”I have discovered that the abracadabra of the Myster Schools is distasteful to many people who have been brought face to face with metaphysics by their interest in the Saucer phenomenon. This means that the old material, the Ancient Wisdom, is going to have to be rewritten for them, dressed up in modern, Space Age, terminology, before they' ll study it; and  this is a normal, healthy thing.” (The Sky People, Round Robin, vol. 17, no 1, Jan-Feb 1961, p 22).

Riley Crabb

This is a very perceptive insight reached by Riley Crabb, director of Borderland Sciences Research Foundation (BSRF) 1959-1985. He had for many years been applying Esotericism as a worldview or paradigm in studying and evaluating UFO and paranormal phenomena. Lecturing and writing on these issues he learned the hard way that the critical scientist and investigator usually have scant interest in delving into the `abracadabra` of esotericism, mainly because it is presented in such a way that intellectuals find it meaningless and the terminology obscure. As I try to follow in the footsteps of Desmond Leslie, Meade Layne and Riley Crabb in using esotericism as a working hypothesis in my research I fully understand the dilemma facing any investigator delving into these problems.

My old friend and AFU colleague Anders Liljegren, who is a no-nonsense, practical, down-to-earth realist use to, in a good-natured spirit, now and then make some ironic comments about my ”curious” views and studies. Anders has my full sympathy in this respect. Why should any scientist or serious researcher bother to investigate claims and experiences in the occult underground community with hundreds of cults and metaphysical teachers? Especially since so few of these claims can be empirically verified. Many are those who have searched for the needle in the haystack (Philosopher´s Stone) among ”spiritual” gurus but ended up with an even bigger haystack and no needle.

Those heretical scientists who enter the world of Forbidden Science sooner or later discover that the mainstream materialist-reductionist paradigm or worldview is untenable when faced with UFO and paranormal phenomena. Investigators with a scholarly mind realize the implications of this fact is that we live in a multiverse. From a strictly empirical and philosophical standpoint it is also reasonable to conclude that this multiverse can be studied and understood in rational and scientific terms instead of being presented as some mystical mumbo-jumbo. Hence there is or should exist a Science of the Multiverse, as exact as any academic discipline. As we are obviously not alone in this universe, or even on this planet, is there any evidence that there exist ”something better than man”, scientists of this multiverse or custodians of knowledge so far not discovered by mainstream science? That this is a fact, sooner or later verified by official science, is the position maintained by The Esoteric Tradition or The Ancient Wisdom.

The serious and critical investigator who has arrived at this conclusion face the tricky problem of deciding what in the metaphysical haystack could be regarded as a real Science of the Multiverse, presented in such a way that it could be used as a working hypothesis. Here I can only answer that the worldview formulated by a.o. Helena Blavatsky, Alice Bailey and Henry T. Laurency are in my estimation the intellectually most interesting and profound presentations of what is called The Esoteric Tradition. A Science of the Multiverse to be considered as a theory or paradigm when investigating UFO and paranormal phenomena.

Even in the presentations of esotericism by Blavatsky, Bailey and Laurency we still have the problem of terminology. Often religious terms are used which give the reader wrong associations when, as Riley Crabb mention ”Space Age” terminology could be used instead. The Swedish esotericist Henry T. Laurency has made commendable efforts to introduce new words instead of the often meaningless or obsolete terms in the older Theosophical literature. To the philosophically and scientifically educated scholars the greatest stumbling block in accepting esotericism as a working hypothesis is the lack of empirical evidence for much of what is presented as facts in esotericism. In the books by Laurency and Bailey we are constantly reminded to refrain from simple belief when it comes to facts presented by the planetary guardians. Not to make a new dogmatic sect based on the data given, but keeping an open mind and using the information as a working hypothesis. “Belief is the enemy” wrote Fortean journalist John A. Keel. With this attitude the critical and scientific scholar can accept the esoteric worldview and still keep his or her intellectual integrity.

Alice Bailey

When more of the multiverse can be scientifically studied and verified by experiment we can expect a real renaissance of interest in the Esoteric Tradition. Until then I hope that erudite esotericists will be able to give more up to date presentations using known facts and terminology better suited to our time and age. What is still lacking in esotericism is a basic study aimed at the scientifical community giving as much empirical data as possible in support of the esoteric worldview. The intellectual and cultural elite will probably not pay much attention to esotericism until we have a breakthrough in our knowledge of the multiverse. A fascinating prophecy in esotericism is that a revolutionary discovery is awaiting mankind that will force many advanced scientists and scholars to consider esotericism as a reasonable theory, paradigm or working hypothesis.  This paradigm shift will be ushered in by science when the next or etheric worlds around us can be photographed and filmed.

A very delicate problem facing the ancient and hitherto hidden organization who are custodians of the Science of the Multiverse is how to accomplish disclosure of their existence and knowledge without causing cultural and political chaos. This issue is freely discussed in the Theosophical classic The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett and the books by Alice Bailey. One of the problems is how to handle the many ridiculous and naive presentations of its members as ”ascended Masters” etc.

According to esoteric history it was during a meeting 1775 when two members of the Planetary Guardians received permission to implement an experiment in disclosing to humanity part of the Science of the Multiverse and the existence of the secret brotherhood of our planet. What happened at the meeting is described by Swedish esotericist Henry T. Laurency: ” All the other members of the planetary hierarchy voted against the proposal, since they considered that too few people had attained the necessary stage of mental development for the undertaking to have any prospect of success. The emotional illusions of the prevailing religions and the mental fictions of philosophy were so remote from the right conception of reality that any attempt to communicate superphysical knowledge to the so-called educated either would be rejected out of hand or would give rise to new imaginative excesses. They considered that one ought to wait until at least those furthest developed had acquired physical etheric objective consciousness. Then they would see the fictitiousness of the prevailing idiologies and prove readier to examine, at least, the reality content of the esoteric mental system.” (Henry T. Laurency, The Knowledge of Reality, digital edition 3.1.25).

The two members of the brotherhood, named M. and K.H. who were allowed to try the experiment found the Russian woman Helena Blavatsky and after special training she did her best with the mission impossible to be the first emissary from the Planetary Guardians. The result was the Theosophical Society, founded in New York 1875. Although the cultural impact of Theosophy was impressive the experiment was regarded as more or less a failure. In a letter to A. P. Sinnett February 1882 M. wrote: ”One or two of us hoped that the world had so far advanced intellectually, if not intuitionally, that the Occult doctrine might gain an intellectual acceptance, and the impulse given for a new cycle of occult research. Others – wiser as it would now seem – held differently, but consent was given for the trial.” (The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett, Letter no 44, p. 259).

The disclosure by Blavatsky that there existed a hidden organization of Planetary Guardians naturally resulted in much speculation and an almost romantic glamour among members of the Theosophical Society. Everybody wanted to meet these adepts and many spurious claims were made by various mystics who believed they were in communication with ”The Masters”. The brotherhood members were critized for there secrecy for which they delivered this answer: ”In common with many you blame us for our great secrecy. Yet we know something of human nature, for the experience of long centuries – aye, ages, has taught us. And we know, that so long as science has anything to learn, and a shadow of religious dogmatism lingers in the heart of the multitudes, the world´s prejudices have to be conquered step by step, not by a rush.” (The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett, Letter no 1, Oct. 15, 1880, p. 3).

”… we do not wish Mr. Hume or you to prove conclusively to the public that we really exist. Please realize the fact that so long as men doubt there will be curiosity and enquiry, and that enquiry stimulates reflection which begets effort; but le tour secret be once thoroughly vulgarized and not only will sceptical society derive no great good bu tour privacy would be constantly endangered and have to be continually guarded at an unreasonable cost of power.” (The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett, Letter no 29, p. 224).

We can expect further psychological and cultural tests from the brotherhood in reaching and influencing humanity. Some of  the UFO contacts made in the 1950s were probably such a test, made in co-operation with a benevolent groups of extraterrestrials. In several blog posts I have made a study of the contactees involved in this experiment. Regarding these type of tests K.H. made a comment in an early letter: ”… we cannot consent to over-flood the world at the risk of drowning them, with a doctrine that has to be cautiously given out, and bit by bit like a too powerful tonic which can kill  as well as cure…” (The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett, Letter no 34, p. 242).

Compare the above letter with this statement from Connie Menger, wife of American UFO contactee Howard Menger: "Let us assume that there is on this planet a group of scientifically minded and spiritually dedicated men and women who are working to accomplish this great task. And, let us further assume that they have already established contacts with equally dedicated people of other planets. To continue their work and remain effective, they must of necessity remain behind the scenes. However, they can, in the interest of humanity in general, send out hints as to what will take place in the near future. Perhaps they send out scouts to make personal contacts for the specific reason of determining the reactions of every-day people. Perhaps it is done as a "smoke screen" to temporarily keep secret the real work which is going on until such time that the people are prepared to meet this new era with many changes it will bring...Then there are the personal contact stories, some of which are authentic, and which have been established for study purposes and for keeping alive a story which must eventually be brought before all people. If given in small doses, the general acceptance will be made over a period of time, and will take place almost naturally." (Howard Menger, From Outer Space to You, p. 7).

For the critical investigator to accept the esoteric worldview as a paradigm and working hypothesis most scholars would probably need some form of empirical data indicating a multiverse. To me the empirical evidence became obvious by investigating UFO and paranormal phenomena. But of course a bridge to esotericism could be found by researching a number of borderland phenomena: healing, out-of-body experiences, remote viewing, materializations etc. In my many blog entries I have tried to show that accepting esotericism as a working hypothesis does not imply irrationalism or a loss of intellectual integrity. UFO researchers such as Jacques Vallee and Allen Hynek have entertained similar ideas. The UFO community have much to learn by a study of the Esoteric Tradition. I predict many heureka moments for those heretical ufologists who wish to follow this path in UFO research.