By Gregory Mitchell

The ethics and the purpose of a particular course of action can never be far apart. They are both questions of the "Why?" rather than the "What?" or the "How?" of a subject. The ethics are indissolubly bounded in the goals and intentions of a course of action. In fact the goals and intentions of a subject are bounded in the ethical and moral standpoint of its proponents. In simple words: if a group of scientists were researching into "the taste of boiled babies" the question of why they would want to do or know this, i.e. the purpose, would be a question of the ethics of this group of researchers.

The inherent nature of the spiritual individuality lies outside the field of time and experience, being the reality transcendent to the world of manifestation. It is, nevertheless, that which lies behind the unique evolution of each individual, and determines its distinctive growth. In order that this work may be achieved, the transcendent Self has the necessity of establishing points of contact with the phenomenal worlds. No spiritual soul can have an independent conscious existence before the spark which issued from the pure essence of the universal Oversoul has: (a) passed through every elemental form of the phenomenal world, and (b) acquired individuality, first by natural impulse, and then by self-induced and self-devised methods ascending through all degrees of intelligence from the lowest to the highest.

This is the pathway of experimental discovery, which starts with involution (the descent into matter), through the various elemental kingdoms, the turning point in the mineral world, and the re-ascent on the pathway of return through the vegetable, animal, human and superhuman stages of unfoldment. Today we are only concerned with a fragment of this great cycle and this is the transition from the animal soul to the human soul (called in theosophy the Fifth Root Race) with developed mind, and on to start the ascent into the superhuman (the Sixth Root Race) - the level of transpersonal needs (see The Road to Self-Actualization).

Evolution in the human phase of the Fifth Root Race is concerned with the development of self consciousness and mind in general. The history of each Root Race consists of three parts: after its actual foundation the first period is re-capitulatory, dealing with the types of experience particular to earlier Root Races. When this period is over, the Race enters upon its own unique development. Finally towards the end of this phase certain elements anticipatory of future Races are introduced into life.

The vanguard or evolutionary elite of the Fifth Root Race in the advanced countries of the world reached the half way point of their cycle at about the end of the 1800's, however the greater majority of people are still between the first and the second phase of the cycle. Nevertheless, for many evolution has reached the point where a self-conscious choice can be made. This is to take the journey of the solar path of evolution toward being superhuman; or to choose the lunar path... to return backward to the animal soul of the Fourth Root Race.

There are still men living who are, we believe, standing very near to the primitive man, far nearer in fact than do we and whom we therefore regard as direct representatives of men at the transition between the Fourth and Fifth Root Races. Those we describe as savages and half-savages have a peculiar interest for us in being a well-preserved picture of an early stage of our own development.

The function of each Root Race is to develop a particular quality of consciousness. The purpose of the Fourth Root Race was to develop the lower emotional self and the function of the Fifth was to develop mind.

Without the "reasoning soul" or developed mind, the spiritual essence or Higher Self is inarticulate on this plane and cannot act. Being so near the Absolute, the Higher Self has only latent consciousness on this plane of reality, and is dependent upon the human mind for manifestation beyond its own plane.

The quality to be developed by the forthcoming Sixth Root Race is intuition. Accordingly this intuition has roots in the higher world but depends upon mind for its ability to function.

The purpose of the Mind Development courses is the development of mind as the tool of observation and manifestation, evolving the quality of consciousness appropriate at the level of the Sixth Root Race.

The central function of the basic Mind Development techniques is to help you to let go of the Big Dream. The Big Dream, to primitive tribes such as the Australian Aborigines, is a race memory of the point of transition between the Fourth and the Fifth Root Races. This dream is much closer in time for them than it is for us and it is for them like a longing to return to the womb. A minority among these populations, namely the shamans or witch doctors, can return easily to this primordial state and through the use of different rituals they cause the whole tribe to share this experience.

We need to dream for ourselves and break free of the archetypes of primitive peoples. We need to travel a wiser path into the future; the old ways have not delivered the goods. The spiritual nature of Jungian psychology has much to teach us of this process. The three cornerstones of Jungian spirituality are the Self, the Transcendent function, and Active Imagination. Together they form a model for contemporary Western spirituality upon which transpersonal psychologists such as Assagioli and Maslow have developed, giving us insights into the nature of the visionary and ecstatic experiences that form part of the path of individuation—the road to completion.

In Jung's view the Self is larger than the Ego; it includes both the Ego and all that is unconscious. He respected the guidance of one's inner and whole Self as the source of one's deepest intuitions, feelings, and values. The Ego does not abdicate its role in this process; it is needed to maintain a coherent sense of self that is not overcome by an uncontrolled upwelling of unconscious contents. It actively chooses what to attend to and decides when and and in what way to act. Thus the conscious and unconscious levels of the psyche enter an ongoing dynamic relationship with each other in which both are essential. Active imagination is Jung's description of this inner dialog, which works to transcend the barriers between Ego and Shadow, to integrate a whole and Higher Self.

For many of us the veneer of civilization is very thin and less effort is required from us to experience the lower spirituality of the animal soul than that required to take the solar path and experience the spirituality of the Higher Self. The short term rewards of the lunar path are considerable; we obtain new insights due to concrete intuition. However, being primitive and childlike, these are but a dim harmonic of the potentialities of the more mature, spiritual intuition of the Sixth Root Race.

So at the threshold of mental development we must forget the Big Dream - no longer hear its drums, no longer be drawn to its camp fire. Telepathy, magic and mysticism must for a while be set aside as these form no part of the method through which the mind of manifestation can be formed. On reaching an advanced stage of development, students may again approach these subjects, but on a higher spiritual harmonic, founded on mature intuition.

The Fourth Root Race were without a developed mind. Consequently they were without ethics and so in the larger part they were almost completely destroyed. A major function of mind is to evolve a system of rational ethics. Without such a system, evolving hand in hand with the development of mind, we will go the same way as the Fourth Root Race in some cataclysmic destruction and this time probably of our own making.

As we are still evolving into the perfect man we need rules and codes. By rules I do not mean rules to bind us but rules to release into the personality those qualities from the Higher Self.

Leonardo da Vinci perceived something of the truth of this when he divided humanity into three groups. Firstly he perceived the few that can see by themselves; secondly there are those who can see when they are shown; and thirdly there are the many, who, still being in the re-capitulatory phase of the Fifth Root Race, can not see even when shown.

Those who can see must act; it is their duty in evolution to bring the future into the present and to be pioneers in actions leading to the ushering in of a new type of Man in which the development of mind is complete and intuition reborn.

References:
Freud, Sigmund: "Totem and Taboo."
Hawliczek, Iwan: "Mankind Today and Tomorrow."
Levi-Strauss, Claude: "The Raw and The Cooked."
Ransom, Sidney: "The Ethics of The Secret Doctrine."

About Mind Development Courses...
The aim of Mind Development is to awaken the innate powers of mind...

• to improve speed and accuracy of logical thought so the solutions to life's continual parade of problems are readily apparent
• to raise introspective awareness so that you are in touch with your full knowledge base and can access it intuitively and from simultaneous multiple perspectives
• and to remain mindful at all times so you are are not taken over by habits and conditioned programs nor by "fight or flight" emotional reactions.

1. How to Study (foundation skills) - Available Now for FREE!
Learn how to study a subject quickly and well - with maximum comprehension, recall and ability to apply what you have learned effectively.

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Home-study course to improve the mind's capacity for perception and integration between left and right brain, boosting memory, creativity, natural eyesight and drawing ability.

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If you are concentrating you are awake and aware - your mental life is both intensified and broadened. Are there ways to improve your concentration directly? Yes, and this course teaches the best of them.

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Learn how to read both quickly and in depth over a wide range of subjects, and then to be able to appreciate, analyze and apply what you have read with clear and incisive intelligence.

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The Mind Development courses 1-5 are available as a special package, delivered to your door on CD. Also including the contents of the World of Inspiration 2-CD Set, this package costs just $120 and saves you $65.

"I would like to thank Gregory and Peter for your research and hard work. The groundbreaking information contained in the Mind Development courses is more valuable than anything I have learned in a classroom. The MD courses have helped me perform better in the classroom (I am a college student) and also help me in day to day activities, such as conversations and constructive arguments. I appreciate everything MD has done for me. I truly believe that these lessons need to be taught to everybody and hope that they will eventually make their way into traditional classrooms." --Nicholas Calarco

"Before doing any Mind Development courses I had a measured IQ of 101 and a reading speed of 180 words per minute, and a digit span of 6. In other words, I was average and as a result, not accomplishing anything of note in my life. The common wisdom is that IQ is a static inherited trait and one simply has to make the best of whatever one is blessed with. My experience differs dramatically...

At the end of several Basic Courses my IQ had increased to 109, with a reading speed of 315 words per minute and my digit span had increased to seven. It might not sound a lot but in practice, this opened up whole new avenues for me. I went on to study Reiki, Rolfing and some other healing methods and passed the exams with flying colors. Before I could never have spoken well in public - I did not have the confidence, because I knew I didn't have the necessary mental skills. After my Mind Development training, however, all this had changed for the better and I was able to give public talks on Reiki and Rolfing.

After further Mind Development training on the Intermediate Courses [not yet available online], my IQ increased still further to 124, my reading speed to 550 words per minute and my digit span to eight. I enrolled in the Open University and took a degree in Sociology. My life was now totally transformed and I have never looked back!" --Roland Alston