CONSULTING A CLAIRVOYANT

There are different ways to develop clairvoyance.The most efficient one is focusing on a source of light: the flame of candle, the light of the moon, the reflection of the sun on water…

The clairvoyants who use a crystal ball, one of the most popular media, often place candles behind their crystal ball. Focusing on the reflection of the candles in the crystal ball produces a phosphene. It is within this phosphene that they perceive visions.

Doctor Francis Lefebure, a French physician and scientist, discovered the principles underlying these practices by systematically using the phosphenes. He then designed a revolutionary method of personal and spiritual development: Phosphenism. The phosphenes are all the subjective sensations of light, i.e. those which are not directly produced by light stimulating the retina. They can be produced by focusing shortly on sources of light

Thought-forms

The term ‟clairvoyance” could be replaced more accurately by ‟thought-forms reading”. The concept of ‟thought-form” comes from Theosophy, a doctrine which states that when people think about a thing, an image of their thought is created in a subtle matter and remains in their aura. It is these thought-forms that the clairvoyants perceive in their visual chaos.

Likewise, an architect who is designing a house start by representing it in his mind’s eye. He starts with the overall shape, then goes on to the details, the problems and the solutions, thus creating a thought-form of his project in his aura.

The majority of clairvoyants read the thought-forms of their clients. Of course, interpreting these perceptions can be tricky and mistakes can be made. Nevertheless, these are authentic phenomena of clairvoyance.

In his Complete Course of Phosphenism, Dr Lefebure relates the following story: the victim of a theft asks an African mystic to help him find out the identity of the thief. The sorcerer contemplates the reflection of the sun on water in a calabash and transmits the vision to the person consulting, like Nostradamus did for Catherine of Medici. The victim can perceive the image of the thief in the reflection of the sun on water, as all phenic phenomena can be transmitted telepathically. But, let us suppose that the victim suspected somebody already. However accurate his suspicion, a thought-form will be created in his mind that the sorcerer can perceive. This illustrates the fact that one should be careful when interpreting clairvoyance.

Daniel Stiennon relates:

I met a clairvoyant: Madame Gisky. Doctor Lefebure had talked to me a lot about her. As a child, she had developed clairvoyance by practicing Phosphenism instinctively; and like all the children who played with the phosphenes and used the rythmo-phosphenic function of the brain, she had developed lifelong abilities of divination. Only this kind of practice can develop authentic clairvoyance abilities.

We talked for three hours. The main subject of our conversation was the dangers of clairvoyance. Here are a few things she told me and that seemed very wise and clever to me. I understand why Dr Lefebure decided to mention her case in his book: Phosphenism and the Origins of Religion. This woman is worth meeting: the words she speaks are incredibly rich.

‟(…)These abilities are not a power, they should serve to direct the future.”
‟Let we warn you: clairvoyance is dangerous. I have learned to use it in a different way.”
‟… in order to understand things, one needs to experience them.”
‟One should not let anyone predict the future for them. All human beings can do this for themselves!”
‟Seek within the phosphene.”

Here is an anecdote that she related to me:
‟One day, a lady came to consult me. Once the clairvoyance was finished, as she was leaving, she said:
– You are a bad clairvoyant. You did not fulfill my expectation, though people had told me you were the best.
– But, madame, I answered, I know very well why he you came to consult me: you wish to know the date when your husband will die!
– Ah, you see, you can predict the future.
– Of course I can, but how do you know you will not die first.
Stunned, she did not say any more.
– Fifteen years ago, you went to see a clairvoyant who ‛predicted’ that your husband was going to die, without giving you a precise date. Since then, you have been consulting every clairvoyant around, wishing to obtain this date. And every clairvoyant you consulted told you that your husband is going to die, only because the first clairvoyant had told you so. Of course he is going to die, like everyone else, but nothing proves that he will die before you.
Because you were so impressed by the prediction of this first clairvoyant, you created a thought-form that all the other clairvoyants perceived. All this happened because you have had a lover for the last 15 years and that you wish your husband dies so that you can be with him!
– You have wasted 15 years seeking an answer that you do not need. Do you really think that your husband must die for you to change your life?…”
Her conclusion was:
‟I sometimes perceive the mediums that other clairvoyants have used for their reading: one time I even saw the tarot cards a person had drawn during a previous consultation with another clairvoyant.”

Exercises 

For these exercises, you will need a pen and paper.
Choose a touchy subject: a conflict, a concern, a project…
Do a phosphene while concentrating on this theme.
During the presence of the phosphene, write down all the ideas that appear.

Practicing clairvoyance

You will need a pen and a paper.
Choose a person about whom you wish to experience a clairvoyance phenomenon.

First phosphene:

While focusing on a lamp, let ideas flow, impressions, sensations related to this person.
Switch the lamp off.
Let your thoughts flow during the presence of the phosphene.
Remember memories related to this person.
Write down the important elements that come to your mind.

Second phosphene:

Switch your lamp back on and, while focusing on it, think about what you have just written down. Try to visualize the person in different circumstances, in different contexts. Let your thoughts flow.
Switch the lamp off.
Again, write down the new ideas that have appeared.

Third phosphene:

Switch your lamp on and, while focusing on the light, keep thinking about what you have just written.
Switch your lamp off.
Ask yourself questions.
First question: what is this person’s character?
Let ideas and impressions related to this question come to your mind. The image of this person will change, expressing his or her character.

By proceeding this way and asking several questions, you will observe that the image you have of this person changes, sometimes in a surprising manner.
Write down carefully any new impressions.

Fourth phosphene:

Switch your lamp on and, while focusing on it, think about what you have just written down.
Switch your lamp off. Close your eyes. Ask yourself the following question:
What could be his or her deepest inspirations, his or her tendencies?
Observe the evolution of your thoughts. This can lead you to the perception of this person practicing an activity that he or she does not practice yet, but that would be perfectly suited for him or her.
If you have difficulties perceiving scenes, experiencing visions or flashes, ask yourself questions instead.
Once this experiment over, carefully write down the kind of images that came to your mind, as well as the impressions and the sensations that they have provoked.

Fifth phosphene:

Switch your lamp on and, while focusing on it, think about what your have written in a global way.
Switch your lamp off.
Now, in a panoramic way, let all the main points that have appeared since the beginning of this exercise come back to your mind.
Write down one last time the main ideas that come out of this final Mixing. From all these notes, the main tendencies the chosen person will surface.

Analysis

You have certainly been able to observe a great difference between reflection during the presence of the phosphene and reflection without the phosphene. The first ideas that appear are not necessarily the most original ones; but there are already more organized and more logical. The deductive reasoning and the thought processes are of a much better quality; and you will generally be able to observe one or two new ideas of better than usual quality. During the following phosphenes, ideas become stronger and more original.

When you wish to obtain answers to problems brought to you by clients, remember to place their queries in a phosphene. You will obtain many more solutions by associations of ideas.

CLAIRVOYANCE

Clairvoyance is the ability to perceive information through visual subjective perceptions. Clairvoyance takes place in a flash, through the appearance of very brief mental images which interpretation is obvious rather symbolic.

Clairvoyance is different from divinatory sciences. The latter consist in an intellectual interpretation of signs obtained through various media (cards, star charts, etc.)

Since the beginning of humankind, people have aimed to foresee the future, to determine the most auspicious moment for undertaking an action, etc. Clairvoyance has been practiced in all the domains of human activity.

Sometimes, clairvoyance became an institution. It was the case with many civilizations of the ancient world, for example in Delphi, where the people used to consult the Oracle and its priestesses, the Pythia, who obtained visions by focusing on a fire.

Clairvoyants generally use a medium to produce visions: a crystal ball, fire, a bowl full of water, torches, etc. The common characteristic of these media is that they all are related to light. Again, clairvoyance differs from the divinatory sciences because of the nature of the media used.

Dr Francis Lefebure, a French physician and researcher, made many discoveries in cerebral physiology. These discoveries explain the mecanisms of clairvoyance. His research was based on the systematic use of the phosphenes. The phosphenes are all the subjective sensations of light, i.e. those which are not directly provoked by light stimulating the retina. Phosphenes can be obtained by focusing on sources of light for short periods of time.

Dr Lefebure defined a certain number of parameters that come into play in phenomena of clairvoyance. The production of phosphenes using sources of light is systematic. For this purpose, clairvoyants use varied supports. Placing a candle near a crystal ball, for example, creates lighting conditions suitable for clairvoyance. The use of a fire, the moon or of the reflection of the sun on water produce the same kind of effects.

Polarized light, i.e. light reflected by a surface, is particularily conductive, as Dr Lefebure demonstrated. The light of the moon, the reflection of the sun on water or the reflection of a candle on a crystal ball belong to this category.

In Phosphenism: The Scientific Explanation of the Origins of Religion, Dr Lefebure analyses the circumstances in which certain clairvoyants developed their gift.

Pentier, the fisherman from Berck

‟It was a man called ‛le père Pentier’ by the population of Berck (Pas-de-Calais, France). His gift of clairvoyance was quite famous in the area, and we were able to verify that his reputation was deserved. He talked very little, but everything he foresaw happened. He was retired, but he used to be a fisherman.

According to a custom of the time, he always used to pray while he was working and he attributed his gift of clairvoyance to the fact that he prayed to Saint-Côme and Saint-Damien. He believed that these saints were particularly powerful because they came from primitive Christianity. But, as with other cases that we had the chance to study, and though he actually was a clairvoyant, we believe that he was mistaken on the cause of his gift, though this assumption might seem surprising. Indeed, the two syllables ‛Côm’ and ‛Dam’ hammered out his litanies: we believe that it is thanks to them that he practiced rhythmic thinking. Also, he told us that in the beginning, his clairvoyance only took place when he focused on water.

It is only much later that we understood why: he mixed his litanies to the two saints with the phosphenes produced by the reflection of the sun on water, and it is only after a long maturation of his brain by this exercise that his clairvoyance could persist in the absence of phosphenes.

Let us also quote the case of Mrs. Spique, who since the age of six has been subject to real bouts of clairvoyance; for example, while she was talking about something completely different, she used to see a white ball that started whirling. Inside this ball, as it became transparent, appeared visions that she described. On one occurence, she gave us many details about a character that coincided exactly with our father, who had been deceased for a long time and about whom we had never talked to her. The precision of the details was amazing, as she described the major part of our relationship with our father.

When she was a child, she used to scare the people around her by announcing deaths or accidents that took place soon afterwards.

She told us that when she used to live in Algiers (Algeria) between the age of three and six, she had such a degree of rachitis of the lower limbs that she was disabled, and could absolutely not walk. During this period, in order to fortify her, she was taken to the beach with a doll and, as she would get bored quickly by this toy, she used to spend hours looking at the reflection of the sun on water as a game.

It is interesting to note that this habit not only seems to have developed her clairvoyance, but also seems to have had a favorable action on her character as she developed a great generosity.”

The poetess Minou Drouet

‟Everyone in France knows the child prodigy Minou Drouet whose poems amazed the world, when she was only 12 years old. She was so famous for a while that, sometimes when she visited provincial towns, crowds would gather as if she was a head of state.

All her biographies agree to say that while she was in an orphanage, she seemed slightly retarded. Her foster mother took her to a house that was located near the ocean and, instead of sending her to school, let her do as she pleased. We have learned, from her mother, that she used to look at the reflection of the sun on water for hours, every day, and that at the same time, she swayed softly her head from left to right. After a few years of this solitary game, the people around her realized that she had become a genius.

The process that took place here seems obvious to us and will be confirmed by another case that we will quote later. When she focused on the reflection of the sun on water, she mixed her child reveries with the phosphenes produced by the movements of this reflection.

Moreover, as we have seen previously, swaying on a pendular rhythm of two seconds is a natural rhythm of the phosphenes. Thanks to this watery mirror, Phosphenism carried her along into this rhythm, as the pendular motion of the phosphenes and the movements of the waves are of a similar nature: sinusoidal.

Experimenting with hearing a sound alternatively in and the right and the left ear, thanks to a device called ‛Alternophone’, has showed that these alternating stimulations are very beneficial for the functioning of the brain. They develop a stronger attention, sharpen artistic sensitivity, but also make thoughts surge in a polarized form, a process that favors the creation of verses. As does Phosphenic Mixing, this alternating hearing process simultaneously increases the quality and the quantity of ideas.

The action of Mixing and the action of alternating hearing thus belong to the same category of phenomena, and have led us to the discovery a previously unknown function of the brain that we have called ‛rhythmo-phosphenic’ function.”
Minou was guided by her instincts towards the phosphenes produced by the reflection of the sun on the moving waves. The latent rhythmic power of the phosphenes manifests itself as soon as it has a chance: Minou instinctively started swaying her head, another practice which has the ability to develop a more vivid intelligence by its effects on the higher abilities of the brain.

Exercise: contemplating the reflection of the sun on water

Find a suitable stretch of water. A simple basin will suffice.
Place yourself in a way that allows you contemplate the reflection of the sun on the water.
Wear a cap, so that the sun does not shine directly on your eyes.
Focus on the reflection. You will see various forms appear: arrows, triangles, crosses, snakes of fire… These perceptions are your cerebral rhythms that are activated by light and the rhythm of the ripples.
After approximately three minutes, close your eyes and observe the colors.
With a little bit of practice, you might perceive visions of characters or sceneries in the reflection of the sun.

Chromotherapy or color therapy is an alternative medicine. It is used to balance personal energy, on a physical, mental, emotional or spiritual level.

The standard method of diagnosis used in chromotherapy was developed by Dr Max Luscher in the beginning of the 20th century. Chromotherapy dates back to ancient times, probably to the beginning of ayurvedic medicine. The indian tradition associates colors to the chakras. There are also traces of the therapeutic use of colors in the ancient Chinese civilization. Traditional Chinese medicine associates a color to each organ.

Chromotherapy uses colors on various mediums: stones and gems, candles, prisms, clothes or colored glass, for example. The colors having, at the same time, a positive and negative effect, chromotherapy functions according to very subtle rules.

The colors of the chakras and their position in the human body:

First chakra: located at the base of the spine.
Color: red

The first chakra has an influence on the legs, the feet, walking as well as the anus and elimination. Its color is red. The positive qualities associated to this color are: tenacity, courage, loyalty and perseverance. The flaws caused by an excess of red are: stubbornness, bigotry, dull wit.

This chakra can be related to blood or marrow diseases as well as energy loss.

Red is considered to be the color of life and fire. Red is supposed to accelerate the rhythm of the heart, as well as to increase blood flow and the rhythm of breathing. Red is also called the color of desire. It is generally used as a support for circulatory functions and to combat anemia, asthma, the diseases of the larynx, certain skin diseases and chronic cough. An excess of red in the aura of a person can express tendencies to domination, cruelty, anger and vulgarity.

Second chakra: located roughly three centimeters below the navel.
Color: orange.

The color orange is a mix of red and yellow; chromotherapy gives it a quality of warmth and conviviality. The color orange is the color of the rising sun and makes people nimble and happy. Surprising results can be obtained thanks to this color in the treatment of mental illnesses, depression and pessimism. The color orange can be used to treat atherosclerosis, appetite loss, anemia, anorexia and digestion problems. An excess of orange in the aura of a person can express confusion, fatigue and pessimism.

Third chakra: solar plexus.
Color: yellow.

Yellow is the brightest color. It is commonly used in chromotherapy. Yellow reflects light in all directions and can thus create a feeling of detachment and liberation. Chromotherapy uses the color yellow to combat glandular diseases, illnesses of the lymphatic system and to strengthen the nervous system. An excess of yellow in the aura of a person can express a lack of concentration or a tendency towards malice and wickedness.

Fourth chakra: located between the lungs, on the level of the heart.
Color: green.

The color green is situated in the middle of the spectrum of light. It is associated to harmony and calm. Green is considered to be the color of concentration. Chromotherapy uses green to treat bronchitis, cough, inflammations of the joints. Green can also have a positive influence in the treatment of cysts, eye diseases and diabetes, improving the processes of secretion. The color green is supposed to promote the relaxation of the organs and the detoxication of the body. An excess of green in the aura of a person can show a lack of motivation or problems of lethargy, insecurity and jealousy.

Fifth chakra: the throat.
Color: blue.

Chromotherapy considers the color blue as the color of peace and infinity. The color blue is supposed to have a profound effect of relaxation on the body and the mind. It can be used to soothe migraines and headaches, stomach pains, cramps and even liver diseases. Generally, blue has a positive influence on pain. An excess of blue in the aura of a person can show a problem of apathy, melancholia, doubt and excessive suspicion.

Sixth chakra: located on the forehead, between the eyes, on the point called third eye.
Color: indigo.

The color indigo is supposed to develop spiritual perception and intuition. It is used for treating the eyes, the ears and psychological problems. It is also used to combat addictions. The color indigo is supposed to have a calming and sedative effect. Chromotherapy asserts that indigo can be useful in the treatment of absesses and to control bleeding. An excess of indigo in the aura of a person can be the mark of a personality that can be too serious, too restrictive.

Seventh chakra: located on the top of the head.
Color: purple.

Chromotherapy considers purple as the color of emotions and meditation. The color purple is used to treat the lymphatic system and the spleen. It is also used to soothe the organs, relax the muscles and calm the nervous system. An excess of purple in the aura of person can show a tendency towards fanatism and domination.

The colors of the spectrum correspond to various vibratory frequencies that are interpreted by the brain as different tints. They are undulatory phenomena and should be analyzed as such.

Doctor Francis Lefebure, a French physician and scientist, designed a method of personal development based on the systematic use of the phosphenes: Phosphenism. The phosphenes are the colored patches that appear when we close our eyes, after having focused on a source of light for roughly 30 seconds. Dr Lefebure has proved that the phosphenes are rhythmic phenomena. A rhythm being essentially a vibration, the phosphenes are thus of a vibratory nature. The study of the rhythms of the phosphenes allowed him to discover new laws of cerebral physiology that were not known before. The phoshenes stimulate the brain in a very positive manner, improving memory, concentration, attention, ideas and creativity. Their effects on personality are also particularily interesting.

Using sources of light of different colors can stimulate the brain in various manners. This is where Phosphenism and chromotherapy meet.

Exercise:

Choose a light bulb of a color that corresponds to the work you wish to practice, or place a colored filter in front of the Phosphenic Lamp.
Do a phosphene with the colored light.
Project this phosphene on a part of the body that is related to this color (chakra, organ…)
Keep in mind a thought that is related to the work you wish to realize (healing, stimulation of a chakra, psychological reconciliation, rhythmic thinking…)
When the phosphene has disappeared, do another one.
Continue practicing like this during 15 to 45 minutes.

CHANNELING

Channeling is usually understood as the communication of information by a spirit or some other supernatural entity through the means of a person (medium or channel).

Channeling is part of the rituals of many religions such as shamanism, voodoo, candomble, etc. Channeling is now part of the New Age culture and there are many books on the subject. The psychologist C.G. Jung wrote theories on channeling. These theories focus on the concept of collective unconscious, an ancient memory preserved for the whole history of humankind in the form of symbols that can appear in dreams, out of body experiences, channeling experiences, etc. The interpretation of these symbols depends on the culture and the person.

The personal aspect of channeling is of interest to us. We will study it in the light of the discoveries in cerebral physiology by Doctor Francis Lefebure, a French physician and researcher.

The works of Doctor Lefebure are based on the systematic use of the phosphenes which are all the subjective sensations of light, i.e. those which are not directly provoked by light stimulating the retina. The phosphenes can be produced by focusing shortly on sources of light.

The systematic study of the phosphenes and their rhythms has allowed Dr Lefebure to design a scientifically improved yoga: Phosphenism. Among the techniques and the exercises he proposes, the ‟horseshoe” head sway is the most appropriate for producing experiences of channeling or encounters with ‟spiritual guides”.

The equipment necessary to practice this technique is:

• Dr Lefebure’s phosphenic lamp.
• The Mantratron designed by Dr Lefebure, or a simple metronome.

Exercise:

The ‟horseshoe” head sway, the most efficient technique to establish communications, should be practiced the following manner:

Set the Mantratron on a beat every three seconds, or a metronome on 20 BPM.
Do a phosphene with the phosphenic lamp.
The starting position of the head recalls the position of Christ on the cross, the cheek set on the collarbone.
Raise your head back in a normal straight position.
Lower your head towards the other shoulder until your other cheek is set on the other collarbone.
The full movement (from one collarbone to the other) takes three seconds.
During the movements of the head, keep in mind the idea that you are trying to contact a guide, or visualize the image of a guide with which you have already had one or several contacts.
Repeat these movements until the phosphene disappears (roughly three minutes).
Do another phosphene and resume the movements.

Practice this exercise once a day during 15 to 45 minutes.
After a certain time of practice, from one week to a month, you will most probably have convincing results in the domain of channeling or contacting spiritual guides.

We will define channeling as the interpretation of profound energies by the brain. It is a way to contact the deepest layers of consciousness, called collective unconscious by Jung or akachic records by the New Age culture. The interpretation of these phenomena remains purely personal and it is important to understand them as an amplification of the thoughts of the individual. In channeling experiences, one finds what one has brought with them.

The Hindu tradition defines the chakras as vortices of energy located on various points of the human body. The term chakra comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‟wheel”. A similar principle can be found in other traditions: Chinese medicine, tantrism, Tibetan buddhism, the kabbalah or sufism, for example.

Phosphenism, a method of initiatory development designed by Doctor Francis LEFEBURE, a french physician and scientist, also recognizes the existence of the chakras and provides exercises for practicing with them. We will develop about this method later in this article.

There are seven main chakras. They are lined up vertically from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Each chakra is associated to a particular color and to certain physiological and psychological functions. The chakras can be considered as the organs of consciousness. They are represented by lotus flowers.

Vital energy (prâna, shakti, ki or chi) circulates throughout the body along channels called meridians. The chakras play a particular role in this network of energy. They function by rotation and garantee the spiritual, mental, physical and emotional health of the individual.

There is a parallel between the main chakras and the endocrinal glandular system. These glands could be the physical counterpart of the chakras.

The seven main chakras

Muladhara or root chakra is related to instincts, survival and basic human functions. This center is located in the perineum area, between the sexual organs and the anus. Though there is no endocrinal gland in this part of the body, certain authors consider that the root chakra is connected to the adrenalin glands, which are responsible of survival responses. Muladhara is represented by a lotus flower with four petals; its color is red.

Swadhisthana or chakra of the sacrum is located roughly three centimeters under the navel. It is related to emotions, sexuality and creativity. This chakra corresponds to the testicules and the ovaries, where the hormones that govern the cycle of reproduction are produced. Its symbol is a lotus with six petals; its color is orange.

Manipura is the chakra of the solar plexus. It is related to energy, as well as digestion and the assimilation of nutriments. It is supposed to correspond to the pancreas, a gland that plays a major role in the conversion of food into energy. Manipura is represented by a lotus flower with ten petal; its color is yellow.

Anahata or heart chakra is related to higher emotions, compassion, love, balance and well-being. It corresponds to the thymus, the organ of the immune and the endocrinal system that is responsable for combating diseases. Anahata is represented by a lotus flower with twelve petals; its color is green.

Vishuddha or throat chakra is related to growth. Its parallel is the thyroid gland which produces the growth hormone. Vishuddha is represented by a lotus flower with sixteen petals; its color is blue.

Ajna or third eye is the chakra of consciousness, time and light. It is related to the pineal gland which is sentive to light and produces melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep/wake cycle. Ajna is represented by a lotus flower with two petals; its color is indigo.

Sahasrara or crown chakra is the master chakra which controls all the others. It is the seat of spirituality. Its role is similar to the role of the pituitary gland which produces the hormones that control the endocrinal system. Sahasrara is represented by a lotus flower with a thousand petals; its color is purple.

Tantrism describes Kundalini as a coiled snake circling Mulhadara or root chakra three times. The exercises of the tantra are meant to awaken Kundalini, i.e. to let this energy rise from chakra to chakra. When Kundalini reaches Sahasrara or crown chakra, phenomena of illumination are produced.

The discoveries of Dr LEFEBURE on cerebral physiology, based on the systematic use of the phosphenes, bring a better understanding of these mecanisms and permit to reproduce them in a rather simple manner. The phosphenes are all the subjective sensations of light, i.e. those that are not directly provoked by light stimulating the retina.

Dr LEFEBURE discovered that the phenomena of illumination are produced by the synchronization of nervous cells in the brain. These synchronizations produce an electrical potential that diffuses itself into the zones of the brain that are responsible for sight, triggering perceptions of light. It is these perceptions of light that are called illumination.

Understanding these processes in a physiological way, Dr LEFEBURE invented the Gyrascope or Kundalini-triggering machine. Gyroscopic meditation permits a profound action on consciousness and the chakras in particular. Sustained practice can trigger the awakening of Kundalini with all the phenomena that correspond to the classical description of the surge of this force.

Gyroscopic meditation exercise

There is a virtual streaming Gyrascope available on our website. Do a phosphene and project it on the rotating blades of the Gyrascope for roughly three minutes.
Close your eyes, you will notice that the phoshene thus produced is rotational or whirling. (This is the proof of the existence of a mental whirling force, as the behavior of thoughts match the behavior of the phosphenes. Check Dr LEFEBURE’s book Kundalini Volume 1).
Concentrate on a chakra, the Ajna chakra or third eye, for example.
Visualize a dot of light, a star or a comet, for example, that is rotating on this chakra at a rhythm of one lap or half a lap per second. Use a precise beat from music or a metronome.
When the phosphene has disappeared, start the process again.
Pay attention to the sensations coming from this chakra.
Practice this exercise during 15 to 45 minutes.
To produce phenomena of illumination, practice this exercise every day. After two weeks, you will most probably obtain very advanced phenomena. By sustaining this practice, you can produce the awakening of Kundalini.

Carlos Castaneda, a young ethnologist from the University of California, wanted to write a thesis about the hallucinogenic plants of Mexico

CASTANEDA

Carlos Castaneda, a young ethnologist from the University of California, wanted to write a thesis about the hallucinogenic plants of Mexico. During a trip to this country, he met Don Juan, an old Yaqui sorceror who initiated him to the Toltec tradition. Castaneda relates his initiation in a series of very popular books that go way beyond the academic framework of ethnology. Within these books, Castaneda mentions different exercises that his master taught him, and that he later compiled in a method that he called ‟Tensegrity”. In this brief article, we would like to analyse one of these exercises in the light of the discoveries in cerebral physiology of a French researcher, Doctor Francis Lefebure.

In The Second Ring of Power, first published in 1977, Castaneda describes an exercise that he practices with other initiates (La Gorda, Lidia, Rosa and Josefina), as it had been taught by their master, The Nagual Don Juan.

‟She (La Gorda) put her hand on my writing pad and said that we had a terribly busy day ahead of us and we needed to store energy in order to withstand it. We had, therefore, to energize ourselves with the sunlight. She said that the circumstances required that we take the sunlight with the left eye. She began to move her head slowly from side to side as she glanced directly into the sun through her half-closed eyes.

A moment later, Lidia, Rosa and Josefina joined us. Lidia sat to my right, Josefina sat next to her, while Rosa sat next to La Gorda. All of them were resting their backs against the poles. I was in the middle of the row.
It was a clear day. The sun was just above the distant range of mountains. Their started moving their heads in perfect synchronization. I joined them and had the feeling that I too had synchronized my motion with theirs. They kept it up for about a minute and then stopped.

All of them wore hats and used the brims to protect their faces from the sunlight when they were not bathing their eyes in it. La Gorda had given me my old hat to wear.
We sat there for about half an hour. In that time we repeated the exercise countless times I intended to make a mark on my pad for each time but La Gorda very casually pushed my pad out of reach.”

This exercise, described by Castaneda, is very similar to the exercise of lateral head sway proposed by Dr Lefebure. The main difference being that Castaneda and the other initiates focus on the sun with their left eye, but we will come back to this point later in this article.

Focusing on a bright enough source of light leads to the production of a phosphene. The phosphenes are the patches of changing colors that we can perceive with our eyes closed, after having focused on a source of light. They correspond to what ophtalmologists call images of retinal persistence or after-images. The phosphenes are not only due to the functioning of the retina but, as Dr Lefebure has demonstrated, they actually are an energy that emanates from the brain. It is thanks to the study of the phosphenes that Dr Lefebure has been able to design a set of techniques allowing an efficient development of personal energy.

In 1934, at the age of 18, Francis Lefebure was initiated by a master: Artheme Galip (a Ukranian diplomat), who triggered a series of powerful experiences by laying of hands. Dr Lefebure relates these experiences in his book ‟Initatory Experiences” Vol 1-3. At the same time, Galip taught Francis lefebure a set of exercises meant to maintain and develop the energy transmitted by the laying of hands. These exercises were part of the Zoroastrian tradition, which Galip had studied in a temple of that obedience. These techniques comprised exercises of head sways. Sadly, the mode of operation recommended by Galip did not bring solely beneficial effects. Galip’s way of practicing head sways was wrong enough to trigger harmful effects, thereby creating a paradox between the beneficial effects of his laying of hands and the negative effects of the exercises he taught.
It is only in 1959, when he met the Indonesian mystic Pak Subuh, that Dr Lefebure made a crucial discovery that allowed him to understand scientifically the effects of the various modes of head sways. He called this discovery the Subud Effect.

Extract from Exploring the Brain with the Study of the Oscillations of the Double Phosphenes:

‟On the occasion of Pak Subuh’s visit to Paris, we have studied the movements of the head that he practices and that belong to an ancient Javanese tradition. These exercises resemble the Zoroastrian initiatory practices that were taught to us by our master Artheme Galip, though there are some slight differences. There is no doubt that head sways, practiced regularly, have an effect on the brain and, consequently, on the conscience of the individual. But, out of all the traditional versions, which are favorable? If two modes of operation allow to obtain good results, what are the differences between these results? How can one have a relatively objective understanding of the action of each different types of head sway when electroencephalograms require complete immobility?

Those were the questions that we were pondering at the time.

To answer them, we had the idea to use the phosphenes. We decided to study the action of head sways on the phosphenes.

Straight away, we discovered an absolutely amazing and totally unpredictable phenomenon; as far as we know, it has never been reported before, though a child could have discovered it as a game.
From a distance of two meters, focus for a minute on an ordinary lamp, then turn it off and remain in the dark. After a short phase of latency, the phosphene appears. Now, sway your head laterally (from left to right) at average speed: you see that the phosphene sways at the same pace as your head.

Let us try again the same experiment but, this time, sway your head at a fast rhythm: THE PHOSPHENE SEEMS TO STAY FIXED ON THE MEDIAN AXIS OF THE BODY. Now sway your head very slowly: the phosphene seem to sway a little, BUT LESS THAN THE BODY.

Consequently, there is a rhythm, and a single one, that favors the association of the movements of the phosphene with the movements of the head, the other rhythms reducing or interrupting this association. In rememberance of the circumstances of its discovery, we called SUBUD EFFECT the unexpected opposition between the movements of the phosphene, that depend on the pace of the movements of the head.

The Subud effect is the dissociation of the movements of the phosphene and the movements of the head when the movements of the head are fast.

This simple fact already has a considerable neurological and pedagogical reach. It opens the way for a new branch of humanities: neuro-pedagogy.”

Then, Dr Lefebure had the idea to study what would happen if he produced a phosphene in each eye, separately. In order to do that, Dr Lefebure designed the following apparatus: the eyes are separated by a field of vision separator (a simple cardboard plate is enough); two lamps are lit in turn at a rhythm of two seconds per side, to produce a double phosphene, i.e. a single phosphene in each eye. The phosphenes thus produced appear in alternation, on average for six seconds on the right and six seconds on the left, and so on,twenty to thirty times. The alternation of the double phosphenes is due to a rhythmic work of the encephalon, more precisely to an alternation of the work of the cerebral hemispheres. Dr Lefebure practiced this experiment at different times of the day and noticed that his cerebral alternation was much more regular in the morning, after a good night’s sleep, than in the evening after a hard day’s work. He concluded that certain conditions improve cerebral alternation, when other conditions disturb it. A regular cerebral alternation being the mark of a good condition of the brain, Dr Lefebure enunciated a new law of cerebral physiology: ‟Everything that facilitates cerebral alternation improves intellectual work and everthing that improves intellectual work facilitates cerebral alternation”. The application of this law led to the designing of a revolutionary technique of cerebral exploration: cerebroscopy.

On a purely medical level, cerebroscopy allows to measure precisely the impact on the brain of various parameters: physical activity, diet or drug treatment, for example. Similarly, cerebroscopy can analyse the effects on the brain of initiatory exercises and their many variations. Examined closely by cerebroscopy, initiatory exercises lose their empiricism and can thus be improved scientifically. This knowledge has allowed Dr Lefebure to precise and correct the exercises that Galip had taught him, as well as other exercises he borrowed from other traditions, resulting in the creation of a scientifically improved yoga: Phosphenism.

Exercises of head sways can be found in many traditions all over the world, a proof of the universality of this practice. The Yaqui tradition described by Castaneda also includes exercises of lateral head sways, with the purpose of accumulating energy or personal power. Like Phosphenism, the Yaqui tradition combines head sways with focusing on sources of light. In the course of his research, Dr Lefebure has proved that it is maintaining a rhythm in thougths and associating it to the phosphene that produces this energy. The relationship between rhythm and light is mysterious, and the study of the phosphenes allowed Dr Lefebure to clarify this relationship.

Extract from Phosphenism, a New Explanation of the Origins of Religion:

‟Religious rites and the rhythms of the phosphenes:
When we observe a phosphene, it seems to present random movements. But in a way, it is possible to do a dissection of the phosphene, and to detect several very regular separated rhythms which interaction give a feeling of disorder at first glance.
This study of the rhythms of the phosphenes is essential for understanding their relationship with religious rites. If we think while observing a phosphene, our thoughts will tend to follow the natural rhythms of the phosphenes.
The rhythm of the solar co-phosphene actually inspires the rhythm of prayers, litanies or mantras and produces currents of energy in the body that are exteriorized in the form of dances and postures. This is why praying while focusing on the sun is the basis of all religious rites.”

Prayer associated to the phosphene is thus at the origin of all religious rites and so it is not surprising that cultures from totally different times and places have achieved very similar results. Empiricism cannot be dissociated from traditional practices, and so it introduces variations in the exercises that are more due to a lack of precision than to genuine fundamental differences. Variations of climate, diet or of primary necessities bring a final touch of ‟local color” to the practices. The production of a phosphene with the left eye only is such an instance and corresponds to a particular goal of the Yaqui sorcerers. Indeed, today’s science understands the different functions of the cerebral hemispheres, which can be summarized in the following table:

LEFT HEMISPHERE
Verbal: uses words
Analytic: dialectic
Rational: mathematical deduction
Temporal: uses space and time
Logical: reason
Deals with: logic, analysis and organisation

RIGHT HEMISPHERE
Non verbal: the conscience of things
Synthetic: functions by simultaneity
Non rational: speculative, abstract
Non temporal: utopian, imaginary
Intuitive and global: dreams and emotions
Deals with: art, imagination, creativity

As this table shows, the right hemisphere is the seat of artistic and creative thinking, but also of initiatory experiences. Let us note that the right part of the body corresponds to the left hemisphere when the left part of the body corresponds to the right hemisphere (consequently, the left eye is linked to the right hemisphere). By producing phosphenes with the left eye the Yaqui sorcerers try to provoke specific effects by stimulating the right brain. Castaneda’s notion of tonal and nagual (tonal = material world / nagual = spiritual world) can be applied to the cerebral hemispheres. The right hemisphere belongs to the realm of the nagual when the left hemisphere belongs to the realm of the tonal. It is the left part which apprehends the tonal when it is the right part which apprehends the nagual. Focusing on the sun with the left eye stimulates the right hemisphere and, consequently, one’s relationship with the spiritual world or nagual. The Yaqui sorcerer’s interest for this practice seems obvious.

The exercise of lateral head sways provoke synchronizations between the cerebral hemispheres, creating extra energy in the brain that the will of the individual can direct towards the direction he/she chooses. The exercise practiced by Castaneda and Don Juan’s initiates has the same purpose: acquiring extra energy to perform a particular type of work (in this case, magic).

The exercise of lateral sway, as described by Castaneda, has at least another point in common with Dr Lefebure’s version: the regularity of the rhythm. Indeed, Castaneda seems to judge that it is beneficial that all the members of the group practice sways in a synchronous fashion. Again, the discoveries of Dr Lefebure will help us understand the purpose of such a practice in a scientific manner.

The schema published in Dr Lefebure’s book: Cerebral Development with Alternating Hearing cleverly illustrates the effects of practicing synchronous head sways in a group.

The precision of the rhythm employed will increase the efficiency of this practice; that is why Dr Lefebure recommends using a metronome for practicing all rhythmic thinking exercises. In this perspective, he designed the Mantratron, a metronome specialized for initiatory exercises that improves significantly the practice of head sways or any other rhythmic thinking exercise (breathing, mantras, etc.).

Another interesting point in Castaneda’s story is that Don Juan’s initiates use hats. Indeed, focusing on the sun should not be continuous, it should be alternated with periods of internalization, eyes closed. Wearing a hat or an eye patch creates conditions of darkness that are favorable for internalization. The initiates of Don Juan do not use headgear to simply protect themselves from the powerful mexican sun, but to create the necessary conditions for internalization and the observation of the phosphene.

To conclude this analysis, we would like to raise a subject that might be particularly useful to the persons who want to follow in Castaneda’s footsteps.

In The Second Ring of Power, Castaneda exchanges informations about power plants (or psychotropic plants) with Las Hermanitas (the initiates of Don Juan). Together, they compare their experiences on the subject:
‟La Gorda explained that power plants were used only by sorcerers who had mastered their art. Those plants were such a powerful affair that in order to be properly handed, the most impeccable attention was needed on the part of the sorcerer. It took a lifetime to train one’s attention to the degree needed. La Gorda said that complete people do not need power plants, and that neither the little sisters nor the Genaros had ever taken them, but that someday when they had perfected their art as dreamers, they would use them to get a final and total boost, a boost of such magnitude that it would be impossible for us to understand…

…I considered the issue for a moment. The effect of psychotropic plants had indeed been terrifying for me. They seemed to reach a vast reservoir in me, and extract from it a total world. The drawback in taking them had been the toll they took on my physical well-being and the impossibility to control their effect. The world they plunged me into was enamenable and chaotic. I lacked the control, the power, in Don Juan’s terms, to make use of such a world. If I would have the control, however, the possibilities would be staggering to the mind…

(…) (La Gorda speaking) And this brings me to the next thing the Nagual asked me to tell you. He said that because you were empty he had to gather your second attention of the nagual, in a different way than ours. We gathered that attention through dreaming and you did it with his power plants. The Nagual said that his power plants gathered the menacing side of your second attention in one clump, and that’s the shape that came out of your head. He said that that’s what happens to sorcerers when they are given power plants. If they don’t die, the power plants spin their second attention into that awful shape that comes out of their heads.

Now we’re coming to what he wanted you to do. He said that you must change directions now and begin gathering your second attention in another way, more like us. You can’t keep on the path of knowledge unless you balance your second attention. So far, that attention of yours has been riding on the Nagual’s power, but now you are alone. That’s what he wanted me to tell you.
– How do I balance my second attention?
– You have to do dreaming the way we do it. Dreaming is the only way to gather the second attention without injuring it, without making it menacing and awesome. Your second attention is fixed on the awful side of the world; ours is on the beauty of it. You have to change sides and come with us. That’s what you chose last night when you decided to go with us.”

Several points in this story require explanations: the terms ‟empty” and ‟full” are related to a particular condition of the energy of human beings. The ‟empty” state appears as a hole in the person’s ‟luminosity” (or aura). According to Castaneda, several factors can make a human being ‟empty”. Most Westeners, cut off from the world of energy, end up being empty when they reach adulthood. It then becomes almost impossible for them to move what Castaneda calls their ‟assembly point”, i.e. to change their level of consciousness. In the beginning of his initiation, Don Juan gives power plants to Carlos Castaneda to move his ‟assembly point”, allowing him to contact his ‟second attention”, i.e. to enter the invisible worlds of the nagual or spiritual planes. Without this manipulation Castaneda, being a Westerner, would not even be aware of the existence of such planes of consciousness. Nevertheless, using power plants has several major drawbacks: their negative effects on the well-being of the physical body, the impossibility to control their effect, and the fact that they gather the menacing side of one’s ‟second attention”, thus focusing it on the savage and terrifying aspect of the world, when the ‟art of dreaming” focuses it on the beauty of the world.

All the Westeners who have used psychotropic plants should understand the problem raised by Castaneda.

‟The art of dreaming” is the Yaqui name for out of body experiences or astral projection. Don Juan recommends this method for gathering the ‟second attention” without harming it. Nevertheless, how could it be done if a person cannot practice ‟the art of dreaming” or astral projection? In fact, the delicate clockwork of the etheric (energy) body of Westeners, atrophied by years of neglect, or even wrecked by the abuse of alcohol, is completely jammed, resulting in the impossibility to move the ‟assembly point” without the potent but traumatizing help of power plants. Fortunately, the works of Dr Lefebure offer an alternative to the use of these plants. Fast mantras or exercises of thinking at a rhythm of 1/6th of a second, all the more if they are practiced in a group, can favorably replace power plants and produce quick and intense effects. The rhythm of six beats per seconds is particularly efficient as it is one of the main rhythms of the phosphene. It is the rhythm at which the muscles tremble when they are contracted. Dr Lefebure describes it the following way:

‟The trembling of the phosphene at a rhythm of 1/6th of a second can sometimes be perceived when you focus on the sun and that it seems to shake. The main interest of this rhythm is that it can resonate with the electrical oscillations of the muscles which actually follow the same rhythm. It can trigger beautiful inner phenomena.”

In The Development of the Supranormal Powers of the Mind by Thinking at a Rhythm of 1/6th of a Second, Dr Lefebure describes the effects of this rhythm on consciousness. Daniel Stiennon developed this technique thanks to an encounter in the astral plane with Master Ueshiba Morihei, the inventor of aïkido. This particular way of practicing fast mantras come from the japanese Go-shinto tradition, i.e. Shinto hermetism. It is called ‟furitama furihondo” (literally: ‟shaking the soul”), and consists in making the muscles of the arms vibrate while tending them downwards, hands joined together, in a standing position. The vibration of the muscles thus produced serves as a base for the vibration of the etheric (energy) body, litterally projecting consciousness into the higher planes. In a group, the mode of operation consists in placing a circle of transmitting subjects around a receiving subject, preferably laying down in the center of the circle. This exercise has been practiced many times in workshops organized by the School of Doctor Lefebure, with sometimes more than a hundred participants.

This technique can be substituted to the use of power plants and constitutes a fast and safe way to access astral projection or ‟the art of dreaming”. Once the ‟assembly point” (consciousness) of the individual has been shifted by such a practice, it will be much easier to reproduce this kind of experience with simple exercises of contemplation or harmonization with the energies of nature and the cosmos.

WARNING: NEVER FOCUS ON THE SUN FOR MORE THAN ONE OR TWO SECONDS. ALWAYS REMOVE GLASSES, SUNGLASSES OR CONTACTS. DRINK A LOT OF WATER.