by Casey Sheldon
Apoptisso is the most important process of Kadmon. I believe that the Klippotic model described by the Kabbalists is not talking about discorporate evil beings, but rather, vessels for complex information patterns (souls) that are malformed and broken through intense trauma or spiritual/genetic inheritance (see Deuteronomy 5:9). The goal of Apoptisso is best understood once one realizes that the internal spark of life within each individual can re-form those shells if they are carefully shattered. If the psychological damage from the traumatic event can be repaired, or the complex that generates a "generational curse" can be rescinded beforehand, then when the vessel is shattered, it will re-form without the previous defect. These defects are actually the emanatory code of life leaking out of the vessels incorrectly. The rectification of these defects can not only improve quality of life, but can in some cases extend the duration thereof also. Note that many persons will have a few symptoms of each, because many individuals have broken vessels at all three layers.
Ruach Sa'arah, or Stormy Wind, is actually a fairly well known phemonenon. It is the mind filled to the brim with irrelevant thoughts. It rushes from idea to image to sound to sensation leaving only a lack of peace in its wake. Note that this wind comes from the North. I've identified the North in other studies as a realm of hidden secrets (hence the Kabbalists connect this verse to the Klipot) and yet rich and fertile 'soil'. Note that the Klipot are not said to be in the North, but out of the North.
The symptoms of this leakage are steadily increasing patterns of irrational behavior, irrational rage, insomnia, alcoholism, drug addiction, especially if either of the former are in excess and justified by stress, and thrill-seeking.
The strategic framework for piercing this Klippah involves maintaining Noema during periods of outburst. Discover what the source of the anger or pain is. This is something like a thorn or an irritant that would normally produce a positive character trait ("a pearl"), but has not disengaged. A continuous loop of thought is a common characteristic, caused by the mind's continual attempts to find meaning in a recurring problem (which will continue to re-manifest itself also). However, the meaning (the rich soil) has already been found but incorrectly processed. As the attempts continue, the meaning becomes corrupted through oversimplification or familiarity. The lesson becomes a justification for the negative thought process (which are in turn the justification for negative behaviors). This turns the positive character trait into a flaw. There are two strategies from here. Find a method to neutralize the irritant or find a method to neutralize the person's reaction to the irritant. You must decide which tactic will be more effective based on the situation.
Anan Gadol is translated as Great Cloud, but according to the Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon, Anan can also mean to practice soothsaying. I think in a more general sense this can be interpreted as the stage in which the mind sees all of it's own wishes fulfilled, and creates illusionary dreamscapes that can allow one to create lasting change on the inner landscape, but nowhere else, save by indirect effect.
The symptoms of this leakage are frequent day-dreaming, excessive escapism through mass media, passive aggressive behaviors (note that any and all mental disorders should be treated by a doctor first and foremost before attempting any Kadmon techniques), intense shyness, agoraphobia, and regular inability to respond when spoken to.
The strategic framework for piercing this Klippah requires a lot of patience. As there is less interaction, you must be ready when the time is correct. The piercing itself will occur through dialog, but typically only during aggressive outbursts or while the subject is exhibiting their particular irrational fears. To this end, it helps to ask questions that would direct the internal monologue. The direction depends upon the individual's particular bent, but for the most part, you will need to point out the disparities between the subject's behavior and the behavior that should arise from their principles. Eventually, you may notice them start to slowly change course. This will occur as an experimentation, wherein the individual will test out new ideas and rationalizations through actions. They will wait for approval or disapproval, sometimes repeating the action until it is acknowledged. This can feel like a slow process, much like paddling a canoe on a lake with just your hands, but in time the subject will become more efficient and self-sufficient.
Also, leave yourself a way out. By this, I mean that you should overemphasize one of your own flaws in this person's presence, so that they will not become overly attached to your character traits. This could cause them to alter their own thought processes to try and match your external expressions, which would erase their emerging patterns of internal processing. The reason for this is that the person within the Cloud will naturally seek to minimize any external resistance, and will attempt to match your thought processes so that they can avoid any confrontation.
Esh Mitlakachot ("the flashing fire") is a strange turn of phrase. It seems to me that Hebrew is implying a fire that feeds upon itself. This is the sense of numinous existence, of pure awareness, without bodily limit or boundaries based on form. Hence this is described with the adjunctory phrase, "surrounded by radiance" (Nogah Lo-Sabib). The awareness of this radiance is actually only a secondary side-effect of the actual experience, which is essentially that of feeding the sphere of sensation (which I see as fire spewing outwards from the head and feet, then joining together to form a sphere) with life force (the result of the process by which the fiery essence is extracted from the Living Waters in Tiferet and Yesod and projected outwards from Malkut and Keter, which then recompile and project the sphere of sensation based on the reflection of sensory feedback). This creates a coincidental manifestory engine which can be used with great efficiency to pray/request aid/meditate and be granted results.
This one certainly seems somewhat desirable. However, this process can consume the entirety of a person's spark of life long before their natural lifespan would dictate. The symptoms of this leakage are intense egotism, detachment from emotions, feelings of inhumanity, delusions of grandeur, intensified sense of responsibility for events beyond their control, creation of external enemies to combat, and an inability to distinguish fact from opinion.
The strategic framework for creating this leakage is to assuage the ego of the subject. Allow the subject to express themselves and give them the attention that they seek. Given time, they will come to see you as a dependable source of self-worth, which is one of the requirements of this particular leak: a replenishable source of internal reality. The manifestations that come from this person's life force are very real, but often the subject will begin to aggrandize and explain how events far beyond their control are actually their own as well. This is where most people run into a false dichotomy thinking, "All of it must be true, or none of it is true." This becomes the dilemma that keeps others from helping individuals manifesting the Flashing Fire. The subject assumes that external reality is a continuous whole outside of themselves in a conflict between "I" (the self and all of its influence) and "It" (anything external). Playing the intermediary and becoming something besides "It" ("Thou" in the terminology of Buber), begins the process. Unfortunately, this is also the most difficult to break, as it is self-reinforcing. The person can manifest new evidence to reinforce their own ideas. This is often cited as proof that they are correct in their delusions. However, I find in those cases that projecting a neutral, non-attacking sense of unbiased skepticism can often cool the heat generated by these manifestations (which derive from the Nogah Lo-Sabib). The primary method of breaking this vessel is to undermine the manifestory engine using the censoring function of the Nefesh. It requires you to lead the person into denying their own power, until they are contradicting their own claims. This will power down the manifestory engine when it happens. After several repetitions, humanity will begin to return, and at that point the process can automate itself.
When all of these vessels are repaired (which may take multiple huskings), the subject will begin to exhibit new abilities and the personality flaws will begin to change into strengths. Eventually you may come to the place known as Ayin Chasmal, the Eye of Amber, which basically could be said to translate out to 'the state in which the Silence Speaks.' In this place, we are whole again.