Elemental Correspondences Between the Step Two Sensory Concentration Exercises and the Soul Mirror
© 2003
>> I was wondering what the elemental correspondences are to the senses? <<
For the Step Two sensory concentration exercises, the Elemental correspondences are:
Sight = Fire
Hearing = Water
Feeling = Akasha
Smell = Air
Taste = Earth
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
14 Aug 2003
>> You sure about that? What I get is:
Sight = Fire
Hearing = Air
Feeling = Water
Smell & taste = Earth
Not exactly sure where the akasha would fit into it all, but I would say that attributing akasha to a particular, physical sense doesn't exactly make too much sense to me. Primarily due to the fact that I would associate the akasha more with a sense of intuition or the direct perception of essential meaning. <<
Just as we associate the five fingers with the four Elements, plus Akasha, so too are the five physical senses associated. What you say makes good logical sense (and indeed these associations show up later in IIH), but in regard to the specific relationship between the Step Two *mental* exercises with the creative use of the senses, and the Soul Mirror, the associations are as I posited.
As always, sight is associated with Fire because: 1) Sight depends upon light. 2) Difficulties with this exercise point to imbalances in the Fire region of the astral body.
In this case, hearing is associated with Water because: 1) The physical perception of sound depends upon waves striking your ear drum. This requires rhythm and frequency. 2) Sound directly affects the emotional body. 3) Difficulties with this exercise point to imbalances in the Water region of the astral body.
Here, feeling is associated with Akasha because: 1) The perception and interpretation of feeling is the most complex of all the senses and can excite memory-responses from each of the other senses. As one works with isolating each sense, there is almost always a feeling associated with whatever it is you are trying to create with that sense. 2) The perception of a feeling directly affects all three bodies. 3) Difficulties with this exercise indicates a global imbalance and as one transforms the most important negative traits (no matter which Element they pertain to), this exercise becomes easier.
Smell is associated with Air Element because: 1) Smelling requires inhalation of a quanta of atmosphere containing the molecules which the olfactory system then interprets. It relies *only* on the medium of air; whereas hearing, can occur through water or even solid objects. 2) Perception of an aroma directly affects the mental body (that's one reason for using incense in ritual). 3) Difficulties with this exercise point to imbalances in the Air region of the astral body.
And finally, taste is associated here with the Earth Element because: 1) Tasting something requires the introduction of liquid or solid matter into the mouth and its absorption by the tongue. 2) Perception of taste directly affects the physical body and, like the sense of feeling/Akasha, isolating the sense of taste will excite memory-responses from all of the other senses (especially that of smell/Air). 3) Difficulties with this exercise point to imbalances in the Earth region of the astral body.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
15 Aug 2003
>> On the other hand of things, the elemental correspondences that you posit do make some sense. Albeit primarily upon an intellectual level and not really upon an intuitive level. <<
I find absolutely no fault in what you have said except as it relates specifically to the connection between the physical senses, the soul mirror and the Step Two sensory concentration exercises. When you put these three factors together and relate them to the original question of the relationship between difficulties with the sensory concentrations and the soul mirror issues, the correspondences are somewhat different than they are for the senses of the mental body. I base this statement, and my list of correspondences, upon several years experience counseling students about these very issues. It has been my experience that these correspondences are functionally correct in this specific instance.
I don't mean to be argumentative, and I know you don't either, but since the list of correspondences that I gave is so counter-intuitive, I feel that it's important to explain its relevance to the Step Two work. If the student uses the correspondences that you suggested, the result will be unproductive when trying to make a connection between difficulties with the sensory concentration exercises and soul mirror issues.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
16 Aug 2003