By Their Fruitcakes Ye Shall Know Them....

There’s an interesting question that’s been asked on the Fruitcake Factory (aka The Temple of Thelema Forums) by one “Frater Potater,” who has recently tenured his resignation from Eshelman’s branch of the A.'.A.'. after learning that the organization is populated by a bunch of lunatics who believe a lot of bizarre nonsense, including apparently that they can send “healing energy” around the world in a manner essentially indistinguishable from a Christian prayer hotline.

Anyway, he started another thread there that poses an interesting question:

How exactly should we recognize someone who is a real master or adept vs. someone who is a charlatan or even a mere layman?

Read the thread here. Naturally, the thread has devolved into absurdity, with posters unable to address simple points and engaging instead in ridiculous semantic games about what “belief” means. Later in the thread, “Potater” goes on to give his answer to his own question:

On a superficial level, I'd say they [i.e. a “real master” or an “adept”] should at least be happy and well balanced individuals. They would be perfectly responsible and accountable. Self empowered, with a good sense of what they want for themselves, and how to achieve it. Neither pitying anyone, nor expecting to take advantage of others. They would be emotionally stable, and act appropriately in every circumstance. I am not saying that they would never experience any unforeseen turmoil, or not act as a human being would be expected to act under pressure, but that they would be able to compose themselves better than the average person. Knowing just how to judge each situation, against their will, and act accordingly.

You'd expect a master would have to have found practical ways of accomplishing these things to definite results, otherwise how could they speak that what they are following is their will? They must definitely know what their will is, with an unshakable sense of certainty, otherwise how will they know how to direct their efforts, or instruct others?

I think that people can definitely do this, without the use of supernatural or superstitious dogma.

[…]

I can't tell where worrying about magical powers, and believer scripts, is encouraging people to become adepts and masters. In fact, I can see a whole lot of potential pitfalls.

In this post, I’ll be looking at the idea of distinguishing an “initiated” person from a “non-initiated” person, discussing whether it’s possible, whether it’s useful at all, and what conclusions follow from it.

Read on for more.