In the Gnostic teachings, a great emphasis is placed on having the five psychological centers balanced and not allowing the escape of the psychic energy. The latter is the overall energy of the physical and the spiritual bodies which the consciousness uses to achieve the inner transformation, its own permanent awakening. In one of his primary works, Samael Aun Weor has written the following regarding this topic:

“Any work that one does on oneself with the purpose of achieving a spiritual and psychic development is always related with a very well understood type of isolation. This is because the personality is the only thing that one can develop under the influence of life as we have always lived it; anything else is impossible. We do not intend to oppose the development of the personality in any way. Obviously this is necessary in life. Yet, indeed the personality is merely something artificial. The personality is neither the truth nor the reality in us.

“If the wretched intellectual mammal, mistakenly called the human being, does not isolate himself, but identifies with all the occurrences of practical life, if he wastes his strength in negative emotions, in personal self-consideration and in insubstantial vain wordiness of ambiguous chattering, then nothing constructive, no real element can be developed within him, except that which belongs to this world of mechanicity.

“Indeed, whosoever wants to truly achieve the development of the Essence in himself must become hermetically sealed. This statement refers to something intimate, closely related to silence. The phrase hermetically sealed comes from ancient times, when a doctrine on the internal development of a human being associated with the name of Hermes was secretly taught.

“Therefore, if one wants something real to grow within his interior, it is evident that one must avoid the escape of one’s psychic energies. When one’s energies drain away and one is not inwardly isolated, then it is unquestionable that one will not be able to attain the development of something real within one’s psyche.”
~ Samael Aun Weor, Treatise on Revolutionary Psychology

The consciousness needs the various energies of the body and its higher counterparts to revolutionize and transforms itself; it needs the sexual, mental, emotional and physical energies, as well as other types of energies in order to serve the inner Being in his mission of achieving the self-realization and the unification of all the parts of the Being. For someone who is serious about their inner work, this is the main reason why the five psychological centers should be kept balanced at all times.

The loss of psychic energy does not occur only when we identify with the events of life, but also when we identify with our own subconscious thoughts and emotions. Someone can be in a secluded place in nature and lose massive amounts of energy, rendering themselves incapable of doing an optimal inner work. For example, entertaining a subconscious thought that emerged seemingly randomly can unlock a whole dungeon of low inner states, of things such as negativity, desire, jealousy, worries etc. These things can be so overwhelming when they appear that it may take a long time to clear up the psychological centers afterwards. The egos would then be fed by the psychic energy of the centers, resulting in the person being more tired and generally more incapable of doing the inner work.

To be hermetically sealed means to have the five centers balanced and clear, each running on its own appropriate energy, and free from the manifestations of any positive or negative emotions and thoughts. When we are thus clear, the consciousness is fully active (according to its capacity at the time) and in charge of the vehicles, being able to perform the necessary inner work and to receive insights, comprehensions, and guidance. We also then receive the beneficial inflow of various other energies that surround us when we lift the consciousness from the psychological sleep, from being identified with the egos.

When we are hermetically sealed, we experience the inner joy that comes from the steady and active consciousness, from having higher emotions such as peace and happiness, and from having a degree of freedom over the mind, being capable of letting go and being detached from thoughts, using the mental matter consciously, rather than having it used up by the egos of the intellectual center.

There are many great benefits that come from being hermetically sealed, but more than anything it is a state that should be aimed for at all times if we are to progress steadily and optimally on the Path, and avoid failing. As Samael said in the same book and chapter as the above quoted text: “Ordinary routine life wants to devour us mercilessly. Hence, we must fight against life daily; we must learn to swim against the current.” When we understand the importance that the psychic energy has in our own awakening, we then do what it takes to conserve it.

HDP, June 2021.