Talented children and their latent qualities
Some children have incredible talents from a young age, which cannot be explained by their upbringing environment. We should look for the answer in their past - previous lives.
The question of talented children and child prodigies has puzzled our civilisation for a long time:
composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) composed his first musical pieces at the age of 4 and was already competent on keyboard and violin;
mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) wrote his treatise on vibrating bodies at the age of 9 and his first proof at the age of 11 years;
composer Frederic Chopin (1810–1849) wrote his first composition at the age of 7;
philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) began studying Latin and the works of Euclid and algebra at the age of 8;
mathematician William James Sidis (1898–1944) taught himself eight languages by age 8 and invented his own.
Just a few notable examples of a long list.
How many people really wonder how young children can exhibit such individual characteristics? Should this not prompt a deeper reflection? As one young mother expressed it in wonder: 'Both boys had exactly the same upbringing; they grew up in the same family. Yet they are completely different from each other.' This seemed remarkable to her.
It would be a pity if this thought were to end here without further reflection. This may be the case if mental energy is spent on managing everyday life puzzle. But what are the reasons for these differences? When they are born, are children really blank slates?
Obviously not. We all know that even young children have different personality traits and show different aptitudes. These personality traits become increasingly pronounced over time. Should this not arouse more interest?
No, we are not blank slates. We are born with qualities and abilities that lie latent within us, like seeds. We should be more than open to the idea of reincarnation and that such qualities and abilities may have been acquired in previous lives.
Some persons develop early, while others are brought to life by circumstances that nurture these qualities. Parents play a key role in providing children with opportunities to develop positive qualities and avoiding those that may nurture negative ones. When young children naturally go through phases where negative qualities seem to emerge, it is best to refrain from encouraging them.
Unfolding our unique being
We are predisposed to certain personality traits by energies unknown to man, which shape our being in a multitude of combinations. This category also includes astrological influences, which in their deeper meaning have an actual impact on us. All in all, this makes each human a unique personality and individuality. We can assume that we humans have very little understanding of these things, and that modern psychology does not contribute to knowledge in this area either. There is still much to discover.
We can see examples of latent abilities in children of musicians who often develop musical talent. This does not happen by chance, but rather as a result of what could be described as nature's way of making matches. However, such matching is not always possible.
Some children demonstrate unexplained talents from a young age that far exceed what would normally be expected for their age group. Their body language, expressions and empathy can be similar to those of an adult.
When a child is given opportunities to develop fine qualities such as compassion, responsibility and gratitude, these qualities can be brought to life if they are latent. The development of higher emotional qualities is threatened when children's leisure time consists predominantly of screen time, which provides a limited range of opportunities for their development. In contrast, natural contact with their surroundings, inspiring environments and the natural challenges of life provide individuals with greater opportunities to reawaken and nurture their special qualities and abilities. In general, we must guard against being pulled down by modern phenomena. Our potential is often greater than we realize.
The hidden teaching of Pythagoras
The famous Pythagoras, the philosopher and mathematician, conveyed knowledge about reality in his time, something which was then passed on in secret schools of knowledge. According to this teaching, which now partially has been made public, we are all primordial atoms, called monads by Pythagoras, and this is our real self.
After physical death, the monad peels off the envelopes that served it during physical life: the etheric envelope that gave life to the gross physical organism; the emotional envelope that made an emotional life possible; and the mental envelope that made a thought life possible.
Without incarnating monads and their envelopes, physical life would be impossible. Believing that the full richness of life in the cosmos could exist without higher degrees of underlying intelligence only shows a lack of perspective.
In our secularised part of the world, knowledge of reincarnation has almost become ridiculous. This demonstrates how far we have strayed from a true understanding of life, having become too seduced by the exaltation of technological development and the illusion of scientific omniscience. The idea that our lives are single, meaningless and inexplicable would rightly be considered unintelligent nonsense.
No, life is far richer than we could ever imagine. The different stages of the monads' evolution can be seen in our natural kingdoms. These young individuals, who display unexplained talents at an early age, demonstrate the latent qualities and abilities of the monads and how these can develop into genuine talents when nurtured over a series of incarnations. We are on an almost endless journey of development, during which life becomes richer and richer as our understanding broadens and deepens.
Our task in the human kingdom
The monad collects more and more experiences in order to grow in the twelve essential qualities of man - trust in life, trust in self, obedience to law, uprightness, impersonality, will to sacrifice, faithfulness, reticence, joy in life, purposefulness, wisdom, unity. Each of these qualities encompasses many related qualities. Our task in the human kingdom is to perfect these qualities and take ourselves to the next stage in evolution.
Of course, if we were perfect, the world would not look as it does today. In fact, humanity is still quite primitive. We have much more to learn.
It is important to be aware that there are also forces that oppose the consciousness development of humanity. Therefore, as a parent, it is important to act as a balancing force against the indoctrination that takes place from an early age, such as the politically correct fictions prevalent in today's society, for example in schools and elsewhere. Questioning things and exercising discernment and judgement is probably more important now than ever before.
If we can ensure that children's first year of life is characterised by physical security and loving closeness, and if we can keep the world small for the time being and wait to introduce them to life outside the family and friends, we will give them the basic security they need to continue growing. In time, we all need to familiarise ourselves with the wider world and forge our own experiences, for which a solid foundation is of great value.
This knowledge can help us to become wiser parents and understand that children, and we ourselves, are not blank slates, but individuals in development. If we keep this in mind, we will make wiser choices for ourselves and our children and fulfil the purpose of our time in the physical world — our perfection as human beings.
In our time, this knowledge of reality is presented through the mental system of hylozoics, formulated by Pythagoras and conveyed anew by the Swedish esoteric philosopher Henry T. Laurency.
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