Initiation

by Elisabeth Haich

An autobiography that connects the twentieth century European life of internationally beloved teacher Elisabeth Haich and her lucid memories of initiation into the hidden mystical teachings of the priesthood in ancient Egypt. It reveals her insights into the subtle workings of karma, reincarnation, and spiritual development.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Egypt, Biography, Occult, Memoir, Philosophy

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

Reviews

[Bharath · Rating 5 out of 5]

After I read the summary and some of the reviews, this book came across as similar to some of Brian Weiss' books. Since I like Brian Weiss' books, went ahead and got this. Initiation, however, is a deeply spiritual book with vivid descriptions of a time in Egypt when values and consciousness ruled. The descriptions of the capabilities and fundamentals of the Sons of God is exceptional including the pyramids (the science and purpose), lions drawing chariots, the spiritual exercises, telekinesis, concentration, and the trials leading to Elisabeth Haich's Initiation.

“Initiation” starts with Elisabeth Haich’s early childhood. She was always spiritually inclined, often going into deep thought. She also had broken recollections in dreams which she over time came to recognize as events from a past life. She is also once seen practising yoga like poses though she has received no instruction. There is a fleeting description of one past life where after a series of misfortunes she ends up as a beggar – meeting on the streets the person who has brought her to this state. The initial pages of the book are slow and you wish it would move faster.

This wish is soon granted as she recalls vividly her past life as the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt, and the niece of the High Priest Ptahhotep. This point onwards the book has sequences, descriptions and concepts unlike any other book I have read. The framework of past life recollection is similar to Brian Weiss’ books, but the similarity ends there. This book is deeply spiritual with vivid recollections of a time in Egypt where wisdom ruled. There are descriptions of two kinds of people – Sons of God who are highly conscious and evolved, while the Sons of Men find joy in material things (the gender is mainly one of practice in those times and there are daughters as well). This is the time when the Sons of God hold power. Initiation takes the Sons of God to the highest level of consciousness, which are facilitated as a series of exercises by Ptahhotep.

Many of the incidents described are very detailed and the words instantly draw mental images. There are very interesting and detailed descriptions of the pyramids –why they were built, and what they stand for. In her current life, Elisabeth meets and now recognizes many of the people who were close to her in the past life in Egypt. She is also able to speak with the soul of Ptahhotep, once she is able to master the ability to reach higher levels of consciousness.

If spirituality as a genre interests you, Initiation is a must read!

[Nea]

I have mixed feelings about this book and I actually stopped reading it after page 214. I'm a believer in reincarnation but I just didn't believe this author's story. It didn't feel right in my heart. Yes, there were some great spiritual teachings within these pages, but I found it difficult to focus on the message as I didn't trust the messenger. A long, extremely detailed past-life memory that includes every word from every experience many lifetimes ago. And she just happens to have every secret of the Universe. Hmm. I could list several "untruths" that stood out to me, but it isn't important. My take on this book is that it has a lot to offer, but as always, nobody (author, initiate or other) can give us all the answers that our souls seek. Every individual must seek and follow her own path to her own answers. This book is not some grand shortcut.

[Keleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book over a year ago and just picked it up again. It's the first-person narrative of Elisabeth Haich, Western yogi born in Hungary in the late 19th century, and her detailed recollection of her past life as an initiate in ancient Egypt. The highlight of this dramatic story is not, believe me, the writing. Much of it sounds hackneyed and improbable, but once you get past that, the knowledge she conveys is rich and fascinating -- yet another packaging of the same universal truths told and retold the world over: that we are entities of unlimited consciousness, and our physical bodies and normative perspective are but a tiny part of our full expressive potential. When I first started reading the book, I had gotten stuck in the particularly dense section on sacred geometry, but ironically enough, the very next chapter was on astrology, one of my very favorite subjects, and illuminates the epochs, Biblical symbology, and reincarnation in ways I have never before seen or considered. Haich founded the oldest yoga school in Europe, and her methods of self-realization are hugely inspiring. So glad I gave it a second try!

[Debasish Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is not an easy read despite its relatively compact size of aprox 360 pages, and the concepts will remain etched as a life changing experience.. it is as if going through the Initiation process itself. The book neither is a historical account of Egypt’s past civilization, nor is an astronomical treatise on the planet’s path through the precession cycle of the twelve zodiac stars, though the context of the book is enveloped between these two outlines : it is basically a spiritual uplifting book that addresses the self, the spirit and the consciousness in the human body. In the book, the author describes that in one of her previous births, she was a princess in Egypt and successfully she climbed all the seven spiritual steps to be initiated under the guidance of spiritual master High Priest Ptahhotep ..however after becoming a priestess, she fell prey to the physical feelings and basal instincts; thereby falling from the highest spiritual level to the lowest material level. Almost 5000 years have gone by, and in the present life, she is able not only to remember & recollect her past life of Egypt in perfect clarity, but she is also able to meet many present day incarnations of ancient initiates of the Egyptian society..and just as she and her father had saved a foreigner boy drowning in the seas back then, gave him life with the Staff of Life, named him Bo-Ghar; the re-incarnation of Bo-Ghar – now born in India and named as Selvarajan Yesudian in the present world, comes travelling half of the world, to save her from her war-ravaged country and that is the story of this book. The book gives shows that human life and spirit is crucified to the cross of Space and Time, from the days of “Sons of God” who once lived on this planet, but slowly they took upon themselves to uplift the natives and cave-men called as “Sons of Men”, specially after the world faced massive disasters following the mis-use of spiritual powers and instruments by the natives & the last of the Sons of Gods de-materialized themselves with their instruments within the Pyramids that they built with advanced techniques of spiritualization of matter, enabling them to lift huge stones with the least of efforts.


Initiation: We, the souls entrapped in our physical forms, are as ancient as time itself. The souls are the same, whether the body is that of a child or a grown up.. and they are manifestation of something that has materialized out of nothing. For example, we can take a blank sheet of paper and it represents "nothing" and when we draw a shape with a coloured paintbrush, the shape is something that has manifested out of the “nothingness” of the pure plain paper, and we can say that the shape was always there inside the paper, only invisible to us. And, if the manifestation, i.e. the painting need to be united with its source, if it wishes to go back to the “nothingness” then, it must initiate itself for the ultimate unification with its counter-part, a negative image of itself; that lies within itself. Therefore, the conscious mind of ours has an un-conscious counter part, a negative counterpart is always there inside our body for every conscious action and feeling. Only the true unison or balance of our every action and thought with its negative counterpart within our-self represents the fulfillment of attaining God, because we are just the manifestations of God & the Supreme Energy lives within each of us


Secret of Duality: What is the "self", the soul or the consciousness: it is the will-power that reside within the human physical body. Recognizing oneself and to be at peace with oneself is the greatest spiritual achievement.. the physical body inhales and exhales the "life" every moment and that is the consciousness....

The consciousness gives life not only to our positive thinking but also brings to life the negative feelings like hatred, selfishness and other attributes which are associated with the physical world. The negative feelings can not exist on its own, it is created by the same force that creates the positive feelings. The Satan is the law of matter that has come alive through the same divine spirit. We are just inert matter without the spirit . And , neither the positive thinking exist without the negative feelings. In a way, one needs the resistance of the negative forces to rise up against. Just like we can not have a thing on this planet without the resistance of gravity, against which we and all the materials and buildings are standing up. Resistance is the absolute necessary force to be used in building something.

Like the yin and yang, the duality of nature, is something to experience and practice. The satan can not exist without the self of a man, just an unconscious but necessary force of matter. To be initiated means to acknowledge the negative forces associated with our physical forms, and to use those forces and rise up against those resistances and build a positive conscience.

To be without negative physical resistances is un-realistic because we are in the physical world of nature, but to defeat those forces everyday with an inner awakening is to become God himself, because to recognize God , one must be God himself.


The seven wonders of Life that are described from bottom most vibration are : Matter, followed by Plants, and then Animals. Only Man can have the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh levels of manifestations. The average man is characterized with the fourth step, the genius characterized with his intellect as the Fifth; the prophet with his wisdom and universal love as the Sixth; and ultimately the God Man as the final Seventh level of manifestation.
To be initiated, one must consider the path of a “boomerang” : every living soul must traverse its destined path before coming to unity with the source. However, if we initiate ourselves through the seven steps of spiritual journey, we may shorten our path by millions of year that our spirit has been destined to follow as a boomerang. To rise each of the seven steps is a challenge: to overcome one’s physicality; one’s feelings/self-doubts; and by having universal love and finally to be completely selfish and help others. Only human being is capable of ascending through the seven steps of initiation..but if after any step, the soul is entrapped or gets attracted to the physical world of the base levels, the path of boomerang starts once again from the start..the path of the Initiate is again charted through millions of year before it can come back to its unification.

[Sali]

I'm very tempted to drop everything I'm reading to start this one. No idea why I'm stoked to read it when I have no clue as to what it's about. Sadly, I haven't even read the back cover. It just seems liked something I'd enjoy.
A friend handed it to me one winter evening 2 years ago and told me that it reminded him of me. It got me curious but not curious enough to start it then. Now it's found it's way back to me and I shall devour it before my summer ends.

Edit: I just skimmed over other reviews and it seems that my feelings were right about it turning out to be spectacular.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I start trying to continue reading this book, crazy things happen in my life, whether it be realizations of my own or just crazy events. I love it. it's challenging and thoughtful at the same time.
It's also a bit dry at times, but keep going!

[Caitlin H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Halfway through, i'm DNFing this. I'm not feeling it, & i don't like the little bits of "how COULD my SON have been a.... ((negro)) in a past life?!!??" (Cringe.) I'm guessing we're supposed to see the Egyptians in Haich's supposed past life as white, then?

The writing makes you feel like you're slogging through, & the improbability of it all combined with the writing made me feel like i was, on the whole, wasting my time. And the so-called "spiritual truths" felt dated, especially when they went on about duality.

Overall, wanted to like it, wanted to really give it a try, but in the end, i'm not feeling it. I'm not going to struggle through it anymore, just take it back to the library.

[DropOfOcean]

So far this is the only book which I decided not to attempt to rate it with stars. It’s a powerful book which will really make you wonder. There are lots of valuable things in the book and most likely you can understand or accept or believe only some of it. Take what you can and keep an open mind for the rest. When I got into last chapter I took a moment away from the book and experienced very beautiful ”state” where normal ”me” was gone and what was left was the Divine.

[Mare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knjiga pomoću koje sam s lakoćom uplivala u dublje propitkivanje o onom što se nalazi unutar nas i o onom što nas okružuje. Pisana je više kao roman u kojem se prikazuje svijest jedne žene kroz niz inkarnacija. Kod mene osobno je izazvala jake emocije i ujedno me oduševila. Možda zato jer je sama knjiga jedan veliki kozmički orgazam, a možda i zato jer priča o nesvakidašnjim temama kroz jednostavan i masama shvatljiv pristup.

[Melonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are at all interested in ancient Egyptian priesthood rituals (ahem), be aware that you have to get through the first 200 pages before she comes to them. However, this is a fascinating glimpse into a person's reflection on their life and reincarnation. Its out of print and is obscure, but worth the search for us weirdos.

[Zvonimir Čirjak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introspektivni svijet u kojem individua može zaroniti duboko u sebe, u svoj bitak, jezgru, svemir, svijest te viditi svoje mane i vrline, na manama poraditi te upoznati sebe u svojoj originalnosti. Uzdizanje vlastite svijesti, rast kundalini energije. Inicijacija. Otvara drugačiju percepciju, pogled na svijet unutar i van nas, tko smo i koja je naša uloga dok smo tu. Sve je povezano i svi smo jedna velika svijest.👽

[Aman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is what you get when you ask a completely narcissistic person with an obsession with being "special", "beautiful", "divine". This was not about past lives or spirituality, this was about preaching a belief system that condones (in no particular order) slavery, prejudice, racism.

The book was written in 1953 by a woman born in 1897. Her racism and fascination with the Egyptian culture could be driven by societal fascination during that era. The things that struck me was the white washing of Ancient Egyptian and the trope denigration of African peoples. You could say she was a product of her times but if those times existed I am glad they're gone.

I read this book for a book club and I'm grateful I will never have to read this PoS again. This book preaches that we should ignore the physical side of our humanity, that transcendence can only happen once you let go of the flesh. Which absolutely spits in the face of actual yoga practice and methodology. This woman owned yoga schools all over Europe.

If I could give this book 0 stars I would. It's awfully written, it lacks context and anchors. It's an unmoored, idiotic stream of consciousness without a story. She broke the author/reader contract. Save your money, save your time, pass on this garbage.

[Sumangali Morhall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unusual story, in that the author remembers experiences in past incarnations – most notably one in ancient Egypt – and links them to her present life. It’s fascinating just from a scientific and historical viewpoint as she recalls in great detail mysterious practices from thousands of years ago. From a spiritual viewpoint it is all the more captivating and inspiring, if a little terrifying in places. Not for the faint-hearted, it’s the kind of book that stays with you, for better or worse. From it I’ve found genuine encouragement to be ever more conscious in my own spiritual life.

[Peter Fogtdal · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read this book on so many levels - like a novel from a woman with a vivid imagination; as a textbook on reincarnation and the spiritual lessons we need to learn, or as a memoir by a spiritual yoga teacher with a memory better than ours. This book is unforgettable. I'm going to read it again in my next life ...

[Jillianfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing autobiography about Elisabeth Haich's lucid memories of ancient Egypt. A book that you read and say "Why Not?" when considering her spin on mystical truths. If you are looking for a book that explains esoteric secrets of ancient Egypt...consider this great read.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome! news twists on ancient egyptian knowledge and a really cool scene about past-life yoga!
i don't want to spoil it for you. a really fun read if your into the study of esoteric knowledge.
basically a woman remebers her past life as an egyptian princess, an initiate to higher knowledge.

[Lea Küünal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raamat, millest saab palju arusaamisi maailma toimimise seadustest ja inimeseks olemise sügavustest, väga maailmapilti avardav lugemine. Tore on see, et see raamat tuli minuni täiesti juhuslikult - üks lugeja tõi ta Sindis meie lauale, oli selle Pärnust laenutanud ja palus meil raamatu Pärnusse tagastada. Hakkasin raamatut siis sirvima, seejärel laenutasin ja nii ma selle sügavusteni jõudsin. Ostsin selle raamatu ka endale raamaturiiulisse, sest seda peab minu arvates ikka ja jälle
siit-sealt lugema ja loetu üle mõtisklema.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a wealth of lost knowledge in this book. So much so that I had to slowly digest it all and so it took me
Months to finish.

My criticism is that the first 20 or so chapters are not necessary to read, they’re of no use for the background or for any kind of enjoyment.

Initiation has opened my mind even further to the possibilities for increasing ones consciousness, and the cycles that need to be broken in order to achieve that.

[Sicofonia · Rating 1 out of 5]

If there's a lesson to be learnt upon reading this book, it must be that it is wiser to drop a book after reading 3 consecutive bad chapters than ploughing ahead in the hope that things will get better.

I hadn't read something this bad since Anastasia. It starts OK, a conventional autobiography of a woman and her upbringing in Hungary (I presumed, as no locations are ever given). We come to learn that this person was not satisfied with mundane life and kept searching and thinking about some hidden and higher meaning to her existence. Things get a twist for the worse when the plot takes us to some sort of imagined/dreamt previous life in ancient Egypt. In that setting, the author turns into the daughter of a pharaoh, and starts her journey towards the "initiation" (or the big reveal that makes once transcend our human-materialistic existence).

I admit most of the text went over my head from this point on. Especially the middle chapters filled with a lot of non-sensical stuff about the role of the Zodiac signs in a person's journey through different levels of consciousness. Even though it is presented as something thorough, I couldn't help but feel it was all a big WAFFLE.

To top it off, in one chapter the author talks about a dream about one of her friends in a past life who reincarnated in an African tribe. In this dream, her friend is attacked by a tiger. Well, I don't know if you know, but tigers only exist in Asia... and there hasn't been any evidence found of them ever living in Africa. At this point I could only laugh.

In fact, I think I have spent more time than necessary just to say this book is full crap. Waste of time, I would give it zero stars if that was an option, it is THAT bad.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really proud of myself for sticking to my goal to read this book. I had this on my TBR for over two years and I finally decided to pick it up because it was now or never. Well, I was under researched. Had I known that this was a translation originally written in the 50s, I don't think I would have been as committed. And yes, this was a COMMITMENT. A small font size and high word density made for a very slow reading process. 

While this is technically a nonfiction work, it would have benefitted much from being treated as fiction. The language is flowery and actually quite readable for the time period and original language. However, the pacing is a HUGE issue. This story is at it's most digestible when action is taking place. However, a diversion about a third of the way in left me so confused and it wasn't resolved until the last thirty pages! In my daze, I feel like I read an astrology textbook. 

Hypotheticals: What would have happened if her current life and past life were written in alternating chapters? What if the book was broken into parts? What if the incredibly dense lecturing wasn't all verbiage from a single person? 

Finally, from the start, Esther is not a likable or sympathetic narrator. This worsens as she narrates her life in Egypt, during which time she is the Pharaoh's wife and demands beyond reason for one thing she impatiently yearns for. HER EGO IS JUST TOO SMOTHERING. A bit of comic relief lightens things when the warnings she was given came back to literally bite her in the end.

Overall, I'm really glad I read this but it does not have any resonance or value as a potential recommendation for others.

[Margaret McDowell]

This book was the most powerful book I've ever read. This is non-fiction and she puts to words, things that I've tried to make sense of in my head through experience but she has a way of explaining it very well. If you are enlightened and have awareness of the metaphysical realm, this book will blow your mind. I bought 6 copies so when the time is right, I can give them away to people in my life.

[Anand Krishna]

I wish there are many more books along this line, written by westerners.
I am afraid most of the so-called "spiritual" books written by "many" western authors nowadays are not based on their actual experience but products of "cut-and-paste" ideas.

[Shila Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can pull you in just as much as it can repulse you based on your perception of the writer and her intent.

It has the divine ability to awaken you, teach you many profound things, and transform your entire existence; or it may do something else. It’s really up to you.

[Rachel Shadday · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book of all time.

[Denita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book!

[Brigitte Van Cauter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het thema interesseert me zeker, en er staan heel wat inzichten in waar je verder over kan reflecteren. Het eerste deel van het verhaal vond ik wat minder ter zake doen, en te lang duren, maar op het einde zie je toch wel enige samenhang. Wat mij betreft is vooral hetgeen ze vertelt over Egypte boeiend.

[Catherine Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am marking this book as read. Although I read it over 40 years ago! At that time, I remember really loving this book so I gave it five stars. I should probably read this book again as a lot can happen within a person in 40 years!

[Fred Roosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eyeopener 🙏👍👍

[Soren Kerk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my friend on the phone.
It got so we could hardly wait until the nighttime phone call.
Such a joy to read "one" person's journey to Truth.
It quickly became a favorite.
Was it a story or a biography - or what is the difference?

[Christine Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and mind opening. I am happy that I came across this book.