Initiation is a concept in Theosophy in which human beings are said to pass through different stages or gateways of spiritual development. This process is largely hidden while being under the auspices of the beings that guide this planet, the Masters of Wisdom.
According to Theosophy, Initiation is an "esoteric process...an artificial forcing process introduced into our planet in mid-Atlantean times to speed up the evolutionary process. Without it we would inevitably arrive at the same point of development as we evidence today, but it would take millions of years longer to do so."
The concept of initiation was brought to the West by the writings of Helena Blavatsky, beginning in the late nineteenth century, followed by those of C. W. Leadbeater and Alice A. Bailey in the 1920s. (These writings are also referred to as the "Ageless Wisdom Teachings".) According to Alice A. Bailey, initiation is the "process of undergoing an expansion of consciousness" According to C. W. Leadbeater, initiation is a process by which "we try to develop ourselves not that we may become great and wise, but that we may have the power and knowledge to work for humanity to the best effect." In these two quotes, one can recognize how Theosophy merges both Eastern and Western ideas about spiritual development into something new and syncretic: For the East has long grasped the importance of self-realization (which differs greatly from the idea of individuation or the pursuit of the "authentic" self), while the West recognizes the need for service or charity (should one become spiritually mature).
According to Martin Euser, “Theosophy closes the gap between science and religion by positing reincarnation as a dynamic process [unlike the concept of the eternal return].” Thus evolution is understood as not merely a physical process enhancing a species' survival, but also is related to humanity's spiritual development. Spiritual development depends upon two universal laws: the Law of Rebirth and the Law of Cause and Effect (i.e., reincarnation and the process of learning through precise experiences determined by the Law of Action and Reaction or the Law of Karma).
In addition, the Law of Harmlessness increasingly comes into play, as an initiate can be recognized by both their wisdom and their kindliness. According to Benjamin Creme, a Theosophist and student of the Ageless Wisdom Teachings, the Divine descends into matter until it rises up again (a process based on ever heightened states of consciousness and self-control).
Nonetheless, this process towards self-perfectment is understood as a long and arduous journey, replete with suffering and spanning millions of years. To begin with, there are four, basic, albeit incredibly difficult-to-attain, stages of spiritual development that human beings on Earth are said to progress through, over hundreds of thousands of life-times.
The process of becoming a unique individual capable of sustaining states of heightened awareness is painstakingly slow because most people mechanically pursue their own likes and dislikes, and in the process, consciously or unconsciously, impose their will on others. In the Greek New Testament this is referred to as metanoia, or "sin" (i.e., mistaken thoughts, feelings or behaviour). Asserting one's power over others results in trauma of all kinds and thus bad karma, which slows down one's spiritual development (as all harmful acts demand redress). But because karmic events further one's understanding about one's self and the world (as individuals are obliged to experience at some point or other the pain they have inflicted upon others), they ultimately offer a corrective for negative acts and thereby foster awakening. As such, the Law of Cause and Effect must ultimately be deemed a beneficent, if not divine, law.