Conscious Abstracting - by Vitvan (Lessons 1 - 20)

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Conscious Abstracting

by Vitvanin 20 Lessons

Introduction To "Conscious Abstracting"

"At last! I have found what I have been looking for all my life-a way toexplain the gnosis for the new age!" That was Vitvan's reaction whenhe discovered General Semantics. He was so enthusiastic after readingKorzybski's Science and Sanity that he traveled to Chicago in 1938 totake a course from Count Alfred himself. The lesson course presentedhere was Vitvan's first presentation to his students of the science of general semantics after his return. Many who heard it at that timecomplained that Vitvan had "lost his spirituality." Indeed he had, since"spiritual" is one of the vague "unscientific" words he eliminated fromhis explanations after studying with Korzybski.Vitvan had known from a very early age that his life's work, hisdharma, was to articulate the ancient wisdom teachings for modernwestern man. He felt that in order to appeal to the American mind heshould use a scientific approach. His first effort in this pursuit was abook, Textbook of the Sacred Science, published in 1923, describingthe process of developing self-awareness. While his approach wasscientific, he felt that the words he used in his explanations were toovague. Words such as "soul," "spirit," "God," etc., have as manymeanings as there are users of the terms, and they certainly were notscientifically verifiable. For Vitvan, the science of semantics provided

the language needed. His teachings would no longer refer to "sacredscience," but to a natural order process which could be preciselydescribed. His students would then have the means to takeresponsibility for their own growth and development.What he did upon his return from his studies with Korzybski seemedalmost beyond belief to the students and family who were with him atthat time. He gathered up all of his manuscripts and even hispublished books and threw them into a cistern used for garbage. "Mywork must all be rewritten with this new scientific language," heannounced. "No more mysticism. This is the new age dispensation of the gnosis and it must be written in new terminology."Seekers of wisdom are not the only people who can benefit from thismaterial. Anyone wishing to lead a more psychologically stable life willfind many helpful tools in these lessons. As a means to greater mentalhealth and happiness, the practice of general semantics may providestability and "sanity" in the life of anyone who is willing to give it a try.The practices given in this course provide some of the best ways forstudents who are looking for a way to take charge of their own self-development to begin the process. Enjoy!(what follows here is the first lesson of a previously unpublished lessonseries.)

Lesson 1

THE NEW PRESENTATIONWith this lesson we begin the instruction in what is now designated theSchool of the Natural Order. There are many reasons for the change indesignation from the School of the Sacred Science to the School of theNatural Order. These reasons will become apparent as we proceed withthe instruction—particularly as we learn the difference in orientationbetween the aristotelian and the non-aristotelian attitude towardnature. The post-non-aristotelian phase of the instruction willaccentuate this difference.We have been, and still are, devotees of the Wisdom Teachings. Or Imight express it: that which has been called the Wisdom Teaching hasbeen the focus of our orientation. This focus of our orientation has alsobeen designated the Sacred Science—particularly by the moreacceptable writers or commentators on the sacred scriptures of the

East. The foremost of these scriptures includes the Gospel according toSt. John, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Path of Virtue byLao-Tze.We have been told that in every culture or age the Wisdom Teachingsare re-expressed and presented in the thought, language structureand conventional symbols pertaining thereto. We have also learnedthat the form or pattern guiding and determining the presentation of the Wisdom Teaching in any given culture has been what might betermed the basic scientific thought of that culture. In other words, notonly the presentation of the Wisdom Teaching, but the religions andthe general mental outlook of informed individuals, the systems of thought and the philosophies of a culture have been determined by thescientific findings, determinations, and agreements of that culture.This, of course, can be and is designated as the philosophy of history,or philosophy of the development of society called social evolution.This, in turn, has resulted in the attitude toward nature held by theaverage perceiver of a given period.A new age or culture is now (1941) forecast by a revolutionary changein the mental understanding of our leading scientists regarding nature.I call the new developments in science, and particularly in physics, theeinsteinian age science. We also have new developments in linguisticsand the structure of language, etc., called semantic science, which isof course based upon new discoveries in physics and provides us withan additional and up-to-date form of presentation of the WisdomTeachings.It is important that this point be noted: We are not pretending toteach einsteinian age science, nor are we pretending to teach generalsemantics, because we believe that the basic thought of these sciencesdoes not represent nor express the ultimate Reality. These systemsrepresent a definite advance in understanding and serve as a mostimportant ‘next step’ in structure and expression, but do not representthe ultimate insight of the advanced perceiver. However, we dopretend to understand the einsteinian age science and also generalsemantics sufficiently to aid us in the modern and up-to-datepresentation of the Wisdom Teachings. Therefore, this course of lessons will contain first, the developments of the einsteinian agescience and of general semantics sufficient for our purposes; andsecond, the presentation of the Wisdom Teachings with the aid of thenew orientation thus provided.The important point to which I here direct your attention is that it is

to facts. The modern physicists have already destroyed any basis forsuch a belief in the reality of the objective world, and the science of general semantics has destroyed the identity of word with ‘thing’.This course is presented in two divisions. One division is designed toovercome identity. This is a preparation for the understanding of theinstruction regarding Reality proper. The second division deals with thestudy of Reality, and that, in turn, is divided into two phases—thestudy of Reality from the field basis, and the study of the same Realityfrom the basis of the Power-to-be-conscious and the various states inwhich it is conscious.In the instruction, to help break identity, a diagram, and the mannerin which it is used, is described and explained, so that not only identitymay be surmounted, but the ability to consciously abstract isdeveloped. The objective appearance is due to an image in the mindmade substantive. Then we learn how we identify word with ‘thing’,and the confusion in the physiological and psychological organismsresulting therefrom.The high point of the first phase of the instruction is in showing theorders of abstractions, and the names for these orders of abstractions.Then the most significant point of this phase is presented, namely,that due to the habit of identifying word with ‘thing’ and ‘thing’ withReality, in the lower orders of abstractions we made a name or a wordfor a higher order of abstraction a ‘thing’. This is done by reifying orhypostatizing our ideas or notions regarding words— which words arenothing but symbols of higher orders of abstractions. When one hasdeveloped the ability to consciously abstract, he is well on his way,intellectually at least, toward breaking identity.Then comes the instruction regarding Reality. It is first taken up on thenon-aristotelian basis. To develop the factors of the non-aristotelianbasis, contrast is constantly made with the aristotelian basis. This isdone by showing the structure of the two, and contrasting onestructure with the other structure.For instance, we have a diagram of a tent with a tent pole to illustratethe aristotelian subject and predicate structure or form. The tent polerepresents the subject, which shows the main point of identity, oraristotelianism, and the various props represent the predications aboutthe subject. Then we contrast the diagram of the tent with a largecircle having two poles, like magnets, with lines of force flowingbetween those poles, illustrating an electromagnetic field of force. The

multiplicity of fields is described as that in which configurations oraggregations of units of energy are formed, which became theindividualized energy systems.Then the detailed explanation of how any given ‘this’ (pointing to an ‘object’)—is an aggregation of configurations of units of energy. Theseaggregations of units of energy are not isolated one from another, butare aggregations or configurations in a field, and the electromagneticforces of which the field itself is composed, constitute connectionsbetween individual configurations of units of energy within the field.These connections are called relations which obtain between oneconfiguration and another configuration in the field, or between theconfigurations of units of energy and the field. So, the non-aristotelianstructure is revealed as dynamic, not static. To understand any oneindividual, you must understand the field to which he, or it, belongs.In the study of non-aristotelianism, we have first the structure of theenergy system, and second the function of the energy system asdetermined by structure. We have relationships between the energysystems within the field, in which the whole field plus its multiplicity of energy-systems, is called a dynamic process. This does not allow of any static manifestation; it does not allow of any identity with a staticmanifestation. Therefore, it can be seen that there could be no ‘animating force’, or ‘entity’, or ‘being’ developed as an other-than,simply because the field itself is dynamic, and is that (activity) bywhich Self as Reality is known.This field, with its multiplicity of individualized energy systems, andthe relationships obtaining therein, becomes the first basis from whichReality is studied. The second division of the study of Reality is takenup with the field, which is characterized by action, and which, in thefinal analysis, is shown as identical with the activity of the Self as itsSelf-awareness. This point is much amplified, and it is shown first thatthere can be no awareness without an act or activity of being aware,and second, that this activity and the field are one and the same. Theenergy systems will develop by the changing states of awareness,from the most simple form of energy system, which is the ‘atom’, tothe most complex and heterogeneous system, which is labeled ‘man’.This point, in turn, has to be amplified by the elucidation of what wemean by the word ‘Self’, the axiomatic and self-evident fact that thereis a Power-to-be-conscious implied before there can be any act orconsciousness.A description follows of the various states in which that power is

conscious, by referring back to the energy field and showing that theenergy systems now become representations of states in which thePower-to-be-conscious is conscious. It "creates" ‘photon’, ‘electron’, ‘atom’, ‘molecule’, ‘colloid’, ‘unicellular structure’, ‘organism’, ‘animal,’ ‘man’, ‘energy-system’, and ‘field’ as states of consciousness. Itculminates in what is named the Planetary Logos, or the planet as afield representing a single unified state in which the Power-to-be-conscious is conscious.At every stage of the instruction you will be so trained in notidentifying word with ‘thing’ that you will consciously abstract whenyou give a word or name to energy systems or to states of consciousness, for, in order to communicate one with another, wehave to use names and labels. So we know that these words ‘photon’, ‘electron’, ‘atom’, ‘molecule’, ‘colloid’, ‘cell’, etc., are not ‘things’; theyare only abstractions, and are simply words used as symbols which wehave given to abstractions. Therefore, we never fall into confusion byregarding these names as ‘things’. We are not talking about ‘things’ atall. We understand that that which is symbolized by these words isactivity, a dynamic process, either as energy or as states of awareness.After studying these lessons, you will see all ‘things’ as activity,supported by an energy field, and you will know that they are simplysymbolical of a greater Power-to-be-conscious in the various states inwhich it is conscious.What does this do to you? What ‘good’ is it?No doubt, all of your life you have dealt with ‘things’ and ‘objects’ and ‘individuals’ but after taking this instruction, you will live in an energyworld, where all lines of demarcation between ‘this world’ and theenergy world are gone. You will learn to put energy under the controlof your will, and to direct it to specific purposes—in constructive work.In ascertaining the design of the planetary field, to which you belong,you will function in the light of understanding, and cooperate with theplanetary design.We know that the intellectual understanding of this instruction isanalogous to having a road map in our possession. The map is not the journey; but at least we have a road map which is true to the territory.In the old teachings we used to have a map which was false to theterritory through which we were going to journey. And because we hadfalse maps, we always got into confusion in the proposed journey to

Zilliacus, was detained." Significantly enough, the leader of thisconference of 1800 delegates, representing 22 countries, is an ex-German—Reinhold Schairer, who is an authority on Europeaneducation and youth, and for several years was head of a student aidbureau whereby thousands of poor boys were enabled to attenduniversities. "When his $6,000,000 bureau headquarters was seized in1933 he fled Germany and later became head of London’s UniversityDepartment of International Studies. He and his associates havealready been planning a post-war world.Dr. Schairer believes there are two causes for Germany’s (andEurope’s) disaster: 1) unemployment of youth; 2) failure of theVersailles peacemakers to give any thought to post-war education. Hisremedy for Europe’s ills: the highly successful Danish educationalsystem and economy. A feature of this system was Denmark’s FolkSchools, which taught Danish peasants breadth of vision, thus makingthem better democrats, by means of poetry, history, religion. From theFolk School movement sprang agricultural schools, cooperatives, anew system of dairy (instead of grain) farming and decentralizedindustry, which had made Denmark one of the most prosperousnations in Europe.Dr. Schairer’s ideas won support among British educators, A yearago he arrived in the U.S., soon formed a U.S. Committee onEducational Reconstruction. Famed Frank Aydelotte became itschairman and Dr. Schairer got a fellowship from the RockefellerFoundation to finance his studies. By last week he had addressed140,000 U. S. Citizens from coast to coast and won many a bigwig tohis cause.Basic assumption in his group’s discussions: at war’s end Hitlerismwill be defeated and Europe will be chaotic. Not ready to plump for theDanish scheme, the brain trust nevertheless favored a decentralizedeconomic system, held that electrification would make it possible todisperse industry. At week’s end, they announced their plan:A small ‘action group’ will be organized with U.S. Committee onEducational Reconstruction as its nucleus. It will organize a newdemocratic world youth movement. Democratic governments, U. S.and foreign, will be urged to begin now to plan and budget forreconstruction.Experts will be recruited and trained in the U.S. in agriculture,education, health, nutrition, arts, crafts, and cooperatives.

When the hour strikes, all these experts will march into theruined countries and begin to educate their people by feeding theirchildren, giving medical care, rebuilding houses and public services.They will be assisted by an army of inside experts, many of whom arealready secretly stationed in the totalitarian countries.Steps will promptly be taken for employment in Europe’srebuilding of every able-bodied person, especially youths (of whom Dr.Schairer estimates there will be twenty million unemployed after thewar), if necessary by new agencies like the Chinese cooperatives.The experts will then proceed to help organize the newdemocratic order. Some of its principles: equal educational opportunityfor all, opportunity for every youth to do useful work and servesociety, respect for the dignity of man (‘Every man is an end in himself and may not be used merely as a means.’)Delay in preparing for reconstruction, Dr. Schairer warned, mayresult in failure not only to win the peace but to win the war. Hebelieves that: to develop, men need action; to act, men need faith; tokeep faith, men need reason; to direct all three, men need a vision of excellence. When we turn our thought to the masses, either in China, Europe,Africa or the Americas, we see everywhere prevalent signs that a neworientation to a new cultural pattern is not only needed, but is a crucialnecessity. Factual basis for these observations is beyond question.Consequently, our procedure in the School of the Natural Orderbecomes not only clear, but a dharmic obligation. Individually, wemust develop ourselves in understanding this new orientation so thatwe may more completely comprehend the new cultural pattern. Andthis, in order that we may prepare ourselves, through thisunderstanding and comprehension to become worthy representatives,teachers, and leaders of the new order in our respective communities.The first phase of this development may appear to some merely aslearning the structure and elements of the new order, so that theymay more intelligently participate in it. But in due time they will learnthat there are far deeper implications involved, and a depth of meaning having profound significance in their respective lives.

It is obvious now that to study the old aristotelian presentations of ‘truth’, or even to continue to give them serious consideration, is tomisdirect our efforts, waste our time and energies, and seriouslyimpair our usefulness.Everything today moves with a blitz-tempo. Developing factors relativeto the new cultural pattern do not lag or wait for us. We must be onour toes and make the very best of the opportunity still available tounderstanding the cultural pattern, so that without serious delay wemay participate in the new order and orient ourselves wholly to it.This is the new dharma—our bounden duty to the Power and the newemergent state (or dynamic field energy system. Only the insensiblelaggard will neglect this supreme duty and the meaning thereof, andthereby refuse to align himself with the changing conditions in thistransition period in which he finds himself.It has been mentioned in our previous lesson that the metaphysics,religions, political forms of government, educational programs, etc., of a given period follow and are determined by the scientific findingspreceding that period. The use of the term metaphysical is taken in itsbroader and more comprehensive meaning. However, it is notgenerally understood that the metaphysics of a period is determinedby the underlying basic scientific conceptions which were developed atthe beginning of the period. As we mentally look back upon what wecall history and study the various cultures in different climes, and withvarious groupings, we are impressed with this observation. From thisstandpoint it can be stated that Aristotle was the creator of theChristian religion (I do not mean the teachings of Christ).When mentally we review the pre-aristotelian age we find a completelack of science—in the meaning of the term used today—and,therefore, a corresponding chaos in moral values, religions, andpolitical forms of government. In fact, all of the observances of thehumanity of that pre-aristotelian age were without the stabilizingstructure of purposeful coherence. (If the student is desirous of following up this line of thought, get the book, How Natives Think byLucien Levy Bruhl.)Considering the problem from the deeper standpoint or insight, wecome to the conclusion that the scientific findings, the religions,metaphysical forms of expression, philosophies, and systems of thought, are all determined by the welling-up or influx of a powerfulforce which can only be attributed to the further emergence of the

Power-to-be-conscious, or Mind, out of the unconscious into relativelyhigher states of consciousness. Not one of these expressions,philosophies, systems of thought or conventional observancesdetermine one another, but all are equally representative of thedeeper motivating force of a new world state of consciousness. To thisnew world state of consciousness we give the label cultural pattern.When that creative urge in the organism-as-a-whole (meaning thePower-to-be-conscious in its world state of consciousness) develops tosome observable degree of strength and force, then we find in theindividuals of that period the demand for a new orientation. Thisdemand becomes an insistent clamor by individuals and groups forreforms, revisions, basic changes, and in the more obstreperous types,a revolutionary program. We find in individuals and groups discontent,dissatisfaction, and antagonism to the old culture and its forms underwhich they have lived.Further down the scale in development, we find individuals and groupslending themselves to the unexpurgated forces of the previous periodwherein all of the congealed, repressed and suppressed remnants of unexpurgated urges find opportunity to escape the restraininginfluences of the past culture; and therefore they become channelsand instrumentalities for destructive forces to become rampant, as inour Hitlers and Mussolinis. It is only in the transition period betweentwo cultures that these destructive elements emerge—that is,destructive forces find appropriate vehicles and channels forexpression, precipitating a cataclysmic interval between the old andthe new cultures.It is difficult to envisage a destructive period, especially when living init, from a higher standpoint wherein the destroying aspect of thepower, operating with the karmic force engendered by individuals andgroups, must perform the demolition of the old order in preparation forthe advent of the new.Converting all of this thought regarding individuals, groups and eventsinto terms of forces, observe how this present (1941) cataclysmicperiod is effecting a rearrangement of energy-systems into newconfigurations which will become the structural pattern for the newculture. Out of all this will emerge the new system of thought, the newphilosophy, the new metaphysics, the new religion, the newconventional organizations—political, economical, educational, etc.—and then the new cultural pattern becomes a stabilizing influence to alland sundry.

As you apply yourself to the study of this course of lessons andthereby familiarize yourself with the terminology employed, the world-dharma work will become increasingly clear. That which makes thework here presented difficult is your neural canalizations in the oldaristotelian structure of thought, as well as your difficulty in registeringthe terminology used in presenting the non-aristotelian phase of thework.Those who have had training in technical terms and scientificnomenclature will encounter less difficulty in understanding the mewpresentation. In this respect I should suggest that you be patient withyourself, have free recourse to the dictionary and go over severaltimes paragraphs which seem recondite, until the thought becomesclear. In the reading of "Science and Sanity", Korzybski advisedlyrecommends that seven careful readings must be made before fullunderstanding is acquired. This requires considerable work; but asSchopenhauer has said, "What is worth-doing is hard to do." Richawards await the student who perseveres. Gradually he will findhimself becoming assuaged to the new terminology and his neuralresponses adjusting to the new structure of thought until, in duecourse, it will be as easy and familiar as the old aristotelian languageand structure. There is need to persevere, to be patient, and toeverlastingly stick with it, especially, during the earlier phases of thestudy.When the structure of the new cultural pattern begins to take shape inyour consciousness, you will be fascinated with the understanding of vistas that begin to open to you. From then on your interest,fascination and enthusiasm will be self-sustained.If you were in school and a difficult subject were assigned to you, andcircumstances were such that you were under the necessity of mastering it, you would buckle down and go to work, sustainingconscious effort until, through this persistency, the more difficultphases of the study were past.Here in this work, I promise you the richest rewards for thussustaining effort—treasures beyond price will be yours; so let us "notbecome weary in well-doing." APPENDIX

consideration, therefore, is to make firm the meaning of the words weuse. ‘Things’, ‘objects’, events, or states cannot be spoken. Words canrepresent ‘things’, ‘objects’, etc., but never can be that which theyrepresent; whether that is a ‘thing’, whether it is an event, or whetherit is a state; it cannot be spoken. We can only speak about a ‘thing’,an event, or a state.Without exception, words are symbols. Symbols of what? Obviously,not symbols of ‘things’, ‘objects’, ‘events’, etc., because ‘these’ areclearly Just words. So, words are symbols of ideas or meanings, and tocommunicate our ideas or meanings we use spoken or written words.There is no exception to this rule: the word is never, and never can be,the ‘thing’, event or state spoken of.If we had the ability to communicate our thoughts to another by sometelepathic means or method, there would be no occasion to use words.While this telepathic method is factual and has become generallyaccepted as true, as a rule we do not have it developed as a faculty,and therefore we are limited to the employment of words with which tocommunicate our thoughts, ideas, and meanings to another. Nothaving that ability, I might use a stronger term and say, we areconstrained to use words with which to communicate meanings,thoughts, understanding, etc.If the rule were observed that under no circumstance can a wordbecome a ‘thing’, ‘event’, or ‘state’, there would be no confusion. Butthat rule is not observed, regardless of what level we speak. If wespeak of the third dimension, it is ‘thing’ or ‘object’ we have in mind; if we speak of the fourth dimension, it will be ‘events’, ‘dynamicprocesses’ or ‘energy-systems’; but the words never can be ‘that’ spoken of.That rule isn’t observed because the word is identified with the ‘thing’,the event or the state (on respective levels) spoken of, until the habitis unconscious. In fact, we have grown up in this habit, not knowingthat it is a habit and completely unconscious of a so-called Aristotelian ‘law’ of identity.When a word is used, all of the qualities, properties or meanings in theconsciousness of an individual are attributed to the word. If the wordd-o-g is used, the act of barking or tail wagging is attributed to theword. When the word c-h-a-i-r is used, we identify word with thing,and say ‘have a chair’; which in reality is asking someone to sit on theword, c-h-a-i-r.

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