To Light a Thousand Lamps - The Theosophical Society

Psychism / 117
busywork, so much so that we feel impelled to ask a few
questions: Is it prudent in our present stage of evolution to
force, as in a hothouse, the cultivation of paranormal faculties
when we are still so very egocentric? Are we suªciently
prepared by inner purity and self-mastery to deal with astral
forces that heretofore have been held in check by nature’s
protective closure of our physical senses to octaves beyond
the normal range?
What of channeling, the much talked about ‘‘gift’’ of
mediumship? Hardly a gift, for to be a medium for the
channeling of messages from beings from the ‘‘other side’’
may seem to serve us well for a while, yet it often happens
that the receiver in time becomes prey to external forces
beyond his control. Our psychiatric wards in hospitals and
prisons tell the harrowing story of the many thousands of
unhappy victims of psychic possession. Yet, to be a channel
is an everyday occurrence. We are, each of us, constantly
the channel or recipient of thoughts and atmospheres that
arise in ourself or among family, friends, neighbors, our
nation, and humanity as a whole. Inevitably so. Could we
not on occasion be the channel for an inspiration that we,
usually in spite of our ordinary mind, hear, see, or feel,
when momentarily we have become a transmitter of light
and inspiration from the ākāśic heights? There is nothing
remarkable about this; it has been going on for millennia, in
every land among all peoples. But this is a far cry from the
type of channeling that captures headlines.
On the other hand, what of those who commit heinous
acts: many scarcely know why, or what may have impelled
them to murder or rape. Did inherent weakness of will