predator

Choose constructive emotions (and don’t forget your greatest asset) (2)

“Everything can be taken from a man but …The last of human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

— Viktor Frankel

Reading time: 10 mins

What is it you can tell yourself and that will ensure that every time you get in a negative loop you have constructive thoughts and actions which bypass that habit? Think of it as building new houses of emotion imbued with positive feelings in every wall and every beam. Make sure that you are not in an environment, relationship or work situation that continually places you in that loop. And if you are, ask yourself how much of those negative triggers are under your control to diminish? You’ll not be able change everything externally in your life but you can change how you react to these pressures and head off the kind of habitually negative thinking that harms you. Then you are laying the foundation for your life to change naturally. (Yes, really, you are). That requires faith and not a little persistence. But if you are able to cultivate feelings and emotions that work for you that’s when reality begins to change, even if it seems like a pipe dream.

I struggled with many things in my youth and beyond but passive aggression and an overly critical attitude were high up on the scale. This was due to intermittent depression rooted in a poor sense of self. It was only when I found constructive channels for release which took me away from my inner stress was I slowly able to heal. I could indeed choose positive emotions instead of wallowing in resentment and projected angst. In fact, we are choosing all the time, even if unconsciously.

Remember the two sets of thinking systems: system1 (instinctive and emotional) and system 2 thinking (logical; deliberative) and what Daniel Goleman called the “high and low roads” of emotional intelligence. We are literally a complex, tangled mass of biases and mechanical processes which make a mockery of free-will and independent thought. But we can get closer to those ideals. Our job is to ease into the marriage of the two and make them work for us. And to do that we need to be both internally considerate of our own experiences, pains and fears whilst affording the same external considerations to those with whom we live and work.

Learning to exert proper control over the wild horse emotions and chaotic feelings isn’t a bundle of fun but like unruly animals they can be gently tamed so that they begin to love their master rather than follow the bad parent of the ego who let’s them do anything at all for the next tasty treat.

A concurrent theme that appears throughout this whole blog is that we need a good social network present to keep us nourished. For example, snaps shots of positive social memories is an effective way to bring you back from the negative maelstrom. In combination with breathing this can help to re-connect with the biochemical component of that remembered reality. ^[1]

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6. Choose constructive emotions (and don’t forget your greatest asset) (1)

By M.K. Styllinski

“The benefits of positive emotions don’t stop after a few minutes of good feelings subside. In fact, the biggest benefit that positive emotions provide is an enhanced ability to build skills and develop resources for use later in life.”

— Barbara Fredrickson

Reading time: 15 mins

Our emotions flow through everything we do and every personality type on show: from the “coldest” intellectual academic to the athlete striving to be the best. How we emote, whether we express negative or positive emotion depends how well we know ourselves and if we are prepared to find the balance between too much positivity (yes, it’s possible) and the more well-known excess of negativity.

There is no question that we can choose to have more constructive emotions whilst understanding that negative emotions are not “bad” just in need of balance so that the positive/negative polarities work as a team. It’s the distortion of our emotions which wreaks the havoc. There is nothing instrinsically wrong with us other than allowing our feelings to run wild, often to the point of pathology.

This is especially true of those suffering from trauma and/or the effects of childhood adversity as both tend to make emotions supercharged to threats via a hypersensitive parasympathetic nervous system. Pain, unconsciously expressed becomes the primary interface between reality and the self. We become a walking “pain body” geared to survival and the multitude of triggers from any real or perceived threat to our armour of “protection.” Regardless of whether we have unresolved pain and trauma to cultivate conscious awareness over our emotional mind is the key to regulating our life toward a happier and more constructive state of affairs.

I used “constructive” in the title instead of “positive” for this reason. The latter is frequently promoted whilst ignoring the benefits of regulated negative emotion. Like the word “spiritual,” positive thinking has become a loaded phrase for a number of reasons which we’ll get into later on. Suffice to say, understanding our own particular make-up of feelings and emotions and how they are channelled into every day life is crucial. Without a more harmonious interaction with situations and people with whom we interact (or more probably inter-react) imbalance can only get worse or we remain paralysed in an uncomfortable stasis.

Our emotions determine how we perceive the world, what biases and preferences are operating and what decisions and choices we make. Emotions are what make us human; they are an essential part of our nature without which we would be a robot or the iconic Vulcan Mr. Spock from the Star Trek series. But even he had cracks in his hyper-logic because he was half-human, half-Vulcan. As it stands, Mr. Spock did pretty well in navigating through the problems he and his crew encountered. He was efficient, incisive and highly adept at solving those obstacles. But he found human sensitivities beyond the rational perplexing, since overreaction and over-identification was literally alien to him. He wasn’t exactly the life and soul of a party as a result. Nonetheless, we need Mr.Spock’s laser-like logic to sit comfortably alongside a sense of humour, compassion and intuition if we are to achieve a steady balance in the face of the unknown.

So, what are emotions as opposed to feelings? Is there a difference? It would seem so.

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The Light Bringer IV: Dugpas and Deception

“It is for you to ascertain their truth by right practice and the exercise of the intuition …. If the teaching conveyed calls forth a response from the illumined mind of the worker in the world, and brings a flashing forth of his intuition, then let the teaching be accepted. But not otherwise,”

– the alleged Tibetan “Master Djwhal Khul”

The above quotation can be found in all 24 books of esoteric philosophy by Alice Bailey. As a young, fresh-faced 21 year old, I read this and thought: “Well, it must be authentic …”

I know, I was very naive about spiritual deception, as most of us are. That’s why genuine spiritual masters refer to this subject so much since they know from experience that not only does evil dominate the world of matter, it also exists at a higher density of being and it is from here that much of the deception takes place. This may be why the person receiving “inspired” information needs to be of a sufficient quality and wisdom to able to discern truth from lies, which – as in the case of the Bailey books – can be highly sophisticated. And it needs to be if you are part of the hierarchy of service to self deceivers who are in the business of derailing a collective upsurge in human awareness. After all, those within high level freemasonry as much as the ordinary man and woman are also hoodwinked by the complex “levels” of initiation and process of alchemy promising all kinds of esoteric jewels.

Unfortunately, regarding the idea of “intuition” mentioned in the quotation, this is routinely confused with the chemical “flashing forth” of emotional belief, so it’s a rather flimsy basis upon which to unquestioningly dedicate one’s life. This is not a religion. This is an occult or esoteric science. Once our intellect is captured by reams of juicy esoteric theory strewn with shiny diamonds of truth, it becomes more and more difficult to discern the subtle twists here and there when the intellectual centre is thoroughly entrained to function in a particular way and to progressively take on faith what is presented as fact. In this way, it’s no different to religious myth, yet, in some ways more dangerous since it appeals ever more to the intellect of the ego, as well as the occult meditation training leading to definite psycho-physiological changes.

How can one know that this is deception?

By ruthless, cold-bloodied examination which is compared and networked, without the burden of belief. And this is surely one of the messages from Illion’s journey: he came face to face with the realisation that beings of light were “flashing forth” enormously seductive false light in order to trap and feed on awareness. He felt the tragedy deeply, as he was unable to help his well-meaning friend who was trapped in a ritualistic spell.

You can see the parallels with the Christian ideas of damnation and redemption which are merely cruder renderings of the idea that the soul has to be cultivated, grown and defended. And we do that by learning to distinguish lies from truth in order to make real choices rather than falling into carefully laid traps. Once you willingly give away your free-will then it can be a very rapid descent. And it is all the more delicious for those on the path of entropy, since their target has no idea at all that s/he is in thrall to darkness so sweetly camouflaged as light.

That means we have to obtain the kind of self-knowledge which pin-points the weaknesses within our personality or gaps in our awareness through which the forces of deception can slip through and poison the promise of soul growth.

For the spiritual seeker – It’s a jungle out there!

© infrakshun

***

The Nazis were said to have become particularly interested in Illion’s discoveries sending teams in search of the ultimate occult power. H.P. Blavatsky too just happened to have been globe-trotting around Tibet and received her teachings from similar inhabitants. Then comes Bailey to present us with Synarchist-occult teachings purporting to be from a “Great White Brotherhood” or “Ascended Masters,” and which have now seeded themselves “within the little minds of men.”

A far more likely scenario was the possibility that Blavatsky’s original contact may have been largely authentic, while the influence of Leadbeater, Besant and finally Bailey’s teachings from the “Tibetan” were not the next phase in a continuing occult tradition of the Perennial wisdom teachings, but a sophisticated subversion or Cosmic CoIntelpro by unwitting channels.

The probable culprits according to many critics within early Theosophy would have been the Dugpas or Dad-Dugpa, Druk-pa, the Bhons and also known as members of The Drukpa Church of Bhutan, or “the Red Cap (or ‘Hat’) sect,” a branch of the four main sects: the Kagyü-pa, Nyingma, Sakya and the largest one known as the “Yellow hats” to which the Dalai Lama belongs – the Geluk (or “Virtuous Way” sect). Active since the 14 Century, comprise of mostly Eastern Tibetan monks who follow the “left-hand path” (sorcery, black magic) which include some forms of Buddhist Sex Tantra. The Dugpas resisted the religious reform of the Tsong-kha-pa tradition and stayed with the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and were also said to be responsible for development of monasteries in the Lahul area of Himachal Pradesh, India.^{^[1]}

It is fair to say that Madame Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine and Isis Unveiled are generally seen as ground-breaking tomes in the field of esoteric and occult wisdom. They are indeed fascinating treatises and very likely built on core truths yet sprinkled with unconscious distortions. Unlike Alice Bailey, Blavatsky and her “Masters of Wisdom” were extremely wary of the Dugpas as black magic adepts and whom she frequently referred to as the “Brother of the Shadow.”

At Theosophy wiki we read:

Dugpas (Tib.). Lit., “Red Caps,” a sect in Tibet. Before the advent of Tsong-ka-pa in the fourteenth century, the Tibetans, whose Buddhism had deteriorated and been dreadfully adulterated with the tenets of the old Bhon religion,—were all Dugpas. From that century, however, and after the rigid laws imposed upon the Gelukpas (yellow caps) and the general reform and purification of Buddhism (or Lamaism), the Dugpas have given themselves over more than ever to sorcery, immorality, and drunkenness. Since then the word Dugpas has become a synonym of “sorcerer”, “adept of black magic” and everything vile. There are few, if any, Dugpas in Eastern Tibet, but they congregate in Bhutan, Sikkim, and the borderlands generally. […]

Mme. Blavatsky wrote another article more in line with this view, where she uses the term “dugpa” in a more restricted way, applying it to the Nyingmapas and Shammars in Bhutan:

The “Dug-pa or Red Caps” belong to the old Nyang-na-pa sect, who resisted the religious reform introduced by Tsong-kha-pa between the latter part of the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries. It was only after a lama coming to them from Tibet in the tenth century had converted them from the old Buddhist faith so strongly mixed up with the Bhon practices of the aborigines–into the Shammar sect, that, in opposition to the reformed “Gyelukpas,” the Bhootanese set up a regular system of reincarnations.

The term “Dug-pa” in Tibet is deprecatory. They themselves pronounce it “Dög-pa” from the root to “bind” (religious binders to the old faith): while the paramount sect–the Gyeluk-pa (yellow caps)–and the people, use the word in the sense of “Dug-pa” mischief-makers, sorcerers. The Bhootanese are generally called Dug-pa throughout Tibet and even in some parts of Northern India.

And in reference to the Bhutan-based “Brother of the Shadow” Blavatsky placed emphasis on the “élite of their Lamaseries, of a nucleus of priests, “devil-dancers,” and fetish worshippers, whose dreadful and mysterious rites are utterly unknown to the greater part of the population.” ^{^[2]}

It seems the ancient Dugpas practiced all manner of Black Magick ritualism as a short-cut to power and its accompanying forms of phenomena or “maya.” This describes fairly well the experiences of Illion in Darkness Over Tibet. Blavatsky has no hesitation in alerting her readers of this fact very early on when she states:

“It was because, among many other reforms, Tsong-kha-pa forbade necromancy (which is practiced to this day with the most disgusting rites, by the Bhons – the aborigines of Tibet – with whom the Red Caps, or Shammars, had always fraternized), that the latter resisted his authority. Separating entirely from the Gyelukpas, the Dugpas (Red Caps) – from the first in a great minority – settled in various parts of Tibet ….” ^{^[3]}

These Dugpa fellows have been immersed in black magick for so long they are some of the primary contactees for spiritual subversion. Such “lost souls” seek a way to extend their presence in the physical world by striving for physical immortality at this level of existence as well as the para-physical planes vibrating closest to the Earth. One might even say that they could infiltrate an elaborate system of human potential by slowly subverting its core principles and using those whose reception of the required qualitative energies for telepathy and “overshadowing” was “off.” Once gaps in awareness were found – usually through notions of glamour and ego – then the belief system created could be slowly contoured away from the original intentions; assuming at the very inception, the source was true.

As any open-minded person will agree, the core truths lost in the fear and dogma that is organised religion is a prime example. So, why should we not entertain the possibility that exactly the same process of corruption has resulted here? Since the occult is dealing, shall we say, “directly” with elementals, powerful archetypes and the esoteric science of “energy that follows thought,” then the stakes are even higher for disinformation and trickery. As every spiritual leader has found when a group is formed around them – especially when they have passed on and are no longer around to ensure purity of intent – it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the integrity of the vision. Wishful thinking and pride slowly creep in and with it numerous distortions. During the late 19th and 20th Centuries where interest in metaphysics, spiritualism and the occult was on the rise, the time was ripe for revolutionary leaps forward in collective awareness. Once again, the amount of Truth imparted was proportionate to the level of awareness of their messengers.

While Christians and Fundamentalist Christians alike are happy to rage against the occult in general, it is also interesting to note there were many theosophists and occultists who were very worried at what they saw was a move away from the more rigorous and balanced spirituality that Blavatsky espoused. While supporting what they believed to be a re-discovery of a vast treatise on the cosmic evolution of man, the planet and the universe, they had little time for Alice A. Bailey and her “Tibetan” whom they saw as nothing less than counterfeit.

Zhitro deities in Tibetan Buddhism

Theosophist Alice Leighton Cleather was one of the first members of the Branch of the Trans-Himâlayan Esoteric School established in England by Madame Blavatsky. In 1888: “… she was chosen as one of the twelve members of the Inner Group…” presided over by the Russian teacher. However we view their beliefs, Cleather and her companion Basil Crump were rather serious about their spiritual calling. From the introduction to their article we read that both: “… went to India in 1918, and there the three were initiated into the Tibetan Gelugpa (Yellow Cap) Order, at Buddha Gaya, in 1920. In 1926 they were received, and their membership ratified, at Peking, China, by His Serene Holiness the Tashi Lama of Tashi-Lhumpo, Tibet, who is the Head of the Gelugpa Order throughout Asia. […] Thus it will be seen that they possess exceptional qualifications for judging anything purporting to emanate from Tibetan sources.” ^{^[4]}

Cleather and Crump penned an article outlining their grievances against what they called the “pseudo-occultism of Alice Bailey.” They focus on A Treatise on Cosmic Fire which was offering “the psychological key to the Cosmic Creation.” These students and many theosophists strongly disagreed. Ms. Cleather was not impressed with the Bailey “dictations” and similarly reiterates the messages from Blavatsky’s “Masters” who warned about “… the dangers of psychic communications and the work of the Dugpas – “the infamous Shammars” – the “Red-capped Brothers of the Shadow … whose pernicious work is everywhere in our way.”

Cleather saw Bailey’s contribution as part of:

“… the efforts now being made by the enemies of the Masters … to focus the attention of the whole thinking world of the West on the “Christ-World-Teacher” idea … and here shown to be a leading feature in Mrs. Bailey’s scheme … Nor is it any less dangerous to the progress of humanity, although the intellectual form in which it is so ably presented tends to disarm criticism and conceal the cloven hoof.” ^{^[5]}

Cleather and other Theosophists take great exception to what they consider to be a distortion of the original Blavatsky teachings and she highlights the idea of intellectual feats of daring-do that covers up what is essentially occult propaganda. The idea of a “Christ-World Teacher” embodied as an individual leads us away from self-responsibility, self-development and Christ consciousness materialising through networks of co-linear consciousness units. Instead it places the focus on externals and a deification-based authority. In the Bailey books, couched in unnecessarily complex esoteric jargon the whole thrust of the new dispensation is to: “… to prepare the world on a large scale for the coming of the World Teacher”. She opines that Bailey is now the “Blind leader of the Blind” who possesses some of the requisites of a writer of fiction. But, ‘Oh, the pity of it,’ that it should need but barefaced and entirely unsupported assertions, coupled with the detailed descriptions so greedily absorbed by the novel reading public, to completely impose upon the foolish multitude.” In Cleather’s view it is a fruitless exercise to go over point by point of Bailey’s Cosmic Fire because: “… truth and error are so ingeniously mingled that to separate the chaff from the grain would need another volume of the same length.” ^{^[6]}

And there lies the strength of spiritual cointelpro down through the ages.

Alice Cleather decries the following information given by Bailey regarding the “Kundalini fire” which Blavatsky defines as: “… the serpent power or mystic fire; it is called the serpentine or annular power on account of its spiral-like working or progress in the body of the ascetic developing the power in himself. It is an electric fiery occult, or fohatic power, the great pristine force which underlies all organic and inorganic matter.” ^{^[7]}Although Bailey also warns of the dangers of raising the Kundalini energy without taking into consideration many other factors she nevertheless provides inordinate amount of information regarding its possible journey for the disciple and thus invites experimentation.

Cleather is dismissive:

No words of mine could be half strong enough to condemn the advice here given to all and sundry in a printed book. The “transference” advised is probably the most dangerous in the process of Black Magic, which is distinguished from White by its use of the sex forces. It is found in such Tantrik works as The Serpent Power, by ‘Arthur Avalon’ … against the terrible dangers of which H.P. Blavatsky so constantly warns her readers and pupils. In most cases she says that such an attempt as above described would have a fatal result. For this one passage alone Mrs. Bailey deserves the severest condemnation. She is indeed playing with fire – the Fire of Kundalini, which, as H.P. Blavatsky says, ‘can as easily kill as it can create’.” ^{^[8]}

There were others who expressed their grave disquiet over the years. These included Theosophist Victor Endersby who in 1963, commented:

“There is a gulf as wide as the world between the presentation by H.P.B. and that of Bailey, in the matter of mode alone. H.P.B.’s was accompanied by voluminous evidence from many sources… Nothing of this appears in the Bailey output… the entire structure rests on her ipse dixit alone. One thing is certain: whatever her “K.H.” and “Djwhal Khul” may have been, they were not the mentors of H.P.B. That much is surely proven by the texts as anything could be.” ^{^[9]}

Another more recent opinion from an American theosophist vented her spleen in no uncertain terms, claiming:

“The alleged Tibetan is probably a Jesuit priest, or someone akin to it, who preaches very freely about the coming of the Christ, and so far, he has been able to divert a great number of good students into his clerical and anthropomorphic views. The thorough study of the … ‘Classical Theosophical Literature’ is enough to show unmistakably that Alice Bailey is not a development of H.P.B. but its antithesis.” ^{^[10]}

The warnings from Darkness Over Tibet and from the many critics within Theosophy place the Lucis Trust, The New Group of World Servers and thousands of members at the Arcane School reciting daily the “Great Invocation,” in an entirely different light. At the very least, it suggests reasons for the utmost caution, especially as these occult doctrines operate at the highest institutional levels. Remember too, that you have an explicit use of occult techniques along with networks set up to facilitate the creation of “special effects” via the use of “invocation.” Not only is this highly subjective and based on a foundation of occult principles that are designed to produce certain effects, nowhere do we find any questioning as to whether international institutions should be operating in this way and without any oversight or accountability regarding these effects and the true intentions of the freemasonic architects.

Anyone with a modicum of knowledge regarding magick of any kind will know that such a realm is fraught with danger whether you believe in its efficacy or not. The power of the mind is immense and when combined with any kind of ritualistic practice and certain geometric formulae (married to rather large egos) then certain doors can be opened which are best left closed. Using religious terminology, there is a very fine line indeed between the overshadowing light or angelic energy and the invocation of darkness and demonic influence. The quality of one’s consciousness will define whether one is duped into a belief trap or given the tools and knowledge to discern the objective truth of a situation. The present New Age teachings offered by Bailey and others require submission and acquiescence to principles based entirely on group consciousness and the Hierarchy of nebulous Masters and their “Plan.” Group consciousness – read: The Hive Mind – group endeavour, New World Servers, New World Religion, A UN-led New World military, a New World Government all represent the manifestation of a New World Order of a kind that has little to do with true spiritual emancipation. It does however, conform to a New World Slave State, where the power of your personal will and opportunity to choose will be lost in a techno-spiritual centralisation to beat them all. This is the psychopath’s dream of Pathocratic Rule.

Is that over the top? Perhaps. Or, it might not have even scratched the surface.

If we are able to read the writing on the walls of both ancient and modern history, the signs and portents told the same story over and over again: If we fail to understand the past and what leads to the rise and fall of Empires and their destructive effects we will be the victims of a kidnapped future where the whole cycle starts all over again, mirroring the very “meat wheel” of karmic entrapment.

Perhaps the only Master we need is the guidance of our own souls, pulling our personalities up by the bootstraps. As more networks of the like-minded cluster together devoid of limiting beliefs and armed with a true psychological awareness, there may yet be a chance for a more level playing field.

Notes

[1] Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Theosophical Glossary (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 105-106.
[2] http://tswiki.net/mywiki/index.php?title=Dugpa#cite_note-0 | Who Are the Dugpas in Theosophical Writings? by David Reigle
[3] Theosophy and the ‘Bardo Thodol’ Or Examining Some Affinities Between Carl G. Jung And a Certain Tibetan Sect By Carlos Cardoso Aveline. | he quotes a footnote source as follows: “Reincarnations in Tibet”, an article by H.P. Blavatsky, published in “Theosophical Articles”, volume III, see pp. 358-359.
[4] p. 127; Buddhist Monasteries of Himachal By C.O. Handa, Indus Publishing, 2006| ISBN 978-81-7387-170-2.
[5] ‘A comparison between H.P.Blavatsky & Alice Bailey -‘The Pseudo-Occultism of Alice Bailey’ by Alice Leighton Cleather and Basil Crump, Peking, February, 1929 | 2001 Online Teosofiska Kompaniet Malmö http://www.teosofiskakompaniet.net/
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] op. cit. Cleather | A Treatise on Cosmic Fire – Section One, Division D, Kundalini and the Spine. | http://www.lucistrust.org:8081/obooks/?q=node/311
[9] Theosophical Notes Special Paper, Sept. 1963, 40.
10] The High Country Theosophist Vol 16 no. 4 April 2001. | http://www.hctheosophist.com/archives/pdf/hc200104.pdf

The Light Bringer III: Darkness Over Tibet

“All was there, intelligence, power, but no – soul! Everything in me cried out in one wild agony. I sat down and put my hands before my face. I had recognized the nature of all these saviours of souls. They were – fallen angels! … And they now live for the purpose of making others share their dreadful fate by dragging them down with them into the abyss. The Prince of Light was really the Prince of Darkness in disguise!”

— Theodore Illion, Darkness Over Tibet

[ Note: The Light Bringer I and Light Bringer II should be read chronologically before reading the following]

—————————————-

A recent National Geographical Society documentary Light at the Edge of the World: Science of the Mind (2007) made by anthropologist Wade Davis, explores the state of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal, and the rituals and practices of monasteries in Sanghas, and a hermatice in the Himalayan foothills. There are inspiring scenes of wisdom and peace evident in many of the Tibetan monks and the positive effects of those who radiate an “embodied compassion” on the path of transforming the mind and spirit. But what of the other paths of Tibet Buddhism that are not so often discussed, yet clearly exist?

The ritual of summoning of spirits via mediumship or trance-channelling which is really just another form of “possession,” is routinely used in the so-called “positive” path of Tibetan Buddhism. In another documentary by the same director The Oracle: Reflections on Self the State Oracle of Tibet forms an important part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. We are told that the Oracle is: “… seen as an “ancient spirit, which has inhabited a succession of thirteen human mediums” and “advises the Dalai Lama on matters of public and religious policy.”

The narrator continues:

“Five Nature spirit Kings have protected Tibetan Buddhism since the eighth century” one of which possesses the State Oracle to dispense advice. In the Buddhist Great Chain of Being there are 6 realms of existence and within them sentient beings can exist on 31 different planes. We human beings exist on a gross material plane. Nature spirits exists on a very subtle level. They are completely formless. … “When the eighth century Indian came to Tibet to bring Buddhism to its inhabitants he found a war-like people practicing a highly-developed form of Nature religion called Bahn. Mountains, forests and rivers all had their local deities; they were alive and animated with the spirit’s actions.”

The legend said that the Guru Rimpoche bound them to his great spiritual will and made them declare an oath to protect the great Buddha Darma. The traditional forces of the elemental world in the occult form the basis of manipulation of energy and magick. How are we to then to differentiate the real purpose behind ritual and magick when contacting such a realm, whether it is in the mind of the contactee or as a real dimension beyond the senses?

The “highly ritualised form of spirit possession” brings into the focus the possibility that such entities and rituals can equally be drawn along the path opposite to compassion and love while claiming to be the same. That is their raison d’être, after all. Regardless of whether the Dalai Lama has immediate knowledge and safeguards which determine the authenticity of the “spirit” in question, what of other groups within the vast tapestry of Buddhism which have a similar tradition and which may have equally engaged with the West as the camouflaged nemesis of the Dalai Lama?

Whether we believe in such things or not, within pagan and occult beliefs, deities and demons will engage with anyone who open their doors and it depends entirely on the quality of consciousness and the intent of the practitioner as to which path opens up before him. It is the nature of existence that “Symbols of good [clash] with demons – the positive and the negative” as the narrator mentions. Learning to discern which is which may come from playing with fire and being burnt. But as is the case in Western society, lies are made palatable when they are sandwiched between truth.

It might be useful at this point to look at Theodore Illion’s book Darkness Over Tibet in order to observe some parallels and alternative possibilities in relation to the Lucis Trust and affiliated organisations. (PDF HERE – Be aware a reader alerted me to the fact there are possible sections/pages missing)

Published in English from the original German in 1937, the book describes an autobiographical account of Theodore Illion’s journey into the heart of Tibet between 1934 and 1936. Illion (a pseudonym) writes in the preface:

“In my book In Secret Tibet I have given an outline of my recent journey to Tibet … After witnessing various marvels … I reached the final stage of the journey in the most inaccessible part of the country where live the genuine Tibetan hermits, who can read people’s thoughts and possess the strange power to maintain themselves young almost indefinitely.” ^{^[1]}

Although the book is probably non-fiction many people have expressed reservations that this may be along the lines of Carlos Castenada’s work in that the events may have occurred, but perhaps not as described. Rather, the events were used to fashion an allegorical tale on the nature of reality. If so, this does not diminish the profound insights on the nature of spiritual deception.

Author and historian Laura Knight-Jadczyk in her own commentary on Darkness Over Tibet quotes traveller Alexandra David-Neel who experienced similar bizarre and paranormal events and which were, in her case, verifiable. She explores the same discoveries and most importantly the “dark methods” by which a short cut to so-called spiritual power is induced:

“There exist, so [some anchorites belonging to the Dzogschen sect] said, certain human beings who have attained such a height degree of spiritual perfection, that the original material substance of their bodies has become transmuted into a more subtle one which possesses special qualities. […] A morsel of their transformed flesh, when eaten, will produce a special kind of ecstasy and bestow knowledge and supernormal powers upon the person partaking of it.”

Knight-Jadczyk comments:

“David-Neel describes for us the rituals of these ‘sacred feasts’ in some detail, and the feeling that one begins to get about the whole Tibetan ‘spiritualism’ is one of revulsion. Nevertheless, she confirms that there are mystics and hermits who are of the light, though it seems that the vast majority of Tibetan mysticism is purely and simply black magic and sorcery.” ^{^[2]}

This is a worrying statement when we realise that Theosophy and particularly the offshoot represented by Alice A. Bailey, had its genesis in the very same conjunction of East and West, sought by Blavatsky and others in the mountains of Tibet.

It is along these lines of witnessing the same mediumship spectacle that Illion travels to a nearby monastery in the hope of seeing “The Oracle” along with a religious play presented by the lamas of the monastery. Written in the 1930s, the witnessing of “entities” or “demons” was in evidence and documented in a similar manner in both documentaries above. Various kinetic and psychic skills such as bending metal are also on show. The crowds in the monastery are whipped up into a virtual hysteria by these “miracles” which leave Illion impressed as well as shocked.

He tells us something pertinent in relation to the spectacle:

“Crowds easily fuse into one ‘group soul,’ and then the individual no longer behaves as he would behave individually. Crowds really are not the sum total of all the individualities present. They seem to be a suddenly formed new entity actuated by a kind of ‘group soul.’ It is man sinking back temporarily into the “group consciousness” from which civilized man is just about to emerge. I think only the greatest of the great [are] fully and definitely individualized and beyond the possibility of lapsing back temporarily into group consciousness.”

Where have we heard about this “group consciousness” before? “The soul is naturally, inevitably group conscious” says Sarah McKechnie, International President of the Lucis Trust, the Arcane School and its service activities. She equates this with an impersonal association that limits the needs of the personal self and offers an international and inclusive perspective. Yet, that is not what is being offered when we peruse all of the literature. What is being sold is obedience to a “Divine Plan” under a blanket of half-truths and complicated occult principles which appeal to a specific kind of intellect. Being “group conscious” is one thing but plying the virtues of “group consciousness” as the end goal to fulfil a form of occult synarchy, is quite another. ^{^[3]}

© infrakshun

Illion’s journey takes him deeper into the Tibet religion and lore so that he ends up in a religious sect or “Holy Brotherhood” led by “Mani Rimpoche, the Exalted Jewel or Prince of Light, the Ruler of the Holy City.” One of the followers named Narbu befriends Illion and becomes his friend:

“The next few days would be of vital importance for me, said Narbu. No one here had a right to force my hand and I had to decide quite freely whether I wanted to become a member. I was quite free to come and go as I liked, and so long as I had not taken a pledge I was under no obligation to the Holy Brotherhood. Then he whispered: ‘Many of us here realize of what enormous value you could be to us if you decided to join us of your own free will.’ He even hinted at a quick rise in the ranks of the Hierarchy, rapidly succeeding initiations and the possibility of my being entrusted with a ‘really big job’ once I had decided to become a member….the moment you have taken your decision the Prince of Light will assign to you the exalted position in which you will be most useful.” ^{^[4]}

He felt bad to have doubted his friend and the Brotherhood. Nevertheless, Illion was no fool. He could not shake his conviction that all was not what it seemed:

“I again looked at Narbu and felt ashamed to have entertained such thoughts. He seemed to feel so sincere about it. He wanted me to join a Brotherhood working for the good of the world, and gave me freedom to make my choice. The pendulum swung back once more and I felt a perfect beast to have entertained these thoughts. […] All these people were a little proud to have the privilege of working for the world. They had a rather high opinion of their own spirituality. Some of them even linked up the Prince of Light with certain highly placed spiritual entities who are what Hindu philosophers call karmic agents and regulate the unloading of karmic reactions on men and nations. Some of them even seemed to feel that the Holy Ruler could actually influence the destinies of the world by hastening or retarding the outbreak of wars, the evolution of new types of epidemics and the disappearance of older kinds of diseases, as well as the action of other scourges of humanity, including the various catastrophes of Nature. They seemed to consider the Holy Jewel as a kind of supreme judge dispensing Divine justice, and naturally felt very elated at the thought of standing so near a being who possessed all these powers.

Human intelligence they only held in mediocre esteem. They seemed to feel that man’s mission was to get past the human stage, and that passing beyond the limited matter-of-fact intelligence of man and soaring to intuitive levels was the best method of becoming more ‘Divine.’” ^{^[5]} [Emphasis mine]

As the reader may remember from the previous post, the Lucis Trust is very familiar to me having spent five years as a member of the Arcane School and attending many conferences and meetings. What was clear and which became more obvious in hindsight, was the underlying intellectual superiority, largely unconscious, that could be seen in conversation and focus. So many students were indeed proud and with a “rather high opinion of their own spirituality.” Yet, discipleship, hierarchies, magical formulae and the emphasis on being in the front line of a New Order fosters such a feeling of specialness, as though one has the inside scoop (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). It was certainly something that appealed to my own intellectual bias and personality awareness at the time. (When you have suffered trauma and your centre of gravity is intellectual, you often seek sanctuary via information. Which is why so many of our academics are clueless when it comes to real-life and emotional intelligence).

Conversely, sincerity, charity and kindness were very common to see at the meetings. The same ideas emanating from the United Nations and its agencies such as world government and New World Religion, a global education system were seen as wholly safe in the hands of those who gave us the Great invocation (See notes). No objective analysis was present regarding the nature of ponerology and the lessons of history that are riven with geo-political manipulation and spiritual deception. For teachings that pushed often complex “esoteric science” the simplicity of spiritual blindness was tangible. Since so many of us are often unconsciously afflicted with the results of a loss of meaning and the materialistic, narcissistic visions which are daily injected into our consciousness it is little wonder that we are unaware of the subtler dimensions of spiritual deception. Once again, our survival persona, carefully fabricated to buffer ourselves against the entropic tide also separates us from our soul, bolstering the very thing we ostensibly wished to avoid.

This is just how Illion experienced it:

I listened to the conversation of the people seated in the neighbouring circle. They were talking on evolution. People in the City did not seem to talk much about any human topics. All of them seemed to want to get past the human stage and to be God-like.

One of them envisaged the glory of evolution, life passing from the mineral stage through plants, animals, man and angels up to the archangelic and Divine stages, and every creature automatically becoming a god.

Glory, in their eyes, seemed to be the automatic and inevitable destiny of man. They did not seem to be aware of the dreadful alternative of annihilation, of the fact that there is a downward trend of satanic evolution as a counterpart to the upward trend of Divine evolution.

They seemed to feel that the great spiritual struggle was between spirit and matter. They seemed to utterly ignore the vital fact that there are two different types of spirituality, the upward trend and the [downward] one, and that the real spiritual struggle is one between the two different types of spirituality with matter serving as the battleground. ^{^[6]} [Emphasis mine]

Are we truly aware of this fact? Namely that from an esoteric or spiritual point of view, this world is “inside the devil” and as such He is Master of it? What are the implications of the hypothesis that ceremonial psychopathy / evil will take human constructs and build elaborate theories which will have just enough truth to trap the unwary in order to invert their energy of will and harvest it for its own ends?

After a meeting with the so-called “Prince of Light” it does nothing to allay Illion’s fears. The evening was beset with: “… grave doubts as to the real nature of the whole Brotherhood of Light.” During the night he suffers from a series of nightmares full of demons and the angels which come to his aid:

The boys in pure white robes still looked very concerned. All their feelings found a visible impression in their expressive faces. They stood behind me, but during my nightmare I could see forward and backward at the same time. The demons, however, had no individual expression in their faces. They were all alike. There was no personality about them. They seemed to mechanically carry out the behests of someone else. The [good angels] seemed to possess strong individualities. This very individuality was their best defence against the large army of spiritual dummies.” ^{^[7]} [Emphasis mine]

With his disciple friend Narbu they visit the shaft in the centre of the Holy City which had particular ritual significance for the Masters. Illion’s companion described the shaft as “immeasurably deep” where one except the Prince of Light and a few of the highest Initiates who are called Lords of Compassion know where it leads to. Anyone discovering the “secrets” of the place was said to “die automatically the following night.” However, the author had been given permission to attend the temple service where he discovers that human blood is drunk as part of a communion and where human bones litter the edge of the temple.

© infrakshun

On its walls Illion finds various inscriptions in Tibetan including:

“‘Give your soul to the Master and He will show you the light.’ I thought of a man buying a cat in a bag. Another one read, ‘Distrust your brain. Deep understanding is beyond intelligence.’ This only increased my desire to trust my brain. Another inscription ran, ‘Blessed be you who suffer. Come to me and I will give you relief.’ And another, ‘Everything is unreal, only my own words are real.’ This inscription, I thought irreverently, was none too modest.”[8]

Here we have the giving away of one’s free-will, individuality and one’s very soul for something which masquerades as light but in fact, is derived from darkness. Deception is its mode of seduction and the absence of humility it’s way in.

Illion wanders around the library building and looks at the pictures on the walls depicting the Masters or “Soul Saviours” and “Redeemers” of the past. He continues to look into their eyes only to realise to his horror that:

“All was there, intelligence, power, but no – soul! Everything in me cried out in one wild agony. I sat down and put my hands before my face. I had recognized the nature of all these saviours of souls. They were – fallen angels! … And they now live for the purpose of making others share their dreadful fate by dragging them down with them into the abyss. The Prince of Light was really the Prince of Darkness in disguise!” ^{^[9]}

He experiences what could be described as a “Dark Night of the Soul” where illusions and beliefs come crashing down and sadness engulfs him. Upon confronting the Prince of Light as to his true nature, he realises that he has placed himself in extreme danger. He resolves to leave the City as soon as he can to protect himself physically and psychically. His friend Narbu accompanies him, sad that he is leaving. Illion laments on the spiritual fate of his friend:

The poor, kind-hearted man! He thought he was in the city of a Great Light Power, and the thought that I did not want ‘salvation’ made him sad. For a moment I contemplated whether I should tell him bluntly that he really was in the city of the Evil One, but strange to say I felt that I could not. For spiritual realizations entail enormous spiritual responsibilities.

Even the Powers of Evil have their spiritual mission. They snatch souls if men themselves give them up. By his spiritual sins, man himself weakens the ties which link him to his soul, and the more he sins spiritually the more he strikes himself with blindness until he can no longer see the difference between ‘Gods’ and the Creator, no matter how high are his occult accomplishments. The devil tempts, but he can only seize souls that voluntarily yield to his temptation. That is the law of the universe. […]

There stood Narbu, kind-hearted and only afflicted with a slight dose of spiritual arrogance, but otherwise good at the core. He wanted to save me, although it was himself who needed salvation, and I could not save him. ^{^[10]}

If that doesn’t strike a soul terror into you then nothing will.

“Even the Powers of Evil have their spiritual mission”. And their greatest trick is to work through the frailties of our own minds by encouraging ignorance and wishful thinking. The author reiterates the point: how easy it is to follow lies and deception because within so much of what passes for New Age philosophy is the idea that somehow the intellect and reason is suspect. Only is it useless if used as the master of perception rather than an essential tool married to the heart. Dispassionate reasoning is absolutely crucial in determining truth from lies. The Lucis Trust veils the same ideas while constantly appealing to the intellect, paying lip service to integration of the heart and mind. But it is in favour of submerging one’s consciousness and energy in a mass mind and a Plan that promotes a form of centralised group slavery right across the board, from politics to spirituality.

Even if we were foolish enough to accept the many truths sandwiched between subtle deviations from the truth, delivered so adroitly by the Lucis Trust and its Arcane School, what will follow in the 75 years after its inception can only be the onset of ponerogenesis if there is no awareness of how psychopathy can infect large-scale institutions and ideologies – particularly those of a ceremonial psychopathy. While advocating free-will and choice they are seducing a largely white, middle class man by throwing the meat of occult magic to the intellectually polarised in order to cook it in self-importance. It is all a repackaged form of Synarchy with lots of juicy esoteric ingredients to keep the neophytes occupied.

And the brighter the individual the more complex the delusion can be.

Illion writes of how the Dark Brotherhood’s influence had permeated the more traditional forms of Tibetan Buddhism, tainting the philosophy with rituals and beliefs, the likes of which were even part of the Dalai Lama’s belief system as mentioned before:

The lamas also spoke of the necessity to believe blindly in the contents of their 333 holy books. Just like the members of the Brotherhood in the City, I thought. There, too, the most sublime gift of man – his intelligence – had to be discarded and transcended. […]

They continually spoke, too, of “salvation”, of “saving” one’s soul by giving it up to the Divine. Many, perhaps most, of the conversations at which I had been present in the City – in the dining-building and elsewhere – had a distinct parallel in the sermons of the lamas. The Prince catered for the elect, the lamas for the multitude, I thought, but I failed to see any fundamental difference between the two. ^{^[}^{^11]}

Is this what we are seeing at the Lucis Trust and other branches of New Age discourse and practice? As mentioned, both Blavatsky and Alice Bailey’s teachings are firmly rooted in Tibetan Mysticism which is replete with sorcery and Magick the residue of which can be seen in the ostensibly “healthy” beacons of Tibetan thought. The perception of the “elect” is transplanted into the values of the “multitude” and we fail to see that the elect themselves may be duped, setting up mostly well-intentioned people to follow. It matters little if 99 percent of the Ageless Wisdom is truthful. What of the emerging framework materialised at this level of existence? Does the theory truly match the reality when we consider the centres where this “White Magic” is manifesting – not least its membership?

Illion’s companion’s only crime against his soul was “arrogance” and wishful thinking that his Prince of Light was the Great Being he thought he was. And it is our own ignorance of the spiritual jungle and our desperate wish to believe which may lead away from the very truth we seek. What is more, we would never even know it. Which leads us on to an even more disheartening episode in the meeting with a “wise hermit” whom a friend of Illion’s had spoken and described as a great spiritual teacher. So, the protagonist travels to see him, his curiosity piqued, eager to reclaim some true spiritual nourishment.

Upon his arrival he asks the hermit:

“Is it not your spiritual duty to warn me of demons who may easily appear in the disguise of angels, as occasionally happens in Western countries?” I had asked further. “No,” he had said. “Even if I realized their nature myself, it is a man’s highest spiritual duty to respect another man’s spiritual freedom. […] You must discover things for yourself. You are going to Tibet. You have to take the risks, not I.”

Illion seems to be reminding us – as have many spiritual teachers – that true guidance allows the student to learn for him or herself and by respecting spiritual freedom and choice. Despite the Bailey teachings placing emphasis on free-will and the opportunity for the disciple to choose, the problem seems to lie in the fact that we must learn to discern and discriminate what are real choices or just a collection of sweeteners which only offer the illusion of choice.

The hermit known by the name of “Gentle Friend” lived simply, drew no attention to himself, had no real followers or disciples and honoured the principle that people should follow “the light of their own intelligence.” Illion thought the signs were good. He liked him. Just like the place with its yaks and open-minded villagers: “There seemed to be so much common sense and sincerity about [the] man.” The teacher talked of the futility of spiritual guidance and that it could not be given. It was up to man to perfect himself by introspection, “understanding oneself and discovering the real value of things.” And here Illion comes to a fascinating point in the context of psychopathy in the human world and the predator in the natural world.

On the principle of non-resistance for all animals Illion could not agree:

There were obviously two realms of animals in nature. If I was kind to a horse or a dog and in exceptional cases even to a bear or a squirrel, the kindness would be justified. But how about kindness to parasites, to snakes, to crocodiles or sharks? The latter animals belonged to a different branch of life. No amount of love, kindness, and non-resistance would ever disarm a shark or a louse, I thought.

Was it not a crime then to eat, because the food taken by the Gentle Friend and our circle could have fed many more rats? Surely many of them were hungry, for rats and other parasitic animals always multiply a little faster than the food supply available for them could justify, so that they always need more food.

Life is a struggle. In this struggle, a just and equitable balance CAN be kept between man and animals of the non-parasitic type, but the animals belonging to the descending branch of life, such as gnats, mosquitoes, rats, mice, flies, etc., must be FOUGHT.

I wondered whether the Gentle Friend would also object to disinfection during epidemics out of kindness to germs of disease if he happened to come to the West! ^{^[12]} [Emphasis mine]

This is the reasoning we must take when confronted by the psychopath, individually and collectively. Can it be said that humans too have those that follow a “different branch of life” opposite to inclusiveness, love and creativity? As in the animal kingdom, perhaps there are predators who seek to trap and feed, the only difference being in terms of awareness and in some cases an entirely different reason for Being: – Non-Being. The same tools of defence must operate if we are not to be dragged down into that same psychic abyss. They must be fought by building our knowledge base of their behaviour so that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from their corrosive influence. Essential psychopaths do not change. Kindness or “turning the other cheek” in the face of evil will mean an easy meal for the Predator.

Illion agreed with the teacher’s stand on undue asceticism, fasting to obtain spiritual results and the opinion of magic as a “veritable crime.” According to Illion’s lecturer: “The only way to salvation… was through the disappearance of ignorance, stupidity.” In other words, gaining knowledge protected the seeker against manipulations drawn from ignorance of evil’s wily ways. Nevertheless, despite these apparent truths, the idea of discarding one’s separate spiritual existence and giving up one’s personal will reappeared. Illion disagreed, explaining his reasons in the following terms:

The idea struck me that to try to be “like God” by entirely destroying one’s I- consciousness amount to committing spiritual suicide. Annihilation could not be the supreme goal of life. Just as in material things, as much egotism is justified as is absolutely necessary to maintain our separate existence, it is the duty of the creature to maintain its individuality also in the realm of spirituality, otherwise life would have no meaning. […]

Prehistoric man was group conscious. Modern man is not yet fully I-conscious. Again and again he is drawn back into the clan and family spirit, that is to say, he is alternately group conscious and I-conscious. So the trend of evolution in modern man is from group-consciousness towards FULL I-consciousness.

And now the Gentle Friend proposed that man, whose I-consciousness is just emerging from group consciousness – should jump back to a state of ‘total’ consciousness which existed prior to group- consciousness! ^{^[13]}

Group consciousness is a state prior to being spiritually mature or “individualised;” a truly independent and sovereign soul. A retrogressive path was suggested by the Gentle Friend all along, yet littered with gems of truth. Illion laments the fact that: “There had been so much truth in them, and yet they were only nearly true. The word ‘almost’ in spiritual matters is an ominous one. The Evil One is Almost God, and in this little word ‘almost’ makes all the dreadful difference.”

Which is why occultism, fundamentalist religion and any dogma which purports to be “spiritual” can lead us in the opposite direction if we have not honed our “inner-tuition” partnered with a cold-bloodied objectivity. And there is nothing more tragic then men and women of goodwill serving the: “… cause of darkness while they honestly believe they serve the cause of light.” So much New Age thought seeks a safe, warm place within, shunning the exploration and analysis of negative things because they believe the fallacy that this gives negativity power. In fact, understanding the dynamics of negativity in ourselves and the external world dis-empowers it and offers the best protection. It seems an exclusive search for love, light and happiness is not the answer. It merely lives to nihilism, to be dragged by default into the slipstream of Non-Being.

Illion tells us:

That day he lectured on nothingness, on becoming like ‘nothing,’ and the “happiness’ one derived from becoming like nothing. What motive did he recommend for seeking a non-egocentrical conception of life?

Happiness! The search for happiness!

Not a word about the intense suffering of a man who feels one with all the joys and sorrows of the world. All he recommended was an escape from life, ‘nothingness,’ and subsequent happiness, viz. the very height of selfishness. ^{^[14]}

And in a growing culture of narcissism and other pathologies it is so easy to forget that we daily give away our response-ability and freedom in the deepest sense when we acquiesce to the “almost”-evil. And the more we follow the Pied Piper the harder it is to see objectively. Which is why a rigid belief is so essential to any authoritarian system: through a belief – especially a slippery spiritual one – you can create fear and through fear you have control.

Illion’s appraisal of evil continues:

Before he withdrew I looked at him fully for the last time. There was nothing in his eyes, voice, or bearing that could have provided any clue as to whether he really believed in the destructive things he had said or whether he was a mere tool. He may have been the latter. In most cases, apostles who are themselves deceived are very dangerous. It is easier to deceive people if the deceiver believes in his own message.

I realized how dreadfully clever and adaptable the Evil One is, and in how many different and cleverly disguised ways he carries on his soul-snatching activities. There is the appeal of wealth and power and the snare of excessive care for the needs of the body. Many people sell their souls to get them. Then there is the appeal of spiritual distinctions and paradises. … And for people who cannot be caught by either of the two, there are subtle philosophical systems. Decidedly the devil’s shop is a well-stocked on; he caters for all possible tastes, and his snares are everywhere. […]

At top speed I left the mountain where the Pied Piper plays the tune of simplicity to catch souls. When I sat down to take my lunch […] I pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down the following sketch:

Once upon a time there were clever philosophers. They did not believe in the Creator.

“We follow our own light, ” they said. And in all matters they only relied on the light of introspection. Then they came across the Devil.

“What a monster!” said one of them. “What a comfort to know that nothing is real and everything is a mere reflection of ourselves!”

“You are right,” put in a second philosopher. “Everything is subjective; nothing is objective.”

Then the Devil opened his mouth and swallowed them.

When they arrived inside the Devil’s body the clever philosophers said with a superior smile: “Is it not obvious that we were right? The monster has disappeared.”

I intensely realized that the more man approaches full individualization, the more he is conscious of his duties to the Creator, the rising branch of life, and himself. […] The province of man is action. In this world of matter, which is really the battleground for a formidable struggle of two different spiritualities, the few wise men of Tibet who are great and dynamic personalities intensely personal, yet acting impersonally, represent a kind of bodyguard of the Creator which holds in check the other camp of methodically working “annihilators” and “soul snatchers.”

I could feel their thoughts. They possessed the power to rule over the forces of Nature, but their very nature prevented them from using those powers unless it was absolutely necessary in the service of the Creator. ^{^[15]}

Since most major international institutions are embedded or affiliated to various occult clubs, the Lucis Trust being the most public, we have to ask the most obvious question prompted by Darkness Over Tibet and related warning signs: Are they predominantly overshadowed by a rising branch of life; those that are on hand for assistance but allow humanity to work out their lessons as all wise teachers would do?

Or are they the often gullible representatives of the “soul catchers” who weave their intricate spells through a thousand proffered beliefs?

Notes

[1] Darkness Over Tibet (Mystic Travellers Series) By Theodore Illion. First published in 1938 by Rider & Co. This edition published by Adventures Unlimited Press; New edition, 1991.| ISBN-10: 0932813143 (Preface).
[2] ‘Darkness Over Tibet: excerpts and Commentary’ by Laura Knight-Jadczyk 2003 quoting Alexandra David-Neel from Magic and Mystery in Tibet 1971.
[3] From an extract “Freedom in Unanimity”, an address given at the Arcane School Conference in London, June 17, 2000).
[4] p.116; Darkness Over Tibet by Theodore Illion, Published by Adventures Unlimited Press 1997 |ISBN 0-932813-14-3.
[5] Ibid. (p.118)
[6]   Ibid. (p.120)
[7]   Ibid. (p.122)
[8]   Ibid. (p.145)
[9]   Ibid. (p.150)
[10] Ibid. (p.155)
[11] Ibid. (p.165)
[12] Ibid. (p.175)
[13] Ibid. (p.177)
[14] Ibid. (p.179)
[15] Ibid. (p.188)

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The Psychopath: A Different Species? II

“Natural human reactions … strike the psychopath as strange, interesting, and even comical. They therefore observe us… They become experts in our weaknesses and sometimes effect heartless experiments.”

– Andrew Lobaczewski, ‘Political Ponerology’

Are there neurophysiological signs which could indicate the presence of psychopathy? Research into differences between the brain of a psychopath and a normal person is providing many insights into the behaviour of our predatory neighbours.

The British Journal of Psychiatry found that psychopaths “showed less activity in brain areas involved in assessing the emotion of facial expressions…” ^{^[1]} with a high possibility that this psychological “disease” is the result of a dysfunction of the frontal cortex of the brain. In one study from Canada described by bio-medical scientist Renato M.E. Sabbatini, PhD, the results showed that there was significant:

…. Impair[ment] on all the ‘orbitofrontal- ventromedial tasks’ but not in the function of other areas of the frontal cortex. The similarities between psychopaths and patients with prefrontal cortex damage surfaced in several areas of the study. ‘Both the psychopath and the orbitofrontal or ventromedial frontal patient show an exaggerated preoccupation with sexual matters, acting in a promiscuous and impersonal maladaptive way,’ observed the researchers. ‘Both are remarkable for their lack of social and ethical judgment. Both neglect long-term consequences of their actions, choosing immediate gratification over careful planning.’ ^{^[2]}

Brain dysfunction supports the evidence that they may look human but for all intents and purposes they act in ways that are anti-human. Or, as psychotherapist Amos A. Gunsburg describes it, they are “humanoids” mimicking those with conscience:

Mankind has spent centuries trying to make sense of these creatures as some form of human being. All in vain. Not only in vain, but at enormous on-going cost to our civilization. These creatures are not human beings gone wrong. They are a different species … dedicated to the murder of human values … as a prelude to the murder of human beings … e.g., the tactics used by Nazis, past and present.

They laugh at us. They say: “No one understands us. People can’t put themselves in the minds of men who act without a conscience. They try to understand, but they can’t.”

These creatures do not THINK human. They do not SPEAK human. They do not know what it is to BE human. We classify them as “humanoid.”

Yes, they have human form. If we manage to resist their onslaught long enough, we will eventually develop technical scanning equipment which will measure how different they are from human beings, despite their similarity of form. In the meantime, the quality of our lives … and often our very lives … depends on our recognizing these creatures for what they are, and taking steps to neutralize their attempts to destroy us. ^{^[3]}

If you are thinking that the above is way too harsh – then you are not getting it. It is exactly this immediate projection of conscience onto effectively empty shells which allow entry and conquest of the soul.

It really is that profound.

It is also important to note that we must not adopt the same psychopathic traits in order to oust the “humanoids” in our midst. The only way we can reduce the effects of psychopathic actions is to build our awareness of the problem so that we set in motion a new social contract that would prevent psychopaths from assuming positions of responsibility and power. Prevention seems to be the key and that comes from a strong knowledge base. The lessons of history show us very clearly what we have repeatedly failed to do: prevent unhealthy conditions arising which attract and thereby foster pathological infection. Once taken root as an individual and collective “dance” between the predator and prey, there is usually only one conclusion – the dissolution of the organism, whether it be an individual, community or nation.

© infrakshun

We know that psychopaths take special pleasure in cheating, deceiving, lying and manipulating. Indeed, it is this drive that informs much of the psychopath’s reason for engaging with his victim. Prolonging this dance saps the emotional energy from an individual or group leading to innumerable states of negative emotion vital to the game. The psychopath is then able to extract the maximum quotient of energy from the suffering which amounts to a massive endorphin rush. The bigger the potential for emotional drama the greater the “hit”, which means it’s also important to recognise the power of bio-chemicals in the “dance” between the normal person and the primary narcissist and psychopath. The greater the deception, the bigger the high.

One might say that psychopaths are addicted to extracting psycho-spiritual nutrients of those with conscience.

Dopamine is one such neurochemical that plays a part in all sexual activity. It is involved in the pleasurable high that is experienced during orgasm and activates the reward circuitry in the brain. Just as the drug addict craves his drug of choice to release the dopamine rush, this operates in a similar way when we become attached, dependent or “addicted” to someone who gives us the same rush.

The neurochemical that is responsible for “love” bonding is oxytocin, which is released into the bloodstream during sex. It is a fascinating bonding hormone associated with nurturing and affection. Present in women in higher quantities than men, this hormone is also linked to emotional and physical benefits which include the healing of wounds and the tranquilising effect that can help us in times of stress. Breast-feeding stimulates oxytocin production in both mother and child while the connection between milk production and oxytocin promotes the mother-baby bond. During sex the chemical is stimulated by the female hormone oestrogen and enhances its effect, whereas with men, the opposite is the case, where testosterone dampens down production. (This may explain why women want to cuddle up after sex and talk and men become drowsy and switch off). However, despite glowing reviews of the benefits of oxytocin, it is not a panacea.

Psychologist Shelley E. Taylor, PhD and her work on oxytocin shows that the hormone may also “enhance negative social cues.” Taylor found that “…oxytocin rises not only in women who are in good, affectionate relationships, but also in women who have distressed relationships. In the latter case … oxytocin may be signalling the need to seek other social contact.” In other words, it is not saying stay close to that person but stay close to someone, anyone as long as that oxytocin high is maintained. The Doctor gives some salutary advice on this point: “It’s never a good idea to map a psychological profile onto a hormone; they don’t have psychological profiles.”^{^[4]}

Further research from Mount Sinai School of Medicine psychologist Jennifer Bartz, PhD and her colleagues had some interesting results when they exposed men and women with border line personality disorders who often had volatile relationships to a dose of oxytocin. Data showed decreased ability to work in a team and a parallel erosion of trust compared with a placebo.^{^[5]}Chemicals seem to have a dark side which can act as a potential trap in dysfunctional relationships. Mental health is a key factor as to how those chemicals will augment or help to confuse the relationship in question. If one is a psychopath then this chemical reactions can be turbo-charged on the part of the “prey”.

Unsurprisingly, sociopaths/psychopaths and pathological narcissists seem unable to secrete the hormone in anything like the same amounts contributing to the reasons for zero empathy and high levels of manipulation that eventuate. ^{^[6]} What does this say when a woman is stimulated to overflow with levels of dopamine and oxcytocin in a psychopathic partner who has a hyper-reactive dopamine reward system and a lack of oxcytocin? ^{^[7]} Greater and greater need for sexual and emotional hits on the part of the psychopath while the victim is trapped to giving all by an illusion made in flesh. The vampire sucks the blood of his prey until there is nothing but an empty container; an intense biochemical bond that effectively “milks” the endocrine system of the victim and which has nothing to do with any authentic emotion but everything to do with a primal addiction. Hence the reason that so many women and men have difficulty in extricating themselves from the psychopath’s powerful sphere of influence.

It is not just the tenacious nature of the psychopath’s personality but a very real physiological pull sourced from an abnormally intense biochemical bond that clamours to be satisfied despite the abusive nature of the relationship. The pain and anxiety is however, partially ameliorated by the release of oxytocin ensuring that the victim is led down the deadly garden path for more. Frequent sex alongside a permanent state of anxiety and pressure keeps the victim trapped in a spider’s web of dependency that gradually destroys the life and soul of the individual. The psychopath begins dispensing pleasure and pain simultaneously, until that is, life becomes intolerable. Then the real fight begins for freedom, one that the psychopath sees as the disappearance of “food.” This is how the psychopath bypasses logic and rationale by essentially making an addict out of his victim.

© infrakshun

Official Culture is loaded towards the psychopath, making it even easier to succeed in their quest to trap. Despite the victim hating the predator in her life, he nevertheless remains an object of desire she is powerless to resist without considerable outside support. When pathological or dysfunctional expressions of sexuality become the norm this further encourages psychologically compromised individuals to take advantage and propagate such deformations. Where people so often go wrong is by confusing the psychopath with a normal human being and thus misunderstanding that this has nothing to do with your explanation of the facts and logic within a given situation. The psychopath will always find ways to move the goal posts and invent reality according to his desires. Truth means nothing. It is about maintaining the bio-chemical dance and the use of any and all methods to sustain it, until that person is a husk of her former self. When that happens he simply moves on to another source to feed on. For these humanoids, there is no real distinction between a tree, a rock and a human – all are circulating objects in the psychopath’s heliocentric Universe existing as psycho-biochemical nutrition to feed his black hole of existence. Any semblance of introspection goes no further than a primal cunning of decision-making regarding how best he can quench that insatiable appetite to dominate and control.

Take one psychopath who was interviewed by Robert Hare’s team who was happy to share his thoughts on this point: “The first thing I do is I size you up. I look for an angle, an edge, figure out what you need and give it to you. Then it’s pay-back time, with interest. I tighten the screws.’ Another admitted that he never targeted attractive women – he was only interested in those who were insecure and lonely. He claimed he could smell a needy person ‘the way a pig smells truffles.’” ^{^[8]}

The data at present suggests that kind, vulnerable and “giving” women are particularly targeted by these individuals, though it is more than conceivable that men can be equally targeted by the female version in the right setting. Because of his talents for mimicry and an almost psychic knowledge of the emotional profile of his prey, it is easy to insinuate himself into the lives of those naturally trusting. When caught manipulating the truth or blatantly lying, it matters little: “…they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed – they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.” ^{^[9]}What makes matters far worse for the victim is that he has no remorse for his actions, with “… a stunning lack of concern for the devastating effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of guilt, [and] are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused [which] is associated with a remarkable ability to rationalize their behavior.” ^{^[10]}

Since they see no flaws in sense of self, they see no reason to change. According to their own pathological egotism, they can do no wrong. And it is from this realisation that metaphysician, historian and author Laura Knight-Jadczyk makes this chilling set of speculations:

Anyone who has ever observed a cat playing with a mouse before killing and eating it has probably explained to themselves that the cat is just “entertained” by the antics of the mouse and is unable to conceive of the terror and pain being experienced by the mouse, and the cat, therefore, is innocent of any evil intent. The mouse dies, the cat is fed, and that is nature. Psychopaths don’t generally eat their victims.

Yes, in extreme cases the entire cat and mouse dynamic is carried out and cannibalism has a long history wherein it was assumed that certain powers of the victim could be assimilated by eating some particular part of them. But in ordinary life, psychopaths and narcissists don’t go all the way, so to say. This causes us to look at the cat and mouse scenarios again with different eyes. Now we ask: is it too simplistic to think that the innocent cat is merely entertained by the mouse running about and frantically trying to escape? Is there something more to this dynamic than meets the eye? Is there something more than being “entertained” by the antics of the mouse trying to flee? After all, in terms of evolution, why would such behavior be hard-wired into the cat? Is the mouse tastier because of the chemicals of fear that flood his little body?Is a mouse frozen with terror more of a “gourmet” meal?

This suggests that we ought to revisit our ideas about psychopaths with a slightly different perspective. One thing we do know is this: many people who experience interactions with psychopaths and narcissists report feeling “drained” and confused and often subsequently experience deteriorating health. Does this mean that part of the dynamic, part of the explanation for why psychopaths will pursue ‘love relationships’ and ‘friendships’ that ostensibly can result in no observable material gain, is because there is an actual energy consumption?

We do not know the answer to this question. We observe, we theorize, we speculate and hypothesize. But in the end, only the individual victim can determine what they have lost in the dynamic – and it is often far more than material goods. In a certain sense, it seems that psychopaths are soul eaters or ‘Psychophagic.’ [Emphasis mine] ^{^[11]}

And “soul-eaters” comes closest to the place which psychopaths have in our civilisation, and the social and cultural inheritance they have inspired. They are the progenitors of evil alluded to in so many ancient wisdom texts which intuitively grasped the meaning thought without the science of neuropsychology to back it up. If there is indeed a chemical and “energy” component to the interaction with psychopaths then the dimensions of their predatory dynamics may expand into areas we simply do not yet understand. Nevertheless, we must guard against their encroachments with the seriousness of a scientist dealing with an explosive device or a highly contagious disease.

Perhaps then we may understand how it is that humanity has gone so far down the road to chaos.

The following extract is from the book by clinical psychologist Martha Stout called The Sociopath Next Door. (Stout uses “sociopath” in place of psychopath). Her eloquent appraisal of the psychopath’s mind goes right to the heart of why we must educate ourselves and the consequences for society and its direction if we don’t:

Imagine – if you can – not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken. And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools. Now add to this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people that your psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Since everyone simply assumes that conscience is universal among human beings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearly effortless. You are not held back from any of your desires by guilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for your cold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, so completely outside of their personal experience, that they seldom even guess at your condition.

In other words, you are completely free of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just as you please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible to the world. You can do anything at all, and still your strange advantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences will most likely remain undiscovered.

How will you live your life? What will you do with your huge and secret advantage, and with the corresponding handicap of other people (conscience)? The answer will depend largely on just what your desires happen to be, because people are not all the same. Even the profoundly unscrupulous are not all the same. Some people – whether they have a conscience or not – favor the ease of inertia, while others are filled with dreams and wild ambitions. Some human beings are brilliant and talented, some are dull-witted, and most, conscience or not, are somewhere in between. There are violent people and nonviolent ones, individuals who are motivated by blood lust and those who have no such appetites. […]

Provided you are not forcibly stopped, you can do anything at all. If you are born at the right time, with some access to family fortune, and you have a special talent for whipping up other people’s hatred and sense of deprivation, you can arrange to kill large numbers of unsuspecting people. With enough money, you can accomplish this from far away, and you can sit back safely and watch in satisfaction. [Emphasis mine] ^{^[12]}

Far from being the kind of criminal psychopaths who are the serial killers of celluloid, the real destroyers of civilisation are the garden variety humanoids you might find in everyday life. What Stout describes above is exactly what characterises most of the Establishment institutions of our day. High level psychopaths corral the public into perpetual wars, economic insanity and repetitive social policies devoid of imagination and creativity but replete with CoIntelpro programs appealing to all social classes and psychological profiles. Power must be maintained for a minority and power for its own sake is the psychopath’s aphrodisiac.

When you have established a network of hierarchical systems over a considerable period of time, it is relatively easy to inculcate normal people towards a pathological perception of reality, thus giving more and more protection to a burgeoning psychopathic elite. Robert Hare makes this pertinent observation: “Try to imagine someone who seeks power for no reason other than to have power, or someone who deceives just to experience the delight of having done so. Or someone who tortures another person physically or emotionally for the enjoyment of watching them suffer. Imagine someone doing these things, and not losing a moment of sleep at night (zero remorse).” And most importantly: “… add to all this, the ability to conceal themselves from an extremely naive public”. ^{^[13]}

We are like a herd of wildebeest being observed by crocodiles from the deep water, or a grazing herd of gazelles under the eyes of cheetahs crouching in the grass. The thrill of the chase (the act of deceiving) is just as thrilling to the essential psychopath as the final kill, whether literal or not. As psychologist Dr. Anna C. Salter mentions: “Deception is not just a by-product of deviant activities for the psychopath; often it is the main event.” ^{^[14]}

There are many methods by which the psychopath quarries its prey just as there are variations of psychopaths and psychopathic tendencies. They are acutely aware that they are different to normal people and disturbingly enough: “… learn to recognize each other in a crowd as early as childhood… develop[ing] an awareness of the existence of other individuals similar to them.” ^{^[15]} A narcissistic culture helps maintain the camouflage of psychopathy by erecting ego-fed barriers against anyone who has been duped or fooled by the psychopath. That is, people would rather go along with the manipulation and herd mentality rather than admit what they intuitively feel to be right. Moreover, a mass psychosis akin to the psychological impairment of “Stockholm syndrome” where the abused comes to love their abuser may well be in operation.

Our own collective self-importance is proving to be a boon in protecting evil. When built from a foundation of fear and insecurity cherished beliefs are wide open to being torn down at some point along the trajectory of pathocratic inculcation and are an essential part of the fall of Empires. Such an event can be extremely painful and can cause extreme cognitive dissonance in the victim when embroiled in the psychopath’s deadly games. This is why self-knowledge must replace ignorance on this issue, as much for a person’s potential to grow and expand their awareness as it is for society as a whole to get past beliefs which allow evil to continue undeterred.

There are also a number of secondary psychopaths that exhibit the same traits, though with modifications. These include being prone to stress, worry or guilt and the avoidance of pain. In other words: the obstruction of their formidable desires. They have vestigial conscience which is eclipsed by the lure of vicarious temptations the satisfaction of which forms the core reason for their lives. There are those who are governed by powerful sex drives and unpredictable rages where the endorphin rush leads them to risk-taking and any illicit or illegal indulgence. Others prey on the victims using charisma and charm with the ability to attract as if casting a spell. Lies and almost supernatural persuasion are an integral part of the psychopath’s emotional weaponry. They are often irresistible which is why so many women fall prey to their machinations. (Though there are also female psychopaths the data at the present time suggests the number is lower. However, this may be due to cultural camouflage and natural discourse of disbelief regarding the idea of female psychopathy as we shall see). ^{^[16]}

© infrakshun

As discussed, there are still those who posit that the psychopath can be cured or that it is the environment that is a defining factor in producing primary or essential psychopathy. Such approaches are not in alignment with the facts however, and play right into their hands. Most psychopaths would gladly support such an approach and greedily use new curative processes as a means to pull the wool over the eyes of their assigned psychologists that they “getting better” or have “miraculously changed.” The statistical truth shows a different story. Scores of studies have repeated the same findings which show that the attempts to cure psychopaths merely gives them new and useful psychological information which they use to dupe their therapists and future victims. ^{^[17]} The very notion of psychotherapy in this context could be erroneous from the outset as one journalist mentioned: “It is the conscience, and the related capacity for concern for others, that drives the serious scrutiny of one’s motives, which underlie one’s behaviour. Yet psychopaths lack conscience and concern by definition.” ^{^[18]}

Faulty wiring in the brain and a suitable set of genetic indicators may denote a condition that is incurable because it is natural for that person. However, such individuals may respond to medication whilst steps are taken to make sure that they live their lives away from positions of responsibility and influence.

To underestimate the depths to which the psychopath is prepared to go to achieve his or her aims is to assist the fulfilment of their primal desires. The emergence of psychopathy in any given culture has profound implications for the future psychological health. We have seen the effects of a critical mass of psychopaths who hijack centres of power to create a Pathocracy. Such a process does not lend itself to simplistic appraisals. It may be sometime before we can truly understand the trajectory of evil and how it manages to maintain its freedom and impunity.

Robert Hare reiterates this point in the following extract:

It is true that the childhoods of some psychopaths were characterized by material and emotional deprivation and physical abuse, but for every adult psychopath from a troubled background there is another whose family life apparently was warm and nurturing, and whose siblings are normal, conscientious people with the ability to care deeply for others. Furthermore, most people who had horrible childhoods do not become psychopaths or callous killers. Illuminating as they may be in other areas of human development, the arguments that children subjected to abuse and violence become abusive and violent adults are of limited value here. There are deeper, more elusive explanations of why and how psychopathy emerges^{^[19]}

One thing we can say for sure, is that humanity is gradually waking up to the predator in our midst. And for that reason alone, the future has more possibilities and thus more hope.

Notes

[1] Psychopaths’ brains ‘different’ BBC News, December 2006.
[2] ‘The Psychopath’s Brain – Tormented Souls, Diseased Brains’by Renato M.E. Sabbatini, PhD, 1998 Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Brain & Mind Magazine, Campinas, Brazil, Center for Biomedical Informatics.
[3] ‘Beyond Sanity’ By Amos M. Gunsberg, founder of the School for Quality Being Psych News International, Vol. 2 Issue 5.
[4] ‘Oxytocin’s other side’ By Beth Azar American Psychological Association, March 2011, Vol 42, No. 3 page 40.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Thanks, Mom!’ by Tiffany O’Callaghan, ‘Time Magazine, June 7, 2010.
[7] ‘Psychopaths’ Brains Wired to Seek Rewards, No Matter the Consequences’ Science Daily, Mar. 14, 2010.
[8] op.cit. Hare (p.147)
[9] Ibid. (p.46)
[10] Ibid. (p.42)
[11] ‘The Psychopath – The Mask of Sanity’ by Laura Knight-Jadczyk and members of the Quantum Future School; a Special Research Project of the Quantum Future School. http://www.cassiopaea.com.
[12] Stout (p.1-2)
[13] Ibid. (p.48)
[14] (p.123) Predators: Pedophiles, Rapists, And Other Sex Offenders (2004) By Anna C. Salter
[15] (p.151) Political Ponerology Lobaczewski
[16] Abnormal Behavior, Sixth Edition, by David, Derald, and Stanley, 2000. “The American Psychiatric Association that the general estimate is 3 percent for men, and less than 1percent in women [Personality Disorders and Impulse Control Disorders, 238].
[17] ‘Beyond therapy: Some evil can’t be cured’, by Norman Doidge, National Post, January 07, 2000. “…a recent Canadian study on group treatment for 238 sex offenders (rapists, incest offenders) from Warkworth penitentiary in Ontario… includ[ing] some well-documented psychopaths. All were taught to “empathize” with victims, and understand their “offence cycle” as part of treatment. After their release, it was found that those who had scored highest in terms of “good treatment behaviour” and who had the highest empathy” scores were the more likely to reoffend on release into the community. […]The important study by Seto and Barbaree replicated — unintentionally — a 1992 Canadian study that found treated psychopaths reoffend more than psychopaths who are not treated. A larger study, just completed in Britain, shows the same. It may be that all psychopaths learn, in our new ersatz empathy institutes, is how to manipulate better by appearing more caring.”
[18] Ibid.
[19] op. cit. Hare (p.5)

The Psychopath: A Different Species? I

By M.K. Styllinski

Attributed to Aesop’s Fables, the following best sums up what we are dealing with when it comes to the nature of the psychopath:

Once upon a time there was a scorpion that needed to cross a river. Naturally, a scorpion cannot swim so he endeavoured to find someone to take him across the river. He found a frog resting on a lily pad, approached him and asked, “Sir Frog, would you be as kind as to carry me across this river so that I might explore the other side?”

Now the frog was no fool. He knew the scorpion was the most untrustworthy of God’s creations, and among the most deadly. “If I try to carry you across the river you will sting me and I will die.”

“Not true, Sir Frog. For if I do, then I too shall drown.”

The frog considered the scorpion’s words carefully and could discern no deceit. For indeed it was true that should the scorpion attack him anywhere during his swim across the river they would both die. Trusting that the scorpion’s own sense of self-preservation would protect him, he dove into the water, swam over to the bank, and invited the scorpion to climb up onto his back.

True to his word, the scorpion held off until the very mid-point of the river. Then, the frog felt the sharp jab of the scorpion’s tail and almost immediately an unrelenting paralysis began to creep through his body. He could not work his legs, could not keep his lungs inflated, and felt his heart begin to fail.

With his last breath the frog cried out, “What have you done? You have killed us both!”

As they sank beneath the river the scorpion just had time to say, “I could not help myself. It is my nature.”

The above beautifully describes the nature of the psychopath which cannot be explained by reason or logic. S/he exists to prey on others, even at the cost of his own life. But just what is a psychopath and how has s/he managed to subvert the majority of humanity into following a psychopathic worldview?

The word “psychopath” derives from the Ancient Greek psyche, – soul, and pathos – passion and denotes individuals for whom the ability to empathise is absent and where inflicting pain and suffering on others is paramount. They are the human form of Nature’s predator though with more guile, cunning and cold-bloodied calculation than any animal mind. Some would say they are the channels by which pure evil can manifest, the concept of “soul” entirely lacking. And when you look at the actions of psychopaths through history it is hard to disagree.

However, since behavioural biologists still can’t agree what constitutes ‘behaviour,’ psychologists can’t agree on what ‘personality’ means and anthropologists cannot agree on the meaning of the word ‘culture’ or on the meaning of the word ‘meaning,’ it’s not a great surprise that psychopathy remains as elusive as the predators themselves. ^{^[1]}

The concept of psychopathy is no longer an actual clinical diagnosis, but a cluster of specific, pervasive and dominating personality traits and behaviours. ^{^[2]}There is no diagnostic criterion in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Psychopathy is correlated to the DSM-IV’s antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and is considered its subset, due to the severity of the behavioural traits most notably a lack of emotion, extreme callousness and remorselessness. Even though a psychopath draws many traits from ASPD, generally characterised by a disregard for societal rules, psychopathy does not necessarily lead to criminal behaviour or violence in general – a point that must be reiterated. Many of the most dangerous psychopaths are to be found in high office. Though it is likely, if you scratch the surface of the psychopath long enough, the violence and aggression would reveal itself. ^*

Without any conception of ethics or morals there are no limits to the psychopath’s desires, the supra-natural force of which impels him to obtain whomever and whatever he wants, at any cost. They are effectively reaction-machines. They may look human and they may perfectly mimic human attributes but their essential nature is the predator that lives to trap and feed. Violence, sexual depravity, a lust for power, perversion, bare-faced lies, and utter fearlessness are characteristic of the psychopath’s true nature. Attempting to find any flicker of human feeling in such individuals is akin to searching for the sun in the dead of night, though the psychopath’s greatest trick is to make us think the sun will rise again in his heart, and that all he needs is to be cured, reprieved, understood, pitied and given a second chance. As author Barbara Oakley noted: “Just as a child needs the neurological structure of the eye to process information from the electromagnetic fields that shimmer through the air around him, a child also needs the structure of the orbitofrontal cortex and related neurological features to have a feeling of compassion. Psychopaths, it appears, may be born pre-programmed with a tendency to grow up ‘morally blind.’” ^{^[3]}

The immediate imagery that comes to mind for many people is that of Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Hannibal Lector from the movie The Silence of the Lambs. Or perhaps we recall some of the most sensational cases of psychopathic murderers that hit the headlines, notable for their inhuman acts. Ted Bundy, Kenneth Bianchi, Jeffery Dahmer, David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz, John Gacy and Richard Ramirez are just a few who have garnered considerable celebrity status for their despicable crimes. Indeed, Ramirez himself was in no doubt about the reality of psychopathy manifesting through the State when he claimed: “Serial killers do, on a small scale, what governments do on a large one. They are products of our times and these are bloodthirsty times.” (After you finish this blog/book, you will hopefully understand how true this really is).

What is far more important to remember is that these are the psychopaths that go “pop” and lose control – the “failed” psychopaths whether manufactured or encouraged. As psychologist and leading international expert on psychopathy Robert D. Hare PhD reminds us:

Psychopathic killers … are not mad, according to accepted legal and psychiatric standards. Their acts result not from a deranged mind but from a cold, calculating rationality combined with a chilling inability to treat others as thinking, feeling human beings. Such morally incomprehensible behavior, exhibited by a seemingly normal person, leaves us feeling bewildered and helpless …. the fact is that the majority of psychopaths manage to ply their trade without murdering people. By focusing too much on the most brutal and newsworthy examples of their behavior, we run the risk of remaining blind to the larger picture: psychopaths who don’t kill but who have a personal impact on our daily lives. ^{^[4]}

The rate of recidivism among criminals with psychopathic tendencies, schizophrenia and complete psychopathy is far higher than the common criminal with a personality disorder and continue to: “… recidivate at a higher rate than non-psychopaths even beyond age 40.” ^{^[5]} lending further credence to the evidence that though they know the difference between right and wrong they choose “wrong” as it is their nature, while “right” are simply the normal human moral constructs that present an irritating impediment to the fulfilment of his limitless desires.

Though criminal psychopaths have been studied the most due to their higher recidivism rates and consequent jail time, the non-criminal or white-collar psychopaths who are “in control” are more common and thus more damaging to society. Psychopathic versions of lawyers, doctors, police officers, politicians, corporate CEOs, psychiatrists and members of the clergy: all use positions of power to further their own agenda while using their manipulative talents to dupe the public into believing that they can be trusted. They ensure their success by practiced deception, rising to the top of the heap so that they can further mould a company, organisation, or society according to their own barren version of reality. Their often magnetic personalities hide a propensity for ruthlessness – often unbeknownst to their colleagues or friends – quickly placing themselves in positions that offer opportunities to exercise power and the access to victims this provides, while simultaneously reducing their chances of being caught out.

Churches, law enforcement, charities, schools, politics or any post that will provide significant control within a hierarchical structure of secrecy will offer the perfect setting for a psychopath’s predations. This is why most do not reside in prison and are instead found in key positions and determining how normal people live and function. In other words, during the ascendency of a Pathocracy in particular, they become the directors and instigators of change within societies and it is a the type of change that will conform to the psychopath’s perception of the world.

When psychopaths happen to be pillars of the community which is frequently the case, it is the shock of seeing the reality behind the mask and the complete lack of accountability for their actions that eventually sends their victims over the edge into severe depression or a nervous breakdown. This nail in the coffin of the innocent is unwittingly supported by other members of the community who cannot see past the “Mask of Sanity” they so convincingly present. “But I can’t believe it, he’s such a good father to his kids! He helped out at the parents’ day last weekend … Did you know he sent flowers to Mrs. Jones when he heard about her son’s death?” “Maybe it’s her that’s really difficult …You never really know a person…”

Meanwhile, the psychopath lives to fight another day and happily trots off into the sunset leaving a smoking trail of destruction behind him.

Psychopaths enjoy the chase that leads to the expression of the lowest forms of negative emotion, the cultivation of scenarios, large or small – it is their reason for breathing. Like a demonic chef preparing the ingredients for the next gastronomic meal, you better be sure that you are not the main course.

“Psychopathy” or “evil”?

Many psychologists are understandably uncomfortable with using the term “evil” to describe psychopaths.Yet, despite this religious connotation one might say that if it quacks like a duck – persistently and repeatedly – it’s a duck.

Rather than extending “sympathy” to psychopaths who are only too happy to receive it, perhaps this needs to be reserved for the victims alongside a cold-bloodied examination of what makes the psychopath tick. As neuroscientist Dr. Kent Khiel discovered in his case study of one psychopath: “Talking about his crimes, it’s like asking him what he had for breakfast.” And when that individual brutally raped and murdered two seven year old girls perhaps it becomes a question of semantics whether you label such acts as “evil” or “psychopathic.” ^{^[6]}

Studies from neuroscience have conclusively proven that the brain structure and neurology of psychopaths’ brains are quite different from normal human beings. There are extremely low levels of density in the para-limbic system which is the behaviour circuit of the brain housing the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, all of which are involved in the processing of emotions with special attention to empathy, self-control and guilt. There is an uncomfortable possibility that psychopath’s brains are not necessarily “damaged” but a product of a different genetic evolution, as controversial as such a possibility might be.

All the data suggests that psychopathic individuals cannot be treated unless through invasive psycho-surgery or pharmacological means which is hardly the most humanitarian means of tackling the problem. And there lies the conundrum. Though many psychologists and neuroscientists are intent on finding a treatment which allows psychopaths to live normal lives, this may be a highly dangerous attempt to alter objective reality of the situation if psychopaths are simply “hard-wired” for predatory behaviour. In much the same way other individuals employ empathy and cooperation as social skills for survival and creative adaptation the psychopath may naturally balance the equation by embodying the opposite.

Regardless of the inability to process emotions and feelings, the desire to kill and make others suffer as a means of gratification is the driving force, suggesting something more than damaged circuitry. Psychopaths not only reap long term harm but have a hand in the long-term destiny of nations by deflecting and distorting the presence of positive and constructive change at the local, national and international levels. Normal people, if given the chance do naturally seek equilibrium through cooperation and tolerance given the correct role models and circumstances. The psychopath’s goal is to highlight the differences in humanity by stimulating fear and creating divisions that keep secular hatreds alive. They encourage the lowest human instincts to remain dominant, evoking extremism that keeps the lid on our spiritual commonality, our connection to each other as part of the human family.

Criminal psychopaths are unable to play the “human” game for extended periods of time while successful psychopaths have adapted to normal human society insofar as they can maintain a pretence of normality for a percentage of their daily existence. However, this is simply a ruse to secure access to prey. What form and function that prey will take is dependent on personality preferences and the subset of pathological traits in question. And playing the role of a human with conscience is taxing work. He constantly desires the seedy side of life to satisfy his innate desires often incorporating a “hidden life,” hints of which can be seen like a glitch in the program. ^{^[7]} As a result, when normal society becomes too much he takes off in search of those sectors of living that reflect the truth of his nature; a periodic swim in a lake of degradation, perversion or violence for instance, is enough to nourish his system and maintain the camouflage so that he can rejoin society and continue his “hidden” predations with renewed vigour.

A constant reiteration of the fact that we cannot in any way, apply “human” notions to their psychological make-up is essential to keep in mind. The greatest service one can offer to a psychopath is to imagine they have the capability to harbour a conscience, feelings of empathy, and genuine concern for others outside of their own rapacious desire to control, dominate and “feed.” Once you project normal human sensibilities onto the psychopath in the hope of healing or curing what is perceived as a temporary mental illness, then you are lost. Yet, due to the presence of conscience within most people, this is only usually understood after going through the fires of hell.

One of the great psychiatrists of the twentieth century was Hervey M. Cleckley whose classic Mask of Sanity contributed valuable information in the study of psychopathy remaining a bible for psychologists and psychiatrists today. In this 1941 book he defined the following characteristics of a psychopath, though this is by no means an exhaustive list:

Superficial charm and average intelligence.
Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking.
Absence of nervousness or neurotic manifestations.
Unreliability.
Untruthfulness and insincerity.
Lack of remorse or shame.
Antisocial behaviour without apparent compunction.
Poor judgement and failure to learn from experience.
Pathological egocentricity and incapacity to love.
General poverty in major affective reactions.
Specific loss of insight.
Unresponsiveness in general interpersonal relations.
Fantastic and uninviting behaviour with drink, and sometimes without.
Suicide threats rarely carried out.
Sex life impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated. ^{^[8]}

Dr. Robert Hare pared-down and updated the list with his own version which has become the generally accepted definition of psychopathy. (See below). These indications could easily be associated with the narcissist or even someone going through a breakdown or psychotic break. The difference is in degree and the behaviour which manifests as a persistent, lifelong dynamic. Though it may not be apparent that your boss or lover is a psychopath, his or her true colours will eventually reveal themselves only to you as primary target, usually to the disbelief of friends and family who have not been privy to the games.

Interpersonal	Affective	Lifestyle	Anti-Social
Grandiosity	Remorselessness	Impulsivity	Poor behavioural controls
Superficial charm	Shallow affect	Stimulation seeking	Delinquency
Lying	Callousness	Irresponsible	Criminal versatility
Conning and Manipulative	Failure to accept Responsibility	Parasitic lifestyle Lack of realistic goals	Early behavioural problems

Robert Hare’s Psychopathy check list

When you engage with a psychopath you cannot win.

Ever.

They will never give up until you are either broken or dead. The only way to resist their predations is through strength in numbers which provides an emotional and physical shield; by totally and completely disassociating oneself from their sphere of influence and by persistently and thoroughly defending against all attacks with as much objective truth as one can muster. Strategic retreat is the only viable option when engaging with such people. Eventually the psychopath will move on to easier prey.

If you think you can pull one over such people in terms of tenacity and will power – think again. The thrill of the chase that produces all the hormones of desire, sex, hatred and fear is just as important as the final psychic death or as psychologist Martha Stout observed, it’s about satisfying the ultimate “intrapsychic need.” ^{^[9]}Indeed, Hare informs us: “Psychopaths view any social exchange as a ‘feeding opportunity,’ a contest or a test of wills in which there can be only one winner. Their motives are to manipulate and take, ruthlessly and without remorse.” ^{^[10]} No amount of reasoning or appeals to morals, ethics or a residual good nature will work because you will be interacting with something that has no conception or need of such human constructs. What you get is an entropic abyss which requires interactions with normal human beings with conscience to feed its essential lack.

Even language has a different meaning which has been noticed through their inability to grasp their own words and anything approaching an objective appraisal. (Cleckley called this inability to process normal language and meaning as “Semantic aphasia.”) Since there is no depth or profundity in their inner landscape everything is two-dimensional for these emotionally-bereft individuals, which means their language displays a jumbled amalgamation of meaning drawn from an absence of feeling. Therefore, assigning feeling to linguistic associations and any creative, abstract allusions are impossible. A cardboard cut-out of the original is all the psychopath can produce.

Coupled with the magnetism and charismatic allure that psychopaths frequently manage to exude, they are able to wing it most of the time so that the subtle signs that you’re interacting with a reaction-machine is, initially at least, seldom seen. They inhabit a wholly subjective, possibly dissociative world in which reality is created anew according to their anti-social impulses.

* A sociopath refers to the individual suffering from an anti-social personality disorder that is sourced from experiences in the environment and / or family and peer group influences along with various forms of trauma and abuse which may have occurred. It is thought to be largely a condition of learned behaviour perhaps overlaid onto psychopathological tendencies. Psychopathy on the other hand, is thought to be primarily genetic in origin although these terms of are used interchangeably since the results are ultimately the same. Another point to remember as we continue is that psychopathology refers to pathological, anti-social mental illness in general whereas psychopathy is concerned with the anti-social personality disorder of the psychopath alone.

Notes

[1] A Cognitive Theory of Cultural Meaning By Claudia Strauss, Naomi Quinn Published by Cambridge University Press, 1997: “ ‘Culture’ and ‘meaning’ are central to anthropology, but anthropologists do not agree on what they are. Claudia Strauss and Naomi Quinn propose a new theory of cultural meaning, one that gives priority to the way people’s experiences are internalized. Drawing on ‘connectionist’ or ‘neural network’ models as well as other psychological theories, they argue that cultural meanings are not fixed or limited to static groups, but neither are they constantly revised or contested. Their approach is illustrated by original research on understandings of marriage and ideas of success in the United States.

[2] Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us by Robert D. Hare, Published by The Guilford Press, 1999 | ISBN-10: 1572304510.

[3] p.104; Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister Stole My Mother’s Boyfriend By Barbara Oakley, Published by Prometheus Books, 2007.

[4] op. cit. Hare (p.4.)

[5] ‘Psychopathy (PCL-R) as a predictor of violent recidivism among criminal offenders with schizophrenia.’ By Tengström A, Grann M, Långström N, Kullgren G. Law Hum Behav. 2000 Feb; 24(1):45-58. Karolinska Institutet, Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Stockholm, Sweden. / Psychobiology of personality by Marvin Zuckerman Cambridge University Press, 1991, p. 390. ISBN 0-521-35942-2.| See also: ‘Psychopathy and violent recidivism’by Grant T. Harris, Marnie E. Rice and Catherine A. Cormier. Law and Human Behavior Volume 15, Number 6, 625-637, DOI: 10.1007/BF01065856, 1991.

[6] ‘Psychopaths: Born evil or with a diseased brain?’ By Matthew Taylor, BBC News, November 15, 2011.

[7] The Mask of Sanity by Hervey Cleckley, 1941. Fifth edition, published by William a Dolan; 1988, ISBN-10: 0962151904.

[8] Ibid.

[9] p.32; The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout. Published by Three Rivers Press, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0767915828.

[10] p.145; Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us By Robert D. Hare; 1999 | ISBN-10: 9781572304512.