The half-secret esoteric traditions of the great religions all have certain... techniques, I guess we may call them, to greatly strengthen the human mind, and in a more limited sense the body too. These days, this knowledge is widely available. It is often referred to as "spirituality". By following certain principles, you can grow beyond the limits of ordinary humans not only in that primitive past, but even beyond most of what is considered humanly possible today.
This is a bad thing.
In these traditions, you strengthened the container so as to be able to carry the sacred truths, that could easily destroy an ordinary mind. As we remember, the "stuff" of higher-level worlds is harder, denser, more real than our everyday life. It is no wonder that the wineskins would burst and the wine be spilled. Due to the sheer real-ness of the content, even the greatly fortified container would seem to them a fragile piece of pottery, ugly and weak and temporary compared to the treasure they were to contain.
You want to be strong, not to carry the heavy burden but to achieve great things for yourself? You want to live a long and healthy life, not to fulfill your duty but to enjoy your senses? You want to see what is hidden, not to protect what is precious but to impress the simpleminded? Yes, you may be filled with pride by your achievements. But the treasure is hidden in plain sight. Like a small child you play with the colorful box, unaware that you have missed the gift itself.
