The Coming New Man By J. van Rijckenborgh

The Coming New Man By J. van Rijckenborgh

I-5 No bridge exists between natural and spiritual man

''You have probably understood that dialectical man is equipped with a threefold consciousness, a threefold ‘I’. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that we are always in a position to ascertain which of these three ‘I’ s is active at any given moment when we observe our fellow human beings and are obliged to make contact with them, which happens all the time.

These three states of consciousness in man are not just metaphorical or philosophical distinctions but are scientifically, organically demonstrable.
Thus there exists a central consciousness or ‘I’ residing in the head-sanctuary.This consciousness employs the brain centers and can be explained out of their construction. All our intellectual faculties, and their training, result from the activity of this ‘I’. It is therefore able to perceive the things and values of life intellectually in the way in which they present themselves to this ‘I’, to draw intellectual conclusions therefrom and to make intellectual decisions.
This consciousness of the head-sanctuary is furthermore equipped with a faculty of will.The vibration emanating from this faculty impels the blood, nerves and muscles to action.
Thus, from the furbishment of this center of consciousness, we can perfectly understand that many people are primarily ruled by this consciousness; due to heredity or training they stand almost completely under the direction of this consciousness.

In a case like this we speak of the intellectual person. To a certain class of this central head consciousness type belongs, amongst others, the occultist.
We recognize the second state of consciousness in the heart-sanctuary. In principle this consciousness too, works independently of the other two. Organically it is situated in the sevenfold heart but you should carefully note that this consciousness has nothing whatever to do with the spiritspark atom in the right heart ventricle.
This central consciousness of the heart-sanctuary runs the whole gamut of human emotional life. 

The emotional life is a perfect instrument of consciousness, capable for example of functioning independently of the head-sanctuary. Indeed man can think with the heart ; the word ‘thinking’, however, awakens direct associations with the intellectual faculty. So perhaps it is better to say that the heart consciousness is capable of perceiving or fully considering life and its various factors, and of making decisions based thereon.
This consciousness of the heart-sanctuary is also equipped with a faculty of will, which may be indicated as emotion or sentimentality. Man is also urged by the vibration of this faculty will to action. Persons who primarily live from this central heart-consciousness are termed mystics, to which group we may also reckon all those who stand entirely in natural religious life.

The third state of consciousness is situated in the pelvic sanctuary or, more exactly, at its apex, and is organically connected with the liver-solar-plexus-spleen system, already discussed in detail.This central abdominal consciousness is the most fundamental of the three natural egos. It determines the character we bring into this world; all our hidden or visible inclinations, the whole of our karma, is anchored in this ego. This ‘I’ of the liver-spleen system exercises a strong, dominating influence upon the other two egos, and it is with this ‘I’ that we tread outside at night and gather our nocturnal experiences.

The head- and heart-egos can be dialectically cultivated up to their natural limits. The abdominal ego, however, cannot be subjected to any culture whatever. This ego is the true dialectical man, obliged to show his real self, unadorned, naked. And, inasmuch as it dares not show itself, it generally hides behind the more or less cultivated pretense of the head- and heart-centres. Then we sometimes hear unctuous and exalted words, overflowing with intellect and love of mankind, but behind this hides the bellowing, primeval beast, ready to pounce.

The abdominal consciousness, too, possesses a perfectly equipped deductive faculty in the structures of the solar plexus, and also possesses a will. The will of the abdominal consciousness is called passion and all of us know that the human being driven by passion, also proceeds to action.
When a human being lives out of this third ego, primarily and utterly unbridled, he represents primeval man, genuine, unrestrained natural man, the brutal materialist,
the crude seizer of possessions.

Upon reflection, it should become clear that all dialectical experiments in the realm of civilization, culture, religion and magic may be accounted for as countless attempts to bring order and stability to the functions and aspects of the three natural egos. But no doubt you will also understand that in precisely this manner a great deal of insincerity arises, moreover, that in this way dreadful, almost unbearable, tensions develop in human life. All the diseases afflicting mankind are caused by the disharmony and tensions between the three egos of the head, heart and abdomen.

When the primeval instincts of man break out, he reverts to a life-conduct so disastrous that a general demonism obtains supremacy over him. In every period of mankind, his leaders endeavor to check this basic danger by subjecting the head- and heart-egos to various educational methods. But as soon as individualism, self-maintenance, the norms of life, are threatened (which in dialectics is a natural law), the third ego, because of its nature, enters the fray and the world becomes a raging hell, man a ferocious beast of the wilderness.
No attempt by the head and heart to cover, disguise reason or muse away this situation, can belie reality: there is no bridge between natural and spiritual man.''

Fragment from :

The Coming New Man By J. van Rijckenborgh

2nd revised edition 2006 - Rozekruis Pers - Haarlem - Netherlands

Translated from the Dutch - Original title : De Komende Nieuwe Mens
First Dutch edition 1953

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