Politics and Parapsychology
We have pointed out on several occasions that those involved in the liminal and generally anti-structural pursuits of esotericism, magic, parapsychology, and the imaginative realms we simply classify as ‘spiritual’ often work against their own best interests by advocating for political stances that are hostile to their stated interests in ‘knowing the unknown’. Anything big requires structure and structure is bureaucracy, and bureaucracy is antithetical to the interior dynamics of the para, or supra-normal. Boundaries are limitation, and limitation is part of the reality of life, the difference being what we can call ‘natural boundaries’ and ‘constructed boundaries’. Bureaucracy falls into the latter. This is why so many spiritual organizations and movements fail to launch, or survive beyond their founder – they experience the reality of natural boundaries, while failing to create sustainable artificial ones.
For example, esoteric orders and groups structure themselves into grades or degrees, to make their teachings digestible, but this does not mean in reality that one who holds the title ‘Grand Master’ or ‘Imperator’ is truly the most integrated, illumined, or competent in the movement. There could be many reasons why they hold that post, some noble, some mundane, and in a few instance some even despicable. Regardless, a structure and leaders are needed to keep the movement or organization alive and moving forward.
But bureaucracies don’t move forward, at least not quickly. That is the point. The psychic, the paranormal, the occult, moves quickly, often spontaneously, and as a function of the energies of life, is difficult to predict and control. For this reason, a substantial amount of ritual and experimental techniques have been developed – i.e., a form of literary ‘bureaucracy’ if you will – in an attempt or organize our understanding and control our encounters with this Mercurial realm. But rituals are to magic as sparring forms and kata are to the martial arts, training devices for controlled environments – a real encounter with the liminal is closer to a mid-night mugging in a parking lot than sparring in a ring with judges. Therefore we must recognize that if we want to experience the liminal we must be willing to accept the unknown in many areas of our lives and not simply when and where it is convenient. Safety and certainty are what we seek in our daily lives, and with ‘good reason’, but that same desire for safety and certainty is the enemy of inner awakening – awakenings that only take place in the form of shock, awe, and chaos, that then must be organized and understood as a dynamic force, and not plugged into preconceived notions and meanings. Intellectualized rationalism and moralism are the enemies of the paranormal, of the psychic, and with them, the massive political structures they create as politics is by definition, “the assumptions or principles relating to or inherent in a sphere, theory, or thing, especially when concerned with power and status in a society.”
As George P. Hansen has pointed out in his book, The Trickster and the Paranormal (2001), the liminal flees from structural and status formation, and in fact, many who seek status in and through it come to very sad ends.
“The groups discussed above consciously attempted to engage paranormal powers and supernatural beings, and dramatic phenomena were reported by SORRAT, Psi Tech, and Kubler-Ross’s group. All share clear anti-structural and trickster characteristics. Psi, disorder, lowered sexual inhibitions, and deception were present. The groups display a pattern of decent through the archetypes – from Apollo, characterized by order and structure; through Hermes, the trickster; to Dionysus, dangerous license and sensuality (these are living examples of Hermes serving as midwife to the birth of Dionysus). In addition, the phenomena led the groups to make bizarre claims that provoked ridicule and brought discredit upon them. Thus the trickster appeared and marginality was induced again and again.” (170)
And,
“The pattern of initial growth, internal discord, stagnation, and decay for any one organization, or even several, would not be unusual, but the pattern is universal in psi research. Many other groups and laboratories outside of the U.S. could be given as illustrations. I know of no counter example. Those groups that attempt to scientifically study paranormal phenomena by directly engaging and interacting with them, tend towards disruption, encounters with fraud and trickery, and loss of institutional affiliation and support. The research activities have never produced the growth that a normal business or scientific discipline might expect. … The pattern suggests that large structured institutions are inimical to direct attempts to engage psi. The consequences for parapsychology are profound.” (208-209)
However, this does not end simply with parapsychology or esoteric practices. The notion is that the energies of the mind are not limited to our physical brains, and that the idea that we can excessively compartmentalize our lives as modern life suggests and even demands, is not possible. Failure to integrate and maintain congruity is the cause of all neurotic ideation and self-destructive behaviors. The advocacy of ‘big’ is the advocacy of bureaucracy, and with it, the compartmentalization of life under artificial constraints and choke points of power, that in turn are little more than social and individual suicide – all done with the best of intentions of course.
“Rationalism promotes discreteness and separateness in a huge variety of ways …Another manifestation is the growing regimentation and credentialing in modern life.
Rationalization theory helps explain the paranormal’s position in our society today. Bureaucracies and large organizations are major forces ordering our civilization. We rarely notice just how pervasively they influence us. Bureaucratic authority is far removed from, and almost antithetical to, charisma. Large organizations rarely tolerate attempts to consciously and intentionally utilize psi.
The bureaucratic antagonism to psi is not something planned and organized by those in power. It is not a conscious conspiracy. Those who act in concert with the prejudice are not aware of the factors influencing them. This unconscious antipathy is a pervasive social phenomenon found in numerous cultures; it is not to be explained by the psychology of individuals. It demonstrates that social forces have an independent existence and that those forces can operate through individuals without then being aware of it.
…The supernatural is irrational, but it is also real. It holds enormous power. We ignore it at our peril. It operates not only on the individual psyche, but at a collective level, influencing entire cultures. The witchcraft persecutions and the demagoguery of charismatic leaders are only two of many dangers.
If we fail to recognize the limits of our ‘rational’ way of thinking, we can become victims of it. Parapsychology demonstrates that our thoughts, including our unconscious thoughts, are not limited to our brains. They move of their own accord and influence the physical world.” (429-430)
The function and role of an egregore could not be more clearly described than in the last three paragraphs above. The forces we invoke through ritual or simply consistent rumination work in and through us, and affect the world around us. We must be attentive to our thoughts because they can become real and semi-independent entities and ‘move of their own accord and influence the physical world’. But we must also be attentive to our thoughts so as to retain our healthy individuality and not get pulled into the collective psychic thought forms of others. Our freedom and enlightenment is a solitary affair even if we are able to help others along the Way.
Egregores: The Occult Entities That Watch Over Human Destiny by Mark Stavish (Inner Traditions 2018)
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