Page:The Great Book of Magical Art, Hindu Magic and East Indian Occultism.djvu/548

 530 THE GREAT BOOK OF MAGICAL ART

them in sympathy, as it were, with you, and able to affect you. In the same way a certain relationship exists between you and those who use corpses as food, living and dead human beings, and Vampires and Elementals, Shells, and other species of entities that roam the lower levels of the next plane. In addition to this there is a vast mass — it takes the form of clouds and sometimes horrible shapes — of hatred resulting from the collective thoughts or sensations of all the slaught- ered animals, tame and wild, and thfe blood, like alcohol, is a magnetic tie, as has been already seen. Purity of food, then, is essential

Next is purity of thought. Sensuality, anger, malice, are differing rates of vibration, and these vibrations are taken up by others in the vicinity. The entertaining of a thought of evil towards another human being is fed and increased in consequence, so that the next time you repeat the thought it is with increased power. If indulged in much you create a centre of evil, and this may be seized upon by some passing entity, which either attaches itself to you and feeds vicariously on your magnetism, and that of others ending in possession, or without being pounced upon by an astral inltabitant it will become a kind of alter ego, another stratum of consciousness, acquire a semi-consciousness of its own and became to a large extent independent of you. This is the key to much of the phenomena of multiplex personality, and also accounts for the remark so frequently heard when a friend sees another whom he has not met for years — "How he has changed" ! Every man is his own devil or god, just as he is responsible for whatever circum- stances he is surrounded by, or his destiny in general.

By thinking pure thoughts only, sympathetic, helpful thoughts, the matter of which your subtle vehicles is gradually built on vibrations corresponding with these qualities, and the lower thoughts perish for want of food. Further, just as evil thought is fed like a river is fed by a tributary, so in the same way high thinking and kindly thoughts attracts those of a like nature.

Sympathy is of two kinds, however, and nearly always the wrong is indulged in. By feeling keenly and sympathizing with one in pain or suffering from a disease there is a tendency to reproduce the same symptoms in yourself, to say nothing of being unconsciously drained by the invalid. It is quite possible to sympathize with a friend with- out at the same time taking on his weakness. Let your sympathy be strong, that is to say, look at things from the most optimistic stand- point, which is the only true one. Don't humor him, and strengethen him in his negative aspect. We all know these people who are wet blankets wherever they go, whether it be the sick chamber or the busy mart. We also know those who like a ray of sunshine entering a dark cellar lights everything up. This is the aspect to take when visiting sick friends. Refuse to see the disease, talk only of the bright, the

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