How Self-Knowledge Heals
the Disease of Spiritual Delusion
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
Karen Horney (left) and Helena Blavatsky
Is there a
problem of personal vanity among theosophical leaders? Does lust for power
exist in esoteric associations, especially in those larger ones where politics
and politicking are influential?
Most people who know the movement will say a realistic
“yes” to both questions.
Whited sepulchres are easy to find. Especially since the
beginning of the 20th century, many have had personal imaginary talks with
masters of the wisdom, and some have even attained a number of fake
initiations. Clairvoyance of the lower and imaginary kind has spread among
groups of good-willing persons who search for the spiritual path.
The neurotic or unnatural love of power and “control”
is present today in most human communities and relationships. This largely
subconscious disease is also influential in the biggest international
associations of theosophists, and in most local groups around the world.
However, theosophists have unique tools to deal with it and to share the
healing process with others.
The delusion of political power and “personal
prestige” is far from incurable: a few common-sense steps must be taken so that
its process is understood and the communities of theosophy students get healed
from such a subtle poison.
There is an emotional chain of causation beneath the
outer phenomena of personal ambition, “spiritual” pride, the illusion of
“looking like a saint to others”, and related ailments.
A Psychoanalytic view of the human lower self can help
people see the personal frailty behind the social mask used by “esoteric
politicians”.
Karen Horney writes:
“The striving for power serves in the first place as a
protection against helplessness, which (…) is one of the basic elements in
anxiety.” [1]
She adds:
“…The neurotic [individual] will desire to have
control over others as well as over himself.” [2] He “develops a stringent need to impress others, to be admired
and respected.”[3]
This, of course, is not limited to leaders of
associations whose aims are altruistic. It potentially applies to every human
group with whatever goals, and every member of them, not just leaders.
Theosophists, however, can be more conscious of the problem than the average
person.
The creation of a self-idealized personality is a
popular form of illusion. Many esotericists try to escape from confronting
their ignorance through attachment to naïve forms of devotion, by following
fake forms of spirituality based on blind belief, and with the help of an
artificially idealized image of themselves, as if they were spiritualized
individuals and highly evolved beings who are entitled to pretend they are
“above human failures”.
Referring to the kind of person whose intense love of power
and prestige is an escape from deep subconscious fear in any area of activity,
Karen Horney wrote:
“For purposes of mere description such a person could
be called narcissistic. If he is considered dynamically, however, the term is
misleading because, though he is constantly preoccupied with inflating his ego,
he does it not primarily for the sake of self-love, but for the sake of
protecting himself against a feeling of insignificance and humiliation, or, in
positive terms, for the sake of repairing a crushed self-esteem.” [4]
An enhanced contact with the higher self brings about
the healing in theosophy. An awareness of human misery and self-delusion is an
important element to change ignorance into wisdom by humbly renouncing
selfishness and improving psychic energy patterns along the path to an
enlightened view of life.
A real contact with sacred wisdom makes one feel
humble, leading him to accept his mistakes and thankfully try his best each
day.
The teachings of Helena Blavatsky and her Masters are
clear about that. The presence of personal vanity or pride means the individual
is still far from the divine presence. Common sense will show the way ahead, if
one’s approach to the theosophical teachings is practical and takes place in
constant dialogue with daily life. By learning from his defeats, the pilgrim
attains a lasting victory.
NOTES:
[1] “The Neurotic Personality of Our Time”, Karen Horney,
Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1977, 300 pp., see p. 166.
[2] “The Neurotic Personality of Our Time”, Karen Horney,
p. 167.
[3] “The Neurotic Personality of Our Time”, Karen Horney,
p. 171.
[4] “The Neurotic Personality of Our Time”, Karen Horney,
p. 172.
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The above text was
first published in the April 2017 edition of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, pp.
12-14. It had no indication as to the name of the author.
Read also in our associated websites the
articles “A Psychoanalysis of Religions” and “Freud on Freedom From Delusion”.
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On 14 September 2016, after examining the
state of the esoteric movement worldwide, a group of students decided to found
the Independent Lodge of Theosophists.
Two of the priorities adopted by the ILT
are learning from the past and building a better future.
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