Re: [BardonPraxis] Introspection methodology

["Rawn Clark" <rawnclark@...>]

Dear Greg,

>> The following is an excerpt from an article written by Mr. Bardon. <<

Although Merkur presents this as being *by* Bardon, the only thing known
for a fact is that it came from the estate of Bardon. I have to agree
with Dieter Ruggeberg that this article was most likely written by Otti
Votavova (Bardon's secretary and author of "Frabato"). The heavy
reliance upon the concepts of "quantity" and "quality" keys is
indicative of Otti's writing style, more than it is of Bardon's. It's
language also doesn't contain the clarity of Bardon's work and often
sounds like a poor paraphrasing of other things Bardon did write.

This segment titled "Methodology" has nothing in fact to do with
*introspection*. It concerns the methods one employs during the Step
Two character transformation work.

>> You must bring all your negative characteristics, which of course
correspond with the four elements, to a level, where all your negative
characteristics are equal in numbers. Attributes which are present the
least must be turned into positive attributes. <<

This is true *only* of the initial Step Two work of character
transformation. In IIH, at the opening of Step Three, Bardon states
that the student must *at least* have mastered their major negative
traits and have attained this rudimentary "equipoise" or balance. This
balance of negative and positive traits is *NOT* the "Elemental
Equilibrium" itself -- this is only a preliminary state of relative
"balance". With Step Three, the work toward *Equilibrium* continues
until all of the negative traits are transformed and a complete
positivization of the personality is achieved.

>> 1. By combating the negative passions the intensification of the
individual fluids (electric, magnetic and the electromagnetic) is
achieved and the dynamides (synamically) are strengthened. (This applies
to all the elements.) <<

This is just a rather oblique way of saying that fighting your negative
traits increases your will power. Compare this with what Bardon wrote
in IIH, Step Two:
"3. Attention and Volition. By using this method you will not
allow for any outbreak of the passion, fighting it right in the bud.
Evidently, this method is the most difficult and appropriate for people
only, disposing of a good deal of volition, or willing to achieve a
strong will-power by fighting against their passions."

>> 2. By practicing autosuggestion the negative passions are
eliminated through the withdrawal of time and space. However, this does
not become a reality until the desired positive attribute has become a
habit; up to that point the negative attribute can still attack that
person. Only when the positive or good attribute has become a habit in
its entirety has the negative passion been eliminated. Hence it can
never attack that person again. <<

By the "withdrawal of time and space", the author means that
autosuggestion is not a "fighting it right in the bud" method, but
rather, occurs at a time and place when the negative trait is not
immediately manifest. The rest of the statement is merely saying that
with autosuggestion, a bad habit is not *eliminated*; instead, it's
*replaced* with a new, positive habit.

>> 3. The capacity of the quantitative power is always raised
through transmutation. If the positive attributes that belong to
particular elements are too weak, you must increase the strength of the
positive attributes by transmuting the existing negative passions. <<

This again, is a complicated way of saying something fairly simple.
Namely, that if the positive aspect of an Element is weak, that Element
can be strengthened by transmuting negative characteristics pertaining
to the same Element, into positive ones, thus increasing the overall
positivity of the Element in question. Compare this with what Bardon
wrote in Step Two:
"2. Transmutation of passions into the opposite good qualities
attainable through auto-suggestion or respectively through repeated
meditation on, and continuous assurance of the good qualities."

>> 4. Isolation. Should you not want employ any of the
above-mentioned methods or if you are incapable of so doing, you can
always revert to isolating your negative passions. This is accomplished
by withdrawing all your attention from your negative passions. Through
this you do not accomplish anything quantitative i.e. you surrender
yourself to destiny. <<

In other words, instead of directly confronting and changing your
negative characteristics, you simply withdraw from them when they arise.
If you get angry, you ignore your anger and turn elsewhere with your
mind or you remove yourself from the situation that incited your anger.
To my mind, this is a major cop-out and is not, in and of itself, an
effective method of self-transformation.

All in all, the "Hermetic Sciences" article is poorly written, confusing
and a very poor substitute for what Bardon wrote in IIH.

My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
07 Jan 2003
rawnclark@...
rawn@...
http://www.ABardonCompanion.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis