Jean Dubuis

Jean Dubuis (1919-2010) was a French esoteric initiate, alchemist and teacher.

With a background in science and electronics, he was known for his rigorous methodology and alchemical experimental lab conformation of theoretical teachings. He strived to explain the structure of Man and cosmos in a clear formulations compatible with modern scientific language, and clarify many misinterpretations in old sources such as the ancient Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation).

Dubuis saw alchemy as a process whereby Man could find personal experimental confirmation of the spiritual living aspects of the kingdoms of nature. To understand The Great Book of Nature two things are needed, "a good mind and a generous heart", and the disciplined "Ora et Labora" (pray/meditate and work).

For Dubuis it was important to support people without the need for a master or guru for true initiation, with no organization with oath of secrecy, obedience, hierarchy of officials or rank system .. and no paying or commercial nature to share teachings.

Biography

At age 12 in 1931, he had a life changing enlightening experience at Mont Saint Michel which revealed to him the existence of an invisible world, and took him beyond space and time. He spent his life understanding and repeating this experience.

The invisible world became as real to me as the material world in which we live. From then on, I tried with unrelenting enthusiasm to understand the nature of my experience and to love it so that I could repeat it. (...) This persistent personal effort succeeded and resulted in some contacts with Eternity

In an interview he describes it took him some 25 years to renew this experience, but in his lifetime he had many extensive experiences. His search path was helped by some key people, a Tunesian contact during the war, and master around 1945-46 who he got to know through a friend.

He was part of AMORC, Lectorium Rosicrucianum (1950), and the Traditional Martinist Order (TMO), also started new organizations in 1966 and 1969, until he stopped being part of such organizations in 1974. From the 1960's onwards he started publishing articles in journals both in France and the US. In 1969 he met the German alchemist Albert Riedel (a.k.a. Frater Albertus) and the Italian alchemist Augusto Pancaldi.

In 1979 he founded the circle 'Les Philosophes de la Nature' which he led for 12 years. No hierarchy or grade existed within the association, neither secret nor oath of obedience was required, no member ever got paid, the association never became a commercial enterprise, and there were no obligations imposed on members. In 1988 an American association 'Philosophers of Nature' (LPN) was created. Jean Dubuis taught in France and the US and his teachings are available in FR and EN. The lectures in the US were held in the period 1992 to 2004, and several of them have been video recorded and are available online. LPN was disbanded in 1999 and his teachings are now held in the association Portae Lucis.

In terms of scientific rigour, Jean Dubuis was an electronics engineer and scientist. He worked in the atomic synthesis lab led by Frédéric Joliot-Curie and afterwards worked for over thirty years as an engineer at IBM company where he participated in the development of computers from electronic tubes through transistors to integrated circuits. For Dubuis alchemy was important as it allowed experimental confirmation of hypotheses regarding spiritual influences.

Aspects

Experience of eternity

• The Experience of Eternity (EoE) presents the culmination of Dubuis' teachings. After a first draft in 1997, it was reworked and translated and published in FR and EN in 2007. The EoE or Portae Lucis method is an alchemical support method that gives some tailwind for spiritual advancement by using maximized natural spiritual influences for purification and restoration of one's elemental balance.
• Dubuis developed this method throughout his life, inspired by his initial natural illumination as a child. Goal of the method is to optimize the conditions for spontaneous natural illumination, by using fluid condensors for the four elements at different energetic levels and using the optimized timing (and even location) as a support. The concept is that the influx of natural spiritual influences at their maxima, supported with the individually charged fluid condensors for the four elements, restores any unbalances and has a purifying effect. Depending on the spiritual maturity of the person, it facilitates the flow of energy at its maximum so as to cause natural illumination, or an experience of unity and the higher spirit world beyond space and time (hence the name).
• The method also uses a modified version of the Tree of Life for meditation during the process, which Dubuis called Portae Lucis.

Inspirational quotes

Quote often attributed to the Buddha and used by Dubuis, who encouraged the development of discernment and self-reliance in spiritual beliefs

Do not believe in something because you were shown .. the written testimony of some ancient sage.

Do not believe on the authority of Masters or Priests.

Believe that which is in accordance with your own experience, and after a thorough study satisfies your reason and tends towards your good.

That you can accept as true and that will transform your life.

This is a paraphrase from the Kalama Sutta, a discourse found in the Pali Canon (Anguttara Nikaya), that encourages not to rely on tradition, hearsay, scriptures, teachers, or logic ... but test teachings against their own experience, reason, and personal well being.

Illustrations

Schema FMC00.624: shows various illustrations by Jean Dubuis used in his courses. Second from left, the simple view of Homer's Golden Chain, with on its right, the ten levels of energy with mapping to the planetary spheres and days of the week, and outer right a mapping to metals and atoms. On the left the Tree of Life with the ten sephiroth the descent sequence of the energy in light red, and also the snake symbol depicting the rise of the kundalini energy in Man.

For reference: The main middle table is from the course Fundamentals of Esoteric Knowledge, Lesson 3. The right table is from the Mineral Alchemy course, Vol 3. Lesson 74 (on the periodic table). All courses are freely available, see more on the topic page for Jean Dubuis.

Schema FMC00.474 depicts the fact that contemporary waking consciousness is related to our physical senses and bodily constitution, and acts as a bandpass filter only showing part of the complete (spiritual) reality. This results in a limited worldview (of mineral science), and waking consciousness triggers the feeling of separate-ness as we feel our self is enclosed and corresponding to our physical body.

However at the same time Man's structure includes higher components part of the astral world, lower and higher spirit worlds (see green or blue lines). Although Man is not aware, he is really part of a group soul and monad, and all actions towards another person are therefore in a way to one's self. See also FMC00.479

Schema FMC00.620: shows a schematic overview of the Experience of Eternity (EoE) or Portae Lucis method by Jean Dubuis and the process flow to charge the fluid condensors for the four elements for the different energies, that are used in the discharge near the summer solstice.

The EoE or Portae Lucis method is an alchemical support method that gives some tailwind for spiritual advancement by using maximized natural spiritual influences for purification and restoration of one's elemental balance.

Dubuis developed this method throughout his life, inspired by his initial natural illumination as a child. Goal of the method is to optimize the conditions for spontaneous natural illumination, by using fluid condensors for the four elements at different energetic levels and using the optimized timing (and even location) as a support. The concept is that the influx of natural spiritual influences at their maxima, supported with the individually charged fluid condensors for the four elements, restores any unbalances and has a purifying effect. Depending on the spiritual maturity of the person, it facilitates the flow of energy at its maximum so as to cause natural illumination, or an experience of unity and the higher spirit world beyond space and time.

Schema FMC00.559 describes the annual cycle of the Sun through the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Compare with Schema FMC00.042; and Schema FMC00.256 (three groups of four).

Illustration by Jean Dubuis from 'Fundamentals of Esoteric Knowledge' (Lesson 6).

Schema FMC00.621: shows illustrations of just a few of the special locations with a long Michaelic tradition, known for their special spiritual energies:

• upper left: Mont Saint-Michel (France) - dating back to the 8th century, with Benedictine abbey as of the 10th century
• upper right: Saint Michael’s Mount (England) - with legend of 8th century and Benedictine priority as of 11th century
• lower left: Skellig Michael (Ireland) - isolated island off the Irish coast, with 6th-century monastery
• lower right: Sacra di San Michele (Italy) - near Turin, with abbey from the 10th century

Other examples of such special places are Sanctuario di San Michele Arcangelo, a cave in Monte Sant'Angelo (Italy) and pilgrimage destination since the 5th century, the small but beautiful San Michele Arcangelo in Perugia (Italy) also dating back to 5th or 6th century, the chapel built on the 60x120m Saint-Michel tumulus in Carnac (France) containing several dolmen of at least 5000 years old.

Note: the Irish island reminds of the more northern Scottish Isles of Iona (with monasteries going back to 6th century or before) and Staffa (with the ancient initiation site Fingal's cave) - for more information see topic page Hibernian Mysteries, and the map on Schema FMC00.622. For the link between Ireland and Scotland and the Christianization of Europe, see Central European cultural basin where Rudolf Steiner describes how Iro-Scottish monks such as a.o. Patrick, Columban, and Gallus spread Christianity in Europe in the 5th-6th centuries.

Lecture coverage and references

Overview

Jean Dubuis left five main works,

• The four main courses were developed in monthly installments sent to LPN subscribers to work both theory and practice gradually and methodically. Seminars of practice in the lab and forums on the teachings reinforced this study.
  • Course 1: Fundamentals of Esoteric Knowledge
    • a one year (12 lesson) course designed to provide the background and overview needed to make efficient and appropriate use of the materials in the Alchemical and Qabalistic courses.
  • Course 2: Qabala
    • a six year (72 lesson) course which consists largely of practical instruction, different from most information found in popular books on the subject. This course is rather concentrated and does require some workbut thereby provides in six years those teachings that are often spread out over a period of thirty or more years.
  • Courses 3 and 4: Alchemy The Alchemical courses are in two parts. All processes are expressed clearly and devoid of the secrecy often associated with these teachings:
    • Spagyrics: a two year (48 lesson) course which teaches the preparation and uses of herbal elixirs, particularly the seven planetary elixirs used to rebalance the spiritual centers in the human body, the processes followed to obtain the vegetable stone (Opus Minor), the method for extracting the universal seed from rain water, and similar processes.
    • Mineral Alchemy: a seven year (84 lesson) course, which follows the Spagyrics course and focuses on Alchemy in the mineral and metallic realm with practical work on preparation of menstruums, paths for making animated mercury, separation of the three essentials, and numerous other works.
• final treatise 'The Experience of Eternity'.
• monthly newspaper 'Le Petit Philosophe' published by LPN

Reference extracts

1987-97 - Alchemy course

see: Kundalini#1987-97 - Jean Dubuis

1992-10-01 - Energies in Alchemy & Qabala

transcript by Anthony House (from internet forum post in 1997) from lecture Tape #1 Thursday October 1st 1992 LPN-USA Seminar #1

Before we start this seminar I'd like to say some words on the LPN philosophy. We are not library alchemists but laboratory alchemists. And in all of these lectures we will give you the means to do the experiments. We will hand out photocopies. Because we believe that if we want to go further in alchemy we must understand perfectly what we are doing. We must keep free of superstitions, but verify experimentally. We think that when you have heard all our explanations, and the experiments and demonstrations that we will be having, you will be able to reproduce the experiments and to explain with certitude not from what people say (claim) but by your own words (works).

We will start with a lecture on energy. During our work we found out that the energies that are involved with alchemy, were the same as the ones used in operative qabala. So in considering this thing we will see teachings from Germany that are some kind of synthesis that are between alchemy, qabala, or operative magic and astrology. But the so-called astrology for practical reasons in alchemy is set to the planetary genius's probably. We think that we cannot work at random in alchemy. And we will try to explain how to manipulate properly the alchemical energies. First theory, then practice. For language problems we will mix both qabala and alchemy first.

Because we have been brought to think during accomplishments and works, that qabala explains some kinds of problems properly and alchemy, others as well.

When we look at the text of the Golden Chain of Homer (points to wall) this picture here, it's in accordance with the qabala. It says that everything that exists comes from one energy and origin and that this energy originates matter but also consciousness and energy. To speak of this energy we will take the names of qabala.

This energy starts with level 1, where it suffers and begins in successive steps, it coagulates to the level of the density of our world and its power level. And it automatically condenses to many levels, we have 1-2-3 here (points to chart) and 1-2-3 here, of these we will speak very little of. These levels do not concern alchemy or qabala, except beginning on #3. We don't speak of these levels because they have very little influence on the earth work. Because they are levels where no space and time occur. The levels consist of alchemy and a bit of chemistry.

The job we will be doing will be to consider the nature of these energies of the upper worlds and the upper levels. There is no space or time and energy is unitary. We start in the kingdom of duality, little by little with coagulation, appears a denser space/time. From this point on every law of nature by conception has a double aspect (+ or -) etc., this part of energy is invisible. For the ordinary consciousness of man only begins at level ten of coagulation. Whatever process you use in alchemy you will always have to go by steps. All these levels of energy exist in everything, in the mineral, vegetable, and man.

To understand what is coming, that will be spoken of Sunday, we will only lightly speak of certain things, because today is a preparation so that you can understand what we will do, then we will go (do it?). Every level constitutes what we call an inner world or a level in the universe. In each of these levels there exists things and elements that exist here on the earth level.

Energy is in degrees and it can match matter and can act on it, even in very subtle states in form. And when man can match his conscious with a level he sees that in each of these worlds he can live consciously, just like this (in this world) that exists in rocks, animals - and that things are very little different from what people are seeing on this level (10).

Except that consciousness has to adapt to the space/time at each level which is the biggest problem that we encounter. In fact the real work of alchemy or qabala and the real initiation is to go up the levels of the consciousness of man, up one by one, so as to become conscious of these inner worlds.

When dealing with alchemy or qabala it's important to know that the energy comes down always by the same way. It is something you have to remember when you will have complex experiments. Subtle energy in alchemy will be the same way, you will make it come down in the same first way it will go up, and in no alchemical experiment can you jump a level. That's the general aspect of energy. These energies have several aspects we can use in alchemy. If we consider the beginning up here (points to chart level 1) it is the origin from which the matter is being carried, both names - depending on the order, and when duality appears the energy takes two aspects. An aspect which the ancients called the nitre and an aspect called salt, in texts it's twice called salt of the sky and the salt of the earth - then this energy divides into 2 - then appears the 4 elements on which lots of (errors)? (experiments)? have been done and on which we will try to explain a lot of things.

The first are air and fire, they are in fact the spiritual energies that animate things. These are the energies used in alchemy and these energies are totally or nearly totally ignored by the profane sciences. Earth and water are the energies in the origin of the matter and structure.

In alchemical conceptions of principles we consider fire and air to form the principle called sulfur. The principle that animates things.

Earth and water form the principle of salt - they are the structure of matter.

Between the spiritual and matter is an element called mercury, it is between the sign air and water. Mercury in every kingdom is the element and junction between spirit and matter.

We will make a stop on the alchemical problem, here are delicate things to explain. The names of these elements do not mean their aspects. If we want a relatively correct picture of these elements - we must consider the sunlight and if it seems white - and when it comes down through the rain or a prism it's a new color. The elements are colors of the primary unity and are included - there is an order of power in the elements, fire is the strongest and in every initiatic or alchemistical process - fire sets things.

The energy goes down by Fire, air, water, earth (Homer chart is reversed for this), these elements in man are the body elements. These are the salt - (traditionally)? we have produced a bad note by saying that when we go through death the salt separates from the body. What he said now will be right for man, for the vegetable, for mineral. When the death occurred there was only a transfer of the energy produced (at the time)? This may seem far from real alchemy but we will try to show you by experiment that the matter - it is possible to have the elements go up step by step. In fact what we will say tomorrow - coming up with the elements of matter - bring back the consciousness of the operator on this same level and he will become conscious of this level.

I will now come to a practical aspect, we had a little problem with the 6000 documents. We missed some documents of the alchemical work that will be important to remember, that whatever level we consider we find there is a series of things at every level with a sphere in between.

In every level there is a level of consciousness and density, and space/time, and for our chemical work there are basic elements that are symbolic or reality having a planet related. For instance here is mercury (points to chart), a metal, a day of the week - Wednesday - a crystal - orthorhombic (Note: Here Patrice says orthorhombic, however, mercury is rhombohedric) - and also a certain number of plants. And when we will speak on Saturday we will spend time to see what metal of -----? Back to our chemical work in manipulating these energies we will talk a lot on the initiatic stones. Because a vegetable stone allows much more quickly to have contact with inner levels. For instance we think we will be able to let you have an experience or at least a contact on this level (mercury?). And we will explain later why we chose this level.

But the vegetable stone only gives temporary experience. To have a definitive experience (experiment) we must work on the metallic stone (plane). We will explain in detail how we can Upper? cover? offer? the level(s) of the stones. The stones belonging to the white work will allow to accomplish contact at these levels (points to chart 10-6) and the stones that are red allow to initiate these levels (points to same chart levels 6-3) upper levels. We are rather time short because the program we have for you is (long?) The consequences of initiation here will be followed (up on?) For us alchemy is a very logical and very --- kind --- and we do not believe in the value of ---- because we think that people, as will be explained tomorrow, that people who are not proper hearted, who are not real knights will not succeed in alchemy.

That's for tomorrow, and we will explain to you the rules of the laboratory - the second part is - you must have a strong heart - the world was created as it is - and it is not credible to make chemical experiments if we do not understand what we are doing, and if we don't know the ethical reasons based on alchemical rules.

We think that during this seminar we will come to some interesting ideas and to make two KEY stones on the alchemical path and we think that we will explain to you a problem on the metallic work. And Thursday the elements given will allow to do at least two thirds of the Flamel work. We will speak on the third work but it brings on a bit of a problem. (long break) What seems (il)logical? we will start by explaining the metallic work in the laboratory, we are going to be working a lot on it. This will be the first series of basic ideas on it.

1994-09 interview

conducted at the Third Annual Philosophers of Nature Seminar (LPN-USA), September 12-16, 1994, at the Wild Rose Program Center in Saint Charles, Illinois by Steven Freier and later edited into the Inner Light program. Simultaneous translation from French was provided by Patrice Maleze, a member of the Board of Directors of LPN-France and an employee of the American Embassy in Paris, and Benedicte Richard de Laprade, a longtime associate and member of LPN-France.

Why did you create “Le Philosophes du Nature” (LPN)?

Dubuis: Today I have more than sixty years of experience in esotericism. I have been through many initiatory or esoteric organizations. In all these organizations I found things that were good and things that were not so good, and I tried to get rid of the things that were not so good through LPN.

I think the main problem is that on the true initiatory path you must not have a priest, master or guru. Because true initiation means that when you present yourself at the door of the temple you are a free being. So, to use a word I don't like, the Eternal Father cannot recognize one of his children if he is a slave to the earth, whatever field he is a slave to. Freedom is the first thing you must acquire to be initiated. Inner Freedom, of course.

Since alchemy plays an important role in LPN teachings, how do you define it?

Dubuis: I believe that alchemy is an initiatory system in which you cannot have illusions. It is the only initiatory path where there is objective control in the laboratory. So if your experiments show that you have gone beyond the ordinary material laws of the universe, it shows that you are an alchemist who has had an inner awakening, and this corresponds to the rules established by Paracelsus; and Paracelsus said: “You will not transmute anything if you have not transmuted yourself first.”

In today's New Age movements, many teachings imply or outright state that an initiation is a strong emotional response to something of a spiritual nature. How do you define initiation?

Dubuis: I don't think this is what we can call a true initiation. But it is the beginning of an initiation; what we can call a true inner contact. That is, something that makes your true inner self begin to relate to your physical body on Earth. In general, these first contacts cannot be expressed intellectually, but happen through intuitive or symbolic experiences.

If you would like to be in this sphere, not necessarily being an initiate, but aspiring to initiation, aspiring to be an alchemist, aspiring to be a kabbalist, or aspiring to be an adept of an initiatory path, whatever it may be, you need to have a generous heart, in the real and profound sense of the term. But you also need a solid brain to be able to see through things. You must have generosity in your heart, but not something that means you are stupid in this world, and spoil everything you have. All the things that have been given to you belong to you. You are responsible for using them correctly for your own becoming, or for the becoming of all other beings on earth.

Is alchemy for everyone?

Dubuis: Not everyone has to become an alchemist. All of nature is a plan to make gods. We are all “zero beings” at the beginning, and all of us, without exception, will be infinite beings at the end of time… it is just one of the paths. I should add that in technological civilizations, alchemy particularly corresponds to a certain disposition of countries, but it is not obligatory.

How did alchemy change from country to country and from era to era?

Dubuis: It hasn't changed. It hasn't changed in principle, what happens is that alchemy tries to adapt to a new stage of evolution in the world and in different ways depending on the country.

What are some of the practical benefits of alchemy?

Dubuis: This is a very complicated problem. I think that with alchemy, or if you start with Kabbalah, or with a good Hermetic initiatory discipline, you can find your inner path in a very short period of time. It is difficult for the mundane world to understand, but if you do not follow one of these paths, you will “spin” for millions or billions of years.

What the alchemist, Kabbalist or other Hermeticist should try to do is to shorten the suffering of humanity. Not through a soft heart, to save lives or anything like that, in detail, but by putting humanity back on the path that will allow it to go very quickly to its own realization. After that, all the problems that appear in our material world disappear.

What is the basic philosophy of alchemy?

Dubuis: It is the Science of Life, of Consciousness. The alchemist knows that there is a very solid connection between matter, life and consciousness. Alchemy is the art of manipulating life and consciousness in matter to help it evolve or resolve problems of inner disharmony.

Matter exists only because it is created by the human seed. The human seed, the original man, created matter in order to devolve and evolve. You see, if we go beyond what I have said, the absolute being is a self-created being, and we must become self-created men in its image. That is, from a seed of origin, we are self-created.

How do you define God?

Dubuis: I cannot define it because I do not think it exists in a personal sense. There is a Universal State of Being which is completely impersonal. The answer to this question comes to some people who have the Experience of Eternity… They know then that things are as they are because they cannot be otherwise. But no personal god acts upon things. The only god in the universe is Man.

What is this Experience in Eternity? You have mentioned it before. What does it entail and who can do it?

Dubuis: I said I would discuss the conditions that would allow this experience. Today I do not have a formula that says you will go through this experience, but I do have things that will allow you to go through this experience better. In good conditions, more than half of the people I have spoken to have lived it. You know who you are, because this experiment on eternity takes you out of time, shows you your origin, what you will be at the end of time and a little idea of ​​where you are. This experiment is very difficult to endure, because it makes time and space on our terrestrial level unbearable. Contact in Eternity makes life in time and space very difficult; and those who know about it know that it can create suicidal tendencies… It is not for everyone. You must have your feet on the ground, your head in the sky, a solid heart and a good brain. Otherwise, it is very dangerous… Everyone can live it, whether you are an initiate or not… But there is no sure method to make it happen. It is what the Kabbalists call contact with the Sphere of Binah, or Saturn.

What are some of the dangers you see in meditation and spiritual practices that you think people should be aware of when starting out?

There is none. There is no negative aspect in meditation. But you must, when you have an inner experience, understand that the inner experience belongs to the spiritual world and material life is another aspect. You have to achieve harmony between the two. But your spiritual life should not have a negative effect on your life. Material life is necessary, and you have to maintain a balance between the two. One should not stop the other.

How can we judge our personal degree of achievement?

Dubuis: From the moment you are able to make it rain or snow, you will have twelve incarnations left in this world.

One of the great alchemical procedures makes it possible to transfer the level of consciousness of matter, so that the evolution of matter that would require one hundred million years could be accomplished in two months… We created nature. Elohim, in the ancient text, are the photons of modern science. They have the power of creation, of all matter, of all worlds… Man is an eternal being who must ensure his future. This future can only be achieved through freedom and love, but also through knowledge to be able to see what is useful and what is not… Everything that prevents you from being free is not good. Freedom must be total. Advance through your own internal experiences, your own inner master.

In your lecture yesterday, you mentioned that Kabbalah students should only read the Sepher Yetzirah and study on their own. What about the Sepher Bahir and the Zohar?

Dubuis: I did not say that they should only read the Sepher Yetzirah, but that it is one of those true books to be read as a passive book. The Zohar and all the others are just commentaries and digressions on the problem. Tomorrow morning I will continue talking about this to explain how from the Sepher Yetzirah you can understand everything in Kabbalah.

You mentioned that the Egyptians introduced alchemy into initiation. Many people say that alchemy comes from Atlantis; could you clarify this point for us?

Dubuis: I think that Egyptian civilization was inherited from the Atlanteans and their knowledge. The change in knowledge that allows the ascent, the return to the original state of Man, is Egyptian. Egypt was at the end of Atlantis and the beginning of the new era. Modern evolution comes from the Egyptians. Before Egypt, all of humanity was “descending” or involuting under the impulse of negative forces, and after Egypt, all of humanity rises, or ascends, under the Sign of Life. But this life was very weak at the beginning, because it was the end of the “downward path” or involution of humanity. The negative aspect is only eliminated very slowly, but the positive aspect is appearing more and more in the ascent, in the return to the Origin.

You brought some electronic “boxes,” as they are called, with you from France. Would you like to tell us about them?

Dubuis: I think that in ancient times, long ago, when humanity was in decline, you could not have a general initiatory method. Initiation is the opposite of involution, but this “descending into matter” is necessary. Initiation is selective until the descent is complete for a large percentage of humanity. I think that in the beginning, in Egypt, people were initiated by very simple methods, rituals and so on, the Kabbalistic method in general. Then there were those who thought that humanity could be initiated by images and solid energies of matter. After that we had the real initiation in Egypt with the symbol of Thoth the Magician, and after that, von Helmont the alchemist. However, I think that alchemy allows or facilitates a faster initiation than the Kabbalah.

In those times, with human evolution, we moved from Kabbalah to alchemy. Now, I think that with the evolution of the world, perhaps we can introduce electronic methods into the initiatory path. It does not help people to work, but the initiatory work will be easier. This corresponds to the fact that the entire evolution of the world must be accelerated.

I will explain something that is not directly related to this, but I will make it clearer so that you can understand it. I think that our current civilization and its material aspect are accompanied by a hidden modification of humanity.

For example, as far as religions are concerned, when the Catholic religions were at the head of the world, money was gold, because the Christian religions were under the symbol of the sun, which is the symbol of gold. As religions are collapsing, Islam seems to be taking its place, but Islam is a religion of the moon, with silver money. But silver money is disappearing; this makes me think that Islam will soon disappear. Since the Protestantism centered on the Bible, money has become paper. When we look at the Kabbalah, at the Tree of Life, the place of your country (USA), we realize that your place is fire, and your money through this symbolism dominates the world. At the moment, in the current civilization, a new money is appearing that is neither gold nor silver nor paper but is electronic money – the money of fire. You only have to look at the dollar, the last great paper currency, the reverse of the green note is the symbolism of Netzach (Venus), the symbol of love and mercy, which your country has taken over the world, and the electronic sephirah (Chokmah) is the sephirah above. Thus, in the future, all religions will disappear. The spirit of freedom of your country will lead to the total absence of religion in the world. Everyone will be his own religion.

Little by little each person will be his own religion. You are at the beginning of this process, without gurus, without masters, and everyone will be his own gurus and masters, and everyone will have his own oratory. The multiplication of sects that at the moment seems dangerous will continue until everyone has his own religion, because as many human beings as there are on this planet, there are revealed religions. Everyone has the right to pretend to have his own religion, because our return to Eternity is our own Path that we make for ourselves and the Path for everyone is different from the Path for everyone else, although all these Paths lead to Eternity.

You mentioned that you believe that technologically advanced nations should not interfere with underdeveloped nations. Why is that?

Dubuis: Of course! Everyone has to stay where they are because it is a Path that concerns them. Whoever comes into this world has his Path to make – you must let him make his Path according to his own will. You can help him, but this help must not be a disadvantage on his own Path. All human beings have a necessary Path, everyone must make it for himself. Help him, but do not deprive him of his Path, of what he has to do.

1997-07 lecture

quotes taken from video recorded lecture

• First spontaneous experience in 1931 at age 12 (and illness afterwards .. due to purification of internal energies)
• and twice afterwards 10-15 years later

1997-07-20 - Mark Stavish

Notes from lecture by Jean Dubuis - see

• hermetic.com/stavish/rituals/portae
• www.alchemywebsite.com/portae.html

1999 lecture

quote transcribed from video recorded lecture

[around 55' in video recording]

to be sincere/frank with you, I do not think/expect you to have the experience of eternity from the first time .. on the basis of the experiences I had other people do .. one needs to reckon with two or three times

[around 59' in video recording]

the visible sun is giving earth and water ... the invisible sun is the one giving fire and air energy ..

in summer we are farthest as possible from the IS, but life is more active .. in winter we don't get this energy which is why life is slower .. it's not temperature, it's the invisible energies

[around 66' in video recording]

... three of four years ago I had explained this to several people about 20 people and of these 16 or 17 had the contact .. and if you succeed, I'll give you a tip, take eight days of vacation .. because it can be very harsh on you, and it's better if you can take a break

I think it's the most wonderful experience of the existence on Earth, and when your consciousness expands you know where you come from, you know who you are and where you're going .. and nobody can teach that to you except yourself

...

[around 70' in video recording]

if you succeed in this experience, remember this .. you have to bring back the experience back here [below, to waking consciousness] .. during this experience you'll have an expansion of consciousness both in time and in space [referencing the left part of Schema FMC00.474]

when you are up there .. you'll know everything and you'll see everything .. but as you come back down, and your consciousness comes back to our world .. and you know that you knew everything, but you know that you don't know anymore .. and it's not easy

some groups call this the 'experience of the point' .. you experience the feeling that you are a point that is the entire universe .. and that each of us is the entire universe .. intellectually, you cannot understand that, but you have to live it

I never dare say to somebody 'this is your path' .. this is not part of my job .. what I do here is, I give general ideas .. on how things work on the invisible planes and in Man .. and what can to do go forth .. so I can say .. 'go for it', but I don't say 'this is your path' .. each one must choose

...

[1h26]

[discussing locations such as Mont St Michel, on the island and the chapel .. sleeping there ... the best moment is Wednesday morning at down]

I now have 30 people who had their first real esoteric revelatory experience in these conditions ...

[1h35]

I am not the one who decides .. I'm in charge of transmitting some knowledge .. and the rest is not my job

[in this lecture also touches on "secret and very powerful groups"]

...

[3h24 in video recording]

.. this contains a new conception of the Tree of Life of the kaballah, because when you have the contact experience of eternity .. you will see that the classical tree does not work .. in studies you can use the old or classical tree .. but in/for the contact you should take the new tree .. the old tree is the tree of the descent, and this new tree is one for the ascent

[note: see also Rawn Clark on the Gra Tree, eg the book and/or the video 'An Examination of the Gra Tree of Life (2010)' on Sephiroth#Note 1 - Trees of Life]

...

I lived this experience quite a number of times .. and the fact you are withdrawn from time and space, does not take or require any time in this world .. it's like if you had a movie screen that gives you enlightenment on who you were, who you are and where you will go .. but it does not change anything to your world

2017-04-06 - Mark Stavish on Jean Dubuis

It is through my first encounter with Jean that I realized that esoteric ideas could, and more importantly must be stated in clear language.  For too long I had become accustomed to the meaningless and empty droning of would-be-adepti as they rambled on from one pseudo-qabalistic or alchemical cliché to another all the while acting as if what they were saying was crystal clear. Jean shattered this notion in a single stroke through his simple and direct explanations of the most complex areas of esotericism known. 

I remember well the first moment I heard him lecture at the Philosophers of Nature (LPN-PON) Conference held at the Wild Rose Conference Center near Wheaton, Illinois. I was unfamiliar with the material he was discussing on the Flamel Path, but it appeared from the apparatus and other materials that he had more than a clue about what he was talking about. Later, when he discussed the various ‘mansions’ in qabala, I realized in an instant that this man knew what he was discussing, not from theory, but from experience. 

Later that year I attempted the “Contact with Eternity” method, called Portae Lucis, and again, remember in vivid and stunning detail the effects it had on me as I stood there one early morning in my apartment living room in East Providence, Rhode Island.  All time had ceased to exist and space crushed in on my as it too began to come to an end for me.

...

Jean was fond of quoting Siddhartha, Lord Buddha, who said, “Do not believe because you saw the written word of an ancient sage; do not believe on the authority of masters or priests. But accept as truth and conform your life to what agrees with your experience and after a profound study, satisfies your reason and leads to your good.”

One saw this doctrine most strongly emphasized by Jean in some form in nearly every presentation he gave, and early on in his first set of lessons, Fundamentals of Esotericism when he writes about egregores, or collective thought forms created by various esoteric and initiatic organizations.  Jean belonged to numerous esoteric orders in France and knew many of the leaders of other groups, including those of the notorious Solar Temple, whose members in Canada and Switzerland committed suicide sparking a flurry of ‘anti-cult’ activity across Europe in the 1990s. Prior to establishing The Philosophers of Nature, Jean resigned all of his affiliations, stating that one must be free to be truly initiated in the interior path – of which alchemy and qabala were the principal tools – as the means and methods used by many modern groups are ineffective and that the leaders of many of these groups are often well meaning but incompetent, wasting time and energy arguing over the authenticity of various lineages, as well as that many are actually deceiving their members about the actual motives of the organization’s leaders, or were simply using the organization as source of revenue. The means of maintaining hold over a large membership that did not always have direct contact with other members or the leadership except through correspondence, according to Jean, was through the collective mind or egregore. For this reason, Jean encouraged those who would pursue their Path, to do so alone, or in small study groups, but to avoid collective rituals. ... Oddly, it was Jean’s insistence that he was ‘no guru’ that led me to explore more deeply the role of teacher –student relationships in Western occultism. The old ways of mentorship are for the most part dead, and yet it is only through the ‘living word’ that teachings come alive.  This contact with a living, breathing example is essential for everyone at points along their journey.  People impact other people in ways that a book, video, or correspondence course simply cannot do.  On closer examination it was clear that what Jean meant by not being a guru was that he was not authoritarian in his teaching. Each person had to make what he taught their own, test it out, and see if it fit.  He claimed no special authority based either on initiation, lineage, or secret teaching of any kind – only personal experience  -which he freely shared as a possible guide for others.  In fact, his whole focus was to assist people to learn methods that they could apply that would place them in contact with their ‘Inner Master’ and thereby be free of the constraints of accidental or intentional error on the part of human guides.

A peculiar effect was that as a result of Jean’s utter contagious confidence in the path he outlined and tools provided, I disposed of the greater part of my library on several occasions, pruning out material that was no longer directly supportive of my practice. As my practice became more focused, and graduated, taking more time to go deeper into each step of the process, I discovered that the most important books I had were none other than my own notebooks, the record of my experiences, and that is was there that I would find both the questions and answers that would be the moving force on my Path. This was particularly true of Pathworking on the Tree of Life, and when I later directed others, over a multi-year period in the process, many stated that those were the most effective and deeply meaningful experiences they have ever had.

...

Jean stated that esotericism was changing, as does everything, and he dedicated himself to perfecting a method of self-initiation that could be undertaken fairly easily by anyone resulting in the Portae Lucis method mentioned earlier, as well as a series of machines that through visual, auditory, and magnetic stimulation to the brain could produce controlled and reliable Out of Body experiences.  I had the opportunity to ‘test ride’ one of the earlier versions of these machines and can attest to their effectiveness.  With Jean’s passing, their future remains uncertain.

Discussion

Note 1 - Experience of Eternity (EoE) or Portae Lucis method

commentary WIP - draft note under development

Introduction

.

Even if one does not have the experience, it does affect our inner constitution, because the set-up is meant to 'balance out' energies based on the principle of 'communicating vessels'. It may therefore cause physical and psychological after-effects and illness as part of this balancing out.

What does it do?

The experience of eternity is what is also called 'crossing the abyss' (see more below) or 'saturn' which is the border between time and space, the borderwith the unformed higher spirit world. It is well known by people on the path of initiation this is a very disruptive experience for our human personality and waking consciousness (that are similar to how a computer has an 'operating system') used for functioning in the lower physical world.

.

This modern 20th century method also allows a person to develop personal affinity with nature and the cycle of the year, as one collects rainwater, selects minerals, charges these in the sun, and at planetary hours .. works in the light of a single candle .. and there is the alchemical linking between the person's astral-mental energies and the fluid condensors that are a personalized extension or support. All of which is a very personal and intimate ritual, culminating in a kind of mystical communion at the summer solstice.

Concepts and techniques used

Below are links to other topic pages that provide additional context and information supplementing the information on this page and in the book 'Experience of eternity' by Jean Dubuis.

• natural illumination
  • Lightning#Note 1 - Events affecting state of consciousness
    • Rudolf describes 'nature initiation' and how in the past, sunstroke, lightning etc were sometimes natural causes of illumination as they affect the inner balance between Man's bodily principles. Examples are given Norbert of Xanten, Brunetto Latini,Thomas Aquinas ..
  • Q00.006 - spiritual events at various points in life#Part 1: Topics (general info)
    • includes 'spontaneous kundalini experiences, see more on: Kundalini#Effects caused by the kundalini and energetic balance
• fluid condensors for the four elements
  • note: with 'fluid' is meant the electric (fire-based) or magnetic (water-based) fluid as Franz Bardon describes them, see more on The two etheric streams
  • concept, see: IIH#On fluid condensors
• elemental balance
  • see IIH steps starting with Initiation exercises#Elemental balance - character transformation
• timing of spiritual influences
  • the experience of the year, see
    • Rhythm of a year
    • Christ Module 17 - The experience of the year
  • concept of invisible suns
    • two types of energies (vital/prana and spiritual/kundalini or 'secret fire') as linked to visible and invisible suns .. vital energy has variable presence and strength based on lunar and solar cycles. See: Kundalini#1987-97 - Jean Dubuis
    • the visible sun is giving earth and water ... the invisible sun is the one giving fire and air energy .. see: The two etheric streams
  • planetary hours
• tree of life
  • .. this contains a new conception of the Tree of Life of the kaballah, because when you have the contact experience of eternity .. you will see that the classical tree does not work .. in studies you can use the old or classical tree .. but in/for the contact you should take the new tree .. the old tree is the tree of the descent, and this new tree is one for the ascent
  • [note: see also Rawn Clark on the Gra Tree, eg the book and/or the video 'An Examination of the Gra Tree of Life (2010)' on Sephiroth#Note 1 - Trees of Life]
• meditation and concentration
  • see Initiation exercises
• crossing the abyss, see for example:
  • https://theomagica.com/on-crossing-the-abyss

Repeatability

Jean Dubuis had a natural illumination at age 12, and was able to repeat this 'top down' experience several to many times afterwards .. he developed this method and as a true scientist used a 'test panel' to verify its workings and effect on others. Based on this, he stated in lectures he did not expect the full experience of eternity from the first time, but rather taking two or three times. He also stated that in the end about 80% of twenty people who tried this had the contact .. and on another occasion that there were some 30 people who had their first experience under these conditions. This information is from the video recorded lectures of 1997 and 1999.

Positioning

The Experience of Eternity (EoE) or Portae Lucis method is not a replacement for the slow and steady path of initiation, such as Franz Bardon's IIH. It's aim is to assist - by natural means, so using nature - in balancing a person's elemental-energetic buildup, and aim for a 'one-off' short but utterly unique experience .. maybe or not maybe "the most wonderful experience an incarnated human being can have on Earth".

Related pages

• Alchemy
• Initiation
• God experience

References and further reading

• The experience of eternity (2008) - PDF download

Internet

• Portae Lucis website
• in other languages
  • in Portuguese: https://mortesubita-net.translate.goog/alquimia/jean-dubuis-obra-completa-para-download/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en
• movies on youtube
  • interviews: see movie A (interview 2006) or movie B (interview 1994-02-28)
  • lectures (sound only): lecture conference C (1986) and lecture conference movie D (1988) and lecture E (1990) and
  • lectures (video): lecture conference F (1999) <= recommended to start with