“In world events, is it not possible to perceive the manifestation of Fire? Observe the relationships of nations, the magnet of ideas, the dissemination of thoughts, and all the signs of public opinion. These flashes of flame are not caused by any means of communication, but by something else, which stands beyond..” Fiery World 1, 55
Is the “thread of collaboration” that connects ideas and thought-forms similar to the one that unites people and groups?
All the teachings, concepts, languages, images, symbols and archetypes are interwoven in a tapestry that winds through time and space, whose threads support each other at different scales and levels of influence. “The One” behind all forms, as the ancient wisdom suggests to us – streams into the manifest world in innumerable currents. We can imagine a continuous flow of information that, from a unified source, as from a central light, radiates and enters into time and space: nuclei of meaning are embodied in history, through Civilizations, partly veiled, translated by the relative containment and understanding of the age in which they emerge, like waves in the sea of forms. When a Civilization sinks into that sea and fades away, it often drags with it much of the concrete information that characterizes it, but that is not to say that it was useless: instead, seen from afar, the succession of epochs and Civilizations appears as a series of Cycles and representations. Each cycle – like any individual life – leaves a trace, a legacy, a core carrying a speck of truth, a pulsing seed of meaning, ready for a later and wider incarnation.
The great thought-forms feed on the fire of Culture and express themselves in Civilization.
Leadership through influence
Each particular Civilization expresses itself through culminating events and societies; it is characterized by currents of thought and sources of knowledge of which individuals and groups, focal points of each Age, are the custodians and promoters: these can be seen as Leaders who sustain and impart evolutionary direction to varying degrees of amplitude, complexity and depth. Certain personalities and groups have influenced the thoughts of entire populations.
Every thought-form injected into the bedrock of a society through communication influences the psyche, the values and the subconscious of each individual who participates in it in some way. From esoteric knowledge, which vibrates in the silence, to thinkers, philosophers and artists, – be they painters, sculptors, musicians, writers and storytellers of tales told to children – all of these people can exert a true influence.
Educators and teachers also play a key role in this transmission, which orients personalities from an early age, with an impact – not always well assessed – on the forms that future adults in turn will be facilitated (or not) to express and transmit to others.
It is a two-way relationship, for each soul brings to earth a seed of contact with the world “beyond forms,” a token of wisdom and information, as well as personal transformative power.
In fact, in accordance with one’s consciousness, everyone can have an active dialogue with the process of thought-forms construction of each era, to the point of becoming an outsider, a subversive or a revolutionary, with the task of renewing old existing forms.
This process is evident in artistic movements, which from experimental become “mannerism” and enter our codified languages, which are in turn superseded by new currents after some time. These processes are often led by Leaders who “impress” whole groups and movements, helping to shape the currents of thought that follow.
Multiple scales of influence
Influence through communication is also present in mass culture, through which ideas, previously collected by a small group are “distributed” to millions of people: pop music, films and digital media have the power to amplify and re-transmit messages almost instantaneously and often on a global scale. We could debate whether this has enriching or impoverishing consequences, but for our observation it is sufficient to note how these processes fully enter the “transmission” chain that shapes behaviors, thoughts and emotional waves, and imprints itself on the vast field of the collective unconscious: the manipulation of emotional and mental matter can foster in this way the orientation of entire segments of the population. We are all aware of the crucial role of information manipulation in the rise of political power, in the maintenance of social statuses or in product marketing. By observing these kinds of dynamics from an inner angle, we can become aware of the less visible aspects of the influence of information.
For sure, each group or individual has a great responsibility toward what it conveys (or not!). This responsibility grows for those involved in activities that voluntarily put information and “thought-orienting” ideas into space, and this responsibility increases with reach and breadth of the audience. It is still true that even a single message can be of crucial importance in some circumstances. In any case, along with this responsibility comes the possibility of exercising true leadership, of having an impact that can transcend space and time. This impact is determined at different scales and levels: the origin of the waves that propagate in this way on earth can in fact come from far and wide.
Spiritual teachings and major spiritual currents provide a clear demonstration of this process. An example familiar to many of us is Christ’s message – that draws its power from cosmic dimensions, yet it has been unfolding in history: precisely because of its elevated origin it has opened a way into matter by generating revolutionary thought-forms that have profoundly shaped the way we understand love and human values, at least in Western societies.
At the same time, distortions of the original message have caused countless complications. As in any transmission that enters the stage of the duality of matter, contact with it and with pre-existing forms tends to create interferences, which gradually lead to expressions that are inconsistent with, or even opposed to, the original intent. This risk is inevitable when spiritual thought forms penetrate the matter. This complexity testifies to the great courage of the Leaders of Compassion who take it upon themselves to bring spiritual seeds into manifestation through great human movements, which will then in turn influence the consciousnesses of those with whom they come into contact, for centuries and millennia.
Communication and consciousness
Consciousness is precisely the “medium” in which great thoughts – and the words that express them – vibrate and reverberate. Being a Leader in this perspective therefore means first and foremost becoming more aware that we influence our environment with our expressions, because “Words are vessels of thought” that become ideologies, feelings, actions and society. We can also decide to become progressively more conscious and less passive as users of this faculty, learning how to be constructive “influencers”. More importantly, we can become aware that Leadership in Communication can express itself with greater force at less coarse levels than the visible ones. It is in the world of silence, behind the forms, that influence carries a greater weight, though less noticeable, and can be grasped more purely by those who know how to listen.
The great Masters convey their fiery messages in silence. To become true Leaders, it is fundamental to train ourselves in contacting the space of silence that allows us to receive the most authentic meanings before we transmit any message.
By opening ourselves more and more to the silent voice of the Guides, who in turn receive inspiration from above, we will become a conscious centre in the endless necklace of collaboration toward evolution.
We have no better way than silence to facilitate those who are trying to reach us with the best messages, which we can in turn process, express and transmit: the broader and purer the reception, the more effective and incisive will be the transmission.
“… All your words presuppose the priority of something or someone. You yourself do not notice that each of your affirmations is based upon a discovery of something established by someone. There is no man who can get along without being taught. One must not become proud in one’s own heart. The understanding of Hierarchy will help to establish the manifestation of the Leader, who in relation to the Higher Ones is not a leader but a follower. “ ( Fiery World II, 80)
Looking to the future, we can aim at transforming all our bodies in order to become radiant elements, transmitting information from every level of our being, even in silence — to heal and transform space, consciousnesses and the planet.
We can thus decide to devote our resources to propagating waves, as connected as possible to the higher sources, expanding farther and farther. So many returning waves will in turn propel us into a virtuous circle of wider currents and information, until we will awaken together to the awareness that we are one with the Source at the origin of every message.
Silvia Scali