Tommaso Palamidessi's Experimental Metaphysics and Spiritual Practice

Daniele Corradetti
PhD Candidate, Universidade do Algarve
September 6, 2019
Preliminary version - Please do not reproduce or quote without the consent of the author

Spiritual Practice

Relations between esotericism and science: Thorndyke 1882, Von Stuckrad 2014, Hammer 2004, Goodrick-Clarke 2008. Archeosophy is a "pure experimental method": Palamidessi 1968. A progressive path operated through various proposed exercises called ascesis understood etymologically as "athletic exercise" or "working with art". Each person responsible for forming their own evolutionary path. Private and collective spiritual practices defined individually and on a voluntary basis.

Chakras and Spiritual Senses

Diffusion of chakra doctrine: Steiner 1904, Woodroffe 1919, Leadbeater 1927, Marquès-Rivière 1930. Palamidessi 1945, "The Occult Powers of Man and Tantric Yoga" published by Spartaco Giovene. References to a "Christian Yoga". Experiments from 1945 to 1952. Approach to hesychasm with the stay at Mount Athos and Kalambaka 1957. Identification between chakras and spiritual senses of the Church Fathers. Monograph of 1975 "Techniques of Initiatic Awakening".

Meditative Technique on Force Centers

Icon of the bucco-laryngeal or throat center. The divine names corresponding to this center are $יהוה$ yhvh and $אלהים$ elohim (Palamidessi 1975 a). (40-minute meditation sessions) 1. preliminary prayer; 2. bodily posture and breath control; 3. attention on the force center visualizing it as "empty"; 4. visualize a stream of lava slowly descending into the chosen center; 5. igneous visualization with mental invocation to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to which one to Wisdom is added; 6. mental invocation of the logodínamo proper to the center to be awakened.

Spiritual Exercises of the Archeosopher

Posthumous notebook: probably written 1979, published 1985. Text accessible to all, used in practice as a guideline for special periods of prayer and recollection. Similar to the liturgy of the hours of the Christian tradition: references to 1st century Judaism (Taft 1986, 11); to early Christianity Didache 8,3; 1 Clem. 40:1-4; in the Alexandrian authors (Perrone 2011, 196) up to Saint Benedict.

Rite of Eucharistia Lucernaris

References in primitive Christianity: Acts 20,8; Tertullian Apologia, 39; Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus of Rome (170-235). Blessing of the flame very ancient in the 4th century attested by Basil of Caesarea (Treatise S. Santo 29, 73). INDICATIONS (Palamidessi 1985, 62): table with three carpets of black, white and red color and tripod that supports a glass containing olive oil or a candle. Prayer towards the east. Two invocations to call upon the divine presence of Christ, preferably by a woman or a man and a woman. Make the sign of the cross, rhythming on the breath an invocation "Light of Christ, come to me" observing the flame of the lamp and subsequently "the light that must appear within you".

Cardiognosis and Prayer to Wisdom

MEDITATION INDICATIONS (Palamidessi 2008, 25-26). 5 breaths made following the rhythm $1:4:2:4$ fixing the image of Wisdom; normal but deep rhythm and then with rhythm $1:4:2$; concentrate in the forehead, mentally calling Sofia, and then must make the intelligence descend into the heart; mental invocation "Sofia I love you! Lord Jesus I love you!". Distinction between continuous prayer to Wisdom and meditation on the Cardiac center.