…but if This concept of Hall’s is correct, and there are two ‘types’ of people -the religious and the philosophical, then this directs the topic much much deeper.!
What then could be said of the Egyptian magicians who cast spells and used figurines to represent armies…? And the plays that the Masons use involving Hiram Abiff? If these acts are not worship then what exactly is it…?
I read an article recently about how an Egyptian king when his army was at war, would retreat to his private room with a bowl of water, and placed small boat figurines in it. He would sink the boats of his enemy, while his own boats he kept afloat… It is said that what happened in his bowl also happened at the war-front.
…so there is something to be said for ‘play’ enactments, and their significance involving high societies. Even the Opera then may have some significance involving some deep seated philosophical effects.
…back to the OP, I believe the Mithra (a secret high society) also enacted plays…
With respect to the story about the Pharaoh sinking the ships, I will be forthcoming and say I had no knowledge of this account prior to your mentioning it. My first reaction is to assume there is probably some embellishment in the records, but if the Pharaoh did manage to win a naval battle through the use of divine power, I would not be the least bit surprised. Ancient Egypt was one of the most important places in the ancient world for the practice of the Mysteries (that’s what the pyramids were for), and it is almost common knowledge that the Pharaoh would be at least an Initiate, if not a Master of the Mysteries. There are many similar accounts of Moses and Joshua using divine power to influence the outcome of battles (Exodus 17, Joshua 10, to name a few). These stories may be largely symbolic, but they reflect the same archetype, and may be based, at least loosely, on historical events.
By the way, I would be interested in reading that article about the Pharaoh if you don’t mind telling me where you read it.
Regarding the significance of the plays, I am glad you have come to realize that they had significance beyond mere reenactments. That is what I was hoping you would see when I drew a parallel between the plays used in the Mysteries and the plays used in the Mass (which, as I mentioned earlier, also used to be a secret ritual). The reenactments done in the Mass are not empty recitations. They are a tool used to channel divine energy. The Mysteries are no different in function.
And that is a very astute comment you made about the opera. Many of the operas were written by Initiates into the Mysteries. Verdi and Wagner come immediately to mind, but there were others. Thus, many of their operas were written in order to communicate the teachings of the Mysteries to the general population through the use of music and symbolism, much how Jesus used parables. Most viewers would not be conscious of the full scope of the teachings being presented, but they would nevertheless receive some benefit, at least on the subconscious level, and many might later become more aware of the depths of the teachings buried in their memories should they later be initiated into the Mysteries. Some examples of operas I know of that do this: The Parsifal, Wagner’s Ring Cycle (Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung), Attila, Aida, Faust. Obviously, the full list would be much, much longer.
Television obviously has a similar effect, but in a negative fashion. Although some television programs are made to help man ascend to holiness, the majority of it acts in the opposite fashion, causing man to descend further into his sins and dark desires, rather than elevating his consciousness to God. There have been studies done which find that people who are watching an event show brain activity similar to that of those actually experiencing the event. We don’t really need science to tell us this. When we watch TV, we often find ourselves getting angry at the villain when he does something evil, or being embarrassed on behalf of the protagonist when he does something stupid, even though it was not us who performed the stupid act. Thus, television is fostering activity in the brain that is harmful to the person, and harmful to the soul. Remember that our brains learn through repetition, through continually reinforcing the same channels and patterns of thought. And many of the television programs we have now are based on criminals, con artists, lascivious individuals, and murderers.
So yes, I fully agree that television acts on man’s subconsciousness. My personal, uninformed opinion on this matter is that there are many who are using the influence of television (as well as other forms of media) in order to encourage bad habits, harmful thoughts, and negative emotions in the general population. It might be good to take a night off from television to go see an opera.
Happy New Year! And happy feast of Our Virgin.
