Thought-Forms

THOUGHT-FORMS

BY ANNIE BESANT AND C.W. LEADBEATER

THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE LTD 38 GREAT ORMOND STREET, LONDON, W.C. 1

First Printed 1901 Reprint 1905 Reprint 1925

Made and Printed in Great Britain by PERCY LUND, HUMPHRIES & CO LTD THE COUNTRY PRESS BRADFORD

FOREWORD

The text of this little book is the joint work of Mr Leadbeater and myself; some of it has already appeared as an article in Lucifer (now the Theosophical Review), but the greater part of it is new. The drawing and painting of the Thought-Forms observed by Mr Leadbeater or by myself, or by both of us together, has been done by three friends--Mr John Varley, Mr Prince, and Miss Macfarlane, to each of whom we tender our cordial thanks. To paint in earth's dull colours the forms clothed in the living light of other worlds is a hard and thankless task; so much the more gratitude is due to those who have attempted it. They needed coloured fire, and had only ground earths. We have also to thank Mr F. Bligh Bond for allowing us to use his essay on Vibration Figures, and some of his exquisite drawings. Another friend, who sent us some notes and a few drawings, insists on remaining anonymous, so we can only send our thanks to him with similar anonymity.

It is our earnest hope--as it is our belief--that this little book will serve as a striking moral lesson to every reader, making him realise the nature and power of his thoughts, acting as a stimulus to the noble, a curb on the base. With this belief and hope we send it on its way.

ANNIE BESANT.

CONTENTS

PAGE FOREWORD 6 INTRODUCTION 11 THE DIFFICULTY OF REPRESENTATION 16 THE TWO EFFECTS OF THOUGHT 21 HOW THE VIBRATION ACTS 23 THE FORM AND ITS EFFECT 25 THE MEANING OF THE COLOURS 32 THREE CLASSES OF THOUGHT-FORMS 36 ILLUSTRATIVE THOUGHT-FORMS 40 AFFECTION 40-44 DEVOTION 44-49 INTELLECT 49-50 AMBITION 51 ANGER 52 SYMPATHY 55 FEAR 55 GREED 56 VARIOUS EMOTIONS 57 SHIPWRECK 57 ON THE FIRST NIGHT 59 THE GAMBLERS 60 AT A STREET ACCIDENT 61 AT A FUNERAL 61 ON MEETING A FRIEND 64 APPRECIATION OF A PICTURE 65 FORMS SEEN IN MEDITATION 66 SYMPATHY AND LOVE FOR ALL 66 AN ASPIRATION TO ENFOLD ALL 66 IN THE SIX DIRECTIONS 67 COSMIC ORDER 68 THE LOGOS AS MANIFESTED IN MAN 69 THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL 70 ANOTHER CONCEPTION 71 THE THREEFOLD MANIFESTATION 71 THE SEVENFOLD MANIFESTATION 72 INTELLECTUAL ASPIRATION 72 HELPFUL THOUGHTS 74 FORMS BUILT BY MUSIC 75 MENDELSSOHN 77 GOUNOD 80 WAGNER 82

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. PAGE MEANING OF THE COLOURS Frontispiece CHLADNI'S SOUND PLATE 1 28 FORMS PRODUCED IN SAND 2 28 FORMS PRODUCED IN SAND 3 29 FORMS PRODUCED BY PENDULUMS 4-7 30 VAGUE PURE AFFECTION 8 40 VAGUE SELFISH AFFECTION 9 40 DEFINITE AFFECTION 10 42 RADIATING AFFECTION 11 43 PEACE AND PROTECTION 12 42 GRASPING ANIMAL AFFECTION 13 43 VAGUE RELIGIOUS FEELING 14 44 UPWARD RUSH OF DEVOTION 15 46 SELF-RENUNCIATION 16 44 RESPONSE TO DEVOTION 17 46 VAGUE INTELLECTUAL PLEASURE 18 50 VAGUE SYMPATHY 18A 50 THE INTENTION TO KNOW 19 51 HIGH AMBITION 20 52 SELFISH AMBITION 21 52 MURDEROUS RAGE 22 53 SUSTAINED ANGER 23 53 EXPLOSIVE ANGER 24 51 WATCHFUL JEALOUSY 25 54 ANGRY JEALOUSY 26 54 SUDDEN FRIGHT 27 55 SELFISH GREED 28 56 GREED FOR DRINK 29 56 AT A SHIPWRECK 30 58 ON THE FIRST NIGHT 31 59 THE GAMBLERS 32 60 AT A STREET ACCIDENT 33 61 AT A FUNERAL 34 62 ON MEETING A FRIEND 35 64 THE APPRECIATION OF A PICTURE 36 64 SYMPATHY AND LOVE FOR ALL 37 66 AN ASPIRATION TO ENFOLD ALL 38 67 IN THE SIX DIRECTIONS 39 66 AN INTELLECTUAL CONCEPTION OF COSMIC ORDER 40 69 THE LOGOS AS MANIFESTED IN MAN 41 69 THE LOGOS PERVADING ALL 42 and 44 70 ANOTHER CONCEPTION 45 70 THE THREEFOLD MANIFESTATION 46 70 THE SEVENFOLD MANIFESTATION 47 70 INTELLECTUAL ASPIRATION 43 72 HELPFUL THOUGHTS 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 74

PLATE MUSIC OF MENDELSSOHN M 78 MUSIC OF GOUNOD G 80 MUSIC OF WAGNER W 82

[Transcriber's Note: Some of the plates are displayed out of sequence to correspond with references to them in the text.]

THOUGHT-FORMS

As knowledge increases, the attitude of science towards the things of the invisible world is undergoing considerable modification. Its attention is no longer directed solely to the earth with all its variety of objects, or to the physical worlds around it; but it finds itself compelled to glance further afield, and to construct hypotheses as to the nature of the matter and force which lie in the regions beyond the ken of its instruments. Ether is now comfortably settled in the scientific kingdom, becoming almost more than a hypothesis. Mesmerism, under its new name of hypnotism, is no longer an outcast. Reichenbach's experiments are still looked at askance, but are not wholly condemned. Röntgen's rays have rearranged some of the older ideas of matter, while radium has revolutionised them, and is leading science beyond the borderland of ether into the astral world. The boundaries between animate and inanimate matter are broken down. Magnets are found to be possessed of almost uncanny powers, transferring certain forms of disease in a way not yet satisfactorily explained. Telepathy, clairvoyance, movement without contact, though not yet admitted to the scientific table, are approaching the Cinderella-stage. The fact is that science has pressed its researches so far, has used such rare ingenuity in its questionings of nature, has shown such tireless patience in its investigations, that it is receiving the reward of those who seek, and forces and beings of the next higher plane of nature are beginning to show themselves on the outer edge of the physical field. "Nature makes no leaps," and as the physicist nears the confines of his kingdom he finds himself bewildered by touches and gleams from another realm which interpenetrates his own. He finds himself compelled to speculate on invisible presences, if only to find a rational explanation for undoubted physical phenomena, and insensibly he slips over the boundary, and is, although he does not yet realise it, contacting the astral plane.