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Glamour: A World Problem
This teaching on world glamour, its causes and cures, is one of the specialised subjects first given to the group whose personal instructions appear in the two volumes of "Discipleship in the New Age". The idea that a small group of dedicated aspirants could work together to help dissipate the heavy enshrouding glamours which oppress humanity and deflect the light of truth, was initially quite a startling one. Spiritual progress has for so long held no meaning for the individual other than his own personal growth, that to consider spiritual experience in direct relation to world conditions is for many a revolutionary idea. Nevertheless world glamour--the sum total of human ignorance, fear and greed--can only yield to the enlightened penetration of those in whom these emotional reactions have been transcended in whole or in part.Glamour is, of course, the result of a negative emotional focus; just as illusion results from a negative or unclear attitude of mind out of touch with the reality behind the outer appearance; so a man becomes the victim of strong self-created thought-forms built on personality forces and self-interest.This book deals with the misconceptions existing on all levels of the personality life--maya on the etheric level; glamour on the emotional plane; and illusion on the mental plane; climaxing in the sum total of all three combined in the personality--the so-called dweller on the threshold.The correct methods of working to dissipate world glamour and dispel world illusion, conform to modern psychological techniques accepted and practiced for individual benefit. A higher form of energy must be brought to bear on the blocked condition. This means in practical terms, maya must be subjected to the inspiration and idealism of the emotional plane; glamour to the illumination of the mental plane; illusion to the light of the intuition, a buddhic energy; and the dweller on the threshold must be confronted by the Angel of the Presence, the soul.As this clarity and transformation of the personality proceed in the individual, he can begin to serve consciously, preferably in group formation, to lift and enlighten the world condition. Certain meditation formulas are given in this book which can safely be used by a group working together, but would require great care in the individual to prevent stimulation of any remaining personal glamours and illusions. We are working at all times with energy as an impersonal force, which can nevertheless produce a dangerous personal effect if the motivation is not selfless enough, the personality insufficiently pure or self-disciplined, and the dynamic power-to-work not sufficiently fused with love of humanity to create understanding and identification."The need for the service of men and women free from illusion and glamour, has never been so dramatically present as it is today, and it is for these potential servers of a desperate necessity that I have written."
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1950
49 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Alice A. Bailey
470 books226 followersPease note: this is a different author from Alice Bailey.
Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949) was an English esoteric practitioner and writer.
At the age of 35, she entered the Theosophical Society center in Los Angeles (USA), at the Pacific Grove Theosophical Lodge. In 1919, Bailey (39 years old) severed her ties to the Theosophical Society and began to write texts that he claimed were dictated telepathically by a certain "Tibetan," or "D. K. ». She published those texts under the title Human and Solar Initiation. There she made known the existence of the spiritual hierarchy, which Madame Blavatsky had already spread, although not in an orderly way.
She later revealed that the Tibetan D.K. was the master Djwal Khul. She wrote using the teacher's name for 30 years, from 1919 until her death in 1949.
Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949) was an English esoteric practitioner and writer.
At the age of 35, she entered the Theosophical Society center in Los Angeles (USA), at the Pacific Grove Theosophical Lodge. In 1919, Bailey (39 years old) severed her ties to the Theosophical Society and began to write texts that he claimed were dictated telepathically by a certain "Tibetan," or "D. K. ». She published those texts under the title Human and Solar Initiation. There she made known the existence of the spiritual hierarchy, which Madame Blavatsky had already spread, although not in an orderly way.
She later revealed that the Tibetan D.K. was the master Djwal Khul. She wrote using the teacher's name for 30 years, from 1919 until her death in 1949.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 13, 2013
Reading Alice A Bailey is hard work. This is her 9th book but probably the first one the average person should read.
The books are written in such a away that certain things are written about as symbols and a teacher is required to make the meanings clearer or to speed up the learning process. This book is good because it focuses on the basics that most people are locked into the material world and cannot see past the illusion/gamour/maja the seperates the material from the spiritual.
I was lucky enough to find a very good teacher a while ago and spent a few years learning about the meaning of things in a practical sense along with the theory. Reading A Bailey today makes 'sense' only because I did all of that training.
This book has a couple of useful and practical exercises that are worth reading about and practising over time.
In reality the book could be summarised succinctly in a few pages but what would the fun be in that :)
The books are written in such a away that certain things are written about as symbols and a teacher is required to make the meanings clearer or to speed up the learning process. This book is good because it focuses on the basics that most people are locked into the material world and cannot see past the illusion/gamour/maja the seperates the material from the spiritual.
I was lucky enough to find a very good teacher a while ago and spent a few years learning about the meaning of things in a practical sense along with the theory. Reading A Bailey today makes 'sense' only because I did all of that training.
This book has a couple of useful and practical exercises that are worth reading about and practising over time.
In reality the book could be summarised succinctly in a few pages but what would the fun be in that :)
August 30, 2020
By default or design, the human mind has so many layers of beliefs that is impossible for it to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Lies tend to be glamorized by sentimentality, importance, justifications, titles... lies are seductive and emotionally rewarding... the truth is simple.
It seems that the committed spiritual student is better off by not trusting his own thoughts and what his eyes are telling. Whatever comes up from the psyche (dweller on the threshold) is to be healed and surrendered to God. Be in silence, skip the mind and trust God.
Both, illusion and glamour, seem to be the underpinnings upon which falsehood is built in this world. The question then arises: is their nature luciferic?
Glamour is the sentimental projection of importance where there is nothing. This projection reflects an inner unconscious desire or aversion. In order not to be at the effect of glamour is necessary to understand that the value of something is in the degree of how present God is.
Illusion is the intellectual projection of cause where there is an expression of the field. This projection reflects an inner unconscious resentment. In order not to be at the effect of illusion is necessary to understand that the cause of everything is the totality of life since the beginning of time.
I guess that through the final door there is no glamour nor nonglamour, neither illusion nor reality, for everything is equally God or the Self.
It seems that the committed spiritual student is better off by not trusting his own thoughts and what his eyes are telling. Whatever comes up from the psyche (dweller on the threshold) is to be healed and surrendered to God. Be in silence, skip the mind and trust God.
Both, illusion and glamour, seem to be the underpinnings upon which falsehood is built in this world. The question then arises: is their nature luciferic?
Glamour is the sentimental projection of importance where there is nothing. This projection reflects an inner unconscious desire or aversion. In order not to be at the effect of glamour is necessary to understand that the value of something is in the degree of how present God is.
Illusion is the intellectual projection of cause where there is an expression of the field. This projection reflects an inner unconscious resentment. In order not to be at the effect of illusion is necessary to understand that the cause of everything is the totality of life since the beginning of time.
I guess that through the final door there is no glamour nor nonglamour, neither illusion nor reality, for everything is equally God or the Self.
July 6, 2008
An excellent book on an important topic. It includes some meditations and is the most thorough book on the topic of the glamours that I have read. It is essential for anyone dealing with occult development because it has the clearest discussion of the Dweller on the Threshold of any text I have come across.
Read
November 7, 2012In the book Glamour, Alice examines the phenomena of illusion, know to the hindus as Maya. She details the ways to rise above the astral temptations through meditation and self-examination. Thus does the higher self emerge out of the animal, as a promethean phoenix.
April 21, 2022
First book by Bailey I have found value in.
Proposes visualisations and meditative acts of will to remove falsehood from inner life.
Since her book many methods have been developed to do this. But Bailey's seems very direct and simple.
A book to re-read and study.
Proposes visualisations and meditative acts of will to remove falsehood from inner life.
Since her book many methods have been developed to do this. But Bailey's seems very direct and simple.
A book to re-read and study.
February 3, 2022
3 3/4 stars
June 15, 2014
Dangerous to one's humanity. I speak as intensive student of Alice Bailey in my youth at Findhorn.
But Meditations on the Tarot saved my soul http://corjesusacratissimum.org/2009/...
But Meditations on the Tarot saved my soul http://corjesusacratissimum.org/2009/...
November 18, 2013
Great Book - many messages here for the new generation of disciples among us - understanding what Glamour is so that you may overcome it will help on the path to your enlightenment.
March 13, 2025
summary: You know that Jungian Shadow, you should repress the f*ck out of that thing. Then go tell everyone how holy and enlightened you are because you are destroying the evils of the world with the power of your spiritual intellect, and not just avoiding therapy. This might not sound right, but its legit because really long run on sentences with five dollar words which I shall use in esoteric jargony ways says so. PS - everything wrong in the world is because ancient atlantis invented words.
May 26, 2022
Excellent
November 14, 2025
everytime i read this book out loud people fall asleep instantly
June 20, 2024
Well what a way to express how to let go of Ego. Renaming assumptions and fixing past learned judgements from family and friends restructuring glamour in our daily lives.
July 22, 2023
A LOOK AT ILLUSION, MAYA, AND ‘NEW ERA’ INTUITION
Author Alice Bailey wrote in the ‘Certain Preliminary Clarifications’ chapter, “All groups involved in esoteric work have their own dharma or duty and all have their peculiar objective. In order that you may clearly vision what you, as aspirants to discipleship have to do, and so intelligently cooperate, I will concisely state the purpose: Dharma means duty, or obligation, and it is your definite and specific obligation to develop the intuition. The means or methods whereby this development is to be brought about, can be by the study of symbols…. I would like to divide what I have to say into three parts, and I plead for a close study of my words: I. I seek to define for you the intuition. II. I shall deal with its mode of development through the study of symbology. III. I shall close by giving some specific instructions as to a useful mode of procedure…
“The intuition is the synthetic understanding which is the prerogative of the soul and it only becomes possible when the soul, on its own level, is reaching in two directions: towards the Monad, and towards the integrated and, perhaps… coordinated and at-oned personality. It is the first indication of a deeply subjective unification which will find its consummation at the third initiation.” (Pg. 1-3)
She explains, “1. ILLUSION is primarily of a mental quality and was characteristic of the attitude of mind of those people who are more intellectual than emotional. They have outgrown glamour as usually understood. It is the misunderstanding of ideas and thought forms of which they are guilty, and of misinterpretations. 2. GLAMOUR is astral in character, and is far more potent at this time than illusion, owing to the enormous majority of people who function astrally always. 3. MAYA is vital in character and is a quality of force. It is essentially the energy of the human being as it swings into activity through the subjective influence of the mental illusion or astral glamour or of both in combination.” (P\g. 26)
She says, “This fog, this glamour which envelops humanity at this time must be realized as a definite substantial thing, and must be dealt with as such. The disciple or aspirant who is seeking to dispel glamour, either in his own life or as a service rendered to the world, must recognize that he is working with substance, with the breaking up of the forms which it has assumed, and with the dissipation of a material all-enveloping substance---material in the same sense as thoughtforms are substantial things but… of a less substantial nature than the forms of glamo0ur found on the astral plane.” (Pg. 72)
She continues, “We shall now employ the word ‘glamour’ to cover all the aspects of those deceptions, illusions, misunderstandings and misinterpretations which confront the spiritual aspirant at every step of his way until he achieves unity.” (Pg. 94)
She clarifies, “The story of illusion is one which must not be confounded with glamour; illusion is related to the whole process of revelation. Glamour can be and often is related to the distortion of that which has been revealed, but it must be borne in mind that illusion is primarily concerned with the reaction of the mind to the unfolding revelation, as the soul registers it and seeks to impress it on the highest aspect of the personal lower self.” (Pg. 172-173)
She states, “The theme … [of] the light of the soul as is dissipates glamour in the three worlds…is the most practical and useful and needed subject for study to be found today: it concerns the astral plane, and the service to be rendered is vital and timely. The ridding of the world of the individual and the world of humanity as a whole of the all-enveloping glamour which holds humanity in thrall is an essential requirement for the race. The new era which will open up before mankind at the close of the war will be distinguished by its mental polarization and consequent freedom from glamour; then illusion will for a time control until the intuition is more fully developed… The second characteristic of the new era will be the scientific approach to the entire problem of glamour which will then be recognized for what it is and will be scientifically dissipated by the use of the illumined minds of groups, working in unison for just that purpose.” (Pg 197)
This book will appeal to those who enjoy Alice Bailey's other books.
Author Alice Bailey wrote in the ‘Certain Preliminary Clarifications’ chapter, “All groups involved in esoteric work have their own dharma or duty and all have their peculiar objective. In order that you may clearly vision what you, as aspirants to discipleship have to do, and so intelligently cooperate, I will concisely state the purpose: Dharma means duty, or obligation, and it is your definite and specific obligation to develop the intuition. The means or methods whereby this development is to be brought about, can be by the study of symbols…. I would like to divide what I have to say into three parts, and I plead for a close study of my words: I. I seek to define for you the intuition. II. I shall deal with its mode of development through the study of symbology. III. I shall close by giving some specific instructions as to a useful mode of procedure…
“The intuition is the synthetic understanding which is the prerogative of the soul and it only becomes possible when the soul, on its own level, is reaching in two directions: towards the Monad, and towards the integrated and, perhaps… coordinated and at-oned personality. It is the first indication of a deeply subjective unification which will find its consummation at the third initiation.” (Pg. 1-3)
She explains, “1. ILLUSION is primarily of a mental quality and was characteristic of the attitude of mind of those people who are more intellectual than emotional. They have outgrown glamour as usually understood. It is the misunderstanding of ideas and thought forms of which they are guilty, and of misinterpretations. 2. GLAMOUR is astral in character, and is far more potent at this time than illusion, owing to the enormous majority of people who function astrally always. 3. MAYA is vital in character and is a quality of force. It is essentially the energy of the human being as it swings into activity through the subjective influence of the mental illusion or astral glamour or of both in combination.” (P\g. 26)
She says, “This fog, this glamour which envelops humanity at this time must be realized as a definite substantial thing, and must be dealt with as such. The disciple or aspirant who is seeking to dispel glamour, either in his own life or as a service rendered to the world, must recognize that he is working with substance, with the breaking up of the forms which it has assumed, and with the dissipation of a material all-enveloping substance---material in the same sense as thoughtforms are substantial things but… of a less substantial nature than the forms of glamo0ur found on the astral plane.” (Pg. 72)
She continues, “We shall now employ the word ‘glamour’ to cover all the aspects of those deceptions, illusions, misunderstandings and misinterpretations which confront the spiritual aspirant at every step of his way until he achieves unity.” (Pg. 94)
She clarifies, “The story of illusion is one which must not be confounded with glamour; illusion is related to the whole process of revelation. Glamour can be and often is related to the distortion of that which has been revealed, but it must be borne in mind that illusion is primarily concerned with the reaction of the mind to the unfolding revelation, as the soul registers it and seeks to impress it on the highest aspect of the personal lower self.” (Pg. 172-173)
She states, “The theme … [of] the light of the soul as is dissipates glamour in the three worlds…is the most practical and useful and needed subject for study to be found today: it concerns the astral plane, and the service to be rendered is vital and timely. The ridding of the world of the individual and the world of humanity as a whole of the all-enveloping glamour which holds humanity in thrall is an essential requirement for the race. The new era which will open up before mankind at the close of the war will be distinguished by its mental polarization and consequent freedom from glamour; then illusion will for a time control until the intuition is more fully developed… The second characteristic of the new era will be the scientific approach to the entire problem of glamour which will then be recognized for what it is and will be scientifically dissipated by the use of the illumined minds of groups, working in unison for just that purpose.” (Pg 197)
This book will appeal to those who enjoy Alice Bailey's other books.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews