ACQUIRINGFIRST-HANDKNOWLEDGE 489
a committee of scientists all saw the wonderful things done
before their eyes, under conditions where sleight-of-hand
was impossible, yet the photographs which they obtained
while the experiment was in progress, came to naught. There
was no impression on the sensitive plates, because there had
been no material, concrete objects.
At first the pictur es which the aspirant builds will b e but
shadowy and poor likenesses, but in the end he can, by
concentration, conjure up an image more real and alive than
things in the Physical World.
When the aspirant has become able to form such
pictures and has succeeded in holding his mind upon the
picture thus created, he may try to drop the picture suddenly
and, holding his mind steady without any thought, wait to
see what comes into the vacuum.
For a long time nothing may appear and the aspirant
must carefully guard against making visions for himself, but
if he keeps on faithfully and patiently every morning, there
will come a time when, the moment he has let the imaged
picture drop, in a flash the surrounding Desire World will
open up to his inner eye. At first it may be but a mere
glimpse, but it is an earnest of what will later come at will.
MEDITATION
When the aspirant has practiced concentration for some
time, focusing the mind upon some simple object, building a
living thought form by means of the imaginative faculty, he
will, by means of Meditation, learn all about the object thus
created.
Supposing that the aspirant has, by concentration, called
up the image of the Christ. It is very easy to meditatively
recall the incidents of His life, suffering and resurrection,
but much beyond that can be learned by meditation.