Title: The Nature of Initiatic Knowledge
Tags: #Evola #InitiaticKnowledge #Tradition #Esotericism #SpiritualRealization

1. Knowledge as Being: Initiatic knowledge transcends modern intellectualism. To truly know is to be the object of knowledge, not merely to think about it. This requires a transformation of consciousness into the known reality.
   
2. Experimental Method: Initiatic knowledge is purely experiential. It is not based on abstract theories but on direct, individual experience. Certainty arises from lived reality, not intellectual speculation.
   
3. Beyond Phenomena: Ordinary knowledge is limited to the sensible world, which is finite and contingent. Initiatic knowledge goes beyond phenomena, seeking the absolute through direct identification with higher states of being.
   
4. Hierarchy of Experience: Initiatic teachings recognize multiple levels of experience, each corresponding to a different state of consciousness. These levels form a hierarchy, ascending from the sensible to the absolute.
   
5. Active Identification: True knowledge involves active identification with the object of knowledge, leading to a state of superrational clarity. This is distinct from mystical merging, which lacks intellectual precision.
   
6. Rejection of Profane Knowledge: Initiatic knowledge dismisses modern profane knowledge, which is abstract, democratic, and leveling. True knowledge is hierarchical and accessible only to those who undergo the necessary transformations.
   
7. Practical and Operative: The initiatic path is practical, focusing on the means to achieve spiritual transformation. It is not concerned with theoretical speculation but with the opus (work) of self-realization.
   
8. Differentiation: Initiatic knowledge is inherently differentiated. It cannot be universally transmitted without degradation. Each individual’s capacity for knowledge depends on their level of spiritual development.
   
9. Power and Justice: Authentic knowledge confers true power, rooted in spiritual superiority. This contrasts with modern technological power, which is mechanical, democratic, and devoid of spiritual value.
   
10. Superiority and Realization: The initiatic path leads to the transcendence of the human condition. True power and knowledge belong to those who have achieved this awakening, affirming their superiority through integration with higher realities.
    

The Nature of Initiatic Knowledge

Those who approach our disciplines must first understand this fundamental principle: the problem and meaning of knowledge are perceived in a manner entirely distinct from the frameworks of modern culture.

From an initiatic perspective, to know is not to “think,” but to become the object of knowledge. True knowledge is achieved only when one’s consciousness is transformed into the known object. In this sense, knowledge is inseparable from experience, making the initiatic method purely experimental. Certainty here is rooted in direct, individual experience. In ordinary life, sensations, desires, emotions, or perceptions (such as pain, longing, or intuition) possess this experiential quality. Concepts of “true” and “false” are irrelevant; what matters is the absolute “Is” of the thing itself, experienced without the need for intellectual validation. This form of knowledge is absolute—there are no degrees, approximations, or probabilities. One either possesses it or does not.

For the ordinary individual, such knowledge is confined to the sensible realm, which is finite, contingent, and accidental. What is commonly regarded as knowledge is instead a system of abstract concepts, relations, and hypotheses, detached from direct experience. The immediate data of consciousness are often dismissed as mere “phenomena,” with an assumed “true reality” posited behind them. For science, this reality is matter or etheric vibrations; for philosophers, it is the “noumenon” or “thing in itself”; for religion, it is a divine hypostasis. This creates a dichotomy: pure experience, due to its finite nature, is not considered “knowledge,” while what is deemed “knowledge” lacks experiential depth.

The initiatic path transcends this dichotomy, emphasizing direct experience as the sole criterion. While ordinary individuals equate experience with the sensible realm, initiatic teachings assert the existence of multiple experiential levels, each corresponding to a distinct mode of perceiving reality. These levels are hierarchical, progressing toward greater absoluteness. There is no separation between a “world of phenomena” and an “absolute” behind it; the “phenomenal” reflects a specific experiential level and state of the Self, while the “absolute” corresponds to a higher state achievable through transformation. The measure of absoluteness is determined by the degree of active identification—the extent to which the Self is unified with its experience and the object is transparent in meaning. This hierarchy ascends from “sign” to “sign,” culminating in a state of superrational, intellectual vision, where the object is fully realized in the Self and vice versa. This state embodies both power and absolute evidence, rendering rationalization and speculation obsolete.

Initiatic teachings view the mind's tendency to theorize and philosophize negatively. Such endeavors are futile. The real concern is practical: how to achieve the transformation and integration of experience. This is why Western initiation is associated with concepts like the “Art” (Ars Regia), the “Work” (opus magnum or opus magicum), or the symbolic construction of the “Temple.” In China, the Absolute and the path converge in the term “Tao.”

Modern spiritualism, with its speculative fantasies about cosmology and supersensible realms, fosters a flawed attitude. The initiatic approach values experiential practice, restraint, and silent action, guided by the Hermetic principle “post laborem scientia” (knowledge after work). Modern culture, far from being a prerequisite for spiritual realization, often obstructs it. A person untouched by modern intellectual and aesthetic contaminations, yet possessing an open mind, balance, and courage, is more suited to receive superior knowledge than any academic or “critical thinker.” True initiates are reluctant to theorize; they simply point to the problem and the means, leaving the aspirant to act.

Initiatic knowledge also upholds the principle of differentiation, contrasting sharply with modern culture's egalitarian tendencies. Modern “knowledge” is democratized, accessible to all through education, but this applies only to abstract, conceptual truths. Initiatic knowledge, rooted in experiential transformation, is inherently exclusive. It corresponds to the hierarchical degrees of initiation and cannot be universally transmitted without degradation. Theoretical communication is useless; initiatic knowledge relies on allusion and symbol to provoke illumination. Without an inner movement, even these are valueless. Initiatic knowledge demands differentiation, recognizing that ordinary existence and sensible experience are incompatible with realization. This necessitates a rejection of modern criteria for truth and knowledge, reaffirming the principle of suum cuique (to each his own). Knowledge, truth, and freedom are proportional to one's being.

A common objection is that transcendent experiences amount to mysticism, offering no insight into external reality. However, initiatic “identification” is not a passive merging but an active, superrational clarity, distinct from mystical states. Furthermore, the notion of “explanation” in profane disciplines is illusory. Only initiatic knowledge, which identifies with the real causes of phenomena, can provide true explanation. This identification confers power over causes, a principle absent in modern science and technology. Modern technological power is democratic and amoral, devoid of true superiority. It is mechanical, lacking connection to the Self, and ultimately leaves humanity spiritually impoverished.

In the initiatic domain, authentic knowledge is justice, a natural emanation of an integrated life. It transcends abstract principles, grasping real beings through direct spiritual perception. Similarly, true power operates above natural laws, among the causes of phenomena, embodying the irresistibility of the superior being. This superiority arises from transcending the human condition and achieving initiatic awakening.

Metaphysical part:

On the Secret of Decay.

Those who reject the rationalist myth of “progress” and the view of history as an unbroken upward trajectory for humanity will inevitably gravitate toward the worldview shared by all great traditional cultures. At the heart of this worldview lies the recognition of a process of degeneration, a gradual darkening, or the collapse of a higher, earlier world. As one delves deeper into this ancient (yet renewed) perspective, several questions arise, chief among them being the mystery of degeneration.

This question is not new. When faced with the remnants of ancient cultures—whose names are lost to time but whose physical remains exude a transcendent greatness—few can avoid pondering the causes of their decline. The usual explanations often fall short.

The Comte de Gobineau provided the most comprehensive analysis of this issue, along with a critique of prevailing theories. His emphasis on racial thought and purity contains much truth, but it requires expansion to include higher principles. There are instances where cultures collapsed despite racial purity, as seen in certain isolated groups that faced extinction. For example, the Swedes and the Dutch remain racially unchanged from two centuries ago, yet their once-heroic spirit and racial consciousness have faded. Other cultures, like ancient Peru, persisted as hollow shells, easily toppled by external forces.

From a traditional perspective, the mystery of degeneration becomes even more complex. Cultures can be divided into two types: traditional and modern. Traditional cultures are rooted in metaphysical, supra-individual principles, forming a hierarchical order centered on the spiritual. Modern culture, in contrast, rejects tradition, focusing solely on human and earthly concerns, detached from the “higher world.” From this standpoint, history is a story of universal decline, marked by the fall of traditional cultures and the rise of modern civilization.

Two key questions emerge:

1. How did this decline occur? The evolutionary notion that the higher emerges from the lower is flawed. Similarly, the involutionary idea that the higher can fall requires explanation. Analogies like health turning to sickness or virtue to vice offer some insight but fall short of a true explanation.

2. How does the degeneration of one culture spread to others? The collapse of the ancient Western world and the global dominance of modern culture cannot be explained solely by material or economic conquest. European expansion not only brought material subjugation but also implanted modern, rationalist, and individualistic thought. Traditional cultures, even where they appeared intact, often harbored internal weaknesses, making them vulnerable to external forces.

The traditional view of hierarchy is not based on tyranny but on spiritual authority. The higher does not dominate the lower; rather, the lower recognizes and is drawn to the higher. This recognition forms the basis of traditional order, fostering sacrifice, heroism, and loyalty. When individuals deny the Spirit and sever ties to higher principles, the hierarchy collapses. This internal decay leads to external revolution and decline.

The fall of traditional cultures stems from a metaphysical decision: the rejection of the Spirit and the embrace of individualism and materialism. This decision, rooted in the misuse of freedom, is the core of degeneration. It echoes the Christian notion of the Fall of Man and the Rebellion of the Angels, highlighting humanity's capacity to destroy spiritual values.

Legends of eternal rulers, like the sleeping Emperor beneath the Kyffhäuser mountain, hint at the possibility of restoration. These figures symbolize the enduring presence of spiritual authority, which can be rediscovered through inner awakening. The fallen masses may yet return to the unchanging peaks, guided by the “magnet” of the Spirit. This hints at the secret of reconstruction, a topic for another time.

In summary, the mystery of decay lies in the rejection of higher principles and the misuse of freedom, leading to the collapse of traditional order and the rise of modernity. The path to restoration lies in reawakening the Spirit within.

Title: The Crisis of Modern Man and the Path to Transcendence
Tags: #Evola #Tradition #InitiaticKnowledge #SelfTransformation #HigherConsciousness

1. The Existential Crisis: Modern individuals often face moments where their certainties crumble, revealing the void beneath their daily distractions. This crisis forces them to confront the fundamental question: What am I?
   
2. The Illusion of Purpose: Daily routines, moral codes, and even higher pursuits often serve as distractions, masking the inner darkness and the solitude of existence. These constructs allow individuals to avoid confronting the true nature of the Self.
   
3. The Evasion of Truth: Many attempt to escape this crisis by turning it into a mere philosophical problem, seeking new systems or truths to cling to. Others passively rely on traditional structures, avoiding the radical transformation required.
   
4. The Path of the Few: Some, however, hold their ground. They abandon all faiths and hopes, seeking self-knowledge and the knowledge of Being. For them, there is no turning back.
   
5. Initiatic Disciplines: This crisis often leads individuals to initiatic disciplines, which offer a path beyond the human condition. These disciplines require a radical transformation of one’s being and consciousness.
   
6. The Nature of Higher Knowledge: Higher knowledge transcends reason, beliefs, and modern science. It resolves the anguish of existence by transforming the individual’s state of being. This knowledge is not speculative but experiential.
   
7. The Necessity of Detachment: To achieve this knowledge, one must detach from all conditioned and extrinsic relationships. A radical upheaval is necessary to break free from the limitations of the human condition.
   
8. The Traditional Science: This path corresponds to a rigorous, methodical science transmitted through initiatic chains. It focuses on the deepest energies of human interiority, operating with objectivity and impersonality.
   
9. The Role of Crisis as Catharsis: For those who overcome the crisis, it becomes a purification, a shedding of the merely human. For others, it reawakens an ancient legacy, a connection to a higher race and its instincts.
   
10. The Ultimate Goal: The aim is to transform the entire body into an instrument of consciousness, penetrating the vital layers where the energies of the higher Self operate. This leads to the rediscovery of the path to the “closed palace of the King,” the ultimate realization of transcendent knowledge. This path is not for the many but for the few who possess the strength and calmness to transcend the human condition and awaken to the light of inner knowledge.

There are moments in certain individuals' lives when all their certainties waver, their inner lights dim, and the voices of their passions and affections fall silent, leaving them stripped of everything that animates and drives their being. In such moments, the individual is drawn back to their innermost center, confronting the ultimate question: What am I?

Often, they come to realize that everything they do—whether in their daily life or in the pursuit of higher values—serves as a distraction, creating the illusion of purpose and meaning, allowing them to avoid deep reflection and continue living. Daily routines, moral codes, faiths, philosophies, sensory indulgences, and even disciplines appear to have been devised or pursued as means to escape the inner void, to flee the anguish of fundamental solitude, and to evade the problem of the Self.

For some, this crisis may lead to a fatal outcome. Others manage to shake it off, driven by a primal, animal energy that refuses to succumb. They suppress the insights briefly glimpsed during such experiences, dismissing them as nightmares, mental weakness, or nervous imbalance. They readjust and return to “reality.”

Then there are those who evade the crisis entirely. Unable to grasp its profundity, they reduce the existential problem to a mere “philosophical question.” They seek new “truths” and “systems,” claiming to find light in the darkness, reigniting their will to persist. Alternatively, they passively rely on traditional structures, dogmas, and stereotypical forms of authority.

Yet, there are those who stand firm. For them, something irrevocable has occurred. They resolve to break free from the cycle that has entrapped them, abandoning all faiths and renouncing all hopes. They seek to dispel the fog and carve a new path. Their goal is self-knowledge and the understanding of Being within themselves. For these individuals, there is no turning back.

This is one way in which some, particularly in the modern age, may approach initiatic disciplines. Others arrive at this point through a natural sense of recollection and dignity, sensing that this world is not the true world, that there is something higher beyond sensory perception and human constructs. They yearn for a direct vision of reality, as if awakening fully.

In both cases, the individual realizes they are not alone. They feel a kinship with others who have reached this point, whether by a different path or through an innate understanding. Together, they come to know a higher truth:

Beyond the intellect, beyond beliefs, and beyond what is today called science and culture, there exists a higher knowledge. Here, the anguish of the individual ceases, the darkness and contingency of the human condition dissolve, and the problem of Being is resolved. This knowledge is transcendent, requiring a transformation of one's state of being. Just as one cannot expect the pain of holding a burning coal to cease without letting it go, one cannot transcend the fundamental darkness of existence without undergoing a profound change. To transform oneself is the necessary precondition for higher knowledge. Such knowledge does not deal with “problems” but with tasks and realizations.

These realizations are entirely positive, grounded in a concrete, direct relationship with oneself and the world. For modern man, this means confronting the conditioned, extrinsic, and contingent nature of physical existence. The so-called “spirit” and its values (good and evil, true and false, superior and inferior) are merely reflections of this physical state, offering no true transcendence. Thus, a radical crisis or upheaval is necessary. One must have the courage to set everything aside, detaching from all that is merely human. The transformation of one's deepest structure is essential for attaining higher knowledge—a knowledge that is both wisdom and power, fundamentally nonhuman, and achievable only by overcoming the human condition.

Modern man, trapped in a kind of magic circle, knows little of such horizons. As Joseph de Maistre observed, today's “scientists” have monopolized knowledge, ensuring that no one may know more or differently than they do. Yet, this does not negate the existence of higher knowledge. The teaching we speak of has a far stronger claim to universality than the predominant Western religions. It is rooted in a unitary tradition, expressed in various forms across cultures: as the wisdom of ancient elites, as sacred symbols and rituals, as allegories, mysteries, initiations, theurgy, Yoga, or high magic. In more recent times, it has surfaced in secret currents within Western history, from the Hermeticists to the Rosicrucians.

This path is also a rigorous, methodical science, transmitted through unbroken chains of initiates. It focuses not on external phenomena but on the deepest energies of human interiority, proceeding with the objectivity and impersonality of the exact sciences. It produces consistent results under the same conditions, independent of feelings, morality, or abstract speculation.

This “divine” technique offers real possibilities to those who, after the crisis described, find the strength and calm to overcome it positively, experiencing it as a catharsis and purification from all that is merely human. It also speaks to those rare individuals in whom an ancient legacy reawakens, as if the instinct of a long-lost race resurfaces.

The human brain has reached its limits. What is needed now is to transform the entire body into an instrument of consciousness, transcending individual limitations to access the vital layers where the energies of a higher Self operate. Only then can the path to the “closed palace of the King” be rediscovered.

This collection of essays aims to provide clues, suggestions, and techniques of this secret science. It is not a body of beliefs or concepts but an inner awakening, a light passed from spirit to spirit. We have sought to avoid unnecessary discussions, focusing instead on capturing the essence of these teachings. Where obscurities remain, they are inherent to the subject itself. Higher knowledge is, above all, experience—intelligible only to those who undergo analogous experiences. Written or printed communication can only go so far; the rest depends on the reader's ability to align with the teaching.

Metaphysical part:

In many traditions, the material representation of the divine is prohibited. The Buddha emphasized the avoidance of forming mental or immaterial images of the Absolute, rejecting any basis for asserting the existence of a personal creator God. When questioned on this matter, he responded with silence. Suffering arises from attachment, not only to material forms but also to mental constructs. The core aim of the Buddha's teaching is the cessation of suffering through the deliberate elimination of attachment and desire. As long as desire persists, one remains susceptible to judgment, duality, and the entanglements of conventional thought. Realization of the fundamental principle (dharma) brings about a state of certainty, where one embodies certainty itself.