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Glares are negative perceptions that prevent self-knowledge. Glares associated with activity are discussed in this article.
By Roberto Assagioli et al. . Excerpt from the book Creative Meditation.
Activity-related illusions are perhaps the most widespread of all illusions today. Present Western civilization is not only a victim of them, it is actually possessed by them. There are several reasons why they have become so powerful, but as mentioned in the first instruction, it is mainly due to the prevailing interest in and overestimation of so-called “material realities” and the resulting focus on material possessions and achievements.
Focusing on activity creates the illusion of “being busy.” Not only is almost every minute of the average person’s day filled, he is proud of it. He believes that the more he engages in physical activities, the more he achieves. Many people have so completely adapted their lives to “being busy” that constant activity has become almost a way of life, and they are unable to be still and quiet or to find joy in other areas. When the active person is not doing something, he is not satisfied, and this restlessness is emotional and mental as well as physical. The “urge” to activity is so strong that it is very difficult to stop and remain calm.
Even if one has acknowledged all this, it is difficult to change the very rigid pattern of life in which one lives. Most people are involved in strict routines from childhood to old age. Most forms of work force them to follow tight schedules and to lead an orderly life. The young housewife with a family often has a busier day than people with a fixed routine. Demands are constantly being made that cannot be rejected. Very few people today are able to live a life at a leisurely pace.
Therefore, the solution lies not only in dampening the overactivity when possible, but also in changing one’s attitude and learning to find an inner silence even in the midst of activity, and then working from that point. An Eastern scripture reads:
Both action and reaction must be present in you, your physical body active, your thinking calm, your soul clear as a mountain lake.
Besides the obligations and time pressures of modern society, one can often find another reason for overactivity. For example, one may feel compelled to ignore oneself in order to forget inner difficulties and problems. In order to observe this fascination with clarity and know how to process it, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between the form of overactivity that is mainly due to an inner drive, and the form that becomes an escape mechanism or a maneuver to avoid the difficult and often unpleasant task of having to observe one’s own and the surrounding tendencies.
Efficiency illusion
There is a close connection between the glamour of constant activity and the glamour of efficiency. Efficiency that creates material goods—quick results, payment for work done, and “fast” production—is sought after at the expense of quality and standards of value. This is such a widespread and obvious trend these days, due to economic tensions and other factors, that it is not necessary to elaborate on it here, but one should be alert to this collective drive so as not to be caught up in it more than necessary, and so as to preserve as much as possible a correct and healthy perception of values.
Balancing internal and external activities
These forms of glamour can be balanced by two fundamental realizations. The first is that the value of any action depends on the motives that inspire it and on the goals it is aimed at. Motives, values, and goals do not belong to external “reality.” They belong to the inner world of humanity and are psychological and sometimes spiritual in nature. Therefore, one should consider them with the greatest possible care before embarking on any external activity. In reality, all physical activity has a psychological origin. It has been proven that the slightest movement presupposes the existence of a conscious or unconscious image of it. This will be more true in the case of more complex and organized activities that necessarily require mental planning, such as preparation and psychological incentives for execution.
The inner action
The second realization concerns a real and powerful inner action. Such an action has two phases. The first phase takes place in the interior, when one equips oneself to be able to carry out the outer action in the best possible way. The task consists in developing and using all psychological functions correctly, and in coordinating and even changing the whole personality. The second phase of inner action consists of a subtle influence, each of which radiates constantly – even if one is not aware of it – and also of a special radiance which one quite consciously emits. These two forms of radiance are described in the sixth instruction of the second year, and it will be helpful to review them in relation to this subject.
Buddha and Christ – and active service
All this shows how necessary it is not only to maintain the right balance between external and internal activity, but also to understand why every course of action must always begin within before it can be manifested externally. This was rightly and clearly indicated by both Buddha and Christ in their lives. When the Buddha, completely overwhelmed by the suffering in the world, left his home to seek the truth that could liberate mankind. He spent several years in inner search and meditation until he attained inner enlightenment about the causes of suffering and the methods of achieving liberation from it. Then he began a life of active service, a service he carried on for half a century, enlightening countless people and pointing out the need for inner action and meditation.
In the life of Christ we see the same kind of withdrawal before his outward actions. Luke records in his Gospel that the Master, before the most significant events of his life, spent long periods in prayer in solitude – for example, before choosing the twelve disciples, and before preaching the Sermon on the Mount: “He went out into the mountains to pray, and spent the night in prayer to God” (Luke VI, 12).
Sri Aurobindo
Many other examples could be cited, but a particularly striking contemporary example is the life of Sri Aurobindo. After spending the first part of his life in intense external activity, he felt drawn to withdraw and spent the rest of his life in silence. This resulted not only in deep spiritual realization but also in his writing several very valuable books. Many have a desire to “get away”, to seek quiet places and to find methods of practicing silence either with a group or alone. But one should be sure that the goal is not a withdrawal from the external, but a withdrawal in order to experience the “secret place of the Highest”.
Planning glamour
The glamour of activity easily creates other glamours, such as constant planning and systematicity to achieve desired goals. Everyone knows, for example, people who are always devising grandiose plans on a scale that will require such enormous resources that they do not have at their disposal, or that require abilities that they do not have. They like to use words like “international,” “worldwide,” “universal,” and sometimes even “cosmic.” But such systematicity is often an expression of wishful thinking that is completely unfeasible in practice. It looks good on paper, and there it stays and goes no further.
This illusion contains a lack of understanding of the principles and methods of creation. All creation begins within and works outward from small beginnings through gradual growth to the final result. All living organisms grow in this way—from a seed. This is the right method for all action—from the center to the periphery, from conception to manifestation.
Manipulation illusion
Another illusion related to activity is manipulation. This illusion is based on the tendency to view people as “objects” that can be used and exploited either for one’s own purposes or for a cause or plan that one believes is right and good.
The most obvious and what can be called the “grossest” forms of manipulation, which are increasingly and more aggressively used in today’s media (press, radio, TV, Internet, etc.), are advertisements and commercials. With both obvious and more refined methods, people are motivated to buy the countless products that are flooding the market. But these are “manipulated” motivations, because the advertisements are mostly aimed at the lower drives and interests, and systematic methods are used to arouse interest and to satisfy desires for material things. These things are often completely unnecessary and sometimes even harmful, but people are easily impressed and become willing victims in these manipulation processes. Similar situations are found in political propaganda, which is usually disguised with the label “ideals”. Then there is the way in which people manipulate each other, often under the guise of so-called love, for example, the way in which parents and children or husbands and wives manipulate each other. This manipulation can sometimes even reach a point that resembles “blackmail”. The different forms are described very vividly by Everett L. Shostrom in Man, the Manipulator, The Inner Journey from Manipulation to Actualization (Published by Abingdon Press, New York, 1967).
This illusion can only be broken by understanding the true nature of other people – by recognizing that they are “subjects” just like yourself, that you must respect and love them, that you must establish real “human” relationships with them, and that you must understand that they are not “objects” to be exploited. Martin Buber has discussed this very profoundly in his book I and Thou, emphasizing that you should think of your fellow human beings as a “you” and not as an “it.” People who have this illusion should also remember that others have the right to choose freely and to live their lives according to their own life patterns.
Because of the constant pressure you are subjected to from groups and individuals, you have the problem of having to defend yourself against being manipulated. The first thing is to perceive the influences you are exposed to. You can get a lot of help from a book by Vance Packard, The Hidden Persuaders , and from other books on marketing psychology, which openly describe the techniques and “tricks” of the commercial professions. Knowing these methods will make you more alert and able to better resist and counteract them.
Subtle manipulations
It is much more difficult to perceive and counteract the subtle manipulations that people you care about exert. You must learn the art of saying “no” kindly but firmly. It takes both wisdom and willpower, but it is helpful to know that such rejections are also for the best for those who are trying to exert pressure.
It is not necessary to describe the techniques which can be used to overcome the various glamours associated with activity. Students who have used the techniques described earlier in these instructions will quickly see which ones they can use. For example, the technique of right proportions will be of special help, the cultivation of opposites is particularly useful, and the technique of transmutation will be a practical method of releasing the energy which has so often been misused by people with these glamours.
Excessive sensitivity causes one to identify with one’s emotional life and with the feelings that external contacts can arouse, especially other people. As a result, there is a tendency to feel attracted or repelled, and to be dependent on and open to the influences of the environment.
One of the most common biases that arises from this identity is sensitivity to the opinions and criticisms of others. It is a bias that is hindering and painful, but it can be overcome by cultivating objectivity and self-confidence. One way to develop this attitude is to understand that most of the judgments and criticisms of others are based on lack of information, on misunderstandings, and on personal prejudices that stem from their own biases.
You can use the attitude in an old proverb:
Empty barrels rumble the most.
A verse from the Dhammapada also reminds us of this:
People criticize those who talk a lot.
They criticize those who remain silent.
And they also criticize those who speak moderately.
No one in the world escapes criticism.
Delusions about psychic sensitivity
The tendency to be overly open to the opinions of others is a weakness that develops a negative sensitivity to psychic influences, both from individuals and from the general psychic currents. Some are proud of being able to receive impressions and consider it a sign of “higher” development, mistaking it for intuition. To others it seems confusing and frightening. Both reactions are a delusion. Those who consider it a higher gift forget that both primitive man and animals are “mediumistic,” and those who feel disturbed by it should know that it can be controlled by adopting a positive attitude and developing qualities that can counteract it.
Glare regarding artistic perception
Another fascination in this area is a tendency toward what is called a vague artistic understanding. People who have a definite opinion of beauty, poetry, and artistic value tend to prefer a life in misty regions to the harsh realities of everyday life. They lose themselves in beautiful fantasies and create with the imagination, and thus lose touch with the facts of the objective world and with the realities of the spiritual world. This fascination tends to strike people who seem dreamy and ineffective.
On the other hand, interest in beauty can create the opposite kind of fascination, in that this interest can provoke a tendency to overestimate objective beauty and feel attracted to it. Admiring beautiful things is undeniably right, but as Plato emphasized, this is only the first step on the ladder that reaches the essential formless beauty:
Man begins by admiring beauty individually, and in his search for universal beauty we can see that man is constantly ascending the celestial ladder, from step to step, i.e. from one to two and from two to every beautiful form, from the beauty of forms to the beauty of systems, from systems to learning, and from general learning to special knowledge that concerns only beauty itself, until man finally arrives at knowing what beauty is.
(Symposium)
People who tend towards these “sensitivity illusions” are also subject to many conflicts. Their openness to the thoughts, feelings, actions and needs of others pulls them in all directions. This means that when they respond to such pulls, their energies are scattered and fragmented. They disappear in all directions, are confused and wavering, and achieve very little.
Concentration creates unity
The same problems arise in connection with people’s own creativity. They respond so quickly to ideas and impulses that they are overwhelmed by them. It is difficult for them to focus on one particular project, and they fail to carry some of their ideas to full objective manifestation. The basic answer to the dispersion of these energies is concentration – that is, to limit attention and effort to one thing at a time and to muster sufficient will to complete each task. All this can be summarized by saying that the central problem of people who are the subject of this fourth category of glamour is to achieve harmony through conflict. This problem is closely related to the glamour of peace.
The illusion of peace
It may seem strange to call peace an illusion, since it is an ideal that the majority of humanity yearns for. But many see peace simply as a state of being without war. There are many opinions about the true nature of peace and about the methods that can lead to peace. Many suffer from the illusion that peace among people can be achieved by establishing external governing bodies—such as treaties, laws, covenants, and organizations. But recent history has shown all too clearly the fallacy of believing that such methods can prevent wars.
The reason is that the root of the problem is not being addressed and the causes of war are not being addressed. These causes have been discussed at great length, so there is no need to elaborate on them here. Of the psychological causes that are of greatest importance, besides aggressive drives, self-assertion, the will to power and distrust, fear is ignored and not taken into account at all. Since these causes are psychological, they can only be counteracted and destroyed by psychological and spiritual methods. This was clearly stated in the Preamble to the UNESCO Foundation:
Since wars begin in the minds of men,
it is in the minds of men
that the defenses of peace must be built.
Another reason for the necessity of approaching the problem of peace with psychological methods is the fact – as modern psychology has established – that, due to a projection mechanism, the inherent aggression and fighting spirit found in individuals, groups and nations is attributed to other people. Such projections usually tend to arouse or intensify hostility in the people against whom they are directed, and thus a harmful cycle is created which promotes external violence.
Good will, right relationships and a spirit of cooperation
Therefore, both individually and collectively, good will, right relationships, and a spirit of cooperation must be developed and applied to a large extent. True and lasting peace can only come as a result of these factors, and of the psychological changes – inner transformations, one might say – that this can bring about for the individual and for society.
The many changes necessary to create this necessarily involve the abandonment of old ways and require a whole series of sacrifices and renunciations. In other words: Change brings conflict. But achieving true peace and harmony by resolving the conflicts within oneself is in fact the only way to avoid a world conflict that would currently mean the annihilation of a large part of humanity.
All this should be recognized by those people who are blinded by the idea of “peace at all costs”. A static, negative state of peace will not lead to progress, development and growth. The deep problems, changes and reconstructions that need to be formulated are the factors that one should strive to realize in order to achieve true harmony on Earth.
The fifth form consists of the illusions that arise from mental polarization. They are especially intellectual illusions, and generally the background to them is an illusion, or one might say the delusion that knowing something mentally is sufficient in itself.
Such theoretical or objective knowledge, however, is only the first step to true understanding and clear cognition, as they are achieved by other methods of cognition. True knowledge of other people, for example, is not achieved by solely analyzing and making biological and psychological statements of character traits and characteristics, for that requires empathy through feeling and imagination. Understanding of the great principles and the higher realities is achieved only by means of a higher organ of knowledge— intuition.
This view is not anti- rational but supra- rational. Intuition as a method of knowledge is generally not recognized by academic psychologists and contemporary philosophers, for they accuse it of being “mystical.” This merely shows their misunderstanding of the true nature and value of mysticism.
Mystics and intuition
First of all, intuition is not a quality or gift that all mystics possess. Many mystics follow the path of pure love and are simple-minded and uninterested in higher knowledge. Others are occasionally flooded with inner enlightenment about reality, which is not specifically due to the influence of intuition.
On the other hand, thinkers throughout history have recognized and used intuition as a higher form of understanding. More recently, humanistic psychologists have also begun to recognize and value intuition.
Using analytical thinking alone without integrating it with other methods of knowledge is not only insufficient, but it also constitutes a real obstacle to understanding reality. This obstacle has even been called the “killer of reality” because of its tendency to analyze and criticize and its overactivity, which creates barriers and a kind of fog between man and higher realities. This is especially the case when thinking is not guided.
Glare regarding criticism
One of the tendencies of the mind which is particularly harmful when not balanced with understanding and right judgment is criticism . It is one of the most widespread delusions, to which almost everyone is prone, but especially intellectual people.
Criticism is so widespread because it satisfies several basic tendencies. One of them is assertiveness – pointing out the shortcomings and weaknesses of others gives a pleasant feeling of added value and flatters vanity. In addition, criticism provides a direct outlet for aggressive energies, and since it is satisfying with an easy and certain victory when the “enemy” is not present, it is often done under the illusion that it does no harm and is sometimes even a duty.
Criticism is harmful
But criticism is not harmless. It creates two opposing reactions. In some people it has a very destructive effect, creating feelings of inferiority, inhibiting and paralyzing. This unfortunately often happens when the criticism comes from parents or a teacher. Others may react differently – with rebellious and hostile behavior, which in turn triggers more criticism, thereby creating a harmful cycle of misunderstandings and conflicts.
Criticism also has another unfortunate effect, and that is the damage it causes to the person who criticizes. It creates a barrier for themselves and prevents proper relationships with others. It also prevents them from expressing good feelings and excludes a positive and constructive attitude. It results in a sour and negative attitude in this person, who tends to react psychosomatically, which leads to a poor physical condition.
Greatness and weakness
A critical attitude often creates and nourishes resistance and rebellion not only against people, but also against circumstances and life itself. People who believe in God often criticize this supreme being because there are so many evils and injustices in the world.
An extreme form of criticism that has been adopted is the practice of “debasing” greatness and great people and finding pleasure in exposing their weaknesses and lower aspects. Many feel that the difference in superiority has a derogatory effect on them and even offensive. This form of criticism is a delusion because the people criticized, whom some try to bring down to their own level, have been great despite their shortcomings and weaknesses. For example, Mozart’s emotional immaturity and Wagner’s ambition and assertiveness did not affect the high quality of their work.
One should distinguish between criticism and discernment. Refraining from criticism does not mean closing one’s eyes to the shortcomings of others, or failing to observe faults and wrongdoings. True discernment requires observing this, for what distinguishes it from criticism is the inner attitude one adopts. Those who criticize generally do so with complacency and a sense of superiority, but those who apply wisdom in discernment do not find pleasure in observing the imperfections they encounter.
Cultivation of opposites
The tendency to criticize can be broken down by using most of the techniques for breaking down the glamour, but perhaps the simplest and most direct is the cultivation of opposites. In this case, this means cultivating loving understanding and developing the habit of seeing the good in events and people and of expressing understanding and respect.
The mental glamours are often associated with the glamours of the various types of activity because of their association with the overemphasis and overvaluation of form. An example of this is the kind of poetry in which the form of poetry attains perfection without giving any real meaning, and a primitive manifestation of this glamour is the current tendency to place more emphasis on the packaging than on the content.
The preceding paragraphs deal with the misuse of thought, but it is necessary to develop and use it properly. The function of the faculty of thought should be appreciated, just as its development should be cultivated, especially by those people who tend to the second, fourth, and sixth delusions ( See the first instruction of the fourth year).
It can be said that the true function of the mind is to be an interpreter. The mind must gather data and inspiration that come to it through the physical senses as well as from emotions, imaginations, and intuition. All this it must coordinate and integrate by exemplifying in a great synthesizing function. In addition to this synthesizing and interpreting function, the mind has the task of formulating and expressing the results it arrives at.
All this illustrates the general principle that any single human function, if separated from others, can give only a partial and one-sided picture of realities and is therefore illusion-creating. The synthesis-creating function of thought is only one aspect of the total synthesis which is the goal of an integrated, self-realized man. Therefore, relating and integrating all parts of human nature are very effective methods for breaking down many illusions, especially the last two we studied – the fourth and fifth. This general principle should be remembered and made effective in combination with any of the various techniques which one finds most helpful.
Techniques
There are various methods that can be used effectively at different levels to eliminate the illusion. The initial methods (described in the second instruction of the fourth year) can be generally used, for they are simple and fairly easy to understand, although they can be difficult to practice.
The first is clear recognition, which is a recognition that within the human being there exists a certain glamour or glamours. This recognition may encounter resistance within, as it is often painful and hurts pride to have to acknowledge one’s imperfections. But one must be honest with oneself and maintain a humble attitude without giving in to feelings of inferiority and guilt. Everyone has glamour, so one is simply participating in a common human condition.
Disidentification, reason and decision
The next step is disidentification, which in this context means recognizing and affirming: “This illusion is in me, but it is not me.” Students who have used the exercise of disidentification (described in the second instruction of the fourth year) will find it easy to apply to any illusion.
Then follows the proper use of the faculty of thought. Reason and clear thinking are often sufficient to discover how a delusion distorts life and hinders insight into both outer and inner reality. But it is necessary to use these powers, to stop and look at oneself and evaluate one’s attitudes and actions.
Finally comes the stage of decision – the decision not to give in to the current glamour, either inwardly or outwardly. This means that one must use the will, for it ensures good opportunities to practice the use of this valuable but often neglected and abused power. Here the “as-if” technique (see the second instruction of the fourth year) is appropriate. One can behave as if this glamour did not exist. The substitution method is also useful, which is to direct one’s attention and activity to areas that are different from those that were penetrated by the glamour that one is trying to work through.
Lighting technology
All the above methods are of a defensive nature. They can control the glamour to a certain extent, but they cannot dissolve it or remove it. In order to free oneself completely from a glamour, it is necessary to use more direct and dynamic methods, and one of the types of this is the technique of light. This is basically based on Raja Yoga as interpreted by Patanjali. (A recent translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with extensive commentary by Alice A. Bailey is found in the book The Light of the Soul (Esoterisk Center Forlag). The first stages are concentration and meditation with the aim of coordinating and uniting all aspects of the personality – physical, emotional and mental – and then integrating the personality with the soul. In this way, the greater light of the soul is added to the light of thought.
This attuned light can be imagined as a point of light or a sphere of light or as a searchlight. From this sphere of light, by an act of will and with the help of the creative imagination, a beam of light can be directed towards the illusion that one is working on. As the light penetrates and pierces the illusion, it will gradually disappear. The meditation that concludes this instruction is based on this technique.
The following light reflection can also be helpful. A reflection in the evening on the attitudes you have expressed during the day and the actions you have taken is a very valuable practice, and in addition to visualizing your light and assessing how you are using it in your life, you can use the following questions as keywords – one for each week.
Looking back at light
- Can I honestly say that I know how I, as a personality, can step aside and shed light on the problems in my daily life?
- It is said that there is a soul, a being of light that irradiates the spiritual. When I recognize this, do I have insight into how to avoid worries – an insight that should illuminate my path?
- In what way is light reflected in my life?
- What problems and events most quickly awaken the light within me?
- What activities and qualities in my lower nature need to be eliminated if the light is to illuminate my path?
- In what ways can I use the light to provide help to humanity?
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How to move forward
Here you can receive seven free meditations where you develop different aspects of yourself.
Also read the article Psychosynthesis an Integral Psychology and the biography of Roberto Assagioli
Read the introductory article about energy psychology
Read the introductory article about integral meditation
