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Clairvoyance and Occult Powers by Swami Panchadasi

LESSON VIII CLAIRVOYANT REVERIE

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In the preceding two chapters, I have asked you to consider the first two methods of inducing the clairvoyant phenomena, namely, Psychometry, and Crystal-Gazing, respectively. In these cases you have seen how the clairvoyant gets en rapport with the astral plane by means of physical objects, in the case of psychometric clairvoyance; or by means of a shining object, in the case of crystal gazing. Let us now consider the third method of inducing the clairvoyant condition or state, i.e., by means of what may be called Clairvoyant Reverie, in which the clairvoyant gets en rapport with the astral plane by means of psychic states in which the sights, sounds and thoughts of the material and physical plane are shut out of consciousness.

The student of the general subject of clairvoyance will soon be impressed with two facts concerning the production of clairvoyant phenomena, namely, (1) that in the majority of the recorded cases of the investigators the clairvoyant phenomena were obtained when the clairvoyant was in the state of sleep, or at least semi-sleep or drowsiness, the visioning appearing more or less like a vivid dream; and (2) that in the case of the clairvoyant voluntarily entering en rapport with the astral plane, he or she would enter into what seemed to be a kind of trance condition, in some cases an absolute unconsciousness of the outside world being manifested. The student, noting these facts, is apt to arrive at the conclusion that all clairvoyance is accompanied by the condition of sleep, or trance, and that no clairvoyant phenomena are possible unless this psychic condition is first obtained. But this is only a half-truth as we shall see in a moment.

In the first place, the student arriving at this conclusion seems to have ignored the fact that the phenomena of psychometry and crystal gazing, respectively, are as true instances of clairvoyance as are those which are manifested in the sleep or trance condition. It is true that some psychometrists produce phenomena when they are in a state of psychic quiescence, but, on the other hand, many clairvoyant psychometrists merely concentrate the attention on the object before them, and remain perfectly wide-awake and conscious on the physical plane. Likewise, the average crystal gazer remains perfectly wide-awake and conscious on the physical plane. When the student takes these facts into consideration, he begins to see that the trance condition, and similar psychic states, are simply particular methods of inducing the en rapport condition for the clairvoyant, and are not inseparably bound up with the phenomena of clairvoyance.

As the student progresses, moreover, he will see that even in the case of Clairvoyant Reverie, the third method of inducing the astral en rapport condition, the clairvoyant does not always lose consciousness. In the case of many advanced and exceptionally well-developed clairvoyants, no trance or sleep condition is induced. In such cases the clairvoyant merely "shuts out" the outside world of sights, sounds and thoughts, by an effort of trained will, and then concentrates steadily on the phenomena of the astral plane. For that matter, the skilled and advanced occultist is able to function on the astral plane by simply shifting his consciousness from one plane to another, as the typist shifts from the small letters of the keyboard to the capital letters, by a mere pressure on the shift-key of the typewriter.

The only reason that many clairvoyants manifesting along the lines of the third method, known as "clairvoyant reverie," fall into the trance or sleep condition, is that they have not as yet acquired the rare art of controlling their conscious attention at will--this is something that requires great practice. They find it easier to drop into the condition of semi-trance, or semi-sleep, than it is to deliberately shut out the outer world by an act of pure will. Moreover, you will find that in the majority of the recorded cases of the investigators, the clairvoyance was more or less spontaneous on the part of the clairvoyant person, and was not produced by an act of will. As we proceed to consider the various forms and phases of clairvoyant phenomena, in these lessons, you will notice this fact. There are but few recorded cases of voluntary clairvoyance in the books of the investigators--the skilled clairvoyants, and more particularly the advanced occultists, avoid the investigators rather than seek them; they have no desire to be reported as "typical cases" of interesting psychic phenomena--they leave that to the amateurs, and those to whom the phenomena come as a wonderful revelation akin to a miracle. This accounts for the apparent predominance of this form of clairvoyance--the secret is that the net of the investigators has caught only a certain kind of psychic fish, while the others escape attention.

How to Become Psychic offers further advice on developing your psychic potential.