The Teachings are that during the “Outpouring,” the vibrations become lower and lower until finally the urge ceases, and the return swing begins.  But there is this difference, that while in the “Outpouring” the creative forces manifest compactly and as a whole, yet from the beginning of the Evolutionary or “Indrawing” stage, there is manifested the Law of Individualization—­that is, the tendency to separate into Units of Force, so that finally that which left the all as unindividualized energy returns to its source as countless highly developed Units of Life, having risen higher and higher in the scale by means of Physical, Mental and Spiritual Evolution.

The ancient Hermetists use the word “Meditation” in describing the process of the mental creation of the Universe in the Mind of the all, the word “Contemplation” also being frequently employed.  But the idea intended seems to be that of the employment of the Divine Attention.  “Attention” is a word derived from the Latin root, meaning “to reach out; to stretch out,” and so the act of Attention is really a mental “reaching out; extension” of mental energy, so that the underlying idea is readily understood when we examine into the real meaning of “Attention.”

The Hermetic Teachings regarding the process of Evolution are that, the all, having meditated upon the beginning of the Creation—­having thus established the material foundations of the Universe—­having thought it into existence—­then gradually awakens or rouses from its Meditation and in so doing starts into manifestation the process of Evolution, on the material mental and spiritual planes, successively and in order.  Thus the upward movement begins—­and all begins to move Spiritward.  Matter becomes less gross; the Units spring into being; the combinations begin to form; Life appears and manifests in higher and higher forms; and Mind becomes more and more in evidence—­the vibrations constantly becoming higher.  In short, the entire process of Evolution, in all of its phases, begins, and proceeds according to the established “Laws of the Indrawing” process.  All of this occupies aeons upon aeons of Man’s time, each aeon containing countless millions of years, but yet the Illumined inform us that the entire creation, including Involution and Evolution, of an Universe, is but “as the twinkle of the eye” to the all.  At the end of countless cycles of aeons of time, the all withdraws its Attention—­its Contemplation and Meditation—­of the Universe, for the Great Work is finished—­and All is withdrawn into the all from which it emerged.  But Mystery of Mysteries—­the Spirit of each soul is not annihilated, but is infinitely expanded—­the Created and the Creator are merged.  Such is the report of the Illumined!

The above illustration of the “meditation,” and subsequent “awakening from meditation,” of the all, is of course but an attempt of the teachers to describe the Infinite process by a finite example.  And, yet:  “As Below, so Above.”  The difference is merely in degree.  And just as the all arouses itself from the meditation upon the Universe, so does Man (in time) cease from manifesting upon the Material Plane, and withdraws himself more and more into the Indwelling Spirit, which is indeed “The Divine Ego.”