What is "Initiation?"

[solxyz]

I often see people throw this word (and related terms) around in conversation as though it has a single, straightforward meaning. As the conversation proceeds, the participants seem to think that they are talking about the same thing, but to me it is unclear that they are.

Originally, "initiation" referred to one's induction into a specific body of rites (such as one of the greek mystery cults) or a secret society. As such it was inherently tied up with the specifics of the relevant rites and one's social positioning. While the term is still used that ways at times, it has also acquired a broadened meaning, to refer to a inner transition involved in a non-specific, personal, or perhaps universal spiritual path. Personally, I'm rather conflicted on the notion of a universal spiritual path. As someone who has explored a number of different paths to some level of depth and experience, I can see a lot of commonalities and I often rankle at the trendy and superficial academic fixation on verbal differences, unable to see past outer forms to appreciate the heart of the matter. On the other hand, I'm also aware of significant real differences in the experiential nature of these paths and even somewhat their goals. Additionally, I have a concern that many people mistake what I would consider personal, psychological shifts (either positive or negative) for something of metaphysical import deserving of the name 'initiation.'

In a sense, the specific term "initiation" is just a jumping off point for a wider conversation, in which we seek to determine whether we actually know what we're talking about and to draw out some of the different ideas that may be lurking in our minds about the spiritual path which are often glossed over when we too readily imagine that our path is a universal path.

 

[ahathoor]

Guess it's a bit like asking "what is play", and then it includes poker, DnD, Super Mario, hide and seek, and consensual sadomasochism.

It's a gateway event facilitating entry into something. An exclusive group, a set of religious or magical rites, an identity (student, doctor, wizard, warrior), a form of gnosis or connection, etc.

While these are all different, there are some commonalities... and when reading non-adversarially, one can usually figure out what is being communicated. But yes, giving overarchingly generalized definitions and analyses of what initiation is and what are its common traits is arguably of little use, and will inevitably lead to half-truths and reductionism.

The "initiations" in a magical/mystical context are either gateway acts of admittance into an in-group, or gateway acts that serve to transmit some mystical truth or gnosis, connection to daimonic / imaginal forces, or to verify and externally validate that such a gnosis or connection had been achieved.

 

[r4zorenigma]

It's a process that shifts the consciousness of the practitioner into a parallel realm where its like.. pulling away one of the many curtains to reality.. In the process, you are now exposed to certain earthly or spirits that traverse the physical andnear physical dimensions.. but you will also encounter circumstances and situations that seem oddly mystical and magickal in the sense that.. things will happen that dont seem as probable as prior reality. The exacting tuning depends on what type of system you are intiating into.. a high vibrational/pure light one or the majority which are darker, low vibrational systems..

Initiation is not simply joining something. The actual initiation rituals of many organizations can cause the shift in consciousness I mentiioned, but other times, they may not in an indivdiual and their shift only happens later in their experience into the new way of living and thinking..

Gangs, Mafias, Fraternities, Sororities, Cults, Covens, Magickal Orders, Religious sects, they all have initiation practices..

From my own experience, my initiation into Satanism caused a lot of things to happen really quickly.. things that I desired came quickly.. I would run into stuations and people that seemed to be more"underworld" and fringe in their careers and their titles.. but I also found ease in civil matters and courts.. Its hard to really describe.. its like my reality shifted.. but it wasnt all good..

ie: alot of things came easy and aligned with my ego based desires.. or lustufl desires.. yet, all came with a cost. ie: beautiful women who were very sexually forwarda nd easy going.. but they all had mental issues or lived strange fringe lifestyles. Opportunities for quick money but involving shady business dealings or people who were not good people, etc.

This is because Satanism works on a low vibrational frequency, and with low vibrational spirits.. not of light.. but more of darkness. When you initiate, you are opening yourself to the "underworld" of life.. Mafias too are apart of this.. as are gangs, fraternities ,sororities, etc.

Islam is the opposite.. Islam would be of pure light, nur, lux, the opportunities will be clean, the people u meet will be good for your soul, etc

 

[Kepler]

I often see people throw this word (and related terms) around in conversation as though it has a single, straightforward meaning. As the conversation proceeds, the participants seem to think that they are talking about the same thing, but to me it is unclear that they are.

Originally, "initiation" referred to one's induction into a specific body of rites (such as one of the greek mystery cults) or a secret society. As such it was inherently tied up with the specifics of the relevant rites and one's social positioning. While the term is still used that ways at times, it has also acquired a broadened meaning, to refer to a inner transition involved in a non-specific, personal, or perhaps universal spiritual path. Personally, I'm rather conflicted on the notion of a universal spiritual path. As someone who has explored a number of different paths to some level of depth and experience, I can see a lot of commonalities and I often rankle at the trendy and superficial academic fixation on verbal differences, unable to see past outer forms to appreciate the heart of the matter. On the other hand, I'm also aware of significant real differences in the experiential nature of these paths and even somewhat their goals. Additionally, I have a concern that many people mistake what I would consider personal, psychological shifts (either positive or negative) for something of metaphysical import deserving of the name 'initiation.'

In a sense, the specific term "initiation" is just a jumping off point for a wider conversation, in which we seek to determine whether we actually know what we're talking about and to draw out some of the different ideas that may be lurking in our minds about the spiritual path which are often glossed over when we too readily imagine that our path is a universal path.

Context clues help to figure out what a person is referring to.

However, it's understandable that if a person has no experience with something then their mind can't imagine circumstances outside of it and rankle. For example, when a person thinks an authority figure and established dogma is needed for initiation due to the limits of their experience then they can't imagine circumstances without them.
Nihil est in intellectu quod non sit prius in sensu nisi ipse intellectus

Initiation in the way I use the term is to mean the beginning of a spiritual process. Specifically for my circumstances the development from deconstructing recorded ceremonies to create a revisable spiritual ideal of active equilibrium which assists the initiate as they enter into calcination and throughout the process.