Not long ago I have read a book by Peter Deunov (also known as Beinsa Douno) who was a popular spiritual teacher in Europe in the first half of the 20^th century, and has mostly taught a type of spirituality that incorporates something of Western Esotericism and Christianity. There are some insightful things in that book, but also one very common misconception when it comes to spiritual development.

Beinsa told the story about someone who visited him and told him that he has reached a significant degree of spiritual unfoldment. Beinsa Douno then said to him that if this is true, to prove it by foretelling his future. The man was unable to do that, and so Beinsa concluded that he is not truly spiritually developed, because, in his view, anyone who is developed has the ability to foretell someone’s future. This, however, is a big assumption.

Many people think that if a person has reached a significant spiritual level, such as spiritual mastery, that they would suddenly be all-knowing and all-wise, but that’s far from truth.  As I explained in some other articles about the spiritual unfoldment, the path of self-realization is divided in three major parts, which in Gnostic teachings is referred to as the Three Mountains. When someone climbs up the top of the First Mountain, he incarnates a large part of his Being/Higher Self, also known as Atman, Buddhi, Manas (Divine Spirit, Divine Soul and Human Soul). When this is achieved, many people assume that such individual would have access to knowledge of those parts of the Being and various faculties, but this is inaccurate assumption.

Such individual who finishes the First Mountain would have his Being inside him, would have the guiding light, awakeness and a degree of peace inside him, and would achieve (or be close to achieving) a permanent awakening of consciousness. However, access to knowledge and psychic abilities is a different matter. Even though such a person has achieved a major milestone in the spiritual work and has a full right to the title of mastership, there is still a lot in front of him.

However as this person progresses on the path; as he climbs up the Second and Third Mountain, he would get more and more knowledge in various ways, but his psychic faculties (such as clairvoyance, telepathy etc.) might not yet been given to him by his own Being. It is not uncommon that the faculties are withheld from the initiate on purpose, for various reasons, until he reaches stages that are further above. Even someone who finishes the entire path of self-realization does not have access to everything he wants to know at any given time.

To have ability to see someone’s future (or to communicate telepathically etc.) is not a clear sign that someone is ascending on the spiritual path. There are many psychic people who have such abilities, and yet they do very little or nothing in order to raise themselves up. The initiate of the esoteric path acquires these abilities in their own time, but preceding these he could be given a lot of other rewards of the path to enlightenment.

In conclusion, it is important to understand that not having access to psychic abilities, or if you cannot consciously astral project, it does not mean that you are not progressing. Nor should you assume the opposite. When we reach a significant stage in our inner work, we will certainly know about it, and then we will have the spiritual degree that we inwardly worked for, regardless of what common opinion in spiritual and esoteric circles may be. Eventually the access to psychic senses will arrive as well, but it is important to allow this to unfold naturally, in accordance with ones own Being.

HDP, February 2020.