We are now going to talk about the inner work in a slightly different sense than the one used until recently.

Recapitulating. The different works proposed have been of self-knowledge, of tracing difficulties in the centres, of familiarising with the secondary reveries and the reverie nucleus, of autobiography and of biorhythm. These are works that you are supposed to know already. It is also assumed that you have tried to excersise what we call 'consciousness-of-self'. This training has been presented in the form of attention division excersises, with different reference points.

As we explained before, there are at least three forms of attention-division able to produce a different quality of consciousness-of-self.

If we use the body as a supportive point (as internal perception of the body), the quality of consciousness-of-self obtained is inferior to that obtained by using the hand or the position of the body as a supportive point.

In the first case, we said that besides a light experience of consciousness-of-self, one has a sensation of torpor, of relaxation.

In the second case, the accompanying sensation is of tension; and, in the third case, the situational and intellectual control are significantly better, without drowsiness or tension.

Certainly, the third case (position of the body) is 'optimal'. We also said that the first case produces sensations sometimes very close to the crepuscular ones. Therefore, we discarded that form.

In addition, we distinguished between the different techniques of attention division and the techniques of self-observation.

In general, the attention-division techniques use a supportive point besides the perception at that particular moment. On the other hand, the techniques of self-observation do not use as support physical points (the visceral sense, the hand, or the bodily position), but rather the mechanisms of consciousness accompanying perceptions. There, then, we distinguished self-observation from the three cases of attention division and considered it as very, very complex.

I imagine that you are familiar with all these problems.
I also imagine that you understand that consciousness-of-self is attained thanks to the repetition of these works (be it by means of attention division or self-observation), and that it cannot be attained in one go.
I also imagine that you understand that consciousness-of-self consolidates little by little, and later less effort is required to sustain it.

When no effort is required to sustain the state of consciousness-of-self, we say we have consolidated it. Meanwhile and as long as I forget it, I say I do not master this level of consciousness.

However, how do I really know I have attained consciousness-of-self?

I have two or three ways to find it out. One is to consider situations of great alteration. For instance, in cases of violent anger, of violent rage, I must observe whether this state covers my consciousness and makes it dependent; or notwithstanding the condition, I understand what is going on.

If I really have consolidated consciousness-of-self, not even in the states of the most abrupt expression of feelings or emotions, not even then, will consciousness-of-self be lost.

In such a way, the major and better reference I have is to observe what happens in those extreme emotional conditions, and not the ordinary situations when I think I am in consciousness-of-self.

This line of reasoning, from the works done up to these forms of attention division; of their difference from self-observation, and on the attaining and consolidating of consciousness-of-self, is very much related to our subject of today.

If we are going to start working not as a simple test or only for knowledge, but in reality with psychic energy, the condition we believe to be indispensable for such a work is to underline the mechanisms of consciousness. Otherwise, you will see that with this manipulation of energy, you will find yourselves in exactly the opposite level, the crepuscular level.

Therefore, what we are saying is relevant. Especially to take into account the progressive consolidation of consciousness-of-self. The more consolidated it is, the less the chances of ending up in the phenomena of a crepuscular type. So, this means that those who do not even know the mechanisms of consciousness-of-self, who have not experimented with those works; who have lived at the level of ordinary vigil (at a daily, mechanical level), when confronted with phenomena in which psychic forces are at work, they will inevitably end up in the crepuscular level. It is unavoidable.

Therefore, it is by no means advisable that any citizen with good intentions attempts to work at this level, for he could not control this process, but would be overtaken by it.

It is convenient to review the well-known scheme of the centres and their correspondence with the levels of consciousness (drawing).

To this purpose, the 'Tree', as the intermediary machine of Sychic will help us visualise what we are describing. The descriptions we present on the scheme of the centres and of the corresponding levels of consciousness are not physiological, psychophysiological, or physiological-energetic descriptions. They are psychological-energetic descriptions that schematise the process and the movements of energy. None of which means that it has not physical correspondences. Nevertheless, such correspondences are the task of the physiologists and not ours.

Anyway, and in general, we say this: when we speak of general somatic function, we refer to the whole corporal structure. When we speak of motor centre, we refer on one hand to the physiological motor localisation that can be ascribed to the spinal cord but that has manifestations and expressions in a nervous plexus which is the motor plexus or solar plexus. However, one thing must not be confused with the other. Similarly, if we speak of the emotional centre, we see its expression (the expression of its movement) in the cardiac plexus, but its localisation will be found in a point of the brain known as the limbic system.

When we speak about the intellectual centre, we say in general that it is located in the head, but we know that it is in the cortex that the higher intellectual functions are found.

When we speak of sex, the external location is of course related to the genitals and its associated nervous plexus; but the centre is also located in the brain.

When we speak of the superior centre (and now we can begin to speak in these terms), we say that the anatomical location is also cerebral; that its manifestation is associated to a gland, which is the pineal gland.

Of other centres, we shall not speak until we can obtain more data that are concrete and personal experience about them.

Let us return to the scheme. Here we place the somatic, which is not a centre; here, sex; then motor, emotional, intellectual, and superior centre. In the scheme we use, the apparatus of all the psychophysiological energy that moves in man is no other than the body itself. Everything is extracted from the body and there is no other energy coming from outside the body… in principle.

In such a way, that all the mysticoid interpretations commonly found about strange forces should be left aside, left between parenthesis, so to say. We say: all the energy is obtained from the body.

This energy, obtained from the body, uses a small accumulator or energy collector, which is sex. The scheme is symmetrical and goes always from the motricities that act as elevators of energy of a centre to the intellects of that centre, which are the selectors that distribute energy to the motricities of the centres above.

The scheme is very simple, always carrying the same sequence: the energy enters through the elevators and exits through the selectors.

To establish correlations, we will put down here the somatic, there sex, then motor, emotion, intellect, and here the superior emotional (drawing of the 'Tree').

We say that it is in this level that ordinary vigil works. That is why when we want to understand or to explain the functioning of someone in ordinary vigil, we only study three centres with their parts and sub-parts: motor, emotional, and intellect. When we speak of semi-sleep, we refer mainly to the sexual centre; and when we speak of sleep, we mean exclusively the somatic work, although there are harmonics that covers all the centres. When we speak of consciousness-of-self, we refer to the superior emotional centre.

The lines here (drawing of the 'Tree'), are going to be very useful to us.

If in a state of normal, ordinary vigil we would like to connect with the superior emotional centre, we would have the following possibilities: from motor to emotional, from there to the intellect, and from here to 'shock'.

Do you recognise this type of work?

ANSWER: The "Great Beat" - ( motor super-efforts, forced breathing to produce emotional concomitances, and regressive counting )

All right. In simple prayer, a priest works devotionally, but does not set in motion the motor centre, as is the case in Macumba for instance; thus, he only produces motor harmonics on discharging this function but without charging it: he remains immobile, sucking the energy. The connections go from sex (it will always be mobilised from below) directly to the emotional centre and from there to shock here (scheme: superior emotional centre). The intellectual centre works only in its motor, mechanical parts. Occasionally, in more intellectualised practices, the energy movement may be from sex to E, from E to I, and from I to shock.

In The Case Of Macumba, the motor centre is working in excess with strong emotional harmonics ("faith" phenomena). The energy movement is from sex to M, from M to E, and by-passing I, the E goes to superior emotional centre and shocks.

Drugs work mainly somatically, in such a way that the energy is not taken from the elevator but rather from chemical reactions, thus acting: somatic to sex (occasionally, somatic-motor, with important motor concomitances); however, when some drugs do not affect motor concomitances, this line is not taken. The normal path of drugs of the LSD type seems to affect from somatic to sex, from sex to emotional and from emotional, shock. The direct line is clearly visible although on occasions there are also intellectual harmonics. There are drugs that block the intellect, and others that go through the intellect.

Observe this path: can you see the virulence of it?

QUESTION: "In the case of the "Great Beat", does it starts from the motor centre?"

It starts from the somatic because usually fasting is included; and if fasting has occurred with bodily immobility, the subsequent process will affect, as drugs would do. What some un-wisemen usually do with their fasting is to pour into the bloodstream a large quantity of toxins, without eliminating them. Of course, intoxication is what follows and not the story they tell us about some purification taking place in their bodies. In addition, in the case of mediaeval flagellations (frequently accompanied by infections, fevers and alike unsanitary conditions) physical intoxications took place, which provoked the shock from the somatic.

Let us now see other forms of more controlled work.

How would Meditation work?

Meditation would work mostly intellectually. Let us clear this point (scheme: intellect). All right, where does the energy come from? The energy path seems to be: sex>emotional>intellectual>shock.

Let us assume the existence of a kind of Yoga, acting directly from the body. There would be two kinds of sex-Yoga: one in which the motor centre would not work and another type in which the motor centre would be active. One would be a type of passive sex-Yoga and the other, an active sex-Yoga.

Let us take the first case: sex to emotional, could it be? If one is mentally controlling the process: intellect>shock.

The other case: motor>emotional>shock. Do you see the difference? In other words, it is possible to do with or without the motor centre. Let us imagine works of the kind mentioned by alchemists, where shocks at the level of the superior emotional centre could also be produced. Is the motor centre active? Yes, it is! It is an unavoidable condition.

Thus, we cannot do without the following energy movement: sex>motor>intellect, and shock with motor harmonics. Which is not the same as: emotion>intellect>shock, as in the other case of the sex with emotional harmonics. However, here: motor>intellect>shock. In this scheme, there is direct ascent through the left line in the case of Alchemy.

Do you understand the different cases?

The ecstasy cases, which are the lowest cases of mobilisation of the superior emotional centre, always block the intellectual centre.

We distinguish at the level of the superior emotional centre three characteristic phenomena. We say they are gradual phenomena. (Scheme): Here we place the phenomena of ecstasies, which might correspond to a sort of 'motor' expression of the superior emotional centre.

There, the phenomena of rapture, a sort of 'emotional' aspect of the superior emotional centre.

The phenomena of recognition will be placed here, as if they were a sort of 'intellect' of the superior emotional centre.

We say that the phenomena expressed at the zone or level of ecstasy usually occur by blockage of the intellectual centre. It is the case of Macumba and other dances. The energy path could be any except the path of intellect>shock. As it cannot move through here (scheme), and it cannot develop through the other part of the intellect, the only free one is: motor>emotional>upwards>shock.

These states of ecstasy when the shock is produced with intellectual blockage have the disadvantage that precisely by being accomplished with intellectual blockage, they cannot be developed further through intellectual control. Thus, after the shock there follows immediately this fall line (scheme). This line we call the line of "confusion". The other line we shall call the line of "purity"… so they will coincide with the design of the "Tree" that you know.

The very problem as we see it resides in this bifurcation of the "road".

This is a very important problem, not as much because of the mode of shocking the superior emotional centre, but rather because the bifurcation of the road after the shock. For if we have blocked the intellect and provoke a shock, there is no possibility of intellectual control of the phenomenon. The intellectual control is reduced to nil.

Then, the phenomenon "takes" or overpowers the person (as is the case of mediums). Mediumship works this way. Although the motor centre does not act, the emotional centre does and shocks. Similar is the case of prayer, but with almost total intellectual blockage.

In the case of somatic shocks, the phenomena are mostly uncontrollable. Such is the case of the "Great Beat", especially when the action of the body is very strong. When fasting has played a role, when the bodily condition imposes itself, then we are practically blocking the intellect.

In the case of drugs, the action of these substances is so strong that the intellect cannot control the chemical reactions. The type of energy released with the use of drugs and the "Great Beat" cannot be controlled.

It seems then that the control can be effected from down here (drawing) moving it up or taking energy from some other point.

There are two possibilities for this energy to ascend: from below to above or by creating above such working conditions that the machinery is forced to release the demanded energy due to the overwork of a higher point. Thus, either one begins by accumulating energy down here or one performs an intense work in a specific point to the extent that the energy has to be delivered, and then the "great passage" is produced.

This is the case of meditations of increasing level of abstraction and super intellectual efforts. In the case of a super intellectual effort many things may occur: either the practitioner overcharges the intellectual centre, or blocks it and cannot go on thinking, or an elevation of energy is produced, passing from the intellectual selector to the superior emotional centre. The latter is a form of elevating energy from above.

Completely different is the way Yoga works from below.

We said that the problem was at the level of bifurcation of the line. Shocks of the superior emotional centre, because of the energy it produces, have violent concomitances in all the other centres. This is a first observation that we will have to modify later.

When a shock is produced here (scheme) and the emotional superior centre is mobilised, the 'distributor' has to release the available energy. On doing so, overcharges in all the other centres are produced, manifesting as intense motor, emotional, and intellectual concomitances.

Occasionally, a centre may become disconnected. Sometimes, there are no significant motor concomitances, but overcharges in some of the other centres or at the level of motor sub-parts should occur (reflexes triggered spontaneously); at the level of the motor part of the emotional centre (triggering the passional mechanism); or at the level of the motor part of the intellectual centre (triggering images and associations). This happens when an excessive amount of energy is extracted from above, along the motor lines.

When the intellect is blocked, the processes that end up shocking the emotional superior centre at the ecstasy level tend to decline rapidly since they cannot progress any further. Nonetheless, it is possible to enter the level of ecstasy and move further in these internal levels when the intellectual centre is not blocked.

The essential problem here is one of 'recognition'. We said, at the beginning of our discussion, that persons without enough data, who have not done the work of self-knowledge, lack in experience. If they try to shock the superior emotional centre by any of the means described, what they will obtain is a great confusion of motor harmonics, affecting the motor, emotional and intellectual centres. In this confusion, it is impossible to discern the right course of action.

Therefore, only those who have worked in the consolidation of consciousness-of-self have enough information and experience as to guide themselves and to be able to understand what is taking place at these levels.

There are two possibilities open to those who wish to develop further in this line of work: either someone cares to explain to them what is going on and guide them so that the energy takes the right direction; or we are dealing with someone who has information because he has previously done the necessary work, recording the data and thus, being able to recognise it.

The first case is the one that will be useful to us… This book, "The Bardo Thödol" is utilised by the Lamas who guide the mental processes of the "second body", which separates when a person dies. The book explains how the double is guided through the many obstacles in order that the deceased may continue evolving in the 'purification' line.

The other case is the one we know of: to go on recording data in the suggested manner in daily life, so as to provoke the shock and continue ascending in consciousness without need of external support.

Anyway, some people may have a superficial knowledge of these things, or others may have tried a bit of this or a bit of that, without having acquired some proficiency in these matters. In such a case, some external tricks can be used to help them to overcome the disorientation that may follow the shocking of the superior emotional centre. To this effect, a sort of external resonator able to direct and guide the person involved can be used. These external objects can be drawings, physical objects, diagrams, plans, etc., according to your taste and needs. In effect, there are plenty of helpful external supports.

Now, and we need to underline this, all intense mobilisation of the superior emotional centre produces corresponding intense concomitances in all the other centres: In such a way that the problem does not consist in avoiding the intensity of the shock upon that centre and its concomitances; but rather, in how to direct the energy once the process is set in motion. It is at the time or level of 'bifurcation' that we need to be able to manage what will follow. It should be clear that our concern is not the imminence of the shock; for if we put a barrier to it, how can we provoke the mobilisation of the e.s. centre? Is this clear enough? In other words, we will not be able to mobilise anything unless we provoke the shock; and if we shock strongly, strong concomitances in the other centres will take place. Therefore, we say that the difficulty is not in the concomitances either. The difficulty lays in the correct internal orientation.

Therefore, concomitances are not characteristic of the crepuscular phenomena, but the fall. Neither is the physical characteristic of the superior phenomena; for in general, physical concomitances are produced in both cases with the lines soon separating.

Let us study the case of Bardo Thödol, where it is supposed that the officiants Lamas, after the death of the subject, start guiding him so that the deceased may attain liberation.

However, before getting into it, it is pertinent to remember the Tibetan scheme of the psychic centres. Tibetans, following a traditional pre-Buhddist line postulate that energy moves along a central channel as well as through lateral channels, through psychic nerves; and where the interaction of central and lateral channels occur, there an energy centre is formed. Thus, they will interpret the classical figure of the Caduceus of Hermes as the passage of energy through two psychic nerves, and the great energy channel in the middle. There where the three channels cross (Sushumna, Ida, and Pingala, as they call them), a "chakra" appears. The lowest of these chakras is related with the seat of "vitality"; a second intermediate one is less defined by them; and then the seat of sex, followed by the seat of emotions and the seat of intellect. Above intellect, they place the subconscious, where we would put the superior emotional centre. Above the subconscious they place the great transcendental field, the clear sight without intermediaries; the opening of consciousness to reality.

May I remind you that the notion of a subconscious mind is not a recent discovery of European origin… So, that is approximately the Tibetan scheme of the centres. Apparently, it contains fourteen fundamental nerves from which thousands of secondary ones are derived. It also seems that these seat centres of energy have complex characteristics and although they do not use our enneagram divisions, in their own way they characterise their working modalities.

We will now use the Bardo Thödol from Fremantle & Chogyam's translation, Shambalah Pubs. Oct. 1992, also known as "The Tibetan Book of the Spirits of Beyond", or more simply: "The Tibetan Book of the Dead".

First Book - First Part - The Bardo of the Moment of Death: The Clear Primordial Light Seen in the Moment of Dying.

"At the moment of the first confrontation with the Clear Light, during the intermediary state at the moment of death, it may happen that many who have heard of the religious teachings will not recognise them; whilst others, who may recognise them are nevertheless little familiarised with them. But all who have received the practical teachings from the Guides will be, if they merit it, put face to face with the fundamental Clear Light, and without any other intermediary state, will obtain the Dharma-Kaya, without rebirth, to the Great Ascendant Path".

Let us go on:

"Once expiration has ceased, the vital force will have fallen into the nervous centre of Knowledge and the "Knower" will experience the Clear Light of the natural condition. Then, the vital force having been projected in the form of a descendent current along the psychic nerves of the right and of the left sides, the dawn of the intermediary state will momentarily rise."

The problem for these guides, in this situation, will be to prevent the energy fall, which according to their scheme, should return to the lower vital points. That is why they will put especial emphasis on a certain practice that we shall examine later, to block the fall of energy and to re-direct it to here (scheme), towards the superior emotional centre. If this blockage is not achieved, the subject falls into deep sleep. If he falls into deep sleep and dies, the energy remains located at the level of vitality, the same "Vitality" point that appears in the Somatic point of our "Tree". So it is imperative that at the moment of death the subject should not fall into deep sleep and glide towards the vitality point, but rather pass from the state in which he finds himself to a crepuscular level.

Further on we read:

"Having read this, it must be repeated several times into the ear of the defunct, so that before breathing ceases, it will be well recorded in his spirit. If breathing is about to cease, the moribund should be turned towards the right side, in the position called the lying lion.

"The beating of the arteries (to the right and left of the neck) must be pressed. If the moribund shows tendency to sleep, or if sleep comes about, it must be avoided or interrupted; for this it is necessary to apply light but firm pressure on the arteries.

"This way the vital energy will not return to the medial nerve and will surely leave through the Brahamanic Opening. Then is when the great confrontation must be effected. It is in this moment that the first perception in the Bardo of the Clear Light of Reality, perfect spirit of the Dharma-Kaya, is felt by every animated being. The time interval between cessation ofbreathing and of inspiration is the one during which the vital force remains in the median nerve. It is said that then is when consciousness is lost."

All right. Observe the techniques used by these guides to block the intellectual centre, avoid natural sleep and to enter the intermediary state; to us, the crepuscular. How is that technique performed? (demonstration…).

So, with this type of procedure one loses the sense of reality…. Perhaps you may have noticed that you 'left' through a sort of corridor, and that you lost consciousness of yourself. In that condition it would have been very easy and with very little suggestion to direct you into the crepuscular state. Very well. What have we done? Simply, to block the intellectual centre. By blocking the intellectual centre we shocked the superior emotional centre; and, had we wished to deepen into that state, the motor concomitances would have been obvious and of great intensity. A little bit more and our friend would have started shaking and kicking…

Surely, you may have noticed motor discontrol, which your limbs moved on their own…

ANSWER: "That is correct…"

The emotional centre also begins to erupt, as well as the motor part of the intellectual centre. Had we allowed it, all kinds of images would have start to run loose, as it happens at the moment of death, where the motor part of the intellect moves at great speed and reeling through the raw contents of memory…, and the subject observes his entire lifetime.

Let us go on reading:

"Your intelligence, whose true nature is the void that should not be considered as the void of nothingness, but as the intelligence in itself, without constraints, brilliant, universal and happy, is the very consciousness: the universally good Buddha.

"Your own consciousness not formed in any way, empty reality, and the brilliant and joyful intelligence are inseparable. Their union is the Dharma-Kaya: the perfect state of illumination. Your own consciousness, brilliant, empty and inseparable from the Big Body of Splendour, has neither birth nor death and is the immutable Amitaba Buddha Light. This Knowledge is enough. To acknowledge the void of your own intelligence as the state of Buddha, and to consider it as your own consciousness is to continue in the divine spirit of Buddha."

This is related to what has been explained in Transcendental Meditation. Let us go on reading:

"Instructions Concerning the Second Transitory State of the Chikai Bard:
The Clear Secondary Light Seen Immediately after Death.

…"According to the good or bad nature of Karma, the vital force descends through the right or left nerve and leaves through one of the openings of the Body."

In this case, distinctions are made because people working with energy will perceive them.

"What is called the second state of the Bardo arises to illuminate the thought-body. The "Knower" remains in the place where his activities have been confined. If, in that moment, all this special teaching has been successfully applied, then the purpose is to acquire it. Because the karmic illusions have not yet arrived to drag the defunct around and to distance him from his purpose of achieving illumination."

All right. If the subject is conscious in that stage, if he more or less can discriminate what is happening to him, then the karmic illusions, that is to say, all the phenomena produced by the acts the subject did and thought during his life (or translated into our language: the acceleration of the motor part of the intellect), do not block the intellectual part of the intellectual centre. Further on we read:

"The Bardo of the Experience of Reality:

… "Oh noble son!, pay attention without distraction. There are six transitory stages of Bardo which are: the natural stage of Bardo during conception; the Bardo of the stages of reveries; the Bardo of the static equilibrium during deep meditation; the Bardo of the moments of death; the Bardo of experience, and the Bardo of the inverse process of the samsarean existence. Such are the six Bards."

Do you see that stage of consciousness during conception, do you realise how can it be? Obviously, it is not ordinary vigil but a somatic stage submitted to a series of conditionings, where eyesight and smell do not function, and scarcely the hearing. Let us proceed:

…"Oh noble son!, at the moment your body and your spirit have separated, you have known the radiance of Pure Truth, subtle, shining, brilliant, resplendent, glorious and radiantly impressing, under the appearance of a mirage crossing the springtime landscape and a continuous flow of vibrations. Do not be overpowered, frightened, or terrorised. All that is nothing but irradiation from your own nature. Learn to know it. From the centre of this radiation will emerge the natural sound of Reality reverberating as a million thunderclaps. That is the natural sound of your real being. Do not be overpowered, frightened, or terrorised. The body you have now is called the thought-body of inclinations. Since you have no more a body of flesh and blood, let happen what may: sounds, lights, or radiations, nothing of these can hurt you. You cannot die anymore. It is enough for you to know that these apparitions are your own thought-forms. Learn to know that this is the Bard."

When the subject begins to see lights, he should not be afraid. Although he may see these things as external phenomena, it is just hallucination, irradiation of his own nature. Let us go on:

"The Dawn of the Gentle Divinities from the First to the Seventh Day - Second Day:

… "Do not be attracted by the misty, grey, smoky clarity of Hell. It is the bad karma accumulated by violent rage that opens this path. If you follow this attraction, you will fall into the hell-worlds where you will endure great misery, without having a predetermined fixed time to get out of it. This would be an interruption intended to detain you in the path of Liberation. So, do not look around you, avoid rage. Do not feel attracted by all this. Do not be weak. Believe in the white, dazzling Light and, putting your heart in Bhagavan Vajra-Sattva, say:

"Ah!, when lost I wander through Samsara under the power of violent rage, in the luminous road of Wisdom similar to a Mirror, I wish to be guided by Bhagavan Vajra-Sattwa! May the Divine Mother Mamaki follow me and protect me! May I be guided in safety through the ambushes of the Bardo and reach the perfect state of Buddha!"

"Saying this with deep and humble faith you will fuse in a halo of the rainbow of Bhagavan-Vajra-Sattwa and you will attain the state of Buddha in the Sambhoga-Kaya of the East Kingdom, called the Kingdom of the Supreme Happiness".

It seems the subject does not see the first primordial light. He goes then to the second light. This one is already "rolling down".

Therefore, they take into account everything that has been read. The person that goes through trouble in the higher states must be rescued anyway, to bring him back and upwards. But this one begins to fall… you will see in the next days how they finally arrive down there, to the point of vitality. On arriving at vitality, which is the level that corresponds to this subject according to karma, etc., he will tend to reincarnate, to enter a body. Let us read on:

"…The touch aspect will be represented in its primitive form by the yellow brilliance of Wisdom of Equality. This brilliance of a blinding intensity, glorified with circles and radiating satellite circles, so light and brilliant that the eye can hardly look, will come to you. Close to this light, touching it, a misty yellow-bluish radiance, reflection from the human World will hurt your heart at the same time as the Light of Wisdom. Then, because of the strength of egotism, you will be afraid of the shining yellow light and you would like to escape. Conversely, you will feel attracted by the misty yellow-bluish radiance of the human World. At that moment, do not be afraid of the brilliant, transparent yellow light and recognise it as being of Wisdom; and, accepting firmly your spirit, believe in it with strength and humbleness."

Here begin the distinctions of colours. In general, when a large quantity or different colours appear, the "Knower" tends to go to the most brilliant ones and to concentrate his attention on them. Whereas the ignorant will prefer the darker ones.

Thus, if there is a pure, white light, the Knower will move towards it; but the ignorant will be attracted towards a misty grey, which is the colour of hell. If there is a lively red, he who knows will go there but the other one will go to a dim red and so on.

These colours correspond to perception categories. Imagine that sight perception works in a frequency range, hearing in another, touch yet in another one. According to this, there would be colours that correspond to these different perceptual frequencies. So when we are in the presence of a yellow colour and we say that it corresponds to the world of sensations, to which the falling soul tends to slide, the subject of great sensory karma (touch) will not evolve through the brilliant yellow but through the opaque yellow. Let us see:

"… And do not be attracted by the misty yellow-bluish glow of the human World. It is the accumulation of your inclinations and of your violent egotism, that has opened this path. If you are attracted to it, you will be reborn in the human World and will have to suffer birth, old age, disease, and death. You will not have the chance to leave the marshy swamps of existence in that World. This is an interruption intended to stop you in the path of Liberation."

This seems related to some kind of 'karma' or recordings accumulated during the subject's life. As in the case of deep rage, where a sort of internal crystallisation takes place that later expresses in visual representation, as the dark grey of hell. That is the karma accumulated by some violent passions: each one has its own colours.

Let us see another aspect of this theme.

From the point of view of these Lamas, it is not question of ending up in hell and remaining there, not at all. The problem is rather that these internal situations are stumbles, interruptions in the evolutionary path. Thus, if the subject falls into a negative octave he has a lot of works to do to recover the adequate level. Even in the worst case of the subject transmigrating into an ant (according to them), it is far more edifying than the Christian doctrine where there is a Hell without possible evolution. But let us go back and read about the fourth day:

"…Notwithstanding, and in spite of these repeated advices, numerous are those who have created much bad karma or that have broken their vows or that have not merited a higher development. Then they are unable to recognise all this. Their ignorance, their bad karma provoked by immoderate desires and avarice, makes them feel frightened by sounds and radiations, and wanting to escape".

Do you understand karma as recordings? The recordings provoke experiences that lead the subject towards the familiar rather than towards the unknown.

Of course, it is not known how this separate 'body' records. It does not matter because we are concerned with this life and relate the Lamas' descriptions to levels of consciousness of "this side" and not beyond death… for now.

I strongly recommend you to read later the fifth, sixth, and seventh days. Now we must be brief.

Conclusion on the First Book.

"… Give it publicity. He who has heard it once, even if without understanding it, will remember it in the intermediary state without forgetting a single word, for then intelligence is nine times more lucid."

A very interesting observation about intelligence (as memory) regarding speed: In fact, the acceleration of the motor part of the intellectual centre in its motor sub-part has an enneagramatic speed difference relative to the intellectual sub-part of the intellect. Such is the case in sleep, and at the time of death.

Let us now see the Second Book: Sidpa Bardo - The Bardo Body, Its Birth and Its Supernormal Faculties.

"… Oh noble son!, listen: "Gifted by all the faculties of the senses and being able to freely move", means that notwithstanding whatever you may have been when you were alive - blind, deaf, or disabled - in this place of After Death your eyes will see the form, your hearing will hear the sounds, and all the rest of the senses will be here intact with a great accuracy. This is why it has been said that the body in the Bardo "would have all the faculties of the senses". This condition of existence in which you find yourself now indicates that you are dead and wandering in the Bardo. Consequently, act in such a way that you know this. Remember the teachings; remember, yes, the teachings.

"Oh noble son!, "free movement" means that your present body is a body of desires - your intellect having been separated from its natural seat -, and not a body of coarse matter, so now you have the power to pass through the rock masses, hills, stones, land, houses and even through the Mount Meru without anything stopping you; except Buddha Gaya and the breast of a mother, everything up to the real mountain, the Mount Meru can be traversed by you forwards or backwards without anything impeding you. This is also proof to you that you err in the Sidpa Bardo."

And here we have all the occult stories about paranormal powers: descriptions that they may have read from these Lamas and is presently characterised as "psi" phenomena, always produced by shocking the superior emotional centre. Fine. In this intermediary stage of the shock upon the superior emotional centre is when paranormal phenomena can take place.

Thus to shock the superior emotional centre with the purpose of producing paranormal phenomena is surely a way of falling, it is to choose the wrong line. It is a line of fall: the mediumnistic crepuscular line.

In this way, once the superior emotional centre has been mobilised, to go for the paranormal phenomena is to choose the line of fall, the line of mediumship.

When Lord Buddha recommends to his people (speaking about different levels of consciousness) not to pay attention to the paranormal phenomena, he is considering them as an obstacle to personal development. However, this is not a metaphysical issue but rather a confusion , a sort of no determination towards the plane of pure forms and a tendency towards a more dense plane.

This is what happens with spiritualist mediums. They shock the superior emotional centre with the tendency already towards lower levels, which is easily recognisible.

In other words, there is no possibility to evolve in that line.

If the paranormal concomitances are produced as well as the physical and emotional concomitances, or the fast acceleration in the motor part of the intellect take place as an added expression, then it is all right, and there is no problem. But if the tendency of this work when producing the shock is the search for paranormal experiences, then we are misguiding ourselves.

The same thing is wisely recommended as follows:

"… You are able to cross in one instant the four Continents that surround Mount Meru or instantly to be where it pleases you; you have the power to go wherever you wish in the time a man would take to make a fist with his hand. These diverse powers of illusion and of change of form, do not wish them, do not wish them, do not. None of the powers you could wish is impossible to you now. The possibility to use them without obstacles is within you. Know it and pray to the guru."

I recommend the reading of "The Characteristics of the Existence in the Intermediary Stage" and of "The Judgment". In "determinant influence of thinking", we read:

"…Oh noble son!, to resume: your intellect in the present stage does not depend on anything certain.; having little weight and being in continious flow, every thought that may come to you now, pious or impure will acquire great strength. Consequently do not think impious things but rather remember any form of devotion. In case you are not used to such excersises, express sincere affections and humble faith."

Observe that. In such a situation any mental form, any thought directs that sort of ethereal body. So the kind of mental activity seems to be of importance because if the subject identifies with an inferior being, his lack of anchoring makes him to assimilate to it. The subject is strongly directed by his thinking. It is important that the right mental form is assumed, or the image one works with in that stage. Let us read from The Dawn of the Lights of the Seven Lokas:

"…Oh noble son, listen! If you wish to know which are these seven Lights, herewith: a lustreless white glow from the Deva-world, a misty green radiance from the Asura-world, a fading glow from the Human-world, a tarnished blue glow from the Animal-world, a little brilliant red glow from the Preta-world, and a glow without brilliance from the Hell-world. In that moment and due to the strength of karma, your body will take the colour of the world where you will be reborn.

"Oh noble son!, the particular art of this teaching is especially important at this moment. Whatever may be the lightning that shines within you then, meditate on it and on the Compassionate One. Wherever that lightning may come from, consider that place as existing in or whithin the Compassionate One. This constitutes a profound and subtle art, which can prevent rebirth. Whoever may be your guiding angel, meditate upon his form for a long time, as though it were but an apparition without real existence: that is to say, like a form created by a magician, called the pure form of illusion. Let the vision of the guiding angel dissolve and disappear, starting from the outer edges towards the centre until nothing of it remains to be seen. The put yourself in the state of Clarity and the Void, which it is, of course, impossible to conceive in anyway, and remain thus for a short while. Meditate again in your guiding angel, and again also on the Clear Light, doing these alternately. Then let your intellect dissolve gradually, beginning from the edges.

'Everywhere that the ether reigns, consciousness also reigns. Everywhere that consciousness reigns, the Dharma-Kaya reigns. Remain tranquil in the non-created state of the Dharma-Kaya. In that state birth cannot happen, and perfect Enlightment is attained.'"

Therefore, it does not matter in which world the subject may have fallen, he will always have the possibility to catch up with the ascendent line and achieve perfect Enlightment, providing he does not re-incarnate. Because if re-incarnation occurs, he must die again. From our point of view, this means to start from the Somatic but with the bad previous recordings, each time is more difficult to erase.

I recommend reading all the Second Part, and from the General Conclusion, this:

"By virtue of these readings properly undertaken, the devotees (or yoguis) of advanced understanding can make the best use of the Transference at the moment of death. They do not need to go through the intermediate stage but they will take the Great Path of Direct Ascencion. Others, less conversant with spiritual matters, by recognizing the Clear Light in the Chonyid Bardo in the moment of death will take the Ascendant Path. Those who are under them will be liberated, according to their particular capacities and their karmic connections, when one or another of the Serene or Agitated deities shines upon them during the two weeks of the Chonyid Bardo. There are many stages at which liberation can be obtained, providing these stages are recognised. However, those whose good karma is weak, and those whose darkness is great, due to their bad actions, will have to wander downwards to the Sidpa Bardo. Nonetheless, even there, as on the different rungs of a ladder, there are various kinds of confrontations and calls. Liberation should be obtained by recognizing one or other of those opportunities. However, those whose karmic relation is weaker, and who are unable to recognize them, fall under the influence of horror and terror. For them there are various levels of teachings intended to close the door to the wombs, or to choose the door of one of them. For any of these teachings the candidate should have chosen the method of vision, and by this to invoke the superior unlimited virtues in order to exhalt his own condition. Even the lowest amongst them, coming from the order of brutes, is able, by virtue of taking refuge, to prevent a fall into disgrace. Obtaining the great blessing of a human body free and perfectly endowed, he would in his next rebirth find a guru to be his virtuous friend, and from him obtain the means of salvation."

All right . You can see how the Lamas describe the separation of the body and all of these matters. How they go on helping by "remote control" the person without enough experience or recorded data in such a way that he can do his evolutive passage. We are not especially interested in the "remote control" process but rather in the internalisation of data so as to be able to direct the line once the shock of the superior emotional centre has been produced.

The Bardo Thödol is a good example.

We can produce the shock by different means, and we will choose the best.

However, this best form could be really violent, covering the consciousness of the subject, and impeding him to take the adequate line. It seems important then that we should become acquainted and familiar with this force in order to avoid being overwhelmed by it. When we begin to direct this force we will consider it only at its psychological level; and although we will be shocking the superior emotional centre, we will continue to operate at the psychological level. We will not consider the action of external forces of a transcendental type: everything will be within the biopsychologial sphere. Working with our own energy we will shock the superior emotional centre. However, this is something we will do gradually, with an adequate energy intensity to avoid being overwhelmed by it. Is this clear?

We are going to use the best method and this method consists of: Working with the mental spheres that we know. Within three or four meetings we will be able to produce the shock. If some break the level before others, we will impede the continuation of that process because they will not be able to control it. Little by little we will increase the intensity.

This must be absolutely clear. We will work with the mental spheres, in simple steps at a time. The first step consists of: a normal body position, without action or external stimuli. We do not use incense, particular lights or any strange thing… In relative silence.

1. We take the mental sphere. How do we do this? Simply, we remember a crystalline, translucent sphere and we mentally position it outside ourselves and upwards. It does not matter how high.
2. On the second step we will slowly bring the sphere down untill it is in front of our eyes. Now it can be visualised more clearly.
3. We will try to put this sphere inside our heads. We can still visualise and see it inside our heads.
4. We lower down the sphere through the neck to the centre of our chest, between the lungs, at the level of the heart.

All our mental attention is put at this moment exclusively in the sensation of the internal expanding sphere. In this way we can shock the superior emotional centre. Don't you think that it is incredibly simple?

You should not concern yourselves whether this process is able to produce such phenomena or whether such mechanism put you in resonance with a form of Work that may come from another place. The fact is that by working in this manner we can shock the superior emotional centre in around twenty minutes. We stop here until this process can be controlled. That is all. Later you will see that the psychic energy can be channelled in the right direction after we break through and the physical and emotional concomitances erupt. If we leave these recommendations at this point, we would obtain the activation of the superior emotional; we would obtain the control of a specific line that allows us to manage the mind at another level.

However, what really interests us is to produce other types of phenomena in order to make that psychic force available to us. Not only that that psychic force be liberated but also to make available a considerable energy charge. This energy charge, that can be registered as a total electrification of the body begins in the hands, the arms and extends throught the limbs and ends up energising the entire body up to intolerable limits. This energy, quasi-electric, does not come strictly from the field of the personal psychism but it comes from somewhere else which we are not going to discuss here further.

For the time being we will say that this work is internal and that each person produces the shock and that the shock is personal. However, in the moment of rupture of level we are going to feel the entrance of energising forces that are not personal. In no case of crepuscular or mediumistic phenomena is the energising effect that we can obtain ever produced. Nonetheless, this is something that needs experimentation as the consequent phenomena of consciousness need to be experienced. Therefore, we are interested in obtaining this energy to be able to work with it later. The mechanics is very simple and consists of the four steps already described.

Generally, people sit back to back in order not to be bothered by the other participants around a circle. If you block the process or miss some of the steps the shock will not be produced. If you force the idea of attaining the desired effects you will also fail to produce the shock. Thus, the simple steps we have described as the entrance of the shock into the crepuscular is a simple "let go" that should work by itself. Is this clear? It is not more difficult than that.

The experience of pressing the arteries that we performed previously was intended only as a reference of the phenomenon and should not be repeated. We do not practice it because is dangerous.

Let us now commence the Work with the Force through the mental sphere.

(FIRST PRACTICE. Around half an hour later some people who started to produce motor concomitances are taken out of the experience. Almost every one experiences the energising effects, even without concomitances).

When the work is about to be completed the steps with the sphere are inversed: from the chest to the head, "outside" in front of the eyes, and "up". And this is the end of it. You will observe that the muscular rigidity and the motor concomitances disappear if the sphere is extracted in the way described. If this cannot be done it is because of lack of control. If this is the case, the person is made to walk around and/or to practice some basic gymnastics. You cannot afford to lose consciousness into the crepuscular level like mediums, mystics, macumba people or oracles.

Now that you have made contact with the force, listen to this: there have been good reasons for working and exercising consciousness-of-self. Once the shock has been produced (and not before), the mental attitude should be that of consciousness-of-self, having as reference the position of the body (as a support); and on the other hand, attention must be put in the internal phenomena that may develop. If this attentional division (self-observation) is lost, one falls in the line of "confusion" or intellectual darkness with no mental control, and mediumship. This should not happen because in the future such poorrecordings will determine your path and impede your development.

Understand that this process provokes an internal acceleration and allows a development similar to what can be attained in the Work during a long time. Inversely, it can also produce the bad recordings typical of the work poorly done during years… and you know some people who never overcame their difficulties, and today it is impossible to them to evolve: on the contrary, they vegetate in the level of the semi-sleep of mechanical humanity and their line goes on descending without possibility of recovery. For all these reasons, be careful. Preferable is a tedious Work along many years that allow for evolution than a discontrolled, accelerated process that may take you into the descendant line… in a short time.

If someone does not feel internally safe and secure, he may understand and study all this but without putting it into practice. Remember the tale of the "Sorcerer's Apprentice", the legends about "elementals", "black magicians", etc. These legends refer to psychic realities that ovetake the operator.

In order to make what has been said more clear, I shall add this: imagine that the entire body is permeated and surrounded by the psychic energy. If this were so and we could see it, we would verify that this energy circulates, that it concentrates at some points of the body and that at other points is absent. When a centre works, the energy concentrates there, and lacks in places where the centres do not work.

Remember the ideas about Yin and Yang of Acupuncture and recognise that the manipulation of the needles intends to re-establish the flow of the psychobiological energy stagnant, overcharged or absent in the areas where the diseases are experienced.

Also, consider that when producing this big shock to the superior emotional centre, you attain, besides making this energy to circulate throughout the centres (concomitances) and throughout the body, thus establishing a very powerful, fast and dynamic energetic system.

Study again the "miraculous" phenomena (particularly in the healing of psychosomatic conditions), where faith is never absent (as the emotional line overcharged and shocking the superior emotional or the case of devotional practices) and you will better understand the displacement and mobilisation of this energy.

When, by means of the violent shocking or the long time hard work the energy is mobilised in an ascendent way, a sort of 'field' is fixed in an evolutionary sense. Conversely, if this shocking is performed incorrectly, the 'field' is fixed in the inferior levels. In this case (and I say this as a joke), we would commit a sort of "mortal sin" and from there, one goes to "Hell".

I shall say something more, which may be an extralimitation: the energy can be externalised, as in the 'psi' concomitances. The entire psychical field may be externalised (projection of the double) but such 'field' or ghost has neither consciousness nor autonomy and depends on the idea or feeling that projects it. It is the unconscious robot typical of many mediums. At death, the double separates and dissolves since there is not consciousness in it nor a gravity centre. If that 'double' had adequate 'karma' or recordings it surely would orientate itself towards the transcendental planes proper to its own level of being. …I do not wish that all this distracts us from our previous studies. I would like only to stress that the mobilisation of the superior emotional centre produces the circulation of all the energy and that in this way, true internal transmutations can take place, true changes sometimes suddenly, sometimes in a short time, but changes occur. Many observe in this process a sort of retarded trigger that acts inevitabily. The training of this energy takes its time. This is done from the centre of the chest. I shall say no more.

Now, some considerations regarding the future work with the Force.

Those who are going to work with it, do it in company, by affinities, once a month only. The time will arrive when those who master the great passage (revitalising, energysing, ascendent) will not experience concomitances. From that moment on, a permanent gravity centre will begin to form that should reflect in the daily state of consciousness-of-self. More "spirituality", this means the formation of an essence, of a 'double' in progress. They will work in this manner not only for today but also for tomorrow. On this subject I shall say no more.

The state of internal non-contradiction, humbleness and of affection for oneself and for those who Work with us is the necessary climate to do things in an evolutionary sense. Besides, if the work with the Force is performed monthly, we go on doing normally the work we know.

What has changed for you is that now you have a more direct access to another level but the work must continue as until now… better than until now, of course.

Finally, let us talk about the projection of the Force.

If other people wish to benefit from it (independently of their physical or mental objectives), open the doors to them and suggest them to internally be clear regarding what is it that they wish to attain. This internal clearing up should not be of your concern because it is internal and personal. Explain then that the Force will mobilise reinforcing, energising what they wish with clarity, in such a way that they sould pay attention to their interests and be clear on them. There will be others that would like to benefit others, not present. All this is all right if the intentions are clear.

They must understand the Force as an elevator of psychic and even physical energy, which for that level, is also true. When the passage of the Force manifests in them, help them, reading to them very clearly the Guide to the Inner Road, of different meanings for different levels but equally useful to everybody.

Let us now read the Guide to the Inner Road that some one must clearly read when the great passage occurs. Its symbology must of course, resonate beyond the mere words.

"On the inner road you may walk darkened or luminous. Attend to the two roads that unfold themselves before you.
"If you let your being hurl itself towards dark regions, your body wins the battle and it dominates. Then, sensations and appearances of spirits, of forces, of remembrances will surge. There you descend more and more. There dwell Hatred, Vengeance, Estrangement, Possession, Jealousy, and the Desire to Remain. If you descend even more, you will be invaded by Frustration, Resentment, and all those reveries and desires that have provoked ruin and death upon humanity.
"Do not choose that path, which is set with seduction as a trap. If in turn, you impel your being in a luminous direction, you shall find resistance and fatigue at each step. There are penalties for this fatigue in the ascent. Your life weighs, your memories weigh, your previous actions impede the ascent. This climb is made difficult by action of your body that tends to dominate.
"Your body must be observed and your mind fly towards luminous spaces.
"In the steps of the ascent you will find strange regions of pure colours and of unknown sounds.
"Do not escape from purification that acts like fire and horrifies with its phantoms.
"Reject sudden fears and disheartenment.
"Reject the desire to escape towards low and dark regions.
"Reject the attachment to memories.
"Remain in internal liberty with indifference towards the reveries of the landscape, with resolution in the ascent.
"The pure Light dawns in the summits of high mountain chains and the waters-of-the-thousand-colours flow between unrecognisable melodies towards crystalline prairies and pastures.
"Do not fear the pressure-of-the-light that moves you further away from its centre each time with increasing strength: absorb it as if it were a liquid or a wind. Certainly, in it is life.
"When in the great mountain chain you find the hidden city you must know the entrance. However, this you shall know at the moment in which your life is transformed. Its enormous walls are written in colours, are felt. In this city the done and the to-be-done are kept. For your inner eye, the transparent is opaque.
"Yes, the walls are impenetrable for you.
"Take the strength of the hidden city.
"Return to the world of the dense life with your forehead and your hands luminous".