Formology is the science of bringing into form, or giving form to mental imaging. In the Great Work of attaining to Soul Consciousness, this imaging pictures an Ideal.

This ideal is both a Spiritual state and the becoming of a Spiritualized being. the forming of such an ideal is recognized as a FEELING, a SOMETHING TO BECOME.

This is more difficult than the imaging of something that is to take material form. This being true, it is readily understandable why so few of the untold millions have been able to fully conceive the idea that man may become a "temple" wherein dwells the Living God. Both the "temple" and the "Living God" are at once idealistic, an inner FEELING, an actual LIVING, rather than a form, despite the fact that man is a material being with form.

Every individual, even if his desire is to become no more than truly human, should and must be capable of idealizing. It is possible that the desire behind the ideal does not ordinarily possess the strength to urge man forward to any great victory, but even a slight incentive to greater than ordinary effort is constructive in its nature.

In the fabrication of an ideal, man's vision is usually centered only on that which is most desirable, beautiful and above the ordinary. This is why it is termed "ideal." After it is formed, such an ideal, whatever its nature, should be analyzed and contemplated from every angle, so that if it is basically unsound, its weakness may be eliminated. Few men who really think for themselves would willingly bow to an idol of clay. Nevertheless, it is possible, as all history proves, for a supposed or believed "ideal" to be just that.

Whenever the mind conceives and concentrates upon a definite idea or plan for any length of time, it forms an image, either consciously or unconsciously, and this image, possibly as a feeling, is reflected or impressed upon the subconscious self, being much like a photographer's plate, receives all impressions made upon it.

If the thought that created the picture is continued, it is enlarged upon just as the builder's stone-upon-stone ultimately emerges as a completed building. For this reason, the gradual attainment of Soul Consciousness is correctly considered as Soul-building.

Formology in general is the art and science of mentally forming and holding before the vision a distinct and clearly defined idea or thought that has developed into a picture or image. It is also the focusing of the attention upon one fixed idea, or aim; concentrating or centralizing the creative forces with which man is endowed, into definite constructive channels; condensing the power of thought and Will into a highly dynamic center of dispersion (a sending out) and return attraction.

The potent vibrations created by a well-disciplined mind, make it possible to attain such superior excellence in the practice of formology that the attention will not waver from the idea. The thought current or vibration will be uninterrupted by cross currents or weakening influences.

This naturally presupposes that the operator, the one practicing, is fully conversant with the operating Law; i.e., he has attained to such a degree of proficiency that he is able, by means of a strong desire, to actually be, what is commonly, though erroneously, termed "in love" with the state or thing to be attained or accomplished - as were the ancient Magi who, by their love for a Spiritual ideal, were the first to be aware of the coming of a great Spiritual leader.

Considerable self-discipline and training are generally necessary to the attainment of mental excellence. However, one may become converted to an idea and be so much in love with the ideal, that the most potent concentration of forces are almost instantly centralized to a point.(1) In this as in all potent, subtle forces, love is the underlying Law.
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(1) There are those Neophytes within the Great Work, who became so imbued with the ideas taught when they came in contact with its inculcations that within twenty-four hours they were so completely "converted" that they entirely forsook all habits addicted to and devoted their thoughts, desires and energies to the new method of life.
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This love is of an impersonal nature. It is an all-embracing feeling of the idea, the ideal, and its personification, either within the self or as an outer manifestation.

This state of feeling is generally known as "getting into, or coming into the Spirit" of what we are doing, want to do or seek to become. The Biblical statement explained that those who entered into the spirit and were dominated and directed by this FEELING, as the "sons of men," mere humans, BECAME as the Sons of God.

The aspirant for the development and mastery of this art dare not become discouraged if his efforts toward concentration are frequently interfered with by the injection of thoughts that are entirely foreign to his design and wholly unworthy of his desires. This is the human, the carnal, the "devil" injecting itself. The material is UNwilling to give up its dominion over that which has been its "tool," obeying its almost every command.

To eliminate these interruptions is a matter of greater centralization; a DEEPER DESIRE FOR THAT IN MIND; THE GOAL TO BE ATTAINED. Only that which is most strongly desired can hold the attention of the mind. As an example known to almost every human being, consider the young man "in love" with his young lady. He is practically unable, even under compulsion of necessity, to center his thoughts on things other than those pertaining to his loved one.

To eliminate thoughts other than those connected with the idea or purpose in mind is a matter of time and practice. If and when such thoughts distract the attention, no special harm is done other than the scattering of the forces for constructive purposes and delaying the achievement of the intent in mind. Thoughts and fancies that flit through the mind delay the process of building, but they do not become part of the self-being, not of the Ideal in course of building, their intensity being too weak to impress themselves upon the Soul's record.

The process of image formation may aptly be compared to the building of a house. This perhaps was the reason why the Nazarene used as an example the "building of a temple" without the sound of a hammer, as a house for the Living God. First of all there must be a keenness of desire for the house that urges its construction.

This is followed by the formation of a picture or image of the type of house desired, the selection of the builder and material; the overseeing of the construction until it is finished and moved into. If he who desires the house permits other affairs or other people to interfere or distract his attention, than there will be a delay in the completion of the building.

The ideal formed by desire and concentration, holds, moulds and finally gives birth to a reality, gradually and steadily drawing the thinker, the idealist, the one who desires, to the ultimate consummation. The mind is the creative center, but is influenced from every direction; now by the Spiritual, more often by the material.

The Soul Center or Divine Spark is magnetic by nature and draws to itself, or upon itself, all that the thinker really thinks or desires. It is the womb, the receiver, and it must, by the nature of the governing Law, give birth to that which the mind thinks and desires.

The visualist, the idealist, filled with visions of power, beauty and greatness, draws upon these that are everywhere present and gradually builds them into his ideal. The process is retarded only to the degree that man permits contrary thoughts and desires to suppress the idealistic desires. Man's every hope, consciously or unconsciously, is centered in his ideal, or in the degrading image he has formed in his mind, and the desire he seeks to fulfill.

Force, whatever its nature, creates more force of its kind. Perfection attracts toward the ultimate of reality; likewise mental capacity and if of a constructive nature, awakens and stimulates the desire and effort toward Soul Consciousness.

Everything that the mind, by the incentive of desire, Wills or professes, and urges forward, gradually takes definite form, evolving into a compact shape and form. The vital ideal creates a material form which ultimately attains to whatever the mind Wills, both on the material and Spiritual planes.

DESIRE BECOMES WILL. The desire will construct or destroy; depending upon the nature of the desire. In the Soul realm of activity, this leads ultimately to the manifestation of the Christos into Christification, i.e., Christhood or Sonship with the Father; the ultimate of the human Soul.

Once man realizes the potency of his Will, clarifies and purifies his desires, and employs the forces at the command of his desire and Will, he places himself under the command of the Creator and thereby becomes a co-creator with God: "Now the sons of men have become the Sons of God." Nevertheless, man is no less man, no less a human creature, but all the more so, and the greater are his sympathies for his fellow men.

Within every aspiring mind there is gradually formed an ideal; were it otherwise, there could be no advancement. This ideal has its beginning as an idea, which gradually develops into a desire. In its beginning it is perhaps no more than the Biblical "grain of mustard seed." Very gradually the idea grows, the ideal expands and the desire becomes stronger, forcing the individual to action.

Within Nature's storehouse there is a limitless amount of power, energy and strength, ready to be drawn upon and utilized by man in his efforts to advance, to become, to bring into manifestation the ever expanding idea and ideal. As these ideas and ideals grow by thought and by his efforts, man not only draws upon his own resources WITHIN himself, but at the same time upon those outside of himself. It is his right and privilege to call for, draw upon, and make use of every resource in the universe to accomplish his aim to the degree that he lives up to his ideal and operates within the Divine Law.

This living up to an ideal as well as living within the Law, requires centralization. This centralization or concentration is in the form of a strong, often over-powering desire; one that is rigidly adhered to in thought and act. Such a desire will seek and unlock the doors to opportunity, helping him to bring his ideal into manifestation or realization. To strongly desire a thing, is to Will it consciously and continually; understandingly and with direction of the effort toward the attainment. This effectively sets into motion creative Laws upon all realms of being.

The determination - another term for desire - Will, centralization, concentration to attain a certain goal, whatever it may be, rigidly adhered to, and linked with the application of all the power and capability of the individual, establishes within the one so determined a sense capable of the greatest possible achievement. As the potter molds the clay, so does the aspirant gradually mold the Will to direct the forces into the proper channels for his purpose. As this is continued, he finds there is no power to say him nay.

Aspirants, after the manner of the Nazarene, have devoted years of study to training the mentality and the building of a spiritual Ideal for the manifestation known throughout the ages as Initiation, and later as Christhood. If some, who started out with high hopes, accomplished little, it was because they either became weary along the way, or their ideal became tainted by selfishness, permitting outside influences to divert them from the path. They failed to maintain a firm hold on their ideal, their desires weakened, they ceased to persist in their efforts, their Will relaxed and they became the victim of their own inertia. This is not only the tale of an individual, but of nations as well.

The constructive mind is an ever active mind. Inactivity results in sluggishness, which is weakness. The human weakness that has destroyed individuals and nations is primarily man's desire for ease; to live with as little exertion as possible - TO ENJOY SECURITY WITHOUT GREAT EFFORT. The result is always a dulling of the intellect; a slow deterioration of desire; a lessening of physical strength, and, finally the inevitable end: slavery to those ever active, either as a result of their own desires, or by force of circumstances. Nothing on earth is so much desired by man and so destructive to him and all that makes for true greatness, as ASSURED SECURITY OFFERED BY SOMETHING OR SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF HIMSELF.

In action alone, in constant activity, both mental and physical, is real power to be found. Action is life. It is power. It is the means to the attainment of all to be found on earth or in heaven. This is so very simply stated in the Biblical promise; so simple that men have always refused, and still refuse, to heed it:

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and its righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you." -Matthew 6:33

A practical interpretation of this might read: "Search within yourself, find that which is hidden therein and bring it into manifestation, and all there is may be yours." This again refers to that other Bible statement relative to the "talents" given to, and hidden within, all men.

To find this promised kingdom, action, not idleness and dreams, must be brought into play, though in the beginning there may be only dreams of one's desires. Such dreams, however, must lead to ideas; ideas to ideals, ideals to action, and finally through action, to attainment or accomplishment.

The awakened, constructive mind is constantly thinking, analyzing, reasoning and planning, impelled by a desire to accomplish that which refuses to be brushed aside. The inactive mind, may be a "wishing" mind, but, like a pool lacking an outlet, it becomes stagnant and self-destructive.

The incentive of those who seek Soul Consciousness or Spiritual attainment is an ever-expanding desire within themselves to become all that the philosophers and avatars throughout the ages have dreamed of and preached from the plains to the mountain tops. They have become conscious of the eternal truth that security without attainment and constant effort is a delusion. They realize that eternity is to be found within and continues beyond into the as yet unknown. They have fully awakened to the one eternal fact that all they require is to be FOUND WITHIN THEMSELVES; that there the "talents" are hidden for them to find.

To build toward perfection of the self requires that every atom of mind and body be utilized in the creation of energy, vigor and the virility necessary to the activity that builds the "temple" not made with hands, and the awakening of the Christos, the eternal INEFFABLE LIGHT that is to be enthroned within the temple. There is never a desire for inactivity; no excuse for inertia; no justification for being misled by the cunning and deceptive security offered by others. Rather there is a burning incentive toward ever more activity leading to greater accomplishment, achievement, or attainment, it being axiomatic that there is neither peace not happiness in idleness. Achievement is found and realized only through constant activity that diverts the mind from the weak, limited, little self and focuses it on the Great Reality.

The concentration of true power and the conservation of constructive forces require, as a basis, the beatitudes, kindliness of heart and sincerity of motives. These are the lasting foundations upon which the eternal alone can be built. Compassion, sympathy, a forgiving spirit, must proceed hand in hand with all accomplishment; otherwise all attainment, or any supposed gain will be only temporary.

The construction of a cottage, a palace or a bridge, is the externalization or manifestation, in form, of an idea, or image first formed in the mind. It is the execution of an idea. The accomplishment is realized through action upon the physical plane, where everything follows in detail. The image was created or modeled in the mind, but, even here, where everything is material, a great Spiritual truth is a part of the accomplishment: THE FOUNDATION MUST BE BUILT OF GOOD MATERIAL OR THE STRUCTURE WILL BE OF SHORT DURATION. This exemplifies the Great Law that what we call "good," whatever its nature or application, must be the basis of all that is enduring, and, in the Spiritual realm, this is important above all else.

Kindliness, compassion, sympathy, forgiveness in the heart are emotions that, in all efforts toward the attainment of Soul Consciousness, assure a proper foundation as well as the superstructure that is to be built. All too many who seek the path leading to Spiritual realization, err grievously in their procedure, due to improper instruction or guidance, or failure to be guided by what they have been taught. Their desires may be the highest, but due to ignorance, unwillingness to prepare themselves properly, a lack of application, or even inertia, their forces are scattered or misdirected, and failure is the end result.

The laws governing thought activity, idealization and the concentration of forces essential in the attainment of both material success and Spiritual attainment, were as fully understood by the Priests and Initiates of Past Ages, as were the laws that govern the material, mortal self which permitted, or helped men to live "nine hundred and ninety-nine years." Not only did these Masters of old fully understand the Laws, but they also HARMONIZED THEIR OWN ACTIONS WITH THEM.

The profane and sacred writings alike confirm the fact that the greatest and more numerous of these Masters lived during Egypt's glory. The Divine Laws the Priesthood taught did not originate with them, but were coincidental with the creation of the world; the sun, moon and the stars; co-existent with the "gods" of creation, and become operative when the first beam of intellectual light began to break upon man's sordid, muddled mind.

All who so desire and Will, who are ready to make necessary effort, may become masters of the art known as formology, building both in the material and Spiritual planes of being. To begin with, they must build up the imaginative powers latent more or less in all men. They must seek to give birth to ideas, elevate ideas into deals, and bring Ideals into manifestation by constant effort. The laws that Nature - call it God if you will - applied in the creating of the sunsets, the sky with its luminous stars, so gloriously beautiful that no artist's brush has yet been able to fully reproduce them, are the identical laws which man must obey, if he seeks to bring into manifestation the God- given "talents" hidden within him. By such obedience he becomes a master of construction in the realm of the material world. He also manifests the Christos, the Spark of the Divinity hidden within, and once awakened and brought into manifestation, becomes the Conscious Soul within the "temple not built with hands," but manifesting in the outer world of action.

He who thus awakens and brings into Consciousness, as a result of the second or Spiritual birth, the Soul within, is then the master of that Soul, the "captain of the ship" dreamed of by poets. He becomes the creator of his own destiny, the coordinator of the laws for the government of his own realm of activity, scornful of those who destructively teach the desirability of inertia, of a security obtained as a result of the labors of his fellow men. To him, activity, effort, accomplishment by his own right and might, is the only peace he can understand, the only "heaven" into which he can enter and hear the verdict: "Well done thou good and faithful servant [constant worker]."
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