An Exercise

[ecosophia]

One of the side effects of doing research into the byways of  occultism is that every so often something very interesting comes up. Recently I did a lot of digging into 20th century American occultism, in order to chase down the background of those interesting exercises, the Five Rites. A book on the subject, The Secret of the Five Rites: In Search of a Lost Tradition of Western Inner Alchemy, will be out this fall, but in the meantime I have a few useful things to share. The material below is one of them.

The Eye of Revelation, the 1939 pamphlet that originally made the Five Rites public, was published (and partly written) by a remarkable Los Angeles occultist named Harry J. Gardener.  During the 1940s and 1950s, he was apparently part of a Rosicrucian magical lodge I'm still tracking down -- it doesn't seem to have been affiliated with any of the known Rosicrucian orders -- and his voluminous writings include various tidbits of spiritual practice I've never encountered elsewhere. (The star, circle and triangle logo above and to the left was apparently the emblem of Gardener's lodge; if anyone else has seen this elsewhere, I'd be most interested to hear about it.)

One of the practices Gardener taught was a breath and movement exercises he called the Rising Call. Here's how it's done:

"The exercise is as follows: Standing erect, place the right thumb against the right nostril, allowing the fingers of the hand to extend upward in line with the forehead. Now through the left nostril completely fill the lungs with air. Then with the index finger of the same hand close the left nostril also.

"With the lungs filled and the lips partly open so that there will be no pressure in the mouth, bend over from the waist, getting the head lowered as far as is conveniently possible. Then allow a portion of the air in the lungs to gently come back into the nose so as to create just a very slight pressure there. This position allows the blood to flow into every part of the brain which, along with the air in the lungs, has a very energizing effect upon the entire system and especially upon the sensitive nerve centers of the brain.

"When the desire to resume breathing is quite strong, rise to the erect position, then close the left nostril and allow the breath to escape through the right nostril by removing thumb. Do not force it out with great speed; nor should you retard it to any great extent. Just let it flow out freely and naturally until the lungs are emptied without forcing out the last particle of air through sheer force.

"Now, with positively no intervening breaths—in other words, with the very next inhalation of air—repeat the process. Close the right nostril with the right thumb; inhale through the left nostril; close both nostrils; bend over until ready to exhale; then stand erect; remove the thumb from the right nostril and exhale. Do this three times. That is, you fill the lungs three times, you hold the breath and bend over three times, and you exhale three times."

-- Harry J. Gardener, Streamline Minds (1936)

One thing Gardener says elsewhere in the book, which is worth repeating, is that this is done only three times per session, and only one session is done per day. More than that can be too much. Also, do it gently; there are no prizes for using excessive force.

What's interesting to me is that this is a very precise and gentle way to change the pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid. Your brain floats in a puddle of fluid, which is separate from the blood and held in by a set of membranes; the fluid is partly there as a shock absorber, but it also functions to carry hormones and neurotransmitters from one part of the brain to the other, and also from the pineal and pituitary glands to each other and to various parts of the brain.  The Rising Call, by gently and temporarily increasing the pressure on the cerebrospinal fluid by increasing the blood pressure on the brain and then using breath pressure in the sinuses to add to that, seems to flush fluid through the brain's ventricles and around the periphery of the cerebrum and cerebellum.

It's supposed to have various beneficial effects. For the sake of an informal experiment, I'm not going to mention what those are just now -- I'll describe what Gardener says, and what my experiences have been, in a week or so. I will say that I've practiced this now daily for three months without any ill effects whatsoever, and with notable benefits. I'd like to invite readers to give it a try, and post whatever experiences they have as a result.

Comments

Brain fluid

[ritaer]

Good day JMG,

This post reminded me of something I heard back in the late 1960s. I was listening to a radio show called Radio Free Oz--I believe it was some of the same people who later formed the Firesign Theatre. A guest on the show talked about the practice of trepanning, not for physical health as some believe was prehistoric practice, but for greater spiritual awareness. For those who don't know, trepanning involves drilling a hole in the skull. This person had actually done this himself, using a hand drill to penetrate the front of forehead. He explained that his motivation was greater brain function. He believed that once the sutures in the skull completely closed that the circulation of blood and cerebral fluids were restricted. He claimed that children who suffered some kind of skull injury that prevented the complete closure were more intelligent and aware. One sign he claimed was an ability to recall more of one's childhood than average. He said most people literally cannot remember what being a child was like.

You can see how your post would remind me of this information. Many years later (after the internet developed its current ability to scan information) I did a little research and found that there was, may still be, a set of people interested in trepanning. Very strange. Anthropologists have assumed that, in the absence of evidence of a skull injury the purpose of prehistoric trepanning was "to release evil spirits", perhaps in epileptic or mentally ill patients. I don't know whether any scholars have latched onto the idea that the practice may have been intended to increase mental powers of some sort rather than to restore a patient to "normal" function.

Rita

Re: Brain fluid

[ecosophia]

Fascinating. Yes, I've heard of circles of people who do trepanning on themselves for spiritual purposes; it seemed a little drastic to me, when you can use this kind of simple breathing exercise or certain kinds of massage to do things with the pressure levels of the cerebrospinal fluid.

[(Anonymous)]

I just tried it, and am going to keep this up. It cleared out my perpetually clogged sinuses, which is something I've never found anything else to do.

[ecosophia]

Hmm! Thank you for the data point.

[jprussell]

Very interesting!

Given the similarity to some basic pranayama exercises, I'm a bit surprised you don't alternate which nostril you breath in/out from.

I'm assuming the answer is "no" if you've been doing it for three months: but any reason to suspect this doesn't get along with a daily 5 Rites and daily SOP? And if they do get along, any timing subtleties to take into account (such as "don't do immediately before/after the 5 Rites"), or is this firmly an "experiment and find out!" situation?

Thanks much,
Jeff

[ecosophia]

1) That's something you find in Western occult breathing methods -- always in through one side, always out through the other.

2) As far as I can tell it plays well with both of those, but I haven't done them right next to each other -- always with some minutes in between.

[open_space]

I'll give this a try tonight


"When the desire to resume breathing is quite strong, rise to the erect position, then close the left nostril and allow the breath to escape through the right nostril by removing thumb."

Question. When was the finger removed from the left nostril? Or is it closed the whole time until the next inhalation?

[ecosophia]

It's closed the whole time until the next inhalation.

[open_space]

Thank you. First try made me feel more awake and bright, a few minutes later I had pleasant energy sensations flowing through my head that lasted for about 30 minutes until it settled.

Left Nostril

[(Anonymous)]

The first paragraph of the process has us close the left nostril, and the third has us close it again. Is that meant to emphasize that we keep it closed, or was it supposed to say that we close the mouth (which we partly opened in paragraph two) at that point?

Re: Left Nostril

[ecosophia]

It's to emphasize that you keep it closed.

I'm in

[slclaire]

I'm usually game for an experiment, so I'll give it a try and note my observations.

Re: I'm in

[ecosophia]

I'll look forward to hearing your experiences.

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you I will try every day for a week, in my initial experimentation, I felt after 3 repetition a mental clarity like my whole brain was oxygenated.

Just to make sure I understand, when we bend and allow the air to fill the nose, is it like we are trying to breath in through the nose very slightly just to produce the pressure ?
Thanks

[ecosophia]

1) Thanks for the data point!

2) The way I do it is I try to breathe out through the closed nostrils, gently, building up pressure in the nasal passages. The instructions don't say, however, so if you get good results from trying to breathe in, that's worth knowing.

[taylorrose]

I am intrigued by this but also a bit mistrustful. I'm currently working my way through The Dolmen Arch, but also doing regular cold exposures.

It was my understanding that the five rites type system came with adaptations that make one tremendously susceptible to the cold. Is that correct? And if so, does this particular exercise follow that same pattern?

[ecosophia]

It's not that the Rites make you more susceptible to cold, it's that the specific things the Rites are meant to do for you are disrupted by cold, so it's not useful to combine the Rites with cold exposures. All that means is that you'll want to do some other kind of exercise. As for this exercise, Gardener's book doesn't specify, and I know of no reason why this would conflict with cold exposures -- it's not meant to work with the seven etheric vortices, it's specifically aimed at the cerebrospinal fluid.

[(Anonymous)]

I am a native of LA. I don't live in the city now BUT I have seen that symbol. I will try to recall the context.

I still have family in the city and I visit twice a year - let me see if I find anything.

[ecosophia]

Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for this.

Cetiosaurus

[(Anonymous)]

Does it matters if you are lefthanded?
Do you still inhale through left nostril and exhale through the right one?
Thank you.

[ecosophia]

Doesn't matter at all. I'm lefthanded and do it the standard way.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John Michael,
Thank you for this.
As an inveterate/compulsive experimenter I'm going to give this ago.
The movement from one nostril is reminiscent of some pranayama exercises as I'm sure you know.
I like the "3 rep.s once a day" dictum as I do tend to over-egg the pudding.
I'll report back when you update on this.
Lurksalong

[(Anonymous)]

I have been performing the 5 rites 4-5 times a week for the past several years. I have found them to be of exceptional benefit in increasing and maintaining flexibility- I am much much more flexible at age 38 than I was in high school or young adulthood. I have also over time become aware of a pleasant and invigorating flow of energy through my body after finishing the rights, a "buzz" for lack of a better word. So I had to try this out! My initial impressions afterwards were a feeling of balance or neutrality in my head. Also, just as an earlier post mentioned, my sinuses cleared up wonderfully- I'm getting over a cold and have been trying to shake off the final bit of congestion. I will continue to investigate over the next week and share anything else I find.
As for the cold water exposure working against T5T, I wasn't aware of that. I am an avid devotee of cold water swimming, and do it whenever I have the chance. I will pay more attention to how this interacts with T5T. Of course, I also live on the northern Florida Gulf coast and I realize that our local definition of "cold" is a bit different from most of the country's ;)

[ecosophia]

Do you happen to know the temperature of the water where you swim? Old books on hydrotherapy give exact numbers for what counts as "cold water" -- you may be in what they called "cool" or "temperate," which is fine.

[(Anonymous)]

Our coldest Gulf waters occur in late January and early February and are around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees, so maybe that would be considered "cool" or "temperate"? I also will get into swimming pools in the winter, more for a cold plunge than a swim, and I've seen these get as low as 44 degrees F. The differences in energetic effects between a long swim at 60 degrees and a quick cold plunge at 44 degrees are noteworthy, and I am now going to be paying attention to how both interact with T5T. Thanks for the tip, I'm going to look for some old hydrotherapy stuff!

[ecosophia]

In hydrotherapy terms, 55° to 65°F is "cool," 65° to 75°F is "temperate," and 75° to 85°F is "tepid" -- any of which are entirely suitable alongside the Five Rites, and in fact highly recommended. Below 55°F is "cold," and not recommended by Kelder's book. All this is from Dr. R.T. Trall's Hydropathic Encyclopedia, which can be downloaded here:

https://archive.org/details/hydropathicency01tralgoog

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you very much, JMG! This will be most helpful.

[d_mekel]

I would assume cold showers are probably considered "cool" if Im using well water. I do cold showers in the morning and 5 rites at night. In Kelders book, which I read, I wasnt sure if it was absolutely no cold or not. I wasnt sure if it meant dont do the cold after you do the 5 rites. I occasionally do the "cold" bath outside in the winter maybe once a week or every other.

I haven't tried this breathing method, but am planning to this sunday.

Hand postures

[milkyway1]

Two questions about hand postures, if I may:

1. The left hand/arm is just loosely hanging down?

2. And for the right hand, it says „allowing the fingers of the hand to extend upward in line with the forehead“ but the image shows the fingers bent down. Also, keeping the others fingers upright while the index finger closes the nostril feels pretty awkward. Am I just misunderstanding the description and the fingers are supposed to be bent?

Thanks,

Milkyway

Re: Hand postures

[ecosophia]

1) Left hand and arm can be wherever you want them to be.

2) That's also something you can do however you like. I typically use the thumb and middle finger to close the nostrils and rest the index finger on my forehead.

[hwistle]

Hi John, Sure you've come across this before, but just in case...

http://ehbritten.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-fluidity-of-identity-frater-vii.html

Manuel

[ecosophia]

I have indeed -- and in fact I cited it in the forthcoming book! It's a fine little piece of research.

[robertmathiesen]

That's Marc Demarest's fine, fine work. He and Pat Deveney are the guiding lights behind The International Association for the Preservation of Spiritualist and Occult Periodicals (IAPSOP.com), which by now offers far more than just periodicals. Much respect!

[brenainn]

I'll add this to my morning "wake up" routine, starting tomorrow morning, and report back after a week or so.

[(Anonymous)]

I've been doing the five rites as part of my morning routine for some time. I'll add this before it, and let you know what effects it has.

AV

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks JMG,

I love yogic exercises, so I’m on and it’s perfect that it isn’t so time consuming either. As someone who often experience head pressure and energy gathering in that area, I’m curious how this will affect me.

After my first try I experienced some release and consciousness expansion actually.

Always fun to experiment on oneself.
/frihet

On Gardener's emblem...

[homeopathic_meditations]

No, have never seen it AFAI[K/R]. But something interesting happened to me.

I did not notice it was a star, a circle and a triangle on first sight; not until I read your description. The start kind of stands out, but the other two were completely lost on me. What I saw was kind of a labyrinth, with 90° angles and everything. Not sure if that means anything to you, or if it was just a curious quirk of my mind.

[thinking_turtle]

Did this exercise for 3 days before dinner. The morning breathing exercise from Way of the Golden Section feels good immediately, and has a slight uplifting effect on my entire day. Compared to that, this exercise has little immediate effect. Yet after two days, I felt strangely uplifted, and that's still true on the third day.

I'm planning to try this exercise for two weeks, and then two weeks without, and compare the two.

Pranayama

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John,

I was taught a Tibetan exercise in pranayama in a Buddhist temple, that’s also described in detail in the book, Awakening the Sacred Body, by Tenzin Wangyal.

The Tibetan version is similar to yours, includes both sides, and doesn’t include physical movements; it purports to clear the subtle channels.
I’ve noticed, after a few weeks of practicing it, that my sinuses are clearer and I seem to breath through both nostrils now, rather than primarily my left.

E. S.

P. S. Looking forward to your future book on the subtle body!

Re: Pranayama

[thinking_turtle]

A few years ago I was surprised to read about the nasal cycle, perhaps it would interest you. Humans breathe predominantly through one nostril for a few hours, then switch to the other nostril.

[(Anonymous)]

Cetiosaurus here, reporting back. I have done this exercise every day since I read of it your blog. It's very easy to do, and I do find that I feel a brighter sense of mind. I shall continue. Thankyou!

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know if you're still taking comments on this post, but I've done the exercise the past 6 days in a row. The first two days, I didn't notice any effects. The third day, I didn't notice anything when I did it, but I had much better energy level than usual in the afternoon. The 4th and 5th days, I got a strong, odd sensation, a sort of hollow lightness in my core (solar plexus through heart area), the kind of feeling I get after a good hard cry. It persisted for much of the day. Today, the 6th day, I got some of that sensation, but not as strong. I'm not sure what this means, or whether it's good or bad.

I also noticed that I shouldn't wait too long before exhaling, because if I do, I'm desperate for the next breath, so I will force the air out. I definitely think that gentle pressure when bent over and gentle exhaling are the better way to do this.

Unfortunately, it has not cleared my sinuses, because that's something I could use.