Occult Lectures. The Special Class. The Youth Camps

[Ani]

Occult Lectures

Peter Dunov's scientific explanations of the essence of spiritual phenomena were presented in the weekly occult lectures from 1922 to 1944. In them, he went back to the scientific lecture genre. He described them as lectures because they were intended for a better-educated audience, prepared to unveil the mysteries of the surrounding world. To that audience, the Master could disclose the true laws that govern the human psyche. He described these lectures as "occult", i.e. containing knowledge that is beyond the understanding of the human mind.

The subject matter of the occult lectures was entirely scientific. Dunov spoke of the movements of awareness, the economy of energies, the state of the matter, the thought as a power, etc. He explained truths that scientists discovered much later, after his death.

 

The Special Class

Peter Dunov initially invited 80 people to join the special class, choosing carefully every one of them. They were to meet high requirements: "Only exemplary persons may be admitted into the Special Class! Those who wish to join the Special Class must study the Truth! For now, it will be open only to those who are not married. This is one of the conditions. This Special Class I call the Class of Purity!" One of the participants, Natalia Chakova, describes enthusiastically the atmosphere in the Special Class: "The Special Class was a class of youth, vigour, health, and self-denial. These were young people: university or high-school graduates as well as students, intelligent, thirsty for knowledge and progress, for creativeness and action. The Master was in his full swing, giving generously of his knowledge: mathematics, astronomy, astrology, chemistry, biology, physics, occult sciences, poetry, music, the science of life, nature, and God. In that class, he spoke of everything, strictly scientifically, illustrating his words with examples from life, with exercises and problems to solve." The Master opened the Special Class on the 24th of February, 1922, with his lecture The Two Roads. As the class was attended by young people, it was later referred to as "the youth special class". Every Friday for 22 years, the Master taught in it the science of spiritual human prosperity.

 

The Youth Camps

The systematic and methodical work in the Special Class brought the younger disciples to the idea of organizing a youth summer camp. The Master approved and the First Youth Camp was held in Sofia in July 1923. Papers on a variety of topics were presented and debated. The subject matter included theosophy, occultism, Tolstoism, and the new teaching, i.e. the spiritual aspect of life. The new way of thinking could be felt in these young people's reasoning, in the way of thinking on whose structure the Master had worked systematically and persistently. The Master delivered three lectures at the First Youth Camp. In the first one, he welcomed the participants: "I would like you young people to understand that you are living, conscious souls, assigned an important mission in this world. You are facing one of the greatest of epochs, the epoch of the flourishing of the human soul."

In the following years, till 1930, the youth camps were held in early July. These youth forums embodied the motivation and the spiritual potential of the White Brotherhood. Most participants continued to follow that impulse and to play a creative role in society. Nearly all of them were writers, poets, musicians, thinkers or simply men of integrity. In their awakened minds, the Master found the point of support that he needed to turn human thinking towards the light.

Peter Dunov's notes on the blackboard in the school.