I hope I have not caused you to become defensive about occult experiences. I did not say that you personally claimed to have any experience. However, Hermes did. And anyone who progresses through the highest levels of certain Orders must claim to have extraordinary experiences. Otherwise, they are playing with words and ideas. If extraordinary experiences are not possible, i.e. astral travel and union with God consciousness, then I want nothing to do with it.
The book you recommend seems promising. Thanks.
OH they are possible alright, but in many traditions we are warned about seeking them as the focus of the journey ... Siddhis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi
But they are great for sucking students in
I want power. Okay to get power you need to do this and this ... including studying the wise use of power, ethics, etc. ... eventually, you have power and ethics (insidious isnt it
) ... of course, all groups teachers and students dont work that way ... some will teach you things that will really **** you up ... or the student might learn all that and try it without the ethics.
My favourite story about siddhis is
The student goes to the master' "Master, yesterday in the market place I was talking to a student from Dong Chen's school, they teach people, they say, to eventually be able to walk on water!"
"Is that so."
"Yes. Is that possible?"
"Perhaps."
"Will you teach me?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Its a waste of time, you would better spend your time learning other things."
"I think you dont know how to teach me this. Or you do know and you want to keep it for yourself. So I am leaving you and am going to find a teacher that can teach me real magical powers."
"Okay then, good luck"
The student was gone for 20 years. One day the teacher, now an old man, was sitting out the front of his hut looking over the river and he heard shouting on the other side.
"Hey teacher! Old Man! Watch this!"
Very carefully he stepped upon the water and walked over the water to the other side and up to the teacher.
"There! You old fake! I proved it! What do you think of THAT then! "
" Oh, very good." The teacher laughed.
"Why are you laughing then?" The olld student asked.
The old man pointed down stream to the ferryman punting people across the river.
"You just spent 20 years learning to do something that those people just paid a penny for."
Now ... following practices that will help you expand to your fullest potential ... thats another story. In that process things may arise.
This :
" In this book it is spoken of the Sephiroth and the Paths; of Spirits and Conjurations; of Gods, Spheres, Planes, and many other things which may or may not exist.
It is immaterial whether these exist or not. By doing certain things certain results will follow; students are most earnestly warned against attributing objective reality or philosophic validity to any of them.
3. The advantages to be gained from them are chiefly these:
("a") A widening of the horizon of the mind.
("b") An improvement of the control of the mind.
4. The student, if he attains any success in the following practices, will find himself confronted by things (ideas or {13} beings) too glorious or too dreadful to be described. It is essential that he remain the master of all that he beholds, hears or conceives; otherwise he will be the slave of illusion, and the prey of madness."
http://hermetic.com/crowley/libers/lib6.html
