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Esoteric Healing - Chapter I - The Psychological Causes of Disease
C. Diseases of Worry and Irritation

The third category of complaints which arise in the emotional or astral body is synthesized esoterically under the term: diseases of irritation. These are the insidious poisons which lurk behind the phenomena of disease.

It might be said that all diseases can be covered by two definitions, from the standpoint of occultism:

  1. Diseases which are the result of auto-intoxication. These are the most general.
  2. Diseases which are the result of irritation. These are very common amongst disciples.

We hear much today about auto-intoxication, and many efforts are made to cure this by diet and the regulation of the life in terms of rhythmic living. All this is good and of help, but it does not constitute a basic cure, as its protagonists would lead us to believe. Irritation is a basic psychological complaint and has its roots in the intensification of the astral body, which definitely produces abnormal effects upon the nervous system. It is a disease of self-interest, of self-sufficiency, and of self-satisfaction. Again I would say, ponder on these terms, for these three aspects of irritation are of general discovery. We will therefore [68] deal with irritation, "imperil," as it is called by exponents of the first ray, such as the Master M.

We have nearly completed our first section under the heading Psychological Causes of Disease, and have very briefly, yet I believe suggestively, considered those problems which arise from the over-activity and wrong condition of the astral body. All I can do in this short treatise is to generalize, because most of the statements I may make are, in any case, so new and revolutionary (from the standpoint of orthodox medicine) that it will take time for even this first inner structure of ideas and this somewhat new formulation of truth to make its impact upon the thinkers of the race. Then, if accepted as hypothetical possibilities by the open-minded among them, a long period of time must elapse before there has been enough investigation, leading to definitely formulated conclusions, which will make the ideas of popular recognition and use. In saying this, I am not reflecting critically upon the medical profession. The money-grasping specialist and the charlatan are rare; they of course exist, as do the corrupt and the undesirable in every profession. Where are they not to be found? The closed minds are many; but again, where are they not found? The pioneers along the new lines of thought and the man who has grasped some of the New Age concepts have often equally dosed minds and see nothing but the new ways, modes and methods, and throw overboard all the old, losing much thereby. The medical profession has one of the greatest and most beautiful records in the world of its purpose and field of activity, and has developed some of the greatest of the soul qualities - self-sacrifice, compassion and service. But the ways and the techniques of the New Age are hard to grasp. Much of the old ways have to be given up and much sacrificed before the new art of healing becomes possible. [69]

Until the fact of the subtler bodies is properly recognized by the world thinkers, and their existence is established through a right and true science of psychology and the development of the faculty of clairvoyance, the tracing of the causes of disease back to the subtler bodies is relatively meaningless. The best reaction which the most open-minded physician can (I say can and not will) produce or admit is that the psychological attitude, the mental state, and the emotional condition of the patient do either help or hinder. Many are already admitting that. That in itself is much.

When, therefore, I say that cancer, for instance, has its roots in an astral condition and began its career in Atlantean times, it means but little to the average man today. He does not realize that large numbers of people today are Atlantean in their consciousness.

I want briefly to touch upon the most common of all causes of trouble: Worry and Irritation. They are more prevalent at this time than ever before, and for the following reasons:

  1. The world situation is such, the problems and uncertainty are such, that scarcely a person in the world at this time is exempt. Everyone is more or less involved in the planetary situation.
  2. The inter-communication between people has increased so much, and men live so much in massed groups - large or small - that it is inevitable that they produce an effect upon each other as never before. "If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it" is a statement of truth, ancient but new in application and today realized for the first time.
  3. The increased sensitivity of the human mechanism is also such that men "tune in" on each other's emotional conditions and mental attitudes in a new and more [70] potent manner. To their own engrossing concerns and worries are added those of their fellowmen with whom they may be en rapport.
  4. Telepathically, and also with a developed sense of prevision, men are today adding the difficulties that belong to someone else, or to some other group of thinkers and of people, to the difficulties that may be. It is not sure that they will be.

These problems will demonstrate to you how intensely difficult it is for men to face up to life. It will be obvious that the problems of worry and irritation (called by the Master Morya "imperil") are many and must be considered.

Why are these difficulties of the astral body so "perilous" and so serious? Worry and Irritation are dangerous because:

  1. They lower the vitality of the man to such a point that he becomes susceptible to disease. The scourge of influenza has its roots in fear and worry, and once the world settles down to freedom from the present "fearful" condition, we shall see the disease die out.
  2. They are so highly infectious from the astral point of view that they lower in a peculiar manner the astral atmosphere, and thus make it hard for people - in the astral sense - to breathe freely.
  3. Because the astral conditions of fear, worry and irritation are so widespread today that they might be regarded as epidemic, in a planetary sense.
  4. Because irritation (I speak not here of worry) is inflammatory in its effects - and inflammation is hard to bear - and leads to much difficulty. It is interesting to note that certain forms of eye trouble are caused by this. [71]
  5. Because worry and irritation prevent true vision. They shut out the view. The man who is the victim of these conditions sees nothing but the cause of his complaints and is so submerged through self-pity, self-consideration, or in a focused negative condition, that his vision is narrowed and his group hindered. Remember that there is group selfishness as well as individual selfishness.

I have cited sufficient reasons for the effects of Worry and Irritation to demonstrate to you the wideness of the difficulty. It is not much use at this time to talk of the remedy. One does not say to an influenza patient (when the worst throes of the disease are upon him), "There is nothing the matter. Pay no attention. Get up and go about your business." It is no use saying to men today, "Do not fear. Leave off worrying. All will be well." They will not believe you, for one thing - and that is fortunate, for it is not true. Things are not well and humanity and the planetary life are not well. This, the Hierarchy knows, and is working for the amelioration of the conditions. When the throes of the "planetary influenza" are over (and the patient will not die), then investigation can be made and effort produced which can prevent a recurrence. At present, all that can be done is to keep the patient quiet and also keep the fever down. This is the work of the New Group of World Servers and the intelligent men of goodwill. Their name is Legion.
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