MENTAL GENDER
Students of psychology who have followed the modern trend of thought
along the lines of mental phenomena are struck by the persistence of the
dual-mind idea which has manifested itself so strongly during the past
ten or fifteen years, and which has given rise to a number of plausible
theories regarding the nature and constitution of these "two minds." The
late Thomson J. Hudson attained great popularity in 1893 by advancing
his well-known theory of the "objective and subjective minds" which he
held existed in every individual. Other writers have attracted almost
equal attention by the theories regarding the "conscious and
subconscious minds"; the "voluntary and involuntary minds"; "the active
and passive minds," etc., etc. The theories of the various writers
differ from each other, but there remains the underlying principle of
"the duality of mind."
The student of the Hermetic Philosophy is tempted to smile when he reads
and hears of these many "new theories" regarding the duality of mind,
each school adhering tenaciously to its own pet theories, and each
claiming to have "discovered the truth." The student turns back the
pages of occult history, and away back in the dim beginnings of occult
teachings he finds references to the ancient Hermetic doctrine of the
Principle of Gender on the Mental Plane-the manifestation of Mental
Gender. And examining further he finds that the ancient philosophy took
cognizance of the phenomenon of the "dual mind," and accounted for it by
the theory of Mental Gender. This idea of Mental Gender may be explained
in a few words to students who are familiar with the modern theories
just alluded to. The Masculine Principle of Mind corresponds to the
so-called Objective Mind; Conscious Mind; Voluntary Mind; Active Mind,
etc. And the Feminine Principle of Mind corresponds to the so-called
Subjective Mind; Sub-conscious Mind; Involuntary Mind; Passive Mind,
etc. Of course the Hermetic Teachings do not agree with the many modern
theories regarding the nature of the two phases of mind, nor does it
admit many of the facts claimed for the two respective aspects--some of
the said theories and claims being very far-fetched and incapable of
standing the test of experiment and demonstration. We point to the
phases of agreement merely for the purpose of helping the student to
assimilate his previously acquired knowledge with the teachings of the
Hermetic Philosophy. Students of Hudson will notice the statement at the
beginning of his second chapter of "The Law of Psychic Phenomena," that:
"The mystic jargon of the Hermetic philosophers discloses the same
general idea" i.e., the duality of mind. If Dr. Hudson had taken
the time and trouble to decipher a little of "the mystic jargon of the
Hermetic Philosophy," he might have received much light upon the subject
of "the dual mind"--but then, perhaps, his most interesting work might
not have been written. Let us now consider the Hermetic Teachings
regarding Mental Gender.
The Hermetic Teachers impart their instruction regarding this subject by
bidding their students examine the report of their consciousness
regarding their Self. The students are bidden to turn their attention
inward upon the Self dwelling within each. Each student is led to see
that his consciousness gives him first a report of the existence of his
Self-the report is "I Am." This at first seems to be the final words
from the consciousness, but a little further examination discloses the
fact that this "I Am" may be separated or split into two distinct parts,
or aspects, which while working in unison and in conjunction, yet,
nevertheless, may be separated in consciousness.
While at first there seems to be only an "I" existing, a more careful
and closer examination reveals the fact that there exists an "I" and a
"Me." These mental twins differ in their characteristics and nature, and
an examination of their nature and the phenomena arising from the same
will throw much light upon many of the problems of mental influence.
Let us begin with a consideration of the Me, which is usually mistaken
for the I by the student, until he presses the inquiry a little further
back into the recesses of consciousness. A man thinks of his Self (in
its aspect of Me) as being composed of certain feelings, tastes likes,
dislikes, habits, peculiar ties, characteristics, etc., all of which go
to make up his personality, or the "Self" known to himself and others.
He knows that these emotions and feelings change; are born and die away;
are subject to the Principle of Rhythm, and the Principle of Polarity,
which take him from one extreme of feeling to another. He also thinks of
the "Me" as being certain knowledge gathered together in his mind, and
thus forming a part of himself. This is the "Me" of a man.
But we have proceeded too hastily. The "Me" of many men may be said to
consist largely of their consciousness of the body and their physical
appetites, etc. Their consciousness being largely bound up with their
bodily nature, they practically "live there." Some men even go so far as
to regard their personal apparel as a part of their "Me" and actually
seem to consider it a part of themselves. A writer has humorously said
that "men consist of three parts--soul, body and clothes." These
"clothes conscious" people would lose their personality if divested of
their clothing by savages upon the occasion of a shipwreck. But even
many who are not so closely bound up with the idea of personal raiment
stick closely to the consciousness of their bodies being their "Me" They
cannot conceive of a Self independent of the body. Their mind seems to
them to be practically "a something belonging to" their body-which in
many cases it is indeed.
But as man rises in the scale of consciousness he is able to disentangle
his "Me" from his idea of body, and is able to think of his body as
"belonging to" the mental part of him. But even then he is very apt to
identify the "Me" entirely with the mental states, feelings, etc., which
he feels to exist within him. He is very apt to consider these internal
states as identical with himself, instead of their being simply "things"
produced by some part of his mentality, and existing within him--of him,
and in him, but still not "himself." He sees that he may change these
internal states of feelings by all effort of will, and that he may
produce a feeling or state of an exactly opposite nature, in the same
way, and yet the same "Me" exists. And so after a while he is able to
set aside these various mental states, emotions, feelings, habits,
qualities, characteristics, and other personal mental belongings--he is
able to set them aside in the "not-me" collection of curiosities and
encumbrances, as well as valuable possessions. This requires much mental
concentration and power of mental analysis on the part of the student.
But still the task is possible for the advanced student, and even those
not so far advanced are able to see, in the imagination, how the process
may be performed.
After this laying-aside process has been performed, the student will
find himself in conscious possession of a "Self" which may be considered
in its "I" and "Me" dual aspects. The "Me" will be felt to be a
Something mental in which thoughts, ideas, emotions, feelings, and other
mental states may be produced. It may be considered as the "mental
womb," as the ancients styled it-capable of generating mental offspring.
It reports to the consciousness as a "Me" with latent powers of creation
and generation of mental progeny of all sorts and kinds. Its powers of
creative energy are felt to be enormous. But still it seems to be
conscious that it must receive some form of energy from either its "I"
companion, or else from some other "I" ere it is able to bring into
being its mental creations. This consciousness brings with it a
realization of an enormous capacity for mental work and creative
ability.
But the student soon finds that this is not all that he finds within his
inner consciousness. He finds that there exists a mental Something which
is able to Will that the "Me" act along certain creative lines, and
which is also able to stand aside and witness the mental creation. This
part of himself he is taught to call his "I." He is able to rest in its
consciousness at will. He finds there not a consciousness of an ability
to generate and actively create, in the sense of the gradual process
attendant upon mental operations, but rather a sense and consciousness
of an ability to project an energy from the "I" to the "Me"--a process
of "willing" that the mental creation begin and proceed. He also finds
that the "I" is able to stand aside and witness the operations of the
"Me's" mental creation and generation. There is this dual aspect in the
mind of every person. The "I" represents the Masculine Principle of
Mental Gender-the "Me" represents the Female Principle. The "I"
represents the Aspect of Being; the "Me" the Aspect of Becoming. You
will notice that the Principle of Correspondence operates on this plane
just as it does upon the great plane upon which the creation of
Universes is performed. The two are similar in kind, although
vastly different in degree. "As above, so below; as below, so above."
These aspects of mind-the Masculine and Feminine Principles-the "I" and
the "Me"-considered in connection with the well-known mental and psychic
phenomena, give the master-key to these dimly known regions of mental
operation and manifestation. The principle of Mental Gender gives the
truth underlying the whole field of the phenomena of mental influence,
etc.
The tendency of the Feminine Principle is always in the direction of
receiving impressions, while the tendency of the Masculine Principle is
always in the direction of giving, out or expressing. The Feminine
Principle has much more varied field of operation than has the Masculine
Principle. The Feminine Principle conducts the work of generating new
thoughts, concepts, ideas, including the work of the imagination. The
Masculine Principle contents itself with the work of the "Will" in its
varied phases. And yet, without the active aid of the Will of the
Masculine Principle, the Feminine Principle is apt to rest content with
generating mental images which are the result of impressions received
from outside, instead of producing original mental creations.
Persons who can give continued attention and thought to a subject
actively employ both of the Mental Principles-the Feminine in the work
of the mental generation, and the Masculine Will in stimulating and
energizing the creative portion of the mind. The majority of persons
really employ the Masculine Principle but little, and are content to
live according to the thoughts and ideas instilled into the "Me" from
the "I" of other minds. But it is not our purpose to dwell upon this
phase of the subject, which may be studied from any good text-book upon
psychology, with the key that we have given you regarding Mental Gender.
The student of Psychic Phenomena is aware of the wonderful phenomena
classified under the head of Telepathy; Thought Transference; Mental
Influence; Suggestion; Hypnotism, etc. Many have sought for an
explanation of these varied phases of phenomena under the theories of
the various "dual mind" teachers. And in a measure they are right, for
there is clearly a manifestation of two distinct phases of mental
activity. But if such students will consider these "dual minds" in the
light of the Hermetic Teachings regarding Vibrations and Mental Gender,
they will see that the long sought for key is at hand.
In the phenomena of Telepathy it is seen how the Vibratory Energy of the
Masculine Principle is projected toward the Feminine Principle of
another person, and the latter takes the seed-thought and allows it to
develop into maturity. In the same way Suggestion and Hypnotism
operates. The Masculine Principle of the person giving the suggestions
directs a stream of Vibratory Energy or Will-Power toward the Feminine
Principle of the other person, and the latter accepting it makes it its
own and acts and thinks accordingly. An idea thus lodged in the mind of
another person grows and develops, and in time is regarded as the
rightful mental offspring of the individual, whereas it is in reality
like the cuckoo egg placed in the sparrows nest, where it destroys the
rightful offspring and makes itself at home. The normal method is for
the Masculine and Feminine Principles in a person's mind to co-ordinate
and act harmoniously in conjunction with each other, but, unfortunately,
the Masculine Principle in the average person is too lazy to act-the
display of Will-Power is too slight-and the consequence is that such
persons are ruled almost entirely by the minds and wills of other
persons, whom they allow to do their thinking and willing for them.
How few original thoughts or original actions are performed by the
average person? Are not the majority of persons mere shadows and echoes
of others having stronger wills or minds than themselves? The trouble is
that the average person dwells almost altogether in his "Me"
consciousness and does not realize that he has such a thing as an "I."
He is polarized in his Feminine Principle of Mind, and the Masculine
Principle, in which is lodged the Will, is allowed to remain inactive
and not employed.
The strong men and women of the world invariably manifest the Masculine
Principle of Will, and their strength depends materially upon this fact.
Instead of living upon the impressions made upon their minds by others,
they dominate their own minds by their Will, obtaining the kind of
mental images desired, and moreover dominate the minds of others
likewise, in the same manner. Look at the strong people, how they manage
to implant their seed-thoughts in the minds of the masses of the people,
thus causing the latter to think thoughts in accordance with the desires
and wills of the strong individuals. This is why the masses of people
are such sheeplike creatures, never originating an idea of their own,
nor using their own powers of mental activity.
The manifestation of Mental Gender may be noticed all around us in
everyday life. The magnetic persons are those who are able to use the
Masculine Principle in the way of impressing their ideas upon others.
The actor who makes people weep or cry as he wills, is employing this
principle. And so is the successful orator, statesman, preacher, writer
or other people who are before the public attention. The peculiar
influence exerted by some people over others is due to the manifestation
of Mental Gender, along the Vibrational lines above indicated. In this
principle lies the secret of personal magnetism, personal influence,
fascination, etc., as well as the phenomena generally grouped under the
name of Hypnotism.
The student who has familiarized himself with the phenomena generally
spoken of as "psychic" will have discovered the important part played in
the said phenomena by that force which science has styled "Suggestion,"
by which term is meant the process or method whereby an idea is
transferred to, or "impressed upon" the mind of another, causing the
second mind to act in accordance therewith. A correct understanding of
Suggestion is necessary in order to intelligently comprehend the varied
psychical phenomena which Suggestion underlies. But, still more is a
knowledge of Vibration and Mental Gender necessary for the student of
Suggestion. For the whole principle of Suggestion depends upon the
principle of Mental Gender and Vibration.
It is customary for the writers and teachers of Suggestion to explain
that it is the "objective or voluntary" mind which make the mental
impression, or suggestion, upon the "subjective or involuntary" mind.
But they do not describe the process or give us any analogy in nature
whereby we may more readily comprehend the idea. But if you will think
of the matter in the light of the Hermetic Teachings you will be able to
see that the energizing of the Feminine Principle by the Vibratory
Energy of the Masculine Principle Is in accordance to the universal laws
of nature, and that the natural world affords countless analogies
whereby the principle may be understood. In fact, the Hermetic Teachings
show that the very creation of the Universe follows the same law, and
that in all creative manifestations, upon the planes of the spiritual,
the mental, and the physical, there is always in operation this
principle of Gender-this manifestation of the Masculine and the Feminine
Principles. "As above, so below; as below, so above." And more than
this, when the principle of Mental Gender is once grasped and
understood, the varied phenomena of psychology at once becomes capable
of intelligent classification and study, instead of being very much in
the dark. The principle "works out" in practice, because it is based
upon the immutable universal laws of life.
We shall not enter into an extended discussion of, or description of,
the varied phenomena of mental influence or psychic activity. There are
many books, many of them quite good, which have been written and
published on this subject of late years. The main facts stated in these
various books are correct, although the several writers have attempted
to explain the phenomena by various pet theories of their own. The
student may acquaint himself with these matters, and by using the theory
of Mental Gender he will be able to bring order out of the chaos of
conflicting theory and teachings, and may, moreover, readily make
himself a master of the subject if he be so inclined. The purpose of
this work is not to give an extended account of psychic phenomena but
rather to give to the student a master-key whereby He may unlock the
many doors leading into the parts of the Temple of Knowledge which he
may wish to explore. We feel that in this consideration of the teachings
of The Kybalion, one may find an explanation which will serve to clear
away many perplexing difficulties--a key that will unlock many doors.
What is the use of going into detail regarding all of the many features
of psychic phenomena and mental science, provided we place in the hands
of the student the means whereby he may acquaint himself fully regarding
any phase of the subject which may interest him. With the aid of The
Kybalion one may go through any occult library anew, the old Light from
Egypt illuminating many dark pages, and obscure subjects. That is the
purpose of this book. We do not come expounding a new philosophy, but
rather furnishing the outlines of a great world-old teaching which will
make clear the teachings of others-which will serve as a Great
Reconciler of differing: theories, and opposing doctrines.