concerning astral phenomena
which is handed down from father to son among them they are set to work
practicing "visualization" of things previously perceived. They are set to
work upon, say, a rose. They must impress upon their memory the perfect
picture of the rose--no easy matter, I may tell you. Then they proceed to
more difficult objects, slowly and gradually, along well known principles
of memory development. Along with this they practice the art of
reproducing that which they remember--projecting it in thought-form state.
And so the young magician proceeds, from simple to complex things; from
easy to difficult; until, finally, he is pronounced fit to give public
exhibitions. All this takes years and years--sometimes the boy grows to be
a middle-aged man before he is allowed to publicly exhibit his power.
Imagine a Western boy or man being willing to study from early childhood
to middle-age before he may hope to be able to show what he has been
learning! Verily "the East is East, and the West is West"--the two poles
of human activity and expression.

Another phase of psychic astral phenomena which should be mentioned,
although it is manifested but comparatively seldom, is that which has been
called "Telekinesis." By the term "telekinesis" is meant that class of
phenomena which manifests in the movement of physical objects without
physical contact with the person responsible for the movement. I
understand that the term itself was coined by Professor Cowes, with whose
works I am not personally familiar. It is derived from the two Greek words
TELE, meaning "far off," and KINESIS, meaning "to move."

This class of phenomena is known better in the Western world by reason of
its manifestation in spiritualistic circles in the movement of tables,
etc.; the knocking or tapping on tables and doors, etc.; all of which are
usually attributed to the work of "spirits," but which occultists know are
generally produced, consciously or unconsciously, by means of the power in
the medium or others present, sometimes both. I would say here that I am
not trying to discredit genuine spiritualistic phenomena--I am not
considering the same in these lessons. All that I wish to say is that many
of the phenomena commonly attributed to "spirits" are really but results
of the psychic forces inherent in the living human being.

Under certain conditions there may appear in the case of a person strongly
psychic, and also strongly charged with p