THE MYSTERY OF THE DUCTLESS GLANDS
by
Max Heindel
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The thyroid gland consists of two maroon
colored masses astride the upper end of the windpipe, close to the larynx. These
are connected just below the Adam's apple by a narrow isthmus of the same
tissue. This gland arises from the same tissue and almost from the same spot as
the anterior lobe of the pituitary body. it weighs about an ounce. Each lobe of
the thyroid is about two inches in length, and from an inch to an inch and a
quarter in thickness. The thyroid is almost the first organ to become distinct
in the human embryo. It is first distinguished as a groove in the floor of the
mouth as early as the third week in the life of the fetus, and by the time the
embryo is a fourth of an inch long, the thyroid tissue becomes severed and the
cavity closed up.
The importance of the thyroid is plainly
indicated by the richness of its circulation. This gland receives about four
times as much blood in proportion to its size as do the kidneys, which are noted
for their high degree of functional activity. it is heavier in the female than
in the male, and becomes enlarged during sex excitement, menstruation, and
pregnancy. According to one noted authority, Gaskill, the thyroid was once a sex
gland. Dr. Berman says: "In the lowest vertebrates and in the homologous
tissues of the higher invertebrates the fractions of the thyroid are intimately
connected with the ducts of the sexual organs. They are indeed accessory sexual
organs, uterine glands, satellites of the sex process. From Petromyzon (lamprey)
upward their relationship is lost. The thyroid migrates more and more to the
head region to become the great link between sex and brain."
Max Heindel states: "During the early
part of the Hyperborean Epoch, while the Earth was still united with the Sun,
the solar forces supplied man with all the sustenance he needed and he
unconsciously radiated the surplus for the purpose of propagation.
"When the Ego entered into possession of
its vehicles it became necessary to use part of this force for the building of
the brain and larynx, which was originally a part of the creative organ. The
larynx was built while the dense body was yet bent together in the baglike shape
already described, which is still the form of the human embryo. As the dense
body straightened and became upright, part of the creative organ remained with
the upper part of the dense body and later became the larynx.
"Thus the dual creative force which had
hitherto worked in only one direction, for the purpose of creating another
being, became divided. One part was directed upward to build the brain and
larynx, by means of which the Ego was to become capable of thinking and
communicating thoughts to other beings.
"As a result of this change only one
part of the force essential in the creation of another being was available to
one individual, hence it became necessary for each individual to seek the
cooperation of another, who possessed that part of the procreative force which
the seeker lacked.
"Thus did the evolving entity obtain
brain consciousness of the outside world at the cost of half its creative power.
Previous to that time, it used within itself both parts of that power to
externalize another being. As a result of that modification, however, it has
evolved the power to create and express thought. Before then, it was a creator
in the physical world only; since then it has become able to create in the three
worlds."
A comparison of the discoveries made by the
modern scientist and those of the occult investigator given above reveal a
startling corroboration relative to the earlier formation of the generative
organs of the human race. Max Heindel stated in THE ROSICRUCIAN COSMO-CONCEPTION
that the occultist hails with joy the discoveries of modern science, as they
invariably corroborate that which occult science has long taught; and it is a
remarkable fact that almost daily the careful student reads somewhere of a
scientific discovery which proves particular statements made long ago in the
recorded writing of some of our foremost occult scientists.
It is believed by prominent biologists that
the thyroid has played a prominent part in the change of sea creatures into land
animals. Experimentally, thyroid has been used to transform one into the other.
There is a small salamander that lives in the water and breathes through gills.
Feeding this animal thyroid gland produces a change very quickly from a water
salamander to a land salamander.
Both the thyroid gland and its secretion are
used as medicine. The secretion of the gland is called thyroxin. It is a
gelatinous substance containing a large per cent of iodine, also arsenic and
phosphorous. Thyroxin depends on iodine for its activity. There are other
substances in the thyroid secretion with functions of their own, but their work
is secondary and obscure. Thyroxin produces results in doses amazingly minute
compared with the quantity of whole gland necessary to give to a patient.
Moreover, a dose of thyroxin appears to last an organism in need of it over a
period of time, while the whole gland has to be administered continuously.
The thyroid is an energy gland, and its
secretion is the controller of the speed of living. The less one has of this
secretion the more slowly he lives; that is to say, the rate at which the
chemical reactions go on that constitute the process of life, is dependent on
the thyroid. When the reactions are speeded up more oxygen and food materials
are oxidized, thereby liberating more energy, and the individual can think,
feel, see, and act more readily. The thyroid seems to mix more oxygen with the
cell food and at the same time frees energy to be used for heat and motion and
other needs.
Dr. Plummer has shown that what would amount
to a grain of thyroxin would more than double the amount of energy produced in a
unit of time. This gives some idea of the power of this internal secretion and
its importance to normal life. To be exact, one milligram of thyroxin increases
the metabolic action two per cent. When thyroxin is administered in a single
dose there is a distinct slowing down in the absorption of it by the tissues. A
single dose does not reach its maximum effect until the tenth day. its effect
continues for about ten days; then there is a decrease in the intensity for
another ten days. Accordingly the length of time a single dose of thyroxin
functions in the body is approximately three weeks. Any disturbance in the
thyroid secretion in quantity, that is, too much or too little of it, or in
quality, that is, an abnormal change in its chemical composition, produces
serious results which cause the person such severe suffering that he becomes a
burden to himself and others.
Not only is the degree of pressure energy in
the cells of the body controlled by the thyroid, but the mobility of that energy
is also controlled by it. Without thyroid secretion the output of large and
rapid fluctuations of energy, and the elasticity and flexibility of energy
mobilization for any sudden muscular act, let alone an emergency, would be quite
impossible.
The thyroid is the most important gland in
the body for the reason that it controls the growth of the dense vehicle, also
mental development, and it is very closely related to all of the other six
glands under consideration. It is the great link between the brain and the
organs of generation, and manufactures the secretion necessary to give the brain
balance.
Two of the principal disease connected with
the thyroid gland are cretinism and myxedema. Both of these are cause by an
imperfect connection between the brain centers and the vital body, which
prevents the thyroid gland from secreting the thyroxin that would connect the
thyroid with the brain and generative organs. Cretinism is infant idiocy. The
same disease in the adult is called myxedema.
A child may be born a cretin as a result of
thyroxin deficiency, or it may develop it some time after birth. A baby may be
born which appears to be normal with the exception that the nose is a trifle
more squat than the average. There may also be abnormal sleepiness, greater than
that of the normal baby during the first month or two, and no spontaneous
awakening for food. After some months it becomes noticeable that the infant is
failing to grow at the normal rate both physically and mentally. An examination
reveals a curious thickening of the dental ridges. Then the tongue becomes
unusually thick and prominent, projecting beyond the mouth at all times, and
interfering with breathing when the baby is in a reclining position. The mouth
is always filled with saliva, the skin becomes yellowish or else takes on a waxy
pallor, becoming dry, rough, scaly, and bloated. The eyes become watery and the
lids thicken; the depressed pug nose is wide and the nostrils thick; the ears
are large and stand erect; the hair is thin, the eyebrows and eyelashes scant,
sometimes entirely absent; the nails are short, thin, and brittle; the teeth are
late in appearing, usually consisting of a few short points, which are irregular
and decay quickly. All growth, which is slow, is disproportionate. The trunk,
though small when compared with the head, appears massive when compared with the
diminutive extremities. The back is inclined to be humped, arching at the
waistline; the abdomen protrudes like a small balloon, and often there is hernia
at the navel. The hands and feet are floppy, broad, and thick, the fingers
stiff, short and spade-like, and the toes are spread apart by solid skin.
These unfortunates manifest hunger and
thirst by grunts, inarticulate sounds, or by screaming. They neither smile,
laugh, nor cough. Their circulation is poor, the body cold, and the blood
pressure low. All cretins do not have exactly the same peculiarities. There are
many grades and varieties according to the severity of the disease.
Be it noted that in the case of the cretin
or myxedemist the gate is closed that furnishes the creative force to the brain
and the generative organs and both begin to atrophy. In both cases the victim is
apathetic, indifferent, dirty, and awkward--a pitiful idiot.
In an adult one might be able to surmise
some cause for such a loathsome disease, but why should it attack an innocent
baby?
To find the cause of the affliction one must
look to the organs affected-- the brain and generative organs. The creative,
growth-producing force is practically shut off from them.
The abuse of the creative force for the
gratification of the senses is the sin against the Holy Spirit that is not
forgiven, but must be expiated by living in vehicles the efficiency of which is
impaired--a terrible lesson, and one that is never given to a Spirit to learn
unless it has been found that it can get it in no other way.
Scientists all unknowingly are trying to
outwit the working out of this great Law of Cause and Effect through rebirth by
robbing the helpless animal kingdom of its thyroxin and feeding it to diseased
man. But God is not mocked: Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap--and the feeding of animal thyroxin to a cretin or myxedemist will never
effect a real cure. it only puts off the payment of the karmic debt until
another time. The case is analogous to that of hypnotizing a drunkard to cure
him of indulgence in strong drink. That which the hypnotist does is to
superimpose his own will on that of the drunkard, and as long as the two are
alive the cure seems to be complete; but should the hypnotist die before the
drunkard, his will power no longer controls the other man's appetite and the
latter immediately returns to his former unfortunate habit. it is only when we
overcome a bad habit through our own will power that we have mastered it. The
same is true of cretinism and myxedema. The victims may take thyroxin all their
lives, but they are never cured. They have only put off the payment of a karmic
debt until another life, and when they return the debt will again come up for
settlement.
The first apparent success in curing
myxedema was the case of an English woman forty-two years of age. The disease
had produced a thickening of the face and hands, and had caused her to become
slow of speech and gait, sensitive to cold, and languid and depressed in spirit
to the point of inability to go about alone. The extract of the thyroid gland of
a sheep hypodermically injected, twenty-four drops twice a week, gave almost
immediate and marvelous improvement which continued steadily. It was found that
this improvement could be maintained by feeding the gland by mouth. The features
and skin returned to normal, and the woman became able to walk once more alone.
She lived to the age of seventy-four years. during the time intervening between
forty-two and seventy-four it was always necessary to administer thyroxin in
some form regularly. The woman consumed nine pints of it, comprising the glands
of eight hundred and seventy sheep.
When the cretin baby is given thyroxin its
circulation improves and the body gets warmer. In a week or so the usual stupor
disappears, and the little creature begins to resent disturbances; soon it
begins to recognize its parents and smiles and plays. The heavy blank face
becomes normal in appearance, and the entire body begins to grow. All kinds of
marvelous growth effects occur. For instance, as many as twenty teeth may be cut
inside of six months. Coarse, rough, dry, shaggy hair becomes fine, soft, silky,
long, and often curly. The skin becomes moist, soft, and rosy. Inches in height
may be added every month, and the child becomes bright, active, and begins to
talk. A complete remaking is apparently effected. But should the administration
of the thyroid secretion cease, almost immediately reversion to the original
condition is inevitable. After a short time reactiveness slows down, the child
will speak only when spoken to, will sit quietly in a chair all day long and act
as if it were semi-anesthetized. Gradually the skin and hair return to the
previous state, and the whole picture of the cretin is in full bloom. Supplying
the secretion again promptly repeats the transformation.
Doctors are wondering what is to be the
ultimate fate of these reformed cretins. Since the administration of thyroxin to
these unfortunates has been going on scarcely a generation, there are no data
yet as to the character of their children or their grandchildren. Those of whom
the doctors have kept record appear to be normal healthy school children or
adult workers, alive to the usual interests of childhood or adult occupations
and social circles. Intellectually their only difficulty is with mathematics.
Usually no one outside their family knows that they are cretins, and the most
accurate observer in nine cases out of ten would never suspect it.
Not only may there be an insufficiency of
thyroid secretion in the blood and tissues but there are instances where
individuals suffer from an excess of it. When the over-activity of the thyroid
reaches a pathological state the condition manifesting as disease is called
exophthalmic goiter. This disease is usually accompanied by enlargement of the
gland and may be acute in its onset or it may assume a chronic form.
Acute cases are usually caused by a severe
shock or a great fright, and ofttimes disappear within a few days without any
treatment. In the chronic form the disease is serious and should be given the
best of care. Among its chief symptoms are excessively rapid heart action, pulse
ranging from 90 to as high as 160, over-excitability of the nerves, increased
blood pressure, shallow, rapid breathing; in fact, an over reactivity of the
whole organism. The eyes, which are bright and prominent, are pushed forward in
the sockets, and the lids are held wide apart resulting in a startled
expression.
A person afflicted with this disease has a
high warm color, is restless, does not sleep well, becomes thin and remains so
no matter how much he may eat. In some cases there is extreme emaciation. The
goiter may be very large, but at times it is only moderately so. There are
twenty-one known different kinds of goiter. Exophthalmic goiter is curable in
most cases without an operation, but the others usually require the use of a
knife.
The cause of goiter is lack of iodine in the
thyroid secretion. Iodine is rather abundantly present in sea water and in
smaller quantities in the spring and soil water of most regions; but is some
mountainous districts and in some other regions far removed from the sea, there
is practically no iodine present for the thyroid to use. It may then enlarge in
an effort to do its utmost to function properly under the existing
circumstances; but still it cannot supply the secretion in the absence of
iodine.
Iodine in the form of sodium iodide is small
doses will act as a goiter preventive. prolonged physical, mental, and emotional
rest free from all excitement and worry is often most effective in curing this
disease. A surgical operation should always be the last resort, and in no case
should all of the thyroid be removed as the result would be certain death.
This mysterious gland which gives balance to
the brain, aids in digestion, and mixes iron with the food cells, secretes the
iodine which combats the poisons of the body, helps to control the amount of fat
stored there, and in some mysterious way both prevents and cures goiter. The
more thyroid, the more energetic one will be--the less thyroid, the less
energetic and the lazier.
It has been quite conclusively proved that
the prisoners in San Quentin convicted of murder all have abnormal thyroid
glands, Dr. Ralph Arthur Reynolds, San Francisco physician, stated following a
two months' firsthand study of the prison's inmates in cooperation with Dr. Leo
Stanley, resident prison physician.
Dr. Reynolds said his study convinced him of
three facts: That every murderer, potential and actual, exhibits over-secretion
of the thyroid gland; that a murderer exhibits under-secretion of the pituitary
gland, and that every social misfit displays malsecretion of some gland. The
doctor told of one youthful slayer who for no apparent reason attacked other
prisoners with anything he could lay his hands on and as a consequence had spent
one hundred and eighty days in the dungeon. The youth had an abnormal thyroid
gland, said Dr. Reynolds, upon which "we operated and reduced to what we
thought normality. Today that prisoner is entirely tractable." The results,
he said, were surprising in sixty other cases personally treated.
The following interesting statement is made
by Dr. Louis Berman who displays remarkably keen insight in relation to the
ductless glands and their function in the human body:
"If crime is an abnormality
scientifically studiable and controllable like measles, court procedure and
prison management will have to be transformed radically. There is scattered
throughout the world now a group of people who are applying medical methods to
the diagnosis and treatment of crime. They are the pioneers who will be
remembered in history as the compeers of those who transformed the attitude of
the world toward insanity and its therapy. The insane were once condemned and
handled as are criminals in most civilized countries yet. The criminological
laboratory as an adjunct to the court of justice, so called, like that
associated with several courts punishing crime now, remains to be universalized.
"It has been shown that the greater
number of convicts are mentally and morally subnormal (deficiency of thyroid
secretion). To explain the subnormality, the criminologist has conducted and
will continue to conduct investigations into the heredity and early environment
of the criminal, his education and occupation, the social and religious
influences to which he was subjected, and the intelligence test quotient. The
conditioning of the vegetative system (involuntary or sympathetic) and the
endocrine status of the prisoner, however, will without a doubt come to occupy
the LEADING positions in any interpretation of crime in the future.
"Introspective observation of
pre-criminal states of mind by so-called normal persons reveals that in many of
them there is an impairment of reason and will power, in others an exaltation
amounting almost to hysteria. What are these but endocrine states of the cells,
experimentally reproducible by increasing or decreasing the influence of the
thyroid, the adrenals, and the pituitary? Crimes of passion can be traced in no
small part to disturbances of the thyroid. A psychological examiner of a
Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) court, interested in this subject, has found enlarged
thyroid in over ninety per cent of delinquent girls."
Before man became upright he was
double-sexed and his entire creative force was centered in the organs of
reproduction; at that time the thyroid was a sex gland pure and simple. Max
Heindel says that when the sexes were divided one- half of the creative force of
each individual was turned upward to build a brain and larynx. The brain was
built to give the Ego an instrument with which to gather knowledge and create in
the physical world, and the same force is feeding and building it today. The
larynx was made in order that man might have an organ with which to express his
thoughts in words.
The sex pervert or sex-maniac is proof of
the correctness of the contention of the correctness of the contention of the
occultist that one part of the sex force built and sustains the brain and larynx
and that there is a connection between these organs and the force expressed
through the lower creative organ. The unfortunate pervert becomes an idiot,
unable to think because of drawing and sending out, not only the negative or
positive part of the sex force (according to whether male or female) which is
normally to be used through the organs of reproduction for propagation, but in
addition to that he draws down and uses part of the force that should be turned
upward and used in building the brain, enabling it to produce thought; hence his
mental deficiency. On the other hand it the individual is given to spiritual
thought the tendency to use the generative force for propagation is slight, and
whatever part of it that is not used in that way may be transmuted into
spiritual power.
Again it is interesting to note that this
same thyroid gland which was once a sex gland arises in the embryo from the same
tissue and almost the same spot as does the anterior lobe of the pituitary body,
the thyroid being an outgrowth in front, the anterior pituitary an outgrowth
behind the same tissue. The anterior lobe of the pituitary body has been called
the gland of intellectuality, meaning the capacity of the mind to control its
environment by means of concepts and abstract ideas. All of which bears out Max
Heindel's statement that the nature of the generative force is creative whether
manifesting through the brain or the organs of reproduction.
The thyroid bears more directly upon the
inner and outer coverings of the body, the skin, the skin glands, the hair, the
mucous membranes and the irritability and the preparedness for response of the
nerves. The pituitary acts more on the framework of the body, the skeleton, and
the mechanical supports and movers. The thyroid raises the energy level of the
brain and the whole nervous system. The pituitary stimulates the brain cells
more directly. The thyroid facilitates energy production, the pituitary its
consumption. The thyroid is concerned especially with the regulation of the
shape, form, and finish of organs in accordance with their archetypes.
The life force necessary to create both
thought and physical forms comes from the sun and the yearly liberated Christ
force in the earth. This force is attracted to the individual by the thyroid
gland. It is the spiritual solar life essence contained in thyroxin that gives
balance to the brain and the life to the organs of reproduction. The secretion
of this gland is as necessary to the proper mental activity and reproduction of
species as ether is to the transmission of electricity. Without this spirit
essence there can be no complexity of thought, no learning, no education, no
habit formation, no responsive energy to meet situations, as well as no
development of faculty and physical function; also no reproduction of any kind,
with no sign of adolescence at the proper age, and no exhibition of sex
tendencies thereafter.
During childhood the normal thyroid type of
individual is healthy, slender, yet strikingly robust, energetic, active, fair
complexioned, eyes large, brilliant with an inclination to protrude, nose
straight and high-bridged, teeth firm, regular, and white with a pearly
translucent enamel.
The thyroid-centered children are always
active, never appear to get tired, and require little sleep. They are singularly
immune to disease, contracting measles possibly, but seldom any other of the
typical children's diseases. Adolescence is apt to be stormy and episodic for
them and they find adjustment to the changes going on within them considerably
disturbing which often results in acute wanderlust. The high-keyed cells of
their bodies are so charged with vital energy that it must express itself in
some normal activity or else explode.
The thyroid youth is a live wire, bubbling
with vitality, vividly magnetic, and the life of any group. He is, however,
easily shocked by some unusual or
Diagram: Thyroid Type
sudden event like the unexpected death of a
beloved parent, or the ruin of a cherished ambition. In such cases a break in
the balance of the other glands may follow quickly, resulting in disablement or
possible invalidism, which may be cured after a time, or remain stationary, or
in some instances descend to the worst form of thyroid deficiency. These
attractive, lovable, thyroid- centered children need most careful rearing.
During maturity the thyroid type is
characterized usually by a slender body. The features are clean-cut, complexion
clear and slightly flushed, the hair abundant, often wavy or curled, eyebrows
thick and long; large, frank, brilliant, keen eyes, a well-shaped mouth with
regular, well-developed teeth. Shelley's face is a good example of the masculine
thyroid-centered person. The oval shape of it, the excellent molding of its
features, the wide, high brow, the large, vivacious, prominent eyes, vitally
alive, and the sensitive mouth all belong to this type. of him Matthew Arnold
said: "A beautiful and ineffectual angel, beating in the void his luminous
wings in vain." Queen Elizabeth of England is an excellent feminine example
of a thyroid-centered woman.
Sexually this type is well differentiated
and susceptible. Noticeable emotivity, rapidity of perception and volition,
impulsiveness, and a tendency to explosive crises of expression are among their
distinctive traits. Their restless, apparently inexhaustible energy makes them
perpetual doers. They get up early in the morning, work all day, retire late at
night, and plan the work for themselves and others for the next day, and then
complain of insomnia.
Shelley was only thirty years old when he
was drowned yet the number of his literary compositions was greater than those
of many who have spent a lifetime engaged in the same kind of work. Queen
Elizabeth's reign was noted for its commercial enterprise and intellectual
activity. Mankind owes much to these restless, energetic people, for in a
certain sense they are the leaven that energizes the world.
THE PITUITARY BODY
The pituitary body or hypophysis is a lump
of tissue about the size of a pea, situated almost exactly in the center of the
head at the base of the brain and just behind the root of the nose. it hangs
SUSPENDED from the under side of the brain like a cherry from the limb of a
tree. It is a grayish- yellow color. It increases in size until about the
thirtieth year, and in the adult weighs about five grains, or 1/1400 of a pound.
During pregnancy the gland increases somewhat in size. It lies in a saddle-like
depression in the sphenoid bone called the SELLA TURCICA and is enclosed in a
strong membranous tissue called DURA MATER. The pituitary body can be traced
from the most primitive form of life to man. Humanity has brought this gland and
the salt of the blood in its development all the way from the sea to its present
state.
The pituitary body is a veteran in the
ductless gland system. Its name is derived from a Latin word, PITUITA. This name
was given to the gland because it was supposed to secrete a fluid which
lubricated the throat. it was believed that the secretion filtered through the
porous ethnoid bone that intervenes between the pituitary body and the nasal
cavity.
If the SELLA TURCICA, or cradle of the
gland, is too small, there is an under development of the moral and intellectual
sense. People so affected may be called pathological liars. Such unfortunates
have no sense of truth, therefore they are absolutely unconscious of the fact
that they are telling lies. Such an affliction may often be found among morons.
The pituitary body is composed of two
seemingly independent organs, distinct in their origin, history, function, and
secretion. In the study of the human embryo we find the beginning of the
pituitary manifesting as an outgrowth of the mouth cavity in the taste and smell
sense area. This outgrowth takes the form of a pouch which gradually extends
toward the brain. by the end of the fourth week this protruding pouch contacts a
downgrowth from the brain called the infundibulum. The two parts then develop
into the adult pituitary gland. The outgrowth of the mouth cavity forms the
anterior lobe of the pituitary, and the infundibulum part represents an
outgrowth of the oldest part of the nervous system, the involuntary or
sympathetic system, and develops into the posterior or post-pituitary lobe of
the gland. There is a space between walls of the anterior parts of the gland
which persists throughout life as the cleft of the gland.
At a certain stage in the life of the embryo
the pineal gland protrudes through the brain, and the pituitary body forms an
aperture to the mouth; the spinal canal cavity is also connected therewith.
Through this media the spirit that is about to take birth in the physical world
is still in close contact with the spirit world outside while the prison-house
of flesh is being built around it. When other apertures of the body, notably the
foramen ovale, close, the fetal blood stream is diverted from its former
unimpeded way through the auricles of the heart directly to the spiritual
centers in the head just mentioned, and the blood is forced through the
ventricles of the heart into the lungs where it contacts the ether in the air.
This ether contains an accurate and detailed picture of all the Ego's
surroundings, not only of material things but all of the conditions existing
each moment within the individual's aura, and all of these pictures are injected
into the blood. This causes a clogging of the spiritual centers, spiritual sight
wanes, and the consciousness of the Ego gradually becomes focused in the
physical world.
At the beginning of serious gland study it
was believed that the pituitary was s single gland producing only one hormone or
substance. After a time it was found that it had two distinct parts and that
each produced hormones distinctly different from the other. It was further
discovered that what at first was considered to be one hormone was found to
consist of two or more separate ones, until at present it is believed that the
pituitary produces at present it is believed that the pituitary produces no less
than eight distinctly different hormones.
The anterior lobe of the pituitary, called
the pre-pituitary, is composed of a collection of solid columns of cells
surrounded by blood spaces into which the cell secretion is undoubtedly directly
poured. The posterior lobe consists of secretory cells producing a glossy
substance which finds its way into the spinal fluid that bathes the nervous
system.
There is one chemical in the secretion of
the pre-pituitary that stimulates the growth of tissue, particularly the bony
tissue, and another which influences the sex organs and sexual activity. One of
the extracts of the prepituitary has a definite effect on the reddish-yellow
mass which fills the egg sacs in the ovaries, stimulating them to excessive
growth. One scientist who grafted small pieces of the prepituitary into very
young immature animals found that it produced puberty and brought about active
mature sexuality including all the mating and reproductive instincts.
In the light of the foregoing it is evident
that the prepituitary is not only one of the chief controllers of growth but is
the controller of the mysterious process in human development called puberty.
It has been proved by experimentation that
the normal functioning of the prepituitary is necessary during the period of
growth and development and probably also during the period of maturity for the
proper evolution and functioning of the thyroid and adrenal glands. When the
prepituitary is injured in young or growing animals there occurs a retardation
of the growth and activity of the thyroid and adrenal glands as well as the sex
glands. When the internal secretion of the prepituitary is supplied artificially
by injection there is an activation of the thyroid and adrenal glands as well as
the sex glands.
The internal secretions of the pituitary
undoubtedly have an effect on the energy production, especially the energy of
the central nervous system, the gray matter of the brain, and the spinal cord.
An overproduction of energy in the body may be due to an excessive amount of the
internal secretion of the pituitary circulating in the blood and tissues.
To summarize: The anterior or prepituitary
produces a secretion that promotes the growth of the skeleton and connective
tissues, causes the normal development of the creative organs and sex activity,
and stimulates the well- being and action of the thyroid and adrenal glands. The
secretion of the anterior pituitary, called prolactin, is essential to the
production of milk in female animals.
The posterior lobe of the pituitary body
secretes several important hormones, two of which are in frequent use. One of
them, called pitocin, has a powerful stimulating effect on the pregnant uterus
and is frequently used in cases where labor is slow and ineffective. The other
hormone is called pituitrin. In general this secretion controls the tone of the
tissues of the involuntary or smooth muscle fibres of the blood vessels, and the
contractile organs of the body like the intestines, the bladder, and uterus.
When injected it will slowly raise the blood pressure and keep it raised for
some time, and will increase the flow of urine from the kidneys and milk from
the breast. it will also cause an intense continued contraction of the bladder
and uterus. It is believed to control the salt content of the blood on which its
electrical conductivity and other properties depend. Normally, there is a
certain fixed ratio of salts in the blood which keeps them (the salts) like the
ratio of sea water. it has recently been proved that the blood pressure rising
effect is due to one internal secretion of the postpituitary, and the
contracting propensity is due to another constituent in the secretion.
Between the anterior pituitary and the
posterior, there is an intermediate structure which secretes a hormone called
intermedin. This secretion has proved very effective in the treatment of
diabetes insipidus. It is generally administered by injection.
The extraordinary well protected position of
the pituitary, its persistence throughout life, and its abundant blood supply
emphasizes its vital importance. No other gland of internal secretion can
adequately substitute it. Its complete removal means death in two or three days,
with a peculiar lethargy, unsteadiness of gate, loss of appetite, emaciation,
and fall of temperature so that the animal becomes cold blooded, its temperature
the same as the atmosphere around it. If only a part of the anterior lobe is
taken away there occurs a remarkable degeneration of the individual--a fatty
degeneration with a tendency to inversion of sex. A singular drowsiness, dry
skin, loss of hair, dull mentality, sometimes epilepsy, and a noticeable craving
for sweets appears.
If a part of the anterior lobe is removed
from a puppy in infancy there is a marked hindrance or slowing of growth--dwarfs
are artificially created. Pathologists have shown that in several true human
dwarfs the pituitary is rudimentary or inadequate. All this is evidence that the
skeleton is directly under the domination of the pituitary.
There are singular by-effects of the
pituitary in relation to the periodic phenomena of the physical organism, like
hibernating, sleep, and wakefulness. An active pituitary produces sleepiness and
general dullness. In hibernation or winter sleep, the animal in cold weather
passes into a cataleptic state in which it continues to breathe, more deeply but
more slowly than when awake, but shows no other signs of conscious life. A
lowered blood pressure and a marked insensibility to painful and emotional
stimuli go with it. There is a preliminary storage of starch in the liver and
fat throughout the starch depots of the body. These are so like what happens
when a part of the pituitary is removed that a comparison of the two becomes
inevitable. Common to both conditions is a drop in the rate of metabolism, which
can be relieved by injection of an extract of the pituitary causing a rise of
temperature to occur at once.
The internal secretions of the glands of the
hibernating animals show changes in all of them during the period of hibernating
but most marked change is in the pituitary whose cells shrink as if they too
were asleep or resting. These animals come to at the vernal equinox (spring) and
the pituitary gland cells again become normally active. Some scientists claim
that hibernation may be attributed to a seasonal wave of pituitary inactivity.
In certain parts of Russia where there is a scarcity of food during winter
months, the peasants pass weeks at a time in a sleepy, drowsy state, arousing
once a day for a scant meal.
There are plenty of people in the world
today who are partial hibernators, and many of them are really in a state of
what might be called -- sub-pituitarism, for something is wrong with their
pituitaries. They are slow, dull, sexually inactive, often sterile. They are
sometimes tall but much more often they are dwarfish and are likely to be
subject to epilepsy.
All grades of overaction of the pituitary
exist. This overaction has the peculiar power to act as a stimulant to the
growth of the bones and the soft supporting, connecting tissues, like tendons
and ligaments.
If the excess of the pituitary secretions
begins before puberty, it causes great elongation of the bones, resulting in
giantism. Normal giants, persons exceptional in size and free from physical or
mental deformities, are rare. There are, however, people with hyper-prepituitarism,
who are possessed of the highest mental powers. In such individuals there is an
increased activity of the posterior lobe in association with enlargement and
hyperfunction of the anterior lobe. Their overgrowth is not so marked, and they
are lean and mentally acute. The ordinary giant is one in whom there is
degeneration of the pituitary after too much action of the anterior lobe and too
little of the posterior. A tumor or diseased process in the gland is often
responsible for this.
If the overaction of the pituitary happens
after puberty when the long bones have set and cannot grow longer, a peculiar,
widely spread enlargement of the individual's face and body occurs, especially
of his hands, feet, and head. The nose, ears, lips, and eyes get larger and
coarser. As these people are rather big and tall to begin with, the effect
produced is that of a heavy- jawed, burly, bulky person, with bushy overhanging
eyebrows and an aggressive appearance. Such people often suffer from torturing,
boring headaches, a consequent despondency, and a feeling of hopelessness which
colors their attitude toward life. Up to a certain point they have a remarkable
alertness and are very capable. When conscious of the malady it is
characteristic of them to meet it with a courageous optimism, although women so
afflicted do occasionally commit suicide. In the semi-hibernators, who remind on
of cattle, and the giant type, who remind one of anthropoids, there develops a
distinct diminution of sexual life.
Oversecretion or undersecretion of the
anterior gland may interfere with the proper functioning of the posterior gland,
the secretion of which is a tonic to both the brain and the sex cells. In cases
where the bony container is, or becomes, too small for the pituitary, along with
undersize, obesity, et cetera, there develops conspicuous moral and intellectual
inferiority. The person suffers from lack of self-restraint and an impelling
desire to act according to whatever idea enters his mind, be it good or bad.
Such people have little or no initiative and are instinctively immoral. They
should have proper care.
The secretions of the pituitary act on the
framework of the body-bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Its secretions
diffuse directly into the fluid bathing the nervous system, supplying beneficent
stimulants, and aiding in the abstraction of harmful wastes. The pituitary
secretion stimulates the brain cells directly, naturally, and normally in
something like the way caffeine or cocaine stimulates them artificially.
The pituitary assists in energy
transformation expenditure and conversion, particularly of the brain and sexual
system. It works directly with the creative force both in the brain and
reproductive organs, making it easy for them to consume energy. it is the gland
of continued effort, and an inability to maintain effort is one of the prominent
complaints when there is a destruction of this gland or insufficiency of its
extract to enable it to perform its normal work. Overgrowth, undergrowth, and
normal growth all depend on the normal functioning of the pituitary in relation
to the brain and reproductive organs.
The prepituitary: (1) stimulates growth of
skeleton and supporting tissues; (2) influences reproductive organs and their
activity; (3) stimulates excessive growth of contents of egg sacs in ovaries;
(4) produces puberty; (5) injury to it causes retardation of growth in young.
The postpituitary: (1) secretes pituitrin,
which controls tone (vigor) of flat smooth muscles fibres of bladder and uterus;
(2) raises blood pressure; (3) increases flow of urine, and milk in breast; (4)
tonic to both brain cells and sex cells; (5) increases heart contractions but
decreases force of systole.
Diagram: Pituitary Type
The pituitary body is a feminine-masculine
gland. The feminine pituitary type is dominated by the post-pituitary lobe of
the gland. The masculine type is dominated by the anterior lobe of the
pituitary. The feminine pituitary type expresses tender emotions and refined
sentiments. The skin is soft, moist, roseate, or creamy, hairless, and flushes
easily; the brow are high, the eyes are large and prominent. These people are
fond of children, and are in every way most womanly. They are of medium height,
well-formed, medium- sized hands and feet, well modulated voice, fond of good
poetry and music, and have a sensitive face; are much interested in the welfare
of mankind. They are womanly with a suggestion of masculine force. Mary, the
mother of Jesus, is a good example of well-balanced feminine pituitary type.
Florence Nightingale also belongs to this class.
An over predominant postpituitary in a woman
produces one who craves excitement, constant change, and has a desire for some
kind of new pleasure every minute. These women are excitement-mad and
thrill-crazy.
The masculine pituitary type has superlative
brain tone and action, a good all-around mental growth, and the ability to
govern. Generally this type is tall, about sex feet, the ideal virile type, with
a well-developed strong frame, firm muscles, and hands and feet proportionately
sized. The head is long from front to back, the face sharp and clear-cut, the
eyebrows thick, the eyes prominent and wide apart, and nose broadish and long,
the lower jaw prominent and firm, cheek bones prominent. These people have a
high brain power, great ability to learn, and the power to control. They are
masters of their lower instincts, ruling themselves and their environment. To
this group belong the brain men, practical and theoretical, the philosophers and
creators of new thought. Men like Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, and George
Bernard Shaw belong to this class.
When a predominance of the post-pituitary
occurs in men it produces a type that is short, rounded, and stout, the head
appearing too large for the body, with the general distribution of the hair on
the extremities and trunk poor, but that of the scalp and face plentiful, and
early in life they acquire an abdominal pouch. They exhibit feminine tendencies,
and often poetry and music have an almost morbid appeal to them. In fact a large
number of poets and musicians are classified as feminine pituitary types. They
are ofttimes beautiful characters, but usually lack self-assertion. They are
often the henpecked husbands who should be understood--not bullied.
The anterior pituitary dominating in woman
produces a masculine type and counteracts her natural feminine trend. It
inclines her to be large, spare, and bony; gives her a protruding jaw, broad
teeth, thick skin, a hairy body, and large hands and feet. However, it does give
her a brilliant intellect which ofttimes creates despair in the minds of her
masculine associates. Such women become the aggressive type, and fill men's
places in the business world. These women also need understanding and not
ridicule and sarcasm which is usually directed toward them.
Thrice blessed are the men and women who
have normal, balanced pituitary glands.
THE PINEAL GLAND
The pineal gland is most astonishing in its
nature. As its name implies, it is a cone-shaped body (Conarium pinealis, pine
cone). It is reddish in color, about a half inch in length, and not much larger
than a grain of wheat. It is attached to the roof of the third ventricle of the
brain. It weighs about two grains. It is hidden away at the base of the brain
(to which it is attached by the hollow pineal stalk) in a tiny cave behind and
above the pituitary body. it is composed, in part, of nerve cells containing a
pigment similar to that present in the cells of the retina which is an
expression of the optic nerve-- this strengthening the argument for its ancient
function as an eye. The lower part of the gland points backward.
The secretion of the pineal gland, called
pinealin, acts as a restrictor for all the glands of internal secretion. By its
checking activity on the other endocrine glands, it gives the baby time to grow
in bulk, which is its chief business during the first two years of its
existence. during these two years the baby should quadruple its birth weight.
The pineal acts as a sort of general supervisor over all of the other glands.
The accepted belief of the nineteenth
century anatomists was that the pineal gland was a useless, wasteful,
space-consuming vestige of a once important structure. For a long time, in fact,
up to a few decades ago, the pineal was believed to have no present function at
all, or at least no ascertainable one. That it might be a gland of internal
secretion was a popularly despised theory. Late observations, however, have
related the pineal to muscle function. There is a singular muscle shrinking and
deforming disease, known as "progressive dystrophy," the cause of
which has been an unsolved mystery to the medical profession. By means of the
X-rays, late studies of the pineal in relation to this disease have shown it
calcified, that is, buried in lime salts, which signifies that where it is weak,
or no longer functioning, the muscles do not receive the proper amount of
nourishment.
It has further been discovered that the
pineal regulates the coloring of the skin by varying the degree of light ray
reaction. That is, it controls the action of light on the pigment of the skin.
It is the light within that reflects the light without.
The pineal also produces the normal physical
and mental development of the brain cells and the normal development of the
cells of the organs of reproduction. The rich blood supply of the pineal is
suggestive of its active functioning rather than that it is only the persistence
of a vestigial organ which during the course of evolution has outgrown its
original use.
To summarize: The pineal gland secretion (1)
prevents a too early sex development in the child, and thereby promotes normal
puberty; (2) it favors activity of the creative force, which tends to develop
both the brain and the organs of reproduction normally; (3) it gives the vigor
which tones up the muscles; (4) it influences the body by varying the degree of
light ray reaction; that is, it controls the susceptibility of the body to
light; (5) it influences the skin pigment by causing a marked transparency of it
due to a contraction of the pigment cells.
Generally speaking, the pineal gland is
masculine but there are some women who come under its domination, as we shall
see when we take up the study of the spiritual activities of this organ.
Diagram: Pineal Type
The typical spiritual pineal type is tall
and has a well-built figure. The shoulders are square, and the body gradually
tapers to the feet. The forehead is high and broad. The eyebrows are inclined to
be straight, not too heavy, and are well shaped. The large, expressive,
wide-open eyes are usually a deep blue, which, regardless of color, emit a glint
of divine fire. The nose is quite Grecian in shape. The lips are medium full
with a slight curve. The chin is well formed and prominent enough to show real
strength of character, yet it is in excellent alignment with the other features.
The neck is medium-sized, set on broad, shapely shoulders. The hair, usually
light brown, is abundant and has a glossy sheen. As a whole, the figure is manly
with a suggestion of feminine charm.
The artist Raphael was a perfect example of
the spiritually developed pineal type. It is said that his manly beauty, touched
with an almost imperceptible feminine allure, was so perfect that when he passed
unobtrusively along the street all who saw him stopped and gazed after him in
astonished admiration. In person he was as beautiful as an angel. His
disposition was sweet, kind, and gentle; in manner and conversation he was most
charming, and he was celebrated for the nobility and generosity of his nature.
The name of this unusual man still remains
the greatest in the art of painting. In his TRANSFIGURATION the discerning eyes
discover the mystery of his greatness, for here is plainly revealed his
knowledge of and direct touch with supernatural realms. This marvelous picture,
the beauty of which must be FELT as well as seen, was Raphael's swan-song on
canvas. He painted it while he was dying. When looking at this marvelous
production, one wonders if he did not paint that beautiful, holy, compassionate
face of the Christ just as he saw Him in the ethers, waiting to carry into
paradise the spirit of the noble man who had done so much for the glory of
Christianity both by the unsurpassed holy pictures that he painted on canvas and
the noble unselfish life he led.
SPIRITUAL CORRESPONDENCES
We will now consider the spiritual
connection which the ductless glands have with the development of the LATENT
POTENTIALITIES of the Ego. Let us not forget that the principal ductless glands
are seven in number, namely: the two adrenals, the spleen, the thymus, the
thyroid, the pituitary, and the pineal. Max Heindel tells us that these glands
have a great and particular interest for the occult student and that they may be
termed the seven roses on the cross of the vital body, for they are intimately
connected with the occult development of humanity.
All that we see about us in our entire
solar system had been created by the WORD which is sound-music, the Voice of
God. It was this great primordial Word which brought or SPOKE into being, in
finest matter, all the different worlds with all their myriads of FORMS, and
these forms have since been copied and worked out in detail by innumerable
creative Hierarchies chief among which, so far as our won particular solar
system is concerned, are the Seven Planetary Spirits before the throne, namely:
Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Earth, Mars, Venus, and Mercury.
The Word of God sounds forth through the
medium of these seven Planetary Spirits and forms all the various types which
later crystallize into the manifold things which we behold in the Physical
World. Thus we see that the
Diagram: The Ductless Glands and Their
Rulers
Pineal----------Neptune
Pituitary-------Uranus
Thyroid---------Mercury
Thymus----------Venus
Spleen----------Sun
Adrenals--------Jupiter
Word manifests in seven great tones sounded
by the seven Planetary Spirits. Each planet has its own keynote and emits a
sound varying from that of every other planet. These are all building tones. All
the music in the world is based on these seven tones emitted by the seven
Planetary Spirits, and all form is created by them, and after the form is
created they assist the indwelling Ego in developing its LATENT POTENTIALITIES,
all of which are embryonic God-powers. This assistance is given to humanity
largely through the medium of the ductless glands.
Each ductless gland has a dominant keynote
within itself, which when awakened, will develop certain latent potentialities
in the Ego. Each of these keynotes is attuned to that of one of the Planetary
Spirits and the sounding forth of the keynote of that particular Planetary
Spirit is gradually awakening the keynote of the gland which is attuned to it.
When the keynote of the gland is awakened it will develop in the Ego the
specific energies which this particular Planetary Spirit expresses. These
energies are forces which the Ego must learn TO CONTROL and DIRECT, for
according to their USE DO THEY MANIFEST AS GOOD OR EVIL. Remember that all evil
is MISDIRECTED good.
The adrenal glands are ruled by Jupiter.
The energies expressed by Jupiter manifest principally as benevolence, vision,
expansion, optimism, honor, philanthropy, courtesy, generosity, cheerfulness,
ability to comprehend the working out of cosmic law, ideation (the power to form
and relate ideas), and religious understanding.
When one contacts the keynote of Jupiter it
is found to be clear, full, round, and expansive. Its all encompassing power
seems to enwrap and enfold the individual, awakening in him a sense of
confidence, security, and the ability and desire to go out into the world and
transform the hideous works of stumbling, half-awakened humanity into creations
of beauty and intrinsic worth. His clarified vision beholds with joy the heights
to be scaled, the greater spiritual powers to be developed; and his expanded
consciousness, which recognizes in each of his fellow men just another part of
himself groping and striving for a true understanding of the riddle of life,
becomes fired with an urgent desire to render unto these hapless children of the
one great Father, the loving, selfless service which will reveal to them, from
the highest to the lowest, that the real purpose of life for each individual is
the development of his latent potentialities into dynamic, godlike powers.
Once having attained these powers it is
possible for the individual to misuse them. This is one of the greatest crimes
that it is possible to commit. The wrong use of spiritual power is black magic
which can be indulged in to the extent that finally the bridge of mind which
connects the Spirit with its personality is broken and after a time the Spirit
automatically gravitates to the planet Saturn where it leaves a record of its
past lives and is then by dissolution of its vehicles propelled outward toward
chaos by way of Saturn's moons, there to remain until the dawn of a new creative
day when it will have to begin its work all over again in an appropriate day of
manifestation.
The wrong use of these energies expresses
itself principally in over- confidence, extravagance, self-indulgence,
prodigality, showiness, bombastry, sportiness, conceit, lawlessness,
dissipation, improvidence, and procrastination. All of which plunges the Ego
into so much deep sorrow, suffering, and distress that in time it usually learns
the lesson that only by the RIGHT use of these spiritual powers can it free
itself from its self-made, distressful predicament. When this lesson is
mastered, through pain and travail, the Ego is indeed ready for another forward
step on the path of evolution. for, corresponding to the two adrenals, the FIRST
TWO ROSES on the cross of his vital body HAVE BURST INTO FULL BLOOM!
No longer does the emergency energy of the
adrenal glands express itself in belligerence, aggression, and combat, but
rather it is directed by the power born in a chastened, contrite spirit into
energies which manifest as benevolence, vision, expansion, and philanthropy.
A KNOWING that the GOOD OF ALL is the GOOD
OF EACH has developed in the consciousness of the Ego. This individualized spark
of God now recognizes the unity which exists between all created beings and
their oneness with the great Creator of our solar system; accordingly, to him
the brotherhood of man has become an established fact.
The work of Jupiter in relation to our
humanity at present is connected with the physical plane. Through the medium of
the spiritual power generated by the adrenal glands, he furnishes the Ego with
the strength necessary to perfect its dense body and conquer the physical world,
all of which completes its evolution on this mundane sphere. The spiritual
center in the adrenals vibrates to blue.
The spleen is the entrance gate of the
solar forces specialized by each individual and circulated through the physical
body as the vital fluid without which no being can live. This gland is therefore
ruled by the sun which is the source of all vitality. The energies of this great
planet manifest chiefly as will, vitality, individuality, authority, courage,
generosity, dignity, loyalty, faithfulness, parental instinct, leadership, and
responsibility.
When the great keynote of the Planetary
Spirit of the sun, which contains within itself all of the other planetary
tones, arouses into action the corresponding keynote in the spleen, the THIRD
rose on the cross of the vital body BURSTS INTO BLOOM.
The development of this rose raises the
consciousness of the individual to such an extent that he is able to contact the
Etheric Region which is a vibrating, flowing stream of LIFE. Here he actually
sees the activity that is carried on by a class of invisible hosts who work
through the media of the chemical, life, light, and reflecting ethers. He sees
the vital forces which give life to the mineral forms of plant, animal, and man
actually flowing into these forms.
He sees the work of the forces that cause
assimilation in the body and the process whereby they extract the different
nutritive elements from the food and incorporate them into the bodies of plant,
animal, and man, and he watches these same forces expel from the body the
materials which are unfit for use. He learns that these processes like all
others which are independent of man's volition, are wise and selective.
He learns of the activities of the nature
forces which work in the life ether making it possible for parents to bring
children into the world. He contacts the great angelic life wave and watches how
they work with this same life force and the way in which they place the dense
seed atom of reincarnating Egos, which are to grow new physical bodies, into the
creative force of the prospective fathers.
He learns how the nature forces in the
light ether produce heat in the blood, and how they operate the sense organs,
making them capable of distinguishable sight, hearing, feeling, tasting, and
smelling.
This same development enables the
individual to contact the reflecting ether and see the pictures contained
therein. In contacting this ether he discovers that it is through the activities
of a certain class of nature spirits that the Ego is able to make thought
impression on the human brain. while examining this ether he contacts those
subtle powers of the Spirit known as the conscious and subconscious minds, and
in time he learns how to strengthen the first and read the records contained in
the second.
While exploring the Etheric Region the
individual contacts Egos who are reviewing their after-death panorama and learns
definitely just what the process is.
The new powers developed by the individual
enable him to see the gnomes made of ether that work with the soil, and the
fairies which work with the flowers; and he is able to watch these little
creatures extract coloring matter from the light ether and build it into the
various blossoms just before they are ready to burst into bloom. He is also able
to see the sylphs in the air and follow the process they use in bringing about
wind storms or zephyr breezes. He is able to see the salamanders who start all
fires, and he can study their activities which produce the lightning and send it
flashing in zigzag tongues of flame across the blackness of an inky sky.
To summarize: the powers developed through
the influence of the sun upon the spleen open up to the individual the entire
Etheric Region and make it possible for him to contact consciously all the
denizens which inhabit that plane, and see the kind of work they are doing there
as well as that which they are doing on the earth.
When these powers have been developed it is
possible for the individual to put them to wrong use. He may get so enamored
with himself that he becomes arrogant, overbearing, ostentatious, proud,
pompous, domineering--a veritable despot. But if he does, again he reaps a
harvest of sorrow and suffering until at last, humble and contrite, he becomes a
most valuable SERVER ready and eager to apply his knowledge to the betterment of
the world. The spiritual center in the spleen vibrates to golden yellow.
Venus controls the thymus gland. The
emotions are developed by the Venus love ray. The seat of the emotions is the
desire body, and the desire body connects the individual with the Desire World.
When the keynote of Venus arouses into activity the keynote of the thymus gland,
the individual develops the highest form of love, artistic ability, beauty,
harmony, cheerfulness, charm, attraction, cohesion, and coalition.
The wrong use of these powers expresses
itself as sensuality, dissoluteness, vulgarity, slothfulness, sentimentality,
vanity, and inconstancy.
Again we sound the warning, that spiritual
powers when once developed can be used for evil, and that the unfailing result
IS ALWAYS DISASTER for the wrong doer. The temptation to use spiritual powers
for personal benefit is ofttimes so subtle as to be almost indiscernible.
The keynote of the Venus planetary Spirit
is sweet and clear. It brings to one who is able to contact it a feeling of
unexpected happiness like unto that of an unanticipated family reunion where all
past discords are forgotten and only the joy of renewed association prevails.
When one begins to respond to this keynote, years seem to drop away from him and
he feels young, joyous, and happy.
The keynote of Venus impinging upon that of
the thymus gland begins to gradually awaken a response, and after a time this
FOURTH rose on the cross of the vital body bursts into bloom. This accelerated
vibration puts the individual in touch with the higher realms of the Desire
World, where soul- life expresses in the beauty of living colors, in perfected
form, in the poetry of motion, and the exquisite harmony of sound; where
soul-light reveals to love its higher octave--altruism, and where soul-power
manifests itself in philanthropic activities.
Here, also, the individual consciously
contacts the archangelic life wave, of which Christ is the highest Initiate, and
learns of its various activities, particularly of those which pertain to the
work of the various group and race spirits who although unseen here are
nevertheless very closely associated with the activities of animal and man. he
watches the two great forces of attraction and repulsion in action, and sees the
drawing power of interest and the withering effect of indifference. Here he
learns a truth whose value is beyond all estimation--that NOTHING BUT GOOD
ULTIMATELY SURVIVES, and all energy expended for any other purpose is not only
wasted, so far as actual accomplishment is concerned, but that it reacts
disastrously upon him who tries to divert its use for evil. The spiritual center
in the thymus gland vibrates to yellow.
The thyroid gland is ruled by Mercury's
planetary Spirit. The powers of this great Being when developed in man, manifest
principally as reason, intellect, thoughtfulness, good memory, studiousness,
quick wit, eloquence, dexterity, self-expression through speech and writing, the
acquirement of knowledge by means of reason, and self-mastery. the wrong use of
these powers expresses itself chiefly as conceit, cunning, shiftlessness,
carelessness, lack of principle, gossiping, profanity, dishonesty, gambling,
indecision, and nervousness.
Mercury's keynote stands out clear and
strong, and awakens in the individual a desire to know the reason for it
all--why are we here? whence did we come? where are we going? who is God? and,
what are the secrets concealed in His mighty creations? The thyroid is the FIFTH
rose on the cross of the vital body. When its keynote is awakened, the
individual, assisted by the music of the spheres, contacts the World of Thought
where he consciously sees the archetypes of all that exists in the physical
world, learns of their use, and how his own future lives are mapped out by the
great recording angels. He contacts definite information relative to the Lords
of Mind of which life wave the Father is the highest Initiate. He learns the
nature of the germinal idea which produces form in the mineral, plant, animal,
and human kingdoms. He discovers the germinal idea of life which manifests in
plant, animal, and man; also the germinal idea which results in desire and
emotion in animal and man. He sees how all these germinal ideas become
archetypes or patterns in the Region of concrete Thought for all that exists in
the Physical World, and that nothing manifests here until its archetype is
created in the World of thought by the rhythmic power of the music of the
spheres. Here he learns the value of thought and actually sees its power for
good or evil demonstrated, and he now realizes how necessary it is for the
Spirit to gain control of the mind and direct its activities in accordance to
the divine plan governing evolution.
He now fully realizes that his own creative
force is a God power implanted in him by his divine Creator; and that all this
spirit essence that is not used for the building of bodies for incoming Egos,
should be consciously directed to the brain, and there expended in forming those
germinal ideas which, when developed into concrete realities are of such eternal
value to his fellow men in developing their own divine potentialities into that
dynamic spiritual energy which is so necessary for the overcoming of evil and
the promotion of good.
The individual has now gained control of
his mind and holds the balance of power between the organs of generation and the
brain. The Spirit is now the ruler of his lower self and is able to direct all
of its activities into fields of endeavor that will produce true spiritual
growth. The spiritual center in the thyroid gland vibrate to violet.
The pituitary body is under the rulership
of Uranus. The keynote of this great planetary Spirit expresses itself on the
physical plane as originality, universality, love of liberty for all,
compassion, ingenuity, independence, reformation, progression, inventiveness,
sudden action, intuition, clairvoyance, mysticism, and altruism.
Debased, we find these lofty expressions
manifesting as eccentricity, Bohemianism, fanaticism, licentiousness,
irresponsibility, spasmodic action, riotousness, perversion, impatience, and
anarchy.
The clear, celestial keynote of the
planetary Spirit of Uranus lilts high above that of Venus and in time awakens
its corresponding keynote in the pituitary body. Then the SIXTH rose on the
cross of the vital body unfolds its golden petals and comes into bloom. This
heightened vibration of the pituitary lifts the consciousness of the individual
into the realm of Life Spirit where all of God's children eventually become
united in ONENESS with Him, and he SEES the life force of God which permeates
the whole of creation uniting each with all. This is the region of pure
altruism.
In the realm of Life Spirit is a record of
all that has taken place since the dawn of creation, and to this great
storehouse of knowledge the individual now has ready access. From it he may
glean definite information relative to the evolution of our own world and also
to that of all the other planets of our solar system. Here, too, he consciously
contacts his own superconscious mind which reveals to him the story of all his
past lives from the time when he was conceived in the great body of the
Father-Mother-God down to the present day.
In this realm the individual contacts the
great Lords of From who have special charge of evolution during our Earth Period
and from them he learns the true meaning of dynamic spiritual energy and how it
is used to create form.
The pituitary body is one of the links in
the spiritual chain that connects man with the great Christ Spirit who
ordinarily functions in His life spirit vehicle: heart, pituitary body, light
ether, Uranus, intellectual soul, life spirit. And all of these are used by the
individual in developing the Christ within which is his own life spirit. The
pituitary is the primary seat of the life spirit, and the heart is the secondary
seat. By seat is meant the medium through which the individual works in
developing the latent potentialities of his own life spirit which is the
feminine pole of his being--the imaginative, nurturing, protecting mother energy
of his Spirit. The color of the life spirit is yellow; the color of Uranus is
yellow; the color of light ether is yellow; and when the pituitary body is
awakened, it shines with a yellow light.
The pituitary body is closely connected
with the mystic path leading to Initiation.
Thus it is clearly to be seen that the
arousing of the pituitary body into action is one of the most important
accomplishments to be attained in the development of the feminine, love-wisdom
powers of the Spirit.
The pineal gland is ruled by Neptune, the
light bearer for the spiritual sun which is the Father. By nature this planet is
occult, prophetic, and spiritual.
Intellectuality, ruled by Mercury, lifted
humanity above the animal and made man man. Spirituality, ruled by Neptune, will
in time raise him above the human state and make him divine.
Neptune manifesting on the physical plane
results in knowledge above reason yet explainable by it, contact with
superphysical entities of all degrees, spirituality, inspiration, clairvoyance,
prophecy, devotion, ability to contact celestial music, ideation, will,
occultism, philosophy, divinity, the initiator.
Debased, we find its abnormal expression
appearing as delusion, chaotic mental conditions, morbidity, incoherence,
unreliability, vagueness, scheming, spirit-obsession, intrigue, and black magic.
When the dominant, spiritual keynote of
Neptune's planetary Spirit is sensed by the individual its indescribable beauty
and power awaken a true knowledge of God and His purpose for creating our solar
system; for at last he sees His divine will in action and knows Him as He is.
The pineal gland is the SEVENTH rose on the
cross of the vital body. When its keynote is aroused into action by the
vibration of the planetary Spirit of Neptune it lifts the consciousness of the
individual to the World of Divine Spirit. Here he contacts those mighty Beings
known as the Lords of Individuality who assisted with our involuntary work
during the Moon Period, and are now working with the life spirit of man.
Knowledge of other solar systems than our own is contacted by him in this high
region, and something is learned of other Gods and the worlds and beings that
have been created by them.
The World of Divine Spirit is the region of
pure will. There the positive energy of God expresses itself as the motive power
which keeps all creation in action.
The occult path of development is closely
connected with the intellectual activity developed by the Moon, Mercury, the
pineal gland, and Neptune. The ray of Neptune carries what the occultists know
as the Father Fire, the light and life of the divine spirit, which expresses
itself as will. the color of the Father Fire is blue; Neptune's light is blue;
the reflecting ether correlated to the Father is translucent blue; and when the
pineal gland is aroused into action its color vibrates to a beautiful dazzling
blue.
The awakening of the pineal gland is of the
utmost importance in developing the masculine, positive will power of the
Spirit.
The awakening of the keynotes of the
ductless glands is very closely associated with Initiation, and is one of the
spirit's most valuable aids in its preparation to receive initiatory work.
Three great lessons have been given to man
to assist him in his development. The FIRST one was presented in the form of
PICTURES and IMAGES which represented the PHYSICAL POWERS to be developed by
humanity in order that they might conquer the material world. The SECOND was
given by Jehovah God and delivered to the people by Moses. This lesson was
embodied in laws in the form of the Ten Commandments. These LAWS work directly
on the DESIRE BODY and assist the individual in gaining control of it. The THIRD
lesson is Initiation brought to us by the Christ Spirit, the Lord of Love. The
work leading up to Initiation is done on the VITAL BODY, which is the vehicle of
LOVE. The ductless glands belong to the vital body and their spiritual activity
is a tremendous help in assisting the individual in his preparation for the
various initiatory degrees.
To progress spiritually it is imperative
that THE INDIVIDUAL GET CONTROL OF HIS MIND and this can be accomplished only
through eternal vigilance. We all know that with most people the mind and the
desires work in the closest relationship. But the mind should be under the
control of the Spirit and assist it in directing the desires, which then become
a mighty force for good. PERSISTENT CONCENTRATION is the power used by the
individual in getting control of the mind. When concentrating the Spirit, has
its will power focused on the mind and is directing it toward a certain ideal.
The longer the Spirit can hold the mind centered, the more control the
individual is getting over it, and the more readily it will follow his dictates.
When the mind is not occupied with the work
of the day it should be constantly watched and directed toward things that are
of spiritual value-- like the analysis of what constitutes beauty, what is real
charity, what is kindness, gentleness, justice and truth? The Spirit CANNOT GET
CONTROL OF THE MIND by expending JUST A LITTLE EFFORT. It is engaged in a BATTLE
ROYAL with the desire body for its possession, but it is the stronger and wiser
of the two, and if it will use its will power IT CAN WIN.
THE MIND is the LINK BETWEEN the SPIRIT and
its VEHICLES by means of which the Spirit gets the SPIRITUAL FOOD necessary for
the DEVELOPMENT of its DIVINE POTENTIALITIES; and UNTIL THE SPIRIT GETS CONTROL
OF ITS MIND IT CAN MAKE NO REAL SPIRITUAL PROGRESS.
In the future the ductless glands are
destined to play an important role; their development will accelerate evolution
greatly, for their effect while most important physically is of far greater
importance mentally and spiritually.
End of
The Mystery of the Ductless Glands
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