +[Illustration: FIG. 53. HELPFUL THOUGHTS] + +[Illustration: FIG. 54. HELPFUL THOUGHTS] + + +FORMS BUILT BY MUSIC + +Before closing this little treatise it will perhaps be of interest to +our readers to give a few examples of another type of forms unknown to +those who are confined to the physical senses as their means of +obtaining information. Many people are aware that sound is always +associated with colour--that when, for example, a musical note is +sounded, a flash of colour corresponding to it may be seen by those +whose finer senses are already to some extent developed. It seems not to +be so generally known that sound produces form as well as colour, and +that every piece of music leaves behind it an impression of this nature, +which persists for some considerable time, and is clearly visible and +intelligible to those who have eyes to see. Such a shape is perhaps not +technically a thought-form--unless indeed we take it, as we well may, +as the result of the thought of the composer expressed by means of the +skill of the musician through his instrument. + +Some such forms are very striking and impressive, and naturally their +variety is infinite. Each class of music has its own type of form, and +the style of the composer shows as clearly in the form which his music +builds as a man's character shows in his handwriting. Other +possibilities of variation are introduced by the kind of instrument upon +which the music is performed, and also by the merits of the player. The +same piece of music if accurately played will always build the same +form, but that form will be enormously larger when it is played upon a +church organ or by a military band than when it is performed upon a +piano, and not only the size but also the texture of the resultant form +will be very different. There will also be a similar difference in +texture between the result of a piece of music played upon a violin and +the same piece executed upon the flute. Again, the excellence of the +performance has its effect, and there is a wonderful difference between +the radiant beauty of the form produced by the work of a true artist, +perfect alike in expression and execution, and the comparatively dull +and undistinguished-looking one which represents the effort of the +wooden and mechanical player. Anything like inaccuracy in rendering +naturally leaves a corresponding defect in the form, so that the exact +character of the performance shows itself just as clearly to the +clairvoyant spectator as it does to the auditor. + +It is obvious that, if time and capacity permitted, hundreds of volumes +might be filled with drawings of the forms built by different pieces of +music under different conditions, so that the most that can be done +within any reasonable compass is to give a few examples of the leading +types. It has been decided for the purposes of this book to limit these +to three, to take types of music presenting readily recognisable +contrasts, and for the sake of simplicity in comparison to present them +all as they appeared when played upon the same instrument--a very fine +church organ. In each of our Plates the church shows as well as the +thought-form which towers far into the air above it; and it should be +remembered that though the drawings are on very different scales the +church is the same in all three cases, and consequently the relative +size of the sound-form can easily be calculated. The actual height of +the tower of the church is just under a hundred feet, so it will be seen +that the sound-form produced by a powerful organ is enormous in size. + +Such forms remain as coherent erections for some considerable time--an +hour or two at least; and during all that time they are radiating forth +their characteristic vibrations in every direction, just as our +thought-forms do; and if the music be good, the effect of those +vibrations cannot but be uplifting to every man upon whose vehicles they +play. Thus the community owes a very real debt of gratitude to the +musician who pours forth such helpful influences, for he may affect for +good hundreds whom he never saw and will never know upon the physical +plane. + +_Mendelssohn._--The first of such forms, a comparatively small and +simple one, is drawn for us in Plate M. It will be seen that we have +here a shape roughly representing that of a balloon, having a scalloped +outline consisting of a double violet line. Within that there is an +arrangement of variously-coloured lines moving almost parallel with this +outline; and then another somewhat similar arrangement which seems to +cross and interpenetrate the first. Both of these sets of lines +evidently start from the organ within the church, and consequently pass +upward through its roof in their course, physical matter being clearly +no obstacle to their formation. In the hollow centre of the form float a +number of small crescents arranged apparently in four vertical lines. + +[Illustration: PLATE M. MUSIC OF MENDELSSOHN] + +Let us endeavour now to give some clue to the meaning of all this, which +may well seem so bewildering to the novice, and to explain in some +measure how it comes into existence. It must be recollected that this is +a melody of simple character played once through, and that consequently +we can analyse the form in a way that would be quite impossible with a +larger and more complicated specimen. Yet even in this case we cannot +give all the details, as will presently be seen. Disregarding for the +moment the scalloped border, we have next within it an arrangement of +four lines of different colours running in the same direction, the +outermost being blue and the others crimson, yellow, and green +respectively. These lines are exceedingly irregular and crooked; in +fact, they each consist of a number of short lines at various levels +joined together perpendicularly. It seems that each of these short lines +represents a note of music, and that the irregularity of their +arrangement indicates the succession of these notes; so that each of +these crooked lines signifies the movement of one of the parts of the +melody, the four moving approximately together denoting the treble, +alto, tenor and bass respectively, though they do not necessarily appear +in that order in this astral form. Here it is necessary to interpolate a +still further explanation. Even with a melody so comparatively simple as +this there are tints and shades far too finely modulated to be +reproduced on any scale at all within our reach; therefore it must be +said that each of the short lines expressing a note has a colour of its +own, so that although as a whole that outer line gives an impression of +blueness, and the one next within it of carmine, each yet varies in +every inch of its length; so that what is shown is not a correct +reproduction of every tint, but only the general impression. + +The two sets of four lines which seem to cross one another are caused by +two sections of the melody; the scalloped edging surrounding the whole +is the result of various flourishes and arpeggios, and the floating +crescents in the centre represent isolated or staccato chords. Naturally +the arpeggios are not wholly violet, for each loop has a different hue, +but on the whole they approach more nearly to that colour than to any +other. The height of this form above the tower of the church is probably +a little over a hundred feet; but since it also extends downwards +through the roof of the church its total perpendicular diameter may well +be about a hundred and fifty feet. It is produced by one of +Mendelssohn's "Lieder ohne Woerte," and is characteristic of the delicate +filigree-work which so often appears as the result of his compositions. + +The whole form is seen projected against a coruscating background of +many colours, which is in reality a cloud surrounding it upon every +side, caused by the vibrations which are pouring out from it in all +directions. + +_Gounod._--In Plate G we have an entirely different piece--a ringing +chorus by Gounod. Since the church in the illustration is the same, it +is easy to calculate that in this case the highest point of the form +must rise fully six hundred feet above the tower, though the +perpendicular diameter of the form is somewhat less than that, for the +organist has evidently finished some minutes ago, and the perfected +shape floats high in the air, clearly defined and roughly spherical, +though rather an oblate spheroid. This spheroid is hollow, as are all +such forms, for it is slowly increasing in size--gradually radiating +outward from its centre, but growing proportionately less vivid and more +ethereal in appearance as it does so, until at last it loses coherence +and fades away much as a wreath of smoke might do. The golden glory +surrounding and interpenetrating it indicates as before the radiation of +its vibrations, which in this case show the dominant yellow in much +greater proportion than did Mendelssohn's gentler music. + +[Illustration: PLATE G. MUSIC OF GOUNOD] + +The colouring here is far more brilliant and massive than in Plate M, +for this music is not so much a thread of murmurous melody as a splendid +succession of crashing chords. The artist has sought to give the effect +of the chords rather than that of the separate notes, the latter being +scarcely possible on a scale so small as this. It is therefore more +difficult here to follow the development of the form, for in this much +longer piece the lines have crossed and intermingled, until we have +little but the gorgeous general effect which the composer must have +intended us to feel--and to see, if we were able to see. Nevertheless +it is possible to discern something of the process which builds the +form, and the easiest point at which to commence is the lowest on the +left hand as one examines the Plate. The large violet protrusion there +is evidently the opening chord of a phrase, and if we follow the outer +line of the form upward and round the circumference we may obtain some +idea of the character of that phrase. A close inspection will reveal two +other lines further in which run roughly parallel to this outer one, and +show similar successions of colour on a smaller scale, and these may +well indicate a softer repetition of the same phrase. + +Careful analysis of this nature will soon convince us that there is a +very real order in this seeming chaos, and we shall come to see that if +it were possible to make a reproduction of this glowing glory that +should be accurate down to the smallest detail, it would also be +possible patiently to disentangle it to the uttermost, and to assign +every lovely touch of coruscating colour to the very note that called it +into existence. It must not be forgotten that very far less detail is +given in this illustration than in Plate M; for example, each of these +points or projections has within it as integral parts, at least the four +lines or bands of varying colour which were shown as separate in Plate +M, but here they are blended into one shade, and only the general effect +of the chord is given. In M we combined horizontally, and tried to show, +the characteristics of a number of successive notes blended into one, +but to keep distinct the effect of the four simultaneous parts by using +a differently-coloured line for each. In G we attempt exactly the +reverse, for we combine vertically, and blend, not the successive notes +of one part, but the chords, each probably containing six or eight +notes. The true appearance combines these two effects with an +inexpressible wealth of detail. + +_Wagner._--No one who has devoted any study to these musical forms would +hesitate in ascribing the marvellous mountain-range depicted in Plate W +to the genius of Richard Wagner, for no other composer has yet built +sound edifices with such power and decision. In this case we have a vast +bell-shaped erection, fully nine hundred feet in height, and but little +less in diameter at the bottom, floating in the air above the church out +of which it has arisen. It is hollow, like Gounod's form, but, unlike +that, it is open at the bottom. The resemblance to the successively +retreating ramparts of a mountain is almost perfect, and it is +heightened by the billowy masses of cloud which roll between the crags +and give the effect of perspective. No attempt has been made in this +drawing to show the effect of single notes or single chords; each range +of mimic rocks represents in size, shape, and colour only the general +effect of one of the sections of the piece of music as seen from a +distance. But it must be understood that in reality both this and the +form given in Plate G are as full of minute details as that depicted in +Plate M, and that all these magnificent masses of colour are built up of +many comparatively small bands which would not be separately visible +upon the scale on which this is drawn. The broad result is that each +mountain-peak has its own brilliant hue, just as it is seen in the +illustration--a splendid splash of vivid colour, glowing with the glory +of its own living light, spreading its resplendent radiance over all +the country round. Yet in each of these masses of colour other colours +are constantly flickering, as they do over the surface of molten metal, +so that the coruscations and scintillations of these wondrous astral +edifices are far beyond the power of any physical words to describe. + +[Illustration: PLATE W. MUSIC OF WAGNER] + +A striking feature in this form is the radical difference between the +two types of music which occur in it, one producing the angular rocky +masses, and the other the rounded billowy clouds which lie between them. +Other _motifs_ are shown by the broad bands of blue and rose and green +which appear at the base of the bell, and the meandering lines of white +and yellow which quiver across them are probably produced by a rippling +arpeggio accompaniment. + +In these three Plates only the form created directly by the +sound-vibrations has been drawn, though as seen by the clairvoyant it is +usually surrounded by many other minor forms, the result of the personal +feelings of the performer or of the emotions aroused among the audience +by the music. To recapitulate briefly: in Plate M we have a small and +comparatively simple form pourtrayed in considerable detail, something +of the effect of each note being given; in Plate G we have a more +elaborate form of very different character delineated with less detail, +since no attempt is made to render the separate notes, but only to show +how each chord expresses itself in form and colour; in Plate W we have a +still greater and richer form, in the depiction of which all detail is +avoided, in order that the full effect of the piece as a whole may be +approximately given. + +Naturally every sound makes its impression upon astral and mental +matter--not only those ordered successions of sounds which we call +music. Some day, perhaps, the forms built by those other less euphonious +sounds may be pictured for us, though they are beyond the scope of this +treatise; meantime, those who feel an interest in them may read an +account of them in the little book on _The Hidden Side of Things_.[1] + +It is well for us ever to bear in mind that there is a hidden side to +life--that each act and word and thought has its consequence in the +unseen world which is always so near to us, and that usually these +unseen results are of infinitely greater importance than those which are +visible to all upon the physical plane. The wise man, knowing this, +orders his life accordingly, and takes account of the whole of the world +in which he lives, and not of the outer husk of it only. Thus he saves +himself an infinity of trouble, and makes his life not only happier but +far more useful to his fellow-men. But to do this implies +knowledge--that knowledge which is power; and in our Western world such +knowledge is practically obtainable only through the literature of +Theosophy. + +To exist is not enough; we desire to live intelligently. But to live we +must know, and to know we must study; and here is a vast field open +before us, if we will only enter upon it and gather thence the fruits of +enlightenment. Let us, then, waste no more time in the dark dungeons of +ignorance, but come forth boldly into the glorious sunshine of that +divine wisdom which in these modern days men call Theosophy. + +[Footnote 1: By C.W. Leadbeater.] + + + + +BRADFORD: REPRINTED BY PERCY LUND, HUMPHRIES AND CO. LTD. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Thought-Forms, by Annie Besant +C.W. 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