We had been taught to have the greatest respect for Atlantean technology. Undoubtedly immature, we were perhaps a trifle sceptical that our teachers exaggerated the ecstasy of being in tune with Universal Mind to mask their less spectacular achievements. Possibly, like many other teen-aged Suernian students before us, we preconsciously sought to modernize Khe thinking, bring our people more up-to-date with the times ...

However, unaware of the machinations of our preconscious minds, we consciously believed in the noble intent of our mission, and settled down to serious study after our brief holiday.

Part of our work was to analyse statistics. Selected groups of advanced "Spiritual Technologists" from many lands were given freedom of travel throughout the known world. Many spent whole lifetimes in wandering from place to place, to examine, test and evaluate every scrap of information that could be picked up concerning matters of an ethereal, occult, or spiritual nature. In Atlantis these records were sorted out and any requiring further investigation had teams assigned where necessary.

The findings uncovered in these explorations were constantly published in both Khe and Atlantis; any Suernian discoveries were also published regularly.

The lecturer in our classes sat on a raised dias in the centre of a rostrum. The students would sit cross-legged in a semi-circle around the rotunda, watching either the speaker or the many charts and diagrams laid out on adjustable walls and screens, which could be raised into the roof when no longer required for illustration. The permanent walls of the building were also covered with a panorama of the various phases of investigation, and histories of spiritual discoveries.

Our syllabus was laid on in such a manner as to give no emphasis to the personality of any of the lecturers who took turns in instructing. It was impossible however, not to be impressed with the personal qualities of the Rai, Principle of the Academy, who had the amazing faculty of reaching a sympathetic wavelength of thought in each student, and by this means could convey as much deep information as with the soft melodious tones of his voice.

Today he was discussing the component parts of spirit. "Once spirit is understood as two component parts, the spark and the aura; the spark as spiritual thought on the highest vibrational scale before the abstract of invisible spirit, and the spark's astral body, personality, or aura, a great deal more can be made clear."

"Being superior to the scale of black light vibration, spiritual thought cannot be affected in any way by the inferior scale; and because black light is on a lower scale it can be contained, or held in abeyance by spirit, used by higher vibrational scales (guides) and governed by Supreme Being".

"Conscious awareness is the common denominator of both preconscious and spiritual thought, its closest ties being with the preconscious analytical mind. The conscious is able to transform returning messages up to preconscious vibrational power, but not into the range of spiritual thought vibration, thereby bringing spiritual thought within the range of preconscious knowledge.

Ego, which is the key to love, having been developed to a degree where it has gained the power of censorship of preconscious knowledge, NOT as it goes out, as many believe; but as it is given to the preconscious mind by the conscious as picked up by the five senses.

Once information is censored, future preconscious reckoning is based on biased information and not fact. This leaves the individual not his own master, but the servant of ego, acting to please its master.

Ego is insatiable; it will aspire to more and more power, even aspire to become God, or endeavour to mask that which is in us of God, by crediting itself with returning spiritual thought messages and saying, "I am good" -- when Spirit alone is good; or, "I am superior to another...", when Spirit alone is superior.

The inner power of spirit in each newborn infant is exactly equal; irrespective of race, intellectual capacity, health, social standing or environment. Spirit is given to all, in like measure. Therefore, the only difference between any two human beings must be egotistical imagination.

Admittedly there are variations in natural endowment, enhanced by natural and environmental opportunity. But these cannot interfere with the personality essence or spiritual aura -- unless ego makes it so. One would not think to congratulate an apple for ripening just because it was on the sunny side of the tree.

The great marvel of Nature is the variety of her handiwork ... the brilliance of her imagination in introducing the ego-factor for a driving force to help perform her will.

Man is born from the need of love, as ego looks upon itself and finds love of self. Then, becoming involved in a caricature of self-survival, imagines that Self, through self-love, is the only important thing in the world, instead of maintaining clarity of perception and realising that love is an emotion with two clear paths of emotional development.

One path, the broadest of the two and therefore the easiest to follow, is that of self-love through self-centred emotional experience. While the second, a narrow path, brings realization that emotion shared is double joy. This mature road of emotional development is noncognisant of self alone, it teaches give and forgive. Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.

But as life's experiences teach like and dislike, one learning the pleasure of giving realizes the pleasure being gained by the recipient, and knows the double joy when reciprocal giving is experienced. Translate this into Universal Brotherhood and imagine the collective joy involved.

The spiritual spark radiates with equal energy (V.P.S.) in every human being. Were it otherwise Supreme Justice would be just a fallacy. Only the burden of egotistical dominance dims its radiance, preventing its manifestation in the words, actions, and emotions of the human family. Like a crystal clear mountain stream being joined by polluted water as it flows along, finally able to maintain only a stunted form of life that is stricken with disease and error."

After several weeks spent in meditating on this discourse, with daily revelations as we practised what had been taught, Zadius and I sat studying one evening when I suddenly felt a spark of interest jump from his mind across the few feet which separated us. I glanced up inquiringly. He said, "I am studying the graduated steps of systematic approach to death and am confronted with a question. How can mere dying teach any more than living? How can those who do not understand life hope to suddenly understand after life?

Later, after much discussion, we approached the Rai with this question, and smiling he replied. "There is only one form of dying which is effective, that is dying during life and being born again into the same body which you previously occupied". This comment was further amplified in a later discussion.

"Death is that state where the magnetic vibrations in the physical body cease. All is still. The physical aura ceases to glow. It is the end of all things physical.

As the physical aura dims, spirit prepares for departure. First the spiritual aura extricates itself from the body, then, unhampered by its cloak, the inner power of the spiritual mind takes a last around, then soars forth to its own cosmic destiny, leaving the physical to finish its natural cycle as ordained by nature.

The spiritual aura and the inner power become separated at death to be eventually reunited. Colour by colour the aura regains its perfect degree of purity and width, each being in exact relationship to the whole, so as to blend into a perfect sparkling shade of white -- or truth.

The act of dying is like sleeping, a simple unawareness of the conscious mind to know the actions of the body. No pain accompanies the act itself, and, as the spiritual aura detaches itself from the body it is able to look down on the shell of its form while holding as a record within itself the lifelong emotional memories acquired.

In the last moments of life ego usually surrenders in the realization that this is end and further effort is futile. Much like a rat deserting a sinking ship, ego is the first to die, leaving the mind clear for the bright spark of spirit to struggle through the maze of conflict left behind.

Frequently, those in close harmony with the departee have sensed the presence of that person's aura some time after death, gaining certain assurance at that moment that they mourned only for an inanimate shell, while close by was the life they sought. Loath to leave, the departing spirit will try to communicate and comfort. The only barrier to such communication is the egotistical dominance of the person who remains -- never the inability of the spiritual communicator.

Quite often, especially in instances of sudden violent death, the spiritual aura is unaware that death has taken place at first, and being itself alive, will endeavour to continue the last actions of the body. It also happens that the last fleeting thoughts of the decedent are carried many miles away, and a dear one may suddenly be aware of the occurrence.

Violent death invariably induces a state of shock in the aura, while it tries to record all the instantaneous emotions flashing across the preconscious at fantastic vibrational speeds -- too fast for any emotion to be actually felt by the victim.

It is not uncommon for the dying one to be so loath to leave the familiar, having such an emotional hold on physical life, that the emotional fury at forced departure holds the aurotic personality blindly tied to earth for a considerable period of time. During this period the etheric self might appear, usually looking as the physical did at the moment of death, as apparitions.

Some might appear as mild beings doing something quite ordinary. But these manifestations indicate that death was rejected, and overcome with the last emotional message from the physical mind, the aura is earthbound, unacceptable to either earth or eternity.

Of all natural vices, revenge and the desire for retribution is the one least tolerated in the spirit world. Born of the black light scale, revenge is the antipode of all spiritual thought. The aura therefore, cannot be introduced into the new ethereal dimensions of life until free from all thoughts of revenge.

Thus it is well written ... "If a man strikes you on the right cheek offer him the left. If he takes away thy coat give him thy cloak also. Truly He has said, "Justice is Mine, I will repay ..."

The law of immutable justice, i.e. the law of Cause and Effect, governs the entire Universe, covering both the invisible and visible components. The Master's "vengeance" is not an imposed punishment for wrong-doing -- man punishes himself by breaking himself against the law which cannot be adapted to suit individuals. All imbalance must be adjusted to enable the spirit to reach its final destination.

When the law has been broken effect must follow regardless of whether the action was committed intentionally or otherwise. For example, if a man walks into a fire he will burn. If a seed is planted in good soil with plenty of sunshine and water, it will surpass the growth of an identical seed which falls on stony ground.

The Lawgiver is no superior human being, as mankind likes to depict, doing out revengeful punishment to offenders.

His is the Law of Eternal Life. All must partake whether they wish it or nay. Remorse is the effect of error. Impurity must be "burned out" in repentance ... for this is the Law.

There are those who walk the earth in ignorance of the Law; these people will know their regret in having dwelt on earth outside of the law of love. But to know the Law and continue to deflect creates remorseful agony of exquisite magnitude. The Omnipotent One does not insist that man must fear Him. It is simply The Law from which there can be no deviation.