Max Freedom Long - The Teachings of Huna

Other experiments showed that the vital force could be stored for a time in various substances such as wood, paper and cloth. Water took and held charges. Glass did not.

Table of Contents

To return to our illustration of the measuring stick of the ancient system called the Secret, we have been considering the first unit, that of FORCE. The second unit to be measured is that of the CONSCIOUSNESS which directs the force. (Later we shall take up the third unit, that of the SUBSTANCE through which CONSCIOUSNESS exerts FORCE.)

If the kahunas were right in their idea that human consciousness is composed of two separate spirits on this level, with a third or superconscious spirit acting as a guardian angel, so to speak, we have in that concept an addition to psychological knowledge which is of such importance as to be hard to estimate.

This concept must cause us to reconsider our religious theories of the human soul. If the kahunas are right in stating that we have in us a less evolved lower spirit just up from the animal kingdom, as well as a more evolved spirit which has long been up out of the animal kingdom, our ideas of salvation will also have to be remodeled. Two salvations will be required, one for each soul because they are of a different level of development. The religious concept of karma and reincarnation will also have to be revised in the same way and for the same reason—that of having to fit the theories to two unequally developed spirits, to say nothing of fitting them to the superconscious, which is the oldest and most highly evolved of men's three selves or spirits (the aumakua or "parental spirit").

Under this older and more workable system of psychology, we come to see ourselves in a clearer light, although we trade simplicity for the complication of triplicity of being. In religion we are accustomed to consider God a triplicity, but we have apparently lost sight of man as a similar triplicity.

This complication becomes even clearer and easier to grasp if we keep always in mind the fact that the low or animal spirit in us, the unihipili , does all the remembering for the man but has inferior powers of reason. The conscious mind spirit or uhane cannot remember for itself but can use the full power of inductive reason.

In addition to the evidential data to be found in the "death prayer," we find other proofs.

While modern Psychical Research has identified the spirits of the deceased only under the classification of "poltergeists" and ordinary "spirits," the information which has been gathered concerning the activities of spirits as a whole shows very plainly that there must be several grades of them, each grade having its own voltage of vital force, and its own mental abilities (or lack of certain abilities).

On the other hand, the kahunas have long since classified the several kinds of spirits. As this is quite new to us of the West, and as this classification is of great interest as well as of great importance, let me list the several ghostly spirits one may meet in the seance room:

1. The ordinary normal spirit of one deceased. This spirit is made up of a subconscious and a conscious spirit, as in life. It thinks and remembers like any ordinary normal living man. It uses the same forces.

2. The subconscious spirit of a man, cut off from its conscious companion by some accident or illness before or after death. This spirit remembers very well indeed but is illogical, having only animal-like deductive reason. It responds to hypnotic suggestion. It is like a child and is often a playful "poltergeist" or noisy ghost. It loves to attend seances and make tables tip. It tries to answer questions, and usually gives such answers as make it appear to be a liar or worse. It loves to imitate one's deceased relatives.

3. The conscious mind spirit of man, cut off from its companion subconscious spirit before or after physical death. This spirit cannot remember, therefore it is a nearly helpless wraith, wandering about aimlessly, sometimes making its presence known, sometimes seen psychically, but acting the part of the true "lost soul" until rescued eventually and paired off again with a subconscious spirit who can furnish it with remembering powers—often with a set of memories of a former life in which the rescued conscious spirit or uhane had no part.

4. Spirits of the superconscious order, including what may be called "nature spirits or group souls," after the Theosophical terminology. Only vague information is given as to this class of spirits, although it is concluded that they frequently take a hand in the activities of the two lower spirits, the unihipili and uhane , helping them to do things of a spectacular nature at times.

Not until the rediscovery of the kahuna system of psychology have we had a remotely plausible and satisfying explanation of the phenomena of dual and multiple personality (or of obsessional or split-personality types of insanity).

It is exciting, therefore, to see how the old system fits in with what we know of such cases. Let me present some standard data:

Preliminary Notes:

Source books: Outline of Abnormal Psychology , by William McDougall (Scribner's, 1926); Encyclopaedia Britannica (13th Edition), Article on Multiple Personality.

The word personality as used here is one not too well defined by Psychology. Jung, who has followed Freud in his investigations of the complex, describes the word and takes us back to its Latin origin: persona , the mask worn by actors when they change from one character to another in a play. This describes the thing changed in cases of multiple personality. It is the individuality, or traits, which distinguish one human being from another. In describing the changes of personality in a body, little distinction is made between the subconscious and conscious—these being considered by most investigators to be component parts of personality. Jung, however, leads the way in his work by making the distinction of anima (Latin for breath or soul, and corrupted in French to animal ) for the subconscious, and persona for the conscious.

The correct description of the phenomenon we are now to investigate should be "multiple anima and persona " instead of "multiple personality."

There are three points which we must watch in the following cases: (1) The appearance or disappearance of either the conscious or subconscious alone, with corresponding changes in personality; (2) The appearance or disappearance of both units combined as a pair; (3) The memories retained by the personalities as they come and go.

If the kahuna theory is correct—that the subconscious alone can remember—then by watching memory we should be able to tell which unit goes or remains.

Webster's International Dictionary speaks of this phenomenon as an abnormal condition of "mind." I prefer to think of it as an abnormal condition of body in which minds come and go, rather than of the various minds involved. Each mind observed is found perfectly normal while in possession of the body—unless lack of memory of its state when out of the body or asleep within it may be considered abnormalities.

The terms used in describing the elements of consciousness involved and the states of consciousness are: A personality cut off from control of the body and brain is said to be "dissociated"; the original personality in a body is the "primary" one, and those that come in to replace it are "secondary"; the personality in temporary control of the body and brain is said to be "dominant," while those who have once appeared and have gone, or who have not yet appeared, are said to be "latent."