Franklin Merrell-Wolff discusses some of the experiences reported by individuals present at the “Induction Talk” delivered on 24 January 1970. He begins by suggesting the use of the term ‘inverse consciousness’ instead of the word ‘trance’ in speaking of mystical consciousness, and he stresses the distinction between the existential fact of trance on one hand and the meaning or spiritual value of trance consciousness on the other. Wolff goes on to examine Jung’s definition of the unconscious as found in his commentary to The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation in order to distinguish the psychological approach of the West from the yogic orientation of the East. He then reads and comments upon several of the reports submitted by those attending the Induction Talk.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff attempts to deliberately bring about “inductions” during this discourse. He begins by going through a process of vital purification and emphasizing the importance of dedication. He reviews the three primary forms of yoga: the way devotion, the way of action, and the way of knowledge. He outlines a philosophic position favorable to the attitude of jñāna yoga by explaining that his position is radically anti-materialistic, radically anti-behavioristic, and radically anti-tantric. He then goes on to present the distinction between the Eastern and Western psychological types suggested by Jung and to stress that Western man should not imitate Eastern yogic techniques, but should seek the Transcendent through the power of the introverted mind. He proceeds by outlining a process of self-analysis oriented toward isolating the subject to consciousness that is never an object before consciousness, commenting upon the importance of the renunciation of Nirvana, and concludes by affirming the possibility of a Realization transcending and integrating Nirvana and Sangsara as complementary opposites.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff suggests that there is reason to believe that an impulse has gone forth to establish a new dispensation in our philosophic and religious orientation. He points out that although a new truth may not be in the same direction as the earlier truth, it is not to be viewed as a contradiction of the earlier truth insofar as it is made possible by and built upon that earlier formulation. He goes on to make a distinction between the “initiate adept” who has been pledged to keep secret his knowledge and the “redeemer savior” who has made a breakthrough within a specific culture in order to share this knowledge with others. He reviews his thesis that Sangsara and Nirvana are interdependent, complementary opposites and asserts that the new dispensation would not only be other-worldly, but “this-worldly” at the same time.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff develops a conception of “redemption” that transcends the traditional view that one is redeemed by attaining either a heavenly world or nirvanic consciousness. He points out that since the heavenly and hellish worlds experienced after death are still within the phenomenal order and that since the Realization of Nirvana may be a locked-in state, they are both less than full redemption. He then defines full redemption as the Realization of a state of consciousness bridging the point of discontinuity between the sangsaric and the nirvanic states of consciousness, one that allows the nirvanic value to flow into the sangsaric field. Wolff asserts that our moral and spiritual problems can only be solved by those willing and able to make of themselves a streambed whereby the transforming force of nirvanic values can flow to the human whole and bring redemption to Sangsara itself. Wolff then closes this discourse by presenting some thoughts on the meaning of Akasha and the nature of apparent real space and time.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff addresses the question of how far Realization is a valid source of knowledge in the light of modern epistemological and psychological criticism. He asserts that Realization is a valid source of knowledge, but that it requires the awakening of a third form of cognition, namely, “introception,” to know it immediately. He goes on to stress the importance of a base of reference for understanding the relativity of conceptual formulation and describes the point of discontinuity or “inversion” in consciousness that takes place when shifting states of consciousness, such as the shift from “point-I” to “Space-I” consciousness. He cautions against going into a blackout Samadhi and points out the advantages of maintaining the relative consciousness on the sideline to remember and record the inner process. He proceeds to discuss the renunciation of Nirvana in order to help those still suffering in Sangsara, emphasizes that Sangsara and Nirvana are interdependent, complementary opposites, and expounds upon the need for the redemption and transformation of Sangsara by unlocking the point of discontinuity between Sangsara and Nirvana made possible by the Realization of Paranirvana.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff restates his series of five realizations as the epistemological base of reference from which he formulates his philosophy. He discusses the difficulty in making conceptual transcriptions of the values inherent in the substantive Consciousness and the problem in communicating the essence of the “High Indifference.” He goes on to describe the shift in consciousness from the Self-consciousness of the fourth Realization to that represented by the doctrines of Anatman and Nastikata of the fifth Realization, and he introduces the definition of Paranirvana as a Consciousness embracing both Sangsara and Nirvana as complementary opposites. He then proposes the possibility of becoming a tri-kayic being capable of moving freely within all three domains with the intention of bringing Liberation to all creatures and aiding in the transformation of Sangsara itself.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by proposing to drop the use of perceptual imagination and to instead explore whether the content of introceptual cognition can be interblended with the conceptual. He then goes on to describe the work of Dedekind and Cantor on the mathematics of the infinite and to demonstrate the importance of this work for understanding the Holistic symbol in particular and mystical states of consciousness in general.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series as preparation for the introduction of a symbol for the Holistic. He discusses how our conception of number emerges from counting and proceeds to the formulation of very large numbers such as the googol and the googolplex. He emphasizes that although these numbers are very large, they are still finite.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues his discussion of the triune nature of man by defining yoga as the yoking of the individual personality to the spiritual being or true inner reality. He emphasizes two methods of yoga; namely, the yoga of inclusion and the yoga of exclusion. He correlates the yoga of inclusion with the psychologist’s orientation to “wholeness” rather than to truth, goodness, and compassion; he describes the yoga of exclusion as the breaking of one’s identification with all that exists within the mundane order, both the good and the bad in the relative sense, with the goal of realizing that which is never an object of consciousness or the subject to consciousness.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff describes the principle of “psychological reductionism” as the thesis that any psychical state of an entity may be interpreted by an analysis of earlier states. He submits that the orientation to “ends”—that is, the idea that any given psychical state may be understood by the goal toward which the entity is striving—may provide a better way interpretation. Wolff then postulates that human beings are primarily “triune beings” consisting of an animal, human and spiritual entity. He goes on to assert that conceptuality is a superimposition of a higher principle upon the animal or sensuous entity. He notes that while most of this humanity identifies with the sensuous entity, some identify with the distinctly human aspect—that is, with the superimposed conceptuality; the next big step is to awaken an identification with the spiritual entity.