Glamour: World Problem

* The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. *This teaching on world glamour, its causes and cures, is one of the specialised subjects first given to the group whose personal instructions appear in the two volumes of "Discipleship in the New Age". The idea that a small group of dedicated aspirants could work together to help dissipate the heavy enshrouding glamours which oppress humanity and deflect the light of truth, was initially quite a startling one.Spiritual progress has for so long held no meaning for the individual other than his own personal growth, that to consider spiritual experience in direct relation to world conditions is for many a revolutionary idea. Nevertheless world glamour - the sum total of human ignorance, fear and greed - can only yield to the enlightened penetration of those in whom these emotional reactions have been transcended in whole or in part. Glamour is, of course, the result of a negative emotional focus; just as illusion results from a negative or unclear attitude of mind out of touch with the reality behind the outer appearance; so a man becomes the victim of strong self-created thought-forms built on personality forces and self-interest. This book deals with the misconceptions existing on all levels of the personality life - maya on the etheric level; glamour on the emotional plane; and illusion on the mental plane; climaxing in the sum total of all three combined in the personality - the so-called dweller on the threshold.The correct methods of working to dissipate world glamour and dispel world illusion, confirm to modern psychological techniques accepted and practiced for individual benefit. A higher form of energy must be brought to bear on the blocked condition. This means in practical terms, maya must be subjected to the inspiration and idealism of the emotional plane; glamour to the illumination of the mental plane; illusion to the light of the intuition. a buddhic energy; and the dweller on the threshold must be confronted by the Angel of the Presence, the soul. As this clarity and transformation of the personality proceed in the individual, he can begin to serve consciously, preferably in group formation, to lift and enlighten the world condition. Certain meditation formulas are given in this book which can safely be used by a group working together, but would require great care in the individual to prevent stimulation of any remaining personal glamours and illusions.We are working at all times with energy as an impersonal force, which can nevertheless produce a dangerous personal effect if the motivation is not selfless enough, the personality insufficiently pure or self-disciplined, and the dynamic power-to-work not sufficiently fused with love of humanity to create understanding and identification. "The need for the service of men and women free from illusion and glamour, has never been so dramatically present as it is today, and it is for these potential servers of a desperate necessity that I have written."

Table of Contents:
The Nature of Glamour: Glamour upon the Mental Plane - Illusion. Glamour upon the Astral Plane - Glamour. Glamour upon Etheric Levels - Maya. Glamour Upon the Higher Mental Planes - The Dweller on the Threshold. The Causes of Glamour: The Racial and Individual Growth of Glamour.The Causes Producing World Glamour. The Contrast Between Higher and Lower Glamours. The Ending of Glamour: Outline of the technique of the Presence. Outline of the Technique of Light. Outline of the Technique of Indifference. The Technique of Fusion. Index.

About the Author :
*Alice A. Bailey, (1880-1949) From her conservative British background, Alice Bailey's life led her in many directions, but always in one direction--towards the time when through drastic personal experience of many kinds she had acquired a synthesis of outlook and understanding, and an absolute conviction that one divine life pervades and animates the one humanity; that the Plan for humanity requires the cooperation and service of trained and dedicated human beings intelligently informed about world affairs, in collaboration with those who form the spiritual Hierarchy, the inner government of the planet. Her life work became an integral part of this synthesis and this realization. Without in the least losing any of her very human qualities and involvement, her soul took up its commitment to her Master, and her personality provided full cooperation in the field of her accepted service. Basically her work developed as a duality--her discipleship service which included the establishment of an esoteric school; and her initially reluctant agreement to work with the Tibetan, Djwhal Khul, in the writing of a series of books presenting the next phase in the continuity of the Ageless Wisdom teaching for the present and the immediate future. An extract from the Tibetan teacher, written in 1934 briefly explains the intent of these teachings: "The books that I have written are sent out with no claim for their acceptance. They may, or may not, be correct, true and useful. It is for you to ascertain their truth by right practice and by the exercise of the intuition. Neither I nor A.A.B. is the least interested in having them acclaimed as inspired writing, or in having anyone speak of them (with bated breath) as being the work of one of the masters. If they present truth in such a way that it follows sequentially upon that already offered in the world teachings, if the information given raises the aspiration and the will-to-serve from the plane of the emotions to that of the mind (the plane whereon the Masters can be found) then they will have served their purpose. If the teaching conveyed calls forth a response from the illumined mind of the worker in the world, and brings a flashing forth of the intuition, then let that teaching be accepted. But not otherwise. If the statements meet with eventual corroboration, or are deemed true under the test of the Law of Correspondences, then that is well and good. But should this not be so, let not the student accept what is said."