COURSE SYNTHESIS NO.

THE SEVEN TYPES OF MAN

THE CIRCLES OF HUMANITY
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFLUENCES

Man is a “three-brained” being; he possesses three centers: a physical center, an

emotional center, and an intellectual center. In a given person, one of these centers
may predominate.
Based on this idea of three centers, Psychoanthropology classifies people into
the following categories :
- man no. 1, whose interests are predominantly of a physical nature,
- man no. 2, whose interests are of an emotional nature, and
- man no. 3, whose interests are of an intellectual nature.
These interests are always related to ordinary life, and these types of man do not
place themselves within the perspective of a transformation of their being.
Man or woman no° 1 is no less evolved than someone whose interests are more
intellectual or emotional; it is simply a matter of natural differences in their area
of interests. But man is capable of deciding to evolve beyond this state.
An emotional person, for example, lacks a certain equilibrium in his life. In
order to attain this equilibrium, it might be necessary for him to think more before
he acts or reacts. A physical person may be lacking an emotional or intellectual
dimension. As for the rigid intellectual, he may be lacking in imagination, or
perhaps he needs more physical activity.
When someone becomes aware of his lack of equilibrium, he may feel the need
to harmonise his three centers, to go beyond who he is, and this evolution is
possible through a teaching such as this one, provided he makes certain efforts.
It is then possible to become a man or woman no. 4, who makes efforts to
evolve, to enter into self-consciousness a little more often, to follow a path that
permits him to better know himself – and to see, in the process, the mechanisms
of his centers which limit him – as well as a path of knowledge of what is beyond
him, of the universe.
If he makes the appropriate efforts, it is then possible for him to attain a
different state of consciousness, the state of objective consciousness, in this way
becoming a man or woman no. 5, an initiate. He may then evolve further,
becoming a great initiate (man no. 6) and even a boddhisattva (man no. 7).
So these are the types of people that we can meet over the course of our lives:
ordinary men and women, men and women on an inner path, and others who have
already attained true knowledge of themselves and of the world.
This type of teaching has two requirements. The first is true understanding,
which implies the active desire to verify the truth of the teaching in one’s personal
life. The second is work on oneself, and in particular efforts of self-observation, in
order to create in oneself a place that is calmer, since it is difficult to know
ourselves and change ourselves for the better when we are in a constant state of
disharmony and disequilibrium.
This teaching is addressed to a certain type of ordinary people whom we have
defined as being responsible in their everyday lives, or as having at least a sense
of responsibility, and capable of a certain self-discipline. They have a magnetic
center which is responsible, on the one hand, for the fact that they are attracted to
this teaching and, on the other, that they are not satisfied with the ordinary
explanations of the meaning of life and are interested in the realities that are
hidden behind appearances.
In addition, we can define three types of ordinary people who will have
considerable difficulties evolving, or will be wholly incapable of doing so, and
whom the Teaching calls the swindler, the lunatic, and the tramp.
The swindler can never evolve beyond the state of ordinary man ; he never does
anything to this purpose. He can be an inveterate criminal or incurably mentally
deranged. He has little or no moral conscience, or else one that is very flexible.
Such people are generally very hypocritical, seeking only their own pleasure, their
own well-being, and any means are perfectly fine with them. They use other
people and do not hesitate to sacrifice them, especially if they have a certain
power. Certain dictators and tyrants are of this type. They have no awareness of
human brotherhood, no sense of true humanity. They can just as well belong to
the physical type no. 1 as to the emotional or intellectual types nos. 2 and 3.
There are two other types of ordinary men for whom evolution is very difficult:
The “lunatic” or “superficial man”: The lunatic values things that have no value
and does not value things that do. He has neither discernment nor common sense.
He is not capable of thinking about things for himself, he believes and repeats
everything that is said by other people, the newspapers, television, etc. These
people easily fall into the trap of fanaticism. In order to evolve, he must learn to
struggle against all his prejudices, and there is a lunatic of this type in each of us.
For the tramp, all values are identical, there is not really any good or evil; he is
incapable of becoming truly interested in anything. He also lacks discipline: he
can decide on one thing, or on another, and not hold fast to it, since everything is
the same to him, nothing has any importance. He has no sense of responsibility,
and you cannot count on him.
The danger lurking for the tramp is nihilism, with the risk of giving up on
everything and never pursuing anything to its conclusion. He is incapable of a
discipline that originates in himself; his only possibility of evolution is to follow a
school discipline.
These different types of people are further categorised into what the Fourth Way
calls the circles of humanity.
- The outer circle, composed of all of ordinary humanity. These are all the
men or women who live exclusively under the influences of ordinary life.
This circle is governed by the law of conflict (between religions, between
races, etc.).
- The exoteric circle, formed by men and women who may one day become
interested in a path of knowledge, a path of true consciousness.
- The mesoteric circle, composed of those people who are really following an
inner path, who do not only listen to a teaching, but try to understand and
practice it in their own lives.
- Finally, there is the esoteric or inner circle, formed by those who have
acquired this knowledge and practical experience, which have become their
second nature. They have attained the level of objective consciousness. In
this circle – in spite of their apparent differences, whether they are of a
religious, spiritual, political, or philosophical nature – peace and harmony
always reigns between them.
One essential rule is to never enter into conflict. This rule characterises the
people who have already really progressed on the Path. At the outset, they do not
enter into conflict with those who are also on the Path, and they subsequently try
to avoid all conflict with all people whatsoever. We can recognise an advanced
pupil on the Way by the fact that he never enters into conflict.
In order to progress toward the circle of those who are never in conflict, man
must develop his essence or magnetic center – since it is of course the superficial
personalities that argue, that enter into conflict with each other, and not the
essence.
Self-observation is a privileged means of developing this essence. It is a
particular form of nourishment which is neither of a physical, emotional, or
intellectual nature.
There exist several forms of nourishment, or rather several types of influences,
whose effect is either to permit man to progress toward the inner circles or to
imprison him in the state of ordinary man.
Influences of type A are the influences that nourish the personality. These
consist of everything relating to ordinary life: work, business, material
possessions, laws, food, advertisement, etc. If we place ourselves exclusively
under these influences, we cannot evolve beyond the ordinary level.
Influences of type B originate in the esoteric or inner circle. They were created
by evolved beings, their goal being to help man evolve beyond the ordinary state,
and they are capable of nourishing what is deepest in man. They are to be found in
literature, art, religion, and spirituality. They only remain influences of type B if
they are used to raise oneself above the ordinary state; a work of art, for example,
that is acquired for its financial value remains only an influence of type A,
whereas if we admire it for its beauty and the impressions it creates, it is on the
level of influences of type B. When we place ourselves under influences of type
B, we come closer to the level of our inner being.
It is important to learn to recognise these two types of influences, since
according to the importance we grant to the one or the other, we either remain in
the state of ordinary man or provide ourselves with the means of raising ourselves
above this state.
At the outset, influences of type B were influences of type C. Influences of type
C have the particular characteristic of being transmitted directly, in a living
manner, by evolved beings, initiates, or Masters. They thus have an even greater
effect upon the evolution of the people who receive them.
Influences of type C are capable of degenerating into influences of type B when
they are not transmitted directly, or even into influences of type A when they are
used to personal ends, for example the manipulation of the masses by the
religions.