{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_16269/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_16269","id":"gutenberg_16269","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16269","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Theosophy -- Doctrines","Thought and thinking -- Religious aspects -- Theosophy"],"text":"Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Melissa Er-Raqabi and the\nOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHOUGHT-FORMS\n\nBY ANNIE BESANT\nAND C.W. LEADBEATER\n\n[Illustration: Publisher Logo]\n\nTHE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE LTD\n38 GREAT ORMOND STREET, LONDON, W.C. 1\n\n\n\n\n_First Printed_ 1901\n_Reprint_       1905\n_Reprint_       1925\n\n\n_Made and Printed in Great Britain by_\nPERCY LUND, HUMPHRIES & CO LTD\nTHE COUNTRY PRESS\nBRADFORD\n\n[Illustration: FRONTISPIECE--MEANING OF THE COLOURS--(see html version\nfor this and other illustrations.)]\n\n\n\n\nFOREWORD\n\n\nThe text of this little book is the joint work of Mr Leadbeater and\nmyself; some of it has already appeared as an article in _Lucifer_ (now\nthe _Theosophical Review_), but the greater part of it is new. The\ndrawing and painting of the Thought-Forms observed by Mr Leadbeater or\nby myself, or by both of us together, has been done by three friends--Mr\nJohn Varley, Mr Prince, and Miss Macfarlane, to each of whom we tender\nour cordial thanks. To paint in earth's dull colours the forms clothed\nin the living light of other worlds is a hard and thankless task; so\nmuch the more gratitude is due to those who have attempted it. They\nneeded coloured fire, and had only ground earths. We have also to thank\nMr F. Bligh Bond for allowing us to use his essay on _Vibration\nFigures_, and some of his exquisite drawings. Another friend, who sent\nus some notes and a few drawings, insists on remaining anonymous, so we\ncan only send our thanks to him with similar anonymity.\n\nIt is our earnest hope--as it is our belief--that this little book will\nserve as a striking moral lesson to every reader, making him realise the\nnature and power of his thoughts, acting as a stimulus to the noble, a\ncurb on the base. With this belief and hope we send it on its way.\n\nANNIE BESANT.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n                                                                    PAGE\nFOREWORD                                                               6\nINTRODUCTION                                                          11\nTHE DIFFICULTY OF REPRESENTATION                                      16\nTHE TWO EFFECTS OF THOUGHT                                            21\nHOW THE VIBRATION ACTS                                                23\nTHE FORM AND ITS EFFECT                                               25\nTHE MEANING OF THE COLOURS                                            32\nTHREE CLASSES OF THOUGHT-FORMS                                        36\nILLUSTRATIVE THOUGHT-FORMS                                            40\nAFFECTION                                                          40-44\nDEVOTION                                                           44-49\nINTELLECT                                                          49-50\nAMBITION                                                              51\nANGER                                                                 52\nSYMPATHY                                                              55\nFEAR                                                                  55\nGREED                                                                 56\nVARIOUS EMOTIONS                                                      57\n  SHIPWRECK                                                           57\n  ON THE FIRST NIGHT                                                  59\n  THE GAMBLERS                                                        60\n  AT A STREET ACCIDENT                                                61\n  AT A FUNERAL                                                        61\n  ON MEETING A FRIEND                                                 64\n  APPRECIATION OF A PICTURE                                           65\nFORMS SEEN IN MEDITATION                                              66\n  SYMPATHY AND LOVE FOR ALL                                           66\n  AN ASPIRATION TO ENFOLD ALL                                         66\n  IN THE SIX DIRECTIONS                                               67\n  COSMIC ORDER                                                        68\n  THE LOGOS AS MANIFESTED IN MAN                                      69\n  THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL                                             70\n  ANOTHER CONCEPTION                                                  71\n  THE THREEFOLD MANIFESTATION                                         71\n  THE SEVENFOLD MANIFESTATION                                         72\n  INTELLECTUAL ASPIRATION                                             72\nHELPFUL THOUGHTS                                                      74\nFORMS BUILT BY MUSIC                                                  75\n  MENDELSSOHN                                                         77\n  GOUNOD                                                              80\n  WAGNER                                                              82\n\n\n\n\nLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n                                            FIG.                    PAGE\nMEANING OF THE COLOURS                                    _Frontispiece_\nCHLADNI'S SOUND PLATE                          1                      28\nFORMS PRODUCED IN SAND                         2                      28\nFORMS PRODUCED IN SAND                         3                      29\nFORMS PRODUCED BY PENDULUMS                  4-7                      30\nVAGUE PURE AFFECTION                           8                      40\nVAGUE SELFISH AFFECTION                        9                      40\nDEFINITE AFFECTION                            10                      42\nRADIATING AFFECTION                           11                      43\nPEACE AND PROTECTION                          12                      42\nGRASPING ANIMAL AFFECTION                     13                      43\nVAGUE RELIGIOUS FEELING                       14                      44\nUPWARD RUSH OF DEVOTION                       15                      46\nSELF-RENUNCIATION                             16                      44\nRESPONSE TO DEVOTION                          17                      46\nVAGUE INTELLECTUAL PLEASURE                   18                      50\nVAGUE SYMPATHY                                18A                     50\nTHE INTENTION TO KNOW                         19                      51\nHIGH AMBITION                                 20                      52\nSELFISH AMBITION                              21                      52\nMURDEROUS RAGE                                22                      53\nSUSTAINED ANGER                               23                      53\nEXPLOSIVE ANGER                               24                      51\nWATCHFUL JEALOUSY                             25                      54\nANGRY JEALOUSY                                26                      54\nSUDDEN FRIGHT                                 27                      55\nSELFISH GREED                                 28                      56\nGREED FOR DRINK                               29                      56\nAT A SHIPWRECK                                30                      58\nON THE FIRST NIGHT                            31                      59\nTHE GAMBLERS                                  32                      60\nAT A STREET ACCIDENT                          33                      61\nAT A FUNERAL                                  34                      62\nON MEETING A FRIEND                           35                      64\nTHE APPRECIATION OF A PICTURE                 36                      64\nSYMPATHY AND LOVE FOR ALL                     37                      66\nAN ASPIRATION TO ENFOLD ALL                   38                      67\nIN THE SIX DIRECTIONS                         39                      66\nAN INTELLECTUAL CONCEPTION OF COSMIC ORDER    40                      69\nTHE LOGOS AS MANIFESTED IN MAN                41                      69\nTHE LOGOS PERVADING ALL                42 and 44                      70\nANOTHER CONCEPTION                            45                      70\nTHE THREEFOLD MANIFESTATION                   46                      70\nTHE SEVENFOLD MANIFESTATION                   47                      70\nINTELLECTUAL ASPIRATION                       43                      72\nHELPFUL THOUGHTS      48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54                      74\n\n                                           PLATE\nMUSIC OF MENDELSSOHN                           M                      78\nMUSIC OF GOUNOD                                G                      80\nMUSIC OF WAGNER                                W                      82\n\n[Transcriber's Note: Some of the plates are displayed out of sequence to\ncorrespond with references to them in the text.]\n\n\n\n\nTHOUGHT-FORMS\n\n\nAs knowledge increases, the attitude of science towards the things of\nthe invisible world is undergoing considerable modification. Its\nattention is no longer directed solely to the earth with all its variety\nof objects, or to the physical worlds around it; but it finds itself\ncompelled to glance further afield, and to construct hypotheses as to\nthe nature of the matter and force which lie in the regions beyond the\nken of its instruments. Ether is now comfortably settled in the\nscientific kingdom, becoming almost more than a hypothesis. Mesmerism,\nunder its new name of hypnotism, is no longer an outcast. Reichenbach's\nexperiments are still looked at askance, but are not wholly condemned.\nRoentgen's rays have rearranged some of the older ideas of matter, while\nradium has revolutionised them, and is leading science beyond the\nborderland of ether into the astral world. The boundaries between\nanimate and inanimate matter are broken down. Magnets are found to be\npossessed of almost uncanny powers, transferring certain forms of\ndisease in a way not yet satisfactorily explained. Telepathy,\nclairvoyance, movement without contact, though not yet admitted to the\nscientific table, are approaching the Cinderella-stage. The fact is\nthat science has pressed its researches so far, has used such rare\ningenuity in its questionings of nature, has shown such tireless\npatience in its investigations, that it is receiving the reward of those\nwho seek, and forces and beings of the next higher plane of nature are\nbeginning to show themselves on the outer edge of the physical field.\n\"Nature makes no leaps,\" and as the physicist nears the confines of his\nkingdom he finds himself bewildered by touches and gleams from another\nrealm which interpenetrates his own. He finds himself compelled to\nspeculate on invisible presences, if only to find a rational explanation\nfor undoubted physical phenomena, and insensibly he slips over the\nboundary, and is, although he does not yet realise it, contacting the\nastral plane.\n\nOne of the most interesting of the highroads from the physical to the\nastral is that of the study of thought. The Western scientist,\ncommencing in the anatomy and physiology of the brain, endeavours to\nmake these the basis for \"a sound psychology.\" He passes then into the\nregion of dreams, illusions, hallucinations; and as soon as he\nendeavours to elaborate an experimental science which shall classify and\narrange these, he inevitably plunges into the astral plane. Dr Baraduc\nof Paris has nearly crossed the barrier, and is well on the way towards\nphotographing astro-mental images, to obtaining pictures of what from\nthe materialistic standpoint would be the results of vibrations in the\ngrey matter of the brain.\n\nIt has long been known to those who have given attention to the question\nthat impressions were produced by the reflection of the ultra-violet\nrays from objects not visible by the rays of the ordinary spectrum.\nClairvoyants were occasionally justified by the appearance on sensitive\nphotographic plates of figures seen and described by them as present\nwith the sitter, though invisible to physical sight. It is not possible\nfor an unbiassed judgment to reject _in toto_ the evidence of such\noccurrences proffered by men of integrity on the strength of their own\nexperiments, oftentimes repeated. And now we have investigators who turn\ntheir attention to the obtaining of images of subtle forms, inventing\nmethods specially designed with the view of reproducing them. Among\nthese, Dr Baraduc seems to have been the most successful, and he has\npublished a volume dealing with his investigations and containing\nreproductions of the photographs he has obtained. Dr Baraduc states that\nhe is investigating the subtle forces by which the soul--defined as the\nintelligence working between the body and the spirit--expresses itself,\nby seeking to record its movements by means of a needle, its \"luminous\"\nbut invisible vibrations by impressions on sensitive plates. He shuts\nout by non-conductors electricity and heat. We can pass over his\nexperiments in Biometry (measurement of life by movements), and glance\nat those in Iconography--the impressions of invisible waves, regarded by\nhim as of the nature of light, in which the soul draws its own image. A\nnumber of these photographs represent etheric and magnetic results of\nphysical phenomena, and these again we may pass over as not bearing on\nour special subject, interesting as they are in themselves. Dr Baraduc\nobtained various impressions by strongly thinking of an object, the\neffect produced by the thought-form appearing on a sensitive plate; thus\nhe tried to project a portrait of a lady (then dead) whom he had known,\nand produced an impression due to his thought of a drawing he had made\nof her on her deathbed. He quite rightly says that the creation of an\nobject is the passing out of an image from the mind and its subsequent\nmaterialisation, and he seeks the chemical effect caused on silver salts\nby this thought-created picture. One striking illustration is that of a\nforce raying outwards, the projection of an earnest prayer. Another\nprayer is seen producing forms like the fronds of a fern, another like\nrain pouring upwards, if the phrase may be permitted. A rippled oblong\nmass is projected by three persons thinking of their unity in affection.\nA young boy sorrowing over and caressing a dead bird is surrounded by a\nflood of curved interwoven threads of emotional disturbance. A strong\nvortex is formed by a feeling of deep sadness. Looking at this most\ninteresting and suggestive series, it is clear that in these pictures\nthat which is obtained is not the thought-image, but the effect caused\nin etheric matter by its vibrations, and it is necessary to\nclairvoyantly see the thought in order to understand the results\nproduced. In fact, the illustrations are instructive for what they do\nnot show directly, as well as for the images that appear.\n\nIt may be useful to put before students, a little more plainly than has\nhitherto been done, some of the facts in nature which will render more\nintelligible the results at which Dr Baraduc is arriving. Necessarily\nimperfect these must be, a physical photographic camera and sensitive\nplates not being ideal instruments for astral research; but, as will be\nseen from the above, they are most interesting and valuable as forming a\nlink between clairvoyant and physical scientific investigations.\n\nAt the present time observers outside the Theosophical Society are\nconcerning themselves with the fact that emotional changes show their\nnature by changes of colour in the cloud-like ovoid, or aura, that\nencompasses all living beings. Articles on the subject are appearing in\npapers unconnected with the Theosophical Society, and a medical\nspecialist[1] has collected a large number of cases in which the colour\nof the aura of persons of various types and temperaments is recorded by\nhim. His results resemble closely those arrived at by clairvoyant\ntheosophists and others, and the general unanimity on the subject is\nsufficient to establish the fact, if the evidence be judged by the usual\ncanons applied to human testimony.\n\nThe book _Man Visible and Invisible_ dealt with the general subject of\nthe aura. The present little volume, written by the author of _Man\nVisible and Invisible_, and a theosophical colleague, is intended to\ncarry the subject further; and it is believed that this study is useful,\nas impressing vividly on the mind of the student the power and living\nnature of thought and desire, and the influence exerted by them on all\nwhom they reach.\n\n[Footnote 1: Dr Hooker, Gloucester Place, London, W.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE DIFFICULTY OF REPRESENTATION\n\n\nWe have often heard it said that thoughts are things, and there are many\namong us who are persuaded of the truth of this statement. Yet very few\nof us have any clear idea as to what kind of thing a thought is, and the\nobject of this little book is to help us to conceive this.\n\nThere are some serious difficulties in our way, for our conception of\nspace is limited to three dimensions, and when we attempt to make a\ndrawing we practically limit ourselves to two. In reality the\npresentation even of ordinary three-dimensional objects is seriously\ndefective, for scarcely a line or angle in our drawing is accurately\nshown. If a road crosses the picture, the part in the foreground must be\nrepresented as enormously wider than that in the background, although in\nreality the width is unchanged. If a house is to be drawn, the right\nangles at its corners must be shown as acute or obtuse as the case may\nbe, but hardly ever as they actually are. In fact, we draw everything\nnot as it is but as it appears, and the effort of the artist is by a\nskilful arrangement of lines upon a flat surface to convey to the eye an\nimpression which shall recall that made by a three-dimensional object.\n\nIt is possible to do this only because similar objects are already\nfamiliar to those who look at the picture and accept the suggestion\nwhich it conveys. A person who had never seen a tree could form but\nlittle idea of one from even the most skilful painting. If to this\ndifficulty we add the other and far more serious one of a limitation of\nconsciousness, and suppose ourselves to be showing the picture to a\nbeing who knew only two dimensions, we see how utterly impossible it\nwould be to convey to him any adequate impression of such a landscape as\nwe see. Precisely this difficulty in its most aggravated form stands in\nour way, when we try to make a drawing of even a very simple\nthought-form. The vast majority of those who look at the picture are\nabsolutely limited to the consciousness of three dimensions, and\nfurthermore, have not the slightest conception of that inner world to\nwhich thought-forms belong, with all its splendid light and colour. All\nthat we can do at the best is to represent a section of the\nthought-form; and those whose faculties enable them to see the original\ncannot but be disappointed with any reproduction of it. Still, those who\nare at present unable to see anything will gain at least a partial\ncomprehension, and however inadequate it may be it is at least better\nthan nothing.\n\nAll students know that what is called the aura of man is the outer part\nof the cloud-like substance of his higher bodies, interpenetrating each\nother, and extending beyond the confines of his physical body, the\nsmallest of all. They know also that two of these bodies, the mental and\ndesire bodies, are those chiefly concerned with the appearance of what\nare called thought-forms. But in order that the matter may be made clear\nfor all, and not only for students already acquainted with theosophical\nteachings, a recapitulation of the main facts will not be out of place.\n\nMan, the Thinker, is clothed in a body composed of innumerable\ncombinations of the subtle matter of the mental plane, this body being\nmore or less refined in its constituents and organised more or less\nfully for its functions, according to the stage of intellectual\ndevelopment at which the man himself has arrived. The mental body is an\nobject of great beauty, the delicacy and rapid motion of its particles\ngiving it an aspect of living iridescent light, and this beauty becomes\nan extraordinarily radiant and entrancing loveliness as the intellect\nbecomes more highly evolved and is employed chiefly on pure and sublime\ntopics. Every thought gives rise to a set of correlated vibrations in\nthe matter of this body, accompanied with a marvellous play of colour,\nlike that in the spray of a waterfall as the sunlight strikes it, raised\nto the _n_th degree of colour and vivid delicacy. The body under this\nimpulse throws off a vibrating portion of itself, shaped by the nature\nof the vibrations--as figures are made by sand on a disk vibrating to a\nmusical note--and this gathers from the surrounding atmosphere matter\nlike itself in fineness from the elemental essence of the mental world.\nWe have then a thought-form pure and simple, and it is a living entity\nof intense activity animated by the one idea that generated it. If made\nof the finer kinds of matter, it will be of great power and energy, and\nmay be used as a most potent agent when directed by a strong and steady\nwill. Into the details of such use we will enter later.\n\nWhen the man's energy flows outwards towards external objects of desire,\nor is occupied in passional and emotional activities, this energy works\nin a less subtle order of matter than the mental, in that of the astral\nworld. What is called his desire-body is composed of this matter, and it\nforms the most prominent part of the aura in the undeveloped man. Where\nthe man is of a gross type, the desire-body is of the denser matter of\nthe astral plane, and is dull in hue, browns and dirty greens and reds\nplaying a great part in it. Through this will flash various\ncharacteristic colours, as his passions are excited. A man of a higher\ntype has his desire-body composed of the finer qualities of astral\nmatter, with the colours, rippling over and flashing through it, fine\nand clear in hue. While less delicate and less radiant than the mental\nbody, it forms a beautiful object, and as selfishness is eliminated all\nthe duller and heavier shades disappear.\n\nThis desire (or astral) body gives rise to a second class of entities,\nsimilar in their general constitution to the thought-forms already\ndescribed, but limited to the astral plane, and generated by the mind\nunder the dominion of the animal nature.\n\nThese are caused by the activity of the lower mind, throwing itself out\nthrough the astral body--the activity of Kama-Manas in theosophical\nterminology, or the mind dominated by desire. Vibrations in the body of\ndesire, or astral body, are in this case set up, and under these this\nbody throws off a vibrating portion of itself, shaped, as in the\nprevious case, by the nature of the vibrations, and this attracts to\nitself some of the appropriate elemental essence of the astral world.\nSuch a thought-form has for its body this elemental essence, and for its\nanimating soul the desire or passion which threw it forth; according to\nthe amount of mental energy combined with this desire or passion will\nbe the force of the thought-form. These, like those belonging to the\nmental plane, are called artificial elementals, and they are by far the\nmost common, as few thoughts of ordinary men and women are untinged with\ndesire, passion, or emotion.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWO EFFECTS OF THOUGHT\n\n\nEach definite thought produces a double effect--a radiating vibration\nand a floating form. The thought itself appears first to clairvoyant\nsight as a vibration in the mental body, and this may be either simple\nor complex. If the thought itself is absolutely simple, there is only\nthe one rate of vibration, and only one type of mental matter will be\nstrongly affected. The mental body is composed of matter of several\ndegrees of density, which we commonly arrange in classes according to\nthe sub-planes. Of each of these we have many sub-divisions, and if we\ntypify these by drawing horizontal lines to indicate the different\ndegrees of density, there is another arrangement which we might\nsymbolise by drawing perpendicular lines at right angles to the others,\nto denote types which differ in quality as well as in density. There are\nthus many varieties of this mental matter, and it is found that each one\nof these has its own especial and appropriate rate of vibration, to\nwhich it seems most accustomed, so that it very readily responds to it,\nand tends to return to it as soon as possible when it has been forced\naway from it by some strong rush of thought or feeling. When a sudden\nwave of some emotion sweeps over a man, for example, his astral body is\nthrown into violent agitation, and its original colours are or the time\nalmost obscured by the flush of carmine, of blue, or of scarlet which\ncorresponds with the rate of vibration of that particular emotion. This\nchange is only temporary; it passes off in a few seconds, and the astral\nbody rapidly resumes its usual condition. Yet every such rush of feeling\nproduces a permanent effect: it always adds a little of its hue to the\nnormal colouring of the astral body, so that every time that the man\nyields himself to a certain emotion it becomes easier for him to yield\nhimself to it again, because his astral body is getting into the habit\nof vibrating at that especial rate.\n\nThe majority of human thoughts, however, are by no means simple.\nAbsolutely pure affection of course exists; but we very often find it\ntinged with pride or with selfishness, with jealousy or with animal\npassion. This means that at least two separate vibrations appear both in\nthe mental and astral bodies--frequently more than two. The radiating\nvibration, therefore, will be a complex one, and the resultant\nthought-form will show several colours instead of only one.\n\n\n\n\nHOW THE VIBRATION ACTS\n\n\nThese radiating vibrations, like all others in nature, become less\npowerful in proportion to the distance from their source, though it is\nprobable that the variation is in proportion to the cube of the distance\ninstead of to the square, because of the additional dimension involved.\nAgain, like all other vibrations, these tend to reproduce themselves\nwhenever opportunity is offered to them; and so whenever they strike\nupon another mental body they tend to provoke in it their own rate of\nmotion. That is--from the point of view of the man whose mental body is\ntouched by these waves--they tend to produce in his mind thoughts of the\nsame type as that which had previously arisen in the mind of the thinker\nwho sent forth the waves. The distance to which such thought-waves\npenetrate, and the force and persistency with which they impinge upon\nthe mental bodies of others, depend upon the strength and clearness of\nthe original thought. In this way the thinker is in the same position as\nthe speaker. The voice of the latter sets in motion waves of sound in\nthe air which radiate from him in all directions, and convey his message\nto all those who are within hearing, and the distance to which his voice\ncan penetrate depends upon its power and upon the clearness of his\nenunciation. In just the same way the forceful thought will carry very\nmuch further than the weak and undecided thought; but clearness and\ndefiniteness are of even greater importance than strength. Again, just\nas the speaker's voice may fall upon heedless ears where men are already\nengaged in business or in pleasure, so may a mighty wave of thought\nsweep past without affecting the mind of the man, if he be already\ndeeply engrossed in some other line of thought.\n\nIt should be understood that this radiating vibration conveys the\ncharacter of the thought, but not its subject. If a Hindu sits rapt in\ndevotion to Krishna, the waves of feeling which pour forth from him\nstimulate devotional feeling in all those who come under their\ninfluence, though in the case of the Muhammadan that devotion is to\nAllah, while for the Zoroastrian it is to Ahuramazda, or for the\nChristian to Jesus. A man thinking keenly upon some high subject pours\nout from himself vibrations which tend to stir up thought at a similar\nlevel in others, but they in no way suggest to those others the special\nsubject of his thought. They naturally act with special vigour upon\nthose minds already habituated to vibrations of similar character; yet\nthey have some effect on every mental body upon which they impinge, so\nthat their tendency is to awaken the power of higher thought in those to\nwhom it has not yet become a custom. It is thus evident that every man\nwho thinks along high lines is doing missionary work, even though he may\nbe entirely unconscious of it.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FORM AND ITS EFFECT\n\n\nLet us turn now to the second effect of thought, the creation of a\ndefinite form. All students of the occult are acquainted with the idea\nof the elemental essence, that strange half-intelligent life which\nsurrounds us in all directions, vivifying the matter of the mental and\nastral planes. This matter thus animated responds very readily to the\ninfluence of human thought, and every impulse sent out, either from the\nmental body or from the astral body of man, immediately clothes itself\nin a temporary vehicle of this vitalised matter. Such a thought or\nimpulse becomes for the time a kind of living creature, the\nthought-force being the soul, and the vivified matter the body. Instead\nof using the somewhat clumsy paraphrase, \"astral or mental matter\nensouled by the monadic essence at the stage of one of the elemental\nkingdoms,\" theosophical writers often, for brevity's sake, call this\nquickened matter simply elemental essence; and sometimes they speak of\nthe thought-form as \"an elemental.\" There may be infinite variety in the\ncolour and shape of such elementals or thought-forms, for each thought\ndraws round it the matter which is appropriate for its expression, and\nsets that matter into vibration in harmony with its own; so that the\ncharacter of the thought decides its colour, and the study of its\nvariations and combinations is an exceedingly interesting one.\n\nThis thought-form may not inaptly be compared to a Leyden jar, the\ncoating of living essence being symbolised by the jar, and the thought\nenergy by the charge of electricity. If the man's thought or feeling is\ndirectly connected with someone else, the resultant thought-form moves\ntowards that person and discharges itself upon his astral and mental\nbodies. If the man's thought is about himself, or is based upon a\npersonal feeling, as the vast majority of thoughts are, it hovers round\nits creator and is always ready to react upon him whenever he is for a\nmoment in a passive condition. For example, a man who yields himself to\nthoughts of impurity may forget all about them while he is engaged in\nthe daily routine of his business, even though the resultant forms are\nhanging round him in a heavy cloud, because his attention is otherwise\ndirected and his astral body is therefore not impressible by any other\nrate of vibration than its own. When, however, the marked vibration\nslackens and the man rests after his labours and leaves his mind blank\nas regards definite thought, he is very likely to feel the vibration of\nimpurity stealing insidiously upon him. If the consciousness of the man\nbe to any extent awakened, he may perceive this and cry out that he is\nbeing tempted by the devil; yet the truth is that the temptation is from\nwithout only in appearance, since it is nothing but the natural reaction\nupon him of his own thought-forms. Each man travels through space\nenclosed within a cage of his own building, surrounded by a mass of the\nforms created by his habitual thoughts. Through this medium he looks out\nupon the world, and naturally he sees everything tinged with its\npredominant colours, and all rates of vibration which reach him from\nwithout are more or less modified by its rate. Thus until the man learns\ncomplete control of thought and feeling, he sees nothing as it really\nis, since all his observations must be made through this medium, which\ndistorts and colours everything like badly-made glass.\n\nIf the thought-form be neither definitely personal nor specially aimed\nat someone else, it simply floats detached in the atmosphere, all the\ntime radiating vibrations similar to those originally sent forth by its\ncreator. If it does not come into contact with any other mental body,\nthis radiation gradually exhausts its store of energy, and in that case\nthe form falls to pieces; but if it succeeds in awakening sympathetic\nvibration in any mental body near at hand, an attraction is set up, and\nthe thought-form is usually absorbed by that mental body. Thus we see\nthat the influence of the thought-form is by no means so far-reaching as\nthat of the original vibration; but in so far as it acts, it acts with\nmuch greater precision. What it produces in the mind-body which it\ninfluences is not merely a thought of an order similar to that which\ngave it birth; it is actually the same thought. The radiation may affect\nthousands and stir up in them thoughts on the same level as the\noriginal, and yet it may happen that no one of them will be identical\nwith that original; the thought-form can affect only very few, but in\nthose few cases it will reproduce exactly the initiatory idea.\n\nThe fact of the creation by vibrations of a distinct form, geometrical\nor other, is already familiar to every student of acoustics, and\n\"Chladni's\" figures are continually reproduced in every physical\nlaboratory.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 1. CHLADNI'S SOUND PLATE]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 2. FORMS PRODUCED IN SOUND]\n\nFor the lay reader the following brief description may be useful. A\nChladni's sound plate (fig. 1) is made of brass or plate-glass. Grains\nof fine sand or spores are scattered over the surface, and the edge of\nthe plate is bowed. The sand is thrown up into the air by the vibration\nof the plate, and re-falling on the plate is arranged in regular lines\n(fig. 2). By touching the edge of the plate at different points when it\nis bowed, different notes, and hence varying forms, are obtained (fig.\n3). If the figures here given are compared with those obtained from the\nhuman voice, many likenesses will be observed. For these latter, the\n'voice-forms' so admirably studied and pictured by Mrs Watts Hughes,[1]\nbearing witness to the same fact, should be consulted, and her work on\nthe subject should be in the hands of every student. But few perhaps\nhave realised that the shapes pictured are due to the interplay of the\nvibrations that create them, and that a machine exists by means of which\ntwo or more simultaneous motions can be imparted to a pendulum, and that\nby attaching a fine drawing-pen to a lever connected with the pendulum\nits action may be exactly traced. Substitute for the swing of the\npendulum the vibrations set up in the mental or astral body, and we have\nclearly before us the _modus operandi_ of the building of forms by\nvibrations.[2]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 3. FORMS PRODUCED IN SOUND]\n\n[Footnote 1: _The Eidophone Voice Figures._ Margaret Watts Hughes.]\n\n[Footnote 2: Mr Joseph Gould, Stratford House, Nottingham, supplies the\ntwin-elliptic pendulum by which these wonderful figures may be\nproduced.]\n\nThe following description is taken from a most interesting essay\nentitled _Vibration Figures_, by F. Bligh Bond, F.R.I.B.A., who has\ndrawn a number of remarkable figures by the use of pendulums. The\npendulum is suspended on knife edges of hardened steel, and is free to\nswing only at right angles to the knife-edge suspension. Four such\npendulums may be coupled in pairs, swinging at right angles to each\nother, by threads connecting the shafts of each pair of pendulums with\nthe ends of a light but rigid lath, from the centre of which run other\nthreads; these threads carry the united movements of each pair of\npendulums to a light square of wood, suspended by a spring, and bearing\na pen. The pen is thus controlled by the combined movement of the four\npendulums, and this movement is registered on a drawing board by the\npen. There is no limit, theoretically, to the number of pendulums that\ncan be combined in this manner. The movements are rectilinear, but two\nrectilinear vibrations of equal amplitude acting at right angles to each\nother generate a circle if they alternate precisely, an ellipse if the\nalternations are less regular or the amplitudes unequal. A cyclic\nvibration may also be obtained from a pendulum free to swing in a rotary\npath. In these ways a most wonderful series of drawings have been\nobtained, and the similarity of these to some of the thought-forms is\nremarkable; they suffice to demonstrate how readily vibrations may be\ntransformed into figures. Thus compare fig. 4 with fig. 12, the mother's\nprayer; or fig. 5 with fig. 10; or fig. 6 with fig. 25, the serpent-like\ndarting forms. Fig. 7 is added as an illustration of the complexity\nattainable. It seems to us a most marvellous thing that some of the\ndrawings, made apparently at random by the use of this machine, should\nexactly correspond to higher types of thought-forms created in\nmeditation. We are sure that a wealth of significance lies behind this\nfact, though it will need much further investigation before we can say\ncertainly all that it means. But it must surely imply this much--that,\nif two forces on the physical plane bearing a certain ratio one to the\nother can draw a form which exactly corresponds to that produced on the\nmental plane by a complex thought, we may infer that that thought sets\nin motion on its own plane two forces which are in the same ratio one to\nthe other. What these forces are and how they work remains to be seen;\nbut if we are ever able to solve this problem, it is likely that it\nwill open to us a new and exceedingly valuable field of knowledge.\n\n[Illustration: FIGS. 4-7. FORMS PRODUCED BY PENDULUMS]\n\n\nGENERAL PRINCIPLES.\n\nThree general principles underlie the production of all thought-forms:--\n\n1. Quality of thought determines colour.\n\n2. Nature of thought determines form.\n\n3. Definiteness of thought determines clearness of outline.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MEANING OF THE COLOURS\n\n\nThe table of colours given in the frontispiece has already been\nthoroughly described in the book _Man Visible and Invisible_, and the\nmeaning to be attached to them is just the same in the thought-form as\nin the body out of which it is evolved. For the sake of those who have\nnot at hand the full description given in the book just mentioned, it\nwill be well to state that black means hatred and malice. Red, of all\nshades from lurid brick-red to brilliant scarlet, indicates anger;\nbrutal anger will show as flashes of lurid red from dark brown clouds,\nwhile the anger of \"noble indignation\" is a vivid scarlet, by no means\nunbeautiful, though it gives an unpleasant thrill; a particularly dark\nand unpleasant red, almost exactly the colour called dragon's blood,\nshows animal passion and sensual desire of various kinds. Clear brown\n(almost burnt sienna) shows avarice; hard dull brown-grey is a sign of\nselfishness--a colour which is indeed painfully common; deep heavy grey\nsignifies depression, while a livid pale grey is associated with fear;\ngrey-green is a signal of deceit, while brownish-green (usually flecked\nwith points and flashes of scarlet) betokens jealousy. Green seems\nalways to denote adaptability; in the lowest case, when mingled with\nselfishness, this adaptability becomes deceit; at a later stage, when\nthe colour becomes purer, it means rather the wish to be all things to\nall men, even though it may be chiefly for the sake of becoming popular\nand bearing a good reputation with them; in its still higher, more\ndelicate and more luminous aspect, it shows the divine power of\nsympathy. Affection expresses itself in all shades of crimson and rose;\na full clear carmine means a strong healthy affection of normal type; if\nstained heavily with brown-grey, a selfish and grasping feeling is\nindicated, while pure pale rose marks that absolutely unselfish love\nwhich is possible only to high natures; it passes from the dull crimson\nof animal love to the most exquisite shades of delicate rose, like the\nearly flushes of the dawning, as the love becomes purified from all\nselfish elements, and flows out in wider and wider circles of generous\nimpersonal tenderness and compassion to all who are in need. With a\ntouch of the blue of devotion in it, this may express a strong\nrealisation of the universal brotherhood of humanity. Deep orange\nimports pride or ambition, and the various shades of yellow denote\nintellect or intellectual gratification, dull yellow ochre implying the\ndirection of such faculty to selfish purposes, while clear gamboge shows\na distinctly higher type, and pale luminous primrose yellow is a sign of\nthe highest and most unselfish use of intellectual power, the pure\nreason directed to spiritual ends. The different shades of blue all\nindicate religious feeling, and range through all hues from the dark\nbrown-blue of selfish devotion, or the pallid grey-blue of\nfetish-worship tinged with fear, up to the rich deep clear colour of\nheartfelt adoration, and the beautiful pale azure of that highest form\nwhich implies self-renunciation and union with the divine; the\ndevotional thought of an unselfish heart is very lovely in colour, like\nthe deep blue of a summer sky. Through such clouds of blue will often\nshine out golden stars of great brilliancy, darting upwards like a\nshower of sparks. A mixture of affection and devotion is manifested by a\ntint of violet, and the more delicate shades of this invariably show the\ncapacity of absorbing and responding to a high and beautiful ideal. The\nbrilliancy and the depth of the colours are usually a measure of the\nstrength and the activity of the feeling.\n\nAnother consideration which must not be forgotten is the type of matter\nin which these forms are generated. If a thought be purely intellectual\nand impersonal--for example, if the thinker is attempting to solve a\nproblem in algebra or geometry--the thought-form and the wave of\nvibration will be confined entirely to the mental plane. If, however,\nthe thought be of a spiritual nature, if it be tinged with love and\naspiration or deep unselfish feeling, it will rise upwards from the\nmental plane and will borrow much of the splendour and glory of the\nbuddhic level. In such a case its influence is exceedingly powerful, and\nevery such thought is a mighty force for good which cannot but produce a\ndecided effect upon all mental bodies within reach, if they contain any\nquality at all capable of response.\n\nIf, on the other hand, the thought has in it something of self or of\npersonal desire, at once its vibration turns downwards, and it draws\nround itself a body of astral matter in addition to its clothing of\nmental matter. Such a thought-form is capable of acting upon the astral\nbodies of other men as well as their minds, so that it can not only\nraise thought within them, but can also stir up their feelings.\n\n\n\n\nTHREE CLASSES OF THOUGHT-FORMS\n\n\nFrom the point of view of the forms which they produce we may group\nthought into three classes:--\n\n1. That which takes the image of the thinker. When a man thinks of\nhimself as in some distant place, or wishes earnestly to be in that\nplace, he makes a thought-form in his own image which appears there.\nSuch a form has not infrequently been seen by others, and has sometimes\nbeen taken for the astral body or apparition of the man himself. In such\na case, either the seer must have enough of clairvoyance for the time to\nbe able to observe that astral shape, or the thought-form must have\nsufficient strength to materialise itself--that is, to draw round itself\ntemporarily a certain amount of physical matter. The thought which\ngenerates such a form as this must necessarily be a strong one, and it\ntherefore employs a larger proportion of the matter of the mental body,\nso that though the form is small and compressed when it leaves the\nthinker, it draws round it a considerable amount of astral matter, and\nusually expands to life-size before it appears at its destination.\n\n2. That which takes the image of some material object. When a man thinks\nof his friend he forms within his mental body a minute image of that\nfriend, which often passes outward and usually floats suspended in the\nair before him. In the same way if he thinks of a room, a house, a\nlandscape, tiny images of these things are formed within the mental body\nand afterwards externalised. This is equally true when he is exercising\nhis imagination; the painter who forms a conception of his future\npicture builds it up out of the matter of his mental body, and then\nprojects it into space in front of him, keeps it before his mind's eye,\nand copies it. The novelist in the same way builds images of his\ncharacter in mental matter, and by the exercise of his will moves these\npuppets from one position or grouping to another, so that the plot of\nhis story is literally acted out before him. With our curiously inverted\nconceptions of reality it is hard for us to understand that these mental\nimages actually exist, and are so entirely objective that they may\nreadily be seen by the clairvoyant, and can even be rearranged by some\none other than their creator. Some novelists have been dimly aware of\nsuch a process, and have testified that their characters when once\ncreated developed a will of their own, and insisted on carrying the plot\nof the story along lines quite different from those originally intended\nby the author. This has actually happened, sometimes because the\nthought-forms were ensouled by playful nature-spirits, or more often\nbecause some 'dead' novelist, watching on the astral plane the\ndevelopment of the plan of his fellow-author, thought that he could\nimprove upon it, and chose this method of putting forward his\nsuggestions.\n\n3. That which takes a form entirely its own, expressing its inherent\nqualities in the matter which it draws round it. Only thought-forms of\nthis third class can usefully be illustrated, for to represent those of\nthe first or second class would be merely to draw portraits or\nlandscapes. In those types we have the plastic mental or astral matter\nmoulded in imitation of forms belonging to the physical plane; in this\nthird group we have a glimpse of the forms natural to the astral or\nmental planes. Yet this very fact, which makes them so interesting,\nplaces an insuperable barrier in the way of their accurate reproduction.\n\nThought-forms of this third class almost invariably manifest themselves\nupon the astral plane, as the vast majority of them are expressions of\nfeeling as well as of thought. Those of which we here give specimens are\nalmost wholly of that class, except that we take a few examples of the\nbeautiful thought-forms created in definite meditation by those who,\nthrough long practice, have learnt how to think.\n\nThought-forms directed towards individuals produce definitely marked\neffects, these effects being either partially reproduced in the aura of\nthe recipient and so increasing the total result, or repelled from it. A\nthought of love and of desire to protect, directed strongly towards some\nbeloved object, creates a form which goes to the person thought of, and\nremains in his aura as a shielding and protecting agent; it will seek\nall opportunities to serve, and all opportunities to defend, not by a\nconscious and deliberate action, but by a blind following out of the\nimpulse impressed upon it, and it will strengthen friendly forces that\nimpinge on the aura and weaken unfriendly ones. Thus may we create and\nmaintain veritable guardian angels round those we love, and many a\nmother's prayer for a distant child thus circles round him, though she\nknows not the method by which her \"prayer is answered.\"\n\nIn cases in which good or evil thoughts are projected at individuals,\nthose thoughts, if they are to directly fulfil their mission, must find,\nin the aura of the object to whom they are sent, materials capable of\nresponding sympathetically to their vibrations. Any combination of\nmatter can only vibrate within certain definite limits, and if the\nthought-form be outside all the limits within which the aura is capable\nof vibrating, it cannot affect that aura at all. It consequently\nrebounds from it, and that with a force proportionate to the energy with\nwhich it impinged upon it. This is why it is said that a pure heart and\nmind are the best protectors against any inimical assaults, for such a\npure heart and mind will construct an astral and a mental body of fine\nand subtle materials, and these bodies cannot respond to vibrations that\ndemand coarse and dense matter. If an evil thought, projected with\nmalefic intent, strikes such a body, it can only rebound from it, and it\nis flung back with all its own energy; it then flies backward along the\nmagnetic line of least resistance, that which it has just traversed, and\nstrikes its projector; he, having matter in his astral and mental bodies\nsimilar to that of the thought-form he generated, is thrown into\nrespondent vibrations, and suffers the destructive effects he had\nintended to cause to another. Thus \"curses [and blessings] come home to\nroost.\" From this arise also the very serious effects of hating or\nsuspecting a good and highly-advanced man; the thought-forms sent\nagainst him cannot injure him, and they rebound against their\nprojectors, shattering them mentally, morally, or physically. Several\nsuch instances are well known to members of the Theosophical Society,\nhaving come under their direct observation. So long as any of the\ncoarser kinds of matter connected with evil and selfish thoughts remain\nin a person's body, he is open to attack from those who wish him evil,\nbut when he has perfectly eliminated these by self-purification his\nhaters cannot injure him, and he goes on calmly and peacefully amid all\nthe darts of their malice. But it is bad for those who shoot out such\ndarts.\n\nAnother point that should be mentioned before passing to the\nconsideration of our illustrations is that every one of the\nthought-forms here given is drawn from life. They are not imaginary\nforms, prepared as some dreamer thinks that they ought to appear; they\nare representations of forms actually observed as thrown off by ordinary\nmen and women, and either reproduced with all possible care and fidelity\nby those who have seen them, or with the help of artists to whom the\nseers have described them.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nFor convenience of comparison thought-forms of a similar kind are\ngrouped together.\n\n\nILLUSTRATIVE THOUGHT-FORMS\n\nAFFECTION\n\n_Vague Pure Affection._--Fig. 8 is a revolving cloud of pure affection,\nand except for its vagueness it represents a very good feeling. The\nperson from whom it emanates is happy and at peace with the world,\nthinking dreamily of some friend whose very presence is a pleasure.\nThere is nothing keen or strong about the feeling, yet it is one of\ngentle well-being, and of an unselfish delight in the proximity of\nthose who are beloved. The feeling which gives birth to such a cloud is\npure of its kind, but there is in it no force capable of producing\ndefinite results. An appearance by no means unlike this frequently\nsurrounds a gently purring cat, and radiates slowly outward from the\nanimal in a series of gradually enlarging concentric shells of rosy\ncloud, fading into invisibility at a distance of a few feet from their\ndrowsily contented creator.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 8. VAGUE PURE AFFECTION]\n\n_Vague Selfish Affection._--Fig. 9 shows us also a cloud of affection,\nbut this time it is deeply tinged with a far less desirable feeling. The\ndull hard brown-grey of selfishness shows itself very decidedly among\nthe carmine of love, and thus we see that the affection which is\nindicated is closely connected with satisfaction at favours already\nreceived, and with a lively anticipation of others to come in the near\nfuture. Indefinite as was the feeling which produced the cloud in Fig.\n8, it was at least free from this taint of selfishness, and it therefore\nshowed a certain nobility of nature in its author. Fig. 9 represents\nwhat takes the place of that condition of mind at a lower level of\nevolution. It would scarcely be possible that these two clouds should\nemanate from the same person in the same incarnation. Yet there is good\nin the man who generates this second cloud, though as yet it is but\npartially evolved. A vast amount of the average affection of the world\nis of this type, and it is only by slow degrees that it develops towards\nthe other and higher manifestation.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 9. VAGUE SELFISH AFFECTION]\n\n_Definite Affection._--Even the first glance at Fig. 10 shows us that\nhere we have to deal with something of an entirely different\nnature--something effective and capable, something that will achieve a\nresult. The colour is fully equal to that of Fig. 8 in clearness and\ndepth and transparency, but what was there a mere sentiment is in this\ncase translated into emphatic intention coupled with unhesitating\naction. Those who have seen the book _Man Visible and Invisible_ will\nrecollect that in Plate XI. of that volume is depicted the effect of a\nsudden rush of pure unselfish affection as it showed itself in the\nastral body of a mother, as she caught up her little child and covered\nit with kisses. Various changes resulted from that sudden outburst of\nemotion; one of them was the formation within the astral body of large\ncrimson coils or vortices lined with living light. Each of these is a\nthought-form of intense affection generated as we have described, and\nalmost instantaneously ejected towards the object of the feeling. Fig.\n10 depicts just such a thought-form after it has left the astral body of\nits author, and is on its way towards its goal. It will be observed that\nthe almost circular form has changed into one somewhat resembling a\nprojectile or the head of a comet; and it will be easily understood that\nthis alteration is caused by its rapid forward motion. The clearness of\nthe colour assures us of the purity of the emotion which gave birth to\nthis thought-form, while the precision of its outline is unmistakable\nevidence of power and of vigorous purpose. The soul that gave birth to a\nthought-form such as this must already be one of a certain amount of\ndevelopment.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 10. DEFINITE AFFECTION]\n\n_Radiating Affection._--Fig. 11 gives us our first example of a\nthought-form intentionally generated, since its author is making the\neffort to pour himself forth in love to all beings. It must be\nremembered that all these forms are in constant motion. This one, for\nexample, is steadily widening out, though there seems to be an\nexhaustless fountain welling up through the centre from a dimension\nwhich we cannot represent. A sentiment such as this is so wide in its\napplication, that it is very difficult for any one not thoroughly\ntrained to keep it clear and precise. The thought-form here shown is,\ntherefore, a very creditable one, for it will be noted that all the\nnumerous rays of the star are commendably free from vagueness.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 11. RADIATING AFFECTION]\n\n_Peace and Protection._--Few thought-forms are more beautiful and\nexpressive than this which we see in Fig. 12. This is a thought of love\nand peace, protection and benediction, sent forth by one who has the\npower and has earned the right to bless. It is not at all probable that\nin the mind of its creator there existed any thought of its beautiful\nwing-like shape, though it is possible that some unconscious reflection\nof far-away lessons of childhood about guardian angels who always\nhovered over their charges may have had its influence in determining\nthis. However that may be, the earnest wish undoubtedly clothed itself\nin this graceful and expressive outline, while the affection that\nprompted it gave to it its lovely rose-colour, and the intellect which\nguided it shone forth like sunlight as its heart and central support.\nThus in sober truth we may make veritable guardian angels to hover over\nand protect those whom we love, and many an unselfish earnest wish for\ngood produces such a form as this, though all unknown to its creator.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 12. PEACE AND PROTECTION]\n\n_Grasping Animal Affection._--Fig. 13 gives us an instance of grasping\nanimal affection--if indeed such a feeling as this be deemed worthy of\nthe august name of affection at all. Several colours bear their share in\nthe production of its dull unpleasing hue, tinged as it is with the\nlurid gleam of sensuality, as well as deadened with the heavy tint\nindicative of selfishness. Especially characteristic is its form, for\nthose curving hooks are never seen except when there exists a strong\ncraving for personal possession. It is regrettably evident that the\nfabricator of this thought-form had no conception of the\nself-sacrificing love which pours itself out in joyous service, never\nonce thinking of result or return; his thought has been, not \"How much\ncan I give?\" but \"How much can I gain?\" and so it has expressed itself\nin these re-entering curves. It has not even ventured to throw itself\nboldly outward, as do other thoughts, but projects half-heartedly from\nthe astral body, which must be supposed to be on the left of the\npicture. A sad travesty of the divine quality love; yet even this is a\nstage in evolution, and distinctly an improvement upon earlier stages,\nas will presently be seen.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 13. GRASPING ANIMAL AFFECTION]\n\n\nDEVOTION\n\n_Vague Religious Feeling._--Fig. 14 shows us another shapeless rolling\ncloud, but this time it is blue instead of crimson. It betokens that\nvaguely pleasurable religious feeling--a sensation of devoutness rather\nthan of devotion--which is so common among those in whom piety is more\ndeveloped than intellect. In many a church one may see a great cloud of\ndeep dull blue floating over the heads of the congregation--indefinite\nin outline, because of the indistinct nature of the thoughts and\nfeelings which cause it; flecked too often with brown and grey, because\nignorant devotion absorbs with deplorable facility the dismal tincture\nof selfishness or fear; but none the less adumbrating a mighty\npotentiality of the future, manifesting to our eyes the first faint\nflutter of one at least of the twin wings of devotion and wisdom, by the\nuse of which the soul flies upward to God from whom it came.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 14. VAGUE RELIGIOUS FEELING]\n\nStrange is it to note under what varied circumstances this vague blue\ncloud may be seen; and oftentimes its absence speaks more loudly than\nits presence. For in many a fashionable place of worship we seek it in\nvain, and find instead of it a vast conglomeration of thought-forms of\nthat second type which take the shape of material objects. Instead of\ntokens of devotion, we see floating above the \"worshippers\" the astral\nimages of hats and bonnets, of jewellery and gorgeous dresses, of horses\nand of carriages, of whisky-bottles and of Sunday dinners, and sometimes\nof whole rows of intricate calculations, showing that men and women\nalike have had during their supposed hours of prayer and praise no\nthoughts but of business or of pleasure, of the desires or the anxieties\nof the lower form of mundane existence.\n\nYet sometimes in a humbler fane, in a church belonging to the\nunfashionable Catholic or Ritualist, or even in a lowly meeting-house\nwhere there is but little of learning or of culture, one may watch the\ndeep blue clouds rolling ceaselessly eastward towards the altar, or\nupwards, testifying at least to the earnestness and the reverence of\nthose who give them birth. Rarely--very rarely--among the clouds of blue\nwill flash like a lance cast by the hand of a giant such a thought-form\nas is shown in Fig. 15; or such a flower of self-renunciation as we see\nin Fig. 16 may float before our ravished eyes; but in most cases we must\nseek elsewhere for these signs of a higher development.\n\n_Upward Rush of Devotion._--The form in Fig. 15 bears much the same\nrelation to that of Fig. 14 as did the clearly outlined projectile of\nFig. 10 to the indeterminate cloud of Fig. 8. We could hardly have a\nmore marked contrast than that between the inchoate flaccidity of the\nnebulosity in Fig. 14 and the virile vigour of the splendid spire of\nhighly developed devotion which leaps into being before us in Fig. 15.\nThis is no uncertain half-formed sentiment; it is the outrush into\nmanifestation of a grand emotion rooted deep in the knowledge of fact.\nThe man who feels such devotion as this is one who knows in whom he has\nbelieved; the man who makes such a thought-form as this is one who has\ntaught himself how to think. The determination of the upward rush points\nto courage as well as conviction, while the sharpness of its outline\nshows the clarity of its creator's conception, and the peerless purity\nof its colour bears witness to his utter unselfishness.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 15. UPWARD RUSH OF DEVOTION]\n\n_The Response to Devotion._--In Fig. 17 we see the result of his\nthought--the response of the LOGOS to the appeal made to Him, the truth\nwhich underlies the highest and best part of the persistent belief in an\nanswer to prayer. It needs a few words of explanation. On every plane of\nHis solar system our LOGOS pours forth His light, His power, His life,\nand naturally it is on the higher planes that this outpouring of divine\nstrength can be given most fully. The descent from each plane to that\nnext below it means an almost paralysing limitation--a limitation\nentirely incomprehensible except to those who have experienced the\nhigher possibilities of human consciousness. Thus the divine life flows\nforth with incomparably greater fulness on the mental plane than on the\nastral; and yet even its glory at the mental level is ineffably\ntranscended by that of the buddhic plane. Normally each of these mighty\nwaves of influence spreads about its appropriate plane--horizontally, as\nit were--but it does not pass into the obscuration of a plane lower than\nthat for which it was originally intended.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 17. RESPONSE TO DEVOTION]\n\nYet there are conditions under which the grace and strength peculiar to\na higher plane may in a measure be brought down to a lower one, and may\nspread abroad there with wonderful effect. This seems to be possible\nonly when a special channel is for the moment opened; and that work must\nbe done from below and by the effort of man. It has before been\nexplained that whenever a man's thought or feeling is selfish, the\nenergy which it produces moves in a close curve, and thus inevitably\nreturns and expends itself upon its own level; but when the thought or\nfeeling is absolutely unselfish, its energy rushes forth in an open\ncurve, and thus does _not_ return in the ordinary sense, but pierces\nthrough into the plane above, because only in that higher condition,\nwith its additional dimension, can it find room for its expansion. But\nin thus breaking through, such a thought or feeling holds open a door\n(to speak symbolically) of dimension equivalent to its own diameter, and\nthus furnishes the requisite channel through which the divine force\nappropriate to the higher plane can pour itself into the lower with\nmarvellous results, not only for the thinker but for others. An attempt\nis made in Fig. 17 to symbolise this, and to indicate the great truth\nthat an infinite flood of the higher type of force is always ready and\nwaiting to pour through when the channel is offered, just as the water\nin a cistern may be said to be waiting to pour through the first pipe\nthat may be opened.\n\nThe result of the descent of divine life is a very great strengthening\nand uplifting of the maker of the channel, and the spreading all about\nhim of a most powerful and beneficent influence. This effect has often\nbeen called an answer to prayer, and has been attributed by the ignorant\nto what they call a \"special interposition of Providence,\" instead of to\nthe unerring action of the great and immutable divine law.\n\n_Self-Renunciation._--Fig. 16 gives us yet another form of devotion,\nproducing an exquisitely beautiful form of a type quite new to us--a\ntype in which one might at first sight suppose that various graceful\nshapes belonging to animate nature were being imitated. Fig. 16, for\nexample, is somewhat suggestive of a partially opened flower-bud, while\nother forms are found to bear a certain resemblance to shells or leaves\nor tree-shapes. Manifestly, however, these are not and cannot be copies\nof vegetable or animal forms, and it seems probable that the explanation\nof the similarity lies very much deeper than that. An analogous and even\nmore significant fact is that some very complex thought-forms can be\nexactly imitated by the action of certain mechanical forces, as has been\nsaid above. While with our present knowledge it would be unwise to\nattempt a solution of the very fascinating problem presented by these\nremarkable resemblances, it seems likely that we are obtaining a glimpse\nacross the threshold of a very mighty mystery, for if by certain\nthoughts we produce a form which has been duplicated by the processes of\nnature, we have at least a presumption that these forces of nature work\nalong lines somewhat similar to the action of those thoughts. Since the\nuniverse is itself a mighty thought-form called into existence by the\nLOGOS, it may well be that tiny parts of it are also the thought-forms\nof minor entities engaged in the same work; and thus perhaps we may\napproach a comprehension of what is meant by the three hundred and\nthirty million Devas of the Hindus.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 16. SELF-RENUNCIATION]\n\nThis form is of the loveliest pale azure, with a glory of white light\nshining through it--something indeed to tax the skill even of the\nindefatigable artist who worked so hard to get them as nearly right as\npossible. It is what a Catholic would call a definite \"act of\ndevotion\"--better still, an act of utter selflessness, of self-surrender\nand renunciation.\n\n\nINTELLECT\n\n_Vague Intellectual Pleasure._--Fig. 18 represents a vague cloud of the\nsame order as those shown in Figs. 8 and 14, but in this case the colour\nis yellow instead of crimson or blue. Yellow in any of man's vehicles\nalways indicates intellectual capacity, but its shades vary very much,\nand it may be complicated by the admixture of other hues. Generally\nspeaking, it has a deeper and duller tint if the intellect is directed\nchiefly into lower channels, more especially if the objects are selfish.\nIn the astral or mental body of the average man of business it would\nshow itself as yellow ochre, while pure intellect devoted to the study\nof philosophy or mathematics appears frequently to be golden, and this\nrises gradually to a beautiful clear and luminous lemon or primrose\nyellow when a powerful intellect is being employed absolutely\nunselfishly for the benefit of humanity. Most yellow thought-forms are\nclearly outlined, and a vague cloud of this colour is comparatively\nrare. It indicates intellectual pleasure--appreciation of the result of\ningenuity, or the delight felt in clever workmanship. Such pleasure as\nthe ordinary man derives from the contemplation of a picture usually\ndepends chiefly upon the emotions of admiration, affection, or pity\nwhich it arouses within him, or sometimes, if it pourtrays a scene with\nwhich he is familiar, its charm consists in its power to awaken the\nmemory of past joys. An artist, however, may derive from a picture a\npleasure of an entirely different character, based upon his recognition\nof the excellence of the work, and of the ingenuity which has been\nexercised in producing certain results. Such pure intellectual\ngratification shows itself in a yellow cloud; and the same effect may be\nproduced by delight in musical ingenuity, or the subtleties of argument.\nA cloud of this nature betokens the entire absence of any personal\nemotion, for if that were present it would inevitably tinge the yellow\nwith its own appropriate colour.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 18. VAGUE INTELLECTUAL PLEASURE]\n\n_The Intention to Know._--Fig. 19 is of interest as showing us something\nof the growth of a thought-form. The earlier stage, which is indicated\nby the upper form, is not uncommon, and indicates the determination to\nsolve some problem--the intention to know and to understand. Sometimes a\ntheosophical lecturer sees many of these yellow serpentine forms\nprojecting towards him from his audience, and welcomes them as a token\nthat his hearers are following his arguments intelligently, and have an\nearnest desire to understand and to know more. A form of this kind\nfrequently accompanies a question, and if, as is sometimes unfortunately\nthe case, the question is put less with the genuine desire for knowledge\nthan for the purpose of exhibiting the acumen of the questioner, the\nform is strongly tinged with the deep orange that indicates conceit. It\nwas at a theosophical meeting that this special shape was encountered,\nand it accompanied a question which showed considerable thought and\npenetration. The answer at first given was not thoroughly satisfactory\nto the inquirer, who seems to have received the impression that his\nproblem was being evaded by the lecturer. His resolution to obtain a\nfull and thorough answer to his inquiry became more determined than\never, and his thought-form deepened in colour and changed into the\nsecond of the two shapes, resembling a cork-screw even more closely than\nbefore. Forms similar to these are constantly created by ordinary idle\nand frivolous curiosity, but as there is no intellect involved in that\ncase the colour is no longer yellow, but usually closely resembles that\nof decaying meat, somewhat like that shown in Fig. 29 as expressing a\ndrunken man's craving for alcohol.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 19. THE INTENTION TO KNOW]\n\n_High Ambition._--Fig. 20 gives us another manifestation of desire--the\nambition for place or power. The ambitious quality is shown by the rich\ndeep orange colour, and the desire by the hooked extensions which\nprecede the form as it moves. The thought is a good and pure one of its\nkind, for if there were anything base or selfish in the desire it would\ninevitably show itself in the darkening of the clear orange hue by dull\nreds, browns, or greys. If this man coveted place or power, it was not\nfor his own sake, but from the conviction that he could do the work\nwell and truly, and to the advantage of his fellow-men.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 20. HIGH AMBITION]\n\n_Selfish Ambition._--Ambition of a lower type is represented in Fig. 21.\nNot only have we here a large stain of the dull brown-grey of\nselfishness, but there is also a considerable difference in the form,\nthough it appears to possess equal definiteness of outline. Fig. 20 is\nrising steadily onward towards a definite object, for it will be\nobserved that the central part of it is as definitely a projectile as\nFig. 10. Fig. 21, on the other hand, is a floating form, and is strongly\nindicative of general acquisitiveness--the ambition to grasp for the\nself everything that is within sight.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 21. SELFISH AMBITION]\n\n\nANGER\n\n_Murderous Rage and Sustained Anger._--In Figs. 22 and 23 we have two\nterrible examples of the awful effect of anger. The lurid flash from\ndark clouds (Fig. 22) was taken from the aura of a rough and partially\nintoxicated man in the East End of London, as he struck down a woman;\nthe flash darted out at her the moment before he raised his hand to\nstrike, and caused a shuddering feeling of horror, as though it might\nslay. The keen-pointed stiletto-like dart (Fig. 23) was a thought of\nsteady anger, intense and desiring vengeance, of the quality of murder,\nsustained through years, and directed against a person who had inflicted\na deep injury on the one who sent it forth; had the latter been\npossessed of a strong and trained will, such a thought-form would slay,\nand the one nourishing it is running a very serious danger of becoming a\nmurderer in act as well as in thought in a future incarnation. It will\nbe noted that both of them take the flash-like form, though the upper is\nirregular in its shape, while the lower represents a steadiness of\nintention which is far more dangerous. The basis of utter selfishness\nout of which the upper one springs is very characteristic and\ninstructive. The difference in colour between the two is also worthy of\nnote. In the upper one the dirty brown of selfishness is so strongly\nevident that it stains even the outrush of anger; while in the second\ncase, though no doubt selfishness was at the root of that also, the\noriginal thought has been forgotten in the sustained and concentrated\nwrath. One who studies Plate XIII. in _Man Visible and Invisible_ will\nbe able to image to himself the condition of the astral body from which\nthese forms are protruding; and surely the mere sight of these pictures,\neven without examination, should prove a powerful object-lesson in the\nevil of yielding to the passion of anger.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 22. MURDEROUS RAGE]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 23. SUSTAINED ANGER]\n\n_Explosive Anger._--In Fig. 24 we see an exhibition of anger of a\ntotally different character. Here is no sustained hatred, but simply a\nvigorous explosion of irritation. It is at once evident that while the\ncreators of the forms shown in Figs. 22 and 23 were each directing their\nire against an individual, the person who is responsible for the\nexplosion in Fig. 24 is for the moment at war with the whole world round\nhim. It may well express the sentiment of some choleric old gentleman,\nwho feels himself insulted or impertinently treated, for the dash of\norange intermingled with the scarlet implies that his pride has been\nseriously hurt. It is instructive to compare the radiations of this\nplate with those of Fig. 11. Here we see indicated a veritable\nexplosion, instantaneous in its passing and irregular in its effects;\nand the vacant centre shows us that the feeling that caused it is\nalready a thing of the past, and that no further force is being\ngenerated. In Fig. 11, on the other hand, the centre is the strongest\npart of the thought-form, showing that this is not the result of a\nmomentary flash of feeling, but that there is a steady continuous\nupwelling of the energy, while the rays show by their quality and length\nand the evenness of their distribution the steadily sustained effort\nwhich produces them.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 24. EXPLOSIVE ANGER]\n\n_Watchful and Angry Jealousy._--In Fig. 25 we see an interesting though\nunpleasant thought-form. Its peculiar brownish-green colour at once\nindicates to the practised clairvoyant that it is an expression of\njealousy, and its curious shape shows the eagerness with which the man\nis watching its object. The remarkable resemblance to the snake with\nraised head aptly symbolises the extraordinarily fatuous attitude of the\njealous person, keenly alert to discover signs of that which he least of\nall wishes to see. The moment that he does see it, or imagines that he\nsees it, the form will change into the far commoner one shown in Fig.\n26, where the jealousy is already mingled with anger. It may be noted\nthat here the jealousy is merely a vague cloud, though interspersed with\nvery definite flashes of anger ready to strike at those by whom it\nfancies itself to be injured; whereas in Fig. 25, where there is no\nanger as yet, the jealousy itself has a perfectly definite and very\nexpressive outline.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 25. WATCHFUL JEALOUSY]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 26. ANGRY JEALOUSY]\n\n\nSYMPATHY\n\n_Vague Sympathy._--In Fig. 18A we have another of the vague clouds, but\nthis time its green colour shows us that it is a manifestation of the\nfeeling of sympathy. We may infer from the indistinct character of its\noutline that it is not a definite and active sympathy, such as would\ninstantly translate itself from thought into deed; it marks rather such\na general feeling of commiseration as might come over a man who read an\naccount of a sad accident, or stood at the door of a hospital ward\nlooking in upon the patients.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 18A. VAGUE SYMPATHY]\n\n\nFEAR\n\n_Sudden Fright._--One of the most pitiful objects in nature is a man or\nan animal in a condition of abject fear; and an examination of Plate\nXIV. in _Man Visible and Invisible_ shows that under such circumstances\nthe astral body presents no better appearance than the physical. When a\nman's astral body is thus in a state of frenzied palpitation, its\nnatural tendency is to throw off amorphous explosive fragments, like\nmasses of rock hurled out in blasting, as will be seen in Fig. 30; but\nwhen a person is not terrified but seriously startled, an effect such as\nthat shown in Fig. 27 is often produced. In one of the photographs taken\nby Dr Baraduc of Paris, it was noticed that an eruption of broken\ncircles resulted from sudden annoyance, and this outrush of\ncrescent-shaped forms seems to be of somewhat the same nature, though in\nthis case there are the accompanying lines of matter which even increase\nthe explosive appearance. It is noteworthy that all the crescents to the\nright hand, which must obviously have been those expelled earliest,\nshow nothing but the livid grey of fear; but a moment later the man is\nalready partially recovering from the shock, and beginning to feel angry\nthat he allowed himself to be startled. This is shown by the fact that\nthe later crescents are lined with scarlet, evidencing the mingling of\nanger and fear, while the last crescent is pure scarlet, telling us that\neven already the fright is entirely overcome, and only the annoyance\nremains.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 27. SUDDEN FRIGHT]\n\n\nGREED\n\n_Selfish Greed._--Fig. 28 gives us an example of selfish greed--a far\nlower type than Fig. 21. It will be noted that here there is nothing\neven so lofty as ambition, and it is also evident from the tinge of\nmuddy green that the person from whom this unpleasant thought is\nprojecting is quite ready to employ deceit in order to obtain her\ndesire. While the ambition of Fig. 21 was general in its nature, the\ncraving expressed in Fig. 28 is for a particular object towards which it\nis reaching out; for it will be understood that this thought-form, like\nthat in Fig. 13, remains attached to the astral body, which must be\nsupposed to be on the left of the picture. Claw-like forms of this\nnature are very frequently to be seen converging upon a woman who wears\na new dress or bonnet, or some specially attractive article of\njewellery. The thought-form may vary in colour according to the precise\namount of envy or jealousy which is mingled with the lust for\npossession, but an approximation to the shape indicated in our\nillustration will be found in all cases. Not infrequently people\ngathered in front of a shop-window may be seen thus protruding astral\ncravings through the glass.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 28. SELFISH GREED]\n\n_Greed for Drink._--In Fig. 29 we have another variant of the same\npassion, perhaps at an even more degraded and animal level. This\nspecimen was taken from the astral body of a man just as he entered at\nthe door of a drinking-shop; the expectation of and the keen desire for\nthe liquor which he was about to absorb showed itself in the projection\nin front of him of this very unpleasant appearance. Once more the hooked\nprotrusions show the craving, while the colour and the coarse mottled\ntexture show the low and sensual nature of the appetite. Sexual desires\nfrequently show themselves in an exactly similar manner. Men who give\nbirth to forms such as this are as yet but little removed from the\nanimal; as they rise in the scale of evolution the place of this form\nwill gradually be taken by something resembling that shown in Fig. 13,\nand very slowly, as development advances, that in turn will pass through\nthe stages indicated in Figs. 9 and 8, until at last all selfishness is\ncast out, and the desire to have has been transmuted into the desire to\ngive, and we arrive at the splendid results shown in Figs. 11 and 10.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 29. GREED FOR DRINK]\n\n\nVARIOUS EMOTIONS\n\n_At a Shipwreck._--Very serious is the panic which has occasioned the\nvery interesting group of thought-forms which are depicted in Fig. 30.\nThey were seen simultaneously, arranged exactly as represented, though\nin the midst of indescribable confusion, so their relative positions\nhave been retained, though in explaining them it will be convenient to\ntake them in reverse order. They were called forth by a terrible\naccident, and they are instructive as showing how differently people are\naffected by sudden and serious danger. One form shows nothing but an\neruption of the livid grey of fear, rising out of a basis of utter\nselfishness: and unfortunately there were many such as this. The\nshattered appearance of the thought-form shows the violence and\ncompleteness of the explosion, which in turn indicates that the whole\nsoul of that person was possessed with blind, frantic terror, and that\nthe overpowering sense of personal danger excluded for the time every\nhigher feeling.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 30. AT A SHIPWRECK]\n\nThe second form represents at least an attempt at self-control, and\nshows the attitude adopted by a person having a certain amount of\nreligious feeling. The thinker is seeking solace in prayer, and\nendeavouring in this way to overcome her fear. This is indicated by the\npoint of greyish-blue which lifts itself hesitatingly upwards; the\ncolour shows, however, that the effort is but partially successful, and\nwe see also from the lower part of the thought-form, with its irregular\noutline and its falling fragments, that there is in reality almost as\nmuch fright here as in the other case. But at least this woman has had\npresence of mind enough to remember that she ought to pray, and is\ntrying to imagine that she is not afraid as she does it, whereas in the\nother case there was absolutely no thought beyond selfish terror. The\none retains still some semblance of humanity, and some possibility of\nregaining self-control; the other has for the time cast aside all\nremnants of decency, and is an abject slave to overwhelming emotion.\n\nA very striking contrast to the humiliating weakness shown in these two\nforms is the splendid strength and decision of the third. Here we have\nno amorphous mass with quivering lines and explosive fragments, but a\npowerful, clear-cut and definite thought, obviously full of force and\nresolution. For this is the thought of the officer in charge--the man\nresponsible for the lives and the safety of the passengers, and he rises\nto the emergency in a most satisfactory manner. It does not even occur\nto him to feel the least shadow of fear; he has no time for that. Though\nthe scarlet of the sharp point of his weapon-like thought-form shows\nanger that the accident should have happened, the bold curve of orange\nimmediately above it betokens perfect self-confidence and certainty of\nhis power to deal with the difficulty. The brilliant yellow implies that\nhis intellect is already at work upon the problem, while the green which\nruns side by side with it denotes the sympathy which he feels for those\nwhom he intends to save. A very striking and instructive group of\nthought-forms.\n\n_On the First Night._--Fig. 31 is also an interesting specimen--perhaps\nunique--for it represents the thought-form of an actor while waiting to\ngo upon the stage for a \"first-night\" performance. The broad band of\norange in the centre is very clearly defined, and is the expression of a\nwell-founded self-confidence--the realisation of many previous\nsuccesses, and the reasonable expectation that on this occasion another\nwill be added to the list. Yet in spite of this there is a good deal of\nunavoidable uncertainty as to how this new play may strike the fickle\npublic, and on the whole the doubt and fear overbalance the certainty\nand pride, for there is more of the pale grey than of the orange, and\nthe whole thought-form vibrates like a flag flapping in a gale of wind.\nIt will be noted that while the outline of the orange is exceedingly\nclear and definite, that of the grey is much vaguer.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 31. ON THE FIRST NIGHT]\n\n_The Gamblers._--The forms shown in Fig. 32 were observed simultaneously\nat the great gambling-house at Monte Carlo. Both represent some of the\nworst of human passions, and there is little to choose between them;\nalthough they represent the feelings of the successful and the\nunsuccessful gambler respectively. The lower form has a strong\nresemblance to a lurid and gleaming eye, though this must be simply a\ncoincidence, for when we analyse it we find that its constituent parts\nand colours can be accounted for without difficulty. The background of\nthe whole thought is an irregular cloud of deep depression, heavily\nmarked by the dull brown-grey of selfishness and the livid hue of fear.\nIn the centre we find a clearly-marked scarlet ring showing deep anger\nand resentment at the hostility of fate, and within that is a sharply\noutlined circle of black expressing the hatred of the ruined man for\nthose who have won his money. The man who can send forth such a\nthought-form as this is surely in imminent danger, for he has evidently\ndescended into the very depths of despair; being a gambler he can have\nno principle to sustain him, so that he would be by no means unlikely to\nresort to the imaginary refuge of suicide, only to find on awakening\ninto astral life that he had changed his condition for the worse instead\nof for the better, as the suicide always does, since his cowardly action\ncuts him off from the happiness and peace which usually follow death.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 32. THE GAMBLERS]\n\nThe upper form represents a state of mind which is perhaps even more\nharmful in its effects, for this is the gloating of the successful\ngambler over his ill-gotten gain. Here the outline is perfectly\ndefinite, and the man's resolution to persist in his evil course is\nunmistakable. The broad band of orange in the centre shows very clearly\nthat although when the man loses he may curse the inconstancy of fate,\nwhen he wins he attributes his success entirely to his own transcendent\ngenius. Probably he has invented some system to which he pins his faith,\nand of which he is inordinately proud. But it will be noticed that on\neach side of the orange comes a hard line of selfishness, and we see how\nthis in turn melts into avarice and becomes a mere animal greed of\npossession, which is also so clearly expressed by the claw-like\nextremities of the thought-form.\n\n_At a Street Accident._--Fig. 33 is instructive as showing the various\nforms which the same feelings may take in different individuals. These\ntwo evidences of emotion were seen simultaneously among the spectators\nof a street accident--a case in which someone was knocked down and\nslightly injured by a passing vehicle. The persons who generated these\ntwo thought-forms were both animated by affectionate interest in the\nvictim and deep compassion for his suffering, and so their thought-forms\nexhibited exactly the same colours, although the outlines are absolutely\nunlike. The one over whom floats that vague sphere of cloud is thinking\n\"Poor fellow, how sad!\" while he who gives birth to that sharply-defined\ndisc is already rushing forward to see in what way he can be of\nassistance. The one is a dreamer, though of acute sensibilities; the\nother is a man of action.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 33. AT A STREET ACCIDENT]\n\n_At a Funeral._--In Fig. 34 we have an exceedingly striking example of\nthe advantage of knowledge, of the fundamental change produced in the\nman's attitude of mind by a clear understanding of the great laws of\nnature under which we live. Utterly different as they are in every\nrespect of colour and form and meaning, these two thought-forms were\nseen simultaneously, and they represent two points of view with regard\nto the same occurrence. They were observed at a funeral, and they\nexhibit the feelings evoked in the minds of two of the \"mourners\" by the\ncontemplation of death. The thinkers stood in the same relation to the\ndead man, but while one of them was still steeped in the dense ignorance\nwith regard to super-physical life which is so painfully common in the\npresent day, the other had the inestimable advantage of the light of\nTheosophy. In the thought of the former we see expressed nothing but\nprofound depression, fear and selfishness. The fact that death has\napproached so near has evidently evoked in the mind of the mourner the\nthought that it may one day come to him also, and the anticipation of\nthis is very terrible to him; but since he does not know what it is that\nhe fears, the clouds in which his feeling is manifested are\nappropriately vague. His only definite sensations are despair and the\nsense of his personal loss, and these declare themselves in regular\nbands of brown-grey and leaden grey, while the very curious downward\nprotrusion, which actually descends into the grave and enfolds the\ncoffin, is an expression of strong selfish desire to draw the dead man\nback into physical life.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 34. AT A FUNERAL]\n\nIt is refreshing to turn from this gloomy picture to the wonderfully\ndifferent effect produced by the very same circumstances upon the mind\nof the man who comprehends the facts of the case. It will be observed\nthat the two have no single emotion in common; in the former case all\nwas despondency and horror, while in this case we find none but the\nhighest and most beautiful sentiments. At the base of the thought-form\nwe find a full expression of deep sympathy, the lighter green indicating\nappreciation of the suffering of the mourners and condolence with them,\nwhile the band of deeper green shows the attitude of the thinker towards\nthe dead man himself. The deep rose-colour exhibits affection towards\nboth the dead and the living, while the upper part of the cone and the\nstars which rise from it testify to the feeling aroused within the\nthinker by the consideration of the subject of death, the blue\nexpressing its devotional aspect, while the violet shows the thought of,\nand the power to respond to, a noble ideal, and the golden stars denote\nthe spiritual aspirations which its contemplation calls forth. The band\nof clear yellow which is seen in the centre of this thought-form is very\nsignificant, as indicating that the man's whole attitude is based upon\nand prompted by his intellectual comprehension of the situation, and\nthis is also shown by the regularity of the arrangement of the colours\nand the definiteness of the lines of demarcation between them.\n\nThe comparison between the two illustrations shown in this plate is\nsurely a very impressive testimony to the value of the knowledge given\nby the theosophical teaching. Undoubtedly this knowledge of the truth\ntakes away all fear of death, and makes life easier to live because we\nunderstand its object and its end, and we realise that death is a\nperfectly natural incident in its course, a necessary step in our\nevolution. This ought to be universally known among Christian nations,\nbut it is not, and therefore on this point, as on so many others,\nTheosophy has a gospel for the Western world. It has to announce that\nthere is no gloomy impenetrable abyss beyond the grave, but instead of\nthat a world of life and light which may be known to us as clearly and\nfully and accurately as this physical world in which we live now. We\nhave created the gloom and the horror for ourselves, like children who\nfrighten themselves with ghastly stories, and we have only to study the\nfacts of the case, and all these artificial clouds will roll away at\nonce. We have an evil heredity behind us in this matter, for we have\ninherited all kinds of funereal horrors from our forefathers, and so we\nare used to them, and we do not see the absurdity and the monstrosity of\nthem. The ancients were in this respect wiser than we, for they did not\nassociate all this phantasmagoria of gloom with the death of the\nbody--partly perhaps because they had a much more rational method of\ndisposing of the body--a method which was not only infinitely better for\nthe dead man and more healthy for the living, but was also free from the\ngruesome suggestions connected with slow decay. They knew much more\nabout death in those days, and because they knew more they mourned less.\n\n_On Meeting a Friend._--Fig. 35 gives us an example of a good,\nclearly-defined and expressive thought-form, with each colour well\nmarked off from the others. It represents the feeling of a man upon\nmeeting a friend from whom he has been long separated. The convex\nsurface of the crescent is nearest to the thinker, and its two arms\nstretch out towards the approaching friend as if to embrace him. The\nrose colour naturally betokens the affection felt, the light green shows\nthe depth of the sympathy which exists, and the clear yellow is a sign\nof the intellectual pleasure with which the creator of the thought\nanticipates the revival of delightful reminiscences of days long gone\nby.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 35. ON MEETING A FRIEND]\n\n_The Appreciation of a Picture._--In Fig. 36 we have a somewhat complex\nthought-form representing the delighted appreciation of a beautiful\npicture upon a religious subject. The strong pure yellow marks the\nbeholder's enthusiastic recognition of the technical skill of the\nartist, while all the other colours are expressions of the various\nemotions evoked within him by the examination of so glorious a work of\nart. Green shows his sympathy with the central figure in the picture,\ndeep devotion appears not only in the broad band of blue, but also in\nthe outline of the entire figure, while the violet tells us that the\npicture has raised the man's thought to the contemplation of a lofty\nideal, and has made him, at least for the time, capable of responding to\nit. We have here the first specimen of an interesting class of\nthought-forms of which we shall find abundant examples later--that in\nwhich light of one colour shines out through a network of lines of some\nquite different hue. It will be noted that in this case from the mass of\nviolet there rise many wavy lines which flow like rivulets over a golden\nplain; and this makes it clear that the loftiest aspiration is by no\nmeans vague, but is thoroughly supported by an intellectual grasp of the\nsituation and a clear comprehension of the method by which it can be put\ninto effect.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 36. THE APPRECIATION OF A PICTURE]\n\n\nFORMS SEEN IN THOSE MEDITATING\n\n_Sympathy and Love for all._--Hitherto we have been dealing chiefly with\nforms which are the expression of emotion, or of such thought as is\naroused within the mind by external circumstances. We have now to\nconsider some of those caused by thoughts which arise from within--forms\ngenerated during meditation--each being the effect produced by a\nconscious effort on the part of the thinker to form a certain\nconception, or to put himself into a certain attitude. Naturally such\nthoughts are definite, for the man who trains himself in this way learns\nhow to think with clearness and precision, and the development of his\npower in this direction shows itself in the beauty and regularity of the\nshapes produced. In this case we have the result of an endeavour on the\npart of the thinker to put himself into an attitude of sympathy and love\ntowards all mankind, and thus we have a series of graceful lines of the\nluminous green of sympathy with the strong roseate glow of affection\nshining out between them (Fig. 37). The lines are still sufficiently\nbroad and wide apart to be easily drawn; but in some of the higher\nexamples of thought-forms of this type the lines are so fine and so\nclose that no human hand can represent them as they really are. The\noutline of this thought-form is that of a leaf, yet its shape and the\ncurve of its lines are more suggestive of a certain kind of shell, so\nthat this is another example of the approximation to forms seen in\nphysical nature which we noted in commenting upon Fig. 16.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 37. SYMPATHY AND LOVE FOR ALL]\n\n_An Aspiration to Enfold all._--In Fig. 38 we have a far more developed\nexample of the same type. This form was generated by one who was\ntrying, while sitting in meditation, to fill his mind with an aspiration\nto enfold all mankind in order to draw them upward towards the high\nideal which shone so clearly before his eyes. Therefore it is that the\nform which he produces seems to rush out from him, to curve round upon\nitself, and to return to its base; therefore it is that the marvellously\nfine lines are drawn in lovely luminous violet, and that from within the\nform there shines out a glorious golden light which it is unfortunately\nquite impossible to reproduce. For the truth is that all these\napparently intricate lines are in reality only one line circling round\nthe form again and again with unwearied patience and wonderful accuracy.\nIt is scarcely possible that any human hand could make such a drawing as\nthis on this scale, and in any case the effect of its colours could not\nbe shown, for it will be seen by experiment that if an attempt be made\nto draw fine violet lines close together upon a yellow background a grey\neffect at once appears, and all likeness to the original is destroyed.\nBut what cannot be done by hand may sometimes be achieved by the\nsuperior accuracy and delicacy of a machine, and it is in this way that\nthe drawing was made from which our illustration is reproduced,--with\nsome attempt to represent the colour effect as well as the wonderful\ndelicacy of the lines and curves.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 38. AN ASPIRATION TO ENFOLD ALL]\n\n_In the Six Directions._--The form represented in Fig. 39 is the result\nof another endeavour to extend love and sympathy in all directions--an\neffort almost precisely similar to that which gave birth to Fig. 37,\nthough the effect seems so different. The reasons for this variety and\nfor the curious shape taken in this case constitute a very interesting\nillustration of the way in which thought-forms grow. It will be seen\nthat in this instance the thinker displays considerable devotional\nfeeling, and has also made an intellectual effort to grasp the\nconditions necessary for the realisation of his wishes, and the blue and\nyellow colours remain as evidence of this. Originally this thought-form\nwas circular, and the dominant idea evidently was that the green of\nsympathy should be upon the outside, facing in all directions, as it\nwere, and that love should lie at the centre and heart of the thought\nand direct its outgoing energies. But the maker of this thought-form had\nbeen reading Hindu books, and his modes of thought had been greatly\ninfluenced by them. Students of Oriental literature will be aware that\nthe Hindu speaks, not of four directions (north, east, south, and west),\nas we do, but always of six, since he very sensibly includes the zenith\nand the nadir. Our friend was imbued from his reading with the idea that\nhe should pour forth his love and sympathy \"in the six directions\"; but\nsince he did not accurately understand what the six directions are, he\ndirected his stream of affection towards six equidistant points in his\ncircle. The outrushing streams altered the shape of the outlying lines\nwhich he had already built up, and so instead of having a circle as a\nsection of his thought-form, we have this curious hexagon with its\ninward-curving sides. We see thus how faithfully every thought-form\nrecords the exact process of its upbuilding, registering ineffaceably\neven the errors of its construction.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 39. IN THE SIX DIRECTIONS]\n\n_An Intellectual Conception of Cosmic Order._--In Fig. 40 we have the\neffect of an attempt to attain an intellectual conception of cosmic\norder. The thinker was obviously a Theosophist, and it will be seen\nthat when he endeavours to think of the action of spirit upon matter he\ninstinctively follows the same line of symbolism as that depicted in the\nwell-known seal of the Society. Here we have an upward-pointing\ntriangle, signifying the threefold aspect of the Spirit, interlaced with\nthe downward-pointing triangle, which indicates matter with its three\ninherent qualities. Usually we represent the upward triangle in white or\ngold, and the downward-pointing one in some darker hue such as blue or\nblack, but it is noteworthy that in this case the thinker is so entirely\noccupied with the intellectual endeavour, that no colour but yellow is\nexhibited within the form. There is no room as yet for emotions of\ndevotion, of wonder, or of admiration; the idea which he wishes to\nrealise fills his mind entirely, to the exclusion of all else. Still the\ndefiniteness of the outline as it stands out against its background of\nrays shows that he has achieved a high measure of success.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 40. AN INTELLECTUAL CONCEPTION OF COSMIC ORDER]\n\n_The Logos as manifested in Man._--We are now coming to a series of\nthoughts which are among the very highest the human mind can form, when\nin meditation upon the divine source of its being. When the man in\nreverent contemplation tries to raise his thought towards the LOGOS of\nour solar system, he naturally makes no attempt to image to himself that\naugust Being; nor does he think of Him as in any way possessing such\nform as we can comprehend. Nevertheless such thoughts build forms for\nthemselves in the matter of the mental plane; and it will be of interest\nfor us to examine those forms. In our illustration in Fig. 41 we have a\nthought of the LOGOS as manifested in man, with the devotional\naspiration that He may thus be manifested through the thinker. It is\nthis devotional feeling which gives the pale blue tinge to the\nfive-pointed star, and its shape is significant, since it has been\nemployed for many ages as a symbol of God manifest in man. The thinker\nmay perhaps have been a Freemason, and his knowledge of the symbolism\nemployed by that body may have had its share in the shaping of the star.\nIt will be seen that the star is surrounded by bright yellow rays\nshining out amidst a cloud of glory, which denotes not only the\nreverential understanding of the surpassing glory of the Deity, but also\na distinct intellectual effort in addition to the outpouring of\ndevotion.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 41. THE LOGOS AS MANIFESTED IN MAN]\n\n_The Logos pervading all._--Our next three Figures are devoted to the\neffort to represent a thought of a very high type--an endeavour to think\nof the LOGOS as pervading all nature. Here again, as in Fig. 38, it is\nimpossible to give a full reproduction, and we must call upon our\nreaders for an effort of the imagination which shall to some extent\nsupplement the deficiencies of the arts of drawing and printing. The\ngolden ball depicted in Fig. 42 must be thought of as inside the other\nball of delicate lines (blue in colour) which is drawn in Fig. 44. Any\neffort to place the colours in such intimate juxtaposition on the\nphysical plane results simply in producing a green blur, so that the\nwhole character of the thought-form is lost. It is only by means of the\nmachine before mentioned that it is at all possible to represent the\ngrace and the delicacy of the lines. As before, a single line produces\nall the wonderful tracery of Fig. 44, and the effect of the four\nradiating lines making a sort of cross of light is merely due to the\nfact that the curves are not really concentric, although at first sight\nthey appear to be so.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 42. THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 44. THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL]\n\n_Another Conception._--Fig. 45 exhibits the form produced by another\nperson when trying to hold exactly the same thought. Here also we have\nan amazing complexity of almost inconceivably delicate blue lines, and\nhere also our imagination must be called upon to insert the golden globe\nfrom Fig. 42, so that its glory may shine through at every point. Here\nalso, as in Fig. 44, we have that curious and beautiful pattern,\nresembling somewhat the damascening on ancient Oriental swords, or that\nwhich is seen upon watered silk or _moire antique_. When this form is\ndrawn by the pendulum, the pattern is not in any way intentionally\nproduced, but simply comes as a consequence of the crossing of the\ninnumerable microscopically fine lines. It is evident that the thinker\nwho created the form upon Fig. 44 must have held in his mind most\nprominently the unity of the LOGOS, while he who generated the form in\nFig. 45 has as clearly in mind the subordinate centres through which the\ndivine life pours forth, and many of these subordinate centres have\naccordingly represented themselves in the thought-form.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 45. ANOTHER CONCEPTION]\n\n_The Threefold Manifestation._--When the form employed in Fig. 46 was\nmade, its creator was endeavouring to think of the LOGOS in His\nthreefold manifestation. The vacant space in the centre of the form was\na blinding glow of yellow light, and this clearly typified the First\nAspect, while the Second was symbolised by the broad ring of\nclosely-knitted and almost bewildering lines which surround this centre,\nwhile the Third Aspect is suggested by the narrow outer ring which seems\nmore loosely woven. The whole figure is pervaded by the usual golden\nlight gleaming out between the lines of violet.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 46. THE THREEFOLD MANIFESTATION]\n\n_The Sevenfold Manifestation._--In all religions there remains some\ntradition of the great truth that the LOGOS manifests Himself through\nseven mighty channels, often regarded as minor Logoi or great planetary\nSpirits. In the Christian scheme they appear as the seven great\narchangels, sometimes called the seven spirits before the throne of God.\nThe figure numbered 47 shows the result of the effort to meditate upon\nthis method of divine manifestation. We have the golden glow in the\ncentre, and also (though with lesser splendour) pervading the form. The\nline is blue, and it draws a succession of seven graceful and almost\nfeatherlike double wings which surround the central glory and are\nclearly intended as a part of it. As the thought strengthens and\nexpands, these beautiful wings change their colour to violet and become\nlike the petals of a flower, and overlap one another in an intricate but\nexceedingly effective pattern. This gives us a very interesting glimpse\ninto the formation and growth of these shapes in higher matter.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 47. THE SEVENFOLD MANIFESTATION]\n\n_Intellectual Aspiration._--The form depicted in Fig. 43 bears a certain\nresemblance to that in Fig. 15; but, beautiful as that was, this is in\nreality a far higher and grander thought, and implies much more advanced\ndevelopment on the part of the thinker. Here we have a great clear-cut\nspear or pencil of the pure pale violet which indicates devotion to the\nhighest ideal, and it is outlined and strengthened by an exceedingly\nfine manifestation of the noblest development of intellect. He who can\nthink thus must already have entered upon the Path of Holiness, for he\nhas learnt how to use the power of thought to very mighty effect. It\nwill be noted that in both the colours there is a strong admixture of\nthe white light which always indicates unusual spiritual power.\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 43. INTELLECTUAL ASPIRATION]\n\nSurely the study of these thought-forms should be a most impressive\nobject-lesson, since from it we may see both what to avoid and what to\ncultivate, and may learn by degrees to appreciate how tremendous is our\nresponsibility for the exercise of this mighty power. Indeed it is\nterribly true, as we said in the beginning, that thoughts are things,\nand puissant things; and it behoves us to remember that every one of us\nis generating them unceasingly night and day. See how great is the\nhappiness this knowledge brings to us, and how gloriously we can utilise\nit when we know of some one in sorrow or in suffering. Often\ncircumstances arise which prevent us from giving physical help either by\nword or deed, however much we may desire to do so; but there is no case\nin which help by thought may not be given, and no case in which it can\nfail to produce a definite result. It may often happen that at the\nmoment our friend may be too entirely occupied with his own suffering,\nor perhaps too much excited, to receive and accept any suggestion from\nwithout, but presently a time comes when our thought-form can penetrate\nand discharge itself, and then assuredly our sympathy will produce its\ndue result. It is indeed true that the responsibility of using such a\npower is great, yet we should not shrink from our duty on that account.\nIt is sadly true that there are many men who are unconsciously using\ntheir thought-power chiefly for evil, yet this only makes it all the\nmore necessary that those of us who are beginning to understand life a\nlittle should use it consciously, and use it for good. We have at our\ncommand a never-failing criterion; we can never misuse this mighty power\nof thought if we employ it always in unison with the great divine scheme\nof evolution, and for the uplifting of our fellow-man.\n\n\nHELPFUL THOUGHTS\n\nThe Figures numbered 48 to 54 were the results of a systematic attempt\nto send helpful thought by the friend who has furnished us with the\nsketches. A definite time was given each day at a fixed hour. The forms\nwere in some cases seen by the transmitter, but in all cases were\nperceived by the recipient, who immediately sent rough sketches of what\nwas seen by the next post to the transmitter, who has kindly supplied\nthe following notes with regard to them:--\n\n\"In the coloured drawings appended the blue features appear to have\nrepresented the more devotional element of the thought. The yellow forms\naccompanied the endeavour to communicate intellectual fortitude, or\nmental strength and courage. The rosy pink appeared when the thought was\nblended with affectionate sympathy. If the sender (A.) could formulate\nhis thought deliberately at the appointed time, the receiver (B.) would\nreport seeing a large clear form as in Figs. 48, 49, and 54. The latter\npersisted for some minutes, constantly streaming its luminous yellow\n'message' upon B. If, however, A. was of necessity experimenting under\ndifficulty--say walking out of doors--he would occasionally see his\n'forms' broken up into smaller globes, or shapes, such as 50, 51, 52,\nand B. would report their receipt so broken up. In this way many\ndetails could be checked and compared as from opposite ends of the line,\nand the nature of the influence communicated offered another means of\nverification. Upon one occasion A. was disturbed in his endeavour to\nsend a thought of the blue-pink connotation, by a feeling of anxiety\nthat the nature of the pink element should not be misapprehended. The\nreport of B. was that a well-defined globe as in Fig. 54 was first seen,\nbut that this suddenly disappeared, being replaced by a moving\nprocession of little light-green triangles, as in Fig. 53. These few\ndrawings give but a slight idea of the varied flower-like and geometric\nforms seen, while neither paint nor crayon-work seems capable of\nrepresenting the glowing beauty of their living colours.\"\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 48. HELPFUL THOUGHTS]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 49. HELPFUL THOUGHTS]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 50. HELPFUL THOUGHTS]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 51. HELPFUL THOUGHTS]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 52. HELPFUL THOUGHTS]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 53. HELPFUL THOUGHTS]\n\n[Illustration: FIG. 54. HELPFUL THOUGHTS]\n\n\nFORMS BUILT BY MUSIC\n\nBefore closing this little treatise it will perhaps be of interest to\nour readers to give a few examples of another type of forms unknown to\nthose who are confined to the physical senses as their means of\nobtaining information. Many people are aware that sound is always\nassociated with colour--that when, for example, a musical note is\nsounded, a flash of colour corresponding to it may be seen by those\nwhose finer senses are already to some extent developed. It seems not to\nbe so generally known that sound produces form as well as colour, and\nthat every piece of music leaves behind it an impression of this nature,\nwhich persists for some considerable time, and is clearly visible and\nintelligible to those who have eyes to see. Such a shape is perhaps not\ntechnically a thought-form--unless indeed we take it, as we well may,\nas the result of the thought of the composer expressed by means of the\nskill of the musician through his instrument.\n\nSome such forms are very striking and impressive, and naturally their\nvariety is infinite. Each class of music has its own type of form, and\nthe style of the composer shows as clearly in the form which his music\nbuilds as a man's character shows in his handwriting. Other\npossibilities of variation are introduced by the kind of instrument upon\nwhich the music is performed, and also by the merits of the player. The\nsame piece of music if accurately played will always build the same\nform, but that form will be enormously larger when it is played upon a\nchurch organ or by a military band than when it is performed upon a\npiano, and not only the size but also the texture of the resultant form\nwill be very different. There will also be a similar difference in\ntexture between the result of a piece of music played upon a violin and\nthe same piece executed upon the flute. Again, the excellence of the\nperformance has its effect, and there is a wonderful difference between\nthe radiant beauty of the form produced by the work of a true artist,\nperfect alike in expression and execution, and the comparatively dull\nand undistinguished-looking one which represents the effort of the\nwooden and mechanical player. Anything like inaccuracy in rendering\nnaturally leaves a corresponding defect in the form, so that the exact\ncharacter of the performance shows itself just as clearly to the\nclairvoyant spectator as it does to the auditor.\n\nIt is obvious that, if time and capacity permitted, hundreds of volumes\nmight be filled with drawings of the forms built by different pieces of\nmusic under different conditions, so that the most that can be done\nwithin any reasonable compass is to give a few examples of the leading\ntypes. It has been decided for the purposes of this book to limit these\nto three, to take types of music presenting readily recognisable\ncontrasts, and for the sake of simplicity in comparison to present them\nall as they appeared when played upon the same instrument--a very fine\nchurch organ. In each of our Plates the church shows as well as the\nthought-form which towers far into the air above it; and it should be\nremembered that though the drawings are on very different scales the\nchurch is the same in all three cases, and consequently the relative\nsize of the sound-form can easily be calculated. The actual height of\nthe tower of the church is just under a hundred feet, so it will be seen\nthat the sound-form produced by a powerful organ is enormous in size.\n\nSuch forms remain as coherent erections for some considerable time--an\nhour or two at least; and during all that time they are radiating forth\ntheir characteristic vibrations in every direction, just as our\nthought-forms do; and if the music be good, the effect of those\nvibrations cannot but be uplifting to every man upon whose vehicles they\nplay. Thus the community owes a very real debt of gratitude to the\nmusician who pours forth such helpful influences, for he may affect for\ngood hundreds whom he never saw and will never know upon the physical\nplane.\n\n_Mendelssohn._--The first of such forms, a comparatively small and\nsimple one, is drawn for us in Plate M. It will be seen that we have\nhere a shape roughly representing that of a balloon, having a scalloped\noutline consisting of a double violet line. Within that there is an\narrangement of variously-coloured lines moving almost parallel with this\noutline; and then another somewhat similar arrangement which seems to\ncross and interpenetrate the first. Both of these sets of lines\nevidently start from the organ within the church, and consequently pass\nupward through its roof in their course, physical matter being clearly\nno obstacle to their formation. In the hollow centre of the form float a\nnumber of small crescents arranged apparently in four vertical lines.\n\n[Illustration: PLATE M. MUSIC OF MENDELSSOHN]\n\nLet us endeavour now to give some clue to the meaning of all this, which\nmay well seem so bewildering to the novice, and to explain in some\nmeasure how it comes into existence. It must be recollected that this is\na melody of simple character played once through, and that consequently\nwe can analyse the form in a way that would be quite impossible with a\nlarger and more complicated specimen. Yet even in this case we cannot\ngive all the details, as will presently be seen. Disregarding for the\nmoment the scalloped border, we have next within it an arrangement of\nfour lines of different colours running in the same direction, the\noutermost being blue and the others crimson, yellow, and green\nrespectively. These lines are exceedingly irregular and crooked; in\nfact, they each consist of a number of short lines at various levels\njoined together perpendicularly. It seems that each of these short lines\nrepresents a note of music, and that the irregularity of their\narrangement indicates the succession of these notes; so that each of\nthese crooked lines signifies the movement of one of the parts of the\nmelody, the four moving approximately together denoting the treble,\nalto, tenor and bass respectively, though they do not necessarily appear\nin that order in this astral form. Here it is necessary to interpolate a\nstill further explanation. Even with a melody so comparatively simple as\nthis there are tints and shades far too finely modulated to be\nreproduced on any scale at all within our reach; therefore it must be\nsaid that each of the short lines expressing a note has a colour of its\nown, so that although as a whole that outer line gives an impression of\nblueness, and the one next within it of carmine, each yet varies in\nevery inch of its length; so that what is shown is not a correct\nreproduction of every tint, but only the general impression.\n\nThe two sets of four lines which seem to cross one another are caused by\ntwo sections of the melody; the scalloped edging surrounding the whole\nis the result of various flourishes and arpeggios, and the floating\ncrescents in the centre represent isolated or staccato chords. Naturally\nthe arpeggios are not wholly violet, for each loop has a different hue,\nbut on the whole they approach more nearly to that colour than to any\nother. The height of this form above the tower of the church is probably\na little over a hundred feet; but since it also extends downwards\nthrough the roof of the church its total perpendicular diameter may well\nbe about a hundred and fifty feet. It is produced by one of\nMendelssohn's \"Lieder ohne Woerte,\" and is characteristic of the delicate\nfiligree-work which so often appears as the result of his compositions.\n\nThe whole form is seen projected against a coruscating background of\nmany colours, which is in reality a cloud surrounding it upon every\nside, caused by the vibrations which are pouring out from it in all\ndirections.\n\n_Gounod._--In Plate G we have an entirely different piece--a ringing\nchorus by Gounod. Since the church in the illustration is the same, it\nis easy to calculate that in this case the highest point of the form\nmust rise fully six hundred feet above the tower, though the\nperpendicular diameter of the form is somewhat less than that, for the\norganist has evidently finished some minutes ago, and the perfected\nshape floats high in the air, clearly defined and roughly spherical,\nthough rather an oblate spheroid. This spheroid is hollow, as are all\nsuch forms, for it is slowly increasing in size--gradually radiating\noutward from its centre, but growing proportionately less vivid and more\nethereal in appearance as it does so, until at last it loses coherence\nand fades away much as a wreath of smoke might do. The golden glory\nsurrounding and interpenetrating it indicates as before the radiation of\nits vibrations, which in this case show the dominant yellow in much\ngreater proportion than did Mendelssohn's gentler music.\n\n[Illustration: PLATE G. MUSIC OF GOUNOD]\n\nThe colouring here is far more brilliant and massive than in Plate M,\nfor this music is not so much a thread of murmurous melody as a splendid\nsuccession of crashing chords. The artist has sought to give the effect\nof the chords rather than that of the separate notes, the latter being\nscarcely possible on a scale so small as this. It is therefore more\ndifficult here to follow the development of the form, for in this much\nlonger piece the lines have crossed and intermingled, until we have\nlittle but the gorgeous general effect which the composer must have\nintended us to feel--and to see, if we were able to see. Nevertheless\nit is possible to discern something of the process which builds the\nform, and the easiest point at which to commence is the lowest on the\nleft hand as one examines the Plate. The large violet protrusion there\nis evidently the opening chord of a phrase, and if we follow the outer\nline of the form upward and round the circumference we may obtain some\nidea of the character of that phrase. A close inspection will reveal two\nother lines further in which run roughly parallel to this outer one, and\nshow similar successions of colour on a smaller scale, and these may\nwell indicate a softer repetition of the same phrase.\n\nCareful analysis of this nature will soon convince us that there is a\nvery real order in this seeming chaos, and we shall come to see that if\nit were possible to make a reproduction of this glowing glory that\nshould be accurate down to the smallest detail, it would also be\npossible patiently to disentangle it to the uttermost, and to assign\nevery lovely touch of coruscating colour to the very note that called it\ninto existence. It must not be forgotten that very far less detail is\ngiven in this illustration than in Plate M; for example, each of these\npoints or projections has within it as integral parts, at least the four\nlines or bands of varying colour which were shown as separate in Plate\nM, but here they are blended into one shade, and only the general effect\nof the chord is given. In M we combined horizontally, and tried to show,\nthe characteristics of a number of successive notes blended into one,\nbut to keep distinct the effect of the four simultaneous parts by using\na differently-coloured line for each. In G we attempt exactly the\nreverse, for we combine vertically, and blend, not the successive notes\nof one part, but the chords, each probably containing six or eight\nnotes. The true appearance combines these two effects with an\ninexpressible wealth of detail.\n\n_Wagner._--No one who has devoted any study to these musical forms would\nhesitate in ascribing the marvellous mountain-range depicted in Plate W\nto the genius of Richard Wagner, for no other composer has yet built\nsound edifices with such power and decision. In this case we have a vast\nbell-shaped erection, fully nine hundred feet in height, and but little\nless in diameter at the bottom, floating in the air above the church out\nof which it has arisen. It is hollow, like Gounod's form, but, unlike\nthat, it is open at the bottom. The resemblance to the successively\nretreating ramparts of a mountain is almost perfect, and it is\nheightened by the billowy masses of cloud which roll between the crags\nand give the effect of perspective. No attempt has been made in this\ndrawing to show the effect of single notes or single chords; each range\nof mimic rocks represents in size, shape, and colour only the general\neffect of one of the sections of the piece of music as seen from a\ndistance. But it must be understood that in reality both this and the\nform given in Plate G are as full of minute details as that depicted in\nPlate M, and that all these magnificent masses of colour are built up of\nmany comparatively small bands which would not be separately visible\nupon the scale on which this is drawn. The broad result is that each\nmountain-peak has its own brilliant hue, just as it is seen in the\nillustration--a splendid splash of vivid colour, glowing with the glory\nof its own living light, spreading its resplendent radiance over all\nthe country round. Yet in each of these masses of colour other colours\nare constantly flickering, as they do over the surface of molten metal,\nso that the coruscations and scintillations of these wondrous astral\nedifices are far beyond the power of any physical words to describe.\n\n[Illustration: PLATE W. MUSIC OF WAGNER]\n\nA striking feature in this form is the radical difference between the\ntwo types of music which occur in it, one producing the angular rocky\nmasses, and the other the rounded billowy clouds which lie between them.\nOther _motifs_ are shown by the broad bands of blue and rose and green\nwhich appear at the base of the bell, and the meandering lines of white\nand yellow which quiver across them are probably produced by a rippling\narpeggio accompaniment.\n\nIn these three Plates only the form created directly by the\nsound-vibrations has been drawn, though as seen by the clairvoyant it is\nusually surrounded by many other minor forms, the result of the personal\nfeelings of the performer or of the emotions aroused among the audience\nby the music. To recapitulate briefly: in Plate M we have a small and\ncomparatively simple form pourtrayed in considerable detail, something\nof the effect of each note being given; in Plate G we have a more\nelaborate form of very different character delineated with less detail,\nsince no attempt is made to render the separate notes, but only to show\nhow each chord expresses itself in form and colour; in Plate W we have a\nstill greater and richer form, in the depiction of which all detail is\navoided, in order that the full effect of the piece as a whole may be\napproximately given.\n\nNaturally every sound makes its impression upon astral and mental\nmatter--not only those ordered successions of sounds which we call\nmusic. Some day, perhaps, the forms built by those other less euphonious\nsounds may be pictured for us, though they are beyond the scope of this\ntreatise; meantime, those who feel an interest in them may read an\naccount of them in the little book on _The Hidden Side of Things_.[1]\n\nIt is well for us ever to bear in mind that there is a hidden side to\nlife--that each act and word and thought has its consequence in the\nunseen world which is always so near to us, and that usually these\nunseen results are of infinitely greater importance than those which are\nvisible to all upon the physical plane. The wise man, knowing this,\norders his life accordingly, and takes account of the whole of the world\nin which he lives, and not of the outer husk of it only. Thus he saves\nhimself an infinity of trouble, and makes his life not only happier but\nfar more useful to his fellow-men. But to do this implies\nknowledge--that knowledge which is power; and in our Western world such\nknowledge is practically obtainable only through the literature of\nTheosophy.\n\nTo exist is not enough; we desire to live intelligently. But to live we\nmust know, and to know we must study; and here is a vast field open\nbefore us, if we will only enter upon it and gather thence the fruits of\nenlightenment. Let us, then, waste no more time in the dark dungeons of\nignorance, but come forth boldly into the glorious sunshine of that\ndivine wisdom which in these modern days men call Theosophy.\n\n[Footnote 1: By C.W. Leadbeater.]\n\n\n\n\nBRADFORD: REPRINTED BY PERCY LUND, HUMPHRIES AND CO. LTD.","title":"Thought-Forms","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":21076}