Esoteric view on evolution

Rational discussions on metaphysical and abstract topics.
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Angolmois

Esoteric view on evolution

Post by Angolmois »

In the course of my esoteric studies I've come across harsh critic for modern evolutionary theories and Darwinism both from the theosophist camp (Blavatsky) and from the traditionalists (Guénon etc.). Blavatsky at least considered Darwinism to be an incomplete materialistic theory that could not be accepted as such- that it was one-sided - which I think is why she presented her own view of spiritual evolution at least to complement and fulfill the Darwinian theory. Both of these camps rejection of evolution and the closely related doctrine of progress seems not to be an absolute one even though they are regarded to be at least incomplete.

I have not been able to penetrate into the deeper meaning and process of esoteric views on evolution, or at least there are many confusions regarding the theories in my head. Is the doctrine of the fall of man seen as a gradual descent and involution of the original spiritual prototype - Adam Kadmon, if you will - into animal / biological evolution, in the sense that they meet halfway in the process, or have I understood it in the wrong way? If the esoteric tradition denies both Darwinism and Creationism - the two modern antagonists - what is the deeper or higher view on evolution according to esoterism? I'm hoping that there would be some here who could enlighten me on the matter.
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Nefastos
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Re: Esoteric view on evolution

Post by Nefastos »

The big difference between the scientific & esoteric idea of evolution is, in my opinion, their geometric shape. Scientific idea of evolution follows a straight line, and the esoteric evolution draws Fohatic spirals. The first is linear, the second, spherical.

Blavatskyan theosophy claims that evolution as presented by Darwin actually explains very little: what makes the differences in the first place, in order to them being fed to the machine of the survival of the fittest. As an interesting detail, Blavatskyan theosophy does not believe in ape ancestors either – as does not our contemporary science, rather saying that humans and apes have a point of common origin far in the past. (Apes themselves do not become human beings, but descend from a common ancestor.) Taken in Blavatskyan sense, apes form a regressing species not very much unlike whales or some Carboniferous amphibians who, once they had evolved into a shape that would survive outside water, very soon returned to it and once again began to lost their landshape features.

Esoteric idea of evolution is very old, and has changed but a little in two thousand years of which we have documentary evidence. In this process of emanation, Godhood (unity of being) sends downwards a vital breath, that starts to take shape, but the more it becomes separately capable, the more it loses its spiritual ability. When this descending arch of evolution finds a point of balance in a human being – a being both material and spiritual, by intellectual reasoning & the sense of separate self – the next half of remanation is his path of return to the Godhood. That is the path of initiations, of the spiritual journey. It will not take billions of years like the downward path did, but it will take time.

The knack in the esoteric evolution process is in the intertwining process of separate selves at the point of becoming a man the thinker. It is quite an universal teaching that there is another entity within a human being, someone more capable intellectually, and that entity has helped mankind to reach our astonishingly quick development. But because of that speed exactly, our moral compass is almost lost in speed blindness.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
Angolmois

Re: Esoteric view on evolution

Post by Angolmois »

Thank you for the answer/summary fra Nefastos! It clarified things a lot.

(RIght now I have next on my reading list Rethinking Darwin by Leif A. Jensen & The Transformist Illusion by Douglas Dewar. I'll get back to the topic once I've read through these if I have something to say.)
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Aquila
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Re: Esoteric view on evolution

Post by Aquila »

I would call the scientific evolution a tree with various branches instead of just a straight line. One could say that it could then be analogous (but not similar/equal) with the idea of esoteric evolution and how fra Nefastos explained it in his message. We could also use it as a symbol of manifestations where various different forces (in this case the more simple life forms) are be the building blocks of more complex life forms and how they appear physically.

This is how I'd like to see it but there's some challenges in looking at evolution from the esoteric point of view. Evolution is based on random mutations in dna replications (in scientific language) and these random mutations advance the vast variations of life forms. In most esoteric views there is nothing random. As mutations can be anything ranging from the ones that result in positive outcomes as well as some very negative ones. For example, if this is taken too rigidly as equal to esoteric views, it can easily lead into thinking that people who contract the negative consequences had some kind of esoteric reasons for such "bad karma". But then again another problem rises when we look at things judging what is negative and what is positive as these terms are usually based on very subjective ideas (as after all, suffering is the only real bad outcome and sometimes that is quite subjective as well, leaning more on what causes suffering only in certain environment while somewhere else it would be looked at differently). As I tend to think that all consciousness is one but only seemingly separate, and compassion being the key to understand the underlying unity, it is the one consciousness going through all possibilities of life. I would not throw out the "random" factor but instead just call these replications and mutations the very concrete activity of life force that blooms everywhere and into all directions making everything possible.

Well, some pseudo-scientific thoughts here for sure but as science neither has found any answer to these things, it's all the same to throw some more ideas in to the giant pot of thinking :D Some of this needs a bit more elaborating and clarification, at least the karma part but I can't make everything up now.
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Smaragd
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Re: Esoteric view on evolution

Post by Smaragd »

Aquila wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 3:48 pm In most esoteric views there is nothing random. As mutations can be anything ranging from the ones that result in positive outcomes as well as some very negative ones. For example, if this is taken too rigidly as equal to esoteric views, it can easily lead into thinking that people who contract the negative consequences had some kind of esoteric reasons for such "bad karma". But then again another problem rises when we look at things judging what is negative and what is positive as these terms are usually based on very subjective ideas (as after all, suffering is the only real bad outcome and sometimes that is quite subjective as well, leaning more on what causes suffering only in certain environment while somewhere else it would be looked at differently).
I still tend to think every ”bad thing” and matter itself is the heaviness of karma or a further derivation of it, no matter how it is subjectively experienced as. Thus it is not random, but meant. If I experience some problem negatively it probably has to do with the kind of karma that connect to a larger network of problematic areas in my current composition. If I experience another problem positively, it is probably in the area where I can easily overcome it. A bit simplistic way of looking into this, but I think this is very interesting.

Further on looking in to the idea of "esoteric reasons for the "bad karma"", it might be seen as some demonic behaviour has overruled for too long causing harm to these areas of life, or a certain area of life has not received the needed attention and thus unable to join the whole of life, that eventually would direct the evolution (the one scientists observe) in to certain "bad direction" to be noted by the one who has the freedom to confront these demonic currents. There is the unseen cause to the scientists who don't look it from the perspective of the whole being. This rises questions if for example animals are at all capable doing these choices or if humans do them at large, and while we do harmful choices in the office, does it have a consequence on the animals and plants next to our house?
Aquila wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 3:48 pm As I tend to think that all consciousness is one but only seemingly separate, and compassion being the key to understand the underlying unity, it is the one consciousness going through all possibilities of life. I would not throw out the "random" factor but instead just call these replications and mutations the very concrete activity of life force that blooms everywhere and into all directions making everything possible.
I agree the potential that can go to every direction can almost be described as ”random”, as you underlined with the quotation marks. To be truly random there would be no structure, be it organic, mineral or anything, that could uphold that ”randomness” to happen on the evolutionary level, right? To me it seems like the spirit leaving a body and what is left is perishing before our eyes. Well not really perishing, but moving in to other life forms (again in seemingly random ways), it's just that the idea of randomness seems to paint a picture of a body just perishing. I'm not sure if I'm able to convey the idea properly here. Elaborations very welcome if someone catches my point.
"Would to God that all the Lord's people were Prophets”, Numbers 11:29 as echoed by William Blake
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