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Varieties Of Psychism

By J. I. WEDGWOOD

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Varieties of Psychism

Occult development consists in the gradual opening up of new phases of consciousness, and the extension of the faculties of sense-observation. Putting aside the sense of pleasure which results in a marked degree from this process of self-expansion or opening out into “moreness," there is no other feeling which stands out so strongly as the utter unexpectedness of each new experience. In trying to picture to oneself what will be the nature of any new power of consciousness, one is apt always to build up from past experience, to regard the anticipated phase of experience as strictly [Page 2] sequential with the old, as, to put it colloquially, merely a glorified version of that already enjoyed. Experience shows us that in reality this is a mistake. The fresh power of consciousness is in the nature of an altogether new dimension of experience, rather than a mere extension of the old. It is profoundly true to assert: “As above, so below," but in practice it is false to rejoin: “As below, so above." We can perhaps make the point clear by a concrete illustration. The student who is trying to develop clairvoyance, accustomed by years of previous experience to associate the power of vision with the physical eyes, expects to continue in the use of his eyes when exercising his new faculty; it never occurs to him to think otherwise, and one of his first surprises will be to find [Page 3] that the eyes play no part in clairvoyance.[ Except in a variety of the etheric sight] Hence it is clear that in dealing with this kind of development the old adage is peculiarly applicable: "An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory." [Page 4]