IIH step 1 questions

[scalzik]

I assume this topic goes in modern magicks, since IIH came out in the 20th century and I saw another IIH post on the first page, although then again, that century gets further and further away every day (sorry if I just made you feel old [lol] ). I know there's been a large amount of questions about the first few steps of IIH, but I looked and couldn't find any answers to the ones that've been troubling me.

so lets start with the easy ones and get more complicated:
first actually isn't directly linked to IIH. I was wondering what things if any would accelerate one's rate of growth on a magickal path? for instance: if I put in an hour of meditation a day would I proceed faster than if I did a half an hour? and if so, would it be doubly fast just slightly faster, ie would it suffer diminishing returns? Also, would doing multiple trainings at the same time like IIH+quareia+DMK help, hinder, or not do anything good or bad? And if there's anything else that'd help please tell me.

second, a question about the soul mirror. I've found a couple of things I guess you could call complexes of traits, in that I'd have one trait, then like 6 other traits that are all a subset of that main trait. should I then count the complex as a whole as one trait, or the elements that make up the complex? because it seems as though since they're interconnected in step two I could eliminate all of them at once, and about 3 of these complexes would just about balance my mirror (it's already almost balanced if a complex only gets treated as one trait).

third, and most complicated is with respect to the steps leading up to VOM. I think I succeeded quite well at the first step, the observation. I found that thoughts really move across my mind like a projectile, and if I just observed them they'd be smaller and weaker, but if I focused on one it gained more energy and got bigger, and these are the ones that form my internal dialogue ie the voice inside my head. My question is with the second step should it only be words or also images or both and should it be given energy or made on of the smaller ones? in other words, what should the thoughts being held be like? It's been a couple weeks now I've been on this step, and what I'd do is, for lack of anything better the meditate on, to focus on an element. not accumulate or pore breathe it or anything but just think on it, and cycle through them. so I'd repeat the word air over in my head innumerable times while visualizing first clouds, then the empty sky, then the feeling of the wind, and just cycle through any pictures and sometimes a feeling or sound. If this is alright I just got my ten minutes perfect today, though I don't know if a picture and a word is too much or if I shouldn't have given any focus or energy to the word or if the word isn't supposed to be repeated but held in place. Altogether, can I move on to the last meditation step or did I do the second completely wrong?

If you're reading this you've probably read my whole massively long post of questions, in which case I sincerely thank you for using some of your time on me, even if you don't have the answers I seek.

[chowderpope]

IIH has a tendency to make people think the practices should be more complicated than necessary. I recommend using Rawn Clark's Bardon Companion alongside IIH because he clears up a lot of the confusion and makes the practices seem much simpler and straightforward.

About you adding pictures and words and complicating the meditation, I don't think this is effective. You're meant to focus on a singular thing, but it sounds like you are entertaining yourself with a bunch of variations on a theme. I strictly focus on the sensation of breathing, it's simple and works. Anytime I get distracted, I just focus back on the breath once I catch myself thinking of other things.

I wouldn't work through any other systems alongside IIH, it would just make things messy. Wanting to expedite your development can be dangerous. Don't rush it, just do the practices as they are prescribed in IIH.

[chowderpope]

Actually, i correct myself. If you think IIH will blend well with another training, I say go for it. As long as you feel it's appropriate and makes sense.

[Shinichi]

first actually isn't directly linked to IIH. I was wondering what things if any would accelerate one's rate of growth on a magickal path?

1) Maintain your physical body with diet and exercise. Bardon mentions this in Step One to a degree, but it is not something to be overlooked. The physical vessel is the house or "Temple" within which everything else occurs, and it is the vehicle through which you operate in this world. I can tell you from personal experience that neglecting your physical health will hold back your magical progress, while even the most basic diet and exercise routines will be of great benefit.

2) Practice every day, without fail. Do not punish yourself or get depressed if you miss a day because of circumstances beyond your control, but do not make excuses for yourself either. Magical growth is not like muscle growth, you can't take regular days off and still make tons of progress quickly. You have to work persistently and consistently.

3) Create a Sacred Space and Sacred Time. The Time is simple enough: try to practice at the same time every day. It doesn't matter what time, though old books hold that certain hours are more special than others. This will help you establish the habitual routine that will build momentum and keep you going for years. Your Sacred Space can be anything you want, from a typical altar with items of worship relevant to your spirituality, to a simple meditation pillow and some incense that help you calm the mind. The space, combined with the time, will at first create a sort of autosuggestion so that it will be easier to meditate as soon as you sit down there and begin your practice. Over time, as you do more intense energy work like the accumulations and other later things, and as long as you don't let a lot of other people use the space, it will become magically charged in ways far beyond autosuggestion and have even stronger effects.

4) Practice basic spirit work, such as basic Ritual Offerings. If you do not know where to start with this, or what spirits to work with, then begin with Ancestor Work. Your blood ancestors, most of them at least, are some of the best spirits you can work with because they have personal interest in you growing as a person and a magical practitioner. As you become an honorable and powerful person, this influences your bloodline, forward and backwards. You can do your own research into this kind of work, as its rather basic and becoming more and more common in the West. You can also give consideration to your spiritual ancestors, which, as a practitioner of the IIH, includes Bardon himself. I've had a couple of experiences with Bardon's spirit, as have a few other students of the IIH I've spoken to. He generally has no problem with you asking for guidance from him, and you can probably meet him yourself when you get to a certain point of growth.

for instance: if I put in an hour of meditation a day would I proceed faster than if I did a half an hour? and if so, would it be doubly fast just slightly faster, ie would it suffer diminishing returns?

You should hold the instructions in the IIH as the absolute bare minimum, so that you can create a routine to practice every day without overloading yourself. With Bardon's time instructions, my basic routine worked up to and remained about a one hour a day minimum even up to step three. You can also perform this routine two or three times a day, if you like, but it's important to balance your magical training with the rest of your life. Bardon does not encourage you to become a reclusive monk.

A general cutoff in many traditions is four hours. As long as you don't practice more than four hours a day while you're on your own, you should be fine. More than that requires guidance from a personal teacher because of all the potential risks, and even with four hours, you're meant to build up to it slowly.

But seriously, just follow Bardon's minimum. Quality over quantity.

Also, would doing multiple trainings at the same time like IIH+quareia+DMK help, hinder, or not do anything good or bad? And if there's anything else that'd help please tell me.

There are a few things compatible with the IIH, especially Yoga. My personal usual suggestion is to combine with work of Bardon with the work of Jason Miller, with his books on Sorcery. Bardon will guide you on the path to personal power and spiritual evolution, whereas Miller teaches you basic spellcraft that gets you through daily life.

Mostly, it's best to keep things as simple as possible, especially early on. You don't want to overload yourself with too much work and end up hurting yourself or getting tired of practice.

second, a question about the soul mirror. I've found a couple of things I guess you could call complexes of traits, in that I'd have one trait, then like 6 other traits that are all a subset of that main trait. should I then count the complex as a whole as one trait, or the elements that make up the complex? because it seems as though since they're interconnected in step two I could eliminate all of them at once, and about 3 of these complexes would just about balance my mirror (it's already almost balanced if a complex only gets treated as one trait).

Treat them as a tier. Each trait goes into its own element, but taking a big trait (a particularly bad habit like smoking, or bad diet) and breaking it down into its sub-parts is very useful - because you can tackle those little things a lot more easily, and thus gain victory over the bigger thing more efficiently and more completely.

Literally all of your traits are interconnected. That's your psyche, dude. It's one big thing. It's just useful to look at the parts so that you can make changes according to what you actually want to become, instead of letting your habits rule you on their own.

third, and most complicated is with respect to the steps leading up to VOM. I think I succeeded quite well at the first step, the observation. I found that thoughts really move across my mind like a projectile, and if I just observed them they'd be smaller and weaker, but if I focused on one it gained more energy and got bigger, and these are the ones that form my internal dialogue ie the voice inside my head. My question is with the second step should it only be words or also images or both and should it be given energy or made on of the smaller ones? in other words, what should the thoughts being held be like? It's been a couple weeks now I've been on this step, and what I'd do is, for lack of anything better the meditate on, to focus on an element. not accumulate or pore breathe it or anything but just think on it, and cycle through them. so I'd repeat the word air over in my head innumerable times while visualizing first clouds, then the empty sky, then the feeling of the wind, and just cycle through any pictures and sometimes a feeling or sound. If this is alright I just got my ten minutes perfect today, though I don't know if a picture and a word is too much or if I shouldn't have given any focus or energy to the word or if the word isn't supposed to be repeated but held in place. Altogether, can I move on to the last meditation step or did I do the second completely wrong?

You can focus on literally anything, as long as you can get your mind focused only on that thing. Your visualization is probably a bit too complex for this though, and that's Step 2 work anyway.

If you want to focus on something elemental, then get one of the symbols of the elements, print it out, and place it a few feet away from you. Stare at it, and focus on it until all other thoughts go away, and that is the only thing in your mind. No clouds, breezes, or whatever. Just the thing. A candle flame is also a very good thing to focus on, as is your breathing. However, if you can perform the mantra word for the required time without any distractions, then you have indeed successfully concentrated for the required time. Your visualizations count as a distraction for this step though.

This isn't complicated in Step 1, it's just basic mental discipline. Basic concentration and mental relaxation. The more complicated mental exercises are in Step 2 and 3, with the development of the plastic imagination. That is where you will visualize things, not just images, but sounds and the other senses too.

Also, understand that the mind is layered, like an onion. You will conquer the surface mind relatively easily, but then you'll start getting things from the deep mind and you'll have to basically start all over and tame that too. It might feel like you've done something wrong at first, but it just means you're making progress and your awareness is successfully expanding. Persevere.



~:Shin:~