"MYSTICISM AND OCCULTISM"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23687, 20 December 1938, Page 2

"MYSTICISM AND OCCULTISM"

THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY At the closing lecture to the Theosophical Society for the year, Mr J. M. McEwan spoke on "Mysticism and Occultism." » There were three types of people, he said, the first being practical, the second scientific and the third mystic. The first type of people always considered the usefulness of anything and are mostly concerned with the physical plane; the second type required to know the truth about anything before considering its usefulness, while the third class of people measured the usefulness of things according to the feelings aroused within themselves. The second type was on the mental level and the third on the emotional plane. Men reacted to external things according to the ray (or line) along which they were developing, and though a mystic reacted in an emotional way, yet there were scientific mystics and practical mystics. Mysticism, occultism, religion and idealism were different methods of knowing God, or of self-realisation. All must eventually become occultists, for they were men of great wisdom and inner vision. Mystics had sometimes been called the "twice-born" of humanity. They were disinclined to accept authoritative statements till they had experienced such things to be truths -experiences which came only by reflection, by intuition, and which each man must know for himself. Hence the mystic found it difficult to relate his experiences to another who had had no such experience for himeslf. The true mystic understood much of God's plan for humanity (evolution) and lived a life not understood by ordinary people. "The mystic is often passive" Mr McEwan said. Hence he needs to develop the positive attitude of the occultist, who, because he has for many lives trained himself in ways of living and learning, acquires great powers which he can only use for the help of the world. Throughout humanity there are men graded according to soul development, and the occultist is nearing the goal set for us, and may accomplish superhuman tasks by great effort of will enabling him to reach the stage of masterhood.