Creatures of the Mind – Part Four
Thomas Bearden
Thomas Bearden believes that manifestations of bigfoot and other crypto-zoological phenomena are, in fact, materialisations within our physical world of thoughts which reside within the collective unconscious of humanity.
These thoughts are able to materialise themselves temporarily into physical form whenever they are sufficiently energised – a process Bearden calls “kindling”. “We will discover”, he writes, “that thoughts and thought objects are real, physical objects in their own world frame domain.
“As such, thoughts or thought objects, or thought constructs can be and are functional devices within the thought world domain. In that domain they are as physical as a rock. We will also discover that thought energy can be turned into electromagnetic energy by kindling, and can even be materialized if kindling is of sufficient intensity.” 1
According to this concept of reality, all physical matter has its origin in subtle dimensions of consciousness. For anything to appear in the physical realm, it must first be preceded by its subtle equivalent in the non-physical realm. This subtle counterpart of matter always antedates the appearance of form in the physical world.
Within this frame of reference, thoughts manifest initially on subtle planes of consciousness. If these thoughts are sufficiently energised, or kindled, these non-physical creations of mind subsequently manifest on the physical plane of existence which we call the “real” world.
However, these forms are not necessarily permanent creations. At first, they merely pop into the physical realm, stay awhile, and then slip back into the more subtle planes of experience. It is only when kindling grows to a particular level of intensity that these thought creations come to stabilize themselves, and appear then to be genuine physical creatures.
As John Keel points out, while they are in their physical mode of manifestation, these thought forms are “temporary transmogrifications”. For as long as they appear in the physical realm, these temporary transmogrifications are indistinguishable from “real” creatures.
In their appearance and disappearances, they appear to the observer to materialise suddenly out of empty space, and then to dematerialise again just as swiftly and mysteriously into nothing. This symmetrical feature of manifestation between non-physical images and their physical counterparts appears to be finding increasing favour in the world of science.
One of its proponents is the Stanford University professor William Tiller. Tiller regards the universe as a conjugate system consisting of both positive and negative space-time frames. In the course of manifestation, Tiller argues that creation takes place initially in negative space-time, a realm which cannot be discerned by the senses, and which therefore appears invisible and undetectable.
With increasing energy, however, the negative space-time construct appears in positive space-time, where it takes on the form of a “real” physical object. From the viewpoint of the physical world, this construct appears to be a sudden materialisation into physical reality.
For as long as it continues to manifest in positive space-time, this thought construct is accepted as a genuine “fact” of nature. When it returns to the negative space-time frame, it appears to vanish instantaneously.
From the viewpoint of the physical world, matter appears to have been created suddenly out of nothing. Yet as Tiller points out, matter is neither created nor destroyed, it merely alters its level of manifestation.
“We see further that dematerialization and materialization phenomena are accounted for and note that matter does not actually disappear from space but it changes its character to become a non-observable relative to the physical sensory system and all apparatus based on that logic. It only appears to be dematerialized, the object only appears to change its form.” 2
The creative force for all manifested form, whether in the negative or positive space-time frame, is thought, and all physical forms are ultimately thought clothed in energy.
As Bearden goes on to describe, these thoughts, which reside within the collective unconscious of humanity, occasionally conspire to produce three-dimensional forms which appear, for as long as they manifest in positive space-time, to be real physical creatures.
These creatures may take on any shape or form, and may appear to be either evil or benevolent. As he remarks:
“Angels, imps, Virgin Mary’s, UFO’s, sasquatches, Loch Ness monsters, lake monsters, sea monsters, mystery lights, fairies, elves, devas, devils, ogres, Mothman, men in black, goblins, large monster birds, etc., are all kindled by the same process.
“Any tulpoidal materialization may be physically real during its stable period. It may make large tracks in the ground, operate ship-like space vehicles, break tree branches, take human specimens on board, examine human specimens, etc.
“The tulpoid may appear benevolent or harmful, and it may actually be so in the stably materialized mode. The full content of the human consciousness is there to be materialized in physical form – all the good, all the bad, all the noble, all the sly aspects.” 3
In making reference to tulpoids, Bearden has drawn upon a system of belief which has existed in Tibet for centuries, and from whose culture the word tulpa is derived.
Alexandra David-Neel, who spent fourteen years living in Tibet absorbing its culture and religion, was given a document by the then Dalai Lama, whom she met in 1912, which described the nature of the tulpa. She quoted from this document in her book Magic and Mystery in Tibet.
“A Bodhisattva (Being of high spiritual attainment) is the basis of countless magic forms. By the power generated in a state of perfect concentration of mind he may, at one and the same time show a phantom (tulpa) of himself in thousands millions of worlds.
“He may create not only human forms, but any forms he chooses, even those of inanimate objects such as hills, enclosures, houses, forests, roads, bridges, etc. He may produce atmospheric phenomena as well as thirst quenching beverages of immortality. In fact, there is no limit to his power of phantom creation.” 4
David-Neel goes on to add, “The power of producing magic formations, tulkus or less lasting and materialized tulpas, does not, however, belong exclusively to such mystic, exalted beings.
“Any human, divine or demoniac being may be possessed of it. The only difference comes from the degree of power, and this depends on their strength of the concentration and the quality of the mind itself.” 5
The creation of tulpas, or the materialisation in the physical realm of phantom forms, constitutes a unique feature of Tibetan, or Tantric, Buddhism. It serves to reveal their deep insight into the illusory nature of the phenomenal universe.
In order to convey this insight to the neophyte, the Tibetan pupil is isolated in a tiny cell and ordered to devote his or her entire energy to meditation. The object chosen for this meditation is the Yidam, or tutelary deity. Examples of Yidams can be seen adorning the walls of Tibetan monasteries. They can be either fearsome deities or angelic gods.
A Typical Tibetan Kyilkhor or Magic Diagram
At first the novice is taught to concentrate his or her thoughts upon the particular Yidam selected, imagining it in the shape and form illustrated on the temple walls. Together with this, the disciple is required to repeat certain mystical formulae, and to construct particular kyilkhors or magic diagrams.
These rituals are structured pathways of thought which have traditionally been followed throughout the centuries, and they assist the pupil in the attainment of the goal. After many months of this solitary practice, there comes a day when the student succeeds in obtaining a glimpse of the chosen Yidam.
At first it is nebulous and fleeting. As encouraging as this is, the disciple is ordered to continue his or her efforts until the image attains complete clarity of form. Even when this achievement is reached, the pupil is entreated to proceed further, to the point where the Yidam actually becomes animated. David-Neel describes this stage of ultimate success.
“The successful disciples see the Yidam taking on life. They distinctly feel the touch of his feet when, prostrated, they lay their head on them. They feel the weight of his hands when he blesses them. They see his eyes moving, his lips parting, he speaks and lo! he steps out of the kyilkhor and walks in the tsamskhang (isolated cell).” 6
This prolonged exercise in concentration is not mere mental diversion. The sublime purpose of animating a thought form is to teach the disciple that the chosen image, which has finally reached complete physical reality, is nothing more than a creation of the disciple’s own mind.
This leads finally to the realisation that all the forms of the physical universe are similar constructs of the mind. As David-Neel explains:
“However it is not to amuse the hermits that these exercises have been invented. Their true aim is to lead the disciple to understand that the worlds and all the phenomena which we perceive are but images born from our imagination. They emanate from the mind and into the mind they sink. In fact this is the fundamental teaching of Tibetan mystics.” 7
It is also the central teaching of all other mystics, of whatever outward culture or religious affiliation. Men and women of high spiritual degree, as well as those who have learned to focus the power of their minds, possess the ability to create the physical counterpart of any mental form they wish.
But whereas the student may take years to animate these forms and manifest them on the level of physical reality, for the master this process is immediate. Although these forms are in fact phantoms, there is nothing unreal about their manifestation.
They appear as solid and material as any other object. Furthermore, each phantom form exhibits a character and behaviour that is appropriate to that form. David-Neel comments:
“These phantoms do not always appear as impalpable mirages, they are tangible and endowed with all the faculties and qualities naturally pertaining to the beings or things of which they have the appearance.
“For instance, a phantom horse trots and neighs. The phantom rider who rides it can get off his beast, speak with a traveller on the road and behave in every way like a real person. A phantom house will shelter real travellers, and so on.” 8
Alexandra David-Neel was not just content to take these teachings at face value. Being a pragmatic student, she was determined to try out these ritualistic procedures for herself, to see if she too could conjure up one of these phantoms of the mind.
She therefore withdrew into a cell for an extended period, in order to achieve the necessary concentration of thought. She chose for her experiment what she described as “a most insignificant character: a monk, short and fat, of an innocent and jolly type“.
After several months of intense effort, she reported that the apparition of this monk began to manifest in her cell. The monk gradually assumed a life-like character, and became a kind of guest, living in her apartment.
Later, when she broke seclusion, and undertook a tour on horseback, she found to her surprise that the monk included himself in her party.
“The phantom performed various actions of the kind that are natural to travellers and that I had not commanded. For instance, he walked, stopped, looked around him. The illusion was mostly visual, but sometimes I felt as if a robe was lightly rubbing against me and once a hand seemed to touch my shoulder.” 9
It was at this point that what had started out as an innocent experiment in mind control, assumed a more sinister aspect. David-Neel found that the character of the monk began to change.
It no longer manifested in its “jolly” aspect, but began to grow leaner, and its face assumed a sly, malignant look. Alarmed by this disturbing transformation, she decided it was time to dissolve the phantom completely, lest it escape her control.
However, this task proved to be more difficult than she had imagined. She found to her consternation that, once a mental creation has stabilized in our world of “normal” reality, this creature clings to life with all the zeal of a “real” person.
“I succeeded, but only after six months of hard struggle. My mind-creature was tenacious of life”. 10
The crucial element of the tulpoidal thesis is that physical matter can be created by the direct agency of human thought. Unfortunately, we tend instinctively to reject this idea because it runs counter to our customary ideas of reality.
Yet this outrageous thesis rests upon impeccable grounds, supported by the Sages of every generation. The revelation of the mystics is that everything that we experience as the “real” world is actually a projection in energy of those thoughts present in the collective mind.
Not only is this “real” world a product of thought, but as our thoughts change, so our personal universe comes to change as well. This is what the Buddha referred to when he said:
“What we are today comes from the thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts create our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind.” 11
This same message has been conveyed by the modern Sage Sri Ramana Maharshi:
“The thoughts are the content of the mind and they shape the universe.” 12
His words echo the teachings of the ancient Rishis who wrote:
“The world becomes for whatever one is accustomed to think of it.” 13
These statements are the natural consequence of the unification of matter and mind. For, as Nisargadatta Maharaj has explained:
“Matter and mind are not separate, they are aspects of one energy. Neither comes first, for neither appears alone. Matter is the shape, mind is the name. Together they make the world.” 14
(Continued in Part Five)
References:
1 Thomas Bearden, “Excalibur Briefing“, Strawberry Press, San Francisco, 1980, p. 144.
2 William Tiller, “The Positive and Negative Space/Time Frames as Conjugate Systems“, in “Future Science“, edited by John White and Stanley Krippner, Anchor Books, New York, 1977, p. 262.
3 Thomas Bearden, op.cit., pp. 188-189.
4 Alexandra David-Neel, “Magic and Mystery in Tibet“, Penguin, New York, 1971, pp. 120-21.
5 Ibid, p. 121.
6 Ibid, p. 285.
7 Ibid, p. 267.
8 Ibid, p. 298.
9 Ibid, pp. 314-315.
10 Ibid. p. 315.
11 “The Dhammapada“, Translated by Juan Mascaro, Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1973, p. 35.
12 “Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi“, Recorded by Swami Saraswathi, Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, 1968, p. 93.
13 “Tripura Rahasya“, Translated by Swami Saraswathi, Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, 1962, p. 88.
14 “I Am That“, Conversations with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Translated by Maurice Frydman, Book II, Chetana, Bombay, 1973, p. 164.
