Review of “In The Realm of Inorganic Beings” By Brian T. Johnston

Who are we? Why are we here? What is our purpose? You might think that by now we have answers to these and the many other fundamental questions about our existence on this planet. Having spent most of my life working in metaphysics, I too would expect to have a good idea, but surprisingly there are still multitudes of unanswered questions.

There is something missing from our deep spirituality and philosophical systems that nags away. It is easy to think that it is the fault of the individual – a lack of intellectual capability, or faults in the arguments, or lack of knowledge, but something else is going on.

The descriptions of enlightenment have as much validity as fairy stories. Depictions of the Masters serenely going about their work dispensing wisdom to their acolytes works for a time, but ultimately lack any depth.

As a teenager I spent a lot of time in the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement, where much of the conversation was about enlightenment and what it meant. We would often quote “before enlightenment chop wood and carry water; after enlightenment chop wood and carry water”, which is probably far closer to the mark than any poetic description of the state. I think TM churned out a lot of enlightened individuals, but here is the rub: many had no idea that they had attained exulted states – enlightenment isn’t what you think it is. In part, the problem was to do with an inferiority complex – how could we be as enlightened as Maharishi? Obviously we could be, but the culture and ethos of the TM movement mitigated against the perception that enlightenment is a personal and individual experience. People looked too far ahead, not realising they already had something profound. Then of course is the problem that because they did not realise what they had attained they tried to stay in what they thought was their own ignorance. Leaving aside the delusional who believed themselves enlightened and were a pain, the path to enlightenment had a corporate path, from TM-Sidhis, to TM Teacher, to Governor, and whatever else there is. I did not leave the Movement – it left me. Enlightenment is such an intensely personal and delicate experience that it cannot be left to the care of large organisations.

Just as my doubts surfaced about TM, I met my own teacher, Punditt Maharaj, an enigmatic man, who remained in the question, and who kept me in a state of questioning that continues to this day, several years after he passed away. I would say I have more questions now than I ever did. This does not mean I spend my time in some kind of Jewish angst aka Woody Allen. Quite the contrary. I surround myself with people of like mind who enjoy spiritual work, and are certain in their work, but nevertheless still question what it is they are doing. Enlightenment is supposed to answer questions, except it does not. Enlightenment continually raises more questions, which keeps us in the spiritual state, a more sophisticated approach than Zen koans.

So what is keeping us from Knowing, that powerful state of consciousness that gives us access to all knowledge? Certainty and facts are there for lower states of consciousness, while the further up we go, the certainty of Not Knowing increases. Fortunately, done right, there is ease and comfort in this state of Not Knowing, for paradoxically Not Knowing holds all knowledge – it is a matter of accessing, for which the spur is often in the world of ignorance.

So, if enlightenment is not this nirvana of peace, joy (and any other description you might like to add), what is its purpose? My own experience suggests that far from being the ultimate goal, enlightenment should be treated as a transition state to Something Else. Enlightenment tells us we have made progress on the Path, and now the real work starts. I do not like to destroy fantastical notions of the easy life enlightenment is supposed to bestow, but we do need to grow up.

What is the work of the Enlightened? Again, I do not have all the answers, but there are a few glimpses. Certainly, helping others on the Path is a big part of it. For me, partly, it is through ‘fortune telling’, reading the tarot, which helps me to meet a lot of people who do not necessarily consider themselves spiritual, but nevertheless see there is something more to life. In many respects, fortune telling is a frontline occupation, which keeps things real. In between answering questions on love, money, work, travel, etc, I have the opportunity to talk about deeper aspects, without necessarily talking about God. After all, how did I meet Punditt? On Brighton seafront in his palmists booth.

Clearly something is keeping us from knowing our true nature, even when the experience of enlightenment is continual. (That does not mean that the experience is continual – it can dip in and out depending on circumstances; people around us, food, drink, work etc.) This is where the scary stuff comes in. Early on with my time with Punditt I read Carlos Castaneda books, and they struck a chord with my own experiences of continuous pain that moved around the body. I never had the flashy stuff Castaneda describes, and I have to confess to not really understanding what was really going on. Looking back, I can now see that spiritual organisations are not equipped to deal with the inorganic beings described by Castaneda – maybe that is not their function – they are simply required to churn out people with higher states of consciousness, just as schools are required to teach the basic subjects, which will hopefully equip the student to take knowledge further.

Dealing with inorganic beings requires a personal service, help from someone who has already been through the spiritual wringer. Although I did not appreciate it while undergoing the removal of the inorganic beings, it seems I had it easier than others. I met one or two people who succumbed – they became bigger prey to the inorganic beings who were able to totally take control.

This might seem an inordinately long preamble to discussing Brian Johnston’s book, but the truth is that even after reading it several times, I found it difficult to write the review, as it asked so many questions about my own journey.

While Castaneda set his experiences in the cultural context of the Yaqui Indians, clearly inorganic beings are everywhere, and I am indebted to Brian T. Johnston’s book “In The Realm of Inorganic Beings”, which documents his experiences of dealing with the problem. Compared to me, he had it tough. We seemed to be on parallel paths, both were in the Transcendental Meditation movement, then we went our own ways. Via Punditt I found myself studying Aleister Crowley’s writings and his offshoots, the O.T.O., and Argenteum Astrum, with the Golden Dawn as the basis, not to mention all the other Eastern philosophies, including Sufism. Johnston worked his way through the Rosicrucian Order to become Head, but it is clear that while the Rosicrucian techniques gave him the mental and spiritual discipline to help him deal with inorganic beings, the Rosicrucian order itself does not have the capability itself to deal with them.

While conventional esoteric orders like to externalise the spiritual experience via ritual, be it magical, spiritual, or whatever, the process of dealing with inorganic beings happens within. While the consequences of dealing with inorganic beings can be seen in the chaos and weird events that surround the person trying to deal with them, the battle is within. In particular, the dreamscape of tunnels and spirits that Johnston describes so much better than me (Fortunately, the passage of time has dimmed the worst excesses for me, so I can almost see the process as nostalgic!), for which nobody can help. For me the experience of being totally alone, the despondency of not knowing the solution, of how long the suffering had to last, knowing that I had no-one to discuss my experiences with (not even Punditt), is an indication of just how deep one has to dig in order to simply carry on and endure. I can tell you that it is impossible to give any hint of how deep you have to dig. The nearest analogy I can get to is with the war veterans who carry with themselves the terrifying experiences of battle, unable to talk about except with their colleagues who were there. No point in talking to civilians – they would not understand.

The inner battles that commence almost as soon as one hits the pillow spills out into every area of one’s life, continuously, in ways that are impossible to describe, is like being hit by a truck going at 100 miles an hour, every day. While help is there, it is almost invisible, and perversely not in the ways one thinks it should be. In order to escape from the inorganic beings, paradoxically, one has to escape from this reality (a loose description – whose reality is it anyway?). I do not know how, but ‘I’ won my particular war with the inorganic beings. I am not sure when the battle ended either, for I was intensely aware of the muscle and tissue memories of the pain which made it difficult to know when it really had gone away or not. I had too many false victories to get my hopes up. Impeccability is required, not only in dreams, but in all other states of consciousness.

What I found particularly fascinating was the dialogues Johnston had with the inorganic beings. He hit on the idea of continually asking them questions, which quietened down not only his own internal dialogue, but that of the beings themselves. Here, I believe, is the key not only to dealing with inorganic beings, but to evolve beyond their influence so that we can be the Beings we truly are.

Based upon my own experiences, I believe In The Realm of Inorganic Beings to be an authentic and important contribution to our knowledge of how to deal with these rascals. It is easy to find writers on Castaneda, but clearly they have not gone through the experiences themselves, as they either try to stay within Castaneda’s cultural remit, or they add no insight that comes from experience. Armchair spiritual warriors to a man.

If you have been going through the inner turmoil caused by inorganic beings, I cannot give you sympathy, for to do so will weaken your resolve. Continue to fight, to be resourceful, to develop new spiritual techniques, and know that you are not alone. When you emerge victorious, as I know you will, know you can contribute to helping others. As more people go through this experience, I am sure we will be able to see more clearly our destiny, and experience new levels of Being.