Now let's have a closer look at the beginning stages of Knoope and Assagioli, for which also see my previous blog postings. Nr. 1 is labeled "wish" with Knoope, to which I have added the labels "desire" and "See" (or beginning of Vision).

I narrow the field a bit and take this "wish" as a deep-felt desire for accomplishing something worthwhile. Simple needs are of a more biological nature and are not dealt with here.

Now what is desire? Everyone of us experiences desires, but seldom do we pause a moment to contemplate the nature of what is happening to and in us. According to theosophical writers, e.g. Jacob Boehme, desire is a psychomagnetic force.

I would certainly concur with that description. Desire draws certain elements towards one's aura, or biofield, as some call it. These elements of experience are called "elemental lives" or "life-atoms". There seems to be whole hosts of them, from spiritual, intellectual, to emotional kinds. I have gone into this matter more deeply in my ebook, so I will keep it short here. These life-atoms are not souls, certainly not self-conscious, but rather less developed beings and structures. What is important to understand here is that the human mind works with living elements of nature. This refers to the theosophical ontology, a topic about which Proclus had a lot to say (as had De Purucker and Jacob Boehme).

As a human being is a thinking being, I'll designate these elements as "seed-thoughts" that are perceived by the human being. This immediately raises the questions of bias/filtering in the perceptive process and which thoughts we do allow ourselves to nurture or to indulge in. This I leave for yourself to observe. It is an exercise which may bring one some useful insight into one's own nature or character. In a moment of rest, be the detached observer. Be honest to yourself, but don't judge yourself. This is a good meditation exercise!

Ok, back to Knoope and Assagioli now.

We started with the attraction resulting from active desire. There is something in our mind now, and we are on the route of becoming aware of what it is that we wish to accomplish. A purpose comes to mind, quickly or slowly. We start to identify or recognize the associated wish/desire/intention we feel or have inside our mind.

One needs some clarity of mind in order to work with intentions and purposes.

The clearer our goals are, the easier and quicker we can start working towards the realization of them. Imagination is a faculty (and involves the use of a type of energy) we use to give a more or less clear form to our desires and intents. But there is also an evaluation or valuation of the goal necessary. Is the goal something that fits our character? We have to judge the goals/purposes. And then, even if it falls within the scope of our possibilities, are we motivated to really go for it?

In the previous posting I wrote:

" Then a motive must be generated that provides a drive and intent for one to realize this purpose/goal.

A motive is a dynamic thing. It is generated by the values we ascribe to the goals we want to reach."

But, there may be conflicting goals in our mind. There may be strictly personal goals, or there may be aspirations towards serving others. So, we have to make a selection of goals, establish a preference and priority and focus on the realization of them. That is step 2 in the Assagioli's list. The whole gamut of aspects mentioned in Assagioli's step 1 are spread or (re)iterated over steps 1 to 4, as I see it. It's quite complicated! In the same vein, Knoope's twelve aspects in the creation spiral are not that separated at all. Each is in each, according to my vision, although some aspects are dominant in one phase, and other aspects in another one. We are dealing with faculties and energies here. His phase 3 (belief/faith) is clearly involved with the values we hold dear.

Assagioli's step 3: "deliberation" may involve something of Knoope's step 4 "Tell/communicate/network/share" and step 5. Research. This is because of the fact that deliberation can involve the consulting of others for their opinion on the goal(s) concerned. Some research (step 5) is often necessary to establish the feasibility of the ideas we have in our mind. Discrimination is especially necessary in this stage. Choice and decision are now imminent. The end of Assagioli's phase 3.

Choice and decision are truly remarkable operations of the human mind. They mark the transition of one stage (Assagioli no. 3) to the next stage, stage 4: reinforcement of the choice and decision.

This activates the creative and dynamic energies necessary to accomplish one's goal/purpose.

The image of what is to be becomes dynamic now. It has been charged (colored) by our intentions and values.

Compare this with J.G. Bennett's "commitments", described in his tome "The Dramatic Universe".

Bennett, BTW, devised a "decision exercise" for his students in which "the future state of affairs (as an image) evokes the initiative as much as the intention to decide does", as one of Bennett's students thinks he meant by the exercise). It seems that goal and need or necessity (two poles) are now connected. A circuit has formed between the "hyparchic future" (the realm of possibilities, see my blog) and the here and now. These are very deep thoughts. What can be or should be (and already exists as an idea, or seed-thought, on the mental plane) has now a pathway to the here and now on the astral and physical planes. It is the magic of creation! It involves the combined powers of will and imagination. This can be seen as the practical implementation of meditation: See, Deliberate, Choose-select, Commit, Plan, Act, or, short: see, commit, act. (Imagine, Will, Act).

This is the ultimate "meditation exercise" put into practice, when the human being becomes a channel for the inflow of spiritual forces. There is no use for endless floating in the air. Spiritual energies must be grounded, or earthed. How else can they do their transformative work here on earth?