2. The Mystery of Breathing ~
_
2. The Mystery of Breathing ~
Breathing is to be given your very careful consideration. Normally each living creature is bound to breathe. There is no life at all without breathing. It is obvious that a magician ought to know more than the mere fact of inhaling oxygen and nitrogen which the lungs absorb and exhale as carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
The lungs cannot exist without breathing and food.
All we need for our life, and what preserves our life, to wit, breathing and food, is tetrapolar, four elements plus a fifth, the vital element or akasa principle, as we have said in the theoretical part about the elements. But the air we are breathing has a finer degree of density than the grossly material food has. But according to the universal laws, both of them have the same nature, being tetrapolar and serving to keep the body alive.
Let us therefore return to breathing.
Oxygen is subject to the fiery element and nitrogen to the element of water [or: nitrogen = air; hydrogen = water]. The airy element is the mediating element and the earth element [carbon, or carbon dioxide] is that which holds together the oxygen and the nitrogen.
The akasa or etheric element is the lawful causal or divine principle. Just as in the great universe of nature, here the elements too have their polarity, the electric as well as the magnetic fluid.
By normal or unconscious breathing, the body is supplied only with as much elemental substance as is necessary for its normal preservation. Here also the supply depends on the consumption of elemental substance.
It is quite different with conscious breathing.
If we put a thought, an idea or an image, no matter whether it s concrete or abstract, in the air to be inhaled, it will take in the akasa principle of the air concerned and convey it through the electric and magnetic fluids to the air substance. This impregnated air will play a double role when it is conveyed to the lungs through the blood vessels.
In the first place, the material parts of the elements are destined to preserve the body; secondly, the electromagnetic fluid, charged with the idea or the image, will lead the electromagnetic air colored with the idea from the bloodstream through the astral matrix to the astral body, and from there to the immortal spirit through the reflective mental matrix.
And this is the solution of the secret of breathing from the magic point of view. Many theologies utilize conscious breathing for instructive purposes, as for example the hatha yoga system, without knowing the right process.
Several people have suffered severe damage to their health, a fact only to blame in the extreme breathing exercises asked for by this system, especially when such practices have been realized without the guidance of an experienced leader (guru).
In most cases, the inexperienced reader has been persuaded to do these exercises because they were promised a quick acquisition of occult powers. If he wants, the magician can achieve this aim much more easily and sooner with the aid of the universal initiating system described so thoroughly in the present book.
Consequently it is quite evident that it is not the quantity of inhaled air that matters, but the quality respecting the idea impregnating the air substance. Therefore it is not necessary nor even advisable to pump the lungs full with a lot of air, putting a needless strain on them.
Consequently, you will do your breathing exercises slowly and calmly, without any haste. Sit down comfortably, relax the whole body, and breathe in through the nose. Imagine that with the inhaled air, health, tranquility, peace, success, or everything you are aiming at, will pass into your body through the lungs and the blood.
The eidetic image of your idea must be so intense that the air you are inspiring is so strongly impregnated with your desire that it has already become reality. You should not allow the slightest doubt about this fact.
To avoid weakening, it will be enough to start with seven inhalations in the morning as well as at night.
Increase the number of breaths gradually to one more in the morning and at night. Do not hurry or exaggerate, for everything needs time. In any case, you should not proceed to the imagination of another different desire before the first chosen one has been completely accomplished.
In a pupil endowed with talents of a high order, success will manifest itself, at
the earliest, after seven days, all depending on the degree of imagination and aptitude. Some one else will need weeks, even moths for the realization of his desires because the kind of desires will also play an important role.
It is therefore desirable not to form egotistic wishes to begin with, but to confine them to the above-mentioned ones such as tranquility, health, peace and success. Do not extend breathing exercises to more than one-half hour.
Later on, a standard ten minutes will do for you.
Breathing is to be given your very careful consideration. Normally each living creature is bound to breathe. There is no life at all without breathing. It is obvious that a magician ought to know more than the mere fact of inhaling oxygen and nitrogen which the lungs absorb and exhale as carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
The lungs cannot exist without breathing and food.
All we need for our life, and what preserves our life, to wit, breathing and food, is tetrapolar, four elements plus a fifth, the vital element or akasa principle, as we have said in the theoretical part about the elements. But the air we are breathing has a finer degree of density than the grossly material food has. But according to the universal laws, both of them have the same nature, being tetrapolar and serving to keep the body alive.
Let us therefore return to breathing.
Oxygen is subject to the fiery element and nitrogen to the element of water [or: nitrogen = air; hydrogen = water]. The airy element is the mediating element and the earth element [carbon, or carbon dioxide] is that which holds together the oxygen and the nitrogen.
The akasa or etheric element is the lawful causal or divine principle. Just as in the great universe of nature, here the elements too have their polarity, the electric as well as the magnetic fluid.
By normal or unconscious breathing, the body is supplied only with as much elemental substance as is necessary for its normal preservation. Here also the supply depends on the consumption of elemental substance.
It is quite different with conscious breathing.
If we put a thought, an idea or an image, no matter whether it s concrete or abstract, in the air to be inhaled, it will take in the akasa principle of the air concerned and convey it through the electric and magnetic fluids to the air substance. This impregnated air will play a double role when it is conveyed to the lungs through the blood vessels.
In the first place, the material parts of the elements are destined to preserve the body; secondly, the electromagnetic fluid, charged with the idea or the image, will lead the electromagnetic air colored with the idea from the bloodstream through the astral matrix to the astral body, and from there to the immortal spirit through the reflective mental matrix.
And this is the solution of the secret of breathing from the magic point of view. Many theologies utilize conscious breathing for instructive purposes, as for example the hatha yoga system, without knowing the right process.
Several people have suffered severe damage to their health, a fact only to blame in the extreme breathing exercises asked for by this system, especially when such practices have been realized without the guidance of an experienced leader (guru).
In most cases, the inexperienced reader has been persuaded to do these exercises because they were promised a quick acquisition of occult powers. If he wants, the magician can achieve this aim much more easily and sooner with the aid of the universal initiating system described so thoroughly in the present book.
Consequently it is quite evident that it is not the quantity of inhaled air that matters, but the quality respecting the idea impregnating the air substance. Therefore it is not necessary nor even advisable to pump the lungs full with a lot of air, putting a needless strain on them.
Consequently, you will do your breathing exercises slowly and calmly, without any haste. Sit down comfortably, relax the whole body, and breathe in through the nose. Imagine that with the inhaled air, health, tranquility, peace, success, or everything you are aiming at, will pass into your body through the lungs and the blood.
The eidetic image of your idea must be so intense that the air you are inspiring is so strongly impregnated with your desire that it has already become reality. You should not allow the slightest doubt about this fact.
To avoid weakening, it will be enough to start with seven inhalations in the morning as well as at night.
Increase the number of breaths gradually to one more in the morning and at night. Do not hurry or exaggerate, for everything needs time. In any case, you should not proceed to the imagination of another different desire before the first chosen one has been completely accomplished.
In a pupil endowed with talents of a high order, success will manifest itself, at
the earliest, after seven days, all depending on the degree of imagination and aptitude. Some one else will need weeks, even moths for the realization of his desires because the kind of desires will also play an important role.
It is therefore desirable not to form egotistic wishes to begin with, but to confine them to the above-mentioned ones such as tranquility, health, peace and success. Do not extend breathing exercises to more than one-half hour.
Later on, a standard ten minutes will do for you.