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diff --git a/25931-h/25931-h.htm b/25931-h/25931-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8b39f35 --- /dev/null +++ b/25931-h/25931-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6573 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Science and the Infinite, by Sydney T. Klein</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- +body { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; } + +p { margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em; } + +h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 +{ + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +hr +{ + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + +.pagenum +{ /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + +.center {text-align: center;} +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} +.u {text-decoration: underline;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + +/* Poetry */ +.poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + +.poem br {display: none;} + +.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + +.poem span.i0 +{ + display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i2 +{ + display: block; margin-left: 2em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i4 +{ + display: block; margin-left: 4em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; +} + +.author {text-align: right; margin-right: 5%; font-variant: small-caps;} + +.datesig {margin-left: 1em; font-variant: small-caps;} + + hr.full { width: 100%; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 0em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + height: 4px; + border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ + border-style: solid; + border-color: #000000; + clear: both; } + pre {font-size: 85%;} +// --> +/* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Science and the Infinite, by Sydney T. Klein</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Science and the Infinite</p> +<p> or Through a Window in the Blank Wall</p> +<p>Author: Sydney T. Klein</p> +<p>Release Date: June 29, 2008 [eBook #25931]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCIENCE AND THE INFINITE***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by David Clarke, Diane Monico,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (http://www.pgdp.net)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h1>SCIENCE AND THE INFINITE</h1> + + + + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 455px;"> +<img src="images/image001.jpg" width="455" height="500" alt=""THE MYSTERY OF THE APEX" +View No. 3" title=""THE MYSTERY OF THE APEX" +View No. 3" /> +<span class="caption">"THE MYSTERY OF THE APEX"<br /> +<span class="smcap">View No. 3</span></span> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h1>SCIENCE<br /> + +AND THE INFINITE</h1> + +<h4>OR</h4> + +<h2>THROUGH A WINDOW IN THE<br /> +BLANK WALL<br /><br /></h2> + +<h4>BY</h4> + +<h2>SYDNEY T. KLEIN<br /><br /></h2> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h4><i>SECOND IMPRESSION</i><br /><br /></h4> + +<h3>LONDON</h3> + +<h3>WILLIAM RIDER & SON, LIMITED</h3> + +<h4>CATHEDRAL HOUSE, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.</h4> + +<h3>1917</h3> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p class="center"><i>First Published November</i> 1912</p> + +<p class="center"><i>Reprinted September</i> 1917</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h5>TO</h5> + +<h4>THE RIGHT HON.</h4> + +<h3>ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR</h3> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE</h2> + + +<p>In venturing to prepare this little volume for +the eyes of the reading public, I am fully +aware of the difficulties of the subject and +the inadequacy of the expressions I have been +able to employ, but I have made the attempt +at the request of those who have found consolation +in some of the thoughts herein +embodied; and the messages left by others +before they passed away, embolden me to +hope that many others may find in this +volume some points of interest which will +help them to appreciate better the "joys" +which this life has for those who know how +to look for them, and that perhaps others may +even gain a clearer conception of that which +awaits us beyond the Veil.</p> + +<p>Many of us allow ourselves to be overwhelmed +by the small worries and vexations +of everyday life, clothing them with a reality +quite disproportionate to their importance; +we are too apt to look at them, as it were, +through a powerful microscope, piling power +upon power of magnification, until we have +made mountains out of mole-hills, whereas if +we treated them at their true value we should +look at them through a telescope, in the reverse +direction, when they would appear not +only trivial, but would be seen to be too +remote to have any material effect on our +lives.</p> + +<p>The sub-title of this volume, and indeed its +inception, arose from my lately coming in contact +with one of those establishments which +are doing for humanity what a mother's arms +do for the child who is "sick unto death"—a +beautiful home with cheerful rooms and +cheerful nurses, where patients are tenderly +cared for after severe operations, carried +through by our most famous surgeons, some +cases, alas, almost hopeless from the first. At +the head of this establishment was one of those +kindly self-abnegating personalities, whose +loving sympathy and encouragement have +comforted the dying and smoothed the path +for many a weary pilgrim passing from this +life to the next. With immense responsibilities +on her shoulders, and after a day full +of strenuous work, the head of this establishment +would often sit through the night for +hours by the couch of those whose lives could +not possibly be prolonged for more than a few +days. It was a few simple answers elicited +by the questions brought to me from those +poor sufferers, and the way such answers +seemed to calm anxieties connected with the +fear of death and to render the impenetrable +Veil more transparent, which suggested the +title, "Through a Window in the Blank Wall."</p> + +<p>I do not wish to lay claim to having made +any startling discovery; similar thoughts, +especially those concerning the non-reality of +Time and Space, have no doubt occurred to +others, but the whole problem "What is the +Reality?" has been insistently pressing on me +ever since I can remember, and I have tried +to give here in simple colloquial language, +without any attempt at rhetoric, the conclusions +I have personally come to as to what is +the Truth.</p> + +<p>The study of ancient and modern philosophic +theories is useful as showing how impossible +it is, for even the greatest thinkers +of any age, to grasp the Absolute with our +understanding or to measure the Infinite +with our finite units. The propounders of +all these theories seem to me to be, without +exception, looking in the wrong direction for +the "Reality of Being"; they are all arguing +from the standpoint of "Intellectualism" in a +similar manner to that of the "Theologians" +referred to in View Three. Our latest expositor +of this, M. Henri Bergson, bases his +theory upon "Life" being the Reality; this +he postulates is a "flowing" in Time, and +<i>Movement</i> therefore becomes for him the +Reality; and yet we know that Motion is but +the product of Time and Space, and these are +only the two modes or <i>limitations</i> under which +our senses act and upon which our very +consciousness of living depends. Surely the +Absolute cannot be localised, must be Omnipresent, +and therefore independent of Space—cannot +have a beginning or end, must be +Omniscient, and therefore independent of +Time; these two unrealities can therefore +have no existence in "Reality of Being." If, +then, there is any truth in "Intuition," we +have, in this theory, the Reality, "Life," not +only limited by the unreal but actually dependent +for its very existence upon those limitations! +In these Views I have attempted, on the +contrary, to show that Time and Space have no +existence apart from our Physical Senses; +they are the modes only under which we +appreciate motion, or what we call physical +phenomena, and as our conceptional knowledge +is based upon our perceptional knowledge, +our very consciousness of living is +limited by Time and Space, and we must +surely therefore look behind consciousness +itself, beyond the conditioning in Time and +Space for the Reality of Being, otherwise +<i>physical motion</i>, the product of these two +limitations, would become the Reality of +Being.</p> + +<p>I have also suggested reasons for looking +upon physical life as a mode of frequency, akin +to Light, Electricity, Magnetism, Chemical +Action, the Vibration of a Tuning Fork, or +the Swing of a Pendulum, and therefore a +transient phenomenon having to do only +with the Race; Life can under these conditions +only be looked upon as a reality in the +same sense in which all other forms of energy +or matter appear real to our finite senses—namely, +as the shadows or manifestations of +the Absolute on our limited plane of Consciousness.</p> + +<p>However strongly I may be convinced—as I +am—of the truth of my arguments, and however +sure I may be that many others will not +only agree with my conclusions, but will see +that in "Introspection" rather than in "Intellectualism" +lies the key to the Mystery, I do +not wish to appear dogmatic in any of the +suggestions contained in this volume; I am +stating my own convictions, but at the same +time I fully recognise that the presentation +of the Absolute, with its infinite variety of +aspects, must necessarily be different to every +individual; we are all of the same genus, but +each individual Ego is, as it were, a different +species, and I do not therefore expect that my +attempt to solve the Riddle of the Universe +will appeal to all alike. It is, however, a true +saying that "there is something to be learnt +from every human being," and if I have by +these suggestions succeeded in augmenting +the number of those who have already started +on the true "Quest," and have helped, however +imperfectly, to enrich some lives with +the "joy" of knowing their oneness with the +All-loving, my aim has indeed been attained.</p> + +<p class="author">SYDNEY T. KLEIN.</p> + +<p class="datesig">"Hatherlow," Reigate<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1<i>st June</i> 1912.<br /></span> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="2" summary="toc"> +<tr><td align='left'> </td><td align='right'>PAGE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='center'>VIEW ONE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Clearing the Approach</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='center'>VIEW TWO</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Vision</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='center'>VIEW THREE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Mysticism and Symbolism</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_36">36</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='center'>VIEW FOUR</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Love in Action</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='center'>VIEW FIVE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Physical Film</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_100">100</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='center'>VIEW SIX</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Space</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_122">122</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='center'>VIEW SEVEN</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Time</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_141">141</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='center'>VIEW EIGHT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Creation</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_165">165</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> +<h1>SCIENCE AND THE INFINITE</h1> + + + + +<h3><a name="VIEW_ONE" id="VIEW_ONE"></a>VIEW ONE</h3> + +<h2>CLEARING THE APPROACH</h2> + + +<p>The proof that the Human Race is still in its +infancy may be seen in the fact that we still +require Symbolism to help us to maintain and +carry forward abstract thought to higher +levels, even as children require picture books +for that purpose. The Glamour of Symbolism, +Rapture of Music, and Ideal of Art, which come +to us in later years, had their beginnings when +to the child every blade of grass was a fairy +tale and a grass plot a marvellous fairy forest. +The great aspiration of the Human Race is to +gain a knowledge of the Reality, the Noumenon +behind the phenomenon; but the fact that from +infancy we have been accustomed to confine +our attention wholly to the objective, believing +that to be the reality, has surrounded us with +a concrete boundary wall through which we +can only at times, with difficulty, get transient +glimpses of that which is beyond. It is only in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> +recent years that we have been able to realise +that it is the Invisible which is the Real, that +the visible is only its shadow or its manifestation +in the Physical Universe, and that Time +and Space have no existence apart from our +physical senses, in short, that they are only +the modes or limits under which those senses +act or receive their impressions and by which +they are necessarily rendered finite.</p> + +<p>The difficulty is that our physical senses +only perceive the surface of our surroundings, +and that we have hitherto been looking at the +Woof of Nature as though it were the glass +of a window covered with patterns, smudges, +flies, &c., comprising all that we call physical +phenomena and which, when analysed in terms +of Time and Space, produce the appearance of +succession and motion. It requires a keener +perception, unbounded by these limitations, to +look through the glass at the Reality which +is beyond. I propose then in a series of short +views, through a window not hitherto unshuttered +and in a direction which I believe +has not before been attempted, to lead those +of my readers who have the necessary aspiration, +patience, and, above all, strenuous persistence, +to a watch-tower, situated well above +the mists and illusions of our ordinary everyday +thoughts, whence they will find it possible +to get a glimpse of a strange new country, +and where those who have by practice once<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> +attained to its clear perception, will be able to +continue the study by themselves and thus get +further insight into that wonderful region of +Thought which I have called "True Occultism"—the +knowledge of the Invisible which +is the Real in place of the Visible which is +only its shadow.</p> + +<p>Let us first try and understand the conditions +under which phenomena are presented +to us. In our perception of sight, we find the +greater the light, the greater the shadow; a +light placed over a table throws a shadow on +the floor, though not sufficient to prevent our +seeing the pattern of the carpet; increase the +light and the shadow appears now so dark +that no pattern or carpet can be seen; not that +there is now less light under the table but the +light above has to our sense of sight created +or made manifest a greater darkness. Thus, +throughout the Universe, as interpreted by +our Physical Ego, we find phenomena ranging +themselves under the form of positive and +negative, the apparently Real and the Unreal.<br /> +The Good making manifest its negative Evil.<br /> +The Beautiful " " " " Ugly.<br /> +The True " " " " False.<br /> +Knowledge " " " " Ignorance.<br /> +Light " " " " Darkness.<br /> +Heat " " " " Cold.<br /> +But the negatives have no real existence. As +in the case of light we see that the shadow is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> +only the absence of light, so the negative of +Goodness, <i>i.e.</i> Evil, may in reality be looked +upon as folly or wasting of opportunity for +exercising the Good. Owing to their limitations +our thoughts are based upon <i>relativity</i>, +and it is hardly thinkable that we could, under +our present conditions, have any cognisance +of the positive without its negative; we shall +in fact see later on that it is by examining +the Physical, the negative or shadow, that we +can best gain a knowledge of the Spiritual, +the positive or real.</p> + +<p>The first step to a clear understanding of +this, is to recognise that it is not we who are +looking out upon Nature but that it is the +Reality which is ever trying to enter and +come into touch with us through our senses, +and is persistently trying to waken within us +a knowledge of the sublimest truths. It is +difficult to realise this, as from infancy we +have been accustomed to confine our attention +wholly to the objective, believing that to +be the reality.</p> + +<p>Let us try and grasp this fact. If we +analyse our sense of sight, we find that the +only impression made on our bodies by external +objects is the image formed upon the +retina; we have no cognisance of the separate +electro-magnetic rills forming that image, +which, reflected from all parts of an object,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> +fall upon the eye at different angles, constituting +form, and with different frequencies +giving colour to that image; that image is +only formed when we turn our eyes in the +right direction to allow those rills to enter; +and, whereas those rills are incessantly beating +on the outside of our sense organ when +the eyelid is closed, they can make no impression +unless we allow them to enter by +raising that shutter. It is not then any +volition from within that goes out to seize +upon and grasp the truths from Nature, but +the phenomena are as it were forcing their +way into our consciousness. This is more +difficult to realise when the object is near to +us, as we are apt to confound it with our +sense of touch, which requires us to stretch +out our hand to the object, but it is clearer +when we take an object far away. In our +telescopes we catch the rills of light which +started from a star a thousand years ago and +the image is still formed on the retina <i>now</i> +although those rills are in fact a thousand +years old and, invisible to our unaided eye, +have been falling upon mankind from the +beginning of life on this globe, trying to get +an entrance to consciousness. It was, however, +only when, by evolution of thought, the +knowledge of optics had produced the telescope +that it became possible not only for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> +that star to make itself known to us but to +declare to us its distance, its size, and conditions +of existence, and even the different +elemental substances of which it was composed +a thousand years ago. Yet, when we +now allow its image to form on the retina, +our consciousness insists on fixing its attention +upon that star as an outside object, refusing +to allow that it is only an image inside the +eye and making it difficult to realise that that +star may have disappeared and had no existence +for the past 999 years, although in ordinary +parlance we are looking at and seeing +it there now.</p> + +<p>I have referred above to the sense of touch; +it is, I think, clear that the first impression a +child can have of sight must take the form +of feeling the image on its retina, as though +the object were actually inside the head, and +it could have no idea that it was outside +until, by touching with the hand, it would +gradually learn by experience that the tangible +outside object corresponded with the image +located in the head; this is fully borne out by +the testimony of men who, born blind, have, +by an operation, received their sight late in +life; in each case their first experience of +seeing gave the impression that the object +was touching the eye, and they were quite +unable to recognise by sight an object such +as a cup or plate or a round ball which they had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +commonly handled and knew perfectly well +by touch; in fact, the idea of an object formed +by the sense of touch is so absolutely different +to that formed by the sense of sight that it +would be impossible without past experience +to conclude that the two sensations referred +to one and the same object. The image formed +on the retina has nothing in common with +the sense of hardness, coldness, and weight +experienced by touch, the only impression on +the retina being that of colour or shade, and +an outline; it is, however, hardly conceivable +that even the outline of form would be recognised +by the eye until touch had proved +that form comprised also solidity and that +the two ideas had certain motions in common +both in duration in Time and extension in +Space.</p> + +<p>Again, our senses of sight and hearing are +alike based on the appreciation of frequencies +of different rapidity; brightness and colour +in light are equivalent to loudness and pitch +in sound, but in sound we have no equivalent +to perception of form or situation in space; +it gives us no knowledge of the existence of +objects when situated at great distances, nor +can movements be followed even at short distances +without having material contact, by +means of the air, with the object; sight indeed +appears to have to do with Space- and sound +with Time-perception. In examining Nature<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +by means of our senses we find we are so +hemmed in by what we have always taken +for granted and so bound down by modes +of reasoning derived from what we have seen, +heard, or felt in our daily life, that we are +sadly hampered in our search after the truth. +It is difficult to sweep the erroneous concepts +aside and make a fresh start. In fact the +great difficulty in studying the Reality underlying +Nature is analogous to our inability to +isolate and study the different sounds themselves +which fall upon the ear, if our own +language is being uttered, without being +forced to consider the meaning we have +always attached to those sounds.</p> + +<p>Let us now go back to the contention that +it is not we who are looking out upon Nature +but that our senses are being bombarded from +without; we are living in a world of continuous +and multitudinous changes, and as +our senses require change or motion for their +excitation, without those changes we could +have no cognisance of our surroundings, we +should have no consciousness of living; but +if we base our thought entirely on sense perception, +taking for granted that Time and +Space have reality instead of recognising that +they are only modes or limits under which +those senses act, the Wall will ever remain +opaque to us. Let us try and make this +clearer. If we analyse the impression we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +receive from Motion, we find it is made up +of the product of our two limitations, it is +the time that an object takes to go over a +certain space. We must come therefore to the +conclusion also that Motion itself has no existence +in reality apart from our senses. The +result of not being able to appreciate this, is +that the finiteness of our sense, caused by its +dependence on Motion for excitation, surrounds +us with illusions; one of these illusions is what +we call solidity or continuity of sensation. If +you hold a cannon-ball in your hand, perception +by the sense of touch tells you that it is +continuous, or what is called solid and hard; +but it is not so in reality except as a concept +limited by our finite senses. A fair analogy +would be to liken it to a swarm of bees, for +we know that it is composed of an immense +number of independent atoms or molecules +which are darting about, and circling round +each other at an enormous speed but never +touching; they are also pulsating at a definite +enormous rate; we can at will increase their +motion by heat or reduce by cold; if our touch +perception were sensitive enough we should +feel those motions and should not have the +sensation of a solid. We have a similar case +of limitation in our other senses, which we +shall grasp better in another View through our +Window. We can hear beats only up to fifteen +in a second, beyond that number they give the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +sensation of a musical or continuous sound. +In our sense of sight we can see pulsations +or intermittent flashes up to only six in a +second, beyond that number they give the +sensation of a continuous light; a gas jet, +if extinguished and relit six times in a second, +can be seen to flicker, but beyond that rate +is to our sense of sight a steady flame. The +effect may also be shown by making the +top of a match red-hot; when stationary or +moving slowly, it is a point of light, but, +moved quickly, it becomes a continuous line +of light.</p> + +<p>Even apart from our senses we find Motion +giving the characteristics of solidity: a wheel +with only a few spokes, if rotated quickly +enough, becomes quite impermeable to any +substance, however small, thrown at it; a thin +jet of water only half an inch in diameter, if +discharged at great pressure equivalent to a +column of water of 500 metres, cannot be +cut even with an axe, it resists as though it +were made of the hardest steel; a thin cord, +hanging from a vertical axis, and being revolved +very quickly, becomes rigid, and if +struck with a hammer it resists and resounds +like a rod of wood; a thin chain and even a +loop of string, if revolved at great speed +over a vertical pulley, becomes rigid and, if +allowed to escape from the pulley, will run +along the ground as a hoop.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now with regard to this limit of time +perception, which gives us the phenomenon +of Solidity, I have lately been able to devise +an arrangement which, acting as a microscope +for Time, gives the sensation of an +increase in sight perception up to several +thousand units per second; it is based on +the fact that though the eye can only see +six times per second it can see for the one-millionth +part of a second. An example of +this is the well-known experiment of seeing +a bullet in its flight; the bullet makes electrical +connection resulting in a spark which +illuminates the bullet when opposite the eye. +The electrical spark exists only for the millionth +of a second, and as the bullet in that +time has no perceptible movement it is seen +standing absolutely still with all marks upon +it quite visible to the eye. When Sight perception +is increased up to the rate at which +time may be said to flow for any particular +object we apparently get into the reality, the +permanent <i>now</i> where motion ceases to exist +as a sensation. A tuning-fork, kept vibrating, +by means of an electro-magnet, at 2000 +times per second, may to our sense of sight +be gradually slowed down and, optically, +brought absolutely to a standstill, for as long +as desired, and the smallest irregularity of +its surface may be minutely examined, +though it continues to be heard and felt<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +vibrating at that enormous rate. I have +made several experiments in this direction, +and some very curious facts connected with +the sensation of Motion are brought to +light by means of this increase in perceptive +power. If the sense of sight is increased to +125 units per second, motion at the rate of +one inch per second is barely visible; taking +the common house-fly, whose wings vibrate +about 400 times per second, its units of perception +would appear to be about two-thirds +of those beats, as I found it had no cognisance +of Motion below two inches per second; +you can put your finger on any fly provided +you do not approach it faster than the above +rate, it turns its head up to look at your +finger but can see no motion in it; if you +approach at over three inches per second it +will always fly away before you are within a +foot. I found that a dragon-fly, whose wings +vibrate about 200 times per second, had only +half the number of unit perceptions of the +fly and could apparently see motion at about +one inch per second but not under. In the converse +of the above we have then the principle +of a Microscope for Time, somewhat similar +to the Microscope for Space of our laboratories. +If our perception were increased +sufficiently we could slow down any motion +for examination, however rapid; there would +be no difficulty in following a lightning flash<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> +or even arresting its visible motion for purposes +of investigation without interfering +with the natural sequence of cause and +effect.</p> + +<p>If, on the other hand, our perception were +decreased below six times per second, all +motion would be accelerated, until with perception +reduced to one unit in twenty-four +hours the sun would appear only as a band +across the sky, and we could not follow its +motion any more than, as we have seen, we +could follow the point of a red-hot match. If +perception were reduced far enough, plants and +trees would grow up visibly before our eyes. +But we must leave this subject now, as this +and the Time Microscope will be treated in a +later View.</p> + +<p>Let us try and appreciate the fact that, +under our present conditions, our conceptions +of the immense and minute—namely, extension +in Space, and that of quick and slow or +duration in Time—are purely relative, and +that from this arise those pseudo-conceptions +which we call the infinitely extended and the +infinitely lasting. Under our present limitations +it is impossible for us to grasp the whole +of any Truth, if we could do that, there would +be no such mystery of Infinity to puzzle us; +we could, as it were, see all around it, but +that is again looking through another window. +We are now considering <i>relativity</i>. If we cut off<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +the very end of the point of the finest needle, +we get so minute a particle of steel that it is +hardly visible to the naked eye, and yet we +know that that small speck contains not only +millions but millions of millions of what are +called atoms, all in intense motion and never +touching each other. Try and conceive how +small each of these atoms must be, and then +try and grasp the fact, only lately proved by +the discovery of Radio-activity, that each of +these atoms is a great family made up of +bodies analogous to the planets of our solar +system and whose rate of motion is comparable +only to that of Light. This is not theory, +it is fact clearly demonstrated to us by the +study of Radio-activity. Curiously enough, +we know more about these bodies than we do +of the atom itself; we actually know their size +and weight and the speed with which they +move. We do not yet know what is at the +centre of this system, but we do know that +each of these bodies is as far away from the +centre as our planet is from the sun (93,000,000 +miles), and as far from its neighbours as our +planet is, <i>relatively to its size</i>. And now, for the +purpose of grasping this subject of relativity, +I want you to ask yourself whether it is conceivable +that a world, so small as those bodies +are, could possibly be inhabited by sentient +beings. Leaving you to form your own conclusion +upon this point, I will ask you to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> +follow me down another path leading to the +elucidation of the same subject.</p> + +<p>If at this moment we and all our surroundings +were reduced to half their size and everything +were moving twice as quickly, we should +absolutely have no cognisance of any change, +neither could we possibly note any difference +if everything were reduced to a hundredth +part of the original size and were going a +hundred times quicker; and even when reduced +a thousand or a million times, or to such +minuteness that the whole of our solar system +with its revolving planets became no larger +than one of those atoms in the needle point, +and the whole of the starry universe therefore +reduced to the size of the needle point, its +millions of suns coinciding with the millions +of planetary systems in that steel particle—our +earth would still revolve round the sun, +though no larger than one of those minute +planetary particles and travelling at the rate +of light, but we should still have no knowledge +of any change, in fact, our life would go +on as usual, though it was difficult a few +minutes ago to think it conceivable that so +small a globe could be inhabited by sentient +beings.</p> + +<p>Once more let us consider that the change +is made in the direction of expansion in space +and slowing down of Time; let all our surroundings +be so enormously increased that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +each of the atoms in the steel point became +as large as our solar system and the steel +point as large as the visible universe, each +atom therefore taking the place of a star, and +motion being reduced in proportion; it is still +absolutely inconceivable that we could know +of any change having taken place, though the +length of our needle, which was at first, say, +one inch, would now be so great that light, +travelling 186,000 miles per second, would take +500,000 years to traverse its length, and the +stature of each one of us would be so great +that light would require over 36,000,000 years +to travel from head to foot, and that 36,000,000 +years would have to be multiplied 163,000,000 +times, making 5860 millions of millions of +years to represent the time that an ordinary +<i>sneeze</i> would take under such conditions. And +yet we have only gone towards the infinitely +great exactly as far as we at first went towards +the infinitely small, and it is still absolutely +inconceivable that we could be conscious +of any change, our everyday life would go on +as usual, we should be quite oblivious to the +fact that every second of time, with all its +incidents and thoughts, had been lengthened +to 5860 millions of millions of years. Do we +not now begin to grasp the fact that immensity +and minuteness in extension, and motion +in duration, are figments only of our finite +minds, that Time and Space have no objective<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +reality apart from our physical senses, that +they are only the modes under which we receive +impressions of our surroundings? With +perfect perception we should know that the +only Reality is the Spiritual, the Here comprising +all Space and the Now all Time.</p> + +<p>One more look through the window before +we part, and we may see what I consider the +greatest miracle in our everyday life: The +Inner-self of each one of us, being part of the +Reality or Spiritual, is independent of Space +limitations and must therefore be <i>Omnipresent</i>, +is independent of Time and therefore +<i>Omniscient</i>. This inevitable deduction will be +explained more fully in another View.</p> + +<p>It is from this store of knowledge that +our Physical Ego is ever trying to win fresh +forms of thought, and, in response to our +persistent endeavours, that Inner-self, from +time to time, buds out a new thought; the +Physical Ego has already prepared the clothing +with which that bud must be clad before +it can come into conscious thought, because, as +Max Müller has shown us, we have to form +words before we can think; so does the +Physical Ego clothe that ethereal thought in +physical language, and by means of its organ +of speech it sends that thought forth into the +air in the form of hundreds of thousands of +vibrations of different shapes and sizes, some +large, some small, some quick, some slow,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +travelling in all directions and filling the surrounding +space; there is nothing in those +vibrations but physical movement, but each +separate movement is an integral part or +thread of that clothing. Another Physical +Ego receives these multitudinous vibrations +by means of its sense organ, weaves them +together into the same physical garment, and +actually becomes possessed of that ethereal +thought—an unexplained marvel, and probably +the most wonderful occurrence in our +daily existence, especially as it often enables +the second Physical Ego to gain fresh knowledge +from its own Real Personality. Now, +in connection with this, consider the fact, +already emphasized, that it is not we who are +looking out upon Nature, but that it is the +Reality which is ever trying to make itself +known to us by bombarding our sense organs +with the particular physical impulses to which +those organs can respond, and, if we aspire +to gain a knowledge of what is behind the +physical, it is clear that all our endeavours +must be towards weaving these impulses into +garments and then learning from them the +sublime Truths which the Reality is ever +trying to divulge to us.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> +<h3><a name="VIEW_TWO" id="VIEW_TWO"></a>VIEW TWO</h3> + +<h2>THE VISION</h2> + + +<p>"Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven," +is in true consonance with the old philosophic +dictum that "Everything in heaven must have +its counterpart on earth"; in other words, the +Reality has all Its multitudinous manifestations, +every noumenon its phenomenon, in +the physical universe. If we now examine +those traits of our surroundings which affect +us most, and best help us to reach the highest +level of abstract thought of which our nature +is capable, we find that it is the recognition +of the Beauty (comprising also the Good and +the True) in everything, which constitutes the +power held over our minds by what we may +call the Glamour of Symbolism, the Rapture +of Music, and the Ideal of Art. But this influence +is still only <i>sensuous</i>, it does not carry +us beyond the extension of that Wonderment +and Enchantment which had their birth with +our first visit to Fairyland. This is, I think, +evident, as Beauty is not the Reality; it is +only what may be called the sensuous expression +of the Reality or Spiritual on the physical<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +plane. Although we have no words to express, +nor indeed minds to grasp, the wonders and +glories of that which is behind the Veil, it is +possible for some of us to get a glimpse of +it through our Window, and to those the following +pages may be helpful, but to others +the Wall will remain blank; and, here at the +commencement, I should like to warn those +who have not been through a certain experience, +to which I shall refer, that no words +of mine will open the Window for them; +at the same time it is probable that many +of my readers, who think at this stage that +they have no knowledge of the subject of +this View, will, as we proceed, recognise in +the view through the Window something they +have experienced more than once in their +lifetime, and to these I address myself.</p> + +<p>Let us first try to understand what we +know concerning ourselves. The longer one +lives and the more one studies the mystery +of "Being," the more one is forced to the +conclusion that in every Human Being there +are two Personalities, call them what you +like—"the <i>Real</i> and its Image," "the <i>Spiritual</i> +and its Material Shadow," or "the <i>Transcendental</i> +and its Physical Ego." The former in +each of these duads is, as referred to in our first +View, not conditioned in Time and Space, is +independent of Extension and Duration, and +must therefore be Omnipresent and Omniscient,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> +whereas the latter, being subservient +to Time and Space, can only think in finite +words, requires succession of ideas to accumulate +knowledge, is dependent on perception +of movements for forming concepts of its +surroundings, and, without this perception, +it would have no knowledge of existence.</p> + +<p>Let us go back into the far distant past, +before the frame and brain of what we now +call the genus Homo was fully developed: he +was then an animal pure and simple, conscious +of living but knowing neither good nor evil; +there was nothing in his thoughts more perfect +than himself; it was the golden age of innocency; +he was a being enjoying himself in a +perfect state of nature with absolute freedom +from responsibility of action. But, as ages +rolled on, under the great law of evolution, his +brain was enlarging and gradually being prepared +for a great and wonderful event, which +was to make an enormous change in his mode +of living and his outlook on the future. As +seeds may fall continually for thousands of +years upon hard rock without being able to +germinate, until gradually, by the disintegration +of the rock, soil is formed, enabling the +seed at last to take root; so for countless ages +was the mind of that noble animal being +prepared until, in the fulfilment of time, the +Spiritual took root and he became a living +soul. The change was marvellous; he was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> +now aware of something higher and more perfect +than himself, he found that he was able +to form ideals above his ability to attain to, +resulting in a sense of inferiority, akin to a +"Fall"; he was conscious of the difference of +Right and Wrong, and felt happy and blessed +when he followed the Good, but ashamed and +accursed when he chose the Evil; he became +upright in stature, and able to communicate +his thoughts and wishes to his fellows by +means of language; and by feeling his freedom +to choose between the Good, Beautiful, +and True on one hand, and the Evil, Ugly, +and False on the other, he became aware +that he was responsible and answerable to +a mysterious higher Being for his actions. +This at once raised him far above other +animals, and he gradually began to feel the +presence within him of a wonderful power, +the nucleus of that Transcendental Self which +had taken root, and which, from that age to +this, has urged Man ever forward first to +form, and then struggle to attain, higher +Ideals of Perfection. As a mountaineer who, +with stern persistence, struggles upward from +height to height, gaining at each step a clearer +and broader view, so do we, as we progress +in our struggle upwards, toward the understanding +of Perfection, ever see more and more +clearly that the Invisible is the Real, that the +visible is only its shadow, that our Spiritual<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> +Personality is akin to that Great Reality, +that we cannot search out and know that +Personality; it is not an idea, it cannot be +perceived by our senses, any more than we +can see a sound by our sense of sight or +measure an Infinity by our finite units; all +we can so far do is to feel and mark its +effect in guiding our Physical Ego to choose +the real from the shadow, the plus from +the minus, receiving back in some marvellous +mode of reflex action the power to draw +further nourishment from the Infinite. As +that Inner Personality becomes more and +more firmly established, higher ideals and +knowledge of the Reality bud out, and, as +these require the clothing of finite expressions +before they can become part of our +consciousness, so are they clothed by our +Physical Ego and become forms of thought; +and, although the Physical Ego is only the +shadow or image, projected on the physical +screen, of the Real Personality, we are able, +by examining these emanations and marking +their affinity to the Good, the Beautiful, +and the True, to attain at times to more than +transient glimpses of the loveliness of that +which is behind the veil. As in a river flowing +down to the sea, a small eddy, however +small, once started with power to increase, +may, if it continues in midstream, instead of +getting entangled with the weeds and pebbles<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +near the bank, gather to itself so large a +volume of water, that, when it reaches the +sea, it has become a great independent force; +so is each of us endowed, as we come into this +life, with a spark of the Great Reality, with +potential force to draw from the Infinite in +proportion to our conscientious endeavours to +keep ourselves free from the deadening effects +of mundane frivolities and enticements, turning +our faces ever towards the light rather +than to the shadow, until our personality +becomes a permanent entity, commanding an +individual existence when the physical clothing +of this life is worn out, and for us all +shadows disappear.</p> + +<p>If man became a conscious being on some +such analogous lines as indicated, it is clear +that he is, as it were, the offspring of two +distinct natures, and subject to two widely +separated influences; the Spiritual ever urging +him towards improvement in the direction +of the Real or Perfect, and the Physical or +Animal instincts inviting him in the opposite +direction. These latter instincts are not wrong +in themselves, in a purely animal nature, but +are made manifest as urging him in the direction +of the shadow or Imperfect when they +come in contact, and therefore in competition, +with the Spiritual. Neither the Spiritual nor +the Physical can be said to possess Free-will; +they must work in opposite directions, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +this competition for influence over our actions +provides the basis for the exercise of man's +Free-will—the choice between progression and +stagnation. The Spiritual influence must conquer +in the long run, as every step under that +influence is a step towards the Real and can +never be lost; the apparent steps in the other +direction are only negative or retarding, and +can have no real existence, except as a drag +on the wheel which is always moving in the +direction of Perfection, thus hindering the +process of growth of the Personality.</p> + +<p>The stages in development of the Physical +Ego and its final absorption in the Transcendental +may perhaps be stated as follows—</p> + +<p>The Physical Ego loquitur:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"I become aware of being surrounded by +phenomena, I will to see—I perceive and +wonder what is the meaning of everything—I +begin to think—I reflect by combining +former experiences—I am conscious that I +am, and that I am free to choose between +Right and Wrong, but that I am responsible +for my actions to a Higher Power; that what +I call 'I am' is itself only the shadow, or +in some incomprehensible sense the breathing +organ, of a wonderful divine Afflatus +or Power which is growing up within, or in +intimate connection with me, and which itself +is akin to the Reality. Owing to my senses +being finite I cannot with my utmost thought<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +form a direct concept of that power, although I +feel that it comprises all that is good and real in +me, and is in fact my true personality; I am +conscious of it ever urging me forward towards +the Good, Beautiful, and True, and that each +step I take in that direction (especially when +taken in opposition to the dictates of physical +instincts) results in a further growth of that +Transcendental Self. With that growth I +recognise that it is steadily gaining power +over my thoughts and aspirations. I learn +that the whole physical Universe is a manifestation +of the Will of the Spiritual, that +every phenomenon is as it were a sublime +thought, that it should be my greatest individual +aspiration to try to interpret those +thoughts, or when, as it seems at present, our +stage in the evolution of thought is not far +enough advanced, I should during my short +term of life do my best to help forward the +knowledge of the Good, Beautiful, and True +for those who come after. As I grow old the +Real Ego in me seems to be taking my place, +the central activity of my life is being shifted, +as I feel I am growing in some way independent +of earthly desires and aspirations, and, when +the term of my temporary sojourn here draws +to a close, I feel myself slackening my hold +of the physical until at last I leave go entirely, +and my physical clothing, having fulfilled its +use, drops off and passes away, carrying with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +it all limitations of Time and Space. I awake +as from a dream to find my true heritage in +the Spiritual Universe."</p></div> + +<p>If we try to form a conception of the stages +of growth of the Transcendental Self it would, +I think, be somewhat as follows:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="love"> +<tr><td align='left'>The first consciousness of the Spiritual entity would be....</td><td align='left'>I know that Love is the Summum Bonum.</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>As it became nourished it would be....</td> <td align='left'>I love.</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>Then....</td><td align='left'>I love with my whole being.</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Then....</td><td align='left'>I know that I am part of God and God is Love.</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>And lastly....</td><td align='left'>I am perfected in Loving and Knowing.</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>And the above is the best description I have +been able to formulate of the development +of the Mystical Sense by means of which +we can get a view of the Reality through +our Window. I will try to give my own +experience of this, which will, I know, wake +an echo in other hearts, as I have met +those who have felt the same. From a +child I always had an intense feeling that +Love was the one thing above all worth +having in life, and, as I grew older and became +aware that my real self was akin to the +Great Spirit, at certain times of elation or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +what might be called a kind of ecstasy, I had +an overpowering sense of longing for union +with the Reality, an intense love and craving +to become one with the All-loving. When +analysed later in life this was recognised as +similar in kind, though different in degree, +to the feeling which, when in the country, +surrounded by charming scenery, wild flowers, +the depths of a forest glade, or even the gentle +splash of a mountain stream, makes one +always want to open one's arms wide to embrace +and hold fast the beautiful in Nature, +as though one's Physical Ego, wooed by the +Beautiful which is the sensuous (not sensual) +expression of the Spiritual, longed to become +one with the Physical, as the Personality or +Transcendental Ego craves to become one +with the Reality. It is the same intense feeling +which makes a lover, looking into the eyes +of his beloved, long to become united in the +perfection of loving and knowing, to be one +with that being in whom he has discovered a +likeness akin to the highest ideal of which he +himself is capable of forming a conception.</p> + +<p>As in heaven, so on earth the Physical Ego, +though only a shadow, has in its sphere the +same fundamental characteristic craving as +the Transcendental Personality has for that +which is akin to it, and it is this wonderful +love that, as the old adage says, makes the +world go round. It is the most powerful<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +incentive on earth, and is implanted in our +natures for the good and furtherance of the +race; it is, in fact, the manifestation on the +material plane of that craving of the Inner +self for union with, and being perfected in +loving and knowing, that Infinite Love of +which it is itself the likeness. If we can +realise that everything on the physical plane +is a shadow, symbol, or manifestation of that +which is in the Transcendental, the Mystical +Sense, through contemplating these as symbols, +enables us at certain times, alas! too +seldom and fleeting in character, to get beyond +the Physical; but those of my readers +who have been <i>there</i> will know how impossible +it is to describe, in direct words, which +would carry any meaning, either the path +by which the experience is gained or a true +account of the experience itself. I will try, +however, and I think I may be able to lead +my readers, by indirect inductive suggestion, +to a view of even these difficult subjects, +by using the knowledge we have +already gained in our first view through +this Window. If an artist were required to +draw a representation of the Omniscient +Transcendental Self, budding out new forms +of thought in response to the conscientious +efforts of, and the providing of suitable clothing +by, the Physical Ego, as referred to in +View No. 1, he would be obliged to make use<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> +of symbolic forms, and I want to make it +quite clear that the description I am attempting +must necessarily be clothed in symbolic +language and reasoning, and must not be +taken as in any way the key by which the +door of "the sanctuary" may be opened; it is +only possible by it to help the mind to grasp +the fact that there is a Window through which +such things may be seen, the rest depends +upon the personality of the seer.</p> + +<p>Now bear in mind that it is not we who are +looking out upon Nature, but that it is the +Reality, which, by means of the physical, is persistently +striving to enter into our consciousness, +to tell us what? Θεος αγαπη εστιν (God is +Love). As in Thompson's suggestive poem, +"The Hound of Heaven"—the Hidden which +desires to be found—the Reality is ever hunting +us, and will never leave us till He has taught +us to know and therefore to love Him, and, as +seen in our first view, the first step is to try +to see through the woof of nature to the +Reality beyond. To this may also be added +the attempt to hear the "silence" beyond the +audible. Try now to look upon the whole +"visible" as a background comprising landscape, +sea, and sky—we shall get help in this +direction in a later View—and then bring that +background nearer and nearer to your consciousness. +It requires practice, but it can be +done; it may help you if you remember the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> +fact that the whole of that visible scene is +actually depicted on the <i>surface</i> of your retina +and <i>has no other existence for you</i>. The nearer +you can get the background to approach, the +more clearly you can see that the whole +physical world of our senses is but a thin veil, +a mere soap film, which at death is pricked and +parts asunder, leaving us in the presence of the +Reality underlying all phenomena. The same +may be accomplished with the "audible," +which is indeed part of the same physical +film, though this is not at first easy to recognise. +As pointed out in View No. 1, there is +little in common between our sense of sight +and hearing; but the chirp of birds, the hum +of bees, the rustle of wind in the leaves, +the ripple of a stream, the distant sound of +sheep bells, and lowing of cattle form a background +of sound which may be coaxed to +approach you; the only knowledge you have +of such sounds is their impression or image on +the flat tympanum of your ear; they have <i>no +other existence for you</i>; and again you may +recognise that the physical is but a thin transient +film. With the approach of the physical +film all material sensation becomes as it were +blurred, as near objects become when the eye +looks at the horizon, and gradually escapes +from consciousness.</p> + +<p>I have tried in the foregoing to suggest a +method by which our Window may be <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>unshuttered; +it has necessarily been only an +oblique view and clothed in symbolic phraseology, +but those who have been able to grasp +its meaning will now have attained to what +may be called a state of <i>self-forgetting</i>, the +silencing or quieting down of the Physical +Ego; sight and sound perceptions have been +put in the background of consciousness, and it +becomes possible to worship or love the very +essence of beauty without the distraction of +sense analysis and synthesis or temptation to +form intellectual conceptions.</p> + +<p>We are now prepared to attempt the last +aspect of our view—namely, the description +of what is experienced when the physical +mists have been evaporated by the Mystical +Sense. Again we find that no direct description +is possible, language is absolutely +inadequate to describe the unspeakable, communications +have to be physically transmitted +in words to which finite physical meanings +have been allocated. The still small voice +which may at times of Rapture be momentarily +experienced in Music, is something much +more wonderful than can be formed by sounds, +and this perhaps comes nearest to the expression +necessary for depicting the vision of +the soul; but it cannot be held or described, it +is quickly drowned by the physical sense of +audition. As the Glamour of Symbolism can +only be transmitted to one who has passed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +the portal of Symbolic Thought, the Rapture +of Music can only be truly understood by one +who has already experienced it, and the Ideal +of Art requires a true artistic temperament to +comprehend it, so it is, I believe, impossible +to describe, with any chance of success, this +wonderful experience to any but those whom +Mr. A. C. Benson, in his <i>Secret of the Thread +of Gold</i>, very aptly describes as having already +entered "the Shrine." Those who have been +<i>there</i> will know that it is not at all equivalent +to a vision, it is not anything which can be +seen or heard or felt by touch; it is entirely +independent of the physical senses; it is not +Giving or Receiving, it is not even a receiving +of some new knowledge from the Reality; it +has nothing to do with thought or intellectual +gymnastics; all such are seen to be but mist. +The nearest description I can formulate is:—A +wondrous feeling of perfect peace;—absolute +rest from physical interference;—perfect contentment;—the +sense of Being-one-with-the-Reality, +carrying with it a knowledge that +the Reality or Spiritual is nearer to us and +has much more to do with us than the +Physical has, if we could only see the truth +and recognise its presence;—that there is no +real death;—no finiteness and yet no Infinity;—that +the Great Spirit cannot be localised or +said to be anywhere, but that everywhere is +God;—that the whole of what we call<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> +Creation is an instantaneous Thought of the +Reality;—that it is only by the process of +analysing in Time and Space that we imagine +there is such a thing as succession of events;—that +the only Reality is the <i>Spiritual</i>, the +<i>Here</i> embracing all Space and the <i>Now</i> embracing +all Time.</p> + +<p>How few of us who are now drawing +towards the end of our sojourn here, have +not, at certain times during our lives, experienced +something akin to what I have +tried to put before you in the above! Does +not a particular scent, a beautiful country +scene, a phrase in music, the beauty or pathos +in a picture, symbolic sculpture in a grand +cathedral, or even a chance word spoken in +our hearing, every now and then waken in +our innermost consciousness an enchanting +memory of some wonderful happy moment +of the past when the sun seemed to have been +shining more brightly, the birds singing more +merrily, when everything in nature seemed +more alive, and our very beings seemed +wrapped up in an intense love of our surroundings? +On those occasions we were not +far from seeing behind the veil, though we +did not recognise it at the time; but when we +now look back, with experience gained by +advancing years, and consider those visions +of the past, we cannot help seeing that the +physical film was to our eyes more transparent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +at those times, and the very joy of their remembrance +seems to be giving us a prescience +of that which we shall experience, when for +each one of us the physical film is pricked and +passes away like a scroll.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p> +<h3><a name="VIEW_THREE" id="VIEW_THREE"></a>VIEW THREE</h3> + +<h2>MYSTICISM AND SYMBOLISM</h2> + + +<p>"Who can doubt that the Mystics know more +than the Theologians, and that the Poets know +more than the Scientists? for this inner apprehension +is surely the highest and truest kind +of Knowledge." Such were the words written +to me lately by a clergyman of great learning +and of unimpeachable orthodoxy, whose +mature knowledge of the Higher Mysteries +has been gained by a life-long study of the +Divine. In View No. 1 we saw that the first +step towards opening our Window, was to +grasp the fact that it is not we who are <i>looking +out</i> upon Nature, but that it is the Reality +which is ever trying to enter and to <i>come into</i> +touch with us, through our senses, and is persistently +trying to wake within us a knowledge +of the sublimest truths: but this has +not yet been appreciated by the Theologian; +he is looking <i>outwards</i> instead of <i>inwards</i>, +and asks the question, based on <i>intellectual</i> +conception, in the form "Can I find out the +Absolute so that I may possess Him?" and +the answer ever comes back, "<i>No</i>, because I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +am trying to storm the <i>Sanctuary</i> of the Unthinkable, +the Infinite, by means of a Ladder +which cannot reach beyond our finite conceptions, +and can deal therefore only with the +shadows, cast by the outlying ramparts, upon +our physical plane." An example of this is +surely seen in the lecture lately delivered by +the Bishop of Oxford (Dr. Gore) to the University +of Oxford (13th February 1912, reported +in the <i>Guardian</i> of 16th February), +when he made the statement that the greatest +difficulty we have is to recognise that the +Absolute is a God of Love. His exact words +were: "I believe that there are a great many +of us who know, perhaps from bitter experience, +that whatever difficulties there are about +religious belief are difficulties about believing +in a God of Love; whatever is our experience, +and however sunny is our disposition, any +steady thinking will make it apparent that +thought, apart from the Christian revelation, +presumed and accepted, or reflected unconsciously, +has never got at it, and even after it +has been in the world, thought is continually +finding it hard to retain the idea of God the +Creator, or the truth that God is Love, partly +owing to the limitations of human thinking, +partly, and even more, owing to the experience +of man and of nature."</p> + +<p>On the other hand the Mystic, with <i>introspection</i>, +asks the question in the form "Can<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +the Absolute find me out and possess me and +thus make me feel that that which is within +me is akin to, is, in fact, a part of Him and +that I am possessed thereby?" and the answer +ever comes back from those who are on the +true Quest:—"<i>Yes</i>; because the Unthinkable, +the Hidden which desires to be found, is +ever trying to come into our Consciousness to +waken the knowledge that His <i>Sanctuary</i>, or +what is called the Kingdom of Heaven, is +within us, that we are not an external but an +internal creation of the All-loving." Such a +realisation is, as pointed out in "The Vision," +far above Analysis and Synthesis or Intellectual +gymnastics, which can deal only with +the finite and are seen to be but Mist. How +many valuable thoughts are wrecked and lost +from our inability to formulate and describe +them intellectually, even in our own consciousness. +We are too apt to lay the blame upon, +and to doubt, the Truth of those conceptions, +because we are unable to find words to express +them; the very act of attempting to analyse +such thoughts in Time and Space destroys our +power of carrying them to higher levels. +Those who have once realised that the knowledge +of the Absolute is the true Divine Life +within us, can, as we have seen, at certain +times and under certain conditions, experience +that wonderful joy of perception by +means of what I have called the Eye of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +Soul; but that is missed by those who are +always asking questions, and arguing, about +what that knowledge consists in; the command +"Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be +opened unto you, ask and it shall be given +you," was not meant for the intellect but for +the Heart, not for logical controversy but for +inward discernment, not for physical enjoyment +but for the nourishment of the Transcendental +Ego. All things <i>may</i> be possible +to him that believeth, but how much more is +this true of him who, as referred to in View +No. 2, is perfected in "Loving and Knowing." +The nearer we get to that consciousness of +Being-one-with-the-Reality, the more we +see and can meditate upon the wonderful +"joy" which permeates all creation; but +without that consciousness it is invisible, and +the world is dark and evil and unloving, and +to many, alas! appears more the handiwork +of a Devil than of a God of Love.</p> + +<p>Mysticism is not, as the man in the street +generally thinks, the study of the "Mysterious," +but is the attempt to gain a knowledge +of the Reality, the ultimate Truth in everything, +especially the perception of that wonderful +Transcendental Power which is growing +up within, or in close connection with, each +one of us. The study of the Physical Sciences, +as also of the various forms of Religion +around us, is useful and fascinating in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +domain of "Intellectualism," but does not +take us far towards the goal of our aspirations. +I shall, however, attempt to show, in +my next View, that by examining the phenomena +of Nature and realising that they are +symbols only of the Noumenon, the Reality, +which is behind them, it is possible to reach a +point where we may even feel that we are +thinking, or having divulged to us, what may +be called the very thoughts of the Absolute. +We shall see that this can only be accomplished +by first recognising that the Invisible is the +Real, that the visible is only its shadow, +that all our surroundings are but the images, +or outlines, of the Reality cast on the Physical +plane of our Senses; to accomplish this, we +have to understand the use of <i>Symbolic</i> +Thought for sustaining and carrying conceptions +to a higher level; because, as +already explained, we can only express and, +indeed, think of the Invisible or Infinite +under terms of the Visible or Finite. Let me +give you a glimpse at what may be called +the "Glamour of Symbolism"; it is difficult to +explain to those who have not yet thought of +or felt it, but the following may be helpful:</p> + +<p>Think of the loveliest story or poem you +have ever read, the most entrancing music you +have ever heard, or the most beautiful paintings +you have ever seen, and think how, at +the end, you experienced a wonderful glow of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> +enchantment with the concept as a whole, apart +from specialising any particular character or +event in the story, phrase in the music, or subject +in the pictures; then do the same with one +of those wonderful cathedrals of the twelfth to +fourteenth centuries, the epoch of that beautiful +Gothic style which I shall show was +founded upon the highest mystical form of +Symbolism possible to those who lived at the +then zenith of Mystical Thought in the history +of the world. The number of cathedrals built +during those three centuries was so prodigious +that, without the documentary evidence which +we have, it would be absolutely incredible. +Every part of those buildings, even to the +smallest decorations, was, as shown by any of +the old writers on Religious Symbolism, such as +Durandus, planned to symbolise some beautiful +thought, aspiration, tradition, or religious +belief. The highest Thinkers, Artists, Poets, +Philosophers, and Mystics in those centuries +became Architects, and, in pure contemplation +of and love for the Divine, helped to beautify +design by giving up their lives and energies +to the work without reward. It was, in fact, +at that period the surest means by which +they could record their ideals and aspirations. +Before the advent of the printing press, with +its facilities for spreading knowledge broadcast, +they appreciated that Tectonic Art and +Iconography were the means by which they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +could best permanently record and teach their +aspirations to the masses. Every beautiful +thought found its expression in some symbol +of artistic design. Each Cathedral was, in fact, +a beautiful complete <i>story</i>, and, when this has +been fully grasped, the enchantment of the +whole, the thread of gold running through +the whole of that wonderful pile, is what may +be called the Glamour of Symbolism.</p> + +<p>For the last 400 years, Archæologists, Architects, +and others interested in the history of +Tectonic art, have been trying without avail +to discover what is called "the lost secret of +Gothic Architecture"; even Sir Christopher +Wren had a try and expressed his opinion +that it was lost for ever. They were all looking +in the wrong direction, confining themselves +to the mists of physical intellectual +perception, and could not get beyond that +limited range of thought. I propose now, in +illustration of this View, to show what this +secret was. It has the making of a fascinating +Romance; it is the most wonderful example +of what I will call "the Evolution of Thought +as depicted by Human strivings after the +Transcendental in Mediæval Mysticism." I +shall give it in a brief form, touching only on +those essential points which require a very +slight knowledge of Geometry, but those +interested in the subject may refer to <i>Ars +Quatuor Coronatorum</i> (vol. xxiii., 1910), where<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +I have given the whole subject, <i>in extenso</i>, +under the title "Magister Mathesios."</p> + +<p>To understand the subject it is necessary +to recognise fully the place Geometry held, not +only among Mediæval Builders, but also in +Classical times; it was recognised in those +early times as the head of all the Sciences, +and was the A, B, C of Hellenic Philosophy. +Come back with me 2300 years, to the time +when the "Greek Age of Reason" was at its +zenith, and Plato, the greatest of the philosophers, +was teaching at Athens, working +thus, let it be known to his honour, solely +for the love he bore to science, for he always +taught gratuitously. What qualification was +required of those who attended his Academy? +Look up over the porch, and you will see written +in large capitals these words:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +ΜΗΔΕΙΣ ΑΓΕΩΜΕΤΡΗΤΟΣ ΕΙΣΙΤΩ ΜΟΥ ΤΗΝ ΣΤΕΓΗΝ. +</p> + +<p>"Let no one who is ignorant of Geometry +enter my doors."</p></div> + +<p>At the root of Socratic teaching was the +idea that wisdom is the attribute of the Godhead, +and Plato, for twenty years the companion +and most favoured pupil of Socrates, +was imbued with that doctrine, and, having +arrived at the conclusion that the impulse +to find out <span class="smcap">truth</span> was the necessity of intellectual +man, he saw in Geometry the keystone<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +of all Knowledge, because, among all +other channels of thought, it alone was the +exponent of absolute and undeniable truth. +He tells us that "Geometry rightly treated +is the Knowledge of the Eternal"; and +Plutarch gives us yet another instance of +Plato's teaching concerning this subject, in +which he looks upon God as the Great Architect, +when he says, "Plato says that God is +always geometrising." Holding, therefore, as +Plato did, that God was a great Geometer, +and that the aim of philosophy was the acquisition +of a knowledge of the Eternal, it +is natural that he should make a knowledge +of Geometry imperative on those wishing to +study philosophy. This was continued also +by those philosophers who succeeded Plato +in the management of the Academy, as we +are told that Zenocrates turned away an +applicant for admission, who knew no geometry, +with the words:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p>πορευου, λαβας γαρ ουκ εχεις της φιλοσοφιας. +</p> + +<p>"Depart, for thou hast not the <i>grip</i> of +philosophy."</p></div> + +<p>In connection with the idea that God was +a Geometer, must be taken the contention +held by the Egyptians, and after them the +Greeks and Arabs, that the Right-Angled +Triangle symbolised the nature of the Universe; +it was called the law of the three<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +squares, because in every Right-Angled Triangle, +as expounded by the Pythagorean +Theorem, the squares, formed on the two +sides containing the Right Angle, must together +be exactly equal to the square on +the third side, whatever the shape of the +triangle may be. The Right Angle at an +early date gave its name to the odd numbers, +which were called, by the Greeks, gnomonic +numbers, as personifying the male +sex, and the Right-Angled Triangle was also +called the Nuptial Figure, or Marriage, the +Pythagorean Theorem receiving the name, +το θεωρημα +της νυμφης +(the Theorem of the Bride). +Plutarch, in his <i>Osiris and Isis</i>, tells us in +explanation of this, "The Egyptians imagined +the nature of the Universe like this most +beautiful triangle, as Plato also seems to +have done in his work on the <i>State</i>, when +he sketches the picture of Matrimony under +the form of a Right-Angled Triangle. That +triangle contains one of the perpendiculars +of three, the base of four, and the hypotenuse +of five parts, the square of which is equal to +the squares of those sides containing the right +angle. The perpendicular (three) is the Male, +Osiris, the originating principle (αρχἡ); the base +(four) is the Female, Isis, the receptive principle +(ὑποδοχη); and the Hypotenuse (five) is +the offspring of both, Horus, the product +(αποτἑλεσμα)." The central feature of this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +triangle, upon which its property is based, is +the Right Angle. The Greeks gave to this +Right Angle the name of <i>Gnomon</i> (meaning +Knowledge), and it has ever since been, under +the form of a carpenter's "square," the emblem +or symbol of an Architect, the Master Mason, +as personifying the Great Architect of the +Universe—namely, He who has the knowledge +of Geometry; and, as the Right-Angled +Triangle represented the Universe, it was +upon the <i>perfection</i> of this Gnomon, or knowledge, +that the very existence of the Universe +depended, because the law of the three +squares only holds good when that angle is +perfect.</p> + +<p>The Secret handed down in the Craft, +from Architect to Architect, was how to +form a perfect right angle, or, as it was +called, the "Square," without possibility of +Error, and this I have called "the Knowledge +of the Square." Vitruvius, who, at the +beginning of our Era, wrote his thesis on +Tectonic art, which is still the text-book of +Architecture for Ancient buildings, says Pythagoras +taught his followers to form a gnomon, +or square, as follows: "Take three rods, of +three lengths, four lengths, and five lengths +long; with these form a triangle, and, if each +rod be squared, you have 9, 16, and 25, and +the areas of the two former will be equal to +the latter."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now let us come to the closing years of +the tenth century. What a strange condition +of the building craft was to be seen all over +Europe; not a church was being built, nor +had been built, for the last twenty years; the +thousand years after Christ was drawing to +its close, everybody was waiting for, and expecting, +the world to come to an end; no new +undertakings were begun. How much money +went into the hands of the Monasteries and +other Religious Houses, as peace offerings for +the future welfare of the givers, nobody can +say; it was probably enormous. When, however, +the eleventh century was well started +and the crisis was over, churches were built +on a large scale, as shown by the numerous +remains we have of Norman buildings of the +last half eleventh century, and building was +probably at its height about <span class="smcap">a.d.</span> 1140 to 1150; +but at this period an extraordinary thing +happened. Hitherto the arches in the Norman +style were round-headed and their columns +enormously thick to carry them; but suddenly +the style changed into the beautiful +Gothic all over Europe. No single country +can claim precedence, it was almost simultaneous; +churches half finished in the round +style were not only completed in the pointed, +but had parts already built altered to the new +style. What, then, determined this sudden +change, resulting in a wonderful accession of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +beauty to Architectural design? We must +go to the Monasteries and Religious Houses +to find the explanation. These Houses had +become the Patrons of Masonry, the providers +of the funds for building Cathedrals, &c.; it +naturally followed that, growing up alongside +the Operative Science, there was a Religious +symbolism being gradually formed which +attached itself specially to the tools used by +Masons, and thus formed the basis of Moral +teaching—"to act on the Square," "to keep +within the bounds of the Compasses," "to +be Level in all your dealings," &c., &c. A +wonderful, new, and Mystical form of Symbolism +was opened to them with the advent +of Geometry. The text-book of Geometry was +unknown throughout the whole of Europe, +omitting Spain, from the sixth to the beginning +of the twelfth century; it was, as I have +pointed out, well known in Greece before our +Era, and continued to be so up to about the +sixth century <span class="smcap">a.d.</span> In the fourth century lived +the Greek, Theon of Alexandria, so well known +for his edition of Euclid's Elements, with notes, +from which all Greek MSS. which first came +to light in the sixteenth century were taken, +being entitled εκ των Θεωνος συνουσιων, "from +Theon's Lectures," and which he probably used +as a text-book in his classes; but these MSS. had +all been lost before the seventh century, and +were not recovered again until the sixteenth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> +century, when Simon Grynæus, the greatest +Greek scholar on the Continent, and companion +of Melancthon and Luther, discovered +a copy in Constantinople. Meanwhile, Theon's +edition had been translated into Arabic, and +thus preserved by the Mohammedans, and it +was only at the beginning of the twelfth century +that Athelard of Bath, who had been +travelling in the East, came to study at Cordova, +in Spain, and there found the Arabic +MSS. of Euclid; these he translated into Latin, +and this translation must have come into the +hands of the patrons of the building craft at +the very time when the Gothic style had its +origin; it was the only Latin translation known +in Europe, and was, some centuries later, the +text-book of the first printed edition of Euclid.</p> + +<p>The Operative Masons had always formed +their Right-Angled Triangles by means of +mundane measures of 3, 4, and 5 units to each +side respectively, as was done by the Harpedonaptæ +of Egypt 5000 years ago, and 2500 +years later by Pythagoras, and this same +method continues to be used to this day; but +to those of a religious turn of mind, who had +only lately become conversant with Euclid, +and looked upon Geometry not only as the +height of all learning, but, as they progressed +in the knowledge of its bearing on the Science +of building, actually made it synonymous +with Tectonic Art (the old MSS. which have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +come down to us from that time <i>invariably</i> +state that "at the head of all the Sciences +stands <i>Geometry which is Masonry</i>"), there +must have come a wave of wonderful enthusiasm +when they first discovered that +the Geometrical way of creating a Right +Angle, as given in Euclid I. ii., was by means +of an Equilateral Triangle, by joining the +Apex with the centre of the base. This +Equilateral Triangle was the earliest symbol +we know of the Divine <i>Logos</i> in connection +with that wonderful figure the Vesica Piscis; +and as the Bible declared that the Universe +was created by the Logos (the Word), so the +Square which represented the Universe was +naturally created by means of the Equilateral +Triangle. A great mystery this must +have appeared to those who, like the Hellenic +philosophers, postulated that everything on +Earth has its counterpart in Heaven, and +who, in their religious mysticism, were always +looking for signs of the transcendental in their +temporal surroundings.</p> + +<p>But in what awe and reverence must they +have held Geometry, when they further found +that the Equilateral Triangle, representing +the Logos, was itself generated, as shown +in the <i>first</i> Problem of Euclid, upon which +the whole Science of Geometry was therefore +based, by the intersection of two Circles! +These two Circles were held by the Greeks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> +at the beginning of our Era, to represent the +Past and Future Eternities generating the +Logos; but the whole figure (Euclid I. i.) was +at the time we are now dealing with looked +upon by Mediæval Architects as representing +the Three Divine <i>personæ</i>, and that part, or +<i>cavity</i>, of the figure which is bounded by the +Arcs of the two circles, and which takes to +itself one-third of each of the two generating +circles (making its perifera exactly equal with +that remaining to each of the two circles, all +three therefore being <i>co-equal</i>), and in which +the Equilateral Triangle is formed (<i>vide</i> frontispiece), +was naturally held by the Mediæval +Architects, and indeed from earliest times, as +the most sacred Christian Emblem—namely, +that of <i>Regeneration</i> or "New Birth."</p> + +<p>The Cavity is evidently referred to in the +Mystical Gospel of St. John (iii. 16), in the +question by and answer to Nicodemus, and it +was the eye of the needle referred to in St. +Mark x. 25, in answer to the question in verse +17, and again in St. Luke xviii. 25. In later +ages this symbol was extensively used by the +Christian Church to surround the "Soul of +a Saint" after death (illustrated in <i>Magister +Mathesios</i>). The date of the birth of a Saint +was always given as the date on which he or +she died and had been born again in the +Spiritual Life, and the Saint was depicted in +a Vesica Piscis, the vulva of the <i>Ruach</i> or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +Holy Spirit, representing this new birth. To +show the extraordinary reverence and high +value attached to this symbol, it is only necessary +to remember that, from the fourth century, +when Theon of Alexandria lectured on +Geometry, and onwards, all Seals of Colleges, +Abbeys, Monasteries, and other religious communities, +as well as of ecclesiastical persons, +have been made invariably of this form, and +they continue to be made so to this day. It +was also in allusion to this most sacred ancient +emblem that Tertullian, and other early +Fathers, spoke of Christians as "Pisciculi." +It was called the "Vesica Piscis" (Fish's +Bladder), and named, no doubt, by the Greeks +at the beginning of our Era, for the purpose +of misleading the ignorant from the true +meaning of the Figure.</p> + +<p>One can well understand the object which +led the learned Rabbi Maimonides, the greatest +savant of the Middle Ages, when addressing +his pupils in the twelfth century, to +command his hearers: "When you have discovered +the meaning thereof, do not divulge +it, because the people cannot philosophise nor +understand that to the Infinite there is no +such thing as Sex;" but later on the noted +writer on Symbolism, Durandus, in the introduction +to his book, is more explicit, and gives +the real meaning as follows: "The Mystical +Vesica Piscis ... wherein the Divinity and,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +more rarely, the Blessed Virgin are represented, +has no reference, except in name, to +a fish, but represents the Almond, the symbol +of Virginity and self-production."</p> + +<p>The Vesica Piscis, and its name, is intimately +connected with the discovery, by Augustus +Cæsar in the century preceding our Era, as +narrated by Baronius, of a prophecy in one +of the Sibylline books, foretelling "a great +event coming to pass in the birth of One who +should prove to be the true 'King of Kings,' +and Augustus Cæsar therefore dedicated an +altar in his palace to this unknown God." +Eusebius and St. Augustine inform us that +the first letter of each line of the verses from +the Erythrean Sibyl containing this prophecy, +formed the word ΙΧΘΥΣ (a fish), and were +taken as representing the sentence: Ιησους Χριστος Θεου Υἱος Σωτηρ ("Jesus Christ, the +Son of God, the Saviour"). Based upon this +discovery arose that extraordinary enthusiasm, +during the second, third, and fourth +centuries, for hunting up further prophecies +in Pagan sources, resulting in a great +number of Sibylline verses being invented, +giving the minutest details in the Life of +our Lord. These fabrications seem to have +been at that time generally accepted by the +masses as true prophecies, though we know +now that they were written some centuries +after the events they were supposed to foretell.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> + +<p>Let us now return to the Vesica Piscis. +In the paintings and sculptures of the Middle +Ages, we find it constantly used to circumscribe +the figure of the Saviour, especially +whenever He is represented as judging the +world and in His glorified state. Many beautiful +examples of this in Anglo-Saxon work of +the tenth century may be seen in King Edgar's +Book of Grants to Winchester Cathedral and +the famous Breviary of St. Ethelwolfe. Numerous +illustrations of these and other pictures +of the Middle Ages, as also diagrams of the +properties of the Vesica Piscis, can be seen +in the volume I have already referred to dealing +fully with this subject.</p> + +<p>The building fraternity was a purely Christian +community; the First Crusade raised +a great enthusiasm for building Christian +Churches, and brought in large gifts of money +for that purpose. Up to 1140 Norman Architecture +held sway, having the "Square" for +its unit, its greatest symbol being the <i>Gnomon</i>, +representing knowledge; but about that time, +as we have seen, arose from the study of Geometry, +the head of all learning, a Mystical +form having the mysterious figure of the +Vesica Piscis, the true Gothic Arch, with +the Equilateral Triangle enclosed as its unit, +and symbolising the Trinity in Unity. The +recognition of the import of the Trinity was +paramount throughout those early days; all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +important documents began with an Invocation +of the <i>Tres Personæ</i>, or were garnished +with symbolic illustrations thereof; all the +old MSS., already referred to, which have +come down to us from that period, invariably +commence with "In the name of the +Father and of the Son and of the Holy +Ghost."</p> + +<p>It can therefore be readily understood +what determined the sudden change between +1140-1150, resulting in that wonderful accession +of beauty to architectural design +which we find in the Gothic. The incentive +had to be a strong one, and of an eminently +religious character, to accomplish the +radical change of throwing over so absolutely +the Norman, and commencing to build entirely +on what are called Gothic lines. A +careful examination of the proportions of +the structures themselves, and the character +of the decorations found in the finest examples +of buildings representing that style, +at once shows us that the incentive was the +symbolism attached to the mysterious figure +called the Vesica Piscis, which appears to +be not only the principal feature upon which +the whole style rests, but is also employed, +as a symbol of the Divine, wherever we have +Gothic Architecture, either in painted windows +or mural decorations. Every Cathedral has its +Vesica Piscis, often of enormous dimensions.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +Geometry was synonymous with Masonry, and +the very <i>foundation</i> of the Science of Geometry, +as expounded by Euclid, was his <i>first</i> +proposition. <i>Every single problem</i> in the whole +of his books necessitates for its construction +the use of this one foundation—namely, "how +to form an Equilateral Triangle," and this is +the Mystical form of "the Knowledge of the +Square." This triangle, symbolising the Logos, +is therefore not only the <i>beginning</i> of the +Science of Geometry, and therefore of Masonry, +the Head of all the Sciences, but it is by that +triangle that all Geometrical forms, and therefore +forms of knowledge, are <i>made</i>, and it +became the most mysterious and secret symbol +of the Logos, for is it not written by St. John +that "In the beginning was the Logos, and +by it were all things made"; so the Vesica +Piscis, the cradle of the Logos, became the +great <i>secret</i> of Masonry, the foundation as +we find it upon which Gothic Architecture +was evolved, the means by which its wonderful +plans were laid down, and the most +reverenced figure in Religious Symbolism, as +shown by its use in seals, engravings, sculptures, +pictures, &c., throughout the Middle +Ages.</p> + +<p>Let me make this clearer. The more one +examines the typical points in the Saxon, +Norman, and Gothic styles of Architecture, the +more clearly one sees that the Architects of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +two former used circles and squares on their +tracing-boards, as units for their proportions, +in drawing up both ground plans and elevations, +with here and there suggestions only +of the Equilateral Triangle having been made +use of in some of the smaller details; whereas +the Gothic Architects seem to have used the +Vesica Piscis almost entirely. This explains +the reason why true Gothic buildings have +always been said to be built mainly on the +basis of the Equilateral Triangle; this naturally +follows, because the use of the Vesica +creates, and therefore necessitates, the appearance +of the Equilateral Triangle in every conceivable +situation. The following quotation +is typical of the leading essay writers on this +subject: "The Equilateral Triangle enters +largely into, if it does not entirely control, +all mediæval proportions, particularly in the +ground plans. In Chartres Cathedral the +apices of two Equilateral Triangles (<i>vide</i> +frontispiece to these Views), whose common +base is the internal length of the transept, +measured through the two western piers of +the intersection, will give the interior length, +one apex extending to the east end of the +chevet within the aisles, the other to the +original termination of the Nave westward, +and the present extent of the side aisles in +that direction. With slight deviation, most, +if not all, the ground plans of the French<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> +Cathedrals are measurable in this manner, +and their choirs may be so measured almost +without exception. Troyes Cathedral is in +exact proportion with that of Chartres, and +the choirs of Rheims, Beauvais, St. Ouen at +Rouen, and others are equally so. Bourges +Cathedral, which has no transept, is exactly +three Equilateral Triangles in length inside, +from the East end of the outer aisle to the +Eastern columns supporting the West Towers. +Most English Cathedrals appear to have been +constructed in their original plans upon similar +rules." White's Classical Essay on Architecture +compares the Norman with the Gothic, +where he says: "In what is usually called the +Norman period, the general proportions and +outlines of the Churches are reducible to certain +rules of setting out by the plain Square. +As Architecture progressed the Square gradually +disappeared, and the proportion of general +outline, as well as of detail, fell in more and +more with applications of the Equilateral +Triangle, till the art, having arrived at its +culminating point, or that which is generally +acknowledged to be its period of greatest +beauty and perfection in the thirteenth and +the beginning of the fourteenth centuries, +again began to decline. With this decline the +Equilateral Triangle was almost lost sight +of, and then a mode of setting out work by +diagonal squares was taken up, for such is the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> +basis found exactly applicable to the work +of the fifteenth century, since which time +mathematical proportions have been generally +employed." And after referring to numerous +scale drawings of Churches, windows, +doors, and arches, he points out that every +student of Church architecture must pronounce +those of the untraceried and traceried +first point to be the most beautiful of all, +those of the Norman to be a degree less so, +and those of the perpendicular and debased +to be far inferior to either, and in that analysis +we find that the Equilateral Triangle was +used almost exclusively for determining one +order (the Gothic), the Square for another +(the Norman), and the Square diagonally +divided for the other (the debased).</p> + +<p>Now let me try to describe the wonderful +properties of the Vesica Piscis, so that you +may understand the mystery which shrouded +it in the minds of those Mediæval builders. +The rectangle formed by the length and +breadth of this figure, in the simplest form, +has several extraordinary properties; it may +be cut into three equal parts by straight +lines parallel to the shorter side, and these +parts will all be precisely and geometrically +similar to each other and to the whole figure,—strangely +applicable to the symbolism attached +at that time to the Trinity in Unity,—and +the subdivision may be proceeded with indefinitely<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> +without making any change in form. +However often the operation is performed, +the parts remain identical with the original +figure, having all its extraordinary properties, +the Equilateral Triangle appearing everywhere, +whereas no other rectangle can have +this curious property.</p> + +<p>It may also be cut into four equal parts +by straight lines parallel to its sides, and +again each of these parts will be true +Vesicas, exactly similar to each other, and +to the whole, and of course the Equilateral +Triangle is again everywhere.</p> + +<p>Again, if two out of the tri-subdivisions +mentioned above be taken, the form of these together +is exactly similar, geometrically, to half +the original figure, and again the Equilateral +Triangle is ubiquitous on every base line.</p> + +<p>Again, the diagonal of the rectangle is +exactly double the length of its shorter side, +which characteristic is absolutely <i>unique</i>, +and greatly increases its usefulness for plotting +out designs; and this property of course +holds good for all the rectangles formed by +the original figure and for the other species +of subdivision. But perhaps its most mysterious +property (though not of any practical +use) to those who had studied Geometry, and +to whom this figure was the symbol of the +Divine Trinity in Unity, so dear to them, +was the fact that it actually put into their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +hands the means of <i>trisecting</i> the Right +Angle.</p> + +<p>Now, the three great problems of antiquity +which engaged the attention and wonderment +of geometricians throughout the Middle +Ages, were "the Squaring of the Circle," +"the Duplication of the Cube," and lastly, +"the Trisection of an Angle," even Euclid +being unable to show how to do it; and yet +it will be seen that the diagonal of one of +the subsidiary figures in the tri-subdivision, +together with the diagonal of the whole +figure, actually trisect the angle at the +corner of the rectangle. It is true that it +only showed them how to trisect one kind of +angle, but it was that particular angle which +was so dear to them as symbolising their +craft, and which was created by the Equilateral +Triangle. All these unique properties +place the figure far above that of a square +for practical work, because even when the +diagonal of a square is given, it is impossible +to find the exact length of any of its sides or +<i>vice versa</i>; whereas in the Vesica rectangle +the diagonal is exactly double its shorter +side, and upon any length of line which may +be taken on the tracing-board as a base +for elevation, an Equilateral Triangle will be +found whose sides are of course all equal +and therefore known, as they are equal to +the base, and whose line joining apex to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> +centre of base is a true Plumb line, forming +at its foot the perfect right angle, so important +in the laying of every stone of a building.</p> + +<p>In the volume referred to I have given a +skeleton plan upon such a scale of subdivision +that a tracing-board, of 5 feet by 8 feet, would +be divided up into over one million parts, and, +as all these subdivisions are perfect representations +of the original Vesica figure with all its +properties, the design of the largest building, +with the minutest detail, could be drafted +with absolute accuracy. There are many +other curious properties of this Figure, but +they are difficult to explain without diagrams. +I will, however, give one more example of its +creative power. The problem of describing a +Pentagon must have puzzled architects considerably +in those early times, but this was +again easily accomplished by means of the +Vesica. Albrecht Dürer, the great designer +and engraver, who lived at the end of the +fifteenth century, refers to the Vesica in his +works (<i>Dureri Institutune Geometricarum</i>, lib. +ii. p. 56) in a way which shows that it was as +commonly known in his time as the Circle, +Square, and Triangle. His instructions for +forming a Pentagon are: "Designa circino +invariato tres piscium vesicas" (describe with +unchanged compasses three vesicæ piscium). +Three similar circles are described with +centres at the angles of an Equilateral<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> +Triangle, forming the three Vesicæ, by means +of which the Pentagon is drawn, and from +which also we get a beautiful form of arch +very common in the thirteenth century +(<i>vide</i> illustrations in <i>Magister Mathesios</i>). +This is also the method used in that old +manuscript of the fifteenth century named +"Geometria deutsch." In this old MS. it is +also shown that the easiest method for finding +the centre of a circle, however large, or any +segment of a circle, is by means of the Vesica +Piscis. And just as we see so many Cathedrals +of the Middle Ages are stated by antiquarians +to have been planned on the Equilateral +Triangle, so do we find the Pentagon appearing +as the basis of Architectural designs of +buildings of a later date, such as Liverpool +Castle, Chester Castle, and other similar +structures; but the true means by which +each were laid down, as in the case of the +Equilateral Triangle, was again the Vesica +Piscis. A beautiful example of decoration, +on the basis of the Vesica, is seen in the +tomb of Edward the Confessor in Westminster +Abbey.</p> + +<p>I will conclude this subject by quoting from +the summing up by Prof. Kerrich (Principal +Librarian to the University of Cambridge in +1820), in his masterly Essay on Architecture, +where he gives the different forms of what +he calls the "Mysterious Figure," used in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +most noted Gothic buildings: he says, "I +would in nowise indulge in conjectures as +to the reference these figures might possibly +have to the most sacred mysteries of religion; +independently of any such allusion, their properties +are of themselves sufficiently extraordinary +to have struck all who have observed +them."</p> + +<p>From earliest Christian times the principal +<i>doctrine</i> based upon the Mysticism of the +Neo-platonists and the Kabalists was what +was called the Γνωσις, the Knowledge of the +All, and the fundamental basis of this, as of +all esoteric teaching from the beginning of +History, was <i>Procreation</i>. From the first +dawn of civilisation the "Great One" always +had an enemy with whom he had to fight; +having conquered, he married that enemy, +and their offspring was Life or Duration. In +the oldest forms, as in Persia and ancient +Egypt, it was Light and Darkness, "Ormuz +and Ahriman," "Osiris and Isis," the Light conquering +Darkness, the Day conquering Night, +resulting in Time and duration. In the Eleusinian +Mysteries it was the "Sun and Earth" +producing Vegetable Life, and in the Γνωσις it +was the "Ainsoph and Ignorance," resulting +in True Knowledge or Everlasting Life.</p> + +<p>In the Vesica Piscis (<i>vide</i> frontispiece) we +see two Equilateral Triangles formed on the +same base, similar to what we found in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> +ground-plan of Chartres and other Gothic +Cathedrals; these two triangles symbolised to +the Mediæval Builders the Divine and Human +Natures of the Logos, the Word, the Creator; +they are both procreated and enclosed in the +Vesica; the one having the Apex pointed upwards, +represented Divine or Spiritual Life, +and in that I have placed the "Tetragrammaton," +the Word or name of God (Jehovah), +which, throughout the Jewish race for +thousands of years, was held to be so sacred +that they did not dare to utter it aloud. It +was, at this time, depicted in the Equilateral +Triangle, the symbol of the Logos, becoming +thus the Masonic Word of the Middle Ages, +and was probably used, exoterically, for +purposes of recognition among members of +the Great Building Societies, with the introduction +of Gothic Architecture; but the +<i>esoteric</i> teaching, which was known only to +the élite of the Craft and not by the Ordinary +Operatives, was the mystical <i>procreation</i> of +that triangle, the doctrine of Spiritual or +New Birth, symbolised by that mysterious +figure which we have seen was the very +foundation stone of Geometry, and therefore +of Tectonic Art, the Head of all learning, +and the great Secret of Gothic Architecture, +called for esoteric purposes "Vesica Piscis." +The Triangle, having the Apex pointing downwards, +represented Human or Physical Life,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> +and I have placed therein a representation +of <i>sacrificial</i> death, which we shall see was +introduced, as a necessity, for the good of +the Race.</p> + +<p>As "everything in Heaven has its counterpart +on Earth," so may we see, by introspection, +that the <i>reflecting</i> surface, the thin, +physical film between the Human and Divine, +is represented by that Base, and Human Life +then becomes truly, as it should be, the reflection +of the Divine.</p> + +<p>One more glance through the Window at +what I will call—</p> + +<p class="center"> +"The Mystery of the Apex."<br /> +</p> + +<p>The earliest forms of Life, the unicellular +"Beings," whether animal or vegetable—for +both divisions, if they can be said to be divided, +have the same protoplasmic cell as basis of +life—were, and are still, immortal except for +accidents; they are not subject to natural +death as we know it; they multiply by fission +and not by "budding." It was only with the +building up of cell upon cell into communities, +and the advent of polycellular beings +of greater and greater complexity of structure, +that the "Wisdom" behind natural laws +introduced death as an <i>adaptation</i>, to prevent +monstrosities in the shape of mutilated specimens +being perpetuated on the earth. Life is +purely physical and, in conformity with the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> +modes under which our physical senses act, +has the appearance of tri-unity. As white +light is seen to be composed of but three +primary colours, as Music is based on the +Triad, as Space is known to us in three +dimensions only, and Geometry, "the Head +of all Learning," is based upon the Circle, +Square, and Triangle, so may we see life +in its three primary aspects: the Animal, +Vegetable, and Material. The last-mentioned +aspect, though long suspected, from the investigation +of Crystallography, to have in +some mysterious way a common basis with +the animal and vegetable, was not fully +grasped until, in the last few years, we have +been able to study in our laboratories the +actual evolution, or more correctly devolution, +of matter from one form to another; +and as all plants and animals are found to +be built up of the same identical protoplasmic +cells, so are we now able to break +down and analyse not only these cells but +even the very structure of matter, and +find that all substances are built up of exactly +the same bricks, the different forms +known to us as Elements being the <i>designs</i> +of the great Architect upon which each +structure has been built; and these completed +designs again are used and become +the "ashlars" of the higher forms of plant +and animal structure. As Evolution in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms has given us +Species, so in the Material it has developed +Elements. The structures of animal and vegetable +life are of comparatively recent formation, +and are still apparently progressing in +the direction of complexity, whereas the structures +of matter appear to have long passed +the stage of highest complexity, and the +elements are now undergoing the retrograde +process of being transformed, by radio-activity, +from the more complex into simpler +elements of lower atomic denominations—namely, +having fewer bricks in each atom.</p> + +<p>All these material designs are more or less +radio-active—namely, changing into other elements, +but some, like radium, polonium, &c., +are active to an extraordinary extent. Each +molecule or atom may be looked upon as an +<i>aperture</i>, more or less open, through which +we have flowing the equivalent of what may +be called a leak from the Infinite, the changing +of one element into another being represented +by the change of shape or activity of that +aperture. Countless ages ago these apertures +were, by evolution, growing more and more +complex in shape, but when the limit of complexity +was reached and the <i>Apex</i> was passed, +an adaptation, somewhat analogous to death +in the animal and vegetable, must have come +into play, with the result that these apertures +are now becoming more and more simple in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> +their shape and activity. The Infinite referred +to above may be diagnosed by some as being +in the fourth dimension of space, or it may +even be comprised within the Ether of our +known three dimensions, for the discovery +of radio-activity has enabled us to see that +Ether is not only as dense as iron, but +millions of times denser than that metal, +every cubic foot, or probably cubic inch, +being capable of supplying millions of horse-power +if it could only be tapped. A homely +simile of this leak from the Infinite may be +seen in a glass of aerated water, where an +irregularity of surface, a crumb of bread, or +a grain of sand becomes the means by which +carbonic-dioxide escapes from the interstices +of the water.</p> + +<p>Radio-active substances then are really +forges for forming new structures of matter +or forms of energy, rather than quarries from +which they are cut, and we seem to get a +glimpse of the origin of life, perhaps itself +the cause of "retrogression" in the material, +coming through from the Reality, the Infinite +beyond the physical Universe.</p> + +<p>Life and its processes are well symbolised by +a triangle, the base of which is the "Divide" +between the Real and its reflections or shadows +on the Material plane, and through which all +energy percolates. One side of the triangle +represents anabolism, or the process of building<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +up, and the other katabolism, the process +of breaking down, and at the Apex is +the Mystical "Terror of the Threshold," the +"Ainsoph" (<i>vide</i> frontispiece), which introduced +<i>sacrificial</i> death to the Physical, as an +adaptation in the evolution of, and for the +good of, the Human race. With the death +of the Physical, the rending of the Veil, as +we have seen in View Two, all Shadows and +Reflections disappear, and, in place of "seeing +as through a glass darkly," the Soul has its +true birth, and at last enters upon its heritage +in the Divine Life, face to face with +the Reality, the Good, the Beautiful, and the +True.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> +<h3><a name="VIEW_FOUR" id="VIEW_FOUR"></a>VIEW FOUR</h3> + +<h2>LOVE IN ACTION</h2> + + +<p>In the preceding Views we have seen that +Time and Space have no real existence +apart from our physical senses; they are only +modes or conditions under which those senses +act, and by which we gain a very limited and +illusory knowledge of our surroundings. Our +very consciousness of living depends upon +our perception of multitudinous changes in +our surroundings, and our very thoughts are +therefore also limited by Time and Space, +because <i>change</i> is dependent on those two +limits, the very basis of perceived motion +being the time that an object takes to go +over a certain space; we must therefore look +behind consciousness itself, beyond the conditioning +in Time and Space, for the true +reality of Being. We have seen that man is +the offspring of two distinct natures—the +Spiritual or Transcendental and the Material +or Physical; the former is the Real, the +latter is only a shadow. If we now try +to consider the connection between these +two natures, we have to recognise that,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +with all our advance in Knowledge during +the last hundred years, we are indeed still as +children playing with pebbles on the sea-shore, +knowing neither why we are placed +there, nor what those pebbles are, or whence +they came. Though we seem ever to be +discovering fresh truths concerning their +relations one with another, when arranged +in different patterns, built up into new forms, +or split up into smaller fragments, we have +to acknowledge (substituting thoughts for +pebbles) that we are still only learning our +alphabet and the simple rules of multiplication, +addition, and division, which must be +mastered before we can hope to take the real +step towards understanding.</p> + +<p>We are surrounded by mysteries; we are +indeed a mystery to ourselves, we do not +even know how the Physical Ego is connected +with the physical world; how the +sense organs, receiving the impression of +multitudinous and diverse frequencies of +different intensities, transmit them to the +brain, and how the mind is able to combine +all these impressions and form concepts. But +by examining the Physical Universe, we seem +to see clearly that the only Reality is the +Spiritual, the Here, and the Now, that our +real <i>Personality</i> being Spiritual is independent +of Space and Time limitations, and is therefore +Omnipresent and Omniscient; it may indeed be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> +not only connected with the Physical Ego of +this World, but be in close working connection +with other Physical Egos in the Universe, and +may, in some wonderful process, through its +affinity with the Great Spirit, be helping +them to progress in other directions possibly +quite beyond our power to conceive under +the conditions we are accustomed to here.</p> + +<p>A great forest tree forms each year a +multitude of separate buds; each of these +buds is an independent plant which has only +a temporary existence and has no present +knowledge of the other buds, but it is by +means of all these buds and the leaves they +develop, that the tree is nourished and increases +from year to year. Still more wonderful +is the fact that it is these temporary +existences which, in accordance with the +general law of life-production, form special +"ovules," which we call seeds, each of which +has the potentiality for growing up into a +great forest tree, which, in its turn, is capable +of pushing forth temporary existences in +countless directions. We have, in the above +process of creating a forest tree, a likeness +on the Physical Plane to what I would suggest +is the process not only of the creation of +the Race, but, on the Transcendental Plane, +the multiplication of permanent personalities +by means of, or in connection with, the temporary +and Space-limited Human Physical Ego.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> + +<p>Again, as the human mind forms a thought, +clothes it in physical language, and sends it +forth in such a form as not only affects our +material sense of hearing, but conveys to the +hearer the very thought itself, so the whole +Physical Universe is a temporary and Space-limited +representation of the Reality which is +behind, is in fact the materialisation of the +Will or Thought of the Great Spirit. The +"taking root" or advent of the Spiritual to +the genus homo, made it possible for man +to interpret the Good, Beautiful, and True +in the phenomena of nature, and, as we, by +studying these materialisations, gain knowledge +of the Reality, and our personalities +become real powers, so may we at length +approach the point where we may feel that +we are thinking, or having divulged to us, +the very thoughts of God; and, though it +may never be possible in this life to form +a full conception of the Reality, we may, I +think, even with our present state of knowledge, +aspire to understand the messages +conveyed to us in some of the multitudinous +forms, under which these thoughts are presented +to us, and I propose giving an example +of this later on in this View.</p> + +<p>Once more, in the case of a picture, it is +possible, by examining and comparing a +number of certain short lines in perspective, +to discover not only the position occupied by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> +the Artist, but also the point to which all +those lines converge; so by examining and +combining certain lines of Thought on the +Physical Plane, and following them as far as +we can with our present knowledge towards +the point where our Ideals of the Good, +Beautiful, and True intersect, we may reach +the position from which we may be able to +form, although through a glass darkly, even +a conception of the Great Reality, and therefore +of Its Offspring the Transcendental Ego, +and its connection with the Universe.</p> + +<p>As the whole of Nature is the temporary +and Space-limited manifestation of the +Reality, so the individual Physical Ego is the +manifestation in Time and Space of the +Transcendental Ego or true Personality. The +Physical Ego is its transient expression and +has no other use beyond this life. Each +Physical Ego helps, or should help forward, +the general improvement of the Race towards +perfection. Each generation should come +into being a step nearer to the Spiritual, +until it can be pictured that at the final +consummation, there will be nothing imperfect, +no shadow left; the full complement +of Spiritual Personalities being complete in +the Great All-Father.</p> + +<p>Do we not then see clearly that the Physical +Ego, comprised in what we call "I am," "I perceive," +"I think," "I conceive," "I remember,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +is transient, and has only to do with the +progress of the Race? It is the Shadow or +Image in the Physical Universe of that Personality +which Transcends Time and Space. +Take away a small portion of the Brain, the +organ of the Mind, and Memory is wiped out, +remove the greater part of it and the manifestation +of the Physical Ego is destroyed; +though the body is as much alive as before, +there is apparently nothing left but the +physical life, which it has in common with +all animals, plants, and probably, as strongly +suggested by late discoveries in Radio-activity, +even with what is called inorganic matter. +The Brain, and therefore the Ego, is not a +necessity for Physical life; this is clearly +seen in the lower forms of life—it would be +difficult to point out the brain of a Cabbage +or an Oak Tree.</p> + +<p>In the last forty years we have entered +upon a new era of religion and philosophy; +we hear no more of the old belief that the +study of scientific facts leads to atheism or +irreligion; we begin to see that Religion and +Science must go hand in hand towards elucidating +the Riddle of the Universe, and such a +change enables us even to aspire to show, as +I now propose to do, that it is possible, by +examining certain phenomena in Nature, to +reach that point where we may feel that we +are listening to and understanding, though<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +through a glass darkly, what may be called +the very Thoughts of the Great Reality. I +will take for examination the subject most +intimately connected with the title of this +View—namely, the nature of the growth +of the Transcendental Personality, upon what +that growth depends, and how we may understand +that the attainment to Everlasting Life +is dependent upon that growth.</p> + +<p>I have already pointed out in View Two +that the Transcendental Personality, being +Spiritual, and therefore akin to the Great +Reality, may be said to have no free-will of +itself. Its will or influence must always be +working towards perfection in the form "Let +Thy Will, which is also my will, be done"; +the efficacy of its influence with the Great +Reality depends on its growth or nourishment +by the knowledge of the Good, Beautiful, +and True ever bringing it more and +more nearly into perfect touch or sympathy +with the All-loving. The power of +prayer therefore depends upon two conditions; +it must be in the form of "Let +thy Will be done," and that which prays +must be capable of making its petition felt, +by having already gained a knowledge of +what that Will is. I am, of course, not +referring to that form of prayer which, +alas with so many, seems to be the attempt +to get as much out of the Absolute<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +as is possible, with the least amount of +trouble.</p> + +<p>If now we carefully examine the Phenomena +around us, we make the extraordinary +discovery that this power to influence is the +very basis of survival and of progress +throughout the universe. In the organic +world all Nature seems to be praying in one +form or another, and only those that pray +with efficacy, based upon the above two +conditions, survive in the struggle for existence. +The economy of Nature is founded +upon that inexorable law the "Survival of +the Fittest"; every organism that is not in +sympathy with its environment, and cannot +therefore derive help and nourishment from +its surroundings, perishes. Darwin tells us +that the colours of flowering plants have +been developed by the necessity of attracting +the bees, on whose visits depends the +power of plants to reproduce their species; +those families of plants which do not as it +were pray to the bees with efficacy, fail to +attract, are not therefore fertilised, and disappear +without leaving successors. Flowers +may also be said to be praying to us by +their beauty, or usefulness, and in some +cases, as with orchids, by their marvellous +shapes. We answer their prayer by building +hot houses and tending them with care, +because they please us, and therefore we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +help them to live; while, on the contrary, +those plants that have not developed these +qualities are not only neglected, but, in some +cases, as with weeds, we take special trouble +to exterminate them, because their existence +is distasteful to us.</p> + +<p>Charles Darwin also tells us that Heredity +and Environment are the prime influences +under which the whole Organic World is sustained; +in other words, every organism has +implanted in it by heredity the principle of life, +but the conditions under which it will be possible +for that life to expand and come to perfection, +rest entirely upon its power to bring +itself into harmony with its environment. +This principle of life does not come naked into +the world, it is fortified by heredity, with +power gained by its parents in their struggle +for existence, and in their persistence to get +into sympathy with their environment. The +knowledge they gained, by this struggle, +they have handed down to their offspring, +and given it thereby the possibility of also +gaining for itself that knowledge of, and +power to get into sympathy with, its environment, +upon which its future existence +will depend. So may we not see that in the +Spiritual World, these two conditions dominate, +and that it is only by the clear comprehension +of their reality that we can +understand how all-important it is for the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +soul to bring itself nearer and nearer into +harmony with its environment, the Spiritual, +and how the efficacy of prayer depends upon +the Knowledge of what is the Will of God?</p> + +<p>We have received from our Spiritual Father +the principle of Everlasting Life, and the +aspirations which, if followed, will enable +that life to expand and come to perfection; +but, as in the case of physical organism, the +gift is useless unless we elect to use those +aspirations aright, and gain thereby a knowledge +of our Spiritual Environment, which +alone can bring us into sympathy with the +Great Reality. Without this "Knowledge of +God," we can see by analogy on the Organic +Plane that Everlasting Life is impossible—we +are as weeds and shall be rooted out. This +is no figment of the imagination, it seems +to be the only conclusion we can come to +if Nature is the work of Nature's God, and +Man is made in the image (spiritual) of that +God. Herbert Spencer came to the same +conclusion when defining everlasting existence. +He says: "Perfect correspondence +would be perfect life; were there no changes +in the environment but such as the organism +had adapted changes to meet, and were it +never to fail in the efficiency with which +it met them, there would be Eternal Existence +and Eternal Knowledge" (<i>Principles of +Biology</i>).<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> + +<p>The power of influence, by sympathetic +action, may also be seen in another direction; +consider the fact that if we are in a room +with a piano and we sing a certain note, +say E flat, we not only hear that note +coming back from the piano, but, if we +examine the strings, we find that all the +E flats are actually vibrating in sympathy, +because they are in perfect harmony with +the note given out by the voice; but none +of the other strings are responding because +they are out of harmony. With this simile +in mind, let us consider the curious fact that +a moth always lays its eggs on that particular +plant upon which the caterpillars, +when they hatch out of these eggs, must +feed. The study of the Life History of +Insects has always been of great interest to +me, as I firmly believe that we are on the +verge of a great discovery, and that the +first indications are being revealed to us +through the investigation of the Biology of +Insects. Some of you may, perhaps, have +watched this progress of ovipositing, as I +have done, and noticed how the female moth +will hover in a peculiar way over different +plants, but does not alight until she comes +to a plant near akin to the one she is +seeking. She then alights, but remains, on +tip-toe as it were, with legs outstretched +and wings quivering, and soon mounts again<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +into the air; it is only when she alights on +the proper food plant that she shows unmistakably +that she knows her quest is +ended and her eggs are laid. This particular +plant has no other attractions for her, she +takes her food irrespectively from any other +flower which secretes honey, and yet, when +she is ready to fulfil her destiny, she is +unerringly drawn towards that particular +plant which must be the food of her offspring. +What is this wonderful sense? We call it +instinct, a name which is made to cover all +other senses in the lower animals, of which +we have no cognisance ourselves. Let us +take our own senses as a guide: we find +that they are all based on the appreciation +of frequencies, of greater or less rapidity, by +means of organs specially adapted to vibrate +in sympathy with those pulsations, and thus +we gain knowledge of external things. Two +tuning forks or two organ pipes when vibrating +close to each other, give out a pure +musical note when they are in perfect harmony, +and they then have, as it were, "rest" +together; but when one is put even slightly +out of harmony, there is, in place of a pure +musical note, a rise and fall of sound in heavy +throbs, strangely characteristic of "quarrelling"; +in fact, discord and "unrest."</p> + +<p>In our sense of hearing we can only appreciate +up to 40,000 vibrations in a second as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> +a musical sound, whereas, with Light and +other electrical phenomena, as we shall see +in a later View, we can appreciate sympathetic +frequencies of not only many millions, +but indeed millions of millions in a second, +and yet it is possible that, in the sense (of +insects) we are now examining of life appreciating +life, we may be in the presence of +frequencies as far removed from light as +light is from sound. If, then, we may follow +the analogy from our highest senses, we seem +to get a clear explanation of the mystery of +insect discrimination. The insect, in her then +state, could have no pleasure in the presence +of certain plants, their modes of frequency +being out of sympathy with that particular +Insect Life, and, it may be conceived that, +not only is there no inducement for the +insect to alight on that plant, but that even +in its near proximity that insect would feel +discomfort or restlessness; when, however, a +plant is reached which is near akin to the +one required, less antipathy or unrest would +be felt, and, when the true species of plant +is reached, all would be harmony, pleasure, +and rest, the functions of Insect Life would +be vivified, and its life-work accomplished +under the influences of sympathetic action.</p> + +<p>I have made several other investigations on +this subject, but I must only give one more to +illustrate the higher form of Animal Life appreciating<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> +Animal Life. There is a large class of +insects, called Ichneumonidæ, which lay their +eggs in the bodies of caterpillars, and, as in +the case of a moth laying its egg on the special +food plant upon which its caterpillar can feed, +so does each species of these insects unerringly +lay its eggs in the body of a particular kind +of caterpillar. It must be a wonderful sense +which can enable an Ichneumon Fly to do +this; it has never seen that caterpillar before, +as the egg, from which its own caterpillar +was hatched, was laid inside the body of one +of those caterpillars, and the caterpillar upon +which it fed had been eaten up and disappeared +at least six months before the +Ichneumon Fly had even made its way out +of its own cocoon; and yet this insect is not +only forced, by some mysterious power, to +lay its egg in the body of a caterpillar, but +there is only one species which will serve its +purpose, and it has to hunt up this particular +caterpillar from among thousands of other +different species.</p> + +<p>Let me put before you what is, perhaps, the +most mysterious illustration which we have +under this heading, wherein the Ichneumon +Fly cannot even get sight of its prey, nor +employ any sense similar to our own for its +detection. There are several species of moths +whose caterpillars live in the very heart of +trees. We will take the case of the caterpillar<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +of Zeuzera Aesculi, the Leopard Moth; the egg +of this Moth is laid in a crevice of the bark, +and, when first hatched, the small larva penetrates +through the bark into the centre of an +apple, pear, or plum tree, and then commences +to eat its way upwards, forming at first a very +small tunnel, but gradually increasing it, as the +caterpillar grows larger, into a passage of about +half an inch in diameter. In such a position, +surrounded as it is by solid wood, the thickness +of which would probably not be less than +one and a half or two inches, we might suppose +that the caterpillar would be safe from +its enemies, but it is not: there is a large +Ichneumon Fly which cannot propagate its +species unless it can lay its eggs in the body +of this particular caterpillar. This Ichneumon +Fly can, from outside, not only tell that inside +the stem of that tree there is a caterpillar, +but can locate the exact spot, and, still more +wonderful, is able to determine whether or +not that caterpillar is the particular species +it is in search of. There are numerous other +species of moths whose caterpillars feed in +the centre of trees, and yet this female +Ichneumon is able to mark down as her prey, +although far out of reach of any sense known +to us, that one species which alone can serve +her purpose. As soon as she has located the +exact position of the caterpillar, she unsheathes +a long delicate ovipositor, with which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +she is provided, and drills it right through +the intervening solid wood until it pierces +the body of the caterpillar; she then lays an +egg down that long tube into its body and +repeats the process two or three times. The +caterpillar itself does not appear to feel any +inconvenience from this process and continues +to feed and grow larger; but it has the seeds +of death within itself, and the two or three +little caterpillars, which hatch out of the +eggs of the Ichneumon, are also growing +rapidly inside it. At last, when the time comes +that the large caterpillar should have been +full fed, and it has eaten its way outwards +until it rests close under the bark, preparatory +to turning into a chrysalis, its enemies +finish their destructive work, and, if the tree +is then opened, the empty skin and cartilage +skeleton of the large caterpillar is found, +together with two or three large cocoons. +These cocoons, if kept, will produce in due time +specimens of the Ichneumon Fly, and these will +in their turn go about their murderous work +as soon as their proper hunting season comes +round again.</p> + +<p>This is only an isolated case out of thousands +of similar occurrences in every locality; +in fact, if you walk along any palings in the +country in the early summer, you will see +at every few steps the evidence of similar +tragedies. Those of you who live in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +country must often have seen on palings +little heaps containing a dozen or more of +the small yellow Microgaster Cocoons, and +if these are examined carefully they will be +found to be surrounding the skin of a caterpillar. +These minute cocoons may be kept +under a wine glass and, from each a minute +Ichneumon Fly, with (if a female) its sharp +ovipositor, will emerge in due time. It is +curious what mistakes can be made even by +intelligent persons. I have had the skin of +the caterpillar and this little heap of yellow +Microgaster Cocoons sent me to examine, and +have been seriously asked whether this was +not a true case of Parthenogenesis; the suggestion +being that the caterpillar had actually +laid eggs, instead of waiting until it had +become a moth, and that its efforts, to alter +the course of nature, had been too much for +its constitution and it had died in the act! +There are other illustrations I should have +liked to give but space will not permit, the +most remarkable being, perhaps, the knowledge +a Queen Bee possesses of the proximity +of another Queen, even when that other is +still in the pupa state, sealed up in a waxen +cell. I have made numerous experiments +with Queens of the common black English Bee +(<i>Apis mellifica</i>), and also the yellow-striped +Italian Bee (<i>Apis ligustica</i>), which belong +to the same order (<i>Hymenoptera</i>) as the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> +Ichneumon Flies, and the same marvellous +sense of life appreciating life at a distance, +and through solid matter, is experienced.</p> + +<p>If we now follow the same Thought by examining +the Inorganic, we make the extraordinary +discovery that this power to influence, +based on sympathetic action, is the very mainspring +by which physical work can be sustained, +and upon it depends entirely the very +action of our physical senses. Our senses are +based upon the appreciation of Vibration, in +the Air and Ether, of greater or less rapidity, +according to the presence in our organs of +processes capable of acting in sympathy with +those frequencies. The limits within which +our senses can thus be affected are very small; +the ear can only appreciate thirteen or fourteen +octaves in sound, and the eye less than +one octave in light; beyond these limits, +owing to the absence of processes which can +be affected sympathetically, all is silent and +dark to us. This capacity for responding to +vibration under sympathetic action is not +confined to Organic Senses; the physical +forces, and even inert matter, are also sensitive +to its influences, as I will now demonstrate +to you.</p> + +<p>In wireless telegraphy it is absolutely +necessary that the transmitter of the electro-magnetic +waves should be brought into +perfect harmony with the receiver—without<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> +that condition it is impossible to communicate +at a distance; again, a heavy pendulum +or swing can, by a certain force, be pushed, +say an inch, from its position of rest, and +each successive push will augment the swing, +but only on one condition, namely, that +the force is applied in sympathy with the +pendulum's mode of swing; if the length of +the pendulum is 52 feet, the force must be +applied only at the end of each eight seconds, +as, although the pendulum at first is only +moving one inch, it will take four seconds to +traverse that one inch, the same as it would +take to traverse 10 feet or more, and will not +be back at the original position till the end of +eight seconds; if the force is applied before +that time the swing of the pendulum would +be hindered instead of augmented. Even a +steam engine must work under this influence +if it is to be effective; there may be enough +force in a boiler to do the work of a thousand +horse-power, but, unless the slide valve is arranged +so that the steam enters the cylinder +at exactly the right moment, namely, in +sympathy with the thrust of the piston, no +work is possible.</p> + +<p>To understand the next example I want +you first to recognise that, apart from its +physical qualities, every material body has +certain, what may be called, traits of character, +which belong to it alone; there is generally<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +one special trait or "partial," namely, the +characteristic which it is easiest for the +particular body to manifest, but I shall show +you that by sympathetic action others can +be developed. I have several pieces of ordinary +wood, used for lighting fires, each of +which, according to its size and density, has its +special characteristic; if you examined each +by itself you would hardly see that they are +different from one another except slightly +in length, but if I throw them down on the +table, you would hear that each of them gives +out a clear characteristic note of the musical +scale: to carry this a step forward, I have a +long, heavy, iron bar, about 4 feet long and +2 inches thick, so rigid that no ordinary +manual force can move it out of the straight, +and, from mere handling, you would find it +difficult to imagine that it would be amenable +to soft influences. But I have studied this inert +mass, and, as each person has special characteristics, +some being more partial than others +to, say, Literary pursuits, Athletics, Music, +Poetry, Engineering, Science, or Metaphysics, +so I am able to show that this iron mass has +not only a number of these "partials," some +of which are extraordinarily beautiful and +powerful, audible over long distances, but +that by the lightest touch of certain small +generating rubbers, not more than an ounce +in weight and tipped with cork or leather,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> +each of which has been put into perfect +sympathy with one of those traits, I can +make that mass demonstrate them both optically +and audibly; but, without those special +sympathetic touches, it is silent and remains +an inert mass. This result is obtained by +physical contact between the instrument +and the mass, but we will now carry this +another step forward and deal with the +subject of the action of Influence at a +distance, or what may be called Prayer, between +two of these rigid masses. From what +we have already seen, it is clear that the +Soul of man could not possibly pray with +efficacy to a graven image; there is nothing +in sympathy between them, and, without +sympathetic action, influence is impossible; +but it is quite possible for Matter to pray +with efficacy to Matter, provided the material +soul, if we may use the analogy, is brought +into perfect sympathy with the material god, +and I can now put before you an experiment +showing this taking place.</p> + +<p>I have another heavy bar of iron, not so +long but of the same thickness as the one +already described, and have found its strongest +characteristic; I have another small rubber, +fashioned so that its characteristic is in +perfect sympathy with that of the bar, +namely, that the number of vibrations, in a +second, of the instrument are exactly equal<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +to those of the iron mass, and it is, therefore, +as we saw in the last experiment, able by +contact to influence the bar sympathetically. +The slightest touch throws the bar into such +violent vibration that a great volume of +sound is produced, which can be heard a +quarter of a mile away. The result of this +sympathetic touch is far from being transient, +in fact, the bar will continue to move, audibly, +for a long time. This movement in the mass +of iron was started by physical contact, but +having once started the bar praying, willing, +or thinking, whichever you like to call it, +that bar now has the power to affect, without +contact, another rigid bar of iron even when +removed to great distances, provided the +second bar possesses a similar characteristic, +and that that characteristic has been brought +into perfect <i>sympathy</i> with that of the first +bar. I have a second bar which fulfils these +conditions, and, although, at the outset, it +had no power whatever to respond, it has +been gradually, as it were, educated, namely, +brought nearer and nearer into sympathy +with the first bar, until it is now able to +respond across long distances; it has acted +across the whole length of one of the largest +halls in London so strongly that it could be +heard by all present. We will now reverse +the process of bringing these bars into sympathy, +and I will throw the first out of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +harmony by slightly changing its characteristic; +the change is extremely small, quite +inappreciable to the human ear, the bar +giving out as full and pure a note as it did +before the alteration was made; in fact, the +change is so slight that it can still, with a +little force, be stimulated by the same generator, +and yet the whole power to influence +has been lost; the first bar, although it is +praying with great force, gets no response +from the second bar, and, even if the bars are +now brought on to the same table and put +within a few inches of each other, there is +still no reply, there is no sympathetic action, +the efficacy of prayer between the two has +been completely destroyed.</p> + +<p>Do we not then see the principle upon +which the efficacy of Prayer depends, that the +whole object of a Human Soul, when using +the words "Thy Will be done," is to bring +itself closer and closer into perfect sympathy +with the Absolute? When that is accomplished, +we may understand, from our simile, +that not only shall we and our aspirations be +influenced by the Will of the Deity, but that +then our wishes, in their turn, must have +great power with God, and it becomes possible +for even "Mountains to be removed and cast +into the midst of the sea."</p> + +<p>How truly the Philosopher Paul at the +beginning of our Era recognised that the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +knowledge of God, which Christ Himself tells +us is Everlasting Life, may be gained by the +study of the material creation; His words +were sadly overlooked by many who, half a +century ago, were afraid that the discoveries +of Science were dangerous to belief in the +Divine. He says: the unrighteous shall be +without excuse because "The invisible things +of Him since the creation of the world are +clearly seen, being perceived through the +things that are made, even His everlasting +power and divinity" (Romans i. 18 to 20, +R.V.).</p> + +<p>We have seen the truth of this wonderful +statement, we have traced the reflection of +the greatest attribute of the Deity, Divine +Love, on the material plane. What has been +the result of our investigation? We find +that throughout the whole of Nature the one +great universal power is Sympathy.</p> + +<p>'Tis verily "love that makes the world go +round." What a marvellous conclusion to +our investigation! Let us see where it leads +us. The whole of creation is the materialisation +of the Thoughts of the Deity; we have, +therefore, in the forces of Nature, the impress +of the very Essence of God. Our Innermost +Self is an emanation from Him, and +Prayer, which, at the beginning, is only a +striving to bring ourselves into harmony +with the Deity, must, as the Soul grows in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +strength and knowledge, become a great +power working under the wonderful principle +of Sympathy. True prayer, indeed, +becomes "<i>Love in Action</i>," and, under certain +conditions, Prayer may actually be looked +upon as the greatest physical force in Nature. +But let us carry this one step further: can +we, by our analogy of Matter praying, understand +why "the knowledge of God is Everlasting +Life"? Look at the first iron bar, +and watch how, as long as it keeps on vibrating, +the second bar, <i>because it is in sympathy</i>, +will be kept in motion. If it were possible +for the first bar to vibrate for ever, the second +bar would, speaking materially, have everlasting +life, through its being in perfect sympathy +with the first bar; without this connection +the bar would be lifeless. Now apply +this to our Transcendental Personality; it is +being nourished, the knowledge of God is increasing, +it is at last pulsating in perfect harmony +with the Deity, and when, for it, the +Material Universe disappears, its <i>affinity</i> to +Infinite Love must give it Everlasting Life. +Everything that has not that connection is +but a shadow which will cease to be manifest +when the Great Thought is completed, +the volition of the Deity is withdrawn, and +the Physical Universe ceases to exist; nothing +can then exist except that which is perfected, +that which is of the essence of God—namely,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> +the Spiritual. Perfect harmony will then +reign supreme, such happiness as cannot be +described in earthly language nor even imagined +by our corporeal senses; hence, in the +many passages referring to that wondrous +Life hereafter, we are not told what Heaven +is like but only what is not to be found +there:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i2">"Eye hath not seen nor ear heard,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Neither have entered into the heart of man<br /></span> +<span class="i2">The things that God hath prepared for them that love Him."—1 <span class="smcap">Cor.</span> ii. 9.<br /><br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>There are several other phenomena which I +might have examined, but I chose this particular +aspect of the Reality, as best illustrating +the subject I am trying to elucidate +in these Views, though it was probably the +most difficult one to bring home to the general +reading public. There are, I know, from +personal knowledge, many of my readers +who will have been able to follow and appreciate +what I have attempted to demonstrate, +but to those who have not grasped +the connection between the Infinite and +Finite, the Transcendental and the Physical +Ego, the Real and its Shadow, a few more +words of explanation may be helpful.</p> + +<p>It is easy to see that the negatives, Cold, +Ignorance, Falsehood, Ugliness are manifestations +of their positives, as given in my list<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +in View One, and it is also not difficult to +show that Evil or Sin is dependent upon Good +in the same way as the Shadow depends upon +Light for its manifestation. Do not let me +be misunderstood; I have never suggested +that these negatives or negations have not +the appearance of realities to us, under our +present conditions of existence; they indeed +have to be dealt with by us as realities, but +they are only manifested as phenomena on +the physical plane, because our Senses, and +therefore Thoughts, are limited by Time and +Space and therefore dependent upon <i>relativity</i>.</p> + +<p>Let me put the case of Good and Evil +before you, as analogous to, say, Light +and Shadow. Moral laws and responsibility +thereto are dependent upon the existence of +Goodness; the purely animal Homo was, as +I have pointed out, free from sin or responsibility +until the advent of the Spiritual made +manifest, in that animal, the physical Ego +and raised him far above all other animals. +Man thus became a responsible moral being, +a living soul, aware of Right, and therefore +of Wrong, and certain acts then became for +him sin that were not sin before. Thus the +advent of Christ, and, in a less degree, the +coming into the world of every good man, so +raised, and is raising, the level of moral rectitude +that things become sin that were not sin +before; St. Paul himself specially recognises<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +this when he says that without law there is +no sin. The Goodness, then, brought into the +world by Christ, did not create sin but made +it manifest, and gave it the appearance of +reality under our present conditions of life +and thought. How well the Mystic Paul understood +that the Invisible is the Real, and +that the Visible—namely, the phenomena of +nature—is only dependent upon Time for its +manifestation. His words are: "For the +things which are seen are temporal, but the +things which are not seen are Eternal."</p> + +<p>I have tried in these Views to use only +simple everyday language, and am fully +aware how inadequate are the words I have +employed; but my readers will have, I hope, +recognised how difficult, and in many cases +impossible, it is, in treating these metaphysical +subjects, to find words to express +the exact meaning; we have to describe +the Infinite in terms of the finite, and by +use of imperfect finite analogies to get a +glimpse of the otherwise unthinkable, and +even then it requires a mystical sense, or +what St. Paul called spiritual discernment, +to see beyond the physical mists. If the +whole of the phenomena of Nature must be +looked upon as the manifestation of the +Divine Noumenon, it follows that Matter is +as divine as the Spiritual, though not as +real; it is His shadow, or the outline of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +His very image, thrown upon the material +plane of our sensations; and the principle +of sympathetic action, upon which, as we +have seen, the whole power to influence +depends throughout the Universe, becomes +surely the best symbol we can use for +understanding the efficacy of prayer and the +connection between our Transcendental Self +and the All-loving. Realise that the Transcendental +Ego is a Spirit, and therefore +akin to the Great Spirit, not only in essence, +but in "loving and knowing communion," +then look at my last experiment, where we +saw two material bodies (remember they are +shadow manifestations of the Reality) which +could influence each other from the fact that +they were akin, not only in substance, but +in perfect sympathetic communion.</p> + +<p>If now we watch the shadows of two human +beings thrown upon a wall, and see those +shadows shaking hands and embracing each +other, are we not justified in concluding that +those images give us a true explanation of +what is really taking place? and is not that +exactly what I have done? have I not shown, +as I proposed to do, that it is possible by +examining the phenomena of Nature (the +shadows of the Reality) to reach that point +where we may even feel that we are listening +to, or having divulged to us, some of what may +be called the very thoughts of the Great Reality?</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> +<h3><a name="VIEW_FIVE" id="VIEW_FIVE"></a>VIEW FIVE</h3> + +<h2>THE PHYSICAL FILM</h2> + + +<p>We have seen in former Views that the +whole Phenomenal Universe, as perceived by +our senses, and all intellectual thoughts or +concepts based on those perceptions, are, in +reality, only mists or shadows; they have no +existence apart from our physical senses, +and may be likened to a thin film, which at +death is pricked and passes away like a +scroll, leaving us face to face with the +Reality. We thus seemed to grasp that all +phenomena, including our Physical Egos, are +but the shadows or outline of the Reality, +as depicted on our limited plane of consciousness; +but these phenomena, having +Motion for their basis, are none the less +real to us under our present outlook, limited +as it is by conditioning in Time and Space, +and we have to deal with them as realities +in our everyday life. I want to make this +distinction clear in the present View.</p> + +<p>Those of us who were youngsters in the +'sixties, and were fortunate enough to be +taken to that land of wonders for children,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> +the London Polytechnic, will remember seeing +what were called Professor Pepper's +Ghosts. By means of a large sheet of glass +on the stage, the <i>reflection</i> of a human being +(otherwise invisible), which we will call the +"<i>unreal</i>," was, by the audience, seen walking +alongside the people on the stage, and it +was impossible to say which was the real +and which the unreal. When the unreal was +made to appear further back on the stage, +it was apparently seen through the real +figures and they appeared as ghosts, for they +were seen to be transparent. If now we fix, +perpendicularly on a table, a small pane of +glass, and place, say, an orange in front and +another orange behind it, we can arrange +so that an observer, looking through the +glass, sees two oranges alongside each other, +one being the real and the other the unreal, +and, with proper lighting and dark background, +it is impossible to determine which +is which, as they are both apparently real +oranges. We will call the real, A, and the +unreal, B; we now also introduce a human +hand on both sides of the glass, and again +we have apparently two real hands close to +the oranges; if the real hand is now seen +to try to touch the B orange, it passes +through it, but it can take up the A; and +the same result is seen when the unreal hand +tries to grasp them, except that it can grasp<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +the B but not the A; it is, in fact, only the +unreal that can apprehend the unreal, and +the real the real.</p> + +<p>The above simile may help some of my +readers to understand how the phenomena +of Nature, though having no real existence +apart from our senses, have the appearance +of reality to us, because both we and the +whole Phenomenal Universe are the unreal +of our analogy, namely, the reflection or +shadow of the Real on the physical plane. +If we run against a stone wall, which is +also part, with us, of the shadow, we hurt +ourselves and acknowledge its existence, but +to the Real it would not be an obstruction +at all, it is not there. We know that this +wall is not really solid, it is made up of +Atoms revolving round each other but never +touching, but the man in the street would +give as the reason why it hurt, that it was +dense, or what is called hard; if the wall +were made of hay, or cotton wool, or of +sunbeams, we should not suffer by running +against it; in fact, the denser anything +becomes, the more it shows its character of +being real to our senses. If we take this +as the true explanation for the Physical +Universe, we are met with something quite +beyond our powers of comprehension, when +we try to form a conception of the all-pervading +Ether; unless we may look upon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +it as actually a <i>presentation</i> of the Reality +itself. If we wave our hand, we can feel +the obstruction of the air, but we cannot +feel the Ether. We think our earth very +solid, and we know it is rushing round the +sun at the enormous rate of 60,000 miles +per hour, but it finds no obstruction in the +Ether, there is no retardation of its velocity; +and yet the study of Radio-Activity has +quite lately shown us that that Ether is not +only as dense as iron, or a hundred or a +thousand times denser, but millions of times +denser than that metal; and yet it permeates +all matter like a sieve. In Sir Oliver Lodge's +words, "the Ether is so dense that matter +by comparison is like a gossamer or a filmy +imperceptible mist." We can, therefore, by +again using our "Ghost" analogy, understand +why matter cannot obstruct the Ether, or vice +versa; there is no perceivable friction between +them, unless, as I shall presently suggest, we +may find something akin to obstruction by +Matter, not to Ether itself, but to its pressure, +in the phenomenon of Gravitation.</p> + +<p>The evidence we are gradually winning +from Radio-Activity seems to be leading us +to the conclusion that all forms of matter +are but different motions or strains in the +Ether (perhaps, as Lord Kelvin thought, in +the form of vortices), that the different +atoms of which matter is composed are, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +suggested in View Three, <i>apertures</i> of different +complexity of outline—namely, those +points at which Ether is absent or its density +attenuated. Have we not apparently here +another example of Positive and Negative, +the Invisible the Ether, as the Real, and the +Visible, the Material Universe, as its Negative +the Unreal, similar to our list of Positives and +Negatives in View One? Ether itself cannot +be explained by any of the known dynamical +laws, though it is probably the very root and +cause of all of them; it is absolutely beyond +our plane of perception or conception. We can +only perceive certain effects of its presence +when it comes into our limited world of consciousness, +under the aspects of Time and Space—namely, +in its movements, which we classify +as forms of matter and modes of energy.</p> + +<p>It is only lately that we have been able +to see clearly that the effects known to us +as Light, Heat, Electricity, and Magnetism +are caused by pulsations or rills of different +rapidity in the Ether (this will be referred +to in a later View); it is also probably the +cause of what we call Gravitation, and we shall +see that the action of Gravitation may, after +all, be not in the direction of a pull but must +be looked upon as a pushing force. Gravitation +is common to all matter; in common +language, every particle attracts every other +particle with a force directly proportional to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> +its mass, and inversely to the square of its +distance; it is a very weak force compared +with others we know, and difficult to measure +except when a large mass of matter is involved. +Perhaps this will be clearer, and not +far from the truth, if I say that the force of +Gravitation exerted between two masses of +matter compared with that which we find +acting between the constituents of matter—namely, +in chemical affinity, is comparable to +the difference existing between the density +of matter and the density of Ether.</p> + +<p>The latest calculation of the pressure of +the Ether is almost inconceivable—namely, +about 25,000 tons on the square inch, or +3,600,000 tons on the square foot; it may +well therefore be that, in the degree of permeability +of matter by the Ether, when we +can calculate it, will be found the explanation +of what we call Gravitation between two +masses; they are each shielding the other +from Ether pressure, in its own direction, +with an obstructive force equal to its mass. +The reason why the earth appears to attract +us, is that it is shielding us from a certain +amount of pressure in its direction; and we +know that we are also apparently attracting +every particle of the earth with a force proportionate +to our mass, because we are, however +slightly, shielding the earth from pressure +in our direction; if this is the true <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>explanation, +Gravitation is a phenomenon of the +Ether; it will be seen to be a movement of +matter in the line of least pressure, and is +therefore a push and not a pull.</p> + +<p>Let us now come down to what we understand +better concerning the subject of this +View.</p> + +<p>The question, "What is Truth?" "What is +the Reality?" goes to the very root of the +Riddle of the Universe. We are all trying +in one direction or another to answer this +question. As knowledge increases, old theories +become untenable and have to be discarded, +and, in their place, fresh ones are formulated +to account for new phases of phenomena. +There seems a general impression, among +even thinking people, that scientists are +wedded to, and always trying to find proofs +for, their last theories, but this is not the +case. The endeavour of the true seeker after +truth is not so much to discover fresh facts +which coincide with existing theories, as to +find phenomena which cannot be explained +thereby; there is indeed more joy over one +fact which does not agree with preconceived +theory, than over ninety-nine facts which +are found to fall under that heading. In +our everyday life we have become so accustomed +to take for granted that what we see, +hear, or feel by touch must be real, that it +is difficult for the man in the street to realise<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> +that our senses woefully deceive us; that perception +without knowledge often leads us +astray into false concepts, and these false +concepts lead us into difficulties which require +fresh concepts to be formed, and these +again demand further and more exact knowledge +to be applied to perceived phenomena. +This necessity for overcoming difficulties is +the greatest incentive we have for gaining +fresh knowledge of our surroundings. Owing +to the fact, as already pointed out, that our +sense perceptions are based upon the appreciation +of change or motion, and must therefore +be limited in Time and Space, and that +the trueness of our conceptions of the Reality +is dependent upon the knowledge which can +be brought to bear upon those perceptions, +we are forced to postulate two aspects of the +Universe; one of these is what may be called +the Visible, Finite, or Physical, which indeed +carries the appearance of Reality to our limited +senses, though it has no real existence for us +apart from those senses, and the other is +that which transcends our utmost conception, +which we call the Invisible, the Infinite, +or Spiritual.</p> + +<p>At the outset of all investigation, we are +forced to recognise that the only way we +can approach conception of the Infinite is +necessarily in the form of a negative, the +negative applying to those things of which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +we have cognisance; we carry our thought +to the utmost limit possible with our present +knowledge, and, when we have come to a +standstill, we conceive the Infinite to be not +that but something further on. As our knowledge +increases by small steps, that something +further on seems ever to be flying from our +grasp by mighty strides, until we are forced +to bow our heads and recognise that we are +in the presence of, though still not in sight +of, the Reality. A divine impulse is ever +urging us forward to greater conceptions +but shattering our hopes, and giving us a +feeling akin to despair, if we arrogate to +ourselves a greater power of conception than +we have knowledge to sustain; we have to +approach the study with, indeed, that feeling +of elation which the consciousness of our +origin and destiny wakes within us, giving +us a feeling of certainty that we are capable, +in the hereafter, of attaining to the highest +summit of knowledge, but with that humility, +in the present, which makes us acknowledge +that he who knows most knows most how +little he knows. In this frame of mind let +us now examine our surroundings.</p> + +<p>We are living in a world of continuous +and multitudinous changes; in fact, without +change, we could have no cognisance of our +surroundings, we should have no consciousness +of living. We have become so accustomed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> +to certain sensations that we are apt to take +them, as facts, and scoff at the suggestion +that they are non-realities. I propose, however, +to show that what we perceive are not +Realities, and true conception of our surroundings +depends upon the knowledge which +we can bring to bear to interpret the meaning +of these sensations. It is only in response +to our conscientious endeavours to form new +concepts that knowledge is being daily revealed +to us; the more we progress in +Knowledge the more we see that Perception +alone without Knowledge leads to false +concepts, and these in their turn create +fatal obstacles and difficulties to our progress +towards the true appreciation of the Universe. +Let me give a few examples.</p> + +<p>In early times the Sun and the Stars were +seen to revolve round the Earth once every +day, and, without Knowledge of Astronomy, +this was taken for granted as an absolute +fact, and was looked upon as a reality; later +on, however, it was noted that the Stars +never changed their relative positions; this +necessitated a new concept, namely, that +they were fixed on the inner surface of a +huge globe, which was also revolving. This +false concept brought other difficulties into +play, the question arose as to what was +beyond the globe, and also the difficulty +that, when the Stars as well as the Sun<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> +were found to be at such enormous distances +from the Earth, their rates of motion were +quite inconceivable. Even in the case of the +Sun the motion represents over twenty-five +million miles per hour, and the apparent +motion of the Stars is thousands of times +faster than Light travels. These insuperable +difficulties were not swept away until, by the +advance of Knowledge, the falsity of Conception, +based only upon appearance, was +made manifest, and it was seen that it was +the Earth which revolved and not the Stars. +Even then, owing to its supposed antagonism +to what was stated in the Bible, the new +Conception was opposed with great bitterness, +it being long looked upon and denounced +as a sacrilegious invention, and anybody +daring to promulgate such a doctrine was +threatened with death.</p> + +<p>Our present Conception, that the Earth +turns round on its axis once every day, and +rolls in its orbit round the Sun once in +every year, may be called a Reality to our +finite Senses; but I shall show later on that, +except for the finiteness of our senses and +the imperfection of our Knowledge, the +Concept is not a true one. With perfect +Perception and perfect Knowledge we shall +see that, apart from the two limitations or +modes under which our physical senses act, +there can be no such thing as Motion,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> +because the very essence of Motion is but +the product of those limitations, namely, +Time and Space.</p> + +<p>We are so accustomed to take everything +for granted, that it may perhaps seem +strange to question whether it can even be +asserted that we have ever seen matter. +Let us turn towards a common object in +this room. We catch in our eyes the +multitudinous impulses which are reflected +from its surface under circumstances somewhat +similar to those in which a cricketer +"fields" a ball; he puts his hand in the +way of the moving ball and catches it, and, +knowing the distance of the batsman, he +perhaps recognises, by the hard impact of +the ball, that the batsman has strong muscles, +but he cannot be said to <i>see</i> the batsman by +that impact, nor can he gain thereby any +idea as to his character. So it is with +objective intuition; we direct our eyes +towards an object, and catch thereby rays +of light reflected from that object at different +angles, and, by combining all these +directions, we recognise <i>form</i>, and come to +the conclusion that we are looking at, say, +a chair. The eye also tells us that rays are +coming in greater quantity from some parts +of it, and we know that those parts are +<i>polished</i>; the eye again catches rays giving +higher or lower frequencies of vibration,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> +and we call that <i>colour</i>; our eyes also tell +us that it intercepts certain rays reflected +from other objects in the room, and we +know that it is not <i>transparent</i> to light; +and those are our sight perceptions of a +wooden chair.</p> + +<p>We may go a little further by "pushing," +when we know, by the amount of resistance +compared with the power exerted, what +force of gravity is being exerted by and on +that chair, and we declare it heavy or light, +but by these means we get no nearer to +the knowledge of what matter is. By tests +and reagents we can resolve wood into other +forms which we call Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, +Nitrogen, &c., which, because we cannot +divide them into any other known substances, +we call "Elements," but we can only look +at these in the same way as we are looking +at the chair. Chemists, however, carry us +a little further, and show us that the Elementary +substances have not only their likes +and dislikes, but their passionate desires and +lukewarmness to others of their ilk, and, +when opportunity offers, they break up with +great violence any ordinary friendship existing +between them and their neighbours, and +seize on their coveted prey with a strength +of will surpassing anything experienced in +the Organic World; and this new association +they maintain, until they, in their turn, are<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> +dispossessed, or they encounter another substance +of still greater attraction, when they +leave their first love and take up new connections.</p> + +<p>I shall touch upon the subject of what +matter is later on; meanwhile let us consider +how, owing to our senses being limited +by the considerations of Time and Space, +we are surrounded by inconceivables, and +yet it is those very inadequate conceptions +which force us to acquire Knowledge; the +greatest incentive we have to pursue our +investigation is, as we have seen, the fact +that Perception without sufficient Knowledge +leads us into difficulties. Let me give +you two instances of these inconceivables. +Infinite Space is inconceivable by us, but it +is also quite as inconceivable, or perhaps even +more so, to think of Space being limited, and +yet we are forced to declare that one of +these two must be true. Again, Matter is +either composed of ultimate bodies, of a +certain size which cannot be divided, or is +infinitely divisible; both of these are inconceivable, +the latter for the same reason as +that of the Infinity of Space, and the former +because it is inconceivable that the ultimate +body could not be divided into two parts by +a sharp edge forced between its two sides, +or by a stronger force than at present holds +it together; it has indeed been suggested as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> +an explanation that, if an atom could be +divided, it might cease to be matter, that its +parts would have no existence, but it is +difficult to conceive how two nothings can +form one something.</p> + +<p>Another example of Perception leading to +a false Concept is our Sense of Pain; we +apply a red-hot coal to the tip of one of our +fingers and our Perception would have us +believe that we feel intense pain at the point +of contact, but we know this to be a false +Concept, as it can be shown that the pain +is only felt at the brain: there are in communication +with different parts of our body +small microscopical nerve threads, any of +which may be severed with a pen-knife close +to the base of the skull, with the result that +no pain can then be felt, although the fingertip +is just as much alive and is seen to be +burning away.</p> + +<p>Another example is our Sense of Hearing. +A musical sound is made up of a certain +number of pushes in a second, but each push +is silent. It is only, as we have seen, a musical +sound to our Sense when the pushes recur +at intervals of not more than the sixteenth +part of a second. The prongs of a tuning-fork, +vibrating 500 times per second, seem +to be travelling very quickly, but are really +only moving at the rate of 10 inches per +second, or not much over half a mile per hour,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> +when the amplitude is the hundredth part of +an inch, which gives quite a loud sound.</p> + +<p>Light is also composed of rills in the Ether, +but the rill itself is not Light, it is only Light +when these rills strike, with a certain enormous +frequency, on a special organ adapted +for, we might say, counting these frequencies, +and if these frequencies fall below that certain +number, or above twice that number per +second, there is no Sense of Sight.</p> + +<p>How few people have ever realised what a +wonderful Counting Machine they possess in +their organ of Sight! I think the best method +I can adopt, to bring this clearly before you, +is to take our tuning-fork, vibrating 500 +times per second, a rapidity which to some +will be even difficult to comprehend, and then +ask you to consider how long that fork must +continue to vibrate before it has accomplished +the full number of frequencies, which must +necessarily impinge upon the eye in one +second of time, before the phenomenon of +sight becomes possible. That tuning-fork +would have not only to continue its vibrations +without diminution for seconds, minutes, +hours, weeks, months, years, or hundreds of +years, but for 30,000 years before it has +accomplished the full number of pulsations +which, as Ether waves, must strike the eye +in one second of time, to give the impression +of Light; the calculation is easy, the rills of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> +Red Light are so small that 40,000 of these +only cover one inch of length, and light +travels 186,000 miles per second. If therefore +the number of inches in 186,000 miles are +multiplied by the 40,000, and the product is +divided by the 500 times which the tuning-fork +vibrates in one second, you have the +number of seconds that tuning-fork must +vibrate, before it has completed the number +of impacts which, in one second of time, must +fall on our retina to give us the impression of +red light; and that tuning-fork would have +to vibrate nearly twice as long, say 50,000 +years, to reach the number of impulses which +strike the eye in one second of time and give +the impression of violet light; and between +these two limits are situated the colours—Orange, +Yellow, Green, Blue, and Indigo.</p> + +<p>What a marvellous sense then is Sight, +when we find that, not only can it grasp +these innumerable vibrations, but can actually +differentiate colours, appreciating as a different +colour each increase of about one-tenth in +these multitudinous frequencies; and it is +principally by means of this Sense of Sight +that we gain a knowledge of what is happening +around us. And yet what strides we have +made in the last two hundred years to improve +upon that instrument! With all its +wonderful capabilities, we shall see later on +that the eye is a very imperfect instrument<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +for seeing very small objects, or even large +objects when at a great distance. With the +present compound Microscope, only developed +in the last hundred years, and its apochromatic +lenses, invented only in the last forty +years, we are able to see and photograph +objects of a minuteness immeasurably beyond +the power of the human eye, and, with +our telescopes, we can see and photograph +stars far beyond the possibility of vision by +the unaided eye; and yet, by the stellar +spectroscope, we are actually able to examine +and identify the very atoms of which that +distant star is composed, or rather was composed +hundreds of thousands of years ago; +we can compare those atoms with the same +atoms in our laboratories, and we find that, +though the former are hundreds of thousands +of years older than the latter, they show +absolutely no signs of wear or loss of energy, +though they have been for that enormous +time, and are still, pulsating at the rate of +not only millions but billions of times per +second; and though the pulsations they emit +have travelled across such a vast depth of +space that the mind cannot even imagine the +distance, there has not been any diminution +in the numbers of pulsations per second, nor +the slightest slowing down of the rate of +flight at which they started on their journey +from that far-off world. If there had been the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> +<i>slightest</i> change we could detect it at once +by means of the Spectroscope.</p> + +<p>With another instrument we are able, not +only to hear but to converse audibly, as long +as we like, with another human being a +thousand miles away, who is also sitting +comfortably in his own arm-chair and speaking +to us with as much freedom as though we +were both in the same room. With another +instrument we can go further, and exchange +thoughts, in a few seconds, with a being on +the other side of the world, by means of a +thin wire that is itself fixed, and does not +move, and we have lately invented another +means by which we can do the same, over +several thousands of miles, without even a +connecting wire. With another instrument +we have gone far beyond the facility with +which the Printing press enabled us to communicate +our thoughts to our fellow human +beings, we can actually imprint our very +words and laughter upon a wax cylinder and +send it to the antipodes, and our friends +there, with a similar instrument, can not only +hear and recognise our very voice, but can +make that voice repeat our thoughts audibly, +to a thousand others at the same time, and +can repeat that process for hundreds of times +without exhausting that voice. With another +instrument we can depict on a film, not only +the images of our friends but their very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +actions, which may also be sent to any +distance, and the persons, thereon depicted, +may be seen by their relatives alive and +going about their everyday employments, +with every movement exact to life. We can +cross the Ocean against the wind and waves +by means of harnessed sunbeams, without +any exertion of our own, at the rate of an +express train, which train, by the by, is also +moved by the same means; we can dive to +the bottom of the sea and journey there for +hours, in perfect safety, without coming to +the surface, and we are even developing +wings, or their equivalent, which from immemorial +tradition we were not to possess +before we had finished doing our duty properly +in this world and had gained admission to the +next.</p> + +<p>We can do all these things, but how ignorant +we still are in the commonest doings +of Nature! By giving up our whole lifetime, +and spending millions of pounds, we could +never make a grain of wheat or an acorn, and +wherever we turn we find ourselves confronted +with mysteries beyond our power +to explain from a finite material standpoint; +even in material vibrations we meet a mystery +almost beyond our power to comprehend. +Take for instance those small insects, of the +family of Grasshoppers, which make the +primæval woods of Central America give<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> +out a noise like the roaring of the sea, a +wondrous sound never to be forgotten by +those who have heard it. By means of a kind +of rasp one of these insects creates a sound +which Darwin states can be heard to the +distance of one mile: these insects weigh less +than the hundredth part of an ounce, and +the instrument by which the noise is made, +weighs much less than one-tenth of the +total insect; it is less therefore than one +thousandth part of an ounce in weight, and +yet it is found, by calculation, that this small +instrument is actually able to move at the +enormous rate of a thousand vibrations per +second and keep in motion for hours, from five +to ten million tons of matter, and it does this +so powerfully that every particle of that +enormous bulk of matter gives out a sound +audible to our ears. But even these millions +of tons are not its limit of action, for we +know that these vibrations must go on until, +in the end, every particle of matter connected +with this earth has been affected by each of +those vibrations.</p> + +<p>All our difficulties of understanding the +true meaning of these and other phenomena +around us are, as I have already pointed out, +caused by our inability to recognise that +vibration or motion has no reality, it is a +pseudo-conception arising from the fact that +our senses are entirely dependent upon the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> +two modes or limitations, Time and Space, +for their very action, and that, as conceptional +knowledge is based upon perceptional knowledge, +our very consciousness of living is also +dependent upon these same limitations. We +have seen that Motion is nothing but the +product of these two modes of perceptions, +and, in my next Views, I shall examine these +elusive limitations, these two mysteries of +Time and Space, the forever and the never-ending; +I shall trace them to the utmost +limit of our conception, and try to gain thereby +a clearer insight into the fact, not only +that the whole Physical Universe is but a +transient and Space-limited phenomenon, a +thin film which our senses have erected and +which divides us from the Reality, but that, +if our power of <i>introspection</i> were fully developed, +we should know that the Reality is +nearer and dearer to us, and has much more +to do with us, even in this life, than has the +physical.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span></p> +<h3><a name="VIEW_SIX" id="VIEW_SIX"></a>VIEW SIX</h3> + +<h2>SPACE</h2> + + +<p>We have seen that our very thoughts, and +therefore consciousness of living, are limited +by Time and Space, but we cannot with the +utmost endeavour conceive a limit to Time +and Space; they are two twin sisters, alike +in many respects but different in others, and +we shall realise later on that they are readily +interchangeable. The sensuous aspect of +Motion is, as we have seen, the time that an +object takes to go over a certain space—namely, +what is called the rate at which it +passes from one point to another, and we +cannot imagine Motion unless it contains +both of these modes in however small a +quantity; we may have the greatest imaginable +space traversed in a moment of time, +or the smallest imaginable space covered in +what may be called, for want of a better +word, an eternity, but we still have to postulate +what we call Motion; this, of course, +follows from the fact that our thoughts require +both these modes for forming concepts. +If we compare our conception of +Matter with that of Time and Space, we see<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> +that the two latter are not separately the +object of any sense, but are the modes or +conditions under which all our senses act, to +a greater or less degree, and these conditions +cannot therefore carry the same impression +of objectivity to our senses as Matter does, +except perhaps in the sense that all physical +phenomena are simply motion, and motion +is the product of both of these limitations +but not of either of them separately.</p> + +<p>If we analyse our conceptions of Time and +Space we seem forced to postulate that they +are both infinitely divisible and infinitely extensible; +they are both what is called continuous +and not discrete, we cannot conceive +any minimum in their division; both duration +in Time and extension in Space can be +reduced, as it were, to a mathematical point; +nor can we conceive any maximum in either +duration or extension. They are both therefore +comprised in every conception possible +to our consciousness; all parts of Time are +time and all parts of Space are space; there +are no holes, as it were, in Space which are +not space, nor intervals in Time which are not +time, they are both complete units; Space +cannot be limited except by space, and Time +cannot be limited except by time. So far +they are alike, but, on the other hand, Space +is comprised of three dimensions—namely, +length, breadth, and depth, whereas Time<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> +has the appearance to us of comprising one +dimension only—namely, length.</p> + +<p>Under our present conditions we can only +think of one finite subject at a time, and, +at that moment, all other subjects are cancelled. +We can therefore only think of points +in Time and Space as situated beyond, or in +front of, other fixed points, which again must +be followed by other points; we cannot fix a +point in either so as to exclude the thought +of a point beyond; we can only in fact examine +them in a form of finite sequences.</p> + +<p>The Idea of Infinity, which we shall refer to +in a later View and show to be a false conception, +is therefore a necessary result of the +limitation of our thoughts; our physical Ego +cannot conceive beyond the Finite as long as +we are conscious of living under present conditions. +With every act of perception by our +senses, we have therefore not only intuition +of the Visible or Finite, but we become at the +same moment aware of an Invisible Infinite +beyond. Time appears to us as an inconceivable, +intangible something, which gives us the +impression of movement without anything +that moves it. Space is an omnipresent, intangible, +inconceivable nothing, outside of +which nothing which has existence can be +even thought to exist. Let us now try and +get an insight into what we mean by perception +of distance in space.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p> + +<p>The appreciation of distance depends upon +what is called <i>parallax</i>, or the apparent displacement +of projectment of an object when +seen by our two eyes separately. If you +hold up a finger and look at it, with each +eye separately, you will see that the finger +is projected by each eye on to a different part +of the background; the angle which the lines +of sight, from each eye, make when they meet +at the object, is called the angle of parallax, +and the further the object is away the smaller +that angle becomes; it is, in fact, the angle +subtended, at the object, by the distance between +the two eyes. As the object is brought +nearer the eyes have to be inclined inwards +to impinge on that object; the appreciation +of distance then, in our sense of sight, is dependent +upon our perception of the amount +of inclination of those two lines of sight, and +is therefore an acquired knowledge. The distance +between the eyes is about 2-1/2 inches, and +this is a very short base line upon which to +estimate distance; in fact, without the help +of perspective and known dimensions of surrounding +objects, it is doubtful if anyone could +by its means estimate distance beyond a few +hundred yards. The object would, of course, +also have to be an unknown one, as, otherwise, +the converse of the above comes into +play, and the distance could be estimated by +the angle which the known diameter of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +object subtends at the eye; but this necessitates +the size of the object being known beforehand +and the employment of perspective.</p> + +<p>We can extend our perception of distances +by, ourselves, moving from one place to +another, gaining thereby a longer base line, +and noting the displacement of projection of +the object on a distant background; by that +means, distance up to several miles can probably +be appreciated. But, when we try to +determine the distance of, say, the Moon +(240,000 miles away), we are helpless, especially +as we have no marked background, except +in the case of occultations of the Sun or +Stars. But the Astronomer at once comes +to our aid; a distance of several miles is +carefully measured on a level plane, and, by +placing telescopes at the extremities of that +known line, we can mark the inclination of +those telescopes to each other when focussed +upon a particular mountain peak on the +moon; by this means we know the angle +of parallax (180° less the sum of the two +angles of inclination), and, from this and +our known length of base line, we can calculate +the distance. When however we go +a step further and attempt to calculate the +distance of the Sun (93,000,000 miles), we find +our last base line again absolutely inadequate. +But the astronomer helps us again; +we now separate our two telescopic eyes by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> +the whole diameter of the earth (7900 miles); +this is accomplished by taking from the Equator +two simultaneous observations of the Sun, at +its rising and setting; for when the Sun is +setting, at say the Equinox, it is at that +moment rising at exactly the other side of the +earth; the inclination of the two telescopes, +directed to a certain point on the Sun, will +now give the distance approximately, though +even this base line is too short for exactitude. +When however we attempt to go +still further and try to ascertain the distance +of stars, which are a million times +further off than the Sun, such a base line is +quite out of the question. How then can we +get a base line for our telescopes longer than +the whole width of the earth? The Astronomer +again provides the means. The earth takes +one year to complete its vast orbit round +the sun, and the diameter of that path is +186,000,000 miles. This is made our new base +line for separating our telescopes; an observation +of a star is taken, say, to-day, and after +waiting six months, to enable the earth to +reach the other extremity of its vast orbit, +another observation is taken, and yet it is +found, as we shall see later on, that the distance +of the nearest fixed star is so <i>stupendous</i> +that even this base line, of 186,000,000 miles, +shows absolutely no inclination between the +two telescopes except in about a dozen cases,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> +and even in those the angle of parallax, perceivable, +is so minute that no reliable distance +can be calculated; we can only say that the +star is at least as far away as a certain distance, +but it may be much farther.</p> + +<p>Let us now try by other means to get a +clearer insight into the subject of this View, +by tracing Space to the utmost limit of +human conception. I think the best method +I can adopt will be to take you, in imagination, +for a journey as far as is possible by +means of the best instruments at our disposal.</p> + +<p>We will start outwards from the Sun, and +glance on our way at the worlds involved +in the Solar System. Let us first understand +what are the dimensions of our central +Luminary. The distance of the Moon from +the Earth is 240,000 miles, but the dimensions +of the Sun are so great that, were the centre +of the Sun placed where the centre of the +Earth is, the surface of the Sun would not +only extend as far as the Moon, but as far +again on the other side, and that would give +the radius only of the enormous circumference +of the Sun; another way to understand its +size is, to remember that, light travelling +186,000 miles per second, would actually take +five seconds to go across its disc. Let us now +start outward from this vast mass. The +first world we meet is the little planet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> +Mercury, only 3000 miles in diameter, revolving +round the Sun at a distance of +36 million miles. We next come upon Venus, +at a distance of 67 million miles. She is +only 400 miles smaller in diameter than our +Earth, and, with the dense atmosphere with +which she is surrounded, animal and vegetable +life similar to that on our Earth +would be possible. Continuing our course, +we arrive at our Earth, situated 93 million +miles away from the Sun. Still speeding on, +a further 50 million miles brings us to Mars, +with a diameter of nearly 5000 miles, and +accompanied by two miniature moons. The +sight of this planet in a good instrument +is most interesting. Ocean beds and continents +are visible, and the telescope shows +large tracts of snow, though not necessarily +formed from water (perhaps carbonic dioxide), +surrounding its polar regions, which increase +considerably during the winter, and decrease +during the summer seasons on that planet; +but there are no canals! The fact that our +largest and best telescopes failed to show +these imaginary canals, was an insurmountable +barrier to the advocates of these +markings, but the "Canalites" made their +contention ridiculous when they actually +suggested that the reason for this failure to +perceive them was that our telescopes were +too large to see such small markings! How<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> +such a statement could have been made is +incomprehensible on any supposition, as +everybody knows that the whole use of +size, or what is called aperture, in a telescope, +is to help us to see more clearly small +and faint markings.</p> + +<p>The distances we now have to travel +become so great that I shall not attempt +to give them; you can, however, form an +idea of the tremendous spaces we are +traversing when you consider that each +successive planet is nearly double as far +from the Sun as the preceding one.</p> + +<p>In the place where, by Bode's law, we +should expect to have found the next world, +we find a group of small planets, ranging +in size from about 200 miles in diameter +down to only a few hundred yards. They +pass through nearly the same point once in +each of their periods of revolution round +the Sun, and it has been suggested that +they are fragments of a great globe rent +asunder by some mighty catastrophe; over +400 of these little worlds have been discovered +and have received names, or are +known under certain numbers.</p> + +<p>We now continue our voyage over the +next huge space and arrive at Jupiter, the +largest and grandest of the planets. This +world is more than 1000 times larger than +our Earth, its circumference being actually<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> +greater than the distance from the Earth +to the Moon. It has seven moons, and its +year is about twelve times as long as ours. +Pursuing our journey, we next come to +Saturn. It is nearly as large as Jupiter, +and has a huge ring of planetary matter +revolving round it in addition to seven +moons. Further and further we go, and +the planets behind us are disappearing, and +even the Sun is dwindling down to a mere +speck; still we hurry on, and at last alight +on another planet, Uranus, about sixty times +larger than our Earth; we see moons in +attendance, but they have scarcely any light +to reflect; the Sun is only a star now; but +we must hasten on deeper and deeper into +space. We shall again, as formerly, have +to go nearly as far beyond the last planet +as that planet is from the Sun. The mind +cannot grasp these huge distances. Still we +travel on to the last planet, Neptune, revolving +on its lonely orbit; sunk so deep +into space that, though it rushes round the +Sun at the rate of 22,000 miles per hour, +it takes 164 of our years to complete one +revolution. Now let us look back from this +remote point. What do we see? One planet +only, Uranus, is visible to the unaided eye; +the giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, have +disappeared, and the Sun itself is now only +a star; practically no heat, no light, all is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> +darkness in this solitary world; the Sun is +1000 times smaller than we see it from +the earth, and gives, therefore, only one-thousandth +part of its heat and light. +Thus far have we gone, and, standing there +at the enormous distance of 3,000,000,000 +miles from our starting-point, we can begin +to comprehend the vast limits of the solar +system; we can begin to understand the +ways of this mighty family of planets and +satellites. But let us not set up too small +a standard whereby to measure the Infinity +of Space. We shall find, as we go on, +that this stupendous system is but an infinitesimal +part of the whole universe.</p> + +<p>Let us now look forward along the path +we are to take. We are standing on the +outermost part of our Solar System, and +there is no other planet towards which we +can wing our flight; but all around are +multitudes of stars, some shining with a +brightness almost equal to what our Sun +appears to give forth at that great distance, +others hardly visible, but the smallest telescope +increases their number enormously, and +presents to our mind the appalling phantom +of <i>immensity</i> in all its terror, standing there +to withstand our next great step. How are +we to continue on our journey when our +very senses seem paralysed by this obstruction, +and even imagination is powerless from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> +utter loneliness? One guide only is there +to help us, the messenger which flits from +star to star, universe to universe; Light it +is which will help us to appreciate even +these bottomless depths. Now, Light travels +186,000 miles per second, or 12 million miles +every minute of time. It therefore takes +only about four hours to traverse the huge +distance between our Sun and Neptune, +where we are now supposed to be standing; +but to leap across the space separating us +from the nearest star, it would require many +years for Light, travelling at 186,000 miles +every second of that time, to span the +distance. There are, in fact, only fifteen +stars in the whole heaven that could be +reached, on the wings of Light, in sixteen +years!</p> + +<p>Let us use this to continue our voyage. +On a clear night the human eye can perceive +thousands of stars, in all directions, scattered +without any apparent order or design; but in +one locality, forming a huge ring round the +heavens, there is a misty zone called the +Milky Way. Let us turn a telescope with a +low aperture on this, and what a sight presents +itself! Instead of mist, myriads of +stars are now seen surrounded by nebulous +haze. We put a higher aperture on, and thus +pierce further and further into space; the +haze is resolved into myriads more stars, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +more haze comes up from the deep beyond, +showing that the visual ray was not yet strong +enough to fathom the mighty distance; but let +the full aperture be applied and mark the result. +Mist and haze have disappeared; the telescope +has pierced right through the stupendous distance, +and only the vast abyss of space, boundless +and unfathomable, is seen beyond.</p> + +<p>Let us pause here for a moment to think +what we have done. Light, travelling with +its enormous velocity, requires on an average +considerably over ten years to traverse +the distance between our Solar System +and Stars of the first magnitude, but +the dimensions of the Milky Way are built +up on such a huge scale that to traverse +the whole stratum would require us to pass +about 500 stars, separated from each other +by this same tremendous interval; 10,000 +years may therefore be computed as the +shortest time which light, travelling with its +enormous velocity, would take to sweep +across the whole cluster, it being borne in +mind that the Solar System is supposed to be +located not far from the centre of this great +star cluster, and that the cluster comprises all +stars visible arrayed in a flat zone, the edges +of which, where the stratum is deepest, being +the locality of the Milky Way.</p> + +<p>Let us once more continue our journey. +We have traversed a distance which even on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> +the wings of light we could only accomplish +in many thousands of years, and now stand +on the outskirts of our great star cluster, in +the same way, and I hope with the same +aspirations, as when we paused the last time +on the confines of our Solar System. Behind +us are myriads of shining orbs, in such countless +numbers that human thought cannot +even suggest a limit, and yet each of these is +a mighty globe like our Sun, the centre of a +planetary system, dispensing light and heat +under conditions similar to what we are accustomed +to here. Let us, however, turn our face +away from these clusterings of mighty suns, +and look steadfastly forward into the unbroken +darkness, and once more brace our nerves to +face that terrible phantom—<i>Immensity</i>.</p> + +<p>We require now the most powerful instruments +that science can put into our hands, +and by their aid we will again essay to +make another stride towards the appreciation +of our subject. In what, to the unaided +eye, was unbroken darkness, the telescope +now enables us to discern a number of +luminous points of haze, and towards one +of these we continue our journey. The +myriads of suns in our great star cluster are +soon being left far behind; they shrink together, +resolve themselves into haze, until the +once glorious universe of countless millions +of suns has dwindled down to a mere point of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> +light, almost invisible to the naked eye. But +look forward: the luminous cloud to which we +are urging our flight has expanded, until what, +at one time, was a mere patch of brightness, +has now swelled into a mighty star cluster; +myriads of suns burst into sight—we have +traversed a distance which even on the wings +of light would take hundreds of thousands of +years, and have reached the confines of another +Milky Way as glorious and mighty as +the one we have left; whose limits light +would require 10,000 years to traverse; and +yet, in whatever direction the telescope is +placed, star clusters are to be seen strewn +over the surface of the heavens.</p> + +<p>Let us take now the utmost limit of telescopic +power in all directions. Where are we +after all but in the centre of a sphere whose +circumference is 100,000 times as far from us +as one of the nearest fixed stars, a distance that +light would take over a million years to traverse, +and beyond whose circuit, infinity, boundless +infinity, still stretches unfathomed as ever? +We have made a step, indeed, but perhaps +only towards acquaintance with a new order +of infinitesimals. Once the distances of our +Solar System seemed almost infinite quantities; +compare them with the intervals between +the fixed stars, and they become no +quantities at all. And now when the spaces +between the stars are contrasted with the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> +gulfs of dark spaces separating firmaments, +they absolutely vanish away. Can the whole +firmamental creation in its turn be nothing +but a corner of some mightier scheme? But +let us not go on to bewilderment: we have +passed from planet to planet, star to star, +universe to universe, and still infinite space +extends for ever beyond our grasp. We have +gone as far towards the infinite as our sight, +aided by the most powerful telescope, can +hope to go. Is there no way then by which +we can continue our journey further towards +the appreciation of this infinity? A few years +ago we should probably have denied that it +was possible for man to go further; but quite +lately a new method of observation has been +developed, and we will try and use this to +continue our flight.</p> + +<p>The reason why, to our sight, an object +becomes apparently smaller and smaller as it +is withdrawn from the eye, until it at last +disappears entirely, is that the eye is a very +imperfect instrument for viewing objects at +a great distance; it can only form an image +of an object when that object is near enough +to subtend a certain angle, or, in popular +language, to show itself a certain size—the +rays of light must converge—in fact, the eye +cannot single out and appreciate parallel +rays: could it do this, objects would not +appear to grow smaller as they are removed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> +A pencil might be removed to the Moon, +240,000 miles away, and would still appear to +the eye the same size as it does here close to +you; with perfect vision there would be no +such thing as perspective, but, with our +present conditions of sight, the result would +be inconvenient. We should never be able +to see, at one and the same time, anything +larger than the pupil of our eye. The +beauties of the landscape would be gone, and +our dearest friends would pass us unheeded +and unseen; everyday life would resolve +itself into a task similar to that of attempting +to read our newspaper every morning +by means of a powerful microscope; we +should commence by getting on to a big +black blotch, and, after wandering about for +half an hour, we might perhaps then begin to +find out that we were looking at the little letter +"e," but anything like reading would be quite +out of the question. We may, therefore, +with our limited aperture of sight, be thankful +that our eyes have the imperfection of +not appreciating parallel rays. But we will +now consider how this imperfection may be +remedied by science.</p> + +<p>There are two different ways of doing +this—viz., first, by increasing the amount +of light received, by means of telescopes of +great aperture; and secondly, by employing +an artificial retina a thousand times more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> +sensitive than the human. Now, the human +retina receives the impression of what it +looks at in a very minute fraction of a +second, provided of course that the eye is +properly focussed, and no further impression +will be made by keeping the eye fixed on that +object; but in celestial photography, when +the telescope is turned into a camera, the +sensitive plate, having received the impression +in the first second, may be exposed not only +for many seconds, or minutes, or hours, but +for an aggregate of even days by re-exposure, +every second of which time details on that +plate new objects, sunk so deep in the vast +depths of space as to be immeasurably beyond +the power of the human eye, even +through telescopes hundreds of times more +powerful than the largest instruments that +science has enabled us to construct; and yet +here is laid before us a faithful chart, by +means of which we may once more continue +our journey through space. A short exposure +will show us firmaments and nebulæ +just outside the range of our greatest telescopes, +and every additional second extends +our vision by such vast increases of distances +that the brain reels at the thought; and yet, +as we have seen, exposures of these sensitive +plates may be, and have been, made not only +for seconds, but for thousands and even +hundreds of thousands of seconds! And still<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> +there is no end, no end where the weary mind +can rest and contemplate; the finite mind of +man can only cry out that there is no limit. +In spite of all its strivings and groping by +aid of speculative philosophy, the finite cannot +attain to the Infinite, nor get any nearer to +where the mighty sea of time breaks in noiseless +waves on the dim shore of eternity.</p> + +<p>In this journey through space we have apparently +exhausted our power of conception of +the <i>extension</i> of this View. Although we have +travelled in one direction only, our flight was +applicable to every possible known direction +<i>outwards</i> into the vast abyss of Infinite space. +But there is another path, by which we can +also travel with profit to our understanding +of this subject, running in the opposite direction—namely, +<i>inwards</i>. Just as the outward +journey seemed to take us towards the appreciation +of what our finite senses call the +infinitely great, so does this other path appear +to intend to infinity, in the opposite direction, +leading us to appreciate what is called the +infinitely small. We have already considered +this direction in View One, under the heading +of "Relativity," and by combining these +two experiences, we may see still more +clearly that our very conception of Space +is one of the modes only under which +motion or physical phenomena are presented +to our consciousness.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p> +<h3><a name="VIEW_SEVEN" id="VIEW_SEVEN"></a>VIEW SEVEN</h3> + +<h2>TIME</h2> + + +<p>In the last View I referred to the mysteries +of Time and Space as twin-sisters; they have, +as we saw, many aspects in common, and are +the two modes or conditions under which all +our senses act and by which our thoughts are +limited. We arbitrarily divide each of these +two mysteries into two parts, which parts are +separated from each other, in either case, by a +point which has, apparently, as its centre, our +very consciousness of living. In the case of +Space we call this point the <span class="smcap">Here</span>, and on one +side of it, as we saw in our last View, we have +extension towards the infinitely great, and, +on the other, intension towards the infinitely +small. In the case of Time we call the middle +point the <span class="smcap">Now</span>, and on one side of this we +place the duration of Time towards the +future, and, on the other, we place what we +call the duration of Time towards the past. +In the case of Space we have the here and +the <i>overthere</i>, equivalent in Time to the present +and the <i>future</i>, but, though Time and +Space are, as it were, twin-sisters, upon whose<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +combined action depends our very consciousness +of living, we do not treat them both equally.</p> + +<p>It is a remarkable fact that the human +race on this particular world has, in some +inexplicable way, come to look upon the +future as non-existent until we arrive at, and +are able to perceive, with our senses, what +is happening there; this is all the more inexplicable +when we realise that in traversing +Space we certainly have to <i>move</i> to get anywhere, +but in traversing Time we have nothing +equivalent to movement. This curious way +of looking upon the future as non-existent, +may be another sign that our race is still in its +infancy, but is more probably caused by human +beings having always hitherto looked upon +Time not only as a reality but as actually +moving or extending along a line from past +to future eternity; whereas, under our present +outlook, we have no consciousness of +the existence of Time except by intervals +between successive thoughts; our consciousness +of the very existence of Time is based +upon our Physical Ego repeating the <i>present</i>, +by saying to itself the words, Now—Now—Now; +but there is nothing that can be called +movement in this, any more than if you are +standing still and saying, Here—Here—Here—relating +to Space. Time is, as it were, +"marking time," and as the present in time +is common to all space, Time is "marking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> +time" everywhere, and the Now therefore +includes the whole of the past and the whole +of future eternity everywhere. We shall get +a clearer understanding of this later on; +meanwhile, we are face to face with the fact +that we look upon the future as non-existent.</p> + +<p>This curious state of things is probably only +accidental to the present stage of development +of the human mind, and may, at any +time, be rectified by perhaps either a slight +rearrangement of that slender network of +nerves upon which depends our faculty of +thinking, or the joining together of a few +microscopical filaments attached to the cells +in the grey cortical layer, or even a single +bridge thrown across from one convolution +to another of the brain; a very slight alteration +would open up to our consciousness the +present existence of the future. The prime +perceivable difference between our brains +and those of the Apes and lower animals is +the larger number of enfoldments, or convolutions, +that are developed by the Human. +Each new line of thought, or sequence of +thoughts, requires, and is provided with, a +new wrinkle or small convolution, and it +probably only requires the attention of the +human race to be fixed, for a time, on the +consideration of this subject, to evolve the +slight alteration, or bridge, necessary to +enable us to see that the future, as also the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> +past, does actually exist and is included in +the Now. It may make this a little clearer +to consider that if you maintain that, in +traversing the duration of time, the future +does not exist until you arrive there, you +should also in fairness insist that, in travelling +through the extension of Space, your destination, +say Rome, does not exist until you +get there and can see it with your senses.</p> + +<p>As we have, in the former six Views, been +gradually mounting above the mists and +illusions of our everyday thoughts, and can +look through our Window with, I hope, a +clearer vision, I shall venture in this present +View to carry the subject of the <i>Future</i> still +further, and show that, just as we have now +before us and can read the papyri which +were written 5000 years ago, so it is possible +to conceive that books, written and being +written and printed 5000 years hence, are +<i>at present</i> in existence, and that it is even +possible the human race has actually already +read them; whether we shall be able to see +them and read them in our own lifetime may +be open to question; that may again depend +upon the development of special cross-circuiting +of brain filaments. Meanwhile, in order +to carry our present View to the utmost limit +of our conception, in a manner somewhat +similar to what we did for Space, I will +again ask you to join me in a thought-flight<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +towards the appreciation of this second +great Mystery.</p> + +<p>With this object in view we will first +consider the human senses of sight and +hearing, commencing with sound, or the +vibrations which affect the tympanum of the +human ear. Sound travels in air at about +1130 feet per second, and if the vibrating +body, giving out the sound, oscillates sixteen +times in one second, it follows that, +spreading over this 1130 feet, there will be +sixteen waves, giving a length of about +70 feet to each wave. This is the lowest +sound that the human ear can appreciate +as a musical note, and is, what may be +called, the fourth Octave above one vibration +in one second. When the number of +vibrations in a second sinks below sixteen, +the ear no longer appreciates them as a +musical sound, but is able to hear them as +separate vibrations or beats. The easiest +way of illustrating this is by means of a +revolving disc, with sixteen holes pierced at +regular intervals round the edge, and a jet +of high-pressure air, which is forced through +each of the holes successively as they revolve. +When the disc does not quite complete +one revolution in a second, only fifteen +puffs come to the ear in a second of time, +and they are heard as puffs; but when the +rate reaches one revolution in a second, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> +sound, as if by magic, changes into the +lowest musical sound. The same result may +be obtained in a more pronounced form by +means of explosions or pistol shots; when +these are slow and heard separately, they +are painful and almost unbearable to the +ear, but, as soon as their rapidity, namely, +at sixteen per second, gets beyond the power +of the ear to differentiate between the explosions, +the impression, as if by magic, +changes into a continuous or musical sound, +like a thirty-foot pipe note of an organ.</p> + +<p>To go back to our disc. The octave +above this lowest musical note is obtained +by doubling the rate of puffs, namely, by +revolving the disc twice in one second, and +the next octave by revolving four times in +a second, and so on, doubling each time, +until, at about the thirteenth octave, the +sound has become so high that the majority +of listeners cannot hear it, and fancy it must +have stopped, whereas a few will still be +saying: "How shrill it is!" At last, at +about the fourteenth octave, when there are +20,000 beats to the second and each wave is +about half an inch long, it passes beyond +human audition, and, although we can show +that the air is still vibrating, all is silent, +the human ear being incapable of hearing so +many beats in a second even as a continuous +sound, though I have evidence to show that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> +many insects can hear probably considerably +beyond this limit. It is, however, possible +to make these higher vibrations perceptible +to our senses by means of what are called +sensitive flames: we can actually, by these, +measure the length of these silent waves, +and as we know the rate at which they +travel, we can at once compute the number +which occur in a second of time, and thus +ascertain their pitch. By this means we can +follow for about three more octaves above the +audible limit, namely, up to 160,000 pulsations +per second, with a length of wave of +one-twelfth of an inch.</p> + +<p>Two and a half octaves above these numerically, +<i>i.e.</i> at about the twentieth octave, +we reach the frequency of Electro-Magnetic +Rills, used by the Marconi System of wireless +telegraphy, which pulsate at about 950,000 +per second, and have a wave-length of something +like 1000 feet. The reason for this +great increase in length of wave is caused +by these frequencies being propagated in +the Ether at the rate of 186,000 miles per +second, instead of, as with sound waves, in +the air, at only 1130 feet per second. We +can trace these particular frequencies, called, +after their discoverer, Hertzian waves, for +about fifteen octaves, when we arrive at the +frequency of 32,000,000,000 in a second, with +a wave-length decreased to a quarter of an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> +inch; we can render the effect of these +waves visible, but have no physical organ +by which we can feel these pulsations. After +this, however, we get into the region of +frequencies which, though still of exactly +the same kind, we know and can feel as +Radiant heat; these are situated in the next +fourteen octaves, and bring us up to those +subtle frequencies which affect another of +our sense organs, and which we appreciate +as light; these we have already seen have +the enormous frequency of 530,000,000,000,000 +pulsations per second for red light, up to +930,000,000,000,000 per second for violet, and +having wave-lengths so small that it takes +40,000 and 70,000 of them respectively to +cover one inch in length. There is only a +little over half an octave that the eye can +appreciate as light, and then all is darkness; +but we can still go on further by the help +of Science: beyond the violet we have the +actinic or chemical rays, which are used in +photography, and which enable us to trace +the frequencies for a further two octaves. +Beyond this we cannot pierce with our present +knowledge; but there may be, and probably +are, latent in our nature, senses which, +properly developed, will be able to appreciate +still more subtle vibrations, and organs +which, perhaps, even now are being prepared +for the reception of these influences.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p> + +<p>We have no organs yet developed for receiving +and appreciating what are called +Wireless waves, but we have already been +able to devise physical Receivers, of wonderful +sensitiveness, for them and other waves of the +same nature, such as those of Radiant heat. +In the case of Radiant heat, the Bolometer +invented by Professor Langley has been able +to receive and record a change of temperature +of the one millionth of a degree Centigrade, +and can easily make visible the heat of a +candle at a distance of one and a half miles. +In wireless telegraphy also the Receiver, +perfected by Marconi, is affected by rills, +made by a splash of electric discharge, over +3000 miles away. If our eyes were sensitive +to these frequencies, both of which are +composed, as is also light, of electro-magnetic +rills, we could see anything that was happening +anywhere in the world, for they go +through matter as though it did not exist, +as light passes through glass; indeed, if our +region of Sight waves was only put an +octave lower we could not use glass in our +windows, it would be too opaque, we should +be obliged to have our windows made of +thin slabs of carbon or other substances +permeable to Radiant heat waves. Science +indeed steadily points to electricity and +magnetism being a form of motion, and it +may be that in these invisible rays we may<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> +some day discover the nature of those +mysterious forces; and, even far beyond +those, as suggested in View Four, we may +in the not far distant future be able to +appreciate Physical Life itself as a mode of +frequency.</p> + +<p>We want, as it were, a special "Time Microscope," +which I have already referred to, to +examine these vibrations, and a method similar +to that already mentioned in "Space," under +Celestial Photography, by which we may +traverse and examine hundreds or thousands +of octaves by each second of exposure; for, +although the path extends to infinity, we have +already arrived at the utmost limits of our +finite senses, and find that after all we can +only appreciate fifty-one octaves, a few inches +only, as it were, along the line of Infinite +extent, reaching from the finite up to the +Reality; and even so it must be borne in mind +that we have only travelled in one direction, +whereas the path we have taken extends in +the opposite direction also to infinity. We +started with sixteen vibrations in a second, +as the lowest number of beats we human +beings can appreciate as a musical sound; let +us now descend by octaves. The octave below +is eight vibrations in a second, and there are +probably many animals that can only hear +these as a musical sound; the next octave is +four, then two, and then one vibration in a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> +second. But we do not stop there; the octave +below this is one vibration in two seconds, +then in four seconds, eight seconds, sixteen +seconds, and so on, until it is possible to conceive +that even one frequency in a million +years might be appreciated as a musical +sound, or even as one of the colours of the +spectrum, by a being whose time sensations +were enormously extended in both directions, +but still finite.</p> + +<p>Once more we must call a halt. Our finite +minds become bewildered in attempting even +to glance at these infinities of time.</p> + +<p>We measure space by miles, yards, feet, and +inches; we measure time by years, hours, +minutes, and seconds; and by these finite +units we try to fathom these two marvellous +infinities. With our greatest efforts of +thought we find, however, that we can get +relatively no distance whatever from the +<span class="smcap">Here</span> of Space and the <span class="smcap">Now</span> of Time. It is +true that the present, as a mathematical +point, appears to be hurrying and bearing +us with it along the line stretching from the +past to future eternity, but in reality we get +no further from the one nor nearer to the +other. Let us change our view and examine +this subject under a different aspect.</p> + +<p>First of all, look round a room and note the +different objects to be seen. Even in a small +room we do not see the objects as they really<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> +<i>are</i> at this instant, but only as they <i>were</i> at a +certain fixed length of time ago. The present +time is common to every point in space and +each person is in the present, but only to his +own perception; to everyone else in the room, +each individual is, at this moment, being seen +acting in the past; those objects which are +further away are being seen further behind +in point of time than those that are nearer; +in fact, however near we are to an object, we +can never see it as it is but only as it was. +We are dealing with very minute differences +here, they being based upon the rate at +which light travels; but they are differences +which are known with a wonderful degree of +accuracy.</p> + +<p>We have here another example of how +perception without knowledge leads to false +concepts. When anyone views an extended +landscape, he thinks that his sight shows him +that the same point of Time, which he is +experiencing, is common to every man, animal, +plant, or material visible there, but we know +now that he is seeing every part of that scene +in the past compared with himself. Just as +all objects therein are situated at separate +distinct points of space, so to our vision the +objects of that scene are acting or existing in +different epochs of time. An Artist gives us +on a flat surface a picture of that landscape, +and his representations of all objects in that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> +scene appear therefore to us as being in the +same moment of Time, but to get that effect +he has to draw objects at a distance smaller +than those close at hand; a fly in the foreground +has to be drawn larger than a horse +supposed to be in the distance, though both +are on the same flat surface; they have the +same parallax and are therefore the same +distance from the observer, and as this produces +a similar image on our retina, we accept +it though we know it is only a make-believe; +it serves its purpose by giving us an impression +on our retina which we have learnt to +interpret as representing that landscape, but +such a picture would indeed be a marvel of +absurdity to a being who had perfect sight, +such as we have already referred to, and +who could appreciate parallel rays; in such +a vision there would be no perspective, no +vanishing point in perception.</p> + +<p>Now let us take a wider landscape. The +Moon is 240,000 miles distant. We do not, +therefore, ever see her as she is but as she +was 1-1/4 seconds ago. In the same way we +see the Sun as he was eight minutes ago, and +we see Jupiter as he was nearly an hour ago. +Let us look still further to one of the nearest +fixed stars. We at this moment only see that +star as it was more than ten years ago; that +star may therefore have exploded or disappeared +ten long years ago, and yet we still<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> +see it shining, and shall continue to see it +<i>there</i> until the long line of light has run +itself out; all around us, in fact, we see the +appearance of blazing suns not as they are +now but as they were thousands of years ago, +and, by the aid of the telescope and of our +sensitive plate, we are only now recording +the light which started from clusters and +firmaments probably millions of years ago.</p> + +<p>Now let us take the converse of this. To +anybody on the moon at this moment the +earth would be seen from there not as it is, +but as it was 1-1/4 seconds ago, and from the +sun as it was eight minutes ago, and if we +were in Jupiter, and were looking back, we +should, at this particular moment, be viewing +what was happening on this earth, and seeing +what each of us was doing an hour ago. +Now let us go in imagination to one of the +nearest fixed stars, and looking back we +should see what was happening ten years +ago; going still further to a far-off cluster, +the light would only just now be arriving +there, which started from the earth at the +time when man first appeared; or we might +go to so remote a distance that the scene +of the formation of the Solar System would +be only now arriving there, and all the events +which have taken place from that remote +time to the present would, as time rolled on, +reach there in exactly the same succession as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> +they have happened on this earth; and remember +that we should be looking, from that +great distance, at all these past events with +the same intuitional advantage as though we +were actually present here in time, for however +near we are to an object, we never see it +as it is but only as it was in the past.</p> + +<p>Let us but turn to any point of space and +we shall find at each point, according to its +remoteness, the actual scenes of the past +being enacted, in fact it may be said that +throughout infinite space every event in past +eternity is now indelibly recorded.</p> + +<p>A murder committed hundreds of years +ago, in a country house, may never have +been found out, the criminal and his victim +have alike turned to dust, the blood has been +washed from the floor, the very house and its +surroundings have crumbled and disappeared, +and in their place a waving corn field is all +that can be seen, but at this very moment if +we were at a certain point in space, we should +now be witnessing there, the whole actual +living scene from beginning to end, as though +we were present <i>here</i> hundreds of years ago: +the murderer standing over his victim, the +knife driven in and the blood gushing out. +If we went further away we should at this +same moment be seeing the criminal just +arriving and knocking at the door of that +house, then going upstairs into the room,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> +and the same terrible scene with all its +minutiæ would again be enacted. From a +point still further removed, we should now +see him, say, having lunch at a country inn +some miles away, concocting his villainy, then +he would be seen walking across the fields +towards the house, again knocking at the +door, mounting the staircase, and once more +would that murderous scene be enacted before +our eyes, and so on for ever; the scene, with +the house and its surroundings, have indeed +been completely swept away from the present +<i>here</i>, but the whole tragedy will always be +acting in the future <i>there</i> in the presence of +the Reality.</p> + +<p>Let us now come, in imagination, towards +the earth, from some far-off cluster of stars. +If we traverse the distance in one year, the +whole of the events from the formation of +this world would appear before us, only +thousands of times quicker. Make the journey +in a month, a day, an hour, a second, +or a moment of time, and all past events, +from the grandest to the most trivial, would +be acted in an infinitesimal portion of time.</p> + +<p>When we have fully grasped this we recognise +that Omniscience is synonymous with +Omnipresence, and some may find, in this +thought, a glimpse of that Great Book wherein +are said to be registered every thought, +word, and deed, which, in the direction of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> +Reality, has helped to nourish, or, in the +direction of the shadow, has tended to starve +the personality of each one of us; for we +know that every word we utter, or that has +been uttered from the beginning of the world, +and every motion of our brain connected with +thought is indelibly imprinted upon every +atom of matter. If our sense of perception +were greatly increased we need not go to +Palestine to see on the rocks there the +impressions of the image of Christ and His +disciples, or of the words they uttered as they +passed by, but any stone by the wayside <i>here</i> +would show His every action and resound +with every word He uttered. In fact, every +particle of matter on this earth is a witness +to that which has happened, every point in +space and every moment of time contains the +history of the past in the smallest minutiæ. +The <i>Here</i>, embracing all space, and the <i>Now</i>, +embracing all time, are the only realities to +the Omniscient.</p> + +<p>Let us once more change the scene and we +may grasp even more clearly that Time and +Space are not realities but are only modes or +conditions under which our material senses +act. A tune may be played either a thousand +times slower or a thousand times quicker, but +it still remains the same tune, it contains the +same sequence of notes and proportion in +time, the only characteristics by which we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> +recognise a tune. And so in the same way +with our sense of sight, an event may be +drawn out to a thousand times its length or +acted a thousand times quicker, it is still the +same scene. An insect vibrates its wings +several thousands of times in a second and +must be cognisant of each beat, whereas we +have seen that we, with our Senses of Sight +and Hearing, can only appreciate respectively +at the most seven and sixteen vibrations in a +second as separate beats. That insect must +therefore be able to follow a flash of lightning +under the conditions of a Time microscope +magnifying a thousand times compared with +our vision. The whole life of some of these +insects extends over a few hours only, but +owing to their quick unit of perception it is +to them as full of detail as our life of seventy +years; but to them there is no day and night, +the Sun is always stationary in the Heavens, +they can have no cognisance of Seasons.</p> + +<p>I have already referred in View One to +the curious results of increasing our unit of +perception by a Time Microscope, and I will +now carry the investigation of this subject a +step further.</p> + +<p>As conceptional knowledge is based on +perceptional knowledge, and we can only +perceive about six times per second, and as +the principal forms of knowledge are gained +through the eye, we are conceiving progress<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +in phenomena under a very restricted outlook; +we cannot recognise such slow motions +as, for instance, the hour-hand of a watch, +the growth of a tree, or rise of the tide, +except by noting the change that has occurred +after a long interval; there is therefore a +whole world of events which we cannot see. +Owing to this limit, in our unit of time +perception, we also cannot perceive events +which are taking place beyond a certain +quickness, they become blurred and give the +impression of continuity, and constitute another +world of events lost to us. For the +same reason there is a whole world of sensation +lost to us by our limited unit of sound +perception; we cannot follow separate sound-events +if they occur quicker than sixteen in a +second, beyond that they become blurred and +give the impression of continuity. If, on the +other hand, our units of perception were +increased a thousandfold, as is probably the +case with some insects, our conscious lives +would contain a thousand more events than +they do at present, and, as the consciousness +of length of life is dependent upon the number +of events that have been perceived, we should +under these conditions have passed on this +earth a life equivalent to, say, 70,000 years +under our present restricted unit; every +second of that long period would have been +as full of events for us as is a second in our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> +present life of seventy years. If, on the +other hand, our unit of perception were +decreased a thousandfold, our length of life, +based upon perception of events, would be +no longer than 25-1/2 of our present days; if +our life were actually reduced to that period +(so as to regain our present units of perception) +we should be old and grey-headed before +the sun had risen for the twenty-fifth time +since our birth. If our unit of perception, +with our length of life, were again reduced +a thousandfold, the whole of our life of +seventy years would now only be equal to +forty-three minutes, and, in the whole of that +life, we could only see the sun move ten degrees, +namely, twenty of its own diameters in +the heaven; if we were born, say, at noon on +midsummer's day, we could never have any +idea of anything but daytime, and neither +our fathers, nor grandfathers, nor great-grandfathers +for fifteen generations before +them could have seen the sun rise; but there +would have been a tradition, handed down +from a far distant past generation, that a +long time ago, beyond the memory of man, +there was no sun at all, everything was pitch +dark, and that time was called the "Great +Shadow." If their records could have gone +still further back for the same length of time +they would have heard that, before the "Great +Shadow," the sun was always shining in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> +heavens, and that that great "Sun" day +lasted twice as long as the great shadow.</p> + +<p>To understand more clearly this subject of +Time perception let me put another aspect +before you; we are looking, say, at an insect +whose wings are beating several thousand +times per second, and, with our vision limited +to six times per second, it would be impossible +to count the number of hairs on that wing, or +to see which of those hairs were split, or were +bent from the straight, but, if we travelled +away from that insect into space at the rate +of light, and were looking back, the present +would then always be with us; the wing, +although still vibrating at that enormous +rate, would appear to be stationary, and so +would every other moving thing on the +earth, however quick its movement, and +everything would continue in that motionless +state for a million years, provided we continued +our flight with the rays of light. If +we travelled a little slower than light, say +one minute less in a thousand years, the same +scene would be presented to us, but, that +which was acted upon this earth during one +minute of Time, would now take a thousand +years to accomplish; the swiftest railway +train would appear standing still, it would +take 5-3/4 days and nights to cover each inch of +ground. It is thus possible to again understand +how the flight of a bird or the lightning<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> +flash might be examined under conditions of +time which would lead to the discovery and +tracing of even the principle of life itself. +But let us go one step further and increase +our flight beyond the rate at which light +travels: scenes would now progress in the +opposite direction to that which we are +accustomed to; men would get out of bed +and dress themselves at night and go to bed +in the morning; old men would grow young +again; tall trees would grow backwards and +enter the earth, embedding themselves in the +seed, and the seed would rise upwards to the +branch that nourished it; the blood would +turn into chyle, into food in the stomach, +into the piece of meat, which would be transferred +from the mouth to the plate, and +would then be cut on to the joint, the joint +would go down to the kitchen and be uncooked, +would be carried to the butcher to +be cut on to the carcase, and the animal +would come to life and go out into the fields. +Human bodies would be formed in the ground +from the dust of the Earth, passing through +what we call corruption to incorruption, the +dead would be taken from their graves, +brought back to their homes and put to bed; +the Doctor would arrive, a miracle would +happen, the patient would come to life; +though this would hardly be a feather in the +cap of the Doctor, as it would be seen that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> +the medicine came out from the mouth of +the patient, would be put into bottles to be +thrown away, and it would be the Doctor +who had to pay the Fee, and the bigger the +Doctor the bigger the Fee he would have to +pay. The future would in fact change places +with the past, the effect would give birth to +the cause as presented to our finite senses, +and, though it is difficult to realise, it is +indeed just as true, or untrue, that we come +into this world through the grave, instead of +in the way we are accustomed to, because to +the Reality there is no change, the Here and +the Now comprising all beginnings and ends, +all causes and effects.</p> + +<p>In this flight on the wings of light we did +not in reality depart in the least from the +Here, because there is no such thing as space, +it is all included in a mathematical point, the +Here; and as the whole of time is included in +the Now, the Future, however remote with +all events therein, is existent in the present; +the writers of books 5000 years hence are +therefore writing them now, and the Human +Race has read and is reading them <i>now</i>; we +have always hitherto maintained that these +things are only "going to happen" 5000 years +hence, but in reality all events in the future +are events in the same Now in which we are +living at the present moment, and, as it is +just as true, that time is flowing from the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> +Future to the Present and on to the Past, as +in the contrary direction (of our present outlook), +so it is quite conceivable that we may +some day, in the not far distant future, not +only realise that the future exists already, but +that we may even be able to handle and read +the books written 5000 years hence, in a +similar manner to that which enables us +now to handle and read those which were +written 5000 years ago.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span></p> +<h3><a name="VIEW_EIGHT" id="VIEW_EIGHT"></a>VIEW EIGHT</h3> + +<h2>CREATION</h2> + + +<p>In our first View we saw the necessity of +clearing away the weeds, the moss, and the +lichen from the stem of our Real Personality +before that Transcendental Self could send +forth fresh buds for the advancement of +<i>conscious</i> thought to higher levels; we found +that the first step towards this clearing the +approach to our window, was to recognise +that a knowledge of the Truth was to be +gained by the use of "Introspection" rather +than by Intellectualism—to realise, in fact, +that it is not we, with our intellects, who +are looking out upon Nature, but that it is +the Absolute looking into us and ever trying +to teach us divine truths concerning the +"Reality of Being." We saw that the phenomena, +which our senses would have us believe +to be the reality or solidity of our material +surroundings, are illusions created by the +fact that those senses are limited in their +perception to that which is conditioned in +Time and Space, necessitating <i>motion</i> as the +basis of our perceptions, and that, when the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> +rate of motion exceeds our units of perception, +we have the impression of continuity +of events, which we accept as the objective +existence of matter; we also saw that the +duration of Time and extension of Space +had no existence for us apart from those +senses, our very consciousness of these two +non-realities depending upon "relativity"—they +could, in fact, be increased or diminished +indefinitely, without our knowing that any +change had been made.</p> + +<p>In our second View I attempted to take +another step forward by showing how, by +means of this "Introspection," it was even +possible to understand that these two limitations +might be eliminated from consciousness; +we then realised that the whole Physical +Universe is but a thin film, set up by our +finite Senses, between our Consciousness and +the "Reality of Being"; we saw that this +could only be understood when, by the Mystical +Sense, we realised that physical phenomena +were but symbols or shadows of the +Reality or Noumenon underlying them.</p> + +<p>In our next View I gave an example of the +use of Mystical and Symbolical thought, leading, +in the fourth View, to the subject of +Everlasting Life and the Efficacy of Prayer, +wherein I tried to show that by examining +the phenomena of Nature, as depicted on the +Physical Film, it is possible to reach a point<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> +where we may even feel that we are actually listening +to, or having divulged to us, the +very thoughts of the Absolute. This led to +the next View, where we examined the +Physical Film itself, and this we analysed +in the next two Views into those component +parts, by means of which this Film presents +to our senses the impression of the whole +Physical Universe as an objective reality.</p> + +<p>We have seen that it is the Invisible which +is the Real, that the visible is only its +shadow; that the Invisible, as distinguished +from the Visible, is not in a place apart +from the Physical, but is the Reality of which +the visible constitutes the boundary lines or +planes in our consciousness, as lines and +planes are the visible boundaries of solids. +The Kingdom of Heaven is not a locality but +a <i>state</i> of Divine "loving and knowing communion"; +it is within us in the sense that +we are interior and not exterior entities of +the "Reality of Being."</p> + +<p>We have now arrived at a point where we +can better realise that the Absolute cannot +be localised or bounded by space, and must +be Omnipresent—cannot be conditioned in +Time, and must therefore be Omniscient—the +Here comprising all Space, and the Now all +Time in the "Reality of Being."</p> + +<p>With these conclusions before us I will +ask you to form a new conception of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> +Creation. All creation around us is the +materialisation of the Thought of the Deity. +He does not require time to think as we +do—the whole of the Universe is therefore +one instantaneous Thought of the Great +Reality; the forming of this world and its +destruction, the appearance of man, the +birth and death of each one of us are +absolutely at the same instant; it is only +our finite minds which necessitate drawing +this Thought out into a long line, and our +want of knowledge and inability to grasp +the whole, which force us to conceive that +one event happened before or after another. +In our finite way we examine and strive to +understand this wondrous Thought, and at +last, a Darwin, after a life spent in accumulating +facts on this little isolated spot of +the Universe, discovers what appears to be +a law of sequence, and calls it the evolution +theory; but this is probably only one of +countless other modes by which the <i>intent</i> +of that Thought is working towards completion, +the apparent direction of certain +lines on that great tracing board of the +Creator, whereon is depicted the whole plan +of His work.</p> + +<p>Let me give a simple example of Creation +by a "word," which even our finite minds +can grasp. When I utter the word <i>Cat</i>, it +starts a practically instantaneous thought in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> +your minds, the power of that thought being +dependent upon the knowledge you have +gained. If you analyse it you will find that, +though practically instantaneous, it comprises +all the sensations you have ever felt on that +subject throughout your life. It commenced, +perhaps, when you were only a year old, +and, sitting on your mother's knee, your +hand was made to stroke a kitten, and you +felt it was soft and it gave you pleasure. +Later on, when you were older, you had it +in your arms, and you felt the first intimation +of that wonderful "στοργη," which manifests +itself in most children in their love for +dolls; you found it delightful to cuddle and +that it purred. Later on, you found that it +played with a reel of cotton, and that it +could scratch, make horrid noises, and countless +other things, which not only make up +the life of a cat, but connect it with the +world around us. All these thousand and +one facts are now drawn out, by analysis +in Time and Space, into a long line, and +are placed one in front of the other; but +the thought started by the word Cat was a +fair example of an instantaneous creation.</p> + +<p>One other example of an instantaneous +thought. Let us suppose a large room fitted +with, say, a hundred thousand volumes, comprising +all the knowledge gained by every +Specialist in every Science concerning the plan<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> +of Creation. In our finite minds, under the +limits of Time and Space, the word representing +the contents of that library would +start, when uttered, an instantaneous thought +analogous to that of our last example, according +to the knowledge that each individual +had already acquired of the contents of those +books; but this knowledge had only been +gained by taking down each volume separately +and reading one book at a time, beginning +at the beginning and taking each page and +each word in succession, and a lifetime would +not suffice to enable us to read them all; +whereas, if our knowledge were <i>complete</i>, +the word representing the contents of that +room would start an instantaneous thought, +comprising not only every book, but every +chapter, page, word, letter, and punctuation +contained in that library, or in one which +comprised all knowledge from the beginning +to the end of Time.</p> + +<p>It is a well-known fact that at the approach +of death, when the perceptive senses are completely, +or almost completely, in abeyance, as +in the "self-forgetting" referred to in "The +Vision," the duration of Time appears to have +no reality; in numerous cases of drowning, +where the person has been no more than +one or two minutes under water, the whole +of a long life, with every forgotten trivial +occurrence and the multitude of thoughts<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> +attached thereto, have been brought vividly +before the mind, as it were, instantaneously; +those also who have been put under nitrous-oxide +gas, though the life of the body is +not affected, know how, with departure of +sense perception, the sense of Time is completely +annihilated. I have myself experimented +under such conditions, and attempted +to realise the duration of time by counting +steadily, one, two, three, four, &c., and had +no knowledge whatever that between, say, +"four" and "five" there was a complete +hiatus of several minutes when, for me, time +had vanished; I was still counting steadily +when the anæsthetic had passed away, and +it was quite impossible to realise that such +time had elapsed, as I had not reached more +than the twelfth count, whereas, according +to the time expired, I should have reached +the fiftieth or sixtieth. A number of examples +of what may be called instantaneous thoughts +created in the mind of a sleeper have been +collected, and many of us have had similar +experiences. I give one as an example: +"Maury was ill in bed and dreamed of the +French Revolution. Bloody scenes passed +before him. He held long conversations with +Robespierre, Marat, and other monsters of +that time, was dragged before the tribunal, +was condemned to death, and carried through +a great crowd of people, bound to a plank.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> +The guillotine severed his head from his +shoulders. He woke with terror to find that +a rail over the bed had got unfastened and +had fallen upon his neck like a guillotine, +and, as his mother who was sitting by him +declared, at that very moment."</p> + +<p>In the above case the whole scene was +started instantaneously in his brain, but in +waking his mind analysed it in Time and +Space and spread it out into a long historical +record. The opposite process to this, namely, +the building up a thought-picture, is what we +do every day when we form and combine our +conceptions under the dominion of Time and +Space, until we have accumulated in our +minds a multitude of concepts which form as +it were a single subject, somewhat analogous +to a painter when he has completed his +picture, a writer his book, an architect his +house, or even a mechanic his machine. An +interesting example of a musician constructing +a thought-picture is given by Mozart himself:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"When I am all right and in good spirits, +either in a carriage or walking, and at night +when I cannot sleep, thoughts come streaming +in and at their best. Whence and how I +know not, I cannot make out. The things +which occur to me I keep in my head, and +hum them also to myself—at least others have +told me so. If I stick to it, there soon come,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> +one after another, useful crumbs for the pie, +according to counterpoint, harmony of the +different instruments, &c. This now inflames +my soul, that is if I am not disturbed. Then +it keeps on growing, and I keep on expanding +it more distinctly, and the thing, however long +it be, becomes indeed almost finished in my +head, so that I can always survey it in spirit +like a beautiful picture or a fine person, and +also hear in imagination, not indeed successively, +as by and by it must come out, but +all together. That is a delight! All the invention +and construction go on in me as in +a fine strong dream, but the overhearing it +all at once is still the best."</p></div> + +<p>With these illustrations before us may we +not carry the analogy even further, and see +that, as our conception of a Cat was made up +of numberless small acquisitions of knowledge, +some of which had to be discarded, or eliminated +as errors, from our minds as our knowledge +grew, and as each true fact became +confirmed and impressed upon our brain it +made itself a <i>permanent</i> record and became +a centre to be used for gaining further knowledge; +so in this wonderful Thought of the +Great Reality, whose mind may be said to be +omnipresent, each individual soul is a working +unit in the plan of Creation; each unit +as it gains a knowledge of the Will of the +Deity forms for itself a <i>personality</i> helping<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> +forward the work towards its fulfilment; +without that knowledge there can be no +personality, no unit in the great completed +thought, no life hereafter.</p> + +<p>The True Life is fulfilled by him who has +progressed so far in the knowledge of the +Divine as to realise that he is the offspring of +the Absolute, and therefore stands face to +face with his Transcendental Personality, his +Χριστος, of which the Physical Ego is only +the outline or boundary form visible in the +physical universe. Each individual has free +will to define his own boundaries, his own +limitations; he builds up the walls of the +house in which he lives, and he has power to +brick up or open out the windows through +which he may see the Truth; happy are those +whose windows are open, but many, alas, +choose to make the wall opaque by confining +their attention to the physical shadows, or +by strangling their spiritual intuition and +preventing all advance in thought by blind +subservience to obsolete dogmas.</p> + +<p>We are instruments of Divine purpose in +the scheme of Creation. Each individual +Physical Ego seems to be a Micro-Cosmos, +imaging the Universe, the Macro-Cosmos. +As the phagocytes, the policemen of the +blood, flock to a breach in the human body +to overcome any invasion of the enemy, +whether poisons or bacteria, which would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> +otherwise detract from that progress of cell +formation upon which the scheme of human +life depends, so do the true lovers of the +Divine meet, by active resistance, any attempt +of the enemies of the Good, Beautiful +and True to retard the advancement of +the scheme of Creation to its ultimate goal +of perfection. The human body is composed +of innumerable cells and several special +colonies of cells, which we call organs, each +of which has its special work to do, and +secretes and discharges special fluids necessary +for the welfare of the whole body. All +of these cells are alive, and myriads of them +are moving on their own account, apparently +quite independent of, and in complete ignorance +of, the feeling and perception of the +whole body; they are, however, microscopical +units of that body, and its welfare depends +upon their contribution of work; it is, in fact, +only through their ceaseless activities that the +life in that body is maintained—a phenomenon +analogous to that described in the simile of +a Forest Tree in View Four. So are we +integral parts of the scheme of Creation, and +each act, either in accordance with the Divine +purpose or the reverse, is helping forward or +retarding the completion of that Thought, +though like the cells we are ignorant of the +end which Creation has in view.</p> + +<p>In this life we seem indeed to be only, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> +it were, in embryo! The study of embryology +has lately shown us clearly how the +clothing of our Physical Ego has been formed, +during the past millions of years, from the +lowest forms of life. Each one of us has, +during what may be called his lifetime, gone +through all the different stages of evolutionary +development which, since the beginning +of life on this planet, have been employed +to build up the human body in its present form. +Embryology has shown us that, during gestation, +each human embryo is a <i>replica</i> of the +past; it passes through the different Imago +stages from protoplasm to man, being unrecognisable +at certain stages from a monad, +an amœba, a fish with gills, a lizard, and a +monkey with a tail and dense clothing of hair +over the whole body. The human embryo has +also, at an early stage, the thirteenth pair of +ribs, which is found in lower animals and is +still seen in a rudimentary form in anthropoid +apes, but which disappears from the human +embryo before birth. Each generation, under +evolutionary development, will witness a further +advancement in the clothing of the +Physical Ego, until it may be conceived that +a hundred thousand years hence our present +stage of development will be seen only as one +of the stages through which the embryo has +to pass before birth at that distant time. May +we not even glimpse at the future to which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> +evolution is carrying us? For in any of these +stages we see organs forming whose use only +comes into play long after that stage has been +passed; so also, in the new rudimentary forms +of thought which are started by every fresh +discovery may we not some day be able to +descry the heights which we are destined to +attain if we earnestly seek after Truth?</p> + +<p>Radio-Activity has shown us that all forms +of matter are but different combinations of +one primal brick; by synthesis thousands of +new forms of matter, unknown in Nature, +are actually now being built up in our laboratories, +and the number of such combinations +cannot conceivably be limited; so do we also +see that all the known forms of energy in +nature are interchangeable, one with another, +with exactly known equivalents and ratios, +pointing to their being only different combinations +of one unit of energy. If such is the +case, it would seem to follow that there are +countless other forces of which we at present +have no cognisance, but which may at any +time come within our field of investigation.</p> + +<p>In our life here we are steadily progressing +from the lower to the higher form of being, +from the purely Physical towards the Transcendental, +each generation starting from a +higher level; the boundary line between the +Physical and Transcendental is being continually +advanced towards the latter, and it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> +may well be, as I have already suggested in +View IV, that we are even now on the eve of +discovering a new force, or aspect of Creation, +which will open a wider view and give us a +clearer knowledge of the goal which we are +destined to reach hereafter.</p> + +<p>Each generation will, according to the +teaching of Embryology, gradually come into +the world at a higher stage of development +than its predecessors, until the last Physical +Ego, at its birth, will coincide with the final +stage of development, when there will be no +more physical clothing, the disintegration of +Matter being completed, and, it can be pictured +that at the final consummation, there +will be nothing imperfect, no shadow left, that +all will be spiritual. The object of Creation +would therefore appear to be the population +of the Real Universe with spiritual entities, +until the whole Spiritual Universe will be +taken up by Transcendental Personalities, +which will be one with the Reality, and the +Great Thought completed.</p> + +<p>Once more let us recognise that we are +dependent for knowledge of surroundings +upon our perception of movements, and that +as our conceptional knowledge is based on +perceptional knowledge, our thoughts are +limited by Time and Space and can only +deal with finite subjects. From this arises +all our difficulty of understanding the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span>Infinite; +we cannot under our present conditions +know the whole Truth; if we could +do that we should be able, as it were, to +look all round the subject, and Infinity +would then be seen to be a pseudo-conception +of our finite thoughts. We can only +think of one finite subject at a time, and, at +that moment, all other subjects are cancelled; +we can, in fact, only think in sequences, and, +taking the particular Infinities of duration +and extension which we have been examining, +we can only think of points in Time and +Space as existing beyond or before other fixed +points, which again must be followed by other +points. We cannot fix a point in Time or +Space so as to exclude the thought of a point +beyond; the idea of an Infinite is therefore +a necessary result of the limitation of our +thoughts. The whole Truth is there before +us, but we can only examine it in a form of +finite sequences. A book contains a complete +story, but we can only know that story by +taking each word in succession and insisting +that one word comes in front of another, and +yet the story is lying before us complete. +So with Creation; we are forced to look upon +it as a long line going back to past eternity, +and another long line going on to future eternity, +and, with our limitations, we can only +think of all events therein as happening +in sequence; but eliminate Time and we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> +become Omniscient, the whole of Creation +would be before us as an Instantaneous +Thought of God.</p> + +<p>Accordingly under the dominion of Time +we appear to be in a similar position to +that of a being whose senses are limited to +one-dimensional space—namely, to a line; +we can only have cognisance of what is in +front and behind, we have no knowledge of +what is to the right or left, we appear to +be limited to looking lengthwise in Time, +whereas an Omniscient and Omnipresent +Being looks at Time crosswise and sees it +as a whole. A small light, when at rest, appears +as a point of light, but when we apply +quick motion, the product of Time and Space, +to it, we get the appearance of a line of light, +and this continuous line, formed by motion +of a point, is, I think, analogous to the Physical +Universe appearing to our finite senses as continuous +in Time duration and Space extension, +though really comprised in the Now and the +Here, the whole of Creation being therefore +an Instantaneous Thought.</p> + +<p>A consideration of our limitation in Space +may also be useful to show how impossible +it is for us to hope to see by our senses +the Reality or by our thoughts to know +the Spiritual. Our senses and thoughts are +limited to a Space of three dimensions, and +we can therefore only see or know that part<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> +of the Absolute which is or can be represented +to us in three dimensions; a being +whose senses were limited to a Universe of +one dimension—namely, a <i>line</i>, could have +no real knowledge of another being who was +in a Universe of two dimensions—namely, a +<i>flat surface</i>, except so far as the two-dimensional +being could be represented within his +line of sensation; so also the two-dimensional +being, on a <i>plane</i>, could have no true knowledge +of a being like ourselves in a Universe +of three dimensions. To his thoughts, limited +within two dimensions, a being like ourselves +would be unthinkable, except so far as our +nature could be made manifest on his plane; +so can it be seen that we, limited by our finite +senses to Time and Space, and our consciousness +dependent upon that limited basis of +thought, can only know that aspect of the +Reality which can be manifested within that +range of thought—namely, as Motion, or what +we call physical phenomena.</p> + +<p>Let me attempt just one more view before +we part, which may make this conception of +Creation, as an Instantaneous Thought, even +clearer to our finite senses. Imagine a Spectator +endowed with the same sense of vision +that we have—namely, limited to six units +of perception per second, but able to look +on, as it were, from outside the Universe, +without himself being affected by any <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span>alteration +that takes place in what may be +called the flow of time. Consider some +of the changes he would witness if Time were +gradually eliminated from phenomena. The +inhabitants, who at first were seen walking +by slow, successive steps, would soon be seen +gliding from place to place, the movement of +their legs having passed beyond the sense of +vision; the next stage would see the inhabitants +unrecognisable as human beings when +walking, although they would still be visible +if they stood still, they would be moving too +fast for sight, they would be seen only as +lines or bands extended between their points +of departure and destination; then day and +night would be following each other so quickly +that soon the day would only be a flicker of +light, till, when the week became equal to one +second of the Spectator's time, day and night +would disappear as separate phenomena; then +the week, the month, and the year would in +turn flicker, solidify, or become continuous, +and disappear with all the multitudinous +events contained therein; human life would +then be affected, would flicker, and follow +the same course; to the Spectator the birth +of each individual would become coincident +with his death, and Nations would be seen to +rise and progress towards their destination +without any evidence of individual existence; +the Human Race itself would next succumb,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> +then the whole of planetary life, then the +formation and destruction of Solar Systems, +then the gathering together and dissemination +of firmaments, and, finally, the beginning +and end of the very Universe would coincide. +Motion, or Physical phenomena, and therefore +Matter, would vanish, and the Great instantaneous +Thought be complete. We seem to +have been able to glimpse from our Watch +Tower, though through a glass darkly, the +whole Truth, and to see that the Infinity of +Time is a figment of our finite senses and is +comprised in the Now. The same treatment, +followed by the same result, may be applied +to the Infinity of Space, and we again see +that all Space is comprised in the Here; it +is only by the conditions of our existence +in this physical universe, <i>insisting</i> on our +analysing everything in Time and Space that +Motion or Change become the very basis of +our Consciousness.</p> + +<p>We have seen that the Idea of Infinity is +a necessary result of our finite senses, that +the only Reality is the Spiritual, the Here +and the Now; that the Riddle of the Universe +is not to be solved by the <i>Intellect</i> but +by that method which is employed by those +who are earnestly following the "Quest of +the Grail"—namely, by realising that our +True Personality or Transcendental Ego is an +emanation from the Absolute; that we are<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> +one-with Him, and that it is by following the +old Hellenic command "Γνωθι σεαυτον" (Know +thyself)—namely, by <i>Introspection</i>, that we +can hope to attain to the understanding of +what is the Reality of Being.</p> + + +<p class="center">FINIS</p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> + +<p class="center"><small>PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY NEILL AND CO., LTD., EDINBURGH.</small></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h4>Transcriber's Notes</h4> + +<p>The accents for the Greek words have been ignored.</p> + +<p>Page 184: Typo Γνωθε (Gnôthe) changed to Γνωθι (Gnôthi).</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCIENCE AND THE INFINITE***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 25931-h.txt or 25931-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/9/3/25931">http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/9/3/25931</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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