Occult science in medicine

by Franz Hartmann

This spiritual knowledge does not belong to the faculties of men’s lower intellectual nature, but to his higher nature alone; and it is therefore of paramount importance that the development of that higher nature should receive more attention than it is receiving at present. A mere improvement in morals or ethics is quite insufficient for that purpose. Morality is the outcome of reasoning; Spirituality is the superior power due to the manifestation of self-consciousness on a higher plane of existence, the illumination of the mind and body of man by the power and light of the spirit filling the soul. When spirituality becomes substantiality in man, then only will his knowledge be of a substantial kind.

This spiritual substantiality, or, in other words, the realization of the highest ideal, is the work of the gradual evolution of mankind; which, as has been said by the ancient alchemists, “may require for its accomplishment thousands of ages; but which can also be accomplished in a moment of time.” It is not a product of man’s labour, but of the descent of the light of divine truth, the “grace of God” which will come to everyone whenever he is ready to receive it. It is therefore not dependent on anyone’s willing or running,[54] but on the action of the spirit of the true divine Self, which is ever striving to become manifest in man.

This interior development is not the consequence of the acquisition of any new theories in regard to the nature of the constitution of man; but takes place through the overcoming of the lower elements in his nature, by means of which his higher nature can become manifest. But in order to induce and enable him to employ his powers intelligently for the purpose of conquering his lower nature, he should learn to know theoretically his own constitution and the nature of the higher powers in him.

These are the elements of that higher science which the physician of the future will have to learn, first theoretically and afterwards in their practical application. Without a spiritual recognition of the fundamental principles of Nature, a seeking from a superficial point of view for a discovery of the mysteries of being is like an unfruitful wandering in a fog. It resembles a search from the periphery of a sphere of unknown extent for a centre whose locality is unknown; while if we have once a correct conception of the situation of that shining centre, its light will act as a guiding star in our wanderings through the fogs which pervade the realm of phenomena.

Science comes from man; wisdom belongs to God. Of sciences there are many; wisdom is only one. The sciences should be cultivated, but wisdom not be neglected, for without wisdom no true science can exist.

“Nothing (real) is of ourselves; we do not belong to ourselves, but we belong to God. Therefore we must try to find in ourselves that which is of God. It is his and not ours. He has made a body for us, and given us life and wisdom in addition to it, and from these come all things. We should learn to know the object of our existence, and the reason why man has a soul, and what is the will of God that he should do. A study of (terrestrial) man will never reveal the secret and object of his existence, and the reason why he is in the world; but if we once know his creator, we shall also know the qualities of his child; for he who knows the father knows also the son, because the son inherits the (nature of) the father. Each man has the same amount of truth given to him by God; but not everyone recognises that which he has received. He who sleeps knows nothing; he who lives an idle life does not know the power which is in him, and wastes his time. Man is so great and noble that he bears the image of God, and is an heir to the kingdom of God. God is supreme truth, and the devil is supreme falsehood. Falsehood cannot know truth. Therefore if man wants to come into possession of truth, he must know the wisdom which he has received from God. Cleverness belongs to the animal nature, and in regard to many scientific acquisitions animals are superior to man; but the understanding is an awakening which cannot be taught by man. That which one person learns from another is nothing unless there is an awakening. A teacher can put no knowledge into his pupil, he can only aid in the awakening of the knowledge which is already in him.” (“De Fundamento Sapientiæ,” I.)

Wisdom is the recognition of God. God is the truth, the knowledge of one’s own true self is divine wisdom. He who knows his true self knows the divine powers belonging to his God.

“God is Wisdom. He is not a sage or an artist, he is for himself (absolute), but all wisdom and art is born from him; if we know God, we also know his wisdom and art. In God all is one and no pieces. He is the unity, the one in everything. A science dealing only with a piece of the whole, and losing sight of the whole to which it belongs, is abortive and not in possession of truth. He who sees in God nothing but truth and justness sees rightly. All wisdom belongs to God; that which is not of God is a bastard. Therefore the kingdoms of this world fall to pieces, scientific systems change, man-made laws perish, but the recognition of eternal truth is eternal. He who is not a bastard of wisdom, but a true son of the father, is in possession of wisdom. This wisdom is that we live in regard to each other as the angels live, and if we live like the angels they will become our own self, so that nothing divides us from them but the physical form, and as all wisdom and art is with the angels, so it will be with us. The angels are the powers through which the will of God is executed. If the will of God is executed through us, we shall be his angels ourselves. The will of God cannot be performed through us unless we are ourselves after the will of God. A fool or a dunce or a greedy person is not after the will of God; how could that will be executed through him? It is of little use to believe that Solomon was wise, if we are not wise ourselves. We are not born for the purpose of living in ignorance, but that we should be like the father, and that the father may recognise himself in the son. We are to be lords over nature, and not nature be lord over us. This is spoken of the angelic man (Buddhi) in whom we shall live and through whom we shall see that all our doing and leaving undone, all our wisdom and art is of God.” (“De Fundamento Sapientiæ,” II.)

All this, however, will be incomprehensible and be condemned as nonsense by what Paracelsus justly calls the “scientific fool,” because the wisdom of which he speaks is not the intellect of the terrestrial, but the understanding of the celestial mind. It is that rare power of spiritual self-knowledge which cannot be taught in words, but which is the result of an interior unfolding of the faculties of the soul. The true physician is not made by schools of learning; he becomes one through the light of divine wisdom itself.

“Man has two understandings; the angelic and the animal power of reason. Angelic understanding is eternal; it is of God and remains in God. The animal intellect also originates from God and within ourselves; but it is not eternal; for the animal body dies and its reason dies with it. No animal faculty remains after death; but death is only a dying of that which is animal and not of that which is eternal.” (“De Fundamento Sapientiæ,” II.)