Totems and totem forms. Totem series

Author: Vladimir Tonkov

Date: 14.02.2010

Translated from Russian by Elena Shoshkina

Edited by Ivan Gesse

Totem – origins of the phenomenon The esoteric and occultism provide us with a rather stingy description of totems and totem forms or in fact do not provide us with any description at all. This however has its reasonable explanation.

Some elements related to this subject can be found in psychiatry sources and namely in those areas of psychiatry pertaining to the severe pathologies associated with the patients’ self-identification with animals (i.e. comparison, transference of animal qualities on oneself).

More information can be found in anthropological research of cultures of the pre-modern civilizations: of the north and south American Indians and of the tribal communities beyond the Ural mountains (translation note: roughly the central part of modern Russia).

However this does not exhaust the issue in question. As a matter of fact, the culture of “totems” and “totem forms” coexists with us in our modern world, but the subject itself is so forbidden that anyone who is in any practical way related to it will immediately fall silent in the presence of a outsider.

The “conspiracy of silence” around the subject of “totems” and “totem forms” is in most cases maintained absolutely voluntarily, most often intuitively and only in some cases under the effect of external circumstances. Certain reasons for the silence originate from: – safety considerations;

– “once my secret is revealed, people around me will suspect me of madness and will hand me over to a psychiatrist”;

– “once my secret is revealed, people who believe in God will destroy me for offending the human essence”;

– professional considerations:

– “if I reveal my secret I will insult the force which will in turn abandon me”;

– “when my secret is revealed to an adversary, the influence he has on me will prove to be significantly more effective”.

Totems – what are they?

The common opinion of “totems” is rather simplified. Most often what is called totems are images made of wood, bone or stone, frequently abstract, shapeless, sometimes depicting something concrete inhabited by the “spirit and soul”: either of an animal, a human or another creature. In reality the totems are not the figures themselves, but rather “those” whose images they are depicting.

Undoubtedly the idea of totems as of the tribal “forefathers” or “guardians” was originated by the researches of such cultures due to their own prejudiced wishful thinking which occurs so often. On the other hand, the fact that this statement is partly true is undeniable.

What is a “totem” then? Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately there is no clear and final definition which could be given as the sole one. Only practicing psychics can give even an approximate and a fairly simplified definition of the “totem”; these psychics being few in numbers and a rather closed bunch.

To comprehend the essence of the subject in question, we will need to carefully follow the path of the beginner “psychic”, as well as provide some classification of these specialists by their perception type:

– The “seeing psychics”. This definition actually embraces two absolutely distinct groups:

– the “seeing” meaning those “looking” at something and perceiving the effects they observe as some type of visual images;

– the “seeing” meaning those “seeing the essence of things”, i.e. those not “seeing the visual images”, but rather “comprehending the hidden qualities, properties and probabilities” of things they are observing;

– The “hearing psychics”. Like the former category this group is divided into two:

– the “hearing” meaning those perceiving the observed phenomena as audio effects: starting from the general natural or man-triggered sounds and ending with the primitive “voice messages” perceived as a conversation with a “stranger”;

– the “hearing” in terms of “not everybody who heard has understood”, i.e. meaning those paying attention not so much to the sounds of physiological nature perceived by the ear, and also the psycho-informative ones, perceived by other so-called “fine” parts of the human organism, the “superior perception systems”, but rather to the deepest essence of the effects hidden in such sounds. For example, let us say a child comes and says that he is tired of being outside, but the adult “hears” that the child needs to go to the bathroom, but is shy about saying so…

– the “tactile sensing psychics” meaning those “psychics” or “sensitives” defining the phenomena of a different space in terms of the touch sensation, just like a person physiologically senses by touching physical items;

– the “knowing psychics”. Sometimes they are called “clairknowing”. They make their judgments based on the “uninterpretable”, i.e. “inexplicable for oneself”, “intransferable into tactile, visual, audio and other types of images” and motives, thus turning oneself into a radio: speaking and yet not knowing what he is speaking. In other words, so-called “somnambulists”.

– various other types of “psychics” operating by various techniques and classified by their proneness to the whatever particular perception qualities and their interpretation of supersensitive phenomena.

– the “complex psychics” or “universal psychics” meaning those capable of using a number of different techniques simultaneously, including those specified above.

It is possible that the above classification contains a number of terms, concepts and words requiring additional interpretation. These interpretations can be found in other areas connected with these terms by the meaning that is common among them.

So then what were we trying to achieve by providing the above classification of the psychics? Well ,we in fact wanted to clarify their basic essence of their professional differences inasmuch as these differences define their practical knowledge of the “totem” and the “totem forms” or the lack of it.

Only those psychics “seeing the visual images” are capable of examining the totem elements. Such psychics can be divided as follows:

– the “clairvoyant psychics with visual perception” or “permanently immersed sensitives”. This group includes only those psychics capable of doing “natural contemplation”, meaning those seeing at least two layers of reality at any time and in any place: the physical world perceived only by the physiological organs and “another” world perceived by “other” so-called “fine” or “superior” perception systems. This group of seers is one of the more “extreme”, i.e. operating in the extremely dangerous conditions, constantly being in the “triangle of danger” between the psychiatrist, the undertaker and his own visions.

– the “partially immersed sensitives” or the “meditative psychics”. They differ from the previous group by how they perform their “immersions”: they immerse in order to “see” the visual images, inasmuch as they are incapable of seeing “another world” in their everyday life either due to their own preferences or to other reasons. By the nature of immersions they can be classified as follows:

– the “partially immersed”, provided that the degree of their “psychic immersion”, “meditation”, “trance”, etc is not deep enough to cease perceiving the surrounding physical world completely;

– the “dropping into immersion” or “switching”, meaning those psychics “plunging” fast and “switching off” his perception of the surrounding physical world and “switching on” perception of “another dimension” as if turning on the theater lights;

– “dreamers” meaning those psychics using dreams for their “voyages into the other perception forms”.

As a rule, only the “psychics capable of seeing visual images” and particularly in the beginning of their “psychic search” when being immersed or being in the psychically altered state can extremely distinctly and often more distinctly than “if perceived physically” see “creatures” entering into the sphere of their visual perception and actually looking into his or her eyes and perceiving the “psychic-dreamer” as something complete and fully comprehensible. When that happens the psychic does not sense any disharmony, deceit, danger or lie, on the contrary their relationship is clothed with a feeling of closeness and understanding.

Perhaps here many psychics will try to recall their own searches.

But this is futile, since if a person has once found himself in such situation he will never forget it afterwards; and if a situation needs to be recalled deliberately, then the situation simply passed by unnoticed due to a number of reasons:

– at the time of the “totem encounter” the person’s perception was distracted and therefore he “gazed in a different direction” while the “totem factor” disappointedly looked into his eyes;

– the “totem factor” bypassed the person avoiding making contact with him for a number of reasons or pursuing its own motives. One of the reasons could be the psychic’s pathological deceitfulness or his feigned sham spirituality.

– the person did not focus on, i.e. was not intentionally going to focus on the organs of the “superior visual perception” and the “totem factor” felt nothing, but disappointment having looked into the eyes of the psychic. It is somewhat similar to looking into the eyes of a person absorbed with himself: capable of seeing and yet not looking.

-other reasons.

The figure of speech above, namely the “totem factor” was used for a particular reason. You cannot call it a creature inasmuch as it is something different. On the other hand, you cannot call it an effect, a force or a vision for a number of factual reasons.

What is a “totem factor”? What does it mean? It is either something foul and demonic or it is that ancient horror from the times of antiquity. Come on, folks… Let’s stop at that.

It is obvious that with the help of certain churchmen we have reached the point where even on our way to God, Jehovah or Allah we stopped paying any notice to animals, humans or other creatures, measuring their suitability for ourselves only in terms of being able to use their backs on our way to the Almighty.

It should be noted that next to us coexist an enormous number of micro-civilizations and communities fairly easily receiving into their “pantheons”, i.e. into their “lists of creatures being worshiped”, those whose names they are cursed with. There are numerous examples of that: Afro-American spiritualists manage holding masses both to the Virgin Mary and Christ, while remembering their own historic worship at the same time. Quite often you can see adherents of both confessions having a dozen or two of saints or guardian creatures of confronting religions.

The same can be said of the “totem factor”:

– First of all, it is worth knowing that our idea of “totemness” as of something from the “American Wild West” or the “Chukot highlands of the Mid-Alaska Plain” is rooted exactly in the attitude of our society and of each citizen in particular toward the subject of “psychic practice” and the “psycho-phenomenology” in general. (translation note: the author is presumably speaking about Russia in particular) As the classic – once said: “things amazing are at hand, but it’s all under a ban”… (translation note: a translated line from a song by Vladimir Vysotsky (1938-1980), a famous poet and bard of the Soviet era)

– Secondly, it would be worthwhile to consider that “it is not man looking for the totem factor, but the totem factor trusting man”, thus committing its inner purity to some strange hands. It is impossible to explain many of things to a person who has only heard of it or is prejudiced against it. A cat and a dog are also dangerous animals…

– Thirdly, in the process of their psychic and spiritual development all people without any exception in one way or the other do come in touch with the perception planes controlled by the “totem factor” by means of their “superior psychic responsive elements”. But the fact that not everybody is rendered to be suitable is a different matter altogether.

“What if ‘it’ is really using us?”, someone may say with his eyes bulging in horror. “And what if you are using it”, the answer could follow. The main thing is to enjoy it.

Are you in any way annoyed by the fact that the steak you are eating is finally affecting you? Or a cucumber. And what about the air breathed out by your neighbor? After all, don’t you think that the systematic prayers and appeals addressed to some creatures in a way likewise affect your psyche?

And isn’t your psyche injured by the school or university education? Including church Sunday schools and highest inter-confessional educational institutions. After all, since life in general is so dangerous, harmful and unspiritual, wouldn’t it have been better for us not to be born at all?

“Totem forms” Most often the professional meaning of the term “totem factor” refers to two group forms, one of which is absolutely inappropriate:

– the “totem factor”, meaning one of the forms fully perceived physically and expressing the psychic closeness of the human consciousness to one of the branches of the “totem animal”. There is certain finite number of totem groups or totem lists, including particular animals: purely mystical or mystical analogs corresponding to regular animals we meet in our everyday life. Some may think that we are talking about the so-called “Zodiac” or astrological symbols, but that is not so. Absolute correspondence of some names of the mystical animals is an irregular fact… Are there any “totem factors” in animal clothing in the “totem groups”? Yes, there are, but they show themselves as “superior animals”, rather than “beasts” or “predators”.

– the “totem form”, meaning the very group added to the “totem factor” and the group describing the latter due to some similarity, i.e. some outer likeness, when there is really nothing common between them. The “totem form” is a particular formation created to meet certain needs in certain cases under certain circumstances. The basic visible distinction between the “totem factor” and the “totem form” is an inner feeling of certain nobleness, a special “good force” expressed by means of their, i.e. the “totem factor’s” and the “totem form’s”, inner substance.

The “totem forms” are generated:

– by means of “local mental projection” when someone possessing, either consciously or unconsciously, a special “mental form-making and projecting quality” in the course of his contemplations or dreams repeated from time to time, generates a “clot of energy and information” which takes the form dictated thereto: of either an animal, a creature, or a thing. As a result of numerous “projected calls” thereto this form is strengthened and becomes perceivable for other “sensitives”;

-by means of a “distant mental projection”, when something of a similar nature and in a similar way appears as described above, but in a fair distance from the person making the “mental projection”. The term “mental” means a specific state of the “fine material matter” pre-processed by the person’s central nervous system and his “superior psychic systems” thus providing his “fine material matter” with the special “form-making” qualities as a result.

The “totem forms” as opposed to the “totem factor” can be passed on from generation to generation, both consciously or unconsciously, or passed on professionally. It is the “totem forms” that are more often called the “evil force” or the “evil creatures” thus saving the effort to draw the line between such formations, even if highly organized, and real creatures of different psychic and psycho-material dimensions.

The classic example is the witch’s “black cat” passed on from generation to generation, the “black raven” of a hereditary sorcerer passed on as a prize, the “card demons” of the gypsies and fortune-tellers… The “totem forms” as opposed to the “totem factor” are extremely interested in any type of cooperation with people because they need “mental nourishment” for their life sustenance inasmuch as they are generated by the “mental projection”.

This feature constitutes the fundamental and absolute distinction between the “totem factors” and “totem forms”, thus creating their fundamental behavioral differences: the “totem factor” is noble, primal, viable, and self-sufficient, coordinating its relations based on its own convictions; while the “totem form” is initially dependent upon people and their mental and sensual activity, completely lacking nobleness, viability, and independence that can cost it a great deal…

Summing up…

Thus we have discovered the basic differences of the “totem factor” and the “totem forms”.

The “totem factor” being a creature and a force of a different kind of life frequently needs us like the “interesting animals”, at the same time presenting itself to us as a “miraculous beast”.

Celebrating reaching the puberty age and performing the relevant rites the American Indians fasted and prayed searching and waiting for a “totem factor” when they had to wait for the coming of the “guardian totem”. It is not clear whether the person “waiting” actually received the “totem factor” itself; evidently more often they got “totem forms” instead.

It is possible that someone may say that it is all described in detail in Mr. Carlos Castaneda’s books. Please do not let yourself be deceived: a multi-volume doctrine of Castaneda is a mixture of the real, “supernatural” concepts and simple “mental masturbation”. This opus can in no case be called uninteresting or poor of content; on the contrary, it is a deliberate attempt at mixing all things together in order to raise interest in something that is uninteresting to start with…

To have at least a general idea of his book overall, you would need to read it through up to the very end. In some places you can find extremely interesting stories of how adventure seekers are deceived. On the other hand, if you really and diligently separate the true from false and the “supernatural” from the “regular natural”, his entire work becomes very instructive and informative…