Direct Experience

Respectable friends, we meet today, March 19th 1973, the eleventh year of Aquarius in order to conclude these lectures. Unquestionably, for the sake of the great cause these lectures will be published as a book. Thus, I want to conclude by emphasizing the necessity of directly experiencing everything that we have explained, since the experience of reality is cardinal and definitive for creative comprehension.

Indeed, the hour has arrived to clearly understand that we possess a definitive psychological factor, by means of which it is possible to verify what we have stated in all of these lectures. With great solemnity I am addressing the Essence. The Essence is the very foundation of our psychic organization, which is that element that has not yet been lost.  

It is indubitable that the Buddha, the doctrine, religion, and wisdom are endowed within the Essence, within the consciousness.  In synthesis, we can affirm that the Essence, the consciousness, is endowed with the indispensable data for regeneration, inner self-realization, and for the living completion of everything that we have stated in these lectures. This means that if the basic principles of regeneration are endowed within that primary element, which is the primordial foundation of all our psychic organization, obviously the first thing that we need to do is to destroy, to annihilate our second nature, which is that infernal type of nature within which the Essence is imprisoned.

It is completely evident that the Essence radically awakens when it is disembottled, when the Essence is liberated. Thus, as you can see, there are multiple advantages that an awakened consciousness can provide. Amongst such advantages the first is magnificent in itself, since it has the capacity of fundamentally guiding us by wisely directing our steps along the path of the razor’s edge, which will lead us towards final liberation.

The second advantage guides us along the path of those varied direct experiences to the total verification of each and every one of the affirmations that we have taught in these lectures.  Thus, the modus operandi of a disembottled, awakened, self-cognizant Essence is integral illumination, luminous experience, and practical confirmation.

Therefore, the complete annihilation of all undesirable elements that constitute the myself, the self-willed is undoubtedly urgent and unpostponable.

We need to learn how to voluntarily direct all the functionalisms of our psyche. It is not good that we continue living under bondage. We must become leaders and lords of ourselves.

Our consciousness awakens at same pace that our undesirable elements are eliminated. Nonetheless, we need to become serious. Up to now we have not been serious people, since presently each one of us is nothing more than a log upon the boisterous waves of the sea of existence.  Again: we need to become serious. This affirmation implies a tremendous self-vigilance from instant to instant, from moment to moment.

Remember what we have already stated in our previous lectures: the defects that we carry hidden within burst forth spontaneously in relation to our neighbors, and if we are alert and vigilant like a watchman in times of war, we will discover them. In every self-discovery there also exists self-revelation. A discovered defect must be rigorously analyzed and studied in all the levels of our mind and integrally comprehended through the diverse processes of profound internal meditation. Afterwards, when the defect that we have analyzed has been integrally understood, we proceed with supplications to Devi Kundalini, our particular Divine Cosmic Mother, with the purpose that She eliminate and disintegrate the defect in question.

My respectable brethren, this work is very profound, frightfully serious. Indeed, it is extremely profound. Thus, only in this manner is it possible to extirpate, to eradicate from our psyche, the many undesirable, infrahuman, tenebrous elements within which the Essence is imprisoned.

As the consciousness is increasingly awakened, the possibilities of direct experience become successively more lucid and continuous. Above all, my dear friends, I want you to learn how to practically handle the diverse sparks of an awakened consciousness.

In practical life we can carefully detect the concrete fact that all people live with their consciousness asleep.

In these moments, the memories of something remarkable come into my mind. On one occasion about seventeen or eighteen years ago, it so happened that I was in a market in the Federal suburb with my priestess-wife Litelantes. During the moments when we were picking up a watch that she had sent to be repaired in a jewelry store, we were suddenly shaken by violent explosive dynamite.

Litelantes was horrified, thus she asked me to return home immediately. My answer was a blunt no, since I knew that a second explosion was about to occur and by no means did I want to endanger our lives. So, all her pleading was in vain…

The sirens and bells of the "smoke-eaters" or firemen resounded in those moments. Quickly, those humble and martyr-servers of humanity hurried towards the scene of the explosion... "Of all those firemen who are right now entering that catastrophic stage, not one will come out safe and sound; all of them will die!" Those were my words. Horrified, Litelantes kept silent.

Moments later, Mexico City was shaken terribly by a second explosion, whose outcome was death for all those humble firemen, since they were instantaneously disintegrated. Nothing was found of them, not even their cadavers. The only thing that could be found was one sergeant's boot.

Frankly, I was astounded when I realized the degree of unconsciousness of those firemen. If they had been awakened, by no means would they have perished.

I still remember the desperate weeping of the women who rushed away from that market, as well as their children who, horrified, grabbed the skirts of their mothers.

If I had not been awake, obviously I would have perished, because hundreds of people died at the very bus stop where I board the bus to return home.

I still cannot forget the many cadavers strewn about the street. They were laid out at the edge of the sidewalk covered with newspapers. Unquestionably, these were victims of their own curiosity. Yes, they were curious people, unconscious, asleep people, who after the first explosion had rushed to the place of the explosion in order to contemplate the spectacle. If those people had been awake, they would never have curiously rushed to the place of the explosion. Regrettably, they were profoundly sleeping; thus, this is how they encountered their death.

When we returned to our home located at the “Colonia Caracol,” our neighbors were alarmed because they had supposed that we had been killed in the explosions. Indeed, they were astounded, since despite being so close to the place of the catastrophe, we were able to return home alive and unharmed. Lo and behold the advantages of being awakened.

Friends, we have to awaken, and to learn how to live alert from moment to moment, from second to second.

It is unpostponable to always divide our attention into three parts:

  1. Subject
  2. Object
  3. Location

SUBJECT: We must not forget ourselves. We must watch ourselves every second, every moment. This implies a state of alertness in relation to our thoughts, gestures, actions, emotions, habits, words, etc.

OBJECT: Detailed observation of all those objects or representations that reach our mind through our senses. Never become identified with such things, because this is how one falls into the fascination and sleep of the consciousness.

LOCATION: Daily observation of our home, our bedroom, as if it was something new. Daily questioning of ourselves: “Why did I arrive here, at this place, at this market, at this office, at this temple, etc.?”

These three divided aspects of our attention by no means constitute another chapter, or something different from the process of the dissolution of the “I,” since we undoubtedly need to study, to observe ourselves from moment to moment, if indeed what we want is to discover our own psychological defects. We have already stated that the defects that we carry hidden within burst forth naturally, spontaneously, in relation to our neighbors.

Subject, is not merely self-observing the steps that we take, nor the positions of the body, etc. Vigilance upon ourself as subject implies a silent and serene study of all our inner psychological processes, emotions, passions, thoughts, words, etc.

The detailed observation of objects without identification will allow us to know the processes of covetousness, attachments, ambition, etc. It is irrefutable that a covetous person will struggle greatly in order to not become identified with a diamond ring or with some banknotes, etc.

The observation of location will allow us to know how far our attachments and fascinations go in relation to diverse places.

This triple set of attention is therefore a complete exercise in order to discover ourselves and in order to awaken our consciousness.


When I was still very young, a tender adolescent, I instinctively practiced this marvelous exercise. In these moments, two special cases come to mind, which for the sake of this lecture I will narrate for you.

First case: One night, I entered through the doors of a marvelous mansion. Silently, I passed through a beautiful garden, until I arrived at a fastuous family room. Moved by an inner impulse, I walked a little further and fearlessly entered an attorney’s office. Seated at the desk, I found a lady of average height, with gray hair, a pale face, thin lips, and small pointed nose. That respectable lady was of medium height. Her body was not very thin yet it was not too fat either. Her look was somewhat melancholic and serene.  Then, with a sweet and quiet voice, the lady invited me to sit in front of the desk. All of a sudden, something unexpected occurred. On top of the desk I saw two butterflies made of glass come to life. They moved their wings, breathed, looked around, etc. Indeed, such a phenomenon seemed extremely exotic and odd to me: two butterflies made of glass and with life of their own?

As I was accustomed to dividing my attention into three parts, I firstly did not forget myself. Secondly, I did not become identified with those glass butterflies. Thirdly, I carefully observed the place.

When contemplating those insects made of glass, I told myself, “This cannot be a phenomenon of the physical world, because in the tridimensional region of Euclid, I have never known glass butterflies with a life of their own. Unquestionably, this can only be a phenomenon of the Astral world.”

I then looked around and asked myself the following questions, “Why am I in this place? Why did I come here? What am I doing here?”

I then addressed the lady and spoke to her in the following manner, “Ma'am, can you excuse me for a moment while I go out to the garden? I will soon return.” The lady nodded her head in acknowledgment, thus I left the office for a moment.

Once outside in the garden, I executed a little stretched-out jump with the intention of hovering in the surrounding environment. Great was my astonishment when I hovered. I verified for myself that indeed I was out of my physical body. Then I comprehended that I was in the Astral world. At that moment, I remembered that quite long ago, several hours ago, I had left my physical body; unquestionably, my physical body was sleeping in my bed.

Once I made this unique verification, I returned to the office where the lady awaited me. Then, I wanted to convince her that she was outside of her physical body. “Ma’am,” I said, “you and I are outside of our physical bodies. I want you to remember that quite a few hours ago you laid down to sleep in your bed. Thus, now you are to be found here outside of your physical body and conversing with me, since it is well known that when the physical body sleeps, the consciousness, the Essence, unfortunately trapped within the ego, wanders around outside of our corporeal body.”

Once I uttered these words, the lady looked at me with the eyes of a somnambulist. Sadly, she did not understand. I comprehended that her consciousness was asleep... I did not want to insist anymore, thus I bade her farewell and left that place. Thereafter, I soared towards California, with the purpose of performing certain important investigations…

On the road, I caught sight of a disembodied soul who in life had been a loader of heavy bundles in public markets. This unhappy soul was carrying an enormous bundle on his back; he seemed to suffer the unspeakable. Thus I approached the defunct and said to him, “My friend, what is going on with you? Why are you carrying such a heavy bundle upon your painful shoulders?” Then, the wretched soul looked at me with the eyes of a somnambulist and said, “I am working.”

“But sir,” I insisted, “you died a long time ago. The bundle you are carrying upon your shoulders is nothing more than a mental form, so cast it away.”

I tried everything, but to no avail. This wretched defunct soul did not understand me; he had his consciousness extremely asleep. Thus, performing a last effort in order to help him, I soared around him in the surrounding environment with the purpose of alarming him, of making him understand that something odd was happening in his existence, to make him realize in some way that he was dead, etc. Sadly, it was all useless.

Afterwards, once I performed the necessary important investigations, I returned to my physical vehicle that lay sleeping in my bed.

Question: Master, do you mean to say that the possibility of a direct experience, as you have explained it in your lectures, is not possible without the dissolution of our psychological defects?

Samael Aun Weor: I will answer this question in detail for the audience. Listen to me friends, ladies and gentlemen.  Any direct experience is to be found associated with the percentages of awakened consciousness.  Normally people only possess 3% awakened consciousness and 97% subconsciousness or sleepy consciousness. Unquestionably, the first sparks of direct experience begin when one reaches 4 or 5% awakened consciousness. Now, let us distinguish between sparks and total plentitude, which are different.  For example, someone who possesses 10% of awakened consciousness will have a greater percentage of lucidity than those who possess 4 or 5%.  Anyhow, the capacity for direct investigation will also be increased in a progressive and orderly manner as the Essence is liberated, as the ego begins to be dissolved.

The exercise of the three divided aspects of our attention (as we have already explained in this lecture) will allow us to thoroughly evidence the percentage of consciousness acquired.

Notwithstanding, the consciousness becomes totally awakened when the ego has been radically annihilated. Thus, in these circumstances we can descend at will into the infernal worlds, with the purpose of seeing, hearing, touching, and experiencing the crude reality of those submerged regions. Since these types of investigations are very advanced, they can only be satisfactorily performed with an absolutely awakened consciousness.

Question: Master, you mentioned two advantages that derive from the Essence: first, the Essence can guide us in order to live adequately. Second, the Essence grants us direct experience. In regard to your experience with that tremendous explosion in the federal district market, which of these two faculties of the Essence granted you the capacity of saving your life?

Samael Aun Weor: Noble sir, allow me to tell you that the second of those qualities of the consciousness (direct experience) allowed me to know beforehand about the event that was going to occur - the death of the firemen.

Question: Master, can you explain the difference between projections of the mind and authentic experiences?

Samael Aun Weor: I will gladly answer this new question from the audience. Allow me to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that the character of mental projections is completely subjective, whereas the character of authentic experiences is completely objective, thus indeed they are very different.

Mental projections are creations that the mind has subconsciously elaborated. A mind identified with such projections falls into fascination and into the typical dreams of the unconsciousness. Yet, in authentic experiences, the mind has exhausted the process of thinking; it does not project, it is open to the new. It receives without identification and in absence of all fascination and every dreamlike process.

In order to illustrate my answer, I will narrate a supersensible experience that I had. After having astrally projected myself from my physical body in the moments when my body was falling profoundly asleep on the bed, I invoked a certain disembodied soul who, indeed, in life was a close relative of my family. The defunct presented himself dressed with a gray suit that he wore in life; he came alone, laughing. He indeed seemed to be a somnambulist, thus he spoke nonsense (something that he heard from someone else...) Useless were my efforts in order to make him recognize me. That wretched person’s consciousness slept profoundly; he definitely did not see me.  Deep down, he exclusively perceived his own mental forms; thus, he laughed like a raving lunatic, like an idiot.

Behold these two aspects that come to clarify the essential aspect of this question. This defunct man projected his own mental forms, he dreamed with them, he was absolutely fascinated by them, and thus he did not even perceive me. I, on the other hand, was completely cognizant, awakened. I knew that my physical body had remained asleep in the bed. My mind was not projecting. I had exhausted the thinking process. I was open to the new. I perceived the disembodied soul, I was investigating that soul, and became aware of the deplorable state of that soul…

Thus, with this narration I have illustrated the answer to the question from the audience.

Question: Venerable Master, regarding the exercise about the three divided aspects of our attention that we perform here in this physical world, how is it possible that it can be repeated in the Astral world, when these worlds are completely different?

Samael Aun Weor: My friends, if we observe our life within normal and ordinary dreams we can evidence the concrete fact that many scenes of those dreams correspond to the events of our daily life; in other words, those dreams correspond to the events, to the actions of each moment that right here - in this physical world - we have lived. Thus, as a direct consequence, we can emphasize the fact that if we physically perform the exercise of the three divided aspects of our attention, this will be also repeated (as in the case of dreams) during those hours when the Essence (bottled within the ego) is found outside of the physical body. I do not think that you ignore the fact that when the physical body sleeps, the essence bottled up within “the myself,” withdraws from the physical body.

Therefore, if we habituate ourselves to the practice of such an exercise from instant to instant and from moment to moment, here in the physical world, we will then instinctively repeat it during the hours of sleep. Thus, the outcome will be the awakening of the consciousness. This is how we will be able to see, hear, touch, and experience all of what we have been stating in these lectures in relation to hell, the devil, and karma.

Our consciousness awakens at the same pace that our ego is dissolved. This awakening can be evidenced by means of the execution of the exercise about the three divided aspects of our attention that we taught here. Once the ego is absolutely dissolved, such an exercise will allow us to use our consciousness voluntarily in order to investigate the great realities.

Question: Master, how could the profane comprehend the differences between what is real and what is unreal? What is illusory from what is real? The objective from the subjective?

Samael Aun Weor: The audience has formulated a very interesting question which I will immediately answer.

Friends of mine, some nights ago we were watching certain scientific news on television. By means of the diverse representations on the screen, the public was informed about some experiments that present scientists are performing on the brain. By connecting certain nodules to the brain, scientists can control diverse sections of the brain. Under these conditions the human machine can be controlled by means of waves. This has already been absolutely demonstrated. Likewise, experiments were performed in the bullfight plaza; a scientist can stop the bull by means of such a system. The scientist made the bull cease to attack in precisely the moments in which he was about to charge the cape. Thus, with this experiment, it has been perfectly demonstrated that every organism is a machine that is susceptible of being controlled like any other machine.


Now, in the case of the humanoid machine, it is obvious that the diverse psychic inhumane aggregates take turns (one psychic aggregate after another) controlling the various cerebral zones at different times. Thus, the diverse psychic inhumane aggregates integrally replace the cerebral nodules, the waves and the automatic machines with which scientists can control brains. In other words, we will state that by means of their electrical systems, the scientists at specific moments execute the same role as the psychic aggregates; that is, by means of their scientific experimentation, they are demonstrating the reality of such aggregates.

Someone has to control the brain in order for it to execute actions, whether the brain is controlled by the psychic aggregates or it is controlled by the scientists through special electrical systems. Anyhow, these investigations have totally confirmed what we now state: the intellectual humanoid is an unconscious automaton, a subconscious machine. Thus, how can an unconscious machine accept that it is asleep? How can such a machine affirm that the world is Maya (illusion), etc.?

The humanoid machine dreams because of the very fact that it is a machine, but the humanoid machine ignores it. It is in denial of its dreaming state, and firmly believes that it is awakened; thus, the humanoid machine would never accept the thesis that it is asleep. This is why the automaton, the mechanized humanoid, is not capable of differentiating the objective from the subjective, because of the very fact that it is a mechanized creature; thus, the humanoid machine perceives what is objective as subjective and vice-versa.

The sleeping machine, the humanoid automaton, is very far from comprehending the difference between objective consciousness and subjective consciousness, given that the humanoid machine has its own theses that are precisely based on the profound sleep of its consciousness. Thus, by all means it is not possible to make a profane person - who is asleep - comprehend the difference between consciousness and subconsciousness, between objectivity and subjectivity, between sleep and vigil, etc, since only by awakening consciousness is it possible to acknowledge those differences.

Regrettably, any profane person believes they are awakened and even becomes offended if someone tells him that his consciousness is asleep. Talking in Socratic language we would say that the learned ignoramus, the asleep profaner, the unconscious machine, not only ignores but also ignores that he ignores. Not only does he not know, but moreover and worse, he does not know that he does not know.

My friends, it is necessary to stop being machines. When someone accepts that he is a machine, he begins to cease being a machine. Thereafter, the veil of illusions is torn to pieces.

We need to be transformed into human beings and this is only possible by destroying, by annihilating the psychic aggregates that incessantly alternate among themselves in order to control the organic machine.

It is indispensable to acquire reality, to stop being mere automatons moved by waves or by aggregates, which is the same, and to be transformed into true, responsible, cognizant individuals.

Question: Master, what are the differences between the three divided aspects of our attention exercise and the dissolution of the ego in order to awaken consciousness?

Samael Aun Weor: Ladies and gentlemen, throughout all these lectures we have been especially interested in the dissolution of the ego, in the complete destruction of all those psychic aggregates within which our consciousness is flasked, bottled up. It seems to me that we have spoken very clearly, that we have given a perfect didactic for the absolute annihilation of the myself, the self-willed. We have completely explained that we can only liberate, awaken the Essence, by means of the radical annihilation of the inhumane elements that we carry within.

In today’s lecture, we taught a specific, explicit exercise. We spoke about the three divided aspects of our attention with the purpose of utilizing the diverse percentages of awakened consciousness each moment (that we are attaining by means of the death of the myself) more perfectly.

In the first case, we have taught the complete doctrine related with the annihilation of the myself. In the second case, we taught a marvelous exercise, which is a practice that will allow us to use the consciousness (which we will successionally liberate) perfectly, clearly, and precisely.

At any rate, it is necessary to be truly transformed into competent investigators of esotericism and of pure occultism. This is our longing, these are our intentions, and this is why we have taught the indispensable doctrine through these lectures.