V * RECEIVED '4 A R 2 - 1903

CONTENTS

Radio-flctioity and Psychical Emanations

The analogy of newly discovered facts of physical science to the claims regarding psychical emanations.Cite Symbol and the mindOn the power of the mind to execute its belief regarding supposed meanings of symbols and signs.

A typical mystic ExperienceThe experience of one who has known the mystic state.note* *n tbe Tire*Ordeal, T lA new narrative by a modern traveler, FrankN. Merwin.

moments with our Correspondents** Something unknown to Omniscience,” byO. O. Burgess, M. D.

means or meditationMeditation | (Raja Yoga, VIII)EtchingsThe Spirits of Gobi; New-Time Faith

and Prophesy.miscellany

BYJ o s e p h St e w a r t , l l .M.

march-April, 190sV O L . HI N O . 2

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>R. 1903 .

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Bound Copies of Volum es One and T w o R ealiza tion May now be had.

This includes all the numbers issued preceding the current volume, and comprises a wide range of

Special Articles on Special Subjects not found elsewhere. An Eminent Thinker and Lecturer says of the w ork:“I am brought to the frank confession that in a ll m y read­

ing in this line, I have not found anyth ing th at satisfies m e quite so well as these excellent papers. ”

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Contents of the Numbers of Volume II

N u m b e r On e The Immanence of the Silence.

Controlled and Originative The Limitations of Telepathy.

Raja Yoga. Symbols.Miscellany.

N u m b e r Tw o The Power of Subliminal Response. Optimism.

Expression. The Corpuscles from the Sun. Attainment for Attainment’s Sake. Initiation,

The Song between T w o Silences.The Four Stages of Meditation. (Raja Yoga II).

Etchings. Miscellany

N u m b e r T h r e eThe Meeting of the Races. The Temple of Silence.

The Prairie Science and Psychic Energy.The Brotherhood of the Illuminati.

Indifference and Appreciation.Disciplinary Yoga (Raja Yoga III).

Etchings* Miscellany.N u m b e r F our

Self Psychic Healing. The Presence in the Woods.Omnipresence. Subliminal Monition.

Notes on the Fire-Ordeal. I.Not all Trailing Clouds of Glory, Means of Meditation.

Etchings. Miscellany.

Ode to Solitude. Thought.

T o the Uttermost. Etchings.

Raja Yoga Chart.

The Psychology of Rest. In Touch with Cosmic Forces. ■ Essentials of the N ew Thought.

Letters and Reflections of a Realizationist. I-V.The Love of Nature a Memory. Be not Beauty-Blind.

Means of Meditation. (Raja Yoga V).Etchings. Miscellany.

Number F ive

N u m b e r S ix

The Synthesis of Consciousness. Conscious Origination. ' Mind and Health* Citizens of the Universe.

Some Old and New Alchemy. Compensation.Means of Meditation. (Raja Yoga VI.)

Etchings* Miscellany.

Descriptive matter and circulars giving con­tents o f V o / j1. I and II can be

had on application or buill be sent to names furnished

J * How to contribute to the su ccess of >

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T H E P R O P H E T .

Edited and published by K e n n e t h S y l v a n G u t h r ie . Issued for the Brotherhood of t h e Et e r n a l Co v e n a n t . Devoted to the attainm ent of spiritual experience and com munion. Exclusively the writing of Dr. Guthrie, and of special value M onthly: 10 cents a copy; 11.00 a year. Lamott, Pa.

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,

{Two Copies Received

mar 2 19031Copyngnt Entry

CLASS

' R e a l i s a t i o nXXc. No.

COPY B. By J oseph S t e w a r t , LL.M.

VOL. Ill M ARCH-APRIL, 1903 N O . 2

Radio-Activity and Psychical Emanations

CE R T A IN rec en t d iscoveries in ch em ico -physics are of a m ost in te re s t in g c h a ra c te r a n d b r in g science som e closer to th e f o u n t o f u n iv e rs a l

energy. I re fe r to th e d iscoveries o f ra d ic o -a c tiv e s u b ­stances.

Professor B ecq u e re l d isco v ered th a t s a l t o f u r a ­nium , th o u g h u n s tim u la te d f ro m w ith o u t , e m its in v is i­ble rad ia tions w h ic h a re effec tive o n a p h o to g ra p h ic plate even a f te r p ass in g th r o u g h su b s tan ce s o p aq u e to ordinary lig h t. T h e n a tu re o f th e se ra d ia t io n s h a s b ee n shown to be p a r tly R o n tg e n r a y s a n d p a r t ly ca th o d e rays. P rofessor T hom son h a s f u r th e r sh o w n ca th o d e rays to be exceed ing ly sm a ll p a r tic le s th e th o u s a n d th m agnitude of th e a to m , w h ic h h e h a s c a lle d co rpusc les , charged w ith n e g a tiv e e le c tr ic i ty a n d m o v in g w i th a velooity of f ro m 70,000 to 120,000 m ile s a second . *‘ Among a l l th e m y s te r ie s asso c ia te d w i th m a t te r ," says he, " f e w , i f a n y , a re m ore s tr ik in g th a n th a t afforded b y th ese su b stan ces, in n o w a y re m a rk a b le in appearance, w h ic h , w ith o u t p ro v o ca tio n a n d w i th o u t in term ission, e m it p ro je c tile s w h ic h t r a v e l a t a r a te com pared w i th w h ic h th e fa s te s t b u l le t is a b so lu te ly in sig n ifican t."

S ubsequen t in v e s tig a tio n s b y M o n s ie ra n d M adam e Curie, an d B elm ont, a n d D eb iem e, h av e re su lte d in th e discovery a n d se p a ra tio n o f o th e r rad io -ac tiv e sub -

C o p y r ig h t 1908, b y J o s e p h S t e w a r t .

T he Psychology of Best. In Touch w ith Cosmic Forces. FmrnHalt of the N ew T hought.

Letters and Reflections of a Bealizatiooist. I-V .T he Love of Nature a Memory. Be not Beauty-Kind.

Means of Meditation. (B aja Yoga V ).Etchings. M iscellany.

Number F ive

Number Six

The Synthesis of Consciousness. Conscious O rigination.Hind and Health. Citizens of the Universe.

Some Old and New Alchemy. C ompensation.Means of Meditation. (B aja Yoga V L )

Etchings. Mhceflany.

D e s c r i p t i v e m a t t e r a n d c i r c u l a r * g i v i n g c o n ­

t e n t * o f \ 7 o l * . I a n d I I c a n b e

b a d o n a p p l i c a t i o n o r t r i l l b e * e n t t o n a m e *

f u r n i s h e d

J r How to contribute to th e s u c c e s s o f J r

'RealizationForward remittance promptly .

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n s r s o r a s i .M n i i a r y t t n e i b r Ki a t i x h Bt i t a s G l u i m . Imwed m I k H w M i i a a n n a i w u n F i a a i i i Cm« 11 i x j m . D e v o t e d t o the d h h e m o f w r i t o l experience a n d e o n n a n a a . ITu le d w>j the v r i d a r d l h . Gnthrie. a n d o f rp rrie l vnlwe M w th ly: W cenw acnpy: m a i m . Lanou,

CONGRESS,

T*rt Copies B9cen.ec I

^ R e a l i s a t i o nCUSS XXc. Ho. I

COPY 3. 1 BY J oseph Stewawt. LL M.

VOL- Ill MARCH-APRIL, 190) NO. 2

Raafo*flctftrtty aid Psychical E iiu tto is

CERTAIN recent discoveries in ch w n k x v p h y to are of a m ost in terestin g character and bring science some closer to th e fou n t o f uni versa 1

energy. I refer to the d iscoveries o f rad icoactive sub* stances.

Professor B ecquerel discovered th at sa lt o f ura* mum though im stim ulated from w ith ou t, em its invisi Me radiations w h ich are effective on a photographic plate even after peering through substances opaque to ordinary light. The nature o f these radiations has been shown to be partly R ontgen rays and partly cathode says. Professor Thomson has farth er show n cathode nys to be exceedingly sm all particles th e thousandth magnitude of the atom, w h ich be has ca lled corpuscles, riwgnd with negative e le ctric ity and m oving w ith a velocity of from 70,000 to 120,000 m iles a second. “ Among all the mysteries associated w ith matter,** srys he, “ few, if any, are m ore strid ing than that afforded by these substances, in no w ay remarkable in appearance, which, without provocation and w ithout intersrisrion, emit projectiles which travel a t a rate compared w ith which the fast rat b a lle t is absolutely inrigadficant.”

Saheeqaent investigation s by H om ier and Madame m a ggt^ P ehirrar. have resalted in the

fiirmiri.r ami separation of other xafiowetive sab* C tfj l it n M B . toy Jevere n reasar.

84 REALIZATION

stances, some—as for instance radium — of vastly greater *

activity. Radium emits negatively electrified cor- r> puscles which travel w ith almost the velocity of light,

A very remarkable thing about this is that with this constant stream of radiant matter proceeding outward there is a loss of mass and a loss of energy from the radium which has continued during the inconceivable time radium has existed, and yet it is not exhausted.

“ There must have been some very considerable store of energy at the disposal of the radium to enable it to keep up this rate of radiation, and the very inter­esting question arises, wrhat is the nature of this energy, and how is it stored ? ” *

In answer to this, Prof. Thomson recounts how I from the radio-active thorium there was separated the minute quantity which was intensely radio-active, and ! which left the remaining thorium inert, and that the active part gradually lost its vigor and the inert part I became active again, from which he concluded that the radio-activitv is a quality in continual and original production in the thorium itself.

But whence this activity to manifest in the tho­rium? Science does not answer.

Later it has been discovered that any substance may be made radio-active by charging it w ith negative electricity under certain conditions, which quality Prof. Thomson believes to be due to the inconceivably rapid discharge of the corpuscles the thousandth part the size of the atom—negative electricity.

Yet a little further in this scientific wonderland. It appears that everything is to some extent radio-ac­tive. Prof. Thompson says:

“ It is thus, I think, that the leaves of trees and the oountlesB objects on the surface of the earth which are radio-aotive acquire this property; they are, in fact, cathodes, discharging cathode rays into the air.

N , " Bccquerel Ray*,” by P rof. T hom son in H arper's for J an u ary , 1908.

Thus cathode rays, w hich have on ly co m p ara tiv e ly r e ­cently been discovered, an d th e n by th e h e lp of m ost elaborate apparatus, are in a l l p ro b a b ility so w id e ly distributed and occur so f re q u e n tly th a t th e re is h a r d ­ly a patch of grouud on th e e a r th ’s su rfa ce w h ic h does not contain an active source of these ra y s .”

The ea rth being charged w ith e le c tr ic ity , every leaf and sharp or pointed ob ject e m its these ra y s of in ­visible light.

I t is probable th a t th e R eichenbach ra y s—th e lu m ­inous effects w hich h is c la irv o y an ts d ec lared th e y saw around the poles of th e m ag n e t—are none o th e r th a n some phenomenon s im ila r to these B ecquere l rays.

Thus science now declares a fa c t reg a rd in g in a n i­mate substances sim ila r to th a t w h ic h h as long been held by psychic studen ts reg a rd in g th e h u m a n body; an d it would appear th a t if in a n im a te ob jects a re e m ittin g a subtle form of substance b y reason of a n en ergy re ­siding in or m an ifesting th ro u g h th em , i t shou ld n o t be difficult to en te r ta in th e th eo ry th a t a n effluence correlated w ith th e th o u g h t an d sou l-charac ter p ro ­ceeds from the h u m an organism .

Few trad itions a re m ore w idespread th a n th a t h u ­man organism s are in reciprocal rela tions, p roducing effects and inducing conditions in o the rs w h ich a re th e duplication of them selves, e i th e r fo r h e a lth or disease. There is m uch evidence th a t th is is n o t m ere ly a sub­jective psychic effect, as th ro u g h suggestion an d re ­sponse. I t w ou ld be strange indeed if, in a cosmos where energy is ever p resen t an d w here m a tte r u n d er its d irecting pow er is in th e closest reciprocal r e la ­tion, life-organism s shou ld no t be su b jec t to a like order.

I t is a very com m on th in g for observing persons to note the effects produced upon th e feelings by th e m ere presence of others. These feelings w ill vary from those of pleasure or confidence to those of aversion or dis­trust, and m ay be en tire ly independent of suggestions received in com m unication, or of ju d g m en t form ed

RADIO-ACTIVITY AND PSYCHICAL EMANATIONS *̂ 5

86 REALIZATION

upon appearances. Everyone k n o w s th e su b tle influ­ence of th e touch of th e hand, w h ic h d iffe rs w ith indi­v iduals. The re lie f of a headache b y th e im position or gen tle app lica tion of th e h an d s of a n o th e r is of com­m on occurrence, and no doub t m a n y do n o t have to depend upon fa ith in the recorded s ta te m e n ts fo r evi­dences of rem arkab le cures as a r e s u l t o f apparent transfer of a hea ling e lem en t from one to a n o th e r . If these resu lts w ere due w ho lly to a su b je c tiv e phenom ­enon, persons of like appearance w o u ld in d u c e sim ilar fee lin g s ; and if these cures w ere effec ted w h o lly by subjeotive response to te m p era tu re a n d sensory s tim ­u li, any object of the sam e te m p e ra tu re a n d feeling as the hand w ould w ork as rem ak ab le cu res.

H istorically , the re has long been a p o p u la r belief th a t young, vigorous, and h e a lth y persons im p a r t th e ir s treng th to the older or less h ea lth y . A u th o r itie s sta te th a t i t is d e trim en ta l to ch ild ren to s leep w ith th e aged, though benefioial to the la tte r .

Evidence of th is sub tle an d rec ip rocal re la tio n is shown in a more m arked degree am ong n a tu ra l “ sensi­tives.” C ontrary to opinion of te n expressed, th is con­dition of constitu tion , tem peram ent o r u n fo ld m e n t is not specially an inciden t of ou r ow n tim e . T h ere have alw ays been these “ sensitives” an d g e n e ra lly th e ir fate has been m ost un fo rtuna te because of th e ignorance and false beliefs of the people. These in d iv id u a ls o ften forfeited th e ir lives booause of th e possession of th e ir unweloome and m isunderstood g ifts, the a u th o ritie s condemning them as possessed of th e dev il. Som e­tim es, however, they w ere to lerated because th e y w ere supposed to have been accepted by God as v io tim e and perm itted to take the diseases of o thers w ho consu lted them . Thus B ertrand says of the * C onvulsionaries ’ of Saint-M ldard, “ ' I t often happened to th e oonvul- sionaries,’ says Carre de Montgoron, ' to take disease iv ith ­ou t knotting whether the persons were ill and in ignorance of the natu re of th e ir ailm ents. They w ere inform ed

of those things by the sense of pain they felt in the same parts.’ ”

There are many instances to be met with now where these similarly constituted persons whom we now call, in convenient parlance, “ sensitives,” experience this sympathism—“ taking on the conditions ” of others and suffering from their difficulty by coming into rapport with them. That much of this may be attributed to mental suggestion and subliminal response thereto is no doubt true; but one who has had actual experience with the phenomena and who has not accepted the suggestionists’ theory as the last word, must give much weight to the theory of an actual transference of an effluenoe.

The conditions which render natural sensitives sus­ceptible to these influences may be produced in others by establishing a condition of rapport, as did the old- time “ magnetizers.”

While these spontaneous instances established the fact that diseased conditions are communicable by rapport, it is equally evident that healthful ones are also as readily transferred.

This was made the basis of the Mesmeric and mag­netic healing whioh, in spite of the later school of hypnotists who olaim that their phenomena cover the whole field, is still effective whenever there is one who possesses the power.

Dr. Oohorowicz, in his “ MentalSuggestion” says :“ If disease is transmitted by contagion, health

should be transmitted in the same way. In truth, both express only a relation; they are not things, only states. Health represents harmony of the funotions, these being in equilibrium with the influences of the world w ith . out. Disease means the opposite of th is; it is dishar­mony of the funotions, these not sufficiently with­standing the influences of the environment. If this is so, then health must be, so to speak, more contagious by bodily contact than is disease, being more expansive, in that it reacts better outward.”

RADIO-ACTIVITY AND P8YCHICAL EMANATIONS 87

38 REALIZATION

The evidence of th is tra n sfe r o f su b tle substance is perceived by a super-sensative o rg an ism in several ways. Dr. Ochorowicz described i t as “ a brentli o f cool air, very d is tin c tly f e l t ” upon h is h a n d s w h e n passed above the body of th e sub ject. “ T h is sen sa tio n ” says he, “ w as no t a lw ays of th e sam e in te n s ity , b u t some­tim es, now and then , i t w as so d is t in c t th a t i t w as like a person’s b rea th b low n b e tw e en m y fingers.” He found th a t i t w as independen t of te m p e ra tu re .

In my ow n experience, recep tiv e persons w hose or­ganisms read ily assim ila te th is ra d ia tio n d escu b e to me its effect as of a pow erful s tim u lu s to v ig o r a n d strength and elevation of feeling, coursing th ro u g h th e ir beings.

A fu rth e r evidence of an im p a r ta tio n of influence is found in the exhaustion w h ic h is f e l t b y th e one from whom i t proceeds, i f co n tin u ed long.

Both the giver and th e receiver o f th is influence are conscious of i t , b u t those w ho use o n ly suggestion and hypnotism in th e tre a tm e n t, a n d w ho h av e none of the m agneto-psychic force w h ic h d is tin g u ish e s the possessor thereof, w ill note no evidence o f i t in the ir own experience, nor can th e y produce th e effects by magnetio passes upon o ther organism s w h ich th e pos­sessor can. Says Dr. O chorow icz : “ A n ind ividua l physical action; th a t iB m agnetism , w h e th e r flu id or not. "When the operator comes in to p la y as a liv ing body, as a dynam ic centre, whose p resence is n o t in ­different, th a t is assuredly m agnetism .”

Ocoult students have alw ays affirm ed th e existence in man of a subtle body and a su rro u n d in g a u ra or sheath indistinguishable by ord inary te s ts of physics, b u t visible to the clairvoyant. T his a u ra is evo lved by the thought and life of the person and is ch a rg ed w ith his vital, m ental and sp iritual characteristics. T hough radiating a subtle energy from th e w hole being , i t is responsive to the though ts and em otions, m ay be con­served or dissipated by them , the eyes a n d hands being especially faoile agencies for i ts d ispersion or application.

Many occult phenom ena m ay be a t tr ib u te d to its manifestation. I t m ay im p a rt i ts e lem en ts to an ob ject which when removed from th e person s till m a in ta in s a rapport w ith him . I t m ay be m ade to charge a t a ­ble, much as one m ay suppose a m ag n e t is charged w ith electricity, and by its agency th e tab le w ill m ove in te l­ligently—at the direction of th e su b lim in a l self, ac­cording to some ; a t th e behest of d iscarnate souls, according to others.

I t is of th is psycho-physical e lem en t th a t M. A k sakof w rites as follows :

“ Under the nam e of A nim ism , w e inc lude uncon­scious psychical phenom ena, w h ich show them selves outside the lim its of th e m ed iu m ’s body—extra-medi- umistic operations, as though t-transference , te lepa thy , telekinesis, or m ovem ents of objects w ith o u t contact, and, finally, m ateria lizations. W e have here th e h ig h ­est m anifestation of th e psych ica l d u p lic a tio n ; th e elements of th e personality overstep th e lim its of th is body, and m anifest them selves a t a d istance no t only in psychical, b u t also in physical, an d even p lastic op ­eration, up to th e point of com plete ex ternaliza tion and objectification.’’

We should no t neg lect th e fac ts nor d isregard the knowledge of our su b tle r constitu tion .

RADIO-ACTIVITY AND PSYCHICAL EMANATIONS 39

Do not allow yourself to be persuaded th a t there is not m erit in discovering for yourself the th ough t w hich others have discovered before you. Accept w ith p leas­ure all the w isdom th a t comes to you from others, b u t esteem more h ig h ly th e pow er of o rig ina lity w ith in yourself to self-evolve it . T he aw akening and the exercise of th is self-orig ination is a w ay to rea liza­tion. I t is v as tly b e tte r to create th a n to b o rro w ; and it is of no consequence th a t ano ther has created the same for h im self before you.

40 REALIZATION

Che Symbol and the m ind

H F R IE N D te lls m e th a t a n “ o c c u l t i s t ” inform s h im th a t th e n u m b e r 11 is a v e ry b a d num ber, a n d he in q u ire s w h a t b as is th e re is fo r such

d ic tu m . I have rep lied th a t th e re is a b s o lu te ly noth* in g in th e n u m b e r i ts e lf to ju s t i fy i l l re p u te , a n d th a t i t is u n lu c k y fo r h im o n ly w h o b e lie v e s i t to b e such. A nd th is suggests som e re m a rk s w h ic h m a y p o in t a new th o u g h t m oral.

W e are ever b ro u g h t b ack to th e p ro p o s itio n th a t w e are d ea ling w ith b u t one re a l m a g ic ia n , a n d th a t is th e m in d . H ow lik e one w h o s ta n d s u n d e r a g re a t cliff are w e, and , as w e speak, sh u d d e r a t th e m a n y voices th a t com e back to u s in echo. T h e re a re no people concealed in those b luffs, a n d i f w e d id n o t sp e ak our voice w ould n o t r e tu r n in m u tip lic ity . So th e m ind , y e t a s tran g e r to itse lf , in v e s ts e x te rn a l o b je c ts w ith a t tr ib u te s w h ich ex ist a lone in i ts e lf . I t m a y ag re e to believe an y ch im era , an d , a r ra n g in g i t s th o u g h ts in accordance w ith th a t belief, so affec t th e te n d e n c y an d choice of ac ts as to ac tu a lly in flic t e v il u p o n i ts e lf .

T here is no obvious re la tio n b e tw e e n 11 a n d oneself. Is th e re a su b tle , unperceived one ? N o d ir e c t one can be im agined . Is th e re an in d ire c t one? I s 11 re la te d to some o th e r th in g w h ich in tu r n is r e la te d to on ese lf? One can easily give re in to fa n c ifu l im a g in a tio n an d construc t such a th e o ry . F o r in stance , 11 d es tro y s th e harm ony of th e te n S ephiro th , i t is one too m a n y fo r th e ten d iv ine em anations. T h u s i t is n o t a sym b o l w hich those souls w ho believe in th e T ens w o u ld se- lect. T hey w ould no t see th e ir idea su g g ested in i t s num ber. On th e o th e r hand , those beings w h o b e lie v ­in g in th e re a lity of th e Tens, y e t a re fa lle n f ro m th e s ta te of th e ir adoration , w ill recognize in 11 a sym bo l o f th e ir s ta te . I f you have a num ber 11 in y o u r m a ­te ria l co n s titu tio n these souls w ill no te i t in p assin g

th e sy m bo l a n d t h e m in d 41

and be inclined to ta rry w ith you , w h ile th e ad o re rs o f the Tens w ill pass you by . Y ou becom e a l in k in a chain of inharm onious th o u g h t. T h is is g iv e n to show merely how easy i t is to c o n s tru c t a fa n c ifu l th e o ry which would no t be inc red ib le , y e t b ased o n p u re assumption w ith no fac ts to su s ta in i t .

W hat is the m agic pow er o f n u m b e r, o f th e c h a rm , or of the symbol ? I t is th e m arv e lo u s m a g ic o f th e mind. In the Age of F a i th a n d s tra n g e h a l lu c in a tio n s what did the s tu d en t an d b e liev e r in th e E v il O ne do when Satan appeared to h im ? R e m e m b er th a t h e b e ­lieved in Satan, an d th a t a subjective a p p a r itio n is pos­sible where there is belief, even though th e re is no corresponding objective re a li ty . W e w ill say th a t th e intrusion occurred in h is s tu d y , w h e re h is m ind w o u ld assume subjective phases m ost re a d ily . H e h a d a n o th e r belief w hich was ju s t as s tro n g —a n an tid o te —a f a i th in the efficacy of a c e r ta in sym bol. H e g rasped h is sword (he alw ays conven ien tly w o re one in those d ay s ), and holding i t up b y th e b lade, l i f te d th e h i l t u p r ig h t before him, th u s p resen tin g th e cross to th e E v il O ne. According to trad itio n , i t w as a lw a y s e f fe c tiv e ; e x e u n t Satan. The m ind crea ted a n d th e m ind d is p e lle d ; b u t the symbol w as a necessary a id in i ts opera tion .

H a m . D o y o u see y o n d e r c lo u d , t h a t ’s a lm o s t in s h a p e o f a cam el?

P o l. B y th e mass, a n d ’t is l ik e a c a m e l, in d e e d .H a m . M eth in k s i t is l ik e a w e a s e l.P o l. I t is b a ck e d l ik e a w e a s e l.H a m . Or, l ik e a w h a le .P o L V e r y l ik e a w h a le .

Recently, n ea r a n obscure v illag e in T uscany , th e peasants stole aw a y in l i t t le g roups to a n a d jac en t v a l­ley where th e y spen t th e n ig h t in a re lig ious ecstasy during w hich, in g az in g upon a ce r ta in oak tree , th e y “ saw ” th e M adonna. I t w as p robab ly n o ted firs t b y some psychic w ho h a d th e fa c u lty of “ se e in g ” h is subjective conceptions in ap p a ren t ex tem a liza tio n

42 REALIZATION

w hen gazing stead ily a t a po in t, a n d losing th e sense of objective consciousness. So o th e rs w h o w ere strongly im bued w ith fa ith could “ see ” th e ir su b je c tiv e images under like conditions. A ndrew L an g says th a t, in the Dordogne, in the e igh ties of th e la s t ce n tu ry , the French peasants used to “ s e e ” th e M adonna when gazing in a dark hole of an o rd in a ry field w a ll . I do not in tim ate th a t th e re a re n o t o b jec tiv e fac ts con­com itant w ith some visions. I m e n tio n th ese instances merely to show the sub jective c re a tiv e fa c u lty of the mind even w hen the objective re a lity is m issing .

Let us consider th e m agic of a n o th e r n u m b e r. In about the year 960 B ernard , a h e rm it o f T huring ia, preached a sermon from th e te x t of R e v e la tio n —“ And when the thousand years are exp ired , S a ta n sh a ll be loosed out of h is prison, and sh a ll go o u t to deceive the nations, * * * and an o th er book w as opened w hich is the Book of L ife, * * * an d th e sea g av e u p the dead, * * * and dea th and h e ll gave u p th e dead,* * * and they w ere judged every m a n according to his works, * * * and I saw a n ew h e a v e n an d a new earth .”

He prophesied th a t th e end of th e w o rld w ou ld occur in 992. The monk, D ru thm are , fixed th e date as March 24,1000.

The terror of th e people w as so g re a t on th a t day th a t in m any cities they sought refuge in th e churches where they rem ained prostrate u n til m id n ig h t, a w a it­ing the celestial announcem ent.

From th is epoch, m any of the su b s ta n tia l g if ts of land and goods to the m onasteries d a te . M any w ho did not donate to the church sold th e ir belong ings for a trifle. If the world was to end i t w as useless to m ake fu ther efforts, otheT than to prepare for th e ev e n t.

Contemporaneous w ritings show th a t th is m o m en t­ous period was a most rem arkable one for th e people of Europe. From 987 to 1060 desolation and devasta tion scourged the land and people. Of these seven ty -th ree

THE SYMBOL AND THE MIND 4 3

years, forty-eight w ere of fam ine an d pestilence. T he great plague devastated th e so u th ern portions of F rance and made forty thousand v ic tim s in A cq n itan ia . F a m ­ine prevailed everyw here. R aou l G laber, w ho lived a t the time wrote—" T h e price of a m u id of w h e a t rose to sixty gold so u s; th e r ic h w axed th in an d pale, th e poor gnawed th e roots of trees, an d m an y w ere in suoh extrem ity as to devour h u m a n flesh.” T he d e ta ils a re too terrible to be spread upon th e pages of th is w ork where we w ish to p o rtray on ly th e lig h ts an d n o t th e shadows of the h u m an m ind .

Can any one doub t w h a t m ag ic i t w as w h ich caused the Angel of D ea th to dom icile in th a t p a r t of the earth, and th a t b ro u g h t every conceivable m en ta l and moral ca lam ity upon th a t m ou rn fu l age, affecting every m aterial re la tio n of life as w e ll? I t w as th e universal belief of th e people th a t th e one thousand years was about to elapse- a n d th e ju d g m e n t day w as a t hand, and th e ir consequent te rro r of m ind an d aban ­donment of m a te ria l in te rests . I t w as th e pow er of terror, of fear, of m en ta l, m oral an d physical abandon, to create the conditions fo r th e p lague, to m ake fam ­ine possible, to com pletely dem oralize h u m an life. There was abso lu te ly no po tency in th e year 1000.

Signs and sym bols an d num bers a re b u t th e indicia of m ental agreem ents. Those agreem ents or beliefs become pow erful in influencing th e destiny of th e be­liever’s life in proportion as h is m ind is surrendered in bondage to them . C onsult P o tte r ’s A n tiqu ities o f Greece, and you w ill find th a t th e anc ien t G reek w as in m en tal bondage to innum erab le beliefs in good and bad signs and omens, to be seen in every departm en t of n a tu re and field of experience. A ll of our popular supersti­tions of the sort are a t least as o ld as they . These irra ­tional fears dogged th e lives of even th e m ost em inent. Suetonius te lls us th a t A ugustus Caesar w as particu la r to clothe his r ig h t side first in dressing, an d P lin y says that th a t em peror narrow ly escaped destruction in a

42 REALIZATION

when gazing steadily at a point, and losing the sense of objective consciousness. So others who were strongly imbued with faith could “ see ” their subjective images under like conditions. Andrew Lang says that, in the Dordogne, in the eighties of the last century, the French peasants used to “ see” the Madonna when gazing in a dark hole of an ordinary field wall. I do not intimate that there are not objective facts con­comitant with some visions. I mention these instances merely to show the subjective creative faculty of the mind even when the objective reality is missing.

L e t u s consider th e m a g ic o f a n o th e r n u m b e r . In ab o u t th e y e a r 960 B e rn a rd , a h e r m i t o f T h u rin g ia , p reached a se rm on fro m th e te x t o f R e v e la tio n — “ And w h e n th e th o u sa n d y e a rs a re e x p ire d , S a ta n sh a ll be loosed o u t of h is p rison , a n d s h a ll go o u t to deceive the nations, * * * a n d a n o th e r book w a s o p en e d w hichis th e Book of L ife , * * * a n d th e se a g a v e u p the dead, * * * a n d d e a th a n d h e l l g a v e u p th e dead, * * * a n d th e y w ere ju d g e d e v e ry m a n accord ing to h is w orks, * * * a n d I sa w a n e w h e a v e n a n d a new e a r th .”

H e prophesied th a t th e e n d o f th e w o r ld w o u ld occur in 992. T he m onk, D ru tb m a re , fixed th e date as M arch 24,1000.

T he te rro r of th e people w a s so g r e a t o n t h a t day th a t in m an y citieB th e y so u g h t re fu g e in th e ch u rch es w here th ey rem ained p ro s tra te u n t i l m id n ig h t, a w a i t ­in g th e ce lestia l announcem en t.

F rom th is epoch, m any of th e s u b s ta n t ia l g if ts of la n d an d goods to th e m onasteries d a te . M a n y w ho d id no t donate to th e church Bold th e ir b e lo n g in g s for a trifle. I f th e w orld w as to end i t w as u se less to m ak e fa th e r efforts, o th e r th a n to prepare fo r th e e v e n t.

Contem poraneous w ritin g s show th a t th is m o m e n t­ous period w as a m ost rem arkab le one fo r th e people of Europe. F rom 987 to 1060 desolation an d d e v a s ta tio n ■oourged th e lan d an d people. Of these sev en ty -th ree

THE SYMBOL AND THE MIND 43

years, forty-eight w ere of fam ine an d pes tilence . T he great plague devastated th e so u th e rn po rtions of F ra n ce and made forty thousand v ic tim s in A cq u ita n ia . F a m ­ine prevailed everyw here. R aou l G laber, w ho liv ed a t the time wrote—“ The price of a m n id o f w h e a t rose to sixty gold so u s; the r ich w axed th in a n d pale, th e poor gnawed the roots of trees, an d m a n y w ere in suoh extremity as to devour h u m a n flesh .” T he d e ta ils a re too terrible to be spread upon th e pages of th is w o rk where we wish to po rtray on ly th e lig h ts a n d n o t th e shadows of the hum an m ind.

Can any one doubt w h a t m ag ic i t w as w h ic h caused the Angel of D eath to dom icile in th a t p a r t o f the earth, and th a t b ro u g h t every conceivable m e n ta l and moral calam ity upon th a t m o u rn fu l age, affecting every m aterial re la tio n of life as w e ll? I t w as th e universal belief of th e people th a t th e one thousand years was about to elapse- an d th e ju d g m e n t d ay w as a t hand, and th e ir consequent te rro r o f m in d an d ab a n ­donment of m ateria l in te rests . I t w as th e pow er of terror, of fear, of m en tal, m oral an d physical abandon, to create the conditions for th e p lague, to m ake fa m ­ine possible, to com pletely dem oralize h u m a n life . There was absolutely no potency in th e y ea r 1000.

Signs and symbols an d num bers a re b u t th e ind ic ia of mental agreem ents. Those ag reem ents or beliefs become pow erful in influencing th e des tiny of th e be­liever’s life in proportion as h is m ind is su rrendered in bondage to them . C onsult P o tte r ’s Antiquities o f Greece, and you w ill find th a t th e anc ien t G reek w as in m en ta l bondage to innum erable ' beliefs in good an d bad signs and omens, to be seen in every departm en t of n a tu re and field of experience. A ll of our popular supersti­tions of the sort are a t least as old as they . These irra ­tional fears dogged th e lives of even th e m ost em inent. Suetonius te lls us th a t A ugustus Caesar w as p a rticu la r to clothe his r ig h t side first in dressing, a n d P lin y says that th a t em peror narrow ly escaped destruction in a

44 REALIZATION

m u tin y of h is so ld iers on a d a y w h e n h e p u t his left shoe on first.

I f th e m in d ag rees t h a t a n o m en o r sign is an ill one, i t w il l te n d in a l l i ts th o u g h ts to ac tu a lize that be lie f. B y su ch reco g n itio n i t in c o rp o ra tes i t in to the m e n ta l l ife o f po ssib ilities , a n d assu m es a n a ttitu d e of harm onious a s s im ila tio n w i th a l l ex tran eo u s facts w h ich w ill te n d to m a k e th e p o ss ib ility a rea lity .

S udden p an ic o r co n s te rn a tio n h a v in g been held a n ev il om en, th e a rm y of th e G a ll ic g e n e ra l Brennns, h av in g been th ro w n in to a te r ro r th e n ig h t a f te r de­fe a t b y th e G reeks, f e l l u p o n th em se lv es an d com­p le te ly ex te rm in a te d ea ch o t h e r ; a n d th e Persians suffered a g re a t d e fe a t a t th e h a n d s o f th e A thenians because of th is sam e su p e rs titio n . T h e m in d enslaved by a be lie f in ev il m ay th u s a c tu a lly e n a c t th e evil, or becom e para lyzed a n d ine ffec tive fo r i t s p reven tion .

L e t u s ta k e a m odern case. A confid ing, responsive person v is its a p a lm is t a n d is to ld th a t a se rious illness w ill assail h e r d u rin g a c e r ta in y ear. She th in k s qu ite l ig h tly of i t a t th e tim e , an d th e b loom o f h e a lth does no t fade. As th e fa te fu l period d raw s n e a r she recalls th e prophesy an d rem em bers th a t som e o th e r th in g s of th e past w ere q u ite co rrec tly to ld —psycho m etrica lly , perhaps. A pprehension grow s s te a l th ily u n t i l th e life becomes h au n te d by th e fea r of th e illness . I s there any m ystery ab o u t th e collapse w h ich su re ly follow s? The year finally passes, th e th rea ten e d d an g e r is re ­moved, th e apprehension vanishes an d a l l is a g a in sun­shine. W h a t is th is b u t th e pow er of th e m in d ex­ecu ting its ow n belief?

In cong ra tu la ting oneself on hav ing d iscarded th e No. 11-belief he should exam ine h is special m en ta l agreem ents and see if he has not su b stitu ted some o th e r as useless or h arm fu l.

Y i t every heart contains perfection's germ .S h e l l e y .

A TYPICAL MYSTIC EXPERIENCE 4 5

Jt typical mystic experience♦ IT N th is age of ex trem e co n cen tra tio n npon, a n d

1 concern for, the prac tica l fac ts of th e e n v iro n m en t­al world, and th e g rea t reg a rd fo r conven tiona l

standards of experience, l i t t le ap p rec ia tio n is fe l t fo r that side of the life w h ich is m y stica l. So in s is te n tly has the conventional s tan d ard of average experience been urged as the sane one, th a t th e re is a gen e ra l im ­pression th a t the m ystic experience is o u t of p lace in our rational lives, an d th a t m ystics a re o n ly to be found in the old books of th e pas t cen tu ries .

These conclusions a re w rong . T he m y stic ch a rac ­teristic is too fundam en ta l to be e x tin g u ish e d b y even so severely a m atte r-o f-fac t life as o u r c iv iliza tio n compels. The experience is consisten t w ith th e w e ll developed m an and has a h ig h v a lu e fo r h im w ho has known i t and for o thers as w ell, as w as show n in th e last number.

I t is not strange, how ever, th a t one w ho has hadthis experience should sh rin k from th e curious in q u iry and wonder of the w orld . I n respect o f th a t ex p e ri­ence he feels h im self an a lien , w ith no hope of an acquaintance w ith those w ho have n o t know n those states.

Those who are t ru ly in te rested , no t from id le c u r i­osity bu t from a desire to know th e ir ow n possib ilities and learn also of th e deeper tru th s of B eing w h ich are suggested by th e experience, can derive m uch ben ­efit from its th o u g h tfu l consideration. F o r these, I am giving below a b rie f n a rra tiv e of th e experience of a correspondent w ho has know n th e tru e s ta te and who very k ind ly consented th a t I m ay do so.

“ I w ill w rite briefly of some of the in n er experi­ences w hich I m entioned. I am th ir ty se v e n years of age and unm arried . I w ould not s tudy in school and was consequently taken ou t and p u t to w ork. I did

46 REALIZATION

not care for society b a t preferred to roam the woods and fields. My m other died w hen I w as fifteen, and two years la ter I le ft home.

“ I became conscious of a Presence abou t my fif. teenth year, bu t w as ra th e r w ild and d id no t pay much atten tion to it . My m other died a t th is tim e and it seemed as though she too w as n ear m e an d continued to be for some years.

" Six years a fte r I le ft hom e I becam e conscious of a desire for knowledge of God, b u t a l l efforts to find Him were fu tile . F or a period of five years I believed in nothing, and w as a ran k pessim ist. T he s tra in was breaking me down in hea lth , an d I h ea rd la te r that death w as a ce rta in ty unless I could be braced up.

“ W ithou t any special in te n t I began to take an hour or tw o each evening to rest. I took a com fortable position, em ptied a ll m y thoughts, an d endeavored not to move a m uscle for tw o hours. T he benefit to my health was w onderful. This I k ep t u p fo r tw o years. I grew optim istio and m y general h e a lth im proved rapidly. One evening I had finished m y h o u r an d was about to tu rn to m v book w hen a rem ark ab le experi­ence came to me. I had no t tu rn ed dow n th e ligh t, bu t had turned m y back to i t an d closed m y eyes. As I opened them I fe lt peculiar. Then a W hite L igh t came down through the ceiling an d slow ly filled th e room. 1 was perfectly conscious, and looked a ro u n d an d noted things, especially the lam p, w hioh seem ed a faded yel­low light. This continued, perhaps, one m in u te , and then I became conscious of th r i l l a f te r th r i l l coursing through my body from head to foot. I seem ed to be, and was, v ibrating in every p art. In ecstasy I cried, * Glory to God.* These th rills con tinued fo r several m inutes, then the L ight g radually passed u p w ard and aw ay.

“ This occurred October 7, 1896, a t 8:30 p. m . I name th is date as m y b irth .

" The next day a t about th e sam e h o u r I h a d a sim ilar experience, b u t of b riefer d u ra tio n , a n d on th e following day a t noon a s till b riefer one, a f te r w h io h they ceased.

" F iv e years la te r (Ootober 4, 1901) in th e a f te r ­noon w hile in the country a visitation of an o th e r n a tu re came to me. I became possessed of an ecstasy a n d u n ­veiling w hich is impossible to describe. T h en I knew th a t eh w as good, th a t a ll life w as eternal, an d th a t I should sim ply tru s t God to lead. I t seemed as th o u g h an im m ense burden w as oast off, and I w as f r e e . I

A TYPICAL MYSTIC EXPERIENCE 4 7

whistled and sang and shou ted like a h ap p y ch ild , a n d on the w ay baok to tow n I * w a lk e d on a ir ,’ a n d co n ld hardly suppress exclam ations of joy .

“ The experience of th e a f te rn o o n w as fo llo w ed in the evening (about 8:80) b y a perio d o f ec sta sy so in ­tense th a t I fe lt th a t i f i t d id n o t cease I w o u ld n o t s u r ­vive. This lasted perhaps fifteen m in u te s , th e n passed rapidly aw ay. The sp ir itu a l rev e la tio n fo llo w ed in whioh I fe lt and knew th e om nipresence o f G od a n d goodness, and of m y re la tio n sh ip to th e u n iv e rse .

“ I may say th a t I h ad n ev e r re a d o r h e a rd o f e x ­periences of a sim ilar n a tu re . A fte r m y firs t ex perience in 1896 no revelations fo llow ed. I w a s an x io u s to k n o w the meaning of th e v is ita tio n , a n d a t th e tim e w ro te to several persons w hom I th o u g h t m ig h t e n lig h te n m e, bat received no rep ly an d m ade no f u r th e r a t te m p t to secure an explanation from w ith o u t.

“ The day fo llow ing th is la s t experience th e ec sta sy came in a m ilder form , a n d since h a s ceased, th o u g h have had innum erable th r i l l s o f m o m e n ta ry d u ra tio n .

% ** I early had a sense of tw o w orld s—a v is ib le a n d an invisible one—an d a t tim es seem ed to b e ab le to penetrate the atm osphere an d in to th e la t te r , b u t n e v e r beyond the threshold.

* ‘ I have often experienced th e sensation o f ph y sica l lightness and buoyancy. D u rin g one o f th e hou rs o f meditation I le ft th e body a n d floated a ro u n d th e room .I was perfectly conscious, n o ted ev ery th in g , particularly* the body. I had no fear. U pon w o n d erin g i f I cou ld g e t back, I was there.

“ D uring the la s t few years th e gu idance h as b een overw helm ing; an y effort to do th in g s m y w ay h a s made discord ; w h en I am led a l l is harm ony . T h e guidance comes in a l l th ings.

My friends say I am a n A theis t, y e t I see G od in all life and realize th e p ro tec tin g P resence of a n e n ­veloping and perm eating atm osphere of love.

" Now a w ord for th e h ea ling . I h ad been troub led w ith neuralgia a l l m y life . Doctors said i t cou ldn ’t be cured. One n ig h t a f te r I h ad re tired , ( th is w as a f te r the experience of illu m in a tio n ), th e pains g ripped m e in the chest and I ca lled o u t to God for re lie f. I w as wide aw ake w ith eyes open. O u t of th e darkness a p ­peared a patch of w h ite lig h t. L ike a fea th e r i t se ttled slowly u n til i t lay upon m y breast. In stan taneously th e pain ceased and w h ile I w ondered th e lig h t d issipated an d disappeared. The nex t occurrence of th e pain I desired the l ig h t ; i t cam e and I w as healed. One noon, as I

48 REALIZATION

sat in meditation, a spiral stream of light descended entered the head, and with a thrill passed through the body. Since then I have used the Light whenever necessary. Often the healing is instantaneous; again, it acts slowly. Sometimes a cloud seems to settle over me and I do not feel the Presence. Then I wait. Some­times when this cloud is over me the Light does not respond to the call. Then 1 wait patiently, and sooner or later it always comes. Drugs fail to act on me ; the Light is the only remedy I can use.

“ I take a spiritual bath regularly four times daily; it is more necessary than food or sleep.

“ I do not attend church. All days are Sunday and God is ever speaking to me. I have intense yearn­ings sometimes for human friends but have found none who understand, and I have recourse to writing, painting and books. For a time I was led to writing; now it is to painting. Books and reading are not of muoh value, except as a means of companionship. Knowledge and wisdom come from within. I have visions often, and get ideas for painting from them. I often have the sense of companionship with persons who have ‘ passed on,’ and converse with them—at least I think so.

“ Content am I that frequently I am conscious of the Divine Harmony; that I am an instrument of ex­pression for Infinite Spirit; that I am breathing deeply of the universal life ; that I am being absorbed into universal harmony ; that I realize now the indwelling Presence.

" Is all this a tiresome repetition of old thoughts and common experience ? Perhaps many others have similar experiences. 1 wanted to tell every one I knew of it at first; I keep silence now.”

H ave you a purpose but fear the lack of time to attain it ? Fear not; you do not know what a fund you have in the bank of Eternity. If that purpose be worthy, pursue it regardless of the thought of time. Let the years see the attainment if they may ; if not, hold to the purpose and remember that the future is yours.

NOTES ON THE FIR E-O R D E A L 4 9

notes on tfte Tire-Ordeali i

♦ f fN previous articles, instances have been given | | mainly of the fire-walk executed upon stones or

boulders heated from either above or below by burning logs. The exception to this was the reference to the ceremony of the Nistinares who “ climb the pyre of glowing embers and dance to the time in the fire and utter prophesies.”

In the literature of the subject occasional reference with more or less detail is found to the performances of fakirs of Southern India and adjacent localities in which glowing coals, and not stones, are used. For such particular cases this fact disposes of the explana­tion which has been offered, tha t though the boulders are intensely heated, such heat is applied from below, and the boulders being of a remarkably poor conduc­tivity, the upper portions are comparatively cool.

I am fortunate in securing an account of such an occurrence, first-hand and from a modern traveler— Mr. Frank N. Merwin—whose heretofore unpublished statement is given here. The reader can feel assured of the tru th of the facts stated, whatever explanation he may be inclined to adopt.

3119 F lo r a A v e .,K ansas Cit y , Mo.

Dec. 24, 1902.Mr. J o seph St ew a r t ,

W ash ing to n , D. O.Dear S ir :—The w riter witnessed a fire-walk in

March, 1901, in a locality known as Tintown within the corporate lim its of Durban, South Africa. I t was a religious ceremony (of the Hindus) near the conclu­sion of a two weeks’ festival held annually at that place. I t was public and free to all who might choose to attend. All the various sects of Hindus participated in the festival, but the sect to which the fire-walkers belonged is unknown to the writer. They were, how­

50 REALIZATION

ever, young men under the age of 30 years as their ap- pearance indicated; and as claimed, they had been selected in infancy and pledged to a life of strict cele- bacy, preparatory to becoming priests in case they proved -worthy of such distinction. The fire-walk was one of the many ordeals which they were required 10 undergo as novitiates.

Six persons performed in the fire for about 10 minutes, after which two more joined them, the whole performance covering about 15 minutes.

These fire-pits had been arranged within a radius of a few hundred feet, and at each pit similar perform­ances were given simultaneously. The audience around the pit which claimed the writer’s attention consisted of about fifty English and Dutch people and 350 Hindus, Arabs, and a few Kafirs.

Pits were dug two feet deep and eight feet in diameter (circular) which the writer saw at 7 o’clock of that morning. The pits were then filled with small logs and brush-wood—no special wood being used, ex­cept that which was convenient—and the fire lighted in the pits at 8 o’clock and kept burning all day by the addition of fresh wood from time to time, so that in the evening the pits were filled w ith live coals and ashes to within about six inches of the top, thus leav­ing a bed of live coals and ashes, one and one-half feet deep. It was positively a glowing pit of fire, as hot as could be made with wood burned in the open air.

As to the degree of heat the writer cannot particu­larize, except to affirm that while standing for a mo­ment of inspection, very near to the edge of the pit, he was compelled to shield his face with his hands from the radiating heat. It was also observed that the ground near the pit was baked dry by the protracted heat. Also there were no “ cold stones” nor logs of wet or decayed wood in the pit. "Whatever may be the opinion of the performance, the bona fides of the fire will surely stand without impeachment.

One of the fire-walkers carried in his hand a small stick whioh seemed to serve no special purpose. The others carried no leaves, bushes or article of any kind whatsoever. They were dressed only with the custom­ary loin-cloths—otherwise they were naked from the soles of their feet to the crown of their heads. The writer has no evidence as to the use or non-use of chemical preparations as a means of immunity from the heat.

NOTES ON THE FIR E-O R D E A L 5 1

Twelve priests and the six fire-walkers were assem­bled in a hut nearby. W hen everything was ready they marched forth in three’s—two priests leading each fire-walker, one on each side, supporting him by the arms. The fire-walkers appeared to he stupefied, their heads drooping from side to side very much like one who is intoxicated. They were led near to the pit and halted, the priests taking position in front, facing them and for a few moments mumbled prayers or Mantrams as they term it. A t the moment of some signal which the w riter did not distinctly recognize, the six performers were instantly dispelled of their stupidity and they whirled about in extreme frenzy ; meantime a din of tom-toms and horns was sounded and continually kept going un til the close of the per­formance about 15 m inutes later. They whirled about and sprang into the pit, w hirling while in the fire, then jumping out, then back again into the pit. They jostled each other sometimes seizing each other by the arms and continue to w hirl. Only one of them deliberately stopped while in the p it and sat down in the coals of fire for a few seconds, jum ping out w ith his loin cloth aflame which he extinguished by brushing and slapping with his hands. Others would jum p into the pit and run about in it, m aking the circuit five or six times be­fore jumping out. ^Before the close two Hindu specta­tors, without clothing except loin-cloths, also jumped into the pit and quickly sprang out.

The pit being approximately 24 feet in circumfer­ence and some performers running this circuit five or six times before jumping out, it is probable that they were on the .'live coals 20 to 30 seconds, but the reader can make his own deduction from the facts above stated— those of very rapid motions and the dimensions of the pit.

While in the fire the faces of the performers were contorted into horrible grimaces as if they suffered ex­treme agony, but they uttered no sound.

At the close each performer was led back to the hut assisted by two priests. They appeared to be com­pletely exhausted. This weakness may have been as­sumed as a professional role but the w riter regarded it as a legitimate consequence of the 15 minutes of broil­ing they had been subjected to. At any rate he has no desire to reach the goal of perfection by means of such purifying agency as red hot coals.

The w riter had no opportunity for ascertaining if any had suffered burns ; however, he recognized one of

52 REALIZATION

the fire-walkers in a street parade on the following day.He has ben told by Hindus that the priests have power to bestow immunity from burning, and that they get their power from God. This logic may be sound, but the facts may be otherwise.

The Dutch and English people in Afrioa generally assume that the fire-walkers make use of some chemi­cal treatment of the skin. This hypothesis is perhaps the simplest explanation that will reconcile the facts and so arrive at a rational solution. But others hold that the hypothesis must be proven before it is good as an explanation.

The following named gentlemen would no doubt corroborate the facts above stated: Mr. H. Heinze, American Photo. Novelty Co., Beach, Durban, South Africa. Mr. D. E. Hennessy, Goods Department, Natal Government Ry., Durban, South Africa.

Mr.----Rennie, British Consul, Durban, SouthAfrica.

Very truly yours,F rank N. Merwin.

(Dictated to and written down by D. E. Merwin.)Assuming that the reason for this exemption may

be looked for in some psychical state of the walkers, as has been heretofore suggested, the following features are noteworthy.

The ceremony was a religious one. The fire-walk- ers were candidates for the priesthood; were said to have been selected in infancy and pledged to a life of celebacy. For a time (apparently of preparation) pre­ceding the feat they appeared to be in a stupor, which, however, was dispelled instantaneously (apparently by the attending priests) and their psychical state was changed as effectively as that of a hypnotic subject who responds to the commands of the agent. This stupor was succeeded by "extreme frenzy,” apparently similar to the frenzy under which the Bulgarian Nistinares dance i u the glowing embers at their religious festival. These Hindus claim that the exemption is secured by the ex* exoise of a power conferred by God—a claim similar to that of all others who perform like feats.

MOMENTS WITH OUR CORRESPONDENTS

moments with Our Correspondents/■^HE following bit of analysis comes to me from f ] Dr. Burgess of 378 Geary St., San Francisco,

Cal., the author of the little brochure “ A Ques­tion of Consciousness.”

When the ego shall have fully realized its divin­ity—when | the dewdrop slips into the Shining Sea ”— what will then distinguish it in consciousness from that with which it merges ? Dr. Burgess suggests that there is something which must ever be individual in the consciousness, and that is realization.

No doubt it will be a long time before the personal characteristic of consciousness shall become subordin­ate to that of individuality, and when it, carrying with it all the results of personal experience, shall know itself to he divine, nothing which is truly valu­able to the individual will be lost in the higher reali­zation.

The question, Why this differentiation from the divine and an evolution from omniscience back to om­niscience, if that is all there is to it ? is always puzzling. There is the suggestion here of a resultant not included in the original.

The following is Dr. Burgess’ suggestion.Something Unknown to Omniscience

It seems an absurd contradiction in terms, yet i t must be true that there is something which is perfectly known to the individual mind, and which is known to none other, not even to omniscience. Obviously, omniscience knows what the individual knows. Nevertheless, there is something the knowledge of which is the individual’s own and can not be gained by another. Description, observation, intuition, alike fail to convey precise information as to this some­thing which, while it is ever the same thing to each

54 REALIZATION

and every one, is never the same thing to another, or to all. Yet there is nothing which is occult or mysterious about i t ; for it is simply one’s personal realization of experience.

For instance, you know, and I know, and omnisc­ience must know, that I liv e ; but neither you nor omniscience can ever know precisely how I realize the fact of my own existence. Omniscience could not fail to know more perfectly than you do every item of your personal experience ; yet it could not realize your real­ization of a single one of them. Your realization de­pends upon an inherent faculty peculiar to your own mind. Another—and especially omniscience—might very well imagine what you would be apt to feel un­der given circumstances and conditions ; but that is all" If it were possible for two minds to acquire knowledge of everything, and to acquire it under exactly the same conditions, there could, nevertheless, be no merging of the two, nor of both into the infinitude of omniscience. For it is memory, not alone of experience, but of the realization of experience, which establishes the perdurability of conscious individuality. Thus the two could become “ one with God ” without losing oneness of self. In this fact lies proof of human im­mortality. For it is unquestionably true that perfect memory is a faculty of subjective mind which is not, like objective memory, dependent upon organic func­tion. And subjective mind is simply that subjectively conscious condition in Infin ite Mind which so largely consists of an individual capacity for realization and unfailing recollection of personal experience—a condi­tion which is cognized by objective consciousness as the mind or soul.

Therefore not the facts, but the individual real­ization of human experience, must ever remain un­known to even omniscience itself.

O. O. B urgess, M. D.

MEANS OP MEDITATION 55

means of meditationMeditation (Samadhi)

(Raja Yoga VIII)

HE last-mentioned stage was Contemplation, inwhich there is “ a flow of the mental functionmoulded into the object of meditation.” This

is a lofty state which few of ns ever reach in its perfec­tion and maintain for any considerable length of time. It is a condition of blended thonght with consciousness proper, which is among the greatest powers there are in human life to transform the self, to create desirable (and sometimes, unhappily, undesirable) states. I t is a natural means of becoming what you think, con­sciously or unconsciously. This union of the mind and its processes with an ideal, so completely attained that the thought flows into its objects, is the precondition for many remarkable self cures, as well as great changes in the view-point of life which so radically modifies existence.

In the practice of Meditation this is a high state and discloses to one some of the supernormal qualities of consciousness. But it is not, savs Yoga, the highest attainable. This higher state is true Meditation or Samadhi.

By referring to the ** Raja Yoga Chart ” at the be­ginning of this series of papers, you will find in section A B C D the heading “ Conscious or concrete medita­tion.” Opposite it one of the divisions is designated ” 4. Egotistic-Perception of self.” You will find this last to be divided into ” 1. The human self as distin­guished from Nature,” and “ 2. The Supreme Self as distinguished from human self and Nature.” Con­templation is concerned with “ 1. The human self,” and Meditation (Samadhi) is concerned with the next stage—” The Supreme Self.”

56 REALIZATION

When the contemplation becomes free from all idea of difference between the contemplation, the ob­ject and its contemplator, then only is true meditation attained, and the mind is freed from all attachment or limitation and exists in the consciousness of its divinity.

In the last number, in connection with “ Contem­plation,” I suggested that the concept be I a m d iv in e . This contemplates the human self as “ the place of the Omnipotent Supreme Lord.” But there is still the separateness of the human and divine selves. So, when one in Samadhi, by contemplating the Supreme Spirit wherein all human selves are dissolved, becomes free from all this idea of difference,—when the human self, which is uselessly conceived to be the master of its actions, is resolved into the Supreme Spirit apart from its limitations, which is the Self of every existence—" then,” says Vivekananda, “ the glory of the soul, untrammelled by the distraotions of the mind or the emotions of the body, will shine in its full effulgence. And the Yogi will find himself as he is and as he always was, the essence of knowledge, the immortal, the all- pervading.”

Thus we have sketched through the essential fea­tures of the eight stages of Yoga, classified under the statement of the means of meditation. They form the basis for all work in the attainment of the supernormal states of consciousness by rational method.

We find this method to be one of purification of the mind; of consecration to the attainment of a lofty state of thought; of control of the psychic energy; of control of the mind to the extent of rendering it superior to the distraotions of sense, and steady and uninterrupted in its processes—concentration. We find the process of employing the control of the mind for the attainment of its higher states to be one of elimination of the en­vironmental consciousness and of abstraction from the legion of things and thoughts, objeotive and subjective, whioh continually hold the mind in its ordinary state-

MEANS OF MEDITATION 6 7

We find the result to be the realization of a transcend­ent state of consciousness and of new faculties and powers.

We find that these are essentially the same as have been experienced spontaneously by mystics, prophets, and seers, and by great spiritual leaders and teachers. We note that the results are, in their nature, similar to those shown in supernormal states known to psychic research, and the methods by which they are attained furnish conditions which are known to be favorable to the production of such states.

It is fair to conclude, therefore, that this is a method of minimizing, if not wholly eliminating, for the time the objective consciousness, and inducing the emergence of the subliminal. It may be that the degree to which it is carried may reveal not only what psychic research has disclosed in the subliminal con­sciousness, but relations between that and the universal consciousness—the ineffable bliss and knowledge which the Yogi and some of our occidental mystics have claimed to have experienced.

But, says the Yoga, the approach to this state is dangerous and its approximation is misleading unless it is attained regularly and with knowledge and mastery. Unless this is done there is a blending of error, of false philosophy and of superstition, with the loftier experiences, which vitiates most of the conclu­sions the subject draws from them.

In recognizing the transcendent character of the attainment we need not accept wholly the philosophy with which it is associated.

The value of a study of this branch of Yoga is found, first, in the disclosures it makes of the higher states of consciousness ; next, in the discovery of the similarity between them and those we have long known in mys­ticism, and are just beginning to study in psychic phenomena; and last, in the admirable suggestions it furnishes as to methods for a system suitable to the

58 REALIZATION

spirit and needs of our age and people. Such a system need not aim further than the attainm ent of greater conscious control of our psychic energies, the control of the mind through systematic concentration, the art of relaxation of mind in its mental and bodily manifesta­tions, the recognition and encouragement of the emerging subliminal monitions and states, and their blending with the normal consciousness as well as their realization in greater degree by specific effort. All these have been, in a measure, presented in former numbers under appropriate subjects.

I recall that Maeterlinck said that men dare not he silent in the presence of those from whom they would conceal their thoughts. It is a more or less common saying that men sometimes talk to hide what they really think. There is a truth here. I t is true that ofttimes one feels more exposed in thought when silent than when speaking. Instinct, w ith great wisdom, apprises ns of the subtle communication that exists between minds independently of words.

How often do we act upon this 1 Have you never noticed how full of words the surface-friendship is, and how they drop away and cease to be of use when the friendship deepens? They who find com­panionship without wordy conversation understand each other far better than any words could convey. If you have not some friend w ith whom you can walk or sit without conversation and yet feel at ease and satisfied, I fear you do not know the highest friendship. And then, you know by tradition and perhaps by experience how useless words become when the soul comes into the state of love.

All this is communication upon the inner plane. There is a Silence in which awakened souls know each other without words.

etchings 5 9

etchingsThe Spirits of Gobi

H E R E is a m arvelous th ing re la ted o f th is D ese r t o f 1 1 1 Gobi, tehich is tha t when travellers a re o n the m ove

by night, and one o f them chances to lag beh ind or to fa ll asleep or the W e , when he tr ies to g a in h is co m p a n y again he m il hear sp ir its ta lk ing , a n d w ill su p p o se them to be his comrades. Som etim es the s p ir i ts w ill ca ll h im by name; and thus sha 'l a traveller o ftt im e s be led a s tr a y so that he never finds his p a r ty , a n d in th is w ay m a n y have perished. Sometimes the s tr a y travellers w ill hear, a s i t were, the tram p and hum o f a g re a t cavalcade o f p eo p le away fro m the real line o f road , a n d ta k in g th is to be the ir own company they trill fo llo to the so u n d ; a n d w hen the d a y breaks they f in d tha t a cheat has been p u t o n them a n d th a t they are in an ill p lig h t. E v e n in the d a y tim e one hears those spirits ta lking , and som etim es yo u sha ll hea r the so u n d o f a variety o f m usical in s tru m e n ts , a n d s t i l l m ore com ­monly the sound o f d ru m s. H ence in m a k in g th is jo u r n e y i t is customary fo r travellers to keep close together. A l l the animals, too, have bells a t the ir necks, so they can n o t easily get astray, and a t sleeping tim e a s ig n a l is p u t u p to show the direction o f the n ex t m arch . T h u s i t is th a t the D esert is crossed.— M arco P olo .

I do n o t th in k l if e is a d e se r t, a n d e sp e c ia lly do I not regard th e q u e s t fo r th e golden-fleece o f H ig h e r Thonght as a jo u rn e y th ro u g h su c h . S u c h a lif e sh o u ld be verdan t w i th h e a l th f u l th o u g h t r a th e r th a n a w a s te relieved o n ly b y a n occas ional oasis, a n d f ille d w i th realization r a th e r th a n w i th th e e lu s iv e a l lu re m e n ts o f mirage. Y e t h o w lik e a re th e se sp ir i ts o f G ob i to a certain o th e r b rood ; a n d in th e c ro ssin g o f o u r m e ta ­physical G obi h o w m a n y th e re a re w h o a re deceived by th e ir fa sc in a tio n s fo r th e a l lu re m e n ts t h a t lie off in the parched sa n d -h ills a n d s tr a y a w a y a n d a re lo s t fo r the tim e !

60 REALIZATION

I t is said th a t w hen one en ters upon the Path he i» subjected to certain tem p ta tions in order to test his worthiness and fitness to advance fu rth e r . No doubt i t is merely a process of n a tu ra l se lection in the higher life. He sees more clearly th e n th a n before tha t there must be a choice m ade betw een ce rta in paths, and if he is not ready to choose th e h ig h e r he fa lls a viotim to the tempation of the low er. I f th e re is imperfect appreciation of and desire for th e t ru ly spiritual,—if he lags behind the caravan or fa lls asleep—many are the voices th a t speak to h im o u t of th e surrounding waste, calling him off to jo in some phan tom caravan while he becomes lost to th e tru e one w h ich moves on.

Among the spirits th a t ca ll from th e environing waste are the allu rem ents of personal gain , of selfish ambition, of misuse of power. W h en in th e pursuit of higher things one seeks gold instead of L ig h t ; when he follows T ru th to make a m erchandise of i t ; when he desires illum ination to dazzle th e w orld ra th e r than for illum ination i ts e lf ; w hen he tu rn s th e power of attainm ent to the selfish influencing of o thers or to force the acquisition of m ateria l th in g s—viewing at­tainment as a means to sordid e n d s ; th e n is he straying and listening to the spirits th a t ca ll from th e phantom caravan tha t is lost in the desert an d travels and travels, but reaches nowhere.

Ah, these are iudeed fam iliar sp irits an d w ill oft- times call the traveller by nam e, and he w ill th ink he is w ith the real caravan u n til the m en ta l m irage dis­solves and he finds he has strayed off in to the wastes.

“And at sleeping tim e a signal is p u t up to show the direction of the next m arch.” K eep you th a t sig­nal ever before you, and le t i t be the love of Truth for Truth alone.

M an is of soul and body formed for deeds Of h ig h resolve.—Shelley.

ETCHINGS 61

N ew -tim e F aith and P rophecy

F rom tim e to t im e I h a v e g iv e n i n th e s e s k e tc h e s gem s of th o u g h t e x p re ss iv e o f th e h ig h e r p h ilo s o p h y from a n c ie n t a n d m o d e rn th in k e r s , w i t h c o m m e n ta r y .I offer th e fo llo w in g , o f e x c e p t io n a l e x c e l le n c e , c u l le d from a b ro c h u re e n t i t l e d “ A d a m ’s A n s w e r ,” b y m y •old-time f r ie n d L . W . K e p l in g e r a n d w h ic h , th o u g h deeply p h ilo so p h ic , co m es to m e o u t o f t h e b u s y professional w o r ld — a f a c t n o t in s ig n i f i c a n t in th e s e tim es of th o u g h t - r e a d ju s tm e n ts . T h e y w i l l t a k e t h e i r place a m o n g th e t r u e p ro p h e c ie s o f d a u n t l e s s f a i t h a n d d e a r in s ig h t in to t r u t h .

“ H e fa r th e s t sees w ho lio p e th m o s t ,A n d a s the p r e s e n t h o ld s th e f u t u r e Close concealed w i th in i t s g ra s p ,So the rea l i s the id e a l I n the in v o lu te d h u d .A n d e v e ry h ig h id e a l i n c h a r a c te r Or a r t , is a tr u e p ro p h e t* s v i s io n O f a g lo r y w h ich th e f u t u r e sh a ll u n fo ld .* '

H e w h o h o p e s s e e s t h e e n d , th o u g h i n f u t u r o . N or is t h a t e n d so s e p a r a te d a s i t a p p e a r s , f o r e v e n n o w th e f u t u r e e v o lv e s o u t o f t h e p r e s e n t . T h e id e a l , to o , is in v o lv e d in t h e r e a l , a n d e v e r y a r t - o r c h a r a c t e r - id e a l is th e p r o p h e t’s v is io n o f t h e u n f o l d i n g f u t u r e .

“ I m a y h a v e a lw a y s been , a n d ev e n n o w M a y h a ve n o s e p a r a te l i f e . I w ill n o t f r e t F u tu r i t y w ith id le q u e s t io n in g .B u t I believe th e b re a th w h ich eo n s s in c eW a ked la te n t f i r e s , w h e r e o f I e v e r w a sA n d a m , to g r o w in g J la m e , s t i l l f e e d s th o se f i r e s ,W h ile eo n s m o re , i n lo n g e x te n d e d lin e ,A w a it th e ir t u r n to f e e d n o w a n in g f ir e s .* '

A t r u e i m m o r t a l i t y i s t h i s t h a t e v e r w a s a s w e l l a s e v e r w i l l b e , t h a t c o n c e r n s i t s e l f h a p p i ly w i t h t h e p r e s ­e n t w i t h o u t to o f r e t f u l q u e s t i o n a s to t h e f u t u r e ; a n d

62 R EA LIZ A TIO N

a su b lim e b e lie f is th is , t h a t th e C o n s c io u s n e s s that aw ak en ed la te n t fires in to o n e ’s b e in g , s t i l l sustain th e m a n d w i l l so c o n t in u e th r o u g h th e innumerable com ing eons 1

“ / sh a re re a lity ,A n d naugh t is rea l w hich sa v o rs n o t o f soul.N o t Jleeting fo r m , hu t th a t w h ich s ta y s am I .Though in the wave I s ti ll a m o f the sea, *A nd in every wave the se lf-sa m e sea Still swells and fa lls , so a lso I m a y r ise A nd fa l l , and ever m ore m a y r is e a n d fa l l ,A nd i f Lethean g u lfs sh o u ld in te rv en e ,Why m ourn the w id th o f g u l f th a t lies between t ”

F orm s ch an g e , b u t do n o t m is ta k e th e m for the im m o rta l I , w h ic h s ta y s w h e n fo rm s d isso lv e . Do not fo rget e ith e r , th a t th e I is b u t a p a r t o f th e whole, as th e w ave is a p a r t o f th e sea, a n d th e e s se n c e o f th e whole rises a lik e in ev e ry 1, a s does th e se a s w e ll in every w ave. A nd if , p e rc h an ce , w e co m e a n d go ever and anon as does th e w a v e r is e a n d f a l l , w h y m o u rn the b gu lf, w h en —w av e a n d se a b e in g e s s e n t i a l ly a like—in th a t seem ing h ia tu s th e w a v e e s s e n t ia l ly c a n never be less th a n w av e or sea ?

“ / hold the occult tendency o f m en And things to be the ir m ost e s sen tia l p a r t ,A nd all that m odifies re su lts is rea l

* And o f this w ondrous u n iverse a p a r t .The fragm en t seen leaves m a n b ere ft o f hope And Ood a doubtfu l presence u n reve red Hut my fra il tongue exalts the f a c t unseen ,The power u n kn o w n .''

The unseen an d th e u n k n o w n a re th e r e a l i ty , lie* su its are not m ore re a l th a n th e ir h id d e n causes, and bo th are parts of th e un iverse . T h e se e n f ra g m e n t is inexplicable w ith o u t th e un seen fa c t, a n d th i s unseen is th e essential p a r t of m an a n d th in g s .

ETCHINGS

“ With larger growth the very dreams Of our unconscious past shall be recalled,Shall be explained, and every prophecy Of soul shall be amply fulfilled.. With all Its va/unted harmony this universe Were else a maimed and fragmentary living Forever barriered by a measureless,Unsatisfied desire. ”

W hat promise of the n ew -tim e can offer m ore— that w ith the larger g row th th e unconscious past sh a ll ultimately become revealed, as w e ll as every prophecy of soul be fulfilled ? The un iversa l harm ony w ill else be incomplete.

These are though ts th a t belong to th e in sp ira tio n of the new faith , th a t declare th e g ro w in g confidence in the divinity of m an and th e u n ity of a ll, an d the sanity of the universe.

BOOK R E V IE W S .

Man Visible and Invisible. B y C. W . L eadbeater . 8vo. 144 pp. Oloth, $2.50 ne t. Jo h n Lane, P u b ­lisher, 67 F if th Ave., N ew Y ork.

This is a notable book in several respects. I t w ill be deeply interesting to every s tu d e n t of th e rea l m an an d welcomed by a ll acquain ted w ith M r. L eadbeater’s p re­vious works. There a re in te res tin g chap ters on the planes of nature , m an ’s vehicles, th e ou tpourings of the Spirit, reincarnation , b u t in philosophy and conclu - sions Theosophic in doctrine. A m ost valuab le p a rt follows in the exposition of th e several sub tle bodies of man, invisible to norm al sig h t b u t visible to th e c la ir­voyant. The developm ent of m an is show n in types from the savage to th e adept, and illu s tra te d by p lates in colors show ing the auras, w ith accom panying signifi­cance of the colors. The au th o r says th is fea tu re is based on the stud ies of tra ined clairvoyants. E very student of these subjects w ill find i t a desirable book.

The typography and o ther book-m aking features a re excellent.

REALIZATION

E lizabeth Towne’s E xperiences in Self-healing By herself. Sm all, 68 pp. P aper, 50 cents. Eliz'. abeth Towne, P u b lish e r, H olyoke, Mass.

The narra tive of personal experience has a specially instructive value, p robably because i t is a t once theory and application. The a u th o r h ere has written an in teresting sketch of h e r experience. She tells how she “ h e a le d ” herself of h u rry , w o rry and irritability, and physical a i lm e n ts ; how she re linqu ished striving and follow ed her inclina tions an d desires as the leading of the Spirit. The w hole is in s tru c tiv e and contains m uch good though t, b u t as a ph ilosophy of life is m arred by too g rea t em phasis on th e acquisition of w ealth .

T hese are My J ew els. By Stanley W aterloo. 8vo., 232 pp. C loth, $1. Ooolidge & Waterloo, 87 W ashington St., Chicago, 111.

This is a book w ritte n for th e young people, but is fu ll of incidents th a t are fa m ilia r to an d of interest to a ll.

I t w ill be found very he lp fu l to m any parents, who, believing in the ideas and aim s of H igher Thought, de­sire to make a p ractical app lica tion of th em in the character-building of th e young. I t teaches them to become fearless, k indhearted and observing, and is strongly optim istic. The view s expressed against the phenomena of spiritualism , how ever, are not in accordance w ith the best conclusions of th e day.

64

Of Possible Interest

January Mind, 569 F ifth Ave., N ew Y ork, has a bio­graphical sketch by Charles Brodie P atte rson , of the Editor of R ealization w ith portra it of th e la tte r and his artiole on “ Psychic Research in the N ew Thought."

the esoteric art of livingB y J o s e p h Stewart, L .L . 1*1.

CONTENTSI.— S o m e B a s ic P h i lo s o p h y .

I I — M en ta l S t a t e s a n d S e le c t e d C o n s c io u s n e s s .

III. — E lim in a t iv e a n d C o n s t r u c t i v e M e n t a t io n .

IV . — O rig in a l T h o u g h t a n d F r e e E x p r e s s io n .

V .— S e lf- R e v e la t io n .

V I. — S u b lim in a l C o n s c io u s n e s s .

V II . — S u b lim in a l C o n s c io u s n e s s ( C o n t i n u e d .)

V III .— T h e R a t io n a le o f C o n c e n t r a t io n .

IX .— T h e N o r m a l a n d t h e S u p e r n o r m a l.

Original S tud ies in th e P h ilo so p h y o f th e H ig h e r Life, com prehending th e c o n c e p ts o f A d v an c ed T h o u g h t and some deductions from m o d e rn P s y c h ic a l R e se a rc h ; the purpose b e in g to show h o w th e r a re r k n o w le d g e o f man’s powers, b o th n o rm a l a n d s u p e rn o rm a l, a n d th e i r proper exercise m ay b e r a t io n a lly m a d e th e b as is fo r a happier, hea lth ie r, p ro fo u n d e r a n d lo f tie r life , n o t o n ly in extraordinary, b u t in d a ily e x p e r ie n c e .

Some Press and Other Opinions.T h e w o rk is s tr o n g , o r ig in a l, c le a r a n d m o d e r a te in to n e .

Moreover th e a u th o r m a k e s n o s ta te m e n t w h ic h is c o n t r a r y to th e researches o f th e s tr ic te s t s c h o la s t ic s c ie n c e . I c a n h e a r t i ly re ­commend M r. S te w a r t ’s l i t t le b o o k a s in s tr u c t iv e , a u th e n t ic a n d inspiring to a ll in te re s te d in m o d e rn m e ta p h y s ic a l th o u g h t .

—Or. Latson, Editor, Health-Culture.

T h is b o o k m ig h t b e c a l le d th e p r e fa c e to a n e w g o s p e l. A great deal of th e b o o k is p r o s e p o e tr y o f th e s tr a in o f E m e r s o n . The attitude o f th e w r it e r is n o t th a t o f a p e s s im is t ; i t is c a lm , sane and r e a s o n a b le ; th e q u a li t y o f M a tth e w A r n o ld , w ith o u t Arnold’s ta n g o f b itte r n e s s .— W a s h in g t o n T i m e s .

Cloth and Gold, O ctavo, 80 pages. 75 cen ts.D e s c r ip tiv e c ir c u la r on a p p lic a tio n .

i5 4 o Howard A v e n u e , W a s h in g t o n , D . C .

Authors Seeking a PublisherManuscripts suitable for issuing in volume form required by established house; liberal terms; prompt, straight­forward treatment. Address “ Books, 141 Herald, Twenty-third Street, New York.

From Death to Life .B y th e R ev . HARRY M ARSHNER

Clothed in the garb of a story this book deals with the latest discoveries of telepathy, clairvoyance and spiritualism. The author arrives at the conclusion that man is a soul with two minds and two bodies. The Christian hope of meeting again is presented in such a scientific way that even skeptics will be inspired by the longing of being reunited with those they love.

Clolh, 12m o., $ 1 .5 0May be ordered through any bookseller, or will be sent postpaid for the price by T he Abbey PRESS, Publishers, of O ne Hundred and Fourteen, Fifth Avenue, New York, with agencies in London, Montreal and else­where, who always issue interesting works.

A MOST POWERFUL BOOK

Evelyn Arthvir See’s a-ndAgnes C hester S ee ’s Publication

T here w ill soon be c o m m en c ed in th i s J o u r n a l a

Symposium on the Question of Sexby som e o f th e m o s t c o m p e te n t w r i te r s o n th i s sub­jec t, co n sis tin g o f tw e lv e n u m b e rs a n d r u n th rough th e year.

T he S y m p o siu m , IM M O R T A L L I F E a n d th e PHILOSO­PH Y OF IM M O R T A L IT Y , c o m m e n c e d in th i s Journal in S eptem ber, la s t, is now r u n n in g a n d b a c k n u m b e rs can be fu rn ished .T H E H IG H E R TH O U G H T is a s t r ic t ly h ig h -g ra d e journal q u a rto size. S u b scrip tio n , 50 C ents a y e a r . A tr ia l, three m on ths , 10 Cents.

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be in h a rm o n y w ith O m n isc e n t D e s i g n

A NEW RELIGIONBy C, P . W. L0NQD1LL • • ■ N ew Z ealand

E xpounds a m arriag e re la tio n in h a r m o n y w i th Natural Law a n d th e req u irem en ts o f h ig h ly c iv iliz e d n a t io n s .

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A ddress, C. P. W . L0 NQD1LL, P rac tica lQlsborne, New Zealand.

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wlth "fiXTK A"E d i t e d b y H . O. W R IG H T.

A m o n th ly m a g a z in e d e v o te d t o S c ie n c e , P h i lo s p h y a n d R e lig io n : a d v o c a t in g t h e H a r m o n i o u s D e v e lo p m e n t o f m a n ’s th ree-fo ld n a t u r e —P h y s ic a l , M e n ta l , a n d S p i r i t u a l . O f e s p e c ia l im p o r ta n c e t o a l l w h o a r e i n t e r e s t e d In

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T h e W r i g h t Co ., P u b l i s h e r s ,115 M a r lo n S t r e e t , C o r ry , P a . , U . S . A .

BIBLE R E V IE W : A MAGAZINE OF TRUE REVEALMENT.

D ev o ted to t h e u n v e i l i n g o f t h e w r i t i n g s w h ic h h a v e h e r e t o ­fore fo rm e d t h e m y s t e r i e s o f t h e B ib le , b y s h o w in g c o n c lu s iv e ev id en ce o f t h e p l a n a n d p u r p o s e I n t h e m f r o m t h e b e g in n in g to th e e n d . W h e n t h e s e a r e u n d e r s t o o d , t h e c o n f u s io n o f to n g u e s (G e n e s is X I , 7) w i l l h a v e b e e n r e m o v e d , a n d a l l th in k e r s w ill se e e y e t o e y e . A l l t r u e , d e v o u t C h r i s t i a n s s h o u ld becom e I ts r e a d e r s , f o r i n t h e m i s t h e h o p e o f t h e f u tu r e .

N o t m y s t ic i s m , n o r m a t e r i a l i s m , b u t p l a in , c o m m o n s e n s e ., 3 H . E . B u t l e r , E d i to r .

A n n u a l s u b s c r ip t io n , 81.50; s in g l e c o p y , 15c.F o re ig n , 7s. 2d . S in g le c o p y 9 d . T h e E s o te r i c F r a t e r n i t y ,

A p p le g a te , C a l., u . S . A .

PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNAL.E s ta b l is h e d in 1865. D e v o te d t o O c c u l t a n d S p i r i t u a l P h i lo ­

sophy . e tc . I t h a s a l l t h e p r o m i n e n t w r i te r s . S a m p le fre e . W eek ly —8 p a g e s —81.00 a y e a r .__ B ooks o n O c c u l t i s m , A s t r o lo g y , H e a l in g , T h e o s o p h y , M ag ic , M e ta p h y s ic s , a n d L ib e r a l i s m f o r s a le . C a ta lo g u e s e n t f re e u p o n a p p l ic a tio n .

_ T h o m a s G . N e w m a n , E d i t o r a n d P u b l i s h e r ,1429 M a r k e t S t r e e t , S a n F ra n c is c o , C al.

THE WORLD’S ADVANCE-THOUGHT AND THE UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC.

E d ite d a n d p u b l i s h e d b y Lucy A. Mallkry. D e v o te d to th e I n d iv id u a l E x p r e s s io n in h a r m o n y w i th t h e I n f i n i t e ; th e N ew D is p e n s a t io n a n d W h o le . W o r ld S o u l C o m m u n io n . M o n th ly s u b s c r i p t io n , 50 c e n t s a y e a r ; fo re ig n , 8 s h i l l in g s . 193 S ix th s t r e e t , P o r t l a n d , O re g o n .

“ MIND.”E d i te d b y John Emery McLean a n d Charles Brodik

Patterson. T h is i s t h e l a r g e s t a n d m o s t i m p o r t a n t re v ie w o f L ib e ra l a n d A d v a n c e d T h o u g h t . I t h a s e n te r e d i t s f i f th su c ­cessfu l y e a r w i t h i n c r e a s i n g ly a t t r a c t i v e f e a tu re s . E a c h Is su e is a n e p i to m e o f t h e l a t e s t a n d b e s t in f o r m a t io n o b ta in a b le c o n ­c e rn in g t h e s u b je c t s u p o n w h ic h M IN D is q u o te d a s a n a u ­th o r i ty —i t s s p e c ia l f ie ld b e in g S c ie n c e , P h ilo s o p h y , R e lig io n , P s y c h o lo g y , M e ta p h y s ic s , O c c u lt is m , e tc . I t is th e a c k n o w l­e d g e d l e a d e r . 80 p a g e s m o n th l y , la rg e s iz e . 82.00 a y e a r ; 20ce d g e d l e a d e r , a copy. The Alliance Publishing 00.,

669 Fifth Ave., New Y o rk , N. Y.

MAR. 2 1903

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