A PHILOSOPHICAL VIEW OF THE SECOND GENERATION

A PHILOSOPHICAL VIEW OF THE SECOND GENERATION
or
‘KNOW THE ORIGIN OF LIFE THAT FEELS WITHOUT FORM’[1]

Natalia Staikoff, researcher and member of the TSU Sciense Group

(This study addresses issues in embryology and anthropology and forms part of an ongoing series; see ‘T&S’ No. 12, 2023)

Research on the early stages of human embryonic development is subject to stringent ethical regulation. In many jurisdictions, the use of donated embryos remaining after in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures is permitted for research purposes. However, the deliberate creation of embryos exclusively for scientific investigation is generally prohibited. This principle is codified in international legal instruments such as the Oviedo Convention (Council of Europe, 1997).

Conversely, certain countries allow the creation of human embryos for research under strictly limited conditions, specifically when the scientific objectives cannot be achieved through alternative biological materials or methodologies. Such regulatory frameworks aim to balance the advancement of biomedical knowledge with fundamental ethical considerations regarding the moral status of the human embryo[2].

Following an extensive review of the literature on early embryonic development, several questions arise from the perspective of a non-specialist in embryology. First, can embryos deemed unsuitable for transfer be considered an optimal model system for understanding human development?

Embryonic development in vitro occurs within an artificial culture medium. This environment, being human-engineered, inevitably differs from the physiological conditions of the fallopian tube and uterus. This leads to a second question: is it possible to fully replicate the natural developmental environment of a human or mammalian embryo under artificial conditions?

Genetic material and embryos remaining after in vitro fertilization (IVF) are frequently cryopreserved prior to their use. This raises a third question: does post-thaw development remain equivalent to that of embryos developing under uninterrupted natural conditions, without exposure to cryopreservation?

A substantial body of knowledge in embryology has been derived from studies of mammalian embryos. While such models enable compliance with ethical and legal standards and provide insight into general developmental principles, a fourth question emerges: within what limits can these general principles of intrauterine development be reliably extrapolated to humans?

A comparative analysis of the development of the “Heavenly Human,” as described in The Secret Doctrine, and that of the human embryo reveals notable parallels in their underlying formative principles. Moreover, a joint consideration of cosmogonic and embryological processes within a unified philosophical framework may provide interpretative insight into a range of “why” questions relevant to both philosophy and embryology.

Helena Blavatsky asserted the existence of a fundamental correspondence between the birth of the Cosmos, the World, a planetary being, and the “child of earthly origin.” Blavatsky wrote that there is an absolute similarity between the birth of the Cosmos, the World, the planetary being, and the child of sin of the Earth[3].

Every cell in our body remembers its origin, because it was not accidental: it is the history of their formation that makes cognition possible—the form of intelligence we speak of today in relation to cells and systems. Therefore, I will attempt to unlock my memory—to relive—the living process of the embodiment of the Universe within myself: from the unmanifest to form, from unity to multiplicity, from unconscious existence to the awakening of the ability to perceive and respond. In this way, I will demonstrate the framework and general principles of intrauterine development, which, according to various religious sources, can be transferred to humans. And then, everyone will form their own opinion.

☆ (Reliving Prenatal Development). I am a Zygote... (See Fig. 1) The first cell of the second generation. Within the membrane, two lines are already connected—the paternal and maternal. They intertwined into a single program—DNA—that will cause the body to develop and the features of the image to take shape. This program also contains character traits, and even, to some extent, destiny is written...

 
I am the beginning, and the equivalent of the Beginning of the Universe. If I imagine myself this way, then I am neither a body nor a person. I am space and time. I am trying to sense this state. I will slip into the darkness... I understand. I am Life. Now I gently withdraw my attention from the depths and turn it outward—to the world. I feel: the same Life is everywhere—in the Galaxy as a single organism, in the solar system, in me, in all people, in every atom and in every blade of grass.

Figure 1. I — oocyte; II — fertilized oocyte (zygote); III — 2-cell stage; IV — 4-cell stage; V — 8-cell stage (morula); VI — compact morula; VII — early blastocyst; VIII — late blastocyst / onset of implantation.

All that exists is but a reflection of that full Life that remains there, in the ineffable darkness. And simultaneously with this awareness of Life, I feel myself as Light—a particle of Light, a point of luminous substance, the foundation of the world (Mulaprakriti or Prakriti in Sanskrit). There is darkness within me…, and I am light. A quiet, wondrous feeling of being light, not yet revealed in the spectrum of shades. I manifest Darkness—or rather, the power of Eros or Life… I am the Monad. But here, on this plane, I am the first cell—the zygote. Do not perceive me as a form. I am the Essence. I am the Monad.

∞ (Theosophy) From this point on, I will allow myself to turn to philosophical equivalents, choosing those terms and their descriptions that more accurately convey the meaning in a given place of residence. For example, terms such as the First Logos, the Potentiality of Mind, Absolute Thought, Monad, Parabrahman + Mulaprakriti, Atman + Buddhi in the human category are not identical as words, but they are essentially interchangeable. Therefore, the above quote could be addressed to one of them, and in fact, to all of them.

In her article "On the Mineral Monad," Blavatsky wrote that the Monad is the union of two principles in man: Atman and Buddhi. Essentially, they are two primordial, polar principles, male and female. The Monad refers only to the Spiritual Soul, that is, to Buddhi, and not to its life-giver—the highest spiritual principle, Atman. But since the Spiritual Soul could not exist apart from the latter, it is nevertheless called a "monad"—that which is one. "...Buddhi, ...the sixth principle (from the bottom of the p.a.), represents the essence of what you would call matter (or rather, a certain center of spiritual force), ..., while the ATMAN, which nourishes ... life, constitutes part of the ONE LIFE, (Parabrahman)." The monad can be depicted geometrically—it is a white dot on a black background. As a reminder, on the Diagram of the Heavenly Man, this state corresponds to the first line between Planes I and II.

☆ (Continuation of the prenatal development experience, see Fig. 1). I slowly sway within the warm and moist fallopian tube, moving along it, dividing. I could be called the first matter, so I'm not really dividing, but rather expanding cellularly[4]. The first division is two cells, the second is four cells... Formally, four cells, but in essence, we, four cells, four centers of power, create a contour for subsequent manifestation, as if four Angels of the Presence delimited the square of matter. We are the space of the selected qualities of the Father-Mother. Essence... Space is the only possible space for my manifestation: me, a human being whom the Gods see as an oval, more or less radiant sphere, and humans—as a body.

Now, here in this space, something else is already emerging. Externally, the maternal proteins, those accumulated before fertilization, which supported the first two divisions, are depleted. For division to continue, the maternal proteins must be replaced by the developing organism's own proteins. And here, at the 4-cell stage, preparation for this begins.[5]

∞ (Theosophy) The transition... from the maternal proteins to one's own... It occurs without a jerk, without a break, in exact accordance with what Blavatsky wrote in The Secret Doctrine:

"... the seventh and fourth members in the septenary chain of worlds, in the septenary Hierarchy of Angels, or in the constitution of man, animal, plant, or mineral atom—the seventh and fourth members... in the geometrical and mathematical uniformity of the immutable laws of Nature, always play a definite and special part in the septenary system. ... everything in the Universe, from the great to the small, advances in its spiritual and physical evolution, following a cyclical and septenary process, in which its seventh and fourth members (the latter being the turning point) behave in the same way as is revealed in the law of the periodicity of Atoms. (Mendeleev's periodic table)[6].

Embryologists call the first four cells omnipotent (scientifically, totipotent). They can differentiate into all cell types: into cells of extraembryonic organs that connect me to my mother's body, which ensures my viability, and into cells that, through differentiation, organize themselves into my body.[7]

∞ (Theosophy) Omnipotence, change of potency, and differentiation are revealed in the Mahatma Letters[8] as states and processes accompanying the manifestation of the One Element—the Universal Monad: "...there is only the One Element, and it is impossible to understand our system without having a correct conception of it firmly fixed in the mind. ...until this great, primary fact is clearly understood, everything else will seem incomprehensible. This element, then, is, metaphysically speaking, the one Substratum (equivalent to Light, Buddhi), or the unchanging cause of all manifestations in the phenomenal world."

The Mahatma further explains... The One Element is the First Point of manifesting activity. Let us call it A. It gives rise to other centers—B, C, D... Each of these points, in turn, gives rise to its own centers—a, b, c... That is, with increasing distance from A, hierarchies of centers of force, levels of consciousness, worlds, and beings are born. When A gives birth to B, C, D, and so on, it is not exhausted or "given away" or weakened. Its smaller centers, in turn, do not lose a drop of the original strength of center A.

That is, this is not the division of something material, like an apple. When you cut it, you get slices. This is differentiation: when dividing, we get more apples, but with a different taste.

Cell division in the prenatal period is analogous to the differentiation of the Single Element. The first cell divides, but each new cell retains the same DNA. Differences between cells are achieved through genes packaged in DNA helices. Some are active, others fall silent. As some genes gradually fall silent, the cell's creative potential narrows: the silenced ones have already expressed themselves from the inside out—in form.

Looking ahead, I will say that in the prenatal period, it is clearly evident that every turning point in development begins with a change in the potential of cells; Then, the construction of living cellular tissue based on these capabilities; and finally, the formed tissue creates the conditions for the next step of development. This biological process clearly reflects what the philosophical tradition calls the descent of the Spirit into matter. "From the Flame of the highest… the lower conductor is ignited, and from it, the lower vehicle, and so on."[9]

☆ (Continuing with the prenatal development experience, see Fig. 1) My cells aren't "glued together," but gently touch each other. Division continues... Each new cell is the same as the first—still omnipotent. This means any one of them could become me or my twin. But for this to happen, something is missing. I'm trying to figure out what exactly. For development to progress, a difference must emerge, when the cells cease to be identical and at least one of us begins to chart an individual path.

 Figure 2.[10] The figure illustrates how one of the blastomeres, following division, becomes internalized within the cell mass. The dividing cell is indicated in yellow, while the internalizing cell is shown in red.

And the differences appeared... after division, producing the 7th and 8th cells (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). The eighth cell gradually changes its state: it contracts, decreasing in volume. And then some force, similar to gravity, pulls it inward[11]. All the other cells, under the influence of the same force, close together, turning into a dense ball. I become a morula, a mulberry, as embryologists call me. The fates of the outer and inner cells will differ from this moment.

Starting at the eight-cell stage, the inner cells begin a transition from omnipotency to multipotency (scientifically, pluripotency). Multipotent cells are capable of giving rise to any cell in the body. This change will continue after the embryo exits the fallopian tube (see Fig. 1) and implants in the uterus—until every cell is ready for the next stage of differentiation.[12]

The eight-cell stage is a turning point in development. Let me remind you: every turning point in development begins with a change in the potential of cells. This can be geometrically depicted by a white circle within which a black dot has appeared. This is analogous to the Dyad. On the Heavenly Man Diagram, this state corresponds to the second line between Planes II and III.

∞ (Theosophy) In the Secret Doctrine, we find that involution—the descent of spirit into matter—is equivalent to evolution, that is, an ascent along the same levels in the opposite direction. The latter is described as a movement "from the deepest depths of materiality (mineral)... with a corresponding refinement of the concrete organism—up to Nirvana, the point of disappearance of differentiated matter."[13] Consequently, if evolution unfolds from physical matter to Nirvana, then involution must logically begin precisely with Nirvana—from the moment of primary distinction and the beginning of differentiation.

In the stanzas of the Secret Doctrine, the Seven Warriors represent an as-yet undifferentiated unity, while the appearance of the eighth, distinct from the preceding ones, marks the first act of differentiation. "THE ONE-EIGHTH IS LEFT ALONE, AND HIS BREATH IS THE LIGHT-GIVER." Commenting on this stanza, Blavatsky writes that “One” is the Sun of our System and cites the Vedic myth of Bal-i-lu, which in the images and experiences of the heroes amazingly accurately reflects the moment of the eight-cell stage.

“Eight houses were built by the Mother; eight houses for her eight Divine Sons: four great and four small. Eight shining Suns, according to their age and merit. Bali-lu was dissatisfied, though his house was the largest. He began to act as great elephants do. He inhaled into his womb the vital breaths of his brothers. He sought to devour them. The four great ones were far away, at the extreme limit of their realm[14]; they were not affected and laughed. ‘Do what thou canst, O Lord; thou canst not reach us.’ But the smaller ones wept. They complained to the Mother. She exiled Bali-lu to the center of her kingdom, whence he could not move. Since then he only watches and threatens. He pursues them, revolving slowly around himself; they turn swiftly away from him, and he observes from afar the path along which his brothers move around their dwellings[15]. From that day he feeds upon the body of the Mother; he fills himself with her breath (Life)… Therefore she rejected him” (The Secret Doctrine, 1888).

That is, before the final formation of the planets, even before the forces of attraction and repulsion had reached equilibrium, the Sun drew all cosmic vitality[16] into the depths of its mass. It drew it in, or inhaled it, and an inhalation must necessarily be followed by an exhalation.

From a theosophical perspective, Ba-i-lu absorbs vitality with the inhalation. Inhalation is manifested by the force of attraction, which every schoolchild knows. But what is an exhalation, and is anything similar to an exhalation observed in the Universe? I will give two examples of the Beginning of Manifestation. It turns out that modern cosmogony suggests that the Universe[17] itself was significantly denser and hotter in the past, that is, compressed under the action of a powerful gravitational force. The basis for this assumption is the surviving evidence—cosmic background radiation. Radiation signifies an outward direction from the source, so in its meaning it can be compared to an exhalation.

Stars are ignited in exactly the same way. On the NASA[18] website, we read... Stars form from enormous, cold clouds of gas. Within them, matter gathers into dense clumps, and under the force of its own gravity, compression—that is, inhalation—begins. As compression proceeds, the gas heats up, forming a protostar. When the required temperature and pressure are reached at the center, nuclear fusion begins, and the star ignites, radiates, and exhalation occurs.

Bringing together two worldviews—scientific and theosophical—we can say: after the compression phase, when cosmic vitality is drawn deep into the mass, exhalation—radiation—follows, as an outward manifestation of individual vitality.

To understand how exhalation manifests itself in the prenatal analogy, let's turn to the theory of Pyotr Goryaev. He is known for his concept of wave genetics: DNA not only stores information, but emits energy quanta in the form of coherent electromagnetic waves, like a small laser. These waves transmit information within cells, between cells, and even, he believed, beyond the body.

Goryaev understood quantum language as a language of communication. The Word! In the beginning was the Word! This means that while the early embryo develops thanks to maternal proteins, its own DNA remains silent. When these resources are exhausted, the human genome is activated and the synthesis of its own proteins begins. But in addition to material synthesis, a wave-like exhalation occurs. On the Institute of Linguistic-Wave Genetics' website, we read: "...the DNA nucleotide sequence is speech-like. We all originate from the genetic apparatus (from the Family, nature). The genetic apparatus constructs DNA phrases. Scientists are gradually developing an understanding of the functioning of our genetic apparatus as an intelligent system. ...Everything is constructed by Thought. Everything is intelligent. Everything has memory.

The genetic apparatus operates on two levels: material and wave. The material level is the 1% of genes responsible for protein synthesis. The wave level is 99% of genes, operating on the principles of holography. It represents figurative speech structures…”[19] I emphasize - the Wave level represents figurative speech structures or words composed of quantum letters, and the word is pronounced on exhalation.

☆ (Continued prenatal development experience). In the very beginning, all my cells gently touched each other, held together because they felt a kinship bond. But since there were eight of us, the force that compressed us changed something: we began to feel ourselves as one whole—a single organism. The force stabilized and balanced. Wow! Activation of the paternal genome[20]! My father's genes[21] initiate the transition to my own individual mode. The maternal RNA and proteins that supported the first divisions are degrading or weakening. Now, in my cells, my RNA reads and transfers genetic information, and my own proteins are synthesized. And all this because an individual center of consciousness[22] has been established. On inhalation, it absorbs LIFE, and on exhalation, it pronounces the Word, composed of quantum "letters."

∞ (Theosophy) Living through the prenatal period of the embryo, here called the second generation, I described mostly real and material events, embellishing them with philosophy. But the Heavenly Man is not material. He is sentient Life without form. Life, whatever form it takes, obeys one single law of development.

Blavatsky wrote: "There is an innate law—not only in the primordial but also in the manifested matter of our phenomenal plane—by virtue of which Nature combines her geometric forms, and later also her component elements, in which there is no room for surprise or chance."[23]

The essence of this law for humans is as follows: Breath becomes stone; stone becomes plant; plant becomes animal; animal becomes man; man becomes spirit, and spirit becomes God.[24]

Let me explain... The monad is invisible and not detectable by physical instruments..., but it is always present. It remains unchanged amidst all future changes. The monad is neither form nor consciousness, and therefore cannot develop as form or consciousness. Its essence is initially full of possible experience for both form and consciousness. And in essence, the law of development is not a change in the monad that guides the process, but its gradual manifestation through different levels of existence.

When inhalation occurs, the monad begins to pass through a cycle called mineral in The Secret Doctrine. In philosophical understanding, this means that matter is first collected, held, and acquires a stable center, through which the monadic essence subsequently enters matter (exhalation).

Without the act of inhalation, matter could not coalesce into either animate or inanimate form. Without the act of exhalation, it could not sustain development directed toward a specific goal or persist in a durable form. When such a center ceases its presence on the physical plane, the mineral crystal disintegrates, and the person dies.

The diamond clearly demonstrates this unity of inhalation and exhalation in inanimate nature: it is not simply crystalline carbon; it is prized for its hardness and the wondrous light that distinguishes it from counterfeit. This is the result of deep concentration and sustained radiation, maintained over time.

Then, in accordance with the Universal and innate law, the Monad will take the next step – manifesting on the vegetative level of existence.

 
[1] Stanza VII. The Secret Doctrine, Volume 1
[2] Ethical considerations on the moral status of the embryo and embryo-like structures† | Human Reproduction | Oxford Academic Many countries permit embryo research using donated supernumerary embryos, but prohibit the creation of embryos for research purposes, as stipulated by the Oviedo Convention (Council of Europe, 1997). Other countries allow the creation of embryos for research if the research cannot be carried out using other material. 
[3] Instructions for students of the internal group p. 87
[4] …in the center of each Atom there is a germ, and all of them together form the “Germ.” p. 63, volume 1.
[5] Zygotic genome activation in vertebrates - PMC
[6] The Secret Doctrine, Volume 1, Page 404.
[7] Totipotent stem cells: Properties, applications, and challenges | Abcam

…totipotent stem cells are the only cells that can generate both the embryo and all supporting extra-embryonic structures required for full organismal development. The ability to form a complete organism (including placenta) is the defining test of totipotency
[8] Letters of the Mahatmas, p. 289
[9] HPB. Instructions for the internal group p. 65
[10] Cortical Tension Allocates the First Inner Cells of the Mammalian Embryo - ScienceDirect    
[11] Cortical Tension Allocates the First Inner Cells of the Mammalian Embryo - ScienceDirect 

Tracking our computationally segmented cells reveals that the primary morphogenetic mechanism generating inner cells is apical constriction. This process requires 5 ± 2 hr and is characterized by a decrease in apical surface area, an increase in basolateral area, and gradual cell repositioning closer to the embryo center. 

 
[12] (PDF) Dynamic stem cell states: Naive to primed pluripotency in rodents and humans

Pluripotency is highly dynamic and evolves at different stages of pre- and post-implantation development. 
[13] The Secret Doctrine, Volume 1.
[14] Planetary System. (footnote by Blavatsky).
[15] "The sun revolves on its axis in the same direction as the planets in their respective orbits..." (footnote by Blavatsky)
[16] The Secret Doctrine, Volume 1.
[17] Observations of the recession of distant galaxies confirm that the universe is expanding. As the universe expands, the density of both matter and radiation decreases with time. Thus, in the past, the universe was much denser and much hotter than it is today. Today, the universe is filled with the cosmic background radiation, the residual heat from the big bang, which has been cooled by the expansion of the universe. This radiation fills space… nationalacademies.org/read/10079/chapter/6?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[18] Stars - NASA Science
[19] Оn wave genetics - Волновая генетика
[20] According to Hermetic philosophy, the male principle always initiates creation, and the female creates.
[21] Human zygotic genome activation is initiated from paternal genome - PMC

Human zygotic genome activation is initiated from paternal genome. ...primate-specific ZNF675 with AG-specific expression plays a role in human ZGA initiated from paternal genome at the 8-cell stage
[22] By "Center" is meant here the center of energy, or... focus. When the so-called "creation" or formation... is completed by that force which occultists define as Life, and Science as energy, then the process proceeds from within outward, for every atom, as is said, contains within itself the creative energy of the Divine Breath. The Secret Doctrine, Volume 1, Page 36.
[23] The Secret Doctrine, Volume 1.
[24] ibid