Spirituality offers a wealth of valuable information that you would look for in vain in academic trends. People seek knowledge, help, understanding, and development. However, at the beginning of their journey, they fail to distinguish between the enlightened mind and the esoteric, exotericism and esotericism, cause and anupadaka, spirituality and New Age, soul and monad, chakras and port, channeling and self-connection—the mind lumps everything together. Humans also fail to distinguish and feel subtle energy, energy quality, or the energy of the text. They are unable to distinguish between those who draw from genuine, time-tested spiritual roots and those who invent their own astral fantasies, presenting them as divine revelation.
This lack of distinction is natural at first, because at some point, a person begins to understand what it’s all about. And when they learn to feel the differences in qualities and energies, to feel them subtly, not just intellectually, true learning begins, not just the gathering of useless information. Some start backward, but perhaps that’s their path.
How can we distinguish a spiritual kindergarten from more advanced knowledge? What is required is an attitude of humility, a constant questioning of insights, the nature of a researcher, non-attachment, and work based on internal processes rather than on acquiring information from outside. External information must be confronted with internal sensations. By maintaining within ourselves—consciously or not—shrouds, coverings, bubbles, holograms, and artificial sources, we succumb to external forces and the influence of their fields on our feelings and thinking. It is like making our way through, searching for our place in the space that we have given away to others in our existence.
I remember the beginnings of my spiritual experiences. Suddenly, I experienced something that threw me completely – an incarnation memory related to a medieval battle. I dreamed of holding a sword, surrounded by knights, and a moment later I saw a scene full of blood dripping from the sword, death, and the aftermath of the battle. Everything was vivid, powerful, colorful, and dynamic. I immediately woke up sweating and shouted to my ex-wife: „I was good, I was good, I didn’t do anything wrong.” This marked the beginning of the topic of repression and confrontation with a traumatic experience.
Why does it happen? Because we live in a society based on the principle of „an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” a system that doesn’t originate with the dark ones but is a creation of the white ones. Instead of forgiving, accepting, and moving forward, we immerse ourselves in self-analysis, self-punishment, and rationalization, because the burden of guilt combined with punishment is too big. Therefore, incarnation memory and past-life regression sessions aren’t for everyone, because we don’t know how to respond to a given event, how to treat ourselves, or what to do with these emotions. Therefore, we punish ourselves prematurely and judge ourselves negatively. This is a great danger to spirituality, one that’s hard to find in academic work, but that’s a good thing, because self-improvement should be gradual.
In my book Beyond Duality, I wrote a chapter titled “How they hold souls in samsara, and the burdens of the Prophet,” which tells the story of a young man who went to see a well-known media personality specializing in astrology and cosmograms. Enticed by positive reviews and popularity, he submitted to a consultation, which, instead of being an interview and observation, turned into an assessment and putting him in a box—who he has been, who he was, and what he should do, in accordance with the will of his guide and God.
How many charlatans carrying the burden of the prophet impose their will, projections, delusions, and channelings on you, your businesses, your children, your loved ones, and the world? How does this differ from a religious path or a cult? This is a great danger in spirituality, especially among New Age „prophets.” In academic work, there are guidelines, frameworks, systems of thought and action, and pointing things out triggers defensive reactions. The only solution is to let go, to not cling to an opinion, no matter how logical or justified it may seem.
Many beginners exploring spiritual and esoteric topics fail to tell the difference between things. Today, we are flooded with terms, people, seers, and methods—all lumped together. Diversity has its faces, but weeds hide more easily in a beautiful meadow. Perhaps the Theosophical movement, which translated Vedic and Buddhist works, wasn’t a good move? Perhaps there’s a method to this madness, but today, to start with, I’d recommend readings similar to those I studied at the beginning:
- Autobiography of a Yogi – Paramahamsa Yogananda. An incredible read, perhaps it will awaken in someone the memory of a yogi, of life in those regions.
- The Etheric Double & The Causal Body – Arthur E. Powell.
- Journeys (trilogy) – Robert A. Monroe.
- Exploring the Afterlife (trilogy) – Bruce Moen.
- New Energy Ways – Robert Bruce. (energy training)
- The Treatise on Astral Projection – Robert Bruce (energy training)
- The Teachings of Don Juan – Carlos Castaneda (the first few books).
The discerning awareness should then be greater. Next, I’d recommend my own books: Beyond Duality, The Shadow of the Gods, and The Twilight of the Gods. This way, we have a foundation, a pillar that doesn’t rely on the insight of one person or a small group. We’ve filtered external information through our own minds. What’s next? Instead of focusing on past-life regression sessions, digging into the past in a systemic way, I’d start reading sci-fi and fantasy literature, and watching TV series. That is, we seek out the series, book, or novel that we feel most drawn to (or strongly repelled by), because some energy may be stuck or stopped in a given world. Let’s look at my example.
Another experience that changed my perception of myself involved reading the Ender Saga (Ender’s Game) by Orson Scott Card. As soon as I picked up the books, I felt a small child inside me, locked in some strange tube. Each page awakened a memory within me; something inside me (I called it little Ender at that time) spoke, described, and explained the events. Only when I finished the third volume did this inner child grow and feel accepted. Ender was a tragic figure who, on the one hand, defended and protected humanity from the invader, and on the other, contributed to the annihilation of an entire race. For the rest of his life—even though Ender later rebuilt that race—he felt guilty. Only my work, analysis, acceptance, and working as if with my inner child, changed little Ender’s (my) attitudes. This required six months of work. If someone says they’ve processed some cosmic or earthly incarnation in a single breathing or hypnotic session, in reality they mean releasing a larger trauma, because changing one’s mindset, confronting an old way of thinking, takes a very, very long time and requires a tremendous amount of work, and even then, a person is often still unable to let go of the old way of perceiving because they are fused with it. This is very interesting and enthusiastic about spirituality. The most important thing is the lack of identification during such work, because we often incarnate with a given subconscious package (someone else’s memory) and simply accept it as our own, as an asset or karma. It’s about confronting and questioning such a life. We look for a novel, adventure, series, or book that allows us to identify with our own incarnation or allows us to identify with a hero, protagonist, or group. In each case, it’s about assessing and analyzing of a given behavior: for example, why someone made this decision, how could it have been otherwise, what irritates me, what angers me, what behavior, what response? This is how we learn to think differently, broaden our horizons, and peel off subconscious programs. The most important thing isn’t who you were, but what emotions you experienced, what prodded, irritated, or attracted you. This is a great lesson in retrospection, working with yourself, and observing your behavior. Developing the observer’s skill is always useful. It’s also worth familiarizing yourself with Vipassana meditation (studies here).
Let’s move on to the next topic.
In The Spiritual Matrix I wrote, and I quote: “Today the very word 'esotericism’ means something completely different than it did even a hundred years ago. Esotericism refers to knowledge accessible only to privileged, experienced, or initiated individuals, and is the opposite of exoteric knowledge, which is universally available.” It is easier to understand why Gurdjieff, Blavatsky, and Steiner, despite discovering and presenting secret knowledge to the masses, still tended to divide it into inner and outer knowledge, that is, for their close circle and for everyone else. In the Gospel according to Matthew (chapter 7, verse 6) we read: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” I remember arguments I had as an altar boy with priests and monks about specific verses, because once a month I attended meetings dedicated to studying the Old and New Testaments. We often see Jesus’ words defining and describing people, for example, foxes, sheep, wolves, or even pigs. To cast pearls before swine (in Latin: margaritas ante porcos) means to give or offer someone something that they cannot properly appreciate or understand. In other words, don’t tell an ignorant person something they won’t understand anyway. Marcus Aurelius also said: „Lord, grant me the patience to accept what I cannot change; the courage to change what I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Now, when working with anyone, you can’t start with the monad, you can’t use language like „move to the anupadaka” or „see what you have on your atma”—such terminology won’t be understood. Degrees and stages are necessary, starting with the lowest densities, teaching sensation and subtle work, even on the astral level. This provides a foundation of knowledge and discernment for further exploration, release, and subtle work. However, when you receive letters saying:
“Do you remove the latest, higher generation chips/implants in 5 and 11 dimensions?”
It becomes obvious that the person asking the question is unaware that they are in a New Age environment. They assume everyone understands what the 11th dimension is all about. This isn’t the worst part, but the problem is the lack of awareness that everything is happening with our consent and that it is within the person (or their subtle self/soul) that the will to release an attachment or influence must be awakened. Instead, the question asks: „Can you see, can you?” – a transfer of personal agency. Furthermore, there is an assumption that the reading that comes with the person is true, instead of verification: „Can you check my subtle bodies?” and commissioning an analysis. This entire attitude is a religious transfer of personal agency to the pulpit, to an outsider, instead of: „I am accompanying you during this release, and you can release it yourself.”
Unfortunately, contemporary esotericism is flooded with such attitudes and awareness, which is probably why it remained hidden knowledge for so long. I use the names of Vedic densities for a reason; even Buddhists have accepted them. I don’t use the so-called „Focuses” developed by Monroe, although I present their application1, because they are too recent and apply only to this system. When we now speak of the „surge” of prophets of the new era, everyone is inventing something—names, dimensions—but how does this relate to the knowledge that has been with us for thousands of years? And how does this relate to what Dr. Witkowski said about research in psychology (see the second part of the study). Why create such a mishmash, such chaos? Or perhaps it was all intentional. If so, it worked out very well, because spirituality is one, yet the division is so great.
Although various paths are a record, an archetype, a path created by other beings and may serve a given group of people better or worse, they almost always degenerate into doctrines and dogmas, augmented by the influence of egregores and thought forms of the individuals involved. At a certain point, a given path ceases to be what it originally was.
Looking at this issue from the perspective of the human psyche and body—as brilliantly illustrated by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—humans need order, something that has been named and categorized. Showing people point „A” (where they are) and point „B” (where they can be) and providing information on how to get there has always sold well because it provides a sense of security, support, and a light in the darkness.
The greatest lie in spirituality, esotericism, and the New Age is the omission of the distinction between the subtle self and the soul/Higher Self. Robert Monroe and Bruce Moen spoke of the I-There. Theosophists mentioned the ego in the causal body. In New Age and Huna, the term „Higher Self” is used. Even Leszek Żądło used prayers and references to the Higher Self. I understand, because it took me almost two decades to learn this distinction—that is, not to neglect one aspect at the expense of another.
Unfortunately, treating higher densities and our souls, or even monads, as perfect is a significant obstacle. We shouldn’t do this to ourselves, or worse yet, we completely ignore the influence of the subtle self or soul on ourselves in our own learning and perception. This is how we unconsciously construct a doctrine of the superiority of the personal self. And then suddenly, in life and after death, our eyes open in surprise to discover that there is something that has greater power than ourselves, and constitutes our „current” and „pattern” for further action. But what kind of action? When we treat higher dimensions as perfect, we fall for these very „perfections” and are struck by various forces, because the big „sh*t” was wrapped in gold; after all, it was so high, beings were in contact with the Source, emanating golden or violet energy.
This entire environment, despite magic, madness, salespeople and channelings, also contains a beauty found nowhere else. Spirituality can provide answers to many questions, the causes of mental disorders, many ailments, and life events, and can—depending on the consciousness of a given person/being—heal, resolve, or support classical therapies. Where Kant and Descartes closed one door of science, knowledge, and perception, many others remain open, for how can a few narrow minds prophesy about the world, the Universe, or anything that requires—as Rudolf Steiner wrote—the opening of further human senses?
This entire paragraph, or perhaps this entire series of studies, is really a conversation about how we as humans are constantly evolving, and if we are, our perceptions must also change. If we think the same way we did ten, five, or even a year ago, then we must be doing something wrong.
Conclusion
Jordan Peterson wrote: “Nonetheless, all states of order, no matter how secure and comfortable, have their flaws. Our knowledge of how to act in the world remains eternally incomplete—partly because of our profound ignorance of the vast unknown, partly because of our willful blindness, and partly because the world continues, in its entropic manner, to transform itself unexpectedly. Furthermore, the order we strive to impose on the world can rigidify as a consequence of ill-advised attempts to eradicate from consideration all that is unknown. When such attempts go too far, totalitarianism threatens, driven by the desire to exercise full control where such control is not possible, even in principle. This means risking a dangerous restriction of all the psychological and social changes necessary to maintain adaptation to the ever-changing world. And so we find ourselves inescapably faced with the need to move beyond order, into its opposite: chaos. Chaos is anomaly, novelty, unpredictability, transformation, disruption, and all too often, descent, as what we have come to take for granted reveals itself as unreliable. (…) Sometimes, however, chaos makes itself known in a more subtle manner, revealing its secrets through experiences that provoke curiosity, excitement, and interest. This kind of encounter with chaos is particularly likely (although never guaranteed) when we voluntarily immerse ourselves in the unknown, after proper preparation and with discipline. At other times, the unexpected makes itself known suddenly, accidentally, and usually painfully, with the consequence that we lose our footing and take a hard blow from life, and the recovery from such a shock is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Neither the state of order nor the state of chaos should be regarded as intrinsically better than its opposite.”1
In the chaos of information, the multitude of paths, methods, beliefs, trends, and beautiful salespeople, perhaps the simplest and best path is your own. No one should be your moral compass, confessor, or role model. You’ll be disappointed sooner rather than later, and why do that to yourself? If we learned to draw out the best, were grateful for inspiration, had an innate drive to improve, take and move forward, instead of clinging to one another or forming church-like groups, we would face the “final boss” more quickly.
The boss is always a look inside ourselves, deep within ourselves, into our own darkness, facing what or who our soul is, facing our sense of victimhood, harm, exploitation, naivety, stupidity, or even the incarnate evil that was within us. There’s no point kidding ourselves that we were saints—no one was, but it’s not about judging ourselves, our path, the paths of others, or seeking methods or shortcuts. It’s about lovingly accepting what was, what is, and what will be. A method or guru can give you comfort, strengthen your need for belonging, provide security, but where do your feelings of danger, fear, and anxiety come from? Didn’t you leave one church to join another? It’s called New Age, a therapy group, a meditation group, an esoteric group, an esoteric YouTube channel? As humans, we need other people to share our observations, thoughts, and concerns—which is why belonging to various groups is entirely appropriate. But the greatest breakthroughs, the most significant changes, happen when we are alone with ourselves, and this is where the question arises: „Do I allow myself to be alone?” When emotions, feelings, and thoughts suddenly arise in silence and solitude, how do we react? What do we do then, because this is precisely the response to our personal spirituality.
Many years ago, I wrote about what spirituality means to me. Let’s take a look: „Spirituality is that which transcends religions, Sanskrit, philosophies, esotericism, New Age, and channelings. In truth, we are all spiritual, because spirituality touches our inner selves, who we are, and how we respond to everyday matters. Matters of the spirit are not at all separate or distant from us in time and place; quite the opposite: they influence our daily lives. Spirituality is not about subtle densities, the soul, mysticism, aura, chakras, meditations, mantras—absolutely not. Of course, we think so at first, we see a path in it, but spiritual practices are different from spiritual expression. One is prayer, song, meditation, ashram, the other is self-observation, self-examination, healing at ever-deeper levels. What concerns you, concerns the soul, what concerns the soul, concerns you.”
Simply don’t be afraid of yourself when you embark on a spiritual path, a New Age one, esotericism, mysticism, insights, clairvoyance, and many, many seemingly similar fields. Even though you’ll encounter weeds, celebrities, salespeople, charlatans, you’ll also meet good people, therapists, and views that initially seemed crazy, but turned out to be real. Somewhere after all this, you’ll smile and perhaps feel what others who have walked a similar path have felt. You’ve searched so far, yet everything was right there within you. Similarly, the topic concerns and touches your soul—she’s there, but she isn’t, she can be, but she doesn’t have to be. When this changes, your entire development will change. I’m not saying you’ll heal everything because it doesn’t work that way, but your existence will take on meaning, purpose, and wholeness you’ve always sought from the outside.
Nikodem Marszałek
February 2022/2024
1 Jordan Peterson, Beyond Order, Penguin Random House, pp. 19-20.
